WecMn ^u Jottntal 



DKYOTKl) TO THK INTERESTS OF THE PRODUCERS OF HONEY. 



VOL. XX. 



CHICAGO, ILL., JUNE 18, 1884. 



No. 25. 



Published every Wednesday, by 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



EDITOr viND PUOPRIETOR. 



Handling and Quieting Bees. 



A Lanarkshire beekeeper, in tlie 

 London Journal of Horticulture, gives 

 the following on handling and quiet- 

 ing bees, the remedies, when they are 

 irritated, and the best treatment of 

 stings : 



When bees are accustomed to peo- 

 ple anddomesticated animals near the 

 apiary, they seldom offer an attack 

 unless through some provocation, 

 which they are sure to resent. Incau- 

 tious manipulation, turning the soil, 

 and pidling weeds or vegetables ; cer- 

 tain odors, such as musk and other 

 scents ; vinegar and smoke, and al- 

 lowing' bees to have access to honey- 

 comb or robbing other hives, are a 

 few of the many things that irritate 

 them, all of which should be guarded 

 against. One bee irritated and using 

 its sting may set the whole apiary in 

 a frantic and vicious state, which may 

 last for weeks ere they be calmed 

 down. It is possible that bees pos- 

 sess a sense that we are ignorant of. 

 One thing is certain, when people of a 

 nervous temperament manipulate bees 

 there is something that excites them. 

 We can avoid irritating bees in many 

 ways, such as by leaving the apiary 

 for a time when they are inclined to 

 sting, or disturbing thenY as men- 

 tioned above ; but there are times 

 when all danger has to be faced, and 

 caution with firmness is necessary, 

 and veils, if stings are dreaded. When 

 manipulating, I seldom use either a 

 veil or smoke, carbolic acid being so 

 much superior to the latter that it en- 

 ables me to manipulate with safety, 

 leaving the bees in a passive state 

 after it. The hive also is the better 

 able to resist foul brood, while moths 

 do not harbor where it has been used, 

 neither is the honey tainted nor the 

 larvie affected by its use, as is the 

 case when smoke is used. Carbolic 

 acid is useful to prevent robbers at- 

 tacking another colony. The robbing 

 hive is well smeared at the entrance; 

 this diverts the bees from making 

 further inroads on its weaker neigh- 

 bors. When commencing to manip- 



ulate, if the bees are vicious or sus- 

 pected to be so, I smear the alighting- 

 board with some acid, then uncover 

 the hive. I then smear the tops of 

 the frames with the acid, and having 

 a wing or feathei- also saturated so 

 that Imay dislodge the bees from any 

 part by it's use, placing it near the 

 bees, causnig them to retreat to or 

 from any part I may choose. When 

 this is done, the bees remain quiet, 

 and do not crowd over the frames nor 

 attempt to sting as they do when 

 smoke is used. 



There are many applications and 

 nostrums recommended for stings, 

 none of them being effectual as a 

 cure, for the very simple reason that 

 the poison has impregnated the sys- 

 tem before the alkali can be applied 

 and reach the acid to neutralize it. 

 The best remedy I ever found was to 

 apply heat by steam or water to the 

 patient to cause a free perspiration, 

 and to give a little sal volatile; but 

 this latter ought to be prescribed by 

 the medical man. Not a moment 

 should be lost to bring on a free per- 

 spiration, and every means resorted 

 to that will accomplish that end. 



ig^ By the Lake view, Mich., Enter- 

 prise, we notice that Mr. S. J. Young- 

 man expects to receive 12.5 colonies of 

 bees by rail from Louisiana to keep 

 on shares until next September. The 

 increase is to be limited to one swarm 

 from each colony ; Mr. Y. has all the 

 increase and one -half of the honey for 

 his share. The bees will be .5 days or 

 more on the road. 



1^ We have received the Cata- 

 logue of High-Class Poultry and 

 Fancy Dogs of Geo. H. Pugsley, 

 Brantford, Ontario, Canada. It con- 

 tains 68 nicely illustrated pages. 



Iierein given will enable any one to 

 liave it in perfection in his garden. 



How to Grow fine Celery.— A new 



method, by Mrs. II. M. Crider, York, 

 Pa. A 2.5-cent pamphlet, showing how 

 to grow fine celery, according to a 

 theory deduced from a study of the 

 natural habits of the plant, and well 

 attested by several years of experi- 

 ence. The importance of celery as an 

 article of diet, and especially its value 

 as a specific for nervous diseases, 

 makes its successful culture of the 

 first importance ; and the method 



Statistical Report. 



Pres. McCagg, of the Eastern Iowa 

 and Western Illinois Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, gives the following as all 

 the reports received up to May 2-5, 

 1881. Some lo or 20 members had not 

 reported at that time : 



J. B.Lindle 



J. C. yocuni 



Wm. RiffKS 



J. 1. Swim 



1 Hall 



J. E. Sutherland 



D. Moore 



T. W. LivinKston 



€. H. Dibbern&Son . 



J. V.Caldwell 



J. L. Newberry 



K.U.Wright 



B.Mead 



R. Murphy 



Wui. Hurston 



W. C. Freeman 



H.W.Gilbert 



Wm. Goose 



0. H. Carpenter 



Paul Stahmaer 



Philip Barth 



J. B. Uopp 



Phillip Earhart 



Joshua Wadsworth .. 



Win. Gromell 



G. W. Ashton 



John Madden 



G. 1.,. Gast 



Mi.^s Kate E. Case 



J. D. Adams 



T.J.Davis 



H. O. Stacy 



James Johnston 



Ira Brashears 



C. G. Plummer 



J. C.Hinberg 



A. Webb 



C. Fringall 



1. V. McCaKg 



J. J.Nagle 



C. Greiner 



H. G. Sears 



B. F. Little 



Adaml.ittIR 



Phillip Osborn 



L.H.Scudder 



Totals 266« 1222 1313! br,'.! 290 18T5 



207 



179 

 1 

 2 

 16 

 3 

 8 

 3 

 90 

 l*t 

 70 

 14 

 150 

 8 

 100 

 20 

 6 

 3 

 24 



1 



S 

 28 

 ICO 



4 

 220 

 76 



3 

 100 

 130 



The increase in the number of colo- 

 nies is not over 5 per cent, in the past 

 2 years, and the increase in the con- 

 sumption of honey has been at least 20 

 per cent, in the past 2 years ; so you 

 can see that honey must bring a good 

 price. Weak colonies cannot be relied 

 upon as honey-gatherers. This year's 

 crop of honey, if large, should bring 

 not less than 1.5 to 20 cents. Do not 

 be deceived by large ideas and big 

 yields at your neighbor's ; we will not 

 be able to supply the demand 



