228 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Apr. 15, 



A OUEENBEE 8TDNG, AND ITS RECOVERT. 



One Sunday iu July, a young bee-enthusiast wisht to see 

 a queen-bee. To accommodate him, I opened a hive of Ital- 

 ians, and found her majesty. I deposited her in my hand, 

 while several of us closely examined her actions . (timid ones 

 at a respectable distance for safety, so they said — while I 

 laught at their fears). Oa returning her to the brood-nest, 

 she became frightened and took wing. Then taking several 

 circles around us, she entered a hive of hybrids. She belonged 

 to a spring swarm, and was not dipt as the others. I at once 

 opened the hive, and found her being balled by the bees. 

 Rescuing her, I concluded she was unharmed, but by examin- 

 ing the bunch of bees in hand, I separated her therefrom. I 

 noticed a sting clinging to the under side of the thorax. I 

 extracted it, and supposed she was free from injury, but all 

 at once she was taken with a sudden tremor, and apparently 

 succumbed. 



We all exprest onr opinion that she was beyond recovery, 

 but I thought to experiment a little. So on the impulse of 

 the moment I carried her to the house and placed her under a 

 large microscope. I soon discovered that she appeared as if 

 under a powerful narcotic. Placing her immediately in a 

 water bath, thickened with saliva, she began to regain 

 activity. When returned to the hive, the bees cleaned her, 

 and now she reigns queen of all she surveys., 



A FREAK OF A SVPARM OF BEES. 



Just after midsummer I discovered a peculiar feature re- 

 garding a colony of bees. I had two weeks before removed 

 two full supers of honey and placed an empty one containing 

 drawn-out combs. I was surprised (to put it very mild) later 

 on, to find this super nearly full of biood with a queen. A 

 queen also was quietly at work in the brood-nest below. The 

 queen below was a young one, just nicely depositing eggs; 

 while the one above was the mother, or old queen, as her 

 wings were dipt. There was ne honey-board between. To 

 all appearance there were two colonies within one hive. 



I removed the super to a new location for several days, as 

 a test, and both workt with a will. Later I united, choosing 

 the best queen, and all progrest as finely as before. The old 

 queen was only one year old, and perfect in every way. Her 

 bive was satisfactorily supplied with brood. Thus you readily 

 perceive that they were not desiring to supersede her. 



WHITE OR PICKLED BROOD VS. FOUL BROOD. 



Two years ago my bees had, to all appearance, foul brood, 

 and I wrote to Dr. Miller in regard to it. His reply was that 

 under the existing condition mentioned he could not name or 

 discover a remedy, but later developments convinced me that 

 it was not foul brood. Whatever it may have been, it shows 

 itself in July and August, and then usually disappears for the 

 season. 



Last year I discovered a remedy, but it requires patience 

 and forbearance to apply it. I have an ear-spoon which I 

 used with success. Take one teaspoonful of honey, dilute 

 with five drops of water, and add three drops of phenol or 

 carbolic acid ; moisten the ear-spoon and introduce it into the 

 cell, and extract the dead brood. This is all I found neces- 

 sary for a complete cure. Taken when first discovered, it can 

 be executed with rapidity. 



The contaimination is very slow at first, but later its 

 action Is more progressive. Thus matters can be facilitated 

 by applying the remedy on its discovery. 



Calhoun Co., Mich. 



Various Notes and Commetits. 



BY J. M. YOUNG. 



I keep a note-book, and when an idea comes to my mind 

 that I think would be of any interest I jot it down. In look- 

 ing over that book now, I find the following, or the text of 

 what I have written since my last : 



Newspapers Around Hives. — Did you know that when 

 riding or driving against a cold, strong wind, if a common 

 newspaper be placed under the vest over the breast, that it will 

 keep the body much warmer than anything else that can be 

 used? Well, the same idea will work If you put that same 

 newspaper or something like it around your bee-hives when 

 packing them for winter. Try it and see if you are not sur- 

 prised. 



Bkk-Entrance Guards. — It is a good time now to put on 

 bee-entrance guards. They will save many a small swarm 

 from coming out and going into other hives. It is a mystery 



sometimes why these small swarms come out; all the reason I 

 know is, they are like some people that want to be always 

 moving around. 



Leaves for Winter Packing. — I use forest leaves for 

 winter packing on top of the brood-frames in the upper story 

 of my hives. I find that it is the cheapest material that can 

 be obtained, and it is easily disposed of in the spring, by 

 spreading it out over the garden or truck-patch. 



Making Experiments. — The editorial advice given on 

 page 1(18, under the head of " Making Experiments " is well 

 said, and if such advice is heeded it will save the bee-keeper 

 many times the cost of his Bee Journal. This applies to be- 

 ginners, and, come to think about it, all my notes are directed 

 to this class of individuals. Of course the experienced will 

 pay no attention, anyway. 



Tall Sections. — The Colorado Bee-Keepers' Association 

 has put a damper on that changing-to-the-tal!-section busi- 

 ness. I don't know as I blame them very much. There are 

 many good points of interest put forth in that paper, read by 

 Mr. Tracy before that body, that are well founded ; especially 

 that part relating to supply manufacturers and dealers. 



An error exists iu my notes on page 165, under the 

 head of tall sections, in the 6th line. It reads " 12-inch case," 

 which should be 12 in a case. 



Take a Bee-Paper. — No wide-a-wake bee-keeper should 

 think of keeping bees without subscribing for a good, live, up- 

 to-date bee-paper. Many ideas will be pickt up that will pay 

 many times the cost of the publication. 



Visiting. — Why didn't you come down to my place, Mr, 

 Bevins, (see page 161) when you were at Omaha taking in the 

 sights ? It was only 22 miles down here — a half hour's ride — 

 and we would have shown you an apiary that wasn't in the 

 weeds, cornstalks or potatoes, but you would have seen them 

 pretty close to the grape-vines, though. I might not have 

 been at home, but the bees were. 



Saving the Bee-Papers. — If you want to save a world 

 of information just file away your bee-papers as fast as you 

 get them read, into a good binder. I have on hand now near- 

 ly all the bee-periodicals I have ever received, back for about 

 20 years. I seldom look over any of them but what I find 

 some good idea entirely forgotten. 



Value of the Unfinisht Sections. — When fitting up 

 the cases and filling them with sections, I always select all 

 those that have comb in them, and put them together in cases 

 by themselves. When taking off the first comb honey I find 

 that cases treated in this manner are filled and finisht first, 

 and quite often colonies that have these drawn-out combs to 

 commence on, will fill the second case before those that have 

 starters are only one-half filled. 



Foundation for Hives. — I have been advocating for 

 several years half bricks put under corners of hives for a 

 foundation. After I have been using them all this time I find 

 that there has been iu use something much better. The prin- 

 cipal objections against half bricks is, they are nothigh enough, 

 for moles and other ground-workers will work the dirt up 

 dose to the bottom-boards, thus rotting them. The bees will 

 get under the hives, at times, and many a time valuable 

 queens get under there, merely to get out of sight, and to have 

 the bee-keeper to remove or upset the hive to get at them. I 

 have something in mind that will beat anything put out for a 

 hive-stand, but I don't care to tell just what it is until I have 

 tried it. Part of the idea is obtained from somebody else, but 

 I think it will work. Cass Co., Nebr. 



The Alsike Clover L,eaflet consists^of 2 pages, 

 with illustrations, showing the value of Alsike clover, and 

 telling how to grow it. This Leaflet is just the thing to hand 

 to every farmer in your neighborhood. Send to the Bee Jour- 

 nal oflico for a quantity of them, and see that they are dis- 

 tributed where they will do the most good. Prices, postpaid, 

 are as follows : 50 for 20 cents ; 100 for 35 cents ; or 200 



for <i0 cents. 



■« « > 



Every Present Sutoscriber of the Bee Journal 

 should bo an agent for it, and get all others possible to sub- 

 scribe for it. See offer on page 234. 



