280 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 2, 



should be assigned for this great mortality among our bees. 

 With us it is not certainly chargeable to intense cold weather, 

 as about the lowest range of the thermometer was from 5 to 

 8- below zero, while in previous winters the register showed 

 as low as 16 to 2li ' below zero, but always a change within 

 three days to as high as 15 or 20-' above. I assert that the 

 cause of mortality was, first, humidity (the greatest evil), and 

 second, the long rantiHued low lcinpcr<iUirc. There would be 

 times for three weeks in succession when the temperature 

 ranged between 10- above to .5^ below, with no let-up or ces- 

 sation ; and in a record covering a period of over 40 years, I 

 find nothing approaching this long-continued low temperature. 

 During all this time, of course, our bees could not move, or 

 exchange places on their combs. But with us, the moisture 

 in hives, thus causing dysentery, was the great cause of our 

 many losses. As regards myself, I feel satisfied that had I 

 been able to properly pack my bees, I would have avoided 

 great loss, but my health was such that I could not do so, and 

 my bees were on the summer stands exposed to all the rigors 

 above referred to. 



Now about the empty combs — our stock in trade, as re- 

 gards the future. And here let me drop a word to those who 

 advertise bees for sale in the American Bee Journal. You 

 want to sell bees, and want also to sell queens — why not in 

 selling bees by the pound, also agree to send a (pteen intro- 

 duced with those bees, and thus save the bee-keeper the trouble 

 of introduction ? Pack them in wire cages at so much per 

 pound with queen and bees together. Should this be done, 

 the bee-keeper can then fill his hive with as many combs as he 

 pleases, and hive bees and queen in the same manner as a 

 swarm. As to the bees, an old bee-keeper would as soon have 

 black as Italian or other bees, so that only the queen should 

 prove pure Italian or other blood, according to price paid. 



But as many of us may not be able to get these bees even 

 at low prices, and will still have our empty combs to protect 

 from the danger of the moth, let me here suggest that both 

 the hive and the combs be thoroughly cleaned of dead bees 

 and other refuse, then be well dried out, and the combs re- 

 placed about 1}., inches apart, first taking a woolen cloth 

 (about 8 to lU inches square) thoroughly saturated with 

 ground-oil (petroleum), and spreading it neatly in the bottom 

 of the hive ; after this put the hives, well ventilated, in a dry, 

 cool place — a very dry cellar is probably the best place. 



Beaver, Pa., April 15. 



Providing Honey-Sources for the Bees. 



nV N. T. SMITH. 



In reading of so many failures to secure a profitable crop 

 of honey last year, it has occurred to me that if the people 

 who are interested in bee-culture were to work to their in- 

 terest by providing for the future, soon these failures 

 would be less frequent. Instead of merely working one day 

 after another throughout the season, and season after season, 

 as long as they keep bees, accepting each year what is gath- 

 ered for them, and hoping for more next season, I think they 

 would double their profits by doing one week's work each year 

 for some future time. 



If a man planted a field of grain, and it is drowned out, 

 he does not sit down and wait until next season and plant the 

 same field under the same conditions. No ; he goes to work 

 and looks up a way to dig an outlet, then digs smaller drains 

 into this, thus lessening the chances of failure by wet weather. 



Now if bee-keepers would sow a small patch of buck- 

 wheat, it would probably afford good pasturage while in 

 bloom, and it can be raised on almost any kind of land ; and 

 if one had not the time to spare, there is some one in the 

 neighborhood who probably would be glad to avail himself of 

 the chance to put the seed in for a share. This will no doubt 

 help for the coming season. Then, a small field of Alsike 

 clover is quite sure to yield a crop of honey next season, if 

 sown this spring, which would be two steps towards preparing 

 for the future, if we may term it such. 



Now by doing this each spring, we can take care of the 

 near future. But let us not stop at this, but try to do some- 

 thing for the distant future. As spring opens, would it not be 

 a nice thing for each person connected with bee-culture to try 

 to induce as many of his or her neighbors as possible, to set 

 out some young basswood trees ? If only a few on each farm, 

 think of the benefits to be derived by those who will be keep- 

 ing bees 15 years hence 1 These trees can be set along some 

 lane fence, or in some unused ground, out of the way at pres- 

 ent, but in after years, in the way, a source from which bees 

 could obtain one of their necessities of life, and a luxury for us. 



At this pla('o wo have a new cemetery of 20 acres. A 

 part of this has been set aside for park purposes, and to be 



set out with all kinds of native trees. As soon as I heard of 

 the arrangement, I spoke to one of the officials in regard to 

 planting some basswood among the other varieties, and called 

 his attention to the beauty of the tree for shade, and also in 

 regard to its very rapid growth. He became very deeply in- 

 terested, and when I gave my reason for wanting basswood, 

 he gave his consent, and probably there will be considerable 

 of this useful variety planted. Could it all be set with this, 

 how appropriate would the name for it then be, if christened 

 " Lin wood Cemetery." 



Now let every one who is interested in the advancement 

 of bee-culture, see to it that there are some honey-producing 

 crops planted, so that our bees may have a chance to show us 

 what they could do if they had it furnished to do with. With 

 the advancement made toward rapid and easy manipulation of 

 our hives, let there be some advancement toward the produc- 

 tion of something to pay us for manipulating them. 



Weston, Ohio. 



Something More About the Catclav. 



BY .J. A. SCHIIDDE.MAGEN. 



On page. 86, I noticed the botanical name of catclaw, as 

 given by Emerson T. Abbott. To those interested, I will add 

 the following, as I live in the catclaw region : 



There are three distinct varieties here. First in spring 

 blooms the mountain catclaw, very early, and is often par- 

 tially or totally destroyed by frost. In 1894. the winter be- 

 ing very warm, it hiid budded out and was killed by the bliz- 

 zard of Jan. 26. The buds hang on the bushes or small trees 

 like berries, having a small, long stem. When open, the 

 bloom is a round, fuzzy ball resembling the touch-me-not, and 

 the color of bloom is creamy white. 



Next comes the large catclaw. It begins to bloom from 

 the 5th to the 20th of May. The trees grow 15 to 20 inches 

 in diameter, and up to 20 feet high. Its creamy-white bloom 

 is long, often 3 inches, and the trees are often so covered that 

 they hide the leaves. It stays in bloom from three to six 

 weeks in a good season. When there is enough moisture in 

 the ground the trees do not come in together. In a good flow 

 a strong colony can store 100 to 150 pounds on it alone. It 

 generally blooms twice — the second time in July, and if the 

 weather is right it makes another flow. It is, however, very 

 sensitive to weather, and a rain in the first, or fierce heat in 

 the second bloom, blasts it, and it gives no honey. With all 

 its drawbacks, it is, in my opinion, as good a honey-plant, and 

 more certain, than basswood. The quality of the honey is 

 equal to clover, linden, mangrove, or sage. 



Then we have what we call the " gravel-bar" catclaw. It 

 is a running, creeping bush, much like a climbing rose ; grows 

 on the gravel-bars along the creeks, and is the thorniest of 

 all. If one gets tangled up in a bush, he can be glad when he 

 gets out, if he has not left part of his " pants " and flesh on it. 

 There is not enough of it to produce any surplus honey. The 

 bloom is round, like the first; color, pink. 



Then there is another variety in Mason county, in habit 

 much like the above, growing all over the hills and mountains. 

 If I am correct, the color of the bloom is yellow. 



Catclaw derives its name from its thorns — every thorn 

 being curved backward in shape, just like a cat's claw. The 

 first two varieties mentioned have small thorns, but the last 

 two have thorns just about as large as a cat's claw, and just 

 as certain to catch one if he comes near them. 



Catclaw grows in the arid region west of Austin and San 

 Antonio — elevation about 800 to 1,000 feet above sea level. 

 Farther west, if my information is correct, when the elevation 

 gets higher, it becomes scarcer. Sabinal, Tex. 



Too Much '< Monkey Work " with Bees. 



BY .1. W. BITTENBENDEK. 

 (Coutiuued fi'om pape 1B8.) 



The hive of my first swarm, hived ten days before, was 

 already full, and ready for the surplus boxes, while the 

 divisions were only building comb fairly well. I made the 

 divisions by dividing the comb, putting half the comb in the 

 new hive. I did get one new swarm from one of the divisions, 

 when the young queens hatched, but the other five did not 

 cast any swarms, and barely got in condition for winter. At 

 the end of the honey season I could easily figure up the best 

 result in favor of the rickerty-rackerty let-alone hives, and it 

 stood as follows : 



From the crooked-comb hives, four good swarms and 68 



