1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



915 



brood, and in doings so would commence 

 work in the other sections about this brood."' 



" I had not thought that I could do that 

 way; but it seems plain to me that such a 

 proceeding would cause the bees to go to 

 work in the sections at once. But what of 

 the sections containing this brood when 

 they are tilled with honey after the brood 

 has emerged from the cells? " 



■'I generally keep track of this matter, 

 and take the section having the brood away 

 just before the drones come out. for the 

 honey in such a section would hardly be in 

 salable form, and should not be put on the 

 market." 



" I am very much obliged for this little 

 talk, and will go now." 



" Before you go I wish to saj- that all I 

 have said has been on the supposition that 

 any colony on which the sections are placed 

 was strong enough in bees to work in sec- 

 tions, and still refused to enter them. Where 

 any hive is not tilled with bees it is useless 

 to attempt to make them work in sections. 

 Many a beginner is deceived here, and 

 pays no attention to the strength of his col- 

 onies when putting on the sections, treating 

 them all alike. Italian bees do not breed 

 quite as rapidly early in the season as do 

 black bees; but if attended to as the.v should 

 be they will have more brood in just the 

 right time to give a large number of labor- 

 ers ready to go into the lields just when 

 the honey harvest is on than will any other 

 variety with which I am acquainted." 



1 r is quite a remarkable fact that, up to 

 the 20th of October, we had had no bad 

 frosts. Out in front of our factory our 

 posy-bed is almost intact. The nasturti- 

 ums and other ornamental foliage look very 

 luxuriant and healthy. Moderate weather 

 in the fall will probably mean a severe 

 winter later on. Well, let it come. 



THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES PREP.\RED 

 KOK FIKK. 



We have just put in a VO.OOO gallon fire- 

 cistern, which, with our hO,0<.>0 gallon cis- 

 tern, lx)th connected with our big tire- 

 pump, we hope will give adequate water 

 supply for tire. Automatic sprinklers that 

 will send a flood of water over every por- 

 tion of nearly all our buildings, whether a 

 watchman is present or not, stand as an 

 additional safeguard. In addition to all 

 this a watchman patrols the plant nights 

 and Sundays, and a regular organized tire 

 coinpanj', made up of the workmen, is pre- 



pared for instant service. Every now and 

 then large streams of water will be sent 

 clear over the buildings during the fire- 

 drills. One or two late tires have shown 

 the need of system and organization. Last 

 spring a lire in our boiler-house threatened 

 the whole plant. Indeed, at one time it 

 looked as if it would have to go; but such a 

 deluge of water was thrown that we didn't 

 even put in a claim on the insurance com- 

 panies. 



THE ASSOCIATION AND GENERAL MANAGER 

 FRANCF. 



General Manager France is a busy 

 man now. He is getting out an elaborate 

 report relative to the work of the Association 

 during the past j'ear. The large increase 

 of membership (500) since he took hold of it 

 is substantial encouragement and a splen- 

 did indorsement. Mr. France has several 

 cases of adulteration on hand, and it cer- 

 tainly will not be his fault if he does not 

 strike consternation in some quarters. The 

 Association is doing splendidly, but it can 

 do a great deal better if it has the moral 

 support and the dollars of more men who 

 are interested in its welfare. Bee-suits of 

 various kinds are becoming more frequent 

 again; ajid if those of you who read this 

 are not members be/ore an action is begun 

 against you, you can expect no aid by join- 

 ing the Association after you get into trou- 

 ble. The Association is a sort of life in- 

 surance, and the small fee or premium of 

 SI. 00 entitles you to protection for a whole 

 year, to sa\- nothing of the other benefits 

 you will get. 



FORMALIN treatment NOT THOROUGH 

 ENOUGH. 



Referring to the question of formalin as 

 a remedy for foul brood, Mr. R. F. Holter- 

 mann, of Canada, has this to say: 



I notice your item in Gleanings regarding forma- 

 lin and foul brood. Some do not use it in air-tight 

 compartments ithey think they do). Would this not 

 explain failure? The fact that'sotne repoit the brood 

 alive adds much to my suspicion. 



Btautford. Ont.. Oct. 3. R. F. Holtermann. 



I still feel that the foundation plan of 

 treatment, melting up or burning diseased 

 combs, is the safer one for the average bee- 

 keeper to pursue, for not ever}' one can 

 work with the precision and care of a 

 trained scientist. But if we had foul brood 

 in our yard, I certainly would treat all 

 emptj' combs, supposedly from healthy col- 

 onies, with formalin, on the ground that it 

 would do no harm, and might do a great 

 deal of good; for physicians tell me that 

 formalin gas is one of the most powerful 

 disinfectants known to science; but they 

 also add that the gas must reach every por- 

 tion of a room or substance contaminated. 

 We must bear in mind that a coating of 

 wax, like capping of sealed honey, is im- 

 pervious to gas, acids, and the laverag- 

 chemicals; and that it is not to be wonder- 

 ed at that formalin should fail to cure foul 

 brood or to kill healthy brood, in some 

 cases at least. Of course. I am aware that 



