472 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



ment certainly have the best of the 

 argument when flowers refuse to distill 

 their accustomed sweetness for the bees. 



So far as I have been able to learn, 

 there is not half a crop of honey in Iowa, 

 and much of that is not first quality. 



In the immediate locality of the writer, 

 however, the honey we did get is very 

 good. Where the bees were early sup- 

 plied with supers, the increase has not 

 been large and the average yield of 

 comb-honey will not exceed 20 pounds 

 per colony. 



There was no Fall honey in this part 

 of Iowa. Neither golden-rod nor asters 

 yielded this year. — Eugene Secor, in 

 the Farmer and Breeder. 



Punic Bees. 



I wrote to my brother, who lives near 

 ShefiBeld, Eng., to make inquiries about 

 them, and he writes me some very 

 strange things in reference to the Punic 

 bees. He assures me that the whole 

 thing is a farce, that they are nothing 

 but small black bees, have no wonderful 

 traits, and that the best bee-keepers of 

 England wonder why Americans are so 

 gullible. — W. Johnson, in the Canadian 

 Bee Journal. 



Camiolan Bees. 



The breed is by no means a new one. I 

 had it in the apiary nearly ten years ago, 

 and then found their tendency to swarm 

 so great that I have never allowed the 

 least trace of Carniolan blood to remain 

 in the apiary, and have done all in my 

 power to prevent others from introducing 

 it. They are gentle, but when the bee- 

 keeper is doing everything he can to 

 prevent swarming, the introduction of 

 such a bee must hinder his object. 



Again, every experienced bee-keeper 

 knows one of the necessary requisites to 

 securing a good honey yield is a strong 

 colony. Excessive swarming prevents 

 colonies and the result must be a crop 

 of bees instead of a crop of honey. — R. 

 F. HoLTEEMANN, in the Montreal Witness. 



How Fast Can Bees Fly? 



It depends on circumstances. In cold 

 weather bees cannot fly as rapidly as in 

 warm weather. Wind retards their pro- 

 gress, but if the air is calm and the 

 weather warm enough, bees can, we 

 think, fly 60 to 100 miles an hour. 



When we were returning from Pales- 

 tine and Cyprus with a large number of 

 small colonies of bees, we were told that 



the train ran at a speed of over 60 miles 

 an hour from Brighton to London. As 

 some of the colonies had plenty of bees 

 and to spare, we thought we would test 

 them, and see if they could fly as quickly 

 'as the train was running. We let a bee 

 out occasionally to see what the result 

 would be, and they would fly and keep 

 up with the train for miles and miles. 

 Several gentlemen who were very much 

 interested in the experiment, watched 

 with us, and were surprised at the rapid- 

 ity of the little insects.— D. A. Jones, in 

 the Canadian Bee Journal. 



Welcome in Different Countries. 



A couple of Americans meet, grab 

 each other's hands, and you wonder 

 how much water they have contracted 

 to pump in five minutes. An English- 

 man nears a friend and they pound 

 each other on the shoulder, while you 

 look on nervously, wondering who will 

 draw first blood. Frenchmen meet, and 

 they fall to kissing each other, while 

 you go off in a corner and feel sick. 

 Italians fall into convulsions, while 

 you are hunting for the doctor. The 

 Portuguese hook their chins over each 

 other's shoulders, as if they wanted to 

 find which pocket holds the handker- 

 chief, while Spaniards hug each other 

 with tears streaming down their faces, 

 leaving you in doubt as to who has 

 died; but the Arab, when he meets his 

 friend, advances toward him, they join 

 hands in firm pressure for just a mo- 

 ment, and then, without a grimace or 

 movement of the lips, raise their own 

 hand and touch it to their lips, saying 

 afterward: "Welcome sight." The 

 whole thing is done with dignity that 

 is thoroughly manly, and yet with a 

 hint of tenderness that is nothing less 

 than beautiful. — Boston Transcript. 



The Executive Committee have fixed the date ot 

 the next session of the North American Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, Dec. 8 to 11, at Albany. There will 

 be an informal meeting on the evening of Tuesday, 

 Dec. 8, for getting acquainted, etc. The real work 

 of the convention will commence Wednesday morn- 

 ing, and extend through two full days, ending 

 Friday morning, giving distant delegates time to get 

 home before Sunday. We want all to get there if 

 possible on Tuesday, if tbey have a few hours of 

 daylight it will give an opportunity to look around 

 the city, view the capitol building, etc. Reduced 

 rates have already been secured in all trunk-line 

 territory, and the same is expected over other 

 railroads. The programme is now under way, and 

 other arrangements are nearly completed. If you 

 have decided to take a vacation that will, we trust, 

 be profitable, don't fail to attend this convention. 

 P. H. EliWOOD, Pres., StarkviUe, N. Y. 



C. P. DADANT, Sec, Hamilton, Ills. 



