1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



393 



' Formaldehyde g-as is now considered the 

 best disinfectant known for destroying- the 

 germs of foul brood and other non spore- 

 bearing^ bacteria. The spores bear the 

 same relation to bacteria that seeds do to 

 plants and trees, as they have a thick en- 

 veloping- membrane which prevents the dis- 

 infectant from being easily applied. For 

 this reason the fumes of the gas should be 

 brought in direct contact with the germs in 

 order to destroy them effectually. 



In using formalin a long-neck copper re- 

 tort is best for ordinary purposes. The 

 flames should be applied on the sides of the 

 retort rather than directly under it. so that, 

 when the^solution begins to heat, the steam 

 ■will come in contact with the hot metal and 



be converted into gas; for unless this is done 

 the liquid is simp'y evaporated, leaving a- 

 white powder known commercially as para- 

 form. For the same reason, all of the solu- 

 tion put in the retort should be used before 

 the fire is withdrawn. 



A 20 per-cent salt solution added to the 

 formalin is a great advantage, as it raises 

 the boiliog-point several degrees, and in- 

 creases the production of the gas. The ad- 

 dition of 1 per cent of f lycerine will improve 

 the solution, as it will hilp to keep the para- 



form in contact with the combs being disin- 

 fected. 



It should be borne in mind that, to disin- 

 fect thoroughly any thing as thick as combs 

 filled with honey and bees, it will take at 

 least 48 houi s' exposure to the fumes of the 

 gas to kill all the germs. It is still safer 

 to repeat the application in a few days. In 

 all cases it is better to apply the disinfect- 

 ant in a warm room, as cold has a tendency 

 to retard the evolution of the gas. 



Washington, D. C, Feb. 23. 



[Do I understand you to say that the 

 germ of foul brood is " non-spore bearing"? 

 I can hardly think it possible that you 

 meant that. Your instruction on the use of 

 the gas is valuable. — Ed.] 



WHY CUBAN HONEY COMES IN WINTER. 



Something about the Climate and Honey Flora. 



BY HARKY HOWE. 



Dr. Miller asks why the Cuban' honey- 

 flow is in winter I will try to offer an ex- 

 planation. Here in the torrid zone there is 

 no true winter, but sprir g and fill seem to 

 lap over one another. However, there is 

 usually about a month of weather too cold 

 for honey secretion. December corresponds 

 with September in many ways; so what 

 seems to the doctor to be getting honey in 

 winter is, to us, getting honey in fill. 



There are flowers here all the time, but 

 not all are of value for honey. Some loca- 

 tions have more at one time of the year, 

 and others at other times. As the bel- 

 flower honey is considered the best, the bee- 

 keepers have been in the habit of looking 

 f jr locations having an abundance of that, 

 and so it has come about that most of the 

 Americans are in locations where the prin- 

 cipal honey- flow is in the fall. 



Here, althoughthings are green andgrow- 

 ing all the time, ther are few trees or 

 p ants that are true evergreens. Nearly 

 all have their periori of rest, when they 

 drop their leaves, and are, for a shorter or 

 longer period, as bare as trees in winter 

 in the North. But they don't all do i: at 

 once, so the larger part of the trees that 

 one sees at any one time have leaves. 



Some bloom before beginning the season's 

 growth, like the peach; a ad others, like th^ 

 basswood, bloom at the close of the grow- 

 ing season; so here we have two flows, 

 from the fruit and forest trees, but they lap 

 over like the seasons. Other plants, like 

 the morning-glories, bloom during all their 

 growth. 



This brings up another point of the sea- 

 sons here. During the summer there is usu- 

 ally much rain, and during the winter it 

 sometimes does not rain for months. Plants 

 like the morning-glories grow and bloom 

 until the drouth checks the growth, and 

 then die. Others, like the bellflower, are 

 perennial, but stop growing during the dry 

 season. 



