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THE

British Bee Journal,

AND BEE=KEEPERS' ADVISER.

Edited by
THOMAS WM. COWAN, F.G.S., F.L.S ., F.R.M.S., &c.

AND . v

W. HERROD, F.E.S.

VOLUME XLII.

Jakuary-Degembep, 1914.

PUBLISHED BY

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT, & CO., Limited,

32-36, Paternoster Row, E.G.

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF
MASSACHUSETTS

AMHERST, MASS.

1

an

v/.«J-2*

-. jpco;t gill a son. Ltd..

Condon a County Printins Wckxs.

Drury Lane. London, w C.

THE

British Bee Journal

No. 1645. Vol. XLIT. N.S. 1253.] JANUARY 1, 1914.

[Published Weekly

VOLUME FORTY-TWO.

The commencement of a new' volume
gives us an opportunity of surveying the
progress made during the past year, and
in doing so we have every reason to be
satisfied. As far as "'Our Journal" is
concerned it is still " going strong," and
with the constantly increasing number of
new readers, is carrying out the instruc-
tion in modern methods which it lias
advocated during the last forty-one years,
and has kept its readers well informed on
all that is going on in the bee world.
Its circulation, not only in every part of
our vast Empire, but also in foreign
countries all over the world, is sufficient
testimony respecting its standing as an
exponent of modern bee-keeping.

The past year can only be reckoned an
average one for honey, the fine weather
in the early part of the season being
favourable : in .some districts the harvest
was abundant, while in others it was not
up to the average. One remarkable
feature of the season was the small
amount of honey-dew, so that the honey
obtained was uniformly good. The
mortality among bees during last winter
was very great, especially where colonies
had not been fed up the previous autumn,
and there was consequently a great
demand for swarms, which it was difficult
to supply. Another unfortunate factor
was the prevalence of disease, which
caused considerable losses. It was dis-
appointing to bee-keepers that the "Bill to
provide for the dealing with Bee Diseases,"
introduced again in Parliament by the
President of the Board of Agriculture,
was abandoned, with a number of other
Bills, on account of pressure of business,
but it is a measure that will have to be
pa-sed sooner or later, as. not only bee-
keepers, but fruit-growers and agricul-
turists, are beginning to find that they
cannot do without bees, and that unless
some compulsory powers are obtained to
prevent the careless. obstinate and
ignorant from propagating disease, the
various industries dependent on bees will
.suffer.

It is satisfactory to find that the

B.B.K.A. is in a flourishing condition
and on such good terms with its progres-
sive affiliated associations, which is shown
by the delegates attending the Council
nuttings so regularly, and taking their
part in the government of the Association.
At one time it was stated that Un-
affiliated associations had no voice in the
management of the parent body, but this
can no longer be said, as their representa-
tives frequently outnumber the B.B.K.A.
members of the Council at the monthly
meetings. There are now forty-six asso-
ciations affiliated to the B.B.K.A.

The Experimental and Educational
Apiary, established at the Zoological
Gardens, has been completed during the
year, all appliances connected with bee-
keeping can be seen there, and it now coin-
pares favourably with such establish-
ments on the Continent. The Secretary
and Mr. A. Richards, a member of the
Council, were deputed to visit the Experi-
mental Apiary in Paris, to see how it was
conducted, and to learn all possible about
the methods adopted. The result of this
visit was reported in the "B.B.J." for
May 29th last. The apiary at the Zoo-
logical Gardens attracts a good deal of
attention, especially when lecturing is
going on, and from the numbers attend-
ing it is evident that the selection of
the locality was not only justified, but has
turned out a wise one. We mention this
especially, as some captious persons have
criticised the Council of the B.B.K.A. for
selecting the Zoo, but they have over-
looked the fact that the Government grant
was for — among other things — an experi-
mental apiary situated in or near London,
and there was no other place where it
could have been better placed or seen by
more people. Although an experimental
apiary is not kept for honey-getting, as
a matter of fact a surplus was obtained.
Regular courses of lectures were given at
the apiary and in the Lecture Hall, as
in the previous year, and it is satisfactory
to find that these lectures are so popular
that more persons applied than could be
accommodated, consequently some had to
be disappointed. Special lectures were
given at thirty-seven places by the
B.B.K.A. lecturer in different counties, at
no cost to the affiliated associations, the
parent body being enabled to give them
as a result of the grant from the Develop-
ment Fund. A special lecture was also

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

Jan. I, U»14

given in the Lecture Hall of the Zoo-
logical Society, by Mr, T. W. Cowan.
F.L.S., on ■'Bee-keeping in Other
Countries." when over 200 persons at-
tended. Pioneer lectures Mere given by
lecturers appointed by the B.B.K.A. in
different districts, and examinations were
also held in a large number of centres.

Two conversaziones were held in the
Hall of the Zoological Society. At that
held in March a paper was read by Mr. G.
Flashman on " The Natural History of
the Honey Bee.*" and at the October meet-
ing papers were read by Mr. A. G. Pugh
on ■'Judging Honey/' and by Mr. H. J.
Menzies on " Marketing Honey," both
subjects being followed by discussions,
from which much useful information was
derived.

The principal additions to bee literature
have been " Fungi of the Beehive," by
Miss A. Betts : "Further Report on the
[sle of Wight ' Disease" by Dr. Graham-
Smith and others; a new edition of Root's

A. B.C. and X.Y.Z. of Bee Culture";
and the twenty-first edition of the
" British Bee-keepers' Guide Book," by
Mr. T. W. Cowan, F.L.S., eve.: also a
new edition of " Queen-rearing in Eng-
land," by Mr. F. W. L. Sladen, F.E.S.

Among those who have passed away
during the year we would mention Lord
Avebury, the first President of the
B.B.K.A. and a lifelong subscribe]-; Mr.
F. H. Fisher, a former Hon. Secretary of
the Lincolnshire B.K.A. ; and Mr. C. X.
White, who was a regular subscriber to
the B.B.K.A., and at one time a. member
of the Council and a contributor to our
pages.

We take this opportunity of thanking
not only those in this country who have
helped to make the ' B.B.J." in-
structive and interesting, but also the
numerous foreign correspondents who
have contributed to our pages, and in-
vite others to write to us and not to
lnsitate even if they cannot write in
English.

In conclusion, we thank our readers for
their expressions of goodwill and en-
couragement- contained in almost every
letter received, and wish them health,
happiness, and prosperity during this
'•oming year.

BEES AM) LUCK.
Bees fioni a very early date were sup-
i to bring either good or bad luck,
according to circumstances, and in ancient

literature we very frequently find 'luck
and bees closely associated. They are
represented as visiting Plato as an infant
in the cradle and anointing his lips with
honey, from which he derived his gilt- ■<!
eloquence. Several other ancient Romans,
famous for their persuasive speaking and
brilliant oratorical powers, or gifts of
song, had the originating cause of t >se
powers attributed to a visit from bees in
the early stage of their existence. The
following extract from one of Darwin's
works is worth quoting under this head.
He was a baby in the cradle at the time.
and, of course, quotes the facts from
hearsay : "The windows of my mother's
room were open in consequence of the un-
usual warmth of the weather. For the
same rt^ason, probably, a neighbouring
beehive swarmed, and the new colony.
pitching on the window-sill, was making
its way into the room when the horrified
nurse shut down the sash. If that well-
meaning woman had only abstained from
her ill-timed interference the swarm might
have settled on my lips, and I should
have been endowed with that mellifluous
eloquence which, in this country, leads
far more surely than worth or honest
work to the highest places. But the
opportunity was lost and I have been
obliged to content myself through life
with saying what I mean in the plainest
of' plain language! "

But the landing of bees in .particular
places did not always bring good, luck, as
the following instances will show. Bees
lighted on Pompev's ships, thus, according
to the soothsayers, presaging his over-
throw. On a swarm alighting near
Brutus's army the augurs read evil from
the act, and their counsels were so power-
ful that they induced him to shift his
camp, "lest he should suffer damage and
loss." The statue of Antonius at one
time served as a home for a truant swarm,,
and the fact was considered " an ominous
presage of the fate of his empire." A
swarm lit on one of the ensigns just before
the battle of Cannae, and, of course,
disaster followed, " for it was ever
esteemed an ill-omen for swarms to light
in places where they were not accustomed
to resort."

Cases of bees bringing either good or
bad luck might be multiplied, but these
must suffice at present. Astrologers of old
read men's fate by the stars; and Roman
augurs read the signs of ease and plenty
or the reverse " from the flight of .Bees
and Birds." Wise creatures, they fore-
told the nature of the seasons, and even a
modern American poet records that pre-
vious to a- severe winter their hives were
" overflowing " with honey. They were
storm predictors also, as the following
couplet proves :

Jan. 1. 1914. n

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

"And some by lot attend the gat'
inform
Approaching showers and to foretell a
storm."

Will our late abundant honey-flow pre-
sage a severe winter, a- our weather
prophets predict ? Many colonies pro-
duced an •"overflowing" harvest of honey.
The following interesting particulars of
a belief in bees' luck came to me the
other day from a part of Equatorial
Africa where, I suppose, until last year
the foot of a white man never before trod :
" Soon after taking charge of the new
Concession, I was one day sitting in the
entrance of my tent, when I was .surprised

<• a chief from a native village near
walk up with some followers, one of them
hearing a large calabash containing
native palm wine. Following a palaver.
the chief formally presented the gift, the
bearer laying it down beside me. After
thanking the liberal-minded chief, and
acknowledging the compliment by hand-
ing him something in return. I noticed
that a score or more bees came buzzing
round the calabash, and I gave a sweep
with my sun-hat to drive them away.
When the chief saw me trying to injure
the bees he got suddenly into a state of
great excitement, and urged me
vehemently not on any account to kill
them, because they were sacred and
bringers of good luck. I did my best to
get him to explain why they gave them
that character, and he informed me that
they guided his men when they desired to
obtain a supply of the ' palm wine.' It
appears that to get this they must tap the

just near where the male or female
flower (I don't know which) is found to
grow. It seems the natives watch the
flight of the bees from some given point,
and line them to the tree where these
flowers bloom, and there they find the
palm wine. The chief eulogised the bee as
a ' good spirit.' who was a friend to the
natives, giving them both food and drink,
as his people esteemed honey highly, as
well as the wine they guided them to.

" One day I was going through some
very thick ; bush ' when I came across a
native cemetery. A number of rude
earthenware pots, urns, and rough-shaped
vases were scattered all over the ground,
with a feeble attempt at ornamentation
of the various graves, where the savage
forefathers of the tribe were sleeping their
last sleep. In the centre of the grave-
yard was a very large tree, and the hollow
spaces were occupied by several colonies
of bees, just as Virgil describes them in-
habiting the ' hollow oak.' There was
quite a little "'apiary-' of them, and from
the various exits bees were flying out and
in in their thousands. From what some
of the natives said later it would appear

that they regard the presence of the bees
there as a protection from the evil spirits
and bad "devils' they are so f lightened
of. Bees as ; good spirits.' bringing
" luck,' protecting the dead, and bestowing
gifts of food and drink on the living,
present us with rather an interesting
theme. It is instructive, too. to discover
that ancient and modern times so nearly
approximate in certain ways."

The very interesting fact that this first
issue of the Journal for 1914 falls on
New Year's Day makes it appropriate
that I should wish every reader a bright
and happy Xew Year: may the day- of
every one of them be long in the land ;
and in this and future years may the
hfes cf all brine Good Luck!

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Special lectures in connection with the
Development Fund Giant to the B.B.K.A.
will be given at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not given, particulars can be ohtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall. Zoological
Gardens, London, by Mr. W. Herrod. on
January 8th, 19th, 22nd, and 29th;
February 5th and 12th. at 6 p.m.

SPECIAL I.ELTUEE3 BY MR. W. HEBEOD.

Worcester, Jan. 24th. 4.30 p.m., Central
Coffee Tavern. Subject, " A Year's Work in the
Apiary."

Hereford. Jan. 28th, 2 p.m. Subject. "A
Year's AVork in the Aniary."

Exeter, Jan. 30th. Subject, " Queen-rearing
and Introduction."

Barnet, Teh. 17th. Subject. "A Year's Work
in the Apiary."

PIONEER LECTURES BY MR. W. HERROD

Presteign Jan. 27th .. 7.30 p.m

Cray*ord Feb. 2nd .. 7.30 p.m

Gravesend Feb. 26th 7.30 p.m

Sidc»p March 30th 7.30 p.m

AY. BROUGHTOX-CARR .MEMORIAL
FUND.

£ s. d.

Amount already acknowledged 10 18 6

E. Roche 0 5 0

C. R. Pinknev 0 5 0

J. G 0 4 0

R. Mackender 0 10

AY. Shuker 0 1 0

£11 11 6

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 1, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

THE DUTIES OF AN EXPERT ON
TOUR.
[8915] Lieut.-Col. H. J. O. Walker's
communications are always pleasing and
instructive, and in the interval pending
the passing of your "Diseases in Bees
Act," making it compulsory to allow of
inspection of apiaries by properly con-
stituted authorities under the Act, I con-
sider Col. Walker's suggestions under the
above heading (" B.B.J.,'' October 2nd.
1913) the best that could be adopted in
the interests of British bee culture.
Though I was previously aware that he is
against the use of immovable comb hives,
I was pleased to see in the following
number (October 9th) his condemna-
tion of ordinary skeps as domiciles for
bees. Every person who has had practical
experience in examining immovable comb
hives for disea.se, be they skeps or "box-
hives " (these latter appear to be somewhat
of a bugbear to Mr. Crawshaw), will agree
with Col. Walker with regard to the
difficulties attached thereto. I will go
further, and say that such examinations
faithfully carried out are fruitful sources
of spreading disease.

I presume that extra caution is needed
to guard against carrying " Isle of Wight ''
disease germs from apiary to apiary by
experts on tour, hence it is necessary to
carry disinfectants, &c, around with
them. The procedure with regard to our
apiary inspectors on tour is about as
follows : The outfit besides their ordinary
clothes, is .an'overall coat, smoker, hive tool,
notice forms, and a copy of the Apiaries
Art, together with a carbon letter book.
The stationery, &c.„ is snugly packed in a
leather satchel, which, with the smoker
and coat, is strapped to the motor bicycle.
T may state that about four months ago
each of our four apiary inspectors was
provided with a first-class motor-bicycle,
which enables them to do about three
times the inspection work in a week that
they were previously able to accomplish.
They are .supposed to use their machines
all they oan, but are not debarred from
going by rail with their bicycles to dis-
tant districts when this will save time,
or where bad roads intervene.

Arrived in a given district (no notice
is required to be sent previously of his
proposed visit) inspection of every known
apiary in that district takes place. Every
reasonable precaution is taken to avoid
carrying disease germs away from an
infected apiary, but there is no fussing of
changing clothes and disinfecting them and
oneself, as I have seen advocated by some
of your correspondents. Yet disease is
decreasing fast ; in fact, I am justified in
saying that it gives little or no concern
now to commercial bee-keepers. Each
inspector has a very large territory to
cover, and if they had to do a lot of what
we believe to" be unnecessary fussing, as
above indicated, they would scarcely be
able to visit a district more than once in
five or six years. Choose thoroughly reli-
able and experienced men as inspectors,
and give them to understand that disease
must be suppressed at all cost ; pay them
good salaries, and, above all, don't hedge
them round with a lot of restrictions^ —
"You must not do this " and "You must
not do that.'' If you have the right men,
give them each a copy of the Act (when
you get one), and leave the rest with
them. — I. Hopkins, Auckland, New Zea-
land.

THE SKEP QUESTION.

[8916] I am filled with wonder at the
comprehensiveness of the cave which Mr.
Macdonald has discovered ; it outrivals
the classic one entirely. It may not be
amiss to remind Mr. Macdonald that the
Adullamites achieved a few things. Does
Mr. Macdonald reflect that it is a very
strong argument in favour of a cause that
it is adhered to by all sorts and con-
ditions of men? It shows that it is not a
mere cranky notion, but one which has a
wide appeal.

Mr. Macdonald offers an analogy
(page 504, * ol. 41), which one would
almost have thought could only
have been produced by his opponents.
Carried to its logical conclusion, it would
mean that because the self binder and the
motor plough are far and away the best
for the large farmer, a law should be
passed forbidding the man who grows a
modest half rood of barley to cut it with
a hook, or dig it with a spade. For the
rest, Mr. Macdonald's contribution to the
discussion gives no single word against the
skep. In his view, apparently, the frame
hive is "movable," and the skep "im-
movable.'' Nothing more therefore need
be said.

Mr. Macdonald's reply to my queen-
rearing question is somewhat belated, and
he need not have pretended to forget who
asked the question. I am not very
sensitive, and if I were finding fault
"according to lack of knowledge" I
should only be too pleased to be put right.

Jan. 1, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

But there is a lack of ingenuousness in the
reply, which is a trifle surprising for Mr.
Maedonald entirely ignores the fact that
when rearing queens in a hive containing
a fertile queen, according to Mr. Sladen's
method (with which I am perfectly
familiar), the isolated part is given
started queen-cells. This is a vastly dif-
ferent matter to the simple method of
increasing for novices, which started the
discussion. As I said before, if anyone
can assure me that queens can be reared
as a matter of course, and not by a mere
fluke, by simply putting some brood behind
a queen excluder, it is news to me. and as
such I will gratefully add it to my stock
of knowledge. I make no boast of being
"advanced," and humbly realise that 1
have a very great deal to learn.

By the time this letter appears we shall
be on the threshold of another year, so
that I take the opportunity of wishing
your good selves and my increasing
number of bee-keeping friends and friendly
opponents a very happy and prosperous
New Year. — Herbert Mace.

THE FLOWERS OF JANUARY.

[8917] The earliest flowers of the year
are the most precious, and there are an
appreciable number that may furnish a
little foretaste to the bees on a bright and
warm day before January is out. The
Christmas rose is already in blossom. Its
innumerable golden stamens are very
welcome, and 'where they grow in con-
siderable numbers, as at Kew, they may
make the bees quite busy. Ga/rrya elliptica
is strictly an anemophilous flower — that is,
it relies on the wind and not the bees to
distribute its pollen. It has been stated,
however, that the bees make use of it. In
the first week of the year its long, green
catkins, which it produces in profusion,
may be emitting their vital dust. Winter
aconite is a cheery blossom of the butter-
cup order that breaks through the frozen
ground and usually insists upon opening
in January. It is quite a favourite with
the bees. The mezereon, too, may blossom
this month, and a very .small display of
its bright purple blossoms, or the sweeter
white variety, will suffice to attract our
friends. It i.s not strictly due till the
snowdrops are up and their name is " fair
maids of February." The ivy is still in
blossom, and a fine day will set it going
again. We may expect a few great
wallet goldeiiTstamened blossoms on the
Pyrus japonica, or Japanese quince, and
sometimes in January it blooms quite
freely. The witch hazel, Hammamelis
mollis, may become a maze of yellow worm-
like flowers ; it smells very sweetly, and
no doubt the bees use it. Our own hazel
may produce an erratic crop of pollen,
and the bees sometimes collect from this

typically anemophilous flower. The sweet-
scented colt's-foot or winter heliotrope is
a prominent wild flower of great attrac-
tiveness that often opens in January, and
the dandelion blossoms in every month,
and always commands some custom. I
have a note in last year's diary for
January 9th, " Bees bringing in specks of
white pollen." I suppose it was from ivy,
though it may have been from wallflower.
A bush veronica is still covered with
blossom, and the bees were busy on it a
few days ago. There is a field of charlock
also bright and fragrant, near here, and
I am sure no bee could resist it on a
warm day. However, they could scarcely
do better this January than remain at
home and take the rest that has until
now been denied them. — G. G. D.

THE LABELLING OF HONEY.

[8918] On and after January 1st all
jam or marmalade will have to be
labelled according to its contents, and if
anything is added besides fruit and sugar
the same must be clearly stated.

This is a step in the right direction,
for besides protecting the public it aids
the manufacturer of a good and reliable
article.

Could not the law be strengthened and
applied to the labelling of honey, to the
mutual advantage of both producer and'
consumer? No bee-keeper minds fail' com-
petition, but when he has to compete with
foreign honey sold a,s English he might
well have something to say.

One is often told that honey can be
obtained from such-and-such a store at
6d. per lb., "pure English, none better."
On investigation it is generally found to
be a foreign or colonial product labelled
" Pure Honey," "New Season's Honey,"
"Genuine White Clover," cvc. — terms too
vague to be reliable. Some time ago I
entered a shop with the object of selling
some of our Cotswold honey. No sale was
effected, and the manager, whom I knew
slightly, told me that his " New Season's
Honey" (a year old), selling at 6d. per
lb., cost him 3Ad. per lb., carriage paid.
Who can compete with this? And he
actually claimed that of the two his honey
was the better.

I dare sav I have handled more honey
in one month than he had in his lifetime,
a.nd it was very inferior stuff indeed com-
pared with the honey prrduced by local
bee-men ; in fact, it was like sugar and
water, not honey. Many people who pur-
chase such honey would probably not do
so if it were labelled as it should be.

Everything except bep produce is rising
in price, but unless we get some of these
evils remedied we may have to accept a
lower price still.

In everv other line of goods there is

li

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

"•fan. 1, 1014.

a standard of prices which vary but

little, but in the honey trade one man
makes 7s. per dozen jars, and another lis.
for the same quality honey. Why this
difference? In honey selling the "get as
much as yon can " principle is utterly
wrong, for in many eases it is precious
little when you sell wholesale.

It would be interesting to have the
opinion of others on the subject raised,
for what benefits one benefits the com-
munity at large. — A. H. Bowen, Chelten-
ham.

•ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8919] Having lost all my bees last
spring through "Isle of Wight" disease,
I decided to make another start, and
after thoroughly cleaning and disinfect-
ing all my hives. L prepared a new situa-
tion for the apiary some 150 yards away
from the old spot.

My efforts to secure a supply of bees
from healthy apiaries in the immediate
neighbourhood having failed, I at length
got some from about ten miles off. By
July last I again possessed four stocks
of healthy bees, for so I have every
reason to believe they were.

Just a month later I noticed that some
of the foragers belonging to one stock,
instead of marching straight into the hive
when returning, walked quickly once
round in a circle, about the length of a
bee in diameter, just before reaching the
entrance. I do not recollect ever having
seen this referred to. It is the first sign
of anything wrong which I have been able
to detect.

I next sent some bees to the Board of
Agriculture for examination, and Mas
informed that they contained young
stages of Xos( inn apis, but as the infec-
tion was very slight I was advised to try
and cure them by feeding with candy con-
taining 15grs. of crude catechu to the
pound. I carried out the directions, but
so far as I could observe, the new " cure "
did no good whatever, and the bees
rapidly grew worse. The other stocks
became affected, and I do not think any
will survive. Another bee-keeper of my
acquaintance has tried Bowen's Cure,
quinine and Izal, all to no purpose. And
now I come to the main object of my
letter. It is this. Could not the Board
of Agriculture, or you. Mr. Editors, or
some bee-keeper in a position to do so,
present us with a general account of the
9 — - of the disease all over the
country? One realises that business in-
fo rests may make some bee-keepers averse
to supplying Information, and that some
of the "' professional " bee-men might
object to their districts being put on a
"Black List," yet such objections could

surely be overcome, since much informa-
tion is already to hand in the columns of
tlie "B.B.J." What is needed is a
systematic summary of the facts we
already possess. It would be most in-
teresting to know where the disease is at
its worst, which districts are least affected,
and most important of all, those places
where the disease appears to be exhaust-
ing itself, and how long elapsed before
signs of exhaustion began to be noticed.

Others besides myself must be seeking
an answer to the question : "Is it any use
making another start next year? If not,
how long must elapse before I can recom-
mence bee-keeping with any hope of
succe>s?'' — L. Illixgworth, Brentwood.

THE W. BROFGHTOX-CARR
MEMORIAL FFXD.

[8920] Herewith I enclose -js. as a dona-
tion to the W. Broughton-Carr Memorial.
The old thief " Procrastination " has
prevented earlier attention to this matter.
but the recent appeals from yourselves
and Mr. Pearman should make every bee-
keeper "toe the line" without further
delay. In view of the excellent season we
have just had, there should be no diffi-
culty in getting the ninety-three (now
ninety-two) subscribers of os. each, as
suggested by Mr. Pearman. especially if
bee-keepers will realise the great im-
provements in- bee-keeping they owe to the
late Mr. Carr. — Campbell R. Pixkxey.

AX OLD-FASHIOXED COTS WOLD
APIARY.

[8921] I have pleasure in sending you
for publication in the Bee Journal a
photogra23h of Mr. A. Martin and his
quaint apiary. He has kept bees since
a boy. and is as interested in them
as ever. Being a shoemaker of the sort
that " make to last," most of his time is
spent in a workshop adjoining the cottage
which is to the right of the picture.

From the window, a good view of the
apiary is obtained, and, curious to note,
nearly every swarm settles on a branch
of an apple tree overhanging the hives,
and none have flown farther afield or
been lost. The skep in front of our worthy
beeman is the original stock from which
this bee-colony has sprung, and again this
year it has thrown a swarm and cast as
usual. Last summer was the best Mr.
Martin has ever had. Starting in the
spring with four skeps and the frame-
hive, he has had five swarms, one cast.
and a "smart," as big as a duck's
This latter was saved, and is now a re-
spectable colony with a grand young
queen. In August three swarms were
"taken up" and from these and three

Jan. 1, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.

caps,'' iiljout 901bs. of honey was
strained. The frame-hive yielded twenty-
one sections, a 51b. swarm, and a cast.

Fortune has smiled on our geniaj bee
friend, and, judging from the com-
plaisant way he sits smoking on the wall,
he is not afraid of bees either. Between
the wall and the barn runs a road, and
although traffic is passing all day long no
one is stung. This speaks well for the
gentleness of skep bees. "Who would not
like to possess this picturesque row of
hives that always do so well and are the
picture of vigorous health, witli no foul
brood and no spring dwindling"

.Mr. Martin paid a ••flying " visit to the
Royal Show at Bristol, and was keenly
interested in the bee department, but after
admiring the light honey, he came to the

of learning in France, Germany, or the
Low Countries to still further complete
his education. Such men made their
mark in the history of their period. Nor
is it infrequent at the present time to
visit other schools. No country has a
monopoly of knowledge and wisdom. Men
excelling in every science and learning are
to lie met in other lands, whose words are
;k precious as the pearls and diamonds
which the Thousand and One Tales of the
Arabian Xights narrate fell from the
lips of the Princess as she spoke. Our own
special study may lie hut one of the minor
industries. It is so. Vet there are in
other European countries ways of working
and "wrinkles'' to lie picked up. He is
insular and narrow-minded who would
deny this. In these day- of cheap and

MR. A. MARTIN S APIARY, PRESTBURY, NE. CHELTENHAM.

conclusion all of us come to, that his own
rich " bee honey " was, after all, the best.
In concluding, I might add that no one
in search of a pleasant half holiday could
do better than come with me and pay
a visit to Mr. Martin and his cottage
bee-garden. — A. H. B.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

It was a wise and thoughtful custom of
our fathers that when a young man had
finished his apprenticeship he should go
to other towns to learn what they could
teach him for the bettering of his handi-
craft. Again, it was equally wise when a
student had taken his degree at Oxford
or Cambridge to send him to other seats

easy travelling the fallacy has long been
exploded that England is first in every-
thing and the rest of the world but
an inferior second. An hour's sojourn in
any of our great capital cities would con-
vert the most obstinate of unbelievers,
and he would be convinced there is much
to he learned, especially from our com-
petitors. Now, this theory reduced to
practice was the motive reason which
induced a little party, consisting of your
junior editor, his accomplished wife, and
yours sincerely, t; Blurts," to take a
wandering tour through France, Switzer-
land, Italy and Germany, what time our
annual holidays were due. If the readers
of the Bee Journal would care to list to
my tale, I would like to recount to them
some of the adventures that befel us in

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 1, 1914.

our travels. If occasionally I wander
away from matters apicultural, have
patience, for I would amuse as well as
instruct, if I am able.

The modern invader of France (amic-
ably, of course) has many ways to choose
from here. He who experiences difficulty
when on the high seas of containing
within him all that he holds dear, who
A'-earns almost to bring up his very boots,
would, of course, choose the shorter —
Dover-Calais- -route. But as for me. I
much prefer the longer (as to sea passage)
— via Newhaven-Dieppe — for I am fond of
the old Norman town, and the journey to
Paris through the •'hills of Normandie."

What a contrast! We have left the
hurly-burly, the hustle-bustle of the
London streets but a few hours. We land
in an old town, narrow streets, footpaths
overhung by projecting houses, pointed
gables to the houses. I could fancy that
its '"rues" were still ttscd by the gallants
with the ever-ready rapier one reads of
in Dumas and the hooped beauties so
familiar on the plaques of Watteau ; but I
am not allowed to dream. A figure dances
to the window of the "venture," and
screeches, " Fru-e-ets. pears and grapes —
tak Engleesen money." And they do take
it, for the prices they ask would make our
West-End fruit -shop keepers delirious with
joy at the profits. The " gare " (we call it
in English " railway station ") is by a busy
thoroughfare, and the Chemin-de-fer. or
iron road, runs parallel with the main
street without even a protecting fence.
How unfamiliar to us seem the titles on the
signboards — " Boulanger," " Charcutier,"
" Quineaillier." We scarcely recognise
under these disguises our old friends the
baker, the butcher, and the candlestick
maker. The gendarmes are neat and
smart, but those soldiers — red-britched
infantry and wrinkle-booted cavalry —
they are everywhere. How slovenly they
are dressed. Save me from hearing the
"cussing" an English drill sergeant would
give way to if his recruits paraded in such
uniforms.

"En voiture. Messieurs, en voiture."
"Take your seats" — and to the sound of
a "penny trumpet " (so one of our fellow
passengers sacrilegiously calls the copper
horn which substitutes our accustomed
whistle) we start for Rouen.

Rouen ! What schoolboy is not crammed
with its history, a medley of William the
Conqueror, Norman kings and queens,
baronets, and Joanne of Arc. I myself,
again, for the moment, am lost in
the age of chivalry and knightly "derring
do." " Say, friend," breaks in a typical
Yankee figure next to me — 'hearing me
chatting with the lady on the other side,
who cannot speak a word of English —
"Say, friend. I calculate you know some-

thing of France and the Frenchies. Can
you tell me how long it will take to do
Ruin ? " At first I cannot grasp his mean-
ing— " do Ruin." "Blue Ruin"; I have
heard of a drink of that name. Oh, I see,
Ruin is the Yankee French for "Rouen."
Perhaps I may be pardoned for not being
accustomed to the pronunciation. "You
know,"' he proceeds, "I am an Ameri-
can schoolmaster over here to do Eu-rope.
I have only a month. I have done Turkey.
Russia, Austria, Germany, and England.
I have now three days to do France and
Italy, and catch the boat at Naples. Can
I do Rouen, Amiens and Paris to-
morrow ? "

It was a tall order. But I suggested
one possible way. We were due to arrive at
Rouen in the evening. He might take
a midnight train to Amiens. Should he
stay the remainder of the night there he
would catch an early train to Paris, and a
voiture to the Tour d'Eiffel Avotdd enable
him to see the whole of Paris at a glance,
and what was there to prevent him pro-
ceeding to Rome right away?

"Wal." said he, "I reckon you're
smart. Come along with me." I declined
with very many thanks. I had other en-
gagements. Now, this is no traveller's tale
--I am not even drawing the long bow. It
is absolutely true, even as it occurred to
your wandering contributor. — J. Small-
wood. (To he continued.)

[8895] Sterilising Beesicax. — Frevent-
in<l Brace-combs. — Will you kindly tell
me: — (l) How to sterilise wax to be used
for fixing foundation? (2) Do thick top
bars prevent brace-combs to any extent?
(3) If the super frames are crossed at
light angles to the brood frames, is it an
absolute preventive of brace-combs ? (4) Is
there any objection to super frames being
at right 'angles ?— J. R. T.

Reply. — (1) A sustained temperature of
158degs. Fahr. will kill bacilli. In re-
fining wax Hoz. of sulphuric acid are
added to every gallon of water used. This
is heated, and the mass stirred with a
wooden stick, so that the wax is thoroughly
blended with the water. It is kept for
two hours at a temperature of 158degs.
Fahr., the firing is then stopped, and the
mass allowed to cool very slowly. (2)
They do to a great extent, but not
always. (3 and 4) No.

[8896] Ownership of Siranns.—Jn re-
plying to my enquiry in " B.B.J." of
December 4th" (8895), you omitted to say

Jan. 1, 1914.] THE BRITISH Bhh ml KNAL

0

whether bees are classed as domesticated
or wild animals. This is important. Both
Judge Gye and yourself .state what the
law on the subject is, but will you kindly
quote the "Act," which makes what you
state to be the law? Your example of
shot game falling on another's preserves
is quite a different matter altogether. If
the game simply flew and settled on the
preserves of another, one has no light to
follow the said game to either shoot, trap,
or catch this game. iSo I am of opinion
that (bees are classed as wild animals) a
swarm settling in a neighbour's garden is
in the same position as game. A bee-
keeping friend of mine is much concerned
re this subject, and it is possible, although
not likely, the trouble might happen to
me. — A Novice.

Reply. — (1) Add about one-eighth of
the usual quantity of water, and boil
until the condition given in " Guide
Book'' is reached. (2) In warm weather
all the quilts should be removed. In the
winter only the calico one should be left
on.

NOVELTIES FOR 1914.

NEW "TIME-SAVING" BAB-EBAME.

Mr. C. Kusel, of Allerton, Lanes., sends
us an illustration of his new patent" Time-
saving Frame." Among the advantages
claimed for it by the inventor are: (1) No
wiring is required; (2) therefore no wires
to rust; (3) at least thirty frames can be
fitted with foundation in the same time
as it takes to fit one of the old style; (4)

"TIME-SAVING FBAME.

Reply. — We have submitted your ques-
tions to an eminent judge, who states:
There is no Act — i.e., statute — on the sub-
ject, it is the common law of England, as
stated by Bracton and Blackstone. Bees are
fetce, nut ura (wild animals). No pro-
perty passes in them except by reclama-
tion. If a swarm settles on a tree, no
property passes until the bees are hived :
when hived they become the property of
the hiver, and if a swarm leaves the hive
this property continues in the hiver (i.e.,
owner of the hive) so long as they can
be seen and followed.

[8897] Hard Candy. — Moving Bees in
Winter. — (1) I have a quantity of candy
which has been boiled too hard. Will you
oblige by telling me how it can be utilised ?
Can it be boiled again, and, if so, how
much water should be added per pound?

(2) As regards the directions on page
118 of " Guide Book," for despatching
stocks in frame-hives by rail, should all
quilts be removed for ventilation, covering
the frames only with the frame of per-
forated zinc for ventilation, even in cold
weather, or should one or more felt quilts
be placed over the zinc frame for warmth?
— Stanwell, Middlesex.

extensive experiments have been mad©
with the frames in the Allerton Apiaries,
and they have been found perfectly satis-
factory. The cost is low, viz., 2s. a dozen,
lis. per half gross, 20s. per gross, anil
they can be had from appliance dealers
as advertised later.

SPECIAL LECTURES ON BEE-
KEEPING.

SPEY VALLEY B.K.A.

On December 2nd, under the
auspices of the Spey Valley Bee-
keepers' Association, an advanced lecture
on bee-keeping was delivered in
the Public School, Craigellachie, by Mr.
William Herrod, F.E.S.. secretary and
lecturer to the British Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation, London. The lecture, which was
illustrated by limelight views, was a most
instructive one and dealt with diseases of
bees, enemies of bees, and how to clean
and preserve the hives. At the close of
the lecture questions were invited, and
several were asked and replied to.
Provost Morrison, Aberlour, who pre-
sided, proposed a hearty vote of thanks
to Mr. Herrod for his instructive lecture,
and this was cordially responded to.

10

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 1, 1914.

SUFFOLK U.K. A.

At the Lecture Hall, Woodbridge. on
Thursday, December 11th, a most interest-
ing lecture was given by Mr. W. Herrod,
F.E.S., Secretary to the British B.K.A.,
entitled " A Year's Work in the Apiary."
So far as the surrounding district of
Woodbridge is concerned, bee-keeping has
not many adherents, so it was surprising
to find a large attendance. Lady Farren,
as chairman, introduced the lecturer, re-
marking that they were very lucky to get
him, owing to his numerous engagements.

Mr. Herrod used about 100 slides.
First dealing with the amateur who
desired to commence, there was shown on
the screen a home-made hive, constructed
by a lady from a few Quaker Oats boxes,
the whole cost of material being nine-
pence, the inside frames and wax founda-
tion being extra, of course. Those who
preferred manufactured hives could buy
them at prices ranging from 21s. to 30s.
all complete, but the lecturer pointed out
that it was quite possible to get very good
results with the cheaper hive, if thoroughly
dry and warm. With regard to the bees, he
advised them to get a' good swarm in May,
the variety did not matter a great deal
but he recommended the British Blacks,
Some people, he said, went in for pretty
bees, but what they wanted was useful
workers. The appliances for feeding,
wiring frames, swarm catching, working
for swarms or for .surplus honey, were all
discoursed upon, the lecture ending with
a picture of a Suffolk apiary, consisting of
one hundred hives, where the owner had
managed to purchase his house with the
profits.

The lecturer spoke for over an hour to
a most appreciative gathering, and the
outcome will no doubt be a well deserved
fillip to the work of the Association in
the county.

Dr. G. A. Mossop proposed a hearty
vote of thanks to Mr. Herrod, thanking
him for the lucidity and completeness of
the address, and this was seconded by Mr.
W. H. Hudson. Many questions were
asked and answered.

NORTHUMBERLAND B.K.A.

Under the auspices of the Northumber-
land Bee-keepers' Association, Mr. W.
Herrod, F.E.S., delivered an instructive
lecture in the Town Hall, Morpeth, on
December 4th, on "Bees and their Pro-
duce." He explained how to get the bees
strong in the springtime, how to keep
tliem hvgienically clean, how to obtain in-
crease artificially, and how lust to work
for honey. Alderman Carr presided, and.
on the motion of Mr. F. F. Schofield. Mr.
Herrod Mas heartily thanked.

OLNEV AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

A lecture on "Bee-keeping for Profit"
was given under the auspices of this Asso-
ciation (by arrangement with the
B. B.K.A.) by Mr. W. Herrod, F.E.S., at
the High Street Schools. Fenny Stratford,
on December 20th. Mr. W. Purvis,
Loughton, took the chair and briefly
introduced the lecturer. An audience of
between forty and fifty listened with rapt
attention to a delightful lecture, the value
of which was greatly enhanced by the fact
that it was accompanied by a series
of excellent lantern slides. At the close
of the lecture questions Mere invited and
answered fully and concisely by the
lecturer.

On the proposition of Mr. Boyes,
seconded by Dr. Buxton, a hearty vote of
thanks to the lecturer was unanimously
accorded .

G. B. (Cambridge). — Mead. — Both samples
of mead are very good indeed. No. 2
being slightly the better of the two.
The only big show where prizes are
offered for "mead" is the Royal
Agricultural Society's Show, particulars
of which will appear in " B.B.J." early
in the New Year,

C. A. M. (Newport). — Varieties of Bees.
— {1) The bees sent aire British, and,
providing the strain is right, are good
for honey production. (2) We are
afraid from appearances that they have
" Isle of Wight " disease.

Honey Samples.
W. Parsons. — As the honey Mas sent in
a white opaque jar we cannot give an
opinion on the colour, but it appears
rather dark. It has evidently been
gathered from late-floMering sources,
such as ivy, and. though fairly good. in
flavour and density, Mould not sell at
more than 6d. per lb. retail.

Suspected Disease.
A. J. W. (Woodford).— Nos. 1, 2, and 4

specimens have died from " Isle of

Wight" disease. No. 3 Mas omitted

from your letter.
P. D. (Falkland) and R. (Devizes). -The

bees have died of "Isle of Wight"

disease.
F. K. (Hope). — The 1>ees are suffering

from "Isle of Wight" disease, the

only safe treatment for which is

destruction.

Jan. 8, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOUKNAX.

11

REVIEW.
Insect Life.: Its IT'/)!/ and Wherefore,
by Rev. H. G. Stanley, F.E.S. -(London:
Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, 2s. 6d.) — This
book will be found interesting reading by
old and young. Written in an easy con-
versational style, the author has. success-
fully endeavoured to give the life history
of some of the commoner insects in plain,
simple language. The book is written for
anyone interested in the subject, but more
especially for farmers, gardeners, and
fruit growers. Those of our bee-keeper
readers who are also elementary school
teachers will find " Insect Life " ex-
tremely useful in teaching elementary
entomology. There is nothing of the ''dry-
as-dust" order about it, and from our
own experience we venture to say that if
placed in the hands of children in the
higher standards they will be reluctant to
lay it down until they have finished read-
ing it. Though suitable for young people,
it is so far removed from the nursery tale
style as to be equally interesting to those
of mature years.

A great deal of ignorance exists con-
cerning insect life, most people being
too ready to condemn all insects as pests,
and destroy them indiscriminately. This
book should do much to correct these false
notions. The merits, as well as the de-
merits, of the insects dealt with are fairly
stated ; there are very few concerning
which the author has not some good to
mention, and even if they have no re-
deeming points the "mission" of the
insect is pointed out. For instance,
writing of the house fly, he tells us : " Its
obvious mission. The house fly may be a
nuisance, it may be a menace to the health
of the home. Would it find a place at
all in the home, at any rate in anything
like such numbers, if precautions as to
cleanliness were more general? The
dirtier a house is, or the dirtier the neigh-
bourhood, there will you find the greater
number of flies. ... If that troublesome
little insect, with its patience-provoking,
unappetising habit of perching sometimes
on my plate, sometimes on the end of my
nose, and anon in my eye, has succeeded
in dinning into my dense mind that I
must be cleanly in my habits if I would
be healthy and strong, if it has succeeded
in emphasising that cleanliness is nearly
allied to godliness, then dare we any of
us say that the fly has plagued us in
vain? " There is also a good word for
the wasp — that insect regarded by most
bee-keepers as an inveterate foe to their

pets. In the chapter devoted to the
Aphis, we are told, " At the present the
nuisance of blight is increasing year by
year. Of that there is no doubt whatever.
The order has gone out from many an
officious local committee that wasps' nests
are to be destroyed — when Nature sent us
wasps on purpose to counteract this evil
of blight,"

We would like to give more copious
extracts from this delightful book, but
want of space forbids, nor would it be
fair to the author. There are twenty-five
excellent illustrations by Winifred M. A.
Brooke. We heartily commend the book
to the notice of our readers.

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Speeial lectures in connection with the
Development Fund Grant to the B.B.K.A.
will be given at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not given, particulars can be obtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall, Zoological
Gardens, London, by Mr. W. Herrod, on
January 8th, 19th, 22nd, and 29th;
February 5th and 12th, at 6 p.m.

SPECIAL LECTURES BY MR. W. HERROD.

Worcester, Jan. 24th, 4.30 p.m., Central
Coffee Tavern. Subject, "A Year's Work in the
Apiary."

Hereford, Jan. 28th, 2 p.m. Subject, " A
Year's AYork in the Apiary."

Exeter, Jan. 30th. Lecture Hall, University
College. 3 p.m. Subject, " Queen-rearing and
Introduction."

PIONEER LECTURES.

Presteign, Jan. 27th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Crayford, Feb. 2nd, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Gravesend. Feb. 26th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sidcup, March 30th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sedgley, Jan. 29th, at 7.30. In Wesleyan
Schoolroom. By Mr. Joseph Price.

W BROUGHTON-CARR MEMORIAL
FUND.

£ s. d.
Amount already acknowledged 11 14 6

O. Knight 0 5 0

Rev. F. H. Fowler 0 5 0

J. L 0 5 0

J. B. K 0 2 6

G. Durman ■••.-. 0 2 6

Anon 0 1 3

J. Icinghill 0 10

£12 16 9

12

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 8, 1914.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES.
By W. Herrod.

MANIPULATING A FRAME HIVE.

{Continued from page 496, Vol. 41.)
In teaching any subject by writing the pupil can understand much better if
the work is illustrated as well as explained, therefore I will endeavour to give
by means of pictures the salient points in manipulating. To show that it is quite
easy for anyone who has made up his mind to do the work properly, I give a set
of illustrations from actual photographs of my little boy, just two years old. The

Fig. 4.

Fig.

pictures show that there is very little danger of receiving stings when bees are properly
subdued and handled. So that the operation may be realistic, the object the boy
has in view is to find the queen.

The first thing is to protect the person as described. The bees must be subdued,
this is done by means of smoke or the smell of carbolic acid, either of which frightens
them, and they prepare for contingencies by gorging themselves with food. When

Fig. 6.

Fig. 7.

in this condition, they are not disposed to sting. The smoke is not used to partly
Stupefy the bees as so many people imagine. If they are made stupid with smoke
and they get on the flesh they are mo>re likely to sting.

The smoker is first made ready. The fuel should be a material that will
smoulder for a long time and give off plenty of smoke. Cotton waste, touchwood,

Jan. 8, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

13

i.e., wood with dry-rot, or puff ball are all suitable, but perhaps paper is the most
handy material. Corrugated paper makes good fuel, but used alone it burns away
too rapidly and makes the smoker very hot. If it is used in conjunction with brown
paper this difficulty is obviated. The paper, either corrugated or plain, should be
torn into strips about five inches, wide and rolled into a cartridge, fairly firm but not
too tight. If corrugated paper is used the corrugation should run lengthwise of
the cartridge. The cartridge should be made up of first a strip of corrugated and
then a strip of brown paper, rolled to the diameter of the smoker barrel, lighted at
one end. which is put downwards in the smoker ; it should not be jammed too far
down or it will stop up the inlet hole. The bellows are now worked and a volume of

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

smoke will issue. Put on the nozzle, and it is ready for use. There is a proper

way of doing even the latter simple operation

person struggling to get the nozzle in position.

latter is fitted on to the seam in the barrel of

the slightest difficulty, as it is fitted in that position by the maker. Don't jam

the smoker barrel full of paper, then light it at the top, and wonder how it is

it will not burn. A draught must pass right through from the lighted end; for

It is no. unusual sight to see a
If the seam of the joint in the
the smoker it will go on without

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.

the same reason it is necessary to tear the paper into strips instead of making it
into a number of folds and then rolling it into a cartridge. If brown paper only is
used choose a thick felty one, as the smooth variety will not burn. The best smoker
to use is the Bingham. Avoid the pattern called Clark's cold blast; in theory it
is all right, but in practice it works very badly. If there is a breeze blowing the
cartridge can be lighted by striking the match and putting it quickly inside the
barrel of the smoker, so that it is shaded (No. i, page 14). Xo. 2 shows the operator

14

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. ,S, 1914.

■fli"" " '

* |

fij^__V -

>jH

" \»

»

Q-OO

MANIPl'LATINO A FRAME-HIVE.

Jan. 8, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 15

ready. Care should be taken not to jar the hive at all until the smoke has been

blown in at the entrance. Only very little is required, say about four or five

puffs, but it should be driven into the hive by putting the nozzle right into the

entrance, No. 3 (not a volume sufficient to suffocate the bees and operator, as Fig. 4).

Wait for about a minute, then take off the roof and lift, which should be placed

well out of the way, so that there is no danger of tripping over them when intent

upon the work in hand. Gently turn back a corner of the guilt with the left hand,

using the smoker in the right, No. 4. This should not be held and worked gingerly

with the finger and thumb, but held firmly by the fingers on the

underside and the ball of the thumb on the top side (Fig. 5, page 12).

The quilt is gently stripped back, and a little smoke puffed in at the

top of the frames in its wake. This drives the bees down out of the way, as the

smoke, driven in at the entrance, causes them to go to the food, which is situated

at the top of the combs. Fig. 6 shows a comb immediately it has been lifted from

the hive after smoking at the top. The bees will be seen gorging themselves on

•the face of the comb, and also clustering at the bottom when full. If the operator

prefers to use carbolic as the subjugator, then a piece of calico eighteen inches

.square is saturated with a solution made up of one part Calvert's No. Five Carbolic

Acid to two parts of water. If a little glycerine is added, the acid will mix with

the water more readily. The cloth is wrung as dry as possible, and is then ready

for use. The roof is lifted off very gently, and all the quilts removed except one ;

the carbolic cloth is hung over the hive side furthest from the manipulator, the

two corners being held between the thumb and finger, while the corners of the

quilt are held between the next two fingers. The hands are now drawn towards

the manipulator so that the quilt is drawn off, and the carbolic cloth takes its

place without the bees being able to fly (No. 5). In about a couple of minutes

the bees will be subdued, and the carbolic cloth can be removed and the quilt

replaced. To prevent the carbolic cloth from blowing about it is well to stitch

a small piece of sheet lead into a small pocket at each corner to> weigh it down.

After use the carbolic cloth is kept in an. airtight tin to prevent the moisture and

smell from escaping. In this way it can be kept moist and ready for use for

some weeks. When dry it must be dipped again. In either case, having subdued

the bees, use two quilts folded, so that each covers half the frames. In handling

the frames, only the one to be withdrawn is exposed between the two quilts (No. 6).

This prevents the bees from flying up, keeps out robbers, and also avoids chilling

the brood. The frame is put back and covered by one quilt, while the other is

turned back to expose the next frame for removal. A very neat arrangement is to

have two pieces of calico tacked on to rollers to- use when manipulating. The quilts

are all removed, and the calico on rollers used in their place. Fig. 7 shows how the

^calico covering is easily moved either way by rolling up the weight of the wood

at one side, and a piece of sheet lead sewn into pockets at the other two corners

prevents the calico covering from blowing about.

The work should be carried out systematically. If the hive does not contain
the full complement of frames, the division, board is drawn back to provide plenty
of room for manipulating. Do not attempt to remove the central frame with the
idea of finding the queen at once. If the bees were under normal conditions this
might be done, but the subjugator has excited them, and the queen may have run
into any position in the hive. Start at one side, and take the frames one by one.
Novices often complain that a ten-frame hive does not give sufficient .room to get
out the first frame without crushing the bees. This can easily be accomplished by
gently raising the first frame and drawing the next one so that the metal ends rest
on it (Fig. 8, page 13). If the frames are stuck down very securely with propolis
they can be loosened without jarring by taking hold of the lugs of the frame with
the thumb and second finger, using the first finger as a lever to force it away
(Fig. 9), or they can be eased with a hive tool or pocket knife. The latter is gener-
ally the handiest, and should be used as a lever (Fig. 10), the sharp edge of the
knife being under the frame to be moved. If used the other way, the knife is
liable to slip on to and cut the fingers.

(To be continued)

16

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 8, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are . requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for ^publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

THE LABELLING OF HONEY.
[8922] Your contributor, Mr. A. H.

Bowen (8918, page 5), raises a question
which is of vital importance to us as
British bee-keepers. He asks, T notice,
for the experience of other bee-keepers.
Here is mine.

A short time ago, having rather more
heather honey on my hands than I could
well dispose of retail, I offered some to a
fashionable grocer in a neighbouring
town. AVhen he saw my sample, and had
tasted it, he pronounced it spurious, and
asked all kinds of questions as to its
origin, ending by offering me. 2s. per doz.
less than I was asking. At the same time
he showed me some " real Scottish heather
honey, absolutely the best obtainable,"
which he was retailing at Is. 8d. per lb.
The appearance of this made me doubtful,
so I took steps to obtain a sample ^lb.
jar. When I was able to taste and smell
this sample, I was more than doubtful as
to its origin. Some I sent on to the
Editors, who pronounced it to be a
"blend.'' My own opinion is that the
amount of ''heather" in it was very
small.

I took steps to find out more about this
honey. From the label on the jar I saw
that it was put up by a firm of Scottish
packers. Their wholesale list which I
managed to see described it as a pure
heather honey, quoted the price of 14s. 6d.
per doz., and ended by saying that as the
present heather season (1913) had been
very short, orders must be placed quickly
to avoid disappointment. By the way,
was not 1913 one of the best heather
years on record? I consider that in this
case the retailer was the victim of the
wholesalers, who, at the least, were
guilty of rather sharp practice. Now as
to the sequel. I decided to offer my honey
to a, rival firm. I took with me two samples,
one being taken from the purchased ^lb.
before mentioned. This I offered first,
and was nearly thrown out of the shop as
a cheat. 1 was told that anyone selling
such honey as genuine heather ought to be
prosecuted. When I offered my own they
agreed to take it at my own price, which,

by the way, had risen Is. a dozen, and
would take all I could supply.

Of course, if I have any honey to offer
at a future time it will go to the grocer
who knows good honey, and is prepared to
purchase an honest article at an honest
price. British honey need fear no com-
petition which is open and above board.
Those who imrehase the cheaper foreign
article generally do so through ignorance,
believing that all honeys are alike, but I
have proved that when once they know
the real thing they come again for more.
— D. Wilson.

A BEE-KEEPER'S TROUBLES.

MOVING bees.
[8925J Most bee-keepers are out for
adventures of one sort or another, but I
think I have had a fair share of bee-keeping
troubles, not to mention bad luck ; for out
of the two angels that are said to guard
us my evil one is usually the strongest.
Looking up " Lords.wood's " delightful
article on his one hive out-apiary some
years ago, brings to my mind the fateful
June morning when I, a novice, moved
my first load of bees.

At the time' I was a pupil and general
factotum to a 100-stock beeman, and
owned a small apiary of eight hives in
the vale. These I was anxious to move on
to the hills for the sainfoin and clover.
Everything had been arranged to a nicety,
and the hives with supers on them were
securely screwed down and fastened the
previous evening.

As we loaded up at 5 p.m., when the
air was' crisp, before the sun was up, every-
thing seemed in our favour for the trip,
and I was in good hands, for the carter
was a good bee-master and "knawed a
swarm from a cast." But the unforeseen
always happens. We had scarcely got
well away on the open road and down the
first hill" when the carter yelled, " Ther
bees be comin' out." To my dismajr a
steady stream poured from a hive in
the middle row, and in a moment they
settled on the carter, who darted away
behind the lorry, leaving me in charge of
a prancing horse, while the bees were
stinging my face and hands furiously.

Luckily, I thought of the rugs, and
flung one over the hives and another over
the horse, which I just managed to un-
hitch and lead away down the road. By
this time the carter had recovered, and
as we dared not leave the bees on the high
road we set to and dragged the lorry back
up the hill along the lane, and into the
orchard that was left so gaily thirty
minutes before. This was not the worst,
for out of eight stocks four had all their
combs broken down, drowning the bees in
their own honey, besides the florin it took
to cure the stings on the carter's nose.

Jan. 8, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

IT

That was the first and last time I ever
moved bees in the daytime, and if my
adviser had been emphatic that night is
the only safe time, this disaster would not
have happened.

Moving bees has always an element of
risk about it, but if the hives are screwed
down and ample ventilation under and
over the frames is provided, witli a cool
night and fairly smooth roads, they
usually travel safely. I once moved
twenty-seven full colonies eight miles on
a sultry June night with the entrances
wide open, because perforated zinc did
not afford sufficient ventilation. The quilts
were removed and an extra super placed
on and covered with open scrim and sack-
ing.

Wei loaded up at 9.30 p.m. and did the
journey in three hours. The bees
clustered outside the entrance in masses
perfectly still, and neither of us was
stung while unloading them. — A. H.
Bowen, Cheltenham.

BEE-KEEPING ACCOUNTS.

[8924] Referring to the notes on
pages 434, 489 and 503 of the "B.B.J."
for 1913, as Mr. Smallwood invites
criticism I should like to point out for
the sake of any bee-keepers who may
think of adopting this method of keeping
accounts that Mr. Crawshaw is un-
doubtedly right in his criticism, and Mr.
Smallwood, in rebutting the correction, is
in error. If cash and stock are to be
shown in one account, then stock in hand
at the beginning of the year must be
shown among the payments, and stock in
hand at the end of the year among the
receipts. The argument adduced by Mr.
Crawshaw, that the reverse arrangement
makes an increase of stock show a
reduction in profits, ought to make this
quite clear, but perhaps the question is
worth a further explanation.

In thei example given by Mr. Smallwood
(page 434) the value of stock at the
beginning of the year was £10; the value
of stock at the end of the year, £12 10s.,
the total cash receipts during the year
£13 15s., and the total cash payments
£4 14s. 6d. By adding the stock at the
beginning of the year to the receipts and
the stock at the end of the year to the
payments the account showed a total on
the receipt side of £23 15s. and on the
payment side of £17 4s. 6d., the difference,
£6 10s. 6d.j being taken as profit. Let us
suppose, however, that on the day before
taking stock at the end of the year the
bee-keeper had sold stock to the value of
£2 10s., receiving cash for the same
amount as the stock is valued at in the
original account. It must be quite clear
that this transaction would not, in fact,
make any difference to the profit for the

year. The accounts would now show,
however, stock at the beginning of the
year, £10: stock at the end of the year.
£10; cash receipts, £16 5s.; cash pay-
ments, £4 14s. 6d. The profit for the year
now appears to be £11 10s. (id. The stock
being worth exactly as much at the end of
the year as at the beginning does not
now affect the account, and the true
result is seen. Now, if in the original
account the stock at the beginning of the
year had been added to payments, and
the stock at the end of the year to
receipts, it will be> seen that the profit
would have appeared as £11 10s. 6d.,
which is correct.

Perhaps another example will make it
clearer. Assuming a new recruit to the
ranks of bee-keeping takes up account-
keeping from the start. There will be no
stock on hand at the beginning of the
year, and very likely the cash. receipts will
be much less than the cash payments.
Yet he has not necessarily lost money : the
stock on hand at the end of the year is
what he has got in exchange for the
money spent over and above any cash
receipts. But if Mr. Smallwood's method
of account-keeping is adopted as originally
propounded, the value of this stock will
be added to the cash payments, and so a
huge loss will be shown.

The stock on hand at the commence-
ment of the1 year is to be considered as
bought from the previous year's account,
and the stock on hand at the end of the
year is, contrariwise, sold to the sub-
sequent year's account. The former must
therefore be shown with cash payments
and the latter with cash receipts. — T. M.,
Ilford, Essex.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.
By Charles II. Heap, Beading.
Mr. G. G. Desmond, in the "B.B.J."

of December ,11th, asks the important
question, "Is spring dwindling fatal?"
I am conscious, though I have not the
means of reference, that this subject was
in the past discussed at length in current
bee literature ; but in the light of the
"Report on 'Isle of Wight' Bee
Disease," issued in May, 1912, by the
Board of Agriculture, the discussion is
well worth re-opening. The investigators
employed by the Board of Agriculture
suggest that spring dwindling may be due
to' Nosema apis. If such is the case, the
uniting of dwindling colonies in the
spring or autumn is a practice which, in
the interests of the bee-keeper himself,
and the larger interests of apiculture,
should be discontinued. I have united
colonies, weak owing to some known
cause, with beneficial results, but I never
had a real case of spring dwindling until

18

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 8, 1914.

1912, following the appearance of "Isle of
Wight" disease in my apiary the previous
summer. Personally, I cannot, in the
circumstances, make any useful contribu-
tion to the discussion, but there are many
bee-keepers whose experiences, if briefly
related, might prove helpful. Of course,
if such colonies when united as a rule
succumb, the obvious inference to be drawn
is that no attempt should be made to
preserve them.

Extension Alighting Boards.— The treat-
ment of dwindling colonies is not the
only question in bee management that
needs reconsideration. I am inclined to
think that it is unwise to use extension
alighting boards, which are so common in
this country. If stocks are to be kept in
a state of health it is important that sick
bees shall not re-enter the hives. A sound,
healthy bee, if it happens to miss the
alighting board on returning from
orchard or field with a load of nectar
or pollen, will, after a short rest, rise and
make its- way to the hive entrance. If it
cannot do this, we may take it for granted
that it is weak through disease or old
age, and is best left to perish. This is
not a pleasant doctrine to preach, but it
is what would happen if the colony were
living in a state of nature. My attention
was first directed to this subject in the
spring of 1912. I went away from home
for a fortnight. Before starting I
destroyed four stocks suffering from "Isle
of Wight" disease, and the day after I
got back I found two more affected.
About midday I was called to see one
hive, and found nearly three pints of bees
in a mass on the ground. By way of
experiment I removed the slides, which
were well apart, and gave the bees an
entrance the full width of the hive. After
the lapse of a few seconds, the mass of
bees near the entrance gave a. call, and
the sick bees, except halfna-pint of
stragglers, went up the extended alight-
ing board with alacrity. Notwithstanding
the use of a particular "cure," the
colony lingered for a few weeks and died.
I made firewood of all my extension
boards, and may never use any again.
The incident set me thinking, and the
conclusion I came to was that extension
alighting boards do more harm than good.
If they are no good they are useless
appliances which should be banished from
the apiary.

My criticism of Mr. Grawshaw's defence
of the skep has had the effect of causing
him to unmask his position. I have care-
fully re-read what Mr. Orawshaw has
written from July 3rd onwards, and though
he has hedged himself about with many
qualifying phrases, he has only himself to
blame if he has been misunderstood. On
pag« 206 he says, "A good deal has been

said about the skep from time to time,
but I believe there is a growing body of
opinion in its favour under certain cir-
cumstances. It is not the hive of the
specialist, and it may, or may not, be a
sealed book to many of its owners," &c.
Again, on page 338 he states that he is
" a defender of it for the cottage bee-
keeper, who is not modern enough to use
a frame hive." It is only fair to add
that he goes on, " I have never contended
that it was the peer of the modern hive,
or adapted to modern requirements." All
this leads one to suppose that Mr.
Crawshaw was defending the ordinary
straw skep which may be bought in
Malton, Reading, or other market towns ;
but how surprised everybody must have
been to find, on opening the Jouenal
on November 13th, that this was not
the "fool proof" skep he had had in
mind at all, but that the skep he advo-
cates for the cottager, who is " not
modern enough to use a frame hive," is
one with movable combs. When I pro-
pounded the query as to how Mr. Craw-
shaw would discover a few cells containing
odourless foul-brood towards the top of a
comb in a skep, without withdrawing any
of the combs, I hoped it would lead to an
extension of my knowledge of practical
bee-keeping. Yet here I am no wiser. I
do not object — probably nobody else does
— to the use of skeps from which the
combs may be withdrawn for inspection,
but is the cottager too old-fashioned to
use a wooden hive with frames to be
entrusted with a straw hive containing
them? A further question arises: "Are
such straw hives ' fool proof ' ? " I shall
be glad to know exactly where Mr. Craw-
shaw stands amid his paradoxes. For the
present I imagine that he sta,nds in the
same position as most of us who want the
enormous amount of bee disease that
exists swept away. If there were no
brood diseases I should have no particular
objection to fixed comb hives being used
by people who prefer them.

OFfoMJ

& L.SXrewsKSw, Matron

A New Feeder (p. 466).— This lever-lid
tin feeder strikes me as a good thing,
but it would be improved by a piece of
perforated zinc over the hole in the lid.
Presumably it is laid between two frames,
which prevent it from rolling, but it
would be easy to solder a couple of strips
along the tin to form feet, when the

Jan. 8, 191-

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

19

feeder would be safe, and could be used
across the frames.

Confining Diseased Bees (p. 476). — This
difficulty, viz., the heating of confined
bees, has never caused me any trouble in
the case of large swarms tied up in
ordinary skeps. I find a cellar quite
satisfactory. There is usually a door or
window which can be left open, but a
shady wall or outhouse is often available.
I always invert the skep. There is then
a natural circulation or exchange of the
warm air for the cooler air outside, and
this takes place, even though the top hole
be plugged. But for such purpose as the
union of several lots an extra large skep
is certainly required, and I should not
dream of sacrificing a good hiving skep
needlessly. There is no reason why a box,
or cheap packing case, should not be used
and afterwards made into excellent fire-
wood. If the available box should not be
roomy, a panel of perforated zinc can be
nailed to a hole in the bottom, the zinc
can be covered with some quilts when
hiving the bees in the box. But it is in-
viting trouble to unite at the time of the
first operation.

All Worker Comb from Starters (p.
483).- — I have doubts as to whether some
of the cases given by '' D. M. M.," par-
ticularly that of the upper story, would
result as desired. I have had many such
combs built, but have abandoned the
practice with full-depth combs as un-
satisfactory. Even with perfect spacing
and levelling, one cannot be sure that
the comb will run truly to the bottom
bar. Wiring may be used, but generally
result* in less perfect comb-building.
Where wiring is not used, the combs are
weak, being often unattached on three
sides with unfinished corners. These
spaces may be filled with drone comb
later. With shallow frames the case is
rather different, and good combs can be
more readily obtained. Even if imperfect
or incomplete, they can be more easily
trimmed and inserted in a suitable place
for completion, whilst the absence of wire
is not a serious matter. The fact is,
worker comb can be more readily obtained
in the first five inches than in the last
three, at least, experience has rather led
me to that general conclusion.

Selection of Breeding Queens (p. 487).
— A good many points are usually con-
sidered by careful and experienced
breeders when selecting stock, but very
few are, to my own way of thinking, so
important as wintering quality. Of
course, the final result of all selection is,
we may take it, to be lepresented in the
honey crop, the goal of the practical
breeder's endeavour. To this result,
longevity contributes almost more than
" hustle." Lono-lived bees cost less than

short-lived bees, however energetic such
may be during their shorter life, and the
daily waste of bee-life is a less serious
drain upon population. Now it is more
than probable that longevity under the un-
favourable conditions of winter and early
spring is indicative of longevity in
summer. The vaunted prolificness of the
Carniolan bee may be, in part at least,
due to its longevity. And this quality,
supposing the foregoing to be sound, may
be well judged at the spring examination.
At this examination I mark those colonies
which have wintered best, and look up
their last year's record to eliminate
specially advantaged colonies, or colonies
re-queened late in the year. Then, from
those colonies which build up the quickest
and quietly occupy supers, my stock
queens are usually selected.

Skeps or Frame-hives (p. 498). — 1 do
not think I was unfair to' Mr. Hamshar,
and if he will read my note again, I think
he will agree. I certainly did not refer
to his later success, other than to imply
that the success went hand in hand with
increased knowledge, as was evident from
his letter. Other comment appeared un-
necessary, but I did him the further
justice of assuming that he would succeed
better to-day whatever the form of hive.
He misunderstands, however, my claim to
fairness, which was solely relative to the
merits of the skep itself. And in fairness
I maintain that there is insufficient proof
that the initials to which Mr. Hamshar
refers, have any special relation to the
skep. " I.O.W." was never a skeppist's
prerogative, nor was it, I venture to
assert, spread by skeppists. I agree that
very few of us have championed the skep
recently, but on the other hand, very few
of its opponents have attacked it fairly,
most correspondents showing the con-
fusion of idea which is apparent through-
out Mr. Hamshar's own letter, the title
of which does not fairly state the position.

Those "Cooked" Accounts (p. 506). — I
am surprised to find that Mr. Smallwood
persists in maintaining the correctness of
his accounts, and if his other accounts
are run on similar lines, there must be
work for the auditor ! No doubt Mr.
Smallwood knows the Dr. and Cr. sides
apart, but why does he enter "Goods
sold" on the Dr. side? I have already
pointed out the result of this, but to
make it clear, let us consider the result
of immediate sale of the whole stock.
Thus, Dr. April 1. To stock, £10.
April 2. By sale, £10. Then, Cr. By
balance, £20, called " Profit " ! Obviously
absurd, is it -not? Or again, suppose an
item of purchase be omitted, say, J.
Smith, £1 15s. Then, as this amount is
presumably taken into stock at cost, it
would have to be deducted from stock at

20

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

[Jan. 8, 1914.

March, 1914, thereby increasing the so-
called "Profit" by £.3 10s.! It is clear
that profit should be unaffected by such
transactions, but this is what occurs with
Mr, Smallwcod's method. Will he not
refer the figures once more to the
accountant Y

xfiF^Jg,

[8898] Weight of Sections.— Bees in
Towns. — I shall be thankful if you will
tell me what weight the sections are that
are sold in England at 8s. or 9s. per dozen.
I read somewhere that 14oz. sections were
good enough for exhibition and 12oz. very
good for sale. A friend tells me that in
Ireland he got sections up to 20ozs., but
ordinarily lbozs. to 18ozs., using wooden
dividers. My best stock here makes
sections of 12ozs. to 14ozs., others seal
them when they are 9ozs. to lOozs. What
can I do to get heavier sections? I use
the ordinary 4^in. by 4^in. by 2in. and
metal dividers. Further, I should like to
know if in England beekeeping is for-
bidden in small townships, and, if so, in
which, for instance. Thanking you in
anticipation for kind reply through your
Journ\l. — L. W. J. Deuss, Nyasaland.

Reply. — Sections sold in England at 8s.
or 9s., unglazed, are never so light as
12ozs., the weight averages between 14u/.s.
and lGozs. It would be no use exhibiting
sections weighing 14ozs. only, as they
would stand little chance of winning a
prize. Sections weighing 20ozs. are very
rare. We are afraid we cannot tell you
what to do to obtain heavier sections; a
good flow of nectar and the supers well
crowded with bees, is what we look for
here. Bee-keeping can be followed any-
where in England. Occasionally a person
objects to bees, and if he can prove they
are a nuisance through being too near his
habitation he can obtain an injunction
restraining the person from keeping them
too near. This applies in the country
as well as in the towns. It is very rarely
that a case of this kind is brought into
Court, and when it is it often proves
more of a personal quarrel and spite than
that the bees are a nuisance.

[8899] Spring Dwinditng. — As I am a
novice, I shall be obliged if you will tell
me the meaning of what is termed
' spring dwindling," the effects of it,
and a remedy? — E. R. B., Rugby.

Reply. — Spring dwindling is a term
generally used indiscriminately when bees
die off in the spring from starvation,

chill, disease, &c. True spring dwindling
is caused by having an old queen in the
hive in the autumn. As she ceases laying
very early, and at the best only a limited
number of eggs, the bees left for winter-
ing are too old, and die off rapidly in
the early part of the year before young
ones are reared to take their place, so the
colony perishes. The remedy is obvious.
[8900] Bees in <i Tree. — A large swarm
of bees last year settled near the top of
a rotten tree in a hole, which can bo
reached by a ladder. I have leave to get
it out, but must do so before March 31st.
Our climate is warmer than yours, and
the bees fly more freely in winter. Would
it not be wise to take them soon, before
they have started brood raising? I have
a hive ready for them, and can give them
two or three frames full of sealed honey
from other hives. We can start syrup
feeding here in February. I propose
with an awl to drive a hole into the tree
just below the combs, and smoke the bees
up into a skep fixed above the entrance
hole, and then I can cut out the comb, if
worth it, at my leisure. — Guernsey
Reader.-

Reply. — If you can start syrup feeding
in February, we should say about the
third week in January would be about
the right time to get the bees out.

H. W. K. (San Remo). — Bee Records. —
We shall be pleased to see and give an
opinion on the record kept in your
apiary.

W. H. W. (Notts). — Kent as a Bee-
Coanty. — There is no Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation in 'South Kent. The districts
you name are good for bee-keeping, and
so far as we know at present are free
from " Isle of Wight" disease.

Colmeina (Hinckley).— ■■Stock Dead in Well-
stored Hive. — The bees were far too
decomposed for us to examine them for
cause of death. We should judge from
your particulars that the colony
dwindled through having an aged
queen.

W. A. C. (Somerset). — New Soutli Wales
for Bees. — Write to the Editor of the
Australasian Bee Journal, c/o Messrs.
Pender Bros., West Maitland, New
South Wales, or to Mr. R. Beuhne,
Toobarac, Victoria, South Australia,
for information on the matter.

Jan. 15, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

21

THE PACKING OF SPECIMENS SENT
FOR ADVICE.

During the quiet period of the year uo
doubt our readers have time to peruse
their Journal more carefully than in the
busy season ; therefore we have reserved
this article until they have leisure to care-
fully digest it.

We are at all times pleased to be of
service to our leaders, and therefore it is

must often' be the case. A look at our
first illustration will show the unsuit-
ability of many of the receptacles sent.

We also find that such things as scent
and sauce bottles are used without proper
washing, while peppermint, aniseed,
Mother Seigel's Syrup^ boot polish, &c.,
(fee, is often the only aroma we can detect.
It is impossible to tell the source of honev
unless the receptacle is absolutely clean.

Fig. 2 shows thought and care on the
part of some of our readers. On the left
is shown a block of wood with a hole bored
in it to take a small glass tube; a thin
piece of wood tacked on either end makes
a safe case; the other two parcels were
also well packed with corrugated paper,

Fig. 1.

only right that we should receive con-
sideration, especially as our services are
given gratuitously. The carelessness of
those sending parcels for Editorial con-
sideration is simply appalling, and ren-
ders our work (under the best conditions
no light task, as shown in the illustra-
tion above of the samples of honey
received in a single week) most difficult.
Honey is packed in all kinds of re-
ceptacles, very little or no precaution being

;is will be seen at Fig. 3, where all are
opened. Ingenuity is also shown at Fig.
4. where two cartridge cases are used, one
being a little smaller than the other, so
that it went inside as illustrated oil the
right hand, and enclosed the glass tube
of honey, shown projecting on the left,
i The rules to be observed in sending
honey are as follows : —

(1) Use a clean non-leakable vessel.

(2) Pack carefullv.

Fig. 2.

taken to prevent leakage, so that many
packages arrive in an abominable state.
We inherit all the Englishman's love of
cleanliness, but object to having to wash
our hands every three or four minutes
through the carelessness of others. We
often wonder what those people say who
receive parcels through the post saturated
with honey and the contents spoilt, as

Fig. 3.

(3) If more than one sample is sent
number each plainly.

(4) Give as much information as you
can about them.

(5) Send the letter separate from the
sample, being careful to mark the name
of the sender on the latter.

(G) Use a tie-on label on which the
stamp is stuck: if it is put on the

22

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 15, 1914.

package the bitter is bound to be
smashed when the stamp is obliterated.
Dead bees should not be posted in an
envelope or cardboard box, or the result
will be as Fig. 5. When sending these use
a tin box or some other strong covering.
Fig. 6 shows the care of one of our
readers. A section has been cut so that
the lock joints are retained at two corners,
shown at the right, and within these a

Fig. 4.

match box is enclosed, as seen on the left.
When wrapped in paper and tied with
string this forms a strong package. A letter
should be sent separate, as in the case of
honey, andi as much information given
as possible to help in the diagnosis. The

Fig. 5.

address and stamp should be placed on a
tie-on label.

Diseased combs should be packed in a
strong tin box, and on no account should
the letter be stuck on the face of such
combs, as is often done. It is impossible

If a reply is required by post please do
not stick a stamp down on the letter, it
is difficult to get off without making the
•stamp unusable. It is a small matter
tor the one seeking advice to write
his name and address, and stick the stamp
on an envelope. With us the addressing
of twenty or thirty envelopes is a con-
sideration. We also receive many parcels
devoid of any particulars as to who has
sent them. In the course of time an in-
dignant letter arrives asking why we have
not replied.

Finally, we are anxious to do all we can
to help bee-keepers, but we must live, and
we consider it unfair for those who seek
our aid not to subscribe to one or the other
of our papers. That many are mean
enough to do this is shown by the fact
that they send letters addressed to offices
we haAre left four and even eighteen
years ago, showing that they have not
current literature, but have looked up
an old bee book for the address. The
following extract from a letter recently
received speaks for itself.

" Will you kindly put the reply to my
query in next week's B.B.J.' I do not
take it myself, but a friend does, and I
can go and look at his."

HONEY IMPORTS.
The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during, the month of
December, 1913, was £2,117.— From a
return furnished to the British Bee
Journal, by the Statistical Office, H.M.
Customs.

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Special lectures in connection with the
Development Fund Grant to the B.B.K.A.
will be given at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not given, particulars can be obtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall, Zoological
Gardens, London, by Mr. W. Herrod, on
January 19th, 22nd, and 29th : February
5th and 12th, at (3 p.m.

SPECIAL LECTURES BY MR, W. HERROD.

Jan. 24th, 4.30 p.m., Central
Subject. " A Year's Work in the

to describe the disgusting me^x and
smell we often discover on opening a
package of baddy packed combs.

Worcester,
Coffee Tavern
Apiary."

Hereford, Jan. 28th, 2 p.m. Subject, " A
Year's Work in the Apiary."

Exeter, Jan. 30th. Lecture Hall, TJniversity
College. 3 p.m. Subject, " Queen-rearing and
Introduction."

PIONEER LECTURES BY ME. W. HERROD.

Presteign Jan. 27th 7.30 p.m.

Crayford Feb. 2nd 7.30 p.m.

Grcuv&send Feb, 2ijr/i 7.30 p.m.

Sidcup March 30f/< ... 7.30 p.m.

Jan. 15, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

90

By Nemo.

Bee-keeping in Greece. — We find, accord-
ing to the Revue Francaise d' Apiculture,
that there are 13,000 bee-keepers in
Greece, who own 201,314 colonies of bees.
The census Mas taken by the Agricultural
Society of Greece with the assistance of
the schoolmasters in the country. It is
principally farmers and the country
people who go in for bee-keeping. During
recent years many scientists and rich
landowners have taken up with enthusiasm
modern methods of apiculture.

Bees gather principally from thyme,
which blossoms nearly all the year, and
gives Grecian honey the well-known
aroma, which is so appreciated by lovers
of honey. Fruit blossoms and many
annual wild flowers also yield an excellent
honey. That from mount Hymettus,
Spetsar, Hydra, Zante. and Maina sells
for from 2.50 to 3,00 drachmes; (2s. Id. to
2s. 6d.) per oke (about 31bs. oozs.). Late
season honeys, which are more or less dark,
realise a lower price, varying from 0.80 to
1 drachme the oke. At Karistos, near
Kallianou a honey is obtained from wild
roses which fetches from 8 to 10
drachmes the oke. The honey, which is
very light in colour, is highly aromatic
and has not its equal in any part of the
world. From the earliest ages this honey
has been supplied for the table of the
Sultans.

Customs Officials an,] Bee-keepers. — A
certain area of Savoy is free from duty,
and is called " Zone tranche. " Within
this district there are a number of bee-
keepers, and one of them, highly esteemed
by all, who was among the founders of
the " Societe d' Apiculture de la Haute-
Savoie," has been in the habit for the
last twenty years of sending his renowned
honey to many customers, principally in
Lyon. The honey has always heen of first-
class quality and much appreciated. This
year, however, the Customs have been
giving him trouble, for we read in the
Messager Agricalc, the journal of the
Haute-Savoie and the " Zone franche,"
that he sent as usual 400' kilos of honey
in barrels to Lyon, which were stopped
at Belgrade, the frontier of the Zone.
One' of the barrels was opened, and a little
liquid honey on the surface — as it had not
completely granulated — caused an inex-
perienced Customs official to suspect
adulteration. The honey was retained,
and the sender was requested to pay duty

on " miel <Je fantaisie," imitation honey,
in addition to a fine for making a false
declaration. The bee-keeper was astounded,
protested against such an accusation, and
demanded a sample, which he sent to the
well-known expert, M. A. Caillas, for
analysis. This gentleman found the
honey perfectly pure and of excellent
quality. The Customs, however, kept the
honey for more than two months, until
their own experts had analysed it, and
who also pronounced it perfectly pure.
It was then released. This, however, did
not end the business, for in accordance
with their tariff and regulations the
P.L.M. railway demanded 98fr. for
storage during the time the honey was
detained. The bee-keeper referred them
to the Customs, who replied that they
were not liable, and had the right of
making a mistake, so that the bee-keeper
had to bear the cost and had no redress.

Poisonous Honey. — There is no plant in
Europe known to yield honey that is
poisonous to either bees or human beings.
But in Ittustrierte Monatsblatter a fact
is mentioned that has frequently been
noticed of cases where the nectar of
certain plants, such as the lime, heath,
buckwheat, and others, appears to affect
bees occasionally under certain atmo-
spheric conditions, making them stupid,
so that thev are liable to lose themselves.
This is specially noticeable with humble
bees, which are frequently found under
lime trees, where they fall and perish
during the night. Dr. Alefeld grew
masses of henbane and belladonna for
experiment in his garden. These poisonous
plants bloomed profusely, and were visited
by his bees, but he never found them
affected in any way, or the honey in-
jurious to human beings. In tropical
countries honey derived from laurel,
yellow jasmine, and sumac is supposed to
be poisonous.

.1 Good Mastic for Mahogany. — The
following recipe is given in the Union
Apicole : Melt oozs. of beeswax with l^ozs.
of resin, and add l^ozs. of Indian red.
This produces a mastic the colour of
mahogany, which can be usefully employed
in stopping holes or cracks in furniture
made of this wood.

THE W. BROUGHTON-CARR
MEMORIAL FUND.

£ s. d.

Amount already acknowledged 12 16 9

A. Baldwin 0 3 6

J. E. W. E 0 2 6

W. Winterton 0 2 6

Rev. R. M. Lamb 0 1 8

M. Robinson 0 1 0

£13 7 11

24

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 15, 1914.

ftoifg the jBe

QUERIES AND REPLIES.

In heading this paragraph I do not
seek to usurp our Editor's function.
The replies are merely given in answer to
pertinent queries put recently by Mr.
Crawshaw. On page 198 he asks what
do I really mean ? What was in my
mind was a system of watering bees
carried out by a friend. He heats the
water for his bees, runs it out pretty
warm through a pipe into a. contrivance
made on the same plan as is used in
distilleries when "cooling" the liquid
produce of the steeps. It runs in at one
end of the cooler, winds about from side
to side, thus making the journey not only
a lengthy one, but also one occupying
considerable time, until at last it finds its
way to a new receptacle after becoming
cold. On page 508 he asks what do I
mean by the "seeds of granulation"? My
idea is comb once occupied with granu-
lated honey, even after a fairly complete
cleaning by bees or bee-keeper, or both,
may still retain the "germs" of granula-
tion. Brood combs filled with syrup may
contain a remnant of the inciting cause.
I think I have found it so. Also sections
not completed one. year with some honey
in the cells, and used as bait sections next
season, will "breed" granulation. Again,
feeders not properly cleaned when syrup
has candied during the feeding process
may, almost inevitably will, act as an
incentive to granulation at some subse-
quent period, even when the food lias
been well and properly made by the bee-
keeper, and that not by any incipient
cause in the syrup, but from the "seeds "
present.

He queries also whether the thick syrup
I advocated — 2^1bs. of solids to one of
liquid — would not be certain to granulate,
in spite of all precautions, from its own
inherent over-consistency. I do not think
so, with care. It has again and again
been advised by both Dr. Miller and Mr.
E. Root, and if they find it a good and
efficient food, why should not we?

Perhaps there is really little difference
of opinion between Mr. Mace (see page
1) and myself, and 1 am ready once more
to shed some light on both points he
raises, if I can. 1 certainly do not
"entirely ignore" the starting of queen
cells in the isolated apartment of the
hive. In my original articles on " In-
crease" last June I advised the provision
of a "fertile queen," a "virgin," or a
queen cell in every division made. To say

that I should repeat these instructio is
every time I write of rearing queens in
an overhead compartment, or in a cham-
ber behind the regular brood body, is
surely superfinical criticism in the nature
of straining at a gnat. His other point
is that legislation should step in as a
logical sequence to suppress the hook, &c.
I did not deal with this feature of the
question, and that advisedly. I do not
care to quote myself, but here are the last
words I wrote on skep legislation: "Lee
me plead for its elimination, its suppres-
sion, not by the strong arm of the law,
but by the no less powerful influence n\
example and the teachings of common
sense." I never set Mr. Mace down a-
a Oave Dweller, and I do not think he is
an Adullamite.

Selecting a Queen.- — •Anomalous al-
though the statement may sound, if I
were to get my choice of a queen from
among several I would not desire even to
see the queen I would select. Many
would, and the majority would choose
likely the largest, and, according to their
ideas, the most shapely queen. Looks ar-e
deceiving. Others would probably go by
the beauty of the mother bee; many.
indeed, make it their aim to breed for
colour, as if all the virtues lay in this one
taking feature. Nothing, however, in
my opinion, is a greater fallacy. Three
bands, five bands, all golden, are dis-
tinctive features as far as looks go, but
they have no bearing on the prolificness.
and other good points of a superior queen.
The best way to judge the points of a
good queen is to see results of her work.
Go to the hive she heads, .and take notice
of the fine even slabs of brood she has
left behind as a memento of her visit to
the various frames she has visited. There
will be no scattering of eggs there, no
isolated patches, all will be laid evenly
and systematically. A good queen will have
all the central combs packed fully and
uniformly, and in course of time all but
a corner left for nectar will be sealed
cells, young or old larvae and eggs in all
stages. While carrying out this investiga-
tion note signs of any trace of burr combs,
an over-lavish use of propolis, signs of
bad or careless capping, as causes for
rejecting the queen. Prolificness, gentle-
ness, and good working qualities can all
lie diagnosed from such an examination of
the brood nest. Of course, the race
desired makes a difference, but for comb
honey evidence can be obtained from the
nature of the cappings whether she will
suit for sections. For this purpose no
other strain or race suits better than the
good old English hoe. if found in her
purity— but that is becoming yearly a
greater difficulty. Alas! that it should
be so !

Jan. 13, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

25

Examinations. -The day is past, I
think, when bee-keepers would be pre-
pared to undervalue the good effect on
any bee-keeper of the necessary study and
preparation for undergoing the ordeal of
a far-searching examination. The quali-
fications required to pass for a third
Expert Certificate are not very severe,
but if it be remembered that the oral
examination practically covers the whole
field of bee-keeping, one can appreciate
the very great advantage derived from a
careful and systematic study of the bee-
books read before the trial comes off. One
knows a good deal about bee-keeping; he
has practised it for many years, and can
get along fairly well ; sometimes in a
blundering way, because he has not really
set his mind thoroughly to digest the
extensive mass of facts he has loosely
acquired. A good deal of matter is float-
ing about somewhere at the back of his
mind, but he has never assimilated it
properly. It is in a fluid or chaotic state.
In his grind he applies system to collect,
assort, arrange, and unify all into a
connective whole, ready to come to his
aid at his beck and call. The first condi-
tion of undigested facts floating loosely,
and wanting coherence, means chaos, the
methodical arrangement and more definite
co-relation of these facts mean precise
and available knowledge. I am strongly
of opinion that any bee-keeper who closely
studies even for a third or preliminary
examination is a better man or woman, as
well as a better bee-keeper, for these weeks
or months of close application and study.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
1or the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

SPRING DWINDLING.

[8925] As I am afraid I may have
created a false impression (page 512). with
your permission I should like to say I no
more thought that the " movable comb-
hive " is impervious to mismanagement
than, I would say the skep '"lack of
method " is prone to it. Human control,
over the brood-nest, stores, to say nothing
of the liabilities of the several diseases
bees are found to be inherent to, is prac-
tically nil in the case of the skep, though
this, in our variable climate, is so essential
to the very existence of the bee.

Marketing and Labelling Honey. — I
was intensely interested in Mr. Menzies'
address on the former subject, especially
as it was my first visit to a conversazione
of the British B.K.A. It is almost im-
possible to pass an adverse criticism on
the paper, as it was so broad and filled
with the "theme of progress,'' but I do
think the real cause of the scarcity of
British Honey is the enormous losses of
stocks during the past three years. While
personally not admitting the need of a
wholesale distributor for " wholesale " pur-
poses for British honey, obviously there
must be such distribution for the Colonial
produce. As for co-operation, we have
the best machinery fully organised, but
do we members of Bee Associations really
use it? Why, we do not even attend our
annual meetings. One of the objects of
the Surrey B.K.A. is the disposal of
members' honey, but up to the present 1
am glad to say I have never used the
Association for this purpose, as I cannot
get enough to fill orders. I find an
advertisement in the local paper brings all
the trade I need. Here again I can save.
I always deal first hand. I find the Asso-
ciation label of great assistance in selling,
as the guarantee gives confidence at a
glance. A better education in bee-
keeping appears to me to be wanted. On
our executive councils we have gentlemen
holding responsible positions on educa-
tional boards, ''work them," to push bee-
keeping into our schools, which is about
the only thing not taken seriously there.
Where there is a big surplus of honey in
a county it seems a simple thing to ap-
point a person to effect some sales in our
big cities. Is it not about time we had
an all-British label? We have a big
affiliation now.— A. H. Hamshar.

RAISING QUEERS ABOVE EXCLUDER.

[8926] With reference to the con-
troversy as to whether bees will raise
queens when brood is separated from the
compartment occupied by the queen by
excluder, I have had two instances myself,
and in each case a queen-cell was formed.
The first one was in shallow frames above
excluder, the four centre ones had a
small patch of brood and eggs at the
bottom; whether the queen had got
through the excluder, or the workers had
carried the eggs there, I cannot say, but
there the brood was when I took them off
for extracting. I put the four frames
containing brood back and filled the rack
with empties, leaving them on Jong enough
for the brood to hatch out. When remov-
ing them I found the cell from which the
queen had issued.

The other case was a swarm I bought
on five frames, 12in. by 10in., which I
desired to transfer to standard frames. I
placed the deep frames over the standards

20

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 15, 1914.

until the latter were well occupied, when
I shook all the bees on to them from the
deep frames, first making sure the queen
was below, put the excluder between.
There was no queen-cell at that time, but
when moved a month later there was an
empty one. In both instances the combs
were new. Being a novice (I commenced
last spring), I might have overlooked the
real cause, but I can assure you in neither
case was it for want of room.

Natural Food and Hardiness of Bees. —
In following my business, I cycle past a
farmhouse, in the garden, of which I had
noticed an old hive with the roof tilted
over considerably and looking altogether
too dilapidated to be inhabited. Riding
past one day in slimmer, I heard the
hum of flying bees, and, stopping to see
where they went, was surprised to see
them make for and enter the old hive. As
I stood watching them the owner came
upon the scene, and thinking (rightly)
that he had no further use for them, I
asked if 1/ would sell. I bought them at
a speculative price without examination,
beyond what I had seen from the road.
When I went to prepare them for re-
moval I found a rack containing five
sections in one corner, which had con-
tained honey and brood at some time, but
was now empty. The roof was cracked
and the cap was off, allowing the rain to
go through. If there ever had been a
quilt on, it had left no signs. I got the
hive home without a hitch and proceeded,
after a few days, to transfer the frames
to another hive. There were nine broad-
shouldered frames, and after a good deal
of trouble I managed to get four out
whole, the other five, like a good portion
of the hive, were too decayed to hold
together, and all were fastened either to
the side or bottom of the hive with pro-
polis, which had set as hard as cement.

When I bought the stock the owner told
me the last time anything was done for
them was seven years ago, when a com-
mercial traveller painted the hive out of
pity. The "combs" were full of stores,
and, to use his own words, "'they have
kess'n three times this summer,'' which
1 took to be a swarm and two casts. This
stock was gathering pollen on December
2nd from mignonette ; on that day the
bees from my other six stocks were not
to be seen at all. — Novice.

KEEPING APIARY ACCOUNTS.

[8927] As I have only just become a
regular reader of the " B.B.J. ," I am
afraid I have missed some valuable in-
formation by 'Sir. Smallwood. However.
your correspondent's letter ($924) on
page 17 will help me considerably.

I have always kept an account of my
i x|>< hm's and receipts, but have never yet
been satisfied, in mv own mind, that mv

system of getting at the "profits" was
correct. There are two or three points in
which "T. M." might assist me.

Does he call expenses and purchases
Dr., and should this appear on the left
or right side of the account?

How would he treat the question of a
doubled stock as to valuation at the end
of the year?

What about the loss of a swarm, say.
just as the honey-flow commences? The
"surplus" from that hive would be nil.
so should this be written off as a loss and
placed on Dr. side?

Depreciation. — What would "T. M."
advise with regard to this item, if one
paints one's hives each year, keeping
everything up to the mark, and, of course,
charging the cost up ? The brood-chambers
and supers must deteriorate in time. — A
Novice.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from page 8.)
" There was a sound of revelry by night.
The Norman capital had gathered
then,

Her beaut}- and her chivalry, and bright
The lamps shone o'er fair women and
brave men."

Let not the ghost of Byron haunt me
for thus commandeering and altering to
my own sweet will his familiar lines,
but had I searched the whole library of
British poets I could not have found a
more appropriate quotation for the recep-
tion which met our arrival in the historic
city of Rouen, and had we been important
folk we might have anticipated some such
manifestation. But no, we were but
ordinary people, and therefore to find the
town en fete was quite unexpected. Flags
and banners flaunted their gaudy colours,
and from the thronged streets "the
sounds of revelry" arose. It was the day
of a great event. Cohorted musicians had
gathered together from all parts of France
and even ''Algerie." It was a day
of battle for laurel wreaths and crowns
of honour, for those associated groups who
bore themselves most bravely. In Eng-
land three simple words, "A brass-band
contest," would have described the event ;
in France it had a much more sonorous
and ambitious title.

Well, then, figure us if you can, full
of hope and delightful expectation of
musical enjoyment for the evening. We
thought we were in for a good thing, and
when that we had recovered and refreshed
ourselves after our voyage we would be
happy and gay. We knew a good hotel—
we were told of it ere we left England.
What could mar our joy? " Vive hi
France."

You never know what fate has in store

Jan. 15, 1914.1 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

for you. At the "Ecu de France" •' Mon-
sieur le patron " was beaming with smiles
and profuse in Gallic gesticulations. " Out!
What accommodation did we desire ; we
were so welcome." Naturally it occurred
to us. as Rouen was so festive, to enquire
what tariff his modesty and politeness
would permit him to charge us. Exactly
double the ordinary rates. What would
you wish? The hotels were full, and he
could easily let his chambers. We were
••desolated" to refuse him. but we
politely declined to be " had."

Other hotels, we thought, might be less
exacting. Vain was the thought! Vain!
It was as if the musical army of France
had emulated the German invaders of
1870, taken possession of the town, and
billeted themselves on the inhabitants.
Everywhere the. same reply, " Complet,"
which needed no translation.

A happy thought ! We have an. intro-
duction to a. local apiculturist, a man of
great fame. Shall Ave appeal to the
brotherhood of bee-keepers? Would it,
and could it, help us in our dire distress)?
Accredited duly T found my way across
the city to "la rue de la Grande Horloge,"
whilst my fellow-travellers kept watch
and ward over our baggage under the
shelter of a tree. But bad fortune had
another kick left for us. ''Monsieur was
on his holidays: he would not return until
Tuesday."

Dismayed and crestfallen was my
return. The next train to Paris was in
the early morn, and we could not camp
out in the centre of the town under the
•stars. But woman's wit came to the
rescue. "If the hotels are so full, we
must try the cafes. Even here, not at the
first, nor even the second, 'nor the third
attempt did we succeed. But valour,
especially feminine, is invincible. A cafe
near the "Grand Gare " attracted o\ir
notice by its neatness. A little bargain-
ing, and because that we were three
" voyageurs," and it was therefore a
serious transaction, we secured a rest for
our wearied selves. Nor in the end were
we dissatisfied, although we had to pay
•50 per cent, on normal prices.

I would gladly tell tales from the
history of the old town. I would fain dis-
course of its Cathedral with the " Butter
Tower," so called because a tax on butter
provided funds for its erection ; of the
wonderful Church of St. Ouen ; of William
of Normandy, brought hither, mortally
wounded, to die; of Arthur of Brittany,
he who pleaded so pathetically (so our
Shakespeare tells) for his eyes; of Joan
of Arc, here burned at the stake ;
of its manufactures (the Cottonopolis of
Fiance). There is no dearth of sub-
ject, but space will not permit: I must

hurry on. Nor will 1 narrate how next
day,'

" Rich strains of music wind along,
Deep, majestic, smooth and strong,"
because, as I have described our entry
into Rouen, so must I also tell the story
of our exit.

Tt was only the advanced guard of the
army which had taken, possession the
previous night. To-day (Sunday) the
main army marched in, each unit of
it playing some instrument of metal
or wood, or both. Wherever could
they all come from? There were
bands military, naval, and gendarmerie.
There were bands departmental, muni-
cipal and from little villages, even, as I
have said, from distant Algerie. There
were bands amateur and working-men ; aye,
and working-women, too, and right lustily
did the latter play. All bore emblazoned
banners. And so the town was packed.

There may be advantages to the com-
munity for the railways to belong to the
State. I do not see them. One would
have thought that to move this great
assemblage special and frequent trains
would be run. Not so in France, where
the proverb has it they manage these
things better. The Government, having
no competition, deemed the usual Sunday
service to and from Paris sufficient. So
when we took our departure in the after-
noon (for necessarily our stay was but
short) we found the platform crowded
from end to end. An hour's delay, and
our train ( ! ! !) drew up absolutely full.
An English stationmaster would have
dealt with the difficulty in five minutes.
Not so " Monsieur le Chef de la Gare."
He had to consult with some other official,
who had to consult a third. All three had
to argue the point (with the usual gesticu-
lations), which took half-an-hour, aided
by occasional instructions from irate pas-
sengers to " additionez-les,' and the
residt was to add half-a-dozen more car-
riages to the, head of the train. As most
of the expectant passengers were in the
rear, the movement to the front, there-
fore, which had to be made was certainly
not dignified. However, the junior
editor, being more fleet of foot, secured a
compartment before the writer, who is
more. portly of frame, could reach it. The
crowd surged in. It seemed as if we
were to be separated. Again woman's wit
to the rescue- -it was the last carriage of
the addition. "Go round to the other
side." The flank attack succeeded. I
mounted. Final tableau. Frantic ap-
peals from ten French passengers to the
chef to eject V Anglais. '-Hold hard:
hold hard," from my fellow-passengers.
Useful deafness of the chef toot-toot-
ing of the horn, and departure of the
train for Paris.

Jxo. Smallwoop.

.28

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 15, 1914.

^RL&ST"

[8901] "Nucleus Smarming. — In this
method of increase, as described in the
'Guide Book," when a stock is placed on
the stand formerly occupied by the
nucleus, the latter being removed to the
stand vacated by the stock, I understand
that the returning bees enter the respec-
' tive hives on their old stand. These would
be strange to them and the bees not of
their own colony. Does net a, lot of fight-
ing take place? — Novice, Elmet.

Reply. — There is no danger of the two
lots fighting when the places are ex-
changed, for the bees from the "strong"
hive are foragers returning laden and are
welcomed. The same holds good with the
living bees of the nucleus.

[8902] Begun ning. — I have twelve
stocks of bees in an out apiary two miles
away. They are free from disease, and
I wish to requeen from my own bees in
order to avoid the risk of introducing
disease. All the stocks except two are
in their second season. — M. R. Leylancl,
Lanes.

Reply. — You Mill find full instructions
for requeening in Mr. Sladen's book
•Queen-rearing in England," which you
say you have just purchased.

[8903] Controlling Queen-mating. — I
should be glad of your opinion on the
following: — Suppose T have a hive of
black bees — one of hybrids, and one of
Italians — and a neighbour close at hand
has nondescript varieties of bees. I make
a nucleus with queen cells from one hive
and Avish to keep the parent stock for
honey gathering only. How can I know
whioh species of drone will fertilize the
respective queens. One can prevent
•drones in one's own apiary but can have
no control in a neighbour's. The only plan
I can suggest would be to take each
virgin queen with drones of the same
race some distance away and chance the
queen returning fertilised, failing this
one can- keep the species pure by having
only one race of bees in the apiary, wTiieh
[ think is the best plan to< follow for
honey production. — H. C, Stafford.

Reply. — When several different races
are kept not only in one apiary but also
in the neighbourhood it is impossible to
know what species of drone will mate with
the respective queens. The most satis-
factory way is to rear queens and drones
early in the season as described on page
124 of "Guide Book."

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By Ceo. Hayes, Beeston.

butter btjbr (Petasites vulgaris).

No. 27. Nat. Oeoer. Compositece.

(Continued from page 493).

This plant is closely allied to the Colts-
foot (Tussilago farfara), which was dealt
with in a previous article C'B.B.J.," 1911.
p. 392). I doubt if it is at all well
known, and have not seen it in many
places in the county of Notts, but have
met with it more frequently in Derby-
shire and Lancashire. Where it abounds,
I feel convinced that it is of great help
to bees, blooming as it does so early in
the year ; for I have had evidence that it
yields abundantly, both nectar and pollen.
There is a bed of it not more than half
a mile distant from Nottingham Castle,
which, on warm days in March and April,
is literally alive with hive bees, even to
the abandonment of patches of Coltsfoot
growing near it.

Like the last named, it pushes, up its
flower-heads before the leaves appear-,
and blossoms at the same time as the
Coltsfoot. The flower-spikes, when full
grown, are, at first sight, somewhat
.similar in form to those of the garden
hyacinth, but are of a dull red purple
colour, and owing to this it is no doubt
often passed unnoticed. Later on it
becomes more conspicuous by the numerous
stigmas which then protrude, and, being
quite white, give a speckled appearance.

It is well that it flowers before the
leaves appear, for otherwise it would be
difficult to recognise it unless it developed
a different flower-stalk, for the leaves,
which are very similar in shape to those
of Coltsfoot, are of much larger dimen-
sions, some, when full grown, measuring
as much as 3ft. in diameter, and grow
to a height of 12in. or 15in.

It is to be found in wet places, especially
by the sides of streams. The patch I
have mentioned is on the railway embank-
ment, which at this spot is frequently
flooded .

The generic mime — Petasites — means to
cover, taken, no doubt, from the fact that
its large dense foliage well covers the
ground, whilst vulgaris denotes it to be
the more common species, there being
several others.

The pollen as shed from the anthers is
pure white, and the bees working on the
flowers get covered with it, and are like
millers, but when the pollen is packed on
the oorbieula of those I observed, it
was of a dark grey, so that it was diffi-
cult to see whether a bee was loaded with
it or not. This appears to be attribut-

Jan. lo, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

29

able to two causes. First to the accumula-
tion of dust and smuts on the flowers,
for it must be remembered that those I
closely observed grew on the side of the
railway, and, upon examination under
the microscope, I found the pollen con-
tained about 25 per cent, of coal-dust,
soot, and other matter. Secondly, to the
reaction of the saliva of the bees used in
kneading the pollen before placing it in
the corbiculfe. In both cases it is much
lighter in colour after desiccation.

When taken dry, the grains glisten tike
crystals, and by transmitted light they
only show the faint- -«-.
est tinge of colour. *J\f'

In form they are
a spiny ovoid with
three deep corruga-
tions, or grooves,
running from end to
end. as seen at No.
1. Owing to the
spines, the grains
cling together in
masses to such an
extent that it is \\\ XiOUGV.

somewhat difficult to J

separate them for
examination. The

.«=fi id

grams appear very -z ,\ 1 ifX,
regular in size, and ' 4j$$£?M
m ensure riyioin-
x ToTTirin- No. 2
is a cross section
through middle of the _
grain. When placed from HoneV, Or ill Water

in honey the grain •* — — — — ^— — — —

assumes a rather
more circular form,
as seen at No. 3.
and, after a time, ^
will measure

Sechon.

TWoin-

,in.

POLLEN OK BUTTER-BURR

When extracted
from honey, the water in it causes the
processes to swell out and assume the
form shown at No. 5. It will then
measure from process to process r^in.
The same takes place when it is placed
direct into water.

{To be continued.)

COLOUR BLINDNESS IN BEES.

A correspondent sends us the following
extract on bees and colours : —

" It was recently explained by iSir
William Ramsay that we are all to a
certain, but differing, extent colourblind;
which is to say, that there are certain
hues which we may indeed distinguish,
but which we do' not nlace in the right

order among the gamut of colours. Son-
people are blind merely to two colours and
are normal for all the rest. Sir Williai i
Ramsay is himself an example of tin
idiosyncrasy; and it is improbable that
any two persons have exactly the same
colour vision. But the commonest form
of colour blindness is that which per-
ceives green and red merely as different
shades of grey; and there are reasons for
believing that this is a form of colour
blindness shared by many orders of
animals. It is very difficult, of course, to
test animals .because, as Professor
W a s h b u r n h a s
pointed out, we can
never be sure that
the animal tested is
&L&20&3-- n°t making its dis-
.•/>■■*•>,• •*■-'. -Va criminations on the
® ground of differing
brightness of hue
rather than on
actual difference of
colour ; and there is
some evidence that
this is actually the
case among mice.
But a series of very
interesting experi-
ments have lately
been made by Pro-
fessor K. von Frisch,
of Munich, which
seem to show that
whatever colour sense
may be possessed by
bees, the ability of
distinguishing red as
red' is not comprised
in it. Von Frisch'
carried on his experi-
ments on bees in the
open air near their
hives, and by the aid
of what is called the food preference method
he found that one day's training, was enough
to enable many hundreds of bees to dis-
tinguish between blue and grey. This dis-
tinction rested on the material induce-
ment to remember (and distinguish) that
whatever was coloured blue was sweet.
and whatever was grey (though he em-
ployed thirty-two shades) was not sweet.
In the same way they Mere taught later
that yellow indicated sweetness. But no
amount of training was ever able to teach
Von Frisch's bees that there was any
difference in colour between red and
black. The bees- are totally colour blind
to red. Another experimenter in animal
behaviour, Miss Christine Ladd-Franklin.
induced Professor von Frisch to under-
take some further experiments to
ascertain whether, this being the case, he
could not find a certain blue-green which

30

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. |"Jan. 15, l'J.14.

is exactly complementary t > red, to which
also the bees would l> as we say. colour
blind. Von Frisch has tried tlie experi-
ment. He believes he has found this idea
true, and that there is a certain
; green (as it would seem to normal
eyesight) which bees by no possibility can
learn to distinguish. Tin- seems to show
that ht?s are colour blind in the ordinary
acceptance of the term: their blindness
resembles the ordinary form of red-green
blindness: and their vision, like that of
many human beings, is dischromatic
instead of tetrachromatic. their "visible"
colours being yellow and blue.'3 Mt

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbottrne, Sussex

Rainfall. 2'60 in.

Below average, "59
in.

Heaviest fall, "89 on
23rd.

Rain fell on 17 days.

Sunshine, 40 3 hrs.

Below aver., 13 8 his.

Brightest day, 20th,
4-8 hrs.

Sunless days, 12.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 55 on 1st.

Minimum tempera-
ture. 27 on 25th.

December, 1913.

Minimum on grass

12 on 29tb.
Frosty nights, 11.
Mean maximum, 458.
Mean minimum, 37' 4.
Mean temperature,

41 ■•;.
Above average, 1"6.
Maximum barometer,

30627 on 21st.
Minimum barometer,

29 :;s4 on 28th.

L. B. BlRKETT.

WEATHER REPORT FOR THE YEAR
1913.
Westboukne, Sussex.

Rainfall, 37'78 in.
Above average 7 '31

in.
Heaviest fall, 140 on

August 31st.
Rain fell on 192 days

(above average 14
Sunshine, 1532 '2 hrs
Below average,

289 8 hours.
Brightest day.

June 29th, 14 8 hrs.
Sunless days, 60
below average 1).
Maximum tempera-
ture. 81 on June

29th.

Minimum tempeta-
ture, 26 on Jan.
13th.

Minimum on grass,
12 on Dec. 29th.

Frosty nights. H
below average 29 .

Mean temperature,
199.

Above average, 14

Maximum barome-
ter, 30*647 on Feb.
12th.

Minimum barome-
ter, 28952 on Mar.
19tb.

L. B. BlRKETT.

Letters or queries asking for addresses of manu-
facturers or correspondents, or where appliances
can be purchased, or replies giving such informa-
tion, can only be inserted as advertisements. The
space devoted to letters, queries, and replies is
meant for the general good of bee-keepers, and
not for advertisements. We wish our correspondents
to bear in mind that, as it is necessary for us to
go to press in advance of the date of issue,
queries cannot always be replied to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of their com-
viunicatioyis.

M. B. S. (Middx.). —Lectures on Beer
keeping. — ;1) No. (2) The lectures are
free, no tickets are required for the
winter course. (3) We cannot say at
present.

E. P. J. (Cardiff).— Ho n ey Sweets.—
Several recipes are given in Mr.
Hei rod's book, " Producing. Preparing,
and Exhibiting Bee Produce." A
recipe for Honev Tolfee appeared in
••B.B.J.-- for MarclMSth, 1913. In the
"A. B.C. of Bee Culture'- over a dozen
different methods of using honey for
this purpose are given. Our limited
space does not allow of reprinting them.

A. M. S. (Kettering). — Bees Refused
Admittance to Hive. — The bees are
workers, not drones.

W. J. H. (Doncaster). — Stock Found
Dead. — (1) The bees are ordinary British
variety. (2) The queen is a fertile one.
(3) Cause of death is "Isle of Wight"
disease.

J. iS. L. (Salop). — Bead Queens. — (1)
There is nothing about the queens to
indicate cause of death. (2) From your
description of the circumstances we fear
" Isle of Wight " disease was aceount-

Suspected Disease.
J. A. H. (Somerset) and Raglan (Swan-

|. — The bees have died from "Isle

of Wight " disease.
Novice (Peterboro'). — The bees have

dysentery, no doubt caused by feeding

on beet sugar.
H. P. V. (Hants).— (1) The bees have died

from starvation. (2) The position in

which they were found — head-downwards

in the cells— -is characteristic of this.
J. T. F. (Darlington).— We regret to

report "Isle of Wight-' disease is the

cause of the trouble.
Constant Reader i Hants.). — Both lots of

li es are British, and are affected with

"Isle of Wight" disease.
A. G. B. (Thornton Heath). -The b( -
Italians, and are badly affected with

'■ [sle of Wight" disease.

Jan. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

31

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION

The monthly meeting of the Council
was held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand.
London, W.C., on Thursday, January
loth. 1914. Mr. T. W. Cowan presided".
There were also present: Miss M. D.
Sillar, Messrs. R. H. Attenborough, J.
Smallwood, E. Watson. J. B. Lamb
(Association representatiyes), G. J.
Flashman and F. Ford (Barnet), G.
Bryden and G. W. Judge (Crayford).
G.'F. Faunch and G. R. Alder (Essex).
F. W. Harper (St. Albans), and the
Secretary (W. Herrod).

Letters expressing regret at inability
to attend were read from Miss Gayton.
Messrs. W. F. Reid, O. R. Frankenstein,
T. Beyan, A. G. Pugh. E. Walker.
C. L. M. Eales, H. Jonas, and Dr. T. S.
Elliot.

The minutes of the Council meeting
held on December 18th. 1913. were read
and confirmed.

The following new members were
elected : Miss A. M. Holland, Mr. Jesse
Johnson, Mr. A. Low, Mr. W. Winterton.
and Rey. F. H. Fowler.

The following Associations nominated
representatiyes to the Council, and the
same were accepted: Surrey. Mr. J.
Kaehler: Crayford. Mr. G. W. Judge:
St. Albans. Mr. F. W. Harper.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for December amounted to £65 16s. 6d..
the bank balance being £193 lis. 3d.
Payments amounting to £5 were recom-
mended.

The report on the Intermediate Exami-
nation by Mr. D. M. Macdonald was
presented, and it was resolyed to grant
certificates to the following : Misses G.
Sieyier, Y. Thompson, E. M. Penrose,
and X. M. Robinson. Messrs. T. W.
-Skellv. G. W. Avery, D. Hardcastle. J. S.
Baldry, B. E. Bucknell. T. Payne, F. S.
Elliott. O. C. Jones, J. W. "Moir, W.
Doleman. A. Riley. A. H. Bowen, W. J.
Watkins. W. H. tinsley. A. Briers. G. G.
Desmond. F. W. Harper, J. A. Hutchie-
son, G. Horsecroft. K. Greig. H. Watts.
W. E. Richardson, and Dr. W. Anderton.

The report of the Examining Board on
the lecture test was presented by Mr.
T. W. Cowan, and it was resolyed to
grant the First Class (Expert) Certifi-
cate to Mr. C. H. Heap.

Xext meeting of Council February 19th,
1914. at 23. Bedford Street. Strand, i
London. W.C. I

SPECIAL NOTICE.

DISEASES OF BEES BILL.

As Associations will soon be holding
their annual meetings, we would impress
upon them the necessity for still con-
tinuing the agitation to obtain an Act
as soon as possible. To this end strong
resolutions should be passed, urging the
necessity for legislation at an early date,
These should be forwarded to the Presi-
dent of the Board of Agriculture, Mr.
Runciman, Whitehall, Westminster, and
to the Member of Parliament for their
diyision.

We should also be pleased to haye
copies of same.

TOTAL HONEY IMPORTS FOR 1913.

£

January 2,886

February 1.837

March ' 1,456

April 4.237

May 3,636

June 6.684

July 6.242

August 6.675

September 6.511

October 3.949

Noyember 4.443

December 2,117

£50.673

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Special lectures in connection with the
Deyelopment Fund Grant to the B.B.K.A.
will be giyen at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not giyen, particulars can be obtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall. Zoological
Gardens. London, by Mr. W. Herrod. on
January 22nd and 29th. February 5th
and 12th. at 6 p.m.

SPECIAL LECTURES BY MR. W. HERROD.

Worcester, Jan. 24th, 4.30 p.m., Central
Coffee Tavern. Subject, "A Tear's "Work in the
Apiary."

Hereford, Jan. 28th, 2 p.m. Subject, " A
Year's Work in the Apiary."

Exeter, Jan. 30th. Lecture Hall. University
College. 3 p.m. Subject, " Queen-rearing and
Introduction."

PIONEER LECTURES.

Presteign, Jan. 27th, at 7.30. By Mr. M
Herrod.

Crayford. Feb. 2nd, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Gravesend. Feb. 26th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sidcup, March 30th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sedgley. Jan. 29th. at 7.30. In V esleyan
Schoolroom. By Mr. Joeeoh Price.

32 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 22, 1914.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES*

MANIPULATING A ERAME HIVE

( Continued from page 15.)

To handle the frames properly, the following mechanical movements should be
practised :— Life the frames by gripping the projecting ends of the top bar (termed
lugs) firmly. With the finger and thumb draw it slightly away from the next comb
before lifting out. to prevent brushing off the bees. Lift it right up to the level
of the eyes, and examine the side next to you carefully (Xo. 7). To get a view
of the other side, do not turn it right over so as to bring it in the flat position
(Xo. 8), as, on a warm day, it is quite possible for the comb to get so soft that
the weight of brood and honey will cause it to drop out ; if unwired, this is sure
to happen. Lift the frame up on end (Xo. 9) ; turn it round in the fingers (Xo. 10)
half way, showing that the frame must be turned away from the manipulator, and
not towards him, to avoid catching it in the veil. Xo. n gives the position of
the bottom bar, being in the place of the top bar, as at Xo. 9. The left hand is
then lowered so that the opposite side of the comb is brought before the eyes (Xo. 12),
while the comb has been kept edgewise all the time. The principle adopted is the
same as when handling a large sheet of glass, which can be carried without breakage
while kept edgewise, but which breaks if placed on the flat. To get the frame
back the same motions are reversed. To replace the frame in. the hive, do not try
to put it straight down, but turn it at a slight angle, when it will go in quite easily
without crushing the bees against the sides of the hive. The same plan should
lit* adopted when lifting out the frame.

The bees will often get in clusters, underneath which the queen hides away.
Do not blow on these to move them, as they object to the smell of human breath,
and if a veil is not worn they fly straight to the mouth and sting. The use of
smoke will cause them to fly. Use the back of the finger, gently pressing the
bees, when the cluster will disperse (Xo. 13). Do not scrape them off; apply
gentle pressure only. Xo. 14 is an unintentional snapshot showing the little chap's
excitement at seeing the queen, and was taken just as he said, "There she is,
daddy."' At Xo. 15 the queen is being caught by the wings and held up to be
seen (Xo. 16). If a child of two years can see and catch the queen, there
should be no difficulty for the grown-up novice to do the same.

When examining to find the queen, a careful watch should be kept on the
floor board and sides of the hive each time a frame is removed, especiallv on the
side of the hive when the last frame has been taken out. Some queens are very
prone to run off the combs when excited. If the queen is not found after all the
combs have been examined, blow a little smoke in at the entrance, as she some-
times hides there. If this fails, then push the frames bodily from back to front,
and examine the floor and side of the hive, as she may have run back during the
manipulation.

Should the queen fly while the hive is being examined, stand quite still and keep
the hive open, when, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, she will settle in again
or alight upon the manipulator.

Care should be taken to keep the combs over the hive when examining them, as
occasionally the queen will drop off, and if she drops on to the ground instead of
into the hive, she may be either lost or killed by being trodden upon. Manipulate
from that side of the hive which allows the best light to fall upon the comb.

If. after the first subjugation, the bees become restless, or are inclined to be
angry, a few puffs of smoke should be driven in again, or the carbolic cloth laid
over the frames for a few seconds. When not in use, the smoker should not be
laid down on its side, or it will go out ; if plated on end on the top of the frames,
as shown in the illustration, it will keep alight while any fuel remains, and will
also be within easv reach.

Tan. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

33

OOO

FINDING THE QUEEN.

34

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 22, 1914.

In windy weather it will be found advantageous to keep the lift on and not to
raise the combs up beyond its shelter, so that the bees are not irritated or blown
off by the wind.

Stocks that are short of stores should be sprinkled with thin syrup before
attempting to manipulate them.

Climatic conditions must be taken into consideration. Hives must not be
opened in wet or cold weather, or yet in a thundery atmosphere. The reason for
the former is very obvious, while under the latter conditions the bees are almost
sure to be bad-tempered.

In the early spring and late autumn the hives should be opened as late in the
evening as possible, to avoid inciting robbing. If this does start, darkness puts
an end to it quickly, whereas, if they commence robbing in the morning, the bees

PUTTING ON THE ROOF.

become thoroughly demoralized throughout the day. If a stock which is usually
good-tempered shows sign's of great irritability, do not continue the manipulation.
Close it down for an hour or two, or, better still, until another day, when they will
be found quite docile.

Occasionallv a stock will be so bad-tempered as to be absolutely impervious
to the ordinary means of subjugation, and possibly dangerous to handle. It should

be requeened as soon as possible. In the meantime, it will probably be necessary
to manipulate it. To render the bees harmless, chloroform can be used. Place
a sponge in the smoker barrel, and soak it with chloroform; puff in at the entrance
until a few bees come out and spin round on their backs on the alighting board ;
then cease, or th^ stock will be killed. The bees will be harmless for 'five or ten
minutes, and can be handled with impunity. This method should only be resorted
to in extreme cases.

Jan. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

35

Having completed the manipulation, the quilts are put back again neatly and
the lift and roof replaced. The latter operation is frequently performed in a very
clumsy manner, being wriggled and banged to get it on. The right way is to stand
at the back of the hive, and take hold of the eaves of the roof so that the fingers
project just a little over the edge (No. 17). Now put the roof well forward over
the hive, and lower it so that the finger tips feel and guide it to its proper posi-
tion at the sides (No. 18). Draw it back until the front edge of the rebate in
the roof is brought to a stop by the edge of the lift, then lower the back portion,
when the roof will go into position without the slightest hitch or jar.

No. 19 illustrates what the boy will do to protect the face when the bliss of
ignorance is dispelled by years of discretion.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8928] I was recently called upon to
speak at short notice on the " Advantages
of Joining a Bee-keepers' Association."
Surely here was an easy test for a parson
with a continuous membership in one or
other of two County Associations for the
past nine years; and possibly the audience
were surprised (certainly. I think, they
were depressed) when they heard a pain-
ful and halting discourse, spun out for a
few minutes wifh extreme difficulty.
Having since had time to reflect on this
doleful performance, and to refresh my
mind with facts, I have decided that, con-
sidering the materials there were to work
upon, I was fortunate not to have damned
the Associations with still fainter praise.

Briefly, my position is this : I consider
that the "advantages" referred to are
over-rated. I hope I am mistaken. I write
with no ill-will to Associations, quite the
reverse. I endorse all that was said in
the editorial remarks in the Record for
November last regarding the energy and
enthusiasm of the Hon. Secretary of my
County Association, Dr. Wardleworth,
and consider his keenness, ability, and
geniality beyond all praise ; very similar
commendation can be given to those
members of the committee whom I have
had the pleasure of meeting (they might
well also have been included in the
eulogium) ; our workers are all right, as
industrious as the bee itself ; but — the
"advantages" are at fault. The fact is
self-evident. We have able and zealous
officials ; we have " one of the finest bee-

keeping counties in Great Britain" (here
I quote the Editor's words in the article
previously mentioned, and endorse them) ;
and yet our members number 148 — prob-
ably not one-tenth of the bee-keepers in
the' county (Norfolk). Surely induce-
ments to membership must be lacking, or
else the majority are singularly blind to
their own interests. Twenty-nine of our
members appear to belong to the i: agri-
cultural and other labouring classes " (the
bettering of whose condition is one of our
objects) ; a very sufficient indication of
the labourers' estimate of the value of our
philanthropy. Nor is his estimate far
wrong. If philanthropy exists, it is for
the outsider. From a cottager owning one
hive the Association exacts an income-tax
one-third more than would satisfy the
Chancellor of the Exchequer ; the os. sub-
scriber in like case pays bis super-tax
quadrupled, and that, be it noted, on his
earned income. And what does he receive
in return? I give herewith a list of all
benefits know'n to me, together with com-
ments thereon ; if any are omitted I shall
be glad to hear of them.

(1) "Expert Advice and Assistance in
Dealing with Disease." — Very valuable in-
deed, more especially to the ignorant and
careless bee-keeper, who would be much
better out of the- craft. If, instead of
bolstering up such persons and doing most
of their work, experts oould aid in their
speedy extirpation, the benefit would be
greater still, and to the right people.

(2)" Ability to Exhibit at Various
Shows at Free or Reduced Entrance Fees."
— An inducement which only appeals to
the few. At our annual show in 1912.
there were nine individual prizewinners
— about ninety-four per cent, of the
members did not benefit.

(3) "Half-fees to Candidates for Certi-
ficates of Proficiency in Bee-keeping."
—Here, the " advantage " was nil to over
ninety-six per cent.

(4) "The Use of the Library."— I knew
I had read of this privilege somewhere, so
recentlv asked for the loan of Cheshire's
" Scientific Bee-keeping " from the Library
of the County Association. My request
was in vain no such collection existed. I

36

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 22, 1914.

understand that an application to the
B.B.K.A. headquarters would have been
more successful ; but of that I was
ignorant, and presumably so was our Hon.
Secretary. I imagine that this " advan-
tage " is restricted to a very limited
number of members, say one per cent, at
a generous estimate.

(5) " Use of Jxintern Slides for Lectures
at a Reduced Charge." — iSurely this is
for the very elite, the aristocracy of the
craft, say, one in 1,000.

(6) "Privilege of Using the Association
Honey Label, which will Assist you to Sell
your Honey." — I have never used the
privilege, and am more than doubtful as
to the assistance. A label, however
ornate, cannot introduce new customers ;
nor will it retain old ones, if the goods
sold are unsatisfactory. Its greatest
proved merit, as far as I know, is that
it is of service to identify the supplier of
inferior honey. I would scarcely call that
an ''advantage" to the man who has
already disposed of his produce. The most
that can fairly be said for an Association
label (unless the Association is also a seller
of honey for its members) is that it is a
harmless ornament, in the same category
as the fancy waistcoats and gorgeous socks
of our gilded youth.

(7) "Insurance Against Liability to
Third Parties for Damages by Bees." — An
"advantage" of great value, though it
has to be paid for as an extra. It is,
however, modified considerably in the case
of small bee-keepers by the absurb mini-
mum premium of 9d. ; surely the interests
of the " agricultural and other labouring
classes " have here been somewhat over-
looked' !' Nor is the discrimination in
favour of members of much value ; even
with his registration fee of Is., an out-
sider with five or more hives still insures
at a cheaper rate than a member with two.

(8) " ' Bee-he ewers' Record' will be
Posted Free to all Members of 5s. Sub-
scription Desiring it. — This is a very
decided "advantage," in my opinion the
most valuable of all. Though long con-
ceded by many Associations, it is
still a Aveakly bantling with us. It was,
I understand, brought forth with much
travail, and its continued existence is
Mimewhat precarious.

(9) UiBee Journal ' Supplied Post Free
for 5s. (jd . a Year." — This also is a real
concession, though I suspect it is made at
no cost to the Association. Presumably,
the shilling saved represents newsagents'
commissions, diverted into the best place
for it, the consumer's pocket. On the
prowl for "advantages," I recently dis-
covered this one; and, as a consequence,
will read my Journals for 1914 with added
relish.

(10) Privilege >»/ Attending Con-
versaziones, Joining in Discussions, the. —
An undoubted privilege, but only for the
fortunate few. (For example, it would have
given me great pleasure to have heard
Mr. Herrod's lecture at our last annual
meeting; but that would have entailed
travelling over eight miles by road and
seventy by rail, together with the cost of
a night's lodging.) The same applies to
the free lunches, &c, which some Associa-
tions, or their presidents, are kind enough
to provide. These, of necessity, are re-
stricted to those who need them least —
loss of wages and cost of rail fares putting
a veto on such advantages for those who
could most appreciate them, viz., the
" agricultural and other labouring classes."

(11) "Association Report, JAst of Mem-
bers and Balance Sheet." — Judged by its
cost, this privilege seems to be- very highly
valued among us. After making allowance
for receipts from advertisements, the net
expenditure for jDrinting, postage,
stationery, &c, is £5 10s. 8d., out of a
total of £21 13s. from members' sub-
scriptions; i.e. ? over threepence in the
shilling. Imagine the joy of the guinea
subscriber in consigning to the waste-
paper basket this literature; which, though
costing him 5s. 44d., is considerably
smaller in bulk than a copy of your
Journal, and of immeasurably less value.
(In justice to the local Associations, per-
haps I should add that there is an in-
sistent demand for some of these volumes
at headquarters, even to the extent of a
reprint on one occasion. Presumably, the
B.B.K.A. keeps in mind the Statute (5 and
6 Vic, cap. 45) which grants a copy of
every book printed in the United King-
dom to the British Museum, the Bodleian
Library at Oxford, the Public Library at
Cambridge, the Library of the Faculty of
Advocates at Edinburgh, and the Library
of Trinity College, Dublin.)

(12) "The Committee shall purchase
annually one or more frame-hives. . . . to
be drawn for by the members." — This
" advantage " has recently been adopted
by us ; following the lead of more progres-
sive Associations. The British 'public
evidently believes in something for
nothing; as witness the popularity of
overweight margarine, free gifts in ex-
change for soap wrappers, cocoa coupons,
&c. If the intelligence of bee-keepers is
of the same high order, doubtless this
offer of free lottery tickets, with over
98.5 per cent, blanks, will appeal to them.
(By most strange, chance and irony of
fortune, the prize fell to my lot; but was
returned for the benefit of the Associa-
tion.)

(13) One other "advantage" occurs to
me which has not hitherto been published.
Its number on the list is not considered

22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

3"

lucky ; but I present it as a possible aid
to recruiting : —

"Subscribers, uitJi few exceptions, arc
taught the lesson, It is more blessed to
(jive than to receive.' "

There is no need to pursue the subject
further. 1 think 1 have justified my
assertion that " the advantages of member-
ship are overrated." I might go further
and say that, for an intelligent person
worthy the name of bee-keeper, a pay-
ment of ninepence for fourpence is a good
investment as compared with a subscrip-
tion to a Bee-keepers' Association.

I turn with pleasure from adverse
criticism to a few suggestions for im-
provement which occur to me.

(1) First and foremost, and absolutely
essential, if membership is to be the rule
and not the exception: —

" .1 Lowered Subscription Rate.'' — I once
made this suggestion to a member of our
committee. He dissented ; thought that
any change should be rather in the
opposite direction ; and instanced the ten-
shilling subscription of a Farmers' Asso-
ciation as more to his liking. Now the
capital of a tenant farmer cultivating
one hundred acres might roughly be put
at £1,000; he subscribes, therefore, at
the rate of Is. per £100' of his stock-in-
trade — on the same basis, a reasonable
subscription for a bee-keeper with three or
four hives would be one penny. I agree
that such a subscription is impracticable,
still a cheap rate is imperative ; a small
charge per hive, (to cover both the present
third part}- insurance, and provide for
some compensation for loss by disease)
would seem to be the ideal system. The
matter will have to be gone into sooner
or later — it is bad policy to shirk the
question — but assuming that things are to
proceed much as at present, and that a
flat rate is desirable, the ordinary sub-
scription should be, say, 6d. per member ;
or 2s. 6d. for those wise ones who order
the Record. There would be no< pre-
tensions to philanthropy — the cottager who
is worth having as a bee-keeping recruit
does not want charity, he is willing to
pay for benefits, provided he obtains full
value for his money. — Rev. W. Mattinson.
(To be continued.)

APIARY ACCOUNTS.

[8929] As, by the indulgence of the
editors, I am at the moment occupying
much more than my fair share of the
Journal with my "Blurts," I am com-
pelled to abbreviate my reply to my critics
to the fewest words.

Of all who live, or have lived, not one
in a hundred can claim infallibility. I
am no exception. Let me therefore at
once cry Peecavi, and own up to
niv mistake. Vet there are degrees

even in sin and sinners, so theo-
logians tell us. Excess of zeal may even
be the occasion — which is my plea — in the
desire to be concise and simple. Yet,
again, contributory circumstances are
often an extenuation, and for this I offer
in evidence the letter which has con-
vinced me and compelled my repentance,
keeping back for obvious reasons the name
of the writer. Let, therefore, the docu-
ment speak for itself.

"9th January, 1914.

"Dear Mr. Smallwood,
' ' I have thought over your paper on
book-keeping again, and I am sorry to
say that although at a casual glance your
system seems to be a correct one, yet if
we give the matter a little more thought
we see the error of our ways.

' ' Stock at the commencement of the year
has to be bought at some time or the
other, and therefore it should appear as
the first purchase or payment in the year,
and in the same way the stock on hand
at the end of the year is really a receipt,
and should appear among the receipts,
being (if one might put it so) unsold
sales.

"We all make mistakes sometimes, and
you and I have come to grief here. The
best way out of it seems to be to own up.
" Yours sincerely,
" ( Signed) — Chartered Accountant. ' '

As the writer has the moral courage
to admit an error, so even must I. —
J. Smallwood.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8930] Without intending any dis-
courtesy to the Editors of the B.B.J. , I
welcome Mr. L. Ulingworth's remarks
(8919) on the above subject as the first
piece of solid common sense among a
bewildering fog of advice and counter-
advice that has hitherto merely served to
perplex the harassed bee-keeper. For.
whether he is aware of it or not, your
correspondent, in asking where the
disease "appears to be exhausting itself,"
has voiced a heresy — and heresy is the
mother of knowledge. And since I am a
heretic myself, I would ask the courtesy
of your columns to push Mr. Ulingworth's
words to their logical conclusion.

Some eight years ago this disease
suddenly made its appearance in the Isle
of Wight, and ever since our experts have
been busy looking for remedies in the
most approved style of the Middle Ages:
but, so far as I know, not one of them
has yet done what any doctor would
recommend in the case of an epidemic
affecting humanity — namely, to look for
its place of origin and scotch it there.

It is obvious that there are two
possible answers to the question as to how
the disease came to the island — and only
two. Either it was brought from some

38

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 22, 1914.

other country, or else it was generated
spontaneously in the Isle of Wight by the
process of archebiosis or of heterogenesis.
For the purpose of our inquiry we may
regard these two processes as identical ;
but although I am aware that many
biologists deny the possibility of spon-
taneous generation at this date of the
world's history, Sir E. ,Schaeffer's famous
address should deter us from being too
positive — to say nothing of Dr. Bastian's
experiments.

Now, taking the first alternative, if
the offending micro-organism reached us
from abroad, we are justified in asking
why we have had no news of its ravages
among foreign bee-keepers; and here
again, as it seems to me, there are only
two answers. Either it came from some
country that is not, so to speak, kept
permanently under the microscope' (such
as Central Africa or Tibet), or else it was
imported from some district whose native
bees have become immune by selection.
But I think we may take it as certain
that, if imported at all, it was imported
in the body of a living queen ; and as it
is probable that no one has been buying
queens from Central Africa or Tibet, we
are faced with the certainty (unless
spontaneous generation be at the root of
the trouble) that there exists somewhere
a race of bees that is immune — with the
corollary that, if we can introduce a
strong strain of their blood into this
country, we shall at once solve the riddle
that is worrying us.

And it ought not to be difficult to dis-
cover that race. Italy (and I think
America) may be counted out at once.
If, then, we select a district where' the
disease is rife (but where it is not com-
plicated by the presence of foul-brood),
and there establish healthy stocks
headed by newly-imported queens from
various countries and localities whence
bees are imported into this country, we
ought in time to discover that certain of
our stocks survive while their neighbours
perish. Only, in order to make the ex-
periment complete, we should have a dozen
stocks of each race ; for it must be borne
in mind that a queen from an immune
district may breed non-immune bees, and
vice versa. It would not, of course, be
necessary to try the experiment with all
races at the same time. Two or three
sorts can be taken at a time ; and the
experiment should be repeated with each
race over two or three seasons. AVith
every failure the net must be thrown
wider ; and it is certain that we shall
in the end discover the immune race — if
such exists.

But supposing we fail, then we must
turn to our other alternative — spontaneous
generation. In other words, we must
assume that eight years ago certain con-

ditions arose favourable to the develop-
ment of this micro-organism. Naturally,
we cannot hope to discover what these
conditions were — .still less to put an end
to them. It may be that the ultra-violet
rays of the sun decreased at that time
to the exact amount necessary to the well-
being of the microbe ; and we certainly
cannot alter that! What I wish to make
clear, however, is that, whatever the con-
ditions were, it is probable that they
will continue in force for a longer period
than will interest the present generation.
That is to sa}', some billions of these
microbes are being generated afresh every
hour, and no matter how many we may
kill by disinfecting hives and hive-stands,
a countless army will be ever ready to
take their place. This sounds alarming ;
but it is as well to face it, for if it is so,
the destruction of infected hives is the
very worst policy. Yes, I am a heretic.
Until we know for certain that spon-
taneous generation is not the cause of
our troubles, I maintain that we ought
not to burn stocks that show symptoms
of the disease, but should rather try to
pull them through, in the hope of estab-
lishing a race that has become immune —
for we know by analogy that immunity
io ill come.

I therefore join Mr. Illingworth in ask-
ing whether there is any locality where
the disease appears to be exhausting
itself. And I would add an appeal for
an organized experiment aimed at dis-
covering whether, if not in these Islands,
any place exists where the disease has
al ready exhausted itself — and this before
we take refuge in an Act of Parliament
that may well prove our undoing. — H.
Campbell, Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk.

Box-hives (p. 4). — Mr. Isaac Hopkins
describes these as somewhat of a bugbear
to> the writer. He must have read con-
siderably between the lines, but I willingly
confess that I consider them about the
worst home for bees, and not to be com-
pared for a moment with a sound skep.
And my opinion is not based alone upon
common sense and experience, but also
upon the descriptive diatribes of such
gentlemen as Mr. Hopkins himself. It
is probable that in such countries as
Canada and New Zealand, where the
farmers appear to have a fancy for
"cracker-boxes," or any old thing that
comes first to hand, such "hives" (sic)
mav merit all the abuse which has been

Jan. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

39

showered upon them. No one can reason-
ably defend cracker-boxes, or cracked
boxes, leaking bees at every joint. But
do not, I beg of you, class them with
skeps, or even with primitive native hives
which have elsewhere stood the test of
time.

Brace or Burr Combs (p. 8). — Once more
1 would plead for uniformity of defini-
tion so far as may be. As I understand
these terms, " brace combs " .are, roughly
speaking, between comb and comb face, or
comb and separator, whilst "burr combs"
are bridges of wax between storeys, &c,
at least, that is how the terms are
generally used I believe. Yet here the
term "brace comb" is used with the other
significance, and on page 24, "D.M.M."
himself uses "burr" with the significance
of brace. Which is right ? It would make for
uniformity of speech if this small matter,
upon which there seems to be a difference of
opinion, can be authoritatively settled.
Recently. Dr. Miller took me to task- for
my use of the term "hive " as meaning
"stock,'' or as he might perhaps say
"colony," although I hope not! And for
the sake of this advantageous simplicity I
am inclined to agree with him, although
the dictionary supports my use of the
term. The dictionaries were, no doubt,
made long before bee-keeping attained
such dimensions. 'and language grows with
our increased need. Duplicate meanings
are confusing, only it is hard to get out of
old habits of speech. All this refers, of
course, to terms of work", for I am the last
to object to a word doubling its part,
where it is understood that "the play's
the thing."

Subduing Bees (p. 13).- May I suggest
that puff-ball for ordinary use in the
smoker is an entirely unsuitable material?
With corrugated paper, too, much depends
upon the size of the smoke nozzle. If the
opening be sufficiently small, it is excel-
lent, but with a large bore it does, as Mr.
Herrod says, burn too rapidly. If a stick
be placed in a hem of the carbolic cloth,
so as to make a kind of flag, its use is
much facilitated. The quilt can be re-
moved with one hand, and the cloth slid
along with the other. This avoids the
trapping of bees between the cloths, and
the operation is complete in one motion.
Those charming photographs of Master
Herrod, whom we are glad to welcome to
the ranks, surely show one of the
youngest manipulators in the world. Not
merely does he hold a smoker, but ap-
parently he is well on the way to his
expert certificate. If he goes on as he has
thus begun, he bids fair to out-Herod
Herrod .

Moving Bees (p. 16). — Mr. Bowen will
forgive me for saying that it is also safe to
move bee? in the daytime, if it is properly

done. At any rate, I always take mine
nearly twenty miles in broad daylight, and
so far without mishap. If well ventilated,
and properly secured — aye, there's the rub
— it can be done with perfect safety, and
a pleasure be made of a toil.

The Fool-proof Skep (p. 18). — Mr. Heap
is good enough to say that I am to blame
for being misunderstood by him, which 1
hardly deserve. For I have used simple
language which a wayfaring man could
understand, and my attitude towards the
skep is, I believe, quite consistent as my
opinion is sincere. I freely admit that
such opinion is not necessarily right, but
I must defend it againt a charge based
upon its distortion. However, as I am
now " unmasked," a clear statement may
disarm other possible foes. The fool-
proof skep of which 1 have written was,
of course, as Mr. Heap correctly supposed,
the usual fixed comb type. The modified
'' Bogenstulper " .suggested by me was
merely an illustration to show that it was
the fixed-comb principle, and not the skep
itself, at which such criticism should be
directed. I have undoubtedly attempted
to defend the continued existence of the
skep, the ordinary skep, but under par-
ticular circumstances, and not to the
absurd length of advocating its general
adoption. I should have thought that
this consistency was clear enough and
required no unmasking, for I have nothing
to conceal and no intention upon this
subject, at least, of writing in obscure
paradox. Equally seriously, both Mr.
Heap and myself, and even opponents of
legislation, are upon common~ground in
desiring diminution of disease. It is, as
in SO' many other pursuits, the means to
the end about which we sincerely, though
mistakenly, quarrel.

I/bHl&^^j

[8904] Removing Bees. — I have suffered
from "Isle of AVight" disease in my
apiary, having lost the whole of my
fourteen stocks in 1910. I ordered two
swarms last June from near Shepton
Mallet, and although small they have
turned out well and are very healthy bees.
In order to avoid risk of disease I placed
them about thirty yards away from the
old stands, but 1 find this position
unsuitable in many ways, and should
they swarm in the summer I shoidd in all
probability lose them by their abscond-
ing into other people's gardens. Can I,
without loss of bees, remove them during
the winter to the brick stands which I
some time ago erected ; and also when

40

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 22, 1914.

should it be done? The bees being strong
I do not want to incur any risks by loss
or otherwise.

The disease (Nosema apis) which broke
out in the Isle of Wight in 1906 has been
now proved to be endemic, so I do not
expect any harm to result by removing
the bees to the former position, but
should like your opinion. — W. H. B.,
Southampton.

Reply. — We are pleased to hear from
you, and to help when possible. You can
move the bees at any time now. If the
weather is frosty so much the better.
Get a friend to help you, and carry them
by hand to their new position in the
evening.

Will Mr. G. Bolton, of Cambridge, please
send his full address to the Editors,
who wish to communicate with him?

G. M. E. (-Southsea).— Hants B.K.A.--
(1) We believe there is still a Hamp-
shire Association, but it is evidently in
a moribund condition, as we fail to
find, any evidence of its activity for the
past few years. We do not even know
the name of the Secretary. (2) Write
to Johan Strgar, AVittnaeh, P.O.,
AVochiener, Feistritz, Upper Carniola,
Austria, for particulars as to prices.

Oxon. — Moving Suspected Stock. — We
should certainly advise you to destroy
the slightly affected stock, both for
your own sake and that of neighbouring
bee-keepers. If you move it you may
go nearer some other bee-keeper's
apiary and endanger his bees.

Burgh Heath (Surrey). — Stock Casting
out Live Bees. — We cannot, from the
description you give, say what is the
cause of the bees acting as you describe.
Send us a few of the dead bees cast out,
and any particulars of the symptoms
which you may have noted, and we shall
probably be able to tell you what is the
cause of the trouble.

R. L. (Doncaster). — Keeping Bees in
Towns. — You should make the trellis at
least 4 feet above the wall, and if you
train some variety of creeper over it
there will be very little danger to the
public. iShould any passer-by be stung
you would be liable for damage done,
but you can insure against this. Apply
to the Hon. Secretory, Yorks. B.K.A.,
Mr. W. E. Richardson, Whitk'irk,
Leeds, for particulars of insurance.

Alpha. — Honey-Candy for Bees. — (1)
Honey can be made into the' consistency
of candy by working into it1 pure cane
castor sugar. (2 and 3) AVe prefer to
make and use candy made from pure
cane sugar. It is cheaper, less trouble
to make, and with it there is no possi-
bility of spreading disease.

H. J. L. (Sideup).— Mead-making,— The
mead is quite a well-made sample, and
should be very good when matured.

Jehu (Hinckley). — Candy Made of
Demerara Sugar. — AVe have repeatedly
warned our readers not to use Demerara
sugar for either candy or syrup. Only
refined (white) cane sugar should be used
for bees. The candy sent will cause
dysentery to the bees fed with it.
Honey Samples.

J. A. P. (Kent).- — The honey is of poor
quality, with a strong flavour of rag-
wort. It is not worth more than 7s. 6d.
or 8s. per dozen jars.

Suspected Disease.

J. G. S. (Surrey). — The bees have died
from "Isle of AA'ight " disease. You
should destroy the stock at once.

E. J. (Lincoln). — The bees are too dry
for us to diagnose cause of death with
any certainty, but we do not think they
have died from "Isle of AA'ight "
disease. *

F. B. L. (Hythe).— (1) The bees were
crushed flat in post, and we could do
nothing with them. (2) Certainly,
Dutch bees are strong and vigorous, but
we cannot certify that they possess the
quality you mention. (3) See our
advertisement columns, page iv.

A. H. B. (New Maiden). O. AY. (AYishaw),
Novice (Peterboro'), A. B. (Ayrshire),
G. H. (Derbyshire), M. C.; B.K.A.
(Kent), G. F. S. (Essex), J. R. (Yeovil),
A. F. (Dumfries), and T. AY. C.
(Windermere). — The bees have died
from " Isle of Wight " disease.

P. L. (Leeds). — The bees were too dry for
examination.

F. A. B. (Walworth). — As the bees were
packed without protection they were
crushed flat in the post, and we were un-
able to examine them.

C. P. AY. (Exeter). — There is every indica-
tion of "Isle of AA'ight " disease.

Cardife. — The bees were too decomposed
for examination.

E. L. (Hagley). — No. 1 lot were too dry
for examination. No. 2 affected with
•• Isle of AVight " disease.

H. H. (Salop).— (1) AYe regret that we are
unable to undertake the work of pre-
paring microscopic preparations. (2)
The bees died in the bottle and were so
saturated that it was impossible to
examine them.

Jan. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

41

THE B.B.K.A. LIBRARY.

NOTICE TO MEMBERS.

The Librarian will be glad if members
will kindly return the books in then-
possession by the 14th of February for
the annual revision. Some books have
been retained longer than the specified
time, and he would remind members that,
according to the rules, no book should be
kept longer than one month, unless an
extension of time has been granted in
writing. When returning books, will
members please see that they are properly
protected from injury in transit, as this
is frequently overlooked by borrowers. —
W. Herrod.

THE AY. BROUGHTON-CARR
MEMORIAL FUND.

£ s. d.

Amount already acknowledged 13 7 11

Geo. Haves 0 5 0

H. Watts 0 5 0

J. Hawes 0 2 6

F. S 0 2 (5

Anon 0 2 6

T. Evans 017

E. H 0 10

F. S. E 0 1 0

£14 9 0

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Special lectures in connection with the
Development Fund Grant to the B.B.K.A.
will be given at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not given, particulars can be obtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall, Zoological
Gardens, London, by Mr. W. Herrod, on
January 29th, February 5th and 12th. at
6 p.m.

SPECIAL LECTURE BY MR. W. HERROD.

Exeter, Jan. 30th. Lecture Hall, University
College. 3 p.m. Subject, " Queen-rearing and
Introduction."

PIONEER LECTURES.

Crayford, Feb. 2nd, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Chichester, Feb. 11th, at 7 p.m. Lecture
Hall, Technical Institute. By Mr. F. Kenwood.

Tunbridge Wells, Feb. 18th, at 7 p.m.
Town Hall. By Mr. F. Kenwood.

Lewes, Feb. 24th, at 7.30 p.m. Foresters
Hall, Station Street. By Mr. F. Kenwood.

Gravesend. Feb. 26th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sidcup, March 30th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

OBSERYATIONS ON HIYES.
Bif L. E. Snelgrove.

As we are now on the threshold of a
new bee season, and many readers of the
Bee Journal are doubtless forming their
New Year resolutions in respect of their
favourite hobby — some maybe to com-
mence bee-keeping, some to improve their
methods, others to increase their apiaries,
and others to re-commence after having
lost all their stocks through the ' ' Isle
of Wight " disease — some remarks on
hives and their good and bad features
may not be out of place.

To the beginner especially some informa-
tion concerning the merits of various
types of hives on the market is important.
The choice of his first hive, more than any-
thing else, except perhaps his bees, con-
duces to his pleasure or disappointment,
his success or failure.

Although probably no two experienced
bee-keepers are exactly agreed as to what
is the best, most complete, and efficient
hive, vet there are many features charac-
teristic of all good hives, the desirability
of which most bee-keepers admit. On the
other hand, the imperfections of inferior
hives, such, for instance, as restricted
capacity, faulty design, unsound con-
struction and material, and fanciful and
purely ornamental although costly addi-
tions, are not easily detected by the
beginner before purchase.

I propose in the following remarks to
deal in a general way with these features,
both desirable and undesirable, and also
to discuss in a comparative way the mei'its
of some well-known principles in hive
construction, in the hope that some at
all events may find in them some new and
useful considerations.

A perusal of the various catalogues of
the appliance dealers does not assist a
beginner much in his choice.

Prices vary from the modest 9s. for a
so-called "Cottager's " hive — a type often
found, by the way. in the gardens of the
rich— to the 50s. asked for some " WTells "
hives .

Competition, and the modern craze for
cheapness, has forced most of the manu-
facturers to advertise hives at con-
siderably less than half a sovereign.
Although many of them are marvellous
productions "at the price," they are often
the dearest to buy. They usually have
some or all of the following defects :
Absence of legs, suggestive of backache
for the manipulator and of marauding
insects; thinness of material, exposing
bees to intolerable heat in summer and
cold in winter; limited capacity, especially
for supers; crude construction. par-
ticularly of the joints, which are often
formed bv merely nailing one side to the
end of another, ' and even that with too

42

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 29, 1914.

few nails ; small alighting boards, and un-
protected roofs that soon become leaky
through exposure to sun and rain.

On the other hand the most expensive
hives are not necessarily the best. Many
of the features which cause the high prices
are fanciful and ornamental. The real
test of their value is — Are they success-
ful ? Efficiency is by no means propor-
tional to complexity, and this to some
extent accounts for the fact that although
there have been many innovations, there
has been little advance in hive design since
the introduction of the Cowan Hive thirty
years ago.

Many ingenious improvements, such as
certain detention chambers, non-swarming
and swarm-catching compartments, have
failed to become popular because their cost
has been out of proportion to their use-
fulness.

Whilst avoiding therefore on the one
hand such cheap hives as will ultimately
cause dissatisfaction, the bee-keeper
should be cautious in the selection of
higher priced hives. He should not
purchase costly adjuncts of which he does
not understand the value, and which,
through inexperience, he may not be able
to use to advantage. I once became
acquainted with a worthy retired peda-
gogue, who having been inspired to keep
bees by reading Columella and Virgil,
began b}T purchasing about £15 worth of
expensive hives and appliances. He
afterwards procured some bees, but after
two or three years of difficulty, caused
mainlv by the complexity and variety of
his hives, he became discouraged and got
rid of everything.

Happy is the bee-keeper who, having
made a wise choice in the beginning,
purchases or makes only one kind and
size of hive. Personally, I have not seen
more than two or three apiaries of any
size where all parts of the hives were
alike and interchangeable. Indeed, the
fact that most large apiaries contain many
types of hives is simply an illustration
of evolution, for their owners have wisely
adopted improvements the value of which
their enlarged experience has enabled
them to realise. The advantage of only
having one pattern, however, becomes
apparent when the bee-keeper wishes for
a spare floor-board, which he coidd place
under each hive during the spring and
autumn cleaning; when he wishes to tier
i prosperous hive extra high, and finds
that lifts do not fit ; when he has placed
the hastily prepared supers in the wrong
hives, and has found at the last moment
that the largest cannot be forced into the
smallest hive; when a portion of one hive
is to be repaired, and there is no suitable
substitute; and when the division board of
one hive is too large to be used in another.

Although I advocate uniformity for the
sake of convenience, I cannot commend
frequent interchange of hive parts.
Indeed, the less there is of this the better,
for it may often be the means of spread-
ing disease from hive to hive. It is a
good plan to place the supers on the
same hives year after year. This is
specially important in view of the in-
fectious character of the " Isle of Wight "
disease, which is often present in an
apiary long before the bee-keeper is aware
of it. (To oc continued.)

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

THE VALLEY OF THE SEINE, AND PARIS.

(Continued from page 27.)
And so we left Rouen. After all, when
we got to rub elbows together, a very
easy matter, our " convpagnons de voy-
age " were not such bad fellows. We got
quite chummy, even to the exchange of
commissariat stores. In battle, as in
peace, it is always the way with these
Frenchmen. It is the first rush you have
got to look for; it is elan, and if you
can beat them at this they are beat and
resign themselves to the inevitable, as in
this instance. And perhaps this is good
philosophy.

Each to his own calling. The merchant
has ever his ships at sea to think of ; the
farmer his fields and crops ; and the bee-
keeper has his colonies. Thus, ascending
the zig-zag Seine, every passing orchard,
every garden was scrutinised for the
homes of our insect friends. It was dis-
appointing. I doubt if we saw above one
apiary consisting of perhaps two or three
hives. Yet I know that there is a lot of
honey gathered from this district. The
bee-farms must have been further afield.

The meanderings of the river are much
as of our own Thames. Oft we might
have been approaching Henley or Pang-
bourne — the same bending, wooded wind-
ings, the same eyots, the same river
steamboats ; aye, even the same punts and
anglers. Also, the landscape was similar,
except that, a.s we approached the capital,
the market gardens seemed more
numerous, and were drilled even as a
regiment of infantry, each individual tur-
nip or other vegetable standing (if I may
use the word) in its own ground at equal
paces from each neighbour, and the whole
forming squares, trim and sharp enough
for the most exacting drill-sergeant. From
a bee-keeper's view the pasture, save for
an occasional flash of white from a growth
of buckwheat,4 resembled our own. But
the labourer who tilled the ground was
unfamiliar to the traveller. In place of
spade he lifted above his shoulder an
adze-shaped hoe, and as the westering
sun sank crimson over the distant hills

Jan. 29, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

43

one of these toilers, resting on the shaft
of his implement, came out boldly against
the growing shadows. Then I knew from
this shoulder-bent figure where Millais
had found his study and conceived his
" Angelas."

Paris ! Why, who does not know Paris
by heart. We dine in the evening in
London, and have a comfortable early
morning breakfast in the French capital.
Nothing more easv. Equally easy, Pari-
sians return us the visit. Why do so many
go to Paris ? For life, for gaiety, for
fashion? She excels in the sciences, in
art, in music, in drama, in all the refine-

Director of the School of Apiculture in Paris
and the editor of the French bee journal,
// Apiculture. Unfortunately, we are un-
able to keep the appointment, so we wend
our way to the Luxembourg, in the
gardens of which the school is situated.
A motor-'bus from the Place Chatelet
lands us at the gate, and a winding walk
brings us to the "Butcher Ecole," the
apiary school, as is our own at the Zoo.
Raise your hat! Yonder, on its trestle-
table, is " H uber's hive," the very hive he
used when making those experiments and
studying those (at that time) mysteries
of bee life which mark the boundary

Hl'BER S HIVE.

ments of luxury. Yes, this is Paris la 'Sire n <■
as most of us look at her. But come with
me up the hill of Montmartre ; come with
me on the other side of the river, the
cote gaiuhe, on to' the streets at the back
of Notre Dame, to the Faubourg St.
Antoine, to beyonel the Bastille, the Rue
de Temple, and I'll show you slums which
shall ecpial the most squalid East-end Lon-
elon slums, and there are but few of those
which I do not ken. Yet again, I will
take you and point out with my stick
the paving-stones which even within my
knowledge were piled with corpses, and
the gutters that ran with human blood to
the light of burning houses and the ping
of rifles. This is Paris la Petroleuse.
She is as demoniacal in hate as she is
beautiful in her enchantments.

But let us turn to scenes more pleasant.
Our introductions are to M. Sevalle, the

between ignorance and knowledge. Its
leaves are hoop-bound, and still from its
entrance streams forth the brown-backed
throng. The light was indifferent, yet we
were able to take a photograph of it, which
will interest. It seems almost too sacred
to permit it being exposed in open air.
It is worthy a niche to itself.

I am not aware that a representation
of your humble servant has ever appeared
before the readers of this Journal, except
once when disguised in a bee-veil. When,
therefore, the junior. editor suggested the
ordeal, I felt that my nervousness might
be lessened if I appeared in good com-
panv, anel if I, a bee-keeper, had searched
the world, what better place could be
found than the " Ruche r Ecole," with
just the point of Huber's hive appearing
'twixt our shoulders? Behold! everything
was ready — camera fixed and the execu-

44

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 29, 1914.

tion prepared — when at the moment a
shadow crossed our path (I speak meta-
phorically). One of the sabred, blue-
ooated guardians of Law and Order, as
a-dministered in Paris (a gendarme), in-
formed us, that on the greensward where-
on was pitched our tripod it was for-
bidden to stand. I suggested that
he as an addition would give a note of
dignity to the picture. A shrug of the
shoulder and the single word " Pourquoi ? "
(Why?) He did not rise to the situa-
tion. Did he fear it might be used in
evidence against him? Further entreaties

It seems, he said, to be a pretty genera]
opinion in the mineral water trade that
cane sugar is greatly to be preferred to
beet. To a chemist, that seems rather
strange on the face of it, since, when
absolutely pure, no difference can lie
detected between cane sugar and beet
sugar. It is impossible to distinguish
between them by any chemical means.
There is, however, one test by which it
can be ascertained whether a sample of
commercial sugar is cane or beet. This is
as follows : Put some of the sugar in a
bottle and tightly cork it (if the bottle

AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL OF
APICULTURE. PARIS.

brought the same morose reply. Why
waste eloquence on him? One appeal
only is ii-resistible. I held out my hand
to him, holding between thumb and finger
a small silver coin. No longer did he
repeat his parrot song " Pourquoi ? '' I said,
".Pourboire" (to drink). Mis. Herrod
pressed the bulb, and you have the result
before you. — Jno. Smallwood.

(T<> be continued.)

TEST FOR CANE OH BEET STGAR.

At a recent meeting of the Manchester
Mineral Water Trade Association, Mr.
F. G. Richards, of the .Manchester School
of Technology, made an important
statement regarding the respective merits
of refined cane and beet sugars.

possesses a glass stopper that is even
better). Then allow it to remain in a
warm room for several days; afterwards
open it and immediately smell. Beet
sugar will possess a most unpleasant
smell, whilst cane sugar, under similar
conditions, is practically odourless.

Why is this? Owing to the large amount
of potash salts in the beet juice, it is
much more difficult to refine beet sugar
than cane; thus some slight trace of the
unpleasant organic matter remains
attached to the crystals, and the condi-
tions of the experiment accentuate the
smell. Hence, I have no doubt that with
any beet sugars but the very best ones,
the syrups you prepare will occasionally
possess the same disagreeable smell. — West
India Committee CirculaT.

Jan. 29, 1914.1 THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.

45

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications ,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do r.oi
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.
{Continued from page 37.)
'[8930] At the figure suggested,
membership would be increased four-
fold (possibly even ten times over), and
the advantages now open to all would
still continue, with this exception : The
manual work of the expert would be cur-
tailed, he would become more of a super-
visor and adviser. Subscriptions for
prize funds and other special objects would
still be welcomed ; but if not forthcoming
the general work need not suffer, it would
be on a business footing.

(2) " Co-operation in Buying." — Here are
possibilities running to waste. Appliance
manufacturers give discounts to their
agents,- and also to large consumers. Why
not turn tin's to advantage!' If an Asso-
ciation depot is out of the question, it is
at least possible, by means of a system of
counterfoils and voucher*, to draw a com-
mission which is ready to hand. I have
no belief in sweating the manufacturers,
or originating among them such insane
and painful competition as at present exists
among honey producers; my proposal is
simply to appropriate the profit which now
goes to the middleman. All responsible
manufacturers who embrace the proposal
\\ould be on the Association list; the
member would deal with the trader of his
choice ; amounts purchased for cash would
be checked by means of vouchers: and.
finally, the discounts paid out as arranged.
What the rebate would be would require
to be settled with the manufacturers (by
negotiation, not competitive tender), but
I have reason to think that a not unlikely
figure would be about 12^ per cent, for
most of the year, and 5 per cent, during
the busy months: or, better still (as easing
the rush for all parties, and encouraging
foresight on the part of bee-keepers), say,
15 per cent, during the slack season only.
As the system would involve considerable
trouble in book-keeping, a portion of the
commission, say, 2h per cent., might be
retained by the Association, or paid to
the person to whom it delegates the work.

(3) " Co-opcr<itinn in Selling." — Even

greater possibilities exist here, as the
turnover is so much larger. If, through
a reduced subscription rate, outsiders were
eliminated, and practically all bee-keepers
united in a strong union, much of the
honey, now offered to shop-keepers on
their own terms, Mould be held for more
rational rates; and, without affecting
retail prices or checking the demand, an
increased profit of about 10 per cent,
would be secured for the producer.

But we must not be content with passive
co-operation (if I may couple such con-
tradictory terms), we require something
more active. One of the objects of the
B.B.K.A. is to "increase the home supply
of honey," apparently leaving the demand
to take care of itself. Mr. Menzies, in his
extremely valuable address (" B.B.J.,''
November 20th, page 463), speaks of this
as an "extraordinary omission"; but. as
his subsequent remarks show, a much
stronger adjective would not have been
out of place. In the discussion which
followed, I think the Secretary of the
Association was unduly pessimistic as to
the prospects of a central depot for bee
produce ; I choose rather to attribute
his remarks to excess of modesty.
Also, though I have not the honour of
knowing the Council, I am sure he does
its members an injustice in suggesting
that they might be deterred from under-
taking a public duty through fear of any
idle gossip. I think we have the men
both to evolve and successfully carry out
a practical scheme, and I trust it will soon
be brought to light.

In the meantime, can nothing be doner
Mr. Menzies mentions ''the ideal system,
to bring the producer and consumer in
direct contact," only to dismiss it as " im-
practicable and expensive," and falls
back on the middleman as a " necessary
evil." The verdict of such an experienced
man of business cannot lightly be set
aside, and one naturally hesitates to
question it: I will, however, put the
matter as it appears to me. The situation
is as follows : The future of bee-keeping
depends on honey finding a ready sale ; to
do so, it must be cheap enough to com-
pete with jam, and to bring this about the
profits of the middleman must be elimi-
nated, or at least reduced to reasonable
proportions. The following scheme would
achieve this. Let each Association get out
printed lists of honey-sellers among its
members, and let some such advertise-
ment, as follows, be constantly and widely
circulated : '' Honey. — A list of bee-keepers
having honey for sale can be obtained
free of charge, for any district required,
on application to the Secretary, British
Bee-keepers' Association. 23, Bedford
Street, London, W.C. Prices (say) from
6kl. per lb. in 281b. tins, and from 7s. 6d.
per dozen in lib. screw-capped jars." If

40

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan, 29, 1914.

an advertisement of this kind were kept
well before the public, the B.B.K.A.
would become a national institution, and
not to know its address the supreme test
of ignorance. The work of the Association
would end with the posting of the required
list to a prospective buyer, who would
arrange privately with the seller selected
such details as samples, price, carriage,
returns &c. The system is simplicity
itself — "ideal," as Mr. Menzies calls it;
and surely his description of its working
is a caricature. I have not met the
•'eager purchaser" who remits his 6d.
or 7d. (presumably without any pre-
liminaries) and is "sadly surprised to find
himself charged 4d. more for carriage " —
his innocence is refreshing; also, I trust,
the bee-keeper is rare who, with an eye
to future business, would so treat a
customer who sends cash with his order.

I do not propose now to fill in details
which suggest themselves ; but submit the
above outlines as fit matter for discussion.
If further correspondence is permitted, I
hope to see the official view, no matter
how scornful ; but even more eagerly do
I look for contributions from " back-
benchers," members of the rank and file.
1 understand the reluctance many feel
about writing, and sympathise with them.
Though a reader of one or other of your
valuable papers for the past sixteen years
(with the exception of a brief period when
out of touch with bee-keeping), I have
never before ventured even to address you
a query; and would not have rushed into
print on this occasion, but for the incident
mentioned in my previous letter. If,
sir, I have now gone to the other extreme
the importance of the subject is my excuse.
— (Revd.) W. E. Mattinson.

APIARY ACCOUNTS.

[8931] Referring to the letter on page
26, signed "A Novice," it may perhaps
be explained very briefly that in a com-
plete system of book-keeping every trans-
action affects two separate accounts. For

the term "double-entry" book-keeping
is derived.

The " profit " is arrived at by means of
the "Goods" account, which shows, on
the Dr., or left-hand, side, the value of
goods in stock at the beginning of the
year, and the value of all goods purchased
during the year. On the right, or " Cr.,"
side, are entered the amounts of all sales,
and the value of stock in hand at the
end of the year. Then the amount by
which the Cr. side exceeds the Dr. side is
the profit on the year's trading.

In the method of account keeping
suggested by Mr. Smallwood recently, ex-
penditure was shown on the Cr. side and
receipts on the Dr. side. As probably
many people are accustomed to keeping a
cash book who do not understand the
intricacies of book-keeping, this plan has
the merit of simplicity, in that it agrees
with what these account-keepers are in
the habit of doing. It involves, however,
the necessity of showing the two items
" stock in hand " each on the wrong side
of the account, and this has led to the
recent discussion on the subject.

Bee-keepers who only require a simple
method of finding whether, and to what
extent, their bees pay may very well
regard Dr. and Cr. as arbitrary conven-
tionalities. For their purpose it does not
matter on which side of the account the
items are shown, so long as the whole
arrangement is consistent.

Now with regard to the annual valua-
tion, about which your correspondent
raises several queries.

An inventory must be prepared on the
last day of the book-keeping year, showing
exactly what stock is on hand, and its
value. A convenient arrangement is to
have columns ruled as in the example
given below.

The principle is to estimate as nearly
as possible the number of years which the
appliances will last, and to write off a
proportionate part of their cost each year.
The cost of painting and repairs may
appear in the ordinary expenses each year.
From this it will be seen that the hives

Item
No.

Description.

Years
Old.

Estimated
Life.

Original Cost, j

Depreciation
to date.

Present Value.

£

s.

d. 1

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

1

W.B.C. Hive.

3

15

1

5

5

1

2

70 unused frames
at 7/6 per 100.

5

3

example, if a merchant buys goods for
cash, the transaction is shown in the
"Goods" account as a "Dr." item on
the left-hand side, and in the "Cash"
account as a "Cr." item on the right-
hand side. It is from this practice that

are best valued separately from the bees
and combs they contain. The latter are
best dealt with by valuing at so much for
each comb covered with bees (say 2s. 6d.),
and so much for each drawn out beeless
comb (say 4d.). This allows for stocks

Jan. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

41

of various strengths, and for the doubled
stock to which "A Novice" refers.

There is no need to make any mention
in the accounts of a lost swarm. Had the
swarm been captured and sold, or hived,
the amount of sales or of stock would
have been increased. Had no swarm
issued, or the issuing swarm been returned
to the parent hive, the increased surplus
take would have shown in the sales.

As the swarm was lost, however, the
effect on the profits is automatically shown
by the fact that there is no surplus honey
to sell, and no additional stock of bees on
hand, and no separate entry of the loss of
swarm is needed. In order to estimate
the profits for the year, all that is neces-
sary is therefore to add together stock on
hand at the commencement of the year,
and stock or goods purchased during the
year, on one side, and stock or goods sold
during the year, and stock on hand at the
end of the year, on the other side. If.
then, the total, sales and stock, exceeds
the total stock and purchases, the
difference is profit. If unfortunately the
stock and purchases exceed sales and
stock, the difference is loss. — T. Meech,
Ilford.

A WORD FOR THE ITALIAN BEE.

[8932] "To the sulphur-pit with any
race of bees but British blacks," or words
to that effect is largely what we read in
the bee journals of the British Isles. On
tackling one editor I found he believed in
Italian bees being best, but advised
people to keep blacks because of the diffi-
culty of keeping Italians pure, and the
cross-bred ones are sometimes " holy
terrors," and might put a novice off bee-
keeping for life.

I have noticed that those who advocate
Italian bees generally are also in favour
of larger frames or larger brood-nests.
Working on this idea, I gave my bees
" C. D. B." hives with thirteen standard
frames. Then I put on each an inner brood
body of ten standard frames. Some stocks
had black, some Italian, and some half-
bred queens. The blacks came nowhere
near the Italians or hybrids; the best
black stock covered twenty-three standard
frames and ten shallows. I extracted
five standard and ten shallow frames.
One hybrid lot occupied forty-three stan-
dard frames and ten shallows. It then
started swarming ; I found eighteen
queen cells hatched out, and four or five
others unhatched. How many swarms
came off I cannot say, as the hive was at
an out-apiary ; one box of standard and
one of shallow frames were extracted from
this hive.

Another hybrid stock gave two boxes
standard frames and two of shallows for |

extracting. From one hive of pure-bred
Italians 1 took off the inner brood body,
consisting of ten standard frames covered
with bees and the queen. Eight of the
frames were full of brood. I sent this to
North London, where it filled two racks of
sections and covered another inner brood
body. To the old hive I gave a young
queen, also an empty brood chamber
making the hive capacity twenty-
three standard frames. I took from this
hive one super of shallow frames and one
rack of sections (full), and one rack of
sections three-parts full. I did not put on
a queen-excluder, as I wanted to prevent
swarming. My district is an early one,
situated at sea level, with mild, wet
winters ; two acres of gorse within 300
yards ; also many svcamore and horse
chestnut trees, &c, which give the bees
a good start before the white clover comes
in. This year it rained almost daily, till
the white clover had been in blossom a
fortnight. In fact a lot of the stocks
(particularly the blacks) had to be fed up
to the middle of June, then it was fine
till very late in the autumn ; in fact, the
bees were carrying in pollen a fortnight
before Christmas. From my experience
I am inclined to favour the Italian bees
They build up more rapidly than blacks
in spring, gather more honey (in my
district, that is. as it is one most suitable
for extracted honey) ; they send out
large swarms, 71bs. to lOlbs., and must
have a large brood nest. If pure they are
very quiet to handle, therefore are best
for an out-apiary, where the bee-keeper
has to attend them on certain fixed days.
and cannot pick suitable ones.

Against this it is difficult to control
swarming and mating. They do not pro-
duce white and attractive sections, as
thev put no air space under the cappings.
— Herbert Qutnton, Sligo.

LONG-LIVED BEES.
[8933] I heartily agree with Mr.
Crawshaw (page 19) that an important
point in selecting stock to breed from is
longevity. A little experience of last year
showed me much more strongly than be-
fore the importance of the old bees. Bv
the moving of a stock to a new stand, I
had queen and nurses of a hybrid strain
showing one yellow band, often very
faintly marked, and about a thousand
foragers of a pure brown. That was the
position early in May, and the bees worked
well, making their winter keep, over and
above their food. On June 15th I noted
in my diary that all the foragers at this
hive were of the pure brown kind, and
though the diary does not say so, I am
convinced that much the same held up
till the end of July. After the browns
had died out it became evident that the

48

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 29, 1914.

hybrids were not of nearly such good stuff,
and the prosperity of the hive actually
waned. It really looks as though those
thousand brown bees did practically all
the honey-gathering of the year. At any
rate, they were of immense importance,
whether in a hive composed wholly of
their kind or in a hive of failures, and
if they only lived a week longer than the
average bee span, I suppose we might
write down ten or fifteen pounds of honey
to their credit (if it was a week of full
honey-flow). If some fellow reader by
nucleus swarming will get a band of
black foragers in a yellow hive he can
find, by more exact record than I kept
last year, how long the band continues to
work, and if he had two such criteria he
might well give the preference at queen-
ing-time to the stock that produced the
longest-lived workers. — G. G. Desmond,
Sheepscombe, Stroud, Glos.

DO BEES PAY?

[8934] The best way to answer this
question will be to give the balance sheet
for a number of years of a novice starting
with no knowledge of bees. As I am
going abroad, and shall be parting with
my bees, I have made a careful estimate
of stock in hand, and the figures given
may be taken as accurate. In the
autumn of 1906 I bought four skeps of
bees for £2, knowing absolutely nothing
about their management. Fortunately a
friend gave me a copy of the ' ' Bee-
keeper's Guide Book," and I purchased
four hives at a cost of £4. Since then
everything bought has been paid for by
honey sold, and the initial expense of £6
was paid off before 1910, which was the
first year that I made a balance sheet.
The results of the last four years I give
in tabular form.
Receipts.

1910 4 15 2 3 7 11

1911 11 10 9 3 14 10

1912 13 16 0 9 15 3

1913 25 16 5 16 15 4

Expenditure,
d. £ s. d.

o5 18 4 33 13 4

No estimate of stock in hand is in-
cluded, the figures given show only cash
receipts and expenditure, but as I started
with nothing, all stock goes to the credit
side. I have eight colonies of strong,
healthy bees. Four YV.B.C. hives, with
three supers each, painted and sound.
Right single walled hives, with two supers
each, painted and sound. Four W.B.C.
hives, with three supers each in flat.
Tinned copper extractor, with four revers-
ing baskets, two tinned copper ripeners,
160 drawn-out combs, uncapping table,
solar extractor, Primus stove, six racks of

sections, honey, wax, honey vinegar and
sundries'. Estimated value £28.

The results of seven years' working,
with four to eight stocks of bees, stands
thus : —

Receipts in cash £55 18 "4

Estimated stock 28 0 0

£83 18 4

Expenditure in cash 33 13 4

Giving a return for my work ... £50 5 0
L make no comment on the result. —
W. A. Carver.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8935] While I cannot help feeling
flattered at the compliment Mr. Camp-
bell pays me (8930), yet I fear he has
wholly mistaken my point of view, and
that when he learns how strongly opposed
I am to nearly all his conclusions he will
wish to substitute something very dif-
ferent for the high praise which he, in
his opening paragraph, bestows on my
letter.

In the first place, I do not see why my
question as to where the disease is
"exhausting itself" should be considered
heretical. I have always thought myself
highly orthodox. The question was asked,
not for the sake of establishing some pet
theory of my own, but solely to ascertain
facts. I have heard it stated by bee-
keepers of wide experience and in a
position to know, that bee-keeping is now
once again becoming possible in certain
districts where the disease was formerly
rampant. I have no knowledge of such
places, and simply desire detailed in-
formation.

There are several remedies (?) on the
market, but 1 think it would not be unfair
to label them all "quacks." Not a few
letters have appeared in the "B.B.J."
stating that the writers have cured stocks
with "Smith's" cure or "Johnson's"
remedy, but others, like myself, are con-
vinced that the remedy (?) had very little
to do with the recovery of the bees.

Now, if the statement referred to above
about the decline of the disease in certain
districts has any truth in it we ought to
see letters in the "B.B.J." describing how
X., Y., and Z., living at such-and-such
places, had their whole apiaries wiped out
in common with their neighbours so many
years ago, but have now successfully re-
stocked, no signs of disease having been
seen since so long, or, if there has been
disease, it has assumed a milder form, and
has not spread from stock to stock with
the usual rapidity. Detailed information
(if this sort would he must encouraging
and profitable.

Now, as Mr. Campbell has developed a

Jan. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

49

theory out of my letter, may I be allowed
to say a few words on immunity, and the
origin of the disease?

I do not regard immunity as a practical
solution of the problem. Here I may be
somewhat unorthodox. Foul brood is
generally supposed to have existed a con-
siderable time, but since natural selection
has not produced a strain of bees immune
to that complaint, what hope have we that
it will do so in the case of " Isle of Wight "
disease? And can the apiarist hope to
accomplish in his limited time what
natural selection has failed to achieve in
the course of centuries?

Mr. Campbell, in his desire to establish
spontaneous generation, fails to do justice
to his alternative theory, and leaves out
altogether a third explanation of the com-
plaint which is perhaps the best of all.
It is quite possible the disease has been
imported from abroad. Has it not
occurred in parts of Germany and
Austria ? If it has not produced such
disastrous results in those countries, may
this not be due to peculiar climatic or
other conditions in the British Isles,
specially favourable to the growth of the
micro-organism ?

The third explanation is, I think,
suggested by the report of the Board of
Agriculture. It is that " Isle of Wight"
disease is nothing new after all, but just
a very much more malignant form of
"spring dwindling." The theory is that
up to a few years ago, owing to the pre-
valence of certain conditions favourable
to the bee, or unfavourable to the germ,
"spring dwindling" was not regarded as
serious, but now these conditions having
altered the complaint takes the much
more serious form which we are accus-
tomed to* call "Isle of Wight" disease.

Our hope lies in the further scientific
investigation of the disease, and the
circumstances which give rise to it. Then
we may find a means of curing or pre-
venting it. In the meantime, information
such as 1 asked for in my first letter,
would assist those, like myself, who are
losing all their bees for the second time,
in deciding whether to make a third
attempt and how long to wait before
doing so. — L. Tllingworth.

HEATHER DISTRICT.

[8936] Will any reader of the "B.B.J."
tell me of the nearest heather in this
district — Healing, Lines? Also the con-
ditions under which hives may be stood
there for the heather season. — W.I.

[We shall be joleased to forward any
replies to our correspondent. — Ed.]

By D. M. Macdonald, Banff.

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

From "GUanings.". — Mr. Morley
Pettit on being asked how he had
succeeded in doubling and trebling the
membership of the Ontario Association
replied: "By advertising." He kept
pegging away at the local Associations to
affiliate with the Central, and to a large
extent he has succeeded.

White clover honey is a misnomer, as
I believe that three-fourths of the clover
honey of Ontario is gathered from
alsike. That a good proportion of the white
clover honey in this country also comes
from alsike must be true, because both
clovers are sown as a mixture in all our
fields set out for lea.

The first three lessons for a beginner
should be How to Light, How to Load,
and How to Use a Smoker. Some
veterans will please, take notice — and
lessons. I verily believe these are wise
words from A. C. Miller's pen. The art
of smoking bees is one deserving of
thorough study and consistent practice.

Mr. Holterman, at first a disbeliever in
the virtues of the steam-heated uncapping
knife, has become an out-and-out convert,
and believes that he will never again
go back to the common tool. Miss
Holterman was able to uncap at the rate
of three combs a minute, and Mr.
Holterman's conclusion is " I believe that
no uncapping machine, taking into con-
sideration the best combs that the
average producer will have, will ever
exceed the steam knife."

Requeening without dequeening is the
latest craze. One enthusiast says: "A
young queen light in eggs will easily over-
power an older queen heavy with eggs,
and such a queen usually conquers an old
and failing queen." Mr. Root rather
countenances both statements, and
asserts ' ' I have noticed an interloping
virgin will in most cases supplant the
reigning mother." All these assertions
are hypothetical. Some years ago I made
similar claims ; now I would make several
reservations.

Dr. Miller favours entrances 2in. deep. I
wonder if he means wide? — but he cannot,
because he speaks of hot weather. Ye
Editor supporting him sanctions his plea,
but mentions wide and narrow entrances.
Is there not some confusion of ideas
somewhere ? The sage of Marengo
announces a record take in 1913. From
seventy-two colonies he has taken nearly

50

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Jan. 29, 1914.

20,0001bs, of comb honey, an average of
267 sections. His best gave 4021bs., his
poorest sixty-eight sections. Congratu-
lations ! No wonder the doctor is giving
himself and his household a holiday in
Washington. and enjoying himself
thoroughly.

Africa. — Alas! the South African Bee
Journal has gone over to the great
majority. " One more unfortunate weary
of strife?" When the "Canadian" died
the "Horticulturist" took up a bee
section, edited by the Provincial Apiarist,
Mr. Pettit. Now the S.A. Poultry
Magazine has done the sanne for bee-
keeping, and as the pages devoted to this
fascinating pursuit are under the able
editorial care of Mr. G. S. Oettle (who
was the first editor of the defunct
paper) apiculture has still a rallying
point in South Africa.

Australia. — The Australian Beekeeper
has recently absorbed The Cam man wealth
Beekeeper, and the Bee Bulletin. A
feature of its management is its interest-
ing prize competition, appearing monthly,
conducted by the editor, and for which
be provides prizes. I note that the
" Langstroth " frame bids to be the stan-
dard size in the Commonwealth. Their
chief honey source is more highly valued
there than here, to judge by the follow-
ing: "This glorious gum tree stands for
greatness, grandeur, dignity, sublimity,
majesty!" They do not all see eye to
eye in regard to their associations, but
there is no doubt these bodies are doing
good work, and in many ways influencing
Government in favour of apiculture.
They are attempting to initiate judging
by "points"; but when I read "nil"
placed against flavour in the points for
comb honey I have grave doubts of their
wisdom !

Beekeepers' Review. — "Pinch your
secretary and see if he is alive. A dead
secretary means a dead association. If
you have a 'live' secretary, don't turn
him down ; if a ' dead ' one put in a ' live '
one forthwith." Good advice! I would
add, if you have a " crank " turn him out
and secure one who has the good of bee-
keeping at heart. A "one idea " secretary
means stagnation or retrogression — never
progress or advancement.

In Indiana bee-keepers set apart the
15th December as a "Honey Day." An
attempt was made to get special para-
graphs, letters and advertisements in .'ill
the local papers drawing attention to the
• vent. Special cards were displayed in
every grocer's window, and a supply was
contracted for in every store. Cards were
also placed on every case of honey dis-
posed of. For a small charge the Review
prints the name and address of every
member having honey to sell. By the

way, this may be taken as a hint for our
Journal — both parties might benefit. I
am not certain but the B.B.K.A. might
benefit if members' honey was specially
advertised. In Canada (Ontario) they aid
members to dispose of their honey, and
make an endeavour to prevent the market
being glutted, or nervous people disposing
of their honey at too low a price — a
common fault on this side !

Letters or queries asking for addresses o] manu-
facturers or correspondents, or where appliances
can be purchased, or replies giving such informa-
tion, can only be inserted as advertisements. The
space devoted to letters, queries, and replies is
meant for the general good of bee-keepers, and
not for advertisements. We wish our correspondents
to bear in mind that, as it is necessary for us to
go to press in advance of the date of issue,
queries cannot always be replied to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of their com-
munications.

Suspected Disease.

Retlaw (Northumberland). — (1) The bees
were too decomposed for us to be able
to state definitely the cause of death,
though from what we can see we fear
it is a case of " Isle of Wight" disease.
(2) The honey will be quite all right for
household use. (3) The Hon. Secretary
of the Northumberland B.K.A. is
Captain Sitwell, Yearle House, Wooler.

R. L. (Thurning). — The bees were badly
constipated, and this, no doubt, caused
their death.

Carlisle. — The bees were too dry for
examination.

H. P. S. (iShipton).— "Isle of Wight"
disease is the cause of death of bees.
Destroy all internal fittings, and
thoroughly scorch the hive out with a
painter's blow-lamp. It will then be fit
to use again.

R. Ellis, Embertonian, G. G. (Bangor),
D. F. (Chelmsford), and Ayrshire
Amateur. — The bees have died from
"Isle of Wight" disease.

J. D. (Swanwick). — We should say the bees
died from "Isle of Wight" disease. The
" Izal " would not kill them. The candy
is evidently under-boiled. It will keep
for a long time; but bees do not require
candy in June. If fed at all in spring
or summer they should have syrup. If
you intend starting again you must burn
all the combs and internal fittings of
your hive, and scorch the hive inside
before it will be safe to introduce a new
lot of bees.

Feb. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAX.

51

REVIEWS.

Die Biene und der Breitwabenstock, by
Franz Richter (published by the author in
Vienna, Kolumbuagasse 1, price 2.20kr.
(Is. lid.) post free). — This book is in-
tended to instruct the bee-keeper in the
use of hives, such as those used in this
country and in America, that is, with
wider and shallower frames than those
generally employed in Germany and
Austria. The hive recommended has ten
frames, the outside dimensions of which
are 426mm. by 255mni. (RHin. by 10in.),
and can be worked with supers exactly in
the same way as our hives. The hive
specially advocated by the author, under
the name of '•Richter's Breitwabenstock"
(Richter's broad-comb hive), has been
introduced into Dalmatia, and owing to
its simplicity, easy manipulation and rapid
development of the colony in spring has
been adopted as the standard hive by the
Agricultural Minister in the kingdom of
Dalmatia. The author describes in detail
the methods well known in this country,
and the book, which consists of 175 pages,
is illustrated with ninety-three figures, for
many of which M. Richter states his in-
debtedness to Messrs. E. R. Root and Dr.
Phillips, the originals having appeared in
11 A.B.C. and X.Y.Z. of Bee Culture " and
*" Bees." As the book treats of the most
recent methods it should be of use to those
adopting this style of hive, although most
of the manipulations described can be
applied to other hives in use, and in pro-
ducing so useful a compilation the author
has rendered a signal service to his bee-
keeping colleagues.

Yraaui Ptschel, by A. G. Beliavski (pub-
lished by Ptschelovodnaya Gisn, Matveiews-
kaya 11, St. Petersburg, price 20 kopecs =
(3d.). — This is a little book of forty pages,
devoted to descriptions of the enemies of
bees. From its perusal it is evident that
bees have many more formidable enemies
in Russia than they have in this country,
for among the mammalia we find such
animals as the bear, badger, hedgehog,
fox, weasel, and pole-cat. Of birds there
is a list of eighteen species, amongst which
we find the nightingale, redstart, swallow,
fly-catcher, four species of shrike, great
tit, gold-crested wren, bee-eater, two
woodpeckers, honey buzzard, and white
stork. Some of these are not considered
as enemies with us, and it is doubtful if
they do any harm while they are so
scarce, and besides their beauty and use-
fulness to horticulture, they delight us
with their song, so that these attributes

are full compensation for the small
damage they may do to bees or fruit.
Insect pests are numerous, and those
described include several not found with
us, but we were surprised that a humble-
bee (Bombus terrestris) is mentioned,
although the author does not himself share
the opinion of those who class it among
the enemies of the honey-bee. One of the
most troublesome amongst insects is the
death's-head moth, which is most per-
sistent in its attacks on colonies of bees.
The common Norway spruce (Abies
excelsa) is stated to be injurious because
of the peculiar honey-dew that is found on
it at certain times, and which causes
winter diarrhoea. Several orchids and a
rhododendron are also included. This is
a useful little compilation, as a good
description is given of the various enemies
so that they can be easily recognised.

SPECIAL LECTURES.

Special lectures in connection with the
Development Fund Grant to the B.B.K.A.
will be given at the following places.
Where the time and place of meeting are
not given, particulars can be obtained
from the Secretary of the Association
concerned : —

At the Lecture Hall, Zoological
Gardens, London, by Mr. W. Herrod, on
February 5th and 12th, at 6 p.m.

PIONEER LECTURES.

Chichester, Feb. 11th, at 7 p.m. Lecture
Hall, Technical Institute. By Mr. F. Kenward.

Tunbridge Wells, Feb. 18th, at 7 p.m.
Town Hall. By Mr. F. Kenward.

Lewes, Feb. 24th, at 7.30 p.m. Foresters
Hall, Station Street. By Mr. F. Kenward.

Gravesend. Feb. 26th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

Sidcup, March 30th, at 7.30. By Mr. W.
Herrod.

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By Geo. Hayes, Beeston.

broom (Genista scopeirius) (SarotKammis,

Brit. LI.)

NO. 28. NAT. 0RD. LEGUMINOS^.

(Paplionacece.)
(Continued from page 29.)
Of all our leguminous shrubs the Broom
is perhaps the one most favoured. It may
be gathered without the fear of the
prickly protection of the " Gorse," and
has besides its own attractions the interest
of historic and poetic association, for it is
even referred to by Pliny.

Burns, speaking of his native haunts,
says : —
" Far dearer to me are you humble Broom

bowers
Where the Blue-bell and Gowan lurk lowly
unseen."

52

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 5, 1914.

Cowper, too. tells us of

"The Broom,
Yellow and bright, as bullion unalloyed."

Its vigorous growth on open moorland,
or amid the rocks, or on the bleak hill-
side is often referred to.

Wordsworth says : —

" The Broom,

Full flowered and visible on ev'ry steep
Along the copses runs in veins of gold,"

re f erring
course, to
fondness
high land.

of

its

for

It

Dry.

is however, to
be found on dry,
sandy situations.
"W e have a
fair supply in
Notts, although
we have very
few hills, but it '
is quite at home
on railway em-
bankments on the
moor and along-
old lane sides.

The rootstock of
this shrub is creep-
ing and very
branching, as one
may know if an
attempt is made
to pull one up.
It grows from one
to five feet high.
The stems are
angular, smooth,
green, and wiry;
the lower leaves
are stalkless. The
flowers are large,
and a bright
yellow colour; in
form they are
paplionaceous, or
like a butterfly,
the stamens being
all jointed to-
gether and the
stigma very long
and thin.

Lri Honey

from Honey:

5.

6.

POLLEN OF BROOM

The plant bears a profusion of blossoms,
starting early in spring, and continuing
to the end of June; these in turn are
followed by large black pods. Those who
have been amongst them when the seeds
are ripe cannot fail to have noticed the
sharp crackling sound caused by the pods,
dried by the sun, springing open and
shooting the seeds to a distance. The
pods afterwards curl up, and in time drop
off.

Before hops were introduced into this
country, broom tops were used to impart

a bitter flavour to beer. The young flower
buds are occasionally pickled and used as
a substitute for capers. The branches
evidently contain tannic acid, for they
have been used for tanning leather. The
seeds, when roasted, form a substitute for
coffee, and the ashes of burnt broom con-
tain a large percentage of potash. The
flowers produce both pollen and nectar for
the bees, so we must admit that the shrub
is a very useful one to the bee-keeper.

The common name " Broom " is, no doubt,
derived from " brom " or " brame," a word
which signifies

that from this
shrub brooms, or
b e s o m s, were
made, the Greek
for which is
Sarot ha m n u s . The
generic name —
Genista — is said
to come from a
word meaning

•' the knee," in
allusion to the
angular or jointed
appearance of the
twigs ; others say
it is derived from
the Celtic word
"gen," a small
brush.

I n ordinary

■school history we
learn that King
Henry II. of Eng-
land, wearing the
Broom, Planhi-
genista, in his cap.
assumed and
transmitted the
royal surname of
Plantagenet, and
we find it — like
the strawberry

leaf — figures very
much in heraldry,
both in this and
other countries.

On May 30th, last
year, I was in the
forest, and found
the Broom blossom
in greater pro-
fusion than I had ever seen it before, for
everywhere around the shrubs were gleam-
ing like sunshine, and some bees which I
had taken with me to pasture in that
locality went to work on it with avidity
in a very short time after their arrival,
as it yields both pollen and nectar.

The pollen is lenticular in general out-
line, having three grooves running from
end to end, which divide it into three
lobes, and measures T;i25n in. by t7T\jtt iu.

In colour, when in the corbicula of the
bee, it is a deep orange, yet, when gathered

Feb. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

53

dry and placed in a mass on a dark
ground, it reflects a light brown. It is a
brilliant yellow when seen in the micro-
scope by transmitted light.

There is little change in the grains when
in honey, except that they are more trans-
parent, and increase slightly in bulk.

"When taken from honey, pimples are
apparent on the surface; they have from
one to three processes, as seen at Nos. 5, 6
and 7 — that is, they are formed irregularly.
The majority have three, as shown at
No. 7, which may be considered as the
final form. They are inclined to be
triangular, but are mostly almost spherical
in outline, and measure from ~fo in. to
_Ii_ in

1O0O "•

(To be continued.)

SOME UNCOMMON HONEY SOURCES.

Cascara Honey. — Cascara sagrada is a
well-known medicine, the plant is a
flower-bearer, and the flowers yield honey.
In some parts of California it is given as
the main honey plant, and is said to
remain in bloom for a full month, or even
longer. One bee-keeper says : " We prefer
it on our table to any other honey, and
have customers who will take no other.
It is not purgative, but one of the best
remedies for chronic constipation known."
If the last statement is correct, it ought
to be better known, as this medicinal value
would guarantee for it a good price and
a ready sale. The plant is a rapid
grower a most prolific bloomer, and the
flowers are very thickly set. One man
records 1,300'lbs. of honey from forty-four
colonies.

Tobacco^ Honey. — " Tobacco honey," did I
hear someone say? "It's fine!" The
plants are allowed to blossom, each one
bearing hundreds of individual flowers,
and they continue to bloom from August
1st until October. Thus we have thrown
open to our bees hundreds of acres of
tobacco, containing myriads of flowers.
The bees swarm on this, and the honey
comes in fast. No bad qualities peculiar
to the plant seem to be contained in the
honey when ripened by the bees and re-
moved from the hive, and the verdict is
that bees winter on it as well as they do
on other fall flowers. Surplus honey will
sell as readily as that from buckwheat,
and for many uses it will be found superior
to the darker grades of honey. A peculiar
feature of the nectar secretion in the

tobacco* flower is that a bee will disappear
in the blossom for a full minute, and when
it comes out it will fly straight to the hive
with a full load !

Cranberry Honey. — At Cape Cod they
have immense stretches of the cranberry
plant, thousands of acres in extent. They
find that it is a good honey plant, but they
value their bees far more highly as
pollinators than as honey-gatherers. When
the company working this "farm" bought
bees the yield went up, and the manager
is now increasing the number of bees as
fast as his bee-keeper can carry it out.
They find the yield is heaviest close to the
hive, so* that there has been an enormous
increase in the yield of berries per acre.
Excellent testimony this to the value of
the bee as a pollinator. In this country
bees are very fond of cranberry blossom
wherever it is within their reach, but I
do not know of any surplus being gathered
mainly from this source.

Cotton Honey. — Mr. Scholl, who is in
the centre of vast cotton areas, considers
this source a valuable one, the honey is
very light in colour, mild in flavour, and
when thoroughly ripened, it compares
favourably with the very best grades.
During a heavy flow there is a strong
odour in the apiary like that produced by
bruising cotton leaves. The flow goes on
from July 1st until frost. The nectaries are
located under the bracts next to the stem
of the blossom, and there are others on
the under side of the leaves. The A. B.C.
of Bee Culture values cotton honey as fit
only for manufacturing purposes, and
adds : " When confined it sometimes bursts
the receptacle in which it is held, whether
it ferments or generates gas has not been
definitely determined."

Spider Plant Honey. — "I have experi-
mented with this bee plant, and find it one
of the best for honey, as it yields more
than any other plant that grows. I
watched the bees gather nectar from
several flowers, and it took three bees in
all cases to gather the nectar from one
blossom. Tbe first two bees stayed one-
and-a-half minutes each, and the third
only forty-eight seconds. I took a glass
medicine-dropper with a rubber bulb to it
and drew the nectar from thirteen
blossoms, getting a teaspoonful in all. In
one season there are several hundreds of
blossoms to each plant, the stem rising to
about nine feet." The writer of foregoing
calls this flower the Rocky Mountain bee-
plant, or Clcome integri folia, but the Spider
plant is Cleome Pungent. "A. I. Root"
says, "The nectar is secreted so rapidly that
a person can gather it with a teaspoon! "

Orange Honey. — " The orange tree is a
profuse yielder of nectar, and as the trees
bloom for about six weeks, during which
the weather is usually fine, there is no tree

54

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 5, 1914.

yielding more freely than this, not even
the basswood. On most days, if the branches
are shaken, the nectar drops so freely that
the ground underneath is quite wet. A
yield of from GOlbs. to 1201bs. from this
source is counted on every year, and the
honey is very fine." From other parts of
California and Florida the reports are not
quite so enthusiastic as the above state-
ment, but all agree that where it can be
got in purity, as might be expected, the
quality is of the finest.

Milkweed Honey. — In Michigan and
elsewhere in the States, milkweed is
valued as a honey plant, and some report
good crops. At a recent Association meet-
ing, one member reported excellent returns.
The flavour, at first strong, became milder
with age, until it was little stronger than
that of white clover. The colour was so
light that the honey sold readily at a, good
price. Professor Surface recently warned
bee-keepers that this plant has one objec-
tionable feature as a bee flower. The
pollen-bearing parts pull off and stick to
the legs of the workers to such an extent
that they disable their free flight and
movement, often so much that the other
bees throw them out in great numbers to
die.

Logwood Honey. — It is claimed for the
logwood of Jamaica, &c, that it is the
greatest honey plant or tree in the world.
The bee-keepers of that interesting island
expect average takes of from lOOlbs. to
2001bs. per colony from this source alone.
In point of colour it is said to be as good
as any honey in the world, the flavour
is mild and pleasant, and the price
obtained for it when fine is generally about
the best on the market. This tree is a
near relation of the mimosa, which
yields immense quantities of excellent
honey that is highly valued wherever
produced.

OUR JUVENILE MANIPULATOR.

We have received innumerable letters
with regard to the photographs on pages
14, 33, and 34 of Bee Journal, of Maurice
Herrod manipulating. The boy also has
received a large number of letters and
photographs from other children who are
bee-keepers. Time does not permit us to
reply individually to them, so we take
tbis opportunity of thanking the writers
for their kind expressions of appreciation
and congratulation.

A few sceptics have written doubting the
age of the boy, and also as to whether the
hive was populated or not. Me hereby in-
form the first-named that we are prepared
to produce the boy's birth certificate, and if
the latter will look closely at Nos. 2, 3, 6,
7, 8, 10, and 11 they will see bees at the
entrance, of 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and

1(5 they will see bees on the comb. The
boy is so keen that he would refuse to
handle combs unless bees were upon them.
In any case, we claim that very few chil-
dren of his age could be induced to carry
out a succession of manipulations so well
that to obtain nineteen photographs only
twenty-one plates were exposed.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are . requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for vublication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We .do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8937] The Rev. W. Mattinson (8928,
" B.B.J.," Jan. 22nd) has apparently
not benefited personally, and seems inclined
to think all bee associations must be tarred
with the same brush. Norfolk is now
going ahead, but has undoubtedly been
among the slack associations for some years.
The members have evidently found the
weak spot and taken steps accordingly to
mend matters. If Mr. Mattinson would
read the reports of all associations, bound
in one volume by the B.B.K.A., he would
perhaps not be so ready to jibe at head-
quarters taking the trouble to collect
them. To those who have the general
good of bee-keeping at heart, they are
extremely interesting and valuable read-
ing, and one can learn a lot from their
perusal.

Mr. Mattinson proceeds to detail the
advantages offered by his association, and
then pull them to pieces. It may surprise
him to know that most of them are con-
sidered advantageous by the committees
of many, I might safely say the majority of
other associations, or why are they circu-
lated with their reports? This means, I
take it, that scores of the best bee-keepers
(on the various committees) hold contrary
views to Mr. Mattinson.

(1) Expert Advice aird Assistance. —
I am glad Mr. Mattinson admits the value
of this, but he is evidently out to decry
associations, so he goes on to say that if in-
stead of bolstering up the ignorant and care-
less bee-1 repers experts could aid in their
speedy extirpation, the benefits woidd be
greater still, and to the right people.
Quite so, but how are experts or associa-
tions going to do this till we get an Act ?
The moment the Act gives power to take

Feb. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

55

drastic measures with the careless, I for one
look forward to seeing many such extir-
pated ; but in the meantime are the
ignorant to receive no instruction ? Did
Mr. Mattinson learn his bee-keeping by
intuition, without any help p

(2) Reduced Entrance Fee for Shows.
— If there is only one show open to mem-
bers of any but the very small (as regards
area) associations, or one just starting, it
is a pity. In any case the large shows are
open to all bee-keepers, and it is astonish-
ing how competition increases keenness and
improves bee-keeping methods. Seeing his
neighbour successful often induces a man
to have a try at showing himself, while
once commenced, the practice is generally
continued till it is as much part of the
yearly programme as spring-cleaning, or,
up here, going to the heather. That ex-
hibiting improves bee-keeping methods,
care, neatness and cleanliness following as
a matter of course, there can be little
doubt. That to be successful and make
one's name as an exhibitor is by far the
finest advert, for the sale of one's honey
is, I fancy, beyond dispute, there is no need
for the middleman in such cases. I know
several who have done so, and could sell
ten times the amount they produce in con-
sequence. That the value of learning how
to show, fostered by a small local associa-
tion, I think is pretty clearly demonstrated
in my own county. In North Northumber-
land there was a small but keen associa-
tion, which within four years spread from
first a village and its neighbourhood to the
whole of the north of the county, and
was rapidly spreading. At local shows,
four to five classes, with perhaps twelve
to fifteen exhibits, rose to eight or nine
classes, with fifty to sixty exhibits.
Where these exhibitors extended their
area and tried more distant fields they
more than held their own. one indeed last
year, and another the year before, taking
premier honours in open classes at the
"Royal " Dairy, and other big shows. Do
they owe nothing to the association for
their success ?

(3) Expert Examinations. — All cannot
become expert or obtain Proficiency Cer-
tificates in a year, but if again Mr.
Mattinson would read the collected reports
of associations, he would see how some of
the older ones have now reached the stage
that they can work the whole of their
spring, and in some cases autumn tours as
well, at reduced cost by employing their
own expert members.

(4) Library. — If an association pro-
fesses to have a library, they should
certainly not say they have till the books
are in the hands of the secretary. Bad
management somewhere !

(5) Use of Lantern Slides at Reduced
Charges. — -Why, in the name of common-
sense, should this be an advantage only

for what Mr. Mattinson is pleased to call
"the elite, the aristocracy of the craft,
say one in 1000"? Is' the B.B.K.A.
lecturer, Mr. Herrod, travelling all over
the kingdom only for the sake of ' ' the
elite and aristocracy of the craft," or to
do good-' Are his audiences composed only
of advanced and experienced bee-keepers,
with only one in 1,000 of the humbler
novice grade? We have one first class
and five third class experts in our associa-
tion, not a very numerous " aristocracy of
the craft," yet the average attendance at
lantern lectures this winter has been fifty,
and that in sparsely populated districts

(6) Hone if L.abels. — As Mr. Mattinson
has never used this privilege, his criticism
is purely theoretical. It is strange to find
that those associations who have a label,
sell more and more of them each year, if
they are merely "harmless ornaments."

(7) Insurance. — This "advantage" is
of great value our critic admits, yet, even
at a minimum premium of 9d. it is not
ruinous. Equal to the sale of one section
of honey.

(8 and 9) Bee Papers at Reduced Sub-
scription.— I am glad to say my friend
and I agree. His comments referring to
8 I think point to one weak spot formerly
in his association, since rectified.

(10) Annual Meetings. — I grant a few
are more favourably situated for attending
these than others, but " where there is a
will there is a way," and a great many
who do not might easily take advantage
of the opportunities offered. I can quote
cases of men cycling home long distances,
one of twenty-five miles, after a meeting,
and in the winter, too !

(11) Association Report. — Is it no ad-
vantage to know the name and address of
the nearest experienced bee-keeper to
whom to apply for help in the time of
trouble ? Of course, if one is perfectly
satisfied with one's own bee-keeping and
its results, it may not be of much interest
to find out who are one's bee-keeping
neighbours or how they have fared, still
less perhaps how one's association has got
on. Can one learn nothing from the
report as to extension or checking of
disease, as the case may be, of affected
districts or those with a clean bill of
health ? When fresh blood is required in
the apiary, swarms or driven bees, stocks.
&c. ivc, it is as well to know where to
go or what districts to avoid ! Some
reports include Board of Agriculture leaflets
on "Isle of Wight," "Foul Brood,"
bow to begin, marketing, &c. These, of
course, can be had free, but how many small
bee-keepers would take the trouble to write
for them ? The association takes that
trouble, and the members benefit thereby.
"The guinea subscriber," in mv experi-
ence is not of the class who expect a

56

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 5, 1914.

return for their subscription, but cheer-
fully give to try and help their fellows.

(12) Drawing for Hive. — On this point
I cannot write from personal experience,
but in theory it seems as sound to me as it
does the reverse to your correspondent. It
ensures one bee-keepeer at least having one
good hive, and if he belong to the
•' ignorant or careless class," his ignorance
will probably be turned into wisdom, and
his carelessness do less harm.

(13) This point is peculiarly brought in,
but it can certainly rank among the " advan-
tages." There is a verse on giving "not
grudgingly, or of necessity, &c," that the
reA'erend critic might lay to heart. —
Northumbrian Bee.

(To be continued .)

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8938] I cordially agree with Mr. H.
Campbell (8930) that heresy is the mother
of knowledge; so will put forward some
considerations that have occurred to me in
support of Mr. L. Illingworth's suggestion
(8935) that the " Isle of Wight " disease
was imported from abroad — a possibility
which appears to me not to have received
sufficient attention hitherto.

According to the Board of Agriculture's
report, May, 1912, the outbreaks of
disease similar to "Isle of Wight," men-
tioned in old bee-books, were, most of
them, due to Nosema apis, which has
therefore long been endemic in this
country. This opinion appears to be well
founded ; especially as we do not know of
any other parasite which is commonly
associated with the symptoms. But I
would respectfully beg to differ from Mr.
Bullamore and Dr. Maiden when they
state their conviction (page 13, 1912
Report) that the present widespread out-
break cannot be entirely traced back to the
outbreak in the Isle of Wight in 1904. My
i easons are as follows : —

(1) The view taken in the Report is
based on the fact that cases of disease
have been recorded previously to the main
outbreak. But such cases would be
accounted for by supposing the existence
of a. mild endemic strain of Nosema,
occurring locally, to which our bees are
mostly immune. These local outbreaks
have doubtless often been severe; but is
there any evidence that they ever resulted
in a practically universal epidemic lasting
for several years, like the present one? I
would submit that the official view neglects
to lay sufficient stress on this fact.

(2) There: is no special evidence that the
weather was particularly unfavourable to
bee-life during the years when the epi-
demic started in the Isle of Wight (1904-
1906); or that any other exceptional con-
ditions were present that lowered the

vitality of the bees, and so> gave the
microbe an advantage. But if the epi-
demic was not due to unfavourable
conditions acting adversely on the bees
and so favouring the spread of the disease,
it must have been due to infection with a
virulent strain of the parasite to which
the bees were not immune. It was, as Mr.
Anderson pointed out (" B.B.J.," 1912,
page 333), a case similar to that of the
South Sea Islanders and the measles.

(3) Evidence is not wanting to show
where that virulent strain came from.
Mr. John Silver, writing in the "B.B.J."
(1907, page 224), states that: "Some
ascribe it (i.e., the origin of the disease in
the Isle of Wight) to several colonies im-
ported from France and Switzerland about
four years ago." That is to say, the
stocks were imported in 1903 ; the disease
broke out in 1904. The connection seems
plain : for we know that Nosema apis has
long been prevalent on the Continent.

(4) Why then, if, as my theory requires,
the Continental strains of Nosema are so
deadly, do they not, as Mr. Illingworth
asks, produce equally " disastrous results ,r
in their native lands? The answer is, I
believe: (a) that the bees in those
countries are partially, or, in some cases,
wholly, immune, even to virulent strains
of Nosema (cf., the experiments of
Maassen and Nithauk, 1912 Report, page
109; 1913 Report, page 21), Maassen's
opinion, and that of Brown, in Australia
(both quoted, 1912 Report, page 51). Even
so, there are actually losses from micro-
sporidiosis, as the reports of Drs. Maassen
and Zander and others prove.

(b) The strain that was imported into
the " Isle of Wight " in 1903 may not have
been specially virulent »as Continental
strains go; but it was deadly to our bees
because they Mere not immune to it. Dr.
Graham-Smith and Mr. Bullamore state
(1913 Report, page 22) that they are "of
opinion that latent Nosema, infection is
not generally common in this country."
In other words, either our native strain of
Nosema is so exceedingly mild that it is
seldom able to infect bees, except under
very unhealthy conditions ; or else the idea
that Nosema is endemic in England is mis-
taken, and it is really quite new to this
country.

We may therefore conclude that —

(1) Nosema apis existed in this country
previously to 1903 in a very mild form, to
which our bees were nearly all immune.

(2) A comparatively virulent strain of
Nosema was imported into the Isle of
Wight in 1903 from either France or
Switzerland ; it is the sole cause and origin
of the epidemic that has spread, and is
still spreading through the country.

(3) The bees on the Continent, and in
Australia, are partially immune to

Feb. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

57

Xosema. Immunity is therefore not only
possible but is actually known to exist.

I would therefore like to support Mr.
Campbell's plea for an attempt to raise
an immune race of bees, and to suggest
that anyone endeavouring to do so should
bear the principles of Mendelism in mind
as more likely to lead to a successful
result than the rather happy-go-lucky
method suggested by Mr. Campbell. In
this connection it is to be noted that the
importing of queens, as well as of stocks,
not proved to be of an immune strain.
into> an infected district, is fatal to all
chance of breeding immune bees ; and that
legislation that would put a stop to that,
while exercising a wise moderation in the
matter of destroying slightly infected
stocks, would probabhT prove, not our un-
doing, but our salvation. — Annie D. Betts.

THE FLOWERS OF FEBRUARY.

[8939] In spite of Christmas rose and
aconite, the first real bee forage comes in
February. The date of the crocus is not
a certain one; my 1911 diary tells me that
on February 18 crocuses and snowdrops
were in masses and the bees busy among
them. There is no greater pleasure in all
the year for a bee-keeper than to see his
bees going down into the golden crocus
cups, whose transparent sides show him the
little gatherers as though on a lighted
window. In 1910 a London park accessible
to my bees had a large patch of
Mediterranean heather in blossom just at
the end of the month. Anyone with the
right sort of ground would do well to
plant a rod or so with this or with
Erica cornea, to blossom before the colt's
foot and put the bees into breeding
humour, even though it gives them only
very slender forage. Another exquisite
and early blossom already open in ones
and twos is the hepatica ; my own are
mostly a heavenly blue, but some of them
are pink. Quite generously nectariferous
is the giant saxifrage, whose name, I sup-
pose, is S. crassifolia. It is sometimes
called Jerusalem cowslip, and it begins to
open its great pink umbels in February in
an early year. The gooseberry has been
known to blossom in February ; when the
first queen wasp is seen its time is not
far off. The chief blossoms of this month,
however, are wind-fertilised, and it is
doubtful whether the bees visit them.
The box and the yew are very good
examples, each producing clouds of pollen.
The alder catkins are, as Tony Weller
said of a certain tea-drinker, "swelling
wisibly," and the trees are blushing
beautifully under the influence of spring.
Certainly the bees will find something to
do on the occasional warm clays we are
entitled to expect this month. — G. G. T>.,
Glos.

• ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[8940] I fear I cannot have made the
object of my former letter (8930) as clear
as was desirable ; for I find Mr. Illing-
worth, in imputing to me a wish to
"establish spontaneous generation," has
misunderstood me. My excuse for this
lack of clarity is that, while writing the
letter, I was continually haunted by the
thought of the already congested columns
of the " B.B.J." The fault was, of
course, mine, and I beg to apologise to
Mr. Illingworth.

My point is this: Whenever I discuss the
disease with fellow bee-keepers they in-
variably tell me that destruction of in-
fected stocks is the only remedy ; and as
I gather from the "Suspected Disease"
column of the Journal that this is also the
official opinion of the central bee-keeping
authority, I may be permitted to term it
the "orthodox" view — and to describe
myself as heretical in that I differ from it.
Moreover, if Mr. Illingworth (8935) has
correctly presented the Board of Agri-
culture's view, I appear to be in good com-
pany, my heresy being shared by White-
hall ! For surely burning will not help
much, if the disease be caused by a pre-
existent microbe, invigorated by " climatic
or other conditions." We are indeed
going back to the Middle Ages if we
imagine we can control climate with a
bonfire !

And, in truth, despite his protest. I
cannot but think that Mr. Illingworth is
every bit as unorthodox as myself. He
admit? the probability of the disease
' ' exhausting itself ' ' ; but when we use this
expression regarding a disease, we mean no
more than that its victims are becoming
resistant to its attacks by natural selec-
tion ; and so he seems to me to admit that
immunity (or rather its first step,
resistance) may be a practical solution of
the problem after all. And as by destroy-
ing infected stocks we are impeding the
selective processes of nature, I can only
conclude that he disapproves of this whole-
sale use of fire.

Nor do I claim that my heresy is a new
theory. I have seen it voiced before in
these columns. But since there seems to
be some likelihood of our being compelled
by Act of Parliament in the near future
to interfere with nature, I do not think
we should leave the subject alone. Our
ignorance of the causes of the disease is
so colossal that it seems, absurd to legislate
on the subject, and go close the door to
further inquiry. Even the view of the
Board of Agriculture is no more than a
theory. Let us first, then, prove the
theory true before we invoke Parliament.

Legislation in the case of foul-brood can.
of course, be defended, since we have
learned by experience that destruction of

5S

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 5, 1914.

infected stocks does have the effect of pre-
venting the spread of this disease ;
hut I am not at all sure that we have
learned the same of '"Isle of Wight"
disease. As I pointed out, it may be due
to spontaneous generation, for anything
Ave know to the contrary. I do not
myself think this likely; it is far more
probable that it came from abroad, where
its ravages have not been noticeable owing
to the fact that the local bees are highly
resistant of it. But in either case burning
seems to me to be a questionable policy to
pursue, since we do not know but what
resistance (and even complete immunity)
may not be achieved in the course of a few
generations. We have no right to argue
that because immunity has not resulted
after 2,000 years in connection with one
complaint, the same will be true of " Isle
of Wight" disease. Thus, to take an
example from ourselves, once a man has
had smallpox he is immune to it for the
rest of his life ; whereas the streptococcus
that is responsible for a cold in the head
will attack him time after time and show
no diminution of vigour. Moreover, my
own observations in a district where foul-
brood was rampant make me hesitate to
admit that natural selection is incapable
of stamping it out. I well remember
how, in the midst of the wreckage of an
apiary, one stock displayed a most
astonishing resistant and recuperative
power ; and had it not been subsequently
annihilated by "Isle of Wight" disease,
I cannot but think that something might
have been made of it in the way of queen-
rearing.

Mr. Illingworth says that I have over-
looked a third alternative, viz., that em-
bodied in the view of the Board of Agri-
culture. Having been much abroad until
recently, I have not followed the Board's
researches ; but if their conclusions are
really as stated by him, I am not surprised
at their possibility having escaped me.
Let me translate this view into simple
language. The " spring - dwindling "
microbe has been long existent in all
parts of England — at any rate, it is a
complaint spoken of as common in all
old guide-books. About 1906 climatic or
other conditions altered in the Isle of
AVight, causing an access of vigour in the
microbe (or the reverse in bees). The
following year these conditions spread to
Hants — otherwise, on the Board's theory,
the already-existing microbe there could
not have become vigorous. The year after
these conditions spread outwards in a
circle to Sussex, iSurrey, Berks, Wilts and
Dorset; and, if I remember rightly, they
also took the train, in company of a
stock of bees, to the North, where they
proceeded to invigorate the local microbe!
The idea of climatic or other conditions
taking a third-class railway-ticket seems

to me to admit of argument! — H.
Campbell. Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk.

Bee-keeping in Nyasaland (p. 20). — I
know so little of the local conditions that
I hesitate to do more than make sugges-
tions, but Mr. Deuss might experiment in
his endeavour to get heavier sections. It
may be that his bees do not readily work
sections, or that they leave too large a
passage way between the comb and the
divider. Something might be done by
getting the sections worked out (possibly,
even completed) without dividers. Wooden
dividers (perhaps fences) which provide
some portion of the bee-way (so as to in-
crease this) might be better than metal.
But if it is so difficult to get good sections,
why not abandon the attempt, at least
temporarily, and work for extracted
honey? Mr. Deuss would do well to write
for advice to Mr. G. S. Oettle, care of the
South African Poultry Magazine, Johan-
nesburg, and to subscribe to this journal,
which devotes considerable space to South
African bee-keeping. I am indebted to
Mr. Oettle for such knowledge as I possess
of the conditions, and he is emphatic on
the subject of extracted v. comb-honey.

Thick Syrup (p. 24).— I still think that
; D. M. M." is mistaken, or, at least, ill-
advised, in his advocacy of 241bs. of sugar
to the pint of water. (His present state-
ment of "2^1bs. of solid to one of liquid"
is evidently a slip of the pen, as this would
mean 4-oths of a, pint ; as also " stirring
until melted" is a clerical error, which
should read "dissolved.") I doubt
whether a pint of water will take up
2^1bs. of sugar under the ordinary treat-
ment of making bee syrup, i.e., boiling as
advised by " D. M. M." At any rate, I
have just made a small test of these pro-
portions, bringing carefully to the boil,
and allowing to cool slowly. Long before
the result was cold, extensive crystallisa-
tion took place, the small remaining pro-
portion of syrup being saturated. But
perhaps " D." M. M." will check the test
for himself, as what is wanted is not so
much the opinion of authorities as the
truth. Both Dr. Miller and Mr. Ernest
Root would readily confess themselves in
error if this were the case, but there may
be a difference in their treatment. Perhaps
•' D. M. M." has misunderstood them, or
I may have made an error in my test,
which I will willingly admit.

Seeds of Gran ulation (p. 24). — T wonder
if there 'is anything in "D. M. M.'s" idea
that combs once occupied by granulated

Feb. 5, 1914.1 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

59

stores are contaminated, as it were, for
ever. Judging from a limited experience, I
should have thought not. But all things
are possible, and I have not observed
closely enough to be emphatic. I should
have said that the bees could make a clean
job of such combs, particularly when
assisted by the bee-keeper, who is also
deemed impotent in the matter. But I
think I could guarantee a clean job. For
one thing, granulation in the comb is
usually coarse, and .such granules are
easily removed, whilst to fill such a comb
with water should get rid of even the
thought of evil ! But surety no one would
use bait sections containing honey, whether
granulated or not ! The granulation in
the feeder, of which " D. M. M." writes,
may be due to the use of over-thick syrup.
It is well to fill all feeders with water for
a time before finally Mashing and storing
them for the winter.

Putting on the Roof (p. 35). — It may
seem extraordinary to the loossessor of one
or two neatly-made hives that there should
be more than one method of putting on a
roof, but there are, in fact, several. Mr.
Herrod's method is infinitely superior to
the blundering hit-or-miss method, and
Avorks perfectly with well-made furniture.
But occasionally one comes across roofs
which have only two rebates, or else the
rebates do not lie truly in the same plane.
Here is a method which covers all possible
cases Avhere the roof will go on as placed,
and which I invariably try to teach to
such candidates as have the misfortune to
pass through my hands for examination.
Handle the roof as described by Mr.
Herrod, but hold it at diagonal corners.
Allow the finger-tips to project inwards, as
described, to feel for the entering corner
of the hive, which should jDass between
them. Then lower the roof, and as the
one diagonal descends the other must of
necessity do. so truly. With this method
also, a heavy roof is handled much more
easily, as no leverage is exerted upon the
wrists. Try it with an awkward or badly-
made roof, if you should happen to possess
such a thing, or, failing this, with a good
one.

jffiTnEgnp

[8905] A Stearin in January. — Late
last autumn I drove two stocks and a
small cast, and placed all the bees on
seven brood frames taken from other hives.
I gave them some candy, and they did a
good deal of honey collecting, the weather
being so mild. On January 10th I was
advised to go and see them, as they were
said to be all out of the hive. The hive

was a very large one, and the seven frames
did not take up half of the space. I found
the bees outside crawling all over the hive,
and going in at the escape vent. I looked
inside and saw a large cluster, so went
and got my veil and smoker, and two
new frames with foundation. I gave them
a good smoking, took off the quilt, found
my last box of candy hardly touched, and
a fair number of bees on the frames. I
had previously given the bees a good
dusting with flour, as I was uncertain if
it was robbing. I did not gather it was
on examining the other hives. I then
put the two new frames in on either side
of the centre frame and covered all up,
opened the entrance wider, and smoked
the bees again until they ran m.

I have not examined the hive since. I
may say when I put the three lots of bees
together I did not look for any queen and
kill her, but simply let them settle the
matter. I have had one suggestion, that
it was a "hunger swarm," but as the
combs were fidl of stores this cannot be
right ; another person told me that he
expected they were too warm. Personally
I thought it was simply a case of lack
of room, and so gave the two frames of
foundation, but as we had a cold snap a
few days later I wondered if I had acted
rightly. I did not examine the seven
frames, but saw they were well sealed,
and on moving them noted they were
heavy. I began to keep bees last year,
and as I am only a beginner I shall be glad
if you would advise me whether it was a
swarm, and if so is it not very unusual,
and what should I have done ? I had no
drawn out brood frames. — X. Y. Z.

Reply. — It certainly was not a natural
swarm. We should imagine the bees were
excited on account of queenlessness.

The frames should not have been, put
in the centre of hive. Remove them
at once. You had better examine
them on the first fine day to see if there
is brood ; if not, get a queen as early in
the spring as possible, and introduce her.

[8906] Working for both Increase and
Surplus. — I intend keeping bees this
coining season, and before I set to work I
shall be much obliged if you will kindly
give me a little advice, so that I may
profit to the fullest advantage. At the
present time I have two new hives,
" W.B.C." pattern, and I have ordered a
stock of bees on eight frames through a
local bee-keeper, this stock to be delivered
about the end of March or beginning of
April, according to the weather. My aim
is to finish up the season with two stocks
and a small quantitv of surplus honev.
I have read the "Guide Book" by T. W.
Cowan several times — in fact, this book and
one or two others I have read very care-
fully three or four times — and to accomplish
my object it would appear there are two

(ill

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 5, 1914.

or three ways of going about it. Given
ordinary good luck and favourable
weather, 1 suppose J can expect the
extra stock of bees all right, and the
question remains, how can I obtain the
most surplus honey in addition? I will
number my questions, and if you think
the matter of sufficient interest to other
novice bee-keepers, perhaps you will
kindly reply in the " Queries and Replies "
column in the "B.B.J."

(1) The first method would be to wait
for a swarm in the ordinary way. This,
however, does not altogether appeal to
me, as I am away from home all day, and
a natural swarm might be lost. And, of
course, the bees may not swarm.

(2) The second plan would be to make
an artificial swarm, but by doing this
time would be lost in getting the second
stock queened, unless I purchased a queen
for introduction.

(8) The third way, and which in my
own mind I think the best, would be to
stimulate the queen to laying in the
original hive, and when the stock covers
ten frames, put my other empty brood-
box filled with foundation over it, so that
in time I get one hive with a double brood-
box. The honey flow about here is, I am
informed by other bee-keepers, about the
second or third week in June, and the
question is, could I get the hive full of
bees in time ? If my suggestion could be
carried out, I take it with such a strong
stock I should get a lot of surplus honey,
and when the honey flow is over I could
remove the top brood-box to my second
hive, and introduce another queen, thus
getting my two stocks, which would then
be fed up for the winter. — H. A. Dicken-
son.

Reply. — We would advise you to
stimulate the bees early to get them
strong. Make a nucleus, and when the
queen in it is laying, make a nucleus
-warm as described on page 95 of " British
Bee-keepers' Guide Hook."

J. (». S. (Surrey). -Destroying Diseased

Stock. — (1) If you used cyanide of
potassium to. kill the bees you must not
(.it the honey, unless you want to also
depari this life. (2) the queen is not
usually affected, as she is fed on digested
food. (3) The microbe causing the
dl&ease IS ever present, and becomes
virulent and fatal under certain con-
ditions.

W. II. (Camblesforth). — Moving Bfc.s.
You should move the bees as soon as
possible, while they are confined to the
hives by bad weather. Cord both skeps
and frame-hives, so that there is no
chance of any part moving. Block the
entrance with rags, and convey them to
their destination on a light spring
vehicle, so that they are jarred as little
as possible. Tie up the hives and pre-
pare them in the daytime, but move
them at night.

II. M. B. A. (Bridge of Allen).— Honey
from Infected Hive. — The honey is harm-
less enough for human consumption, but
be sure that none is left about so that
other bees can get at it.

A. C. K. (Hanwell). — Candy-making. — (1)
The candy was properly made ; and (2)
will not do any harm to the bees. (3)
No. (4) Yes. Many thanks for your
kind and appreciative remarks.

A. M. S. (Kettering). — Bees Bobbing in
January. — It is not unusual for bees to
rob in January on fine days.

C. A. Morgan (Newport). — Stock Foiind
Dead. — The bees have died from starva-
tion through being too few in number to
move to the food. You can use
the honey for other bees as there is no
disease.

A. N. C. (Neston). —Colour of 'Bees.— The
light-coloured segment you refer to
shows that the bees have Italian blood
in them; it is not a disease.

J. Y. (Cambridge). — Honey Vinegar. — The
vinegar is not yet a good sample. In
about three years' time it will have
matured and be fit for sale.
Suspected Disease.

F. S. E. (Suffolk).- -They are British bees
and have " Isle of Wight" disease.

A. H. (Wavondon). J. S. (Nelson), K. H.
(Middlesex), P. 0. B. (Bristol), T. H.
(Essex), Constant Reader (Wigtons),
L. H. (Somerset), Mrs. Norton, Bee,
Lover (T'eignmouth), R. E. T.
(Cheshire), W. J. 0. (Horsham), and
F. B. L. (Kent). — The bees have died
from " Isle of Wight" disease.

W. S. A. (Chippenham). — Both lots have
" Isle of Wight" disease.

V. S. Smith. — We are sorry we cannot
help you, as the bees arrived saturated
with honey.

\\'. I). (Horsham). The bees have died
from starvation.

W. I). K. (Bearwood), G. H. (Pontefract),
and V. C. (Sheringham). — The bees have
"Isle of Wight" disease. There is no
known remedy. Destroy them without
delay.

Observer (Heighington). — The bees died
from " Isle of Wight " disease. We can-
not say if the honey was the source of
infection or not.

Feb. 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

61

WEAR VALLEY AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

The annual meeting of the above
Association was held in the Mechanics'
Institute, Wolsingham, Co. Durham, on
January 24th last. The balance-sheet
showed a balance of over £3. A series of
lectures on bee-keeping are to be arranged
by the Hon. Sec, each lecture to be given
at a different place in the district. This
is thought to be the best means of
stimulating an interest in bee-keeping, and
it is hoped that many more bee-keepers
will be induced to join the Association.
The following officers were elected for the
year 1914 : — President : Mrs. H. G.
Stobart ; Chairman: Mr. J. G. Westgarth;
Hon. Secretary: Mr. W. S. Watson;
Treasurer : Mr. W.
Messrs. Welsh and
Watson, Southview,
Durham.

Proud ; Auditors
Heslop.— W. S.
Wolsingham, Co.

By Nemo.

Wax More than a Thousand Years Old.
— We read in the Bulletin de la Societe
romande d' Apiculture that excavations
made in 1905 near the town of Tbnsberg, in
Norway, brought to light a boat of the
period of the Vikings, who occupied the
country about the year 800 a.d. This boat
served as a place of sepulchre for a queen,
and contained a number of very interest-
ing objects intended for the use of the
deceased, in the other world. Among the
articles were found two cakes of wax
weighing about 117 grammes, which were
probably used for waxing the sewing
thread, two balls of which were also found.

M. John Sebelier, a Norwegian
scientist, has just made an analysis of this
wax. He found it quite a normal bees-
wax, and it only differed from ours by
containing a slightly smaller proportion
of iodine and acids. This wax was of a
beautiful yellow colour, and a microscopic
examination showed a few grains of pollen
derived from flowers of fruit trees, black-
berry, lime, and others.

Apiculture in Egypt.— M. A. Bircher
states in the Revue Fran raise <V Apiculture
that the Egyptian bee is a little smaller
than that of Europe, but much more
irascible. Its abdomen is striped with
white bands. Hives are examined twice a

year, in August to remove the honey and
in February to prepare them with a view
to preventing the bees from swarming.
Enemies of bees are numerous. Several
birds of the genus M crops have voracious
appetites for bees. There is also the heat
to contend against, although this does not
prevent the workers from foraging, as
they, even at a temperature of 99degs.
Fahr., preserve all their ardour for work
and energy for fighting the hornets, which
are some of their most formidable enemies.

The movable comb-hive gives very good
leturns, as the average amount of honey
produced by a colony is not less than
35 kilos (about 771bs.). Nevertheless, one
finds very little honey in the country,
because the owners of the hives do not
understand how to manage them, and at
frequent intervals remove the combs so
that the bees are obliged to reconstruct
them several times during the year, of
course to the detriment of the honey
harvest. The principal nectar-yielding
plant is a white clover (Trifolium Alex-
andrinum, known as Bersin or Egyptian
clover), and the principal gathering
season is in March and April. In August,
during the rainy season, the honey is
darker and of a brownish tint. In
January, beans begin tO' bloom, and these
are eagerly visited by the bees. Later
fruit trees, such as peaches, apricots, and
others, flower, and these, with eucalyptus,
yield abundantly.

The Position of the Cluster of Bees in
Winter. — The bee-keeper, not being certain
as to the position that the cluster will
occupy in winter, is obliged to arrange the
stores by distributing them over the combs.
M. Achmarin has been carrying out ex-
periments in Russia with a view to deter-
mining if there was any rule guiding the
bees in the formation of this cluster, and
gives the results in Ptschelovodnaya Gisn.
The entrance slide of M. Achmarin's hive
consists of a single strip of zinc which,
according to its position, allows either the
right or the left side of the entrance to
be left open. Repeated observations have
forced M. Achmarin to the conclusion that
the bees always cluster on that side where
the entrance is open. Since making this
discovery, he has always worked in
accordance with it, and in consequence has
not lost any colonies. If the entrance is
to be open on the right side, the bulk of
the stores are arranged on this side. It
would be worth experimenting in this
country, where we leave hives out of doors
on their own stands during winter, for
the hives of M. Achmarin are placed in a
house as is the usual custom in so severe a
climate as Russia. It would much simplify
wintering if we could insure the safety ot
the bees by placing all their stores together
within their easy reach.

62 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 12, 1914.

Wintering Bees.

Each season's harvest is gathered or lost the previous autumn according to the
attention given to the bees.

As a rule, the novice winters down his stocks with many misgivings as to whether
he has done right or not. His anxiety is the greater owing to the fact that, unlike
summer operations, he is unable to examine them from time to time during the
winter months to see that all is going well.

Instead of leaving the preparation for wintering until October, it should be com-
menced as soon as the supers are removed. An examination of every stock will
reveal their condition ; careful notes made at this examination will save the trouble
of further disturbance.

Our next work will be in connection with the hive. We must guard against
damp getting inside ; therefore attention must be given to the roof and floor-board ;
damp rises, and, of course, rain and snow fall from above. Many are content
to see that the roof is all right, and take no care of the floor-board. The roof,
if properly treated when the hive is new, and before it is occupied, by stretching
calico or fine canvas over it very tightly and well painting the same, will require
no attention beyond a couple of coats of good oil paint every two years. If not
so treated, be it ever so well made and of the best seasoned material, changeable
climatic conditions will eventually make it" crack, or, as carpenters call it, shake;
when this has happened thin paint should be run into the crack, and when this has
set soft putty should be well worked into' it from the underside until it oozes
through on the top side ; rub down level by means of sandpaper, allow it to' stand
for a day or two to allow the surface of the putty to harden, then paint. A good
plan, after this has been done, is to stick strips of calico over the cracks on the
underside by means of white lead. Personally, on no account would I use the
stepped roof, as it is impossible to< keep it watertight. The roof should be made
flat on each side ; if calico iis used, it does not matter how many joints there are —
It will be quite watertight. I have a roof made of strips of wood, none of which
is more than one inch in breadth.

Avoid covering the roof with zinc, for, although well painted, it will attract
the heat in the summer, and in the winter it is very cold ; further, no matter how
snugly it is fitted, there is bound to' be a certain amount of condensation of moisture
on the underside, and this does harm by slowly rotting the wood. I have seen old
sacking thrown over the roofs, of hives with the idea, of keeping them watertight,
on the top of which bricks are laid to keep it from blowing off. A better or more
complete way of totally ruining even the best roof could not be found, as the
damp is kept continually present under the sacks, and consequently the woodwork
rapidly decays. If a roof cannot be made watertight without this addition, the
sooner it is chopped up for firewood the better. Another plan followed is to bend
a piece of corrugated iron to the shape of the roof, and lay this loosely over the top,
again using bricks to keep it in place. This has all the disadvantages of the close-
fitting zinc, and is further detrimental inasmuch as, in rough weather, the wind
moves the iron, and there is jarring and noise, which excites the bees and causes
them to take more food than is good for them, probably resulting in dysentery,
the action being exactly that of smoke or carbolic fumes, as it frightens the bees.
Even rain beating on corrugated iron will disturb the bees ; for this reason alone
it is a very bad covering. A remark I heard one clay explained this very tersely ;
it was that " Tf it looks like rain it rattles."

We next attend to the floor-board, and in all cases this should be well painted
on the underside to protect it from the damp which rises. See there are no chinks
right through, or there will be a draught: through the brood-nest in the early and
most important part of the year ; the floor-board should be quite level from side to

Fig. 1.

Feb. 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 63

side, and slope about half-an-inch to the front. If the hive tilts ever so slightly
to the back it is impossible to keep the interior dry. Moisture, which condenses
during the winter, will saturate the debris caused by chewed cappings which collect
on the floor-board, so providing a damp mouldy mess — bad for the bees in every
way, and making them more susceptible to disease; and often I have seen this a
seething mass of maggots, the offspring of other creatures. Again, when it rains,
the wet will draw in, and the same thing will happen from melting snow ; there-
fore, the slight tilt does away with all these drawbacks.

All weak stocks should be united with as little delay as possible, to get them
into good fettle for the winter by breeding as many young bees as possible. The
fallacy of trying to winter weak lots is shown in Fig. i. The old bees die off

rapidly, leaving the cluster so small
that they cannot generate sufficient
heat to obtain energy to move from
one end of the comb to the other
when the food directly under them is
consumed, and, as will be seen, they
perish from hunger. The more bees'
there are, the less food is consumed.
This seems paradoxical, but it is quite
true, as a large quantity of bees can
maintain the temperature on a very
small amount of food. There is greater body heat, and when once raised it does not
escape so quickly from a large cluster as from a small one. With a small number
more fuel (food) is burnt, as heat is generated by combustion of food in the
body of the bee combined with oxygen, and also by mechanical movements of
various parts of the body, as, for instance, respiration.

Autumn is the time to re-queen — not the spring, as so many novices seem to
imagine. There are two reasons why it should be done in the autumn — first, on
account of expense; if queens have to be purchased, they are much dearer in
the spring than in the autumn. Secondly, to get the best out of the new queen in
the early part of the year. The queen commences to lay about the last week in
January ; under the most favourable circumstances it is impossible to introduce new
queens before the middle of April ; therefore, if the work is left until the spring
about three months of the most valuable part of the year is wasted by the old
queen. Again, if re-queening is carried out every year the introduction of a
young queen will allow of forcing the production of eggs to the utmost limit in
the autumn, without injurious effects upon the stock's future welfare. Lastly, it
gives the bee-keeper an opportunity for testing the reproductive powers of the queen
before the winter, so that, if deficient, there is time to replace her.

The next work is to stimulate the bees so that the queen will be fed liberally
on chyle food and produce more eggs than she would under normal conditions.
Autumn stimulation is deprecated by some bee-keepers on the ground that the energy
of the bees is taxed in brood-rearing ; therefore they do> not live so long. Be that
as it may, I have always found those stocks in which autumn stimulation has been
carried out come out best in the spring and do the most work. If
there is a shortage of food this is carried out by means of a bottle-feeder, giving
the bees access to about three holes. As some of the food will be stored, it is well
to make the syrup a little thicker than that usually used for stimulative purposes,
and if there is disease in the neighbourhood it should be medicated.
A constant supply of syrup should be kept in the feeder — a shortage, if only for
a few hours, will check egg-laying. Those stocks which do not require feeding
must also receive attention. It often happens that the brood nest is choked with
food, thus limiting the number of cells available for the queen to lay in. If the
bee-keeper has a few good empty combs on hand the difficulty is soon overcome by
removing a couple of combs containing honey only, replacing them with empty
combs. The food combs can be used for making up stocks from driven bees later
on, or stored away in a dry, warm, dust and insect-proof cupboard or box, to give
to stocks that are short of stores in the spring.

Failing this, it will be necessary to extract a couple of combs from the brood

64

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 12, 1914.

•chamber. Select those which do not contain brood, extract the honey, and put them
back in the centre of the brood nest — not side by side, but with a couple of combs
containing brood between them. The work of extracting should be carried out in
the evening, so that the bees are not excited and induced to rob on account of
the smell of the wet combs — these will be cleaned up during the night. All excite-
ment will have subsided by the morning, when the bees will work normally.

The stocks .should be treated one at a time, and not a collection of a dozen
combs made from half-a-dozen hives at once, to save time, or the protracted opera-
tion will cause strife. When feeding, and also when replacing wet combs, all
entrances should be reduced to about half an inch, to give the inmates a better
opportunity of defending the hive against robber bees and wasps.

{To be continued?)

RANDOM JOTTINGS.

By Charles H. Reap, Beading.

" ISLE OF WIGHT DISEASE " AND FRUIT CROPS.

I do not intend to take part in the con-
troversy in which Mi*. Illingworth, Mr.
Campbell, and Miss Betts have engaged.
The question of immunity is one of con-
siderable difficulty, and one, so far as bees
are concerned, about which we know little
or nothing. For the majority of us, the
point of importance is to get rid of "Isle
of Wight " disease as quickly as possible.
I am afraid that if we wait for the strain
of bees immune to Nosem-a apis some of
us, in disease-smitten counties, will see
the best years of our lives pass away
before we can take up bee-keeping in real
earnest once more. It seems to me that
the most sensible and practical course
of procedure is to* try to stamp out the
disease. Rabies was banished from Great
Britain by a much-ridiculed order of the
Board of Agriculture, and the Board have
been successful in keeping in check such
serious infectious disorders as foot-and-
mouth disease, anthrax, and sheep scab.
These diseases are not cured, but are kept
under control by a process of elimination.
Left to herself, Nature would do the
work, but it is more quickly accomplished
when man, after intelligent study, lends
a helping hand. Supposing micro-
sporidiosis is allowed to take its first
leisured course, half a human generation
may pass before bee-keeping on more than
a. very small scale may be carried on with
pleasure and profit. To those who are
hoping for the evolution of the " immune
bee," I would point that while some
strains of bees may not contract the
disease quite so readily as others, foul
brood was known and described 400 years
before the birth of Christ. Where is the
strain of Apis mellifica capable of resisting
this pest?

A Natural Point of View: — While
we are waiting for the strain of
bees immune to Nosema apis, and corre-
spondents are discussing theories, the
nation, as a whole, is suffering serious
loss. Speaking generally, the acquisition
of large quantities of honey is the prime
interest of tbe bee-keeper ; but the bee

does much more important work than
gathering honey. Its chief purpose is to
effect the cross-fertilisation of flowers ; i
indeed, some plants cannot reproduce .
their kind without the ministrations of
insects, of which, in this respect, the |
honey-bee is the most important. I visited
certain parts of Worcestershire and Berk- 1
shire last autumn, and I was able quite
easily, especially in the latter county, to
tell from the appearance of the orchards
and the fruit trees in village gardens
where bees were scarce. In some districts
where all the honey bees were dead, there
was scarcely an apple on the trees, while
in other places having similar climatic and
soil conditions the crops were good, owing
to the presence of bees. To take another
instance, in the garden of a large house
situated high upon a beautiful eminence
overlooking the Thames, it was impossible
to grow strawberries until two or three
years ago, when a fresh gardener arrived
with a few stocks of bees of his own. Last
season was not one of the best for straw-
berries, but in these gardens strawberries
were so plentiful that the family had a
surfeit.

I am not, howeve'r, concerned with the
interests of the wealthy, but an abundance
of good, sound fruit should be within the
reach of millions of people, who only buy
a little occasionally, or can never get it
at all. If, as I understand, comparative
anatomy shows that man is a frugivorous
animal, it follows that fresh fruit, apart
from cereals, which are also fruits, is
necessary for a healthy life, but this desi-
deratum will not be met if the country
is, to a large extent, denuded of honey-
bees. These are matters too frequently
overlooked, and I think discussion in the
"B.B.J." on the relation of bees to fruit
crops would be instructive and valuable.

A Preventive Measure. — Whether we
have legislation or not, it is the
duty of every enlightened bee-keeper —
and I regard readers of the bee papers as
enlightened — to do his utmost to prevent
the spread of disease, whether it be the
more familiar enemy, foul brood, or the
more deadly " Isle of Wight." I wish to
make a suggestion which is within the

Feb. 12, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAJL.

65

power of all to adopt. It is that no time
should be lost in examining the hives in
which the bee-keeper suspects the bees
have died, and that the others should be
looked at on the first suitable day. If
the bees have died under circumstances
which point to the Nosema apis as the
causative agent (usually small bunches of
bees hanging dead on the oombs with
plenty of food in sight), the combs should
be removed from the hives and the hives
securely closed. The combs should either
be destroyed at once or temporarily placed
where they cannot by any possibility be
reached by bees. If this is done now it
may be the means of preventing the
disease being contracted by colonies which
have so far escaped infection. I hope to
deal with another aspect of the spread of
disease in my next article.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
■notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are. requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for vublication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
AVORK.

(Continued from page 56.)
[8941] After quoting" his unusual
advantage, Mr. Mattinson rubs his hands
with satisfaction at having decried his own
and all Associations, or, as he puts it,
" justified my assertion that the advan-
tages of membership are overrated," and
then lias one last slap, saying, in other
words, anyone is a fool to subscribe to any
Association at all !

Then he turns from adverse criticism to
a few suggestions (?) by laying down a
hard and fast rule, "as first, foremost,
and absolutely essential," by which, in his
opinion, all Associations must abide, or
there is no hope for them. They must
reduce their subscriptions.

I have the honour to belong to the
B.B.K.A. and four county Associations, so
I suppose I am a fool five times over. The
fact remains that of these five Associations
the one with by far the smallest subscription
is more or less moribund, while the others
are flourishing ! In my humble opinion the
reason is very simple. What is worth
having is worth paying for, and if you
don't pay enough to be able to afford a
touring expert his expenses, the members

are just left to their own devices; the
ignorant are allowed to remain in dark-
ness ; the careless are not invited, nor
encouraged to mend their ways. Yet the
subscription of this Association is Is. 6d.,
not the sixpenny one, which, according to
our friend, is to work such wonders. It is
passing strange if this small subscription is
so vital that of the fifty-one Associations
that exist not one should have decided ou
a 6d. subscription, though the question of
the amount to be charged to members is
one of the very first that has to be settled
on formation.

Mr. Mattinson hits the key to the situa-
tion when he says, in the last paragraph
of 8928 : " The cottager who is worth
having as a bee-keeping recruit does not
want charity ; he is willing to pay for
benefits, provided he gets full value for his
money." If the Association is alive, he
most assuredly does receive full value; if
it is not, it is either for the reason given
above or that quoted by '" D. M. M." in
his " Comments " (p. 50 of " B.B.J.,"
January 29th, 1914).

To proceed, how Mr. Mattinson arrives
at the conclusion that, because the sub-
scription is reduced to the vanishing point,
and the membership increased thereby four-
fold, perhaps tenfold, the manual work of
the expert would be curtailed, is beyond
me? I am a fivefold fool, but I think I
will find myself in good company on this
point. Again, further on, I don't see how
lowering the subscriptions will place Asso-
ciations on a " business footing." I never
heard of any business succeeding that had
not got a working capital to start with.

" Co-operation in Buying." — Has our
friend ever tried this in practice? Some
years ago I tried to help some local bee-
keepers by getting a list of what they
wanted, and adding them to my own order.
The total amount reached a sum worthy of
a considerable discount, and we got it.
Well, on a small scale it illustrates what
would happen if an Association tried it on
a large one. I stored several large orates
free ; an Association would have to pay for
this storage. I won't count the time I
spent opening, sorting, repacking, &c, but
on a large scale it would keep one man
busy. A few bee-keepers changed their
minds, and some of the things were not
taken, so I had stuff left on my hands that
I did not require, and the experiment, as
far as I was concerned, resulted in a
monetary loss. How much would an Asso-
ciation lose? Then, again, all these ap-
pliances, &c, were ordered from one firm,
so the total discount was worth considera-
tion, but bee-keepers have their own
fancies re hives and appliances, and it
would be impossible to get all members
to go to one firm. The same order split
up among several firms would not have
secured any discount at all ! Does Mr.

66

THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 12, 1914.

Mattinson expect the manufacturers to
give discounts on small orders, for the sake
of being able to advertise that they are
" manufacturers to such and such an Asso-
ciation " ? The list of such, I fear, would
be hard to find.

Be '• Co-operation in 'Celling," between,
I presume, Associations and their members,
I would ask Mr. Mattinson to read " Bee
Chat," February Becord, p. 13. Now, how
does he arrive at : " If, through a reduced
subscription rate, outsiders were elimi-
nated " ? I am sorry, but I cannot for the
life of me see the connection. I should
have thought a sixpenny subscription
would bring "outsiders," or, as I should
call them, "undesirables," in. If not an
undesirable, why is the outsider to be
eliminated ?

After being poles apart, I am glad to say
your correspondent, for we are both bee-
keepers, and myself come together again.
I think his idea of lists of honey-sellers by
districts would be useful, though, as
things are, a bee-keeper has only to apply
to the B.B.K.A. to be generally at once
put into touch with a purchaser. Many
bee-keepers have their own regular
customers, Avho annually take all they can
supply. Others, especially those who have
made a name on the show-bench, can sell
more than they can produce, but, on the
other band, many, no doubt, cannot find a
market for themselves and need help. In
Northumberland, as far as I can gather
from constant enquiries, bee-keepers do
not cut prices or take what they can get,
if it is an unfair one. I lost one customer
this year, as he was tempted by a low-
priced offer from outside the county, but
got another within five minutes. This was
a case of a real "outsider," and one of the
sort I would gladly eliminate from North-
umbrian markets. Cutting prices is not
" playing the game."

Mr. Mattinson has been very dogmatic
in one direction — perhaps I have been as
great a sinner in the other — but now that
we have voiced extreme opinions let others
strike the happy medium. — Northumbrian

iJEE.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8942] Mr. Mattinson's letter (8928)
raises a most interesting subject, on which
there ought to be plenty of discussion. I
will venture to cross swords with him in
a friendly way, as I don't agree the
" advantages " of membership are so much
'overrated," though, I allow, many Asso-
ciations might make theirs more real and
active for their members. Mr. Mattinson
speaks largely from the point of view of
his own Association, and I will write
correspondingly from mine.

Subscriptions. — I agree os. is too much
to expect from a cottager or agricultural

labourer. When he owns a fair number
of hives, with the knowledge and assistance
in marketing he will gain by being a
member, it will pay him to be a member
at 2s. 6d. My own Association accepts
cottagers owning not more than three
hives at Is. per member. We lose on such
members, but make it up out of the others
on the principle that the strong must
help the weak.

(1) Expert Advice and Assistance with
Disease. — If the expert is chosen for real
love of his work, this is a very real
" advantage." Our own expert will always
visit on receipt of a post card, and is
continually assisting beginners, or showing
where errors are being made and instruct-
ing how to get rid of disease. True, he
cannot cure "Isle of Wight" disease, but
he can show bow to get rid of it.

(2) Exhibiting at Beduced Entry Fees.
— When the entries come from a quarter
of the members (a proportion of ten to
one outsiders), and they only pay 3d. an
entry instead of 6d., with opportunity of
competing for silver and bronze medals,
it is surely a proof that this is considered
an advantage. I have seen that half
entry fees do gain members.

(3) Half Fees to Candidates for
11 Expert.'" — There are few who can give
the time to go in for examinations, but
the advantage is there all the same for
the few ; further, the organisation for the
examinations provided for them must be
worth something.

(4) Use of Library. — I agree this is a
doubtful point, and we do not put it for-
ward. When a book is asked for there is
generally a member ready to lend it;
besides, there are few who> have the
leisure to read deeply who cannot afford
the books. For sueh few the B.B.K.A.
Library should easily fulfil their wants.

(5) Use of Lantern Slides. — This is a line
which might be pushed more than it is.
We are offering a loan of thirty slides of
general interest to any member desiring to
attempt a lecture. Secretaries might
suggest to each branch secretary to hold
a meeting for discussion on the slides.

(6) Association Labels. — Here I am
directly in conflict with Mr. Mattinson's
opinion that these do not introduce new
customers. For instance, one of our
members sold some honey in the town
market; about a month later we received
a letter from the buyer asking to be put
into touch with the seller in order to buy
more of the same quality. The seller was
an agricultural man who would not have
gone to the expense of printing his own
labels, but ours, with the system of
numbering, were just what he needed.
The label is not merely an ornament (such
as the "fancy waistcoat"), the middle-
men have told lis their use makes the

Feb. 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

67

honey more attractive, especially to the
summer visitors.

(7) Insurance. — I agree 9d. is too much
to expect from the small man owning not
more than three hives, and the proportion
to the risk run is unfair. This is a matter
for the B.B.K.A.

(8) ''Bee-keepers' Record" with as.
Subscription. — On the contrary, we do not
find this an advantage. The bee-keeper
who wants a bee paper would not join the
Association for a saving of 6d., he would
buy it direct, or through a newspaper
shop ; far more prefer a subscription of
2s. 6d., and leave to choose whether they
will have a paper or not.

(9) "Bee Journal" at os. 6d. — This may
be an advantage to those living far from
a station or newspaper shop, but in these
days nearly every village has its news-
paper vendor ; it is cheapest to order
through him at a cost of 4s. 4d. per year.

(10) Privilege of Attending Discussions,
Conversations, &c. — We do not make 'this
a privilege because non-members are always
welcomed, but nearly every meeting pro-
duces new members all the same.

(11) Association Beport. — Obviously
there is some bad management here,
either excess of necessary matter to be
printed or an unreasonable charge for
printing. "We had a 12-page (three-
leaved) report printed for £2 10s.: and the
advertisements paid for three-quarters of
it. They are found to be particularly
valuable to members who cannot get to
the meetings.

(12) Hive to be Drawn for by Members.
—This, hardly "something for nothing,"
in that its cost is borne by each member
in some degree in his subscription. It
acts as an inducement to a good
attendance at the annual meeting, and
provides that little touch of amusement
which enlivens a somewhat uninteresting
but necessary affair of election of officers,
passing of reports, &c. Finally, instead
of a " lowered subscription rate," I would
suggest a graduated subscription rate of
Is. for cottagers, &c, with not more than
three hives, 2s. Gd. for ordinary members,
and 5s. upwards for vice-presidents, &c.
This is a fair combination of the "small
charge per hive" system with a fair sub-
scription for those who can afford to pay
it. I disagree with the idea of including a
regular paper for the subscription because
many lack either the time or the inclina-
tion to read a paper, but are glad to
obtain the other advantages, and help on
the good work to the extent of 2s. 6d.
each.

Finally, if every member expects the
full return of his subscription, what is
there left for the pioneer work of
demonstrations at shows, country lantern
slide lectures, &c. ? — Campbell R. Pinkney,
Whitbv and X.E. Yorks. B.K.A.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[8943] I regret I misunderstood Mr.
Campbell in imputing to him a desire to
establish "spontaneous generation," and
can sympathise with him in the difficulty
he finds in making his meaning perfectly
clear without being too lengthy. Our dif-
ference of opinion as to what is
"orthodox" or "heretical" (8940) seems
to result from our accepting different
standards of orthodoxy. Mr. Campbell's
standard is apparently the "B.B.J."
Now, while I am quite willing to regard
the "B.B.J." as the measure of orthodoxy
in all matters relating to honey produc-
tion, and the cure of well-understood com-
plaints like foul brood, I mean no dis-
respect to our Editors when I say that the
investigation of the new and mysterious
problem of "Isle of Wight" disease is
work for the scientific expert rather than
the practical bee-keeper. The latter is
usually a layman in scientific matters. As
the "B.B.J." is concerned chiefly with
the practical side of bee-keeping, I think
it is therefore to the Board of Agricul-
ture that we should rather look for our
standard of orthodoxy in the matter under
discussion.

I, myself, make no claim to scientific
knowledge, and it is therefore quite
possible I may have misrepresented the
views of the Board. They certainly appear
to differ from those of the "B.B.J." if
only in regard to the disinfection of hives,
which the Board scarcely considers neces-
sary (see " Further Report on ' Isle of
Wight' Disease," page 26).

If the disease is not so bad in certain
places as formerly (and, unfortunately,
no one lias yet supplied us with any
detailed information on this point), it does
not necessarily prove that bees are becom-
ing immune. It may simply mean the
passing of certain conditions favourable to
the disease. Certain human epidemics
occur from time to time, at other times
we hear little of them. This is surely not
due to our becoming immune to them and
then, after a few years, losing our im-
munity again ! Mr. Campbell certainly
has some hard hits at my third alterna-
tive. I admit his line of argument is
difficult to meet.

Here let me thank Miss Betts for her
able letter, which most certainly brings
the discussion a stage further. She and
Mr. Campbell between them make out a
very good case for the theory tha£ the
disease was introduced from abroad.

The experiment to find an immune
strain of bees is worth a trial. Unfortu-
nately all our native bees that I have
seen succumb so quickly that there are
soon none left to experiment with.

As to importing from abroad, it will
very likely take a long time, and involve
considerable expense before we find the

68

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb, 12, 1914.

right place to import from. Of course, I
could myself buy a swarm of Dutch, bees
which I see advertised, or get a friend in
France to send me sonic froni there, but
what guarantee should I have that they,
too, would not all be dead in a few months'
time? — L. Idling worth.

HANTS B.K.A.

[8944] I shall be glad if " G. M. E."
(Southsea) (page 40) will communicate
with me. As soon as we can get the present
secretary of the Hants B.K.A. to call a
general meeting, and to carry out his
promise to resign, we hope to revive the
Association, and I have agreed, at the
request of several members, to take over
the secretarial duties. — Arthur F.
Hardy, The Palace House, Bishop's
Waltham, Hants.

SPRING DWINDLING.

[8945] A week or two ago I observed
a reader inquired what caused spring
dwindling. It may interest your corre-
spondent and others to learn of my ex-
perience of the same. To-day (February
8th), although the day was rather cold,
with rain showers now and again, five of
my stocks were working, the bees not
taking short cleansing flights but going
straight to and from a bank of whins in
bloom, and on which I saw bees. They
were coming home well spent in the high
wind, and, missing the hives, alighted on
the ground ; there, as fast as he could
pick up and devour them, was a blue tit.
A mouse-trap with a bit of suet as a bait
captured him, but he must have got many
of the bees, as my wife told me he had
been busy for days during the mild
weather when the bees were out.

Do you think the bees can be short of
stores to> make them start working so
early? They have abundance of last
year's hone}', and a section of candy in
addition. — Jas. Low.

[The bees were gathering pollen, which
is necessary in brood-rearing. — Eds.]

A BRIEF REPORT FROM DURHAM.
[8946] Bees seem to have wintered very
well so far. I have three stocks of hybrid
Italian and Oarniolans, and two of them
were carrying pollen on the 3rd and 4th
inst. We have a few early flowers, gorse,
which is showing a lot of bloom just now,
also' I have seen some wallflowers, prim-
roses, snowdrops, and a few dandelion
blooming in sheltered places. We have
had some very windy weather, but last
week was splendid for the bees, and on
three or four days they were out in quite

large numbers, taking a cleansing flight.
They will also have been able to effect a re-
arrangement of their stores. I hope we
have had the worst of the winter now. I
have been wondering why the report of the
meeting and lecture held under the
auspices of the Durham B.K.A. on Decem-
ber 6th, at Bishop Auckland, has not been
reported in the "B.B.J."— H. Harmer,
Gateshead.

NEGLECTED FRAME-HIVES.

[8947] Many persons with frame-hives
do not give more attention to them than do
those with skeps, as a proof of which I
am sending you a frame — one of ten sent
to me — with a most complicated make
of hive.

You will see the frame has been eaten
quite through the top bar by wax-moth
grubs. I have also "taken up" frame
hives with the combs built diagonally to
the frames. In one instance a hive had
six frames (though spaced for ten), with
the vacant space filled in with a loose piece
of sacking. A piece of board with no
attempt at fitting was vised to contract
the brood-chamber, and the hive was left
for ten years without attention. The
piece of sacking was almost a solid mass
of propolis. The bees were perfectly
healthy, and thriving. Unfortunately the
owner suffered terribly if stung, and has
had to keep his bed for days at a time
from the effect of a bee sting.

Wiring Frames. — Once again I ask why
does any bee-keeper wire his frames in
the complicated way that seems ortho-
dox ? Possibly I have experimented with
wiring as much as any bee-keeper, and
I consider crossed wires quite absurd !
Far stronger wires are needed, such as
will stand a 71b. strain, or even more.
Then one wire about l^in. and another
about 4^in. from top bar, threaded
through, and fastened to fine brass pins.
The wires must be pulled taut, so that
when finished they sound like dulcimer
wires. The full sheet of foundation
should be fitted in so that the wires are
on alternate sides of the sheets.

A small glue-kettle makes an ideal
utensil for melting the wax for fixing in
foundation, and the tips of three or four
duck-wing feathers, neatly bound together
with wire, make a first-class " soldering "
tool. The melted wax put on with this
tool makes a far more perfect attach-
ment to both wood and foundation than
by merely "running" the wax, and much
less wax is used.

Then when embedding the wire I
always hold the frame of foundation for
a very few seconds before the fire, just
long enough for the foundation to
"blush," as it were. Thus it is not

Feb. 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

69

necessary to keep the embedder in hot
water.

The foundation should not reach the
bottom bar by quite Jin., and ought not
to be "soldered" for about lin. at the
lower edges. This allows for the sheet
of foundation stretching, and prevents
sagging and buckling. It always buckles
if the sheet touches the lower bar.

Another absurdity (to me) is the split
top bar. Since eschewing split top bars I
have not been troubled with wax-moth.
The saw cut is the favourite hiding-place
for these pests.

A good trap for moths is an inverted
cone made of perforated zinc placed in
the neck of a jam-jar, previously baited
with sweetened beer. The hole in the
cone should be about ^in. diameter; the
above is a first-class trap for wasps, and
blow-flies too. — A. Harris, Wavendon,
Bucks.

5p3Ilpgj

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbourne, Sussex.

Rainfall, "68 in.

Below average, T95
in.

Heaviest fall, "15 on
29th.

Rain fell on 12 days.

Sunshine, 435 hrs.

Below aver., 2] *7 brs.

Brightest day, 6th,
4-8 hrs.

Sunless days, 14.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 52 on 9th.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 20 on 24th.

January, 1914.

Minimum on grass

11 on 12th.
Frosty nights, 19.
Mean maximum, 416.
Mean minimum, 32" 3.
Mean temperature,

36 9.
Below average, "9.
Maximum barometer,

30-576 on 1st.
Minimum barometer,

29668 on 6th.

L. B. BlRKETT.

Transferring Bees from Sleeps to
Frame Hives. — Will you kindly advise me
as to the earliest time I may drive my bees
from straw skeps to frame-hives? I want
to move my apiary to a place twenty miles
from here, and I am in doubt whether to
•carry them in the skeps to the new location
and then place them on top of frames of
foundation in the hives when there, but it
depends, I think,- on the earliest time I
can drive the bees from the skeps, as I
must move them from where they now are
without delay. — R. W. H.

Reply. — The earliest time you can work
the bees down is April. Driving should
take place only when the combs are built
in the frames, and they contain brood,
therefore it will be best to take the skeps
to the new position now.

BEES AND BIRDS ON THE BIOSCOPE.

PATIENCE REWARDED.

After trying for three winters, Mr. J. C.
Bee Mason has succeeded in obtaining
cinematograph pictures of a tom-tit in the
act of snatching a bee from the entrance
to a. hive, killing the bee and removing its
sting.

Mr. Mason was fortunate enough to
secure this picture after lying in hiding
for thirty-seven hours during the spell of
cold weather we experienced last month.

The film will shortly be shown to the
public in a series of pictures entitled,
"Bees and their Enemies." Among the
latter pictured are mice, the chaffinch, toad,
and spider.

A correspondent who is giving up bee-
keeping writes us that he has " two or
three hives in decent condition " that he
would be willing to give away to any
worthy person interested in bees, but
not able to afford hives to start. Should
any reader care to apply to him through
the Editors, please write vis.

W. P. B. (Harrogate). — Using Naphthaline.
- — (1) The sample of naphthaline sent is
quite fit to use in your hives. (2) We
cannot say. No doubt Messrs. Lee and
Son could supply them.

A.. C. (Greenock). — Swarm-catchers. —
There was evidently some fault, either
in the construction of the swarm-
catcher or fitting it to the hive, which
caused the swarm to go back to the stock
hive.

A. Z. (Barnsley).- — Dutch Bee-keepers. —
Mr. J. C. Bee Mason, 22, Hanlon Street,
Oxford Street, London, will give you the
information you desire if you send a
stamped envelope for reply.

C. W-. (Launceston). — Honey Sample. —
The honey is an excellent sample, worth
10s. per dozen jars, or 60s. per cwt. in
bulk. We much appreciate your kind
expressions with regard to the Journal.

C. N. A. P. (Preston).— Tie-starting Bee-
keeping.— It is not necessary to' wait for
twelve months before starting again, if
you can stand the hives in another part
of the garden, and not on the old
ground.

G. H. A. (Glos.).— Dealing with Infected
Apiary. — If you put lime over the
ground where hive stood, and dig the
ground over, you can keep bees again.

TO

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 12, 1914.

(2) The plant mentioned is grown in
California, and we regret we cannot say
where seeds are to be had.

John Jones (Cowbridge). — Adulteration of
Honey. — Curing Foul Brood. — (1) Most
of the adulteration is done with glucose
or sugar, either of which is now easily
detected by chemical analysis. Even if
bees are fed on sugar syrup this can be
certainly determined. The principal
works that treat on adulteration of
honey and its detection are : " Die
Chemie des Honigs," by Oscar Haenle,
published in Strasburg, at the Poly-
technic Institute; " Les Falsifications
des Miels et de la Cire," by Alin
Caillas, published by the Societe des
Agriculteurs de France, 8 rue d'Athenes,
Paris. (2) You cannot tell the exact
time when every spore will turn into a
bacillus, if you could do so the cure
would be easy. This is why it is recom-
mended to have an antiseptic always
present. If you will carefully read the
chapter on diseases in the " Guide
Book" (21st edition), especially pages
176-180, you will be able better to
appreciate the difficulty of the subject.

Puzzled (N. Devon). — Colouir of Excreta
of Diseased Bees. — The colour of the
excreta is determined by the colour of
the pollen consumed, and this can fre-
quently be found in an undigested or
partially digested state if examined with
a microscope.

Tom (Colchester). — Packing Bees for
Travelling. — Keep the boxes in the
same position they are now in, securing
them firmly to the floor- board. Tack a
piece of perforated zinc over the
entrance and at this time of year they
will travel safely.

Cornwall. — Bees Soiling Clothes. — We
regret we do not know of any remedy.

J. D. (Swanwiek). — Getting Honey from
Combs Without Extracting. — First cut
out all the dead brood ; then put the
combs containing the honey into \an
earthenware or tin vessel. Stand this
vessel in water, which is heated until
the honey and wax are melted, then
allow it to stand until cold. The wax
can then be lifted off the honey and the
latter well strained through muslin to
get rid of any impurities.

Rev. J. Salter. — Making Soft Candu.
The recipe in 19th edition of " Guide
Book," to which you refer is correct for
making soft candy, and the proportions
are those used by confectioners in making
fondant sugars. The recipe in 14th
edition made a hard candy which is >ot
so good for bees, and in, making fre-
quently the whole of the sugar was not
dissolved and remained in a crystalline
form useless to the bees. The quantity
of water is immaterial, as the syrup has

to be boiled until the temperature
reaches 235deg., when the sugar is
sufficiently boiled. In the 21st edition
and the previous one Br. Columban's
formula is given with the addition of
one teaspoonful of cream of tartar for
the purpose of cutting the grain. We
have made large quantities of soft
candy from this recipe, and have never
experienced the difficulty you mention.
Try boiling your syrup longer until it
reaches the temperatiire indicated.
Suspected Disease.

T. N. (Dorchester). — The bees have died of
" Isle of Wight " disease. The only pre-
caution you can take is to burn all the
loose parts of the infected hives, and
thoroughly disinfect the latter by
scorching with a painter's spirit-lamp.

H. M. R. (Congleton, W. B. (Croydon),
W. D. G. (Briton Ferry), and Reader
(Holmwood). — The bees have died from
'■Isle of Wight'' disease.

"A." (Mallendale). — The bees have died
from starvation,

VVestmeriam. — (1) The bees were much too
dry for us to tell you cause of death.
(2) The Secretary of the Cumberland
B.K.A. will be able to tell you about
the district you refer to. His address
is G. W. Avery, Ivy Cottage, Wetheral,
Carlisle.

W. H. (Dorset). — The bees have died from
"Isle of Wight" disease. Yes, the
Honey is fit to use for human consump-
tion, but must not be given to other
bees.

Retlaw (Northumberland). — The bees
have died from "Isle of Wight"
disease. Sprinkle petrol over the grass
and set it alight. You will find instruc-
tions for killing bees in "B.B.J.," for
August 14th, 1913 (page 321). It will
be best to start on fresh ground.

M. A. (Sussex). — The bees have died
through "Isle of Wight" disease. We
sympathise with you in your loss,
especially under the circumstances you
mention. You must burn everything
inside the hives themselves, then disin-
fect these by scorching with a painter's
spirit lamp.

F. T. (Eastbourne). — Both lots of bees are
affected with "Isle of Wight" disease.
There would be no harm in doing as you
suggest.

G. R. C. M. (Llandaff).— (1) Yes. (2) All
internal fittings of hive should be
destroyed. (3) You can use the honey
for household consumption. (4) You
must be mistaken. Queens do not fly in
November.

Novice (Skipton). — (1) The bees show
every sign of "Isle of Wight" disease.
(2) The secretary of the Yorks B.K.A. is
Mr. W. E. Richardson, Whitkirk, near
Leeds.

Feb. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

71

GLAMORGAN B.K.A.

The annual general meeting of the above
Association was held at Neath on February
14th, Mr. W. J. Percy Player, J. P., pre-
siding.

The Secretary read the minutes of Last
meeting, which were duly passed.

The Chairman then moved the adoption
of the annual report for 1913, and said
the County Council had decided to increase
their grant to £70 on condition that the
Association added £20 out of the sub-
scriptions to pay the fees of the local
experts. Referring to bee diseases, he
pointed out that there was a danger of
the experts carrying diseases from
infected hives. Mr. F. Gravil seconded,
and the report was adopted.

The Earl of Plymouth was re-elected
President, and the officers, Messrs. F.
Gravil (Chairman), John Jenkins (Auditor)
and W. J. Wiltshire (Secretary) were also
re-elected.

Messrs. W. O. Jones and F. Gravil were
appointed representatives on B. B.K.A.
Council.

Mr. D. Davies, B.A., was elected to
represent the Association on the Glamor-
gan Chamber of Agriculture.

A resolution urging the Government to
re-introduce a Bee Diseases Bill similar to
last year was unanimously agreed to, and
ordered to be forwarded to Mr. Runciman.

The Chairman afterwards entertained
the members at tea. — W. J. Wiltshire,
Hon. Sec.

THE NORTHUMBERLAND B.K.A.

The first annual meeting of the above
was held at Morpeth on the 7th February.
It was a thoroughly representative gather-
ing, so that information from all quarters
of the county was forthcoming.

That the Cheviot and Tweed Borders
B.K.A. taking over the whole of Northum-
berland, and forming a County Association,
was a popular move amongst members of
the craft was evinced by the large
increase in membership, it having risen
from ninety-one in July last to 310 at
date.

It is much to be regretted that the
County Council do not assist the Associa-
tion more generously, considering the
educational value of the work done, but
perhaps they will do so when they begin to
recognise that it is a matter of county and
not merely local interest. The questions of
touring experts, shows, and judging were

all discussed and arrangements made,
while a strong resolution urging the
necessity for an Act to deal with bee
diseases was carried unanimously. — Com-
municated.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
January, 1914, was £1,209.— From a
return furnished to the British Bee
Journal, by the Statistical Office, H. M.
Customs.

EARLY BROOD REARING.

The autumn of 1913 was so very fine,
almost right to the close of the year, that
many colonies kept on breeding without
any break. This is a good thing, inas-
much as it provided these hives with a
large percentage of young bees. I am not
so certain, however, that it will be an
unmixed blessing, in two ways. Bees
bred out of season are soft, and I reason
that they may be subject to various aches
and pains hardier bees will not experience.
If so, they will not be either so energetic
or long-lived in spring. Again, their
"manufacture" must have cost the
colony dear, for they were not made out
of nothing. The winter stores were
indeed rather depleted by the heavy drain
on the sealed honey required in their
uprearing and maintenance. If stores
run down in March or April their very
numbers may prove their undoing.
Though not a great advocate of candy
feeding in spring, this is the only food
which it is permissible to use for some
time. A three, four, or five pound cake
of well-made candy, slipped below quilts,
and carefully tucked in, may save a stock,
and carry o*n internal progress for some
weeks, at a critical period, until syrup
can be fed or nectar can be obtained from
the earliest sources.

Spring Feeding. — At times a necessity,
this is in general very much overdone.
Given a hive pretty well provided, stimu-
lative feeding works evil and not good.
This is where many err. As the season
progresses, more and more space is
required for the labours of the queen, and
to feed in a way which blocks her efforts
is not only a vain and foolish thing to do,
but a profitless, yea a profit killing deed.
The natural advance in providing young
bees fof the approachng season's labour
is checked, with the consequence that when
the flow comes the beea are not there to

79

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 19, 1914.

profit by the mass of bloom everywhere
temptingly displayed. Spring feeding,
indeed, should never be carried out but
under dire necessity, when stores have
somehow run down and the very existence
of the colony is at stake. It is not to be
understood that I condemn stimulative
feeding. If we were always sure of good
weather, mild days wherein workers could
take daily flights to carry in pollen and
water in large quantities, I would highly
approve of the practice, knowing, under
favourable circumstances, what a boon it
may prove. Remembering, however, that
April weather is a mixture of smiles and
tears, with the latter largely predomi-
nating, I must record that personally it
proved, in perhaps nine cases out of ten,
a loss rather than a gain. The addi-
tional breeding was more than counter-
balanced by the loss of bees untimely
called abroad to forage out of season,

Precision in Bee Terms. — I am always
pleased to be checked when (and if) I use
any vague, inappropriate or erroneous
technical terms in writing. We all hear
a number of strange words from non-bee-
keepers, and at times from the lips of
members of our craft, which grate on our
nerves. Thus a well-educated gentleman,
who loves the bees, invariably calls a
colony of bees a swarm, and I have heard
him actually designate a swarm a hive.
I read a leading bee-book lately where on
two pages the poor worker bees were
called fellows a dozen times over. I read
a monthly bee-paper wherein these
undeveloped female Amazons, or vestal
virgins, are subjected to the indignity of
having the male personal pronoun "he"
frequently applied to them. So strong is
custom and heredity that a, frame hive is
often, designated a sleep. I could multiply
examples, but let these suffice.

Mr. Crawshaw would fain take me to
task on page 39 of the "B.B.J."
over the use of "brace" and "burr"
combs, when, innocent that I am,
I cannot cry peccuvi like our mutual
friend, to whom at times he proves
so hard a taskmaster. The manuscript,
written for page 24, contained the words
"brace or burr combs," proving that I
recognise a distinction and a- difference
between the terms. The printer, I note,
turned these into trace of burr combs ;
but, alas, I can't blame him, because I
feel the fault lay in my ealigraphy. Brace
combs are built to brace or strengthen
some constructive work, and there seems
always to be a reason for their presence
wherever found. Burr combs are gener-
ally found in such a variety of shapes, and
in such unaccountable positions, that one
wonders wbv so wise a creature as the bee
wastes time, material, and labour on their
apparently useless construction. (I will

deal with thick syrup next week.) While
on this subject of terms, I may give a few
more points. In a recently published
pamphlet the word " Index" is used as a
synonj^m for Preface. The illustrations
are described as "actual photographs."
We are told of the " physological
moment" when nectar yields best, of
" carbolic acid damped on a cloth," &c.
Reverting again to Americanisms, I may
mention that one author calls the worker
bee a " little fellow," and on another page
a "rascal." His roof is a "lid," his
flightboard an "apron," and he speaks of
the "Porter" "escaping bees." The
word "rascal" in the mouth, or rather
from the pen of Mr. Root, appears to be
meant as a term of endearment ! I rather
like several of the colloquial expressions
more commonly found in the "Review"
than anywhere else ; they are so expres-
sive, even when, they are not found in the
dictionary. All the foregoing are not meant
as criticisms — "to err is human." I remem-
ber once the late "W. B.C." rejoicing
over a communication sent him, written by
the horny hand of toil, fidl of minor
inaccuracies, but replete with sound, good
sense. Our pi-esent editors, I doubt not,
will equally welcome all such — if there's
grit in them.

OBSERVATIONS ON HIVES.

By L. E. Snelgrove.

(Continued from page 42.)

The wood commonly used and best
adapted for hives is that of the
Northern Pine (Pinus sylvestris), known
as Red Deal. Its resinous character
makes it very durable both in wet and
dry positions. It is strong, easily worked,
and permits of good finish. When well
seasoned it does not twist or warp much.
On account of its cheapness and durability
it is much more used for general pur-
poses in this country than any other wood.
The best Red Deal comes from the
Southern Baltic ports. That obtained
from the Scotch fir and from Scandi-
navia is inferior.

Another excellent wood, the American
Yellow Pine, is sometimes used in the con-
struction of hives where a high degree of
finish is desired. It is soft and light, and
on account of its straight grain is easily
worked and unlikely to warp. Being
obtained from huge trees, large boards
may be obtained free from knots. It is,
however, comparatively non-resinous, and
therefore not so durable in damp positions
as Red Deal. Although it takes glue
well it is not tenacious of nails — an
important point for the hive-maker to con-
sider. On the Avhole, it is inferior to
Red Deal for hive construction, and it is
also more expensive.

White Deal, the wood of the Spruce Fir,

Feb. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

73

is sometimes used for hives. It is cheap,
light, and strong, closely grained and
therefore elastic. It is nearly non-
resinous, and holds well to glue but not
to nails. Owing to its woolly sap-wood
and hard knots it is very difficult to
smooth. The American variety is usually
full of knots, and therefore liable to
twist and warp. White Deal decays with
comparative rapidity in wet situations,
and therefore, while good enough for pack-
ing-cases, it is quite unsuitable for bee-
hives.

Speaking of packing-cases reminds me
that the wood obtained from them is
frequently recommended for home-made
hives. The use of such wood, however,
usually entails waste (as many unsound
pieces have to be rejected), the inclusion
of boards of unsuitable width and thick-
ness, extra and unpleasant labour, and at
the best hives which are of inferior
material and unpleasing to the eye. It is
usually no dearer to buy new wood for
hive-making, but the novice shoidd always
begin by purchasing a good standard hive
from a maker.

For the man who makes his own hives
the best plan is to purchase wood direct
from the saw mills. For very little extra
cost he can have it machine-planed and
sawn into lengths to suit his require-
ments. All wood used for hives should
be planed on both sides. If the boards
are not smooth on the inside they are not
only unsightly but difficult to clean.

The thickness of the wood requires some
consideration. Extremes of heat and cold
cause cessation of work in the hive, the
former by driving the bees outside to cool
themselves, and the latter by reducing
them to inanimation. Thick hive sides
cannot prevent these effects in long periods
of great heat or cold, but they can
greatly retard them. When variations of
weather are not prolonged, however, thick
walls conduce to an equable temperature
within a hive. While it is necessary then
to guard against the effects of sudden
frosts, especially when the brood nest is
expanding, and sometimes when the bees
have entered the first section-rack, yet
many people of experience prefer that the
hive walls be not so thick as to prevent
the beneficent warmth of the spring sun
from quickly reaching the interior of the
hive. This warmth assists the bees when
they move the cluster, and stimulates them
to an early and natural activity. Many
of the cheaper hives are made of Jin. wood
planed to fin. I have seen some of even
thinner material. They have the advan-
tage of being light to handle, but, on the
ether hand, they afford too little pro-
tection to the bees, they cannot be well
jointed, and the sun soon warps and cracks
them. fin. wood, planed to fin., is very

suitable, but hives made of it are some-
what heavy. Those of thicker wood are
of course very heavy and unnecessarily
expensive.

The ideal thickness is Jin. prepared on
both sides. This is the minimum con-
sistent with strength, weathering qualities,
and suitable conditions of temperature,
whether for single-walled or " W.B.C."
hives.

Hives made of straw and wood com-
bined are picturesque, and may be well
ventilated, but they have no other advan-
tages, and do not wear so well as those
made of wood only.

(To be continued.)

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEX.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from page 44.)
" Ruche r Ecole," you will notice, is the
advertisement the signboard gives, under-
neath of which we stood in our last
adventure. That is the '"Hive School,"
which is to Paris and France what our
Apiary at the Zoo is to London and Eng-
land— a school where minds infant in
matters apicultural may be trained. My
first thought was to draw some compari-
son between the two institutions, but
some wiseacre forefather has declared
that " comparisons are odious." Well,
yes, they are if they reveal to us some
ugly little habit or frequent failing that
we knew not, or were wilfully blind to.
Yet comparisons are the grading of our
actions ; they put the value on them and
say if they are equal to our competitors.
But in this case it is obvious that no such
setting of the one against the other is
possible. We are but as of yesterday.
The Rucher Ecole was established in 1886
by Monsieur Hamet, former editor of the
journal which is akin to ours, V Apicul-
ture, helped and aided by General the
Marquis of Xantpoul, on ground given for
the purpose. So they should have the
experience and wisdom of age, which no
doubt they have'. Yet, methinks, taking
this school as a standard, English bee-
keeping is well to the front, both as to
scientific knowledge and the means and
system of inculcating that knowledge.

Paris lacks not for breathing spaces —
lungs to purify the city's atmosphere.
Even from the very centre of that city,
commences the Jardin des Tuilleries,
which, with the Champs Elysees and the
Bois de Boulogne, forms a course follow-
ing somewhat the windings of the river
along which the air from distant fields
may enter. And what the Jardin des
Tuilleries is to Paris of the right side,
so is the Jardin de Luxembourg to the
left. Parisians live in the open air in
summer time, and they rejoice and revel

74

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 19, 1914.

in the possession of these playgrounds, but
if there is one spot beloved by maman et
les enfant s, and haunted by the bonne, it
is the Luxembourg. To have established
an. apiary there one would have thought
meant to court trouble, but M. Seyalle
assures us they have had no complaints.
Let me repeat his own words, they are
refreshing in their naivete : " Our dear
bees," he says, "do not object to the
society of human beings ; on the contrary,
they are even quieter than elsewhere.
They are so tame that we never use a
veil for our manipulations, whatever they
may be." Some time since I raised the
discussion as to whether the neighbour-
hood of polite society softened the temper
of bees. Here would appear to be con-
firmatory evidence. And this experience

us. One, of which he was vastly and truly
proud, was a manuscript treatise on bee-
keeping in four volumes, with marvel-
lously exact pen-and-ink reproductions
of plates, a copy of an older treatise which
bore the date"MDGXC. A visit to an
appliance manufacturer, and further
"bee chat," interested us, and we learnt
that France is not agreed as to a standard
frame. In one part they use our size,
but in the South and West, where the
forage is abundant, they prefer a larger
one — say, about 15in. square. But as we
moved about we found each country using
a size adaptable to its needs. In Italy
there were even larger frames.

In the Faubourg St. Antoine an
epicerie had displayed a very good show.
He had honey in the bottle, in the section,

A PARISIAN HONEY MERCHANT.

agrees with reports from our own Zoo-
logical Apiary. We have yet to learn the
name of the first person who has been
stung.

But to return to the Luxembourg.
Here, too, they hold classes and instruct
pupils. M. Sevalle tells us that they have
an average of fourteen new pupils each
year. "Who," to quote him again, "not
only acquire useful knowledge about bees,
but subsequently spread the knowledge
over France."

It would, indeed, have been a dis-
courtesy to' have visited Paris and not
to have paid our visit to V Apiculture, and
you will know without my telling that our
reception was cordial. We spent a
pleasant half-hour in bee chat with Mon-
sieur d'Antemarche, in the absence of
M. Sevalle, who, unfortunately for us.
was away in the provinces!. It was suf-
ficient that we bore Mr. Cowan's intro-
duction to make him open his treasures to

and even in steps, or rather half-skeps or
caps, as we should call them, these half the
capacity of the real article had been
worked out, and as an attraction turned
so that the public could see. The pro-
prietor willingly permitted us to "snap"
his window, and here behold it. The half-
skeps are much in evidence in the centre.
We discovered another marchand de miel,
He was vending it in treacle-tapped
barrels, "Honey drawn from the wood."
Yon will see we " snapped '' him and his
dog.

"Les Halles" is not a place every
tourist visits when in Paris. ^ It is
reserved to the habitue. It is, say,
Billingsgate, iSmitbfield and Covent Garden
united. As we learnt to our sorrow, you
may discover there, too,, much of the
mysteries of French cuisine. "Les
dames " are well known for their volu-
bility, and it is said in times of war for
their proficiency with torch and petro-

Feb. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

75

leum can. Of their number they elect
one annually for her beauty. Her title
is Queen of Les Halles, and on her coro-
nation day she has audience with the
President, who salutes her with a kiss on
both cheeks. Fortunate President ! Well,
in our wandering about "Les Halles " we
espied transfixed on skewers certain
glutinous objects, semi-transparent, flat
as to mouth, with legs long, sinewy and
tipped as with fingers. Has the "frog-
eating Frenchman" then survived the Nel-
sonic era? We thought not, but here was
unmistakable evidence that he still
existed. Sadly we sought our hotel and
prayed our hostess, by all the love she bore
us for our patronage, to be true to us, and
not permit that we should incur such an

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[8948] I have been preaching heresy
in connection with "Isle of Wight"
disease so long that I cannot but feel some

SELLING HONEY FROM BARRELS.

epithet. A faint and ghastly smile stole
over her countenance. "Messieurs que
voulez-vous? Last night's dinner." We
heard no more. Enough! Horror-stricken,
we fled. Now we know better than ask
questions as to our dinner — but it was
very nice. — Jno. Smallwood.

(To be continued.)

BEE PICTURES AT HYDE.
Mr. J. C. Bee Mason will appear twice
nightly at the Theatre Royal, Hyde, for
one week, commencing March 2nd, when
he will deliver a brief lecture and show
his latest film, "The Bee Master."

satisfaction at finding such powerful
adherents as have come to the front in
the current issue of the "B.B.J.," and
since the time seems ripe for a gathering
together of forces in order to -drive home
what I have always believed to be the
sound common sense view of the matter,
not only to the minds of the rank and file,
but also to the "official mind " mentioned
by Mr. Campbell, I may perhaps briefly
recapitulate the arguments I have used
against burning as a remedy.

In Vol. XL., p. 374, I made it plain that
infection is so frequently far advanced in
the whole apiary before it is recognisable
in any one stock that to destroy that
stock alone would be useless.

•<;

THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL. [Feb. 19, 1914.

On p. 15 of last year's volume I drew
attention to the undoubted cases where
temporary "cures" had been effected,
and colonies which would have been
doomed under the official system had
given a good surplus. Since then I have
over and over again had convincing
evidence that it is possible to temporarily
cure every stock suffering in the spring,
providing the queen is good enough to
build up the colony with reasonable
rapidity. And all that is necessary is to
remove the old stores.

On p. 165 I invited an advocate of
burning to say where bees are to come
from when all are burned, which would be
the logical outcome of burning, having in
view the already undisputed facts of the
case. I never received a reply. On p.
354 I invited the advocates of the destruc-
tion theory to record their results. None
to hand so far.

The whole truth of the matter is, burn-
ing nowadays is locking the door after the
steed is stolen. Had every colony in the
Isle of Wight been destroyed the moment
the first case occurred the trouble could
have been ended that way. But one could
hardly have imagined at the Time what
the strange symptoms portended. Once it
reached the mainland, burning became a
useless proceeding.

Miss Betts's suggestion (page 56) as to
the non-importation of other than immune
bees is good — if only it were reasonably
possible to be sure of their immunity ; and
to follow Mendelian methods is the proper
course, if immunity proves to be a
character of some yet-to-be-discovered
race amenable to the Mendelian law. One
must always bear in mind that only
certain characters appear to conform to
this law. Since there is a rust-proof
strain of wheat which proved to follow the
law, it is reasonable to hope that it may
be the same with bees.

There is a hint in Miss Betts's letter
which holds what may yet prove to be
the true solution of the difficulty. From
what district did the imported stocks come ?
Surely if we can discover that we may
discover the place where we are to get
immune bees. — Herbert Mace.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8949] As my letter has been repre-
sented as an attack on the Norfolk B.K.A.,
I write to re-affirm that such is not the
case, and I thought I had already made
this sufficiently clear. My criticism was
intended impartially for all Associations
whose "advantages" do not exceed those
I mentioned. The only serious comment
on local matters concerns the cost of the
" Annual Report," regarding which my

views were already known to the Hon.
Secretary and the Committee; and here 1
did not reserve my strictures for them.
Nothing that I have so far read makes me
think that our Association needs com-
miseration or condolence from any other.
We have a very live secretary, who does
not require to be "pinched."' He is a
born organiser, and works wonders with
the materials at his disposal.

As showing that there is no personal
animus, I may add that early in the year
I told him of my sorry sermon on the
"Advantages of Joining a Bee Associa-
tion," and of my intention to write to the
Journal, if I could work myself up to it.
Having unburdened my soul, I gave him
a precis of my letter, and on both occa-
sions I asked him to understand that my
remarks were quite impersonal, and
trusted that he would not join the band
out for my scalp. My comments were
made in good faith, and if they have
caused irritation in any quarter I express
sincere regret.

I am pleased that the consequent dis-
cussion is lively, and hope it will so con-
tinue. With the Editors' permission I
hope to come in at the finish. — W. E.
Mattinson.

[8950] Will you kindly allow me space
for a few comments on the remarkable
effusion from the pen of Rev. W.
Mattinson under the above heading?
" I write with no ill-will, rather the
reverse," he says, and then proceeds
deliberately to pen a bitter attack on
Associations. " Save me from my friends,
particularly parsons," is likely to have
been the comment of the Hon. Secretary
of Norfolk B.K.A. ! I have never come
across, either in English or foreign bee
literature, anything more alien to the
cheery and kindly spirit of the genuine
bee-keeper. He speaks of "continuous
membership in one or other of two County
Associations." It would seem as though
be had made one of them too hot to hold
him, nor am I surprised, if the attitude
now taken up by him has been his normal
one. A man holding such views would be
blackballed by most Bee-keepers' Associa-
tions, and deservedly so. Unlike Balaam,
he appears to "have been invited to bless,
yet had not sufficiently the courage of his
convictions to S23eak out, but must needs
do his cursing by the pen. He is not even
logical, but continually begs the question,
and makes several statements without the
shadow of a foundation. I have not the
patience to deal with his points seriatim,
but the fallacy of each single one is
obvious enough. At least let me refer to
No. 13, in which he sneers at the unselfish
spirit of the bee-keeper. Well, this comes

Feb. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

ill from a parson, though I am hound to
say that it harmonises with mv own experi-
ence of some of the clergy as inembers of
Associations, however brilliant the excep-
tions may be. I am aware that the
Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions of contributors, but is it
not rather rough on Hon. Secretaries of
Associations to publish an article like
this? I cannot imagine anything more
calculated to prejudice people against
Associations, especially cottagers, many of
whom read the "Journal," and might
attach some weight to the opinions of a
parson. Hon. Secretaries have a difficult
enough task as it is to maintain their
membership, and I, for one, resent deeply
a. malicious attack on our work, a thank-
less task for the most part, an attack
which plays into the hands of malcontents
and slackers, of whom there are enough
and to spare among the bee-keepers of
every county. It is a matter which
concerns the B.B.K.A. itself equally with
the daughter Associations, and as a mem-
ber I venture to hope that the Secretary
will support me. Silence may be ''golden"
enough, as a rule, but there are occasions
when opponents at any rate hold that it
"gives consent." — F. H. Fowler, Hon.
Secretary, Gloucestershire B.K.A., Barn-
wood Vicarage.

DOES IT PAY GARDENERS TO KEEP
BEES?

[8951] I send a cutting from the
Daily Sketch which may interest your
readers: — "A striking evidence of the
remarkably mild weather is the very
advanced state of the bees. The bee
expert of Chivers and Sons, the fruit
growers, of Histon, Cambridge, who are
the largest bee-farmers in the country,
reports that the advanced state of the
brood clearly indicates that the bees were
laying so far back as December, an
astonishingly early date, seeing that in
the average winter they do not begin
until the end of January.

"This early breeding is welcomed by
fruit-growers, as it will greatly strengthen
the hives, and enable the bees to begin
working on the very earliest blossoms."

The interesting inference to be drawn
from it is that it appears to be an unassail-
able point to put before market gardeners,
and all who have gardens either for a
living or hobby, as the case may be. Even
if Messrs. Chivers are or are not the
biggest bee-keepers in England, we do know
they are one of the leading firms of jam-
makers (who grow their own fruit), and if
it pays them it will in proportion pay
others to keep bees. — John Lambebt, Pool,
near Leeds.

BEES DO PAY.

[8952] Having seen a letter in your
paper on "Do Bees Pay?" I thought my
experience in bee-keeping would be in-
teresting to some of your readers. I
started with three driven lots in August,
1912, without any knowledge of bees
whatever. These I fed up with 361bs. of
sugar. In the spring, 1913, I fed them
again. On the 7th May a swarm came off
which I sold for £1. During the honey
flow I took 160 sections, of which I sold
£2 10s. worth, and kept the remainder
for my own use. I have recently sold the
wax for 2s. 6d., this bringing the total sum
to £3 12s. (id. In August, 1913, I pur-
chased six more driven lots for 3s., which
I united, forming two stocks, and fed
them up for the winter. They now
give every promise of making excellent
stocks this spring, one lot having two
frames full of sealed brood, the other one
frame. Would you kindly tell me if this
is a fair year's work for a novice? My
friends say it is excellent. Wishing you
and your paper every success. — A Novice,
Frome.

[A good beginning, but you should have
made more out of your sections if good
ones. — Eds.]

BEE-NOTES FROM DERBYSHIRE.

A WORD OF WARNING.

[8953] February 3rd was really a
beautiful day. The bees were flying freely
about noon, and I took the opportunity of
the warm weather to take just a peep
under the quilts of each stock. I may
say that all my stocks were well fed up
for the winter* before the beginning of
October, some with syrup and some with
natural stores — heather honey chiefly.
What I found upon this first peep of the
year induces me to pen these few lines,
hoping they will be of benefit to fellow
bee-keepers. I was feally not very much
surprised to find that most of my stocks
were getting perilously near the top bar.
The winter here has been so mild that
there has been little inducement to the
bees to cluster together. Every now and
again they have been able to take flight,
and the result of such open weather has
been a greater consumption of winter
stores than usual. In my case, although
my bees were not yet short of stores, I
have judged it the wisest course to give
each stock a cake of candy in order to be
on the safe side. I am of opinion that
during the next few weeks many stocks
will die through starvation unless fed,
and I would sound a note of warning. Do
not be too sure that because your bees
were well fed up for the winter they are
safe now, but make assurance doublv sure
| by giving them at once that cake of

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 19, 1914.

candy. The winter has not been normal,
having been too mild, and mild winters
mean lost stocks. — D. Wilson.

EARLY FORAGERS.

[8954] As I have not seen any report
in the "B.B.J." of the bees making a
start, I thought you would like to know
that mine were busy carrying pollen on
February 4th and 5th; both days were
sunny, and the temperature on the 5th
was 61deg. Fa.hr. in the sun. It was very
interesting indeed to watch them carrying
in the first pollen, but it would be more
interesting to know where they got it
from. The aconite should be flowering
before this, but I doubt whether many are
grown about here, and the crocus shows no
sign of flowering yet ; at least, mine do not.
and they were planted in October and
have been through the ground for weeks.
These bees were carrying pollen on Novem-
ber 5th, and drones living from one hive
(see "B.B.J., Nov. 13, 1913, page 456),
so they have had a very short winter, but,
alas ! it is now windy, cold, and raining,
and no bees are to be seen. — W. P. L.,
Baklock, Herts.

Apiary Accounts (p. 37).— As Mr. Small-
wood takes his seat so squarely upon the
stool of repentance, he may consider him-
self fully forgiven for his metaphorical
references to the Dons Quixote who ride full
tilt into mares' nests. It would, however,
be well to restate the accounts accurately
for the benefit of those bee-keepers who
desire a model. But there is one aspect
of such accounts to which I should like to
draw attention, and this is the regarding
of a credit balance as profit. Profit it may
be, but gross profit. The true view of it
is expressed by Mr. Carver (p. 48), where
he states it as a return for work done.
This is as it should be, since labour is a
first charge upon such profit, and, to my
mind, any question of the occupation
being profitable should consider the time
employed in the occupation. A practical
consideration of this might easily lead to
the adoption of better methods and
shorter cuts. Or it might be found that
the time could be more profitably
employed in some other avocation. I am
speaking commercially, of course, but
accounts are essentially commercial things.
It is true that there is pleasure in the
work, but so should there be in every
occupation, certainly in an occupation of

one's choice. Happy indeed is the man
whose work is his hobby. However pleasur-
able the work, the pleasure is usually
gilded by some addition to income. And
just so soon as this occurs, the bee-keeper
is no' longer an amateur, pure and simple,
but a professional. He should therefore
ask himself : " Am I keeping more stocks
than I need to gratify my love of bees, or,
on the other hand, am I justified by the
return for my labour in keeping a few
more ? ' '

"Isle of Wight" Disease (p. 37).— Mr.
Campbell's interesting letter is, I think,
in harmony with modern beliefs on the
general subject of disease. At the same
time he appears to undervalue preven-
tive and curative methods, which have in
analogous epidemics justified themselves.
There is a natural tendency to immunity,
and our disregard of this may lead, may
have led, to increased susceptibility. At
the time of the " Isle of Wight" outbreak
I urged that surviving stock should be
devoted to increase. But, alas ! there
appear to have been no survivors, and,
much as one would wish to believe the
contrary, it seems as if our race of bees
cannot face this destroyer. Let us hope
this will be disproved. Mr. Illingworth
seems unduly disturbed by Mr. Campbell's
theorising, and is, indeed, confronted by
existing belief in the immunity of certain
races to foul brood, and the claim for at
least one race as immune to "Isle of
Wight " disease. Without pretending to
adjudicate upon such claims, I would point
out that there is at least available the
assertion which he demands. With
reference, however, to his penultimate
paragraph (p. 49), I suggest that the
crudest examination of the abdominal
contents of a bee suffering from "Isle of
Wight " disease will convince him that
there is a tremendous distinction between
the disease and "spring dwindling," or
even ordinary constipation. In an
advanced state the structures will be
found unspeakably ruined.

Huber's Hive (p. 43). — Is there no doubt
as to the authenticity of the hive attri-
buted by the Rucher Ecole to the blind
master? It is not quite like the old leaf
hive which I remember in the bee museum
at Zug, which I was assured was the
veritable hive of history. Was there more
than one hive, or is this a copy ? ■ For all
I know, Huper's hives may be as plentiful
as pieces of the true Cross.

Bee Associations (pp. 35, 45). — Mr.
Mattinson would put these institutions
into the melting-pot of criticism, and why
rot? Are they true metal, and are they
justifying their existence? Do they cover
the ground ? Is the membership main-
tained, and are the members satisfied?
Very pertinent questions these. Let the
Associations arise and answer fairly.

Feb. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

79

They should be capable of doing so. They
have existed long enough to know.
Whether Mr. Martinson's plea for the
extinction of the weaker bee-keeper is
sound or not ; whether the Associations
should devote their attention to the
capable ; whether the travelling experts
and lecturers do good and needed work ;
whether Mr. Mattinson takes too com-
mercial a view of the question ; here at
least are the makings of a pretty discus-
sion, and we may hope that Mr. Mattin-
son's proposals will be fully criticised by
those who have real practical experience
of Association work. The secretaries start
at least with the advantages of optimism
on their side. Is there anything to be
said, on the other?

A Word for the Italian Bee (p. 47). —
It is very easy to deceive oneself when
comparing races. At least, special and
careful observation is essential to the
arriving at just conclusions. As a queen-
breeder I have obliged myself to take such
note, and one vital point is the age of the
queen. Thus, stocks of the same strain
may give very different results owing to a
variance in this factor. In the Italian
strain, which I once possessed, I found
the queens were shorter lived than those
of my English bees, which were superseded
at longer intervals. Now, if one may
suppose a variety having the habit of
supersedure, its colonies would usually
start the year with the advantage of
young queens. But whether such auto-
matic advantage outweighed other dis-
advantage would be a matter for the bee-
keeper to decide. There is no doubt that
the Italian bee does not excel as a " comb-
honey " bee, but the owner might do well
to turn his attention to' extracted honey.
On the other hand, if he will re-queen his
stocks methodically he may go a long way
before finding a better bee for all-round
work than the common English bee.

[8907] A Novice's Queries.— I should be
greatly obliged if you would give me in-
formation on following points: — (1) Is it
necessary for queen-excluder to completely
cover brood-frames? When my shallow-
frame super is on it is possible for the
queen to get up into it past the edges of ex-
cluder. (2) In this district we do well if
we get two supers full of honey. As a
rule, when the first is nearly full and one
puts it upon another super, the bees store
a little honey in every comb, making a
lot of extracting. Could I work with one
shallow-frame super, lifting full combs out
and replacing with empty ones ? Also

working empty ones to middle before
lifting any out at all. How often is it
permissible to examine shallow-frame
supers? I may say I can sell my honey
immediately, so there is no fear of it
fermenting if I extract it while uncapped.
I know I could have a larger yield if I
extracted whilst unsealed. Our season is
so varied that one might have a super full
one day and empty next (approx.)
Please tell me what to do, as the last two
seasons I have lost my harvest through
waiting for honey to be capped previous to
extracting. (3) In uniting, does it matter
about removing a queen if they are both
of same importance? I have been told
bees will settle it themselves. (4) In
uniting a swarm to a stock has one to flour
both stocks? I want honey, as I have as
many stocks as I can find time to give
proper attention to. Suppose I have a
swarm, I would look through my supers,
and if one was empty I might infer the
swarm came from that hive. Should I lift
supers off, flour bees, and throw the swarm
in at entrance? What about the queen-
cells? (5) Will you give me a method of
re-queening without the trouble of killing
the old queen? Is Snelgrove's book on that
theme? (6) Will you have an article in
"B.B.J." soon on how to make a cheap
hive (makeshift) ? (7) Can I practise
stimulative feeding over supers? I mean
between blossom and clover flows. I shall
be so obliged if you will give me an
answer in "B.B.J." — Inquisitive.

Reply. — (1) The excluder should cover
the whole of the frames. (2) Under the
circumstances you might do as you
suggest. An examination twice a week
will not hurt the bees. (3) The bees will
settle the matter, but it is best to remove
one queen and cage the other in case of
accidents, as it is quite possible for both
queens to get killed. (4) You must not do
as you suggest. To locate which hive the
swarm issued from, take a few bees from
the swarm in a cup, flour them, and when
released watch which hive they return to.
You can then cut out all queen-cells and
return the swarm without flouring the bees.
(5) There is no safe method of doing this.
With " Snelgrove's Method " you have to
remove the old queen. (6) Probably. (7)
No.

[8908] Source of Pollen— Feeding in
Spring. — During the recent mild weather
my bees (I have only one stock) have been
flying constantly. I have been unable to
discover whether or not they found any-
thing, as to all appearance their journeys
were futile. To-day (February 10th) my
heart was gladdened to see them bringing
in loads of orange-coloured pollen.

Beekeeping has done wonders for me,

although I only started last year. I never

watched for spring as I have done this

i year ; never took such interest in the

80

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 19, 1914.

trees and the birds — those signs of re-
awakening Nature — as I have done this
year. I allso find great interest in garden-
ing, and I look daily to see how my plants
are progressing, for I grow them all for
my bees. The friend who sold me my
stock so cheaply sold, or rather gave me,
new sources of enjoyment which perhaps
he never imagined.

May I ask two questions? (1) What do
you think is the source from which my
bees are getting pollen, and will they be
also obtaining nectar? (2) The candy I
gave has not been eaten. Do you think I
made it wrongly? It was very hard. I
have a frame of food of which I robbed
my bees last summer. When shall I
return it to them, please?

Thanking you for past favours, and
wishing our Bee Journal continued
success. — Novice, West Riding.

Reply. — (1) Bees are evidently working
upon winter aconite. (2) If the candy is
too hard the bees will be unable to eat it.
You had better give them another cake.
(3) You can put the comb of food in about
April.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. €d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up lo 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford?,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mir. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

W. E. F. W. (Falmouth).— Honey and
Diabetes.— (1) Persons suffering from
diabetes can use honey without ill
effects. (2) We have heard of one or
two cases of " Isle of Wight ' ' disease in
Cornwall.

F. B. (Welling). — Preventing Swarming.
— (1) Yes. (2) Do no clip the queen's
wings, but use a " Brice " swarm-catcher
for about a fortnigbt during the swarm-
ing season.

R. P. (Cardiff). — Buying Swarms. — (1) A
swarm will cost anything from 15s.
upwards. (2) Keep to British bees.

J. K. J. (Pontardulais). — Symptoms of
Disease. — It does not follow that all the
bees die in five weeks. In some cases
signs of disease are intermittent. You
will find it is " Isle of Wight " disease,
not paralysis.

Suspected Disease.

H. L. (Gillingham). — Bees died from
" Isle of Wight " disease. You can use
the honey for human consumption, but
on no account must you let other bees
get to it.

J. B. (Kinross-shire). — We regret bees are
too dry for us to state cause of death.

H. Y. G. (Hertford).— Bees were badly
packed and were crushed flat in post.
It was therefore impossible to examine
them.

D. J. M. (Wales) and L. T. (Moseley).—
Bees have died from "Isle of Wight"
disease.

Novice (Lines.). — The bees have died from
starvation. Do not trouble to boil the
frames, it is cheaper and better to buy
new ones. The combs also should be
melted down and not used again.

W. E. W. (Wrexham). — The bees, being
improperly packed, were so crushed that
we could do nothing with them. The
letter also was in an abominably messy
condition.

A. E. C. (Polegate), Getjtie (Kew
Gardens), R. (Bromsgrove), E. G.
(Brentwood), K. W. W. (iSussex), and
G. E. M. (Countesthorpe) . — The bees
have died through "Isle of Wight"
disease.

H. H. (Colchester) and A. E. R. (Saffron
Walden). — The dead bees were too
decomposed for examination.

F. H. B. (Saffron Walden). — Do not use
the stores for other bees, as those sent
were affected with "Isle of Wight"
disease.

P. E. (Fareham).— (1) No. (2) The bees
are too dry for us to say if diseased,
but it would be unwise to risk harming
others by using the stores.

A. C. (Lanes.). — (1) The bees have "Isle
of Wight " disease. (2) British bees.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as "Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FOR SALE, one 561b. tin and three 281b. of
good extracted Essex honey, at 60s. per cwt.j
also Hlb. beeswax, at Is. 6d. per lb.— T. COLLEY,
Thakes Farm Radwinter, Essex. v 62

AT least 100 swarms wanted. May, June, large
or small lots— NEWBIGGING, Olwington,
Lanarkshire. v 66

PURE Lincolnshire honey, light, 281b. tins, 15s.;
58s. per cwt— F. W. GELDER, Sturton,

Lincoln. v_6f

THREE W.B.C. hives, in good condition, 12s. 6d.
each, two with both section and shallow crates.
—2, Pleasant Villas, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea. v 63

WANTED, strong, healthy stock of bees; price
and particulars— HOLTON. Henwick, New-
bury, v 61

Feb. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

81

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council
was held at 23, Bedford (Street, Strand,
London, W.C., on Thursday, February
19th. Mr. W. F. Reid presided. There
were also present : Miss Gay ton, Miss
Sillar, Messrs. C. L. M. Eales, E. Watson,
R. H. Attenborough, T. Bevan, J. Small-
wood, O. R. Frankenstein, J. B. Lamb,
and Sir Ernest Spencer (Association re-
presentatives), G. W. Judge and G.
Bryden (Crayford), G. S. Faunch. and
G. R. Alder (Essex), D. Seamer (Lincoln-
shire), Rev. F. S. F. Jannings (York-
shire), A. Willmott (Hertford), F. W.
Harper (St. Albans), and the Secretary,
W. Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were read from Messrs. T. W.
Cowan, G. J. Flashman, A. Richards,
A. G. Pugh, W. T. Sanderson, and Col.
H. J. O. Walker.

The minutes of the Council meeting
held' on January 15th, 1914, were read
and confirmed.

The following new members were
elected: — Mis. Pennington, Miss B. S.
Macmichael, Miss E. Weston, Mr. D.
Seamer, Mr. W. H. Carter, Mr. W. Finch,
Mr. W. E. Carter, and Mr. A. Ross.

The' following Associations nominated
representatives to the Council, and the same
were accepted : Glamorgan, Mr. F. Gravil :
Essex, Mr. G. S. Faunch; Devon, Mr.
A. McCullah; Northumberland, Mr. W. J.
Sanderson; Olnev, Rev. G. F. Sams;
Hereford, Rev. J.W. Turner; Herts., Mr.
A. Willmott.

The report of the Finance Committee
^as presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for January amounted to £40 4s., the
bank balance being £228 15s. 3d. Pay-
ments amounting to £29 16s. 9d. were
recommended .

The final examination was fixed for
May 29th and 30th. Mr. D. M. Macdonald
was appointed examiner.

The annual report was presented and
passed as amended.

Mr. Reid having to leave on urgent
business, Mr. Lamb was voted to the
chair.

Arrangements were made for the annual
meeting to be held at the Lecture Hall,
Zoological Gardens, on March 19th, 1914.

A letter was read from Mr. Judge, and
it was resolved to get the name of the
Association enrolled in the lists of
Scientific and Agricultural Societies.

The report of the Examining Board was
presented by Mr. Lamb, and it was re-

' solved to grant the expert certificate (final
examination) to Mr. H. Goude.

The report of the Exhibitions Com-
mittee was presented by the Secretary,
and it was resolved that the W. Broughton-
Carr Memorial Gold Medal be awarded at
this year's Royal Show, the conditions to
be as follows : —A first prize to count 3
points, second 2 points, third 1 point. In
case of a tie the competitor having the
largest number of highest awards shall
obtain the medal. No exhibitor shall take
the medal for two consecutive years. The
points to be awarded in all classes, except
those for appliances, and classes 605, 606,
and 607.

Mr. Wilson applied for arrangements to
be made for him to take the Special
Lecture test at some future date. The
matter was referred to the Examination
Committee.

A letter from Mr. Sanderson, re pay-
ment from Development Fund for
Northumberland, was referred to the
Development Fund Committee.

Unanimous resolutions passed at the
annual meetings of the Herefordshire,
Crayford, Northumberland, and Glamor-
ganshire Associations, asking the Council
to get the Bee Diseases Bill re-introduced
this session, were received.

The Expert's report of the Crayford
Association was received.

It was resolved to grant the sum of £5
towards the prize fund at the British
Dairy Farmers' Show, 1914.

SPECIAL NOTICE.

A private lantern lecture and micro-
scopical demonstration, with special re-
ference to "Isle of Wight'5 disease, is
being arranged to be given in London by
an experienced investigator, on March 5th,
at 2 p.m. Stained, and, if possible,
"fresh" preparations will be shown. Will
those who would like to attend please com-
municate with me at once, stating the
amount that they are prepared to con-
tribute towards the cost of same? Only a
limited number can be accommodated. —
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
London, W.C.

W. BROUGHTON-CARR memorial
FUND.

£ s. d.

Amount already acknowledged 14 9 0

D. Hancox 0 5 0

F. H. Hagley 0 5 0

H. Goude 0 2 6

rp -yy rp 0 2 6

D. Wilson ° 2 6

£15 6 6

82

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 26, 1914.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES

sea

J3g- W^Herrod

WINTERING BEES.

{continued from page 64.)
About the middle of October the full complement of stores should be made up
by rapid feeding, so that the stock has about thirty pounds well sealed over. The
stores should be sealed as far as possible, though a little unsealed
will do no harm, as it will be used up first. The novice experi-
ences difficulty in gauging the weight

of food in the combs. If eight

combs are well filled, there will be

sufficient. To give an idea of what

the combs should be like, I give

photographs. Fig. 2, taken last

autumn, of five combs from a stock of

mine just before it was wintered

down. No. 1 shows the outside

comb, which contained seven pounds

of food. Numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 are

of the combs in rotation, and of the

side nearest the centre of the hive.

No. 2 contains a little over six

pounds ; No. 3, five and three-quarter

pounds; No. 4, five pounds; No. 5,

four and a half pounds. The other

five combs were in the same condition,

so this stock had about fifty-six

pounds of stores. An examination of

No. r shows very clearly the extent

of the brood-nest on the outside comb,

and how, when breeding for the

season ceases, these cells are taken

advantage of for the storage of food

for the winter. The supply of

farinacious food in the shape of

pollen should not be neglected — one

or two combs should contain a supply

of this ; if absent, it may be procured

from other stocks that can spare it, or

a supply can be given by mixing
Symington's pea flour with honey to
a stiff paste, and forcing it into some

of the empty cells with an ordinary

dinner knife by a spreading motion,

as when putting butter on bread.
Having made the food supply all
right, the final packing must be com-
pleted. It has been truly said that
the best packing for wintering is "to
pack with bees," and if the above in-
structions are carried out the combs
should be crowded with young bees.
A couple of balls of naphthalene, split

Fig

in half should be placed on the floor-board inside the brood chamber, as tar away
from the entrance as possible. Bees do not like the smell of naphthalene, therefore
the balls are split ;so that the flat side prevents them being rolled out, and they are

Feb. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

83

placed in the furthest corners for the same reason. My own practice is, to wedge
the naphthalene between the top bars for wintering (Fig. 3). A passage-way for
the bees must be provided over the tops of the frames — the bees cluster at the top

of the combs and in cold weather they will not go down and under to get to food

combs when the supply is exhausted where they are clustering, but they will pass over
the top ; therefore, unless this .bee-way is given, it is quite possible for them to die of

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

starvation although food is within easy reach. A couple of pieces of wood, about three-
eighths' to half-inch thick and seven inches long, are required. These are obtained
by cutting either elder or hazel shoots from the hedgerow — they are smooth and
regular in size, and excellent for the purpose. These should not be placed exactly
parallel with each other, but one beyond the other (Fig. 3), taking care that the
ends do not come too near the side of the brood chamber to hold up the quilt, so
allowing the bees to escape. The tops of the frames should not be cleaned for
wintering, as the small pieces of comb and propolis help to form a winter passage.

hive, the space
chamber and the
left empty, and not
other material, as
and also makes a
out in the spring — the
bad conductor of
is quite sufficient. A
ticking or calico,
in it (Fig. 4), is now
The flap is turned
pound cake of candy
box put on (Fig. 5).
with each stock, as it
barometer — not only
tion of the food
taining the condition
of England, where

If it is a W.B.C
between the brood
outer case should be
filled with chaff or
this harbours insects,
litter when cleared
air space, being a
either heat or cold,
good quilt, made of
with a feed-hole cut
placed in position,
back, and a one-
in a glass-topped
I would do this
forms a good
for noting the condi-
supply, but for ascer-
of the stock in the
very often the bees
weather allows the

in the South

Fig. 5.

spring time, especially
build up so strong that they require more room before the
bee-keeper to examine them. In the cherry orchards in

first week
comb

in

the

East Kent I have taken off racks of full sections the
May. When the bees require more room they will build comb in
candy-box (Fig. 6); as soon as this is seen a super should be placed
on at once, so that surplus will be gathered which would have been lost but for
the tell-tale box. Fig. 7 shows comb built in a box beside unconsumed candy. It
should be borne in mind that, at times, bees will consume well-made candy in
preference to their own stores. If it is known that a stock is short of stores, a
large cake of, say, four pounds of candy should be given. The candy used after

84

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 26, 1914.

Christmas should have a little pea meal mixed with it. By using the glass-topped
box over the calico quilt there is no need to disturb the bees to see if the candy
is consumed, or when replenishing it, which is the case if it is moulded in a saucer
and put under the quilt.

Extra quilts of some warm material, such as felt or house flannel (Fig. 8), are
now used to wrap down. A bag filled with chaff or cork dust does very well — fail-
ing these, neatly-folded newspapers make warm coverings. Avoid the use of guano
bags and cast-off wearing apparel.

The quilts used must be perfectly
dry ; also sprinkle a little powdered
naphthalene amongst them, to keep
out moth, ants, and earwigs.

It will be necessary to secure the
roof so that it does not blow off.
The practice of using bricks or stones
has three disadvantages — first, the
moisture collects underneath them,
so; that in course of time a plain
wooden roof, or one covered with Fig. 6. Fig. 7.

calico, will rot; the bad effects can be seen right through the summer after the
bricks or stones have been taken off (Fig. 9) by the mark left through the confined
damp, while in many cases the damage is intensified by their remaining on con-
tinuously. When on tour I have frequently seen holes in roofs through the rotting
of the wood. Only this winter I came across the case illustrated at Fig. 10, which
speaks for itself. Secondly, the lifting off and putting on of the weights disturbs
the bees, and causes them to consume more food than is good for them, which, in
their confined condition, may cause dysentery ; thirdly, with weights only, the hive
is often blown bodily over by a gale.

Of all methods, Fig. 11 is the best — it is impossible for the roof to blow off
or the hive to be blown over, the weight is easily taken off or put on, and there
are no knots made tiresome to untie by varying climatic conditions. Procure a stout

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

stake eighteen inches long, bore a half -inch hole through it about a couple of inches
from the top, drive this down at one side of the hive, thread a strong piece of
cord through the hole, and tie a knot on one end so that it will not slip through,
pass the cord over the hive roof, and tie a brick on the other end so that it clears
the ground, thus obtaining the advantage of all its weight yet it clears the
hive, preventing it knocking against the side and disturbing the bees, with the result
detailed above. Open the entrance six inches, and all is complete.

The bees should be disturbed as little as possible during the winter. About
once every month gently lift off the roof and look to see if the supply of candy is gone;
if it is, put on another cake. On fine days the bees will fly to void their fseces and
clear out the dead — that is the best time to replace candy. In the very cold

Feb. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

85

weather the entrance should be raked clear of dead bees each week, by means of a
piece of wire, hooked at one end, used very gently — if this is not done, an accumu-
lation of dead bodies may block up the entrance and suffocate the living inmates.
If snow falls, it should be swept from the roof, as melting snow percolates through
the smallest crevice. It should also be cleared from the alighting board, and the

Fig. 11.

extended alighting board reared in front (Fig. 12, see page 89) to prevent the
bees being attracted out to their death by the light from the snow being reflected
into the hive.

Keep a watch for blue tits and mice — the former obtain food by tapping on the
alighting board and attracting bees outside; the latter will eat away the entrance
slides to obtain admission to the hive.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
*nd correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for vublication, but
hi a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do r.ot
undertake to return rejected communications.

•ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8955] Does not the whole present dis-
cussion on '"Isle of Wight" disease and
the proposed methods of coping with same
turn on the question : " Is this disease in-
fectious or merely contagious? " If it is
infectious then no amount of wholesale
destruction of diseased stocks can stop the
plague now that it is so widespread. Like
influenza amongst ourselves, it has come
to stay, and the only hope of salvation lies
in the discovery of partiallv or totally
immune stocks or strains of bees which
may survive the coming holocaust ! In
that case, as Mr. Mace and his followers
suggest, the sooner the world is scoured for
immune strains the better ; such strains

already exist in Australia if the informa-
tion supplied to our Board of Agriculture
is correct (see 1912 Report on '"Isle of
Wight" Bee Disease, pp. 51 and 52, also
pp. 128 and 129). As to whether any
British strains have yet become strongly
resistant is a question. Mr. Stapleton, who
has wrestled with the disease in Cornwall
since 1904, wrote hopefully some time back
in the " B.B.J." of his own work along the
lines of immunity.

At the same time it must be admitted
that so far the preponderating weight of
evidence collected is in favour of Nosema
apis (" Isle of Wight" disease) not being
infectious, but rather that it needs an
agent other than air to convey it from
diseased to healthy stocks. Further, it
has been demonstrated that apart from
favourable conditions the spores of Nosema
lose their virulence comparatively rapidly.

This makes a very strong case for the
"orthodox" party, who demand com-
pulsory destruction, and it is at least
desirable that immunity enthusiasts should
confine their experimental importations to
districts where the disease has long been
rampant. The crying need of the moment
is total prohibition of the transference of
bees from diseased to healthy districts. —

H. E. SCROPE YlNER-

86

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 26, 1914.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8956] I feel that I owe an apology for
trespassing once more on the Editors'
patience and that of the readers of this
Journal; but it occurs to me that one or
two observations might be of use to in-
quirers. First, then, I may inform Mr.
Illingworth that I have it from two sources
that this disease is already less virulent in
North Berks and South Oxon, where
previously it was probably at its worst;
and as I see by to-day's papers that it has
just broken out with exceptional fury in
a hitherto " clean " part of Norfolk, this
would seem to support my view that ulti-
mate salvation may lie in immunity —
though, of course, we shall need to
examine our premises carefully before we
can even begin to think of drawing con-
clusions. Above all, we must have more
certain news of the condition of things in
Berks and Oxon.

My second point is this. Having
formerly kept bees in North Berks, (where
foul-brood is a permanent terror), I began
some experiments in what I may call exces-
sive out-breeding, importing queens from
Norway, Germany, Austria, Russia, and
Greece, but confining myself always to the
black race. The German queen was im-
ported in 1909, and, as I mentioned in a
former letter, her progeny evinced distinct
powers of resistance to foul brood — though
they went under later when "Isle of
Wight " disease took hold. In 1912 this
latter disease had swept every bee in the
district away, except in my apiary, where,
if I remember rightly, only two stocks out
of eight succumbed. In July of that year
I introduced the Greek queen ; and the
following year all my hives were wiped out
with the exception of her stock, which
took the disease mildly but recovered.
Being resident abroad at the time, I had
to leave matters in the hands of my
gardener ; but on returning last summer I
certainly found the Greek stock in good
fettle.

Some interesting points, arising out of
these observations, offer themselves for our
consideration. Was my comparative im-
munity in 1912 due to out-breeding? If
so, why did it not hold good through 1913?
May this have been due to the inability of
my bees to fight both diseases at once?
Again, why did the Greek stock survive,
seeing that it was pure and therefore un-
affected by out-breeding? I would point
out that, since bees in Greece can gather
stores practically all the year round, they
are never fed artificially; and two corre'-
spondents in this Journal lately put for-
ward the suggestion that we have
weakened the stamina of our bees by
giving unnatural food. This may not be
the reason — I hope it is not, for, as I
myself pointed out, if it is, we may as
well give up keeping bees — but it requires

consideration. It may be that " Isle of
AVight " disease does not greatly affect
Greek bees ; in fact, Greece may be the
immune country Ave are looking for.

I trust the readers of the " B.B.J." will
not, on the strength of this letter, make
a wild rush to import Greek queens ! We
know so little that they will very probably
be disappointed and blame me! Besides,
the Greek method of sending queens is very
primitive and likely to> cause much anger
on the part of the recipients! I am at
present taking steps to rectify this; and I
piropose to continue my experiments in this
district, where they will not be com-
plicated by the presence of foul brood.

There is one other point, which, how-
ever, has nothing to do with the question
of disease. A correspondent recently
mentioned, among honey-bearing plants of
February, what he believed to be Saxi-
fraga cvassifolia. I think he refers to
S. speciosa, which I notice opening in my
garden; but as " fatness " is certainly the
most characteristic quality about its leaves,
I regard his specific name as a happy
notion. S. cordifolia much resembles
S. speciosa. There is a patch of it in
Kensington Gardens; but I observed no
sign of blossom there on the 9th inst. — H.
Campbell, Pulham St. Mary.

SUNDRY HERESIES ABOUT BEES.

[8957] The two letters which I wrote
on "Delusions about Bees," over a year
ago, drew upon my devoted head such a
scathing rebuke from an anonymous corre-
spondent, who professed to write from a
village in Inverness-shire, that I have'
never since felt able to write any more
about bees. I feel comforted, however, to
read that some others have been able to
repeat my observations.

I expressed the opinion that the mating
of the queen did not always take place in
the blue ether, as described by Maeter-
linck and others, and I mentioned that
on one occasion I had seen the queen and
drone in copulation on the porch of a
hive. I stated that " Swarthmore " and
others had alsoi seen the mating of the
queen ; but a " village bee club (some-
where in the County of Inverness), after
carefully debating the whole affair," had
come to the conclusion that my observa-
tion of this queen and drone was " a
delusion which could not have entered the
head of any but a bee-keeper in the
chrysalis stage." I felt grateful to Mr.
Geo. Steventon when he wrote in the
"B.B.J." for 4th Dec. that he also had
been able to witness the mating, and that
it took place within a few feet from the
hive. Is Mr. Steventon also- in the chrysalis
stage? An Irishman, convicted on the
evidence of two eye-witnesses of having

Feb. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

87

stolen a cow, is said to have declared that
he could produce hundreds of witnesses
who had not seen him steal the cow.
There are millions of people who have not
seen the mating in the neighbourhood of
the hive, but the numbers who have not
seen it occur in the empyrean are beyond
computation.

In discussing the oft-repeated state-
ment that worker bees live only six weeks
in the working season, I produced detailed
evidence that bees of a queenless stock at
Lurebost in this island had lived through
July, August, and September, those
months being the height of the season
with us. Some other writers in the
•' B.B.J." corroborated my statement so
far as queenless bees were concerned, but
it was pointed out that broodless bees did
not "live laborious days. They gather
nectar, and, to a certain extent, build
comb, but they have no brood nursing, no
chyle-forming, and no excessive waste of
tissue." I had said that those bees had
built as much comb, gathered as much
nectar, and filled as many cells with- pollen
as one could have expected in such a season
as 1912. Six months later this criticism
of my letter appeared in a Government
publication in this form : " It is well
known that broodless and queenless bees
live much longer than the bees, of a. normal
stock, but that they quickly wear out if
brood is given them to rear. The secretion
of brood-food is apparently very exhaust-
ing." Is it not, however, even better
known that the secretion of brood-food is
not under the control of the bee, but is
a function of its age? Young bees cannot
help the production of brood-food, and
older bees can produce it only with great
difficulty, if at all. The life of the older
bees, who are foragers only, cannot,
therefore, be shortened in any degree by
the production of " chyle." I might
perhaps mention in passing that another
Government publication on bees declares
that wax-production is the most wearing
work that a bee has to face.

There has been a good deal of further
talk on the age of bees since I was casti-
gated. G. M. Doolittle has been advocat-
ing the selection of stock for longevity,
and Mr. Macdonald has made favourable
comment. Mr. Crawshaw has been at it
(page 19), and now Mr. Desmond informs
us (page 47) that he knows of black bees
which lived through May, June, and July
in a prosperous colony rearing brood at
the normal rate.

The probability is that bee-keepers
know the age of their queenless bees, but
do not know how old are the foragers in
normal stocks. Owing to the fact that I
live " in the principal village of a remote
island in the Outer Hebrides," I have very
unusual opportunities for making bee

observations, and I might mention that I
have clear proofs that some black bees,
born not later than September 10th, 1912,
were still alive and working on July 10th,
1913 — just ten months — and this in a
stock with a fertile queen. In view of
possible criticism from Inverness, I have
had the observations attested by a Justice
of the Peace.

My assertion that unhatched queens are
at least sometimes destroyed by the bees,
and not by the queen first hatched, has
not been discussed in Britain, but has
given rise to some misunderstanding of
my meaning in Italy and America. Mr.
Dadant, in the American Bee Journal,
notes that: "In L'Apicoltore Modemo
Miss Fleischman criticises the statement
made by J. Anderson in the ' B.B.J.'
that young queens, newly born, destroy
other queen-cells. She has never seen this
take place, although she has often watched.
We can, however, vouch for the correct-
ness of Mr. Anderson's assertion. Young
queeas which have been confined to their
cells by the bees are very lively, and when
freed are exceedingly eager to destroy
other queen-cells." Now my statement
was very much to the same effect as that
attributed to Miss Fleischman, so there is
a misunderstanding somewhere. The
curse of Babel is upon us. Either Miss
Fleischman did not understand my
English or Mr. Dadant' s polyglot know-
ledge is for once at fault. — John Ander-
son, Stornoway.

A WORD FOR THE ANTI-SKEPPIST.

[8958] The arguments of your corre-
spondent, Mr. Chas. H. Heap, against
the use of the skep are a bit too weighty
for Mr. Crawshaw to combat them with
success. The latter gentleman has had to
resort to some special pleading to uphold
the stand he has taken in defence of the
skep, and I notice of late an inclination
to "hedge." In his statement (Novem-
ber 13th, page 450), " I see no difficulty
in fitting a skep with two or perhaps three
frames," &c, he comes perilously near
throwing the ordinary skep (over which all
the controversy has centred) overboard.
If two or three frames would be an im-
provement, why not go further and put in
the full complement, and thus secure all
that is asked for — a movable frame-hive?
No one, I presume, would object to skeps,
or even to " the box or barrel-hive of New
Zealand or Timbuctoo," which our friend
refers to, provided they were fitted with
movable frames.

Mr. Crawshaw seems to enjoy giving
"New Zealand box-hives" a quiet thrust
now and again, but the reason for doing
so is rather obscure. However, New Zea-
land bee-keepers can well afford to smile

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 26, 1914.

at these jokes, seeing that the abolition
of box-hives and skeps (we had these latter
contraptions with us) has been the salva-
tion of commercial bee-keeping in this
country.

At the close of the communication
referred to, Mr. Crawshaw says : "I am
only concerned with the endeavour to
fairly discuss the serious skeppist, and not
anyone given to playing the fool with
bees." If by "serious " is meant " deter-
mined," a person determined to make the
most out of his bees, then a " serious
skeppist " is hardly conceivable. When a
skeppist becomes "serious" with regard
to bee-keeping he would cease being a
skeppist, and go for frame-hives.

Say what one will, no special or other
pleading can stand its ground when
opposed to experience. — I, Hopkins,
Auckland, New Zealand.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN BEE JOURNAL.

[8959] I notice in the "B.B.J." of
Jan. 29th and the Record for February
that "D. M. M.," in his Extracts and
Comments, draws attention to the fact
that the South African Bee Journal " has
gone over to the great majority," but that
the S.A. bee-keepers still have a rallying
point in the South African Poultry Maga-
zine, edited by Mr. G. S. Oettle. In the
latter particular Mr. Macdonald is under
a delusion as to the exact position of
affairs. The S.A.B.K.A. now has for its
official organ The Farmer's Weekly, as will
be seen from the following letter quoted
from that paper of December 17th, 1913 : —

"an open letter to the members.

" To the Members of the South African
Bee-keepers' Association, the Western
Province Bee-keepers' Association, and the
Natal Bee-keepers' Association.

" Will the members of the above-men-
tin n*>d Associations please note that the
S.A.B.K. Journal has been discontinued
and that in future the official notices of
the above Associations will appear in the
columns of The Farmer's Weekly, who
have agreed to act as our official organ.
A copy of The Farmer's Weekly will
accordingly be sent post free each week to
every paid-up member.

" The honey depot at Johannesburg is
still being continued, but just at the
moment there appears to be a glut in the
market. In this connection we would like
to say that we consider the retail price of
honey far too high, and if the market is
to be extended we think that this will
have to be altered. Two-and-sixpence per
lb. is prohibitive to many people, and this
is the price at which our first-grade honey
is heing retailed in many stores in the

Witwatersrand area. In fact, we have
come across instances where even third-
grade honey has been sold at the same
figure. We suggest to the producers that
it might be possible to modify this state of
affairs by taking advantage of the agricul-
tural parcels post. Why not maintain
modest advertisements in the public Press
offering first-grade honey, say, at Is. 6d.
per lb. post free to any address in the
Union, and thus deal direct with the con-
sumers? Dark honey, of course, could be
sold for a good deal less, and in this way
it might be possible to widen the market
for honey very considerably. Should the
experiment prove successful, it would, no
doubt, be an easy matter to decide on some
cheap but strong material, out of which
to make special receptacles for the purpose
of transporting small quantities of honey
in this manner. Who will lead the way?

" It is earnestly hoped that members will
continue to help us as of yore, by the con-
tribution of articles of general interest to
bee-keepers, and everything intended for
publication should be sent, as previously,
to Mr. S. St. L. Northcroft, 51, Fourth
Street, Boksburg North, this gentleman
having very kindly consented to continue
to act as our Honorary Editor."

Mr. S. St. L. Northcroft is still acting
as Honorary Editor of the Bee Column.
In spite of hard times, the Central Com-
mittee of the S.A.B.K.A. and the Hon.
Secretaries of the Western Province and
Natal B.K.A. are striving hard against
"fearful odds " to keep things going and
help on the industry, and are doing good
work. — M. Dagmar Sillar, Representative
for South Africa.

WARNING AGAINST STARVATION.

[8900] I was much interested in the
Bee Notes from Derbyshire in last week's
" B.B.J." (page 77), but am sorry to say the
warning was too late in my case; I am
therefore anxious that others should read
it and make sure their stocks are well sup-
plied. My four hives were prepared for
winder with plenty of their own stores,
and I considered they would have enough
to last till spring, but on a beautiful day
in the beginning of this month, when bees
were flying, I noticed that none issued
from one of my hives, and on examining
it found the whole lot had died of starva-
tion. When I made further examination
I was surprised to find another so far
gone that nothing would save them. It
is only my second winter of bee-keeping,
and, thanks to the " B.B.J." and kind bee-
keeping friends, I have not had to learn
much by this sort of experience. — G. G.
Lewis, Acton, W.

Feb. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

89

" T.O.W." DISEASE.— A CORRECTION.

[8961] At the end of my " Jottings," in
B.B.J." of February 12th, I failed to
make my meaning quite clear. I said :
" The combs (from hives in which the bees
had died of ' Isle of Wight ' disease) should
either be destroyed at once or temporarily
placed where they cannot by any possi-
bility be reached by the bees." I ought
to have added, " Until they can be pro-
perly dealt with." — Chas. H. Heap.

Fig. 12.
see " wintering bees," page 85.

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

By D. M. Macdonakl, Banff.
Bees and. Poultry. — The first issue of
Gleanings for this year is a special one,
dealing mainly with poultry as a " side-
line" to go with bees. The Editor sums
up : " Some interesting evidence is pro-
duced, showing that the combination of
bees and poultry goes well together. When
the work is most active among the
chickens in the winter and early spring
the bees are dormant, requiring little or
no attention ; and when the work is most
pressing among the bees, in the late
spring and summer and fall, the condi-
tions are such that the chickens can, to a
large extent, find their own food. We
know of numbers of people who run a
small farm in connection with bees, where
they have a large number of poultry, and
the whole combination, if not remote from
a market, will yield good returns." One
writer says : " The combination of bees,
poultry, and, I may add, an orchard, is
an ideal one. Each business has its own
distinct season. The incubating and
breeding of chickens is practically over
before the busy season with the bees
begins. Another advantage of the com-
bination is that the same land can be

utilised for all three. Then the poultry
fertilise the land, bees fertilise the fruit,
and the blossom furnishes nectar to the
bees."

Bees in Buildings.— The Bee-keepers'
Review gives prominence to what they
call a new method of bee-keeping. Acting
on the well-known principle that bees will
occupy overhead space, and thus check
swarming, he gives them only eight frames
in the lower body-box, and then tiers up.
He believes that this residence and store-
room is the most ideal imitation of " the
hollow tree — the natural home of the bee."
Two eight-frame bodies, and then the
surplus chambers. These hives he places
in spare rooms, garrets, and in the out-
houses on his farm. He manages them
with two visits in course of the honey-
season— one to place on supers, the other
to take them off and secure the honey ;
which system he considers is as near an
automatic mode of managing bees as one
will get in this world. He set up a hive
for a neighbouring school teacher, who
went off on vacations, leaving the bees to
manage themselves ; and on her return she
got "over one hundred and fifty pounds of
honey." Another neighbour visited
Europe and, although the house was shut
up, the bees stored over lOOlbs. before he
returned. These are only samples. There
are hundreds of these outfits in Grand
Rapids, some of which have yielded 2001bs.
surplus— and there has been no swarming.
We are promised a continuation of this
article.

Levelling Hives. — I wish bee-keepers
would take a little trouble and level their
hives, or that the manipulator were
blessed with some appreciation of the
value of perspective. Take for example
several specimens of the photographic art
reproduced in two issues of the American
Bee Journal — December and January.
When I looked at the centre hives on
page 406 I almost held my hands to
steady those "eight-deckers." I felt no
such sensation on looking overleaf at the
hive with the same number of bodies that
yielded 2241bs. surplus. Neither did I
feel any thrill when I looked at Mr.
Bartlett's apiary, on page 417. I felt
pleased, however, that the owner seemed
to have a firm grip of the 210-pounder, on
page 421. Grandpre and its surroundings,
pp. 18 and 19, look as solid and steadfast
as the everlasting hills, but Dr. Miller's
house, on page 11, looks as if it were
about to fall back.

Even when not preparing to have one's
apiary photographed, it is advisable to re-
level every individual hive some time
during spring before the busy season sets
in. A line of hives all at sixes-and-sevens
looks bad, whereas a smart setting up
gives a pleasantly taking appearance to

the whole collection. Grace and utility

90

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Feb. 26, 1914.

both claim that this periodic re-arrange-
ment should be attended to every spring.

Thick Syrup.— Mr. Crawshaw, on page
58, thinks (by the way, that seems a
favourite expression of his when dealing
with my contributions of late) — he thinks
I am wrong about the 2\ to 1 for thick
syrup, but he tries to drop me gently by
surmising that I " misunderstood " Dr.
Miller and Mr. Root. Let me appeal to
Caesar ! On page 4, Gleanings, 1910, Dr.
Miller wrote, "I have fed barrels of sugar
for winter use, but always two and a half
to one." On page 207 of same volume
Mr. Root writes much in praise of thick
syrup, feeding late for winter, of which I
quote one sentence : " By giving the thick
syrup, two and a half to one, compara-
tively late in the season, the bees are given
the very best feed." He repeats this
advice on page 711 in an editorial : " At
this time of the year (late autumn) do not
give any syrup thinner than two and a
half parts of sugar to one of water, boil-
ing hot; and it should be well stirred."
In the same volume quite a number of the
leading contributors cordially support this
advice," among them being Messrs. Holter-
man, Crane, and Doolittle. One even
advocates three to one! If these can make
"barrels," "thousands of pounds,"
" tons" of sugar into syrup, the "very best
of food " for bees in winter, why should
I not advocate a trial of it in this country
without needless comment following?

Errata. — For "Darwin," on page 2,
please read Huxley.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. fid. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up 'to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford's,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldeaiham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Alderham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

A. J. T. (Ilkeston).— Old Bee Book.—li
in a good state of preservation, your

book is worth about 5s.

G. F. D. (Holstein, Germany). — Render-
ing Old Combs. — (1) No, it will do no
harm to melt the old combs containing
dead bees as all the waste matter will
remain at the bottom of the cake of
wax, and this can be scraped off when
cold.

Novice Bee-keeper (Cardiff). — Feeding
Stock Short of Stores. — You can make
the stocks safe by giving to each a lib.
cake, of candy in a glass-topped box ;
when this is consumed, give another.
The candy should be put on at once.

Wolverhampton. — Honey Sample. — We
can taste nothing but burnt sweet in
the sample sent.

T. A. E. (Dawlish). — Weight of Stock in
Skep. — It would be a better plan to buy
swarms than bees in skeps. We can-
not say what weight they should be, as
so much depends upon the size of the
skep.

W. H. W. (Haydon Bridge).— Dead
Queen. — The queen is fertile, but is an
indifferent one.

G. F. J. (Llanfachreth). — Dealing in
Swarms. — (1) Yes, it is profitable. (2)
Certainly, if carefully worked. (3)
Advertise now, and get your orders
booked.

Solar (Atherstone). — Making a Solar
Wax-Extractor . — (1) Yes, there should be
two sheets of glass in the lid with a
space |in. or fin. between. (2) No. (3)
Plate-glass would be best, but it is too
expensive for the purpose.

W. E. G. (Dulwich).— Age of Queen.— We
should say it is a 1913 queen.

R. E. (Toom). — Addresses Wanted. — We
regret we do not know the name of
nurserymen in the district you mention.

T. Broughton (Balham). — Honey Sample.
— You could hardly expect a bottle of
honey to travel safely through the post
simply wrapped in a piece of brown
paper. We received fragments of glass
only.

Suspected Disease.

C. P. iS. C. (High Wycombe), Miss Kaye,
H. B. Gardiner. — We regret to say the
bees are affected with "Isle of Wight"
disease.

C. A. (Enfield). — From your description
we fear the stock is affected with " Isle
of Wight" disease.

W. E. (Newport). — The bees have died of
"Isle of Wight" disease. The honey
can be used for human consumption, but
on no account let other bees have access
to it.

Francis (Torquay). — The bees are badly
constipated.

I. W. J. (Notts).— "Isle of Wight"
disease has caused the death of your
stocks.

March 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

91

REVIEW.

How 'to Prevent Swarming, by A. H.
Wilkes (published by the author at Lich-
field Road, Four Oaks), price Is. Id. post
free. — We have received a copy of the
above booklet on the " Prevention of
Swarming." In it the author describes
his difficulties with swarming and how he
overcame the same. The reading matter is
made clear by numerous illustrations and
drawings, also by the author.

WHITBY AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Whitby
and Xorth-East Yorkshire Bee-keepers'
Association was held in Hood's Cafe,
Whitby on Saturday, February 21st,
when the chair was taken by Mr.
T. Hood, who presided over a fairly good
attendance of members. The Rev. the
Marquis of Normanby was re-elected to
the position of president of the associa-
tion. Mr. Pinkney, who was re-elected
secretary with the assistance of Mr. L. H.
Smailes, said that during the year the
work had been carried on in a more or
less satisfactory manner, a number of
lectures having been delivered in the
district. The work, too, had been carried
on most inexpensively. If the County
Council would come to their aid with a
grant they might be able to do more
propaganda work than they had been able
to do on the small subscription list the
Association had. It was agreed to remit
to the committee as a strong suggestion
that the annual show be held about the
second week of September. The com-
mittee were further recommended to have
the schedixles out in July. It was moved
that there should be a class for cottagers,
three hives, the rental of the cottage not
to exceed £10 a year.

Mr. L. S. Crawshaw gave an interesting
address on the subject of "Preparing for
the Expert Examinations," and, as the
holder of a first-class certificate, and as
an examiner, he was most able to deal
with the subject. This he did in a very
interesting manner, holding out en-
couragement to try for the examina-
tions, and giving many hints as to how-
to go about the preparation. Very many
more beekeepers, he said, were qualified
to pass this examination than they knew
themselves.

The Chairman moved a hearty vote of
thanks to Mr. Crawshaw for his most
interesting lecture.

Mr. Pinknev seconded. The lecture

was a most pointed one, and gave them a
lot to think about. They now knew what
they had to face.

Mr. Burn supported, and the vote of
thanks was heartily accorded. — C. W.
Pinknev, Hon. Sec.

SHEFFIELD B.K.A.

An illustrated lecture on " Diseases and
Enemies of Bees " will be given by Mr.
W. Herrod, F.E.S., on March 21st, at
8 p.m., in the rooms of the Literary and
Philosophical Society (St. James' Cham-
bers), Church Street, Sheffield. All in-
terested in bees will be welcomed.

BEE PICTURES AT EXETER.

Mr. J. C. Bee- Mason will be at Theatre
Royal, Exeter, for one week commencing
March 16th. Every evening and at
matinees daily at 3 p.m. he will show his
celebrated films, " The Bee Master," '' Life
of the Bee," and "A Modern Bee-Farm."

|^^o^tbeBees3|

SECTIONS FOR THE SHOW BENCH.

I, rashly as I now think, undertook
away back in last August to deal with the
preparation of sections for the show bench.
I postponed tackling the subject month
after month, feeling it was too deep, too
high, and too wide for me. Entering
fully into it, would require the whole
space of this issue of the Journal, and so
I feel that what I am now about to say
will only be mere " heads " of the whole
discourse, some " texts " for several
sermons. If I could but induce some of
our leading prize-takers to fill out and
amplify each head by giving us their
opinions, experiences, and conclusions, I
would feel that I had done a good work,
and one for which I would deserve the
thanks of the fraternity.

I proceed to fix up my " pegs " ! They
are not isolated ones, but set in a series,
a row or chain of pegs, and then another.
and another. One set will be "fixed to"
the bee-keeper, second to the bees, and yet
a third to the surroundings, the adjacent
area, the locality. The bee-keeper must
select the very finest sections chosen from
his pile of several hundreds. None show-
ing the least fault or defect should be
selected. Wood should be as fine, white,
and smooth as it can be had, with no
roughness at edges or selvedges at bee

92

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 5, 1914.

space. The two bee- way ones are un-
doubtedly best, as with them there will be
fewer pop-holes, less thinning down at
corners, and the finish will be more uni-
formly level. The very finest and lightest
foundation should be used, only full sheets
being permissible. It .should be fixed
perfectly true and given no chance to sag
or buckle, and set so truly perpendicular
that there will be no connection with the
dividers. Fix up the sections perfectly
square. Let there be no bias and no
acute angle. The rack, too, should be a
true and exact square, and in making it
up the sections should be pressed close
together, with, of course, a divider
between each row. Care must be taken
that these are fresh and clean, and that
they show no signs of buckling. They
should not require pressure in being put in
position. Springs should be used to
tighten the sections together to avoid
propolis. The racks should cover the
entire space above frames in order that
there will be no. loss of heat. In all the
handling be scrupulous in having hands
thoroughly clean, so that there may be
no suspicion of a thumb mark. If baits
are used, and the advantages are ques-
tionable, place them in outside rows, where
it will not matter if they are not com-
pleted. A better plan would be to. have
on a box of shallow frames until the flow
is fully on and the bees are strong in
numbers ; then withdraw it and replace it
by a fresh section-rack, when bees are
likely to start the sections right off.

Don't leave the sections on long, but
remove as soon as all cells are sealed, to
insure clean comb and untarnished white
capping. In removing, use a minimum of
smoke, and avoid material with any strong
odour in charging the smoker. I do not
like the use of the carbolic cloth in carry-
ing out this manipulation as it is so liable
to taint the honey. Endeavour to clear
out the bees as quickly and quietly as
possible, and so insure that there will be
no pinholes in capping. Carefully clean
up the sections as soon as taken off the
hive, and when they are scraped,
glazed, and laced, wrap them up until
they are required for the show. Per-
sonally I prefer prepared cases for the
show table. They are very neat and
clean, and have as attractive an
appearance as hand-laced ones, while they
have the added advantage that the judge
can easily remove them to examine' comb
surface and test the flavour of their con-
tents. It is pleaded for the lacing that
more character is shown ; and that the
dozen exhibited convey more the character
and individuality of the bee-keeper. That
is so only to a certain extent. Avoid over-
lacing, and don't attempt faking. Choose
worker-cell foundation, and fix it true, so
lhat there may be no slanting of the rows.

Insure that the hive is perfectly level.
Use queen-excluders below sections. Wrap
up surplus chambers very carefully.

I have given so much space to the bee-
keeper that I have left little for the bees.
Undoubtedly, Black bees are best for
sections, with Carniolans a good second.
Of these certain strains are much better
cappers, and use less propolis. Swarms,
as a rule, supply the finest and
cleanest sections. They work with such a
will, while their brood-combs are so clean
and fresh that they give the whitest finish.
Combs must be drawn out very quickly,
and the quicker they are filled and sealed
the better. To aid this, secure them when
a full flow is on, if possible, when it is at
its height, and if the weather is uni-
formly good success is all the more
certain. Both white clover and sainfoin
are copious yielders, at a time when few
other sources are available, hence they
are important factors in .securing prizes.

Location is undoubtedly an important
third aid, but in a certain way it works
evil on the show bench. Some judges
acquire a taste for certain kinds of honey
found only in limited areas, and display
a preference detrimental to more im-
portant staple honey sources. In another
way, location greatly aids the production
of first-class samples simply because more
favourable weather conditions have pre-
vailed in certain counties.

HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.

APIARIES OF OUR READERS.

We have pleasure in illustrating this
week the chaa-mingly picturesque apiary
of the Hon. Rosamund Bateman Hanbury,
a very capable lady bee-keeper, who is
well known in the County of Suffolk. She
writes a short account of her bee-keeping
as follows : —

" Bees have been a great source of in-
terest to me. My first hives in my present
apiary were given me, and in those days
numbered several skeps, and also some
observatory hives. A well-known bee-
keeping friend strongly advised me to go
in for standard hives and work them on
a proper system, so one year, with his
assistance, the whole of my ten or twelve
stocks were transferred to standard hives.

" It was an expensive outlay, but has
been a success. I learnt how to wire the
frames for foundation, and more about
feeding the bees and the care of the
hives, so now things run smoothly, and it
is easy to interchange sections and
frames in the different hives. My assistant,
George iSaunders, is becoming quite
scientific, and takes charge of the apiary
and makes all the wax and mead I re-
quire. In 1911 we had a record year.
From hives Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 we took
respectively 801bs., 561bs., 761bs., and 411bs.
of honey; from hives Nos. 8, 10, 12, and

March 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

93

13, KMlbs., 441bs., 751bs., and 781bs., our
great success being hive No. 7, which
yielded' 1721bs. — I believe the second best
return in the County of Suffolk that year.
:' Considering the quantity of honey con-
sumed, one wonders that this industry is
not more developed in this country. I
have found great advantage in belonging
to the Bee-keepers' Association and in
taking the Bee Journal, and the visit of
the County Expert is always an encourage-
ment and very useful. My bees live in
hives that are painted different colours,
and are quite a feature in their corner of
an old-fashioned garden. "■ -

and name and address of my apiary, in
order that firms might be able to convince
customers that they were buying a good
article (I find a great number of towns-
people are very ignorant as to what honey
should be like), but the firms almost
invariably order the honey without the
label. I think the fear is that customers
may order honey direct. I might say I am
speaking mostly of sections. The best
way to get a market is to keep one's eyes
and ears open, deal squarely, and be per-
severing in canvassing. The most unlikely
places, I might say, many times turn out
best .

APIARY OF THE HON. ROSAMUND HANBURY, BROME HALL, EYE, SUFFOLK.

I put great value on the importance
to any bee-keeper of trying for the
expert's certificates. Many things are
learned that bring one closer into touch
with nature ; the infinite beauty, delicacy
and adaptability of insect life, and
especially, of course, advanced knowledge
of the bee-keeper in relation to the bee.
I am of the opinion that all Bee-keeping
Associations should give to cottagers, and
to other members desiring it, a copy of
" Modern Bee-keeping." This, at least,
they would have always with them, even
though the expert failed to pay his
intended visit, and might lead to a desire
for a more extended knowledge.

I can sympathise with Mr. Mattinson in
his lecturing predicament, as I was once
put into the same position, through an
argument on the advantages of Bee-
keeping Associations to cottagers. One
man said in the company, " What are the
advantages to me?" I must confess I
hummed and hawed a bit, and was some-
what relieved when the discussion drifted
into another channel.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are. requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8962] I have seen it repeatedly stated
by correspondents in "' B.B.J." that suc-
cessful honey-showing is a means to a
ready market for the disposal of honey.
(See 'B.B.J.," pp. 55 and 66, as recent
instances.) I have certainly not found it
so and can hardly point to the single
customer obtained by this means. I had
a label printed with a list of my successes

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 5, 1914.

I am, for the first time, using
some W.B.C. hives of Standard pattern,
and find that many bees lose their lives
by getting capsized in the wind on |
the hive roof, and sticking there in j
the wet, which is so often present in
showery weather. If the roofs had more
slope this would be avoided, as,
though the bees are often out after water
now, they can make but little of it when
they suddenly find it in this manner. I
had occasion to lift several body -boxes on to
fresh floor-boards in November, and found
in every case the cluster extended to
the floor-board, though the work was done
on cold evenings, a. small ring of bees on
the board marking the point of contact — a
thing I have never noticed in print. —
J. 6. Nicholson.

Association to obtain expert help and
advice is quite right, but I think it should
stop there.

I hope your correspondent, Mr. Mattin-
son, will not think I am referring to him
in the above remarks — it is the system, on
which I should like to hear other opinions.
— R. Litman, Castle Carv.

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8963] I have enjoyed reading your j
correspondent, "Northumbrian Bee's,"
comments on " Bee Associations and their
Work " (page 65). His opinions and
mine have a great deal in common. But
it is not his general views to which I am
going to draw attention, but rather to
one point which has come out in his com-
ments on Mr. Mattinson's letter, and as \
it rather concerns me I feel the oppor-
tunity must not- be allowed to slip by.
Your correspondent says he has the
honour to "belong to four County Asso-
ciations." Now, of course, he does not say,
but in the absence of information one can
only presume, that he offers his subscrip-
tion to whatever County Associations he
fancies; they gladly accept the coin, and
he becomes a member in every sense of the
word. If such be the case, I feel there is
something wrong, as a loophole is at once
given, which will account in many ways
for the unpleasantness among members,
and to which the paucity of membership
in our County Associations can be attri-
buted. I was asked by a friend in a
neighbouring county if he could join our
Association. I replied I did not think so,
adding, . if he could I did not think it
would be right.

My idea — right or wrong — of county
organisations is that they should be con-
fined strictly to the county. We have our
County Show, with special classes for
members, ttc, with medals, specials, &c,
offered as inducements to members to ex-
hibit their produce. And of what use are
these classes and privileges if (and as
mostly happens with those who want to
join the County Associations from the out-
side) these " professional " members, who
are members only for what they can get,
come in and take off all the cream, leaving
only the skim milk (and not much of that)
for those who do all the spade work during
the year? To join an adjacent County

PLANTING FOR BEES.

[8964] I often wonder why more flowers
are not planted in the garden for bees.
Although one cannot tell how much one's
own bees are the gainers, it is better to
cultivate the plants that they patronise
than those they do not, and who does not
like to see their bees near homei in showery
weather? I believe, however, that bees
differ in their choice for blossoms. Some
that are spoken of as good honey flowers
my bees will not work on at all, while
others not often mentioned they revel in.

I am interested in getting somei of the
noted American bee-plants, and a friend in
Indiana has promised to send a few roots
of " Spanish needle," which is a splendid
yielder in many parts of his State.

But there is one plant that deserves to
be grown a good deal in England. I refer
.to " sweet clover," which is becoming
extremely popular in America, and in Ohio
it is one of the principal sources of honey.
At one time this was thought to be only
a wild weed, but now whole* fields are
planted ; as it is supposed to- be an exceed-
ingly fine food for cattle, horses, and pigs.
A little patch of seed I sowed last March
sprang up, and grew till the plants reached
the height of 6 feet, and resembled a small
bush for sturdiness and size near the
earth. I should think it ought to yield well
in a dry season, as the roots go down quite
a long way, and when established it is
an effort to pull them up. There
are three varieties, the yellow and the
white, which blossom every year after the
first; and the yellow kind that blooms the
same year as sown.

A farmer friend has promised to devote
a .corner of one of liis. fields to "sweet
clover," and I am anxious to see the
result ; because I think it would do well
if it once got a good start. If any bee-
keeper would like to sow a little of this
seed , -a-nd- will enclose stamps for -postage^!
will send a packet of each variety as long
as the supply lasts.

With best wishes for a good season. —
A. H. Bowen, Coronation Road, Chelten-
ham.

EARLY POLLEN PLANTS.

[8965] To those bee-keepers who have
recently asked questions about early pollen
gathering the following list of plants from

March 5, 1914;] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

95

which bees gather pollen in the first three
months of the year may be of interest: —

January. — Hazel, Chimonanthus fra-
g vans.

February, — Hazel, alder, Chimonanthus
fragrans, snowdrop, winter aconite,
crocus, gorse, coltsfoot, a shrubby Chinese
honeysuckle with small white fragrant
flowers.

March (beginning). — Hazel, alder,
■Chimonanthus fragrans (these three are
now nearly over and do not provide much
pollen), Chinese honeysuckle, snowdrop,
winter aconite (these two also nearly
over), crocus, and gorse.

March (middle). — A little of those

extended also by inference. We might
infer, for instance, that bees which gather
pollen from yew might also gather it from
the various kinds of trees commonly
lumped together under the name cypress ;
or that gathering it from English elm,
they also gather it from the wych elm. —
H. A. G., Norfolk.

PROLIFIC STOCKS.

[8966] The photograph of honey which I
send represents the surplus from two stocks
which are located at an out-apiary. The
total amount taken from these hives last
year was 3761bs., which is rather an excep-
tional "take" for this district, and is

Sl'KI'l.rs I.ATHKliKJ) BY TWO STOCKS OF BKKS.

flowers in bloom at the beginning of the
month, and, in addition, violets, the bird's-
eye speedwell (veronica) , aiabis, peach
(just beginning), wallflowers (a few), yew,
crocus, sallow (very little yet), English elm
(T'hnus cam.pestris), and gorse.

March (end). — Chinese honeysuckle,
crocus, violets, bird's-eye speedwell, arabis,
peach, wallflower, sallow, white willow
(just beginning), English elm, Berberis
a qui folia, laurustinus, yew.

Most of these it will be seen are shrubs
or trees.

The above list is composed solely of
plants and trees from which I have
observed bees actually gathering pollen.
No doubt the observation of other bee-
keepers could greatly extend it. I could
easily enlarge it myself by adding those
flowers on which I seem to remember seeing
bees pollen-gathering before I started
making notes on the subject. It might be

accounted fioir by the fact that within a few
hundred yards of the bees there was a fine
field of sainfoin for forage. When removing
the honey at the end of the season (about
the end of July or first week in August) there
were so many bees that I had to divide
each of the colonies to find room for them,
and the four stocks are at the present
time doing well ; they have not been fed,
having harvested quite sufficient to carry
them through the winter. The bees are
first cross Italians, and I have had as
many as six racks of shallow-frames on
the hives at one time. My average take
from colonies in this position is about
lOOlbs. in a fair season.— E. Watson, St.
Albans.

PRECISION IN BEE TERMS.

[8967] For pleasure and instruction I
never miss the chance of reading Mr.
Macdonald's verv Valuable contributions.

96

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 5, 1914.

His remarks (p. 72) on " Precision in Bee
Terms " are good-natured and necessary,
But has he not used an " erroneous
term ' ' in writing of the worker bees as
■undeveloped female Amazons"? As
Amazons, these bees are very fully
developed, though that is not my point.
Many scores of times I have been assured
that a worker is an " undeveloped
female." A worker is a female neither
neuter nor hermaphrodite, and is no more
an undeveloped female than is the queen,
which is by implication a fully developed
female. The queen has her reproductive
organs developed, but not the organs for
foraging and nursing— perhaps, we may
add, for home defence. The workers have
organs for nursing, foraging, and home
defence developed, but not fully those of
reproduction; and the "mothering" in-
stinct, so distinctive in the female sex, is
manifested in them far more than in the
queen. — S. J., Glos.

NOTES FROM ALLAN VALE.

[8988] My baby nucleus hive was a
failure last summer. I made it up in
July and the queen flew out and returned
mated. The next day, whilst removing
the piece of excluder which had kept her
in until the afternoon, I did not notice
that she had wedged herself in attempting
to get out, and so unfortunately I injured
her, so that she died. This was annoying,
as I have no doubt she was going out for
a second flight.

" Isle of Wight" Disease. — I am sorry
to say this fatal malady is now in my
neighbourhood, not a quarter of a mile
away. As I expected, the hives that were
sent to the heather last autumn by some
of my neighbours appear to have returned
infected. It is strange how little we seem
to know of this disease. Is it caused by
a microbe, or is it that the diseased state
of the bees favours the development of the
microbe? Is it possible that a microbe
has. been imported from abroad and the
cross with some of our British species has
produced a hybrid of an especially prolific
type? I was told by a bee-keeper the
other day about a man whose' bees were
dying with "Isle of Wight" disease. He
tried all sorts of remedies without success.
At last he said, "Well, anyhow, they are
dying; it is kill or cure," so he gave them
a dose of jalap ; I do not know in
what proportion, but I suppose in syrup.
At any rate, the result was the bees
speedily recovered (apparently).

A new bee-flower suitable for a small
garden that I had last summer was 10ft.
high, the flower-head stretched out to 7ft.,
whilst it was Oin. round the foot of the
^tem. It is a biennial, and belongs to the
Hemlock species. You might have seen
quite a bappy family of bees, flies and

honey-wasps on mine last summer. The
flies seemed to know that the honey-wasp
would not harm them. But as soon as one
of another species came along they were
off at once.

Anybody who is troubled with grass
growing up in front of their hives might
try the following plan: — Get a piece of
common roofing felt, such as is used under
slating, lay a strip of this down in front
of the hive after having first cut the
grass short. A piece of felt will last, used
in this way, for a year, and not only has
it the advantage of preventing the grass
from growing, but it also helps the bees
that fall on it to rise easily, and, again,
you can see if they have thrown out
queens in the swarming season. — Humble
Bee.

THE FLOWERS OF MARCH.

[8969] Leonard Blomefield, who kept
observation for many years at Swaffham
Bidbeck, in Cambridgeshire, gives the
following average dates of flowering for
some of the more important March bee-
plants : Marsh Marigold, March 5th;
Peach, 13th; Coltsfoot, 14th; Willow,
19th; Almond, 28th; Gooseberry, 29th;
Ground-ivy, 30th.

This year is likely to be an early one.
For example, Blomefield' s date for the
gooseberry to come into leaf is March
12th. It is almost a fortnight earlier this
year, and may be in blossom by that time.
Those interested in maintaining the utility
of the bee should examine the gooseberry
blossom, when they will find that the
stamens open some hours before the
stigma is ready to receive pollen. So the
bee may brush off all the pollen of a
blossom before the stigma is receptive,
and then it can only be fertilised by
another bee coming with strange pollen.
It is not a very marked case of adaption
for cross-fertilisation, but tan experiment
carried out at Newton Rigg Farm School,
Westmorland, in 1910, showed that
where there were no bees there were no
gooseberries, while the next bush, to
which bees were admitted, "carried an
abundance of fruit." If any reader is
experimenting this year he must re-
member, as they did not at Newton Rigg,
that the netting put on to . exclude bees
may do other harm besides, by excluding
air and sunshine, and the birds with their
keen eye for caterpillars. Both bushes
ought to be covered with the same kind
of netting for the week or more they are
in blossom, and one of them only
uncovered for a few hours to let the bees
in. An experiment of this sort might
produce a very striking object lesson for
the sceptical. The Indian or American
currant, as it is impartially called, is
already showing its colour, and will soon
furnish welcome work for the bees. Black-

March 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

97

thorn is coming on, almond and orna-
mental plum are opening, and some very
early pears need only a touch of sunshine
to welcome the bees. — G. G. D., Glos.

EXPERIENCE WITH " ISLE OF
WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8970] I herewith enclose an account
of the operations in my apiary during
the season of 1913.

During the summer of 1912 I imported
some queens from the mainland, and was
unfortunate enough to find at the end of
the season that I had "Isle of Wight"
disease among my stocks; as a con-
sequence I lost all my bees, twelve stocks
in all.

While the bees were ailing I tried
several advertised cures conjointly, but
found that tinkering to cure was useless,
so I destroyed all remaining bees, combs,
and fittings, and after going over the
hives with a painter's lamp, and then
using a disinfectant, I determined to make
a fresh start. At the beginning of 1913
I bought three stocks of healthy bees, two
of which were in skeps and one in a frame-
hive. I started feeding early in February,
and kept a plentiful supply of syrup on
each until the honey-flow set in. The
result was that my bees started swarm-
ing in May, and by the end of the month
I had three swarms. As each swarm came
off I gave it a jar of syrup and kept a
supply on the old stock as well. At the end
of the season 1 had by natural swarming ten
swarms, the three original stocks, and one
nucleus. The}' worked out one hundred
and twenty sheets of foundation (full
brood) and gave me 4-OOlbs. of honey.
Since packing down for winter I have
only visited the bees twice, and have given
no food until last week, when, on making
my second examination, I found a few
stocks getting low in stores, and one stock
defunct through clustering away from the
food and lack of coverings.

I have not noticed the slightest sign of
"Vlsle of Wight" disease recurring among
my bees, and I believe I have got rid of
it altogether. I do not think there is
much danger of the disease recurring if
there are no diseased stocks within the
radius of flight, provided disinfection has
been thoroughly carried out.

I send you this account merely to raise
the hopes of despondent bee-keepers who
are suffering through the ravages of " Isle
of Wight" disease, hoping that it may
give them courage to start afresh. I was
so' disappointed by the loss of my bees
that I had almost given up hopes of ever
keeping them again. However, as "hope
springs eternal in the human breast," I
intend to carry out my plan to secure the
greatest amount of honey and increase in

bees during the coming season by liberal
feeding right up to the honey-flow.

My motto for success in bee-keeping is —
feed continuously so long as the weather
conditions are favourable. I conclude by
wishing the " B.B.J." and its worthy
Editors success, and long life to promote
bee-keeping. — J. J. Mofghton, Isle of
Man.

ILOWITIS !

[8971] Doubt and controversy are still
hovering about this dread disease. Some
say, "Burn 'em"; some say, "Don't";
some say, " Give 'em physic " ; others,
"Leave them alone," and still the bees
keep dying.

More than one correspondent has asked
for information as to whether the disease
has run its course and is dying out in any
of the places where, during the past few
years, it has been so rampant. Writing so
far as my knowledge is concerned, its
ravages are as evident as ever, and
no stock which has once contracted the
disease actually recovers, although an im-
provement does set in sometimes sufficient
for the stock to gather a surplus during
the summer, but as a ride it has to be
written off before the spring comes.

Why the designation, " ' Isle of Wight '
disease"? I don't think the description
fair. I do not think that the disease
originally started in the island for at about
the same time as the outbreak occurred
in the island I was called to see a stock
which was showing unusual symptoms, at
Churt, in Surrey. Fortunately for Surrey,
perhaps, I did not realise the nature of
the complaint, but put it down to
paralj'sis, a known disease amongst bees.
The insects displayed all the characteristic
symptoms which are now so familiar with
us. Its history : an imported Italian
stock arrived in Hampshire in July, was
taken to Churt in the same month, and in
September was in a wretched condition.

Is it of revenge to the Isle of Wight bee-
keepers, who so prominently brought this
disease to the notice of the public, that the
name "Isle of Wight" is so persistently
tacked on to the disease? Those bee-
keepers, according to Mr. Mace, in
" B.B.J.," February 19th, are to bear the
blame for* wafting the spores to the main-
land, when in my opinion the spores were
there already, but not recognised. Another
case came under my notice in 1908. I was
visiting a bee-keeper who lived miles from
the beaten track, and well away from any
other apiary, when I noticed the same
symptoms as those displayed by the bees
at Churt, in a stock in this apiary. The
bee-keeper declared that he had had no
dealings with any other bee-keeper, either
in appliances or bees, for years. Whence

98

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 5, 1914.

did this stock receive the infection? From
tine Isle of Wight? . " I ha'e ma doots."

From that year the disease spread with
alarming rapidity all along the hill-tops,
and in the v alleys in the following spring,
a visit being made to my own apiary.
Poor Surrey was visited at about the same
time, and now in many an apiary once
alive with the merry hum and bustle of the
bees, silence reigns supreme.

Who amongst us shall arise and declare
" Eureka ! " ? — Hants Bee.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[8972] On page 76 of Bee Journal,
Mr. H. Mace says that every stock suffer-
ing from " Isle of Wight " disease in the
sjiring can be cured temporarily, simply by
removing the stores. Most of us would
like to know how long does the cure last,
and how can a cure be possible by such
simple means when, as Mr. Crawshaw says,
on page 78, that the structures of the in-
ternal organs of a bee suffering from
"Isle of Wight" disease are unspeakably
ruined? I have practised destruction of
diseased stocks before robbing starts, and
seem to have met with some measure of
success in preventing the spread of the
disease through my apiary. If that is so or
not, I will send a full report later on, but I
do not wish to crow too soon. — H. W., Kent.

Long-lived Bees (p. 48). — This subject is
far from being unprofitable or uninterest-
ing. I do not know the conditions under
which Mr. Desmond's bees worked last
year, but if the seasonal conditions were
anything like our own, it may be that he
condemns the hybrids too readily. On
the other hand, if his stocks continued to
gain whilst the hybrids lost weight, his
criticism is probably just. But in sum
comparison the age of the queen should
never be overlooked. So much centres
upon the queen that her record should be
closely scanned. Many artificially-reared
queens are not worth hive room, although
the stock from which they come may be
the best. But prolifieness alone is in-
sufficient merit. Personally, I prefer a
self-contained strain which will respond
readily to a little stimulation. With such
a strain the bee master can get his bees
when he wants them. But the bees
should be hardy to stand early stimula-
tion. Last autumn I packed up a tiny
nucleus which so far is all right. Whether
it will stand the strain of brood-rearing
remains, however, to be seen.

He De-queening. — ' D. M. M." would
make reservations as to the infallibility
of this queen-substitution. But will he
not tell us what the reservations are ?
I am supposing that the A. C. Miller
smoke method of introduction is in
question. Anything that comes from Mr.
Miller's pen is not to be lightly dismissed.
Judged by his writings, he appears a
methodical observer, who acquires his
data at first hand. He deserves to be
more widely known than he is, at any
rate in this country. It is this first-hand
observation which is so valuable. But it
demands its own price, and is generally
its own reward. Almost anyone can
theorise, or quote recognised authorities.
Half the bee books ever written exhibit
the follow-my-leader spirit, which labels
their authors leaders of the blind.

Up a Gum Tree (p. 50).— "D. M. M."
says that the great, grand, glorious, &c,
gum tree is more valued for its honey in
Australia than here. But does it exist
here in sufficient numbers, or yield honey
to such an extent, as to be considered at
all? Or is " D. M. M." merely disparag-
ing the imported honey ? In this I should
agree, as I do not like such samples of
Australian honey as I have tasted. But
I own to prejudice, and considerable
ignorance. I am not sure that I should
recognise "gum honey." In fact, I
admit that I thought the principal bee-
keeping use of the gum-tree was to make
the type of hive which gives Mr. Hopkins
bad dreams.

A Swarm in January (p. 59). — This is
not, as might reasonably be supposed, in
the Antipodean summer, but in our own
rather summerlike winter of 1913-14. "A
swarm in Jan." arouses speculation
as to the rest of the couplet. " The
season has begun " is obviously untrue,
apart from its vulnerability to other
criticism. "Surprises any man" seems
reasonable. My own view of this occur-
rence is that it was simply due to the
unusual weather, which has already
effected queer things. The other day,- so
I read, before the sun had dried the roads,
a motor-bus came skidding along from
side to side, followed by another gyrating
Jumbo. " Ow," said the conductor, "it's
the spring wot's got in their blood, they's
as frisky as — little cocksparrers." Well.
if buses, why not bees? The pro-
bability is that scout bees brought home
strange reports of the progress of things,
and were chased out of the hive as little
liars by the rest of the bees en masse.
Then they discovered that there was
something in the idea, and had a flutter
on their own. The queen, being older
and more experienced, quickly discovered
the error, and in her haste, and her
flustered annoyance at their frivolity, got

March 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

99

back into the roof. I give this explana-
tion for what it is worth, as it is quite
likely that the bees are queenless.

Wiring Frames (p. 68). — Will Mr.
Harris give us his reasons for wiring as
he does? My own wiring is similar, but
I use three wires of thinner gauge, and
imbed from one side of the foundation in
the usual way. I like the third wire, as
it supports the comb where weakest, and
centralises the bottom of the sheet. There
is a slight tendency of the " soldering "
wax to pull the sheet as it contracts,
which I have not seen mentioned pre-
viously. Perhaps this only occurs where
much wax is used. I solder with the
usual can and do not consider it waste-
ful. This tip of warming the sheets
before imbedding is good, though rather
suggestive of winter nights. I believe
that if the fixed foundation were warmed
just before inserting the frames in the
hive, and any slight bulges fingered flat
on a wet wiring board, there would be
fewer buckled combs. I usually look over
my foundation a day or two after inser-
tion, in case .

UI5^g

ga^yggF

[8909] Various Queries. — I bought a
hive of bees at a sale last October.
I was told they had sent off a swarm
the same season, so they have a
i.ew queen, and seem to be a strong
healthy stock. They have been out forag-
ing in great numbers on every favourable
day lately, and I have noticed them carry-
ing in pollen from crocuses in my own
garden. But the hive is a. very old one
and it will either have to be repaired or
destroyed. I have ascertained by measur-
ing from, end to end of a frame (over the
quilts) that the top bars are 17in., so I
presume they are standard frames. I have
made a new hive from the illustration of
a "W. B. C," given in the Bee-keepers'
Guide Book, and I wish to transfer the
bees to it as early as possible. (1) When
can I do so? (2) If the frames prove' to
be not of standard measurement, what
shall I do? (3) I have left the queen-
excluder on all winter (there is a quilt
between this and the frames), and have
fed with candy over the excluder. Have I
done right, or should I remove the zinc to
continue feeding? I am doubtful whether
all the bees have' easy access to the candy.
(4) With reference to the new hive, should
it be painted inside, or merely treated
with recipe No. 9 or 10 given in the
'•Guide Book"? (5) How long shall I go

on feeding with candy, and is it necessary
to give artificial pollen ? (6) Is it possible
to get both a swarm and moderate return
of honey (given a good season) ? I am sorry
to trouble you with so many queries, but I
am very eager to become a competent bee-
keeper, as I wish to teach the subject to
my school children in conjunction with
school gardening. I shall be very grateful
tor a reply to the above in the "B.B.J." —
S. T., Derby.

Reply. — (1) On a fine, warm day in
April. (2) From the measurement given
the frames are standard size, so you will
have no difficulty. (3) The excluder zinc
should only be on the hive when it is
supered ; you should take it off at once.
(4) Paint the outside of the hive only, and
do not put anything on inside. (5) Till
the end of March. As you say the bees are
canving in pollen, there is no need to
give an artificial supply. (6) It is not im-
possible, but improbable that you can in-
crease and get surplus honey.

[8910] Working for Sections.— Our
honey-flow is very short here, fruit blossom
lasting two or three weeks. I work solely
for comb-honey. Would you recommend
the following? — When the bloom begins
to show, take> two' strong lots next to each
other, and fill one hive full of sealed brood
taken from both, leave one queen, cut out
any queen-cells there may be (preparatory
foir swarming) and put on two racks of
sections. Move away the other hive with
the other queen to a new stand, and place
the doubled hive so as to receive all the
flying workers of both. By the time the
bees have made cells and raised a new
queen, the honey-flow is over, for there
would be- no risk of swarming. — T. O. B.,
Cultlin.

Reply. — Yes, your suggested plan would
work all right, but personally we should
put on one rack instead of giving two at

the same time.

•

[8911] Fumigating Combs Containing
Stores. — Please let me know through the
"B.B.J." if the following method has
been tried with frames containing stores
from stocks that have died through
"Isle of Wight" disease. Make an air-
tight box and fumigate with formalin for
eighteen to twenty-four hours. If I tried
this plan would the stores absorb the gas
and become poisonous? How much

formalin would you recommend to be used
to each cubic foot? If the' above has been
tried could you let me know results? —
J. W. H.

Reply.- -It is impossible for the fumes
to enter the food, especially when it is
sealed over. The only safe plan, however,
is to burn the combs. The honey is quite
fit for human consumption but not for
bees.

100

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 5, 1914.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. Ed. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Herefords.
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey. &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—

Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Alderham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

Izon (Kent). — Starting Bee-keeping. — (1)
British bees. (2) "Wilkes'" excluder
is best, as it does not hinder the bees
so much when working.

G. H. (Buxton). — Hive for Beginner. —
Get a "W.B.C." hive, it cannot be
beaten as an all-round utility hive.

E. K. H. — Bee-forage. — It will be best to
work for sections on the bean pastur-
age.

British Columbia. — Bee-keeping in
Canada. — (1) Bee-keeping is a profitable
undertaking in Britisb Columbia, see
'•B.B.J." November 13th, 1913. (2)
Write to Mr. Dundas Todd. 1260,
Oxford Street, Victoria, B.C., who will
give you all particulars.

H. A. C. (Ealing).— Varieties of Bees.—
(1) The bees are Italians. (2) If you
study the subject beforehand, no doubt
you would be able to rear queens success-
fully. (3) Fertile queens are worth any-
tiring from 3s. 6d. to 50s., virgins Is. 6d.
to 4s.

V. D. B. (Oundle). — He-arranging the
Apihry. — (1) We should advise you to
stick to your own bees for the present,
in view of the risk of introducing
disease. (2) In the "W.B.C' you have
the best type of hive to use.
\Y. C, (Long Eaton). — Transferring from,
Skips to Frame-hives- — (1) You should

buy the " British Bee-keepers' Guide
Book," on page 149 of which you will
find the method of doing this fully
described. You should also join the
Notts Bee-keepers' Association. The
Hon. Sec, G. Hayes, Mona Street.
Beeston. will send particulars if applied
to.

Novice (Caerphilly). — Bene icing Brood-
combs. — (1) Your question is not quite
clear. If the combs are at all unsatis-
factory, it will be best to melt them
down and use foundation in new frames.
You should on no account manipulate
the bees yet, it is too early in the year
for this. (2) Re-queen as early as
possible in April, and contract the bees
on to the number of combs they cover.
Suspected Disease,

G. L. (Dunstable). — From your descrip-
tion we are afraid your bees are suffer-
ing from " Isle of Wight " disease.

D. L. (Finchfield Road). — On no account
must you use the old combs. Burn
everything movable in the hive and
scorch the latter with a painter's
lamp. Start afresh on new ground if
possible.

A. J. C. (Pudsey) and W. H. (Parkeston).
— We do not find any trace of disease in
bees sent. , ,

C. Kemp, C. E. (Sedgley), O. W. B. (Tarn-
worth), H. C. (Worth), Perplexed
(Carlisle), A. B. (Warwicks.), G. A. H.
(Hincklev), P. E. (Fareham), Beginner
with Bees, W. J. (Llandaff), W. H.
(Streatham), P. W. Dix, and A. Bonell.
^The bees have died from " Isle of
Wight " disease.

W. J. P. (Plumstead), J. G. (Bearsden),

Anxious (Cockermouth), and J. L.

(Merton). — The bees were too dry for us

to determine cause of death.
J. B. (Huddersfield). — There is every sign

of "Isle of Wight " disease. Do not use

the combs again, better burn them.
R. T. (Devonport). — There is no sign of

disease in bees sent.
W. L. S. (Chatham). — The bees have died

of "Isle of Wight" disease. See reply

to " D. L." above.

D. N. (Wishaw). — Bees have died of " Isle
of Wight" disease. The honey can be
used for home consumption but not for
other bees.

G. H. (Derbys.). — The bees were too de-
composed for examination.

C. Hopkins.— It is "Isle of Wight"
disease. You have done all possible to
mitigate chance of it recurring. Start
again with a couple of stocks on fresh
ground.

Honey Samples.

H. (S. (Shipley).— A good heather blend
honey worth Is. per lb. retail, or 9d. to
lOd. 'in tulk.

March 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

101

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The B.B.K.A. annual meeting and half-
yearly conversazione will be held in the
Lecture Hall, Zoological Gardens, Regent's
Park, on March 19th. The arinaul meet-
ing, for members only, will commence at
four o'clock, and the conversazione at
5.30. Tea will be provided and all in-
terested in bee-keeping are cordially in-
vited to attend. Mr. T. W. Cowan will
give the concluding part of his lecture on
" Bee-keeping in Other Countries," illus-
trated by lantern slides specially prepared
for the occasion, and Mr. W. Herrod will
lecture on " How to Manage Home and
Out-Apiaries, including the Prevention of
Swarming." A most interesting evening
is expected, and it is hoped that members
will endeavour to attend and will bring
friends with them.

NORTHANTS. B.K.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The thirty-first annual meeting of the
Northamptonshire Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion was held in the All Saints' Church
Buildings, Northampton on Saturday,
February 28th.

The Rev. H. C. Holmes (Rector of
Thorpe Achurch) was in the chair, and
among those present were bee-keepers
from all parts of the county.

The report, presented by the secretary,
stated that the balance of the Society was
now £4 5s. During the year a set of fifty
lantern slides had been purchased at a
cost of £2 13s. 9d., and were available
for lectures anywhere in the county. Last
season was not a good one for the majority
of bee-keepers, though good takes of honey
were reported in various jDarts.

During last year fourteen, demonstra-
tions were- given by experts at horti-
cultural and other shows, and five candi-
dates presented themselves for examina-
tion for experts' certificates. Four were
successful.

The dreaded "Isle of Wight" disease
had made its appearance in different parts
of the county, and the hope was expressed
that bee-keepers suspecting its presence
would at once notify the secretary.

The balance-sheet showed that the sub-
scriptions during the year had amounted
to £25 18s. 6d. and the total receipts to
£50 16s. 4d. The expense,, had been
£55 lis. 4d.

Both report and balance-sheet were
idopted.

It was decided to hold the annual show
in Abington Park, Northampton, about
the middle of August, and to invite Mr.
W. Herrod to- again act as judge. It was
decided this year to divide the honey in
one of the open classes between Weston
Home and Brixworth Workhouse.

The choice of president was left to be
made at a subsequent date by the com-
mittee. The following were elected vice-
presidents : Earl Spencer, K.G., Sir A.
de Capell Brooke, Bart., Mrs. Eykyn, Mrs.
Irene Osgood, Mr. H. Manfield, M.P. Mr.
C. W. Phipps, Mr. T. G. Paget, and Mr.
A. R. Steele.

The hon. secretary (Mr. R. Hefford),
lion, stewards (Mr. R. Brawn, Kings-
thorpe, and Mr. W. T. Munn, North-
ampton), and the hon. treasurer (Mr.
G. E. Atkins) were re-elected.

The following form the committee :
Messrs. J. R. Truss, F. Old, C. J. Burnett,
A. Hiscock, C. E. Billson, W. H. Chambers,
G. Page, J. Bubb, W. Osborn, O. Orland,
G. Mason, Rev. J. P. Frend, and E.
Thompson. — R. Hefford, Hon. Sec.

DEATH OF A GOOD BEE-KEEPER.

The older readers of this Journal will
learn with regret of the death of Mr. J. W.
Jacomb-Hood, Chief Engineer of the
London and South- Western Railway, on
the 6th inst. His love for bee-keeping was
manifest in the trouble he took while
district engineer to induce the Company's
country staff to keep bees. He was
formerly, I believe, an active member of
the Surrey B.K.A., and when transferred
to Exeter he was largely instrumental in
the revival of what is now the Devon
B.K.A. in 1897^ when his skill as practical
expert and lecturer was invaluable.

On his removal, to London to take up
the absorbing duties of Chief Engineer,
Mr. Jacomb-Hood had to part with his
apiary, but to the end his heart retained
a warm corner for bees and bee-men. He
was a genial and agreeable companion,
and will be widely regretted. His death
occurred in the hunting field near Dulver-
ton, (Somerset, where he was taking
holiday. — H. J. O. Walker, Lieut.-Col.,
Leef ord , B udleigh-Salterton.

HONEY IMPORTS.
The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
February, 1914, was £2,273.— From a
return furnished to the British Bee
Journal by the Statistical Office, H.M.
Customs.

102

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 12, 1914.

HELPfOL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

J3% WHerrod.

IS '.irfiySv^rl

How to Make and Stock an Observatory Hive.
Most novices are very keen to see bees at work, and for this purpose purchase so-
called observatory hives to place in the garden. These are only ordinary hives with
a glass panel on two sides, and sometimes one in the back as well, over each of
which is fitted a hinged shutter. All that can be seen in such hives
are the underside of the abdomen of the bees, and their feet, as they run to and
fro over the glass, the ends of the frames, and at most one side of two> combs.

FlG. 1. OBSERVATORY HIVE IN A WINDOW.

These panels are worse than useless, as they make the hive much colder than if it was
made of solid wood. The only satisfactory observatory hive is one in which, when the
frames are in position, each side of every comb is visible with the bees working
upon them, and which can be examined at any time either night or day without dis-
turbance. The ideal place for an observatory hive is inside a room. Fig. i shows
my own fitted on a stand inside a window of my den, the entrance as seen being
cut through the wooden sill, while the brick sill forms an alighting place for the
bees. In most houses this can be done in either a lower or upper window, so that
the bees can be seen, as mentioned above, night or day. It is most interesting to
watch their operations during the latter period. If there is no room indoors, or
the windows are inconvenient, then a shelter out of doors will have to< be

March 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL

103

Plan of Base J- Upper su

-A

B—

Plan of Base Under- side.

END ELEVKTION.
Fig 2.

A. B., Longitudinal Section; CD., Cross Section ; E., Baseboard ; F., End
Cleat; G. Rebate; H., Grooved Strip; I., Glass; J., Entrance Hole; K.,
Turntable (lower half) ; L., Underboard for Tunnel; M.5 Line of Tunnel;
N., Underboard for Tunnel ; O., Under Strips; P. Grooved Strip; Q.,
Tunnel; R., Corner Stop in Tunnel.

104 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 12, 1914.

constructed for it to stand in, or an outhouse may be utilised, but in this case night
observation is not so convenient.

I am convinced that if these hives were not so costly many more bee-keepers
would possess one; therefore, I will endeavour to explain, and illustrate by draw-
ings, as simply as possible, how I made my own, so that any amateur carpenter bee-
keeper may make one, from which unlimited pleasure will be derived.

There are three forms of observatory hives, viz., Three Frame, Six Frame, and
Single Frame or Unicomb. The latter is used for exhibition purposes only, and bees
should not be kept in such hives for longer than a week at a time; later on I will
give instructions how to make one of these. The one mostly used is that holding
three frames, and if I give the dimensions and method of making this, it will serve
for the six frame as well, as, for the latter, it is only necessary to make the base
and bottom boards the extra length necessary to accommodate the other three frames,
taking care to make the entrance tunnel in the centre.

The first consideration is the material. Oak should not be used. It is too
hard and close in the grain, is difficult to work, and a good conductor of heat and
cold ; therefore does not maintain an even temperature. Mahogany looks very
nice, but is expensive, and, being short in the grain, splits very easily. Yellow
pine will be the best for the novice to use, as it is easy to' work, contains few
knots, and, being porous, it is a bad conductor of heat or cold. Failing this,
nice soft white deal, as free from knots as possible, may be used.

The base board (Fig. 2) should be made first. A piece of wood is prepared
so that it finishes 2iin. long, 7fin, wide, Jin. thick (E) ; on to each end of this a
piece of wood 7fin. long, 2in. wide, fin. thick is fixed, with the grain running in
the opposite direction, by means of a groove |in. deep and 5-i6ths of an inch in
the base board, and a lip of the same dimensions on the small piece, glued in,
section shown at F. This prevents the base board from warping, and leaves a
rebate of ijin. by |rn. at the top (G), which makes it look neater. On the edge
of the base board a piece of wood 24m. long, |in. thick and fin. wide (H) is glued
and nailed. A groove Jin. wide and deep and -gin. from the top, is ploughed the
whole length, for the reception of the glass to cover the tunnel. An entrance hole
ijin. in diameter (]} is now bored in the centre, over which is screwed the bottom half
of the turn-table, which is a brass wheel having a cone standing up in the centre
1 in. high and 2^in. wide at the base, tapering to ijin. at the top (K). This can
be purchased for about 10s. 6d., or one can be turned out of hard wood, such as
oak or ash. The brass one is the best, as it is firmer, looks neater, and works
smoother. If a wooden one is used, it must be kept well polished on the working
surfaces with black lead or French chalk. On the underside of the board an
entrance fin. deep is cut, commencing 3m. wide at the edge of the board, and
tapering to the entrance hole, as shown by the dotted line at M. On the under-
side a piece of wood (L), o^in. long, 5 fin., wide and Jin. thick, is screwed so that
it reaches 5jin. on to> the base board and covers the entrance hole and tunnel
which has been cut.

Butting on to the side of this a piece of wood (N). oj-in. long, 6in. wide and
Jin. thick, is screwed. On either edge, at O, pieces of wood iin. wide and Jin. thick
are screwed, so that the base will stand level. On the upperside of base, at P,
is glued, and then screwed from the underside, a piece of wood i4jin. long, Jin.
wide and fin. thick, in which a groove Jin. deep and wide and Jin. from the top
is cut, to correspond with that at H, to make the tunnel (Q), and also to> fasten
the pieces of wood, L and N, securely together. A piece of wood (R). -|in. thick, is
cut to shape, glued in, and screwed fast from the underside, as shown, to stop
up that end of the tunnel. Pieces of 3-i6ths of an inch plate glass, cut to fit
into the grooves provided for the purpose, complete the tunnel. These should be
about 2i*n. wide, so that if, for any reason, the bee-keeper wishes to catch bees
when they are passing along the tunnel, they can he moved easily. If all glass
is used, moisture often condenses on the underside, hindering the view ; to pre-
vent this it is advisable to have two or three strips of perforated zinc alternating
between the glass slips for ventilation. The floor of the tunnel should be painted
white, so that the bees can be seen easily.

(To be continued.)

March 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

105

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from page 75.)
Astigmatism is a defect of vision
which prevents its victims from seeing
clearly even their most immediate sur-
roundings. Sometimes it arises from cor-
poreal infirmity, but at other times even

infirmity, for we wanted to give readers
a photograph of the Luxembourg Gaixiens
apiary (I wonder if anybody recognises
that central figure?), showing the grouping
of the hives and the clinging, creeping ivy
hedge which at once gives privacy and
watches and wards passers-by against the
attacks of viciously-disposed bees. It is,

EXPERIMENTAL APIARY, PARIS.

the most acute of vision will suffer from
an attack, especially if there is an ob-
structing reason, and in this instance I
rather think it was the latter cause which
prevented our friend the gendarme from

indeed, very prettily situated in one of
the most picturesque parts of the
" Jardin." We should have liked to have
seen the hives themselves more widely
spaced. They seemed much too crowded

THE LECTURE PAVILION.

seeing three individuals of English appear-
ance who suspiciously moved about midst
the shrubs and trees, snapshotting now
here and now there. It must have been a
very severe attack indeed which had so
blinded him, but we callously gloried in his

together, in view of possible outbreaks of
disease. But we were not out to grumble,
nor to look for faults, either with the
candle of Diogenes or with a microscope. It
suffices that apiarians have worked here;
clever men, thev have here studied and

106

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 12, 1914.

made observations from which knowledge
lias been gained for which the bee-keeping
world has been grateful. If they have not
felt the want of more elbow-room it has
no concern with us. But there, I have
always understood it is an Englishman's
privilege to grumble at everything which
is not to home pattern. Our own apiary

worker, and drones, similar- to those we
possess, on the table. This is the theatre,
where the lectures are given, where the
classes are taught. The figures are
Monsieur Sevalle in the centre, his assis-
tant on the right as you look at the
picture, and Mr. Herrod on the left. An
irreverent person has asked why there are

INTERIOR OlF LECTURE PAVILION.

at the Zoo No! I won't compare; I said

in my last I would not.

With your back to the apiary proper,
if you look "eyes left" you will see the
lecture-hall of the school. This also we
are enabled to reproduce. A plain build-

palisades in the room. Lest another
should make the same mistake, let me
hasten to inform you they are stacked-up
chairs.

Monsieur Sevalle is great at fruit-grow-
ing in his home at Issart-le-Roi. The pears

" WILLIAM " PEARS.

ing, as you may see, with nothing out-
wardly to attract attention. Interiorly also,
a,s shown in the other photograph, it is
v«'iv simple. A few charts of bee-keeping,
a few pictures interesting to the , fra-
ternity on the walls, and models of queen,

Ave know by the name of 'Williams" he
produces in great numbers. Here we
have a little " interior." Just one of his
fruit rooms : all those round-looking ob-
jects you see on the staging are these
beautiful pears, wrapped each in paper

March 12, 1914.] THE BE1TISH BEE JOURNAL.

10"

bags tx> be sent to the Paris markets.
In another room we note his cider and
wine press, which, with a little adap-
tation, serves for a wax press. With such a
powerful machine the very last morsel of
wax is squeezed out.

We did a heavy day's work in Paris
that day, and of course it was necessary
to recuperate exhausted nature at the
usual hour of lunch. There are some very
agreeable restaurants in Paris, such as
the " Duvals," somewhat after the style of
our "Lyons," where you can, according to
advertisement, dine cheaply and well. So
we wandered into one of these. Of the
repast I will say but little. It was quite
satisfactory. But,

like

our

own

bees,

the

sting

was in the

last

section

We

had

arrived

at

the

cheese.

On

the

menu

was

enn-

merated, among
others, " Fromage
Cheshire." Having
a curiosity to see
what concoction
they would serve
lip in France for
our English cheese,
incautiously I re-
quested a portion
of "Fromage
Cheshire," pro-
nouncing it Eng-
lish fashion. You
should have seen
the look of in-
dignation on the
face of the
waitress. " Mon-
sieur," she almost
screamed, " il n'est
pas fromage
Cheshire, il est
fromage Shaij-

shive." I felt

very humbled. I had come a long way
to be taught how to pronounce " Cheshire
cheese." — Jno. Smallwood.

(To be continued.)

DEATH OF MR. A. SCHROEDER.

It was with deep regret that we received
notice of the death, on February 17th
last, of Mr. Alex. .Schroeder, of Trieste,
a reader and contributor to the " B.B.J."
for many years. Mr. Schroeder was fond
of travelling, and always managed to find
out bee-men in whatever country he
visited. An account of his visit to
Roman bee-keepers appeared in " B.B.J."
of June 23rd, 1910, and in January last
year, at the close of a tour round the
world, he described some Japanese apiaries
he had seen while in Japan. He was in
the sixty-fourth year of his age.

M. SEVALLE 8 CIDER AND WAX-PRESS.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do r.ot
undertake to return rejected communications.

BEE LITERATURE FOR SCHOOLS.

[8973] It is a hobby of mine to collect
bee-books. Thus, when the other day a
booklet, entitled " A Worker on the
Wing," was put
into my hand,
it was eventually
placed upon my
bookshelf. When,
however, I found
time to examine
it, I decided that
it must take its
place among the
unreliables of bee-
literature. It is
publ i s h e d by
Messrs. Dawson
and Watson, Ltd.,
of Manchester,
and is one of a
series of books in-
tended for use in
schools. It has
evidently been

written by someone
who is no bee-
keeper, who pos-
sibly has never
seen the interior
of a hive, and
who certainly is
t o t a 1 1 y u n-

acquainted with
present-da y
apiarian science.
It sounds some-
thing like a twentieth-century repetition
of the heresies of Huish.

Bees are made to carry on conversations
in every-day English. This is, of course,
an old trick, but it is questionable whether
it has not been worked to death by now.

I find that, starting with a swarm in
May, another (presumably a maiden
swarm) is thrown off at some later time,
and that towards the end of the season,
this maiden swarm is sufficiently advanced
to allow of the owner taking out quite a
large quantity of honey, and leaving
enough for the needs'" of the bees during
the coming winter. A most amusing part
about it is that this swarm is led off by a
virgin queen, leaving the old queen in the
hive. Then the method of taking honey is
one which I would not like to suggest

108

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 12, 1914.

should be incorporated in the next batcli
of "Hints for Novices." To quote ver-
batim : —

" Well, one wet day in autumn, when all
the bees in the new hive were at home,
they heard someone moving about outside,
and presently some strong smelling smoke
came into the hive. The bees did not like
it, so' they rushed to the door, but found
the doorway stopped up with clay. A pipe
was stuck through the clay and Mr. Brown
iixis puffing in tobacco smoke to make the
bees go to sleep."

Surely Mr. Brown's name ought to go
•down to history as one of the present-day
leaders in apiculture.

This is how Mr. Brown hived a swarm :
— " He made sure at once that the young
queen was amongst them, and then turned
the hive over quickly on to the bench, so
that the bees were underneath it. For a
little while he kept the hole where the
bees go in stopped up with grass, so that
the bees could not get out before they had
time to become used to their new home."

Another extract might have been
written more than a century ago : —

" The master of the garden in which we
live calls it pollen. Out of this, too, some
of the bees make the wax-boxes which are
used to store our honey."

Shades of Huber ! AVax made from
pollen ! This in the twentieth century !

The rest of the book is more or less on
a level with the extracts already quoted. If
children may not be taught something
better than this, then leave Nature study
alone in schools, at least so far as it
refers to bees. — T>. Wilson.

PLANTING FOR BEEiS.

[8974] Would you kindly allow me a
little space to say that as a consequence of
my note under the above heading, which
appeared in last week's Bee Journal, I
have been inundated with applications for
" sweet clover " seed, and for particulars
as to how it ought to be planted. I have
had a difficulty to mete out the seed, and
make it last; but a little more is coming
over, and then I can send to those who
still want to plant some.

The seeds ought to be sown very thinly
in drills, and covered with fine soil, in
which a little lime or road dust has been
mixed: for it thrives best in soil contain-
ing most lime. When the plants have
grown sufficiently they should be trans-
planted to about 1 foot apart, as the
growth is so luxuriant in good soil that
plenty of room is necessary. A few sticks
are useful to support the plants when they
reach the height of 2 feet and over.

The blossoms, which are small, appear
first at the tip of the main stem, and then
from the off -shoots, while the white variety
is the quickest to bloom, and also the
hardiest. I should be glad if you will
insert the above hints, because it was im-
possible for me to write personally to all
the bee-keepers who applied for seed. —
A. H. Bowen, Coronation Road, Chelten-
ham .

IS

ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE A
NEW COMPLAINT?

[8975] In view of the recent discussion
as to the origin and spread of the " Isle
of Wight " (?) disease, it may be interest-
ing and perhaps instructive to Bee
Journal readers if you would print the
two following extracts: — ■

Editorial, "B.B.J.," August 1st, 1881 :
<; We have heard of many cases of what
appears to' be paralysis of the wings of
bees, which threatens to decimate the hives
to which they belong, hundreds lying
about the apiary, rendering it impossible
to walk about without treading some to
death. There is no dysentery or abdominal
distension, and the bees take food when
offered, but cannot fly. There is no ap-
pearance such as one would expect from
poisoned food, nor is there any deficiency
of food in the hives. The bees come out
to take their flight and fall to the ground,
and are unable to rise again. It appears
to be worst in the morning after a pre-
vious day's confinement at home through
wet or cold weather. Can anyone throw
any light upon the cause of the malady? "

Correspondence, '' B.B.J. ," August 1st,
1882 : " I send with this some hybrid bees,
which are affected with some sort of dis-
order which I cannot make out. It does
not appear to me to be dysentery, as they
do not void their excrements either in the
hive or on the alighting-board, but crawl
out (and are dragged out by the other
bees) swollen and distended, as you will see.
They seem more than half paralysed, can-
not fly, but drop down off the floor-board
in large numbers. What is the disease?
. . . What I send do not represent the
whole mortality. If continued at its pre-
sent rate of course the hive must dwindle
away and die out. . . . The swollen dead
bees, when squeezed, throw out a large
quantity of pollen (bee-bread) or honey,
unth which they seem to have been gorged
and unable to get rid of it, as if suffering
from obstruction of the bowels. I esti-
mate that during the last month as many
bee® as would make a fair swarm have
died out of this hive. . . . The bees from
my diseased hive, when put into' a fresh
hive with clean, empty combs, continued

March 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

109

to die off as before* until all bad died." —
W. A. Withycombb, Docks, Bridgwater.

BEE-KEEPING ACCOUNTS.

[8976] May I be allowed, through
your columns, to thank Mr. T. Meech for
his kind assistance (8931,. pp. 46-7) re
apiary accounts. It lias been a great
help to me, and I found through my want
of experience that I lost just 14s. my
first year. But my third — that is, last
year — in spite of a mild form of ' ' Isle
of Wight" disease, was much more satis-
factory, although one stock was so
reduced that it gave no surplus.

Is it necessary or advisable to wire
shallow frames, not broad ones, but
ordinary width ? They would be used as
brood combs and for extraction. — A
Novice.

[All combs in frames should be wired,
especially those which are going to be
extracted. — Eds.]

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL BEE-KEEP EJR, ?

[8977] Mr. Litnian (on page 94
" B.B.J.," March 5th) has raised a point
that I confess never occurred to me. I
gather there are some "professional" (?)
members whom he suggests join Associa-
tions simply for the purpose of getting
cheaper entry fees, and then doing their
best to sweep the board at shows. If this
is his idea there may be such, but it was
not for this reason I joined any Associa-
tion. I only mentioned the number I
belonged to first as a protest against Mr.
Mattinson calling subscribers to- Associa-
tions fools, and secondly, to make my
point against his absurd idea of reducing
subscriptions to the vanishing point,
thereby making Associations useless from
want of a working capital.

How I became a member of so many is
very simple. At one time my county was
joined on to another ; when they separated
I continued to be a member of both. The
hon. secretary of another neighbouring
county has helped me a great deal at
various times, and noticing in the
report of his Association that there were
" members outside the county," I asked
if I might become one of them. In the
same way another friend who assists me
a great deal lately started an Associa-
tion, and I joined his. "One good turn
deserves another," or, " Every little
helps," call it which you like. Once only,
several years ago, I sent honey to a show
in a neighbouring county. I took two
firsts in Open Classes, and only a second,

v.h.c. and h.c. in Members' Classes, so
even then I did not take the cream from
the county members. Since then, as I do
a certain amount of expert touring and
lecturing, ifec, I have given up showing.
By Mr. Litman's use of the word " pro-
fessional " member, I take it he means the
man who makes a profession of showing?
Is there any harm in this? I know
several very keen exhibitors, and if one
gets beaten it's " Aye, but wait till next
year, I'll see if I cannot beat him next
time." What better spirit can competi-
tion evoke than this? Far better than
grumbling and calling the other man a
" professional." Where there is competi-
tion the standard is bound to go up. The
more a man shows, the higher the standard
of excellence he sets himself, as he learns
what is required before he can hope for
success; but even then the most ex-
perienced may be knocked out by a novice
who has luck with his crop and the pluck
to show it. Too many novices hang back
from showing, so much so that " Novice
Classes " have often to be made for their
encouragement. One can only be beaten,
and it's not a case of broken bones! "If
at first yon don't succeed try, try, try
again " is a wise old saw, and applicable
to the honey show bench.

I noticed in last "B.B.J." the old dis-
cussion on " Precision in Bee Terms " crop
up again. 1 suggest " professional " as
applied to bee-keepers be defined by some
of our authorities. Personally I always
thought a professional was one who was
paid for his services. I am a First Class
Expert, but tour around when my services
are required for nothing but love of the
work and to try and help brothers in the
craft. Am I a professional ? Is a regular
exhibitor in Open Classes a professional,
and as such is he to be debarred from
showing as a member at an Association
show? That is the crux, I fancy, of the
point raised by Mr. Litnian. — North-
umbrian Bee.

WIRING FRAMES.

[8978] In answer to Mr. CrawshaM"
(page 99), 1 may say " Nothing succeeds
like success." I always get perfect combs,
and that is my only reason for wiring in
the way I do. I use foundation ten sheets
to the pound, and, as a rule, fix in the
foundation just when wanted. One little
" tip " I omitted. I dust the wiring-board
with ordinary wheat-flour, for every three
or four frames wired, as the wax, being
softened, would otherwise stick to the
wiring-board. Another point, the wax
being soft, the wires make a firm attach-
ment to the foundation, though now and
again a wire does not seem to do so ; or I

110

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 12, 1914.

may press the embedder too hard and the
wire cuts through. In that ca.se I run
the "soldering tool'' along the wire. If
when warming the foundation it buckles a
bit, it is quite easy to flatten it on the
wiring-board before using the embedder.

My experience is that it is when the
foundation " sags " and touches the bottom
bar that the oombs bulge or buckle, for,
even with the stout wires I use, the weight
of the combs and the warmth causes the
wires and combs, too, to sag slightly. I
have ma>de many experiments during my
eighteen or nineteen years of bee-keeping,
and once again I say emphatically that
well-made frames only need two wires.

It takes me one hour to wire thirty
frames. I prefer the feather as a solder-
ing tool, because it makes a real attach-
ment to both the wood and foundation. 1
have yet to see any f aidts ; waterfowl
wing feathers are slightly spoon-shaped at
the tips and are very stiff, and with a
small glue kettle over a stove lamp the
attachments are done quicker and neater,
and with half the wax than with a can. —
A. Harris, Wavendon.

"THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE AND
MART."

An interesting announcement is made by
The Bazaar, Exchange and Mart to the
effect that, commencing on the 21st of Feb.,
it has issued one of its three weekly
editions, the Saturday, at a penny, to
meet the demand for a cheap paper of
that character. The Bazaar has been a
great public favourite for the past forty-
six years, and its new development should
greatly increase its popularity. The
Wednesday and Friday editions still re-
main at 2d.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbourne, Sussex.

February, 1914.

ture, 30 on 17th,

19th, 26th, and 27th
Minimum on grass,

20 on 19th.
Frosty nights, 6.
Mean maximum, 486.
Mean minimum, 36" 7.
Mean temperature,

426.
Above average, 4' 2.
Maximum barometer,

301 75 on 28th.
Minimum barometer,

28-607 on 22nd.

L. B. BlRKETT.

Rainfall, 477 in.

Above average, 2-78
in.

Heaviest fall, '59 on
7th.

Rain fell on 17 days.

Sunshine, 907 hrs.

Above aver., ] 3 hrs.

Brightest day, 27th
and28tb,8-5 hrs.

Sunless days, 5.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 52 on 1st and
14th.

Minimum tempera-

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. Sd. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up 'to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford^,
and Wores. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury. —
Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Alderham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

Letters or queries asking for addresses of manu-
facturers or correspondents, or where appliances
can be purchased, or replies giving such informa-
tion, can only be inserted as advertisements. The
space devoted to letters, queries, and replies is
meant for the general good of bee-keepers, and
not for advertisements. We wish our correspondents
to bear in mind that, as it is necessary for us to
go to press in advance of the date of issue,
queries cannot always be replied to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of their com-
munications.

J. A. C. (Wimborne). — Honey and " Isle
of Wight " Disease. — The honey is quite
wholesome for human beings, but should
not be used for other bees.

G. A. H. (Leicester).— "Isle of Wight"
Disease in Wells Hive. — -You cannot yet
be sure that the bees in the other part
of the hive have not contracted the
disease. If they do not develop it they
will be a valuable stock, as they must be
immune to the infection.

Traveller (Westmorland) . — Bee-keepers
in Belgium. — Write to M. Wathelet,
Directeur de Rucher Beige, Prayon-
Trooz, Belgium, who will be able to
supply the information you require.

G. P. (West Bromwich). — Spreading the
Brood. — (1) No, too early. It is a risky
operation and should not be attempted
by anyone not experienced, as judgment is
required in determining suitable condi-
tion of the colony, weather, &c.

March 19, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

Ill

SOMERSET B.K.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual general meeting of the
.Somerset Bee-keepers' Association was
held on Saturday, February 28th, at the
" School of Science and Art," Weston-
super-Mare, Mr. T. W. Cowan, F.L.S.,
F.G.lS., one of the vice-presidents, pre-
sided. There was a fairly good attendance
of members, representing nearly every
branch of the Association.

The Hon. Secretary, in reading his re-
report for the past year, stated that the
season, from a. honey point of view, had
been an excellent one. many exceptionally
large "takes" being reported from dif-
ferent parts of the county, and the quality
of the honey had been much above the
average. Unfortunately, notwithstand-
ing the fine season, "Isle of Wight"
disease had spread considerably in
certain areas. Bee-keepers had ex-
perienced severe losse%s from this
cause in many districts, more especially
along the north and north-west borders of
the county. The great importance of
regulating the indiscriminate trade in bees
and queens was strongly emphasised. The
Association had added nearly seventy new
bee-keepers to its membership, which now
numbered nearly 500.

The statement of accounts was brought
before the meeting showing a balance in
hand of £17 5s. 8d.

The report and balance-sheet were
unanimously approved and adopted.

Lady Smyth was re-elected President of
the Association ; all the Vice-Presidents
were unanimously re-elected, and in addi-
tion, Mr. E. Jardine, M.P. and Mr. H.
Perham. Mr. R. G. Harris was re-elected
Honorary Auditor. The following were
elected members of the Council : Mrs.
Carpenter, Miss R, Sheppard : Messrs.
L. E. Snelgrove, S. Jordan, T. Jones,

F. W. Owen, J. Charlton, J. W. Brewer,
W. J. Lang, W. Brooks, J. Hutchieson,
W. H. Jarvis, B. Boothroyd, J. Brown,

G. H. Tathani, W. A. Withycombe, J. H.
Burton, and Lieut. -Colonel H. F. Jolly as
Chairman. Mr. L. Bigg-Wither was re-
elected Honorary Seoretarv and Treasurer.
Lieut.-Colonel H. F. Jolly and Mr. J. H.
Bui-ton were appointed as delegates to the
British Bee-keepers' Association.

Medals and Certificates of Merit won
by members at the annual show were pre-
sented by the Chairman. The British Bee-
keepers' Association Intermediate Expert's
Certificate was gained by Mr. J. A.
Hutchieson, and the Preliminary Certi-

ficates by Mr. F. W. Owen and Mr. F.
Harris.

The Honorary Secretary was asked to
write to the President of the Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries urging the vital
importance of re-introducing and passing
the Bee Diseases Bill as soon as possible,
as both the bee-keeping industry and that
of fruit-growing were suffering through
want of this legislation.

After tea, at which about fortj- members
and friends were present, Mr. L. E. Snel-
grove, B.A., gave a most interesting and
instructive lecture in the Science Theatre
on " The Chemical Composition of Honey,
means of Recognising its Purity . and
detecting its Adulteration." The lecture
was illustrated by a large number of
chemical experiments, honeys containing
different pollen grains were shown under
the microscope, and the use of the polari-
scope in detecting the presence of glucose
and cane sugar was graphically demon-
strated.

Mr. J. W. Brewer, in proposing a
hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, said
that it was gratifying to hear something
new in bee-keeping. He congratulated Mr.
Snelgrove on the success of his experi-
ments, remarking that no one but an
expert- teacher could have so lucidly ex-
plained so difficult a subject — a subject
about which so little was known by the
average bee-keeper. — L. Bigg-Wither,
Hon. Sec.

NOTTS B.K.A.

The annual general meeting of this
Association was held in the People's Hall,
Nottingham, on (Saturday, March 7th, at
3 p.m., with the Deputy Mayor (T. Ward,
Esq.) presiding over a large assembly of
members and friends.

The minutes of the previous meeting
were read and confirmed.

The annual balance-sheet was next sub-
mitted, and was unanimously adopted,
great satisfaction with same having been
expressed.

The whole of the officers who served for
1913 were most heartily thanked for their
services and re-elected for 1914.

A discussion arose at this point with
regard to microsporia1 loses, or "Isle of
Wight" disease, which became interesting
in several ways, and no doubt information
would be found by those who sought it. It
was pointed out how very serious the
disease was, and that as it had shown itself
in several places in the county it was
necessary to be on the alert, and for every
bee-keeper to do all he could to prevent
its spreading. Members were advised not
to purchase, during this season at least,
any queens, stocks, swarms, or driven bees

112

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 19, 1914.

outside the county, but to get all required
from those within it.

Mr. Pugh proposed a hearty vote of
thanks to the Deputy Mayor for presiding
over the meeting. Mr. Ellis seconded, and
it was carried with acclamation.

Mr. Ward, in reply, said how pleased
he was to be able once more to be with
them because he saw that they were
doing all they could as an Association to
push forward the industry of bee-keeping,
and anyone could see on carefully scanning
the report and the balance-sheet what a
large amount of work had been done for
the money expended.

The meeting was then adjourned for tea,
to which about 120 members and friends
sat down. After tea the prizes and medals
were distributed to those winners who
were present.

The Chairman then called upon Mr.
Pugh to give his lecture on " Judging
Honey." This proved to be, as was ex-
pected, a very interesting address, and
called forth considerable discussion, which
must have been very helpful to those
privileged to hear it.

It was resolved: "That a resolution be
sent from this meeting urging the Govern-
ment to press forward the Bee Disease
Bill, ,as it was felt to be most urgently
needed."

A very successful meeting was brought
to a close with the usual prize drawing.—
Geo. Hayes Hon. Sec.

BEES ON THE BIOSCOPE.
Mr. J. C. Bee Mason will appear every
evening at the Alexandra Theatre, Stoke
Newington, London, N., for one week,
commencing March 23rd. He will show
"The Life of the Bee" and "The Bee
Master," giving a short introductory
lecture before each subject.

y^oifgtbeJBe

Gevn

CHECKS TO ISWARMING.

Those much troubled with undesired
swarming might try one or other of the
following plans to check it. Confine the
queen to two or three frames at the side
or back of a hive, keeping her there for
about a week. During that time destroy
any queen-cells which the bees may have
started. Then by removing the queen-ex-
cluding dummy or division-board she will
have the whole range of frames once
again to keep her employed egg-laying,
and the bees, then finding a queen pre-

sent will desist from all attempts at pre-
parations for swarming.

The second plan, I think, is practised
by Dr. Miller. Instead of caging the
queen he simply places her in a nucleus
above the frames of the body-box. She
goes on laying in the two or three frames
without any cessation, thus keeping up
the population steadily. In about seven
days he examines the brood body, cutting
out all queen-cells which may be in pro-
gress. He then unites his nucleus with
the main body, thus making a strong
force of bees, generally content to go* on
storing without any thoughts of swarm-
ing. The late Capt. Hetherington, a
thousand colony man, practised this system
of management and found it at least a
check to over much swarming year after
year.

How to Diagno.se Queenlessness. — In
spring it is generally possible to tell when
a hive is queenless by one or other of
several fairly conspicuous signs. Attempts
at robbing are very frequently made on a
colony which has lost its queen. Coupling
this agitation with a past sluggishness in
working is a pretty patent index. Such
a hive, if watched occasionally, may show
a fair amount of pollen being carried in,
but the loads in the baskets are small, as
a rule. An additional and perhaps a
better sign may be found in the fact that
the bees are flying and walking near the
entrance in a lethargic way. There is a
want of energy, a tired-like appearance
a lout them, never seen in a colony
actively breeding. The latter dart in and
out as busy as bees, while the workers of the
queenless lot crawl in or linger and loiter
before finally making their way in at the
entrance. A " queen-right " colony is
certain to show debris dropped about the
doorway or on the ground in front of the
flight-board, while a. queenless lot rarely
shows a.nj*. On spreading the frames
apart, those without a. queen will show
almost every frame a solid mass of sealed
honey. No larva? can be seen in even the
centre frames, no capped brood can be
detected anywhere. Even the most cursory
glance inside such a hive will show that
all is not well, and that the keeper's aid is
urgently required to save disaster.

Propolised Frames. — In going out and
in among bee-keepers one discovers all
kinds of frames, and several kinds of
frame-rests. Where propolis is abundantly
cairied in by a strain of bees inclined to pro-
polise heavily, the frame-rest is a most im-
portant part in the hive, for on it largely
depends successful handling of the in-
terior fittings. Where the lugs of top
liars rest solidly on a. flat surface, the
point of contract frequently is fixed as
firmly as if both were one piece. To con-
quer this some manufacturers sink the

March 19, 1014.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

113

piece, all but a narrow ledge, between the
two walls, thus affording only a small
space for the ends to rest on. Sometimes
a simple knife-edge only is afforded, but.
the wood being soft, this rest is not strong
enough, and as a consequence the heavy
weight of supers presses it down so much
that the bottom space below frames be-
comes too cramped, thus lessening the free
movement of the workers. To remedy this
we have the metal rests, which should
go with the metal ends, known as the
" W.B.C." The metal spacers, resting on
the thin edge of these supports, afford
little or no opportunity for propolising,
therefore such frames yield freely and
without any jar when they are being with-
drawn. In the case of heavily propolised
frames a considerable pull is required, and
at times they must be parted by a violent
wrench brought about by a chisel or screw-
driver. The vibration thus caused annoys
the bees and makes them, irritable. With
easily-parted frames everything passes off
amicably. Beginners should take the hint
and see that their frames are resting on
a narrow ledge of wood or a tin girder
affording little opportunity for propolis-
ing.

Moving Short Distances. — Every spring
it is necessary to shift many hives about
from one corner of the apiary to another.
After a good long spell of wintry weather,
when bees have been kept in for several
weeks together, little more is required
than to lift the hive bodily, as quietly as
possible, and plant it down on the new
site. When spring arrives, the bees, on
looking out for the first time, will simply
accept the situation as if it had always
been their position, and there will be no
loss and no intermixture of flying workers.
A cold spell in early January or February
might be selected as the best time to carry
out this operation. If left until later in
spring, something must be done to inform
the bees that their site has been changed,
and that on taking their first spring flight
they must mark the new location ; for beesdo
not so much mark their own hive as such,
but associate it with other marked sur-
roundings. A good smoking so confuses
them that on issuing they take new bear-
ings. The same good follows a drumming
or very rough handling, and few return
afterwards to the old site. If moss or
grass is packed fairly tightly into the
entrance so that the bees may have some
trouble or worry in providing an exit,
they generally mark the hive on taking
flight. This last is a simple plan, and any
who may have tried it in spring shifting
might record their results.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
lor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for vublication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE
"CURES."

[8979] It is to be hoped that, those who
reported cures of the "Isle of Wight"
disease last year will not forget to an-
nounce whether their bees remain cured or
have suffered a relapse. I have skimmed
throughapart of last year's files of "B.B.J."
and extract very briefly the following of
the more confident reports of cure. Mr.
James Lee, in the issue of June 19th,
reports having saved twenty-six colonies jn
a thirty-hive apiary attacked, by moving
the bees into clean hives, scorched and
painted with Avles' solution. September
4th, " K.C.A.P./' North Herts, hived a
swarm on foundation, which contracted the
disease, and then evidently recovered.
September 11th, J. H. Meyer, Fulham,
washed a hive with Lysol, vaporised with
the same through a perforated floor-board
and medicated syrup with the same. He
writes : " To-day the survivors are all
working, and I have not seen more than
a dozen dead bees outside the three hives.
I am convinced the stocks will all re-
cover."

Then there is the Kentish treatment
with quinine. In spite of one captious
critic, I thought that Mr. Wigley's evi-
dence of its efficacy was very good. It
was this C B.B.J. ," June 12th): Ten
stocks packed for the winter. Lost three
with natural stores and two with half
natural and half medicated syrup. Saved
five on medicated stores only. And on
July 17th Mr. Wigley writes again : " A
remedy to have any practical value must
be effective enough to pull diseased bees
through an attack, in spite of an infec-
tious environment, which it would be im-
possible to disinfect. No effort was made,
therefore, to destroy the spores in the
brood-combs ... it was primarily in-
tended to kill the developing parasite
within the bee. That my stocks have
survived and are increasing strongly, in
the midst of disease, is due, in my opinion,
to the quinine sulphate."

In another number (August 28th) I find
a further testimony to the efficacv of

114

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 19, 1914.

quinine. " F. C," Oxford, writes : (i This
treatment has checked the ravages of the
disease in my apiary, and with per-
severance I am hoping to eliminate it
altogether." I expect that a great many
bee-keepers have wintered stocks this year
on syrup medicated with quinine. Others,
perhaps, have medicated with Bowen's
remedy. What is the result? Perhaps
it is a. little early to report yet, but the
really useful accounts of "Isle of Wight "
cures for this year will, I think, be those
that were administered! in 1913, and have
proved efficacious ever since. — G. G. Des-
mond, Sheepscombe, Glos.

FIGHTING BEE DISEASE.

[8980] The news of the dropping of the
Bee Diseases Bill will come as a blow
to> many. However, this is not the time
to despond over it. The question of bee
diseases is still of primary importance,
and as we bee-keepers cannot at present
get compulsory powers to help us it is
evident that we shall have to see what we
can do to help ourselves. This being
admitted, the question is how to eta it.

In the past very good work has been
done, but by comparatively few men. The
point I want to make is that we can best
make headway against bee disease by each
bee-keeper taking an interest in it, and
by every bee-keeper doing all he, or she,
can to' fight it. Even though the all be
only very little it will help. I understand
that the Gloucestershire B.K.A. has set up
a Special Disease Committee. Very good.
This is on the right lines. It now remains
for the Gloucestershire bee-keepers to
loyally support that committee and do
the best they can to help it to make itself
effective.

I feel sure that the sooner every bee-
keeper realises that it is his definite duty
to assist the bee-keeping community in
its fight against disease in some way or
another the sooner we are likely to be
able to make rapid headway. — R. ,
Gloucester.

DR. MILLER INTERVENES.

[8981] Too had, two such nice boys as
D. M. Macdonald and L. S. Crawshaw
should fall to quarrelling about a> little
thing like sugar syrup. " D. M. M.," you
tell " L. S. C." that I've fed a few thou-
sand pounds of syrup made of 2Albs. of
sugar to 1 pint of water, with no< trouble
from crystallisation. " L. S. C," please re-
mark to " D. M. M.," in a gentlemanly way
that when T used such heavy syrup T added
an even teaspoonful of tartaric acid for
each 201bs. of sugar. — 0. C. Miller,
Marengo, III., U.S.A.

REPORT FROM SOUTH
WESTMORLAND.

[8982] We are totally free from disease
in this part of (South Westmorland, which
is something to be thankful for, but I should '
like to appeal to my fellow bee-keepers
to keep hives, &c, in better order. I have
got a good number of our local men to
join the Lancashire B.K.A., but manj-
keeping a few hives will not be persuaded
to join at any price. They are the
offenders. During the past season I had
the opportunity of going through many
hives, and whilst some were well tended
others were abominably neglected. Any-
thing was thought good enough for quilts,
old manure bags, rugs, &c. ; in fact, I got
the impression that when things could not
possibly be used for any other purpose
then the bees had their innings. In one
instance the hive had no roof, and the rain
bad percolated through all coverings. In
a case like this is it surprising if disease
does break out P I once more appeal
for better attention.

In my opinion, we are going to have an
early season. My bees have been carry-
ing in pollen for some considerable time,
chiefly from hazel, snowdrops, and aconite.
Owing to absence of frost the above have
been available for some weeks. The goose-
berry will be in flower shortly, and with
that the season may be said to have com-
menced in earnest.

We had a poor season in 1913, and are
hoping for the opposite this year. Stocks
have consumed a large amount of stores
this winter owing to the mild weather. I
have examined many during the past week
or so, and the majority were nearly food-
less. Fully 70 per cent, had to> be pro-
vided with candy, although the owners had
fed 201bs. per hive on an average. I think
the best plan is to not feed so liberally
and then give candy in early February if
necessary. The candy made by amateurs,
as a rule, if put on hives over winter,
generally turns out more suitable for
scotching cart wheels than anything
else. Of course, that made by reputable
firms is all right, but the majority of
people prefer toi make' their own. Some
bee-keepers give too much, as they do not
take the trouble to ascertain what food
is already in the hive previous to feeding,
with the result that many stocks have from
301bs. to oOlbs. or GOlbs. of food to face
winter with. Of course, this is a better fault
than under-doing the thing, but the usual
result is this : If the winter turns out very
severe with the accompaniment of slender
inroads into' stores, then the combs are
absolutely blocked with food in spring,
which makes them unavailable for brood-
raising. The remedy is obvious, more
careful observation is needed.

I will conclude with wishing all readers

March 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

115

and yourselves a very successful season.
I would like to impress upon readers the
necessity of providing clean quilts in
spring. It is so important if we mean to
combat disease. Lastly, let me ask all bee-
keepers to join their County Associations.
The subscriptions are nominal and the
advantages numerous. — Feed Newsham.

ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

A PESSIMISTIC VIEW.

I am sorry to note that there
seems to be no one able to give any hope-
ful reply to Mr. Hlingsworth's question re
the abatement of the above disease. In
this neighbourhood second and third
attempts have been made to re-stock, but
all to no purpose. Out of thirteen colonies
established last summer I now have only
two alive. Doubtless there are very few
places that can present a blacker picture
than this district. Before the "Isle of
Wight " disease appeared we could count
our colonies by hundreds, and now not
one colony remains of the original stock ;
and not only so, but many lots imported
from other districts have gone the same
way. Absolutely healthy bees, completely
new hives, and entirely new situations, all
have failed to make the slightest differ-
ence ; in fact, it is most curious to relate,
but one of the two remaining lots men-
tioned above was a truant swarm which
hived itself in combs on which bees had
died of the disease. They are still on the
site of the old apiary, which was entirely
wiped out, whereas every stock in a new
apiary I started under conditions as
above has succumbed. Now a word as to
cures. I trust that bee-keepers will not
waste their money on such things.
There never has been a cure found as yet,
and I will go further, and affirm that this
disease never will be cured by disinfec-
tants and medicines.

As regards an Act of Parliament, I do
not glean much comfort from that idea,
though I would welcome anything of really
a practical nature, but what is such an
Act going to do beyond the enforcing of
the destruction of certain appliances, &c?
Will such an Act discover and utterly
destroy all the old haunts of the bees,
such as hollow trees, roofs of buildings,
&c. ? Hundreds of such places now exist
where disease has done its work and left
no marks by which an inspector might
track it. My firm conviction is that
legislation is absolutely useless to deal with
"Isle of Wight" disease, and as to any
other diseases, bee-keepers worthy of the
name can combat them without the aid of
such an Act. I express this view after over
twenty-five years' experience, and not as
one who has never seen foul brood, &c,
but as having had my full share of experi-

ence on those lines, and if I had the powers
of the B.B.K.A. I would never honour
one with an expert certificate who needed
an Act of Parliament to enable him to
combat foul brood. I observe with regret
that modern bee-keepers seem to' be
craving a lot of " mothering," which those
of the old school did not need, and did
exceedingly well without. Foul brood did
not trouble them, their very methods kept
it at bay, even if it existed to any extent.
Modern methods developed it, and gave it
every chance, and it is very unfair to now
turn on the skeppist and seek to abolish
his skeps, when, after all, it is he who has
proved the man, in that for centuries he
kept bees profitably without crying for
State-aid. — Owen Browning, King's Som-
borne, Hants.

PROGRESS OF " I.O.W." DISEASE.

[8984] In the January 1st issue of the
"B.B.J.," Mr. Illingsworth enquires as to
the progress of the so-called " Isle of
Wight" disease in this country, and asks
for an answer to the question : " Is it any
use making another start next year ? If
not, how long must elapse before I can
recommence bee>-keeping with any hope of
success? " I should imagine that there are
few absolutely uninfected districts, but am
sure it is wise for all to take as much
care as if the disease were on the spot.
The latest report issued by the Board of
Agriculture on "Isle of Wight" disease
answers the latter questions "on pages 127
and 128. After advising that all infected
hives should be thoroughly scorched out
with a painter's blow-lamp, and the sur-
rounding ground disinfected, the advice is
given that " When the disease visits an
apiary bees should not be imported into it,
at any rate, not from a non-infected dis-
trict, until the disease has run its course.
If it is considered desirable to introduce
fresh stocks, they should be obtained from
an infected area, since, if they have sur-
vived an attack they may be to some
extent immune. In all cases where it is
desired to restock an apiary, we advise
that some months should be allowed to
elapse between the death of the last stock
and the importation of fresh bees."

In view of the numerous references as to
the possibility of an immune race of bees
developing, it has surprised me that so
little has appeared in print on the subject.
We are told that there is little hope of
a drug cure and various authorities con-
firm this view. Dr. Zander thinks that a
bee suffering from Nose ma apis never
recovers. The apparent cures reported
from, time to time are thought (page 3,
further report) to be due to the sugar
syrup, in which the drug is conveyed to the

110

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 19, 1914.

insect, which acts as a purgative, the pro-
cess eliminating from the bowels large
numbers of bacteria and any free Nosema
parasites. The statement is made that
although treatment by feeding un-
doubtedly effects temporary improvement,
no examples of a permanent cure have
come to the notice of the investigators. A
much more hopeful tone is noticeable when
immunity is spoken of.

Page 39: " There is little evidence that
treatment by any of the remedies which
have been suggested results in permanent
cure, though amelioration of the symptoms,
for a time, not infrequently occurs.
Prevention is, therefore, the only satis-
factory method of controlling the disease."

Page 128 : " Maasen's observations show
that partially immune stocks and apiaries
are common in Germany, and we have in-
vestigated at least one partially immune
apiary in this country. We think good
results might be obtained if attempts were
made to build up apiaries from stocks
which show well-marked resistance to the
disease, infected apiaries, or from stocks
known to- be partially immune."

Page 39. Further report : " Some of the
experiments seemed to indicate that
partially immune stocks exist, which can
only be made to suffer from the disease
with difficulty."

In this connection perhaps it would be
well to mention a case in my own apiary,
which is in the centre of a badly infected
district. In 1912 I had one nucleus which
did not build up satisfactorily, though
aided as far as possible. On several occa-
sions during late summer and autumn 1
noticed numerous spots of excrement on
my clothing after examining this nucleus,
and came to> the conclusion that they had
contracted the disease and would not
survive the winter. However, they came
out fairly strong, built up into a good
stock, and stored as much surplus as any
stock I had, showing no further symptoms
of the disease. To me this looks like1 a
case of at least partial immunity. No
further cases have occurred, and there
were none previously.

On page 29 (further report) mention is
made of the peorme disease of silkworms,
which is caused by Nosema Bombycis, an
organism closely allied to Nose?na apis.
This diseasei caused immense damage to
the silk industry of France, in the middle
of the nineteenth century, and threatened*
its extinction. Experiments were con-
ducted over a period of twenty years, but
no drug cure was discovered. " The
method which saved the silkworm industry
was the destruction of diseased insects,
and reproduction from healthy moths."

In conducting the above-mentioned experi-
ments the investigators had the advantage

over us in that the mulberry leaves, upon
which silkworms are fed, are easily medi-
cated, and the poisonous nature of the
drug need only be considered in relation
to its effect on the silkworm. N. Bombycis
has the ability to invade every tissue of
the host, but N. apis is largely confined
to the digestive tract. " When the parasite
can penetrate every tissue, so that it is
diffusely infiltrated throughout the host,
the damaging capacity is enormously
greater than where the parasite is
localised." Now, although Nosema has
been found in the malphigian tubes on one
occasion, and several times in the
haemoccelic fluid, we are in a better posi-
tion to fight the disease than were the silk-
worm men. — H. H. Brook.

(To be continued.)

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By Geo. Hayes, Beeston.

RAGWORT OR RAGWEED.

(Senecio Jacobcea.)

No. 29. NAT. ORD. COMPOSITE.

(Continued from page 53.)

In the autumn of each year one often
sees, in the columns of our Journal,
amongst answers to correspondents, re
samples of honey, such a. reply as this :
"A good sample of honey, spoilt by rag-
weed."

Whenever I see such replies, they re-
mind me of an experience of my own.
Some years ago we had a bad honey
season, but a glorious autumn, and
towards the latter end of September I
went to tidy up an apiary and prepare
the bees for winter after extracting.
Some' shallow frames had some time pre-
viously been put on to two of the stocks
to be cleaned out, and were left there for
me to remove, but I found three or four
combs in each had, during the interval
been partly filled and 'sealed over. I ex-
tracted this honey, and found it to be the
most beautiful golden colour imaginable,
and perfectly bright and clear. 1 thought to
myself, this will be a treat for those in the
house. During the extracting, it occurred
to me that the ■odour was peculiar, and not
at all enticing, except to induce one to in-
vestigate as tx> the cause, and this I did,
and tasted the honey — but Ugh ! I was
very glad to get rid of it quickly. I
have at different times tasted peculiar
honey, but even paraffin honey had to
give place to this, for I always consider
it the most nauseous I ever tasted. It
must have been entirely from ragwort
flower. Of course, we gave it back to
the bees in food, as we concluded it was.

March 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

117

v&-

Section

From Formalin

In Water:

a pity to rob them of such nice-looking
honey, and evidently they were not
fastidious in their taste.

From this it will be seen that at times
this flower is too abundant for the bee-
keeper, but if the hone}' was not so< objec-
tionable its beauty both of foliage and
flower would soon make it a favourite,
because it yields both
pollen and nectar
freely, and is there-
fore often very useful
to the bees. For
this reason I con-
sider it should find
a place in our list.

This plant is
called Rag-wort — and
"wort," of course,
means "plant" —
and Rag-weed, from
the fact that its
leaves are very much
cut up and raggy,
which vary in
different soils, the
leaf segments or divi-
sions being much
finer in dry, poor
soil, whereas a damp
soil develops rank
foliage, which is not
so cut up. In some
districts it is called
Stammer-wort, which
would seem to indi-
cate that its medi-
cinal properties are
good for those having
such an impediment
in their speech. In
this district its appel-
lation is "stinking
nanny," so-called be-
cause of its odour ; it
is generally consider-
ed to make a soothing
and healing wash for wounds and sores.
The generic title, Senecio, from Senex
(old man), was given to it by Linneaus
because the seed heads, with their white
crown, have the appearance of an old
man's grey head. Jacobea, its specific
title, reminds us of mediaeval times, when
flowers were named after the Saint on
whose day they were mostly to be found
in bloom. Jacobeas, which is Latin, is

#1

From Hpuey-

POLLEN OF RAG-WORT.

equivalent to James in English ; and

in some parts the plant is called

St. James-wort. Among other names

this plant bears in different districts

are Ben-weed, or Bin-weed, Boliaun,

Canker- weed, Fellon-weed, K e d d 1 e

Dork, James's-, or St. James's-

weed, iStagger-wort, or Staver-wort,

and "Yellow-taps."

The flower is a deep

yellow, bordering

on orange near the

centre, and is of

the daisy type ; the

flower-heads, rather

large in a handsome

compact terminal

corymbs. There is

also an aquatic

species (S. aquaticus,

w a t e r-r agwort),

which does not differ

much from the one

under consideration.

This genus embraces

the very lowly

grounsel and also

the highly-prized

cinerarias of the

florist.

The pollen grain
is a dull yellow in
colour by trans-
mitted light. The
form is oval with
three depressions or
grooves r unnihg
equidistant from end
to end, the whole
being covered with
spines. When dry,
it is as ' seen at
No. 1, and its
enlargement, No. 2,
being a cross section
through the middle, and measures y^X
-nj^in. When placed in water it assumes
a spherical form, as shown at No. 4. When
extracted from honey it is spherical in
form, but it has then developed a number
of processes and pseudo-process at irregular
intervals over its surface ; these are
generally in great profusion. The grains-
now measure on the average

(To be continued.)

l no (

118

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 19, 1914.

KW 9&** " ■•WW '» „'

►glNG

i^:_-C,L.S.CmwsK!iw, Malton. .

Precision in Bee Terms (p. 72). — The
gentleman who- calls .a colony " a swarm,"
or a swarm " a hive," is not without
justification, as these terms were used
thus in the old days. A popular dictionary,
which I have before me, gives as one of
the mearings of swarm, "A body of bees
united and permanently settled in a
hive " ; and of hive, " A swarm of bees
inhabiting a hive." Still, that is not how
we use the terms. "D. M. M.'s " ex-
planation of the mishap to his "copy " is
so obviously true that I might almost have
detected the original beneath the printed
disguise, and I hasten to make what " our
mutual friend" would call the amende
honorable. In this matter " D M. M."
has my sympathy, for such, mishaps are
not unknown to me, although invariably
due, I fear, to a cramped and crabbed
" fist." I am sure we both owe much to
a long-suffering staff, and must endeavour
to improve. For terminological accuracy
is to be greatly desired, when dealing with
a technical subject. Mr. Bullamore put
the matter quite admirably in "B.B.J.,"
February, 1911, when he wrote, " A loose
style of expression in the columns of a
scientific journal usually gives rise to
trouble." A little more accuracy, gentle-
men, is the plea that I would constantly
make, even " in jesting guise, for ye are
wise, and ye know what the jest is worth."
And may I couple with this, a plea for
originality. A little more individual re-
search, a little more actual experiment, a
little more reference to the bee itself,
and a little less sheltering behind authori-
ties, however renowned. Knowledge is
continually increasing, and the spirit of
the true scientist, whilst essentially
critical, is ever ready to abandon old
theories in the face of new facts. A little
more originality, gentlemen, please! Do
not be disturbed by criticism, but get at
the truth.-

In Friendship's Name (p. 73). — Nom
d'une plume griffonante, cest a. dire. In
justice to our French friends, if Mr.
Smallwood will allow me the correction, I
think that a fairer translation of rucher
ecole would be "apiary school." The
French word for "hive" is ruche. I
note also that our mutual friend recently
took rather poetic license with our friends
the butcher, the baker, the candlestick
maker. Not that these liberties and
fraternities detract in any way from his
racy account of the Grand Tour of Bee-
keeping.

Wintering Bees (p. 82). — This beautiful
set of combs is enough to make some of

us sour with envy. Still, we have the con-
solation of knowing that they contained
but a paltry half-hundredweight of honey
for the bees to winter upon ! I fear that
some of us would have desired to share
that with the bees, if. only for the
ostensible purpose of giving them lodging
as well as board. I have always thought
that the " Guide Book " erred on the right
side in the amount of winter stores, but
561bs. ! Mr. Herrod. Far be it from me
to boast, but I have a tiny stock, a
nucleus which I was obliged, to pack up
last autumn, a double handful of bees on
a few pounds of honey in shallow-frames,
and, so far, all is Avell with it. But it has
been an exceptional winter, and I must
not crow too soon. Of course, it cannot
build up as the well-provided stock
described will no doubt do, but I am wait-
ing to see what happens.

Infectious or Contagious (p. 85). — There
is little doubt that the disease is con-
tagious, as evidence points to its being
carried by the bee-keeper ; and that makes
the Board of Agriculture dictum on hive
disinfection rather surprising. Disinfec-
tion may appear to be unnecessary, but it
is not a difficult business, and bee-keepers
would do well to take the precaution. On
ordinal-}' sanitary grounds alone some
cleansing is advisable, and in the event of
recurrance of the disease the bee-keeper
will not have the worry of self-reproach.
But " Isle of Wight" disease has taken
hold in so devastating a fashion that if
not actually infectious in the sense of
being air-carried, the results are very
similar. There is, however, so much
pulling about of hives and going to and
fro amongst bee-keepers that it is diffi-
cult to form conclusions. In this con-
nection I note that the Diseases of Bees
Bill is not to be re-introduced by Mr.
Runciman. In view of the controversial
discord raised by the proposal, one hardly
knows whether to be glad or sorry.

TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.

Jas. Lee and Son Ltd. (Head Office and
Power Works, George Street, Uxbridge,
Middlesex; Showroom, 10. Silver Street,
Holborn ; Bee Farms, Fulbourne and
Wilbraham, Cambridge).— Messrs. Lee and
Son again issue a most comprehensive list
of bee goods. We are pleased to note that
every article illustrated or listed is of
practical utility, instead of including, as
is often the case, many articles and
nick-nacks which are of no value, except
to fill the pocket of the manufacturer at
the expense of the inexperienced beginner.
A firm of such long standing is so well
known that it would be futile for us to
waste space repeating that which is
familiar to all bee-keepers. Messrs. Lee and
Son combine good workmanship with the

March 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

119

lowest possible price, as a perusal of their I
catalogue, which can be had free upon
application, will show.

R. Steele and Brodie (Wormit Works,
Wormit, 'Scotland). — This northern firm
show progress in their excellent catalogue,
which is neatly got up and well illustrated.
We notice with regard to- one appliance
that it is wrongly named right through
the catalogue with one or two exceptions,
i.e., the section rack is called a crate.
With the correction of this error the cata-
logue would be perfect. We can personally
recommend all bee-keepers in the North
to put themselves in the hands of this firm,
especially when requiring appliances for
the gathering and extracting of heather
honey. Their motto is " Straight dealing.
A good, honest article at the lowest
possible price." Messrs. Steele also manu-
facture poultry appliances, and a post-
card to them will bring either catalogue
post free.

A. H. Wilkes, Lichfield Road, Four Oaks,
Birmingham. — Again this firm issues a
most complete catalogue. As an inventor
as well as manufacturer, the principal is
well known. All forms of free-way goods
are listed, and a marvel of cheapness is
a rapid-feeder, holding one quart, at Is.
A perusal of this list, post free on applica-
tion, will repay those interested in bees.

tf£Kl&S£»

[8912] Preventing Disease. — (1) I believe
that in the immediate neighbourhood we
are free from " Isle of Wight " disease,
although there are suspicious cases not far
away. Can anything be done as a preven-
tive, and, if so, what? Even if nothing is
a sure preventive perhaps you can suggest
what would be, or might be, helpful
towards warding it off, e.g., to thoroughly
disinfect hives and then transfer bees from
present hives to them. Would that be any
good ? (2) In view of the mild weather
is it too early to start stimulative feed-
ing? (3) I have a patch of garden about
15ft. square in front of my hives, which
I could easily spare for planting with
flowers, shrubs, &c, for the bees. Would
it be worth my while to do> so, and if so
with what plants? — E. S. L., Notts.

Reply — (1) All you can do is to provide
a drinking fountain in such a position
that the bees do not fly over it, and so
contaminate it by dropping excreta. The
fountain should be washed with a dis-
infectant twice per week, and a little salt
added to the water. Under ordinary con-
ditions hives should be cleaned and dis-

infected. (2) Yes, wait till April. (3)
Yes, plant Arabis, Limnanthes, Wall-
flower, and Borage.

[8913] Ventilating Hives. — As a con-
stant reader of your paper, I shall be very
glad of your advice in the following diffi-
culty. Liking the idea of bottom ventila-
tion, as described by Mr. Wigley, on page
31i6ofthe "B.B.J.," I adopted it with the
addition of a frame near the top for the
brood-chamber to rest upon. I had a
further reason for adopting such a plan,
for I saw it 'would enable me to also have
a bottom feeder (an idea I got from
Gleanings). But now a much more ex-
perienced bee-keeper than myself tells me
that if I leave so much space below the
brood-chamber the bees will, in the spring
or before the door is left open for ventila-
tion, fill it with comb. Is he right, and if
so can I overcome the difficulty by insert-
ing a box of shallow frames after remov-
ing the f eedeir at the beginning of winter ?
It seems to me that pushing in the frame
in the winter or drawing it out in the
early summer would work havoc among
the bees. I suppose excluder would have
to' be used above the' box to keep the
queen above it? — Jno. Reid.

Reply. — If you do as you suggest there
will be no trouble ; you should place an
excluder between.

[8914] Disinfecting Dividers and Combs.
— -Will you kindly inform me through the
Journal: — (1) The best method to dis-
infect tin dividers; also (2) if brood-combs
which have been away from the hives for
a year and sprayed twice with carbolic
acid will be free from foul brood germs? —
J. R. M.

Reply. — (1) Wash the dividers with a
10 per cent, solution of formaldehyde
(2) If the combs have been in a diseased
stock do not attempt to use them, but
melt them down. If hive was healthy
they will be all right to use.

[8915] Too - Early Manipulation. —
Would you please give me your
opinion through your valuable " B.B.J.,"
which is always a great help and a delight
to read. I examined my bees on March
1st, it being a lovely day, the tempera-
ture 62degs. I had them indoors when
the quilts were removed. I took two
frames of honey from them, which were
not covered by bees, leaving six. I found a
good patch of brood on one frame sealed
and unsealed. When T saw brood I packed
up again. Will the hard frost we are
having do unsealed brood any harm when
the bees become dormant in cold weather ?
I may say bees did very well here last
summer. I transferred a stock from a
skep to a frame-hive in eight days. The
queen was laying in frames on the second
day. Bees in the skep were full to over-
flowing, two large clusters clinging to the

120

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 19, 1914.

sides of the skep, which was inside a box-
hive. A new queen was successfully intro-
duced on the tenth day to frames after
removing old queen. — J. Heslop.

Reply. — It was injudicious of you to
open the hives so early. The bees will be
able to- take care of what little brood
thev have, even if it freezes.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford?,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—

Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Alderham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff. The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticulturall' Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens. Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

Freda (Oundle) . — Be-arra ngin g th e
Apiary. — We are sorry you carried out
your own idea, and asked our advice after-
wards. We are always ready and willing
to assist our readers and have no axe to
grind, and so could have saved you
trouble. We repeat our advice: Stick
to the "W.B.C." hives and British bees.
Work up again from the lot in the make-
shift hive. You will be no better off on
the different points you mention if you
purchase the hive of bees you suggest.
The Brice swarm-catcher is good, and
may be obtained from Messrs. .las. Lee
and Son. You could not keep the
Carninlans pure, therefore would be un-
able to guarantee them if even there was
a demand for swarms. With regard to

your second lot of queries, we reply to
them briefly as under: — (1) The
question of veils and bee-dress for
women; was dealt with fully in the
"B.B.J.," for December 11th, 1913.
(2) The syrup is quite good to
use. (3) Candy is too* hard. (4) Use
the sections in the ordinary way. (5)
iScorch inside of hive with painter's
blow-lamp. (6) Metal dividers are best.
(7) South-east. (8) Close the entrance,
and two persons can easily carry the
hive; the bees will not be disturbed.

(9) Do not give syrup food until April.

(10) Use syrup, not honey.

Novice (Notts). — Disinfecting Hive. — (1
and 2) We prefer to use carbolic acid, as
recommended in "British Bee-keepers'
Guide Book." (3) If the bees have
enough sealed stores to last until April
you need not give candy again, but
start to feed with syrup then.

G. S. (Bisley). — Preserving Coinbs in
Spirit. — Both can be done in a 10 per-
cent. solution of formaldehyde.

J. G. (Wadhurst). — Be-starting with Bees.
— (1) Yes, in a. small way. (2) Spray it
with petrol, and burn the grass. (3)
Start with stocks of bees if you want to
get any honey. (4) Sorry we cannot.

Silliw (Catford). — Be-stocking Hives. —
We see no reason why you should not
try one stock again.

W. S. (Ilforcl).— Discoloured Combs.— The
comb is simply discoloured through being
bred in ; it is not a sign of disease.
Suspected Disease.

Handley (Chester). — Both lots of bees
have died from " Isle of Wight " disease.
No. 1 are Blacks ; No. 2 Italian hybrids.

J. G. (Bearsden), W. G. (Milford), and Mrs.
A. P. H. (Iiminster). — Bees have died
from " Isle of AVight " disease.

J. S. (Battlebridge).— We fail to find any
symptom which enables us to state cause
of death.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

SIX good stocks bees, in nearly new bar-frame
hives; also sundry appliances. — Apply,
WEAVING. Poultry Farm, Chipping Norton, v 14

A BARGAIN.— Thirteen W.B.C. body boxes, Is.
Jr\. each; twenty W.B.C. shallow boxes, 9d.
each; 1£ gross metal ends, Is. gross; twenty-six
excluders, zinc 3d. each; full particulars stamped
envelope. -J. YOUNGER, 29, Newmarket-road,
C:unhridg,-. v 13

TYPEWRITER, No. 8, Remington, brief car-
. riage, clear writing, very reliable, perfect, cost
£23, sell 80s.- approval: great bargain. Wake-
field, Newhall Hill, Birmingham. v 11

March 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

121

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual geneiral meeting of mem-
bers was held in the Lecture Hall of the
Zoological Society of London, Regent's
Park, London, on Thursday, March 19th,
1914, when Mr. T. W. Cowan presided
over an attendance larger than in 1913.
Many had travelled long distances to be
present.

The minutes of the previous annual
general meeting, held March 27th, 1913,
having been read and confirmed, the
Chairman said : I presume you have all
received a copy of the Report for 1913.
You have just heard the minutes read of
the last meeting, which is a very full
report of what occurred. I do not think
I need say much this time, except that
the Report is quite as favourable as it was
last year, and we find that in almost
every item we have made progress. To
begin with, we started with forty-six
affiliated associations, we had forty-five in
1912, and we have now forty-six. The
membership has increased by three, which
is very satisfactory considering there is
so much disease about, and that so many
members have been obliged to give up
keeping bees. That Ave have not gone
down in membership is very encouraging.
With regard to finance we have made pro-
gress ; the total amount in hand last year
was £408 7s. Id. against £374 17s. lOd.
in 1912, 'an increase of £23 9s. 3d., which
is very good. At the bank we have a
balance of £193, while in the previous year
we had only £119. When we can do that
in spite of a bad season and great
mortality amongst the bees I think it is
very satisfactory. With regard to the
Development Fund Grant, the work has
been carried on and in the Report you
will see all that has been done; the lectures
have been satisfactory and the attendance
good all round. There is another very
favourable point to which I should like to
draw your attention, i.e., the Experts'
Report. At Swanley, in 1912, the bees
were all right, and I am pleased to find
in this year's report that they still con-
tinue healthy, and that they have come
through the winter in good condition, with
no sign of "Isle of Wight" or other
disease. This is very good after being
decimated by "Isle of Wight" disease
several years ago. With regard to legisla-
tion we are no further forward than last
year. The Bill was introduced again, and
it was really talked out, the Government

being obliged to' drop it and give pre-
ference to other bills of more importance.
They cannot take up a Bill that has to be
discussed and carried through. At any
rate, a great many bee-keepers have given
up bee-keeping, as they seem to think that
it is no use until there is legislation. All
we can do is to keep bombarding the
Government. (Applause.) We must keep
on worrying them as we have done before
until we do get it. I was at a meeting
in Somerset the other day and members
were all very keen to have an Act, and
very wrath with, the Government for not
passing the Bill. This Bill is a very small
matter compared to the Home Rule Bill
and others that the House of Commons
have in hand. We must hope for better
days for bee-keepers. I think, however,
that on the whole the Report is a very
favourable one, and I propose that it,
together with the balance-sheet, be
adopted.

General Sir Stanley Edwardes seconded
the motion, saying he had much pleasure
in seconding the adoption of the Report
and balance-sheet, which were both very
satisfactory, and left nothing for them to
criticise. He must confess he had hardly
anything to say on the subject, but hoped
that the Bill which has been before Parlia-
ment may get better luck next time. The
proposition was carried unanimously.

Mr. Bocock proposed a vote of thanks
to the retiring Council and officers. They
were all business men who devoted a great
deal of time to the management of affairs
of the Association, and it gave him great
pleasure to' propose a hearty vote of
thanks to them for their zeal and labour.

Mr. Illingworth seconded the proposi-
tion and it was carried with acclamation.

Mr. Reid said he had much pleasure
in proposing the re-election of the
President and Honorary Vice-Presidents,
Treasurer, Auditor, Analyst, Solicitor,
and Foreign Corresponding members.
This included a number of people
who reflected great credit upon the
Association. The Hon. Treasurer had
been very active, there was a great deal
that the Auditor had done for which they
ought to be especially thankful. Two sets
of accounts had to be dealt with, as the
Development Fund necessitated the keep-
ing of separate books : these had to' be
audited and presented to the Board of
Agriculture. The Board arrange set forms
to meet their requirements, and they had
to keep these accounts, accordingly they
were extremely grateful to the Auditor.
They had not troubled the Analyst very
much, but at any time questions might
arise of the greatest importance, when of
course they would go to him. It was a very
good sign that they had not had to
trouble him, and it showed that there was
not much adulterated honey. The Solicitor

122

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 26, 1914.

also had not been troubled much, but they
were very grateful to him for keeping
them in the right path. It was important
for them to keep straight, so that they
should not be called upon to answer for
any misdeeds in the future.

Mr. Pugh seconded the resolution, and
it was carried unanimously.

Mr. Judge said that he thought the
name of Dr. Annie Porter should be added
to their list of hon. members as they all
knew she had worked hard in the in-
vestigation of Nosema apis, and he thought
it would be a favourable opportunity of
showing their appreciation of her efforts to
assist bee-keepers by finding a remedy for
the disease which was so disastrous to the
industry.

Mr. Bocock seconded Mr. Judge's pro-
position, adding that Dr. A. Porter had
been working on the "Isle of Wight"
disease since 1904, some considerable time
before the Government investigated the
disease. During the whole of the time
since that year her efforts had been
devoted to finding a cure ; those efforts, he
regretted to say, had not yet met with
great success, but she was still persevering.
He thought that it would be a good thing
if they were to elect her as an hon. mem-
ber, and that it would tend towards the
advancement of bee-keeping.

The resolution was carried.

Mr. Judge proposed the election of the
Council en bloc, as printed.

Rev. F. S. F. Jannings seconded, and
it was carried.

Mr. Illingworth moved : " That in view
of the continued and widespread ravages
of ' Isle of Wight ' disease, and the great
loss thereby inflicted on bee-keepers, fruit-
growers, and others, this annual general
meeting of members of the B.B.K.A.
urges the Board of Agriculture to con-
tinue its /valuable) investigations of the
disease with a view to discovering a cure.
A copy of this resolution to be sent to the
Board of Agriculture."

Mr. Rogers seconded, and it was carried.
This concluded the business of the meet-
ing.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held immediately after the annual meet-
ing. M,r. T. W. Cowan presided, and
there were present Miss M. D. (Sillar,
Messrs. A. G. Pugh, C. L. M. Eales, R, H.
Attenborough, J. Smallwood, W. F. Reid,
E. Walker, E. Watson, T. Bevan, General
Sir Stanley Edwardes, Sir Ernest Spencer,
and Col. H. J. 0. Walker; Association
representatives D. Seamer (Lincolnshire),
G. S. Faunch (Essex), G. J. Flashman
(Barnet), F. W. Harper (St. Albans), Rev.
S. F. Jannings (Yorkshire), G. W. Judge
and G. Bryden (Crayford), W. W. Falkner
(Leicestershire), and the Secretary, W.
Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were received from Miss Gayton,
Capt. Sitwell, Rev. G. H. Pratt, and* Mr.
J. Water field.

The minutes of Council meeting, held
February 19th, 1914, were read and con-
firmed.

The following officers were elected : —
Chairman, Mr. T. W. Cowan; Vice-Chair-
man, Mr. W. F. Reid. Finance Com-
mittee, Messrs. R. H. Attenborough, T.
Bevan. C. L. M. Eales, J. B. Lamb, A.
Richards, J. Smalh\f>od, E. Walker, and
Sir Ernest Spencer. Exhibition Com-
mittee, Capt. Sitwell, Messrs. T. Bevan,
O. R. Frankenstein, A. G. Pugh, E.
Watson, E. Walker, and Miss M. D.
Sillar. Publication Committee, Messrs.
T. Bevan, C. L. At. Eales, J. B. Lamb,
W. F. Reid, and J. Smallwood. Board of
Examiners (for Paper AVork, First and
Second Class Examinations), Alessrs. T. W.
Cowan, D. M. Macdonald, W. F. Reid,
and Col. H. J. O. Walker. For Lecture
Test, Messrs. T. W. Cowan, C. L. M.
Eales, W. Herrod, J. B. Lamb, D. M.
Macdonald, W. F. Reid, A. Richards, E.
Walker, Sir Ernest Spencer, and Col.
H. J. O. Walker. Emergency Committee,
Messrs. J. B. Lamb, W. F. Reid, and Sir
Ernest Spencer.

The financial report Avas presented by
Mr. Smallwood. The receipts for the
month of February were £23 4s. 9d. The
bank balance at the end of February was
£221 13s. 9d. It was resolved that pay-
ments amounting to £10 13s. 99. be made.

The dates of Council meetings for 1914
were arranged for the third Thursday in
each month, excepting August, when there
will not be a meeting, in July when the
meeting will be at the Royal Show,
Shrewsbury, on July 2nd, and- in October,
when it will be held on the 22nd (Thurs-
day) in Dairy Show week.

The following new members were
elected: — Rev. E. A. AVoodruffe, Dr.
H. H. Corbett, Mr. J. Anderson, and Dr.
C. Royds Jones.

The following nominations of repre-
sentatives from affiliated Associations were
received and accepted: — (Suffolk) Mr.
H. G. Garratt, (Nottinghamshire) Mr. G.
Hayes, ( South Staffordshire) Mr. R.
Talbot-Clayton, (Cheshire), Mr. G. Garratt,
(Somerset) Col. H. F. Jolly.

A resolution unanimously passed at the
annual meeting of the South Staffordshire
and District Association urging the Coun-
cil to get the Bee Diseases Bill re-intro-
duced into Parliament was received.
Next meeting of Council, April 16th.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.
Ti>l Charles II. Heap, Beading.

THINGS TO AVOID IN SPRING FEEDING.

With the approach of April, many bee-
keepers are seriously turning their
thoughts to spring feeding. It is an im-

March 2(3, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

123

portant subject, for upon it, often later
in the season, success, to a large extent,
depends. Unfortunately, the work is not
always carried out with sufficient thought
and care. In this event the feeder be-
comes a hindrance rather than a help to
breeding, by allowing the escape of a great
deal of heat generated, not only at the
expense of food, but of the vitality of
the bees as well. During last year a long
correspondence took place in the
" B.B.J." on slow feeders. The great
concern of th© writers was to secure an
instrument that would not allow the
syrup to leave the vessel too- freely ; but
no thought whatever appeared to be given
to the equally important desideratum —
the conservation of every possible degree
of heat. While breeding is actively in
progress, the bees have to maintain a
temperature of over 90deg. Fahr., and it,
therefore, follows that when the cluster of
bees is comparatively small no effort should
be spared by the bee-keeper to prevent
the unnecessary escape of heat. Far too
often- feeders are not only a means by
which food is furnished, but a means by
which heat is effectively drawn from the
brood-chamber Factory-made articles as
well as improvised feeders, are faulty,
not only in being draughty but in pre-
senting too large a surface to act as a con-
ductor from the hive of heat which is
required in building up a strong colony.

Successful Stimulation Experiment. —
Another mistake is to slash in the quilts
holes from 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter.
These are far too large. For stimulative
spring feeding a hole large enough to
admit the easy passage of two bees abreast
through the quilts to the syrup is, in my
opinion, all that is needed. I came to
this conclusion two- years ago, as the result
of a successful and unpremeditated experi-
ment in slow feeding. On visiting some
bees I had six or seven miles from home, I
discovered that one colony was running
short of food, and, moreover, needed
stimulation. As I had no feeder at hand
I took a lever-lid tin with a capacity for
121bs. of syrup, and put in olbs. or 61bs.
of flour candy, which had become dry, and
filled the tin with cold water. After
stirring to get as much candy melted as
possible, I made a tiny hole in the centre
of the lid and inverted the can in such
a way that the hole in the lid corre-
sponded with a small hole the bees had
gnawed through the quilts. When I
visited the apiary a fortnight later, I
found the can empty and a fine lot of
brood in various stages of development.
This gave me an idea for a new kind of
slow feeder, which I hope to test this
spring.

Disease Germs in Honey. — Some bee-
keepers use honey of an inferior quality

for spring feeding; but the greatest care
should be taken always to ascertain
whether the honey is the product of a
diseased stock. Honey, as every bee-keeper
should know, is a vehicle by which the
germs of all the well-recognised bee-
diseases may be conveyed to* a healthy
colony. Consequently, when there is the
slightest suspicion of disease, or when
the honey is from an unknown source,
water should be added to it, and the
whole thoroughly boiled. I have at times
fed doubtful honey, but before doing so
boiled it for at least an hour. While the
spores of some disease- producing
organisms are easily destroyed others will
stand somewhat prolonged periods of
boiling. This is es2>ecially the case with
foul brood. It must not be supposed that
because honey is several years old it is
safe to use on that account. The spores
of foul brood will maintain their vitality
for many years, while- those of Nosema
apis are able to survive for several years
in honey under varying conditions.

The Vitality of Nosema Spores. — Last
autumn the investigators of the Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries carried out some
experiments with honey taken from the
brood-chambers of hives in which the bees
died in the autumn of 1911, from " Isle of
Wight" disease. Two- samples of honey
were used. One sample was in a liquid
form. It had twice granulated, and had
twice been liquefied through standing in
an attic in a position where it received
through a skylight sunbeams for several
hours daily. The other sample had been
placed in a cool, shady position and had
remained in a granulated condition almost
from the time it was extracted in Janu-
ary, 1912. Last October the liquid honey
was given to -100 bees, all of which died.
A few of the bees showed signs of Nosema,
and there was a great deal of dysentery
among them. The granulated honey was
also su]3plied to 4001 bees, of which only
thirty or forty were surviving on Decem-
ber loth. The stock, however, lived much
longer than that to which the liquid honey
was fed. Out of a colony of 4001 bees fed
with fresh honey from uninfected sources
about 300 were alive on, December 15th.
A few of the bees fed with the honey taken
from the hives in which the bees had died
were found to contain young Nosema
meronts. Both samples of honey con-
tained some Nosema spores, but the
majority appeared somewhat lifeless.

These experiments are exceedingly in-
teresting, as they show that Nosema
spores are- capable of retaining their
vitality in honey for at least two years,
and though at the end of that time some
were "somewhat lifeless " they were cap-
able of producing disease1.

124 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 26, 1914.

HELPfOL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

How to Make and Stock an Observatory Hive.
{Continued from page 104.)

Th« next portion to make is the brood chamber (Fig. 3). For the bottom a
piece of wood (J), finishing 2iin. long, 7jin. wide, and fin. thick, is required.
In the centre a hole (H and M), ijin. in diameter, is cut, to take the cone of the
upper half of the turntable (I). This is tapered to fit over the lower half, K
(Fig. 2) ; when screwed fast to the bottom of the brood chamber, and
put in position, the top cone fits over the lower one, so that the top edges of both
cones are level ; M (Fig. 3) the faces of the brass or wood turntable come into
contact, so that the brood chamber can be revolved, even when the bees are pass-
ing in and out, without injuring them. Another hole, for feeding (N), ijin. in
diameter, is bored, with the centre 3m. from the inside of the end. On the side
of the bottom (Q) a bracket, 8in. at its longest part and 6in. at its shortest,
ijin. wide and fin. thick, is glued and screwed (P) through the curved portion of
the bracket. Another hole (O), ijin. in diameter, with the centre 3 Jin. from the
centre of the one (N), is bored for the feeding stage. A connecting passage fin.
deep is cut on the underside of the bottom, as indicated by the dotted lines be-
tween the holes, N and O. This allows a free passage for the bees from the
hive to the feeder. A piece of wire cloth or perforated zinc is tacked on the
bottom so that it reaches Jin. beyond the holes and the passage sides. This
prevents the bees from escaping, and forms a floor to the passage. It also helps
to ventilate the hive. Two pieces (K), 27m. long, 5 Jin. wide and fin. thick,
form the ends. These are lock jointed into the bottom (O) End Elevation Outside
(Fig. 4), glued, and screwed with three long screws (Q) from the underside, so that
the inside measure is i7Tlgin. A piece, P (Fig. 4), i8|in. long, ifin. wide and Jin.
thick, is lock jointed (E), glued, and screwed into the ends at the top. Six blocks,
G (Fig. 3) and H (Fig. 4), 8^in. long, ijin. wide and i^in. thick, are screwed
from the inside only, not glued, S (Fig. 3) and R (Fig. 4), up the centre of the
inside of the end, G (Fig. 3) and H (Fig. 4), so that a space above the top one
and between the others of Jin. is left to carry the lug of the frame. At one of
the front corners of the top block a rebate is made, I (Fig. 4), to carry a clinical
thermometer for observing the temperature. A couple of tin clips, as shown, tacked
round, will hold it in place and allow it to be put in or taken but from the top
for cleaning. In this position it is visible from the outside when the glass frame
is in position. A couple of holes about ijin. in diameter are bored through the
end at U (Fig. 3), and covered with perforated zinc on the inside. The position
allows air to pass in over the frame ends. On the outside, ventilators, A (Fig. 4),
which can be opened or closed, are screwed. To steady the frames, and also to
hold the blocks secure, round head brass screws, R (Fig. 3) and C (Fig. 4), are
put in. These should be long enough to go into' the frame end about T\rin.
Frames to hold the glass, T (Fig. 3), are made next. These should be 1 Jin. wide
for the sides and fin. for top and bottom, so> that they do not obstruct the view;
the thickness is iin. These frames are mortised and tenoned together, one being
25m. long by t 7 ,1,. in, F (Fig. 4). The others must be Jin. shorter, i.e., 24jin. long
by i711fiin. wide, so that the frame will fit under the cross piece, P (Fig. 4). Grooves
to take the glass, E (Fig. 3), are now ploughed on the inside. These must be wide
enough to take the glass used. Twenty-one ounce ordinary glass is the least ex-
pensive, and will do very well if carefully chosen free from defects ; Jin. plate
glass is the best, but, of course, is expensive. The outside edge of both grooves
should be Jin. from the face, T (Fig. 4), or, in other words, the thickness of the
wood from glass toi the outside of the frame is Jin. The space between the glasses
will vary according to the thickness of the glass used. The bottom rail mortises

March 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAX.

125

/

L'"W\

,--'L

H°

y

r/A

m

w

Section throuch.cd

/ '/

pECTION o/v A . 3

i.

B

P l T

t ) Q Plan of Brood Chamber, from ty.

I Fig 3.

A.B. Longitudinal Section; CD., Cross Section; E., Glass Frame Screws; F.,
Frame; G., Blocks; H., Entrance Hole; I., Turntable (upper half); J., Bottom;
K. End Upright; L., Glass; M., Entrance Hole; N., Entrance Hole to Feeder; O.,
Feed Hole; P., Bracket Screws ; Q., Bracket for Feeder ; R., Frame Screws; S., Block
Screws; T., Frame for Glass; U., Ventilators; V., Passage to Feeder; \\ .,
Perforated Zinc Bottom to Passage.

126

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 26, 1914,

are pinned with wood; the top ones should be fastened with screws, so that they
can be taken out to remove and replace the glass for cleaning the inside surfaces.
The frames are secured by round head brass screws through the end, E (Fig. 3)
and B (Fig. 4).

(To be Continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications .
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8985] A few months ago you were
kind enough to publish in your columns
an article which I contributed, entitled
"A Model Apiary."

I now regret to have to record the
melancholy fact that some disease. — most
probably "Isle of Wight " — has decimated
this "humming village" of thirteen
stocks, not one being left.

This apiary produced a large surplus of
honey during last season, but towards the
end one stock showed signs of disease, and
upon some of the bees being sent
to the Editors of " B.B.J." for examina-
tion it was pronounced to be " Isle of
Wight" disease. The stock was promptly
" sulphured," the bees, combs, and frames
burned, and the hive scorched and put
aside. The twelve stocks remaining, which
^ere strong and vigorous, were fed with
medicated syrup, and afterwards neatly
packed up for winter. On one of the sunny
days of January my friend went to the
apiary, but as he did not see any bees flying
he peeped into' one of the hive entrances,
and he then saw some dead bees on the
floor-board. On examining more close! v he
found eleven stocks dead, the twelfth
having a mere handful of bees alive; these
few were subsequently killed, and a bonfire
of bees, combs, and over a, hundred, frames
were burned. The ground upon which the
apiary stood has been covered with lime
and every precaution taken to disinfect it.

My friend intends making a fresh start ;
two members of our local Association
having presented him with two stocks of
bees, and he has ordered a stock from a
v.ell-known bee-appliance manufacturer.

There are one or two deductions perhaps
to be drawn from the foregoing viz. : —
"Isle of Wight" disease is no respecter
of persons ; it attacks tiie well-kept
apiaries with the same virulence, as it
does those of the go-as-you-please class,
and thus disproves the contention I have
heard made by some bee-keepers that the
disease only attacks ill-kept stocks. Before

I close I should like to ask a question re-
lating to honey taken from hives of bees
which have died of 'Isle of Wight"'
disease. (1) Has it been scientifically
proved that such honey is harmless for
human beings? (2) Would it not be better
for all such honey to be sterilised by bring-
ing it up to a certain fixed temperature ?

These questions have agitated my mind
for some time for the following reasons :
"Isle of Wight" is a disease of the in-
testines, and if the germs of disease are
in the honey, is it impossible for them to
find a sympathetic spot in the intestines
of some human beings, especially delicate
people? And I constantly read in the
' B.B.J." enquirers' column that "The
honey is safe, or fit, for human consump-
tion, but must not be given to bees."

No doubt you and your scientific readers
are able to give solid proof of the im-
munity of human beings from diseases of
bees, and if such proof appears in the
" B.B.J." it will allay any nervousness
which may exist among those enlightened
people who use honey as a regular article
of food. — Alfred Edge, Bridgnorth.

[See reply to LI. K. (Ruabon) page 130.

—Eds.]

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE
" CURES."

[8983] Replying to Mr Desmond's
inquiry (page 113) in last week's
"B.B.J." re the above, I am sorry to
say the "cure" I reported in September
last did not prove to be permanent. A
few days after I wrote I took off another
rack of sections almost as well filled as
the first, and later, when I packed the
bees up for the winter they appeared to
be well and strong, and had plenty of
stores. As the weather was mild they
continued flying almost daily until Christ-
mas, but about a week before that date
they were beginning to drop about again,
and they finally died out about a month
ago, having still 301bs. of honey in the
hive. Three neighbours whose bees also
apparently recovered in the spring re-
port the same ultimate result as myself,
onlv their stocks died earlier. — K.C.A.P..
North Herts.

POLLEN MITE AND "ISLE OF
WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8987] In my opinion the cause of the
" Isle of Wight " disease is a tiny mite in
the pollen, very much resembling tbe
J&hizoglyphus agilis, better known as the
" Bulb Mite." This mite has a rather
extended life history. The larva, on hatch-
(Correspondence continued on page 128.)

March 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

127

N N

__ vm

End Elevation touTside,. End Elevation, inside .

Fig 4.

Plan or Top of Brood Chamber .

A., Ventilators; B., Glass Frame Screws; C, Frame Screws; D., Fastener
Catch; E., Lock Joints; F., Long Glass Frame ; G., End Uprights; H., Blocks ;
I., Thermometer; J., Bottom; K., Ball Jointed Lens ; L., Opal Glass and Glass
in Feeder; M., Feed Hole Tunnel; N., Feeding Stage; 0., Lock Joint of End
Uprights; P., Top Cross Brace; Q., Screws; R., Block Screws; |S., Short Glass
Frame; T., Wood Left Between Glass and Outer Edges; U., Perforated Zinc.

128

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 26, 1914.

ing from the egg, has six legs, and after
feeding for a short time it moults and
becomes a nymph with eight legs. The
nymph probably moults twice before it
becomes a perfect insect sexually. There
is also a hypopus stage in the life of some
of them, which stage is developed for the
spread of the species, and during which
the hypopus possesses suckers by which it
can adhere to flying or passing animals.
All the stages can be found in a hive with
" Isle of Wight " disease, and also in the
intestines of the diseased bee. The hatch-
ing eggs are responsible for the destruc-
tion in the intestines of the bee.

The perfect insect itself is easily
destroyed. A few puffs of tbbacco smoke
will make it insensible and allow a half-
hour's examination. The Hypopus is non-
active, and may also be seen with a good
lens. The eggs are very, very small and
numerous, and seem to be able to resist
any drug which may be administered to
the bee with safety. The removal of the
pollen will, of course, arrest the infection,
but it will be found that those bees show-
ing signs of the disease have lost their
ability to take food. — G. W. Grant.

THE FIRST HUMBLE BEE.

I saw my first humble bee' this
year on March 21st, a beautiful day, with
hailstorms between bursts of bright sun-
shine. The sallow has been in bloom for
a week, and the bees are now busy on it.
Last year I saw the first humble1 bee on
March 31st. Then, as now, it was Bombus
terrestris. I do not find that B. pra-
torum, Mr. Sladen's "early nesting
humble bee," is the first to appear. The
flowering currant is just out, and shortly
will entertain many wild bees. — G. G.
Desmond, Sheepseombe, Glos.

PROGRESS OF "ISLE OF WIGHT"
DISEASE.

(Continued from p. 116.)
Page 73 : " It is known that in certain
other protozoal diseases that the newer the
parasite is to the host the more deadly it
is found to be. Also it has. been shown
that after a time the host acquires the
power of tolerating the parasite to a
greater or less extent. Arguing by
analogy with TV. Bombyeis, which is fatal
to silkworms in practically all European
cases, it would seem probable that
N. apis has been a parasite of bees for a
longer period than N. Bombyeis has of
silkworms. If such be the case, there is
then the possibility of an immune race of
bees developing; and, indeed, certain ex-
periments in cross infection have shown
that some bees may feed on honey contain-
ing thousands of Nose ma spores, and yet
be unaffected by them."

In the portion of the report dealing with
the history of the disease, substantial evi-
dence is brought forward, pointing to the

fact that the disease is no new one, but
that it has been endemic in various parts
of the country for many years, and that
the numerous cases of bees dying during
winter, the reason for such being put
down to the inability of the bees to reach
stores during cold spells, to dysentery, &o,
were really due to Nosema apis. Spring
dwindling is also attributed to the
parasite. Further evidence supporting the
case for the possibility of acquiring im-
munity lies in the fact that we have no
other insect that can do for us what the
hive-bee does in the way of fertilising
fruit blossom. Humble bees and other
insects do visit them, but at the season of
bloom they are not present in sufficient
numbers to perform the work efficiently.
In many parts of the world it has been
found necessary to> establish apiaries on
fruit farms in order to provide for the
blossoms being properly fertilised. In
^iew of this, it does not appear
likely that it is part of Nature's plan to
allow of the extermination of the hive
bee. In a state of Nature, the continuance
of the race could only be provided for by
some bees acquiring the power to resist
the disease and reach a state of im-
munity— " The survival of the fittest."

But we can do something at any rate to
assist our bees by seeing to it that the con-
ditions under which they live are favour-
able. They cannot flourish in damp hives,
and therefore it is necessary to see to it
that roofs are watertight. Bad stores are
a fruitful cause of trouble, predisposing
bees to disease by overtaxing their diges-
tive systems and so weakening their
resistant powers. Reference is made on
page 28 to a. statement made by Mr.
Beuhne, of Australia, to the effect that
" he had an instance of bees falling out of
a hive in a short time after he had given
them a comb of mouldy pollen." Mouldy
combs are frequently found on the outside
of the brood-chamber in the early spring,
and these outside combs are usually stored
with pollen. If these are left in the hive
the bees will, if strong, clean them up, but
to do this they are compelled to tear down
the cell walls in order to remove the
pollen and take the mouldy mass into their
mouths for removal from the hive. This
can have none but a prejudicial effect
upon health. It is a. good plan, whenever
a poor comb is found during an, examina-
tion, to work it to the side of the brood-
chamber and remove it in spring.

The plan provides for the systematic
renewal of the combs and ensures that if
any of the combs are spoiled by mould, it
is those of the least value.

Plenty of warm wraps are necessary
in winter and spring, but "the best pack-
in ix for bees is bees."

To produce heat bees consume honey
and hang in a cluster. In a healthy con-

March 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

129

dition they have the ability to retain their
excreta in, the bowels for a considerable
time and until a warm day provides an
opportunity for flight. A large cluster of
bees can reach and maintain the necessary
temperature with less individual consump-
tion of stores than is the case with a small
cluster, consequently there is a smaller
quantity of residue in their bowels, and
they will pass through hard weather better
and live longer in the spring. Bees in a
small cluster are compelled to consume
lai'ge quantities of honey in order to pro-
duce heat. The increased quantity of
residue causes a strain on their bowels,
which frequently culminates in dysentery,
and is, in any case, bound to result in a
lowered vitality. In this condition they
contract disease quickly. In conclusion, I
will re-quote from the report the state- j
ment that " We think good results might be j
obtained if attempts were made to build up j
apiaries from stocks which show well- j
marked resistance to the disease."

In doing this let us see to it that
queens are reared in none but strong
colonies and only when honey is coming
in, thus ensuring that the embryo queens
will be well fed during their larval stages.
A poor queen means a poor colony. —
H. H. Brook.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from p. 107.)
We should have liked to have stayed
longer in Paris. Even from an apicultural
point of view we were obliged to hurry
over our work. As all the world knows,
our junior editor has but very short
intervals which may be devoted to re-
laxation. Therefore our tour was neces-
sarily mapped out, so many days here,
so' many days there, and we had
still Italy, Switzerland, a.nd Belgium
to visit. Therefore the evening of
Tuesday saw our movement farther south.
We were in light marching order, our im-
pedimenta of the smallest, just as
much as we could cram into a moderate
sized valise, plus portable camera and
photographic apparatus. Therefore we
contemned the need of taxis. Should I ever
go the "Grand Tour" again, I would
consider even halving this baggage. AVas
it not General Gordon who said that a
hair brush, soap, and a razor were the
only necessities even for a world's tour.

The " Gare de Lyon " ! Now we begin to
recognise that we are not on an island.
From this point you may commence
and, scarce leaving train, may travel
Europe, Asia, aye, even Africa. The
departure boards at our English stations
indicate that from where you may at the
moment be situated you can reach the
North of Scotland or even Dublin town,
but at the Gare de Lyon you read that the

train from platform number so-and-so
starts for Geneva, and from the next to
Rome, Naples, and Brindisi. Verily, the
world is but small after all.

Our next main halting-place was Rome,
yet it is a long journey to take without
any break, therefore we arranged sundry
halts en route. We left Paris, as I said
before, in the late evening ; in the early
morning as the day began to break we
could see the snow-capped mountains on
our right, the Jura Alps, which nestle
around Geneva. We crossed the frontier
via Mont Cenis and its seven miles tunnel.
Modane was a station divided against
itself, on the one side French officials, on
the other Italian ; nay, even the time of
day would not agree, for the face of the
Italian clock would insist on brazening
out that the French clock, which stared it
full in the face, was an hour late. We
who hailed from Britain believed neither,
we knew that both lied.

And so we invaded Italy, but with very
peaceful intention. We descended on the
fat plains of Lombardy. Shades of
ravaging Gauls of bygone days, now I
appreciated how and why you had broken
through those mountain fastnesses for
spoils of war. Land of plenty now at
peace. Land of grapes and olives, of wine
and oil and honey. Fat oxen tilled the soil
or dragged loads at their own lazy gait.
Here fields of maize and flax or buckwheat,
there bamboos^ growing as the osier does
with us. Until the afternoon we travelled
through the same unceasing abundance.
Why do Italians leave their beautiful
lands for our rugged shores ?

Our resting-place for the night was
Turin, city of colonnades and piazzas. We
were "a day's march nearer Rome," and
the next morning early we were away
betimes ; we wanted to visit Pisa to see
its leaning tower and its cathedral in our
hurried flight, for, perforce, it was almost
that. In the grey of almost the only rainy
afternoon we endured we saw Genoa and
sped onwards. At first we met the
Mediterranean. " There shrinks no ebb in
that tideless sea." As the rays of the
rising sun pierced the mists of the morn-
ing, the ruined arches of the great
aqueduct told us we were nearing the
Eternal City. We were speeding through
the level Campagna and wondered if in
the history of Rome those ruined towers
that we saw so frequently had taken any
part. We were brimful of romance and
poetry and so we passed the ancient walls
and entered Rome.

O Rome ! Rome ! I have dreamt of thee
since my schoolboy days. I have suffered
pains and punishments because I found it
difficult to learn thy Latin. I have
mentally pictured thy streets with march-
ing brass-helmeted legions, chariots
accompanying. I see thy toga -clad

130

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [March 2G, 1914.

senators. I hear Cicero declaiming " 0
temporal 0 mores! " I hear

"Hotel! Hotel! Hotel! This ees the
Engliseh Hotel! Voiture for Hotel de
Londres ! Any baggage ! I am the English
Guide!" and a thousand other shouts from
lungs of brass.

Really, that last night's travelling must
have sent me to sleep. I have been
dreaming. This Babel and confusion
cannot be old Rome, it must be some up-
to-date city of pleasure.

We had already arranged for our
residence. Our words were few, but were
to the point. Some people might have
called them English swear words. — J.
Smallavood.

(To .be continued.)

LECTURE ON BEE-KEEPING.

On March 30th, a lecture on "A Year's
Work in the Apiary " will be given by
Mr. W. Herrod, at 8 p.m. in the Christ
Church Schoolroom, Woodside Road,
Longlands, Sidcup. The lecture is
organised by the Cravford and District
B.K.A., and the Secretary hopes that all
members will endeavour to be present, and
will bring friends.

TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.

E. H. Taylor (Hive Works, Welwyn,
Herts). — This well-known firm is again to
the fore with a well-got-up list of bee-
appliances for large and small apiaries.
Everything that the bee-keeper can
possibly require is listed, and in most
cases 'illustrated also. The Hints on
Successful Bee Management will be found
handy by the novice, who is frequently in
need of a reminder as to when and how to
perform the necessary work in the apiary.
Mr. Taylor makes a feature of poultry
apjjliances, a comprehensive list, well
illustrated, of these is added to the bee
goods catalogue. There are many other
items shown connected with bees and
gardens. The catalogue, forming a useful
book of reference, can be had post free on
application.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged 3s. 6d., up 'to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th- 11th, at Malvern.— The Herefords.
and \\ ores. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—

Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Sect-ion, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Btstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
bo'rough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

Ll. K. (Ruabon). — Honey and " Isle of
Wight " Disease. — No instance has been
discovered in which honey from stocks
dead from "Isle of Wight" disease has
been harmful to human beings. We
would, without hesitation, eat such
honey ourselves. One eminent scientist
tried in this way to " poison " himself
with Nosema apis, as an experiment, but
without success. There is no doubt that
it is harmless to human beings.
Suspected Disease.

H. M. E. (Enfield).-— Send the dead bees
to- us for examination.

J. T. (Baildon) and M. H. (Lowestoft).—
— The bees have died from " Isle of
Wight" disease.

Q. S. (Mindrum).— It is "Isle of Wight"
disease, but there is no reason why you
should not start again.

Troubled (Thorby). — The bees were too
decomposed for us to determine cause
of death.

Scotia (Ayrshire). — It is "Isle of Wight"
disease, the only course you can safely
follow is to destroy the infected bees.

G. C. E. (Ayr). — There are signs of "Isle
of Wight" disease in the bees sent.

J. B. (Falfield) .— We are sorry, but the
bees are too decomposed for us to be
able to form an idea as to cause of death.
Honey Samples.

H. H. B. (Ottery St. Mary).— The honey
contains a little ragwort, but we do not
consider it_ objectionable; on the
contrary, it is not a bad honey.

W. H. (Teals). — A fairly good sample.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

' PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

BEES.— Seven good stocks, new hives; also all
appliances, to clear.-MISS SARGEANT,
Bank-strcrt, Braintree. v 16

April 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

131

BKITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

CONVERSAZIONE.

At the conclusion of the annual meet-
ing, reported last week, the members
and friends assembled in the Lecture Hall,
where light refreshments were served. At
six o'clock Mr. T. W. Cowan gave
his " Special Lecture " on " Bee-keeping in
Other Countries," dealing with those
countries which lie had not time to include
in the lecture given on the same subject
in March, 1913. The large audience

attention to a venerable gentleman in the
foreground, who is explaining the advan-
tages of the moveable comb-hive. This is
M. Kandratief, who did so much to
popularise the Dadant hive in Russia,
which in this picture he is pointing to
during his discourse.

In the lecture, which I gave in March
of last year, I made a brief allusion to
what the Swiss call "race breeding,"
which had by means of constant selection
produced such good results. It was not
possible in the time at my command to go
into details or show you any of the stations
in the mountains where queen-rearing is
being carried om. I am pleased now to' be
able to show you views of some of these
places, so that they will give you an idea

MATING STATION, BRUGGEN, SWITZERLAND.

assembled listened with the greatest
interest to Mr. Cowan's address, which
was rendered more enjoyable by the
splendid lantern slides specially made for
this lecture by Mr. A. H. Cowan. Eighty-
nine were shown, and we regret that only
a few of these can be illustrated in our
pages, as the photographs were of such excel-
lence and general interest that it was diffi-
cult to make a selection. Mr. Cowan said. : —

The picture before you, which gives the
title of my lecture, is an allegorical one,
and represents a typical apiary in
a Russian village situated amongst
picturesque surroundings with the village
church in the background. You will
notice the trunks of trees which are used
as hives covered by ridge roofs, and on the
left the peasant proprietor paying serious

of the work connected with rearing queens
by selection. The Swiss believe, with very
good reason, that "every land has the best
bee," which, in other words, means that
the common bee of the country is best
suited to that country.

With the object of deciding which race
to cultivate, the opinion of the members of
the Swiss Bee Association was taken in
1907, with the result that of the 3,400
members : — 76 per cent, favoured the
Common Black ; 5 per cent. Carniolans ; 3
per cent. Italians; and 15 per cent, cross
breeds.

This overwhelming majority in favour
of the common bee decided the Society to
go in for pure-race culture. You must
not imagine that this breeding by selection

132

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 2, 1914.

is a very simple process, within the
capabilities of every bee-keeper, for there
are several factors which must be taken
into consideration. There are two' types
of native bees : (a) The reddish-brown and
(b) the brown-black, and it is recom-
mended that these should not be crossed.
The lighter coloured bees are found in
districts rich in potash, such as south of
the Alps and at the foot of the Jura.
Then Dr. Kramer says that such factors
must be taken into consideration as the
food, age of the queen, the mating, the
season, as well as the strength of the
colony. For the purpose of this breeding
and obtaining fertilisation by drones from
selected colonies, queen-rearing and mating
stations are established in isolated places
in the mountains. I will now show you a
series of these containing nuclei, so> that
you may form some idea of the work that
is being done. The following pictures
show some of the apiaries in the valleys
where queen-cells are produced. They are
then placed in the nuclei and taken to the
mountains for mating with selected
drones, which are taken there for the
purpose. It is evident that at these
elevations, where bees are not kept, the
queens on flying must mate with drones
brought there. The next picture shows a
motor-car laden with nuclei going to the
stations for mating. All those under-
taking this sort of queen-rearing meet
frequently for comparing notes and in-
struction, and, among other things, learn
how to make nuclei and other appliances
for the purpose, as you will see in the
picture before you.

In my last lecture, when speaking of the
work of Dr. Zander, who was the first to
bring to notice Nosema apis, and point out
its extreme danger, I showed you views of
the laboratory and experimental apiary
at Erlangen, and now I am pleased to be
able to present you with his portrait. All
the investigations of Dr. Graham-Smith
and the others associated with him have
fully confirmed Dr. Zander in his state-
ments regarding the disease which is still
so prevalent in this country.

HOLLAND.

Bee-keeping in Holland is principally
carried on in skeps, although there are
advanced bee-keepers who use- frame-hives.
There are 120,000 bee-keepers ; most of
them own round straw skeps, although
there are also 3,000 square skeps and
frame-hives. There are two forms of
skeps used, namely, round ones similar to
ours but larger and higher, as seen in
the picture of an apiary at Amerongen,
and square ones, the picture before
you showing the men at work plait-
ing them. The principal bee-keeping
districts are in the province of Drenthe,
Gelderland, and North Brabant, as far as
the most southerly boundary. Most of the

frame-hives are found in North Brabant,
although there area few in other districts,
the picture before you showing the
apiary of Heir Van Os, at Leersum.
To the east, along the German frontier,
are extensive moors yielding an abundant
supply of heather honey. German bee-
keepers frequently transport their skeps
in the autumn to these districts to take
advantage of the heather. It cannot be
said that bee-keeping is thriving, because
the cultivation of buckwheat, one of the
principal honey sources, is diminishing
from year to year, and a large part of the
heath districts have been brought under
cultivation. There is a Bee-keepers'
Association (Vereeniging tot besordering
der bijenteelt), and also an instructor, who
gives courses of lectures. The Association,
which has 6,200 members, received a yearly
grant from the Treasury of 4,000 francs,
and the bee-keepers are permitted to
obtain their sugar, for feeding in spring
and autumn, free of duty.

There is a curious custom still prevail-
ing in Holland, for every year, on the
second Tuesday in July, a bee market is
held in Veenendaal (Province of Utrecht).
Only bees in straw skeps are brought to
this market, and generally from 3,000 to
4,000 of them are to be seen. Bee-keepers
from all parts of the country come to buy
or sell their skeps of bees at from 2 to
3^ francs a skep. In the spring they are
worth 4 to 4| francs, and in the autumn
6 to 7 francs. Honey sells at 30 to 40
centimes a pound for the best qualities
and 18 to 25 centimes for inferior ones.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

By referring to the map, you will
see that these countries are in parts
very mountainous, and are therefore ex-
tremely well adapted for bee-keeping. In
Austria this is carried on very much in
the same way as it is in Germany, for
similar hives and bee-liouses are used,
as you will notice in the pictures.
The country is very productive, and there
are large districts where bees do very
well. In recent years the horizontal
system, such as we employ, has been intro-
duced, and is being taken up more and
more. Bohemia and Moravia are
mountainous, and both in the plains
(where fruit is cultivated) and in the
mountains there is plentiful pasturage for
bees. There are also many bee-keepers
in Southern Austria and Tyrol. In
Hungary there are also many mountainous
districts, so that bee-keepers are able to
take their bees to higher pastures when the
flowering in the valleys is ended, and in
this way the honey season is prolonged.

It is estimated that there are 1,765,213
colonies of bees kept. Most of these are
in small boxes, and one sees piles of them
frequently under the eaves of the peasants'
houses, or under shelters in their gardens.

April 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

133

In Carniola, where the pasturage is
scanty, the peasants derive their profit
from selling their bees to dealers, who
every year send a large number of colonies
to other countries. Carniolan bees are
noted for their mild temper and excessive
swarming, which is probably a habit
acquired owing to the very small hives
used. In the Banat district there is a
race of bees very similar to Carniolans.
In Galicia, which is most favourable for
bee-keeping, there are 230,000 colonies.
Hungary and Bukovina have also rich
pasturage, the Carpathian Mountains
abounding in lime trees, and to the south
there are extensive fields of melon.- One
of the best trees is the acacia, which fur-
nishes a beautiful white honev of excellent

same plan as those I mentioned in Switzer-
land. The Bee-keepers' Association is
under the patronage of the Emperor
Francis Joseph, who contributes 200
kroner from his own purse towards its
funds.

BALKAN PENINSULA.

Entering Servia by Belgrade, we find we
are in a mountainous and romantic
country, and that bee-keeping is exten-
sively carried on, more particularly in the
north-west. I am able to show you a
number of the leading apiaries, and you
will see that the parish priest, or " Popa,"
as he is called, figures in most of them, as
the clergy, as a rule, take a leading part
in the industry. Cultivated plants are
scarce, but, on the other hand, the

APIARY AT MONASTERY ST. PANTELEYMOX, SERVIA.

flavour and aroma. There are also several
varieties of betony that yield nectar in
abundance. Owing to the duration of the
flow in this part of the country, the larger
Berlepsch hives are in greater use, and
many bee-keepers practise migratory bee-
keeping. The Government makes a grant
of 10,600 kroner to the Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation and 1,400 kroner for the .School of
Bee-keeping. The Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion, with its branches, numbers 12,080
members, all of them receiving the official
organ, Bienen later. Instructors travel
to all parts of the country, and in the
laboratory attached to the school scientific
investigations are carried on. They also
have an experimental apiary, in which I
see last year they lost thirty-two colonies,
so that it is not only in this country that
losses occur in experimental apiaries.
There are observation stations on the

mountain flora is abundant, the acacias
and ^gleditchias being extensively dis-
tributed. The common hive, ' trmka,"
is conical and made of plaited basket work,
generally plastered over with clay, as you
will notice in the pictures before you.
Modern bee-keeping, however, is rapidly
spreading, and the horizontal hives are
taking the place of skeps. In the view of
the monastery of St. Panteleymon you
may see two skeps suspended from the
trees, these being for the purpose of catch-
ing swarms. There are 185,000 colonies
of bees in Servia, and schools as well as
experimental stations at Yagodina and
Krasnigeva. One of the largest bee-men
is M. Marchulya, near Belgrade, who owns
1,400 colonies, fifty of them being in
frame-hives. Pastoral bee-keeping is also
carried on, the picture before you show-
ing a family occupied in this pursuit.

134

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 2, 1914.

ROUMANIA.

Following the River Danube from Bel-
grade, we enter Roumania, where to the
east of the Carpathian Mountains we find
a fertile plateau. The hives (called "stup "
or " ulei ") used here are either hollowed
out of trunks of trees or upright boxes made
of boards, generally covered with a loose
lid. It is seldom that one encounters the
Balkan skep in Roumania, although it is
common in the other States. There are
310,000 colonies spread over the country,
and the Apicultural School is situated in
the mountains. The principal hive used
in this apiary is of the Dadant pattern,
which is making its way gradually all over
the country, although several other types

there are several bee-keepers who have
taken to modern methods. As you will
have seen, from the map I showed you,
parts of the country are very moun-
tainous. The pasturage, however, is
good, there being acacias and lime trees
in abundance, besides the regular
mountain and alpine flora. The common
Bulgarian hive, called " kosch," is made
of coarse basket work of thin lathes, and
the peasants kill the bees in the autumn
to get the honey. Small swarms and weak
lots are left to their fate, many of them
perishing from starvation during the
winter. Those using modern hives are
able to obtain an average of 50 kilos of
honey per hive, and the total produced
yearly is said to be 1,000,000 kilos. The

APIARY OV M. J. PAPOVITCH, PETCHF.NOVATZ, SERVIA.

of hives are also in use. One of the
largest bee-keepers and pioneer of modern
methods is Prince Stirbey. On his pro-
perty at Buftea he has 420 colonies of
bees. In a large bee-house there are 220
colonies. This house is provided with
water-heating apparatus, so that in winter
the temperature is never allowed to' get
below 40degs. Fahr. In cold, damp
springs the temperature is increased so as
to enable the colonies to develop more
rapidly. In addition, there is an annexe
to this house, in which are placed during
winter 1201 colonies. These are all in
horizontal hives, and are brought outside
during the summer months. In another
annexe there are eighty skeps.

BULGARIA.

Bee-keeping, which has been backward
in this State, is just now waking up, and

bee of the Balkans is called " Ptschela,"
and is very similar to the Carniolan bee.
The Government has two model apiaries at
Sofia and Tewfio, both furnished with
modern horizontal hives. One of the
leading bee-keepers is M. Watchkoff, of
Souhindol, who* has a large apiary, consist-
ing almost entirely of Dadant hives. The
Association of Bulgarian Bee-keepers was
founded in 1899, and has for its organ the
magazine called Ptschela. All these
countries of the Balkan peninsula have
suffered from the war, and I am sorry to
say that some of my correspondents are no
more, as letters have been returned
marked "not known" or "left, no
address," which makes it melancholy to
contemplate the results of war in a
country.

(To be continued.)

April 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

135

SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT BEE-
KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

A large number of bee-keepers and their
friends assembled at a meeting of the
Sheffield and District Bee-Keepers' Asso-
ciation, held on Saturday, March 21st, in
the rooms of the Literary and Philosophi-
cal Society, Sheffield, Mr. E. Howarth,
F.R.A.S., F.Z.S., presiding, to hear a
lecture by Mr. W. Herrod, on "Diseases
and Enemies of Bees," illustrated by
lantern views. The audience were very
much interested in the subjects, as was in-
dicated by the number of questions asked.
These were promptly and satisfactorily
disposed of by the lecturer. A hearty vote
of thanks was accorded to Mr. Herrod for
the very able way in which he delivered
the lecture, and also to Mr. Howarth for
presiding at the meeting. — W. Garwell,
Hon. Sec.

ERRATUM.

We omitted the name of the Rev. E. A.
Woodruff-Peacock, L.Th., F.G.S., F.L.S.,
&c, from the list of new members of the
B.B.K.A. in our last issue.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

SUNDRY HERESIES ABOUT BEES.

[8989] I have been looking every week
in the "B.B.J." for a reply to Mr.
Anderson's letter of February 26th, page
86, and as nobody seems inclined to criticise
the statements, I venture to give my
experience on the subject. I had the
pleasure of meeting Mr. Anderson at the
Honey Show at Aberdeen last August, and
can quite believe he saw the queen and
drone on the porch of the hive as stated
in his letter ; but it is quite possible, and
likely, that the first part of the act took
place in the air some little distance from
the hive and that both dropped together
on the porch.

I have seen scores of virgin queens
flying, but never yet saw a drone taking
any notice of a queen, either in or on the
hive. Young queens behave in much the
same manner as young workers, and can
easily be seen flying near the hive

marking the place. I have more than
once caught a young queen on the wing a
few yards from the hive. As to the
necessity of making very careful observa-
tion, the following incident will show : —
At the Aberdeen Show last year I had a
" Nicolson " Observatory Hive stocked with
bees on view. On the day preceding the
show the bees were put in along with the
comb, on the edge of which I had grafted
three queen cells for illustration. During
the show Mr. Anderson, if I mistake not,
pointed out that the queen was tearing
down a queen cell. This was very
interesting to me, as I knew the condi-
tion the queen cells were in, and could not
see what purpose it would serve the queen
to tear them down. However, little could
be seen of the actual destruction at that
particular time, as the bees were evidently
busy round that cell ; but later on, when
the bees began to cluster near the centre
of the comb and leave the cell exposed, I
observed it was the top of the cell that
had been torn open, as this had no doubt
been damaged when the bees were repair-
ing the broken edge of comb and
attaching the cell, which they can do very
nicely. The cells in this instance were all
empty, the queens having hatched, but as
the capping had been left only partially
cut off, the bees had sealed it again in
place, and it looked like a ripe queen
cell. The sealing up of an empty queen cell
often takes place about the time a cast is
expected, and I am inclined to think that
novices often leave an empty queen cell
when they cut out all save one to prevent
after swarms, which it certainly does, but
leaves a queenless stock. By holding the
cell up to the light its emptiness will be
revealed.

Mr. Anderson's assertion that un-
hatched queens are sometimes destroyed
by the bees, and not by the queens first
hatched, is quite correct, as can some-
times be proved by inserting a few queen
cells in a nucleus, when some of these
may be torn down before any of the
queens hatch.

. So far as I have observed, a queen cell
containing an unhatched queen is always
attacked by the queen, or by the workers
at the instigation of the queen, or by the
workers themselves, at the side of the
cell first where it is soft, and after the
young queen has been dispatched the cell
is ripped down and the contents emptied.

I quite agree with Mr. Anderson that
many bees live longer than six weeks,
some even six or even eight months,
and perhaps in a very rare instance for
ten months, as he points out in his own
case ; still, when we consider the average
length of life of a worker bee in the height
of the season, I think six or eight weeks
will be about the limit. Mr. Anderson will

136

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 2, 1914.

get a good illustration of this if he takes
a cast, which will contain many young
bees, and removes all the young brood
before it hatches ; six or eight weeks later
only a small percentage of the original
stock will remain. — Alec. Low, Aberdeens.

'ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE CURES.

[89'90] I noted the request of Mr.
Desmond (8979) in your issue of March
19th, relative to the above, and as he
refers to my letter published in the
Journal on June 19th last year, and to
enable those interested in this subject to
follow my reasoning, I must perforce refer
to this communication, and also to my
correction in the following issue (page 252).

The pestiferous lot of diseased colonies
referred to in paragraphs! 2, 3, and 4 (page
245) were, up till quite recently, in the same
condition as there described ; the small
apiary of fifteen colonies, par. 4 (not ours)
close to the above-mentioned diseased
stocks, were treated with Ayles' Cure
throughout the summer, in some cases
three times, and each time the hives were
burnt with a painter's blow lamp before
transferring. Results : the disease was
checked, and checked only. The stocks
gradually succumbed until in late autumn
not one was left alive.

The thirty colonies referred to in par.
5, and situated at Wilbraham, about three
miles from our home apiary, were already
affected on June 19th. The treatment
followed was the same as in the case
of the fifteen stock apiary, but results are
a trifle better, four colonies being alive,
two of which are very strong and up- to
date show no sign of disease. The disease
(page 245) which was checked in those
affected colonies, reappeared in September
and they were destroyed ; the others,
excepting the four mentioned above, died
during the winter.

I now come to the home apiary, par. 5,
page 245. I had at this date fifty stocks
in splendid condition, producing at the
end of the season a good crop of honey.
The disease appeared in the early autumn ;
six I destroyed, and three died during
the winter, leaving at the present moment
forty-one colonies. Amongst these there
are ten showing signs of the disease, some
of which, I believe, had it in a mild form
in early winter, the remaining thirty-one,
so far as one can tell at present, are in a
healthy condition.

In judging results one must consider the
condition of colonies in the neighbourhood.
Taking in a radius of ten miles from
Fulbourne, a southern section embracing
seven or eight villages, I have been told
on good authority and partly from
observation that it is difficult to find a
single colony of bees alive (I knew of
apiaries within this section ranging

from 150 colonies downwards) . In the
immediate neighbourhood of Fulbourne,
apart from our own, the colonies still alive
can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Ayles' Cure, I believe, has done some
good, more as a preventive than as a
cure (in my experience). Within the
radius given I know there are several
districts where no disease has been seen.
I am now trying another remedy which
has been alluded to in the Journal, and
whatever the result I will, if desired,
report it. With Mr. Desmond I appeal to
those other bee-keepers who have reported
cures to give results of their experiments.
- James Lee, Fulbourne, Cambs.

WINTERING BEElS.

[8991] Apparently it lias not occurred
to Mr. Crawshaw (page 118) that it might
be a stock of Banats for which Mr.
Herrod intended the almost ideal combs
illustrated on page 82.

Black stocks, strong numerically and
physically, tucked in snug and warm, and
with about 301bs. of well-matured stores,
will invariably be found " in the pink " at
the spring examination ; but Banats — well,
there seems to be no limit to the amount
of food they can consume, provided it is
supplied to them,. In Cumberland they
cannot, or will not, gather anything near
their own requirements for winters like
the last two have been. One stock, which
was exceptionally strong both in 1912 and
1913, could not in either year be pre-
vailed upon to store an ounce of honey in
the racks of fully drawn-out sections I
gave to it. Last September I found
the stock had only about 301bs. of honey
in the brood-frames, and guided by the
experience of the previous winter, I fed
them up rapidly until there was about
501 bs. of stores in ten frames. Seeing
brood cast out on February 14th, I looked
in and found a very bare cupboard, and
put on 81bs. of candy, all of which had dis-
appeared on March 13th, and had to be
renewed. They are thus nearing 661bs.,
with a month still to go. I may have got
hold of a bad lot, because I find laziness
and abnormal appetite are only two of
their faults, and I should be glad to hear
how other bee-keepers have fared with this
particular strain.

As a contrast, I have a small driven lot
of blacks put on empty combs in a John
West's salmon-box (which just takes six
frames) early in October, and supplied
with three quarts of syrup and 81bs. of
candy, and they were doing nicely on the
13th inst. , when I gave them another 41b.s.
of candy in case they ran short. A further
eight stocks of blacks which went into
winter quarters with not more than 301bs.
of stores each are all well provisioned. —
John Stekl, Carlisle.

April 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

137

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[8992] Surely your correspondent
(8983) on page 115, who takes such a
pessimistic view of bee-keeping under
modern conditions, and affirms the ineffec-
tiveness of any of the so-called cures or
remedies for microsporidiosis, would do
well to be thankful for small mercies.

He has acquired, by chance, a swarm
that is .so immune from infection that it
still thrives in a hive and on the combs
lately vacated by diseased bees, which
have died out.

He might increase from this colony
and endeavour to re-stock his once flourish-
ing apiary with a disease-resisting strain
of bees, and so prove that this is the one
way to combat the spread of this scourge.
— R., Lancashire.

[8993] With regard to. Mr. O. Brown-
ing's letter in last week's " B.B.J."
(8983), I am not sure that he is such a
pessimist after all. Of course, bees may
become extinct, as other creatures have
done, but I do not think Mr. Browning
holds this view. He apparently believes
either that bees will become immune, or,
like some bee-keepers I have met, that
the disease will disappear altogether from
some mysterious cause before many years
have passed.

Now it is well to look facts in the face,
even at the risk of being dubbed a pessi-
mist, and to remember that human diseases
seldom, if ever, die out mysteriously, and
that many have long been with us, and are
still, in spite of much effort and research,
neither preventable nor curable. Hope
is held out to us along four different
lines: (1) Immunity; (2) legislation: (3)
prevention ; (4) cure.

Let us take them in that order. The
search for an immune race is worth while
if one can be discovered. But what is
immunity? Does it mean that the im-
mune bee cannot have the disease at all,
or that it has it, but is not seriously
affected by it, as is the case when I have
an ordinary eold in the head? If the
former, well and good, but if the latter
what awful havoc would result, supposing
that I, living in a diseased area with my
immune bees, were to* move into a clean
area taking my bees with me ! / should
be all right, but all my neighbours' bees
would immediately succumb !

I have never been opposed to legislation,
but while it would have been excellent
when the disease was still confined to the
Isle of Wight, I see little use in it now.
I suspect that the first outbreak in my
own apiary may have been due to some
unglazed sections from a diseased apiary
some, miles off being exposed for sale in
a shop quite near to where I keep my

bees. There is also a natural drinking
supply close to< my apiary which may have
become contaminated. Will any Parlia-
mentary Bill do away with either of these
possible sources of infection?

Prevention seems difficult, if not im-
possible, in view of what has just been
said and also of further arguments, which
might be brought forward. My own hope
lies in the discovery of a cure. It does
not seem unreasonable to look forward to
tlie time when, by the addition of some
specific to the bees' food, the germ which
causes, the disease will be either checked
in its development after it has entered the
bee's body or entirely destroyed.

I know that some human diseases are
still incurable, but yet I have hope. The
cure is more likely to be found by skilled
scientific investigators than by practical
bee-keepers, but the experiments of both
should go on.

It is not so easy to carry out the advice
quoted by Mr. Brook from the Board of
Agriculture's Report (page 129). There are
no bees to- be had in this district. I only
know of two surviving stocks. Their
owners are naturally unwilling to part
with them, and, of course, will have no
swarms for sale.

An interval of at least three months did
elapse before I attempted to re-stock my
apiary, but perhaps it was not long
enough. Anyhow, the new bees are either
dead or dying. Returning to Mr. Brown-
ing, I do not see why we should not receive
State' aid. Some other countries fare
much better than we do in this matter.
Such assistance might usefully be applied
to the, search for an " immune" bee, and
to the establishment of queen-rearing and
mating stations such as exist in Switzer-
land.

Both the correspondents who do me the
honour of referring to my previous letters
on the above subject make the same
curious mistake in the spelling of my
name. I will forgive them this time if
they promise not to do it again ! — L.

ILLING WORTH.

FLOWERS OF APRIL.

[8994] Laurustinus has been attractive
to the bees since January, and still has
plenty of fresh blossom. On every fine
day I have seen the bees coming home with
the tiny white pellets that signify a visit
to this shrub. I have never seen full
corbiculse of laurustinus pollen, from which
I infer that the nectar is so generous that
the honey-sac is full before the legs are
loaded. But I wonder whether 'this shrub
is entirely wholesome. I have sometimes
found foragers dead among its blossoms.

The main crop of gooseberry blossom is
evidently to be an April one this year ;
then will come black currant, red currant,

138

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 2, 1914.

and raspberry. We shall have pear
blossom, upon which I have usually seen
many species of Andrenidce more busy
than our brown bees and Italians, and
apple blossom, which gives some bee-
keepers not only abundant brood but sur-
plus. Horse-chesnut is good, especially,
I think, the pink kind. Sycamore is
better than either, and when it blossoms
in fine weatber makes a decided honey-
flow. The common laurel is on the verge
of opening, and will bring in supplies
during the first week. Blackthorn and
garden plum are nearly ready, the cherry,
too, coming into that category. With fine
weather, the bees will be self-supporting,
but at the least falling-off from the ideal
in this respect we shall have to watch them
with a hand on the feeding-bottle.

There are few garden flowers for which
we need be more grateful than the " snow-
upon-the-mountain," sometimes called
" welcome- home-husband-though-never-so-
drunk," because, I suppose, it makes such
a good beacon into one's garden gate
when the legs are tempestuous. I have
never decided whether its proper name is
arabis or alyssum. The single variety is
the best in every way, chiefly for the
fact that it is earlier in bloom than the
double. I don't see why it should not be
planted by the acre in a limestone country,
being made, a little at a time, to blossom
along miles of dry wall by the public roads.
It would be a great delight to the traveller,
and I am sure no one would seriously inter-
fere with it.— G. G. D., Glos.

TESTING SUGAR.

[8995] As no doubt many readers are
anxious at times to know whether the
sugar they feed their bees with is made
from beet or the. cane, I have much
pleasure in sending a simple test, which
differs from that mentioned on p. 44 of
the current volume of the " B.B.J.," in-
somuch as one has not to wait a week or
so to know the result, but can tell in a
minute. The test is this : Apply a lighted
match to a corner of a piece of sugar.
The sugar will melt and drop. If the
drops are of a red colour the sugar is
made from beet, but if the drops are clear
you may safely infer the source is cane.
Perhaps other readers may be able to
furnish further tests, as in view of pre-
venting disease it is absolutely necessary
to feed with pure food. My experience of
buying sugar is that the grocer will say
anything is cane rather than lose an
order. — Fred New sham.

STARTING IN A SMALL WAY.

Mistress: "Well, James, I'm going to
start bee-keeping." James : " Bees is

nasty, troublesome things, ma'am."
Mistress : " Oh, but I shall start in a very
small way — just a pair to begin with."

i^^ny

[8916] Disinfecting Section-racks. — I
have some section-racks from stocks which
have had the " Isle of Wight" disease. I
have carefully and thoroughly scraped them
all over inside and out with a steel scraper.
Is it possible or necessary to disinfect
them in any way, as they will be used on
the same hives again this year? I am
under the impression that it is impossible
to destroy the spores of this disease,
except by burning. — A Novice.

Reply. — You must soorch the wood with
a painter's spirit-lamp. No disinfection
but fire is absolutely safe', as it is so
difficult to kill the spores.

[8917] Moving Bees.— I should be glad
if you could advise me on the following
matters through the " B.B.J." :— (1)
Would it be safe for me to remove my
three hives of bees to another garden
about 300yds. from the present standing
ground? (2) I purchased some honey,
which is now granulated. Should I be
doing right in using this for spring feed-
ing rather than giving the bees medicated
candy? — W. Hayne, Cornwall.

Reply. — (1) Quite safe. (2) Use syrup
instead of the honey ; it is safer in view of
the possibility of introducing disease into
your healthy stocks.

Making Soft Candy (p. 70). — I never
have any difficulty with this matter, and
although I believe that I first drew atten-
tion to the use of the thermometer for
the purpose, I generally use the recipe
which is to be found in Webster's book, a
volume which, in common with many
beginners, was the first bee book I read.
In this recipe, lOlbs. of sugar are added
to If pints of water, and brought slowly
to the boil, when the boiling is hastened.
After boiling has proceeded for a few
minutes, the syrup rises, and an obvious
change takes place. When it has subsided,
rapid boiling is continued for three
minutes, when the candy is done. I have
discovered that it is important to leave
the finished syrup in the pan as long as
possible after withdrawal from the stove.
This ensures a, finer grain. It should,
however, not be allowed to begin crystal-

April 2, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

139

ligation before the cooling process is
undertaken. A spoonful of cream of
tartar and a little salt may be added, but
perfect candy can be made without. A
little honey or a crushed piece of perfect
candy may be added after withdrawal, but
none of these things are absolutely
essential. They do help, however. A
Primus stove is ideal for the work.

Sundry Heresies (p. 86). — Mr. Anderson
labels himself a heretic, but I trust he is
not puffed up with false pride. For it is
quite fashionable to be heretical in these
days of free speech, when there is nothing
"at stake." But let him not be unduly
cast down ; perhaps the scoundrel from
Inverness, wrapped in his cape of
anonymity, will fall into the carefully
attested trap, when the Justice of the
Peace may be really needed. As a heretic
of sorts myself, I welcome Mr. Anderson's
return. Whether criticism be aroused or
not, direct observation' is of real value,
and it is a great thing to make discovery.
So if anyone, whether anonymous or not, i
falls foul of the conclusion, let Mr.
Anderson remember that he is merely pay-
ing the penalty of greatness.

Go to the Anti, Consider his Ways (p.
81). — Mr. Hopkins may be right in sup-
posing that the writer is unable success-
fully to refute the arguments of the anti-
skeppist. So far, however, there is little
or no argument to refute. However, by
the time this is in print, I presume Mr.
Hopkins will have seen my further
reference to the bogenstulper, which will
perhaps make the matter as clear to him
as I trust it is to Mr. Heap. I bear no
particular grudge against the New
Zealand box-hive, but such description of
this as I have seen shows that the English
skep is its superior, and that argument
based upon experience in the one country
does not necessarily apply to' the other,
which was the point I wished to make. I
am not aware that Mr. Hopkins himself
was violently opposed to the skep until he
went to' New Zealand. But I am not
solely concerned with the " commercial
bee-keeper," nor with comparative profits
of alternative methods. I have defended
the skep against wild accusation of re-
sponsibility for disease, and further
iteration would appear useless, and
merely tending to encourage vociferate
opinion. Facts, and a true interpretation
of them, are what we want, whatever the
trend. There is not wanting, however,
evidence that the skep produces satis-
factory profit, labour properly considered,
and that it has justified its existence
during the recent wave of disease. I do
not propose to argue the point ad nauseam,
but I shall be very glad to hear from any-
one holding either opinion who has evi-
dence, not opinion, to- offer in the hope
that we may obtain a fair and unbiassed

knowledge of the merits or demerits of the
skep.

Bees, Poultry, and Fruit (p. 89). — I am
able to endorse the advantages of this com-
bination, as I run my bees and poultry
together in a tiny orchard. " D. M. M.,"
however, omits the addition of bees to the
diet of the birds, some of which develop a
liking for drones. They usually, and
wisely, leave the workers alone. There
may be a loss of mating queens, but I have
not felt this. However, to avoid the possi-
bility, I place the mating-boxes outside.
The birds love a piece of drone comb full
of brood, and whenever this occurs with-
out my authority , I cut the dainty out for
their delectation. Empty hives form
regular traps for earwigs, which go to
swell the same crop. To get the best
results from the fruit, adjacent trees of
the same variety should be planted to
ensure cross fertilisation in any favour-
able interval, however short. Many
failures to set the fruit are traceable to
neglect of this precaution to plant alike
trees. Small fruit such as currants cannot
well be grown as the poultry pluck the
fruit. Moles should be rigidly excluded,
as their operations enable the birds to dig
holes in the ground.

Thick Syrup (p. 90). — I am sorry
" D. M. M." should find fault with my
thinking. But surely be is responsible,
having specially advocated the habit! It
is difficult to please in an endeavour to
steer between dogmatism and over-caution.
But the fact is that I do not assert that
"D. M. M." is " wrong," only that he is
hasty, or careless, or ill-advised in "advo-
cating " what he has not himself tried.
" D. M. M." does not perhaps realise that
he is regarded by many as an authority,
so- that his quotation of authorities with-
out detailing their methods is misleading.
I am aware of a method by which 2\ lbs.
of sugar to the pint can be used, but it
requires special precaution. "D. M. M.,"
however, gives no such precaution, and
under ordinary conditions, and in the
hands of the ordinary beekeeper, I think
the proportions inadvisable for reasons
stated. I should attach more weight to
" D. M. M.'s " contention were he to say, 1
have myself used these proportions. Here
I am once again pleading for accuracy
and practical test. I may be over-cau-
tious, but the question often arises with
me, as to what can be safely advocated, and
I hope that my comment is neither need-
less nor unjustified if it prevents some
beekeeper from carelessly plunging into
trouble.

N.B. — Since writing the foregoing, I
note Dr. Miller's letter, which is directly
to the point, and I have heard from the
originator of the "2|" method. Inci-
dentally I note that "Cheshire " states that

140

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 2, 1914.

3 lb. of sugar may be added to the pint
of cold water, but neither of these methods
is the ordinary process which the ordinary
bee-keeper would understand " D. M. M."
to advocate.

AN UNFORTUNATE BEE-KEEPER.
A hard case has just come to our notice
— one of many such — of a gardener sixty
years of age, who was taken ill six years
ago with consumption and had to give up
his work. He is still on the sick list, and
the doctor will not sign him off. He is
getting 3s. 6d. a week from his club and
has to depend for a living on his bees and
poultry. "Isle of Wight" disease has
broken out in his apiary, and already he
has lost several colonies. He expects that
the remaining seventeen will ultimately
succumb to the disease, and in the in-
terest of his neighbouring bee-keepers he
is ready to destroy them directly they
show the first signs of the disease. This
loss will seriously affect him, as the
greater part of his income will be gone,
and he thinks that there may be some well-
to-do bee-keepers who might be able to
spare a swarm or two of bees without in-
convenience to themselves to enable him
to start again. As the case is well known
to> us as a deserving one, we hope there
may be someone who would comply with
this request. Anv letter addressed
"W.'C. S.," care of this office, will be
forwarded to him.

F. V. B. (Hammersmith). — Converting
Nectar into Honey, — (1) The cane sugar
of nectar is converted into the grape
sugar of honey in the honey sac. (2)
Bees do not inject formic acid from the
sting into the cells.

E. T. (Skipton). — Painting Floor-board.
— (1) It will do no harm. (2) No,
certainly not. (3) The address you sent
to was quite right; no doubt you will
bear from the advertiser very soon. If
not write us again.

D. S. (Gullane). — Making Soft Candy. —
(1) The candy is all right; the small
granules you notice are caused by some
of the candy getting too dry for the
bees to eat. (2) Do not start syrup
feeding until about the end of April. If
there' are plenty of stores you might un-
cap a little instead of feeding. (3) Put
the pea-flour in the candy, the bees will
then take it.

E. J. W. (Sussex).— Stocks Found Dead
in Spring. — We are sorry we cannot

give an opinion without more par-
ticulars. The moving might cause it.

S. (Yorks). — Good District for Bees. — Yes,
Somerset is a good county.

G-. C. (Oxon). — Colleges for Scientific Bee-
keeping.— There are no colleges such as
you name in this country.

W. P. B. (Harrogate). — Granulated
Honey in. Combs. — The bees will clean
out the combs if given to them instead
of syrup.

Interested (Burton). — Bees Near Houses.
■ — No doubt the bees were short of
stores, which made them excited, and
they were endeavouring to collect food
near the house. You did right to put
on the candy. Yes, if you can give pea-
flour it will help them.

A. L. L. S. (Wheatley). — Honey from
Diseased, Stock. — The honey is harmless
for human consumption, but unless it
is from supers, it would not be worth
while extracting it, as honey from old
brood-combs is not suitable for eating.

. Best burn combs and honey.
Suspected Disease.

H. P. (Buntingford). — It is useless send-
ing bees for examination wrapped in
paper and posted in an ordinary
envelope. Yours arrived in the same
condition as those in photograph on
page 22 of " B.B.J.," for January 15th
last, when we gave full instructions as
to how to send specimens.

Italians (Hinckley). — The bees have " Isle
of Wight " disease and should be
destroyed at once.

Anxious (Whalley). — We cannot trace any
disease. The staining is only normal
when bees take a cleansing flight.

Suffolk (Leicester). — Both lots of bees
were too decomposed for examination.

Mel. (Cardigans). — The bees have died
from " Isle of Wight" disease. They
are Carniolans.

W. F. S. (Weybridge), E. Bottomley,
Douglas (Durham), H. G. Y. (Alton),
and R. O. (Lower Kirby). — The bees
have died from "Isle of Wight"
disease. Burn combs, &c, and well dis-
infect the hives before using again.

M. C. C. (Wisbech) and Ena (Leicester).
— The bees were too dry for examina-
tion.

H. J. S. (Lurgan). — There is no disease so
far as we can see.

P. X. (Tewkesbury). — All outward signs of
" Isle of Wight " disease appear in
several of the bees sent.

K. R. (Wimbledon).— (1) The bees are too
dry for us to be able to state cause of
death. (2) You can use the honey for
home consumption, but it would be un-
wise to use either it or the combs for
other bees. The hives should be
thoroughly disinfected before re-stock-

April 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

141

BEE-KEEPING IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Lecture by Thos. II". Cowan, F.E.S.,
<bc.} given at the B.B.K.A. Conversazione
March 18th, 1914.

(Continued from page 134.)

RUSSIA.

As early as the thirteenth century the
production of honey and wax in Russia
appears to have been a prominent rural
industry. At that time apiculture was
regarded as of great importance, and the
products of the bee-keeper were not only

is so abundant that large quantities of
honey are obtained from it. Viatka,
Kazan, Penza, Ufa, and the slopes of the
Ural Mountains are rich in forests. But
it is principally in Little Russia and the
Caucasus that bee-keeping is most flourish-
ing, it being the principal industry of a
considerable number of the population.
In Little Russia there are peasant pro-
prietors who own as many as a thousand
colonies in modern and old-style hives. In
the Government of Ekaterinoslav it is said
that there are four hives to every in-
habitant. In the Government of Kazan,
which is populated by Russians and
Tartars, there are more than 400,000
colonies. The Tartars have not adopted
the frame-hive to any great extent. In
many of the other Governments bee-keep-
ing is equally prosperous. In Woronetz

APIARY OF I. ABAKOUMOF, RUSSIA, SHOWING LOG HIVES.

consumed at home but were exported to
Western Europe. In the sixteenth century
Russian wax was exported to England
from the White Sea, being shipped from
Archangel. The trade flourished till the
eighteenth century, when the imposition
of duties by Peter the Great caused the
bee-keeping industry to decline.

At the present time bee-keeping is
practised throughout Russia and in many
parts of Siberia, except where, owing to
climatic conditions or absence of vegeta-
tion, it is impossible to keep bees. In the
west, the Baltic provinces and Finland,
there are large tracts of lime forests,
which yield abundantly. In the Govern-
ment of St. Petersburg, round Lake
Ladoga, Eehium vulgare (Viper's bugloss)

and Poltava there are more than 300,000
colonies in each. The largest number of
colonies are kept by the clergy, for here,
as in the Balkan States, ecclesiastics take
a great interest in bee-keeping. The total
number of colonies kept in Russia is stated
by M. Dernoff, the editor of Ptschelovod-
naya Gisn, to be 6,309,043, and there are
339,110 apiaries. Of these, 5,115,900 are
fixed comb-hives and 1,193,143 frame-
hives.

In Russia peasants use honey extensive-
ly instead of sugar, and a large quantity
is made into a beverage called "miod," a
kind of light mead, which is much used.
The churches also make a heavy demand
on wax for tapers, it being essential that
these be made of pure beeswax. The

142

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 9, 1914.

amount of honey sold per annum is
1,987,447 pouds, of the value of 12,000,000
roubles (£1,200,000) and of wax 234,527
pouds, realising 8,000,000 roubles
(£800,000').

Bees are bred in two different ways — in
the wild and domestic state. In the
former way, a swarm of wild bees settles
in the hollow of a. tree, generally prepared
beforehand. Sometimes hollow pieces of
timber aire fastened to the trees and the
wild bees hive therein. The peasant bee-
keepers generally employ hives made of
well-hollowed trunks of trees, called
"kolodka,"such as you see in this picture.
These can be used either upright or hori-
zontally, this last position being universally
adojrted in the Caucasus. Cross bars arc

apiary or "pasieka," belonging to M.
Kandratief, of St. Petersburg, showing
Dad ant hives on his property at Ploussa.
The next is that of the Brothers Tchemevi
at Vratza. The " zemstvos " encourage
bee-keeping among the peasants, and I
am able to show you the model apiary
belonging to the Kazan zemstvo. The
local authorities of most of the Govern-
ments in Russia encourage bee-keeping,
and many have schools and model
apiaries. There are also floating apiaries,
which pass up and down the rivers for
the purpose of exhibiting modern hives
and teaching modern methods to the
peasants in the different towns at which
they stop. The following pictures show
one of these starting from Moscow and

APIARY OF M. KANDRATIEIF, PIX)TJSSA, RUSSIA.

fixed in these hives to sustain the combs.
There are also upright hives made of
boards, and boxes having bars only ; these
are called " lineietchni." Many bee-
keepers now use frame-hives called
" ramotchni." In the common hives honey
is often taken by killing the bees and
raking out the honey, wax and bees in a
mass. This is called " sirtsevoi " or
" bochechnoi," and cannot be used for
food, but is sent to factories to be pre-
pared. Another way is to drive the bees
out or stupefy them and cut out the
combs, which are then crushed and
strained. This plan is called "podreznoi."
The bar-hives and frame-hives are worked
with supers as with us. There arei many
frame-hives in use, the Dadant pattei*n
being the most in favour. I will now shoAv
some of the apiaries containing the differ-
ent stvles of hives. The first is a modern

working along the river to Kalouga.
There are not only hives with live bees
on board, but there is a. museum as well
as a reading-room. Lectures a,re given
and sometimes quite a. large audience
assembles, as you may see in the picture
before you.

There are 200 Bee Associations in the
country, and literature on bees is con-
siderable, as the Russians are great
readers and like to keep themselves in-
formed of what goes on in other countries.
Several European bee-books have been
translated into Russian, and it will give
some idea of their desire to read up-to-
date foreign works when I tell you that
the " British Bee-keepers' Guide Book "
has passed through three editions and a
fourth is now in preparation. Two
editions of " Waxcraf t " have already ap-
peared, as well as "The Honey Bee."

April 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

143

There are also seventeen bee papers, one
of thern Ptschelovodnaya Gisn, edited by
M. Dernoff, appearing twice a month.
The Government encourages bee-keeping
by making an annual grant of 80,000
roubles.

But the most interesting, because so
different from those of any other country,
are the " pasiekas," or apiaries, in the
Caucasus. You will have seen on the map
of Russia, which I have shown you, that
Caucasia is divided into two parts by the
Caucasus mountains, which stretch from
the north-west extremity to the south-
east. There are some fertile tracts, but
a great part of the alluvial flats is
covered with salt pools and marshes,
which make the soil unfit for cultivation.

This is the typical bee of South Caucasus,
and is known as the " Leucoran bee."
These bees are bad tempered and great
robbers. On the other hand, the bees,
from Tiflis, Nucha, and the Caucasian
mountains are dull grey, and are gentle,
splendid workers, and the queens good
layers, the bees enduring the most severe
climate with outdoor wintering. The

bees of North Caucasus are crosses
between the grey bees and those of Persia,
and are of a, light colour but not as good-
tempered as the pure mountain race. M.
Gorbatcheff says that a study of these
bees has shown that they have long
tongues (6.66 mm.) and are therefore able
to fertilise red clover, and collect nectar
from it. M. Klingen, the manager of the

APIABY IN LEUCORAN, GOV. OF BAKU, CAUCASUS.

The mountains extend for a distance of
700 miles and branch in different direc-
tions, one branch linking the main chain
with Mount Ararat in Georgia. The
climate here is mild and vegetation very
vigorous. Fine forest trees clothe the
mountain slopes,, and lower down all the
finer fruit trees are found growing in
abundance, whilst an endless variety of
shrubs and flowers, all supplying good
pasturage for bees, are found in the
valleys.

Much has been said and written about
Caucasian bees, some praising them and
others giving them a bad character.
Phis is owing to there being two distinct
races of bees in the Caucasus. My cor-
respondent, M. Gorbatcheff, tells me that
the golden banded bees of Erivan, Kars,
and Leucoran originated from Persia.

estate of the Grand Duke Michael in the
Government of Orel, corroborates this
fact.

The following pictures show some of the
typical apiaries in Leucoran, Elizabeth-
pol, Tiflis, and Daggestan. It will be
seen that, besides the hollowed trunks of
trees, clay cylinders are used, and also
skeps covered with a coating of clay.
Some are protected with a covering of'
reeds, or straw. In old homesteads one
frequently finds bees in long boxes put in
a pile in some corner, and Caucasians do
not mind crowding hives together. Here
is a picture of such an apiary, and
another showing hives of the old and new
style, the old upright hives being pro-
tected against the wind by means of long
stakes placed in a slanting position.
There are some modern hives kept in

144

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 9, 1914.

North Caucasia, the picture before you
showing quite an extensive modern apiary.
The last picture which I show you illus-
trates the manner of transporting bees in
the mountains in a. bullock cart. This
is done to take advantage of the later
flora in the higher districts.
(To be continued.)

OBSERVATIONS ON HIVES.
By L. E. Snelgrove.

(Continued from page 73.)
The general features of wooden hives
present some variety which deserves atten-
tion. They are all distinguished from

and placed on a, spare floor, while the
scrubbing-brush and some mild disin-
fectant are applied to the floor. This
practice, combined with that of simul-
taneously renewing the first quilt, is an
important precaution against disease, and
is said to be the proper preventative of
Braula cceca, whose eggs are laid chiefly
on the floor-boards.

In many of the best hives the legs are
attached to a frame which is separate from
the floor-board. I have always failed to
see the advantage of this. It makes for
unnecessary complication, instability in
rough weather, and superfluous interstices.
It should be remembered that these form
good harbours for insect and other pests.

APIARY IN GOV. OF TIFLIS, CAUCASUS.

the oldest forms of hives in that they can
readily be divided; into separate j>arts.
The more this can be done, within certain
limits, the better.

Hives with stock-boxes fixed to tbe
floors are occasionally met with in some
apiaries. Novices make them because it
is easy to nail boards to the bottom of a
box and so form a floor. I have known
such floors to be extended to form flat
alighting-boards. Hives with such fixed
floors are an abomination. They do not
permit side and back ventilation, so neces-
sary in swarming time, nor do they con-
duce to cleanliness. A wise bee-keeper
makes it a practice to clean his floor-
boards every spring and autumn. This
can be done in two or three minutes when
the floor and the stock-box are separate.
The stock-box is gently lifted off in the
cool of the evening, without disturbance.

The outer casing or " lift " of a hive
above the stock-box should always be
movable. It is fixed to the stock-box in
some home-made hives, and in others it
forms part of a very deep roof.

In the former case it is an obstacle to
the free manipulation of the frames, and
it also interferes with the light. When a
super is being placed on such a hive there
is some probability of letting it down with
a bump, especially if, as is usually the
case, there is no room for the hands. In-
sertion of the super clearer and removal
of the super are difficult for the same
'reason.

For convenience of working there should
be one movable lift for each super used,
or at least one for every two supers.

The provision of a combined roof and
lift is bad because of the extra weight
which has to be lifted every time the

April 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

145

hive is opened, and also because of the
necessity of using only precisely cut quilts.
Should these not be accurately placed the
roof does not " go down," and the neces-
sary readjustment of the quilts often
entails the escape of angry bees. This
difficulty of quilts arises in all hives which
have not a separate outer case above* the
stock-box. There is no space into which
the edges of the quilts can be tucked, and
therefore materials of irregular shape and
size cannot easily be utilised. Many of
the so-called single- walled hives, in which
the lifts are the supers held in position
by plinths, are draughty because of the

impossibility of completely covering the
ends of the frames. The draughts be-
come serious if, as often happens, a small
portion of material accidentally gets
between the outer boards of the supers.

The lifts of a " single— walled " hive
should .be constructed on the telescopic
plan, for then each is larger than the one
below, and the lowest is larger than the
stock-box. This gives room for the easy
manipulation of the supers, and permits
of the folding of the quilts over their
edges.

(To be continued.)

HELPfOL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

^K:A

J3% W?Herrod.

How to Make and Stock an Observatory Hive.
(Continued from page 126.)
The super (Fig. 5) is made so that it will take either sections
•or a shallow frame. The bottom is made 2iin. long, 6 Jin. wide, and Jin. thick.
The ends (A) are screwed on from the underside (B), so that they are i7TVin.
apart. Grooves are cut in the ends on the inside, as indicated by
dotted lines, E, to take the glass, F. The inside ones, are 2in. apart, and the
space between the two is |in. The glass must be cut very straight, so that it fits
•on to the bottom and up to the top without grooves. A slotted hole, as shown
at C, is cut, with projections 4jin. from centre to centre, to carry the sections and
allow the bees to enter them. On the bottom of this (D) a piece of excluder zinc
is let in level, and tacked fast. The top is 2iin. long, 6 Jin. wide and Jin. thick,
with a couple of ventilating holes (G) ijin. in diameter bored through. When
sections are used, a block of wood (H), 17-^111. long and if in. square, is fastened
by means of round head brass screws (I). The holes at G are bored right through
this, as indicated by the dotted lines. When sections are in use, an ordinary
spring block at the end wedges them tightly together. If a shallow frame is used,
then the block, H, is removed, and two blocks (J), 5-Jin. long, 2m. wide and i^in.
thick, are fastened inside by means of the round head screws (K). The super is
fastened to the brood chamber, and the top to the super, by means of universal
fasteners, D (Fig. 4) and L (Fig. 5). To make the super fit snugly on to the
brood chamber a piece of thin, soft leather should be glued on to the top edges,
as shown in plan of top (Fig. 4). The last part to make is the feeding stage
-(Fig. 6). This is constructed so that it can be used for ordinary feeding, or for
watching the tongue action of the bee when taking food. A small frame (E) of
Jin. wood, 6in. long by 3^in. wide, outside measure, is made by lock jointing the
corners (F). A piece of opal glass (G), with a hole (H) ijin. in diameter, is let
Into a rebate on the underside, so that it is quite level with the wood. This is
fastened by two screws (P) over the hole in the base left for it, as shown in
Plan of Feeder. If, for ordinary feeding, a small bottle is inserted over this hole,
for observation purposes a piece of glass (M), 3m. by 2?,in., is placed inside, with
■■&. shaving of wood between it and the opal glass at either end, to allow a space
-so that when a small quantity of syrup is poured in, it is imprisoned, compelling
the bees to push their tongues over the top of the opal glass to obtain it. when
the action can be observed by means of a ball-jointed lens, K (Fig. 4), fitted
•at N (Figs. 4 and 6) by means of a couple of screws. To hold the glass from
slipping, a couple of pieces of watch spring, O (Fig. 6), 2§iri. long, are pushed
in across the narrowest part; The whole arrangement is shown very clearly in the
End Elevation Inside (Fig. 4).

146

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 9, 1914.

1

r

Li

7— -V '

« - -

■\-*-'/2-

**>

% c

-■ F

<- - -

Li

2t

L

14ppe/i/ Sid/e of JDotWrrv of 5ui>e^/.

u/ncte/i/ (St^e-

of ^&ot/tcmv of S-tt'pt

6/a-

r^^ffcy^rs

Fig s.

One C"tev/a^/i/<yvv

/e/u.

A.

Ends.

B.

Screws in End.

C.

Hole for Excluder.

D.

Excluder.

E.

Dotted Lines In-

dicating Grooves.

F.

Glass.

G.

Ventilation Holes.

H.

Top Block.

I.

Screws.

J.

Frame Blocks.

K.

Block Screws.

L.

Fasteners.

- It now remains to make the four shutters.. These should be of fin. wood, with
a piece i|in. wide cleated on the ends to prevent warping. They are then planed
to fit in their respective places. A small piece will have to be cut off one to*
allow it to go over the feeding stage. They should be made to go easy, so that
they will fit nicely, after being covered by glueing green baize over them, taking
care to make the joints of the baize on the inside of the shutters, so that they
will look neat on the front side. They are fastened in position by means of a
brass button on either side, a small notch being cut in the wood to form a catch.

(To be continued.)

April 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

147

Sechon throuck centre A. I

7vw?/' s&Ievaft on

/£nd s£le vahon .

Fig. 6.

Q C C

flection throuck c.d.

A. B., Longitudinal Section; CD., Cross Section; -£)., Frame; F., Lock Joints; G.,
Opal Glass; H., Feed Hole; I., Base; J., Bracket; K., Glass Frame; L., Upright
End; M., Glass; N., Place to Fasten Lens; 0., Springs; P. Screw to Fasten
Frame; Q., Perforated Zinc.

148

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 9, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
*nd correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
a* a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

DO BEES HEAR?

[8996] In the British Bee Journal
(March 6th, 1902) an article appeared on
page 96 entitled, "Can Bees Hear?" by
W. A. Varian. Varian says there : " Tap
or drum on the' side close to them with a
switch or tlie handle of your knife."
How is this meant? What does Varian
mean by "the side"? Does he mean the
side of the hive, straw skep, or wooden
hive? If he really means a drumming on
the wooden hive side it is possible that the
bees do not hear the sound, but feel the
vibrations of the ground, which very likely
is effected by the drumming. Is there a
possibility that this may be true?

Yon would oblige me very much if you
would be so kind as to give me an answer
about this. I am just writing about the
problem whether the bees can hear or not.
Many thanks beforehand. — Prof. V.
Buttel-Reepen, Zoologist, Oldenburg.

[Reading the article through it appears
that the writer means that he places a
wooden hive a foot from the bees and
raises the edge nearest the bees on two
small stones. This side is where the
tapping takes , place, and Mr. Varian
thinks that the movement of the bees
shows them to be susceptible to sound.
On the other hand it is quite possible that
they feel the vibration caused by the
tapping, which induces them to rush for
.shelter in the hive. — Eds.]

BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR
WORK.

[8997] Your decision not to insert my
lengthy reply on the above subject, owing
to lack of space, is not to be wondered at.
In the circumstances, I would like to
emphasise the fact that there was no more
intention of injuring Associations by my
candid criticism tban there was on your
part in publishing it. Except from a
debater's standpoint I should have been
pleased to have been shown to be wrong in
every particular. — W. E. Mattison,
Horsey Vicarage, Great Yarmouth.

[Having a personal acquaintance with
the Rev. W. E. Mattinson, we are satis-
fied that his original letter was evoked by
the circumstances stated therein ; that it is

obvious he has no personal interest in
decrying Associations, nor has he anything
to hope from them. On the contrary, he
has all through his bee-keeping car ■
given his services freely to others, and bus
been for the past two seasons an Hon. Ex-
pert for the Norfolk B.K.A. (now first
class), and has been asked to continue in
that office, though his resignation was
tendered. Our sole reason for not pub-
lishing his reply is that the letter has
aroused so much interest that it would
take several issues of the "B.B.J.," to
print all the replies received, therefore, to
be fair to all we have stopped the discus-
sion, as we are overcrowded with other
matter. — Eds.]

ESSENCE OF CINNAMON FOR " ISLE
OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[8998] Will you oblige by asking some
bee-keepers in districts affected with " Isle
of Wight " disease to try essence of cin-
namon, 3 drops to the pint of syrup, as
a cure?

I am trying it as a preventive, but we
are still free, and hope to remain so. I
have asked the Board of Agriculture to
experiment with it, but would much like
some sufferers to try it with selected
stocks. It is most potent in certain
diseases, and the bees take it well.
Its scent alone is said to be effective in
certain diseases of man.

It should be the true essence of cinna-
mon, and the drops are best added to the
sugar first, as they mix more readily thus.
— H. E. Balch, Somerset.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE CURES.

[8999] As I was one of those referred
to by Mr. Desmond in your issue of
March 19th I have pleasure in sending a
report of the result of my experiment with
the '"Kentish" treatment for "Isle of
Wight" disease. The three diseased
stocks which I reported cured last August
have wintered well, and at the present
time are breeding vigorously, despite the
recent demise of two neighbouring
apiaries from " Isle of Wight " disease.
One stock, however, in an out-apiary, con-
tracted the disease and died in the winter,
leaving full stores. These bees, I must
admit, did not respond to the treatment,
of which, owing to distance, &c, they did
not receive their full share, but it is an
indisputable fact that so far as my bees
are concerned quinine has worked wonders.
May I remind all interested that Mr.
Wigley recommended GOgrs. of sulphate of
quinine in ^oz. of water containing 2 drops
of sulphuric acid, to be added to every
gallon of sugar syrup, cost of quinine
ready mixed, Is. — F. C, Oxford.

April 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

149

A SIMPLE SLOW-FEEDER.

[90OO] Referring to " Stimulation Experi-
ment in " Random Jottings/' in British
Bee Journal, March 26th (page 123), I may
mention an experiment I have tried and
found useful. Procure a large-mouthed
bottle, make a hole in the cork, the size
of a large goose-quill, insert the quill
from the underside of the cork, and make
secure with sealing wax, if necessary.
Make a darning-needle red hot and pass
it twice through the quill (that is two
holes) about a quarter of an inch or
rather more from the closed end of the
quill. The large end of the quill should
be level with the cork. For use, fill the
bottle with syrup, insert the cork with
quill, reverse the bottle and pass it
through a small hole in the quilt between
two frames, so that the holes in the quill
may be free from the comb on either side.
There is no disturbance, or loss of heat. It
is certainly a slow feeder and easily made.

■ have been a bee-keeper for nearly fifty
years, and have recently lost about
seventeen stocks from ' ' Isle of Wight ' '
disease, having only one left. — Fredk.
Wheateey.

[8918] Surplus from Swarms. — I am
commencing bee-keeping this year. I have
four Abbott's "W.B.C." hives, and have
made arrangements to buy four swarms in
May, two of which will be kept in my
garden, and two in a garden two miles
distant. My intention is to get a rack
of sections (if possible) from eaeh hive,
and theu to put on shallow frames (if season
permits), so as ta get the foundation
drawn out in readiness for the following
year. I am told, however, that the honey
in the shallow-frame boxes will be useless,
as it will not be capped. (1) Is this so,
and if so, is the quantity likely to be so
much as to make it inadvisable to use
shallow-frames this season? (2) Could
frames of sections ("W.B.C") be taken
out as oompleted and returned with new
sections fitted with foundation? Also
could section-frames be placed in shallow-
frame box, or is the space below great
enough to induce oomb-building there?
— Arthur Tucker.

Reply. — We are afraid you are " count-
ing your chickens before they are
hatched." It is unusual for swarms to
give surplus. If you get a rack of sections
filled and sealed from a swarm the first
season you will be lucky, to say nothing
of getting shallow combs as well. Unripe
honey can be extracted and ripened in an

open vessel, therefore if you can obtain
any in shallow combs it will not be wasted.

[8919] Queen-rearing . — I think of rear-
ing a few queens this summer. Would
the following method be suitable ?

Stimulate a strong hiveto swarm early,
then after it has swarmed divide the
parent stock into nuclei, giving a queen
cell to each. If you think the method
all right, how soon after the stock has
swarmed will it be ready to divide into
nuclei ; also, must you have a separate
nucleus hive for each queen you want to
rear?— T. O. D., Wellingboro'.

Reply. — The method you propose is
all right, providing you pay attention to
selection in the stock allowed to swarm,
and that you do not lose the swarm. You
should divide the same day the swarm
issues, and provide a separate nucleus
hive for each queen to be reared.

[8920] Early Examination. — Please
answer me the following questions: — (1) I
had a look at my bees on March 21st, and
found they had not many stores left, so
I gave a 21b. box of cand}7 with pollen,
which, on March 29th, was nearly empty.
Shall I, after they have emptied it, start
to feed with syrup, and how many of the
holes should be turned on? (2) Where
could I obtain the editions January 1st
and 8th of "B.B.J."?— H. C.

Reply. — (1) You did wrong; it is much
too' early to examine bees yet. (2) It will
be best to put on candy until the end of
April. (3) You can obtain them from this
office, lid. each.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th- 11th, at Malvern.— The Hereford!,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury. —

Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkliall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

150

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 9, 1914.

NOVELTIES FOR 1914.

NEW SUPER-CLEARER.

We have much pleasure in introducing
to our readers a new super-clearer
invented by Mr. F. W. Watts, 136, Good-
rich Road, East Dulwich, whose ingenious
mind has evolved many small appliances
for the benefit of the craft. There have
been many complaints during the past few
years of the "Porter" bee-escape not
working properly, no doubt owing to the
faulty adjustment of the springs. This
tiny appliance will undoubtedly efface all
this difficulty, as it works with aluminium
drop plates which are so nicely adjusted

that a bee can push its way under and get
out, but which drop back immediately into
their place, effectively preventing the
bee's return. It also* completes the work
much more expeditiously than the old
form. Mr. Watts has given the appliance
a thorough trial before placing it on the
market. It was shown at the Conver-
sazione of the British Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation in March last, and favourably
commented upon by those present. We
predict a large sale for this useful appli-
ance, which can be obtained at 6d. from
all dealers.

BEE-PICTURES AT SUNDERLAND.

Northern bee-keepers will be pleased to
hear that Mr. J. C. Be© Mason is to
appear at the Theatre, Sunderland, for
one week, commencing April 13th. He
will show the " Life of the Bee," " Bee-
farming," "Dutch Bee-keeping," and
" The Bee-master," giving a short
descriptive address before each film. The
whole series will take three-quarters-of-an-
hour to exhibit.

G. H. L. (Petersfield).— Restarting Bee-
keeping. — We are sorry we cannot
accede to your wishes regarding the
above; all the information you ask for
has been repeated over and over again
in our columns. We fear you do not
read as much as you should, or you
would have seen all you want to know.

A. G. Atavell (Borden). — Hants B.K.A. —
The Hampshire B.K. Association is in a
morihund condition. See letter in
"B.B.J." of February 12th (page 68),
;is to starting it afresh. You had better

communicate with the writer, Mr. A.
Hardy, Palace House, Bishop's
Waltham, Hants.

K. P. (Marlborough). — Brice Swarm-
catcher. — The Junior Editor has used
the "Brioe" swarm-catcher for years,
and finds it quite satisfactory. It will
fit any hive the porch of which is
movable, as it is necessary to take the
latter off. See illustrations ''British
Bee-keepers' Guide Book," pages 22-23.

F. P. (HistonJ; — Combs from Diseased
Stock. — We should not use the combs,
but melt them down. It is impossible to
disinfect them thoroughly by spraying.

Hodge (Wainfleet). — Honey Sample. — (1)
The honey is worth about 56s. per cwt.
(2) If you will give us the date of
" B.B.J." in which the letter appeared,
so that we can refer to it, we will reply
to your enquiry.

R. W. H. (Sudbury). — Mead Sample.—
Your sample is not mead but vinegar.

H. A. C. (Ealing).— Variety of Bees.— The
bees are Italians, as stated. They may
be SI ad en's or any other breeder's, but
this does not alter the fact. We know
the gentleman named, and if he tells
you they are Sladen's strain you can
take it they are.

E. M. R. (Salop).— Price of Queens.— The
figure is quite correct, but this, of
course, refers to special breeds or
strains.

A. S! P. (Abbey Wood). — Variety of Bee.
— The specimens you send are hybrid
Ligurians.

Freda (Oundle). — Preventing ^Disease.—

(1) Bees living in a wild state are just
as liable to disease as those in hives.

(2) Glass quilts, where used, are kept on
the hives during the whole year.

Cotton Yarn (Bolton). — Danger of Intro-
ducing Disease. — There is no danger in
using " Weed " foundation made in this
country.

Bee-keeper (Montgomery). — Honey

Sample.^. — No. 1 is from clover; No. 2,
a heather blend; and No. 3 from mixed
sources.

Suspected Disease.

G. M. R. (Saffron Walden).— (1) The bees
have died of "Isle of Wight" disease.
(2) You might start again this spring
with bees bought in the neighbourhood.

A. E. K. (Enfield), Dean Forest, S. J. S.
(Hereford), and Esperejulo. — The bees
died of " Isle of Wight" disease.

W. J. W. (Plymouth). — Bees marked
No. 1 have died of " Isle of Wight "
disease ; No. 2 were too dry for examina-
tion.

J. W. L. (Glam.). — Bees were too dry for
examination.

H. G. (Great Baddow). — The comb con-
tains chilled brood only.

Inquisitive (Barnsley). — So far as we can
. see, death was caused by chill.

April 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

151

REVIEW.

Some Minute Animal Parasites; or, The
Unseen Foes in the Animal World, by
H. B. Fantham, D.Sc, and Annie Porter,
D.Sc. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd.,
price 5s. net.). — The object of this book
is to give a popular account of the life-
histories of some of the microscopic
protozoal organisms that produce diseases
in man and others of the higher animals,
as also those of insects, including bees.
Diseases both of men and animals are sub-
jects that have been more carefully

bodies which may have been expelled from
the body of a former host, are pointed
out. In the first chapter we get a very
good idea of the life-history of Protozoa
and their danger, while in subsequent
chapters parasites in relation to specific
diseases, such as sleeping sickness, yellow
fever, and some cattle diseases, are dealt
with. What, however, will be of special
interest to the bee-keeper is Chapter XI.
on Microsporidiosis, bee and silkworm
diseases. After briefly describing the
fatal disease — pebrine — which was first
identified by Pasteur with the animal
parasite Nosema bombycis, the authors
take up the question of the "Isle of
Wight" disease, which is caused by a
similar protozoan to which the name of
Noseraa apis had already been given by
Dr. Zander, who was the first to draw

*t*lgV*TF*

',;--, : ,' . -

?&$A ''

APIARY OF PH. BALDEINSPERGER, JAFFA.

studied of late years, and the present book
is the outcome of the attempts of the
authors to satisfy the demand for a simple
but scientific account of the minute
parasites that produce these diseases.
After describing the lowest forms of the
life of these single-celled animals, which
are known as Protozoa, or primitive living
animals, the authors show that the situa-
tions in which they are found depend
largely on their mode of life. Some are
so degenerate that they have become
parasites, deriving their nourishment from
the body of the living animal to which
they have attached themselves. The ways
by which the parasitic Protozoa gain
access to their hosts and are spread from
animal to animal are described, and the
danger arising from the spores or resting

the attention of bee-keepers to the danger
of the disease caused by this parasite.
The life history of the parasite and its
action on the bees is given in some detail,
and the illustrations help to render the
descriptions more clear. We can quite
recommend the book for perusal by those
wishing to be better acquainted with these
minute animal parasites, which are the
cause of so many serious diseases.

BEE-KEEPING IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Lecture by Thos. W. Cowan, F.E.S.,
&c., given at the B.B.K.A. Conversazione,
March l&th, 1914.

(Continued from page 144.)

I could show you some apiaries in other
countries, but think I ought to leave off
now, as there is another lecture to be

152

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 16, 1914.

given by Mr. Herrod, and I do not wish
to encroach on his time. (Go on.) As you
seem to wish me to go- on I will get through
the remainder of the pictures as rapidly
as possible.

PALESTINE.

The picture before you is that of a
district in Palestine from which at one

time a good many " Syrian " and " Holy
Land" bees were obtained. These bees,
you will remember, had bright golden
bands similar to those of Cyprian bees,
but were said to be better tempered. In
the picture you see the historical
Solomon's pool, and it was here that Mr.
Baldensperger, father of the present Ph.

April 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

153

Baldensperger, started bees so long ago as
1850. Beyond the pool is an arch of
the castle, in which are piled clay cylinders
used by the natives as bee-hives. The fol-
lowing pictures show the apiaries of Mr.
Ph. Baldensperger at Jaffa, where the
queens were bred for export. In one show-
ing the City of Jaffa (formerly called
Joppa) in the background, you will see
him with his family and Arab assistant
preparing queens for shipment, in a quite
up-to-date apiary, and in the next the
boxes containing the queens, laden on
camels for transportation to the shipping
station. The roads in Palestine are not

following pictures show the neat and quite
up-to-date Nogogaki apiary at Okucho, in
which you will see not only modern frame-
hives, but also an extractor and honey-
ripener, and the method of queen-rearing
in the small boxes hung round the walls.
We know what a progressive country Japan
is, but I think the following picture (seep.
154) will be a surprise to you, and should
be an example to us all. It represents a
meeting of the Japanese National Bee-
keepers' Association at Gifu in 1912, when
600 bee-keepers were present. It is a fine
sight, and all those in the group appear
anxious to learn something about bee-

Ml'D HIVES AT JEZREEL, PALESTINE.

as good as ours, and in some places there
are simply tracks, so that a good deal of
the traffic has to be done with camels, and
the picture before you gives a good idea
of the method of travelling in that
country. The next view is that of an
Arab apiary in Jezreel. The hives are
merely clay cylinders stacked together and
plastered over with mud. The bees are
hived in these cylinders, which are closed
at the ends, small holes being left for the
bees. to go in and out. To get the honey
the ends are taken off and the bees driven
back with smoke, the combs being cut out
and the coverings replaced. This is quite a
typical Arab apiary, and there are many
such in different parts of the country.

JAPAN.

We will now pass over to Japan, and
although modern bee-keeping there is
quite in its infancy there are a certain
number of progressive bee-keepers. The

)ing. I wonder in what other country
such a gathering could be got together ?
(To be continued.)

ongtbejBe

NEW ZEALAND HEATHER HONEY.

I have recently had submitted to me a
document recording the doings of a
Conference of Dominion Bee-Keepers,
held last season in Wellington. At this
gathering a new " National Bee-Keepers'
Association " was formed, and all on this
side will rejoice that they have been able
to inaugurate an organization " for the
purpose of improving the condition of bee-

154

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 1G, 1914.

keeping, and the honey market in
particular. The fostering of the export
trade is one of the leading planks in the
platform of this new society. Small
exports to this country are no new thing,
but they aim at big things in the future.
Hon. R. H. Bodes, who< formally opened
the Conference, gave the information that
last year they sent us 135 tons, or, in
Customs parlance, 302,4001bs. of honey.
Many in this country will be pleased if
the bulk of our imports, to the value of
from £30,000 to £60,000 annually, repre-
senting possibly well on to o,000,0001bs. of
honey, should come to us from the bee-
keepers of Greater Britain rather than
from foreign sources. In view of what 1

it with what two subsequent speakers said
in regard to the- honey they considered
good enough to substitute for the produce
of our heather hills. No less an authority
than the President assured us that they
have already been playing this game. He
says, " They had found that ti-tree honey
would probably sell as well as New Zealand
heather honey. It was of a similar flavour
to the Scottish heather honey," and he
again informs us that amongst other
places this ti-tree honey went to Glasgow*
I lay emphasis on this further statement.
Another speaker, apparently without a
blush or suffering from any qualms of con-
science, declared that " So far as dark
honey was concerned, he thought if it

GROUP OF JAPANESE BEE-KEEPERS.

have to say later, I would add that New
Zealand sends us some of our finest im-
ported1 honey, which often sells at the
highest price, after the home supply.

Now, readers might turn with me to
the dark side of the picture, and note that
a honey — " a poor third or fourth grade "
— is found in quantity over considerable
areas of North Island, which Mr. Hopkins,
in an article read at the Conference,
designates " unextractable " honey.

Ordinary centrifugal force cannot part it
from the combs; and, like our Highland
heather honey, the combs have to be put
under pressure, thus destroying them,
before it can be put on the market.
Several sources for this thick gelatinous
product have been named, but Mr. Hop-
kins says, " I have no doubt the manuka
or ti-tree is one of the sources." I wish
to emphasise this statement, and connect

were sent to Scotland, labelled New Zea-
land Heather Honey, it would sell well! "
Now, note this is some of their cheap
honey, too. dark to sell profitably at home,
the very honey which Mr. Hopkins charac-
terises as a third or fourth grade, and
poor at that. Yet these sapient bee-
keepers from the back woods of New Zea-
land presumably propose to launch it on
our honie market to be sold at the highest
price.

I have another choice tit-bit to reproduce
on the authority of their own organiser.
Several speakers gave the " West of
England " and the " West of Scotland "
as the best market, and Bristol, Liverpool,
and Glasgow were specifically named. Mr.
Lysnar, the organiser for the Bristol and
Dominion Producers' Association, let the
cat out of the bag when he made the
following statement : " All enquiries go to

April 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL

155

show that there is a better and more re-
liable market in the Western cities than
there is in London. There are tou many
associatioi s in London, which assist the
Londoner, but are detrimental to the pro-
ducer; but these organisations do not exist
to the same extent in the West." I think
this is a gem which should duly receive the
close attention of the Bee Journal, and
also in marked degree that of the British
B.K.A. I think, too, this nefarious pro-
posal to substitute cheap, inferior honey
for the choice produce of our heather hills
should engage the close attention of all
interested, not only in heather honey, but
good hone}" of any kind. We have heard
in the past of " barrels of heather honey
at 3^d. per lb." Our best and most com-
petent judges declared that it differed
entirely from real heather honey in colour,
consistency, flavour, and aroma, and under
a powerful microscope the pollen grains
were proved, to belong to no known plant
in this country.

If this new invasion, so brazenly heralded,
is of a similar nature, I can promise the
promoters a lively time. The Board of
Trade will have samples in their possession
as soon as procurable. Eminent analysts
will test honey, and our leading judges
will sit in judgment on its quality. But
before taking any 811011* steps we will
ascertain what effect sweet reasonableness
may have on the Government of New Zea-
land, the leading bee-keepers in the
Dominion, and the sane members of the
new Association. We want only justice
and fair dealing.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
mnd correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
01 a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BANATS— THE FRUIT-GROWERS'
BEE.

[9001] Your Carlisle correspondent
(page 136) gives Ban at bees a very bad
character in Bee Journal for April 2nd.
Lest readers should be unduly prejudiced
thereby, may I give my experience of
them? I have kept Banats for four
seasons, and each year they have come out
ahead of either Italian hybrids or British
bees for all-round usefulness.

Being a fruitgrower, I need a bee that
breeds earhj} so putting a strong force in

the field when plum, pear, and apple are
in bloom, for at this season few other in-
sects are about to carry out the work of
cross-fertilisation of the blossom.

This is where the Banat scores. At a
conservative estimate there are now (early
April) twice as many flying workers in
my Banat hives as in my strongest British
hive. Of course, for Northern bee-keepers
— and late districts in general — this is a
positive disadvantage ; as your corre-
spondent laments, stores are used up in
producing a large force of workers before
there is forage for them, but hereabouts,
where the countryside is usually white
with blossom by Easter, the advantage of
early breeding can hardly be over-esti-
mated .

Then as to surplus collection, a good
stock, properly managed, will fill out at
least three 301 b. supers, say, one fruit and
two clover honey, with another 301b. of
winter stores, but there must be ample
ventilation — a -tin. floor-board ventilator,
wedges between each storey, and the outer
case acting as a chimney, will not be too
much throughout an average summer. In-
cidentally, I would remark that probably
most of the troubles experienced by those
who try foreign races (such as excessive
swarming) are really caused by their own
neglect to give plenty of ventilation, the
bees must swarm or suffocate !

Another point for Banats — their defence
of stores against robbers ! The British
bee is a poor hand at this, needing a con-
tracted entrance — just when the weather
is most oppressive, too ! — tx> assist her in
" repelling boarders," but let the word
go round that there are strangers in a
Banat hive, instantly the guards are filled
with a veritable Berserker fury, they rush
about uttering a peculiar and quiet awe-
inspiring note, and the intruders are
promptly seized and expelled, being, in-
deed, nearly torn to pieces in the process.
For all this, Banats are easy to handle
and quiet on their combs during manipula-
tion.

To sum up, I plump for Banats because :
— They breed early ; they resist foul brood ;
they give a good surplus, and are un-
equalled at stores defence.

Do any readers know an importer of
these bees? I tried unsuccessfully to find
one last year. — H. E. Scrope Viner,
Overbury Fruit Farm, Worcestershire.

"HOPE ON, HOPE EVER."

[9002] Mr. Owen Browning certainly
writes very pessimistically in his article
(8983) in the "B.B.J.," March 19th
last.

For the benefit of those who have not
had any experience with this horrible
"Isle of Wight" disease, may I suggest

156

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 16, 1914.

some points which Mr. Browning appears
to have neglected ?

I think it is generally accepted that
" Isle of Wight " disease is usually caught
by the bees of one stock consuming the
honey from a hive where the bees have
had "Isle of Wight" disease. Yet Mr.
Browning tells us that a swarm entered
a hive where the bees had died of the
disease. Would it not have been safer to
close that hive, or take it away, and thus
prevent any bees robbing it, or a swarm
entering it ? For what is the use of clean
hives, &c, if a diseased set of combs is
left exposed ?

Then, on the subject of cures, Mr.
Browning writes rather positively. Last
year I saw several stocks affected with
"Isle of Wight" disease, and saw them
apparently cured, for they gathered a good
surplus, and some threw swarms which
did well also. The method of cure was
very thorough. As soon as the disease
was seen, every stock in the apiary was
transferred into clean hives which had
been dressed with Ayles' "Isle of Wight "
cure. Those stocks which had shown
signs of "Isle of Wight" disease were
only allowed to remain in these hives for
a fortnight, when they were again trans-
ferred into clean, dressed hives as before.
Not only were the stock boxes and floors
disinfected, but everything was thoroughly
cleaned and disinfected, and new quilts
were supplied. The combs which had no
brood in were dipped in Izal and replaced.
At the end of the season there was no
trace of "Isle of Wight" disease in the
apiary.

When infectious or contagious diseases
appear in a human habitation every care
is taken to burn or thoroughly disinfect
everything that has been near the disease.
Surely if this precaution was taken by bee-
keepers it would at least lessen the
chance of the malady spreading.

In conclusion, may I second Mr.
Desmond's request for particulars of those
stocks which were apparently cured last
year ? — L. G. Copleston, Cambridge.

SPRING FLOWERS— AND WINDS.

[9003] Snow-upon-the-Mountain," re-
ferred to by "G. G. D.," Glos. (8994), is
Arabis — not Alyssum. The double variety,
though more splendid and therefore com-
moner in gardens, is of no bee-value; but
the single (A. all>ida and A. a. variegata)
is one of the most useful flowers we have.
It is such a strong grower that I imagine
■it could well be left to look after itself ;
no weed is likely to stand much chance
against it. But I suggest that its cousin,
Aubrietia, be planted as well along road-
sides, wherever a steep, open bank or wall
offers. It is equally sturdy and even more

attractive to bees, while its purple
cascades would certainly brighten up our
landscapes.

I think, also, the blue Anemone (A. ap-
penina or A. blanda) might be tried on the
sunward side of hedges. As it is in full
leaf long before the earliest weed begins
to wake, I cannot fancy it would be likely
to get choked. I have seen it thrusting
through a thick mat of Arenaria baleafica,
which is warranted to kill most things!

But it must not be planted along fre-
quented roads — it attracts humans as
much as bees !

May I also draw attention to Coronilla
glauca? This is a small leguminous shrub
with yellow flowers, on which the bees are
very busy just now. There is one in this
garden that has been in flower con-
tinuously since the end of June — and
probably longer: not just a few blossoms
now and then, but sheets of them the
whole time. I fancy the bees visit it for
want of better things, as they only began
to attend to it in February.

As regards wind, I recommend bee-
keepers to sprinkle a little fine sand on the
alighting-board before covering it with the
last coat of paint. It should be put on
while the second coat is still wet, and im-
mediately before the third coat is added
any loose grains should be dusted off. We
have had rather blustering south winds
lately, and I notice that two of my hives
so treated have scarcely lost a bee, whereas
three untreated hives close beside them
showed deplorable results — chilled bees
lying thick all round. For a moment I
thought it was " Isle of Wight " disease,
until I saw that almost every bee was
loaded with pollen — so many bees are
swept off the board as they close their
wings on alighting ; whereas the sand gives
them a firm grip. I recommend this to
the notice of hive manufacturers. — H.
Campbell Pulham St. Mary.

ANOTHER ADVOCATE OF SKEPS.

[9004] I like Owen Browning's
letter (page 115), pessimistic although
it is; I would put my shoulder to his
in defence of the skeppist. In my
garden are eight hives — seven bar
frames and one skep. I would as soon
see them the other way about. The bees
are direct descendants from those which
inhabited straw skeps forty-five years ago,
and never had anything wrong with them
until their late owner was induced to try
the new hives.

The second season he was cleaned out
with disease, only two stocks in skeps just
managing to- come through, and his ver-
dict, after fifty years' experience, was :
" The new hives are fine for getting at
the honey, but bad for the bees." His
method of management was to have good
skeps, roofed with straw in winter ; a

April 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

157

little syrup in shallow tins at the entrance
when the weather was mild in spring;
unsold surplus stocks done away with in
the smoke-pit. The bees always paid with
him.— J. S. L.. Perth.

IMMUNITY TO " ISLE OF
WIGHT" DISEASE.

A PROMISING STRAIN.

[9005] With reference to the above, I
have a very likely strain of British
Goldens, crossed once with a brown drone,
which has survived now three years, in
direct contact with stocks affected with
" Isle of Wight " disease. In this period,
for two' years, the bees were under
exceptionally bad conditions, as last June
owing to a bad attack of "foul brood"
they only covered about three frames.
They are working in great earnest every
fine hour, in the cold winds of late. I
should be glad to hear of any one willing
to exchange or sell about May two virgin
queens of the same strain, viz., British
Golden. With a diseased stock of native
bees there seems to be decided change for
the better, and I am hoping to save them
by squeezing the juice of a lemon in a quart
of syrup ; but one wants warm weather to
destroy all affected bees as they come out,
as only by this, in my opinion, can we
hope to counteract the disease at all.
Among other precautions to take, I think
we must now avoid the orthodox method
of giving pollen in the open air. I find a
email hole in first quilt, with a matchbox
or some such article, containing a small
quantity of pea-flour, placed over the hole
answers well, and the bees can get at it
whatever the conditions are outside.

Optimistic view of " Legislation "
(page 115). I was surprised to read of
anyone possessing such a long experience
in bee-keeping expressing such views of
the Act as your correspondent, Mr.
Browning does. I have no doubt that an
inspector who* knew of such infectious
haunts as are mentioned in his letter,
would make some attempt to destroy all
possibility of infection. The very fact of
the definition of "bee-keepers" used by
your correspondent, leaving so many
hundreds, however " unworthy," but
still " keepers," outside the definition,
shows that the Act is a serious necessity.
No one wants legislation to "combat" bee
diseases in its technical meaning, but it
is useless attacking disease unless we have
the right to supervise or advise both the
ignorant and careless. Modern bee-
keepers, as agitators for this reform, are
only too anxious to do the "mothering,"
which the old school bee-men neglected.
Foul brood did not trouble the latter, they
understood not its dangers, and however

effective their plan of eliminating
disease may be; their barbarous methods
are none the more excusable; the bee,
although domesticated and owned, does
not forfeit the right to live, and modern,
humane methods are the nearest approach
to protecting it, to say nothing of the extra
facilities these methods give for the
study of a very pleasant and profitable
pastime. My opinion is that modern
methods have not developed disease, but
have brought it to light, consequently
furnishing some chance of stamping it
out; this applies, at any rate, to foul
brood. — A. H. Hamshar.

APPRECIATION.

A correspondent writes as follows : "I
may add that I always read the Journal
with interest ; what I specially like about
it is the spirit in which the work is carried
on. The traditions of the headquarters
staff seem to be those of kindliness and
helpfulness. Wishing you all success.
Yours sincerely — E. N."

WARWICKSHIRE B.K.A.

The annual general meeting of the
above will be held in the Grand Hotel,
Birmingham, on April 23rd, after which
an illustrated lecture on " A Year's Work
in the Apiary " will be delivered bv Mr.
W. Herrod, F.E.S. The chair will be
taken at 5.30 p.m. At the conclusion of
the lecture Mr. Herrod will be pleased to
answer any question relating to bee-
keeping. All interested in bees and bee-
keeping are invited to be present. — J.
Noble Bower, Hon. .Secretary.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
March, 1914, was £2,465. — From a return
furnished to the British Bee-keepers'
Journal by the Statistical Office, H.M.
Customs.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

ROME.

(Continued from page 130.)

But, all considered, what was the use of

wasting good old Saxon on the Populus

Romanus? Little would they appreciate

it. Better by far to keep our breath to

cool our — no, not our "parritch." We

should get none of that here, and mac-

caroni is but a sorry substitute for " the

chief of Scotia's food." Keep our breath

until we visit some of the roof apiaries

here. We shall want it.

Oh! these hotel touts. In all Conti-

I nental towns what a nuisance they are.

158

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 16, 1914,

To escape this crowd perforce it was neces-
sary to drive to our hotel.

And we are actually traversing the
streets of Rome! Rome that I have
longed of all cities of the world to see,
save, perhaps, one other in Palestine.
What are my feelings? Of what am I
thinking? Scarce can I tell; I cannot fit
the pieces harmoniously together. Thirty
centuries of history are around me.
Carthage and Athens, and even her more
modern rival, Constantinople, have faded
away and almost gone, and still the
" Eternal City " remains. That slave-built
Coliseum frowns on us, grey and savage,
and cruel as ever, grim in its naked un-
ornamented walls. There Britain's sons
were dragged, prisoners of war, to fight
to the death for the amusement of an
idle crowd.

" Butchered to make a Roman holiday."
From yonder majestic Vatican wandered
a great Pontiff. In these very streets
he saw the Saxon children exposed
as slaves. To the dark-haired Roman
their fair skin was marvellous. Angli, their
owner called them " Not Angli, but
angels," was the Pope's reply, and the
legend says he could not rest until his mis-
sionaries had visited the white-cliffed
Albion. What of Rome of to-day? Its
palaces are built of Carrara marble,
dazzling in their whiteness, while the
crowds who throng the streets are still of
every race and every clime; but it is as
the vintage of to-day occupying the
amphora, the earthen wine bottles, of old
Rome. The times seem out of joint.
There is a solecism somewhere.

Pardon my meanderings, but the
occasion must be the excuse. There has
been much ink slung in an American bee
journal recently as to whether bees could
be kept to advantage in a city. Here,
within the very walls of Rome, the ques-
tion has been solved, and successfully, too.
Of course, Rome is a, city different from
any other. First, it is a real garden city.
Every palace has its garden, every resi-
dence of its citizens has its court, where,
in the shade, they may escape the mid-
day sun. There are few cities, too, which
have SO' many public parks and pleasure
grounds, and so many fountains of
running water. The acacia and the
begonia, and a hundred other nectar-bear-
ing trees and shrubs unfamiliar to the
barbarian eye, crowd everywhere within
the flight of bee ; also the buckwheat
and the trefoil are near at hand. So
there is no dearth of forage, as in many
capitals.

Yet it would be marvellously difficult to
conduct an apiary of any size mid such a
mass of men on terra firma, and there
comes in the advantage which the sunny
South has over the rugged North. We

superimpose on our walls ugly, pyramid-
like masses of slate or tiles. In Rome the
roofs are flat, so that in the cool of the
evening the inmates of the house may sit
and enjoy the breeze from the not distant
sea. Here, then, the Cavaliere Antonio
Constantini has established his bee-farm,
seven storeys high, on the top of his house
in the Viccolo Brunetti — ■
" Far from the madding crowd's ignoble

strife."
We came to know him in this fashion. We
carried letters of introduction to our worthy
host of the Hotel de 1' Europe (a to-day
Senator* of Rome). The hotel proprietor
was soon forgotten in the friend, and all
the sights of the ancient city were
accessible to us. "Out of the fulness of
the heart the mouth speaketh." It was
not long before it was discovered that we
were bee enthusiasts, and scarce was it
known before a special messenger was dis-
patched to the Cavaliere. We are all bee^
keepers. Is it necessary to say that the
invitation to visit him was cordial? — J.
Smallwood.

(To be continued.)

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

By D. M. Macdonald, Banff.

Spraying Bloom. — " Please tell this to
your neighbours. Tell it to the editors
of all the papers. Proclaim it from the
housetops. Let everybody know that to
spray a tree while in bloom is liable not
only to injure the fruit and thus help to
destroy the crop, but also kills the bees.
This fact should be placed before eaoh
school teacher, and kept on the walls of
each schoolroom of the State. Let us make
it strong. Tell every teacher in your
county to write on the blackboard in
capitals : ' Never spray fruit while in
bloom.' "

The above is from Gleanings' special fruit
number. Another contributor tells when to
spray. " The first spraying should be done
when the buds are dormant, the second
when they are nearly formed, the third,
and practically the most important, when
the petals are falling off; the fourth ten
days after, and the fifth about July 1st."
A badly affected orchard was thus cured,
and a perfect foliage secured, while prac-
tically every tree was heavily laden with
perfect fruit, and the crop was enormous.
This from a lot of worn-out, run-down
trees, previously yielding but a scanty crop
of wormy and ill-shaped fruit. By the

April 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

159

way, some credit should also be given to
the fifty " swarms " of bees placed in the
orchard to pollenise the blossoms.

Standardisation. — A movement in
favour of making hives and bee-keepers'
supplies a standard size seems to be
making good headway in the States and
Canada, and manufacturers are aiding by
adopting the same styles and sizes. This
is as it should be. The consensus of
opinion favours the ten-frame hive in pre-
ference to the hitherto favoured eight-
frame one. Messrs. Root state : " Just a
few years ago the majority of hives sold
were the eight-frame, now the ten-frame
outnumbers the former by nearly three to
one." The National Association are work-
ing in the same good cause, and are trying
to standardise appliances as far as
possible.

Re-queening. — " There are several
things to be gained. A young laying
queen in a colony will, as a rule, increase
the vigour of the bees, so they will both
breed faster and gather honey more
rapidly when it comes. I have often
found such colonies among my best for
surplus. Such colonies, if left to super-
sede their own queens, become often so
reduced in bees that their surplus is likely
to be much below the average. Again,
such colonies are much less likely to swarm
than those having old queens. Many
swarm simply as a result of the super-
sedure of old queens." That means three
points in favour of the re-queened stock —
less chance of swarming, breeding faster,
which means a stronger force and more
honey, which means more profit.

One for Blacks. — Mr. Byer, Canada,
says: "I believe any claim that Italians
are exempt from the ravages of American
foul brood is mere twaddle. In my ex-
perience as an inspector, as well as in
dealing with this disease in my own
apiaries, Italians were more often affected
than other races. I judged this to be
caused by the Italians' well-known pro-
pensity for robbing." The claim of im-
munity has been controverted over and
over again, and here comes Mr. Byer
asserting that Italians were more often
affected. Unquestionably, that is my own
experience.

Convention Groups. — February Ameri-
can Bee Journal illustrates interesting
groups of the Convention of Iowa bee-
keepers, and the Michigan Convention to
the number of over 120 members. All
sorts of men and women are shown as
others see them, and they will well bear a
look. Many fine types of both sexes are
to be seen. How is it that we never see
a group of bee-keepers in our bee news-
papers on this side?

Compound Words. — The above paper and
Gleaninp* have been conspiring to run a

number of these words into simple ones,
mentioning foulbrood, beekeeper, beestmg,
as samples. ("Now, why it is I will not
tell, But I do not like thee, Doctor Fell ! ")
Then they proceed to write and print
(amongst others) — AVhite-clover, bee-tree,
pure-food, machine-shop, hive-cover, ten-
frame hive bee-papers, bee-sting, foul-
brood, red-clover bees. Why? Consistency,
thy name is neither Miller, Root, nor
Dadant !

SUGGESTIONS FOR OBSERVATIONS

ON THE ORDER OF BLOSSOMING OF

DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FRUITS

AND EXPERIMENTS IN THEIR

POLLINATION.

1. Note the order of blossoming of dif-
ferent varieties of apple, pear, but more
particularly of cherry and plum ; also note
the length of time the different varieties
are in flower, with the object of seeing
which varieties are in flower about the
same time for cross- pollination.

2. In order to test which varieties are
self-fertile and which are self-sterile,
enclose trusses of unopened flowers in
paper or muslin bags and tie the bag at
base. "When the tree is in full flower open
bags, pollinate blossoms with pollen of the
same variety by dusting stigmas either
with pollen of anther held by forceps or
by camels' hair brush, remembering to
sterilise the brush by dipping in methy-
lated spirits and allowing to dry before
using with another variety. After polli-
nation replace bags, label with date,
approximate number of flowers, and what
has been done.

3. An interesting experiment is to place
bags over three trusses of unopened flowers
on a variety : (a) leave alone to see
whether any fruit will develop with in-
sects excluded; (b) pollinate with own
pollen to see whether or no fruit will set
and mature with pollen of the same
variety ; (c) pollinate with pollen of
another variety to see whether a better
result is obtained with foreign pollen than
with its own. Each trial should be labelled
and a careful record kept, examining
them, say, once a fortnight, till mature,
as many fruits that "set" fall before the
fruit is ripe. The bags can be removed
when all petals of the enclosed flowers
have fallen — say a fortnight after pollina-
tion.

4. To find the best pollenisers,
especially for shy-bearing kinds : The un-
opened blossoms to be bagged may be
emasculated (by pulling out or cutting out
the anthers before they shed their pollen) ;
or, if the variety is self-sterile, they may
be left untouched. The flowers that have
been bagged are pollinated (when the tree
is in full bloom) with pollen of another

160

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 16, 1914.

variety. The approximate number of
flowers pollinated should be noted on the
label, together with name of pollen used,
dates and notes from time to time till
the fruit is mature. It may be advisable
to thin the number of flowers or fruits to
give them the best chance.

5. Notes may be made of the insect
visitors that chiefly visit and pollinate the
different fruit blossoms, the object being
to get records from different parts of the
country.

Observations and records of experiments
should be sent to the Secretary of the
National Fruit Growers' Federation,
2, Gray's Inn Place, Gray's Inn, London,
W.C., to be tabulated and summarised;
all contributors of careful observations to
receive a summary of the season's observa-
tions when published, a copy of which will
be sent to the Editor of this journal for
publication.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Herefords.
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include:—
Collection, Gift. Section®, Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
. Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED.

Abbott Bros. (Southall, near London). —
This old established firm issue a well
arranged catalogue, which has been revised
and brought up-to-date, illustrations being
given of most of the articles listed. It is
replete with every appliance required by the
bee-keeper, and includes stocks, swarms,

and queens. Many "special" patterns of
hives are illustrated, while the model
"W.B.C.," which has gained premier
honours at so many "Royal " shows, again
occupies a prominent place. The excellence
of the woodwork turned out by Messrs.
Abbott is well-known, and all their goods
can be relied upon to be equally satis-
factory. The catalogue can be had post
free on application.

H. F. Swann (Northants). — Feeding in
Spring.— Bruise the eappings of the
sealed food in the combs in order to
induce the bees to eat it. They will
need the food before the flowers bloom.

J. W. G. (Huddersfield). — Buying Honey
for Bee-food. — It is no use wrapping
honey in paper to send through the
post. It should be properly packed to
travel safely; only the sticky paper
arrived here. In any case, do not buy
honey for bee-food at present. It is too
risky in view of disease.

Freda (Oundle). — Various Queries. — (1)
We cannot add anything to the advice
already given — i.e., it would be best to
stick to your own bees, and not buy
from oiitside at present. (2) You must
not shut the bees up in the Claustral
hive. Transfer them any time now on a
warm day, and then move them not
more than one yard per day, when they
are flying, until you get them to the new
position. (3) The " Brice " swarm-
catcher is good and has no disadvan-
tages. (4) Certainly give the bees
water in a proper fountain, rather than
let them go to a pond to drink.

H. K. (Rugby). — Bees Casting out Queen.
— The queen is an old one and has been
rejected by the bees because she has been
injured and cannot lay. No doubt this
was done during the manipulations on
the Sunday as mentioned.
Suspected Disease.

L. J. B. (Northants) and J. H. Dixon
(Cornwall). — The bees were too dry for
us to be able to state cause of death.
It would be best to melt the combs and
well disinfect the hive before putting
bees in it again.

R. L. (Castle Cary). — Bees show every in-
dication of " Isle of Wight" disease.

J. B. (Nuneaton) and R. Auld (Bath).—
Bees have died from "Isle of Wight"
disease.

A. S. M. (Romford).— The bees are
Carniolans, and are badly affected with
" Isle of Wight" disease.

April 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

161

BEE-KEEPING IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Lecture by Thos. W. Cowan, F.L.S.,
&c, given at the B.B.K.A., Conversazione,
March 19th, 1914.

(Continued from page 153.)

The next picture is that of Ramon
Gonzales in Haiti, and you will see that
there, also, are quite advanced bee-

bare feet. In the following picture a
native is examining the brood in the
combs, and you will notice the small
shallow frames. I do not know what bee
they cultivate, but, judging by the small
size of the cells it is probably Apis indica,
which is said to be a small but docile bee.

AMERICA.

Bee-keeping in the United States of
America, and in Canada is carried on very
much on the same plan as it is here, only
on a much larger scale, so that I need not
devote very much time to it. However, I
wish to bring before you a portrait of Mr.

MR. C. P.

keepers. The hives in the apiary of
M. Malherbe Pressor are on tall legs, and
are arranged amidst tropical vegetation,
and you will observe that the ladies and
gentlemen are dressed in light tropical
costumes. From Haiti we can go to India,
and here are natives manipulating
frames at the apiary of St. Joseph's
College in Trichinopoly. The Hindoos
who have charge of the apiary do not seem
to mind the bees, as they go about with

C. P. Dadant, who is not only a pro-
minent bee-keeper in America, but whose
name is also well known in Europe, as he
and his father have done much to
popularise the horizontal, frame-hive on
the European Continent. Mr. Dadant is
of French extraction, and has been a
frequent contributor to European bee-
papers, and it is through his influence that
the movable comb-hive is so rapidly
spreading over the whole of Europe.

162

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 23, 1914.

(Applause.) I had the pleasure of meeting
him last autumn in Switzerland, and he
said that he would come to England before
long and visit some of the bee-keepers in
this country. Those who meet him will
find that he is full of information. During
the two days I spent in his company he
did not cease to talk about bees, and find
out all he could about them. While stay-
ing with Mr. Bertrand we> had the oppor-
tunity of meeting Dr. Loris Melikov, of
the Pasteur Institute, Paris, who had
been sent by the French Government in
view of legislation, to investigate foul
brood, which was devastating Savoy. He
came over from Evian to get what in-
formation he could, and we had several
hours of very interesting conversation,
being able to give him particulars of what
bad been done in Switzerland to combat
this disease by means of legislation. The
next picture is a view of the apiary of J.
House, in New York State, and contains
350 colonies arranged in pairs on the slope
of a bill. The following are views
of the apiary building and rooms of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College. Some
of the largest bee-keepers are in Cali-
fornia, and I am able to show you two
apiaries belonging to Mr. Mendelson, of
Ventura, one consisting of 500 colonies
arranged in pairs on terraces on the side
of a hill, and another of 1,500 Danzenbaker
hives. The extracting house, as you will
see, contains Cowan extractors driven by
an engine.

In my last lecture, I described the
system adopted in Gatinais of inverting
straw-steps and placing empty ones on
them to obtain a large harvest of honey. I
am now able to show you how some of the
modern bee-keepers in that part of France
have improved on the old plan by using
wooden supers instead of straw skeps.

For all these pictures I am indebted to
my son, who has prepared them for me.
Many of them, especially those of bee-
keeping in the Caucasus and in the Balkan
States are interesting because so different
from what we are accustomed to find in
other parts of Europe. In conclusion, I
would thank you for the kind and patient
attention which you have given to my
remarks. (Applause.)

Mr. W. Herrod then gave his test
lecture for lecturer's special certificate,
the subject being •' How to Manage Home
and Out Apiaries, including the Preven-
tion of Swarming." He was listened to
with great attention, and at the conclu-
sion, the audience were requested to ask
as many questions as they pleased.
Numerous points were raised and
promptly dealt with by the lecturer.

Articles of interest were then inspected,
including someexcellent photographsof bees
and "Isle of Wight" disease brought bv

Mr. G. W. Judge, a home-made wax-smelter
by the Rev. F. S. F. Jannings, display-
ing again his inventive genius; a new ex-
cluder, sent by Mr. E. H. Taylor, of
Welwyn, in which the greater bulk of the
metal (as in the old pattern) is elimi-
nated. This improvement will, no doubt,
be welcomed by those bee-keepers who
wisely use excluders. Mr. F. W. Watts
also exhibited a new bee escape; this was
very favourablv commented upon and has
already been illustrated in our pages.

[We are indebted to the Editor of Api-
< ultiire NouveUe for the loan of block on
page 152 of last week's " B.B.J."— Eds.]

BEITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
! London, W.C., on Thursday, April 16th.
1914. Mr. W. F. Reid presided. There
were also present Messrs. C. L. M. Eales,
A. Richards, A. G. Pugh, T. Bevan, J.
Small wood, O. R. Frankenstein, and
H. P. Perkins; (Association representa-
tives) G. S. Faunch, and G. R. Alder
(Essex), G. J. Flash man (Barnet), G.
Bryden, and G. W. Judge (Crayford),
F. W. Harper (St. Albans), and the Secre-
tary, W. Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were read from Miss M. D. Sillar,
Messrs. T. W. Cowan, E. Walker, Sir
Ernest Spencer. Colonel H. J. 0. Walker.
Captain F. Sitwell, and Rev. F. H.
Fowler.

The minutes of Council meeting, held
en March 19th, 1914, were read and con-
firmed.

The following new members were
elected: Mrs. H. W. L. Waller, Mr. R.
Talbot Clayton, and Mr. C. V. Bellamy.

The Manx Bee-keepers' Association
applied for affiliation, and were accepted.

The following Associations nominated
representatives to the Council, and the
same were accepted: (Lincolnshire) Mr.
D. Seamer, (Staffordshire) Mr. W. Valon.
, (Mid-Kent) Mr. J. C. Roberts, (Leicester-
shire) Mr. W. W. Falkner.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for March amounted to £40 12s. 2d., the
bank balance being £221 16s. 8d. Pay-
ments amounting to £20 7s. were recom-
mended.

The report of the Examining Board on
the lecture given by Mr. W. Herrod at the
Conversazione on March 19th for the
lecturer test was presented by Mr. W. F.
Reid, and it was unanimously resolved to
award him the certificate. Mr. Herrod
was called into the room and warmly
congratulated bv the Chairman and

April 23, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

163

Council upon being the first to gain the
honour.

The Secretary reported that Colonel
H. F. Jolly, of Glenavon, Clifton Down.
Bristol, had kindly offered as a second
prizes to the exhibitor gaining the second
highest number of marks in the W.
Broughton Carr Memorial Medal competi-
tion, a " W. B. C." hive, the same to be
selected by the judges from the competi-
tive exhibits at the show. It was unani-
mously resolved that Colonel Jolly be
cordially thankecTfor his generous offer,
and that the same be accepted.

Mr. A. G. Pugh brought forward the
matter of arranging a judging competi-
tion. It was resolved that a class be
arranged at the conversazione to be held
October 22nd, 1914. Mr. C. L. M. Eales
offered to< present a first prize of one
guinea, and Mr. 0. R. Frankenstein a
second prize of half a guinea; both gentle-
men were heartily thanked for their
generous gifts and the same were accepted.
The arrangement of details was left in the
hands of the Exhibition Committee.

Next meeting of Council May 21st, 1914.

^HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICE^K

HI

jj^ ~b ^ip^^aztf^'Jg

m^^^^M^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

How to Make and Stock an Observatory Hive.
(Continued from page 146.)

The complete hive is shown at Fig. 7, where it will be seen that a large hand
lens is fastened to the hive by means of a chain and hook, tO' prevent it being
removed. This is very useful when examining the bees on the comb, or to get a
better view of the inside of the cells. Fig. 8 (see p. 164) is a photograph of a six-
frame observatory hive made by Messrs,.
Jas. Lee & Son, to whom I am indebted for
the loan of the photograph and permission
to use the same. After studying the descrip-
tion and drawings for the three-frame
observatory hive, it will be easy to under-
stand from this illustration how to make
room fox the extra three frames.

It is best to stock the observatory hive
with a very small swarm or cast rather than
with a nucleus. By the former method the
combs are built evenly in the hive, and
there is no fear of crushing bees on the
bulging combs when putting in the glass
frame, which often happens when built
combs are used. The swarm or cast will
locate the hive much better than a nucleus.
It is inadvisable to> try to run the bees into
the observatory hive in the orthodox fashion.
The entrance is too long and narrow to- do
this, and the bees will be a long time finding
their way in. Put the three frames, fitted
with foundation, into a. nucleus box, with
the entrance occupying the position of that
of the observatory hive. Run the bees
PIG 7 into this in the usual way. Give them

food, and let them work for about four
days; then remove the box, and put the hive in its place. Take out the long
glass frame and transfer the partly-built combs with the bees adhering, making
quite sure the queen is on one of them. The glass frame is then worked gently
into position and screwed fast. The hive should be kept dark by keeping up the
shutters all along, only taking them off when watching the bees. If left off for

164

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 23, 1914.

long periods the bees will not be so warm, and, as they object to light, they will
coat the glass with wax or propolis. An entrance slide should be provided ; this
.should be easy of access when looking at the bees, so that if it is required to
catch a bee in the passage, it can be prevented from getting out. The bees should
not be wintered in the hive, as they cannot cluster close enough together for the
necessary warmth, and it is difficult to give them candy. Move the hive away and
transfer them to a nucleus box, which can be well wrapped up to keep them warm.
The scale of drawings is 3m. to the foot.

\Errata.— On page 124 {British Bee Journal, March 26). third line in first
paragraph should read " In the centre a hole (H and M) i\ inches in diameter is
cut." On page 125, at right-hand side of block. Fig. 3, should appear the words
"27 inches.' 'J .

The Growth of the Brood Nest and Building Up Stocks.
- Success in obtaining surplus honey from the bees depends not on rule of thumb
.methods, but upon understanding their habits and the numberless idiosyncrasies
1 which they possess. There are probably very few bee-keepers who take the trouble

FIG. 8.

to observe the manner in which the brood nest spreads, and fewer still who make
the slightest attempt to assist the bees to carry out this work to the best advantage.

There is a prevalent idea amongst bee-keepers that the queen always commences
to lay in the centre of the comb ; observation proves" that nine times out of ten such
is not the case.

Breeding commences about the last week in January, and the queen will com-
mence to lay in the cells of those combs upon which the bees happen to be cluster-
ing at the time. Bees take cleansing flights on fine days during the winter months,
and when they settle down again the position of the cluster is shifted to those
combs which contain the most food, so that when breeding does commence, the
bees may be located in any position in the hive. It will frequently be found that

April 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

165

breeding has commenced at one end of the combs, or even in the centre of the last
cOmb but one. In such a case the expansion of the brood nest is restricted to
one side only; to remedy this, move the combs containing brood so that they are
the central ones of those occupying the hive. The division board — mistakenly called
a i lummy — is the most useful appliance to use for building up stocks. It is more
efficacious than feeding; yet experience teaches me that it is rarely used. When
incubating eggs, and rearing brood, heat is required, and if the bees have a large
unoccupied area in the brood chamber to keep warm, as well as that where brood
and bees are situated, it means that not only is energy and food wasted, but the
numbers do not increase so rapidly as when they are confined by means of the
division board to those rombs which they are capable of covering. The use of
this appliance releases a larger number of bees to go out foraging. The division
board should not fit close down to the floor-board ; a space of about three-eighths
of an inch should be allowed, so that bees can pass freely underneath. It is
advisable to keep, a few frames fitted with foundation on the unoccupied side. These
serve a double purpose — they help to keep the quilts snug ' and straight, and also
prevent the bees wasting their energy in building drone comb in the empty cavity,
which will happen if they are neglected for a time, and over-populate the combs
to which they are confined. The bee-space under the division board will allow
them to pass to the fitted frames, and carry out useful work, instead of swarming,
or wasting time as stated above. The use of the division board means a little

more labour and careful watching, but this is amply repaid by the rapid building
up which results. It is the principle one would apply to a long room with a fire-
place at one end. If it were going to' be occupied by a few people only, a curtain
or partition would be put across, so that the heat from the fire would be con-
fined to the enclosed space. Another operation which should be carried out at the
same time as the building up of stocks is the renewal of combs. This is not
done frequently enough, and if it were practised more. I am certain disease would
not be so1 prevalent. Constant breeding reduces the size of the cells, by the
adhesion to their walls of the skins from the larvae which are cast off when moult-
ing, so that from old combs are produced diminutive bees, with reduced stamina
and whose carrying capacity is lessened. Therefore, more journeys have to be
made to obtain the same amount of nectar that is carried by the larger bees reared
in new combs. The photograph (Fig. i) shows very clearly the difference in combs
of various ages. No. /i. is a newly-built one; No. 2 is one year old, showing the
thickening of the cells during that period ; No. 3, which is three years old, shows
a further reduction in the size of the cells (when the comb was broken in two the
left side cocoons remained intact) ; No. 4 is five years old — no explanation is neces-
sary— while No. 5 is a three-year-old comb broken in two, showing the cocoons

166

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 23, 1914.

cm the right side slightly loosened and raised ait their base ; along the bottom
are cocoons taken from a solar wax extractor after all the wax has been melted
away ; as will be seen, they retain the shape of the cell, and are very tough.

(To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves, responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE AND
STRONG QUEENS.

[9006] I think we should all be grateful
to Mr. Lee and others for sending us the
sequel of what they believed last year was
a successful evasion of our terrible enemy.
Beyond the letters you have published I
have had one from the Oxford gentleman,
whose former report I alluded to, and
that shows that the quinine treatment is
at any rate not an absolute cure. I agree
with Mr. Mace that colonies can be tided
through the spring attack and made use-
ful at any rate for one season, and with
Mr. Brook on the importance of breeding
queens of strong and clean constitution.
But are Mr. Brook's postulates enough?
He says, " Let us see that queens are
reared in none but strong colonies and
only when honey is coming in, thus ensur-
ing that the embryo queens will be well
fed during their larval stages." You
might have all these factors, including the
important one of "honey coming in," say,
in July, and yet perhaps on account of
the abundance of fresh pollen and the
vitality of the early summer sunlight,
May is very likely the best month for
breeding really strong and healthy queens.
I suppose Mr. Mace would not find it hard
to add to his other heresies that a young
queen could be over-fed and thus made
flabby. Then we have seen that " Isle of
Wight" disease can be temporarily
checked by taking away the queen and
thus giving the stock a rest from brood-
feeding. Perhaps it is an essential to
health that there should be an interregnum
in every hive every year. We coidd give
that without much loss to ourselves by
removing the queen and letting her lay
elsewhere for a. fortnight and then re-
uniting under a new queen. That is a far
point, but the immediate question is
whether we are careful to breed only
strong and healthy queens, and whether
we know all the conditions necessary to
that end. — G. G. Debmond, Sheepscombe,
Glos.

" BOX-HIVES."

[9007] My reason for believing that
the mention of " box-hives," especially in
connection with New Zealand, acts in a
peculiar manner on Mr. L. S. Crawshaw
(page 38, January, 1914) is because he has
previously gone out of his way in con-
troversy with others to ironically refer to
them. Mr. Crawshaw shows himself an
evasive controversialist in trying to confine
the meaning of the term " box-hives " as
used by me to "cracker boxes," &c, with-
out mentioning his own particular fancy —
skeps — when he should know as well as I
do that I have explained through the
" B.B.J." on several occasions that right
throughout Australasia the term is used
comprehensively to cover all forms of im-
movable comb-hives, be they skeps, barrels,
boxes, or any other article. Pray, Mr.
Crawshaw, accept this explanation as final.

May I ask Mr. Crawshaw before closing-
whether he uses the common straw skep
or not, and, if not, why not? — I. Hopkins.
Auckland, New Zealand.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

THE! QUININE TREATMENT.

[9008] I regret that pressure of other
work has prevented my replying before to
queries concerning the results of the
quinine treatment.

I give the' facts, to date, briefly. Your
readers may recall that the five stocks
wintered solely upon medicated stores
survived till the spring of 1913. These
yielded a surplus of 1541bs. of extracted
honey last summer, and at- the same time
increased to fifteen colonies. Signs were
not wanting that the disease was present
during the season in every hive, but in an
insignificant degree till August.

The late summer and autumn of 1913 —
unlike that of the preceding year — was
remarkable, here, for a prolongation of
the honey-flow. Bees were gathering
busily and breeding hard till mid-Septem-
ber. In August the disease reappeared
badly in one colony. Remedial measures
— quinine, disinfection, a new queen —
failed to stay its inroads, and the lot were
cyan id ed. Brood-nests were found in
September to contain quantities of
natural stores : the medicated syrup was
very slowly taken, and the stocks were at
last packed down for the winter on mixed
stores.

The mild weather that at first prevailed
kept the bees active ; rapid dwindling ap-
parently took place; when the fortnight's
frost came suddenly in January, the

April 23, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

167

weakened stocks were chilled to death.
All had brood — queens had been laying
till the last ; most had a pile of bees on
the floor-boards and a smaller number
huddled over the brood. All had plenty
of .«tores — partly medicated. Three stocks
survived the frost. One was destroyed
later, the other two failed to take down
the medicated spring syrup, and died off
within the last fortnight. The disinfected
hives have been stored — in hopes of better
days to come. A hundredweight of stores
was taken from selected combs before they
were burnt. It proves too bitter for use.

It is not safe to draw dogmatic conclu-
sions on the material to hand, but for the
past two winters stocks supplied with part
medicated and part natural stores have
died. I had determined to extract the
natural stores before winter last season,
but they were so mixed up with brood
that, beyond removing a frame or two, it
was quite impossible, and so history was
left to repeat itself. — H. Wigley, Graves-
end.

IMMUNITY '
WIGHT

AND "ISLE OF
DISEASE.

[9009] " Isle of AYight " disease has
been especially fatal in this parish. Where,
a few years ago, one could count hives by
the dozen, there are only three left, and
these are direct descendants of bees that
have succumbed to the malady. In the
autumn of 1912 I obtained a small cast on
three frames from an apiary near, wdiich
has since been wiped out. There was a
mere handful of bees, but I fed them on
syrup and candy, and they came through
the winter well. They swarmed twice
and also gave me a surplus of about 501bs.
of honey. Now, the first swarm that left
the hive did not cluster, but I followed it
and saw it enter one of a number of hives
belonging to a farmer about 300 yards
from here. His bees had previously all
died of " Isle of Wight " disease, and he
had left the hives standing out just as
the bees had died in them. I would not
claim the swarm, as I thought they would
surely die. But the unexpected happened ;
the bees lived and flourished, and last Tues-
day, the 14th inst. , I got permission to in-
spect them and found them covering ten
frames with drone brood nearly ready to
hatch, so I guess they will soon swarm. I
could see no sign of disease, and they are
still in that same hive and nothing has
been done to it since its former occupants
died. I have the parent stock, and the
second swarm, and they are both well and
strong ; in fact, I have supered the parent
stock.

Your correspondent " H. A. G." (page
94) gave a list of early pollen plants ; the
Cornelian Cherry (Comas Mas) should also

be included. It flowers early in February,
and on a fine day I have seen it literally
covered with bees. — Ei.vey E. Smith,

Southfleet.

5£KLES3£

[8921] Decoy Hives.— 1 should be glad
if you could tell me through the " B.B.J."
if it is legal for a neighbour to put out
hives or leave out hives with comb and
honey for the purpose of catching other
people's swarms? I know where there are
two diseased hives left out for this purpose,
and I do not think it is at all right. —
W. R., Sussex.

Reply. — We agree with you. It is a
shame that such a thing is allowed.
Yours is one of the hundreds of cases
which go to show how necessary it is to
have legislation. At present there is
no law to prevent your neighbour allow-
ing his diseased hives to stand. If a
swarm issues from your hives, so long as
you keep it in view, you can follow and
claim it. The only difficulty you might
have is that such an unscrupulous person
would probably swear that the hive was
already occupied by bees.

[8922] Movinej Bees.— Honey Tea.— (1)
In queries and replies (8917) your reply is
"quite safe." In all books of instruction
that I have read it states, " Hives can only
be moved one yard per day at a time."
Which is right? (2) Will you also kindly
tell me what is "honey tea" and how is
it made? — New Forest.

Reply. — (1) You have mixed up two con-
ditions. When bees have been kept in-
doors for about a fortnight through bad
weather, as in winter and early spring,
they can be moved short distances, and
will locate their new position. When they
.have been working and flying continuously
for some> time, then for short distances
they must not be moved more than one
yard per day, or many bees will be lost.
(2) One large table-spoonful of honey in a.
breakfast-cup, which should be filled with
boiling water. The tea should be sipped
as hot as possible.

^CHOES FROM THE HIVES.

Two swarms came off in my apairy to-
day (April 20th). This is very early for
this part. My other stocks are in good
condition. — H. Seamark, Willingham,
Cambs.

The first swarm of the season came off
on Sunday, April 19th (sure to be Sun-
day!). The bees are booming down here;

168

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 23, 1914.

Me have had a fortnight of glorious
weather, with the fruit trees in full
blossom. One colony has filled a super in
the past fourteen days. — W. Woolley,
Evesham.

I am glad to report that my bees are in
splendid condition, and very strong. All
stocks (ten in number) came through
winter well, and in most cases have built
comb and stored honey in empty candy
boxes. One stock in particular which I was
changing to a clean hive yesterday (April
17th) I found so crowded on the ten
frames that I gave the bees a super of .
sections and they were up working an hour
afterwards, so I shall probably get some
sections from the fruit bloom. All my
stocks have 1913 queens,-and are building
up well, so I hope to have some early
swarms. — J. Bowden, Witley, Surrey.

A glorious week for the bees. They are
working on the plum blossom and berries,
and we have had to put in forty frames of
foundation to keep them from swarming.
Four stocks are working up in shallow
frames ; the honey is dark and strong, but
it is good stuff to raise brood for the rasp-
berry bloom which is coming on. — R.
Bbown and Son, Somersham.

Sections for the Show Bench (p. 92). —
Just why should two-bee-way sections be
better than any other for the production
of fine comb? There would seem to be no
logical connection between increased bee-
way and pop-holes. I should have voted
for no-bee-way sections for. the purpose,
which perhaps simply goes to prove that
each man succeeds best with the outfit he
prefers. In other words, it is possible that
there is no best section or best hive. But
the no-bee-way section has, to my way of
thinking, several advantages. There is no
trimming of the wood for glazing, and no
trimming can be so neat as the original
plainness. It is much better to glaze close
to the comb surface, the outside row of
cells being better concealed. Of course
such sections require greater accuracy of
fixture, and more care in handling, but I
think they are worth it. I don't like
" show cases," nor do I think that they
compare in finish with a finely-glazed
section. If " D. M. M." were to see some
specimens which are supposed to show off
their contents year after year, he might
agree. But " Fancy " sections depend

more upon skill than style of section.
Skill and care from beginning to end, with
every now and then a dash of luck to out-
distance skill and care. " Bottom
starters" are a great help in the pro-
duction of show sections, and I should like
to add a. good word f<jr section frames,
which certainly keep the sections cleaner
and 'squarer" than the ordinary rack.
" D. M. M." writes of selection from
several hundred sections. Ah, me ! we are
not all so favourably placed. What of the
small bee-keeper with one or two hives,
who yet would like to compete on the show
bench? To him I would suggest, take
your strongest stock or stocks, and give
them every encouragement up to fruit
bloom. Then super with a set of fully
drawn-out-shallow worker-combs. If these
fill up, place a super of shallows (founda-
tion) under, to catch the Sycamore honey.
When the clover opens, place the section-
rack between these shallow supers. The
new combs will separate the sections from
the brood-nest, and keep them cleaner.
Then, if your luck holds, you may get
some show sections. But see that there is
some drone comb in the brood-nest at the
extreme outside, and don't use an ex-
cluder. Don't rely upon swarms to give
surplus, but should the stock swarm during
clover bloom, return the swarm after
taking away all the queen-cells and most
of the brood-combs, replacing these with
two or three sheets of foundation, and
returning the supers as before. Better see
if some of the sections are not done to a
turn at the same time, but do not blame
the writer too severely if the bees should
not have touched them. That would cer-
tainly be their own fault, perhaps in a
misguided endeavour to live up to Mrs.
Comstock's maxim, that " bees do nothing
invariably." I can only say that I have
not found this maxim entirely true. My
own bees are invariably very busy.

Precision in Bee Terms (p. 96). — When
you come to think of it there is a good
deal in the contention made by " S. J."
that the worker is not an " undeveloped
female Amazon." Amazon, if you like,
which would appear to imply female, but
not an undeveloped Amazon — rather the
contrary ! But is she comparatively un-
developed? Is she not rather more
developed than the full female, who would
appear to have lost the arts in the
development of a process? She is no less a
female than the full queen, and can take
her place on occasion, although her
powers are beyond question limited. But
she is much more developed in other ways,
as might be expected from her longer
period of growth. It is true that the
shorter period oi the queen can be
accounted for by evolutionary theory, but
even this implies some guesswork. And

April 23, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

1G9

" S. J." does not
and it would seem

what of the drone, whose period is still
longer, and whose development in some
respects is even greater? Again, what
shall we substitute for the generally
accepted description P
make any suggestion,
that one is needed.

Cure of Colony or Individual (p. 98). —
There appears to be some confusion of idea
here as to what constitutes a cure. It is.
of course, impossible to cure a bee whose
internal structure is seriously injured,
and I doubt whether an individual bee can
recover after being fairly attacked by the
disease. But this is not to say that the
progress of the disease in the colony can-
not be checked, nor that those individuals
which are still healthy, even though the
germs be within them, cannot be helped to
fight for their life. I believe that this
can be done, so that a colony is eventually
free from disease. Cures are either being
mistakenly reported, or they prove this,
and we may yet find the specific. But it
is the colony which recovers, and not the
individual bee.

Wiring Frames (p. 110). — There is a dif-
ference to be observed in various makes of
foundation. Some will sag or buckle, do
what you will. The softer foundation
appears to sag, and the older or harder to
buckle. I came across a comb of my own
the other day which illustrated the dif-
ference. This was only a half comb, two
to the standard frame, and it had three
horizontal wires, whilst the foundation had
been waxed to the wood all round the
three upper sides. But the sag was
terrific, about the depth of a row of cells
in some six inches of length. Not only
had the wires been forced downward, but
the foundation had settled somewhat upon
each wire, making a crushed row of cells.
Yet the buckle was only slight.

" Isle of WigM." Disease (p. 115). — Mr.
Owen Browning's letter is labelled " A
Pessimistic View," but this title hardly
does justice to the spirit of his article. I
take it that he is a believer in the opinion
that the disease has occurred before, and
that it has run a natural course, leaving
bee-keeping to flourish once again. If this
be true, and there appears little reason to
doubt it, we may regard the future with
more optimism. It is certainly true that
foul brood and all the other diseases we
know have not wiped bees out of existence,
in spite of skeps, hollow trees, or frame-
hives. Mr. Browning makes a call to all
bee-keepers to be up and doing, and, in
the absence of legislation, to help them-
selves by helping their weaker brethren
to get rid of disease. And I would add a
further appeal to all bee-keepers and
dealers, not to ship bees from an affected
area, and especially to disinfect all
travelling boxes upon their return. I

think it would be better for dealers to
send out unreturnable boxes, but for their
own sake, and for ours, I trust that this
appeal will not be disregarded.

TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED.

E. J. Burtt, Stroud Boad, Gloucester. —
This well-known West of England firm of
manufacturers issue a comprehensive list
of appliances. They make a speciality of
hives in the flat, and these can be had in
half-a-dozen different patterns at very
moderate prices, while bee-keepers who are
fond of carpentery can buy well-seasoned
boards ready cut and planed for making
hives and other appliances. Bee-houses are
also listed, and many other necessities for
the apiary. The catalogue is well printed
and illustrated, and can be had post free
on application.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbotjkne, Sussex.
March, 1914.

Rainfall, 549 in.

Above average, 3- 27
in.

Heaviest fall, "84 on
9th.

Rain fell on 27 days.

Sunshine, 1051 hrs.

Below aver., 38 hrs.

Brightest day, 31st
10 hrs.

Sunless days, 5.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 58 on 6th and
31st.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 28 on 25th,

Minimum on grass,
18 on 11th.

Frosty nights, 9.

Mean maximum, 49 4.

Mean minimum, 37" 2.

Mean temperature,
433.

Above average, 1*5.

Maximum barometer,
30243 on 31st.

Minimum barometer,
28-603 on 20th.

L. B. BlRKETT.

T. E. (Bath). — Introducing Queen to
Nucleus. — It is not absolutely necessary,
but advisable to cage the queen for
twelve hours.

G. G. (Honiton). — Duplicate Eggs in One
Cell. — (1) It is unusual but not un-
common. Often caused by a too prolific
queen in a weak stock. The bees do not
distribute the eggs, but eat them. (2)
Do not remove the stored combs, but
bruise the cappings of the cells near the
brood, so that the bees will feed upon
the honey.

Novice (Midhurst). — Elongated Cells. —
The drawn-out cells vou saw are odd

170

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 23, 1914.

drone ones, which are occasionally made
amongst worker brood. Queen-cells
always hang mouth downwards, and are
about the size of an acorn.
W. M. (,Shepherdswell). — Early Examina-
tions.— The words " if the weather is
favourable " are the crux of the matter.
This year the weather at the end of
March was decidedly unfavourable. It
is a matter of using discretion, as bees
cannot be managed by rule of thumb
methods.
E. P. J. (Caerphilly). — Cleaning Extracted
Combs. — Put them on the hive, and the
bees will clean them.
G. H. Jones (Llanberis). — .1 Beginner's
Questions.- (1) You could follow the plan j
you suggest, and it would work all right.
If you carried the bees on your back
they would travel sffely. If you arrive
home late, do not attempt to transfer
the bees to a " "NY. B.C." hive, but leave
them until the next day. (2) Bees collect
a certain amount of food from early
blooming flowers, and they also eat last
year's stores. (3) Yes. (4) Buckwheat
can be obtained from any corn dealer.
It is very like onion seed, only larger.
It is used as poultry food, also when
ground into flour, a great deal in
America and to some extent in this
country, for making buckwheat cakes (a
dainty which much resembles our pan-
cakes') ; eaten witli maple syrup they are
delicious. (5) To make the hive warm.
(6) An illustrated article on " How to
Make a Solar Wax-Extractor" has been
in type for some time, and we are only
waiting an opportunity to print the
same ; we are so full up with matter that
it is difficult to fit it in. Many thanks
for your appreciative letter, we are
receiving scores of similar ones.
T. A. E. (Dawlish).— Uniting Weak Stocks.
— (1) Yes, it will be best to unite. (2)
Capture and destroy one of the queens
and cage the other.
J. Bee (CardonaJd). — Making an Observa-
tory Hive. — There is a mistake, the hole
should be 2\ inches.

Suspected Disease.
F. Y. W. (Norfolk).— (1) The bees are
affected with " Isle of Wight " disease.
(2) Yes. (3) You can start again im-
mediately on fresh ground. (4) No, we
think not.
Backwell (Somerset).— (1) The bees are
affected with "Isle of Wight" disease.
(2) Are you a subscriber to our
Journal? If so it is curious that you
address us at Henrietta Street as we
vacated our offices there four years ago.
H. J. D. (Banbury). — Bees, were too dry

for examination.
W. H. (Cliristchurch).- We regret to say
that the bees now sent show unmistak-
able signs of "Isle of Wight" disease.

H. C. (Baildonj. — Bees and matchbox
arrived smashed to pulp through im-
proper packing.

S. M. (Hindhead).— (1) Bees are badly
affected with " Isle of Wight " disease,
and should be destroyed at once. (2)
They are hybrid Carniolans. (3) Under
the circumstances there is no need to
trouble; the combs should be burnt,
otherwise your plan would work all
right.

H. G. S. (Cardiff) and W. J. B. (Hurst-
monceux). — It is '"'Isle of Wight"
disease.

H. E. (Wolverley) . — Bees are too dry for
us to state cause of death ; to avoid risk
it will be well to burn the combs and
scorch the hive before using again.

M. C. C. (Wisbech). — Those now sent are
just the opposite, being too wet and de-
composed.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per kin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

LIGHT HONEY, 141b., 311b., 33lb. tins, 7d. per
lb.; also two new hives.— HASTINGS, W el-
combe, Stratford-on-Avon. v 84

HEALTHY MAY SWARMS, natural, 15s.-
FRED IBBITT, Pleasant Cottage, Temps-
ford, Sandy. v 85

TWO very strong stocks, nine frames, healthy,
complete... packed, 35s.— CHARLES DRAKE,
Cleveland House Apiary, Chatteris. v 86

PURE LINCOLNSHIRE HONEY, in 281b. tins.
7d. lb.; sample, 3d. -WAIN, Thorpe Bank,
Wainfleet. v 65

GRAND healthy stock, 1913 queen, ten frames,
W.B.C. pattern hive, 30s.— ANDERSON, 11,
Church-place, Annan. v 66

SWARMING SEASON— Healthy May swarms,
15s.; 8-frame colonies, 24>s.; book now.—
BOWEN, Cotswold Apiarist, Cheltenham. v 82

FOR SALE, 1 cwt. good quality honey, in 281b.
tins, price 8d. per lb., delivered on rail.—
W . P. J., Cornish Hall End, Braintree. v 78

TWO stocks of bees for sale, guaranteed
healthy. 21s. each; box to be returned; enclose
stamp— HANSON, 24, Triangle, Ilkeston. v 80

SWARMS, from bar framed hives, during May
and June 15s., cash with order.— J. REAVE-
LEY, Starbeck, Harrogate. v 78

SWARMS for sale, 1913 queens; four new
\\ B.C. hives, 14s. 6d.-BOWDEN, Broomhill,
Witley. Surrey. v 75

April 30, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

171

REVIEW.
L'Ape e la sua coltivazicme, by A.

De'Rauschenfels (Milan : Ulrico Hoepli,
price 8.50 lire, = 7s.). — This is a second
edition of this manual by the late editor
of L'Apicoltore, revised by the present
editor of that paper, Signer V. Asprea.
The volume before us has been consider-
ably enlarged, and has now 463 pages 9iin.
by 6^in. It also contains 116 figures and
sixteen portraits, instead of the sixty-six
figures in the former edition. The natural
history has been ably treated and the
illustrations from Cheshire's " Bees and
Bee-keeping," add to the interest of this
chapter. It is a pity, however, that the
old figure showing the wax scales has not
been discarded for one showing these scales
in their correct positions. The practical
part of the work is quite up to date, and
we congratulate the editor in bringing out
such a useful book, and can recommend it
to those of our readers who know the
Italian language.

TO OUR READERS.

We would like to call the attention
of readers to the fact that the work at
the Experimental and Educational Apiary
of the British Bee-keepers' Association
commences on May 8th. All those desirous
of attending these lectures (for which free
tickets of admission are given to the
Gardens) should apply at once to the
Secretary. Members of Associations

affiliated to the B.B.K.A. should bear in
mind that they can obtain tickets of
admission to the Zoological Gardens at
half-price (6d. each) upon forwarding an
application and the cash for the number
required, to the Secretary B.B.K.A.

We would also direct the attention of
exhibitors to the generous offer made by
Colonel F. H. Jolly of an extra prize in
the W. Broughton Carr Memorial Com-
petition, at the Royal Show, Shrewsbury,
June 30th to July 4th.

LEICESTERSHIRE B.K.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Leicestershire
and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association was
held at the Highcross Coffee House on
April 4th, Mr. H. M. Riley presiding over
a good attendance.

On the proposition of Mr. Spencer,
seconded by Mr. Earp, the annual report
and balance-sheet were adopted. The
Rev. H. J. Anderson proposed, and Mr.
Meadows seconded, a vote of thanks to the
retiring officers, which was heartily
accorded.

Lady Levy was re-elected President for

the ensuing year, and the Vice-Presidents
were also re-elected. Mr. W. K. Beding-
field was elected Chairman, Mr. E. J.
Underwood Vice-Chairman and Auditor,
Mr. H. M. Riley Treasurer, and Mr. J.
Waterfield Secretary.

A resolution was passed urging upon the
Government the necessity of proceeding
with the Bee Diseases Bill at the earliest
possible date. Tea was then taken, after
which the annual prize drawings took
place, and Mr. G. Hayes, of Nottingham,
gave a lecture on " Honey, its Granulation
and Densitv." — J. Waierfield, Hon. Sec.

LINCOLNSHIRE B.K.A.

The annual meeting of the Lincolnshire
Bee-keepers' Association was held at
Boston, on March 27th, Aid. J. Eley
(Deputy Mayor) presiding.

Captain J. H. Hadfield, Hon. Secretary,
submitted the twenty-fourth annual report
and financial statement. The total
receipts, including last year's balance,
amounted to £203 3s. 3d., and the ex-
penditure to £166 17s. 2d., leaving a
balance of £36 6s. ia. On the whole, 1913
was a favourable year for bee-keepers, and
some excellent honey was gathered, for
which there was a ready sale.

The report was adopted. On the pro-
position of Mr. J. G. Robinson (Sibsey),
seconded by Mr. T. R. Catchpole (Stick-
ford), the following officers were re-elected :
Hon. Treasurer, Mr. H. C. Bentley,
Louth ; Hon. Auditor, Mr. G. Booth
Walker, Wainfleet; Hon. Librarian, the
Rev. C. H. Murray, Partney; Hon. Secre-
tary, Captain J. H. Hadfield; Committee,
Dr. Carline (Chairman), Dr. Percy Sharp
(Vice-Chairman), Messrs. C. Laywood,
A. K. Maples. S. Maudson Grant, W. J.
Mouncey, and C. H. Marshall, with the
addition of Mr. Roper, Thorpe-on-the-
Hill. Mr. D. Seamer (Grimsby) was
elected the delegate to the London meet-
ings of the British Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion. It was decided that the next
annual meeting be held at Alford.

Discussion took place on the dropping
of the Diseases of Bees Bill in the recent
session.

On the proposition of Mr. W. Ion
(Healing), seconded by Mr. F. W. Frusber
(Crowland), a resolution was passed
regretting the dropping of the Bill, and
urging that every endeavour should be
made to obtain the re-introduction of the
measure in the present session of Parlia-
ment, and the hon. secretary was re-
quested to send the resolution to the
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Medals awarded by the Association were
presented to Messrs. T. W. Swabey, W.
Patchett, C. H. Marshall, and D. .Seamer.

The meeting was followed by a lantern
lecture on " A Year's Work in the Apiary,"
delivered by Mr. W. Herrod.

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 30, 1914.

The Growth of the Brood Nest and Building Up Stocks.
(Continued from page 166.)

When manipulating, the bee-keeper should make a practice of always placing bad combs
so- that they are the outermost ones in the brood chamber — by bad combs I mean those
which have small cells through being old, pollen-clogged ones, as Fig. 2, where all
the breeding cells are filled with pollen, those which are twisted or contain an exces-
sive amount of drone comb, or which are, from any cause whatever, not desirable.
During the winter and early part of the year these are emptied of food by the bees.

so that, when closing up with the division board, these combs are taken out. I would
here give a word of warning : never keep useless combs on hand, either when re-
moved as stated above ox in the case of a colony which has died out through any
cause other than disease, when, of course, they should be burnt. Break them up
at once, so that the temptation to use them again at a busy period of the year is
removed. If these combs containing dried pollen are used, a great deal of labour

FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

is put upon the bees. They will certainly clear them, as shown in Fig. 3, but their
time would be more profitably spent in brood-rearing; not only so, but they often
build drone comb in the torn down portion, as is shown at Fig. 4, which is an actual
photograph of Fig. 3 after it had been in the hive. It is much better to give
full sheets of foundation than combs, as the bees build them out quickly, and the

April 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 173

! r

^^-■' -- — »

fig. 6 (See -page 174.)

queen prefers to lay in new comb rather than old. At least two full sheets of
foundation should be given to each stock every season after the second year.

The first work then is, as shown at Fig. 5 (page 174) to close the bees on to the
number of combs they cover (in this case, five) ; if there is a shortage of food, it will

174

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 30, 1914.

be necessary to feed slowly; if, as at No. i. Fig. 6, there is an abundance of food
and plenty of room for the queen to lay, it is only a matter of wrapping down
warmly and giving more combs as required. The brood nest can be enlarged more
rapidly by a little judicious manipulation. The work I am now going to describe
should only be done when those combs in the hive are absolutely crowded with

FIG. 5.

bees, or a great deal of harm will result. An examination may reveal the fact
that, instead of the brood being in the centre of the combs, as Nos. i and 2,
Fig. 6, it is at the end of each of the three central ones, as No. 3 ; if so, the
centre comb should be reversed, so that a portion of the brood is removed to the
■other side of the hive, when the queen will pass backwards and forwards in the
cluster of bees, which has now been enlarged by their spreading to keep the brood
warm, and will deposit eggs as she goes, so that the combs are filled, as at No. 4.
Then from time to time, under the conditions given in italics, a new comb or
sheet of foundation is placed in the centre until the stock is brought up to full
strength, hut on no account should more than one comb be given at a time.

The careful observer will notice that the brood patches in the combs extend
in circles, i.e., as the cluster of bees expands and they are capable of brooding
over more eggs and larvae, the queen deposits eggs at the outer edge of the patch.
The illustrations (Fig. 6) show this very clearly — No. 1, the first brood patch with
the larva unsealed ; Nos. 2 and 3, the oldest larva in the centre sealed over ; No. 4,
the patch extended, showing the growth of the larva outside the sealed area ;
No. 5, more of the centre sealed over; No. 6, a large patch sealed over; at No. 7
the bees have commenced to> emerge from the centre, while, in No. 8, the centre
is nearly clear and eggs laid again in many of the cells; in No. 9, the larva can be
seen in the centre, the cells containing eggs and at the outside sealed brood ; in
No. 10, nearly all the bees have emerged ; the repetition of the circle is shown in Fig. 7.
Nos. 11, 12 and 13, while at No. 14 is seen an excellent specimen of the circles;
No. 15 is a photograph taken against very strong sunlight to show how the bees
arrange the food supply, honey at the top of the combs, in a semi-circle ; between
food and brood the dark cells show the situation of the pollen. If. when feeding
for building up, there is a shortage of pollen, a substitute should be provided by
placing very fine pea flour on shavings or chopped hay in a box outside, but
sheltered from the wet. No. 16 shows the brood patch restricted by too much
food in the combs. In such a case the bees can be stimulated and the patch in-
creased by bruising the cappings covering the food with the thumb nail for about
fin. all round the brood ; this induces the bees to take the food and feed the queen
more liberally, so that she lays eggs in the room provided by the bees emptying
the cells. The practice followed by some of bruising the food cappings at the
top of the comb is useless ; stimulating the bees under these conditions is of no
avail, unless, at the same time, room is provided for the queen to lav. No. 17
shows an ideal brood patch, which can be obtained on eight combs out of ten if
the above details are carefully followed ; such patches mean the issuing of thou-
sands of workers at the right time to take advantage of the honey harvest.

April 30, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

175

mmaB

FIG. 7.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from p. 158.)
Even if we had the proverbial " bee in
bonnet/' it follows not that we possessed
the abnormal energy of that youth who
carried
The banner with the strange device

" Excelsior,"
for which reason five persons mounting
seven stages by means of 140 steps found
some difficulty. When we came in view of
the blue sky we had but little breath, and
yet the climb was worthy of the trouble.
We bad the view of the seven hills around

us. But let that rest — we came to see the
bees. The first thing that struck us was
the completeness of such an apiary right
up in the skies. Here were carpenter's
shop, extracting house, and about seventy
hives all arranged methodically and
systematically — a model, in fact. You
will not be able to gather much from
the pictures with this article as to> its
completeness. Space in our Journal is
limited, but in the rear of the hives,
where you see " a consultation," there
are these edifices. Looking at this illus-
tration and at the first, which shows the
proprietor himself, you will notice the

170

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 30, 1914.

difference in shape of the hives to
those of our pattern. In Italy, the
majority use frames 27x46 c/m, say
9^in. x 18in. It was the month of
August, and at that time at home bee-
keepers are looking to the conclusion of
the season, but here were the immense
frames crammed from top to bottom with
brood, and the bees hanging out at the
entrance of the hive. Naturally, we needs
must have a peep inside. As all the world
knows, Italian bees are well known for
their gentle disposition, a whiff of smoke
from a cigarette, in this case, being suffi-
cient to subdue them. Old toughs, as
perhaps two of the- party may be called,
might be excused for the foolhardiness of
not using veils, but it was astonishing to
the natives when Mrs. Herrod, too, dis-
carded the superfluity. Of course bein

We were much obliged to the Cavaliere
Constantini for his extreme courtesy, and
welcome. He is very entertaining, quite
at home with " bee chat " all over the
world. Many leaders in our craft from
countries far away have mounted those
cruel stairs to> visit the "roof apiary,"
martyrs to science, and it is one of the ,
things that puzzles me how he has the
energy to ascend and descend all the
appliances necessary, and the produce
which such a large bee-farm necessitates.

We had arranged, in our scamper
through Europe, to include Naples, so
from Rome we took an early morning
train, and now we saw the Blue Mediter-
ranean in all its glory, in all its bright-
ness. What wonder the ancients romanced
the history of their deities, of their loves,
their hatreds, and their lives round these

THE PROPEIETOE.

their native vice, swarms are frequent,and
their aspirations are not so exalted as their
owner, for they have a habit of seeking
after things of earth, earthly. They fre-
quently descend into the gardens of an
old monastery, which lies below, a possible
excuse being that there is nothing above
them, unless peradventure they visited the
planet Mars. Disease is practically un-
known. In years gone by one hive was
afflicted with foul brood, la Joque, this
happening to be an importation from a
foreign apiary. It was promptly stamped
out with lire and brimstone. This
apiary pays well ; the Cavaliere sends
nuclei and queens to many parts, and he
lias a market at hand for all the honey
gathered. He supplies all the hotels with
it. Such honey as we tasted was full in
flavour and aromatic, but it had a
slightly astringent taste, which the tonsils
feel. Its colour is rather a deeper olive-
brown than is our honev.

soft seas, where the storm never seems to
blow in anger. — Jno. Smallwood.

(To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves, responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
tnd correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real name*
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

THE BEE DISEASES BILL.

[9010] So much has been said in your
2>ages, both pro and con, anent the Bee
Diseases Bill that I anticipated complete

April 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

177

harmony amongst bee-keepers, both large
and small, long before this, but the gods
decree otherwise, and the latest informa-
tion from the Secretary of the Board of
Agriculture is about the hist Parliamen-
tary straw to be laid on the backs of the
long-suffering bee-keeper. I understand
from the bee-keepers' column in a
local newspaper, the Bill is not to
be introduced during the next session
he cause of opposition from large bee-
keepers. Did one ever hear of such legis-
lation? Up to the moment of reading this
" latest information," I was under the
impression that the Bill, as published, was

rule, and yet the Bill, we learn, is blocked
by the big bee-keepers.

I cannot imagine any unselfish or un-
prejudiced bee-keeper offering opposition
to the Bill. Time after time I see in
operation means of spreading disease
wholesale, and am powerless to prevent it.

I will give two common, everyday ex-
amples where an Act would not only be
a safeguard but a blessing. For the first
I will take the case of a workingman who
saves his hard-earned cash and invests it
in bees ; then by some other person's care-
lessness disease is introduced; the hard-

BEBS ON A HOUSE-TOP. IN CONSULTATION.

intended for the benefit of all bee-keepers,
both small as well as large, but alas! I
was evidently labouring under a delusion.
It appears that might, which ages ago was
always right, is again to assert itself, and
legislation on matters apicultural, at any
rate, is only to be on the side of the great
and mighty in future. I wonder if Mr.
Lloyd George heard the learned and Right
Hon. President of the Board of Agriculture
giving this information for bee-keepers !

I am glad to know that in spite of
disease en every side we still have large
bee-keepers among us, but taking the
number of bee-keepers throughout the
area, the Bill would cover, I suppose that
small bee-keepers are in the majority in
the proportion of something near 1000
to one! In these democratic days one
would very naturally expect majority to

working bee-man is quickly and prac-
tically ruined through no fault of his own,
and there is no power to prevent it.

Again, if a person has an enemy and
owes him a grudge and punches him on
the nose there is two months' imprison-
ment staring him in the face ; or if the
person steals from his enemy there is a
possibility of penal servitude ever before
him, but under present conditions, if the
enemy happens to be a bee-keeper there
is a legitimate, safe, and sure way of
wreaking a terrible vengeance. The person,
if he happens to be a near relative of
Ananias, obtains for " scientific pur-
poses " a stock suffering from "Isle of
Wight" disease, places it near his enemy's
apiary, then retires to "wait and see."
Surely and legitimately comes extermina-
tion and revenge !

178

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 30 1914.

Such imaginary instances would never,
under an Act, become real or possible.

Only a few days ago I was at a jmblic
auction where a number of empty hives,
supers filled with drawn-out combs,
section-racks, and other bee-paraphernalia,
brought straight from an apiary where
the bees had died from " Isle of Wight "
disease, were offered for sale. The bee-
keepers there got to know where the
articles came from and kept clear, but
a general dealer bought the lot and good-
ness only knows where the things will
ultimately get to, and what will be the
result.

This is only one of many cases where the ,
dread disease is being scattered north,
south, east and west by careless and un-
scrupulous persons, while the small bee-
keepers can only look on and sigh.

Much time, labour and money is being
expended by our best and most unselfish
scientists and bee-keepers in trying to
eradicate the terrible scourge, but to what
purpose so long as cases like the one
quoted above are occurring without let or
hindrance. Scores of small bee-keepers
have had their apiaries wiped out, and a
means of augmenting their small incomes
gone, simply and solely through such con-
duct on the part of ethers.

Now what would small farmers do if
any number of them were allowed to traffic
in material which had been in contact with
such highly contagious diseases as anthrax,
foot-and-mouth disease, &c. ? Picture for
a moment the result. Agriculture would
soon be where apiculture now is : on the
highway to total destruction. Supposing
there was no legislation to deal with the
diseases of animals and the small farmers
were losing their stock and being ruined,
but all the while crying for Parliamentary
protection, and after several attempts to
get their Bill before the House were told .
by the President of the Board of Agri- !
culture that they could not be considered I
for some time, as the big farmers, who, j
up to then, had escaped disease, were
against the Bill. How ridiculously absurd
the whole procedure would become ! The
same reasoning applies to apiculture. How
ridiculous (and selfish) is the position of
opponents to the present Bill. I some-
times think that a lot of opposition is
" party politics"; a great many oppose
the Bill, not because it is a Bill, but
because of feeling between them and the
promoters of it — the B.B.K.A. It seems
a pity that such a spirit should ever enter
the hearts of bee-men, but I suppose there
always has been, and always will be, in all
large bodies, a few of the never-have-been-
and-never-wa nt-to-be-satisfied type.

T firmly believe that most of the op-
ponents to the present Bill have not the
slightest knowledge how the various orders

of the Board of Agriculture are executed.
The orders are worked through the dif-
ferent local authorities as smoothly as it
is possible to imagine. Though the powers
of the inspectors are surprisingly great
during my years of experience in carry-
ing out the orders of the Board of Agri-
culture relating to the contagious diseases
of animals, I have not met with a single
case of obstruction. Agriculturists are
always ready to give all the information
and render what assistance they can.

The opponents of the Bee Bill, who say
it is harsh, and imposes too stringent
regulations on apiculture, ought to read
some of the orders of the Board of Agri-
culture relating to cattle, which look
terribly formidable owing to the legal
phraseology, and then see those orders
executed, they would, I am sure, change
their opinions and support the Bee Bill.

I am afraid I shall take up too much of
your valuable space by writing more, but
more on behalf of the small bee-keepers
remains to be said and done to secure for
them that protection they sorely need, and
which only the law can give. — Jesse John-
son, Stafford.

BANATS.

THE FRUIT GROWERS' BEE.

[9011] I thank Mr. H. E. Scrope Viner
for his reply to my letter (page 153). as I
was anxious to learn a little more about
Banat bees, my own experience of them
being so disappointing.

I admit that under certain conditions
they are fairly easy to handle, but I have
found them somewhat treacherous, par-
ticularly in damp weather, when, although
clustered beautifully on a comb, under
examination they will rise in a cloud in
an instant without any apparent cause,
and on two occasions I have known at
least three-fourths of the stock to take
wing.

They may be a satisfactory investment
in a suitable district, but after giving them
a. very careful trial I am convinced they
are not sufficiently hardy for the erratic
climate of this country. North Cumbrian
fruit growers cannot credit them with
any advantage over the home article, as,
although they breed very quickly in the
spring, the bulk of the blossom is past
before the weather is warm enough for
them to venture forth. On Saturday last
the weather was beautiful, fruit blossom
\a;is in abundance, but for every Banat
leaving the hive on nectar bent I could
see five Blacks issue from the next stock,
although the Banat stock is much the
stronger.

Ventilation of all descriptions has been
tried, yet, in the middle of last year's
honey flow, when every available Black

April 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

179

bee in the apiary was afield, I found the
Banats idly hanging like a swarm from
the alighting board, with barely a hand-
ful of bees in the section rack, although
the ventilation was almost " open-air
treatment."

I accept Mr. Viner's assurance regard-
ing their creditable defence of stores, as
mine have never gathered any stores to
defend ; but sometimes when I am working
amongst them, they do not disguise their
desire to reduce the membership of the
C. and W.B.K.A., and one of my friends
declares they know the click of his garden
gate and come down the path to meet him.

In a suitable temperature they may
keep other bees from entering their hives,
but under a sudden cold snap in autumn
I feel they would stand little chance of
holding their own against their Black
neighbours. I do not remember ever
seeing a Black bee in a stock of Banats,
which is doubtless due to the warlike
spirit Mr. Viner mentions, but when
packing up last autumn there was any
quantity of Banat bees in each of the
nine hives in my Scotby apiary.

I do not wish to unduly condemn
Banats. By all means let South-country
men retain them if they can do' so profit-
ably. They are pretty little insects, and
I should have liked to see them a success,
but I think Border bee-keepers will be
well advised to leave them alone. — John
Steel, Carlisle.

SKEPS AND "I.O.W." DISEASE.

[9012] As the writer of ' ' Cappings of
Comb " (page 139) refers to the merits of
skeps, and asks for the experience of other
bee-keepers, it may be interesting to men-
tion that I have seen skeps and boxes of
bees that have stood for a season or two
close to hives that have suffered from
"Isle of Wight " disease and have ap-
parently not contracted it. The former
are still doing well. Again, I saw skeps
in a similar position three years ago
which eventually died of "Isle of Wight"
disease. Although the skep is often con-
demned ignominiously, largely because the
honey taken is not in the best marketable
form, it will be surprising to many to
know that in the hands of a skilled bee-
keeper over 901bs. of surplus honey has
been taken from one skep.

I would also like to refer to my ex-
perience with Italian and hybrid
Italian bees situated in close contiguity to
bees which have succumbed to Nosema
apis, or " Isle of Wight" disease. Some
Italian stocks which have been surrounded
by disease for two' or three years have
shown no signs of infection. The hybrids,
too, have stood the test well in the same
district. In another district I saw a

hybrid stock standing a very short
distance from a stock that died. The
former was free for two years, but now is
in the "crawling" stage. Referring to
the various so-called remedies, I do not
think from experience I can say we have
a definite cure for "Isle of Wight"
disease. Much can be done in the way of
prophylactic treatment and changing bees
to new combs and hives properly dis-
infected. I am inclined to* think that if
the queen and young bees only are put on
to fresh combs we have a remedy for a
considerable period. I have tried this
method by moving the infected stock to a
fresh position, to let the flying bees return
to a hive prepared for temporary use. The
queen and young bees left on the combs,
after slightly shaking them, were trans-
ferred into a new hive, with healthy combs
or foundation, and were fed with medi-
cated syrup and the combs sprajed with
I^al solution. The hive was then isolated
for a time, and the old combs and fittings
with bees were destroyed. The new stock
made as related apparently recovered. —
A. W. Salmon, East Finchley.

EARLY SWARMS.

Just a line to' let you know that I
had a 41b. swarm on Sunday, April 19th,
which is very early in this district. — Jno.
Berry, Llannvst, North Wales.

It may interest your readers to hear
that a swarm sent to a gentleman
last June gave a good surplus, and has
already sent off a strong swarm (April
18th). The owner resides in a district
where the "Isle of Wight" scourge has
wiped out most of the bees. — David
Hancox, Oxon.

I/^KEE^pl*

[8923] Moving Bees. I am start-
ing bee-keeping this season, and shall
be much obliged if you will give me
your opinion on the following : —
(1) I shall have the bees (one stock)
early in May, but shall probably be
moving from my present house in June.
Is it possible to move the bees to a garden
within a mile of my present one? I have
heard that you cannot do this, as bees
will return to their old haunts. (2) Is
there a branch of the B.B.K.A. anywhere
in this neighbourhood? — F. W., Leigh-on-
Sea.

Reply. — (1) Although bees fly two miles
in search of food, we do not think you
would lose many if you moved them a
mile. Another plan would be to take
them to some friend's garden more than

ISO

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [April 30, 1914.

two miles away, let them stay there for a
week, then move them to your new garden.
The bees would then locate their new
position. (2) The Secretary of the Essex
Bee-keepers' Association is Mr. G. R.
Alder, 176, Hainault Road, Leytonstone.

[89!24] Preventing Drone Comb Build-
in ij. Last season I had an abnormal
quantity of drone-cells built on worker
foundation brood frames. Do you think
I could prevent a repetition of this by
close spacing frames for a few days, then
altering same to usual spaces? — G. A.
Hall.

Reply. — Yes, you can stop the bees build-
ing drone-comb in the way you suggest.

A lady correspondent living at Harefield,
Hants, requires a capable bee-keeper to
attend to her two hives. If any reader
living in that district would like to
communicate with her we shall be pleased
to forward letters. Address " M. F.,"
care of "B.B.J." Office.

H. Crowther (Berks). — Cleaning Metal
Appliances. — Wash them with Fels-
naptha soap first, and afterwards in a
10 per cent, solution of Formaldehyde.

Bee Lover (Teignmouth). — Strange Be-
haviour of Bees. — We are afraid the
excitement was caused by the carbolic
acid solution being too strong, or it
may be that the bees are queenless.

W. B. (Shrewsbury).— Wild Bees.— The
Bees are a species known as Andrena
ftdva.

C. S. Kuseil. — Drone-breeding Queen. —
The queen is about three years old, and
has evidently lost her fertility.

W. T. Field (Baildon).— Badly-packed
Sample. — With much trouble we have
managed to wash your letter sufficiently
to be able to read it. If you will not
take a little trouble to pack honey
securely (not in a cardboard box) you
must not blame us for our inability to
help you. The parcel arrived in a dis-
gusting mess.

Suspected Disease.

G. J. L. (Ross). — It is foul brood of long
standing.

Dovedale (Derbyshire) and F. (Hagley).
— Bees have died of "Isle of Wight"
disease.

E. A. Cottage and G. H. (Colchester). —
The bees were too dry for us to diag-
nose the cause of death.

F. D. Weston. — (1) Tbere is no disease
in bees sent. (2) You can do nothing
more.

J. R. Taylor. — The bees are hybrid
Ligurians, and have died of "Isle of
Wight" disease.

F

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per |in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

ITALIANS, strong 10-frarae stocks, 1913 queens,
guaranteed heaithy, package tree, 25s. each.—
OLivER KNIGHT, Lpney, Stonehuuse, Glos. v 12

11 WO Lee's Coronation hives, new; 500 2- way
. plain sections; a quantity of secondhand
section racks, travelling crates, and hontey tins;
otters Off exchange'.— J. COOPER1, 45, Bunyam-road,
Hiuiiiu.

PRIME May swarms, 15s.; strong 8-frame
cuionies, 24s.— BO wEN, expert, Chelten-
ham, v 99

BARGAIN; seven W.B.C. body boxes, Is.

each; one gross metal ends, 5d.; ten shallow-
boxes, 9d. each; lour shallow boxes, with drawn out
frames, 2s. 6d. each; twelve section racks, with
metal dividers, Is. each; eight queen excluders,
3d. each; full particulars, stamped envelope.— J .
Y.OUNGER, 29, Newmarket-road, Cambridge, v 100

OR SALE, extractor, chain gear, good condi-
tion, standard, shallow, or sections,, 19s., f.o.r.
VV. J. OWERS, Barrington-road, Horsham, v 2

WANTED, one healthy stock of bees, on stan-
dard frames, cash— w . TAILOR GARDNER,

4, Chiiton-road, Richmond, Surrey. v 7

Tt^K'ROSCOPE, Powell and Lealand, various
.ItA accessories, and over 100 objects; full par-
ticulars on application; price £7 the lot.— H.
COPPEARD, 12, King's-avenue;, Greewfoa-d Pairk,
MiddLeisex. v_8

WO stocks of healthy bees, in W.B.C. hives,
with all accessories, and three spare W.B.C.
hives, accessories, and honey extractor; particulars
on application; owner giving up bee-keeping.—
Apply, Box A., " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C. v 89

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street. Strand, London, W.C.

BLACK net manipulating screen, 40ft. long,
canvas bottom taped hooks top edge, only
used twice, £1; foundation mills, two brood, 9dn.
and 10in; super, 6in, ditto, fiat bottom, brass
rollers, 10in; thicknessing mill, 10in; drone mill,
6in; the lot, all usable, £3.10; copper water
jacketed melting tank, 14in. by llin. by llin, £2;
weight and scales, copper pan, llin. by 12in, P.O.
pattern, 7s. 6d., Jib. missing; 150 "Bee Journal,"
1912-13-14; " Poultry," 32 copies. 1913; what offers?- -
Box, XX., " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, natural swarms, guaranteed healthy,
goldens preferred— WIGGINS, 1, Swinderby-
road, Wembley. . y__

YPEWRITER, No. 4, Smith Premier, double
keyboard, last a lifetime, perfect, 80/-, bar-
gain; others, all makes, from 40s.; on approval.
Illustrated lists free— WAKEFIELD and CO.,
Newhall Hill. Birmingham. y__4

TYPEWRITER, No. 8, Remington, brief car-
riage, clear writing, very reliable, perfect,
cost £23, sell 80/-. Approval; great bargain.—
W A K EFIELD. Newhall Hill, Birmingham. v 95

ANTED, three or four frames healthy Car-

nolians or Banats, 1913 Queen; state price.

— ASHKETTLE, Whittington College, Highgate,

London. v 5

FOR SALE, swarms from bar frame hives, until
May 20th, 17/6; after, 15/- each; second
swarms, 10/-; guaranteed healthy.— J. W.
WILKIN, Pymoor. Ely. Cambs. v_4

I7URLY swarms wanted— Price per lb., delivered,
jj to Mr. H. TILLEY, Bee Farm, Dor-
chester. v 3

May T, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

181

REVIEWS.

Jahrbucli iiber die Faulbrutversicherung
des Vfireins schweitzer Bienenfreunde pro
1913, by Fr. Leuenberger, Bern. — This is
the report for 1913 respecting the work
carried on against foul brood, and shows
the value of inspectors, and the advan-
tages that have resulted from legislation.
The number of compulsorily insured
members of the Association has risen bv
343, and is now 9083. The number of
colonies insured has increased by 7121
during the year, and is now 122,357. It
is satisfactory to read that the number of
cases of foul brood has diminished. There
were 114 in 1912, and only 92 last year.
Compensation paid only amounted to
2080.25 francs, the lowest since com-
pulsory inspection was instituted. In six
cantons foul brood has been entirely
exterminated, and there was not a single
case last year. In canton Lucern it has
been reduced to 2 per cent., Appenzell
2.5 per cent., Unterwalden 3 per cent..
and Valais 10 per cent. Altogether the
average for all the cantons is 0.8 per cent.,
a very fine result indeed, and strong evi-
dence of what can be done under com-
pulsory powers. Valais still shows the
largest percentage of cases, and this is
accounted for by the fact that foul brood
had for years become endemic in that
canton, owing to no measures having been
taken to combat it. The 92 apiaries in j
which foul brood was found in 1913 had
154 (18 per cent.) of the stocks affected.
Of these 110 were destroyed, and 44
cured by the artificial swarming method.

In diagnosing the disease Dr. Burri, with
his assistant, Dr. Morgenthaler, found 23
cases of dead brood free from bacteria,
14 cases of strong-smelling foul brood
(B. alvei), mostly associated with sour
brood (Streptococcus apis), and 33 cases
of odourless foul brood (B. Burri). There
has been no call on the Government for
financial help, as the insurance of 5
centimes per colony has not only been
amply sufficient to pay all expenses,
including compensation, but has left a
balance to the good of 3169.35 francs. We
can only congratulate the Swiss bee-
keepers on what the Association, under
the management of M. Fr. Leuenberger,
had been able to accomplish with the
powers which legislation has given them.
What a contrast this is to what is happen-
ing in this country, when a few clamant
bee-keepers are able to hinder legislation
which would benefit thousands of those
engaged in the industry, and by their
opposition are promoting the spread of
disease in the countrv.

• Tjw.gstr.oth on the Hire and Honey
Bee, 1S53 (Published by the A. I. Root
Co., Medina, Ohio, price $1). — This is
a reprint of the famous old original
edition of this book, which appeared in
1853. It has a preface by C. P. Dadant,
otherwise it is a reproduction in paper
and binding, with all the original illus-
trations just as it appeared in 1853.
There are not many old books worth
reproducing, but we are quite sure that
anyone who obtains this work will be
delighted with it. It is charmingly
written, and more like a story than a
manual, although the practical side is
always kept in view. To Langstroth we
owe the practical movable comb hive, and
his hive is still extensively used. His
accuracy of observation is noticeable in
this book, and the reader will be sur-
prised to find that he had already men-
tioned many things that are brought out
now as new ideas. We are pleased to
recommend the work, and certainly think
that no bee librarv should be without it.

S^ongtbeJBe

&y j>,/^A^acrIonari

INTERESTING AND USEFUL FACTS.

1. For cleaning up any articles that are
daubed with wax, use a cloth saturated
with benzine. Benzine will dissolve wax
much as water will dissolve sugar.

2. Sulphuric acid will cleanse or clarify
beeswax that is brown or nearly black,
bringing it back to the nice bright yellow
generally seen in foundation.

3. Wherever salt keeps well there comb-
honey may be best preserved from
deterioration. Wrapped up in waxed
paper and sealed in a tin case it keeps
well for a full year.

4. Nine times out of ten a robbing boom
is caused by gross carelessness on the part
of the apiarist, and its inception in the
tenth case is easily preventible.

5. If you must catch a queen by the
legs do so gently, but it is better to seize
her by the wings, and best of all to catch
her by the thorax. Never seize her by
the abdomen.

6. In after dequeening a colony to start
queen-cells, the best time to break it up
into nuclei is ten days after the with-
drawal of the queen, because all cells are
then sealed.

7. In looking for eggs, turn your back
to sun or brightest light, raise comb about
height of chin, thus throwing the rays into
the cells at an angle of about 45degs.

8. A correct bee-space is represented

182

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 7, 1914.

by a scant quarter of an inch ; any addi-
tion to this will mean brace or burr combs,
and other nuisances in the hive.

9. When a hive has lost its mother bee
and failed to provide her with a fully
fertilised successor, that colony is doomed
to extinction, unless man aids.

10. Dr. Millar lately stated, " I don't
believe I ever gained by stimulative feed-
ing (in spring), and 1 am sure I have lost
by spreading the brood."

11. Young queens will stand a journey
through the mails much better than older
ones. In other words, a queen who has
just begun to lay travels better than one
six weeks or over.

12. Have you ever observed that exposed
honey just off the hives will attract
robbers much sooner than that which has
lost the hive warmth? The odour is more
pronounced.

13. Since acquiring Dr. Phillips' book
on "Treatment of Bee Diseases," an
extensive bee-keeper says, " I have in-
vested in a gasoline torch and follow the
disinfecting direction to the letter."

14. One pound of wax turned into comb
can store over 301bs. of honey, and it is
estimated that lib. of wax is moulded into
fortA- or fifty thousand worker-cells.

15. I have found queens to lay over
3000 eggs a day. These, I find, weigh
.3900' grams, while the queen only weighs
.2299 grams. Thus, in twenty-four hours,
she may lay well over her own weight of
eggs.

16. Levenhoek actually counted 12,000
facets in the eye of a dragon-fly, while
some butterflies have over 17,00u. There
may be as many as 25,000 in a single com-
pound eye.

17. The single copulative act of the
drone may convey millions of spermatozoa
to the spermatheca of the queen, more
than enough to last her all the period of
a long life.

18. By inference, we might safely con-
clude that queens raised in strong colonies
would turn out the most prolific, and ex-
perience confirms the truth of the surmise.

19. Honeycomb is wonderfully delicate,
the wall of a new cell being only about y^j
of an inch in thickness, yet it combines
great strength with the least expense of
material and room.

20. The base of each cell forms one-third
of the base of each of three opposite cells.
One side thus braces the other, and adds
very much to the carrying strength of
the comb.

21. The practice of clipping off a part of
the queen's wing is very old. The oldest
bee-book advises it in order that swarms
may not fly away and be lost to their
owner.

22. For about two weeks after the young
worker emerges from the cell she is almost

j exclusively engaged inside the hive, after
which she collects pollen, and later gathers
honey.

23. Contrary to what is often stated in
bee-books, queenless bees do gather
pollen, but a truer index is watching how
they do it. Queenless bees loiter ; queen-
right bees are all energy.

24. A dry season is a honey season, yet
where there is a long protracted drought
flowers forget to secrete nectar, and bees
working hard carry in only driblets.

25. While bees may at times forage
three or four miles from home, yet they
very seldom do, and it may be a safe guess
to say the bulk of the surplus is collected
within the one-mile limit.

26. Bars were used centuries ago in
Greece. Delia Roeca, in a work pub-
lished in 1790, describes bars as used by
him. Schirach used something similar in
his hives.

27. Major Munn (England) was really
the first to use a full frame in his hives ;
while he published his book in 1843 he
puts it on record that he used frames in
1834.

28. While this is undoubtedly so (honour
to whom honour is due), the real inventor
of the modern movable frame was the
Rev. L. L. Langstroth, " the father of
American bee-keeping."

29. One of Langstroth's " axioms " was
— " Bees, when frightened by smoke, fill
themselves with honey, and lose all dis-
position to sting, unless they are hurt."

30. Another was- " If your stocks are
strong, you will show that you are a bee-
master as well as a bee-keeper, and may
safely calculate on good returns. Keep
your stocks strong."

31. Counting the number of facets in
the compound eye of a queen bee, Cheshire
found 4,920; in that of a worker 6,300
facets ; while in the eye of the drone they
numbered 13,090.

32. Bees sometimes work by moonlight !
Langstroth, page 7, says : " We have
known bees to gather honey from the
tulip trees on very clear moonlight nights.
Australian bees work by moonlight."

33. By having a hive furnished entirely
with worker-comb we can so- nearly pre-
vent the production of useless drones, that
it is safe enough to call it a complete
remedy.

34. A single colony, doubling every
year, would, in ten years, increase to
1,024 colonies, and in twenty years they
might number over 1,000,000! Who says
" Bees don't pay ! "

35. Novices should not try introducing
virgins until they become expert in the
business of queen-rearing. Unhatched
cells are more easily dealt with and more
uniformlv successful.

May 7, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

183

By " Nemo."

How to Disencumber Bees of Parasites
(Bra ula Cceca). — The following method is
given in Leipziger Bienenzeitung to rid
the bees of parasites which have attached
themselves to their backs and live at their
expense, and which, owing to their rela-
tive large size, must weaken as well as
torment them. Purchase a pennyworth
of camphor and spread it on a piece of
cardboard, which can in the evening be
slipped into the hive on the floor-board
under the bees. Next morning a number
of parasites will be found on the card-
board. In three nights the writer says
he found 373 parasites dead. He recom-
mends the camphor to be in good-sized
granules so that bees should not be able
to remove it.

The Use of Propolis. — This substance
has not been used as a medicament, but
we read in the Bulletin de la Societe
d' Apiculture de la Somme that a German
bee-keeper has mentioned a fact which
will cause some to be sceptical, but which
will be promptly tried by a good many
others. He says that he had soft corns
which caused him excruciating pain. He
had tried all the plasters which were
advertised as infallible, but all in vain,
and at last tried propolis, which he says
completely got rid of the corns. The
following is his prescription : Soften the
propolis by rolling it between the fingers,
then spread it on very thin leather,
warm the plaster over the flame of a
candle, and apply it to the corn. In
from one to two weeks a complete cure
is effected.

The same journal says that if one has
an abscess there is no better remedy than
a- plaster of honey. Mix a dessert-
spoonful of honey with the yolk of an
egg and two spoonfuls of rye flour.
Spread this ointment on a piece of linen
and apply it to the abscess. The matter
is drawn out by degrees and the pain
diminishes. It is recommended to renew
the plaster every two hours.

A Cure for Bee Stings. — "Writing in the
same journal, M. Leon Tridon says that
for ten years he has used a simple and
cheap remedy for bee stings, which is
perfectly harmless and infallible. He has
recommended it to his friends, who, like
him, are well satisfied with it. This
remedy, which removes pain and swelling,
is simply Eau de Javel, or sodium hypo-
chlorite. The sodium of this product,
when it comes in contact with an acid,

absorbs the hydrogen of this acid atom for
atom, and forms a neutral salt which is
consequently harmless. "When stung,

after having removed the sting, apply the
soaked cork from the phial containing the
Eau de Javel to the affected part. The
effect is immediate, and as a result there
is no pain or swelling.

The late Alexander iSchrceder. — Allu-
sion was made in the " B.B.J." for
March 12th last to the death of this
correspondent, which took place on Feb-
ruary 17th last. Most of the papers have
also made allusion to it, but one of the
best notices appears in Illustriertc
Monatsbldtter, to which paper Mr.
Schroeder was a regular contributor, and
whose last article appeared in the
January number of that journal.

Alexander Christian Schroeder was born
in Trieste on November 21st, 1850. His
father when quite young came to Trieste,
where in due time he founded a mercan-
tile establishment which at the present
time is one of the largest in the city.
Mr. Schroeder entered his father's busi-
ness after he had studied in the Lausanne
University and undergone a business
training in London and Liverpool. When
he took over the management of his
father's business he further extended it
by taking on several large international
agencies. Thus he became the representa-
tive of the Orient Line, of Hamburg; the
P. and O. Company, London; director of
the North British Mercantile Company
in Trieste; director of the Cunard
Line in Trieste, and Consul of the
Republic of Venezuela. His love of
nature and natural history led him to
take an interest in bees and agriculture,
and he was for many years a member,
and latterly President, of the Agricul-
tural Society in Trieste.

He commenced bee-keeping in 1874 and
established an apiary on his property.
Here he spent many hours of a very busy
life, and had from fifty to sixty colonies,
which he up to the last managed entirely
himself. He was in correspondence with
most of the leading bee-keepers, and was
the first to introduce Cyprian bees into
Austria. He was a frequent contributor
to European bee papers, and being a good
linguist was able to keep them well
informed of what was going on in the
bee-keeping world. He could speak five
languages — namely, English, German,
French, Italian, and Slavonic. He was
fond of travel, and every year undertook
a long journey, accompanied by his wife,
and in this way he had visited Palestine,
Northern Africa, and two years ago made
the tour of the world, travelling over
India, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, all
through America to England, France, and
back through Vienna to Trieste. In all
lands he took an interest in bees, and

184

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 7, 1914.

as a result an illustrated article of his
on bee-keeping in Japan appeared in the
"B.B.J." of Jan. 2nd, 1913, page 5.
Another account of his visit to Roman
bee-keepers appeared in the "B.B.J." of
June 23rd, 1910. Latterly he suffered
from diabetes, and last year he had two
severe attacks of bronchitis, and although
he thought that he had completely re-
covered and was planning another long
journey, his article to the IUuxtrierte
Monatsblatter, sent in December, was the
last, and in the night previous to his
contemplated journey he ruptured a
blood-vessel, which caused his death. He
was a fine type of man, and bee-keepers
throughout the world will mourn his loss.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
mnd correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
at a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

BANATS.

THE FEUIT GROWERS' BEE.

[9013] After reading Mr. Viner's letter
(page 155) I have come to the conclusion
that he possesses a quiet strain of Banats.
Through the recommendation of the late
Mr. C. N. White I purchased seven Banat
queens from a friend of his in that
country. I sold five of these to friends,
so that they might give them a trial.
Their experiences and my own are exactly
the same. Only one queen seemed to go
ahead as far as the outward appearance
of the hive was concerned, as bees Avere
coming out in dozens.

I prepared a rack with drawn-out
sections and put this on, lifted the body-
box fin. off floor board for ventilation.
When I looked in at the top of the rack
a week later not a single Banat was up,
although in my other stocks some had
finished two racks.

I intended after this set-back to intro-
duce new blood into my apiary, so I
purchased nine Black queens from a well-
known dealer. I used his Free Way cage,
which is a very handy article for intro-
ducing queens. Out of nine queens I had
one failure, and this was the Banat stock.
I found the queen dead at the bottom of
the alighting board. The only compensa-
tion I get from this stock is in being well
stung nearly every time I open the hive.
I had a look through my hives on the

Kith ult. and the Blacks were in the
pink of condition — eight to nine oombs
full of sealed brood, and also a lot of
young bees.

-1 packed down eight stocks last autumn,-
each colony havfng ""between 401b. to
501b. of sealed stores, so to make things
better I. put on . lour 21b. cakes of
candy on each. In the second week of
January I peeped in to see how the stores
iu each were going on; the Blacks had
plenty, but the Banats were on the verge
of starvation. I put 61b. more candy on
there and then, and now they want more,
so I have finally made up my mind to let
them go. If anyone is thinking of com-
mencing bee-keeping my only word of
warning is to "keep off Banats."

I quite agree that the climatic condi-
tions have a lot to do with these things,
as we do not have the same amount of
heat in North Cumberland as in the
South of England. On ,Sunday, for every
Banat seven or eight Blacks were coming
out. The latter are a hardier bee, and
easier to handle. I never could unite a
Banat stock with another race, as they
would kill all the other bees. This is a
big fault, because in the autumn, when
yon want to unite yon cannot use Banats
for this purpose.

My conclusion is, give me the Blacks of
a good reliable strain, and then I will be
satisfied. — Northern Bee-keeper, Carlisle.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[9014] My promised report on the
progress of " Isle of Wight " disease in my
apiary is unfortunately not one of great
success. No treatment having proved to be
a cure, I am only giving briefly those
points that maybe of interest. The disease
started last August. I had thirty stocks
at that time, and have up to the present
destroyed fourteen. In every case these
were destroyed before robbing started.

No Black stock has shown any resistance
to the disease, and every stock that had
a high death-rate in the winter has since
shown infection strongly, and is now gone.
I had four half-bred Sladen's " Goldens " ;
they showed no resistance, and three of
them are gone, I had only one stock of
pure Italians; these . appear perfectly
healthy, and are going ahead well,
although they have had diseased stocks
on both sides of them. Of five half-bred
nuclei reared from this stock two became
infected in January ; one I destroyed. The
other was in an isolated position and I
left it, and at the present time it is still
going on, and has shown more resistance
to the disease than any other lot I have
seen. My strongest stocks with most
natural stores went first. Those that have
survived seem to be stocks that were fed
up with most syrup medicated with
Napthol Beta.

May 7, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

185

Two stocks of driven bees with only
medicated stores have wintered well, and
are up in the shallow frames. .Since the
present fine weather set in there have
been no fresh cases. — H. Watts, Bearsted,
Kent.

MOVING BEES.

[9015] " D. M. M." was writing on this
subject some little time back, and asked
for opinions on the relative merits of
"drumming," &c.

I stocked an observatory hive about a
fortnight ago, and placed some loose grass
before the entrance, which remained for
two days. As far as I could judge no bees
returned to the original hive. I tried the
same idea last year with a rather weak
stock in the middle of summer, but in this
case it was not a success, so many return-
ing to the former position as to render
the stock an easy prey to wasps. I have,
however, found grass at the entrance a
useful complement to "drumming," and
with the two have moved a full stock in
the middle of the honey flow with in-
dubitable success.

The whole question depends on the time
of year and weather, for we sometimes
get January weather in July, and
occasionally swarms (I know of three
within three miles in April!) — G. S.,
Bisley.

ISLE OF WIGHT
CURES.

DISEASE

disease. Fortunately I noticed your
correspondent's letter in the Bee Journal
of April 9th. I immediately tried his
remedy, and there was apparently an
improvement in three days ; in a fort-
night the bees were quite well and breed-
ing vigorously. I am certain this remedy
will prove a blessing to bee-keepers in the
future. — S. Whittington, Yeovil.

a curious incident.

[9016] I must say Mr. Wigley's letter
in last week's "B.B.J." gave me a shock,
and it appears that the dreaded disease
germ is still triumphant over drugs;
however, my bees still live and prosper.
The badly affected stock of last July,
which I consider cured, gave a swarm on
Sunday, April 19th, and the incident is
worth recording. It appears that as the
bells of the parish church were ringing
for rivensong the bees left the apiary and
made straight for the church, distant a
quarter of a mile away, and clustered just
above the door, where they remained till
Monday evening, when I recovered them.
Can the bells have affected the swarm,
or were they in their way returning
thanks for a good recoverv to health? — ■
F. C, Oxford.

CINNAMON FOR "I.O.W." DISEASE.

[9017] I wish to congratulate Mr.
H. E. Balch on his discovery of this new
remedy (essence of cinnamon). My bees
were badly affected with " Isle of Wight "

BANATS.

the fruit grower's bee.

[9018] Mr. Steel's second letter makes
it clear that he and I have struck two
totally distinct strains of Banat bees ;
this is shown by his concluding remark
that Banats are "pretty little insects."
No one would make that remark about
mine, as, to" the casual "observer, they are
indistinguishable from British bees, though
like Carniolans they show light rings
between the abdomenal joints. Mr.
Cowan, in his interesting paper on bee-
keeping in other countries, points out that
Caucasian bees are divided into two
varieties, the one plain in appearance but
industrious, the other pretty but vicious
and unprofitable. Apparently Banats
follow the same rule ; it is for those who
desire in their bees the excellent qualities
I have previously described to see to it
that they obtain the right strain. — H. E.
Scrope Vixer.

BANAT BEES.

[9019] I have kept Banats for many
years, and I find that they are a most
hardy, energetic race, much resembling
Carniolans, but without their propensity
for swarming. Good winterers, consum-
ing little winter stores, they come out
strong in spring and build up rapidly.
They are good disease resisters, and in a
pure state very good tempered. Queens
of this race mated with natives produce
excellent honey gatherers, the honey
having beautiful white cappings. I think
there are two varieties of them, yellow
and grey, but I have never tried the
yellow ; my experience is with the grey
variety, with queen direct from Banat,
Hungary. The only fault I have to find
with them is that when crossed with
natives they are not so good tempered as
in a pure state, but they are no worse
than the natives run. When crossed with
natives they very much resemble them in
colour; in fact, there is little difference,
except in their habits at home. I still
hope to hear others' experience with
them, good or bad. — O. Knight, Glos.

186

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 7, 1914.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

CONTINENTAL WANDERINGS.

(Continued from p. 176.)

For the town itself it was in part a
disappointment, in part a pleasure. We
wandered along the edge of the bay, long-
ing to get a clear view, but the long
succession of steamers discharging and
loading, with their smoke and odour,
reminded us of a third or fourth ship-
ping port in our own country. We had
reached at last the end of the funnels and
their noxious smokings, and we stood
where Vesuvius lay in full vieAv across the
bay. Casually the writer remarked,
" That is smoke issuing from the crater " ;
but a reply came in a soft, boyish voice
in most perfect English. "No! that is not
smoke, that is the mist on the mountain."
And so we made the acquaintance of our

OUR LITTLE GUIDE.

boy guide, Angelo Bava, a typical Italian
face, good-looking (and it is wonderful
what beauty, both male and female, you
see in Naples), and intelligent. We
chatted with him, and found that
although scarcely fifteen he spoke several
languages well. He was trying to support
his widowed mother and younger brothers
and sisters. His ambition was to graduate
as a guide and to visit England.

We were in the best of hands. From
the terrace of the " Castello Nuovo" he
showed us where we could get the best
view across the bay, j:>hotographing the
Mount, so calm at the moment, and the
wicked-looking grey Italian men-of-war as
they lay in the middle distance.

Castello Nuovo, one of the typical
dungeon fortresses of the middle centuries.

At its gate they show you the cannon-
ball, still caught in the massive iron-
work, its strength spent ere it could pass
through. It has its chapels, each with a
masterpiece of art — painting, sculpture,
or carving. What chapel in Italy has not
got such? In the dungeons beneath we
found the guillotine, and mummied
to skin and bones were three of its vic-
tims, a dignitary of the Church, a knight,
and a lady. We had the curiosity to
notice how cleanly the knife had passed
through bone and sinew. In the third
case the victim had been specially
honoured by being tri-sected; and then
we wandered to the Church of St.
Januarius, world known for its annual
miracle, and so unto the town.

One is immediately reminded of what
we read of in Old .Spain, of the towns
where Moorish invaders once held sway.
We think of the Alhambra of Ferdinand
and Isabella, of the long struggle twixt
Cross and Crescent, with the Romanesque
legends so interwoven in the real history.
For here in Naples we have the same
lofty arches, made at once to admit light
in full volume and yet to give shade ;
and then we wandered into the shops and
made our purchases, souvenirs of our
visit.

In the soft cool of the Italian evening
we took train back to Rome. A day
enjoyably spent, a day long to be remem-
bered; indeed, never to be forgotten, and
for this we owed much to our boy guide. —
Jno. Smallwood.

Successful Stimukdiun (p. 123). — A
small hole through the quilt is admirable
if it occurs in exactly the right place.
In Mr. Heap's case the bees made the
hole, and the bee-keeper himself could not
have located it more satisfactorily. But
such a hole might not be invariably open,
unclosed by a. top bar. I have found
nothing more satisfactory than the carpet
quilt which I illustrated in the "B.B.J.,"
March 22nd, 1906. This has a 2in.
round hole placed 3dn. out of centre of
the quilt. This gives four positions in
which the feed -hole may be used, and the
hole usually taps two seams, whilst the
actual passage is not large. Two squares
of carpet are used, and they can be placed
with the holes coincident or otherwise.
If desired a disc of thin wood, having a
notch in one side, may be used to give
access to> one seam only. I find the quilts
perfectly satisfactory after years of wear,
as the material is far superior to that

May 7, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL

187

usually employed. It does not become
torn by attachment to the top bars, and
the bees do not attack it, but gradually
glaze it with propolis or wax. Read the
article to which I refer and try them.

Pollen Mites and Disease (p. 126).— Mr.
Grant's theory of the pollen mites being
the cause of "Isle of Wight" disease is
hardly supported by ascertained fact, but
no theory should be dismissed without
consideration. It will, therefore, be much
to the point if he will give the data upon
which he bases his conclusion, and state
how he disposes of the following objec-
tions, particularly No. 4: — (1) The pollen
mite is ubiquitous, i.e., it exists in dis-
tricts where " Isle of Wight"' disease is
unknown; (2) Xosema apis has been
authoritatively specified as the cause;

(3) Honey in which Nosema spores exist
is said to produce the disease (see p. 123) ;

(4) The digestive- tract of the bee would
not appear to be the normal habitat of a
larva having legs.

Nature's Plan (p. 123).— Mr. Brooks'
statement as to the working of " Nature's
plan " is not quite so clear as we would
like. He does not attempt to give the
steps in the beneficent chain by which the
disease is checked, apart from pointing
to- the survival of the fittest. No doubt
the fit may survive, but other creatures
have become extinct, and a bare state-
ment of the dependence of the* fruit crop
upon the bees hardly covers a tremendous
supposition of special intervention or
plan for their preservation.

Hive Roofs and Mouldy Combs (p. 128).
— Perhaps an even more important point
in hive roofs than absolute watertight-
ness is ventilation. Have them water-
tight by all means, but more evil arises
from slight internal moisture than from
slight leakage, and mouldy combs more
readily result. But in a natural brood-
nest pollen is not, I think, usually found
in the outside combs, and where this
occurs in the frame' hive it may be due
to derangement of the combs.

Sundry Heresies (p. 135). — Mr. Alec
Low's method of arriving at the age of
worker bees is unsound, in that the age of
the bees is first of all indefinitely known,
and, second, that highly artificial condi-
tions obtain in the constant removal of
all brood from an undersized stock having
a vigorous young queen. A much better
method of investigation is to insert into
a strong stock a comb of brood of another
race and to leave it undisturbed. The test
is much more accurate if no other bees
of the inserted race occur in the same
apiary.

Banatical Banter (p. 136). — In response
to Mr. Steel's humorous suggestion that
the set of show combs was intended for
Banat bees, I must say that the possi-

bility certainly did not occur to me in
view of Mr. Her rod's well-known liking
for our own bees. In any case, on Mr.
Steel's own showing it is unlikely that
such bees as he describes would have pro-
duced such a set of combs, whatever their
own needs. I should advise him to get
rid of the hungry little beggars or compel
them to bant. I do not know whether
they are able to support themselves by
the exertions of their neighbours, but I
have sometimes thought that certain
foreign races would not make so good a
showing as they do if there were not
plenty of native bees for them to rob !

Starting in a Small Way (p. 138).— This
story reminds me of the well-known tale
of an illiterate town councillor who
opposed the proposal to purchase a
number of gondolas for a public lake, on
the grounds of economy, there being
several small islands where a suitable
couple might verv well breed !

Do Bees Hear? (p. 148).— Prof. Buttel-
Reepen might try the Varian Experiment
with a modification to eliminate the
vibration. The hinder edge of the box
might be supported on a long pole making-
contact with cushioned supports only at
its ends ; the front edge of the box might
be supported by a rod making contact
with the ground behind the bees. Now if
the bees still travel towards the box it
may be supposed that the direction from
which the vibrations come has not
attracted them. There is, however, the
possibility that the bees see the movement
of the hand, and are thus attracted by
sight to the shade of the box. The
removal of the front side of the box might
help to eliminate this objection. Person-
ally I have no doubt that bees hear.
After all, hearing is but the sensing of
certain vibrations. It does not, however,
seem reasonable to suppose that the bees
are thus unconscious of the many and
varied sounds which they themselves emit.
No one, for instance, who has ever teased
a bumble bee can reasonably conclude
that it is unconscious of its own note
of annoyance, any more than, apart from
other evidence, a dog is unconscious of
its own growl. This is not to say that
the range of hearing coincides with our
own, any more than does* the range of
sight.

.4. Simple Slow Feeder (p. 149).— This
idea ought not to be missed. Many a
tiny cluster could be fedi without disturb-
ance in this way by those who care to
bother with small lots, and a strong lot
would have the feed close at hand and
already warmed. It would be well to
wrap up the bottle in any case to slow
the circulation. The hole in the quilt
would be so tiny that if made with a
small marline spike it would probably
close up again.

188

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

May 7, 1914.

NOVELTIES FOR 1914.

NEW QUEEN EXCLUDE*?.

The illustration below represents a new
excluder designed and registered by
E. H. Taylor, of Welwyn, Herts, to over-
dome the difficulty of bee-keepers through
their bees not taking to the supers when
the ordinary old pattern of excluder zinc
is used, and also' to meet with the objec-
tion, of bent and distorted wires. Every
other bridge piece is cut away, and spaces
between the rows of openings consider-
ably reduced, which gives about fifty per
cent, freer access to the supers by the
bees. The excluder is -made of stouter zinc
than the ordinary, to prevent the likeli-
hood of bending when removing from the

£H 7-4yia/i

hive. A good plan before placing ex-
cluders on a hive is to vaseline them first,
which prevents the bees from propolising
them down, or the super placed above
being fixed to them. Price and full par-
ticulars of this useful excluder may be
obtained from E. H. Taylor, Welwyn,
Herts.

jrjfFQEgji£

[8925] A Beginner's Queries. — As a
new recruit to the ranks of bee-keepers,
I should be grateful' for answers to the
following : —

(1) A few days ago I got a stock of
English bees, and at different times I
have observed them expel a sort of white
grub, or larva of some kind, in appear-
ance pearly white, fin. to ^in. long, back
shiny, and not unlike a bee in shape;
underside, impression of, rather than per-
fect legs (six). Please tell me what tbey
are.

(2) Are the slats of the Rymer board
placed at right angles to the frames?

(3) Is it expedient to use it between
any frames except the deep ones?

(4) How can I prevent ants invading
the hives. Are the iron shoes which hold
paraffin successful? It seems to me they
would make the hive unnecessarily high.

(5) I intend doubling the brood cham-
ber'. When should I do it?

(6) My bees, when they arrived last
Thursday, were on eight combs and had
two new frames with foundation. To-day
[ have examined them, and found, one
of the new foundations drawn out beauti-
fully. Should I take that out and give
them another frame to draw out?

(7) When I double the brood chamber,
what would be the result if I introduced
a wire queen excluding dummy in the
half of each chamber, and had two queens,
that is, a queen to each double lot of five
frames? I suppose the bees would swarm.
Would this happen if I provided ample
ventilation by raising the brood chamber.
&c?

(8) I want to plant a new hedge. Can
you suggest a hedge that would be of use
to the bees?

(9) Shall I write to the Secretary at
Croston for information about joining
the B.K.A.? I know his address.

(10) Are two holes (|in.) sufficient for
syrup-feeding just now? My bees have
taken, through the two holes, a little more
than \ pint since Thursday (four days).
Is that enough?

I am sorry to ask so many questions.
I have never known a bee-keeper, and
my nearest bee-keeping neighbour is two
miles away. My chief sources of informa-
tion have" been the B.B.K. Guide Book
and the Journal and Record for the past
nine months. — B. Sergeant.

Reply.— (1) They are wax moth grubs.
(2) Yes. (3) No. (4) Use powdered naptlia-
line under the lugs of the frames. (5) At
the end of May. (6) No, let it remain.
(7) Do not try 'it. (®) Sorry, we cannot.
(9) Yes. (10) Two holes a little more than
the diameter of a pin — not lin., as all
the syrup would run out of the latter.
They 'have not taken too much.

[8926] Removing Suxirm Catchers.— 1
propose fitting two hives with Cashfield's
swarm catchers. In the event of these
swarming and my not requiring increase
of stocks, what should I do? If left to
themselves would the swarm return to the
hive and destroy the old queen (or leave
the queen and destroy the queen cells),
or must this be done for them, and the
bees allowed to run in in the usual way
before they will settle down again? The
two hives I propose fitting have 1913
queens, very prolific, one an Italian
direct from Italy, and the other evidently
a hybrid (the progeny look like hybrids).

May 7, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOUftNAJL.

189

These hybrid bees already cover thirteen
frames, .and there is one super of shallow
frames on. My bees, in common with all
others in this district, had swarming
fever badly last year, and in the incessant
manipulation I lost all my three queens
in the middle of the honey flow. I do
not want this to occur again. — H. W.
Daltry, Newcastle, Staffs.

Reply. — It is impossible to say exactly
what would happen if you left the bees
alone. If the bees swarm take off the
catcher, cut out all queen cells, and
return the swarm after having given an
extra super.

[8927] Ventilating Hives.— Will you
be kind enough to tell me whether the
following is a correct interpretation of
instructions for ventilating hives, as
described at bottom of page 63, "Outer
cases, <fec," in Coronation edition of Bee-
Keepers' Guide Book: — (1) " Baise front
of body-box lin. by means of wedges " ?
The front of the body-box will then be lin.
higher in front than behind, and all combs
in body-box and supers will therefore
slope lin. toward back. (2) The outer
case is raised so that bees may enter all
around (or leave), and when cases are
crossed as in Fig. 40, page 64, bees may
go in and out at corners. (3) How are
the bees controlled when putting on or
taking off racks ? (4) Is it desirable to
subdue bees with smoke whenever anything
is done to them, such as raising the body-
box, &c. ? (5) Does frequent subduing
tend to make bees savage? — T. B., Barn-
staple.

Reply. — (1) You could raise the back
legs lin. also, in order to make it all
level. (2) That will not matter. (3) By
the ordinarv subjugators, smoke, or car-
bolic cloth.' (4) Yes. (5) Not if it is
done judiciously.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Herefords.
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.

—Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sche-
dules from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leyton-
stone. Entries close May 31st.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield.— The

Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedules
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. See., Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries close May 23rd.

June lOth to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec, Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—

Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Etstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticulturail Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
Glass open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington, Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

W. Milligan (Mollinsburn). — Removing
Combs. — No, leave the combs alone for
the present. There is bad weather still
to come before the honey harvest, and
they will need all their stores.

"Stanwell" (Staines). — Returning a
Swarm. — Your method is all right for
an inexperienced bee-keeper.

F. G. P. (Cheshire). — Unsatisfactory Queen.
— There are several possible reasons for
the state of your hives. It may be a
case of " Isle of Wight " disease, the
queen may be a drone breeder, or she
may have been injured in some way.
A laying worker would account for the
eggs being so piqued.

Very New Bee-keeper. — Swarming
Queries. — We should advise you to
make an artificial swarm by taking
away one comb with queen and bees,
as advised in British Bee-keepers'
Guide Book.

190

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 7, 1914.

M. G. (Tunstall) .—Bace of Bees.— The !
bees sent are of the ordinary English
variety.

F. G. (Penrith). — Clover Seed. — The seeds
enclosed are Bokhara Clover. It is a
trifolium species, and may be sown at
any time and in any good soil.

R. L. L. (Devon). — Disinfecting Hives. —
The use of a painter's blow-lamp is the
most effectual way of disinfecting. It is
used on the inside of the hive, and if
done carefully will not spoil the appear-
ance of the hive. In any case we
would rather have this than run risks
by using any other method of disin-
fection.

Beginner (Swanwick, Hants). — Leaving
on Swarm Catchers. — (1) You could
leave them on until the end of May.
(2) Bait sections are those saved over
from last year, and which contain a
little honey." (3) Wigley's Quinine Cure
was described in the " B.B.J." of June
12th, 1913.

C. B. (Maiden). — Making Artificial
Swarm. — (1) You could leave a queen-
cell in the stock if there is one, the bees
will not tear it down. (2) You had
better not run any risk, but melt them
down.

Freda (Oundle). — Using a Swarm-catcher.
— {1) The Brice swarm-catcher can be
fixed to any hive with a movable porch.
It should be put on the hive when the
bees show signs of swarming. Experi-
ence will teach you to know the signs of
an inclination to swarm some time
before the bees issue. (2) Yes. (3) You
gave far too much syrup, and it is well
you have left off. (4) We warned you
against this hive. If people ask our
advice and, when it is given, do the
opposite according to their own idea,
they alone are responsible for any con-
sequent disappointment.

Suspected Disease.
Novice (Staffs.). — We find no trace of

disease in bees sent, therefore the

combs may be used again.
H. C. (Baildon), G. M. E. (Sonthsea),

and P. H. (Doune). — The bees have

died of " Isle of Wight " disease.

M. E. B. (Southwell). — The bees were too
dry for us to determine cause of death.

W. S. (Ilford) and W. H. (Christchurch).
— The bees are affected with " Isle of
Wight " disease. They should be
destroyed mix! the hive thoroughly dis-
infected. The ground should also be
dug over.

H. Q. (Sligo).— (1) The bees are badly
affected with "Isle of Wight" disease;
(2) Banats are a race of bees from
Hunsaorv.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of Zs. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

WANTED, strong stocks of bees, in sleeps,
cheap, guaranteed healthy.— C. S. KEESEL,

Melbreck, Allerton, Liverpool.

WANTED, young man used bee hive, poultry
house, and similar work, quick, steady,
machines and bench, regular if suitable; state
wages required.— Box XXX., 56, " B.B.J." Office,
23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

CAMERA, half plate Sanderson, fitted Aldis
f/7.7 lens, case, tripod, &c, in perfect condi-
tion, £4; would accept two swarms part ex-
change.—STEIN, Colham Green, Uxbridge. v 18

HEALTHY SWARMS, end of May and June,
15s. each; booked in rotation, cash with
order.— E. LANG, 124, Canterbury-street, Chorley,
Lancashire. v 22

FOR SALE, guaranteed healthy stocks of bees,
on eight f ramies, free on rail; travelling
boxes to be returned, at 22s. 6d. each. — JOS.
ROWLAND, Holbrook, Derby. v 26

SUPERIOR English honey, 68s. cwt., tins in-
cluded; also Radant's weed, frames, sections,
healthy bees, and sundries; stamp.— HUNT,
Quarry-rd, SomeTootes, Alfreton. v 39

WARMS Natives, from bar frame hives, 15s.—
MISS GRACE, Terrick, Kington, Worcester.

s

HEALTHY natural swarm, sent on three
frames, 13s. 6d., box free.— MULLEY, Upton-
on-Severn. v 25

OAK ferns, 3d. each, 2s. 6d. dozen; beach ferns,
4d. each; would exchange joiner's tools, or
optical goods— F. MORLEY, Birstwith, Leeds, v 23

W.B.C. HIVE, Jib. section wax, sixty sections,
ten standard frames, sixty-six metal ends,
a'l new, two section racks, smoke*, lot 12s —
DRAKE, 15, Seaforth-avenue, New Maiden. v 21

EST quality granulated dark honey, in bulk,
6Jd., on rail— TOWNSEND, Lydbrook.

B

PARTY going abroad.— For sale, five Simmin's
Conqueror hives, stocked hybrid White Star
bees, best hive for honeycomb production, all
healthy, no disease in district, price £12.10 for
five.— Apply, THOMSON, 20, Easwald Bk., Kil-
barchan, West Renfrewshire, Scotland. v 16

WANTED, bfeks on bees— Maeteriinks buy
' cheap, or exchange hives, bicycle lamp, ex-
panders, Ac— Write, H., Craven Arms Post
Office, Salop. y_j50

TWO Lee's Coronation hives, new; 500 2-way
plain sections; a quantity of secondhand
section racks, travelling crates, and honey tins;
offers or exchange.— J. COOPER, 45, Bunyan-road,
Hit chin.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers.-" PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, natural swarms, guaranteed healthy,
goldens preferred.— WIGGINS, 1, Swinderby-
road, Wembley. y_6

TYPEWRITER, No. 4, Smith Premier, double
keyboard, last a lifetime, perfect, 80/-, bar-
gain; others, all makes, from 40s.; on approval.
Illustrated lists free— WAKEFIELD and CO.,
Newhall Hill. Birmingham. y_94

TYPEWRITER, No. 8, Remington, brief car-
riage, clear writing, very reliable, perfect,
cost £23, sell 80/-. Approval; great bargain —
WAKEFIELD Newhall Hill, Birmingham, v 95

May 14, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

191

HANTS AND ISLE OF WIGHT B.K.A.

The annual general meeting of the
Hants and Isle of Wight Bee-keepers'
Association was held at Southampton on
May 9th, presided over by Mr. E. H.
Bellairs, Hon. See. An encouraging
number of members were present, and a
very pleasant meeting was enjoyed. The
accounts showed a balance in bank of
£35 12s. On the resignation of Mr.
Bellairs, Mr. F. D. Hills was elected in
his place, and the following committee
were appointed: — Miss Minns, Miss
Martin Rev. A. A. Headlev, Messrs. T.
Giles, W. B. Green, H. M. Cooper, D. E.
Alexander, — Elliott, E. J. Morgan, and
A. F. Hardy, librarian, to succeed Rev.
W. E. Medlicott, who retires. As a slight
recognition of his devoted services on
behalf of the H. B.K.A. since 1883, when
the Association was founded by him, Mr.
Bellairs was elected a Vice-President, and
it is only regretted that eye trouble, and
engagements in connection with the Bourne-
mouth Hospitals, of one of which he is
chairman, have compelled him to fall out
of the active work of the H. B.K.A. Mr.
Bellairs has a fine record as a lecturer,
having in his younger days travelled the
country over, and he is an expert of no
mean order.

The Association will hold demonstra-
tions and give free lectures at the Royal
Counties Show at Portsmouth in June,
advertisement of which appears in the
"B.B.J."— F. D. Hills, Hon. Sec.

SURREY B.K.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual general meeting of the
above Association was held at Marden
House, London Road, Redhill, on April
25th. Mr. Wm. Welch, J.P. (Cranleigh),
occupied the chair.

The report for the past year expressed
sincere regret at the death of the late Sir
Wm. Vincent, Bart., J.P.., C.A., who was
for many years one of the vice-presidents
of the Association. The number of mem-
bers for the year ending March 31st,
,1914, was 323. The grant of £150 from
the Surrey Education Committee in aid
of technical instruction in bee-keeping
had been renewed. From the returns of
the six paid qualified experts it appeared
that 320 stocks were found dead. The
number of apiaries visited was 220, and
the stocks examined 1,051. The bee season
of 1913 was much more favourable for
bee-keeping than for some years past ;
much less disease appeared, and where
stocks had received skilful and necessarv

attention they were very prolific, gather-
ing in many instances considerable
amounts of honey of exceptionally good
quality. Lectures and demonstrations
were given at several schools in the
county, and also at flower and agricul-
tural shows. The accounts showed an
excess of special expenditure over income
of £28 3s. 9d., whilst on the general side
there was a balance in hand of £11 Is. 5d.
The balance-sheet showed the excess of
assets over liabilities of £182 6s. 8d.

Mr. Hamshar seconded the adoption of
the report and accounts, and the motion
was carried.

A vote of thanks to the retiring Execu-
tive Council, Joint Committee and officers
was accorded, on the proposition of. Mr.
Silver, seconded by Mr. Hamshar, and the
following were elected on the Executive
Council for the ensuing year, proposed by
Mr. Page and seconded by Mr. Hamshar :
Lieut.-Col. J. A. C. Younger, Messrs.
Archbald Seth Smith, R. C. Blundell,
F. ,S. Fletcher, G. C. Halahan, W. E.
Hamlin, A. T. Hedger, J. Kaehler, J. W.
Lewis, W. F. Reid, E. J. Stevenson,/ E.
Walker, A. Watkins, T. H. E. Watts-
Silvester, M.A., M.R.C.S,, and F. B.
White.

The meeting concluded with a vote of
thanks to Mr. Seth Smith, proposed by
the Hon. Secretary, and seconded by Mr.
Overton.

NORFOLK B.K.A.

Dr. D. Wardleworth (Sheringham) pre-
sided over the annual meeting of the Nor-
folk Bee-keepers' Association at the
Settlement House, Norwich, on Saturday,
April 25th.

Lady Hastings was again elected pre-
sident, and other officers were appointed.

The Chairman said that the report of
the expert from Hunstanton showed that
there was a tremendous lot of foul brood,
and that the district was absolutely
ravaged with "Isle of Wight" disease.
The stocks were dying in all directions.

.Submitting his own report, Dr. Wardle-
worth said that last year out of 205 stocks
only four had foul brood, and there was
practically no "Isle of Wight" disease.
There was a different tale this spring.
Every single apiary, with a few excep-
tions, had been visited by " Isle of Wight"
disease. He himself had lost seven stocks
out of nine. He personally thanked all
the officers and experts for their work.
As for the examination results, they were
very satisfactory indeed. There were five
entries for the third-class certificate, and
all passed. It was hoped that the experts
of last year would strengthen their posi-
tion by taking a second-class examination
next November. There were two entries
for the first-class certificate last May, and
the Rev. W. Mattinson was successful.

192

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 14, 1914.

Discussing the balance-sheet, the Chair-
man said they had a balance of something
like £6 or £7 in hand. They had had a
considerable number of new members,
about thirty, which was, he considered,
extraordinarily good.

Dr. Wardleworth and Mr. Basil Cozens-
Hardy were again appointed representa-
tives to the British Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion.

The Chairman explained that by way of
inducing members to send in their sub-
scriptions early, three hives of the value
of £1 each would be drawn for from the
names of those subscribers.

The winners were Mr. Moulton, Mr.
Ling, and Mr. Page.

Mr. H. Bond moved a vote of thanks
to the hon. secretary and treasurer (Dr.
Wardleworth), who, he said, had done
valuable service to bee-keeping in North
Norfolk and throughout the county.

Mr. J. T. Brown seconded the motion,
which was carried with enthusiasm.

Dr. Wardleworth acknowledged the vote.

It was intended that a lecture should
be given by Mr. W. Herrod, F.E.S., on
the advantages of modern bee-keeping.
The Chairman said that owing to illness
Mr. Herrod was unable to come to Nor-
wich . — Co mm u n icat e cl .

WEAR VALLEY AND DISTRICT BEE-
KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

In connection with the above Association
an interesting lecture was given at Crook,
Co. Durham, on Saturday, May 2nd, by
Mr. R . Casson, Darlington ; the subject
being "Transferring and Artificial Swarm-
ing."

Captain Stobart, of Etherley, was in the
chair.

As a result of the lecture a number of
new members joined the Association. —
W. S. Watson, Hon. Sec, Southview,
Wolsingham, Co. Durham.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES*

JBg- W? Herrod.

How to Make and Use a Solar Wax Extractor.

On account of the trouble entailed in the melting of wax by steam a great
deal of money is wasted by bee-keepers in this country. Beeswax is one of the
most valuable assets the bee-keeper possesses, and it will pay to save even the
smallest scraps of comb for melting down.

The method that gives the least trouble and produces the finest wax without
loss of aroma is the Solar Wax Extractor, which is easily constructed. The
material being inexpensive, time is the only serious outlay. It is cheap to work,
as the sun provides fuel without cost.

When made, the extractor should be placed in such a position that, after dealing
with the last stock, the bee-keeper must pass it, and any pieces of comb removed
during the manipulation may be placed in it and melted at once, so that they are
not wasted and do not lie about to provide food for and breed wax moths.

The idea of the extractor is to attract and retain as much of the heat of the
sun as possible, and for this purpose it is made very much like a garden light.
The main portion, No. i (Fig. i), is made of an outer shell fin. thick, the sides (A)
being outside measure 2ft. i^in. long, i2fin. deep at one end, and 2fin. at the-
other. One end (B) 2§in. deep, 14-Mn. long, and the other (C) 12'fin. deep, i^in.
long, so that, when these are nailed inside .the sides, it gives an outside width
measurement of i6in. The bottom, fin. thick, is now nailed across the narrow
way, giving an outside depth measure of i3|in. at one end and 3! in. at the other.

The inside, except the bottom, is now lined with thick felt, which is turned
over the edge to the outside, tacked down, and then cut level with the outside
edge of the wood, so that when the glass frame is closed it is quite airtight. Over
this, with the grain running in the opposite direction to that of the outer case, to
prevent warping, but with the edges level with same, so that they do not interfere
with the felt bed, a -|in. wood lining is well nailed (D).

The glass lid (No. 2) is made next; the two sides measure 2ft. 6fin. long, 2in.

May 14, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

193

^ <

No.!.

*&

>;.i

CLASS

<- /7^2-

N0.3.

65»-J

.:

a.

No.4. c

ns.i.

wide, and i^in. thick. Thev are grooved for the glass, as shown at F (No. 3), so
that 'the two sheets of glass' will have. a space of Jin. between them. They are

194

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 14, 1914.

No. 5.

also throated (G), to prevent
the wet getting to the fell .
The top rail (H) is cut 17 Jin.
long, 3m. wide, ijin. thick,
and has the two grooves to
accept the glass. It is mor-
ticed and tenoned together, I
(Nos. 2 and 4). The bottom
rail (J) is made by morticing
and tenoning K, a piece
of wood 1 7 Jin. long, 3in. wide,
and Jin. thick, right in
the centre, so that) the glass
sheets will slide into the
grooves at the top and bottom
of it, L (No. 3). The four
corners are glued and fastened
with wood pins, so that the
outside measure of the frame is
2ft. 6fin. by i7jin. To hold
the top sheet in position
a couple of tacks, M (No.
2), are driven in while the
bottom sheet is held, and the
frame made level by fastening
with brass screws a piece of
wood 13 J in. long, 2 Jin. wide,
and ijin. thick. This, of
course, is taken off to put in
the glass. A couple of sheets
of 2ioz. glass completes the
lid, which is hinged at the
top outside with a pair of
box hinges, so that it projects
beyond the body (A) ifin. top
and bottom and fin. on either
side. It is fastened by a uni-
versal fastener (N) at the
bottom.

The inside is fitted by
making a sloping platform of
Jin. wood, as shown at No. 5
(Fig. 2), and Q (No. 1, Fig. 1
dotted lines), this carries the
tin-holder (No. 6, Fig. 2)
and R (dotted lines, No. 1
Fig. i), made as shown,
the top edge O (No. 6, Fig. 2)
is rolled over a 4in. wire, to
do away with sharp, edges,
while, to make the wax run off
at the centre, raised pieces of
tin (P) are soldered in. The
tin wax tray (No. 8), is now
made 13m. long, 6in. wide, and
2^in. deep, outside measure.
The top edge is shouldered as
shown (S, No. 7), to carry the
wire cloth strainer (No. 9) ;
the latter is edged with
tin (T) to make it firm.

May 14, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

195

This is placed at U (No. i, Fig. i), so that when the combs to be melted are
placed in the tin (No. 6). the lid closed, and the extractor put so that it faces
the sun, the double glass and the bright tin attract the heat, so that the wax is
melted and runs down the slope on to, and through, the wire cloth, which strains
out the large pieces of foreign matter, into the tin tray. When cool the square
cake of wax can be lifted out.

It is a mistake to place too much material at one time in the tin holder, for,
bv so doing, the melted wax from the top combs runs through and coagulates
those at the bottom in a mass, which will take a long time to melt. Only suffi-
cient combs to cover the bottom of the holder should be placed in at one time,
and when all the wax is melted away the dross should be scraped out before
putting in another batch. The method of filling is shown in illustration below.

The extractor should be painted black to- attract the heat, and it should stand
on bricks to prevent rotting of the wood by damp.

SOLAR WAX EXTRACTOR.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
lor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
*nd correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
end addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
M a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

THE QUEEN AS ARCHITECT.

[9020] To get baits for the section-
rack I put a home-made frame of six
sections in the brood-nest. The slots in
the guard were made too wide and the
cells on the comb facing them have been
drawn out and filled with drone grubs in
worker foundation. It is a very common
experience, but does it not make us
wonder whether we know all about the

queen's and the bees' control of sex? The
queen commonly lays in new cells when
they are scarcely half built, and one would
think that in such a case she would go over
a worker comb and fill it automatically
with worker eggs. It would seem that in
the case I have described, when she came
to a part of the comb that was farther
away from the next comb than tbe rest,
she immediately altered her eggs from
worker to drone, as though she knew that
here was a place where drone grubs could
be reared. The frame of sections was put
in at the back of the last frame on April
19th, and the sealed drone-brood found
on May 3rd. so that it is not certain that
the cells were not drawn out before the
eggs were laid. It would be interesting
to settle this point by an experiment in
an observatory hive or by taking more
careful note. — G. G. Desmond, Sheeps-
combe. Glos.

BEES IX THE SOUDAN AND IN
MADEIRA.

[9021] Mr. G. Walter Grabham, M.A..
F.G.S., geologist to the Government of
the Sudan, who has recently been explor-
ing some hundreds of miles across the
desert between Khartoum and the town
of Gallabat, on the Abyssinian Frontier.
gives an account of the district which will
probably interest readers of your journal.

With many camels and numerous
attendants, Mr. Grabham crossed two
rivers, or rather, river-beds at this dry
season, where all the fish and huge alli-
gators— one of the latter measuring in
length 12ft. when shot by Mr. Grabham —
seemed to be concentrated in scattered
pools until the rainwater from the Abys-
sinian uplands again descends to replenish
the streams and revive the country.

Meanwhile, all kinds of creatures arrive
at night to drink at the remaining pools,
such as antelopes, water-buck, leopards,
&c.j and many of these remain and con-
tribute to the sustenance of the voracious
reptiles which lie in wait for them.

In one stretch across the desert the
geologist's party came across a well out

196

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 14, 191-4.

of which they hoped to assuage their
thirst and water their camels, hut the
surrounding rocks were full of wild bees,
and though the well was covered over they
had found a way in and had rendered the
irater undrinkable with a scum of their
drowned ones on its surface.

" They came swarming upon us in great
numbers," Mr. Grabham writes, "to
drink the water from our sweating faces,
and it was no agreeable matter to have
these unwelcome creatures crawling at
one's eyes, nose, and mouth in search of
moisture. "We sought in vain the shelter
of a rest-hut, and only obtained relief at
length by lighting fires and sitting in the
smoke."

1 am sending for appliances to trans-
plant some of these colonies to Khartoum,
for the bees are naturalised to the
climate, and store excellent honey. From
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. not a bee ventures forth
in the extreme heat. Some of your
readers may know something of this
species of African bee, and of its sub-
sistence in those desolate regions.

Madeira presents a veritable contrast
to the conditions indicated above. Our
bees swarm early in the year; the food
supply is perennial, and there is no
hibernation. The little creatures, never-
theless, store in summer with a feverish
activity, as thqjigh inspired with a
groundless apprehension of coming
winter. My honey here (300ft. above
the sea-level) is good, though dark-coloured
and aromatic, but I have another apiary
at my mountain home 2.000ft. higher,
where there are tracts of bilberry and wild
flowers with Thymus micans, &c, in
abundance, and the honey yielded in that
district is delicately flavoured and highly
esteemed.

Many years ago I brought to the island
a colony of yellow Ligurians, and watched
their work with interest. They collected
farther and farther from home until at
length I observed my yellow-striped
friends feeding on a Rosemary hedge two
miles away, and these well-behaved little
creatures were never found guilty of the
depreciations in the vineyards and fruit
gardens which attach to the local species.
But my breed is merged in the native
strain and in now hardly distinguishable
from them. "They have seen the
daughters of the land that they were fair,
and have taken wives of all they chose."

A few years ago also I brought over
a strong colony of Carniolans, which,
after a captivity of five days, were let
loose in my garden, and were seen return-
ing to their hive pollen-laden in less than
seven minutes! With another colony I
was not so fortunate, for, the voyage
being unusually protracted, my food
supply fell short and my little friends ate

greedily of the syrup of orange marma-
lade and died by hundreds — no doubt
with excruciating stomach aches.

I have written elsewhere on hybridisa-
tion and fertility, and my bees are still
a constant solace and interest to me. —
Michael Grabham. M.D., F.R.C.P.,
Madeira.

IS 'ISLE OF WIGHT'" A XEW
DISEASE ?

[9022] After all that has been said
about the "Isle of Wight" being a new
disease among bees, no doubt many
of your readers were surprised on reading
Mr. Withycombe's (8975) question in your
March 12th issue — " Is it a new disease ? "

Although I am a novice myself, my
adviser, Mr. J. J. Adamson, who is an
expert of over twenty years' experience,
firmly believes it is not a new disease, and
is most emphatic whenever I bring up
the subject. Want of proof, in face of
the many and widespread calamities, has
prevented me from writing you before,
making the same suggestion.

Incidentally, whilst perusing one of
my books, I have found what I consider
is proof that the disease is not new.

If any of your readers have a copy of
" Bevan on the Honey Bee.'' on reference
they will find a special chapter devoted
to " Diseases of Bees," page 20S. On page
209 it is the first subject dealt with, and
presumably it was in the author's opinion
the most important one. I give below an
extract :• — ■

•'In the winter of 1782-3 a aeneral
mortality took place among the bees in
this country, which was attributed to
various causes: want of honey was not
one of them, for in some hives consider-
able store was found after the bees had
gone. Some were of opinion that it arose
from the preceding being a bad breeding
year, and thought that the bees died of
old age. Others attribute it to the moist-
ness of the spring of 1783, which ren-
dered the providing of pollen difficult, for
without pollen no brood can be raised.
The difficulty of collecting pollen was
ascribed to the continual closing of the
flowers over the anthers, and the washing
away of the pollen by the frequent showers
after they did bui-st.

" The fatal influence ascribed to the
wetness of the spring 1782 seems to be
improbable ; though it may have affected
the quantity of bees bred, it was not
likely to put a stop to their breeding
altogether, and the young bees ought, at
any rate, to have escaped the desolating
evil, if it were from old age alone ; yet
wherever the mortality made its appear-
ance, every bee became its victim.

May 14, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOUKNAL.

19'

•'A similar incident occurred amongst
the wasps in the year 1824, &c, &c, &c.
In both cases it seems probable that the
mortality arose from some unfavourable
circumstance at the breeding season with
which ice are unacquainted. I am not
aware that it has been attributed to
any specific distemper of an epidemical
nature.

•' Mr. Knight noticed a similar occur-
rence as to wasps in the year 1806, and in
1815 Spence and Kirk both made the same
observations."

This should be very interesting and
encouraging to all bee-keepers, as, in my
opinion, ''Isle of Wight'' disease is a
passing plague, and will shortly leave us
for another — and may we hope? — long
period.

I am enclosing view of part of our
apiary, which is situated about 2^ miles
from the centre of Birmingham. I would
further add (if I dare) that we have, so
far, been free from the disease.

I should like to invite friendly criticism
on the above, which is referring to over
100 years ago. — Feed A. Clark.

BEE-KEEPING IX NEW ZEALAND.

By an ex-LonJon Clerk.

After eighteen years' service as clerk
in one of the large West End /Stores, my
health broke down, and I was ordered a
long sea. voyage, and decided to go to New
Zealand. Although I intended adopting
an outdoor life when arriving I found the
general run of farming was much too
strenuous for me to venture until I had
got stronger, so within a week of landing
I was again at the desk in a large ware-
house in Wellington. I arrived in New
Zealand in the early spring, and as the
summer came on with its glorious sunshine
day after day, I was daily more and more
convinced that, come what may,' I would
not be content to be cooped up within four
walls when God's fresh air and sunshine
were to be enjoyed outside, and would get
either on a fruit farm or sheep station at
the earliest opportunity.

After about three months I went to
lodge with a man (also a Londoner) who
had kept a few hives of bees at Tedding-
ton, and had just bought three box-hives.
Up to that time I don't know that I'd ever
seen a bee, and certainly couldn't have
identified one had I seen it alight any-
where, and I had to enquire how they
stung, whether it was by a bite or other-
wise? (I know now). My friend trans-
ferred the bees to a movable frame-hive,
I standing at a very respectable distance
away with a lace curtain all over me, also
leggings and kid gloves. I was much in-
terested in the operation, and more so
when about a week later I Mas shown how
the bees had made solid combs of the
pieces tied in the frames, and I very soon

I became fascinated with the continual
} movement in the front of the hives, and
j used to sit (with a veil on) for hours
I watching the bees.

One day my friend suggested that bee-
j keeping was the life to suit me, and
although I thought little of it at first, the
[ idea gradually became uppermost in my
I mind, and I started saving all I could to
I start in a sufficiently large way to make
my living.

After an interview with the Government
Apiarist, I decided to try and get with a
commercial bee-keeper for a season, as
practical experience is absolutely necessary
if one is going to start in a large way
at once. 1 was fortunate enough to get
with the largest and most successful bee-
keeper in the Dominion, who at the time
I was with him had eleven out-apiaries,
totalling 1,300 hives with an output
of over 30 tons of honey. Here
I learnt how to make increase, control
swarming, queen-rearing, comb founda-
tion making, and the general manipula-
tion from the first opening of the hives
in the spring until they were closed down
for the winter. This man ran his apiaries
for extracted honey alone, using twelve-
frame hives, and all full-depth supers, the
latter having ten frames wide spaced to
allow for deep combs. To facilitate un-
capping, and to keep down swarming in
which the large-sized hives help consider-
ably, he pushes the first super forwards,
leaving about fin. space at the back of
the brood-chamber, which not only venti-
lates the hives but also is used as an
extra entrance and exit — another big
! consideration. I of course do the same
j and find this method answers admirably,
but many bee-keepers here who saw my
hives so placed for the first time were
much surprised, and wanted to know how
about the rain beating in, and if it
would not start robbing. The rain can
only get on to the rabbet, and the end of
the" hive, and if very heavy rain comes the
water would run on to the bottom board
and out at the entrance. As regards
robbing, the space is opened only when
the honey-flow is starting, and is closed
again when the first lot of honey is taken
off, so there is no danger on that score,
and although I have been compelled to
leave the space open after the flow is
over, I have never had a case of robbing
from that cause.

It is now my fourth season as a bee-
keeper "on my own," and although, we
have had a sequence of three poor ones I
am quite happy in the choice of my means
of earning my living. The following will
show what can be done here : — First
season. Spring count, seventy-five

colonies; surplus, of tons. Second season
(worst summer for thirty years). Spring-
count, eighty-four hives; 2f tons. Third

198

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 14, 1914.

season. Spring count, seventy hives, 3f
tons. Fourth season. Spring count,
eighty-five (six weeks' bad spell, November
and December) ; 1 expect about 4 tons, am
now making final extraction.

All through the Dominion are Bee-
keepers' Associations ; all except one are
affiliated with the National Association,
which is fast assuming a very strong
position, and is formed for the purposes
of increasing the interests of all concerned
in the industry, and for promoting a
systematic course of advertising, what
honey is as a food and why a great deal
more should be eaten, also to place before
the Government any matters that are con-
sidered necessary for the general interest
of bee-keepers.

petrol and kerosene tins which weren't
always properly cleaned, and the result
Mas the honey was tainted.

AH honey now put up for export must
conform to the Government regulations,
which are new tins and cases of a uniform
size, and all honey must be graded by a
Government expert before being shipped,
which will ensure that nothing of an in-
ferior quality can pass, except it be
branded a? such. One parcel sent last
year realised £46 10s. per ton, and honey
from this district fetched from £40 to
£44 10s. per ton, and I think that when
the home merchants know they can rely
on our honey those prices will be improved
upon.

I often wish I had come across a bee-

Mi?,. F. BAINBS APIARY.

We have a splendid Agricultural De-
partment, the Director of which is most
anxious to assist the bee-keeping industry.
Recently the Apiary Inspectors were sup-
plied with motor-cycles, which enable
them to give about four times as many
visits as they were able to before, and
now that their powers are increased by the
recent amendments to the Apiaries Act we
believe we can see the elimination of foul
brood in sight.

We of course produce a great deal more
honey than is consumed here, and up to
about two or three years ago bee-keepers
were compelled to accept whatever they
could get, in some cases as low as 2Ad. per
lb. for best clover honey.

However, that is now at an end, as we
have succeeded in finding a payable
market in England, which has been made
difficult owing to careless bee-keepers
sending their honey badly packed in old

book or journal when in England, it would
have, I'm sure, set me thinking whether
I wasn't a fool to stay at the desk, ruin-
ing my health when there was an industry
so pleasant and profitable to be had, and
although I don't think it is quite so pro-
fitable at home as here on account of the
climate I feel sure much better health can
be obtained by it than sitting at a desk.

Things may be different now, it being
eight years since I left England, but I
never met a. man who could " talk " bees
in the Old Country ; those who kept them
in the country places I visited simply said
they had some bees, and there the matter
ended, consequently the most interesting
industry in the world of Nature jsasses by
unknown to many.

I can only hope this article will catch
ttie eye of a few men situated as I was,
and will set them thinking, and thus lead
them to find out more about bees, and

May 14, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

199

perhaps join an Association where the
foundation may be laid for building up of
a free and fresh air life from which they
will look back on the office conditions as
a nightmare.

The accompanying photographs are con-
nected with a field day of the South
Taranaki Bee-keepers' Association, held at
the apiary of the President, Mr. Fred C.
Baines, at Te Roti, which was attended by
about seventy people, including a Govern-
ment Apiary Instructor.

The proceedings opened with a demon-
stration of taking the honey off the hives,
the combs being taken direct to> the honey-
shed, where the whole process of un-
capping and extracting was shown. This
to many of the visitors was a very great
surprise, particularly when the combs were
taken from the extractor clean and intact.
Mr. Baines uses a steam-heated knife, also
a capping melter of his own design, both
of which were highly commented on by the
professional bee-men and the Government
Apiarist. He aLso uses a four-frame ex-
tractor, driven by a one horse-power
benzine engine; the latter doing service
in the winter in driving the small circular
saw, whereby he is able to make all his
hives, frames, and appliances.

How to wire the frames for fixing
foundation was next shown, which was in-
teresting because Mr. Baines, instead of
using the ordinary embedder, uses a
soldering-iron with the point bent over
and grooved, which, after being heated
over a stove, runs along the wires, result-
ing in just the walls of the impression
being melted, and making a. splendid job.

The Government Instructor then showed
how to manipulate a hive of bees, handling
frames, &c, and the various stages of the
bee from the egg to the fully-grown bee
eating its way out were very keenly fol-
lowed.

A lady bee-keeper then showed " how it
could be done," this lady having twenty
colonies, and is buying 100 more for next
season.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Herefords.
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.

— Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sche-
dule® from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leytom-
stone. Entries close May 31st.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield.— The

Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedules
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. Sec, Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries close May 23rd.

June lOth to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec, Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Sectiom, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. E. H. Atten.-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfied-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticulturail Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington, Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westboubne, Sussex.

Rainfall, 1.80 in.

Above average, "13
in.

Heaviest fall, "40 on
5th.

Rain fell on 11 days.

Sunshine, 2437 hrs.

Above aver., 65 hrs.

Brightest day, 28th
13-2hrs.

Sunless day, 1.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 72 on 20th and
29th.

April, 1914.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 31 on 8th,

Minimum on grass,
23 on 8th and 9 th.

Frosty nights, 3.

Mean maximum, 58'3.

Mean minimum, 40' 8.

Mean temperature,
495.

Above average, 33.

Maximum barometer,
30575 on 26th.

Minimum barometer,
29458 on 7th.

L. B. BlRKETT.

200

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 14, 1914.

ECHOES FROM THE HIVES.

Bees in this district seem to be
going strong. I have taken a swarm
which issued from a hive that has filled
a rack of sections sufficiently full to
warrant giving the second. The fruit
blossom is particularly fine, the bees are
just commencing work on the apple.
"Isle of Wight" disease has not dis-
appeared yet, but I have only seen one
case, and that was where a man increased
too much, and the weaker lots succumbed.
This is certainly an excellent opportunity
for rapid building up with a view to
increase where apiaries have been depleted
through "Isle of Wight" disease. — Geo.
Stevexton, Bislev.

Cabniolan (Stanford). — Vicious Bees.-
(1) Very likely. (2) All hybrids are
vicious. (3) Yes. (4) No, she would
most probablv be lost. (5) Yes.

S. A. S. (Uxbridge).— Wrongly-built
Cells. — Because the foundation used
was made the wrong way about.

A. P. W. (Alfriston).— Dutch Bees.— (1)
They can be had from Mr. J. C. Bee
Mason, 27, Ashtead Road, Upper Clap-
ton, London, N.E. (2) We cannot say
from personal experience.

Newton by Middlewich (Cheshire). —
Various Queries. — -(1) You can remove
the rust spots from your ripener by
using "Vim" or "Monkey Brand"
soap. (2) No doubt she was a deposed
queen, and the bees had reared a young
one toi take her place, which is now
heading the colony. (3) No, it is not at
all suitable. Cane sugar should be used
at all times. (4) Two bee-way sections
are best.

Mrs. D. H. Stuart. — Superfluous Drone
Brood. — (1) It is useless to cut out
drone comb as yon suggest, as the bees
will only build it up again. You shoidd
close-space the frames to prevent drone-
rearing. (2) Continue' the feeding
giving about \ of a pint every third
night until about the end of May.

D. M. (Polton).— Wild Bees.— (I) It is not
a humble bee but a species, Andrena
fulvia. (2) We are pleased! to hear that
your bees are now doing well.
H. T. (Worsley). — Preventing Swarming.
— (1) Your plan will doubtless be success-
ful. (2) About a fortnight or three
weeks.
A. M. D. (Witley). — Bees and Laurels. —
The bees are gathering nectar which is
secreted bjT the laurels.

R. H. C. (Berkhampstead). — Attempted
<Swarming. — (1) The bees were attempt-
ing to swarm, but evidently the queen
did not come out. It is possible,
though not probable, that she is unable
to fly. (2) It does not matter which
way they run.

Suspected Disease.

A. D. (Notts).— (1) There is no sign of
disease in the bees sent,, they have over-
laden themselves apparently,, and died
from exhaustion.

A. J. C. (Loughborough). — The bees have
been chilled ; there is no disease.

Pux (Birmingham) and Anxious (Wis-
bech).— The bees have died from "Isle
of Wight " disease.

W. D. T. (Kilmarnock).— (1) The bees
have evidently died through chill. (2)
They are British bees. (3) We find no
trace of "Isle of Wight " disease. You
can do nothing but destroy the affected
stock if it breaks out, there is no known

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each.—
WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury. -

STRONG swarms for sale, 15s., carriage and box
free.— NORRIS, Barracks, Cashel, Tipper-
ary. v 48

HEATHER honey.— Several dozen fine quality
screw cap, 12s. doz— EDWIN GLOSSOP,
Ambergate. v 49

ENGLISH BEES— Several strong stocks, on
wired standard combs, guaranteed healthy,
20s., 25s., 3Qs. each; travelling boxes to be returned.
—CASS, Flaxley-road, Selby. v 51

EIGHT W.B.C. hives, joiner make, nearly new.
8s. each, a bargain; one observatory hive,
for three stocks, well made, £1.— MARCH, builder,
Horsford, Norwich. v 47

CRAMER A, J plate Klito, folding model, R.A.
-' lens, auto shutter, A release, one double dark
slide, as new, 19/-; Wonder honey extractor, takes
standard or- shallows; exchange for swarm, or
offers— F. B. L., 82, High-street, Hythe. v 46

FOR SALE, five splendid stocks Scotch bees,
healthy, 1913 queens, 30s. each, or with good
secondhand hives, 40s. each, f.o.r., cash.— GEO.
W. PAISLEY, Wayside Apiary, Newport-on-
Tay. v 42

WANTED, healthy bees; also honey; price,
carriage paid.— HATT, 280, Broadway, Bexley
Heath. y_3l

IX beehives, 10s. each; particulars.— E.
BURTON. Hatfield, Doncaster. v 32

S

WANTED, natural strong swarm of Carniolans
or Italians, guaranteed healthy.—
CHEESMUR, Cuff's Cottage, Worth, Sussex, v 35

SEVEN beehives, standard frames, complete,
nearly new, £5 the lot; various appliances
thrown in, or 16s. separate, free on rail.—
APPLETON, Leigh Sinton, Malvern. v 34

May 21, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

201

THE ROYAL SHOW.

Those intending to exhibit at the Royal
Show at Shrewsbury on July 30th must
note that the entries close on May 30th,
therefore they should be sent in at once
to the Secretary, B.B.K.A., 23, Bedford
Street. Strand, W.C.

In addition to the usual valuable prizes
the W. Broughton Carr Memorial Gold
Medal and the "W.B.C." hive offered by
Col. T. H. Jolly are further inducements to
compete, apart from the valuable asset of
prize cards when marketing.

LECTURE ON "ISLE OF WIGHT
BEE DISEASE."

There are a few people who pride
themselves on being large bee-keepers —
or, shall we say, large "possessors" of
bees? — whose sole object is to get as much
out of the bees with as little trouble as
possible. They do this without the
slightest consideration for the welfare of
other bee-keepers, especially of the
cottager, whom they look upon as a
parasite on the monopolist who ought
to be driven out of existence, and have
evidently taken as their motto the advice
given by the avaricious man to his son
when sending him out into the world,
" Get money, get it honestlv if you can,
but get it.1'

Some make not the slightest endeavour
to do good for the craft, but use every
means of thwarting progress because it
might touch their own pocket, while
others are ' ' Agin the Government ' ' on
personal grounds owing to its refusal to
give them publicity or employment on
account of their incapacity as either
teachers, writers, or practical bee-
keepers, their knowledge being limited
to their ability and audacity in copying
the work of others to pass off as their
own.

Very different is the attitude of others,
amongst these Mr. C. H. Bocock, of The
Elms, Ashley, Newmarket, one of the
largest bee-keepers in the country, by
whose energy a treat was supplied to
those attending a special lecture on the
above subject given in the offices of The
British Bee Journal on March 5th by an

eminent bacteriologist who has devoted
years to study and research of " Isle of
Wight Disease." Much useful informa-
tion was given, and we print below an
epitome of the lecture, which was
illustrated by lantern slides. After
the lecture demonstrations of the
various forms of the parasite
Nosema apis were given, both fresh and
stained microscopical preparations being
shown, which preparations contained all
the salient forms illustrated by the lantern
slides used during the lecture. We were
much impressed by the vast amount of
continuous research work that must have
been done by the lecturer, and the readi-
ness with which every question was
answered, and each of the microscopes
kept supplied with a succession of speci-
mens for observations. Our one regret
is that we cannot give illustrations of the
specimens or yet one-half of the informa-
tion imparted by the lecturer, both
during the lecture and by answering
questions after. A hearty vote of thanks
to the lecturer and to Mr. Bocock for his
unselfish labour in providing the means
of obtaining a practical knowledge of the
disease concluded a most useful and
instructive afternoon.

Ladies and Gentlemen, — A consideration
of the minute animal parasite, Nosema
apis, that has been responsible for so much
destruction among our little velvet-coated
friends, the honey bees of Great Britain,
must be of interest to all bee lovers. The
life history of the tiny organism that
causes the badly named malady, popularly
known as " Isle of Wight " disease, will
be set forth here in as simple a manner as
possible. Every subject has a certain
number of terms that are in constant
use. These will be reduced to the smallest
possible limits, and will be explained, and
the explanation repeated, a procedure
that it is hoped will be acceptable. At
the close of the lecture, it is hoped that
all will be able to stay and see specimens
that have been brought, as they include
practically every form of Nose7na apis, the
cause of "Isle of Wight" bee disease,
better termed microsporidiosis.

In the first instance, it is necessary to
point out that there is more than one
disease among bees, and that in the ex-
perience of workers on the subject, deaths
among bees have often been diagnosed as
being due to "Isle of Wight " disease
that are not attributable to Nosema apis
at all. Starvation, paint fumes, chemical

202

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 21, 1914.

vapours due to disinfectants used in
cleansing hives, ordinary dysentery — due
to feeding on fermented pollen — foul
brood, and in some cases other minute
animal parasites have been responsible for
the deaths of the bees, supposed to be the
victims of Nosema apis.

Again, the symptoms of bee diseases
have an extraordinary resemblance to one
another, and there are practically no
external signs which serve to distinguish
the victim of "Isle of Wight" disease
from the bee stricken to death with
dysentery. This can be easily understood
if the very small range of expression of
the bee's feelings is remembered. It can-
not express its sufferings by voice or
sound ; it cannot indicate the seat of the
trouble, nor can it apply remedies. The
only thing of which it is capable, when it
is stricken by disease, is to cease its active
flight and to utilise the feeble energy left
it in crawling sadly to the top of a blade
of grass or other vegetation near the hive,
whence it endeavours to launch itself into
the air and thus gain the alighting-board.
Thus, practically whatever may be the
cause of the trouble, the symptoms are the
same.

The disappearance of bees from the hive,
without the presence of many dead bees
within or around it, has often been
described as a mystery. The solution of
the mystery is often found when it has
been possible to find the favourite drink-
ing place of the bees. Incidentally it must
be borne in mind that bees often prefer
stagnant water that is somewhat warm to
perfectly fresh and clear but cold, water.
A visit may now be paid in imagination
to a secluded drinking place of bees in a
district where "Isle of Wight" disease
(better called microsporidiosis, since it is
produced by tiny spore-forming animals)
is rampant. Drinking at this spot are
a number of bees. Many are seemingly
healthy, but among them there are in-
fected bees. They drink greedily, but
when a newcomer alights near one of the
infected members, should the abdomen of
the latter be slightly touched, almost in-
stantly a quantity of semi-digested food
forming the faeces of the bees is dis-
charged. Some faeces enter the water,
other particles bespatter the neighbouring
bees, yet other portions foul the soil,
where they dry rapidly, become powdery,
and may be carried by the wind to
adjacent flowers or foliage, or into the
water. The faeces naturally contaminate
the water, but do not render it offensive
to other bees, who continue to drink the
water greedily. Those soiled by the in-
fected bee proceed to cleanse themselves
and their neighbours, and their very
cleanliness is fatal to them, for by the
cleansing processes, as equally by means

of the fouled water, they absorb the seeds
of disease into their food canals.

If a tiny particle of the excrement of
a heavily-infected bee is examined under
the microscope, and magnified about 1,000
times, mingled with the partly digested
pollen a number of tiny oval bodies with
a shining appearance, and looking very
like rice grains (though actually about
xg^oth size), are seen. These small, oval
bodies can resist both high and low
temperatures, and can live for a very long
time. They are called spores, this name
being given them partly on account of
their small size and great powers of re-
sistance. Spores of the parasite Noaema
apis are found in the fasces of infected
bees, and as the latter are unable to take
their usual cleansing flights, defecation
occurs within the hive in many cases, and
thus honey, pollen, and wax become' con-
taminated and infective to bees that feed
on them or work on the soiled foundation
or combs. Drones also can become in-
fected and act as perambulating dis-
pensers of disease, their roving habits
being well known. Protected probably by
their odour, they seem to be tolerated in
any hive they choose to visit, and drones
coloured artificially have been observed
and found to visit several hives in the
course of a few hours. Queens likewise
become victims of the disease, and die of
it. Larva? also can become infected,
either by being fed on already infected
food or by receiving the infection from
their nurses, when they are being fed by
them. To sum up, the infection of in-
dividual bees is brought about chiefly by
means of infected food and drink.

The infection of new stocks can result
from the entrance of infected individuals,
but the disease also can be spread from
stock to stock by the wind. This is par-
ticularly the case when the hives are at
different levels. If the first infected one
is at a higher level than some others, and
the wind blows from above downwards,
then dust containing spores of the parasite
is carried by the wind and deposited on
the foliage or ground intervening between
the two sets and also on the lower hives.
Some of the spores thus are carried into
positions where they can easily reach the
hitherto uninfected stocks. This process
is aided when a high wind carries the
spores into puddles at which the bees
drink, or deposits the dust on or in the
hive in such positions that the bees pro-
ceed to clear it away. Robbing is a fertile
cause of spreading; also wasps, ants, and
other bee enemies aid in spreading Nosema
spores, which, in many cases, pass un-
harmed through their bodies. Causes of
spreading such as the last-named can be
controlled to some extent, but there is one
source of infection that no bee-keeper can

May 21, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

2o;j

guard against. iSome bees, fortunately
for themselves, but unfortunately for their
neighbours, have acquired a certain
amount of immunity to the parasite,
which can live and multiply within them,
but does not affect them seriously, so that
they live about as long as ordinary,
healthy bees. These bees, which are called
parasite carriers, are veritable flying
reservoirs of disease, to be placed in the
same category as the unfortunate men and
women who, while healthy themselves,
spread typhoid fever wherever they go.
Against the parasite carrier no precaution
can be taken, and many an apparently
mysterious outbreak in a hitherto un-
affected district is due to the agency of the
parasite carrier.

Having thus briefly indicated the main
ways by which disease is spread, the series
of events within the bee may now be con-
sidered.

When the tiny spores of the parasite
enter the bee, usually with the infected
food or drink, they pass unchanged
through the oesophagus and enter the
honey stomach. As a rule, nothing hap-
pens to them there, and they pass through
the stopper into the chyle or digesting
stomach. Here the powerful digestive
juices of the bee are at work, and under
their influence the spore coat becomes
softened. Then part of the spore contents,
in the form of a long, thin, elastic thread,
called a polar filament, is shot from the
spore, and serves to anchor it to the wall
of the chyle stomach. When anchored, one
very tiny, active germ creeps from each
spore and proceeds to move actively over
the wall of the gut by pushing out one
portion of its body and withdrawing
another. Thus it gradually progresses by
means of these protrusions, called
pseudopodia. This wandering form of the
parasite is called a planont, a word mean-
ing wanderer, and just SO' long as it
wanders about it is termed a planont.

After a time the planont ceases to
wander, and gradually insinuates itself
into one of the large digestive cells or
pierces between them and reaches the body
cavity lying beyond. The first case is
far more common than the second, and
so will be considered in detail. The tiny
planont, or primary infecting germ, con-
sists of two' parts : (1) The body substance
that breathes, feeds, and excretes, termed
the protoplasm, and (2) a more or less
central controlling part, termed the nucleus,
that regulates the various processes of
the protoplasm, and, in addition, initiates
and controls the multiplication or increase
in numbers of the organism. When the
planont has penetrated a digestive cell, it
loses its irregular shape and becomes more
or less rounded. For a short time it
grows steadily, feeding on the living sub-

stance around it, and destroying the cell
substance as it does so. Then the con-
troller, or nucleus, begins to divide into
two, and when two nuclei are thus formed,
the division of the body substance follows,
so that now two parasites exist, where
before there was but one. Each grows
quickly, and then divides again, and the
division is repeated so rapidly that soon the
cell becomes crowded with the young para-
sites. Each of the dividing forms is called
a meront, and a very large number of
meronts can be produced from one planont.
Thus, when a number of spores is
swallowed by a bee, the number of
meronts may become enormous in a very
short time. In fact, many bees die from
the effects of the meronts upon them and
thereby cut short the life of those para-
sites that have not progressed beyond the
meront stage. The meronts do grave
damage to the bee's food passage in two
ways. It must be remembered that the
bee forms its digestive juices in a some-
what peculiar way. The chyle stomach of
the bee is lined by large cells shaped some-
what like a round-headed nail. They have
a large globe-shaped head, which faces the
gut cavity, and a stalk, containing the
nucleus, that nearly touches the muscle
layers of the bee's food passage. When
there is little or no food in the chyle
stomach, these large cells secrete digestive
juice, which forms a number of droplets
within them. But when food enters the
chyle stomach, instead of the droplets of
digestive juice being discharged, the
rounded head of each cell containing them
is cast off bodily, and until it bursts the
digestive fluid is not set free. As the
stalk of the cell containing the nucleus
of it is left behind, a new head is soon
grown, ready to form more digestive juice
as required. But if a Nosema parasite
has gained access to the cell, not only does
the cell use its energies in trying to check
the parasite, but it also loses the power of
forming digestive juice, and gradually
dies. Further, the nucleus becomes
weakened, and even destroyed, so that new
digestive cells are no longer formed.
Thus, not only do> the digestive juices
of the bee fail for a time, but the
bee becomes incapable of forming
more, and any new food taken, instead of
serving as nourishment for the body,
merely acts as a mechanical irritant to
the already injured food passage.

(To be continued.)

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
April, 1914, was £4,747.— From a return
furnished to the British Bee Journal, by
the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.

204

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 21, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
mnii correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for vublication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

WHAT IS PURE HEATHER HONEY?

[9023] Can you, Messrs. Editors, or
any of the readers of the " B.B.J.," give a
definition of the standard of heather
honey? What per cent, heather should
exist in it? Can any action by an In-
spector of Foods and Drugs under the Act
be taken in this respect? i.e., is it any
use calling his attention to the question ?
The reason I ask is because a quality of
honey, which may be good as it stands, is
labelled and sold as " pure heather honey,"
whereas it is obvious from colour, taste,
and aroma, that it is nearly all clover
with a trifling per cent, of heather mixed
in it. In this district is produced one of
the finest heather honeys obtainable, and
we bee-keepers here feel we have a great
grievance when any sort of honey can be
labelled pure heather without our having
any means of redress. Seeing that the
price of pure heather honey is 50 per cent,
greater than that of clover, it is plain that
there is a substantial gain in wrongly
describing a cheaper grade of honey as
*' pure heather," and it also reacts unfairly
on the price of the real thing. — Campbell

R. PlNKNEY.

EARLY SURPLUS.

[9024] On the 6th inst. I took 301bs.
of surplus honey from one of my stocks,
and have six or seven stocks with even
more ready, all in shallow frames. This
seems to me very early, and I think it
may be of interest.— W. F. F., Ilford.

PLANTING HEDGE AND PROVIDING
WATER FOR BEES.

[9025] In reply to the query (8925, No. 8),
on page 188, would not the American
Flowering Currant be good for bees? It
makes a fine hedge, and the clipping does
not seem to interfere with its flowering.

A suggestion as to a drinking place for
bees occurs to me. Any tub or deep vessel
in which the water would not dry up, with
some plants of Frog-bit (Hydrocharis)
floating in it. My bees frequent a tub
and stand on the Frog-bit leaves to drink.
One could in this way add cinnamon or any
other substance to the drinking water. I
could supply a limited number of Frog-
bit plants to any fellow bee-keepers who
wanted them.—' Ida H. Jackson, The
Godolphin School, Hammersmith, W.

Sugar v. Honey. — ".Science shows that
honey contains mineral salts — salts of iron,
potash, lime, phosphates, &c, and that
these are indispensable to the formation
and maintenance of living organisms.
Since sugar is almost entirely deprived of
these salts, bees fed almost solely on sugar
must necessarily deteriorate." It is often
contended that bees subsist best on sugar
syrup during winter, and I rather sub-
scribe to the doctrine, but the case is
entirely different when we come to deal
with breeding and the building up of
tissue. Here the above salts present in
honey are lacking in sugar syrup.

Longevity. — It has often been observed
and commented on that a stock of bees
where breeding is kept up at an abnormal
rate lags behind in the race for the first
rank in honey-surplus. I know that re-
peatedly Italians boiling over with bees
and covering eighteen standard frames
yielded infinitely less super honey when
working at the heather than the Blacks
did, with apparently a much smaller force
of bees. I am inclined to attribute this
curious result to somewhat kindred causes
as are named by a recent writer in Glean-
ings under the above heading. His con-
tention is embraced in the following three
propositions: — (1) A good queen may
easily lay sufficient eggs to build up
rapidly and keep a colony strong, but the
bees produced may be a little below the
average in length of life. (2) A colony of
average strength may produce good
results, because the bees live a little over
the average, and such a colony will be
really strong in working force, while only
fair in young bees. (3) A colony may be
of average strength and produce an aver-
age crop of honey because the death-rate
may equal the rate of increase. There is
certainly food for thought here. If
"longevity" is possible, how can we best
secure it in breeding our queen-mothers?

Points in Queen-rearing. — Eliminate
queens whose progeny show bad temper,
all heavy propolisers, those given to
superfluous swarming, bad winterers,
defective cappers, queens yielding soft
bees ; don't breed for beauty alone, be-
cause it is only skin-deep. I never saw a
hive of bees that had all the good quali-
ties in perfection with none of the bad.
All honey-producers know that there is a
great difference in the production of
honey from different colonies headed by
queens bred from the same mother, and
this difference cannot always be accounted

May 21, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

205

for, even by the most experienced
apiarists or queen-rearers. Bees are only
like other animals or humans in this
respect. Perhaps in the case of queens a
good deal depends on the age of larva
selected, and, as one writer lately sug-
gested, on the size of the cell, or, alter-
natively, I would say, on the nature of the
feeding. Parliament is now enacting a
law to secure pure milk for the infant
generation !

Motor-boat Transit. — Our American
cousins have gone one better than any-
thing I have heard of on this side. " In
Florida the prevailing means of going to
and from yards is a gasoline launch. One
of the great advantages is smoothness of
running." Even there they have draw-
backs, for unfortunatelv most of the good

such a way that they will get a supply of
nectar and flour, both on the same
trip."

College Bee-keeping. — "Educational
work of this kind is coming to be recog-
nised more and more, not only in our
public schools, but also in our agricultural
colleges, the two most prominent being
Amherst, Mass., and Guelph, Canada."
On this side we are advancing on the same
lines. Apropos of this endorsement it
may be advisable to state that my ap-
pointment over a year ago as Instructor
and Lecturer in Bee-keeping in Aberdeen
Agricultural College never matured, owing
to the Board of Agriculture withholding
sanction for the expenditure, because they
were not consulted in the early stages.
Sanction has, however, now been obtained.

NEW ZEALAND BEE-KEEPERS.

A Field Day of the South Taranaki Bee-keepers' Association, held at the
apiary of the President, Mr. F. C. Baines, at Te Roti, New Zealand.

locations are remote from rivers, bays,
and lakes.

Natural v. Artificial. — Messrs. Root
have been im-estigating the question of
pollen derived from natural sources com-
pared with that supplied in the shape of
flour, etc., and unhesitatingly declare in
favour of flower-pollen as against
flour-pollen. One of their operators
favours the idea that we might be able
to get practically the same result
if we could feed both at the same time.
" Thin nectar should be fed to the bees in

but I had previously withdrawn my name
owing to the prolonged delay. The ap-
pointment is likely to be advertised soon
— and I wish it to be known amongst bee-
keepers that my name will not be avail-
able as a candidate.

Larva; for Queen-eells. — Professor Bald-
win, the new '"Associate" Editor of
Review, supplies the following useful hints :
"For lifting the young larva from the
worker-cell, have the smaller end of the
cell-grafting needle slightly coated with
royal jelly, then a very slight contact with

206

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 21, 1914.

the tiny larva will be sufficient to adhere
and draw it up with the rieedle. If you
don't get it up at the first attempt, let
that one go, and try a new cell." It is
becoming more and more a confirmed
truism amongst queen-breeders that the
younger the larva transferred the better
is the guarantee that the resulting queen
will be a thoroughly reliable mother, other
things being equal.

5iP33RO

^TbB&^J

Artificial Increase. — I shall be
much obliged if you will advise me in the
"B.B.J." if the following would be a
successful plan of increasing my stocks?
I have four strong colonies of English
bees, and propose, when the honey-flow is
well on here, taking a frame or two with
bees out of each hive and starting a fresh
colony, putting in an Italian queen. How
soon could the queen be put in, and would
she have to be caged? — G. W. L., Here-
ford.

Reply. — You must not do as you suggest,
but adopt the following plan. As soon as
all the combs are crowded with bees, take
from each of three hives two oombs of
brood, brushing back the bees. Move
No. 4 hive ten yards away, and put the
new hive with the six combs of brood, and
four frames of foundation in its place, to
get the flying bees. In twenty-four hours
introduce the Italian queen by caging. If
the plan you suggest was followed you
would get only a few bees to stay, and
they would probably fight. Where the
combs are taken out put in fresh frames
fitted with foundation.

[8929] _ Various Queries— I shall feel
obliged if you will answer the following
questions in " B.B.J." : — (1) I have
twelve partly filled sections of last year's
honey. Can I return them to the hive
this season to be filled and sealed? (2)
There is wax-moth in my hive, also a
small kind of maggot living on the top of
the frames. I placed a piece of wood
under the quilt to allow bees to clear them
away, which they started doing as soon as
I raised the quilt. Have I done the right
thing? (3) My bees are not increasing in
number. I do not know the age of the
queen. Could I introduce a young queen
on one side, divide the hive in the middle,
and leave the old on© on the other side?
(4) I have noticed many humble bees with
every sign of the " Isle of Wight " disease.
Is it known if these bees are suffering
from it too? — Novice, Wimbledon.

Replv. — (1) Yes, if not granulated. (2)
Take away the wood and use either
Naphthaline or Apicure in the hive. (3)
Remove the old queen altogether, and
twelve hours later introduce the young
one. (4) It is quite possible.

[8930] Suspected Laying Worker.— I
shall be obliged if you will tell me in an
early issue of your Journal whether one
of the Italian bees I forward is a fertile
worker. A neighbour's hive was found to
be queenless this spring, and yet eggs have
been laid in patches and drones hatched
for over a month now. We have carefully
gone over the frames and caged for your
inspection what seemed to us the likely
layers. Is there any danger of the bees
in such a hive rejecting a fertile Italian,
supposing we have failed to find this
wrong-doer? Thanking you in anticipa-
tion.— Geo. P. Walker.

Reply. — It is impossible for us to say if
any of the workers are fertile or not, as
we have not the time to make dissections.
The only way to get the bees to accept a
fertile queen will be to cage her on a comb
of normal unsealed brood from another
stock.

[8931] Novice's Queries. — I shall be
very grateful for answers to the follow-
ing : — (1) Can you tell me why the bees
I am enclosing have been expelled from
the hive? (2) On the 22nd April I found
the brood-nest in the hive was full of
brood, and put a rack of shallow frames
on, hoping the queen would lay in them
but she did not, and the bees in a few
days had filled them with honey. Did I
do wrong in putting in the shallow-
frames? — A. M. S., Kettering.

Reply. — (1) The bees are drones, which
have been killed off on account of the cold
weather. (2) You did quite right, which
is proved by the surplus obtained.

INGSi

y Milton. . ■"

<lli'"nl"il||Li'

Hope on, Hope Ever (p. 155). — Mr.
Copleston might have given us the rest of
Gerald Massey's line to encourage us in
our hope that this dread disease is really
passing. I cannot turn to it at the
minute, and I am not quite sure how it
goes, but I think it is thus: "After
darkest night comes full of gladsome day,
the laughing sunshine." And that is just
what we want to be assured in our de-
pressed moments. But if ever there was a

May 21, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

207

class inclined to hope, it is agricultural,
and of all its individuals I think the bee-
keeper is the most consistently optimistic.
He is always hoping for a better season,
buoyed up, no doubt, by happy memories.
Hope on, brother, hope ever, and good
fortune attend your onward way.

Sanded Alighting Boards (p. 156). — May
I endorse what Mr. Campbell says about
the usefulness of these? There are other
and more elaborate devices towards the
same end, but the sanded board is simple,
cheap, and effective. The only objections
are that moisture, dew, perhaps, appears
to collect upon them at times, and that
they get rather dirtier than the plain
board. They are particularly useful
where the entrance is unprotected by a
porch. Is there, however, any reason why
hives should not be fitted with much
larger porches, removable at will? I think
that a device which would be at once
porch and swarm-catcher might fill a
want. A kind of claustral chamber
adapted to take frames, and fitted with
removable fronts. The lower portion of
the front could be fitted with excluder, or
this might be entirely closed, and, of
course, opened so that the bees could fly
straight into the annex.

Box Hives (p. 166). — Mr. Isaac Hopkins
may be right in styling me evasive in con-
troversy, but he is certainly not justified
by the material upon which he bases his
accusation. At least, I had no intention
of evading any portion of the issue. My
confidence in the strength of the case is
too great to cause me either to resort to
such childish methods, or to indulge in
persona] abuse of my sincere opponents. I
certainly did not limit the term " box-
hives " to cracker-boxes. My actual
words were " cracker-boxes or any old
thing that comes first to hand." Now,
■will Mr. Hopkins kindly understand that
as including his barrels and boxes, and
any other base vessel he cares to mention.
But I particularly request him not to in-
clude the skep in his condemnation of such
"hives." There is a dividing line which
is too strongly marked to be over-ridden
by careless generalisation, and no amount
of misused language can make a basket
into a box. It is my fault that I do not
remember the explanation to which Mr.
Hopkins refers, and I shall be glad to
have chapter and verse. But I am not
without grounds for supposing that all
colonials do not adhere rigidly to the ex-
planation. This is the case so recently as
January, 1914, and if Mr. Hopkins will
turn to the "B.B.J.," page 4, he will find
the following by a writer with a name
singularly like his own : " Immovable
comb hives ... be they skeps or box-
hives." The writer proceeds to make
especial reference to "the latter"! And

that I will leave Mr. Hopkins to explain
away as best he may.

Skeps (p. 166). — Mr. Hopkins asks me
particulalry whether I use the " common
straw skep." Now, I do not know what
trap Mr. Hopkins has ready for me, but
I will answer him as fully as possible, and
let him develop whatever argument he
wishes. I have no colonies in skeps to-
day, but I have often possessed them, and
I expect shortly to have some more. iSuch
skeps as I am able to obtain are of the
"common" type. The bees are usually
worked into frame-hives under my
methods, but they invariably spend one
winter at least in their original domicile.
I have no winter losses with them, which
is not always the case with the frame-
hives, and they form a useful reserve. I
transfer them as soon as convenient, be-
cause I am primarily a frame-hivist, and
my methods are those of my class. I am a
frame-hivist because, if I may say so, I
am sufficiently intelligent to be able to
appreciate the advantages of the frame-
hive, and I personally find the frame-hive
more profitable than the skep. The skep
is not, however, without important advan-
tages, even to me. Now, if that is not
the full answer which Mr. Hopkins re-
quires I shall have pleasure in adding to
it, but it will, no doubt, be sufficient text
for his purpose. I have already stated
my belief that the skep is adapted to the
needs of the common skeppist, or it would
hardly have survived the competition of
the frame-hive. It could, I think be
easily adapted, as I have already sug-
gested, to the requirements of the purists.
But the fundamental error these worthy
gentlemen make, is to speak as though
the skep were managed on the lines of the
frame-hive. It is not.

OBSERVATION BIRD NESTING-BOX.

The man who is fond of bees is
generally fond of birds too. It is natural
that he should be so, as he has in him the
love of living things. He is also an
admirer of work.

Great was the wonder caused by the first
observation hive, which made it possible
for all the world to see everything that
passed among the combs. It showed us
the life of the bees, and everybody, even
school children, can tell you at least some-
thing about bee life.

The science of bird observation, however,
has not yet attracted the man in the
street, or rather let us say, the man in
the apiary, and as far as he at least is
concerned, the secret of nest-building has
rested with the birds themselves. True,
we know how birds' nests are made, of
what materials they are composed, and at
what season of the year they are built.
There are books that tell us all this— the

208

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 21, 1914.

writers of the books have learnt all that
they know by much patient waiting and
the camera to aid them.

To the ordinary man, however, who has
neither the patience nor the time to make
observations of this nature, the bird life
of his garden or his apiary passes un-
noticed. All this is now altered by the in-
vention of the "Observation" bird-box,
by Mr. S. W. Abbott, of the well-known
firm of Abbott Bros., Southall.

By its aid the whole process of nest-
building and rearing the young can be
most minutely examined, and the home life
of the birds passes beneath our eyes. The
construction of the " Observation" box is
exceedingly simple ; in form somewhat re-
sembling the more ordinary form of nest-

Many different kinds of birds build in
the " Observation " box ; among the com-
mon kinds are the robin, tit, sparrow, and
the wren, and as each of these builds a dif-
ferent form of nest, there is always some-
thing fresh and interesting to watch. The
boxes can be obtained from Mrs. Wilfred
Mark Webb, Odstock, Hanwell.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford?,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, <fec. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

VIEW OF OBSERVATION BOX IN USE IN THE OPEN.
IS FROM OTHER SIDE OF FENCE.

THE ENTRANCE

ing-box, it is provided on the top with
an aperture or eyelet through which the
observer can see clearly the whole interior
of the box. The birds are not in the least
disturbed by being observed, because they
are unconscious of it. The opening and
closing of the aperture is silent and un-
seen. In this way the nest can be observed
from the first straw or bit of moss until,
at the end of the breeding season, the
young birds leave it.

The illustrations show very clearly how
the box is fitted on to the inside of a shed
or fence, which shields the presence of
the observer from the birds as they ap-
proach it from the front. It is provided
with a large hole in front to correspond
with another hole cut through the fence
or shed to which the box is fixed to give
ingress to the birds. By regulating the
size of this hole one can attract different
species, some birds preferring a large and
some a smaller hole.

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.

—Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sche-
dules from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leyton-
stone. Entries close May 31st.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield.— The

Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedules
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. Sec., Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries close May 23rd.

June 10th to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec, Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedule* from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

May 21, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

209

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Bletree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge.
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten.-
boTough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 24th and 25th, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural! Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W7. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

J. D. (Kent). — Transferring Bees from
Skep to Frame-hive. — (1) Leave the
skep on top of frames until the combs
below are worked out and have brood
in them. You can then get the queen

FRONT VIEW OF THE OBSERVATION BOX.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles raddus. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

below, put an excluder between the skep
and top of frames for three weeks to
allow the brood to hatch out ; then drive
the bees from the skep and put a proper
super in its place. (2) The larvae is that
of a worker killed by cold.

J. E. (Bromsgrove). — Be'e's Me-queening
ThemseTves. — The bees have evidently
superseded the old queen. Leave them
alone, they will be all right now.

Anxious One (Devon). — Suspicious

Mortality Among Bees. — (1) We do not
think the symptoms were caused by the
sugar. (2) Yes. (3) You might spray

210

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 21, 1914.

the combs with a 10 per cent, solution
of formaldehyde. We fear from what
you say that the bees are suffering from
"Isle of Wight" disease, therefore, any
combs that you suspect of coming in
contact with them since October should
be burned.

E. J. S. (Kew). — Peculiar Coloured Honey.
— (1) The honey is mainly from limes.
(2) Certainly. (3) It is quite suitable
for making mead.

C. Pain (Dorset). — Dead Young Bees in
Cells. — The bees are drones which have
either been allowed to die on account of
the cold spell we have had lately or there
is a laying worker or a drone-breeding
queen in the hive.

J. W. (Meols).— Dead Drone.— (I) Yes,
the drone has mated a queen. (2) It
would rather point to a swarm having
issued some time ago without your
knowledge.

J. H. W. (Andover). — Suspected Queen-
lessness. — (1) No, but the queen is an
old one. (2) It is pollen which has be-
come mildewed.

E. M. P. (Guernsey). — Failing Queen. —
The queen is an old one, so she is laying
but few eggs. We see no reason why
the virgins reared by the stock should
not be all right.

A. G. C. (Torquay).— Honey Samples. —
Both samples are very good, of the two
that marked 7 is the better. They are
certainly good enough to sell.

Suspected Disease.
J. J. W. (Glos.).— It is foul brood. Use
Apicure.

F. E. C. (Essex).— (1) If you destroy the
four stocks, as you suggest, you are
adopting the only plan of checking the
spread of " Isle of Wight" disease. (2)
In the slight cases, Apicure will effect a
cure.

W. A. H. (Bilston).— The bees have died
from "Isle of Wight" disease. Destroy
all combs, &c, following the instructions
for disinfection so frequently given in
our pages.

C. W. T. (Hull).— (1) The symptoms are
those of " Isle of Wight" disease. (2)
There is no known cure. (3) Yes.

J. A. E. (Norfolk).— The bees have "Isle
of Wight " disease.

H. T. L. (Sussex).— (1) The bees marked
No. 1 are apparently quite healthy. (2)
Symptoms of " Isle of Wight" disease.

Dorking. — The bees were too dry for ex-
amination.

M. B. (Southwell). — We regret to say
there is every sign of "Isle of Wight"
disease in the bees sent.

B. C. W. (South Norwood).— There is no
disease, the bees are drones cast out on
account of the cold weather.

A. M. (Bonder's End).— It is " Isle of
Wight " disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

ADVERTISER will start capable person (any
class) with swarm, and, if required two
frame hives and accessories; repayment by sale of
one healthy May swarm (advertiser to bear all
expenses of sale) and 3i per cent, on amount
expended each year (beginning next year) till
■expenditure repaid. Receipted bills of expenditure
shown to bee-keeper. — Write, stating experience
(if any), to S. OUSELEY, 58, Waldemar-avenue
Mansions, Fulham, S.W.

MAY SWARMS, 15s.; June swarms, 14s.; three
frames nucleus, 12s. 6d. ; four frames nucleus,
15s.; cash with order— J. REAVELEY, Starbeck,
Harrogate. v 70

CHOWAN extractor, cost 50s., for 20s.; two
J Langstroth American hives, with new brood
frames, 3s. 9d. each; all carriage forward.—
HEATON, Eastview, Methwold, Norfolk. v 71

FOR SALE, swarms, from frame hives, guaran-
teed healthy, 15s. each— J. M. WILKIN,
Pymoor, Ely, Cambs. v 72

NATURAL SWARMS, guaranteed healthy, 3s.
per lb. until the 15th of June; swarm boxes
returnable.— DENNIS, Brownsover, Rugby. v 54

SEVERAL strong, healthy swarms, on four and
five frames, wired, 14s. 6d. and 15s. 6d.; packed
in boxes free.— MULLEY, Upton-on-Severn. v 76

MAY top swarms, from guaranteed strong,
healthy stocks, " I.W.D." unknown in dis-
trict, packed, f.o.r., 12s. 6d— D. HARRISON, New
Garden Nurseries, Whitby. v 74

THREE good hives, with section racks, shallow
frames, dummies, &c, all clean and ready
for use, 5s. each.— UTTLEY, Bamford-road, Dids-
bury, Manchester. v 73

LEAVING Derbyshire, going South.— Have no
end hives and other appliances to sell, cheap,
namely, best modern hives, geared extractor,
ripener, body boxes, crates, shallow frames,
sections, bargain for somebody, no disease, oppor-
tunity for starting— BR YDEN, Buxton, Derby-
shire, v 69

SWARMS, 15s.; 10-frame hive, 35/-; 7-frame
ditto, 23s— MISS GRACE, Terrick, Kington,
Worcester. v 68

HEALTHY swarms, 13s.; second, 10s.; safely
packed.— H. W. GLOVER, Biggin, Hulland,
Derby. v 67

SIMMINS' " Double Conqueror," nearly new,
extracting, new frames.— MANLEY, Bessels-
leigh, Abingdon. v 66

BEING compelled to reduce my apiary, I offer
strong stocks, 25s. to 30s.; double Simmins'
hive, sound condition, 25s.; W.B.C., 10s.; W.B.C,,
5s.; combination, one lift, 6s.; combination, two
lifts, 7s. 6d.; single walled, three lifts, 6s.; seen
by appointment.— H. W. BROOK, Polygon, Bow-
don, Cheshire. v 65

BEAUTIFUL queens, from my Ootswold
apiaries, Native, 5s.; Golden, 5s. 6d.; crowded
8-frame colonies, for early June delivery, 24s.; book
now— BOWEN. Apiarist, Cheltenham. v 64

PRIME natural swarms, from healthy stocks,
fine strain English Blacks; particulars, stamp
for reply.— NORTH, Creasing. Braintree, Essex, v 63

May 28, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

211

A GOLDEN WEDDING.

The greatest gift which an all-wise
Creator can bestow on man is a good and
wise helpmate, the valiant woman of whom
the Canticles sing that her value is un-
appreciable. When He had created man,
as the complement of His work, He saw
that "' it was not good for man to be
alone,'' and herefore He bestowed on him
a. partner in his sorrows and his joys, and
neither riches nor title nor power can
measure against the worth that a good wife
is to her husband.

And for the woman, what higher bliss
does she ask than the affections of a
good man, and the loving and caring for
her children to train their minds in the
way they should go.

So bound up together in mutual happi-
ness it is natural that fit expression should
be found to tell the number of years that
pass by. We speak of a silver wedding as
representing twenty-five years of married
life, and many are proud that Heaven has
so blessed them. Yet even to some few
double that term of years is given, and
this as the higher merit we call the golden
wedding. There are not many who stay
thus long. Is it presumptuous to think
that such an extended period is given
as some reward for a blameless life? We
know not, but this we do know, that with-
out the calm, quiet virtues of a life most
aptly described by the adjective Christian
there is almost an impossibility of it happen-
ing. And now the time has arrived when
we can celebrate the fifty years of wedded
life of Mr. and Mrs. Cowan. Often in the
past must they have had expression given
to them of good wishes for many years,
but now is there one who reads this article
who would not wish to convey to them
heartfelt wishes for happiness until the
very utmost term which Providence can
give them?

It is difficult on such an occasion as this
not to write about the sterling virtues of
Mr. and Mrs. Cowan. These are well
known to all, but we also know that
nothing would give either of them more
pain than to dwell on such a theme. So
let that pass. But by his works ye shall
know him — world-wide as Mr. Cowan's
reputation is, full as his mind must be
of the various matters in which he still
concerns himself, yet he could write
" We are visiting some of the places Mrs.
Cowan and I visited when we were first
married, and are able to show the plaees
to our children. Yesterday, the 19th, was

our golden wedding day." And again,
" We have had so many congratulations
from quarters that I never thought would
be likely to notice it." That he could
write at such a moment so simply and un-
affectedly reveals a serene and happy mind
which is much to be envied.

We do not ask our readers' permission
to tell Mr. and Mrs. Cowan (we know we
have it without asking) that we all hope
they will be spared for many years to
enjoy in each other's company the rest
which they have so well earned. — W.
Hekrod.

BEITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
London, W.C., on Thursday, May 21st,
1914. Col. H. J. O. Walker presided.
There were also present : Messrs. C. L. M.
Eales, J. Smallwood, J. B. Lamb, R. HT
Attenborough, and H. P. Perkins (Asso-
ciation representatives), G. R. Alder and
G. S. Faunch (Essex), D. Seamer (Lincoln-
shire), W. Young (Olney), G. J. Flash-
man (Barnet), G. W. Judge (Crayford),
W. T. Saunderson (Northumberland), and
the Secretary, W. Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were read from Miss Gayton, Miss
Sillar, Messrs. T. W. Cowan, W. F. Reid,
E. Watson, W. M. Vallon, F. W.
Harper, and Col. H. F. Jolly.

The minutes of Council meeting held
on April 16th, 1914, were read and con-
firmed.

The following new members were
elected: — Miss S. Ouseley, Mr. A. G.
Gambrill, Mr. F. AV. Sibley, Mr. G. W.
Kirby, Major W. J. R, Wingfield, Mr.
W. Schroffel, Mr. G. S. Fletcher, Rev.
H. W. Harcourt, Mr. J. L. D. William-
son, Mr. D. Jones, and Mr. G. J. L.
Slater.

The Berkshire Association nominated
Mr. A. D. Woodley as their representative,
and the same was accepted.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for April amounted to £18 9s. 4d., the
bank balance being £219 19s. Payments
amounting to £10 6s. 2d. were recom-
mended.

May 19th being Mr. T. W. Cowan's
golden wedding day, it was resolved unani-
mously that the following telegram be
sent :—" Council of British Bee-keepers'
Association send cordial congratulations to
Mr. and Mrs. Cowan on occasion of cele-
bration of their golden wedding."

Preliminary examinations were arranged
for Swanley and Waltham Abbey.

The Essex Association applied for Mr.
W. Herrod to judge at their show on

212

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 28, 1914.

June 10th, and the appointment was
sanctioned.

A letter was read from the South
African Bee-keepers' Association re in-
surance, and the Secretary was instructed
to deal with the matter.

Medals were granted for the Grocers'
Exhibition at the Agricultural Hall,
Islington.

The matter of syllabus for the
Bacteriological Examination was discussed
and the Secretary was instructed to write
to Mr. Reid on the matter.

Next meeting of the Council, June 18th
at 23, Bedford Street, .Strand.

LECTURE ON "ISLE OF WIGHT"
BEE DISEASE.

(Concluded from page 203.)

Meronts, when few in number, are
usually oval or rounded, but when num-
bers of them are present, mutual com-
pression occurs, with the result that many
variations in appearance and size are
seen. Sometimes the division of the
nucleus is twice repeated before the separa-
tion of the body substance occurs, so that a
meront with four nuclei is found. This
form is common in some bees, less usual in
others. At times, one nucleus of a meront
with two nuclei may divide before the
other, so that three nuclei occur, while an
unequal number of divisions may result in
five or seven nuclei in a string. In yet
other cases, especially when the original
meront formed between cells, a very large
meront with numerous nuclei is produced.

Meronts do not remain as such in-
definitely. Sooner or later, either as a
response to the necessities of the animal
itself or as a result of the reaction of the
host upon the parasite and the diminution
of its food supply, the organism pre-
pares for life outside its present host.
With this end in view each meront pro-
ceeds to modify its form, so that it can
resist to the uttermost any disadvan-
tageous circumstances that it may
encounter during the period that inter-
venes between it leaving one host and
entering the next. These changes that
lead up to spore formation are termed
S2>orogony.

Each uni-nucleate meront is destined
ultimately to become one spore, but before
the spore is fully formed the meront
undergoes changes, both in its body sub-
stance and in its nucleus. A meront
undergoing these changes becomes a spore-
mother-cell or sporoblast. First it con-
centrates its body substance and becomes
more or less oval. Two cavities, or
vacuoles, form in it, one at each end. The
first is known as the polar capsule, the

second as the posterior vacuole. The
body substance, now called the sporoplasm,
forms a girdle-like ring at the middle of
the spore. Then a number of divisions of
the nucleus occur, whereby five nuclei
result. Two of them become threadlike
and control the formation of the sporo-
cyst, or spore-coat. One regulates the
polar capsule and the remaining two are
the nuclei of the sporoplasm. Meanwhile
the sporocyst has been steadily thickening,
and thus the ripe spore, with which the
life-history of Nosema apis commenced, is.
reached again.

It is not an easy matter to see all the
above described structures in a spore at
one time. While these structures are
attaining their final form, the spore-coat
is steadily thickening and becoming very
opaque. The result is that the processes
going on within the spore can only be
seen by the use of strong reagents, which
make the spore-coat more or less trans-
parent, and thus allow of a view of the
interior and of the penetration of stains
as the case may be. Also, as soon as the
nuclei of the spore-coat and polar capsule
have fulfilled their function, they begin
to degenerate. Thus it is not always easy
to obtain spores showing all five nuclei
well at the same time. They may. not
have developed on the one hand, or, alter-
nately, some, having -fulfilled their
function, are in process of disintegration.

When a bee dies all the forms of
Nosema apis except the spores die also
and decompose within a very short time,
with the result that it is often with the
utmost difficulty that meronts can be
detected in a bee. Also, it is usually
almost impossible to gauge the intensity of
infection from examination of specimens
that have been dead several days. Again,
it not infrequently happens that defseca-
tion is caused in collecting bees for trans-
port for examination, a fact that increases
the difficulty of diagnosis. Consequently
it is necessary to have a number of bees
— about fifty is desirable' — in order that
some specimens may be in the condition
best suitable for examination, and to in-
crease the possibility of finding spores of
the parasite. It is important to emphasise
the necessity of microscopical examination
of bees before they can be said to be
suffering definitely from ''Isle of Wight"
disease. Sometimes change of diet has a
temporary effect in checking disease. In
such cases, the main source of spores has
been found to be the pollen and honey
contained in the combs in the hives. The
removal of the natural stores and the sub-
stitution of artificial food has thus re-
moved the source of supply of the disease.
Consequently, fewer re-infections and new
infections via food have occurred, and a
I temporary recovery of condition of the

May 28, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

213

stock results. Most unfortunately, this
rally is usually followed by a fresh out-
break, when the time necessary for the
spore formation of Nosema apis in the
already slightly infected bees has elapsed.

Numerous attempts at curative measures
have been made during the last few years
by the discoverers of the agent of " Isle
of Wight" disease in British bees. Many
have proved to be of no use, others give
temporary relief. In one case a stock
under treatment has survived two winters,
but is in an enfeebled condition at the
present time, as re-queening cannot be
adopted for fear of introducing an in-
fected queen to the stock. However, other
experiments are in progress with the same
drug, and it is hoped that they may be
of service in the future. Neither time,
trouble nor expense has been spared by
the scientists engaged thereon, and to no
one would it be a greater gratification
than to them to be able to announce a cure
for the disease. The hearty co-operation
of the practical bee-keeper in the apiary
and of the practical scientist in the
laboratory is essential to the success of
any scheme of tests calculated to be of
service in combating bee disease.

Finally, a word may be added with
regard to the races of bees and certain
ideas prevalent as to their disease-resist-
ing powers. From the examination of
numerous stocks and strains of bees, it
does not seem possible to pick out any
special variety of bee as being more. re-
sistant to Nosema apis than others.
British Blacks, Italians, hybrids, all alike
fall victims. But there seems a possibility
that some bees can acquire a certain
amount of immunity to the Nosema, just
as cattle can become "salted" with
regard to other parasitic diseases. For
this reason the history of the strains of
bees, both healthy and diseased, is of im-
portance in deciding whence bees shall be
obtained for re-stocking. At the same
time it must be remembered that the
British climate may not be well suited to
bees imported from abroad.

Unfortunately, most of the Continental
countries have the same difficulty as
England with regard to microsporidiosis.
The importation of stocks of bees, and
even of queens, from the Continent does
not seem particularly wise, having regard
to the widespread character of the disease.
It is sincerely hoped that by systematic
examination of stocks in the British Isles
a, race of relatively immune bees may be
found, or that some means of increasing
the powers of resistance of the bees will
be discovered. For the present, the more
thoroughly the disease is investigated by
competent workers the more likely it is
that the desired end will be attained and
disease be banished.

By "Nemo."

Instruction in Advanced Bee-keeping. —
There is to be a course of instruction in
the scientific branches of bee-keeping in
connection with the Royal Horticultural
Society in Berlin-Dahlem, from June 2nd
to 13th, 1914. This course is intended
only for expert bee-keepers, and not for
beginners. Its object is to instruct in
special branches of the study. Every
student must bring with him a micro-
scope with objectives 3, 7 and 1/12 oil
immersion, and illuminating apparatus.
These can be hired for the course on pay-
ment of 5 marks. The instruction takes
place daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and
embraces the following work: —

(1) Introduction to microscopy, prepar-
ing microscopic objects of the anatomy of
the bee.

(2) Diagnosing bee diseases, microscopic
examination and preparing sections.

(3) Study of technical bacteriology,
preparing culture media, staining pro-
cesses, obtaining pure cultures of Bacillus
larva? .

(4) Producing micro-photographs,
(o) Preparing lantern slides.

The course of instruction will be con-
ducted by Dr. Kiistenmacher. Candi-
dates for taking part in this instruction
must apply to the Director der Kbnig-
lichen, Gartnerlehranstalt, in Berlin-
Dahlem. The subscription for the course
is: For Germans, 18 marks; for
foreigners, 36 marks ; 5 pfennigs must be
added for postage. Orders to be made
payable to the Kasse der Konigliche
Gartnerlehranstalt, Berlin-Dahlem, Post
Steiglitz.

How often should Combs be "Renewed. —
There is a difference of opinion with re-
gard to the necessity of renewing combs,
some thinking old combs quite as good as
new ones. In view of eradicating bee
disease, Dr. Zander even recommends that
all the combs in a hive be renewed every
two years. M. Weigert has been carrying
out experiments with the object of arriving
at a satisfactory conclusion, and gives his
views in the Leipziger Bienenzeitung. He
says new combs are deficient in strength,
and conseqently are liable to be damaged
during manipulation. Old combs are,
however, much heavier than new ones, and
contain the remains of the cocoons, many
layers accumulating after a time. A new
comb 17 by 21 centimetres and 25 milli-
metres thick weighs 22 grammes, and

214

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 28, 1914.

10,000 worker cells in an empty comb
weigh 65 grammes. A comb of this size
completely filled with brood will weigh 125
grammes, and a similar comb of sealed
honey weighs from 21bs. to 31bs. M.
Weigert says that from long practice he
has come to the conclusion that either by
cutting out combs in straw skeps or re-
moval of frames in movable comb-hives, it

is advisable to renew the combs every four
years. This applies to all combs. In
general, old combs can be used for surplus
so long as they are in good condition, and
retain the characteristic wax odour. He
recommends more frequent renewal of
combs in districts where disease is pre-
valent, and in this respect he agrees with
Dr. Zander's recommendation.

'HHPRJL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
The term " swarm " is very often used erroneously by bee-keepers. Many times
do we hear bee-keepers speak of the swarms of bees they have in the garden in the
winter months. The following definition will probably help to abate the use
of wrong terms. A " swarm '' or " east "is a cluster of bees and their queen only.
A " colony " consists of bees, queen and combs, with food and brood. A " stock "
includes the latter, together with the home in which the bees are living.

Swarming is the result of overcrowding,
and is nature's method of increasing the
number of stocks. Under normal conditions
the queen commences to lay about the last
week in January, only a small patch of cells
being occupied at first. As the spring
approaches, the growth of the brood nest is
regulated by the clustering capacity of the
bees the more bees, the quicker its growth,
as a larger space can be kept warm. About
Mav or June the hive becomes overcrowded,
and it is then that the bees prepare to relieve
the congested condition of the hive by swarm-
ing, and with this object in view, from four
to a dozen queen cells will be built. The
first outward indication of this preparation is
a small cluster of bees hanging at the entrance
towards evening ; in a few days the cluster
will remain all day long, as at the skep
(Fig. i). That the same condition will occur
in a frame hive if not properly managed is
seen in (Fig. 2). At this period very little
work is done bevond attention to the brood. When the most advanced princess is due
to emerge from the cell in about three days' time, providing the weather is warm and
fine, the swarm, consisting of from fifteen to twenty- five thousand old bees and the
old queen, issues from the hive, the time chosen being generally between the hours of
to a.m. and 4 p.m. If, when the above stage of preparation is reached, cold
or wet weather occurs, then swarming is checked for a time ; the bees often destroy
the queen cells, and do not attempt to swarm for ten or twelve days. Before
they issue each bee forming the swarm takes into its stomach sufficient food to
last it for four days, the reason for this being obvious, when we consider that
rhe natural home of the bee is in a hollow tree, devoid of combs or food ; there-
fore nature has ordained that they shall be able to carry sufficient food for wax
secretion and to last them until rombs are built and stored with food in the new
home.

The bees pour out of the hive and circle round in the air, making a contented

Fig. 1.

May 28, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

215

and musical hum, which the experienced bee-keeper can detect, even when many
yards from the hives. Eventually they settle in a large cluster (Fig. 3).

It is a mistake to imagine that the queen leads the swarm ; by numberless obser-
vations at the hive entrance. I find that the queen comes out when about half the

bees constituting the swarm
have issued. The same thing
applies to the clustering, or,
as the old-fashioned bee-
keeper called it, knitting ; it
is the workers who pitch upon
the spot where this is to take
place, and not the queen.
This can easily be put to a
practical test by watching the
entrance of the hive from
which a swarm is issuing,
catching the queen when she
comes out on the alighting
board, and placing her in a
match-box. which is put in the
pocket for warmth ; the
workers will cluster in the
usual way, until they discover
the absence of the queen,
when they return to the hive.
The bees themselves often
demonstrate this involun-
tarily, when, for some
will come out and cluster
4). In the majority of cases

Fig. 2.

reason, the queen is unable to fly, they
for a short time, and then return as {Fig.

swarms do not go very far before clustering. Occasionally they show a disposi
tion to abscond by taking a long flight ; if they show signs of restlessness and a
disinclination to settle, mounting higher and higher i n the air, it will be necessary to
adopt some plan to bring them down. The
old-fashioned and superstitious method of
tanging by beating on the frying-pan with the
door key. (Fig. 5) is useless, yet it is astonish-
ing how many people, even amongst the better
class, believe in it, and will attribute the
frequency with which swarms issue on a
Sunday morning to the metallic music of the
church bells. That Sundav is a favourite
day for swarms to issue is a well-recognised
fact, the probable reason being their love of
quietness and non-interruption in their work,
hence their frequent choice of the quietest
day of the week on which to swarm. An
amusing instance of the credence given to
these fallacies occurred some years ago, soon
after my appointment at Swanley College. A
swarm of bees settled on the railway embank-
ment near the station, and three railway
porters took it in turn to ring the station bell
close to them for an hour, while I was sent
for from the college to hive the swarm. The

origin of tanging was as follows : Years ago, before sugar was known, our forefathers
were more sensible than we are to-day, for nearly every cottager kept a few stocks
of bees to produce a sweetening agent, more wholesome than the sugar used to-day.
The bees were allowed to increase by natural swarming. The law with regard to

Fig. 3.

216

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 28, 1914.

Fig. 4.

a swarm is that, if it is
kept in view by the owner
of the stock from which it
issued, he retains ownership,
and may follow it any-
where; if he does not see it
issue, or loses sight of it, then
his claim to it lapses. There-
fore, in order that the neigh-
bours might know whose bees-
were swarming, tanging was-
carried out to establish owner-
ship. It has no effect upon the
bees ; therefore, instead of wast-
ing time and annoying people
by making an abominable noise,
advantage should be taken of
our knowledge of the bees'
habits. They object to damp,
and very rarely fly when it is
raining ; therefore, the use of
a garden syringe to spray water
amongst them will make therm
settle.

(To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications
nnd correspondents are requested to write on ont
tide of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
«i a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

ROSS-SHIRE NOTES.

[9026] Bees are in good condition here
and securing some honey from the May
blossom, although not enough to exist on.
Stores are running short in "most hives,
and feeding is necessary to carry our
strong colonies progressively onwards to
the opening of the main honey-flow.
Clover heads can now be seen in the fields,
but June must be well advanced ere much
honey is available from this source.

Banning Banats. — I note from recent
contributions that many have been un-
fortunate in their experiences with the
Hungarian bee. Personally, I am highly
pleased with mine — the handsome Golden
variety of Banats. Last June I imported
three Golden queens direct from Hungary,

Fig.

and introduced them to nuclei formed by
artificially swarming a strong stock of
Carniolans. Although started as mere
nuclei in mid-June, the Banat colonies
were storing in two racks apiece by
August, while the total yield from the
parent stock and its three nuclei was 150
sections. As regards present condition,
my best colony is a Carniolan, closely fol-
lowed by the three Banat stocks, next a
White .Star Italian, English bees after
them, and Swiss bring up the rear.

May 28, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

217

Swarming. — Here anticipation is
decidedly preferable to realisation. A
swarm secured previous to the honey-flow
is more to be desired than one that comes
off and perhaps "goes off" during the
height of the season. Start with a powerful
colony, shaking the bees off all but two
frames of brood, and fill up the vacancy
with full sheets of foundation. The re-
moved beeless brood is placed en masse
on a fairly good colony, and the queen
allowed full run of both storeys. Later,
when this doubled colony gets crowded
with bees, shake it also on full sheets of
foundation with only two combs of brood.
This leaves two boxes of brood to be placed
on yet another medium-strength colony,
giving the queen full liberty. The three-
storey hive, with its immense quantity of
brood, soon overflows with bees, but instead
of being shaken is divided into four
colonies. The queen, with two combs of
brood and the flying bees, forms one colony
on the old stand, while the removed brood
with all adhering bees can be used to
make other three good colonies.

A fertile queen can safely be introduced
to each young colony on the evening of the
day succeeding the division, and supers
given shortly after. — J. M. Ellis, Ussie
Valley.

LEGISLATION FOR BEE DISEASE.

[9027] I notice in recent numbers of
the "B.B.J." that there are a number of
large bee-keepers who are opposed to
legislation for bee disease and cannot
understand any man taking up such an
attitude. If an Act of Parliament is the
means of protecting and preserving bees
in this country, unless, of course, they
oppose it from selfishness, I think it is
the duty of every man, not the bee-keepers
only, to support such an Act. Bees
fertilise fruit and flowers belonging to the
rich and poor man alike, thereby bringing
them to greater perfection and abundance,
and thus everybody is directly or in-
directly concerned in the work of the bee.
If fruit and vegetables are plentiful they
are cheaper, so the poorer classes benefit.
I know this is taking a wide view, but
suppose, for instance, cattle had no legal
protection, and disease broke out and
many died, would not the cost of living go
up? Well, the same applies to the bees.
I think myself that legislation is all im-
portant, as bees affect the wealth of the
country in the same way as cattle.

I cannot understand why the members
of Parliament should pass this Bill over,
which indirectly affects many other in-
dustries. It is every man's duty to pro-
tect bees in the same manner as cattle are
protected, be they his own or not, for the

welfare of the country. — Working Man,
Crovdon.

BEES AND FRUIT-SETTING.

[9028] We are often told that the pre-
sence of hive bees is practically essential
to the setting of apple, pear, and plum
blossom. Owing to the fact that " Isle of
Wight" disease has cleaned out all the
stocks in this neighbourhood I was able
to test this statement, and cannot find
that it is upheld by experience. I was
working in the garden most of the time
the plum and apple trees were in blossom,
and during the whole time kept a constant
watch for bees. I did not see a single
hive bee in the garden during the period
they were out, but they were visited very
occasionally by various species of wild bees
and hover flies.

When the apple was well out I bought
a weak stock of Carniolans, but did not
see any of them, or any other hive bees,
in the apple blossom. As the result we
are led to expect that there would be very
little if any fruit. Instead of this there
is a record set of all three fruits, and I
am very busy thinning them. A far larger
proportion has set than I have ever seen
before when I had as many as eight strong
stocks.

If only we had some good rain there is
a fair prospect of a bumper crop of all
these fruits, which, I feel confident, are
fertilised by the agency of the wind and
not insects.- — G. H. L., Petersfield.

[Your contention is not supported by ex-
periments made by both practical fruit-
growers and scientists. — Eds.]

TORIES

Sajeafes-J

[8932] Various Queries. — During the
winter of 1912-13 I lost the whole of my
bees through " Isle of Wight " disease.
They all died before many bees commenced
flying, and as I destroyed dead bees, &e.,
and disinfected hives, there were no out-
breaks of disease among neighbouring bee-
keepers as far as I am aware, although I
have made numerous enquiries. On May
1st this year I bought a stock of bees and
placed them in one of my old hives, in a
different garden altogether. I scorched
the hive thoroughly, and afterwards
washed the whole with strong carbolic
solution. The first week that I had bees

218

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 28, 1914.

was very wet and cold, but it has improved
a little during the last few days. Although
there are plenty of wallflowers and apple
trees in bloom the bees have not worked
on them very much. (1) Can you suggest
a reason for this? (2) Could you tell me
the name of flower enclosed ? One rather
cold, wet day bees were very busy working
on it. This district seems very satisfactory
for pollen, and I am afraid the combs will
soon become so filled with pollen that there
will not be sufficient room for queen to
lay eggs. (3) What is the remedy? (4) Is
"white carbon" useful in keeping off
attacks of foul brood? (5) Is there any
trace of disease in bees sent? I picked
them up from the front of hive, where
they had been accumulating during the
last few days. (6) What kind of bees are
they ? I trust jour paper will continue to
be as helpful to me as it has been in the
past.— Un.Y.Y.Z., Notts.

Reply. — (1) We should say the paucity
of bees is the reason you do not notice
them working. (2) The flower is \Sedum
hispanecum, a native of Southern Europe.
(3) Remove the combs and replace with
foundation. (4) No, it will asphyxiate the
bees. Use naphthaline. (5) We find no
trace of disease in the bees sent. (6)
They are of the English variety crossed
with Carniolan.

[8933] Law Relating to Sivarms.-^
Yesterday (18th), at about 10.30, I had a
fine swarm of Sladen's British Golden bees
from a skep. I successfully "took" them
after finding the queen on the ground and
placing her in the skep ; they appeared to
settle down all right, and I shaded them
well from a very hot sun. Three hours
afterwards, while I was preparing the
hive, the bees left the skep and made for
a neighbour's hive about 50 yards away,
standing (empty for one or two seasons)
next to one full hive, and settled there.
I obtained permission to follow them, and
in the evening, after much trouble (the old
combs being infected badly with wax-moth
and their debris), was fortunate enough to
get them into my own hive. Will you
kindly say what is the legal position in
such a case?. Am I within my legal right
in claiming them? And in the (perhaps
improbable) event of being refused, what
is the remedy? I fully expect more
swarms, and if history repeats itself, in
the case of the voluntary hiving, and does
not repeat itself in the permission to
"follow," what is to be done? Into the
ethics of leaving hives with the object of
"taking" stray swarms I need not go, as
this has been so often done in your
columns, but one need not wonder at the
spread of disease amongst bees when such
a course is pursued. The much needed
Bee Diseases Bill would remedy this. —
A. E. B.. Leicester.

Reply. — You will find the information
you desire in last year's volume of British
Bee Journal, at the following dates: —
February 20th page 80; June 5th, page
227; July 24th, page 485; and January
1st, 1914, page 8.

[8934] Clarifying Wax. — Covering Hive
Hoofs. — (1) What is the process of cleaning
or clarifying dark-coloured wax, with sul-
phuric acid? Also the market price of
good-coloured wax? (2) Please recom-
mend a good material for covering roofs.
Would a coating of tar or calico be suit-
able, and if paint is used how many coats
are required? (3) Average weight of first
swarms?— D. E. F.

Reply. — (1) The process of refining wax
is dealt with fully on page 81 of " Wax
Craft." Market price from Is. 4d. to
Is. 6d. per lb. (2) Cover the roof with
calico as lightly as possible and then give
three coats of paint at four-day intervals.
(3) Four to five pounds.

[8935] Butch Bees.— On May 29tli,
1913, I bought one of the swarms sent
over from Holland, from which I had no
fewer than four swarms, the last one issuing
as late as July 30th. Everything possible
was done to prevent it, but without
result. As I do not want to have the same
experience this year (I have already had
two swarms) I am writing to your paper,
of which I am a regular reader, to know
if you can give me any advice. It appears
to me that Dutch bees require different
treatment to that given to our English
bees. — K. E. Lee, Sussex.

Reply. — The difficulty with Dutch bees
is their great swarming propensity. In
Holland the bees are kept in skeps and are
encouraged to swarm as much as possible,
the honey being obtained by sulphuring
the bees at the end of the season. We
are sorry that we are unable to advise you
how to prevent it, beyond re-queening with
an English queen.

[8936] Using Swarm-catchers. — (1) Can
you tell me if leaving swarm-catchers on
for two or three weeks will cause trouble
through keeping the drones prisoners so
long? (2) Are there drones in all the
hives? I can only attend to my hives two
or three times a week. (3) Where can I
purchase tin cases for lib. sections? —
J. D., Swanwick.

Reply. — (1) The cover should be lifted
each evening to liberate the trapped
drones, so do this whenever possible. (2)
There are generally a few drones in each
hive; but the number can be kept down by
the use of full sheets of worker base
foundation. (3) Tin section cases are
seldom used now, cardboard ones being-
much cheaper besides looking neater. Try

May 28, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

219

Mr. E. H. Taylor, Welwyn, who will, no
doubt, be able to supply what you want.

[8937] Bearing Italian Queens. — I
shall be obliged if you will answer me the
following in your next issue of "B.B.J." :
— Would pure Italian queens be raised by
placing Italian queen eggs in a queenless
stock of Black bees, or should they be
raised in an Italian stock? — W. I.,
Grimsby.

Reply. — Pure Italian queens would be
reared from the eggs, even though they
were placed in a Black stock.

Bee Shows to Come.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern. — The Hereford?,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.

— Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sebe-
dules from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leyton-
stone. Entries close May 31st.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield.— The

Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedules
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. Sec., Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries close June 4th.

June 10th to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec., Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries close May 30th.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Etstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries close 13th June.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for homey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

*** Can any reader assist a correspondent
who wishes to find a suitable locality for
settling as a bee-keeper in the South of
England? He would prefer a fairly high
situation, with bracing air, moderate
rent, and where nice social society could
be met with. Nearness to the sea would
be an attraction. Anyone knowing of
such a place will greatly oblige by writ-
ing W. R. Brvden, Buxton, Derbyshire.

W. J. (Forfar). — Rendering Wax. — The
proportions as advised in " Wax Craft "
are l^oz. of sulphuric acid to every
gallon of water used.

\

C. G. (Elham). — Using Swarm-catcher. —
The swarm-catcher should be put on at
once and should remain for about a
fortnight or three weeks.

Novice (Caerphilly). — Bees and Xeigh-
bours. — Unless you can prove that your
neighbour's bees are a nuisance and a
source of danger you cannot compel him
to move them. Why not try peaceful
persuasion ? If you deal tactfully with
him, no doubt he will try to meet your
wishes.

220

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [May 28, 1914.

W. iSaxby (Norfolk). — Immature Bees Cast
Out. — (1) The bees are malformed owing
to want of food. (2) Write to Secre-
tary of Norfolk B.K.A., Dr. Wardle-'
worth, St. Nicholas, Sheringham.

C. R. P. (Whitby). — Bees Be fusing Syrup.
— We can find nothing in the sugar
which should cause the bees to refuse the
syrup.

H. Crowther (Berks). — Dead Queen on
Alighting Board. — The queen is a very
old one and has evidently been super-
ceded.

A. H. H. (Bramley). — Queen Ceasing to
Lay. — We should say the queen must
have been injured in some way.

Suspected Disease.

Worker Bee (Oxford). — (1) The bees are
affected with " Isle of Wight" disease.
(2) Use Apicure for foul brood.

Beginner (Bletchley)
disease apparently,
gorged with food.

— No, there is no
The bees are simply

H. S. (Congleton). — The bees were too dry
for examination.

T. H. (Uttoxeter). — There is no disease,
the brood is quite healthy.

Beginner (Heme Hill) and W. Scott. —
Bees have "Isle of Wight" disease.

W. H. (Christchurch). — Both lots show
unmistakable signs of " Isle of Wight"
disease.

H. W. (Wickham) and H. Devizes.— The
bees arrived in such a sticky mess that it
is impossible to form any idea as to
cause of death.

F. M. (Norfolk). — There is no trace of
disease. The bees are apparently quite
healthy.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

STRONG stocks, eight and ten frames, 30s. and
35s.; nuclei, three frames, 12s. 6d.; a few
swarms, 15s.— MRS. WATSON, Morcott Grange,
Uppingham. v 78

WANTED, sections of honey.— Price and quan-
tity to COWELL, Station-road, Sheringham,
Norfolk. v 84

0/"\LB. pure extracted English honey, granu-
(j\J lated will accept 7d. lb.; honey extractor,
two cages, treacle tap, excellent condition, 14s.—
LEETE, The Apiaries, Therfield, Herts. v 83

FOR SALE, June 15th, ten to twenty stocks of
bees in hives, consisting of floor-board, brood
box, outer case, lift, roof, painted, seven Italian
1914 queens, the remainder black, guaranteed
healthy on despatch.— ASHWORTH, Heytes-
bury. v 80

TWO Simmins' " Conqueror" hives, one W.B.C.,
12s. each; two Lee's improved, 6s— TAYLOR,
137, Keldgate, Beverley. v 86

FOL'R Simmins' "Conqueror" hives, 6s. each;
eight single and double walled hives, 4s. and
5s. each; all thoroughly clean and ready for use,
scorched with painter's lamp.— LOXLEY, North-
field, Birmingham. v 87

ONE dozen W.B.C. hanging frame section
racks, 2s. 3d.; one dozen shallow frame supers,
all new, Is. 9d.; several good hives, 5s. — \V.
WOODS, Normandy, Guildford. v 89

CAMERA, Magazine, twelve plates, R.R. lens,
perfect condition, cost 31s. 6d., sell 15s.— 33,
Isla-road, Plumstead. v 88

BEAUTIFUL Sladen's golden queens, from the
Cotswold Hills, 5s. 6d.; vigorous Natives, 5s.;
grand 8-frame colonies, with young queens, 24s.—
BOW EN, Cotswold Apiaries, Cheltenham. v 90

FIVE stocks of bees, five empty hives, all
W.B.C, guaranteed healthy, £10 the- lot, or
jan be divided; solid mahogany observatory hive,
awarded two firsts Royal, first Lincolnshire Shows,
£4, or nearest offer— GOODBURN, Oakham, v 92

STRONG swarms for sale, 15s., carriage and
box free.— NORRIS, Barracks, Cashel, Co.
Tipperary. v 96

WANTED AT ONCE, young man for a bee
and poultry farm in Suffolk, for general
work, not an expert, and not afraid of work. If
with a good knowledge of one branch the other
will be taught; wages, 25s. per week.— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

("^ OOD, strong, healthy swarms, 10s. each, or
ff 2s. 6d. per lb., cash with order— WHITTING,
Mane a. v 98

VM7ANTED on approval, strong stock, on six to
T t eight standard frames, 1913 queen, in new
or secondhand W.B.C. hive— ARCHER, Holme-
avenue, Newcastle-on-Tyne. v 97

FIRST-CLASS expert offers services and tuition
in exchange for holiday and expenses Whit-
week— WILSON, Apiary, Belper. v 95

TO CLEAR, five 281b. tins good granulated
honey, dark and medium, 50s. the lot, tins
free, carriage forward; samples, 3d.— A. LEE,
Eastleigh, Bideford, North Devon. v 94

FOR SALE, outbuildings, substantially built,
good as new, bolted in sections, size 14ft. long,
9ft. wide, 10ft. high, f.o.r., price £7 10s —
STAPLEY, Potton. v 85

MAY SWARMS, 15s.; June swarms, 14s.; three
frames nucleus, 12s. 6d.; four frames nucleus,
15s.; cash with order- J. REAVELEY, Starbeck,
Harrogate. v 70

FOR SALE, swarms, from frame hives, guaran-
teed healthy, 15s. each— J. M. WILKIN,
Pymoor, Ely, Cambs. v 72

June 4, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

221

MEETING OF BEE-KEEPERS AT
BRAMHALL, CHESHIRE.

A meeting of local bee-keepers took
place in the Council Schools, Bramhall, on
Saturday, May 23rd, for the purpose of
having a discussion about bees and bee-
keeping. Over forty enthusiasts turned
up, and a most enjoyable afternoon was
spent. The Rev. S. Young presided, and
was an admirable chairman. He briefly
introduced Mr. E. W. Franklin, Hon. Sec.
of the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association,
who opened the discussion by giving a
short address on " A Year's Work in the
Apiary." For an hour afterwards various
points were raised and questions asked,
all of which were dealt with either by
Mr. Barlow, the C.B.K.A. expert, who is
at present touring in the district, or by
Mr. Franklin. At the close of the meet-
ing the Chairman cordially thanked Mr.
Franklin for coming and meeting them
that day. Mr. Bradburn, the local Secre-
tary, who had arranged the meeting, was
also heartilv thanked for all his trouble.

j&p on a t b e Jb e

23 a

Heather. — One Southerner, through the
office, enquires how he can grow heather.
If he means that he desires to establish
plants over a wide area to feed his bees
and gather surplus from the bloom, I
would endeavour to dissuade him from
entertaining such an elusive hope of secur-
ing heather honey. Calluna, Tetralia,
and Cinerea can be grown successfully,
however, in small clumps. The best way
of establishing plants is to bring home
large sods containing well-rooted growths
which have shown rich bloom, and these
can be transplanted, or rather, transferred
to the new site, either in autumn or
spring. Most heaths can also be grown
from seeds. I have done a little in this
line by gathering well-ripened seeds and
carefully guarding them up to the stage
of small-rooted growths, when they will
take care of themselves ; but the process
is slow and at times rather uncertain,

owing to the " dorty " habits of the
plants. A gentleman near Aberdeen has
a very fine collection of all kinds of heaths,
among them some lovely "Cape" ones.
They form beautiful clumps, and flower
well, many being in successive bloom from
June up to the end of August. They are
visited extensively by bees, wild and tame,
but all over the amount of honey obtained
would not amount to much. The specimens
I grew were rarely visited by bees, owing
to the fact that acres, or rather square
miles of the plant, bloomed in profusion
within easy reach of the hives.

Acid in Wax-extracting. — " W. J. O."
enquires about paragraph two on page 181,
and his note has been forwarded to me.
I do not think it injures the wax in any
way for future use in comb-foundation,
and I believe most, if not all, manufac-
turers use it extensively in rendering the
darker waxes and giving them a brighter
colour. The fact is, the wax being
lighter than water, floats, sediment being
generally heavier than wax or water falls
below the cake, while acid sinks down to
the bottom. Being -volatile, too, it soon
evaporates or rioats away in the atmo-
sphere. For certain uses acid does in-
jure wax, making it harder and more
brittle, and as a consequence purchasers
who use it for art purposes stipulate that
it must not be rendered with the aid of
acid. Messrs. Root, who convert tons of
wax into foundation, use it freely, thus
proving that they have no doubt it is an
aid in securing pure foundation. While
this is the almost universal opinion and
practice, it is fair to state that a few
held the opposite opinion and contend
that it should not be used, simply, I think,
because in the hands of the amateur it is
generally overdone. That introduces the
second point in the query. What quantity
should be used? I can best answer this
by making two short quotations, the first
from " Advanced Bee-keeping," and the
second from the "A.B.C.": "For some
mysterious reason, sulphuric acid will
cleanse, or clarify, beeswax that is brown
or black, or almost any colour, bringing
it back to a nice bright yellow. Acid is
added at the rate of about one pint of
acid to twelve gallons of water." " On an
average," says the "A. B.C.," "we use
three quarts of acid to eighty gallons of
water for l,5001bs. of wax. Soon after
this is poured in the boiling wax will be
seen to grow lighter. After twenty-four
hours the acid will have settled to the
bottom bv reason of its greater specific
gravitv."' "Wax Craft" gives the
formula of " one-and-a-half ounce of sul-
phuric acid to every gallon of water";
and further informs "us that "Some manu-
facturers expedite the refining process by
adding tartar and borax to the water, the

222

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 4, 1914.

proportion being 50 parts (by weight) of
water, and 40 of wax to 1 of refined tartar
and I of borax."

Bee Disease. — It is sad to bear men call
out "Peace, peace!" when there is no
peace. Two fresh communications reached
me last week, one from the South of Scot-
land and the other from further North
than here. The last writer has lost over
120 stocks during the past two seasons,
and some of the hives were re-stocked
again and again. Now he lias not a living
bee. The other is aged seventy, and his
pathetic words, " I do wish I could keep
my bees in my old age," impressed me
very much. To one who loved them, as he
has done for many years, their loss will be
a great blank, as hitherto they have not
only paid very well but also proved an
unending solace and delight. At present
a few stragglers only remain, and if these
go, as they will, it means in all a loss of
" two hundred and sixty stocks, and all
neighbours' bees also." His query to me
is, " Do you know of any cure having
been found? " to which my answer is an
emphatic "No," and I would add, neither
does any other man. I pray for the day
when one can be found, and I welcome all
attempts at discovering a cure; but in
spite of advertised nostrums, palliatives,
"remedies," and so-called "cures," I
whole-heartedly endorse the Editor's re-
peated statement that there is no known
cure. The two gentlemen mentioned
above (and in Scotland there are hundreds
of others) have tried everything hitherto
boomed and found their labour vain.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.

By Charles H. Heap, Beading.

THE IMMUNE BEE CHIMEKA.

Many pages of the Bee Jouenal have
been occupied during the past six months
with articles on bees and immunity from
"Isle of Wight" disease. Judging from
the airy fashion in which correspondents
have written, none of them appear to
understand or appreciate how difficult and
complicated a subject immunity from
disease really is.

All this talk of an immune bee has
arisen from some remarks on building up
apiaries (which may be subject to revision
as the result of further experience) made
by Dr. G. S. Graham-Smith and Mr.
G. W. Bullamore in Section X. ("Treat-
ment and Prevention ") of the Board of
Agriculture's "Report on the 'Isle of
Wight ' Bee Disease," May, 1912. They
say, " Maassen's observations show that
partially immune stocks and apiaries are

common in Germany, and we have investi-
gated at least one partially immune apiary
in this country." To this is added the
thought that good results might be
obtained if attempts were made to build
up apiaries from stocks which show well-
marked resistance to the disease in
infected apiaries. Though I am no pessi-
mist, I see no hope in this suggestion.

To those who find comfort in this par-
ticular passage in the 1912 Report, I would
ask, Of what value is a partially immune
stock ? Such a stock is a constant
menace to successful bee-keeping in a
district, and for confirmation of this we
have only to read twelve lines further.
Beuhne is there quoted as saying that
fifty stocks sent to him from an apiary
free from paralysis developed this disease
in a virulent form within a few days after
being placed in his apiary. " In this
case," comment Dr. Graham-Smith and
Mr. Bullamore, "no doubt Beuhne's
colonies were parasite carriers, and in-
fected the new stocks." Either Beuhne
was wrong in supposing the fifty colonies
were disease free, or "paralysis" in
Australia is a different disease from that
with which we have to contend in this
country.

Experience in my own and other people's
apiaries shows that "Isle of Wight"
disease does not develop to a degree that
is noticeable in a few days, but requires
weeks and more often months.

Let us return to the main point —
immunity. Some animals under normal
conditions are naturally immune to certain
diseases, but under abnormal conditions
may become infected. With these we
need not concern ourselves, but we may
notice the conditions under which an
animal may become immune to a disease
by which members of its species may be
attacked. Briefly, the chief of these are
(a) recovery from an attack of a par-
ticular disease; (b) inocidation with a
mild form of disease; (c) injection of
blood from an animal which has acquired
immunity. In the case of bees it is
obviously out of the question to resort
to the methods b and c, so that we have
to fall back upon a. Here we are con-
fronted with a great difficulty, inasmuch
as the worker bees can be of no value to
us in the production of an immune stock.
In the first place the bee while sick will
plant the spores of the disease in the hive,
either in the larva? or in the honey and
pollen it collects; in the second it will,
during the breeding season, live only a few
weeks, and in the third it cannot trans-
mit any resistant powers it may by some
lucky chance have inherited or acquired,
because it is incapable of breeding.

June 4, 1914.] THE BEITLSii BEE JOURNAL.

223

Primarily, everything depends upon the
queen. Supposing she is the mother of a
colony of disease-resisting workers, how
can the perpetuation of these qualities be
guaranteed ? If young queens are raised
from her eggs, is it not likely that they will
seek partners from other hives, which
would probably destroy in the workers the
peculiar qualities shown by their pre-
decessors? On the other hand, if the
princesses mated with the male progeny
of their mother the stamina of the result-
ing workers might not be good. In
season, as we all know, the mating of
virgin queens cannot be controlled, and
if reared out of season to get them mated
is very difficult. There is also the draw-
back that out-of-season queens are not
always so robust as those raised during
the swarming period.

It is, of course, possible that a bee
able to resist the present virulent strain
of Nasema apis may be evolved, but those
of us who have no expectation of living
until the year of grace 2014 or 2114 may
as well turn the " W.B.C." hives we have
been so proud of into chicken coops, dog
kennels, or fire wood. No variety of Apis
inellifica capable of resisting the species
of Xosema with which we are familiar
is known, and without some legislative
enactment the present generation of
apiculturists cannot reasonably hope, in
the British Isles, to keep bees with,
pleasure or profit. Nature by a process
of exhaustion will in time eliminate the
disease; but she can in the meantime be
greatly helped or hindered by man. By
the importation of bees into disease-ridden
districts, as in Norfolk, for example, she
is being hindered, whereas the universal
destruction of diseased and suspected
stocks would help her enormously.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications ,
und correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
und addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
m a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

A COTSAVOLD BEE NOTE.

[9029] The outlook for a good honey
season in this local itv is fairly bright. The

welcome rains of late have improved
matters greatly, and the sainfoin appears
to he in excellent condition as far as
blossom goes.

I do not remember a spring when
colonies have built up so quickly as this
one, due, I think, to the liberal amount of
honey left in the hives last autumn, the
young queens and the warm spells of
weather during which honey and pollen
were gathered so plentifully.

In the vale around Cheltenham there
has been quite a honey glut from the early
blossoms, and several stocks have filled a
section-rack : the honey is of excellent
quality, though not of the delicate flavour
belonging to that which is gathered from
sainfoin. I often wonder why so much
fuss is made about the prevention of
swarming! In my experience bees that
are prevented from swarming year after
year, and are not requeened each autumn,
certainly deteriorate, becoming weaker
and weaker each season, until they are no
longer profitable to the apiarist.

A colony that swarms is a prosperous
colony, and it is an easy matter to hive
the swarm on the old stand, shifting the
supers from the old to the new hive.

This procedure makes very little dif-
ference to the honey yield, while it gives a
useful increase with a young queen.
There are still a good many skeppist bee-
men in our Cotswold villages, and at
driving time I am always struck by the
vigorousness and healthiness of the bees.
They swarm and cast regularly every year,
and they always do well both in the hands
of their owner and in mine, when estab-
lished on drawn-out combs with some
honey besides to carry them through the
winter. — A. H. Bowen. Cheltenham.

NOTES FROM DERBYSHIRE.

[9030] Up to the present I have not
heard of many early swarms in this neigh-
bourhood, but Derbyshire never is early
in such matters so far as my experience
goes. I have seen some exceptionally
weak stocks this spring, and some on the
other hand which have come through the
winter well. Of my own I have had to
super five to guard against swarming. I
have never done this before at such an
early date, and have visions of supers of
honey from fruit blossoms. Bees have
been working hard on plum and pear
bloom, but now that apples are in flower
the weather has chosen to change, and
unless it becomes warmer my fruit blossom
honey will remain visionary only. Usually
my only surplus locally is from clover and
the limes.

224

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 4, 1<J14.

To-day (May 2) being rather finer than
the past few days, I have made arrange-
ments for commencing queen-rearing by
splitting one of my strongest stocks and
taking a few frames and the queen to an
out-apiary. The dequeened portion will
be tried with larva? in cups. Drones are
now in the hives, so the time is quite
opportune.

From time to time the question crops
up as to the suitability of heather honey
as a winter food for bees. I have before
expressed my opinion that it is a good
winter food. This season I have taken
special notice, and I am able definitely
to state that the stocks which went to the
heather last August have wintered better.

HOME-MADE OBSERVATOEY HIVE.

with less consumption of stores, and have
come through stronger in bees than those
kept at home and fed up on syrup. As a
consequence, they are now ready either
for supering or dividing, whilst the others
are having to receive special attention to
get them ready for the clover-flow.
Perhaps if other bee-keepers would give
their experience of heather stores during
the past season we should go a long way
towards settling the vexed question once
and for all.

I should like (if the Editor will allow)
to add a note of personal thanks for the
instructions given in recent numbers of
'B.B.J.'' for making an observatory hive.
Although I do not claim quite to come
under the head of 'Novices,' I found the

article most helpful, and was waiting each
time for the next contribution. I am

not a "Croesus," and so have never been
able to afford an observatory hive before,
having always had something else to do
with my money. But now, with the
Editor's help, the expenditure of a few
shillings, a little labour, and a little in-
genuity, I am set up for a time. My hive
is only made of deal, enamelled white,
but next winter I intend to make another
in mahogany. — D. Wilson.

BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN.

SUNDAY AT THE ZOO WITH THE PIOUS BANATS.

Bother those Banats ! They have robbed
me of the day of rest which most
people expect to get once in every week,
and have spoiled my Bank Holiday.

It happened like this : Our latest im-
portation to the Zoo was a colony of these
wretches. Strong? I should think they
were ! They crushed each other to suffoca-
tion on ten frames, they crowded into the
section-rack, and they crowded out on to
the alighting-board. If 5,000 bees nearly
equal a pound there must have been ten
or twelve pounds.

But my tale commences really on the eve
of the Sabbath. It so happens that the
writer is the nearest available expert to
our apiary at the Zoo, in case of
emergencies, and was actually on the
point of starting for an appointment when
the telephone rang, " Come to Zoo im-
mediately, bees have swarmed/' was the
excited message. Of course, appointment
had to be put off — nuisance No. 1.

But Banats never act like any other
bees, they are a superior race and cannot
be expected to. So after hurrying at all
possible speed, I found that they had
altered their mind and decided not to
leave their hive that day, therefore they
had returned to it again. Eager to keep
previous appointment, I could only pre-
pare a home for them, and bitterly think
of the morrow.

My dreams were of obstinate bees. In the
morning I had a foreboding of coming
trouble, and at about the tenth hour
wended my way once more to the Zoo.

I remembered that when on tour in
Westmorland one very worthy Vicar of
a parish there related to me, as" his serious
belief, that the bees were attracted to
swarm by the ringing of the bells of the
village church. " It is the only holiday
they get, and to shame Christians they
rush out when they hear the church bells
ring." I am not quite prepared to accept

June 4, 1U14.] THE BRITISH BEE JOriiXAL.

225

hi- teachings on these points either as to
acoustics or theology, hut this I do know.
that scarcely were the bells in the
numerous surrounding steeples clanging
their harmony when pell-mell in their
thousands out came the swarm. To bee-
keepers I need not describe their
gyrations, but instead of settling them-
selves down on one of our infinite selec-
tion of handy and available small trees,
they preferred rather to form their bunch
high up in a tree, from whence they could
obtain a glimpse of the spire of the
nearest church. Am J wrong in assum-
ing there was pious method in their mad-
ness F

When I began to recognise the point
they were making for 1 am afraid my
ejaculations were not in consonance with a
patient spirit. I would have .disturbed
their religious aspirations, but I was help-
less, nor syringe, nor dust, not even a
shot-gun were available. No. I could not
even find an old pan and key as a counter-
clang. I must submit to" my fate.

At last, behold them! hanging grape-like
from a branch, another series of branches
just under them, which had to be pushed
through to yet at them. The nearest
ladder h;i- at the other extremity
of the gardens. Sunday morning, and no
workmen about! A kindly keeper con-
sented to help, so away we trudged, and
returned carrying shoulder high a twenty-
five rung ladder. Oh, horror! There was
no branch which ^vould hear the weight.
Wi reared it against the framework of
the aviary, where the mutton-eating
(Ke.i| parrot lives, but one-third of the
ladder projected into space, and still the
swarm hung ten or fifteen feet above mv
bead.

Oh. for one of the wonderful swarm-
catchers invented by Cheshire. There
they hung, dangling above, and I below,
like the old illustrations we used to see in
^Esop's tables of the Fox and the Grapes.
but there the simile ended, for I meant
to have that swarm.

Procuring a skep and a pole of some
dozen feet, it was easy to nail the inverted
skep to the latter, and thus equipped
I mounted my ladder, and now the fun
began. Forcing between the intermediate
branches, I gave a thrust and shake, and
immediately from the clouds, as it were,
(}i scehded an avalanche of bees on my head
and shoulders. From a safe position a crowd
of visitors were watching my performance.
The gentler members shrieked when they
saw i portion of the swarm transferred
From the tree to myself, but a couple of
slight punctures were the extent of my
wounds.

Again anoth r attempt, and this time
with better success. I had gathered the
bulk, with the queen, and in the orthodox
fashion let them remain under the tree
in the skep, and felt it a fitting
opportunity to adjourn for refreshment
and rest.

It was in the evening I returned, and
my friend the keeper met me. "Sir,
the bees have shifted." " Where to?" of
course, I asked. "In the old place 'on
the tree,' " he replied. So the whole of
my Sunday labour was in vain. Banats
cannot act as other bees!

However, the work had to be com-
menced again, so I grasped my weapon
and mounted the ladder. The rain was
pouring down. T gave a vigorous push,
shake, and again I had the swarm and
another shower-bath of rain and bees.

With dignity and calmness, skep at the
end of the pole, I marched to the hive I
had prepared, and lest there should be any
escape this time, threw them on the top
of the bars and covered down.

Ere this, my keeper friend had left me.
The rain was a deluge. It was dusk. I
was all alone in the Zoo. The lions roared
in the distance, the elephants trumpeted,
the wolves howled, and the great baboon,
within a few yards of me, barked. It was a
weird experience. I am not nervous, but
T thought something might happen, and
the Bee Journal would get no "copy."

Bother the Banats! Still, if they had
been hybrid Italians that rain of bees
might have been more acute in its atten-
tion to the writer.

(That swarm is now comfortably settled
in -ix frames.)

J. Smallwood.

XE( TAB-PRODUCING PLANTS AND

THEIR POLLEN.

Bij Geo. Hayes. Bee.ston.

SAINFOIN.

(Onobrychis safiva.)

Nat. Ord. leguminos^e.

The name of this flower is sometimes
spelt Saint-Foin, and, according to
Plunkett and Hill, it was first given to
Lucerne (Medicago sativa)} and that of
Lucerne to an onobrychis, our present
Sainfoin. There does not appear to have
been a Saint Foin nor is there, so far
as I can learn, any reason for ascribing to
this plant the divine properties it once
held. The name is derived from the
French sain, wholesome, and foin, hay.

99«

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 4, 1914.

The generic name comes from the Greek
" ones," the ass; and " brycho," to bray;
the plant being a favourite food of asses.
Besides the names already given, this plant
is known in some localities as " Cocks-
head," from the shape of the flower-head ;
also Fodder-grass or French-grass. This
plant is believed to be indigenous in
southern a.nd eastern England, but is
rarely found in its wild state, except on
dry, chalky soils.

It

is grown

£?•£.

Jn Honey.

extensively in

the Southern
counties for
fodder, and on
the shallow,
chalky soil its
endurance is

remarkable. Its
long, tapering
r oots descend
into the fissures
of rock, break-
ing it up and
rendering the
ground deeper
and better for
cultivation.

Sainfoin com-
mences to bloom
soon after the
fruit blossoms
fall, and will —
if left — continue
to do so for some
weeks, as the
blooms do not all
open simul-
taneously. It is
a perennial and
grows to a height
of from 9 to 18
inches, according
to conditions of
soil and position.

The leaves are r <z6%™^£

serrated a n d ' ^^M

spring alter-
nately from a
branching stalk,

at the end of which the flower-spike
is borne. The flowers are of the
papilionaceous type, that is, like the
pea, and of a pale pink colour. Like
the clovers, the lower blooms open first
and continue upwards to the end of the
spike, and in this way the blooming may
be prolonged for several weeks.

In some districts in the South this is
the only flower on which reliance can be
placed for surplus. The honey from this
source is esteemed by some connoisseurs as
superior to that from white clover, whilst
others prefer the latter.

Fr qui Honey.

Notts, bee-keepers know very little
about this flower from close acquaintance,
for I have only seen it growing naturally
in this county in one district, and then
it was very thinly distributed amongst
other plants and grasses.

The pollen grain is easy to recognise,

being of a different form to any we have

studied, and, like the Lime and Heather

grains, stands out distinctly from the

rest. Its colour by reflected light is a

g o 1 de n - yellow

with a tinge

of green, but

by transmitted

light appears

much paler.

The for m,
of the grain,
when dry , is
shown at Fig. 1,
and its enlarge-
ment, whilst
Fig. 2 is a
cross-section, and
measures ttustt x

Tooo"1-

When placed
in water it
assumes a

spherical form,
the extine or
outer covering
being clearly
seen distinct
from the in-
tine and f ovilla ;
but no pro-
cesses are
formed. This is
seen at No. 3.
In this con-
dition it mea-
H

snres
diameter.

1-77 in.

In honey its

original form is

not altered,

being the same as when dry, except that

it becomes very transparent and measures

slightly over T^ x -^in.

When extracted from honey, I find it
first assumes a. spherical and afterwards an
ellipsoidal form, the ends of which are
slightly flattened; with processes break-
ing out at irregular intervals, as seen at
Figs. 4 and 5, and measures in the last
stage TT^T> in x toW11- These grains have
a tendency to break up when extracted
from honey.

■June 4, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

9Sfi

[8938] Stocking Observatory Hive.
— I have had one sftock of _bees
since autumn, which is doing fairly well.
Being desirous of seeing more of their
work and life, I have made an observa-
tion hive according to intructions given in
the Bee Journal.. This I have placed in-
side .a greenhouse 20' yards distant from
where the stock now stands. With regard
to stocking, my plan is as follows : — (1) To
transfer three frames with bees, brood
and honey from No 1 stock ; (2) Give No.
1 one new frame of foundation and close
up with the dummy (have already taken
out 2 of 10 old frames and substituted
new, which are all drawn out) ; (3) Follow
up with another frame if there is time
before the honey flow comes on ; (4) Give
new queen either to No. 1 or to observ-
ation hive, so as to keep on building up ;
(5) In the event of the observatory hive
doing well, I presume I could give a
frame of brood, or bees off same, to No. 1,
so as to ensure full strength and secure
some surplus. Do you think this would
succeed, or would too many bees go back
to No. 1 hive? Again, how could I, at
once determine whether the Queen was
left in No. 1 or transferred to new? Al-
though I have examined the frames three
times I have failed to observe the Queen.
— J. Bee.

Reply. — We are not clear as to what
you mean, whether you are using the
observation hive and call it No. 2, or
another hive. The best plan will be to take
a couple of combs of brood and one of food
from the strong stock without the queen,
and put them into the observation hive
with one frame of foundation. Let the
bees run a queen, which will be interest-
ing to watch.

[8939] Bees not entering Supers. —
Moisture in Hive — (1) I purchased a
stock of bees on six frames in the early
part of the season, and as all frames were
well covered and the queen seemed to be
laying well, I gradually increased to ten.
These were filled as I put them in, but
when I placed two more frames in the
bees started to fill them with honey. On
the advice of a friend I put a rack of
sections on, but though this was done a
week ago the bees have not started on
them yet. Do you think I have done
right? (2) I have noticed in the morn-
ings that the floor board seems to be
covered with moisture, which probably is

due to the hive sweating, although I have
not noticed any on the sides of the hive
when I have taken the roof off. I have
also noticed mouldy pollen in some of the
combs, do you think that there is suffi-
cient ventilation ? For quilts I have a
piece of American cloth, and a piece of
sacking folded in four thicknesses. — -
Anxious Novice, Kent.

Reply.— (I) The bees will go into the
super when ready. (2) Take off the
American cloth quilt and. put calico in its
place. The damp is caused by the non-
porous covering.

[8940] .4. Beginners Queries. — On May
24th I took from a very strong stock two
frames full of brood and honey, on one of
which there was a queen-cell sealed over.
These I put into a clean hive one yard
away, and filled both empty spaces with
sheets of foundation. (1) Have I done
right? and how long will the queen be
before she hatches out? (2) How much
methylated spirit should be put to half an
ounce of Napthol Beta ? (3) How much
honey will a shallow-frame hold well filled ?
--Beginner., Notts.

Reply. — () You did quite right if the
cell was sealed. You may expect a queen
to emerge in about seven days. (2) Three-
and-a-half ounces. (3) Five to six pounds.

A VAGRANT.

The humble bee

No skep has he,
No twisted, straw-thatched dome;

A ferny crest

Provides his nest,
The mowing grass his home.

The crook-beaked shrike

His back may spike,
And pierce him with a thorn ;

The humble bee

A tramp is he,
And there is none to mourn.

O'er bank and brook,

In wooded nook,
He wanders at his whim ;

Lives as he can,

Owes naught to man,
And man owes naught to him.

No hive receives

The sweets he gives,
No flowers for him are sown;

Yet wild and gay

He hums his way,
A nomad on his own. — From Punch.

:>2S

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 4, 1914.

THE NYASA BEE.
Continued from Vol. 41 (page 348).

Owing to the kindness of the Rev.
Kendall, of Buluwayo, Southern Rhodesia,
I have been able to compare workers and
drones of his Rhodesian bees with those of
the Nyasa bee. I have not found any
remarkable difference between them in
colour nor shape, that could not be attri-

foundation," worked out irregularly all
over. This irregularity, though con-
spicuous to our eyes, has not incon-
venienced the bees in the very least.
Perhaps one of your readers will give the
reason why this smooth foundation is not
worked out so regularly as ordinary comb.
Anyhow, by giving bees such smooth
foundation, a good substitute for

COMBS WORKED OUT ON SMOOTH FOUNDATION.

buted to the formalin in which they were
preserved or to age. Perhaps the silver
bands along the lower rings of the
abdomen were less pronounced with the
Rhodesians than with the Nyasa bee, but
this might be due to the Rhodesians sent
being somewhat older.

In a previous letter I wrote about home-
made " smooth foundation." I now enclose
two photographs of comb worked out on
such foundation, bred in, and filled with
honey. One represents a half sheet of
smooth foundation given to the bees,
worked out irregularly on the foundation,
and worked out regularly underneath it.
The other is a whole sheet of " smooth

bought foundation is given, at a much
less cost, and easily made by any bee-
keeper.— L. W. J. Deuss.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 9th-llth, at Malvern.— The Hereford^,
and Worcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, Ac. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliot*,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

•June 4, 1914.] THE B1UTISH BEE J0U1OAL.

229

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.
— Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sche-
dules from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leyton-
stone. Entries closed.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield— The
Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedu.es
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. Sec., Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries close June 4th.

June 10th to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec, Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tion affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedule* from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries closed.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Bletree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries close 13th June.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries close Jiine 13th.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 26th, at Prestbury. — Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
elass open to the kingdom. Several foT those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bo wen. Coronation -road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-Keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec, Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close Aug. 28th.

Ligurian( Birmingham). — Dividing Stocks.
— You will find full directions for this
on page 93 of the " British Bee-keepers'
Guide Book." We cannot take up space
describing this simple operation.

Rova (Watling Street). — Italian Virgin
Queens. — We do not know where you
can obtain pure Italian virgin queens.
No doubt an advertisement in our
columns would bring you what you want.

H. G. (Devon). — Disinfecting Hives. —
The best method of disinfecting is by
scorching the inside of hive with a
painter's blow-lamp.

Novice (South Shields). — Honey from
[Suspected Stock. — The honey is quite
fit for human consumption.

Beta (Lanes.). — Beet Sugar for Bees. —
No; only pure cane-sugar should be
used. The best kinds for the purpose
are either white crystals or crushed
lump.

C. W. H. (Maidstone). — Supering Stocks.
— (1) Put on another super. (2) The
medicine will do them no harm. (3)
Are you sure they are fighting, or are
they killing drones?

J. B. (Plumstead). — Disinfecting Hires.
— The hives should be disinfected by
scorching them with a painter's blow-
lamp.

230

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 4, 1914.

J. S. (Kettering). — Weak Swarms. — It is
impossible for us to answer your ques-
tion. All you can do is "wait and
see."

G. R. (Dorset).— Queen Cast Out. — The
queen is an old one, and the bees have
evidently rejected her.

F. C. W. (Ilford).— Bana* Bees.— (1) These
are a race of bees native to Hungary.
(2) We cannot say from personal ex-
perience.

Suspected Disease.

E. O. (N. Wales).— There is no trace of
disease; the bees have died from starva-
tion.

J. H. B. (Plymouth). — It is a case of
" Isle of Wight ' ' Disease.

VEEOiNiCA (Devon). — The bees have "Isle
of Wfght " disease.

Anxious (Rock Ferry). — There is no trace
of disease. The bees are chilled.

W. M. (Enfield). — The bees were too dry
for us to give an opinion as to cause of
death.

Retlaw (Ponteland). — We should not
advise you to risk using sections which
have been on a diseased stock, even
though the bees have never worked in
them. Better burn the lot than risk
infection.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

SUPERB Cotswold queens, bred for honey from
highest yielders, prolific and vigorous, 5s. by
return mail.— BOWEN, honey specialist, Chelten-
ham, v 5

4 -FRAME nuclei, Carniolan hybrid®, brood in
all frames, with young laying queen, 17s. 6d.
each— EVERETT, expert, Rosebank Apiary, 40,
Linden-street, Leicester. v 2

I HEW healthy June swarms, with 1913 queens,
1 12s. 6d. and 15s.— SPEARMAN, Andoversford,
Glos. v 10

HEALTHY swarms, 13s.; second, 10s.; safely
packed— H. W. GLOVER, Biggin, Hulland,
Derby. v 67

LEA'S steam-heated uncapping knife, onJy used
one season, 25s.; electric embedding apparatus,
4s. 6d. ; three new section racks, with dividers,
Is. 6d. each; a few used, Is— BLACKBOURN,
Hoo, Minster, Thanet. v 11

FOR SALE, two healthy stocks of bees, price
30s. each, or nearest offer.— R. LAW, 70,
Bentley-road, Doncaster. v 8

FOR SALE owing to removal.— Nine W.B.C.
hives, three and four lifts each, brood cham-
bers and frames, clean, and in splendid order,
7s. 6d. each; sixteen racks of shallow frames, eight
each drawn combs, 4s., or offer; six W.B.C. hang-
ing section racks, 3s., as new; one ripener, 1501b.,
and two strainers, 7s. 6d.; Cowan extractor, first-
rate machine. 30s.; wax extractor, 4s.; uncapping
tray, £s.; heater and knives, 5s.; observatory hive,
6 frame, 10s.; sell whole, or part; insDection
invited.— HART, Park Farm House, Brigadieri-
hill, Enfield. v 7

READY for immediate despatch, strong guaran-
teed healthy swarms, 14s. 6d.— Caroline
Cottage, Winohelsea-road, Hastings. v 6

tjlEW strong swarms; aJso small swarms, 1914
1 queens; particulars, stajnp reply.— NORTH,
Crossing, Braintree, Essex. v 4

EXCHANGE, Dollond's day or night telescope,
liin. objective, for binoculars or barometer.—
NICHOLSON Langwathby. v 3

SWARMS, 15s.; queens, 1913, 4/-; 1914, 5s —
MISS GRACE, Terrick, Kington, Worces-
ter, v 1

AVE a healthy Dutch queen to spare, this

year's, fertile, 4s— GEO. LEDGER, Wey-

bridge. v 12

WANTED, sections of honey.— Price and quan-
tity to COWELL, Station-road, Sheringham,
Norfolk. v 84

FOR SALE, June 15th, ten to twenty stocks of
bees in hives, consisting of floor-board, brood
box, outer case, lift, roof, painted, seven Italian
1914 queens, the remainder black, guaranteed
healthy on despatch— ASHWORTH, Heytes-
bury. v 80

FOUR Simmins' "Conqueror" hives, 6s. each;
eight single and double walled hives, 4s. and
5s. each; all thoroughly clean and ready for use,
scorched with painter's lamp.— LOXLEY, North-
field, Birmingham. v 87

WANTED AT ONCE, young man for a bee
and poultry farm in Suffolk, for general
work, not an expert, and not afraid of work. If
with a good knowledge of one branch the other
will be taught; wages, 25s. per week.— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

("^ OOD, strong, healthy swarms, 10s. each, or
X 2s. 6d. per lb., cash with order— WHITTING,
Manea. v 98

MAY SWARMS, 15s.; June swarms, 14s.; three
frames nucleus, 12s. 6d. ; four frames nucleus,
15s.; cash with order.— J. REAVELEY, Starbeck,
Harrogate. v 70

NATURAL SWARMS, guaranteed healthy, 3s.
per lb. until the 15th of June; swarm boxes
returnable.— DENNIS, Brownsover, Rugby. v 54

SMITH PREMIER typewriter, standard double
keyboard, very reliable, beautiful writing,
perfect condition, cost £23, accept 60s., worth
double— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Birming-
ham, v 61

FOR SALE, one stock of healthy bees, strong,
price 30s. cash— J. WINSTANLEY, Kirkham,
Lancashire. v 52

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2gin. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers.-" PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street. Strand, London, W.C.

June 11, 1911.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

231

ERRATUM.

We regret that an error appeared in
Bee Journal of May 21st, page 201. On
line two the date of the opening of the
Royal Show should read June 30th, not
July as printed.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
Mnd correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
tnd addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
Ms a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

THE IMMUNITY CHIMERA.

[9031] Mr. Heap (page 222, " B.B.J. ,"
June 4th) is far too despondent in this
matter. His three categories of im-
munity not only fail to exhaust the sub-
ject, but they scarcely touch it. They all
bear upon inoculation, and therefore make
it easy for Mr. Heap to say that im-
munity must fail as soon as a new genera-
tion of worker bees appears.

Suppose, however, that a worker bee
acquired by ingestion or miraculous gift
an anti-microbe eager to feed on Nosema
apis, capable of existing in small numbers
without its special food, and also able to
multiply rapidly when the need for it
arose. That anti-microbe might easily be
just as transmissible from worker-bee to
worker-bee or larva as Nosema apis itself.
The same could be said of a mere ferment
acting as an immediate poison to the
planonts of "Isle of Wight" disease in the
folds of the chyle stomach. Not only
worker-larvse, but drone-larvse and young
queens could take this anti-toxin or what
not, and thus immunity arising in a
worker could go to the fountain-head of a
new stock.

It is not necessary to discuss the case of
a queen developing an immune constitu-
tion, though Mr. Heap is despondent about
that also. Her daughter might make an

alliance, he says, that would cancel the
immunity. She would be more likely not
to, because the drones of her hive would
ex hypothesi be stronger than the disease-
racked drones of the neighbourhood. And
they might even meet non-immune virgins
and render their progeny immune.

So much for the a priori argument.
What of the actual facts? Dr. Maassen
said that Nosema apis could be found in
every hive in Germany and (page 21 of
our second Governmental report) that by
keeping a stock in cold confinement the
disease could be apparently spontaneously
developed. Does not that point to a wide-
spread immunity at that time, that could
only be upset by very unfavourable con-
ditions? Then, who has not seen of late
years many degrees of susceptibility in
stocks, some of them closely approaching
tbe ideal of immunity? I know a stock
that has assisted at the robbing of eight
hives, seven at least of them emptied by
" Isle of Wight'' disease. Some of those
robberies were before the winter, some
since, but the robbing stock (which I have
christened ''Old Immunity") still goes
on without sign of infection. Perhaps it
will die, but it is capable of leaving
vigorous progeny with even less proclivity
to disease. It is only a case out of many.
I believe that the disease will run till
every hive in the land will yield at call
a specimen or so of Nosema apis for the
microscopist, while the disease in its full
virulence will be no more common than
malignant dysentery has been in the past.
— G. G. Desmond, Sheepscombe, Glos.

IMMUNITY AND " I.O.W. " DISEASE.

[9032] Some of Mr. Heap's remarks in
"Random Jottings" in the B.B.J." of
June 4th (page 222) seem to call for com-
ment. Attempts have been made to pro-
duce disease-resisting wheat, potato, &c,
and a certain amount of success has been
claimed for these experiments, and so ex-
perienced a queen-breeder as Mr. Sladen
had hopes of being able to produce a
strain of bees capable of resisting foul
brood. This power of resistance, if it is
not technical immunity, does not neces-
sarily appear to depend on any of the
three causes (a), (b), and (c) enumerated
by Mr. Heap.

In this badly-infected district there are
a few stocks (not mine, unfortunately)
which have remained healthy throughout.
Are we to suppose that all these, though in
some cases situated quite close to others
that have died, have never come into con-
tact with infection? If, on the contrary,
they possess special powers of resistance,
are they not worth breeding from? This
seems the only practical thing to do, for

232

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Tune 11, 1914.

we may have to wait twenty years for
legislation, and perhaps even longer than
that before a cure is found.

As to the difficulty of mating our queens
with drones also possessing powers of
resistance to " Isle of Wight" disease, is
not the problem already solved in badly
affected areas, for if we can persuade bee-
keepers not to import from outside, are
not all surviving bees in such an area,
whether queens, drones, or workers,
possessed of some resistive power?

If this is not enough, cannot the
B.B.K.A. step in and help us? The
mating of selected queens and drones is
secured in Switzerland by taking both up
to an altitude at which no other bees fly,
and several public mating stations are
maintained to which members of the Swiss
Association can send their queens. Though
we have not all the advantages provided
by the Alps, surely there are some high
altitudes in this country which could be
employed for a similar purpose.

Our native bee possesses many good
qualities. Would it not be better if the
B.B.K.A. turned its attention, like the
Swiss Association, to the improvement of
the native race instead of teaching people
to keep bees who are not already bee-
keepers, at a time when bee-keeping is
so precarious?

If there are no funds available for the
purpose I have suggested, may I propose
that a special fund should be raised to
start an Experimental Apiary and Mating
Station in a suitable position, to be
devoted entirely to the improvement of
the native bee without intermixture with
foreign races. I would promise to con-
tribute my mite. — L. Illingwobth.

QUEEN-REARING EXPERIENCES.

[9033] Now that the queen-rearing
season is upon us I should like to give
two methods of my own, which, though
perhaps not altogether original, may be of
interest to other readers: — (1) From a
very strong hive having a choice queen
take away the latter with two frames of
bees. This leaves a strong stock which
rears a good number of queen-cells, and,
in the ordinary course of events, would
go in for after swarming. On the third
day undesirable cells which are sealed over
may be destroyed. The first queen
will be hatched out in twelve days or so,
and shortly afterwards, if an ear be put
to the side of the hive, other queens kept
in their cells may be heard crying. At
the end of fifteen days all the queens will
have matured, and may then be taken
from the cells in which they have been
confined. I have obtained as many as ten

fine virgins at once in this manner, and
the method requires practically no skill
in manipulation.

(2) I have also been very successful in
hatching queen-cells in an ordinary hot-
water tank incubator, with a large
moisture tray, the machine being run at
about 96deg. Fahr. (on one occasion,
through an accident, I had a drop of
20deg. for a time, but cells hatched nicely).
I found the cells which were inserted im-
mediately after sealing over hatched just
as well as those put in in a more advanced
stage. Of course the cells should be
caged ; I myself used a multiple cage with
two dozen compartments. The cells should
be taken away after the queens hatch,
otherwise they may form death traps. It
is preferable to use the queens as soon as
possible, I found a heavy mortality if
they were kept a few days in the in-
cubator.

It would be interesting if those bee-
keepers who have tried a plurality of lay-
ing queens in one hive would give us an
account of their experiences and diffi-
culties. The only time I tested Alexander's
statement that two queens will not fight
if they can possibly avoid one another,
was on an occasion when I had two super-
fluous old Black queens, and these two
certainly fought with determination. —
Apiculteur.

CONTROLLING PROLIFIC QFEENS.

[9034] It is a common remark from
those who decry foreign races of bees :
'' Oh yes, we know your Italian, Carniolan,
Banat queen — as the case may be — gives
you an enormous force of workers, but
what is the use of that? All this extra
energy is used up in maintaining a huge
brood-nest, so your surplus is not
augmented by them to any extent, and
instead swarming in and out of season
is produced to an intolerable degree."

The indictment is perfectly true where
no attempt to regulate the queen's breed-
ing proclivities is made, and for the
laissez faire bee-keeper who puts supers
on in spring and takes them off in autumn
with very little attention to his bees
between whiles, no doubt the dogged
Britisher is the best bee, her brood-nest
can safely be left to take care of itself!

But you, dear reader (as the ancients
have it), who are justly proud of the
eighteen or twenty frames packed with
brood by your beautiful alien queen — be-
think you ! Time is fleeting, clover is
coming into bloom, your main forage crop
on which depends the super record of
your stocks. Twenty frames of May brood
are excellent preparation for a bumper
in-gathering; the same number in July

June 11, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

233

sjjells only a multitude of hungry mouths
whose owners can never gather surplus,
but only consume it. There must be a
point at which limitation of the brood-
nest is highly desirable, and that date
may, 1 think, be taken as about a month
before the main honey-flow declines. Mid-
June, then, will be about the right time
in clover districts for " throttling-down "
our prolific queens; all that is necessary is
m place a queen-exeluder between the two
brood-hoxes (presuming the stock has been
doubled), making sure that the queen is
in the lower one. While finding her it
is best to put the older brood-combs and
any empty ones in the lower box, young
brood, drone, or full honey-combs above ;
trapped drones can be given passage way
by wedging up the upper box or leaving a
corner of the quilt turned back, which
also gives needful ventilation to the hive.

The queenless body-box is, moreover, an
ideal nursery for queen-cells where it is
desired to raise selected queens for re-
queening swarms or artificial increase. —
H. E. Scrope Vineb, Overburv. Worcs.

A REPORT FROM SCOTLAND.

[9035] I am a little late in sending
you a report as to how bees wintered* in
this district, also progress made since
early spring, but better late than never.
Stocks in general wintered very well, we
having had so many fine days from Novem-
ber until March that bees were often to
be seen out, with the result that those
who packed up for the winter with an
ordinary supply of stores found, on ex-
amination in early spring, that more stores
had been consumed than is usual, no doubt
owing to the mild weather. I had to put
standard frames of heather honey into
every one of my stocks, in some hives as
many as four. I did not feed one with
syrup, but returned to them the fruits of
their labours in the autumn. I was told
by an old bee-keeper here that I did
wrong, as I should have run that honey,
then fed with syrup ; perhaps I may be
wrong, but not even the oldest bee-keeper
here will convince me that I am. I think
if less unnatural food was given, bee-
keepers would have much better stocks. I
have also read somewhere that bees do not
winter well on heather honey ; then why
is heather honey so highly valued for
medicinal and household purposes ? Why
are bees sent to the heather if not to
gather stores for their winter's keep? I
fancy those bee-keepers who say that bees
do not winter well on heather honey don't
give them the chance. My own bees have
wintered exceptionally well on heather
honey, and I shall have no hesitation,
should this year give a return like last, of

wintering all my stocks on it. Bee
disease is still raging. A week ago, when
walking up at Clydeside, I noticed close to
the road a very pretty cottage, which had
at the side some eight- frame-hives. It
being a beautiful evening, I knew bees
would still be Working, and wondering
what kind of bees he stocked, I went in
and found the owner working amongst his
roses. He very sadly informed me that
he had not a bee left, six stocks having
died out during the winter. I have pro-
mised him a swarm, but up to time of
writing have had only two, one of which
I lost, and the other I returned, as it was
small. So far L have escaped this plague,
all stocks are healthy and strong, most of
them working on supers. A neighbour of
mine had four swarms on May 24th, from
four stocks: all issued on Sunday, when
the church bells were ringing. This is
very good for this district, where swarms
are much later as a rule. Wishing the
••B.B.J.'' and all readers a "bumper''
year.— W. C. B., Blantyre.

HEATHER HONEY

kind

[903(5] I shall be glad if some
reader of the " B.B.J.'' will give me some
hints on the following points with regard
to heather honey. (1) What condition is
it necessary for stocks to be in for taking
to the moors? (2) What is the best
method of packing the hives in order to
ensure safe arrival:-' (3) I should be
grateful for a few particulars as to
supering for sections. Is drawn out comb
necessary? (4) When is the best time for
taking bees to the moors ? Any other
hints on points not mentioned above will
be greatly appreciated. — Heather Hoxev,
Lines.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westboubne, Sussex.
May, 1914.

Rainfall, LITin.

Below average, "83in.

Heaviest fall, 28 on
3rd.

Rain fell on 12 days.

Sunshine, 222 3 hrs.

Below aver., 7'5 hrs.

Brightest day, 18tb
75 hrs.

Sunless day, 1.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 74 on 21st and
22nd.

Minimum on grass,
24 on 26th.

Minimum tempera-
ture. 33 on 26th
and 27th.

Frosty nights, 0.

Mean maximum, 60'4.

Mean minimum, 43'8.

Mean temperature,
521.

Above average, 0"2.

Maximum barometer,
30359 on 20th.

Minimum barometer,
29514 on 7th.

L. B. BlBKETT.

234

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June .11, 1914.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
{Continued from page 216.)

If a syringe is not obtainable then a good substitute is to throw handfuls of earth,
or, better still, fine sand, amongst them. Occasionally the bees rise so high that
the use of either of these is impossible ; in such a case the vibration caused by
discharging a gun beside them will bring them down.

As sooni as all the bees have settled to the cluster they should be hived into some
receptacle and allowed to remain until the evening, when they can be put into their
permanent home. It is well to keep a straw step for this purpose, although a box,
wooden pail, or other article of a similar nature may be used. If it is possible to
hive the swarm without shaking this should be done; in no case should the bees
be brushed to get them into their temporary home. A swarm weighs from three
to five pounds, and as there are five thousand bees in a pound it will be seen that
there are anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five thousand bees in a swarm, and as
these do not all sit facing one direction, if brushing is resorted to some will be

Fig. 6.

Fig.

stroked the wrong way, their tempers will be upset, and the operator will suffer
from the use they will make of their protective weapon.

I will describe and illustrate several methods of hiving a swarm, then no matter
what position the swarm occupies it will only be a matter of following or adapting
the principles laid down. In dealing with swarms it is necessary to1 remember that
bees always travel up hill, and will enter a dark or semi-dark chamber more readily
than one to which the light has free access. Much trouble will be obviated and
time saved if these two facts are borne in mind.

The first method given is that of shaking. The bees settle as in Fig. 6; to
make them cluster close and reduce their excitement, cool them with a fine spray
of water ; the skep is then held under the clustering bees, and1 they are dislodged
by a sharp vigorous shake of the branch upon which they are resting and fall
into it (Fig. 7) ; the skep is then turned the right way down as near the
position occupied by the cluster as possible. A board should be used to stand
the skep on to keep them from the damp ground, and ample ventilation provided

June 11, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

235

by propping up one side of the skep five or six indies; a brick or large stone can
be used for this purpose, as illustrated. Instead of turning the skep over rapidly.
so sipdlling tihe bees on the ground and crushing a number of them, it should be
turned slowly so that the bees may run to the top and cluster. (Fig. 8) shows this
being done, (Fig. 9) shows the skep being shaded with a clamp sheet, while (Fig. 10)
illustrates the use of an umbrella for the same purpose. This shading is very
necessary. as if the sun is allowed to shine fiercely on the receptacle in, which the
swarm is hived, the extra heat added to that generated by them in the excitement

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

of swarming makes it unbearably hot, and may cause them to come out and abscond.

Hay, grass, or leafy branches of trees put over them and sprinkled with cold water

from time to time will serve the same purpose.

The clustering swarm will at times be out of reach

in the branches of a high tree ; it may then be

hived in the following way. Stick the tines of a

very longdiandled hayfork through the top of a

skep, put it right up under the bees (Fig. n),

then by a sharp upward jerk dislodge them

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.

236

THE BKITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 11, 1914.

into it and lower carefully. A curious position for a swarm to settle is shown
at (Fig. 12). The writer was working amongst the bees when a swarm came off and
settled on. his hand ; it weighed five pounds, and remained for about half an hour.

■g ^^s&mMt-^^^^B

^r wfefl S?r,» s n

8 H

Be -■ . Ji0& '- JH 9R
am >sH H

Sak.

Fig. 12.

Fig. 14.

while a photograph was taken ; it was then hived. Only two stings were received,
and those were caused by crushing bees between the fingers. The only discomfort
was the irritation caused by die sharp claws of those bees attached to the flesh;

their close adhesion and the weight they had to
sustain caused their sharp claws to penetrate the
skin so that minute pustules of blood formed
under the skin. (Fig. 13) shows a swarm cluster-
ing in what to some would appear an awkward
position, vet remembering the two points mentioned
before it is quite an easy matter to hive it. This
swarm reminds me of an old man who lived in
the Huntingdonshire fens, and had kept bees for
forty years, whom I was sent to help. Upon,
my arrival he expressed his regret that 1 was not
with him an hour sooner, as he had Jiad great
trouble with a swarm that had settled on a goose-
berry bush. Upon expressing my surprise that such a
lowly position should be a source of trouble,
which I could quite understand had it been at the
top of a very high tree, he said, "Well, you see.
1 had to dig such a big hole to get the skep under
to shake them in." 1 went down the garden, and
sure .enough there was the hole as stated. " Forty
years a bee-keeper, and yet he didn't know that
bees travel up hill." The method of hiving from
such a position is to make a tripod of three stake;
and put the skep above (Fig. 14), or the
skep may be held with one edge touching
the cluster to let them nm in (Fig. 1 5).
If left entirely alone the bees will gradual ly
run into the skep. At times circumstances arise which make it necessary to hurry
than a little; this can be done by means of the smoker, but it must be used

Fig. 13.

June 11, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

237

sparingly and judiciously at the bottom of the cluster (Fig. 16) or the bees will
rise again. A better plan is to use a carbolic cloth, tying it just below the cluster

Fig. K

Fig. 16.

and moving it up as they retreat from it. Swarms in the middle of a holly,
privet, or thorn hedge can be hived by placing the sleep above them.

Fig. 17.

Fig. 18.

If the cluster is on the bole or a thick branch of a tree, or on a post, then the
sleep should be fastened by means of string so that one edge is just above the
topmost bees, and propped off at the bottom by means of a stick (Fig. 17), when
they will gradually enter as they have done in (Fig. 18).

{To be Continued.)

238

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 11, 1914.

[8941] Smooth Foundation. — On page
228 of last week's "B.B.J." a writer
compares combs made naturally and those
drawn-out from '"home-made" smooth
foundation. I should be very much in-
debted to you if you let me know through
your "Queries and Replies " column: —
(1) What smooth foundation is? (2) How
it can be made at home? (3) Where I
can get the appliances and the cost?
Wishing you and your Journal, the best
of success. — F. N. C. Mow

Reply. — (1 and 2) Smooth foundation is
made by dipping boards into a deep tank
of molten wax several times, and then
stripping off the sheets of wax. Instruc-
tions for making it were given by Mr.
Deuss in " B.B.J.," July 24th, 1913. (3)
It would not pay you to try and make it,
especially as foundation made with the
base of worker-cells can be procured so
cheaply, and far better combs are
obtained by its use. A " Rietsche "
Foundation Press for making larger
quantities would cost about 20s. to 25s.

[8942] A Beginner's Queries. — I shall
be grateful if you will kindly answer the
following questions: — (1) Two swarms,
hived a fortnight ago on six standard
frames of full-sized sheets of foundation,
have worked so well that a few days ago
an extra frame was given to each colony,
and is nearly filled with honey. Should
extra frames be given as required ? (2)
Would there be a risk of the brood being
chilled? (3) Could a section rack be put
on before the young bees are flying? (4)
Two swarms covering two frames, though
three are given, have pulled out founda-
tion, but no stores of honey are visible
though the queens are laying, the swarms
being hived a week ago. Should these
swarms be fed? — Beginner.

Reply.— (1) Yes. (2) Not if you wait
until the combs are crowded with bees.
(3) Yes. (4) Yes, feed without delay.

TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.

E. ,7. Burtt, Stroud Boad, Gloucester. —
A very neat catalogue and an improve-
ment in size from 24 pages last year to
40 this year. Every branch of apiculture
is catered for. Particulars should be
noted of that very necessary requisite in
the apiary, a Bee House, which Mr. Burtt

lists and supplies. A new feature is the
" Pratley Uncapping Tray," which bee-
keepers will find a great boon, preventing
the necessity of cleaning up a lot of spilt
honey, which is the case when makeshift
trays are used. The catalogue is post
free.

A. TT\ Gamage, Holborn, London, E.G.,
send us their catalogue, with which is in-
cluded poultry appliances, which, no doubt,
our readers will find useful, as many bee-
keepers are poultry-keepers also. The
catalogue is an improvement on any
hitherto issued, being thoroughly practical,
and reflects the improvement which we
understand has taken place since the ap-
pointment of a new manager in this de-
partment. Messrs. Gamage send the
catalogue gratis on application.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 11th, at Malvern.— The Hereford®.
and W'orcs. Agricultural Society's Malvern Meeting.
Twelve classes for Honey, &c. Good prizes; small
entry fees.— For schedule apply, Mr. A. Elliott,
Hon. Secretary's Department, Cusop, Hereford.

June 10th and 11th, at Waltham Abbey.

—Essex Bee-Keepers' Association Honey and
Appliance Show, in connection with the Essex
Agricultural Society's Annual Show. Judge,
Lecturer, and Examiner of Candidates for B.B.K.A.
Preliminary Certificate, Mr. W. Herrod. Sche-
dules from G. R. Alder, 176, Hainault-road, Leyton-
stone. Entries closed.

June 10th and 11th, at Lichfield.— The

Staffordshire Bee-Keepers' Annual Exhibition, held
in connection with the Staffordshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open classes. Liberal prizes.
Judge, Mr. A. G. Pugh, Nottingham. Schedules
from Claude R. Forse, Hon. Sec, Trentham, Stoke-
on-Trent. Entries closed.

June 10th to 13th, at Portsmouth.— Hants
B.K.A., Bee and Honey Show. Liberal prize
schedule now ready. Write, E. H. Bellairs, Hon.
Sec, Hants B.K.A., Christchurch.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedule* from
W. Herrod, 23. Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries closed.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Elstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten.-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-plaoe,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

June 11, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

239

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries close 13th June.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries close June 13th.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticulturail Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from' J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual
Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th, 1914.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
oonnection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize liet.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd at Stoke Park, Guildford.
— Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c, will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 24th August.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-Keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec, Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close Aug. 28th.

M. R. (Thanet).— Sugar Boiler's Ther-
mometer.— You can obtain this from
Messrs. E. Skuse, Ltd., Ashmore Works,
Harrow Road, London, W. The price is
7s. 6d.

A Novice (South Devon). — Drone Brood
in [Shallow Frames. — Be careful to get
the queen below and then put on an ex-
cluder zinc. From time to time lift off
the quilts and allow the drones that have
emerged to escape. Or a better plan
would be to get the queen below, and
sacrifice the few combs containing drone
brood by cutting them out and replac-
ing with foundation.

E. M. P. (Guernsey). — Dead Queen. — The
queen sent is a Virgin.

F. H. Treweeks (Pembroke). — Using
\Swarm- catcher. — It would certainly
hinder the bees working a little.

Novice (Norwich). — Honey Sample. — (1)
The honey is quite pure, from clover.
(2) We very much doubt if it is pure
cane. (3) The bees were too dry for us-
to determine the cause of death.

J. McKinnon (Bute).— TT'i^ Bees.— The
species is Andrena, a wild bee common
in this country.

Scot (Stirlings.). — Evidently the bees
have been fighting.

M. R. (Minster).— "English " Honey.—
The honey is foreign, and a bad sample
at that.

C. H. Noel (Salisbury). — Honey Prices. —
Much will depend on the season, already
sections are on the market. Sections
should fetch at least 10s., and if very
good lis. or 12s. per dozen wholesale.
Retail price would be about Is. to Is. 3d.
each.

Suspected Disease.

X. Y. Z. (Ludlow). — There is no appear-
ance of disease in bees sent.

Amateur Bee-keeper . — Odd cells are of
no use for examination. Please send a
piece of comb about 3in. square.

E. Griffin (Slough). — The bees have every
appearance of being affected with " Isle
of Wight" disease.

Bath (Grosvenor). — (1) The bees were too
dry for examination. (2) "Isle of
Wight" disease.

W. R. (Ber wicks.) — We regret to say the
bees are undoubtedly suffering from
"Isle of Wight" disease.

Boniface (Devonport). — We are sorry to
say it is a case of "Isle of Wight"
disease, for which at present there is no
known cure. You have done all that is
possible by way of disinfection, but it
will be best to destroy the bees, burn
the combs, and disinfect the hive by
scorching with a painter's blow-lamp.

240

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 11, 1914.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

"Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

BLACK, also Italian (White Star) hybrid
prime stocks for sale, absolutely free from
disease, May swarms, well built up on combs.—
VINCENT, 132, Croydon-road, Anerley, S.E. v 37

LARGE Solar wax extractor, 10s. 6d.; Meadow's
Raynor honey extractor, gearing chain, and
cover, cost 47s. 6d., take 35/-; U rice's observatory
hive, made by James Lee, cost 22s. 6d., accept
10s. 6d.; all in perfect condition; particulars, Id. '
stamp.— \\ . JOCKMAN, T.C.F., Cherryhinton
Post Office, Cambridge. v 15

CERTIFICATED expert wanted, for a few
weeks, in Cumberland.— Apply, G. "\\ . AVERY,
Wetherai, Carlisle. v 18

WANTED, healthy stock or two, 41b. swarms;
exchange good Tremlett banjo, No. 1407,
good leather case.— POSTMASTER, Crowborough,
Sussex. v 26

YOUNG MAN seeks work as bee man, carpenter
by trade, willing to learn to drive car if
needed— Box X., " .B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand. W.C.

SUPERSEDING entirely with Italians, sell good
native queens, 2s.; old and poor ones
destroyed.— GORDON, Expert, Lonscale, Threlkeld,
Penrith. v 16

ENGLISH HONEY, 7s. 6d. dozen; sample jar,
lid.; Dadant's weed, ten sheets, 5lb., 10s. 9d.;
wax, Is. 6d.; stamp.— HUNT, Quarry -read, Somer-
cotes, Alfreton. v 39

A FEW of a very fine strain of specially bred
queens for sale, from a district that has
been devastated by " Isle of Wight " disease, and
from stocks that have proved perfectly healthy,
excellent honey storers and good comb builders,
price, fertile. 10s. 6d. each; every queen tested,
no unfertiles sold; safe arrival guaranteed.— E.
HOWARD COLLINS, Harewood Apiary. Chalfont
St. Giles, Bucks. v 30

\"%7*ANTED, secondhand books on bee-keeping,
T ? cheap.—" BOOKS," " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bed-
ford-street, Strand, W.C. v 29

I>ERFECT sections, 10s. per dozen, carriage
forward— Apply, MISS GORDON, Wethers-
field-place, near Braintree, Essex. v 28

JUNE SWARMS, from frame hives, guaranteed
healthy, 15S.-THOS. ORMESHER, Westhead
Apiary, Ormskirk, Lanes. v 27

CHAPMAN honey plants. Borage, 3d. per score,
post free.— STEVENS, Churchill, Oxford-
shire, v 25

STRONG, healthy nuclei, with 1914 queens, four
frames, 15s.; six frames, 20s. each, guaranteed
healthy, no disease of any kind in the district.—
A. SHARP, Halstead Farm, Barrowford, Lanca-
shire, v 23

I /~V/~iLB. clover honey, granulated, screw cap
AvJU jars, 7d. lb. for cash .— JONES, printer,
Wellington, Salop. v 22

S

ALE, or exchange, hives and appliances, cheap
27, Churchill-road, Soulh Croydon. v 36

FOR SALE, grand stocks Scotch bees, healthy,
30s. each, or in good secondhand hives, 40s.
each, f.o.r., cash.-GEO. W. PAISLEY, Newport-
on-Tay. v 45

F

OR SALE, strong stock bees, ten frames, 25s.—
PLRT, 62 Exeter-road, Croydon. v 14

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers- large
uncapping tray, with hot water chamber under
7s. 6d.; also extra large Gerster's wax extractor,
7s. 6d.— " BUMBLE," "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand W.C.

FOR SALE, good uncapping tray and heather
bars; particulars— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office
23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

A COUPLE of good stocks, on wired combs, just
ready for supering, 40s. each, cash with
order— " BUMBLE," "B.B.J." Office,. 23, Bedford-
street, Strand W.C.

GUARANTEED healthy natural swarms— Apply,
THE APIARY, Northwood, Siddington,
Chelfurd, Cheshire. v 19

STRONG healthy stocks, ten frames, £1 each —
V\ HEELER, Elmhurst, Shamley Green,
Surrey. v 42

"V^EW 141b. tins, with handles, 5s. dozen; good
i^l W.B.C. hives, lis. 6d. each; geared extractor,
17s. 6d.; ripener, 7s. 6d.; four frame nucleus,
15s. 6d. each— J. BOWDEN, Broomhill, Witley,
Surrey. v 35

TAYLOR'S 28s. honey extractor for sale, price
18s., good as new; also a few empty standard
frame hives, with twelve standard frames, price
2s. 6d. each; W.B.C. hives, with frames, 3s. each;
no disease.— W. PRINGLE, 2, Commercial-square,
Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne. v 38

LADY would like to work on bee farm July,
August, with or without board; terms.—
STUDENT, "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
London. v 43

CJWAEMS of Dutch, Italian, British Golden,
IO prolific, Sladen's strain, and Native Blacks,
for sale— Apply, MAJOR MAXWELL, Glenlair,
Dalbeattie, N.B. v 31

READY for immediate despatch, strong guaran-
teed healthy swarms, 14s. 6d.— Caroline
Cottage, Winchelsea-road, Hastings, v 6

WANTED, sections of honey.— Price and quan-
tity to COWELL, Station-road, Sheringham,
Norfolk. v84

FOR SALE, June 15th, ten to twenty stocks of
bees in hives, consisting of floor-board, brood
box, outer case, lift, roof, painted, seven Italian
1914 queens, the remainder black, guaranteed
healthy on despatch— ASHWORTH, Heytes-
bury. v 80

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2lin. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedou, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street. Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

June 18, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 241

OBSERVATIONS ON HIVES.
By L. E. Snelgrove.
(Continued from page 145.)
The general appearance of a hive is
important ; the joy of bee-keeping is
greatly enhanced if the apairy is com-
prised only of hives that are well
designed, tastefully arranged and kept
scrupulously clean. Such hives add charm
to the most beautiful garden, and are,
therefore, a constant source of pleasure
to visitors as well as to the bee-keeper.
Elegance in the design of a hive may be
obtained without extra expenditure. The
shapes and dimensions of all parts should
harmonise. The legs should be of pro-
portional length and thickness and
suitably splayed, the length and breadth
of the whole hive the same, or nearly
so ; the height no greater than is abso-
lutely necessary ; the roof a mere cap with
pleasing slope ; the alighting-board wide
and only slightly sloped ; and the porch
light and of simple design. The
cheaper kinds of hives are sold without
legs, and some beekeepers do not object
to this. Such hives, however, placed on
the ground or upon pieces of wood or
brick, are easily invaded by obnoxious
insects, especially ants and earwigs, while
moisture, which is always being drawn
upwards from the ground by capillary
attraction, makes them damp and
unhealthy. Beekeepers who have worked
hives placed on the ground certainly know
what it is to have a "back-ache." This
trouble may be avoided, however, if the
legless hives are placed on stout rafters,
which are affixed to stakes driven into the
ground and made exactly level. The
hives are then also level, an importa/nt
point in the production of comb-honey.
This plan, however, is not to be com-
mended, for it is difficult to change the
relative position of the hives during the
summer if this becomes necessary, and
unless there is considerable space and
dissimilarity between them the bees visit
neighbouring entrances promiscuously. I
once kept an out apiary, consisting of a
row of twelve hives all of the same pattern
and colour. Having occasion to destroy
two of the stocks on account of foul brood,
and having replaced the cleansed hives
in their places, I was dismayed the next
day to ssfi as many bees entering the
empty as the full ones. The hives were
two yards apart, but their similarity had
confused thQ bees, with the result that the
disease gradually appeared in almost all
the stocks in the row. It is therefore
good economv to provide all hives with
legs. Their height should be such as will
enable one to manipulate the brood nest
without stopping unduly, and the bcdv of
the hive should be sufficiently far from

SURREY B.K.A. SHOW.

As the Guildford and West Surrey
Agricultural Association, with which the
annual exhibition of the above Association
is to be held, has been obliged to change
the date of its show from September 2nd
to September 9th, will intending exhibi-
tors please note the alteration in the date
of the Surrey B.K.A. show to September
9th? Entries now close on August 31st
instead of August 24th.

BEE-KEEPING IN CANADA.

The conditions for bee-keeping in this
part of Canada are very different to those
found in the Old Country. This year, for
instance, the weather was not mild enough
for the bees to be brought out of the cellar
until April 16th. To-day, May 27th, two
colonies have half filledNtheir first extract-
ing super with honey mainly from
dandelion. These two colonies were
wintered out of doors, packed in shavings,
with two others in a wintering case, and
experienced a long period of below zero
weather in February, with drops to 30deg.
below and less some nights. The honey-
flow from white clover and alsike clover,
usually by far the greatest of the season,
will not begin for two weeks. It will be
supplemented in July by a flow from sweet
clover, and ,will be succeeded in August
by a flow from buckwheat, and in Septem-
ber from golden rod and aster. In an
apiary in the bush over a hundred miles
north of Ottawa, l!601bs. of honey per
colony were got last year, mainly from
willow herb (Epilobium an gusti folium),
a plant that produces a very light honey
with a superb spicy flavour. The willow
herb remains in bloom from early July
until frost, and is said to produce a good
crop every season.

The wholesale price of honey in Ontario
is 10c. to 12c. per lb. — almost as high as
in England. — F. W. L. Sladen, Apicul-
turist, Central Experimental Farm,
Ottawa, May 27th, 1914.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
May, 1914, was £5,416. — From a return
furnished to the British Bee Journal,
by the iStatistical Office, H.M. Customs.

242

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 18. 1914.

the ground to be clear of the dirt which
is splashed upwards in a storm. The legs
should not be so high as to render the
hive unstable in a wind or to make the
uppermost supers higher than the elbows
of the manipulator.

Bearing these points in mind, the most
suitable height of the floorboard from the
ground is about 12in. Allowing 2>in. for
iron feet, this leaves lOin. for the length
of a leg.

Illustrations of old hives show that the
legs were often considerably longer than
this, but then supers were not always
tiered as they are now, and although
brood nests were more conveniently
handled, the short bodies and long legs
remind one of certain types of caricature.
Equally objectionable are the extremely
short legs supplied with large hives now-
a-days by some makers where elegance is
sacrificed to economy. I have seen
modern hives whose floors were not more
than 6in. from the ground.

To give stability each leg should be
splayed outwards in two directions. The
amount of splay desirable depends upon
the length and thickness of the leg and
of the mode of attachment to the joist.
In most hives with hanging frames the
weight is transmitted vertically through

the joists. The vertical line through the
centre of gravity of a joist should there-
fore fall just within the inner edge of
the base of the splayed leg. This will
permit two legs, with the joist in posi-
tion, just to stand without toppling over.
Should the splay be greater than this the
weight of the hive exerts a continuous
movement tending to tear the legs from the
joists. Should it be less, the greatest
desirable stability is not attained. For
a leg of 12in. length and 2^in. square,
fitted with joists 3in. by l^in., the splay
should give a slope of 1 in 6 from the
vertical. This may easily be obtained by
netting a bevel to 80 degrees and marking
in opposite directions from a given point
on a corner of the leg till the bevel marks
meet at the opposite coirner.

If cut off in the plane of these marks
the leg will slope in two directions. The
joist should be let into the leg at right
angles to a cut surface. Screws should
be used for fixing so that the legs may
readily be removed if necessary.

Heavy iron nails or dowels partly
driven into the bottom will prevent decay,
but it is better to use the ant-proof
feet made for the purpose and sold by
all appliance dealers.

(To be continued.)

HELPfOL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

J3% W^Nerrod.

fc---^

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
(Continued from page 237.)

The next position is that of a swarm which settled on a thorn bush growing
at the foot of a bank which came close to its branches, so that it was impossible
to get a skep underneath (Fig. 19). The skep was placed so that it rested on the
bank with the top edge touching the bees (Fig. 20), where they are seen just
commencing to enter. At (Fig. 21) about half have gone in, at (Fig. 22) very few
remain, while (Fig. 23) shows that all have passed inside.

Sometimes a swarm will cluster on a branch of a tree or hedge that is of no
value. In such a case the branch may be cut off with a sharp knife or parrot-nosed
priming shears (Fig. 24), and laid on a board in front of the prepared frame hive,
when they will run in, as shown at (Fig. 25).

Again (Fig. 26) shows a curious position and formation of the swarm. It reached
from the branch to the ground, measured two feet in height and width and three
inches in thickness ; the method of hiving is illustrated at (Fig. 27). The skep was
placed on the ground a little way off and propped up with a stone; the bees were
then dislodged by passing a piece of wood along the underside of the branch.
When they fell to the ground a) few were guided towards the skep, when the whole
lot ran in without the slightest trouble. Two methods of dealing with a swarm
on the hand (Fig. 28) are shown, , at (Fig. 29) it has been shaken into a skep, and
at (Fig. 30) it is being allowed to run into a frame hive. What bee-keeper has not

June 18, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

243

had the annoying experience of seeing one of his fine swarms go into some cavity
in a tree or building, as for instance, the flue of a chimney with the bottom
bricked up ? In many such cases I have secured the bees by taking a comb or brood

'244

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 18, 1914.

from a stock and lowering it by means of string tied to one of the lugs so
that it touched the cluster. It was allowed to remain for an hour or so, and then
hauled up with the queen and bees attached, as their natural instinct caused them
to cluster on the brood to warm and protect it.

In large apiaries it not infrequently occurs that two or more swarms come out
at the same time and join together. Where this occurs they may be hived into a

Fig. 24.

Fig.

frame hive, with sufficient supers placed upon it to accommodate them, when a
good surplus will be obtained. If they are required for sale purposes then it will
be necessary to separate them. This is easy of accomplishment. In two cases
I have had to deal with four swarms joined together ; in each case it was necessary
to separate them, and I proceeded as follows. A large sheet was spread upon the
ground, a skep placed at each corner, and propped up on the side facing the centre

Fig. 26.

Fig. 27.

of the sheet. The bees were brought up by skepfuls and shaken down in the centre
of the sheet. A careful examination was made until all four queens were found ;
one was placed in each of the four skeps, and then the bees were guided by means
of a. yucca brush so that an equal portion went into each skep. The work was
carried out in the evening. No fighting took place, nor were any of the queens
killed.

Bees living in trees, etc., under natural conditions, before they swarm send out

June 18, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

245

scouts to find a. new location, and no doubt some of my readers may have had or
will have experience of this. An empty hive standing in the garden is visited for
a week or ten days by a number of bees, who are busily engaged in cleaning it
down. The owner is surprised at this, but he is quite astonished when one day-
he finds the hive fully populated. The bees seen first were the scouts, and when
the swarm issued it was piloted straight to its new home. If the bee-keeper is

Fig. 28.

Fig. 29.

away from home during the day time he can take advantage of this natural trait
by putting out a decoy hive, i.e., a hive fully fitted as for the hiving of a swarm.
If the bees swarm during his absence the chances are that they will take possession
of the new hive and so save loss. It is not playing the game, but very mean, for
those who do not own bees to put out decoy hives to make a cheap start, which is
done at times.

Another effective method of getting swarms to settle is the dead decov, which is
made by threading a number of dead bees on cotton and hanging them in a cluster
on a tree (Fig. 31).

Fig. 30.

Hunger Swarms.
These issue in March, and instead of
being the sign of an abnormally early
season, as so often stated with much
gusto by the daily papers, shows bad
bee-keeping. The stocks are packed
down with insufficient food to last them
until a natural supply can be obtained
from the flowers. Thev are not
supplied with candy during the winter
and early months of the year, so their
food supply being exhausted in March
they come out on a fine day in the form
of a swarm to try and find a pro-
visioned home. Hunger swarms are
small (Fig. 32) ; they are very rest-
less and move from place to
place very rapidly, and will settle
almost anvwhere. Thev should be

246

THE BKITISH BEE JOTTKNAL. [June 18, 1914.

Fig. 31.

Fig. 32.

captured as quickly as possible, hived back into their old home, and supplied with
warm syrup in a bottle-feeder. The feeding must be kept up until a natural supply
is obtainable.

{To be Continued.)

SUCCESS AT THE HEATHER.

' 'Tis not in mortals to command success,
But we'll do mere — deserve it."

[9037] May one who until lately was
a comparative novice at that annual event
known amongst some bee-keepers as
"going to the heather" venture upon a.
few words of advice to those who may be,
like he himself wias a. few years ago,
anxious to go, but lacking knowledge and
experience of the best ways of carrying
out the operation. It may sound some-
what of a paradox to say that "success
at the heather " is not gained there, but
in the more prosaic apiary at home. Like
other achievements which are at all
desirable, it must be prepared for months
in advance. It is not a mere matter of
taking bees to the moors, placing them
in the most favourable, situation, and then
trusting to luck. We learn from our
successes ; possibly we learn more from our
failures. What I here wish to teach is the
result, as much of failure as of success.

Most bee-keepers have had one harvest
of honey before the time arrives for the
annual migration to the heather. Although

perhaps the most glorious event in the
bee-keeper's calendar it is not to be
entered upon lightly and without due con-
sideration. Success may come even to the
foolish, but the experiment is most likely
to end in dire and dismal failure.
Remember that from early spring you have
been working your stocks to their utmost
extent, stimulating the queen to the limit,
and that now the harvest of lowland
honey is over both queens and stocks are
ready for a rest. But if heather honey is
to be obtained no rest may be allowed.
Strict necessity requires that any hive
taken to the moors must be a mass of
brood from back to front. For it is the
quantity of brood taken, rather than the
number of bees, that is to determine
success or failure. How is this to be
obtained? As soon as the clover flow is
ovsr, requeen at once. This is not a
treatise on requeening, or queen rearing,
but by any method you can, see that a
young queen is at the head of each stock,
and by gentle stimulation if necessary
make sure that she is laying to her fullest
capacity. The presence of a young and
vigorous queen puts new life into the stock
as well as assuring combs solid with brood.
This, then, is the first essential, and must
be thought out not the night before the
great event, but months in advance.
Although moderately strong stocks may be
taken with a view to obtaining winter
food, it is only the very strongest that will

June 18, 1914.] THE BRITISn BEE JOURNAL.

24T

give surplus at a time when the natural
propensity of the bees is to reduce the
brood nest and begin to cluster.

Perhaps next to having stocks fit to
take, the chief essential is to have suit-
able hives to take them in. There are
many hives on the market, all equally
good for standing in the home apiary, but
possessing all sorts of defects when it
comes to travelling with them. The
essentials of a good heather hive are that
it shall be easily shut up ready for a
journey, that when closed there shall be
ample ventilation for bees so that combs
do not break down with the heat, that it
shall ride easily on a conveyance without
any suspicion of top-heaviness, and that it
shall pack easily along with others.

If then the reader desires to take his
bees to the moors he must see that his
hives possess these essential features at
one?. A hive for the moors ought not to
stand on legs, for when loaded on a dray
the^e make the hive top-heavy and cause
a considerable amount of swinging. In-
stead of legs stout plinths about 4in. deep
under the floor-board are all that is neces-
sary. The entrance should be such as can
be closed in a minute with perforated zinc
and yet will give the bees ample ventila-
tion, and perhaps more important still, it
should run the whole length of the hive.
Double-walled hives— that isr= hives with
interior chambers loose, such as the
''AY. B.C.," although perhaps the best for
home use, are difficult to pack securely,
and should not be taken. All supers
should be contained in the outer case ; sec-
tions can be ea.sily accommodated in the
' W.B.C." hanging frame, and the supers
containing them will then be found to be
interchangeable with supers of shallow
bars. In packing, a piece of cheesecloth or
coarse slacking may be laid over the brood
chamber or even over the supers, and
another super jammed down tight will
hold all secure. Nails or screws through
the plinths complete the packing.

Oombs should also receive attention.
Novices are regularly being warned to nail
all frames and to wire all foundation. If
this iis necessary for the home apiary, it
is doubly needful when it comes to trans-
porting stocks. If this little piece of
advice be neglected the would-be traveller
will possibly find himself, as Pettigrew
says, "A hive the poorer but a thought the
richer." Have by a supply of drawn-out
shallow bars, and if possible sections also,
because, although bees will draw out foun-
dation at the moors they seem to do it
with reluctance, and much valuable time
may be saved by having combs ready.
These they will fill at times when they
will not look at foundation.

Now as to transporting bees to the
heather. Close all hives the night

previous to the journey, and if possible
travel during the night or early morning,
so as to have the stocks on their new
stands before the heat of the day. Even
the method of transporting stocks needs
careful consideration. I am of the opinion
that a light motor-lorry is the best means,
and intend to try it as soon as possible.
Failing that, choose a four-wheeled spring
dray. On no account take an ordinary
two-wheeled vehicle. Accidents happen to
horses at times, and if the animal
honoured by your choice to convey you
and the bees to the moors chooses to lie
down on the way. well, a two-wheeler goes
down with it, whilst a four-wheeler may
be trusted to remain as a rule in stable
equilibrium. Look well after the horse,
and see that he is capable of doing his
work in the time allotted for it, or, if pro-
longed rests have to be made on the road,
the bees may suffer. I write from ex-
perience. I once hired a horse which
appeared to be splendid. He went well
on the level, but when he came to the hills
he refused to go, and no> amount of per-
suasion could induce him to pull. He had
to be taken out, and I had an up-hill
journey of several miles to the moorland
farm to get another. Result — a stock
damaged (my best stock, by the way), my
temper gone for the week. When I
examined that horse I found he had sore
shoulders. Such details as here pointed
out make for success. Leave nothing
except the weather to chance, and then if
that is favourable you will be rewarded by
a bumping harvest.

Pack your hives carefully on the dray, a
few turns of rope will hold them secure,
and then drive. If you have such faith in
your packing that you need not look
behind to see if bees are coming out,
then so much the better.

On arriving, unpack the hives from the
dray, place On their permanent stands,
which may have to be of the makeshift
variety, such as a few stones, and then,
before loosing the bees, see that the horse
is taken out of the field. Make everything
secure ; see that there is ample room for
bees to work and that all is packed up
warm. Success in the shape of good super's
of honey may not come, but it pays me to
take for winter stores only. One more
thought — a queen excluder is scarcely
necessary, as the brood nest is now
contracting.

D. Wilson.

LINSEED AND " I.O.W. " DISEASE.

[9038] May I suggest linseed as a
remedy for "Isle of Wight" disease? It
is not3 of course, intended to kill the
parasite, but to strengthen the bee against
it. It is well known that linseed improves

248

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 18, 1914.

the coat and skin of animals. It is also
an old remedy for colds ; and I suppose its
effect is in healing the mucous membrane.
If this is so, may it not strengthen the
internal skin surface of the bee and so
prevent the parasite from entering the
body, as we are told, by the bacterio-
logical lecturer reported in your issue of
May 21st, that it does by " insinuating
itself into one of the larger digestive cells,
or piercing between them, and reaching
the body cavity lying beyond." That this
proposed remedy is not altogether im-
probable would seem to follow from what
the lecturer further said, namely, that
some bees " have acquired a certain
amount of immunity to the parasite, which
can live and multiply within them, but
does not affect them seriously."

I have tried linseed flour in candy (not
for the cure of disease), and the bees seem
to prefer it to pea-flour. Linseed is diffi-
cult to grind ; probably some of the oil
should be extracted first, and then the
broken seed dried before it is ground and
sieved. It may be said that we cannot
continue the feeding of linseed ; but I
think, if it is effective, all that would be
necessary would be to give it during the
important breeding seasons — say, two
months in spring and one month in
autumn. It is only intended as a remedy
for the bee reared wholly or partly on it
from the egg, and not for the fully-
developed bee.

I should like to find fault with Mr. Heap
(page 222, June 4th) when he implies
that the immune bee is a chimera, and
says the " universal destruction of diseased
and suspected stocks would help her
(Nature) enormously." I am not
altogether opposed to legislation in regard
to bees, but if we are to destroy stocks of
bees as the Board of Agriculture destroys
pigs, we may be no nearer to the immune
bee at the period Mr. Heap mentions. I
believe immunity is the only proper policy
to aim at, and that it is not difficult to
attain ; and to this end only badly diseased
stocks should be destroyed. If partly
diseased and even "suspected" stocks are
to be destroyed, how is the immune bee to
arise?— T. f . Taylor, Beverley.

[8943] Beginner 's Queries. — (1) Is it a
sign of anything wrong to find dead bees
scattered on the ground before the alight-
ing-board? The stock is a strong and
active one with 1913 queen, covering ten
frames and working in a first super. I do

not notice any other suspicious sign, such
as bees loitering on the alighting-board
with wings extended, or voiding excrement
on and about the hive. (2) How long
should it take such a stock to draw out
ten shallow frames in a super (full sheets),
having regard to season and locality? (3)
Is it wise, after work has been com-
menced in a super, to disturb the bees by
examining the brood-frames? The bees
are building comb between the bottom of
shallow-frames and the queen-excluder.
(4) Can this be prevented or does it not
matter? (5) Do bees ever tear down the
edges of sheets of foundation (shallow
frames) if the sheets do not extend right
across? This is my first season, and per-
haps I am inclined to be over-anxious
about my one stock. — S. Twigg, Derby.

Reply. — (1) The symptoms point to
"Isle of Wight" disease. (2) It is diffi-
cult to say, from a week to a fortnight,
when they commence work in them. (3)
No. (4) If the supers are made to the right
size this ought not to be. Let them alone
now. (5) Bees will tear down founda-
tion at times for various reasons. Don't
worry, it will be all right.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of is. 6d. is made for notice*
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up lo 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show, Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.K.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries closed.

July 8th, at St Albans.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Blstree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten.-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish

Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-olace,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Cant. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries closed.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries closed.

Jim? 18, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

249

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, Ac.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual
Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted hooey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th, 1914.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
elass open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd at Stcke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 24th August.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Snow of the Richmond and District
Bee-Keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec, Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close Aug. 28th.

Red Mount (Lynn). — Fermented Homey.
— So long as yon boil the honey it will
be quite safe to feed the bees with it.

C. H. M. (Lines). — Observatory Hives. —
(1) The measurements given are per-
fectly correct. You will notice that one
of our correspondents has already com-
pleted an observatory hive from the
description. (2) The thermometer is for
the purpose of recording the tempera-
ture in hive. (3) No, it is not unusual

to have a filled shallow-frame weighing
olbs. to 61bs. ; we have had heavier ones
still. The statement refers to eight
combs per super.

W. A. S. (Derbyshire). — Dead Larvoe
Thrown Out. — Without seeing them it
is difficult to form an opinion. We
should say that, having given up all
idea of swarming, the bees are casting
out drone larvee, which often occurs.

W. A. M. (Norwich). — Name of Insect. —
The insect is a Mason bee, which is very
common in this country.

G. A. H. (Hinckley). — Bees Eating Holes
in Foundation — It is generally caused
by the foundation being too old and
hard." They will also do it if too much
soda has been used for lubricating the
machines.

J. B. (Stonehaven). — Disinfecting Ap-
pliances.— Use a painter's blow-lamp,
or wash with a solution of Calvert's
No. 5 carbolic acid, 2 parts; water, 5
parts.

R. S. (Castle Gary).— Wild Bee.— Andrena,
a species common in this country. (2)
We use perchloride of mercury. Get a
bottle of tabloids and follow instruc-
tions on bottle.

H. J. H. (Winchester).— Lost Swarm. —
You have done all that was possible, as
although room in advance of their re-
quirements is given, bees will at times
persist in swarming.

A. H. B. (Newport Pagnell). — Defective
Queen. — So far as we can see, tbe queen
is all right, there must have been some
internal injury to account for her fail-
ing to lay. Why did you not complain
to the dealer in question P He would
have replaced her.

G. H. L. (Petersfield). — Carniolan Bees. —

(1) The bees are pure bred Carniolans.

(2) They show signs of " Isle of Wight "
disease. (3) Close space the frames, to
prevent drones from hatching.

Full Sheet (Gloucesters.). — Dead Drones.

— The drones are being killed off by the

workers.
Bosco (Birmingham). — Feeding Swarm. —

Yes, you have done quite right. Continue

feeding for another week.

Suspected Disease.

R. L. L. (Devon). — (1) It is the brood of a
laying worker. (2) The brood is chilled
only. (3) There is no other way. (4)
They might possibly do so, but it is not
probable.

H. W. (Potterne Wick). — It is a case of
" Isle of Wight " disease.

C. L. H. (Exeter), A. T. J. (Manning-
tree), and A. S. (Leighton Buzzard). —
The bees are suffering from " Isle of
Wight " disease.

Fishponds (Bristol). — The bees were too
dry for us to determine the cause of
death.

250

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 18, 1914.

T. H. D. (N. Devon). — There is no disease,

only pollen, in the comb sent.
B. J. (Colchester). — We can find no trace

of disease in the bees.
Templecombe. — Regret to say it is " Isle

of Wight" disease.
Queen Camel. — No disease.
G. McN. (Lesmahagow). — It is " Isle of

Wight " disease. There is no fee.
Jingo (Glos.). — Bees have " Isle of

Wight " disease. There is no known

cure.
H. E. W. (Sevenoaks). — Bees have "Isle

of Wight" disease. Yes, it is quite

possible for it to develop in the time

stated.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. ver \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

PRINTING PRESS, metal type, accessories,
10s., bargain; particulars.— \V. WEBSTER,

291, Normanton-road, Derby. v 47

58. OFFERED for cast, not under 21b-
W 1LLIAMS, Falmouth-avenue, Highams
Park. v 58

THREE BEE-HIVES for sale, in good condi-
tion; giving up the business reason for dis-
posal; bargain— H. MORRISON, King's Hut,
Hunter's Quay, Argyllshire. v 46

WANTED, secondhand wax extractor, honey
extractor, uncapping tray; all particulars.
— FRASER, Melton Cottage, Balbirnie-street, Mark-
inch, v 49

CASH OFFERS wanted for natural May
swarms, on new wired frames, guaranteed
healthy by expert.— JOHN BRAY, Covenham,
Louth, Lincolnshire. v 50

CHAPMAN'S Honey Plants, strong plants, 3d.
per score; seed, 3d. per packet.— W. KING,
20, Moy-road, Cardiff. v 51

SMITH PREMIER TYPEWRITER, Standard
double keyboard, very reliable, beautiful
writing, perfect condition, cost £23, accept 60/-,
worth double— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham, v 54

EXTRACTOR, Lee's, 27s. 6d., used once, per-
fect, 18s. f.o.r— SCHOOLMASTER, Bampton
Aston, Oxon. v 55

\ VIRGIN QUEENS, 2s. each, swarm raised; best
honey strain, and very prolific; disease un-
known—HORSCROFT, certificated apiarist, 207,
Coventry Road, Ilford. v 57

CERTIFICATED expert wanted, for a few
weeks, in Cumberland.— Apply, G. W. AVERY,
Wetheral, Carlisle. v 18

A FEW of a very fine strain of specially bred
queens for sale, from a district that has
been devastated by " Isle of Wight " disease, and
from stocks that have proved perfectly healthy,
excellent honey storers and good comb builders,
price, fertile. 10s. 6d. each; every queen tested,
no unfertiles sold; safe arrival guaranteed.- E.
HOWARD COLLINS, Harewood Apiary, Chalfont
St. Giles, Bucks. v 30

PERFECT sections, 10s. per dozen, carriage
forward— Apply, MISS GORDON, Wethers-
field-place, near Braintree, Essex. v 28

JUNE SWARMS, from frame hives, guaranteed
healthy, 15s.— THOS. ORMESHER, Westhead
Apiary, Ormskirk, Lanes. v 27

CHAPMAN honey plants, Borage, 3d. per score,
post free— STEVENS, Churchill, Oxford-
shire, v 25

STRONG, healthy nuclei, with 1914 queens, four
frames, 15s.; six frames, 20s. each, guaranteed
healthy, no disease of any kind in the district.—
A. SHARP, Halstead Farm, Barrowford, Lanca-
shire, v 23

-| />/~\LB. clover honey, granulated, screw cap
JL UU jars, 7d. lb. for cash— JONES printer,
Wellington, Salop. v 22

FOR SALE, grand stocks Scotch bees, healthy,
30s. each, or in good secondhand hives, 40s.
each, f.o.r., cash.-GEO. Wr. PAISLEY, Newport-
on-Tay. v 45

A COUPLE of good stocks, on wired combs, just
ready for supering, 40s. each, cash with
order.—" BUMBLE," " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand W.C.

GUARANTEED healthy natural swarms— Apply,
THE APIARY, Northwood, Siddington,
Chelford, Cheshire. y_19

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; laoe
bands, 2gin. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., pOiSt free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford -street. Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th.-HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford -street, Strand, W.C.

JRECT from F. W. Sladen's original extra
golden bee stocks— British golden virgin
queens, 2s. 6d. each, three for 6s. 9d.; apiary free
from " I.O.W." CREWES, Apiary, Warlingham.
Surrey. v w

STOCKS of Bees for sale, never had disease of
any kind in apiary.-WEAVER PRICE.
F.R.H.S., Brecon, South Wales.

D'

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.

HOW TO PREVENT SWARMING— A certain
method, fully explained, with illustrations
from life, of bees and their work, price U.,
postage Id., from all dealers, and the author, A. H.
WILKES, Lichfield-road, Four Oaks, Birming-
ham

CHOICE, PROLIFIC, FERTILE.

English Queens, excellent strain, safe arrival

guaranteed, every Queen tested, 5s. each.

Wilkes, Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Birm.

Established 1892.

COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother
Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms: lea
bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 5s. per
day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle
Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man.

EW Super-Clearer (patented), combining relia-
. biliity and rapidity. See " B.B.J. ."April 9th.
Order at once from your dealer, 6d. each or trom
F W WATTS, 132 Goodrich Road, East

N1

Dulwich.

v 87

June 25, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

251

THE ROYAL SHOW.

We take this last opportunity of draw-
ing our readers' attention to the Royal
Show, at Shrewsbury, which opens on
Tuesday next. The show promises to be
one of the largest in recent years. In the
Hives and Honey Department there are
more entries than at any since the Lincoln
Show of 1907. The annual show at
Shrewsbury is noted all over the country,
especially for its horticultural section, and
also until lately for its honey section. No
doubt the town will be able to do justice
to its reputation, and we advise as many
of our readers as possible to pay the show
a visit. It is educative to the majority of
bee-keepers to visit a large show, repre-
sentative of the best and most experienced
exhibitors in their ranks. We are looking
forward to increasing our already large
number of bee-keeping friends as well as
to renewing acquaintance with old ones.
Whatever you miss at the show, don't fail
to pay a visit to the ' ' Hives and Honey
Department."

ST. ALBANS AND DISTRICT B.K.A.
SHOW.

We would call our readers' special
attention to the show to be held
under the auspices of the St. Albans
and District B.K.A. in Aldenham Park,
on Wednesday, July 8th, 1914. A
great deal of trouble has been taken by
Mr. R. H. Attenborough to make it a
success, and he deserves the support of
all bee-keepers. There is an open class for
a single jar of extracted honey, with
liberal prizes and no entry fee, which is
well worth the attention of bee-keepers in
any part of the country. Those who reside
in the vicinity should certainly pay a visit
to this show. Not only to see the honey
competitions, but the gardens and grounds
of the Hon. Vicary Gibbs are famous
throughout the country and well worth a
journey of many miles to see. Cheap
tickets are issued on the Midland Rail-
way, and a motor-' bus service to the
entrance of the gardens will be run from
Cricklewood, and the train at Radlett
Station. All particulars can be obtained
from Mr. R. H. Attenborough, Aldenham,
Herts.

IGNORANCE.

The following, taken from a Northern
newspaper, June 5th, 1914, made us rub
our eyes and wonder if we were living in
the first or twentieth century. It is in-
credible that such trash should be printed
in these enlightened days : —

" LOOKING AROUND.

'"How Skilfully She Builds.'— Yester-
day, I made incidental reference to the
building of her cell by the bee, saying
that there is nothing extraordinary in the
beautiful six-sided achievement. ' Bee-
keeper ' wonders at my observation,
' having been taught from infancy to
regard the bee's cell as one of the most
marvellous achievements of instinct in the
whole realm of nature.' But, really, there
is not much in it. The bee, because of the
form of its body, cannot help itself but
make a six-sided cell, and ' Bee-keeper '
will be persuaded that it is so, if he places
as many pennies as possible around one
penny, so that all touch the centre coin
and each other. He will find that exactly
six pennies can be thus placed around one
penny.

" Pennies, Cheeses, Full Moons. — "Bee-
keeper ' will find the same thing to be
true, if he make the experiment with
threepenny-pieces, sixpences, crowns,
round plates, cheeses, and moons. Because
every circle, great or small, admits around
it exactly six circles of its own size, all
being in touch with it and with each other.
Now let ' Bee-keeper ' fill up with wax the
six triangular interspaces around the
central coin, and thereupon remove this
coin. He will find that he has made a
hexagonal or six-sided cell as perfect as
the bee. For bees hang in a cluster,
packed together when making the comb,
the cylindrical body of each bee being in
touch with the six cylindrical bodies of
other bees. Every bee thus placed covers
its body with a layer of secreted wax,
filling the interspaces with the same.

"As the Mugger's Horse. — It follows
from the foregoing explanation that each
bee, on withdrawing its body from the
wax, leaves, and cannot help but leave, a
six-sided cell. From this it will be under-
stood that the bee deserves no more credit
for the making of its beautiful cell than
does the earthworm for the round hole
it makes on coming to the surface — no
more credit than the mugger's horse
deserves for describing a perfect circle by
going round and round at the length of
its tether."

And again, from Farm, Field, and Fire-
side we have the following : —

" Supposing a large number of drones to
have hatched out it is sometimes desirable
to trap them. This may be done by means

252

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 25, 1914.

of a trap made of queen-excluder zinc,
made to fit over the hive entrance. It
should be put on in the middle of a fine
sunny day when drones are flying, and
prevents them from re-entering the hive
without materially hindering the workers.

" Combs filled entirely with drone brood
should be removed altogether, after
shaking the bees back into the hive. They
may be fed to chickens, who devour them
greedily, and, indeed, I am not surprised,
for following the example of some native
tribes, I once boiled a lot of drone grubs
and ate them. They are pure white, tasty
morsels, with a rich nutty flavour, and if
prejudice can be overcome would form a
quite acceptable and luxurious dish —
Ivo."

Shades of C. N. White ! it is enough to
make him turn in his grave that such
rubbish should be written above his per-
sonal nom de plume, and by which he was
known for many years. Out of respect to
the dead we would suggest that the pre-
sent writer (we know not who he is) will
have the decency to choose a nom de plume
of his own.

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
London, W.C., on Thursday, June 18th,
1914. Mr. W. F. Reid presided. There
were also present Miss M. D. Sillar, Sir
Ernest Spencer, Col. H. J. O. Walker,
Messrs. C. L. M. Eales, E. Watson, J.
Smallwood, R. H. Attenborough, O. R.
Frankenstein, J. B. Lamb, and H. P.
Perkins; Association representatives, G. J.
Flashman (Barnet), G. R. Alder, and G. S.
Faunch (Essex), F. W. Harper (St.
Albans), G. W. Judge, and G. Bryden
(Crayford), Rev. F. S. F. Jannings (York-
shire), and the Secretary, W. Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were read from Miss Gayton, Mr.
T. W. Cowan, and Mr. D. Seamer. The
minutes of Council meeting, held on
May 21st, 1914, were read and confirmed.

The following new members were elected :
—Miss E. B. Hampson, Miss D. E.
Shakerley, Captain Basil J. Orlebar, Mr.
A. L. Williams Mr. A. B. Cloutman, and
Mr. S. H. Smith.

The following Associations nominated
delegates, and the same were accepted :
Lancashire, Dr. W. Anderton ; Yorkshire,
Rev. F. iS. F. Jannings; Northampton, G.
Masom.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank for
May amounted to £323 13s. Id., the bank
balance being £283 5s. lid. Payments
amounting to £325 5s. were recommended.

Reports were made by Mr. W. F. Reid

and Mr,. J. B. Lamb re Bacteriological
Examinations, but it was felt that there
was not sufficient information before the
Council to act upon at the present.

A letter was read from Mr. T. W.
Cowan thanking the Council for their tele-
gram of congratulation on the golden
wedding of Mrs. Cowan and himself.

The matter of arranging the judging
tests at the conversazione in October was
kindly undertaken by Mr. O. R. Franken-
stein.

Applications for Preliminary Examina-
tion to be held in Gloucestershire, Lincoln-
shire, Somersetshire, Glamorganshire,
Worcestershire, and at the Royal Show,
Shrewsbury, were received and granted.

Next meeting of Council, in the Hives
and Honey Department, Royal Show
Ground, Shrewsburv, Thursday, July 2nd,
1914.

ROYAL COUNTIES AGRICULTURAL
SHOW.

BEE AND HONEY DEPARTMENT.

The above show, held on the Common at
Southsea, on June 10th to 13th, was
favoured with excellent weather condi-
tions, which no doubt was responsible for
attracting the record crowds visiting the
show. Some excellent honey was staged,
and considering the state of the bee in-
dustry in the iSouthern Counties, there
was a good entry. The observatory hives
shown by Mr. Geo. Boddie and Mr. H. M.
Cooper attracted great attention, and
about SOOlbs. of honey was sold at a good
price, in the selling classes. The bee tent
attracted large crowds, which were evi-
dently greatly interested in the lectures
and demonstrations given under the
auspices of the Hants, and Isle of Wight
Bee-keepers' Association by Messrs. E. H.
Bellairs, H. M. Cooper, and F. D. Hills,
the Hon. Sec, assisted by Mr. F. W.
Allinson. The Duke and Duchess of Teck,
Sir H. Meux, and Sir Wm. Portal were
among the distinguished visitors who spent
some time at the demonstrations, and were
evidently greatly interested. Mr. E. H.
Bellairs judged the exhibits and made the
following awards: —

Collection of Hives and Appliances. — ■

E. H. Taylor, Welwyn.

Observatory Hive, with Bees and Queen.
— Geo. Boddie, North End, Portsmouth.

Complete Frame-hive (price not to
exceed 20s.).— E. H. Taylor.

Cottager's Hive (price not to exceed
10s. 6d.).— E. H. Taylor.

Invention or Inventions calculated to
be of use to the Bee-keeping Industry. —
No award.

Display of Honey and Wax. — 1st, H. M.
Cooper, Thorley, Isle of Wight; 2nd,

F. D. Hills, Ivanhoe, Alton.

June 25, 1914.] THE BEITISn BEE JOITBNAL.

253

Twelve Sections (not exceeding 2-lbs.
each).— 1st, F. D. Hills; 2nd, H. M.
Cooper; 3rd, Mrs. Henshaw, Eynham,
Bitterne, Hants.

Six 1-/6. Sections.— 1st, F. D. Hills;
2nd, Mrs. Henshaw; 3rd, H. M. Cooper.

Single 1-lb. Section.— 1st, F. D. Hills;
2nd, H. M. Cooper.

Single 1-lb. Jar of Extracted Honey. —
1st, A. H. Bowen Cheltenham; 2nd,
F. D. Hills; equal 3rd, E. J. Pannell,
East Street, Havant, and H. M. Cooper.

12465. of Extracted Honey in 1-lb. or
2-lb. Vessels. — 1st, iS. G. Leigh, Brough-
ton, Hants; 2nd, H. M. Cooper; 3rd,
E. J. Pannell.

Beeswax. — 1st, H. M. Cooper; 2nd,
Geo. Boddie. — F. D. Hills, Hon. Sec.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
tor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
tide of the paper only and give their real names
*nd addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
M a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

NATIVE v. FOREIGN BEES.

[9039] For the benefit of your readers
I should like to give my experiences with
native and foreign races of bees. I am
located in a district infected with foul
brood, and for a number of years my
apiary has not been free from it. I have
wasted gallons of Izal and tried every
known specific to cure or check it, burn-
ing on an average three stocks every
season, only to find the disease triumphant
the following spring. I had often read
of the greater immunity from disease of
the Italian and Carniolan bee, so I
determined to give them a trial. Two>
years ago I introduced several queens of
both races. I put some of them into
colonies which were more or less affected
with the disease. One case is worthy of
special mention. Into one stock very
badly affected I put a Golden Italian
queen which, owing to bad weather, was
rather long in getting mated.

When brood appeared, I was gratified to
see a uniform mass of pearly-white grubs
without the slightest signs of disease. I
closed down the hive strong in bees, with
a sufficiency of stores, and waited with
some anxiety the. coming of the following

spring to see whether the cure was per-
manent or not. The month of April re-
vealed solid slabs of brood, which were
a delight to look at, every cell containing
an absolutely healthy grub. The stock
developed into one of hurricane strength,
and gave me almost 100 beautiful sections.
The beauty of the bees, and the immense
number were a marvel to all bee-keepers
who saw them.

I should also say that every stock
headed by a foreign queen proved healthy,
and remained so up to the time of writing,
despite the fact that they were all put
into more or less affected hives. Let me
turn to colonies headed by native or Black
queens. I had only two swarms last year,
both from natives. I noticed slight traces
of disease in one of them, which failed to
requeen. Now for the sequel. I intro-
duced a Black virgin, which I got from a
friend about a fortnight after the swarm
issued. In due course she mated and
commenced laying. You will observe they
were treated almost similarly to the stock
into which the Golden Italian virgin was
introduced. More than three weeks
elapsed from the removal of the laying
queen until any eggs were deposited in
either hive. The Golden Italian headed a
colony of bees of which anyone might be
proud, while this native Black is to-day
at the head of a rotten and dwindling
handful of bees. But I am not yet
finished. The other stock of natives
which swarmed, and which at the time
appeared quite healthy, came out this
spring in a worse and weaker state than
the aforementioned, and was destroyed
some time ago.

I have unfortunately still got seven
stocks of Blacks, five of which are diseased,
while every one of the twelve stocks
headed by Italian and Carniolan queens
is healthy and very strong.

The native bee has its good qualities
and succeeds very well in districts free
from disease, but where such abounds it
is helpless and a source of contagion. In
face of an experience such as mine, I
consider it rank heresy to advocate stick-
ing to Blacks under every condition. —
Cruickshank, Granton-on-Spey.

FIGHTING "ISLE OF WIGHT"
DISEASE.

[9040] "Isle of Wight" disease first
appeared among my bees in August of
1911. I was rather alarmed at its first
appearance, but later resolved to try and
winter mv stocks, some of which were
Italian and some English. The English
stocks all succumbed to the disease
during the winter, but the Italians
wintered well without any loss, and were

254

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 25, 1914.

very strong and in fine condition. It was
then that I resolved to test the resisting
qualities claimed for Italian bees, and
requeened every stock of native bees with
a select tested Italian queen, which I got
from a reliable queen-breeder, and for
which I gave 10s. 6d. each. These stocks
did well during 1912, and gave a splendid
return of honey, and the disease did not
reappear. To still further test their
abilities I bought some stocks of native
bees, and they developed the disease
almost immediately. I at once deposed
their queens, inserting in their place some
specially selected Italian queens, for which
I gave a high price. This seemed to put
new life into them, and when the young
Italians began working some five weeks
later a crawling bee could scarcely be
found. I at first used disinfectants, but
have now given them up (except medicat-
ing the food when feeding them), as I
find they are hardly necessary, though, of
course, they do not do any harm. I also
make a point of digging up the ground
every fortnight, and spraying with Izal,
which keeps the apiary in a healthy state.
This present season the bees are better
and healthier than ever, and some of the
stocks gave me a rack of honey by April
26th, the earliest I have ever taken any.

It may also interest readers to know that
this part of the county is very badly
affected, and as I am expert to the Hun-
stanton, King's Lynn, and Docking dis-
tricts of the Norfolk B.K.A., I have
handled hundreds of diseased stocks in
all stages, I, if anyone, ought to carry
infection to my own bees. In several of
the villages not a bee can be found, and
I am convinced that it has to do with
the bad state of our native bees. One
enthusiastic bee-keeper boasted to me of
the fact that there had been bees in his
garden for over fifty years, and he had
never bought or sold any stocks or
swarms. This bee-keeper had lost all his
stocks through "Isle of Wight" disease,
and there is no doubt that inbreeding had
made the bees very weak, and quite
incapable of resisting disease.

My experiments lead me to believe that
a good strain of Italian bees are the
very best for disease resistance, though
Carniolans are also good. I cannot speak
very favourably of our English bees, as
they seem helpless when attacked. I also
believe in giving plenty of comb founda-
tion, as this develops a good-sized bee.
These stocks of mine have now stood the
test for the last four years, and I have
every confidence in saying that the cure
of the disease rests entirely with the bee-
keeper himself, and if a little time and
trouble are taken by bee-keepers to see
that they always have a good, young queen
at the head of their stocks, I have no

doubt that the disease will gradually die
out.

If any readers of this paper are visit-
ing Hunstanton this summer I invite
them to pay a visit to the ' ' Model
Apiary," when I should be only too
pleased to still further explain my methods
for keeping free from what up to the
present has proved a most exterminating
disease. — Julian E. Lockwood, Hunstan-
ton.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[9041] With a view to possibly assist-
ing other bee-keepers, and that it may be
of general interest in these troublesome
times, and further in the hope that some
other of your readers will give their ex-
periences, I venture to set forth the visita-
tion of this dreaded disease to my small
apiary of nine stocks. Bees came through
the winter exceptionally well, excellently
stocked with natural food, and were all
headed by prolific queens. Three weeks'
very fine weather in April assisted breed-
ing, with the result that by June 5th they
had cast fourteen swarms, all so good that
I could not detect the swarms from the
casts. By June 7th, bees were well up in
supers, but as all the surrounding bee-
keepers were devastated by disease I kept
a good look out. On that date I noticed
some crawlers from a swarm cast on May
27th; the following day there were scores,
and the next day they were so bad that we
burned the lot in the evening. Those
suffering from the disease had, however,
whether by alighting drowsily on the
wrong floor-board, or more generally by
crawling up the legs of the hive, invaded
their next-door neighbour — a magnificent
swarm cast on June 4th. The crawlers
were, of course, speedily expelled, and the
floor-board covered with the slain, but the
mischief was done, and on June 12th the
second swarm showed unmistakable signs
of disease. The day following there were
numbers of crawlers, and as another stock
was also slightly affected I stopped up both
entrances in the evening, and removed
them to separate localities, some 100 yards
distant. They both ate their way out the
next day, and some bees returned to their
old stands, and no doubt it would be better
to place old hives to receive and destroy
them.

However, at the time of writing, no
other stocks are affected. The stock
slightly affected has recovered ; the swarm
continues to decrease, but as there is a
quantity of brood I have a faint hope that
it may supplement the casualties. In
helping our little friends to fight
this scourge we have one great
asset. They are true sportsmen — or
should we say sportswomen ? — and if they
must die they die fighting, game to the

June 25, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

255

last. My suggestion is that unaffected
stocks must at all hazards be protected
from the crawlers, and is it not a fair
inference that the reason why whole
apiaries are exterminated is largely be-
cause the hives are placed so close to-
gether?— H. R. Yeo, Rougham Rectory.

SOMETHING LIKE A SWARM.

[9042] On Friday, 19th June, I was
called to hive a swarm of bees at the
residence of one of our members, H. Riley,
Esq., West Lodge, Kew. I saw at once
it was a monster, hanging so that I could
reach it from the ground. I am not
possessed of much muscular strength, and
one shake brought so many bees in the
skep that I was unable to hold it with one
hand. I quickly got the other hand to
it, and put it on the ground. I seized a
box, about a foot square, lying close by,
and shook that also full of bees, and
threw them down at the propped-up skep
entrance; also a second box full, before
I had cleared the branch. I watered the
swarm before hiving, and after it was in
the skep ; also cooled the outside with
water, and left it well in the shade
under the trees whilst I went home to fit
up frames, &c, ready to hive the bees on
later.

I had only been at home a quarter of
an hour when a message arrived, " The
bees are off again." I got them in a
second time. When finally tied up in
skep it weighed lolbs. 8ozs. The skep,
cheese cloth, and string, without bees,
weighed 61bs. 6ozs., leaving a total weight
of 91bs. 2 ozs. of bees.

Beg pardon, what did you say? Double
swarm? "No such thing, marm," as the
dustman told the lady when accused of
stealing. There is only one stock in the
walled-in kitchen garden ; the swarm
settled but a few feet away from the stock,
tlie gardeners saw it issue from this only
hive, and "rung it down." The weighing
was done in the presence of Mr. and Mrs.
Riley, also the gardeners, one of the
maids, and your humble servant. " The
British Bee-keepers' Guide Book" gives
51bs. as a "good swarm." A thunder-
storm was raging during the whole
time of the second operation. — A. G.
Gambrill, Richmond.

Building up Stocks (p. 174).— This
article, by Mr. Herrod, with its wonder-
fully instructive photographs, has in-
terested me greatly. I do not remember

to have seen such a set of photographs
in any other journal, although observant
'bee-keepers must often have noted the
conditions described. There is one point
to which I should like to allude, and that
is the placing of foundation between
drawn combs. I have seldom experienced
satisfaction with this method, owing to
the extension of adjacent combs. Flat
combs can be produced by inserting two
sheets, and then withdrawing and revers-
ing when drawn out, dressing off with a
sharp knife the projecting portions of the
adjacent combs. But this is messy work,
and not to be recommended. I have
finally overcome all my difficulties by
placing a slatted divider on each side of
the sheet of foundation. This gives a per-
fectly drawn comb without any neighbour-
ing encroachment. If the dividers give
gangway to the queen there is no hurry
about their removal, and they may be left
without disadvantage. There is, in fact,
a hive constructed on these lines, having
a divider between each comb. It is well to
give only one sheet of foundation by this
method, so that the queen may not be dis-
couraged from passing over to the other
half of the brood-nest. Much delay in this
crossing might result in her supersedure.

A Little Arithmetic (p. 175).— It would
be kinder to us in this, our busy season,
if Mr. Smallwood would give us the
answers to his problems at the time of
stating. I have no doubt that many bee-
keepers have, like myself, waked un-
refreshed after struggling with his latest,
" If five persons mount seven stages by
means of 140 steps, how many steps were
there? " It looks simple, but is it? If
each stage consisted of 140 steps there is
no doubt that, as Mr. Smallwood hints,
they earned discovery by "the f'ithful
'ound " ! But if the five persons took 140
steps it is obvious that each etage con-
sisted of four steps, which is quite another
" story"!

Stop Thief (p. 181).— (4) "Nine times
out of ten, a robbing boom is caused by
. . . the apiarist, and its inception in the
tenth case is easily preventible." What
does the latter sentence mean ? A robbing
boom is in progress, due to some unstated
cause, and its inception is easily pre-
ventible. Rather late in the day, isn't it?

Correct Bee Space (p. 182).— (8) "Any
addition to a scant quarter of an inch will
mean brace or burr combs, and other
nuisances." Not always, much depends
upon where the space lies, and how
accessible it is. For instance, below the
frames, or outside the ends of close-ended
frames. What is included in " other
nuisances"? And what about less than
a bee space? I find this far more trouble-
some. By-the-bye, " D. M. M.," did we
not have a little friendly discussion as to
the distinction between "brace" and

256

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 25, 1914.

" burr," and are you not, by lending your
countenance to the above, running some
risk oif renewed hostilities?

Doomed to Extinction (p. 182).— (9) I
take it that these interesting extracts are
quotations, but " D. M. M." labels them
facts. As such they would seem to be open
to exception. For instance, No. 9 dooms
a colony to extinction, but there are
several possible ways in which it might be
saved. An entering swarm is perhaps in-
admissible, but a stray queen might save
it. And we are not without some testi-
mony that bees in desperate case occa-
sionally steal eggs. Probably these are
nigger bees!

Thickness of New Comb (p. 182).— (19) I
have just made some measurements, and
these do not agree with the T^oin- given
by " D. M. M." Not only is the piece of
natural comb which I have measured much
thinner than this, but there is a difference
between the thicknesses of base and wall,
and between ''drone " and " worker." The
latter difference can actually be seen when
the comb is held to the light, and the
measurements lead me to challenge the
oft-repeated statement that there is con-
siderable economy of wax in drone comb.
The portions of wax were slightly flattened
between parallel faces before measurement,
without, however, being squeezed outward
at all, the same pressure being applied in
all cases. The readings were taken be-
tween the faces, and are as under : Drone
wall, 4 thousandths of an inch; drone base,
5i to 5^ thousandths ; worker wall, 3^
thousandths ; worker base, 4 thousandths.
Of course, natural comb may vary, and
some difference may be due to method of
measurement. I do not, however, remem-
ber that these differences have been pre-
viously noted.

Pro Bono Publico (p. 182).— (26) "Bars
were used centuries ago in Greece." Why,
of course they were, wisely and well, let
us hope. There, no doubt, the Roman in-
vader received his "meed" at the hands
of the fair maid of Athens herself, being
only reminded of closing hours, as bars to
complete happiness, by the regretful in-
scription, written by one of his comrades
over the door, " 0 tempora, 0 morce " !

Increase (p. 182). — "A single colony
doubling every year ... in twenty years
might number over 1,000,000!" I like
that word " might." Why not say
" would " at once and have done with it"?
I may add that if the apiarist manipulated
four colonies a minute for an average of
twelve hours a day without stopping for
meals, and not working on Sundays, he
would, oi- might, just get round in a year.
Presumably he would no longer work for
increase, and might take longer than I
have allowed owing to the necessary
alteration of his usual methods.

[8944] Superseding Queens. — I pur-
chased a stock of bees in skep in February
last, which I have transferred to a bar-
frame hive, as recommended in " Guide
Book." Yesterday morning I found a
queen bee (apparently old) on alighting-
board. What I, as a novice, would like to
know is: — (1) When queen is superseded
is there a young fertile queen in hive? or

(2) has young queen not then emerged
from cell? — G. Thoms, Paisley.

Reply. — (1) There is a young fertile
queen in the hive before the old one is
cast out. At times the two will live
together for some time.

[8945] Finding Queen. — (1) Is there
any royal road to finding the queen in a
swarm? (2) My bees swarmed in a thorn,
'hedge on Saturday last. I only discovered
them at 7 p.m., and tried to smoke them
into a skep, but they rose and swarmed
again on a clothes post. I had them all
safe in a skep by 9 p.m. The next day I
went through the hive, and, as I thought,
destroyed all queen-cells but one. I placed;
queen-excluder zinc over the entrance, and
then re-hived swarm, hoping thus to
secure old queen, but all entered except
about half-a-dozen drones. I had missed
the queen. The bees remained in the hive
till Thursday, when at 10* a.m. they
swarmed again. I have again hived them
with excluder zinc over entrance, and
again missed the queen. I may say I have
now on three occasions tried to secure an
old queen by means of placing excluder-
zinc over the entrance, but without
success. I shall be glad of a word of
advice from you. I don't doubt there will
by this time be a young queen in the hive.

(3) If I persist in returning the swarm to
the hive do you think the bees will settle
the matter for themselves and cease
troubling, or is it more likely they may
swarm again and decamp? — H. T., Eccles.

Reply. — (1) No. (2) Our usual plan is.
to cover the hiving board with a white
cloth and "spot" the queen as she runs
up. This is not at all difficult if the bees
are thrown down about a foot away from
the entrance. A method we have seen
adopted is to have a box or skep with a
cover made of excluder -zinc into which the
swarm is hived. When all the bees are in,
the receptacle is turned up, the cover
placed in position, and the bees smoked
out, when they return to the hive leaving
queen and drones behind. Quite possibly
you missed one or more queen-cells, and

June 25, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

25"

the old queen was lost on the first occa-
sion. (3) The bees will proba"Biy settle
down now. Give an extra super if you
have not already done so.

[8946] Swarming Queries. Will you
kindly give me further information on the
following matter: — Mr. Herrod, in his
"Helpful Hints " (May 28th), says that a
swarm normally issues about three days
before the first princess is due to emerge.
Have I not read elsewhere that the swarm
comes off when the first queen-cell is
sealed? Which is right? If Mr. Herrod,
and if I have rightly understood him, why
does a cast usually issue nine days after
the prime swarm? I do not under-
stand how the first hatched queen can wait
six days. — L. Illingworth, Brentwood.

Reply. — Mr. Herrod is quite right. You
do not appear to have taken into account
the word "normally," or that "bees do
nothing invariably." We have known
bees under abnormal conditions to swarm
when the queen-cells contained eggs only.
At other times, when the weather is un-
favourable, the young queens are pre-
vented from emerging from their cells for
several days. The young queen flies out
for mating about the ninth day after the
issue of the prime swarm. If the bees
have not allowed her to destroy her sisters,
a number of them rush out with her and
form the cast.

[8947] Artificial Swarming Trouble. —
I started with bees last August, fed them,
and brought them safely through the
winter. On May 21st I inspected my
stock, which was on twelve frames, and
found five queen-cells formed. I cut away
all except one, and transferred six frames
of brood and bees to another hive, filling
up both hives with frames of foundation
to make up twelve frames (as per " Guide
Book "). On June 6th, I was surprised to
see a swarm issue from the hive which con-
tained only a queen-cell, and on looking
inside tne hive I found another queen-cell
— two in all — one empty and the other
with a nearly mature queen. I cut thii
out, returned swarm, and let alone for
a week. Finding the bees not working
well, I examined the hive again on tht
12th, and found neither queen or brood.
I therefore gave them a frame of brood in
the first stages from the other hive, and
they are now working better. (1) When
should I look at them again? (2) Have I
done right so far? (3) Was the queen
(enclosed) that I found near the hive
killed? (4) Is she a young one? (5)
What is the breed of bees enclosed? (6)
Have they died of any disease? (7) Is it
usual to lose a lot of bees when examin-
ing? I use a carbolic cloth, and next day
I find a lot of bees turned out dead, or

are they old bees? The other hive is well
stocked now on about ten frames, but they
are not working in the sections. (8) Is it
because there is no honey about? And
when may I expect honey, as time is
getting away? (9) Will I get any surplus
this year? Thanking you for any kind
hint and information. — A New Beginner,
Norwich.

Reply. — (1) You may look at them any
time now, and make certain that queen-
cells are started. (2) Yes. (3) Yes, she
was balled. (4) Yes, a virgin. (5) Bees
are natives with a trace of Italian. (6)
No. (7) Not if manipulations are properly
carried out. You may be using too strong
a solution of carbolic on cloth. Try a
weaker solution. (8) That may be the
reason, or the bees have not yet filled the
brood-chamber and made up for the loss of
bees taken to form the other stock. You
cannot expect to take away bees to in-
crease number of stocks and get any
quantity of surplus as •well. In most
localities bees are storing honey now. (9)
It is quite possible ; much depends on the
weather.

[8948] Trouble ivith Neighbours— A
lady six doors above us has been stung
twice by my bees (of which I have two
hives). Her husband has been complain-
ing about them, and says they are too
near. We have neighbours around us
nearer, some of whom have children, and
I have not had any complaints from them
at all. Could you tell me if he can make
me move them for so paltry a thing? — T.
Toller, Wellington.

Reply. — If they can prove the bees are
a nuisance, no doubt they could get an
injunction against you. Try a present of
a few pounds of honey, it will often soothe
and sweeten all irritation caused by the
stings. Also insure with the B.B.K.A.
against damage caused to third parties by
your bees. The "worms" are larvae of
the wax-moth.

[8949] Queen-rearing. — In the Bee
Journal of June 11th, page 232, is an
article on queen-rearing. Will you kindly
give me some further advice in the Bee
Journal? I am a constant reader, and
have never reared queens. If I remove
the old queen, the bees will build several
queen-cells. Must I protect the young
queens before they are hatched ? If not, I
presume they would fight. When they are
hatched what can I do with so many — say,
ten or twelve? Could I make one big hive
with divisions for each queen, or must
they each have a separate small one? I
presume they would have to be mated and
introduced about September next. Could
I put each queen on two frames, would
that be enough? You will see by my ques-

258

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 25, 1914.

tions that queen-rearing is new to me, and
I shall be deeply grateful for your advice
on the subject. — T. C. Honey, Stratton.

Reply. — To reply fully to your questions
would require too much space. We would
strongly advise you to buy a " British Bee-
keepers' Guide Book," in which the matter
is dealt with. Having got your queen-
cells, they are cut out and placed in nuclei
of three combs each. Messrs. Lee and
Son supply a hive divided up for preserv-
ing a number of queens on two or three
combs each.

[8950] Novice's Queries. — In May,
1913, I found a swarm of bees (about a
mile from any house) in a copse on the
farm. Though not knowing anything
about bees, I was determined to try my
luck, so I got a straw skep and hived the \
bees all right. A very short time after
they swarmed again, and I put this lot in
a double skep ; soon after they swarmed
again, and this time I put them in a
wooden box, about 18in. by 12m. by 12in.
The double skep I took for honey, 201b.
(destroying the bees). The single skep
I saved for swarms, also the box. The
single skep has swarmed twice, but the
box has not swarmed. (1) Is it because
they have so much room? I may say it
was a small lot. I now have four lots of
bees, two single skeps, one double, and one
box. (2) Which lot would you recom-
mend me to take for honey? (3) When
bees swarm is it the old ones that come
out? (4) Will you recommend a book for
the beginner? I shall be looking out for
answers next week. I have been taking
the "B.B.J." about a month and found
some useful information. — E. B. Wyatt.

Reply. — (1) Yes. (2) We cannot say
without examination. See that those left
have stores enough for winter. Can you
not get someone to drive the bees instead
of destroying them? (3)' Yes. (4) "The
British Bee-keepers' Guide Book."

TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED.

W. P. Meadows, Syston, near Leicester.
—This well-known firm issue a catalogue
which is replete with every appliance
necessary for bee-keepers. Their reputa-
tion for the manufacture of tin goods,
especially extractors, is world-wide, there-
fore any remarks on our part would be
superfluous. That they have won prizes at
the Royal Show for twenty-nine years
speaks well for their workmanship. Not
only are bee goods illustrated, but garden
requisites and work benches, together with
poultry appliances, are made by this firm.
Catalogue post free upon application.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of ts. 6d. is made for notice*
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up lo 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.E.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.E.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.
Entries closed.

July 8th, at Aldenham.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.E.A., held in connection with the
Bletree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten.-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries closed.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries closed.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.E.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
8ophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax. &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maiudy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual

Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th, 1914.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries close
July 25th.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—

Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

June 25, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

259

August 17th and 18th, at Cannock (Staffs.).

—Honey Show, in connection with Cannock Horti-
cultural Show. Eight open classes. Good prizes.
Schedules from hon. sec, John Bird, Glenmay,
Cannock.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.- The
Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close Aug. 10th.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle—Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from B. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation -road,
Cheltenham.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxoji.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street, Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-Keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. See., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close Aug. 28th.

September 9th, at Stcke Park, Guildford.
— Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

A. E. W. (Bletehley).— (1) Several days.
Do not keep it airtight while ripening
or moisture will not be able to get away.
(2) Warm and dry.

E. R. J. (Fleet).— It is a Leaf-Cutter Bee.
If you examine pocket you will find the
cells constructed from the pieces of leaf.
They show a preference for rose leaves.

J. S. H. (Copthorne). — Dealing with
Disease.— Yes, it is "Isle of Wight"
disease. Another queen would make no

difference. We are afraid your sugges-
tion is impracticable. Your case shows
the need for legislation, and the best
thing you can do is to help all you can
to get it. Dig over Hie ground and
lime it, and it will be safe any time.

Anxious One (Notts). — Artificial Swarm.
— Bees are robbing. Close entrance to
one bee space.

C. L. (Derby). — Dead Drone. — The drone
has mated with a queen.

T. 0. B. (Guernsey). — Artificial Swarm-. —

(1) The Vetch is a moderate bee flower.

(2) July. (3) We cannot say, as the
orders are taken in rotation.

W. H. N. (Bungay). — Smell from Hive. —
It is impossible to diagnose disease by
smell. Send us a piece of comb with
brood in it, carefully packed in a tin
box, and we will try to help you.

A. P. (Tattingstone). — Bene wing Combs.
— The best time to renew combs is in
the spring. One comb only at a time
should be put in between old combs.
Renew at least two combs in each hive
each year after the second.

Bee Novice (Olney). — Drones in Skep. —
The bees are drones, and there are no
means of getting rid of them, or yet
limiting the number reared. This is one
of the great drawbacks of the skep
system of " possessing bees." Get a

frame-hive, and keep them on up-to-date
methods.

C. H. M. (Lines). — Observatory Hive. —
You have not taken into consideration
thickness of baseboard, from the under-
side of which the measurement is taken.
The ends are lock-jointed into it. Sub-
stitute an incubator thermometer.

J. J. N. (Launceston). — (1) The bees have
evidently requeened themselves. (2) She
will have been reared and probably
mated.

Suspected Disease.

G. T. (Helpringham) and Lisbon (Devon).
— Bees show symptoms of " Isle of
Wight ' ' disease.

B. S. (AVitton-le-Wear).— Bees have "Isle
of Wight " disease.

F. W. W. (Ewell).— Odourless Foul Brood,
— Better treat as advised in " Guide
Book," by shaking bees off combs, &c.
Case is too bad for milder treatment.

Seechem (Alnchurch). — (1) It is sour
brood ; use Apicure. (2) So far as we
can judge from particulars supplied,
there is a laying worker. Probably the
queens have died. We cannot say
definitely without examining stock.

A. B. (East Liss). — No. 2 are suffering
from "Isle of Wight" disease. The
reason is the old bees are affected first.
All the queens sent— 11 — are virgins. It
is a large number from one cast.

260

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [June 25, 1914.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

^TEW Super-Clearer (patented), combining relia-
I bility and rapidity. See " B.B.J.," April 9th.
Order at once from your dealer, 6d. each, or from
F. W. WATTS, 132, Goodrich-road, East
Dulwich. v 87

FOR SALE, several clean 231b. honey tins, in
very good condition, only 5d. each; through

removal.— CROWE, Centrai-avenue, Wigston,
Leicester. v 84

TYPEWRITTEN lecture and fifty very clear
■slides on bee-keeping, 35s. Approval.— J ULIAN
LUCKWOOD, Hunstantun. v 86

WANTED, sections; state lowest price and
quantity— CHURCH FARM DAIRY, Sher-
ingham, Norfolk. v 85

STRONG, healthy swarms, 10s. 5d.; wtih 1913
queens, 13s. 6d.; packed free.— SPEARMAN,
Andoversford, Glos. v 82

SIX guaranteed healthy stocks, in skeps, ready
to swarm, 18s. 6d. each; large, healthy
swarms, from frame hives, 12s. 6d.; all the above
for immediate dispatch.— Caroline Cottage, Win-
chclsea-road, Hastings. v 74

SUPERB nuclei, three' frames, packed with
bees, brood, honey, 15s.— APIARIST, 15, Pitt-
viile-street, Cheltenham. v 72

FOUR-FRAME nuclei, Carniolan hybrids, brood
in all frames, with young laying queen,
17s. 6d. each.— EVERETT, expert, Kosebank
Apiary, 40, Linden-street, Leicester. v 70

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers.—
" BUMBLE," " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C.

17IOUR Simmins' " Conqueror " hives, in good
1 condition. £2. — TAYLOR, Acacia House,
Beverley. v 79

FINE pale new sainfoin honey, just off hives,
30s. per J ewt. tin.— A. M., c/o " B.B.J."
Office, 25, Bedford-street, Strand, London, AV.C. v 78

SUPERSEDING entirely with Italians, sell good
native queens 2s.; old and poor ones
destroyed.— GOR DON, expert, Lonsoale, Threlkeld,
Penrith. v 16

BARGAIN, Meadows' guinea extractor, lis. 6d.;
Brice's observatory hive, 10s. 6d.; two com-
bination hives, 3s. 6d.; two gross W.B.C. metal
ends, 9d. gross; full particulars Id. stamp.—
W. JOCKMAN, Cherryhinton Post Office, Cam-
bridge. v 81

BEGINNER'S opportunity, owing to removal.
Brand new W.B.C, nicely painted, healthy
stock natives, combs, frames, excluders, feeder,
smoker, veil, &c, all new in May, £2 10s.— 103,
High-road. Beeston, Notts. v 83

W

ANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office.

HARDY, Prolific Dutch Queens, 1913. 3s. Vir-
gins (next week), 2s. Orders rotation.—
PAUL, Salisbury-road, Bexley. v 87

WANTED, secondhand wax extractor, honey
extractor, uncapping tray; all particulars.
— FRASEtt, Melton Cottage, Balbirnie-street, Mark-
inch, v 49

SMITH PREMIER TYPEWRITER, Standard
double keyboard, very reliable, beautiful
writing, perfect condition, cost £23, accept 60/-,
worth double— W'AKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham, v 54

CERTIFICATED expert wanted, for a few-
weeks, in Cumberland.— Apply, G. W. AVERY,
Wetheral, Carlisle. v 18

A FEW of a very fine strain of specially bred
queens for sale, from a district that has
been devastated by " Isle of Wight " disease, and
from stocks that have proved perfectly healthy,
excellent honey storers and good comb builders,
price, fertile, 10s. 6d. each; every queen tested,
no unfertiles sold; safe arrival guaranteed. — E.
HOWARD COLLINS, Harewood Apiary, Chalfont
St. Giles, Bucks. v 30

PERFECT sections, 10s. per dozen, carriage
forward— Apply, MISS GORDON, Wethers-
field-place, near Braintree, Essex. v 28

JUNE SWARMS, from frame hives, guaranteed
healthy, 15s— THOS. ORMESHER, Westhead
Apiary, Ormskirk, Lanes. v 27

CHAPMAN honey plants, Borage, 3d. per score,
post free— STEVENS, Churchill, Oxford-
shire, v 25

1 /\r\LB. clover honey, granulated, screw cap
_LWU jars, 7d. lb. for cash— JONES, printer,
Wellington, Salop. v 22

FOR SALE, grand stocks Scotch bees, healthy,
30s. each, or in good secondhand hives, 40s.
each, f.o.r., cash.-GEO. W. PAISLEY, Newport-
on-Tay. v 45

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2§in. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street. Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th.— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

DIRECT from F. W- Siaden's original extra
golden bee stocks.— British golden virgin
queens, 2s. 6d. each, three for 6s. 9d.; apiary free
from " I.O.W."— CREWES, Apiary, AVarlingham,
Surrey. v 20

STOCKS of Bees for sale, never had disease of
any kind in apiary.-WEAVER PRICE,
F.R.H.S., Brecon, South Wales.

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.

HOW TO PREVENT SWARMING.— A certain
method, fully explained, with illustrations
from life, of bees and their work, price Is.,
postage Id., from all dealers, and the author, A. H.
WILKES, Lichfield-road, Four Oaks, Birming-
ham.

CHOICE, PROLIFIC, FERTILE.

English Queens, excellent strain, safe arrival
guaranteed, every Queen tested, 5s. each.

Wilkes, Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Birm.

Established 1892.

COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother
Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea,
bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 5s. per
day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle
Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man.

NEW Super-Clearer (patented), combining relia-
bility and rapidity. See " B.B.J.," Apnil 9th.
Order at once from your dealer, 6d. each, or from
F W WATTS, 132 Goodrich Road, East
Dulwich. v 87

July 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

261

REVIEWS.

Bees as Bent-payers, by Tickner
Edwardes, price 6d. — The name of the
author is so well known that it would be
invidious for us to enlarge on his abilities.
This work has been revised and enlarged,
and contains many useful hints to the bee-
keeper. It is intended mainly for the
cottager, and contains more than double
the amount of matter in the first edition.
It can be obtained from this office, 7d.,
post free.

My Natural Non-S warming System,
J. Fairall, junr., Hellingly, (Sussex. — Un-
like many small pamphlets of a similar
nature, this is wonderfully well written.
Much care and thought must have been
expended for many years in the practical
experiments which have been carried out.
There are no freak methods, the pamphlet
is founded on sound orthodox principles.
The only fault which we can find with it
is its price, Is. is rather a large amount to
pay for such a small work. At the same
time, we do not lose sight of the fact that
every labourer is worthy of his hire, and
certainly years of experimenting are
worthy of some compensation. The book
can be obtained either from the author or
from this office, Is., post free.

RICHMOND AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

The Richmond and District Bee-keepers'
Association had a stand at the Flower
Show which was held in the Old Deer
Park, Richmond, on Wednesday, June
24th, at which there was a nice, tastefully
arranged display of honey and bee flora
from the neighbourhood. The royal
visitors attending the show were their
Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Teck
(who performed the opening ceremony),
Her Majesty Queen Amelia of Portugal,
and their Majesties King Manuel and
Queen Augusta Victoria. Geo. Cave, Esq.,
K.C., M.P. (president of the Richmond
and District Bee-keepers' Association), con-
ducted the Duke and Duchess of Teck
round the show. Later Queen Amelia was
escorted round by Hi Worship the Mayor,
Alderman Cook, a: d the Mayoress, to be
followed later still by King Manuel and
Queen Augusta Victoria, Alderman Bis-
good being in attendance.

Mr. A. G. Gambrill, expert to the Asso-
ciation, had the honour of exhibiting bees
to each of the three parties in succession,

the royal visitors making many interested
inquiries as to the manner and habits of
bees A. G. Gambrill, Expert.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
lor the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice tcill be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
bs drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

FUNGUS DISEASES OF BROOD.

[9043] I am anxious to find out
whether any of the diseases of brood
caused by fungi occur in this country, and
should therefore be glad if any of your
readers who may come across a case of
disease in which the brood becomes
mummified into hard lumps, would send
me a sample of the diseased comb, to the
address given, wrapped in clean paper and
enclosed in a strong tin box, I will
willingly refund postage. — (Miss) A. D.
Betts, Hill House, Camberley, Surrey.

ANOTHER MONSTER SWARM.

[9044] In the Bee Journal of to-day I
notice a large swarm, 91bs. 2ozs. of bees.
Last Tuesday, June 16th, I had a monster
swarm, which was lOlbs. of bees. It came
from a sixteen-frame hive which had three
lifts on, two full of honey. When I put
this swarm in a ten-frame hive with
foundation, it had eight shallow frames
as well. This swarm filled the lot, and
has now got the shallow bars ready to
come off. When running in the swarm I
picked five young queens out. Perhaps
this will interest some of your readers.-
W. Mounting, Southwell. June 25.

A LITTLE ARITHMETIC.

[9045] If there is one thing I envy Mr.
Crawshaw for it is his immense self-con-
fidence-(a word of five letters is often used
to express this accomplishment). Poor
ordinary mortals as are your readers and
myself are always content to give a certain
amount of poetic licence to writers in
vour Journal. It would be painful were

262

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 2, 1914.

i\> not so and in things not essential to re-
quire that everything should be au pied
de lettre, or mathematically exact. Should
Mr. Crawshaw desire the rate of progres-
sion - up those historic steps calculated to
a. decimal fraction, I am sure he is quite
at * Ifber tj' to do ; it himself , and is very
capable of it. I doubt if anyone else
would care /to see the working out of the
figures. I am quite sure I should, not in
this hot weather. — Jno. Smallwood.

CARELESS METHODS AND DISEASE.

[9046]" I am pleased to see Mr.
Herrod has told your readers in last
week's |5ee Journal what a mean , trick
i%i§,kJQ .put out decoy hives, but sthere is
a much worse practice going on in this
neighbourhood, and I daresay in other
parts as well. Most of the bees here
have died of "Isle of Wight" disease,
and in several instances the owners (not
always cottagers) have left the hives and
combs where they stood for other people's
bees to swarm into or to rob. Two
persons in our district have thus restocked
hives this spring. It is time we had
legislation to stop exposing combs on

which bees have died, as' it is a sure. ;
method of spreading disease, waxmoth, <
<fec, and also encourages robbing.

Some bee-keepers lift their old skeps
off the stands, knock the old combs out in
the garden, and leave them there for
everybody else's bees to examine. "

Re immune strains of bees — I lost all
my bees two years ago from ' ' Isle of
Wight " disease. Last year I started
again with four swarms, three of which
died from the same cause during the
winter. The surviving stock was affected
last autumn and early spring, but seem
to have shaken it off now ; and the bees
are working in two supers, and I have
taken off twenty-three finished sections
already.

Early in spring I fed them with
quinine syrup, in which a little salt was
mixed ; this may have helped them. Two
strong stocks located in a hollow tree
here have died of "Isle of Wight"
disease, but at one cottage the bees in
the garden died, while a lot in the house
tiles are still alive. I hope we shall soon
produce an immune strain, or find a
reliable remedy for the disease, as it has
nearly cleared this district. — P. E. Grin-
sted, Sussex.

HELPfUL HINTS

Eil8^w3

JBv; W?Merrod

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.

{Continued from page 246.)

Preventing Swarming.

If increase is not desired the bee-keeper must by careful attention to his stocks
try and prevent swarms issuing. This can be done by giving room a little in
advance of requirements. If the bees have been confined on to a few combs by
means of the division board they should have more combs or frames fitted with
full sheets of foundation given, one at a time as they get crowded, until the full
complement is reached. If in the meantime, although every precaution has been
taken to prevent it, the bees persist in preparing for swarming by building queen
cells, these should be cut out and destroyed. To do this effectively work
systematically, by commencing with the comb nearest the side of the brood chamber ;
shake the bees back' into the hive, and carefully examine the comb for queen cells
or the commencements of them ; each comb is taken in turn and treated in the
same manner. It is impossible to do the work properly with the beesi adhering to
them; if this is attempted it is almost certain that a cell or cell base will be
overlooked by being covered with the bees, the work will then be abortive.
A super should be put on, and others added as required. The operation may need
repeating in ten days' time, after which, as a rule, all desire to swarm disappears.
Ventilation should also be given by raising the brood chamber about

July 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

263

an inch all round, with a block of wood at each of the four corners (Fig. $$) in a
single walled hive. For a " W.B.C." hive it will be necessary to have the blocks
long enough to raise both the outer case and the brood chamber. (Fig. 34) is tipped
up to show the position of the blocks.

Another method of dealing with a stock that will persist in swarming after all
preventive measures have been taken is to remove the combs of brood and
distribute them amongst the other stocks and nuclei, or put them on the top of a
medium one so that the emerging bees will strengthen it. They are( replaced with
frames fitted with full sheets of foundation, and a super put on at once. This
extra work and taking away their brood will effectively prevent the bees attempting
to swarm again.

In those cases where the bees have an abundance of honey remaining from the
previous year, or through too- liberal feeding in the spring enabling them to store
food in the combs, or an early flow of nectar causing the same condition, the combs
are clogged with food, the queen is prevented from laying, and the bees will prepare
for swarming. This can be avoided by extracting some of the food and giving back
the empty combs for the queen to lay in, at the same time putting on a super.

Fig. 33.

Fig. 34.

Old queens are more likely to cause the bees to swarm than young ones, therefore
one of the many advantages of having young queens heading the stocks is that: it
minimises the chance of swarming.

Returning Swarms.

This is easy of accomplishment, and is adopted where surplus and not increase
is desired. First hive the swarm into a skep or box, then go to the hive from which
the swarm issued and destroy the queen cells as alreadv described. If one or more
of the princesses have emerged, which happens sometimes and which is indicated
by the vacated queen cells, they must be searched for and killed. An extra super
is added, and the swarm hived back from the front in the usual' way. The extra
super is an absolute necessity.

HOW TO FIND WHICH STOCK HAS SwARMED.

Ujnless the swarim is seen to issue much time may be wasted in trying to find
out which stock has swarmed by searching for the one depleted of a large number
of bees, and which contains sealed queen cells, but no queen. Even then a certain
amount of uncertainty exists, as more than one may have done so and the swarm
absconded. To make quite sure, with the minimum amount of tiouble, take a teacup
full of bees from the swarm, cover it with the hand to prevent them escaping while
thev are carried some distance away, then dust* them well with wheaten flour before

264 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 2, 1914.

liberating. Marked white in this manner they return home instead of to the swarm,
and the hive they enter can easily be located.

Casts
are really second swarms, and issue about nine days after the first swarm. When
the bees intend to throw a cast it is indicated by the piping of the virgin queens.
Instead of the first princess to emerge being allowed to kill her sisters still
in their cells she is prevented from so doing by the workers ; she becomes angry
and runs over the combs in an excited manner, stopping every few moments to pipe,
which is a shrill note, "peep-peep." This is answered with a deep noted " pau-
pau " from the imprisoned ones. It is interesting to hold a comb, see and hear
this taking place as I have done many times. The free princess lowers her head
and vibrates the body violently while making the piping note, which can often
be heard several yards from the hive. Third and fourth swarms will sometimes
issue j these were called in olden days "colts." When a swarm of the current year
builds up strong enough to throw a swarm, the latter is called a "maiden swarm."
Any number of virgin queens may issue with a cast ; I have taken away as many
as seven. If left alone these fight it out, and the fittest survives. Casts usually
weigh from one to two pounds.

Preventing Casts.
With the passing of the skep the idea of obtaining as much increase by natural
methods as possible is being eliminated from the mind of even the most conservative
bee-keeper. The drain on the population of the hive by numerous casts very often
results in total extinction of the parent stock. Not; only so, but if carried to excess
the casts are so weak in numbers that they are unable to properly
establish themselves, and eventually they perish before their owner obtains any
return for the trouble expended upon them. If increase by natural methods is
desired, then the first swarm only should be allowed to issue. This should be hived
in the new hive, which is placed on the stand occupied by the stock from which it
issued. In this way all the old flying bees are obtained from the parent stock, as
bees locate position and not the hive ; when they leave the old home the next morning
to forage, they return, not to the original hive, which is now standing in a fresh
position, but to the old location. This prevents all possible chance of a cast or
second swarm issuing. Have no fear for the parent stock, as it will be entirely
populated by young bees not more than a fortnight old, for they do not fly until
they reach that age. When these young bees do leave the hive for their first flight,
they return to the same position, for they have known no other.

Further, the continual emerging of the young bees which were sealed over at
the time the swarm issued w.ill increase' the population, so they will have ample
opportunity of working up strong enough for wintering after the young queen has
been fertilised and commenced her maternal duties. For a few days after the
change of position the entrance to the old home will show no signs of life. This
does not point to anything being wrong, but is accounted for, as stated above, by
the fact that for several days there will be no bees old enough to fly. By following
this method not only is increase secured, but very often surplus as well. I know
of one bee-keeper who obtained one year cjolbs. of honey from a swarm by
adopting this method. Another danger which often arises is that casts are lost
owing to the agility and restlessness of the virgin queen. Casts usually issue about
nine days after the first swarm, and if the queen is heard piping it is almost a sure
indication that a cast will issue. Casts can also be prevented by cutting out all
the queen cells in the parent stock except the best one, so that only one princess
will emerge. She will remain to head the stock, instead of leaving with a cast.
If, through neglect on the part of the bee-keeper or by an oversight, casts come1 out,
thev should be returned to the hive, after cutting out all remaining queen cells
and killing any princesses that have emerged ; or, if not returned, two or three
should be united together. In many cases the combs in the brood-chamber of a
hive that has swarmed and remains queenless and broodless for a time are choked
with honey. This will prevent the young queen from laying when fertilised,
therefore the extractor should be brought into use, and two or three of the combs

July 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

265

-extracted and put back into the hive the same evening. From this cause swarmed
stocks are sometimes suspected of being queenless, but the provision of room by
•extracting quickly proves this to be wrong. The cause of casts issuing is but
imperfectly understood by many bee-keepers. When we consider that swarming
usually takes place between the hours of ten and four — also very often prematurely
through intense outside heat raising the internal temperature unexpectedly to an
abnormal degree, making the hive unbearable for its immense population— it will
be seen that a large number of the old bees are out foraging at the time the
swarm issues. When they all return the hive is still over-crowded, and, the
swarming fever being upon the bees, a cast is the natural result. Another annoying
feature about casts is that they issue at any time. They come out as early as
six a.m. and as late as eight p.m. They also take not the slightest notice of
climatic conditions, leaving the hive just as readily on dull days as upon bright
ones, they will come out even when it is raining. Therefore, all things considered,
casts should be prevented, as they are a drawback and not an advantage tin the
•apiary.

Hiving Swarms into Frame Hive.
The new bee-keeper usually undertakes this first operation in fear and trembling,
very often doing the wrong thing in his anxiety to do right. We will suppose the
:swarm has been purchased, and has travelled some distance by rail. If bought by
weight, the first thing to do when it arrives is to weigh it — travelling receptacle and
all. When empty the latter is again weighed, and that amount deducted from the
gross weight, when we have the net weight of the bees. Remember that bees lose
weight in travelling on account of the food they have consumed before issuing being
utilised. For instance, a five pound swarm will lose from half to one pound in
weight; the price is based upon the weight immediately they are hived. After
weighing, do not be in a hurry to liberate the bees, but place them in a cool place.
If in a skep, they should be taken into a cellar or cool dark room, and allowed to
remain with the scrim covering the mouth of the skep upwards until the evening.
Towards the middle of the afternoon give food by inverting a bottle feeder (covered
with a double thickness of muslin instead of the usual metal-cap) oveT the scrim
•cloth. This prevents all possible chance of the bees being hungry and consequently
angry when liberated. About an hour before hiving, hang the skep the right way
tip; (don't place it on the ground or the bees will be suffocated) ; the bees will then
cluster at the top, so that the covering can be removed without a lot of bees adhering
to it. If in a proper travelling box the same procedure should be followed except
that the box should be placed with the lid downwards so that it can be removed
without bees adhering to it.

(To be Continued.)

^'BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

ITALIAN WANDERINGS

A Sunday we spent in Rome' — a
Sunday scarcely of rest, where there
was so much to see and so little time to
spend. We needs must hear the singing
at Mass in St. Peter's in the early morn-
ing. The sweet religious chant, the soft
flexions of which linger for ever, a visit to
■some of the old churches, and as restful a
■day as might be. We had been promised
?in audience of His Holiness, but the day
was hot — so hot! — and at the last moment
we were informed it was impossible for
that reason.

And yet we did not think the heat so
excessive. Keeping in the shade and
wearing our lightest habiliments, we
rather appreciated it. In the bright, clear

air, it was not as is our muggy, humid
climate, when a thunderstorm is rumbling
in the distance, nor even as on a frizzling
July day. We were told we should catch
malaria, the Roman fever. Verily we did
fall victims to one fever. It was the fever
to return again and see more of this
beautiful city.

At Naples we had touched the " Ultima
Thule," the boundary of our wanderings.
We were over eleven hundred miles from
Bedford Street. It was a long way from
our hearths and homes. Yet we were not
sad. On the contrary, we should have
liked to have stayed yet longer and gone
a little farther on, say, to Africa, only
another three hundred and eighty odd
miles away — but we could not be allowed
to. That daily grind, stayed only for a
few short days to give us play time, was.

206

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 2, 1914.

calling ns. We needs must therefore
homewards wend our way.

We had arranged that we should arrive
in the evening at Bologna. En route we
managed to visit Florence (Firemse as they
recognise it). Those cities of ancient
Italy ! How one longs to spend more time
in them. Of each volumes have been
written, and could still be written. We
saw the glories of its cathedral and
churches, and sadly hurried on, sad, for
we wished to see more. Between Florence
and Bologna we had to pierce the Ape-
nines. Tunnel after tunnel until their
number reached forty-five, a,nd the
glimpses we had of sunshine between those
shutters of darkness ! Mountain peak and
torrent, snow-filled ravine, and deep
defiles, each with its tales of war, heroism
and romance.

beetroot drawn by six or eight such lazy
white oxen. You cannot hurry them, the
driver, who is barefooted (it is cooler and
saves shoe-leather), prods them with his
long pole, uttering a grunt " Ugh," but.
no ! they will not budge an inch faster..
To the amusement of the natives we snap-
shotted a few examples at the cost of a
small silver coin or two. And those women,
washing their linen in the stream, beating
it on the flat stones, whoever saw the like
of that, in this country? No self-respect-
ing washerwoman would stand shin-deep in
a stream over here, with some ten or a
dozen other acquaintances and wash then-
dirty linen in public. If there is no public
laundry in our villages, I suppose the
"wash-tub." and "dolly" are still in evi-
dence.

Courteously we were met by Signor

A VILLAGE LAUNDRY.

The old university town of Bologna — to
our shames — we only used as a resting
place for the evening, for on the morrow
in the early morning we had arranged to
visit the apiary of Signor Piana, One of
the most advanced and up-to-date queen-
raising establishments in the north of
Italy. Castel St. Pietro is the nearest
railway station by which you oam
approach it. From thence you needs must
take a vehicle, for there' are still a few
miles to travel by road.

Of course, now we were in rural Italy,
and the village of Castel St. Pietro might
easily have been mistaken for any of the
thousand large villages which dot our
England. But there were differences
which at once disillusioned us. In no
English village did one ever see — no, not
in Norfolk itself — such a wain load of

Piana at the station. Now we were
driven through fields, undulating and well
cultivated. Not a foot of land seemed to
escape cultivation. Fields of rnaize, of
lucerne, of sainfoin, of buckwheat ; vine-
yards, where the grapes hung in tempting
bunches; orchards, now russet-brown and
crimson-reel, with ripening fruit, olive
and chestnut and walnut trees. And,
again, in the marshes the bamboo. The
wheat was gathered in, but the poppies
peeped through the stubble. Of hedges
but few, the fences, perhaps a low stone
wall. He who listed might gather fruit,
or ear of maize. There was enough for all
and to spare. At length one realised what
was meant in the holy writings, "A land
of milk and honey — of oil and wine. A
land of fat beeves and oxen."

Absorbed in our surroundings soon we

July 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

267

arrived at Sign or Piana's dwelling and
bee-farm, but it would be useless to
attempt to describe it at the tail of this
article, I must keep it for my next. — J.
Smallwood.

0£KUiS<W

E^mks

[8951] Oil Beetles and Bees.— My bees
here are being very much troubled by oil
beetles. These actually keep guard over
the Canterbury Bells, Bird's-foot Trefoil,
&c, and if an unwary bee does venture
they spring upon it, with a view, I
believe, of depositing their eggs on it,
so that their young may be nurtured in the
hive. Can I xio anything to rid the
garden of them? They creep into holes in
the bricks at night, perhaps one might
catch them then. — I. H. J.

Reply. — The only way is to destroy the
beetles, as a female has been found to
contain as many as 5,000 eggs in her
ovaries. The beetles lay their eggs just
below the surface of the ground, and when
the larvae are hatched they climb upon
the plants in their neighbourhood, and
when bees alight near them they do their
• best to hook themselves on, and are thus
carried to the hive, where they live at the
expense of the bee.

[8952] Beginner's Queries. — I shall be
greatly obliged if you will answer the
following questions in British Bee
Journal. I have one stock of bees in
skep, which I wish to transfer into a
modern hive by means of driving and
hiving as a swarm : (1) When may this be
performed to the best advantage so> as not
to have a lot of brood destroyed? (2)
How can I tell when the queen has ceased
laying? (3) When is about the usual time
for the queen ceasing to lay? (4) Would
it be correct to drive about midday, when
bees are flying, and driven bees in skep
placed in position of old one ? or should the
bees be driven in the evening whein few
are on the wing, and then hived
immediately? (5) If you advise transfer-
ring at end of homey flow how many
frames would be needed for from 41b. to
51b. of bees? (6) How much syrup would
they require to see> them safely through
winter ? — Beginner, Horwood .

Reply. — (1) This depends on whether you
have spare drawn-out combs or not. If
you have, about the middle of August.
]f not, you had better leave them till

next spring, and work down into a frame
hive. (2) Only by examining combs, and
noticing if there are eggs or brood. (3)
This varies, all depending on the weather
and amount of the bee flora. We have
known them oease at the end of July, and
at other times keep on till October. (4)
We prefer evening. Either plan will
answer. (5) Eight. (6) Feed until combs
are full. This will take from 301b. to 401b.
syrup.

[8953] Removing Brood Combs.—
Thank you for your reply as to brood
combs, but there is a point I do not quite
understand : — (1) Do you think it too late
to put new combs in now ? (2) Ought I to
remove the outside combs or those nearer
the middle if I put in two new ones? I
am not very experienced yet. (3) My
hives now have sections on, will it do
when they come off? — A. P., Ipswich.

Reply. — (1) It is getting rather late,,
but you might do it. (2) Yes, cut away
as many outside combs as possible without
destroying brood, and feed bees if neces-
sary. (3) It will be too late for the first
method. Your best plan now will be to
let them stay till spring, and follow second
plan.

[8954] Bees Working in Hive Roof. —
In one of our hives the bees are working
at the top of the hive. Can you tell me
the best way of getting them down into
the sections again? — A. Hignett, Bath.

Reply.— Give a puff of smoke through
the ventilation hole, then take off roof,
cut out the comb, and brush the bees off.
Make all secure, so> that they cannot
'escape again. The bees will fly back to
the hive. They evidently need more room,
give another section rack.

[8955] Combs Built together. — 1 have
a stock which I purchased this year, the
brood comb of which is all braced and
irregularly built all over the bar, caused,
as I am aware, through neglect. The bees
are healthy and strong, and are working
well. Would you mind telling me, through
your valuable paper, the best way to
introduce new foundation to -the stock
and at what time? — T. Chatterton,
Horncastle.

Reply. — You may place them on top of
a brood box — a temporary box that will
hold the frames will do — containing
frames and foundation properly fitted,
and allow bees to work down. When
they have taken possession of the new
frames, and there is brood in them, place
a queen excluder between the two boxes,
making certain the queen is on the new
frames. In about twenty-five days' time
you may take off the top box and remove

268

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 2, 1914.

combs and honey. If you have used a
temporary box for new frames, transfer
them to the original brood box, after
cleaning it thoroughly.

Another method would be to cut out as
many of the old frames as possible early
in the spring, and replace with new
frames and foundation, as bees require
more room. Do this each year, working
the old combs to the outside of box until
all are renewed.

[8956] Various Queries. —On June loth
my stock of bees swarmed owing to over-
crowding. The swarm weighed 71bs. I
sold it for 2s. 6d. per lb. (1) Is not this
a very large swarm, especially from a new
stock of bees this year ? The stock has
also filled two racks of sections with lovely
honey. It is a splendid year for honey
here. A swarm I bought five weeks ago
have filled one rack of sections as well as
their brood chamber. (2) Does the
Porter escape clear every bee out of the
racks ? Mine does not. I had to drive
4 really large quantity out with the
smoker after the escape had been on
twenty-four hours. The bees seem to be
able to get back again. (3) Does it
flavour or discolour the honey to have to
use the smoker so vigorously? Thanking
you for the valuable hints which are given
week by week in the " B.B.J." I find
them of great use. — M. Wyatt, Kneb-
worth.

Reply. — (1) Yes, very good. (2) There
is a fault somewhere, either in the escape
itself or the board. There should not be
more than half-a-dozen bees left. (3) Yes,
too much smoke will give the honey a
•decidedly smoky taste, but is not likely
to discolour it.

[8957] Infection with "Isle of
Wight " Disease. — (1) Will you be so kind
as to inform me of the least time in
which infection of bees with " Isle of
Wight" disease (so as to show symptoms
of scores crawling, dislocation of legs,
<fec.) could take place when a healthy
swarm is placed in an infected hive? The
hive in question was supposed to be
thoroughly disinfected and the swarm to
be healthy, but the above symptoms were
in evidence on the second day, and I
should much like to know whether it is
to be put down to hive or swarm. (2)
Would you advise destroying the bees at
once? (3) If so, how? — East Sussex,
St. Leonards.

Reply. — (1) We cannot say, it varies
from a week to a fortnight. (2) Yes. (3)
Pour in at top of hive a solution of
cyanide of potassium, loz. ; water, 1 pint.
One-eighth of a pint of this solution

should suffice for one stock. Cyanide is
a deadly poison, so be careful with it.

[8958] Renewing Disinfectants. — (1)
When introducing queen to a queenless
stock, or nucleus that has queen cells
building, or built and sealed, is it right
to tear down the cells or leave them?
(2) How soon should a dose of apicure
and naphthaline inserted in a hive
diminish F.B. symptoms (actual dead
larvae, bacilli stage)? How soon should
it abolish them? Will bees remove all
spores?— F. G., Threlkeld.

Reply. — (1) Destroy all queen cells.
(2) From three weeks to three months ;
it depends on circumstances. The spores
will break into life, become bacilli, and
then be killed.

PRESS CUTTINGS.
MIXED HIVE.

BIRDS, HUMBLE BEES, AND HONEY BEES
UNDER THE SAME ROOF.

A humble bees' nest brought to Ports-
mouth for the Royal Counties Agricultural
Society's Show last month by a south
country bee-master represented one side
of a remarkable triangular partnership.

A modern wooden hive contained a nest
of eight eggs of the gx-eat tit in the top
and the humble bees' nest at the bottom, .
while the other part was used in an
emergency to hold a swarm of honey bees,
of which the great tit is an enemy. All
went peacefully for two weeks. The
honey bees were comfortably settled on
the lower combs, and the young tits,
having been hatched meanwhile, at length
took wing.

But the honey bees tried to kill the
humble bees, whose nest was removed.
Thus the quaint treble partnership was
finally broken up. — Daily Mail.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of ts. 6d. is made for noticet
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up lo 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

June 30th to July 4th, at Shrewsbury.—
Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Bee and Honey
Section, under the direction of the B.B.E.A.
Prizes arranged in groups of counties for Associa-
tions affiliated to the B.B.K.A. Schedules from
W. Herrod, 23. Bedford Street, Strand. W.C.
Entries closed.

July 2, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

269

July 8th, at Aldenham.— Honey Show of the
St. Albans B.K.A., held in connection with the
Bletree and Boreham Wood Horticultural Society,
at Aldenham Park. Open class for extracted
honey. No entry fee. Liberal prizes. Judge,
Mr. W. Herrod. Schedules from Mr. R. H. Atten.-
borough, Aldenham, Herts. Entries close July
6th.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-plaoe,
Edinburgh.— Entries close 7th July.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries closed.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show. Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries closed.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections, Beeswax, <fcc.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual
Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries close
July 25th.

Aug. 6th, at Bromliam Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromliam Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 12th, at Wye, near Ashford, Kent.
—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for 'honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor); 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 17th and 18th, at Cannock (Staffs.).
—Honey Show, in connection with Cannock Horti-
cultural Show. Eight open classes. Good prizes.
Schedules from hon. sec, John Bird. Glenmay,
Cannock.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton— The
Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers"
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close Aug. 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle.—Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. On©
elass open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radiius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-Keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close Aug. 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

Suspected Disease.

Buzz (Threlkeld). — Can find no outward
signs of disease in bees sent.

I. (Stourbridge). — Tbere are symptoms of
"Isle of Wight" disease. We cannot
say definitely, as there were too few
bees, and you give us no particulars
as to symptoms outside hives.

270

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 2, 1914.

"Enquirer" (Tan-y-Bwlch). — There is

no disease in the bees sent. It is

probably starvation.
W. E. R. (Whitkirk).— Yes, .bees have

"Isle of Wight" disease.
C. P. (Stalbridge). — We regret to say it

is a case of " Isle of Wight " disease.
S. S. S. (Hastings). — All the symptoms

point to the stock being infected with

"Isle of Wight" disease.
■I. A. N. (Higham). — It is a case of "Isle

of Wight " disease.
Soi/vvay (Annan). — There is no trace of

disease in the bees sent.
West Cumberland. — The symptoms' point

to " Isle of Wight " disease.
C. T. (Aberdeen). — We can find no trace

of disease in bees. The queen appears

to be a hybrid Italian.
J. A. H. (King's Heath).— The bees have

"Isle of Wight" disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per lin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

THREE, four, and five frame nuclei, 15s., 17s.
6d., 20s., all this year tested Queens. May
swarm on 8 frames, plenty of brood, 25s., cash
with order, f.o.r. Boxes to be returned carriage
paid. Inspection invited, by appointment.— J., 9,
Sunnyside-rd, Ilford. v. 21

WANTED, first grade sections, any quantity,
glazed and unglazed; also run honey.
Deposit— Address, " P.", " British Bee Journal "
Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.G. yl7

MATING and travelling boxes, two entrances,
4s.; Dadant's Weed, ten sheets, 5lb., 10s. 6d.
—HUNT, Quarry-road, Somercotes, Alfreton. v 18

STOCK of British bees, guaranteed healthy,
price, including hive, 25s. — MARSHALL,
Cumberland-road, Brighton. v 15

WANTED, good Solar wax extractor —
HIGGS, The Apiary, North Rode, Congle-
ton. y 16

STRONG, healthy nuclei, with 1914 laying
queens, with four frames brood, 15s.; six
frames, 20s. each; ten frame stocks, ready for
supering, 30s.; guaranteed healthy, no disease of
any kind in the district.— A. SHARP, Halstead
Farm, Barrowford, Lancashire. v 14

FOR SALE, extractor, cog-gearing, good con-
dition, 15s.; two uncapping knives, Bingham
pattern, 2s. 6d.; at Boston Spa.— Apply, COOPER,
27, Claremont-terrace, York. v 13

THREE strong stocks, in W.B.C. hives, extra
hives and appliances, cheap.— FRY, 38, Syden-
ham Park, Sydenham. v 12

EALTHY stocks for sale, 35s., "40s. each;

three-frame nuclei, 15s— MORGAN, 93, The

Avenue, Ealing. v 11

A FEW 8-frame stocks, 1914 queens, 30s. each,
f.o.r., guaranteed healthy.— WILSON, Apiary,
Belper. v 10

ANTED, Rymer honey boards, W.B.C. outer
boxes.— HALL, outfitter, Hinckley. v 8

W

P'-FRAME nuclei, Carniolan hybrid, brood in all
?J frames, 1914 laying queens, 15s. each guaran-
teed healthy; boxes to be returned.— A. MAGSON,
Kirkham, Lancashire. v 7

HARDY prolific Dutch queens, 1913, 2s. 9d.;
on 3-frame nuclei, 13s. 6d.; naturally raised
virgins, 2s.— PAUL, Salisbury-road, Bexley. v 5

1Q10 QUEEN for sale, 4s— HURST, 31,
■L*7 lu Ellerton-road, Wandsworth Common,
S.W. v 4

COWAN extractor, cost 50s., take 35s.; 1J cwt.
ripener, 8s. 6d.; both Meadows's make, scarcely
used; nine 281b. honey tins, new, 4s. 6d.—
PERCIVAL, 14, Chretien-road, Northenden,
Cheshire. v 3

HIVES, sound, painted, no disease, two,W.B.C,
three lifts each, 17s. each; eight single, two
lifts each, 8s. each; twelve dozen shallow drawn
combs, 4d. each; Solar wax extractor, 22in. by 16in.,
8s.; three shallow frame show cases, 3s., or offer.
--CARVER, Castle Gary. v 2

SEVEN strong hives, with standard and
shallow body, and lift, 2s. 6d. each; also a
Combination, with four bee-way, price 4s., or £1
the lot, with other things thrown in, dummies,
dry sugar feeders, frames, smoker, &c. — W.
PRlNGLE, 2, Commercial-square, Winlaton,
Blaydon-on-Tyne. v 1

WANTED, sections; state lowest price and
quantity.-CHURCH FARM DAIRY, Sher-
ingham, Norfolk. v 85

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers.—
" BUMBLE," " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C.

WANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office.

SMITH PREMIER TYPEWRITER, Standard
double keyboard, very reliable, beautiful
writing, perfect condition, cost £23, accept 60/-,
worth double— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham, v 54

A FEW of a very fine strain of specially bred
queens for sale, from a district that has
been devastated by " Isle of Wight " disease, and
from stocks that have proved perfectly healthy,
excellent honey storers and good comb builders,
price, fertile, 10s. 6d. each; every queen tested,
no unfertiles sold; safe arrival guaranteed.— E.
HOWARD COLLINS, Harewood Apiary, Chalfont
St. Giles, Bucks. v 30

FOR SALE, grand stocks Scotch bees, healthy,
30s. each, or in good secondhand hives, 40s.
each, f.o.r., cash— GEO. W. PAISLEY, Newport-
on-Tay. v 45

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2?in. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editiona
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th— HERROD, "B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

DIRECT from F. W. Sladen's original extra
golden bee stocks.— British golden virgin
queens, 2s. 6d. each, three for 6s. 9d.; apiary free
from " I.O.W."-CHESTON CREWES' Apiary,
Warlingham, Surrey. v 20

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.

HOW TO PREVENT SWARMING— A certain
method, fully explained, with illustratione
from life, of bees and their work, price Is.,
postaKe Id., from all dealers, and the author, A. H.
WILKES, Lichfield-road, Four Oaks, Birming-
ham.

July 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

271

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held in the office of the Hives and Honey
Department, Royal Show Ground, Shrews-
bury, on Thursday, July 2nd, 1914. Mr.
A. G. Pugh presided. There were also
present Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. H.
Jonas, J. X. Smallwood, Association
representatives; C. R. Forse and W. M.
Vallon (Staffordshire), Rev. G. E. H.
Pratt (Salop), A. McCullah (Devon),
W. E. Richardson (Yorks), and Dr. W.
Anderton (Lancashire), and the Secretary,
W. Herrod.

Letters expressing regret at inability to
attend were read from Messrs. T. W.
Cowan, W. F. Reid, C. L. M. Eales. and
O. R. Frankenstein.

The following new members were elected :
—Mr. J. W. Hignett, Mr. W. Thome, and
Mr. R. Slimmand.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for June amounted to £13 19s. 6d., the
bank balance being £222 Os. 5d.

Applications for preliminary examina-
tions were received from Norfolk, North-
umberland, and Suffolk; these were
granted and examiners appointed.

The report of the preliminary examina-
tion, held at Waltham Cross, was received,
and it was resolved to grant the certificate
to Miss Gladys Darrington.

The report of the Exhibitions Com-
mittee on the proposed judging competi-
tion by Mr. Frankenstein was read by the
secretary. A minority report was read by
Mr. A. G. Pugh, and after discussion it
was resolved that the best thanks of the
Council be given to the Committee for
the work they had done, and that the
matter be referred to them for further
consideration.

This concluded the business of the meet-
ing.

Dr. W. Anderton then rose and said it
was the first meeting of the Council he
had attended, and he felt it his duty to
compliment the Council on the methodical
and business-like manner in which the
work was carried out.

The Chairman said he was certain he
voiced the feelings of the whole Council
of the B.B.K.A. in saying how pleased
they were when the representatives of the
affiliated Associations attended the meet-
ings, and he extended a hearty welcome

to them. The sympathy of the Council
was with those representatives who lived
many miles away from London, and there-
fore were unable to attend. When the
matter of having the Council meetings
migratory was considered several years
ago, it was found that it would be very
inconvenient to hold them away from the
office in London, where all the papers
and documents are available for reference.
At that time he suggested the idea of
holding one Council meeting each year in
the provinces at the town in which the
Royal Show was held. Owing to being
responsible for this alteration he had
made it a point to be present each year at
this particular meeting, and he was
pleased to note that the idea had caught
on, and that the attendance increased year
by year. In the first vear of the change,
1912, only five attended, in 1913 eight
attended, while that day ten were present.

Next meeting of Council, Thursday,
September 17th, at 23, Bedford Street,
Strand, London, W.C.

THE ROYAL SHOW AT SHREWSBURY.

The " Hives and Honey " stand occupied
an exceptionally, good position this year.
From the front stretched a wide avenue
right across the ground past the " Horse
Ring " to the stand of the Education
Department. The exhibits were, as usual,
excellent, and in goodly number, very few
entrants being unable to send their ex-
hibits. The lot of the judges was not at
all enviable ; not only were the exhibits all
so good as to make it a difficult matter to
decide which should take premier honours,
but the weather was intensely hot. With
such well-known exhibitors of "trophies"
as Messrs. Pearman, Brown, and Dixon,
and others, that class was a strong one.
The class for mead secured a large
number of entries this year, as did the
wax classes also. The judging was under-
taken by Revs. T. J. Evans and G. E. B.
Pratt, and Messrs. W. F. Reid, and A. G.
Pugh. Mr. Cartwright undertook the
duties of steward.

Below we append a list of awards: —

HIVES AND APPLIANCES.

Class 599. — Collection of Hires and
Appliances, including Suitable Outfit for
a Beginner in Bee-keeping. — 1st. W. P.
Meadows, Syston, Leicester; 2nd, James
Lee and Son" Uxbridge ; 3rd, E. J. Burtt,
Stroud Road. Gloucester.

Class 600. — Complete Frame-hive for
General Use.— 1st, E. H. Taylor, Welwyn,
Herts; 2nd, James Lee and Son; 3rd,
W. P. Meadows.

272.

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 9, 1914.

Class 601. — Complete and Inexpensive
Frame-hive for Cottager's Use, price not
to exceed 10s. 6d.— 1st, E. H. Taylor;
2nd, James Lee and Son ; 3rd, W. P.
Meadows.

Class 602. — Honey Extractor. — 1st,
W. P. Meadows; 2nd, E. H. Taylor.

Class 603. — Observatory Hive with Bees,
and Queen. — 1st, A. W. Simcox, Fallings
Park, Wolverhampton.

Class 604. — Any Appliance connected
with Bee-keeping, to which no prize has
been awarded, at a Show of the Royal
Agricultural Society of England. — 1st,
James Lee and Son; certificates, B.
Blackbourn, Minster, Thanet; F. W.
Watts 132, Goodrich Road, East Dulwich,
S.E.

Classes 605 to 607 confined to members
of the .Shropshire Bee-keepers' Association.

Class 60'5. — Four 1-lb'. Sections. — 1st,
E. Brookfield, Myrtle, Salop; 2nd, R, H.
Elson, Wellington, Salop; 3rd, H. Hen-
stock, Nesseliffe, Salop.

Class 606. — Four 1-lb. Jars of Extracted
Light-coloured Honey. — 1st, E. Brookfield;
2nd, H. R. Millington, Wistanswick,
Market Drayton ; 3rd, H. Hnlme, Quat-
ford, Bridgnorth; r.n. and h.c.; H. R.
Eddows, Grinshill, Shrewsbury.

Class 607. — Collective Exhibit of Honey
and Wax. — 1st, W. Shuker, Bridgnorth,
Salop; 2nd, H. R. Millington; 3rd, E.
Brookfield; r. and h.c, R. H. Elson.

Entries in Classes 608 to 611 can only be
made by residents in Cheshire, Cumber-
land, Derbyshire, Durham, Herefordshire,
Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,
Monmouthshire, Northumberland, Notting-
hamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Stafford-
shire, Warwickshire, Westmorland,
Worcestershire, Yorkshire, the Isle of
Man, Ireland, Scotland, or Wales.

Class 608.— Twelve 1-lb. Sections.— 1st,
W. N. Helme, Weatley, Hereford; 2nd,
R. Robson, Cheviot Street, Wooler ; 3rd,
J. G. Nicholson, Langwathby, Cumber-
land; r. and h.c, J. Pearman, Penny Long
Lane, Derby; c, Studley Horticultural
College, Warwicks.

Class 609.— Twelve 1-lb. Jars of Ex-
tracted Light-coloured Honey. — 1st, J.
Berry, Llanrwst, N. Wales; 2nd, T. A.
Denhison, Stockton, Rugby; 3rd, W.
Patchett, Cabourne, Caistor, Lines. ; r.
and h.c, J. Pearman; h.c, M. W. C.
Partridge, Cannock, Staffs. ; c, F. C.
Holmes and H. R. Millington.

Class 610.— Twelve. 1-lb. Jars of Ex-
tracted Medium or Dark-coloured Honey.
— 1st, Studley Horticultural College; 2nd,
W. Shuker; 3rd, T. A. Dennison ; r. and
h.c, W. H. Barlow, High Leigh, Knuts-
ford.

Class 611 Twelve 1-lb. Jars of Granu-
lated Honey. — 1st, A. W. Weatherhogg,
Willoughton, Lincoln; 2nd, J. Pearman;
3rd, J. Berry; r. and h.c, Studley Horti-
cultural College; h.c, W. Patchett; c, H.
Hulme.

Entries in Classes 612> to 615 can only be
made by residents in Bedfordshire, Berk-
shire, Bucks, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall,
Devon, Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire,
Hampshire, Herts, Hunts, Isle of Wight,
Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northampton-
shire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk,
Surrey, Sussex, or Wiltshire.

Class 612. — Twelve 1-lb. Sections. — 1st,
F. Bird, Little Canfield, Dunmow; 2nd,
C. W. Dyer, Compton Crossing New-
bury; 3rd, R. Brown, Somersham, Hunts;
r. and h.c, W. J. Goodrich, Oxford Street,
Gloucester; h.c, A. H. Bowen, Coronation
Road, Cheltenham; A. MacCullah, Dun-
chidock, Exeter.

Class 613.— Twelve 1-lb. Jars of Ex-
tracted Light-coloured Honey. — 1st,
S. G. S. Leigh; 2nd, G. W. Kirby,
Knowle, Bristol; 3rd, D. Hancox, Ded-
dington, Oxford; r. and h.c, A. H.
Bowen; h.c, J. E. Swaffield, Libertus
Villas, Cheltenham; c, A. MacCullah.

Class 614.— Twelve 1-lb Jars of Ex-
tracted Medium or Bark-coloured Honey.
— 1st C. E. Billson Cranford, near
Kettering; 2nd, G. W. Kirby; 3rd, R.
Brown; r. and h.c, A. MacCullah; h.c,
S. Sanderson, West Wratting, Cambs. ; c,
F. G. Hales, Wellow, Bath.

Class 615. — Twelve 1-lb. Jars of Granu-
lated Honey.— 1st, A. H. Bowen; 2nd, F.
Bird; 3rd, A. MacCullah; r. and h.c, L.
Andrews, Millfield, Peterborough.

MISCELLANEOUS OPEN CLASSES.

Class 616. — Three Shallow-frames of
Comb Honey, for Extracting. — 1st, R.
Brown; 2nd, F. G. Hales; 3rd, H. Hen-
stock.

Class 617. — Six 1-lb. Jars of Heather
Honey. — 1st, W. Dixon, 27, Central Road,
Leeds; 2nd, M. J. Lamboll, Chiddingfold,
Surrey; 3rd, J. Berry; r. and h.c, G.
Scott, Cumnock, Ayr, N.B.; h.c, W.
Burn, Phoenix He-use, Whitby; c, J.
Shaw, Mulgrave Apiary, Sandsend ; J.
Pearman.

Class 618. — Six Jars of Heather Mixture
Extracted Honey. — 1st, J. Berry; 2nd,
F. C. Holmes; 3rd, J. Pearman; r. and
h.c. J. Pearman.

Class 619. — Honey Trophy. — 1st, J.
Pearman; 2nd, R. Brown; 3rd, W.
Dixon; r. and h.c, F. C. Holmes, Powis
Castle Nursery, Welshpool; h.c, F. New-
port; c, W. Dixon.

Class 620. — Bees Wax (not less than.
2-lb.).— 1st, W. Patchett; 2nd, R. Brown;

July 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

273

3rd, J. Pearrnan ; r. and h.c, J. Berry;
h.c, Hyde and Fishwick, Lytham.

Class 621. — Bees Wax (not less than
3-lb. the produce in shape, qvality, and
package suitable for the retail trade). —
1st, J. Pearrnan; 2nd, J. Berry; 3rd, A.
MaeCullah; r. and h.c, F. W. Frusher,
Crowland, Peterborough.

Glass 622. — Honey Vinegar, 1-qt. — 1st,
Pi. Brown: 2nd, G. W. Kirby ; certificate,
J. Berry; r. and h.c, J. Pearrnan.

Class 623.— Mead, 1-qt.— 1st, J. Berry;
2nd, J. Thomson, St. Peter's Park,
Paddington, London; certificate, J. Pear-
man; r. and h.c, F. C. Holmes.

Class 624. — Exhibit of a Practical or In-
teresting Nature, connected with Bee
Culture.— 1st, A. MaeCullah; 2nd, W.
Dixon.

Class 625. — Exhibit of a Scientific
Nature. — 1st, G. Steventon, Shaftesbury
Lodge, Bisley ; 2nd, D. Lindsay, St. Paul's
Schools, Worcester.

W. BROCGHTON CAER MEMORIAL MEDAL.

1st, J. Berry. Llanrwst, N. Wales ; 2nd,
Col. Jolly's "W.B.C." hive, R. Brown,
iSomersham.

LANCASHIRE AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

We desire to draw readers' attention to
the annual show of the Royal Lancashire
Agricultural Society, to be held this year
at Liverpool from July 30th to August 3rd.

Great inducements are offered to ex-
hibitors, nine classes being open to the
United Kingdom, with generous prizes, in
addition to silver and bronze medals in
County Palatine classes. The final date
for closing entries is July 11th, and any
bee-keepers having good honey will find
it worth while to apply for schedules,
which will be sent on application to the
Secretary of the Society.

THE CROYDON AND DISTRICT BEE-
KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

A general meeting will be held at the
Y.M.C.A., North End, West Croydon, on
July 13th, at 8 p.m. sharp, with the object
of reorganising the above Association,
when all members are cordially invited. —
C. H. Rose, Hon. Sec pro tem.

WEAR VALLEY AND DISTRICT BEE-
KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION, Co.
DURHAM.

Under the auspices of the above Asso-
ciation a lecture was delivered at West-

gate, July 4th, by Mr. W. S. Watson,
Wokingham, Hon. Sec of the Association.
The subject, " Swarming and Re-queen-
ing," was listened to by an appreciative
audience. Questions were asked after the
lecture, and answered by the lecturer.
Mr. J. Willan occupied the chair. A
hearty vote of thanks was accorded the
chairman and lecturer, the latter receiving
an earnest invitation to visit Westgate
again and give another address on bees.

BEE PICTURES IN LONDON.

Mr. J. C. Bee Mason is showing two
films this week at the London Opera
House, at 3.0 p.m. and 8.15 p.m. Sub-
jects: "Bees and their Enemies" and
"The Bee Master."

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

Bg D. M. Macdonald.

Rearing Queens. — When best to do this
is a moot point, and many hold that about
swarming-time, when bees' thoughts are
naturally inclined to queen cell construc-
tion, is best. Mr. Root recently uttered
the following pronouncement on this sub-
ject : " An experienced queen-breeder who
understands the art of feeding — that is,
of stimulating — can rear just as good
queens out of season as during the swarm-
ing or supersedure impulse " ; and he
quotes an experienced breeder, who rears
thousands of queens, as follows : " I prefer
to have no honey coming in, because then
I have all the conditions under my control,
and knowing these conditions I can raise
the best of queens." Dr. Miller commends
Mr. Greiner for advocating the period of
natural swarming. The bee-keepers of
Switzerland and Germany advise rearing
queens during the time bees naturally
swarm. In this country, in most seasons
the time for successful queen-rearing is
very limited, and very rarely do any of
our queen-rearers postpone the operations
until the close of the honey season.

Moving Bees. — Cleanings, June 1st, is
a special issue dealing with this subject. I
do not know that I can coin much from
the mass of matter specially illuminating
for bee-keepers on this side. They move a
car-load at a time, and all the way from
such remote centres as Florida and Ohio.

274

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 9, 1914.

We can never accomplish anything
similar, as we have no such extremes of
climate. The aim in this particular case
was not only to get a northern harvest
and a southern one, but also to make
increase on a large scale — four car-loads
from one ! They find that while in transit,
as long as the train is moving bees are
contented and comfortable. Resting long
may produce disaster. The combs must
not be heavy with honey, and the colonies
must not be strong. A special car, suit-
ably fitted up, is used, and an attendant
travels along with the bees. In warm
weather water is liberally used to cool the
hives, and provision is made for occasional
drinks being given. The whole question
of transit in this country needs overhaul-
ing, and several features could be greatly
improved, a great part of the success
generally following a rail journey being
more a question of luck rather than
management.

Apiculture Looking Up. — This is going
to be a good supply year. Reports show
that a high-water mark has been reached.
All manufacturers are having a bigger
demand for goods than ever before. This
shows that bee-keeping is looking up in
spite of adverse conditions here and there.
In America there has been an extensive
demand for power-driven extractors, and
queen -breeders report an enormous call
for young queens.

Swiss Bee-Keepers. — What handsome,
good-looking fellows (men and women, Dr.
Miller) they have at conventions in Swit-
zerland, judging by the fine photograph
reproduced on the front page of the cover
of the June American Bee Journal. Mr.
Dadant's well-known features are easily
spotted. Apart from one or two which
have appeared in our journal, I have been
unable to spot any prominent faces in the
group.

Wild Bees. — " Our younger bee-keepers,
both boys and girls, would find it well
worth their while to collect and study the
wild species of their neighbourhood. By
exchanging and corresponding with each
other this work might be made intensely
interesting. Some 8,000 species have been
described throughout the world, of which
2,000 belong to Europe. There are about
200 species in England, 400 in Germany."
This, as a study, should prove of absorb-
ing interest, ifcarried out systematically,
I should think but alas! I am no longer
numbered in our "younger" bee-keepers!
Bees' Olfactory Organs. — Several of our
confirmed ideas regarding the sense-organs
of bees have lately gone by the board. Dr.
Mclndoo, of the Bureau of Entomology,
Washington, has been during the last
three years devoting his entire time to a
study of the olfactory sense in the honey
bee, and his conclusion is that the view

that the antenna? carry these organs must
be abandoned judging from the fruits of
his observations. From his diagrams it
may be judged that he would locate them
in the wings, legs, sting, &c, but 7iot in
the antenna?! Quoting briefly we are told
Groups 1 to 5 lie on the bases of the
wings ; groups 6 to 18 lie on the legs ;
groups 19 to 21 lie on the sting. Drones
have an average number of 2,604 olfactory
organs, 606 lie on all six legs, and 1,998
on all four wings. Workers have an
average total number of 2,268 olfactory
organs, 100 of which lie on the sting,
658 on al! six legs, and 1,510 on
all four wings. Queens have an

average total number of 1,860 olfactory
organs, 100 of which lie on the sting, 450
on all six legs, and 1,310 on all four
wings. These facts, which appear quite
fabulous, and have been attained as the
fruits of long and patient labours in making
mutilating experiments, appear in a
contributed article in June American Bee
Journal. At present all comment is with-
held.

" BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

ROYAL SHOW7, 1914.

It was all the fault of that wretch, the
"Clerk of the weather," or of the
Meteorological Office It was not the
fault of Shrewsbury. She, forsooth, had
done all that a town could do. For
months before she had been preparing.
She had proclaimed that she meant to
make Tier show a record. It should excel
all previous Royal Shows. Invitations
had been issued broadcast, and the Royal
Agricultural Society had joined hands
with her. French, German and Danish
agriculturists were asked to come, aye,
even South Africa, far as it is, sent a
contingent. Then just at the very
moment when everything depended on
brilliant sunshine, the powers that rule
the weather turned rogue, and spoiled
all. Really if the people who pay the
rates and who spend such a lot of money
to get up a festival like this cannot have
some control over those who make the
rain it is high time there was some
reform. Nor is this the only quarrel I
have with these officials. They played
" possum," they were tricky. Evidently
the joke was to try to tempt as many to
come as possible, and then to drown them,
or nearly so. In the early days of the
week, never was brighter sunshine, never
warmer weather. So hot indeed that it
is reported that many of the fat cattle
and pigs fainted. Lest any member of
the R.S.P.C.A. should be alarmed, let me
hasten to tell him that first aid was
immediately at hand. There were armies
of "vets" and tons of medicine on the

July 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

.;io

spot, even including smelling; salts, and
"Eau de Cologne"

And then on the Wednesday, just as the
tea was ready, down came the rain.
•• Not 'art," as Cockneys say, but just in
sheets which splashed and rebounded from
the trodden meadow, while the lightning
flashed and forked, from the zenith even
to the horizon, and the thunder crashed
and crackled. Oh ! how that old river god
who dwells in the Severn must have
laughed to see the scattering of dainty
dames and demoiselles clad in the most
dainty and most light (avoirdupois) of
costumes. And so the game went merrily
on for an hour or more, when I suppose it
was concluded that we had had enough for
one day, and midst gorgeous pillows of
crimson and gold old Sol retired to his
rest.

Still the controllers of the weather
were bent on mischief. The quaint old
town, in expectation of the visit of the
Kins; on the morrow, had decked itself
out right royally. Flogs, and banners, and
festoons, from Venetian masts had made
the streets an archway through which
peeped here and there the old houses,
black-beamed and overhanging the path-
ways. All this preparation was allowed to
proceed calmly until mid-day, and then !
if it had rained in sheets the day before,
to-day it was in avalanches of hail. The
flags became as limp as bathing towels, and
the poor banners hung disconsolate,
gibbeted on their cross arms. As for the
show field, it was for the moment trans-
formed into a lake, with tents, and sheds,
as isles in its midst. Again in the even-
ing a short respite was given, but all
night long the rain pelted on the roof of
our camp and the grey morning gave but
little hope. However, this much I will
say of these much ' reviled weather
authorities— ere the King came all the
rain clouds had been besomed and brushed
over the hills and far away

And about our Show. The entries were
in excess of any previous year, and there-
fore there was a greater display. The
extracted honey seemed to me superior to
any I had met with on a show bench
before, lint T think T have seen better
sections and shallow frames. For these
there is excuse that it was perhaps
impossible to get the best samples so
early (relatively) in the year. The judges
were capable and did their duty. But
whoever heard of a judge giving satis-
faction to everyone ? Solomon officiating
at a honey show would have been a horrid
failure. Those who do not get prizes
alwavs think they ought to have had them.
and would probably feel disposed to argue
with the awarders of the honours, but for
wise reasons they are not "get-at-able."
He who is curious to know the fortunate

may consult our Journal, but as the
verdict is given the case is finished.

Of " Bee Appliances " there was no end.
All the usual manufacturers had their
show, Messrs. Lee and Taylor, Burtt and
Meadows. Thank Heaven ! there was
nothing specially new to record. Poor
amateur, how his heart must sink when
he views that vast array. Are all these
necessary? he queries. Well, not all.
That neat little machine for making bees
sting rheumatic folk, that he will not
want. He can get plenty of Formic acid
injections without its aid. But if I
attempt to separate the essentials from the
non-essentials I shall require an extra
page, which I don't think our editor can
spare me. ,

And now T have just one more sentence
to add. It is as to the usefulness of these
shows over and above the giving of prizes.
T have had the pleasure of spending
annually two or three days "camping
out*' at the show, and it is very noticeable
how each year the number of intelligent
enquiries increases. The brilliant crimson
of the "Bee Tent," of course, is a striking
landmark, and the lecturers attract a
listening crowd. After the "Bee Chat"
some of the questions asked show great
observation, but it is when that is over
enquirers, literally from all parts of the
world, seek out the tent over which flaunts
the banner whereon is emblazoned the
queen bee, in search of information. The
quiet, unostentatious way in which the
work has been carried on these forty years
is being rewarded. The number of bee-
keepers is increasing, the more numerous
visits to the tent is one of the signs, am1
if only we. armed to battle against disease,
were enabled to enforce the most
elementary principles for preventing its
increase, the years wotild be very few ere
our prize list would need doubling.

Jno. Smallwood.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be token of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to icrite on one
side of the paper only and (lice their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be draien on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

PEASANT HIVES IN ITALY.

[9047] I have been interested in Mr.
Smallwood's articles on Italy, and wonder

276

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 9, 1914.

whether he has come across any of the
hives made from the hollowed out portion
of a tree trunk, about 3 feet high and
2 feet in diameter, with a minute
entrance. I regret that I have no photo-
graph of one. Some years ago I was
asked to introduce modern hives on Baron
Franchetti's estates in Umbria. One
English "W.B.C." hive was sent out by
Messrs. Lee and was beautifully copied
by a local carpenter, and now every farm
on these large estates has " W.B.C."
hives, and owners who understand how to
manipulate them. The difficulty was to
transfer the bees from the trunk hives into
the English ones. The method I adopted
was a rough-and-ready one, but proved
quite effectual. The trunk hive was
cleaved open with a hatchet. Then the
best and straightest pieces of comb with
brood were tied with wire into the brood
frames, and as soon as the hive was thus
fitted it was placed on the spot where
the old trunk hive had stood. All re-
maining comb was removed and burnt at
once. The Italian bees are very good
natured, and, considering the nature of
the work, I received very few stings. The
bees store an immense amount of honey
considering the shortness of the season,
for, after the end of June, there is little
nectar to be gathered, owing to the
drought and heat. Shallow frames are
used, as Italians will not eat honey-comb.—
Magdalen Millakd.

OBSERVATORY HIVE.

[9048] Two interesting things have
happened this week. One is that I had
been watching a ripe queen-cell which had
been sealed over six days. I was called
away for not more than half-an-hour, and
on my return found the queen had just
emerged. The hive was in a state of
great excitement, and very strong, the
seven sections filled but not quite sealed.
Within ten minutes of my return to the
hive the bees were swarming, and I took
them easily from a laburnum tree outside
the window.

A swarm was issuing from a strong stock
in my apiary and seemed inclined to
cluster on some pea-sticks, but were spread
widely, and a big lot of beps on the wing. I
was standing near the line of peas with a
skep in my hand. I had been there per-
haps five minutes, when I noticed I was
the centre of attraction, and my right
foot and leg were soon thick with bees. I
kept still to see what would happen, when
I shortly found the bees entering and
hiving themselves in the skep in my hand
— an accommodating lot. Yesterday I
found a wild swarm on the trunk of a tree
in the wood here. I could not shake them,
nor could T smoke them, as the smoke

filled the skep and so defeated the object
of using it. I therefore got a couple of
handfuls of bees into the skep, but
without the queen, I fancy, and then hung
the skep on a limb three or four yards
away. I then climbed the tree and
smoked the bees till they swarmed, and
they at once hived themselves with the
small lot in skep. — Apts.

MR. CRAWSHAW AND NEW
ZEALAND BOX-HIVES.

[90-19] I crave your indulgence once
more in a final word with my friend on
the fixed-comb hive question (p. 139). Mr.
Crawshaw's last to reach me reminds me
of the old saying, " Convince a man
against his will," &c, which seems very
apt in this case. He still persists in
singling out " New Zealand box-hives " as
though common boxes as domiciles for
bees were an exclusive form of immovable
comb hive used in this country. I have on
several occasions informed Mr. Crawshaw
that the term "box-hive" is used by New
Zealand bee-keepers for convenience to
cover in a general way all sorts and kinds
of fixed comb receptacles, be they boxes,
barrels, skeps, or anything else, not being
movable frame hives. I may mention
that the same term conveying a similar
meaning is used throughout Australia.

It is somewhat amusing to find Mr.
Crawshaw, in defence of the skep, saying
it is superior to the New Zealand box-
hives, which is really declaring that one
evil is less than the other, and on that
account the lesser evil should be put up
with. I am astonished that a regular con-
tributor to a journal representing British
bee-keeping should say: "But I am not
solely concerned' with the ' ctommercial
bee-keeper,' nor with the comparative
profits of alternative methods." If, as I
take Mr. Crawshaw's position to be, he is
a teacher of bee-keeping, through his
contributions, he should most decidedly be
concerned with the working out of the
most profitable methods of commercial bee-
keeping. It must have been a slip of the
pen, surely. — J. Hopkins, Auckland, New
Zealand.

A PROLIFIC COLONY.

[9050] Your remarks anent how to
prevent casts induces me to write, as I
find with some strains that it is not such
an easy matter.

Last year, after the first swarms came
out, I cut out all the queen-cells but one,
with the result that in two of my hives
the young queen was lost, presumably
during her wedding flight, and I had to
requeen later on. This year I did not

July 9, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

9TT

cut out the queen-cells, but in eacli case
hived the swarm on the old stand, remov-
ing the parent hive to a new location ; stiU
a cast came out in spite of bottom ventila-
tion and plenty of room overhead.

One of my stocks has had what seems to
me a remarkable rate of increase. My
notes for this stock are: — April 10th.
section rack put on. April 19th, Combs
drawn out, second rack put on. April
29th, swarmed ; swarm hived on old
location and given the two partly
finished racks; no drones yet out. May
9th, young queen first heard piping in
parent hive. May 13th, nine dead virgins
thrown out. May 14th, cast, hived in fresh
hive. Racks put on both parent hive and
east, also all three had bottom ventilation :
nevertheless, all three swarmed again
between 22nd and 29th June, and one
cast, all of which I hived separately, so
the increase in number of stocks is from
one to seven in two months.

What surprised me was the fact of the
dead virgins being thrown out; and yet a
cast following the next day. Is not this
verv unusual? — C. R. J.

w* — « .. -

VM»lton.

.I-NG&

Pure Heather Honey (p. 204).— Mr.
Pinkney's difficulty of designation is not
quite easy to understand, nor is the need
of a standard very apparent. For "pure"
heather honey should surely contain no
other honey in appreciable quantity, and
an admixture should be described as a
blend. Taking as a basis Mr. Pinkney's
standard of comparative value — clover

honey at Is. and heather at Is. 6d

a half-and-half blend should be worth
from Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. Such a blend is
preferred by some to either pure article.
Probably neither Mr. Pinkney nor myself,
as heather men, entirely approve of such
prejudices, but they exist, and common
sense counsels the catering for them.
Between the two extremes of pure honey
we may then get blends in which either
honey predominates, and these may be
described as heather-clover or clover-
heather, the first term indicating the
preponderance. But who is to insist upon
such classification, and how are offenders
to be brought to book ? Does not the
problem resolve itself into one of energy
on the part of the bee-keeper in order to
educate the customer or the middleman,
coupled with a willingness to cater for any
definitely expressed preference?

Weight of Comb (p. 213). — There are
some discrepancies in the figures quoted
from the Leipziger Bienenzeitung. M.
Weigert states that a new comb 17 by 21
cm. and 25 m.m. thick (say 6.6in. by
8.3in. by 1, or 2750 cells) weighs 22
grammes (say -^oz.) Allowing for the
absence of capping, this appears about
right, but he goes on to say that 10,000
worker cells weigh 65 grammes. On the
same basis as the other the weight would
appear to be about 80 grammes. Again,
a comb of this size, presumably the
smaller, completely filled with brood, is
stated to weigh 125 grammes (say 4.4oz.),
whilst filled with honey it weighs from
21bs. to 31bs. The difference is too striking
to be credited offhand, so that M. Weigert
must forgive us if we check results when
opportunity offers.

Hawthorn Honey (p. 216). — In the past
there have been several discussions as to
whether the hawthorn yields honey or
pollen. I had exceptional opportunity
this year for observation, and wish to
testify emphatically that bees do, at any
rate in certain years, get considerable
honey from this tree. All the bees
observed by me were very busy obtaining
nectar, and were not also collecting
pollen. At this time the honey coming
into the hives bore the unmistakable
odour of the may-blossom, so that the
fanning bees before the hives in the cool
of the evening were steeped in the scent
of the bloom as they hurried it to meet
the grateful nostril of the bee-master.
The honey itself is not so attractive in
appearance, having a greenish colour, but
it is rcmch liked by certain of my
acquaintance, and it is amazingly good
stuff for growing bees. It quite atoned
this year for the failure of the fruit
bloom, due to the very unseasonable frosts
which devastated my own district.

Heniher Honey for Winter (p. 224).—
As one of those who have certified the
occasional ill results of wintering upon
heather honey. T must this year confirm
the experiences of T>. Wilson (and
W E. B., p. 233). Those of my stocks
which went to the moor wintered excep-
tionally well, and their average condition
was better than the rest of the apiary.
This does not in the least shake my pre-
vious statement, except so far as an
admission that the honey may be all right
in certain winters. Something may be due
to weather or other conditions at the
moor. It was a specially good heather
harvest last year. It may even be that
an unsatisfactory result is due to the
admixture of other honey, but the fact
remains, and I am not alone in experi-
encing loss from this cause. Similar
experience may be found in old bee books.
It should be borne in mind that there is

278

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 9, 1914.

a distinct local difference in heather
(calluna) honey itself, and difference of
experience may be due to this cause.

Controlling Brood-rearing (p. 233). —
May I suggest some modifications of Mr.
Scrope Viner's recommendation, which
experience leads me to believe are sound.
Instead of weeding out the brood combs
at the time advised, do so at the Spring
examination. I do not get many poor
combs, but if such exist I weed them out
ruthlessly in the Spring. They are then
light in honey, and the approved combs
can be easily trimmed to fit one another
if necessary. This- "trimming" is not so
advisable when the combs are heavy with
new honey. Good provident bee-work is
thrown away and the advantage of this
uncapping is lost. In preparation for
doubling I thereby make sure that the
lower combs constitute a good set, and
thus allow the bees to put their house in
order for the year. Then instead of hunt-
ing for the queen through two storeys of
a doubled stock I simply blow a little
smoke in at the top to drive her down,
allowing a sufficient interval for the day-
light and the smoke to do their work,
when the upper body may be raised, or an
excluder slipped between the two bodies
in the confident assurance that the queen
will be downstairs.

Shortage of Swarms (p. 233).— W. C. B.
is not alone in experiencing few swarms.
It is not a swarming year. I have had
two so far, and only one of the other
thirty stocks has built cells, with what
ulterior motive I am not prepared to say,
but I doubt if they will swarm. My
method of management does not en-
courage swarming. I give extra breeding
room about fruit bloom, and reduce again
about clover bloom, either by raising over
excluder, or removal. But other beemen
known to me, Avho encourage swarming,
have not had their share of swarms this
year, so that unless a change comes o'er
the spirit of the hive, I am inclined to
label 1914 as not a " swarming year."

Capturing a High Swarm (p. 235). —
This picture reminds me of an early
experience, when I light-heartedly
attempted to reach a swarm with a skep
nailed to a long rod. As a matter of fact
the rod was three clothes props fastened
together. Oh! yes. the skep just reached
the swarm, though it swayed about
dangerously. After some extraordinary
fishing in mid-air, the swarm was
"cupped," and the skep jerked upwards.
Then things happened. One of the
" props " was not so straight grained as
it might have been, and down came the
lot. However, the skep, plus what was
left of the pole, was placed over one of
the lots on the ground, and the best was

hoped for, the while other skeps were
requisitioned. But it must have been the
wrong lot, for shortly they were all back
upon the almost inaccessible bough. No,
not all, some were wasted. They would
waste themselves upon me, regardless of
the fact that I was doing the best I could
for them. A misunderstanding, no doubt,
in ignorance of the maxim that swarming
bees never sting. When they were finally
hived, I vowed, with uplifted swollen
hands, never again ! Fortunately my vow
has not since been put to the test.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged 3s. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of shoiv. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-place,
Edinburgh.— Entries closed.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Linos.
Entries closed.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Shcfw, Blake-street, York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York." Entries closed.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire. Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual

Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s.. 3s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Okibury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries close
July 25th.

July 9, 1914.] THE BEITISix BEE JOURNAL.

279

August 6th, at Madresfield, Malvern.—

In conjunction with the Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Show. The Annual Show of the Worcester-
shire B.K.A. 5 open classes. Entry, 6d. each.
Increased prizes. Schedules from George Eichings,
2, Shubbery-terrace, \\ orcester. Entries close
August 1st.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 12th, at Wye, near Ashford, Kent.
—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor); 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary. Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.— The
Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close August 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle—Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close Augvist 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury. — Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster. — Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

H. Hartley (Huddersfield) and G. H.
(Nantwich). — Hone;/ Samples. — There is
a little honey-dew in honey, hence green
colour.

Anxious One (Devon). — Symptoms of
Disease. — {1 and 5) Yon might try the
quinine, follow the instructions given on
the bottle. (2 and 4) We cannot be
certain it is the disease. If possible,
send a few bees in a tin box. (3) No,
they usually crawl about until they die.

Puzzled (Sussex). — Transferring Bees. —

(1) When there is brood in new combs
make certain that the queen is on them,
and then place a sheet of queen excluder
zinc on the top. You should be able to
release the top box by a screwing
motion, replace it over the zinc, and in
twenty-two or twenty-three days all the
young bees will have left the cells, when
it may be taken away. (2) Quite
possibly. (3) No, only one. (4) Send a
piece of comb with some of the cells, and
we will try and help you. Pack in a tin
box.

Roddam (Alnwick). — Double Swarm. — (1)
Not for two or more swarms to unite.

(2) Yes, quite right. (3) Exactly as you
would treat any other strong stock.
Sorry we have not room for your letter.

J. D. (Swanwick). — Coal
creosote.

Oil.— It is

W. S. A. — Swarm Suffocated. — Under the
conditions named, the bees would not
live half-an-hour, as they would be un-
able to breathe. You should have placed
the skep in the trap mouth upwards,
then all would have been well.

Bee Hive (Cardigan). — Varieties of Bees.
— (1) Pure Italians. (2) No difference,
except in colour, for the latter the
yellowest are chosen to breed from. (3)
A couple of days in the post. (4) No.

Freda (Oundle). — Trouble with Wasps. —
(1) If the hive is inside a room could
you not fix a small porch and slides out-
side over the entrance? (2) The zinc,
as suggested, should answer the purpose.
It would be best to leave it until the
honey-flow is over, or you notice the
wasps are becoming troublesome. The
width of entrance depends on strength
of colony. If strong they would be able
to defend from 2 to 3 inches. (3) Yes,
if bees are still storing honey, and

280

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 9, 1914.

need more room. (4) The honey should
be extracted, it you have no extractor
available, you may break the comb up
and strain the honey from it. (5) We
could not say without seeing it. Could
you not have fixed the skep in some way
so that its lower edge touched the top of
the swarm? (6) Insect was crushed in
the post, but appears to be one of the
wild bees — Andrend.

H. T. (Eccles). — Ventilating Rive.— {I)
Yes. (2) It would be better to cover the
feeding hole only, or cut a hole about
4 inches square, and place zinc over.
You might also lift the front of the hive
by means of small wedges. (3) Yes.

Gardner (Hertford). — Dead Drones. — Yes,
it has met a queen, (is) No.

A Beginner (Col-erne). — (1) The symptoms
are those of " Isle of Wight " disease.
(2) They may occasionally. (3, 4, 5, and
b') It is not possible to say.

Suspected Disease.
G. C. (Ayr), L. W. (St. Germans), and
R. E. (Llandudno).— Yes, it is " Isle of
Wight " disease.

Anxious (Stonehouse). — "Isle of Wight"
disease.

F. A. K. (Shanklin). — Bees were covered
with disgorged honey, but are healtiiy
so far as we can see. It would be safer
to keep them away from the others for
a time.

Fivo (Bradford). — Bees have ''Isle of
Wight " disease.

S. H. B. (Chester) and A. H. W. (Tavi-
stock).— Symptoms are of "Isle of
Wight " disease.

W. J. (Falkirk). — Bees too dry for
diagnosis, and you give no particulars
as to symptoms.

Special Prepaid Advertisements,

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpen e.
Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per -word as " Bus>
i ess" Announcements, immediately under the \
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PEIVAIE ADVERTISEMENTS.

TROPHY stand, including canopy, bottles,
cases four sheets plate glass, &c, £2 10s.;
photo, 2d.; new four-frame nuclei hives, roofs,
canvas covered 4s. each.— ANDREWS, Rock-road,
Peterborough \ 36

\rOUNG MAN requires situation as bee-keeper's
;> -sjstant with experience, age 20.— Apply,
ALBERT SYMONDS. The Lodge, Le-ssness Park.
Abbey Wood, London, 8.E. v 33

FOR SALE, nure English honey, light colour
60s. per cwt.; sample, 3d— LAW, Cuckoo, Ash
well, Baldock Herts. v 31

WANTED cheap, microscope slides of bees,
private student, subjects, price. Approval.—
F. NEv\SHAM, Milnthorpe. v 29

WANTED, youth or young man, mechanical
aptitude, learn drive White steam car and
manage bees, gardening, pony; previous experience
advantageous, but' not necessity; live in.—
GOKOON, Lonscaie, l hrelkeid, Penrith. v 28

1 ftl J SELECT English queens, 3s. 6d.; no
JL«/JL-± disease district.— LOME, Park-road,
Chilwell, Notts. v 27

rl^HREE good stocks, with 1914 queens, healthy,
A packed free, 24s. each; take honey in ex-
change.—J. BOW DEN, Broomhill, Yvit'ey,
Surrey. v 26

SIMMINS'S White Star Italians, strain practi-
cally immune from " I.O.W.," four-frame
nuclei, 1914 queens, bred direct from Simmins's
queens, 20s.; hive, 2s. 6d., returnable.— REV.
ANDERSON, Glenn Hall, Leicester. v 25

'ANTED, bees, or hives, in exchange for
three pairs canaries, pair bullfinches, and
two cock linnets— PEGRUM, Market-hill, Sud-
bury, Suffolk. v 22

GOOD swarm, on nine frames, for sale, 18s.;
send box; no disease.— ANTHONY, 2, Long-
field-terrace, York. v 24

FOR SALE, six healthy nucleus lots, four and
five frames, 15s. and 17s. 6d. each. — Elmhurst,
Bourdon-road. Anerley. v 23

THREE, four, and five frame nuclei, 15s., 17s.
6d., 20s., ail this year tested Queens. May
swarm on 8 frames, plenty of brood, 25s., cash
with order, f.o.r. Boxes to be returned carriage
paid. Inspection invited, by appointment.— J., 9,
Sunnyside-rd, Ilford. v. 21

STRONG, healthy nuclei, with 1914 laying
queens, with four frames brood, 15s.; six
frames, 20s. each; ten frame stocks, ready for
supering, 30s.; guaranteed healthy, no disease of
any kind in the district.— A. SHARP, Halstead
Farm, Barrowford, Lancashire. v 14

HEALTHY stocks for sale, 35s., 40s. each;
three-frame nuclei, 15s— MORGAN, 93, The
Avenue, Eaiing. v 11

WANTED, sections; state lowest price and
quantity.-CHURCH FARM DAIRY, Sher-
ingham, Norfolk. v 85

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers.—
"BUMBLE" "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street.
Strand, W.C.

"ANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office.

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2jin. and 3in., 100 is. 2d., post free, finest
quality.— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers.-" PUMP," " B.B J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following: Cloth edition*
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

D]

IRECT from F. W. Sladen's original extra
golden bee stocks.— British golden virgin
queens, 2s. 6d. each, three for 6s. 9d.; apiary free
from " I.O.W."— CHESTON CREWES' Apiary,
Warlingham, Surrey. v 20

July 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

281

BEES OX THE BIOSCOPE.

During last week Mr. J. C. Bee-Mason
was showing at the London Opera House
two new films, " The Natural Enemies of
Bees" and "The Bee Master." The
former is very good, showing the enemies,
including the toad, hedgehog, tits and
chaffinch busily engaged devouring bees.
The toad at times was literally covered
with bees, and one expected to see him
roll over in agony. He, however,
appeared not to take any notice of the
angry defenders of the hive, beyond
calmly snapping them up one after
another with the satisfied, good-humoured
expression of an epicure at a feast. When
taken away and examined seventeen stings
only were found in his skin, and though
removed to a distance he was at the hive
again next day. The hedgehog was
allowed to rest on the alighting board
and munch bees with very little molesta-
tion. Mr. Mason said he had been trying
for three years before he secured a film
of the Blue Tits eating bees. Their alert,
jerky movements were life-like, and one
could be seen to hold a bee under its claw
while it extracted the sting. A spider
was shown winding a bee in a gossamer
shroud. The last part of the film showed
the damage caused by mice. The final
picture being "Three Blind Mice" — three
tiny baby mice in a nest formed inside a
hive, within a few inches of the cluster of
bees. The first part of the " Bee Master "
film consisting of driving bees was good,
but we cannot recommend Mr. Mason's
method of weighing and hiving a swarm.

EXTRACTS FROM AX EXPERT'S
DIARY.

By J. Herroil

Some time ago I promised to give your
readers a few of my experiences when
" on tour " as a " bee expert " for various
County Bee-keepers' Associations, work
which I have done every year for about
fifteen years. As may be imagined, an
expert in the course of his work must meet
with a variety of experiences, curious,
amusing, and sometimes unpleasant. I
have been fortunate in not having many
of the latter. I am not going to attempt any
classification, and, for obvious reasons, shall
not always give times or places. In the first
place, let me say that in the various parts

of the country I have toured I have always
received a hearty welcome, and much help
in the work from members and local secre-
taries of the various Associations. Some
of the latter do yeoman service for their
Associations in the districts they serve —
service which is done purely for the love
of the craft, without any fee or reward,
and quite out of the limejight, no one
probably being aware of the amount of
work they do, except, perhaps, the visit-
ing expert. On one occasion a local secre-
tary was piloting me round his district ;
one member, however, would have nothing
to do with us. When asked if he would
like his stocks examined he replied,
" Xaw, naw ; you knows no more about
'em than I does. You only pulls 'em
about and tells me nowt." If the outside
appearance of his hives was any guide as
to what would have been found in the
interior I should say they were managed
on the severely "let alone" principle.
When touring in Devon some years ago,
the secretary described the work the
experts (I think there were six) had to do
as "missionary work." The Association
received a grant from the County Council,
part of which was to be expended bn
expert work, the experts to visit every
bee-keeper as far as possible, whether a
member of the Association or not. The
county was mapped out into districts, six
or eight being worked each year. Two or
three years were taken to cover the whole
county. So far as I can recollect during
a three weeks' tour in one district I only
visited three members. On the moors and
other outlying districts the bee-keepers
were years behind the times, nearly all
being skeppists. One bee-keeper had his
bees in all kinds of receptacles, boxes,
buckets, and one lot were in a small
hamper, covered over with a sack. Each
swarm was hived wherever it happened to
cluster, and there left. . It was quite a
business hunting around the garden among
the berry bushes to find and count the
hives. The owner did not know how many
stocks he had until we had coimted, and
was not quite certain then. My notes say
his bees had foul brood and were a
nuisance to his neighbours. One hive had
been used by mice as a storehouse for a
quantity of broad beans ; the bees of
course, were dead. Another gentleman
had one of the most delightful situations
for a residence I have ever seen. On the
south it was open to the sea, the back and
sides being closed in by high ground,
which kept out the north and east winds.
The trees and vegetation were in a most
flourishing condition. I found him at
work in one of his fields with his man,
" John," and on presenting my credentials
and asking if I could be of any service to
him he said he would be very pleased if I
would look at his two stocks, but, he re-

282

THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL. [July 16, 1914.

marked, "I'll warn you; they are perfect
little demons." I am never alarmed by
that kind of statement as I usually find
the methods of the owner are more to blame
for any ill-temper on the part of the bees
than are the bees themselves. I got my
smoker and proceeded to charge it; when
he inquired what that thing was for. I
explained its use, and inquired if he used
a carbolic cloth. The reply was, " No,
what is it?" I was somewhat surprised,
and asked what he did use to subdue his
bees. He said, "Nothing." There, of
course, was the explanation of the bad
temper of the bees. The first hive-roof 1
lifted off disclosed the bees without any
covering other than a queen-excluder.
They had been in that condition all
winter. Nevertheless, the combs were
crowded with bees from end to end. The

other lot were not quite so strong' but had
been covered with one thickness of calico
only. A few questions, and the reason
for the scanty covering was explained.
" John " had taken off the section rack
the previous autumn without either sub-
jugator or veil. The roof was removed,
he then wrenched the section rack off and
ran with it, his master remarked,
"My word, he did get stung." They
dare not go near the hives again until
night, when "John" sneaked up very
quietly and slipped the roof on, and from
that time the hives had not been touched
till my visit. I overhauled both stocks
and fixed things up generally, much to
their surprise, without receiving a single
sting.

(To be continued.)

7 HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.

(Continued from page 265.)

The best time to hive a swarm is about six or seven o'clock in the evening. If
attempted too early, especially when the sun is shining fiercely, heat and excitement
will sometimes cause the bees to rise and abscond. If attempted too late, they
do not run freely, but hang about, and if they alight upon the operator they creep
in amongst the clothes in search of warmth, instead of flying off as they will do
earlier. The consequent application of pressure by the clothes is not conducive to
the comfort of the bee-keeper, especially if it happens quite unexpectedly some hours
later, which is more often the case than not. If the swarm has been hived in the
ordinary way it can be placed at once on a floor board (Fig. 35), jin the position
it is to occupy permanently. At the time stated it is moved on one sjide, the frame
hive having its full complement of frames fitted with full sheets of wired founda-
tion and quilts on the top is put in its place. If it is a double walled hive the outer
case should be left off, or the bees will get between it and the brood chamber instead
of going straight into the latter. The entrance to the hive should be propped up
about an inch by means of the entrance slides placed in a V shape, with the apex
inside to form a guide for the bees, and a board sloping from the alighting board to
the ground, over which: a cloth is thrown to make a plain even surface for the bees
to travel up (Fig. 36). If it is a single walled hive the same procedure is followed,
but, of course, the whole of the brood chamber is raised and the roof turned corner-
wiise to give ventilation. Take the skep and invert it, dislodge the bees by rapping
sharply on the sides (Fig. 37) or for travelled bees remove the covering
from the skep or the lid from the box ; do not break the latter in
your excitement, but search for the screws and take them out instead of
prizing off the bottom with a screw-driver, which I have seen done repeatedly. The
screws are sometimes at the side instead of the top. Rap the skep or bump the
box, mouth upwards, on the ground to make all the bees lose their hold, then shoot
them down on the cloth (Fig. 38). They wiill almost at once exercise their natural
propensity for creeping uphill and march into the hive. If they show a disinclination

July 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

283

to move take a few bees in. the hand and put them close to the entrance (Fig. 39);
a spoon or post card can lie used for the same purpose. The bees, finding a home,
set up a contented hum, expose the scent organ, and commence to run in ; the note and
scent emitted attracts the other bees, and they will all commence to follow the lead

(Fig. 40). Watch for the queen and see her safely indoors. At night lower the front of
the hive to its normal position, and put the outer case and roof on properly. Food1
should be given for at least a week, unless the weather is exceptionally fine and
forage abundant, in which case one bottle of food will suffice. If it is possible to

284

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 1G, 1914.

obtain a comb of brood to place in the hive it will reduce the possibility of the
swarm absconding to a minimum, as bees rarely forsake brood.

Treatment of Swarms.
The novice generally commences bee-keeping with a swarm which he purchases,

Fig. 41.

Fig. 12.

but very often we find that through accidentally obtaining a stray swarm people who
had no idea of keeping bees have been initiated into the craft. A prominent case
is that of A. I. Root, of America; from a vagrant swarm which he found, has
grown one of the largest apiaries and manufacturing plants in that country.

Just as the first few years of life are to the human being the most vital for the
health and strength in after years, so it is with bees. Treatment of the swarm
for the first few weeks will either mar or make the stock. Instinct teaches wild
creatures their work right from the moment they are born, but in the case of man

July 16, 1914.] THE BRITISix BEE JOUKNAL.

285

he has to rely upon his intelligence and the knowledge obtained by those who have
lived before him in dealing with dumb creatures. The above is the orthodox method
of hiving a swarm, and this should always be followed when possible. There are ■
occasions when this cannot be done; for instance, if, after travelling a long
distance, the swarm arrives on a damp or cold day, it would be foolish to try to
run the bees in at the front; they would hang together in clusters, and refuse
to move. Under such circumstances, take them into a warm room and feed as
described previously. They can then be shaken in from the top ; this should not be
attempted with all' the frames in position, as (Fig. 41), or the bees will run over
the sides. To do it in this manner is like trying to keep the lid on a pot of
water boiling over. When ready for hiving, remove five of the frames and
space the remaining ones as far apart as possible; have ready a sheet larger
than the top of the hive, " dump " the bees straight in (Fig. 42), cover quickly
with the cloth and put on the roof. The next day the remaining frames
can be put in and the feeder given. It is a mistake to hive a swarm on to the full
number of frames, and pay no further attention to them for several weeks.
Although every precaution in the way of wiring, etc., is taken, if a large swarm
Jis hived upon full sheets of foundation some of them may fall on account of the
hot weather, making the crowded interior of the hive above the normal temperature,
thus softening the wax. This, together with the extra weight of the bees, causes it
to fall as seen at (Figs. 43 and 44). In the former it has fallen from the top, and
overwrapped at the bottom, the empty space has been filled with drone comb, while
in the latter it has fallen right out and the bees have built drone -comb.

Even when interspaced with built-out combs the foundation is liable to fall, as
illustrated at (Fig. 45). If the swarm is not capable of occupying all the frames
and cold weather follows, it is possible they may build comb on to the side of the
frame at the outside edge of the cluster (Fig. 46), instead of working out the founda-
tion properly. This is caused by the cluster not expanding for work as it would do
in warm weather. Therefore to put right these or any other faults, an examination-
should be made the second or third day after hiving; the bees should be confined to
the number of frames they can cover thickly ; when the combs are fully built out in
these, add the other frames one at a time. In this way, perfectly straight combs will
be obtained. If spare combs are on hand it is well to utilise these, and interspace
them with full sheets of foundation, so providing the queen wjith cells to lay in
straight away. If a swarm is hived on to all drawn-out combs, then a super should
be put on at the same time ; this will give them comb-building work to do, which they
are well prepared for, as in a natural state they make their home in a combless and
foodless hollow. Frequently, when drawn-out comb is given surplus is obtained.

(To be Continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

AN OBLIGING QUEEN.
[9051] On Friday evening, June 26th,
I was called for to deal with a large swarm

which had settled on the stump of a
laburnum tree on the station embankment
near here. It was eight o'clock, and
someone else had already been trying to
hive them, but without success. When I
arrived, I found that the proposition was
really very simple. If the skep were
placed over the stump it was only a matter
of time for the swarm to ascend into it.
In such a public place it was not long
before I had a crowd of spectators. One
lady with her little boy scaled the embank-
ment to have a better view, and for her
safety I lent her a veil. The conversation
ran something like this : —

"Is there a queen in the swarm? I
should like to see one."

" Yes," I replied, " and if I see her I
will show her to you."

286

THE BKITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 16, 1914.

A few minutes later the lady exclaimed,
"Oh! there's a bee on my veil." I asked
her to keep quiet and I would remove it.
It was now nearly dusk, and with scarcely
another glance, I took hold of this bee and
tossed it into the air. Just as it left my
fingers I recognised that it was the queen
I had so served. I called to a friend who
was by to keep an eye on the bee, and we
saw it alight on the little boy's head.
From there it was removed (carefully this
time) and returned to the swarm, half
of which was now in the skep.

This incident, Mr. Editor, would be dis-
counted as impossible if it were included
in an article of fiction, but it is the bare
truth. I told the lady she must think her-
self highly honoured, that after express-
ing a desire to see the queen she should
have been visited by the very bee she
wished to see.

It was dark before the bees were quite
in the skep, so I had to leave them, but
fetched them next morning at four o'clock.
They weighed 5^1bs. and are now in my
apiary and working well. I found after-
wards that they probably belonged to a
local doctor, and came to terms with him,
which were mutually satisfactory. — D.
Wilson.

CURING " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[9062] I must first apologise for read-
ing your paper so many years without
ever attempting to write and thank you
for its valuable information, or giving you
any of my varied experiences, but I will
try to do something in the future. Like
so many others, I lost all my bees through
foul brood in 1907, but restarted in 1909,
only to lose all from "Isle of Wight"
disease in 1912. This was a great blow to
me, for bee-keeping is one of my chief
hobbies. I at once bought some driven
bees and started experiments to check this
dread disease called " Isle of Wight," and
I am glad to say, without binning a single
frame I managed to succeed ; that must
sound strange, but it is, nevertheless, true,
and I think this disease could be stamped
out of any county in one week without
destroying a bee or comb if all bee-keepers
would pull together. But I do not wish to
talk about this, but will say if any of
your readers care to leave a stock with
me for a week, no matter how bad it is
infected, if there is any brood in comb
and bees to cover it they can have the
whole back in seven days perfectly
healthy.

Now, one hive in which bees had died of
"Isle of Wight " disease was taken pos-
session of by a small cast on August 19th,
1913. They were a stray lot of hybrids with
a good queen, about one dozen drones,
and three pints of bees only. As they
had voluntarily taken possession of hive
and combs treated with my solution, I

gave them a chance by feeding up till they
were a happy family with walls of plenty
for coming winter. This I am glad to
report, for in May this year I had one
swarm and two casts from this one hive,
which were hived on combs on which
bees had died from "Isle of Wight"'
disease. Now, what has happened is this :
The first swarm has twenty-one sections,
second swarm ten sections, third swarm-
fifteen sections, all completed. I might,
say these also could be seen by any of
your readers if they so desired, especially
as this is a neighbourhood wher|e we
should be pleased to report an average
of 301bs. surplus. I will give some
account of thirty to forty years' experiences
when 1 write again if you care to receive
it. — Satisfied at Last.

[At present there is no known cure for
"Isle of Wight" disease. Any person
who can find one will be a benefactor, not
only to bee-keepers but to the general
public. If any of our readers have bees
suffering from the disease perhaps they may
be pleased to take advantage of the above
offer, and report results. Needless to say,
we cannot accept a cure as permanent
until some time has elapsed without a re-
currence of the disease. — Eos.]

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbouene, Sussex,

Rainfall, 1.88in.

Below average, .28in.

Heaviest fall, 1.31in.
on 14th.

Rain fell on 6 days.

Sunshine 275.7 hrs.

Above aver., 41.7 hrs.

Brightest day, 15th,
14.2 hrs.

Sunless days, 0.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 78 on 30th.

Minimum tempera-
ture 39 on 4th.

June, 1914.

Minimum on grass-

32 on 4th and 8th.'
Frosty nights, 0.
Mean maximum, 67. 2.
Mean minimum, 50.0-
Mean temperature,.

58.6.
Above average 1.4.
Maximum barometer,.

30.398 on 28th.
Minimum barometer..

29.575 on 9th.

L. B. Biekett.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
June, 1914, was £4,902.— From a return
furnished to the Beitish Bee Joubnal by
the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.

ii£KUi«ja

t^amtisS

[8959] Crooked Combs. — I have six hives
of bees, each hive has six or seven old and

July 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOTTKNAL.

287

crooked combs of brood and stores. Most of
them are made up from pieces of old brood
comb. Shall I do right in putting under
each old brood chamber another brood-bos
with four or six new frames fitted with
foundation?

Reply. — Renew them next spring, taking
out the old combs as early as possible.
First bruise the capping of any honey
there may be in, and allow time for the
bees to clear it out. Take out all the
combs not occupied by the bees, and as
they need more room, insert new frames
fitted with full sheets of foundation.

[8960] Dividing Stock.— One of my
stocks' gave off a swarm on May
14th last, which weighed about 71bs.
These were hived and about a fort-
night later were given a rack of shallow
frames with full sheets of founda-
tion. On the 28th ult., this swarm gave
off another one, which I did not weigh,
but the bees half filled a skep. I returned
the swarm after cutting out queen-cells,
and gave another rack of shallow frames.
Whilst I am writing I will take the oppor-
tunity of asking you if you would be so
kind as to tell me up to what date one
could divide one stock into two? — J. F.
Roberts.

Reply. — As soon as the honey harvest is
over, but you should have a mated queen
ready for the queenless half. If you have
not reared a queen, purchase one.

[8961] Dutch Bees.— Will you kindly give
me some information concerning the Dutch
bee? I am in total ignorance, along with
many other bee-keepers, of its merits or
failings. The qualities I want to know are:
— (1) Its honey-gathering propensities. (2)
Its swarming propensities. (3) Its
wintering propensities. (4) Its disease-
resisting propensities, especially regard-
ing "Isle of Wight" disease. (5) Its ap-
pearance. (6) Its disposition. (7) Its rate
of increase, compared with Blacks and
Italians. (8) Will you also tell me the dif-
ference between Leather-coloured Italians
and Long-tongued Golden Italians? (9)
Which is the better strain for resisting
•'Isle of Wight" disease and for honey
gathering? The above questions are
prompted by the appearance of the " Isle
of Wight " disease in my apiary, and I am
re-queening some of my stocks with Italians
and some with Dutch queens. Am I
taking the right steps to root it out? —
Chas. E. Habdwick, Sutton Coldfield.

Reply.— (1) Fair. (2) Very great. (3)
Good. (4) Good. (5) Very like our own
hybrid Italians. (6) Quiet. (7) Much
better. (8) There is nothing to choose
between them. (9) The Italians will not
help you, but the Dutch may.

[8962] Disabled Queen. — I was with a
friend the other day looking at his bees,

when our attention was attracted to a few
bees a yard or two in front of one of the
hives. On going to the spot we found a
queen bee, apparently unable to fly. The
bees referred to seemed to be agitating
her to take wing. There were six or seven
of them flying wildly here and there, and
when they discovered her purposely
knocked her over. She was vainly trying
to fly the whole time. The bees appeared
as if molested, they would instantly have
stung one. We allowed the queen bee to
run on to our Iiand and then threw her in
the air, but she could not fly. My friend
knew the hive she came from, as he ex-
pected a queen out for mating, and
we put her back, and soon after
the other bees disappeared. I am
not a bee expert, but understand the
main lines of bee-keeping, and as the in-
cident is so unusual I am writing you on
the subject. Had she been out for mating
(the act disabling her from flying for a
certain period), and were the bees anxious
over her absence and agitating her
to get back home? Will you please state
if the queen bee does actually sting, if
not unduly pressed, when being handled?
If she does sting, is the sting left behind,
and also is the sting worse than the sting
of a worker?

There is one more point. I made an
air-tight case, and my friend gave me a
nice comb of brood, which I placed in this
case, and took home a distance of one-
and-a-half miles and put in my weakened
stock to strengthen it. The sun was very
hot, but a rather keen easterly wind was
blowing at the time. — -A. Fby.

Reply. — The queen had evidently been
turned out of the hive owing to some in-
jury or malformation. The act of mating
would not injure her. It is most
unusual for the queen to sting, and after
trying hundreds of times during the past
twenty-five years to get a queen to sting,
the writer was stung by one for the first
time on June 15th, 1914. It is not so
painful as a sting from the worker, and
as the barbs on the lancets are rudi-
mentary, the sting is easily withdrawn, so
the act of stinging does not cause the
queen to die. You do not finish the last
part of your letter, so we cannot answer it ;
but perhaps you wish to intimate that you
were successful in carrying the comb
without chilling the brood.

[8963] Bees in Wall.— In an old wall of
a disused cowshed, which is some 20 inches
thick and about 22 feet high, we have had
a swarm of bees for some years. The bees
seem to have found some hollow places in
the wall at the height of 14 feet from the
ground. There are two main entrance
holes about 4 feet apart, which seem as
though there are two separate swarms, as
there are such a large number of bees to

288

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 16, 1914.

each hole. Inside the building there is no
exit for the bees. Would it be possible to
hive them? 'If so, could vou let me know
the best method.— G. B. B.

Reply. — Impossible to say without
seeing them. Get an expert to see what
can be done.

[8964] Various Queries. — Would you
oblige me with your advice through
the Journal on the following: — A
swarm came off (a maiden swarm)
but returned to box without clustering.
As the honey-flow is on, I don't want
increase, so I looked over bars and found
two queen-cells. I destroyed one, and put
two bars of brood, one with cell sealed
over, one bar of honey and adhering bees,
and a sheet of foundation into another
box, replacing two frames fitted with
foundation for the two combs taken away.
This nuclei seems to be doing well, and
also the box, but on Saturday (a very hot
day), the swarm came off again, and
settled near by. I again examined the
bars carefully, and found neither queen nor
even a cell, and in the evening returned
the swarm, putting on another super, and
raising box off floor-board fin. (1) What
caused this box to swarm? (2) What
breed of bees are they? (3) Can anyone
try for an expert certificate by communica-
tion? I wish to convey to you my ap-
preciation of the "B.B.J.," which I
devour every week ; in fact, everything we
have had to do has been done per " Guide
Book" or from hints in "B.B.J." —
Buckholm Hill.

Reply. — (1) You overlooked a queen-cell
somewhere. (2) Hybrid Italian. (3) Not
the preliminary, as part of this consists of
practical work. Apply to the Secretary,
B.B.K.A. for a svllabus.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged 3s. 6d., up to lb lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

July 14th to 17th, at Hawick.— Scottish
Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of honey,
wax, and appliances, in connection with the
Highland and Agricultural Society's Show. Open
to all British bee-keepers. Liberal prize-money.
Write for schedules to A. Aikman Blair and John
L. Gibson, joint secretaries, 176, Bruntisfield-plaoe,
Edinburgh. -Entries closed.

July 16th and 17th, at Boston.— Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association. Exhibition of
Honey, Hives and Appliances. Open and county
classes. Over £30 in prizes. Schedules and entry
forms from Capt. J. H. Hadfield, Alford, Lines.
Entries closed.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street, York. Tele-
gram s, " Yas, York." Entries closed.

July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include :—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax. &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff. Entries close July 18th.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. W. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath. Entries close
July 18th.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual

Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
Lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries close
July 25th.

August 6th, at Madresfield, Malvern.—

In conjunction with the Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Show. The Annual Show of the Worcester-
shire B.K.A. 5 open classes. Entry, 6d. each.
Increased prizes. Schedules from George Richings,
2, Shubbery-terrace, Worcester. Entries close
August 1st.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 12th, at 'Wye, near Ashford, Kent.

—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor); 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary. Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 17th and 18th, at Cannock (Staffs.).

—Honey Show, in connection with Cannock Horti-
cultural Show. Eight open classes. Good prizes.
Schedules from hon. sec, John Bird. Glenmay,
Cannock.

August 18tli and 19th, at Brighton.— The

Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close August 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 19th and 20th, at Derby.— Derby-
shire Bee-keepers' Association Annual Show, at
Derby. Four open classes for honey. Reduced
entry fees. For schedules apply, R. H. Coltman
49, Station-street, Burton-on-Trent. Entries close
Wednesday, August 12th.

July 16, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

289

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle. — Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Frestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-,
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster. -Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
Ac., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

MR. BEE-MASON'S BEE PICTURES.

Owing to. the great interest taken in
Mr. Bee-Mason's bee pictures at the
London Opera House, his engagement has
been extended for a further two weeks.
He will therefore be showing thern until
the end of next week, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

F. Lloyd (Haverfordwest). — Variety of
Bees.— (1) British. (2) From our
advertisers .

Heather (Blackburn). — Various Queries.
— (1) Hybrid Italian. (2) No, they will
sometimes hang several days. (3) It
depends on circumstances, about the

second week in August. If season is
good they may gather enough for winter
stores, but are not likely to give any
surplus.

J. Craib (Aberdeenshire). — Bees in Ceil-
ing.— We cannot tell the best way to
kill bees without seeing the place, and
we do not supply anything for the pur-
pose. Probably the space is so large
that any fumes would be dissipated
without affecting the bees. You might
try blowing sulphur fumes in by means
of a smoker, or soak a small piece of
sponge or cotton-wool with chloroform;
place in smoker barrel and blow fumes
in. Cyanide of potash loz. in 1 pint
of water would kill them if you could
get the solution near to them. It is a
deadly poison, and needs great care in
handling.

Alpha. — Transferring Bees. — It would
have been better to have driven all the
bees into hive.

A. S. (Sussex). — Liability for Diseased
Bees. — It is a matter for arrangement.
We do not think you are liable. If
your own bees are still healthy, it is
probable the swarm were infected after
leaving your apiary.

Caradon (Cornwall). — Honey Sample. — It
appears to be from hawthorn and char-
lock. You should get from 60s. to 70s.
per cwt.

H. Schroffel fllford). — Extracting
Honey. — Not without breaking the combs
up.

R. K. (Lanarks). — Noise from Hive. — It
is the bees ventilating the hive to drive
out the moisture given off by the ripen-
ing honey.

Suspected Disease.

W. H. (Hants).— British. Symptoms of
"Isle of Wight" disease.

J. A. (Gosberton). — Bees appear healthy.

Bad Start (Leicester), H. C. (Essex),
J. H. (Manchester), A. C. T. (Angle-
sey).— Bees show symptoms of "Isle of
Wight" disease.

C. B. (Bingley). — Bees were too dry for
diagnosis. The symptoms you describe
point to " Isle of Wight " disease. We
do not endorse our correspondent's view
in matter you mention. In our opinion
they are not so hardy, too much given
to swarming, nor do they give the quan-
tity of honey in proportion to their
numbers that one would expect, and
they are admittedly inferior to natives
for comb honey. They would be a
danger to others : better keep them at
home.

290

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 16, 1914.

W. B. (Leamington Spa), F. M. G. (Hope,
Wrexham), 'Bessie" (Bathpool), W. J.
(CowbridgeRoad), andD. P. (Rhayader).
— It is "Isle of Wight " disease.

Novo (Kent). — We cannot say.

F. C. (Sheringham). — We are unable to
give you any reason. Have you over-
dosed with disinfectants?

"Mel" (Cards.).— "Isle of Wight"
disease. Native with a trace of Italian.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately tinder the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

HEALTHY stock British bees, price, including
strong frame hive, 25s.— WELLER, Stafford-
road, Brighton. v 42

IQIzl QUEEN» with 3-frame nuclei, 14s.;

It/1 1 four frames, 17s.; two strong stocks,
30s. each.— G. T. JONES, Cwmeisian Apiary, near
Dolgelley. v 37

TYPEWRITER, Ideal, visible writing, stan-
dard keyboard, brief carriage, clear work,
strong, modern machine, excellent condition, 80s.,
great bargain— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham, v 49

GOOD standing for bees, miles of the finest
heather— Apply, ERNEST HOLMES, East
Moors, Helmsley, Yorks. v 44

NUCLEI, six frames of brood, with 1914 laying
queen, bred from' Simmins' 1913 White Star
Italian queens, f.o.r., 20s.; hives, 2s. 6d., return-
able; can i>e seen any time by appointment. —
R. HEISCH. 41, Wellington-rd, Wanstead,
Essex. v 47

EXCHANGE, eight Silver Campine cockerels,
and cash, for good stock bees.— BECK,
Airton, Leeds. v 50

WANTED, driven bees, free from disease, in
August; state quantity and price per lb.;
also secondhand hives, must be good condition,
W.B.C. or Conqueror, standard frames, price? —
PURSALL, 144, Hill Top, West Bromwich. v 46

TWO W.B.C. hives, complete, good order, 8s.
each; also three others, complete, 4s. 6d. each;
approval; must clear.— P. OLD, Pimperne, Bland
ford. v 42

TAYLOR'S hot-air incubator, new spring, with
run, complete, excellent machine, cost 34s.,
offers wanted; surplus swarm boxes, never used,
good make and finish, 2s. each, bargain.— JONES,
Cwmeisian Apiary, near Dolgelley. v 38

FOR SALE, five lovely pedigree Pekingese
puppies, eight weeks old, splendidly bred;
prices and particulars.— T. BAILEY, Oak View,
Two Mile Ash, Horsham. v 39

FOR SALE, . pure Irish honey, well filled
sections. -SAMUEL SCOTT, Ballyronan,
Magherafelt, Co. Derry. v 41

K{\{\f\ ARABIS PLANTS, grand early bee

tf\J\J\J forage (see "Guide Book"), 30, 6d.;

100, Is. 3d., free.— JONES, Cwmeisian Apiary, near
Dolgelley.

FOR SALE, 12 cwt. of pure new Cambridge-
shire honey, light colour, 65s. per cwt. in
purchaser's receptacles, or 68s. 6d. in non-return-
able tins, f.o.r— CARTER, The Apiaries, Burwell,
Cambs. v 56

THREE strong stocks, W.B.C. hives, extra
hives, appliances, cheap.— FRY, 38, Sydenham
Park, Sydenham.

FIFTEEN to twenty dozen good clover sections
for sale, price 10s. per dozen, carriage forward.
-ROLLETT, 35, Tamworth-road, Ashby-de-ia-
Zouch. v 55

PURE Cambridgeshire honey, 281b. tins, at 15s.
per tin, cash with order; sample, 2d. — A. E.
WILLETT, Cheveley, Newmarket, Cambs.

3-FRAME June swarm, 12s., no disease; box,
2s. 6d., returnable— WATTS, Marldon Hill,
Paignton. v 53

HONEY; 1401b. excellent clover, 8Jd. lb., in 281b.
lots, the lot, £4 15s.; sample, 2d. stamp.—
DR. LLOYD, Cradley Heath, Staffs. v 52

PURE Cambridgeshire honey, 65s. per cwt.;
sample, 3d.— J. YOUNGER, 29, Newmarket-
road, Cambridge. v 51

E

XCHANGE 1913 utility pullets for bees.— WM.
BECK, Bell Busk, Airton, Leeds. v 49

5 -FRAME nuclei, young queen, in good hive,
17s., healthy district— J. HISLOP, 24, Clifton -
terrace, Whitley Bay. v 48

A four or five frame nuclei, 15s., 17s. 6d.,
this year's tested Queen. May swarm on 8
frames, plenty of brood, 25s., cash with order,
f.o.r. Box to be returned carriage paid. Inspec-
tion invited, by appointment.— J., 9, Sunnyside-rd,
Ilford. v. 21

W

ANTED, swarm of pure Carniolian Bees.—
Haxby Vicarage, Vork. v. 59

A/rOUNG MAN requires situation as bee-keeper's
A assistant with experience, age 20. — Apply,
ALBERT SYMONDS. The Lodge, Lessness Park,
Abbey Wood, London, S.E. v 33

THREE good stocks, with 1914 queens, healthy,
packed free, 24s. each; take honey in ex-
change—J. BOWDEN, Broomhill, Wit'ey,
Surrey. v 26

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers. —
" BUMBLE," " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C.

W

ANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood— HERROD,
B.B.J." Office.

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2?in. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— "PUMP," " B.B J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford -street, Strand, W.C.

July 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

291

From " The Australasian Beekeeper,"

May 15th, 1914.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER

OF AGRICULTURE.

LEGISLATION PROMISED.

On April 20th a deputation of bee-
keepers sought the sympathy and assis-
tance of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr.
W. G. Ashford, in bettering the conditions
of the industry. Their reception, and the
promises the Minister made, sent them
away well satisfied. The deputation,
which was organised by the Apiarists'
Association, was a representative one, and
consisted of Messrs. T. G. Adamson, G. G.
Phillips, Tamworth; Rev. Hessell Hall,
Emu Plains; E. Abram, Beecroft; T. J.
Davis and J. Irvine, Sofala; W. S.
Pender and G. L. Armstrong, W. Mait-
land; A. Vollmer, Woodville; W. G.
Humphrey, Kincumber ; J. Deans, Coona-
barabran ; — Flemming, Blandford.

Mr. T. G. Adamson (Tamworth), Presi-
dent of the N.S.W. Apiarists' Association,
said they were there in the interests of a
small-man's industry. The bigger pro-
ducers had no trouble in selling their
honey, but he had seen small men " pretty
well slaughtered by middlemen." This
was largely owing to ignorance. As show-
ing the possibilities of the industry, he
pointed to one of the deputation as a
young Australian who had started six
years ago with £500 capital, and had
since, without any assistance in the way of
labour, produced £1,700 worth of honey.
Their chief request was that the Minister
would help them with legislation in the
way of an Apiaries Act, on the lines of
the New Zealand Act. They were living
in a state of dread of foul brood and other
possible bee diseases, and they desired the
aid of the law to compel apiarists to sup-
press disease, and also to handle and
market their honey under efficient sani-
tary conditions. They also thought honey
should be graded for export, and that the
Government might make advances on
honey exported. In regard to the preser-
vation of honey-bearing native timbers,
they thought that more liberal provision
should be made for this in regard to
leaseholds and reserves, and that such
provisions as existed should be made more
effective, as they had instances in which
these conditions were being " ignored by
lessees. Another matter was railway
freights on honev. Thev asked the

Minister to use his influence with the
Railway Commissioners to have the mini-
mum quantity carried at the special rate
reduced from 2 tons to 10 cwt. As the
Agricultural Department subsidised agri-
cultural shows, they desired the Minister
to take some steps to ensure the appoint-
ment of competent judges. The Associa-
tion, Mr. Adamson said, proposed to offer
a prize of 50 guineas for the best essay
on honey as a food, with a view to
increasing its consumption Honey was
of better food value and cheaper than
butter, and they desired the Minister to
endeavour to have honey included in the
dietary of Government institutions. In
conclusion, Mr. Adamson said that, con-
sidering the prevalence of foul brood it
was a wonder that there was a bee left
alive. Unlike others, the industry had
had to battle along almost without State
encouragement, but they were gratified for
the good work done of late by the
demonstrator in apiculture and the
biologist of the Department of Agriculture.

Mr. W. S. Pender (Maitland) said he
knew of one man in the north who had
for the past ten years averaged £350 a
year from his bees by his own labour.
Foul brood was very prevalent, and many
apiaries had been completely wiped out by
the disease. Many people who had
devoted their whole time to the industry
had, therefore, to give it up owing to
continual infection from the diseased
hives of careless or ignorant neighbours.
In regard to ring-barking, he thought the
same regulations should apply all over the
State in respect of trees suitable for honey
production. It would be an advantage if
more than six trees per acre, as at present,
could be left. Some of the timbered
country could be more profitably used for
bees than for grazing, as in those districts
there was more value per acre in honey
and bee products than in sheep and wool.

Mr. Hessell Hall (Emu Plains) said
that very little indeed had been done by
the Department of Agriculture for the
industry, and the time had arrived when
it should do a great deal more. Foul
brood had wiped out the industry in some
districts. Expert bee-keepers could deal
with it in their own apiaries, but they
could not overcome the danger of careless
neighbours. There had been objections in
the past to legislation for the supervision
of apiaries. This, he believed, was the
result of ignorance, and the work
of the demonstrator in apiculture
had largely overcome that prejudice. As
it was, many men were earning a good
living from their bees, and there was no
industry that could better help on small
settlement.

Mr. J. W. Irvine (Sofala) opposed any
restrictions on the number of hives a man

292

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 23, 1914.

could keep. Where years ago he could
keep 150 hives on one stand, the same
country would not maintain 30 or 40
colonies now. There should be no limit to
the number of licences for stands a bee-
keeper could hold.

Mr. E. E. Abram (Beecroft) objected to
the remarks that had been made as to the
competency of show judges. He had
shown in Sydney for years, and had
received satisfaction. He strongly op-
posed the suggestion that the Department
of Agriculture should breed queens for
sale, and thus come into competition with
those who made their living in this way.

The Minister, in reply, said he was
quite aware that this State had lagged
behind in the matter of legislation to
protect the bee-keeper. They had the
natural conditions to make the industry
equal to the position it attained in any
part of the world. He would promise
them he would introduce a Bill that would
cover all the points of legislation they
asked for, and he would do it this session
if the Cabinet would allow him. (Hear,
hear.) They had equal rights with any
other body of producers for legislation to
protect their industry. In regard to the
breeding of queens, he thought the view
of Mr. Abram was very narrow. The
Government did not want to do anything
to come seriously into competition with
private breeders. The object of the
Government must be to provide superior
stock to those of anybody else, and by
thus encouraging the industry make a
bigger market for those who sold queens.
The Department was alive to the wants of
bee-keepers, but he was prepared to
accept the advice of experienced apiarists
in the proposed legislation. He would
make representations to the Railway
Commissioners in regard to the request
for carrying half ton lots at the special
rate, as he considered it a fair one. He
would also do what he could to have
honey more freely used in the Govern-
ment institutions. In regard to Govern-
ment control of export, he suggested that
they should get together and arrange for
a shipment of ten tons or more, subject to
official inspection as to standard of
quality. If this were done it was possible
the Department might see its way to
advance half the c.i.f. value. In regard
to the preservation of timber, he could
say that the Forestry Department did its
best in this respect, as they realised the
importance and necessity of it. But their
representations would have to be passed
on to the Minister for Lands, and he was
sure Mr. Trefle would be in full sympathy
with them. As for lands already taken
up under certain ring-barking conditions,
no Government could interfere with that.
He suggested that when Crown lands were

being made available in any district the
bee-keepers should make representations
that a certain amount of timber should be
left on the lands, and they would possibly
have to rely on their own vigilance to see
that restrictions were made and carried

out. In regard to the appointment -of

judges, he did not see that the Depart-
ment could do much in that direction.

Mr. A damson finally thanked the
Minister for having " got straight to the
point and promised full satisfaction."

[The above extract will be interesting
reading for English bee-keepers, in view
of their hitherto vain attempts to get our
own Government to do something to pro-
tect those of the craft who are anxious to
keep their bees healthy and clean, but are
thwarted again and again by careless or
ignorant neighbours. In most of our
Colonies the Government and Ministers
are alive to the advantages to be derived
by the colonists from bee-keeping, and are
anxious to help them by giving them legis-
lation to compel apiarists to suppress
disease, and also to handle and market
their honey under efficient sanitary con-
ditions. Again, the Minister of Agri-
culture promised to use his influence with
the Railway Commissioners to secure a
more favourable rate for carrying honey.
Can any of our readers imagine a British
Minister promising to " do what he could
to have honey more freely used in the
Government institutions" in order to
help the industry? The majority of Eng-
lish bee-keepers would be thankful for a
" Bee Diseases Act" only — an Act which
is sorely needed, as shown by the numbers
of letters we receive in favour of it. —
Eds.].

•BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

SIGJsOR PIANA's APIARY.

My last jottings of our wanderings
brought us to the station of Castel St.
Pietro, and to our further journeying by
road to Signor Piana's Apiary. I regret
that our snapshot of his house did not
come off as we could have wished, only
one corner, and just a portion of the
queen-rearing territory are shown in photo-
graph No. 1. I must therefore essay to
word-paint some description. Well, then,
picture to yourself a house square as to
the building, walls of dazzling whiteness
in the brilliancy of the Italian sun, and
roof red tiled. The illustration above
alluded to- only shows the scrub, but if you
will look at No. 2 you will perceive that
there is a surrounding of walnut, olive,
and fruit trees, in which the deep green
of their leaves forms a vivid and artistic
contrast with the colour of the walls which

July 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

293

are in their centre. Needless. I think, to
narrate (because everyone must know that
it occurred) is it that hospitality was the
first cder of the day, and on our arrival

Photograph No. 3. Possibly the two
outsiders in this are sufficientlv well
known not to need description. Thev have
been before the public (that is the bee-

No. 1.

CORNER OF SIGNOR PIANA's HOUSE AND

ART OF QUEEN-MATING GROUND.

we found a very substantial breakfast I keeping public) very often, but the gentle-
awaiting us, and as we had been early | man standing between Mrs. and Mr.
travellers from Bologna (this i6 another j Herrod is Signor Piana, and the lady who
thing which everyone will know) we were j occupies a similar position on the right,

No. 2.

WOOES SURROUNDING HOUSE.

particularly well disposed to attack it, and j intervening betwixt Mrs. Herrod and

while minds were engaged I had an I "Blurts,"' is the mother of Signor Piana.

excellent opportunity of studying our host | So far as this chronicler knoweth, the

and hostess. But stay, here the camera Signor has not entered the bondage of

shall again aid me. I matrimony, and I would like to mention

294

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 23, 1914.

that "La Signora's " courtesy and
amiability added much to the pleasure of
our day. But before passing from their
personal descriptions let me introduce to

Two of our apiaries are on the mountains,
the third, and that also for the raising of
queens, we have on the hills near us. But
during the summer we transport our

No. 3.

GROUP TAKEN IN SIGNOR PIANA'S GARD0E.N.

you Signor Piana "ipse solus" — all alone
by himself in No. 4. A typical Italian,
his features portray the commercial class
who have always been the mainstay of
Italy, and who, as our
Lombard (Street records,
spread even to our
own shores in times
long past, and taught
us how to trade. Signor
Piana (as his portrait
shows) is still young,
but he is a keen and
shrewd observant o f
Nature, and well studied.
In taking up queen-
rearing as a profession
he has brought to it a
most co mplete and
scientific knowledge ' of
all that is connected with
bee life, and if possible
some day he will record
his experiences, we
should learn much from
him.

And now for a few
words about the apiaries.
In the Signor' s own
words, "We have at
the present 200 hives only for the
production of honey, but for the rais-
ing of queens we have over 300 nuclei.

No. 4

SIGNOR PIANA

colonies to the plain for the fertilization

of the lucerne.!'

Look at photograph No. 5. Does it not

fill one with envy to see such a long line of
. : hives, dying out in
the perspective? I know
it did me when I saw
them. But then, what
is the use of being
envious ? If we could
only manufacture our
weather to our own
liking, as I suggested
in my last, we might
do something like this.
Our queens have only
about four months to
do their work in. They
have not got the time.
But Signor Piana tells
me that January is the
only month in which
their queens do not
lay. We are hopelessly
handicapped.

And No. 6. The trans-
porting of hives to
the plains in the summer.
Curious is the difference.
We transfer our colonies
to the mountains to catch the flow. of.. the
heather honev. On their side they bring
them down from the mountains also to

July 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

295

catch a honey flow. But I have other
things to 'tell you about these Italian bees
in mv next. — J. Smallwoou.

already been three cases of the disease,
and that the victim in each case has been
a top swarm.

No. 5.

A ROW OF COLONIES IN THE MOUNTAINS.

A STUDY IN ISLE OF WIGHT."
[9053] A few bee-keepers at Stocksfield
(a district whicb was recently cleared of

Swarm A was hived in a new hive and
bees were dropping a week afterwards.

Swarm B was hived in a new hive, in
which bees had died of " Isle of Wight"
disease about a year ago. The hive had
been burned out, but riot treated with
carbolic acid.

Swarm C absconded from my own

No. 6..::x,

TRANSPORTING- COLONIES TO THE PLAINS.

bees bv " Isle of Wight " disease) have , apiary and took possession of an empty
this year restarted bee-keeping, and it hive a quarter of a mile away. The hive
seems worthy of note that there have ! had been scorched with a painter's lamp

290

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 23, 1914.

and the rack and excluder zinc had been
boiled. No carbolic treatment had been
applied. The bees in this hive commenced
crawling on the ground a week after
hiving themselves.

The official preventive instructions not
having been completely carried out it may
be assumed that the disease was met with
in the hive itself in two of the cases. TTie
other case cannot be explained in the same
way, as the swarm was put into a new
hive ; but if the disease can be communi-
cated by a contaminated hive after the
swarm has entered, is.it not probable that
the scout bees which so industriously seek
out all the empty hives (especially the
derelict ones) may carry the disease by
their visits to such hives? If so, swarm
A might have also contracted the disease
(through its scout bees) by contact with a
contaminated hive.

Let me again refer to swarm C. This
swarm was seen to alight at 2 p.m. It
was covered with a sheet to await my
return home. At 4 p.m. it took wing, and
went into the empty hive referred to,
which had been left open by a neighbour-
ing bee-keeper. The intelligent and con-
certed action of the swarm indicated that
scout bees had located the empty hive some
time beforehand, and the question arises
in the case of this and every other swarm
in diseased areas : woidd the disease have
been avoided if the swarm had been
promptly hived in a new hive before it
had time to abscond?

If there is sufficient evidence to in-
dicate that scout bees do carry infection
to the swarm (and probably to the stock
also) the difficulty of keeping clear of
disease will be apparent. It is hardly
necessary to add that many bee-keepers
do not, and will not, take proper steps
to treat hives after disease has destroyed
the bees. — J. N. Kidd.

EXCURSION OF THE CRAYFORD

and DISTRICT B.K.A. to the B.B.K.A.

APIARY AT THE ZOOLOGICAL

GARDENS.

[9054] An exceedingly profitable and
interesting afternoon was spent by the
members of the Crayford and District
Bee-keepers' Association , on Saturday,
the 11th inst., on the occasion of their
excursion to the apiary at the Zoological
Gardens, Regent's Park. As is now so
well known, this apiary was founded by
the British Bee-keepers' Association for
the purpose of providing practical instruc-
tion in bee-keeping, under the grant given
by the Development Commissioners for
the encouragement of Apiculture in this
country.

Fortunately the weather conditions
were all that could be desired, and every-
thing transpired to make the meeting a
success. There was an attendance of
about fifty, who had made the journey
from various parts of Kent to witness
what is being done by the Central Associa-
tion for the training of bee-keepers at
this convenient centre. Mr. W. Herrod,
who is in charge of the apiary, lectured
to the assembly, describing the work that
had been done and of that which was
still going on for the benefit of the bee-
keeping fraternity, at the same time
relating the history of each of the various
stocks.

The apiary, situated as it is in the heart
of the metropolis, is excellently located
for its purpose, inasmuch as it is within
easy reach of most of the Associations
within the home counties, and even for
those in more distant parts it is probably
in the best position to reach owing to the
travelling facilities which are provided
from all parts to the capital. It is
certain, however, that the bee-keepers,
and prospective bee-keepers, in and around
London have not been slow to take advan-
tage of the opportunity to profit by the
instruction there provided, for we learned
that the classes originally limited to
twelve students had to be expanded, and
now it is difficult to find room for all
with classes of double that njimber

The apiary is located in a very pretty
part of the grounds, on the north bank
of Regent's Canal, where all operations
can be watched by visitors from the foot-
paths, both above and below ; the hives
being arranged on a series of terraces
cut into the bank. This arrangement not
only gives a safe and uninterrupted view
to the spectators, but also a clear flight
for the bees. As an additional safeguard
against the spectators being stung, a
high, fence of ^in. mesh wire netting has
been erected round the apiary, and we
were told that this protection had been
successful in preventing anyone outside
its limits from getting stung, notwith-
standing the fact that there are always
many people passing and looking on.

As will be seen from the photo-
graphs, various designs of hives are in
use, even to the skep with the observa-
tion window, so that the particular advan-
tages of each can be demonstrated. This
is being done in the photograph, and
Mr. Herrod, marked with a cross, is ex-
plaining the various types of hives. It
will be seen that the portion of his
audience shown are following his descrip-
tion with rapt attention. The apiary is
well stocked with bees, including the
native race, Italians, Bulgarians, and
Banats, the latter being exceedingly
cpiiet under manipulation. In all there

July 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

297

were eight stocks, in addition to four
nuclei, and all were free from disease, and
in a very flourishing condition. The

miles of Charing Cross. The propolis on
the super, however, showed signs of its
origin, and we were informed that the

stocks were manipulated, and a super
recently taken from one of them was
inspected ; the sections were found to be

sample was characteristic of the district.
One feature which attracted a good deal
of attention was the observatory hive,

EXPERIMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL APIARY.

British Bee-keepers' Association, Zoological Gardens, London, N.W.

excellent, and contained honey of very
good quality, notwithstanding the fact
that it was gathered within about three

with brood in all stages of development.
This is arranged so that the entrance is
within the enclosure, while the hive itself

298

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 23, 1914.

is placed in a small shelter on the outside
of the apiary, which permits the work of
the hive being observed every day by
visitors in safety.

After spending an exceedingly pleasant
afternoon, a unanimous vote of thanks to
Mr. Herrod was passed, and the audience
adjourned for refreshments, and to par-
ticipate in the other attractions these
delightful Gardens offer. — Geo. W. Judge.

It/tfKL&S^J

^CBaS^J

65] Dealing with Fertile Worker.—
On June 17th I hived a stray swarm in
a "W.B.C." hive. On July 10th I ex-
amined them and found the brood to be
that of a fertile worker. As this is the
only colony I possess I cannot carry out
the directions of the " Guide Book," by
distributing the six frames. = I shall be
greatly obliged if you will advise me what
to do. — Melrose.

Reply. — Remove the hive and bees as
far as possible from the stand, at least 40
or 50 yards, spread a sheet or piece of
sacking on the ground near the hive, and
shake or brush every bee off the combs and
out of the hive on to the sheet. Be as
expeditious as possible, and then replace
the hive and combs on the stand. The
bees, of course, will return to it, but as,
like the queen, the fertile worker does not
fly from the hive she is unable to find her
way home again, and you may possibly
find her on the* 'sheet. You may then
introduce a laying "queen, or, better still,
purchase a small cast with queen and
unite to them.

[8966] tte-queening. — Would you advise'
me on the following: — I lost thirteen
stocks of" English Black bees last year
with "Isle of Wight *" disease, and it is
still in the district. I wish to re-queen
my remaining stocks this year. (1) What
breed of bee do you recommend? (2)
Would you be good enough to give me the
recipe for a honey cake you gave ,a year
or so ago? — M. Partrige.

Reply. — (1) Better re-queen from your
own stocks. (2) We cannot trace recipe.
You will probably find it in "Producing,
Preparing, Exhibiting, and Judging Bee
Produce," by W. Herrod.

[8967] Transferring Bees. — On June
13th I hived a strong runaway swarm
into a cheese box, no other or better

receptacle being then available, and placed
it on a stand. I sent to a well-known maker
of appliances for a certain hive to be
sent at once by j>assenger train. Un-
fortunately delivery was not executed till
three weeks had elapsed. On July 7th I
placed the box with the bees on top of the
brood chamber, in which the frames were
filled with full sheets of foundation.
They are, of course, now working down
through the bar frame hive. What shall
I proceed to do next? Is there time
yet to make two stocks from this swarm?
— Enquirer, Skipton.

Reply. — If you wish to have all the bees
in the frame hive remove the box and
ascertain if the queen is on the new
combs. If so, put on a queen excluder
and replace the box, which may be finally
removed twenty-two or twenty-three days
afterwards. If you fail to find the queen
in the frame hive you must "drive" the
box until you can secure and place her
there. If you wish to keep the box for
further increase next year simply remove
it with bees and queen to another stand
a little distance away. Purchase a fertile
queen, and introduce her to the bees in
frame hive.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which' covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

July 22nd to July 24th, at Bradford.—

Great -Yorkshire Show. Classes for hives, honey,
&c. Good prizes. For schedules and forms of
entry (stating department), apply, The Secretary,
Great Yorkshire Show, Blake-street. York. Tele-
grams, " Yas, York."

. July 22nd and 23rd, at Cardiff.— The
Glamorgan B.K.A., in connection with the Cardiff
and County Horticultural Society's Show, in the
8ophia Gardens, Cardiff. Open classes include:—
Collection, Gift. Sections. Beeswax, &c.
Schedules from W. J. Wiltshire, Maindy School,
Cardiff.

July 23rd, at Southwell.— The Notts. Annual
County Show, in connection with the Southwell
Horticultural Society. Open class for single jar
extracted honey. Schedules now ready from G.
Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston, Notts.

July 23rd, at Bath.— The Annual Show of the
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association, in connection
with the Larkhall Horticultural Society. Seven
Open Classes. Schedules from J. \V. Brewer, Glen
Lynn, St. Saviour's Road, Bath.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual
Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s., 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries close July 25th.

July 23, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

299

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries close
July 25th.

August 6th, at Madresfield, Malvern.—
In conjunction with the Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Show. The Annual Show of the Worcester-
shire B.K.A. 5 open classes. Entry, 6d. eaeh.
Increased prizes. Schedules from George Richings,
2, Shubbery-terrace, Worcester. Entries close
August 1st.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 12th, at Wye, near Ashford, Kent.

—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor); 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary, Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 17th and 18th, at Cannock (Staffs.).

— Honey Show, in connection with Cannock Horti-
cultural Show. Eight open classes. Good prizes.
Schedules from hon. see., John Bird. Glenmay,
Cannock.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.— The

Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close August 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 19th and 20th, at Derby.— Derby-
shire Bee-keepers' Association Annual Show, at
Derby. Four open classes for honey. Reduced
entry fees. For schedules apply, R. H. Coltman,
49, Station-street, Burton-on-Trent. Entries close
Wednesday, August 12th.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle.—Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger- street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for homey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medaAs
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec, Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

A. Price (Rugby).— »S' icarming Queries. —

(1) Old bees and queen. (2) During
flight.

W. T. E. Chislehurst). — Bees Hanging
Out. — Bees are overcrowded. Possibly
some of the sections are ready for
removing and replacing with new ones.
If not, give another rack.

V. E. --Mid -A. S. K. (Rayleigh).— Old
Comb. — (1) Probablv four or five years.

(2) Yes, a little. (3) It will be better
to take all away ; follow instructions in
'• Guide Book " for curing foul brood.
(4) Yes, probably bees have not been
strong enough to go into sections.

T. Bright (Weybridge). — Beginner'' s
Queries. — (1) Yes, to prevent swarming.
(2) Place a section with partly drawn-
out comb and a little honey in centre
of rack. Take away the queen-excluder
for a day or two. (3) Once a week will
not do much harm. Do not pull the
hive to pieces unless you have some
definite object in view. Beginners
usually do too much "examining." (4)
Sixty grains sulphate quinine to every
gallon of syrup.

Jack (Leeds) . — Melting Honey. — No.

H. Schroffel (Ilford) .— (1) No, the
organs are still attached; (2) Yes.

Jno. Eeid (Blantyre).— Queen was fertile.

H. Cheeseman (Worth).— (1) Hybrids;
(2) English; (3) Dutch; (4) Carniolans.
There is very little difference between
English and Dutch bees in appearance.

300

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 23, 1914.

M. B. F. (Wolverhampton). —Thanks for
cell. It is of no particular interest, as
the' queen is not likely to show any
signs of disease.

Suspected Disease.

W. (Aherdovey). — Bees have "Isle of
Wight" disease.

Iff: D. (Kent).— Odourless foul brood.

Honey Samples.
C. H. T. (Huntingdon).— (1) Is. per

bottle. (2) 10s. per doz. (3) 70s. per

cwt.

A. Prince (Letchworth) Both are mainly

from clover. We prefer B for show
purposes.

F. C. B. (Bouton). — (1) From mixed
sources, mainly clover. (2) From 60s.
to 70s. per cwt. (3) Yes, quite fit.
Colour is just on the border line, try
it in the class for light honey.

Special Prepaid Advertisements.

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per iin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

WANTED, honey, about \ ton, or part.— Apply,
^ikT^tl1rrt?'a^lculars.and low'est Pfice» to JOHN
E. KNIGHT, Central Arcade, Wolverhampton, v 78

F

IOR SALE, first quality sections.— Apply to
J. W . NELSON, Appleby, Westmorland, v 76

REMOVING. Healthy blacks, in strong hive;
also unstoeked hive, geared extractor, dirawn
out shallows, section rack, veil, smoker, feeders,
gloves, all nearly new, perfect condition; removal
sole cause of sale— WILLIAMSON, Highfield
House, Chapel Allerton, Leeds. v 76

W

ANTED, extractor, in good order.— DOM-
BRAIN 67, Wickham-road, Beckenham. v 74

WANTED, drawn out shallow bars and
sections. warranted healthy. — EDWIN
GLOSSOP, Ambergate. v 74

DRIVEN BEES, now ready, Is. 6d. lb.; several
good hives, some W.B.C., 4s. to 8s. 6d. each;
also various sundries, cheap; exchange honey.—
BOWDEN, Broomhill, Whitley, Surrey. v 73

FOUR 1913 Old English spangled bantams,
laying, and cock; exchange healthy driven
bees.—" B.". " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand., W.C. . v 72

GEARED extractor, nearly new, Lee's, 26s. 6d.,
take 16s. 6d. -\V. D., 33, Isla-road, Plum-
stead, v 71

QUEENS' Queens!! Queens!!! Home raised
White Stars, Carnio'ans. Dutch, 5s. each,
return nost. OLIVER KNIGHT, Epney, Stone-
house, Glos. v 70

SEVERAL 10-frame strong stocks, healthy,
English bees, 30s. each.— P. JEFFERIES,
HLlciest, Fitzjohn-avenue, Barnet, Herts. v 69

FOR SALE, four strong stocks of healthy
hybrids, from Simmins' White Star Italians,
1914 queens, 25s., f.o.r.— Apply, W. BURGESS.
Newport Pagnell, Bucks. v 68

HONEY sections for sale, 10s. 6d. per dozen, car-
riage forward.— GARFITT, Barnside, Coupar
Angus, Perthshire. v 67

IOR SALE, strong stock bees, ten frames, 30s.—
KIRKHAM, 51, Church-street, Altrincham. v 66

F

STRONG, healthy 8-frame stocks of bees, 2£s.
each; boxes to be returned, carriage paid. -
MYTTON, Lyncroft, Stafford-road, Lichfield, v 65

TEN DOZEN first quality sections, 9s. per
dozen— F. COUSINS, Misterton, Gains-
boro'. v 60

HONEY, first quality sections, 9s. 6d. dozen;
three dozen, 27s., cash with order.— R.
COUSINS, The Rcsary, Misterton, Gainsboro'. v 63

F

INEST English ho-ney, 64s. per cwt.; sample,
2d— DUTTON, Terling, Witham, Essex, v 61

"EALTHY stock British bees, price, including
strong frame hive, 25s.— WELLER, Stafford-
road, Brighton. v 42

TYPEWRITER, Ideal, visible writing, stan-
dard keyboard, brief carriage, clear work,
strong, modern machine, excellent condition, 80s.,
great bargain— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham. V 49

GOOD standing for bees, miles of the finest
heather— Apply, ERNEST HOLMES, East
Moors, Helmsley, Yorks. v 44

FOR SALE, pure Irish honey, well filled
sections. — SAMUEL SCOTT, Ballyronan,
Magherafelt, Co. Derry. v 41

FOR SALE, 12 cwt. of pure new Cambridge-
shire honey, lighjt colour, 65s: per cwt. in
purchaser's receptacles, or 68s. 6d. in non-return-
able tins, f.o.r.— CARTER, The Apiaries, Burwell,
Cambs. v 56

PURE Cambridgeshire honey, 65s. per cwt.;
sample, 3d— J. YOUNGER, 29, Newmarket-
road, Cambridge. V 51

A^OUNG MAN requires situation as bee-keeper's
X assistant, with experience, age 20.— Apply,
ALBERT SYMONDS. The Lodge, Lessness Park,
Abbey Wood, London, S.E. v 33

THREE good stocks, with 1914 queens, healthy,
packed free, 24s. each; take honey in ex-
change—J. BOWDEN, Broomhill, Wil'ey,
Surrey. v 26

FOR SALE, Rymer heather honey press and
drawer, no stand, unused, 40s., or offers.—
" BUMBLE." " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C.

WANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood.-HERROD,
"B.B.J." Office.

A FEW good section racks, complete, with
dividers, follower, and wedge, Is. 6d. each;
lace paper, neat pattern, 6d. 100, post free; lace
bands, 2gin. and 3in., 100 Is. 2d., post free, finest
quality— W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street. Strand, London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 1st,
3rd. 4th, 5th, 7th— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

July 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

301

BEES ON THE BIOSCOPE.

Mi*. J. C. Bee-Mason will be showing
the following " bee pictures " at Ipswich
on July 30th and 31st, and August 1st: —
"Life of the Bee," "Modern Bee Farm-
ing," "Dutch Pictures," "Bees and their
Enemies," and " The Bee-Master," the
whole taking about forty minutes. Mr.
Bee-Mason will give a short introductory
lecture before each subject.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.

By Charles H. Heap, Heading.

I am greatly disappointed that my
article entitled " The Immune Bee
Chimera" has evoked no real discussion.
So many people have their minds filled
with the immune bee idea that I pictured
myself having to defend my views against
a battalion of keen immuners, but only
Mr. Desmond and Mr. Illingworth, so far,
have ventured to get their views into
print.

I am quite aware that I did not enu-
merate all the known means by which
immunity from disease may be conferred.
To have attempted to do so would have
laboured without helping my argument.
The acquisition by a species of immunity
from disease is, no doubt, a long process,
extending over so many years that it
may never be of any use to present-day
bee-keepers. I fear my imagination is not
sufficiently developed to enable me to join
Mr. Desmond in supposing a worker bee
to acquire by ingestion or miraculous gift
an anti-microbe (whatever that may be)
eager to feed on Nosema apis, and possess-
ing various wonderful powers, including
an anti-toxin which, administered to
queen or drone larva?, would render their
progeny immune from microsporidiosis for
ever and ever. Mr. Desmond brushes
aside a priori argument, and invites us to
consider actual facts. The actual facts
consist of a not very conclusive experiment
by Dr. Maassen and the absence of
speedy death of a colony of robber bees.
It happens that I have had experience of
" Isle of Wight " disease in four coun-
ties,, and have been familiar with some
"Old Mortalities." In the winter of
1911-12 six out of seven stocks died in
an apiary (not my own), and at the end
of March I saw the seventh robbing the
uninhabited hives of their stores. No. 7
became a strong stock, but in the autumn

it dwindled to such an extent that the
owner destroyed it. Take another case.
I diagnosed " Isle of Wight" disease in an
apiary in August, 1912, and entered on
my report, " Signs of ' Isle of Wight '
disease.'' Presumably, because of this
and the fact that I found " signs" in the
following spring, I was not admitted to
the apiary in August, 1913 ; but in reply
to an enquiry this spring the owner said
"The bees died in the winter from 'Isle
of Wight ' disease." It is not uncommon
for colonies infected one year to give a
surplus the next, but so far as my experi-
ence goes they invariably perish.

We hear from time to time of "cured "
stocks, but I should not pay the slightest
regard to such a claim; unless the colony
after an attack had survived and showed
no symptoms of the disease for at least
two years. I have seen blacks, Italians,
and hybrids suffering from the disease,
and it makes no difference whether the
colony is in a frame hive o/ a skep, in a
hole in a tree or in the roof of the house
— all go the way of bee-flesh after the
advent of Nosema avis in a neighbour-
hood. Some people have a notion that
Dutch bees can resist the disease. I am
not aware that any definite, unequivocal
claim has ever been made that Dutch bees
are immune to "Isle of Wight" disease.
Suggestion has not been lacking, but I
should like to point out that there is all
the difference in the world between a claim
and a suggestion, even if the suggestion
happens to be made by an irresponsible
halfpenny newspaper. So far as I am
aware, Dutch bees have not been tested
sufficiently long in an "Isle of Wight"
district to enable anyone to speak authori-
tatively and definitely of their power to
resist the present all-conquering pest.

I believe it is an open question whether
there is such a thing as absolute immunity
to disease. For instance, some animals
under normal conditions are not attacked
by certain deadly diseases, but alter the
conditions under which they live, and the
animals become susceptible.

While the evolution of a bee immune to
"Isle of Wight" disease is exceedingly
remote, the strain of Nosema apis with
which bees in this island are afflicted may
lose some of its virulence. This may be
happening now, and possibly accounts for
the remarkable reluctance of some colonies
to become defunct in a reasonable and
proper time. We must not, however, put
too much trust in the possibility of a
diminution of the virulence of our par-
ticularly destructive strain of Nosema apis,
because* while the virulence of an organ-
ism may, under some circumstances, be
diminished, under others it may be
recovered, or even increased.

I have no objection to bee-keepers

302

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 30, 1914.

hoping for an immune bee, or for a
decrease in the destructive power of
Nosema apis, so long as if does not divert
their minds from more practical lines of
thought. It is not the immune bee or a
lessening of the virulence of Nosema apis
as we know it that we require so much as
to be rid of the organism altogether. Is
this possible? I believe it is. AVhat do
other readers of the British Bee Journal
think?

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and, give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

CURING "ISLE OF WIGHT"
DISEASE.

[9055] Be 9052, your issue July 16th,
I have many times been strongly tempted
to reply to various correspondents in your
valued journal, but have left it to more
able men, but your correspondent " Satis-
fied at Last " is really too good to miss.
I can fully take his statements as correct
as to how his own bees may be thriving,
but I think, like many more, he may
find he is not all fair sailing. Most
certainly he is in conflict with all the
leading authorities or he is far in advance
of the times with his discoveries in treat-
ing Zymotic disease or Microsporidiosis —
call it whatever he likes. Your editorial
remark fully confirms this, and now Mr.
Editor, I would like to make one or two
suggestions, the results of a little experi-
ence. "Isle of Wight" disease first made
its appearance in this locality in 1913 by
the indiscriminate purchase of swarms;
the result was the owner lost the whole
lot, eight hives altogether. Last year it
developed in a neighbouring apiary, three
hives were all cleared out, and finally
my own twelve hives. We have all started
again, obtaining all our bees locally, with
a distinct understanding that on first
appearance of disease, burn at once. This
has already been the means of three hives
going under, but now I am at a loss to
know — are we going to gain our ambition
when so many people will have a few bees
as a hobby and not make themselves pro-
ficient in the most ordinary details of

their management, many not even in
possession of the Guide Book, to say
nothing of the "Journal" or "Record."
While we have some dealers pressing
their wares in such glowing terms, and
selling swarms obtained from wherever
they can get them, is it any wonder at
disease spreading? I have in my mind
now an advertiser in your journal who
wanted 1O0 swarms, full price given.
How is it possible for any man to obtain
these under existing circumstances with-
out running serious risk of spreading
disease? Legislation similar to what is
now applicable to most other diseases
would, to my mind, be a- long stride
towards eradication. In conclusion it
would be only fair to ask your correspon-
dent to give us his name and address, as
no doubt I shall be able ere long to find
him something on which to test his wonder-
ful discovery.

AN EASY AND EFFICIENT METHOD OP
DESTROYING BEES.

Melt brimstone and run it out thinly
on brown paper (old skepists know this).
Get well lighted in an old shallow salmon
tin in the evening. Close entrance to hive,
lift off the roof, roll up the quilt, place
the tin of burning sulphur on the top of
frames, replace roof, and the bees will
soon all be dead. — Jesse Fry, Ukley.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE AND
NOSEMA APIS.

[9056] On discussing this subject with
a friend he stated that the bees in the
Isle of Wight did not die of Nosema apis.
He quotes the Board of Agriculture and
Fisheries' Supplement No. 8, p. 39, " The
relation of Nosema apis to the ' Isle of
Wight ' disease."

Yet in your issue of May 21st, p. 201,
the lecturer is printed as saying "... the
tiny organism that causes the badly named
malady, popularly known as ' Isle of
Wight' disease. . . ." The question
naturally arises, then what is " Isle of
Wight " disease? I know what Nosema
apis is because my bees have had it. —
Interested.

[We have referred the above to the
lecturer mentioned and have received the
following reply. — Eds.]

The statement that bees in the Isle of
Wight did not die of Nosema apis is in-
accurate. On referring to the section
quoted, namely the Journal of the Board
of Agriculture for May, 1912, Supplement
No. 8, p. 39, and the first paragraph
therein, it is stated that bees from the
"Isle of Wight" contained Nosema apis,
which was pathogenic to them. Further,
the whole section, pp. 39-56, clearly shows-

July 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

303

that the parasite, Nose ma apis, was re-
sponsible for the deaths of bees suffering
from "Isle of Wight" disease from all
parts of Great Britain. Reference to
July, 1913, Supplement 10, p. 37, confirms
the same.

"Isle of Wight" disease in bees is due
to Nosema apis. Several other diseases
of bees have been wrongly included under
the same name. In fact, " Isle of Wight "
disease has been used, at different times,
as a cloak for any mortality among adult
bees, without accurate microscopic
diagnosis, which alone can determine the
exact agent of the malady.

The disease, popularly named " Isle of
Wight " disease, is badly so named, since
it is distributed not only in the Isle of
Wight, but throughout Great Britain and
Ireland, in several European countries, in
Australia, Brazil, and the United States
of America. Hence the disease caused by
Nosema apis is much better known as
Microsporidiosis , which is what was stated
by the lecturer.

A NOTE FROM AUSTRALIA.

[9057] I am enclosing a cutting from
the current number of the Week, which
I thought might prove of interest to your
readers. The season here in Queensland
is now at an end, and a bountiful one
it has been, owing to splendid rains, which
fell at the right time. Here on the
Darling Downs we are getting a few
frosts, but they disappear at sunrise, and
I have noticed the bees at work almost
every day even now. Wishing your
readers a prosperous season and every
success to your valuable little journal. —
An Old Reader.

[Sorry the picture is not suitable for
reproduction. — Eds.]

"NEW ZEALAND 'HEATHER'
HONEY."

[9058] I am afraid from the tone of
Mr. D. M. Maedonald's communication
(April 16th, page 153), he must have had
a bad quarter-hour after reading the
report of the last conference of our bee-
keepers. From two innocent items in the
report he appears to have conjured up
some terrible rascality about to be per-
petrated by New Zealand bee-keepers to
the detriment of his own beloved heather
honey trade. Let me hasten to assure
him that his zeal for the latter has caused
him to misinterpret the items, and that
his fears are absolutely groundless.
Neither will he have to, as he threatened,
invoke the aid of the " British Board of
Trade," "eminent analysts," "leading
judges," and the "New Zealand Govern-
ment" (what a formidable army) to pre-

vent, or put a stop to, what he has
imagined is about to take place.

I have always looked upon my friend,
D. M. M., as a level-headed bee-keeper
and writer, and I was much surprised
when I read his communication. Let us
see what there is in the two items that
could have upset my friend. One of
twelve papers read at the conference dealt
with exporting honey to England. In the
discussion that followed, the President
said : — " The export trade which they were
developing was with the West Coast of
England. The honey went to Liverpool
and also to Glasgow, where they found
that ti-tree honey would probably sell as
well as New Zealand heather honey. It is
of similar flavour to Scotch heather
honey." The other item was a suggestion
made by a member as follows: — "So far
as dark honey is concerned, he thought
that if some of their best dark honey were
sent to Scotland and labelled New Zealand
Heather Honey it would pay well. If
some of the far-famed heather honey of
Scotland were sent out here it would not
realise 3Ad. per lb."

Now, I maintain there is nothing in the
above items to indicate fraud, or to give
cause for my friend's perturbation. I
suspect it is the last sentence that un-
nerved D.M.M. It must appear rank
heresy, or even blasphemy, to find ' ' Scotch
heather honey " valued as low as our
third-grade article ; nevertheless, the
statement is quite correct. We have
genuine samples 'of Scotch heather honey
in our Government exhibit, and Colonel
H. J. O. Walker very kindly sent me two
jars (about 41bs.) of prize heather honey,
so we know what it is, and our ti-tree
and " heather honeys " are equally as
good, although rated as third-grade by us,
and are similar in flavour.

For independent testimony I may refer
to our late Governor, Lord Islington, who
declared it equal to the Scotch article, and
had about 2cwt. of it shipped to his order
when he left for England. We - have a
plant growing wild, known generally as
"New Zealand heather," hence our
heather honey.

I might also draw my friend's attention
to some of the wild honey of South
Africa, declared to be similar to Scotch
heather honey in flavour. If he will look
up the South African Bee-keepers' Journal
for March, 1913, he will see the following:
" The South African honey, with which it
is proposed to test the English market, is
known as ' Forest ' honey, and comes from
the neighbourhood of the great Knysna
forest. ... It has a flavour much the
same as that known in this country
(England) as heather honey."

We grade all our honey in comparison
with white clover honey, which we dub

304

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 30, 1914.

A. 1.100. D.M.M. need not be afraid of
the English or Scotch markets receiving
much of our ti-tree or heather honey, as
we endeavour to get as far away from
them as we can, owing to their being un-
extractable in the ordinary way. Scotch
heather honey, like our ti-tree and
"heather" honey, is preferred by those
who only eat honey now and then, owing
to their stronger flavour, but for every-
day use the more delicate flavoured white
clover honev is chosen every time. — J.
Hopkins, Auckland, New Zealand, June
5th. 1914.

SKEPS AND DISEASE.

[9059] Why should the skep be spoken
of as an evil thing? In the "B.B.J."
recently there has been rather an inter-
esting line of argument between Mr.
Crawshaw and Mr. Hopkins about the
straw skep and immovable comb hives
generally, and to-day I see there is a final
letter from Mr. Hopkins, in which he
evidently considers ' he has settled the
matter. He may, of course, be quite
right from his own point of view, but Mr.
Crawshaw is also right. The point, I
think, is this : In our country nearly
every village or hamlet has — or had before
"Isle of Wight" disease wiped them out
— one or more cottagers possessing a few
skeps. Now, these men understand how to
manage a skep quite well. They hive the
swarms each year, and take up the old
stocks, destroying the bees in the familiar
way. Often this has gone on for many
years, as the stock is kept going by casts
and by the bees occasionally re-queening
themselves. The yearly destruction of
practically all old combs must be a very
strong deterrent to foul brood making any
headway. Nor is the take of honey
always so bad; considering that the bee-
keeper goes to no expense it is often a
very good return. Now let us consider
that an expert has been round to one of
these peaceful villages, and has aroused
the enthusiasm of a cottager who is the
possessor of, say, half a dozen good skeps.
The man buys a frame hive, he buys the
fittings, he gets quilts, section racks.

smoker, cyc, &c, which cost a good sum,
often more than he can well afford. A good
swarm is hived on to the ten frames, and
all the rest of that season they take to fill
up the brood chamber. If the swarm is
early, and a good time follows, they may
fill a rack of sections. Next year he may
do better, especially if the expert intro-
duces a young queen for him, as I have
often done (not that I ever encour-
aged a man to get a frame hive
unless he really wished to do so),
but sooner or later I have found
the bees get foul brood, and then it is all
over unless someone is there to help. The
weak stock will often stand ready for
robbers, and infect the district. For men
who thoroughly understand the craft, of
course, the frame hive is immeasurably
better and more profitable than the skep,
but where a man does not understand
much about bees — does not at once
recognise disease, and understand how to
take immediate steps for its suppression
— the skep is the best. He will get a
little honey with no risk, and his stocks
will seldom be greatly diseased. Of
course, we know well enough that a skep
may be diseased as readily as a frame hive,
but it is, I feel sure, not often so on
account of the annual destruction of
combs. The cottager with a diseased
frame hive looks at the brood combs often,
lifts them out and drops honey and bees
about, and probably has no idea that they
are diseased at all. I should like to hear
other experiences, hut for myself I can
say that I have driven hundreds of stocks
of bees in skeps and only once found
disease, and that was in an old lady's
garden where no hives had been taken up
for years. I always removed at least one
comb of brood after driving. Like others,
I expect. I occasionally see signs of foul
brood in my apiary, but I have been
throxigh the mill pretty thoroughly long
ago and spot it immediately now, and
proceed at once to put it right, which is
not very difficult. I had one slight case
this summer, but otherwise have not had
it for years. I think Mr. Hopkins quite
fails to consider the case from this point
of view. — Pi. B. Manley.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

EaBSI

wBv WTHerrod.

IHg^Sa^g^^^^asg

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
(Continued from page 285.)
In all cases full sheets of foundation should be used. It is false economy to use
starters, as it often happens that instead of continuing the worker cells, drone comb

July 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

305

is built as illustrated (Fig. 47). No. 1 is a starter. No. 2 a third of a sheet, and
No. 3 two-thirds of a sheet of foundation. The result is the same in each case, i.e.,
drone comb built on. So strong at times is the desire of bees to build drone comb
that they will tear down worker base foundation to make room for it, or actually

Fig. 47

alter the base to that of drone cells (Fig. 48). Therefore, every endeavour should
be made to limit the production of a preponderance of useless drones.

I have known cases where the swarm has been hived on to frames without
foundation. The result is seen (Fig. 49). The removal for examination of combs
braced together in this manner is impossible.

30G

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 30, 1914.

It may seem absurd and superfluous to mention that quilts must be put over the
frames before hiving the swarm. Yet more than once I have been called in to put
right bees that the owner found difficult to get to stay on the frames of foundation,,
as they had persisted in going up to the roof and building comb (F&g. 50), because,.

In his ignorance, the elementary operation of putting on the quilt had not been
carried out. Bees always go to the top of their home to build comb, therefore the
top of the brood chamber must be made by a quilt to keep the bees confined to that
part. The quilt next the frames should be of some smooth material. If a rough.

Fig. 50.

hairy one is used then many bees are made prisoners and die by getting their
legs entangled, as seen (Fig. 51). Unbleached calico or ticking is best. If dressed
calico is used the bees eat it away, as shown (Fig. 52). Over this is placed
a couple or three pieces of warm material, such as under-felt for carpets or druggeting-

July 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

30"

The quilts should be cut about an inch larger than the top of the brood chamber
each way, so that they fit neatly, prevent the bees from escaping, yet do' not
overhang too much so that they are trapped when putting on the lifts.

Another detail of importance is to see that before the swarm is put into it the
hive is fixed properly ; the legs should stand upon bricks to prevent rotting. (Fig. 53)

shows how to use the spirit-level on the floor-
board in two positions. It should be quite
level from side to side, i.e., parallel with the
entrance, and incline about half an inch to the
front so that moisture will drain away from
the inside of the hive. If this levelling is
not carried out irregular combs will be built
and the inside of the hive get damp and
musty.

Swarms of the previous year very often are
weakest in the spring. This can be accounted
for by the fact that it is the old queen which
accompanies the swarm. Therefore, if a
record has been kept and the queen is an old
one, she should be replaced by a young,
vigorous one, about three weeks after hiving.

Where the bee-keeper does not pay attention to recording the age of queens, or
carrv out queen-rearing, and he suspects that the queen is an old one, she can easily
be replaced by uniting a cast after first killing her.

Fig. 51.

Packing Swarms for Transit.

This needs do(ing very carefully, with as much ventilation as possible. It is
grievous to see time and again splendid swarms suffocated through inattention to this
important detail. As a large buyer of swarms I have been astonished at the
ignorance displayed in this matter. Many times bees have arrived all dead and in a
stickv mess, through the covering material being of too close a texture to allow the

Fig. 52.

Fig. 53.

heat generated to escape and fresh air to enter. This illustrates very
clearly how necessary it is for the bee-keeper to know something of the anatomy of
the, bee. Bees do not breathe through the mouth, but through little holes at each
side of, and between the segments of the abdomen and thorax, called spiracles.
These are protected by a number of hairs, the body is also covered with hair. When
thev issue as a swarm thev fill their stomachs with food as mentioned above.

(To be continued )

308

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 30, 1914.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged Ss. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

August 4th, 1914, at Bridgnorth.— Annual

Show of the Bridgnorth and District Bee-keepers'
Association. Held in connection with Hampton
Load Horticultural Society. Open gift class single
lib. jar extracted honey. Prizes, 7s. 6d., 5s„ 2s.
Schedules from J. S. Lawton, Oldbury Wells,
Bridgnorth. Entries closed.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from E.
Hertford, Kingsthorpe, Northants. Entries closed.

August 6th, at Madresfield, Malvern.—
In conjunction with the Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Show. The Annual Show of the Worcester-
shire B.K.A. 5 open classes. Entry, 6d. each.
Increased prizes. Schedules from George Richings,
2, Shubbery-terrace, Worcester. Entries close
August 1st.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—
Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Heflman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries close July 30th.

August 12th, at Wye, near Ashford, Kent.
—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor) ; 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary, Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 17th and 18th, at Oannock (Staffs.).
—Honey Show, in connection with Cannock Horti-
cultural Show. Eight open classes. Good prizes.
Schedules from hon. sec, John Bird. Glenmay,
Cannock.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.— The
Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close August 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 19th and 20th, at Derby.— Derby-
shire Bee-keepers' Association Annual Show, at
Derby. Four open classes for honey. Reduced
entry fees. For schedules apply, R. H. Colt man,
49, Station-street, Burton-on-Trent. Entries close
Wednesday, August 12th.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle.—Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for homey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmswonth, Deddington. Oxon.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
Ac., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

M. C. (iSlirewsbury). — Moving Bees. — It is
usually considered advisable to move
two miles. They will probably be all
right if you place some obstruction at
the entrance for a few days, a handful
of coarse grass or hay, or rear up a
piece of glass in front, so that the bees
have a little difficulty in getting out
of the hive. Do not close the entrance
so they are unable to get out at all.

Shirm (Grimsby). — Signs of Queenlessness.
— (1 and 2) Possibly, or the young
queen may not yet have mated and com-
menced to lay. Give a comb containing
eggs and notice if they commence queen
cells. (3) It would be a queen piping.
(4) Use a slow feeder, or give about
^ pint syrup per week.

Interested Beginner (Saxmundham). —
Transferring Bees. — (1 and 2) Your best
plan will be to treat both as per page
150 in Guide Book, early next spring;
it is too late this year. (3) They will
fight until one is killed. (4) The one
you refer to will be in B.B.J, of
Aug. 28, 1913. We can supply it foi-
led, stamps. (5) Yes.

W. F. Jones (Anglesea). — Source of Pro-
polis.— Possibly you have been using
Ayles' Cure in the hive. If not we
cannot say what is the cause of the
smell.

I. H. J. (Hammersmith). — Various
Queries. — (1) You had better cut a hole

. in the top. (2) Thanks, but they will
not be of any use. (3) No. (4) Sept. 5,

July 30, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

309

1912. (5) Powder some naphthaline and
sprinkle where the ants congregate.
Spraying slightly with a solution of 21b.
hyposulphite of soda in 1 gall, of water
has been recommended, but we have no
personal experience of this. (6) You
will find the life history of the oil-beetle
(Meloe) fully dealt with in " British
Beetles," by E. C. Eye, and the " Trans-
formation of Insects," by P. Martin
Duncan, F.R.S. One of the best de-
scriptions of special interest to bee-
keepers will be found in the French
" Manuel d'Apiculture," by M. Girard,
who devotes no less than twelve pages
of this book to a history of the insect.
For a German work we would refer to
•'Die Parasiten der Honigbiene," by
Dr. Eduard Assmuss.

E. M. .Simpson (Painswick). — Yes, it is to
be relied on. It is only a little out of
date.

M. A. B. (Hereford). — Deeding with Wax
Moth . — Look the combs over occasion-
ally and kill all larva? you may find
tunnelling under the cappings of brood,
also kill all moths you can. Wrap
boxes of combs securely in paper,
placing some Apicure in with them.

C. E. Harthvick (Sutton Coldfield).— We
have not had experience enough of them
in this country to do so— unless you
need swarms. The remarks you noticed
referred to Italians.

W. W. Havard (Brecon.) — Various
Queries. — (1) Yes, honey should be all
sealed before removing from the hive.
(2) The "Cowan," if you can afford it.
" The Guinea " is a very good one at
a moderate price. (3) Better to extract
as soon as possible. (4) It is now
generally used as a receptacle into which
to strain honey.. (5) South East. (6)
There is no B.K.A. in Breconshire.

H. I. Hewett (Winchester). — Queenless
Colony. — (1) The young queen may have
been lost on her mating flight. (2) Prob-
ably because there is no queen. (3)
Only by introducing a cast with queen.
(4) Yes. You are handicapped by not
being able to examine brood combs. If
the bees live until next spring, transfer
them to movable frames.

"Cotswold" (Fairford). — Raising Queen.
— It would be very risky. A better plan
would be to make a nucleus for the pur-
pose from the stock you wish to re-
queen. Stand the nucleus near the
parent stock, and when the young queen
is mated and laying, depose the old
queen and unite the nucleus with young
queen to the old stock again. The diffi-
culty so late in the year is not rearing
the queen but getting her mated.

C. W. (Midb-urst).— Moving to Heather. —
They would probably reach it, but they .

4 would have a much better chance if

nearer. It would be quite safe to move
them that distance.

" Young Recruit " (Eastbourne). — Various
Queries. — (1) We have always found
driven bees do well. You need drawn-
out combs on which to hive them. Yes,
a queen is usually sent. You must
stipulate for a young queen with each
lot when ordering. Get them as early
as possible, and feed up rapidly until
they have 301bs. of stores in the combs.
Do not disturb them through the winter .
(2) Unite them, first moving each hive
a yard nearer the other at intervals of
one or two days, when the weather
permits the bees to fly freely until you
have them not more than a couple of
yards apart, then unite and place the
hive with bees in centre of space, re-
moving the other. (3) AVe cannot say
what is wrong, without examination. If
they are queenless, purchase a queen and
introduce to them. (4) We are sorry
this is not possible.

H. B. (Cardenden). — There would be no
difficulty so far as we are aware. Prob-
ably the shipping agents would be able
to tell you ; we hope you will be success-
ful. Thanks for vour appreciation of
B.B.J.

" Igno " (Glos.). — Extracting from Brood
Combs. — (1) No; under the circum-
stances stated it would probably contain
syrup. (2) We should say your surmise
is correct. Dutch bees are given to
excessive swarming ; this seems to be
their chief characteristic. They are
supposed to resist "Isle of Wight"
disease better than natives. (3) No.

■'Medico," (Cheddleton). — Swarming
Queries. — (1) Yes, it would be the queen.
(2) Probably the young queens have
been killed and bees are not likely to
swarm.

'; Neophyte " (Glasgow). — Queries about
Queens. — (1) No, but she may occasion-
ally. (2) Yes, it should not be
attempted. (3) They usually locate the
situation. In your case they were evi-
dently confused. (4) Yes (5) and (6)
We should prefer inserting the cell. (7)
She would be destroyed. (8) If you
have no queen excluder on, it w,oukl be
safer.

New Beginner (Navenby). — Lost Queen.
— Let it stay now. Remove when
honey flow is over, and take out the
honey. It is too late to transfer bees
to frame hive. Let them winter in the
skep and transfer next year.

W. Seal (Basingstoke). — Lost Queen. —
Under the circumstances your best plan
will be to put queen in skep and trans-
fer next year. The secretary of the
Hants and" Isle of Wight B.K.A. is Mr.
F. D. Hills, Ivanhoe, Park Close Road.
Alton.

310

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [July 30, 1914.

Honey Samples.
H. F. G. (Millom). — Very good in all

points. Not less than Is. Why not try

it on the show-bench?
T. E. (Romford). — Yes it is English, and

a very good sample. Mainly from

clover ; 70s. per cwt.
C. R. I. — A very nice honey, quite suit-
able for local shows, but needs more

careful straining.
" Altrar " (Eastleach). — It is a shade too

dark for light class. It might secure a

prize. It is from mixed sources. Worth

60s. to 70s. per cwt.

Suspected Disease.
At Water, (Gillingham). — "Isle of

Wight" disease.
M.P. (Canterbury). — The symptoms you

describe are those of "Isle of Wight"

disease, but only one of the bees you

sent seems to be affected. It would be

best to destroy them.
L. M. (Winchester). — Bees are suffering

from "Isle of Wight" disease. There

is no fee, thanks.
R. T. C. (Chesterfield).— Bees show

symptoms of " Isle of Wight " disease.
"Perplexed" (Wishaw). — Cannot detect

symptoms of "Isle of Wight" disease.

If you see bees crawling on the ground

send us a few of them.
E. E. D. (Hants). — Bees appear to be

affected with "May Pest." Will try

to give you further information next

week.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per ytn., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FEW DOZEN good sections, 8s. per dozen; two
281b. tins extracted, 30s.— C. KIDBY, Sizewell-
road, Lei si on, .Suffolk. v 3

OX SALE, 401b. of very fine Scotch heather
honey, in six glass jars.— THOMAS ROBIN-
SON, Sunnypoint, Crook, Kendal. v 90

IX DOZEN sections, first quality, 10s. per
dozen.— H. EVANS, Scampstom Hall, York, v 89

S

S THONG, healthy nuclei, seven and eight
frames, 1914 queens, Simmins* White Star
[taJian strain 17s. 6d. and 19s., f.o.r.; hives, 2s.,
returnable.— COUSENS, 12, Grove-road, W'anstead,
Essex. v 87

EADOW'S' geared extractor, almost new, cost
36s., sell 20s.— EDWIN GLOSSOP. Amber-

M

gate.

BUFF ROCK cockerels,, from HyT Sutton's
strain, second place in 1913 twe'vr months'
laying conmetitinn Newport, March hatched, 5s.
each.— NICHOLSON, Llangwathby. v 85

HONEY, 2 cwt., from fruit, &c, slightly dark
in ooJoair, in 281b. tins, at 56s. per cwt
f.o.r.; sample, 2d.— HENRY GOW , Orossford, near
Dunfermline. v 84

SURPLUS 1914 queens, English, 4s.; special
hybrids, 5s. 6d.; imported Italians, 4s. 6d.~
WHEATLEi". expeirt, Spa Apiary, Hinckley, v 83

EXCHANGE, eight volumes " Modern Carpen-
ter, Joiner, and Cabinet Maker," cost £3,
perfect, not soiled, for two stocks of bees, or double
barrelled gun, or sell.— LEW IN, Wintborpe, Skeg-
ness. v 82

A FEW" good 1914 tested queens, 6s. 6d. each;
nuclei, three or fo<ur frames, 14s. 6d. and
16s. 6d., boxes free.— x\PIARY, 157, Camden-road,
N.W. v 81

TEEMING STOCKS healthy bees, 1914 queens,
25s.; inspection invited.— VINCENT, 132,
Croydon-road, Anerley. v 80

DOUBLE CONQUEROR, nearly new, healthy.
—A. M.. e/o " B.B.J.", 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C. v79

WANTED, drawn out shallow frames, healthy,
also three good healthy lots driven bees.—
JESSE HIRST, 68, Varley-road, Slaithwaite, near
Huddersfield. v 92

HEALTHY STOCKS for sale, on frames and
skeps; particulars. — JONES, Cwmeisian
Apiary, near Dolgelly. v 1

BEEKEEPER, capable complete management
large apiary; give fullest particulars in first
communication. — " N.", 23, Bedford-street, Strand.
W.C. v 100

BETTER than driven bees; four swarms for
sale, on six frames each, price 10s. 6d.— Apply,
S. COCKS, Napton, Rugby. v 99

PURE Devonshire honey, 15s. per 281b. tin.—
BARFIELD, Gaddon, Oraddock, CuUomp-
ton. v 98

TWO 1914 healthy black queens, 3s. 6d. each.—
HALL, 15. Boro', Hinckley, Leics. v 95

FINE extracted honey, 60s. cwt., including tins,
carriage paid; sample with pleasure. — AVERY,
Deverill, W arminster. v 94

OR SALE, a few very fine, healthy 1914

queens, 4s. each; also four and six frame

nuclei, guaranteed healthy, and full of bee aiiid

brood, 12s. 6d. and 16s. 6d.— CROWE, c/o Mr.

Shear-smith, Westgate, Tadcaster. v 93

DRIVEN BEES, now ready, Is. 6d. lb.; several
good hives, some W.B.C., 4s. to 8s. 6d. each;
also various sundries, cheap; exchange honey.—
BOW'DEN, Broomhill, Whitley, Surrey. v 73

SEVERAL 10-frame strong stocks, healthy,
English bees, 30s. each— P. JEFFER1ES,
Hillcrest, Fitzjohn-avenue, Barnet, Herts. v 69

STRONG, healthy 8-frame stocks of bees, 25s.
each; boxes to be returned, carriage paid.—
MYTTON, Lyncroft, Stafford-road, Lichfi eld, v 65

HEALTHY stock British bees, price, including
strong frame hive, 25s— WELLER, Stafford-
road, Brighton. v 42

1 TYPEWRITER, Ideal, visible writing, stan-
. dard keyboard, brief carriage, clear work,
strong, modern machine, excellent condition, 80s.,
great bargain— WAKEFIELD, Newhall Hill, Bir-
mingham, v 49

GOOD standing for bees, miles of the finest
heather— Apply, ERNEST HOLMES, East
Moors, Helmsley, Yorks. v 44

OR SALE, pure Irish honey, well filled

sections. — SAMUEL SCOTT, Ballyronan,

Maghrrafelt, Co. Perry. v 41

FOR SALE, 12 cwt. of pure new Cambridge-
shire honey, light colour, 65s. per cwt. in
purchaser's receptacles, or 68s. 6d. in non-return-
able tins, f.o.r.-CARTER, The Apiaries, Burvvell,
Cambs. v 58

Aug. 6, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

311

EXAMINATIONS.

The use or otherwise of examinations
has been a debatable matter ever since
they were inaugurated. There is no
doubt that the consensus of opinion is
that they are most useful, if only for
two things. First, they enable the
teacher to discover where he has failed
to make his pupils understand their
lessons ; and second, to the students
they reveal their ignorance and the
necessity for close application to even
the most simple subjects.

The teacher's failure is generally
attributable to the mistake of taking it
for granted that his students have a
knowledge of, to him, simple matters,
so he passes them by without explana-
tion. The only safe way in teaching is
to explain the subject to the pupils as if
they were children about seven years
old, and to ask questions from time to
time to see if they have grasped and
retained the knowledge imparted. After
teaching for a quarter of a century we
are convinced that examinations are
useful for the above reasons, and also
for stimulating the pupil's ambition,
which results in closer application to
work. Failure in even an unimportant
examination has often been the salvation
of a student.

The examinations of the British Bee-
Keepers' Association are ridiculed at
times, and one often hears the question
asked, " Of what use or value are they?"
The answer is that there are hundreds
of people in the British Islands who are
better bee-keepers to-day than they
would have been had they not taken
these examinations and so had some of
the conceit taken out of them.

It is a mistake to imagine that they
are easy and that no preparation is
necessary, as so many have found to their
cost when they have faced the ordeal.

Founded on the sound principle of
combining practice with theory, they
have played no unimportant part in
raising bee-keeping to the high status it
now enjoys in these islands. Our advice
to those who imagine that it is quite easy
to pass the tests is to "try and see."

SCHOOLMASTERS AND BEE-
KEEPING.

There is no doubt that schoolmasters
can, and do, help considerably in extend-
ing a knowledge of and creating an in-
terest in rural pursuits by instilling know-
ledge into the receptive minds of children.
Mr. C. R. Forse, the Secretary of the
Staffordshire Association, is no exception
to the rule, and he has been responsible for
the teaching of bee-keeping being adopted
by the County Council of his county. In
"the photograph (page 312) he is shown
with the bee exhibit staged by him under
the County Councils' Association in the
Education Department at the Royal Show
this year at Shrewsbury. Space does not
permit us to give particulars of the ex-
hibit, but it was both instructive and
interesting.

1

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OBSERVATORY HIVE MADE BY MR. SIMCOX.

Another Staffordshire schoolmaster, Mr.
A. W. Simcox. Fallings Park, Wolver-
hampton, was also in evidence, winning
first prize with an observatory hive made
by himself from the drawings and work-
ing instructions printed in the British
Bee Journal. We give an illustration of
the hive taken at the show, but the
camera fails to give an idea of the
splendid workmanship, which was equal to
that of a professional cabinet-maker.

312

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 6, 1914.

SENDING SPECIMENS FOR ADVICE.

May we draw our readers' attention to
the "Editorial" in the "B.B.J." for
January 15th, on "The Packing of Speci-
mens sent for Advice," also to the condi-
tions printed at the head of our Queries
and Replies and Notices to Correspondents
columns. A number of our readers
who send queries and samples of
bees and honey do not read the
conditions mentioned, or they forget
them. We have had samples of bees
during the last few weeks with no
mark to say whence they came, except the
post mark, and that is often unreadable.
It is surely not much trouble when bees
or honey are sent in a separate package
for the sender to write his or her name
on it. When sending bees for diagnosis

number of entries was well above the
average, and the quality of the Honey was
exceptionally good. The success of the
show was largely due to the untiring
efforts of Mr. J. W. Brewer, the Honorary
Show Secretary, and to Mr. W. A.
Withycombe, who assisted him in the
staging of the exhibits. During the
afternoon Mr. J. W. Brewer gave an in-
structive lecture on the " ' Isle of Wight '
Disease," which was well attended.

The judges, Mr. T. W. Cowan, Colonel
H. F. Jolly, Mr. S. Joraan, and Mr. L. E.
Snelgrove made the following awards: —

Finest Collection of Honey and Wax of
any year. — 1st, H. J. Moore, Radstock ;
2nd, R. J. C. Ferguson, Bishops Lydeard;
3rd, H. J. Prescott, Bath; 4th, H. King-
ston, Whitchurch.

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MR. C. R. EORSE WITH BEE EXHIBIT AT SHREWSBURY.

it is not enough to place from one to
fifty bees in a box -with the curt query,
" Please report on enclosed bees." Always
give particulars of any symptoms noticed
and treatment given, and if an answer is
required by post enclose a stamped
addressed envelope, not a loose stamp. In
any case, always send full name and ad-
dress, which will not be published. We go
to press on Tuesdays, therefore any queries
requiring an answer in the next issue of
the Journal should reach this office not
later than Monday. To quote from the
article mentioned above : " We are at all
times pleased to be of service to our
readers, and therefore it is only right
that we should receive consideration,
especially as our services are given
gratuitously."

SOMERSET B.K.A.

The annual show of the Somerset Bee-
keepers' Association was held on July 23rd
at Bath, in connection with the Larkhall
Horticultural Society's" Exhibition. The

Best Twelve 1-lb. Bottles of Extracted
Honey. — 1st, A. H. Bowen, Cheltenham;
2nd, H. J. Moore; 3rd; E. Bourne, Kil-
mersdon ; 4th, H. Kingston.

Best Twelve 1-lb. Sections of Comb
Honey. — 1st, C. W. Dyer, Newbury,
Berks; 2nd, R. Lane, Writhlington ; 3rd,
H. Kingston; 4th, A. H. Bowen.

Best 1-lb. Bottle of Honey (not granu-
lated).—1st, F. Bird, Little Canfield,
Dunmow, Essex; 2nd, F. D. Hills, Alton;
3rd, A. C. Jackson, Thetford, Norfolk;
4th, H. J. Moore; v.h.c., E. Bourne; h.c,
R. Lane.

Best 1-lb. Section of Comb Honey. —
1st, F. Bird; 2nd, C. W. Dyer; 3rd, R.
Lane; 4th, A. H. Bowen; v.h.c, H.
Evans, Bruton.

Best Collection of Beehives and Ap-
pliances.— 1st, Ward and Co., Bath.

Educatio?ial Exhibit.— 1st, J. W.
Brewer.

LOCAL CLASSES FOR BATH.

Best Six Sections of Comb Honey. — 1st,
F. G. Hales, Wellow, near Bath; 2nd,

Aug. 6, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

313

H. E. Holder, Bath; 3rd, H. J. Prescott, I
Bath; h.c, S. Jones. Bath.

Best Six Bottles of Extracted Honey. —
1st, F. G. Hales; 2nd, F. J. Exton, Bath;
3rd, H. J. Prescott; v.h.c., F. Jones.

CLASSES OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE
ASSOCIATION ONLY.

Best Exhibit of Beesicax, not less than
1-lb. — 1st, R. Lane; 2nd, H. Kingston;
3rd, J. W. Brewer, Bath; v.h.c, E.
Bourne.

Observatory Hive with Bees. — 1st, H. J.
Prescott; 2nd, A. Withycombe, Bridg-
water.

Best Three Shallow Frames of Comb
Honey.— 1st, F. G. Hales; 2nd, E.
Bourne; 3rd, R. Lane; v.h.c, H. King-
ston; h.c, R. J. C. Ferguson-.

Best Three Bottles Granulated Honey.
—1st, R. Lane; 2nd, H. Kingston; 3rd,
H. J. Prescott; h.c, W. Evans, Wincan-
ton.

Best 'Six Sections of Comb Honey. — 1st,
H. Kingston; 2nd, R. Lane; 3rd, A. J.
Hawkins, Halse, Taunton; v.h.c, W.
Evans; h.c, H. J. Prescott.

Best Six 1-lb. Bottles of Extracted
Honey (Light or Medium). — 1st, R. Lane;
2nd, E. Bourne; 3rd, A. Gibbs, Norton
Manor, Taunton; h.c, R. Litman, Castle
Cary.

Best Six Bottles of Dark Honey. — 1st,
V. Davis, Sparkford, near Bath; 2nd, R.
Lane; 3rd, H. J. Prescott.

NOVICE CLASSES.

Best Three Sections. — 1st, E. Bourne;
2nd, W. Cuffe, Bridgwater; 3rd, H.
Evans, Bruton.

Best Three 1-lb. Bottles.— 1st, E.
Bourne; 2nd, F. J. Exton; 3rd. H. J.
Prescott; h.c, H. Evans.

The Challenge Honey Pot presented by
Colonel H. F. Jolly) was won by R.
Lane. — L. Bigg-Wither. Hon. Sec

LINCOLNSHIRE B.K.A.

The annual exhibition of the Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers' Association was held in
connection with the Lincolnshire Agricul-
tural Society's Show at Boston on July
16th and 17th.

A record entry had been obtained, and
as most of the entries were staged, the
exhibition was a great success. The
quality of the honey, however, was
not up to the standard of previous years.
The judges were Dr. Percy Sharp
(iSwallowbeck), Mr. D. Seamer (Grimsby),
and Mr. H. J. Banks (Wragby). Mr.
R. N. Chapman (Boston) ably carried out
the duties of steward.

Several demonstrations were given each
day in the bee tent by Mr. H. J. Banks
before large and appreciative audiences.
The following were the awards: —

HONEY, HIVES, &C.

Comb or Extracted Honey and Wax

(Open). — 1st, T. W. Swabey, Bracebridge
Heath; 2nd, J. H. Hatfield, Alford; 3rd,
F. Harris, High Ferry, Sibsey.

Stiver Medal.— J. H. Hatfield.

Bronze Medal. — F. Harris.

Twelve Sections of Comb Honey (Open).
1st, Miss M. Wilson, Great Canfield Dun-
mow; 2nd, T. W. Swabey; 3rd, W. Ion,
Healing, Grimsby; 4th, Rev. W. Towers,
South Thoresby, Alford.

Extracted Honey, total weight to ap-
proximate 124b. (Open). — 1st, Mrs. A.
Herring, Brauncewell, Lincoln ; 2nd,
C. H. Marshall; 3rd, W. Patchett,
Cabourne, Caistor; 4th, Mrs. G. Pilking-
ton, Brauncewell Grange, Lincoln.

Twelve Sections of Comb Honey
(County). — 1st and silver medal, Miss
E. W. Davis, Market Rasen ; 2nd and c,
Mrs. G. Pilkington ; 3rd, W. Ion ; 4th, W.
Patchett.

Light Extracted Honey (County) 1st

and silver medal, W. B. Allister, Throcken-
holt, "Wisbech ; 2nd and bronze medal,
C. H. Marshall; 3rd, W. Patchett; 4th,
W. Wass, East Heckington, Boston; h.c,
Mrs. A. Herring and A. H. Smith, East-
gate, Louth.

- Extracted Honey, other than Light
(County). — 1st, C. Fairweather, Anton's
Gowt, Boston; 2nd, W. Wass; 3rd, E.
Robinson, Gosberton.

Bun Honey (Members). — 1st, W. Ion;
2nd, J. S. Baldry, Lincoln; 3rd, Rev.
C. D. Baron, Alford.

Granulated Honey (Open). — 1st, W.
Patchett; 2nd, Mrs. G. Pilkington; 3rd,
C. H. Marshall.

Six 1-lb. Jars of Bun Honey and Six
Sections (Cottager). — 1st, F. Harris,
Sibsey; 2nd, W. B. Allister, Wisbech.

Beeswax (Open to County of Lincoln
and to Members of the Lincolnshire Bee-
keepers' Association only), not under 3-lbs.
nor over 5-lbs. in weight, produced by the
exhibitor' s own bees.- — 1st, J. Balderstone,
Authorpe; 2nd, Wm. Patchett, Cabourne;
3rd, Mrs. A. Herring, Brauncewell,
Lincoln.

Observatory Hive, stocked xcith Bees
and Queen (Open). — 1st, T. W. Swabey;
2nd, J. H. Hadfield, Alford.

APPLIANCES.

Hives and Bee Furniture, applicable to
the modern system of bee-keeping, to be
staged on fifty superficial feet. — 1st,
W. P. Meadows, Syston, Leicester; 2nd,
J. Lee and Son, Ltd., Uxbridge; 3rd,
E. H. Taylor, Welwyn, Herts.

Hire for General Use. — 1st, J. Lee and
Son; 2nd, E. H. Taylor; 3rd, W. P.
Meadows.

Hive for General Use. — 1st, E. H.
Taylor; 2nd, J. Lee and Son; 3rd, W. P.
Meadows.

Any Appliance connected with Bee-
keeping, recently introduced.- — 1st, W. P.
Meadows.

314

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 6, 1914.

NOTTS B.K.A.

The annual show of above was held in
connection with the Southwell Horti-
cultural and Gardening Society on
" Lowes Wong," in the Cathedral city, on
Thursday, July 23rd, the honey show being
accommodated in a separate tent, which
rather unfortunately proved too small
for the effective display of the numerous
exhibits. The weather was threatening all
the day, but the rain kept off until towards
the close. The honey tent was well
patronised throughout the day, and ap-
peared to be one of the most attractive
spots on the show-ground, judging by the
number of people always in it and from
the many remarks overheard concerning it.
The bee tent was also there, and
demonstrations were given to very in-
terested and enquiring audiences. There
was also a " Training Class for Judging
Honey " at this show, and a good number
of bee-keepers availed themselves of it.

The judges were Dr. Percy Sharp,
Swallowbeck, Lincoln, and Dr Thos. S.
Elliot, of Southwell, and following is a
list of their awards : —

Winner of the "Herrod" Silver Chal-
lenge Vase. — James North, Sutton-in-Ash-
fieid.

For Best Single Jar of Extracted
Honey. — 1st, A. H. Bowen, Cheltenham;
2nd, J. North, Sutton; h.c, H. C. Jack-
son, Elveden; c, Miss Hale, N. Devon.

Best and Most Attractive Display of
Honey. — 1st, D. Marshall, Nottingham;
2nd, G. Marshall, Norwell.

For Best Six Sections of Comb Honey
to approximate 6-lbs., produced in 1914. —
1st, J. North, Sutton; 2nd, D. Marshall,
Nottingham; 3rd, G. Marshall; h.c, W.
Doleman, Keyworth.

Twelve Jars of Best Light Colour Ex-
tracted Honey, to approximate 12-lbs.,
produced in 1914. — 1st, J. North; 2nd,
J. T. Wilson, Shirebrook; 3rd J. T.
Duckmanton, Langwith; 4th, W. H.
Mellors, Norton; h.c, J. C. Mellors; c,
W. Lee.

Twelve Jars of Best Dark Colour Ex-
tracted Honey to approximate 12-lbs.,
produced in 1914. — 1st, J. North ; 2nd, G.
Marshall; 3rd, A. G. Pugh, Beeston ; 4th,
H. Merry weather ; h.c, W. Lee; c, Mrs.
Waller.

Six Jars of Best Granulated Honey, to
approximate 6-lbs., produced in any year.
—1st, A. G. Pugh; 2nd, J. T. Wilson;
3rd, W. Mountney, Southwell; h.c, G.
Marshall; c, J. T. Duckmanton.

Best Shallow Frame of Honey suitable
for Extracting, produced in 1914. — 1st,
J. T. Wilson; 2nd, J. North; 3rd, G.
Marshall; h.c, D. Marshall.

Best Three Jars of Extracted Honey,
produced in 1914 (for Members not having

previously taken a prize). — 1st, R. B.
Hutchinson, Bilsthorp ; 2nd, G. H. Worth,
Long Eaton.

Best Specimen of Bees of any race, with
Queen, on best and most complete Single
Comb in Observatory Hive. — 1st, H.
Merryweather ; 2nd, J. T. Duckmanton;
3rd, G. Marshall; 4th, J. North; h.c, W.
Lucas; c, W. Mountney.

Best Sample of Beeswax in six pieces to
approximate 2-oz. each. — 1st, G. Mar-
shall; 2nd, John Bee, Southwell; 3rd, J.
North. — Geo. Hayes.

Apodes and Apides (p. 241). — I can
hardly agree with Mr. Snelgrove that it
is difficult to move hives on benches. I
should have said it was both quicker and
easier. My hives are arranged in this
way, and it is the simplest thing to slide
a hive to right or left. This makes
certain manipulations possible, without
involving conditions of level. As for
removal, it is simply a question of a
sufficiency of accommodation. Given suffi-
cient gantrys, these apodal hives can be
picked up and put down correctly in far
less time than where no permanent stands
exist. I had a striking illustration of this
the other day. A stock began to swarm
just as I was leaving home. As the queen
came out I caught her withfca match box.
The swarm clustered during the time it
took me to remove the hive, place an
empty one on the old stand, and slip the
box over the frames. When I returned
at night, the swarm was satisfactorily
settled in the new hive. The disadvan-
tages mentioned by Mr. Snelgrove relate
more to the regularity and similarity of
hives than to their style of support, and
this regularity may occur with ordinary
hives. But the overwhelming reason for
my gantrys is that, as a moor-going bee-
keeper,- I cannot tolerate legs, the case
against which is well put by D. Wilson
(p. 247).

Hive Legs (p. 242). — I am not sure
whether Mr. Snelgrove' s directions for
fitting the legs can be followed by every-
one, but they are undoubtedly accurate.
I take it that it is unnecessary to run the
bevel line right around the leg where the
joist is to be let in. This prevents a
possible error. To let the joist in, the
tenon saw is sunk sufficiently along the
line, and the wedge-shaped pieces removed
with the chisel. I am not able to see the
advantage of making the " W.B.C." stand
and floorboard separate. It is cheaper,

Aug. 6, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

315

and, I think, quite as good, to make the
floor and stand in one. Nails are not
much good as feet, and the ant-proof shoes
do not protect if weeds are allowed to
touch the leg. Why not make the legs
of creosoted wood ? I have one hive made
thus, and it has remained sound and good
for over ten years, although standing
directly on the earth most of the time.

Success at the Heather (p. 246). — One
or two points occur to me as questions
upon D. AVilson's helpful article on moor-
going, which article (9037) is, by the way,
a fairly full and opportune "reply" to
No. 9036. In my district the clover flow
is often late, and sometimes runs right up
to heather bloom. Others, perhaps, may
have the same experience. How then can
•a young queen build up a stock in the
41 interval"? And where an interval of
several weeks does actually occur, her bees
will hardly be ready for harvest work,
whilst brood-rearing will have made
demands upon the stock. On the other
hand, honey may be forced above, both
by the presence of the brood, and the
temper of the bees, which may be the
point D. Wilson desires to make. But if
a young queen is expanding the brood-
nest, the reason for dispensing with
excluder does not appear quite consistent.
Not that an excluder is at all necessary.
Indeed, I find that the woodwork of the
section frames, and an inch or two of
honey above the brood nest, are as
effective as excluder zinc without its dis-
advantages. But sometimes pollen goes
into the sections, and excluder will to a
large extent prevent this trouble.

Drone Brood for Chickens (p. 252). — I
must confess that I do not quite see what
is wrong with the directions given by the
gentleman who has assumed the mantle
of C. N. White. Chickens really revel in
this dish, and I never waste any such
surplus pieces. They will pick out every
grub once they learn the trick. Just
shake a few out on the ground, and watch
them do the rest. I really do not see why
we should not eat them ourselves. I
suppose it would be no use to bring them
to the notice of Mr. Eustace Miles, but
perhaps Colonel Newnham Davis might
be induced to try them.

Native v. Foreign Bees (p. 253). — Here
are two letters which very strongly
advocate foreign bees as resistant to
certain diseases and the question should
undoubtedly be considered carefully even
by those of us who are most prejudiced
in favour of our own race. Facts are
what we most desire, and no one can
blame another who acts in accordance with
his experience. For we are passing
through troublous times, and although
foreign bees may be inferior to our own
in certain respects, it is better to have
foreign bees than no bees at all. I
believe, however, and I trust that the wish

is not father to the thought, that we are
pulling through with the help of Nature,
and that it will not be necessary to hire
any foreign mercenaries to help us to
fight the invader. Of course, gentlemen,
you have yourselves to blame, and you will
excuse my reminding you of it. You
import these foreign disease carriers, and
then suddenly hail them as immune to the
diseases they have brought. Then you
praise them for this, blind for the moment
to their characteristic faults. May God
save for us our good friend the English
bee.

EXTRACTS FROM AN EXPERT'S
DIARY.

By J. Herrod.

I have noticed a number of bee-
keepers "haven't time" to look after
their bees, except when the expert calls.
One of these very busy men had not had
time to take off his sections for two years,
but he managed to spare a considerable
amount of time when I called on him.
The hive was one of those ancient
abominations with the sides 1^ to 2 inches
higher than the frames, forming a kind
of well into which the racks are dropped.
Of course, after that lapse of time the
rack was tightly glued down, the bottom
of the hive was also fast, and we had to
use a crowbar before the rack could be
moved. The bees were then found to be
badly affected with foul brood. Another
bee-keeper of this class lived at an hotel,
and since the previous year had not had
time to take off his surplus. I took off
some very nice sections, when he remarked
how pleased he would have been to have
had them earlier, as some of his guests
had asked for honey and he had none!

Occasionally, very bad-tempered bees are
met with. When an expert does the work
in one county or area for several years
consecutively, he knows at which apiaries
he may expect to have a warm time.
Generally these vicious bees are hybrids.
I have in mind one apiary that was started
with Ligurians. In course of time the
young queens mated with native drones
and their progeny are not only
"crossed," but cross, and give the owner
and his man a lively time when they are
manipulating. I fancy the master looks
upon it as somewhat of a joke when the
man gets stung ; the latter on one occa-
sion was doing something at the bees with-
out a veil and got a severe stinging about
the head and face, his master remarking
that the number of stings in his face and
chin caused him to look as though he
needed a shave. The most vicious strain
of bees I ever came across belonged to a
clergyman. There were six stocks, but by
the time we had looked into two we were
glad to beat a retreat, and that, the owner

3 10

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. G, 1914.

remarked, was the usual thing; some of I
them had been so bad he had destroyed
them. Two other bee-keepers who had
bad-tempered bees made good use of their
propensity to sting. In each case the
public were taking a short cut across their
land, and it seemed impossible to stop
them, until a hive or two of these bees
were placed in the track, and they were
as effective as a bull at large in the field
would have been.

I had a most interesting talk on bee
and other matters with two gentlemen
whom I assisted at short intervals. The
first was a " Uitlander " (this was at the
time of the Boer War), who had been
" commandeered " to fight for the Boers,
but had " trekked " to fair Devon instead,
and had therefore been condemned to be
shot by the Boers — if they could catch him.
When examining his bees, his wife and a
lady who was visiting them, also from
South Africa, were interested spectators.
The lady was not accustomed to bees, but
was not wearing a veil. She was told that
if a bee should come near her, and she
kept perfectly quiet, it was not likely to
sting. After a short time she remarked
quite coolly, " There is a bee on my face,
what must I do now?" It was gently
flicked off without any damage being done.
The other gentleman was a doctor and a
skilled bacteriologist, who had been down
the crater of Mont Pelee only a short time
before its destructive eruption.

In the course of my wanderings I have
found that in diagnosing foul brood many
bee-keepers attach too much importance
to the smell. If they cannot smell any-
thing wrong by placing the nose near
the hive entrance, or on lifting the quilts,
they jump to the conclusion that the brood
is all right, when quite likely on examin-
ing the combs diseased brood may be
found, either odourless foul brood or the
early stages of the virulent variety. On
three occasions only do I remember being
able to detect the characteristic smell of
foul brood when standing near the hive
and before opening it. The worst of these
cases was in iSouth Devon, where, in an
apiary of five stocks nearly every one was
putrid with disease, which could be smelt
two or three yards away from the hives.
In my experience it is only when nearly
the whole of the brood is absolutely rotten
that the stench may be detected outside
the hives.

'The following incident relating to
" telling the bees " when a death has
occurred in their owner's family was told
me at Honiton. The owner — a farmer —
had died; just as the funeral cortege was
starting, one of the labourers asked if
"the hives had been turned,'' as if not
the bees would all die. They had not
been "turned," so he was told to do it.
He succeeded in picking up one and

turning it round, but that was all. The
next proceeding was to get him free from
bees, take him in the house and send off
post haste for the doctor. It is interest-
ing to read of these old superstitions, and
the various methods of telling the bees of
a death, &c. An old bee-keeper died at
a village some three miles from my native
village. The hives (skeps) were draped
with black crepe, some cake and wine
placed on the alighting-board, and some-
one rapped on each hive with the front
door key and told the bees "Your master
is dead."

(To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

A DEVON BEE-KEEPER'S
EXPERIENCES.

[9060] I was asked by a person un-
known to me to examine some bees about
three miles away. I went the following
day, and found two strong stocks. One
of them, a May swarm, had been hived on
ten frames, in which the foundation was
not wired, the consequence being that it
fell, and the combs are built in all shapes,
and will have to be cut out. Another
smaller swarm had been hived on ten
frames fitted with V shaped starters of
drone foundation in centre of frames.
This I was told had been advised by some
person who was giving the owners in-
struction in bee-keeping ! For two or
three years they have had no honey. I
have never seen bees with such scanty
covering, neither stock being covered with
more than one thin sheet of calico for fear
of making the bees too hot. They were
able to get through into the roof just as
they pleased. No. 4 was a good stock in
a skep. No. 5 was in a barrel laid on its
side, the bung-hole being on the top with
an empty skep placed over it to keep out
the wet. I advised them to transfer the
two latter into new frame hives.

One of my stocks affected with foul
brood commenced building queen cells.
They had no super on, so I thought I
would let them swarm. Yesterday I
examined them, thinking they might have
swarmed without my knowledge, but as
thev are now much stronger than they

Aug-. 6, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

317

have been at any time this year, and also
have two patches of healthy white larvse,
I conclude there is a new queen. There is
also a fair quantity of sealed brood, some
cappings of which look dark and sunken,
but I hope Apicure will conquer the
disease. On another stock I am trying
a remedy which needs spraying on the
combs, and am using a double ball throat
spray for the purpose, but cannot tell yet
what the result will be. I would rather
use Apicure if I find it cures, but I think
a stronger dose than is advised necessary.

I have spent over £1 in remedies and
disinfectants this summer, as well as a
lot of time, in fighting diseases.

The " Isle of Wight " disease puzzles
me. One of the stocks first affected seems
to be working up into health again, and in
the evenings of hot days have sounded a
good note at the entrance. The other,
which was the worst, developed foul brood
also. This is the one 1 am spraying, and
of course it is not so strong.

I had a most curious experience with
another stock. It was very strong, and
had on three supers, but a large swarm
issued in June. I moved the parent hive
some distance away, and hived the swarm
on the old stand in a hive treated with
Ayles' cure. The stock immediately
behind them was affected with ' ' Isle of
Wight" disease, numbers of bees being
on the ground in front of it. The bees
from the swarm seemed determined to get
into the diseased hive; the reason being,
I think, that it was the same colour as the
one they swarmed from. It took me
several hours to get them settled down.
I next divided the combs in parent stock
to raise two new queens. Judge what
my feelings have been since, when day
after day both these and the swarm have
been sending out " crawlers " by hundreds,
the swarm being the worst. The stock
in the parent hive does not appear to be
doing anything, but is surrounded by
clusters of bees on the ground ; the other
half has appeared to be reviving and
working well during the last fortnight.

Yesterday I examined all three again,
and closed the swarm up on to six frames.
The brood is healthy. The parent stock,
which I thought not worth 2d., has
worked out two new combs from founda-
tion, and has seven combs full of honey
and brood, and two patches of healthy
larvae from new queen ; the other new
stock has a new queen, and some healthy
larvae, and the crawling and clustering
on the ground have nearly ceased from all
three stocks.

I have never been so puzzled. I have
kept bees for just over eighteen years,
but this is more than I can understand.
I keep the grass near the hives cut short,
and have cut away the turf under them so
that they stand on bare earth, and I try

to keep both inside and outside of hives
as clean as possible. I should like to
know if anyone else has had such an
experience. I paid a visit to an apiary
half a mile away, belonging to a man and
his son, and found about twenty stocks
of bees. Some were in old skeps, others
in old boxes, buckets, &c, and not a hive
among them that could be inspected. This
apiary was on one side of the garden, and
belonged to the father; on the other side
the son is working up- a row of a mixed
kind in the same way. I have talked to
them at different times, and tried to get
them to change, but it all seems no good.
Why should there not be a law to say that
bees shall be kept in a proper way, just
the same as for any other kind of stock ?
I am certain that one part of the bee-
keepers who do their best have very often
to suffer for the carelessness of others.
Should there be a case of swine fever we
find a motor car with an inspector from
one place, another with a veterinary
surgeon from another, and police and
goodness knows who besides on the spot,
and the thing is dealt with ; but a careless
bee-keeper may have one or more stocks
die, and what does he do ? In many cases
he says, "Oh, never mind, I'll leave the
butt (skep) there, and perhaps ano'ther
lot will go into it this year or next."
Meanwhile other bees rob out the stores,
disease and all, and the Government of
the country is asleep over the matter.
Surely this ought not to be, it is un-
reasonable. I feel I would like to burn
every skep or unmanageable bee hive in
the countrv. — J. V., Axminster.

CURIOUS SWARMING.

[9061] I had a doubled hive. Finding
some brood on all ten frames in the top half,
and making sure the queen was down below,
I removed this top half to a new
situation on 11th May. Expecting a large
number of bees to return to parent hive,
I put on queen-excluder and three racks of
sections. Although the bees went up,
they gave off a large swarm — 61bs. or 71bs.
on 17th May. On examining this parent
hive, I found nine combs of brood and
honey (the latter I replaced with founda-
tion), but to my surprise not one single
queen cell, not even an "acorn." I
returned the swarm and re-queened the
removed portion with a 1914 queen on
17th May, but again to my astonishment
they swarmed (a good 51bs.) on 21st May.
making well over lllbs. from one queen in
five days. The new queen had not laid
a single egg up to that time — A Novice.

HEATHER HONEY AS WINTER

FOOD.
[9062] I have been much interested in
the discussion, and it seems to me that the

318

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 6, 1914.

sentence near the bottom of page 277,
" Something may be due to weather or
other conditions at the moors," has a
great deal to do with differences of opinion
on the subject.

As a beginner I took three stocks to
the moors in 1912. The weather was bad,
heavy rains, strong winds, and cold
nights, even frost at the end of August.
On returning, No. 1 had very little honey
in brood chamber, No. 2 almost overdone
with it, No. 3 nearly sufficient to carry
them through the winter. In the spring
1913 (January) No. 2 started a rather bad
attack of "Isle of Wight " disease, No. 3
had it later on not so bad, and No. 1
hardly at all. Thus the stock with most
heather honey suffered most, and the one
fed with syrup hardly suffered at all.

So possibly, heather stores gathered in
a wet season may be bad as a winter
food.

A friend informed me that pollen from
heather, under certain circumstances, is
rank poison for bees. Is this so? —
Heathek .

THE IMMUNITY CHIMERA.

[9063] The fact that Mr. Heap chooses
to exaggerate and distort my argument
shows pretty clearly that he feels his own
to be weakened by it. It is surely as easy
for a* bee to pick up a beneficent microbe
as a hostile one. Mr. Heap is able to
imagine the latter because he knows that
it has been done: but the former is im-
possible for him to imagine. It is not
true to say that I " brush aside "
the a priori argument. Mr. Heap brushes
aside Zander and ends by relying on such
a state of affairs as Zander proved. He
now doubts whether there is any such
thing anywhere as "absolute immunity."
I doubt whether anyone ever suggested
that there was; certainly I should not.
What I am looking for and what I see
coming is a state of affairs in which
Nosema apis is (once more) not fatal to
an ordinarily healthy bee community.
The weaklings will spring dwindle, as they
did in the past, others will die in the
winter, and the loss be put down to the
absence of two sticks under the quilts,
malignant dysentery will not be unknown,
and inconvenient Zanders will find
Nosema apis in healthy colonies, but the
" Isle of Wight " tornado of 1904-15 will be
more or less forgotten. Mr. Heap and I
will be found to be at one in this hope.
He cites cases like mine of colonies show-
ing "A remarkable reluctance to become
defunct in a reasonable and proper time."
He says it is not the bee developing im-
munity, but the disease developing weak-
ness. I will agree. It doesn't matter
whether the bee beats the disease or the
disease beats itself on the bee. Action
and reaction are equal and" opposite. But

when Mr. Heap says, as he does in the
next breath, that we must work for

getting rid of Nosema apis altogether

well, that's where my imagination breaks
down. — G. G. Desmond, Sheepscombe,
Gloucestershire.

"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.

[9064] I am writing this thinking it
may be of some use to other bee-keepers.
The first case of " Isle of Wight " disease
in this district that I heard of was in
June, 1913.' I was asked to look at the
bees, and found them dying by hundreds,
I tried different so-called cures, but they
at last died out. In one orchard the bees
died out from the end of July, 1913, to
the middle of February of this year ;
fourteen stocks in all, one native stock
surviving, the queen in this was a virgin
when put in the orchard.

In another orchard I had seven stocks,
three natives and four Italian hybrids, the
three natives died early in the year; two
of the hybrids got so weak (through
robbing neighbouring hives that had been
left open by careless bee-keeper's) I did
not know what to do with them — to
destroy or try to cure — as they were down
to two combs of bees.

On February 21st I procured some lime
and slacked it, then threw some of it
in at the entrance as far as possible,
and also put some on top of the first quilt
and down between the outer case and
brood-box, and put two small pieces of
camphor in the back of the hives. To-day
the bees are on three sets of standard
combs with . a rack of shallow oombs
above. Since then I have only lost one
stock of natives, which were too weak to
recover.

A friend of mine had a stock affected
with "Isle of Wight" disease in June,
the bees had worked out and filled a rack
of shallow combs and a rack of sections ;
they then began to die off, and left the
supers, these he took off and tried the
lime and camphor treatment ; in twelve
days' time they were back in the supers
as soon as he put them on.

If other bee-keepers would like to try
this remedy I hope they will have the same
success. I could mention other cases that
have been treated with lime and camphor,
but am afraid of encroaching too much on
your valuable space. — H. K. Haktleburv.

UEHiftsga

^iSeafesJ

i* Owing to Monday last being Bank
Holiday we are unable to reply to a
number of queries in this week's

Aug. 6, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JUUIINAL.

319

Journal. The answers to these will
appear in our next issue. Urgent
queries will be replied to per post if a
stamped addressed envelope is enclosed.

[8968] Utilising Fermented Honey. —
Will you kindly tell me through the
"B.B.J." if honey that is slightly fer-
mented can be used for making vinegar,
and, if so, whether it would have to be
boiled first to destroy the original ferment?
— John D. Tickle.

Reply. — It is quite suitable for vinegar
making ; in fact, that is the best use to
which you can put it. Do not boil, only
add lgall. of warm water to every 21bs.
or 31bs. of honey, and allow the fermenta-
tion to continue.

[8969] Mead-making. — Will you kindly
state in the columns of the British
Bee Journal how mead is made from
honey? Is mead made in the present day
or is the art of making it lost? I see no
such question as mine in your paper, but
many may like to know how to make it
as well as myself. — Lilian Rees.

Reply. — -You had better send to this
office for " Mead and How to Make It,"
2J;d. post free. The art is not lost; Ave
should say the quantity of mead made is
increasing.

Bee Shows to Come.

A nominal charge of 2s. 6d. is made for notices
(not exceeding 7 lines) in this column, 10 lines
charged 8s. 6d., up to 15 lines 5s., which covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show. Cash
should accompany orders for insertion.

August 5th and 6th, at Abington Park,
Northampton.— Northants B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show. In connection with the Municipal Show.
Special prizes for open classes, including one for
single lib. jar. Entry free. Schedules from R.
Hefford, KingsthoTpe. Northants. Entries closed.

Aug. 6th, at Bromham Park, Bedford.—

Honey show in connection with Biddenham and
Bromham Flower Show, to be held in Bromham
Park, near Bedford. Open classes for honey.
Schedules from A. Henman, Bedford-road, Bidden-
ham. Entries closed.

August 12th, at Wye, near Ashford, Kent.

—Kent Honey Show, 13th Annual Exhibition.
Classes to suit all bee-keepers. Splendid prizes.
One 6 guinea and two 5 guinea Challenge Cups;
also two champion silver cups. A class for honey
put up in short bottles, and a new class this year
for best six photographs of bee life (taken by
exhibitor) ; 2 silver medals for best exhibits of bee
appliances. 26 different classes. Prize schedule
and entry form free on application to Mr. Alfred
Lepper, secretary. Kent Honey Show, Scotton-
street, Wye, Kent. Prize schedule and entry form
will be sent to all exhibitors of last year without
application.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.— The

Fourth Annua] Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries close August 10th.

August 19th, at Radstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 25th, 26th, and 27th, at New-
castle.— Northumberland Bee-keepers' Association.
Exhibition of honey and wax, in connection with
the Newcastle Flower Show. Nine open classes.
Schedules and entry forms from R. H. Newton, 24,
Grainger-street West, Newcastle, or Captain F.
Sitwell Wooler. Entries close August 20th.

August 26th, at Prestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chains., Chester.

August 26th and 27th, at Rugby.— Exhibi-
tion of the Warwickshire Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection with the Warwickshire Agricultural
Society's Show. Open and county classes. For
schedules apply, J. R. Ingerthorp, Knowle, War-
wickshire. Entries close August 17th.

August 29th, at Nantwich. — In connection
with the Annual Flower Show. Bee demonstra-
tion by Mr. Franklin, the noted1 Cheshire bee
expert. Classes for honey, both in comb and ex-
tracted. Schedules and entry forms from Hon.
Sec, Mr. Lloyd, Hi lift eld Place, Nantwich.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open cliasses for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxom.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,

Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec, Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
&c., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

*** Will the person who sent a postal
order, value 21s., to Mr. Cowan's
private address on March 5th of this
year kindly let us know what it is for,
as there is nothing to indicate this, or
yet who it is from. It is issued and
posted at .St. Giles, Oxford.

J. B. B. (Barrow). — Bees Failing to
Locate Hive. — We can only suggest that
you make a greater difference in appear-
ance of your window. Could you not
paint it a different colour, or put up a
sun blind?

320

THE BRITISH BEE JOTJENAL. [Aug. 6, 1914.

T. Millar (Lanark). — Bees Killing Queen.
—Did you make sure bees had not
started queen cells before placing the
cage in position? You should have tried
a coarser needle before pushing your
finger through ; the queen would be
liberated too quickly.

H. T. (Worsley). — Preventing Swarming.
— (1) As you found queen cells on the
combs examined probably there are more
on the other combs. Look them over if
possible, and cut out any queen cells
you may find, and bees will not be likely
to swarm now. (2) They are probably
young bees. You have done quite right
in giving them ventilation and more
work.

Novice (Burnham). — Bees in Boof.—
Impossible to say without seeing them.

Suspected Disease.

T. G. (Falkirk).— (1) Bees are suffering
from " Isle of Wight " disease. (2)
Natives. We shall be pleased to hear
from you again.

H. S. (Bailaer).— It is "Isle of Wight"
disease. You had better burn the few
that are left, also combs, &c.

"Cymry," and J. W. 8. (West Cumber-
land). —Bees have "Isle of Wight"
disease.

F. Waters (Banbury). — There are no

symptoms of "Isle of Wight" disease.

Honey Samples.

A. Farnell (Sussex). — (1) Very good
quality. 0) From clover. (3) From
Is. to Is. 3d. (4) Yes, quite. (5) Light.

W. Colter (Suffolk). — The honey is all
right in colour, but is thin and also fer-
menting.

Inquiry (Ayr). — The piece of comb sent
contains nothing worse than a little
pollen.

E. E. D. (Hants).— There are a few
Nosema spores in bees sent.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orde~s for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advert sements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers t \n only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. pi i Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

PRIZE Cotswold honey, beautiful flavour, few
lib. jars 9d. each; 8s. 6d. dozen; sections,
in cases, 9s. dozen.— OWEN. "Jberal Club, Chelten-
ham, v 22

FOR SALE, one strong stock of healthy
hybrids, from Simmins' White Star Italians,
1914 queen, 25s., f.o.r.— Apply, W. E. BURGESS,
Newport Pagnell, Bucks. v 19

HEALTHY June swarm, eight frames, 15s.,
f.o.r.; box, 2s.; overstocked— PULLINGER,
Miiford, Surrey. v 17

SPLENDID first quality sections, 10s. dozen,
carefully packed, safe delivery guaranteed;
also few fit for keenest display; particulars, stamp
for reply.— NORTH, Crossing, Braintree, Essex, v 15

QIX DOZEN first grade sections honey, well
>0 packed, Ss. 6d. per dozen, cash.— TREBBLE,

Romians.eigh, South Moiton. v 12

PURE light Cambridgeshire honey, in 281b. tins,
58s. 6d. per cwt.; samp:e, 3d.— vv. JOCKMAN,
Cherry hintO'ii Post Office, Cambridge. Left till
called for. v 13

ONE TON Cambridgeshire honey, direct from
apiary, for sale; sample, 5d.— T. L., " B.B.J."
Office, 23, Bedford-st, Strand, W.C. v H

FOR SALE, healthy stock of English bees, 25s.—
BENNETT, Harpford, Wellington, Somer-
set, v 10

*)/"\/\LB. extracted clover, at 8d. lb., 28lb. lots
-wV/LF or more; sample, 2d.; sections, 9s.
dozen— DR. LLOYD, Cradley Heath, Staffs, v 8

PURE English honey, 56s. per cwt.; sample,
2d— J. TOMLIN, Windmill-terrace, St. Neots,
Hunts. v 9

PURE Essex honey, 281b. tins, at 15®. per tin,
chiefly from fruit blossom; tins free; sample,
3d.; cash with order, carriage forward.— J.
PEARCE, Eariswood, Rectory-road, Little Thur-
rock, Grays, Essex. v 7

FOR SALE, splendidly bred, three Pekingese
puppies, nine weeks old1, make lovely pets,
3gs. and 4gs. each, or nearest offer; pedigree and
full particulars on application.— S. BAILEY, Oak
Villa, Two Mile Ash, Horsham. v 6

FOR SALE, 1% cwt. pure English honey, light
colour, 60s. per cwt., carriage forward, cash
with order; sample, 3d.— MARTIN, Wimbish,
Walden, Essex. v 5

FOR SALE, 3£ acres land, with good bungalow
and outbuildings, fruit trees, &c— JOHNSON,
Sheepdrove, Lambourn, Berks. v 4

IX DOZEN sections, first quality, 10s. per
dozen— H. EVANS, Scampston Hall, York, v 89

S

HONEY, 2 cwt., from fruit, &c., slightly dark
in colour, in 28tb. tins, at 56s. per cwt.,
f.o.r.; sample, 2d.— HENRY GOW, Crossiord, near
Dunfermline. v 84

SURPLUS 1914 queens, English, 4s.; special
hybrids, 5s. 6d.; imported Italians, 4s. 6d.~
WHEATLEY. expert, Spa Apiary, Hinckley, v 83

A FEW good 1914 tested queens, 6s. 6d. each;
nuclei, three or four frames, 14s. 6d. and
16s. 6d., boxes free.— APIARY, 157, Camden- road',
N.W. v 81

TEEMING STOCK healthy bees, 1914 queen,
25s.; inspection invited.— VINCENT, 132,
Croydon-road. Anerley. v 80

HEALTHY STOCKS for sale, on frames and
skeps; particulars. — JONES, Cwmeisian
Apiary, near Dolgelly. v 1

PURE Devonshire honey, 15s. per 28lb. tin —
BARFIELD Gaddon, Oraddock, Cullomp-
ton. ' l^

SEVERAL good hives, some W.B.C., 4s. to 8s. 6d.
each; also various sundries, cheap; exchange
honey— BOWDEN, Broomhill, Whitley, Surrey, v 73

STRONG, healthy 8-frame stocks of bees, 25s.
each; boxes to be returned, carriage paid —
MYTTON, Lyncroft, Stafford-road, Lichfield, v 65

WANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office.

Aug. 13, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

321

PRICE OF SUGAR.

We have received the following notice
from our sugar merchants : — Owing to
the present state of the country, and
the high prices ruling, we are only-
accepting orders at open prices, and
subject to goods being obtainable.
You may rest assured we will do our
best to meet your requirements, and
will not charge you higher prices than the
conditions warrant. All previous quota-
tions and list prices are withdrawn.
These conditions also apply to all orders
in hand unexecuted, and await your in-
structions .

REVIEW.

A Modern Bee Farm, by S. Simmins.
Published by the Author, at Queenland,
Heathfield, Sussex, and obtainable from
Bee Journal Office, 5s. — This is a new and
revised edition, of which it is the fourth,
and is both well written and illustrated. The
author has had a long experience of bee-
keeping, and has invented many appliances
in connection therewith. Although not
orthodox in many of his operations he has
the courage of his convictions, and writes
fearlessly of what he has done, without
cant or plagiarism, and is at all times
courteous to those who have opposite views
to himself. He has written many interest-
ing articles for the British Bee Journal,
and also for American bee papers. We
are quite sure our readers will enjoy a
perusal of this interesting book.

LEICESTER AND RUTLAND B.K.A.

ABBEY PARK SHOW, LEICESTER.

The bees and honey department of the
show was, as in former years, under the
management of the Leicestershire and
Rutland Bee-keepers' Association, Mr.
John Waterfield, Kibworth, being re-
sponsible for the secretarial duties.
Compared with past exhibitions, it was
quite up to the average, the honey staged
being of the best quality. The scarcity of
sunshine during the past season has had
a marked effect upon the quantity
gathered, and exhibitors are to be con-
gratulated on placing such a good dis-
play of produce upon the show-bench.

Live bees in the observatory hives were
a continuous source of attraction, and

numerous were the questions asked by
visitors, and information given on the
habits and usefulness of the "Honey Bee,"
especially in connection with horticulture.
The display of honey in any form and of
any year proved a valuable addition to
the show.

Lectures and demonstrations on bee-
keeping were given at intervals in a
special tent, by Mr. R. Brown, Somers-
ham, expert to the British Bee-keepers'
Association, and Mr. H. M. Riley,
Leicester, who also officiated as judges,
and made the following awards: —

Observatory Hive of Bees (3 frames). —
— 1st, S. Clark, Old Humberstone; 2nd,
W. H. Fountain, Leicester.

Observatory Hive of Bees (1 frame). —
1st, J. Hunt, Botcheston.

Twelve Sections Comb Honey (open). —
1st and silver medal, W. J. Richards,
East Langton ; 2nd, C. Oxley, Desford ;
3rd, Geo. Litchfield, Lubbesthorpe.

Twelve Bottles Light-coloured Honey
(North Leicestershire). — 1st, W. Woods,
Billesdon; 2nd, J. H. Baum, Stoney
Stanton; 3rd, S. Clark; 4th, W. W.
Baum, Stoney Stanton.

Twelve Bottles Light-coloured Honey
(South Leicestershire). — 1st, S. Water-
field Kibworth; 2nd, E. Wheatley,
Hinckley; 3rd, Geo. Litchfield; 4th, C.
Oxley; v.h.c, H. A. Wheatcroft, Ashby-
de-la-Zouch.

Twelve Bottles Dark-coloured Honey. —
1st, H. Burditt, Desborough; 2nd, B.
Walker, iSeagrave ; 3rd, W. Ruddick,
Desborough.

Three Shallow Frames Comb Honey. —
1st, J. Hunt; 2nd, Geo. Litchfield; 3rd,
W. H. Fountain, Leicester.

Display of Honey in any form. — J.
Waterfield.

Sice Bottles Dark-coloured Honey
(novices).— 1st, H. Elner, Castle Doning-
ton; 2nd, H. Weston, Barlestone.

Six Sections Comb Honey (novices). —
1st, W. J. Richards; 2nd, F. Allen,
Great Bowden.

Six Bottles Light Honey (novices).—
1st, J. J. Abell, Newbold Verdon; 2nd,
Geo. Litchfield; 3rd, H. Weston.

Sample of Beeswax. — 1st, C. Bottrill,
Kimcote; 2nd, B. Walker; 3rd, W. Staf-
ford, Groby.

ROYAL LANCASHIRE SHOW.

The Royal Lancashire Agricultural
Society's great show at Liverpool, from
the bee-keepers' point of view, was a great
success this year. The exhibits of honey
were more numerous than usual, being
well over the three figures, and we are
glad to see that bee-keepers are respond-
ing to the generous prizes which the

322

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 13, 1914.

society offers. Judging was accomplished
in good time on the first day by Mr.
Eustace Parker, J. P., assisted by Dr.
Anderton. It was a great pleasure to
many Lancashire bee-keepers to meet Mr.
Parker again, associated as he was many
years ago with the late Mr. W. B. Carr,
and other well-known and foremost bee-
keepers of those days. The honey was of
uniformly good character ; the shallow
frame class being particularly good.

The stewards would be glad if ex- j
hibitors would remember to always send I
wax in a box with glass lid ; loose lumps
of wax are a great nuisance in crowded
shows ; some of it will almost inevitably be
stolen, though we do not know that it
happened at this show. It seems a pity
that the trophy prize should go begging;
there was only one entry. On the other
hand there are obvious reasons why the
observatory hive class was neglected, in
this time of dread of disease. However,
a local firm had one nice-looking three-
frame hive of bees, which served to satisfy
the demand of the public.

Mr. T. D. Richards lectured to large
audiences twice each day. The Royal
Agricultural Show of Lancashire always
causes much interest in the town it visits
year by year. Liverpool has had a few
busy days, and a great many people have
had the War scare brought home to them
by the absence of the military bands and
the dropping out, at the last hour, of the
Military Tournaments, consequent upon
the calling up of the forces of the country
to their several stations in readiness for
eventualities. The awards are as follows :
Twelve Sections 1914 Honey. — 1st, Jas.
Pearman; 2nd, W. H. Barlow; 3rd, F.
Bird; r., C. W. Dyer; h.c, George Moir.
Twelve Jars 1914 Honey. — 1st, J. C.
Dutton ; 2nd, A. S. Dell ; 3rd, James Pear-
man.

Twelve Sections 1914 Honey. — 1st,
Joseph Draper; 2nd, A. S. Dell; 3rd, J.
Jones.

Twelve Jars 1914 Honey.— 1st, William
Abram; 2nd, Joseph Draper; 3rd, J.
Jones; r., James H. Fishwick ; h.c, Hy.
Fenney.

Twelve Jars 1914 Medium Dark Honey
(not Heather or Heather Blend). — 1st,
W. H. Barlow; 2nd, J. Jones; 3rd, T.
Alun Jones; r., Albert McCullah ; h.c,
James Pearman.

Twelve Jars of Granulated Honey (of
any year). — 1st, A. H. Bowen ; 2nd, J.
Jones; 3rd,* James Pearman; r., A. W.
Weatherhogg.

Six Jars Heather or Heather Blend
Honey (of any year). — Ist^ A. S. Dell;
2nd, Jas. Pearman; 3rd, Chas. E. Smith;
r., Albert McCullah; h.c, J. C. Dutton.

Sice Sections Heather Honey (of any
year). — 1st, Wm. Dixon; 2nd, Joseph G.
Nicholson; 3rd, Mrs. Henry Waddington.

Trophy of Honey (collected within the
County Palatine in any year, not less than
70-lbs. or more than 120-lbs. weight of
honey in all). — A. S. Dell.

Best Exhibit of Wax.— 1st, F. W.
Frusher; 2nd, J. C. Dutton; 3rd, William
Dixon; r., W. H. Barlow.

Pair of Shalloio or Standard Size
Frames of 1914 Honey. — 1st, Joseph
Draper; 2nd, Albert McCullah; 3rd, T.
Alun Jones; r., J. Hale; h.c, Hy. Fenney.

BRIDGNORTH AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

The largest exhibition of honey in Shrop-
shire, held in connection with Hampton
Loade Horticultural Society, on August
4th. The total number of entries for
honey and wax was eighty-six. The ex-
hibits were of exceptionally- good quality,
thus making the competition very keen in
most classes. The Rev. G. E. H. Pratt,
first class expert of B.B.K.A., officiated as
judge, and made the following awards: —

Honey in the Comb, three Sections (13
entries). — 1st, W. iShuker; 2nd, H.
Hulme; 3rd, J. S. Lawton.

Three 1-lb. Jars Light Extracted Honey
(14 entries). — 1st, H. Hulme; 2nd, J.
Williamson; 3rd, J. S. Lawton.

Three 1-lb. Jars Medium Colour (9
entries).— 1st, A. Edge; 2nd, F. Short;
3rd, H. Hulme.

Honey Trophy (not to exceed 40-?bs.). —
1st and extra 5s., H. Hulme; 2nd, J. S.
Lawton.

Three 1-lb. Jars Bark (3 entries). — 1st,
silver medal, W. Shuker; 2nd, R. James;
3rd not awarded, one exhibit being dis-
qualified for colour.

Three 1-lb. Jars, Granulated (3 entries).
—1st, H. Hulme; 2nd, A. Edge; 3rd, W.
Shuker.

Members' Gift 1-lb. Jar (15 entries).—
1st, W. Shuker; 2nd, C. Rogers; 3rd,
A. W. Westrop.

Open Gift 1-lb. Jar (19 entries).— 1st,
H. Hulme; 2nd, Miss M. Burrow; 3rd,
8. J. Miller, Thetford, Norfolk.

Beeswax, i-oz. (8 entries). — 1st, W.
Shuker; 2nd, H. Hulme.

The committee appreciate the services
of the "B.B.J." for its wide circulation
in advertising the show, as it brought
them entries from Thetford, Northumber-
land, Cheltenham, Dorset, and one from
"Yonkers," N.Y., and though this was
not the specified weight it was allowed to
take its place on the "stage."

The committee take this opportunity to
thank all who contributed to the gift
classes, thus helping to make the show a
success. Owing to the congested state of
affairs several exhibits were received too
late for judging, which proves that it is
necessary to send in good time. — J. S.
Lawton, Hon. Sec.

Aug. 13, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

323

HEIPfOL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

By W^Nerrod. ESUP

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
(Continued from page 307.)

Confinement without ventilation makes them excited and hot. This causes them
to vomit the honey taken into the stomach, which sticks down the hairs over the
spiracles (breathing holes) and suffocates them. This explains the reason why
honey runs away from the receptacle in which a swarm has died
in transit, and the bees being in such a sticky condition. In

(Fig. 54) is seen a skep with the bees inside whose death was caused in
this manner. Note the honey on the thick covering. If a swarm dies of starvation
in transit the bees will be quite dry. When a number of swarms are to be sold it is
necessary to have proper travelling boxes constructed. These should measure outside
2ft. long and 9m. deep and wide, and have as much perforated zinc top and bottom

as possible. The lid should have

three inches down

ledges reaching
the side, through
pass for fastening.-
better than a plain
the top, as in the
after use for a
and draw out
lifted. (Fig. 55)
A cheap box can
empty 500 section
shows how this is
board from the
opening thus
forated zinc as
box, a couple of
longer than the

which the screws
This is much
lid screwed from
latter the screws
time become loose
when the box is
shows this box.
be made out of
cases. (Fig. 56)
done. Remove a
bottom, cover the
made with per-
seen in right hand
boards a little
Fig. 54. box to allow a

to be n ailed

projecting ledge

at either end to drop over for screwing, with a good open space between them covered
with perforated zinc makes the lid as seen in left hand box. A piece of wood
ih by iin. nailed across for a handle on the left hand one completes the work, and a
good box costing nothing beyond a little labour is the result. For small swarms a
box similar to (Fig. 57) can be made. Instead of just a plain box it is made with
rebates at either end, as in the brood chamber of a hive, so that it can also be used
for sending out nuclei. It is oin. deep and 7|in. wide. The length for top bar and
body of the frame is the same as the interior measurements of a hive 17! by 14^,
and it will hold five frames. The lid is secured by means of a universal fastener at
either end. These boxes are returnable, but as a rule it is difficult to get them back
from purchasers unless a deposit of more than their value is insisted upon, to be
refunded upon their return carriage paid. A non-returnable box, for which a small
charge is made, is seen at (Fig. 58). It can be made in several sizes to suit large or
small swarms. That shown is the smallest and measures outside 15m. long, 9|in.
wide, and 7m. deep. The ends are |in. thick and the rest Jin. The bottom, ends
and lid are solid, but the sides have a piece ijin. left open the whole lengthy This is
covered on the inside with wire cloth or perforated zinc. The ledges of the lid are on
the inside and set back |in. from the end and Jin. at the side, so that when dropped
into position it does not move. The lid is secured by means of nails
size can be sent through the post.

The small

324

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 13, 1914.

To get a swarm into any of these boxes one of two methods may be adopted. By
the first, two operators are necessary. When it is dusk and the bees are clustering
close together, place the box beside the skep. One person then takes off the

Fig. 56.

Fig. 55.

lid and holds it so that it can be put back in position very quickly. The other care-
fully inverts the skep and by one vigorous bang on the ground dislodges all the bees
to one side, but at the bottom of the skep, from which, with a second quick move-

Fig. 57.

Fig. 58.

ment, they are shot into the box. A sharp rap with the hand on the top will dislodge
the few remaining bees, the lid is dropped into position, and if the work is done
expeditiously not a single bee will be lost. This method cannot be carried out in
the daytime, as the bees fly too much, but at dusk, or even when dark, if care is
exercised not one will take wing.

(To be Continued.)

Aug. 13, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

325

CURING « ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.

[9065] My letter (9052) in your issue
of July 16th has aroused some very in-
teresting inquiries, from far and near.
Your correspondent (9055) would have
ere this received a private letter for his
comfort had his name and address ap-
peared in your valued paper. I quite
agree with 9055, it is really too good to
miss, and my own bees are still thriving,
inasmuch as those mentioned in my
previous letter (a small cast on August
18th, 1913) now, at date of writing, have
increased to four strong stocks, two on
nine combs and two on ten combs, with
plenty of bees and stores. I have also
taken off seventy-five sections, some weigh-
ing as much as I85OZS., so my nom-de-
plume is something to be proud of. Now,
may I say that I fully agree that I have
a lot to put up with, for there are dozens
of empty hives standing about, many less
than half a mile away, where there are
the germs of "Isle of Wight " disease and
foul brood only waiting for my bees to
go and inspect when a leisure hour oomes.
Let me say to your correspondent, " Isle
of Wight " disease is as contagious among
bees as diphtheria is among human beings,
and just as deadly; but we have learnt at
a great cost how to cure and check its
spread amongst ourselves, and I say I have
at last found what is as good for our bees,
that is a cure which, as my former letter
expressed, is free to any reader who will
deposit a, stock with me for a few days,
and when it arrives it will be placed with-
in 12 yards of my own hives. — Satisfied
at Last (E. Pressey, Carshalton Hill,
Cou Is do n , S u r rey ) .

flly§F

[8970] Swarm Dividing. — On Thurs-
day, July 30th, a stock of Hybrid Italians
swarmed for the second time this season.
On following them I was surprised to find
that they had formed two clusters three
or four feet apart. Having only one stock
of that particular breed I was certain that
they both came from the same hive. As
I considered it too late in the season to
attempt to build up a separate stock I
returned both swarms to the hive. On
looking carefully through the frames I dis-

covered twelve queen cells, six sealed, five
empty, and one apparently destroyed by
the first queen out as it had a hole in the
side. Is it not very unusual for a swarm
to form two clusters, and is it due to
several queens hatching at the same time?
Thanking you for the many helpful sug-
gestions I have received from your paper
in the past, and wishing you every
success . — Hawthorn .

Reply. — It is not unusual for a cast to
form several clusters ; this is due to there
being several virgin queens in the hive.
These issue with the cast, and a number
of bees will form a cluster with each
queen.

[8971] Driving Bees. — I am offered the
bees from half a dozen skeps if I go to a
place six miles from here and drive them
and bring them home. I propose to drive
the bees all into one or two empty skeps
and tie stout muslin over the mouth and
bring them home. (1) Can I, after
driving skep No. 1, place the skep now
containing bees above skep No. 2, and
drive those up into the same lot, and so on
as long as there is room, without raising
a fight P (2) I don't expect that I will
manage to secure the queens on their way
up. Can I leave the queen business to be
settled by the bees? (3) Is this likely to
result in all the queens being destroyed?
I wish to make one, or atvmost two very
strong lots and feed up for winter, and
as I am only a small bee-keeper I have
not many empty skeps to drive the bees
into, at least not sufficient to keep all six
separate. — Pharmacist, Aberdeen.

Reply. — (1) Yes we have done it scores
of times and never yet had the bees fight.
(2) Yes. (3) No. (4) Tablets were
sent on to a bee-keeper whose bees were
suffering from the disease, and he reported
they had no good effect at all.

Bee Shows to Come.

THE FOLLOWING SHOWS ABE CAN-
CELLED:— Aug. 25th, 26th, and 27th, at
Newcastle ; Aug. 26th and 27th, at Rugby ;
Sept. 2nd, at Lancaster.

August 18th and 19th, at Brighton.— The

Fourth Annual Show of the Sussex Bee-keepers'
Association, in connection with the summer show
of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Horticultural
Society. Seven Open Classes. Liberal Prizes.
Schedules from C. A. Overton, Beecroft, Crawley.
Entries closed.

August 19th, at Badstock.— Honey show, in
connection with the Radstock and District Horti-
cultural and Fanciers' Association. Schedules from
B. M. Clark, Fox Hills, Radstock.

August 26th, at Chester.— Annual Show of
the Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association, in connec-
tion with Cheshire Agricultural Society. Several
open classes. Good prizes. Schedules from T. A.
Beckett, St. Werburgh Chams., Chester.

326

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 13, 1914.

August 26th, at Frestbury.— Honey show, in
connection with the Prestbury Flower Show. One
class open to the kingdom. Several for those
within 12 miles radius. Exceptional prize list.
Schedules from A. H. Bowen, Coronation-road,
Cheltenham

August 29th, at Nantwich..— In connection
with the Annual Flower Show. Bee demonstra-
tion by Mr. Franklin, the noted Cheshire bee
expert. Classes for honey, both in comb and ex-
tracted. Schedules and entry forms from Hon.
Sec, Mr. Lloyd, Hillfield Place, Nantwich.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmswonth, Deddington. Oxom.

September 2nd, at Lancaster.— Agricultural
Show. Premier Honey Show of the North. 15
classes; £20 in cash prizes, silver cups and medals
value 13 guineas, and other specials. Send for
schedule (Honey) to Robert Gardner, solicitor, 69,
Church-street. Lancaster. Entries close August
19th.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

September 9th, at Stoke Park, Guildford.
—Annual Exhibition of honey, wax, appliances,
Ac., will be held by the Surrey B.K.A. in connec-
tion with the Guildford and West Surrey Agricul-
tural Association. Eighteen classes, five open to
all. Many medals. Schedules from F. B. White,
hon. secretary, Marden House, Redhill, Surrey.
Entries close 31st August.

T. A. E. (Dawlish).— Bees in Box.—U the
combs are straight, probably the best
plan would be to cut them out care-
fully, brush the bees off, and tie them
into frames. Place these in a frame-
hive and put the bees back to them.
The combs will be rough and irregular
when the bees have patched them up,
and should be taken out as early as
possible next season and replaced
with frames fitted with full sheets of
foundation.

J. Draper (Swanwick). — You should be
able to get them at a chemist's. Ask
for Calvert's carbolic acid, No. 5.

K. C. A. P. (Herts).— Vicious Bees Re-
queen from the other stock next spring,
if possible. A little light tobacco mixed
with the smoker fuel is at times efficacious.
We have also known chloroform used by
putting a few drops on a piece of
sponge or cotton-wool placed in the
smoker and blown in at the hive
entrance, but unless carefully used there
is danger of killing the bees.

"Fife Bee-keeper" (Fife). — See answer
to K. C. A. P. above.

A. H. Hanson (Ilkeston). — Name of In-
sect.— It is a fine specimen of the saw-

fly.

"Thornton Moor" — Moving Bees. — (1)
You might take them to the moor, as
suggested, and now is the time to do it.
(2) The seasons vary so much it is not
possible to say.

H. S. G. (Crewkerne). — Renewing Apicure.
— In warm weather it will evaporate in
from two to three weeks. In cold
weather it may last from six to eight
weeks.

Honey 'Samples.

" G. B. 100." (Slough).— Honey is from
mixed sources, including ragwort, and a
little heather, worth 50s. to 56s. per
cwt.

W. E. (Stockport). — Clover honey of fair
quality, but very little flavour, will do
to show locally.

S. N. (Dorset). — Honey very good quality.
Suspected Disease,

T. M. B. (Clay Cross).— Bees have "Isle
of Wight " disease. There is no fee.

B. W. K. (Strathpeffer), "Anxious"
(Crick), "Alsace" (Harrogate). —
Bees have "Isle of Wight" disease.

J. Bennan (Northorpe). — Bees appear
healthy.

C. F. H. (Tunbridge Wells) .—Chilled
larva. Native.

Bees (Falkirk). — One bee shows symptoms
of "Isle of Wight" disease.

List (Killcan). — Comb contains foul brood.
Letter should not have been placed on
the comb but outside of box.

K. (Congleton). — K. 1 show symptoms of
"Isle of Wight" disease. K. 2, no
sign of disease ; they have no doubt been
killed when cleaning out the comb.
There is always a risk of getting the
apiary in an uproar when combs are
placed outside for bees to clean out ;
they should be placed as far away from
the hives as it is possible to get them.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as "Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers i \n only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. pt f \m., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

SPLENDID light clover honey, 58s. per cwt.,
f.o.r.-^SIMCOX, 17, Victoria-road, Fallings
Park, Wolverhampton. v 33

PUKE new (Lincolnshire) light coloured honey,
from fruit, mustard, clover, price 64s. cwt.,
including tins, free on rail; sample, ad.— CHARLES
CUBLEY, Gedney, Holbeach. v 26

Aug. 20, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

327

PRICE OF SUGAR.

We have received the following notice
from our sugar merchants : — Owing to
the present state of the country, and
the high prices ruling, we are only
accepting orders at open prices, and
subject to goods being obtainable.
You may rest assured we will do our
best to meet your requirements, and
will not charge you higher prices than the
conditions warrant. All previous quota-
tions and list prices are withdrawn.
These conditions also apply to all orders
in hand unexecuted, and await your in-
structions.

REVIEW.

The. Temperature of the Honey Bee
Cluster in Winter, by E. F. Phillips,
Ph.D., and George S. Demuth (Bulletin
No. 93, Bureau of Entomology, U.S.
Dep. of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.).
— It is well known that the care of
bees, more especially in the Northern
States of America, is one of the most
perplexing problems confronting the
bee-keeper. The authors say American
bee-keepers lose thousands of dollars
annually in winter from the actual death
of colonies, and even still more from those
colonies that do not die, but which are
reduced in numbers and vitality. Various
factors influence the welfare of the colony,
the chief of which are external tem-
perature, food, ventilation, humidity, the
condition of the colony at the beginning
of winter, and various forms of irritation.
The present paper is specially devoted to
heat production, and the authors object
that all previous work in this direction is
not reliable, a source of error which is
found in all previous records being due
to the use of the mercury thermometer,
for when such an instrument is used, it is
almost impossible to avoid .disturbing the
cluster. Because of what they consider the
errors of other investigators in the work,
caused by using mercury thermometers,
they have employed electrical thermometers,
by means of which readings could be made
without approaching the hives, and the
thermometers are permanently fastened in
place. These thermometers are practically
instantaneous in their action, and most
sensitive, giving readings to an accuracy
of 0.09deg. F. The method of carrying
out the experiments are given in detail,
but the authors finish bv stating that too

hasty conclusions must not be drawn from
the facts presented, and it is hoped that
more work will throw some additional
light on the subject.

EXTRACT FROM THE "LEADER ANNUAL AND
GAZETTEER. " OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA.

In British East Africa man does not
capture the wild bees : they come to him.
A hollow log is hung in a tree, and, in most
cases, this is soon converted into a busy
hive. An association has recently been
formed in Nairobi, with the object of en-
couraging apiculture on sound, business
lines.

l^^oifgtbeBe

r.py D.^xj^acflonari

FIELD DAYS.

I am much taken with the descriptions
I have lately read of these very interest-
ing gatherings in America. We on this
side might learn more than one useful
lesson from these "Field-days," or " Field-
meets," and I would repeat the query:
Why should not we have more of these
gatherings everywhere? Annual meetings
with their small musters, dotting the
" I's " of the secretary of the Association
don't meet the need, conversaziones with
their worn-out platitudes and smatter of
small talk fail to accomplish more than a
minimum of good, and even village and
county shows teach only a limited lesson,
and that only to a few. A field-meet gets
to the root of the matter, the bee-keeping
at the assemblages is a live thing. The
reality is there, genuine actuality is
patent in the sight of every man and
woman present. Bees are seen and
handled, produce is manifestly displayed in
conception in the making, and as a
finished article. Bee goods are in
evidence, not pictures of the genuine
articles, but the real articles themselves.
Bee-keepers are untrammelled by conven-
tion, and all that is best and most in-
teresting comes prominently to the front,
the enthusiasm of the few calling up all
that is good and true in others of each
group of members.

"Manufacturing" a Queen. — It may
have been known at an earlier date than
the middle of the eighteenth century that
bees could raise up a successor of their
own accord, to replace a dying or failing
mother bee; but it was only about 1760
that it was put on record beyond cavil
that the workers of a hive had this
mysterious power. Schirach then recorded
it as his experience that while bees had

323

THE BKITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug-. 20, 1914.

eggs or very young larvse in the hive the}'
could create a queen-mother. Choosing
any special cell, he observed that the
workers nibbled away the walls of one or
two others on each side, thus enlarging
the cell of their choice and uprearing on
this base the palatial residence in which
they reared the young princess. This
enlargement of the special cell, and the
very copious feeding of 'the young larva,
with the preparation known as " royal
jelly," is all the treatment we can detect
the bees bestow on the inmate, and yet
the result is the production of a new
creature, with separate parts and organs,
capable of performing different functions.
The egg, which otherwise would evolve
into a common worker bee, produces a
mother bee, which may become the parent
of every other bee, male and female, in
the community. This wonderful phenome-
non is so common an occurrence in our
times that we have ceased to marvel and
quiescently accept it as a matter of course,
but the results are indeed marvellous.

Soft or Hard Candy? — Invariably, when
speaking of candy, we use the term soft
candy; as invariably in America they
speak of hard candy. I have often
wondered why there should be this
difference. I have of late been
looking into the matter, and I am
as much puzzled as ever. The recipe for
the very finest candy we can turn out is
given on page 195 of the "Guide Book,"
20th ed., and the proportions are lOlbs.
of sugar to two quarts of water — on page
197 we have it : lOlbs. of sugar to five
pints of water. Note either of these mix-
tures produce our soft candy. The recipe
for making hard candy for winter and
spring feeding is " an equal amount of
both sugar and water." I need not repeat
either Mr. Cowan's or Brother Colomban's
directions for making, as they will be
found at the indicated pages, but I should
like to reproduce the American recipe: —
" Into a dish of hot water on the stove
llowly pour out an equal amount of sugar,
stirring constantly. Make sure the sugar
is all dissolved before boiling commences.
If this precaution is not observed, some
of the undissolved sugar is likely to burn,
injuring the flavour of the candy. If you
have a candy thermometer, watch the
temperature, and do not let it go above
275deg. to 280deg. Test frequently by
dropping a very little of the syrup into
cold water. When the boiling has con-
tinued long enough the drop of candy,
when cooled in the water should be hard
and brittle when taken out." Later, we
are told, when the candy is first made " it
is hard and glassy."

In Gleanings, January 1st issue, Mr.
Mel Pritchard, Messrs. Root's chief
operator, says : " Hard candy is the best

material to feed in an emergency during
cold weather"; and, commenting on this.
Dr. Miller says : " No doubt, that's right."
"A. B.C.," &c, advises "cooking to a
hard crack," so that there is no doubt
about the hardness demanded by our
cousins. Mr. Cowan's idea, and in
general we will all agree with him, is to
have our candy " soft and buttery."
Bro. Colomban says " Candy thus made, if
stored in a dry^ cool room will keep soft
for a very long time." Another author
says when dropped on a cold plate " it
must set soft," and yet another, " When
cold it must be so soft as to be readily
scraped by the finger-nail, and a piece
placed in the mouth should dissolve
almost instantly," all of which is quite
a contrast to the "glassy" American con-
coction. Yet we find our "soft" candy
thoroughly efficient as a food for bees ; on
the other side they pin their faith to
" hard " candy. I must confess that the
matter is rather a puzzle to me ! Bees
are much the same on both sides, climate
alone cannot explain it — yet the hard and
the soft hold the field.

"BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

siginoh piana's apiary.

Our breakfast over, of course, business,
or rather, I would say, business and
pleasure. We had travelled a thousand
miles to see a great Italian queen rearing
institution. Our biisiness was to observe
and learn as much as we possibly
could ; our pleasure was the very fact of
visiting such an apiary to observe how
these things are managed in other lands.
In a business such as this everything had
need to be at hand at the right moment
and in the right place — well organised, in
a word. And here it was. The proprietor
had evidently well studied the various
systems, Italian, English, and American,
and adapted them to his own country,
climate and needs. To tell you how he
does his work would practically be a
lesson on queen rearing which may better
be reserved for another opportunity.
The most approved appliances to raise
from the artificial cells, the latest thing in
nuclei and mating hives, the most perfect
system of dispatching queens and nuclei
to all parts of the world, were there.
No. 7 will show you a very interesting
tete-a-tete . Signor Piana is showing a
row of cups to Mr. Herrod, and next on
the right is the Signor's assistant and
manager. How do you like their costume?
The blouse is very convenient and suit-
able, keeps all splashes of honey away, and
can be passed through the wash for dis-
infection. The hat would keep a veil well
clear of the face. That would probably

Aug-. 20, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

329

be our English way of looking at it.
But the .Signor tells me that during the
many years he has conducted this apiary
they have had but one case of foul brood,
" la loque," a long time past, which was
promptly burnt out under the furnace ;
and "I.O.W." they have never seen. So
much for the need of disinfection of the
garments. And the hat ! Well, bee veils
are seldom worn here. The wonderful
gentility of the Italian bees appeals to the
visitor. You open a hive, almost any you
may select, and with but very little
smoke. The bees cling to their combs
and seem scarcely disturbed. Another
thing also astonishes us. You see the
immense
frames, each
42 by 27^
c e n timetres
(about lOiin.
by 16±in.)

and ten in
a hive, per-
fect slabs
of brood,
such as bee-
keepers love
to see. The
Italian smoker
amuses me.
They have
no such thing.
A roll of jute
cloth, such as
bales are
packed i n,
say 12in. long
and Hin. in
diameter,
w r a p p e d
round loosely
with twine, a
wave or two
of this over
the tops of
the bars when
lighted. Be-
hold ! that is
all. Here is
a " wrinkle "
for those who
are at a loss
occasionally for a smoker.

Signor Piana is a great patriot so far
as his bees are concerned, for he believes
that the Italian bees are the very best in
the world. He is quite welcome to his
belief if he is the more happy for it. I
rather think I have heard the same thing
said of the English strain. It is very easy
to start him sounding their praises, and
as he is our host it would be very rude
to contradict him. Listen to his enumera-
tion of their good qualities. " They are
gentle and easily handled." Here we had
had practical demonstration and so agreed.
" They are very prolific and swarm but

little." First proposition we also con-
cede, but of the second " we hae our doots."
He continues. " They are great workers,
and waste but little." Would that there
were many more so. " And they are the
best resisters of climatic conditions,
diseases, and all enemies." To support
his argument as to the latter he refers me
to the Congress of American Inspectors
(bee experts we call them here, the title
is more modest), who say that to check
foul brood the Italian queen, the leather-
coloured bee, should be introduced into
every hive. Here he arrives on debatable
ground. However, as I have said before,
politeness commands silence.

From the
general praise
of Italian
queens he
comes to his
own particu-
lar raisings.
He claims
that he always
sends out
queens of the
present
season, fer-
tilised with-
out inbreed-
ing, because
his several
apiaries en-
able him to
do this, and
well selected
because he is
able to choose
among his
s e v e r a 1
hundred
hives worked
for honey the
best gatherers,
and they are
raised under
t h e m o s t
approved
system. This
is agreed
nem. con. He
further tells
me he expects to send out 2,000 queens
in 1914; last year, 1913, he had sent
away over 1,000.

After we had finished our bee chat a
walk was proposed through the neighbour-
ing district. It seemed strange to pass
at will through any field, to gather as we
went along the fruit from the vines, the
orange, and the peach trees. The flowers
in the meadows and the insects were
curious to us. Hitherto our journeyings
had been through towns and cities. To-
day we had a country ramble.

But we could not stay, much as we
wished, our holidays were passing by even

No. 7. A CONSULTATION.

330

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 20, 1914.

too fast. Again, back to the house of our
host. Before dinner the camera happened
to catch unawares the iSignor just as he
was opening a nuclei, but some question
was raised as to a matter of bee-keeping

loaded to breaking-down point with beet
for the sugar manufacturers. The drivers
were shoeless and nearly shirtless — it was
cooler. Fortunately, perhaps, for us, we
could not catch the meaning of the words

which gave Mrs. Herrod an opportunity
to capture the shadows as they appear in
" a debated point."

In the cool of the evening,, after such

which thickened the air, as the bullocks
refused to do what was asked of them
For some "nickels" it was easy to get
them to "pose."

a day as one never forgets, we drove back
to the station. Here were some ten or a
dozen country wagons, immense things,
drawn by six or eight bullocks eacb, and

Northward now, we journey to Milan
and to Venice, where again we encountered
other fearful adventures.

(To be continued.)

Aug-. 20, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

331

THE IMMUNITY CHIMERA.

[9066] Mr. Heap seems rather hurt
that no one has replied to his arguments
against the immune "chimera," as he calls
it. As the worthy " D. M. M." once said,
" We have said our say, and he has said
his ; saying more would be like beating
a dead donkey." .

But Mr. Heap asks a very pointed ques-
tion at the end of his jottings. My reply
is a definite "No!" and I base it on ex-
perience in other fields. Of all the
diseases which have been discovered,
whether attacking man, beast, or plant,
I know of none of which it caji be said
that we have got rid of it altogether. The
nearest approach to that ideal which I
can call to mind is ''hydrophobia," which
has been practically banished from Eng-
land, and this very striking and excep-
tional result was only rendered possible by
the discovery that it was only spread by
infected animals biting others. As it also
happened to be reasonably possible to
entirely prevent this being done, the
disease was exterminated. But of all the
long lists of microscopic parasites to
which flesh and blood, tree and herb are
heir, I know of no other which can be
entirely eliminated in this manner, simply
because it is almost, if not quite, im-
possible to control the channels of distribu-
tion, even when we know what they are.
In regard to the " Isle of Wight " disease,
we are not sure that we have discovered
all the channels, and many of those with
which we are familiar we know it is
almost impossible to control. Until we can
discover a specific remedy, common sense
alone tells us to cultivate resistant stocks.
If one stock can resist better than
another — as even Mr. Heap will admit it
can- — is it not logical to suppose that
stocks may exist or be evolved which
resist completely?

May I give an instance which will, I
think, make intelligible the idea at the
bottom of the immune theory? We all
know the roses of our gardens are often
attacked by a fungus called "mildew." I
do not know a single variety which does
not more or less suffer. But some varieties
get it very badly, and we strive in vain to
overcome it. Other varieties, although
attacked, never seem to get it to any great
extent, and by cultivating these we may
easily succeed in having a garden of roses
uninjured by mildew. Yet it is there all
the time, and no amount of washes will
entirely eliminate it. I do not deprecate
attempts to find a remedy for " Isle of
Wight " disease, nor do I say they are

foolish who try to get rid of it. But I do
think we stand a better chance by culti-
vating resistant stocks, and I think Mr.
Heap is strangely ill-advised in ridiculing
what is, in the face of analogous cases, a
common sense proceeding. — Herbert Mace.

SKEPS AND DISEASE.

[9067] I think that Mr. Manley's
letter, on page 304, is very much to the
point. Of course, the results obtained
from frame-hives properly managed and
skeps are not to be compared, but there
is no doubt that the former do require
a lot of attention often at just the time
when the average cottager is away from
home most, and there is, as Mr. Manley
says, the question of expense, so that I
think skeps will always have their place.

My experience, too, is that one rarely
hears of an outbreak of disease amongst
the skeppist's stocks. It is the people who
can afford frame-hives, but who won't go
to the trouble of looking after theni pro-
perly, who are the danger, and it seems
a great injustice to apiarists that there
should not be a law to prevent them being
the menace to bee-keeping that they un-
doubtedly are.

Two years ago I had, through ill-health,
to get rid of most of my bees. Last year
I bought all the stocks of a skeppist, who
was giving up on account of old age. The
number of swarms that he had had made
it pretty certain that they were free from
disease, and although the skeps were ex-
ceedingly old (some I believe belonged to
his father) , there is no doubt that this was
due to the systematic destruction of the
old combs.

One of the stocks I placed over frames
fitted with foundation on April 28th. A
few weeks later they were increased by
some of the flying bees from two more
skeps. On June 13th they swarmed,
queen-cells evidently having been begun
in the skep before the queen-excluder was
put on. I gave away the skep with the
bees that remained in it, returned the
swarm, and from these I shall take well
over lOOlbs. of surplus, and I believe they
have enough honey in the body-box to
winter on.

It has been a very good season in this
neighbourhood. From five stocks (three in
skeps put over frames at the end of April)
I shall take 4cwt. of surplus (extracted)
and have had three swarms. — Alfred
Stratton.

mgm

[8972] Swallows Eating Bees.— I have
read your Journal regularly for years,

332

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 20, 1914.

and have also read many of the best
English and American books, but I have
not seen any complaint in the former, nor
any remedy in the latter against swallows
eating bees. I have twelve stocks, all of
which were doing splendidly until the
swallows began to nest in the neighbouring
buildings ; now I can see regularly thirty
to forty of the thieves fetching the bees,
and with such daring that they, if need
be, follow their victims to within a few
inches of the alighting-board, and at times
they hardly get beyond the last hive
before they double back in pursuit of
another victim. The amount of bees I
have lost — to say nothing of temper, &c,
&c. — you may imagine when I say that
though I had actually taken 1751bs. of
honey before May was out, I have only
taken oOlbs. since, and there is very little
ready now in the hives. I attribute the
loss of seven virgin queens to the wretches
also. Can you suggest anything by which
I can meet this difficulty? If so you will
greatly oblige. — Swallows, Midlands.

Reply. — We have not had this ex-
perience with swallows, but sparrows have
been a source of great loss by their adopt-
ing bees as food. We confess we know of
no remedy. Sparrows can be shot, but
swallows are too valuable.

Bee Shows to Come.

THE FOLLOWING SHOWS ABE CAN-
CELLED :— Aug. 25th, 26th, and 27th, at
Newcastle ; Aug. 26th, at Prestbury,
Chester, and Rugby ; Sept. 2nd, at Lan-
caster; Sept. 9th, at Guildford.

August 29th, at Nantwich.— In connection
with the Annual Flower Show. Bee demonstra-
tion by Mr. Franklin, the noted Cheshire bee
expert. Classes for honey, both in comb and ex-
tracted. Schedules and entry forms from Hon.
Sec, Mr. Lloyd, Hillfield Place, Nantwich.

September 1st, at Deddington.— Honey show
in connection with Deddington Horticultural
Society's Show, to be held in the Castle Grounds.
Open classes for honey. Schedules from H. J.
Harmsworth, Deddington. Oxon.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. See., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

J. W. (Belmont) (1) It is true heather,

and is the one from which honey is
obtained. (2) Your bees will work the
heather situated so near.

New Beginner (Holme Pierrepont). —
Take the comb out at midday, when all
the old bees are out at work, put it into
the observatory, then brush the bees
from two more combs in as well. It is
very late to stock an observatory hive.

S. T. R. (Chesterfield).— We know of no
law that forbids the keeping of bees on
an allotment ; probably it is a special
bye-law.

J. G. (Petworth). — The comb contains
pollen only. Unless you squeeze it no
harm will be done, but if you extract
the honey by pressure then it will be
muddy in appearance, owing to the
pollen grains.

Stajnwell. — Boil the syrup down until it
assumes the right consistency.
Honey Samples.

Sistee (Crowborough). — It is a very good
sample of lime honey.

S. T. R. (Chesterfield).— 1, 2, and 3 are
mainly from clover. We should show
No. 1, and consider it would stand a fair
chance of winning. Our opinion of
No. 4 is not much.

T. B. (Haverhill). — Both samples are very
good. No. 2 should fetch 65s. per cwt.
and No. 1 60s.

Suspected Disease.

G. P. G. (Lutterworth). — We find no trace
of disease.

Polas, M. D. (Nunthorpe), J. H. (Hamp-
stead), Anxious (Newcastle), A. G.
(Birkenhead). — Bees have " Isle of
Wight " disease.

Inquires (Worsley). — It is " Isle of
Wight" disease; the honey is fit for
human food, but it is not worth while
running risks.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record, " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey. Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
mamifacturers t %n only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. pt f Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

HEALTHY driven bees, 5s.; 8-frame stocks,
24s.; light extracted honey, 16s. 281b. tin;
boxes returnable.— BOGGIS, Geldeston, Beccles. v 34

FOR SALE, sections, best quality, 10s. per
dozen.— GARFITT, Coupar Angus, Perth-
shire, v 51

NINE dozen good seetions for sale; also quan-
tity driven bees, free from disease.— Apply,
J. STONE, Manningford Abbas, near Pewsey. v 50

EXTRACTOR, Rymer's patent, wanted, second-
hand.—Apply, stating price, to D. MORGAN,

schoolmaster, Llandilo. v 48

SECTIONS.— Splendid sections, 9s. dozen, cash
with order— AY. P. LANGFORD, Baldock,
Herts. v 47

Aug. 27, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

333

PRICE OF SUGAR.

We have received the following notice
from our sugar merchants : — Owing to
the present state of the country, and
the high prices ruling, we are only
accepting orders at open prices, and
subject to goods being obtainable.
You may rest assured we will do our
best to meet your requirements, and
will not charge you higher prices than the
conditions warrant. All previous quota-
tions and list prices are withdrawn.
These conditions also apply to all orders
in hand unexecuted, and await your in-
structions.

THE WAR.

The effect of the war is being felt by
all, and even our industry has not escaped.
Bee-keepers should be careful to obtain
the best price for their produce, as very
shortly sugar will be unprocurable in this
country, and honey will fill the gap at
remunerative prices.

Bee-keepers are not backward at show-
ing their loyalty to King and Empire.
Our veteran Editor has not only done a
tremendous amount of recruiting work,
but has actually been sworn in as
a special constable, and is taking his
share of night work in guarding rail-
way bridges and tunnels. For a man
over seventy years of age, this is a
splendid example. Miss Cowan is also a
voluntary Red-Cross Nurse, and will, no
doubt, go to the front, thus sacrificing the
comforts and luxuries of home to help
comfort and succour those who will suffer
in putting down arrogance and despotism.

Captain Hadfield, the Hon. Secretary of
the Lines. Bee-keepers' Association, will
also shortly leave for the seat of war.
At the present moment he is stationed with
his men close to our apiary at Luton, where
they are getting fit for active service.
Amongst his company are several Lincoln-
shire Bee-keepers, also spending a
strenuous time in marching and drilling.
Wei have had several long, interesting
chats with the captain seated amongst our
bees. Abroad the same feeling prevails
amongst our Allies, as the following cut-
ting from The Times will show: —

M. MAETERLINCK A VOLUNTEER.

M. Maeterlinck has written the follow-
ing letter to another Belgian writer : —

"My Dear Friend, — I do not know if
this short note will reach you. Gladly had

I come to Belgium to place myself at the
disposal of the military authorities.
Although I am fifty-two years old, I still
could be an acceptable civil - guard. The
mobilisation order took me by surprise
and I sit here stranded, not knowing when
I shall be able to leave. At any rate, I
shall attempt to join a Belgian corps of
volunteers, because at all cost the fight
must be taken up against the enemy of
the human race, the terror of the world.
In the meantime I help the peasants by
the harvest. Here are only women and
children. The heroic march of France to
assistance is the finest thing one can see."

The place where this letter was written
was not published in the Belgian and
Dutch Press. — W. Herrod.

HINTS FOR HOUSEWIVES.
Mr. George Knowles, Stockton House,
Codford St. Mary, Wilts, informs us that
the Roman fashion of sweetening food
with honey has proved on trial excellent.
Sugar is dear, and half a tablespoonful of
honey will go as far as three tablespoon-
fuls of sugar. — Daily Mail.

Native v. Foreign Bees (p. 253). — -By
some mischance, I omitted to add to my
note upon this subject an interesting fact
which may have some bearing upon it.
It is this : I have two cases of foul brood
in my apiary. I have no direct knowledge
of how this has come about, and can only
conjecture that it has been contracted
during predatory calls elsewhere. But the
special jxrint of interest is that these two
stocks contain a few bees with reddish
bands. That is to say, they show a slight
trace of foreign blood, indicating that the
queens have mismated with hybrids some
distance away. Now I do not assert that
this slight taint is sufficient to make them
more susceptible than any other stocks,
but I think it very likely that they take
more risks ! And a few days' time will see
them united upon fresh combs, and
headed by a new queen of purer pedigree !

Something Like a Swarm (p. 255). — It
is quite possible that this heavy swarm
issued from one hive. But no details are
given of the hive from which it issued,
and unless this was a very large hive
there is a reasonable doubt. Of course,
if the bees were watched the whole time
there is no doubt ; but otherwise it would
be quite possible for a passing swarm to
join forces unnoticed, either before or

334

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 27, 1914.

after the settling. When recording heavy
swarms it is always more interesting to
give such details as those furnished by
W. Mountney (9044).

A Little Arithmetic (p. 261).— Mr.
Small wood must forgive me. I forgot
that figures might be a- sore point with
him, but I little knew that he would
claim poetic license for mathematics. I
can readily believe that he has not
attempted to work my foolish problem, or
he would have discovered that no "deci-
mal fraction" was involved. Perhaps
when cooler weather comes he may try it.
But may the hot weather last, for we
brethren of the moor have our bees at
the heather , and we look to the ling to
improve an otherwise unsatisfactory year.
" Hoping for a better season next
year."

Hiving Purchased Sees (p. 265). —
Another simple method is to stand the
travelling skep upright on the hiving
board. Before doing so make sure that
the final untying can be quickly accom-
plished. "When in place the cloth is
spread out flat upon the hiving board and
the skep lifted up. The bulk of the bees
will be upon the cloth ready to run into
the hive, and a few taps upon the skep
will dislodge the rest.

"New Zealand Box Hives'" (p. 276).—
Really, I hardly know what to say to
Mr. Hopkins. His standpoint appears so
opposed to my own, so antipodean, that
we probably could not agree. He seems
to me to consider two irreconcilable
things as one, which makes agreement
hopeless. So that I am reduced to flat
negatives, which is regrettble but neces-
sary; for I am not "convinced against
my will." I have the will to be con-
vinced, but remain unconvinced that the

skep hive is an evil thing. His involved
statement of comparative evil is amusing,
but quite absurd, being based on the mis-
conception referred to above, and the
differing use in different countries of the-
same term, " box hive." As already
stated, I am willing to concede his use of
the term, although I consider it unfor-
tunate and confusing. But I must take
strong issue with him upon the subject of
commercial bee-keeping. I am, of course,
concerned with this, but not solely; and
Mr. Hopkins is guilty of a glaring dis-
tortion of my words when he omits the
qualifying word " solely " from his deduc-
tions. No one who has ever wasted time
in reading this column would accuse me
of being solely concerned with commercial
methods. Neither am la" teacher of
bee-keeping," but merely an unfortunate
scribbler who has the unhappy knack of
rousing such gentlemen as Mr. Hopkins.
No doubt he feels with me that we should
sink our family differences at the moment
in view of our common Imperial interest.
I should like to take this opportunity of
thanking him for the copy of his booklet
on the "Humble Bees of New Zealand"
very kindly sent to me.

The Australasian Deputation (p. 292).
— What good reading is the report of this
deputation ! They seem to have some real
live bee-keepers on the other side, and a
well-informed Minister of Agriculture. It
should not be long before suitable legis-
lation is introduced, judging from the
assurances given. I wonder why it is so
easy to obtain a satisfactory hearing in
the Colonies and so difficult at home.
Is there some sutble difference in the
atmosphere, or is it merely that the type
of man who emigrates adopts more readily
a wider horizon ?

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

JB_£ W?Nerrod.

The Hiving and Treatment of Natural Swarms and Casts.
{Continued from page 324.)

The other method is to run them in. Take out the screws on either side at one
end and wedge the lid open about an inch ; spread a sheet and put the box on to it
upside down, so that the greater portion of the sheet is in front ; throw the bees down
as for hiving into a frame hive and they will run in. One precaution is necessary,
that is to make the box dark by covering over the perforated zinc which admits a lot
of light. I well remember the first time I tried to get a swarm into a travelling box.
In three-quarters of an hour not more than a score of bees went in. The thought
then struck me to make the box dark. This I did with my coat and in less than ten
minutes all the bees were in. the reason being that bees prefer going into a dark
place rather than one which is light. (Fig. 59) shows the box with the lid wedged

Aug. 27, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 335

up, a sack over to make it dark, and the swarm nearly in. When it is dark the
wedges are pulled out, the lid goes into position and is screwed fast so that the bees
are secure.

If the swarm is to travel in a skep they should be fastened in with open material,
such as mosquito netting or scrim cloth (cheese strainer). It should be cut large
enough to allow the skep to be completely tied in. Put the covering on the ground,
stand tihe skep in the centre, take two opposite corners and tie them tightly over the
top, the other two are then treated in the same manner. Now invert the skep and tie
round tightly with a piece of string about a couple of inches from the top edge, so
that it is impossible for the bees to get out. The skep must travel mouth upwards
or the bees will suffocate. To do this a rough skeleton framework may be made

by nailing a couple of pieces of wood
the length of the diameter of the skep
in a x . Two sets are made, one each
for the top and bottom, four uprights
are nailed or screwed on to these. The
skep sits right down on to the bottom,
but the top one should be six or eight
inches above the top edge, so that when
in the train if luggage is packed on it
ventilation will be provided. The side
pieces project about a couple of inches
above the top cross, so that if the skep
happens to be turned upside down they
form legs to keep it clear of the ground
so that air can enter. (Fig. 6o) shows
this method, while at (Fig. 6i) a box
is used. This must be six ox eignt
inches deeper than the skep to give
ventilation. The couple of pieces of
wood nailed across the top prevents
anything being put right down on to
Fig. 59. Ihe skep. r

Whatever form is adopted it is
necessary to label the package in large red letters : Live Bees. — Please do not place
either in the sun or under other luggage or they will suffocate. Immediate Delivery.

Fig. 60.

Fig. 61.

Swarm Catchers.

These are of two kinds, one for taking swarms that have clustered in high

positions and the other for trapping and retaining swarms when they issue from the

hive. The former are not used much in this country on account of the expense, the

makeshift (Fig. n) is as a rule all that is necessary. For those who wish to make

336

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 27, 1914.

one (Fig. 62) is an illustration taken from "Cheshire's Practical Beekeeping,"
showing three kinds. The method of construction is so plain and simple that it
is unnecessary for me to> describe it.

Of the latter there are a number on the market. A very simple but efficacious
one is that known as "The Brice." At (Fig. 63) it is shown in position. It is
made to carry three brood frames which are fitted with foundation. When the bees
show signs of preparing for swarming the porch is removed and the catcher fixed in
position by means of a wire on either side fastened on to screw eyes on it and the
outer case, or it can be screwed on to the outer case as shown in the illustration. From

Fig. 62.

the bottom bars of the frames the catcher slopes away on the bevel to the floor board.
The frames are not covered by the front board at the bottom by a couple of inches.
Queen Excluder is nailed from the edge of the front board right down to the bottom
ol the bevel, which, when the catcher is placed in position, fits down on to the
alighting board. The bees pass in and out through the excluder, but when the
queen attempts to' go out with a swarm she is unable to do> so but runs up the sloping
excluder to- the frames, where the bees find her and cluster (Fig. 64), so that they
hang clear of the entrance and allow the work of the hive to be carried on. The
owner can then remove the swarm at his leisure (Fig. 65), hive it elsewhere, or
return it after dealing with the stock as already described.

Fig. 63.

Fig. 64.

Swarm catchers should only be used under special conditions, as they hinder the
work of the bees to a certain extent by having to pass through the perforations. Also
the drones are trapped and block the entrance, so that it is necessary to liberate
them from time to time as they hinder the workers if allowed to remain, or if they die
they choke it up entirely. To those whose business takes them away from home in
the daytime they are a boon. Catchers need not be kept on the hives for more than
a fortnight or three weeks in the height of the swarming season. One advantage
of this catcher in districts where too much pollen is gathered is that the pellets are
scraped from the legs of the bees as they pass through, so that clogging of the combs
with it is prevented.

Aug. 2T, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

337

Fig. 65.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and, give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

SURREY B.K.A. PROPAGANDA
WORK.

[9068] A series of lectures by the Asso-
ciation Lecturer, under the auspices of the
Surrey Educational Committee, have just
been concluded at Brainley. And they were
very much enjoyed by the day school
scholars. One lad is "after" bees, and
the schoolmaster is "bitten," and intends
to start keeping some bees next season •
so if we are spared, and all is well, we hope
to continue these lessons in a practical
manner. The evening meetings arranged
for adults were not very well attended, as,
being a rural district, most of the menfolk
were busy in the hayfields, and the district
has also been scourged with the "Isle of
Wight " disease, a good attendance was
not to be expected. Why theoretical and
preliminary knowledge of bee-keeping; is
not included in the school curriculum I
cannot understand, especially when we con-
sider the time given to gardening, botany,
and various other nature studies ; all rely-
ing to such a large extent on the bee for
the perpetuation of the species. Most people
will admit we have not touched the fringe
as to the possibilities of bee-keeping as an

industry, which I suppose accounts for the
apathy. I shall be getting close to what
I hope will be ' ' temporarily "a " tanned
subject," but there appeared to be no
views expressed in the recent discussion as
to what we could put into our "Associa-
tions," but rather what we may get out
of them. I believe if members were
helped, and encouraged to meet locally, a
better feeling of general usefulness would
be engendered. Of course this is a big
problem, but it might be made an ideal,
and as such, should be brought forward
and discussed "officially," as unless
members have this "initiative guidance"
and support, there is no possible means of
making the rank and file understand the
usefulness to which our Associations can
be put, as there is not enough interest
taken to ensure even a good annual meet-
ing. I am thinking of my own Association
in this particular, and when an annual
meeting musters nine all told, something
is wrong — where ? By local meetings this
could be rectified by delegate, whose report
would be, we might imagine, looked for-
ward to with much interest. Other co-
operative problems, as buying appliances,
selling produce, queen-rearing, and ex-
change woidd melt away, only to reappear
as a useful, tangible combination, whose
sole aim would be to further the interests
and prosperity of its members and their
industry. While, if we had been organised
to this extent we might by a more united
front have beaten down opposition to our
Legislative Bill, and might even now have
been enjoying the benefits of protection
from disease centres. This "reform"
must be worked for by those who really
want it. — H. H. Hamshae.

uP^SSs

OS&&sJ

[8973] Transferring. — Having put bees
down into frame hives and placed queen
excluder on, I find in the combs out of
which the young are hatching, cells with
material of all colours. (1) Is this pollen,
and if so will the bees take it down into
the combs ? (2) After the young are all
hatched must I take the honey-combs and
scratch the cappings, and let the bees take
the honey down, or shall I take out the
combs and lay one at a time flat on top
of frames ? — Working Man.

Reply. — (1) It is pollen, and it is most
unlikely that the bees will carry it down,
in fact it is better that they should not do
so. (2) It will be best to remove the
boxes, take out the combs, and put them
in a strainer to drain, smashing them up
to facilitate this. If the bees require food

338

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Aug. 27, 1914.

give the honey back by means of a rapid
feeder.

[8974] Ripening Honey and Melting
Cappings. — Will you kindly inform me
through the "B.B.J." if uncapped honey
can be ripened in what is termed a
"honey-ripener," and if so, by what pro-
cess ? Also the best method of melting
and straining wax cappings ? — H. Foun-
tain.

Reply. — Unripe honey can be brought
to condition by allowing it to remain in
the ripener in a warm room; leave off the
lid, and cover with muslin to keep out dust
and insects. The best method of melting
cappings is in a solar wax extractor.

Bee Shows to Come.

THE FOLLOWING SHOWS ARE CAN-
CELLED:— Aug. 29th, Nantwich; Sept. 1st,
Deddington; Sept. 2nd, Lancaster; Sept. 9th,
Guildford.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. G. Romer, 234, Kew-road, Kew-gardens.
Entries close August 28th.

October 20th to 23rd, at Royal Agricul-
tural Hall, Islington, London, N.— British
Dairy Panniers' Association Annual Show. Classes
for honey. Schedules and entry forms from the
Sec., F. E. Bardcastle, 28, Russell-square, London,
W.C. Entries close Sept. 11th.

M. M. (Harborne). — We are indeed
pleased to hear of your success, and the
splendid return you have had. By all
means send on an account of your treat-
ment.

J. D. (Swanwick). — You do not say how
far you have to move the bees. If over
two miles you should let them fly at
once. If less than that wedge grass
into the entrance and let the bees
liberate themselves. Boil the syrup
until it is the consistency of honey.

A. W. B. (Buckhurst Hill).— You will find
the sketch and particulars you desire for
honey board in Bee Journal, Novem-
ber 15th, 1900, which can be obtained
from us post free for 2^d.

Amateur. — The bees show every sign of
" Isle of Wight" disease. The queen
sent had been killed in fighting the
other. Thev are black bees and two

lots have been united to make up the
weight you required. If you slow feed
they will breed this autumn.

Honey Samples.
Constant Reader (Baildon). — The honey

is good in flavour, medium in colour and

very thin.
Anxious (Leiston). — It is a heather blend

and worth Is. per lb.

Suspected Disease.
W. H. (Richmond, Yorks).— It is " Isle of

Wight " disease, for which there is no

cure.
West Yorks.1 — Bees too dry for us to give

an opinion.
C. W. F. (Bolton Percy).— It is " Isle of

Wight" disease; better destroy them.
W. R. C. (Donmoak).— The bees are

affected with " Isle of Wight" disease.

You did right in destroying them. If

any of the others show the same

symptoms destroy at once.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orde~s for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as "Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers t \n only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. pt r \m., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

WANTED, secondhanct ■■ Conqueror " hives and
accessories; send particulars.— BE VERIDGE,
May bank, Dundee. v 68

FOR SALE, twelve single and six double hives,
quantity shallow frame and section crates,
extractor, strainer, and ripener, three dozen 281b.
tins, &c, all in good order, no reasonable offer
refused; further particulars on application.—
EXORS. of E. STEVENS, Latimer, Chesham,
Bucks. v 67

INE clover honey, 60s. cwt.; tins free, f.o.r.—
M. HACKER, Crockerton Villa, Warmin-

F

ster.

OVERSTOCKED; a few ten-frame colonies for
sale, teeming with bees and brood, 25s., f.o.r.;
boxes free— M. HACKER, Crockerton Villa, War-
minster. v 66

FINEST English honey, 60s. cwt.; sample, 2d.—
A. CUTFOETH, hairdresser, Oakham, Rut-
land. v 63

FIVE dozen lib. screw top jars English honey,
8s. dozen.— BUTLIN, Hartwell, near North-
ampton. v 61

REQUIRED immediately, 1 cwt. honey, in
• nominal lib. jars.— Quote price, carriage paid,
to SOUTH DOWNS APIARIES, Cooksbridge. v 60

S

UPERIOR Lincolnshire clover honey, 9d. lb.,
en rail.— SMITH, decorator, Caistor. v 56

WANTED, cloth bound copy " Bee-Keepers
Record." Vol. 7, year 1889.-HERROD.
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, zinc skep covers, better than new
as they are well painted, half price. Is. 3d.
each cash "with order— BOSS, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand, W.C.

WANTED, one ton of light honey; to be
delivered 2 cwt. per week; lowest price, with
sampIe.-APIARIAN. " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand London, W.C. v 53

Sept. 3, 1914.] THE BRITIS-u BE^ JOURNAL.

339

REVIEWS.

Bee-keeping for Profit, by W. S. Morley
(London: Cassell and Co., price Is. 6d.). —
We do not know the author, but evidently
he or she has attempted to write about a
subject with very little knowledge of it,
and we are surprised that a firm with the
reputation of Messrs. Cassell should have
undertaken the publication of a book with
so many errors. We cull a few of the
most glaring, and leave bee-keepers to
form a judgment for themselves of the
value of this work.

Frontispiece : " A lady holding a comb
with about twenty bees on it, and two
hives open at the same time, both with
the quilts stripped off." Introduction:
" A measure of success is open to anyone
who brings intelligence into his work."
We commend this passage to the author's
attention respecting the writing on
practical (?) bee-keeping. "As soon as
the worker grub leaves the cell." ''As she
(the bee) becomes less able to collect
pollen she increases her honey-collecting
powers." The author evidently has a
very poor knowledge of the natural
history of the bee, as the next quotation
will show. " Three eyes, one simple and
two compound, form the complement for
each bee." Some of the author's practical
advice is equally erroneous, as, for in-
stance : " Personally, I prefer a hive
about eighteen inches square, outside
measurements. This may be accounted
rather large for winter requirements, but
it is always a simple matter to reduce the
interior space with a dummy." " One or
two odd-sized hives are convenient to
possess." " The escape is to provide the
bees with an additional exit from the
hive." "Of course, an observation hive
is not intended to keep bees in for more
than a few days at a time.'" A pair of
gloves with gauntlets are absolutely neces-
sary." Now we can understand the
■author's ignorance of practical bee-keep-
ing ; why not have added : If a bee attacks
the person he should run away? "When
bees are swarming they emit quite a
distinct scent."

We have not got half-way through the
book, but have quoted enough to show
that it is not one that can be recom-
mended to anyone wishing to keep bees
for profit.— W. H.

The Olfactory Sense of the Honey Bee,
by N. E. Mclndoo, Bureau of Entomology,
Washington, D.C. — This is a reprint of a
paper which has been published in the
Journal of Experimental Zoology, Vol.

16, No. 3, April 1914. It is generally
admitted that bees have a very keen
sense of smell, and many authors have sug-
gested various parts of the insects as
probably carrying such organs. So far
back as 1838, Duges was the first to
advance the idea that the olfactory
organs were situated in the antenna?, and
in 1880 Hauser carried out a series of
experiments which seemed to prove this
to be so. Three years later Schiemenz
published the results of his microscopical
examinations of the antennae and des-
cribed them minutely (see " The Honey
Bee," by T. W. Cowan, pages 89-91, for
description and illustrations). On the
antennae he found cavities covered by a
thin layer of chitine. The hollows are
placed at an angle, and into the cavity
below passes a nerve end cell. These
Schiemenz considered smell hollows.
Many other entomologists have had some-
thing to say about the seat of the organs
of smell in insects, but most of the views
have been purely speculative. Hicks dis-
covered in 1857 some peculiar organs on
the bases of the halterers and wings of
insects, and suggested that these organs
have an olfactory function. No further
notice seems to have been taken of these
since 1860, when Hicks presented his
third and last paper on these organs.
Subsequent investigations have been in
the direction of locating the olfactory
organs in the antennae, a belief which has
been generally accepted. The author, in
taking an opposite view, objects that all
the antennal organs are covered with a
hard membrane through which odours
must pass in order to stimulate these
organs. By mutilating the antennae, he
has carried out a large number of experi-
ments which apparently went to show that
they have nothing to do with the sense of
smell. Dr. Mclndoo therefore looked
elsewhere for the organs of smell.
Having some years ago found on the
appendages of spiders organs which he
was able to prove were olfactory, on
examining bees he observed similar organs.
Drones had 2604 such organs, 606 of
which lie on all six legs, and 1998 on all
four wings. Workers have 2268, of which
100 lie on the sting, and the queens have
an average of I860 olfactory organs, 100
of which are also found on the sting.
Under the microscope these organs appear
as bright spots, and at first glance they
resemble hair sockets, from which the hairs
have been pulled, but on closer examin-
ation a great difference is seen. Judging
from the anatomy of these organs and
from the experiments carried out, Dr.
Mclndoo says it is only reasonable to re-
gard these ■ structures as the olfactory
organs of the honey bee. He has also
made a study of these organs in ants,
wasps, and hornets, and the conclusion

340

THE B1UT1S11 BEE JOUliNAL. [Sept. 3, 1914.

obtained from this study confirms the
above view. Moreover, similar organs are
common to all insects, while the antenna!
organs differ much in structure, and no
one kind of them is common to all insects.
The author therefore thinks the view that
the antennae carry the olfactory organs
must be abandoned. The paper, which
extends to eighty pages and is profusely
illustrated, will be of special interest to
those studying the anatomy of the honey
bee.

We have also received the same author's
paper on The Olfactory Sense of Hymen-
optera, reprinted from the Proceedings of
the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia. April 1914. He refers to
his study of these organs in the honey bee,
and the present paper embodies the results
of a comparative study on other Hymen-
optera in much the same manner as
pursued on the honey bee. His con-
clusions are the same, namely, that the
antennae play no part in receiving odour
stimuli, but that the organs first dis-
covered by Hicks in 1857 on the halterers
and bases of the wings of all dipt era
examined are the true olfactory pores.
They are found on the bases of all four
wings of the four-winged tribes, on the
trochanter and femur of all insects, and
occasionally on the tibia.

HONEY AT THE BLETCHLEY HORTI-
CULTURAL SOCIETY SHOW.

Held on August 3rd, 1914. The number
of entries was well above the average, and
the quality of honey was exceptionally
good. The judge, Mr. Dant, of Newport
Pagnell, made the following awards: —

Best Six Sections of Comb Honey. — 1st,
Miss Trench, Winston; 2nd, A. E.
Warren, Simpson', Bletchley; 3rd, R.
Eggelton, Bletchley.

Best Four Bottles Light Honey. — 1st,
G. Brewer, Bletchley ; 2nd, Miss Trench ;
3rd, L. Burell, Bletchley.

Best Four Bottles Dark Honey. — 1st,
G. Brewer; 2nd, Mrs. Barnboruck; Lins-
lade; 3rd, A. E. Warren, Simpson.

Honey and Wax staged by Mr. A. E.
Warren (not for competition) was very
interesting. — A. E. W.

ROSS-SHIRE NOTES.

The clover honey-flow in the North has
been fairly good, but not conducive to
heavy yields of surplus. Nowhere have I
heard of colonies storing in more than
three racks, my own best giving only fifty
completed sections. Fortunately, there is
a prospect of heather making up for the
deficiency in the previous crop. August
was a failure for bees until the " Twelfth "
dawned bright and sunny. On that day

the apiary boomed, the hum of laden bees
and pleasant scent of heather filled the
air, and to crown all, a big swarm came
off. It settled on a fence post, obligingly
waiting my evening home-coming, and
the shades of night were falling fast as
I shook the belated swarm into a spare
empty hive. Mid-August swarming in-
dicates a departure from the normal, and
I wasn't surprised to find the parent
colony minus unsealed brood, but display-
ing two recently vacated supersedure cells.

Heather Honey. — As a rule, the average
colony is amply supplied with one super
at the moors. Still, I have some extra
strong stocks crowding two, and one
(Banat) three racks of sections. The
latter, however, is in a double-queen or
modified "Wells" hive. Noticing that
most of the incoming foragers were drift-
ing towards one entrance, I accelerated
matters by opening that one full width,
closing the other to a bee-way, and mass-
ing all supers on the crowded portion. In
this case scope for brood-nest storage is
cut down 50 per cent., and, theoretically
at least, the combined forces should store
a larger surplus than if worked separately.

Marketing. — Personally, I have no diffi-
culty in finding purchasers, and last year,
after selling my own, managed to dispose
of nearly two hundred heather sections for
other bee-keepers. Yet many were quite
unable to get buyers for last season's crop,
and have much of it still on their hands.
I think bee-keepers should try to find
private customers who will buy in quanti-
ties of 201bs. upwards. Such buyers
should be given wholesale terms, their
orders sent carriage paid, and, lastly,
great care given to safe packing for
distant journeys. Heather sections are
especially fragile, and small parcels sent
by rail usually arrive in lamentable con-
dition. I always point this out, and urge
my customers to buy in large quantities
for disposal among their friends. When
sent in lots of 301bs. or 401bs. I can
guarantee safe delivery, even to the
South of England, but take no risks with
small parcels. Anyone who has seen such
flung about in transit can account for the
breakages. — J. M. Ellis, Ussie Valley.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE AND DIS-
TRICT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

On Aug. 1st R. Talbot Clayton, Esq.,
of Coseley Hall, Bilston, invited the
members of the above association to
inspect his apiary. This invitation was
readily responded to, and a very good
company met, some having travelled a
considerable distance by train to take
part in the gathering.

The enclosed photo, taken on the
lawn, shows a number of enthusiastic

Sept. 3, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

341

bee-keepers who mostly reside in towns.
This picture, I believe, is unique, because,
without an exception, all on it are
regular readers of your Bee Journal or
Record.

Mr. Clayton is seen in the front row
with the dog, Mr. Rollins, the Expert,
being on his left, while the Hon. Sac.
occupies the central position in the
second row.

In the apiary Mr. Rollins examined the
stock of bees, and the supers were greatly
admired, the contents being of exception-
ally good quality.

Prizes having been offered for the best
lib. jar of honey and the best wired
standard frame, the awards were as
follow : —

trusted that this would not be the last
time he should see them there.

During the conversation which followed
it was evident that all had experienced
an exceiDtionally good season, and the
honey entered for competition was of very
good quality. An amusing remark was
overheard at the tea-table, namely, " How
could this be called the Black Country
when the fields and roadsides were
covered with white clover? "

At the close of the meeting the Secre-
tary was instructed to write to Mr.
Joseph Cole (one of our keenest members),
who unfortunately was detained in Wol-
verhampton Hospital, the result of an
accident in the steel works, expressing
sincerest sympathy with him in his mis-

A GROUP OF SOUTH STAFFS. BEE-KEEPERS.

Best 1-/5. Jar (thirteen entries). — 1st,
E. H. Hopkins, Tipton; 2nd, E. A.
Such, Bearwood; 3rd, W. Hildreth, Bear-
wood; 4th, W. Eggington, Sedgley; 5th,
E. Cheshire, Coseley.

Standard Frame Wired (six entries). —
1st, E. A. Such; 2nd, A. Rollins, Stour-
bridge.

After partaking of an excellent tea
Mr. Hopkins moved a hearty vote of
thanks to Mr. Clayton for having so
kindly entertained his brother bee-keepers.
This was duly seconded and carried with
acclamation.

Mr. Clayton, in replying, said he hoped
everyone had enjoyed themselves, and

fortune and best wishes for his speedy
recovery. Also it was left in the Secre-
tary's hands to make arrangements with
a local flower show for holding an exhibi-
tion of honey next year.

On Saturday, August 29th, we had
another field day at the apiarv of
G. H. Hipkins, Esq., Dudley Castle
Mill Farm, Dudley. The attend-
ance was exceedingly good, but no doubt
many more would have been present had
they been aware that Mr. W. Herrod
would be present. Being in the neigh-
bourhood he attended the meeting and
gave an address, which was listened to
most attentively.

342

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 3, 1914.

Mr. Hipkins placed his stocks at the dis-
posal of the Association, and they were
manipulated by Mr. Rollins. Mr. Hipkins
gave an interesting account of the method
of increase followed this season, which had
been most successful, two colonies having
been converted into eleven.

Tea was then partaken of, and a most
profitable bee chat enjoyed afterwards.
The Secretary reported that he had
received many applications for member-
ship, and that although a number of
members had lost their bees through " Isle
of Wight '" disease they had not lost their
interest, and some were present at that
meeting. The number of members exceeded
seventy, and no doubt that number would
shortly be doubled, as the Association had
been formed only a little over a year.—
Joseph Price, Hon. Sec, Haden Hill,
Old Hill, Staffs.

AVORCESTERSHIRE B.K.A.

The annual show of the above was again
held at Madresfield, Malvern, -in conjunc-
tion with the* Agricultural and Horticul-
tural Show, on August 6th, and was in
every way quite a success. The number
of entries was 101 against forty-three and
thirty-seven in 1013 and 1912 respectively,
and the quality of the exhibits was never
better. The trophy class was especially
good, Mrs. John Walker well deserving
the first prize with a splendid collection
of some 2 doz. varieties of bee products.

The President of the Association (Rev.
Canon Coventry) and Dr. W. E. Moore
Ede officiated as judges, and had no easy
task in making the awards. Demonstra-
tions in the bee-tent were undertaken by
Mr. G. Richings, and were attended by
good numbers of interested persons. The
Association has considerably over 200
members, and it is noticeable that very
many fruit-growers are joining the ranks,
being convinced of the importance of bee-
keeping in conjunction with successful
fruit-growing. The following is a list of
the awards : — ■

OPEN CLASSES.

Display of Bee Products. — 1st, Mrs.
John Walker, Knightwick; 2nd, G. Rich-
ings, Worcester.

Six 1-lb. Sections. — 1st, A. H. Bowen,
Cheltenham ; 2nd, W. Shuker, Bridg-
north; 3rd, G. Richings.

Six 1-lb. Bottles — 1st, J. Gladding,
Corbridge-on-Tyne ; 2nd, F. Bird, Little
Canfield; 3rd, W. Griffiths, Droitwich.

Single 1-lb. Bottle. — 1st, J. Gladding;
2nd, F. Bird.

Honey Cake. — 1st, P. V. Leeke, Leigh ;
2nd, Mrs. Painter, Malvern ; 3rd, G.
Richings.

members' classes.

Six 1-lb. Sections. — 1st (silver medal
B.B.K.A.), W. J. Woolley; 2nd (bronze

medal B.B.K.A.), H. E. Scrope Viner;
3rd (certificate of merit), Miss Lloyd,.
Witley.

Six 1-lb. Bottles Light. — 1st, J. Price,
Old Hill; 2nd, H. 'W. Taylor, Earls
Croome; 3rd, W. Griffiths.

Six 14b. Bottles Medium or Bark. —
1st, P. V. Leeke; 2nd, G. Richings; 3rd,
Mrs. John Walker.

Six 1-lb. Bottles Gramdated. — 1st, G.
Richings; 2nd, A. Donkin, Naunton Beau-
champ; 3rd, H. W. Taylor.

iShallow Frame. — 1st, O. Taylor, Earls
Croome; 2nd, H. E. Scrope Viner.

Beeswax in Commercial Form. — 1st, J»
Price ; 2nd, Miss Nash, Upton-on-Severn ;
3rd, T. Rouse.

novices' classes.

Six 1-lb. Sections. — 1st, Miss Lloyd;
2nd, Mrs. Painter.

Six 1-lb. Bottles. — 1st, G. Cook, Baston-
ford; 2nd, Mrs. John Walker.

Beeswax. — 1st, O. Taylor; 2nd, W.
Griffiths. — George Richings Hon. Show
Sec.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.
—

ENEMIES OP BEES.

[9069] I notice in this week's Bee
Journal a comment on swallows and
sparrows eating bees. I can agree over
sparrows and tits as enemies of an apiary,
but should hardly fancy swallows do much
that way unless flies and gnats are quite
unobtainable. Does the hedgehog include
bees among its dietary ? One or two are
busy round hives of mine, and no dead bees
to be seen. — A. B.

[Hedgehogs do eat bees. In the Bee-
keepers' Record for June this year we
give an illustration, and particulars of
the habits of this creature. — Eds.]

A SWARM OF BEES IN AUGUST.

[9070] On Sunday, 16th August, at
5 p.m., I took a swarm of bees that were
in an apple tree, and had issued from one
of my hives. These bees came from the
same hive that gave me a swarm in
January of this year, and the strain of
bees have been for at least twenty years
with the same cottager. His rule has been
to use a box, and destroy the bees when
taking honey. Sometimes he took the

Sept. 3, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

343

honey from the swarm, or he might take
it another time from the original box
according to which had done best, judging
from weight of the box. Last August and
this year I have had the bees. They
stayed all last winter in the hive, and
then swarmed in January, and the lot I
had just lately, after staying about a week
in the hive, swarmed as above stated. —
Herefordian.

iiPir

[8975] Keeping Races of Bees Pure. —
As a new Irish reader of "B.B.J.," might
I ask you the following : — (1) If I have
colonies of several different races of bees
in my apiary, how can I control the
mating of the queens so that I can keep
at least one colony of each kind pure?

(2) I have only native bees, but would like
some other kinds also. Would you recom-
mend Italians, Dutch, and Carniolans?
Would these, if crossed with the native
bee or between themselves be likely to
develop a cross temper? (3) I have also
seen Caucasian bees spoken well of.
Where could I obtain either a queen or
stock? (4) Can two queens be kept in one
hive separated by an excluder division
board? (5) At what price can you supply
two stone cheapest sugar you advise for
bees? — John W. Collier.

Reply. — (1) It is an impossibility. (2)
Stick to your own for the present.
Hybrids are, as a rule, cross in temper.

(3) Caucasian bees have been 'tried and
failed in this country. They come from
Russia and, of course, at present are un-
obtainable from there. You might get
them from America, where they are much
used. (4) Better use a solid division
board. (5) We are unable to quote price
at present.

[8976] Bees and Heather.— (I) Will
bees work heather situated between two
and three miles away? (2) I have two
"W.B.C." hives, and it seems to me they
are quite unsuitable for transporting to
heather. Can you recommend a good all-
round hive, good for heather transport-
ing? Is the ' iSnelgrove " such? (3) In
packing up bees for the winter, I suppose
it is policy to have the brood-chamber
raised from the floor. Would an empty
shallow frame rack, placed below, answer
the purpose? (4) In a climate like
Lancashire, with so many dull days, would
the Italian bee do better than the
English? Are the former easier for a

lady to handle than the latter? (5) Is it
a common occurrence for deep combs to be
braced to the shallow supers? When this
occurs, is the depth of the shallow rack at
fault ? I am not clear as to between which
racks the Rymer honey board, is meant to
be used. (6) Is it possible to insert super-
clearer without subduing bees? (7) When
the hive is touched, or, rather, jarred, in
the evening there issues a hiss. Is that
fright or anger? Does it cause consump-
tion of stores? (8) The road past my
home has been literally infested with
heavy motor char-a-bancs s'ince Whitsun.
They simply shake the house. I am sure
it disturbs the bees. I had the quilt
partly raised one evening, and while
watching one of the motors passed and
down went the bees with a prolonged hiss.
Would that cause consumption of stores?
I have reasons for thinking so! — Miss
Bee.

Reply. — (1) The distance is too far for
good work. Although bees work a radius
of two miles, owing to changeable weather
and short days during the heather harvest
it is best to have stocks right on the
moors. (2) We must refer you to our
advertisers' catalogues, in which you will
find hives suitable for the moors. (3)
Leave the brood chamber as it is ; in any
case do not raise it more than the space
of an eke, i.e.} 3in. (4) No to both ques-
tions. (5) In a good honey-flow this will
happen in any hive, but, as a rule, it is
the fault of the super. The Rymer board
is used next the brood chamber, as are all
excluders. (6) Possible, but very foolish
to attempt. (7) Fright, &c, causes food to
be consumed. (8) We do not think so,
neither do we think the motors affect the
bees. Many stocks are kept on railway
embankments, and do remarkably well in
spite of the jarring, which they evidently
get accustomed to. You have not observed
our rule of writing on one side of the
paper only. Kindly bear this in mind in
future, as it saves ourselves and the
printers a great deal of trouble.

Bee Shows to Come.

THE FOLLOWING SHOW IS CAN-
CELLED :— Sept. 9th, Guildford.

Sept. 5th, at the Club Room, North-road,
Kew.— Honey Show of the Richmond and District
Bee-keepers' Association. Open classes for honey
and wax. For schedules, apply Hon. Sec., Mr.
J. O. Romer, 234, Kew-road. Kew-gardens.
Entries open until first post on September
5th.

October 20th to 23rd, at Royal Agricul-
tural Hall, Islington, London, N.— British
Dairy Farmers' Association Annual Show. Classes
for honey. Schedules and entry forms from the
Sec, F. E. Hardcastle, 28, Russell-square, London,
W.C. Entries close Sept. 11th.

344

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 3, 1914.

*** Mrs. Bee Mason asks us to announce
that owing to Mr. Bee Mason's sudden
departure to the front as war corre-
spondent and cinematographer, he is
unable to answer several correspondents,
whose letters are awaiting a reply ; also
that there is no one at the farm.

B. C. (Wade). — Propolis can be removed
from the hands with methylated spirit,
from metal work with a solution of
Fel's naptha soap.

A. P. (Plymouth). — We are afraid, from
your letter, that you have not sufficient
experience to undertake the job. In any
case, it is too late now to do as you
suggest. Next spring cut out all the
combs free from honey and brood,
separate the centre ones by cutting
right down with a long knife, and then
insert a frame of foundation. When
this is drawn out, draw apart and put
in another, and so on, until the full
complement is reached. As the old
combs are brought to the sides of the
hive the brood will hatch out, so that
slices can be cut off from time to time
to make room for the new frames.

F. M. J. (Wrexham).— The honey is fit
for human consumption, but you must
be very careful that other bees do not
gain access to it.

E. L. C. (Fakenham). — " Mendelism," by
R. C. Punnett, published by Macmillan
and Co., Ltd., London, price Is. 6d. ;
" Mendel's Principles of Heredity," by
W. Bateson, M.A., F.R.S., published by
Cambridge University Press, Fetter
Lane, London, E.C., price 12s. We
shall be pleased to secure the books for
you.

E. M. E. (Painswick). — You can use un-
ripe honey for feeding; it will be well
to heat it. Naphthol Beta should be put
in in the same proportion as for sugar
syrup.

Readeii (Eccles). — You can do this, but
you will have to buy a fertile queen.
The method is fully described on page
93 of " Guide Book."

A. C. R. (Han well). — There is no better
method than scraping. We congratu-
late you on your splendid result, and
reciprocate all your good wishes and
kind words.

J. D. (Northwich). — (1) No, probably the
bees will gather enough stores for
wintering. (2) It is right to do so it-
combs are blocked with honey so that
the queen has no room for ovipositing.

(3) It is better to replace super. It is
not advisable for them to be over-
crowded. (4) It is better to winter on
eight frames at least, with not less than
251bs. of stores. (5) Turpentine will be
better. (6) No, use white. (7) Not
necessary, but you may use two if combs
are at right angles with entrance ; do not
use chaff or cloth as suggested. (8) No,
see that entrances are not more than
fin. high, and that mice, &c, cannot
enter the roof.

A Wife (Durham). — Sorry we cannot
spare so much space. You will find the
information in the " British Bee-keepers'
Guide Book." It is quite possible for
you to manage bees without help. The
secretary of the Durham Bee-keepers'
Association is Mr. G. E. Robson, Oak-
leigh, Butterknowle. He will be able
to give you information as to the Asso-
ciation and its experts.

Suspected Disease.

W. S. (Portsmouth). — Cut out a small
piece of the brood, pack it in a tin box
and send it to us, when we shall be able
to tell you what is the matter.

J. F. (Lochfyne) and Ivor (Glamorgan).
— It is "Isle of Wight " disease.

Novice (Yorks.). — The symptoms you
describe are those of "Isle of Wight"
disease, and both samples of bees are
affected.

Nestor (Leicester). — There is no disease;
brood is chilled. Yes, add some driven
bees and feed. <—

Honey Samples.

R. D. (Tipton). — The honey is of very
good quality, it is light in colour, very
dense, bright, and of good flavour;
obtained from clover.

F. P. (Solihull).— The honey is a good
colour, medium density, flavour spoilt
by using too much carbolic on the cloth.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey. Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers t \n only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. pi? \m., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

3CWT. English honey for sale, in 281b. tins,
at 56s. p>er cwt., good quality.— W. H.
WILLIAMS, St. Briavels, Glos. v 81

SURPLUS STOCKS, strong 10-frame, 22s. 6d.,
box returnable; skeps, 12s. 6d., f.o.r., all 1914
queens— ROYDS JONES, Fleet, Hants. v 76

6 FRAME stocks, Carniolan Hybrid, 1914 laying
queens, plenty of brood, guaranteed healthy,
163., boxes to be returned.— A. MAGSON, Kirkham,
Lancashire. v 80

Sept. 10, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

345

BEE-KEEPING IN BULGARIA.

[From the nature of the Balkan penin-
sula, and more especially Bulgaria, it is a
bee-keeping country. From immemorial
times bee-keeping has been carried on in
Bulgaria. Up to the year 1880, during the
Turkish slavery, the modern hive with
movable combs was quite unknown here.
The first modern hive of the Dzierzon
system was introduced in 1883. Notwith-
standing the effort made to popularise this
hive, it had little effect, and at the present

number of skeps fell to 241,918. In 1906
there were 19,128 frame hives, which shows
an increase of 19,122, really doubling the
number of those in 1906. In 1893 there
were only 147 frame hives, so that the
progress in the fifteen years has been very
rapid. — Eds.]

In Bulgaria it is principally school-
masters who have contributed most to the
development of bee-keeping. On their
initiative, with the assistance of the
educated people in general, there was
founded in 1899 the Bulgarian Bee-keepers'
Society, and on page 6 you will find a
photograph of those taking part in its
Congress. The first journal, Ptchela, was
founded in 1901, and is managed by an
editorial committee. We have already had
seven conferences of bee-keepers and two
special exhibitions. These exhibitions have

BULGARIAN APIARY.

time it has been entirely discarded, and
has been replaced by the Dadant-Blatt
hive. Recently an attempt has been made
to introduce from America hives of the
Dadant pattern, but the Dadant-Blatt is
so universally used that it will not be
possible to displace it. It is owing to the
use' of this hive that bee-keeping in this
country has so rapidly developed. It is
mainly since 1893 that the greatest pro-
gress has been made. The results obtained
in fifteen years both as to quantity and
quality of honey are considerable. In the
pamphlet I send you on page 16 is a
statistical table of the exportation up to
the year 1907, and on page 18 a graphic
representation of the increase in the
number of hives. From this we find that
in 1903 there were 262,108 common hives
(skeps) and 9,720 frame hives, and in 1907
these had increased to 38,250, while the

been of use in demonstrating the extent to
which Bulgaria and her people are adapted
for bee-keeping.

Bulgarian literature consists of a bee
journal, and a series of twelve books on
bee-keeping, edited by me. Number II.
of this library is the translation of your
valued work on "The Honey Bee, its
Natural History, Anatomy, and Physio-
logy." Besides these books we have trans-
lations of Dadant's Langstroth and Huberr
&ci Bulgarian apiculture has been repre-
sented in several international exhibitions,
for instance, at St. Louis, 1904; Liege,
1905; Paris, 1900; and London, 1907. At
this London exhibition several Bulgarian
bee-keepers received first-class prizes. The
principal bee pasturage in Bulgaria con-
sists of wild flowers. The price of honey
varies from 1.20fr. to 2fr. a kilo,— M. K.
Watchkoff.

346

THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 10, 1914.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.

By Charles H. Heap, Heading.

A NATIONAL LOSS OF WEALTH.

The believers in the possibility of the
evolution within the next few years of a
bee immune to microsporidiosis are very
shy of telling us on wha^ substantial
grounds their faith is based, and it is,
therefore, not unreasonable to conclude
that such grounds are entirely lacking.
Mr. Desmond, it is true, shows an inclina-
tion to continue the discussion, but he
seems more concerned with its personal
than its scientific and practical aspect.
Mr. Desmond accuses me of misrepresent-
ing him, but I can assure him that if
such is the case I did it unconsciously,
just as I am sure he unintentionally mis-
represented me in his last letter. I did
not brush aside Zander ; I brushed aside
what seem to me to be the inconclusive
experiments of Maassen. When I said
" we must work to get rid of Nosema apis
altogether," I was very careful to add the
qualifying words "as we know it." If
Mr. Desmond had not overlooked the
qualifying words he might have been
spared the breakdown of his imaginations.
On the question of misrepresentation,
which in this instance is of no importance,
we are quits.

The main idea in Mr. Desmond's mind,
and the only one of the least consequence,
is that a bee may pick up a microbe which
may, in some way that he does not
attempt to explain, have an inhibitory or
destructive effect on the organism which
is playing such terrible havoc among the
bees of the British Isles. The idea is
pretty, but it is hopeless from the prac-
tical bee-keeper's point of view. It would
be more encouraging if Mr. Desmond were
to give us an instance in which a beneficial
microbe has been picked up by a bee or
other animal that has in consequence been
cured of a disease. I scarcely think he
will furnish an instance, so I will leave
him with his chimera.

I thank Mr. Herbert Mace for the un-
intentional support he gave me in the
last issue of the Bee Journal. I remem-
ber the ridicule poured on the Board of
Agriculture, and especially its President
(Mr. Walter Long), in connection with
its dog-muzzling order, but the Board
proved that the extermination of rabies in
this country was possible. I believe it
would be possible to rid the country of
the strain of Nosema apis, which is doing
so much mischief among the bees of these
Islands. Mr. Mace says: "Until we can
discover a specific remedy, common sense
tells us to cultivate resistant stocks." We
should all like to cultivate resistant stocks ;
but who has any?

The object I had in view when I
attacked his vague idea of immunity to

" Isle of Wight " disease was to divert
the minds of practical bee-keepers (I use
these words in the ordinary sense and
without reference to any particular person
or persons) from a wild-goose chase to the
necessity of more concerted and
vigorous action being taken to end the
evil from which bees and bee-keepers are
suffering. I know a County Bee-keepers'
Association which has achieved a fair
amount of success in the past. Its mem-
bers last year collectively owned over
1,100 stocks. Since then half these have
died, and the probability is that in 1915
not 200 will be left. Microsporidiosis is
no respecter of persons, and bees die in
the apiaries of non-members as well as
those of members of county associations.
It may, I think, be taken as a rule that not
more than a tenth of the bee-keepers of the
country are members of associations, and
if we keep this in mind we may arrive at
a fair estimate of the losses the disease is
entailing upon the nation at large. The
figures I am about to give are hypothetical,
but if they are very much wrong we may
rely upon Mr. Crawshaw, with his charac-
teristic ingenuity, to put them right.
There are forty English counties, twelve
Welsh, thirty-three Scotch, and thirty-two
Irish ; but as the Welsh counties are small
I calculate the number of stocks on a
lower scale to Ireland, in which I once kept
bees ; I also allot stocks on the same scale
as I do in respect of Wales. The totals
I suggest are : —

England 440,000

Wales 96,000

Scotland 363,000

Ireland 256,000*

Grand total 1,155,000

If microsporidiosis continues to progress
at the same rate as it does at present,
this grand total will be reduced to half
or possibly a quarter a few years hence.
In order to be on the right side let us
take a modest half. This will mean a loss
of 577,500 stocks of the total value, at 10s.
each, of £288,7£0. As these 577,500 stocks
should, with fair management, produce an
average profit of 10s. each, we have an
annual loss of considerably more than a
quarter of a million sterling.

In what other industry than bee culture
would the people engaged be so> com-
plaisant in face of such serious losses as
are now being experienced by bee-keepers?
This unfortunate complacency is due to
two facts — first, that the loss is spread
over a large number of people, and,
secondly, that bee-keeping is in only a
few cases solely depended upon as a
means of securing a livelihood. Though
the industry is conducted by persons in
moderate circumstances on a small scale,
as an adjunct to other callings, the loss

Sept. 10. 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.

347

from a national point of view is just as
bad as if it were occurring in a great in-
dustry. Not only is an enormous quantity
of nectar — which is produced by natural
means without entailing any special out-
lay of capital — wasted, but fruit and seed
crops are curtailed for the want of bees to
pollinate the flowers.

In the unhappy war now raging an
immense amount of national wealth will
be lost; and as soon as peace is restored
we shall have to set about developing and
accumulating fresh wealth from every
available source. To bee-keeping, among
other things, attention will be turned.
The British Isles are rich in nectar-yield-
ing plants, and if only our bees were
healthy, half a million, perhaps a million,
pounds worth of honey per annum might
be secured. The question is : Shall this
source gf wealth, in which so many people
may share, be neglected because of a few
people's old-fashioned notions, ignorance,
or contrariness?

" BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

Venezia.

And now our raid into Italy is
almost come to an end. We have left
the sunny south in our rear. We have
been spies ! Yes, spies, right in the very
face of our — no, not enemy. Ours has
been a friendly espionage, we have been
welcomed everywhere, and everyone has
given us all the information we wanted,
with even an excess of gladness.- How
beautiful is peace. How pleasant is this
friendly intercourse with our brethren of
the craft. Ours is a fraternity which no
ambition of princes can ever interrupt.
Wars may rage, battles may be fought,
kingdoms may be swept away. When the
calm has come again the cult of the Lee
will still remain as ever, and we are still
the brotherhood.

We are travelling now on the eastern
shores, we are making for Venice, " The
Pearl of the Adriatic." Shakespeare
and Byron, and a host of poets whom no
tongue can number, have sung its praises.
Resting on the silt of the rivers flowing
down from the fat Lombardian plains, it
is a city like no other. Eighty isles
are connected to each other by bridges.
It has no roads, no streets, and con-
sequently there are no carts, no motor-
' buses, and no taxis, for which latter pro-
vidence we are thankful, for it makes safe
the wandering about in the few narrow
passages which occur between the quaint,
old-time houses and their opposite neigh-
bours. The sun had well set before we
reached the lagoon, over which the railway
approaches. Far, far away on the horizon
we could notice the twinkling lights of a
great citv all at the water's edge. In

other towns these threads of light wander
hither and thither up the hillsides.
Until the reflection was lost in the slight
haze, the lights of our train glared over
the seas. It was just a little bit
pleasantly novel and weird. On the right
and left, obscurity, with an occasional
flash from the lamps of a smack at anchor ;
in front, a galaxy floating on the sea.

We arrive at the station of Venice.
During our travels we had always taken a
card of introduction from one hotel to
another. It saved in time, in temper (for
we could at once silence the shouting hotel
touts), and it put us on a good footing
with our hosts. Therefore, when we got
to the town we had arranged to stay at
for the night, all we had to do was to look
for the voiture of the hotel and hand it
our baggage. Venice, as I have said, is a
city as none other. The hotel porter
seizes our luggage, and indicates to us our
sally-port. We march out. There is a
twinkling here and there, and everywhere
lights of every colour rush past — now they
are stationary, now they are at our feet.
We find ourselves and our belongings
carried forward to the water's edge, and
in a moment we are on board a gondola.

And is this the picture one has always
treasured ? Is that man with a shiny hat,
who is "slanging " in fluent language the
railway porters, is he the gondolier? I
had always seen him represented either in
slashed doublets, fez a la Turque, and in
intervals when he had not got oar in hand
he tuned a guitar ; or alternatively he
was clad in a shirt of brilliant colour,
open at the neck, a la Byron, hat wide-
brimmed, and undulating. And the
gondola, it is certainly high in its prow as
of yore, and the cushions are comfortable,
but the smell — Faugh ! it is of pitch, in-
stead of the soft perfumes of the Orient.
The waters of the Adriatic ! Oh heavens !
Floating on the surface are the flotsam
and jetsam, all the accumulated debris of
a large population, vegetable and animal
refuse, corks, and the sweepings of the
houses. Everything goes into the water.
It " saves dustbins, and the service des
egouts of Continental towns.

But at last the word is given to start,
and we glide over the waters. The motion
is luxurious, no bumping, no knocking
against kerbstones, but we could have
wished the odour from the waves had been
less pronounced. Our ''gondolier," in
spite of his shiny hat, was disposed to be
entertaining. He spoke passable French
and a little English. He shoTved us the
palaces of the various Doges, the " Bridge
of Sighs," and the " Rialto." It was a
journey of some twenty minutes to our
hotel. The waterway from the station
gradually led us into the Grand Canal, the
main thoroughfare of the city. Here we

348

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 10, 1914.

met, indeed, gondolas which more nearly
realised our dreams. They were of white,
of blue, of gold, of all colours, and in the
night darkness their lamps placed for
illumination in various positions had a
pretty effect. Of course these were the pro-
perty of wealthy and of aristocratic citizens,
equivalent to the carriages and liveried
servants or the well-upholstered motor-
cars of other countries. As we floated
then down the current the soft sound of
music came over the waters. It was,
indeed, a serenade. For the moment
visions of Romeo and Juliet, of trouba-
dours and lovers of that ilk, rose before
us. But out oarsman soon dissipated the
illusion, " Spectacle de Theatre," he
whispered. In plain English, " Got up for
the occasion."

Yet it was interesting to live again in
those old palaces, each with its history,
now of help given to Crusaders (at a good
price), another of combats against the
pirates who coveted so rich a prize, and
still others told of long and continued
struggles against the Turks.

We neared our hotel — our interesting
" gondolier " had volunteered the informa-
tion that his due was five francs. His
suavity had made me doubtful. I queried
the " garcon " as to the right fare.
" Three francs is ample," Avas the reply.
There are still pirates in the Adriatic Sea.
— J. Smallwood.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are reguested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HONEY FOR SOLDIERS.

[9071] British Bee-keepers, in common
with all Britons, must sympathise deeply
with our brave comrades in arms in
Belgium who have been driven from their
homes by the "cultured" destroyers of
Louvain. An opportunity now occurs to
give practical effect to our sympathy, as
the Belgian Minister has issued an appeal
for all kinds of food-stuffs which are
urgently needed by the refugees. I would
suggest that each bee-keeper should send
what he can spare from his abundant
harvest to assist in alleviating the distress.
Run honey in tins or jars is preferable
to sections, and it should be addressed to

the Manager, Belgian Relief, care of
Messrs. Harrod's, Ltd., Trevor Square,
London, S.W.

If each donor were to place his name
and address on his package it would show
our Belgian friends how widespread is our
sympathy with them. — Walter F. Reid,
Vice-Chairman British Bee-keepers Asso-
ciation.

BARNET AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

[9072] Barnet and District Association
have just concluded a series of demonstra-
tions in bee-keeping which, it is believed,
will have very far-reaching results. Mr.
W. Herrod, F.E.S., in each case was the
demonstrator, and of course no more need
be said on thatjpoint. But to show the use
of continued effort in this way it should
be noted that each demonstration has had
an increased audience, and where two
years ago twenty or thirty would have
been considered good, from 100 to 120 is
now our usual attendance.

I know that all districts are not so
fortunate as ours in being able to obtain
such an exponent of the craft, but I do
suggest that those associations in the
Herts County should make as much use
as possible of Mr. Herrod's services.

I would point out one noticeable thing in
connection with our own district, and that
is the number of young people who attend,
and who, by their attention afid by the
questions with which they usually' bombard
the lecturer, show the interest they take
in the subject.

From my own knowledge, several lads
have taken up bee-keeping as a result of
these lectures, and are conducting their
apiaries on thoroughly up-to-date lines.
I am strongly of opinion that this is the
best way of increasing the number of bee-
keepers in this country, and would call
the attention of associations to the fact
that by teaching the young they are rais-
ing future members who will be a credit to
their trainers. — G. J. Flashman, Hon.
Sec.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbourne, Sussex.

August, 1914.
Minimum on grass,

39 on 8th and 11th.
Frosty nights, 0.
Mean maximum, 69.2.
Mean minimum, 53.0.
Mean temperature,

61.1.
Above average, 1.0.
Maximum barometer,

30.317 on 29th.
Minimum barometer,

29.553 on 2nd.

Rainfall, 1.76 in.

Below average 1 .03 in.

Heaviest fall, .43 on
15th.

Rain fell on 14 days.

Sunshine, 228.4 hrs.

Above aver., 16.7 hrs.

Brightest Day, 12th,
13.6 hrs.

Sunless days, 2.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 80 on 13th.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 46 on 8th.

L. B. BlRKETT.

Sept. 10. 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

349

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

%K^j^

W8Nerrod.

Procuring Surplus.
(Repeated by Special Request.)
It is an indisputable fact that the most profitable system of working for surplus
is shallow combs for extracting. At the same time it is necessary to take into account
the district and also the demands of the particular market. There are some situa-
tions where it is impossible to produce good comb honey. In such it is futile to
attempt the production of sections, but extracted honey should be obtained by means
of shallow frame supers. If the district is suitable for comb-honey and the bees are
kept near a town which is more residential than industrial, or near a seaside or inland
holiday resort, then undoubtedly comb honey production will pay the best. Among
the class of people usually residing or visiting in such localities comb honey is more
ir demand than extracted, for two reasons; first it is more delicate and appetising
when put upon the table in the comb, and secondly they imagine it is impossible to

FIG. 1.

adulterate it. In a manufacturing centre, on the contrary, the people desire to get
all they can for their money, and therefore prefer to buy honey in a jar, instead of
in the comb, looking upon the latter in the same light as they do on the bone in their
joint of meat, " something which is useless and has to be thrown away."

The points in favour of producing extracted honey are as follows : (i) There is
less danger of swarming ; (2) a greater quantity is obtained on account of saving
wax secretion for comb building ; (3) the supers can be tiered up and remain till the
end of the season ; (4)1 the honey can be stored for any length of time.

The first consideration is the super. This, as already remarked, should contain
shallow and not deep frames (Fig. 1) except under special circumstances, such as
where combs will be required for driven bees at the end of the season. In that case
an eke is used under the shallow frame box, so that it is made 9m. deep (Fig. 23).
The shallow frames must be wider than those in the brood chamber and should
measure ifin., so that they give more support to the comb than if the ordinary one
measuring |in. is used. Many bee-keepers use shallow frames, yet if asked why,
they can give no reason beyond the fact that everyone else uses them. When
extracting there is not so much danger of the comb breaking as there would be in a
deep frame ; they are also much more comfortable to handle so far as weight is con-
cerned, either singly, or collectively in the super. Then again the shallow super can
be given much earlier than a deep one, as it will not check brood-rearing by giving
too much space at one time. Heat rises ; therefore if a oin. super is given, the bees

350

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 10, 1914.

have to maintain the temperature in it as well as the brood-chamber, thereby wasting
both energy and food. The object of the bee-keeper is to obtain combs as straight
as possible ; they should also project a little beyond the woodwork of the frame so
that the capping can be cut off easily, and not have to be dug out. The cells should
be drone, as they take less wax, and the honey presents a larger surface for ripening ;
it also leaves a larger cell more easily than a small one, and it provides the bees with
the means for exercising their natural instinct for building drone comb in a place
where it will be harmless. The excluder prevents the queen from getting up and
ovipositing ; therefore the rearing of a lot of useless drones is avoided. The founda-
tion should be wired (No. i, Fig. 2) to stand the strain of the centrifugal force
when extracting, and the frames eight in number, as for the storage of food we can

fig. 23.

dispense with the fin. thick comb and go to 2in. In doing this two sheets of
foundation are saved in each super, also the secretion of wax for sealing the faces of
four sides of comb, which would be necessary if ten frames were used as in the
brood chamber. Occasionally difficulty is experienced in getting the bees^ into the
super when all the frames contain foundation and are widely spaced. This can be
overcome by using the ordinary narrow end until the combs are built out perfectly,
(No. 2 Fig. 2), when they can be replaced by the wide ones.

It is also an advantage to have a bait comb or two on hand, i.e., according to the
number of stocks, one or two supers of shallow combs should be kept from the
pievious year just as they leave the extractor without being cleaned. These_can be
distributed amongst the other supers when they are put on the following season.

(To be continued )

T. W. (O. Colwjn).— Unsealed Stores in
iSuper. — You can do as you suggest.

Puzzled. — Combs Without Brood — The
queen has been prevented from laying
by the bees blocking up the cells she
should have used with honey. Take out
a couple of the combs, extract the honey,
and replace them in the centre, when
the queen will commence to lay.

F. M. D. B. (Babbacombe). — Queens not
Laying. — It may be attributed to the
dry weather. The queens are probably
there all right, and no doubt feeding
would cause them to lay again.
Suspected Disease.

M. Y. Z:--(l) No. (2) No.

A. W. (Craig Elvie). — Bees are suffering
from " Isle of Wight " disease.

Heather (Worth). — Bees appear to be
healthv.

F. C. H. N. (Mudford).— There is no
doubt it is "Isle of Wight" disease.

E W. (Wrexham). — Bees show symptoms
of "Isle of Wight" disease. Better
destroy them.

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PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

WOODMAN'S hatchet, 8ilfos., ready handled;
■exchange bee appliance, offers. — LEWIS,
Efailwen, Clynderwen. v 16

WANTED, pictures, photos, negatives, and'
slides; Bees and Bee-keeping, ancient and
modern: also "Wasps, Bumble Bees; list and prices.
—TOMS, Roma, Barnet, Herts. v 22

v 2

SPLENDID white clover honey, £3 per cwt.;
sample 3d. ALBERT COE, Apiary Hall

Ridgewell, Halstead, Essex.

FIRST QUALITY SUFFOLK honey; white
candied, screwcaps, 9s.; light golden, 7Jd.
per Ib.-WRIGHT, Sudbury, Suffolk. y_20

FOR SALE, 4 cwt. of pure Cambridgeshire
honey, medium colour, fruit and clover, 281b.
tins, sample 2d— HAZZARD, Haddenham, Ely. v 17

BARGAIN; Italian stock on ten frames, 1914
queen, Simmins' White Star strain, 17s. 6d ,
f.o.r.; travelling hive, 2s., returnable— DOU1J, ol,
Hermon-hill, Wan stead, Essex. v y

Sept. IT, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

351

OURSELVES.

The British Empire is passing through
one of the greatest episodes in history,
and although we have not the slightest
doubt as to the final result, who would
dare to prophesy what trials we shall
have to go through or what sacrifices we
shall have to make for the sake of our
beloved country ?

We are not alarmists, but desire to face
possibilities and be prepared rather than,
ostrich-like, hide our head and imagine
thev are hot there.

Up to the present we have been nobly
supported by our readers, and all those
with whom we have business connections.
Our existence depends upon our readers,
therefore we earnestly appeal to them to
continue their support during the crisis,
so that when the war is brought to a
satisfactory conclusion we shall still be in
existence to carry on as usual.

We make this appeal as we find there
is a mistaken idea as to our position in
connection with the British Bee-keepers'
Association. Many, we believe, have an
impression that our papers belong to this
Association, therefore are not self-
supporting. Both papers are privately
owned and managed. Beyond being the
."official organ of the B.B.K.A. for the
publication of reports of its meetings and
other notices, and having our loval sup-
port, the two have no connection whatever.

As a precautionary measure to conserve
our stock of paper we have reduced the
size of our journals, and in other ways
are preparing for all contingencies. We
are doing our best, and are quite certain
our readers will do the same on our
behalf.

GLAMORGAN B.K.A.

CARDIFF SHOW.

The annual show was held at the Sophia
Gardens, Cardiff, on July 22nd and 23rd,
in connection with the Cardiff and County
Horticultural .Society. Although the
entries were not numerous, the quality of
the exhibits was very good. Mr. E.
Church had a fine collection of honey and
wax, which was staged in a very attrac-
ti\-e manner. The extracted honey was
carefully prepared, and one of the features

of the show was the excellence of the ex-
hibits in tbe novice classes, showing that
the Association is doing good work in
spreading the knowledge of bee-keeping.
Mr. S. Jordan was the judge, and Mr.
W. 0. Jones gave demonstrations with live
bees. The weather, especially on Thurs-
day, was most unsuitable for outdoor
demonstrations, but the experts gave
valuable advice and information to many
enquirers. Messrs. F. Gravil, G. P. Work-
man, W. T. Gunter, Wm. Morgan, D.
Hardcastle, C. J. Wiltshire, and others
rendered valuable assistance, and the Rev.
H. Morgan, as usual, gave his services for
tbe two days. The following is the prize
list: —

Six l-lb. Sections. — 1st — Kinghorn,
Llanishen : 2nd, J. B. Kitt, Wenvoe ; 3rd,

D. George, Merthyr Mawr.

Two Shallow Frames. — 1st and 2nd
equally divided between E. Church.
Cardiff, and W. T. Gunter, Cowbridge.

8ix. l-lb. Bottles of Extracted Honey
(Light). — 1st, E. Lawrence, Ewenny ; 2nd,

E. Humphrey, Cowbridge; 3rd, D. Hard-
castle, Lisvane.

Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey
(Medium). — 1st, W. Morgan. Llantrisant;
2nd, E. Lawrence; 3rd, H. Edmunds,
Lisvane.

Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Dark).
—1st, J. B. Kitt; 2nd, E. Lawrence; 3rd,
Wm. Morgan.

Beeswax. — 1st, Miss Penhorwood,

Ewenny; 2nd, D. George.

Articles of Food containing Honey.—
1st, W. T. Gunter; 2nd, Win. Morgan.

Honey Beverage. — 1st, Wm. Morgan;
2nd, W. T. Gunter.

Observatory Hive tvith Live Bees and
Queen. — 1st, D. Hardcastle.

Six l-lb. Sections. — 1st, H. Edmunds:
2nd, E. Thomas and Mr. Kinghorn (extra
2nd).

Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (any
colour). — 1st, H. Edmunds; 2nd, Miss
Penhorwood.

Collection of Honey and Wax. — 1st, E.
Church.

Best l-lb. Bottle of Honey.— 1st, A.
Bowen, Cheltenham; 2nd, Miss Penhor-
wood.

Best l-lb. Section of Comb Honey —
1st. A. Bowen; 2nd, D. George.

Six l-lb. Sections. — 1st, D. George; 2nd,
A. Bowen; 3rd, S. Lewis.

Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Light).
—1st, W. Gunter; 2nd, E. Lawrence; 3rd,
J. Rees, Llanishen.

Beeswax— 1st, D. George: 2nd, E.
Church.

Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Light).
—1st, S. Lewis; 2nd, W. T. Gunter; 3rd,
J. Rees.

[Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Bark)
1st, D. George; 2nd, C. Jones.

352

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. IT, 1914.

DERBYSHIRE NOTES.

Since sending the article 9037, on page
246, in which I indicated that a motor
might be preferable to a dray for moving
bees to the heather, I have heard from a
friend. In his communication he depre-
cated any attempt at moving bees by
motor, having had one experience recently
when all the brood was shaken and killed,
by moving his bees a distance of forty
miles. This made me pause to consider
the question more fully, but after due con-
sideration I decided to make one trial.
On August Bank Holiday Monday I moved
eight stocks to the moors in a motor van.
I never had such a quick removal before.
Erom leaving home to getting back it only
took four hours, inclusive of time taken
in setting down stocks on their stands,
making all secure, having breakfast and
a look round the moor, the total distance
being close on thirty-six miles by road,
some of which was bad and steep. Nor
did the bees or brood suffer in transit.
On the following day I took more by
means of the old-fashioned dray. I am
afraid that the Editors would hardly
allow my comments on that journey to
appear in print, so will not inflict them on
your readers. Since then I have been
several times to visit my bees. It is only
this week (August 17th onwards) that the
honey-flow has come on. On Thursday the
bees were doing splendidly, and honey was
being rapidly stored. I notice that when
on the heather the alighting-board is
always crowded with bees apparently
doing nothing, whilst others are flying
freely. Is this experience a purely per-
gonal one, or have other bee-keepers noted
the same occurrence? My hive entrances
are open full width. Given a continu-
ance of good weather for a few days there
should be a bumping crop.

It will be extremely acceptable to me
considering the price of sugar. Bee-
keepers should look to this latter item at
once. Leave as much natural store as
possible and take every stock to the moors
if within reach. It will pay.

Mr. Crawshaw takes me to task on page
315. I would like to answer that here, at
any rate, I have generally found a lull of
a few weeks between clover and heather,
allowing me opportunity to reorganise my
stocks. I look upon queen-excluder at
the best as a very regrettable necessity,
and when on the moors have done better
without it. Even if a young queen gives
a certain impetus to brood rearing in a
stock, by the time the bees are ready to
come back from the moors there is little
danger that there will be brood in supers.

I would like to ask Mr. Crawshaw a
question. This question does not apply
directly to bee-keeping, but has a bearing
on it: "What is the plural of gantry?"

(page 314). I am almost afraid to ask the
above, as Mr. Crawshaw returns such
heavy knocks ; but then) as Mr.
Macdonald, I believe it is, says, "Let us
have precision in bee terms." — D. Wilson.

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By George Hayes, Beeston, Notts.

» BEAN.

(Yicia faba.)

No. 30. NAT. OED. LEGUMINOS^E
PAPILIONACE^J.

(Continued from page 117.)

There are very few bee-keepers — or
others for that matter — who are not
acquainted with the subject under con-
sideration. Many of us are glad of the
opportunity to partake of the cottagers'
repast of " beans and bacon," and for this
and other reasons it is well known, and
we might very well use the oft recurring
phrase in a book that I have been reading,
" too well known to need description."
However, lest this should meet the eye of
one who is not acquainted with or has
mistaken it, we may venture on a short
description.

It is an annual, the stem (or stems, for
sometimes there are more than one)
springs from the seed and grows erect. It
will be found to be square and hollow with
many joints, and when reaching a height
of about 18in.j will break out into
branches, thus making the top part some-
what bushy.

Each leaf is composed of five leaflets.
The leaves are set on to the stem singly,
alternately on opposite sides, and are
more frequent on the upper than on the
lower part of the stem.

The flowers are borne in bunches at the
axils of the leaves, and are of the
papilionaceous kind, creamy white, with
very distinct dark markings, so dark in
fact that they are often said to be black.

The bean is mostly used to illustrate
the growth of seeds, and of the Legumens
or pod-bearing plants in particular, for,
being one of the largest seeds, it is well
adapted for the purpose of teaching.

It is not, however, to the garden bean
that the beekeeper looks for any surplus,
as the few rows there are of very little
use ; but rather does he look to a smaller
and darker variety, known mostly as
"horse beans," which are grown in the
fields as provender for horses. There are
many acres in places, and these beans yield
both nectar and pollen in abundance.

The wild bees usually perforate the
corolla or tube of the flower at the base to

Sept. IT, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

353

enable them more readily to get to the
nectary, and there is no doubt our
hive bees use this very ready though
illegitimate means to some extent, but not
to the total rejection of the proper way.
It must be remembered that when the
beans are in bloom a very large amount of
pollen is required by the bees, and is
actually carried into the hive. In bean
honey we find a good number of pollen

Its form is cylindrical having slightly
flattened ends, and the grains are often
found clinging together end to end as
shown in No. 1. When a grain is viewed
from a certain position it appears slightly
dumb-bell shaped, as seen in the third one
of Fig. 1. Its measurement when dry is
T«mrin. by TT^T) in.

When placed in honey it becomes more
transparent, and three equi-distant

In Honev.

From Honey.

POLLEN OF BEAN.

grains, which prove that the hive bees do
visit the blossoms largely in the legitimate
way, and so are very instrumental in
bringing about its fertilisation.

The pollen when dry is white, but by
transmitted light is of a pale yellow. The
fovilla or inner matter of a grain is mostly
yellow in colour, although the extine or
outer coat may be of some other colour, or
even white, and when the light comes
through the grain it shows up either white
or blended with the colour of the extine.

processes are formed round the middle, as
shown at Figs. 2 and 3. It also slightly
increases in bulk.

When extracted from honey in which it
has been for some time, it will measure
ylt^in. by — i^in. but the form does not
alter from that assumed when first
placed in it. The extine is also very
wrinkled. Fig. 6 is a section through the
centre.

(To be continued.)

354

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. IT, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HONEY YIELD IN WILTS.

[9073] It may interest your readers to
hear what an old amateur has heen able to
do with five hives of bees worked on
modern lines, during four years just closed.
1911, seven hives yielded 539 lbs., average
77 lbs.; 1912, six hives yielded 323 lbs.,
average 53 lbs. ; 1913, five hives yielded
243 lbs., average 48 lbs.; 1914, five hives
yielded 470 lbs., average 94 lbs. Up to
5th July each succession of flowers seemed
to have perfect weather, hence there was a
ceaseless honey flow. Had July been also
fine, and had we been near heather moors,
the above large yield would have been
enormously increased. As my bees have
always been devoted to the missionary
cause, I hope this may benefit accordingly.

The largest yield this year from one hive
was 134 lbs., a second yielded 127 lbs., and
a third 121 lbs. ; needless to say, neither of
these swarmed. I pointed out the above
results to a working man bee-keeper,
remarking what a means of adding to the
prosperity of the family was contained in
bee-keeping. His answer was, " Poor little
critturs, it do seem a shame to rob 'em, it
do. I couldn't do ut, I couldn't."

My experience of over twenty-five years,
dating back to my good old father, who,
with Mr. Woodbury, was one of the early
pioneers of bee-keeping in the West
Country, is that bee-lecturers are not
careful enough to warn the average bee-
keeper never to touch bees without head-
veil and gloves. The result has been that,
"well stung," most men are afraid to
touch them, and give them up in despair,
sic, my friend. One question I have not
solved, and that is how to use good combs
which are blocked with pollen. Will the
honey extractor save them when the pollen
has got dry?

Fou] brood and " Isle of Wight "
disease have been about, but I have
fortunately escaped, and I partly attribute
it to keeping the bees at least two feet
from the ground. I have noticed that
apparently swarms in trees escape the
latter pest. I should like to hear what

others have to say on this point. — Rev.
Philip W. G. Filleul, The Rectory,.
Devizes.

[Pollen clogged combs can be cleared'
either by putting them in a building where
earwigs can gain access to them, when they
will eat out the pollen, or they can be
well soaked in water, and the pollen then
washed out by playing on them with water
from a hose-pipe or garden s}a-inge. — Eds.]

"ISLE OP WIGHT" DISEASE.

[9074] I am afraid Mr. Heap and I
have got into an entanglement that makes
us angry. That is not well with two bee-
keepers. But in self-defence I must ask
your readers to turn up the back numbers
of June 4th and 11th, July 30th, August
6th, and September 10th, and form their
own judgment. They will fi/nd that the'
beneficent microbe is by no means " the
main idea " in my mind, that my
reference to Zander was not unjustifiable,
and that I have not indulged in per-
sonalities. Mr. Heap's more specific-
charge of misrepresentation can be met
with three quotations.

July 30th, Mr. Heap wrote : " It is not
the immune bee or the lessening of the
virulence' of Nosema apis as Ave know it
that we require so much as to be rid of
the organism altogether."

August 6th, I wrote : " When Mr.
Heap says . . . that we must work for
getting rid of Nosema apis altogether . . ."'

September 10th, Mr. Heap writes :
"When I said 'we must work to get rid
of Nosema apis altogether,' I was very-
careful to add the qualifying words ; as we
know it.' "

I think a large proportion of your
readers would have said that the words
" as we know it," referred to " virulence,"
a further large proportion would have said'
that they had no reference to the second
part of the sentence, and the rest that,
outside metaphysics, they were not
qualifying words at all. What is the dif-
ference between ''Nosema apis'1 and
"Nosema apis as we know it"? Surely
the organism of them both (as we know
it), of which we are to get rid altogether
is one and the same.— G. G. Desmond,.
Sheepscombe, Stroud, Glos.

BEE-KEEPING AND SUNDRIES.

[9075] Just now harvest bugs and'
wasps are the order of the day. A tea-
spoonful of powdered sulphur put in each
sock every morning will keep the former
out, while a lump of cyanide of potassium
poked into the entrance to the wasps'
nests will kill every one.

I generally do this in the daytime, and1
the wasps fly in but do not come out again.

Sept. IT, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

355

t'nless one wears a veil the thing should
be clone quickly, because the " waspes "
object to anyone meddling with their door-
way.

A lady once said to me, "Of course you
are never stung, because you are with your
bees so much that they must know you " !
I replied that seeing bees only live about
six weeks in the summer the acquain-
tanceship would not be long.

Some people make a great fuss if they
happen to be stung by a bee, but for my
own part I think it does the system a
certain amount of good in warding off
rheumatism, gout, cvc. And in connec-
tion with this matter I recently met a man
who was very badly stung by bees last
August. He said that up till then he
always had a severe yearly attack of
sciatica, which quite disabled him. Since
this stinging he has had no return of the
trouble, and he wondered whether to
attribute this to the counter-irritant in
the stings, or to the delightful bee
weather we have so much enjoyed. As a
bee man I assured him that this immunity
is due to the bees. But if his sciatica
returns I fear I shall have to take a back
seat !

As the bee-driving season is now on a
few experiences of my own might be in-
teresting. Recently a skeppist wrote us
that we could have his spare stocks to
drive. These were located by the side of
the road, and whilst my companion was
laboriously drumming the bees from the
last skep I heard a squeal, the dash of a
bucket, on the ground, and the scamper
of hasty feet. A woman going to the
village pump for water got a bee entangled
in her hair, and fled forthwith, leaving
her bucket in the road. She was much
agitated, and said that "bee-taking didn't
ought to be done in the daytime." I
fetched her bucket of water, and picked
the buzzing bee out of her hair. This was
the result of having bees near the public
road.

Another day I had practically driven
all the bees from a very heavy skep scaling
about 451b., but to make sure none were
left to annoy the cottager, I popped it
over a sulphur match. About three
minutes after I lifted the skep, which
seemed very light, when, lo and behold,
the whole contents lay in the pit, a
horrible mixture of honey and earth.
However. I got the mass quickly into a
pan before robbers could find it out, and
inwardly cursed the cottager for neglect-
ing to place the two sticks across for
safety in hot weather.

Xo one but actual bee-drivers know
what difficulties there are to contend with
in dealing with cottagers' hives, i.e., boxes,
"buckets, a trunk, an occasional card hat-
ibox, and once a drainpipe !

" Drat that there bee-man; I won't let
he drive my bees agen ; I'll smother 'em
first," said the cottager's wife. This
outburst was caused by the bees from
skeps carelessly driven crawling all over
the larder floor and into the bread-pan.

Novices really ought not to attempt the
operation on other people's bees. In one
case a tyro had three skeps to drive in a
quaint cottage garden on the hills. It
was a hot day, and what with the excite-
ment and the heat he was not fit for the
task. However, things progressed fairly
well for a time, and the skeppist' s wife
encouraged him much by explaining how
her " owd mon " was nearly stung to
death by trying to " drum a skip."

Presently robbers fell on the upturned
hive, and the commotion quickly stopped
the rightful bees from running above. So
part was placed on the old stand, and the
skep speedily carried in the cottage to
get the "confounded thing out of the
way." But the driven lot had no queen,
and in a trice they were in the air in all
directions, with fighting going on furiously
in all the remaining six skeps. And our
friend soon trampled the potato-bed down
in running back and forth with carbolic
acid and glass and water to try and set
matters right. But not until evening did
the bees quieten down, and the damage
could be inspected.

One good stock robbed out, another
lot only half driven, a dozen stings or so
divided between the cottager and his wife,
who came out to see what was wrong, and
the potato crop sadly damaged. The
moral therefore is, "Never drive the bees
of others until you can drive your own."
— A. H. Bowen.

||lj£Kl£Sg£

[8977] V curious Queries. — I have some
very thin honey which, although I have
kept it in a warm place in ripener (with
lid on, as "Guide Book" does not say
otherwise) for two weeks, has started to
ferment. (1) Can I make vinegar out of
it, and, if so, how much water should be
added, and what else would be necessary
to convert it into vinegar? (2) Can thin
honey be thickened by simmering in a
saucepan (not boiling)? (3) Is there any
way of preventing bees from filling
supers with pollen ? (4) Is there any way
of clearing the combs of pollen other than
by syringing them? I find it is impossible
to get all the pollen out in this way, even

356

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. IT, 1914.

though the combs have been soaked in
water previously. I also find that,
although I dried the combs in the sun for
two days afterwards, they have begun to
get covered with mildew, therefore (5) is
there any way of removing the mildew
from the combs?— C. J. M. P.

Reply. — (1) Yes, use l^lbs. to 21bs. of
honey to each gallon of water and a tea-
spoonful of cream of tartar. Get "The
Production of Vinegar from Honey," 2^d.,
post free, from this office. You should
have left the lid off the tin, otherwise how
is the moisture to escape? (2) Honey will
thicken if kept uncovered in a warm
place, but it should not be "simmered"
or the flavour will be entirely spoilt. (3)
The use of a queen-excluder will prevent
it to a great extent. You can do nothing
else. (4) No, you had better renew the
pollen-clogged combs. (5) You might try
washing with a 10 per cent, solution of
formalin.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
July, was £5,307, and during the month
of August £1,923. — From a return fur-
nished to the British Bee Journal by
the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.

O. S. (Croydon). — We had already noticed
the coincidence that without exception
those Associations adopting the
pamphlet you mention have either
become defunct or are moribund. Evi-
dently it draws the evil eye. If, as you
suggest, in your new venture you change
your colour from green to pink or
white, we are certain you will succeed.
Just as the most beautiful bees are un-
profitable to keep, so the pretty covers
of a paper often enclose nothing but
vituperation and drivel. "We send you
our good wishes.

" Hun " (Altrincham). — Two Queens in
Hive. — This does occur at times. In the
case mentioned the bees were probably
superseding the old queen, and the
young one had not yet mated.

D. W. H. (Breconshire) — Extracting
Sections. — In the case of sections, yes.
With shallow combs it is only necessary

to slice off the capping as thinly as
possible; use the same method for both.
If there are a large number of unsealed
cells it is better to extract the unripe
honey before uncapping the other, a
few cells on edges of comb will not
matter. Honey should be strained
after extracting, and if ripe may be
put in tins or bottled at once. The
value depends on quality of honey.

K. P. (Mildenhall).— Write Mr. J. M.
Ellis, Ussie Valley, Conon Bridge, N.B.

Honey Samples.
G. F. Wilson (Hunts). — Colour of honey
is medium ; both flavour and density
good. It is worth about 58s. per cwt.
We wish all our correspondents would
observe our rules as carefully.

Suspected Disease.

W. Smith (Portsmouth). — The brood in

piece of comb sent is perfectly healthy.

C. E. (Sedgley). — Bees show symptoms of
"Isle of AVight " disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in„ or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

HEALTHY driven bees, Is. 6d. lb., 41b. lots,
box returnable.— MEPHAM, Orlestone, Ham
Street, Kent. v 30

1i) DOZ. best quality sections; offers wanted.—
/W GARFITT, Burnside, Ooupar Angus, Perth-
shire, v 41

THREE stocks of bees, in standard frame hives,
healthy, plenty of stores, 25s. each; must sell,
removing— E. ERNEST PERRY, Trevilges, Wen-
dron, HeLston. v 39

WANTED, some secondhand W.B.C. hives, in
good order.— Reply, giving particulars, to
C. W. T., c/o British Bee Journal, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand. v 38

1 GROSS beautiful white sections, full weight,
10s. per doz.; also lcwt. finest light extracted,
64s— BEETHAM, The Bungalow, Bishop Monkton,
via Leeds. v 37

WANTED, six useless English queens, wings
intact, alive, for collection— JACKSON, 30,
"Windsor-road, Wanstead, London. v 36

FINE quality clover sections, 10s. doz., carriage
paid, safe delivery; beeswax, 2s. lb., 281b.
tin honey, 16s.; exhibition sections; stamp reply —
NORTH, Cressins, Braintree, Essex. v 34

SECTIONS wanted, state price; three hives for
sale, cheap— HATFIELD, Parade, Grah-

tham.

v 33

Sept. 24, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

357

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Monthly Meeting of the Council
\vas held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
London, W.C., on Thursday, September
17th, 1914. Mr. W. F. Reid presided.
There were also present Messrs. A.
Richards, J. Smallwood, T. Bevan,
C. L. M. Eales, R, H. Attenborough, E.
Watson, C. R. Frankenstein, H. Jonas,
and A. G. Pugh, association representa-
tives; Rev. F. S. F. Jannings (Yorks),
G. J. Flashman (Barnet), A. D. Woodley
(Berks), G. W. Bryden, and J. W. Judge
(Cravford), H. Watts (Mid Kent), G. S.
Faunch (Essex), and F. W. Harper (St.
Albans).

Letters regretting inability to attend
were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan, Dr.
Seamer, E. Walker, G. R, Alder, J. B.
Lamb, W. T. Sanderson, and Dr. W..
Anderton.

The following new members were elected :
— Mrs. A. Davies, Lieut. F. ,S. Cousins, Mr.
E. F. Fell, Mr. J. W. Stephens, and Mr.
S. Berry.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that the payments into the bank
for July were £30 3s. lid., and for August
£3 2s. 4d. ; the bank balance at the end of
August was £206 19s. 2d. Payments
amounting to £60 Is. Id. were recom-
mended.

The report on the paper work for the
final examination was presented, and out
of fifteen candidates who sat the following
qualified to take the lecture test. Miss
N. M. Robinson, Miss E. M. Penrose, Miss
H. Thrupp, Messrs. J. W. Moir, G. G.
Desmond, F. W. Harper, J. Johnson, Dr.
W. Anderton, and Dr. D. Wardleworth.

Reports on preliminary examinations,
held at Gloucester, Swanley, Wymondham,
Nottingham, Budleigh Salterton, Bristol,
Bridgwater, Grimsby, Tashwell, Alford,
Boston, Northampton, Cardiff, Presteign,
Kington, Bromsgrove, Shrewsbury, and
London, were presented, and it was
resolved to grant certificates to the
following: — Misses M. W. Johnstone,
P. Wilkes, E. Strochneider, M. Tireman,
M. Coates, M. A. Liversidge, D.
Hosegood, M. Stark, H. Burr, E.
Williams, L. Bradshaw, F. Bevington, E.
Glutton, L. Hurst, C. Fleming, G.
Bacchus, J. Johnson, N. Ross, S.
Forssman, V. Taylor, K. Long, E.
Richardson and A. Tjaarda; Messrs.
A. H. Powell, R. P. Gould, J. C. Allsop,
G. Houghton, E. H. Hollingsworth, H.
Mearing, H. Tope, J. W. Heard, R. J. C.

Ferguson, T. Evans, W. Ion, H. R.
Nicholls, F. Brewis, H. Holland, A. C.
Grant, F. Belgrove, J. E. James, E.
Boobier, W. Woodhouse, J. A. Ralph, E.
Ralph, J. W. Stephens, A. Burgoyne,
P. W. Phillips, H. W. Kinnersley, W. H.
Sisman, H. Hems, G. Bateman, S.
Smith, S. Leedham, A. E. Taylor,
W. Thorne, F. C. Beaumont, H. Berry,
H. Henstock, W. H. Simms, G. S.
Fletcher, and Dr. Leadbitter. Eight who
presented themselves failed to satisfy the
examiner.

The judge's report on the Royal Show
was read and accepted, and a hearty vote
of thanks passed for their gratuitous
services.

Arrangements were made for the con-
versazione on October 22nd ; to enable
those from the provinces to be present
right through, the time of opening to be
altered from 5.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. ; tea at
5 o'clock, the meeting to close at 8 p.m.
Mr. A. Richards will give a paper on
"Bees in Relation to Flowers and Fruit,''
illustrated by lantern slides.

The report of the Exhibitions Com-
mittee on the arrangements for the judg-
ing competition at the conversazione was
read and adopted.

The intermediate examination was fixed
for November 27th and 28th.

Several letters were read, and the Secre-
tary was instructed to deal with them.

Next meeting of Council in the offices of
the Zoological Society of London, Regent's
Park on October 22nd, at 3.30 p.m.

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIA-
TION NOTICE.

Will all those who wish to attend the
winter courses of lectures at the Zoological
Gardens please note that the first lecture
takes place on Thursday, October 1st, 1914.
Particulars can be had from the Secretary,
B.B.K.A. 23, Bedford Street, Strand.

BELGIAN RELIEF FUND.

FOOD SHIPMENT SECTION.

We have been requested to publish the
following letter to Walter F. Reid,
Esq., Fieldside, Addlestone : —

Dear Sir, — Many thanks for your action
in appealing to the bee-keepers of Great
Britain. Honey will be most acceptable to
the refugees in Belgium. Would it be
possible to strike a note of warning to the
kind contributors with regard to packing?
We have received a great many parcels of
jam and honey in such a state that it is
impossible to do anything with them at all.
When one is dealing with such universal
goodwill towards Belgians as is exhibited

358

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 24, 1914.

by the enormous number of contributions
received here, it seems a thousand pities
that there should be any wastage. — Yours
faithfully,

T. C. Lemmens, Manager,
Belgian Food Relief Fund.
[The above is another plain proof of the
carelessness on the part of bee-keepers.
For years we have been trying to impress
upon those who have honey for sale to be
careful in grading and packing. The com-
plaints heard of difficulty in disposing of
produce are due in ninety-nine cases out
of one hundred to the purchaser being bit
in the above manner by British bee-
keepers J ever after he deals with a house
that packs properly and sells mainly
foreign produce. — Eds.]

BEEHIVES IN BATTLE.

We read in a daily paper the other day
that a handful of Belgians who had
barricaded themselves on a bee farm were
attacked by a whole regiment of German
infantry. The defenders allowed the
Germans to approach within a few
yards of the barricades and then hurled
the beehives at them. The maddened in-
sects proved themselves valuable allies, for
in less than a quarter-of-an-hour they had
driven back the Germans, who fled panic-
stricken.

That this is not the first time bees have
been employed in war the following
cutting from the Cheltenham Chronicle
shows, while all who have read ancient
history will be aware how important honey
and wax were in those days, by the fact
that a certain amount of these com-
modities were almost invariably exacted
by the victors as tribute from the con-
quered provinces.

Now that our thoughts are occupied
with the great European War it may be in-
teresting to notice the part the bees
played in the battles of bygone ages. The
following historical reminiscences are of
special interest to bee-keepers at the pre-
sent time, and serve to show what effective
'"artillery" bees proved in those far-off
times.

The idea seems to have originated in
our island, when somewhere about 908
A.D. a, host of Danes and Norwegians
coming from Ireland laid siege to Chester.
Under their leader the Danes set up
hurdles beneath the city walls, and thus
protected began to undermine the forti-
fications.

When the English hurled down rocks
the invaders strengthened their hurdles
with massive posts. The English re-
taliated by pouring 'down boiling mead
(honey wine) and water, and when the
attackers in reply covered their hurdles

with hides the English as a last resort
gathered all the beehives in the city and
flung them upon their foes. This plan was
successful. The Danes were stung so
frightfully on the legs, hands, and head
that in despair the}' abandoned the siege.

The next use of beehives in mediaeval
warfare occurs some thirty years later, in
the days when Otto 'the Great was laying
the foundation of the German Empire.
About 940 a.d. Ghiselbert, Duke of Lor-
raine, revolted against King Otto, who
was powerless to crush him till assisted by
one of the Duke's own followers — Immo
the Crafty. When attacked Immo is re-
ported to have collected a large number
of hives and flung them " out against the
Duke's horsemen. As the bees poured
from the hives, stinging the horses into
such madness that the riders could not
control them, Immo ordered his men to
protect themselves and make a sally."
This stratagem was as successful in Ger-
many as it proved in England, and it
resulted in the complete route of the
enemy.

A remarkable English MS. preserved at
Oxford actually pictures the military
engines used for slinging beehives. And
when Acre was being besieged the
Christians did but little good until the
Bishop of Puy (in Germany) caused all
the beehives — of his own Low German
home at Namur and its neighbourhood —
to be collected and sent to the "front,"
as well as the wasps and bees that at the
brewing season were wont to swarm into
the vessels in which the sweet-savoured
beer of the Middle Ages was brewed. "All
around us," urged the Bishop, "there
is an abundance of beehives. Let us hurl
them from our engines over the city walls.
So shall we keep the Saracens off while we
undermine their fortress." Twenty-five
mangonels then commenced slinging their
hives at the same moment. " The bees,"
we are told, " went swarming into the
enemies' ears, stinging them on the eyes,
and torturing them till they fled. The
Christians broke through the walls, and in
this manner was taken and conquered the
noble city of Acre. Thus by bees was it
taken and subdued."

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

By D. M. Macdonald, Banff.

A Self-extinguishing Smoker. — When
finished with manipulations, quite a little
time and trouble are often taken in

Sept. 24, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

359

extinguishing the smoker fuel, and if
thrown aside there is waste of material,
with at times a little clanger from the
burning material. An American suggests
the use of a slide which, on closing, will
smother the flame, while the carbon dioxide
gas generated will quickly put out the
fire, even the most inflammable material
being extinguished quickly. Gleanings
editor suggests the use of a cork, or plug,
attached to the smoker by a short piece of
string as a simple way to accomplish the
same results. I think the hint is a good
one. The material would then always
be present in an emergency ready to re-
light. The corking could be quickly done,
and hands could be kept cleaner.

Red Clover Honey. — From close observa-
tion, a Mr. Manley traced a fine flow of
honey repeatedly to dwarfed growths of
red clover. Owing to drought, and per-
haps a light soil, the clover-heads were
small, but the bloom was there, and on
occasions literally covered with bees. One
season a forty-acre field gave the bountiful
yield of 2001bs. per colony, and the honey
is described as " fine as any I have ever
tasted."

Encouraging Beginners. — Bee-keepers
are large-hearted and beneficent as a
body. Not content with acquiring know-
ledge, they are eager to disseminate it
and participate of their best with all and
sundry. Australians have been discussing
whether this is wise, and a few selfish
individuals would like to keep all the
plums in the hands of a few. There, and
in America, bee farms, or bee ranches, are
favoured. The first-prize taker launches
a shower of fulminations against the
small bee-keeper, and looks on him as a
detriment to genuine progress. Perhaps
he owes his successful position to the last
part of his article, where he repents of
his sledge-hammer blows, and admits that
if they are suitable people the beginners
should not only be encouraged to enter
the ranks, but welcomed and aided. That
is well. The small bee-keeper sheds his
skin and grows and increases in his stocks
and stores. Generally, from the small
beginner grows the giant. Starting in
the embryonic stage, he advances step by
step to the full growth. And that is as
it should be. Encourage beginners, say
I, and leave it for economic laws to throw
off all weak limbs. The percentage of
failures may be considerable, because only
a fair proportion of the starters are really
naturally equipped with the elements of
success. Yet, at the beginning, one
scarcely knows who is who.

Smoking Bees. — Mr. Dadant, in his
notes from abroad, relates that Dr.
Brumrick does not smoke his bees. Instead
he used a gentle spray of water, which
appeared to be as efficient as smoke, and

the doctor held that it is preferable.
Recently I had a similar experience. A
prominent Scottish bee-keeper, on opening
a hive, sprayed the bees with a gentle
stream of siceetcned water. The result
was a confident and methodical examina-
tion of the hive interior without a single
sting to operator or observer.

Cleaning Combs. — Mr. J. Wilder stacks
up his extracted combs in a large pile in
close proximity to his honey house. He
places them out in the evening, and the
humidity of the cool, damp night atmo-
sphere makes the honey left after extract-
ing in prime order for clearing out by
the bees next morning. Practising this
for many years he has never had a robbing
boom. Personally, I would prefer all such
combs being placed at some little distance
from the apiary, with a clear course
between the two points.

Colony Odour. — What bee-keepers believe
about this subject; what they have
confirmed by the observation of centuries,
and what they have established on a solid
basis, cannot be confuted by mere theoris-
ing, and the statement of a few guesses
as facts. Making a few dashing state-
ments is not reasoning, and fails to con-
vince.

Migratory Bee-keeping. — It has ever
been a dream amongst bee-keepers that
apiculture could be made remunerative by
transporting hives to different areas,
generally north and south, following the
seasons and the flower bloom. Ancient
Egyptians practised this pursuit along
the banks of the River Nile. Messrs. Root
have been experimenting recently in carry-
ing their hives from Medina to Florida,
expecting there to find a rich harvest, and
then to increase each 100 stocks to 300, or
more. Following this, they transported
them again to Medina. High hopes were
entertained as to the rich success likely to
follow, but these have not been realised,
or only in a modified form. The average
man is warned that making such an ex-
periment he would be out of pocket. At
present they are making trials of two
other means for increasing their stocks.
" We can make a colony by feeding sugar
syrup for about a dollar = $300 for 300
colonies. With an automobile we can
move bees about for a like amount, and
then move them back to the cellar, and
thus eliminate the cost of sugar." They
are sending a large consignment to some
swampy land with a late flow, intending
to double the number at least. I fear
any such experiments would not be
feasible in this country. The nearest we
could come to it would be getting southern
driven bees in early August and working
them up to full stocks on the moors. This
scheme fails too frequently to be
thoroughly reliable.

360

THE BKITISii BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 24, 1914.

HELPFUL HINIS FOR NOVICES'

Procuring Surplus.
{Continued from Page 350.)
In working for extracted honey it is imperative that a queen excluder be used. A
great many bee-keepers are averse to this, but if it is desired to have nice clean combs
free from 'brood and pollen, then the only way is to use one. That it does hinder
the work of the bees to some slight extent there is no doubt, but if a " Wilkes' Free
Way Wire " (Fig. 3) or the new metal one by Taylor, of Welwyn (Fig. 4), is used
this is reduced to a minimum.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 3.

The right way to put on the excluder is with the slots at rigjht angles to the frames
(Fig. 5), so that the bees have more room to pass through than if placed parallel
as iseen (Fig. 6), when it will be noticed that only about one row of holes are avail-
able between each frame for the passage of the bees. There is also a right and a
wrong side to the zinc queen excluder. The side on which are the roughened or

Fig.

Fig. 6.

burred edges, caused by punching out the holes, should be placed uppermost, so
that the laden bees will have no difficulty in getting through, which would be the
case if they had to struggle against the rough edges. After the discharge of their
load they pass back without trouble. It is an advantage to rub down this roughness
when purchased, by means of emery cloth stretched on a piece of wood ; if put on
in a hurry no mistake can then be made.

Sept. 24, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

361

Probably one of the difficulties a beginner has to contend with is to know just when
to put on the super. Many imagine that the work can be done on a certain date,
just as they pay their rent on quarter day. Owing to the vagaries of our seasons,
and the difference in climatic conditions between north and south, it is
impossible to give any set date. As an instance, I have seen full supers removed
in the south, where cherry orchards abound, in the month of May, while in the north
as a rule the first surplus is not obtained until the beginning of July. Then again,
I he strength of the stock must be taken into consideration. Until the brood-chamber

is full to' overflowing, and there is an
abundance of forage, it is useless to put
on extra supers. Neither should the
other extreme be reached by waiting until
the bees are upon the point of swarming,
for if once the stock gets the swarming
fever it is very difficult to prevent the
swarm issuing. The best gauge is to wait
until the bees begin to elongate the first
few rows of cells next the top bar ; so that
when looked at from the top (Fig. 7) the
'combs bulge and are very white. When this
Fig. 7. occurs, put on the super at once, and the

bees will take possession of it immediately.
I: is not unusual for them to crowd into supers put on under these conditions within
an hour. The explanation of the extension of these cells is quite simple. Bees when
crowded use up all available room. The usual space between the combs from
capping to capping is fin. for brood:; this can never be smaller, as it is necessary
for the bees to pass over the face of the combs back to back to feed the larva, but
between honey cappings a bee space, i.e., \m. will suffice ; so when honey is coming
in abundantly they utilise the extra xVin. on each comb for the storage of honey. _ As
the food is always stored above the brood-nest the cells are drawn out in the position
indicated.

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

The first super can be put on very quickly and without the use of smoke or a
carbolic cloth. To do this hold the super with the excluder underneath it in the
right hand and with the left strip the quilt with a forward snatch, and instantaneously
before a single bee has a chance to run on to the top bars drop the super into position

The bee-keeper should ascertain at what period of the year in his district the
flowers from which surplus is obtained come into bloom ; he can then bring his
stocks to full strength at that period by careful stimulation.

It is just as harmful to get bees to full strength too early as too late; in the
former case only swarming will result, while in the latter no surplus will be obtained.

When once supering has commenced a watchful eye must be kept on the bees
to keep them fully employed. Even with a super on they may become crowded
to such an extent that they will swarm. Room just a little in advance of the bees'
requirements and ample ventilation without a draught should be given. When the
first super is about two- thirds full and sealing has commenced on the central combs
(Fig. 8), shallow combs (Fig. 9), sections should be raised, and a second one placed
underneath, and so with a third or more if the season and district are favourable.

{To be continued.)

362

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Sept. 24, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HONEY FOR REFUGEES.

[9076] I fear the editorial headline to
my appeal in your issue of September
10th may deter many from giving effect
to it. The "refugees" would not be the
Belgian soldiers who are still actively
engaged in fighting our common enemy,
but their women and children, who are
arriving in thousands on our shores, in
many instances without means of sub-
sistence. Englishmen will remember that
when our soldiers arrived in Belgium they
were heartily welcomed by the inhabitants,
who shared their own none too abundant
fare with them and did all they could to
show their gratitude. Now, driven from
their wrecked homes by a nation that
calls itself civilised, these poor refugees
are arriving among us, and I hope all
British Beekeepers will, if they can,
respond to the appeal of the Belgian
Minister for foodstuffs, and send what
honey they can spare to the Manager,
Belgian Relief, c/o Messrs. Harrods, Ltd.,
Trevor Square, London, S.W. — Walter F.
Reid.

A. Pontin (Patcham). — Various Queries. —
(1) See page 354, "B.B.J.," September
17th. (2) Take her by the wings or
thorax. (3) Write to Secretary, British
Bee-keepers' Association, 23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.

H. L. (,Shap). — Gears and Excluders. — (1)
We prefer the cog gear. (2) The Wilkes
gives the bees freer passage, but it re-
quires to be carefully handled when
taking off and cleaning.

Honey Samples.

B. S. (Longridge).— (1) Yes. (2) Medium.
(3) Heather and mixed sources — it is a
heather blend.

G. Brown (Fife). — Heather blend.

Suspected Disease.

D. A. (Bexley Heatb). — Yes, bees show

symptoms of "Isle of Wight " disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

HONEY, excellent quality, at 56s. the cwt., in
281b. tins.-R. WATERS, Gestingthorpe,
Essex. » v 45

FOR SALE, 4 cwt. pur© Cambridgeshire honey,
fine quality, medium colour, 281b. tins; sample,
2d— HAZZARD, Haddenham, Ely. v 44

f?i"\/~\LB. pure Welsh honey, in lib. and Jib.
OLfvf screw cap bottles.— Prices, EVAN W.
DA VIES, Rhydfelan, Pontypridd. v 43

Af\f\ WELL sealed light sections, 10s. per
"il/Vl dozen, cash with order, carriage for-
ward; well packed cardboard cases.— JOHNSTON,

Tullynessle, Alford, Aberdeen. v 60

WANTED, geared extractor, in good order.—
WATERS, Rydal, Foxfield-road, Meols,
Cheshire. v 58

4

YOUNG queens, from healthy, vigorous skeps,
2s. each.— C. PARISH, Addington, Surrey, v 53

FOR SALE, 14 cwt. pure English honey, light
colour, 60s. per cwt.; sample, 3d.; also few
dozen sections.— LAW, Buckoo, Ash well, Herts, v 46

CLOVER SECTIONS, 8s. 6d. per dozen;
extracted, 58s. per cwt.; sample, 2d.— SIMCOX,
17, Victo>ria-rd, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, v 47

S

coin.

ALE, double daffodil, all flowering bulbs, 2s. 6d.
per 100— CUTTS, Bee Gardens, Eagle, Lin-

SUPERIOR Lincolnshire light honey, from
fruit, clover, &c, price, 561b. tin, 32s.; 281b.
tin, 16s., tins included; sample, 2d.— CHARLIE
CUBLEY, Gedney, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, v 49

PURE Essex honey, 281b. tins, 14s.; 141b. tin,
7s.; tins free, carriage forward; sample, 3d. —
PEARCE, Earlswood, Rectory-rd, Little Thurrock,
Grays. v 51

i}» CWT. honey, good heather blend, in 281b. tins,
^v 15s. tin; sample, 2d.— KIDBY, Sizewell-road,
Leiston, Suffolk. v 52

FOR SALE, quantity of excellent flavoured
medium coloured honey, fruit and clover, 14s.
281b. tin; sample, 2d— WADMAN, Stutton, Tad-
caster, v 54

F

OR SALE, ten dozen medium coloured sections
8s. dozen— SEMMONS, Leiston, Suffolk, v 55

3 CWT. extracted clover honey for sale, 56s. per
cwt.; sample free— ABBOTTS, Old Hall,
Merrington, Bowers Heath, Shrewsbury. v 56

HEALTHY driven bees, Is. lb., with young
fertile queens.— B. BEAVER, 92, West gate,
Pickering. v 57

F

UNEST English honey, 60s. per cwt.; sample,
2d.— BUTTON, Terling, Witham, Essex, v 4

1i) DOZ. best quality sections; offers wanted.—
.& GARFITT, Burnside, Coupar Angus, Perth-
shire, v 42

APIARY of forty stocks, in W.B.C. hives, with
all appliances, drawn combs, &c, to be sold,
either in one lot or will divide to suit purchasers.—
BOX 20, British Bee Journal, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C. v 31

Oct. 1, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

363

OBITUARY.

DR. ULRICH KRAMETt.

It is with sincere regret that we have
to announce the death of Dr. Ulrich
Kramer, which took place in Zurich on
August 19th.

gathered from the different stations, pro-
ducing annually a profusely illustrated
valuable report, which is a treasury of
scientific and practical inquiry. From 1880
to 1887 Dr. Kramer conducted the annual
courses of instruction of schoolmasters as
bee-keepers, and in this way he had
trained a large staff of peripatetic teachers
in bee-keeping. In 1889, in conjunction
with the Rev. J. Jeker and M. O. Theiler,
Dr. Kramer published " Der Schweit-
zerische Bienenvater," which has already
gone through several editions. In 1896 he

DR. ULRICH KRAMER.

Dr. Kramer, who had attained the age
of seventy years, was President of the
Swiss Bee-keepers' Society ; whose com-
mittee of management he joined in 1881.
By profession he was a schoolmaster, and
as a peripatetic instructor of bee-keeping
he showed great activity. He was a fluent
and animated speaker, and was the means
of winning thousands over to rational
methods of bee-keeping. He was a
voluminous writer, and one of the ablest
contributors to the Schweitzerische
Bienenzeitung. In 1884 he founded the
"apicultural observation stations," and
has since that time compiled the material

became President of the Swiss Bee-
keepers' Society, which, through his in-
defatigable labours, now numbers over 9000
members. After numerous experiments
with foreign bees, Dr. Kramer satisfied
himself that the bee of the country, the
product of the climatic conditions, was
best suited for Switzerland. He therefore
brought all his influence to bear on
furthering the culture of the Swiss race.
He established mating stations, remote
places for the fertilisation of queens with
pure-bred drones. In 1898 he commenced
the annual courses of instruction for
"race-breeders," at which over one

364

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 1, 1914.

hundred Swiss bee-masters attended. The
result has been most satisfactory, and a
large number of colonies now consist of
the pure Swiss race, headed by selected
queens. The whole theory and practice of
the race culture of Swiss bees is to be
found in a book published by Dr. Kramer,
entitled, " Die Rassenzucht der .Schweitzer
Imker, which is a valuable addition to
the literature on the subject.

Bee-keeping certainly owed a debt of
gratitude to Dr. Kramer, and the craft
was honoured when the University of Bern
conferred on him the well-merited reward
of a doctor's degree honoris causa.
Amongst other things that he has done to
bring the Swiss Bee-keepers' Society to its
present flourishing position was the foul
brood insurance scheme of 5 centimes per
colony, which, supported by legislation, is
doing such good work in eradicating the
disease in the country. In 1909 the
B.B.K.A. elected Dr. Kramer an honorary
member as a recognition of the services
which he had rendered to bee-keeping.
We made his acquaintance in 1883, and
were then much struck by his erudition,
and have been in communication with him
ever since. His is a severe loss to bee-
keeping, and one that will be felt more
especially by the Swiss Bee-keepers'
Society, as he was its moving spirit. His
memory will be revered not only by those
who knew him, but by thousands of bee-
keepers who have profited by his work.
We heartily sympathise with our Swiss
friends and his family in the sad loss they
have sustained.

BEE-KEEPING AND SUNDRIES.

AUTUMN ON THE COTSWOLD HILLS.

One pleasure in out-apiaries is that they
enable one to keep in touch with and enjoy
the beauties of Nature.

On returning home in the evening after
a long day's work among the bees I some-
times hear the three sharp barks of the
old dog fox, and then the answering
"squawk" of the vixen in a distant
plantation, which sounds so weird. And
I like to hear the sweet plaintive whistle
of the golden plover as it flashes past over-
head ; or the " chuck, chuck " of the moor-
hen, flying low from pond to pond.

An occasional cackle of wild geese may
be heard, and sometimes the musical cry
of the curlew, as well as the hootings and
screamings of the different kinds of owls.

All these, and many more sounds, are
well known to the bee-man who spends
much time amongst the bees of the Cots-
wold Hills.

But of all the months of the year I
think the hills are at their best in October,
when the air is balmy and the sun shows

up those lights and shades which add so-
much of loveliness to a hilly district. The
green of spring is turned to the russets
and browns of autumn, and no fairer sight
can be imagined than that of a Cotswold
village at the close of the day, when the
sun lights up the church tower and casts
a halo of beauty over the score or so of
tiled cottages on that sheltered bank.

The peacefulness of the scene seems to
take away the sadnesses of life, and no
one who has seen them could be anything
but struck with the quiet beauty of the
Cotswold hamlets. The sunny weather of
late has been very favourable for bees, and
I have noticed them working on the late
charlock or the few ivy blossoms that are
out, not getting much, it is true, but
supplying their daily needs.

And just at this time, when bee-men
are settling their hives for the winter, it
might be well to remark what an excel-
lent winter cover and passageway the
"Porter" escape board makes. When
the " escape " has been removed it can be
placed over the frames, and the bees appre-
ciate this extra space so much that if it.
were lifted slightly later on whole seams
would be found snugly packed along the
frame tops. No one with escape-boards
will let them lie idle all the winter when
they can be turned to such good account
as this. — A. H. Bowen, Cheltenham.

CANADA'S GIFT.

SACKS TO BE SOLD AT 5s. EACH.

Canada is making a splendid gift of
flour to the Mother Country. It has been
decided that the sacks, when empty, should
be sold as souvenirs at 5s. each. Two-
thirds of this sum will be devoted to the
Prince of Wales' National Relief Fund,
and one-third to the Belgian Refugees'
Fund. The sacks are all marked
" Canada's Gift."

Applications for the sacks as souvenirs,
accompanied by a remittance of 5s., should
be sent to the Hon. Secretaries, National
Relief Fund, York House, St. James's
Palace, London, S.W. Applications will
be dealt with in strict rotation.

" BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

A NIGHT OF HORRORS.

The moon, set in the deep blue of the
Italian sky, shone softly over the Grand
Canal. The lightest of grey mists was
resting on the waters. All was calm and
silent, save that the clocks in the many-
turreted city gave out each quarter as
the night advanced, and that such minia-
ture waves as were excited by the passing

Oct. 1, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

365

gondola rippled at the foot of the wall
beneath, for my chamber gave view over
the waters, which came even unto the
threshold. The weather was sultry. I
gave all the access to the air that was
possible, turning right back the jalousies.
Letters had to be written for the morning
homeward post, and notes had to be copied
for the future edification of your readers ;
therefore, before I turned to take that
sleep, which seldom fails to the weary
traveller, it neared the midnight.

Indeed, ere long, the minor cadence of
the smaller bells announced in quadruple
attempts the passing of the hour, and
then, far exceeding all in volume, the
great bell of St. Mark's boomed across the
seas the parting of this day and the
advent of its successor. Again all was
silence. The solemnity of it awed me.
What was I, a wanderer from white-cliffed
Albion, doing in this City of the Doges —
at rest oven in the palace of one of their
merchant princes (for such was the history
of our hotel) ? This chamber is oaken, and
bears the marks of time. Maybe in yon
corner a bravo fierce, with stiletto armed,
has murdered his victim and hurled him
through the window into the waves. But
what care I ? It was no affair of mine. I
am not particularly nervous, and should
a ghost or two care to visit the scene of
their exploits, if only they will let me
sleep, they are, as far as I am concerned,
quite at liberty to enjoy themselves.

And, thinking thus, I lay me down, as
if to sleep. Stay ! What is that faint
trumpeting sound I hear arriving through
the open window? Slowly it approaches,
and increases in volume as it nears, as if
there were a legion of Queen Mab's
trumpeters heralding her coming. Round
and round the room it circles. I never
heard the like before. What may it mean?
Closer and still more close it comes. Anon
it nears my brow, reposing on the pillow,
then, passing, pours its music into my ear.
Oh, murder! Right 'twixt my eyebrows
I feel a stab, as of a bee that stings. Im-
pulsively I raise my hand in self-defence.
In an instant the same weapon pierces my
wrist. By heavens ! the room is full of
trumpeting demons. They crowd as if
they were regiments of Germans through
the open window ; they are in every
corner ! What propitiation to the local
gnomes have I omitted ? What sins have I
committed that I should thus in midnight
hour be harried and chevied by elfin
armies, who prick and pierce me? In
desperation I turn on the light. With
swift clutch of the right hand I grasp at
one of my tormentors. I seize him. I
immolate him on my upturned left. By
the glare of electricity I discern an
insect, small even as a gnat, but oh what
a length of proboscis ! I have never seen

the creature before, but verily I recognise
it as a mosquito. My dream of fairy
sprites. Is it dissipated thus? — thus have I
travelled all these miles only to have my
rest disturbed, and to scrape acquaintance
with this low-bred offspring of Adriatic
mud, that he may puncture me at his will
and fatten on my blood?

But despicable as he is, the enemy is in
possession. What can I do? At mid-
night, in pyjamas, standing by one's bed-
side is not the place nor opportunity "to
think heroics, and the study of the anatomy
of the genus Culex may well be deferred
to a more convenient time. I had satis-
fied myself as to' the identity of my
nocturnal visitor. Now would I seek some
rest. Vain the thought. Through those
long hours which intervened ere morning
broke — one, two, three, four, five — I heard
them all proclaimed — nor truce nor
peace was permitted. Did I seek refuge
'neath the snowy sheets, one more
hazardous than his mates would work his
way betwixt the folds. If by sleep com-
pelled I began to nod, then in serried
masses the attack was forced, while scout-
ing Uhlans made raids into my hair. It is
said that they scorn the native
blood, but that the new arrival is their
favourite morsel. I have good reason to
believe it. Until the morning sun rose in
the eastern horizon they never seemed to
cease their feast. But with his first rays
they recognised their power was over,
and, retreating to their diurnal hiding-
places, left me sore and swollen to what
sleep I might yet attain.

Brightly shone the morning o'er the
azure sea. It was no flattering tale the
faithful mirror told me. On cheek, on brow,
on arm, on wrist the little crimson circles
told where the attack had succeeded.
Venice ! I shall always carry with me the
recollection of thy singular beauties, but
equally shall I never forget that only
night I stayed with thee. — J. Smallwood.

NORTHANTS. B.K.A.

The annual show was held in Abington
Park, Northampton, on August 5th and
6th, in connection with the Municipal
Show of Flowers, &c. The honey exhibits
were not quite so numerous as usual.
Mr. W. Herrod, F.E.S., judged the ex-
hibits and made the following awards : —

Twelve Sections. — 1st, F. Ward, Twy-
well; 2nd, J. Adams, West Haddon.

Extracted (Light). — 1st, J. Adams; 2nd,
N. Stops, Tiffeld; 3rd, J. W. Bocock,
Stony Stratford; 4th, F. Ward; 5th,
W. H. Chambers.

Extracted (Dark).— 1st, F. Belgrove,
Denton; 2nd, Miss E. Scott, Titchmarsh;
3rd J. Adams.

366

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 1, 1914.

Granulated. — 1st, J. Adams; 2nd, Miss
E. Scott; 3rd, W. Batchelor, Stoke
Bruerne.

Three Shallow Frames.— 1st, F. H.
Ireson, Wellingborough; 2nd, J. Adams;
3rd, Miss E. Scott.

Super in Glass and Wood. — 2nd, W.
Batchelor.

Beeswax. — 1st, Miss E. Scott.

NOVICE CLASS.

Sections. — Miss E. Scott.

Extracted (Light). — 1st, J. W. Bocock;
2nd, N. Stops.

Extracted (Dark).— 1st, H. F. Swann,
Northampton; 2nd, J. Shelton, Wollaston;
3rd, F. Belgrove.

SPECIAL PRIZES (OPEN).

1-lb. Jar. — 1st, A. Hiscock, Barton
Seagrave; 2nd, A. Gladding, Northumber-
land; 3rd, A. T. Church, Cardiff; 4th,
A. H. Bowen, Cheltenham; 5th, F. Bird,
Dunmow, Essex.

Special Prize for 1-lb. Jar. — 1st, W.
Patchett, Lincoln; 2nd, F. D. Wills,
Alton, Hants.; 3rd, F. Bird; 4th, A.
Hisoock; 5th, S. J. Miller, Thetford.

All entries in special prizes class will be
given to the Weston Home and the Brix-
worth Workhouse.

Cake, sweetened with Honey. — 1st, Mrs.
Mason, Yardley Gob ion ; 2nd, Miss Florrie
Munn, Wellingborough Road ; 3rd, Mrs.
James Adams, West Haddon ; 4th, Mrs.
R. Hefford, Kingsthorpe.

gejE

A Study in "I.O.W." (p. 295).—
There is a further and not less interesting
explanation of the phenomenon with which
Mr. J. W. Kidd deals, namely, the
manifestation of disease in prime swarms.
This manifestation has been noted " off
and on " ever since the disease became
prevalent, and to suppose that all such
cases owe their inception to hive infection
puts a severe strain upon powers of
credence. It is possible, however, that the
disease exists in the stock ; and that the
extra exertions made by the swarm so
lower its vitality as to render it a prompt
victim. The question is worth an
endeavour to clear, by ensuring a clean
hive for the swarm, and making accurate
note of subsequent development of disease
not only in the swarm but in the parent
stock. Mr. Kidd's explanation is not at
all unreasonable, but I am afraid it also
involves the probability of infection of the
parent stock. There can of course be no

proof that a promptly hived swarm would
have otherwise developed the disease, but
immunity of the parent stock would seem
to favour his theory.

Skeps and Disease (p. 304). — I am much
obliged to Mr. Manley for his support.
His experience, as no doubt he will have
gathered, tallies amazingly with my own.
It is this experience which has led me to
take the stand which has been so criticised.
Since doing so, I have compared notes
with a number of travelling experts and
others, and I may say that all the older-
and more experienced men agree with me.
I must admit that some of the younger
enthusiasts do not, but no doubt they will
in time! An interesting point occurs to
me in connection with the skeppist's
method of taking "heavy" and "light"
stocks. He has been condemned for this
practice as tending to fix mediocre stock.
But it is very doubtful whether there is
anything in the charge. Many of the
ultra-heavy stocks are really honey-bound,
and are not certain either to survive or
to succeed the following year. But the
condemnation implies that the skeppist
should reproduce from the heaviest. Even
if this were possible, better results would
be by no means certain. Experiments in
this direction have been made, by expert
apiarists, with disappointing results. The
lightly-made charge overlooks the fact
that the "middleweight" stocks hold the
same potentialities as the heavy-weight,
champions.

An Expert's Diary (p. 316). — The dis-
belief in the method of detection of foul
brood by means of the nose, reminds me
of an invention of my old friend, Herr
Alleswisser, now, alas ! my friend no
longer. This consists of a kind of
modified anaesthetic apparatus, of which
the tube is attached to the face mask at
one end, and to a kind of hollow antenna
at the other. This antenna is inserted at
the hive entrance at night, and a deep
smell (starkesschnuffelti) taken by the
operator. The inventor claims that he-
can discover single cells of disease by this
method.' Of course it is now impossible to
import the apparatus, but under the pre-
sent liberty to work German patents,
there can be no objection to its construc-
tion in this country. I hope at some
future date to furnish details of a number
of remarkable ideas of this well-known bee-
keeper.

Soft or Hard Candy (p. 328).— I am
unable to see why " D. M. M." should be
puzzled. Our own soft candy is of course
well known to him, and the American
hard candy has been fully described, and
appears to be a kind of barley sugar. If
so, it would still be available for use by
the bees, by reason of its tendency to»

Oct. 1, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

367

soften in a moist atmosphere. But I
think ,a fair trial of both kinds would
convince Dr. Miller of the superiority of
soft candy. If he would get some from
Mr. Fuller, he would be able to make the
experiment. I should like to point out
to " D. M. M." that the proportions
given in the " Guide Book " are not, of
course, the finished proportions, but allow
of considerable boiling down. This I
believe to be quite unnecessary. Perfect
candy can be made, with less risk of error
and vagueness of direction, by using seven
gills (spirit measure) of water to lOlbs. of
sugar. By the way, the recipe which
" D. M. M." quotes from " page 197 " is
not for candy at all but for thick syrup,
which may account for the supposed dis-
crepancy.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

STAMPING OUT " ISLE OF WIGHT "
DISEASE.

[9077] " Random Jottings," p. 346.
The argument that "Isle of Wight"
disease may be stamped out as hydro-
phobia was, seems to me fallacious. There
are no dogs living in a wild state in
England. All dogs belong to somebody or
other, and could be got at, so we could
muzzle all dogs and get rid of the disease.
But even if every diseased hive in the
kingdom were discovered and burnt, there
are plenty of bees in hollow trees, church
and house roofs, and elsewhere, to keep
the disease going. — H. S. Watts.

ECONOMISING HONEY.

[9078] Is not the present awful crisis
the grand opportunity for the British
Bee-keepers' Association? With sugar
100 per cent, up and likely to remain so,
every ounce of honey in the country should
be saved. Can you get every available
expert buzzing round his own district
seeing that not an ounce of honey is lost?

My gardener is an expert. I have just
sent him to see the local expert and secre-

tary of the local Association, and to offer
his services to any possessor of honey
within a cycle ride of here. He is to help
cottagers free, and others can give a trifle,
every penny of which will go to the War
Fund. — S. R. Whitley.

[While commending the above to our
readers, we would advise bee-keepers to
see that they do not rob the bees too much.
Ample stores should be left in the brood
chamber, otherwise the bees will die of
starvation. Sugar will, no doubt, be dear
and difficult to obtain, therefore it will be
well to practise a little self-denial in the
way of sweets for ourselves rather than
allow bees to become extinct. — Eds.]

f/JlKl^S^t

[8978] Moving Bees.— May I trouble
you to give me your advice about moving
my bees ? I purpose to leave here in
December, first week, or February. I
have now eight colonies. I want, if it is
possible, to make the eight into four for
wintering. 1st. Am I too late, if I selec-
ted a fine morning like it has been to-day ?
I have commenced feeding with syrup.
Only one lot have taken any down. 2nd.
How would you advise me to pack the
bees? They are all in W.B.C. hives. Can
they travel in motor van like my furniture
goes in? I am moving to a better
country for the bees, I think. I have
about 2501bs. of honey. 3rd. Is that good?
The shallow frames I have had well
cleaned out by the bees. I have scraped
all wax, •&c, off, and I am putting them
into a tin-lined case. 4th. Will this be
sufficient to protect them in safety to use
next summer? — A. W. Gekrard.

Reply. — (1) It may still be done, but
no time should be lost. (2) Make the body
box fast to the floor-board, cover the
entrance with perforated zinc, make a frame
of wood to fit the top of the brood-box so
that there is an opening in centre lOin. or
12in. square. Tack a piece of perforated
zinc over the opening and screw the frame
down on the top of the frames, zinc upper-
most. The wood should be fin. thick,
which will leave that space between the
zinc and frames for ventilation. Do not
cover over whilst travelling. (3) Yes, if
care is taken that they are not suffocated.
The amount of honey is moderate if from
all eight hives. (4) Yes, put a couple of
balls of naphthaline in box to keep out
moth.

368

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct, 1, 1914.

S. J.Fagan (Dulwich). — Sample of sugar
is not suitable for bee food ; use wbite
sugar.

Waxman (Bristol). — There is nothing
wrong in comb sent; it is quite healthy.
The brown parts are where breeding has
been carried on. You may space the
oombs a little wider, but be certain that
bees cannot get out at the ends of top
bars, and do not forget to close up again
in the spring. If they have five frames
full of stores they will be all right.
Sprinkle some naphthaline under lugs of
frames and put some among quilts.
They do not do much damage. We do
not know the district, but from your
description of the flora it should be good
for bee-keeping.

T. Bright (Weybridge).— (1) Three or
four inches. (2) Flour is only used in
candy in the spring. (3) We prefer to
leave it open. (4) Do not give syrup
during the winter. If they should need
any food then, give a cake of soft candy.

H. J. H. (Winchester).— (1) Ordinary
methylated spirit will do. Any alcoholic
spirjt will dissolve it. (2) Honey will be
all right so long as it is sealed over.

Scotty (Yatton). — (1) Yes. (2) Natives.
(3) Odourless foul brood. (4) Not at
all, most queens will have ceased laying

Honey (Tisbury . — Pure honey will granu-
late sooner or later. Heating it in a
water bath, taking care that the water
does not boil, will check granulation.
Keep it in a warm, dry place, preferably
in the dark.

Suffolk (Leicester). — You may do so, but
it is not advisable.

Honey Samples.

R. S. (Castle Cary). — It is clover honey of
excellent quality, and quite up to show
standard, worth 60s. to 70s. per cwt.

R. W. (Carnarvon).— (1 and 2) It is a
good sample of heather honey.

Suspected Disease.

Bees (Kidderminster). — Bees have "Isle
of Wight " disease. You did not observe
our rule as to name and address.

G. E. M. (Countesthorpe), Reader
(Eccles), T. H. (Birmingham), G. A. P.
(Parkstone), T. E. (Bath).— Bees are
affected with "Isle of Wight" disease.

M. G. (Greenock). — WTe cannot detect any
disease in bees.

A. C. R. (Hanwell), W. T. (Umberleigh),
J. T. (Baildon), C. J. P. (Rothley), and
J. F. L. W. (Southampton). — Bees are
suffering from "Isle of Wight" disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

STRONG surplus stocks far sal©, on 8 frame®,
all wired, full sheet®, foundations, £1 5s.
each, carriage paid; cash with order. — G. A.
GILLETT, More-ton, Glos. v 63

4T> GRAND stocks, 6 frames, plenty stores, 16s.
/■w each; new shallow combs, 4d. each.— OWEN,
Liberal Club, Cheltenham. v '68

HONEY, in 141b. and 28lb. tins, also sections,
for sale, on rail.— MRS. GREEN, Eingring-
hoe Hall, Colchester, Essex. v 70

4 SOUND stocks bees, in Lee's hives, for sale,
very cheap— VINCENT, 132, Croydon-road,
Anerley. v 69

WANTED, honey extractor, geared, good con-
dition—ATKINSON, Benton Hill, Horbury,
Wakefield. y 73

46) LB. choice Hampshire honey, 28s.; sample,
/W 3d.— ARCHER, Anton-road, Andover, Hants.

v 72

F

INEST clover honey, 60s. cwt— KETTRIDGE
& ACOCKS, Sudbury, Suffolk. v 71

F

INEST quality heather honey, 12s. 6d. per doz.
jars f.o.r.— WILSON, Apiary, Belper. v 66

THREE strong stocks, in W.B.C. hives, extra
hives and appliances, very cheap for cash.—
FRV, 38, Sydenham Park, Sydenham. v 65

FOR SALE, few strong old -established colonies,
in odd sized hives, some standard stocks and
nuclei, W.B.C. and other hives, and sundries,
cheap. — MASON, Poplars, Moo-rend, Yardley
Gob ion, Northants. v 64

FOUR stocks of bees, fully stored; extractor
(2 frames); several spar© hives, for sale,
cheap; giving up.— DUNHAM, Bridge-street, Work-
sop, Notts. v 62

FOR SALE, tw^o Spaniel puppies, 9 weeks, also
good double barrel gun.— Apply, H. SEA-
MARK, Willingham, Cambs. v 61

HONEY, excellent quality, at 56s. the cwt., in
281b. tins— R. WATERS, Gestingthorpe,
Essex. v 45

4 YOUNG queens, from healthy, vigorous skeps,
2s. each.— C. PARISH, Addington, Surrey, v 53

CLOVER SECTIONS, 8s. 6d. per dozen;
extracted, 58s. per cwt.; sample, 2d.— SIMCOX,
17, Victoria-rd, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, v 47

Oct. S, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

3G9

HELP ONE ANOTHER.

How often are we told that there is a
great amount of " freemasonry " among
bee-keepers, and numbers of times we hear
of instances that go to prove that this is
so. As far as our experience goes bee-
keepers are almost invariably ready to
help one another. How quickly, too, do
people who are complete strangers to each
other fraternise and enjoj' comparing notes
when they discover that they are each and
all bee-keepers. There probably has never
been a more favourable opportunity than
the last few weeks for bee-keepers to put
their "freemasonry" to a practical test.
We wonder how many of the thousands of
our young men — aye, and numbers of those
of mature years also — who have in one way
or another responded to their country's call,
either leaving their regular employment,
or doing extra duty in addition to it, are our
brethren in the craft of bee-keeping, and
who may, owing to their ready response
to the call of duty, not have been able
to properly attend to the wants and neces-
sitiesof their bees. We have had bee-keepers
call on us for a few minutes chat, and
had letters from others who have not had a
chance to* look to their bees for weeks.
It would be an act of brotherly kindness
for any bee-keeper who has to stay at
home, if he has no special duty to perform,
but just keep on at " business as usual,"
to give a helping hand to those who have
gone away, if only by seeing that their
bees are safely packed for winter. A lady
who is well known in bee-keeping circles
called at our office the other day to> in-
quire if we knew of anyone near her home
in need of such help, which she was willing
to give free of charge. We heartily com-
mend her example to others.

THE NATIONAL RELIEF FUND.

We have received from one of the joint
secretaries of the National Relief Fund a
copy of a song entitled "The Homes they
Leave Behind," which has just been pub-
lished by Messrs. Enoch and Sons for the
benefit of the National Relief Fund.

The song is one of direct appeal for sup-
port to the Fund, and should help it much,
for Mr. Walter Rubens's music is of a
tuneful and catchy nature, which will, it
is believed, gain wide popularity, while
Mr. Harold Begbie's words should arouse
ready sympathy. We give the words of
the chorus :

•• Men are rolling up in thousands,

And they've flung their jobs behind,
They have kissed the girls and mothers,

And they've told them not to mind.
You have called them to the colours,
Where the battle breaks and foams,
Well ! they're rolling up in thousands,

It's for you to help their homes."
The price of the song, full music size, is
Is. net, and the entire profits are to be
devoted to the National Relief Fund, and
the Variety Artists' Benevolent Fund, the
former taking seventy-five per cent, and
the latter twenty-five per cent.

BEE-KEEPING AND SUNDRIES.

THE SEASON ON THE COTSWOLDS.

The honey season would have been a
record one had not the limes failed in
July, owing to the dull and cool weather
that prevailed just then. Many of the
main roads of Cheltenham are lined with
these fine trees, but this season there were
few days on which the merry hum of the
bees could be heard amongst the drooping
blossoms. With hives strong and warm
sunshine in the early part of the year, it
was not long before the bees were up in
supers, and they stored quite a lot of
honey before the sainfoin blossomed. The
average seems to be about 501bs. per hive,
while the number of swarms that issued
was rather more than usual. Bees have
been wonderfully good tempered, especially
towards the latter end of the season.

Even the stock that " did used to terrify
I, and sarve I out summut awful" made
no demur when I took off the last two
supers of "deeps" for the season. It has
been a real pleasure to work amongst the
bees all day; and not receive more than
half-a-dozen stings !

Some bee-keepers are very happy-go-
luck}-. They read their bee-books and
their journals, but it often seems like
water on a duck's back, for they do the
things which they ought not to do, and
leave undone those things which they
ought to have done, and so there is often
no health — in their bees, at least !

It is about time now that hives which
have their proper quantity of stores
should be made comfortable for the winter.
Two or three good newspapers over the
quilts or escape-board, and pressed down
tightly by the lift, excludes all draught ;
and if they are left a little higher in the
centre, any rain which may leak through
the roof runs away at the sides.

Most of our roofs are flat ones covered
with galvanized iron, but some have
wooden covers, and last winter when the
rain in a few instances penetrated, it
simply trickled away, and out between the
lift and body. But for the paper it might
have chilled the poor bees to death.

370

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 8, 1914.

I have lately settled a hundred hives for
winter, and the goldens esjjeeially are
very strong, with the frames full of
sainfoin or clover stores. Experience
seems to show that the earlier bees are
closed down in the autumn the sooner
they commence work in the spring, be-
cause they are not worn out by excessive
disturbance or breeding late in the season.

If the hive is built of good wood and
the bee-man settles it comfortably and
snugly for the winter by, say, October
15th, he need not trouble further about it
for seven months, unless, perhaps, to
satisfy himself occasionally that no
malicious person has turned the hive up-
side down, or taken it away altogether.
— A. H. Bowen, Cheltenham.

EXTRACTS FROM AN EXPERT'S

DIARY.

By J. Herrod.

(Continued from page 316.)
There is a right and a wrong way — or
perhaps it would be more correct to say
one right and several wrong ways —
to do most things, and this is especially
true of commencing bee-keeping. I have
noticed several of the wrong ways, not only
when on tour, but have had them brought
to my notice during " question time,"
when giving demonstrations at shows, &c.
Far too many people commence by first
purchasing a hive and bees, afterwards
reading the matter up, or worrying a
neighbour to help them out. The follow-
ing cutting from a North Country paper
fairly illustrates this method : " Dear
Sir, — Having commenced bee-keeping
with a total outfit of three books, one
stock and no experience, I should be grate-
ful to' any bee-keeper in the neighbour-
hood of Glasgow who would allow me to
inspect his apiary at work. I am, etc.,
Novice." I have been asked in all serious-
ness if it was not possible to commence by
buying some comb and a queen, plac-
ing them in a hive, then catching some
bees as they were at work on the flowers
and putting them in the hive to the
queen! One day I called at a farm in
Devonshire, in the garden of which there
were a couple of frame hives, both stocked
with bees. I found the owner, a young
farmer, very anxious to obtain informa-
tion about them, as he knew nothing
whatever about bee-keeping. Have I not
read that "Some are born to greatness;
others have it thrust upon them"? This
farmer had certainly had bee-keeping
"thrust upon him." He had only 'been
at the farm a few weeks, and the bees
were included in the valuation for tenant
right, and therefore he had to "take to"
them, and was quite delighted to have
someone look inside the hive, a, thing he
had not dared to do. Nor was it pos-

sible to even guess how long a. time had
elapsed since the combs had been last,
examined. The frames appeared to be
glued fast, and defied all my efforts to move
them. The thumb and two forefingers, as re- .
commended some time ago by Col. Walker,,
were no good at all, nor was a screw-
driver any more effective. The farmer
therefore went for a strong "cold" chisel,
but while he was away I noticed near by an
old potato fork with a broken handle. One
of the prongs used as a lever under the
lug of a frame had the desired effect.

No wonder the frame was so fast, for a
lAin. nail had been driven through each
lug into the hive-side, and every frame
was nailed in the same manner. The
accumulation of propolis, &c, on the
top of frames, prevented the heads
of the nails being seen. There were
very few bees in the hive, but I
have not forgotten the pleased and sur-
prised exclamations of their owner as they
were lifted out. What he could not
understand was why the bees did not.
"take wing." When the queen was
pointed out to him his delight was un-
bounded. I now, of course, knew what to
expect at the next hive, but in this case
not only were the frames nailed, but the
queen excluder was also nailed down !

A contrast to these were the hives of a
young joiner, all of them his own make
and in very good order. Unfortunately,,
he was not at home when I called, so I
had a chat with his mother, with whom he
lived. The old lady was quite ready to
talk and tell me all about bees, as she
had kept them " years ago." (This young
man was evidently " born to bee-keep-
ing.") I found, however, that though the
hives were up-to-date, the same could not
be said of some of her ideas and notions
of how bees should be managed. It was
probably fortunate for them that she was-
too old and infirm to look after them. I
was informed that a sparrow was a fine
thing on which to feed bees occasionally.
If it was plucked and placed on the
alighting board the bees would eat it.
This is the first and only time I have
heard that bees are carnivorous,
although I have, like most other bee-
keepers, heard that it was proper to give
them cake and wine on certain occasions.
Naturally I expressed some doubt as to
the bees utilising the sparrow as an article
of diet, but the old lady was quite
indignant at my want of belief, and
declared somewhat warmly, "I have done
it myself, so I know. I put a sparrow on
the ' light ' board one evening and the
next day it was eaten." After that, of
course, there was no more to be said on
the subject, so I diplomatically turned the
conversation into another channel.

(To be continued.)

Oct. 8, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 371

«^s>

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES*

Procuring Surplus.
(Continued from Page 361.)
Do not put the empty super on top of a full one, or the bees may refuse to take
possession of it, and swarm instead. The best time to put on the empty super is
mid-day when the bees are hard at work. Many will be out in the fields foraging,
so the hive will not be too' crowded, and the operation can be carried out comfortably
without loss of bee life by crushing. When the bees are working at full pressure,
draw the entrance slides right out so that they may not be impeded, in the least in
coming out or going into the hive.

If the honey-flow comes on at a time when the stocks are not quite up to full
strength, surplus can often be obtained by crowding them on to eight or nine combs.
Stocks, so treated will require careful attention afterwards to get them into proper
condition for wintering. *

In the case of shallow -comb supers, the honey should be allowed to remain on the
hive as long as possible to ripen thoroughly. " What do you mean by ripening
honey? " asks the beginner. Generally he is so anxious to take off his first surplus
that he overlooks this important factor in the process of obtaining good saleable
honey, that will keep for any length of time when properly stored. I have tasted
honey over thirty years old which was as good in flavour and aroma as on the day it
was taken off, simply because it was harvested and stored in a proper manner.

Honey, when first placed in the cells, contains an excessive amount of moisture,,
which, if allowed to remain, would eventually cause fermentation. This is
evaporated by heat generated by the bees, it condenses on the inner walls
of the hive trickles down to the floor board, and runs away at
the entrance. To see this, go to a stock very early in the morning,
when the honey-flow is at its height, and vou will see the moisture coming away from
the entrance. All the bees being home at night, evaporation takes place quicker
then than at any other time. To' facilitate this the bees change the honey from one
cell to another, so that the heat can penetrate the liquid better, just as good wine is
racked off into other bottles from time to time to mature it and get rid of the
sediment.

As mentioned before, the empty super should always be placed underneath the full
one, to prevent over-crowding and swarming. Here we have illustrated another
important reason why the partly-fniecTsuper should be at the top. Heat rises, there-
fore by lifting to the top it is placed in the warmest part of the hive, so that the
honey ripens more quickly.

When thoroughly ripe, and not until, except in very rare instances, the bees seal
over the honey hermetically with cappings made of pure bees-wax. If sealed over
by the bees or removed by the bee-keeper before it is ripe, the same result occurs that
would happen in the case of insufficiently boiled jam placed in -jars and tied down ;
fermentation takes place, and the honey is spoilt.

Tiering up of supers must be carried out with care and foresight, to avoid having a
number of combs at the end of the season with a quantity of unsealed honey in
them. By the exercise of a little trouble this can be avoided ; in fact, in small
apiaries there is no excuse for such a condition.

We will suppose, as an illustration, that the second super has been on for some-
time, and that in it, as well as the upper one, there are combs complete and incom-
plete. Instead of putting on a third super, remove the fop one, take out the
incompleted combs and replace them with completed ones from the second super.
iPut all the unsealed and incomplete combs into the second super remaining on the
nive ; by the reduction of space the bees are crowded and complete the work, whereas
if a third super is added they will commence working upon it, and if the honey-
flow ceases before it is finished a number of combs containing unsealed and unripe

372

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 8, 1914.

honey will be left. Although this would not be wasted, as it can be got into-
condition artificially, it entails a lot of extra work and trouble; also the honey is never
so good as when ripened by the bees in the natural way.

Fig. io.

The beginner is, as a rule, anxious to do the best he can for his bees, and in his-
anxiety is apt to be over zealous. For instance, he reads that to prevent the bees
from swarming a good plan is to cut out queen-cells, so he goes every other day to

Oct. S, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

373

the supered stock, removes the supers, and searches diligently for queen-cells.
If the first super is put on and others added at the right time this is unnecessary.
Let them alone as much as possible compatible with proper management, and they
will thrive the better for it. If it is considered necessary to remove queen-cells
(this can easily be ascertained by the bees crowding at the entrance, although every-
thing possible has been done in the way of adding supers, giving ventilation, &c),
then examine the brood-nest and remove all queen-cells. The work should be done
at mid-dav, for the reason given previously. As each comb is taken out brush off
the bees, or they may be cleared more quickly by shaking. The various methods
of doing this are shown in (Fig. io). At No. i the comb is raised and then
lowered rapidly to near those in the hive and then stopped with a sudden jerk,
Xo. 2, when all the bees will be dislodged into the hive. Another method is to
hold the frame corner wise by one lug in the left hand, so that the right can be
raised to use as a hammer, No. 3, with which the back of the left hand is struck
smartly, Xo. 4. when the bees will be dislodged. Xo*. 5 shows how the bees are
removed by raising the comb half way out and then bumping the hands
on the side of the hive, every queen-cell and com mencement of cells can then be
seen at once and destroyed. I defy the most experienced bee-keeper to do this work
thoroughly without removing the bees ; if even the base of a queen-cell is missed the
labour is in vain, for the bees will swarm, as they intended. It is advisable to place
a board slanting from the entrance to> the ground as for hiving a swarm, so that those
bees which drop outside the hive during their removal from the combs may get back
without trouble. Should all quieten down the operation need not be repeated, but if
at the end of about nine or ten days the bees again crowd at the entrance then make
another examination.

We will now suppose that the top super is complete, and the honey all sealed
over. As customers are waiting for supplies it is imperative that some is obtained
for them as quickly as possible to retain their custom and prevent them taking up
the sale of foreign produce.

{To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

SKEPS AND DISEASE.

[9079] lie "iSkeps and Disease," page
366, I, too, would have welcomed Mr.
Manby's support of Mr. Crawshaw's stand
for the skep, but I failed to discover any-
thing fresh to consider. Certainly the
title we have now, bears no relation to the
•original discussion. I don't remember any

of the critics claiming for the skep
"disease liability," but that, when once
contracted, it was " practically impossible
to remove." I will endeavour not to com-
pare the two systems in so many words, or
] shall be probably brought to book, but
whether "ultra-heavy" or "mediocre"
(which should possess the best queens?)
or " light," the movable comb system lends
itself to remedy easiest, both for the bees
and their owner ; in taking honey or
decreasing stock, without loss of life, and
referring to our title again, "health."
But for my own part I would beg Mr.
Crawshaw to get this further evidence put
on paper in the interests of the younger
enthusiasts, as life is short and we are
progressing, and we want to leave nothing
behind. In a few years' time I think
and hope we shall have a lot to thank our
" Isle of Wight " disease for. But the
'"home" must inevitably be the most
easily "cleaned," and adaptable to
"humane" requirements, that can be
conceived. Thereby is the shortest
cut to "light" and education. — A. H.
Ham slab.

3T4

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 8, 1914.

WEATHER REPORT.

AVestbourne, Sussex.

September, 1914.

Rainfall, 1.67in.

Below aver., .57in.

Heaviest fall, .45in.
on 12th.

Rain fell on 10 days.

Sunshine, 230.3 hrs.

Above average, 53.8
hours .

Brightest clay, 1st
and 2nd3 11.4 hrs.

Sunless days, 0.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 76 on 4th.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 36 on 23rd.

Minimum on grass,

29 on 30th.
Frosty nights, 0.
Mean maximum, 65.1.
Mean minimum, 48.5.
Mean temperature,

56.8.
Above average, .8.
Maximum barometer,

30.407 on 30th.
Minimum barometer,

29.633 on 17th.

L. B. BlEKETT.

w&s,

SfTSpgSf

[8979] Stock Dwindling. — Last spring
one of my colonies of bees killed their
queen and requeened themselves. During
the summer they have gathered scarcely
any honey, not enough to take them
through the winter. On examination I
find there are a lot of young dead bees in
cells, although the larvae look healthy. Can
you tell me what is wrong with them, as
I have not seen anv bees crawling? —
H. T. L.

Reply. — We cannot say without an
•examination.

'G. H. I. (Llanberis). — Not so far as we
can remember. The Canadian pattern.

W. Mudge (Devon).— (1) Queen is a
young one, and does not appear to have
mated. (2) Probably not to a beginner.
The wings are usually frayed, and the
body shiny and almost black, owing to
it being denuded of hair.

I\ C. AY. (Cambs.). — We cannot say with-
out examination. You do not say
whether the "dark patches" were
empty comb, or if the cells were sealed
over.

C. M. C. (Painswick). — The simplest way
is by means of a "Gerster" wax ex-
tractor. It may be extracted in an
oven. The wax is placed in a sieve or
wire gauze strainer over a basin con-
taining water. The wax will melt and
percolate through the strainer, dropping
into the water below, on which it floats.
When all the wax is melted it is allowed
to cool gradually, when the cake of wax
may be removed. The heat of the oven
should not exceed 172deg. Fahr. Do
not attempt to extract in- a sauce-
pan over the fire.

Honey Samples.
A. P. (Tattingstone). — Sample is mainly
from clover; good quality worth about
60s. per cwt.

Suspected Disease.
G. H. J. (Llanberis), N. D. M. (Bishop's
Stortford), and " Artefs " (Pembroke).
— Bees are suffering from " Isle of
Wight " disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

F

INESQ English honey, 60s. per cwt.; sample,
2d.— DUTTON, Terling, Wdtham, Essex, v 4

FINEST clover honey, 65s. per cwt., carriage
forward; sample, 2d— BUTTON, Manse
Cottage, Haverhill, Suffolk. v 85

HONEY, 1 cwt. clover, 73s., carriage paid;
sample, Id. stamp.— DR. LLOYD, Cradley
Heath, Staffs. v 86

OFFER required for twenty-four shallow frames
honey, mostly heather, all sealed.— LASH-
BROOK.. Lynton, Devon. v 87

BEE STOCKS, on eight full frames, strong,
healthy, 21s.; also straw stocks, full, 12s. 6d.,
f.o.r.— HAINES, 22, Guildford-road, Tunbridge
Wells. v 84

FOR SALE, seven young ferrets, 2s. 9d. each;
exchange pullets— F. COUSINS, Mister-
ton, v 83

GENUINE heather honey, from moors near
Buxton, 12s. dozen jars, f.o.r— HUTCHIN-
SON, bee-keeper, Leek. v 82

TWENTY stocks of bees, in W.B.C. hives; also
quantity of appliances, going cheap to clear;
particulars on. application.— Box 20, "B.B.J.", 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C. v 81

BARGAIN, a number of double walled hives,
all interchangeable, W.B.C. principle, 6s.
each, condition guaranteed.— STAPLEY, Potton,
Beds. v 79

Oct. 15, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

375

NaxxuNAL RELIEF FUND.

LETTER FROM H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Buckingham Palace,

October 5th, 1914.
On the 6th August I appealed to the
nation to assist me in founding a National
Fund to prevent and alleviate military and
civil distress arising in consequence of the
war. To-day, after the lapse of exactly
two months, I am happy to say that the
Fund has reached the splendid total of
three million pounds. I wish to take this
opportunity of thanking once more the
many thousands of generous subscribers
who have helped me to achieve this grand
result.

I have delegated the responsibility of
administering the Fund to the Executive
Committee which I have appointed on the
advice of the Prime Minister, and I count
upon the Committee to see that assistance
in emergency cases is adequate, and given
with as little delay as circumstances per-
mit. I trust that the portion of the Fund
which is to be applied in relief of civil
distress may, as far as possible, flow into
productive channels, such as assisting
schemes for male and female employment
and perhaps industrial training; for it is
as repugnant to me as it must be to the
recipients, that assistance should be dis-
tributed only in the form of doles. What
men most want is work, and what the
young people need is training.

The sum which has already been raised
is magnificent, and I am confident that
the generous British public will continue
to do their utmost to alleviate the distress
which war inevitably brings in its train.

Edward.

HONEY JUDGING COMPETITION.

The Dairy Show is always more or less
of an " event " to bee-keepers. It is the
last important show of the season, and
during the show week a Conversazione is
held by the British Bee-Keepers' Asso-
ciation. This year more interest than
usual attaches to the Dairy Show, as so i
many other shows, including the Grocers'
Exhibition, have been "postponed till
1915." Another reason for increased
interest is the new venture, a " Honey
Judging Competition," which we hope will
be a success. That there is need for some
method of training judges will be con-
ceded, we think, by all our readers, for
the judging even at some of the more im-
portant shows is not always satisfactory,
and is much less so at the smaller and
local shows. No doubt a bee-keeper, by
consistently exhibiting honey for competi-

tion year by year at numerous shows, be-
comes a very fair judge of the honey pro-
duced in his or her own district, and
knows what qualities will be the most
likely to meet with success on the show-
bench. Still, his knowledge is local and
is probably confined to one class of honey.
Should he undertake the duties of judge
at a show where there are classes for, say,
•'light." "medium," •'dark," and
heather honeys, he finds he is handi-
capped in one or more classes through
having handled very little, if any, of those
particular kinds of honey. If honey
judging competitions could be arranged
not only by the parent association,
but also by the county associations a
good work might be done in educating
bse-keepers in judging. To do this suc-
cessfully, however, there should be a good
range of samples available, not only from
different sources, but of different qualities.
The Conversazione of members and
friends will be held at The Lecture Hall,
Zoological Gardens, on Thursday, Oct.
22nd. Tea will be provided free for all at
5 p.m. At 4 p.m. a lecture will be given
by Mr. D. Wilson, on " The Management
of an Apiary for the Production of
Heather and other Honeys where the
Crops are Situated about Twenty Miles
Apart. At 6 p.m. a lecture, illustrated by
lantern slides, will be given by Mr. A.
Richards, on " Bees in Relation to Flowers
and Fruit." During the tea any novelties
and articles of interest sent for exhibition
will be shown. It is hoped members will
bring as many friends as possible, ladies
being especially invited. The time of open-
ing of the Conversazione has been altered
from 5.30 to 4 p.m., the meeting to close
at 8 p.m. This will, it is ho]:>ed, enable
those from the provinces to be present
right through the meeting. The nearest
station is Camden Town Tube, or a motor-
'bus (service No. 3) from Piccadilly
Circus, takes visitors almost to the door of
the hall.

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By George Hayes, Beeston, Notts.

RED CLOVER.

( Trifolium pratense.)

No. 31. NAT. ORD. LEGUMINOS.E
PAPILIONACE^:.

(Continued from page 353.)
This plant is as familiar to all
as is the White Clover (T. re pens), and
will be found in bloom from May to Sep-
tember. It thrives upon almost any kind
of soil, but is most luxuriant upon clay
and loam. It is often sown with corn in
spring and allowed to grow on after the
former is cut, and so forms a profitable
crop alone the following year.

Manv bee-keepers will wonder why I
include this in the list of nectar-pro-

376

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 15, 1914.

ducing plants, for they will probably think
that although it may produce nectar, the
hive bee gets very little of it, more
especially as so much has been said and
written about — and I believe our American
cousins have tried to produce — a longer
tongued bee for the purpose of working
on this flower. They may also think that
if the nectar were obtained, it would pro-
duce a dark coarse honey, and I must
confess that I was of this same opinion
until recently.

I knew that our hive bees worked upon
the second crop in favourable seasons, and
also in times of drought, for under both

times as worthy of a prize ; but 1 was
unable to find out its source until about
a year ago. A sample of very light honey
was sent to me for microscopical investi-
gation as to its source, and I found it
contained only one kind of pollen grain,
which of course indicated that it had been
gathered absolutely from one source. Now
such a thing scarcely ever occurs in this
country, for in all the samples of British
honey I have examined — and I have
examined many — I have always found
more than one kind of pollen grain.
Although it was a nice honey in taste, of
good light colour, though somewhat lack-

POLLEN FROM RED CLOVER.

these conditions the growth of the flower
is dwarfed, consequently the corolla, or
tube, is considerably shortened; but the
honey obtained at these times was gener-
ally dark in colour. This I attributed to
the Red Clover, but I have since found
that the dark colour and heavy flavour
was caused by nectar from other plants
growing and yielding at the same time.
I have also known of a very pleasant
flavour in what was considered to be
White Clover honey, and which has been
picked out by several judges at different

ing in density, T was forced to the con-
clusion that it must be a foreign product;
for in the vastness of crops abroad one
may expect to find a sample gathered from
one source.

T, however, afterwards received a letter
from the owner of the honey in question
who stated how his bees had been working
on a good second crop of clover after he
had put on the extracted combs to be
cleaned out, and that when he came to
remove them he found them again filled. He
had noticed this Red Clover blooming with

Oct. 15, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

377

scarcely any other flowers about, and he
had no reason to doubt that it had been
obtained from this source. Although I
had not the least doubt on 'the veracity
of this statement, I obtained from him a
one pound sample and found it coincided
with the previous one.

The reasons I failed to recognise the
pollen grain as British was that from
some yet unaccountable cause it had
grown very much farther than any I had
obtained from the same species, and
larger than I have been able to force them
to since; but I hope to be able to find out
the cause of this by further investigation.
The difference in the grains is shown at
Xos. 8 and 9.

From the foregoing^ it will be seen that
under favourable circumstances — that is,
favourable to the bee-keeper, though in
one case unfavourable to the farmer — our
bees do gather nectar from this plant, and
1 am inclined to think they do so to a
larger degree than many have thought
possible. This plant is often found in
abundance growing on the roadsides, and
some may think these dwarf specimens a
different .species from that growing in the
meadows, but this is not so. The extra
luxuriance of this meadow clover is the
result of cultivation, such as the careful
selection of seed, richer soils, etc.

We learn that the Red Clover was first
introduced into notice as a food for cattle
by Sir Richard Weston, our Ambassador
to the Low Countries, in 1(545, yet it Mas
not until about the end of the seventeenth
century that it was recognised as worthy
of extensive cultivation.

Its specific name, '' pratense," refers to
its home, as being in the meadows and
pasture lands. The common name
"Trefoil" and generic title " Trif olium "
each testify to the habit of growth, the
combination of three leaflets in one leaf.
By some it is called " Marl grass," for
what definite reason T am unable to. state,
unless it refers to the marble shaped
heads, or to the fact that it succeeds best
on marl or clayey soils. Others define it
as the " Meadow honeysuckle," not be-
cause it resembles the plant of that name,
but certainly from the same reason that
the name was applied to the true
honeysuckle, as anyone may know who will
pluck a flower from either of these plants,
and suck the base of the corolla or tube.
Country children often pick the flower
heads for the purpose of extracting the
sweet nectar (which they call honey) from
them. I remember frequently doing so
mvself, and for this reason in some dis-
tricts it is called "Honey suck."

The colour of the pollen grain when dry
is yellow by reflected light and paler by
transmitted light, and measures -y^^ra. by
yJ^in. In. form it is an oval divided into

three very distinct lobes by three deeply
cut grooves running from end to end, and
is slightly rough on the surface. A
section through the middle is seen at
No. 3.

It is usually very slow in changing its
form, and in honey does not at first alter
as seen at Xos. 4 and •">. but swells slightly
and becomes more transparent; but if left
for a long time in the honey it may be
found as sbown at No. 6, having assumed
a more spherical form and with very
slight process.

AVhen taken from honey, the grains,
that up to this time had retained the form
of No. 4, will have developed into those
as shown at Nos. 6 and 7, whilst those-
of No. (i will assume the more triangular
form with clear processes, as seen at No. 8.
In remote cases they appear to develop
still further, becoming larger and with
dense processes as shown at No. 9. The
measurement of No. 8 is T^in. and of No. 9
_jl__ in., taken from process to process.
{To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HONEY JUDGING COMPETITION.
OCTOBER 22nd, 1914.

[9080] As I am very anxious this com-
petition shall create much interest and
draw many competitors I shall be glad
if you will kindly allow me to supplement
the notice which appears in The British
Bee Journal by explaining how it is pro-
posed to carry out the competition.

Each competitor will be provided with
a card, upon which he (or she) will write-
the source from which each sample has,
in their opinion, been gathered; they will
also be asked to place the three samples
which they consider best in order of merit,
i.e., as first, second, and third prizes.
The completed papers will be placed in a.
ballot-box, and when examined five marks
will be given for each sample correctly
described, and further marks for placing

78

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 15. 1914.

the winning exhibits in same order as they
have been placed by competent judges
before the competition takes place. At an
early date full particulars will be given
in The British Bee Journal, and
competitors will thus be able to see how
far they were correct in their adjudica-
tion and note their failures for future
guidance, and thus receive a real useful
lesson as the result of their attempts. No
notice of entry is required. — Arthur G.
Pugh.

HONEY JUDGING COMPETITION.

[9081] I am very pleased to see that
something is to be done at last towards
educating bee-keepers to enable them to
become competent judges. We have too
many of the other variety, especially at
the smaller shows. Too often at these
local shows the task of judging the honey
is put on the shoulders of someone who is
adjudicating in some other department
of the show — flowers or fruit, &c. No
doubt the expense entailed by appointing
a judge for each section of a show is the
reason this is not done at the small and
local shows, but it is unfair both to the
judge and the competitors. I recollect the
first time my brother and I awarded
prizes for honey it was done quite " un-
officially." We had not been bee-keepers
more than two years, and had just begun
to take an interest in showing. We were
in charge of a large marquee at a local
show, where there were a couple of classes
for honey. These, of course, attracted our
attention, and as they were near the
entrance, we amused ourselves by try-
ing to conjecture which would win.
After the judging was completed, we were
surprised to find that the judge's opinion
of the honey had exactly coincided with
our own — until we discovered that an
elderly gardener, who had stood near us
when we were examining the honey (I
ought to say we did not taste it) was the
judge. He had gone to judge garden pro-
duce and been asked to judge honey also,
though he knew nothing about it. Over-
hearing our conversation and thinking we
knew something about honey, he just gave
theorizes as he heard us allocate them. It
is not, however, at the small shows alone
that the judging is unsatisfactory, but at
some of the larger ones. I have heard of
a judge who had a partiality for honey
tainted by carbolic acid, and gave it
honours at several shows, and of others
who give one sample of honey first prize
in one class and under almost identical
conditions will pass it over entirely in
another class. — J. Herrod.

SOMETHING ABOUT ROBBING.

[9082] Of all the nuisances, there are

few like robbing, and it is far worse than
a nuisance when it brings home foul brood
or " Isle of Wight " disease. Even when a
stock is not overpowered, all its work is
apt to be suspended as the result of an
attack by robbers, and if they do not get
in to-day they will do so to-morrow, a
week hence, or at some other time. The
nucleus that is attacked would suffer less
harm if we shut it completely up and let
the bees fly only once a fortnight or so.

By dint of great effort and much grass
and cold water we can stave off even a
ferocious attack, but the least reminder or
change of mood on the part of the robbers
will bring them back days after they have
completely cleared off. The bee books tell
us to be careful not to spill syrup near
these weak hives. But if any sweet is ex-
posed anywhere near the robber hive,
though it be a long way from the nucleus,
it will start the robbers out on a general
looting expedition, and bring trouble
everywhere. There is no remedy like
making all our increase in May. getting
all stocks strong and rich by September,
and thenceforward leaving everything
quiet.

But here is one more chance for him
who has weak little lots in October and a
stock near with robbing propensities. It
will be found that a small lot, unless very
cosily hived, gets up rather late in the
morning, and the robbers descend upon it
before the guard is properly set. I should
think it would be a good plan to close these
nuclei over night and open their door
about nine in the morning, when they are
awake enough to deal with trespassers.—
G. G. Desmond, Sheepscombe. Stroud,
Glos.

Cm|k£sJ

[8980] Greek Hive.— Although I have
taken a casual interest in bees for some
thirty years, it is only now I have taken
up the subject in a practical form. The
other day I came across a description of
an early form of frame-hive — used on
Mount Hymettus, in Greece, about 1800 —
'' so arranged that a comb may be taken
out easily without bruising." And the
method of increasing in the spring is
described, viz., "by taking out the sticks
and comb with bees on either side, and
transferring to another hive, which is
placed in the position of the old one. doing

Oct. 15, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

this about midday, so that returning bees
strengthen the new hive." Further, the
honey is " taken about August in the
same manner, leaving only such a
quantity as will keep the bees in the
winter." This is so like the '•modern"
method that I wonder if .this old
procedure is referred to in any bee book.
iSo far 1 have not seen any reference to it
in a modern work, which seems to put
Langstroth (1853) as the founder of this
method.— E. C. M.

Replv. — The description you allude to is
taken from George "Wheeler's " Journey in
Greece."' published first in 1682. It con-
tains an illustration of the Greek beehive
in Book VI.. page 412. which Ave here

bars placed on the top, to which the bees
attached the combs. A flat circular straw
mat was placed over them, and a conical
hackle covered the hive. There were no
frames, so the bees fastened the combs to
the sides, the tapering form of the skep
enabling them to be easily lifted out when
the attachments were severed. Similar
hives are used to this day, and we have
a jncture showing thirteen of them in an
apiary at Mount Hymettus. In the hives
of the present day the bars do not project,
but fit into a shoulder rebate at top. so
that the cover fits close. The modern
frame-hive has superseded the bar-hive, so
that the latter is seldom alluded to in
modern works.

lib. VI

illustrate. It is not a frame-hive, and you
will see that it differs from the Langstroth
hive in that it has no frames but only
bars. to which the combs are attached.
The hive is described in many books
besides the one cpioted above, and several
modifications have been in use both in
this country and on the Continent of
Europe. Allusion is made to it in Dr.
Sevan's work on " The Honey Bee," and
R. Golding in his " Shilling Bee Book "
illustrates it with his improvement, which
consists of inserting a piece of glass in the
side of the skep for observation purposes.
J. Mills, in his " Essay on the Manage-
ment of Bees," illustrates the hive and
fully describes the method of management,
quoting freely from Mr. Wheeler's work.
The Greek hive is a straw skep wider at
the top than at the bottom, and contains

[8981] Name of Insect. — I enclose an
insect. Can you tell me what it is? It
is not a bee. wild sawfly, or horse fly.
Please give the scientific name. — Medico
iCheddleton).

Reply. — The insect is a drone fly
(Eristalis tena.r).

[8982] 'Removal of Riven and Bees.— I
am changing my garden on 12th Novem-
ber but can be allowed to ieave the bees
longer if necessary. The new garden is
about 100 yards away — the other side
of some trees. (1) When will it be safe
to make the move, and (2) what pre-
cautions ought I to take — doing up
the entrances, time of day. etc.? I shall
be grateful for early information. —
J. David Paul.

Reply. — (1) You may move them any

180

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 15, 1914

time when the bees have been confined to
the hive for about a fortnight by cold
weather. As a further precaution, you
may place some obstacle in front of the
entrance for a few days after removal
should bees be flying, either a piece of
clear glass reared up slantwise or a hand-
ful of dried grass laid loosely on the
alighting board. (2) As the distance is so
short you may just close the entrances
by means of the slides, or some dried
grass pushed in loosely. The best time of
day is the evening.

[8983] Bees Dwindling.— I should feel
very much obliged if you would tell me,
through The British Bee Journal, the
reason of the following case that has hap-
pened to one of my hives this year. A
very strong stock of bees, in an eleven-
frame hive, perfectly healthy, had filled
two boxes of shallow combs and partly
filled a section rack. These were all
removed late in July, the hive then being
crowded with bees. Being away from
home the hive was not inspected till the
middle of September, the hive then was
all but empty of bees, there being not
more than a pint of them left; they had
a young queen with them and a small
patch of brood, with any amount of food,
and all perfectly healthy. I cannot under-
stand what became of the huge stock.
Would they swarm as late as August?
or lose their queen? There were no dead
bees in or round the hive. If you can
give me any information I should be very
much obliged. — E. G. H.. Sherwood,
Notts.

Beply. — The bees probably swarmed
more than once. As it was late in the
season i% might be two or three weeks
before the young queen mated, so that
quite likely there have been no young bees
coming along for perhaps six or eight
weeks to take the place of those gone
away, or to make up for the loss of bees
from natural causes in the meantime.

Disgusted (Stafford). — We cannot im-
prove upon the remark of a medical
friend who brought the same paragraph
for us to see to which you allude. He
is a specialist in mental diseases, and
said. " When a person tries to make puns
of that description it is the first sure
symptom of imbecility.''

F. Twemlow (France). — (1) The district
can be no good for bees, probably what
few flowers there are secrete very little
nectar. (2) The bees should be in one
box only on one lot of combs ; take away
the combs with least food in them, or
any that are too old or otherwise un-
desirable.

M.Harman (Beckenham). — (1) The pre-
cautions you have taken will be ample.
It will be quite safe to use the hives
again. (2) Some of the hive manu-
facturers may have a stand at the
Dairy Show next week.

Honey Samples.

A. E. W. (Wisbech). — It is honey dew.
You might use it for bee food in the
spring, but it is not suitable for winter
food. Your best plan is to try and sell
it to a chemist who makes up cattle
medicines.

C. S. Kusel (Allerton). — Both samples are
good. There is very little difference
between them, but we prefer No. 2.
They should sell for at least Is. per lib.
bottle.

Suspected Disease.

E. B. (Stafford).— One of the bees sent
showed symptoms of "Isle of AVight "
disease.

" Nil Desperandum " (Chesterfield). — (1)
Affected with "Isle of Wight" disease.
(2 and 3) Appear to be healthy.

Bees (Cheltenham). — The bees sent show
symptoms of " Isle of Wight " disease.

Beginner (Aberystwyth). — It is "Isle of
Wight" disease.

A. Firkins (Glasgow). — The bees were
much too dry for us to be able to do any-
thing with them.

Y. E. J. (Dawlish). — Both samples of bees
sent are suffering from "Isle of Wight "
disease. The honey is quite good for
human consumption.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

NINE stocks for disposal, just back from
heather, in excellent condition for wintering,
£1 and £1 5s., f.o.b., no disease in district.— J.
FRASER, 3, Lombard-street, Inverness. v 88

ABOUT 2 cwt. genuine heather honey, gathered
from an elevation of nearly 2000ft. on Rad-
norshire mountains, pressed, 10^d. in bulk, 12s.
per dozen bottled; also about 1 cwt. heather
flavoured clover honey, 7£d., or 10s. per dozen;
all f.o.r.; sample, 2d.— STEPHENS, AVestbourne,
Kington, Herefords. v 89

Oct. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

381

SHOWS AND THEIR PURPOSE.

By the time these lines are in print the
Dairy Show will have opened and the
prizes have heen awarded, this probably
being the last show of any importance for
the season. We wonder if the majority
of our readers ever consider why these
shows are held? A general idea will be
that they are grand opportunities for a
favoured few to> reap a rich harvest in
prize money, and they provide a meeting
place where those who are in friendly
rivalry for the prizes may meet each other
and their friends to> talk over their doings
since the last show and what they hope
to do ere the next one. The main idea is
entirely overlooked. There are, we think,
two important objects aimed at by the
various shows : one to encourage new and
better methods of management in the
manufacture or production of various
articles, and the consequent improvement
in the articles themselves, not in a
few instances but as a class. The other
object is to bring the producers of
machinery, foodstuffs, and other articles
into communication with possible customers.
The latter are enabled to see the latest
and best specimens of any articles in
which they are interested, and to enter
into negotiations for their purchase. Com-
peting at these shows is an education to
anyone, and we think especially so> to a
bee-keeper. He may learn which, is the
best kind of honey, and the best and most
attractive form in which to display it, not
only for show purposes but for sale. It
is not always necessary to win a prize to
effect the latter ; those who are looking
out for a nice sample of honey may be
attracted by the good quality, and the
neatness in packing and the cleanliness of
those samples that may not have secured
a prize. Would-be competitors should
bear in mind that to secure either prizes
or customers not only must a good
quality of honey be sent, but it must be
absolutely clean, and put up in neat jars
or cases, and to keep a customer he must
be treated fairly, the honey always sent
securely packed and in good condition.

CONFERENCE OF SCOTTISH BEE-
KEEPERS' ON NATIONAL
FEDERATION.

On October 10th the second meet-
ing of Conference was held in Perth.

Prominent bee-keepers and others were
present from eight counties, and after a
word of welcome from Mr. Jas. Fenwick,
of the Perthshire B.K.A., Mr. D. M,
Macdonald was unanimously called to the
chair. With a few introductory remarks
the Chairman urged all present to weigh
well the matter in hand, and entered upon
the business of the meeting. The rules, re-
vised at the Newburgh meeting, were then
debated and amended, and in their pre-
sent form will be sent to the Bee-keeping
Associations in Scotland. The next meet-
ing of Conference will be held in Perth on
January 9th, 1915. — Charles Nicol,
Secr-etarv of the Conference.

OBSERVATIONS ON HIVES.

By L. E. Sneigrove.

(Continued from page 242.)

The alighting-board of a hive deserves
thoughtful consideration. The skeppist is
usually content with a projection of the
floorboard towards the front, flat, and so
small as to render safe settlement an act
of precision on the part of a returning
bee. Most bee-keepers have observed that
returning bees often alight carelessly in
the neighbourhood of the entrance of their
hive, so carelessly indeed that on cold days
many miss the hive altogether and fall to
the ground to perish. A sufficiently large
landing-stage entirely prevents this.

A very small aligbting-board, by causing
slight hesitation and deliberation on the
part of each returning forager, may waste
an appreciable amount of valuable time
during a honey season.

Of more importance in this respect is
the congestion resulting from the small
area of the projecting piece of the floor
of a skep and the tiny entrance. The
latter is often no larger than would admit
one's finger, and on busy days it is
crowded within and without with bees im-
patiently awaiting their opportunity to
pass.

" The poor mechanick porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate."

The first bar-frame hive I bought had
a projecting floorboard. Water lodged on
this after every storm and caused the
death of many bees, which, happening to
alight on their backs, became securely
stuck down by the wings.

Few people would now make a level
alighting-board. If, however, the slope is
insufficient, and it is not well protected
with a porch, water will adhere to it of
sufficient depth to hold fast by the wings
and so kill those luckless bees who happen
to turn somersaults in landing. The
earliest bees to fly on spring and autumn
mornings are often entrapped by the heavy
films of dew which cover the alighting-

382

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 22, 1914.

board. At these times more than at any
others the value of a porch is evident, for
beneath it the dew does not so readily
form.

The essential features of a good alight-
ing-board are: — It is large, it has a con-
venient slope, and it is adequately pro-
tected from sun, rain, and dew by a suit-
able porch.

The majority of hives have ridiculously
small alighting-boards. A width of Gin. or
7in. is usually considered sufficient, while
Din. is liberal.

The unreasonableness of this economy is
shown by the recognised necessity of
adding movable extensions which reach to
the ground. These latter are considered
useful for catching tired bees. They are
recommended in bee-books and advertised
in catalogues. As used they are often too
steep for tired bees, and they encourage
and admit such marauders as ants and
mice. If, however, a good wide alighting-
board of llin. stuff is provided there is
no need of an extension. Very few bees
will miss such a landing-stage, and if
those which do so cannot rise again in
flight they are of no value.

A convenient slope for the alighting-
board is 17deg. to 20deg. from the
horizontal. This is sufficient to shoot off
the rain, and is not unnecessarily steep for
the bees. If the angle is much greater,
not only is climbing made difficult, but
bees often slip off the board especially if
they are shaken on to it.

The extra width and comparatively
slight slope of an alighting-board are
especially appreciated when a swarm is
being hived.

The nearer the porch is to the alighting-
board the more efficient it will be in pie-
venting the deposits of dew and the ac-
cumulation of heat on the latter.

For the sake of appearance,, it is desir-
able that the porch and alighting-board
should be parallel, .and that the former
should not be more than half the width of
the latter. A very suitable distance
between them is 3in. If the porch is pro-
vided with side supports these are some-
times effective in preventing bees from
being blown from the alighting-board by
rough winds. In sheltered places, how-
ever, they are unnecessary, and they com-
plicate the construction of a hive without
contributing to its utility or elegance.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

W^Nerrod.

Mtu" f g^^^g^gggggj

Procuring Surplus.
{Continued, from page 373.)
Compared with the methods adopted some few years ago for the removal of supers —
such as drawing a quilt between the super to he removed and the chamber underneath,

Fig. 12.

Fig. 11.

Fig. 13.

taking off the quilt and allowing the bees to escape through the cones in the roof, or
taking it into an outbuilding having a window, so that the bees would fly to the light

Oct. 22, 1814.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

and be liberated from time to time by opening the window, or taking the super some
distance away, lifting out the combs or sections one by one and brushing or shaking
off the bees, all of which were unsatisfactory, resulting ofttimes in the manipulator

Fig. 14.

being badly stung or robbing by the bees started, also the sections were often spoilt by
the bees perforating the cappings through the disturbance and prolonged operation —
the present system is simple and easy and the above dangers are avoided.

384

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 22, 1914.

A clearing board (Fig. n), in the centre of which an escape is fixed, is used. The
latter may be a " Porter Escape" (Fig. 12). This is an American invention and
allows the bees to go out through V shaped springs which close after they have
passed, and prevents them returning, or a better one invented by an Englishman,
Mr. F. W. Watts, and called the Watts Escape (Fig. 13), which works with
aluminium drop traps so that the clearing is done in much less time. (Figs. 14 and
15) show how the work is now accomplished.

Before commencing operations have everything ready, i.e., four blocks of wood
about hn. thick, 2in. long, by iin. broad, a good strong screwdriver, and the
clearing board. See that the escape fits properly into the hole in the board,- and if
a " Porter " that the springs are not blocked with dead bees or rendered unworkable
by being propolized. Get the smoker working well and put on a veil. Mid-day is
the best time to carry out the operation for reasons previously given. Before
touching the hive send in two or three puffs of smoke at the entrance, wait for about
a minute to give the bees time to gorge themselves with food. Next remove the
roof and rear it by the side of the hive as seen at No. 1 ; don't put it on the
ground just at the back of the hive or it will form an obstacle to fall over during
the operation ; if this is done the accident will happen at a most inconvenient time,
just when on a balance with the full super in the hands. The lifts are now taken
off and placed on the ground on the other side of the hive, stacking them cornerwise
as also seen at No. 1. Lay the blocks of wood handy on the top of the quilts, then
with the left hand use the screwdriver as a lever, puffing in a little smoke to drive the
bees down, insert one of the blocks of wood at each back corner as seen in No. 2,
then treat the two front corners in the same manner, so that the super is as in
No. 3. One or two frames may stick to the bottom bars; these should be prised
down with the screwdriver. Allow it to stand for a while for the bees to clean up
the honey, a little of which will have leaked by the breaking of brace combs. To
prevent robbing, the lifts and roof should be put back while this is going on.

When this has been done, put the clearing board on the top of the lifts as seen in
No. 3 ; lift the super on to this, see No. 4. Drive down the bees in the next set
of combs by means of the smoker, then lift super and clearing board intact into its
original position on the hive, No. 5. In the course of a few hours every bee will
have descended through the escape. Note particularly the manner of working with
the lifts cornerwise on the ground, and the supers on top. The cross position gives
stability, and by placing them in this way instead of on the ground all possible chance
of grass, earth or stones adhering to' the bottom bars of the frames is avoided.

{To be continued.)

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications.
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HONEY-JUDGING COMPETITION.

[9083] I have not taken up my pen to
write yeu now for some long time. Truth
is that during the summer months one's
hees keep one fully employed, and added
to that, the duties of expert leaves one
little time for anything else.

There have been many letters to which
I have often felt "dispoged" to add a
few words, but I feel, however, I can-
not let the fact that we are going to have
a " judging competition " pass without
just a few words. " Shure," as Pat would
observe, " we are moving in the right
direction." The idea is sure of success
from the beginning, and is, to my mind,
what a great many of us have felt was
desirable for a long time. The number
of shows and exhibitors are (except for
1914) growing every year, and yet the
number of competent judges of honey and
honey products seem to go to the other
way and get less, and so many that act in
the capacity of judge at numbers of our
provincial shows do really put "the craft"
down very much. An instance came to my
knowledge just a few weeks ago. At a
show that was held last August the judge
never even uncapped one bottle to taste

Oct. 22, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

385

the honey, but just inverted it, and, as
a matter of fact, awarded the prize to a
very inferior sample, and in the sections
gave the prize to an entry of which only
a bare 2in. of face was showing, and that
not in any section a good sample. These
things put bee-keeping, honey-producing,
and exhibiting on a very low scale, and
do not in any way enlist or encourage
the would-be bee-keeper. I am, indeed,
very sorry that I cannot present myself,
as I feel that everyone who can should
enter whether they aspire to continue
judging or not; the experience will extend
their knowledge, enlarge their views, and
in every way help to widen the possibili-
ties of the bee-keeper.

Every help and encouragement should
therefore be given to the competition,
and may I suggest that the proceeds (the
honey given for competition) be given to
the Belgian Relief Committee for the poor
refugees? — R. Litman.

HONEY FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS
AND SAILORS.

[9084] I have collected several hundred
pounds of honey within Suffolk amongst
our generous-hearted members and others
for the wounded soldiers and sailors. Most
of this has been distributed to hospitals,
some of them outside our borders, as our
sympathy knows no bounds. Therefore I
want to have opportunity to do much
more, and would earnestly appeal to the
generosity of your readers who have a
few pounds of honey to spare to send it
along addressed to me.

Many of the poor fellows are on a milk
diet, and a little honey makes a delight-
ful change.

My most enthusiastic friend there, who is
making up the various parcels, won the
Victoria Cross in the Afghan War, and it
gives him great pleasure as well as my-
self to do something for those who are
doing so much for us all. — Oliver C.
Jones, Hon. Sec. Suffolk B.K.A.,
Lattice Barn, Ipswich.

THE MINIMUM HIVE.

[9085] Now that the hive-making
season is upon us again it may be useful
to ask whether the pattern we are using is
the very best, having due regard to all
our circumstances. Probably the " W.B.C."
and the "Cowan" hives are the acme of
comfort and hygiene, but it may be that the
man who is going to have a hundred stock
apiary and also the cottager who has
little capital can save a great deal of ex-
pense and labour, without impairing the
efficiency of his bees, by adopting a much
simpler pattern.

Let me jump into the midst of my sub-
ject by describing what I conceive to be
the minimum hive, and yet one that falls
very slightly if at all short of the com-
plete "W.B.C." We could, I think,
safely start from it, and without cost ex-
periment towards greater complexity, to
see whether any additions were necessary.

First, I would have the hive square on
the outside, just for the joy of being able
to put on a flat roof any way round that
it came to hand. The size would be 18|in.,
the depth 8|in., which is the usual width
of a 9in. board. Roof and floor-board
being as before, the other parts are made
entire^ of fin. and ^in. wood. The sides
parallel to the frames are of the thicker
wood, and are 17|in. long. The other sides
consist of an outer ^in. board, 18|in. long
and an inner, 16fin. long (and 8|in. deep)
held apart by horizontal strips of fin.
wood at top and bottom. These strips
could be dovetailed into the stouter sides,
and the outer board nailed to them with
clenched nails, but the usual nails at
right-angles to one another would make
a rigid and unwarpable piece of work of
it. All the body boxes and shallow-frame
boxes are of the same horizontal dimen-
sions, and they stand one above the other
without plinth. Neither is there a porch,
the oversailing of the hive above the
alighting-board being deemed sufficient.
But there must be a telescoping rim pro-
jecting an inch above the top storey to
accommodate blankets, and the roof fits
over this rim, whose outer dimensions will
be 19|in. both ways.

I should think that this hive as regards
the double walls must be as warm as the
"W.B.C," except when the latter is very
carefully packed. The other walls would
be in effect double if a division board with
oversailing top bar was kept next to them
in winter. Those who had doubts of this
could make their telescoping rim of 11 in.
wood, and it would thus overlap the bare
joint of the storey next below it, or in
winter come down to the floor-board.

To keep everything neat, excluders and
escape-boards should also be 18jin. square,
and, of course, section-racks the same.
The filling out of these to such dimensions
with thick double walls would make them
deliciously warm, and cause them to be
taken to at once. — G. G. Desmond,
Sheepscombe, Stroud, Glos.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
September was £533. — From a return
furnished to the British Bee Journal by
the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.

386

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 22, 1914.

&^m<

[8984] Hone if Leaking.— I shall be
much obliged if.you will answer the follow-
ing through "B.B.J." columns: — A
customer of mine, a confectioner, tells me
she is troubled by my honey "creeping,"
i.e., after bottling in screw-cap bottles the
contents come out round the cap, and
make the whole of the outside of the
bottle sticky — so> much so that the labels
liave to be renewed. This, she says,
ahraj/s happens in the case of honey sup-
plied in candied form, which she liquefies
(without, by her account, overheating it).
This year my first supply of fresh honey,
bottled as received, did the same thing ! I
have examined it in the bottles, it is not
fermented or particularly thin. Neither
of us can understand it, as I personally
have never experienced the difficulty, but
shall be very glad if you can throw light
on it. — H. E. Scrope Vinek.

' Reply. — In the first place, the jars are
evidently filled too full. Secondly, it is
quite possible there is slight fermentation,
although this may not be apparent to the
naked eye. Thirdly, if the honey is put
in a window where the sun shines on it
part of the day this trouble will often
occur. We are inclined to the first theory.

D. W. H. (Brecon). — Moving Bees. — You
can get the labels you require' from Lee
and Son. You may move the bees any
time after they have been confined to
the hive for two or three weeks by cold
weather. You might transfer them the
first warm day; it should have been done
last month, The honey is good in
quality, from mixed sources, mainly
clover. The strainer you used was too
coarse in texture ; use two thicknesses of
fine muslin.

W. H. (Somerford). — Suspected Queenlcss-
ness. — Probably the queens are all right,
the season is too late for them to lay.
You might on a warm, sunny day search
for tliem. The only tiling you can do if
any are lost is to introduce another
queen.

A. I). C. (Perth.).- Observations <>n Hives. —
You will notice there is another article
in this issue, and we hope to receive'
others from the same contributor,

Honey Samples.

Alpha (Darwen). — Nos. 1 and 2 are
mainly from clover ; light colour. The
flavour of No. 1 is good ; it is worth
showing. No. 2 flavour is fair. Both
samples worth from Is. per' lb. jar
retail. No. 3 is mainly clover, with a
little heather. It is a very nice honey.
If shown it should be in the class for
heather blend. It is worth Is. 2d. per
lb. jar.

J. B. H. (Sheffield).— Nos. 1 and 2 are
clover honey of good quality. No. 2
is the best for showing, the grain of
No. 1 being rather too coarse. If
shown in the present condition they
should be in the class for granulated
honey; if liquefied, in the class for light
honey. No. 3 is clover and heather, and
should be shown in the heather blend
class. Nos. 1 and 2 are worth Is., No. 3
Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. per lb jar.
Suspected Disease.

W. D. (Horsham). — The cause of the
trouble is "Isle of Wight" disease.

E. S. (Wore.) It is "Isle of Wight"

disease.

B. D. (Quainton). — The bees appear
healthy. If they are so few in number
it will be better to unite them.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements , immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at d minimum
charge of 3s. per iin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FOR SALE, 2 cwt. light honey, in tins, free
on rail, 60s. per cwt., cash with order; sample,
2d— EDGAR CAFF, Hillcoose, Grampound Road,
Cornwall. v 1

HONEY, excellent quality, screw top jars, 9s.
doz.; 281b. tins, 18s— TICKELL, St. Marks,
Cheltenham. v 2

SECTIONS, splendid sections all over, 16oz.,
10s. doz.— W. P. LANGFORD, Baldock,
Herts. v 3

PURE Cambridgeshire honey, light, 65s. per
cwt.; sample, 3d.; few dozen sections, light,
first quality, 10s. per dozen.-J. YOUNGER, 29,
Newmarket-road, Cambridge. v 4

i) CWT. honey, good heather blend, in 281b. tins,
& 15s. tin; sample, 2d.; also 61b. new wax, Is. 6d.
per lb.— KIDBY, Sizewell-road, Leiston, Suf-
folk^ y_5

PERFECT sections, 10s. per dozen; run honey,
white, in 281b. tins, 16s.; in 141b. tins, 8s.; all
carriage forward.— Apply, MISS GORDON,
Wethersfield-place, Braintree, Essex. v 6

^PLENDID Welsh clover honey for sale, also
£3 heather blend.— LEWIS, Dolafon, Llwyn
gwril, North Wales. v >

IlOR SALE, 3 cwt. pure honey, fruit and clover,
1 medium colour, fine quality, 281b. tins, granu-
lated; sample, 2d.— HAZZARD, Haddenham,
Ely. . v 8

Oct. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

387

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held in the offices of the Zoological Society
of London, Regent's Park, N.W., on
Thursday, October 22nd, 1914. Mr. W. F.
Reid presided. There were also present
Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. C. L. M. Eales,
J. B. Lamb, J. Smallwood, A. G. Pugh,
and T. Bevan ; Association representa-
tives G. Hayes (Notts), G. S. Faunch
(Essex), G. W. Judge, and G. Bryden
(Crayford), W. E. Richardson, and Rev.
F. S. F. Jannings (Yorks), J. Price
(South Staffs.), and the Secretary, W.
Herrod.

Letters regretting inability to attend
were read from Mr. T. W. Cowan, Col.
H. J. O. Walker, Col. H. F. Jollv, and
Mr. E. W. Franklin.

The financial statement was made by
Mr. .Smallwood as follows: — Payments
into bank, Sejjtember, £16 4s. 6d. ; the
bank balance at the end of September was
£163 2s. 7d. Payments amounting to £5
were recommended.

After the Council meeting the con-
versazione was opened at 4 o'clock, Mr.
W. F. Reid occupying the chair. Over
ninety members and friends were present
at the opening, and at the tea at 5
o'clock. At 6 o'clock over 120 were pre-
sent. These numbers were very satis-
factory, and amply justified the holding of
the conversazione. After the opening re-
marks by the Chairman, Mr. D. Wilson
gave his lecture on " The Management of
an Apiary for the Production of Heather
and other Honeys, when the Crops are
Situated about Twenty Miles Apart," and
at the close he answered a number of ques-
tions. An interval of an hour was given
for tea, and at 6 p.m. Mr. Richards gave
his lecture on " Bees in Relation to
Flowers and Fruit,'' illustrated by lantern
slides. An interesting discussion followed.
The honey-judging competition proved of
great interest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
our office, and from 4 p.m. to the close of
the meeting at the Zoological Gardens,
the majority of the competitors finding
great difficulty in defining from what
source the eight different samples of honey
were obtained'. We hope to give a
full report of the conversazione in our
issue for next week and the following
numbers.

THE DAIRY SHOW.

LIST OF AWARDS.

The thirty-ninth Annual Show of the
British Dairy Farmers' Association was
held in the Agricultural Hall on October
20th to the 23rd inclusive. In normal
years the rapid sequence of shows large
and small during the autumn becomes
almost wearisome, and there is something
akin to a sigh of relief when the last one
is over and the bee-keeper competitor
has time to> take a "'breather'" and con-
sider his position as to the number of
prizes won and sales effected through the
medium of the various shows at which
he has competed.

This year, however, there has been no
glut, but an indefinable feeling that one
has missed or forgotten something, and
the Dairy Show has come as a welcome
change from the usual "show postponed "
notices, and though the total number of
entries were a little below those for the
last twelve years, in several sections they
were better than in any one during that
period. The attendance of the public has
also been good. In the honey section the
entries were 126, the highest number
for the last twelve years, the previous
best being 125 in 1903,' 122 in 1904, and 124
in 1905. The lowest was 67 in 1907 ; from
then the number has steadily increased to
87 in 1911, 95 in 1912, and 106 in 1913-
The quality, as usual, was of the best.
In the trophy class only two entries were
made, and these were awarded equal first
prize. In the class for an interesting ex-
hibit the Rev. F. S. F. Jannings too'k
premier honours with a very comprehensive
display, many of the articles being his own
handiwork. Mr. A. McCullah's exhibit,
which received second prize, was an illus-
tration of the variety of uses to which
honev and wax may be put. Some excel-
lent wax was shown, one or two exhibits it
would be very difficult to beat, while on
the other hand, were some samples that
were not well strained and not at all fit
to place on the show bench. Although the
methods of dealing with beeswax and (as
a result) the quality of the same
have materially advanced during the last
few years, there is still room for improve-
ment in its preparation by a large number
of bee-keepers. Mr. O. R. Frankenstein
officiated as judge, and made the following
awards :

Twelve Jars of Light-colon red Ex-
tracted Koney {28 entries).— 1st, James
Gladding, Bingfiekl, Corbridge-on-Tyne ;
2nd, J. Mackenzie, Strethall, near Saffron
Walden; 3rd, John Berry, The Apiary,
LVi.nrwst, North Wales ; 4th, <John T.
Willson. York Villas, Shirebrook, near
Mansfield.

Twelve Jars of Medium-coloured Ex-

388

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 29, 1914.

traded Honey (other than Heather
Honey) (19 entries).— 1st, John Berry;
2nd, E. C. R. White, Newton Toney, near
Salisbury; 3rd, Albert MacCullah, Web-
berton, Dunchideock, Devon; 4th, James
Lee and Son, Ltd., George Street, Ux-
bridge.

Twelve Jars of Dark-coloured Ex-
tracted Honey, (including any variety of
Heather Honey) (6 entries). — 1st, James
Pearman, Penny Long Lane, Derby ; 2nd,
John T. Willson.

Twelve Jars of Bun (Ling, Caluna
vulgaris) Heather Honey (11 entries). —
1st, James Pearman; 2nd, M. J. Lamboll,
Chiddingfold, Surrey; 3rd, William Lloyd,
2, Bank Road, Skerton, Lancaster.

Twelve Jars of Granulated Honey of
1913, or any po"evious Year (10 entries). —
1st, John Berry; 2nd, James Lee and
Son; 3rd, James Pearman.

Twelve Sections of Honey other than
Heather (size 4j by 4|) (13 entries). — 1st,
Robert Robson, Cheviot Street, Wooler,
Northumberland ; 2nd, James Pearman ;
3rd, James Lee and Son, Ltd.

Sice Sections of Heather Honey (8
entries). — 1st, John Robson, Old Bewick
Moor, Alnwick; 2nd, Robert Robson.

Display of Comb and Extracted Honey,

of any Year (2 entries) Equal 1st,

James Pearman and James Lee and Son,
Ltd.

Wax (not less than 2-lbs., in two cakes
only). Extracted and cleaned by the Ex-
hibitor or his assistaiits (14 entries). — 1st,
T. Alun Jones, Halkyn, Flintshire; 2nd,
H. W. Kinnersley, Waresley, Hastlebury,
Kidderminster; 3rd, James Pearman.

Wax (not less than 3-lbs.). To be shown
in shape , quality and package suitable for
the retail trade (8 entries). — 1st, Fred
Harris, High Ferry, Sibsey, Boston ; 2nd,
Albert MacCullah; 3rd, James Pearman.

Interesting and Instructive Exhibit of
a Practical or Scientific Nature (3
entries). — 1st, F. S. F. Jannings, Warms-
worth Rectory, Doncaster ; 2nd, Albert
MacCullah.

t^T

JNGSi

M»ltor>..

A New Note (p. 337).— The thanks of all
Association workers are due to Mr. Ham-
shar for the note he strikes. How often
is it suggested that to "put into " an

Association is as important as to "get
out" of it? There is a, wide spiritual
chasm between the two but not an un-
bridgable gulf. There is, alas ! a good
deal more of the " get out " spirit than of
the " put in." And who is to blame
Human nature, no doubt, but Association
officials are not entirely blameless. They,
like most of the lecturers who advocate
bee-keeping, preach self-interest to pro-
spective recruits, and must not be sur-
prised at their harvest. Very few thistles
bear figs ! And the entirely self-seeking
member is no more of a success than the
bee-keeper (sic) who treats his bees un-
generously. But if people will act like
cheap politicians, and preach profit, even
in the most altruistic spirit, they must
expect disappointment. So Mr. Ham-
shar's comment is well-timed and very
much to the point. " What has the State
done for you, brother, and what will you
do for the State ? " is a question of the
day.

A National Loss (p. 346).— With Mr.
Heap's main line of argument I have no
quarrel, though it would be well not to
draw too hasty a conclusion as to the con-
dition of things in the country generally,
from experience in special counties, and
some consideration might be given to the
imports of honey. But as he particularly
incites me to question his figures, I am
only too willing to oblige him, knowing
that he will not make'reprisals. His esti-
mate per county of the number of stocks
is too crude, and might as well be per
member of Parliament, for counties vary
considerably both in size and possibility.
The approximate square mileage of the
several countries is as follows:- — England
51,000 sq. miles; Wales, 7,000 sq. miles;
Scotland, 30,000 sq. miles ; Ireland, 32,500
sq. miles. Taking Mr. Heap's figures we
get stocks per square mile: — England, 8;
Wales, 14; Scotland, 12; Ireland, 8. This
is hardly in keeping with Mr. Heap's
hyi>othesis. But perhaps a sounder
method would be to compare the acreage
of permanent pasture, including land
under clover. I have not the most recent
figures, but they are easily obtainable, and
will, I think, show a further discrepancy,
supposing, of course, that the number of
stocks kept is relative to possible pastur-
age. Moorland need not be considered, as
few stocks are kept upon it alone per-
manently, although Scotch figures might be
slightly modified. I venture to suggest,
however, that nothing but an official
census would give the true figures, and
that we are not likely to get at present.
So, Mr. Heap's figures may very well
stand. I should like to point out to him,
by the way, that his challenge to Mr.
Desmond to produce the microbe carries
no more weight than a challenge to pro-

Oct. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

389

duee an evolved animal, or the bee that
went into the Ark. No one may remember
the evolutionary days, but the presump-
tive evidence in favour of the theory of
evolution is too strong to be dismissed by
such a challenge.

Storing Extracting Combs (p. 350). — I
feel sure that Mr. Herrod cannot have
considered the varied conditions under
which combs are stored over winter when
he penned the advice to leave some combs
uncleaned, or as they come from the ex-
tractor. Without qualification the advice is
not, I think, sound. He may have a
specially dry room in which such combs
might be safe, but under no circumstances
would I care to follow the practice.
Fermentation or souring might easily
occur, and I think, though I confess I am
not absolutely sure, that the process would
unfit the combs for further use. By an
oversight I once allowed this to occur with
a lot of combs, and I considered them
spoiled. But the procedure for bait pur-
poses seems as unnecessary as it is unwise.
Fully drawn combs are themselves very
attractive, and I doubt whether there
would be anything in the comparative
speed with which either would be adopted.
Anyhow, the clean combs could easily be
daubed with honey in the spring.

A Spell of Precision (p. 352). — Touche
to D. Wilson, and many thanks for cor-
recting an obvious error in orthography.
" Gantrys " should certainly be "gan-
tries." How the error arose I do not
quite know, but it is clearly not the fault
of the printing staff. I think it occurred
in a spell of haste, or slipshod correction,
the plural being created from an original
singular, a singular plural, in fact. How-
ever, I trust the meaning was sufficiently
clear, although as a believer in precision
I cannot excuse the slip. I should be still
more grateful to " D. W." if, as a moor
brother, he would deal with the gantry
question — either in support of gantries
or otherwise. Legs are all very well in
the south, or in tiny apiaries, but, where
many hives are to be taken to the heather,
they are an abomination. The hives are
more difficult to load, and fewer can be
carted at once. I cannot imagine any ex-
tensive bee-keeper removing and replacing
legs for the trip, and gantries appear to
be a sound solution. A spare set of
bottom boards might be used, but here is
extra labour and capital involved. I have
experimented a good deal with bottom
boards, and believe I have solved the
problem.

T>o Bees Know their Owner (p. 355)? —
Why not ? Are we to deny to them the in-
telligence of the ox or ass, which know
their master's voice and crib? By this I
do not mean that the mere possessor of
bees has a charmed life. Far from it.

Indeed, I know instances which would seem
to prove that the owner is a marked man !
No doubt, deservedly. I have been told,
" My bees are so vicious that I can do
nothing with them," yet properly handled
they prove to be lambs. But is it not
possible that some old scarecrow of a bee-
keeper is such a familiar object of the
garden that the bees disregard him? I see
no reason why not. Bees get used to hens
scratching about the hives, whilst they will
yet run a dog out of sight, and a white
dog at that. Ask my dog, he knows ! But
there is a further wild thought which has
occurred to me after a recent inspection of
an apiary of the variety which rouses all
my worst words. You know the kind I
mean, dilapidated frame-hives stuffed with
old garments. Now, is there any reason
why, living in such intimate contact with
the owner's cast-off clothing, the bees
should not, so to speak, " acquire the
odour," and recognise an old friend at
scent ?

EXTRACTS FROM AN EXPERT'S
DIARY.

By J. Herrod.
(Continued from page 370.)

One of the pleasantest parts of a touring
expert's work is the variety of scenery
passed through in various parts of the
country. One wishes for the facile pen of
Mr. Smallwood to describe it. The scenery
of sunny Italy, of the rugged snow-capped
Alps and other Continental spots, may
have its charms, but that of our own
"tight little island" is not to be
despised, even though it may not be
compared to that of the Continent, any
more than heather honey may be compared
with that from clover, though both may
be equally good. The variety, too, is
almost infinite, the narrow winding
lanes of "fair Devon," with their high
banks on either side covered in the spring
with primroses, violets, or ferns ; the
lonely moors, where one meets with wild-
looking, shaggy highland cattle and sheep;
the sea-scarred cliffs from which rocks are
pointed out where many a good ship has
come to grief, while above all rise the
majestic " tors," whose heads are kissed by
light, fleecy clouds; the broad, sweeping
downs of Sussex ; the hop-gardens and
orchards of Kent; the fertile, highly-culti-
vated land of Essex, with its flat, indented,
and somewhat marshy sea coast ; the
Lincolnshire wolds ; the well-wooded hills
and valleys of my native county, " good
old Notts " ; the broad moors of Yorkshire ;
the densely-populated South Lancashire,
and the rugged, rough-hewn pikes and
deep dales of the north of the county,

390

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 29, 1914.

where, I have been told by those who have
climbed the Alps, some very good climbing
may be had, the quality of the climbing
being measured by the amount of risk to
life and limb entailed by this pursuit — the
greater the risk of a fall the better the
climbing. For those in search of fame in
this direction I believe there are still some
pikes or peaks that have not yet been
scaled. In all these counties I have
travelled, not only on the beaten track of
the tourist but in the lanes and byeways,
where often the choicest gems of scenery
are to be found. Then, again, there are
the historical associations connected with
the different counties, houses, castles,
localities, and events. These are all among
the pleasant experiences of an expert on
tour ; the only unpleasant ones are of wet
cold days, when it is impossible to
examine hives, occasional drenchings in an
unexpected downpour of rain, and the pre-
valence of disease in some localities ; the
latter has sometimes been downright dis-
heartening, especially when one reflects on
the lack of power to deal with those whose
apiaries are hotbeds of disease, and who
will do nothing to help to check it. These
cases I have always found among
non-members of an Association. My own
experience of members has been that they
are willing and anxious to do their best to
follow the advice given them. A note in
my diary for May 3rd, 1901, reads : " I
find all round this district an intelligent
appreciation of the infectious nature of
foul brood, and every means that the expert
advises are taken to arrest the disease."
Another note, on May 6th, says : " Foul
brood very prevalent \n this district.
Members complain of old-fashioned bee-
keepers, whose skeps, untidy and
neglected, are a source of infection to the
whole neighbourhood." These two notes
pretty well sum up the conditions I have
usually found. A note on May 8th gives
a rather too frequent occurrence : " Had a
twenty-mile ride to other three members
for nothing, as they resigned." If a
member of an Association does not intend
to keep up his membership he should at
once notify the secretary. It is extremely
annoying to an expert after riding some
miles to visit an apiary to be told on
arrival, "Mr. - is not at home, but

does not intend to subscribe to the Asso-
ciation any longer." There is the waste
of time that might have been employed in
visiting someone who was perhaps staying
at home, losing a day's work, anxiously
looking out for the expert. Again, who is
to bear the loss in £ s. d.? If the expert
is paid at a fixed rate per week, it falls on
the Association, but generally the pay-
ment is a certain amount per visit, and in
that case who is to bear the loss? I
would urge on all members of Associations

to bear this in mind, and send notice of
their resignation to the secretary in good
time; don't leave it until a postcard is
received saying the expert may be ex-
pected on or about a certain date, as in
all probability it will then be too late to stop
him. It may seem a small matter to the
member, but when this kind of thing is re-
peated a number of times during a tour it
is serious enough for the Association and
the expert.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications ,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

STAMPING OUT 'ISLE OF WIGHT"
DISEASE.

[9086] In the brief comment on an
article of mine respecting the stamping
cut of " Isle of AVight " disease, Mr. H. S.
Watts expresses an attitude of mind com-
mon, I fancy, to many people. They seem
to think that because colonies of bees in
various parts of the country have found
homes in hollow trees and in buildings the
extermination of disease is an impossi-
bility. The holding of such a view in-
cludes of necessity the assumption, firstly,
that such colonies cannot be found, or
dealt with, and, secondly, that bees living
under such conditions do not succumb to
disease. It would not be beyond the wit
of man, and certainly not of the country
boy, provided a small reward were offered,
to locate nearly every stray colony. Such
" wild " bees are as liable to be attacked
by disease as colonies in frame-hives or
skeps, and any overlooked in a search
would die if diseased. If not diseased
their existence would not matter. — Chas.
H. Heap.

PKESS CUTTING.

BEES AT FELTON.

Mr. James Summers, Felton, had a
•.warm of virgin bees on Monday.- New-
castle Daily Journal, 9th July, 1914.

Oct. 29, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

591

■jfRng^

H

$5] Making Honey Candy. — This
year I am intending to make candy for
my bees with honey in it, and I should feel
obliged if you would kindly give me the
recipe of same. — W. Watson.

Reply. — What you need will probably
be Brother Columban's recipe, which was
given in our issue for September 14th,
1905. As it may be useful to other
readers we reprint his letter: —

FOR MAKING SOFT BEE-CANDY.

In making this candy, I use an
ordinary enamelled saucepan, or preserving
pan, and into this is put lolbs. of cane-
sugar (white crystals) and three quarts of
water (hot for preference) . Place over a
clear, strong fire and stir until the sugar
is quite dissolved. When it begins to boil
draw the pan aside for a moment, and
while it continues to boil slowly remove
the scum and other impurities from the
surface of the sugar. This done, return
the pan to the fire, and let it boil as fast
as possible, without stirring, for about
twenty minutes. Then, to ascertain if
boiled enough, have a bowl of cold water
ready at hand, and dip the forefinger of
one hand first in the cold water, next in
the boiling sugar, then again in cold water,
and with the sugar adhering to the fore-
finger try to make a soft ball from it, like
a piece of mastic read}- for use. These last
operations should only occupy two or three
seconds. The forefinger must be kept
curved whilst dipping it into the boiling
sugar, and though a little skill and
courage are required to do it for the first
time, it is riot difficult and does not burn
the finger at all. A sugar-boiling ther-
mometer would be a convenient substitute.

If unable to make a ball in the way
mentioned, the sugar must be boiled a
little longer, otherwise, the boiling is
finished. Next pour in olbs. of honey
ready at hand (about 5oz. per lb. of sugar).
The mixture must be then boiled again for
one or two minutes, but great care must
be taken not to let it overflow, as honey
is apt to rise quickly like milk. I find
that adding a small piece of butter of the
size of a hazel-nut often causes it to settle
down, but not always.

After the second boiling remove the pan
from the fire and medicate with naphthol
beta (two tablespoonfuls of the " Guide
Book " solution for 201bs.), mixing it well
in. In cooling the mixture pour it into
-a square tin, 21 by 15 inches. In one of

this size. 201bs. of candy will cool suf-
ficiently in an hour, or in far less time if
the vessel is placed in cold water. During
the cooling process do not stir while hot.
Note this well, for without this precaution
the candy will be not smooth but rough
in grain.

When the sugar has so cooled down that
the finger may be kept in it for half a
minute without scalding, then begin to
stir, and continue to do so until the candy
becomes white and stiff. It is now finished,
but in order to transfer it into suitable
moulds it must be warmed again; there-
fore, the whole is put into another pan or
vessel which fits on to a boiler containing
hot water. • In a short time the candy be-
comes more or less liquid, like cream, and
an occasional stir must be given to dissolve
all lumps. When properly dissolved and
brought to almost boiling point (say, 204
deg. Fahr. ), pour it into the moulds or
boxes and allow it to cool. Candy thus
made, if stored in a dry, cool room, will
keep soft for years.

If the sugar has been accidentally
overboiled (in which case it is brittle
and breaks when tested), add a little
water and boil again to the proper point.
As a preventive of overboiling, remove the
pan from the fire while testing whether
cooked enough. Also, to prevent mishap
in another direction, the saucepan used
for making the candy should not be more
than half full. It must also be noted that
the honey is to be boiled thoroughly, not
merely mixed with the sugar.

I have toiled not a little in the endeavour
to make a bee-candy which, while con-
taining as nearly as possible all the ad-
vantages of the natural food, would have
the advantage of being medicated without
offering any inducement for the bees to
start robbing, as so frequently happens
when fed in autumn or early spring with
honey or sugar-syrup. ' My own stocks
have been fed entirely on this candy during
the whole winter, and I have not lost a
single colony during all the time I have
been in charge of the Abbey Apiary here.

It is also very good for feeding queens
and their attendant bees in mailing cages,
as I have tested it scores of times for this
purpose without a single complaint.

[8986] Source of Chyle Food.— It
appears that Cowan in his "Honey Bee "
holds that the larva? of bees are fed on a
mixture of chyle from the chyle stomach
and a secretion from the glands of
System 1.. and that in the case of the
worker larva? honey is added after the
third day. and in the case of drone larva?
honey and undigested pollen is added
after the fourth day. Cheshire, however,
in "Bees and Bee-keeping'-' (Vol. I.)

392

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Oct. 29, 1914.

"seems to indicate that the chyle is solely a
secretion from the glands of System I.
(if) Have I read these authors correctly?
(e) If so, which is in error? — A. Tucker.
Reply. — (1) You have read the authors
correctly, but you do not seem to have
grasped the fact that Cowan's " Honey
Bee" is a more recent publication, and
gives the latest discoveries respecting
brood food. Cheshire's Vol. I. appeared
in 188(5, and rhe description of the diges-
tive system and the glands was taken
from a paper published by iSchiemenz in
1883, in which he propounded the theory
suggested to him by Leuckart, that the
glands of .System I. produced the brood
food. Cheshire adopted this theory, and
even gave expression to his views in
almost the same words as those used by
Schiemenz. Subsequent investigations of
Dr. A. de Planta, published in 1888 and
1889, clearly demonstrated that the theory
of Schiemenz was not tenable, the view of
Schonfeld being shown to be the correct
one, and it is the one now generally
accepted. (2) A careful study of Chapters
XVII. and XVIII. in Cowan's "Honey
Bee " will enable you to understand more
clearly why Schiemenz' s theory is not the
coirect one.

H. T. (Eccles). — At present there is no
reliable and permanent cure. Some
remedies may check the disease for a
time, but in very few instances do they
effect a cure.

A. T. Young (Hants.). — "NYe had not over-
looked the fact, and are quite aware
that some queens may still be laying,
but only in a few instances does the
absence of eggs at this time of year
mean there is no queen.

AV. F. CoLliUM (Herts). — Making Observa-
tory Hive. — The articles appeared in
the numbers for May 12th and 2Uth,
April 9th and '-'3rd. We can supply them
from this office post free for 5d.

Hon I'n Sum pies.
Kuil." — (A) Mainly from clover. (B)
It appears to be^quite pure. (C) Fairly
good; the aroma and flavour appear to
have been somewhat spoiled by over-
heating. (D) from 60s. to 65s. ('E) Any
of the firms advertising in the Journal.
Try Lee and Son or E. H. Taylor.

Blanche (Sale). — No, we should say it is
foreign.

••Novice" (Lines.). — The sample is clover
honey of good flavour, and fairly good
density. It will granulate in time, but
will do so earlier if kept in a cold place
and exposed to light. It is worth 70s.
per cwt.

Suspected Disease.

C. Harman and A. M.S. (Kettering). —Yes.

Novice (Torquay) and " Colerne Donkky "
(Wilts). — We cannot find any disease in
the bees sent.

C. Murein (Hunts) It is ''Isle of

Wight " disease. You had better burn
them.

F. S. D. (Essex). — Both samples of bees
are affected with " Isle of Wight "
disease. Comb A has been robbed :
in comb B the brood is chilled.

B. S. (Longridge.) — It is " Isle of Wight
disease. The naphthaline sent is too
crude for use in hives.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but ivill be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

F

I NEST English honey, 60s. per cwt.; sample
2d— DUTTON, Terling, \Yitham, Essex. v 4

SIX DOZEN first grade sections, clover, number
heather, 9s. dozen— ANDERSON, 11, Church-
place, Annan. v 30

1CNYT. Lincolnshire extracted honey, in 281b.
tins, 60S.-KOPER, Thorpe-on-the-Hill, Lin-
coln, v 29

IjlOR SALE, 3 cwt. honey, 281b. tins, granulated,
' fine quality, 60s. cwt.— COLE, Roxholme, Slea-
ford. v 28

FIVE stocks bees, eight frames, standard hives,
£1 each; used YA'.B.C. and other hives cheap;
offers wanted for six old established stocks, on
deeper frames and in hives; particulars. — MASOM,
Poplars, Moorend, Yardley Gobion, Northants. v 27

CVYT. of honey ; sample free, £3 cwt— E. E.

HARDY, Oak House, Great Yeldham, Castle

Hedingham, Essex. ' v 26

TO LET, 8-roonied house, with five acres highly
cultivated land, one acre being planted with
choicest bush fruits, fifty minutes of Liverpool-
street; good fishing, yachting, hunting, and golf;
rent, £40, or would be sold.— 7, Bulwer-road, Leyton-
stone. v 25

3. CWT. light clover honey, in 281b. tins, 60s.

4 cwt.; twenty one dozen lb. screw cap jars
ditto, 9s. dozen.— PRINCE, 161, Baldock-road,
Letchworth, Herts. v 24

WANTED to purchase, extractor to take large
or shallow frames; also one or two stocks
of guaranteed healthy English black bees.— Par-
ticulars and lowest price to AY. H. TUMBY, 18,
Well-street, Farsley, near Leeds. v 23

1710K SALE, two stocks bees, hybrid Carniolan,
" ample stores, guaranteed healthy, 25s. each.—
CRUICKSHANK, station master, Crantown-on-
Spey. v 22

Nov. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

393

THE SIZE OF THE "JOURNAL."

Our readers will notice that this week
we have reverted to the full number of
pages in the Joubnal.

We were sorry to have to reduce the
size of our papers, and the necessity was
forced on us, not alone by the enhanced
price of paper — although that is no incon-
siderable item — but by the possibility of
the supply failing altogether. Much of
the raw material for its manufacture
comes from the Continent, and on the
outbreak of war the supply was almost
stopped. We have made arrangements to
give the full number of pages on alternate
weeks, and our readers may be assured
that as soon as we can be certain that our
supply of paper will hold out we will make
every issue the full size. In the mean-
time, we are doing our best under some-
what difficult circumstances, and thank
our readers for their continued support.

THE CONVERSAZIONE.
mb. d. wilson's lecture on " the PRODUC-
TION OF HEATHEB AND OTHEB HONEYS WHEBE
THE CROPS ARE SITUATED ABOUT TWENTY
MULES APART."

The subject on which I have to lecture
this evening, " The Production of Heather
and other Honeys," is one which ©overs
the whole year's work in an apiary, be-
cause in a properly conducted apiary at
no time can it be said that effort may be
relaxed. Where work such as the
management of an apian- runs in a circle
from year to year, it is rather difficult to
fix a definite point for the beginner to
start at, especially if, as is often the case,
he has made some appreciable start in
bee-keeping before he decides to work with
a. dual object in view, that is the produc-
tion of ordinary flower honey at home and
the gathering of a crop of heather honey
at some point more or less remote from his
home apiary. All the year through he
must have this dual object in mind. I
have now been engaged for some years,
with greater or less success, according to
the season, and, I may add, according to
growing experience and ability, in the
production of two distinct crops of honey,
the first consisting of a crop somewhat
limited in quantity but possessing a fair

amount of certainty and long-drawn-out —
gathered from fruit blossom, sycamore,
clover, lime, and mixed sources. The
other, the heather crop, is situated at a
distance of about seventeen miles by road
from my home apiary, and necessitates
the transportation of bees. It is short
and sharp, abundant while it lasts, but
from the very shortness of its duration
it. is uncertain because of the vagaries of
the weather. On a really fine day I doubt
whether hundreds of stocks would exhaust
the nectar-yielding capacities of the moor
to which my bees have access, but during
a bad season hives may come back lighter
than they went.

I will endeavour to sketch out and make
as clear as possible what departure from
the normal routine of the apiary con-
ducted for one crop only is necessary
when an additional crop of heather honey
is required. I shall presume for a start
that all here are acquainted with this
ordinary routine and understand the
terms I shall use and references which I
shall make to the ordinary work of the
home apiary.

Frames. — It is now the general practice
in every well-conducted apiary to nail
together all frames and to wire all founda-
tion into the frames before giving it to
the bees to draw out. But although it is
the general practice, I have reason to
know from my own observation that in
particular instances this simple precaution
against breakdown of frames and combs
is neglected. It should always be done to
assure success in the ordinary manipula-
tions as carried on at home. It is doubly
necessary when it comes to the question of
transporting bees over miles of rough
roads in the heat of the summer season.
Any bee-keeper who attempts to move a
hive containing even one unwired oomb or
unnailed frame is asking for trouble, and
will probably get it. He will be lucky if
the breakdown of one comb is the end of
his misfortunes. This, then, I put for-
ward as being essential to success.

Hives. — Next to the question of frames
and combs I place the selection of a suit-
able hive — one which is equally service-
able at home and on the moors. There
are scores of hives on the market which
are more or less suitable for standing in
the home apiary ; some of them by a little
adaptation may even be used for carry-
ing bees to the moors and working them
there ; to take others is only to court
disaster on the journey. A properly made
heather hive is really indispensable if
certainty of transportation and ease of
working are to be considered. Such a
hive ought also to be suitable for home
work unless the bee-keeper desires to keep
a duplicate set of hives by him. It is not
the needs of the bees which have to be

394

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 5, 1914.

studied so much as the requirements of
the bee-keeper in the matter of trans-
portation.

A suitable heather hive should take up
as little floor-space as possible. It should
pack easily along with others on a dray.
It should have no legs to lift it from the
dray floor, and render it top-heavy and
liable to swing. It should be entirely self-
contained, with no loose parts, and should
be capable of being shut up securely for
transportation in a minute or so.

Sketch. — I have here a rough drawing
of my own hives which I make myself. I
find them to be eqiially serviceable either
at home or on the moors, and they are
exactly what is needed for transportation
of bees. I do not claim that this hive is
the best which could be chosen for home
work only. Indeed, there are plenty
better to be had for that purpose, but it
must be borne in mind that it has to serve
two purposes. This hive contains no loose
body-boxes or lifts. The brood-box con-
tains ten frames, which run at right
angles to the entrance. For wintering, by
the extraction of two or more side frames
and the insertion of division-boards at the
sides of the nest, the hive is easily turned
into a double-walled one.

The lifts are similar in character, fitting-
over the body-box and each other when
necessary by means of plinths. These
lifts can be made of a depth suitable for
carrying either shallow frames or
" W.B.C." hanging frames for sections.
Each hive may thus be worked either for
the production of shallow frames or
sections, or for producing both by the use
of two or more lifts. The top of the roof
is in one plane sloping backwards. Such
roofs are more easy to pack separately
from their hives than gabled or hipped
roofs. There are no legs to this hive, but
instead a couple of stout plinths about
4in. deep for floor joists. These are
carried out to the front of the hive and
above the alighting-board. A couple of
notches are cut — -one on either side — and
into these drops a bit of wood.
When in one position this piece of
wood allows free access to the hive, but
when reversed the piece of perforated zinc
shown confines all bees. With such a hive
bees can be shut up in a minute or so and
confined either to the brood-chamber or to
as many lifts as necessary by interposing
a sheet of perforated zinc or piece of
coarse sacking, and there is ample venti-
lation. Bees can be moved to the moors
with all frames and sections in position,
and may be brought back in the same
way, the work of the removal of surplus
being done in the apiary at home, where,
generally speaking, there is more leisure,
and where there are greater facilities for
the work. I put forward this idea of a

hive rather as a basis for anyone to work
upon than as being a fixed type and un-
alterable. The addition of a porch,
entrances, slides, stands, &c, I leave
to* the task of the individual bee--
keeper. Such a hive, being without legs,
necessitates the use of permanent stands
or gantries in the home apiary, and the
formation of temporary ones on the
moors.

The selection of a suitable hive I believe
to be half the battle won, so far as moor
going is concerned. There is a certain
satisfaction, and quiet ease comes into the
mind of the bee-keeper travelling his bees
when he knows they cannot get out to
sting the driver, the horse, and himself,
and when he knows that there is ample
ventilation to prevent the breakdown of
combs and the suffocation of his bees.

Honey Production. — Having dealt with
what I consider to be the chief essential
to success in the dual operation I am con-
sidering, I will now pass on to the ques-
tion of honey-production itself.

The bee-keeper has to make the best use
he can of the honey-flow at home and of
that on the moors. I will divide the work
into two portions — the preparatory and
the final stages. The preparatory stages
include all the work done in the apiary
previous to the removal of hives to the
moors. By naming them as preparatory
stages, I do not wish to minimise their im-
portance or to suggest that in any way
they are inferior to the moor-going stages,
but for all that all work done in the early
months should be done with one final aim
and object in view — the heather crop.

Home Work. — If I were to attempt to
draw up a calendar of operations in the
apiary suitable for any bee-keeper to work
to I should go wrong, because the time of
these operations varies as we pass from
one district to another, and there is a
certain variation from year to year even
in any selected district, due to the varying
seasons. But, roughly, I suppose the
main outline of a season's work may be
sketched out. There is the spring stimu-
lation of stocks to get them ready for the
first honey flow, which in most districts,
I suppose, comes from early fruit, such as
plums, damsons, gooseberries, pears, and
apples. There is no reason why a bee-
keeper should not take full advantage of
this early flow to secure surplus if he
possibly can. In my own district of
Derbyshire I generally find that this early
flow is not sufficient to give me any
surplus in the supers, but is generally
quite enough to give a. gentle stimulation
to the brood raising, getting the stocks
in fine condition for the later honey to
be obtained from sycamore, hawthorn >
clover, and limes.

Nov. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

395

It is this succession of honey-flows, last-
ing, roughly, from the beginning of May
to the middle of July or later, but varying
in various districts, that I refer to as the
preparatory period. It is during this
series of crops that the bee-keeper must
decide whether he intends to go in chiefly
for sections or extracted honey, and which-
ever be his aim, he must work accordingly.
Perhaps his idea will be to obtain honey
in both forms. There is no need to labour
this point. All here are thoroughly well
acquainted with the operations which
must be carried out. But what I particu-
larly wish to emphasise is this, that
whilst striving to obtain as much honey
as possible during this period, the chief
object of the bee-keeper should be to
obtain as much drawn out comb as he can.
Of course, the two go together. Drawn-
out comb means honey and vice versa.
The moor-going bee-keeper is at this dis-
advantage compared with the stay-at-
home exponent of the craft — that whilst
his stay-at-home brother has a quantity of
drawn-out shallow bars, saved from year
to year, ready to put upon his hives at the
minute they are wanted for surplus honey,
the moor-goer has to produce new comb
year by year. This, because of his method
of extracting heather honey by means of
a press, it being too thick to extract by
centrifugal force. Thus his surplus combs
are to a great extent used up every year
according to the success of his heather
crop, and this necessitates the production
of fresh comb yearly. Moreover, since
bees manifest a reluctance to draw out
comb so late in the season as the heather
honey flow, it is during the spring and
summer months that comb must be pro-
duced for use on the moors later. This
not only refers to the production of
shallow bars, but to sections also. It is
necessary to have as many drawn out
sections as possible if section honey is to
be produced on the moors. For this pur-
pose extract all partly filled and unsale-
able sections after the clover flow is over,
utilising them again when the heather
flow is on. It might be well for the bee-
keeper to consider whether it would not
be advisable to extract all his sections
except the very best, using them again foi
heather honey. In this, of course, he
would have to be graded by the relative
values of the honey and sections to be
obtained .

I wish to impress this one point most
clearly : that is the necessity for the pro-
duction of drawn-out comb. It often will
make the difference of a handsome profit
to have comb ready for the heather, be-
cause I have known bees glut up the
brood-nest of a hive rather than draw out
foundation in supers when on the moor.
This necessity for comb preparation
during the early summer months whilst

the honey-flow from flowers is on places
the moor-going bee-keeper at a disadvan-
tage compared with his neighbour, who
can super his stocks with drawn-out comb.
The one who has combs ready drawn out
in spring will get the greater weight per
hive from the clover and other flowers, and
the heather-goer loses somewhat in spring
owing to having to make new comb. If
anyone can bring out a machine which
will extract heather honey and leave the
combs intact he will be doing bee-keeping
a great service. I saw a notice of such a
machine some years ago, but have never
heard whether it was a success nor
whether it has been put on the market.

The foregoing remarks being perfectly
well understood by the aspirant to a
double crop, the only thing remaining for
him to do during the early summer is to
work his bees in his own way for the pro-
duction of as much honey as he can
possiblv obtain. I am not going to bo
dogmatic and state upon what definite
lines this honey production shall go.
Methods vary in different parts of the
country, and may have to vary according
to circumstances or according to the pet
fancies of the individual bee-keeper. Some
still go upon the old fashioned swarming
system, others approve of non-swarming
with re-queening. Whichever plan the
bee-keeper has followed in previous years
he may still follow. But looking upon the
summer as a time of preparation, I would
advise each bee-keeper to go in for the
non-swarming system as being productive
of the greatest quantity of honey and
comb. Coupled with this, there is the
necessity for re-queening. This should be
prepared for whilst the summer honey-flow
is on. The bee-keeper must either rear
his own queens or have some means of
obtaining new queens when he wants
them. This is not a treatise on queen-
rearing, but I simply wish to point out the
necessity of having them ready or easily
obtainable. The substitution of a non-
swarming system for the older swarming
system spells ruination for an apiary
unless coupled with it there is a systematic
re-queening.

So, having proper hives, frames properly
nailed and wired, the bee-keeper will go
on working in his own way for the produc-
tion of as much clover and other honey
as he can possibly obtain.

In my own case the main honey flow at
home is chiefly from clover a-nd limes, and
extends, roughly, according to the season,
from June 15th to July 15th, to be fol-
lowed about a month later by heather
honey flow on the moors.

This period of inactivity of about a
month is most important to the up-to-date
heather-going bee-keeper. It is then that

396

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 5, 1914.

he removes his shallow frames and sec-
tions. Then he extracts his honey so as
to have his combs ready for the next crop.
His sections' he selects for sale, extracting
those he does not care to sell; in fact,
extracting all possible so as to have as
much comb ready as he can. I am aware
that this interregnum does not always hold
for such a length of time; sometimes the
two crops work into each other or nearly
so, When this happens, if the bee-keeper
has not a supply of drawn-out comb by
him, he is rather rushed to make his pre-
paration for moor-going.

When supers are removed the brood-
nest should be thoroughly overhauled.
Where doubts exist as to the age or quality
of any queen, she should be superseded
by one of undoubted age and quality.
These the bee-keeper, as I have said,
should have by him. I would not advise
total re-queening of all hives, but would
suggest that the bee-keeper should use
his own discretion. During the cessation
of honey gathering I have mentioned the
brood-nest should again be brought into
the best form possible. Encourage egg-
production by uncapping sealed stores, or
even by stimulative feeding. Try to
attain the desirable state of having every
■comb solid with brood by the time of
removal of hives. If necessary extract
from combs in the brood-nest if these axe
glutted, but leave sufficient food to tide
your bees over a. bad week or two which
may come before there is any flow from the
heather.

Remember that it is the quantity of
brood taken to the moor along with the
bees which is to determine the amount of
success in terms of surplus heather
honey. •

Thus the bee-keeper comes to the time
when he expects to make arrangements
for the removal of his bees to the moors.
In my case this generally happens by the
first week in August, although I have not
yet found the honey flow commence so
early. Last year, 1913, it commenced
about August 10th ; this year it was a
week later. So long as the bees are there
in time it does not matter much about
being there too early. A journey to the
moors at about the time when the heather
is expected to bloom will put the bee-
keeper into possession of information as
to the proper day to move his bees. I
may add that if moved too early the bees,
instead of giving a surplus of pure heather
honey, may gather a certain amount of
clover and other honey previous to the
heather flow, and so present the bee-
keeper with a blend instead of the pure
stuff. This is because of the later flow
from clover on the hills due to the higher
elevation. It may not be any detriment —
some people preferring a blend to the pure

heather honey — but it is as well to be aware
of the fact.

The bee-keeper who decides for the first
time to take his bees to the moors will
require accommodation to> stand the hives.
This he may get in the garden of an
adjacent cottager or the field of a neigh-
bouring farmer for quite a small trifle. In
my own case I pay one shilling per hive,
and for this the farmer in whose field they
are keeps his eye upon them.

When prospecting for a likely situation
the bee-keeper should make enquiries to
find out who will be willing to oblige him
in the matter of suitable accommodation.
Whilst there is no necessity that the stand
shall be quite on the moor, it is as well
to have it as near as possible in order to
save time taken by the bees in travelling
backwards and forwards.

My bees I place at the edge of an exten-
sive moor. A friend of mine gets quite a
good crop whilst putting his about one
mile from the nearest heather, although
I would not advocate this. But it is as
well to take into consideration other
details, such as shelter and aspect, as well
as nearness to the crop.

Diseases. — It is as well, when consider-
ing the question of removal of hives to the
moors, to look at the work in conjunction
with the prevalence of disease in the
country.

In the first place, the bee-keeper may
have disease in his own apiary. However
well we try to guard against this, none of
us is immune, and we may be attacked at
any time. I refer, of course, to foul brood,
and more especially to the dreaded "Isle
of Wight" disease.

In the second place, although our own
apiaries may be free from any trace of
disease, the district into which we are to
move may be somewhat affected, or there
may even be the risk of infected bees from
other districts being brought into close
proximity to our own.

In such cases the bee-keeper's duty is
clear.

If his own bees are affected he has no
right to move them from the home apiary
to be a source of infection to other bees
and a cause of annoyance to other bee-
keepers. It may be something of a
sacrifice, but for the sake of stopping the
spread of disease, which we all know
should be aimed at, the bee-keeper had
better keep his bees at home.

Also, if he has any reasonable doubt as
to the health of the district into which he
intends to move, he had far better keep
his bees at home than run the risk of
introducing disease into his own apiary,
and of disseminating it into his home dis-
trict on the return of his bees from the

Nov. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

39T

The time being opportune, the bee-
keeper who has worked on the lines laid
-out should have hives with prolific
queens, overflowing with bees and
crammed with brood. He has, besides, a
full supply of drawn-out shallow bars and
sections. If he has not enough of these
latter, he had better get them from others
if he can be sure of them being free from
contact with disease.

With the hive I have previously sketched j
out there will be no difficulty in removing
bees. Place all supers in position, both
shallow bars and frames of sections, and
close the hives above the last super either
by means of perforated zinc or cheese
cloth. This is better than travelling bees
in the brood-box only ; it gives more room,
at a time when hives are generally over-
crowded. The front may be closed readily
by means of the reversible bar I have
shown. This should be done in the even-
ing previous to removal, when the bees are
all at home, and should not take much
above a minute for each hive.

Method. — The question of method of
transportation is an important one, and
should occupy the mind for some time
before the actual day comes. I believe
that motor traction is preferable to all
other methods of transporting bees. But
failing that, take a good four-wheeled
spring dray, a good horse, not necessarily
so fleet as sure, and if you are not a good
driver, take a driver also. Pay a good and
fair price so as to command proper service.

The accommodation you can get for next
to nothing is generally worth less and may
land you in difficulties which will be far
more costly in the long run than a few
shillings extra for good service. Moor-
land roads are, of necessity, hilly and often
bad and necessitate good wagoning.
Start either in the evening, after the bees
have been shut in, or very early in the
morning so as to reach the moor before
the heat of the day. To travel through
the day is only to court disaster, unless
the weather happens to be cold and wet,
in which case as well travel by day as
by night. Allow for the twenty miles
of travel about four hours. The hive I
have sketched will stand easily on a dray
along with others and needs little roping,
although it is advisable to make a turn or
-two of rope round all to make them doubly
secure. But if the hives really need
roping to hold them on the dray, better
not start at all.

When on the moor, unpack and place in
permanent locations your hives. As they
are legless you will want stands. If you
have not brought any a few stones from
the moor answer the purpose well enough.
Make all level and loose your bees. If
the frames in the interiors of your hives

have been well packed, little more will be
needed than to take away your perforated
zinc or cloth and replace the quilts and
warm packing.

When working bees on the moors there
is no necessity (at least, I have found
none) for queen-excluder. Although as a
rule I use one at home on every hive, yet
for heather honey I prefer to dispense
with it. Even when young queens have
been introduced there is a strong ten-
dency on the part of the bees to keep on
contracting the brood-nest, and I have
never found the queen lay eggs to any
appreciable extent in the supers. Besides,
I believe that for all honey storing —
heather especially — the less hindrances the
bees have in their progress about a hive
the better.

A word or two about the choice of loca-
tion and standing for hives when on the
moors. Choose the best you can under
the circumstances, and if shelter can be
got, such as a row of trees, then so much
the better. But avoid, if possible, an
open field, where one spot looks just about
like another, and under such circum-
stances do not put the hives in rows but
scatter them about, turn them various
ways, and make the surroundings of one
hive as much different from those of
another as possible.

It is well known now that bees do far
more visiting other hives than was at one
time thought to be the case. This takes
place, to a limited extent, in the home
apiary, as can easily be found out if
various races be kept, but at home each
hive is generally better marked, as to its
surroundings, than is the case on the
moors. A bush here, a tree there, a row
of peas elsewhere in the home garden, all
serve to mark the positions of hives. But
on the moor, where surroundings may be
quite monotonous in character, if hives
be put in rows there is a great tendency
for the bees to gravitate towards the end
hives.

Thus, these hives will strengthen up
remarkably in bees, whilst those towards
the middle of the row will gradually be-
come weaker. The end hives will produce
the surplus, the middle ones will do
nothing. Thus when it comes to bringing
home hives the bee-keeper has all his cal-
culations upset by finding that perhaps
what he thought were his best stocks have
done nothing, and vice versa. Far better
make such arrangements as will tend to
assure that each hive shall work for itself,
even if the surplus from any individual
hive be not so great.

But a greater danger than this is in-
curred by setting hives in line, and that
is the risk of queenlessness. A host of
strange bees invades another hive, and is

398

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 5, 1914.

received if bringing in food, but I have
known cases where they have balled the
queen of the hive they have invaded,
causing serious damage and loss, if not the
total extinction of the colony.

(To be continued.)

PRESS CUTTINGS.

VALUE AND PRICES OF HONEY.

The bee-keeper with plenty of honey on
his hands is lucky in that he can to a very
great extent utilise it in the place of
sugar, that has now gone up in price.
Honey may be turned to account by the
housewife in many ways besides just as a
substitute for jam or butter, and is, in
addition, one of the most wholesome foods
that we possess.

The price of sugar will have, too, a bear-
ing upon bee-keeping in another direction.
Many stocks require to be sugar-fed to
face the winter confidently, and it seems
now pretty certain that but little of such
feeding will be done. The consequence
will be that many stocks will perish during
the winter, and many more come out in
the spring in so weak a condition as to be
of little account for honey-gathering.
English honey, therefore, promises to be
a scarce commodity next season, and the
assumption is that prices will be good, and
the stocks in consequence all the more
valuable.

At this season some bee-keepers procure
driven bees, unite them into strong stocks,
and feed up for wintering. Generally this
is a safe and profitable proceeding, and it
may be so in the present instance. Con-
sidering all things, however, it is best now
to look upon such plan as having an
element of speculation about it. The ques-
tion arises whether the stored honey — the
honey, that is, that was left in the hive
for the bees to winter upon — should be
taken toll of and replaced by fed syrup.
The best plan is probably to let well alone,
and, if necessary, use the sugar for house-
hold consumption. Where uniting is being
done there will be vacant hives. When a
hive is vacant it should be well cleaned
out ;' scrape the woodwork if necessary,
and then store the hive under cover until
the long nights come, when any mending
or painting required may be done. It is
a mistake to repair a very decrepit hive,
the wood of which is mainly unsound, for
when hammered and pulled about it is
rarely that such hive can be made
thoroughly weatherproof, and the best way
is to break it up and use for the fire.

Where queen-rearing has been done
upon the unit system the surplus queens
should ere this have been disposed of and
the units made up into proper stocks
ready for the facing of the winter.

.1 Fresh Start. — Where some bee-keepers
have unfortunately had their stocks
wiped out and desire to start again, the
best advice that can be given is to wait
until the spring before stocking, and in
the meantime to disinfect all hives and
wooden fittings with a blow-lamp, sub-
sequently treating with a double-strength
liquid disinfectant, and afterwards dry-
ing thoroughly before storing away. For
reasons given above good stocks of bees
will probably be dear to buy in the spring,
and weak stocks are not then worth buy-
ing. But where disease worked havoc this
season it is not advisable to stock heavily
right away, a couple of good stocks being-
capable of developing into a number in
the course of a couple of years if properly
nursed, without taking the direct mone-
tary risk that investing in a large number
of stocks would mean.

As a suggestion merely, it seems an
advisable proceeding to start the new
apiary upon quite fresh ground wherever
possible, and winter work may consist in
the preparing of the new site for the hives
to occupy in the spring.

Mead. — Now is the time of year that
inquiries concerning how mead is made
come to the fore. There are many ways of
making mead, but the following recipe
is one of the best : — Take 6galls. of water,
add 241bs. of honey, and boil briskly for
half an hour, removing the scum as it
apj^ears. Now add 3oz. of hops, boil for a
further fifteen minutes, and then pour
into a large bowl or similar receptacle, to
cool until lukewarm, when six table-
spoonfuls of brewers' yeast should be
added. Allow to work for twenty-four
hours, after which place in a cask pre-
pared by pouring in a bottle of brandy
and two lemons in slices. Allow the whole
to work as long as it will, and then bung
tightly. Keep at least a year before
bottling, and a couple of years is still
better. Some add spices, but this is a
matter of individual taste. There is no
regular demand for mead, but it is a wine
that is far better than many of the com-
mon commercial wines as regards both
cost and virtue. — J. T. Bird, from Farm
and Home.

OLD SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT HONEY.

Many quaint delusions prevailed in
olden times relating to the bee and honey.
The source and composition of honey were
subjects for many ingenuous speculations.
Belief in the celestial origin of honey runs,
through all the old treatises on agricul-
ture, from Virgil down. It was supposed
to be a kind of manna from heaven, and
its quality depended greatly on the favour-
able or unfavourable juxtaposition of the
stars at the time of its descent. The
existence in each hive of one bee much

Xov. 5, 1914.] THE BEITISix BEE JOUKNAL.

599

larger than all the others was generally
recognised, but it was believed to be
merely a ruler or king over the rest. That
this large bee was actually the queen of
the whole colony never seemed to have
occurred to anyone until recent times.
The situation of the beehive was, in olden
times, a matter of importance. It was
placed always on the south side of a
stream of water, and never in a place
where there were echoes, as an echo was
held to be injurious to bees.

Honey appears to have been held in
extraordinary favour as a universal
specific for human ills. It was largely
recommended as a hair restorer. If dead
bees were dried, pounded, and worked
up into a thick paste, with the honey, its
hair-producing capabilities were much
enhanced. For weak eyes it was recom-
mended to take a handful of the heads
of bees, burn them, and mingle with the
honey gathered in the dog days. The eyes
were anointed liberally with the mixture.
To the Dutch it is supposed to bring ill-
luck to sell bees. If a neighbour wants to
get hold of some of a friend's bees, he
must go like a thief in the night and steal
them, leaving the money for them in some
handy place. Malays always revere the
bee, and whenever a swarm visits their
abode they make room for them. The
coming of the bee is considered a good
omen, and signifies that the inmates will
be prosperous. — From Bristol Times and
Mirror.

ANCIENT BEE-KEEPING IN RUSSIA.

A friend of mine, knowing my
interest, has brought the following to my
notice. As you will see, it is. most in-
teresting, and I thought perhaps you
would like to have a copy of it for publica-
tion. These old books give us an insight into
ancient conditions. — Geo. W. Judge.

Extract from a letter to Mr. Urban, of
the Gentleman's Magazine, Dec, 1785: —
Kasanka,
May 2nd, 1785.

•' About four years ago, I was at
Bogorodskoe, on the banks of the River
Usa, where I paid some attention to the
manner in which the Russians of those
parts, excited by the example of their
neighbours the Baschkirians, who are
famous in this way, apply themselves to
the cultivation of bees, and were then ap-
plauding themselves exceedingly on the
rich store of wax and honey they had
got the preceding year. They excavate
their hives in the trunks of different trees,
giving the preference to such as are of
the hardest wood, and consequently chose
for this purpose the strongest and the
loftiest trees of the forest. The hive is
about five-and-twenty or thirty feet from
the ground, frequently even higher, if the

length of the trunk allows it. They
hollow them out lengthways, with small
narrow hatches, and tools of a peculiar
form, a sort of chisels or gouges, with
which they complete their work. The
longitudinal aperture of this hive is
stopped by a cover of two or more pieces,
which are exactly fitted to it, and pierced
with small holes, to give ingress and
egress to the bees.

" No means can be devised more in-
genious or more convenient for climbing
the highest and the smoothest trees than
those practised by these people for the
construction and visitation of their hives.
For this purpose they need nothing but
a very sharp axe, a leather strap or a
common rope. The man places himself
against the trunk of the tree and passes
the cord round his body and round the
tree, just leaving it sufficient play for
casting higher and higher by jerks towards
the elevation which he wants to attain,
and there to place his body, bent as in a
swing, his feet resting against the tree,
and preserving the free use of his hands.
This done, he takes his axe, and at about
the height of his body makes the first
notch or step in "the tree. Then he takes
his rope, two ends whereof he takes great
care should be tied very fast, and throws
it towards the top of the trunk. Placed
thus in his rope by the middle of his body,
and resting his feet against the tree, he
ascends by two steps, and easily enables
himself to put one of his feel in the
notch: he now makes a new step, and
continues to mount in this manner till he
has reached the intended height. The
Baschkirians perform all this with in-
credible speed and agility. Being mounted
to the place where he is to make the hive,
he cuts more convenient steps, and by the
help of the rope, which his body keeps in
distension, he performs his necessary
work with the above-mentioned tools,
which are stuck in his girdle.

" They carefully cut away all the boughs
and protuberances beneath the hive, to
render all access as difficult as possible to
the bears, which still abound in vast num-
bers throughout the forests of the Ural,
and, in spite of all imaginable pre-
cautions, do considerable damage to the
hives. On this account they put in
practice every kind of means, not only for
defending themselves from these voracious
animals, but for their destruction too.
The method most in use consists of stick-
ing in the trunk of the tree old blades of
knives standing upwards, scythes, and
pieces of pointed iron, disposed circularly
round it, when the tree is straight, or at
the place of bending when the trunk is
crooked. The bear has common dexterity
enough to avoid these points in climbing
up the trees, but when he lets himself
down, his posteriors foremost, he gets on

400

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 5, 1914.

these sharp hooks, and gives himself such
deep wounds in the belly that he usually
dies. It frequently occurs that old bears
take the precaution to bend down these
blades with their fore-paws, as they
mount, and thereby all this offensive
armour is useless.

" Another destructive apparatus is used

with more success, which bears some
similitude to the catapult of the ancients,
and is fixed in such a manner that, at
the very instant the bear prepares to
climb the tree, he pulls a string that
lets go the machine, whose elasticity
strikes a dart into the animal's
breast."

A GROUP OF MEMBERS OF THE SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

The picture shows a group of the
members of the Sheffield and District Bee-
keepers' Association, who visited the
apiary of H. H. Ewing, Esq., on Satur-
day, September 12th. A heavy downpour
of rain accounted for a smaller attendance
than was expected. The Association was
only formed last year, but it now has a
membership of forty-eight. Although the
weather was so bad, a very enjoyable time
was spent by those who were present.
After the members had partaken of tea, a
paper by Mr. Livsey on " The Fertilisation
of Fruit Bloom by Bees " was listened
to with much interest. At the conclusion
he answered a number of questions. A
vote of thanks was expressed to Mr.
Ewing for his kind invitation, and also
to Mr. Livsey for his paper. In the group
the secretary of the Association is in the

front row, marked x, and immediately
behind him is Mr. Livsey, also marked x.
Both are members of the parent Associa-
tion, and have also gained the preliminary
examination certificate. — Comm un hated.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and (jive their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HIVE PORCHES.

[9087] I would like to ask Mr.

Nov. 5, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

401

Snelgrove (page 381) if with a porch
parallel with the alighting board, does
not the wet drip off that porch on to'
the alighting board? To a really prac-
tical joiner it seems merely a sort of
weather board. I prefer " a gable
porch" projecting 3Ain. or 4in.) fitted
with a piece of stout zinc at the back
angle, with two slotted holes, so it will fit
on two cone-headed screws. It is then
detachable when desired. — A. Harris,
Wavendon, Bucks.

STORING EXTRACTING COMBS.

[90188] Mr. Crawshaw rather scoffs at
the idea of putting away for the winter
combs wet from the extractor, without
first having been cleaned up by the bees.
It is a practice I have invariably followed
for nearly twenty years without appar-
ently any evil results. The correct method
is without „doubt to replace the supers
with their combs on the hives, but this
cannot be done till the honey flow has
quite ceased, otherwise the bees will go
on storing in them. Also when one has
to deal with some forty supers, and there-
fore some three or four hundred combs,
the labour involved is considerable. Let
me give my experience of getting the
combs cleaned up in the open, an experi-
ence which proves that the method is
inexpedient and often highly dangerous.
I am generally away during August and
part of September, and like to get every-
thing finished up before I go. One
summer after the last extraction I placed
all the supers with the wet combs in them
on the lawn in the sun, about 80 yards
away from my apiary. In about an hour's
time it was not safe to go outside the
house, and I had to make a dash for the
yard to rescue my dog, who was howling
pitifully, and put him in a place of safety.
Many of the hens were stung to death,
their heads being one mass of stings, and
my cattle in the adjoining orchards were
careering about madly. Since then I
have once or twice tried the plan in a
modified way with one or two supers, but
I find it unduly excites the bees and tends
to robbing. One learns wisdom by experi-
ence, and I now pile all the supers with
their wet combs one on top of the other
in a dry room, having first placed some
balls of napthaline underneath. The one
and only drawback to the plan, as far as
I can see, is that it renders the job of
cleaning the propolis off the following
spring a very dirty and messy one. On
the other hand, there can be no doubt that
bees take more readily to supers of wet
combs than dry ones. This season has
been a fairly good one here, but nor mj
good as last, when I took nearly 12 cwt.
of honey from twenty-two stocks. — E. H.
Oldham, Stanford Rectory.

A MINIMUM HIVE.

[9089] Mr. G. G. Desmond's article,
"The Minimum Hive," has greatly inter-
ested me.

It brings up the right subject at the
right time.

As one who makes his own hives, I
should like to discuss Mr. Desmond's
article and add some of my own ideas.
I agree that, to save expense and labour,
manv of us require " The Minimum
Hive."

We cannot all appreciate Mi*.
Desmond's reason for having his hive
square, as we do not all use flat roofs.
My own idea is also to use Jin. material
throughout, except for legs.

I would do away with the telescopic
rim, having instead a l|in. or so of
packing spaee above frames in brood box
and supers.

The supers (shallow frame) have to be
made with end walls deeper to fit into
this space in brood box, in turn providing
packing space.

I find this answers in practice, the super
lifting off easier than many a section rack.

A word with regard to timber. Much
difficulty is had in getting stuff to finish
Jin. By procuring deals 2|in. thick and
having them cut into three Jin. full
boards, I find five pieces of stuff make two
minimum hives : 2 9ft. of 11 by 2±, 1 9ft.
of 6 bv 2i, 1 3ft. of 9 by 2i, 1 7ft. of
2i bv 2§ (legs) =5.— A. W. Brock.

DERBYSHIRE NOTES.

[9090] Until recently I thought that I
had exhausted all available ways of selling
my honey locally, and I should have been
prepared to affirm that everybody in the
small town, which, for pecuniary reasons,
I honour by my residence, knew where to
obtain good honey at a reasonable price.
The following will show that I was wrong
and will perhaps suggest to others
further ways of selling honey.

Towards the end of July an agricultural
and horticultural show was held in the
town. There was no honey class, but I
offered to give a little display if I could
be allowed to sell. The result, from my
point of view, was a complete success. I
succeeded in selling a very fair quantity
of jars and sections, but better still, the
advertisement was well worth all the
trouble. First one customer and then
another expressed the pleasure it gave
them to know where pure honey could be
obtained ; they bought some and have
come again since. Consequently I am by
now nearly sold out of summer honey, and
that without troubling wholesale dealers
at all.

The above may be a hint to others as to
means of disposing of honey and getting

402

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 5, 1914.

the full value without having to sacrifice
part of the profit to a dealer.

With my heather honey I find that
although some customers ask for and, in
fact, prefer it, others have still to be
educated to it, and it will take some
time to gather round me a clientele of
heather customers. I find that with re-
gard to honey the ordinary economic
principle of demand creating supply can
be reversed. A supply properly put upon
the market will create a demand which
will in time exceed the supply.

For some time I have been revolving in
my mind a project having for its end the
production of a complete " Book of the
Bee." Perhaps this is not the time for
its production, but still that does not alter
the fact of its necessity. If a few lines
here will set other minds to work upon
the same idea, they may in less troublous
times bear fruit.

We all know to how many books we
have to turn to obtain anything approach-
ing a complete knowledge of all pertain-
ing to apiculture. The " Book of the
Bee," when produced, would be a com-
plete encyclopaedia, of bee-lore. In this
book special articles would be written by
experts in particular branches of bee-
work, and the total result would be a
work unsurpassed in its completeness of
detail, and up-to-dateness of its authori-
ties.

For example, the "History of Bee-keep-
ing" would occupy one place, ''Queen-
rearing" another, ''Diseases" another,
and "Bee Flowers" another. Dozens of
other subjects present themselves after
only a few minutes' reflection.

The book could be produced if a number
of subscribers could be guaranteed in
advance, or it might even be brought out
in fortnightly numbers at about sixpence
per number, when, doubtless, more pur-
chasers could be found than by offering it
as a complete volume at once.

This, then, is my suggestion. What
do the readers of the Journal think?
and what think our Editors and other
contributors? Now, Mr. Crawshaw? —
D. Wilson.

[8987] Storing Sections. — As a reader
of your valuable little Bee Journal,
I would be much obliged if you
would tell me through it where and
how to store section honey. I have
it stored in a press in a fairly close

room beside a hot cylinder. Would it
keep better in a cold room, or is there any
fear of it losing its flavour? — W. K.
Johnston.

Reply. — You cannot keep it in a better
place. It will not lose its flavour.

Honey Samples.
A. Thomas (Haverhill). — The light honey
is worth 65s., and the dark 60s. per
cwt. The darker honey is mainly clover
with a little ragwort.

V. Davis (Bath).— (1) Mainly clover. (2)
Yes. (3) 65s. per cwt. (4) No, it
generally makes a lower price ; some
people prefer dark honey, as the flavour
is usually stronger.

C. C. Tunmer (Maldon).— The honey is
from clover and ragwort.

Suspected Disease.
J. D. (Newcastle), C. E. (Sedgley),
" Dalston " (Cumberland), Cumbrian
(Maryport), and W. P. (Oswestry). — It
is "Isle of Wight" disease.

M. Harman (Beekenham). — Yes, they are
affected with " Isle of Wight" disease.
No, you cannot do much now beyond
liming and digging the ground and dis-
infecting the hives with Izal or Ayles'
Cure. There is no charge for lectures.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.
Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

YOUNG carpenter seeks work, used to bee
work, learn car if needed. — Box 2, " B.B.J. ",
23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C. v 36

£)1_ CWT. finest quality honey, 60s. per cwt., in
& 2 281b., 141b. tins— F. PENTNEY, Bromfield,
Halesworth. v 35

FOR SALE, good quality heavy sections,
8s. 6d. per dozen; also extracted, in 281b.,
141b., and 71b. cans, 8d. lb., f.o.r. Winner of four
firsts and silver medal at Essex County Show this
season.— NASH, Dunmow, Essex. v 34

Nov. 12, 1914.] THE BuITISII BEE JOURNAL.

403

OBITUARY.

DR. D. WARDLEWORTH.

It is with regret we have to chronicle
the death of Dr. D. Wardleworth by
drowning when bathing on October 24th,
at Havre, while on active service. He
was an enthusiastic bee-keeper and Hon.
Secretary of the Norfolk Bee-keepers'
Association, which he greatly improved
during the time of his service. He was
probably best known as the inaugurator
of the scheme for repopulating Norfolk
with Dutch bees.

In addition to that he did a great
amount of gratuitous work in visiting bee-
keepers and giving them help and advice.
He will be greatly missed by the members
of the Norfolk B.K.A., and especially by
those in the neighbourhood of his home.

As a doctor his services were greatly in
demand, and he cured many patients of
rheumatism and kindred ailments by the
application of bee stings.

During our stay with him last year we
had many evidences of his popularity for
miles around Sheringham. He was
beloved by his patients on account of his
sympathetic treatment. One instance
alone will illustrate his unselfishness : A
panel patient, suffering from chronic
ulceration in the leg, was cured by graft-
ing on to the wound several inches of skin
from the doctor's own arm.

He leaves a widow and three children,
the youngest being born on the day he
met with his death. The sympathy of all
bee-keepers will, we are sure, go out to
the widow and children of a brave man
who has lost his life while serving his
country. He was a jovial companion, and
we mourn another personal friend gone
to the great unknown.

MR. D. WILSON'S LECTURE.

(Continued from page 398.)

Sections or End Hives. — Then also this
arrangement leads to serious fighting and
robbing at such times as when bees return-
ing home with little or no store miss their
own hives and wander on to others.

I want to impress this point carefully,
as it is one of the few things that can be
done by the bee-keeper ichUe on the moor
to ensure success. Most of the work

essential to success has to be done at
home.

Having got his bees to the heather and
settled them there as well as he can, the
bee-keeper can do little to help them.
He may visit periodically to see how they
are going on. He may take more comb
if needed, or even remove surplus, but,
generally speaking, until the time of
returning home comes he has little to do.
I have mentioned here very few tricks
which the more advanced bee-keeper will
carry out in order to increase his yield
from individual stocks, while honey flow
is on either at home or on the moor. I
refer to doubling hives while on the moor,
and to strengthening up for heather
by utilising driven bees. These tricks
will come later, but a man who is starting
out for the double crop had better work
at first on simple lines.

With such a hive as I have sketched the
whole hive may be brought home on a
dray without interfering with the surplus,
which may be left in situ until the home
apiary is reached, when it may be taken
off at leisure.

Nothing then remains but to pack up
carefully for winter.

When the last crop — the heather honey
— is safely at home and taken from the
hives the work for the year is not yet
finished. There still remains the work of
extracting and marketing the honey and
of glazing or casing the sections.

The work of extraction of honey perhaps
needs special mention.

As is well known, heather honey is too-
dense to extract by the ordinary method
of using centrifugal force and must be
pressed from the comb. For this purpose
a press is absolutely necessary if ease in
working is to be aimed at. The heather
worker will be well advised to invest
money on the purchase of such a press —
say, a Rymer. This has a capacity of
from four to six combs at a time accord-
ing to their thickness, and work is quickly
and expeditiously performed by its help.

It is much better to set up one of these
at once or to make arrangements to hire
one than to use home-made apparatus or
trust to the very old, sticky and messy
method of hand-squeezing.

Now a Rymer honey press is rather
costly, and it would be a good move in
co-operation if a number of bee-keepers
could club together to purchase one for
their own use. As even under the best
circumstances the extraction or pressing
of heather-honey is not a pleasant occu-
pation and necessitates the destruction of
plenty of comb, it would be well for any-
one going in for heather-honey to consider
whether it would not be best to work for
sections as far as possible, and so get rid
of the necessity of so much pressing.

404

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 12, 1914.

By the method of working herein
sketched out the bee-keeper will find him-
self at the end of the year with large
quantities of wax on his hands ready for
melting down, especially if he has worked
chiefly for extracted honey.

It becomes a question what to do with
this surplus wax, which is far greater,
from the nature of the case, than if the
apiary was run for one crop only.

Coupled with this there is the necessary
expenditure yearly on new comb-founda-
tion to take the place of that used up, over
and above the normal use of foundation.

The two should be made to balance
themselves as nearly as possible.

The bee-keeper should turn this wax to
good account. He may work up a little
connection so as to sell it for domestic use
amongst his neighbours and honey custo-
mers, or, failing that, send it away to his
dealer in bee appliances and have it
returned to him in the shape of comb-
foundation for the expenditure of a few
pence per lb.

Winter Packing and Wintering. — As
wintering bees comes into the question of
management of an apiary I wish to touch
upon it in connection with the question of
heather-honey.

When the bees are brought back from
the moors, after even only a moderately
successful season, there is, generally,
quite sufficient store in the brood-nest.
After a successful season there is always
ample store, It is a bad season indeed
when bees have to be fed on their return.
(To be continued.)

"BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

When you visit Venice, you must feed
the pigeons on the Campo. It does not
matter a hang if you are deeply interested
in the wonderfid architecture of the
cathedral, or, that you have a little spare
cash that you want to invest in beads or
meerschaum pipes, the local manufactures
in which they glory. Those are but asides.
If you fail in your duty to the pigeons,
then you outrage every principle held
sacred by the globe-trotter. You have
failed in the object of your travels, and
are simply a nobody. Just imagine that
couple there, whose nasal accent would
prevent them claiming any nationality but
one. Just imagine them going back to
Connecticut and saying they had not fed
the pigeons at St. Mark's, Venice. How
could their children ever' forgive or forget
the family stain? I often wonder, by the
bye, what peculiar anatomical develop-
ment it is which causes that very un-
mistakable evidence of the origin of their
species.

And the varieties of language one hears.
Babel is hopelessly outclassed. Here the

swarthy Moor, or the Arab from the
desert in snow-white bernous, jostles up
against the blonde Scandinavian, or the
Russian merchant. French in every
existent patois, high and low Dutch,
gutteral German, sonorous Spanish, Eng-
lish of Cockaine, and brogue of Dublin —
every sub-solar language has its repre-
sentative here. They are gathered
together from all parts of the world, one
common object only in view; this, indeed,
is what all have travelled for — just to feed
the pigeons of St. Mark's. Cannot we get
up a furore like this for London? I
venture, humbly, to suggest that the
pigeons, say of the Guildhall, the British
Museum, the Houses of Parliament, or
'many other places I could mention, are
quite as numerous, not to be distinguished
by their toes or the colours — blue, white,
grey, or khaki — from their relations in
Italy, and that, in their groups are to
be found equally as respectable members
of the great families of pouters, tumblers,
homers, magpies, and others, which only
the tongue of a pigeon-fancier (I am not
of that ilk) can enumerate.

It might not be. We would have liked
to stay a further day. I was prepared
myself even for the martyrdom of another
mosquito night, but Time, the inexorable,
shook his hourglass, pointed to the chart
of our travels, and said, " Go." The
afternoon, therefore, of the day found us
again en route, our destination for the day
being Milan.

Of Milan, the Sheffield-Birmingham of
Italy, famous during ever so many
centuries for its skilful artificers in
metal, and for its magnificent cathedral,
we saw in our hurried visit but little.
Our endeavour was to give as much as
was possible of our, alas! too rapidly
vanishing holidays to Switzerland.

And now we are passing a mighty chain
of mountains. The engine grunts and
grumbles as it climbs the ever-steepening
gradient. Serpent-like, the railway ;
winds in circles, so restricted, that the van
in the rear is seen from the carriages in
front. Tunnel after tunnel do we pierce,
until their number reaches forty-five. How
tame and insipid now does the recollec-
tion of the lowlands, through which we
have been travelling the last two days,
seem to us. Even in our own beloved
England we have nothing to equal this.
Higher, and higher, as we journey the
mountain peaks still grow until, in the
clouds, with which they mate, their heads
are lost. It is the month of August. In
the plains below the peasant, as he toils, is
forced to wipe his brow. Here we are,
still in the midst of last winter's snow.
Trickling from the glacier, and the eternal,
fields of white, which never disappear, the
glistening cascade rushes down the rocky

Nov. 12, 1914.] TILE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

405

channel it has worn for itself during
passing ages. Ever augmenting, ever
growing, it leaps from shelf to shelf as if
in wild joy at its liberation. Through the
peepholes 'twixtthe ever-recurring tunnels
we watch its final tumble into the valley.
And those lovely valleys ! Often in earlier
days we have seen pictures of these valleys
which we looked upon then as living only
in the artistic imagination, but here,
actually underneath us, are the realities.
Meadows, intensely green, in which pas-
ture the herds with the tinkling bells,
rivers, every laughing wavelet scintillat-
ing in the brilliant sun. Roads, ever so
white j chalets and farm buildings with
the wide overhanging roofs, protection
against the winter storms, roofed with
tiles of vivid red, which contrast with the
sombre hues of the pine forests. And all
these glorious gems set in a surrounding
of hills, the rosy coloured cliffs of
which seem as mighty columns supporting
a strip of blue— the most intense blue that
painter ever dreamed of. Oh ! but it was
grand, SO' grand that once seen the recol-
lection can never fade. One wonders not
at the patriotism of the Swiss ; a country
like this is indeed worth fighting for.

Even amidst such surroundings we had
not forgotten our vocation. We still
looked for the dwellings of bees, and,
indeed, we had not far to seek. Even as
we passed in the train we noticed their
apiaries clustering under the thatched
shed, or the ever present overhanging
eaves of a farm building. There they
were in rows one above the other in as-
semblies of fifty to a hundred colonies. To
us this seemed as if it should not be.
Disease, if once it happened, would
decimate, and how to prevent the attacks
of robbers? Some, indeed, we saw in bar-
framed hives, but most in skeps, but in all
the apiaries there was overcrowding. Yet
probably they have wise reasons. It is
not for us to judge by a passing glance. —
J. Smallwood.

STORING EXTRACTED COMBS.

"With reference to this matter, I never
give definite advice on practical work which
I have not proved for myself. Theory and
practice are often antagonistic when put
to the test. Theoretically, Mr. Crawshaw
is right, practically he is wrong. I have
combs which were extracted three seasons
ago and put away wet, which are as moist
and sweet to-day as when they were
stored. Of course they have been put in
a dry, dark place. Another advantage is
that wax moth will not attack wet combs.
In trie centre of the pile of supers con-
taining wet combs a brood-chamber full of
dry combs was stored ; these were entirely

eaten up by wax moths, which did not
touch the ones immediately above or
below.

Although it is not advisable, combs can
be cleaned in the open without inducing
robbing by placing the supers in an empty
hive. The mistake made by the Rev. E. H.
Oldham was in placing the supers out too
early. If open-air clearing is to be done
successfully the supers should be placed
out about 4 o'clock p.m., so that the bees
have just time to clear them before it is
dark, they are then taken indoors, when
all will be quiet next day. The drawback
of cleaning propolis from wet supers can
be obviated by cleansing the frames before
extracting the honey. — W. Herrod.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbourne,

October,

Rainfall, 2.26in. .
Below aver., 1.82in.
Heaviest fall, .48in.
on 28th.

1914.

grass,

Minimum on
24 on 28th.
Frosty nights, 1
Mean maximum, 57. 5.

Rain fell on 14 days Mean minimum, 44.3

Sunshine, 92.1 hours. Mean temperature,

Below average, 26.6! 50.9.

hours. | Above average, 1.6.

Brightest day, 1st, : Maximum barometer,
9.2 hours. ' 30.395 on 5th.

Sunless days, 4. Minimum barometer,

Maximum tempera- 29.306 on 31st.
ture, 63 on 1st.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 30 on 28th. L. B. Birkett.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HELP FOR BELGIAN REFUGEES.

[9091] Having several beds of the
splendid bee flower, Umnanthes DoygJassi,
the thought struck me the other day that
I may, with your kind help, raise a small
sum "towards helping the poor Belgian
refugees. Therefore I ask if you will
kindly make it known through the
•' B.B.J." that I have several hundred

406

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 12, 1914.

good strong plants for sal© at 3s. per
hundred, Is. 6d. per fifty, post free.

I shall give the proceeds of sale, less the
postage, to the above fund, and shall be
pleased if you will take charge of the sum
realised and publish the amount in due
course.

No bee-keeper should be without this
flower; it is a splendid border plant, and
when grown in large quantities it simply
scents the garden. — Edwin Ballard,
Beeholme, Aldington, Evesham.

[We shall be pleased to do as our corre-
spondent suggests. — Eds.]

BEE NOTES FROM ACTON.

[9092] My bees were in a very bad con-
dition when last I wrote you in February
(8960) and it was not long before I was
fully aware of it and destroyed them. After
cleaning up the hives, &c, I got two fine
stocks and ordered a swarm, which have
done so well, supplying up to date 140
sections, thai^ I am sending extracts from
my diary of the doings in my apiary, which
may be interesting to your readers ; the
harvest being mostly from lime blossom.
1914.

April 17th. — Hived two stocks, which
had arrived the previous evening, giving
them eleven combs each.

April 19th. — Removed one comb from
stock No. 1, and gave them a rack of
sections.

May 4th. — Drones were flying from this
stock.

May 11th. — Removed 1 comb from
No. 2 and gave them a rack of sections ;
drones were flying from this stock next
day.

May 19th. — Received a swarm weighing
3|lbs. and hived them, giving a rack of
sections at same time. This is stock No. 3.

June 4th. — No. 1 swarmed to the top of
a sycamore tree, and while being removed
all returned to the hive. Cut out all
queen-cells and gave another rack of
sections — the third.

June 17th. No. 1 again swarmed, at"

9.30

and

cast issued at 2 p.m.

After returning all to the hive, killing
five queens and destroying many cells, I
gave them a fourth rack of sections.

June 18th. — No. 2 swarmed; cut out
queen-cells and returned swarm.

June 25th. — No. 2 again swarmed, and
were returned without examination.

June 30th. — No. 3 swarmed, weight of
swarm 4£lbs. ; it was returned after ex-
amining combs, no queen or queen-cells
could be found.

July 2nd. — Stock 2 swarmed, weight,
8|lbs. Removed two combs with queen-
cells from stock, and placed with three

others in another hive as stock 4. Re-
turned most of the swarm to parent stock
and replaced the two combs with frames
and foundation and united about 21bs. of
bees to stock No. 4, which were now on
five frames.

July 24th. — Placed two combs and bees
from stock 4 in an observatory hive with
one frame of foundation. Lowered all
hives to normal ventilation.

The three stocks gave me as follows : —
No. 1, 63 sections; No. 2, 58; No. 3, 19 =
140 sections ; in addition to an increase of
one stock, and the bees placed in the
observatory hive. — S. S. Lewis.

CURING "ISLE OF WIGHT "DISEASE.

[9093] When I was just recommencing
bee-keeping in this district I wrote to ask
you if there was any prevention or cure
for " Isle of Wight " disease, and your
reply was in the negative.

As I very much hope my experience
since then may be of some use to my
fellow bee-keepers, I am sending you full
particulars.

I started keeping bees here in a good
deal of apprehension, as I heard they had
nearly all died in the neighbourhood ;
besides, having had no experience of the
disease, I was unable to recognise the>
earlier symptoms.

It attacked two of my hives. The
first to suffer was an artificial swarm from
the strongest and most forward hive in
the apiary. I had left them alone for
some time, thinking all was well. The
queen was not a young one, having led
off a swarm the preceding year (which I
had bought).

I first noticed something was wrong
from the number of crawling bees about
that corner of the apiary — and then dis-
covered that the strong swarm had
dwindled to a mere handful of bees, the
alighting-board being covered with crawl-
ing bees with twisted wings. I found the
queen crawling on the floor of the hive,
very repulsive looking, and dropping her
eggs anywhere. She laid one in my
hand, and seemed in a good deal of pain.

Knowing that no one else kept bees
near enough for there to be any danger
of infection, and being very anxious to
experiment upon the sick bees, I did
not destroy them, but sent particulars,
and my own theory as to the cause of the
disease to an acquaintance, who has not
studied bee-keeping but is very scientific.
He sent me a medicine. It was very
simple to use, being put in an atomiser
with very thin syrup, to be sprayed over
the combs once a day.

For the first two or three days I sprayed
with this morning and evening, with the
result that after the third day I found

Nov. 12, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

40T

the queen again on the comb, laying
normally. Within a fortnight, the re-
maining bees had become glossy and
healthy looking, including the queen, and
there was \ery soon not a crawling bee to
be found.

I have kept this stock carefully watched,
and they have developed into a nice
colony for wintering, and I hope will do
good work next year.

Soon after the disease had commenced
in the hive, the same symptoms began to
develop in another — this was a swarmed
stock with a young queen. Though the
attack rather weakened them, it very
quickly gave way to the spraying, which
was not done more than once during
the first week, and then on alternate days.
The chief difference between this treat-
ment and all I have read of in bee
journals lies in the fact that this entirely
cures diseased bees, curing the queen her-
self, without there being any necessity
for requeening.

I think that this medicine might be
used more simply still by giving it in an
ordinary feeding-bottle over the tops of
frames, but have not yet had an oppor-
tunity of testing. I have tried to obtain
-other diseased bees to practise upon, but
find people deny having the disease until
the bees are all dead.

At first I sprayed the outsides and
alighting-boards of all healthy hives with
a disinfectant sent me by the same
acquaintance, but did not continue this
more than a few days. I have had no
further outbreaks.

"With regard to infection, I do not think
that destroying infected bees will clear the
country of this disease, as I think it
probable that the disease originates with
an infectious disease amongst plants upon
which the bees forage, and until this can
be found and stopped at its source, bee-
keepers will not benefit by having their
bees destroyed — the only help to bee-
keepers lies in a remedy which will cure
and render bees immune from further
attacks.

The medicine used was supplied to me
by Mr. G-elston, Chemist, 5, Church
Street, Basingstoke, Hants. — M. T.
BatteN.

A PROFITABLE STOCK.

[9094] I thought vou might like to
know that Mr. T. Holt, of Westfield,
Winchester, has already taken 1501bs. of
lioney from one hive of bees, and that
there still remains at least 201bs., which
he intends to leave till spring, as they
are still working hard. The remaining
201bs. does not include lioney left in brood
fombs. The bees were only received near
*>nd of May— R. H.

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND
B.K.A.

Some sixty members and friends of the
Leicestershire and Rutland Bee-keepers'
Association attended an autumn con-
ference at the Highcross Restaurant,
Leicester^ on Saturday afternoon. The
Chairman of the Association, Mr. W. K.
Bedingfield, distributed the medals and
prizes gained at the Abbey Park Show.
A discussion on "Queen-Rearing" was
opened by the Rev. J. F. Anderson, and
proved of a profitable character to bee-
keepers.

After tea, Mr. Geo. Hayes, secretary to
the Notts Bee-keepers' Association, de-
livered an instructive lecture on ''The
preparation of honey for market and
show." A discussion followed.

Prizes were given for the best single
lib. bottle of honey of any year, and
afterwards a judging competition was
arranged. The exhibits were given to the
Association, who decided to distribute
them between the Hospital for Wounded
Soldiers and Sailors, Home for Waifs and
Strays, and the Infant Orphan Asylum in
Leicester.

PRESS CUTTING.

ALL ABOUT BEES.

Another of the series of lectures which
are being conducted under the auspices
of the Doncaster Scientific iSociety, was
given in the Science Room, Guild Hall,
on Wednesday evening. The subject was
" Apiculture," and it was thoroughly dealt
with by the Rev. F. S. F. Jannings,
F.E.S. A beehive and bee appliances of
all sorts and conditions served to lend an
added interest to the proceedings. Dr.
Corbett presided over a small attendance.
— From the Doncaster Chronicle.

U£Rl£S

*W

S.JS

[8987] Using a Sugar-boiler's Ther-
mometer.— In making soft bee-candy as
per "B.B.J.," October 29th, and using a
sugar-boiler's thermometer, at what
temperature would you keep it for twenty
minutes? — J. W. G.

Reply. — When using a sugar-boiler's
thermometer in making soft bee-candy,
you must remove the pan from the fire
immediately the right temperature is
reached. This is 23odegs. Fahr. It must
not exceed 238degs. or the candy will be
too hard, and will need more water adding
and reboiling to the correct temperature.

408

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 12, 1914.

J. H. (Oxford). — Troublesome Wasps. —
Close the entrances to one bee space.
You may make a slide of perforated
zinc for the purpose.

W. E. Moss (Hinckley).— Bee Candy.—
The sample you sent is very good in
every way. It is quite a success.

R. M. — No, it is not a misprint, as you
will see by referring to the "B.B.J."
of November 23rd, 1905. You have not
observed our rule as to name and
address.

J. Y. (Cambridge). — It does not exist
there, so far as we know.

Carnarvon (Llandudno). — (a) Yes, the
bees will repair them. (/>) Keep in a
warm, dry place, or put them back on
the hives and allow the bees to clean
them. See letter on page 405. (c)
There is something wrong if they
are in that condition. Do you
take the combs containing brood away
from the bees and store them during
the winter, or do you mean combs that
are left in the hive? If the former is
the cause, leave combs containing
brood in the. hive. They should not be
taken out and stored. In the latter
case, can you send us a piece of comb
containing brood? — and do not use the
combs again.

A. W. B. (Lyonshall). — We are afraid you
do not read your Journal carefully. If
you refer1 to the list of awards at last
year's Grocers' Exhibition, you will find
that in the class mentioned six H.C.
cards were awarded, and at the Dairy
Show this year two V.H.C. and seven
H.C. cards were awarded, so the num-
ber you suggest was exceeded. Our
space is limited, therefore these were
cut out of our report this year. To
give the description you name would
require pages and would be of interest
to but few of our readers. We can
assure you there was not a single ex-
hibit which could be described as
rubbish. All were very good, a few
were better than the others, and these
won the prizes.

Suspected Disease.

A. B. C. (Lichfield). — Both are suffering
from " Isle of Wight " disease.

"Brum" (Solihull). — Bees Carrying
Pollen. — (1) For future use, there may,
however, still be a little brood needing
some now. (2) Yes, if they can' obtain
it. (3) Unless they are collecting
enough to keep them going they will use
some of their stores.

E. Herd (Egham). — The bees sent appear
healthy.

T. D. M. G. S. (Marlboro').— The bees are
suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease.
Was you aware you had sent the dead
queen ?

H. G. A. (Littlewick).— They are affected
with " Isle of Wight55 disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence.
Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey. Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

THREE stocks bees, in Standard hives, healthy,
25s. each, f.o.r. — CASE, Wootton Bassett,
Wilts. v 47

HONEY, fine quality, light colour, in lib. screw
top bottles, 8s. dozen; sample bottle, post free
Is.; also sections, 9s. dozen.— COW ELL, Station-
road, Sheringham, Norfolk. v 42

PURE Leicestershire honey, light, excellent
quality, 281b. tins, 16s., carriage forward.—
EVERETT, 40 Linden-street, North Evington,
Leicester. v 45

BEST heather sections, 10s. 6d. dozen; clover,
9s.; flower, 8s. 6d., carriage paid —
GLAISTER, Lazonby, Cumberland. v 38

GOOD heather sections, seven dozen, 12s. per
dozen; cash with order.— J. REAVELEY,
Starbeck, Harrogate. v 46

HONEY trophy of English plate, complete with
tall bottles, to be disposed of immediately;
what off er ?— Hy vale, Amersham. v 51

SOMERSET clover honey, colour and flavour
perfect, five 281b. tins, £1 each, delivered.—
WYATT, Bishopswood, Chard. v 50

HONEY, finest quality, 6Cs. per cwt.; sample,
3d— W. OOXON, Ambaston, Derby. v 49

APIARY, complete, for sale, about forty stocks;
full particulars.— W., " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-st, Strand, W.C. v 48

WANTED, half cwt. (bulk) good light honey —
PURCELL, Woodstock-road, Waltham-
stow. v 44

EXTRACTED HONEY, good light, U cwt., in
four tins, 6d. lb.; tins returnable.— A.
SIMPSON, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks. v 40

PURE Cornish honey, in 281b. tins, 65s. cwt.;
sample, 3d.— CHAPMAN, Berrycombe-road,
Bodmin. v 39

f)Jl CWT. finest quality honey, 60s. per cwt., in
4>2 281b., 141b. tins— F. PENTNEY, Bromfield,
Halesworth. v 35

FOR SALE, good quality heavy sections,
8s. 6d. per dozen; also extracted, in 281b.,
141b., and 71b. cans, 8d. lb., f.o.r. WTinner of four
firsts and silver medal at Essex County Show this
season.— NASH, Dunmow, Essex. v 34

Nov. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

409

MR. D. WILSONS LECTURE.
{Continued from page 404.)

I wish to point out that there is a diver-
sity of opinion as to the wintering quality
of heather honey.

Some heather-going bee-keepers con-
demn heather honey totally as a winter
food for bees, and make it a rule to take
out as much store as possible, supplying
syrup store in its place.

I myself am an advocate for wintering
bees on heather stores, never having found
it detrimental to them.

Indeed, observation has taught me that
in my case, year in and year out, bees do
hetter on heather than on fed stores. I
have no desire here to restart a con-
troversy which is very old, but merely
point out this apparent discrepancy for
the benefit of those who may be con-
templating heather-going. The subject
recpiires more investigation.

Certainly, when competent investigators
in different districts have arrived at
■different conclusions when examining the
effects of heather honey as a winter food,
we cannot say that one set is right and
the other wrong. Rather it may be said
that both are right in their own location.
Causes may be purely local. The moor-
going bee-keeper must settle the question
for himself in his own district, and, having
settled it, must work accordingly, remov-
ing all stores if necessary and putting his
hees on to combs filled with syrup or
summer honey, or, on the other hand,
allowing them to winter on their own
sealed stores.

In conclusion, I wish to say that when a
bee-keeper has arrived at a certain stage
of competence in the management of bees
in his home apiary, for what I have called,
for lack of better definition, " one crop
only," he cannot do better than turn his
thoughts to heather-going.

"When he has done so, and has completed
one season's working only, he will be com-
pelled to admit that he is only on the
threshold of bee-keeping as a paying
hobby, or even as a business.

He will find that many of his notions
and much of his apparatus need over-
hauling and revising in view of what he
has learnt on his first journey, and he will
admit that his work, hitherto, at home has
only been of an elementary type. There
are so manv other factors which enter into

the question that it is the beginning of
a new course in bee education.

Much can be said to lighten the burden
of the bee-keeper who intends to take the
journey for the first time, and he can be
warned against many pitfalls ; but, after
all, there is no school like experience, and
a journey to the moor will make more im-
pression on the bee practice of a beginner
than months of teaching.

A personal experience of my own will
go to illustrate what I mean. A young
bee-keeper with up-to-date appliances was
desirous of going to the moors for the first
time. His hives were of the AV.B.C.
pattern. He came to me in 1913 and told
me by what methods he was going to make
the journey. I tried to lead him to see
that these' would hardly pay, but he was
obstinate and inclined to think that he
knew better, so I let it go at that. I
understand that he travelled his bees in
these W.B.C. hives with quilts in position,
but giving them a little ventilation at the
entrance by means of perforated zinc.
Before he was far on his journey he had
to borrow a saw to cut away the legs from
the hives. Not much farther on he found
the interior bodies were moving, and these
he had to wedge with any material which
came to hand. Before he got to the moors
he had swung a hive from the dray, and
had to take the mare out hurriedly and
get her to a place of safety. More by good
luck than good management he secured a
crop, but this year I notice that his ideas
have been revised, and that his hives are
now suitable for transportation.

This closed the lecture, and the Chair-
man (Mr. Reid) asked the audience to
put any questions on the subject of the
lecture'to Mr. Wilson. Among others the
following questions were put: —

Mr. Frankenstein asked whether the
heather on the moor mentioned by Mr.
Wilson was Ling or Bell Heather. Mr.
Wilson said it was Ling.

Mr. Eales asked how many years Mr.
Wilson had been working for heather
honey. Mr. Wilson : " I have had eight
years' experience."

Mr. Crawshaw : " I should like to ask
whether the lecturer does not consider
that the shallow-frame brood-chamber
might be of considerable service in moor
going? "

Mr. Wilson : " I have had no experience
in using shallow frames in brood-boxes.
I should consider it would be a very desir-
able object to work for — to make the hive
so that instead of a standard frame a
shallow frame could be used, and for this
reason, the more confined for room we
keep our bees when at the moors, the more
likely are we to obtain finished comb.
The only point is, when it comes to winter-
ing will thev winter as well upon the

410

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Xov. 19, 1914:

shallow combs as upon those in standard
frames? "

Tea was then served and objects of in-
terest brought to the meeting were ex-
amined. There were several sections
brought by Mr. G. J. Flashman, of
Barnet, in which the bees had eaten away
the base of a large number of cells, leaving
holes or passages right through the comb.
Various opinions were expressed as to why
the bees had done this, but no satis-
factory explanation was given.

By Nemo.

The Scent-Producing Organ of the
Honey Bee, by X. E. Mclndoo, Ph.D.—
This is a paper published in the Proceed-
ings of the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia for August, 1914. The
organ studied by the author is the one
first noted and described by M. Nassanoff,
which he found on the sixth abdominal
ring. This was in the form of a canal, at
the bottom of which a large number of
small glands open, each one having an oval
cell and a well-defined globule. To these
glands Nassanoff ascribed an excretory
function (see Cowan's "The Honey Bee,"
page 94, for fuller particulars). Later, in
1901, F. W. L. Sladen, who made a
further study of this organ, considered it
a scent organ, and by numerous experi-
ments showed that at certain times,
especially when bees are swarming, the
organ is exposed and emits a pungent
odour which is attractive to their comrades
("B.B.J,," 1901, page 142). Dr. Mclndoo
has carried the work a step further, and
by dissecting those parts carrying the
organ has been able to give a detailed
account of their structure. The paper
deals entirely with the morphology of what
he agrees with Mr. Sladen is a scent-pro-
ducing organ. Besides the worker bees
the author found that queens were pro-
vided with a similar organ, but the gland
cells are at least one-third larger than are
those in adult workers. In the pupae of
both queens and workers the structure of
the gland-cells is similar. No analogous
structure was found in drones, but the
author does not think that this means
that they have no scent-producing organ,
because other parts of the body were not
examined for glandular structures. In
discussing the five types of scent-produc-

ing organs in insects he points out that
that of the honey bee is probably the most
highly developed organ of the type. The
paper is well illustrated and is a valuable
addition to our knowledge of the subject.
Destruction of Germs of Infectious Bee
Diseases by Heating, by G. F. White,
M.D. (Bulletin No. 92, Bureau of
Entomology, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).
— The author has been carrying out a
series of experiments to determine the
temperature necessary to destroy the
germs that produce diseases among bees.
The subject is of importance to bee-
keepers, as heat is employed by them in
one form or another to reduce losses due
to such diseases. Hives that have con-
tained infected colonies are scorched,
honey is heated before being given back
as food, and heat is used in the rendering
of wax. It is therefore natural that bee-
keepers should inquire what amount of
heat is necessary to destroy the germs of
infection. The results of these experi-
ments show that if maintained for ten
minutes the maximum temperature for
so-called European foul brood (the strong
smelling of this country) is between
140degs. . Fahr. and 149degs. Fair. That
for so-called American foul brood (our
odourless) is between 194degs. Fahr. and
212degs. Fahr. The minimum tempera-
ture for Nosema disease lies between
131degs. Fahr and 140degs. Fahr. The
melting-point of beeswax is between
143.6degs. Fahr. and 147.2degs. Fahr. in-
clusive. As Mr. Root points out in Glean-
ings that beeswax used for comb founda-
tion is usually kept at a temperature of
180degs. to 190degs. for not less than an
hour, there is no chance of foundation
carrying the germs. As regards American
foul brood, he says that " while the tem-
perature is probably never up to 212degs.,
yet the separate heatings and prolonged
periods of heat are sufficient to kill all the
germs." Dr. White found that at a tem-
perature of 212degs. Fahr. the germs were
destroyed in five minutes.

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

By D. M. Macdonald,

" Wear White! "_Why, Mr. Lovell, in-
Gleanings, has again and again re-
iteratedly exclaimed, " Wear white when
working among bees"; while he and

Nov. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

411

several others have given (unconvincing)
so-called proofs that bees hate black and
love white. All my own observations
over a period of thirty years go to prove
that to the bees it is six of the one and
half a dozen of the other. Even Mr.
Lovell admits in a recent issue as follows : —
" A black garment suspended from a pole
in the apiary receives no attention from
the bees, and they will gather honey from
a black paper as readily as from a white.
Black alone will not excite their anger.''
For this, thanks! Bees, he admits, do
not feel any hostility towards black for
its own sake. That is my own experience
entirely. Every other writer, I think, has
taken up a different position. They hate
black just because it is black. Now, Mr.
Lovell theorises that simple black must be
accompanied by something else. " It
must be worn by some animal or human
being near the bee yard, and the bees
must be angry.''' It is only then ap-
parently that bees go for black. A white,
or semi-white, object is to them trans-
parent: a dark object is opaque. Hence
they make for the more distinctly visible
form and neglect the semi-transparent.
The reasoning appears to me to be very
far-fetched.

Destruction of Germs. — I think the fol-
lowing facts, supplied by Dr. G. F. White,
expert engaged in the investigation of
bee diseases, Washington, U.S.3 are worth
recording : — -

(1) The minimum temperature for

destroying foul-brood germs (what we

look on as the mild type) lies between
140degs. and 149degs.

.(2)i For the virulent type the higher
temperature of from 19-Idegs. and 212degs.
is required.

(3) For Nosema apis disease it is
strangely lower than either of above cases,
ranging from a minimum of 131degs. to
140degs. In all the three cases the time
required is ten minutes boiling; and
although he admits that future experi-
ments may cause slight changes, nothing
but comparatively slight changes can be
expected. A scare is now and again
started suggesting that wax may be a
fertile source of spreading disease. To
allay any sense of insecurity on this head
it may be interesting to supply the fol-
lowing from Mr. Root : " Beeswax used in
foundation goes through not less than
three separate heatings. After the wax
has been refined and clarified it has to
be melted again on hot steam pipes before
it can be sheeted, and the three heatings
cover a total period of thirty hours. This
would kill anything." J think anyone
who has had the privilege of seeing
the " tried " process as carried out by
Messrs. Lee can rest assured that wax

foundation does not act as a " germ-
carrier."

Smoke Introduction. — It would be well
to "make haste slowly" in adopting this
system in preference to the familiar and
well tried plans of queen introduction
which have stood the test of years.
Many of the rank and file on the other
side report that smoke has proved a
failure, and with such a good all-round
man as Mr. Byers, in Canada, more
queens were lost than with the caging
plan. Dr. Miller's verdict is : " We have
tried introducing queens by the Arthur C.
Miller smoke method, only to find it a
failure in every instance." Several other
prominent writers are about as emphatic.
Even with a sincere desire to give the new
method his blessing, the following is the
best Editor Root can say : " While we
have had fairly good success in introduc-
ing queens by the use of smoke, not a few
of our subscribers apparently have not
made a success of it, and are going back
to the cage method. We thought we
could recommend this method in place of
the cage plan of introducing with all
queens sent out; but apparently we would
better stick to the old plan for a while
yet." This is wise advice. While the
man who handles bees and queens may be
able to introduce safely with any system,
or, indeed, with no system at times, I
venture to say that the smoke method will
never be generally popular in this country,
where the fraternity consists mainly of
'"small" bee-keepers, each with his dozen
or half-dozen hives — because bee-keeping
with us is not a business.

Drone Comb. — " The best place for drone
comb is in the melting tank as quickly as
possible. The only plan I ever care for
drone comb is to mass a few combs on
colonies from which drones for mating
are desirable."

Winter Stares. — Mr. Holterman has a
great preference for sugar syrup over even
natural stores as a winter food for bees.
He says : " I feel sure that the very best
winter stores obtainable is sugar syrup.
Clover honey may be its equal, but
nothing its superior. What makes
natural stores unsafe, where the bees are
confined to the hive for months at a
time, is the uncertainty of their com-
position. What makes artificial winter
stores better is the certainty and uni-
formity of these stores if the best of
granulated sugar is used."

Honey Crop Beport. — " Taking it all in
all this Report is exceedingly valuable,
and we note with pleasure that the general
Government is taking hold of this work
and doing it so well." This is an im-
portant advance on the part of the U.S.
Statistical Department, and one worthy
of imitation by others. The yield per

412

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nay. 19, 1914.

•colony in 1913 varied from 75 in
Wyoming and Nevada down to 20 in
West Virginia, and 21 in Delaware. In
ISM California and Wyoming stood
3iighest with 75, and Missouri and Ken-
tucky with 5 and 8. The Report shows
also the proportion of comb extracted and
•chunk honey. The latter is about 16 per
foent., and both the others stand about
42 per cent. — being all but equal.

ING&
[OMB

Pie

A Self-extinguishing Smoker (p. 359). —
"Right here," I want to fall foul of the
Editor of Gleanings, and of "D.M.M.,"
for encouraging him. They suggest that
a cork or plug should be attached by a
string to the smoker for the ultimate pur-
pose of extinguishing it. Imagine work-
ing with a smoker having such a pendant !
Do they realise what would be the condi-
tion of the plug after a little use? I know
very well, because I always use one. But
I leave it on the shelf where the smoker
lives, and there it is always ready to
hand when the smoker is done with. There
is no reason why it should not be tied to
the shelf, but the worst place for it is
dangling from the smoker. A temporary
plug is readily made from a screw of paper
or a wisp of grass.

.1 Long Lived Lot (p. 359). — Archaeo-
logical bee-keepers who have confirmed
their beliefs by " the observation of
-centuries " would be able to compare notes
with the proprietor of Mr. Heap's evolved
microbe. Honey is no doubt the elixir
upon which such patriarchs live, and the
fact ought to be widely advertised. By
the way, I wonder which of Noah's stal-
wart sons looked after the bees. Possibly
the father of Canaan, whose descendants
developed a land flowing with honey. But,
as the "archives" are long destroyed, this
is, as " D. M. M." would say, only a
guess.

Moving Bees (p. 3(57). — From internal
evidence it is clear to the hypercritic that
the question really relates to the removal
of bees. But if not, I would suggest that
Mr. Bee Mason has had about as much
•experience as anyone of " moving bees "
on a large scale during the winter months.
Needless to say, he makes generous use of
a "screen" for these non-hybernating
bees .

An Expert's Diary (p. 370). — This story
of the sparrow and the alighting-board is
kin to that of the old lady who sent a
pair of boots to her son by telegraph wire,
and was satisfied to " find them gone " in
the morning. Possibly the sparrow was
but moribund, and had a rude awakening
in the morning, so that he took to himself
wings and flew away, or the cat may have
been able to satisfactorily account for
him. The origin of the belief in a meat
diet is no doubt related to that of the
Vergilian ox-tale. Conclusive evidence
was obtained by, with, or from the offered
ox himself in the oblative case.

Evaporation in the Hive (p. 371). —
Heat is no doubt a prime factor in the
evaporation, but I think that this is not
a full explanation of the process. There
is probably little difference in the tempera-
ture of the honey by day or night, and no
certainty that the night temperature
exceeds that of the day. Indeed, I should
expect to find the average excess upon the
other hand. The true explanation is that
of the water-carrying power of the atmo-
sphere. Thus a cool, dry night would be
better for the purpose than a hot, moist
day, and vice versa. The cool air, i.e.,
cool by comparison with the hive tempera-
ture, is drawn in and warmed up, when
its hygroscopic power is increased. It is
then expelled laden with moisture, and on
a cold night this moisture is suddenly
deposited at the hive entrance. Usually
the intake and exit are clearly definded by
this means. The fanners are hard at work
during the day as well as the night, and
tests would probably show that evapora-
tion was proceeding constantly. There is
sound reason for the placing of the honey
clear of the brood, as, if interspersed, the
bees could hardly dry one without the
other, and the currents of air are cleverly
deflected to avoid this calamity. In the
breeding season, cells containing thin
honey or water may be found within the
protecting wall of the cluster proper.
It would be labour lost if heat alone
caused these stores to disappear nightly.

Skeps and Disease (p. 373). — I agree
with Mr. Hamshar that the discussion has
wandered a little, but it doesn't seem to
matter much. I am unable to agree about
the ''impossibility of 'removal" of
disease. The idea in my critic's mind is,
no doubt, the salvation of the stock. But
that is just what is unnecessary, and
which does not occur with regular
"taking" of the hives under skeppist
management. As to which hives should
have the best queens I am unable to say,
for many things have to be considered.
But it is certain that the heaviest stocks
would not necessarily possess them, and

N

19, 1911.1 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

413

"that regular breeding from the heaviest
stock would not necessarily improve the
_yield. My point was that the " middle-

weight " queen might be closely related to
the heaviest, own daughter, perhaps, and
possess similar potentialities.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

k*m^

J3v W^Merrod.

vas^A^ts^r-^sSm^af^mRBS.

Procuring Surplus.
{Continued from Page 384.)

There are several other ways of removing supers which with practice and
^experience the bee-keeper will soon learn how to carry out. For instance, if the
supers are left on until the end of the season the bees will gradually leave them to
-concentrate in the brood chamber. At that time of the year, if one rises about
4 a.m.. the majority of them can be removed without a single bee being inside.
Another method is to tilt the super with one hand, and slide the clearing board under-
neath it with the other. No. 6. (Fig. 15). The super is now lowered on to the
• clearing board, No. 7, then drawn back so that it covers the board. Both the super
.and clearing board are then pushed forward, No. 8, into position, No. 9. The
next morning it will be free from bees and can be taken off, No. 10. If this is
done carefully and the board kept tight down on to the top bars of the frames
not ;i bee will be killed; as the board in its progress forward presses against them.
they naturally run out of the way. When supers are being lifted otherwise than
with the screwdriver they should always be twisted cornerwise first to break awav
brace combs or attachment by propolis which may occur. Sometimes they are
stuck down so tightly that it is almost impossible to move them by either lifting or
twisting with the hands. In such cases a, sharp knock cornerwise will generally
liberate them. This can be done with a brick, or failing anything more handy
a sharp knock with the heel of the boot will do the trick. When this is done care
must be taken to otibdue the bees properly first, or many stings may be received.

It is best to avoid propolization by the use of vaseline. Spread the thinnest
possible coat on all those parts of the«siiper which will come into contact with the
•woodwork below it.

For removing supers the most effective subjugator is smoke ; used judiciously this
will ii' it taint the honey. If a carbolic cloth is used, being damp, as it should be,
there is danger of the honey being tainted. Many good samples of honey are spoilt
in this way. In removing sections, as little subjugation compatible with the work
in hand (which should only take a few minutes) should be carried out. If it is
overdone, or the work prolonged, the bees will puncture the cappings with numerous
small .holes to> get at the food (Fig. 16), and the value of the sections, if not spoilt
altogether, is considerably reduced.

To obtain the best results, swarming must be prevented. This can usually be
■accomplished by giving attention to- details. Position of the hive is one factor,
and is dealt with elsewhere. Ventilation in very hot weather is absolutely necessary.
This can be given by turning the roof cofnerwise. but it is necessary for one to be
•close at hand to replace it to keep out the wet should a rainstorm come on. Also
it means attention each morning and evening. The best method of giving ventilation
is by propping up the brood chamber all round, as illustrated in the chapter on
natural swarming. In the natural home of the bee, in a hollow tree or other
position, ventilation is always obtained at the bottom. On no account must ventila-
tion be given by means of a draught right through the brood chamber or the brood

414

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Xov. 19, 1914.

Fig. 15.;

Nov. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

415

Avill be chilled. The method recommended avoids this. As soon as there is a
scarcity of bee flowers, the brood chamber must be lowered or robbing will take
place.

Having considered in detail the methods adopted for procuring extracted honey,

we now turn to those
comb- honey. In the
there is very little
bee-keeper beyond pre-
the supers at the right
rest. With sections the
great deal depends upon
requires considerable ex-
saleable ones can be
sideration is the sections,
patterns, most of vyhich
17), Xos. 1. 2 and 3
No. r, plain ; No. 2,
and grooved for the
6 are four bee- way,
above. Nos. 7, 8. q
second descriptions as
" Which is the better to use. two
repeatedly asked by the bee-keeper

Fig. 16.

necessary for obtaining
case of the former,
trouble entailed by the
paring and putting on
time. The bees do the
case is different, as a
human agency, and it
perience before good,
obtained. The first con-
These are of varying
are illustrated at (Fig.
being two bee-way.
split top ; No. 3, split
foundation. Nos. 4, 5,
second description as
are no bee-way sections,
for the top three,
or four bee-way?" is a question
Personally, I have found the two

bee-way give the best results. The comb is built up to the woodwork of the
section better in these than in the four bee-way, the reason no doubt being that there
is a dead stop for the bees to work up to. whereas in the four bee-way the bees-
pass through the sides as well as top and bottom. As a rule they leave off about

Fig. 17*

two-fifths of an inch from the wood, i.e., two rows of cells, to enable them to pass-
through more readily. The free passage from all sides is claimed as a great
advantage in the work, but I have not found this confirmed in practice. The no-
bee-way sections have not found much favour and are used to-day by very few.
Probably the necessity of having a special divider (Fig. 18), No. 1 plain, No. 2-

41G

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov, 19, 1914.

•slotted or gate, prevented a great many from taking them up. 1 have seen very
good work produced by means of the no bee-way section, and would certainly prefer
them to the four bee:way. The section used should be the 4 Jin. by 4^in. by i^in.
as this produces the best work and does not need a special rack. At one time a
section measuring 5m. by 4m. by ifin. was strongly advocated. The advantages
claimed were that they sold better, as they presented a larger comb surface when
•exposed for sale. A buyer looks all ways at an article he is going to
purchase, and quicklv sees the difference in thickness. We had good evidence of
this when a few years ago at the Grocers' Exhibition, at the Royal Agricultural Hall,
London, the Canadians brought over with their exhibit of produce from that colony
a large quantity of narrow sections which thev tried to sell at a much lower figure
than the pound sections produced in this country. Very frequently I saw them
nonplussed by the prospective purchaser

taking the section in ^^^__^ . his hand, balancing

it critically and re- ' W-J "mms^ ~ marking. " But this is

not more than three- ,]l quarters of a pound

i n w eight. No <f- thanks ; I would

rather pav a little imm mm mm „____ _____„ ! 1 more for a genuine

English pound sec- * .jj|kui W^U tion " ; and so they

had to dispose of the consignment at a

great loss, since which . time no more have

l>een sent to Great *SBBmSBB^MMm^Bmm Britain. To show-
how this is working — - 1 — i — 1 out against the bee-

seeper in America, I 2 take the following from

Gleanings, of August ■ |: 15th. 1914. Writing

re tin hi weighl MBffflf rfWBHf 7~ inn' T T ■ ^aw" ^' ^" ^ass'e

■says: 1 1 be mt^m^Bmt^^^^nmaS^^^mm remembered by the

older readers of the bee-journals that for

years pasl SS9H9S ■ ■■-.^:- seriously objected to

the use of light-weight "" ,';j sections, refusing to

use them at all myself. - i^- 3 It has always looked

to me too much like fl W, taking advantage of

our customers to sell H^ «^^^«m^bhH them a 12, 13, or 14

when ■-- HB' ^^BI^^^H the

thinking that they were getting a pound

of hone} iBHiHHHHHHHHHBfli

lieved then, and do -v " _> -■■•-■ g<g| now, that such prac-

tice is an offence in the y |h| sight of God. I

believed that He would \ - $8£?\ ^ use the works of man

to punish those who ;r /■ ^^^*^^^^^mmJj^V, followed that prac-

tice.'' Another :~ '-;■_-_ ,".';? j-'v_i.'.Slc^'. 'i^W^iry^/Ml advantage claimed is
that the honey ripens ^ quicker in a thin comb :

this is a debatable ■FlG- *°- point, but suppose

we take it for granted that such

is the case, and balance it against the extra amount of wax needed
to seal the larger surface, we find the 4|-in. section has the advantage. The claim
that it can be worked in frames interspaced with shallow combs is also advanced
'in its favour. With regard to this, it is not true that a multiplicity of appliances
and methods in one super gives indifferent results and is a nuisance in manipulation?
One thing at a time,, &c, applies here. Briefly the disadvantages are (1) that to
use the tall sections it is necessary to have specwJ appliances in the form of section
racks, frames and dividers; (2) special glass of cases are necessary for glazing;
(3) they are top-heavy, and do not stand firmly, being easily knocked over by a
slight touch or jar. I have seen them fall off the staging at a show simply through
•the vibration caused by a person walking by ; (4) their thinness makes the buyer
'look with suspicion upon them.

(To be continued.)

Nov. 19, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

41T

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, U«i
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

HOLIDAY NOTES.

[9095] Having just returned from
holiday in the Isle of Man, I thought it
might interest your readers to know what
a Mecca for bee-keepers the little island
is. Nearly every village has one, and
sometimes two or three, bee-keepers, and
in all my rambles — and I have traversed
most of the roads and lanes and a number
of the paths — I did not see a single skep,
but all modern frame-hives. At the little
village of Glen Maye, near Peel, I had a
most interesting chat with the wife of the
Postmaster, who has a nourishing apiary
of some thirty hives. He holds the record
for the Island for the crop from one hive,
and, I should think, for the whole of the
British Isles too, having taken 3451bs.
from one single stock ! This was some
years ago. He works entirely for
extracted honey, and has many ingenious
■devices of his own invention — one in par-
ticular for catching swarms he finds most
useful, as his grounds are surrounded by
very tall trees, high up which the bees
invariably tend to cluster. He therefore
invented the ingenious device by which he
catches them. Some of the hives are on
the roof of an abutment of the house, and
he has a cradle worked by a cord on a
pulley track, by which he lowers or raises
colonies as required.

The crop this year is late, he had only
just commenced extracting in the middle
of July. At Kirk Michael. Avhere there
are two flourishing apiaries, none had
been taken right up to near the end of the
month .

At the Point of Ay re, one of the light-
house keepers has several hives, and from
these he obtains nothing but heather
honey, since no other forage grows any-
where within two miles. His harvest, of
course, is late, but he does well, and finds
that there is a bigger market for heather
honey in Ramsey than can be met by the
supplies from all around. His bees winter
well on the heather honey they collect.

"Isle of Wight" disease is practically
unknown, but one man has it now; he
disregarded the advice of his fellow bee-

keepers and imported stocks from the-
mainland, and in these the disease ap-
peared. They are all hoping that it will
not spread, but are naturally nervous, and
there is no Act by which he can be com-
pelled to destroy the colonies. This seems
a pity, but even with this doubtful spot
the Island remains a very happy hunting
ground for bee-keepers. — A. B. H.,.
Levtonstone.

CURIOUS SWARMING.

[9096] I had a doubled hive; finding
some brood on all ten frames in top half,
and making sure the queen was down
below, I removed this top half to a new
situation on May 11th. Expecting a large
number of bees to return to parent hive,
I put on wire excluder and three racks of
sections ; although the bees went up they
gave off a large* swarm — 61bs. to 71bs. —
on May 17th. On examining this parent
hive, I found nine combs of brood and one
of honey, which latter I replaced with
foundation, but, to my astonishment, not
one single queen-cell, not even an
"acorn." I returned this swarm and re-
queened the removed portion with a 1914
queen on May 17th but again, to my
astonishment, they swarmed (a good 51bs.)
on May 21st, making well over lllbs. from
one queen in five days. This new queen
had not laid a single egg up to that time.
— A Novice.

[8988] Candy Sample. — I enclose
sample of candy and shall esteem it a
very great favour if you will kindly give
opinion in the next issue of your valued
Journal. If not right I shall be laid
under a deep obligation if you will please
say where 1 am wrong. I boiled by the
thermometer and took it off exactly at
235degs. Fahr. I thank you very much
for all past favours and in anticipation.
I have found the Journal of inestimable
help again and again, and I personally ap-
preciate very much all your devoted and.
untiring efforts on behalf of the craft. —
•• Suffolk," Leicester.

Reply. — It is rather too hard, and also-
tastes smoky. The candy should be soft
enough to be easily scraped up by the'
thumb-nail into a buttery consistency.
Try boiling to a lower temperature by
your thermometer, say 233degs. or 234degs.
Thanks for your appreciation. The num-
ber of letters of the same tone that we
receive is very encouraging.

418

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 19, 1914.

THE PRINCE OF WALES'

AND

BELGIAN REFUGEES' FUNDS.

In response to Mr. Small wood's appeal
in the Record for November we have re-
ceived the following: —

For the Prince of AVales' Fund : Miss
I. H. Jackson, £1 Is. ; Miss R. F. Garratt.
5s.

For the Belgian- Refugees' Fund: Miss
E. M. Woods, Vols. 27, 29, and 20 of The
Bee-keepeirs' Rec;ord, bound, and one
copy of " The Irish Bee Guide " ; Miss
L. C. Jones, 2flbs. beeswax; Mr. R. A.
French, 5s.

H. J. A. (Barlow) Various Queries. —

(1) The comb appears all right; von

' may use them next season. (2) We can-
not say, so much depends on circum-
stances. Either plan will work, but
you are more likely to get surplus by
making two colonies into three. (3)
You may if you go through them
about twice a week, but that is neither
practicable nor desirable. (4) It is some-
times the only way to prevent natural
swarming. Give the bees plenty of
room, rather in advance of their recpiire-
ments — that is, do not allow them to be-
come overcrowded, so that they hang or
cluster at the entrance to the hives. In
hot weather raise the brood-chamber
about lin. by means of small blocks of
wood at each corner. See " Helpful
Hints" in this issue. (5) If you can pro-
cure wood dividers |in. thick they will
be all right, but do not use those made
of very thin wood, rather use some made
of stouter tin.

T. Overton (Shorncliffe). - Buying
Diseased Beex. — In equity he should re-
fund the money in full. We cannot say
if you would succeed in law, it would
all depend on the view a County Court
judge might take of the matter.

FInquirkr (Clenty). — Moving and Winter-
ing Bees. — If you are moving the bees
now, give some ventilation at the top,
but it is not necessary to give so much
as in warm weather, especially as the
distil nee is so short. Yes, remove the
dividers. Another rack of shallow combs
with no queen-excluder between would
have been better.

Perthshire Bee-keeper. — Prevention of
"Isle of Wight" Disease. — We are

afraid yon can do very little. Disinfect
the hive with Izal and medicate the
food (syrup or candy) with one of the
remedies advertised in the Journal.
Sprinkle lime on the ground round the
hives and see that the bees have access
to perfectly clean water when it is
needed.
" Carnarvon " (Llandudno). — Yes, the
combs may be used again.

Suspected Disease.

A. B. C. (Plumstead).— The bees are
suffering from "Isle of Wight" disease.
There was no need to send comb con-
taining honey. -It should also have been
put in a tin box. The cardboard box
had allowed the honey to leak, so that
the outside of the parcel was sticky.
You may imagine the state of the bees
and letter. Also please note our address
is 23, Bedford Street.

I. C. (Bath). — The bees are suffering from
" Isle of Wight" disease The small in-
sects are the Bee Louse (Braula caeca).

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.
Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey. Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as "Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per |in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FINEST Leicestershire honey, 15s. 281b.; sample,
three stamps— WHEATCROFT, Ashby-de-la-
Zouch. v 14

FOR SALE, J cwt. light honey, granulated,
good quality, 27s. Sd.; J cwt. dark, for 25s.;
samol? sent, 6d.— J.' WHITE, Fairstead Hall, near
\\ itham, Essex. v 55

. , 1

FOR SALE, a set of forty lantern slides on
Bee-keeping, very cheap, owner not having
further use for them, almost new.— CROWE,
Bartlett House, Stawell, Bridgwater. v 52

THREE stocks bees, in Standard hives, healthy,
25s. each, f.o.r.— CASE, Wootton Bassett,
Wilts. v 47

HOMEY, fine quality, light colour, in lib. screw
top bottles, 8s. dozen; sample bottle, post free
Is.; also sections, 9s. dozen. — COWELL, Station-
road, Sheringham, Norfolk. v <2

BEST heather sections, 10s. 6d. dozen; clover,
9s.; flower, 8s. 6d., carriage paid.—
GLAISTER, Lazonby, Cumberland. v 38

GOOD heather sections, seven dozen, 12s. per
dozen; cash with order— J. REAVELEY,
Starbeck, Harrogate. v 46

Ol CWT. finest quality honey, 60s. per cwt., in
/■W2 281b., 141b. tins— F. PENTNEY, Bromfield,
Halesworth. v 35

FOR SALE, good quality heavy sections,
8s. 6d. per dozen; also extracted, in 281b.,
141b., and 71b. cans, 8d. lb., f.o.r. Winner of fonr
firsts and. silver medalat E«sex County Show this
season.— NASH, Dunmow, Essex. v 34

Nov. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

419

ERRATA.

-We regret that owing to an error
"Reviews'' were last week placed under
the heading of " Reviews of Foreign Bee
Journals," instead of in the " Editorial "
column.

in ''Helpful Hints," ninth line from
bottom of page 416, read " is it not" for
''it is not."

REVIEWS.

Hone if Bees as Pollinizcrs : A Valuable
Adjunct to the Horticulturist, by iSusan
M. Howard (Bull, No. 8, Apiary Inspec-
tion, Massachusetts State Board of Agri-
culture, Boston). — -The author of this
bulletin treats the subject as a fruit-
grower as well as a bee-keeper, so that she
is able to appreciate the inestimable value
of the honey bee as a pollinizer of certain
grains, small fruits, vegetables and fruit
trees. To-day the honey bee is more and
more considered as an invaluable ally of
the farmer. The orchardist and small
fruit-grower consider their colonies as a
part of their equipment. Thus, while the
ultimate aims of the horticulturist and
bee-keeper may be different, yet they are
interdependent. The author shows the
advantage to be gained by having sufficient
colonies at hand among the trees of an
orchard, and points out a factor of im-
portance in this connection, that the
distance at which bees gather pollen is
limited, seldom exceeding one-half mile,
which emphasises thei desirability of bees
at close range. She points out that hand
pollination is a tedious and expensive
process, and for this reason thousands of
colonies of bees are used in Massa-
chusetts, by growers of cucumbers. Un-
fortunately, many or most of these bees
are sacrificed as the growers make little
or no effort to save the colonies which
have served for this purpose in the green-
houses. Mrs. Howard shows the advan-
tages of cross-fertilisation, and discusses
the interrelation of spraying and bee-
keeping. The testimony of the farmers in
the vicinity of the author's apiary is con-
vincing even to the most sceptical as to
the value1 of bees.

Soft Candy for Bees, by Dr. Burton X.
Gates (Bull, No. 7a, Apiary Inspection,
Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture,
Boston). — In this pamphlet the author dis-

cusses the advantage of candy as food for
bees, and gives instructions for preparing
it. The illustrations show the various re-
ceptacles for it and the way they are used.
He recommends a soft candy as having
numerous advantages, as it can be used as
a most satisfactory stimulative food, or
as winter stores. A modification of English
candy is made from the following recipe,
which is practically a confectioner's recipe
for fondant: — 121bs. granulated sugar,
l^lbs. liquid glucose, l|qts. water (equal
40ozs.), \ teaspoonful (about) cream of
tartar, added when the temperature
reaches about 230degs. Fahr. Boil to
23'8degs. Fahr.

The measurements should be accurate.
As soon as the sugar has begun to dis-
solve, prior to boiling, the spoon or
paddle used in stirring should be removed
from the kettle. The candy should not be
stirred while cooking • to do it will cause
a coarse grain. Remove from the stove
and cool to 125degs. to 13'Odegs. Fahr.,
when the specified boiling point has been
reached. While cooling, in order to
equalise the temperature, the mass may
be stirred ; or preferably, when cooled to
the specified degree, it should be stirred
until it commences to grain. Mr. Fuller's
directions are to stir vigorously until the
mass appears in colour and consistency like
boiled starch or paste. At once pour into
moulds or feeders and cool.

THE CONVERSAZIONE LECTURE.

By Mr. A. Bichards.

BEES IN REI^ATION TO FLOWERS AND FRUIT.

It must not be expected that I am going
to give you anything really new this even-
ing, all I hope to do is to present an old
subject in a fresh dress and illustrate it
with slides which will convey its im-
portance more readily to your minds, and
probably give an insight to some of the
younger members into a subject which
was so masterfully dealt with by our Pre-
sident, Mr. Cowan, five years ago, when
I myself obtained my first comprehensive
glimpse of this most wonderful study.

I shall hope to show you how inter-
dependent the different sides of nature
are, and how flowers, fruit and insects
depend the one on the other for the
continuance of the race.

Reproduction in the botanical world is
dependent upon the rudimentary seed in
the seed pod of the flower becoming
fertilised by the life-giving germ called
pollen, which develops on the Anther of
the Stamen, or male organ of the flower.
This pollen must be transferred to the
Stigma of the flower, and from thence
it strikes roots through the channeLs in

420

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 26, 1914.

the Pistil, which is that portion of the
flower below the Stigma, and communicat-
ing with the ovaries or seed-pods, where
the rudimentary seeds develop.

The following slide will fully explain
the process, and it may be taken as the
basis of all flower fertilisation. The
transfer may be effected in three or more
ways : (1) By means of the wind ; (2)
artificially or hand; (3) by insects. Or,
as is the case with the Begonia, the
pollenizer may be a separate flower set
above the flower containing the seed-
pod and upon the Stigma of which the
pollen may drop when ripe by means of
gravitation.

Artificial transference of pollen is of
course unnatural, and is only effected by
gardeners in the peach-houses of the
wealthy or for experimental purposes.
Wind pollenated plants have certain
characteristics, such as no nectaries to
attract the insects, for the same reason
they are generally inconspicuous and
devoid of the bright colours we associate
with the word flowers. They also pro-
duce pollen in wasteful profusion to the
exhaustion of the plant.

It has been estimated that one head of
maize produces fifty million grains of
pollen, and the American Pinus produces
it so plentifully that its fall from the
tree is known as sulphur showers. This
brings us to our third method, viz., the
transference of the pollen by insects, and
so directly to the subject of bees which
are by far the most important of all in-
sect pollen-carriers, and in this instance
let me quote a short paragraph from a
paper given by Mr. Cecil Hooper at the
Linnean Society of London, in Decem-
ber, 1912: —

" Out of nearly 3,000 insects observed this
spring visiting the blossoms of the various
fruit bushes and trees, 88 per cent, were hive-
bees, 5^ per cent, bumble and other wild bees,
and 6^ per cent, flies, ants, beetles, wasps,
and other insects ; but the latter group have
not fluffy bodies for carrying and transferring
pollen, and chiefly amuse themselves eating
the pollen, and are not therefore proportion-
ately as useful as the hive and wild bees."

Bees have not always been referred to
in these terms by fruit-growers, and pre-
judice still exists against them in some
quarters of this enlightened island.

Our friend Mr. E. R. Root had an ex-
perience some years ago where he con-
sidered it best to advise the bee-keepers
in one particular part of his country to
remove their bees entirely for a season,
as the prejudice against them was so
strong by reason of the fact that Pro-
fessor Waite, of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, had stated that tho spread
of pear blight in the neighbourhood was
probably due to their agency.

The blight continued despite the
absence of bees, and spread to trees which
never blossomed, and so were unvisited by
bees. The true cause was discovered later
and bee-keepers and fruit-growers are
now living amicably together.

(To be continued.)

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand,
London. W.C., on Thursday, November
19th, 1914. Mr. C. L. M. Eales presided.
There were also present, Miss M. D.
Sillar, Messrs. O. R. Frankenstein, E.
Watson, J. Smallwood; Association repre-
sentatives— G. Bryden (Crayford), F.
Harper (St. Albans), G. J. Flashman
(Barnet), G. S. Faunch (Essex), and the
Secretary, W. Herrod.

Letters regretting inability to attend
were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan,

F. W. Reid, A. G. Pugh, A. Richards,

G. R. Alder, D. iSeamer, and H. P.
Perkins, Sir Ernest Spencer, Dr. W.
Anderton, and Rev. F. S. F. Jannings.

Mr. J. A. Roberts was elected a mem-
ber of the Association.

The report of the Finance Committee
was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who
stated that payments into the bank for
October were £14 lis. Od. The bank
balance at the end of October was £172
13s. 7d. Payments amounting to £12 15s.
5d. were recommended.

The report on the judging competition,
held at the October Conversazione, was
sent by Mr. A. G. Pugh, and adopted as
follows : —

Sample No. 1 : White clover pre-
dominating, red clover secondary, with a
trace of ordinary field flowers. Various
competitors described this sample as being
gathered from acacia, cherry, sainfoin,
lime, and fruit blossom ; no traces of
pollen grains of any of these kinds were
found upon miscroscopical examination.

Sample No. 2 : A dark-coloured honey
containing clover, lime, bean, hawthorn,
fruit blossom, and dandelion, with a very
perceptible lime flavour. Several competi-
tors, no doubt led astray by the dark
colour, described this as heather honey;
as a matter of fact, no heather grows
within ten miles of where it was gathered.
Some others described it as honey-dew, of
which there was no trace.

Sample No. 3 : White clover and a little
lime. This was allocated by various com-
petitors to sainfoin, ragwort, and apple
bloom, whilst aTiother, evidently not
knowing the peculiar " minty " flavour of
lime honey, described it as from " mint."

Nov. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

421

Sample No. 4 : Clover and heather
blend, probably about half clover and
half bell heather, and slight trace of
ordinary field flowers. Only three com-
petitors missed the heather in this sample,
two of whom classed it from beans and
the other as fruit blossom honey. One
went so far as to describe it as ling honey,
whereas the consistency should have told
him better. Several classed it as heather
instead of heather blend. ,

Sample No. 5 : White and red clover,
with small quantity of wild flower honey,
extracted from combs that had contained
bell heather honey previous season. Few
competitors got full marks here, as it was
variously described as sainfoin, hawthorn,
fruit blossom, lime, and barberry, none of
these sources being available when and
where this sample was gathered. Another
competitor described it as ling heather,
although the sample was sufficiently light
coloured to be entered in a " light-
coloured " honey class.

Sample No. 6 : A very mixed sample,
containing white and red clover, lime,
fruit blossom, dandelion, hawthorn, rasp-
berry, &c. Here again two competitors
claimed it as heather honey, although no
trace of heather was contained in it.
Three others described it as honey-dew
although none was present.

Sample No. 7 : Practically all white
clover. Competitors here went less astray
than in any other sample, although two
described it as sainfoin, and two others
as lime honey.

Sample No. 8 : About two-thirds clover
and one-third sainfoin, the latter giving
the predominant flavour. Several com-
petitors classed this sample as from
charlock, whilst one thought he detected
syrup in it and another went a long way
astray by describing it as fruit blossom
honey.

For award of order of merit, sample
No. 7 had been selected as first prize, and
only three competitors failed to place it as
first or second in their list. Sample No. 1,
the second prize award, was considered
first by two competitors, whilst thirty per
cent, missed it altogether. Sample No. 8,
the third prize award, secured first with
three competitors, but was missed alto-
gether by half of them. Every sample
gained some recognition by the competitors,
including the heather sample, which was
expressly ruled out of the competition,
whilst half the samples got premier
honours at hands of some one or other of
the competitors.

Mr. Joseph Price, Haden Hill, Old Hill,
Staffordshire, is awarded first prize :
Mr. S. H. Smith, 4 Halewood Villas, Kew
Gardens, takes second prize, and is closely
followed by Mr. T. Riley, of Beeston,

Notts., who is only one point behind prize
winners.

The Committee are greatly indebted to
Mr. Geo. Hayes for his microscopical
analysis of the samples.

The Council may congratulate them-
selves upon the results of this first im-
portant effort in ''judge training " as the
competitors will gain much valuable in-
formation by comparing their duplicate
forms with particulars given above, and
it is to be hoped that competitions of this
character will now be a prominent and
interesting feature at all important shows
or gatherings of bee-keepers, and that
large numbers will participate in a
friendly spirit of rivalry something on the
lines of the old bee-driving competitions,
which were at one time so popular at our
honey shows.

A hearty vote of thanks was unani-
mously passed to Mr. A. G. Pugh for the
great trouble and care with which he had
prepared the report.

The Secretary was instructed to arrange
for the insurance scheme on the same con-
ditions as last year.

A letter was read from the Royal Agri-
cultural (Society of England stating that
owing to lack of the usual support on
account of the war no grant could be made
for prize money and other expenses for the
hives and honey department at the Royal
Show to be held at Nottingham in 1915.
Several other departments have been
eliminated altogether, but they offered
to provide the building, &c, if the Asso-
ciation could manage the rest. Mr. Wat-
son proposed, Mr. Bryden seconded, and it
was carried that the Editor of the British
Bee Journal be asked to insert an appeal
and open a list for the receipt of donations
to raise the necessary sum. A prompt re-
sponse was immediately made by some of
those present.

Miss N. M. Robinson. Miss H. Thrupp,
Mr. G. F.Harper, and Mr. G. G. Desmond
had earlier in the day attended before
the Board of Examiners to lecture for the
Final Examination, and upon their report,
presented by Mr. C. L. M. Eales, it was
resolved to grant all four the Expert's
Certificate.

Next meeting of Council, December
17th, 1914, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand.

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIA-
TION AND THE ROYAL SHOW FOR

1915.
As will be seen from the report of the
Council meeting above, the Royal Agri-
cultural Society of England, like a great
many other institutions, is suffering finan-

422

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 2(3, 1914.

eially on account of the war. TheR.A.S.E.
have met the Council very generously
by offering to provide the building free' of
cost, but is unable to make a grant for
next year's show. It is felt that it
would be a great pity to break even for
once a connection extending over thirty
years. The Council have therefore
decided to carry on the department and
provide the funds themselves.

That each one may help, even by means
of very small sums, and no one feel
slighted, they have decided to open a fund
for the reception of donations, which may
be sent to the Secretary, 23, Bedford
Street, Strand, London, W.C., a list of
which will appear in our pages. We are
sure exhibitors and bee-keepers generally
will respond quickly, so that the Associa-
tion may retain its position in the
largest agricultural show in the world.

Donations already promised: —

£ s. d.

T. W. Cowan 2 2 0

C. L. M. Eales 110

0. R. Frankenstein 110

W. Herrod 110

G. Brvden 0 10 (3

SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT B.K.A.

The second annual show of the Sheffield
and District Bee-keepers' Association was
held in the Corn Exchange in conjunction
with the Annual Chrysanthemum (Show on
November 12th to 14th inclusive. A great
improvement had been made in the staging
of the exhibits, and an attractive addi-
tion was the two effective trophies staged
by Messrs. W. Garwell and P. Ridge, the
former taking premier honours and win-
ning the B.B.K. Association's bronze
medallion. Some excellent clover and
heather honey was staged, and some fine
samples of wax were a pleasing feature of
the show. The energetic secretary, Mr. W.
Garwell, exhibited an observation hive
made entirely from the measurements and
details furnished by the B.B.K. Associa-
tion's Secretary in the Jottonal. Mr.
W. E. Richardson, hon. secretary York-
shire Bee-keepers' Association, acted as
judge and made the following awards : —

Six Jars Light-coloured Honey.— 1st,
W. E. Tomlinson; 2nd, W. Garwell; 3rd,
J. H. Berry.

Six Jars Granulated. — 1st, W. Garwell ;
2nd, P. Ridge. I

Six Jars Heather Honey. — 1st, W. E. '
Tomlinson; 2nd, S. Livsey; 3rd, H. E. '
Garwell.

Six Jars Granulated Heather. — 1st,
J. H. Berry; 2nd, W. Garwell; 3rd,
W. E. Tomlinson.

Six Clover Sections — 1st, W. Garwell;
2nd, T. Beaver.

Two Shallow Frames Light Honey. — 1st
E. iS. Garwell.

Two Shallow Frames Heather Honey. —
1st, W. E. Tomlinson; 2nd, E. S. Garwell.

Wax.— 1st E. S. Garwell; 2nd, J. H.
Berry; 3rd, W. Garwell.

Honey Cake. — 1st, Mrs. Tomlinson; 2nd,
Mrs. Watson; 3rd, Mrs. Livsey.

Display of Honey and Wax, &c. — 1st
and bronze medal, W. Garwell; 2nd, P.
Ridge.

"BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN."

BEGGAKY.

I am a beggar! You never know your
fortune. For many years I have done my
best to be respectable} but here at last I
have come to begging. But " To dig I am
not able, to beg I am ashamed," was
never meant for me. I am an impudent
beggar. I have no shame, or, rather, I
glory in my shame. Why? Because I am
not begging for myself, but for others,
and those others heroes, who when the
history of our day is written — now it is
in making — will stand out worthy as any
whose deeds have been recorded in any
chapter in any record of any country's
glories. I am begging for those who have
stood to defend* our country, those who
made of Liege a Thermopylae, who blocked
the way, until their fellow heroes of France
and Britain were able to come to their
help. 'Fore Heaven ! When one knows the
authenticated atrocities, perpetrated by
those who on their canting lips have
always the name of Heaven's God, it is
enough to make the veriest coward of us
all, snatch up the rifle to avenge. And
we know that were it not for these, who
have not reckoned as worth}' of counting
their own lives and wounds, our own
towns, our own villages would have been
harried, burnt, and looted, our own
people driven like animals into the woods
and fields (for they have no friendly
country of refuge). AVhen we think of
all these things, what sacrifice is too
great, what self-denial is too much? You
can never compensate the refugee for the
bright, sunny home in Belgium he has had
to give up or for his kin massacred. You
can never give back to that widowed
soldier's wife her husband, nor to that
crippled soldier the limb or the eye he
has given in your service. But you can
share some of the comforts you have, be-
cause of their valour, with them ; the
greater your mortification, the great your
reward. You can try to make their exile
less hard. You can smooth the years of
the widowed mother who has given her

Nov. 26, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

423

boy. All can help. It is the accumula-
tion of grains of wheat which make up
the bushel. We cannot all go out and
fight, but we can pay. They say my years
forbid me to shoulder the rifle, that I
must stand aside and watch. Nay ! That
I cannot do. I must do something. Well,
then, I'll beg.

And now to bee-keepers. There is not
an association, there is not a society, I
doubt if even there is any village club
which has not contributed some of its
funds to the great National Help and
Relief Funds. There are few periodicals
which have not opened their columns to
appeals. The Bee Journal is never
going to be behind in this. Its Editors
will gladly receive and administer any
contributions. The Prince of Wales'
Fund, the Refugees Fund, the Fund for
Wounded Soldiers, all are imploring for
assistance. " Buck-up, bee-keepers," can-
not you do anything to make a decent
"show"? Some can send money — not all.
It is recognised that there are, and have
been, so many demands. Of course money
will be gladly received, but you can also
send some things that can be turned into
money. Send honey, send wax, send
spare appliances, books — anything. There
is a money value to everything. In the
November Record an appeal was issued,
and in reply was received books, wax,
golf clubs, typewriter, money, and various
other " baggage," all of which are fund-
able. These are mentioned as an illustra-
tion. Readers of the Bee Journal are
notoriously generous. There has never
been an appeal made in its columns which
has not been well responded to, and I
think it would be a very safe "gamble"
to say that this will be the same. And
one thing more : Don't delay. It seems
most probable, as far as man can judge,
that in the next few months the necessi-
ties will be the greatest ; the winter is
severe, the fighting is severe, and the
poverty is great. Give then, give freely,
and give quickly. — Jno. Smallwood.

INSTRUCTIONS IN BEE-KEEPING.

The following, taken from The American
Bee Journal, will give an illustration that
it is not necessary to repeat the saying,
" Wake up, Great Britain," for every-
thing. The writer saw his first demon-
stration at a show over thirty years ago : —

"Dr. Gates spoke of the plan of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College where-
by it will be possible to demonstrate the
fundamental principles of bee-keeping at
the large fairs in Massachusetts this fall.
Arrangements have been completed to
attend the Fitchburg Fair, the New Eng-
land Fair at Worcester, the Brockton
Fair, and the fair at Northampton in
October.

" At each of these will be an extensive
equipment, consisting of a demonstration
tent, supplied with a work bench and dis-
play tables, and a cage in which demon-
strations of handling bees will be made,
together with a small model apiary. The
display will also include the most recently
approved methods used in bee-keeping.
Demonstrations will be given daily by
various authorities. This is probably the
first attempt to promote apiculture
through the medium of agricultural fairs."

BELGIAN RELIEF FUND.

We have received the following letter
from Mr. Ballard : —

Beeholme, Aldington, Evesham.

Dear, Sirs, — I beg to inform you that
as a result of the note which you so kindly
inserted in " B.B.J." for November 12th,
re Limnanthes Douglassi plants, I
have received up to date orders to the
value of 19s. 3d., which, after deducting
3s. 9d. postage, leaves a total of 15s. 6d.,
which I herewith enclose, asking your
kindness in handing it over to the Belgian
Relief Fund.

I should feel very gratified if you would
allow me, through the " B.B. J.," to thank
those who have assisted me in raising this
sum for such a deserving object, and to
add that I have still enough plants to
raise as much more if only your readers
will send in their orders. I am willing
and anxious to do my share, and to give
the proceeds as before to the above fund.

I thank you most sincerely for your
kind help. Yours faithfully,

E. Ballard.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only aria" give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

PROCURING SURPLUS (Page 384).

[9097] Is not the plan you advise of
putting on super-clearer rather compli-
cated and tedious?

I use a bricklayer's pointing trowel —
the smallest size I can get — and as my
hives stand on a sort of skeleton platform
(that is, merely rails resting on bricks,
which have, so far, lasted without atten-
tion fourteen years) I place the outer case
on this and on that the flat top of the
hive. This is then about level with the
top of brood frames. Now slip the trowel
under one corner of the super and work
it along on top of the frames to the other

424

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Nov. 20, 1914.

corner ; now wriggle the super till you
find it has broken all attachments to the
tops of frames. Slightly prize up one
corner and send in a few puffs of smoke ;
now lift off the super and place it on the
hive top, as before mentioned. There
will be very few bees on the frame tops
and a few gentle puffs of smoke will send
them down, while you put on the super-
clearer. This gives the chance to fix the
clearer where desired to a hair's breadth.
You can now put the super on top of
clearer. This plan is far easier and more
expeditious than putting the super on the
clearer, before putting it on the top of
the hive. At any rate, I manage it so,
without killing or even irritating a single
bee1 — but it may be a case of " Ex-
periences vary and opinions differ."
Bo Bees Know their Owner? (page 355).

I have been told that my bees "know

me." My answer is : " No ; I know them,"
for it seems to me that you can manage
bees by gentleness and quietness — the
same as we manage horses and dogs, or,
in fact, all animals, and even children.
I often tell people never to buffet bees,
for when that is done the bees take it as
.a challenge to fight, and if they could
talk would say, "All right, mind your
nose and eyes " ; but if they hold their
hands before their face, with their fingers
spread out and walk slowly away the bees
will fly away without attempting to sting.
— A. Harris, Wavendon, Bucks.

Workman (Ayrshire).— Queen - Bearing,
,{.c_ — (l) Yes, 'they will do so. A better
plan would be to' make a nucleus with
one comb of brood and two of honey as
directed in " Guide Book," page 132.
Choose a brood comb containing a good
number of eggs, and leave the queen in
the old stock. These bees, being queen-
less, will commence queen-cells at once.
You should also read instructions on
page 124 of "Guide Book." (2) You
are mistaken ; look at it again, or,
better still, take a sheet of foundation
and examine it carefully. (3) About the
middle of March.

Suspected Disease.

Gardner (Hertford). — The bees are suffer-
ing from " Isle of Wight " disease. In
the majority of cages there is no soiling
of the combs. This takes place when
the bees are suffering from dysentery.

Elwin (Ayrshire), E. G. H. (Sherwin),
" DouBTi-uii " (Lanes.), " Hamish "
(Dinedin), A. D. (Handsworth).— The
bees sent are a fleeted with " Isle of
Wight" disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FAMOUS willow herb, seven roots, 6d.;
Limnanthes, fifty plants, 6d— BOWEN,
apiarist, Cheltenham.

1 AAA FIRST CLASS SECTIONS for sale,
AvP"vr 7s. 9d. per dozen, packed, free on
rail; cases returnable.— HOWE, Darling-street,
Enniskillen. v 63

ABOUT one gross beautifully clean extracted
shallow frames, price 5s. per dozen; thirty-
two racks, taking nine frames, Is. each; Lee's
guinea extractor, scarcely soiled, 12s. 6d.— X. Y. Z.,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

LIGHT granulated honey, in 561b. tins, £2 16s.
per cwt.— COMLEY, Fairford, Glos. v 64

WANTED, honey in bulk, carriage paid-
Prices and samples to THOS. WILCOX,
Rosedale, Talywain, near Pontypool. v 61

GENUINE heather honey, from moors near
Buxton, 10s. dozen, screwcaps.— HUTCHIN-
SON, bee-keeper, Leek. v 62

BEE BOOKS WANTED; give date or edition,
condition and price.— MOIR, 30, Shandon-
crescent, Edinburgh. v 60

11. CWT. finest English honey, 60s. per cwt.—
2 SPRATT, Meadow Farm, Wetheringsett,
Stowmarket, Suffolk. v 59

i)l_ CWT. extracted honey, 281b. tins; tins free,
/V2 carriage forward, 56s. per cwt.; sample, 3d.;
cash with order.— A. LEE, Eastleigh, Bideford,
Devon. v 58

3 CWT. good light honey, 281b. tins, 64s. cwt.;
sample, 3d.; seven dozen grade sections, 7s.
dozen, 47s. the lot, f.o.r.; taken over twenty prizes
this season, including first and second at Royal;
wanted, wax extractor.— BIRD, Little Canfield,
Dunmow, Essex. v 57

FOR SALE, % cwt. light honey, granulated,
good quality, 27s. 6d.; J cwt. dark, for 25s.;
sample sent, 6d— J. WHITE, Fairstead Hall, near
Witham, Essex. v 55

i

THREE stocks bees, in Standard hives, healthy,
25s. each, f.o.r.— CASE, Wootton Bassett,
Wilts. v 47

HONEY, fine quality, light colour, in lib. screw
top bottles, 8s. dozen; sample bottle, post free
Is.; also sections, 9s. dozen.— COWELL, Station-
road, Sheringham, Norfolk. v 42

BEST heather sections, 10s. 6d. dozen; clover,
9s.; flower, 8s. 6d., carriage paid.—
GLAISTER, Lazonby, Cumberland. v 38

FOR SALE, or exchange, ice safe, 21in. long,
20in. deep, and 16in. wide, wants slight
repairs, 10s.; too cheap for approval.— BUMBLE,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, zinc skep covers, Is. 3d. each; also
shaped skep floor boards, and stands for
same, Is. 6d. the set. The above are better than
new as they are painted, and are being sold at
half price, cash with order.— BOSS, " B.B.J."
Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

SELL or exchange, good dress suit, 36in. chest,
20s— DRESS, " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand, W.C.

Dec. 3, 1914] THE BRITISix BEE JOUENAL.

425

OBITUARY.

MR. THOMAS WALTER.

We are sorry to have to record the death
of Mr. Thomas Walker, of Esthwaite,
near Hawkshead, Lanes. Mr. Walker was
well known in North Lancashire as an
enthusiastic bee-keeper, and was also a
constant exhibitor at the London and
other shows, his name often appearing
among the winners in tbe classes for

THE LATE MR. T. WALKER.

heather honey. Being a gamekeeper, he
had his numerous hives scattered about
the moors, where he could keep an eye
on them during his rounds. Many of our
northern bee-keepers will miss his genial
face and vigorous hand-shake at the shows.
We know from personal acquaintance that
he was always willing and ready to help a
novice and to forward the work of the
County Bee-keepers' Association.

FOREIGN APPRECIATION OF OUR

SENIOR EDITOR.

Taking advantage of our chief's engross-
ment in working for our- country's wel-
fare, which prevents the inevitable use
of blue pencil and scissors where personal
matters are concerned, and believing that
a man's worth should be publicly acknow-
ledged while living instead of waitine to
say nice things after he is dead, I am
sure our readers will enjoy reading the
following, taken from Mr. C. P. Dadant's
account of his travels in Europe last year,
published in The American Bee Journal,
of which he is the Editor : —

"On the 29th we left Inter laken early.
We had breakfast at Berne, lunch at
Lausanne, and dined at the Bertrand
home at Nyon. Our old friend had in-
formed us by letter that he had extended
an invitation to half-a-dozen leading bee-
keepers to take tea with us at his home
the next day, which was Sunday. But he
had not told us that he also expected the
arrival of Mr. Thos. W. Cowan, the senior
Editor of the British Bee Journal, for
the same day. Mr. Cowan, who often
spends the summer in Switzerland, had
accepted the invitation to meet with us,
and arrived from London punctually at
9 a.m. the next day. The trip from
London requires a little less than twenty-
fo'ivr hours. The reader may imagine how
glad we were to meet him, and how proud
we felt that he had selected this date for
his visit, since it looked as if our presence
might have had some influence on his^
determination.

"It was a great day for us. The chalet
is in one of the prettiest spots along Lake
Geneva, and in full view of Mont Blanc.
Our hosts had just come home from the
mountain village mentioned in the May
number, Gryon, where they spend the hot
months (if anything can be called ' hot '
in Switzerland). The flower-beds were
all aglow, the pond lilies in full bloom, and
the walks freshly raked. Of course we
talked bees. Mr. Cowan, like Mr. and
Mrs. Bertrand, speaks French or English
at your pleasure, and you cannot show
him a flower of which he is unable to tell
the scientific name. Most of our readers
have heard of his three leading works on
bees: 'The British Bee-keeper's Guide-
Book,' a practical work; 'The Honey
Bee,' an exhaustive treatise on the
anatomy and natural history of the bee;
and ' Wax Craft,' a thorough work on
beeswax, its uses and its adulterations.
Some of his books have had the honour
of eight translations.

"Mr. Cowan gave me some valuable
information concerning the Caucasian bee,
and the reason why some bees of this race
appear as if they were mixed with Italians.

426

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 3, 1914.

He had made enquiries, and received the
following information from Mr. Gorbot-
cheff, an official of the serieultural station
of Caucasus at Tiflis : ' The bees of Erivan
(Transcaucasia south of Tiflis) are dis-
tinguished by their bright yellow-orange
colour, but the typical bee of the Caucasus
Mountains is of a dull grey colour. The
bees of North Caucasus are a mixture of
the grey with the bees of Persia, which
are also of bright colour. The bee of
Persia is a typical bee of the South, and
in Caucasus is known under the name, of
Bee of Lencoran." Some bee-keepers
of Russia and Europe make the mistake
of calling these bees " Caucasians."
They are lazy, wicked, and great robbers.
The production of queens of this specie
is not large,

"l0n the contrary, the pure bees of
the mountains of Caucasus, are gentle,
splendid workers, and their queens are
great layers.'

" So when we rear Caucasian bees, if
we 'want them pure, we must insist on
the ' dull grey colour.' Had our time
been unlimited, and the way to the Cau-
casus unhampered by the Balkan war then
raging, I should have liked to make an
excursion to that country, for everybody
who has tried the Caucasians praises them.
But in our four months of vacation we
could only follow a narrow little path
through France, Switzerland, and Italy.
We still had the entire Italian trip before
us, and had to refuse some very kind
invitations from half-a-dozen bee-keepers
of Great Britain, including a hearty one
from Mr. Cowan, who readily excused us.
He understood that if we went through
Great Britain we must be prepared to
spend a month or so there, and it was out
of the question. It will be for some future
date.

"Mr. Forestier, a noted entomologist
present, told me that he had often dis-
sected bees that had died of the May
disease, and found no nosema in them.
Mr. White had reported the same from
sample bees sent to him by me. Yet, was
it not in the May disease that the German
scientists first found the nosema ? This
parasite was also reported as found in the
' Isle of Wight ' disease. We have much
to learn still. Mr. Cowan thought that
the nosema was difficult to detect in dead
bees. He was inclined to believe that
it caused both the ' Isle of Wight ' disease
and the May disease, or paralysis, as it
is called in America.

"The information already received by
me that the Italian mixed with the Swiss
bees, or the Swiss-bred Italians, are the
best for that climate, was confirmed by
nearly every man present, and they are
all leading bee-keepers. Messrs. Bertrand,
Odier, Warnery, Gautier, Bignens, Pain-

tard, and Forestier were unanimous on
this point. In our own country how do
northern-bred Italians compare with the
southern-bred? Have any of our bee-
keepers made any comparative experi-
ments ?

"On the following day we had the sur-
prise of a visit from our Lyon friend, Mr.
Vibert, who was spending his vacation on
the south shore of the lake. He knew
we were to be there about that time and
came, relying on the kind hospitality of
Mr. Bertrand, to spend a few hours with
us again. An hour after his arrival a
stranger came, and was announced as Mr.
Ivan Louis Melikov, a bacteriologist at
the Pasteur Institute of Paris. The Bee
Association of Haute Savoie had asked
for help in the study of the bacillus of <
foulbrood. This gentleman had come to
them and had at once been directed to
Mr. Bertrand for information. Our
readers know of the long experience our
friend has had with foulbrood. He had
it in his own apiary, fought it with drugs
and finally vanquished it. He translated
F. C. Harrison's study of foulbrood, and
wrote another study on it himself. Mr.
Cowan, who was there, is also an authority
on diseases.

" Mr. Vibert called our attention to the
number of nationalities gathered together
in this little party. Mr. Melikov is of
Russian nationality, so we had Russia,
England, Switzerland, France, and
America represented. We enjoyed, the
day, and Mr. Melikov invited me to call
on him at the Pasteur Institute on my
return to Paris. He was in hopes of
being able to prepare some studies of foul-
brood in the meantime. Mr. Cowan said
that, in his opinion, there are climatic
differences between samples of the bacilli
of Europe and America, and suggested
that Bacillus brandenbourgensis, Bacillus
burri, and Bacillus larvse of White were
perhaps identical.

" The following morning I went down
into the little park early and found Mr.
Bertrand there in a mournful mood. We
were to leave them that morning for the
Italian trip. He said : ' This is a
melancholy morning for me, for I don't
know whether I will ever see you again.
Your father was one of my best friends,
and I re-read some of his letters often.
Yet I have never met him. Our friend-
ship grew through correspondence.'

" It was a sad parting on both sides.
We were glad that Mr. Cowan expected
to remain a few days, as it made it less
lonely for our old friends. We took the
train at 10 o'clock for Bellinzona and
Milan. This was the last episode of our
month in Switzerland. It had been a
happy month."

Dec. 3, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOTTKNAL.

427

THE CONVERSAZIONE LECTURE.

By Mr. A. Bichards.

BEES IN RELATION TO FLOWERS AND FRUIT.

(Continued from page 420.)

Flower-growers sometimes complain with
better cause that their flowers are
fertilised too soon and wither too early,
and that their selected varieties are
crossed by the promiscuous transportations
of the bees. The bee fertilises the flowers
accidentally ; it, of course, has no such
object in view when visiting them, it is
only there to gather nectar or pollen, or
both, to take away to its hive ; but in this
process of gathering its own supplies the
pollen grains on the flowers are caught
by the numerous hairs with which the bee
is covered, and some are left on the next
flower visited, and generally they are dis-
tributed about by these constant visita-
tions.

Some conception of the amount of work
to be done may be gathered when it is
remembered that each separate plant of
the common clover requires a separate and
distinct fertilisation, and the following
quotation will give you some idea of the
value of fertilisation as affecting the
weight of the clover crop : —

" An .experiment carried out by a friend of
mine, Mr. G. Hayes, of Beeston, Notts, upon
white clover, is as follows : ' One vigorous
root in garden grown previous year. When
it began to flower, I selected three of the most
vigorous heads, just before the first flowers
were about to open. I supported the heads
on small stakes, and put a framework of
specially constructed wirework, balloon
shape, over each head to give it plenty of
room to develop, and over this spread some
fine thin gauze, to exclude insects from above
and to admit light and air. I also prevented
small insects, such as beetles, from ascending
the stalks by means of cotton-wool. Each
flower-head had about three cubic inches of
space in which to expand.

" On this single plant were twenty-nine
flower-heads, and this shows it was very
vigorous. The three heads protected flowered,
and were the first to ripen ; but there was a
marked difference in the peduncles from
those that were unprotected.

" When the majority of the seeds were
ripe, I cut off the three heads which had
been protected, and also three of those left
unprotected ; and after cutting the peduncles
all to one length, they weighed as follows : —

3 Unprotected heads
3 Protected heads

18 Grains.

" Here was, I considered, strong evidence
straight away ; but I allowed them to
thoroughly dry indoors for a fortnight, after
which they weighed as follows : —

11 Grains.
2i „

3 Unprotected heads
3 Protected heads

" I next separated seeds in unprotected
heads, and found as follows : —

In No. 1 ... 112 Seeds.

2 ... 99

3 ... 93

" Total, 304; average, 101; weight of seeds,
8£ grains.

" Going to the protected heads, after long
and careful search I could not find a single
seed. Conclusion, that white clover is
entomophilous. ' '

Coming now to the direct question of
garden and orchard fruit, we find sub-
division again necessary — that is, into the
self -fertile and the self -sterile varieties of
fruit.

What are known as the small fruits,
such as strawberries, red and black
currant, gooseberries, raspberries, logans,
(fee, are self-fertile, and self-fertile with
the same flower, but the visitation of the
bees is necessary to the production of full
crops of well-formed fruit.

The next slides show you the different ■
effects of covering up red currant, goose-
berry, and apple bushes during the
flowering period, and you will notice the
very small amount of fruit to be found
on all those which were protected from
insect visitation.

Mr. Cowan, in the paper he gave us in
1909, referred to a notable instance in
his own personal experience, and I am
sure you would like me to read you this
extract of his :

" Unfruitful ness may be due to a scarcity of
bees. I could mention several instances
where orchards had proved unprofitable until
bees were introduced. As a case in point, I
can mention that when visiting a friend at
Penryn, in California, some years ago, who
had forty acres of " Alexander " peach trees,
which are generally supposed to be shy
bearers, he complained that he could hardly
get any fruit from them, and was about to
cut them down and plant some other variety.
It was spring, and the trees were a magnificent
sight, being in full bloom. As we were going
round I noticed that there were no bees of
any sort on the blossoms, and therefore asked
my friend how far was the nearest apiary.
He told me it was at Newcastle, five miles
from where we were. I said those bees were
no use to him at all, and advised him to give
the trees another season's trial, and to get
some bees at once, and if then the trees did
not bear fruit he could replant in the autumn.
He was an intelligent man, took my advice,
and obtained two colonies of bees, which he
placed in the centre of his orchard. Of
course, by that time more than half the
blossom was over, but for all that he got a
fair amount of fruit, the trees nearest the
hives having the most on them. This was the
first fruit my friend had obtained from his
trees, and he was so well pleased that instead
of destroying the trees he got more bees. On
visiting him the next year he took me out to
see his orchard, which was a perfect sight,
and showed the bees' work, for the trees were
so laden with fruit that, although they had
been thinned, the branches had to be sup-

428

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 3, 1914.

ported by strong wooden props. Needless to
say, there were no further complaints about
these " Alexander " peaches being shy bearers,
for here was ample proof that only bees were
required to make them fruitful."

Mr. Cowan gives six reasons for un-
f ruitf ulness of fruit trees : —

(1) Vigorous wood growth.

(2) Unhealthy conditions and lack of
vigour.

(3) Fungus on blossoms.

(4) Frosts.

(5) Bad weather (rain).

(6) Lack of bees.

The amount of pollen transportation
which has to be done in a large orchard
in the early spring is simply enormous,
and when we recollect that weather con-
ditions are often very fitful at that season
of the year, and the time when bees can
work often very short, the importance of
keeping a large number of stocks close to
the orchard will be readily realised, for
if the work is badly done, and in the
process of fertilising those seeds which I
showed on one of the early slides only
a portion of the seeds are fertilised, the
consequent fruit is ill-shapen and almost
useless.

In the case of the apple, those seeds
are the pips you find inside when opened,
and if you open ,a misshaped, ill-
formed apple you will discover on the
side of the core facing the undeveloped
side of the apple that the pips are flat
and empty, and not plump and well
formed as are those facing the properly
developed side of the apple; this is all
due to the imperfect fertilisation when
the blossom was ripe.

(To be continued.)

SUFFOLK B.K.A.

As a result of the appeal issued through
the Suffolk Bee-keepers' Association,
6001 bs. of honey has been received for the
wounded in Suffolk by the honorary secre-
tary, Mr. Oliver C. Jones. Mr. Jones has
expressed the hope that l,O0Olbs. will be
raised.

BEE-KEEPING LECTURE AT
GRANTHAM.

The first of a course of four lectures
was given by Mr. Geo. Hayes (silver
medallist) on Tuesday evening, in the
Guildhall. Alderman J. Handley Parker,
the chairman, in introducing the lecturer,
expressed the pleasure of the authorities
in having obtained the services of Mr.
Hayes again, and announced that the
lectures would not be a repetition of those

given last year, but would deal with fresh
matter of interest to bee-keepers. Mr.
Hayes then lectured on the " Constituents
of the Hive and their Offices," his re-
marks being illustrated by a number of
excellent slides. At the lecture on Tues-
day next he will deal with the " Chief
Sources of Honey and the Relation of
Bees to Fruit and Fodder Crops."

NECTAR-PRODUCING PLANTS AND
THEIR POLLEN.

By George Hayes, Beeston, Notts.

THE CROCUS.

(Crocus aureus, tt-c.)

No. 33. NAT. ORDER IRIDE^E.

(Continued from page 377.)

The plant under consideration is, I
should imagine, known by all, and
although it cannot be classed amongst the
higher nectar-yielding plants, all will
admit that it is good for the bees, hence
our desire to include it.

The derivation of the name of this
genus of plants is probably from the
Greek word signifying Saffron. Its
specific titles are rather numerous, viz.,
biflorus or Scotch, aureus or golden.
vermis or purple, nudiflorus or naked
flower, sativus or cultivated, luteus or
yellow.

In East and West countries alike the
crocus has been held in high esteem, both
in its fresh and dried states, being used
for many different purposes, chiefly that
of supplying what is known as the true
saffron. To obtain this, the stigmas are
extracted and dried, and sometimes
pressed into cakes. It was often used as
a dye, but more especially as a scent or
aromatic medicine. Some of the
herbalists endued it with the power of
mitigating the evil effects of the humid
climate on the Irish people, and of having
the power to quicken their spirits and
provoke laughter.

Its flower is sometimes called " Hymen's
torch," a name certainly appropriate to the
flaming glow of the golden crocus, who,
according to Roman mythology, was once
a youth pining to death for his love when
he was metamorphosed into a crocus.

It is stated that the crocus was intro-
duced into England by a native of
Waklen, in Essex, from the district of
Cashmir, and was done at the risk of his
life, for, by the law of that country, if
he had been found transporting a bulb
the penalty would have been immediate
execution.

He is said to have carved out a hollow
in his staff and placed in it the precious
bulb, and in this way it was brought with-
out observation and it got safely landed

Dec.

1914.1 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

429

at Walden, where he cultivated it. It
was, I believe, from this circumstance
that the name Saffron-Walden originated.
The quantity of Saffron now grown in
England is very small ; indeed, I have no
knowledge of any place where this is done,
but there is evidence in various parts that
such has been the case. It is stated that
the crocus was at one time largely
cultivated in what are known as the
"Meadows" at Nottingham, and no
doubt it would be for the saffron. I
remember forty years ago a large number

J*£

InWater & from Honey

POLLEK OF CROCUS.

of these meadows being covered in the
spring of every year with their blossoms,
and seeing hundreds of people, young and
old, picking the flowers for home decora-
tion ; but owing to the extent of
building and filling up after mining
operations, &c, we have now only one
field left where they continue to> bloom
year by year, and it is a pleasant sight
which I never miss on sunny days in
spring.

To the bee-keeper it is an acknowledged
help in that it yields pollen for his bees
and they revel in its golden, white, or
blue cups on warm sunny days. It also
forms a very convenient vehicle for giving
artificial pollen to the bees, the partly
opened cups holding this admirably. 1
invariably use them each spring for this
purpose and also to entice the bees into a
box with the artificial pollen (equal
quantities of pea and wheaten flour)
sprinkled on fine wood shavings, which is
readily found by the bees if placed beside
the crocuses used for this purpose, for as
soon as the latter get empty they are

foraging round the spot for more, and
soon alight on the fresh supply, and if
this is kept up the bees will continue to
visit it until they have a good natural
supply.

In mass, the pollen is a deep gold colour,
but assumes a more orange tint when
packed in the corbicula. Under the micro-
scope the single grains are a vivid gold by
reflected light and a rich deep gold by
transmitted light, the fovilla being rather
dense in colour, having a thin white outer
pellicle. When dry, in form it is
spherical, having numerous corrugations
as seen at No. 1. and measures _5i_in.

1000

diameter one of the largest grains in our
list.

In water it loses its corrugations and
becomes a true sphere, but the seams of
the corrugations are visible; the fovilla
becomes more granular and opaque, but
no processes are formed. Measurement,
y^j diameter. See No. 2. The extine swells
rather largely, and is seen in a saturn-like
ring round the fovilla when viewed by
transmitted light. These mil, of course,
not often be found in honey, as at the
time of the blooming all nectar gathered
will be used up in brood-rearing.

(To be continued.)

R^oifgtbeBe

mM^^^'^an

THREE SYSTEMS OF FEEDING.

In this country overhead feeding of bees
is all but universal. The style of feeder
may differ, the nature of the food may
vary and the time and circumstances may
depend upon the individual ; but, perhaps in
99 cases out of 100, bees will have to ascend
to the top of the frames to secure the
syrup or candy supplied by their owner.
The bees may sip the nectar through a
regulated number of holes, they may suck
it through one or more thicknesses of
cloth over the mouth of the feeder, or
they may ascend and drain the liquid dry,
resting meanwhile on floats or slats run-
ning parallel all the length of the feeding
chamber. In all these cases, however,
what our American cousins call the " feed "
is placed above the brood body. Many, if
not, indeed, most, bee-keepers look on
that as the ideal feeding ground. Yet it
has its drawbacks, one of them being that
not only has the hive to be opened every
time we feed, but the tops of the frames
have to be at least partially exposed every
time the food is administered, and the

430

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 3, 1914.

brood is liable to be chilled, especially in
early spring or late autumn. Some
feeders lessen the evil compared with
others, but it is there every time. With
many feeders it is a real evil, and every
time a cake of candy is supplied, even with
the best of care, the hive temperature is
affected.

Sage men in bee-craft on the other side
of the "herring pond " set their mighty
wits to investigate and discover means to I
obviate this defect and hit upon the plan
of feeding from below. Hence we have
various floor-board feeders. Some are
dealt with from the front, others from
the rear, and yet others from the side—
which side is immaterial. They " in-
vented " these devices and took much
credit to themselves for their ingenuity.
Why, the very first feeder I ever saw —
and 'tis fifty years or more since then —
was on this very principle. Even then
it was not a modern discovery. Five
hundred years ago — a thousand, nay, well-
nigh two thousand years ago — bees were
fed from the floor-board, or whatever
designation that part of the hive was then
known by. Our forefathers and their
forefathers before them used hollow twigs
of various trees to carry out this opera-
tion. Mr. Boardinan and his confreres
may claim improvements, but the systems
are the same in the main. Any of our
apiarists keen on feeding may adopt the
following plan and feeder.

The bottom board is pushed forward,
and a trough feeder attached in the rear
in such a way that the bees have easy
access to the syrup. Any number of
colonies can be quickly and easily fed with-
out disturbing the interior, or even rais-
ing the roof or coverings. No robbing can
take place, and the supply can be adjusted
to a nicety to the actual requirements of
each colony as previously ascertained. An
even better plan has lately been devised.
A deep bottom space is required, and also
a deep entrance narrowed down by blocks
to what is deemed best for actual need.
The real feeder slides out and in, if neces-
sary, or it may have the food replenished
by means of a small hose. The bottom
is a simple shallow chamber about 3in.
deep and measuring about the length and
breadth of the hive interior.

This system of feeding is largely
practised in America, and is highly recom-
mended by such writers as the late
Mr. Alexander. He believed in stimulation
at almost any time of the year, and
praised the first of the two aforementioned
feeders as the acme of perfection. The
speed with which a large number could
be fed was one of its chief recommenda-
tions in his eyes, and he also regarded the
fact that no hives had to be opened as
its strongest feature. Some hold that bees

will more readily ascend to secure arti-
ficial food, but if bees require stimula-
tion they will easily scent syrup where-
ever it is placed in the hive. Fed below,
the ascending odour of warm food will
attract the bees at least as readily as if
placed overhead. Many bee-keepers advo-
cate that neither above nor below the
brood frames is the place to feed, but at
the side of the cluster. The Simmins and
Doolittle feeders are really side frames
with panels on both sides, and into the
space between the food is either poured or
placed. Whether the food is dry or
liquid the bees find access at the side of
the top bar, which the panel does not
quite touch, a bee space being left for the
purpose affording easy ingress and egress
for the feeding bees. Mr. . Root speaks
well of this form of feeder, and, indeed,
says that for some purposes it is the best
and most favoured by his hands. It is
easily replenished without removing top
coverings to any extent, and it does not
require brood frames to be tampered with
in any way. Simmins' feed lump sugar in
these spaces without turning it into
syrup. They may also be used for candy
feeding or even for supplying artificial
pollen in spring. Much may be said in
favour of each and all of these systems
whereby bees can be aided whenever the
regular store cupboard needs to be sup-
plemented.

SHOW AT WORCESTER FOR THE

BENEFIT OF THE WAR RELIEF

FUND.

An exhibition of honey, in conjunction
with flowers, fruit, &c, was held in the
Guildhall, Worcester, on November 11th
and 12th, for the benefit of the War Re-
lief Fund. The noney section realised
nearly £9, out of a total of £37 10s.,
about 200 sections and bottles of various
sizes being sent, some from as far as
Northumberland (from a prize-winner at
our last annual show). We had intended
holding a two days show in conjunction
with the newly-formed Chrysanthemum
Society, but it was abandoned owing to
the national crisis. — Geo. Richings.

ROYAL SHOW FUND.

£ s. d.

Donations already received 5 15 6

H. Jonas 5 0 0

A. H. E. Wood 5 0 0

Dr. Anderton 110

J. Pearman 0 10 0

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

We have received the following further
donations: — Anon, typewriter and golf
clubs; Anon, 5s.; O. Knight, 4|lbs. bees-
wax.

Dec. 3, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

431

HELPFUL HINTS FOR NOVICES'

J3_£ W^Nerrod.

Procuring Surplus.

< Continued from page 41 6. J

Various forms of section racks are in use, some of them not at ' all

convenient to work ; in fact, in a great many instances they are only tolerated

or account of the expense that would be entailed in replacing them. The day of

the Ihree-piece or divisional rack is past, though these had the advantage of enabling

I1 11 \

Inn
/mm

ill

m m

j

Fig. 19.

Fig. 20.

the bee-keeper to give extra room more graduallv by placing seven sections only in
position at one time. The disadvantages, however, were so numerous that they
have fallen out of use altogether, and it is exceptional to find them in the catalogues

Fig. 21.

Fig. 22.

of manufacturers. Racks having one end cut out half-way with a wedge-shaped
piece of wood to be used for tightening up the sections are uncomfortable to work.
In these it is usual to tack a piece of coloured stair-carpet to the whole end and also

432

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 3, 1914.

to the top of the wedge piece, the idea being to prevent the loss of the latter. In
the first place, it is difficult to fasten the sections securely by means of the wedge ;
secondly, if not made to fit very accurately the bees escape through the joints at the

Fig. 24.

Fig. 23.

ends of the wedge into the roof portion of the hive, where hundreds of them perish,
and it is no unusual thing to find the top of the rack covered to a depth of a couple

Fig. 25.

Fig. 26.

of inches with dead bees; it is curious that when bees escape through such small
openings they seem incapable of finding their way back. Further, the use of the
coloured material is a mistake, for the bees often chew this up and mix the fluff with

the cappings of the comb, giving the sections the appearance of Joseph's "coat of
many colours'' (Fig. 19), and spoiling them for selling. Good, clean, unbleached

Dec. 3, 1914] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

433

calico should be placed next the frames or sections. Quilts should be renewed
once each year, and the time to do' this is when putting on the first super. Personally,
I do not like a rack that is made just i2fin. wide (Fig. 20), as being narrow it
cannot be worked in conjunction with a shallow frame super. The illustration
^Fig. 21) shows this difficulty. If the shallow frame super is put on first, then
when the section rack is put under it a space is left under the frames for the bees
to escape. (Fig 22) shows how this is obviated by using a properly made rack.
While (Fig. 23) shows an eke being used under a shallow frame super so that it
will take brood frames to obtain combs for driven bees as mentioned previously. The
section-rack par excellence is that shown in illustrations (Figs. 24 and 25), brought
out by Messrs. James Lee & Son some years ago. This fulfils all the requirements
of a good rack ; it is made the same width and length as a ten-frame brood-
chamber, and when placed in position on the hive fits right over the frames and
prevents the escape of bees without the trouble of putting narrow strips of calico
at one or both sides. It also prevents all possible chance of draughts, which, if
allowed, will prevent the bees taking to the super. The extra width in the rack
referred to above is blocked at the bottom with a thin board (Fig. 26), and the
sections are kept in position by means of a following board, seen in (Figs. 24 and
25), and a spring-block (Fig. 27), made by grooving a piece of wood and fitting a
lock-spring into it, both at the side and end. With such a lack, trouble is reduced
to a minimum, as it can be worked either above or below a shallow frame super
without the slightest trouble.

(To be continued.)

AN INTERESTING BEE-HIVE.

The enclosed photographs show part of
the apiary belonging to Mr. James Taylor,
■who is a member of the Aberdeen and

twelve miles from a railway station.
Mr. Taylor lias between sixty and
seventy stocks ; he is very fond of his bees
and spends all his spare time among them.
He has several varieties of hives ; the one

AN INTERESTING BEE-HIVE.

District Bee-keepers' Association. It is
situated in a beautiful district among the
heather-clad hills of Deeside, and is about

in the foreground is decidedly " fancy,"
but meets with the same success as the
others. — N. M. Robinson.

434

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 3, 1914.

BEGGARY.

Thanks, very many thanks to those who
have so kindly responded to my appeal.
Money, honey, and wax have been received,
and the Bee Journal will make acknow-
ledgment. As for me, I have found
begging so profitable that I am going to
keep on at it, and (I am going to tell news
which I know will not be censored) I am
firmly determined to persist as long as it
pays, and as long as there are the necessi-
ties for which I am appealing to you.

Discount rates as quoted in to-day's
money markets are very firm — " getting
harder" is the expression — so that I can-
not hope for much cash, but by all means
send any you can spare. I assure you it
is extremely acceptable. But you must,
as I said last week, have many things
which can be turned into money. Even
the Prince of Wales's Fund is begging for
waste-paper. One of the most effective
means for raising funds for parochial
work is a "jumble sale" (1 charge six-
and-eightpence for this advice to my
reverend friends, which I hope they will
remit). Why not get up a bee-appliance
jumble sale for our good cause? The
Journal will take charge. Send anything
you can spare, the Journal can find
customers. — Jno. Smallwood.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
October was £3,990.— From a return
furnished to the British Bee Journal by
the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.

Suspected Disease.

J. C. Griffin (Dorset), G. R. Tiller
(Barries), E. M. Empson (Ross-on-Wye),
and J. W. D. (Morpeth).— All the
samples of bees sent are suffering from
"Isle of Wight" disease.

W. Ward (Durham). — The comb and bees
were completely flattened in the post,
but there are marked symptoms of
' Isle of Wight " disease. Bees should
always be enclosed in a tin box.

E. Gr. BE. (Sherwood). — The disease is more
advanced than in the last sample you
sent.

G. T. S. W. (Hertford). It is " Isle of
Wight" disease. Did you know Hie
dead queen was among the bees sent?

.1. G. Dalzf.ll (Dulwich). — The bees are

affected with " Isle of Wight " disease.
The hive described is the " Graven-
horst."
" Cardi " (Aberavon). — It is a bad case
of "foul brood." As your other stocks
are healthy it will be better to destroy
all the combs. The hive may be
scorched with a painter's lamp. We are
sending you a tin of " Apicure." Use it
for the other stocks as directed on the
tin.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per Jin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

PURE Leicestershire honey, light, excellent
quality, 281b. tins, 16s. each; sample three
stamps.— EVERETT, expert, Rosebank Apiary, 40,
Linden-street, North Evington, Leicester. v 77

SIX DOZEN first grade sections honey, in
splendid condition, 50s., safely packed.—
TREBBLE, Romansleigh, South Molton. v 76

YORKSHIRE heather honey sections, 9s. 6d.
dozen— EDWARD McLOUGHLIN, Grewel-
thorpe, Ripon. v 75

F

INEST English honey, 60s. per cwt.; sample
2d.— DUTTON, Terling, Witham, Essex, v 4

FOR SALE, pure English honey, light colour,
sample, 3d.— LAW, Cuckoo, Ashwell, Bal-
dock, Herts. v 74

3 CWT. honey, 28lb. tins, 56s. per cwt.; sample
2d.— GEORGE THOMPSON, Helpringham,
Sleaford. v 73

FINEST clover honey, in lib. screw-capped glass
jars, price 8s. 6d. per doz.— Address, L. J.
MEASURES, Tilburn Grange, Kimbolton,
Hunts. yJ72

SEVENTY sections of first grade pure heather
honey; these sections are extra well filled
and beautifully clear.-JOHN RIGG, East Bank
House, Kendal. v 71

. . *

I«3R SALE, extracted clover honey, 9-281b.
tins, 16s. each; two dozen sections] and five
dozen screw top bottles, 8s. 6d. per dozen; sample
3d— W. PHILLIMORE, Three Horse Shoes, En-
ford, near Pewsey, Wilts. v 68

PURE honey for sale, heather, heather blend,
clover, 10s. per dozen .jars; sample jar Is. 3d.,
Dost free.— ISAAC HAWKEN, Stocksbridge, Shef-
field, L5!

SELL or exchange ■ in the bee line, four true
Belgian hares, 3 months old, 3s. 6d. each —

T. TONG, Ruskington, Sleaford. v_67

WENTT bee hives, with crates, in good con-
dition. 5s. each, together or separately.— 47,

Boston-rd, Brentford. v 6&

-I f\f\f\ FIRST CLASS SECTIONS for sale,
iUUU 7s. 9d. per dozen, packed, free on
rail; cases returnable.-HOWE, Darling-street,
Enniekillen. L_

REMINGTON No. 7 typewriter, new condition,
/ original cost upwards £20, sacrifice £6 10s.,
or nearest offer, cash wanted; free approval; trial
willingly.— WALTER WHITE, " Multo," North-

ampton.

v 78

Dec. 10, 1914.] THE BRITISix BEE JOURNAL.

435

NOTICE.

Owing to the dislike of one of my
ancestors to a long signature lie dropjied
a portion of his name. For several
generations this caused no inconvenience,
as they did very little business. Owing to
the continued increase in my business in-
terests, the dual situation of one signa-
ture for ordinary use and another for
legal matters has become impossible ;
therefore, on and after January 1st, 1915,
I shall assume my full name of W.
Herrod-Hempsall. I shall be grateful if
all correspondents will kindly note this
and address me, also make out all cheques
or documents, and insert in any list my
name as above.

W. Herrod-Hempsael,
hitherto commonly known as W. Herrod.

LEGISLATION FOR BEE DISEASES.

A cap that fits a few selfish people in
these islands, and also shows that legisla-
tion and inspectors are not the bugbears
some people would have us believe, is
provided in an editorial from the
American Bee Journal, November, 1914,
as follows : —

"Foulbrood Laws.

"Are our foulbrood laws adequate?
Do we need to change them ? Or would
we be better off without them ?

" Considerable opposition has been
offered to the enacting of foulbrood laws
in our different States, and we meet a
bee-keeper now and then who thinks the
appointment of inspectors is an infringe-
ment on liberty and a useless expense.
Even in the Old World, where regulations
are much more common and more strict
than in the United States, some bee-
keepers have strenuously objected.

" However, in practice it has been found
that often the persons who object to in-
spection are among the few who< are too
careless or too neglectful to look after
their bees. They naturally resent intru-
sion. In the great majority of cases, not
only is the inspector well received, but
he is usually sent for, and his visit is
desired by the owner who is in doubt as
to the existence of disease in his apiary_ or
in his vicinity. The work of inspection
has in most cases resolved itself into a
pleasant visit and the giving of advice

which is thankfully received. There are
a few cases where careless owners have
refused to act to treat the disease. But
they feel themselves so positively in the
wrong that it is not difficult to compel
them to take radical measures when they
are fully informed that the law is against
them.

"The most dangerous transgressor is
the willing but careless apiarist who, after
asking for advice and promising to treat
his diseased colonies, either does the work
in a slovenly manner or neglects a part
of it. I was once told, by a rather pro-
minent apiarist, that he who has had the
disease in his apiary once can never get
rid of it entirely. This was said in refer-
ence to American foulbrood. Yet there is
no difficulty in curing bees of that disease
completely if the proper thorough treat-
ment is followed. This man was either
unable or unwilling to do thorough work,
and there was little wonder that he did
not succeed.

" But our foulbrood laws may be very
much improved, especially by making them
uniform. What is legal in one State is
illegal in another. This should not be.
The variation exists not only in laws upon
diseases ; it extends to almost all human
affairs. Marriage and divorce vary, and
a young couple that want to evade the
law often do so by moving for a few
days to another State. It may take cen-
turies to correct infractions of common
sense due to the irregularity of our laws.

"But that we are progressing in the
regulations concerning the cure of bee
diseases does not permit of a doubt.
Every State in the Union should have a
law on this subject."

FROM A READER AT " THE FRONT."

The following letter, which we have
received from " the front," will, we are
sure be read with interest, and our readers
will join with us in wishing the writer a
safe and speedy return to his home and the
bees. His action in fixing up the hives is
another instance of the freemasonry exist-
ing among bee-keepers, not only in our own
country, but the world over. Reading be-
tween the lines we have no doubt My.
Atwell ran considerable personal risk while
performing his kindly action. As the
letter is stamped " Passed by the Censor,
we print it in full.

With the British Expeditionary Force,
December 1st, 1914.

Dear Sirs— I thought I should like to
write vou a few lines to let you know how
much' I have appreciated the articles in
vour little Journal, which I have had sent
me regularly from home ever since I have

436

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 10, 1914.

been on active service. I left England in
August and have been through all the big
engagements with my regiment. I have
often read the Journal under a perfect
hell of heavy German artillery fire, often not
knowing if the next second would be the
last one. However, I have been one of the
1 .cky ones and have steered clear so far,
and if I am spared to see England again I
hope to give the readers of the Journal
some very interesting stories of how their
fellow bee-keepers (who arc unfortunate
enough to have their apiaries within the
area of war) have suffered. I have seen
apiaries destroyed by shell fire, I have seen
them after they have been looted by the
Germans, and I have picked up empty
skeps on the roadside with a few bees still
hovering around their home. Only a few
days ago I came across a bee house at a
farm which had been evacuated sometime.
It was within three-quarters of a mile of
the German firing line. Upon examination
I found that two of the skeps had been
knocked over on to the ground mouth up-
wards. They were both crowded with
bees and had not been much disturbed. I
expect the appearance of so many bees had
somewhat frightened the intruder. I
managed to get them back on their stand
all right with isix others which were undis-
turbed. The skeps were large, crammed
full of comb and honey and heavy in bees.
I only hope the owner will find them all
right when he returns and will reap a
double harvest next year to make up for
the one he has left behind this. I may
mention that when I found the bees the
ground was thick with snow and a cold
sleet was falling. German bullets were
whistling around and as the apiary was
somewhat exposed I had to undergo some
risk when getting the skeps in place again.
Space and time will not permit me to tell
very much now of the sights I have seen
here, but I hope with the Editor's per-
mission to write them up at a later date if
I am spared to do so. I should like before
I close to give the readers of the Journal
a short account of my own bees, as I think
I have been extremely lucky with them. I
started bee-keeping last year, but of course
did not get much surplus, as I did not know
anything about them then and really
started too late. However, I bought two
stocks in a double hive, one swarm in
• [ay, which I divided later, and several
keps of driven bees which I had to drive
myself without any personal instruction. I
made two good stocks of these. I wintered
them well, giving them plenty of food
during the winter and spring. Things,
however, did not turn out so rosy as I had
anticipated, for when I examined them in
the spring I found that I had foul brood
in four lots (the double hive and two single),
only two stocks were apparently healthy.
But my troubles were not yet over. Later
on bees were dropping around the hives.

I 'sent several packets of dead bees to the
"B.B.J." Office. This was the verdict:
Bees are suffering from ' ' Isle of Wight ' '
Disease. I was in despair. I thought of
making a bonfire of the whole lot and
forgetting that there was such a thing on
the earth as a bee. I pondered over matters.
Every hive in the district had been cleared
out with " Isle of Wight " Disease previous
to my bringing my six stocks there in the
autumn of 1913. I couldn't be a menace
to anyone else, and so I decided to give the
bees a chance. One stock, a Carnolian lot,
was so bad with foul brood that I thought
it best to destroy that one at least, and a
second one I shook from the frames, which
I burnt, making an artificial swarm of the
bees. I transferred the remaining colonies
to clean hives well scrubbed with carbolic
acid, putting the bees from the double
hive into separate hives. I now had five
stocks of hybrid bees, one of course being
backward owing to my having to re-hive
them. I used Apicure for the foul brood,
but nothing beyond the disinfecting for the
" Isle of Wight " Disease. This happened
about the beginning of April. From this
time onwards there was a decided change
for the better, and this is the marvellous
result : Increased from five to fourteen
vigorous stocks and took SOOlbs. of ex-
tracted and 205 sections of surplus honey.
This would make a total of over 7101bs.
of honey, as most of the sections weighed
over a pound. I have not been at home to
winter the bees, so they have been packed
down on ten frames, and there must still be
a considerable amount of honey left with
them. I might say that the increase was
made before I left for the war in August,
and the purchase of a quantity of drawn-
out comb added greatly to the harvest.
It is also a splendid heather district and
most of the hives were well prepared for
this when I left, being strong and headed
by young queens which I reared myself.
My success is also greatly due to my wife,
who, with the assistance of a neighbour,
so ably managed the heather flow with
practically no previous experience. I am
only hoping for one thing now as regards
my bees, and that is that I shall be home
early enough in the spring to try and go
even one better than I have done this
season. With fraternal greetings to my
fellow bee-keepers at home, I beg to remain,
dear Sirs, yours very sincerely,

Lance-Corporal A. G. At well.

P.S. — Will you kindly excuse the scribble
and composition in this letter? It is diffi-
cult Avriting at the front.

JOURNALISM UP TO DATE.

We cull the following from a hyper-
critical contemporary : —

Dec. 10, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

437

"I send you a shake of the Hound from
the bottom of my heart."

This, from the city of marmalade, ap-
pearing in an Irish paper, looks like Scot-
land robbing Ireland of its male cattle.

The Editor of the same paper has evi-
dently discovered a new disinfectant, for
on the next page we find him recommend-
ing an inquirer to use " Naphthalin."

Again in the same issue, a contributor
with a German cognomen, has this: —
"Mr. Morley's book must certainly be
amusing. It certainly proves the truth of
the old adage, "A little knowledge,' &c,
and it may certainly prove dangerous to
a beginner purchasing the same."

As there are several other " certainlys "
in the same paragraph, certainly we
certainly think the writer has most
certainly made certain that a beginner is
certainly warned against this certain
danger — in short, a "dead cert."

We would certainly recommend the
Editor (?) to pin the following motto on
his desk. " People who live in glass
houses should undress in the dark."

Observations on Hires (p. 381). — "Whilst
agreeing with Mr. Snelgrove as to the
need for a good-sized alighting-board, I
cannot help thinking his llin. excessive.
But I speak principally from my own point
of view. I require a hive to have as little
projection as possible, so that it may be
easily carted to the moor. And I would
prefer both alighting-board and porch to
be removable, in one fixture if you like.
An llin. alighting-board and deep porch
would seriously inconvenience me, and in
practice I have done away with porches
altogether. Without porches, bees often
use the front of the hive for alighting,
and run easily down to the entrance. An
extension or hiving-board is a great boon.
Such can be quickly fitted to a hive need-
ing a broad doorstep, and weeds no longer
trouble the bees. Very few hives are
rendered more readily accessible to ants and
mice by the use of such extension. Mice
should be excluded at the door, and if
carbolised rags be wrapped round the legs
of the extension ants will not pass that
way.

Stamping out "T.O.W." (p. 390).—
Unless Mr. Heap takes for granted that
disease cannot be communicated by hive,

combs, or dead bees, it is not easy to see
how he concludes that wild colonies may
be ignored. Should such a diseased colony
die, its habitat may be as readily re-
occupied by a stray swarm as if it were a
skep in a cottage garden.

Storing Extracting Combs (p. 401). — I
hardly think that I "scoffed" at the idea
of leaving combs wet with honey over the
winter, but I tried to sound a strong note
of warning. If Mr. Oldham will again
read my very mild note (p. 350) I think
he will agree, as also that it was partly
directed against the unqualified nature of
the advice. It may be at times all right
for the experienced to do that which would
prove disastrous to the beginner. So in
this case, combs themselves may be safe in
a very dry place, but, as I pointed out, we
do not ali possess such perfect storerooms.
That being the case, how much better it
would be to store the combs dry and clean ,
and how much more profitable. The hand
extractor leaves something like 10 per
cent, of the honey in the comb, and this
would be much better employed as winter
stores for the bees than as a perpetual
legacy to succeeding crops. Cleaning of
the combs can be safely and easily done
by piling the supers above needy stocks.
I may say that I often pile them near the
bees in the afternoon to find them " as
dry as a bone" in an hour's time. It
is advisable to put them under shelter,
and to leave them for a day or two until
the bees are quite satisfied that no more
is to be had from them.

Book of the Bee (p. 402).— Mr. Wilson's
suggestion of an encyclopedia of bee-
keeping is interesting, but has it not been
forestalled bv the " A.B.C. and X.Y.Z.,"
published by the A.l Root Co., of Medina,
Ohio ? In this regularly revised volume he
will find such subjects as he indicates fully
treated, even the history of bee-keeping
being touched upon. The aim of the work
is, however, mainly practical, and a
"History of Bee-keeping," if it were to
detail various national methods, might well
be a volume in itself. The same might
almost be said of "Bee Flowers," to judge
bv the amazing list of British plants
already tabulated by Mr. Hayes. Whether
such a book would be in sufficiently wide
demand to repay the necessary research I
cannot say, but' it would be of undoubted
service to the technical writer, who is in
constant need of reference to some
authority. It might, indeed, serve some
purpose in preventing useless repetition of
experiment, and at the same time stimu-
late ideas.

Storing Extracting Combs (p. 405).— I
am no subscriber to the usual superficial
dictum that theory and practice can be
separated, or compared to disadvantage.
Certainly these are not in conflict in the

438

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec 10, 1914.

present case. Rather is it a question of
difference of practice, since I may equally
claim to prove advice by practice. Now
practice showed me once for all that it was
not certainly safe to leave extracting
combs wet, except possibly under ideal con-
ditions, such as few bee-keepers can pro-
vide. The honey left in the combs, to
which I referred, soured during, or due
to, a damp winter, and I do not sup-
pose that I am the only bee-keeper who
has had such an experience. At any rate,
I prefer my combs dry, rather than such
a risk should be taken for the sake of a
trifle of labour, even if there were no gain
in putting the honey back into the hives.
Then I am sure that the combs are free
from what "D. M. M. " styles the
"seeds" of granulation, or of fermenta-
tion. As for wax-moth, there are other
effective ways of preserving the combs,
without making dust-traps of them. And
all cleaning of frames can be done in the
slack time of winter rather than in the
hurry of extracting.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. ' We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

PREVENTION OF " ISLE OF WIGHT "
DISEASE.

It would be of interest to know
whether any of your readers have found
the following methods of value for the
prevention of "Isle of Wight " disease : —

(a) The continuous use of Herrod's
Apicure in the hive during the storing of
winter supplies by the bees (say, from the
middle of July) and the insertion of the
apicure tablets when packing down for
winter and early in the New Year.

(6) The autumn rapid feeding of the
bees with syrup medicated with quinine or
B-well.

(c) The prohibition of all candy-feeding
before the New Year.

I have not personally had a wide ex-
perience of cases of "Isle of Wight"
disease, but I have always, since 1911, by
using some of the above precautions,
managed to preserve at least one stock,
although the disease has practically

cleared this neighbourhood of bees and
destroyed many of my colonies.

My impression is that the combined
fume and medicine treatment before men-
tioned is really of value for the saving of
the bees. Perhaps some of your readers
would criticise or support my suggestion.
I ought to add that I owe much gratitude
to Mr. Simmins and Mr. Wigley for valu-
able suggestions, and that all my bees arc
from the Queensland strains. — G. D.
Coopbb, Lower Beeding.

THE ROYAL SHOW FUND.

Coronation Road,

Cheltenham.
[9099] Dbak, Sib, — I notice you are ask-
ing for subscriptions for the Royal Show
Fund. AVell, now, I have a good bed of
Livmanthes Douylasii, and it has occurred
to me that I, too, might assist by selling
them and giving the proceeds, less post-
age, to this or the other fund you are in-
terested in. If it would help perhaps you
would kindly make it known to yonr
readers through the columns of the
"B.B.J." They could have the plants
for 2s. per 100, or Is. 3d. for 50, post
free. Wishing you every success, I am,
yours very truly,

A. H. BowEtN.

SKEPS AND DISEASE (page 412).

[9100] Mr. Crawshaw, with his usual
adroitness, has completely altered the
moderate tone of my apostrophised
sentence to one of a positive nature. I
will retain mine, and surely he will admit
there is a vast difference if he compares
them again.

However, we will examine this " un-
necessary" procedure of " taking," which
it is claimed will eliminate disease,
deplete surplus stock without impairing
" economy." In the first place, our
skeppist bee-master, or swarm-taker
(which is the general height of ambition),
will select by "lifting " — I believe this is
the term ; thereby will be disclosed the
state of health ; profit is quite an outside
consideration — we keep bees for pleasure.
The heaviest, and fairly so, will be selected
for slaughter. This procedure, to my way
of thinking, acts automatically in quite
the reverse manner to a disease remover,
as the strongest stocks would naturally
have accomplished most; so we might
reasonably expect them to be the healthiest.
Again, with the moderately heavy we might
expect the " age of the queen " to be right
for the following season, which was the
point I was thinking of. Of course, in
some cases the finest queens would be in
the light hives, considering age, but the

Dec. 10, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

439

whole business is nothing but a haphazard
mismanagement, and is not considered on
any satisfactory basis, and unless queens
are systematically introduced in the
apiary no amount of " lifting," " breed-
ing," or "slaughtering " will prevent in-
breeding, with its consequent reduced
stamina and disease-resistive powers, "as
the bees are not allowed to follow their
natural bent and find fresh fields and
pastures new."

And I would contend that it is ex-
tremely necessary in these times of dearth
— I am referring to bees alone — to save
every stock we can, and I think the person
who destroys one is jeopardising his
country's welfare in more ways than one.
Surely one can hardly take a delight in
wilfully killing a stock, and the sooner
everyone keeps bees for profit the better
for all concerned, as after the newness has
worn off, swarms galore without control
are a nuisance, and if one does not like,
and has no use for the spoils, we generally
have not far to look for a deserving
recipient. — A. H. Hamshab.

BEES DISTINGUISHING COLOURS.
[9101] AVith reference to the remarks
in the " B.B.J." of November 19th, on
" Bees Distinguishing Between Black and
White," may I relate an episode which
occurred in my apiary in August? An
experienced bee-keeper told me in June
that bees would sting black fowls, but
would not interfere with white ones, but,
having often been told many curious
legends about bees, I took no notice, and
still continued to let my chickens run
about among the hives. One hot thundery
afternoon in August the bees were
distinctly irritable ; they had stung a
little boy who was on the other side of the
hedge. Later on, we heard much "peep-
ing" among the chickens, and, looking
over the hedge, I saw a little brood in
trouble. There were five chicks, three
black and two white, and on the head of
each black one there were two or three
bees, evidently stinging them. I thought
they were going to attack the hen too,
so I released her from the coop and then
tried to catch the chicks. But the hen
flew at me and so did the bees, and I
beat a hasty retreat, just having time to
see the white chickens, with great pre-
sence of mind, quickly pecking the bees
off the heads of the others. When I had
got rid of the bees out of my hair, &c, I
returned to the chickens and found the
three black ones in a state of collapse,
unable to walk or stand and looking very
bad. I took them to the house and
administered milk and brandy at intervals
and kept them warm by the kitchen fire.
Next morning they were better, still dis-

inclined to move, but they gradually re-
covered during the day and the bees have
taken no notice of them since.

This little episode seems to be a confirma-
tion of Mr. Lovell's statement that " if
bees are angry" they will " go" for any
black animal that is near them. — E. K. H.

WEATHER REPORT.

Westbourne, Sussex.

November 1914.

Rainfall, 4.14in.

Above aver., .91in.

Heaviest fall, .88 on
15th.

Rain fell on 20 days.

Sunshine, 69.6 hrs.

Above aver., 1.3 hrs.

Brightest day, 18th,
5,8 hrs.

Sunless days, 9.

Maximum tempera-
ture, 59 on 6th.

Minimum tempera-
ture, 28 on 15th,
19th, and 21st.

Minimum on grass,

19 on 21st.
Frosty nights, 9.
Mean maximum, 50.3
Mean minimum, 39.8.
Mean temperature,

45.0.
Above average, 2.7.
Maximum barometer,

30.548 on 18th.
Minimum barometer,

29.206 on 15th.

L. B. Birkett.

ROYAL SHOW FUND.

£ s. d.
Donations already received .... 17 6 6

Rev. F. S. F. Jannings 2 2 0

A. G. Pugh 110

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

E. Ballard, from sale of Limnanthes
Douglasii, 6s. 2d.

IMPORTANT NOTICE.

We shall be greatly obliged if those of
our readers who have their Journal by
post from this office, and who wish to con-
tinue their subscription, will kindly let us
have their order immediately on the ex-
piration of their previous subscription — of
which due notice will be given. Failing
an order } we shall assume the paper is not
required, and therefore discontinue send-
ing it.

We are obliged to take this course
as, owing to the increased work of our staff
in other directions, we are unable to
undertake the extra work and expense in-
volved in sending out bills for small
accounts, or to bear the losses entailed by
sending out the Journal after subscrip-
tions have run out, the recipients failing
to notify us that the paper is not
required and refusing to pay for those
received after the subscription had

440

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 10, 1914.

expired. We therefore respectfully notify
our subscribers tbat the Journal will not
be sent unless the subscription is prepaid.

"Novice" (Wood Green).— (1 and 2)
Washing with a 10 per cent, solution of
formalin would probably remove it, but
it is not dangerous to the bees ; use a
sheet of calico next the frames and
several thicknesses of carpet or felt over
that. (3) You might do it on a mild
day, but it is not advisable so late in
the season. (4 and 5) No, you will do
better without it altogether. (6) It is
doubtful if they would, even if the queen
was very prolific — but 1916 is rather too
far ahead for us to prophesy. You had
much better work the single colony, but
if you do divide it use a perforated
wooden division-board. (7) We cannot
say. As a rule allotments do not pro-
vide much forage for bees. (8) You
cannot do much in a garden or allot-
ment in the way of plants for nectar-
producing for surplus. A few early
flowers are useful for stimulating the
bees in the spring. The best of these for
nectar is White Arabis (the single
variety) and Crocus for pollen. Other
useful flowers are Winter Aconite,
Wallflowers, Snowdrops, Limnanthes
Douglasii, &c. For climbers you might
use Nasturtium, Canary Creeper, Scarlet
Runner Beans, Convolvulus, or Morning
Glory, &c. (8) If he could prove tbat
your bees stung him and were a nuisance
be might get an order to compel you to
remove them. (9) If they come through
tbe winter and tbe queen i.s a good one
they should work up into a strong stock
next year. Do not give syrup before
the end of March or early in April, ac-
cording to the weather. You might give
them a 21b. box of soft candy in
February if you think they are short
of food. ' (10) Probably they' would; Jin.
is not enough, you should allow at least

§in- . .

A. W. D. (Finchley).— We think it is

abating a little. There is a certain
amount of risk in commencing again at
present. If you do so your best plan is
to procure the bees locally if possible.

Honey Samples.
G. Oakley (Yorks). — It is clover honey.

Good in colour, aroma, and flavour;

quite up to show standard.
C. (N. Wales). — Sorry we can give no

reason, unless it has been stored in a

damp place.

Suspected Disease.

C. D. (Chippenham). — Both samples of
bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight "
disease. You can do very little in the
way of trying remedies this time of
year. Your best plan is to burn the
contents of the hives and re-stock in
the spring.

J. L. B. (Worcester). — It is "Isle of
Wight " disease.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertion*
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per bin., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FINEST Wiltshire honey, 15s. 281b.; sample,
three stamps.— "W. HANNAM, Stourton,
v\ ilts. v 87

FOR SALE, one honey extractor, reversible cages,
and cog gearing; two 1 cwt. honey ripeners,
with strainers, complete; one steam wax extractor;
on>e knife warmer, £3— A. E. WILLETT, Cheveley,
Newmarket, Cambs. v 88

WANTED, Rymer honey press, good con-
dition—Offers to GIBSON, Leeming-Bar,
Bedale. v 86

IT^OR SALE, three gross splendid sections and
" about thirty dozen lib. bottles first quality
honey— Box 10, " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-stTeet,
Strand, W.C. y_85

ABOUT one gross beautifully clean extracted
shallow frames, 5s. per dozen; thirty-two
racks, taking nine frames, Is. each.— X. Y. Z.,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand,
W.C. y_84

WANTED, direct photographs of Apiculture,
comprising all sections; state subjects and
price— PHOTOGRAPHER, " B.B.J." Office, 23,
Bedford-street, Strand, W.C. y_83

HONEY, good light, 281b. tin, 14s.; 561b., 28s.;
tins free; sample, 3d.; dozen screw capped,
8s.; all f.o.r.-SIMPSON, Chalfont St. Giles,
Bucks. v 82

SEVEN 281b. tins good heather blend honey, 15s.
tin; sample, 2d.; also 61b. new wax, Is. 6d. lb.
— C. KIDBY, Sizewell-road, Leiston, Suffolk, v 81

LIGHT Lincolnshire honey, in 281b. tins, 7d.
lb.; sample, 3d.— WAIN, Thorpe Bank, Wain-
fleet. v 80

FOR SALE, one 281b. tin pressed Scotch heather
honey, at 20s.; also three tins finest clover
granulated, at 16s.; tins free, and f.o.r.; sample,
3d.— HENRY GOW, Waggon-road, Crossford, near
Dunfermline. v 79

PURE Leicestershire honey, light, excellent
quality, 281b. tins, 16s. each; sample three
stamps.— EVERETT, expert, Rosebank Apiary, 40,
Linden-street, North Evington, Leicester. v 77

3 CWT. honey, 28lb. tins, 56s. per cwt.; sample
2d— GEORGE THOMPSON, Helpringham,
Sleaford. v 73

SEVENTY sections of first grade pure heather
honey; these sections are extra well filled
and beautifully clear— JOHN RIGG, East Bank
House, Kendal. v 71

FifOR SALE, extracted clover honey, 9-281b.
tins, 16s. each; two dozen sections and five
dozen screw top bottles, 8s. 6d. per dozen; sample
3d— W. PHILLIMORE, Three Horse Shoes, En-
ford, near Pewsey, Wilts v 68

Dec. 17, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

441

NOTICE.

Owing to the dislike of one of my
ancestors to a long signature he dropped
a portion of his name. For several
generations this caused no inconvenience,
as they did very little business. Owing to
the continued increase in my business in-
terests, the dual situation of one signa-
ture for ordinary use and another for
legal matters has become impossible;
therefore, on and after January 1st, 1915,
I shall assume my full name of W.
Herrod-Hempsall. I shall be grateful if
all correspondents will kindly note this
and address me, also make out all cheques
or documents, and insert in any list my
name as above.

W. Herrod-Hempsall,
hitherto commonly known as W. Herrod.

IMPORTANT NOTICE.

We shall be greatly obliged if those of
our readers who have their Journal by
post from this office, and who wish to con-
tinue their subscription, will kindly let us
have their order immediately on the ex-
piration of their previous subscription — of
which due notice will be given. Failing
an order, we shall assume the paper is not
required, and therefore discontinue send-
ing it.

We are obliged to take this course
as, owing to the increased work of our staff
in other directions, we are unable to
undertake the extra work and expense in-
volved in sending out bills for small
accounts, or to bear the losses entailed by
sending out the Journal after subscrip-
tions have run out, the recipients failing
to notify us that the paper is not
required and refusing to pay for those
received after the subscription had
expired. We therefore respectfully notify
our subscribers that the Journal will not
be sent unless the subscription is prepaid.

NORTHUMBERLAND B.K.A.

Will the members of the above kindly
note that the secretary pro tern, is Mr.
R. Robson, Cheviot St., Wooler.

Capt. .Sitwell, though not yet at the
front, is on active service — judging from
his letter, very active service— training
men of our new army, and therefore finds
it impossible to attend to Association busi-
ness.

THE CONVERSAZIONE LECTURE.
By Mr. A. Bichards.

BEES IN RELATION TO FLOWERS AND FRUIT.

(Continued from page 428.)
This brings me to probably the most
interesting question — that of cross-
fertilisation of varieties.

It is, of course, now well known among
fruit-growers that many pears, apples,
and plums are self-sterile — that is to say,
that the pollen on a particular tree is im-
potent to fertilise the blossom on that
tree, and for the production of fruit it
is necessary to plant more than one tree
of such a self-sterile variety within the
radius of a few yards, but the question^ is
rendered still more complicated and in-
teresting from the fact that in nearly every
case the largest and best-flavoured^ fruit
is produced by the union of two distinct
varieties of the same fruit by the transfer
of the pollen from the one tree on to
the stigma on the blossom of the other
tree, and certain varieties show a dis-
tinct prepotency together, and one of the
most interesting fields for_ investigation
and discovery is open in this direction.

I must here again emphasise the very
clear exposition of this matter which Mr.
Cowan gave us in 1909, and I may say
I have since mentioned some of the facts
which Mr. Cowan then gave us to a very
large and successful fruit-grower and con-
siderably surprised him.

"As the seed, so the fruit shall be,"
is a quotation we have often used, but it
has a very direct meaning in this ques-
tion; for the secret of successful fruit-
growing is to produce large and well-
formed pips, and we can then leave the
question of the fruit to solve itself.

It is the old adage to " take care of the
pence and the pounds will take care of
themselves."

The two following slides show you a
William Pear, first the pips self -pollenated,
and second the William Pear self-
pollenated, and crossed with Easter.

Those who would like to follow this up
should get a copy of Mr. Cowan's paper,
which has been reprinted.

In conclusion, let me remind you that
our orchard fruit is a grafted and con-
sequently artificial production^ of our
civilisation. It shows us how, if we aid
nature, nature is ready to aid us, but we
must complete the work and recognise
that when one branch of her* handiwork is
thus stimulated, improved, and enlarged it
necessitates the extension and perfection
of its other and kindred branches.

A discussion on the subject of the
lecture then followed.

Mr. Judge: I would like to know what
the lecturer's experience has been this
vear where the "Isle of Wight" disease

442

THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 17, 1914.

has developed? I might say, in my
district the fruit crops have, generally
speaking^ been excellent considering the
shortage of bees. I should like to know
if this is general.

Mr. Heap: I should just like to say
that in our district (Berkshire) " Isle of
Wight " disease has decimated the bees.
The fruit crop this year has been better
than at any other time. Last year we
had just a moderate crop — this year the
trees have been overcrowded.

Mr. W. Herrod : I do not think anyone
can say that their district is without bees.
Probably, if you look round you will see
a number of hives. A friend of mine
visited the Isle of Wight, a district
where the bees were supposed to have
been wiped out by "Isle of Wight"
disease. He came to a lady who lived and
had an apiary almost in the middle cf
the devastated district, and she had never
heard that there was such a thing as " Isle
of Wight" disease. Her bees were carry-
ing out the work of fertilising the fruit
blooms there. There is another thing
which we have to remember, and that is,
in a season like we have had in 1914 the
bees have been able to work very freely.
Now, take my own district, we have about
200 trees, and we have had an enormous
crop, in fact, we have had to prop the
trees up because they were so laden with
fruit, and yet I found that round about
the district there was very little fruit; but
I. think I can prove more conclusively the
value of the hive bee for this work. I
remember quite well during a bad summer
visiting a garden in which there was a
row of fruit trees; ten yards away were
a number of bee-hives, and further afield
a couple of pear trees and a couple of
apple trees. The trees near the hives
were laden with fruit, as the bees visited
them during short spells of sunshine, on
the others there was none, as they were too
far off for the bees to visit. I think, if
we study the subject, we shall find that
in nature the work of the bee is the fer-
tilisation of fruit and other blooms.

Mr. Harper : In our district we have
very few bees, as " Isle of Wight" disease
has killed most of them . I am practically the
only one in my district who has bees, and
I have noticed plenty of fruit. The
Humble bee has worked splendidly. I
have observed these bees working as late
as a quarter to nine at night during the
summer, when other bees have remained
in the hive. As the hive bees fail the
wild bees come along; because we have
"Isle of Wight" disease it does not
follow that we are not going to get any
fruit at all, there is always a way out of
a difficulty.

Mr. Flashman : We thought our district
was cleared out of bees ; it might have
been so, but we get plenty of stray swarms.

Mr. W. Herrod : With regard to the
bees in different districts it is very diffi-
cult for one to say whether there are bees
or not. One day when a swarm was found
near the apiary here, we were telephoned
for to go and hive it. Mr. Smallwood
went and he happened to look over the
wall, and there saw a row of .bee-hives.
The swarm did not belong to us at all,
although we supposed there were no other
bees in the neighbourhood. If any of you
have doubts as to the importance of bees
for fertilising fruit blossoms read some
of the American bee literature, and you
will find that there is a great deal in
keeping bees for the fertilisation of fruit
bloom, and the Government there are
taking steps to increase the number of
bees kept. Even in our own country
time and again fruit-growers ask me to
get bee-keepers to take their bees and
place them in the fruit orchards to
fertilise the blossom.

Rev. F. S. F. Jannings : I should just
like to refer to what Mr. Herrod has
said with regard to the necessity of bees
for fertilising fruit. I had a most in-
teresting conversation with an intelligent
young man — a fruit farmer — from British
Columbia. He said it was absolutely neces-
sary to understand the keeping of bees to
have a successful fruit orchard. A great
many fruit-growers in British Columbia
are trying to' purchase bees to fertilise
their fruit bloom.

Mr. Crawshaw produced a considerable
sample of heather pollen, which excited in-
terest, and amid some amusement pro-
ceeded to read a letter from Mr. Lay-
cock, of the West Yorks B.K.A., explain-
ing how the sample was obtained. It ap-
peared that several local bee-keepers
carried a vacuum cleaner up to the moor
and proceeded to clean the heather, after-
wards extracting the pollen from a mix-
ture of twigs and blossoms, but through a
muslin bag, by the same means. The
writer conjectured that some of the willing
workers would have objected to a similar
task had it been a question of carpets in
the home. (Laughter.)

The Chairman (Mr. Reid) : I think we.
cannot say that there is an absence or
presence of bees in any particular place.
Someone has mentioned wind pollination.
The wind certainly does carry pollen.
With regard to insects they do play a part
in fertilisation. Probably the pollen of
those plants which rely upon wind
fertilisation has a different character to
that of those relying upon fertilisation by
means of insects. I think Mr. Herrod has
struck the right note — that if we have a
small number of hives in a very suitable
position they may do more than fifty hives
not so well situated. You cannot calcu-
late the exact amount of work that each
single bee mav do and the number of

Dec. 77, 1914.] THE MUTISH BEE JOUBNAL.

443

visits bees pay. I now call upon Mr.
Richards to reply.

Mr. Richards : There is very little for
me to say, as so many have answered each
other's questions. Those who doubt the
amount of work obtained from the honey
bee had better put covers over their trees,
as illustrated, and notice the result. I
want to impress upon you the disadvan-
tages of reducing the number of
bees. You will find it very difficult to
grow fruit to perfection without them.
I hope I have been successful in my
object this evening, to have interested you,
and given you the desire to be more
observant and investigate these matters
for yourselves in your own gardens. (Hear,
hear.)

A most successful and interesting meet-
ing was brought to a close by hearty
votes of thanks to the Chairman and
lecturers.

EXTRACTS AND COMMENTS.

By D. M. Macdonald, Banff.

Gentle Bees Cross. — Every bee-keeper
must have observed that the temper of
bees is not uniformly sweet. It varies.
Bees normally gentle, and not inclined to
sting, become cross and revengeful.
Several contributions to Gleanings deal
with the enigma, and seek to explain it
by attributing the change to altered sur-
roundings. "Bees are crosser during the
chiller hours of the morning or night than
they are during the middle of the day
when it is warm." "What makes bees
crosser than anything I know is the
sudden cessation of a honey- flow, or the
abrupt stoppage of feeding." "When from
climatic or other reasons there is an un-
expected check in the inflow from bass-
wcod, buckwheat, heather, or honey-dew
bees often turn savage — even gentle bees."
" They would rush out to attack literally
by the hundreds when we opened the
hives. Smoke was worse than useless,
and we had to beat an inglorious retreat."
" The reason of the crossness was that the
flow from buckwheat stopped in the early
forenoon, and about midday the bees were
idle." Manipulating in unseasonable
weather causes the bees to wax hot-tem-
pered. A rough, chilling wind blowing
across the exposed frame tops rouses their
ire. Bumping the frames, jarring the
hives, or working with hands bearing dis-
agreeable odours all tend to make gentle
bees cross.

" Millerisms." — Much poor bee-keeping
is due to fear of stings. Many stings
come from poor bee-keeping.

Do you want a nice weedless, mudless,
d ustless strip before, behind, beside, and
beneath your hives? A fine asphalt
walk about your hives sounds expensive,
but it isn't — and the luxury of it!

I am glad to see that the tide is turning
and that others are advocating doing
"stimulative feeding" in the fall. A full
larder and a young queen spell good
wintering, good springing, and good
cropping.

How very few bee-keepers study bee
behaviour experimentally. Most of them
are too busy with something or other, or
are absorbed too much with planning
manipulations. But such study will pay
and do away with many manipulations.

Did you ever notice the nice things sug-
gested for "floats" for feeding from pans,
&c? Cork chips, when you have no cork ;
planer chips, when you have no mill ;
grass, when you have no grass. The best
non-soakable material is bits of comb and
pieces of foundation, always at hand.

The foregoing from "A. CM." are good.
I wonder if the following may be swallowed
in its entirety? Commenting on

"scorching out a hive" he says: "Just
remember that paint or common thin
machine oil is an equally good steriliser.
Scrape off the lumps of wax or propolis, as
you would do before using the torch, and
then apply your paint or oil."

" Virgins." — " In every case where I
have tried it, no matter what the condi-
tions of the colony, a virgin less than a
day old has always been accepted." Yes,
such virgins will be welcomed by a queen-
less colony without any smoking or intro-
ducing, provided they do not carry the
odours of the apiarist's finger, and even
then they will generally be accepted.
Introduce without touching, allowing them
to run down quietly between the combs or
in at the entrance.

Bees out of Sections.— "To get bees out
of sections, the easy way is to smoke down
most of the bees before taking off, then
pile up the supers and put a Miller escape
on top," says Dr. Miller. I do not think
so. Smoke amongst sections is a mistake.
Then driving bees down with smoke
upsets the orderly arrangements of the
brood-nest, and may make bees cross. A
minimum of smoke should be used, the
bees on frames should not be disturbed,
and there should be no more disturbance
than a simple severance of the two bodies
of bees — with an easy exit from the super
direct to the frames of brood.

Admiration. — " Thou shalt not envy thy
neighbour's — apiary." The beautiful illus-
trations in recent issues of Gleanings of
the new experimental apiary and apiarian
laboratory at Washington make me almost
break this new Commandment. Dr.
Phillips and his staff are to be heartily

444

THE BEITISH BEE JOUKNAL. [Dec. 17, 1914.

•congratulated on being housed in such
beautiful buildings and artistic surround-
ings.

Propolis. — The uses to which this sub-
stance are put in the hive are numerous
and varied. They stop with it holes and
qrevices less than a bee space. In a skep
they make the top and sides water-tight
and air-tight. Tbey employ it to
varnish old cells. Some claim that a
coating converts a "foul" cell into a
clean one. Out of the hive here are three
uses to which it may be put : (1) Melted
and mixed with an equal measure of
linseed oil it produces one of the best
healing salves. It is an unexcelled dress-
ing for chapped hands, or any abrasion of
the skin. (2) Mixed with lampblack, it

makes an excellent shoe polish. It re-
stores the flexibility of the leather and
makes the shoe waterproof. (3) Propolis
mixed with 25 or 30 per cent, of vaseline
applied to the surface of a clean wound
has a soothing effect and healing takes
place under the most favourable con-
ditions.

Olfactory Organs. — Dr. Brunnich, in
American Bee Journal declares : (1) The
sensitive organs described by Mclndoo re-
present a protective organ, a kind of
rough olfactory -formation against in-
jurious gases. (2) The sense for fine
odours, for discovering honey sources, per-
ceiving foreign individuals, sexual odours,
&c, is situated in the antennae.

HELPFOL HINTS FOR NOVICES

Procuring Surplus.
(Continued from page 433J

The girders which carry the sections should be of wood about fin. wide,
and not the metal T-shaped ones so often used. In the first place wood is warmer
than metal ; secondly the tail of the T standing up JL between the rows of sections

Fig. 28.

prevents them fitting closely together, providing a space which the bees fill with
propolis ; a waste of time on their part, and causing much trouble and waste of
time to the bee-keeper in cleaning. Also by being separated slightly, i.e., about

Dec. 17, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.

445

J-m

the sections often get out of the square and further trouble ensues when they
are glazed. In the narrow rack with metal girders it is difficult to remove the
sections, and if it is turned upside down, and an attempt made to force them out
with the fingers, it often happens that several good ones are smashed in the process.
With the wooden slats and wide rack all this is avoided. There is no ridge to hold

Fig. 30.

Fig. 31.

the sections apart, and the side following board forces them square
(Fig. 28). Their removal is easily accomplished by taking away the side and end
board ; a strong knife pushed in between easily separates them with both a side
and end movement (Fig. 29.)

Another form is the W.B.C. hanging section-rack, which is favoured by many
bee-keepers. As will be seen in the illustration (Fig. 30), this rack has the same
advantages as the one described above for working in conjunction with shallow-
frame supers, being made the same size. In this case the sections are fitted into
hanging frames, to which is attached the divider. They are all fastened tightly
together in the frame by means of a wedge at one end, and the seven frames are

Fig. 32.

Fig. 33.

wedged firmly in place by means of a following board with a spring block at the
back. To prevent the bees getting into the space at the back of this board from
underneath, pieces of wood £in. thick and fin. wide should be nailed on the under-
side of the end at which it works. The advantages claimed for this rack are that
it keeps the sections quite clean, as they are covered, with the exception of the
edges. Also, if it is necessary to move the sections while on the hive, it can be
done without the sacrifice of bee life. For instance, if the bees have drawn out
the combs just in the centre, and it is desirable to spread the cluster so as to make
them work uniformly throughout the rack, it is a simple matter to place a frame
of drawn-out sections alternately between those not worked upon. This cannot
be done very comfortably with the ordinary rack, as it takes a long time, exposes
the bees unnecessarily, and unless done carefully a number of bees are killed by
crushing. The removal of the finished sections is not difficult if the frames are

440

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dee. 17, 1914.

made properly. They should be so constructed that when the wedge is removed
and the frame turned face down on to a table, the sections slip out freely (Fig. 31)
when the frame is lifted up. The one drawback is the extra cost involved.

The next point to consider is the divider. These must be used to keep the comb
within the woodwork of the section. Although it is possible to get good sections
without their use, many will be spoilt by bulging as seen (Fig. 32.) The best
material for these is wood, No. 3 (Fig. 18), as it is warmer than metal, but there
are several disadvantages which prevent its use. The divider should be as thin as
possible ; this prevents propolisation, and also gives better results by the conserva-
tion of heat effected. If of wood, they have to be made of very thick material to
prevent buckling when in the rack. This prevents the best work being obtained ;
also they are difficult to clean, as they split very easily. All things
considered, zinc is the most suitable material as it does not rust,
and therefore can be washed with a disinfectant without injury.
Tin is now used on account of its cheapness, but care is necessary to prevent
rust. The ordinary slotted divider, No. 4 (Fig. t8), is the one generally used,
but with this the top slots are often cut too large, the result being that a row
or two of cells just at the top are drawn out too far, sometimes even to such an
extent that they protrude beyond the woodwork (Fig. 33), making the handling,
cleaning and glazing of the sections without damage an impossibility. In practice
I have found a divider without slots give excellent results. The fence wood-
divider. No. 2 (Fig. 18), is used by some, but unless it is carefully made its use-
will disfigure the combs, as the bees make ribs across them just opposite the openings
in the divider ; this spoils the appearance of the section.

(To be continued.)

HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.

APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
A COTSWOUD OUT-APIARY.

I have pleasure in submitting a photo-
graph of one of my apiaries on the Cots-
wokl Hills, devoted mainly to the breed-

a high embankment of the Great Western
Railway. To reach this spot means an up-
hill climb of twelve miles, but one has the
advantage of being fairly isolated and
amongst some of the finest bee-forage.

The chief sources of honey are sainfoin,
white and alsike clover, in fields.

A COTSWOLI) AJMARV.

ing of golden bees and queens. As will be
seen, it is prettily situated on a steep
bank facing south, and at right angles to

specially laid down for the feeding of
sheep, with charlock tliat grows so
luxuriously amongst the early corn, and

Dec. IT, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

447

later on together with turnips and
swedes. Occasionally we have fields of
trefolium and beans, besides sycamore
trees in May, and various other blossoms
from then onwards till the bramble flows
with richness during August. Early
summer brings us honey that is par-
ticularly light and dense at first.

As the season wears on it decreases both
in colour and consistency, until at the
close of the flow it assumes a greenish
tint; though the flavour is most delicious,
being evidently imparted by the last
wbite clover of the year. This apiary is
well situated for the mating of queens.
The surrounding country is open, and
much swept by winds, while perfectly calm
days are few, except during long spells of
hot weather. But the apiary, being in a
hollow, is well sheltered, and from the
number of correct matings that have taken
place it would appear that most of the
, queens met with golden drones quite close
at home.

In order to get fairly good results I
have found it necessary to raise drones in
large numbers, by supering strong
colonies with drone combs. Stocks that
are in good heart will tolerate their drones
right up till September if the bees are
given occasional feeds of syrup. I have
proved that a better bee pays for the
trouble it takes to get it, and when breed-
ing by selection is carried out year after
year a very good strain may be separated ;
and the added vigour is a great factor in
disease resistance. And now a word about
the hives.

All those having flat tops are of a
special design for out-apiary management.
Several different types have been ac-
quired at various times with the purchase
of bees, but this hive embodies the good
features of them all, without their dis-
advantages. Everything is square,
whilst the supers tier one above another,
and can be lifted on and off in a moment.
As regards mating-boxes, two, holding five
frames, or three, taking three combs each,
fit on the regular floorboard side by side
and are covered with the usual lift and
roof.

This is a distinct advantage, since the
boxes can be filled separately at any hive,
and when placed together are compact
and warm for wintering nuclei. All things
considered the combination is ideal for
utility purposes, with the man who does
not care to fuss with bees or handle un-
necessary fittings.

I fear I have now exceeded my space,
but with the Editors' permission may later
on be able to give yet another glimpse of
some of the out-apiaries on the Cotswold
Hills. — A. H. Bowen, Coronation Road,
Cheltenham.

RANDOM JOTTINGS.

THE TOURING EXPERT : A QUESTION OF
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT.

By Charles H. Heap, Beading,
Should the touring expert regard as
confidential what he sees and hears when
he visits the apiary of a member of the
County Bee-keepers' Association which
employs him?

This is a question which does not seem
to have been discussed, and yet badly
needs discussing. There is a general
understanding in all walks of life that it
is improper for the servant to betray the
confidence reposed in him by his em-
ployer. This is a good, wholesome rule
which has many times been upheld in
British courts of law; but from what I
have heard, I fear it is often broken by
gentlemen holding certificates of the
British Bee-keepers' Association. Now,
let it be clearly understood that I am
making no accusation against any in-
dividual in particular, but am simply
attacking a practice which I believe is
harmful to County Bee-keepers' Associa-
tions, bee-keeping generally, and touring
experts themselves. In most instances,
when I have gone into fresh districts, I
have been struck with the frequency of
enquiries concerning the condition of
other people's bees in the same village or
neighbourhood, and the surprise generally
expressed when I am compelled to ask to
be excused answering such questions.
Some people do not like the refusal, but
when I turn the case the other way
about, and say, '.' Suppose, Mr. A., I had
to-day found your bees suffering badly
from foul brood, how would you like me
to tell Mr. B. when I go across to him?"
The point of the situation is at once
grasped, and with a word of apology the
person addressed usually says, " I had not
looked at it in that way." I am sure that
if I were the average bee-keeper, I should
not like the unsatisfactory state of my
apiary talked about by the person whom I
had paid to give me the benefit of his advice.
Where is the touring expert who has not
been told, or has not f elt, . that his dis-
covery of disease in the apiary has not
been appreciated, and has occasionally
been followed by the bee-keeper's with-
drawal from membership of the Associa-
tion? In such an instance it is not the
mere revelation of the existence of
disease, so much as fear of the fact being
noised abroad, that is the disturbing
element in the bee-keeper's mind. By
withdrawing from the County Bee-
keepers' Association he gets rid of the
visit of a talkative expert, and by apply-
ing antiseptics several times and an-
nouncing that he is once more clear of
disease he rehabilitates himself in the eyes
of his brother bee-keepers. On the other

448

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec 17, ldl-i

hand, there are people who do not mind
how much their apiarian affairs are
talked of; indeed, they take the earliest
opportunities to promulgate the findings
of the expert.

In certain conceivable circumstances a
member of an Association may be in a
disadvantageous position compared with
an unassociated bee-keeper. A striking
instance within my own experience comes
to mind. I visited one year a large
apiary belonging to a lady; but as she
had to remove a few miles she decided to
sell a number of her stocks. She got into
communication with a dealer, who asked
a local appliance dealer to look at the
bees. Presumably upon his report, a
bargain was struck, but it did not turn
out trumps. The buyer then wrote to me
asking in what condition the bees were
when I visited the apiary in the spring.
I bad not seen them for over a year, but
I declined, not once, but three time's, to
give any information whatever; and then
the buyer wrote to the Hon. Secretary of
the Association, with what results I do
not know, but I hope with a negative
result, as, anticipating this move, I
addressed him a note acquainting him
with my attitude in the matter, and
setting forth the grounds upon which I
refused the information sought. This
highly improper attempt to secure in-
formation which an inspection by a com-
petent person would have rendered un-
necessary was made, I imagine, to avoid
the risk that might be entailed in an
action at law. If the dealer thought I
could give evidence which would assist
him, it was within his power to sub-
poena me to attend the court, and even
then I should not have given evidence
without a protest.

Every touring expert needs to bear in
mmd that he is in exactly the same posi-
tion as other professional men, and that
it is his duty to respect the confidence of
his clients. Unless he does so he will not
achieve the highest degree of success in
his calling, neither will he promote the
best interests of bee-keeping, which is the
reason of his professional existence.
What would be thought of the medical man
who talked about the diseases of his
patients, the veterinary surgeon who let
everybody know of the shortcomings of
the cattle of the farmer who employed
him, or of the lawyer who talked of the
business and private affairs of his clients?
Very little, and each would soon be with-
out patients and clients to talk about.
The touring bee expert, though his in-
come falls far short of that of the lawyer,
doctor, or veterinary surgeon, is no less
a professional man, and he should not be
content with a lower standard of profes-
sional honour.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

" ISLE OF WIGHT " EXPERIENCES

AND "GUESSES."

[9102] I should like, if I may, to relate
two experiences with this dread disease this
year. I have myself leaned to the idea
that the disease is a digestive one, and
affecting the bees by constipation.
Whether the microbe is a preliminary, or
resultant one, I am sorry I have not the
experience or facilities for finding out.

I started the season with a colony each
of Blacks and Golden Italians. The
Blacks were badly affected by the end of
February, and I couldn't find the heart to
destroy them for a month, although I'm
afraid I only prolonged their miserable
existence, the result was rather startling.
I made a quart of syrup and added
the juice of two lemons, and bees in
the final stages of collapse, fully distended,
&c, were coaxed (?) to try a little
medicine. This seemed to act as a violent
aperient, relieving bees of excreta almost
instantly, when they were able to indulge
in a short flight, and their condition im-
proved very rapidly, while bees which
were not so ill enjoyed the freedom and
a day or two of sunshine in a very
marked manner ; hence my report of
hoping to save them. But they had fallen
so weak in numbers, and the medicine
proved so irresistible to the " Goldens " (I
must give a warning against using syrup
indiscriminately), I decided to place them
with the majority.

The next slight attack was a small one-
frame reserve nucleus from my " im-
munes," as it pleases me to call them.
I have had them three years, but owing
to foul brood I have not been able to in-
crease them until this year. I have now
four strong colonies, and have sold two.
One of my own had an Italian queen intro-
duced, and have managed to give about
901bs. of honey, leaving ample stores. This
slight attack happened after the third day
during a cold spell, as the result of feed-
ing with "Dem. sugar." Whether there
is something in the refining or whether

Dec. 17, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

449

it was "Demerara" at all I have no
means of finding out ; at any rate, I changed
the syrup to pure white sugar when,
after killing what affected bees I could,
the disease disappeared, and I was able to
take out a frame and queen the second
week in July for the second artificial
swarm. Appearances seem to show the
disease could hardly have been caught, as
everything had been properly cleared
three months before, and this stock at
that time contained the youngest bees,
being the last of five divisions made to
rear a queen, and I don't know of any
other bees in my flight area. Also, it ap-
pears to me, we must blame successive
mild winters, which causes bees to consume
more food, and of a nature that they can-
not properly digest, nor can they get out
for a cleansing flight. This empties
the abdominal air sacs by internal pressure,
thereby disabling them from flying, which
accounts for the bees being unable to re-
spond with returning spring, and un-
fortunately it is generally inadvisable to
tamper with or endeavour to treat them
at this time.

I have also heard of a stock surviving
through last winter which had taken
possession of combs on which bees had
died for three consecutive years, and has
thrown, to my knowledge, five swarms,
although the possessor does not even own
the hives.

Is the disease a contagious one, or is it
" atmospheric circumstances " ? I suppose
I ought not to ask on the face of informa-
tion.

"Immunity chimera," or not, this
seems the only logical procedure to
counteract the disease until we can find
the remedy ; it is also the most natural,
therefore the most lasting. I read this
week of a correspondent noticing an un-
natural appearance in the queen. Well, I
have not noticed this, and have thought
how perfectly healthy they have looked
when they could be found.

A. H. Hamshar.

ROYAL SHOW FUND.

£ s. d.
Donations already received 20 9 6

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

We have received a further donation of
7s. from Mr. E. Ballard, "Beeholme,"
Aldington, from the sale of Limnanthes
Douglasii plants. Mr. Ballard writes,
" I have yet plenty of plants, and hope to
have more orders."

£ s. d.
Donations in cash already re-
ceived 2 17 8

Mr. E. Ballard 0 7 0

UEKL&S^

[8989] Definition of Paraglossce. —
Would you kindly give me your definition
of the paraglossse. I think I know some-
thing of their function, but I am unable
to> get "clear" by the way I read Mr.
Cowan and Mr. Cheshire. — A. H. H.

Reply. — We do not know how we can
amplify the description given in the
books named, except by saying that
paraglossa is derived from the Greek para,
beside, and glossa, tongue, which describes
it as appendage to .the ligula or labium.
Paraglossae are in shape of curtains which
surround the ligula, and are capable of
meeting at the upper end, the lower end
being rounded off as shown in illustra-
tions. If these, together with the descrip-
tion, are followed, they should convey a
clear understanding of their function.

G. Colville (Chatton).— We need not say
more than that the heather honey was
excellent. It was very little damaged
in transit. We thank you for your kind
wishes, and have enjoyed eating the
section of our favourite honey.

K. (Leicester). — Zinc for Feeders. It is

not advisable to use zinc for the pur-
pose.

W. West (Bridgwater).— Get the "British
Bee-keepers' Guide Book."

G. Gibson (Bedale). — You will have to use
the cheese cloth in any case. Heather
honey is too dense to strain in the
ordinary way.

Suspected Disease.
A. Hidison (Handsworth) and A. Lown
(Salop). — The bees are suffering from
" Isle of Wight" disease.

J. G. (Petworth) We do not find any

signs of disease in either bees or comb.
The cocoons are those of the wax-moth.
We can only suggest that the colony
became queenless. The combs will be
all right for the other stock.

450

THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL. [Dec. 17, 1914.

HONEY IMPORTS.

The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of
November, 1914, was £1,873.— From a
return furnished to the British Bee
Journal, by the Statistical Office, H.M.
Customs.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per \in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FINEST BEE PRODUCE. Extracted fruit
blossom and clover honey, 28ib. tin, 20s.;
clover, 21s.; pressed clover and heather, 22s.; pure
heather, 23s.; clover, lib. bottles, 12s.; heather,
13s. dozen; -sections, prices as for bottles; any lot
carriage paid.— WOOD, Ash Grove, Bishopton,
Ripon. v 91

FINEST clover honey, in lib. screw capped
glass jars, price 8s. 6d. per dozen; sample,
2d.— DUCKMANTON, Langwith, Mansfield, v 89

FOR SALE, or exchange, ice safe, 21in. long,
20in. deep, and I6in. wide, wants slight
repairs, 10s.; too cheap for approval.— BUMBLE,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, zinc skep covers, Is. 3d. each; also
shaped skep floor boards, and stands for
same, Is. 6d. the set. The above are better than
new as they are painted, and are being sold at
half price, cash with order— BOSS, " B.B.J."
Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

SELL or exchange, good dress suit, 36in. chest,
20s.— DRESS, "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, J plate Koilos camera, with Goerz
Dopp anastigmat f/125 lens, can be used
either for hand or stand work, twelve single dark
slides and film pack carrier. The whole packs in
stout block leather sling case, 9in. long, 6in. deep,
and 2Jin. wide; also light brass telescopic tripod,
in leather sling case, all in excellent condition, and
used by me to take the illustrations in " Helpful
Hints " and " Continental Wanderings." The out-
fit for sale in one lot for £6; reason for selling
have bought a Reflex. A splendid opportunity for
anyone wanting a good reliable camera. Will send
on approval; Deposit— HERROD, "B.B.J." Office,
23, Bedford-street, Strand, W C

WANTED, cloth bound copy " Bee- Keepers'
Record." Vol. 7. year 1889— HERROD,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

WANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood.— HERROD,
"B.B.J." Office.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used onc-e only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," "B.BJ." Office, 23,
Bedford-street Strand. London, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth edition*
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 3rd,
4th, 5th.— HERROD, "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand, W.C.

FifOR SALE, extracted clover honey, 9-28lb.
tins, 16s. each; two dozen sections and five
uozen screw top bottles, 8s. 6d. per dozen; sample
3d— W. PHILLIMORE, Three Horse Shoes, En-
ford, near Pewsey, Milts v 68

3CWT. honey, 281b. tins, 56s. per cwt.; sample
2d— GEORGE THOMPSON, Helpringham,
Sleaford. v 73

WANTED, Rymer honey press, good con-
dition—Offers to GIBSON, Leeming-Bar,
Bedale. v 86

FOR SALE, three gross splendid sections and
about thirty dozen lib. bottles first quality
honey— Box 10, " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street,
Strand, W.C. v 85

SIX DOZEN finest amber brown pure heather
honey sections, securely packed, and safe
arrival guaranteed, 12s. per dozen, 13s. carriage
paid— LEWIS YOUNIE, Knockando, Strathspey,
Morayshire. v 92

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.

HOW TO PREVENT SWARMING.— A certain
method, fully explained, with illustrations
from life, of bees and their work, price Is.,
postage Id., from all dealers, and the author, A. H.
WILKES, Lichfield-road, Four Oaks, Birming-
ham.

ECTIONS WANTED, any quantity, cash; also

extracted— F. W. WEITZEL, 21, Lonsdale-

road, Kilburn. N.W.

OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother

Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea,

bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 5s. per

day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle

Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man.

In War-Time

The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products of the Apiary, of Poultry
and Farm Stock, of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can be augmented. Buy
your stock, sell the produce, through
THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART

Newspaper.
Get a Copy — Thursday, 2d. ; Saturday, Id.

The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books by experts. Send for full catalogue,
post free from

BAZAAR BUUDINGS, DRURY LANE, LONDON, W.C
THE

British Bee-Keepers' Association.

DATES of LECTURES and DEMONSTRATIONS
at the Experimental and Educational Apiaby of
the British Bee-Keepers' Association, in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, London,

N.W.

SESSION, 1914-15.

Winter Courses.
No limit upon the number of Students,
i 2nd Course. Thursdays, Jan. 7th, 14th, 28th,
Feb. 4th, 11th, 25th.
Commencing at six o'clock.
W. HERROD. 23. Bedford-street. Strand. London.

OBORrQE ROSE, SEEDS & BEES, Ltd..

22, Bolton Street, Liverpool.

Everything for the up-to-date Bee-keeper.

OUR NOTES CANDY,

Thousands of testimonials,

7«. 6d. dozen lb.

HONEY JARS at lowest possible prices for cash.

Food for the Future.

Start planning to make the best of next year's honey flow by studying bee books (the records of
other people's experience) this winter. Get your books from Edward J. Burtt, Manufacturer, Gloucester.

The Burtt Bee Goods catalogue (post free on request contains just a selection of some by the best known
authors. If you want any boo c not listed don't hesitate to write for it.

Dec. 24, 1914,1 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

451

NOTICE.

Owing to the dislike of one of my
ancestors to a long signature he dropped
a portion of his name. For several
generations this caused no inconvenience,
as they did very little business. Owing to
the continued increase in my business in-
terests, the dual situation of one signa-
ture for ordinary use and another for
legal matters has become impossible ;
therefore, on and after January 1st, 1915,
I shall assume my full name of W.
Herrod-Hempsall. I shall be grateful if
all correspondents will kindly note this
and address me, also make out all cheques
or documents and insert in any list my
name, as above.

W. Herrod-Hempsall,
hitherto commonly known as W. Herrod.

IMPORTANT NOTICE.

We shall be greatly obliged if those of
our readers who have their Journal by
post from this office, and who wish to con-
tinue their subscription, will kindly let us
have their order immediately on the ex-
piration of their previous subscription — of
which due notice will be given. Failing
an order, we shall assume the paper is not
required, and therefore discontinue send-
ing it.

We are obliged to take this course
as, owing to the increased work of our staff
in other directions, we are unable to
undertake the extra work and expense in-
volved in sending out bills for small
accounts, or to bear the losses entailed by
sending out the Journal after subscrip-
tions have run out, the recipients failing
to notify us that the paper is not
required and refusing to pay for those
received after the subscription had
expired. We therefore respectfully notify
our subscribers that the Journal will not
be sent unless the subscription is prepaid.

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at 23, Bedford .Street, Strand,
London, W.C., on Thursday, December
17th, 1914. Sir Ernest Spencer presided.

There were also present: Miss M. D.
Sillar, Messrs. E. Watson, O. R.
Frankenstein, A. G. Pugh, J. Smallwood,
T. Bevan ; Association representatives, G.
Haves (Notts), G. W. Judge, and G.
Bryden (Crayford), F. W. Harper (St.
Albans), G. J. Flashman (Barnet), and
the Secretary, W. Herrod.

Letters regretting inability to attend
were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan,
W. F. Reid, H. Jonas, W. T. Sanderson,
H. P. Perkins, E. Walker, C. L. M. Eales,
D. Seamer, G. S. Faunch, and Rev.
F. S. F. Jannings.

Mrs. F. S. F. Jannings was elected a
member of the Association.

The financial statement was made by
Mr. J. Smallwood, who stated that pay-
ments into the bank for November were
£86 8s. lOd. The bank balance at the
end of November was £246 17s. Pay-
ments amounting to £52 6s. were recom-
mended.

Mr. G. Hayes and Mr. Jesse Johnson
had earlier in the day attended before the
Board of Examiners to lecture for the
final examination, and upon their report,
presented by Sir Ernest Spencer, it was re-
solved to grant experts' certificates to
both.

The examiners' report on the inter-
mediate examination was presented, and
out of seventeen candidates it was re-
solved to grant passes to the following : —
Misses G. B. Redmayne, P. Wilks, D.
Burder, N. Ross, and H. Bisset; Messrs.
W D. Ridley, G. F. Stubbs, M. F. Judge,
J. W. Heard, E. G. Burtt, W. Carr, and
Rev. F. S. F. Jannings.

The report of the Exhibition Com-
mittee was presented by Mr. A. G. Pugh
as follows : — The Exhibition Sub-Com-
mittee having taken into consideration the
fact that the Royal Agricultural Society
will, in consequence of the war, be unable
to make their usual grant towards the
prize list of the 1915 show, although they
offer to provide the usual building and
other facilities ; have decided to suggest to
the Council that the show be held as usual
and have considered the prize schedule
and recommend that the cash prizes
usually given in the appliance classes be
withheld and that 5s. be deducted from
each of the other prizes. A sufficient
saving will then be made to enable the
donations given to the special appeal to
carry out a solvent scheme. The report
was adopted.

The appointment of an auditor was con-
sidered and Messrs. Bevan and Franken-
stein promised to see what they could do
to secure the services of a chartered ac-
countant.

Next meeting of Council, January 21st,
1915 at 23 Bedford Street, Strand,
London, W.C.

452

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 24, 1914.

A REPORT FROM BRITISH
COLUMBIA.

We have received the following report
from Mr. W. J. Sheppard, late of Ching-
ford, Essex. Mr. Sheppard did good work
when secretaiy of the Essex B.K.A., and
we hope his present venture will prove
successful. It will be through no fault of
his if it does not. — Eds.

I am afraid you will think me very
neglectful in not sending the enclosed
before, but the fact is I have been away
from home on bee inspection work so much
that I am afraid I have almost lost trace of
a good many things that should have re-
ceived my attention.

I finished up for the season on the 31st
of last month, and shall now have a
breathing space until next April.

We have had a good season for the bees
here this year, and the number of stocks
put up for winter is just double what it
was at this time last year in the territory
under my charge. I am obliged to call it
territory, because my extreme northern
boundary is about 200 miles away, and
the distance from east to west is about
the same. The honey crop has been four
times the amount of last season, every bit
of it being first class and equal in quality
to any that I have ever seen. The largest
apiary I have visited contained forty-eight
stocks, spring count, from which 3,0001bs.
of honey were taken. This is not in one
of the best locations, however. In one
district that I consider a good one, where
the white clover makes the ground look
like a white carpet during July, 4001bs.
were taken from~*two stocks, which have
now increased to four. In another in-
stance, of an apiary of four stocks situated
in the bush about three miles from any
other habitation, and where there was
practically no clover, 4201bs. of first-class
light-coloured honey was the crop. This
honey was evidently gathered mainly from
what is called here* Milk-weed (Apocynvm
liypericifolium) and Willow-herb, which is
known here as Fire-weed. After clover,
the two latter are our best honey plants.
From my own seven stocks (spring count)
I have taken 6501bs. and increased to
fifteen, this in spite of being away from
home so much.

We are just organising an Association
for this district to be called the Kootenay
Bee-keepers' Association, the objects of
which read as follows : —

"The objects of this Association shall
bo to promote and encourage the keeping
of bees and the most suitable methods for
their profitable management.

"To assist members of the Association
in disposing of their produce to the best
advantage by the adoption of uniformity
in its ( get up ' for market, and the pro-
vision of a special distinctive honey label,

for the use of members only, which should
ultimately be looked upon by the pur-
chaser as a guarantee of excellence and
purity.

" To obtain the most advantageous
terms for members in the purchase of bee
supplies.

" To effect the standardising of such bee
appliances as may be found most suitable
for the district.

" To promote and regulate local exhibi-
tions of honey and other bee products and
arrange for the competent judging thereof.

" To advocate the more general grow-
ing and cultivation of nectar-yielding
trees and plants such as Linden or Bass-
wood (TiUa Americana) , Alsike Clover
(Tri folium hybridum), &c.

" To aid in the dissemination of re-
liable and practical information with re-
gard to the bee-keeping industry, and
further its progress in every way possible
in the interests of the members."

One of the great difficulties experienced
here has been to get proper jars and tins
for putting up the honey in a saleable
manner, and also to get other bee sup-
plies, the cost of freight, especially for
small consignments, being so high, and it
is only by a system of co-operation that
this could have been got over, so I hope
the Association will be able to accomplish
much useful work. This Association is
the first Bee-keepers' Association that has
been formed in British Columbia. — W. J.
SuErr-ATtn.

DEALING WITH DISEASE.

A FEW WORDS AVITH MR. CRAWSHAW.

I can assure Mr. Crawshaw that I do
not take it for granted that disease cannot
be communicated by hive, combs, or dead
bees, and I do not think that colonies
that have found homes for themselves
should be ignored in any attempt that may
hereafter be made to stamp out " Isle of
Wight " disease. Colonies that might
escape detection would not, as I tried to
make clear some time ago, be so serious
a menace to the success of a plan for
exterminating the disease as many people,
including Mr. Crawshaw, imagine. As I
then said, if a colony were affected with
the disease it would die, and if a colony
were healthy it is obvious that its exist-
ence would not matter.

If the work of stamping out micro-
sporidiosis were being undertaken the
man in charge of its operations would do
his utmost to track down every colony of
bees in the area allotted to him. I
anticipate that in his task he would be

Dec. 24, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

453

greatly helped by the orders, having the
force of law, which the Board of Agri-
culture would issue. These would, no
doubt, make it obligatory upon owners or
occupiers of property, or both, to notify
the known existence of colonies of bees
living under natural conditions on such
property. The unknown "wild" colonies
would be SO' extremely few that as sources
of infection they would be practically
negligible. I base this view upon two
grounds : (1) That as diseased colonies die
oftener than not out of the swarming
season the combs would, in a bee-keeping
district, in the southern half of Great
Britain, at any rate, be attacked by the
wax moth, which would rob the "hive"
of its attractiveness to a swarm ; (2) that
in a district in which the stamping out
process was going on there would be
precious few swarms to take charge of a
" hive " in a tree or building.

I think the difficulty of dealing with
such cases is nothing like so formidable
as it appears to be to imaginative per-
sons. The chances of keeping the disease
in existence by this means would be less
than one in five hundred. The great
trouble of this disease is that Noxemaapif;
is a spore-forming organism, and that at
present, so far as I am aware, the length
of time the spores are capable of retaining
their vitality is unknown. Thev are
capable of retaining their vitality in
honey for at least two years, and it is
quite possible that in or on the soil they
may retain it much longer. No one must
suppose that a widespread disease of this
character can be got rid of in one or two
years. Of this the correspondence columns
of the Bee Journal furnishes. I think,
some evidence. I had intended to let Mr.
Crawshaw off for an unpardonable error
on the part of a universal critic, but as
he has led me to cross swords with him
again I will not resist the temptation to
give him an extra thrust. In the Bee
Journal of November 19th he says :
" Archaeological bee-keepers who have
confirmed their beliefs by ' the observa-
tion of centuries ' would be able to com-
pare notes with the proprietor of Mr.
Heap's evolved microbe." "What this is
all about I do not know : but I am in-
terested in the microbe. I might, if I
tried, perhaps, be able to cultivate a few
microbes, but I am sorry I am not clever
enough to " evolve " one. I have never
claimed the accomplishment of so' great a
feat, but as Mr. Crawshaw infers that I
have he will hasten, no doubt, to quote
words of mine, if he can, to warrant his
inference. If he fails to produce the
quotations he ought to apologise hand-
somely to his readers for having wittingly
or unwittingly misled them. — Charles H.
Heap, Reading.

REPORT FROM SOUTH
WESTMORLAND.

We have had a glorious summer, and
even the most pessimistic of bee-keepers
are satisfied. Honey has been an average
crop, and the highest average I have
heard of so far is 401bs. per hive. This may
seem small in comparison with some dis-
tricts, but when the very limited bee flora
here is taken into consideration an aver-
age of 401bs. is considered good. Per-
sonally, considering the district, I think a
stock which shows a clear profit of £1 (and
which also provides a nucleus, which later
is added to the parent hive, thereby re-
queening same) has not done badly.

Queen-rearing is a dead letter in this
district, and out of about forty bee-
keepers I am in touch with I only know
a couple who go in for it. Perhaps if more
did so we should have a bigger average
return.

Bee-keepers who have complained to me
about excessive swarming have always had
their trouble traced to two and three-year-
old queens. In my own apiary I have had
but one swarm, which was from a stock
headed by a third-year queen.

Taken on the whole, however, 1914 will
go down to posterity as a non-swarming
vear. Many bee-keepers have complained
about slow sealing of surplus. Of course,
this can be put down at once to cells not
being properly filled, and showing the im-
portance of arranging frames and sections
so that no more cells are available for
storage than what could be filled and
sealed. It is useless putting an extra rack
on when there is not the least chance of
getting the first one sealed. Many
apiarists add an extra super to prevent
swarming, while at the same time thev
prohablv overlook the fact that the brood-
nest is blocked with honev. If this is the
case, the bees will swarm, however many
extra supers are added, as it is room for
the queen to lav that is required. It is a
simple matter to scan over the brood-nest
when fixing supers anv time, as it is, as
a rule, only the outside combs which need
be examined, the centre combs being
packed with brood.

I have been much amused, upon asking
several bee-keepers how they had fared
this year, to be told that they had got
no surplus, and that the bees must take
their chance this winter, they were not
going to pay 4d. per lb. for sugar for
them. What a heap of rubbish, when it
was clearly a case of mismanagement, or
probably no management at all. I re-
monstrated with one man about taking
such a cruel view of things, and eventually
he asked me if I would help him to
manipulate and ascertain their winter's
need. Of course I promised, but! was

454

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 24, 1914.

somewhat chagrined to receive a few hours
later a polite note saying that he might
probably go for a, walk on the appointed
day if it was very fine, and if he did not
turn up at the time would I mind
manipulating them myself and write
him how much stores each hive required !
Comment is needless ; my compliance with
his wishes was due to my sympathy for his
bees more than anything else.

In my last report I was enthusiastic
about our freedom from disease. Since
then we have had " Isle of Wight "
disease in our midst. It has been over-
come, however, by drastic but necessary
measures being taken by the afflicted
apiarist. He was one of our most in-
telligent men, and I have been much
struck by his enthusiasm for his bees. He
practically spent all his leisure with them
and was never so happy as when showing
his nucleus, hives, &c, to anyone. Being
anxious to> increase his apiary, he answered
an advertisement and bought some second-
hand goods. Upon receipt of them his
trouble commenced. It was diagnosed as
"Isle of Wight" disease, and he im-
mediately destroyed everything in the
apiary. All our thanks go out to him for
his sacrifice, and our "anathema" upon
the man who was the source of the
trouble. Did he consider it playing the
game? I am afraid many cases of "Isle
of Wight" can be traced to purchase of
infected goods. I know it is a big
temptation ^fco turn the same into money,
but it is not the thing. May I appeal to
bee-keepers to buy no second-hand goods,
especially those ridiculously cheap? If
they must do so, at least insist on having
a guarantee from some responsible person
that the goods are all right and free from
infection. It is a great hardship on a
working man, after he has spent much
time and money in establishing an apiary,
to have all his aspirations crushed by the
unscrupulousness of some individual abso-
lutely devoid of a sense of fair play. May
we soon have legislation to remedy things
is the wish of Fred New sham.

PRESS CUTTING.

HIVE OF BEES IN A HAT.

Bee-keepers had some exciting ex-
periences during the spell of hot weather,
on account of excessive swarming. A
crofter in the Buchan district had " skep
cast," and the bees mysteriously disap-
peared. No trace of the swarm could be
found in the neighbourhood, but one day
about a fortnight thereafter, the crofter's
wife was surprised to see a great many
bees flying out and in at a broken pane in

the window of a small room off the
kitchen. In the upper recess of an old
wardrobe reposed the worthy " guid-
man's " venerable tile hat, and there in
the crown of it the missing bees had taken
up their abode, converting it into a
veritable hive, with a surprising amount
of honey and honey combs already stored
within the hat. Their strange quarters
had given them no apparent incon-
venience, and doubtless they found the
atmosphere cooler in their retreat. — The
Aberdeen Journal.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
he drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

RESISTING "ISLE OF WIGHT"
DISEASE.

[9103] Readers of this paper may re-
member that a few months ago I wrote a
short article explaining how by careful
selection and breeding I had at last got a
strain of bees capable of resisting this
dreadful disease. Now, since the war, I
have been away serving with my regiment,
so these bees have had to look after them-
selves, and the apiary has been left quite
alone. Under these circumstances one
would not have been very much surprised
had the disease appeared, but upon my
return home for a few days (4th Dec.) I
find them in the best of condition and well
jDrepared for winter. I may say that
some of the stocks have two or three racks
of shallow frames or section-racks still
on, which will of course now have to
remain all winter. I was especially struck
with the enormous amount of bees and
stores in most of the hives, and no doubt
the bees have stored a considerable quantity
of honey since I have been away. Another
point of interest to readers may be the
fact that when I went away I had two
frame-hives and three skeps of native bees.
These, without exception, have been com-
pletely robbed out by the Italian stocks,

Dec. 24, 1914.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.

455

and this will to some extent account for
the quantity of stores in the Italian hives.
I was rather pleased that the Italians had
taken this step, for I have found that
native bees are very liable to disease and
never store the large quantities of honey
the Italian bees do. I should like to make
it clear that these are not the flimsy kind
of Italian bees, such as we get from the
Continent. For the benefit of bee-keepers
I will shortly describe my method of
procedure. In the first place, the queens
should be obtained from reliable dealers,
and they must be thoroughly selected and
tested, and should not cost less than 10s.
each. Secondly, and perhaps the most
important point of all, each stock should
be requeened every autumn. By doing
this you will have a fine strain of bees
ready to resist foul brood and " Isle of
Wight " disease, and in a good season you
may often get as much as 2001bs. of honey.
One of my stocks had given me a yield of
2801bs., and one huge swarm by the
beginning of August. The best and
cheapest procedure is to buy two selected
and tested queens from two good dealers.
Breed the queens from one and the drones
from the other, as by doing so you will
get an extra strong strain of bees. You
should try and get your selected drones
on the wing before the native drones are
flying, then if you have plenty of young
queens ready which have been bred from
your other selected queen you will stand
a fair chance of getting a large number
properly mated. I should advise all those
who can to try this plan, and I have no
doubt they will find it as successful as I
have done. Before closing I should like
to< point out to my many bee-keeping
friends that owing to the fact that I have
been called up to serve my country I have
been compelled to close my bee business,
and any bee-keepers who have not received
answers to their letters must excuse the
delay, as I am so situated that it may be
a month or more before I can attend to
their requests. All orders for bees will be
attended to as quickly as possible, but as
I cannot say for certain any special day
when orders can be sent I can assure all
my customers that their wants will be
attended to at the earliest possible date.

I should like to add that one of the
greatest discomforts I have to put up with
is that I am unable to have my Bee
Journal, aod Record, though I can
assure our Editors that I still take both
papers, and they are always ready for me
when I get the opportunity of going home.

As an expert of the Norfolk Bee-
keepers' Association I feel I cannot close
without mentioning the great loss that we
as an Association have sustained through
the sad death of our Secretary, Dr. D.
Wardleworth, who was such a kind friend
and helper to all of us. Our Association

at the time of his appointment as secre-
tary was in very low water, but to-day it
ranks as one of the most important in the
country. His Daily Mail scheme for re-
viving the bee industry among cottagers
was greatly appreciated in the county, but
few may realise the enormous amount of
time he devoted to it. We shall greatly
miss him, and it will be very difficult for
us to get such an able secretary.

With the best of wishes to our Editors
and readers of this Journal. — Private
Julian E. Lockwood, 2306, "H" Com-
pany, 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment,
Mile End, Colchester.

P.S. — I should very much like to hear
from any bee-keeper who resides in Col-
chester, as I always like to come across
fresh bee-keepers. If any care to drop
me a line to my regimental address I
should be very pleased to give them a call
when I am off duty.

ROYAL SHOW FUND.

£ s. d.

Donations already received 20 9 6

R. Brown 110

Miss Sillar 0 10 0

R, Robson 0 5 0

A. H. Bowen, by sale of

Limnanthes Dmtglasii 0 1 0

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

£ s. d.
Donations in cash already re-

' eeived 3 4 8

Suspected Disease.
Constant Reader (Worcester) and
P. R. G. (Teesdale).— It is " Isle of
Wight" disease.

T. P. G. (Dorsetshire).— The cause of
death is "Isle of Wight" disease.
Please read our rule as to name and
address.

Amateur (Lines.). — No. 1, odourless foul
brood in an advanced stage; No. 2,
seriously affected with odourless foul
brood ; No. 3 slightly affected odourless
foul brood; No. 4, same as No. 2.

456

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 24, 1914.

Special Prepaid Advertisements

Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence.

Orders for three or more consecutive insertions
entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-
keepers' Record " free of charge.

Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens,
and Bee goods are not admissible at above rate,
but will be inserted at Id. per word as " Busi-
ness " Announcements, immediately under the
Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge of 3s. per %in., or 5s. per inch.

PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.

I7I0UR American! Langstroth hives, with super
" cases and new brood frames, 4s. each; four
British standard hives, with super cases, 3s. 6d.
each; four hives, British stan'oard, with outer
cases and lifts, 5s. 6d. each.— HBATON, Meth-
wold, Norfolk. v 94

SEVEN dozen screw cap bottles heather honey
for sale, 9s. per dozen.— LASHBROOK, Lyn-
ton, North Devon. v 93

SELL or exchange, thirty-two microscopic
slides, with box, to be sold in one lot, for
20s.; returnable list sent for Id. stamp.— MICRO,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

WE have for sale a number of Bee Books,
some very old; returnable list and prices
will be sent for Id. stamp.— MANAGER, " B.B.J."
Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

FINEST BEE PRODUCE. Extracted fruit
blossom and clover honey, 281b. tin, 20s.;
clover, 21s.; pressed clover and heather, 22s.; pure
heather, 23s.; clover, lib. bottles, 12s.; heather,
13s. dozen; sections, prices as for bottles; any lot
carriage paid.— MOOD, Ash Grove, Bishopton,
Ripon. v 91

FINEST clover honey, in lib. screw capped
glass jars, price 8s. 6d. per dozen; sample,
2d— DUCKMANTON, Langwith, Mansfield, v 89

FOR SALE, or exchange, ice safe, 21in. long,
20iu. deep, and 16in. wide, wants slight
repairs, 10s.; too cheap for approval.— BUMBLE,
" B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, zinc skep covers, Is. 3d. each; also
shaped skep floor boards, and stands for
same, Is. 6d. the set. The above are better than
new as they are painted, and are being sold at
half price, cash with order— BOSS, " B.B.J."
Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

SELL or exchange, good dress suit, 36in. chest,
20s— DRESS, "B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand, W.C.

FOR SALE, k plate Koilos camera, with Goerz
Dopp anastigmat f/125 lens, can be used
either for hand or stand work, twelve single dark
slides and film pack carrier. The whole packs in
stout block leather sling case, 9in. long, 6in. deep,
and 2Jin. wide; also light brass telescopic tripod,
in leather sling case, all in excellent condition, and
used by me to take the illustrations in " Helpful
Hints " and " Continental Wanderings." The out-
fit for sale in one lot for £6; reason for selling
have bought a Reflex. A splendid opportunity for
anyone wanting a good reliable camera. Will send i
on approval; Deposit— HERROD, "B.B.J." Office,
23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

ANTED, a complete comb of both a bad
and mild case of Foul Brood.— HERROD,
"B.B.J." Office.

SELL, Thould and Hutchinson portable cesspool
pump, with all fittings, used once only, cost
£3 10s.; offers— " PUMP," " B.B J." Office, 23,
Bed ford -street Strand. London, W.C.

W

WANTED, cloth bound copy " Bee-Keepers'
Record," Vol. 7, year 1889— HERROD,
"B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.C.

WANTED, the following : Cloth editions
" British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book," 3rd,
4th, 5th— HERROD, " B.B.J." Office, 23, Bedford-
street, Strand, W.C.

WANTED, Rymer honey press, good con-
dition—Offers to GIBSON, Leeming-Bar,
Bedale. v 86

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.

HOW TO PREVENT SWARMING— A certain
method, fully explained, with illustrations
from life, of bees and their work, price Is.,
postage Id., from all dealers, and the author, A. H.
WILKES, Lichfield-road, Four Oaks, Birmingham.

OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother

Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea,

bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 5s. per

day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle

Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man.

BEE-KEEPING.
A Special Ten Lecture Couree on Bee-keep-
ing will be given in the Agricultural College,

6, Blythswood" Square, Glasgow, on
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS from 7-8 o'clock,

commencing 6th JANUARY, 1915.

Lecturer, Mr. Joseph Tinsley, B.B.K.A. (ist Class).

Fee for the Course 5/-.

Prospectus free on application to the Secretary.

In War-Time

The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products of the Apiary, of Poultry
and Farm Stock, of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can be augmented. Buy
your stock, sell the produce, through
THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART

Newspaper.
Get a Copy — Thursday, 2d. ; Saturday, 1 d.
The "Bazaar" publishes also practical hand-
books by experts. Send for full catalogue,
—post free from

BAZAAR BUILDINGS, DRURY LANE, LONDON, W.C.
THE

British Bee-Keepers' Association.

DATES of LECTURES and DEMONSTRATIONS
at the Experimental and Educational Apiary of
the British Bbb-Kbkpbrs' Association, in ibe
Zoologioal Gardens, Regent's Park, London,

N.W.

SESSION, 1914-15.

Winter Courses.
No limit upon the n/umber of Students.
2nd Course. Thursdays, Jan. 7th, 14th, 28th,
Feb. 4th, 11th, 35th.
Commencing at six o'clock.
W. HERROD, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, London.

&EOJU2E ROSE, SEEDS * BEES, I>td.,

33, Bolton Street, Liverpool.

Everything for the up-to-date Bee-keeper.

OUB, NOTED CANDY,

Thousands of testimonials,

7«. 6d. dozen lb.

HONEY JARS at lowest possible prices for cash.

Food for the Future.

Start planning to make the best of next year's honey flow by studying bee books (the records of

other people's experience) this winter. Get your books from Edward J. Burtt, Manufacturer, Gloucester.

The Burtt Bee Goods catalogue (post free on request) contains just a selection of some by the best known

authors. If you want any book not listed don't hesitate to write for it.

Dec. 31, 1914.] THE BRITISH l^E JOURNAL.

45'

r^HOTOGRAPH of Comb in clock-case from which 7 lbs. of Honey was
* extracted. Seventy pounds were abstracted from the hive also
These Bees were badly affected by " Isle of Wight " Disease and
treated by M. C. Pay of Croydon, and cured by IZAL washing, spraying
and Izalized food. He had the hive given to him to be destroyed, May
24th, 1912, on which day he began his treatment.

^^^B

NO TICK
NO STRIKE

.'".-;' B ■;.;"- 1

2 Teaspoonfuls Izal Fluid to 1 gallon of water for washing and spraying.
New Queen Bee inserted on June 12th.

In September 77 lbs. Honey taken from them. At present, January,
1913, they appear to be quite healthy.

IZAL

is a Reliable Remedy against Foul Brood.

Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 6d. & 1/- each.

Jlsk for full details of IZAL treatment sent post free by
Newton, Chambers & Co., Ltd., Thorncliffe, nr. Sheffield.

4-58

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dec. 31, 1914.

NOTICE.

Owing to the dislike of one of rny
ancestors to a loftg signature he dropped
a portion of his name. For several
generations this caused no inconvenience,
as they did very little business. Owing to
the continued increase in my business in-
terests, the dual situation of one signa-
ture for ordinary use and another for
legal matters has become impossible;
therefore, on and after January 1st, 1915,
I shall assume |my full name of W,
Herrod-Hempsall. I shall be grateful if
all correspondents will kindly note this
and address me, also make out all cheques
or documents aijd insert in any list my
name, as above, j

W. Herrob-Hempsall,
hitherto commonly known as W. Herrod.

IMPORTANT NOTICE.

We shall be greatly . obliged if those of
our readers who; have their Journal by
post from this office, and who wish to con-
tinue their subscription, will kindly let us
have their order immediately on the ex-
piration of their previous subscription — of
which due notice will be given. Failing
an order, we shall assume the paper is not
required, and therefore discontinue send-
ing it.

We are obliged to take this course
as, owing to the increased work of our staff
in other directions, we are unable to
undertake the extra work and expense in-
volved in sending out bills for small
accounts, or to bear the losses entailed by
sending out the Journal after subscrip-
tions have run out, the recipients failing
to notify us that the paper is not
required and refusing to pay for those
received after the subscription had
expired. We therefore respectfully notify
our subscribers that the Journal will not
be sent unless the subscription is prepaid.

BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
A special meeting of the Council of the
British Bee-keepers' Association was held
at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, on Tues-
day, December 22nd, 1914, when there

were present Mr. J. B. Lamb (in the
chair). Miss D. Sillar, Messrs. J. Small-
wood, G. Bryden, J. Roberts, R. Alder, G.
Faunch, H. P. Perkins, J. G. Flashman,
F. W. Harper, G. W. Judge, and O. R.
Frankenstein.

Expressions of regret for absence were
submitted from Messrs. C. L. M. Eales,
Ernest Walker, T. Bevan, A. Richards,
F. Jolly, E. Watson, T. W. Cowan, and
Sir Ernest Spencer.

It was resolved that Mr. T. W. Cowan
and Mr. Wm. Herrod should be appointed
judges for the bee-keeping section of the
Royal Show in 1915; that Mr. Walter F.
Re id and Mr. Ernest Walker he
nominated reserve judges ; and that Miss
Sillar and Mr. John Smallwood be elected
joint secretaries.

THE DYING YEAR.

SOME MEMORIES IT RECALLS.

Another year is fast drawing toi a)
close. The trees are once more bare, and
the branches stand out darkly and in-
distinctly against a winter's sky.

Under the hedges the russet leaves of
autumn are thickly strewn, blown thither
by some chilly blast; and the most of wild
life that we see is a startled rabbit, stoat,
or weasel looking uncommonly scared now
the natural shelter is. so scanty.

It is with much pleasure that one can
look back upon the doing of the past
season; to the early days of spring, when
everything was fresh and green ; the rich-
ness of summer and all that it means ;
and to the quiet beauties of autumn,
when the mellow sunlight gives an added
charm to the countryside, on those warm,
still, sleepy afternoons, with the rich fiat
meadows round and the bare downs in
the distance ; when the cattle chewed
noisily round one, and the reeds russled
faintly in the bed of the stream hard by.
One's mind wanders back to the days of
preparation for the bee season that was
yet to come.

When the bees were given their first
feeds of syrup on those balmy April morn-
ings, and —
•' With merry hum the willow copse they'd

scale,
The fir's dark pyramid or poplar pale,
Scoop from the aldeVs leaf its oozy flood.
Or strip the chestnut's resin-coated bud."
And as the days grew longer so the work
would increase, and interest deepen.
There were stocks and late driven lots to
be transferred, hives spring-cleaned,
frames and fixtures to get ready. An
apiary to move, and trips into the country
inspecting and buying bees from those
who had to sell.

Dec. 31, 1914.] THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.

459

Dandelion, sycamores, hawthorn, and
trefolium bloomed at intervals with many
flowers between till the combs and hives
were full and ready for the surplus
chambers. Then it would be early morn-
ing rides to the apiaries, with a sway-
ing load of supers on the carrier, while
the engine pur-red merrily along the dusty
uphill roads, when every movement seemed
precious if the season's harvest was to be
gathered to its full.

Ah ! my masters, those were the days
for real enjoyment when the sun shone
hot, and the purple fields of sainfoin
stretched away from the roadside walls ;
when the wild charlock glistened, and the
" Puesdown Coaching Inn " looked blurred
in the blue haze of the morning.

Then at midday you would leave the
bees, and, seated on an old hive body,
enjoy your lunch in the shade of trees.
And so the hours went by, and the
dazzling sunlight would soften into the
warm glow of evening, lighting up the
barns and ricks in the distance, and you
would wander back to road through a
peaceful stillness in which the buzzing of
insects and the movements of the cattle
seemed almost painfully loud.

At times it might be a day's extract-
ing" with a, friend when the dripping
combs would be returned just as the moon
was rising to its full, and the apiary
looked ghostly and unnatural in the
silvery light. Occasionally nightfall
would find one returning from some ham-
let with a swarm or driven bees, and then
it would be hiving them by the dim light
of a candle, whilst the clouds rolled up
darkly, and the uneasy mutter of ap-
proaching thunder came from the distance.

But, as the late autumn and the
shortening days drew on, the time of out-
door work would once more pass, the hum
of the bees grow fainter and fainter, and
in those hives the inmates once so gay
and active would be motionless and quiet,
till called anew to the work and adven-
tures of another season.

I should like to take this opportunity of
thanking the British bee-keepers for the
support they ^accorded me during 1914,
and to exj)ress the hope that both they
and our Editors will enjoy increased
prosperity under happier circumstances in
the New Year. — A. H. Bowein, Corona-
tion Road, Cheltenham.

CHESHIRE B.K.A.

The close of the year enables me to
report on the work carried out by this
Association during the last twelve months.
The honey harvest appears to have been
fairly good all over the county without
any exceptionally large takes being re-

, corded. The eastern half seems to have
had an advantage over the western. On
account of the outbreak of war, all the
shows arranged to ' be held after the
August Bank Holiday were cancelled, in-
cluding our annual show at Chester.
Under these circumstances it is impossible
to say where the best honey was collected.
It was pleasing to see Mr. W. Emery ex-
hibiting again at the Sandiway Show on
August 3rd, he is one of our best bee-
keepers, and must have been exhibiting
twenty years ago. As evidence that he
has lost none of his skill he secured first
prize in a big class for run honey and
prizes in several other classes. We hope
he will continue to show beginners how
honey should be exhibited. We have been
able to do very little in the way of
educational work. Lectures and demon-
strations -were given at Bebington, Gres-
ford, Sandiway, Ha warden, and to the
Mid-Cheshire Farmers' Club. All the
others were cancelled. The Association
has again been well served by its two ex-
perts, MrT Job Astbury, of Kelsall, and
Mr. H. C. Barlow, of Newcastle. They
toured the whole of the county and the
neighbouring districts in the spring, call-
ing upon every member. Nothing but
praise is heard of the way in which they
did their work. The autumn tour was
abandoned this year on account of the
war. Many members have not yet paid
their subscriptions, and it is hoped they
will do so without further delay, so as to
enable the Association to face the coming-
year in a satisfactory financial condition.
One of our delegates, G. H. Garratt, has
received the command of a company in
one of the new regiments of Lord
Kitchener's Army. ■ Best wishes to Capt.
Garratt for a safe return.

May the New Year bring a speedy
termination to the war and a prosperous
season to all bee-keepers, I am sure, is
our unanimous wish. It would be interest-
ing to know how many of the older bee-
keepers are serving in the irregular
volunteer corps — too old to> take their
places in the regular army. The other
night there were six members of this
Association out on a route march in this
neighbourhood, all determined to sell their
lives dearly should the Germans succeed
in landing on our shores. — E. W.
Franklin, Hon. Sec, Mouldsworth, near
Chester.

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

£ s. d.

Donations in cash already re-
ceded 3 4 8

Mr. E. Ballard, a further sum
from sale of Linuutntlies
Douglasii 0 14

Mrs. Whittaker 21bs. beeswax.

4G0

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [Dee. 31, 1914.

The Editors do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No
notice will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested to write on one
side of the paper only and give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but
us a guarantee of good faith. Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not
undertake to return rejected communications.

A STUDY IN " ISLE OF WIGHT."

[9104] With regard to Mr. Crawshaw's
reference (p. 366) to my letter (p. 295), I
did not suggest that all cases of swarms
manifesting " Isle of Wight " were
due to visits of scout bees to empty
diseased hives. I suggested that of three
swarms which showed " Isle of Wight "
last summer, two of them got the disease
through being hived in contaminated
hives ; but the other having been hived in
a brand new hive, I hit upon the activity
of scout bees as a likely explanation.

Anyone who has observed bees engaged
in "scout" work will, I think, admit
that if, after a scourge of " Isle of
Wight/' the empty hives harbour spores
of Nosema apis, at least a few of the
scout bees, by their frequent visits to
hives, must come into dangerous contact
with the disease.

Assuming that a stock on the point of
swarming is perfectly healthy and that
a dozen of its scout bees have, by their
visits to an empty hive, become infested
by the parasite, the whole of the in-
fested scout bees would not be likely to
join the swarm, as some of them would
probably be visiting the empty hive at
the time the swarm issued, and would not
be able to join it. Thus some of the scout
bees Avould remain with the stock, and
both stock and swarm would have the
disease in their midst. As most of the
scout bees would join the swarm, it would
show signs of the disease sooner than the
stock. Therefore the stock could not be
expected to show immunity, unless all of
the infested scout bees joined the swarm,
which is very improbable.

This enquiry is not without some value
to bee-keepers restarting in districts
cleared by " Isle of Wight." The plan
we are following here is to destroy a stock
or swarm as soon as its bees begin to drop
and are unable to rise. This appears to
be quite successful so far in saving the
other colonies in the case of disease
arising from contaminated hives. An out-
break caused by robbing is much more
serious, but prompt destruction wherever
the disease shows itself in that and every
case I think the proper course to pursue
in the absence of any real faith in
remedial measures. — J. N. Kidd, Stocks-
field-on-Tyne.

ROYAL SHOW FUND.

£ s. d.
Donations already received ... 22 6 6

Suspected Disease.

C. Winham (Launceston). — Both samples
of bees are affected with " Isle of
Wight" disease. Do not use the
combs again.

A. E. E. (Sunningdale). — The cause of
death is " Isle of Wight " disease.
Honey Sample.

A. W. B. (Lyonshall). — The honey is good
but rather lacking in flavour. It would
probably be among the winners at a
good local show. At the Dairy Show
there were twenty-eight competitors in
that class from all parts of the country.
Sorry to hear of your loss. It must have
been from the cause you suspect, as it
was sent away from the show intact.
We heartily reciprocate your good
wishes.

f** Owing to this issue containing the
Index, a number of articles and notices
to correspondents are unavoidably held
over till next week.

5701bs. from one Spring Stock in 'Conqueror' Hive

Daughters of this original 5701b. queen from 3s. 6d. Place orders early for May delivery.
The m^n who stemmed the tide of desolation has proofs accumulating day by day. showing
that — No Apiary — No Single Colony — need be lost by the "I.O.W. " disease where his
celebrated "White Star" Italians are used, in combination with his general recommendations,
and the careful study of the New Edition of "A Modern Bee Farm." 5/4 post free.

Special New List and 16-page specimen sheet of New Book, free from S. Simmins,
"Queenland, Heathfield, Sussex.

INDEX.

Editorials : —
A Golden Wedding, 211
Bee-Keeping in Bulgaria, 345
Bee-Keeping in Other Countries,

131, 141, 157
Bees on the Bioscope, 281, 301
British Bee-Keepers' Association,
101; Annual Meeting, 121; Con-
versazione, 131; Special Meet
ing of Council, 458; Library
Notice to Members, 41
Deputation to the Australian

Minister of Agriculture, 251
Errata, 231, 419
Examinations, 311
Help One Another, 369
Honey Judging Competition, 375
Lecture on " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 201, 212
Legislation for Bee Diseases, 435
Meeting of Bee-Keepers at Bram-

hall, Cheshire, 221
M. Maeterlinck a Volunteer, 333
Notices, 435, 441, 451, 458
Obituary Notices, Dr. D. Wardle-
worth, 403; Mr. T. Walker, 425;
Dr. Ulrich Kramer, 353
Ourselves, 351
Packing of Specimens sent for

Advice, 21
Price of Sugar, 321, 327, 333
Schoolmasters and Bee-Keeping,

311
Sending Specimens for Advice, 312
Shows and their Purpose, 381
The National Relief Fund, 369,

375
The Royal Show, 201, 251
The Size of the " Journal," 393
The War, 333
To Our Readers, 171
Volume Forty-Two, 1

Reviews (Editorial) :—
A Modern Bee Farm, 321
Bee-Keeping for Profit, 339
Bees as Rent-payers, 261
Destruction of Germs of Infec-
tious Bee Diseases by Heating,
410
Die Biene und der Breitwaben-

stock, 51
Honey Bees as Pollinizers, a Valu-
able Adjunct to the Horticul-
turist, 419
How to Prevent Swarming, 93
Insect Life : Its "Why and

Wherefore, 11
Jahrbuck. iiber die Faulbrutver-
sicherung des Vereins schweitzer
Bienenfreunde pro 1913, 181
L'Ape e la sua Coltivazione, 171
Soft Candy for Bees, 419
Some Minute Animal Parasites, or
the Unseen Foes in the Animal
World, 151
The Olfactory Sense of the Honey

Bee, 339
The Scent-Producing Organ of the

Honey Bee, 410
The Temperature of the Honev
Bee Cluster in Winter, 327
Vraagi Ptschel, 51

American and Colonial Papers.
Extracts and Comments by
D. M. Macdonald, Banff :—

Apiculture Looking Up, 274

Admiration, 443

Bees in Buildings, 89

Bees' Olfactory Organs, 274

Bees Out of Sections, 443

Bees and Poultry, 89

Cleaning Combs, 359

Colony Odour, 359

College Bee-Keeping, 205

Compound Words, 159

Convention Groups, 159

Destruction of Germs, 411

Drone Comb, 411

Encouraging Beginners, 359

Gentle Bees Cross, 443

Gleanings, 49

Honey Crop Report, 411

Larvae for Queen Cells, 205

Levelling Hives, 89

Longevity, 204

Migratory Bee-Keeping, 359

" Millerisms," 443

Motor Boat Transit, 205

Moving Bees, 273

Natural v. Artificial 205

Olfactory Organs, 444

One for Blacks, 159

Points in Queen Rearing, 2C4

Propolis, 444

Hearing Queens, 273

Bed Clover Honey, 359

Re-Queening, 159

Self-Extinguishing Smoker, 358

Smoke Introduction, 411

Spraying Bloom, 158

Standardisation, 159

Sugar v. Honey, 204

Swiss Bee-Keepers, 274

Thick Syrup, 90

" Virgins." 443

Wear White, 410

Wild Bees, 274

Winter Stores, 411

Among the Bees. By D. M. Mac

donald : —
Acid in Wax Extracting, 221
Bee Diseases, 222
Bees and Luck, 2
Checks to Swarming, 112
Early Brood Rearing, 71
Examinations, 25
Field Days, 327
Heather, 221
How to Diagnose Queenlcssness,

112
Interesting and Useful Facts, 181
Manufacturing a Queen, 327
Moving Short Distances, 113
New Zealand Heather Honey, 153
Precision in Bee Terms, 72
Propolized Frames, 112
Queries and Replies, 24
Sections for the Show Bench, 91
Selecting a Queen, 24
Soft or Hard Candy, 328
Some Uncommon Honey Sources,

53
Spring Feeding, 71
Three Systems of Feeding, 429

Bee and Honey Shows :—
Bletchley Horticultural Society,
340; Bridgnorth and District,
322; Glamorgan, 351; Leicester
and Rutland, 321; Lincolnshire,
313; Northants, 365; Notts, 314;
Royal Counties Agricultural,
Show, 252; Royal Lancashire
321; Sheffield and District 422;
Somerset, 312; St. Albans and
District, 251; Surrey, 241; The
Royal Show at Shrewsbury, 271;
The Dairy, 387; Worcestershire,
342; Worcester, 430

Bee-Keepers' Associations' Annual
Meetings :—
Glamorgan, 71; Hants and Isle of
Wight, 191; Leicestershire, 171;
Lincolnshire, 171; Norfolk, 191;
Northants, 101; Northumberland,
71; Notts, 111; Somerset, 111;
Surrev. 191; Warwickshire, M>T,
Wear Valley and District, 61;
VV hitby and District, 91

Blurts from a Scratchy Pen :—
A Night of Horrors, 364
Beggary, 422
Continental Wanderings, 7, 25, f.t..

73, 105, 129, 157, 175, 186
Italian Wanderings, 265
Royal Show, 1914, 274
Signor Piana's Apiary, 292, 328
Sunday at the Zoo with the Pious

Banats, 224
Venezia, 347, 404

Cafpings of Comb. By L. S. Craw-
shaw, Norton, Malton, Yorks :—

Accounts, Those Cooked, 9

Arithmetic, A Little, 255, 334

An Expert's Diary, 366

Apiary Accounts, 78

Apodes and Apides, 314

Banatical Banter, 187

Bee Associations, 78

Bee Keeping in Nyassaland, 58

Bees, Poultry, and Fruit, 139

Book of the Bee, 437

Box Hives, 38, 207

Brace or Burr Combs, 39

Building up Stocks, 255

Caoturing a High Swarm, 278

Controlling Brood Rearing, 278

Confining Diseased Bees, 19

Correct Bee Space, 255

Cure of Colony or Individual, 159

Do Bees Hear? 187

Do Bees Know Their Owner? 389

Doomed to Extinction, 256

Drone Brood for Chickens, 315

Evaporation in the Hive, 412 .

Go to the Anti, Consider his
Wrays, 139

Hawthorn Honey, 277

Heather Honey for Winter, 277

Hive Legs, 314

Hive Roofs and Mouldy Combs,
187

Hiving Purchased Bees, 334

Hope On, Hope Ever, 206

Huber's Hive, 78

IV.

IXDEX TO VOLUME XLII.

C'appixgs of Comb (cont.)
Increase, 256

Infectious or Contagious, 118
In Friendship's Name, 118
"" Isle of Wight " Disease, 78, 169
Long Lived Bees, 98
Long Lived Lot, A, 412
Making Soft Candy, 138
Moving Bees, 39, 412
Native v. Foreign Bees, 315, 333
Nature's Plan, 187
New Zealand Box Hives, 354
Observations on Hives, 437
Pollen Mites and Disease, 187
Precision in Bee Terms, 118, 168
Pro Bono Publico, 256
Pure Heather Honey, 277
Putting on the Roof, 59
Re De-Queening, 98
Sanded Alighting Boards, 207
Sections for Show Bench, 168
Seeds of Granulation, 58
Selection of Breeding Queens, 9
Self-Extinguishing Smoker, A, 412
Shortage of Swarms, 278
Simple Slow Feeder, A, 187
Skeps, 207

Skeps and Disease, 366, 412
Skeps or Frame Hives, 9
Soft or Hard Candy, 366
Something Like a Swarm, 333
Spell of Precision, A, 389
Stamping Out Isle of Wight "

Disease, 437
Stop Thief, 255

Storing Extracting Combs, 389, 437
Study in " Isle of Wight " Disease.

A, 366
Subduing Bees, 39
Success at the Heather, 315
Successful Stimulation, 186
Sundry Heresies, 139, 187
Swarm in January, A, 98
The Austraiasian Deputation, 334
The Fool Proof Skep, 39
Thick Syrup, 58, 139
Thickners of New Comb, 256
Up a Gum Tree, 98
Weight of Comb, 277
Wintering Bees, 118
Wiring Frames, 99, 169
Word for the Italian Bee, A, 79
AYorker Comb from Starters, All, 9

Correspondence : —
An Old-Fashioned Cotswold

Apiary, 6
Another Advocate of Skeps, 156
Another Monster Swarm, 261
Apiary Accounts, 37, 46
Banat Bees, 185
JBanats— The Fruitgrowers' Bee,

155, 178, 184, 185
Barnet and District B.K.A., 348
Bee Associations and Their Mork.

35, 45, 54, 65, 66, 76, 93, 94, 109,

148
Bee Diseases Bill, The, 176
Bee-Keeper's Troubles, A, 16
Bee-Keeping Accounts, 17, 109
Bee-Keeping and Sundries, 354
Bee Notes from Acton, 406
Bee Notes from Derbyshire, 77, 223,

352, 401
Bees Distinguishing Colours, 439
Bees and Fruit Setting, 217
Bees Do Pay, 77
Bees in the Soudan and in

Madeira, 195
Box Hives, 166

Brief Report from Durham, A, 68
Careless Methods and Disease, 262
Cinnamon, Essence of, for " Isle

of Wight " Disease, 148, 185
Controlling Prolific Queens, 232
Cotswold Bee Note, A, 223
Crawshaw, Mr., and New Zealand

Box Hives, 276
Crayford and District Bee-Keepers'

Association at the B.B.K.A.

Apiary at the Zoological Gar-
dens, 296
Curing " Isle of Wight " Disease.

286, 302, 325, 406

Correspondence (cont.).
Curious Swarming. 317, .417
Destroying Bees, 302
Devon Bee-Keeper's Experiences,

A, 316
Do Bees Hear? 148
Do Bees Know Their Owner? 423
Do Bees Pay? 48
Does it Pay Gardeners to Keep

Bees? 77
Early Foragers, 77
Eariy Pollen Plants, 94
Early Surplus, 204
Early Swarms, 179
Economising Honey, 357
Enemies of Bees, 342
Experience with " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 97
Fighting Bee Disease, 114
Fighting " Isle of Might " Disease.

253
First Humble Bee, The, 128
Flowers of April, The, 137
Flowers of February, The, 57
Flowers of March, The, 96
Flowers of January, The, 5
Fungus Diseases of Brood, 261
Hants B.K.A., 68
Heather District, 49
Heather Honey, 253
Heather Honey as Winter Food,

317
Help for Belgian Refugees, 405
Hive Porches, 400
Holiday Notes, 417
Honey Judging Competition, 377,

378, 384
Honey for Refugees, 362
Honey for Soldiers, 348
Honey for Wounded Soldiers and

Sailors, 385
Honey Yield in Wilts, 354
Hope on, Hope Ever, 155
" Ilowitis," 97
Immunitj Chimera, The, 231, 318,

331
Immunity to " Isle of Wight "
_ Disease, 157, 167, 231
is " Isle of Wight " Disease a

New Complaint ? 108
Is " Isle of Wight " a New

Disease? 196
" Isle of Wight " Cures, 113, 126,

136, 148, 185
" Isle of Wight " Disease, 5, 37,
48, 56, 5/, 67, 75, 85, 86, 98, 115,
126, 137, 184, 254, 318, 354
" Isle of Wight " Disease, a Cor-
rection, 89
" Isle of Wight Disease," a Studv

in. 295, 460
" Isle of Wight " Disease and

Nosema Apis, 302
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Resist

ing, 454
" Isle of Wight " Disease and

Strong Queens, 165
" Isle of Wight " Disease, The

Quinine Treatment for, 166
" Isle of Wight " Experiences and

Guesses, 448
Keeping Apiary Accounts, 26
Legislation for Bee Diseases, 217
Linseed and " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 247
Little Arithmetic, A, 26
Long Lived Bees, 47
Marketing and Labelling Honev,

25
Miller, Dr., Intervenes, 114
Minimum Hive, The, 385, 401
Moving Bees, 185
Xative D. Foreign Bees, 253
Neglected Frame Hives, 68
New Zealand Heather Honey, 303
Note from Australia, A, 303
Notes from Allan Vale, 96
Obliging Queen, An, 285
Observatory Hive, 276
Peasant Hives in Italy, 275
Planting for Bees, 94, 108
Planting Hedge and Providing
Mater for Bees, 204

Correspondence (cont.).
Pollen Mite and " Isle of Might "

Disease, 126
Precision in Bee Terms, 95
Prevention of " Isle of Might "

Disease, 438
Procuring Surplus, 423
Profitable Stock, A, 407
Progress of " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 115, 123
Prolific Colony, A, 276
Prolific Stocks, 95
Queen as Architect, The, 195
Queen Rearing Experiences, 232
Raising Queens above Excluder, 25
Report from Scotland, A, 233
Report from South Mestmorland,

114
Ross-shire Notes, 216
Royal Show Fund, The, 438
Simple Slow Feeder, A, 149
Skeps and Disease, 304, 331, 373,

438
Skeps and " Isle of M ight "

Disease, 179
Something like a Swarm, 255
Spring Dwindling, 25, 68
Spring Flowers— and M inds, 155
Stamping Out " Isle of M ight "

Disease, 367, 399
Starting in a Small May, 138
storing Extracting Combs, 401
Success at the Heather, 246
Sundry Heresies about Bees, 86,

135
Surrey B.K.A. Propaganda Mork,

337
Swarm of Bees in August, A, 342
Testing Sugar, 138
The Duties of an Expert on Tour, 4
The Labelling of Honey, 5, 16
The Skep Question, 4
The South African Bee Journal, 88
The M'.B.C. Memorial Fund, 6
M'arning against Starvation, 88
M hat is Pure Heather Honey? 204
M'intering Bees, 136
Miring Frames, 109
M'ord for the Anti-Skeppist, A, 87
Mdrd for the Italian Bee, A, 47

Helpful Hints for Novices. (Illus-
trated). Bj W. Herrod :—

Growth of the Brood Nest, The,
and Building up Stocks, 164, 172

Manipulating a Frame Hive, 12, 32

Natural Swarms and Casts, The
Hiving and Treatment of, 214,
234, 242, 262, 282, 304, 323, 334

Observatory Hive, How to Make
and Stock an, 102, 124, 145, 163

Procuring Surplus, 349, 360, 371,
382, 413, 431, 444

Solar Max Extractor, How to
Make and Lse a, 192

M'intering Bees, 52, 82

Homes of the Honey Bee.
Apiaries of our Readers : —
Cotswold Out-Apiary, A, <45
Hanbury, The Hon. Rosamund, 93

Xect\r-Producing Plants and their
Pollen. (Illustrated.) By G.
Hayes :—
Bean, 352; Broom, 51; Butter Burr,

28; Crocus, 428; Ragwort, 115;

Red Clover, 375; Sainfoin, 225

Notices to Correspondents :—
Adulteration of Honey, 70
Attempted Swarming, 200
Badly Packed Sample, 180 *
Banat Bees, 230
Bee Records, 20
Bees in Box, 526
Bees Casting out Queen, 160
Bees in Ceiling, 289
Bees Eating Holes in Foundation,

249
Bees Failing to Locate Hive». 319
Bees Hanging Out, 299
Bees Killing Queen, 320
Bees and Laurels, 200

INDEX TO VOLUME XLII.

Notices to Correspondents (cont.).
Bees near Houses, 140
Bees and Neighbours, 219
Bees Refused Admittance to Hives,

30
Bees Re-Queening Themselves, 209
Bees Robbing in January, 60
Bees Soiling Clothing, 70
Bee-Keeping in Belgium, 110
Bee-Keeping in Canada, 100
Beet Sugar for Bees, 229
Beginner's Queries, A. 299
Beginner's Question, A, 170
Brice Swarm Catcher, 150
Buying Honey for Bee Food, 160
Buying Swarms, 80
Candy Made of Demerara Sugar, 40
Candy Making, 60, 70
Cleaning Extracted Combs, 170
Cleaning Metal Appliances, 180
Clover Seed, 190
Coal Oil, 279
Colleges for Scientific Bee-Keeping,

140
Colour of Bees, 60
Colour of Excreta of Diseased

Bees, 70
Combs from Diseased Stocks, 150
Converting Nectar into Honey, 140
Curing Foul Brood, 70
Danger of Introducing Disease, 150
Dead Drone, 210, 249, 259
Dead Larvte Thrown Out, 249
Dead Queens, 30, 239
Dead Queen on Alighting Board,

220
Dead Young Bees in Cells, 210
Dealing with Infected Apiary, 69
Dealing with Wax Moth, 309
Definition of Paraglossse, 449
Destroying Diseased Stock, 60
Discoloured Combs, 120
Disinfecting Hives, 120, HO, 229
Drone Breeding Queen, 180
Drone Brood in Shallow Frames,

239
Drones in Skeps, 259
Duplicate Eggs in One Cell, 159
Dutch Bees, 200
Dutch Bee-Keepers, 69
Early Examination, 149, 170
Elongated Cells, 169
Extracting from Brood Combs, 309
Extracting Sections, 356
Failing Queen, 210
Feeding in Spring, 160
Feeding Swarm, 249
Fermented Honey, 249
Gears and Excluders, 362
Getting Honey from Combs With-
out Extracting, 70
Good District for Bees, 1<0
Granulated Honey in Combs, 140
Hants B.K.A., 40, 150
Hive for Beginner, 100
Honey Candy for Bees, 40
Honey and Diabetes, 80
Honey from Diseased Stock, 140
Honey from Infected Hive, 60
Honey and " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 110, 130
Honey Leaking, 385
Honey Prices, 238
Honey Sweets, 30
Honey Vinegar, 60
Immature Bees Cast Out, 220
Introducing Queen to Nucleus, 169
" Isle of Wight " Disease in Wells

Hive, 110
Keeping Bees in Towns, *0
Kent as a Bee County, 20
Leaving on Swarm Catcher, 190
Lectures on Bee-Keeping, 30
Liability for Diseased Bees, 289
Making Artificial Swarm, 190
Making an Observatory Hive, 170
Making Soft Candy, 140
Mead, 10
Mead Making, 40
Mead Sample, 150
Moving Bees, 60, 308, 326, 386
Moving Suspected Stock, 40
Moving and Wintering Bees, 418

Notices to Correspondents (cont.).
New South Wales for Bees, 20
Noise from Hive, 289
Observatory Hive, 249, 259
Packing Bees for Travelling, 70
Painting Floor Board, 140
Peculiar Coloured Honey, 210
Preserving Combs in Spirit, 120
Preventing Disease, 150
Preventing " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 418
Preventing Swarming, 80, 320
Queen Cast Out, 230
Queen Ceasing to Lay, 220
Queen Rearing, 149, 224
Raising Oueen, 309
Re-Arranging the Apiary, 100, 120
Removing Combs, 189, 259
Renewing Apicure, 326
Renewing Brood Combs, 100
Re-Starting Bee-Keeping, 69, 150
Re-Starting with Bees, 120
Re-Stocking Hives, 120
Signs of Queenlessness, 308
Smell from Hive, 259
Spreading the Brood, 110
Starting Bee-Keeping, 100
Stock Casting out five Bees, 40
Stock Dead in Well Stocked Hive,

20
Stock Found Dead, 30, 60, 1*0
Strange Behaviour of Bees, 180
Sugar Boiler's Thermometer, 239
Superfluous Drone Brood, 200
Surplus from Swarms, 149
Suspected Queenlessness, 210, 386
Suspicious Mortality among Bees,

209
Swarm Catchers, 69
Swarming Queries, 189
Swarm Suffocated, 279
Symptoms of Disease, 80, 279
Too Early Manipulations, 119
Transferring Bees, 279, 308
Transferring from Skeps to Frame

Hives, 100, 209
Trouble with Wasps, 279
Troublesome Wasps, 408
Two Queens in a Hive, 356
Uniting Weak Stocks, 170
Unsatisfactory Queen, 189
Using Naphthaline, 69
Using Swarm Catcher, 219
Various Queries, 200
Varieties of Bees, 10, 100, 279
Ventilating Hive, 280
Vicious Bees, 200, 325
Wax Rendering, 219
Wrongly Built Cells, 200
Zinc for Feeders, 449

Novelties for in* —
New Oueen Excluder (Taylor's)

188
New Super Clearer (The Watts)

150
New Time-Saving Bar Frame 9

Obituary Notices : —
Dr. D. Wardleworth, 403: Dr.
Ulrich Kramer, 3b3; Jacomb-Hccd
Mr. J. W., 101; Schrceder, Mr. A.,
107; Walker, Mr. T., 425

Press Cuttings : —
All about Bees, 407
Bee Hives in Batt'e, 358
Bees at Felton, 390
Colour Blindness in Bees, 29
Extracts from the Leader Annual

and Gazetteer of British East

Africa, 327
Hints for Housewives, 333
Hive of Bees in a Hat, 454
Mixed Hive, 268

Old Superstitions about Honey, 398
Value and Price of Honey, 398

Queries and Replies :—
Artificial Increase, 205
Artificial Swarming Trouble, 257
A Swarm in January, 59
Bees Dwindling, 380

Queries and Replies (cont.).
Rees Not Entering Supers, 227
Bees and Heather, 3-'3
Bees in Towns, 20
Bees in a Tree, 20
Bees in Wall, 287
Bees Working in Hive Roof, 267
Beginners' Queries, 188, 227, 238,

248, 267
Candy Sample, 417
Clarifying Wax, 218
Combs Built Together, 267
Controlling Queen Mating, 23
Covering Hive Roofs, 218
Crooked Combs, 286
Dealing with Fertile Worker, 298
Decoy Hives, 157
Disabled Queen, 287
Disinfecting Dividers and Combs,

119
Dividing Stock, 287
Driving Bees, 325
Dutch Bees, 218, 287
Feeding in Spring, 79
Finding Queen, 256
Fumigating Combs Containing

Stores, 99
Greek Hive, 378
Hard Candy, 9
Honey Tea, 157
Infection with " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 268
Keeping Races of Bees Pure, 343
Law Relating to Swarms, 218
Making Honey Candy, 391
Mead Slaking, 319
Moisture in Hive, 227
Moving Bees, 167, 179, 357
Moving Bees in Winter, 9
Novice's Queries, A, 79, 206, 258
Nucleus Swarming, 28
Oil Beetles and Bees, 257
Ownership of Swarms, 8
Preventing Brace Comb, 8
Preventing Disease, 119
Preventing Drone Comb Building,

180
Queen Rearing, 257
Rearing Italian Queens, 219
Removal of Hives and Bees, 378
Removing Bees, 39
Removing Brood Combs, 267
Removing Swarm Catchers, 188
Renewing Disinfectants, 268
Re-Queening, 28, 298
Rinening Honey and Melting

Capping*, 338
Smooth Foundation, 238
Source of Chyle Food, 301
Source of Pollen, 79
Spring Dwindling, 22
Sterilising Beeswax, 8
Stock Dwindling, 374
Stocking Observatory Hive, 227
Storing Sections, 402
Superseding Queens, 256
Suspected Laying Worker, 206
Swallows Taking Bees, 331
Swarm Dividing, 325
Swarming Queries, 257
Transferring Bees from Skeps to

Frame Hives, 69, 248, 337
Trouble with Neighbours, 2:7
Using a Sugar Boiler's Thermo-
meter, 407
T"-ing Swarm Catcher*, 218
Utilising Fermented Honey, 319
Various Queries, 99, COS, 217, 268,

288, 355
Ventilating Hives, 119, 189
Weight of Sections, 20
Working for both Increase and

Surplus, 59
Working for Sections, 99
Random Jottings. By C. H. Heap,

Reading :—
A National Loss of 'Wealth. 345
Disease Germs in Honey, 123
Extension Alighting Boards, 17
" Isle of Wight " Disease and

Fruit Crops, 64
The Immune Bee Chimera, 222,

301

VI

INDEX TO VOLUME XLII.

Random Jottings (cont.).

The Touring Expert, A Question
of Professional Conduct, 447

The Vitality of Nosema Spores,
123

Things to Avoid in Spring Feed-
ing, 122

Reviews of Foreign Bee Journals.
By Nemo : —
Apiculture in Egypt, 61
A Good Mastic for Mahogany, 23
Bee-Keeping in Greece, 23
Cure for Bee Stings, A, 183
Customs Officials and Bee-Keepers,

23
How Often Should Combs be

Renewed, 213
How to Disencumber Bees of Para-
sites (Braula C'ceca), 183
Instruction in Advanced Bee-
Keeping, 213
The Late Alexander Schrceder, 183
The Position of the Cluster of

Bees in Winter, 61
The Use of Propolis, 183
Wax More than a Thousand Years
Old, 61

Trade Catalogues Received .—
Abbott Bros., 160
Burtt, E. J., 169, 238
Gamage, A. W., 238
Jas. Lee and Son, Ltd., 118
Meadows, W. P., 258
Steele and Brodie, 118
Taylor, E. H., 130
Wilkes, A. H., US

Accounts, Bee-Keeping, 17, 109
Accounts, Keeping Apiary, 26
Accounts, Those Cooked, 9
Admittance to Hives, Bees Refused,

30
Alighting Boards, Sanded, 207
Allan Vale, Notes from, 96
Ancient Bee-Keeping in Russia, 399
Anti-Skeppist, A Word for the, 87
Apiary Accounts, 37, 46, 78
Apicure, Renewing, 326
Apodes and Apides, 314
Appreciation, 157
April, Flowers of, 137
Arithmetic, A Little, 255, 261, 334
Australian Deputation, The, 334

Banat Bees, 185

Banatical Banter, 187

Banats, The Fruit GrOAvers' Bee,

155, 178, 184, 185
Barnet and District B.K.A., 348
Bee Associations and Their Work,

35, 45, 54, 65, 66, 76, 78, 93, 94, 109,

148
Bee Disease, 222
Bee Diseases Bill, The, 176
Bee Disease, Fighting, 114
Bee Hives in Battle, 358
Bee-Keepers' Troubles, A, 16
Bee-Keeping Accounts, 17, 109
Bee-Keeping in Bulgaria, 345
Bee-Keeping in Canada, 241
Bee-Keeping in Other Countries,

131, 141
Bee-Keeping Lecture at Grantham,

428
Bee-Keeping in New Zealand, 197
Bee-Keeping in Nyassaland, 58
Bee-Keeping and Sundries, 354, 364,

369
Bee Literature for Schools, 107
Bee Notes from Acton, 406
Bee Notes from Derbyshire, 77
Bee Pictures at Exeter, 91
Bee Pictures at Hyde, 75
Bee Pictures in London, 273
Bee Pictures at Sunderland, 150
Bees on the Bioscope, 112
Bees and Birds on the Bioscope, 69
Bees in Ceiling, 289
Bees Distinguishing Colours, 439
Bees Dwindling, 380
Bees Failing to Locate Hive, 319

Bees and Fruit Setting, 217

Bees Hear? Do, 148

Bees, Long Lived, 47

Bees and Luck, 2

Bees, Moving, 39, 60, 167, 169, 185,
367, 386, 412

Bees Do Pay, 77

Bees, Planting for, 94, 108

Bees, Poultry, and Fruit, 139

Bees Robbing in January, 60

Bees Soiling Clothes, 70

Bees in the Soudan and in Madeira,
195

Bees in a Tree, 20

Bees in a Wall, 287

Beeswax, Sterilising, 8

Bees Working in Hive Roof, 267

Bee Terms, Precision in, 72, 118, 168

Beggary, 422, 434

Beginners' Queries, A, 188

Belgian Refugees, Help for, 405

Belgian Relief Fund, 357, 423

Box Hives, 38, 166, 207

Brace or Burr Combs, 39

Brace Combs, Preventing, 8

Breeding Queens, Selection of, 19

British Bee-Keepers' Association, 101

British Bee-Keepers' Association
Annual Meeting, 121

British Bee-Keepers' Association
Monthly Council Meetings, 31, "81,
162, 211, 252, 271, 357, 387, 420

British Bee-Keepers' Association
Notice, 357

British Bee-Keepers' Association

1 and Royal Show for 1915, 420

Brood Combs, Removing, 267

Brood Rearing, Controlling, 278

Brood Rearing, Early, 71

Building up Stocks, 255

Canada, Bee-Keeping in, 241

Canada's Gift, 364

Candy, Hard, 9

Candy Made of Demerara Sugar, 40

Candy Making, 60, 70

Candy, Making Soft, 138

Candy Sample, 417

Candy, Soft or Hard, 366

Casting out Live Bees, Stock, 40

Cheshire B.K.A., 459

Chyle Food, Source of, 391

Colony, A Prolific, 276

Colour-Blindness in Bees, 29

Colour of Bees, 60

Colour of Excreta of Diseased Bees,
70

Combs Built Together, 267

Combs, Crooked, 286

Comb Weighing, 277

Conference of Scottish Bee-Keepers
on National Federation, 381

Conversazione, Lecture on " The
Production- of Heather and Other
Honeys where the Crops are Situa-
ted about Twenty Miles Apart,"
393, 403, 4C9; Lecture on "Bees in
Relation to Flowers," 419, 427, 441

Correct Bee Space, 255

Cotswold Bee Note, A, 223

Crawshaw, Mr., and New Zea'and
Box Hives, 276

Crayford and District Excursion to
the B.B.K.A. Apiary at the Zoo-
logical Gardens, 296

Croydon and District B.K.A., 273

Cure of Colony or Individual, 169

Curing Foul Brood, 70

Dealing with Disease, 452
Death of a Good Bee-Keeper, 101
Death of Mr. A. Schrceder, 107
Definition of Paraglossae, 449
Derbyshire, Notes from, 223, 352, 401
Destroying Bees, 302
Devon Bee-Keepers' Experiences, A,

316
Disease, Careless Methods and, 262
Disease, Preventing, 119
Disease, Symptoms of, 80
Diseased Bees, Confining, 19
Diseased Bees, Liability for, 289
Diseased Stock, Destroying, 60
Diseases of Bees Bill, Special Notice,

31

Diseases of Brood, Fungus, 261

Disinfectants, Renewing, 268

Disinfecting Dividers and Comb, 119

Dividing Stock, 287

Do Bees Hear? 187

Do Bees Know Their Owner? 389,

424
Do Bees Pay? 48
Does it Pay Gardeners to KeeD

Bees? 77
Doomed to Extinction, 256
Driving Bees, 325
Drone Brood for Chickens, 315
Drone Comb, Preventing Building.

180
Durham, A Brief Report from, 68
Dutch Bees, 218, 287
Duties of an Expert on Tour, The, 4
Dwindling, Spring, 20, 25
Dying Year, The, 458

Early Examination, 149

Early Foragers, 78

Early Pollen Plants, 94

Early Surplus, 204

Echoes from the Hives, 167, 200

Enemies of Bees, 342

Errata, 135, 231, 419

Evaporation in the Hive, 412

Examinations, 25, 311

Experience with " Isle of Wight," 97

Expert's Diary. An. 366

Extension, Alighting Boards, 18

Extracting from Brood Combs, 309

Extracting Combs, Storing, 389, 401,

405, 437
Extracts from an Expert's D.ary,

281, 315, 370, 359

Feeding in Spring, 79
Fermented Honey, Utilising, 319
Fertile Worker, Dealing with, 298
Field Days, 327
Fighting " Isle of Wight " Disease,

253
Finding Queen, 256
Flowers of April, The, 137
Flowers of February, The, 57
Flowers of January, The, 5
Flowers of March, The, 96
Foundation, Smooth, 238
Frame Hives, Neglected, 68
Frames, Propolized, 112
Frames, Wiring, 99, 109
From a Reader at " The Front," 435
Fumigating Combs Containing

Stores, 99

Getting Honey from Combs With-
out Extracting, 70

Go to the Anti, Consider His Ways,
139

Granulation, Seeds of, 58

Greek Hive, 378

Hants B.K.A., 40

Hawthorn Honey, 277

Heather, 221

Heather, Bees and, 343

Heather Honey, 233

Heather Honey, Pure, 277

Heather Honey? AVhat is Pure, 204

Heather Honey for Winter Food,

277
Heather Honey as Winter Food, 317
Heather, Success at the, 315
Help One Another, 369
Heresies about Bees, Sundry, 86
High Swarm, Capturing a, 278
Hrve of Bees in a Hat, 454
Hive Legs, 314
Hive Porches, 400
Hive, The Minimum, 385
Hive Roofs, Covering, 218
Hive Roofs and Mouldy Combs, 187
Hives, Decoy, 167
Hives in Italy, Peasant, 275
Hives, Moisture in, 227
Holiday Notes, 417
Honey-Candy for Bees, 40
Honey-Candy, Making, 391
Honey and Diabetes, 80
Honey, Economising, 367
Honey Imports, 22, 31, 71, 101, 151,

241, 263, 2c6, 356, 385. 434, 450

INDEX TO VOLUME XLII.

Vll

Honey from Infected Hive 60
Honey Judging Competition, 377,

378, 384
Honey Leaking, 386
Honey for Soldiers, 348
Honey Sweets, 30
Honey Tea, 167

Honey? What is Pure Heather, 204
Honey for Wounded Soldiers and

Sailors, 385
Honey Yield in "Wilts, 354
Hope on, Hope Ever, 206
Huber's Hive, 78
Humble Bee, The First, 128
Ignorance, 251
" Uowitis ! " 97

Immune Bee Chimera, The, 222
Immunity and " Isle of \\ ight "

Disease, 167, 231
Immunity Chimera, The, 231, 318, 331
Important Notice, 439, 441
Increase, 2c6
Increase, Artificial, 206
Infectious or Contagious, 118
In Friendship's Name, 118
Instructions in Bee-Keeping, 423
Interesting Bee Hive, An, 433
Is " Isle of Wight " Disease a New

Complaint? 108
Is " Isle of Wight " a New Disease?

1%
" Isle of Wight " Disease, 6, 37, 48,

£6, 57, 75, 78. 85, TS, 98, 115, 126,

137, 169, 254, 318, 354
" Isle of Wight " Disease, A Study

in, 295, 366. 460
'" Isle of Wight " Disease Cures,

113, 126, 136, 143, 185
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Curing,

285, 302, 325, 406
" Isle of ~\\ ight " Disease, Essence

of Cinnamon for, 148, 185
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Experi-
ence with, 97
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Experi-
ences and Guesses, 448
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Infection

with, 268
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Linseed

and, 247
' Isle of Wight " Disease " and

Nosema Apis, 302
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Pollen

Mite and, 126
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Preven-
tion of, 418, 438
,: Isle of Wight " Disease, Progress

of, 115, 128
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Besisting,

454
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Stamping

out, 367, 399, 437
" Isle of Wight " Disease and Strong

Queens, 166
" Isle of Wight " Disease, The

Quinine Treatment, 166
Italian Bee, A Word for the, 47, 79
Italian Queens, Bearing, 219
Journalism Up to Date, 430
Keeping Baces of Bees Pure, 343
Labelling of Honey, The, 5, 16
Lancashire Agricultural Show, 273
Laying Worker, Suspected, 206
Lectures on Bee-Keeping, 30, 130
Legislation for Bee Diseases, 217, 435
Leicester and Butland B.K.A., 407
Literature for Schools, Bee, 107
Long Lived Bees, 98
Long Lived Lot, A, 412
Manipulating, Too Early, 119
March, The Flowers of, 96
Mead Making, 40, 319
Miller, Dr., Intervenes, 114
Minimum Hive, The, 385, 401
Moving Bees, 39, 60, 167, 169, 185,

367, 386, 412
Moving Bees in Winter, 9
Moving Short Distances, 113
Moving Suspected Stock, 40
Moving and Wintering Bees, 418
National Loss4 A, 388
National Belief Fund, The, 369
Native u. Foreign Bees, 253, 315, 333

Nature's Plan, 187

New Comb, Thickness of, 256

New Feeder, A, 18

New Note, A, 388

New Zealand Box Hives, 334

New Zealand Heather Honey, 153, 303

Noise from Hive, 289

Northumberland B.K.A., 4^1

Note from Australia, A, 303

Notes from Allan Vale, 96

Notice, 435, 441

Notice, Important, 439, 441

Novices' Queries, A, 79, 206

Nyassa Bee, The (continued from

Vol. 41, page 345), 228
Observation. Bird Nesting Box, 207
Observations on Hives (by L. E.

Snelgrove), 41, 72, 144, 241, 381
Observations on Hives, 437
Observatory Hive, 276
Observatory Hive, How to Make and

Stock, 102, 124
Observatory Hive, Stocking, 227
Oil Beetles and Bees, 267
Old Fashioned Cotswold Apiary, An, 6
Our Juvenile Manipulator, 55
Ourselves, 351

Our Senior Editor, Foreign Apprecia-
tion of, 425
Packing Bees for Travelling, 70
Planting for Bees, 94, 108
Planting Hedge and Providing

Water for Bees, 204
Pollen Mite and " Isle of Wight "

Disease, 126, 187
Pollen Plants, Early, 94
Pollen, Source of, 79
Precision in Bee Terms, 95, 168
Preventing Swarming, 80
Pro Bono Publico, 256
Profitable Sto-ck, A, 407
Prolific Stocks, 95
Propolized Frames, 112
Queen, An Obliging, 285
Queen as Architect, The, 195
Queen, Bees Killing, 320
Queen, Controlling Prolific, 232
Queen, Finding, 256
Queen, " Manufacturing," A, 327
Queen Mating, Controlling, 28
Queen Raising, 309
Queen, liaising above Excluder, 25
Queen Bearing, 149, 257
Queen Bearing Experiences, 232
Queen, Selecting, 24
Queens, Superseding, 256
Queenlessness, How to Diagnose, 112
Queenlessness, Signs of, 308
Queenlessness, Suspected, 386
Queries and Replies, 24
Bearing Italian Queens, 219
Re De-Queening, 98
Befugees, Honey for, 362
Befugee and War Belief Funds, 418,

430, 439, 449, 455, 459
Bemoval of Hives and Bees, 379
Bemoving Bees, 39
Beport from Scotland, A, 233
Be-Queening, 298

Bichmond and District B.K.A., 261
Eipening Honey and Melting

Cappings, 338
Bobbing, Something about, 378
Roof, Putting on the, 59
Boss-shire Notes, 216. 340
Boyal Show Fund, 430, 438, 439, 449

455. 460
Schoolmasters and Bee-Keeping, 311
Sections, Storing, 402
Sections for the Show Bench, 91, 168
Sections, Weight of, 20
Sections, Working for, 99
Sheffield and District B.K.A., 91,

135, 400
Shows and their Purpose, 381
Skeps, 207
Skeps and Disease, 304, 331, 366, 412,

439
Skeps or Frame Hives, 19
Skeps and " Isle of Wight '

Disease 179
Slow Feeder, A Simple, 149, 187
Skep Question, The, 4

Skep, The Fool Proof, 39
Smoker, A Self-Extinguishing, 412
Soft or Hard Candy? 328, 356
Solar Wax Extractor, How to Make

and Use (Illustrated), 194
Something Like a Swarm, 255, 333
Something about Bobbing, 378
South African Bee Journal, The, 88
South Staffs, and District B.K.A., 340
South Westmorland, Report from,

114, 453
Special Lectures, 3, 9, 10, 11, 22, 31,

41, 51, 81
Specimens Sent for Advice, The

Packing of, 21
Spell of Precision, A, 389
Spring Dwindling, 68
Soring Feeding, 71
Starting in a Small Way, 138
Starvation, A Warning against, 83
Stimulation, Successful, 186
Stock Casting out Live Bees, 40
Stock Found Dead, 60
Stocks, Prolific, 95
Stop Thief, 255
Storing Extracted Combs, 389, *0i,

405, 437
Subduing Bees, 39
Success at the Heather, 246
Suffolk B.K.A., 428
Sugar-boilers Thermometer, Using

407
Sugar Testing, 138
Suggestions for Observations on the

Order of Blossoming of Different

Varieties of Fruits, and Experi-
ments in their Pollination, 159
Sundry Heresies about Bees, 135, 139,

187
Supers, Bees not Entering, 227
Superseding Queen, 256
Surplus,- Procuring, 423
Surplus, Procuring (Illustrated), 349,

360, 382, 413
Surrey B.K.A. Propaganda Work, 337
Swallows Eating Bees, 331
Swarm, Another Monster, 261
Swarm of Bees in August, A, 342
Swarm Catchers, Bemoving, 188
Swarm Catchers, Using, 218
Swarm Dividing, 325
Swarm in January, A, 59, 98
Swarming, Checks to, 112
Swarming, Curious, 317, 417
Swarming, Nucleus, 28
Swarming, Preventing, 320
Swarming Queries, 257
Swarming Troubles, Artificial, 257
Swarms, Buying, 80
Swarms and Casts, Treatment of

Natural (Illustrated). 214, 234,

242, 232, 282, 304, 323, 334
Swarms, Early, 179
Swarms, Law Relating to, 218
Swarms, Shortage of, 278
Swarms, Surplus from, 149
Swarms, Ownership of, 8
Syrup, Thick, 58. 139
Test for Cane or Beet Sugar, 44
The Bazaar, Exchange and Mart, 110
Thick Syrup, 58, 139
Transferring Bees from Skeps to

Frame Hives, 69, 298, 337
Trouble with Neighbours, 257
Unfortunate Bee-Keeper, An, 140
Up a Gum Tree, 98
Vagrant, A, 227

Various Queries, 99, 206, 217, 355
Ventilating Hives, 119, 189
Vinegar, Honey, 60
Wax, Clarifying, 218
Wax Extracting, Acid in, 221
Wax Moth, Dealing with, 309
W.B.C. Memorial Fund, 3, 11, 23, 41,

81
Weather Keports, 30, 69, 110, 159, 3 99,

233, 286, 348, 374, 405
Wintering Bees, 118, 136
Wiring Frames, 99, 169
Worker Comb from Starters, All, 19
Working for both Increase and

Surplus, 59
Working for Sections, 99

Vlll

INDEX TO VOLUME XLIT.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.

Anderson, John, 86
At well, A. G , 435

Ballard, E., 406, 423

Balch, H. E., 148

Batten, M. T., 406

Berry, J., 179

Betts, Annie, D., £6, 261

Biikett, L. B., 30, 69, 110, 169, 199,

233, 286, 348, 374, 405, 479
Bowden J., 168
Bow-en, A. H., 5, 17, 94, 103, 223, 354,

364, 369, 438, 446. 458
Brock, A. W., 401
Brook, H. H., 116, 128
Brown, R., 168
Browning, O., 115
Buttel-Reepen, Prof. V., l<8

Campbell, H., 37, 57, 86, 156

Campbell, R., 6, 66, 204

Carver, W. A , 48

Clark, P. A., 197

Cooper, G. D., 438

Copleston, L. G., 156

Cowan, T. W., 131, 141, 151, 151

Crawshaw, L. S., 18, 39. 58, 78, 118

168, :86, 206, 255, 277, 314, 333, 355'

388, 412. 437
Cruickshank, 253

Desmond, G. G., 47, 113, 128, 165

195, 231, 318, 354, 378, 385
Deuss, L. W, J., 228

Edge, E., 126

Ellis, J. M., 216, 340

Filleul, Rev. P. W. G., 334
Flashman, G. J., 348
Fowler, F. H., 77
Franklin, E. W., 469
Fry, Jesse, 302

Gambrill, A. G., 255, 261
Garwell, W., 135
Gerrard, A. W., 367
Grabhani, M., 196
Grant, G. W., 128

Apiary in the Government of Tiflis,

Caucasus, 144
Apiary of I. Abakoumof, Russia, 141
Apiary in Leucoran, Government

of Baku, Caucasus, 143
Apiary at Monastery, St. Panteley-

mon, Servia, 133
Apiary of M. J. Papovitch, Petchen-

novatz, Servia, 134
Apiary of M. Kandratief, Ploussa,

Russia, 142
Apiary of The Hon. Rosamund

Hanbury, 93

Bees Dead from Hunger, 63

Bees on a Hou-e Top, 177

British Bee-Keepers' Association

Apiary at the Zoological Gardens,

London, 297

Combs Worked out on Smooth

Foundation, 228
Combs of Various Ages, Sections

of, 165
Consultation, A, 329
Corner of Sig. Piana's House, and

Part of Queen-Mating Ground, 293
Cotswokl Out-Apiary, A, 446

Debated Point, A, 330
Dr. Ulrich Kramer, 360

Experimental Apiary, Paris, 105

Finding the Queen, 33

Greek Hive, 379

Group of Crayford and District
Bee-Keeper.-, 297

Hamshar, A. H., 25, 157, 337, 373,'

438, 448
Hancox, D., 179
Harmer, H., 68

Harris, A. H., 68, 109, 400, 423
Hayes, G., 28, 51, 116, 225, 352, 375
Heap, C. H., 17, 64, 122, 222, 301,

346, 399, 452
Herrod, J., 281, 315, 370, 378, 389
Herrod, W., 12, 32, 62, 82, 102, 124,

145, 163, 172, 192, 211, 214, 234, 242,

262, 282, 304, 333, 334, 349, 360, 371,

382, 405, 413, 444
Hills, F. D., 191

Illingworth, L., 6, 43, 67, 137, 231

Jackson, Ida H., 204
Johnson, J., 178
Jones, Oliver, C, 386
Judge, G. W., 296, 399

Kidd, J. N., 295, 4£3
Knight, 0., 185

Lambert, J., 77
Lee, Jas., 136
Lewis, G. G., 88
Lewis, S. S., 406
T.itman, R., 94, 384
Lock wood, J. E., 253, 454
Tow, A., 135
Low, J., 68

Macdonald, D. M., 2. 49, 53. 71, 89,
91, 112, 153, 158, 181, 204, 221, 273,
327, 358, 410, 443

Mace, H., 5, 75, 331

Mattinson, Rev. W., 37, 45, 76, 148

Meech, T., 46

Millard, Magdalen, 275

Mrller, Dr. C. C, 114

Moughton, J. J., 97

Mounting, W., 261

" Nemo," 23, 61, 183, 213
Newsham, F., 114. 138, 463
Nicholson, J. G., 94
Nicol, C, 381

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Group of Members of the Sheffield

and District B.K.A., 400
Group of South Staffs. Bee-Keeoers,

341
Group taken in Sig. Piana's Garden.

294
Growth of the Brood Nest, The, 172,

173, 174, 175

Home-made Observatory Hive, 224

How to Make an Observatory Hive,
102, 103 125, 127, 146, 147, 163, 164

How to Make and Use a Solar Wax-
Extractor, 193, 194

Huber's Hive, 43

Lecture Pavilion, The (Paris), 105,
106

Mr. A. Martin's Apiary, Prestbury, 7
Manipulating a Frame Hive, 12,

13, 14
Mating Station, Bruggen, Switzer-

and, 131
Mr. C. P. Dadant, 161
Mr. C. R. Forse with Exhibit at

Shrewsbury, 312
Mr. F. Baines' Apiary, 198
M. Seivalte's Cider and Wax Press,

107

Natural Swarms and Casts, The
Hiving and Treatment of, 214, 215,
216, 234, 235, 235, 237, 243, 244, 245,
246, 263, 283, 284, 305, 305. 307, 323,
324, 335, 336, 337
New Queen Excluder (Taylor's), 188
New Zea;and Bee-Keepers, 205

Northumbrian Bee," 54, 65, 109
" Novice," 25, 26

Oldham, E. H., 401

Porter, Dr. A., 201, 212
Pressey, E., 325
Price, Joseph, 342
Pugh, A. G., 377

Quinton, H., 47

Richards, A., 419, 427, 441
Richings, G., 342
Reid, W. F., 348, 362

Salmon, A. W., 179

Scrope-Vinex, H. E., E5, 155, 185, 232,
386

Seamark, H., 167

Shepherd, W. J., 452

Sillar, M. Dagmar, 88

Sladen, F. W. L., 241

Smalhvood, J., 7, 26, 37, 43, 7o, 10a,
129, 157, 175, 186, 224, 251, 265, 274,
292, 323, 328, 347, 364, 404, 422

Smith, E. E., 167

Snelgrove, L. E., 41, 72, 144, 241, 381

Stratton, A., 331

Steele, J., 136, 178

Taylor, T. T., 248

Walker, Lieut. -Col. H. J. O., 101

Watchkoff, M. K., 345

Waterfield, J., 171

Watson, E., 95

Watts, H., 184, 367

Wheatley, F., 149

Whitley, S. R., 367

Whittington, S., 185

Wigley, H., 166

Wilson, D., 16, 77, 108, 223, 246, 28a,

352, 393, 401, 403, 409
Withvcombe W. A., 108
Woolley, W., 163

Yeo, H. R.. 254

Observation Bird Nesting Box, 208,

209
Observatory Hive Made by Mr.

Simcox, 311
Observatory Hive in a V\ indow, 102
Our Little Guide, 186
Packing of Specimens Sent for

Advice, 21, 22
Pollen of Bean, 353
Pollen of Broom, 52
Pollen of Butter Burr, 29
Pollen of Ragwort, 117
Pollen of Red Clover, 376
Pollen of Sainfoin, 226
Procuring Surplus, 349, 350, 360, 361,

372, 382, 383, 414, 415, 416, 444, 445
Putting on the Roof, 34

Row of Colonies in the Mountains,
A, 295

Signor Piana, 294
Snapshot, A, 330
So'.ar Wax Extractor, 195
Surplus Gathered by Two Stocks of
Bees, 95

The Proprietor, 175
Time Saving Frame, 9
Transporting Colonies to the Plains,
295

Village Laundry, A, 256

Watts' Super Clearer, 150
" William " Pears, 106
Wintering Bees, 82, 83, 84, 85, 89
Woods Surrounding Sig. Piana's
House, 293

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