308 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 20, 



way is a compound, cneji tho\iQ\i it be a fact tluit an absolutely 

 pure honey is lackliio in keeping qualities " (My italics.) 



This is certainly news, even to the oldest bee-keepers. 

 Possibly the writer meant that pure honey was so good that you 

 couldn't keep it. I find that real good fruit, or good eatables 

 (i( any kind, are quick to go at our house, and always were. I 

 also know that aiauy adulterated articles, and honey adutera- 

 aled with glucose is certainly no exception, will keep a long 

 time if I am to be the eater. But, if the writer meant that 

 pure honey would not keep or maintain its excellence, for 

 a very long period, then he simply does not know what he is 

 talking about. I question if honey can be mixt in any way to 

 improve its keeping qualities. It is true that if unripe honey 

 is extracted — that is, if honey is e.ttracted before it Is 

 ready to seal — it will sometimes ferment; but this is really 

 not honey. I should say that honey was a perfected article, 

 and If extracted before the bees are ready to seal it, it is thin 

 and watery, and could no more be called genuine honey than 

 could watered milk be called genuine. Such honey contains 

 altogether too large a percentage of water, and like sweetened 

 water, orthesapofmaple trees, it is quick to ferment or sour, 

 and of course will very soon lose its flavor and excellence. 



It is whispered abroad, that the manufacturers of adulter- 

 ated honey are not a little exercised over the new law regard- 

 ing houey adulteration, past by the last California Legislature. 

 If reports are true, they are preparing for a big fight. 1 say, 

 let them commence — the sooner the better — and let the old 

 Uuion, which has already done such valiant service, hasten to 

 the combat. We surely have right on our side, and there is no 

 reason in the world why we should not commence this prose- 

 cution at once. I do not believe there is the least doubt but 

 what in such action we shall be triumphantly successful. 



EARLY FLOWERS — BUSY BEES. 



I have several times referred to the fact that California 

 flowers were a long time in blossom. This year seems excep- 

 tionally peculiar in this respect, owing, I presume, to the mild, 

 copious rains of the winter, the flowers started exceptionally 

 early — I think two or three weeks earlier than usual. I rather 

 sorrowed at this, for I feared my botany class, which com- 

 mences the first of April, might lose many of the spring beau- 

 ties. I find, however, that my regrets were vain, for we have 

 been able to get all the flowers. I think I understand this pe- 

 culiarity of long bloom, so pronounced in California. The cli- 

 mate is so arid here, that, in nature, the fljwers, at best, have 

 a hard time of it. Thus, through the law of "natural selec- 

 tion," they would acquire the habit of long bloom so that they 

 might be able to take advantage of all possible seasonal pe- 

 culiarities. 



Just at the opening of the honey season this year we had 

 a week or more of exceptionally warm, beautiful weather. It 

 was just at the time of the orange bloom. The trees were 

 such a wealth of bloom as to gladden the sight of 

 every lover of the beautiful. They also sent forth such a fra- 

 grance that the whole country seemed one great region of per- 

 fume. The bees were in their glory. In walking along the 

 streets it seemed almost as if there was a swarm of bees, so loud 

 was the hum of these little insects as they were passing to and 

 fro from the orange orchards. It is needless to say that the 

 swarming commenced with a vengeance. Many a person was 

 led to regret his neglect to secure hives, etc., and found him- 

 self wholly unprepared for this early swarming mania. Bee- 

 keepers should always be ready lo catch the harvest. 



Los Angeles Co , Calif., April 29. 



Salt Water Cure for Paralysis aud Foul Brood. 



BY .1. A. GOLDEN. 



I have received the following from the editor of the 

 American Bee Journal, with the request that I reply to It : 



Editor York:— On page 180, Mr. (iolden speaks of the 

 value of "electrolyzed chloride sodium water" as a cure for cer- 

 tain diseases of bees. I am not a chemist, and cannot find any 

 mention of that particular form of sodium in any work I have, 

 nor Is it listed In a full catalog of drugs. Will Mr. Golden 

 kindly give some information about the drug? How does It 

 differ from common salt water? Where can it be obtained ? 



He speaks of giving his " method a practical test as de- 

 scribed In the article mentioned," but there is no other men- 

 lion of the article. Will he kindly refer me to the article ? 



I do no think there Is a single case of bce-paralysis in my 

 apiary at present, but I want to be prepared to experiment 

 more with It when it does appear again, as it is almost certain 

 to do in time. In my experiments, common salt water has 



had no effect on the disease. Will Mr. Golden kindly give me 

 an idea of how many cases of bee-paralysis he has cured with 

 this method ? O. O. Popi'leton. 



I am glad to reply to your request through the American 

 Bee Journal, thus answering a multiplicity of letters on the 

 same subject, which have been received since requesting the 

 elactrolyzed sodium water to be tested on foul brood and bee- 

 paralysis by those having bees affected with the maladies. It 

 will be noticed, by reading my former article, that I have not 

 had the opportunity to use the electrolyzed salt water, or her- 

 mltine, having no diseased bees in all this section of country, 

 and if you will turn to page 888 of Gleanings for 1892, you 

 will see, in reading my experience, that we had bee-paralysis 

 pretty badly (a typographical error occurs at where it says, 

 "And not a queen;" it should have read, "And not a 

 queen missing"), aud the salt water was applied, and no power 

 of reasoning can convince me that salt water did not cure my 

 bees of the malady. And, besides, all bees through this 

 locality that had the disease were treated, and the disease has 

 entirely disappeared. I could not give in numbers just how 

 many cases had treatment, but in all between 30 and 40. 



Having never failed In one instance to cure the disease 

 called paralysis, with my mode of treatment with the salt 

 water remedy, I obligated myself to accept for treatment one 

 of the worst affected colonies of bees that T. S. Ford, of 

 Mississippi, had in his apiary, upon the request of Ernest R. 

 Root, of Gleanings, whom all will admit is wide awake to the 

 interests and welfare of bee-keepers the world over. However, 

 the colony never came to hand. After some time Mr. Ford 

 wrote me that he would have to haul the bees some 30 miles 

 to ship, and as I would have to haul them 9 miles after trans- 

 portation by rail, at that time of the season it was run- 

 ning too much risk. 



ELECTROLYZED SODIUM WATER. 



Sometime ago, in reading a late work on photography, 

 my attention was called to electrolyzed sodium water, from 

 which I will copy the following extract: 



" Extraordinary claims are being made for electrolyzed 

 sodium water, or hermitine, which has not only proven a useful 

 disinfectent for sewerage, but is said to have been adopted as 

 an antiseptic in Paris hospitals. According to Dr. Proger, of 

 Asniers, it is neither caustic nor irritating ; it may be applied 

 to the mucous membrane as to the skin ; it instantly removes 

 all bad odors, stops all putrescent fermentation, kills microbes 

 more effectually and rapidly than any other antiseptic, 

 cleanses and heals fetid wounds and sores, and Is, in fact, an 

 ideal antiseptic." 



He also urges its advantages from a domestic point of 

 view, for deodorizing and cleaning, and from a medical point 

 of view as an antiseptic and healer. Dr. Proger reports suc- 

 cessful use of it In cases of angina, coryza, and incipient 

 diphtheria. 



To produce electrolyzed sodium water, take a jar — glass 

 or earthen ware— fill it with salt water any strength you 

 desire ; then take two copper wires, attach one to the negative 

 and one to the positive wires of a battery, and Insert the cop- 

 per wires into the jar of salt water, and turn on the electricity. 

 The stronger the battery the quicker the water becomes elec- 

 trofied, thus dissolving certain salts contained In the mixture, 

 as I am informed, and removing the electric current from the 

 water leaves the water In au electrolyzed state, and if strongly 

 charged a taste will give you some idea of the difference be- 

 tween electrolyzed and the plain salt water. 



Application. — There are so many people that do not pur- 

 sue a proper course in testing many of the methods given in 

 bee-culture, consequently disappointments ("Didn't I tell you 

 so?") are the result all along the line. To properly treat a 

 colony of bees affected with paralysis, one must have a Lenox 

 atomizer (which can be had for about 35 cents by mail, and 

 no bee-keeper should be without one) ; a good, stiff scrub- 

 brush, and two solutions of salt water— No. I and No. 2— No. 

 1 being a strong brine, and No. 2 sufli.-iently salt to taste 

 quite a little salty. 



Remove the frames and bees from the hive to be treated, 

 to another hive or box, then give the hive a thorough scrub- 

 bing with solution No. 1 — bottom-board and all ; then lay a. 

 thin or light cover over the hive, having placed the hive on Its 

 stand ; then shake every bee from a frame, and with the 

 sprayer thoroughly spray the frame, comb, brood, and eggs, 

 and set it In the hive, and so on till all have been thus treated. 

 Then shake the bees at the entrance and cover the hive with 

 the hive-cover. In five days take off the cover and thoroughly 

 spray the combs, brood and hecs. This time you need not 

 move the frames, but send a spray down between the frames 

 pretty thoroughly with solution No. 2, and continue every five 



