1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



933 



simply a rehash of the same old story. Why 

 do not these chaps get up something new? 

 Manufactured live chickens or artificial 

 strawberries would make good material for 

 another yarn. This clipping has been cop- 

 ied in other papers, and \\ ill continue to be 

 copied, probably, as l»>ng as anybody can be 

 made to believe it. If such stories must be 

 repeated, we sincerely hope that these 

 "wily" reporters will take in the whole 

 fruit realm, and go so far that even the old 

 fogies will shake their heads in doubt. 



CONVENTIONS VERSUS BEE-JOURNALS. 



On page 747 of the American Bee Journal 

 appears an article from the pen of R. F. 

 Holterman, the secretary-elect of the N. A. 

 B. K. A., on the subject of the ''new laws 

 of the Bee-keepers' International Associa- 

 tion." From this article we extract the 

 following paragraph : 



Some may say, " Have we not papers published in 

 the interests of bee-ljeepers, and we can have an 

 interehang-e of all valnable idcasy" Let me say 

 that that is impossible. He who thinks that he may 

 remain at home, and read the report of a conven- 

 tion, and profit equally with the one who has at- 

 tended, is frreatly mistaken. Reports are not ver- 

 batim. Every reporter — it may even be uncon- 

 sciously— pives prominence to what he thinks is of 

 importance, and what he may consider correct, 

 however mistaken he may be. You have then, to a 

 great extent, to think as'he does, and to see as he 

 sees. E\eii were you to read a report verbatim, 

 you would not share equally in advantage, for the 

 very tones used in expression alter the meaning of 

 the words. 



From the nature of things it is much easi- 

 er for a reporter to remember and jot down 

 those things which favor his own beliefs 

 rather than those things which seem more 

 or less opposed to them. Necessarily, then, 

 the report savors somewhat of the opinions 

 of the reporter, as Bro. Holterman says. Bee- 

 journals till a place that conventions can not 

 fill, and it is equally true that conventions 

 fill a place that bee-journals can not fill. If 

 you want to have a real good time, and 

 gather together a lot of useful information, 

 attend a good lively bee-convention. The 

 information then furnished by the bee- 

 journals will have an added interest, and 

 you can read much more understandingly. 



ADVANTAGES OF SMALL APIARIES. 



This season has put an additional impetus to my 

 impressions that it is well to have the bees in small 

 apiaries of 30 to 30 colonies, one to two miles apart, 

 where practical, unless the location is well stocked. 

 My home apiary of 60 to TO colonies this yety gave 

 no surplus, and were considerably short of sufficient 

 winter stores; while a small out-apiary of 12 colo- 

 nies gave almost enough surplus to supply the de- 

 ficiency of those at home; and, besides, they are in 

 better condition for winter, and did not need as 

 much attention. In a good honey season, this ar- 

 rangement may be considerably more troublesome; 

 but the feature of being almost sure that they will 

 be in good condition for winter, without feeding, 

 even if the season is poor, will offset considerably 

 more trouble in a good season, while, if things are 

 properly arranged, this additional trouble can un- 

 doubtedly be reduced to a minimum, especially if 

 the bees are run principally for extracted honey; 

 in which case, if Simplicity hives are used, and 

 tiered up with sufficient empty coujbs, e\,t the be- 



ginning of the season, little attention need be giv- 

 en nor apprehensions of swarming entertained un- 

 til, when the season is ended a:id the honey is sure 

 to be well ripened, it can be extracted. 



Christian Weckesser. 

 Marshallville, O., Nov. 20, 1888. 



In moderate seasons the advantage of the 

 small apiary is apparent, but it seems to tis 

 when the season is a fairly good one, possi- 

 bly even better than the average, that you 

 will find small out-apiaries of 20 to 30 colo- 

 nies would do little if any better proportion- 

 ately, than an out-apiary of from HO to 70 

 colonies. Of course, the difference in sea- 

 sons and localities will make considerable 

 difference as to what is the best number of 

 colonies for an out-apiary. 



MUD-WASPS. 



The large fine blue wasp, with yellow-banded ab- 

 domen, sent by Mr. Hailes, Texas, is new to my col- 

 lection and to me. Hence my deep regret that it is 

 so badly broken. Most insects sent me this sum- 

 mer have been wrapped in cotton, and placed in a 

 strong tin or wooden box, and so have come to me 

 in admirable shape. This is one of the mud-wasps, 

 and is fully two inches long. All of these wasps 

 have a very powerful sting. They never use this 

 organ on people unless molested, but will so i)oison 

 other insects as to paralyze them. Thus they are 

 able to stock their cells with specimens as large as 

 the tarantula. Such paralyzed insects or spiders 

 serve to nourish the larval wasps. These wasps 

 kill and cat many injurious insects, and so are our 

 friends. In Europe such large wasps are condemn- 

 ed as destroyers of bees. If any bee-keeper in our 

 Southern States discovers wasps killing bees, 1 

 should much like to receive such wasps. I am glad 

 to receive all insects, but please wrap them in cot- 

 ton so they will not break. A. J. Co<jk. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



CRYSTALLIZED HONEV-DEW. 



On page IW, March 1,5, Mrs. Chaddock says the 

 honey-dew in Eastern Turkey is gathered from oak- 

 trees. In Oregon it accumulates on fir-trees, and 

 some on the fern, principally on the outer ends of 

 the branches, and generally on one side of the trees, 

 and from the top of the tree to the bottom. In 

 places there are acres of it, and perhaps surround- 

 ing it there is none. This is what we call crystallized 

 honey-dew, and it somewhat resembles icicles at the 

 bottom of the tree, and at the top of the tree it 

 looks like white sugar frosting. I can not say 

 whether it comes every year or not. 



Silveiton, Or., March 31, 18S8. E. S. Remington. 



RIBWORT PLANTAIN. 



J. S. Perry asks, on page .534, for something in re- 

 gard to ribwort, a species of plantain, as a honey- 

 plant. This is the narrow-leaved, or English plan- 

 tain. It is quite common here among clover. The 

 bees work on it from .July till frost comes. They 

 get honey and pollen in all kinds of weather. The 

 honey is a little inclined to be dark and strong, 

 something like buckwheat. We cut clover two and 

 three times in a season. The plantain will be up in 

 from 7 to 10 days after cutting. The heads com- 

 mence to bloom at the bottom, and continue as it 

 grows up. As a weed, its staying quality is excels 

 lent. fi- W, CovfiR, 



Pownieville, Cal., Oct. 30, 1888, 



