684 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



by triturating them with water and 

 distilling it. The liquid acid was used 

 to irritate the skin. The reddening 

 of the skin, by using baths of pine 

 leaves, is also due to the action of 

 formic apid. The anti-fermentative 

 action of formic acid has also been 

 long recognized. 



As regards the irritative action of 

 stinging nettles and other similar veg- 

 etables, it depends, as already stated, 

 on its formic acid. The point of the 

 nettle is brittle as glass, and by the 

 liglitest touch penetrates the skin and 

 breaks off, pouring out its acid and 

 causing tlie burning sensation. 



Frequent mention has been made of 

 formic acid. In conclusion it may be 

 stated that it gets its name from the 

 ant {formica), because it was first 

 found in them. It it had been first 

 found in the bee or nettle it would 

 have received another name. If an 

 ant runs over a piece of blue litmus 

 paper he will leave a red streak. Put 

 a stick in an ant hill and they will 

 squirt strong aoid on it. 



Munich, Germany. 



^^iZCT/OXSg 



Building up Colonies.— I commenced 

 July 8th, with 6 nuclei, wliich are 

 built into strong colonies, except two, 

 which I have just united. Pasturage 

 here is line and I will go into the bee 

 business on a larger scale, if I find 

 myself adapted to it. I will winter in 

 A. I. Hoot's chaff hives, on summer 

 stands and amuse myself this winter 

 in making hives and frames. Please 

 let me know the best and quickest 

 way to stock up, supposing I have 

 hives and frames with only foundation 

 and no combs, can I build up colonies 

 in these, simply by giving one-half 

 pound of bees, purchased elsewhere, 

 and giving them queens of my own 

 rearing, without any brood, or in other 

 words, js it necessary in order to es- 

 tablish a colony, no matter what 

 quantity of bees, that brood should 

 be given them to induce them to stay? 

 How many bees would it require to 

 establish a colony, that would give a 

 surplus, if the colony were put in 

 the hives as above on May 1st V 



H. Z. Shuiver. 



Cranberry, W. Va., Oct. 8, 1882. 



[It is too late now to attempt to 

 build up colonies by buying one-half 

 pound of bees, as is suggested above, 

 and giving them a queen. In the 

 spring it might do. It would be safer 

 to give them a frame of brood to in- 

 duce them to stay.— En.] 



Packing Bees in Chaff.— On page 645 

 of the Bek Journal for Oct. 11, the 

 writer of the Prize Essay on Winter- 

 ing Bees says : " Then remove the 

 cover, and place on top of the quilt a 

 cushion, and about 4 inches of saw- 

 dust packing.'' Are we to understand 



that the sawdust should be in the 

 cushion, the cover also to remain off, 

 and the narrow strips to be placed on 

 the cushion V W. W. Mooke. 



Gillett's Grove, Iowa, Oct. 10, 1882. 



[Mr. Clouse is invited to reply to 

 these queries. — Ed.] 



Wants a Society.— To the bee-keep- 

 ers of Missouri, Arkansas and Kan- 

 sas—it seems strange that the bee- 

 keepers in the above-named States, 

 remain so inactive concerning a So- 

 ciety or Convention. I shoiikVlike to 

 become a member of such a society 

 consisting of enterprising men and 

 women vv'ho are willing to make some 

 effort, for the advancement of bee- 

 culture, and the establishment of a 

 good home market. I will be pleased 

 to hear from any one interested in the 

 organization of such an essential 

 thing and who is willing to work for 

 it. My bees have done finely this sea- 

 son. About how many bees must there 

 be in a colony that it may be suffici- 

 ently strong for winter, and how many 

 frames 11x12, partly filled, would it 

 require to carry them through ? I 

 winter on summer stands, use division 

 boards and quilts on topoif the frames. 

 My wife and I are giving our time and 

 talent to our bees, and they have re- 

 warded us well. We now have 84 

 colonies in good condition for winter. 

 We read with much interest the re- 

 ports of those Conventions. 



J. T. Bruton. 



Joplin, Mo., Oct. 12, 1882. 



[There should be bees enough to 

 cover 6 frames, and they should have 

 25 pounds of honey.— Ed.] 



Caution about Shipping Honey.— 



Seeing an advertisement in the Bee 

 Journal of a party on 22d street, 

 Chicago, who would purchase honey 

 in large or small quantities ; and for 

 comb would pay the highest mar- 

 ket price, I concluded to call and 

 try to dispose of mine. Accord- 

 ingly I went to the place designated, 

 and after some difficulty, found a 

 young man who claimed to be one of 

 the firm, who took me to their place 

 of business, which proved to be a base- 

 ment room, very poorly lighted and 

 showing no sighs of business. lie 

 did not want to purchaso ; had all the 

 stock they required at present, etc. 

 Now I write this to caution bee-keep- 

 ers from sending their goods to any 

 person, wilhout knowing the standing 

 of the party to whom they ship. 



L. H. SCUDDER. 



New Boston, 111., Oct. 20, 1882. 



[As the party in question only pro- 

 posed to buy honey for cash, we did 

 not deem it necessary to enquire into 

 their standing. Of course, no one 

 should trust any person, with whom 

 they are unacquainted, without first 

 ascertaining their business standing, 

 and being fully assured of their ability 

 to make all contracts good. We have 

 repeatedly cautioned our readers on 

 the necessity of this.— Ed.] 



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J^pccial ijoticcs. 



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