342 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



October 



ber of stories. The writer of the ar- 

 ticle seems to think that that is what 

 he wants her to do; we don't. We 

 want our queen below, in a story 

 that is sufficient for her. As for 

 hunting queen-cells, we never do it. 

 as it is unnecessary with our man- 

 agement. 



It may be that we are prejudiced 

 upon this matter, but if we are, it is 

 after constant trials of both styles, 

 large and small brood-chambers, in 

 large numbers, and we doubt that 

 our correspondent and critic has 

 had a similar experience on as large 

 a scale. 



As to an absolute swarm preven- 

 tion, we do not believe there is any. 

 such thing, or ever will be. C. P. D. 



What the Newspapers Are Saying 



Serious, Ridiculous and Frivolous 



Extracts From News Dis 



patches About Bees 



Bees Re-Steal Honey 



Lawrenceburg, Ind. — When Robert 

 E. Terrill went to his storehouse to 

 get a quantity of honey he had taken 

 from his swarm of bees, the honey 

 was gone. He supposed thieves had 

 taken it, but later noticed bees about 

 the storehouse, and made the discov- 

 ery that they had carried the honey 

 back to the hives, gaining access to 

 the storehouse through a keyhole.— 

 Greensburg (Ind.) News. 



* * * 



Bees on a Missouri Farm Follow 

 Plane Loaded With Flowers 



Patterson, Mo. — The latest thing in 

 air plane stories comes from the bee 

 farm of Madden Polk, near here, it 

 tells how a colony of the honev- 

 makers were stampeded by an aero- 

 plane passing over the farm carrying 

 a cargo of flowers. After the bees 

 had made their hurried exit it was 

 learned that the flying machine was 

 carrying a cargo of magnolia blos- 

 soms which filled the air with frag- 

 rance. When the bees on the Poik 

 preserve got a whiff of the unusual 

 aroma, they left in swarms, it being 

 estimated that a half million in the 

 50 colonies on the Polk place forsook 

 their hives and flew after the plane. 

 There were enough young bei 

 to protect the hives, but Polk had 

 dismal visions of the luscious hom 

 somebody else would gather from 

 the runaways. — Poplar Bluff (Mo i 

 Citizen. 



* * * . 



Unique Use of Plane 



If .W-lson W. Peck had gone up in 

 an air plane a year ago instead of 

 waiting till this morning, he figures 

 thai he would have -. 1 d 1 10,000 

 though it cost him a dollar a minute 

 to stay up for an hour and a quarter 

 this morning. 



is one of the leading beenien 

 of the valley, and. instead of the 



1 lands he had a year ago. he 



w only 250. Bees in the othi 

 were killed by absorbing dissolved 

 spray. "From the air plane I could 

 pick the proper places in which to 

 put my stands,' he says. "I located 

 some such places by automobile, but 



did not notice, from ground level, 

 that there were orchards to which 

 the bees will have easy access. From 

 me I could see which stands 

 should be moved and which can be 

 left. I expect to make three more 

 trips before 1 have finally placed all 

 my bees." — Yakima (Wash.) Repub- 

 lic. 



* * * 



Migratory Beekeeping 



Paulding, O. — Dr. Kohn & Son. who 

 operate an apiary at Grover Hill, 

 this county, recently received a car 

 load of bees from Apalachicola River, 

 Fla., to aid an experiment by S. W. 

 Summerfield, Toledo, owner of the 

 bees, and Dr. Kohn on migratory 

 beekeeping. 



The bees have already produced 50 

 barrels of honey. After "work" this 

 summer they will be shipped back to 

 Florida. The freight on the car of 

 bees amounted to $455.64 — Toledo 

 (O.) Blade. 



* * * 



Bees' Stingers Make Profitable Crop 



Raising bees for the stings pays an 

 eastern woman better than keep- 

 ing them for the honey which they 

 would produce. From these stings is 

 secured the purest formic acid ob- 

 tainable, and the customers are the 

 manufacturing druggists of the coun- 

 try. During the past 24 years this 

 woman has supplied one firm wi^h 

 25,000 annually, other concerns take 

 from 500 to 5,000 each year, making a 

 yearly trade of 50,000 stings. To pro- 

 duce this number but two colonies of 

 bees are necessary, while it would 

 require 50 colonies to make an 

 amount of honey equal in value to 

 the stings. 



The manner of taking the sting 

 from a bee is simple. The bees are 

 first gathered in a specially ar- 

 ranged box, by shaking a comb on 

 which they are working, over the 

 mouth of the box. Next, in a room 



with all the shades but one drawn, 

 the box is opened. As the bees come 

 out of the box they are attracted to 

 the lighted window, and cluster there 

 on the glass or screen. Mrs. Bee- 

 keeper picks up the insects by their 

 licads and, holding them under a 

 magnifying glass, draws the simgs. 

 For this purpose a small pair of 

 tweezers is used. The stings are 

 placed in a dish filled with milk 

 sugar, which covers them with a 

 coat that prevents decay. 



Each sting contains a small amount 

 of formic acid, which is removed by 

 distillation. This acid is used in the 

 treatment of rheumatism by homeo- 

 pathic physicians, being administered 

 in much reduced strength, while doc- 

 tors of the regular school use it, re- 

 duced one-half, for restoring circu- 

 lation in cases of paralysis. Formic 

 acid was one of the first of the solid- 

 fat acids discovered. It was orig- 

 inally obtained by distilling common 

 red ants (Formica rufa) from which 

 the name is derived. — Popular Me- 

 chanics Magazine. 



More About Santo Domingo 



By H. Brenner 



AMONGST the letters enquiring 

 about beekeeping conditions 

 here, the most interesting was 

 from Mr. P. F., of Conastota N. J. I 

 will answer his enquiries first. 



The cost of living is prety high 

 here, but I think a beekeeper will 

 find at once free living for his work 

 and knowledge, and it won't be long 

 before he can earn wages, start api- 

 aries on shares, or establish himself 

 if he has some means. Three years 

 ago I worked in Porto Rico for my 

 living and gained my knoweldge of 

 tropical conditions, etc., without 

 spending my money. I am only sorry 

 I did not come immediately to Santo 

 Domingo. I have not traveled on 

 roads yet. We established apiaries 

 on river banks, sea shore or along 

 the small railroad we have here. 



hi re are several beekeepers in San- 

 chez, inside a mile or two, with at 

 least a thousand colonies. Two of 

 thi e nun understand English. 



The most serious drawback is the 

 lack of reliable help. Health condi- 

 tions I do not know, except that 1 

 never have been sick, and my health 

 is improving, or I would not stay. 

 California, which I visited four years 

 ago, did not agree with me. I am an 

 old man, nearly 60 years old, and I 

 have not found a native yet who can 

 outdo me in manual work. Do not 

 send me stamps. It is prohibited to 

 export stamps. Every letter is 

 opened by the censor. 



Aboul passage: The Lloyd line sails 

 aboul twice a month trim New York, 

 direel to Sanchez, and from there to 

 Santo liomingo City. The same 

 returns within four to six 

 days. Passage is about $40. My opin- 

 that the more our countrymen 

 settle here the better it will be for 

 our glorious country. 



Three weeks ago I crossed the 

 mountains with three men and a pack 

 mule to establish an apiary in Cabre- 

 ras, where we had 80 colonies in hoi- 



