692 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



An East Indian climbing a Tree in search of Apis Dorsata. 



Some time ago we publislied an engraving, sliowing tlie home of Mr. 

 Frank Benton, in the island of Cyprus, which he has since left to go to Suk- 

 el-Gharb, Mount Lebanon, in Palestine, Asia. Now we present an engraving 

 of a native East Indian (Cingalese) climbing a tree, in search of the " giant 

 bees," found only in the island of Java— the Apis dorsata. Our readers will 



remember the many articles published a year ago in the Bee Journal, con- 

 cerning Mr. Benton's journeys in the far East in search of these giant bees, 

 and of his sad failure to procure any of them. The engraving on this page 

 is from a drawing which he sent to Mr. Root then, and explained in the last 



Juvenile Gleanings. 



Best Size for a Colony in Winter.— 



The Country Oentlemau gives the fol- 

 lowing on this subject : 



Considerable controversy has taken 

 place with regard to the best size for a 

 colony when put into winter quarters. 

 In my estimation, six Langstroth 

 frames, well covered with bees, an- 

 swer as well as eight or ten, particu- 

 larly if in a chaff hive ; they will be 

 found as strong in the spring usually 

 as the larger ones. I would myself 

 prefer four or five frames crowded 

 with bees, with a young laying queen, 

 to twice as many with a two-year old 

 queen— the results on the tirstof April 

 next year would be much more satis- 

 factory. On the final examination, 

 before putting the bees away for win- 

 ter, I prefer to take away, if necessary, 

 some frames of their fall-gathered 

 honey and pollen, and introduce into 

 the middle of the hive two frames of 

 empty worker comb ; then feed the 

 bees liberaJily pure sugar syrup (made 

 of coffee A sugar and water), until 

 those frames are filled and sealed 

 over. 



The bees will come out cleaner, 

 brighter and more healthy in spring 

 on sugar syrup than on any fall honey 

 they may gather. The frames removed 

 should be Kept in a warm, dry room 

 until spring, and then be fed back to 

 them for brood-rearing, after the bees 

 are able to fly and void their feces. 

 Follen consumed in winter is now 

 acknowledged to be the main cause of 

 dysentery ,and by removing the frames 

 filled or partially filled with pollen, 

 and substituting pure sugar syrup, the 

 bees can live for months without any 

 necessity of leaving their hives, and 

 come out in spring clean, bright and 

 healthy. 



Making Tin Cans Tight.— Mr. J. M. 



Brooks, Columbus, Indiana, writes to 

 Qleaninqs in Bee-Culture on the above 

 subject, and gives his experience as 

 follows: 



Beinga tinner by trade, I will give 

 you the plan we used to test our fruit- 

 cans with at the shop. Get a thick 

 piece of harness leather, a little larger 

 square than the mouth of your cans. 

 Kext place a lighted lamp or candle in 

 front of you, and a cup of alcohol at 

 your left. Now with a bit of sponge 

 touch the alcohol, then the candle; 

 drop it burninglinto tlie can, and place 

 the leather (previously softened with 



water) over the mouth of the can, and 

 hold it down to exclude air. The burn- 

 ing alcohol destroys the air in the can, 

 forming a strong vacuum. After two 

 orthreeseconds(notlonger), if in pull- 

 ing off' the leather it comes off with a 

 crack, or report, the can is tight ; 

 while those from which the leather 

 comes off easily, without resistance 

 or report, are faulty. Such can be 

 quickly tested, and the leaks found, by 

 applying your mouth to the seams, and 

 trying to suck air through them. I 

 think, after giving this plan a trial, 

 and " kind o' get the hang on't, "that 

 you will like it, as being the quickest, 

 neatest and cleanest. 



The Northwestern Convention.— Mrs. 



L. Harrison, in the Praitie Fai-mer, 

 remarks thus on the late bee-meeting 

 in Chicago : 



The third annual reunion of the 

 Northwestern Bee-Keepers' Society, 

 held in Chicago, Oct. 18 and 19th, has 

 just closed. This society convenes 

 yearly, during the last week of the 

 Inter-State Exposition, so that cheap 

 fares are obtainable on the roads lead- 

 ing hither. At its initial meeting 

 three years ago. it was a tiny plant, but 

 under the fostering care of Thomas G. 

 Newman, Esq., it now spreads its 

 wings over seven states of the great 

 Northwest. Over one hundred able 

 representatives from these states were 

 in attendance at the recent meeting. 

 It is to be regretted that there are not 

 more farmers and bee-keepers in 

 a small way, to partake of the rich 

 repast that is spread at these reunions. 

 The whole ground of bee- 

 culture was plowed, sub-soiled, har- 

 rowed and afterwards brushed in with 

 clippings of the hedge, by intelligent 

 and practical apiarists during the ses- 

 sions of the society. The delibera- 

 tions of this society show that bee- 

 keeping is no mean pursuit, and by 

 its culture the Northwest may rival, if 

 not surpass, the sunny South in the 

 production of sweets. 



