144 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



without even getting enough for their 

 living right in the middle of the white 

 clover season, and have to be fed honey 

 to keep them from starving to death, 

 which 1 had to do the past three weeks. 

 The outside combs in the brood-chamber 

 are as dry as paper, and after feeding 

 nearly 1,500 pounds of sugar up to 

 date, hardly a sign of it can be seen in 

 the hives. 



Some three weeks ago several swarms 

 came out, but since then there has not 

 been any, and for the past week most of 

 them have killed off their drones. A 

 great many colonies have eaten most of 

 their younger brood in an out-apiary, to 

 which I had not been in a week's time, 

 which had considerable more white 

 clover there than at home, upon which 

 I depended in vain. 



When I put my 320 colonies of bees 

 out on April 9, only one colony was 

 dead ; on the whole, they were in good 

 condition, and had plenty of stores with 

 what they got outside until about three 

 weeks ago, although we had very cold 

 and wet weather. 



On June 15, we had the heaviest rain 

 and most lightning in 36 years, which 

 was followed with two more very heavy 

 rain-storms within the same week. The 

 floods were higher, and did more damage 

 in this vicinity since the country was set- 

 tled. Nearly all the fences and bridges 

 were swept away, and many nice fields 

 totally destroyed. Some of my neigh- 

 bors' bees were drowned, and I had to 

 move some of mine to keep them out of 

 the water. All the crops in the valleys 

 and ravines are badly damaged, and 

 many totally destroyed; $1,500 will 

 hardly cover my loss alone. 



Small crops on the upland look pros- 

 perous, after a week of the finest 

 weather any one could wish. Corn is at 

 least three weeks late, and has hardly 

 time to get ripe, even with the most 

 favorable weather from now on. 



CAUSE OF NON-SECRETION OF NECTAR. 



Now, why is there hardly any honey 

 in any of the flowers since these heavy 

 rains, accompanied with continuous 

 lightning ? I have heretofore given my 

 reason and theory in the Bee. Journal, 

 which was contradicted by some of the 

 correspondents, while others agreed 

 with me, viz. : I claim that the dis- 

 charge of so much and heavy electricity, 

 accompanied with heavy rain-falls, will 

 destroy the honey-secreting properties 

 which are in the atmosphere ; and fur- 

 thermore, is damaging and sickening to 

 most of the vegetable kingdom. Since 



this heavy discharge, most of the plants 

 and trees — yes, and corn— have looked 

 feeble and blighted. Some of the leaves 

 look as if they were burned by fire, and 

 many are falling from the trees. Before 

 the storms, everything looked a dark, 

 rich color, and was rank in growth. 



There was a good prospect of linden 

 bloom, but since then the buds look 

 feeble, and many are falling off now. It 

 will be about a week before they will be 

 in bloom, and what they will do for the 

 bees, the future only will tell. We hope 

 for the best. Some years ago it ap- 

 peared to me that these uncommonly 

 heavy storms affected the honey secre- 

 tion, but more particularly so the past 

 four years. 



Theilmanton, Minn., July 11, 1892." 



Various Bee-Smote Comuared. Etc. 



ERNEST R. ROOT. 



I have experimented much with smok- 

 ers, and have been quite closely con- 

 nected with the manufacture, so far as 

 it relates to details of construction, of 

 some hundred thousand. I have experi- 

 mented with nearly all the smokers ever 

 advertised, from the original bellows 

 smoker, first advertised by Father 

 Quinby, to the perfect smokers of to- 

 day. I suppose I ought to know some- 

 thing about smokers. But may be, be- 

 fore I get through, you will conclude 

 that I do not. 



Naturally enough, I ought to recom- 

 mend and praise up, above all of its 

 competitors, the smoker in which I am 

 particularly interested ; but my opinion 

 can hardly be biased if I give, the palm 

 to the "other fellow's" smoker — the 

 Bingham — in the manufacture of which 

 we are in no way interested. I am sure 

 I would very much rather give the pref- 

 erence to our own — the Clark — but I am 

 afraid if I did so, our boys in the apiary 

 would ask me why I pick out the Bing- 

 ham when I propose to "tackle " a col- 

 ony of cross or uncertain temperament, 

 or why it is that it is generally used by 

 them in the apiary. 



Yes, the Bingham is used more largely 

 in our apiaries than the Clark. It is 

 strong and well made, gives a good 

 volume of smoke, of the subduing kind, 

 and is always prompt for emergencies. 

 It burns any kind of fuel, although our 

 boys very much prefer the excelsior saw- 

 dust, such as comes, from the hand-holes 

 in making hive-bodies. 



