826 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 26, 



the honey contains a most prompt and potent poison, which 

 prodnces all the symptoms observed in the cases of Mr. and 

 Mrs. Chambers, and caused the animals' death within a few 

 hours. He says the symptoms resemble those observed in re- 

 ported cases of honey. poisoning in which the poison was at- 

 tributed to honey collected from the KalrnUi LutlfolUi, or 

 mountain laurel, which is abundant in this Slate. The honey 

 which poisoned Mr. and Mrs. Chambers came from Ocean 

 county, where there is much mountain laurel growing iu the 

 pine barrens. 



" Dr. Wormley says the plant has long been known to pos- 

 sess poisonous properties, but repeated examinations by differ- 

 ent chemists have failed to separate the poisonous principle 

 or determine Its chemical properties. He will continue his 

 examinations, in the hope of making the discovery. 



" Several of the leading grocery stores in the city have 

 honey that was supplied by the same Ocean county bee-keep- 

 ers, but they have had no demand for it since the reported 

 case of poisoning, and the incident is likely to result in a boy- 

 cott of the bees." 



The circulation of such reports (unchallenged by any of 

 the recognized authorities on the rearing of bees and the pro- 

 duction of pure honey), will effectually put a stop to the con- 

 sumption of honey in New York, Brooklyn, and vicinity. 



Is it possible for the bees to store honey which will have 

 such an effect upon the human system, that consumers of it 

 narrowly escape death ? J. W. S. 



Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Answer. — Mountain Laurel— Jvaimin Latlfolia — has al- 

 ways had the name of producing poisonous honey. It seems a 

 little strange, however, that any real case of poisoning there- 

 from, even in a mild form, is so seldom heard of. For moun- 

 tain laurel is no new or rare plant. It grows by the acre over 

 a widely-extended surface, and if honey from it be such a ter- 

 rible thing, there ought to be sicknesses, if not deaths, con- 

 stantly occurring. In ray native place in Westmoreland 

 county, Pennsylvania, the beautiful flowers of the mountain 

 laurel grew in profusion every year. Yet I never heard of a 

 case of honey-poisoning anywhere in that region. I wonder if 

 the case in question is not very greatly exaggerated. Possibly 

 " narrowly escaped death " may simply mean that they were 

 made sick, as they might be from injudiciously eating candy 

 or any other sweet. It is entirely in the range of possibilities 

 that the imagination of an enterprising reporter has been 

 drawn on pretty heavily. 



Catjadiai;) Bccdort)^ 



Five-Banded Bees — Spores of Foul Brood. 



As announced on page 796, the annual meeting of the 

 Ontario Agricultural and Experimental Union was held at the 

 College in Guelph, Out., Dec. 12 and 18, and a large number 

 of subjects came up for discussion. Among others a sum- 

 mary of experimental tests with five-banded bees was given by 

 Mr. R. P. Holtermann, Director of co-operative experiments 

 in apiculture. It had not been a favorable season for be^s, 

 but so far as tested the five-banded strain had not distin- 

 guished themselves by any special marks of superiority. 



The Director further stated that Dr. Howard, author of a 

 pamphlet on foul brood, had advanced the idea that exposure 

 to the atmosphere would sterilize, if not absolutely kill, the 

 spores of the disease, and some experiments not yet com- 

 pleted were being made to test his theory. 



Some discussion was had on both these topics. It was 

 thought that on the whole the five-banded bees were inferior 

 to those with fewer bands, and much doubt was expressed in 

 regard to Dr. Howard's foul brood theory as to the steriliza- 

 tion of spores. 



■ — • — ^m— 



Mr. R. L. Taylor's Comparison of Section Comb 

 Foundation. 



Michigan's apicultural experimentalist has had another 

 trial of section comb foundation. It comfirras the result of a 

 similar trial last season so far as to show that the Given found- 

 ation appears to be preferred by bees, but strange to say an 

 old sample of Given, manufactured a year before the experi- 

 ment was made, easily leads all the others in quality. It is 

 especially superior in the texture of the wax from which it is 

 made, and far excels the hard, brittle samples of Given that 



were compared with it. No one has ever supposed that age 

 improved the quality of foundation. The element of superior- 

 ity must plainly be the wax. Now, then, why is some wax 

 hard, brittle, and uninviting to the bees, while other wax is of 

 opposite qualities ? This is the question before the " meetin' 

 house." 



The most remarkable thing about this experiment is the 

 great difference shown in the quality of the two samples of 

 Given foundation, and that is in favor of the sample which had 

 been the longest made and was also lightest in weight. So far 

 as I can deduct practical conclusions from this double series of 

 experiments, I would be inclined to note the following: 



1st. That all the samples of foundation made by the lead- 

 ing maufacturers are goodenough togive excelleutresults, that 

 of the Dadant's being a good second to the Old Given. 



2nd. That, after all, the shape or style of the cells 

 does not matter so much, the all-important thing being to have 

 the wax so pure, soft, ductile, and easily moulded that the 

 bees have no dilBculty in fixing it to suit themselves. 



3rd. That it might be an advantage to have that sample 

 of Old Given foundation analyzed, or its exact composition as- 

 certained in some way or other. 



Tlie Demise of Three Bee-Papers. 



It is a very prosy, matter-of-fact obituary notice that is 

 given on page 781, of three defunct bee-papers. Usually 

 when the decease of a human being is noticed in the newspa- 

 pers, there is something said about the history, career, and 

 virtues of the departed. In the present case we are simply 

 told that they have " dropped out of existence." Has nobody 

 a word of eulogy or a tear of regret for them ? Kirke White 

 says : — 



"The autumn leaf is fear and dead- 

 It floats upon the waters' bed ; 

 1 would not be a leaf to die. 

 Without recording sorrow's sigh !" 



There are instances in which the death of human beings is 

 an actual relief to survivors, and I am unfeeling enough to 

 to say that I would not be sorry if two or three more bee-pa- 

 pers would give up the ghost. So far, Nature's great law of 

 "the survival of the fittest" appears to have gone into effect, 

 and I hope it will continue to be so in any farther instances of 

 mortality, among bee-periodicals. Dr. Watt's lines in regard to 

 some human beings would apply with a little emendation to a 

 certain class of bee-papers : — 



" There are a number of us creep 



Into this world to eat and sleep. 



And know no reason why they're born, 



But merely to consume the corn, 



Devour the cattle, fowl and fish. 



And leave behind an empty dish. 



And it their tombstones, when they die, 



Wer'nt tauyht to flatter and to lie. 



This, and tijis only, would t)e said— 



That they have eat up all their t>read : 



Drunk up their drink, and Kone to bed !" 



OI.I> YEAR, CiO<»l>-UYE. 



Old Year, good-bye; you've borne from me 



That which has been full half my life for twenty years. 



And left me naught save sighs, unanswered prayers and tears. 



My dead lie low beneath the frozen clay ; 



No grass grows green above their narrow bed. In vain I call, 



No answer comes from earth or sky to bring me back my all. 



Old, tear-stained Year, good-bye, I weep no more; 



You bear with you, sad 3'ear, what tears I have to give ; 



My eyes are dry, and in their fountains tears no longer live. 



If for all time could I but be at rest, 



And pass away serene and still, like you— my mission o'er. 



It would be sweet, and I could ask of Heaven nothing more. 



Old Year, you go, but I must wait awhile, 



And do the part that has been set for me to do, and smile 



When others smile, and laugh, tbongh my poor heart should break 



the while; 

 For children's voices sound, sweet, echoing chimes, 

 That bind me still to earth and time, and bid me grieve no more. 

 A New Year dawns. The world will still go on just as before. 



And so to you. Old Year, I say good-bye. 



The New Year's light shall through the mist of tears a radiance 



send. 

 Behold ! " Lo ! I am with you always, even to the end." 

 So, while I strive as be.st I may to be 



■To those I love all they have lost, and fill my own place still, 

 Perhaps iu His own time and way I yet may do His will. 



— Mrs. a. L. Hallenbeck, in Progressive Bee-Keeper. 



