84 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Fkb. 1. 



of Dziw'zon. who intioduced them into Ger- 

 many in 1853, with that given on page 14 in 

 January Gleanings. That there are changes 

 under different climatic and geological condi- 

 tions. I admit; and it is to be expected, reason- 

 ing from the changes that are common in both 

 animals and plants when removed from their 

 natural home (see page 14 as above). 



The original location of the Italian bee, I be- 

 lieve to be the mountain-ranges of Northern 

 Italy and Switzerland; hence Spinola's natne. 

 Ligurians. Mr. Woodbury, of Devonshire, ob- 

 tained the first Italians, imported into England 

 in 18:V.), from M. Hernuin, of Samin by Chur, 

 Switzerland, who, in a pamphlet publislied 

 about that time, says: ''The yellow Italian bee 

 is a mountain insect, found between two moun- 

 tain-chains left of Lombardy and the Rhoetian 

 Alps, thriving up to 4.500 feet above sea-level. 

 The Alps are their native country."' 



This, their home, has very marked character- 

 istics—high mountain-ranges with perpetual 

 snow on their summits, while in numerous shel- 

 tered valleys there is almost perpetual spring. 

 Such a district would naturally impart peculiar 

 traits to all its inhabitants; and what wonder 

 if. when transplanted to less rigorous climes, a 

 change, improvement or otherwise, occurs, as 

 emphasized by Mr. Herman in his pamphlet 

 quoted before? "The further one goes from 

 the Alps, tlae less handsome they are, until in 

 lower Italy they are entirely lost in the black 

 species." 



Perhaps here luay be found the e.xplanation 

 of A. T. Goldsborough's letter in a recent num- 

 ber; and, to carry the point still further, but in 

 an opposite direction, in more ways than one, 

 turn to page .50(5 and read what J. P. Israel says 

 of the Italian bee in California. There in the 

 mountains it found a country more nearly ap- 

 proaching its native land than elsewhere in 

 America. 



I conclude, then. that, as the points which 

 give the Italian bee superiority over others are 

 due to its natural environment, we »shall con- 

 tinually need to import fresh stock from its na- 

 tive Alps to get home-bred queens superior to 

 instead of deteriorating from the natural type. 



Avery, La. H. Fitz Hart. 



THE SALT KEMEDY FOR FOUL BROOD. 



Wn,L IT CURK IF PKOPERI-Y APPLIEI)? 



On page 822, 1890. W. L. Coggshall. of West 

 Groton. N. Y.. says: "'I have (500 colonies of 

 bees. My e.xperieiice with bees has taught me 

 that, as soon as they begin to tly in spring, and 

 to breed, they require salt; and I know that, if 

 salt is used propeily, it will cure foul brood and 

 other diseases." 



On i)age S:.*<(, same issue, the editor says: 

 '• Friend Coggshall forgets that the salt remedy 

 has been thoroughly discussed at conventions, 

 and carefully tested by scientilic men. until it is 



Eretty certain that common salt or salt water 

 as no effect whatevei- on foul l)rood." 



On page 006, sam(! volume. th(> editor refers to 

 the alleged salt cure again, and says: "Dur- 

 ing th(! whole time that foul brood prevailed in 

 our apiary we used salt in front of the hives, 

 for keeping down weeds. Whenever there was 

 a rain, or even a heavy dew. the bees could b(^ 

 seen in the sawdust aroiuid the entrances, help- 

 ing themselves to their hearts" content. Prof. 

 Cook, or some one els(\ has reported testing the 

 matter with scientilic exactness, and the salt 

 water had no effect whatever on tlie foul 

 brood." 



Now. it seems to me that the better way. in 

 order to discuss the salt remedy intelligently, 



would be to request friend Coggshall to write 

 out his experi(Mice with salt, as indicated, and 

 then publish the same in Gleanings. It seems 

 to me that a bee-keeper who has 000 colonies of 

 bees, and who says that he knmus salt will cure 

 foul brood, when used properly, ought to know 

 what he is talking about. When he gives his 

 expeiience in print we may then tind that 

 friend (.'. does not use salt for the cure of foul 

 brood by sprinkling it over " weeds " and " saw- 

 dust." but that he lias some special way of 

 using it, for he says it must be used properly. 



The writer of this is by no means a novice in 

 the management of apiaries afflicted with foul 

 brood. My experience with foul brood began 

 some 30 years ago in westein New York, and 

 has continued at intervals from that time to the 

 present. My experience has taught me that a 

 foul-brood apiary can be made about as profit- 

 able as a healthy one. and that the disease can 

 also be exterminated therefrom when so de- 

 sired. Put there may be a better way than 

 mine, or any tiiat has been made public, to rid 

 an apiary of foul brood: and this is why I de- 

 sire to know the details of friend Coggshall's 

 plan, and to have the same published in 

 Gleanings. M. M. Paldridge. 



St. Charles. 111.. Jan. 10. 



[Mr. Coggsliall is a prominent and successful 

 bee-keeper, and we hereby solicit him to reply.] 



"WAX-MELTING. 



WHY FOrNDATION IS MII,KY IX COLOR. 



There are some who think steam makes foun- 

 dation milky, and some that heating hot injun>s 

 wax. Now, steam, if not used right, will make 

 poor foundation, and heating hot will spoil wax; 

 but wax heated in water can not be heated too 

 hot. and steam used rightly increases its value. 

 When melting wax, if steam is used direct.be 

 sure to let all boil together (water and wax) 

 furiously for 15 minutes. Then let it stand 

 five hours, and the wax will be perfectly clear — 

 so clear that you can see to the bottom of a 

 dipi)erful. There is now no water with the 

 wax. If the wax is dijjjjcd inHuediately over 

 into the dipping-can aftei' melting, or if the 

 wax is not heated fcot. but only enough to just 

 melt it, the wax will be milky", and foundation 

 made from it will look as though full of sand. 

 At our State fair there was 1.50 lbs. which we 

 clarified foi' a bee-keeper, and it took the first 

 premium. It ceitainly would not if it had been 

 sandy. Every one that has rendered wax is 

 accjuainted with the refuse on the bottom of 

 the cakes. Some of it is loose, and is easily 

 scraped off. This is in the same condition that 

 the w lK)le cake would have been if it had been 

 heated only just enougli to melt, and given a 

 good stiiring. If you ever have a cake of wax 

 in this condition, to remedy it put the cake in 

 some watei' and heat to the boiling-point and 

 boil hard for 15 minutes, then set off' the stove, 

 distui'l>ing it as liitle as jjossible: covei' up so as 

 to keep in a melted state as long as you can. 

 Let it stand for :.'4 hoins. when you can take off 

 a cake of wax just as good as it ever was. Save 

 all tiie scrapings from the bottom of your cakes, 

 and try this. You will get enough wax from 

 them every year to more than pay for Gi^e.^n- 



INGS. 



1 wonder whetlier those who say steam in- 

 jures wax have melted much that way. We 

 rendered about 1000 lbs. of wax from old combs 

 this last year, and challenge any one to show as 

 nice a lot. It was rendeied by steam at a pre.ss- 

 ure of .80 lbs., blowing directly into the water 

 containing the coiubs. I don't know of any 



