1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



665 



have a bone to pick with the editor of this journal. I would 

 like to know who made the experiments on Apis Dorsata, Ni- 

 grlpennis, Socalis, Dellessertii, Indica, Perrottetii, Lobata and 

 Peronii — all near relatives of our own Mellitica, differing only 

 in size and color. Being somewhat familiar with the Spanish 

 main, I can aiiSrm that his assertion is a misstatement, not 

 warranted in any degree. 



South America abounds in honey-gathering bees, some of 

 which have been partially domesticated and more might be. 

 Not since the days of Azara Hall, St. Hilliare, and Gardner, 

 have we had any information of moment on the bees of Terra 

 Firma. And can ■' Bee-Master" furnish us with knowledge of 

 the bees of Africa, the southern portion of which is a veritable 

 floral garden ? I guess not. Dr. Jamieson, the explorer, and 

 now Commissioner of Matabele Land, and Dr. Brotherston, 

 head of the Niger Co., have, I know, a knowledge of bee-cul- 

 ture, and they would be the last to say that Africa has been 

 ransacked for new races of bees. This fact remains, that in 

 certain portions of the globe bees are kept by natives, that 

 have never been brought under scientific culture, and many 

 races yet remain to experiment on. 



For my part, I should be glad to see a smaller bee than 

 Mellifica introduced, such as Indica, or even Florea. The 

 great flower, Melianthus Major, is neglected by European 

 bees, but may we not secure the bees that do feed on it, in its 

 native land ? 



Dr. Alfred Russell Wallace, who is a good bee-keeper, and 

 the author of that entertaining book, " The Malay Archipela- 

 go," gives lucid accounts of Dorsata which should be read by 

 all those interested. 



Many will agree with Dr. Miller, when he suggest that 

 those who go after new races try them on their own ground, 

 for it is common-sense. 



Hive-Roofs — Both the genial Doctor and Mr. Barnum ask 

 for a better hive-roof. I presume they want a flat one, and 

 here is the recipe: Instead of making it of two pieces, make 

 it of about 16, all glued in a clamp ; this will neither shrink, 

 twist nor warp. Marine glue is used and the board covered 

 with zinc. Any kind of wood will do, the more the difference 

 of grains the better. 



Swarm-Catcheb — I have a new swarra-catcher, viz ; 

 Nail two old combs to the end of a bamboo pole, insert in the 

 the cluster, and you can soon fetch them down. 



The Oxalis, mentioned in my last, turns out to be a mag- 

 nificent forage-plant for bees — in fact, nothing like it, for it 

 blooms for months during winter and spring here. Florida 

 and California horticulturists should note this plant, for, if I 

 am not mistaken in it, like Oxalis Dieppe, its succulent leaves 

 may be eaten as a salad, and its bulbs as potatoes. If 0. 

 Dieppe is anything like as good a bee-plant as this, it should 

 be introduced into the United States forthwith. The French 

 cultivate this plant extensively. Altogether, the bee-men 

 should not overlook the bulb industry ; it goes well with bees. 



The Bermuda Islands — Some readers have written me in 

 regard to these islands as a place of abode. 



I will say, first, if any want to buy bulbs, Uncle Sam's 

 money or stamps pass current. 



Second, the only book of value on Bermuda is published 

 by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 



Third, there is no authority to get imformation from here. 



Fourth, there are no horticulturists on this group. 



Fifth, dates, lemons, oranges, limes, guavas, grow here, 

 and so do strawberries ; they last all year, except in the sum- 

 mer season. 



Sixth, steamers go from here to New York, Halifax, Lon- 

 don, and all the West Indies. 



Seventh, don't come here if you have comsumption. It's 

 all right for catarrh, rheumatism, sore throat, and worn-out 

 people who need a rest. 



Ninth, this is not the West Indies. 



Tenth, the seeds I want are only for honey-plants, and 

 should be from the far West or the Southern States. The 

 bulbs will soon be ready. 



Devonshire, Bermuda Isles, July 2. 



Xlie BIcEvoy Foul Brood Xreatment is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Us Natural 

 History and Rational Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for $1.10. 



Caruiolau Bees — A Few Kiuks. 



AUGUST BARTZ. 



On page 449, appears a letter from Geo. I. Wolf, in which 

 he says that those Carniolan bees ho bought of Frank Benton, 

 while he was in Upper Caruiola, did not gather any honey, and 

 that the colonies were full of bees. Now that tallies exactly 

 with my own experience, 



I bought a queen from a Southern breeder last summer ; 

 introduced her in a strong colony, wintered them all right, and 

 they cast a big swarm a few days ago. The bees are gentle 

 and well marked, but I keep bees for the honey they gather 

 and not for looks or name. Several of my best colonics gath- 

 ered 75 pounds of comb honey each to date, and the poorest 

 28 pounds, but those gentle Carniolans have not an ounce to 

 spare. I will try to get a few queens of them mismated, and if 

 they do not prove better than their mother, over-board they go. 

 I expect to get a sting once in a while, and am willing to 

 stand it if I get well paid for it. I have tried nany different 

 strains of Italians, and the once much-praised Albiuos, but I 

 find that if absolutely pure they are not the bees for comb 

 honey. 



A FEW KINKS FROM EXPERIENCE. 



If a queen that is to be superseded is allowed to run in 

 the queen-cage intended for the introduction of the uew queen, 

 and left there for 10 or 15 minutes, the new queen will be ac- 

 cepted much easier than otherwise. 



A colony of bees that has been queenless for 12 to 14 

 hours, will ball a queen quicker than one that has not been 

 queenless for one minute, especially at a time when the queen 

 is laying. 



A colony that intends to swarm soon, will not give up 

 swarming if a young laying queen is introduced, but will in- 

 sist, and make the young queen lay iiKqueen-cells, even it 

 there is not a cell with brood in the hive. Now, this looks 

 strange, but it is true. About a week ago, I had a swarm to 

 come out, which I hived, but instead of giving them their own 

 queen, I gave them a brand new one, that had just commenced 

 to lay, and then placed the swarm on the stand of a colony 

 that had swarmed a few hours before ; but the swarm had 

 gone back again. I thought ihat this plan would make the 

 one a rousing colony and stop the other one from swarming 

 for awhile, which it did, but right here something new to me 

 happened, for that rousing big swarm would not work as I had 

 expected, so on the third day I opened the hive to see what 

 was the matter with that big swarm. Of course I expected to 

 find the queen laying in good condition, but in this I was mis- 

 taken, for not an egg was to be found. But what is that? A 

 ball of bees, on the lower edge of the comb; not a big ball as is 

 usually the case iu the balling of a queen, but a loose bunch of 

 bees that would just hold the queen to that spot. They did 

 not sting at her, but would bite and pull, and feed her at the 

 time, and right thereon that same place was one queen -cell 

 cup with an egg in it, and that was the only ege or brood of 

 any kind in the hive. How did that egg gel into that cell, or 

 where did it come from, if the queen in the ball did not put 

 it there ? And if she did put that one egg in that queen-cell, 

 why did she not lay in worker-comb, as such young queens al- 

 ways do ? If somebody can explain this thing, please let us 

 hear it through the American Bee Journal. 



Chippewa Falls, Wis., July 22. 



Auother Method of Wiuteriag Bees Described. 



BY H. .J. LANG. 



As the time is here for placing bees into winter quarters, 

 and as I had promised to make my method of wintering known, 

 I will give it. 



I have wintered bees successfully for the past six winters, 

 without any loss whatever. In the first place, I select a 

 suitable spot, as close as I can to my apiary— clay land, if 

 possible, as this kind of soil will not cave in. I dig a ditch 

 8J^ feet deep, three feet wide, and as long as is neccessary, 

 according to the number of colonies to be placed in it. I put 

 mine in two tiers high. 



After the ditch is dug, and cleaned out nicely, I scatter a 

 few dried forest leaves in the bottom of it, then take two six- 

 inch fence-boards put on each side of ditch, with a brick un- 

 derneath every four feet. This keeps the first tier of hives 

 from the ground. Then I take the bottom-boards from the 

 hives and place the colonies close together in the ditch. 



Some one will ask how I cover the ditch. I will ex- 

 plain as clearly as I can. I get some 2x4's, also sheeting- 

 boards, then make a roof just as I would for a house, 



