THE AMERICAJM BEE JOURNAL. 



383 



smaller than the first, but enough to 

 build up well before the tall. 



Soon after warm weather set in, 

 we had, and continue to have, con- 

 siderable rain, so much so that a 

 great deal of tlie cultivated land is 

 like a marsh, and we have rain the 

 greater part of the time, both day and 

 night. There is an abundance of 

 clover bloom, but the bees can get out 

 but little, and, I suppose, that if they 

 could, there would be but little nectar 

 to gather, but we must hope tor 

 better things before long. 



We have had a few warm dry days, 

 and the subjects of tiiis correspond- 

 ence are as busy as bees. July 12, 

 was warm and cloudy, still not by any 

 means entirely overcast. Toward 

 evening it darkened down, began to 

 thunder, with heavy rain again, and 

 is a critical time yet, I fear, for lioney 

 gathering. 



On Saturday 14th, I had another 

 small swarm. I think of acting as 

 near a.s I can up to the instructions of 

 Prof. Cook with respect to rearing a 

 queen or two, to have readv if needed. 



Barrie, Ont., July 14, 1S8:J. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



A Word to Iowa Bee-Keepers. 



O. CLUTE. 



By invitation of the Executive 

 Committee,! attended the annual win- 

 ter meeting of the Iowa Agricultural 

 Society, last January, in Des Moines, 

 and gave a lecture on " Modern bee- 

 keeping." The audience was large, 

 and seemed much interested in the 

 subject. 



1 was requested also to attend a 

 business meeting of the Executive 

 Committee, and to make a statement 

 as to the importance and prospects of 

 the bee-keeping industry, and of the 

 help the Agricultural Society could 

 give in fostering and developing it. 

 1 found the committee to be composed 

 of courteous gentlemen, who were 

 quite willing to do anything reason- 

 able. They asked me to make out a 

 list of premiums to be offered at the 

 State Fair, this fall. It seemed un- 

 wise for our infant industry to make 

 too large a demand at lirst, so I made 

 out a modest and yet honorable list, 

 and submitted it. They adopted it 

 at once. 1 can see now that it is by 

 no means perfect, yet it will do for a 

 beginning. If the parties interested 

 in bee-keeping will come out in force, 

 and make a good exhibit, we can have 

 a better list of premiums another 

 year. The premiums offered for this 

 year are as follows : 



CLASS NO. 128. 

 Bees, Bee Products andBee-Keeping Imple- 

 ments. 



I8t. 2d. 



_ Prem. Prem. 



Best bees in observatory 



hives $3 00 $2 00 



Best and largest display of 



different races of bees. . . 5 00 2 00 

 Best comb honey, white 



clover 5 00 2 00 



Best comb lioney, linden. . 5 00 2 00 

 Best comb honey, fall 



flowers -) 00 2 00 



Best and largest display of 



comb honey 10 00 5 00 



Best extracted honey, white 



clover .5 00 2 00 



Best extracted honey. linden 5 00 2 00 

 Best extracted honey, fall 



flowers ; 5 00 2 00 



Best and largest display of 



ex tractedt honey 10 00 5 00 



Best hive for suiuuier 2 00 1 00 



Best hive for out-door win- 

 tering 2 00 1 00 



Best honey extractor 1 00 



Best bee smoker 50 



Best and largest display of 



bee keeping implements 5 00 2 00 

 Best comb foundation for 



brood combs 2 00 100 



Best comb foundation for 



surplus comb honey 2 00 1 00 



Best display of honey plants 3 00 2 00 



Note.— The award of the judge or 

 committee on bee products will be on 

 a scale of 20 points of perfection, as 

 follows: Color 5; quality (taste) 5; 

 neatness of packages 5 ; and general 

 advantage to purchasers, including 

 facility for handling, .5. 



I have examined somewhat care- 

 fully the premium lists of many of 

 the State Agricultural Societies, and 

 there is, I think, but one that offers a 

 better list of premiums to bee-keepers. 

 In most cases the premiums are so 

 insignificant as to repel any bee- 

 keeper who respects his calling. The 

 bee-keepers of Iowa should respond 

 to this generous treatment from our 

 Society by coining out to the State 

 Fair in large numbers, and exhibit- 

 ing their products. Let us show to 

 the State the beauty, the excellence, 

 and the importance of our jiroducts. 



While this word is addressed es- 

 pecially to the bee-keepers of Iowa, it 

 must not be forgotten that our noble 

 State throws its gates open to all. 

 Competition in all departments is 

 open to the world. All bee-keepers 

 living outside of Iowa will be cor- 

 dially welcome to the Fair, and their 

 exhibits will be on a par with those 

 from Iowa. It is hoped that many 

 bee-keepers from adjacent States will 

 come and help us. 



Iowa is most excellently adapted to 

 the protluction of honey" Undoubt- 

 edly this industry will rapidly develop 

 in importance. If all the newspapcs 

 in Iowa will print this article, they 

 will assist in furthering a new busi- 

 ness which will soon assume large 

 proportions, and will benefit every 

 section of the State. 



Iowa City, Iowa, July 25, 1883. 



I^" We have organized a bee keep- 

 ers' associotion at Waco, Texas, 

 known as the " State Central Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. Please give 

 notice in the Bee JouiiNAL. 



J. W. GuYTON, iiec. 



Waco, Texas, July 21, 1883. 



Wihixi and Botu, 



t^ The summer meeting of the 

 Cortland. N. V., Union Bee Keeper's 

 Association, will be held at Cortland, 

 N. Y., on Tuesilay, Aug. 14, 18S3. 



M. C. Hean, Sec 



ANSWERS BV 



James Beddon, Dowagiac, Mich, 



Tiering up fhe Sections. 



Will Mr. James Heddon please an- 

 swer through the Beb Journal the 

 following questions : 



1. What is the cause of bees mak- 

 ing drone brood in the sections or 

 boxes above the brood-chamber, on 

 the old colonies, before swarming V 



2. Is there any arrangement for 

 putting on tiers of sections, more 

 than one high, so that you can see 

 when the sections are full, without 

 raising up frames V 



3. IIow many tiers high do you 

 think right for a very strong colony ? 



James Siioktt. 

 Oak Centre, Wis., July 19, 1883. 



Answeks.— 1. Bees are more de- 

 sirous of producing drones just before 

 swarming, as they at that time antici- 

 pate their immediate use. Drone or 

 store comb has large sized cells, and 

 they are quite apt to build this kind 

 of comb in surplus sections where full 

 pieces of foundation are not used ; 

 more especially if there is little drone 

 comb in the brood chamber, which 

 would surely be the case if full sheets 

 of foundation were used there, 



2. We use a case of ourown peculiar 

 style, which takes one tier of sections. 

 We use this three and sometimes four 

 tiers, or cases, high. To examine the 

 case we remove the cover, and then 

 one case after another, looking into 

 their tops and bottoms. We find this 

 much simpler and easier than any 

 methods, using glass. 



3. Answered above. 



Italian Bees Turned Black. 



What is the cause of my bees 

 changing from Italian to black 'i Last 

 April, I bought a colony of Italian 

 bees. About the first of June I be- 

 gan to see a few black bees in the 

 colony. To-day. July 16, you cannot 

 see an Italian bee, or one "that looks 

 like one. The colony has not swarmed 

 yet. I keep a small apiary of bees, 

 mostly black ; they are doing splen- 

 didly. I am more than pleased with 

 the Bee Journal. A. P. Chapin. 



Feiiton, Mich., July 16, 1883. 



Answer. — In reply to your ques- 

 tion, I would say that your queen died 

 in the spring. The colony by some 

 means or other became possessed of 

 another. It would seem as though 

 your new queen would produce hybrid 

 bees containing some yellow bands, 

 provided they had reared her from the 

 one deceased, which you bought. It 

 may be barely possible that a black 



