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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 25, 



trunk, branches and leaves ; in other vesetation, roots, stems, 

 leaves and seeds. 



As 1 am here principally dealing with vphite clover, the 

 above will present the foundation for my explanation of the 

 cause of failure to secrete honey, otherwise nectar. As mois- 

 ture and heat are necessary for vegetable growth, these condi- 

 tions must be e.xistent to a normal amount in any region, and 

 especially active in the temperate zones, as the season of veg- 

 etable growth and maturity is shortened by the regular return 

 of the cold season. 



Favorable conditions must exist, a seasonable time to per- 

 mit of cell-formation, and sulficient formation and deposit of 

 starch both in the roots and stems, principally in the roots of 

 the clover ; and in stems and leaves of annual honey-producing 

 plants, producing nectar later in the season. As clover blooms 

 earlier than most nectar-producing plants, favorable condi- 

 tions must maintain the previous year, as most of the pabulum 

 that is consumed in the growth of leaves, stems and bloom 

 must be on deposit in the roots, and they well supplied. This 

 cannot be accomplished if deprived of a normal amount of 

 moisture, not only during the spring months, but throughout 

 the summer and fall. Winter snows assist this storing and 

 elaborating the starchy product for immediate use in the 

 spring, as the circulation of sap is not checked to the extent 

 as when the ground is hard frozen. This storing and elaborat- 

 ing process furnishes the plant with early food. An early and 

 vigorous growth is obtained in the leaves, which are the lungs 

 of plants. Circulation of sap is therefore hastened, the roots 

 stimulated to an equal expansion, then favorable conditions 

 continuing, a visible supply is obtained, and a surplus is 

 thrown off as nectar through the nectaries of the bloom. 

 Otherwise what is stored in the preceding year is consumed 

 only in plant growth, even to the depletion of stores, to pro- 

 duce seed, and all seed is almost wholly starch. 



There must exist other favorable conditions. It may be 

 dry during the period of nectar-flow, and not mitigate against 

 it, if during this period electrical conditions maintain to the 

 production of ozone, which being absorbed by the leaves, the 

 same as carbonic gas, through pores in the leaves — as oxygen 

 is to animal life, so carbon is to vegetable life. 



Some smiled at the prophecies of Wilson, of Tennessee, 

 but he was more than half right in his predictions. 



Close pasturing works injury to nectar-secretion, as it re- 

 duces the foliage, so also the rootlets suffer as nature strives 

 to sustain a just proportion between leaves and root expan- 

 sion, causing scattered nectaries in the blossom, or only par- 

 tial development. 



The past year's drouth naturally affected the basswood in 

 this section, which, at this writing (June 26), is in greater 

 profusion of bloom than that of 1894, but diminished in 

 nectar. Deprived of white clover, we placed our dependence 

 upon that for section honey — another disappointment; there- 

 fore, apiarists must look to fall flowers for winter stores, or 

 patronize the sugar-barrel as we have done in year's past. 



Though the present summer has an ominous look, we 

 bank largely on 1896. The plentiful supply of rain has 

 stimulated growth to a wonderful extent, that has not been 

 excelled for the past 20 years. The scant remains of clover 

 is being wonderfully stimulated, either from remains of root- 

 lets or seeds, and is taking its place with other forage-plants 

 as of years past. But for all this, we have given up hopes of 

 former yields, consequent upon increasing population, and the 

 turning over of grazing lands for cultivated crops. 



The apicultural specialist, unless farmers can be con- 

 vinced to seed with Alsike in place of red clover, must vacate 

 the premises. Persuasion seems almost useless, as custom 

 has established their methods, and they are almost as un- 

 changeable as the law of the Medes and Persians was reputed 

 to be. Yet progressive farmers claim Alsike the best forage- 

 plant, also for fodder. 



Bee-Paralysis.— J. W. P., of Omaha, Nebr., on page 

 394 of the American Bee Journal, in his experience with a 

 colony crawling out of the hive and dying, asks the cause. It 

 is known that nectar of certain flowers taken by bees causes 

 vertigo and death, and is accompanied with similar symptoms 

 as bee-paralysis, except the loss of hair. The probable cause 

 is poisoning— may be from spraying poisons. The adoption 

 of spraying has become almost a "fad " with many ; spraying 

 to excess gardens, orchards, shrubs, etc., and in many cases 

 loss has occurred. In a severe case of bee-paralysis, in a col- 

 ony with a Texas queen this spring, well supplied with good 

 honey, on trial of sundry remedies, and failures, I used finally 

 equal parts of benzine and turpentine, taking out the frames 

 and spraying the hive with about a tablespoonful of the mix- 

 ture. The first dose helped wonderfully, and using it every 

 other day three times more, the disease disappeared entirely. 

 Now that colony is as strong as most in the apiary, and stor- 

 ing as fast as any. Will others try it, reporting through the 

 American Bee Journal? Des Moines, Iowa. 



A Swarming Experieuce —Other Things. 



Br EDWIN BEYINS. 



I feel, Mr. Editor, as if I would like to lick the man who 



said in answer to Query No. , that he never "commenced 



to divide." I thought that if he could get along without divid- 

 ing, perhaps I could get along the same way, and so this sea- 

 son I have allowed the bees to swarm according to nature. 

 Result: One of my most valuable queens and a half bushel of 

 her offspring are gone to the woods. Another swarm lauded 

 on a large limb of a tolerably high oak-tree, standing in the 

 door-yard, surrounded with the summer's supply of firewood. 

 A hive was placed on the wood-pile, and the limb was partly 

 sawed off and swung so as to bring the bees in front of the 

 hive. As soon as they made themselves at home in the hive, I 

 started to carry it to the old stand, but lost my footing on the 

 wood and fell with the hive under me. The cover slipped 

 about half way off, but before the bees recovered from their 

 astonishment sufficiently to fly out, I had the cover in place 

 and carried the hive to the stand without the loss of any bees. 

 I think that I shall " commence to divide " pretty soon, unless 

 somebody sends me a self-hiver that will catch them every time. 



Low-Growing Trees, Etc. — I have experienced this sea- 

 son some of the advantages of having low-growing trees and 

 grapevines near the bee-hives. The hives are situated on the 

 south side of an apple orchard, and in front and among the 

 hives are cherry, peach, plum and pear trees, and grapevines. 

 I have harvested three swarms from the same place on one 

 grapevine, and two from one small cherry-tree. Several 

 swarms have alighted in the apple-trees. 



Hive-Covers. — I want to say to Dr. Miller that my hive- 

 covers show but little disposition to twist. If any of them do, 

 I take it out of them by attaching hive-hooks near diagonally 

 opposite corners. Since I fell down with that swarm, I am 

 more delighted than ever with these covers with the heavy 

 cleats. 



Dr. Miller solemnly concludes that I was trying to make 

 fun of Doolittle's old man. I as solemnly aver that I was not 

 trying to do any such thing. The old man has stood up on 

 that narrow platform, in that indescribable foot-wear, and 

 under that dilapidated and shapeless old hat, about as long as 

 it is in well-regulated human nature to stand it. I am going 

 to buy my next queen of Doolittle, and then if he does not get 

 the old man a pair of new boots, and a new hat, and put some 

 things in between to correspond, I will not buy any more of 

 him — that's all ! Leon, Iowa, July 2. 



