1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



287 



with assurance of success. Carroll, too, said he had 

 no doubt if I got genuine Italians I could get them 

 here. Well, to England I went in June, 1880. I im- 

 mediately wrote Mr. Hunter, telling him what I re- 

 quired. His son informed me that Mr. H., his fa- 

 ther, was ill, and referred me to Neighbour & Sons. 

 (Mr. Hunter died next day.) 



I saw Mr. A. Neighbour, and arranged for 5 Ital- 

 ian queenv, to bo put up in one V)ox with .5 divisions 

 containing 4 frames of comb each, full of hunrij, no 

 brood; each division to be well ventilated, having a 

 drawer at bottom to remove dead; means of feed- 

 ing through perforated boxes (moistened candy and 

 best sugar was used), and water supply with sponges. 

 It was a rather ingenious affair, but might be im- 

 proved upon with advantage. The bees were too 

 much conlined; on such voyages they need more 

 room, where they can get away from their combs to 

 discharge, for they consume their food ravenously, 

 and distend amazingly, and as soon as the least 

 chance is given, they discharge freely. 



Well, thousands of the little creatures died. I was 

 almost sickened at the sight, and was really sorry 

 for them. I cleaned them out and gave them water, 

 etc., 3 or •4 times each week. I had them on the deck 

 house all the voyage, never below at all. Although 

 there were 500 persons on board, not more than a 

 dozen, except sailors, knew that the bees were there. 

 Well, after about 43 days I arrived at Melbourne, 

 Victoria. Having to stay a few days I took them 

 ashore, let them fly excepting one box which had 

 had dysentery. They came out in good numbers, 

 took a fly and returned to the box, then set to work. 

 The next day, eggs were laid. Unfortunately it was 

 bad weather, and I was so circumstanced I could not 

 help them by overhauling or giving brood. I couldn't 

 get any, so I let them fly, gave them feed, and in five 

 days fastened them up again for another 1000 miles' 

 journeying, occupying about 5 days on two different 

 steamers, along our Australian coast. 



We arrived at Brisbane, thank God, on the 29th of 

 October, 55 days after leaving Plymouth, England; 

 50 days' actual traveling and confinement for the 

 bees. How were they? All tJir queens were alive, all 

 the stocks weak— one that had suffered dysentery 

 was very weak. 1 let them fly as soon as I got them 

 home, and they did Hy. I could not attend to them on 

 that day. Next morning I found one (ineen outside, 

 nearly dead. On examination, very few bees were 

 left with her. 1 had four queens left. I was not in a 

 position to manipulate them right away, and, wish- 

 ing to be careful, waited till Mr. Carroll could help. 

 In a few days he took two queens to work up. I 

 kept two; he, Mr. C, introduced one into a strong 

 stock of blacks, and commenced queen-rearing right 

 away. The other, he tried to build up; but, IxAh liis 

 queens died unaeeininteihly. I went on, cautiously 

 building up until I worked up 3 good strong stocks. 

 The young Italians came out with their yellow 

 bands, and vigorously pushed foward honey-gather- 

 ing and brood-rearing, far outrunning the ordinary 

 black bees. I have just been dividing, and have now 



3 young Italian queens starting laying; expect 3 or 



4 more in a week, and should any of them form a 

 misalliance, which I quite expect, if I can only keep 

 the imported queens till next spring I can soonrem- 

 edy the hybridizing, as I shall have only Italian 

 drones. By the way, my Italian drones are as much 

 like black di ones as two eggs. Should this be so? We 

 are dubious about imported articles, as we have 

 been " taken in " so frequently. 



I wish it were less ditHcult getting things from 

 you. There are a good many things 1 want, but see 

 the bother and time it takes. 



I will let you know next spring how we get on. 

 I saw in Gleanings awhile since, that somebody as- 

 serts, or wants to know, " you know," if bees in 

 Australia are less industrious than elsewhere. No, 

 sir ! they are equally industrious, but not so the 

 keeper. We have not the flows of honey jou have 

 from your various growths, and sometimes honey is 

 scarce. Bees can not And it where none exists. 

 Other causes than lack of industry on the part of 

 bees cause the difference. 



Now, friend Root, I would like to try those Holy- 

 Land and Cyprian queens, just the best. Can we 

 not manage to get some through? Have you any 

 one at 'Frisco you can trust to receive from you— 

 see that they are all right? if not, make them so, 

 then put them on one of the mail boats leaving 

 'Frisco for Honolulu, New Zealand, and Sidney; give 

 them in charge of the chief steward, with instruc- 

 tions how to manage them, and not to get quit of 

 them but to a person appointed at Sydney to take 

 charge of them who would forward them to me; or 

 have you any one at New Zealand who would see 

 them when they arrive there, and see if they require 

 help? The journey would occupy 28 days from 

 'Frisco to Sydney; 3 days from Sydney to Brisbane. 

 Now, I think you could put up 4 or 6 queens in a box 

 in such a way that they would come through, after I 

 have brought 5 stocks through from England. I will 

 pay all expenses, and give you highest price on safe 

 arrival. C. Fullwuou. 



Brisbane, Queensland, Aus., March 1, 1881. 



P. S.— Mr. Jones and I must have been in England 

 at the same time. I am sorry I was so much en- 

 gaged in business I did not hear of or see him. I 

 would have tried him for queens, as I am so anxious 

 to beat our abominable moth by the introduction of 

 the best bees if we can do it. Friend Carroll has so 

 often failed he is disheartened. C. F. 



Your drones are all right, I think, friend 

 F. \ great many of the Italian drones look 

 so near like our native drones, that there is, 

 as you say, but little dift'erence in appear- 

 ance. ()ther Italian drones, however, show 

 a great deal of yellow. It seems to me that 

 our friend Frank Benton is the one to send 

 you Holy-Land and Cyprian queens direct, 

 and he is perhaps as much of an expert in 

 the business as any man we have in the 

 world. Our friend 1). A. Jones, of Beeton, 

 Canada, would be perhaps the man to con- 

 fer with. K. ^Vilkin, of San Buenaventura, 

 Cal., is as careful a man as I know of on the 

 Pacific coast. AV'e see by the American Bee 

 Journal of March 30, that Mr. Alfred New- 

 man, son of the editor of the above journal, 

 sent a whole colony to New Zealand, which 

 arrived safely. As he has had experience 

 in the matter of such long shipments, would 

 it not be Avell to put ttie matter into his 

 liandsV 



^ !■■ ^ 



liEAVlNG SECTIONS ON AIiL WINTEK, 



ETC. 



A " VISITING " LETTEU FROM FRIEND WILLIAMS. 



HAVE always left section boxes (or, rather, sur- 

 plus boxes) on some hives, and they seem to 

 winter best if protected. This leads me to be- 



