36 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
have complained of, and which in some hives, 
in our own apiary has destroyed almost 
all the bees. This disease first becomes 
apparent by the bees bringing out from 
the hives small, shiny, and very black bees, 
and killing or disabling them until heaps 
are found dead under the entrance to 
the hive. These bees are only about two- 
thirds or half the size of the ordinary bee, 
have small black heads, and are without the 
hairs or down, which partially cover healthy 
bees, which makes them look shiny and black. 
The cause of this disease has been investigated, 
and it is found to be like foul brood, due to 
a minute germ, “ a Bacillus,” which has been 
named after a young lady, Miss Gayton, 
who first discovered its true character, the 
“ Bacillus Gaytonii,” This disease has fre- 
quently appeared in hives and disappeared 
without any treatment, but in numerous cases 
the bees dwindle down till only a few are left, 
which usually de.-ert. In some cases foul 
brood itself has supervened, which has 
hastened the destruction of the stock. 
Nothing much can be said about this disease 
yet, except that in several cases where Mr. 
Cheshire’s mode of curing foul brood has been 
adopted, it appears to have always been 
successful, and we, therefore, consider it quite 
sale to advise this treatment in every case 
where the shiny bee disease gets sufficient hold 
of a stock to prevent its proper progress. 
QUERIES AND REPLIES. 
Queries. 
Query No. 12 — Will you tell us country 
beekeepers which are the best Gum trees 
for honey ? P. H. ( Glenrowan.) 
Query No. 13. — Could you inform me, the 
best way of raising plants of the “Echium 
Candicans,” so that they would blossom next 
summer? Blantyre. 
Query No. 14 — What is the best material 
to use for producing smoke for quieting bees, 
and how can I manage it without one of the 
proper bellows smoker ? M. G. ( Egerton ) 
Query No. 15. — I find my frames contain- 
ing section boxes get fastened down to the 
tops of the frames below, so that in lifting 
out a frame of section boxes it lifts the 
brood frames. How can I get over this diffi- 
culty ? Tasman. 
Replies to Queries. 
To No. 7- — Your hive is evidently Queen- 
less and you should either unite the bees 
with some other stock near to it, or if it is a 
good strong hive, get another laying Queen 
and introduce it. Ed. 
To No. 8, — Honey is undoubtedly the best 
food lor bees, but you should he sure that it 
has not been taken from diseased stocks. 
Next to honey, white sugar syrup is best, or 
indeed any syrup made from good sugar, 
whether it be white, or light brown. 21bs. of 
sugar to a pint of water makes it about right, 
and it should be warmed till the sugar is quite 
dissolved, taking care not to burn it. Ed. 
To No. 9. — It is not at all unusual to find a 
great falling off in bee food after the spring 
flowers are over, and weak hives will get 
quite empty and require feeding. About the 
middle of January the bees again find plenty 
of forage from summer flowers and flowering 
trees, especially the various Eucalypti. Ed. 
To No. 10. — The leaves and bark of the 
Oleander are poisonous, but it does not follow 
that honey or pollen from the flower is so. 
A correspondent states that some honey 
gathered has a strong almond flavour, and sup- 
poses this comes from the Oleander flower, if 
this be so, it can scarcely be poisonous to the 
bees. Perhaps some of our contributors can 
give information on this point. Ed. 
To No. 11. — Are the seeds and other parts 
of the sunflower of any value? 
Yes, most valuable ; the roots, stem, flower, 
and seed, each possess some distinct value. 
The seed is without doubt most useful for 
fattening poultry, pigs and sheep Roasted 
and ground it is a good substitute for coffee. 
The meal from the crushed seeds makes a 
most wholesome and nutritious bread. 
If the seeds are boiled in alum water they 
yield a beautiful blue colouring matter, and 
by expression it is said that at least 40 per 
cent, of bland oil can be obtained from the raw 
seed, scarcely inferior to olive oil in value and 
utility. The cake or pulp, even after the oil 
has been partly extracted, is superior to Linseed, 
and is a very fattening food lor cattle. The 
fresh leaves also make a good fodder, and 
when sun-dried, powdered and mixed with 
bran can hardly be surpassed. The Stalks are 
even useful, for they yield a strong fibre suit- 
able for weaving into textile fabrics. The fresh 
flowers before the seed matures afford a bril- 
liant yellovv dye which stands well, while for 
Bees the sunflower is unrivalled as a honey 
and wax producer. W. R. G. 
To No 12.— The best honey-producing 
Eucalypti seem to be “Eucalyptus Melliodora,” 
the Victorian yellow Box, “ E. Rostrata,” the 
Red Gum of Victoria, or Flooded Gum of 
N. S. W.; “ E Calophylla,” the Red Gum of 
Port Gregory, IV. Australia, and “E. Amygda- 
lina,” the Victorian narrow-leaved 1 eppennint. 
Nearly all of the common kinds of Eucalypti 
blossom between the middle of spring and 
during the early summer. W. It G. 
To No. 13. — “ Echium Candicans,” raised 
from seed, cannot be induced toflower the first 
year. The plants n quire fully two years to 
mature even in a very rich soil. \V. It. G. 
