THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



203 



For the American Apiculturiat, 



SYRIAN BEES. 



W. M. WOODWAED. 



After working the Syrian queens 

 through the clover harvest, I feel 

 prepared to pass an opinion upon 

 them. I like them. They have 

 proved very docile indeed, so much 

 so that 1 have been able to handle 

 them at all times without smoke. 

 I have held that queen up on a 

 frame before my face for my whole 

 family to see her lay eggs in the 

 bright sunshine. 



I do not find them able to work 

 on red clover. The Albinos have 

 done so to some extent, but have 

 proved unprofitable fromtheirgreat 

 swarming propensities. Tiie Syr- 

 ians were often seen on red clover, 

 but close observation showed that 

 they only worked down between 

 the bloom and not in it. This is 

 also confirmed by the fact that 

 they were never seen with red clo- 

 ver pollen which is very dark in 

 color, while the white clover is 

 creamy white and sweet clover 

 bright yellow. They are, how- 

 ever, splendid workers on sweet 

 and white clover. 



I have but one fault to find with 

 them and that is the way they seal 

 their honey. It is so thin and 

 transparent that light shows 

 through the combs. I have stud- 

 ied the matter some and have con- 

 cluded that it is owing to their be- 

 ing poor wax producers. 



I wish to ask if you observe 

 much difference in them on this 

 point, and to suggest that breeders 

 note this matter and encourage the 

 wax-producing power in them. 

 I am satisfied ray blacks will build 

 two combs to their one, though I 

 cannot afford to test that now. 



I have reared one young queen 

 to be crossed with the blacks to 

 test whether they are desirable or 

 not. 



My Syrians were a mere nucleus 

 in the spring and short of bee- 

 bread which I was unable to sup- 

 ply ; but they have outdone any 

 other colony, their equal on May 1, 

 by one-fourth or more. They have 

 not swarmed, though all ray other 

 colonies have but one. They were 

 fifty pounds behind that one in the 

 start, but have gained on it since 

 they began to store surplus. These 

 blacks have stored about one hun- 

 dred and twenty pounds, the Syri- 

 ans as much as one hundred, but 

 the latter is not all finished off 

 yet. 



Custer, III. 



For the American Apiculturist. 



NOTES FROM CANADA. 



R. F. HOLTEKMAN. 



If the organizing of beekeepers' 

 associations is an indication of the 

 spread of apiculture, we in Can- 

 ada have ample indications of the 

 rapid spread of this industry. 



On Wednesday, August 4, a 

 number of beekeeper of the county 

 of Wellington and vicinity met for 

 the purpose of organizing an asso- 

 ciation. It was called the "Guelph 

 Central Beekeepers' Association," 

 Kev. W. F. Clarke of Guelph, Pres- 

 ident, J. Ramsay, Eden Mills, Vice 

 President, and A. Gilchrist of 

 Guelph, as Secretary. 



A number testified as to the de- 

 velopment of the home honey mar- 

 ket. It had been very rapid during 

 the last eight or ten years and no 

 doubt could and would be very 

 much increased. 



The advisability of advocating 

 the use of honey for preserving and 

 other sweetening purposes was dis- 

 puted. The plea to the contrary be- 

 ing it had not the same sweetening 

 power as the best of cane-sugar and 

 the price could not be i)r»portion- 

 ate ; that honey was in itself a 



