E 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



JUNE, 1922 



J 



EDITORIAL 



THE editor of The Bee World states in the 

 April issue of that journal that the out- 

 breaks of Isle 

 Danger of Indirect of Wight dis- 

 Importation of Bees, ease recentlj^ 

 discovered in 

 France and Switzerland "have already been 

 traced to importations from England, and 

 such cases have already been controlled." 

 If this is correct it illustrates the danger of 

 indirect importation, unless the importation 

 of bees into this country can be regulated 

 in some such manner as provided in the pro- 

 posed law now pending in Congress giving 

 the Secretary of Agriculture the power to 

 exclude bees whenever necessary. Our 

 readers should read carefully the editorial 

 on another page, and if favoring this bill 

 should write at once to their Senators and 

 Eepresentatives asking them to support it. 



do^qf: 



A GLANCE at the figures reported by pro- 

 ducers for our market page reveals a prom- 

 ising outlook for 

 What Shall the beekeeping this 



Harvest Be? season. In most 



cases the number 

 of colonies is reported as normal or above, 

 and the condition of the colonies as well as 

 the honey plants makes a splendid showing. 

 The recent general rains throughout the 

 clover region are a great help to the clo- 

 ver. The honey is being well cleaned up in 

 the markets, so that the marketing problem 

 looks much brighter than it did a year ago 

 when large stocks were still in the hands of 

 the producers. The prospects at present are 

 indeed encouraging, but the next few weeks 

 will tell the story as to what the harvest 

 will be. 



a (o ^Q j. .— Iff 



THE Bureau of Crop Estimates and the 

 Bureau of Entomology, working co-opera- 

 tively, are mak- 



Establishing 



Government Color 



Grades for Honey. 



ing a study of 

 the colors of 

 honey in order 

 to work out col- 

 or standards for extracted honey. This is 

 done by means of a color-measuring device 

 by Avhich all colors can be measured in- 

 stead of only amber, thus giving accurate 

 color measurements. 



After a great variety of samples from all 

 parts of the country have been measured it 



will be possible to establish grades based on 

 color, and define accurately the limits of 

 each grade, so that in case of dispute it 

 will be possible to determine exactly in 

 which grade the sample in dispute falls. 



The establishment of accurately defined 

 grades for honey for the United States by 

 the Department of Agriculture should be of 

 great benefit to beekeepers in marketing 

 their honey. 



IN using the Multiplex foundation-fastener 

 or any device for fastening foundations in 

 sections in which a 

 Fastening hand tool is used to 

 Foundation melt the edge of the 

 in Sections, foundation, many seem 

 to think that the 

 blocks supporting the sections should be 

 placed on the bench at an angle. For the 

 greatest ease and most rapid work the 

 blocks should be placed in a horizontal po- 

 sition and the operator should stand facing 

 the ends of the section-holders. This per- 

 mits a free and natural handling of the 

 heated knife, thus avoiding the twisted and 

 cramped position necessary when the blocks 

 are placed at an angle. With the freedom 

 of movement afforded by having the blocks 

 in a horizontal position, the operator can 

 easily fasten the 28 sheets of foundation in 

 less than one minute without reheating the 

 knife. 



Q> >o ^C M t P 



E. M. COLE, writing in the American Bee 

 Journal, May issue, takes issue with the 



statement i n 



Effect of Emerging 



Bees Upon 



Swarming. 



Farmers' Bulle- 

 tin 503, pub- 

 lished in 1912, 

 to the effect 

 that all effective treatments for swarming, 

 such as shaking, dequeening or separating 

 the brood and the queen, involve "a tem- 

 porary disturbance in the continuity of the 

 emergence of brood." 



This statement was written by the Editor 

 more than 10 years ago, while he was con- 

 nected with the Bureau of Entomology at 

 Washington, D. C, and today, after 10 

 years further study of the swarming prob- 

 lem, he can see no reason for clianging his 

 opinion in regard to the matter. 



Before that statement was written, the 

 bee journals published in the English Ian- 



