438 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1. 



APIS DORSATA HIVED BY A GLEANINGS COR- 

 RESPONDENT. 

 IT is with no little pleasure that we publish 

 elsewhere the result of the efforts on the part 

 of a missionary who has succeeded, at least 

 partially, in hiving and domesticating a colo- 

 ny of Apis dorsata. Now that Mr Rambo, 

 our missionary correspondent, has formed 

 the acquaintance of these bees, has found 

 them gentle, and comparatively easy to han- 

 dle, I feel certain that he will be able to dem- 

 onstrate whether or not they can be confined 

 in hives. If so, we will have a shipment of 

 these bees en route to America in short order. 

 In the mean time our soldier friends are prob- 

 ably " pulling the ropes " in the Philippines. 

 If they meet with any degree of success we 

 are bound to get the giant bees into the Unit- 

 ed States at a comp ratively slight expense, or 

 at an expense that will come within the reach 

 of private enterprise. 



FIRE AT THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES. 



On the 18th of May we came very near los- 

 ing our warehouse, its contents, and possibly 

 our lumber, aggregating in value some $30,000 

 or $40,000, by a fire that originated from some 

 electric wires. Of course, the lumber and build- 

 ing were insured, but the insurance would not 

 begin to make up for delays to customers, and 

 general disappointment all around. The fire 

 started in an electric starting-box that is used 

 to start a small electric motor that runs the 

 elevator. This elevator is situated in the mid- 

 dle of the building ; and the starting-box, 

 which was on the floor, was right in the ele- 

 vator-shaft. A boy happened to be passing 

 by, and gave the alarm just in time ; for a fire 

 in the elevator-opening would, in all proba- 

 bility, soon have enveloped the whole build- 

 ing. Our night watchman and two or three 

 of our packers who were working late that 

 night put out the fire alone, while the rest 

 of us were getting our big fire-pump, fire- 

 hose, and every thing else in good working 

 trim. As it was, the loss amounts to only 

 $45.00, which was promptly paid by the insur- 

 ance companies. 



This building is the only one in the lot that 

 is not equipped with automatic sprinklers, and 

 in consequence the fire might have been seri- 

 ous if it had not been extinguished when it was. 



DIAGNOSING FOUL BROOD WITH A PICTURE ; 

 SEE PAGE 425. 



In this issue I take pleasure in presenting a 

 characteristic and accurate representation of a 

 foul -brood comb. This specimen was photo- 

 graphed by Thos. Wm. Cowan, and I obtained 

 the loan of the picture long enough from W. 

 Z. Hutchinson to take off a half-tone. 



It is impossible to describe, by ordinary lan- 

 guage, foul brood so that it will not be confus- 

 ed with dead brood, and other forms of un- 

 sealed or partly sealed brood that are perfect- 

 ly normal and healthy. For instance, the 

 bees have a way of leaving some of their brood 

 in hot weather unsealed for a short time. The 

 hole will be drawn up to a small opening, and 

 a beginner, or one not familiar with the dis- 

 ease, might imagine that these pinholes rep- 



resented "something awful." But the pin- 

 holes in real foul brood are irregular and jag- 

 ged, as shown in the illustration on page 425. 

 The larva is shrunken, and of a dark coffee 

 color; and the cappings of the dead brood are 

 somewhat sunken, and have a sort of greasy 

 look. If any one has in his apiary specimens 

 of brood like the one shown in this illustra- 

 tion, accompanied with the other characteris- 

 tics named, he can set it down as a fact, prob- 

 ably, that he has genuine foul brood. 



If I had combs as badly diseased as the one 

 shown in the illustration I would burn them 

 at night if possible, and then bury the ashes 

 below the reach of a plow or spade. In the 

 light of our present knowledge of the difficul- 

 ty of killing the spores of this enemy at a boil- 

 ing temperature, I would never think of ex- 

 tracting foul broody honey. I would count it 

 as profit and loss, and consign it all to the bon- 

 fire, combs and all. 



Since our last issue there has been some in- 

 quiry as to where to get naphthol beta and 

 how to dilute the same so that it can be used 

 in the syrup fed to the bees. The article can 

 be obtained at most of the drugstores, at 

 least; but if not, your druggist can get it for 

 you. As to the matter of dilution, the follow- 

 ing are directions recommended : 



For every pound of sugar used in making syrup or 

 candy, dissolve three grains of naphthol beta in alco- 

 hol. Naphthol dissolves freely in alcohol, but it is in- 

 soluble in cold water. Pour the solution into the syr- 

 up, when sufficiently boiled and still hot. 



There has been considerable call of late for 

 the treatment recommended by Wm. McEvoy, 

 foul- brood inspector for Canada. We have 

 had for some little time a foul-brood pamphlet 

 giving his method of treatment, which has 

 proven to be so efficacious on the other side of 

 the border line. This pamphlet will be sent 

 to all subscribers asking for it who inclose two 

 cents postage. 



THE ADULTERATED-FOOD INVESTIGATION. 

 IT seems that an adulterated-food investiga- 

 tion has been taking place at Chicago during 

 the past month, closing on Friday, May 12. 

 On that day the editor of the American Bee 



Journal, together with Secretary Moore and 

 Vice - president Mrs. Stow, of the Chicago 

 Bee-keepers' Association, appeared before the 

 Senate inquiry committee to testify concern- 

 ing the adulteration of honey as practiced in 

 Chicago. Editor York testified that the adul- 

 teration of honey was " being carried on to 

 an alarming extent ; " that it was not the bee- 

 keepers who were doing this, but the jobbers 

 almost exclusively. The chief adulterant seem- 

 ed to be glucose — an article that cost probably 

 a cent a pound, wmile pure liquid honey was 

 worth seven to eight cents ; honey bought in 

 the comb was always reliable, because there 

 is no way for manufacturers to imitate it. The 

 other witnesses corroborated Mr. York, and 

 much good work was done. Mr. York, in his 



•journal, commenting on this, saj-s : 



It is the intention of the Senate committee to print 

 all the testimony they may gather as to the adultera- 

 tion of all kinds of food, and present it to Congress at 

 its next session, and then doubtless an attempt will be 

 made to enact a national adulteration law. We en- 

 deavored to impress upon the committee the urgent 



