790 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



letter, being careful that there are no 

 bees but the grays near. If, under the 

 above management, the yellow bees are 

 produced, then Mr. Alley is in the right. 

 Let him have the honor that rightly be- 

 longs to him. Let the matter be tested 

 fully and honestly, but do not abuse or 

 use unpleasant personalities. 



John D. A. Fishek. 

 Woodside, N. C. 



Reply to Mr. Davis. 



The article of Mr. W. J. Davis, on 

 page 684, calls for a brief reply from 

 me. I expected some one to whet the 

 sword, but did not look for such an 

 attack from home, much less from an 

 American. Judging from the tenor of 

 the various bee-periodicals in the United 

 States, the writer had been of the 

 opinion that the bee-keeping fraternity 

 in America were a class who would live 

 for and with each other ; or, in other 

 words, that they were filled with love, 

 union, harmony and sympathy, but it 

 appears that sympathy does not always 

 run where it should, and for whom it 

 should. Mr. Davis objects to the follow- 

 ing statement of mine: "For in ordi- 

 nary seasons (which should have read 

 extraordinary seasons — for such was 

 meant) it is no uncommon thing to 

 harvest from 140 to 200 pounds of 

 honey per colony, and experts who have 

 their colonies ready for the honey-flow, 

 have produced as much as 300 pounds 

 per colony." I am quite willing now to 

 repeat the same words, and many will 

 testify to their truthfulness, among 

 them we will mention the following: 

 Frank Smith, of Plum City, Wis., ex- 

 tracted, a year ago, 700 pounds of 

 honey from 7 colonies, and this was his 

 first year of bee-keeping. Mrs. Green, 

 of Ono, Wis., obtained 140 pounds of 

 honey per colony. L. Hammerschmidt, 

 of Iowa (page 787), says : "In ordinary 

 years we have from 140 to 200 pounds, 

 and in extraordinary years from 275 to 

 350 pounds." It is unnecessary to oc- 

 cupy space with further proof. . It is 

 obvious that 299,999 out of the 300,- 

 000 bee-keepers in the United States 

 will not agree with Mr. Davis. As the 

 other points made by Mr. D. are not 

 worthy of consideration, I shall not deign 

 to notice them. S. Roese. 



Maiden Rock, Wis. 



Get a Binder, and always have 

 your Bee Journals ready for reference. 

 We will mail you one for 50 cents. 



Wavelets of News. 



Swarm Deserting its Hive. 



A. C. J. P. 



That heautiful swarm. 

 It has all gone— 



WhatapitjM . 



Drones, bees, and queen. 

 Nothing- to be seen— 

 What a pity ! 



No cheerful hum to greet 

 When you are on your beat— 

 What a pity ! 



The hive out there to rot. 

 Perhaps to be forgot— 

 What a pity ! 



Perhaps one Summer day 

 In May. before the hay. 

 Another song we'll sing. 

 Without this doleful ring. 

 And not a pity. 



—British Bee Journal. 



Foul-Brood Honey. 



We have been looking over the pro- 

 gramme of the National Convention, and 

 as it will be impossible for us to be pres- 

 ent, we should like some points talked 

 over, and some facts brought out. 



First, in connection with foul-brood : 

 It seems as if some scientists have put 

 forth certain theories or statements that 

 are not borne out in practice in this 

 country. 



When bees have been properly fasted, 

 has any one ever known the disease to 

 return ? What is the simplest, cheapest, 

 surest, and best method of getting rid 

 of the disease ? 



Would it not be advisable to make it 

 a serious offence to sell honey infected 

 with foul-brood, as it is easily seen how 

 the disease may be scattered broadcast 

 throughout the land by a few packages 

 of foul-brood honey, left carelessly about 

 for the bees to get at ? 



Some have suggested the propriety of 

 forcing every person who has foul-brood 

 honey, to boil it before selling. This 

 seems to be a difficulty, as the boiling of 

 honey would necessarily destroy its 

 color, texture and flavor, and reduce it 

 in value very much. 



The disease would not effect it if sold 

 for baking purposes, and perhaps that 

 would be the best way to dispose of it; 

 or for printers' rollers, curing of meat, 

 or the manufacture of confectionery. 



The only way to accomplish that 

 would be to prevent those having foul- 

 brood from selling any honey until the 

 yard was completely rid of the disease. 



