1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULIURE. 



979 



facilities thus accorded them for study and 

 observation. Mr. Selser said that new races 

 of bees from all over the world would be 

 tested in this apiary, to determine whether 

 they possess any characteristics of value to 

 bee-keepers at large. He also stated that 

 the colonies now on the ground were only a 

 starter, and the number would be largely 

 increased next season. 



The meeting was now suspended to enable 

 those present to see the bees. Hives were 

 opened, and combs exhibited by Mr. Harold 

 Horner, Mr. Selser's assistant. There were 

 five colonies of bees with imported queens 

 from Italy, of the leather-colored strain, 

 three-banded. Mr. Selser also had a queen 

 of the golden-to-tip variety under a magni- 

 fying-glass. He next gave a brief sum- 

 ming-up of the great expansion of the bee 

 industry, now only in its infancy, but des- 

 tined to become one of the important indus- 

 tries of the world. 



On reassembling. Dr. E. F. Phillips, of 

 Philadelphia, was called on to address the 

 meeting on some of his observations of bee- 

 life. Dr. Phillips made an able response, 

 giving the results of his observations on the 

 division of labor among bees. As his obser- 

 vations on this subject were published in 

 Gleanings, p. 846, it is needless to go into 

 particulars here. Dr. Phillips' remarks were 

 listened to with much attention, and were 

 greatly enjoyed by those present. 



Mr. Selser gave an address on the good 

 work accomplished against the adulteration 

 of honey, and the strictness of the pure- 

 food laws when applied to the sale of honey 

 containing even the slightest admixture of 

 foreign matter whatever. He cited cases in 

 which he had acted as chemist in analyzing 

 samples, and had invariably detected the 

 forgeries, however slight. 



A discussion was started to determine the 

 amount of honey consumed by one colony 

 during the summer season, aside from the 

 surplus gathered. Many of the members 

 expressed their views, although none were 

 backed up by actual tests. The consensus 

 of opinion seemed to favor about 150 lbs. 



Overstocking was next discussed, in ans- 

 wer to a question from one of the bee-keep- 

 ers present. No satisfactory answer was 

 forthcoming, because none of the members 

 were bee-keepers of any magnitude. The 

 secretary gave some reminiscences of the 

 address delivered before the association about 

 a year ago by Mr. Moore, of Arizona, in 

 which Mr. M. had stated that overstocking 

 had occurred in his location in the irrigated 

 alfalfa district. 



Mr. John M. Hooker, of Philadelphia, late 

 of England, was called upon to give his 

 views. He said that bee-keeping in Eng- 

 land is very different from that practiced in 

 the United States. He said that their apia- 

 ries are small, but more numerous than in 

 this country, consequently there could be no 

 overstocking. Mr. Hooker also referred to 

 his visit to the large apiaries of California. 



The next question discussed was the quan- 

 tity of honey produced around Philadelphia. 



Mr. Mark Schofield, of Philadelphia, said 

 that a good average for the southern section 

 of Philadelphia is about 80 lbs. per colony; 

 sometimes, in good years, 200 lbs. would be 

 produced. The meadows south of Philadel- 

 phia produce vast crops of fine light honey 

 in the fall of the year. 



Mr. Geo. Cullom, Spring City, Pa., about 

 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, consid- 

 ered two supers of comb honey (48 sections) 

 a good average. Mr. Harold Horner said 

 that 50 to 60 lbs. per colony has been the 

 average with him in Mt. Holly, N. J. He 

 has had as high as 150 to 175 lbs., all ex- 

 tracted. 



Mr. Selser said 50 lbs. is considered very 

 good for North Philadelphia. 



Mr. E. L. Pratt, of Swarthmore, Pa., was 

 the next speaker. Mr. P. said that, two 

 years ago, he gave a talk and demonstration 

 before the association, to show how queens 

 were forced to lay eggs in his artificial 

 queen-cell cups. Since that time he has 

 found that queens would lay eggs in the 

 cups from choice. He found that young 

 queens, after mating, would invariably lay 

 eggs in the cell cups from which they had 

 hatched. In one instance he had taken up 

 bees into the swarm-box, to remain for six 

 hours, and had taken up their queen with 

 them by mistake. He found that the queen 

 laid eggs in 32 of the cups, thus proving 

 that she must have taken them for natural 

 cells. Mr. Pratt also exhibited his new 

 shipping-case for nuclei. It is a model for 

 light weight and cheapness. It is construct- 

 ed of pasteboard, such as is used in making 

 book-covers; is nailed over a skeleton frame- 

 work of wood, with wire gauze over both 

 ends, and a space of IJ inches at these ends 

 for these bees to cluster in. A neat handle 

 is attached over the top, the whole package 

 resembling a suit-case used by travelers. 

 These cases are handled by the express 

 messengers with the same care th':it suit- 

 cases are handled, and, in fact, are stacked 

 in the cars with the other suit-cases, never 

 on their sides, handle always on top. Mr. 

 Pratt has successfully shipped nuclei to Eu- 

 rope in this package. He has also made 

 hives of this material, and wintered bees in 

 them successfully during the late cold winter. 



Eight candidates were nominated for mem- 

 bership in the association. 



A vote of thanks was tendered The A. I. 

 Root Co. and its manager, Mr. W. A. Sel- 

 ser, after which the meeting adjourned. 



STRAWS FROM THE WEST INDIES. 



BY W. K. MORRISON. 



There is a popular notion that honey is a 

 specific in the treatment of consumption. 

 Recent discoveries tend to establish the 

 truth of this. Dr. Weber, a German au- 

 thority, regards levulose (or honey) in con- 

 junction with other means of treatment in 

 the light of a specific. He recommends 4 to 

 6 tablespoon fuls with every, meal. In the 



