1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



179 



to swarm than when I try to keep every swarm 

 strong." The strong colonies stained the hon- 

 ey most. And, again, he illustrates this by 

 another incident, although he gives it for a 

 different purpose. A strong queenless colony 

 was put into a hive filled with foundation in 

 July, and allowed to remain queenless; and 

 after four months the hive was found full of 

 sealed honey almost entirely free from travel- 

 stain. Of course, this queenless colony soon 

 began to become weak. 



Does this coloring process, or matter, what- 

 ever it is, penetrate the very body of the wax ? 

 Melt a piece of virgin comb carefully in clear 

 water, and the result is white wax. Melt a 

 piece of comb that has never had young bees 

 or pollen in it, but has turned yellow in the 

 hive, and we get yellow wax — the color of all 

 commercial wax that has not undergone the 

 process of bleaching. Some chemist might 

 try the effect of carbonic-acid gas upon pure 

 white comb, and test Mr. Adair's theory. 



Pelee Island, Ont. 



[When Mr. Crane was here he lifted some of 

 the cappings of some of our travel-stained 

 honey and showed the discoloration on the 

 back as well as in front. But Mr. Smith seems 

 to be of the opinion that color or stain, 

 while only on the surface, may show through 

 the wax, owing to its partial transparency. 

 To prove or disprove the point I went at it in 

 this way : I took several sections conspicuous 

 for their travel-stain. Knowing that gasoline 

 is a solvent of wax, I took a piece of waste, 

 saturated it, and rubbed it lightly over the 

 soiled parts of the capping, thinking that, if 

 the stain were simply on the surface, this gen- 

 tle rubbing with the gasoline waste or rag 

 would remove a very slight film from the face 

 of the cappings, taking with it the stain; but, 

 no matter how much I rubbed, the stain re- 

 mained as long as the capping; for if I rubbed 

 long enough, the capping would entirely van- 

 ish, the gasoline gradually absorbing the wax. 



I went over quite a number of sections in 

 this way; but in no instance did I find that 

 the stain disappeared, for it seemed to be 

 clear through the capping. Previous to this I 

 tried soap and water; but it had no more effect 

 than if the face of the honey had not been 

 touched at all. 



I next took a sharp-pointed blade and lifted 

 several of the cappings of the combs, and in 

 some instances, at least, it seemed as if the 

 stain itself was on the under side rather than 

 on the face. Under a strong magnifying- 

 glass I pulled the cappings into shreds, but 

 the stain seemed to be in every particle. 



A travel-stained face of comb honey may 

 have a yellow look or yellow spots, or it may 

 have chunks of red propolis scattered here 

 and there. These latter can be removed with 

 a sharp knife, showing that they are wholly 

 on the surface of the capping. But when the 

 cappings have a yelloiv appearance, the stain 

 seems to go clear through the capping. Now, 

 this yellow, according to my theory, is caused 

 by propolis; for I notice that honey is more 

 apt to be travel-stained toward the close of 

 the honey season, or about the time the bees 



have more time to bring in propolis. It may 

 be, as friend Manum suggests, that they get 

 their feet, their mandibles, and their bodies so 

 thoroughly stained with the yellow stuff that 

 the wax they work is necessarily stained; and, 

 as a consequence, we have, toward the close 

 of the season, or after it, yellow cappings. 

 And there is still another point to be consider- 

 ed ; namely, that these yellow cappings are 

 apt to be near the wood of the section — more 

 particularly at the bottom. Why is this? Is 

 it not because of the proximity of the propo- 

 lis-daubed wood ? 



Mr. Smith is correct in saying that new 

 comb just built is always white and flaky, and 

 that after it has been in the hive a while it 

 turns yellow. It may be that carbonic-acid gas 

 in the hive has something to do with it ; but I 

 should more think it is due to the stain from 

 propolis. In our foundation work we find 

 that wax very readily takes stain of any kind, 

 especially of dirt. 



After writing the foregoing I read the article 

 of friend Cormac, just following. It seems he 

 tried washing-soda or carbonate soda, the ac- 

 tion of which on wax would be about the same 

 as that of gasoline. His results were not the 

 same as mine — at all events I am wondering 

 whether he or I drew the wrong conclusions. 

 So I suggest that others try it and report. If 

 Mr. Cormac is right, and if the soda has a 

 different action from gasoline, then we could 

 make No. 2 honey into No. 1. I can scarcely 

 credit it. As this form goes to press before I 

 can get the washing-soda to try, I'll have to 

 let it go for this time. — Ed.] 



TRAVEL-STAIN ON THE SURFACE OF THE CAP- 

 PINGS. 



Washing it with Carbonate of Soda. 



BY JAMES CORMAC. 



In Gleanings for Jan. 15 the article of J. 

 E. Crane, "Travel-stain; What is It? "was 

 read with considerable interest, inasmuch as 

 no discussion of the matter has come under 

 my observation heretofore, that I recollect. 

 The writer cites many interesting facts regard- 

 ing the capping of cells filled with honey, 

 where the bees have incorporated foreign sub- 

 stances with the wax, which has been men- 

 tioned heretofore by correspondents, and at- 

 tributes such to pollen-stains as a large ele- 

 ment in producing what is commonly called 

 travel-stain. He remarks, "Every bee-keep- 

 er is supposed to know what travel-stain is; 

 but I have sometimes wondered if I do," and 

 refers it to that slight tinge of color we find 

 on or in cappings of surplus combs — slight 

 near the top of sections, and increasing 

 toward the bottom, where it becomes a light 

 cinnamon or yellow or brown. The discolor- 

 ation is usually attributed to the bees' feet be- 

 ing dirty, which is far from being the cause. 

 As surplus combs are drawn out sometimes 

 from the center, if a full sheet of foundation 

 is used, or near the top thereof if a starter is 

 used, the center or upper cappings being form- 

 ed before the bottom cells are drawn or filled, 



