1308 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



there be any honey without a toueh of its 

 flavor? For years Australians have been try- 

 ing to get their eucalyptus honey accepted 

 in London, but the London palate will none 

 of it. Will the American palate accept it 

 any more readily? 



Anton Rauschenfels, who has been ex- 

 clusively occupied in rearing queens for mar- 

 ket since the eighties, says B. Vaier, 247, 

 that with his bees, and in his country, Italy, 

 in May and June, if all is favorable the first 

 eggs are found the seventh or eighth day 

 after the birth of the queen; but often this is 

 not the case; in July and August, even un- 

 der the most favorable circumstances, no 

 eggs before the tenth day; and if there is a 

 dearth of pasturage one may be satisfied to 

 find eggs on the twelfth day. Unless a queen 

 is fertilized before 18 days old she is not 

 likely to be fertilized at all. Virgins slow 

 about mating, making frequent unsuccessful 

 flights, are likely to be balled by the bees. 

 Fertilization occurs most speedily in baby 

 nuclei. 



Too LATE, perhaps, to do good by any pro- 

 test, but I may at least be allowed to register 

 a little lament that some deem it a duty to 

 use the word "section" to signify one of the 

 stories of a divisible brood-chamber. More 

 than once, lately, I have been just a little 

 troubled to know which kind of "section" 

 was meant when the word was used. Why 

 not let "section" continue to mean the lit- 

 tle box it has meant so many years, and call 

 a story a story ? [The word ' ' story ' ' is hard- 

 ly a good one, because it generally refers to 

 a full-depth hive-body. "Brood-chamber" 

 is better because it has come to be associated 

 with half-depth bodies of a divisible hive. 

 The term "section," referring to the same 

 thing, is a little bad. Perhaps we editors 

 should edit out these confusing words or 

 those used out of their regular connection. 

 We'll try.— Ed.] 



G. M. DooLiTTLE has been faithful in sea- 

 son and out of season in trying to ding into 

 bee-keepers' heads, as he does on page 1254, 

 the importance of knowing the resources 

 thoroughly and then controlling and concen- 

 trating the bees. I wonder if it has ever oc- 

 cured to him that "locality," that ever ubiq- 

 uitous meddler, may have something to say 

 in the case. However important his idea 

 may be for liim and others like situated, for 

 my bees and my locality I don't believe there 

 is a thing in it. The desideratum here is to 

 get all colonies as strong as possible just as 

 early as possible, and let the bees do the rest. 

 I never knew the time when a colony was 

 strong any too early, and I never knew the 

 time when I thought any thing would be 

 gained by doing any thing to weaken it aft- 

 erward. So if we don't all follow your ad- 

 vice, Bro. Doolittle, just lay it to locality. 



On the first page of Straws, in the previous 

 issue. Dr. Miller says, in reference to my 

 query as to what to do with bees where there 

 is no sale for them, "I am afraid very few 



have had such experience; and although I do 

 not come in the prescribed class I would sug- 

 gest doubling up in fall or spring. That will 

 reduce the number of colonies, and perhaps 

 secure more surplus than ' taking up ' in the 

 fall." Well, doctor, I think you have hit it 

 exactly. If one has more bees than he knows 

 what to do with he should by all means 

 double them up in the spring, of course tak- 

 ing the weak ones first until he has the de- 

 sired number of colonies, taking care to save 

 the most desirable queens. Our friend Frank 

 Boomhower, of Gallupville, N. Y., says he 

 took 800 lbs. of honey from one colony in 

 one season. Said colony was eight stories 

 high, and was made, if I am not mistaken, 

 by taking in the brood and even whole colo- 

 nies without uniting. A. i. R. 



According to the Louisiana Planter the 

 new crop of syrup from cane juice is selling 

 freely at $1 00 a gallon, or as much as honey 

 would bring a short time ago. 



The Pacific Rural Press says that Arabian 

 alfalfa has shown a remarkable superiority 

 over the ordinary kind grown alongside of 

 it at the University experiment station, Tu- 

 lare, Cal. w. K. M. 



The editor has been temporarily away 

 from the scene of action. On returning 

 from a trip to the Jamestown Exposition he 

 was taken with a severe attack of what 

 proved to be appendicitis. Since he had 

 suffered from many lighter attacks before, 

 an operation was considered necessary. He 

 is now almost well again, however, and has 

 returned to his work with renewed vigor. 

 A part of the editorial work for this issue 

 was dictated from his bed in the hospital. 



We make this explanation for the reason 

 that there are several important letters now 

 awaiting his personal answer which could 

 not be attended to promptly. These will re- 

 ceive his attention as soon as possible. 



H. H. R. 



THE VALUE OF HONEY. 



The Southern Farm Journal prints the fol- 

 lowing excellent testimony in favor of hon- 

 ey for sick children. This is not an isolated 

 case by any means. Similar instances are 

 being constantly cited in European journals 

 devoted to medicine and health. 



According to Dr. Pol Denade. honey should occupy 

 an honorable place in therapeutics. He relates that 

 a lady asked his advice about a tiny emaciated baby. 



