1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



357 



for all bee-keepers, that have foul brood In their bee-yards, If 

 they will follow his Instructions how to cure that disease, and 

 let the professional Ruessers alone until they find out. 



In the fall of 1890, I was very much pleased with an ar- 

 ticle that Mr. Robinson, of Richfield, N. Y., had publisht in 

 the American Bee Journal, on the cause of foul brood, and as 

 that was a real test case of his, proving that foul brood was 

 caused by the rotting of uucared-for brood, I prized his article 

 very much, as that was in the same line of my discovery. I 

 wrote Mr. Robinson at the time I read his article, and also 

 tbankt him for it. 



Some bee-keepers believe that the empty hives that had 

 foul brood In, will cause foul brood if not boiled, scalded, or 

 disinfected, which is the greatest of nonsense. An empty hive 

 never, no never, gave the disease, and never will. I always 

 tell the owners not to waste their time in disinfecting or doing 

 anything with the old hive, but cure the disease right In the 

 same hive, which they always do. 



Some think that the queens in very badly diseased colo- 

 nies will cause foul brood, which I know is anything but a 

 fact. I often have to put two, three, and sometimes four weak 

 colonies into one, that have been so used up from foul brood, 

 in order to get a fair colony to make it pay to cure them of 

 foul brood. In such cases, if the queens suit me, I get them 

 for nothing, and bring them home and do away with some 

 poor queens, putting these queens from the foul colonies into 

 my own. I have proved it in every possible way, and I know 

 for a fact that the queens never did cause foul brood. 



Comb foundation has been blamed for helping'tol'spread 

 foul brood, which is not a fact. I defy any man to cause foul 

 brood from foundation made from wax rendered out of the 

 ■worst of foul broody combs. The disease is spread by the bees 

 robbing foul broody colonies, and they carry the disease just 

 in proportion to the amount of the diseased honey they convey 

 to their own hives. 



In my next article I will give all my methods for curing 

 foul brood. I don't use any drugs, nor starve any bees at any 

 time, and any'man can cure the worst cases of foul brood by 

 my methods, from May to November. Ontario, Canada. 



Importance of Having Good Queens. 



BY .1. W. ROUSE. 



I wonder if even one-half of the bee-keepers realize the 

 importance of good queens, as upon the queen more than any 

 other one thing depends a successful crop of honey. I have 

 never seen a season in my bee-keeping experience but what 

 some colonies could at least make a living, but I have seen 

 some colonies that made a poor living even in a fair season. As 

 bees do not make honey, but gather it, of course they can do 

 nothing when there is nothing to do on or with. If the queen 

 is a good breeder, that does her work at the right time, In the 

 right way, her bees are most sure to get something. 



It is hard to convince some that there is as much differ- 

 ence In queen-bees as there is in milch-cows, or any other kind 

 of stock. While some cows are good milkers, others are not 

 worth keeping. So it is with queen-bees. Some colonies are 

 kept from year to year, and nothing is ever obtained from 

 them. When the old queen gives out, another is reared by the 

 bees from her stock, and so this worthless breed is continued. 



Remedy — Replace these worthless queens with good ones 

 that will produce bees in quantities sufficient, and with energy 

 enough to get a bustle on themselves. 



If queens are to be bought, this is often neglected on ac- 

 count of the expense, but as has been said before, " If one 

 does not wish to go to any expense, he had better let the bees 

 alone." I do not know of any business that will bring in as 

 good returns for the time and money as do bees if given the 

 right attention. I have never failed to get some honey since 

 keeping bees, except one season — that of 1894. That year 

 by drawing on my best colonies, I kept some others from starv- 

 ing, which proved to me that it does not pay to keep a poor 

 queen. Better let them starve rather than to keep them on 

 that way. But by weeding out poor queens, the bee-keeper 

 can very materially help his honey crop. 



Again, many let their bees rear a large lot of useless drones 

 that consume the stores the workers do get. This can be 

 avoided by taking out all drone-comb from the brood-nest and 

 replacing it with foundation or other worker-comb. This is 

 another expense, but one that pays well for the investment. 



By careful watching and proper manipulations one can 

 have the bees build extra combs, by building a few at a time, 

 but If one can stand the expense at the time, it Is cheapest to 

 have combs drawn from full sheets of foundation. This in- 

 sures straight combs and all worker-cells, besides saving much 

 honey bufldlog the combs.— Progressive Bee-Keeper. 



Report of the North American Convention Held 

 at St. Joseph, Mo., Oct. 10-12, 1894. 



REPORTED BY LOUI.S R. LIGHTON. 



[Continued from page 342.1 

 WHAT SHALL WE PLANT FOR HONEY? 



Silver Berry {Ehcaninis arnentca) is quite a favorite with 

 the bees. The plant grows wild from Minnesota to Montana 

 and Utah, and has been introduced elsewhere for ornament and 

 for Its edible, berry-like fruit. A short account of it can be 

 found on page 215 of the American Bee Journal for Aug. 16, 

 1894, under the name " Wild Olive." 



The Japanese Silver Berry (Elwagnus longiijes) introduced 

 by nurserymen is probably preferable to the native wild spe- 

 cies. It produces a profusion of beautiful yellowish-white 

 blossoms in May, and hangs full of bright scarlet acid berries, 

 which like those of the native species may be used as cranber- 

 ries. The Japanese species is a shrub five to six feet high, 

 which bears when but two years old. 



The Buffalo Berry (ShepheriHa urgentea) grows wild from 

 North Minnesota to Colorado and westward, attaining a height 

 of 5 to 18 feet. Is is closely related to EUeagnus, but while 

 the latter has perfect flowers, four stamens, and alternate 

 leaves, silvery below, the Shepherdia or Buffalo Berry has di- 

 ifcious flowers, eight stamens, and opposite leaves, silvery 

 both sides, and the tree is somewhat spiny. The fruit is also 

 glossier, bright scarlet and even more abundant. It Is acid 

 and can be used like the Silver Berries, but if left to be toucht 

 by frost if becomes very pleasant and can be used as a mid- 

 winter dessert fruit. The Rural New Yorker says of it : " Un- 

 questionably the Shepherdia is well worthy of cultivation for 

 its fruit alone, which is superior to Elieagnus." I have not 

 been able to observe whether this plant is visited by the bees 

 or not and so ought really to place it in the list for experiment, 

 but from the fact that it is closely related to the silver berries 

 I am quite sure it will prove of value to the bee-keeper and on 

 account of its great beauty it can be used to replace non-pro- 

 ductive ornamental shrubs, or may form a part of the fruit 

 orchard. 



The perennial clovers. White, Alsike and Red. with re- 

 lated plants such as Alfalfa or Lucern (Mulicago saliva), and 

 Sainfoin or Esparcette (Onobrychis saliva) are great honey 

 producers. I need say little about most of these, for all are 

 familiar with them. I do not think, however, that Alsike 

 clover (Trlfolium hybrhlum) has received the attention it ought 

 to have, either from bee-keepers or farmers. It thrives best 

 on moist rich land and in a cool climate, but with care in get- 

 ting a good stand, sowing it with timothy and red clover it 

 may be grown on a great variety of soils in the North, and 

 sown with redtop in the South, it will do well where the latter 

 thrives. From the second crop of Red Clover (TrifoHum pra- 

 tense) Italian and Carniolan bees sometimes gatber honey, but 

 this source cannot be depended upon. 



Sainfoin or Esparcette iOnolirychis saliva) is a leguminous 

 plant largely cultivated in Europe for forage and hay. It is 

 raised to a limited extent in our Southern States, but is worthy 

 I believe, of much more extended cultivation, aitho it Is not 

 altogether hardy at the North. It has yielded a light crop as 

 far north as Massachusetts, but it is liable to winter-killcon- 

 siderably there. In the milder portions of the Atlantic States, 

 and south of the Ohio, westward to the Pacific, it surely ought 

 to succeed on light, dry soils which contain lime. It is a most 

 excellent honey-producer and the honey is of fine quality — 

 clear, thick, and pleasant-flavored. I shall sow some sainfoin 

 in Maryland the coming spring and would be glad to see it 

 tried in other parts of the country. 



The Flat Pea or Vetchling {Lalhynis sylvestrls) is a new 

 leguminous plant which has come to us from Germany. It is 

 one of the most remarkable renovators of the soil known, and 

 the European journals of apiculture speak highly of it as a 

 honey-producer. Its roots go even deeper into the soil than 

 those of alfalfa, hence when once establlsht It may be de- 



