1008 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



ing outside more nearly approaches the con- 

 ditions of a natural honey-flow than the feed 

 that is given to the bees in an unnatural way 

 and generally at an unnatural time. 



To make it profitable, of course one must 

 own all or nearly all the bees in the immedi- 

 ate neighborhood. How far away another 

 lot of bees must be in order that they may 

 not take too much from your feeders depends 

 somewhat on the method of feeding. If you 

 feed only enough to keep the bees busy for 

 a short time each day, bees that are only 

 half a mile away may not find it for some 

 time. But if the feeding lasts for any con- 

 siderable time, they are liable to find it 

 sooner or later, even if they come from sev- 

 eral times that distance. I always consid- 

 ered it better to feed so that the bees were 

 employed most of the day carrying it to 

 their hives. This is secured by thinning 

 down the feed so that the bees do not take 

 it so eagerly. Many are afraid to feed out- 

 doors for fear of inducing robbing. This 

 may be prevented in two ways— first, by 

 putting out enough feed so that all the bees 

 can readily find it and help themselves. The 

 other way is to thin down the feed until the 

 bees no longer- get excited over it. A very 

 small amount of feed may thus be made to 

 keep busy and contented the bees that at 

 times make so much trouble by pouncing 

 down on every colony as soon as its hive is 

 opened. 



In outdoor feeding I have found just one 

 serious drawback aside from the expense of 

 feeding your neighbors' bees. This came to 

 me very forcibly one morning in May after 

 the bees had been working a week or more 

 in the feeders. The day began with a cold 

 drizzling rain so that I did not put out feed 

 as usual. What was my surprise and dis- 

 gust, though, to find that the bees came out 

 after it just the same as usual. They hov- 

 ered around the feeders until they became 

 wet and chilled. Bees were scattered all 

 over the ground, and festooned over every 

 thing near the feeders that would support 

 them, until many thousands of them perish- 

 ed. The losses from that source probably 

 came near balancing the good done by the 

 stimulative feeding. The loss of bees prob- 

 ably would not have been so great if the 

 feeding had been done under an open shed so 

 that the feeders would have been sheltered 

 from the rain. If this had been done, espe- 

 cially if the feed had been kept warm, the 

 bees could probably have made their way 

 through the rain without much loss. 



FOUL BROOD. 



Adrian Getaz, writing in the American 

 Bee Journal, says that the chief difference 

 between foul brood and bee paralysis is 

 that the first is a rapidly developing dis- 

 ease, and the other a slowly developing one. 

 One might as well say that that is the chief 

 difference between smallpox and malarial 

 fever. As some humorist has said, their chief 

 resemblance is that they are so awfully dif- 

 ferent. While it is true that foul brood is a 



rapidly developing disease as regards the 

 individual bee, it can hardly be consider- 

 ed as developing rapidly with regard to the 

 colony. A good colony attacked by foul 

 brood will usually live two seasons, unless 

 the intervening winter is a severe one. This 

 slowness of development of the disease in 

 its early stages, sometimes almost disap- 

 pearing for a time, sometimes makes a great 

 deal of trouble for the bee-inspector, as the 

 bee-keeper is sometimes incHned to think 

 the inspector has made a mistake in his di- 

 agnosis, and so neglects to do any thing for 

 the infected colony. 



KEEPING OVER COMB HONEY. 



Some have inquired of me how the honey 

 came out that I held over from last season. 

 Early in August I had a good offer for this 

 honey, so I sold it, with the exception of 

 several cases which I still have, and some 

 of which I may keep another year for ex- 

 periment. This honey was in first-rate con- 

 dition when sold. A few sections contain- 

 ing the later-gathered honey showed slight 

 granulation, especially around the edges 

 where the later honey was placed; but near- 

 ly all of it was absolutely without granula- 

 tion, and none of it was bad. Out of sixty 

 cases, less than half a case was granulated 

 to any extent. Owing to the scarcity of 

 honey this season it sold at a fancy price, 

 and holding it over paid a very handsome 

 profit. Of course, this could not ordinarily 

 be counted on; but in any case it would not 

 have been subject to any discount on ac- 

 count of its age. Some of this honey form- 

 ed a part of my exhibit at our county fair, 

 and bee-keepers who were invited to pick it 

 out from what was produced this year con- 

 fessed their inability to do so. 



This is an important subject, and I shall 

 refer to it again. Colorado bee-keepers 

 have lost a great deal of money on account 

 of the premature granulation of their honey, 

 and it is subject to a discount in some mar- 

 kets because of this tendency to granula- 

 tion. This may be avoided by proper care. 

 Always store your honey in a dry, hot, well- 

 ventilated place. You will notice that I say 

 "hot" instead of "warm." I find that 

 what most people consider a warm place is 

 not warm enough for honey. Keep it as 

 near 100 degrees as possible. 



[I wish to indorse every thing Mr. Green 

 has said in favor of both candidates for the 

 important office of General Manager of the 

 National. Both men are splendidly fitted 

 for the position; but there is a strong doubt 

 in my mind whether either would accept the 

 nomination. 



Regarding the candying of alfalfa comb 

 honey, Mr. Green has possibly struck on 

 something of more than ordinary value when 

 he recommends that honey kept over be 

 stored in a room not only warm but hot, up 

 to 100 degrees Fahr. The question might 

 arise whether at some season of the year 

 the fuel would not overbalance the extra 

 price of the honey. — Ed.] 



