AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



49 



result. One is led to think of this by 

 the fact that drones of dorsata do not 

 differ greatly in size or general appear- 

 ance, though somewhat in habit, from 

 ordinary drones. 



3. Even if Apis dorsata should not 

 prove valuable in domestication, there 

 seems to be no reason why it should not, 

 if introduced and set free in our South- 

 ern States, produce there*, as it does in 

 the forests of India, great quantities 

 of honey and wax, the latter product 

 (derived almost wholly from Apis dor- 

 sata) forming an important article of 

 export from India. 



4. We may hope to bring to this 

 country Apis indica, a bee smaller than 

 our ordinary honey-bee, but an industri- 

 ous gatherer, which, in quite limited 

 numbers, is kept in hives by the natives 

 of India. It might be found that A. 

 indica would visit only smaller flowers 

 than our bees, and thus, even if kept in 

 the same fields, not lessen the yield we 

 obtain from the races already here. It 

 would be no small gain for the apicul- 

 tural interests of the country if three 

 apiaries could be kept at one point 

 without material interference with one 

 another. 



There is also in connection with this 

 undertaking much other work from 

 which we have reason to expect impor- 

 tant results. Of this, information will 

 be given in due time. I have no desire 

 to arouse hopes that might prove ill- 

 founded, and thus bring only disappoint- 

 ment. 



AN ERROR CORRECTED. 



In conclusion I wish to ask the indul- 

 gence of my readers to enable me to 

 correct an error connected with the 

 subject, but the original source of which 

 I do not know. It first appeared long 

 ago, and has been repeated frequently- 

 even in books on bee-keeping. I refer 

 to the statement that " the first expedi- 

 tion after Apis dorsata cost Mr. D. A. 

 Jones, of Canada, a small fortune," and 

 that in this undertaking I " was the 

 agent of Mr. Jones." The facts are, 

 the expedition cost less than $1,000 ; I 

 was in partnership with Mr. Jones in 

 this work, and it cost me just as much 

 as it did him ; moreover, as Mr. Jones 

 did not go to India, but was in Canada 

 at the time, I had the hardships of the 

 work, and the illness which followed my 

 exposure in the jungles, to bear. — 

 Gleanings. 



Washington, D. C. 



Cortland Union Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



C. W. WILKINS. 



Be Sure to read offer on page 37. 



On Tuesday, June 14, the bee-keepers 

 and those interested, ladies as well as 

 gentlemen, met with their President, 

 Mr. J. L. Kinney, 2\4 miles northwest 

 of Cortland Village, N. Y. 



A very pleasant time was enjoyed in 

 informal discussion and apicultural con- 

 versation until lunch was announced. 

 After a most excellent repast, to which 

 all did ample justice, the meeting was 

 called to order by the President. 



The report of the Secretary was read 

 and accepted ; also the Treasurer's re- 

 port, likewise. 



Opportunity was then given, and re- 

 sponded to, for members who were not 

 present at our January meeting, to pay 

 their annual dues. 



ITALIANIZING AND INTRODUCING. 



Discussion was then opened by the 

 question, "What is the best way to 

 Italianize 50 colonies of bees ?" It was 

 generally decided that the purchase of 

 one or more pure queens from some re- 

 liable breeder, each year or two, would 

 give the apiarist stock from which he 

 could introduce queens to his colonies 

 which were deficient in blood with less 

 pecuniary output than any other method. 



C. M. Bean, of McGrawville, remarked 

 how apt our black queens were to live 

 and undergo all manner of hardship, 

 while the yellow queens, which we all so 

 much admire, so easily "come up miss- 

 ing." 



It was unanimously decided that the 

 proper way to introduce an expensive 

 queen was to place her in a nucleus of 

 brood and young bees, when you run 

 scarcely any risk of losing the queen. 



The question, " Is it any sign that a 

 colony has a poor queen, because they 

 are weak at this time of the year?" re- 

 ceived considerable interesting and 

 spirited discussion, but the most weighty 

 points seemed to be in the negative. 



A canvass was made among the mem- 

 bers to ascertain the loss in bees during 

 the past winter and spring. It has been 

 a very severe loss in this section. Out of 

 a fall count of over 800 colonies, an 

 average loss of 23 percent, was realized. 



Discussions and remarks were next in 

 order, for determining where we should 

 hold our Aiigust picnic. It was finally 

 decided to have it at the Floral Trout 

 Park, Cortland, N. Y., the date to be 

 fixed by the committee. 



