624 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



a good bee-keepers' exchange could accom- 

 pHsh as much. I hope and beheve that the 

 time will soon come when the bee-men and 

 fruit-men will unite forces, for the agents east 

 could as well develop a market for both com- 

 modities as for one, and at the same time. 



One of the chief objections to such a system 

 is the fact that many are poor, and need ready 

 money before the close of the season, and can 

 realize on a prospective crop with a local 

 dealer. The Bee-keepers' Exchange has ar- 

 ranged, as we are informed, to partially remedy 

 this evil this season ; and it is certain that, to 

 realize on a coming crop in the usual fashion, 

 is always very expensive. Such loans are 

 secured at an enormous interest. I believe 

 we all ought to write, talk, and work for the 

 exchange system. Such methods in rural 

 pursuits are so new and strange that we must 

 patiently await their development. Perfection 

 can not come at once. Mistakes must be 

 made. The greatest difficulty is to find able, 

 experienced business men who \n\\ work 

 unselfishly and earnestly for the Exchange. 

 The fruit-men are succeeding in this, we think, 

 and are winning a success that is fast gaining 

 the confidence of the fruit-growers. Their 

 success will bring confidence to the bee-keep- 

 ers as well. We believe that the bee-keepers 

 here have been very fortunate in their choice 

 of men to man the Exchange. We hope that 

 the bee-keepers will rally more and more to 

 its support. 



I was interested in the note in Aug. 1st 

 Gleanings regarding color of queens, drones, 

 and workers. We have selected simply for 

 color in workers, and hence the want of uni- 

 formity in the color of queens and drones. If 

 it is necessary we can soon breed to uniformity 

 in queen and drones; but is it? I have always 

 believed that color in workers should be con- 

 sidered secondary in importance. The main 

 thing is to develop a business bee, and color 

 should be considered onl}' to gratify a love of 

 the beautiful, and to aid us to secure a proper 

 label. 



I agree with you regarding glucose. While 

 possibly "vile stuff" may be too strong, 3'et 

 an article that is often unwholesome, that is 

 almost always used for evil purpose, and that 

 actually injures many of our staple articles of 

 commerce, should certainly be denounced. 

 The editor of the Los Angeles Times, in 

 to-day's issue, speaks of a new "glucose- 

 factory," and adds that means mcr^ honey (?), 

 pure (?) symp, etc. The real character and 

 standing of glucose is everywhere well known. 

 There is no need of our speaking its praise or 

 defending its character. 



The article of Mr. Sladen, on Apis dorsata, 

 is excellent. I am surprised that its tongue 

 is so little longer than that of the A. incllifica. 

 Its size is certainly against it. The larger 

 insects are always more logy and inactive. 

 Our common bees are surely about typical in 

 size among insects. It is more than likely 

 that A. dorsata would be a failure with us. 

 This is why I have always urged that govern- 

 ment should import it. I do not think private 



parties should be asked to undertake such 

 enterprises as viay bring signal advantage, 

 but usually result in no improvement. We 

 must keep trying to secure the occasional 

 prize, like the navel orange ; but the trials 

 should be made by government, not by any 

 one man. If individuals wish to do such work, 

 well and good; but it is often unwise for gov- 

 ernment to wait for them. The same logic 

 holds for experimental research, which all the 

 most civilized governments now foster. 



I was specially glad to read INIr. Doolittle's 

 article on clipping queens' wings. I can re- 

 member when I was almost alone in its advo- 

 cacy. There is another advantage not men- 

 tioned by Mr. Doolittle. An apiarist can leave 

 his apiary at swarming time in the care of 

 wife or child, and go to other work. The one 

 in charge has only to cage the queen and note 

 the hive ; and when the bee-keeper comes at 

 noon or night he can attend to the bees. I 

 have often known farmers to manage quite 

 large apiaries in this way. 



It is gratifying to note that common advice 

 and legal enactments now say, " iWz'i?;' spray 

 until the blossoms fall." Recent discoveries 

 regarding egg-laying by the codling-moth 

 make the delayed spraying all the more rea- 

 sonable. It is folly, aside from the bees, to 

 spray before the blossoms have all fallen. 



The article on page 493, regarding cane 

 sugar, I think contains several errors. I wish 

 it might be submitte 1 to Dr. Wiley for a 

 review. I think the cane sugar in the nectar, 

 in the honey, on the table — everywhere — is 

 the same, onl)- in different form, just as the 

 salt in the ocean and in the salt-dish are tlie 

 same. 



Long Beach, Cal., Aug. 5. 



[The scheme of the California Bee-keepers" 

 Exchange is most admirable, and should be 

 most heartily encouraged. Gle.a.nings will 

 gladly do an}' thing that will help it along. 



The new Bee-keepers' Union is progressing 

 finely, and already has a membership of 175 ; 

 and indications are that it will surpass in 

 membership and funds the old Union. Wheth- 

 er it does or not, the old and the new should 

 be combined — or, if you please, amalgamated. 

 Economy and cool business sense botli urge it. 

 I am in hopes that the Buffalo meeting will 

 produce a constitution that will be acceptable 

 alike to the members of the old and new 

 Union. 



Regarding Apis dorsata, permit me to offer 

 this suggestion : The A. I. Root Co. will be to 

 no very great expense to start on, and may, 

 for a very small sum, be able to secure dorsa- 

 ta. If it fails, then there will be time to ad- 

 vocate the use of Uncle Sam's money. We 

 shall probably know within a year what we 

 can do. I expect to make up this afternoon a 

 list of hives and implements necessary to 

 equip Mr. W. E. Rambo, so that he can prop- 

 erly test Apis dorsata and other species of 

 Indian bees. 



Regarding the article on cane sugar, p. 493, 

 I respectfully submit it to its author. In the 

 mean time I have sent a copy containing the 

 article to Prof. Wiley himself. — Ed.] 



