1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



493 



ment. Pollen not being the food of old bees, 

 they are not in the wax business. [The highest 

 and lowest figures are probably extremes. 

 More experimenters have agreed on about 7 

 lbs.— Ed.] 



Ernest, that third paragraph on p. 469 shows 

 that you entirely misunderstood the third par- 

 agraph on p. 468. Please look again. I've no 

 objection to "that 3^-inch end play of the top- 

 bars." What I want is 3s-inch blocks, not on 

 the end, but on the side of the hive, so that 

 the frames can be shoved tight against them 

 instead of being shoved against an eighth space 

 of air. [You are correct ; we did not read you 

 rightly; but, take you as you mean, we have to 

 say that we tried little cleats on the side of the 

 hive, but finally tore 'em all off. Try and see 

 for yourself. — Ed. J 



Who of us hasn't wondered what it is that 

 gives the bright-yellow color to beeswax? Wax 

 is generally considered white wh^n first produc- 

 ed in little scales. Cowan says it is always tint- 

 ed, the color coming from the pollen consumed. 

 But what makes it get yellower in the hive? A 

 German writer says that, like the young of 

 nearly all animals, the young bee, on first 

 emptying its bowels, discharges fieces of in- 

 tense yellow, and this colors the comb. White 

 30mb confined in the center of a colony, but 

 inclosed in wire cloth, remains white. Here's 

 something for experimenter Taylor. 



Umting. For years I have had colonies 

 unlti', generally when I didn't want them to, by 

 being In the same hive with a hole or crack 

 under the division-board. Working on the 

 same principle, here's the way I have united 

 lately: Having the colonies to be united in 

 two separate hives, I set one hive on top of the 

 Dther, with a piece of heavy wrapping-paper 

 between, the paper having about its center a 

 hole large enough for a bee to go through. 

 That's all. Just put one hive on the other, 

 paper between. In a few days the paper is 

 gnawed away, and the bees all one family. It 

 may fail sometimes, but not thus far with me. 



Those spacings, 1}4, 1%, 1^ (page 469), are 

 ust exactly what were before me by actual 

 measurement as you had fastened in the foun- 

 lation. It may be that you get them nearer 

 the ct^nter generally, and, of course, I measured 

 up at the top-bar. But is there any use for 

 that extra ditch? Wouldn't one be as well? 

 [Say, Doctor, didn't you pick out the extremes? 

 tf you measure all the frames again, we think 

 you"d find the foundation to average in the 

 lenter. The one trough would be all right pro- 

 (^iding everybody used foundation ; but our 

 Drders show that not half do so far— they de- 

 pend upon the comb-guide, as fathers Lang- 

 5troth and Quinby did in the days before foun- 

 lation was' known. We endeavored to make a 

 top-bar that would hit both users and non- 

 asers of foundation. See ?— Ed.] 



HONEY-DEW HONEY. 



liy Prof. A. J. Cook. 



Mr. R. Powell, of Redlands, Cal., sends me a 

 sample of honey which he says is the same as 

 was sent east last season by Mr. Brooks, of 

 Riverside. Several cans were sent in a carload 

 of other honey, and Mr. Brooks is having trou- 

 ble, as the buyer east is complaining that it is 

 not pure. Mr. Powell wishes me to write an 

 article on this honey, for Gleaning.s. The 

 honey is quite dark, but very thick and quite 

 pleasant to the taste. I have very little doubt 

 that it is from honey-dew. I have already 

 taken steps to have it analyzed, so I think I 

 can pronounce with certainty regarding it in 

 a few days. I should feel very safe to buy and 

 use the honey. I would hardly pronounce it 

 first-class, but should call it good. The color 

 and fiavor are both below that of the highest 

 grade. 



A few days since, in company with our good 

 friend Wilder I visited our brother Brodbeck 

 at his wondrously beautiful and romantic site 

 in Arrowhead Canyon. I think he has the 

 most beautiful place for an apiary that I ever 

 saw. We looked through his hives, and found 

 that his bees were storing quite rapidly. He is 

 so far up in the mountains that the drouth may 

 not seriously affect his crop. Mr. B. told me 

 that he secured much honey last year from the 

 dodder, Cuscutn subinclusa. I expressed sur- 

 prise, as I had never before heard of this curious 

 plant as a honey-plant. Moreover, I said I 

 thought the dodder east bloomed early, while 

 his crop came in the fall. I find I was right. 

 The dodder blooms early, and so I am now 

 wondering if friend B.'s honey was not also 

 this honey-dew honey. I have sent to him for 

 a sample, and when it comes I shall be able to 

 state quite positively. Later, when I have a 

 careful analysis made, my opinion may be eon- 

 firmed. It is a matter of no little interest, and 

 I shall probe the matter to the bottom. 



ANOTHER BEE ENEMY. 



I have now received samples of comb with 

 dead brood, from three different sections of 

 Southern California— one from near Santa 

 Paula, Ventura Co., and one each from Fer- 

 nando and Pomona, in Los Angeles Co. It is 

 not like foul brood, as the decaying brood is 

 darker, and the viscid, elastic, stringy mass is 

 never seen. On the other hand, the decaying 

 brood is quite dark, and the form of the larva 

 or pupa, is always preserved. In every case the 

 cells ure scattering, and mixed in with much 

 apparently healthy brood. It is not very seri- 

 ous, as it is, so far as noticed, rarely very abun- 

 dant, and colonies often recover. It can not be 

 chilled brood, as such could hardly be in this 

 region, and would not be found in scattering 

 cells, as this is found. I have wondered if it 

 could be a case of poisoning. I should suppose 

 the scattering cells would argue against this; 



