1921 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



25 



packed in dense columns so as effec- 

 tively to cut off fhe air supply from 

 the surrounding organs. The detailed 

 pathology described in Mr. White's 

 paper proved the destructive charac- 

 ter of the parasite's habits. Thou- 

 sands of bees had been examined 

 from large numbers of stocks 

 tliroughout the country and it had 

 been found that every stock reported 

 by reliable beekeepers or certified by 

 the investigators themselves as suf- 

 fering from the disease, harbored this 

 parasite. Similarly, every individual 

 bee, known from its stock history 

 and individual symptoms to be suffer- 

 ing from this disease, was likewise 

 found to contain these parasites and 

 to exhibit the internal disorders 

 which caused the disabling symp- 

 toms. The investigators stated that 

 they were now able to diagnose the 

 disease in its earliest stages, while 

 the bees were capable of flying and 

 foraging. Infection appeared to oc- 

 cur mainly in the hive, the conditions 

 of the cluster making this compara- 

 tively easy. Mites had been obtained 

 from the outside of the bee, appar- 

 ently on their migratory passage. The 

 tarsonemes included several species 

 destructive to plants and there were 

 some which have been found in ma- 

 lignant growths in man and in ani- 

 mals. The bee tarsoneme, in its 

 structure, appeared to be more close- 

 ly allied to these last. 



Many bees from different countries 

 outside Great Britain had been exam- 

 ined, and so far Tarsonemus had 

 not been found in these. All the evi- 

 dence hitherto obtained points to the 

 parasite in bees being peculiar to 

 this country. This coincides with the 

 general testimony regarding the in- 

 sular character of "Isle-of-Wight" 

 disease. The name of Isle-of-Wight 

 disease had long been regarded as 

 unsatisfactory, and it appeared that 

 "Acarine" disease would be more ap- 

 propriate. 



In view of the great practical inter- 

 est shown by Mr. Wood, of Glassel, 

 in the work of the research and of 

 beekeeping generally, the director of 

 the research proposed to designate 

 the new species "Tarsonemus woodi." 

 The investigators recorded their 

 very high appreciation of the support 

 of beekeepers throughout the coun- 

 try in supplying bees, and for other 

 assistance so essential for the suc- 

 cessful conduct of the research. 



FROM THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE 

 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, JAN- 

 UARY, 1861. 



A Bee Master 



He may be regarded as a master in 

 bee culture, who knows how to winter 

 his stocks in a healthy condition, with 

 least loss of bees, the smallest con- 

 sumption of stores, and with the 

 combs unsoiled. 



Money From Bee* 



There are three German adages 

 which run thus: 



I 

 Bees, sheep and angle-rod, be sure. 

 Will make thee quickly rich or poor I 



Sheep, doves and bees (nought surer). 

 Will make thee neither richer nor 

 poorer. 



3 

 Keep plenty of bees and sheep 

 Then cosily lie down and sleep! 



In the Kingdom of Bavaria, over 

 200,000 hives of bees are kept, accord- 

 ing to the official returns made to the 

 Government; and these, it is stated, 

 yield an average profit of 75 per cent 

 on the investment. In view of this 

 result, a late German writer thinks 

 there is rather more of truth in the 

 last of these adages than in the first 

 two. 



A Cure For Robbings 



When robbing bees attack a weak 

 colony having a fertile queen, it is ad- 

 visable to remove it from its stand to 

 a dark chamber or cellar. Set an 

 empty hive in its place, strew therein 

 a handful or two of the stems and 

 leaves of wormwood, and rub the 

 front of the hive and bottom-board 

 therewith. The assailants will soon 

 forsake the spot, and the colony may 



be replaced on its stand -on the eve- 

 ning of the following day. 

 January 



Not unfrequently the queen begins 

 to lay eggs already in January, though 

 this is by no means a desirable occur- 

 rence, resulting commonly in detri- 

 ment to the colony and damage to its 

 owner. 



Besides a sufficiency of stores, ade- 

 quate warmth is indispensable for the 

 wintering of bees. 



If a warm day tempts the bees to fly 

 when the ground is covered with 

 snow, a quantity of loose straw should 

 be scattered on it in front of the hives 

 to keep the bees from being blinded 

 by the glare, and aid them in return- 

 ing to their homes. 



An Aid to Prosperity 



An extensive traveler, Mr. Keppel- 

 hoff, remarks: "On close observation 

 everywhere among the peasantry of 

 the countries I have visited, I uni- 

 formly found that small cottagers who 

 kept bees, were in the enjoyment of a 

 greater amount of the comforts and 

 conveniences 'of domestic life than 

 those who paid no attention to the in- 

 dustrious insect." 



BEEKEEPERS BY THE WAY 



A Beekeeping Entomologist 



Professor H. F. Wilson was an en- 

 tomologist a long time before he be- 

 came a beekeeper. If he had been a 

 beekeeper first, the chances are that 

 he never would have been an ento- 

 mologist, for since he took the bee 

 fever the bugs have suffered from 

 neglect. It is not clear as to just 

 when Wilson first became interested 

 in bees. Several years ago, while 

 stationed at the Oregon Agricultural 

 College, he issued a bulletin on ele- 

 mentary beekeeping. 



When he became head of the De- 

 partment of Entomology at the Wis- 

 consin University his beekeeping pro- 

 pensity first found opportunity for 

 unlimited development. Beekeeping 

 is an important industry in Wiscon- 

 sin and the Department of Entomol- 

 ogy is an equally important branch of 

 the University. There are some live 

 beemen in Wisconsin, and when a 

 live bunch of beekeepers find their 

 university ready to co-operate with 

 them, things begin to happen. Things 

 have been happening in Wisconsin 

 for some time past. For two years 

 they have held a beekeepers' Chau- 

 tauqua at the side of a lake in Madi- 

 son, after the close of the main honey 

 flow in August. The beekeepers have 

 camped out and cooked their meals 

 from the university garden, which 

 Wilson took care to have planted 

 for them. There have been big 

 crowds and good times and hard 

 study as well. 



Wisconsin has one of the most com- 

 plete organizations of beekeepers of 

 any of the States. In addition to a 



strong central organization, most of 

 the counties where beekeeping is im- 

 portant have branch associations 

 which are wide awake. Wilson is 

 Secretary of the State organization. 

 The university, in co-operation with 

 these local organizations, has held 

 three-days bee schools in all parts of 

 Wisconsin. Keep your eye on the 

 Badger State. 



H. F. Wilson, of Wisconsin 



