1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



81 



found among them. Only a very few sea- 

 sons would be necessary to determine where 

 the great honey-flows are located, and then 

 after that we shall all know where to go. 

 There is this, unfortunately, however : Bass- 

 wood is no exception to the general rule of 

 poor seasons now and then. Now, where 

 basswood is thickest do they ever have sea- 

 sons when it yields absolutely no honey V 

 Perhaps friend Doolittle can tell us. 



THE DREAD SCOUROE, FOUL RROOD. 



A FUIEND IN TUOUBLE. 



fjiRlEND ROOT:— I am going to write to you for 

 art vico. From a paper published in our county, 

 (last week's issue), I clipped the inclosed 

 article: 



At the State Bee-Koepers" Association held on the 9th of this 

 month at Lincoln, the niiestion nf foul Virood and its inti-oduc- 

 tion into the nin-nies of tlie State was very fullv discn^sed and 

 ■\Ve would lilvi- ri'^riit lien- td iml r\iTy lJ^■l■-l^lM■|M'l- , m hi-;^'uard 

 against this iln-iiil di-i'ii^i'. I mm i i.i.hhI ,, ,i,.,!. , .ndwhen 

 onceintrndiicr.l nit.i .111 .ipLMN It 1- ;ilin..-i !!■. h ■ i:.. every 

 colony with ulncli ii .mhp in , 

 ways in wliieh tlu' di>i ;i i n;- i-- 

 the neighborhood. Tli. ii 

 half or two-thirds grouii 

 turning to a dark cotftM ■ i 



ed colonies were brou;;lii lui" lii 

 by Jos. Saylor, and sold to dirtVrenr 



lany 



1 ti .led b3' the grub 

 I '11. Soniediseas- 

 y 1 1 om Fillmore C"o. 

 , ,ind we would su;.'- 



hives, frames, 



My nearest neighbor (only about one hundred 

 yards distant) bought one of the "Jos. Saylor " col- 

 onies; and late last fail, when they were almost all 

 dead, my bees robbed that colony. I did not know 

 that they were at it until they had almost cleaned 

 the combs, and I never It new until I saw the inclos- 

 ed article what was the matter with my neighbor's 

 bees. I am an A B C in the bee business. ] bought 

 one colony one year ago last April: have increased 

 to 9 strong and 4 weak colonies. What am I to do? 

 Can they be cured, or must I burn every thing? I am 

 a poor man, and it will be a big loss to me if I have 

 to burn them. How soon would it be safe to begin 

 again on the same ground? If you have the time to 

 spare, please write to me. Any information you can 

 give me will be gladly received. J. 0. Boggs. 



Endicott, Jefferson Co., Neb., Jan. 31, 1884. 



As we have never had a case of foul brood 

 of our own, and never saw a hive really in- 

 fected with it, I do not know how to advise 

 in the matter, but would ask frieud Muth to 

 please tell our unfortunate brother what is 

 best to do. If the colonies are few, and he 

 can take the time, it seems to me that, with 

 comb fdn., he might save his bees, destroy- 

 ing only the combs that were badly diseas- 



THE SYRIANS AND THEIR TE]»PER. 



ARE THEY GENTLE, OR NOT ? 



L. ROOT:— At the Northwestern Convention 

 in Chicago last fall I seemed to be the only 

 one who had gentle Syrian bees. Many of 

 the members present had tried them, and all had 

 found them cross. I have seen a number of articles 

 on the subject since, and find that the majority pro- 

 nounce the Syrians crosser than the Italians. 



Now, my experience has been different. From the 

 experience I have had with them —not very extend- 

 ed, it is true — I formed a hjgb opinion of tbem, and 



one of the best of the good points on which I based 

 this opinion was their extreme gentleness. As I 

 said at the convention, I have found them as gentle 

 as the gentlest Italians, and much more so than the 

 average. In fact, they were the most peaceable 

 bees in my apiary, although it is almost wholly com- 

 posed of three-banded Italians of several strains, 

 ranging from the dark, leather-colored, to the very 

 light ones. 



Now the question rises. Have I pure Syrians? I 

 got my first queen of you (a select tested one), and 

 was informed in your notification of shipment that 

 " Mr. Harrington considered her a very nice one.'* 



Now, what points are considered in the selection 

 of these queens? Do you endeavor to keep them 

 like the original imparted stock, or do you trj- to 

 have "good bees," regardless of purity of race? 

 How far is neighbor H.'s apiary from other bees? 

 Does he breed from an imported queen? 



I am very well satisfied with the bees as they are, 

 but I want to know what to call thom— whether pure 

 Syrians or Syrio-Italians. 



In conclusion, I will stiy that I find enough differ- 

 ence between them and Italians to be sure that 

 there is at least a large share of Syrian blood in them. 

 I consider them superior in several respects; and 

 unless they disappoint my expectations next season, 

 another year will find me with a full apiary of Syr- 

 ians or Syrio-ltalians. J. A. Green, MO-183. 



Dayton, La Salle Co , 111., Jan. 7, 1884. 



Your queen was probably a cross between 

 the Syrians and the Italians, friend Green. 

 Neighbor II. has an apiary about M miles 

 from any other bees, and rears from a queen 

 purchased " of I). A. Jones ; but as his bees 

 are a good deal mixed with Italians, the prob- 

 abilities are that his queens meet Italian 

 drones. I should say they are properly Syrio- 

 Italians. Glad to hear a good report from 

 you. 



TESTING THE PURITY OF REESWAX. 



A TIMELY SUGGESTION FROM OUR GOOD FRIENDS 

 DADANT & SON. 



fJjRlEND ROOT:-We have just hit upon a very 

 easy plan for testing the purity of wax, and 

 ■ will give it to you, to be published in Glean- 

 ings, it' it is worth publishing. Dilute water and al- 

 cohol in a vial about three-fourths water and one- 

 fourth alcohol. Then take a small piece of wax, 

 which you know to he pure (you or any bee-keeper 

 can easily find such); put it in the vial, and add al- 

 cohol until the specific gravity of the mixture is the 

 same as that of the wax. The wax will then go to 

 the bottom very slowly. Your testing apparatus is 

 now ready. If you have wax with tallow or paraf- 

 fine, and put it in the mixture, it will remain at the 

 top, its specific gravity being less than that of the 

 mixture. If it contains rosin, on the other hand, it 

 will go to the bottom quickly, being heavier than 

 the mixture. In testing, you should take care that 

 the sample contains no air, as this would change its 

 specific weight. In testing foundation, therefore, 

 the sample should be thoroughly melted before test- 

 ing, so as to exclude all air from the inside of the 

 sample. 



This test is cheap and conclusive. There may be 

 a small difference between one sample of wax and 

 another; but it is not so as to exclude the clear (lis- 



