60 



•TH® mv^WMiGMM mMM jQiXsmmmi^. 



took thereof in his hands and went on 

 eating, it leaves no doubt as to the 

 identification of " dabash" with honey, 

 and can therefore be applied to most 

 other instances of "dabash" as honey, 

 ■excepting a few cases, as in Job xx. 1. 



"Brooks of honey," were most prob- 

 ably meant for the grape-treacle, as 

 •can easily be understood if you bear 

 in mind that grapes still are pressed 

 out in pits cut into the rock, and flow- 

 ing from one pit to another for purifi- 

 cation, which was the method used 

 thousands of years ago, and certainly 

 never applied in the use of honey, be- 

 cause of robber bees and the thickness 

 of honey too much would thus be 

 -wasted. The thinner treacle can easily 

 'be taken out of the rock again without 

 much waste. And again, this "da- 

 bash " — bees' honey — was collected by 

 the bees (daburin), and not the hor- 

 nets, as suggested by some ; hornets 

 are now called " dababeer," and 

 " dabur," the singular Arabic. The 

 mixing up of the two names is compre- 

 hensible when we remember that the 

 root of the word, " dabr," signifying 

 ■"the buzzer" or " buzzing," was given 

 to all Hymenoptera and Neuroptera, 

 :and was only distinguished later when 

 •civilization came in, and Arabs called 

 the common fly " dibaan," the hornet 

 "dabur," and the bee "nahle;" so 

 with the sweets "dibs" or "dibes," 

 the grape-treacle, and "assal" honey. 



In almost every village of Palestine 

 ■and Syria bees are kept, and, with a 

 Tery few exceptions, thej' do not keep 

 such numbers to depend upon them for 

 their living, but simply a few hives 

 placed one on tlie top of the other, 

 having an arch built over them or 

 .■some protection intended to keep away 

 the hot sun-rays, which in summer- 

 time would melt the combs but for the 

 protection. The clay pipes are very 

 <;ool as long as they are kept in the 

 shade, but as soon as exposed to the 

 .sun they become fearfully hot. In 

 winter time the accumulation of the 

 hives keeps them warm in the first 

 place, and again, nature helps itself, 

 lor any colony unable to winter is de- 

 stroyed in the course of the autumn, by 

 ditt'erent enemies abounding here as in 

 all other countries. The hornets, the 

 wax-moth, the tellio-agamide, and 

 gecko abounding here, and the bee- 

 ■eater, being the most dangerous ones 

 to be named. 



In general, bee-keeping is carried 

 ■on in very primitive and negligent 

 ways in some respects, as weak colo- 

 nies are never cared for — all such colo- 

 nies are left over to themselves. The 

 good colonies with plent}' of food and 

 bees only successfully pass the winter, 

 thus establishing a good stock on one 

 liand, whilst on the other, weak colo- 

 nies could be united into a strong one. 



The only work performed is in the 

 swarming season, when swarms are 

 watched for a few weeks in April and 

 May, and hived into clay cj'linders. 

 The back covers are put on after hiv- 

 ing, and besmeared with wetted argil- 

 laceous earth. The interior is rnljbed 

 with citron leaves, and the small fly 

 hole stopped -with a few herbs for a 

 day or two. They are then released, 

 and not again looked to till the honey- 

 crop. 



In some localities honey is taken 

 twice, gathered from the early flowers 

 and in Septembei'. The more general 

 honey harvest is the September crop. 

 The covers are then hastily broken 

 open, a few putts of smoke from the 

 pitcher-smoker (and it is a pitcher 

 with a hole in the bottom, tilled with 

 manure ; some burning coals are put 

 into it, and by continual Idowing the 

 smoke is kept going) are blown on the 

 bees, a comlj or two of honey is cut out 

 and put away, the cover is imme- 

 diatelj- replaced, and the bees are left 

 to themselves for a whole year. In 

 such apiaries the motli is the worst 

 enemy, destroying numbers of bees 

 yearly. 



In the watered localities, or such as 

 afford good food for the carnivorous 

 hornets, the bees suft'er greatly by 

 them. They are the only enemies 

 against which the inhabitants use their 

 skill ; they liurn heaps of manure in 

 front of the hives, keeping up a smok- 

 ing for several weeks, from September 

 to the beginning of November, which 

 keeps the hornets out and the bees in. 



The Palestine bees are good honej'- 

 gatherers, and the queens are very 

 prolific and beautiful. It is not rare 

 to have colonies yielding upwards of 

 100 pounds for a single crop, though it 

 is not the average. This is for bees 

 handled in Langstroth hives — our sys- 

 tem. Excepting during the orange- 

 blossoming in April, our bees can be 

 handled without a veil, the strong per- 

 fume at that time filling the air ren- 

 dering them fierce. Have any of your 

 correspondents any experience as to 

 the reason why bees are fierce — in- 

 fiuence of weather, scent of flowers, 

 etc. ? With us the east winds render 

 the bees angry, and the strong odor of 

 orange-blossoms makes them fierce. 



Jafl'a, Palestine, Dec. 7, 1887. 



with its usually interesting essays,speeches, 

 papers and discussions, the bee-convention 

 will probably last but one day. Reduced 

 rates can be secured on all railroads, there- 

 by making the expense much less, and giv- 

 ing those who wish to do so, a chance to 

 attend botli conventions. 



The following is the programme for the 

 convention : 



President's Address, C. A. Hatch, Ithaca 



Notes from American Bee-Keepers' Con- 

 vention, Frank Wilcox, Mauston. 



Relation of Producer to the Commission 

 Merchant, A. V. Bishop, Commission Mer- 

 chant, Milwaukee. 



The Heddon Hive and How to Use it, W. 

 H. Putnam, River Falls. 



How to Build a Bee-Cellar, D. D. Daniher, 

 Madison. 



How to Get the Best Extracted Honey, E. 

 France, Platteville. 



Comb or Extracted Honey ; Which ? F. 

 Minnick, North Freedom. 



C. A. Hatch, President, Ithaca, Wis. 



Frank Wilcox, Secretary, Mauston, Wis. 



TVisconsin State Convention. 



The bee-keepers of Wisconsin meet in 

 their fourth annual convention, at the 

 Capitol in Madison, Feb. 8, 1888. 



In consequence of the State Agricultural 

 Convention being held in the same week, 



Susquehanna Co. Conventioii. 



The Susquehanna County Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association met at the Jay House, 

 at New Milford, Pa., on Jan. 7. 1888. 

 A discussion on the "Prevention of 

 increase," began the proceedings of 

 the day, and which was fully discussed. 

 The subject, "Is it advisable to Ital- 

 ianize an apiary ?" was taken up, and 

 after a thorough discussion, it was de- 

 cided that it was advisalde. An inter- 

 esting talk about hiving swarms was 

 then given l)y E. B. Smith. 



The number of colonies reported by 

 17 members, was 334, spring count, 

 and increase, 191 colonies. Amount 

 of surplus honey reported was, 11,175 

 pounds. H. M. Seeley, Sec. 



COItVEXTION NOTICES. 



C:^" The Eastern New York Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will meet or Jan. 24, 23 and '26, 188R. in Agricul- 

 tural Hall, at Albany, N. Y. Every one is welcome. 

 We are sure to have a pleasant an profitable time. 

 John Aspinwall, Sec, 



ty The Dea Moines County Bee-Keepers' Associ- 

 ation will hold its next meeting on April 24, 1888, at 

 Burlington, Iowa. JOHN NAn, Sec. 



5S^ The Hardin County Bee.Keeper8' AssoclE^ 

 tion will meet at the Court House in Eldora, iowa, 

 on the second Saturday in each month, at noon 

 (12 o'clock), until further notice. 



J. W. BUCHANAN, See. 



ZW The next recular meeting of the Stark County 

 Bee-Keepers' Societv will be held in Grange Hall at 

 Canton, O.. on Feb. 4. 1888. A full attendance is de- 

 sired, as business of importance will be considered. 

 Mark Thomson, Sec. 



t3?~ The Northeastern Ohio. Northern Pennsyl- 

 vania and Western New York Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will hold its ninth annual convention in the 

 Commercial House Parlor, in Meadville, Penn., on 

 Wednesday and Thursday, January 25 and 26, 1888. 

 Reduced hotel rates have been secured. 



C. H. Coon, Sec. 



p^~ The next regular meeting: of the Sus- 

 quehanna County Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will be held at New Miltord. Pa., on Saturday, 

 May 5, 1888. H. M. Seeley, Sec. 



Hilton's new pamphlet on Comb Honey 

 Production has been reduced in price to 5 

 cents. For sale at this office. 



