THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



163 



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THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 

 :e2Jdxtoje<.. 



Vol. XIII, MarcU],1886, No. 11. 





"rffl! 



Tlie British Bee Jonrnal, alluding to 

 the new bee-disease, states that, in its 

 opinion, supported by actual experiment, 

 the new bee-disease of America is none 

 other than the Baccillvs delphilis (auct 

 Gaytoni) of Mr. Cheshire, and it further 

 states that " a colony treated carefully with 

 phenol has been entirely freed from all 

 traces of the disease." 



Tlie Postage on Mercliandlse, sought 

 to be doubled by Senator Wilson, as men- 

 tioned last week, has had a " set-back." The 

 House Committee, last Wednesday, decided 

 to report adversely to it. The measure is 

 not only uncalled for and unjust, but is 

 against the policy of the Government, and 

 has caused a perfect storm by " protesting 

 merchants " all over the country. The 

 measure, if carried, would be a detriment 

 to the Postoflice Bepartment as well as an 

 injustice to the general public; and we do 

 not believe that Congress will commit such 

 an error. Senator Wilson still insists that 

 he will get his bill through the Senats, if 

 possible— but it is highly improbable that it 

 will pass the House of Congress. 



Beginners in bee-culture, during the 

 first year, generally know it all; after that 

 they find out by degrees that they know 

 much less about the pursuit. Mr. F. L. 

 Dougherty, in the Iiidiana Farmer, puts it 

 thus : 



It has always seemed somewhat strange 

 to us why beginners in bee-culture were not 

 satisfied to accept the teachings of practical 

 beekeepers and follow them, until they 

 gained sufficient knowledge of their own to 

 save them from falling into the theoretical 

 pitfalls of hearsay bee-keepers. Bees are 

 not taught, but simply guided in a line with 

 their instinct. They may be led in this 

 direction to perform certain things that to 

 the novice seem incredible. Success depends 

 on a knowledge of the laws by which they 

 are governed, and the advantage we are able 

 to take of it for our own good. 



Bees Not AVell-ITIarked in Italy.— 



When the Editor of the A.merican Bee 

 Journal was in Italy, seven years ago, he 

 visited many large apiaries, and upon his 

 return, remarked that ho there saw many 

 colonies of bees— the markings of the bees 

 ijeing either very indistinct or the golden 

 bands entirely lacking. Some doubted this, 

 and a discussion concerning " Black Bees in 

 Italy " followed. At that time we had much 

 corroborative testimony, but now comes 

 further proof from our friends and co- 

 laborers, Mr. Ed. Bertrand, editor of the 

 Bulletin D'ApicuUeur,\n Switzerland, and Mr. 

 T. W. Cowan, editor of the British Bee Jour- 

 nal, of London, England. These gentlemen 

 went to Italy, lately, together, and visited 

 several of the " noted queen-breeders," and 

 Mr. Bertrand, in his paper, makes the fol- 

 lowing remarks on this subject : 



"It is well known that all the bees of the 

 Italian race have not got the three yellow 

 bands of the abdomen equally distinctly 

 marked. This I have substantiated on sev- 

 eral different journeys. At Ornavasso, at 

 Golasecea. and at Milan there are colonies 

 only showing ti/v) bands. In 1881, at Milan, 

 at the Sartori establishment, I saw drones 

 as destitute of any yellow bands as any 

 drones bred by our black bees. But abroad, 

 three bright yellow bands are considered an 

 indispensable sign of purity, hence the 

 reason why Italian breeders, while attaching 

 no real value in work to the color of the 

 rings, endeavor to have no bees in their 

 apiaries that will not show 3 bright bands." 



Mr. Bertrand visited the Sartori queen- 

 rearing establishment at Milan, Italy, two 

 years after we were there, and in the above 

 extract, he uses this very positive language: 

 ' I saw drones as destitute of any yellow 

 bands as any drones bred by our black 

 bees." This coincides with our experience 

 exactly. We saw precisely the same thing 

 at that very place. With us, at that time, 

 were Count Barbo, the distinguished Presi- 

 dent of the Italian Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 and Signer Alfonzo Visconti de Salieeto, 

 editor of the Italian bee-paper, L'Apicolore, 

 published at Milan. We talked the matter 

 over, and all agreed that the bees looked 

 much inferior to our line American Italians, 

 for we took with us some samples of drones 

 well-marked and well-developed, that were 

 reared in the apiary of the American Bee 

 Journaij, in this city. These American 

 Italians were admired by prominent apia- 

 rists, to whom wo e.\hibitedthem in England, 

 Scotland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, 

 and Germany. The only reason that we can 

 give for the difference in the Italian bees 

 bred in their home in Italy and those reared 

 in America, is the extra care exercised here 

 in breeding from the best colonies and for 

 superior traits of character. 



We are glad to notice by the above extract 

 that the breeders of Italy are getting more 

 particular and systematic in their work, and 

 that in the future they intend to " have no 

 bees in their apiaries that will not show 

 three bright bands." To elevate the industry 

 by breeding with care is surely worth all the 



labor it costs, and should be encouraged 



everywhere. 



Blow, Marcli Wind, Blow ! 



r. D. SHERMAN. 



Blow, wind of March, and sing 



Your songs unto thetlmidbuds and grass; 

 Unclasp the fetters of the woodland spring 



Hushed in its house of glass. 



Blow, wind of March, and thrill 

 The languid pulses of the barren trees, 



Until the empty hands with blossoms fill 

 And tempt the honey-bees. 



Blow, wind of March, and wake 

 The sleeping violets with gentle words : 



Spread your green canopy of leaves and 

 make 

 A shelter for the birds. 



Blow, wind of March, aye, blow. 



Until the orchards heed your voice, and 

 bloom ; 



Then whisper softly where the wild flowers 

 grow 

 About the winter's tomb. 



Llpplncott'B Monthly. 



A German scientific journal says that 

 " bees are good storm-signals." The sudden- 

 ness with which a bee raises a storm depends 

 upon what portion of the anatomy the 

 insect alights. If on the bare neck, 

 " thunder and lightning 1"— if not a stronger 

 expletive— will follow immediately.— JVorris- 

 toton Journal. 



A Bearing Orange Grove In Chicago. 



—One of the greatest novelties of the age 

 will be presented to the people of the North- 

 west, at the Exposition Building in Chicago, 

 during the latter part of March, in the shape 

 of a grove of bearing orange trees. This 

 exhibit will be made in connection with an 

 exhibit of Citrus fruits, such as oranges and 

 lemons from the now famous orange section 

 of the Pacific Coast, under the auspices of 

 the Immigration Association of Southern 

 California. The transcontinental railroads 

 have generously offered to bring this exhibit 

 to Chicago free of freight. It will fill twenty 

 ears, and twelve men will accompany it. 

 This will be a novel exhibit for the people 

 of Chicago and the Northwest ; and will 

 attract crowds of people. 



J. E. Pond, Jr., and M. P. Beckett have 

 formed a partnership in the practice of law 

 at North Attleboro, Mass. The Bek Jour- 

 nal wishes the new firm prosperity. 



The American Aplcultnrlst for March 

 is on our desk. By it we notice that Mr. 

 Silas M. Locke has sold his entire interest in 

 the business to his late partner, Mr. Philip 

 H. Morant, who will hereafter conduct the 

 business. We wish the " Api " success under 

 the new management. 



NewT Prlce-I^lsts have been received 

 from the following persons : 



James W. Tefft, CoUamer, N. Y. — 4 pages- 

 Queen City Hive. 



O. H. Townsend, Alamo, Mich.— 2 pages- 

 Queens, Bees, and Comb Foundation. 



Henry G. Pyle, Du Quoin, 111.— 2 pages- 

 Poultry and Eggs. 



Thos. Jackson, Portland, Maine. — 10 pages 

 —Forest City Nurseries. 



Isaac F. Tilllnghast, La Plume, Pa.— 60 

 pages— Field, Flower, and Vegetable Seeds. 



B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.— 16 

 pages— Bee-Keepers' Supplies. 



Aaron Low, Essex, Mass.— 100 pages- 

 Vegetable, Flower, and Garden Seeds. 



Any one desiring a copy of either of them, 

 can obtain it by sending a postal card to the 

 address as given above. 



To give away a copy of " Honey as Food 

 and Medicine " to every one who buys a 

 package of honey, will sell almost any quan- 

 tity of it. 



