DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO PROGRESSIVE BEE CULTURE. 



Vol XVIII. 



Chicago, 111., June 14, 1882. 



No. 24. 



I'ubli.shod every Wednesday by 



THOMAS C. NEWMAN, 



EiJiTou AMI Proprietor. 



925 WEST MADISON ST., CHICAGO, ILL. 



A.t m^.OO a Year, iu Advance. 



WEEKLY— (52 numbers) V3 a year, in advance. 

 Tbree or Six Months at the same rate. 



|3F" Any person nending a club of six is entitled 

 to an extra copy ( like liie club) sent to any address 

 desired. Sample copies furnished free. 



Free of postage In the United States or Canada. 

 Postage to Burope SO cents extra. 



Entered at Chicago post office as second class matter. 



TOPICS PRESENTED THIS WEEK. 



Editori.al— 



Editorial Items aG9, 371 



Prospects Briehtening -.... 30y 



A "Scientific Pleasantry" 370 



Oleomargarine Before Congress 371 



Curiosities of Bees 371 



Amoii^ Our Exchanges — 



Building straight Combs 372 



Dzierzon Theory 372 



Canadians Beware of Glucose 372 



Honey Crop in the South 372 



Correspondence — 



Reply to Dr. Ij. James 372 



Tbe ileatli Bee and theCaucasian Bee 373 



The Dry Fet-es of Bees 374 



A Few i lints to Ilewinners 374 



The Conjinu' Market 374 



Wintering Bees in Clamps 375 



Work of the Oyprflow 375 



Dollar Queens— The Place they Occupy. .. 37G 



LiMht vs. Dark Italians 3711 



Chimps for Wintering :i7(i 



Theory is Not Infallible 377 



Selections from Our Letter Box — 



Sweet Clover in Woods Pasture 377 



Bees are Booming 377 



How to Produce the Comintr Bee 377 



From Louisiana 377 



Lossot Queen .377 



Have Dwindh'd 37S 



N' uTo.-s ;!-^ Bee-Keepers 37.S 



Work I ml: Dmnes 378 



Too Cold and Wet 37S 



Put line on Sections 378 



Boiling Honey 379 



An Open Letter to Prof. Cook 379 



Ijate Spring 379 



Beetles 370 



Hiving, etc 379 



Bees Doing Well in California 379 



Prospect was Never Better 379 



Phenomenal 3S0 



Good Incr^-ase 3S0 



Upward Ventilation 3H0 



Kingbirds 380 



Doing Fine in Texas 380 



Disappointments 380 



Myrrh on Bee Stings 380 



Bad for Queen Rearing 380 



Backward. Cold and Wet 380 



Doing a " J>and Olfice Business" 380 



Interesting 380 



Prospects Brightening. 



Cheerless and unpropitlous as has 

 been the weather, and despite the 

 numerous complaints regarding the 

 backwardness of spring many are be- 

 ginning to realize that all has been 

 for the best. Last Thursday (Sth 

 inst.) we observed an Italian bee 

 working satisfactorily on the few 

 white clover blossoms which have yet 

 made their appearance in this locality ; 

 and it was the more gratifying, from 

 the fact tliat the blossoms were quite 

 fresh, and the nectar secretion had 

 come to the surface almost simultane- 

 ously with the unfolding of the petals. 

 While the rain and cold have in places 

 disappointed many who anticipated a 

 surplus from fruit bloom, tliey will 

 prove to have been a blessing in 

 massing and invigorating the white 

 clover sward, and in strengthening 

 the fibers for a greater honey secre- 

 tion. Last spring our first observa- 

 tion of a bee upon white clover blos- 

 soms was June 10th ; so, notwith- 

 standing unfavorable weather, we are 

 still two days in advance this year. 

 But it will be fully a week or more be- 

 fore white clover will be in general 

 bloom with us. We must credit Mr. 

 C. H. Dibbern, with the first shout of 

 joy, dated Milan, II!., June 7, 1882, as 

 follows : 



We are now having some " glorious 

 days " for the bees. White clover is 

 just coming into full bloom. Bees 

 are working in sections and swarming. 

 Evfrytliiiig is now favorable for a 

 good yield. 



1^ Those who may wish to change 

 from other editions to the Weekly ,can 

 do so by paying the difference. 



i^° The report of the Department of 

 Agriculture for June announces a de- 

 crease of 17 per cent, in the acreage of 

 spring wheat. Winter wheat averages 

 100 in condition, and there is now a 

 strong probability that both varieties 

 will give a very satisfactory yield, be- 

 ing exceeded only by the crop of 1880. 

 Corn planting in many of the Stiites 

 was not completed by June 1st, buta 

 large increase in acreage is reported. 

 The prospect for oats is most excel- 

 lent, and tbe acreage is increased 7 

 per cent. 



1^ H. A. Burch, we learn, is endea- 

 voring to redeem his reputation by 

 fllling some of the orders received and 

 not filled last year. We shall be glad 

 to learn that all are filled, and hope all 

 who get anything will report to us, not 

 necessarily for publication, but that 

 we may have the facts. 



igp" In the last number of Gleanings 

 the editor says : " Everybody now 

 seems prospering in. the bee business, 

 and I hope this season to see nice 

 honey offered at so low a price that it 

 may come more into general use than 

 it has ever done any season before." 

 Many times liave we expressed the 

 (^nviction, that the consumption of 

 honey was daily becoming more popu- 

 lar, and that its economic value as an 

 article of food was being more gener- 

 ally appreciated, and for this reason 

 we should greatly deplore an unusual 

 shortness of product, or an exorbitant 

 price ; but we quite as sincerely hope 

 the price will never become so depre- 

 ciated as to make its production unre- 

 munerative. Better have a fair aver- 

 age crop, and good price for it, than a 

 I)lethoric yield and a meager profit. 

 But the market cannot be surfeited. 



1^" The price list of queens and bees 

 of J. D. Enas,Napa, Cal., is received. 



