354 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 9, 



largely avoided, no matter what the character of the flow is, 

 and even if ooly small starters are used. But as this article 

 is already so lone I will have to wait to explain my experi- 

 ments in regard to this matter until some other time. 



Southern Minnesota. 



The Influence of Change of Locality, Climate, 

 Etc., Upon the Qualities of the Honey-Bee. 



BY WM. S. BARCLAY. 



It is with no small degree of trepidation that I approach 

 the discussion of the above topic. Not because I think it lacks 

 in importance or interest to attract the attention of the gen- 

 eral bee-keeper, but because of my limited Held of observation, 

 and ray probable inability to bring to bear the important 

 points which the subject demands. 



I have bred the bee with much care since 1855 ; in that 

 time I have become pretty familiar with the characteristics 

 of the German, Italian, Syrian, Holy Land, Hungarian and 

 Carniolan — all, I believe, except the Cyprian. It is needless, 

 I presume, to say that the Italian has led in all my experi- 

 ments, if I may except a cross I effected of the Italian with 

 the Syrian, which, after severe test of years, I still greatly 

 prefer. But I am not now going into a discussion of the value 

 of diflferent races, which does not properly belong here, but 

 which I will reserve for another article. 



For a long time it has been my custom to introduce fresh 

 blood into my apiary every third year, many times producing 

 great benefits, but at other times, I am sorry to say, greatly 

 to my injury. When this last result occurred, at one time 

 nearly ruining my apiary, I was disposed to reflect severely 

 on queen-breeders. (I have bought queens all over the United 

 States, and at the same time bred from imported queens.) In 

 selecting queen-breeders from whom to purchase, I chose 

 those with whose reputation I was acquainted. After waiting 

 until the progeny of the queens showed themselves, to find 

 out after the lapse of a month I had been deceived, you may 

 well believe I was greatly disappointed. 



Of course, when the character of the bees proved ma- 

 terially different, and perhaps entirely opposite to that prom- 

 ist, I was disposed to reflect severely upon the queen-breeder, 

 and this continued for years until I had nearly lost faith in 

 queen-breeders — in fact, until I saw the result of some of my 

 own queens sent away. It had never occurred to my mind 

 that the cause of failure lie in another direction. It had never 

 occurred to me that climatic influences, difference of locality, 

 pasturage, water, and other conditions become the principal 

 factor in the cause of change. We are quick to observe the 

 effect of this condition in the breeding of other stock, and if 

 with them, why not with the bee? 



For instance, every bee-keeper knows to what great ex- 

 tent water enters into the composition of the food of the bee. 

 Let this be materally different, may it not alone effect the 

 change? What bee-keeper does not know that a very slight 

 matter will affect the temper and disposition of the colony for 

 a whole season? 



I have as an illustration only mentioned one point, that of 

 water. It would be natural to suppose that the changes of 

 climate, and of location, with probably an entire change of 

 honey resources, would effect still greater change in the dis- 

 position and characteristics of the bee. 



I am loth to believe that those parties with whom I have 

 dealt are at fault, and have written this not to beget con- 

 troversy on the subject, but to suggest a reason for the appar- 

 ently strange variation in the conduct of the bees, and as an 

 apology for queen-breeders who may be unjustly blamed for 

 acting unfairly. Beaver Co., Pa. 



Slotted or Cleated Separators and Drawn 

 Comb. 



BY' S. A. DEACON. 



The late Mr. Allen Pringle, in his essay, read at the To- 

 ronto convention, said it was a mistake to use wide sections, 

 and we know that that equally good authority — the late Mr. 

 B. Taylor — used, and advised others to use, narrow sections — 

 I think 7 to the foot — together with his slotted and cleated 

 separators; advice which for the last two years I have very 

 satisfactorily followed. But as hitherto minute details have 

 not appeared in the Bee Journal as to the easiest or most con- 

 venient method of making these cleated separators, I will 

 venture to give a very simple plan recently adopted by myself. 



First obtain a plank fully 4if inches wide, and fully 18 

 inches long. On this place four folded sections, and with a 



pencil make a scribe where theycome together. These pencil 

 lines will be a guide for tacking down pieces of sections. 



In the grooves thus made place the cleats (5/16 inch 

 bits of section— the two end cleats being half inch wide). Now 

 take a sawn wooden separator, and lay it over the plank, 

 when the little cleats, lying loosely in the grooves, will be just 

 in the right place, ready to be fixt with the wee wire tacks 

 which are driven in the corresponding cleat lying accurately 

 above it, i. c, on the upper side of the separator. 



Next place a bit of plank 4 inches wide on the bench, 

 place the separator on it — between the cleats — and with a V- 

 inch chisel chip out the groove. You have then a rigid, strong 

 " B. Taylor grooved and cleated separator" — for use with 7 

 to the foot section. 



HOME-MADE DRAWN FOUNDATION. 



What a fuss you people over the water made about the 

 new drawn comb ! Why, it is nothing new at all. I have been 

 making it for years past ; and shall continue to do so in spite 

 of Messrs. Weed and Root's patent-rights. I have long had 

 an extensive factory, employing a vast number of bauds, for 

 the making of this same drawn comb; and, seeing that my 

 employes work for nothing and board themselves, I can even 

 undersell The A. I. Root Co. At this moment of writing I have 

 four distinct factories going. Each factory has 10 brood- 

 frames, mostly full of brood, and a super containing 10 shal- 

 low extracting frames, each frame containing a sheet of 

 " extra-thin " super foundation. The little workers, by-the- 

 by, do not altogether board themselves, for I give them a little 

 syrup every evening, costing say 3 cents, and in return they 

 draw out, in less than -48 hours, these 10 sheets of " extra- 

 thin," so that the cells are nearly I4 inch deep. They are 

 then taken off, cut out of the frame, cut into squares with a 

 J-2 moon suet chopping-knife (kindly lent by the presiding 

 goddess of the culinary department), and fixt in the sections. 



Weed's process may give a slightly thinner septum, but 

 as my little experts make it, it is quite good enough, and the 

 trifle the feed costs is really not worth taking into calculation. 

 Of course, if the Root Company can supply the Weed comb at 

 a ver\) small advance in the price of ordinary foundation, and 

 the extra freight does not materially enhance its cost, it would 

 serve the convenience of many bee-keepers to buy that in 

 preference to running their own little dovetailed factories, 

 but the old way satisfies me. 



To have the foundation drawn out expeditiously it is of 

 course necessary to give a little feed regularly every evening. 



South Africa. 



Some Experiences of the Season of 1897. 



BY GEORGE BEX, .JR. 



During a summer's work among the bees one experiences 

 much that is queer and droll ; and if at the end of the season 

 our thoughts lead us back to the blunders and mistakes of the 

 past, we would all be ready to say: If I would have to do 

 this or that over again I would do better, altho should we live 

 it over again we likely would do as before. The past can be 

 criticised, the present is in our hands, and the future is a 

 blank. 



In May, 1897, I had an experience in swarming which 

 lookt disastrous at first, but later proved profitable. It was 

 as follows : 



One day a swarm issued from a hive (No. 1), but before it 

 settled it returned to the parent hive again. Next day No. 1 

 came out again— they seemed undetermined what to do. The 

 air and the grass in front of the hive was full of bees. I 

 donned the veil and lookt for the queen. After looking a con- 

 siderable time I saw her crawling in front of the hive. Father 

 at once went for a cage, and I watcht the queen, when all of 

 a sudden she took wing and flew about 10 feet, and fell down 

 into the high grass (in front of my bees is a meadow), and 

 search as we would we found no traces of her. 



After a time the swarm returned. They tried it again — 

 twice- -but every time returned. Being convinced that swarm- 

 ing was a failure, they went to work with a will, and pro- 

 duced for me 104 one-pound sections of honey. Therefore, 

 you see what first was a failure proved later to be well, and 

 taught at the same time the lesson that a colony strong in 

 bees at the proper time is the thing, and, to secure a large 

 yield, swarming should be prevented as much as possible. 



One thing which gave me great pleasure was, early in the 

 season, when I fed rye chop before any flowers bloomed. 

 How they hurried and hustled, and workt ! The dust settled 

 on some, and they lookt like a lot of millers in miniature. 



