1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



697 



among the islands— a most delightful place to flsh 

 and sail. Thus is the variety of scenery along al- 

 most the whole route of 60 miles— certainly a trip 

 none too good for bee-keepers. Ere long Mr. J. 

 points out his Piilestine Island where the race of 

 bees bearing the name arc raised. Soon the whis- 

 tle blows, in response to which- one of Mr. J.'s men 

 comes out in a small boat to meet us, as the steamer 

 can not come up alongside the island. We are now 

 on the island, which is indeed a veritable Palestine- 

 one mass of uneven rock having an area of about 

 one hundred acres. Mr. J. says it is very much like 

 the hills of Judea in genei-al appearance, and, as he 

 fitly expressed it, not enough original soil to make 

 a good-sized hen's-nest. There is, however, a kind 

 of thin soil resulting from powdered rock and de- 

 cayed vegetation which gives rise to small trees and 

 shrubbery. 



We soon took a stroll around a part of the island, 

 clambering up and down the rocks occasionally, 

 now and then halting to pick berries, of which there 

 are great quantities of almost every variety, espe- 

 cially huckleberries and cranbei-ries. Circling back 

 we paused on a large flat rock where Mr. J. keeps 

 his Palestine bees of about 30 or 40 nucleus swarms. 

 The swarms are necessarily weak, from the fact 

 that they have to be fed; for there is nothing on 

 this or the other two islands, except a little pollen, 

 that the bees can gather. This necessitates a big 

 expense in order to carry on queen-rearing, and 

 prevent starvation. 



Let us consider briefly the cost of rearing in this 

 way: Making Palestine Island headquarters, two 

 men are constantly required to care for the bees on 

 the different islands. To go to and from the islands, 

 5 and 7 miles apart, the men have a yacht and a row 

 boat. Added to all this there is the cost and trans- 

 portation of sugar— saying nothing of the supplies 

 needed by the men themselves, as there is no civi- 

 lized community near them. Mr. Jones believes, 

 that by selecting choice queens and drones of a 

 distinct race, and confining them to one separate 

 island, he thereby secures a better strain of bees 

 than the original imported stock; otherwise he 

 could hardly go to such expense, and compete with 

 imported bees. In another season, Mr. J. intends 

 to test fertile-worker drones on some one of the 

 islands; in connection with this there will probably 

 be other experiments of like nature tried. Certain- 

 ly the opportunity afl'orded will be rare. 



After looking about on Palestine Island we took 

 the yacht, under a fair breeze, and started for Carni- 

 ola, where bees of that name are to be raised. The 

 island is at present devoted to crossing the Carniolan 

 and Palestine bees, a cross from which Mr. Jones ex- 

 pects much. The general appearance of this 

 island is much like Palestine, with the exception 

 that it is a little more woody, and, in censequence, 

 more beautiful. 



Starting from here we sailed to Cyprus Island. I 

 did not see much here; for while we were pausing a 

 moment in the apiary, Mr. J. became suddenly 

 aware that there were ducks on the water, and 

 hastily took leave. I stood a moment, when the dis- 

 position to go was irrepressible. I started. In rap- 

 id succession shots were fired, but no ducks died. 



If it were appropriate, and there were space, I 

 would enter into detail of our various experiences; 

 how Mr. J. shot 9 ducks out of a flock of 11 ; how we 

 got after a deer, and didn't get it, how wo went flsh- 

 jnp, etc., but J must close, wJtb the ajjHouncement 



that Prof. Cook, father, and others, have promised 

 to go to the islands next year for a little recreation. 

 Mr. Jones has completed all arrangements, and an 

 enjoyable time is anticipated. If enough bee-keep- 

 ers can be induced to go, a bee-keepers' convention 

 will be organized. Those of you who can avail your- 

 selves of the opportunity will find it a rare treat, I 

 assure you. Grand chances will be afforded for 

 boating, hunting, fishing, rambling among the rocks, 

 and picking berries. I think it is quite probable 

 that our good friend Jones can there talk quite in- 

 telligently on how he raised strawberries on the 

 island, and whether by the "potted" process or Doo- 

 little plan. Ernest R. Root. 



Oberlin, O., Oct., 1884. 



BEES THAT MAKE SUGAR INSTEAD 

 OF HONEY. 



HONEY THAT SOLIDIFIES IN THE CELLS ALMOST 

 A.S FAST AS IT IS GATHERED. 



[fl^AVlNG seentwo or three reports in Glean- 

 ings from my own State, I thought I would 

 send a little of my experience. We began 

 the season with 38 colonies; have increased 

 to 43 by natural swarming. Bees have done 

 well here; ours have averaged 100 lbs. per colonoy, 

 spring count. We hived a swarm as late as the 8th 

 of July, and they have filled their hive. Our beee 

 converted our apiary into a sugar-factory. I send 

 you a sample of it for you to see the quality or 

 grade they make. They have made about 300 lbs. 

 of it. 



I don't think we could have used an extractor at 

 all. There is something strange to me in the 

 way they did'. Some colonies would be making 

 this sugar, while others, only a few feet from them, 

 would bo making as nice honey as I ever saw. 



In Gleanings, page .524, August No., Mr. J. H. 

 Barber seems to want bees that drop. If he had 

 ever had them to drop, as ours did a few weeks ago, 

 I don't think he would be so well pleased with their 

 dropping, after all. We have had the most honey- 

 dew here this summer I have seen in several years, 

 and our bees would come home so heavy laden that 

 they would fall and bump their little noses against 

 the ground, and would sit and pant for breath, tired 

 nearly to death. I would rather not have them drop 

 so hard. 



I should like to have foundation to use now, as we 

 have so much fall flowers. Our ravines are almost 

 a solid sheet of goldenrod, besides other flowers. 



Kiss Ruber's little sweet mouth for me, and tell 

 him to grow fast and be a big bee-man. 



Mary A. Sistrunk. 



White Sulphur Springs, Ga., Aug. 18, 1884. 



Thanks for kind words, my good friend. 

 I should call the granulated honey a pretty 

 fair quality of honey-dew— not honey exact- 

 ly, but honey-dew sugar, for instance. I 

 presume a part of your bees were collecting 

 this lioney-dew, wliile others were working 

 on the blossoms, is why this hive furnished 

 such a different product. 



As the above letter lay on my table some 

 time before it was answered, perhaps I 

 should explain to our readers that the fol- 

 lowing came to hand at a later date: 



what to do with honey THAT GETS SOLID IN 

 THE COMBS. 



I gent you a bottle of honey, Aug. 18. Pid j'ou get 



