580 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1. 



healthy and thrifty to appearance, has yielded 

 nothing here so far. 



A week ago I commenced to clean out the 

 spring-gathered mixture from the hives, in the 

 hope that, as clover pollen was coming in, the 

 bees would fill up with clover honey; but I was 

 disappointed in finding them continue to store 

 in, as before, a mixture of dark honey and 

 darker honey dew; so. as the quantity coming 

 In was only about sufticient to keep" the bees 

 ahead of immediate wants, I had to let up on 

 the extractor, and I see no prospect at nresent 

 of being called to resume. 



This condition of things in what should be 

 the best part of the honey season is not very 

 encouraging: but I am exceedingly thankful. 

 however, that the result of just such disap- 

 pointments and repeated disappoinlments may 

 be patience, experience, hope: hope centered in 

 the never-failing goodness of Him who never 

 gives a stone for bread, though he does not 

 always bring us prosperity in the line along 

 which we are seeking it. 



THE DIFFEREXf E BETWEEN BEOWES'G AND 

 BREATHING ON THE BEES. 



I don't know whether any of the bee-keeping 

 friends have discoveied the difference between 

 breathing and blowing on bees. To breathe on 

 them in the way you would on a light of glass 

 you were polishing would instantly result in 

 your getting one of the most sadden and smart- 

 ing lessons you could think of: but if you form 

 your lips as though you wanted to concentrate 

 your breath on the smallest possible point, and 

 blow with vigor, as though you were trying to 

 cool a Clip of tea or coffee,"vou will find it to 

 have quite a different effect, and to exert a sub- 

 duing influence over the few bees you direct the 

 stream of air again-i. In examining combs of 

 brood with my two hands occupied, this is often 

 very u-cful to me in getting the bees to move 

 off particular cells that I may want to have a 

 look at. The air directed upon them causes 

 them to wince and withdraw to one side. 



R. W. McDonnell. 



Gait, Ont., Can., June 28. 



[Yes, breathing upon the bees is like a red 

 rag to a bull; but blowing smartly does not seem 

 to anger them.] 



QUEEN-BEES TO AUSTRALIA. 



SOME UNJUST RULINGS BY THE POSTAL AU- 

 THORITIES OF NEW SOUTH WALES, BY 

 WHICH QUEENS ARE EXCLUDED 

 FROM THE MAILS. 



Friend Root: — I was much disappointed 

 when my No. .5 Gleanings did not come to 

 hand. Kindly siMid me one by next mail. If I 

 had received it I might have "been able to re- 

 port success in having the postoffice of N. S. W. 

 pass queens through the mails. I borrowed a 

 copy from friend Scobie about 14 days ago. and. 

 after reading Doolittle's article. I wrote imme- 

 diately to the Director of Agriculture, asking 

 him to let me know the law in reference there- 

 to. I inclose a copy of his reply, which will 

 explain itself: 



Department of Agriculture. 

 Sydney, .lutiel. 1S93. 

 Sir:— In answer to your inguiiits rejjrarding- the 

 carryhig: of queen-lDees from Aniciie;! as mail mat- 

 ter. I have the lionor to inform you that some of 

 the colonies agreed to pass such packag-es; Ijut N. 

 S. W.. at the postal conference held recently, ob- 

 jected to doing: so. At the present time such pack- 

 ages are being- passed; but so far as America is 

 concerned, instructions are going- forward by the 

 next American mail, asking the postal authorities 

 to inform all their officers of tho decision of our 



own postal department. Probal)ly some few weeks- 

 ^^^ll elai.ise after the arrival of the oificial letter be- 

 fore the American postofflces are advised; but you 

 can see there is a risk of your queens liciiig- stopjied, 

 unless forwarded by the next outcomino- mail from 

 'Frisco. Any representations that individuals or 

 the l)ee-keepers' association may desire to make on 

 the subject should be made direct to the Postmas- 

 ter-General. 

 I have the honor to be your obedient servant. 

 Henrv C. L. Anderson, 

 Director of Agriculture. 



[The next is the letter from the secretary of 

 the Hunter River Bee-keepers' Association:] 



West Maitland, June 4, 18K. 

 To the Postmaster-General, Sydney: 



Si")-;— At a meeting- of the committee of the Hun- 

 ter River Bee-keepers' Association held this evening- 

 the following- resolution to which I would respect- 

 fuUj- draw your attenti(^n. was (arriedon the mo- 

 tion of Mr. Miuiday. seconded by Mr. Pullen. 'That 

 the attention of the Postmastei-General be drawn 

 to the fact that in a lecent number of Gleanings 

 IN Bee Culture, published in America, it is stated 

 that queen-bees are not legal mail matter in Aus- 

 tralia, and to request him, if it is true that they can 

 not legally be sent by post, to make them leg-al mail 

 matter, as, to improve our strain of bees, we need 

 frequent impoitations of new blood." 



In the event of qvieen-bees being- prohibited in 

 our local mails a great blow will ha .stiuck at the 

 rapidly growing- bee-keeping- industry, as so many 

 are purchasing- queen-bees from distant bee-keepers 

 with the object of improving the strain of bees in 

 their apiaries. As a number of bee-keepers are 

 importing- bees (queens and attendants) from Amer- 

 ica, we would request that a speedy reply be sent 

 to this communication, so that these gentlemen 

 may write to America by the outgoing mail as to 

 the decision of your department in the matter. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

 Mich. Scobie, 

 Hon. Sec. H. R. Bee-keepers' Association. 



If I could have written before, the N. S. W. 

 representative at the conference might have 

 been posted up and taken a different stand. 

 On receipt of the letter from the Director of 

 Agriculture I communicated with Mr. Scobie, 

 Hon. Sec. Hunter River Bee-keepers' Associa- 

 tion, and a committee meeting was called on 

 short notice. This meeting passed a resolution, 

 and wrote to the Postmaster-General, as per in- 

 closed. We await his decision: and if not 

 favorable we will adopt further means to gain 

 our end. Perhaps you might see ht to do some- 

 thing on your side" of the globe to help in this 

 matter. W. S. Pender. 



West Maitland, N. S. AV.. Australia. June 10. 



[By what reason or logic the postal authori- 

 ties of New South Wales could consider queen - 

 b'-es not legitimate mail matter, we can not un- 

 derstand. It is the same old story over again — 

 cutting off their own noses to si)ite their own 

 faces. It is a direct blow at bee-keeping in the 

 most important i)rovince of Australia, and we 

 certainly hope that the letter from the secreta- 

 ry of the Hunter River Bee-ke(>pers' Associa- 

 tion will cause the department to reverse its 

 decision. Such prompt action is commendable, 

 and should be imitated in Jamaica. W. I., where 

 official ohiciousness has also interfered. We are 

 glad to notice that the postal magnates of the 

 other i)rovinces of Australia have taken no ac- 

 tion against the mailing of queens to their 

 ports, and we therefore accept this as a permis- 

 sion. 



There are several prominent queen -bn-eders 

 in the United States who are both competent 

 and willing to send queens to foreign countries: 

 and it therefore devolves upon the bee-keepers 

 of those countries to see there is no legislation 

 enacted prohibiting the mailing of queens: and 

 if such action has been taken, to have it re- 

 versed. There is no reason in the world why 

 new blood should not thus be introduced, and 



