534 



June 20, 1907 



^ American Hee Journal 



to Kansas farmers with uniform good results, 

 but that a larger fund was needed to make 

 the work comprehensive and decisive. Re- 

 ports from Texas and Oklahoma are that the 

 bees have practically exterminated all the 

 bugs in those States. 



The likelihood is that the item is substan- 

 tially correct, only the reporter in the case is 

 not an entomological expert. It is not likely 

 that any bee is a parasite, neither is there any 

 parasite in the case. Put "lady-bug" for 

 " parasite bee,'' and the story is probably all 

 right. It is well known that the larva of the 

 lady-bug is quite fond of green lice. 



Taking Surplus in Olden Times 



Dr. FoUenius says in Prak. Wegweiser that 

 the introduction of movable combs was the 

 beginning of taking surplus honey in the fall 

 instead of in the following spring. However, 

 that may have been in Germany, was it not 

 the custom in this country to " take up '' in 

 the fall, before movable frames were known? 

 The heaviest and the lightest colonies under- 

 went the brimstone ordeal; the heaviest be- 

 cause they had the most honey, and the 

 lightest bflcause they were not likely to sur- 

 vive the winter. 



flews Items 



.An ATcrage Honey Crop is now 



promised for the orange-growing district in 

 Southern California. Mr. John Stewart, of 

 San Bernardino county, sent us the following 

 item taken from the Los Angeles Times of 

 June 5- 



The honey crop, which is now being gath- 

 ered, is proving that this is an average season 

 for apiarists, although many cloudy days have 

 decreased the yield of nectar. There are a 

 number of apiaries in the vicinity of Red- 

 lands, and these first June days are busy ones 

 for the bee-men. 



The season promises to be an average one 

 notwithstanding the cold, wet winter. The 

 fogs are as bad for the bees as rains, for the 

 insects will not work in the fog except in rare 

 cases. 



The black sage of the canyons has been the 

 source of most of the honey gathered in the 

 past few weeks. This flower produces the 

 clearest and most delicious honey, which 

 brings the highest price. Next comes the 

 white sage, which makes just as good and 

 nutritious an article, but not quite so white. 



The " Muth Ideal Bee- Veil" appears 

 again this week on page 5.58. It is put 

 out by The Fred W. Muth Co., of Cincinnati, 

 Ohio. The illustration shows the veil so well 

 that a description is hardly necessary. We 

 may say, however, that the center part is 

 made of very light wire-cloth, which is far 

 ahead of the common limp cotton or silk net- 

 ting which is so often blown against the face 

 so that the bees can easily get at you. This 

 Muth veil Is very cool and pleasant to wear. 

 We bespeak for it a large demand among bee- 

 keepers. 



A "Pancake Turner" Comb Lev- 

 eler. — We have received the following : 



Herewith I send a crude drawing of a little 

 affair that 1 think is the best comb leveler 

 that I know of. I have used such as have 

 been advertised, but do not think them as 

 good for the purpose as this. I discovered 

 this by experimenting. 



Get a common pancake-turner, cut the sides 

 on a slant back to the handle, and round the 

 end of the blade slightly. This can all be 

 done with a pair of tinner's shears. Turn it 

 upside down so as to make a smooth surface 



on the underside, grind the upper edge to a 

 bevel, and file fine, sharp teeth in it, and the 

 thing is ready for use. 



After taking the section in hand place the 

 leveler in the bee-way space and vibrate it 

 from side to side. It will cut as neatly as the 

 reaper sickle does grain. 



I send in a separate package some of the 

 clippings which will give an idea of the work 

 it does. I have used this for the last 2 years, 

 and am well pleased with it. 



Some time during last year I sent a draw- 

 ing to the A. I. Root Co., and they seemed to 

 think it very good. I shall prosecute no one 

 for infringing upon my rights, if he should 

 think enough of it to try it. 



My bees are doing splendidly in the way of 

 brood-rearing just now; in fact, many of 

 them are very strong. I have sold 2 colonies 

 for $10 each. Wm. M. Whitney. 



Walworth Co., Wis., May 29. 



This differs from the Taylor handy comb- 

 leveler in that it allows one to cut down ob- 

 jectionable surface of the comb wherever it 

 may be, without cutting down the whole sur- 

 face to the same level. Also, the whole work 

 is in sight, allowing one to know just how 

 deep he is cutting. 



The Apiary of N. P. Anderson — We 



have received the following from Mr. Ander- 

 son in reference to his apiary, which is shown 

 on the first page : 



The picture of my apiary was taken during 

 the fall of 1906. It contained at that time 36 

 colonies, having increased from 15, spring 

 count. A part of the colonies were worked 

 for comb honey, some for queen-rearing, and 

 most of them for increase. 



The honey crop of 1906 was very light, and 

 here in Minneapolis it closed with the bass- 

 wood, while a few miles from here, in the 

 country, the bees worked on white clover for 

 10 days after the basswood ceased ; this made 

 my honey-flow very short, and left many un- 

 finished sections; but those will come handy 

 as bait for this year. N. P. Anderson. 



to have 115,000 readers — which contained the 

 following clipping, which I lake the liberty 

 to submit. I think it is stretched a little, 

 otherwise the climate around Preston, Minn,, 

 must be more suited for bees than anywhere 

 else that I have beard of. Here is what Mr. 

 M. V. Facey says in The Farmer: 



"It is not possible to estimate accurately 

 the amount of income to be derived from the 

 honey-resources of the farm, but it is cer- 

 tainly much greater than our most extrava- 

 gant estimates. In proof of this I will pre- 

 sent a few facts as they have come up in my 

 experience. 



" First example is a field of buckwheat of 

 only 5'4 acres, to which a yard of 30 colonies 

 of bees had access. No other buckwheat was 

 near, and the bees most clearly devoted their 

 whole attention to the only available field. It 

 was very much alive each forenoon, and the 

 bees gathered between 7.50 and SOO pounds per 

 acre therefrom, or an income from honey 

 alone of over .*40 per acre. Wild buckwheat 

 will often do as well. 



" It has been estimated that a large, thrifty, 

 well-flowered basswood will fully supply a 

 colony during its flow, and I do not think the 

 estimate is out of the way. When clover is 

 secreting nectar, a field of 15 or 20 acres of 

 thick white or alsike clover will keep a good- 

 sized apiary going." 



I will be listening with upstretehed ears to 

 hear what our " Afterthinker " thinks about 

 the Minnesota climate. I thinK even Mr. 

 Alexander, of New York, will think, and 

 even say, " That was a bumper report." 



The weather here has changed to the bet- 

 ter — warm, nice weather all last week. We 

 had a warm, nice rain yesterday and to-day. 

 Chas. O. Berqstband. 



As Mr. Facey is a reader of the American 

 Bee Journal, we would be pleased to have 

 him to tell us more about the report he sent 

 to The Farmer. Just what an acre of bloom 

 can be depended upon to yield in the shape of 

 honey is an interesting problem. It comes up 

 for solution quite frequently. Perhaps Mr. 

 Facey has the right answer. 



Amount of Honey Per Acre.— Charles 

 O. Bergstrand, of Amery, Wis. .wrote us as 

 follows on June 10: 



Editor York :— To-day I received a copy 

 of The Farmer— a Minnesota farm paper said 



The Song of Songs 



Poets write of honeysuckles, roses red and 

 lilies white. 



Of forget-me-nots and bluebells, and of daises 

 fair to see; 



But of all the flowers in all the world in which 

 men take delight. 



The basswood and white clover are the sweet- 

 est far to me. 



Artists paint the towering mountains with 

 their frozen caps of enow; 



Picture mighty icebergs floating in the heav- 

 ing Arctic Sea; 



But I love the springtime picture when the 

 earth is all aglow. 



And the air is filled with fragrance of the 

 blooming apple-tree. 



People rave of song of nightingale, of bobo- 

 link and wren, 



Of the oriole and robin nesting in the shady 

 tree ; 



But the song of songs — the melody excelling 

 birds and men — 



Is the song of the homecoming, nectar-laden 

 honey-bee. C. H. Benson. 



Bellevue, Mich. 



Our W^ood Binder (or Holder) is 

 made to take all the copies of the American 

 Bee Journal for a year. It is sent by mail 

 for 20 cents. Full directions accompany. 

 The Bee Journals can be inserted as soon as 

 they are received, and thus preserved for 

 future reference. Or we will send it with the 

 American Bee Journal a year— both for SI. 10. 

 Address office of the American Bee Journal. 



