GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Febeuaey, 1917 



is probable that when the great flood came, 

 certainly all the animals of the lowlands 

 were the first to drown, and those in the 

 inonntains remained over for the after- 

 world." So Noah did not have a pair of 

 Italian bees on board ! He says the cell 

 of the Italian bee is 30 per cent greater 

 in capacity than that of the blacks. Di- 

 rections are given for increasing the num- 

 ber of Italian colonies, not only by the use 

 of queen-cells, but, especially Avhen skeps 

 are used, he recommends placing a weak 

 Italian colony on the stand of a black colony 

 during a heavy honey-flow. " The black 

 bees are somewhat disturbed at first, and do 

 not want to enter, for the two kinds of 

 bees hate each other." 



He objects to Spinola's name Apis 

 ligustica for the Italian bee and says: " Is 

 there any reason why we should not be able 

 to have a second baptism when we have 

 become convinced that our investigations are 

 more conformable to nature? Therefore 

 henceforth this shall be the yellow Alpine 

 bee, or in Latin Ajjis Helvetia or Helvetica 

 (we do not understand Latin well)." Hav- 

 ing found the origin of this bee in the 

 Swiss Alps he says : " One must not grasp 

 the proof of a statement by the hair, how- 

 ever. A nationality is to be sought, not 

 on the borders but in the center of a 

 country." Probably our author looks on 



Switzerland and Italy as natural divisions 

 of the earth's surface, not artificial divi- 

 sions for man's convenience. " Only thru 

 the rearing of this kind of bees may one 

 be an apiculturist in the full sense of the 

 word." 



There are plenty of amusing statements 

 which could be quoted. For example, the 

 queen is said to develop in 10-17 days, 

 workers in 18-21 days, and drones in 21-24 

 days. Workers are rendered sexless by the 

 action of the other workers, not thru dif- 

 ferences in food but by mutilation. Work- 

 ers probably mate with drones. " The odor 

 from an Italian bee colony is penetrating 

 and readily distingaiishable from a German 

 hive." For queen-rearing, " choose the 

 most beautiful colony; for it is like the old 

 proverb, ' A large cow has a large calf.' " 



But the author's ideas about bee-breeding 

 are not of special interest now. The point 

 which does interest us is that his extrava- 

 gant statements of the merits of " Apis 

 helvetia or helvetica," and the fact that 

 the Pa.tent Office Library contained this 

 particular copy of the book, probably re- 

 sulted in the purchase of the colonies of 

 " Italian bees " which came to the United 

 States to begin the long line of Italians 

 whicli are so much preferred by practical 

 beekeepers today. 



L 



GIRLS AS HONEY SELLERS 



An Interesting and Practical Plan 



for disposing of a Large Amount 



of Honey in Home (^Markets 



By E. C. Walker 



AST season 



was one of 



the best ever 

 known in south- 

 ern Indiana. The 

 honey too (white 

 clover) was of un- 

 usually fine qual- 

 ity. Our home 

 apiary is located at the edge of the city in 

 an apple-orchard adjoining our home in full 

 view from the Charleston Road, a highway 

 much traveled by automobiles. The yard 

 is kept in perfect order, and the hives are 

 always well painted. On one of the apple- 

 trees hangs a sign — " Honey for Sale." 

 Locating the apiary where it may be seen 

 daily by hundreds of travelers is a good 

 advertisement. We have callers daily who 

 buy honey in quantities of one pound up to 

 five gallons. 



While a considerable amount of honey 

 has been sold in this way, a quicker outlet 

 must be found if one has a large crop. In 

 the past, most of our honey has been sold 

 wholesale to large fancy grocers; but they 



buy in large quan- 

 tifies and pay cor- 

 respondingly low 

 prices, selling to 

 their rich patrons 

 at fancy prices. 

 Now, I am selfish 

 enough to want to 

 make at least the 

 same percentage of profit as the dealer, and 

 altruistic enough to want to see honey be- 

 come a staple article of food instead of a 

 luxury. At the present price of sugar, 

 honey should find a more ready sale than 

 ever before. 



Being anxious to realize the best possible 

 price for our honey crop, and also desiring 

 to develojo a local retail trade, I decided 

 that a linuse - to - house selling campaigii 

 must be inaugurated. Personally I don't 

 want to peddle honey from door to door. 

 Good solicitors are very hard to find, and 1 

 would rather have no representative than a 

 poor one. After a little deliberation if 

 occurred to me that my little ten-year-old 

 daughter might sell honey. As compensa- 



