ms 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



.Sept. 



iilumiz.-i'. The tinsmitli cau make a {food one for 

 ;25 cents. Ilclurn the frames to the colony. 



1 f there is no honey to be obtained from the fields, 

 feed honey or syrup to which has been added 3 

 tablespoonfuls of the mixture to each (juart of hon- 

 ey or syriip- Stir well. The honey just extracted 

 may be used without injury to the bees, if the mix- 

 ture is added; but no more should be furnished 

 than is consumed. Atomize the colony two or 

 three times more, simply setting- the frames apart 

 so as to direct the spray well over the combs and 

 bees— not brushing- off the bees; three or four days 

 should intervene betwesn the times of treatment. 

 The last may be given on top without removing a 

 frame. 



As a preventive, apply on top of the frames, or in 

 any way by which the bees may get it. Also burn 

 old dry bones to an ash, and ])ulverize. Mix up a 

 g-allon to each 50 colonics in the apiary, of the above 

 mixture, adding enough sugar or honey to make it 

 very sweet (say two or three times as much honey 

 or sugar as would be a proper quantity for use in 

 the atomizer). Stir in a full half-pint of the pow- 

 dered bone ash. Place this gallon of mixture in, 

 say, four shallow vessels— perhaps bread-pan feeders 

 with floats on top— and stand these four in dif- 

 ferent parts of the apiary. You will be surprised 

 at the rapidity with which the depleted colonies 

 will recuperate and grow strong again. 



If you fear that the exposure of sweets in the 

 apiary will induce robbing, the mixture can safely 

 be fed the customary way on top of the frames in 

 the hive. 



1 would i-ecommend that you give the entire apia- 

 ry one application of the mixture prescribed fur 

 cure, as this treatment frequently prevents the pres- 

 ence of the disease where it was not before possible 

 to deteet it. 



The quantity prescribed for use by means of the 

 large atomizer is sufficient to treat 150 colonies. 

 Not reckoning the sugar or honey used, the cost 

 will not be more than 15 cents. I have prescribed 

 this treatment with entii'C satisfaction and uniform 

 success for the past two years. 



I will mention the facts in two or three of the 

 aj)iaries for which I have prescribed this treatment. 



1. Number of colonics in the apiary, 40; number 

 apparently diseased, 13; number actually diseased, 

 28; disease so far progressed that the stench was 

 very offensive in the yard; bees crawling out of 

 hives to die, l)y tens of thousan4s; effect of treat- 

 ment ajiparent in on^ day; a permanent cure in 

 each case. 



'Z. Number of colonics, 00; serious cases, 38; combs 

 black and putrid; a few had already been burned; 

 effect of treatment appr.rent at once; a perma- 

 nent cure in each case. 



3. Number of colonies, over l.'iO; number of colo- 

 nies diseased, 00; bees swarming out; stench from 

 hives nauseating; combs black and rotten; brood 

 putrid; whole apiary treated ; disease immediately 

 arrested; eU'ect of treatment on atlected colonies 

 instantaneous, even on apparently hopeless cases; 

 every colony cured; disease eradicated, leaving- no 

 trace behind. Colonics soon all strong, healthy, 

 and prosi)erous. F(n- the purpose of further exi)er- 

 iment, the combs of healthy and diseased colonies 

 were exchanged; combs from diseased colonies be- 

 ing given the healthy colonies, and the conjbsof 

 healthy colonics placed in the diseased colonies. 

 Tlie treatment ^s as ajiplied to both fililje. In every 



case the disease would immediately disappear, and 

 in numy cases the diseased colonies were soon more 

 l)opulousand jirosperous than those wliich had had 

 no disease and had been undisturbed. 



This treatment, which is simple, cheap, and easily 

 and rapidly ai)plie(l, seems to be cfficaeious in the 

 most virulent forms of foul brood, and seemingly 

 furnishes immunity fi-om the dreaded scourge. 



Aurora, 111., Aug. 0, 1880. N. \V. McLain. 



P. S. -The remedy for foul brood— the formula for 

 making and applying, which i sent you, effectually 

 eradicates the worst cases in about 1;' days, with- 

 out the cleaning- of a hive or melting of a comb. I 

 am glad to hear that you have no need for it in 

 .your apiary. The disease described in Gleanings, 

 as being in your apiary, is, I think, not foul brood. 

 ]f you have any more tro'ablc with it 1 can tell .nou 

 whiit to do. N. W. M. 



U. S. Aidcultui-ai Station, Aurora, 111., Aug. IT. 



now I HIVED A SWARM UNDER 

 DIFFICULTIES. 



HDW A 15I)V OF 03 .SUMMERS MANAGES TO CI-.1MB 

 A T1!KK AND T.\KE DOWN A SWAUM. 



N the second of last month, between three and 

 four i». M., while working in the field I was 

 startled by a swarm of bees passing over 

 my head. I immediately followed, but could 

 not keep up with them, on account of the 

 fences and fields of grain. 1 nc^ticed what direc- 

 tion they took, and returned, discouraged, to my 

 work. About o'clock I took a stroll through a 

 thin piece of woods to a small creek that runs 

 about ■?i of a mile from where I write. I looked up 

 the treos, to see if I could discover any bees, but 

 to no purpose till I came to cross a fence. In do- 

 ing this I turned to look back, and discovered a 

 large swarm of bees on the outside small limb of a 

 blackwalnut-trce, about 50 feet from the ground. 

 It looked very tempting; but the question came, 

 how to get it. No ladder was long enough, no long- 

 handcfi saw to be had, nor anybody to lend a help- 

 ing hand. I got a handsaw, which I tied round my 

 neck, a box with a frame of empty cells and 6 oth- 

 er empty frames. In trying to climb the tree I 

 found it was too large around the body, in order to 

 reach the first branch. I got a rail, crawled up so 

 far that I could just touch the branch; but when I 

 gotonit, I found the next branch still further oft'. 

 Persevering, and not minding a little skinning of 

 my legs, I reached the second branch, when I had 

 compai'ativcly easy work to reach the branch on 

 which the swarm was hanging. I sawed it off; but 

 in falling it stuck fast to a lower branch, the bees 

 meanwhile ascending to a higher branch, which I 

 cut olf immediately, as 1 reached it, to prevent 

 them from clustering on it. They did not go fur- 

 ther up, so I descended, cut every branch on which 

 they lodged, as the branches stuck till the whole 

 concern came down with a crash, smashing the 

 cover to the box. I descended as fast as I could, 

 covered the box with an old coat 1 had taken with 

 me. and began shaking the branches I had cut oft', 

 in front of the box. As soon as I had one clear of 

 bees I carried it off, till I had all the bees pretty 

 well on the ground. Then I picked up a little dry 

 wood, made a smoke to hurry up bbsiness, as I 

 wanted iny supper, for the sun was going down. 

 I managed to reach home shortly U-ter sundown, 



