AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



203 



Apiculture iu Canada,— From 

 the annual report for 1890, Just pub- 

 lished, sve glean the following statistical 

 information : 



The Ontario Bee-Kc^opers' Association 

 reports an increase of nearly 100 per 

 cent, in its membership, which last year 

 numbered o53. Its policy is to encourage 

 the formation of local societies, and last 

 year there were eleven of these afifiliated 

 with the parent body. .They are the 

 Middlesex, Norfolk, Brant, Bruce, 

 Oxford, Perth, Haldimand, Lambton, 

 Kent, Western Ontario, and Listowel 

 Bee-Keepers' Associations. 



It is remarkable that the organizations 

 are all in the western portion of the 

 Province. This is not because the 

 eastern part of Ontario is unfavorable 

 for honey production or destitute of bee- 

 keepers. It has just happened to be so ; 

 precisely as the dairy interest, while 

 capable of flourishing in most parts of 

 the country, has happened to center 

 itself in the counties of Oxford and 

 Hastings. There are few localities in 

 Canada where honey does not abound, 

 and if there were only bees and bee- 

 keepers enough to gather it, a vast 

 addition might be made to the national 

 wealth from this source. — Bural Cana- 

 dian. 



Xlie Punic Bees are very lively 

 yet, though the sample lot sent us by 

 friend E. L. Pratt, have been caged and 

 on our desk for some 10 days. Since 

 writing this we have taken another look 

 at them. None of them are dead, and 

 none of them seem to be weary. But all 

 are not captivated with the Punic bees. 

 Dr. J. W. Vance^ thus mentions them, 

 and others, in the Wisconsin Farmer of 

 last week : 



I think I shall never become reconciled 

 to black bees, even if they are of the 

 Punic stock. The Punics are said to be 

 the greatest known, yet if they are as 

 gentle as the Carthagenians I fear I 

 should not be able to live in peace with 

 them. I once had a sample of Carnio- 

 lans, a variety said to be extraordinarily 

 gentle, and my experience with them was 

 such that I was very glad to supersede 

 the two queens and introduce Italians. 

 The Carniolans seemed to possess the 

 natural propensity of blacks to sting, 

 and not only did they exercise their 

 genius in that way when any one came 

 near their hives, but they visited the 



neighbors on adjoining lots and chased 

 them to some safe retreat. I shall 

 always have a suspicion of any bee pos- 

 sessing any sort of black blood. I wiU 

 wait awhile before investing $40 in a 

 " Punic " queen. 



Some One has written us a letter 

 descriptive of a non-swarming hive. It 

 gives no name or address, nor anything to 

 indicate where it came from. Several 

 questions are asked, but it is impossible 

 to reply for lack of identity. 



A Section-Folder and Founda- 

 tion Fastener, combined, is received from 

 Mr. W. O. Leach. It is ingenious and 

 practical. He intends to exhibit it at 

 the Toronto (Ont.) exhibition next month. 

 We hope to be able to present an engrav- 

 ing of it next week. 



Anotlier Bee-Hscape comes 

 from Mr. C. H. Dibbern. He says, "it 

 has been fully tested in actual use, under 

 various conditions, and found almost 

 perfect." It is 3%x6K inches, and is 

 made of tin and wire cloth, with a 

 Chinese puzzle or "labyrinth," inside. 

 An engraving is being made which will 

 give a better idea than can be conveyed 

 by words. Our readers may expect that 

 in our next issue. 



Mrs. S. E. Slierman, of Salado, 

 Texas, is editing a Bee Department ik 

 the Southern Horticulturist. In refer- 

 ence to the State Convention, she writes 

 thus: 



Why not have the State Association 

 hold its annual meetings either at Dallas 

 sometime during the fair, when the whole 

 State could be reprented, or, what might 

 be better still, in conjunction with the 

 vState Horticultural Society. As these 

 two pursuits are, or should be, inseper- 

 able, why not have a joint meeting of the 

 two at the same time and place ? I have 

 worked with this end in view for quite a 

 while, and hope in the near future to see 

 it consummated. I would be pleased to 

 hear from the officers of the State Asso- 

 ciation in regard to this change, and 

 ascertain if it meets their approbation 

 and approval. 



