LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Source 4 J 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 J. HERROD-HEMPSALL, F.E.S. VOLUME XLVI. January-December, 1918. PUBLISHED BY SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT A CO., Limited, 31-32, Paternoster Row, E.C. LIBRARY UiVffiSftiCF SSACHOSE AMHERST, MASS. ■■■■Hi — ■'! ""-" *" I INDEX. Editorials, Notices, Etc. ■— ' Advertisement Rates, Pre-paid, 135, 143 Bee €andy, 33 Bee-Keeping, 409 Bees and Potato Spraying. 217 Bee-Keeping in Monmouthshire, 313 Bees and Bee-Keeping, Ques- tions on, 305 Bees Wanted for Wounded Sol- diers, 93 British Bee-Keepers' Associa- tion, 67, 241, 345. 385 Committee to Investigate Bee Diseases, A, 265 Edwardes, (Gen.), Sir S.. 49 Errata, 57, 409 Foreword, 1 Forse, C. R,, 185 Fruit Tree Diseases, 321 Giles, Mrs., 33 Harper, Mr., 249 Herrod-Hempsall, T., 75 Hive for a Wounded Soldier, 93 Kirkby, Mr. H. W., 393 Late Lord Rhondda, The, 225 Monmouthshire, Bee-Keeping in, 313 Notice, 135, 151 Ownership of Swarms, 337 Petition to the Government re Legislation for Bee Diseases. 401 Postal Rates, 177 Profiteering? 297 Questions on Bees and Bee- Keeping, 305 Roll of Honour, 41, 57, 117, 159. 193. 201, 273, 353 361, 377 Seasonable Hints, 25, 49, 101, 109, 135, 169, 209, 233. 257, 281, 289, 329. 417 Sending Remittances, 17 Thanks, 85 Reviews (Editorial) :— " Country Life " Library, The. 143 Practical Queen Rearing, 369 Among the Bees :— Agricultural Facts and Figures, 194 Bees " Drifting," 94 Bees' Food and Drink. 226 Better, 355 Care of the Smoker, The, 316 Equalising, 120 Greetings, 19 Hive Roofs, 355 Honey Depots, 20 Inspecting Hives. 20 • Marketing Honey, 259 Moving Bees, 76 Outside Observations, 119 Placing and Withdrawing Sec- tions, 144 Among the Bees— Cont. Renewing Combs, 119 Spring Examination, 119 Storing Water, 316 Stings, 356 Symposium on " Baits," A, 161 Using the Blow Lamp, 20 Winter Cluster, The, 43 Worker Comb, 316 Association News : — Ayr and District, 285 Barnet and District, 228 Bucks, 105 245 Cardiganshire and Weft Car- marthenshire, 284 Carmarthenshire, 172, 292, 414 Cheshire, 163 Cumberland and Westmorland, 197 Derbyshire, 77 Doncaster and District, 219, 252. 277 Edinburgh and District, 414 Essex, 104 Fleet and District. 121 Glamorganshire, 61 Gloucestershire 90, 163 Kent, 62, 95, 113, 181, 219, 228, 317. 372 Leicestershire and Rutland1, 104. 381, 397 Lion Works and District Co- operative, 293 ' Monmouthshire, 324 New Forest, The. 138 Nottinghamshire, 89 Sheffield and District, 67 • Somerset, 78 South of Scotland, 63 South Staffordshire and Dis- trict 136, 171, 277 Staffordshire, 68 Sussex, 154 Uxbridge and District, 292 Warwickshire, 190 Bee-Keepers' Associations' Annual Meetings :— Bucks, 105 Cheshire. 163 Cumberland and Westmorland. 197 Derbyshire, 77 Essex, 104 Glamorganshire, 61 Gloucestershire, 90. 406 Hants and Isle of Wight, 130 Kent. 62 Leicestershire, 104 New Forest, The, 138 Sheffield and District, 67 Somerset, 78 South of Scotland, 63 South Staffordshire and District. 136 Staffordshire. s 68 Sussex, 154 Warwickshire, 190 Blurts from a Scratchy Pen :— Chapter from Calmette'sJ " Les Venins," 379, 389 Comments on Calmette's Experi- ments, 402 Old Bee Books, 2 Old Bee Books : The Bible, 04 Correspondence :— " About Swarming," 326 An Early (?) Drone, 54 Another Novice's Experiences, 341 Are Swarm Catchers a Success? 149 *v Associations and Their Work, 132 Bacterol and " Isle of Wight " Disease, 65 Bee Bolsheviks, 165 Bee Books Wanted, 416 < Bee Infections and Vaccine \ Therapy, 205 Bee-Keepers, Questions for, 325 Bee-Keepers, To, 319 Bee-Keeping and Horticulture, 164 • Bee-Keeping Experiences in France, 219 Bee- " Keeping," or Bee- " Starving," 15 Bee-Keeping Problem— Disease, The. 398, 421 Bee Stings, and Blood Poisoning, 343, 368 Bees and Honey Dew, 245 Bees and the Garden, 181 Bees and Water, 263 Bees Building Comb in a Tree, 246 Bees Dying, 198 Bees in a Crucifix, 222 Bees in a Tree, 54 Bees in an Observatory Hive, 237 Bees in the War Area, 191 Beginner's Experiences, A, 147 Bicarbonate of Soda for " Isle of Wight " Disease, 327 Bullfinches and Bees, 21 \ Candy Turning Soft. 54. 106, 122 Cause and Cure of " Isle of Wight." Disease, 205 Chance or Instinct, 326 Correction, A, 263 Corrected Quotation, 270 Cutting the Queen's Wings, 326 Dead Bee-Clogeed Combs, 148 Dealing with Bee Diseases, 15 Dealing with Disease, 229 Destroying Wasp Nests, 277. 302 Diet and " Isle of Wight " Disease, 175 Difficulties of a Novice, The, 252 Disease, Dealing with. 229 Disinfecting Frames, 140 Do Bees Build Comb in Winter? 407 IV INDEX TO VOLUME XLVI. Correspondence — Cont. Dorset Yarn, A, 165 Drone Brood in Sections, 230 Dutch Bees, 423 Early Drones, 122 Early Sections, 55 Early Swarms, 149 Effect of Bee Stings, 357, 415 Experience with a Nucleus, 245 Experiences of a " Suburban Novice," The, 294 Expert's Remuneration, 6 Extraordinary Bee-Hives, 6 Fancy of Bees, The, 358 Flavine and " Isle of Wight " Disease, 191 Flavine v. Bacterol, 182 Four Queens in Wasp Nest, 238 French Priest and His Bees, A. 358 Good Results from a Mistake. 309 Ground, Height of Hives from. 230, 246, 262 287, 302 Height of Hives from Ground. 230, 246, 262, 287, 302 Help for Maimed' Soldiers and Sailors, 382 Hint and Query, A, 166 Hint for Selecting Drones for Mating Purposes, 156 Hiving a Swarm under Difficul- ties, 279 Honey-Dew, 278 Immune Queens, 340, 350 Inexpert Demonstrators, 221 Influence of Temperature on Bees, 64 Insurance against Disease, 286 " Isle of Wight Disease," 246. • 383 " Isle of Wieht " Disease— A Suggestion, 414 " Isle of Wight " Disease : Anti-Protozoal Drugs, 301 " Isle of Wight " Disease. The Artificial Immunisation of Bees against, 221 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Cause and Cure of, 254, 270. 285 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Diet and. 146, 156, 167, 198 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Experts and, 165 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Experiences with, 156, 215, 358 367 " Isle of Wight." Disease. Flavine and. 155, 168, 214 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Making the Best of, 140 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Thoughts and Suggestions, 22 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Treatment of, 286, 301. 368 Izal and " Isle of Wight " Disease. 81 L.C.C. Lectures, Forest Hill. S.E., 230 Let us be Honest, 236, 269, 278. 294. 318, 341 Lines from a Soldier, 247 Little Things that Matter. 262 Mating Queens by Aeroplane. 166 Mean Trick, A, 31 Metal Ends, 215. 221 Mr. Kettle at Home. 174 Natives v. Foreign. 266. 293, 358 New Zealand, A Note from, 121 Note from France, A, 205 Note from Herts. A, 198 Note from Italy, A, 107 Note from the Isle of Wight, A, 166 Note from Surrey, 352 Correspondence— Cont. Notes from Victoria, B.C., 38 Notes on a Year's Working. 39 Novel Incident, A, 303 Novice's Experiences, Another, 341 Number of Flowers Visited for One Pound Honey, 214 Opening Hives— an Explanation.. 65 Paint inside Hives, 133 Painting inside of Hives, and Spacing Frames, 106 Peculiar Behaviour%)f Bees, 223 Peculiar Effects of a Bee Sting, 342 Plants Wanted, Bee, 325 Pony with a " Sweet Tooth," A, 131 Prevention of Disease, 132 Prevention of Swarming, 132, 146, 223 Price of Honey, 139 Production of Sections, The, 22 Queens in Wasp Nests, 270 Queen's Wings Cutting the, 326 Questions for Bee-Keepers, 321 Removing Bees from Difficult Locations, 422 Repairing Smoker Bellows, 262 Re Pascall's Bee Candy, 23 Report from Herts, A, 31 Research, Scientific. 230 ' Robbers— The " Wet Pack," 122 Scientific Research, 230 Sections, Drone Brood in, 230 Seeing Queen Lay. 261 Sending Stamps for Reply, 238 Sergeant's Bees, The, 64 Sheath Hive. The, 105 " Sheath " W.B.C. Hives. 74 Skeps and " Isle of Wight " Disease, 416 Smoker Bellows, Repairing, 26? Source of Honey Dew The, 246 Strange Men Opening Hives, 12? Sugar for Bees, 106 , " Supersensitiveness " to the Bee Toxin, 343 Syrup Feeding v. Honey Flow, 183 Saving Diseased Combs, 367 Size of Frames, 392 Taking a Swarm from a Chimney in Cornwall. 223 Tax the BeeKeeoer. 392 That Skep, 351, 366, 374, 383. 399, 420 The Bee. Industry of. 157 To Bee-Keepers. 319 Trouble in Fruit Cu^nre, 422 Uses of Germicides. The 407 Visit to Mr. Kettle, A. 327 Why the Queens of Weak Hive= often become Drone- Breeders 166 Wintering Problems. 82 W:th the " Bee Journal " in France, 164 Word for the Drone, A. 81 " Yadil " for " Isle of Wight " Disease, 325 " Yadil " in Malignant Dysen- tery, 310 Jottings :— Association, 143 Extracts 227 Homes of the Honey Bee. 357 Influence of Temperature on Bees, 243 Manipulating Garment, 228 Matter for the " Journal," 283 Methods, 244 Robbers— The Wet Pack 283 Suburban Bee Garden. The 283 Ti-Tree Blossom Honey, 227 Notices to Correspondents : — Age of Queen, 272 Amount of Food Needed, 47 Aspect of Hives, 295 Avoiding Loss of Bees, 24 Becoming Immune to Stings, 107 Bees Becoming Vicious, 344 Bees Biting Quilts, 247 Bees Building Brace Comb in Supers, 239 Bees Carrying Honey Down from the Super, 256 Bees Cast Out. 264 Bees Collecting Moisture from Coal, 255 Bees not Storing in SuDer, 199 Bees not Taking Candy, 16 Bees Refusing Syrup, 328 Beeswax, Clarifying, 208 Building up a Nucleus, 74 Clipping the Queen's Wings, 287 Colony not Increasing, 199 Combs in Two Supers Joined Together, 215 Commencing Bee-Keeping, 141. 157 Confining Queen in an Upper Chamber, 7 Creosote on Outside Parts of W.B.C. Hives, 83 Damaged Shallow Frames, 176"" Dead Humble and Hive Bees under Lime Trees, 279 Dead or Dying Drones Outside Hive, 215 Dealing with a Late Swarm, 255 Dealing with Skep. 295, 311 Dealing with Skeps in the Autumn, 231 Dealing with Swarm, 176 Dealing with Vicious Bees, 360 Destroying Bees, 311 Disinfecting Combs with Izal, 123 Disinfecting Hive, 231 Disinfecting Hive and Comb. 256. 328 Disinfecting Section? Fitted with Foundation, 272 Distance Drones and Queens Fly for Mating, 408 Dyes and Lens Power for Examining Bacteria. 384 Effect of Bacterol on Brood, 215 Effects of Hybridising, 107 Empty Hives, Swarms Taking Possession of, 208 Eaualising Stocks in the Spring. 360 Extracting Queries. 199 Fastening Foundation to Top Bar of Frame, 66 Feeding Bees, 239, 272 Feeding During Winter, 384 Feeding Skep, 40 Fertilised and Unfertilised Queen, Difference Between. 208 Flour for Bees, 99 Flowers for Bees, 215 Getting Honey from Comb Without an Extractor, 207 Glucose for Feeding Bees, 272 Glucose. Making, 176 Green Caterpillars in Comb. 279 Hive Building. 7 Honey Granulating. 256 Honey, Price of, 208 Honey Toffee, 176 How Long a One Pound Cake of Candy will Last.. 376 Honey Value of Mustard and Rape, 287 Identification of Insect. 141 Importing Queens. 344 Instructions for Making W.B.C. Hives, 199 Introducing New Blood, 24 INDEX TO VOLUME XLVI. Notices to Correspondents— Cont. Keeping Bees in a Lift, 123 Keeping Bees in Suburbs of London, 55 Keeping Extracted Syrup for Autumn Feeding, 107 Liability for Damage Caused by Bees, 328 Lime Tree Flowers Standing Upright. 279 Limiting the Number of Drones. 185 Loss of Bees, Avoiding, 24 Making " Baby Nuclei " Boxes, 107 Making a " Brice " Swarm Catcher, 99 Making an Artificial Swarm, 123 Making Candy into Syrup, 55 Melting Comb for Beeswax, 91 Making Glucose, 176 Making Increase, 223 Making Nucleus, 91 Medicating Syrup Made from Candy, 319 Missing Queen, 256 Moving Bees, 199 Moving Bees in Old Hive, 295 Moving Bees in the Summer 360 Nectar-Bearing Plants for July and August, 287 Need of Feeding, 279 Neighbours and Bees, 176 New Blood, Introducing. 24 Obtaining Bee Plants, 327 Onions Growing in Front of Hives, 99 Packing of Bees. 319 Packing for Winter, 344 Paint inside Hives, 83 Pink Comb from Pink Candy, 247 Placing Bees on the Old Stand. 176 Placing Hive in Peach House, 55 Position of Queen Cell, 376 Potato Spray Poisoning, 295 Preventing Bees' Wings Stick- ing to Wet Alighting Board. 295 Prevention of " Isle of Wight " Disease, 141 Prevention of Swarming, 295. 336 Price of Honey, 311 Price of Swarms, 176 Purchasing Honey Extractor from Diseased Apiary, 99 Queen Cast Out, 360 Queen Disappearing . 215 Queen Failing, 123 Queen Mating, 311 Queen Queries, 264 Queens not Mating, 328 Queries on Re-Queenin?, 295 Removing Bees from Roof, 176 Removing Bees from a Tree, 254 Re-Queening? 82. 360 - Reversal of " Demaree " Plan. 31 Ripening Honey, 256 Sealing Bottled Fruit, Using Beeswax for, 208 Sending Bees by Rail. 123 Shallow Frames, Damaged, 176 Skeo Taking Honey from. 207 Small Hive for the Heather, 207 Spring Cleaning, 1'6 Spring Feeding, 66 Standard Combs for Extracting. 311 Stimulative Feeding, 247 Storifying for Surplus. 328 Swarm Dead in Box. 232 Swarm Dealing with. 176 Swarms Decamping from Hive, 199 Notices to Correspondents — Cont. Swarms, Price of, 176 Swarms Returning to Hive, 183 Syrup or Candy for Feeding, 328 Syrup v. Candy, 311 Tar Felt for Hive Roofs, 83 Time for Moving Bees to the Heather 239 Time for Spring Cleaning, 55 Testing Foundation for Adul- teration, 141 Transferring Bees from Hive Roof, 123 Transferring Bees from Old Hive, 133 Transferring from Skeo to Frame Hive, 247 Treating for Foul Brood, 74 Treating Honey to Remove the Flavour for Cooking Pur- poses. 133 Tying Combs into Frames, 40 Uncapping Knife v. " Scari- fier," 56 Uniting Queries, 311 Unsealed Honey, Using Combs Containing, 176 Use of Carbolic Cloth, 223 Use of Honey Ripener. 55 Use of Non-Swarming Chamber 141, 149 Using Bought Drawn-out Combs, 295 U»lug, , C°mbs Containing Mouldy Pollen, 123 Using Honey for Spring Feed ing, 107 Using Honey from Unsealed Sections, 99 Using Honey in Comb for Feeding, 123 Using Infected Hives, 344 Using Shallow Frames with Sections. 66 Using Supers Containing Honev for Feeding, 47 VrSJ:?Z. Wid« W.B.C. Ends. 82 Utilising Driven Bees, 254 Utilising Queen Cells, 239 ,JnSlnf? Unfinished Sections, 360 Value of Gorse for Bees. 40 Ventilation when Moving Bees. 16 Vicious Bees 295 Vitgality of Foul Brood Spores. Wasps Attacking Hives, 311 Water for Bees, 83 What to do with a Swarm in a Storm, 256 When are Bees Bringing in Honey? 223 When Breeding Ceases. 2=6 VVhen to Purchase Stocks. 255 When to Transfer Bees from a Skep. 319 Winter Stores. 384 Wintering a Skep. 311 Wintering Queries, 319. 328, 336 Working for Honev and Moderate Increase of Stock 199 Working for Increase, 15 91 Obituary Notices :— Brown. Mr. F. H.. 410 Dobson. Cnl., 410 Doolittle, G. M„ 265 Edwardes, (Gen.) Sir S., 4Q Forse, C. R.. 185 Giles, Mrs., 33 Harper. Mr., 249 Herrod-HemDsall. T. 76 Tones, T. W., 281 Purvis, Sergt. E., 409 Press Cuttings ■.— Bee Limit, The, 407 Bee-Keeping; Hiving a Cast and Driving Bees. 424 Bees and Disease, 199 Bees on the Farm, 183 Can Bees Feel? 231 Capability, 176 He Failed m Business, 47 Honey in Rural Canada, 263 Honey Industry in the West Indies, The, 198 Humble Bees and Broad Beans, 375 German Bee-Keeping Industry, The, 114 Novel Bee Hunt, A, 368 Queries and Replies : — Bees in Observatory Hive, 230 Breeding from Good Queen, 40 Clarifying Wax, 239 Legal Ownership of Swarms, 271 Moving Bees in May, 55 Queen Taking Cleansing Flights, 359 Quince Marmalade, 7 Re-Queening, 23 Trouble in Uniting, 359 Using Carbolic Acid, 238 Using Motor Cycle to Visit Apiary. 23 Various Queries. 238 Vicious Bees. 238 Who Should be a Bee-Keeper? 408 About Swarming, 298, 326 Advertisement Rates, Pre-paid. 135. 143 Aeroplane, Mating Queens bv. 166 An Explanation— Opening Hives. 65 Another Novice's Experience, 341 Appointment of Expert to the Staffordshire County Council, 3 Are Swarm-Catchers a Success? 149 B.B.K.A. Research Committee. 413 Bee Books Wanted 415 Bee Candy, Price of, 249 Bee Candy, Re Pascall's. 23 Bee Diseases. Dealing with, 15 Beginner's Exoeriences. 147 Bee Garden, The, 5, 9, 18, 27. 35 42. 49 71, 86, 102, 136, 160. 186. 202, 218, 234, 251, 282, 315, 330. 339. 356. 390. 398, 412 Bee-Garden, The Suburban. 60. 111. 118 Bee Hives, Extraordinary, 6 Bee Hives Timber for. 20 Be Honest. Let us, 236 " Bee Journal " in France, With the. 164 Bee-Keepers, Questions for, 325 Bee-Keepers, To. 319 Bee-Keeping. 212, 242 Bee-Keeping, Discharged Soldiers and. 195 Bee-Keeping for Women, 177 Bee-Keepine Problem — Disease. The. 398, 421 Bee-" Keeping " or Bee-" Starv- ing " 15 Bee Notes from South Africa, 179 Bee-Path. The (noem). ?34 Bee Plants Wanted, 325 Ree Stings, 384 Bee Stings and Blood Poisoning. 343 368 Bee. The Industry of the. 157 Bee Toxin. " Supersensitiveness " to the, 343 VI INDEX TO VOLUME XLVI. Bees and Bee-Keeping, Questions on, 305, 314, 323, 331, 339, 346, 357, 361, 373, 380, 390, 397. 405, 412, 419 Bees and Honey Dew, 245 Bees and the Garden, 181 Bees Building Comb in a Tree, 246 Bees, Bullfinches and, 21 Bees, Dutch, 423 Bees Dying, 198 Bees in France, 375 Bees in Observatory Hive, 230, 236 Bees in Walls of Houses, 373 Bees on the Farm, 183 Bees, Peculiar Behaviour of, 223 Bees, Removing from Difficult Locations, 433 Bees, Sugar for, 106 Bees, The Sergeant's, 64 Bees, Vicious, 238 Bicarbonate of Soda for " Isle of Wight " Disease. 327 Bolsheviks, Bee, 165 British Bee-Keepers' Association, Annual Meeting, 109 British Bee-Keepers' Association, Monthly Meetings of Council, 9, 25, 67, 10. 135, 170, 209, 244, 314, 345, 385 British Bee-Keepers' War Bond, , 196 Brood Hatching Chamber, The, 396 Business, He Failed in. 47 Candy, Bee, 33 Candy Turning Soft, 122 Capability, 175 Carbolic Acid, Using, 238 Chance or Instinct, 276, 326 Chimney in Cornwall, Taking a Swarm from a, 223 Clarifying Wax, 239 Cluster, Winter, 43 Comb, Do Bees Build, in Winter? 407 Comb in a Tree, Bees Building. 246 Committee to Investigate Bee Diseases, A, 265 Common Faults, 405 Correction, A„ 263 " Country Life " Library, The, 143 Crucifix Bees in a, 222 Cutting the Queen's Wings. 326 Dead BeerClogged Combs, 148 Dealing, Honest, 253 Dealing with Bee Diseases, 15. 229, 335 Demonstrators. Inexoert, 221 Destroying Wasp Nests, 277, 302 Devon, Bee-KeeDing in. 211 Difficulties of Novices, The 253 Disease, Bees and 199 Disease, Prevention of, 132 Diseased Combs, Saving 367 Disinfecting Frame?, 140 Doings of Deborah, The 236 244 257, 290 ' ' Dorset Yarn, A. 1. in 17 26 33 41, 49. 57 70 75. 85, '93 10l' 111, 117, 125, 135, 143. 151 159' 178, 185, 193 201, 210, 217 225' 233, 241, 249, 258. 266, 273' 281* 289, 297, 3^5 313 321. 329 338' 345, 353, 361, 369, 377. 385, 393 401. 411, 417 Dorset Yarns, The 165 Drone, An Early (?), 54 Drone Bredeers, Why the Queens of Weak Hives often Become, 166 Drone Brood in Sections, 230 Drones, Early 122 Dysentery and the Weather The Two Perils, 332, 346 Early Drones, 122 Early Swarms, 148 Eastern Trip, An, 181 Echoes from the Hives. 64, 79, 139 Effects of Bee Stings, 357, 415 Effects of a Sting, Peculiar, 333, 342 Ends, Metal, 215, 221 Errata, 47, 409 Experience with a Nucleus, 245 Experiences of a " Suburban Novice," The, 294 Expert's Remuneration. 6 Fancy of Bees, The, 358 First Bees, Our, 204, 212 Flavine, 145 Flavine versus Baeterol, 182 Flowers Visited for One Pound of Honey, Number of, 214 For Bees, Food Control, 58 Foreword, 1 For the Drone, A Word, 81 Four Queens in a Wasp Nest, 238 Frames, Size of. 392 Frames, Spacing, 259 France. Bee-Keeping Experiences in, 219 France, Note from, 121 French Priest and His Bees. A, 358 From a Soldier, Lines, 247 Fruit Tree uisease, 321 Game, Playing the, 210 German Bee-Keeping Industry. ' The, 114 Germicides The Uses of, 407 Good Queen, Breeding from 40 Good Result from a Mistake, 309 Ground, Height of Bees from, 230. 246 Hants, A Report from 31 Height of Hives from Ground. 230, 246, 262, 287. 302 Help for Maimed Soldiers and Sailors, 382 Herefordshire Bee-Keepers' Asso- ciation, 53 Hints, Seasonable, 25. 49, 101, 109, 135, 169. 299, 233, 267, 281, 289. 329, 417 Hives, and Spacing of Frames, Painting Insides of, 106 Hives, Paint Inside, 133 Hiving a Swarm under Difficul- ties, 279 Hive, The Sheath, 105 Honey Bee. The (poem), 229 Honey-Dew. 278 Honey-Dew, Bees and, 245 Honey-Dew. Source of, 246 Honey Industry in the West Indies, The. 198 Honey, Marketing 259 Honey Recines, 229, 290 Honest Dealing. 253 Horticulture, Bee-Keening and, 164 How to Keep Honev. 382 Immune Queens 340, 350 Influence of Temnerature on Bees, The, 52, 59, 87. 96, 103, 152 177 Instinct Chance or. 326 Tnsurance aaainst Disease. 286 Intensive Brood Rearing. 362 " Isle of Wight " Disease, 182. 245. 246, 383. 391 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Anti <( Protozoal Drugs in. 301 " I«)e of Wight " Disease, Arti ficial Immunisation of Bees against. 221 " Tsle of Wight " Disease, A Suggestion. 414 " Isle of Wight " Disease, As to the Cause and1 Cure of, 189 205. 215. 254. 270. 285 *' Is'e of Wight " Disease, Bac- terol and, 65 " Isle of W'ight " Disease, Bicar- bonate of Soda for, 327 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Diet and, 146, 167, 175, 198, 156 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Ex- periences in the Treatment of. 306 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Ex- periences with, 155, 214, 358, 36- " Isle of Wight " Disease, Ex- perts and, 165 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Flavine and, 155, 168, 190. 214 " Isle of Wight " Disease. Izal and, 81 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Making the Best of. 128, 140 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Skeiis and, 416 " Isle of Wight " Disease, Treat- ment of, 286, 301, 368 "Isle of Wight" Disease, " Yadil " for, 325 Italy, A Note from, 107 Kent Honey Show, 284 Late Lord Rhondda. The. 225 L.'C'.C. Lectures, Horniniaii'~ Ground, Forest Hill, S.E., 230 Legal Ownership of Swarms, 271 Let us be Honest, 268, 278. 294, 318, 334. 341 Lines from a Soldier, 247 Little Thing* that Matter, 262 Making of a Bee-Man, The. 187, 203, 260. 274 Manitoba, Bee-Keeping in, 207 Model Apiary, A, 370, 378, 386. 394 Momentary Questions, 11 Monmouthshire, Bee-Keeping in, 313 Mother -Bee Nursery Rhymes. 348 Moving Bees in May, 55 Mr. Kettle, A Visit to, 327 Native v. Foreign Bees, 250, 286> 293, 350. 364 New Year's Wishes, 4 Northumberland Honev Season, 343 Notes and Comments, 403 Notes from France, 121, 205, 403 Notes from Herts 198 Notes from the Isle of Wight, 166 Notes from Italy, 138 Note from New Zealand, A, 121 Notes from Surrey, 352 Notice, 135. 151 Notice to Correspondents. 303, 352 Novel Incident, A, 303 Novices, The Difficulties of, .253 Novice's Experience, Another, 341 Nucleus, Experience with a 245 Observatory Hive, Bees in an, 230, 236 Oldest Civilisation in the World, Concerning the, 268, 283 Opening Hives Strange Men. 122 Ownership of Swarms, 337 Oxfordshire Yarn. An. 127 Peculiar Effects of a Sting, 333, 342. Perseverance, 120 Playing the Game, 151. 291 Pollination of Fruit in Relation to Commercial Bee-Keeping, 13, 28, 45. 73, 79. 97 Postal Rates. 177 •> Potato Spraying, Bees and. 21? Practical Queen Rearing, 369 Prevention of Swarming, 146 Price of Honey, 139 Prisoner of War, A, 113 Problems. Wintering, 82 Profiteering? 297 Public School, Bee-Keeping at a. 154, 172, 188, 202 Queen Taking Cleansing Flights, 359 INDEX TO VOLUME XLVI. vn Queen's Wings, Cutting the. 326 Queens, Immune, 340 Queens in Wasp Nests, 270 Query, A Hint and a, 166 Queries,' Various. 238 Questions for Bee-Keepers, 305. 314, 323, 325, 331, 339. 346, 357. 361, 373, 380, 390. 397, 405, 412, 419 Questions, Momentary, 11, 29 Quince Marmalade, 7 Quotation. Corrected, 270 Recipes, Honey, 229, 290 " Reminiscence, A," 347 Remuneration, Expert's, 6 Repairing Smoker Bellows, 262 Reply. Sending Stamps for, 238 Research Committee, B.B.K.A . 413 Research, Scientific. 230 Research, The Spirit of, 37, 46 Result from a Mistake. Good, 309 Re-Queening, 23 " Reverie, A," 380 Robbers, The " Wet Pack," 122. 334 Saving Diseased Combs, 349. 367 Seasonable Hints, 25, 49, 101, 109, 135, 169 209, 233, 257, 281, 289, 329, 417 Sections. Drone Brood in, 230 Sections, Early, 55 Sections, Price of, 159 Sections Production of, 22 Seeing Queen Lay. 261 Selecting Drones for Mating Pur- poses, A Hint for, 156 Selling Diseased Bees, 354 Sending Remittances, 17 Sending Stamps for Reply, 238 Size of Frames, 392 Skep That. 351, 366, 374, 383, 399 420 Skyscraper Hives, 365 Smoker Bellows, Repairing, 262 Soldiers and Sailors, Help for Maimed, 382 Source of Honey Dew, 246 South Staffordshire, Bee-Keeping in, 113 Spacing Frames, 259 Spain, 363 Staffordshire County Council. Appointment of Expert to, 3 Stings, The Effect of, 333, 342 357, 415 Strange Beehive, A, 306 Strange Men Opening Hives, 122 " Supersensitiveness " to the Bee Toxin, 343 Swarm Management. 128 Swarm Management, Swarms and, • 27 Swarm Wisdom, 245 Swarming, About, 298, 326 Swarming, Prevention of. 132, 163 223 Swarming Procedure, 128 Swarms, Ownership of. 337 " Sweet Tooth," A Pony with a. Syrup Feeding v. Honey Flow', 183 Tax the Bee-Keeper. 392 That Skep, 351, 366, 374, 383 Things that Matter, Little, 262. 299 Thoughts and Suggestions : " Isle of Wight " Disease, 22 Timber for Beehives, 20 To Bee-Keepers, 319 Treatment for Disease, 392 Trick, A Mean, 31 Trouble in Fruit Culture, 422 Trouble in Uniting 359 Uniting, Trouble in, 359 Urgent Task. The, 252, 268, 273 Using Carbolic Acid, 238 Using Comb from Diseased Stocks. 148 Using Infected Combs, 383 Vaccine Therapy, Bee Infections and, 205 Various Queries, 238 Vicious Bees, 238 Victoria, B.C., Notes from 38 Visit to Mr. Kettle, A, 327 Walls of Houses, Bees in, 373 Wanted, A Vol. of B.B.J., 285 Wanted', Bee Plants, 325 Wanted, Recipe for Marrow Jam, 366 War Area, Bees in the, .191 War. Bees and, 196 Wasp Nests, Destroying, 302 Wasp Nest, Four Queens in a, 238 Water, Bees and, 263 Wax, Clarifying 239 W.B.C. Hives, " Sheath," 74 Weather Report, 15, 47, 123, 157, 191, 231, 279. 308. 408 Weather ReDort for the Year 1917, 15 " Wet Pack " Robbers, The. 122. 334 Wintering, 299, 307 Wisdom, Swarm, 245 Wounded Soldiers, Bees Wanted for, 93 Wounded Soldier, Hive for, 93, 159 " Yadil " for " Isle of Wight " Disease, 325, 334 " Yadil " in Malignant Dysentery. 310 Year's Working, Notes on, 39 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. Abushady, A. Z., 5, 11, 29. 36, 46. 52, 59, 87. 96, 103, 177, 205, 221. 237, 252, 268, 275, 291, 301. 310, 343, 346, 350. 362, 396, 407. 421 Anderson, J., 7 Armstrong, J. C, 156 Arnold', P.. 334. 342 Atkinson, M., 74, 122, 148. 334 Ball. E. Ff., 245 Bancroft, J., 65 Bartleet (Rev.), E. G., 325 Beadnell, L. M., 238 Bennett, D. D.. 262 Best, J. M., 223, 368 Bigg-Wither, L., 78 Birkett, L. B.. 15, 47, 123, 157. 191, 231, 279. 308, 408 Bishop, J. L., 270 Blenkarn. F. A., 174 Brander, J. W., 223 Branson, J. R! B. (Capt.), 323. 339 Bryden, G., 181 Burgess. C. F., 214 Burtt, E. G., 375 Buttress, H. C, 168 Calvert, A.iR., 238 Carter, H. E. C. 327 Charlton, F. B., 236 Claridge, F. M., 149 403 Clarke, A. F., 182 Cliffe, J. E., 166 Cunliffe, C. 167 Dobson, Cpl. C, 196 Dollemore, W., 122 Donkin, A., 157 287, 398 -Duke, F. W., 230, 301 Dyche, C. H., 349 Edmunds, W. H., 179, 419 Evans, T. E., 342 Fleming, E. S., 239, 245 Flint (Mrs.), F., 230 Fordham, R. O., 223, 270 Frusher, F. W., 302 Fry, A., 359 * Galbraith, R. D., 263 Gibbs, W. J.. 65, 214 Golsmith, W.. 198 Gordon, G. St., 165 Green, W., 122 Hall. H. H., 31 Hamshar, A. H., 121, 13"2, 143, 181, 196, 227. 243. 283, 357 Harwood, A. F., 5, 9, 18, 27, 31, 35, 42. 50, 58, 71, 86, 102, 118, 136, 160. 186, 218, 234, 251. 276. 282, 315. 330, 339, 356, 390, 398, 412 Hawking, E. G., 383 Hay-Halley (Rev.), A., 341 Heath, F., 164 Heathcote. R. W. (Major), 21, 23 Herrod-Hempsall, W., 225 Hodgson, F. C, 15 Holman, A. H., 64 Hooper, C. H.. 13. 28, 45, 73, 79. 97 Hounsfield, L. H., 286 Hunnings, F. W., 246 Illingworth, L., 64. 156, 374 Ion, W., 22, 262, 286, 299. 351, 382, 422 Jeffery E., 403 Keir, Cpl. A., 223 Kettle, J. J., 1, 10, 17, 26, 33. 41, 49, 57 70, 75, 85, 93, 101, 111, 117, 125, 136, 170, 185, 193, 201, 210, 217, 228, 233, 241, 249, 258, 266. 273, 281, 289. 297, 305, 313, 321, 329, 338, 345, 358, 361, 369, 377. 385, 393, 401, 411, 417 Kidd, J. H., 128 King, G. R., 270 Kirkham, J. D., 23 Lindley. Emma M., 352 ( Lockwood. J. E., 293, 365 Lockyer, E. G.. 335 Lythgoe, P., 253, 359 Macdonald, D. M., 19, 43. 76, 94. 119, 144. 161, 194, 226, 259, 316, 355. 370, 378, 386, 405 Mackie, E., 167 Manley, R. -B., 82. 133, 175, 181, 206, 215 285. 326, 364. 416 Martin, W. J., 262, 278 Masse, P., 306 McGeoch. T., 165 Meadows, W. P., 238 Milton, S., 263 Mist, W., 367 Vlll INDEX TO VOLUME XL VI. Moore, F. W., 229 Morley, W. S., 166 Morris, C. S., 262 Oborne, H. R., 132 Orchard. C. H., 81, 309 Pag© (Rev.), M. T., 39 Pallet, G. T., 391 Parkin, J., 182 Pearce, W. J., 65 Peirce, H. B., 392, 422 Peters, T. E., 383 Pike, O. G.. 152 Ponting, H., 147 Preston, A., 292 Preston, J. W.. 407 Price, J., 151, 210, 291, 383 Prior. W. H., 213, 242 Pryor, W. W., 319 Puck, O., 22, 147, 299, 307 Purt, T. S. 191 Rawson, C. 190 Reed, €., 302 Rentoul, J. L., 146 Richards, A.s 60, 111 Rimmington (Mrs.). F., 290 Robinson, II. D., 166 Rosling, G. M., 326 Rowland, T., 415 Salmon. A. W., 163, 343, 384 Sandford, F. W., 121 Sannders, F., 245 Schofield, J., 286 Shea. R. T., 215 Sleight, T., 37, 51, 88 Smallwood, J., 2, 34, 379, 389, 402 Smithers, L. S.. 221 Stich, H. M., 414 Stratton. A., 350 Street, E. E., 303 Strong, G. R., 205, 230, 279. 302 Sykes, B., 325 Taylor, A. E., 171, 277, 354 Taylor, T. M., 373 Taylor, T. T., 189, 254 Thompson, E. J., 366 Tomlinson, S. A. W., 143, 151, 159 Toms, N. S.. 228 Turner, W. S., 327, 347, 380 Turnill, T. W., 278 Valley (Gunner), H., 205 Varty (Pte.), M. E., 121 Walker (Lt.-Col.), H. J.. €, 366 Wallace (Lt.-Col.), W. B., 214 Walton, L. W., 140. 413 Ward, G., 156 Warren, A. E., 392 Warren-Davis. C, 230 Watts, H., 418 Weeds, G. E., 262 White, W. H., 15. 81, '127 Williams, A. C, 326 Willmott, A., 139 Wills. Lce.-Cpl. S., 221 Wilson, D., 332 Wilson, F. L., 140 Winterton, W., 400 Witney. T. H., 166 Woolley, C, 39 Yeowart, J., 358 ILLUSTRATIONS. Brood Hatching Chamber, 362 Corner in Glassel Apiary, A, 387 Late Sergt. E. Purvis, 410 Method of Securing Hive Root, 388 Price, Mr. J., 3 Strange Bee Hive, A. 306 Two Glassel 150-pounders, 387 fan. 3, 191S. THE 131UTISH EEE JOURNAL. i FOREWORD. The year 1917, with its- troubles and trials, has passed away, and we hope all our readers, old and new, will have a prosperous season in the coming year. In our first issue, last year, we expressed a hope that before 1917 was left behind the war would be over. Unfortunately, those hopes, have not Feen realised, but we still hope on, as is the bee-keeper's habit, and trust that this year will see the angel of peace once more smiling over this war-weary world. Owing to various circumstances, bee- keeping has secured an impetus during the past year such as it has never had before, and both bees and honey have realised prices that were undreamt of a few years ago. There is every probability that these prices will be maintained this year, and if the weather is at all favour- able, those who are so fortunate as to possess bees will reap a rich harvest. The '" Isle of Wight " disease is still claiming a number of victims: but, on the whole, we think it is now waning. It may- be that bees are better able to withstand its attacks, or that the more effective bactericides science has placed at the ser- vice of bee-keepers have checked the disease — or possibly, we might even say probably — both factors have helped. Taking things all round, the future of bee-keeping has taken on a more roseate hue than it lias possessed of late years. There may be some difficulty in obtaining hives and other appliances. Those who are wise have already placed orders for what they may require, or will do so at once. Every year a few of the '' old stan- dards " drop off, and during the one just passed we have lost Mons. Ed. Bertrand, the noted Swiss bee-keeper, and in our country Mr. E. D. Till, "of Eynsford. We again heartily thank our readers for the splendid support they have given us during the past year, and for their appre- ciation of our efforts to give practical help and advice. We are pleased to say that our circulation has improved con- siderably during the year, and we trust that, although we have at last been com- pelled to raise the price of the Journal, the circulation may be maintained, ;tnd we, on our part, will do our best to make the paper as helpful as possible. A DORSET YARN. The week before Xmas. business letters are inquiries for Xmas roses, " Hclleborus KifJel^.', A week or so ago they looked like harvesting thousands of blooms, but there comes a frost — a " killing frost "— they have no protection other than a wall, a week's frost has retarded them, the buds have not opened, only the under surface is yet to be seen; they want a few days of warmth and the petals will reverse, showing the purest whiteness, and the enormous quantity of stamens covered with pollen. Why this pure white flower should have its distinctive name of " Niger " is one of the things beyond my comprehension; true, the roots are a dark colour. Another year I must bring down some glass lights and cover them, not leave them to chance, or lift some of them and take them up to the tomato houses, a-, we do violets for winter bloom; but the bees would not be able to get at them then, that would be a pity. We have only 6 glasshouses, 5 of them are each 100ft., in one square block; we fill them with violets for winter harvest, growing tomatoes in summer; there would be plenty left for the bees if I lifted half of them, as they increase wonderfully in a few years — a wonderful unit of tho vegetable kingdom to send up its floral treasures just at this time. Old-fashioned people are great lovers still of this lovely flower; it is mostly with old people, whoso memory of youth looked on this as the only white for Xmas, but now there are pure white chvsanthemums, and white tulips and narcissus can be forced into bloom; the younger generation does not see the beauty of these pure white trea- sures of winter. Still, if we have not Xmas roses for Xmas sale, we have the luscious fruits, in the production of which our bees did their share, by visiting the thousands of flowers as they opened, and before they were open I have seen them go in between the half-opened petals of the bloom of Glad- stone apples. What a harvest it was ! Six cwt. of Orange Pippins from 5 trees, only planted 7 years; " Newton Wonders," fine in colour and large in size; Lane's Albert, big and beautifully striped, with boxes of immense Bramleys, all proved to me the bees had seen that all were fertilised, then the -pulpy envelope that covered the seeds swelled out to its fullest capacity. One may justly take a pride in such fruits. As the hills were slippery with ice and dangerous for horses, our good parson loaned his motor to take them to the farmers' market, the coldest ride I ever had, even though I had a coat lined with sheepskin, with the wool left on. The journey did not take long: it was the speed that made it so cold. One could THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 3, 1918. not help wondering how many in our own loved land would have used their fine car to take a load of apples to market for another's profit, and for a Socialist mem- ber of his flock. Motor rides our way are only at election times. It was a new ex- perience to me. This was on the very day a reader of The British Bee Journal sent me with Xmas greetings a few verses by Shelley, which are familiar to all who tii ink, as I do, for the welfare of the masses. The second verse has this query : — " Wherefore feed and clothe and save From the cradle to the grave, Those ungrateful drones, who would Drain your sweat — nay, drink your blood. The seed you sow, another reaps; The wealth you find another keeps;" etc. Well, I think the world is going to be better. The toiler is coming into his own. The worker, and not the drone, is soon to be the most important. 1 would not like to infer that our parson is a drone; I am sure he earns every penny of his stipend; he has services enough, he prays fox us enough, he looks after the sick, the poor he helps, and now he is helping the Socialist. Our church, in which I have taken a chorister's part the greater part of my life, is going to have church councils, the parson not to be the auto- cratic ruler of the parish as hitherto. — J. J. Kettle. BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN. Old Bee Books. It was a clingy old tome. The binding, of calf, was now worn, sere, and orittle. One time it had been the pride of a skil- ful workman and an ornament of the owner's library, for the title had been in letters of gold, and a thin line of the same metal edged the covers. But this is all tarnished now. The paper, once white, now is tinted by age. The letters, too, were akin to the rest : V stood for I', the middle S was similar to an F, except that the cross bar was shorter by a half. ]t had fallen into a schoolboy's hands, for " John Lawrence " was scrawled across the title-page in ink, once black, but now faded, so as to be scarcely discernible. It is a treasvfre I picked up on an old book- dealer's barrow in the Farrmgdon Road. London's market |or discarded books is in Farringdon Road : now that Booksellers' Row in Holywell Lane is a past history. How many of my readers recollect that bit of Old London, close by St. Clement Dane's? It disappeared sometime in the early eighties. Paris has a market (where I have spent many a pleasant half hour) on the embankment of the Seine. What visitor to that city, who roams it unfet- tered by tourist agency, does not know those lock-up boxes, the length of the river a rote gauche* But what a wanderer I m}'self am, I who is talking of wandering. I have attempted to picture to you my old book, and it has led me into other lands. Now let me turn back. I have not yet told you of its author, " Herodotus," a Persian, with a Grecian name. He was an ancient globe- trotter, as geography was known in those days, perhaps the most notorious. Few lands, except white-cliffed Britain, that he did not visit, and when I further tell you that he lived and wrote about 4S4 to 428 B.C., you will recognise that he did very big things, for travelling tben was difficult and dangerous. Always, excepting the manuscript of the Old Testament, he seems to have been the most ancient of writers who make reference to bees and bee-prodncts. Should there be one still more old, I should very much like to make his acquaintance ; and if any who may be reading this can give me his name, I will use all my endeavours to find his present whereabouts in the library of the British Museum. True it is that one of the Assyrian monarchs adopted a bee as his seal, which of them I cannot say, for I cannot find any confirmation of it in trans- lations of cuneiform inscriptions. Now what does Herodotus say about bees? He has several allusions, but the two I am up against at the present moment are the following: — (My edition is in Latin, but doubtless there are translations, and a free translation is as follows). " Next to the Zauckes (Libyans) are the Oyzantes, among whom honey is made in great quantity by the bees, but in much greater quantities still it is said to be made by men who work in it as a trade," and again " Xerxes passed from Phrygia into Lydia " (crossed) " the Mcer- andan and passed by the city, Callatebos, where men live whose trade it is to make honey of the tamarisk tree and of wheat flour." Is there any new roguery under the sun? In the tender youth of our bee- keeping, and when we were verdant, we always thought that the " adulteration of honey" was a modern " wheeze," and, according to Otto Hehner, our American cousins were an easy first in the game. . He says, in a lecture delivered to the B.B.K.A., in 1884, that " the production of starch sugar had been carried to per- fection," and, as was to be expected, corn syrup is actually most frequently found in honey imported from America, although Switzerland is striving hard to carry off the honour." But we were wrong, very wrong. We did not know history. Now, I calculate, Jan. 3, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Uncle Sammy will have to take a back seat. Why, nearly two thousand years before Columbus started to discover America, there were " States " who made a very live business of honey-notions. We will give the United States credit for much progress. I doubt very much, for instance, if the ancients knew anything of sulphuric acid as an ingredient. Can we say it is an improvement? And they have deleted the tamarisk tree. Is there anything of the nature of honey remain- ing? Now, probably, the very first thing, the verv first thought that would occur to most we too proud to take a leaf out of an old book? Let us create a new market. The good, old-fashioned, comfortable interment in a nice, snug, lead, oak or elm coffin is getting quite out of fashion. We have cre- mation and earth to earth treatment of our last remains, at prices, we are informed, " strictly economical." One undertaker, good man. with a thought for suffering humanity, asks " Why live and be miser- able, when you can be buried comfortably for fifty shillings? " May I suggest that the " sweetest " mode of sepulture yet remains " Funerals a la Babylon."- — J. Smallwood. MR. J. PRICE. people on reading the extracts from Herodotus I have given above will be, " Wherever did all the honey (?) the Gyzantes and the citizens of Callatebos manufactured find a sale? " I don't think you would even guess, so I may as well tell you, or rather the historian shall. Prepare yourselves for something grue- some, something reminiscent of Hun methods of disposing of cannon fodder. Give all attention. "The Babylonians bury their dead in honey " (Book IV.). There you have it! Fortunately for us, at the present time we can dispose of all the honey we can raise at beneficial prices: but some day or other, if we live long enough, we shall see the end of the war, and there will be a slump in prices. Are APPOINTMENT OF EXPERT TO THE .STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL. We have much pleasure this week in presenting to our readers the photograph of Mr. J. Price, the successful candidate for the position of Apicultural Expert to the Staffordshire County Council, which was advertised in our pages some little while ago. There were thirty applicants for the post, but we are sure that the defeated candidates will find comfort in the know- ledge that they Mere beaten by a candi- date with such a long and varied experi- ence of bee-keeping. There is also no doubt that his many friends in all parts of the country will* wish " honest Joe " THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Tan. 3, 1918. every success and a long occupation of the position. The Staffordshire County Coun- cil have shown a most progressive spirit in making such an appointment, so far as we know the only one in this country. It is up to every bee-keeper in Staffordshire to rally round him and make the indus- try a flourishing one in that county. We are certain that he will leave no stone un- turned to attain this object. The subject, of our photograph is a very old friend of ours, a well-known contribu- tor to our pages, and we have had many exciting bee-keeping experiences together. One of the straigbtcst, soundest, most reliable and orthodox bee-keepers in the British Islands, he does not mince matters when giving advice, hits straight from the shoulder in criticising, is candid to blunt- ness, yet his kindly, unassuming manner makes his genuine desire to render all the assistance possible apparent to those with whom he comes in contact. He is perfectly loyal to, and a strong supporter of, the B.B.K.A., the Journal and Record, and hates the petty selfish- ness, jealousy and spite exhibited by those who, through ignorance and inexperience, fail in their desire to obtain notoriety in the apicultural world. His one regret is that his new post will mean the severance of many long friend- ships which he has formed during his travels. The following is a short biographv of our. friend -.—Born at Old Hill, Stafford- shire, on May 7, 1872, leaving school in his early teens to learn the trade of joiner and wheelwright, eventually starting in business on his own account. During his early apprenticeship he was initiated into the mysteries of bee life by a great uncle, who had kept bees for over half-a-century. This prompted him to start bee-keeping, and eventually he bought a stock from a local bee-keeper, and placed it in a new hive that he had made. Situated on the green fringe of the Black Country he saw that excellent honey could be procured from the abund- ance of white clover which grows so freely on the old pit mounds, and for many years as an exhibitor he was very successful, particularly in the extracted honey and beeswax classes. In time he gained his third-class certificate, and a few years after the second. About 190G, after having acted as local expert to the Worcestershire B.K.A. for several seasons, he accepted the position of touring expert for the Suf- folk B.K.A., and the same season became connected with Cumberland by which county he has now been engaged for twelve seasons. The name of Price in that county is a household word amongst the bee-keepers, in fact they swear by him in all matters apicultural. He has also held engagements with the Northumberland B.K.A., the Durham and Westmoreland Education Committees, while latterly he has been the Hon. Sec. of the South Staffordshire B.K.A. since its formation in 1913, and has been the chief means of its great success. In 1913 he secured the final certificate of the B. B.K.A., and the following year at the " Honev Judging Competition,'" held in London, he secured the Premier Award, NEW YEAR'S WISHES. Please accept my best wishes on the occasion of the New Year for a still [more successful career to The British Bee Journal, which, in association with The Bee-Keepers' Record, has done such maonificent work for the advancement of bee-keeping. Professional and amateur bee-keepers have always been encouraged to contribute to its columns on many use- ful subjects bearing either directly or in- directly on apiculture. And with the pro- gress of the time, similar progress has been invariablv noticeable in the quality of its production. It has, of course, been unavoidable, considering the varied and mixed recruits who enrol in the ever-in- creasing army of bee-keepers, that some inaccurate statements (so far as our pre- sent scientific knowledge is concerned | such as the value of bee toxin in the pro- phylaxis and treatment of rheumatic fever, and similar statements, have ap- peared in the past ; but it will do credit to the Journal, in the future, if a better censorship on unqualified statements _ be exercised; and, if need be, a total rejec- tion of such writings should be adopted as an editorial policy in the very interest of the craft. Every modern profession, art, and craft, is now based on scientific lines; therefore bee-keeping should keep its proper place with this progressive de- velopment. It should not be inferred from these statements that the writer discourages everything but scientific writ- ing. This is not the case. For I con- sider the chatty, pleasant articles of Mr. Kettle in the Journal, and the most in- spiring and instructive contributions of Mr. Sniallwood in the Record as literary features of both publications., which should command the greatest interest of their readers. My aim is simply to em- phasise the importance of prohibiting the publication of superstitious views of ignorant though well-meaning persons, whose enthusiasm for bee-keeping and their ignorance of general science (in spite of the many modern and inexpen- sive scientific publications) lead them to the moist absurd statements which reflect Tan. 3, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOUKNAL. ridicule on the paper that publishes them. This caution would be a wise and digni- fied policy. The language (so long as grammatical errors, and incorrect spelling and punctuation are avoided) matters very little, and the simpler it is the better. It is, after all, a means of ex- pression, and every language in the world could be adapted in many forms to con- vey it. What really matters are the ideas of the writer and the value of his in- formation. Therefore, valueless, mislead- ing, and ignorant thoughts are not worth even the trouble of typewriting them. The trivial increase in the price of the 'Journal is a logical step created by neces- sities: and one only wishes that this new price should be made permanent or even increased in order to appreciably enlarge at the earliest opportunity the size of such a very useful review, which holds a unique position in the bee-keeping world. — A. Z. Abushady, Ealing. THE BEE GARDEN. the official lists. — (continued) . Pumpkin (Oucurbita pepo). — There are many varieties of gourds which are merely ornamental, but there are also several which are not only edible but, by some folk, greatly esteemed. I say advisedly "by some folk," since by others they are despised and neglected. One curious effect of this dislike is the addition to the already richly idiomatic Spanish lan- guage of the locution dar calabazas, to give pumpkins, which throughout the Spanish-speaking world is the current equivalent of to reject a suitor or to jilt one previously favoured. Other idioms in the same language introducing the pump- kin are tener cascos de calabaza, to have the skins of the pumpkins, meaning to be a simpleton, and net dar sin calabeizas, to swim without pumpkins, in the sense of not needing the support of others, being independent. Pumpkins are allied to the vegetable marrow, and bear roundish fruits which often attain an enormous size, weighing a hundredweight or more, though this is only ''done by restricting the number of fruits to one per vine. They may be grown to perfection by precisely the same method as that recom- mended for marrows or for ridge cucum- bers.* It is well to put out strong plants from pots and protect them until established, * The cultural directions given in respect of any of the subjects mentioned in the lists are, where possible, taken from Messrs. Sutton bees as a gastro-intestinal infection we : are, of course, supporting the view held by most, though not by all experienced bee-keepers and researchers on this disease. The writer, not being by pro- fession a bee-keeper, and lacking not only the time, but also the material, and the necessary elaborate means, cannot at present express the opinion of an in- vestigator on this important question. Short of a thorough .scientific, investiga- tion in the light of present experience and knowledge, any abortive or super- ficial effort, though in a sense possessing • some value, could not be seriously held as a conclusive evidence. From the study of the misfortunes of others, and the various views expressed by different authors and scientists, as well as from a consideration of the unpublished opinions of some experts, who either do : not care, or do not venture, to bring their views to light, I come to the fol- lowing conclusions: — No one who care- fully examines the theories and beliefs associated with the names of Zander. Graham-Smith, Iraras, Maiden, and many : others will fail to appreciate that there • are three main schools or thought regard-.. 12 THE' BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 10, 1918. xng malignant dysentery of bees in rela- tion to their other diseases. (1) One school, to which many bee- keepers belong, seems to believe in this disease as a distinct illness of an infec- tive nature ; and, hence, quite logically, advises the observation of cleanliness in manipulation, and the use of disinfectant methods in prevention and treatment. Such advice could not have done any harm if it did not effect much good. There is, however, an accumulation of evidence to show that it lias actually dono some good to bees showing symp- toms not unlike those of " Isle of Wight " disease. Not least in value, according to this method, is the feeding with " medicated " syrup and candy. Zander's Nosema Apis, as the actual cause of infection, is not widely con- firmed. • If such a confirmation is ob- tainable it would obviously make all the • difference, both in prophylaxis and treat- ment of this malady. We cannot treat a disease on a sure basis without know- ing beforehand its pathology (and also its bacteriology, if it is of a microbie nature). Now, if Nosema Apis is the actual offender, and if it is true that it has very resisting spores, which are often present in stagnant pools, etc., two ques- tions at once arise. The first is a thorough testing of all the known modern non-toxic antiseptics that seem suitable to use in the apiary, with the view of de- termining the least noxious and the most effective one in dealing with this offender. The other is to consider the improvement of the water supply to the bees. It is useless to be content with giving advice regarding the cleanliness of the apiary and the use of a clean water fountain when every observant bee-keeper will honestly testify to the fact that the bees will reject the fountain water, oven if warm, in preference to that from a heap of manure ! I have rarely seen any of my bees calling at the water fountain in my garden, though placed in a con- spicuous position ; yet I have repeatedly noticed many of them go to the roof gutter, presumably to drink from the rain water. I cannot believe that it is a difficult contrivance to give the bees their pure water supply inside the hive itself. When I make this suggestion, and many others, I trust I may be pardoned by those conservatives who never believe in new methods; for I might be led astray by the progressive spirit of my profes- sion, which is always in a revolutionary state. It is, of course, ridiculous to .make dreamy suggestions; but sugges- tions based on the study of facts and on keen observation deserve pronouncement, whether they prove ultimately to be valuable or not. And it is the duty of a standing Research Committee, if bee keepers will ever be fortunate enough to have one, to investigate the benefit of every sensible suggestion. But suppos- ing that a different type of organism, say, a non-sporing one, such as a coliforro bacillus, is found to be responsible for the trouble, this will again influence our choice of antiseptics and will show that our problem is not so serious as in deal-; ing with a spore-bearing organism. In. any case, a complete, impartial and » truly scientific inquiry on this matter is badly wanted. It should be the work, of a well chosen committee of both prac- tical bee-keepers and capable scientists,., and not of a single observer confronted with many problems, some of which may bo beyond his capacity. Whether the Government or the principal Bee-keepers* Associations are entitled to move first it, is not easy for me to judge. (2) Another school, headed by Maiden > looks upon malignant dysentery as chiefly a toxaemia, due to the absorption of pro- ducts of decomposition from the colon. Allied to this school are those who regard the essential cause a state of mal- , nutrition, favouring the development of metabolic poisoning. The researches of Maiden certainly do not give weight to ' the infective theory; and it should not be forgotten that normal bees must by . nature harbour organisms in their intes- tinal canal, and that before a certain organism has to be held responsible for a ;' particular disease, certain, criteria must ' be fulfilled. No wonder, then, that some ' well-enlightened bee-keepers belonging to this school strongly object to the "medication'" of sugar supplied to bee-' keepers, both on the ground of unneces- sary expenditure and for fear lest the antiseptic used might be harmful to "the bees. Supposing this theory is correct, the actual cause of toxaemia desires their careful investigation. Is it due to an occasional error committed by the bees in dieting themselves, namely, by feed- ' ing on an excess of protein? Or is it duo ; to their inability to cleanse themselves for long periods, through unfavourable weather? Or is it due to both factors, in combination with others, so far not ' sufficiently appreciated? For it is well known that dysenteric bees often suffer from distended abdomens, which, when gently squeezed, allow a yellowish brown- ish material to be voided. This, when examined microscopically, is found to contain numerous pollen granules, far in excess of what is normally observed in the intestinal contents. I cannot see any 1) arm from mixing the bee food with n reasonable amount of a lion-toxic anti- ! septic,', especially with one which ha*-, proved beneficial in .human medicine Jan. 10, 1918. THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. IS for internal use, such as Yadil; but I Tail to see why the Government should compel expert bee-keepers to buy candy medicated with Bacterol, and not with Flavine or Izal, for instance. And why should it trust_so much the fruit growers and so little the bee-keepers, especially when the two sections are dependent for their mutual success on one another? Clearly, the interest of the country, from the point of view of food production, is dependent on extending that generous trust to bee-keepers, some of whom happen to be jam makers in addition, and are, therefore, curiously enough, as. pointed out recently by a writer, trusted, in one capacity and distrusted in another ! This wasted effort of the Government could be made more profit- able if directed to the appointment of ft departmental committee to re-investigate the nature of " Isle of Wight " disease and similar maladies, and to study the viows of the different schools of bee- keepers, with the object of arriving, it possible, at a triumphant conclusion.— A. Z. Abushadt. (To be continued.) THE QUESTION OF POLLINATION OF FRUIT IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL FRUIT GROWING. By C. H. Hooper, F.R.H.S., Member of Scientific Co?nmittee of the Royal Horticultural Society. hi a recent (July 12) article in The British Bee Journal "Reel Cross" asks for a. summary of available information on the above subject, and gives, as a text ; '' Growers of Lane's Prince Albert will hesitate to believe this variety self -sterile, . coming into flower, as 11 does, after the majority of market apples have finished blooming; yet what a reliable cropper it is." Having made many trials in fruit pollination, and having endeavoured to keep in touch with other experimenters, I propose to try to fulfil his request. It is si strange fact that Lane's Prince Albert is self-sterile, as are so many of the best varieties, but this variety has proved itself, self-sterile not only in pollination trials, but in orchard practice, where this variety is planted in block, without other varieties, it is found to bear very little indeed ; it is even more strange that Bram ley's Seedling- should not set fruit with its own pollen under experiment, yet shows less disadvantage than most varieties when planted alone, or almost alone, in Orchards. These two varieties — Lane' ' s Prince Albert and Brantley's Seedling— cross-pollinate well, as probably do most varieties of apple, although Cox's Orange, . B.cauty of Bath, and Gladstone seem more particular than most apples as to their cross-polleniser. APPLES Most varieties of apples, even if they may be classed as self-fertile, as a rule crop far better if fertilised with pollen of another variety. Among apples that show themselves more or less fertile may be mentioned Irish Peach, Golden Spire, Stirling Castle, Lord Derby, and occasionally White Trans parent, Tower of Glamis, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Egremont Russet, Devonshire Quarrendon, Summer Golden Pippin, Christmas Pearmain, Domino. Washington, Ben's Red, Red Reinette, Lord Grosvenor, Early Victoria. Ecklinville, Allington. -i King of the Pippins, Peasgood's Nonsuch, Pott's Seedling, Gladstone, and Newton Wonder. These are recorded as occasionally self-fertile from trials of probably ' several hundred varieties of apple ; it is possible, if one makes hundreds of trials, that the majority of varieties may eventually set a fruit, but if only one fruit sets and matures with its own pollen out of several hundred blossoms, the variety is for practical purposes self-sterile. Most of the other varieties are self-sterile , including Astraehan, Ribston Pippin. Lord Suffield, Hoary Morning, Warner's King. Nonpareil, Striped Beefing. Sturmer Pippin, Fearn's Pippin. Belle de Pontoise, Duchess's Favourite, Bis- marck, Cox's Orange, Beauty of Bath, Hambling's Seedling, King of Tompkin's, Beauty of Kent, Cellini, Worcester Pearmain, Seaton House, The Queen, Rival. Alfriston, Lady Sudeley, Ldddington, Blenheim Orange, Waltham Abbey, Prince" Albert, Grenadier, Hollandbury, Lady Henneker, Cox's Pomona, Golden Noble, Annie Elizabeth, Williams' Favourite, Mere de Menage. Sandringham, Graham's "Royal Jubilee. In choosing varieties of apple to plant together, one should avoid planting a M TILE BHIT1SK! BEEJ 303JK.NAL. !' Jan. 10, 191&. ■ , ■wcTy early-flowering; kind with: a very late-flowering variety; mid-season floWerii« of England made by several observers.. *'i Bismarck crops well generally. The pollen of Barnacle's' Beauty seems specially ' favourable. ' .' . "■ : ■ . ■ 1 • -. • - i Warner's King sets well with pollen 'of Cox's Orange. Beauty of Bath has been found to crop well with Allington Pippin, Lane's Prince. Albert, and Gladstone; but 'Gladstone did not crop well with Beauty of Bath. a Cox's Orange Pippin has been found to crop well where planted with eithei . Worcester Pearmain, Duchess's Favourite, King of the Pippins, or James Grieve. Worcester. Pearmain is generally considered 'to be 'the most remunerative dessert nipple; although self-fertile to only a certain degree, it is usually a good cropper. Bromley's Seedling sets well with almost any variety ; -Cox's Orange and Lane's Prince Albert are good pollenisers for it. Lady Sudeley crops well in.terplanted with Gladstone. . . '. fatties Grieve crops well with Cox's Orange, also with Stirling Ca's-tle, '&*id fe-1 found to be a good polleniser for other varieties. •) ' Gladstone crops we 1-1 with Cox's Orange and Worcester Pearmain.- ■'.■■"' Peasgood's Nonsuch — often an uncertain bearer-J--crops with Wellington. '• ■ Grenadier is not always found to crop well, but apparently Lane's Prince Alben and Early Victoria are good varieties to plant with it. .Lord Derby is to some extent self-fertile, but crops better if cross -pollinated \ It crops well with Graham's Royal Jubilee. Lane's Prince Albert has been found to crop Well with . Lord Derby, Stirling ; Castle, Grenadier, Beauty of Bath, Cox's Pomona, Gladstone, and Bramley's- Seedling. ■ ' • Annie 'Elizabeth is said to be well -crossed pollinated by Warner's King, ' ' ' ; Newton Wander, though somewhat self-fertile, does not always crop wet! ; Lane s • Pjince Albert and Lord Derby seem to be good varieties to plane with it. Other varieties that have been noticed to bear much foil 'en and are probably £Ood pollenisers are in approximate order of flowering : — Bismarck, Ribston Pipphij > Washington, Lord Suffield, Cox's Orange, Charles Ross, Beauty of Bath (flowers specially liked by bees), Allington Pippin, Lady Sudeley. and The Queen ; whereas Newton Wonder, King of the Pippins, and Irish Peach appear to produce but little pollen. The Royal Horticultural Society's Pocket Diary for 1917 gives the following list of varieties which cross-pollinate each other satisfactorily :-— Bramley's Seed- ■ ling and Newton Wonder; Bramley's Seedling and Grenadier; Lord Derby an*!* Beauty of Bath; Lane's Prince Albert and Allington Pippin; Worcester Pearmain' and Janus Grieve: St. Edmund's Pippin and Ribston ; Cox's Orange and Shirrnec Pippin; Allington and Worcester Pearmain: James Grieve, King of the Pippins, and Blenheim Orange; Bismarck and Lord Derby ; Lane's Prince Albert and" Grenadier : Cox's Orange and Lord Grosvenor. ; The Horticultural; Branch of the Board of Agriculture has been studying this subject among orchards in different parts of the country, and has collected much information on the subject, and it will gladly give advice to any grower on the subject, ai}d is pleased to receive any carefully observed facts thai may be helpful to growers. In apples very little of the pollination is done by wind ; the work of pollination and cross- pollination is chiefly done by hive bees and the various bumble bees. The '" Isle of Wight " disease lias greatly lessened the proportion of hive bees' throughout the kingdom, therefore the schemes for re-stocking with healthy' fees in clean hives is of great importance to fruit growers, as the wild bees atfe*"' outside (lie control of man. ' •' ' ■ • ■'• ' ■•'.--"':'■ (To h? co;ifiirie. ■' „'X'hat such action . should , be of legisla- tive origin is highly desirable, I readily admit. : ' .*'■ '■: ■ .'■■■■' '. ■■ '■ •- .' '. i : HUE--' KEEPING" OR BEE- " STARVING." [9610] Judging by the letters you have recently published some of your readers have been badly smitten with " Sugaritis.'' What has become of the honey their bees stored last season? -and would there have been all this " weeping, wailing arid gnashing of teeth" over lost stocks had the respective prices of honey and sugar been reversed last July? Mr. Hills (9606) is quite right. 'There is evidently something wrong with the craft," but the Government and Messrs. Paseall are in no way responsible for ttmt something, that I can see. Apparently, the excellent advice you gave last autumn T" winter store* ha* passed unhe^led,^--'\Yi., H. White. Amateur (New Southgate).— Working jor Increase. (I) There are several methods, but you cannot do better than follow the directions given in t.h« " Guide Book," page 94. To make three colonies from two, remove five combs containing-- brood mid eggs from one, shaking all the bees off them back into the hive, place these combs ic a now hive, and fill up both hives with frames* of foundation. Kemovc the other stock to a new stand, and place the new hive where it stood. The flying bees belonging to the hive that has been moved will return to the old stand, populate, the new hive, and rear a new queen, or a que^n may be given, them. The operation should, be 'carried out on a warm day when bees are flying freely. (2) I^o definite time can be given, bot probably the beginning of May will be the earliest it can be done. The hives -should ba tt> THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jau. 10, 1918. crowded with bees, drones flying, and nectar being collected abundantly. In some cases it may bo 4he end. of May or early June before ttio stocks have -reached this condition. (3) Nothing outside the ordinary precautions "when handling bees. Divide the combs first, and close tijj both hives, then move the other stock, be careful not to injure the queen, and do not open the entrances too wide for a day or two; leave them about 3 ins. >(4) As near the first of the month as possible, generally the 3rd or 4th. This month it "was later than usual, and was sent out on the 7th. P. G. Lock (Wandsworth).— Ventilation when Moving Bees.— At this time of year leave the quilts and blankets on, and give bottom venti- lation. Tack a piece of perforated zinc over entrance after removing slides. Novice (Cambridge).— Spring Cleaning.— It is not accessary to transfer bees to another hive, but it is far the test and most convenient method of cleaning hives and frames in the spring. There is very little difference taking everything into account. Extracted honey is easier .to work 'for than comb honey. Produce what you have the best market for. VV. S. Smith (Palmer's Green).— Bees not Taking Candy.— Probably the colony that has taken the candy is strong, and the other weak. Is the candy directly over the clusters of bees? The B.B.K.A. subscription is due on January 1 each year. Suspected Disease. P. JSdseleb (Cat-ford).— Tho trouble is " Isle of Wight " disease. Tho material is bits of wax from the cappings bitten off by the bees. It will not be advisable to confine the bees, but move the hive as far away from the others as possible. You might also lift the brood box off the floorboard, scrape the latter down, and (hen apply a strong solution of Bacterol or Izal. one part, and water two parts. Dry off the surface moisture, and replace. Burn dead bees and debris. J. R. Deighton (Darlington).— Cause of death was "Isle of Wight" disease. The bees were not 'Italians, but hybrids. Probably the Italian . queen you introduced was deposed, and the : young one mated with a uative -drone. We are afraid the bees were not cured, but the disease was still there and has reappeared. .II. A. Y. (Emsworth).— (1) Probably a number ' were lost in foraging so late. (2) No. 1(3) Set*. . It; will be safer to disinfect them first. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- yHUff in order to save trouble, as they wiU in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rale, hut 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Sees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. Advertisements must reach tis NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. ■(.)rders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of '•harge. fBIYATB ADVBRTXSEMBNTS. THE FLAVINES offer you a good chance of immunity from disease troubles in 1918 at a cost of Id— 6d. per apiary. Our Circular will tel! you how to uso them, and a stamped, addressed .•■nvelope will bring it to you.— S. H. SMITH, 30. \faid's Causeway, Cambridge, , a. 3 OAA °n« 1°- screw-top Jars of Light Honey, *>\J\J 3s. 3d. par lb— EDLINGTON, 268, New land Avenue, Hull. a.13 LION Works and District Co-operative Bee keepers' Association want a few Stocks or Bees on Frames or in Skeps; guaranteed healthy. --Particulars to C. W. TILLEY, 394, Aston Lane, Witton, Birmingham. a.5 WANTED, Geared Honey Extractor, with lids; must be in good condition. Please state make and price.— PALING, 57, Huntingtower Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield, Yorks. a.o 13 cwt. finest Light Honey, Is. 9d. lb., f.o.r.; sample 4d. — C. SPRATT, The Apiary, Wethcringsott, Stowmarket, Suffolk. a.7 WANTED, four W.B.C. Brood Boxes to hold" ' 10 frames; 30 drawn-out Standard Frames, free from pollen, must be from disease free apiary; one Bipener; also Simmins' Conqueror Hive complete, single or double. What offers for tbo whole or parts?— C. S. MORRIS, 13, St. John'* Road, Putney Hill, S.W.15. a.8 FOR SALE, eight W.B.C. Hives (Taylor), new last season, never used; owner unable secure swarms, and now leaving district. Each hive con sists floorboard on legs, outer and inner body box, 10 frames full sheets, crate sections full sheets, two ekes and roof, painted; also 500 each of four way and two-way grooved sections, 5 lbs. founda- tion cut for sections. Sold separately or together, f.ojV What offers?— Box 10, British Bee JouBNAt, 23, Bedford Street, W.C.2. a.o WANTED, 10 or 12 Taylor's Combination Hives, also large Ripener, Wax Smelter, Honey Knives, Knife Heater, Uncapping Tray and Smoker. Must be in good condition, rust free, and cheap.— State price delivered to F. J. BATES, Dorset Villa, Morgan's Vale, Downton, Salisbury. a.10 I71IVE 281b. Tins Pure Light Cambridge Honey. ? 196s. per cwt.; sample 4d.-J. YOUNGER, 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. a.li. A MAN Wanted, used to Bees and Land. Full particulars. State wages expected.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. a.12 BUSINESS ADVERTISE COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms: Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 5a. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Me of Man. MESSRS. STONE 4 SON, LTD., Chemists, Exeter, are buyers of English Beeswax, u> large or small quantities. Write, stating quantity and price required. a 3 NUCLEI.— Can accept no more orders till end of June. All inquiries taken in strict rotation Don't forget stamped envelope.— CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester. a. 4 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED Ran Honey in bulk. Sections per grow. HONEY 70S SAX.E Cnbaii, Californian, English, Irish. Pre* tins and eases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWS, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff IWDCTUR'SS AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON BEE-KEEPING. W. H1ERROD-HEMP8ALL is open, to giro tbo above in any part of the country; providing hi» own lantern, slides, etc.. demonstrating tent Also private instruction at pupil's own residence. Terms on application.— W. B. C. Apiary, Old Bedford-road. Loton. Beds. Jan. 17, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 17 SENDING REMITTANCES. Will subscribers, and others, please bear in mind when sending remittances that though the most cordial relations exist between ourselves and the B.B.K.A. the latter has no business connection with our papers. All cheques or money orders for B.B.K.A. should be made payable, and sent, to the secretary, and not mixed up with our accounts. Many people appear to be under the impression that our papers are owned by the B.B.K.A., judging by the number of cheques we receive in- cluding in the one amount subscription to the B.B.K.A., insurance, and subscrip- tion to one or both of our papers, or re- mittances for books. It would be just as reasonable when sending a cheque to the grocer to make the amount large enough to pay the butcher's bill as well, and expect them to adjust the matter. We have even on several occasions re- ceived- cheques to cover subscriptions to both the Journal and one or other of the county associations. This kind of thing causes a lot of needless trouble and delay in adjusting accounts, and in (future if cheques are . sent for these mixed accounts we may feel obliged to return them to the drawer for the amounts to be separated. As the Journal is now 2d. per week, we shall be greatly obliged if those readers xvhose subscriptions expire during 1918, will send cash to cower the extra Id. per week, or let us know if we are to adjust the number of Journals sent to those covered by the subscription already received. A DORSET YARN. The first week in the New Year, very cold, no bees to be seen, all are covered up warm. We can safely look for them to winter well, must make or buy new brood chambers; the latter is best, as they are all standard size. The outer cases can be easily cleaned, but where the brood is to be cradled it is well to be on the safe side and guard against disease. The only flowers that are open at our 50-acre farm are Christmas roses (Hclle- borus niger). We grow them because of the great demand for Christmas decora- tion : they have slowly opened in spite of the intense cold; they readily sell at 6s. to 12s. per gross, ihe plants are hardy, and where they do well a single crown will increase very quickly ; in a few years twenty to a hundred flowers may be gathered from each. They always retain their foliage, which is strong and leatherv, and which protects them from the intense cold; they never take kindly to lifting, they resent it, and do not yield so many flowers until they are well rooted again. At Henbury House, near by, they are very large and vigorous: the plants are 3 ft. apart and they nearly meet; there is scarcely room for one's boot between them, without treading on the flowers; the yield of flowers is enormous. They are planted on the east side of a 12-ft. wall — they do not do on the west side: they seem to resent the strong sun on the south and west side of wall. I cannot tell if the bees get nectar, in addition to pollen, from these flowers, but I have seen them carving in pollen to the hives at the time they are in bloom. If not gathered at Christmas the flowers will last till March — at least, some of them will; the pollen lasts a long time on the stamens, of which there are a very great number, all carrying abundance of pollen, of a pale sulphur colour. The cold weather has stopped the violets out in the open. We are filling up the manure yard with loads of leaves. Three women are raking them up in Merley Woods; we have had them several seasons now ; some are this year's and some are other years in a state of decomposition. We consider they add potash to the soil, especially the half- decayed ones. The leaves are of all sorts and conditions: big chestnuts and planes, ash and beech, oak and elm, with a great quantity of laurel and a few lime. One piece of wood near the mansion is very beautiful, even in dull winter months. Interspersed with the deciduous trees are some immensely tall sequoias (Welling- tonia gigantias) from some of the first seeds that were sent to this country from the famous woods of California, some gigantic red woods {Taxodixun sempcrri- vens) (also from America), with hollies and laurel, not as they are usually seen, a few feet high in hedges, but growing up between the other trees, twenty anc thirty feet high. T always surmise our bees come out t this wood when the laurels and hollies art in bloom, as they fly in such great num hers in that direction. Here, when the cold north-east winds blow, not a breath can be felt. The soil nover freezes be 18 THE BEITISH DEE JOUKNA^: Jan.: 17, 1918. neath this carpet of leaves, one can sit and eat one's humble fare of bread and cheese without feeling cold as one would in the open fields in winter. Sylvan beauty always appeals to me, and this spot, with gigantic rhododendrons and the swift- running brook in the valley, with its margin of green by the side of the forest, is very picturesque. It must have been something like this in early summer, which is described in Wiffin's Garcilasso — " Him to soft slumbers call The babbling brooks, the fall Of silver fountains, and the unstudied hymns Of cageless birds, whose throats 'Pour forth their sweetest notes ; Shrill through the crystal air the music swims, To which the humming bee Keeps ceaseless company, Flying solicitous from flower to flower. Tasting each sweet that dwells Within their scented bells; Whilst the wind sways the forest, bower on bower. That evermore in drowsy murmurs deep Sings in the air, and aids descending sleep." These loads of leaves, mixed with the ejectamenta of horses and cows, make a valuable manure for all crops. We find that the more we enrich the soil, the greater the crop. If it is beans and peas, or subjects which the bees visit, the greater number of flowers we get and the greater bulk of fruit from them. This winter-time, when land is locked with frost, at our little farm it is, to use the Latin term, " In magna copia rerum " (great variety of employments'), sawing and .splitting firewood, carting manure, as well as each day's regular duties — the oows have to be milked, their food pre- pared (swedes and turnips pulped and mixed with chaff), hay to be cut from the stack for feeding horses, as well as cows — this is every day's duties. I think I have made out a case, "Great variety of em- ployments." I am not a Latin scholar, though I have learned a little, as the names of plants have so much of it. It was Sallust, a writer of old Rome, that I learned some from. I read there that " some men have plenty of eloquence, but little of wisdom." Have always been afraid of being one of them, have tried to gain whatever know- ledge 1 could, not to be a wind-bag of words only. If our Editors can find room for further writings from the Violet Farm about the bees, the flowers, and fruits (that is, unless the readers of the Journal are, to tise a slang term, about "fed up " with the Violet Farm), I will try and carry on. — J. J. Kettle. ..> THEyjpyBKG^RagX. .., ' THE Ol'FfCUAL- LISTS ( C 6 fit Jl't U> J ) \ A Fruits. — Four: kinds of bottom fruit are mentioned ■' invthe list:' — Red currant (Bibes i-iibrum), Black currant (Jf^ n'u\- nuu), gooseberry (R. grossularia), and raspberry (It ub its Id tens). If the common bramble (Rubus fruti- cosus) and common barberry (Herberts vulgaris) be classed as fruits, then we have a round half-dozen plants producing edible berries. About the bramble, its varieties and hybrids, I have already said my say, and must refer my readers to the issues of November 1 et scq. for notes on these and on the barberry. It is with the four first-mentioned that I propose to deal briefly here. The space to be allotted to bush fruits in the garden or plot will be decided by everyone according to his or her circum- stances. I would only point out now that whatever one plants, whether fruit or vegetable, should be the best procurable. Superiority in size, colour and flavour are qualities which afford encouragement to their achiever, while prolificacy is the justification of labour and outlay. In the garden one may plant what one chooses ; on the plot it is not always so, and before investing in bushes or canes for the allotment it would be well to examine the terms and conditions of tenure in order to avoid legal difficulties or the loss of one's fruit oy enforced sur- render of the ground on which they stand. The policing of the allotment against grown-up pilferers and juvenile marauders is also a matter for careful consideration. Winged ones are equally troublesome in garden or plot, needing eternal vigilance as the price of ripe fruit anywhere. Bed Currant. — This, like the white one (B. album), bears its fruits chiefly at the base of the shortened shoots of the pre- vious season's growth, and the pruning will therefore be different from that re- quired by the black currant, which sets the bulk of its fruit on the one-year-old shoots. All the latter needs in the way of pruning is the thinning out of the older wood, the new growth being retained. Red and white currants, on the other hand, will need summer pruning, the leaders being cut back to about a foot and the laterals to three or four inche.-. Winter pruning will then consist of fur- ther cutting back the leaders to sj inches, the laterals to one inch from tin1 base. Both operations must be repeated every year. Never prune during frost. Gooseberry. — This subject also needs a summer pinning. July being the month Jan. 17, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 19 indicated for this work, which, consists in shortening the young shoots to a foot in length for leaders and four inches for laterals. To facilitate ]Dicking, it is im- portant to keep the centre of the bush open, and with varieties of pendant habit the outer branches, which droop, should be cut back so as not to have fruit at their ends soiled by rain splash. The winter pruning should be left rather late, when it will generally be found that the birds have done a good deal of it already, they being very fond, the finches in particular, of the tiny buds. Spraying with soap and quas- sia, or black threading may be done as preventives. "Raspberry. — Any attempt to secure fruit the first season after planting will be ill-advised, as all the root action is needed for the development of the canes for the year after, so cut them back hard after planting and strong growth will re- sult. When canes have fruited, cut them right back, keeping only the young ones. These leave at a length proportionate to their strength, sacrificing any spindly, pithy ones entirely. Merely tip the very strongest, cut the medium ones back a third and weak ones as much as half. As to the varieties to grow, doubtless no> two, authorities would exactly agree ; cer- tainly no two nurserymen. I, a mere ama- teur, dilettante if you care to use the word correctly, would not so far presume as to dictate my own preferences for adop- tion by others who, in many cases — Com- rade Kettle for instance — know infinitely "more about tbe matter, both practically and theoretically, than I can hope to do. So. then, I will play for safety by giving pride of place in black currants and goose- berries, to the varieties which have been specially recommended by the Fruit Com- mittee of the R.H.S., whose 3d. booklet, revised to wai'-time conditions, gives valuable hints on their cboice, planting, and subsequent treatment: — Black Citrrants : — Boskoop Giant. Baldwin's Black. Lee's Prolific. GOOSERERRIES : Broow Girl (yellow). Whitesmith (white). Lancashire Lad (red). . . Crown Bob (red). Whinham's Industry (red). Having no such guide before me in the matter of red currants and raspberries, I make, for what it is worth, the following recommendations : — r Red Currants: — Comet. Wilson's Long Bunch. Littlecroft Beautv. Raspberries : — Baumforth's Seeding. Superlative. Fillbasket. Black currants are liable to infesta- tion by a mite which attacks the buds, causing them to swell. From this symp- tom it is known as big bud mite, and so great are its ravages that many acres of black currants have had to be grubbed up and burnt as incurable. Boskoop Giant is considered resistant to this pest, but it is well to keep an eye on the bushes and pick off and burn any buds attacked,. The apiarian values assigned by Mr. Cowan are : — Red currant, honey 1, pollen — . Black currant, honey 1, pollen — . Gooseberry, honey 2 ; pollen — . Raspberry, honey 3, pollen 1. I trust that my friends in the composing room will not turn a 1 into an ! as they <~id in the case of the pumpkin in a recent issue. In the same number, a recipe for quince marmalade should read: — Ingre- dients : Quinces, sugar ; optional, lemons, cloves. Sugar would be optional only to a facial contortionist. A. F. Harwood. Song the ^B Greetings. — A Happy New Year to all brother and sister bee-keepers! After a period of semi-hibernation I once more, like the bees, on the approach of a new season, rouse up to take part in the work of a new volume. Foul brood and " Isle of Wight " disease have made many luke- warm, very many more callous in the pur- suit, and too many have quite forsaken the gentle art which well deserves the ap- pellation of " the poetry of agriculture." So great a number have recently asked me if I have given up apiculture that I am constrained to say No ! and again No! ! Have I not, in the past, subscribed to M. Maeterlinck's dictum that " To him who has known them and loved them, a summer where there are no bees becomes as sad and as empty as one without flowers or birds." My past season has been a good one, and the result from the two, as yet, small apiaries in which I am interested remind me of the palmiest days of the years that are gone. As increase was desired, and ob- tained, no average take can be recorded, but it mav suffice that individual takes of 20 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 17, 1918. *0 lbs. were secured. Honey sections were sold up to Is. 9d. for clover and 2s. 3d. tor heather — again a reminder of the good old days of 30 years ago ! Some heather sections were resold at 3s. each. Honey Depots. — If the recently re-con- stituted Scottish Bee-keepers' Association has not done much else deserving a com- mend, they have, in the institution of honey depots in Perth, Dundee and Edin- burgh, with the prospect of others in Glasgow and Aberdeen, conferred on many bee-keepers what has proved a boon and a blessing. (Go thou, British, and do like- wise ! ) Having tested tbe matter person- . ally, I am pleased to say the prices proved equal to the best going. This is the crux of the matter as far as successful bee- keeping is viewed by nine out of ten who engage in the pursuit, whether they view it as a business or as a hobby. The labourer is worthy of his hire, and the apiarist deserves full pay, while if it brims up and runs over so much the better. In the happy times yet ahead of you younger members of the craft, this question of co- operation in disposing of the honey crop must take a foremost place. Don't wait until the arrival of peace ; begin now — this very year. County Associations and the Central Association should bestir themselves at their first meeting, and I call upon members to table their motions, see that they are seconded and carried — nrin. con. if at all possible. Inspecting Hives. — From the very day this appears the process of examination can go on, at first tentatively, then occa- sionally, and later with comparative steadiness and regularity. Don't jump to the conclusion that I am advising opening any hive for many weeks yet, 'but I advise to keep them under surveillance by outside observation. A very great deal may be gleaned of the interior condition by the conduct of bees at the entrance on any fine day. Later, as the days go on lengthen- ing, breeding starts in the interior of the cluster in small patches at first. Gradually these extend in size and number. Then you can diagnose how hees are progress- ing, and it may be well to estimate in what grade each colony should stand. Naturally, they divide themselves into three classes — very good, good, and fair. Leave the first and possibly the second to take care of themselves meanwhile, but keep a sharp look out on No. 3. These are the ones the careful bee-keeper may aid as soon as weather turns milder. Under his fostering care they often develop gradu- ally, until they fall into the first line, when the honey flow opens. Left to themselves they would have gone under. Too fre- quently, nowadays, there is a fourth class, where there is no colony and only the empty hive. Deal drastically with.' these would be the kindest advice, as they may harbour disease. Using the Blow Lamp. — This, reference', to disease leads to my last paragraph of, this contribution. "Kill to cure " is the. safest motto if there are reasonable doubts. I Dispose of the combs and thoroughly clean out the hive. Use the blow lamp. A false impression prevails that the hive is in- jured by this treatment, but this is a fal- lacy. Some advise to char the hive, and the term' gives a false impression. The operation is perfectly effective when the surface of the wood is only a little browned. Germs and spores are tenacious of existence, but the extreme heat of a blow flame will leave no germ of life on the surface touched 'by its touch. Any other means of extinguishing them has not a look in with this powerful destroyer. Be thorough in your treatment, however, and leave no fraction of an inch un- touched. Treat all seams and joinings systematically, a second time. The floor- board, hive front, and flight-board should receive particular attention, and it may be well to give all these parts a double dose. Before using the lamp a scraper, should be used until every part is clean as a new planed board, and a.."ter the lamp has done its duty give all possible parts two coats of good oil paint. Disin- fectants may oe used after all this, hut not before.- TIMBER FOR BEEHIVES. Some months ago, at a meeting of the B.B.K.A., the question of timber for bee- keeping was mentioned and the steps to be taken to secure supplies. Since then the scarcity has become more acute, and to get a supply of foreign-grown timber is now practically impossible. Five pounds' worth at a time is all anyone can get without a permit, and that only given to favoured customers ; even the small quantity the bee-keeper who makes his own hives needs, will be denied him. In this letter I purpose showing a source of supply which can he got, and which, with care, will be fairly satisfactory. In the first place, the qualities required in hive- making timber have to be considered. A timber with the minimum amount of resin, not given to warping, that will stand exposure to the weather when painted, and free from objectionable knots. Yellow pine fills all these require- ments, but long before the war it was left out owing to price and scarcity, and the yellow deal of the London market was the principal timber used. A great many hives were made of what is called " Baltic white pine " — that is the name it goes Jan. 17, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 21 under in the timber trade in Scotland ; " Spruce," which is the proper name, is reserved for American white wood goods. A good serviceable hive can be made with it, and when well made and painted it will give reasonable satisfaction. Most, if not all, the hives I have come across in the shops in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other centres were made from it, but that wood is now a rapidly diminishing quan- tity, and not to be got for hive-making. I would hardly recommend the home- grown spruce, although it is the same timber grown in a different soil. There is the yellow deal, or Swedish red wood, the best that was imported. The worst feature of it was the amount of sap in the deals, but careful selection could overcome that difficulty; it also warps a bit, but the steam-chest in the joiner's shop would overcome that difficulty, and in the amateur's hands a little water and the kitchen. fire would bring it to reason - ablevshape. That timber not being avail- able, we must' look for a supply in the home-grown article. The same timber is at hand in Scotch fir. and with careful selection as good results can be got from it as from Swedish red ; a case of the same timber grown on different soil and also in different climatic conditions. We have all had our prejudices against the timber of our own country, although it was just as good quality as any we could import. Of course, we had the Swedish red sent over seasoned ready for use. The Scotch fir was felled, -manufactured, and put on the market soaking wet, or. rather, with all its natural sap, and some- times not too well manufactured, sold at a cheaper price and used only for inferior work, and we were content to pay the foreigner an increasing price for an article which was steadily falling off in quality. Since the war stopped our sup- plies from abroad, being in the timber trade I have repeatedly turned to the home-grown article for supplies, and when one selects and manufactures care- fully, one gets as serviceable goods as ever were imported. Here may I digress flnd explain the process of manufacture. In the home wood mills the trees are carted to the mill, which is generally in the vicinity of the forest, dropped on to a circular saw bench, squared off to size from a mark on the bench, which if it is within a quarter of an inch, generally to thVbig side, it is fairly good cutting. The Swedish merchant sends his goods across cut. srenerallv/with a frame saw. and a a whole cargo will not vary 1-lfi of an inch from its size. The same can b« done here, and most of our foreign wood mills are getting in their suppl'es. and manu- facturing themselves — a great deal of trouble, they say, but to keep going they are glad to do it. But to return to our Scotch fir. - Timber felled now.* and cut to size, it wilLbe seasoned and ready for hive-making by the end of January ; no permit is required for it, the hive-makers will know where to go to get it ; but what I would- do. would i be to select my logs in; the forest, take them -to a saw mill, and get them cut to the scant- ling,wanted; piled in an airy shed, arid when required they would -be there, equal iti ' quality, to the best "yellow deal that was ever offered on the London market. It can be used for making frames, and all parts of a hive. Last week I cut up a dozen logs for joiner's \ urposes, and when seasoned it will take the place of yellow pine and cypress ; it is to be used for all painted work for which they were used, and take the place of timber, which now cannot be got. Sections will also be scarce. If any appliance maker has the plant to make them, he has in lime trees the same timber as the American bass WOod — which I think is also sold as cypress. Our own lime tree is neglected; perhaps in the days to come we will cultivate our own resources more, take the pains to meet the requirements of ourselves in a reasonable manner, and not make a pre- sent of our trade, which should be done at home, to our enemies, and some very questionable friends. J. C. A. * This article was received several weeks ago. — Eds. The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expreited by torrtiponient*. No notice will oe taken of anonymous communitatiom, and correspondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only and give then real Barnes 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. BULLFINCHES AND BEES. [9611] Thank you for insertion of my inqury, re toxic nectar plants, and which has put right the question of Azalea Pontica. Now, although referring to your edi- tion of December 27, 1917, I must thank our friend, Mr. J. J. Kettle, for giving me an opportunity I have looked forward to for some 30 years to put in print — needless to say, I have not kept it to my- self—the explanation of seeming wanton- ness on the part of bullfinches in parti- THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 17, 1918, cular, in clearing off the flower buds of ariy fruit trees < >■ To be explicit — Thirty years ago- ::I took a crown place in the centre of the New Forest, literally • surrounded by the forest, and, therefor©,:, all birds had a free hand. Well, my first year there, the bullfinches plucked every bud from gooseberries, plums, nectarines and pears, in my so- called kitchen garden, but ever afterwards I had most luxurious full crops. I did not shoot the bullfinches, but in the win- ter and when the buds were dormant, I threw powdered quicklime all over the bushes, etc., and against the trained trees on the walls, and so into all crevices — and so not only killed the lichen on the bark, which, with loose bark on branches, harbours insects, but renders the taste of buds distasteful to birds. I noticed that the finches did not swallow the buds, but only searched for insects, in them, and so I thought that if they found one insect in one bud it would make them keen to hunt for more. I found syringing clogged the syringe. — Major R. W. Heathcote, New Forest. THE PRODUCTION OF SECTIONS. [9612] In Mr. W. J. Sheppard's article, B.B.J. , December 27, he gives a method by which the bee-keepers in the Kootenays get sections and frames in one rack. I can vouch for this method being a good one, having used it for some time. I use a plain hanging frame for "the sec- tions, H-in. wide, with top and bottom bars of sticlr" tlTickfress" as:; ftF^ring t'he- underside of ;,tj,u>. bottom ImrJevel with the underside «t the shallow tyame." In. art- ordinary slfawow frame rack I get six sections and five, shallow -frames (wide spacing about 14 in.). -:+■-■» •'■.-.' I rarely put in a super but what is fitted up in this way, arid find the method a great success. '" I have adopted a method of. working mixed section racks as^well as mixed shal- low frame racks. It is well known that frequently bees AVill sulk or swarm rather than enter the first rack of sections. They seem to dislike the little boxes with nar- row bee-ways. My method is to take out the centre Tow i©f sections and in their place put a shallow frame with; drawn-out comb (if possible)*;..:' ,[ .V<.f| With a 2*in. space ■ in the* .centre of the rack, and a comb hanging in it, there is no doubt about the bees coming up to work on it, and once there>thpv will stay ' and. work on the secftiohs. [, The fact of get- ting them up at once and started storing both saves valuable time and prevents swarming. This should be a boon to sec- tion producers. The method is very sim- ple, requiring no mechanical work and no alterations to the section rack whatever, not a nail nor a cut.4 Should any bee-keepers be interested in the method I should be pleased to publish the particulars, or to send one of my racks to, say, an Association, so the members could examine it themselves. To distinguish it from any other method I will call it the " Ionic ' method of sec- tion rack. — W. Ion, Healing. "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE: THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS. [%13] My experience of this unfortu- nate disease, in common with others, has been that the bees generally contract it after the honey flow in August, and that it is the strongest stocks and best workers. which are also as a rule most inveterate robbers, that bring the trouble home and start crawling. We know that a micro- scopic animal parasite called Nose ma apis is found in great numbers in the chyle- stomach and intestine of the bee ; now, a> the bees get the infection principally in the autumn after robbing, I think the source of the evil must he looked for in the hives robbed out where the bees, from some cause or other, have died and left behind combs with honey and pollen which has undergone fermentation and become putrid with mould : unfortunately, there exist too many of such hives all over the country, and most owners hope that some day a swarm may come along and re-popu- late their empty hives. I know of a case in point where this actually did happen — a swarm came along one fine day in May : the hive was teeming with busy life again for a month or so, when all at once, right at the begining of the honey flow, there was a dead stop ; supers were deserted and crawlers increased from day to day — their fate was sealed : the colony went the same as their predecessors, and in the autumn the hive was robbed out by neighbouring hives and the disease sown broadcast once more. Now, how did these bees contract the disease? My contention is that the spores lay dormant in the old combs, that the bees, forming the swarm, when they took possession had sound food with them to start with and went foraging at once, but all the brood raised subsequently in the old combs became infected and suc- cumbed to the disease as soon as the " pla- nonts '' reached the " meront '' stage. A few years ago I had a similar experience with an apparently healthy stock — there were no outward sign's till a swarm issued and then the ground was covered with crawlers and the swarm 'ultimately perished. In view of thfese facts, I Would suggest that our scientific bee-men, who should first of all be entomologists and practical bee-keepers, turn' their attention Jan 17, 1918. TH© BRITISH BEE JOtrmMX'l. 23 from the laboratory to the. hive, itself , and make an analysis of the contents of old combs containing fermented honey and putrid pollen, to establish beyond doubt the fact that the bacillus being the source of the disease exists it^thje spore state in the old combs. On proof being obtained, I would recommend scientific research as" to the best treatment, to effect a cure on different lines, of, say, three stocks on diseased combs placed at a distance of at least eight miles from existing apiaries, as a sort of isolation hospital, and, as to the use of remedies and treatment, this might be left to the discretion of the in- vestigator, but to my mind, it cannot be right to draw deductions from the effects of anti-septics upon the human system, as that of the insect does not quite bear comparison. We are warm-blooded, whereas bees, as all insects, are cold- blooded, or rather their vital fluid is, and they require oxygen and warmth to keep them alive. I may be wrong, but think it must stand to reason that the influence antiseptics have upon the human system cannot produce similar effects upon the fluid and digestive system of insects, and, consequently, other agents must be em- ployed to produce analogous results. I would suggest to try a remedy in the form of an aperient strong enough to free the chyle stomach and digestive system from N'psema apis, and enable the bees to void their faeces, and as a counteracting tonic, perhaps protein might be given in syrup in order to build up the system and enable the digestive organs to supply the vital- ising and formative material called blood. In throwing out these suggestions, I might say that I should be only too happy to be able to carry out any experiments tinder the advice of a scientist, but, unfor- tunately, my time does not permit. I trust, however, that someone more fortu- nately placed may be able to act upon my suggestions, and by his efforts confer a lasting boon upon our Busy Bee and all who take an interest in apiculture and its products. — 0. Puck. [The above letter was received before the article in P..B.J. for January 10, :" Momentary Questions," by Dr. Abu'shauy, was published. — Eds.] HE PASCAL!/ R BEE CANDY. [9614] I cannot understand the rabid way the Government has been pitched into for arranging where we can get our excellent medicated bee candy — where can one get it cheaper and pure? I have fed my bees on it for two years, and my twentv-two hives are sound and well. T think the Government were perfectlv right in preventing the sugar being used in any other way than for bees.- — Major R. W. Heathcote, New Forest. USING MOTOR CYCLE TO VISIT OUT APIARIES. [9072] I shall be obliged if you can give me any information or advice on the following point of law and bee-keeping. I have about 25 stocks of bees in three out apiaries, ranging from five to eighteen miles from where I live. There is a railway runs near two of them, but not the third one'. Until now I have used a motor cycle (for which I hold a petrol licence) to visit these apiaries. ' ■:• I have now been informed, that if I use it this year -for that purpose I shall be summoned. I consider this very hard, and should be glad of any advice you can give me on the matter. If I have to travel by rail and break business time to do it (which I certainly should have to), I shall be out of pocket with my bees. It is not advisable to have all my bees in one place near home on account of " Isle of Wight " disease. Should it break out in. one apiary it could be better dealt with to prevent spreading better than if the stocks were all together. Petroi. Reply. — We sympathise with you, as .we are motorists ourselves. It is impos- sible for us to advise you, as the Act is left for the IdcaF magistrates to inter- pret as they think fit, so that the deci- sions in prosecutions are as1' variable. 'as the British climate.1 You had tetter consult the police, and if they say you will be infringing the law, then there is no other course left for you than to use train or horse conveyance. RE-QUEENING. [9073] I have a hive containing six frames — five covered and one part covered ; would you advise me to get a neuclei of, say, three' frames, or leave them as they' are? I think they require re-queening, because they did not fill up the frames as they should have done When should I re-queen? They have a little honey, Jbut I am 'leeding.^-J. D. KlRKHAM. Reply, — The colony would build rip quicker if a nucleus with a young queen was united to it. This, or re-queenina-. should be done as early as possible in tile spring, but you will probably be unable to get either a nucleus or a queen until towards the end of April. 24 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 17, 1918. A. S. Baggott (Hereford).— Introducing New Blood— We do not think you need worry about doing- this. As man has no control over the mating of the queens, in-breeding probably does not occur to the extent it otherwise might do. If you do introduce new blood get a queen, but be careful she comes from a disease-free apiary. It is somewhat difficult to get all the qualities you desire. Italians would most likely suit you. Re-queen at the earliest opportunity. If your bees are healthy and good workers: we advise you to let well alone. For dealer® seei our advertisement columns. Miss M. Cudworth (York).— Avoiding Loss of Bees.— If the bees are all dead on the combs, with abundance of stores and have been " crawling," we are afraid the cause was " Isle of Wight " disease, and not any mismanagement on your part. Extract the honey from the combs, if they are clean. It is1 quite wholesome for human consumption. Melt the combs down for the wax, burn the refuse, the frames and the quilts, and1 disinfect the hives before using again. Give the ground round the hives a heavy dressing of builders' quicklime, and, if possible, dig it over. Wei prefer the " British Bee- keepers' Guide Book," 1®. 6d., post free from this office for Is. 8Jd. Suspected Disease. E. H. E. Pizev (Send), Mrs. Wilson (Sidcup), Mrs. Hales (Sidcup), . W. A. K. (Surrey), and Woden (Wood Green).— Death was due to "Isle of Wight " disease. Novice (Llandudno).— The • trouble is "Isle of .Wight" disease. The. candy, will not now. be stored, but the bees will consume it as needed. You can do very little for them at this season. On a mild' day you might remove the floorboard, scrape off all dead bees arid1 'debris, and - burn them, wash the board down with^a .strong solu- tion of Bacterol or Izal, and replace it. Amateur (Warrington).—" Isle of Wight " disease. Dutch. '.'.'.'"''' Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Trade advertisement 'of. Bees,- Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are. not permissible 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. ,)/wk one lb. screw-top Jars of Light Honey, £\J\J 2s. 3d. per lb.— EDLINGTON, 268, New- land Avenue, Hull. a.13 FIVE 231b. Tins Pure Light Cambridge Honey, 196s. per cwt.; sample 4d— J. YOUNGER, 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. a.LL A MAN Wanted, used to Bees and Land. Full particulars. State wages expected.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. a.12 WANTED, Stock Bees, free from disease, in frame hive.— Fill particulars and price to DR. BRIGHTMORE; Burford, Egham, Surrey. _^ a-14 WANTED, small Fireproof Safe; state size and particulars.— " A. G.," British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. a. 15 A FEW dozen good sections of Honey, each in cardboard case, 2s. each.— HINE, Fourways, Hemyock, Devon. a.16 ANTED, quantity Light Honey, Bottles or Tins— NORTH, dressing, Braintree, Essex. a. 17 W WANTED, one or two Simmins' Double Con- queror Hives, complete, perfect condition: also two best make W.B.C. Hives.— Particulars and price to A. G. GRAY, Dean Wood, Newbury, a.18 WANTED, Bee Books, " Modern Bee Farm."— BRAND, JUNR., Mains, Hatton, Crnden. Aberdeenshire. a. 19 FOR SALE \ plate Koilos camera, with Goers Dopp anastigmat //6.6 lens, can be nsed 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, 6m. deep, and 3Jin. wide; also light braes telescopic tripod, in leather sling case, all in excellent condition, and nsed by me to take the illustrations in " Help- ful Hints " and " Continental Wanderings." The outfit 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 •end on approval; Deposit.— HERROD. " B.B.J " Office, 23, Bedford-street, Strand, W.O. BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d. ; or full board, 58. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. MESSRS. STONE & SON. LTD., Chemists, Exeter, are buyers of English Beeswax, in large or small quantities. Write, stating quantity and price required. a 3 NUCLEI. — Can accept no more orders till end ot June. All inquiries taken in strict rotation. Don't forget stamped envelope.— CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester. a.4 TO CLEAR, 50 Raeks, taking 24 sections, soiled. Is. 6d. each; six Lee's, No. 48, new, 2s. 6d. each; four W.B.C, hanging frames, unused, with frames and dividers, 4s. 6d. each.— Box 11, Bee Journal Office. a.20 HONEY AND BBESWAX PURCHASED Ran Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and eases, carriage paid. Cash wiUk order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 38a, BXoy Road, Cardiff. FOR BEE APPLIANCES. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION BURTT, Gloucester, Jan. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 25 SEASONABLE HINTS. From the present time until the bees are a'ble to gather nectar from the early flowers is the most critical period', so far as stores are concerned. The great (majority of the losses from starvation oc- cur during the first three months of the year, February and- March being the worst of the three. The bees have, for the past three months, been living on the food stored in the combs for winter use, and unless there was a good quantity at the beginning of the winter the supply will be running dangerously low, just at the time when it is most needed. If breed- ing has not already commenced, it will do so' very shortly, especially if the mild weather prevailing as these notes are be- ing written continues for a short time, and as the quantity of brood increases the demands on the stores will become heavier. Do not allow the bees to starve. It is bad policy even to let them have only just enough to scrape through until the spring, as the result will be to check breeding, and thus keep the colony weak. Bear in mind that it may be the strongest colonies that are on the border of starvation, this condition being actu- ally due to their strength. A strong- colony may consume less stores, compara- tively, than a weak one, the latter having to use food to keep up the temperature, which is done by the number of bees in the former. A strong lot will also have more brood to feed than a weak one. If there is the slightest doubt as to the amount of food — and there should be ample for all needs — keep a supply of candy over the frames, when one cake is consumed give another. There is still a supply of candy, but it is not unlimited. The expense may be reduced if several bee-keepers who only need small quanti- ties " club " together, and get it all in one lot, thus reducing the expense both in the price of candy and the carriage. On mild days the bees will be able to indulge in a much needed " cleansing flight," when the hives and their sur- roundings will be more or less spotted with excrement. Some of the new addi- tions to our ranks may be somewhat un- easy at seeing this, but there is no cause for alarm, rather is it a sign that all is well. If the bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease they will be un- able to fly and rid the bowel* of the faeces accumulated during the time stress of weather has confined them to the hive. It is natural for them to void the excrement when on the wing. Keep hive entrances clear of dead bees, and see that the quilts are dry after the storm of snow and rain ; any that are daunp should be dried, or replaced by dr- ones, and if the roof is leaky it should have attention. Rearranging the apiary, if necessary, should be done if possible before the end of the next month, as after that bees usually have frequent opportunities for flying and locating their home. Prepara- tions for the coming season, such as mak- ing, repairing, or painting hives, pre- paring supers, etc., should be continued, or if all this is done one's knowledge may be ex ture. BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Council was held' at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lon- don, W.C.2, on Thursdav, January 17, 1918. Mr. W. F. Reid presided. There were also present: — Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. J. X. Smallwood, G. Bryden, G. P. Fanuch, A. G. Pugh, T. Bevan, W. H. Simms, A. Richards, J. rierrod-Hempsall (Association representative), E. Ff. Ball (Bucks). Letters expressing regret at inability to attend were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan, C. L. M. Eales, G. W. Judge, and J. Steel. The minutes of Council meeting held on December 20 were read and confirmed. The following new members were elected, making over one hundred for the current year: — Misses Dean, H. H. M. Coates, C. T. Herford, G. Elliott, Messrs. B. T. Abell, D. R. Kelsey, W. Shepper- son, and T. H. E. Watts-Sylvester. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who stated that payments into the bank for December amounted to £31 19s. 9d. ; the bank balance on January 1 was £10.5 9s. 5d. Payments amounting to £22 3s. 9d. were recommended. The annual report and balance-sheet for 1917 was presented and passed. It was resolved to hold the annual meet- ing, but no conversazione, on Thursdav. March 21, 1918, at 4 p.m.. in the Council Room, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lon- don, W.C. A communication was received from the Gloucestershire Association that they are in favour of the standardisation of hives. Next meeting of Council, February 21, 1918, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C. 26 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. •Tan. 24, 1918. A DORSET YARN. Still filling the imanure yard with leaves; the work on the land is all prospective. We are looking forward to humping crops in l'.)]8. It is astonishing how even a small dressing of humus to the soil adds to the weight of crops: in many instances the weight is doubled. Where Ave grow crops that are fofcd for man, as well as animals, this year, above all, they must be weighty, but crops for bees will not be missed; so load upon load of leaves are hauled into the muck-yard. The girls in the woods, collecting them beneath these gigantic forest trees, at a distance look like fairies, or nymphs (they are very fair to look on], so small they look by the side of the giants of the forest, particu- larly when the branches lift off their head-dress, and woman's " crowning glory " falls all around and over them. In the one of Keats 's writings — he was praying for inspiration — he says : — 'Twill bring me to the fair Visions of all places; a bowery nook Will be an elysium — an eternal book' Whence I can copy a lovely saying About the leaves and flowers; about the playing Of nymphs in woods and fountains; and the shade Keeping a silence around a sleeping maid; And many a verse from so strange in- fluence That we must ever wonder how and whence It came." The same beautiful writer (unless my memory is at fault) said : — " Many and many a verse I hope to write, Before the daisies, vermiel-rimmed and white. Hide in deep herbage: ere yet the bees Hum about globes of clover and sweet peas." We who have read the beautiful strings of Avoids can always see the beautiful, though words of Ave tillers of the soil can- not describe the syWan beauty as these great writers haA^e done : but we can see them, and enjoy their intrinsic beauty both in winter and summer. Wordsworth Avrote : — " Nature neArer did betray The heart that loved her; tis' her privi- lege, Through all the years of this our life, to lead from Toy to Toy; for she can so inform. The mind that is within us, so impress With quietness and beauty, and so feed With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues, Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb Our cheerful faith, that all Avhich we be- hold Is full of blessing. " In these warm, sheltered woods every- thing is full of promise, the laurels already showing their racemes an inch and a half long; the pollen flowers of the hazels are lengthening, though not yet showing colour, the former rising up- yards, the later pendulous. The huge lime-trees have their scarlet buds already swelling at the extremity of growth. AH these, to the bee-man, are sure signs of food in plenty for our little workers in their season. The limes, Aval nuts and tulip trees in the park of this estate are a tremendous height: the limes are of great girth at the base, and, Avhere the cattle cannot get to them, their immense branches have come doAvn to the ground. It is no won- der that bees do Avell near such wonderful trees, for their numbers are many, and all are big ones. The distinguished OAvner (Squire Levett) is justly proud of these fine trees. I have seen him looking at their great trunks, have Avatched his eyes rising up- wards, .and outAvards, at their great branches, and their Avonderful ramifica- tions. One can see that he loves Nature as much as anyone I have ever met. Here the squirrel has no fear of man. In these laurels sleep the many large battalions of starlings that in Avinter always keep to- gether in the fields by day, and come to the warm woods by night to sleep, and here the oavIs call to each other that there is food for their midnight repast (bad for the starling). Here are blackbirds and thrushes, making merry with the berries of holly all day and every day, so many there are, without fearer hindrance. The " coo " of the pigeon and the screech of the jay — one is thrilled by the voices, and in the words of one of Scotia's sons : — '.' T knew the voice, I kneAV it was thine. 0 liberty divine ! Therefore my heart did greet it. For I too was free." As one sees the loads of leaves go home, one can see, in prospective, the extra, weight of crops that will result from them. When in the yard Ave throw the liquid manure from out of the tanks oyer them, and then turn the whole over, Avith all the manure from the cows and horses. The leaves of themselves Avould be of poor value, but Avhen treated with the urine of cows and horses they are very valuable for the production of food. The War Agricultural Committees have power to farm the land themselves, if the owner does not; they are going to carry out the teaching of the parable of the talents. He who will not, it will be taken Jon. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 9.7 from him, as the earth must bring forth the increase in all food crops; it is for us few who keep bees to see that they also do the most they can by giving them the means to store the surplus. Now is the time to prepare: now is the time to read up the guide books: then one Avill &ee that the many racks for sec- tions are ready for the honey flow, plenty of wired frames ready for the young colonies and for the surplus honey. Last winter I made 30 extra racks for sections, so as to have plenty to put on as they filled the early ones. See that the sections are ordered early, all frames purchased and fixed together during the winter evenings, but I do not advise anyone to put in the whole sheets of brood founda- tion if the workshop is a very cold one, or indeed if the weather is very cold, as the wax is liable to break, it must be done in a warm room ; a quicker and better job is the result of the warmth, at least, that is my experience. In the spare 'time on winter evenings we get on with the seed. Beans, the white haricots I had sent from America, are a dainty dish ; we get them shelled out (I have not enough to have them thrashed by machine), they will be ready for sowing when the eric! of April comes, and we have plenty to cook for ourselves in the meantime. I have started broad beans myself before five in the morning (as soon as the animals are fed) in order to get off by an early train a consignment to the Lake Country. I should like to see the grounds of Mr. Martin, his bees and his flowers, and the romantic country in which he lives; the wonderful lakes where the great men of letters used to stay. The place must be full of memories of Ruskin, Wordsworth, Tennyson, and others. There is a lot in old England I still want to. see. I had a picture postcard from the Lake Country a week before Christmas, with the American flag flying alongside of the Union Jack on the top of one of its hotels. We shall soon see more of these two flags together, now that the American people are flocking to this country. One American lady wrote me from Bucklands Hotel, Brook-street, her ap- preciation of apples, honey, and butter, and, to use her own words, " I am afraid I exceeded the ration limit for breakfast with the good things from the Violet Farm." All this is by the way. Your readers will see I can blow my own trum- pet well. After all, this is the part of our Empire that T am trying to make productive, and if by writing the details of production, it helps other bee-men who have land, then it is not written for naught. The more the land is tilled, the better for crops, the more free from large pieces, which extra ploughing turns up to the air and frost, then, as the days lengthen, the sun's rays can get down into the soil to warm it, then " the land that was desolate becomes like a ' Garden of Eden.' ' The produce you have to sell is good, and prices are remunerative: no better commendation can a grower have when the cheque comes than : " Send on some more like the last." He who has his bit of land to work for himself can be near his bees in the honey season, where he that has to go to the office or factory cannot get the pleasure he would do each day. He would only have his Sundays to see them, and if it is wet (as many of them are) he would not see much of them. — J. J. Kettle. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — Continued. The only timber tree to figure in the lists is the Bastard or False Acacia, Bobinia pseud (o) acacia, a native of the United States, known in America as the locust tree. The values assigned are: — Honey, 3; pollen, 1. There is a striking fitness in the singling out of this subject for inclusion, since there is, surely, no other tree that equals it in apiarian value cr that is destined to play so important a role ;n sylviculture or arboriculture from the bee-keeper's point of view. Both Root, in the " A.B.C., and X.Y.Z.," and Dadant, in his revised " Langstroth," emphasise the importance of the locust tree, the latter saying, page 380, "The common locust (Fig. 122) is a very desirable tree for the vicinity of an apiary, yielding much honey when it is peculiarly needed by the bees." Groom, in " Trees and their Life Histories," says of its blooms, " the filaments of only nine stamens are united to form a tube, which is open along the back where the solitary separate stamen stands. This slit in the tube provides for the escape of the abund- ant nectar, which is secreted by the inner surface of the face of the tube! A yellow or green spot at the base of the back petal (standard) guides visiting bees to the out- flowing nectar." The florescence is in June, from the axils of the leaves. The flowers, in long pendant racemes have much the habit of laburnum, but are larger. If we give to laburnum the name " golden chain," then robinia should assuredly be called " silver chain," for a matured 'tree in full bloom, under a summer moon, or, indeed, in any light, is a faerie sight. At Heathrow, where I had two magnifi- cent ones before the house, nothing glad- dened my eyes at the end of my daily four-mile walk or cycle-ride from the station so much as the rosy-pearl masses of 28 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 24, 1918. bloom as I caught sight of them from down the lane. Nor were the bees less appreciative. Their hum, localised and centred in the crowns of those twin trees, was the most fitting accompaniment to my week-end labours in the garden. The scent of the flowers, exquisitely refined, was the most delicate caress the south wind laid on me. Nigh, all our English sentiment for trees centres round the oak. In the land, erst- while the home of toys and fairy lore, now the den of atavistic megalomaniacs reverted to the cave-man type, the linden gathered about it a special sense of affec- tion. The great leafy crowns offered a welcome shade, and the flowers embalmed the sheltered seats of generation after generation of villagers, who looked upon the linden as something almost sacred, cer- tainly as a friendly confidant of all their secrets, plaints, and woes. The Parisian, even the most inveterate lover of the boulevards, has long loved to get away, by any route or means, to that unrivalled plaisance the Bois de Boulogne, or to the Jartlin des Plantes, there to make love, or literature, or an exhibition of himself — Sows les acacias. By the way, it was Jean ltobin, pttpinidriste-herhoris-te to Henri IV. of France, who first obtained seed of the false acacia from Virginia, and his son, Vespasien Robin, founder (1620) and director of the Jardin des Plantes under Louis XIII., son of Henri IV., who first cultivated the plant in Europe. The name robinia enshrines the memory of father and son alike. The original tree, planted out in 1635, was still standing in 1892 when it was 75 ft. high.* In France no honey is more highly prized than that obtained from the robinia, its delicacy being indicated by its description as " le miel des dames." Unfortunately, much of the harvest from this source is spoilt by admixture of nectar from ailanthus glandulosa, Japan varnish, tree or Tree of Heaven, which is grown as an ornamental in the same neighbourhood. — A. F. Harwood. * For the guidance of anyone who would like to pay it a visit during' his or iher stay in Paris, I may say that it stands on the left of the Allee des Tilleuls (lime walk), just "behind the ornamental shrubs. THE QUESTION OF POLLINATION OF FRUIT IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL FRUIT GROWING. By C. H. Hooper, F.R.H.S., Member of Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. {Continued from page 14.) PEARS. The following is an attempt to give an account of the results of investigations so far into the pollination of pears. The majority of pears show themselves to be self -sterile, or very nearly so in pollination trials, and many varieties seem to show a preference as to pollen. It was the non-bearing of trees in a large orchard of Williams' Bon Chretien (Bartlett) that first started the study of fruit pollination by the United States Department of Agriculture. The following varieties have been found to a slight extent self-fertile : — 'Con- ference, Durondeau, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Colmar d'Ete, Haoon's Incompar- able, and Marguerite Marillat; and in America, Duchesse d'Angouleme, ,Beurre Bosc, Beurre Diel, Doyenne d'Alencon, Flemish Beauty, .and White Doyenne. Whilst among the apparently self-sterile are Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre Superfin, Catillac, Emile d'Heyst, Jargonelle, Josephine de Malines, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Williams' Bon Chretien, Olivier de Serres, Bellissime d'Hiver, Pitmaston Duchess, Beurre Alexandre Lucas, Clapps' Favourite, General Todleben, Winter Crisanne, Marie Louise, Dr. Jules Guyot, Beurre Diel, Citron des Carmes, Uvedale's St. Jcrmain, St. Luke and Souvenir du Congres. Conference is probably the most self-fertile of the pears we grow ; the self- pollinated pears that mature are sometimes cucumber shape, without seeds, instead of being bell-shaped. Mr. F. J. Chittenden, Director of the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, tells me that self-fertilised pears of Durondeau, Haoon's Incom- parable, Marguerite Marillat, and others are precisely similar. Conference seems to fruit better on the quince than on the pear stock. Dr. Jules Guyot fruits well among other pears, and seems to do better on the pear than on the quince stock. Doyenne du Cornice and Williams' Bon Chretien seem to be good pollenisers for this variety, judging from pollination trials at Malvern. Jan. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 29 Williams' Bon Chretien is nearly self -sterile here, only occasionally maturing fruit with its own pollen, and should be planted with other varieties; in pollination trials fruit set and matured with pollen of Le Lectier, Winter Crisanne, and Fertility hut failed to mature fruit with pollen of Clapp's Favourite, Dr. Jules Guyot, Pit- maston ^uchess, and Souvenir du Congres. In the U.S.A. Beurre d'Anjou and White Doyenne are found to be good pollenisers for this variety ; and in Victoria. Australia, Bailey's Bergamot is a good variety to interplant. Pitmaston Duchess is a variety that in many places fails to fruit well, and is for practical purposes self -sterile. In a plantation at Framlingham, planted in the proportion of six Pitmaston Duchess to one Catillac tree, a fair crop was reported. Williams' Bon Chretien pollen has given good results in my own pollination tiials with this variety in both years, and also at Malvern ; but fruit did not mature with pollen of Duchesse d'Angouleme, Dr. Jules Guyot, or Doyenne du Cornice. Louise Bonne of Jersey is recommended as a good polleniser from experience in Herefordshire. Doyenne du Cornice. — This beautiful pear, in seme places, often does not crop well; at Chart Sutton, near Maidstone, it fruits only fairly well in different planta- tions with Pitmaston Duchess, Conference, and Fertility, there only being about a quarter crop in each case. With Emile d'Heyst, Souvenir du Congres, and other pears it fruits well in a five -acre pear orchard at Teynham, near the sea-coast. Mr. G. P. Berry, Horticultural Inspector of the Board o'f Agriculture, tells me ne has found this variety fruit well where interplanted with Glou Morceau. Clapp's Favourite fruits well among a mixture of pears, but where planted next to a long row of Conference at Borden verv little fruit matured. In pollination trials, fruit set and matured with pollen of Josephine de Malines, but failed With pollen of Marie Louise, Fertility, and Dr. Jules Guyot. Clapp's Favourite is found to be a good polleniser for other varieties of pear grown under glass. The following pear trees have been noticed to carry plenty of pollen : — Uvedale's St. Germain, Emile d'Heyst, Williams' Bon Chretien, Clapp's Favourite, Catillac, General Todleben, and Pitmaston Duchess. The following kinds of pear were noticed to carry but little pollen : — Vicar of Winkfield, Durondeau, Conference, and Beurre Hardy. An average of seven records gives the approximate order of flowering as : — (i) Beurre Hardy, (2) Duchesse d'Angouleme. Beurre Clairgeau, (3) Beurre Diel, (4) Beurre Bosc, (6) Marguerite Marillat, (7) Beurre Superfin, (8) Williams' Bon Chretien, (9) Durondeau, (10) Jargonelle, (n) Pitmaston Duchess, (12) Catillac, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Souvenir du Congres, Clapp's Favourite, (13) Doyenne Boussoch, (14) Dr. Jules Guyot, Beurre Giffard, (15) Doyenne du Cornice, (16) Marie Louise d'Uccle. Different varieties of pear are in flower from about thirteen to twenty-four days (average eighteen days), full flower fifth to eleventh day after commencement (average eighth day). As with apples, the earliest flowering pears have shed their petals by the time the latest flowering commence to flower, so it is pieferable to plant those that flower about the same time near one another. (To be continued.) MOMENTARY QUESTIONS. (Continued from poor 13.) (3) The third school assumes an indefi- nite attitude, believing neither of the former opinions, and holding that, so far, no serious investigation has ever taken place. They would like to see that the various diseases of adult bees arc ex- amined in relation to one another, and thev cannot yet convince themselves that under the title of " Tsle of Wight " disease there do not exist several diseases of undetermined nature, presenting many common symptoms. It is known, for in- stance, that in 1906 Mr. H. M. Cooper, the hon. secretary of the Isle of Wight Bee-keepers' Association, described the disease clinically in terms similar to those given to the so-called " Bee Paralysis." Since then many cases are on record, presenting almost similar symptoms, and proving finally not to be- I " 1 1 " in 1I1,' ami' disease. [s it possible, 30 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Tan. 24, 191 S. after all, that they all do belong to the same disease, but of dif- ferent virulence, and consequently of different issue? No sensible person could possibly be hostile towards this minority of bee-keepers who come to such a conclusion, not as a result of prejudice, but from long observation and deep think- ing. On the other hand, such a hostility is justified towards those in responsible quarters who, within the sounds of the guns and the loud call for food produc- tion and food economy, are enjoying a profound apathy towards apiculture, and are absolutely indifferent to the renewal of research for the final solution of the discouraging problems in bee-keeping, the foremost amongst which is that of bea diseases. I have arbitrarily classified these three main theories, contributing personal re- marks to each of them, though I am in- clined more to support the theory of in- fection, but not without a belief in parts of the others. Such an inclination and belief is in reality not fully justified in the light of present knowledge. It is, however, a temporary and a reasonable view, to be maintained or discarded according to the results of the more accurate investigations, which we all are now looking forward to. To complete this narrative, I must (refer again to the second theory suggesting a toxaemia, from absorption of accumulated intestinal poisons, as the leading factor in the production of malignant dysentery. Now, granting this is truthful (and there is some evidence to show that it is at least a contributing factor), how could this evil source be avoided. On theore- tical grounds, as well as on practical ones that need further observation, I have no little faith in the artificial heating of hives. To raise the temperature of the hive to a high degree in winter is a most harmful procedure, which is sure to pre- dispose to dysentery ; but to raise the temperature mildly so as to avoid an ex- cessive sleep among its occupants, with- out causing an undue activity should be anything but harmful. It would raise their vitality, avoid their likelihood to starve in a bitter winter in sight of their stores, and would encourage them to cleanse themselves regularly outside the hive, if kept in a warm conservatory, or in their detention chamber in case the hive is directly heated. Perhaps, in both cases, a detention chamber is advisable. It is not likely that short cleansing flights in a warm winter shed are going to affect the much-needed comparatively long life of the autumn bees, in order to carry the colony to thfV spring. Such a limited activity is not like the almost '24 hours' activity of spring and summer bees. Again, from limited observations, I am inclined to think that the state of the atmospheric temperature is an important factor in determining the length of the breeding period. This year many bee- fkeepers complained that their queens ceased laying in September. With a weak stock which I possess, I continued artifi- cial heating both day and night through nearly the whole of October, and I wit- nessed large quantities of pollen taken in, which makes me imagine that it was gathered under the breeding stimulus and not only for future use. I ceased to apply this heating by the beginning of Novem- ber, and in a few days I noticed on the alighting board some eggs and larvae brought out, presumably dead as a result of a chill. The observation, in conjunc- tion with the following comparative in- activity of the pollen gatherers, in spite of the existence of bee flowers, and the occasional favourable nature of the weather, made me attach some import- ance to the effect of the temperature on breeding. I still warm a hive when the weather is severe, but this is done in a rough way. I imagine that if uniform- ally adopted during the whole autumn and winter on scientific lines, it would re- volutionise the period of breeding, and would, perhaps, aid in the creation of many artificial swarms. Bees in sub- tropical countries enjoy no winter sleep, and although bee-keepers there do not make good use of their bees from follow- ing old useless methods, they do not suffer during the winter the heavy mortality among the bees borne by apiarists in England. This hibernation of bees is consequently not a natural desire, but rather a natural adaptation, forced by climatic conditions. Again, the way in which bees feed themselves during the winter is an adaptation to climatic con- ditions; the bees on the top row are in the warmest position, and consequently possess sufficient energy to pass the food to those below them. Once the weather is sufficiently severe to restrict this limited energy and to crystallise the honey the whole colony is faced with starvation. I repeat, therefore, that the question of the artificial heating of hives on scien- tific and economical lines, is worthy of the thoughtful consideration of experi- enced bee-keepers, not only for the stamp- ing out of dangerous diseases that spread chiefly during the cold season, but also for the vital purpose of saving the lives of many stocks. Bees, in a sense, may be the best packing for bees; but this is a crude method which does not solve the foregoing problems. — A. Z. Abushady, Ealing. Jan. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 31 The Editort do not hold themtelvet responsible for the opinion* expressed by correspondents. No notice trill be taken of anonymous communications, and correspondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only and give then 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 MEAN THICK. [9615] I refer to the Roll of Honour in your issue of August 30 last. My neighbour and fellow bee-keeper, Lce-CorpL A. Chudley, of Hanwell, who is now serving with the Egyptian-Pales- tine Forces, asked me, before his de- departure, to close down his hives at the proper time. This I did, giving to each stock a cake of candy. A short time since, Miss Chudley. his sister, called on me and told me that, having examined the hives to see whether a further supply of candy were necessary or no, she could find no candy on any one of thorn. Thereupon she supplied all with a fresh cake, and wondering whether the bees would take to it, examined again a few days later, when, to her surprise and dismay, she found that all the candy last put on had been stolen, the quilts be- ing in disorder. I hesitate to think that any bee-keeper can have been guilty of this repeated act of theft, which I cannot suitably qualify in your columns. Rather would I believe that some ingenious but degenerate candy fiend, hard hit by the price of confec- tionery, has hit upon this means of con- tinued indulgence. If I be wrong, and. after all, it be a keeper of bees who has thus robbed a worthier member of our craft, well, T don't wish any haiim to his bees but as to their owner — my New Year wishes for him are seasonable and in keeping with his act. — A. F. Harwood. A REPORT FROM HANTS. [9616] The season 1917 in this part of Hants, as regards the amount of surplus honey gathered, has been varied. Bee- keepers whose bees had the swarming fever during May and June have had little or no honey, and, in many in- stances, t« my knowledge, have dead and starving stocks. My take, with very few swarms, reached seventeen hundred j pounds from fifteen stocks, spring count, chiefly extracted honey. Sections with me were practically a failure, having finished up with five hundred that were drawn out in comb and partly filled (a valuable asset for 1918). I have now twenty-two stocks in fair condition and healthy. Regarding " Isle of Wight " disease, I have had my full share, but feel sure the disease is on the wane in this neighbourhood. Has any reader ex- perimented as I have done during four successive seasons with excellent results? Make a nucleus of two or three frames of brood and bees from a healthy stock, and introduce the queen from the dis- eased stock to the nucleus, the diseased stock to be destroyed. I have had no re- currence of disease in stocks treated thus. I am inclined to think the queen is never diseased, and can be turned to good account if a stock is found to be affected in spring. I purchased a queen from a diseased stock from a friend in March, 1915, for half-a-crown, and treated as above, with the result I took one hun- dred and ninety-seven well-filled sections and an artificial swarm. I have now seven stocks headed by descendants from the same queen, and no trace of disease. I should like to hear if it has been tried by other bee-keepers, and with what re- sult. I have had a fair share of the pleasure and profit (not forgetting the hard work, my apiary being two miles from home) that is to be derived from bee-keeping, having been sixteen years "among the bees," and a reader of the British Bee Journal since 1902. Wish- ing it and its readers a prosperous New Year. — Horace H. Hall, Upham, Hants. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but at a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. A. Don (Enfield).— Quilt and top of frame damp.— It will be moisture from the bees that has condensed above the unoccupied portion of comb, and will not be likely to do the bees any harm. It' would be advisable to substitute a cork cushion for the one made of flock. T 0. D. ^(Wellingborough).— Reversal of " De- maree" plan (B.B.J. , December 27, 1917, p. 406) —The plan should work as well' in this country as- in British Columbia. 32 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 24, 1918. J. C. B. (Teddington).— When the questions art) ' Seemed- of sufficient general interest and we have the space to spare, they are published in full under the heading of "Queries and Replies." This will be done often er when, we are able to • add more pages to the Journal. Suspected Disease. " Beverlac " (Yorks).— Cause of death was "Isle of Wight " disease. " Rose " '(Kent).— Several of the bees were suffer- ing from " Isle of Wight " disease. You are ; doing quite right in collecting and burning dead bees and liming the ground. Medicate any food given, and on a mild day you might remove the floorboard, scrape off on to a piece of paper all dead bees and debris and burn them. Apply a fairly strong solution of some bactericide such as Bacterol or Izal to the board, and replace it after wiping off the surface moisture. " Ebor " (Dorset).— The trouble was "Isle of Wight " disease. The safest plan is to burn the combs, frames and quilts, or the combs may be melted down for wax and the refuse burnt. The hive may be disinfected by scorching -with a painter's lamp. See "Using the Blow Lamp." page 20, of B.B.J, last week. E. P. Frankland (Cornwall).—" Isle of Wight " disease is- developing. It is not advisable to spray bees and combs at this season, or to give syrup. The other measures you suggest — remov- ing the other hive and cleaning floorboard— are good. See reply to " Rose." Miss Pocklington (Lines.).— Several of the bees were suffering from " Me of Wight" disease. .See replies to the three previous correspondents W. E. Pearson (Edgbaston).— We do not find disease in the bees sent. R. D. (Kent).— The bees are native, with a little Italian blood, and appear to be free from disease. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these -Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in iuture be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible 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 tfn.,- or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. ■ Advertisements must reach ks NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. THE FLAVINES offer you a good chance of -. immunity from disease troubles in 1918 at a cost of Id— 6d. per apiary. Our Circular will tell you how to use them, and a stamped, addressed envelope will bring it to you— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid'6 Causeway, Cambridge. a.3 I71IVE 281b. Tins Pure Light Cambridge Honey, 1 196s. per cwt.; sample 4d.-J. YOUNGER, 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. a. 11 A MAN Wanted, used to Bees and Land. Full particulars. State wages expected.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. a. 12 WANTED, quantity Light Honey, Bottles or Tins.— NORTH, Gressing, Braintree, Essex. a.17 WANTED, one or two Simmine' Double Con- queror Hives, complete, perfect condition; also two best make W.B.C. Hives.— Particulars and price to A. G. GRAY, Dean Wood, Newbury, a.18 FOR SALE, 1 gross 1 lb. screw-top Jars of Light Honey, 2s. per lb.; sample, 4d.— FRUSHER, Crowland, Peterborough. a.21 WANTED to book Bees, Dutch preferred, stocks or swarms, for delivery when ready. —RECTOR, Donhead, St. Andrew, fSalisbury. a.22 FOR SALE, Hive, 17J by 16| inside measure- ments, extra lift, and rack of sections com- plete; recently painted; 25s.— 58, Cromwell Road, Beckenham, Kent. a. 23 WANTED, a few dozen Standard and Shallow Frames, Metal Ends and Foundation.— COE, Prince Street, Wisbech. a. 24 WANTED, a stock of Bees on Standard Frames, from a disease-free apiary; de- livery in spring. Also a Ripener.— Price and par- ticulars to MORRIS, 13, St. John's Road, Putney, S.W.15. a.25 WANTED, Bee Books, " A. B.C. and X.Y.Z.," also " A Modern Bee Farm."— NICHOL- SON, 136, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea. a.26 WANTED, Typewriter, in good condition.— Particulars and cash price to SALE, 118, Adnitt Road, Northampton. a. 27 ANTED, two to four W.B.C. Hives by good maker, complete and perfect condition. — Particulars to Box 12, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. ^28 TO CLEAR, Section Racks, 60 taking 24 sec- tions and 20 taking 21 sections, 2s. each; 200 Shallow Frames, nailed together, Is. 6d. per doz. —Box 11, Bee Journal, 21, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C. a.29 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. NUCLEI.— Can accept no more orders till end ot June. All inquiries taken in strict rotation. Don't forget stamped envelope.— CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester. a.4 W.B.C. HIVES-START WITH THE BEST.- Hand-made Hives on Mr. Atkinson's " Sheath " principle (see B.B.J., December 13, 1917), 19 ins. by 21 ins. dimensions, brood box, three lifts, shallow frames, and W.B.C. section rack, complete, 45s-., carriage paid.— CLARIDGE, Copfordi Apiary, Colchester. a.20 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. BUR1T, Gloucester, "MiW ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION Jan. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 33 OBITUARY NOTICE. MRS. GILES. We regret to announce that Mrs. Giles, the wife'of Mr. R. Giles, of Etwall, died Aery suddenly on January 10. Mr. Giles has been chairman and vice- chairman of the Derbyshire Bee-Keepers' Association for over 30 years. He has done good service for the Association during that time, and we are sure our readers will join with the members in sym- pathy with him in his great loss. BEE CANDY. REDUCTION IN PRICES. We understand that Messrs. Pasoall, in consultation with the Board of Agriculture and the Ministry of Food, have arranged as a special concession to bee-keepers need- ing candy this spring, to reduce the cur- rent prices by approximately 10 per cent., and a 5-lb. box will be supplied at 3s. 9d. (9d. per lb.), and postage 8d. A DORSET YARN. The sharp snap of frost has gone. Once more we can see the bees round the entrance, dragging out their sisters who have died. The alighting board is covered with cappings of comb, which shows that they do not go to sleep (like the dor- mouse) in very cold weather. More than half of my lot have shown themselves since the frost. Shall we look for another good set of fruit in 1918, as the bees will be many in numbers to see to the fertilisa- tion? I have lost (this last five or six years since the disease came into Dorset) a lot in winter, or, rather, in the autumn, so do not expect to winter them all. Letters from other bee men say that they, too, have already lost some of their stocks, which is very disappointing, when all of us hoped that the worst phase of the disorder had passed. The blacks that I bought at a farm sale at Wareham in the autumn of 1916 (all bar-frame hives) are looking the most lively. They are easily seen through the small piece of glass that is laid over the top, when the warm covering is lifted. These gave me the purest white finished sections last year, and have never yet sent out any " crawlers." What is strange to me, this lot had such a lot of drones, yet they are apparently the strongest in num- ber, arid the most active. It looks as if the extra work to feed so maiiv of the males made the workers more fit to with- stand the. winter. I know in man work never hurts; it may be the same with the bees. I saw in Parkstone a large tree of arbu- tus still in flower, also the scarlet fruit hanging. The November flowers on the tips of the young growth had finished, but sheltered among the leaves are a second batch of blossoms. Nature is sure to make provision for carrying on the race, in case the frost had spoiled the first lot of flowers. At no time of the year is the country bare of flowers. There is always some unit of the vegetable kingdom giving its trea- sures to delight the eye of man. On the walls of the rectory, which is close to the farm, the yellow jessamine (Jasminium nudiflorum) is now, and has been a long time, covered with blossoms on quite a large part of one side of the house. Readers of Milton will remember these flowers formed part of the sylvan dwell- ing of Adam and Eve in " Paradise Lost." " Thus walking hand in hand alone they pass'd On to the blissful bower ; it ivas a place Chosen by the Sovereign Planter, when He framed All things to man's delightful use^- roses and jessamines Rear'd high their flourish 'd heads." When the bees can get it warm enough to leave their hive homes, there is some- thing that they can visit quite close to them. This variety is not so widely known as the white flowering one of sum- mertime. It may be the summer one to which Milton referred; it certainly is the one Cowper writes of : — " The jasmine throwing wide her sweets, The deep green of her unrivall'd leaf." " Who that hath reason and his smell Would not 'mong roses and jessamine dwell?" When a young man, I waded through three histories of India. The last one had several volumes, and touching the religion of the Hindoos the jessamine was used very largely in their sacrifices. They de- lighted in fragrant flowers. 'Tis said the Turks use the wood to make their long- stemmed pipes. This family of plants is not plentiful enough to be of much help to the bees, but the yellow one, blooming on a wall, as it does from November to March, is one of the few that there are always ready for them in the dull season. Indeed, any flower that gives early pollen to the bees is a great help to them. The veteran Dorset bee man, Mr. Tilley, of Dorchester, is convinced that the "cause of the " Isle 34 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 31, 1918. of Wight " disease trouble is stale pollen. He advocates pea flour as a substitute for pollen in times of scarcity ; that is the reason I extend the Christmas rose — it has such abundance of pollen in the dull season. The work on the farm is arranged by the weather. When the land is free of frost we plough it; when hard frozen we cart manure. All young fruit trees are looked over to see that the extending branches are leading out in the required direction. We never advocate hard pruning. Some trees, as hacked about by man, are hideous monstrosities, not the graceful, elegant tree, such as Nature de- lights to make if left to herself. Some varieties of apples, like Beauty of Bath, Gladstone, Newtown Wonder, and Lane's Albert, etc., when quite young trees, will form a flower bud on the tips of the young wood. The first four or five years we always remove these, as when they fruit the young growths are arched over with the great weight of the fruit. Then the tree loses the nice symmetrcal form it should have. It is the same with some pears, but most of them grow into sym- metrical specimens without any help of man and his pruning knife. Those who grow for profit soon find out it is weight that tells. Develop the tree well, thin the fruit along the branches when the set is too much for them all to grow large. Trees that are stopped back like hedge plants can never look the clean, graceful unit of the vegetable kingdom as Nature willed them. I have read some- where that " Fruit is the most perfect union of the useful and the beautiful that the earth knows." It sounds like Kuskin, for he wrote, " Of all the lovely things that grace the springtime in our temperate zone, I am not sure but that the blossoming of the apple tree is the fairest." Dante writes of their fragrance, " less than that of roses, and more than that of violets." We are still planting apples, pears and plums. We want plenty of blossoms for the bees in the early season; the fruit will follow as a natural sequence. I anticipate a great demand for fruit next season. Stocks of jam are short now, and with the scarcity of butter, fruit preserves will be wanted, as the Army are such great buyers. Fruit, with bread, keeps man's system more fit in cam- paigning. There will be many now who will be unable to get flesh foods. They will find themselves in better health from the lack of it. Peas and beans are fine foods for energy; they give one back the elasticity of young manhood. We grow them largely, especially broad beans. We fill large sacks of them in autumn, when the pods are dry. They always keep well (they carry over a good time in the sum- mer when green). We shell them and soak in water 10 to 15 hours, boil till tender, take off the outer skin, which is tough, add a little butter, pepper and salt. A milk pudding sweetened with honey, or syrup, a baked apple, and you have a simple meal; no waiting in long lines for what you eat. Grow more of the commodi- ties you want; store them for the winter. The bees teach us this. When will our people learn of them and store the sur- plus for winter? We sell great quantities of beans green, but always keep enough for the winter, to use for food and for seed. We leave five rows 300 yards long; from them we do not gather any in summer, these send up several young lateral growths from the base, and are in bloom the greater part of four months, so the bees can look them over and over again. From now on to March, or early April, they can be planted in lines up to 2ft. apart, each seed about Bin. in the lines. Do not overcrowd them. We plough most of ours in. Going back to food and energy. Each morning this week up at four, at work the whole time till five p.m. ; evenings at home, one or two evenings at rehearsal and one at a concert. Water and feed cows and horses before bed. To-night (Friday) after tea at six p.m., Parish meeting about a Co-operative Coal Club ; service in the same room at seven. At 7.45 parish meeting about additional allotments. As chairman of the Parish Council, one has to pilot these mcasurea through. Having fed up horses and cows, now add this paragi'aph, and then sleep — I can speak for myself about energy with simple living. — J. J. Kettle. BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN. Old Bee Books—The Bible. One so often hears of honey and honey- comb in the Old Testament that, natu- rally, one would think that bees must be mentioned equally as frequent. Yet it is not so. I can only find four instances. Of course, it is quite possible I may have been somewhat careless in my search and missed others. Yet, such as they are, they would seem to confirm the bad repu- tation these bees of Eastern Asia have always had. Every now and again, in the ancient historians, an allusion to them crops up. Thucydides, for instance' — I believe it is in his Anabasis- — speaks of them scattering an army of Greeks. Herodotus has a similar tale. To wander a little further away into India, there are well-recorded accounts of soldiers who have had the temerity to attack the hanging nests of the great bees to be found there, and have been ignominiously defeated. How well, therefore, does this quotation Jan. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 35 from Deuteronomy i., 44, fit in : " The Ammonites chased you as bees"; and, again, from Psalm cxviii. 12: " They com- passed me about like bees." Considering the Old Testament only from a literary view, not as historical, or religious, we are struck with the boldness of its meta- phors, with its rapid, almost immediate, transitions from one of these metaphors to another, but above all by its wondrous posey, heaven inspired, and clothed in the imaginative language of races whose temperament is heated by a burning sun. Yet how perfectly do these two verses illus- trade what we know of angry bees. " They compassed me about.'" Which of my readers has not had a lively time with a colony f Of smoke, or carbolic, they have then but little fear, and their instinct for weak points in one's costume is absolutely marvellous. I count not the stings on one's hands ; those are a matter of course, and must be taken as fair punishment in fight- ing. But I certainly do think there is something Hunnish, in the craftiness and thoroughness with which forlorn hopes of storm troops will creep up each sleeve and each trouser leg. But those are simply the flank attacks. The main is on one's centre, where another battalion will creep underneath one's buttoned coat and vest, under the bee veil, and so to one's face. If that is not compassing one about it is intensely like it ; and as for chasing, it is certainly not very edifying, nor consis- tent with our ideas of bravery in man, to see a man of six feet in height, and well and strongly built, chased by a few in- sects half an inch in length, into the shelter of a thick bush, he, all the while, frantically waving his arms about his head and shouting. Is not this a true picture? How many times have we not seen it, and, laughed ? There is another allusion in Isaiah vii, 18, which has some interest: "The Lord shall hiss for the bee in Assyria." For this article, the context only interests me, to the extent of showing the reason of the hissing. It is a metaphor, illustrative of calling the Assyrians. Now the distance seems very great, but has this any relation to the modern " tanging " of bees? In both instances the hissing and the " music " of the frying-pan beaten with the door-key are to attract the notice of the bees. Many animals seem to be in- fluenced by musical sound; for instance, many dogs howl an accompaniment when they hear a band, or a piano, play. This fact seems to have attracted the notice of other ancients, for Aristotle, ,: De ani- malibus historia," says: "The bees seem to be delighted with a noise, and there- fore by the beating of earthen pots, and the tinkling of brass ones, they make them to congregate over the hive." T am well aware that the modern reason for the " tanging " is to announce a claim on the bees that are in the act of swarming. It may be so, but in all these examples, hiss- ing, beating of earthen pots, or of frying- pans, the idea is to attract the attention of the bees, to tell them you want them to settle, or to come to you, and, therefore, it seems to me that there is the same thread of ideas running through. I have still the .fourth mentioning of bees, and my space is getting short, there- fore, I must treat it in as few words as may be possible. It is from Judges xiv. 8 : "A swarm of bees in the carcase of the lion." It is a modern tendency to treat this as a fabulous tale. It is by no means impos-sible. We all know it has passed into a bye-word, "the vagaries of swarms." We all know they will settle in the most unlikely of places. In fact, it may almost be said, no place is sacred from a settling swarm. There is therefore a very probable chance that a strong, vigorous swarm of bees did settle in the interior of the rent lion. Forage is extremely plentiful in the land where this occurred. Even in our temperate clime any bee-keeper, if ex- perienced, knows of cases where swarms have built combs and deposited honey in three days. How much more possible is it then in a hot climate such as Palestine? One word more. This article may hap- pen to fall into the hands of some of our boys, and bee-keepers who are with the Expeditionary Force in Palestine. If they could pick- up any information as to modern bee-keeping in the land where they are doing their duty, it would b< supremely interesting. — J. Smallwood. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — Continued. Now that the subject of tree planting is receiving attention, it is essential for bee- keepers to use all their endeavours to secure that varieties which have a honey value should be well, if not adequately,, represented. This can best be secured by pointing out the economic value of such varieties, their beauty, and the method of cultivation. Whether as pure forest, i.e., of one variety only, in mixed forest, as park trees, as specimen ornamentals in pleasure grounds, or for the formation of avenues, there is no tree more worthy of attention than robinia. One bad fault it has; it is very wind brittle. This unfits it for use in exposed situations.* For avenue planting it should be backed by linjp or chestnut as a wind- * This brittleness, apparently so incompatible with the strength claimed for the wood, is explic- able by the mode of ramification and also, chiefly I think, by the fact that whereas in the States it grows in poor, sandy soils, here it is planted in richer ground, thereby becoming less sturdy and tough in fibre. 36 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 31, 1918. break. Evelyn, fn his " Sylvia," recom- mends it as " deserving a place among our avenue trees, adorning our walks with its exotic leaves and sweet flowers ; very hardy against the pinching winter, but not so proof against its blustering winds." It is, indeed, strange to note how little robinia has been used in and around Lon- don in the many public parks and gardens. Walker, in his "Saturday Afternoon Rambles Round London," in which he devotes much space to trees, does not even mention it. Writers on forestry differ widely in the amount of attention they bestow on robinia. Nishet, in " British Forest Trees," confines himself to mentioning, apropos the chronology of his subject, that robinia was introduced during the seven- teenth century. Johns, in "The Forest Trees of Great Britain," justifies its inclu- sion in the following words: "It is entitled to a distinct notice among British trees, from its having been one of the first trees introduced into England from North America, from its common occur- rence, from the large size which it attains, and from the value of its timber." The timber value of robinia is very high. It offers a unique combination of strength and durability. For making trenails, the pegs or pins used to fasten ships' planks to the ribs, it has practi- cally ousted oak. It is also used for axle- trees of timber wains and for other parts in carriage-building, while the smaller grades are employed as fencing stakes, hop poles, and, in the South of France, as echalas or vine props. As a park tree its value is enhanced by the fact that the sweet fallen leaves are keenly relished by deer. All parts of the tree are sweet — leaves, inner bark and root, the last especially, yielding, as it does, a sweet extract like liquorice or sarsaparilla. Robinia is a subject that requires light, and on this account is not particularly useful for underplanting ; but on the other hand, it affords good returns upon a short rotation, owing to the rapid growth of its coppice shoots — often 10 ft. in the first; season — and the use which is made of its timber for fuel. The tendency is for the tree to produce a short bole which divides into rising branches at a moderate distance from the ground. Groups of robinia are capable of attaining the same height as the surrounding forest or as the belt of other growths used as a wind-break for them. As a hedge plant robinia acts well ; after being severely cut back, it comes up from the root in prickly masses, the twigs inter- twining to a certain extent. As the period of active growth lasts, in the case of young plants, until the com- mencement of early frosts, it frequently happens that late shoots, not thoroughly lignified, get frost-bitten. In this case the shoots affected should be cut back to the healthy part. Propagation is generally by root suckers, which are very freely made, the root system being wide-spreading. This root system, by the power it has of reaching food material at a distance, and by the extraordinary demands which it makes upon the soil, accounts for its success in places where other trees fail completely. It is for this reason, specially well adapted for the planting and fixation of steep banks and slopes, such as railway embankments, tips and raised approaches to bridges. A. F. Harwood. THE SPIRIT OF RESEARCH. I have given my last article the hopeful title " Momentary Questions," from, per- haps, a justified optimism, and not because I do not look upon the questions there dis- cussed as being of a momentous nature. They are, of course, vital questions, upon the ultimate solution of which much de- pends. But to judge from the present state of bee-keeping in this country, as faithfully represented by the Editors of the Bkitisk Bee Journal, in their 1918 Foreword, we may safely look to a brighter future, and to a quick extinction of at least some of the evils from which no apiary could be absolutely guaranteed as immune. For me, it is a pleasant thing to read criticisms from a sober mind, and a courteous pen, which have a complete dis- regard for personalities, and a total con- sideration for the common good. Such discussions are very helpful, and they cer- tainly serve to bring more and more for- ward valuable facts, and to advance any worthy cause rather than to retard its in- terests. I can hear the call for research actually rising, and can see its spirit on the point of reviving ! Hence my joy, and my appeal to every thoughtful champion of our dear friend, Apis Mellifica, to show his sincere appreciation and friendship in a practical way by aiding this movement for a continuous scientific research, for the welfare of both the honey bee and her de- pendent " keeper." Were an active Research Committee to be established early this year (preferably of an official or a semi-official character), and including not only the entomologist and the practical bee-keeper, but also the bac- teriologist and the general scientist, and forming connections with various consult- ants whose technical views might be sought whenever necessary it may not be too much to hope that among the early fruits of its labours in the current year would be the Jan. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 3T most convincing declaration" as to the nature of "Isle of Wight" disease and allied maladies, also the soundest methods for their prevention and treatment. Re- investigation of this matter is absolutely essential, in view of the many doubts and personal views which are hanging over us. Once the infection theory is firmly re- established, much could be done through the influence of the Standing Researcb Committee referred to (especially if made representative of the central B.K. Asso- ciations all over Great Britain as wel,l as the Board of Agriculture) to introduce legislative measures for prevention of in- fectious bee diseases, and not without ade- quate safeguards against hardships, and injustices to unfortunate members of the craft. Such a Committee would be also in a position to sift all suggestions and theories, and arrive rapidly, and in quite fin impartial way, at definite conclusions. Granting that malignant dysentery is an infectious disease, whose period of maxi- mum' prevalence is during autumn and winter, such an authoritative Committee, wbich should enjoy the complete confidence of all bee-keepers in the British Isles, would not fail to indicate, as a result of it's careful investigation, the exact or probable factors that aid in the spread of this disease, also how to avoid them under various conditions, and how to fight against the infection once prevention has failed. Isolation of infected stocks would then be an obvious necessity, and the de- tention chamber would secure a recon- sideration of its forgotten merits, amongst which may be mentioned the protection of a weak colony against robbery, and the safe exclusion of a source _of infection. To the writer, the use of an aperient in such a time as the autumn (to say nothing of the. winter, when the bees are more con- fined to the hive) does not appeal, 'and this for the following well-known reasons. In the first place, the frequent, use of an aperient (whether in association a pro- tein food is given or not) is not a tonic to the gastro-intestinal system; and it must not be forgotten that natural constitu- tional strength is decidedly the most im- portant factor in combating an. infection. Tn the second place, to give an aperient to diseased bees, which are in a helpless state regarding flight, would not help to improve the sanitation of the hive, and thus the surroundings of the bees inside their home hive will simply guarantee their per- manent infection, and possibly their ulti- mate fatality. In the third place, bees under the influence of a laxative, are naturally compelled to take frequent cleansing flights, and possibly without re- gard to the state of the weather: the re- sult is that many of them will never return again to their combs. (To be continued.) BEE NOTES FROM DERBYSHIRE. There has been a lot of very interesting news in the B.J. this last few weeks from different writers, such as Mr. Kettle's " Dorset Yarn," and Julian Lockwood's march through the promised laud. I should have been just as eager as he was to have tasted that honey, even if the old girl was coming for me with a big stick. Let us hope he will soon be back among his own bees, having those big takes of honey which he would have had this year if honey has been as plentiful in Norfolk as it has been round here. There is also great credit due to our New. Zealand friend in giving us an ac- count of how he moved an apiary over 300 miles; our taking a few hives to the heather is nothing compared to that. One seems to __ miss Mr. Woodley's "Notes by the Way " and Mappings of Comb," and a few other writers. So I am just going to try to fill up a little blank space with a few things I have noticed in the 'bee line since last March. About that time I had cause to be work- ing near Dover for a few weeks, and as I travelled about I was taking particular notice as to the number of bees round there. I saw very few, but plenty of empty hives. I might have gone by some and not seen them, but on one road from Barham to Sandwich, 10 or 11 miles, I -passed one hive in.Nonington and one near Eastry Church. What a weight of honey must have vanished into thin air from off all those pieces of good clover and sain- foin I saw around there ! I have often wondered this summer how those two hives have gone on. One other thing I forgot to mention ; I should certainly have liked to have seen Ripple Court— the name so well known to all B. J. readers as the home of Mr. Sladen and his Golden bees. I was coming from Deal through Northbourne one night when I saw the name, " Ripple Court — two miles," on a guide-post; and that was as near as I got. The bees cer- tainly don't have to fly over many hedges in that part; it is like going over Beeley Moors, crossing some of those fields, and if there was one place more than another where I would liked to have planted a dozen bee-hives, it was on that road-side from northbourne to Betteshanger. Well, to come back to Derbyshire, which I did the last Saturday in April, to find one of iny two hives very bad with the '• Isle of Wight " disease. I set to work and sprayed it with Dioxogen, and in a week I did it again ; after that I saw very few bees crawling, and, the weather being superb, they seemed to be making fair headway, although they were reduced to a double handful, Note, this hive had 38 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Jan. 31, 1918. stood by itself all winter ; the bees were a cross, more yellow than black, and the finest queen I ever saw. Well, at this time I had to bring my hive of " Goldens," which was a couple of miles away, and stand by the side of No. 1. Bad policy, some would say, seeing it was free from disease. I did not think one could give some bees " Isle of Wight " disease, try as one might, but one can — as I have foxind out since. It was a fairly strong lot, and they seemed to take to the change all right, but they did just what I expected they would do the first cool day that came — they set on to rob No. 1 out, it being a weak lot. I was potato-planting at the front of the hive, and I saw them .start. As I had no carbolic acid handy, I fastened No. I up, so the bees could not get in or out. I kept them fastened up two days; then, as it had turned warm, I let them out again, and they did not bother that day. The next day it was hot, and when I went to look at them they were at it again. I thought, " Well, you will get ' Isle of Wight ' disease now, as you have been stealing that honey," and they had killed about all the bees in No. 1. The queen was wandering disconsolately about the comb ; for a good job they had not killed her. If anyone had come up just then I would have given them that queen as useless to me, but nobody was near, so 1 did the next best thing. I exchanged hives, and gave No. 1 all the flying bees from the " Goldens " ; that gave the queen enough bees to cover three frames of comb, and there were 10 lbs. of honey left in the hive. She was three days be- fore they took to her to make her lay: then she set to with a will to turn those 10 lbs. of honey into bees. It was like putting a small swarm to her. Of course, I sprayed them both after that lot, and for six weeks I never saw a. crawler. Although the " Goldens " had five frames of comb full of brood when I exchanged them, No. 1 hive was full up on eleven combs first. It has not been my lot to see such combs of brood full from top to bottom bar, and from end to end, with only about an inch of honey in the corners, for some time. As it was getting into July, I could not expect much honey from clover. I thought, " What a stock to take to the heather," but now " Isle of Wight " dis- ease showed signs of coming again, so I took the combs out to spray them one by one, when, to my horror, I found foul brood had set in very badly; in fact, I never saw it worse. It seemed to all come in a fortnight. I thought if Dioxogen would cure "Isle of Wight" disease, I would try it on foul brood ; so I sprayed it all among the brood and eggs. Homey was coming in from the clover, so I put the super on, and they got about 15 lbs. The super had been on ten days, when I took it off again, and took all the combs out of bottom of hive and sprayed them — bees, brood, and eggs. That was the last week in July. I can't say at the moment what it has done for the foul brood, but I have not seen a crawler out of that hive since. Had the weather been anything like it was the last week in July they would have got 50 lbs. of heather honey, but as it is they have got from 15 to 20 lbs. in an eleven-frame super. It was nearly all sealed over when I was up there on August 27, with the super crowded with bees. To see that lot then anyone would hardly believe there were crawlers by hundreds outside the hive the last Sunday morning in April, and when I sprayed them the next day they seemed to come out for a cleans- ing flight, and they were about all crawlers in a few minutes. Some writer says his were up flying again in two hours after spraying with Dioxogen. I am doubtful on that, for I sprayed the bees on the ground, but I think they were about all dead next day, so I turned the earth over them. (To lie continued .) The Editort do not hold themtelve* reipontiblt Iot the opinion* expressed by correspondent*. No notice will be taken of anonymous communication*, and correspondent* are requested to write on one side of the paper only and give then 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 communication*. NOTES FROM VICTORIA, B.O. [9617] I wish to thank you for the British Bee Journal, which arrives quite regularly in spite of the long journey and disordered shipping. The paper is so interesting that I find it much too small. The STRONG, active Man, 50 years of age, good knowledge of vegetable gardening, poultry and bee-keeping, desires berth; 40s. per week (or equivalent).— 6, Church Road, Townstal, Dart- mouth. b.6 WANTED, Honey Extractor with gearing (Cowan preferred); must be in good con- dition.—State price, carriage paid, to REV. W. V OHILWELL, King's Bromley Vicarage, Lich- field. b,7 BEES.— I shall have a few ten-frame Stocks of Old English Bees for sale this spring; never known disease.— F. A. BEAN, Snaith, Yorkshire. _^ b-8 TO the D.B.'s only— FLAVINE is making friends. C. J. Mapey, Esq., The Paddocks, Cherryhinton Road, Cambridge, offers his apiary to test and demonstrate our modern methods in connection with Flavine. We shall look this apiary over, plan for 1918, and publish all details in a circular which should reach all D.B.'s by February 20— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. b.9 WANTED, Bee Hives and Appliances, free from disease.— ABREY, Newport Lodge, Melton Mowbray. a. 31 WANTED to purchase Stocks of Bees on Frames, or Skeps. — SMITH, " Corner House," Hockley Heath, Warwickshire. a.32 SIX 56-lb. (ins finest Clover Honey, Is. 8d. per lb.-€RAWFORD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. a. 36 TO CLEAR, 20 Section Racks, each to hold 21 sections, 2s. each; 200 Shallow Frames at Is. 6d. per doz., soiled; also 200 Brood Frames, soiled, Is. 9d. doz.; several new Skeps, various pat- terns, Is. 6d. each.— Box 11, Bee Journal, 23, Bed- ford Street, W.C.2. 3^29 HEALTHY Bees wanted, either in skeps, frame hives, or on combs.— DYCKE, Flackwell Heath, Bucks. a. 37 WANTED, Stock Bees in frame hive, also to book Swarms for coming season.— A. LEWIS, Hawera, Staplehurst, Kent. a.41 WANTED, a stock of Bees on Standard Frames, from a disease-free apiary; de- livery in spring. Also a Ripener.— Price and par- ticulars to MORRIS, 13, St. John's Road, Putney, S.W.15. a.25 WANTED, two to four W.B.C. Hives by good maker, complete and perfect condition.— Particulars to Box 12, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. a. 28 WANTED to book Bees, Dutch preferred, stocks or swarms, for delivery when ready. —RECTOR, Donhead, St. Andrew, Salisbury, a.22 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d. ; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. NUCLEI.— Can accept no more orders till end ot June. All inquiries taken in strict rotation. Don't forget stamped envelope.— CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester. a.4 W.B.C. HIVES— START WITH THE BEST- HandLmade Hives on Mr. Atkinson's " Sheath " principle (see B.B.J., December 13, 1917), 19 ins. by 21 ins. dimensions, three lifts brood box, shallow frames, and W.B.C. section rack, complete, 45s., carriage paid.— CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester a.20 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY POR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. 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 " Baziar " publishes also practical hand- books by experts. Send for full catalogue, post free from WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C.2 THE British Bee-Keepers' Association. The recognised centre of practical and scientific bee-keeping in Great Britain. Particulars and conditions of member- ship may be obtained from the Secretary. W. HERROD-HEMP6AU., 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. Feb. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 49 OBITUARY. GENERAL SIR STANLEY EDWARDES, K.C.B. Another veteran bee-keeper has passed away, and we regret to have to record the death, on January 25, after a short ill- ness, of General Sir Stanley-de-Burgh Edwardes, K.C.B. , at his residence, Spon- den, Sandhurst, at the age of 77. Sir Stanley was for a number of years on the Council of the B.K.A., for the last two years he has been a vice-president of the Association, and was a well-known figure at the annual and other meetings. He had a fine military record, and was a friend of the late Earl Roberts, under whom he served in India. He took part in the Indian Mutiny, and the Abyssinian Campaign of 1868. Sir btanley and Lady Edwardes cele- brated their golden wedding in October. 1911. The funeral took place on Monday, January 28, a large number of relatives and friends assembling to pay their last tribute to one who has been well described as " a good man." We can personally testify to his unfailing kindness and courtesy. SEASONABLE HINTS. The main topic of conversation at the present moment is food rations, and this is still the most pressing need for the bees at the present time as well as for our- selves. No doubt now the weather is so, comparatively, mild, many of those new to the craft will be anxious to open the bives just to see how the bees are going on, but this should not be done at present. A lack of food, though it may not be so serious as to cause the death of the colony, will have a very serious effect on the amount of broo'd that is reared. The success of the colony during the summer will depend largely on the number of young bees reared in Hie early months of the year. The old bees will die off verv rapidly when they are able to fly out and forage, and unless there are plenty of youngsters to take their place the colony will dwindle, sometimes to such an extent ^"-it it will not recover strength in time to take advantage of the honey flow. A reader writes to know how to ascertain how the bees are fixed for food without taking out the combs. The condition of the stores can be ascer- tained by gently stripping back the calico quilt, a puff of smoke may be neces- sary to drive the bees back, so that the top rows of cells may be seen. If they contain sealed stores, all is well for the present ; if not, a cake of candy should be given. From the middle of the month, if the weather is mild, flour candy may be given. The pink candy may have the flour added to it, if it is melted gradually until it becomes more or less liquid, like thick cream, and about two ounces of pea flour to each pound stirred in. It is better to put the pan containing the candy into another containing water, which should be kept hot. When the flour is stirred in another teaspoonful of Bac- terol should also be added to each pound, as the heating will have driven off a good part of the original dose. During the mild weather with which we have 'lately been favoured all stocks of bees should have shown signs of life when the bees have been taking a cleansing flight. Any hives where such signs have not been seen should be examined. Pos- sibly the entrance may be choked with dead leaves and debris ; this is sometimes caused by mice, which have found an entrance to the hives and nibbled the combs. The brood box should be lifted awav and the floorboard cleaned down. If the bees are dead with plenty of stores close to them it is almost certain that the cause is " Isle of Wight " disease. In some cases there may be more or less soiling of the combs and the in- terior of the hive, but this does not always occur. Bees that are in good health never soil the inside of their homes. If the combs are clean and contain honey, it should be extracted, and used for domestic purposes, for which it is quite wholesome. The combs mav be melted down for wax. and the refuse, dead bees, frames and ouilts burned and the iiive disinfected. For the latter purpose a painter's burn- ing-off lamp is the best. Some of these are made to burn benzoline and others naraffin. Petrol may be used in the former; we always use it in our own. Tf a lamp is not available, the inside of the '•-■—. ebnuld be treated with a strong solu- tion of some disinfectant. Preparations for the coming season, if not completed, should be continued, and anv goods that are needed should be ordered at once if that has not been done. As brood roaring will have progressed to sonic extent, the bees will need water. A drinking fountain should be prepared in good time, as once having located a watering-place the bees will continue, to use it if a constant supply is available. A warm sheltered spot in the garden should be chosen, and precautions taken against contamination of the water by dead bees or excrement. 50 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 14, 1918. A DORSET YARN. The warm days have told on the early flowers; there will be plenty for the bees, who are now flying farther from the hives. On February 1 I noticed them 300 yards across the fields. Snowdrops are plenti- ful, but the bees will not look at them yet ; though lots of them are growing with the Christmas Rose, not a bee have I noticed on them. They are revelling in the pollen of the Helleborus (Christmas Rose), and are carrying in quantities of it. This neighbourhood has been for many' jears rich in snowdrops. " A flower that first in the garden smil'd, To virgins sacred, and the snowdrop styled." In the churchyard of Shapwick, a vil- lage by the side of the River Stour, these flowers have extended till they are like a white carpet. I have read somewhere how " These first pale blossoms of the un. ripen 'd year, From the bare earth, among the snow appear." So many there are they look like snow. It is the same at Lytchett Matravers, where the Manor House and the church are close together. All around the mansion and shrubberies, at the base of large trees, snowdrops are everywhere. Here, as Thomson ex- presses it, " Fair-handed Spring unblos- soms every grace." Underneath the huge lime trees, with their scarlet buds and coloured young twigs, they look very beautiful. But it is at Deans Court, the home of Sir John Hanham, that snowdrops are in the wildest profusion, on banks, in the lawns, round trees, in the paddock, by the River Allan, in the woods, growing up among the ivy-covered ground, they are delightful to see, they seed and extend so much. It is exactly as Mrs. Smith writes : ' The grass is spangled with their silvery drops," and in another verse, " Like pen- dant flakes of vegetating snow." On this estate all of them are double ; though they seed so much, yet all come double. The bees never carry foreign pollen to them, or else they are self-fertilised before they are visited by them. In other places I find that all have a very small centre; they delight the eye, and all add to the beauty of our own loved land. As Mont- gomery wrote : — " They shine in Flora's desert bowers, Beneath the vernal dawn, The morning star of flowers." I also1 notice that the bees are busy on the Laurustinus, another of the winter- flowering shrubs that gives abundance of blooms in the dull months of the year. Bees must get something from it or they would not work it so much. Our esteemed Editors have sent me a letter from a Welsh farmer, who, like my- self, keeps bees, to help with the pollina- tion of his fruit. He wants to know if the strawberry trees ^Arbutus) would be productive if planted. I should not ad- vise him to plant them, for the fruit is very dry eating, but a tree or two to grow for the blossoms would be ornamental, and would give his bees something to look over in winter when on the wing. It does not bloom very quickly ; it requires age before it is very floriferous. I am somewhat afraid the Yarns from Dorset give the Editors a lot of extra work to do with letters dealing with sub- jects on them ; am glad to know that, some readers find them interesting and a little instructive. Personally, I consider them poor stuff in comparison to Dr. Abu- shady's contributions. Three other writers, in January 31 issue, also state their interest in the Yarns ; it is encourag- ing to carry on (that is, if one can find anything original to write of) for another year. — J. J. Kettle. Errata. — In last week's " yarn," page 42 and the 22nd line, " Luarcus Ilex " should be " Quercus Ilex " ; and the 11th line from the bottom in the same column should read " Tone Poets." " Then, etc." THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — (Continued.) Variously named Forsythia forhinei and F. sieboldi, the Golden Bell is indeed a delightful shrub, especially in March, when the whole plant is as if hung with fairy gold for a festival of the little folk. A native of China and Japan, its graceful habit is most attrac- tive either in combination with ram- bling or climbing plants, grouped on a lawn, against a wall, or in the open shrubbery or border. Easily suited as to soil, Forsythia needs shelter from rough winds. In a favourable situation and medium, it is a quick grower, reaching 10 ft. in height. After the flower season is over the old wood should be thinned out to encourage fresh shoots. Propaga- tion is by layers or by cuttings struck in the autumn under a hand-light. Like Fontanesia, it can also be grafted on privet. The Goat's Leaf Honeysuckle would appear to be intermediate between the free climbers, of which L. pericly- merium, the common honeysuckle, is the type, and the shrubby evergreen form of L. tartarica, L. fragrantissiiria, L. standi shii, which the last-named closely resembles, and L. involucrata, syn. L. ledeboiwri, the true Bush Honeysuckle. Caprofolium is a deciduous twining shrub, producing its deliciously scented yellowish flowers in May and June. In any good garden soil it will reach a height of about Feb. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 5f 7ft., and is particularly noticeable on account of its charming, glaucous foliage. L. tartarica is an erect grower, flowering in April and May, the pink blooms being followed by black berries. It makes a height of 4 to 6 ft. The Coniceras are all easily increased by layers, cuttings, or from seed. The flowering currant is a familiar object in cottage gardens, with its droop- ing trusses of deep rose flowers brighten- ing the surroundings in April and lasting nearly a month in bloom. Bees like this the best of all the flowering currants, certainly preferring it to its darker form JR. atrosanguineum. I grow with it R. aureum, the yellow or golden flowered one, which blooms at the same time. The flowers of R. sanguineum are followed by purple berries, while the berries of R. aureum are like the bloom, yellow — occasionally black — and the flavour of these, called buffalo currants, is said to be exquisite, although I confess I have never tried them, not caring to subject " this vile body " to the consequences of any rash experiments in this direction. R. sanguineum is rather more spread- ing and robust in habit than R. aureum, which is more upright and slender. All the Ribes are spring flowering, and all are easily grown in any soil, although they are said to do best on gravel. Propagation is by cutting or layers, either of which strike readily. To distinguish Symphoricarpus race- mosus syn. mollis, as the white Snow- berry, would seem pleonastic, but not only snow, but snow berries may be — and are — coloured. I have seen pinkish snow in the Swiss Alps, and purplish snow berries in England, S. purpureus being, I believe, the name of the latter. There are, indeed, four varieties now introduced into this country from North America and Mexico. The Snowberry is allied to the honeysuckles, belonging as it does to the same order, the Capiifoliacece. The small pink flowers, borne in succes- sion from July to September, are eagerly worked by hive bees, and are followed by smooth white berries, in bunches, which last the greater part of the winter and form food for game. Propagation is by suckers, which are abundantly formed. Symplioricarpus should be made much more use of in courts, the wild garden, for screening off unsightly outbuildings and in the back row of a mixed shrubbery. There is a variety with variegated foliage and also a dwarf one suitable for rock garden work, 8. micraphytlus syn. S. montanus. S. racrmusus is, however, the one for the bee-keeper. — A. F. Harwood. BEE NOTES FROM DERBYSHIRE. (Continued from page 38.) Now, to turn hack to the " Goldens/- When I exchanged them during the rob-, bing bout, they were a bit bothered to know which hive they belonged to, and which they were'stealing honey from'; hut the next day, when I went to look how they were going on, No. 1 lot was work- ing all serene and happy. Not so the " Goldens," they were fighting and kill- ing scores. I thought, "Oh, you are finishing those few flying bees from No. 1 hive off as they come home.'' As they had killed so many in the robbing bout, I left them to fight it out, thinking it would be over by next day, but I have since found out, to my sorrow, that when " Goldens " start fighting they never know when to stop. I did not go to look at them for a few days, hut they were still fighting ; they had killed hundreds, so I went back to the chemist's and got some carbolic acid, with which I painted the flight-board and front of hive. I had to do it three times before they would stop ; they were killing all the flying bees as they came in ; they killed them till the outside combs of brood were chilled, niter that, they seemed to settle down, and by the last week in July they had got full up on eleven frames of comb, and had a super full of bees; they are marvellously quick-breeding bees. I took them to the heather on the last Saturday in July, and thought what two grand lots I was taking — they looked like filling a super in no time. But how soon one's hopes are dashed; they were there six days before they could get out of the hive for cold winds and wet days. The sun shone again at last, and out they oame. The heather was in full flow, but they had not been at work long before they found out that bees in strange places often hit the wrong hive when they come blustering in loaded, and they were not having any strangers, so. they started fighting again. I could see any dark-coloured hybrid was soon walked out and slain, but they did not stop at them. If a yellow bee alighted about an inch above the entrance and then fell backwards, they -pounced on it in a crack, and it was slain and marched off the flight-board. I reckoned they were doing twenty every ten minutes, and as I had no carbolic acid with me I had to leave them at it; so it may be imagined what a heap there were when I went four day? later. 'There were quite a capful, and all living honey gatherers that came in loaded. 52 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 14, 1918. The peevish little demons I call them. I have seen, bees rob and fight where there has been no honey to get, but never in a big flow as it was coming in then. It would be interesting to know if anyone else has ever had the same experience with " Golden " bees. I have taken the carbolic and painted front and entrance of hives. It gives them a chance to get in, as it clears all the fighters off the board, but they still keep killing odd ones. Scores were clustered on the flight-board all the while mey were at the heather— a contrast to when they were working on clover. Some days, when I watched them, every bee was working its hardest, not a single bee scouting at the front. These "Goldens" have never shown the least sign of " Isle of Wight" disease that 1 have noticed ; perhaps it is because I keep spraying them. * * * * * It is now Christmas Eve, and nearly four months since I penned the foregoing notes. Time and bees have altered so much in the interval that one lot of notes will perhaps jar with the other, but I think, at any rate, it will interest readers if I finish the yarn about those two stocks of bees. The weather was very showery all the time they were on the heather, and although they worked hard in the intervals, when I had left enough for winter I only had 20 lbs. of surplus for myself, but even then I certainly did better than our Scottish friends. Well, the " Goldens," owing to their fighting so, what bit they stored in the super they would have wanted it to winter on had they kept all right, and they were strong the last week in September. They were crowded on eleven combs, and had at least one comb of brood to hatch out. As for the foul brood I mentioned, I could only find two cells with any sign, of it in them. I thought I had never seen such a strong stock put down to winter. I had never seen a sign of " Isle of Wight " disease about that lot all the summer. Dioxogen had certainly kept the two stocks free trom it, but to see them again a month after that it was as though a 'blight had come over those " Goldens." It was not lighting this time, for they were crawling about in thousands all over the garden The last time I was near the hive it was an inch thick in dead bees all round it. If out of that good lot any survive the winter I will be greatly surprised. I don't think No. 1 lot had got it so bad; in fact, I saw few crawlers about that hive till just before Christmas, then I saw a few. — T. St/etght. (To be continued.) THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON BEES. I. — Introduction. " To bees warmth is life." This is the truthful and wise hint given by a leading manufacturing company of beehives and appliances to its customers in advertising the value of coverings and quilts. Yet, on the other hand, I was told by a pro- minent bee-keeper that bees like cold ! And it is no exaggeration to say that, beyond the traditional use of coverings and quilts, hardly any bee-keeper in this country ever thinks of the influence of warmth on bees or of the possible good use of such, a factor for their betterment and for his own commercial interests. The subject does not seem at all to appeal to the craft even for discussion from a prac- tical point, and some even venture to assert, without giving any evidence what- ever, the " fact " (sic) that bees like cold ! I am indeed sorry for the extent of obser- vation of such apiarians, who claim for themselves a wide experience, and I am more than sorry to find no authoritative research committee on apiculture in existence, in order to look forward to for the solution of such an important ques- tion. So great is my disappointment for the lack of scientific leadership to the craft that I have been much relieved and gratified, through the kindness of my friend, Mr. W. J. Owers, of Messrs. Abbott Brothers, to get the other day the loan of " The A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture," which must be a well-known work to those interested in American methods of bee- keeping. Though I possess several books on bee culture, I lack American publica- tions on the subject; and if their standard is to be judged by this excellent work, which has given me a real pleasure to look through, many of them must be worthy indeed of admiration, if only for the scientific spirit which is too evident in the " A B C and X Y Z." The editors of the latter book, however, are exaggerat- ing too much when they describe it as " a cyclopaedia of everything pertaining to the care of the honey-bees " ; for it is (at least the 1908 edition, which is the one in my hand) in reality no more than an incomplete text-book, yet it is full of life, and is most inspiring. On the sub- ject of " artificial heating," I was very happy to find a short account, and it is the first one I have ever come across in any book ; my own contribution to_ this subject, though still quite rough" is, nevertheless, quite original, being the mere result of observation and thinking, as distinct from "blind imitation, and the lack or fear of taking a justified personal view and pronouncing it. The authors of this valuable American book in introduc- ing this subject say: " As strong colonies Feb. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 53 early in the season are the ones that get the honey and furnish the early swarms as well, and are, in fact, the real source of profit to the bee-keeper, it is not to be wondered at that much time and money have been spent in devising ways and means whereby all might be brought up to the desired strength in time for the first yield of clover honey. As market gardeners and others hasten the early vegetables by artificial heat, or by taking advantage of the sun's rays by means of greenhouses, etc., it would seem that something of the kind might be done with bees ; in fact, we have, by the aid of glass and the heat of a stove, succeeded in rear- ing young bees every month in the year, even while the weather was at zero, or lower, outside; but, so far as we can learn, all artificial work of this kind has resulted in failure, so far as profit is con- cerned. The bees, it is true, learned to fly under the glass and came back to their hives ; but for every bee that was raised in confinement two or three were sure to die, from one cause or another, and we at length decided it was best to wait for summer weather, and then take full ad- vantage of it." Though the above statement and the remainder of the account given by the authors on the practical application of artificial heat in the apiary clearly show a sensible purpose and a scientific motive, they also show, so far as one could judge from such condensed statements, a lack of a scientific method, with sufficient pre- cautions; and I am not therefore sur- prised to hear of a non-successful result. I limit myself at present to the fore- going introduction in consideration for the size of the Journal, and I propose to deal in the following articles with the main features of the subject. A. Z. Abu shady. (To be continued.) Errata. — In our last issue, in Dr. Abushady's article, page 46, first column, line 42, " agricidture " should read " api- culture."— Eds. HEREFORDSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. Something more about the ravages of the " Isle of Wight " disease that is deci- mating the beehives of Herefordshire was heard at the annual meeting of the County Bee-keepers' Association held at Hereford on Wednesdav, with the Presi- dent, Mr. C. T. Pulley', in the chair. The report of the hon. secretary (Mrs. Mynors, Llanwarne Rectory) announced that under existing circumstances the ordinary work of the Association had been practically at a standstill, with the excep- tion of the spring and autumn tours kindly undertaken by Mr. J. Arnfield. The number of stocks examined in the spring was 111 and in the autumn 144. In the spring 57 cases of " Isle of Wight " disease and in the autumn 20 were re- ported. Unfortunately no permanent cure has yet been found for this disease, but the committee decided last spring to follow ,the lead of the Kent Bee-keepers' Asso- ciation, and started on the same lines a re-stocking scheme, by which it is hoped to supply members with a strain of dis- ease-resisting bees, from which to build up new colonies. Fifty-one shares had been issued to members at 10s. each, and it is hoped that the first distribution of nuclei will be made early in the season of 1918. Special thanks are due to Mr. Arn- field for undertaking gratuitously to start the working of the scheme, and for the time and labour he has devoted to it. The committee, unfortunately, had to report a further decrease in the member- ship of the Association, but in a lesser de- gree than last year; 39 withdrew, against 69 in 1916. The total number of members now stood at 103, 17 of whom joined dur- ing the past year. The receipts for the year were .£76 3s. 3d., including a previous balance of £5 17s. 3d., and as the ex- penses, largely in connection with the re- stocking scheme, amounted to £73 12s. 10d., there was a balanoe in favoiir of the Association of £2 10s. 5d. The President, in moving the adoption of the report, remarked that bee-keepers were still beset by the old trouble, the " Isle of Wight " disease. He understood that the Government were making ex- periments from time to time, and he be- lieved some form of inoculation would be found to enable them to cope with the dis- ease. It was, however, a very difficult disease to overcome, and it would take some time to get their stock into the con- dition it was in some time ago. Mr. Arn- field had kindly undertaken the re-stock- ing scheme on behalf of the Association, and thev had now some 13 hives of Italian, stock. He believed that the bees were very vigorous and good-tempered in manipulation (laughter), and he hoped that by the introduction of this stock they would be able to get the hives back into something like their old position. Fifty- one shares had been sold during the year, and a good number of people who took tickets last year had already received stock, or would do .so at an early date. Mr. Pulley referred to the standardisa- tion of bives. by which it was hoped to cheapen the cost to bee-keepers, and while very grateful to the Countv Council 54 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 14, 1918. for help in the past, they hoped to get an increased grant in the future; which would be a help in their re-stocking scheme. The report was adopted, and a hearty vote of thanks passed. to Mrs. Mynors for her greatly-appreciated services as hom. secretary during the past year. The officers of the Association were re- elected en bloc, with the exception that Mr. L. B. Lee retired as a vice-president and Miss Bradstoek resigned from the committee. New vice-presidents were elected, viz., Mrs. Hazlehurst and Mrs. Trafford. - Mr. Arnfield's report on the re-stocking scheme stated that five stocks of bees were purchased in May and June, four being hybrids and one pure Italian. These were increased to 16 stocks, most of which were headed by queens raised from the ftalian stock. They were very vigorous, and also of good temper during manipulation. It was proposed to continue this strain dur- ing the coming season. One stock of hybrids developed " Isle of Wight " dis- ease, and also the nuclei made from it. These had been destroyed, leaving 13 stocks for increase in 1918. It was stated that hives had beein kindly lent by Mrs. Mynors, the Eev. K. O'Neill, Mr. J. Stephens, and Mr. J. Arnfield. The report was considered- hopeful, and the Rev. K. O'Neill moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Arnfield for what he was, doing in. connection with the re-stocking scheme, which, the rev. gentleman was sure, would be a distinct benefit not only to themselves as an association, but to the county later (hear, hear). The compliment was heartily accorded. As usual during the proceedings, a draw for a new hive took place, and the winner proved to be Mr. Smith, of Walton. The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinion* 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 then *eal 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. CANDY TURNING SOFT. [9619] Has any brother bee-keeper had the same trouble as I have this winter? On closing down for the winter T placed Two one-pound cakes of Bacterol I fee Candy, as supplied by Messrs. l'as- call's in each of my hives. I now find the front of the hives and the alighting boards covered with excrement, and on looking inside I discover most of the bees dead, and the candy in a semi-liquid con- dition running down between the frames. This ought not to be, as I have made candy for the last 18 years, and I have never before had such a thing happen ; in fact, I have repeatedly removed the unconsumed candy from the hive in the spring; and kept it until the following autumn. I might mention that the strongest stocks have gone under ; those that were weak in wintering are the only ones alive. •I should like to have the opinion of other bee-keepers. — H. Bright, Hon. Sec, New Forest Bee-keepers' Association. [We should say the bees have died from " Isle of Wight " disease. The candy has turned soft owing to it absorbing the moisture rising from the dead bees, and is not due to any fault in the candy. We have seen the same thing happen several times when bees have died with candy over them. The candy made by Messrs. Pascall has also been kept in good condi- tion from last spring until it was needed in the autumn. Any well made candy will do the same if kept in a dry place. — Eds.] AN EARLY(?) DRONE. [9620] To-day being a bright, warm day for the time of the year, my bees have been flying strong, carrying pollen in for all they are worth. On the alight- ing board of the strongest lot I have noticed just one drone, he did not fly away, and eventually T destroyed him. I do not think they are queenjess, as they seemed to be the busiest of all. I did not open the hive to see if there was any brood ; but I feel sure there must be as they were going in with pollen in num- bers together. What is the 'explanation? — Conway Valley. [We cannot account for the drone, pos- sibly the queen may be a virgin, examine the brood as soon as the weather permits. —Ens.] BEES IN A TREE. [9621] While engaged in felling a wal- nut tree on January 3 I discovered in one of the branches, which was hollow, a stock of bees. Being a bee-keeper I was deeply interested to know in what state they would be at this season of the year, so on the tree reaching the ground I made my way to where "they were, and found they had a good store of nice, light honey, which, unfortunately, was all smashed up witb the exception of about 3 lbs., which 1 secured. On searching among the combs Feb. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 55 I found four patches of brood, about 6 in. square each patch, and a good number of eggs besides. The space they occupied was about 2 ft. long by 1 ft. wide. The hole by which they entered was about 3 in. square ; 1 was surprised to find them in such an advanced state, and was grieved to think There were no means of saving them, as it was a bitterly cold day and 1 was sixteen miles from home, so could do noth- ing to save them. I made inquiries in the village near by, but could not hear tell of any more bees in the district, " Isle of Wight" disease having cleared them all out. These appeared to be a strong, healthy lot, and but for the needs of the war might have stocked the district again. I thought perhaps it might interest your readers to know these facts, as I think it proves that so long as. bees are kept dry no amount of cold hurts them. Wish- ing all your readers a prosperous season. — W. Tovrv. EARLY SECTIONS. [9622] The method of putting a shallow frame between hanging sections is quite old, having several in use here ; was told this plan by a bee-keeper about eight years ago, also two brood chambers. I have the best results after taking two or three frames of brood, if strong stocks, and then super. — W. Green, Laindon. Queries reaching this office not later than FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING will, if possible, be answered in the " Journal " the fol- lowing Thursday. Those arriving later will be held over until the following week. Only SPECIALLY URGENT Queries will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All queries must be accompanied by the name and address of the sender, not necessarily foil publica- tion, but as a guarantee of good faith. Corre- spondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only. MOVING BEES IN MAY. [907/)] Can you or some of your readers give me advice about moving bees in the month of May? Some years ago I brought my bees to Sussex from Devon- shire. Then I moved the beginning: of February. It was bitter weather. I had a man to pack the hives; he put per- forated zinc over the entrances and heaped quilts on the top. They were three days on the journey, and were none the worse for it. This time I dm only movine; about 16 miles: they will be moved by motor. Ought they to be very warmly covered up, or should they be merely fastened in? I know it is a bad time to move them, but I cannot help that. I am so afraid that being about the swarming season the heat and excitement may be too much for them. I shall be very grateful to anyone who will tell me what I ought to do.— F. J. Walker. [Reply. — It is not possible to give full directions in this column. Briefly, the main point to watch is to give ample ventilation. It is impossible to give too much when moving bees at that time or during the summer. On.no account must they be warmly covered up. Full instruc- tions for this work were gh'en in The Record .for November and December, 1916, which we can supply post free for 5d.] W. Back (Oswestry).— (1) Placing Hive in a Peach House. — We have known this done. It i6 good for the peaches, but bad for the bees, so many are lost that the colony is usually no good for surplus that year. (2) We should place it underneath, and winter on one, unless the bees were too numerous. (3) Time for Spring Cleaning .—It is not advis- able to transfer to clean hives at present. The wind is often very cold, even on a mild day. The bees may also resent the brood nest being opened, lay the blame for the disturbance on the queen, and ball her. In about a month's time will be early enough. E. J. Grover (Lines.).— Making Candy into Syrup.— We have given directions for this before. For spring feeding the candy should be broken up, and melted with IS ozs. (by measure) of hot water. When candy and water are thoroughly mixed together the 6yrup should be allowed to cool to 100 deg. Fahr., and is then ready to feed. For syrup for autumn feeding 10 ozs. of water (by 'measure) should be used. Other instruc- tions a« above. Queens (Paignton).— Use of a Honey Ripener — \ ripener is useful to strain the honey into from the extractor. It, is allowed to stand a few days if pos«iblp, in a temperature of over 80 deg." Fahr. The honey will thicken, or ripen. Air bnbbles and the thin honev will rise to the ton. The latter should be used as soon as pos- sible—it is very useful for jam making-— or it may be fed back to the bees. The thick, clear honey is drawn off through the tap at bottom of ripener until the thin honey only is left. Honey is rine when sealed over, and should not be' taken before then. Some years ago it was +he practice to should have known better than to pull the brood combs apart 60 early in the year. If the queen is very prolific the plan you suggest may be followed, but it is not one we personally recommend. Better be satisfied with one entrance. G. H. Jones (Llanberi).— Thanks for your appre- ciation. More " Helpful Hints " will appear as soon as possible. Under the circumstances you may give the bees a little warm medicated syrup. It will probably check the disease. Uncapping Knife v. Scarifier.— The latter has by no means superseded the former, and does not appear likely to do so. The spikes are pointed, about J in. apart, not more. It is not possible to scratch the cappings off without doing some damage to the combs. The honey will leave the cells more freely if the edges of the walls are cut clean by a knife instead of being rough and jagged by being scarified. W. S. Smith (Gerrard's Cross). —Your plan is quite feasible. We should let the bees stay where they are. F. H. (Westmeads).— You might start again now with a fair prospect of success. Use one of the advertised remedies regularly as a preventive. "King's Heath" (Birmingham).— If the bees have been robbing a diseased stock, they will probably also become diseased. See reply to " 'F. H." above. Suspected Disease. T. F. W. (Gainsborough).— Bees died from " Isle- of -Wight " disease. The secretary of the Notts. B K.A. is Mr. 6. Hayes, 48, Mona Street, Beeston, Notts. W. Cousins (Beds.).— Bees were affected with " Isle-of- Wight " disease. H. C. M. (Rusholme).— The cause of death was " Isle-of- Wight " disease. Do not give the combs of honey to other bees. If the combs are clean extract the honey; it is quite wholesome for human consumption, and only harmful to bees. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey. Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible 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 3*. per \in., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in "The Bee Journal" entitle advertisers to one- insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, a few Stocks of Bees, also to book Swarms for 1918- COBB, 33, Bevan Road, Plum stead o.l WANTED, by Young Lady, post of establish- ing or managing Apiary, or Apiaries. First-class Expert, and large practical experience. —Box 14, British Bee Journal Qfnoe, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. b.24 W ANTED, W.B.C. and Double Conqueror Hives.— COBB, 33, Bevan Road, Plumstead. b^ BEES— I shall have a few ten-frame Stocks of Old English Bees for sale this spring; never known disease.— F. A. BEA'N, Snaith, Yorkshire. b.8 WANTED, Bee Hives and Appliances, free from disease.— ABREY, Newport Lodge, Melton Mowbray. a. 31 WANTED to purchase Stocks of Bees on Frames, or Skeps. — SMITH, " Corner House." Hockley Heath, Warwickshire. a.32 HEALTHY Bees wanted, either in skeps, frame hives, or on combs.— DYCKE, Flackwell Heath, Bucks. a. 37 WANTED, Stock Bees in frame hive, also to book Swarms for coming season.— A. LEWIS, Hawera, Staplehurst, Kent. a.41 A FEW healthy Swarms for disposal, about third week in May, £1 each. Orders, with remittance, booked in advajjce, and supplied in rotation— J. MOORE, Bleasby, Notts. b.10 OFFERS wanted for two ten-frame strong stocks of Old English Bees, or with Hives complete; reason for selling, overstocked. Never known disease. — A. BARWICK, Harden Beck, Bingley, Yorkshire. b.ll WANTED, • three-frame nucleus of Carniolan Bees; guaranteed healthy.— Price, etc., to A. DONKIN, Naunton Beauchamp, Pershore, Worcs. b.12 FOR SALE, about 50 screw-top jars of Light Yorkshire Honey, 2s. 3d. per jar, carriage paid.— EDLINGTON, 268, Newland Avenue, Hull. b.13 WANTED to purchase, healthy stocks of Bees. —Address, with full particulars, W. CON- NETT, Crockernwell, Exeter. b.14 CjiWARMS from strong stocks, Dutch descent, ii^ healthy and prolific. Can accept orders for few this spring— Apply, MAJOR HENDRIKS, Littlewick Meadow, Knaphill, near Woking, Surrey. b.15 -| rt SECTION RACKS, as Lee's pattern, unused, A/W 2s. 6d. each; the lot or less number — FRASER, 13, Manse Road, Markinch. b.16 FOR SALE, six Hives, good condition (three new last year), one new cane-bound Skep, one Wax Mould, seven new Racks and 10 Racks used one season, two Travelling Boxes for Frames, with perforated zinc covers, two Storing Crates for gross sections, new, bee proof, glass one side, 12 Winter Girders, 3 doz. Tin and 1 doz. Wood Dividers, nine Perfection Feeders, 120 W.B.C. ends, on© Wax Smelter with water jacket, pair Rubber Bee Gloves. Owner left country on Government work. What offers, together or separately?— Apply, Box 13, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. b.17 ANTED to purchase, Bees, stocks or swarms. SPRAKE, Chale, Isle of Wight. b.18 W WANTED, Conqueror Hives, standard, or com- mercial; must be in good condition and complete with supers. — HARDWIOK, Maney House, Sutton Ooldfield. b.19 WANTED, Ripener and "A. B.C. and X.Y.Z."— State prices to WILLIAMS, Raven Hill, Swansea. . b-20 ""VET> FLAVINE! yet, thy banner torn but X flviner," but we don't want to encroach on Friend Kettle's preserves. It's this way. Our " Flavined " bees are wintering nicely. Are there any others thus treated doing the same? We have one ear glued to the ground.— S. H. SMITH, 30. Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. b.21 Feb. 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 57 A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To plaoe on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print a further list of names to those 6ent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Lce.-Cpl. R. L. Chapman, Boston — l/28th London Regiment (Artists Rifles), killed at Passchendaele Ridge, Oct. 30, 1917. Only son of Mr. R. N. Chapman, Boston, hon. local secretary of the Lines. B.K.A. ERRATA. In the article " The Bee Garden " last week line 1 F. forhinei should read F. fortunei. Line 30, caprofolium should read caprifolium. Line 7, page 51, The Coniceras should read The Loniceras. In last paragraph but one should be " Sym- phoricarpus should be made much more use of in coverts," not, as printed, " courts." A DORSET YARN. Have just received from a Stourbridge horticulturist a parcel of roots of the Hailsham berry. As these develop our bees will have another line or two of flowers to look over. The Logans grow well, so I anticipate these will also ; these late-flowering berries will be useful when the summer rasps have finished their blossoms. We have now finished the last two lines of plums and pears ; have only to plant a few more rasps, and a few lines more of strawberries, then our fruit-planting is finished for this season (unless I get a few more hundreds of trees offered me at easy rates, as I did last year in March). Other food crops will now have to be got in. Must get in eight acres of corn as soon as ground is workable ; shall ex- tend the acreage of potatoes; there will be less flowers grown. We grow very few now ; before the war I had ten acres of violets ; they are more remunerative than potatoes — luxury crops always are. But necessitous crops must be grown now and for many years to come. Small farmers who grow mixed stuff might do well with onions ; they were a good paying line last year; the price is fixed at 3d. per lb,, roughly ^20 a ton. Parsnips and carrots are hanging this season, as there is plenty of green vegetable now. Still, if they are not sold they do for horses and cows, they are good for milk ; we shall have the worth in the butter. We find asparagus a good line for sale, and a wonderful help to the bees; we plough the ground twice in each furrow, turning in a good dressing of manure. If the land is planted with currants or gooseberries, dibble between each plant a couple of seeds. If you save your own seed, drop in one of the coloured seed pods; the second year these will have good growths, but the third year they will be really fine. If you want them apart from the fruit-trees, plant the ground with early lettuces, and dibble the seeds between the plants every third or fourth line. Seed is dear to buy, the plants want plenty of room, and it is waste of seed to sow thickly ; even if you take some out the second year, you must disturb those that are left, and the time taken in planting them is considerable, where if the seed is dibbled in at equal distances there is no further labour. These will truit for many years ; I have known them remunerative for thirty years, and I have some that have given me good returns since '05 ; up to ten and twelve years they are very fine; but when, in June and July, the feathery growth is allowed to develop, with its thousands of flowers, the bees have a fine time. A little lot does not help them much, but when there are lines 300 yards long the flowers are very plentiful. They have but few enemies. Slugs like the succulent growth (salt keeps them away) ; the red cross beetle lays its eggs in the growth, but with us insectivorous birds clean them off. Bees are no doubt booming just now. I hear that on one estate near us they are acquiring up to 100 stocks; this is good news to us bee-men. I could sell mine over and over again, but all buyers write they must be free from " Isle of Wight " disease. I see some crawlers at times, so I cannot sell mine as exempt from it. I hope we shall soon have bees that are immune from this malady, and I think we shall have it stamped out. Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, from what I gather from the Fen country bee-men, is working wonders. Now we have Dr. Abushady's researches. All to me looks like success. Last season I tried Dioxogen round 58 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 21, 1918. entrances till the bottle was exhausted1. I shall always think the parson who gave us this specific ought to be canonised and made a saint for it (though I hope he will live many years before he ' ' crosses the bar "). In my readings they gave the saint another name; it would have to be Saint Hollis, or Dioxogen, or the reason of his canonisation would be lost. I have great admiration for the man who, when he finds a remedy, flings it out to the world through the Journal, so that all can have the same specific to try on their own bees, not conserve it to his own use and let his neighbour's bees go under. That bees have their likes and dislikes I noticed last week. Among the violets out in the open there is the little blue speedwell, which, through lack of labour, was not hoed up last year; only a very small flower beside the large La France violet, but more bees went to the speed- well than to the violet, yet in summer- time they will not look at this same speed- well growing in the banks by the roadsides ; they are on the wild rose close by. If there is nectar now, one would infer there was more in summer ; their choice is greater in summer-time, and they visit the one that has most, I assume. — J. J. Kettle. FOOD CONTROL— FOR BEES. No, this is not to be an article on candi cpccineus or its variety c. puniceus; nor a dissertation on whether it shall or shall not be practicable to save 5 oz. of sugar weekly, out of the household rations, for making syrup next autumn without run- ning the risk of a domiciliary visit, only comparable in its instigation — anonymous denunciation — ini its methods — which may not even be particularised, and! in its effect — a savage sentence, to' those made by the citizen agents of the comite dv, scdut public, which for a time — thank heaven, it was short — arrogated to itself the task of estimating patriotism, and purging suspects from the common body of our cross-channel neighbours about the end of the 18th and1 beginning, of Tihe 19th centuries. The fact is that I am under conviction of only playing with the fringe of a wide subject when, in these columms, I wrote — last November — about the importance of securing fodder1 for our bees. In that article I tried1 to call attention to the fact that the Board of Agriculture were issuing orders, compliance with which must necessarily entail the loss to the bees of countless acres of clover, not to speak of the various other nectariferous or pollen-yielding flowers that " starred the dewy meads." Were I of the mental mould of gloomy deans and certain lesser theological lumi- naries^— I do not mention names ; there- fore the question of whether they, be glow- worms, will-o'-the-wisps or wreckers' lights does not arise — I might wag my index digit and say that this is a judgment on us; a punishment for our sins of omis- sion ; a visitation — it is that right enough — or colloquially that it jolly well serves us right. By the way, would there not be some justification for this attitude? Has the question of providing bee forage ever been seriously dealt with in our Bee Press or Bee Publications? There are half-a-dozen or so sliding about under my elbow as I write, and all that the lot of them have to say on the subject wouldn't aggravate the paper crisis if re-printed. The books have long chapters, the periodicals articles galore, on bee diseases and on the ideally practi- cable and practically ideal bee-hives, but with the honourable exception of Sim- mins' " A Modern Bee Farm,'' not one gives any appreciable assistance in this direction, or even contains any indication that its author or compiler had an: ink- ling of the advisability — not to say neces- sity— of planting with — well — not a single eye, let's compromise on a squint — to the production of honey in commercial quan- tities. The general attitude to the question seems to be that of Dr. Johnson to the mendicant, who, aggrieved at the Doctor's refusal of his request for alms, remarked " Well, I must live,'' whereto Boswell's hero replied, " I don't see the necessity." Healthy bees are a necessity. Commo- dious hives, convenient for manipulation, are also a necessity; but the greatest of three is a supply of nectar. Hitherto we have reliedl for this on sources which welled up independent of our needs. White clover, which merely occurred in a meadow ley. Heather, cut for thatch or burned for grouse. Limes, ■grown to break the monotony of planes in suburban streets. These have been our stand-bys or, to change the metaphor, our anchors, two of which are dragging. What a contrast this forms to the methods of our go-ahead Transatlantic cousins! Dadant, " Langstroth," and much more so Boots " A. B. C. and X. Y. Z." emphasise the importance of loca- tion, and of individual sources of supply. Root even goes so far as to give prac- tical and expert details of culture of the main forage plants. Alfalfa (lucerne), basswood (lime), buckwheat, clovers, in- eluding alsike and trifolium incarnatum, sainfoin, mustard, and above all melilot. These are thoroughly discussed in relation to honey yield, qualitative audi quantita- Feb. 21, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 59 tiye, and to their requirements in respect of soil, manure, aspect, etc., and to thieir respective values and uses apart from the apioultural point of view. Doubtless these data and cultural direc- tions would have to> be modified to accord with British conditions, but the emi- nently practical spirit — could we but adopt that — in which the matter is taken up, may, and' should, serve us as a guide and exemplar. Fruit-growers are keeping bees for their pollenising value, the honey being to them a secondary consideration. Is it too much to h'ope that this country may yet see a class of real bee-farmers, men, or women, cultivating a< fair acreage of plants pri- marily for the nectar content and only secondarily for the hay, or grain? The reward wonld, I am convinced, be generous. In the re-conlstruction of this crumbling world a, little attention to im- proved methods of production of its choicest sweet should be given, and given with an open mind to new suggestions and a, frank recognition of increased needs. — A. F. Harwood. THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON BEES. II. (2) My Early Observations. I was surprised to notice in the autumn, that, in addition to the old dead bees which were brought out of the hive by their sister undertakers, some young and apparently healthy bees shared the same fate. On further inspection I noticed, also that a few of them, even in their outward appearance, were not actually dead, but were still moving parts of their limbs and their antennae; but, knowing that the law of the bee city will never tolerate the citizenship of disabled mem- bers of the community, my first explana- tion was that the undertakers were en- gaged in removing dying as well as dead bees. Then, I considered the state of the weather, and I began to wonder whether the fall in the temperature had anything to do with the disablement, from which these still living, and yet, apparently dying, bees were suffering. So I took one or two of them and warmed them gently in front of a radiator, and, to my great surprise, vigorous life took the place of a dying state; and thus, these bees, after quickly brushing themselves, dashed for the window., which happened to be closed. So they keptfclimbing the glass and flying everywhere before I was able to lead them to the outside air, where they remained quite active. Later, I pur- posely followed, with my eyes, the move- ments of such "revived " bees (one at a time), and I was satisfied that they invari- ably returned to their hive, although very few became chilled again. It interested me, as might be imagined, to try the effect of heat on the " dead," old, and worn-out bees, that had just been thrown out of the hive on the neighbouring grass, and again my experiment ended in a curi- ous siuccess, though the proportion of the " revived " bees amongst this class was much smaller compared to those of the other class. Having satisfied my curio- sity to this extent, I proceeded next to experiment with a few " crawlers" (often supposed to be a sign of " autumn dwind- ling ' ') which gave me at an earlier date in September some alarm, as I was afraid of the presence of an infection. But here again the effect of the gentle warmth was marvellous, and almost all the crawlers were then capable of flying very well. I may add here that very rarely did I notice any such crawlers in fine, warm weather. Occasionally I observed some quite young bees with light colour left on the alight- ing board, and apparently dead. On these, again, heat had a miraculous effect, but, of course, they were unable to fly, and could not be persuaded to enter their hive; consequently, the success of my ex- periment with them turned ultimately into a failure, from the point of view of a useful practical application. (3) Common-sense Deductions. Every independent student of bee-keep- ing knows perfectly well that bees not only dislike both cold and dampness, but they cannot tolerate them long. The tem- perature of the hive has to be uniformly maintained at no less than 70 — 80 deg. F., not to mention the higher degree always reached during the most active period in spring and summer, and for special reasons, such as comb-building. During the winter a strong colony may succeed in maintaining a favourable warm atmosphere, and a weak colony, at least, does its best in that direction, and exces- sively feeds itself for the purpose ; but often significantly fails in keeping the re- quired temperature, and its career is ter- minated, either by starvation from ulti- mate shortage of stores, or by disease from the long inability to take a cleansing flight, because of unfavourable weather, or by the chilling effect of a harmful low temperature or by a combination of more than one of these factors. Again, it is universally known that during cold, damp Aveather bees are ill-tempered ; and, in sub-tropical countries with an almost con- tinuous flood of sunshine, this is not the case, and the cause of ill-temper could be traced to other causes, such as long in- breeding, etc. In a multiple of other instances the good influence of a warm temperature on bees is very noticeable, and with such a temperature their good 60 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 21, 1918. health is usually secured. Warmth to bees is, indeed, life itself, and no faithful ob- servation oould possibly fail to record this maxim. It seems, therefore, quite astounding to hear some people talking of bees liking cold. Probably many of those poor bees that gather near the entrance during the winter have succumbed purely to the effect of the cold on leaving the cluster for a special task (such as water carrying) and exposing themselves indi- vidually to the cold current of incoming air. Simple observations and common- sense deductions would easily convince anyone of the harmful effect of a low tem- perature on bees, though dampness, in addition, would create a much greater harm. Without sufficient warmth bees are in a state of suspended anima- tion, which may or may not end in death, according to its duration and degree, as a complete stupor from excessive cold would, if prolonged, ultimately mean the onset of starvation, with its natural re- sult. This state of hibernation (whether false or true) might occasionally be made good use of to the advantage of the bees under certain conditions in cold countries, when no suitable artificial heat is available, and provided the bees are not weak; but it is a better wisdom and a safer proce- dure to learn that the bees adapt their activities to the temperature of their sur- roundings; that they oould work all the year in the favourable weather of warm countries, and, for the same reason (namely, the influence of temperature), are compelled to remain idle and in a perilous state for nearly half the year, in cold countries ; and that the right conclusion to be drawn from this fact is, that in such a country as England, where it is essential for the welfare of the bee oolony to have a good number of young autumn bees and to prolong their existence till the. spring, it would be a more sensible procedure to make use in a sure and a careful way of artificial heating, in order, first, to pro- long the period of autumn breeding, and, second, to maintain, as far as possible, the strength of the stock, by guarding the bees against the ill-effects of an excessive cold, without at the same time unduly raising the temperature of the hive to an extent which would create an undesirable activity and much consumption of food, with unpleasant consequences. The right chart of temperature to suit different con- ditions could only be obtained by actual experience, as might be clearly seen. But, from the beginning, it is no difficulty cal- culating the approximate temperature at which the hive should be artificially main- tained (with the co-operation of the bees) at a particular period of time, and apply- ing this calculation. With the necessary precautions, to be discussed in another article, it is safe to say that, supposing a stock of bees could not be made suffi- ciently strong by the end of the autumn, no fear need then be entertained that it will not winter successfully under the sure control of applied science. — A. Z. Abushady. THE SUBURBAN BEE-GARDEN. Everyone is exclaiming to-uay (January 27), " What wonderful weather 1 We have seen its like in February many a time, but cannot remember such warmth and sunshine during January." The birds are pairing, and have quite mistaken the calendar, while the bees from my fifteen inhabited hives are flying strongly, and on one or two flight boards twenty may be counted at one time. Such stocks, how- ever, are those in the wannest corners, and peopled with bees. which displayed a little extra alertness last year, and memo- ries of the extra care requisite for their manipulation come vividly into one's mind. What a golden opportunity is this for practising the advice we saw this week in our Seasonable Hints to keep a close watch on food supplies. My bees were packed down for the winter on October 24 last, and a careful record was made at the time of the strength of each stock, age of queen, and condition of the larder. I find such re- marks as these in my diary : — No. 2, stores " fair," 1 candy. 24/10/17. No. 6, stores "ample." No. 9, stores " short." And so on and so forth. Four were in the condition of No. 9, and these all had an extra cake of candy a week ago, when the weather was not quite so warm as to-day, just to make quite sure. To-day the " fairs," and, in fact, all with the exception of the " amples," have had at least one cake of candy a- piece, and every stock is to all appear- ances in a healthy and flourishing condi- tion, while the post brings me anxious notes from friends who I know have formed the habit of doing things just too late, to say that their bees have gone, and can I help them in the replacement of them. Well, their turn will come if any stocks and swarms are left after the ' ' well in times ' ' have had what they require. The little beggars let me down badly last back-end — it was not their fault, how- ever, for Haig was arranging the weather for his autumn push, and the mud was no more help to the bees than to our poor fellows in Flanders. Natural stores were shorter than I have ever known them to be before, and the bees were given 40 lbs. of sugar syrup in about ten days, because Feb. 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 61 there is not a rapid feeder for each hive, and, in addition to this supply, they have already received 27 of Messrs. Pascall's candy cakes. I have just about as much again left on the shelf, and am hoping against hope that it will suffice to see me through the fruit blossom. Again; to-day every hive-roof was taken off, and the top wraps — in my case clean sacks or sacking — removed and opened out over the top of the lifts to dry and air. The sun was so hot that this airing, which began at 11 o'clock, con- tinued until 3 p.m., when all were packed up warm and dry. Egg-laying, I know, has begun in some of the hives from the heat above the centre of the quilts in one or two of the stronger stocks. All this about winter feeding appears to come very ill from the pen of one who has constantly urged that all winter feeding should be done in autumn, and the use of candy in the apiary of the careful man almost unknown; but, "war times, war methods ' ' — meaning that when you can- not do as well as you would, do as well as circumstances will permit, and adjust your methods to the push conditions. Enough, then, for the day. If Mr. Editor will permit, I will endeavour to send more notes from time to time from A Suburban Bee-garden, in the hopes that my experience may be of some use to others similarly situated. Arnold Richards. GLAMORGANSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting was held on February 9, 1918, at Bridgend; J. M. Randall, Esq., J. P., in the chair, and there was a full attendance, including Messrs. F. Gravil, D. Hardcastle, R. J. Edwards, Wm. Morgan, W. T. Gunter and Mrs. Gunter, H. Skelding, W. H. Yeo, D. George, T. Whitehead, J. Butt, A. Webb, David Davies Williams, Miss Kate Henry, etc. The chairman moved a resolution ex- pressing the loss to the Association by the death of W. Meyler Thomas, J. P., Ynys- plwm, a very useful public man and a keen supporter of the G.B.K. Association. The secretary apologised for absence of Mr. C. Cleeves (Sketty), W. Dyche, B.A., Rev. T. Olney, and T. Williams. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, referred to the losses sustained throughout the county by " Isle of Wight " disease, and the consequent scarcity of honey. He had been interested in bee-keeping for many years, and had always supported the claims of the Association when appli- cations were made for grants to the County Council. He was very pleased to render any assistance and encourage an organisation which was giving the best instruction and advice that could be afforded to bee-keepers in the county. With ordinary luck they could look for- ward to a successful season, and derive both pleasure and profit from the pursuit of the bee industry. As chairman of the War Agricultural Committee he was deeply concerned in the question of Food Production, and urged everyone present to do their utmost to produce the maxi- mum quantity of honey next season. An important meeting which would be well worth while attending would be held at Swansea next Saturday, to be addressed by C. Bathurst, M.P. The subscription list and financial state- ment of accounts showed the Association to be in a strong and sound condition. The report was unanimously adopted. Mr. R. J. Edwards proposed a vote of thanks to the officers and committee; and Mr. Yeo spoke of the valuable services rendered by the local experts; and in acknowledging the votes on behalf of the officers and the committee the secretary also paid a tribute to the very hearty and willing response on the part of the members to any calls that he made upon them, and which made his secretarial duties so much easier and effectual. Mr. Hardcastle particularly had rendered very valuable services. The Count}7 Council grant had now been renewed, and it rested now with the members of the Association to prove themselves worthy of the confidence thus placed in them. The Right Hon. the Earl of Plymouth, P.C., C.B., was re-elected president. C. D. Thompson, Esq., J.P., and J. M. Randall, Esq., J. P. (the chairman), were elected vice-presidents. Mr. John Jenkins was re-elected hon. auditor ; Mr. Freeman Gravil, treasurer ; and W. J. Wiltshire, secretary; and two new members were elected on committee. Messrs. F. Gravil and D. Hardcastle were elected representatives on the B.B.K.A. ; and Mr. Gravil, representative on Glamorganshire Chamber of Agricul- ture. The question of joining the Cardiff and County Horticultural Society in their show of fruit and vegetables on August 14 and 15, 1918, was referred to the exe- cutive committee. Mr. C. Spiller proposed, and Mr. Hardcastle seconded, and it was passed unanimously, " That this annual meeting of the Glamorganshire B.K.A. approves of the principle of standardising hives, and hopes that the B.B.K.A. will carry same into effect." A vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. F. Gravil, was accorded the chairman, and most of the members remained for tea. 62 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 21, 1918. KENT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL. MEETING AT DARTFORD. The great importance of bees as an auxiliary source of food supply becomes abundantly evident from the figures sub- mitted at the annual general meeting of the Western Division of the above Asso- ciation, held at Dartford Public Library on Saturday, February 9. No less than 10,150 lbs. (4^ tons) of honey were re- ported as having been produced, though reports had only been received from one- third of the members of the Association. It is, therefore, quite apparent that great value must be attached to bee-keeping as a source of food supply in these trying times. This remarkable achievement was, in a large measure, due to the reorganisation which this Association has undergone dur- ing the last year or two. Owing to the energetic measures that have been adopted by the management, the member- ship has risen from 181 in 1916 to the great total of 569 at the end of 1917. The definite policy of making the Association as useful as possible to every member largely contributed to this magnificent result. In pursuance of that policy, 25 lectures and demonstrations were given throughout the Division during the year. The Honey Show held in August at Dart- ford will be present in the memory of many of the inhabitants as one of the " func- tions " of the year. It was beyond doubt or question the finest show of its kind that has been staged in recent years in this county, and was pronounced by the judge to be the finest in the kingdom for 1917. During the course of the summer a movement was originated to facilitate practical bee-keeping by effecting a "standardisation of hives," and' it was reported that substantial progress had been made in this direction by the Com- mittee appointed for the purpose, and re- sults would be definitely announced in a short time. The difficulties of supply arising out of the war conditions have affected the bee-keeping industry no less than other industries. This has necessi- tated steps being taken to meet these diffi- culties, and a subsidiary organisation in process of formation for ensuring as far as possible a steady and adequate supply of materials to bee-keepers in Kent. So rapid has been the growth of the Associa- tion that it has become necessary to create a special committee to deal with all ques- tions affecting its future development. It is thus expected that the usefulness of the Association will not only be maintained, but substantially increased as time passes. Owing to the ravages of " Isle of Wight ' ' disease in past years amongst the hives of Kent, great difficulty was experi- enced in securing stocks by those who de- sired to take up the pursuit. The Asso- ciation came to the rescue in this matter, and continued its restocking scheme for the benefit of members; 120 colonies were b}7 this means distributed, making a total of 220 during the two years. But for this arrangement the remarkable results in honey production set forth above would have been quite impossible. It is pleasing to record in this connection that out of a total of 150 apiaries, reports only show 16 apiaries as showing slight symptoms of disease. The number of colonies recorded as now being in possession of members is 700 as against 185 in 1915 — 'another testi- mony to the value of this organisation. Another scheme inaugurated by the Association is the creation of a reference library of bee literature and periodicals for the use of members. The great fea- ture of this innovation is the fact that such books are available by post. This bee library has, by the courtesy of Mr. Wood and the Dartford Public Library Committee, been housed and administered at the Public Library, Dartford. The financial results of the increased activities of the Association, notwith- standing the increased expenditure, is a source of extreme satisfaction. The total receipts for the year amounted to £282 12s. 2d., expenditure, £247 8s. Id., leaving a balance of cash in hand at the end of 1917 of £66 9s 10d., as against £31 4s. 9d. at the end of 1916. The great increase in membership throughout the county, which has been one of the gratifying results of the policy of the administration, has necessitated the creation of local branches for the carrying out of a policy of helpfulness which has been the leading motif of the Association during the past two years. In this way there have been created local committees representing separate branches in the districts of Bromley, Canterbury, Eltham, Bexley Heath, Rochester, and Sevenoaks. New branches are in process of forma- tion, and there is little doubt that the coming year will see several more such branches created. Mr. A. Dewey was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing year, with Mr. G. Bryden (Rochester) as vice-chairman, and Mr. G. W. Judge, Shepherd's Lane, Dartford, as secretary. The following committee was elected: — Dartford: G. H. Barnes and J. Darby. Darenth: E. W. Williams. Cray ford : H. Davis. Belvedere: W. Heaselden and Mrs. Simms. Feb. 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 63 Erith : J. Roper and F. Sykes. Greenhithe : H. J. Upton. Gravesend : H. Wigley. Willington : Miss Smiles. Chatham : J. Reader. Eltham: W. H. J. Prior and V. E. Shaw. Bexley : C\ W. Knight and A. C. Paulin. Orpington : Gapt. G. Courtenay Lord. Blaokheath: H. E. C. Garter. Woolwich : Major A. W. McCombie. In spite of it being a purely business meeting, it was well attended, and after many expressions of hearty appreciation of the Association's work, the meeting terminated with the usual votes of thanks. — Comm unicated. The Bromley District Branch of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association met at the Co-operative Hall, East Street, Bromley, when Mr. J. W. Price, of Maidstone (horn, secretary, Midland Division), read" am interesting paper on the subject of bee-keeping. The Chairman, A. Goodwin, Esq., in his opening remarks, referred with satisfac- tion to the increase in membership of the branch, it now numbering 73, which he thought was very creditable, seeing that the Bromley Branch had been only such a short time started, and that the season of winter was the worst time for such a society. He explained that the society was open to anyone to join (even those who were not bee-keepers), and impressed upon all the importance of honey, in the present time, as a means of increasing the foodi supply of the country. He ex- tended a hearty invitation to anyone to join the branch, the subscription to which was only 2s. per annum, and the hon. sec- retary of which was Mr. W. E. Clifford, 63, Southlands Road, Bromley. Mr. Price, at the outset of his lecture, stated that he himself had from his best stock obtained recently no less than 180 lbs. of honey, which he had found very useful during the present shortage of but- ter, margarine and jam. After referring to the natural history of all perfect in- sects (bees included), and their evolving through the various stages — egg, grub, chrysalis, and perfect insect — Mr. Price proceeded to give details, more or less of a technical nature, as to the proper man- ner of keeping bees to the best possible advantage. His remarks were illustrated and made intelligible and clear by the ex- hibition of a model hive, which has been made and' lent by Mr. Seadon, a member of thle association. Questions having been answered, a vote of thanks, cordially granted, brought the meeting to a termination. — Communi- cated. SOUTH OF SCOTLAND BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the South of Scotland Bee-keepers' Association, was held in St. Mary's Hall, Dumfries, on Satur- dav — Mr. Hogg, Castle-Douglas, in the chair. There was a large attendance of members, in spite of travelling restric- tions. The secretary and treasurer's re- port was submitted, and proved most satis- factory, showing a balance in favour of the association. The society has been in existence for 25 years, and the member- ship this year shows an increase of 25 per cent, over any previous year of the asso- ciation's existence. This is a fine tribute to the good work the association is doing, and to its vigorous vitality. There will be no show this year. Thanks to the grant f romi the Dumfries County Council and to the generous support of the patrons, Mr. Hogg, the association's expert, will extend his tour to a month at least, begin- ning about the third week in April. It was decided to federate with the Scot- tish Bee-keepers' Association. This will enable members of the S.S.B.A. to sell honey at the S.B.A. depots, to obtain ap- pliances at wholesale rates, and have use of their library of 300 volumes. After the business of the meeting Mr. Tinsley, from the West of Scotland Agri- cultural College, Kilmarnock, addressed the meeting on research work at the col- lege in connection with the " Isle of Wight " disease. In the course of his ex- periments Mr. Tinsley tried every kind of cure that has been written about or ad- vertised, but none of them had any per- manent effect on the disease, and his conclusion was that they are all useless as cures. Another conclusion Mr. Tinsley had arrived at is that it is useless and dangerous to attempt a cure, and he strongly advised the burning of combs and frames, the hive itself being thoroughly disinfected before Using again. The ground in front of hives in which the bees have died) of "Isle df Wight" disease should be well dug and the apiary re- moved to fresh ground. The only advance that kas been made in connection! with the disease is, the lecturer said, on the lines of immunity. Stocks that have re- mained immune for some length of time have been used for purpose of increase, and. the college is now prepared to dis- . tribute a limited number of stocks on be- half of the Board of Agriculture to mem- bers of the association, through the sec- retary, Mr. H. Marrs, Halleaths Lodge. Lochmaben. Mr. Tinsley expects to have a number of queens for distribution in June; both stocks and queens to be sup- plied at a reasonable price. 64 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. Fet. 21, 1918. ECHOES FROM THE HIVES. I thought you would he interested to hear that I have to-day (January 28) ob- served the bees carrying in pollen. It was being gathered from the winter aconites in a sheltered border of several square yards, which is now yellow with blossom. Yesterday (January 27) I also saw num- bers of bees working on the bloom of the dwarf " blind nettle," as it is called in this neighbourhood, while a few could be seen on the tiny blossoms of chickweed. After the severe weather we have experi- enced this seems the more remarkable. — A. H. Holman, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks. AN ECHO FROM HERTS. January is nearly out, and the first month of 1918 will soon be gone for ever. What a month! Biting winds, heavy snow, and keen frost, interspersed with mild days more like mid-April weather. We bee-keepers, if we were not sure of food being right, have taken advantage of the mild spell to put on candy, this being the only work in the apiary out- doors. Our Dorset friend has been writing of the beauties of his neighbourhood. ] know something of those parts, and heartily endorse his views. Here in Herts we are not so favoured, still we have our compensations. During the late snows we lived in fairyland. The little copse be- side my house was a dream of loveliness, every twig being covered with glittering beauty. Being sheltered here from the north and east, things are forward with me. The cat- kins lengthening very fast, the first snow- drops opened on the 21st, and the coloured primroses show colour in the buds. In the hedgerow honeysuckle (earliest of creepers) is breaking into leaf, and many hedgeside flowerets are peeping for better days ; so we are not so far behind Dorset. Then the birds, oh, what a concert! Black- bird, thrush, wren and robin, all trying to outvie one another. The bees, too, during the last few days, have been flying strongly. Here the note is out of tune. I visited two apiaries, and have found four stocks badlv affected with "Isle of Wight " disease ; this de- spite the fact that all last season they were sprayed with Bacterol, fed with medicated syrup, with pink candy as a reserve. So I am afraid that although- Bacterol is the best so far (with me), we have not yet found the perfect remedy. But, are we downhearted? I think not. I am asked by the owners to treat these stocks as I think best, and I am afraid they are likely to have a hard time — at any rate, I shall take steps to check it spreading. My own bees are so far healthy — but one never knows. At present I am digging and preparing for this year's crops (fighting with the spade and hoe), and hope for good harvests. At nights, racks, frames, etc., come to the fore, so with one thing and another we have enough to do to keep in health; also the satisfaction of knowing that while increasing the food supply we are increasing our own income at the same time. Gr. J. F. The Editort do not hold themtelvet 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. THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON BEES. [9623] With reference to Dr. Abu- shady 's article on " The Influence of Temperature on Bees," in your issue dated February 14, I should like to draw the writer's attention to another Ameri- can book, containing a chapter on the relation of temperature to successful win- tering, which I feel sure would interest him, viz., Hutchinson's " Advanced Bee Culture." The book is in the library of "The British Bee-keepers' Association." — L. Illingworth. THE SERGEANT'S BEES. [9624] My son-in-law has just returned on leave after 15 months' service on the Western front. Amongst many interest- ing stories of his experiences, I was most amused to hear how he became a bee- keeper in France, and I think his story is worthy of a place in your Journal. He relates that after the great battles of the Somme last year, he followed the retreat- ing Germans through Bapaume and on to Bullicourt. During the heavy fight- ing for the Hindenburg line here, he was posted at the village of Achiel-le- Grand. On the afternoon of his arrival, one of his men reported to him that a swarm of bees was hanging from a cruci- fix in the local cemetery. He gave orders to his men they were not to be interfered with, and as soon as his military duties permitted he walked up there. The Feb. 21, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 65 village was in flames, and the cemetery was chaos, and worse, but almost alone stood a marble crucifix, and hanging from the arm of the Christ was a large swarm. He is not a bee-keeper, but was often interested in my manipulations, and so, as a reminder of the old home in England, he decided to try and take them. He procured an empty biscuit tin, and an old-type gas mask, and went to work. Shaking them off from this position was out of the question, so he brought into use the stick of a Stokes' bomb, with which he swept the elbow of the figure, and the mass dropped into the biscuit tin, and he returned with them to his cave dwelling in triumph. He then inquired if there was a carpenter among the men, and finding one they went over to the ruins of a French chateau and pro- cured some timber and broken glass, and .made a hive to the pattern, as well as he could remember, of the standard hives "in my garden. As frames were unprocur- able, they made the side panels of glass so that they could observe the bees at work without disturbance. The hive was placed in a sheltered position, and protected on three sides from flying shrapnel by a bank of turf and mould, as the spot was frequently subject to heavy fire from the enemy. It is interesting to record that the bees did not appear to be disturbed by these unusual happenings, and invariably, after the explosion of a big shell 50 yards from the hive, they could be observed flying in and out of their home, as on a peaceful summer afternoon in England. This curious colony prospered exceedingly, and for some weeks it was one of the sights for our Tommies and their officers to walk out to this spot to see the Ser- geant's bees. The comb was drawn down from the roof, and in a few weeks he thought the time had come to secure some surplus. This presented a great diffi- culty, which was overcome by lifting the lid with the comb and bees attached solidly out of the hive, and breaking off pieces of comb filled with honey. In this way they had many a pleasant and dainty meal. I remarked that in some of this comb there must have been eggs and grubs. He said some of the men noticed this, but it went down very well and nothing was wasted. He was moved forward for the push at Cambrai, and left his friends behind with many regrets. Should any of your readers who are serving with the Forces find themselves in the neighbourhood of the site of Archiel-le-Grand, they might give a kindly thought to the. old gun pit near the cemetery, where I trust still cluster " the Sergeant's bees."— Jas. Bancroft. BACTEBOL AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9625] On January 23, after five or six weeks' inaction, my bees were able to take wing, but, to my dismay, three of the stocks were turning out their dead, and crawlers were very plentiful. This con- tinued the second day, when I thought if they were going to die, they might just as well do so in an attempt to save them. I contracted space to combs covered with bees, frames with wide ends to allow of more numerous cluster- ing, and then dissolved half a pound of honey in one pint of warm water, and added one tablespoonful of Bacterol (a very strong dose) ; filling a three-ounce bottle with the warm liquid, I scattered well over the bees and down side of combs, closed up, and left them for two hours, when I tipped the hives forward not a drop ran out, proving that if any had got to the floorboard it had been taken up again by the bees. I repeated the dose twice more within a week, at the end of which time not a crawler or dead bee was to be seen. There have been a few fine days since, but no dead or crawling bees. I may add, for the benefit of those who are sceptical, that the foregoing stocks are not those treated with Bacterol last year, neither of which are showing any signs of disease at present. These experiments have not been car- ried out before a cloud of witnesses, but the bees and hives are at 84, Gillygate, York, and I shall be pleased for any bee- keeper to come and see for himself. I may be dubbed a Bacterologist ; well, I have reason to be proud of the title, for it has saved me many stocks, and hope it will do the same for others. — W. J. Gibbs. OPENING HIVES — AN EXPLANATION. [9626] May I hasten to thank you for your reply to my queries in last week's issue; and at the same time regret that my letter led you to> think that our " local expert " took the brood oombs out when he examined my friend's hive last week: he is far too experienced a hand to do such a thing at this time of the year. My expression " opened up the hive " doubtless caused you to take the view you did; he simply drew the quilt aside and saw the fresh-sealed brood. May I ask you to kindly make this clear in your next issue, as it may otherwise cause much local ill-will ; and I am far too intimate a fried of his to wish any breach between us, whilst at the same time he is absolutely one of the very best and kind- liest of fellows ; ever ready and willing to assist those who need help and advice; 66 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 21, 1918. and is thought most highly of by every- body in the distinct. I feel I have every reason to make amends for my unconscious blunder, and am going now to see him and explain. Only yesterday morning I told him I was going to ' ' open up ' ' my hives to see if they were all right, and he said, " Don't disturb the frames, you will be able to see the brood, if any, by looking down " ; so you see he is fully alive to the fact that no disturbance must take place at this season. I was highly gratified with my exami- nation, for in one hive the bees were crowded even, in the space between the rack and first comb, and more so as they reached the middle one. Another was " splendid," the remaining one " very good indeed." You are quite right, beginners are very impatient and over-anxious ; I ami one of them. Needless to say the B.B.J, is ever wel- comed and always interesting. Again thanking you, and hoping that you will make my mistake clear in your next issue. — W. J. Pearce. [We have great pleasure in publishing Mr. Pearce's letter. As he surmises, it was from> the wording of his query that we took it the local expert advised taking out the brood combs. We are pleased to hear that it was a wrong impression, and that the expert — of whose identity we are qnite ignorant — gave our correspondent such, sound advice. — Eds.] " Neathman " CG-lam.).— Fastening Foundation to Top Bar of Frames.— Use molten beeswax. Tou can cut a narrow strip from each sheet of founda- tion for this purpose. Do not use any of the other materials you mention. H. C. McM. (Surrey).— Spring Feeding.— Candy 6hould be given until about the end of March. Flour candy may be given from the present time. From the end of March feed slowly with thin syrup by means of a " bottle " feeder, exposing, say, three holes. A lever lid tin, such as a Lyle's golden syrup tin, makes a very good sub- stitute if small holes, large enough for a hat- pin to gO' through easily, are punched' in the lid. The pink candy may be used for all purposes. See " Seasonable Hint*," page 49, and reply to E. J. Grover, page 55, in the Journal last week. H. M. R. (Lingfield).— Using Shallow Frames with Sections.— Tou will need dividers between the sec- tions and shallow combs. They may be tacked on to the hanging frame, or yon could make some of tin or wood to hang between the combs. If a shallow frame box is need it will be neces- sary to increase the thickness of the bottom bars of the section frame so that they are level with the bottom bars of frames by tacking on a piece of wood, or, if the boxes made to take hanging section frames are used, the shallow frames will have to be cut down, so that all are level at the bottom. E. Coomber (Tonbridge).— So far as we can tell the sugar ie cane. Enquirer i(Kent).— The pamphlet is now out of print and unobtainable. Suspected Disease. Felix (Suffolk).— The cause of death was " Isle of Wight " disease. North Stafford (Derbs.).— The cause of death was " Isle of Wight " Disease. Burn the dead bees, quilts, frames and comb, or the latter may be melted down for wax and the refuse burned, but be careful not to allow bees to have access to either combs or refuse. The hive should be scorched with a painter's lamp, but do not char it. If a lamp is not available, apply a strong solution of some bactericide, or disinfectant, with a brush, working it well into all corners and cracks. Wash the outside of the hive with a weaker solution of disinfectant; separate the parts of the hive and leave exposed to the air until dry and the smell of the disinfectant has disappeared. It is better to give the outside a coat of good oil paint. The ground where the hive stood should have a thick sprinkling of quicklime, and, if possible, be dug over. Use ordinary builders' lime. Special) Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please tead these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible 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 is. per tin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion »n " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. EXCHANGE, six good Hives for a good stock of Bees, or sell— T. GREEN, New Dale, Wellington, Salop. b.25 WANTED, a few healthy Stocks on frames or skeps. Can send travelling boxes.— COOPER, Thorley, Isle of Wight. b.25 FOR SALE, Honey Extractor, Taylor's ungeared, perfect working order, 21s. on rail; also limited number stocks healthy Bees, delivery April and early May. Swarms when ready delivered in rotation.— HEWETT, 5, Owens Road, Winchester. b.27 WANTED, good stock " Italians " for early delivery; must guarantee healthy.— F. B. LONGLT, Fruit Grower, Hythe, Kent. b.28 AFLAVINED APIARY— Last Sunday H. C. Buttress, Esq., Carltonia, Milton Road, Cam- bridge, invited ns to inspect his apiary- We found 13 stocks, all wintering perfectly, not a speck on any comb, not a " crawler " in sight. This apiary was " Flavined " last May and again in late summer, and modern methods introduced. Mr. Buttress will be pleased to answer Any questions if a stamepd, addressed envelope is sent.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. b.29 Feb. 28, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 67 BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park,- Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Council was held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2, on Thursdav, February 21, 1918. Mr. W. F. Reid presided, and there were also present Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. J. Smallwood. G. Bryden, A. Richards, T. Bevan, G. R. Alder, G. J. Flashman, W. H. Simms, J. B. Lamb, J. Herrod-Hempsall, Association repre- sentative, Rev. T. E. Peters, and the secretary, W. Herrod-Hempsall. The Chairman made sympathetic refer- ence to the sad loss the Council had sus- tained by the loss of General Sir Stanley Edwardes; a silent standing vote of condolence to the relatives was passed. Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan, E. Walker, G. W. Judge, C. L. M. Eales, and F. W. Harper. The Minutes of Council Meeting held January 17, 1918, were read and con- firmed. The following new members were elected : Miss E. Taunton, Rev. T. E. Peters, Rev. W. Ellison, Messrs. H. A. K. Auster, H. C. Channon, F. PQ Freeman, G. Kay, J. A. Othen, J. B. Smith, B. Thomas, G. M. Truss, J. "Williams, and W. E. Whittaker. Life member : Capt. W. G. Coates. The following Associations nominated representatives on the Council and all were accepted : — Worcestershire : A. R. Moreton ; Herefordshire : Mrs. Clowes ; Glamorgan : F. Gravil; Staffordshire : W. Vallon ; Peterborough and District : P. C. Clarke. The Mid and West Herts, (late St. Albans) Association applied for affiliation and were accepted. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who stated that the payments into the bank for January amounted to £38 4s. The bank balance on February 1 was £122 Is. 7d. A recommendation that a further sum of £15 be invested in the reserve War Loan account was adopted. The report of the Committee on the standardisation of hives was received. It was resolved that owing to the great diffi- culties experienced owing to abnormal conditions that the matter remain for a time in abeyance. So that at the first favourable opportunity the scheme may be proceeded with, the Council invite those interested in the matter to send particulars of their ideas, together with scale drawings, to the Secretary. The final examination was fixed for May 24 and 25, 1918. A very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Paulin, of Bexley, for engrossing the examination certificates. The Secretary was instructed to arrange for the lectures at Golders Hill Park on the same lines as last year. Letters pressing the Council to obtain legislation for dealing with bee diseases were received from the Peterborough and Herefordshire Associations, and the Secretary was instructed to reply. Also from Leicestershire and Northumberland Associations in favour of standardisation of hives. Next meeting of Council after the Annual Meeting on March 21, 1918. SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT BEE- KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The fifth annual general meeting of this Association was held on February 14 at the Wentworth Cafe, Sheffield, and in the absence of the President, the chair was occupied by W. Ball, Esq. The Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. Garwell, presented the report and balance sheet, which showed an increased balance in hand. The report dealt with the Associa- tion's efforts to re-stock members with bees from the Association Apiary, after having lost their bees with " Isle of Wight " disease. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, com- mented on the steady increase in member- ship, six new members being admitted at the annual meeting. W. T. Garnett, Esq., was re-elected President; J. D. Outram, Esq., CD. Leng, Esq., C. M. Hansell, Esq., W. Ball, Esq., T. H. Nelson, Esq., and Eric J. 68 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 28, 1918. Outram, Esq., were elected Vice- Presidents. Messrs. P. Ridge and E. J. Outram were elected auditors, and "W. Garwell was re-elected secretary and treasurer. The committee was re-elected en bloc. Mr. Livsey proposed, Mr. Ball seconded, and it was carried unanimously, " That this meeting fully approve of the standardisation of hives, and we will give our wholehearted support to such a scheme." The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman, proposed by Mr. Hansell. STAFFORDSHIRE BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the members of the Staffordshire Bee-keepers' Association was held in the Lecture Hall, County Technical Buildings, Stafford, on Satur- day, February 9. The Rev. A. R. Alsop (vice-president) took the chair in the unavoidable absence of Col. A. H. Heath (president), and he was supported on the platform by Messrs. John Kendrick, J. P., C.C., of Stone; E. W. Horton Knight (Rocester), J. Stoney (County Horticul- tural Instructor), J. Price, of Old Hill (County Council Bee-keeping Expert and Lecturer) ; and Mrs. Saint, of Stone (who is acting as secretary in the absence of Mr. C. R. Forse, of Trentham, who is serving with the Artillery at the Front). THE ANNUAL REPORT. The Chairman, in calling upon Mrs. Saint (secretary) to read the annual re- port, said she had done exceedingly good work on behalf of the Association during the past year under trying circum- stances. The report was as follows : — I am pleased to be able to report that the Staffordshire Bee-keepers' Association has been doing good work during the past year under trying circumstances. The unusual and extra demand for bees and help, owing to the scarcity of sugar, taxed to the utmost the powers of the working members, and unfortunately it was im- possible to supply anything like the num- ber of stocks asked for. Forty-six new members have joined our Association and four have resigned, leav- ing a total of 209 members. The balance in hand is £88 17s. 8d. This is larger than usual, and was due to there being no medals or prizes to supply for shows, and to the kindness of the local experts in giving all their time and paying their own expenses. A number of candidates presented themselves for examination. The British Bee-keepers' . Association appointed as examiner Mr. W. Herrod- Hempsall, who gave a lecture in Stone the same evening, which was much appre- ciated. Four committee meetings have been held, and throixgh the efforts of this Asso- ciation the County Council has appointed a whole-time expert, whose lectures, visits, and advice will, we feel sure, be of great value to the bee-keepers of Staf- fordshire, and by joining the Asociation and making ourselves one strong body we shall take an important part in forming plans for the future, and so help our country in its time of need by encourag- ing bee-keepers, who are doing their best to prevent the waste of so much nectar through insufficient bees to gather it all in. The honey season was in most districts short, although a surplus of 2121b. is re- corded from one hive. Swarms were very general, but were not sufficient to supply all anxious to obtain them. " Isle of Wight ' ' disease is still amongst us. We hope, with the help of the County Expert, to see a great improvement during the coming season, as, visiting every bee- keeper, he will find out the most infected areas, and by advising no bees to be moved from that district prevent it spreading. At three economy exhibitions — Lichfield, Stafford, and Mayfield — a space was devoted to honey and bees, and at each I gave short lectures on Bee- keeping and the use of various appliances, which were much appreciated, and in- duced a number of people to become mem- bers of our Association and start bee-keep- ing. Mr. J. Kendrick lent his trophy, and observatory hive; Mr. Mytton lent bees for Lichfield, Mr. Johnson bees for Stafford, and Miss Wardle bees for May- field. They also helped to take charge of the stands. The thanks of the Association are due to the local experts, who have spent so much time visiting members and giving help and advice where needed. You will be pleased to hear that your secretary (Mr. Forse) was on leave at Christmas, and was looking wonderfully well. He wished to be remembered to all members of the Association. The Chairman remarked that it was a most encouraging report, and they were all very much indebted to Mrs. Saint for her services. (Applause.) Mr. Kendrick, in proposing the adop- tion of the report and balance-sheet, said he thought they would all agree that it was fairly satisfactory. Mr. E. W. H. Knight seconded the motion, and the report and statement of accounts were adopted. LOCAL EXPERTS' REPORTS. A number of interesting reports by local experts were then submitted, and Feb. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 69 showed the ravages of ' ' Isle of Wight disease in the county. The Chairman moved that the local ex- perts be known in future as local secre- taries, and that they be re-appointed en blac, and this was agreed to. Mr. Kendrick moved the re-election of Col. Heath as president. Col. Heath was the founder of the Association, and had kept in touch with its work ever since. Mr. Harper seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Valon, seconded by Mr. Johnson, the Rev. A. R. Alsop was re-appointed vice-president. The committee were re-elected en blac, with the addition of Messrs. H. J. Bostock (Stafford), Isaac Swanwick (Yarnfield), J. Wakefield (Brewood), J. E. Bishop (King's Bromley), and W. Collis (Grat- wich), in place of those members who retired by rotation. Mr. C. R. Forse was unanimously re- elected hon. secretary, and Mrs. Saint hon, secretary pro tern. Mr. Vallon, delegate to the British Bee -Keepers' Association, was re- appointed. He said the Association, which had met twice during the year, was doing its best to improve the status of bee-keeping, and were considering the question of the standardisation of hives. ADDRESS BY THE COUNTY EXPERT. Mr. Joseph Price, the county expert, who was welcomed by the chairman, then gave a short address. He said that naturally a good many people were won- dering what the future relations between the County Council and the Association were going to be. Having been a mem- ber of the Association for 25 years and for the last 12 years a member of four or five similar organisations, as well as acting as expert, they might take it for granted that wherever he went, whether to help novices or to visit experienced bee-keepers, he should further the in- terests of that Association as much as possible. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than to see membership of the Association increased at the end of the year, and he hoped that in course of time it would be doubled. (Hear, hear.) There was no reason why the Stafford- shire Association should not equal the membership of the Cumberland and Westmorland Association, which was over 900, and for which he worked for twelve years. At the present time bee- keeping was in a very critical stage, owing to the ravages of the " Isle of Wight " disease, which had gone from village to village. Bee-keepers had been left more or less to themselves, and had not known what neighbouring bee- keepers were doing. There was no effec- tual cure at the present time for the disease, and it was not to be wondered at that in many districts there were hardly any bees left. The Press had assisted apiculture very much during the last few years in emphasising the value of honey as an article of food, and not merely as a luxury, which it had always been considered. The result was that many persons were, owing to the scarcity of sugar, eager to take up bee-keeping, but, unfortunately, there were no bees to be had. He urged the importance of educating those who started bee-keeping to manage their own bees, and not, when trouble came, to throw up the sponge and leave infected combs in their apiaries. He had been engaged about a month in visiting bee-keepers, and he was sorry to say that wherever he had gone he had found disease in stocks. Owing to the scarcity of bees, bee-keepers would be lucky if they were able to re-start with only one stock, and that would be quite sufficient for the present. Where there were bees he thought it was advisable to keep them in the locality, and in the absence of any system of compulsory noti- fication he had arranged to leave cards bearing his name and address with bee- keepers. If bees were offered for sale, intending purchasers should ask to in- spect the card, and they would be able to see from this whether the stocks were free from disease. In this way he hoped it would be possible to place a certain amount of check on the distribution of the disease by people who had no con- science in the matter. (Applause.) As regards re-stocking, he intended to devote part of his time to this question. Wherever he came across a place where there was no disease, he proposed to isolate it as far as possible, and to keep the apiary going for re-stocking purposes. The bees would be sold at a nominal cost to bee-keepers, as they applied in turn, and he hoped it would be an inducement to them not to go outside to buy pro- bably infected bees. He wanted to enlist the help and co-operation of the local secretaries and members of the Associa- tion in the effort to make a clean sweep of infectious material in every apiary. It was no use attempting to prevent the spread of " Isle of Wight" disease by the means which were at present avail- able. In his opinion, none of the reme- dies put forward had been successful; nothing could cure the disease in bees, especially if they showed signs of it in the autumn. The only way in which to assist bee-keepers to combat the disease was by adopting preventive methods and removing the source of infection. He looked forward to Staffordshire^ being re- garded by other counties as an ideal place for bee-keeping, and he would do all in 70 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 28, 1918. his power to further the interests of the Association and bee-keeping generally. (Applause.) Replying to Mr. Harper, the County Expert said the proposed central apiaiy would probably be located on the outskirts of the county. Owing to the ravages cf disease and the possibility of infection it would be unwise to make it central. The Chairman said the scheme was going forward. Mr. Price said it was intended to put bees on the County Council fruit plots at Brewood, Chasetown, and other places for educational purposes. CONTROL OF BEE DISEASE. Mr. Johnson moved the following reso- lution : — " That this meeting of the Staf- fordshire Bee-Keepers' Association, recog- nising the urgent necessity of legislation to adequately combat bee disease, requests the Board of Agriculture to do all in their power to help apiculture by bringing in a Bee Disease Bill at an early date, and, if necessary, to call a repre- sentative conference of bee-keepers for their guidance." Mr. Goring seconded the resolution, which was carried. At the .close of the business, the custo- mary draw for a hive, value 45s., took place, the winner being Mr. W. J. B. Blake, of Longton. A DORSET YARN. I saw our bees on the hedgerow banks that divide the fields. It was the first daisy I had seen open ; the bees had found it sooner than I. Burns calls this a " wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower." I had not noticed bees about daisies much, though it is with us the greater part of the year. Montgomery writes, " The daisy never dies." He wrote also :— " The lambkin crops its crimson gem, The wild bee murmurs on its breast," etc. One of those flowers that closes at night, it has always been an attraction to me. " Oft have I watched thy closing buds at eve, Which for the parting sunbeams seems to grieve." This flower, and others on the lands o'er- run by sheep, seems to have the sense of reasoning. Those who have been on lands where sheep are pasturing, will have noticed that not a young tree can grow, they level everything with their sharp teeth. The daisy and lotus clover flowers are all eaten off by them, but if you watch carefully you will see some of the daisy flowers will send out their flower stems horizontally, and will open among the short-cropped grass below the level, where the sheep cannot bite them, as if it had reasoning powers. It is the same with the lotus clovers; never a bit of seed would there be if some of the flowers did not get in under the fine grass close to the soil, and produce seed to carry on the race. I noticed this some years ago, when, with a party of Bournemouth horticul- turists, I went to see the sub-tropical gardens of the Earl of Ilchester, at Abbotsbury, between Weymouth and Bridport, on the Dorset coast. All this place is the site of an old abbey and monastery. There is an old tithe barn. still to be seen there, and on a hill, exposed to every wind that blows, are the ruins of St. Catherine's Chapel, the grass shaved level by the sheep, so that not a flower was to be seen. I had sat down to rest — it was a hot summer day, — -one's thoughts went back to other years, to the wonderful monks of olden time; how they tilled the soil, and built so wonderfully strong, and carved and beautified, the temples of the Saviour. One felt as that clever parson who wrote those marvellous rhymes of Ingoldsby :— " Then I thought of the ancient time — The days of the monks of old — When to matin, and vesper, and com- pline chime, , The loud Hosannas roll'd, The courts and the long-drawn aisles among, Swelled the full tide of sacred song." Then, quite close to me, Was the song of the honey bee, Singing away in merry glee: It had found what I had failed to see, The lotus clover and the " wee crim- son-tipped daisy." (Ingoldsby's rhyme seems to have bewitched me.) Then I saw that every flower that came up to the level was eaten off, and only those that spread outwards below the level of the teeth of sheep were able to flower, and produce their seed to carry on the race. The honey bee showed me this, and lessons so learned are never forgotten. It also looked as if the bee had " a fellow feel- ing " with these flowers on the short- cropped turf; that they made quite sure of their fertilisation. The chief attraction for our bees is still the Christmas roses; so crowded are the flowers with bees that in their haste to gather pollen they are tearing off the filaments that carry the pollen. Some of the flowers have been open six weeks and are getting old. I assume they are ferti- lised, so nature has no further use for the anthers, and they easily come away when so many bees crowd over them. In many of the by-lanes of Dorset just now the hazel catkins are delightful to Feb. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 71 see, swaying about in the wind; but far the greatest half are still without colour and length, as though the plants seem to know that the crimson plumes of the female flowers were not yet advanced enough for inoculation, or else are antici- pating another cold spell, and saving some pollen flowers till it is past; many of our old people think that this is so. Many miles of hedgerows are not trimmed, and they look very pleasing to one who loves nature, but the farmer sees no beauty when they encroach over his fields; but he is short of labour, something- has to be left. 'Tis the same with the willows ; all the females are bursting their buds, and showing their downy flowers advancing. Our bees will have a fine time again. Nature is advancing quickly; yellow crocus are in bloom in sheltered places — all show us the approach of spring, " When early primroses appear, and vales are decked with daffodils." Already the " daffs " are showing their leaves and flower buds. How wonderful a few days of mild weather advances vege- tation ; but the rains retard the work on the land, crops cannot be got in, with the land swamped with incessant rains. What delightful reading was Mr. Macdonald's on the wintering of bees, so true to nature ; it is good to see that he is once again contributing to the Journal. " Blurts from a Scratchy Pen " seems like meeting old acquaintances ; though one has never met them, one seems to know them so well; one's life is sure to show itself in one's writings. One lady from the fruit-growing dis- tricts in Worcester wrote for some stocks of bees. As I said last week, bees are booming just now, the reproduction of the lecture on pollination in the Journal has done a lot for education. The demand for bees will be greater than the supply. My advice to the query was, " Buy now, even if you have to pay 60s. for them : they are worth it in pollination alone." There is no doubt that it is so, as bees carry the pollen direct from flower to flower, where wind would not do it so regularly, and in the case of wall fruit scarcely at all; it would be almost an impossibility for wind to carry foreign pollen to the sterile growers, which is what is most wanted to increase the size and weights. This is very noticeable in plums. Victorias, Monarchs, Pershores, and Magnums have crowded out many of the most delightful eating varieties like Kirk's blue, and Jefferson's, because the latter are not self-fertile and the others are. Our plum buds are now throwing off their brown casings, and are showing the white rolled-up petals. There .seems to be in this district quite a dearth of small tits and finches; it is when the buds burst through their brown cases that these birds do the harm to plums. All of our best varieties are budded close to the soil on some of our native stocks that have been grown since 1500; it is remarkable that when budded, or grafted, they fruit the third or fourth year, but if you plant the stones of our best gages they are many years before they fruit. I waited once eighteen years for one tree to give some fruit. I knew it was a good one (or it would not have been left so long) ; I had budded some of it on a wild stock, and it fruited years before the tree the buds were taken from. All these are delightful for eating and preserving. He who has bees, and room for trees, should have a good lot of plums, as they bloom early, and usually have such quantities of it. They are not so reliable for regular crops of fruit as apples, as they bloom so early and frost at times destroys the delicate seed organs, biit no* year passes but we have some varieties that carry a crop. — J. J. Kettle. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — (Continued.) Values. Honey. Pollen. Borage (Borago officinalis) 3 — Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) 1 Marjoram (Origanum vulgaris) ? ? Marjoram, Sweet or Knotted (0. major ana) ... ? Marjoram, Pot (0. onites)_ ? Mint, Corn (Mentha arvensis) 2 1 Peppermint (M. piperita) 3 — Sage, Garden (Salvia offici- nalis) ... ... ... 2 — Sage, Meadow (S. pratensis) 3 — Thyme, Common (Thymus vulgaris) ... ... 2 — Thyme, Lemon (T. serpyl- lum v.) ... 2 • — What is a herb? The definition found in the modern dictionary is: — (1) Ordinary Language : A plant, the stem of which is not woody. (2) Botany : A plant, producing shoots only of annual duration from the surface of the earth. I am not greatly helped, neither am I impressed. A feeling of disappointment at this cavalier treatment of the subject oppresses me, yet I recognise that it is only consonant with the general and in- creasing neglect of a most interesting class of plants. A glance at Cruden's " Con- cordance " would suffice to show that under the reign of the Most High and Mightv Prince James the word connoted far more than it does to-day. Still earlier, that inexhaustible mine of plant lore " Gerarde's Herbal," had re- 72 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 28, 1918. vealed its treasures under this title, which most truly indicates the scope of the word. Nowadays the enumeration of the subjects set out above would probably ex- haust or even exceed the knowledge of the " man-in-the-street " in relation to herbs. For this reason, such works as Lady Rosalind Northcote's " The Book of Herbs," Dr. Fernie's "Herbal Simples," and last, but by no means least, Mrs. Frances Bardswell 's "The Herb Garden," are most timely and welcome. The last-named has been put under heavy oontribution to the following notes : — Borage, which has given its name to the order of boragina?, and to the genus of which it is the type, is a native, hardy plant, which thrives in poor, stony soil, and is used for flavouring purposes, es- pecially for claret cup. It is an annual of the easiest possible culture. Seed may be sown from March to May, the plants ' being thinned out to at least 1 ft. apart ; the thinnings, if carefully lifted, can be transplanted. Borage is admirably adapted for naturalising in dry, stony places. Walking from Selsey to Bognor, via Pagham Harbour, I saw masses of it growing luxuriantly on soil which looked hardly capable of supporting any vegeta- tion at all. The sight of its bright blue panicles of flowers reminded me that this spot was within bee-flight of Sidlesham, the site of an apiary whose owner, Alfred Rushbridge, author of " A Book for Bee- Keepers," was one of the early advocates of " the art of bee culture on the humane system," and that, doubtless, his bees had often revelled in the feast provided by the pendant blooms of this beautiful flower. The value of borage as a nectar plant eeems to be fairly widely recognised. One expects Messrs. Sutton to mention it in this respect, and sure enough their in- valuable manual of flower and vegetable culture states " Borage is also a great favourite with bee-masters," and even the P.P. seed merchants single it out in this connection. Mrs. Bardswell says of it : " ' Borage for courage.' So runs the old proverb. Once sown, you need never sow borage again; like the marigolds, it takes care of itself. The starry blue flowers, with a cunning dot of black in them, are delightful. Blue flowers often have a beauty patch of black like this. The gaily-coloured flowers are a fine set-off to the herb border. The rough, green leaves give an etherealised flavour of cucumber to claret and other cups, and the flowers offer honey to the bees. Our great-great-grandmothers loved to preserve the flowers and candy them for sweet- meats." Hyssop is one of the labiates ; blue- purple in colour, rarely white. It flowers from June to September, and grows from 1 to 2 ft. in height. Apart from the use of its tops and flowers for making an ex- pectorant infusion, hyssop is occasionally employed as an edging. A dry soil and warm situation suit it. Sow in April and thin the plants to 1 ft. apart in the rows. It needs little other after-care than weed- ing, and, as an edging, occasional cutting in. Hyssop is a handsome evergreen shrub, the flowers of which, if not exactly gay, are yet lively enough to have a footing in some flower gardens. Along with cat- mint, it makes a charming border, their soft, indistinct blues going well together. " It was Miss Jekyll, I think," says Mrs. Bardswell, " who first introduced them into our flower garden. There is one gar- den of her designing I know very well, where two broad beds on either side a broad gravel walk are planted entirely with these two herbs, whose gentle hues blend admirably. At the back of the bor- ders bushes of rosemary and lavender are planted ; a grey stone wall and comfort- able wooden bench complete the scene, which is full of repose and good for heart and eyes. We are sorry we cannot claim for our hyssop that it is the hyssop of the Bible ; about that, however, there is much discussion. Formerly it was a sacred herb, and chosen for cleansing sacred places. In the accounts we were reading this very year (1911)* of the consecration of the Westminster Cathedral, the use of hyssop was mentioned in the ' sprinkling of the altars.' How curious and interesting is this continuance of a ceremonial so ancient ! "As a kitchen herb, hyssop was used more for broths and decoctions than for salads. The flowers, like those of the catw mint, go on blooming all the summer through, which makes the plants an orna- ment from June to October." Marjoram. — Of the three marjorams mentioned, the first is a native hardy per- ennial, seldom grown in gardens, the two species generally cultivated being 0. majorana and 0. onites, the former of which, although a true perennial, has to be treated as an annual, being unable to stand a vigorous winter. Seed should be sown in a warm position in the open gar- den in April, thinning to 9 in. apart. Seedlings transplant well. Pot marjoram is a hardy perennial, and is propagated by division in early spring. Plant 1 ft. apart. For winter use the tops should be cut and slowly dried out of the sun. The proper time to gather herbs is just when they are mature. — A. F. Harwood. (To be continued.) * The 'ceremony took place on June 29, 1910, the festival of BS. Peter and Paul— A. F. H. Feb. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 73^ THE QUESTION OF POLLINATION OF FRUIT IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL FRUIT GROWING. By C. H. Hooper, F.R.H.S., Member of Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. (Continued from page 45.) Rivers' Early Prolific. — This valuable early plum does not crop well in many- places; the cause seems to be unfavourable pollination, whereas in some places il crops regularly very heavily. It is a variety that should not be planted alone, and shows preference as to pollen ; at Swanley, among Victoria it crops badly, whilst at Pershore, among Egg plums, it crops exceedingly well. It crops splendidly in an oichard planted with three trees of Rivers to two of Early Orleans ; in another two-acre plantation in the proportion of two Rivers to one Czar a heavy crop was reported ; in a one-acre piece near Maidstone planted with Czar and Rivers in equal proportion a very good crop of each was reported. With Monarch, in a two- acre plantation, the proportion being one Rivers to four Monarch, a fair crop was reported. At Canterbury, where Rivers is interplanted with Prince of Wales, both are said to crop specially well. At Borden, among Pond's Seedling and Monarch, Rivers is said to crop badly. At Merton it is found to set well with Pond's Seedling pollen. Belle de Loavain is found not to fruit well alone. At Borden it fruits well with Prince of Wales ; adjoining Borden Duke and Victoria, with Czar on the lower side. It fruits well with Egg and Early Rivers at Pershore. Pond's Seedling is self-sterile, and often crops badly, but appears to fruit well with Pershore plums and damsons. Early Favourite is self-fertile, but does not fertilise Rivers' Early Prolific. Washington is fertilsed by Pond's Seedling. Early Transparent is fertilised by Late Transparent, and vice versa. Reine Claude d'Althan set freely with Coe's Violet, Coe's Golden Drop, and Jefferson. Some varieties commence to set fruit well with their own pollen, and the fruits grow to about quarter size, but then all fall ; such a variety is Coe's Violet. Of self -fertile varieties : — Victoria and Czar are strongly self-fertile, and fruit nearly as well planted in block as interplanted with other varieties. Victoria does not produce much pollen, and it does not seem to be%a specially good polleniser, whereas Czar seems to be a specially good polleniser fdr planting with other varieties of plum such as greengage. Pershore Egg Plum is self-fertile, and appears to be a very good polleniser for other varieties, including greengage ; it is also an excellent stock for working other varieties upon. It is probably the finest preserving plum grown when unripe for stewing, jam-making and canning, but when ripe it is woolly and tasteless. Unlike other varieties it is propagated from .suckers. Monarch is somewhat self-fertile, but it would probablv not be advisable to plant 7<- alone. In a two-acre plantation, the proportion being four trees of Monarch to one of Rivers' Early Prolific, a heavy crop was reported. Denniston's Superb sets and matures fruit with its own pollen nearlv as well as Victoria and Czar. Prune Damson appears to fruit well where grown in block. The order of flowering of plums is somewhat as follows : — Early. — Black Diamond. Grand Duke, Prince of Wales. Monarch, President, Old Greengage, Damascene. Medium. — Rivers' Earlv Prolific, Czar. Earlv Orleans, Victoria. Coe's Golden Drop, Jefferson, Prince Englebert, Drooper. Late. — Sultan, Oullin's, Golden Gage, Gisborne, Farleisrh Damson, Pond's Seedling, Pershore Belle de Louvain. Different kinds of plums are in flower generallv from fourteen to twenty-four days (average nineteen days) and in full flower about the eighth day. {To be continued.} 74 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Feb. 28, 1918. " SHEATH " W.B.C. HIVES. [9627] The first dovetailed " Sheath " hive has now been completed in my work- shop. Built as indicated in the Journal, December 13 last, all boards cut male dovetails one end, female the other, I have experienced no difficulty in its con- struction. Dovetails are 1 in. parallel design, the cut through the grain being, of course, on the skew, to compensate for the splay. Nailed both ways, it is a very substan- tial hive, well worth the extra time neces- sary. The novice, however, should not attempt the dovetailed " Sheath " until he has built a few " Sheath " hives of the ordinary square butt joints, and acquired some acquaintance with the " Sheath " design, as well as skill with his tools. A flat roof has been fitted to this hive instead of a walled roof. It is lighter, and instead of cutting 7 in. timber to make roof-walls, the full width has been used to make a lift. The roof boards are bound underneath by a flat rim, ^ in. thick, 2 in. wide at front and back, and 1 in. at sides; also two pieces 2 in. by ^ in., intermediate, front to back cross- wise. Top is calico-covered, painted. All parts interchange with all 20 in. by 20 in. " Sheath " hives I have built. To prevent unroofing by wind, hooks and eyes, made from galvanised wire, are fitted on two sides, inside. Eyes to cor- respond are fitted inside the lift imme- diately below. In the season of field work, the eyes in lift can be removed and pushed into the roof, engaging the free hooks and keeping them safe, secure, and out of the way until required to be brought into use again. No bricks, no ropes or tying, nothing loose, and no worry, and a most useful table for manipulative convenience when working neighbouring hives. — M. Atkinson, Fakenham. "Born on a Friday" (Oxon). — Building up a Nucleus.— Do not add all the new frames and foundation at once. Give them one at a time as 'they need more room, until the bees cover eight combs; the last two may both be given at the same time. H. J. E. (Emerton).— Treating for Foul Brood.— Better not treat as you suggest for at least a month. In the meantime, keep the hive sup- plied with naphthaline and Apicure. Write us again in four or five weeks' time. A. E. Crossland (Matlock).— The address of the secretary of Derbyshire B.K.A. is Mr. F. Meakin, 37, Pybus Street, Derby. Suspected Disease. "Gloyne" (Sutton).— The bees do not appear to he diseased. "Bee" (Hafod) and W. Hilton (Hey wood). —The bees were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. Natives. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rale, 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 5s. per %in., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertion* in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, a few healthy Stocks on "frames or skeps. Can send travelling boxes.— COOPER, Thorley, Isle of Wight. b.2& WANTED, by Young 'Lady, post of establish- ing or managing Apiary, or Apiaries; first- class expert, and large practical experience.— Box 14, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. b.24 WANTED, four new W.B.C. Hives, Lee's [pat- tern, No. 14a or No. ,14 preferred, with or without supers; good price given.— Box 15, British Bee Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W..C.2. b.31 WANTED, Bees; exchange first-class half-plate stand camera— RUDKIN, Junction Road, Leiceister. b.32 WANTED, Conqueror Hives, Standard or Com- mercial, single or double; good condition and complete with supers; good price given-— Box 16, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. b.33 FOR 1SALE, a number of Standard and Shallow Frames, foundation wired, 12s. and lis. per dozen respectively— NEEDHAM, Hemel Hemp- stead. b.35 THE FLAVINES offer you a. chance of immunity from disease troubles in your apiary in 1918. A stamped, addressed envelope will bring you a circular— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. b.37 March 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 75 OBITUARY NOTICE. Herrod-Hempsall. — At Sutton House, Round Green, Luton, Beds. On Satur- day, March 2, Thomas Herrod-Hempsall, aged 76 years. The father of out Junior Editor, and the Manager. We are sorry for any delay in answer- ing correspondence, etc., during the last few days. The above, will explain the reason. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park, Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. There will also be a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 pjn., to which anyone will be welcome. A DORSET YARN. Rural life in Dorset this last week has been very pleasing. Everything seems full of promise; grass lands, that always have a brown look after frost, have put on a new mantle of green ; daisies are in great profusion; the giant elms are swell- ing out their flower buds ; jargonelle pears have thrown off their brown casings: bees are flying a distance; tortoiseshell and primrose butterflies are on the wing ; violets, where a few weeks back there was scarcely a flower, now are throwing up a great many of their richly scented blooms, plenty for the bees. No wonder their song is more pronounced. Ours are leaving the Christmas roses — not nearly so many on them as formerly; they have taken up the crocus just now, this seems to be the first favourite. Mr. T. Giles, of Cowsfield Nurseries, near Salisbury, sends me a most interest- ing letter relative to these flowers (which I pass on to others; I had read of it somewhere in other years) ; how he placed in the open flowers, flour of wheat and peas, and had watched the bees gather it on the pollen basket and carry it off. It may interest some of our newest recruits in bee craft. He also wrote me how his Aralia Sie- boldii has been out many years, but the frost often spoils its blossoms. Last year's excessive frost killed off his blue gums (Eucalyptus), but not, the Aralias. His interesting letter had a reference to Genista fragrans — how the bees like the flowers. This with the Coronillas are often to be seen in sheltered places giving off great quantities of flowers in their season. His place must be very warm and sheltered by the Wiltshire hills from the nor'-easters, to have these live out in the open. It shows us who keep bees that there are many things that contain honey and pollen that are worth risking out, in the most sheltered positions, to add to the lists of plants from which " The flower enamour'd busy bee, The liquid banquet loves to sip " (it sounds like Burns'). I suppose it is so many pea-flowering plants that makes Australia such a fine country for bees, as many of our flower- ing greenhouse plants of that family came from the land of the Southern Cross — Clianthus, Swainsonias, Chorazemas, etc., where they keep on growing, and flower- ing, till they get to great size. I should think it was trees of flowering Robinias that gave Burns the theme — " Amang the trees where humming bees At buds and flowers were hinging, 0, Auld Caledon drew out her drone And to her pipes were singing, 0." It may be the hum of bees that gave to the early pipers the idea of hav- ing the trichord drone to the native instrument. I am getting off the track, and must leave this to those who know more of Scotland than I do; but I have heard the Scottish regiments sing " Scots wha ha'e wi Wallace bled." The memory of it will be with me as long as I live; every verse, aye, every line, for freedom, for liberty, or death. "Liberty's in every blow! Let us do, or diel " My esteemed friend Squire Tomlinson, of Wimborne, called in to see me this week. He is using as a preventive against disease — Mr. Smith's remedy (the flavines). He has loaned me a fine spray, and a grain of the specific to spray the entrances; he believes that the future of the industry is in prevention; the cure, he does not want to have to cater for it — it is too risky. 76 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 7, 1918. I suppose I am something of a Dar- winite — " the survival of the fittest * ■ — those that are tainted with disease will go under, and the strongest live through and carry on the race. He is a fine bee- keeper. If any man knows the ins and outs of the craft he does; he has not the multitude of duties that we have on the land; he does his bees thoroughly. He came for some plum trees, and the half- hour spent with him was like a page from a good book. There was plenty to think of when he had gone; he is coming with his camera some time to take views of the hives, and the lines of fruit trees. A man of many parts, and he does them all well. Work on the land now is in full swing, with seed sowing and potato planting : the first when weather is suitable, the latter can be done with the plough (where the soil is light), even if the weather is not so good, as the plough leaves the sur- face of soil loose and porous. We even plough in the peas (the land having been deeply worked previously) ; set the plough at 3 in. deep and 9 in. wide; every third furrow sow the seeds very thinly up close to the shoulder the plough has left with the turn-furrow, using one horse, and do not let him go in the furrow on top of peas. Pea sowing is very quickly done in this way. Parsnips can be sown every second furrow, in the channel left by the plough on the surface, and then smooth over with the harrow; it saves going over the surface again, as you would have to do if a drill was used. Sow parsnip very thinly, seed is dear this year. Onions, in sowing, can be done the same way, so long as the surface is left smooth. If you can get the soil dry enough, well harrow it and roll it with a light roller and drill them. Onions are more regu- larly sown with a drill, but as they want to be in early, the difficulty is getting the soil dry enough to work. Plant out all those sown in late summer last year, as these always make the largest bulbs. These require soil well enriched by animal manure. — J. J. Kettle. ^ongtbeJBe 'ggyj0- *{i*\ action cu'l Moving Bees. Many bee-keepers will, no doubt, be moving their hives from one site to an- other in course of the early spring, and so it may be well to look into the matter in anticipation of this shifting from one part of the garden to another. Bees are super- gifted with the bump of locality, and onoe they have oriented as young bees taking their first flight, they have marked their bearings so admirably that they never for- get the position of the little spot where their home is placed. The instinct is prac- tically the same as that which teaches the carrier piegon the homing instinct, although in a narrower field. As young bees, we observe them having what we call play spells. Each bee of the crowd rises at first only a few yards from the hive, but gradually, then or on subsequent flights, essaying their young wings, they fly fur- ther and higher, all the time they are circling round and round, keeping a steady eye on "home." The same care is observed when they take short and then long flights to the grazing fields to carry home loads of nectar or pollen. Their magnificent compound eyes serve them well in taking their bearings, and even when at a distance they are telescopioally in keeping them in sight of home. They seem to carry with them a map of the whole neighbourhood, as well as the hive and its immediate surroundings, and all this is vividly retained in their mind's eye during the period of their short exist- ence. In every flight to near or far fields, it guides them true as the needle is guided to the pole. Shift the hive only a few feet, or even inches, and you nonplus them in their efforts to find their entrance from a foraging flight. Consequently, any shifting from one site to another has to be done with care and circumspection. In moving short distances it is best to carry out the operation gradually, about a foot each day, and not every day, but only on those when they are flying freely. All this applies to the summer months. The moving can be safely undertaken almost any time in early winter, before a long spell of stormy weather during which they may be confined to their hive for weeks or even months at a time without being able to take even a cleansing flight. From the period named until early spring, before frequent early flying is possible, they contentedly accept the new surround- ings. It should be remembered that at this time the large proportion of the popu- lation are young bees who may never have had an opportunity to go to the field as for- agers. They have not, therefore, any very clear or permanent sense of position, and so, during the play spells of early spring, or during the first cleansing flights, they take their bearings either anew or for the first time. These early flights are carried on in narrow circles near home, with the hive well within their sight while they are flying. When hives are removed to a new stand March 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 77 or position during spring, in good time before active spring work becomes a pos- sibility, on the dawn of genial weather they orient anew, or many of them for the first time. All are at least young bees, although, of course, many of them may have lived in the hive from the first of October, a period of about six months, but the true age of a bee should be tested by the work it has accomplished, and not by the number of days or weeks it may have lived since it issued from the cell. Consequently they are really young. In the busy season we get over the effect of this housing instinct in several ways. Bees can be temporarily carried for a distance of two to four miles from the home apiary, and they will accept the new situation without any demur, while after they have been about a week in their new location they can be trans- ferred home and planted down wherever the bee-keeper desires, when they will at once accept the site as if it had been their home stance for years. An out- apiary is a very useful institution for these and many other operations. Bees shut in for a time will lose all recollection of their former residence. We will at first suppose they are comb- less and broodless, and that they are con- fined in a well-ventilated bos, perhaps in a dark shed. When run on to combs in any hive, even near the old site, they will taKe to their new home, and once by orientation fix on its situation as their permanent home. If they are caused a good deal of in- convenience by bumping, jolting and smoking, it will bring about such a con- fusion in their ideas that they will forget the old location. The same result will follow if bees, shut into a hive, are com- pelled to undergo a good deal of worry and work in obtaining an open way for their exit. Therefore, if the entrance is pretty firmly stuffed with grass or moss so that they must devote some time and labour to obtain egress, they will accept the new position of their home. Nuclei are frequently formed by this means. Another secret of success lies in the fact that young bees from anywhere remain where they are put, old bees fly home. Bv shaking the old ones off, or by simply allowing them to return, we can, if full strength is not demanded, transfer a hive to the point where we desire to establish it whether near to or far from the old stand. It is a well-known fact, fortunately for bee-keepers, that newly hived swarms accept any site whereon they may be placed, even although the new hive may be set down in close proximitv to the hive from wbioh thev have issued. Not a single bee of the newly-established lot will show any affinity or kinship with the old house colony. Nature has wisely made provision for this contingency. If in moving bees we can get them in a frame of mind similar to the bees of a swarm we can do almost anything with them. If one desires to move their bees a long distance, either by road or rail, I cannot do better than refer them to pages 117, 118, 119, 120 of the Guide Book, where they will find illustrated examples how the operation is carried out by Messrs. Herrod and Stewart. DERBYSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The annual meeting of the Derbyshire Bee-keepers' Association was held in the Guildhall on Saturday. Mr. R. Giles (chairman) presided over a fair attend- ance. The report showed that, while the membership had increased somewhat, the drastic effects of the "Isle of Wight" disease a year ago was still keenly felt by the bee-keepers, and which had also a corresponding ill-effect on the association generally. Matters, however, were gradually improving, and the disease was apparently on the decline. Owing to the great shortage of bees last season, experts found it impossible to cope with applica- tions. The desire to start bee-keeping was never stronger. Of the 26 new mem- bers made, it was reported that the majority had wintered the bees success- fully. The balance-sheet unfortunately showed a deficit of £14 lis. Id., duetto the suspension of the usual grant. The association was nevertheless financially sound. The Chairman, in moving the adoption, said that in the exceptional cir- cumstances the financial affairs of the association were satisfactory. The elec- tion of president and officers followed. His Grace the Duke of Devonshire was re-elected president of the association. Mr. G. H. Strutt was also re-elected representative on the County Council ; Mr. G. T. Pallett (Makeney), representa- tive on the British Bee-keepers' Council; Mr. F. Meakin and Mr. E. J. Swain (Mickleover) were re-elected secretary and treasurer respectively ; and Mr. S. Milton (Derby) was appointed auditor. Two vacancies on the committee were filled by the election of Mr. S. Milton and Mr. J. Speed (Derby). Messrs. Durose (Burton), H. Hill (Ockbrook), and R. Moncrief were appointed experts. An interesting discus- sion was subsequently opened by Mr. Pallett on the subject of " Disease and its Prevention." He (Mr. Pallett) was stronglv in favour of the cleansing of 78 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 7, 1918. Tlives with chloride of lime. He had givan 'it a good trial, and as a check to disease had proved it an effective remedy. Mr. Durose pinned his faith in Bacterol. He had recommended the treatment to those members whom he supplied with bees last season, and so far each stock was healthy and vigorous. Mr. Moncrief was of opinion that, when manipulating, a smoker should always be used. A carbolic cloth, under certain conditions, might be the means of the micro-organisms being carried from apiary to apiary. Mr. Durose said that difficulty could be over- come if each bee-keeper supplied his own cloth. Thus ended a successful meeting. — Communicated. SOMERSET BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIA- TION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of the Asso- ciation was held at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday, February 23. Lieut. -Colonel H. F. Jolly, in the unavoidable absence of Mr. T. W. Cowan, occupied the chair. About 25 members were present, includ- ing representatives from Bath, Bristol, Bridgwater, Wells, Yeovil and Shepton Mallet Branches. A letter was read from Mr. Cowan, in which he stated how much he regretted that, owing to a severe cold, he was unable to be present. The Hon- orary Secretary, Mr. L. Bigg-Wither, presented the report and balance-sheet. It stated tb at owing to prevailing condi- tions there was a considerable falling off in membership, but with a decreased ex- penditure the balance in hand was £23 4s., compared with £19 16s. lOd. the previous year. The " Isle of Wight " disease had "been very prevalent in nearly every pai't of the county where bees existed. Numer- ous remedies had again been tried, but all results were inconclusive. At the present time there were very few bees left in Somerset. In some apiaries, however, the disease appeared to have taken a less viru- lent form, probably owing to partial im- munity on the part of the bees. Several stocks badly affected in early spring appa- rently recovered, and in several instances gave a good surplus and went into winter quarters without showing further symp- toms of the disease; this without the use of any drugs. The past honey season had been an ex- cellent one, but unfortunately few mem- bers had bees wherewith to take advan- tage of it. The season opened late, and few stocks were fit for supering until nearly the end of May, but from that date until the be- ginning of August the weather was favour- able and the flow of nectar more or less continuous. Several large takes were reported. Mr. Edwin Walker, the hon. sec. of the Glastonbury and Street Branches, has, we think, created a record for the West of England. One of his stocks (Italian hy- brids) gave the extraordinary yield of 308 lbs. of extracted honey. The hive was kept permanently on scales, and weighed daily from May 1 to August 4, during which time it increased in weight 384 lbs. Another member of the Association, Mr. E. J. Gosney, of Milborne Port, had gained the B.B.K. Preliminary Certifi- cate. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and accounts, commented upon the satisfactory "balance, and com- mended the work of the local Secretaries and Visiting Experts. Mr. T. W. Cowan was unanimously re- elected President for the coming year, and the following were elected vice-presidents : — Rt. Hon. the Earl Waldegrave, Rt. Hon. Henry Hobhouse, Colonel Steward, Lieut. -Colonel H. F. Jolly, Lieut. -Colonel Marwood-Elton, Colonel Hendly Kirk- wood, E. Jardine, Esq., M.P., R. B. Groves Knyfton, Esq., Eldred Walker, Esq., G. A. Wills, Esq., W. Melville Wills, Esq., L. E. Snelgrove, Esq., J. H. Burton, Esq., W. Garnett, Esq., J. Jackson Bar- stow, Esq., W. W. Kettlewell, Esq. The Members of Council were all re- elected, Mr. R. G. Harris was re-elected Honorary Auditor, and Mr. L. Bigg- Wither, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. Lieut.-Colonel H. F. Jolly and Mr. Eldred Walker were appointed as Dele- gates to the British Bee-keepers' Associa- tion. After considerable discussion, it was de- cided to start a " re-stocking " scheme this summer, the details of which were left for the Committee to arrange. It was hoped to arrange for several nuclei-rear- ing apiaries in different parts of the county. The question of the " stan- dardisation of hives " was brought for- ward. The meeting was fully in accord with the principle of standardisation of hives, but several members considered that the dimensions of the brood cham- ber, now in almost universal use, might be modified with advantage. It was unanimously proposed to forward the following resolution to the Food De- lia rtment of the Somerset War Executive Committee : — " In view of the shortage of sugar, it consequently becomes a national duty for bee-keepers to produce as much honey as possible, and since it is practically impos- sible to keep healthy bees owing to the re- tention and exposure of infected materials, March T, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. m this Association petitions the Somerset War Executive Committee to issue an Order under the Defence of the Realm Act making it an offence to retain or expose infected bees or material likely to convey the ' Isle of Wight ' disease to healthy bees." At the close of the meeting the members adjourned for tea, after which Mr. L. E. Snelgrove gave a very instructive ad- dress, based on the most recent investiga- tions, on the " Isle of Wight " disease. This was followed by an interesting dis- cussion, in which the new " flavine " treatment was one of the chief topics. L. Bigg-Wither, Hon. Sec. AN ECHO FROM HERTS. I suppose really there is a little envy at the back of my mind, caused by read- ing the Dorset Yarn, on account of the natural advantages of that delightful county. I should dearly love to visit the Violet Farm, and have a good old bee fuddle with its owner. However, as I said before, we have our compensations, and, for myself, during the spring-like days we had last month, I believe that I approached as nearly a state of perfect happiness as is allowed to man. The sun bright in a deep blue sky, a gentle breeze, skylarks pouring out their melody overhead, and nearly all our native birds singing of the coming spring in the neighbouring copse, and, joy of all joys to the bee-man, the deep hum of the bees as they take their cleansing flight and forage for pollen and water, telling us that in the shadows of the hive all is going well. With me primrose and crocus are in full flower, and the hedgerows, too, are showing green, while the willows are already waving their downy fingers in- vitingly to our little workers. However, lest one should think I in- habit an earthly paradise, I will point the moral of the curse on mankind. I have been tying in loganberries, and at present resemble an animated pincushion. To anyone of hasty temper this occupa- tion should be invaluable, for it is certain he will not lose his head and act roughly to these prickly trailers. Also I regret to say that " Isle of Wight " disease has broken out around me, and although at present free from it, no one dare prophesy on his continued freedom. Digging, too, if healthful, is a little tiring; however, the good far outweighs the bad.— G. J. F. THE QUESTION OF POLLINATION OF FRUIT IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL FRUIT GROWING. By C. H. Hooper, F.R.H.S., Member of Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. (Continued from page 73 CHERRIES. Of the different varieties of cherries considerably more seem to be self-sterile than are self -fertile; the true Morello and the wild Kentish Morello (which comes up from seed and is common in gardens around Wye) are both perfectly self-fertile, .and probably fruit as well alone as where intermixed with other sorts ; these are, h< wever, the exception, and most other cherries crop better with one or more other varieties. Cherries are more inter-sterile than the other fruits; it is possible to hcive an orchard planted with two varieties and yet for each of the varieties to crop badly, although the trees may be healthy, well-grown, and producing yearly plenty of blossom. The cherry crop is much influenced by a favourable blossoming season (sunny and not too windy), allowing the hive and bumble bees to do their work; dull, cold, rainy, windy weather, and, of course, frost being unfavourable. Under trial at the lohn Innes Horticultural Institute the following varietiesof -cherry showed themselves self-fertile : — Morello and Late Duke whilst the following failed to set with their own pollen : — Black Heart, White Heart, Kentish, Elton, Early Rivers, Burg d'Annay, Black Tartarian, Bigarreau Napoleon, Bigarreau Frogmore, Early Guigne d'Annonay Late Duke set a good crop with its own pollen, but May Duke only set eight fruits out of about 1,700 blossoms. The Duke cherries do not appear to be good pollenisers for the Bigarreau cherries; Elton and Early Frogmore interpollinate satisfactorily, also Black Heart with Morello ; neither Elton nor Frogmore set good crops with pollen from Late Duke. _80 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 7, 1918. A;, to investigations on the subject of pollination, much information has been collected by the Horticultural Branch of the Board of Agriculture, by Mr. G. P. Berry, General Inspector, and a valuable article on the " Pollination of Cherry Orchards " appeared in the Board of Agriculture Journal of June, 191 7, which is worthy of the study of all commercial cherry growers. Taking some of the most popular varieties for orchards for special consideration. Early Rivers Black. — In the article just named Baumann's May and Goodenston Black are recommended as pollenisers for this variety from both observation in orchards and from pollination experiments. Observation also show Turk, Elton, and Knight's Black to be good pollenisers for this variety. Early Rivers Black is a valuable large early cherry which crops badly in many places, although the trees are large, apparently the cause is lack of pollen that suits it This variety is strongly self-sterile and crops very badly as a rule where planted alone; in 1914, however, it cropped well even where planted alone; one grower with large blocks of this cherry told me he had only had two good crops- in 30 years, 1914 being one of them, whereas with some other growers where this- variety is intermixed it is a regular cropper. The pollen of most other varieties- fertilise it more or less well. At Faversham, in a two-acre piece of one Rivers to two of Elton, crops on both varieties were reported as very heavy. At Goudhurst, on two acres planted with two Rivers to 'one Elton in adjacent blocks, the crop was splendid; at Goudhurst, on another two acres planted with three of Early Rivers to two of Governor Wood the crop was heavy on both varieties. At Chilham, where Early Rivers are grown near Coronne trees (the earliest flowering cherry), both varieties are found to fruit well and regularly; on the same farm Early Rivers trees interplanted with Florence generally fruit well together, although Florence commences to flower about a week later than Early Rivers, but they have nevertheless nearly two weeks in flower together. At Wisbech, in an orchard consisting of Early Rivers and Black Heart, there- was a heavy crop of Early Rivers, but Black Heart did not crop so well. At Borden, near Sittingbourne, Early Rivers trees among Napoleon hardly fruit at all. In my own pollination trials with Early Rivers with its own pollen no fruit matured, whereas fruit matured in nine out of ten trials with different kinds of pollen; the results in order of proportionate numbers of fruits that matured were :— Black Heart, Waterloo, Black Eagle, Amber Bigarreau, Elton, Old Kentish Black, Florence, Turk, and Circassian, the only pollen tried that failed to mature fruit was Knight's Early Black, but it may have been pollinated rather late, and it was only a single bag trial. 1914 was a good cherry year, and Early Rivers everywhere fruited unusually well, even in orchards where this variety is usually a failure. In 191/ the crop was also good, probably because the flowering season was late, short and -almost all varieties were in flower simultaneously, and there was no frost. Elton Heart. — Elton and Early Rivers are recommended by several experienced persons as good varieties to plant together in an orchard. In one orchard at Chil- ham, where Elton is planted among Cluster, Knight's Early, and Amber Bigarreau, the Elton trees do not bear well ; on the same farm in another orchard there is a block of Eltbns, nine trees long by six trees wide, adjoining Macknade Victoria, Frogmore, and Amber Bigarreau ; here, again, the Eltons fruit badly. In polli- nation trials with own pollen no fruit matured in five trials in 1912, but in 1914 from four trials three good fruits resulted, so the variety seems to be sometimes partially self-fertile. With the pollen of Montreus de Mezel eight fine fruits matured from ten flowers. With pollen of Frogmore good fruit resulted in both years ; pollen of Amber Bigarreau and Roundell each matured good fruit in smaller number ; pollen of Early Rivers, Circassian and Turk failed to set fruit. The previous mentioned article says that Elton sets its fruit well with Governor Wood, but an earlier flowering variety is probably preferable. (To be continued.) March 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 81 The Editors do not hold themselves responsible lor the opinion* expre$$ed by correspondents. No notice will be taken of anonymous communication!, and correspondent* 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. A WORD FOR THE DRONE. [9628] On page 33, Mr. Kettle tells us that he considers it strange that a stock of blacks that " had such a lot of drones " last season, should now show unusual vitality. I have noticed that drone-ridden stocks, whether in skeps or frame-hives, are in- variahly profitable ones. By way of ex- periment I have, the last three years, worked two of my stocks with a drone- comb, fitted with large metal ends om one side of the brood chambers. These stocks have been taken at random, and, except in one case in 1916. have been my best stocks. One of them last year built up into the largest stock I have seen, and I worked it with four supers which were packed with bees. So far as I have been able to observe, the queens use the drone combs but twice, and I have found them empty each year at the end of the season. This peculiarity puzzles me, as such combs "built in skeps are invariably filled with honey after the queen has ceased to use them. Writers in the B.B.J, have stated that an excessive number of drones in a stock is conducive to swarming. This has not been my experience. In the cases given above, one stock swarmedi in 1915, both in 1916, and neither swarmed in 1917. In my estimation the drones are not the lazy fellows they are said to be. Many times on going through swarmed stocks for the purpose of removing queen cells preparatory to returning the swarm, I have found a whole frame of sealed brood covered by drones, and I think there is sufficient evidence to warrant the state- ment that the drones play their part in the work of incubation. Anyway I would not be without them — their "music " is worth their keep. The Dorset Yarner is an ohservaut man. Let him exercise his talent this coming season, and then " yarn " about it. — W. H. White. IZAL AND • ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9629] In a recent number of the B.B.J, you were asking for experiences with Izal in "Isle of Wight" disease. The following is mine. Two years ago, February, 1916, I (then working at Wandsworth) came home and found that of my two hives one lot had diedi out, and there was about sufficient bees to cover three combs in the other. As the weather was none too warm, I took the hive into my scullery, and trans- ferred the bees and queen vo a clean, dry hive, on the same combs, and made some sugar syrup to which I added some Izal. They pulled round alright, and in July fearing the queen might die, I made an artificial swarm, which turned out alright, the old queen wintering on eight combs and the young one on ten, so in 1917 they cost me a good sum for candy, and I got them going, each on double brood cham- bers— twenty frames of combs. I got an Italian queen from Mr. Small- wood, and taking five frames of comb from, hive No. 1 (the old queen), and three from No. 2, which I united, after which I introduced the Italian queen. I had some trouble, as I made a mistake in not letting the bees eat through the candy in introducing cage, but released1 the queen on the third day. • The bees at once balled the queen, and fearing they would kill her, I parted them with my finger, allowing her to escape by falling to the bottom of hive and rushing out of the entrance on to the ground, where I nearly lost her, but one of my children pointed her out to me. I tried to catch her, but she eluded me, but when I held the cage before her, she went into it. Then when holding my hand over the cage over the hive, she wriggled mt again, fell in the hive, and I at once got the flour dredger and used it. very freely. A week or ten days after I examined the hive, and found eggs and larvae, and it went on alright, but gave very little surplus. One day in Julv I received information there was a swarm of bees in the middle of Chobham Road, Woking. I had just got in by train from London, and imme- diately took skep and cloth to the place named, and found the bees. A small cast had mounted to the corner of a private room window belonging to Mr. Wearing, chemist, Woking. I borrowed his shop steps and managed, after two attempts, to get the queen in the skep, and after waiting about an hour finished up with about a quart of bees and queen. I put these on three combs of food and brood, and then taking four more combs 82 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 7, 1918. and bees (all from No. 2 hive) I united them, and putting one frame of founda- tion making a total of eight frames. After that I took three combs -of food, brood and' eggs from No. i (the old queen) and tried to make a nucleus, but when I came back at the end of week I found about 100 bees, all the honey robbed out and combs broken and brood dead. I shared the three frames of comb among the hives (three of them), andi in a day or two the bees were clearing the dead out of the cells. It was my fault (the robbing, I mean), for I omitted to close the entrance. How- ever, I made another with three combs from No. 1 hive, and this time I put some grass in the entrance of the nucleus, and in time there were three queen cells sealed over. But finally, owing to the shortage of food and the small stocks, I had to unite the two small ones (the cast I found and the nucleus I made) to two other hives leaving me three hives to winter. I was rather alarmed a few days ago' to find a lot of spots all over the roofs of all three hives, and not having much faith in Bacterol, and seeing what Izal had done for me in) 1916, I sprayed my bees with solution of Izal, and before I put the canuS* (Pascall's) I spraved that as well. I then washed all the hives with the Izal solution, and am glad to say there was no recurrence of the spots, and the bees are quite alright. There are plenty of bees. The No. 1 hive (the old queen) I have wintered om eighteen frames. I did not get much honey, about 40 lbs., and am now feeding on candy. The price of candy at the local stores is Is. 3d. per lb., rather more than your correspondent of some time ago who grumbled about paying lOd. per lb. By the way, when I made the artificial .swarm 1916, on examining the queenless hive on the tenth day after, I found seventeen queen cells, fifteen of which I destroyed. Thanking you so much for the informa- tion in the B.B.J, and " Seasonable Hints," and especially the articles by Mr. Kettle, all of which I read with great in- terest, and wishing the B.B.J, and all bee-keepers splendid success for 1918. — C. H. Orchard. WINTERING PROBLEMS. [9630] The winter is now more than half over and I am wondering how bees have got on so far this year. I had a look through my own hives during the recent very mild spell of weather, and found every one of them (17) strong and well. I put a little candy on all, as I am not sure that they have quite enough stores. I trust it will not do them any injury. I have always thought it a mistake to use candy if it could possibly be avoided, and have never used any before till March, but there were great difficulties in the way of heavy autumn feeding last year. How many bees have been lost this win- ter from disease, I wonder? The B.J. seems to be turning into a horticultural paper now, so that we do not get much news out of it, but Mr, D. M. Macdonald is now contributing eaeh week, and I notice he has an article this week on wintering. With regard to winter passages I should like to say that I think something might be done by giving room for part of the cluster to hang under the frames by means of an eke. It is a fact that if the bees have space for it they will arrange themselves in such a way as to have nearly one-third of the whole cluster off the combs altogether and below them. I tried this when I -possessed a Conqueror hive in which, on removing the back, the bees could be seen hanging in a ball be- low the combs. No doubt this is natural to them or they would not do it, as they had plenty of room on the combs, and left 3 ins. of the top of combs in which were stores quite uncovered. I have wondered if it is not best for bees not to be covered up too warmlv before the New Year is in and they begin to breed. It is against Nature, and I must say that since I have made a rule of leav- ing merely the summer covering till Feb- ruary 1 and then wrapping up warmly my bees have wintered more successfully. In the case of one lot I found on going to wrap up the other day that they had only the single piece of ticking on them. I should have put back a folded newspaper but in the press of clearing off supers must have neglected to do so. The bees, however, are as strong as any I have, and that is saying a good deal too. — R. B. Man ley. King's Head iCiBirminghain).— Re-queening P— It is better ito .re-queen every year. Rear the young queens during the summer and ire-queen the stocks directly after the supers are taken off. Th© comlbs should foe quite safe to use again. J W. Rislino K Devon). —Using wide W.B.C. ends. —We always use these on the shallow frames; eight will then fill a super instead of ten. You may use them on the brood com'b® for winter- ing, the idea toeing to give room 'for more Ibees to cluster between the com'bs, but they must be March 7,1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. S3 taken -off and the narrow ends put on in the spring. The eight combs will hold more honey than the ten, ias there are two spaces for bees, and two mid-ribs less also, and four surfaces of comb less to seal over. Lal (Edgbaston).— Paint inside hives.— 'This will not harm the bees or ihoney. It is often recom- mended after treating- hives that 'have contained diseased1 bees. Possi'bly the cutting advised paint inside. F. G. Lewis '(Rem).— Creosote on outside parts of W.B.C. hives.— We do not think the creosote will harm the bees if it is only on the outside o'f the hives, but they might object to the smell. If it was at all strong a swarm would probably refuse to stay in it. There is nothing yet to beat good oil paint. Tar felt for hive roofs.— We do not like tar felt for roo'fs. Unless it is coated with tar periodically it lets wet in, and a tarred roof is, to (put it mildly, a messy thing to handle. Painted calico or canvas is the best thing, but M you must use felt get " Rubberoid." G. Gardiner (Bucks).— Water for bees.— There would be no advantage in placing water over the frames. It would probably do as much, or more, harm than good by absorbing the beat of the hives. If the bees .have access to plenty of water on mild days they will be all right. Suspected Disease. Beewood (Bolton), Cheese (Cbeshire), M. J. Wat- son (Towcester), M. P. (Pullborough), Conway Valley l(Wales), A Beginner .(Kent), W. Cockerill (Oxford).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. A. Goodman i(Noriblk), Novice (Leeds), and B. p. >N. Harland '(Eastleigh).— It is " Isle of Wight " disease. Give warm medicated syirup, remove the floorboard on a mild day, scrape it, and apply a strong solution of Bacierol or Izal ; dry off the surface moisture with a cloth, and retplace while still damp. Later on, when the weather is milder, spray bees and combs at in- tervals with one of the remedies mentioned above. There is no accounting 'for some of the vagaries of this disease. IM. .(Enfield).— The bees have " Isle of Wight " disease. Give warm medicated syrup as you suggest. J. Barnsley (Atherstone).— Nos. 1 and 2 have died of " Isle of Wight " disease. We do not fflnu disease in No. 3. 'They most likely died of star- vation. It will be very unwise to put bees on to the infected combs and honey in No. 1. F. M. L. (Sidcup).^So far as we can tell there is no " l6le o'f Wight " disease. It may be dysen- tery. An envelope containing bees and a letter arrived in such a mess through t'he bees being smashed that we were unable to either examine bees or read the letter. Wo should say the bees had " Isle of Wight " disease judging from the symptoms we could see. The postmark on the envelope was " Delny," date February 20. G. Gardiner, C. E. Gould, A. Howell, and Miss Rainsome.— We will try and answer your queries next week. • Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible 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 3». per %in., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, a few healthy Stocks on frames or skeps. Can send travelling boxes.— COOPER, Thorley, Isle of Wight. b.26 WANTED, four new W.B.C. Hives, Lee's pat- tern, No. 14a or No. 14 preferred, with or without supers; good price given.— Box 15, British Bee Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. D 3^ FOR SALE, a number of Standard and Shallow Frames, foundation wired, 12s. and lis. per dozen respectively.— NEEDHAM, Hemel Hemp- stead. b.35 FOR SALE, from one to five Stocks of Bees on 10 frames. Kindly make offers.— S. P. KEEVIL, Ockley iManor Farm, Hassocks, Sussex. c.l WANTED, Gent. 's Bicycle; part exchange for new or second-band Standard Frame Hives. — W. WOODS, Normandy, Guildford. c/S FOR SALE, two stocks Bees in two C.D.B. Hives and three Section Racks for each. What offers?— THOMAS HOWE, Darling Street, Enniskillen c.3 EXCHANGE, 12-frame " Conqueror " Hive for Stock of Bees to value. New last August; very commodious. Particulars free.— J. WIL- LIAMSON, -Stable House, Newfield, Hamilton, c.4 OFFER— About 2 cwt. pure light Pembroke- shire Clover Honey, 188s. per cwt.; sample, 4d.; deposit— ISAAC ROBERTS, Spring Gardens, Haverfordwest. c.5 FOR SALE, good Stock Bees, bar-framed hive, healthy, carrying ipollen, 80s. on rail.— CHUBB, Park Close Road, Alton, Hants. c.6 SWARMS.— Can accept orders for a few from strong and -healthy stocks— A. W. DENNY, Godstone, Surrey. c.7 FOR SALE, property of deceased bee-keeper, 16 10-frame W.B.C. pattern joiner-made Hives, constructed of very stout material, will last two life times; one ditto, 13-frame, lifts with eacb to take two supers; one shallow frame, super with each, calico and zinc covered roofs; 35s. each. Two W.B.C. uncapping knives, new condition, 2s. each; one nucleus 'hive, 2s. 6d.; travelling box to bold one dozen bottles, Is. 6d.; one dozen shallow and one dozen brood frames in the flat, Is. 6d. dozen; two clearing boards fitted ported escapes, 137 drawn shallow combs, wired 17 ins. ordinary top bars, 9d. each; 17 ditto wide, 15 ins. top bars, 9d. each; nine ditto, Abbott's patent, top bars, 9d. each; seven with odd top bars, 6d. each; eight ordinary, 17 ins. top bar, shallow frames filled with wired foundation, 6d. each. Carriage extra for all but' hives must be sent. No metal ends.— Box 17, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.8 WANTED, Man to hive swarms, also used to farm work and ploughing. State age and wages required, full particulars.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. c.ll FOR SALE, three Shallow Frames, 3s. each; four Section Racks, Is. 3d. each; Dividers, 6d. dozen; Section Block, Is. 6d.; 141b. Honey Tins, Is. each. Particulars, stamp reply.— YV. KING. 20, Moy Road, Cardiff. c.12 WANTED, good lOin. Lawn Mower with cylinder and grass box.-WOOTTON, Hope Street, Beeston, Notts. cAZ HOW'S THIS?-^February 24, Mr. J. C. Arm- strong, 64, Wallace Street, Grangemouth. Stirling, writes us : " September 28, 1917.— I got my first supply of Flavine, as a forlorn hope, as the ruin of mv apiary was very probable. You were pessimistic about any good resulting at that late date. I am very optimistic now. To-day I bad a look at my bees, and all stocks were flying strongly, and are as good as I nave a right to expect "at this time. You may show this report to anyone you choose."— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. c.14 84 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March T, 1918. The Best Aid for Bee and Wasp Stings is touches THE SPOT and is MAGICAL IN RELIEF. Mr W. Herrod-Hempsall, F.E.S., Joint Editor ot the "Bee-Keepers' Record" and the " British Bee Journal," writes to HOMOCEA, Ltd.:— "It may interest you to know that last year my nephew trod on a wasp nest with the result that I took out seventy stings from his head. Having a large box of " Homocea " I smeared his head all over, also his legs which were also badly stung, with the result that the pain was immediately relieved and there was no swelling afterwards. I have since used it solely for bee-stings without a single failure to relieve. You are quite at liberty to use this together with my name." Pri ALWAYS KEEP A TIN HANDY. 1/3 (small) 3/- (large) of all Chemists or Stores. nn 12s. 6d. given for limited, number ten-frame abO stock® of 'healthy Italian Bees, 1917 queens, April delivery.— JBox 17, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.15 TWO 281b. tins pure light Cambridge Honey (guaranteed), 2s. 6d. per lb.; sample, 3d.— J. YOUNGER, 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge, c.16 WANTED, early May Swarms, Italian pre- ferred. State price, etc.-W. GREEN, The Ferns, Laindon, Essex. cT7 WANTED, six new W.B.C. Hives, with or without supers; also one dozen shallow frame crates— J. WHITE, Fairstead Hall, near Witham, Essex. ^IS CAJN book a few Swarms— For particulars, etc.. apply WM. IS. HALFORD, West Wirat'ting, Cambridgeshire. ".19 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. PURE Italian Stocks, seven frames, 1917 and 1918 Queens. Orders 'booked 'for delivery end of May and June, 70s., carriage paid. Travelling boxes to be returned, carriage paid.— MISS PALING, 'Golden Square, Hemfield, Sussex. c.10 fTWREE-FRAME Nuclei, 28s.; Six-frame Stocks. J_ 50s.; eacbJ carriage paid. Beet1 selected, disease resistant, and heavy producing strain ol Carniolan-Italian, native Italian, pure native, and Italian. Carrying boxes extra.-^S. CRAW- FORD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. c.9 FOR RE-STOCKING, &c. FOR SALE— Three-frame Nuclei, 1918 Laying Queens, June delivery, 35s. each, carriage paid; Five- frame Nuclei, 1918 Laying Queens, June delivery, 45s. each, carriage paid; Three-frame established Stocks, 1917 Queens in their prime, brood on two frames, delivery end of May and early June, 37s. 6d. each, carriage paid; Five-frame established Stocks, 1917 Queens in their prime, brood on three frames, delivery end of May and early June, 45s. each, carriage paid. The Bees aTe English Blacks and slight Hybrids, all from selected strains, guaranteed healthy. Never had disease in the apiary. Orders in rotation. Travel- ling boxes to be returned with dispatch and car- riage paid.— Apply, W. ION, Eastfield Apiary, Healing, Lincolnshire. b.30 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON BEE-KEEPING. W. HERROD-HEMPSALL is open to give the above in any part of the country; providing his own lantern, slides, etc., demonstrating tent. Also private instruction at pupil's own residence. Terms on application.— W. B. C. Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds. March 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 85 THANKS. The Junior Editor and Manager are deeply touched by the numerous letters expressing sympathy in the loss sustained by their mother and themselves. As these number some hundreds, and the pressxire of work just now is enormous, it is impossible, much as they desire, to acknowledge each one separately. Therefore, to all who have written they hereby express their gratitxide and appre- ciation for the kindly sympathy and feeling expressed in the letters received. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park, Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. There will also be a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 p.m., to which anyone will be welcome. A DORSET YARN. It is good to hear the bees in the fields again. I see they are carrying home pollen largely; from whence it comes, I cannot tell; but one can hear them flying home, when working in the field. " Bees fly hame with lades of treasure, The minutes wing'd their way with pleasure." — Burns 's " Tarn o' Shanter." If they stop on a broad bean that has stood the winter and has a few flowers, you can see the pollen on the baskets ; it is of a dirty yellow colour; it is not in our fields. I have only seen the daisy, speed- well, and violets open up to February 23. The nights of sharp frost browned off the hazel catkins that were open; still, there are others to follow on. It is remarkable how nature does not leave anything to chance. The crimson stigmas of the female flowers are only just now showing up above the green calyx ; the willows have advanced very fast this last week, the male flowers have already their golden colour in many places, where the cold north-east winds are kept from them. If only the days were uniform in warmth and brightness, the bees would be having a fine time. It must be these trees to which Herrick refers : ' ' The palm puts forth her gems," etc. In boyhood's days these plants were very confusing to me ; the growth showed that they were the same, yet the flowers were different, until one could see that only one carried seed and the other none. It was the same when I went through the beetle family — without books to help me — it was easy to see the great staghorn beetle (Lacanus ccrvus) was the same build as the female, which had no antlers, yet in my great ignorance I had them as two separate species, until I had books to help with their classifica- tion. Peaches, almonds, and prunus are show- ing their flesh-coloured petals. I hope they will not open while the nights are frosty; the memory of last year's peaches will not be forgotten, and, like Oliver Twist in Dickens's writings, we want " more." In Bournemouth the almonds are largely planted in the pretty grounds of the residents, and in the public pleasure gardens they are very beautiful to see, with the sombre background of pines. Last year they all fruited, they bloomed late when the stiff frosts were past, and possibly there were more insects to help with the fertilisation. I was able to listen to an interesting lecture by Professor Crittenden at the Royal Horticultural Society's meeting on February 26 on the value of food crops produced from each square rod of ground. Haricot beans came out well in points by the tables shown. In these days of intense production the foods that have the most flesh-forming and warmth-giving proper- ties are the ones most suitable to grow, and as a tiller of the soil one must get the kinds that give this. A rod of turnips, or marrows, would give good weight, but of poor food value, where potatoes and haricot beans or broad beans give a good weight of high food values. Peas, though of good food value, do not come nearly so high in weight per square rod as beans. The Dutch brown haricot came out on top, but the colour, in my opinion, is against them as a vegetable; the white seeded ones are the best in appearance when cooked. Cabbage gives a good weight per square rod, but in cooking by far the greatest part is lost in the water it is boiled in; the pigs have the richest and man has the least food value. The bee-man cannot make a mistake in planting broad beans and haricots, as 86 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March II, 1918. they will give food for the bees as well as himself, and that of high value. A lot of the Brassica family are only im- poverishing the soil for naught, unless one keeps rabbits in confinement. These, when full grown, realised 7s. 6d. in the farmers' market a few weeks back. Week ending March 9, with three days of sunshine, bees have been a long way from home; they have found the willow blossoms. The first dandelion was out this week in the early sunshine; I suppose its brightness attracted the bees. I have not seen them often on these plants. A fine- weather plant, they open only when dry, and always go to sleep quite early in the afternoon. — J. J. Kettle. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official, Lists. — (Continued.) Pot marjoram, like thyme, to be at its best, should have ample space to spread in. Again I quote Mrs. Bardswell : " The most beautiful patches I have seen were in a Norfolk garden that was large enough for the luxury of growing such plants in masses. A wide border of the kitchen gar- den was given up entirely to marjoram, two kinds of it growing side by side — one with flowers of the usual tender pink, the other with flowers that were white. This white marjoram is rarely seen in gardens -, possibly it was a reversion to some wild form. I have never seen it but that once, and cannot hear of it in other places. Will it come true another year? That is the interesting question. We are glad that both kinds were sketched for us while they were in bloom.* One could not easily for- get these lovely borders^ the unassuming charm of their soft colouring, the dainty sweetness of their scent. Over them, in the warm, summer sunshine, brown bees were drowsily humming, and silken wings from flower to flower were fluttering — from pink to white, and then to pink again : " With light and butterfly the world did seem To flicker and flit, As if the maker slept and in a dream Imagined it." This is the way to grow sweet herbs if you really mean to enjoy them. Origa- num is a word that means " joy of the mountains," and of old those who mourned their loved ones were comforted if marjoram grew wild upon their graves. It meant that those who had passed away Averc happy." Mints are plants of varied uses, and widely different habit. I am reminded that " there is always a danger when * Not the least value and charm of The Herb Garden lies in the exquisitely cho6en and faith- fully executed illustrations in colour.— A. F. H. writing on a subject of great interest to ourselves that we may allow it to run away with us, and so> bore everybody else." It is to be feared that I often offend in this direction ; however, I hope it is not going to be the case with the varieties of mentha. If I let myself go 'twere easy to fill an entire issue of this Journal with matter relative to' the round dozen varieties. As only two of these figure in the lists which furnish the pretext for indulging my inclination to write about bee flora, the ten others must wait another occasion. Corn-mint, as its name implies, must be looked for on the edges of corn- fields, care being taken not to tres- pass on the ripening corn. This one, like other mints, has the power of preventing milk from curdling, and I have heard that cows which feed on it make trouble for the dairy-maids, who cannot imagine why the milk will not turn into cheese. This anti-curdling pro- perty of mint may be the secret of its suc- cess in medicines. Preparations of mint are very useful when people are put on milk diet, also for little children. Mints are still used ini the prescriptions of modern doctors, peppermint for the grown-ups and lamb-mint, being nrlder, most appropriately for the little ones. Peppermint is one of the most popular herbs in the garden, for anyone need but pluck a leaf and smell it, and at once he knows what it is. If people only knew how good the fresh green leaves are, when bruised and laid upon the aching part, to cure nervous headaches, the plant would be liked even better than it is. There is such a curious hot-coldness about pepper- mint; it diffuses warmth yet with it a strange numbness which is soothing. A few drops of essence of peppermint in water, sweetened with honey, make a grand remedy for flatulence. The flowery tops of all mints contain a certain portion of camphor. Pepper- mint is responsible for that modern com- fort, menthol — modern to us, that is to say. The Japanese enjoyed its blessing two hundred years ago, and carried it about in silver boxes hanging from their girdles. Peppermint can easily be dis- tinguished at sight from spearmint by its leaves beinsr stalked, also by having a more purplish tinge of colour. It is grown ohieflv for distilling, the tops being used for this purpose ; the essence obtained is used for cordials, confectionerv, etc. The culture of mints is verv simple. All re- quire to be grown in a moist soil, well en- riched with decaved manure. Increase is obtained by lifting the roots in February or March, dividing and re-planting in shallow trenches 9 ins. apart. To secure voung and1 luxuriant growths, a fresh March 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 87 plantation should be made annually, as if allowed to> occupy the same plot of land year after year the leaves become small and the stems wiry. This may be to some extent obviated by generous top-dressing. — A. F. Harwood. (To be continued.) THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE OX BEES. III. (4) Practical Reasdns for Artificial Heating. It would not be genial on my part to take so much space from the Journal (in spite of my brevity in writing) to con- sider the influence of temperature on bees, were it not that this matter is, in my opinion, by no means of an academic nature, but is rather full of practical pos- sibilities, which, if thoroughly studied, and given sufficient trial and real con- sideration, might ultimately help a good deal to revolutionise in many ways the methods of bee-keeping in England as well as in other cold countries. Stated briefly, the chief practical reasons for making use of artificial heat in the apiary are : (a) To encourage or prolong breed- ing whenever necessity arises ; (b) to in- crease the resistance of bees against cer- tain diseases by guarding againt the ex- cessive lowering of their vitality, especi- ally in winter; (c) to protect a colony, whether strong or weak, against the direct ill effects of a very low tempera- ture, which often proves fatal to weak stocks, and! which claims unnecessarily many victims from others ; (d) to enforce existing colonies at a rapid rate, by keep- ing the queen active under the influence of artificial factors, with the final motive of making artificial swarms, etc., so as to greatly multiply in a short period the number of existing stocks. Such an enter- prise, if made quite sure and profitable, and if its practicability would satisfac- torily answer the test, might constitute a new branch, which we would be justified to call artificial bee-rearimg. Now, these few indications among others, should perhaps receive at first the careful study of a responsible body of bee-keepers and scientific men before the interest and confidence of the ordinary bee-keeper in this matter could be secured. I have referred before, on more than one occasion, to the necessity of creating such a research committee, which would bo in a position (both technically and financially) to carry out many valu- able experiments in every branch of bee- keeping for the steady advancement of the craft. No individual bee-keeper, however favourably placed, could possibly com- mand the necessary material, money, ex- perience and the inspiring confidence which a committee of capable experts and scientists, under official championship, would naturally possess. But however difficult it might be for an ordinary member of the craft to assume the position of a researcher, no difficulty could honestly be pleaded in regard to certain procedures of a simple nature, which do not involve any risk whatever. For instance, there is no reason why any bee-keeper should not try the effect of mild heat (as against superheat, which has an opposite effect) in reviving appar- ently dead bees, as the result of atmo- spheric influences. Not only in snowy weather, but also after a spell of rain, when the temperature happens to be fairly high, gome bees are found in a help- less state round the hives. They are fora- gers (taking, perhaps, a cleansing flight) which have been caught in the rain or chilled on falling on the snow, and are in a semi-dead condition. Some of these, on being warmed, will quickly revive, as if no mishap whatever has ever occurred to them. The percentage of recovery may be almost a hundred if the rescue work is done sufficiently early. I have previously referred (vide the B.B.J, of December 20, 1917) to this wonderful effect of heat, and, notwithstanding some repetition on the subject, I have not seen till the present date (February 4, 1918) any response to my remarks in any of the bee publications in Great Britain, with the exception of a single note from the Rev. M. S. Page, who reports as follows in the Journal of January 31, 1918: " Follow- ing a heavy snowstorm and 16 deg. of frost, there was a rapid thaw last night, and to-day (January 10) the thermometer rose to 42 deg. in the shade, and the bees got a cleansing flight in the middle of the day. As there was still snow round the hives, and the wind was cold and fairly strong, a number fell and apparently perished in' the snow. But after they had been there some time — more than an hour to my certain knowledge — I picked up about thirty and warmed them. All re- vived except two, and on releasing them near the hives the majority returned." 1 am very glad that such a confirmation of my previous observation came very early, though I regret to find it coming only from a single observer. I have preached on this point for over three months, but my discussions merely served to amuse my hearers, all of whom are " experts." None of them, till now, so far as I am aware, has troubled to make any practical test instead of useless, in- definite arguments. I might add here that, of the bees which do not immediately THE BEITI3H BEE JOUENAL. Marcli 14, 1918. return to the hive, many do ultimately re- turn after some manoeuvring, whilst others get again chilled or semi-drowned either near or far from the hive, where they perish. To restimulate them by means of heat (before they are long ex- posed to the cold and moisture) might prove successful again ; and so their lives, which are most valuable in winter (when breeding is at a standstill) could be saved for the common benefit of the stock. Warming such bees, which fall victims to a chill on happening to reach the gate of the hive for some reason or other — (such as from a pressing stimulus for defeca- tion, in spite of the state of the weather, and because of previous over-feeding; or from the urgent necessity of obtaining water in case of crystallisation of the honey a® a result of excessive cold) — often proves a failure in the end in a. bitterly cold weather, because most of them be- come re-chilled immediately they are ex- posed again to such an outside air, and it is no use holding a bee by the wings after warming it and putting it right through the entrance, as I have sometimes clone, for very rarely will it be wise enough to proceed direct to its comb, and most often will become re-chilled there and then. This instance alone is sufficient to* demonstrate again the value of the detention chamber in saving life, especially if its tempera- ture could be made approximate to that of the hive. The question of a clean and easily avail- able water supply during the winter (and, perhaps, during the rest of the year as well) might be solved by making use of one or more salt cellars. These small re- ceptacles could be filled with water, qn which pieces of cork are made to float, and could then be put inside the deten- tion chamber on either side of the en- trance, but not too close to it, so> as not to be a, hindrance to the bees in their movements. Inmde the hive itself a hygienic water supply all the year round might possibly be created, if there is available room, by using a modification of Taylor's Eegistered Compulsory Feeder (Reg. No. 056,583) originally intended for carrying medicated " syrup in the treat- ment of ' Isle of Wight ' disease." In its general outline and size, it is like am ordi- nary frame, andicoiih! be made to take the place of one inside the hive. From the foregoing statements it is clear that artificial heat could be made to serve many useful purposes for successful bee-keeping; that the only obstacle in the way is the lack of sufficient investigation on the subject in. order to establish its rules and principles; that it is only natural in cold countries to give this mat- ter a careful attention, in the light of knowledge obtained from sub-tropical lands which have a, right to claim that they ,are the original home of the honey bee, and that pending the formation of the overdue Committee of Research on bee-keeping, it is in a sense the duty of every member of the craft not to' neglect experimenting on simple lines, and to en- deavour in any case to contribute his little share to the advancement of bee-keeping. There remain to be discussed the ways and means of applying artificial heat in the apiary, and I reserve that to a short concluding article. — A. Z. Abushady. BEE NOTES FROM DERBYSHIRE. (Continued from page 51.) I would here like to say a few words on the merits, and demerits, of Dioxogen. I used it on No. 1 hive from October, 1916, to October, 1917, and, so far as I could see, with good result, for the stock covered eleven combs in October, and I believe it will winter. I used it more or less the same on the " Goldens," and they appear to be disappearing fast. I bought an 8-lb. swarm on July 1, and in three weeks they had got " Isle of Wight " disease bad. I sprayed them with Dioxogen times many, but they kept dwindling away till there were scarcely enough to cover two combs — it never seemed to do them a bit of good. In the meantime, Mr. Smith, of Cam- bridge, had sent me a sample of Flavine, and I had it a month or so before I thought of using it. As Dioxogen had done my other two so much good, I wanted to give it a fair trial on this swarm, and I run it on rather late before I used the Flavine. But, anyway, I could see that swarm was vanishing fast, fresh crawlers every day, till they only covered two combs, and I decided to give Flavine a trial. Well, I got them sprayed three times before the cold weather came on, and whether Flavine is any good or not, I have only seen about a dozen crawlers outside that hive since. If they live the winter through they will be a marvel, as they got so weak. If Flavine is going to make combs and hives so that bees can work and. live in them after having " Isle of Wight" dis- ease, it will be a. great boon. 1 for one am giving it a trial, but my firm opinion is that whatever combs, or sections, dis- eased bees have been on, it will' be there years before they are safe to use for bees again. The only things about the place that had been near my bees when they died out three years ago were an observa- tory hive with one frame, and a section rack with twenty-one worked sections in for heather honey, and I put three of these worked-out sections on this swarm. witb the result that they had " Isle of March 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 89 Wight " disease in three weeks. The ■frame out ot the observatory I put in No. 1 in September, 1916, with the result that they started with the disease in five weeks. Certainly, I never disinfected any of them before I put them on. I simply wanted to see how things did work; they had Naphthaline in with them in the boxes, but that does not appear to hinder it — one had better burn the lot. I should just like to give my impres- sions of the "Golden " bees. I believe they are a good bee to make big stocks, and stand in one place all the time, but they are no good to move about, and, un- fortunately, I had to move mine twice this year. It seems to start them fight- ing. Could they have stayed where they were at first they would have given a good account of themselves, for there were no more bees within two miles of them. ■ Now, a few remarks as to the season. 1917 will rank as one of the best years for bees round here that I ever knew. One flower followed another in quick succes- sion, with never more than a day or two of hindering weather at a time. Bees built up quickly, swarms were fairly plenti- ful, and June swarms gave from 50 to 60 lbs. of surplus honey. There are not many bee-keepers round here now, but each one lost a swarm during the season. One young man I know had two come out within five minutes of each other, and they took off together. We spent some time looking for those ibeesj as they were part "Goldens" he was sorry to lose them. 1 always thought we should hear some time where they got to, and I came across them in one of my rambles in November, five miles, as the bee flies, from where they started. This bee-man said, " I did have a grand swarm of part ' Goldens' come in July." I said, "If you can tell me about the date they ,eame, I can perhaps tell you where they came from," and it proved to be correct. .There- were only about thirteen hives .taken to the heather this time ; and it was earlier than I have ever known it Honey was coming in by July 21. I saw '• Tommy Humble " working on it then. I took my bees the week following, but I missed the best week, and I never saw more bloom on it. Lot us hope for another good year in 1918 February 2. — It will be only fair to your readers if I just give a brief account of the end of those bees. They were half a mile away in am allotment garden, and a fortnight ago to-day I found them all dead, they looked as if they had been dead a month or more. Now, I was not sur- prised to find the swarm, and the " Goldens " dead, that does not speak very well for the Flavines, as I had sprayed the swarm three times with it, and the " Goldens " once, still, I should not condemn it, as it was getting into October before I used it. Perhaps some- one who has used it more in the middle of the summer will say how their bees have wintered after it; but the No. 1 lot beat me, dying out like that. I never saw a sign of amy crawlers outside that hive till the latter end of November, and then not many. Then to go and find them all dead, with 15 to 20 lbs. of honey, and a great lot of bees, makes one wonder, after colonies with half that quantity otf bees had goine through the winter we had last year, does it take a whole year to clear some stocks out after they commence with " Isle of Wight " disease? Dioxogen does not seem to really cure them, unless it is that one keeps reinfecting them by giving them comb or putting a bee escape on. It might easily be done like that. There were a few dirty marks on the combs, but the bees are all diy, quite different from the swarm, they, when I tried to brush them off the combs, were all rotten to- gether. I was at Carlton, near Worksop, last week end, and two new beginners had lost all their bees quite in a similar manner to mine, amd two more old bee- keepers near Chesterfield have lost all their bees this autumn in the same way, so the disease is very rampant around us yet. — Tom Sleight. NOTTING II AMSIIIRE BEE-KEEPERS ' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting was held in People's Hall, Nottingham, on Satur- day, February 23, the Mayor (Coun- cillor John G. Small) presiding. There was a very good attendance of members, who took great interest in the proceed- ings. The minutes of the previous annual meeting were read and confirmed. Letters were read from Mr.. Pugh, Mr. E. O. Vessey and others, regretting their inability to be present. TllB annual balance-sheet was next dealt wit!), and as all appeared to be satisfied with the same, it was passed unanimously. The Committee's report was as fol- lows : — In presenting this, the 33rd annual re- port, your Committee observe with regret the scarcity of bees which prevailed in tlie county during the year under re- view— and according to reports, this was general throughout the country — not only for the loss of honey which was required to replace sugar, but for other food, 90 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 14, 1918. especially fruit, in which the bee plays such a prominent part in bringing about fertilisation. For three years " Isle of Wight " disease has been prevalent in our apiaries, destroying a large number of stocks. We are, however, very hopeful as regards the future, for two reasons : first, we have in use some commendable disinfectants, which are at least helpful in keeping the disease in check; and, secondly, we hope to be able to supply a good number of nuclei from the bee-stocking apiary during the current season. THE SEASON. The summer of 1917 was good for the secretion of nectar, and bees gathered a fair quantity of high-class surplus. The present price of honey is higher than it has ever been in the memory of our oldest member. FINANCE. A perusal of the balance-sheet will suf- fice to show that we are in a good sound state financially. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. The Notts County Council and the Estates and the Public Park Committees of the Nottingham City Council have again favoured us with their greatly esteemed grants, which have enabled our experts to make an autumn visit to those who possessed bees last year, as well as the spring visit. DISEASE. That " Isle of Wight " disease is still with us there is no denying, although its virulence appears to be more localised. That it will be with us for some time we must expect, seeing that no definite cure has yet been found. The latest disinfectants have, in many cases, been found effective, and with these at our hands, it has made it much more safe to recommence than it was pre- viously. BEE-STOCKINO SCHEME. The Bee-stocking Committee set out with the full intention of being able to supply bees during 1917, but regret they were unable to do so, owing to many unforeseen difficulties which they had to meet. Bees were exceptionally scarce, and we were only able to obtain three stocks. From these it was not possible to supply the 45 applicants with bees, so it was considered it would be best to stock the apiary as far as possible, to enable us to niiike a good start in 1918. The apiary has been established on a plot of ground held by Mr. Pugh in an ideal spot for breeding bees, except that it is a poor honey district. We have all we need for the season's work, except a few more stocks of bees and an apiarist, and wo hope that some of our members will be able to help us out of this diffi- culty. In conclusion, we are full of hope that the coming season may have brighter things in store for us than has been the case for the last three or four years. At the conclusion of the reading of the report it was resolved that the same be adopted and printed with the list of mem- bers. Her Grace the Duchess of Portland was heartily thanked for allowing her name as President of the Association, and was unanimously re-elected for the current year. The General Secretary and Treasurer was re-elected. The District Secretaries were thanked for their services and re-elected. After thanking Mr. Riley for his ser- vices as auditor, he was asked to again undertake the duty, and was re- appointed. The representatives to the B.B.K.A. meetings were re-elected. As this finished the business for the afternoon, Mr. Smethurst rose to propose a vote of thanks to the Mayor for finding the time, amongst his multitudinous en- gagements, to come and preside over the meeting. This was very warmly seconded by Mr. Riley and supported by Mr. Thos. N. Harrison, and was carried with acclamation. His Worship, in replying, said that he wished something more definite could be done to overcome the disease, so that the industry might revive. He himself had suffered loss for three or four years, but he was willing to try again. He saw that the Association was doing all that it could to battle with the disease, and to increase the stock of bees in the county by means of its bee-stocking apiary, and wished that it might be successful in doing this. He thanked the members for the welcome they had given him. The evening meeting commenced at 0 p.m., and there were many more present than in the afternoon. Mr. W. P. Meadows, of Syston, was among those present, Mr. A. Riley, of Beeston, pre- siding. A most interesting meeting was con- cluded with the annual prize drawing, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman. — Communicated. GLOUCESTERSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS ' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting was held at the Wessex Hotel, Gloucester, on February 9, Mr. E. J. Burtt occupied the chair. The accounts showed a satisfactory balance on the light side. From the report it appeared that, although a number of March 14, 1918; THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 91 members had dropped out, other keen bee- keepers had taken their place, and the Association was in a better position than at the end of 1916, in spite of adverse circumstances. A satisfactory feature was the increase in lady members, mainly as a result of the Patriotic Economy Exhi- titions held at Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Stroud. "Isle of Wight" disease was not so virulent nor so prevalent, and the demand for bees and bee appliances was general — hopeful signs for the future of bee-craft in the county. The re- stocking scheme, inaugurated by the Committee had not proved a success, partly owing to the fact that several of the chief bee-keepers in the district had joined up, and their apiaries had been dispersed for the most part. One mem- ber, whose apiary suffered from disease two years ago, had a fine harvest in 1917 of lb.V cwt. of honey from nineteen hives, " spring count," one of his stocks yield- ing a. surplus of 266 lb. The subject of standardisation of hives was discussed, and the principle ap- proved of ; the opinion was expressed that a conference of experts and appliance manufactures should be summoned to go into the whole question. M. W. Colchester- Wemyss, Esq., Chairman of the County Council, was re-elected President, and Capt. G. N. Walker, Vice-President; Rev. F. H. Fowler consented to act as Hon. Sec. and Treasurer for the eighth year in succession, on the understanding that he should be relieved of his secre- tarial duties at all events, could a substi- tute be provided, who was to give more time to the work. The following were elected on the Committee : — Messrs. A. H. Bourn and J. E. Swaffield (Cheltenham), G. S. Eailton (Tewkesbury), G. A. Cal- vert (Lydney), W. J. Goodrich, E. J. Burtt, J. Lane, C. A. Oakley, and C. M. Rickards (Gloucester). Mr. Gauntlett Thomas was appointed to represent the G.B.K.A. at meetings of the B.B.K.A., subject to the approval of the Committee of the latter. A. Howell (Rem).— Melting comb lor beeswax — The simplest plan is the old-fashioned one of breaking the comb into small pieces, which are placed in a canvas bag. A brick or niece of stone should also he put in with it. The bag and contents are then placed in a copper with water enough to well cover. Rain water should be used. Allow it to stand for 24 hours, then place over a fire and boil until the wax is all melted. The bag should be stirred occasionally to cause the wax to rise. Remove from the fire and allow to cool, when the wax may be taken from the top of the water. The best method is to use a Gerster or other wax extractor. G. R. Strong (Magor).— Working for increase.-- We prefer your second plan, which is the one given on page 93 of the " Guide Book." (2) If the colony is so forward you should be able to make the swarm early in May. Novice (Wilts). — Making nucleus. — It is not abso- lutely necessary to have a queen cell on one of the combs. If there are eggs the bees will rear a queen from one of them. It is, however, a great advantage to have a well-developed queen cell on one of the combs, or one may be taken from another hive and put in about 12 hours after the nucleus is made. You may cut out queen cells to prevent swarming, but give the bees more room as well. Cutting out cells alone is only a temporary check on swarming as a rule. W. M. S. (Haywards Heath).— Your plan of unit- ing should work all right. Leaving the two queens would make no difference, but it will be better to remove one and sell her. Queens are valuable in the early spring, and a spare queen may save a colony for someone else. Miss Ransome (Surrey).— Price of Swarms.— It de- pends on the weight. We should say about 5s. per lb. would be a fair price. (2) From three to four pounds. Up-to-Date (Guernsey). — We cannot find any articles on the subject. You should find no diffi- culty in designing something, but you will have to make a special stand, with a loose floor- board. Make all to slide out at the back, and so that the floor-board will slide on top of a super in winter and underneath in summer. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rale, but will be inserted at Id. per word at " 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, a stock healthy Bees; hybrids pre- ferred. Full particulars, price. Deposit — STATION MASTER, Glemsford, Suffolk. c.20 EXTRACTOR, reversible, three standard or six Shallow frames, £5; six single Wall Hives, 10s. each; cases containing two 291b. tins, 26. 6d.— GRANT, Huyton. c.21 r»Q 15s. given for a few good ten-frame Stocks ^O of healthy Italian Bees; 1918 fertile Queens an advantage; end of April delivery.— Box 18. B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.22 ADVERTISER is open to purchase up to 50 Stocks of Bees; guaranteed healthy; hybrids preferred. Travelling boxes sent.— Quote quantity and price to Box 19, Bbe Journal Office, 2o, Bed- ford Street, W.C.2. c.25 WANTED, a 15-frame Hive in good condition. Particulars and price carriage paid — CROWE, Merriott, Crewkerne. c.25 92 TILE BlilTlSil BEE J0U11NAL. March 14, 1918. BEE-KEEPER'S know it pays to .have high fecund stock! Grand pen White Wyandottes from Tom Barron's No. 8—260 to 287-egg— pen, Eggs 10s. 6d. per dozen (1 paid 21s.), eight acre grass- run; also pen from biros trap-nested for 13 genera- tions, mated to Barron cockerel, 7s. 6d. dozen. Inspection cordially invited. Order quickly, as only two pens— STANLEY WOOTTON, Hurling- ham, Hope Street, Beeston, Notts. c 24 HONEY Extractor wanted, geared preferred, in good condition.— CLAYTON, Kowley Road, Dudley. cJJ6 WANTED, few stocks healthy Bees, to be delivered in April— Price to C. GODFREY, c/o Mrs. Withers, Littleport Street, King's Lynn. c.27 CONQUEROR Hive wanted, single or double; perfect condition; guaranteed free from disease.— Box 20, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. c.29 WANTED, strong stocks of Bees; guaranteed healthy; price moderate. — MEGGITT, Bramhall, Stockport. c.30 PARTNERSHIP (not active).— Gentleman seeks Partnership in established Apiary or Bee and Fruit Farm. — Write, in confidence, to Box 21, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.32 WANTED, Geared Extractor, Cowan preferred ; good condition essential.— A. TROWSE, Bee Expert, 51, Eade Road, Norwich. c.28 EXTRACTOR, two Standard Hives, Shallow Frames, Excluders wanted.— CRICK, Valley, Bressiugham, Diss. c.31 CONQUEROR Hives wanted, good condition, single or double, standard or commercial.— GALBRAITH, East Hill, iSanderstead, Surrey. C.Ai WANTED, stock, or early swarms, of Carniolan Bees; send price, and earliest delivery. — Box 22, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.o4 WANTED, two stocks of Bees, in good hives; also stock in straw skep.— REV. WIL- LIAMS, Pendoylan Vicarage, Cowbridge. c.35 QLEEN BEE wanted, early in April, Dutch or Carniolan, to bo guaranteed from healthy stock.— Send price and ago to HARMER, Sunni- side, Gateshead. c.36 17TOR SALE, Standard Frames, clean, Is. 6d. - dozen; six Straw Caps, Is. 9d. each; 12 Lees W.B.C. Brood Boxes, 2s. 9d.; 12 Shallow Frame Boxes, 2s.; 12 Section Racks (in flat), 2s. each; 40 Alighting Boards, with porch, for bee-house or hive, 9d. each— NICHOLSON, Langwathby. c.37 WANTED, Extractor, good condition. Price and particulars.— DON, Gordon Road, Enfield, Middlesex. c.38 EXPERT BEE-KEEPER wanted to organise a scheme for establishing a number of Apiaries. Must be good organiser, prepared to instruct assistants, superintend and assist in manufacturing appliances, have sufficient executive ability to con- trol a largo staff, with a thorough understanding of every detail of the work, with exceptional refer- ences as to integrity— Apply, JOYBELLS HONEY WORKS, 21/23, London Street, Reading. c.39 HANDS wanted, with slight knowledge of car- pentry, for making bee-hive parts.— E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn, Herts. c.40 BACTEROL — 'Should any Bee-keeper in York or district have difficulty in procuring this, T can supply it, to callers only, at 2s. per bottle. I cannot undertake to send by post.— W. J. GIBBS, York House, Gillygate, York. b.34 FOR SALE, property of deceased bee-keeper, n 10-frame W.B.C pattern joiner-made Hives, constructed of veiry stout material, will last two life times, lifts with each to take two supers; one shallow frame, super with each, calico and zinc covered roofs; 35s. each. One dozen shallow and one dozen brood frames in the flat, Is. 6d. dozen; 137 drawn shallow combs, wired 17 ins. ordinary top ibans, 9d. each; 17 ditto wide, 15 ins. top bars, 9d. each; nine ditto, Abbott's patent, top bara, 9d. each; seven with odd top bars, 6d each; eight ordinary, 17 ins. top bar, shallow frames filled with wired foundation, 6d. each. Carriage extra for all but hives must be sent. No metal ends.— Box 17, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.8 WANTED, Man to hive swarms, also used to farm work and ploughing. State age and wages required, •full particulars.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. c.ll TWO 281b tins pure light Cambridge Honey (guaranteed), 2s. 6d. per lb.; sample, 3d. — J. YOUNGER. 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge, c.16 WANTED, six new W.B.C. Hives, with or without supers; also one dozen shallow frame crates. — J. WHITE, Fairstead Hall, near Witham, Essex. c.18 CAN book a few Swarms.— For particulars, etc.. apply WM. S. HALFORD, West Wmatting, Cambridgeshire. c.19 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. THREE-FRAME Nuclei, 28s.; Six-frame Stocks, 50s.; each carriage paid. Beet selected, disease resistant; and honey-producing strain of Carniolan-Italian, native Italian, pure native, and Italian. Carrying boxes extra.— S. CRAW- FO'RD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. c.9 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. 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 WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C .2 THE British Bee-Keepers' Association. Insure now against loss by damage done through bee stings. AH particulars from w. HERROD-HEMFSAIA, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. March. 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 93 HIVE FOR A WOUNDED SOLDIER. One of our readers has an empty hive in good condition, and various accompani- ments, which he is prepared to send free and carriage paid to any soldier discharged because of wounds — preferably to a man who, like himself, has lost a leg. Will anyone in the circumstances detailed above apply to us. BEES WANTED FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS. We have received a letter from a medi- cal officer in the R.A.M.C. attached to a hospital in France, asking for help to start an apiary for the wounded and convales- cent soldier patients. Possibly some of our readers may be able to render assist- ance, and if so, we shall be pleased to put them in communication with the officer. The following extract from his letter will explain what is needed : — " I hope you will excuse my taking the liberty of writing you, only I am anxious to know if you could possibly help me to start a small apiary out here. I am one of the medical officers attached to this hospital, and we are asked to do our best in our spare time to help amuse, enter- tain, and instruct the wounded and con- valescent soldiers in anything likely to be useful to them either at present, or in after life. I have decided to give lectures and demonstrations on apiculture. I think the district here is most adaptable, as there are numerous orchards, and good stretches of clover meadows. I have searched round about for miles, but haven't, up to the present, come across any bee-keepers; but, of course, in these times things are very much changed. I am having a joiner patient to make me a miniature hive for demonstration pur- poses, but I should so like a few hives, or stocks, and some accessories. Before T joined up I had a large apiary, but sold all out. Now I am wondering if you could, amongst your many bee friends, or readers of your journal, find any willing to sub- scribe towards starting me. If you could manage to induce some of your friends to present us with a stock, or so, of bees, and a few necessaries in the shape of foundation, frames, veils, etc., I should feel so grateful to you. Perhaps a small note in your widely-read journal would bring forth a few willing donors. Apart from the great help it would be to many of our soldiers in after life, I may say we use large quantities of honey here for the patients; it is considerd a great luxury with them, and it would be such a boon if we could produce it on the spot for our own consumption. In conclusion, I may say I have kept bees for years, and have the Bee Journal sent out to me here. I apologise for thus troubling you, but I feel sure you will sympathise with my ven- ture. I can easily get hives made out here, also shallow frame boxes or crates, and super 1 lb. section racks, but frames, standard and shallow and foundations, smoker, veils, etc., would all be very accejjtable. " BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park, Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. ^ Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. There will also he a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 p.m., to which anyone will be welcome. A DORSET YARN. All round the Farm now the bees are singing. "What a noise your bees "make!" say the visitors that come; but I tell them it is the sweetest music to me, not " noise." They sing because they find plenty of flowers to look over for honey and pollen. The arabis is in bloom; our Dorset people call it, " Snow on the Mountain." The hedgerows have the small celandine, the speedwells and stitchworts ; on the stiff soils are the bronze-yellow flowers of the coltsfoot, they open just above the soil without any leaves. Bees are searching the prickly gorse in large numbers, quite a long distance from the Farm. The woods and hedgerows are now gay with daffodils; our school- children are gathering huge bunches of them as they go Tiome from school. The male flowers of willows are very beautiful, No wonder bees sing when Nature is open- ing her treasures for them ! Those of us who till the soil must work with the same energy as the bees. A few lines I heard recited by a class .of boys I used to take for mutual improvement nearly forty years ago (I learned a great deal from this class of boys, they recited pieces of 94 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 21, 1918. all nations that make up the United Kingdom) : — " We may learn from the bees the wise man's lore, The hand of the diligent gathereth store ; She flies in her calling, from morn till night, Nor tires of her labours, nor flags in her flight, From numberless blossoms of every hue, She gathers the nectar and sips the dew." The little boy gave me his copy so as to prompt him if his memory failed him. The writer of it was not a bee-man, be- cause it read: " He flies in his calling," " He gathers the nectar," etc. When told the workers were females, and that the writer had made a mistake, it was somewhat confusing to the little chap. But the writer was right in the second line, ' ' The hand of the diligent gathereth store." We shall not have it to gather unless we sow and plant. Just now it is the potato that is booming ; good prizes are offered* for the best tubers. I hope some amateur, who is a bee-man, will win some of them. The potato flowers are not much use to bees, or else there is so much else in bloom at the same time, but the tubers are good for man. I was lecturing at Pamphill last Thurs- day on these edible tubers, a few weeks back (at the same place) on parsnips, but the people were more interested when they heard about bees — how they worked for one without pay sheets, that they ivere willing workers every hour it was fine, workers who did not want extra for overtime. It is easy to entertain when one gets on with the song of the bees'. The chairman, who had done three years' campaigning, admitted he was afraid of them. Those of us who knew him knew that there was not much else in the world he was afraid of. This village at one time had some good bee-keepers, but since the disease came into Dorset there are very few, but plenty of bees in hollow trees on the estate which is the home of the descendants of Lady Banks, who held Corf e Castle (which also belongs to them) against Cromwell's soldiers so long. The mansion is a very beautiful one with a marble staircase, and the park has magnificent trees, plenty of limes which help the bees so much, rich dairy pastures and rolling downs, with plenty of clovers and trefoil. It is to this neighbourhood that the swarms from our Farm have flown off when they have been taken in the skep after swarming. The Valley of the Stour is between the two hills; it was provok- ing, but their scouts 'knew where to go, knew that they would find food in plenty at Kingston Lacey and Pamphill. These same scouts have a way of tell- ing the others of this promised land, over- flowing with honey. They start off quite close to the ground, and if they cannot be stopped with water before they leave the Farm, they are soon above the tree- tops, as the land drops on a steep incline to the valley; yet they never go swiftly, always with the same rotary movement, assuring the others it is not much fur- ther, or making sure the queen is still with them. Bees are still booming. Letters still come for swarms when available, and offers for established stocks, but I cannot sell, as I do not think mine are all free from the taint of disease. — J. J. Kettle. oifgibefieesj •Sow/" BEES " DRIFTING." This may be considered a supplement to my last contribution, " Moving Bees." I then stated it was a rule that when by orientation the bees of a hive had once fixed the site of their home in their minds, they kept true to that spot for the duration of their lives. Like all rules there are exceptions to this one. Bees, in truth, interchange hives far more fre- quently than is generally supposed, and the fact is capable of easy proof. The elucidation of the mystery is rather in- teresting. First let us glance at several circumstances under which the exceptions to the rule may occur. Young bees seem to have a free pass which admits them into any hive during their early days. Youngsters, on essay- ing their young wings, take what is known as a play spell. They romp and play, wheeling in merry and happy abandon, testing the strength of their Aving power, and in these merry gambols the bees from the various hives intermix. When the bright sunshine which has called them forth is followed by cloud they make hur- riedly for the hives, Not too particular on which flight-board they may light, they either follow the crowd or accept the one nearest them, glad to get a rest after their merry-go-round flight. Wherever they light, in any part of the apiary, they are not only tolerated, but appar- ently heartily welcomed. Perhaps the guards in their wisdom recognise they are not enemies but friends and benefactors, and that their presence, instead of being a detriment, is really an acquisition of strength. Perhaps, again, it is that in their early days they have no marked scent. It may be further guessed that March 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 95 their quiet, unoffensive conduct and gentleness of demeanour may disarm the hostility of the guardians at the door- way. There may, on the other hand, he a little art or device in their intrusive en- trance. Being members of a crowd they may simply slink past the guards. Which- ever of these reasons may account for it, or if all aid them, the fact remains they gain admittance, and are accepted as members of the community. When bees, old as well as young, are flying on a fine, bright day, with a fairly strong breeze blowing from one side along the line of hives, the members of the crowd are pressed along in the other direc- tion. They advisedly accept the situa- tion, alight anywhere, and are generally allowed free toll. My memory calls up a line of a dozen hives of our own common bees, with No. 5 tenanted by a colony headed by a queen of an All Golden strain. The hives faced nearly south, and our prevailing summer wind blew down a narrow valley along the line of hives. After a few days of such a wind Nos. 1 to 4 had practically no yellows, whereas further along the line to No. 12 all showed a considerable percentage. In this case the cause of intermixture was patent. Bees do follow a bee line, but by follow- ing the line of least resistance, rather than one absolutely straight and direct. Here they often strike for the small valley, and then follow it, making direct for the apiary. If the wind is strong it often carries many of the foragers past their own hives, towards one or other further along the line where they alight and coolly walk in. They " drift," and are not re- pulsed. Wise guards, they recognise that here are riches not to be despised, and thank they the gods for gifting them. From one direction my own bees do a con- siderable amount of this " drifting." Working on the heather their course leads them to the front or rear, and there seems to be no mixing. In America where they cellar their bees during the long winter, and transfer their hives to summer quarters in spring, this drifting causes a considerable amount of trouble if high winds are prevalent at the time. The hives at the end of each row to which the wind is blowing often show a glut, while at the other end they are almost denuded of bees. At* times the bee- keepers have to take forcible means of re- transferring them in large numbers to help to equalise. In conclusion, three allied or kindred subjects may be noticed — runaway swarms, absconding bees, and hunger swarms. Why do bees drift, or go adrift, at times when swarming? In nine times out of ten the cause is negligence on the part of their owner. They are often left too long in the settled cluster before being hived, or they are too often left unshaded from the fierce rays of the sun ; and either or both leads to uneasiness and discomfort, so they seek better quarters. At other times they may be visited by the scouts sent out from the hive earlier in the day to prospect for a new home. These may talk so favourably of the selected site that the whole body are moved to emigrate at once — and so a colony is lost, the bees drifting to extinction. How tantalising it is when a bee-keeper has, as he thinks, safely housed a swarm to find a little after that they have absconded and drifted to regions unknown. They may have found something offensive in the new hive ; some strong odour it may be; or they may have been hived with- out their queen, or they, too, may have been called away by the report of their scouts. I would not advise bee-keepers to go back to the days of coating the inside of the hive with '" hog's-slavers," or any other device, but make sure the interior is sweet and clean. If a swarm drifts out of a hive in early spring and settles down on a bush near by, it is an abnormality which should not be allowed to take place, being due to care- lessness on the part of their keeper. It is a " hunger swarm " caused by starvation. Hive them at once on combs with honey ; but this is a case where prevention is better than cure, and can't happen in an apiary where spring feeding is attended to in autumn. KENT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. BROMLEY DISTRICT. A lantern lecture will be given in the Co-operative Hall, East Street, Bromley, on Saturday, March 23, 1918, at 6 p.m. precisely, bv Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall, F.E.S., on "" Productive Bee-keeping. The chair will be taken by A. Goodwin, Esq. All persons interested are cordially invited. Honorary District Secretary, Mr. W. E. Clifford 63, Southlands Road, Brom- ley Common, from whom further informa- tion can be obtained. LECTURE AT BROMLEY. A highly instructive lecture on Bee- keeping was given at the Co-operative Hall, East Street, Bromley, on Saturday evening, February 23, under the auspices of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association (Bromlev District). The lecturer was Mr. F W. Watts, of East Dulwich, who took as his subject, " Failures Through Bad Wintering and too Early Stimulation." The Chairman was Mr. A. Goodwin, who was supported bv the Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. E. Clifford, of 63, Southlands Road, Bromley Common. Mr. Watts," after a few introductory 96 THE BEITI3H BEE JOURNAL. March 21, 1918. words from the Chairman, commenced his lecture, which was listened to with rapt attention. The subject of wintering, he said, was of vital importance to the bee- keeper. To winter a colony of bees they must know the proper rudiments of the industry. A great many failures were made by people, who acted without science and skill. If the queen was an old one, and had proved herself unprolific, no feeding and allowing her to remain the queen mother would cause the colony to become a success in the following year. Mr. Watts related his experience with regard to the purchase of driven bees which had a queen and were introduced to a queenless stock. The driven queen, he said, was accepted with all her faults, and was made the head of the united colony. She might be old and worn out. She might be from a bad race inbred. The doors of the hive should be gradually closed from autumn to winter, and remain so until spring, and then gradually ex- tended in accordance with the tempera- ture. The syrup for feeding should be of good quality, with honey mixed, if pos- sible, as good feeding would He sure to build up strong bees. The lecturer spoke against too early stimulative feeding, and said when hot syrup was given in Febru- ary the bees were so excited that breed- ing commenced too rapidly and food was soon exhausted, and in cold wet weather the young bees died, and the old bees were over anxious to gather crocus pollen, and died in the attempt, and this meant lessening the colony instead of increasing it, which was disastrous. Bee-keepers should always observe that sufficient pol- len and food were stored for winter con- sumption. The lecturer was cordially thanked at the close. THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPEEATURE ON BEES.— IV. (5) METHODS OF ARTIFICIAL HEATING. In an early communication published some weeks ago, I used the terms " direct " and " indirect " heating to denote the two main divisions of methods. Indirect heating could be applied through a conservatory or a bee-house, etc., and nearly all sources of heat are here prac- ticable, provided a sufficient guard is kept on the temperature in order to maintain it at a certain level so as to insure a real gain from it without a risk of any ill- effects. Not only the steam pipes, but also the gas stove, the coal fire, and the electric radiator are all useful sources of heat for this purpose, though not all of them are equal in merit as controllable sources; the factor of complete control being a most important one in selecting a system of heating for our winter apiary. At the present time indirect heating is undoubtedly the most economical and is easily applicable in the greatest majority of cases, so long as a suitable shed is avail- able; but it appears highly probable at the present moment that in the near future, through the efforts of the Ministry of Reconstruction, electricity will become very cheap, and will take the place of raw coal, which, for both economical and hygienic reasons, should never have been allowed lately any access to the ordinary factories and homes. This will certainly play an important part in popularising direct heating for hives as well as indirect heating by electricity. Theoretically, direct heating of hives could be performed in several ways and with several combustibles; but for prac- tical scientific reasons, we need only limit our attention to electrical methods, as if these are applied, there is then no fear whatever of a mishap through carelessness, as might happen, for instance, from the use of a hot-water bottle, over the heat given from which one has very little con- trol; and though quite safe and helpful in judicious hands, might prove the very opposite in others. To make a perfect and safe use of elec- tricity for this purpose, a consideration of something more than a shaded carbon lamp is necessary. There is certainly no diffi- culty in devising a new hive with a deten- tion chamber, and in fitting it with an electric heating apparatus in the same way that an electric incubator is fitted. With the temperature regulator the degree of heat inside the hive is varied according to the will of the apiarian, and the tempera- ture is guaranteed to remain almost stationary, unless, of course, the electric current is cut off; but even then, the bee- keeper will not be left in ignorance of such an accident, as a bell indicator (placed in a convenient place and far from the hives) could be installed, and would ring when the main current is cut off. To guard against any ill-effects from such an acci- dent the hive could be designed in a way and with materials fit to conserve heat for a long period. Better than designing a new electrical hive, would be the inven- tion, perhaps, of a standard heating stage on similar lines, which could be made to fit any hive with few modifications. I believe that neither Messrs. Hearson and Co. nor Messrs. Baird and Tatlock (London) are incapable of executing such work; but at the same time there ougjht to be a research fund to depend upon in the early experimental stage, as well as a supervising body, as previously suggested, to test these makes, and to continue the investigation until a satisfactory result is obtained. (To he continued.) March 21, 1918, THE BRITISH SEE JOUMAL. W THE QUESTION OF POLLINATION OF FRUIT IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL FRUIT GROWING. By C. H. Hooper, F.R.H.S., Member of Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultttral Society. CHERRIES. (Continued from page 80.) Black Tartarian or Turk crops badly alone; it crops well with some varieties, and badly with others. At Borden it crops badly alone, but a little better next to Frogmore and Waterloo; whereas at Teynham it crops particularly well with Black Eagle. In pollination trials it shows itself somewhat self-fertile; good and plentiful fruits were obtained with pollen of Napoleon and of Elton, and to a lesser degree with Amber Bigarreau, Knight's Early Black, and Early Rivers. In the article previously mentioned, Early Rivers is mentioned as being a good polleniser for this variety. Kentish or Amber Bigarreau is another variety that grows to be a fine large tree, but does not crop well in some orchards, especially where planted alone; it is a variety that should not be planted in large blocks without another variety. At Chilham it is found to fruit regularly where interplanted with Black Eagle, Turk, and Elton. At Borden, this variety fruits well with Turk, Frogmore, and Waterloo, but in another orchard on the same farm it fruits badly with an occasional tree of Victoria Black and Napoleon. Amber and Cluster are found to fruit well together. Amber and Frogmore certainly fruit well together, also apparently with Governor Wood or Waterloo {vide Board of Agriculture Journal). This variety fruits badly in an orchard interplanted with Circassian. In two years' pollination trials no fruit has matured with its own pollen, whereas with pollen of Turk and Frogmore fruit set and matured well ; with. Napoleon only about one fruit per truss matured, ditto with pollen of Black Heart. Waterloo Black in some places grows and crops badly. At Borden, among Cir- cassian trees it crops well. In pollination trials in both 1912 and 1914 with own pollen no fruit matured. In an orchard near Sittingbourne of healthy young trees, producing abundance of bloom, no fruit sets, apparently owing to the absence of a suitable mate. Cleve- land Bigarreau does not cross fertilise it, though itself crops heavily. In the Board of Agriculture investigations, both in the orchards of Waterloo and in the pollination trials, Waterloo was found to fruit well with Amber Bigarreau. Observations at other centres seemed to confirm the assumption that there is a mutual affinity between Amber and Waterloo. Napoleon is a variety that should be intermixed with another variety in an orchard, being only self-fertile to a very small extent ; it also seems to be somewhat par- ticular as to the pollenising variety. At Borden, Napoleon fruits well in one orchard with May Duke, and in another it fruits well with Webb's Black. At Brenchley, interplanted with Governor Wood, it fruits well. At Selling, Napoleon and Mailing Eagle are found not to crop well together, although they are beauti- fully grown trees, which blossom well year by year. In pollination trials with Napoleon using its own pollen, in 191 2, in one case three fruits matured; but in similar trials in 1914 no fruit matured. Good fruit matured with pollen of Waterloo, Amber Bigarreau, Morello, and Frogmore, but in one trial with pollen of Florence no fruit matured. In California, Black Tartarian, Black Bigarreau, and Bing are found to be good varieties to plant with Napoleon ; in Oregon it is found to fruit well with Deacon and Lambert. Governor Wood. — At Goudhurst a two-acre orchard planted with two trees of Governor Wood to one of Elton bore a heavy crop. At Brenchley, Governor Wood intermixed with Napoleon is found a good mixture, both varieties cropping well and regularly. 98 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 21, 1918. Old Kentish Black is a very regular bearer, and may be self-fertile. In pollina- tion trials, good fruit matured with pollen of Elton, Early Rivers, and Turk. Black Eagle, where planted in a large block at Borden, it is found to fruit very little, but in pollination trials it shows itself self -sterile, in trials of its pollen with other varieties it seems to be a good polleniser. It fruits splendidly with Turk at Borden. Knight 's Early Black, from two years' pollination trials, would seem to be self- sterile; with pollen of Black Eagle it matured fruit, but in one trial with pollen of Old Kentish Black no fruit matured. Circassian appears to be slightly self -fertile ; but in one orchard where planted with Amber Bigarreau it crops badly. In pollination trials it set plentiful and very good fruit with pollen of Old Kentish Black; it also matured good fruit with Early Rivers pollen. Florence. — This variety seems generally to crop well, though in pollination trials no fruit has matured in either year with its own pollen, and it would seem to be nearly or quite self-sterile; whereas with pollen of Napoleon and Early Rivers good fruit matured. Roundel appears to be self-fertile to a very small degree, judging from my polli- nation trials. Very good fruit matured with pollen of Amber Bigarreau ; but with similar trials with pollen of Early Rivers, Elton,. Old Black Heart, and Kentish Black no fruit matured. Morello and Kentish VJ ye Morello are both perfectly self-fertile. The latter wild variety comes true from seed, and though smaller than the true Morello, it is quite useful for cooking, and is to be found in most gardens in the neighbourhood of Wye. The Board of Agriculture article suggests that some of the older varieties, such as Reynold's Heart and Bloer's Black, which are fine varieties, would do well for re-grafting in orchards needing cross-pollination. In the article referred to there is a chart of the average order of blossoming of cherries, which gives them in the following order: — Eiarly Rivers, Elton, Turk, Knight's Black, Victoria Black, Frogmore, Napoleon, Amber Bigarreau, Black Eagle, Waterloo Black, Cleveland, Governor Wood, Florence, Emperor Francis, Cluster, May Duke, Kentish, Morello, Noir de Guben, and Noble. The period of blossoming of cherries is put down as 21 to 25 days, and of full bloom 10 or 12 days. Warm and sunny weather shortens the period, whilst cold weather lengthens it. GOOSEBERRIES, CURRANTS, RASPBERRIES, LOGANBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES. All these fruits set and mature fruit perfectly with pollen of the same plant or variety. Some of the varieties of strawberry grown in Canada and the United States need to be interplanted with another variety for cross-pollination. The pollens of gooseberry and white, red and black currants are globular and glutinous, and cannot be carried by the wind ; insects are absolutely necessary for the transport of these pollens, fruit will not set unless the stigmas are pollinated. Raspberry and loganberry give only imperfect fruits unless insect pollinated. Strawberries appear to be chiefly pollinated by the movement of the air, but are no doubt benefited by insect pollination. For any one interested in further study of the subject of fruit pollination, there are articles on the subject in the Journals of the Royal Horticultural Society (vols. 37 and 38), and in the Journals of the Board of Agriculture ; in the Journal for August, 1 91 5, there is an article, with interesting tables, on " Pollination of Fruit Trees, Observations and Experiments," by W. J. Middlebrooke. The Horticultural Branch of the Board of Agriculture, at Craven House, Northumberland Avenue, London, is collecting information on the subject of fruit pollination, with the object of helping fruit growers. The Board is glad to hear from any grower who will communicate facts likely to be useful in this investigation. (Finis.) March 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 99 Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. W. G. W. (Bodmin).— Onions growing in front of hives. — We have had shallots and onions in front of our hives several times. It made no difference whatever to the bees. A. Don (Enfield).— Using honey from unsealed sec- tions.— The honey has probably fermented. Extract it, and you can then use the sections again. If the honey is- fermented, better use it for making mead, or vinegar. If not, you may use it for feeding back to the bees, after boiling it for five or ten minutes. F. S. (Brecon).— Purchasing honey extractor from diseased apiary.— The extractor will be quite safe if thoroughly disinfected. Wash out first with boiling water, then with a strong solution of disinfectant and water, finally rinsing out with more hot water. " Zealous " (Leicester). — Making a " Brice " swarm catcher.— (l) The slot should be at the front edge of the floor A, so that the queen can pass. up between it and the queen excluder. (2) The queen can return to the hive if she wishes, but is not likely to do so. (3) The zinc comes down on to the alighting board. A. Law (W. Melton).— Flour for bees.— If you cannot get pea flour, use ordinary wheaten flour. Pea flour is better at any time, especially so now. Can you not get a packet of Symington pea flour? We should say the bees are pure Italians. J. Merrick (Bristol).— (1) 70s. to 80s. Watch our advertisement columns; it will give you an idea of what prices are ruling. (2) We have not noticed any difference. Suspected Disease. "Novice" (Birmingham).— The symptoms you describe are those of " Isle of Wight " disease. Give the bees a little warm syrup, medicated with Bacterol or Izal. The subscription to the B.B.K.A. is 6s. per annum. Write to the Secre- tary of the Warwickshire B.K.A., Mr. J. Inger- thorpe, Knowle, Warwickshire. P. P. (Camberley, Hants).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. D. B. (Towcester), G. Jones (Breconshire), G. M. Ellison (Newmarket), W. P. Gerrard (Liver- pool), W. B. Chase (Market Drayton), M. P. R. (Essex), ""Burnt Oak" (Heme Hill).— The bees sent were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. E. Grant (Herts).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. Under the circum- stances the better plan will be to kill and burn them. (1) We cannot say. (2) It is likely to do so. H. B. Stebbing (Sussex).— The trouble is " Isle of Wight " disease. Your treatment could not have been better. The only thing you can do further is to see that the bees have access to a supply of pure water. " Constant Reader " (Halifax).— All three samples of bees were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. Boil the syrup for at least ten minutes, and when cool medicate it. T. E. Lewis (Pem).— " Isle of Wight " disease. Natives. A. O. Walker (Ayr).— Both are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. See reply to "Novice." H. W. Learovd (Halifax).— We are unable to say what was the cause of death. Natives. " Gloy " (Surrey).— We failed to find- disease in the bees. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Fenny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, at they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at Id. per word at " 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders tor three or more consecutive insertions in " The bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion m " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, one or two iStocks of Bees (six, eight or ten frames) ; Italians, Dutch, Car- niolans, or Hybrids (not English Blacks). Delivery in April— Particulars to CHARLES CUBLE1, Gedney, Holbeach, Lincolnshire. c.41 ANTED, 10 strong Stocks of Italian Bees, with 1917 Queens, and 10 Bars each; healthy Will give £4 10s. per stock— S. TOMLIN- SON, Wimborne. c.42 ALL SWARMS booked. Will applicants for same kindly note this.— HALEORD, West Wratting. c.4o FOR SALE, or exchange for poultry, ducks, or day-old ditto, a number of Hives in good con- dition. Full particulars posted on request.— AVERY, Deverill, Warminster. c.44 WANTED, for experimental purposes, few Frames, clean brood comb from stocks dead of " Isle of Wight " disease; 6s. dozen given.— Box 23, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.45 FOR SALE, first week in April, a few small Stocks of Bees and a few Bee Hives, etc., now at Ampleforth, Yorkshire— Apply, SMITH, 8, Myrtle Grove, Newcastle-on-Tyne. c.46 WANTED, a Stock, and few early Swarms, healthy Bees, including couple of Dutch— BENNETT, Dilton Mill, Westbury, Wilts. c.47 FOR SALE, three strong Stocks Bees, Hives and Appliances— MRS. ORR, Horsforth, Leeds. c.48 FERTILE Queen required in April; Italian or Golden'; mu6t give guarantee from healthy stock— BARCLAY, Wrea Green, Lanes. c.49 CAN spare two Strong Stocks, guaranteed healthy, delivery April-May, in supering con- dition, with good Hives and lifts included at £6 10s. each, f.o.r— B. McCOY, 158, Patrick Street, Grimsby. c.50 W ANTED, W.B.C. Hive, also Conqueror Hive. — W. WATTS, Castle Hill House, Bodmin. c.51 100 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 21, 1918. (*A 10s. offered for two strong Stock® of healthy dU'* Bees in Skeps, carrying pollen in; travel- ling crates sent.— LOXLEY, Northfield, Birming- ham. c.52 W ANTED, three Stocks of healthy Bees on frames— DR. BAB FORD, Selsey, Sussex. c.53 WANTED, \ dozen Stocks, Dutch-Black Bees. —Price and particulars, B. R. OXBOR- ROW, Kirkby Cross, Essex. c.54 WANTED, Extractor, large or small, geared preferred, in good condition. — C. S. MORRIS, 13, St. John's Road, Putney, S.W.15. c.55 WANTED, one or two healthy Stocks of Bees in bar-framed Hives or Skeps.-O. CURTIS, Great Wilbraham, Cambs. c.56 PAIR Indiarubber Gloves, size Si, nearly new, will exchange for Straw Skep or Veil. Offers. —A. LAW, 39, High Street, West Melton, Rother- ham. c.57 WANTED, up to eight Stocks of healthy Bees, English, Italian or Dutch; will give top prices— GEATER, Leiston, Suffolk. c.58 WANTED, two Stocks of Bees, with good Queens; early delivery, Cheshire.— State price and particulars to Box " M 35," LEE & NIGHTINGALE, Liverpool. c.59 TO RECAPITULATE— We claim no " cure " in Flavine. All we have said, written, or printed about this antiseptic is that it confers immunity from " Isle of Wight " disease for some time. We have printed three chapters of a booklet telling how we use it. Please read the Trade Announce- ments for particulars.— S. H. SMITH. c.60 WANTED, by Young Lady, post of establish- ing or managing Apiary, or Apiaries. First-class Expert, and large practical experience. —Box 14, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. b.24 EXTRACTOR, reversible, three standard or six Shallow frames, £5; six single Wall Hives, 10s. each; cases containing two 281b. tins, 2s. 6d. — GRANT, Huyton. e.21 0*> 1&9- given for a few good ten-frame Stocks dwO of healthy Italian Bees; 1918 fertile Queens an advantage; end of April delivery.— Box 18, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.22 ADVERTISER is open to purchase up to 50 Stocks of Bees; guaranteed healthy; hybrids preferred. Travelling boxes sent. — Quote quantity and price to Box 19, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bed- ford Street, W.C.2. c.23 HONEY Extractor wanted, geared preferred in good condition.— CLAYTON, Rowley Road. Dudley. c.26 WANTED, few stocks healthy Bees, to he delivered in April.— Price to C. GODFREY, c/o Mrs. Withers, Littleport Street, King's Lynn. c£7 WANTED, strong stocks of Bees; sruarantefd healthy: price moderate. — MEGGITT, Bramhall, Stockport. c.30 WANTED, two stocks of Bees, in good hives; also stock in 6traw skep.— REV. WIL- LIAMS, Pendoylan Vicarage, Cowbridge. c.35 WANTED, Extractor, good condition. Price and particulars.— DON, Gordon Road, Enfield, Middlesex. c.38 HANDS wanted, with slight knowledge of car- pentry, for making bee-hive parts. — E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn, Herts. c.40 FOR SALE, property of deceased bee-keeper, 6 10-frame W.B.C. pattern joiner-made Hives, constructed of very stout material, will last two life times, lifts with each to take two supers; one shallow frame, super with each, calico and zinc covered roofs, 35s. each; 90 drawn shallow combs, wired 17 ins. ordinary top bars, 9d. each; 17 ditto wide, 15 ins. top bars, 9d. each; nine ditto, Abbott's patent, top bars, 9d. each; seve,n with odd top bars, 6d. each; eight ordinary, 17 ins. top bar, shallow frames filled with wired foundation, 6d. each. Car- riage extra for all but hives must be sent. No metal ends.— Box 17, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bed- ford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.8 WANTED, Man to hive siwarme, also used to farm work and ploughing. State age and wages required, ■full1 particulars.— YOUNG BROS., 42, James Street, Cambridge. c.ll TWO 281b tins pure light Cambridge Honey (guaranteed), 2s. 6d. per lb.; sample, 3d.— J. YOUNGER, 6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge, c.16 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. THREE-FRAME Nuclei, 28s.; Six-frame Stocks, 50s.; each carriage paad. Beet selected, disease resistant; and honey-producing strain of Carniolan-Italian, native Italian, pure native, and Italian. Carrying boxes extra.— S. CRAW- FORD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. c.9 STRICTLY BUSINESS.— Three chapters of our D.B. Booklet are out, and 160 D.B.'s have been supplied with free copies. Others will have to dig up sixpence. It is not worth it, but we need the money. Eight packages of Flavine and the book- let for Is., post free. A Sprayer and the above combination for 5s. 6d., post free. Your money back if you don't like it— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. c.61 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE, Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples. 3d Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWS, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. THE HONEY BEE ITS NATURAL HISTORY, ANATOMY and PHYSIOLOGY By T. W. COWAN, F.L.S., &c, &c THOROUGHLY REVISED AND BROUGHT UP TO DATE. Illustrated with 73 Figures of 136 Illustrations. In Art Covers, price 2s. 6d. ; postage, 3d. BRITISH BEE JOURNAL and RECORD OFFICE, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. BURTT, Gloucester, "KUs. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION March 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 10 i SEASONABLE HINTS. The spell of warm weather will have caused the brood nest to be expanded at a quicker rate, and the aim of the bee- keeper should be to aid that expansion by stimulative feeding. Syrup may now be given in the place of candy, except in the cold northern parts of the country, where syrup should not be given for another week or more. The syrup should be thin, ^■o that it is not necessary for the bees to go out for water with which, to thin it down, make it with barely a pint of water to each pound of sugar or pink oandy. It should also be given slowly; the object is not that it should be stored in the combs, as in autumn feeding, but that it should be turned into bees by being used for feeding the larvae. If a regulation bottle feeder is available, give access to only two, or at most three, holes. Make certain that the cap fits the bottle, so that it is quite airtight. A good substitute for the bottle feeder is a lever-lid tin, such as a Lyle's golden syrup tin. Punch two or three small holes in the lid, fill the tin with syrup, and invert it over the feed hole. Where, the combs are full of stores, it is a mistake to give more syrup. In that case some of the cappings of the food should be bruised occasionally on mild days. Do this round the edges of the patch of brood. The exposed food will then be used for feeding the larvae, and more cells left vacant for the queen to utilise for egg laying. Remember the one object now is to raise bees, and as we have remarked before, a comb that is full of honey, or syrup, cannot also be full of brood. Do not let the bees at any time now suffer for lack of food. A week of cold weather, with no stores in the hive, will at the least cause a cessation of egg laying, the result of which will only be apparent in three weeks' time, when there will be a correspondingly small number of bees emerging from their cradles. To adapt an old proverb, " take care of the bees, and the honey will take care of itself." On mild days spring cleaning may be taken in hand. The best method is to have a clean, empty hive into which the comb and bees from another hive may be transferred. This hive in turn may be cleaned, and another lot transferred to it, and so on till all the hives are cleaned. Keep the bees warmly wrapped up. This is even more important now breed- ing is going on than it was* in the winter. Nights are still cold and frosty. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park, Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. There will also be a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 p.m., to which anyone will be welcome. -»■ A DORSET YARN. Burns wrote in one of his short pieces : — " It's a' for the apple he'll ne'er ask the tree; It's a' for the hiney he'll cherish the bee." That may be strictly true when the tiller of the soil plants his fruit trees and com- mences bee-keeping ; but as each year adds to the growth of the one, and the produc- tion of valuable food by both, they give great pleasure to us who have them. It becomes a fascinating study to see each, in its own way, producing their lusciou> dainties. The tree in its natural system of growth, its straight bole, and its end- less ramification of branches, now thickly studded with expanding fruit buds, and the bees hurrying in their flight to the opening flowers. As the same writer puts it, " While bees rejoice in opening flowers," one who loves both has a plea- sure with each; 'though each " adds to the siller," each adds to the pleasures of life also, and that to me is what makes life worth the labour and the hustle; for just now it is all hurry. Fine weather has enabled us to get in the corn ; the soil worked splendidly owing to the drying winds of March, but wherever you are now, the bees are fly- ing; they are strong on the wing, they know where their sweetest treasures are to be found. One can see through the inspection glass that the cells that were empty at the top of the combs have now the shiny liquid in them, and other cells being made on the tops of bars between the strips of wood laid over them, all tends to show that " the hand of the diligent gathereth store." The wealth of willow flowers is the attraction to them ; they are carry- ing in pollen of a bright orange colour. It seems too dark for willow pollen; it 102 THE BEITISH BEE JOUBNAL. March 28, 1918. may be crocus, there is a great quantity of them in the rectory garden close by the Farm;, they have found the flowers of peaches, and may be seen getting even into the flowers that are only partly open, so great is the hurry to get the nectar. Though some have very large flowers and others very small ones, there are quite as many bees on the lesser-sized ones as there are on the large, which shows that each gives the same wealth of sweets for them*. Peaches under glass are always attractive to bees. When the ventilators were open they would be sure to get through them, but after having filled the honey sac they could not find their way out, many died in their efforts to find the opening. At one place I worked we always filled the span-roofed peach houses with violets, and the bees were always in them in great numbers. I used to leave the doors open, as well as ventila- tors, to let them escape, but even then a great many could not get away. It is very beautiful to see long peach houses in blossom, especially when they are planted with different varieties, the variable size of the flowers, and the shades of flesh colour that run through the whole; when the soil is planted with violets it adds materially to the beauty of the whole. Ruskin wrote of the beauty of apple orchards in blossom. I do not remember aught of peaches from his books, but I remember Boswell says of Johnson, " he would eat seven or eight large peaches before breakfast." They could not have been very large then, not as they are now — 8, 10, or 12 ounces each, with good cultivation. To get size the chief agent is moisture; they are, when ripe, over 80 per cent, water, a sure proof that they require a fair amount when swelling. This is by the way; the flowers as food for bees is the chief in- terest to the bee-man, and to be of much service they must be in quantity. Those who keep bees in Parkstone and Bournemouth must reap a fine lot of early bee food while the early breeding is in progress, as the almonds are delightful to see; but with the almonds there is no luscious pulp enveloping the stone, as there are in peaches and nectarines. Plant more peaches, let them grow into natural trees, the wealth of flowers is pro- digious, and most years you will have fruit in addition to flowers. I have seen some very fine peaches raised from seed that have fruited many years, but in com- merce they are budded on plum stocks — all the best varieties are. They are easily grafted just now on plum roots — that is, strips of root about 8 or 12 inches long, each cut in an oblique direction, and the peach and plum firmly bound together. These can be planted firmly in the soil, keeping the union 3 inches below the soil to keep air from getting to it. If you have a warm, close frame you could roll them in moist flannel and each day see the progress of the union, and when com- plete plant out in open ground. Plants are generally rather expensive, but established trees from the nurseries give quick results, as they flower the first year, and if three and four years' old will fruit the first year of planting, where plants raised from peach stones are a long time before they fruit. Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, has sent me a pamphlet dealing with bees, which has been most interesting. This is what we want, all knowledge that can be gained of bees; all that tends to prevent diseases and help on the craft, as nothing is so discouraging as when they go under. He is a real good Samaritan ; he has found a good thing and he passes it on to others. — J. J. Kettle. t< THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — {Continued.) The sages are the typical genus of the salvidae, a family of monardese whereof the bergamots are the type. They owe their botanical name to their healing pro- perties. The common sage, of which there are many varieties, is not only the best known culinary herb, but is also described as " a feeble tonic and astrin- gent, and an efficient aromatic.-' A native of the south of Europe it was introuueed into England in 1597. It is an evergreen, shrubby plant, describable either as an under or sub-shrub, or as a herb, grown nowadays for the sake of its aromatic leaves, which are much used for flavouring and seasoning purposes. It has Hue flowers, and has run into many varieties. Formerly it had a high repu- tion as a sudorific and an antiseptic, but it has now no place in the pharmacopoeia. The Chinese, however, still use it as a tonic in debility of the stomach and nerves. The variety, S. grandiflora , is also used for culinary purposes. This variety which bears deep blue flowers in long racemes, makes a fine border plant. It reaches a height of 3 ft. Although sage can be raised from seed with a minimum of trouble, yet this is one of the few instances where it is an advantage to propagate plants from a good stock by slips, i.e., young shoots with a heel of older wood attached. These slips should be detached, by a downward pull, in April. Plant out in a nursery bed at 6 ins. apart. Keep moist, and when rooted, set out in permanent positions, allowing each plant a space of 15 ins. The difference between plants thus raised and seedlings will be obvious to any gardener who shall grow them side by side. Still, seedlings are often and quite easily Maxell 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE .iCYUKNAL. iu;i raised, and as annuals the plants are quite satisfactory. Sow under glass in February and March, and in open ground during April and May. The seeds should be sown 6 ins. apart in shallow drills, and transplanted, or every second plant lifted, leaving 1 ft. between them. Make a second row 2 ft. away with the lifted plants. A warm, dry position, in rich soil, is the best, although, as Mrs. Bards- will remarks, ' ' Sage will grow anywhere, and is one of the few herbs that still be- long to modern everyday life." Still do the cooks ask for it, and the gardeners bring it in; still does it mitigate for mortal man the richness of pork, ducks, and geese. " How can a man die who has sage in his garden?" is a proverb of Arabia. " He that would live for age Must eat of sage in May " is an English one. They show how the herb has been »alued both East and West. The Chinese cannot imagine why Euro- peans like their tea leaves better than home-grown sage-leaves for brewing. Time was when exchanges were made between the Dutch and Chinese — 4 lbs. of tea for 1 lb. of sage! Sage, they say, makes a capital gargle, and the smell of it alone is sometimes strong enough to make the patient giddy. Along with the green sage we like to grow the purple, both make nice hardy plants if cut back now and then. There is a variegated sage, too, of lovely colours. Meadow, or wild sage, Salvia sclarea* never seen in gardens nowadays, is known about the countryside as Clary or Clear- eyes, and at one time was as much valued as the garden kind. Its names explain the reason why. It has also been called Oculus Christi. Occasionally the whole young plant would be eaten, either boiled or fried in sweet butter, with sugar, and the juice of oranges or lemons. We have iton good authoritv that " George White- field when at Oxford (1733) lived almost entirely on sage-tea with sugar and coarse bread." For winter use sage should be gathered in September, the shoots being tied in bunches and hung in a cool, shady place till dry. Strip the leaves from the stems, rub them fine, and store in well- corked, wide-mouthed bottles. Meadow sage is a rare native, with rich violet-purple flowers, blooming through June and July, It is 2 ft. in height, and is well worth a place in the flower gar- den. Indeed a highly effective herba- ceous border might be composed entirely of the showier relatives of plants gr»wn only in the vegetable garden. * S. sclarea is not indigenous to Britain. It is a native of Italy, Syria, etc., and in this country is at most an escaper. S. verbenaca is the wild English Clary or Vervain Clary.— A. F. H. THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPEBATUBE ON BEES.— IV. (6) CONCLUSION. For myself, no new proof is needed to convince me that the factor of tempera- ture is a very important one in tho organisation of bee life. With the little material at my disposal I taught myself something. I have been able to keep a weak stock (which I was not able to re-en- force in the proper time) in perfect health and in a satisfactorily general condition by the help of artificial heat, though applied in a rough way. When this stock- was seen last September by Mr. W. J. Owers, to whose guiding experience I am greatly indebted, he prophesied that it could not live long. With artificial heat- ing, I managed to observe instructive signs of prolonged breeding for some time, and with this heat I managed to experi- ment with some success on other points referred to in previous communications. In spite of the most severe January frost and cold, the bees did not suffer while heating was continued, a daily examina- tion being made from a glass window over the frames ; but when heating was stopped for a few days the bees on examination were found from many obvious signs to be dead from starvation. The hive was opened, and they were examined jointly by Mr. Owers and myself. No indications of any infectious disease were present, and the bees, when carefully examined, appeared to be quite healthy. Yet the signs of starvation, despite the presence of sufficient stores were unmistakable, and the reasons were sufficiently clear. A weak stock could not maintain the necessary temperature for feeding and general vitality inside a hive during a severe winter, and it is not always the case that a strong stock succeeds in this respect, to judge from the death-rate among bees in winter, which is not accounted for by an infection, and even with cases of infection it is quite probable that a low tempera- ture is an important predisposing factor by lowering the vitality of the bees. It should be observed that' in winter feeding, the bees in the warmest positions (inside the cluster and nearer the top) are respon- sible for distributing the food amongst the others, but when the temperature is too low, even this limited activity disappears. With my very little spare time, in which a recreation in my garden-apiary and the hasty writing of these rough notes gives me a great pleasure, and with the lack of material and sufficient means at my dis- posal, it is not for me to undertake a thorough investigation on a big scale. I have repeatedly hinted that this is the icorh of a capable committee and not of an individual. My sole purpose therefore is to stimulate research on bee-keeping, to 104 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 28, 1918, direct attention to a new line of investi- gation well worthy of the best efforts, and to suggest to the mass of the craft whose bread and butter depend chiefly on their success in bee-keeping, that they should see to it that they are not behind any •other craft or profession in keeping abreast with the times in scientific develop- ment.— A. Z. Abushady. LEICESTERSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. Owing to the absence in France on Church Army hut work of the Rev. J. F. Anderson, of Great Glenn Hall, chair- man of the Leicestershire and Rutland- shire Bee-keepers' Association, he was un- able to attend the annual meetings held on Saturday, March 16, at the Vaughan College, Leicester, and Mr. W. K. Bed- ingfield (Lutterworth) was voted to the chair. There was a good attendance. The 36th report showed a decline in membership of 45, although 27 new mem- bers joined. Mention was made of the havoc caused by " Isle of Wight " disease and the efforts made for re-stocking. The past season for those who had hives left was very good. The balance-sheet showed a cash balance of £7 5s. 3d., a decrease of nearly £6. The restocking had been suc- cessful so far. Three stocks of bees were purchased, taken to Enderby, and during the summer ten nuclei were sent out and the apiary increased to nine stocks for this season. Forty-one persons, share- holders, it was hoped would be stocked this year. Thanks were passed to Mr. Bedingfield for the gift of six hives, to Mr. Theakstone for providing a site in his garden, and to Messrs. Biggs, Bradley, and Theakstone for use of hives. With a view to safeguarding members from purchasing bees or second-hand hives which might be infected, Mr. Hunt fBotcheston) asked for statistics as to the stocks lost and the districts affected. The Secretary (Mr. John Waterfield, Kib- worth) said experts were not so careful as Mr. Hunt in filling -up the information in their visiting books. All he could say was that the Loughborough district seemed to have been the most unfortu- nate during the oast vear. There were no less than 30 resignations in the Lough- borough district, chiefly through members having lost their stocks. The Enderby district was said to have a number of in- fected hives lying idle. Lady Levy was again elected president. The vice-presidents were re-appointed. The vice-chairman, Mr. Wm. W. Falkner, of Market Harborough, was elected to the chair, and Mr. G. W. Dunn, Glen Parva was chosen vice-chairman. The executive of 13 was voted for, and the following appointed: — The Rev. J. F. Anderson, Mr. J. J. Abell (Newbolcf Verdon), Mr. S. Clarke (Leicester), Mr, A. J. Marriott (Market Harborough), Mr. A. E. Biggs (Cropstone), Mr. W. P, Meadows (Syston), Mr. H. Clark (Des- ford) Mr. E. A. Jesson (North Kilworth), Mr. T. H, Earp (Loughborough), Mr. T. H. Geary (Enderby), Mr. J. Thompson (Quorn), Mr. J. Hayward (Woodhouse). Mr. H. M. Riley (Leicester) was ap- pointed treasurer, Mr. W. K. Bedingfield auditor, and Mr. John Waterfield (Kib- worth), lion, secretary. Representatives to British Bee-keepers' Association^ — Messrs. Riley and Falkner. It was decided to increase the price for nuclei from 10s. to 17s. 6d., Mr. Moss stating that this was really one-half the' market value. Mr. Hunf (Botchest-on> moved a resolution urging Government action with reference to combating the disease and preventing infection and this was carried. It was reported to the association that Mr. Lowe, the curator of Leicester Museum, who did good research work on "Isle of Wight " disease, had been en- deavouring to persuade the Government., but uiiavailinglv, to take up the breeding of bees and the supply of nuclei to keepers, Mr. Lowe had persuaded the Leicester Corporation to do a national work, and he hoped to be able to provide stocks to approved persons. The asso- ciation's help in selecting applicants would be valued. In the evening Mr. W. Herrod-Hemp- sall, F.E.S., gave a lecture on " Queen- rearing and Introduction. — Communi- cated. ESSEN BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The 38th annual general meeting of the Essex Bee-keepers' Association was held at 7, Camomile Street, London, E.C., on Tuesday, March 12, at 5 p.m., Mr. W. P. Jobson presiding, when the following members were present: — Lady Gwendo- line Colvin (President of the Association), Mrs. Perry (Leyton), Mesdames Tidswell (Woodford) and Darrington '(Wenden).. Messrs. Faunch, Kirschner, Kendell. Horscroft, Rae and Do Save (Ilford). L. Belsham (Maldon), F. Clnridge (Col- chester), A. Hornblower (Leytonstono). and the Secretary.. The minutes of the last annual general meeting were read by the secretary and passed. The Committee's Report for 1017. is- March 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 105 sued to members, was adopted and passed unanimously, very general satisfaction being expressed therewith. The balance sheet, which showed a sur- plus in -hand of £19 6s. 10d., was pre- sented by the Treasurer, and received by those present with considerable applause. The balance being larger than for several years past the Treasurer and Committee were complimented on their economical management of the finances of the associa- tion. The retiring officers were accorded the best thanks of the association for their services during the past year, and were all re-elected, with the addition to the list of Vice-Presidents of General Colvin. C.B.. M.P., Sir Frederick Green, Hon. E. G. Street, and C. E. Ridley, Esq.. J.P. The Secretary gave a brief account of the proposed programme which he had been asked to draw up for the considera- tion of the Essex County Council. This was heartily endorsed by those present, and many hopes were expressed that bee- keeping lectures would be arranged for the whole of the county. The President, he said, had already moved on behalf of the Women's Institutes, and several lec- tures had been given, which were well attended, and more were booked. The Secretary remarked on the great assist- ance rendered to the association by the Lady Gwendoline Colvin, and now that her distinguished husband. General Col- vin, had entered the House of Commons the industry possessed another M.P. who, he was sure. Mould do his best to further its interests. Messrs. P. M. Wilson, B.Sc. and W. Robson, M.Sc., of the East Anglian In- stitute of Agriculture, and Miss Jameson, who has charge of the bees at the Insti- tute, were unanimously elected honorary members on the proposal of the Chairman. The best thanks of the association was voted to the President for her valued assistance during the past year, and to the Chairman for the use of his offices for meetings, whilst the Treasurer (Mr. G. T. Faunch") was heartily thanked for his work as local secretary at Tlford. — Communi- cated. BUCKS COUNTY BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A N N t* A L MEETING •. The annual general meeting of the asso- ciation was held on March 9 at the Con- gregational Schools, High Street, Avles- bury, and in the absence of the President in Scotland, the chair was taken by C. G. Watkins, Esq. The report and accounts were received and adopted. The Chairman, in his speech moving the same, commented on the steady increase in membership, viz., 69 in 1916, 110 in 1917, and 177 in 1918, and drew attention to the statement of accounts, which showed the association to be in a sound financial condition. The Earl of Buckinghamshire was re- elected President. The vice-president, the committee, auditor, treasurer and hon scretary were re-elected, and a vote of congratulation to the treasurer, Capt. J. Bell-White, R.N.R., J.P., on his being appointed High Sheriff of the County was passed unanimously. The following resolution was unani- mously passed: — ''That the association fully approves of the standardisation of hives, and gives its full support to such a scheme." It was also resolved that it was desir- able to start a re-stocking scheme. Letters were read from Mr. W. TJndler- ton and Mr. Coulson, urging the keeping of bees to ensure the pollination of fruit trees, and a discussion followed, in which the interesting papers by Mr. Hooper in the Bee Journal were commended to the notice of all fruit growers. The meeting ended with a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman. The Editors do not hold themselvet responsible for the opinion* 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 then 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 SHEATH HIVE. [9631] It is not quite clear from Mr. Atkinson's articles under above heading iu last year's volume of the B.B.J. , pp. 294, 304 and 392, whether he claims origi- nality of design of what he terms the '; Sheath " W.B.C. hive, or no. In either case, it may interest him, un- less he is already aware of the fact, that this pattern was made and sold by Messrs. Burgess & Son, of Exeter, some twenty years ago, but they tell me the reason they discarded it was that it could not be dove- tailed by machinery (inferring that hand dovetailing would be too expensive), also considering their telescopic lift design an improvement in their own apiary (which 106 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. March 28, 1918. was at sonic distance from their store), by saving carting spare lifts. In addition to their evidence, if Mr. Atkinson turns up Mr. Herrod's delight- ful little book, " Producing and Exhibit- ing Bee Produce," page 48, he will there see a couple of hives illustrated, being ex- hibited in 1901 (17 years ago), made on the same principle. While pointing out these facts, let me hasten to add that my own opinion of the hive (or the " principle ") exactly coin- cides with his (and the darkies'), and in future all my additions are being made on the conical design, adapted to fit my existing W.B.C. hives, my only objec- tion to Mr. Atkinson's pattern being in the combined porch and alighting board, which to my mind, does not give enough room on the latter. I like mine at least 9 in. long. I may add that to overcome the difficulty of the expensive hand dove- tailing I am having mine made with tongue and groove corner-joints for the better class hive, and for ordinary quality, the plain, butt-jointed corners, which are quite strong if properly put together. The floors have an entrance-well of 1± in. depth in front, with f in. entrance under porch, yet leaving 1 in. under ends of frames. The sunk entrance tapers off to a feather-edge in centre of floor, thus leaving no " step-down " as is usually made, and consequently the floors are more easily cleaned. The porch is made detachable with two screws, so that any outer case may be used in any place, top or bottom, no mat- ter which. I am hoping to get the Service Co., of High Holborn, to show one of this pat- tern W.B.C., which I think will be one i if not the .most important, at least a " premier ") of the " Standards." The chief difficulty at present is the supply of timber. — Fredk. M. Claridge. SUGAR FOR BEES. [9632] With reference to the feeding problem, perhaps something might be done if bee-keepers put their heads to- gether. The present system is very un- satisfactory, as the candy that is made by Messrs. Pascall is both dearer than sugar and for autumn feeding very troublesome to convert into syrup. We all appreciate, of course, the neces- sity of some means being taken to treat the sugar so that it cannot be diverted to human use after being purchased for bees. - But surely this could be done by some means without making candy of it, and so save much time and labour and also fuel in boiling it down. I think, perhaps, it might be done bv treatment with Izal. A very small quantity would make it quite unfit for human use, and at the same time serve as a disinfectant. If any one can suggest a workable plan perhaps the B.B.K.A. would put it before the proper authorities. It seems wrong altogether, when everything is so diffi- cult, to waste time and money in con- verting n comparatively cheap food into a dear one, which in its turn, in most cases, requires again time, trouble and expense to reconvert it into a usable article. A quantity of sugar that would fulfil all needs for bees woidd be so small compared with the quantity required in the whole country as to be almost negli- gible.— R. B. Manley. PAINTING INSIDES OF HIVES AND SPACING OF FRAMES. [9633] I have seen from time to time the suggestion of painting insides of hives. I am up against it, for once painted with oil paint you can never disinfect the hive satisfactorily afterwards, although you may burn the hive with a lamp. Carbolic painting, or anything similar will never penetrate the wood satisfactorily after oil- paint has been used. Instead of using broad-ends for spacing of the brood combs for wintering, use small blocks of wood, which can be with- drawn in the spring instead of having to lift the Frames out to change the ends. — J. Pkyrman, Derby. CANDY TURNING SOFT. [9634] Referring to Mr. Bright 's letter (9619) in Feb. 14 British Bee Journal, I purchased some Pascall candy on March 20 last, and what was not used at once quickly became soft, one or two cakes deliquoring so badly that there was a small pool of syrup at the bottom of the box. And this during summer! On August 30 I purchased some more, and this, what little is left, 8 to 101b., has kept perfectly hard. I noticed that there was a great difference in texture between the two consignments, the first lot being of very smooth grain, of an almost creamy consistency, whereas the second lot was granular and much harder, more what one has been used to in bee candy. Of course, I am in no way complaining. I am only too thankful to Messrs. Pascall for what they have done for us. — H. W. Daltry. [9635] . I have read letter No. 9619 with great intei'est, having had the same experience this winter. I closed up my hive at the end of October, putting in two lib. cakes of Pascall's Bacterol Bee Candy under the quilts. When I opened the hive a fortnight Marcli 28, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 107 ago, to see how the food was lasting, I found that there was still about 1-J-lb. left, but it was very soft and running down between the frames. The bees were, however, quite healthy and the coverings quite dry. My stock is not a strong one, being a swarm received at the middle of last July. There is in this case no question of dead bees being the cause of the candy nrelting, as they are out flying every mild day just now. The weather here has been very severe this winter, as imich as 12-in. of snow being built up on the roof and alighting board. Trusting some other member if the craft will be able to explain this trouble, I will look forward to the next few num- bers.— H. Malcolm MacCalltjm. [The candy will not turn soft unless kept where damp air can get to it. — Eds.] A NOTE FROM ITALY. [9636] In answer to The British Bee Journal, I must say I was very pleased to get it. It has been some little time since I had one; but I have been rather busy otherwise or I would have written before. I have seen very few bees up here as yet; there are plenty south. I may be paying you a visit shortly, as I am expecting leave, when, I just hardly know. We are having some grand weather here; in fact, it has been very nice all winter. I want to procure a hive of bees when I come from " somewhere," as mine are all gone now with the " Isle of Wight " disease. I just want a hive for the old folks to look after, then I may start in earnest after the fun is over. Thanking you very much for The British Bee Journal, and wishing all a prosperous season. — W. B. Brown, Italian Expeditionary Force. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. G. M. B. (Paignton).— Keeping extracted syrup for autumn feeding.— The syrup will probably keep if it is boiled after extracting and kept in airtight bottles. You may yet find it useful this spring. Do not add any water if you store it. W. B. Allen (Norwood).— Ma king " Baby Nuclei" boxes.— They are made large enough to take two sections cut down to gin. wide. Ours are 5^in. deep, 5in. long, and 3§in. wide. J. H. Nelson (Ipswich).— Using honey for spring feeding.— Add enough water to make it as th.-n as the syrup used for spring feeding. Two to three ounces will probably be plenty. "A Lancs. Bee-keeper" (Ghorley). —Becoming immune to stings. — The number of stings to effect immunity will vary with different indi- viduals, so we cannot say how many you would need. The lotion will make no difference. " Queens " (Nottingham).— Effects of hybridising. —(1) The first cross between Italian and Natives are usually gentle. (2) It is usually considered that disposition is inherited from the drone, and working qualities from the queen. (3) Yes. H. C. G. Kelly (Beading).— From what you say we should judge the bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. Use one of the advertised remedies, or destroy them. Wm. Bock (Oswestry).— The queen excluders arc- often used on a frame and work fairly satis- factorily, but we prefer them without. E. H. D. (Worcester).— The only remedy is to re- queen. Try Italian-Native hybrids. Put the new' queen in a cage in the hive about 12 hours after removing the old one. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee. goods are not permissible 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose o). Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the "Journal" the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. FOB SALE, first week in April, a few small Stocks of Bees and a few Bee Hives, etc.— Apply, GEO. SMITH, Elm House, Ampleforth, Yorks. c.46 w ANTED, healthy Stocks of Bees— PB YOB. Breachwood Green. c.62 WANTED, one or two Simmins' Double Con- queror Hives, complete, perfect condition; also two best make W.B.C. Hives. — Particulars and price to A. G. GBAY, Dean Wood, Newbury, c.53 O4TB0NG English Stock, in large observation >0' drawer hive, 65s.; another on seven frames, in nucleus hive, 40s.; both 1917 Queens. Sent as win- tered. Carriage paid. Never had disease in. apiary .-H, WADDINGHAM, Habrough, lincoln- shire. c.63a WANTED, two early Swarms; price, carriage paid. Deposit— FBED GULLETT, Lam- bourn, Berks. c.64 SELL, moderate price, few 60und, clean W.B.C. Hives and parts thereof.— Particulars, T. ATKINS. Bipple, Tewkesbury. c.65 108 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL- March 2S, 191&. QUEEN Bee wanted at once for queenless stock. -State price, age, breed, H. HILL, Belmount, OcKbrook, Derby. c.66 WANTED, work in Apiary by Lady with 10 years' experience, or to take charge of small apiary; willing to help with garden work in spare time. Kindly state 6aiary ohered.— Box 24, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.67 WILL give £4 15s. each for two or three thoroughly strong ten-frame Stocks of Italian Bees for prompt delivery; must be guaran- teed healthy; 1917 Queens.— State if have travelling boxes, and full particulars, to Box 25, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.68 WANTED, Stock of Bees, Italians, Dutch, Car- niolans, or Hybrids; must be strong. Delivery wanted now.— JOHN JAQUES, 66, Grove Boad, Wanstead, E.ll. c.6rJ FOR SALE, three Stocks Italian Bees on Lees' Standard Frames, £3 10s— DR. COMPTON, Harefield, Middlesex. c.70 WANTED, to buy, two healthy Stocks of Bees. —LADY THORNYCROFT, Steyne, Bern- bridge, Isle of Wight. c.7l WANTED, good breech-loader Gun, 12 bore, left full choke; exchange healthy Dutch Bees— GARNER, Wymondham. c.72 WANTED, good Stock Dutch Bees for delivery end of April— Write, MISS WINTLE, Vicarage, Heversham, near Milnthorpe, Westmor- land. c.73 THREE Stocks of healthy Bees for sale, £4 10s. per stock.— Can be seen at any time at Dancers Hill Farm House, Barnet. c.75 FOR SALE, two 10-bar Hives, in good order, with super filled with section boxes, zinc queen excluder, and quilts; cheap before removal What offers?— BAIRD, Columba Road, Blackhall, Edinburgh. c.74 TO RECAPITULATE— We your good combs diseased We have used such for two harm resulting. When the shape we will ask you to bring stocks and put them on top In two weeks you may take and immune for all summer, give the 6ame results at home, envelope brings a circular.— Maid's Causeway, Cambridge have said, " Save bees have died on." years without any D.B. Apiary is in along your diseased of our best stocks, them away, healed Id. of Flavine will Stamped, addressed S H. SMITH, 30, C.76 BEES— Wanted six good, strong, health v Stocks.— Price and race to GOLDEN, Leire, Lutterworth, Leics. c.77 FOR SALE, two new 10 Standard Frame Hives, and lifts, painted, unused, 25s-. each.— W. WOODS, Normandy, Guildford. c.79 W ANTED, Turkey Eggs, first week in April.- Crosby Croft, Latchingdon, Essex. c.J FOR SALE, or exchange for poultry, ducks, or day-old ditto, a number of Hives in good con- dition. Full particulars posted on request.— AVERY, Devcrill, Warminster. c.44 WANTED, for experimental purposes, few Frames, clean brood comb from stocks dead of " Isle oi Wight" disease; 6s. dozen given.— Box 23, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.45 CAN spare two Strong Stocks, guaranteed healthy, delivery April-May, in supering con- dition, with good Hives and lifts included at £6 10s. each, f.o.r— B. McCOY, 158, Patrick Street, Grimsby. c.50 ANTED, W.B.C. Hive, also Conqueror Hive. W. WATTS, Castle Hill House, Bodmin. W O/f 10s- offered for two strong Stocks of healthy ow"* Bees in Skeps, carrying pollen in; travel- ling crates sent.— LOXLEY, Northfield, Birming- ham. #.52 W ANTED, three Stocks of healthy Bees on frames— DR. BARFORD, Selsey, Sussex. c.53 €} A 10s. given for a few good ten-frame Stocks 3&rk of healthy Italian Bees; 1917 fertile Queens an advantage; end of April delivery.— Box 18, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.22 HONEY Extractor wanted, geared preferred, in good condition.— CLAYTON, Rowley Road, Dudley. c36 WANTED, strong stocks of Bees; guaranteed healthy; price moderate. — MEGGITT, Bramhall. Stockport. c.30 HANDS wanted, with slight knowledge of car- pentry, for making bee-hive parts.— E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn, Herts. c.40 FOR SALE, property of deceased bee-keeper, 5 10-frame W.B.C. pattern joiner-made Hive? constructed of very stout material, will la«t two life times, lifts with each to take two supers; one shallow frame, super with each, calico and zinc covered roofs, 35s. each; 90 drawn shallow combs, wired 17 ins. ordinary top bars, 9d. each; 17 ditto wide, 15 ins. top bars, 9d. each; nine ditto, Abbott's patent, top bars, 9d. each; seve,n with odd top bars, 6d. each; eight ordinary, 17 ins. top bar, shallow frames filled with wired foundation, 6d. each. Car- riage extra for all but hives must be sent. No metal ends.— Box 17, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bed- ford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.i BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full boaTd, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS— Flavine Candy is made by Pascall in 321b. lots only, purchaser supplying the Flavine, instructions, and a state- ment that he orders on his own responsibility. We will supply the Flavine for 321bs. (one boiling) for Is., post paid. Our D.B. Booklet and eight packages Flavine Is., post paid. The Sprayer and above combination 5s. 6d., post paid. Your money back if you don't like it— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. c.78 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY POR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. BURTT, Gloucester ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION FOR BEE APPLIANCES. April 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 109 SEASONABLE HINTS. When bees are noticed to be carrying in pollen it may, as a rule, be assumed that the queen is all right,, though at times even a queenless stock will carry pollen into the hive. Where no pollen is being carried in. and the bees do not work with vigour, an examination should be made on a mild day, and search made for the queen, or evidence of her presence in the shape of eggs and brood in various stages. If none of these are found, and there is food in the combs, the colony is most likely queenless, and should be united to a colony having a queen ; weak colonies, also, are better united, one queen should be removed, and the one left be caged for 24 hours ; the deposed queen may be sold, or introduced to a queenless colony that is strong in bees. The two colonies to be united should be side by side, within a yard of each other. If they are far apart each one may be moved a yard nearer the other each day bees are flying, until they are close enough together. Take out from the hive that is to be left all combs not occupied by bees, and spread the others so that there is room to insert another comb between each one. Having removed one queen and caged the other, sprinkle all the bees, on both sides of the comb, with flour, ordinary household flour or pea flour may be used, but dust them thoroughly ; then lift combs and bees out of the hive to be removed and place them in the spaces left between those in the other hive, close up, cover down, and do not disturb them for 24 hours, when the queen may be liberated. Spring cleaning may be proceeded with on mild days, scrape all propolis and bits of comb from the frames and sides of the hive, discarding any old, damaged, or mis- shapen combs, or those containing too much drone comb. As the bees need more room give frames of comb, or foundation, placing them next to, and outside, one of the combs of brood. Do not attempt to "spread" the brood by inserting emptv comb or foundation in the middle of the combs of brood so early in the season. If the bees have a supplv of food and are warmly covered they will spread the brood as fast as they can care for it, and keep it warm. The handiest method of sprint clean- ing is to transfer the bees into a clean hive, but care should be taken not to lose the oueen. It is advisable to see her if possible, but do not expose the brood too long, or it may be chilled. If there is more than one hive to be cleaned, the hive from which the bees have been moved may be cleaned out and the next colony put into it, and so on until all are done. In the fruit districts, colonies that are covering eight or nine combs may be supered as soon as the fruit bloom is out. The supers must be well wrapped to con- serve heat as much as possible, and if the hives are exposed it will be an advantage to rig up something to break the cold northerly or easterly winds. Slow feeding should be continued when necessary until there is more forage and the weather is more favourable. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in' the British Bee- keepers' Association's Apiary, London County Council Park, Golders Hill, London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. There will also be a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 p.m., to which anvone will be welcome. ANNUAL MEETING. 1'he forty-fourth annual meeting of the Association was held in the Council Room, 23, Bedford Street, Strand. London. W.C., on Thursday, March 21, 1918. Mr. W. F. Reid presided, and there was a good attendance of members. The minutes of the . annual meeting held March 15, 1917. were read and confirmed. A number of letters expressing regret at inability to attended were read. In presenting the report the Chairman said : — It was satisfactory to note that in spite of the troublous times the membership had increased considerably. The matter of sugar for feeding bees and the obtaining of sections for supering was not yet settled in detail. A deputation with regard to obtaining control of diseased bees and appliances, had waited upon the President of the Board of Agriculture, the Rt. Hon. R. E. Prothero, and although very sympathetic towards the matter that gentleman was unable at the present busy time to do any- thing in it, 110 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 4, 1918. The Council and representatives of Associations had been unremitting in their attendances at meetings and the work of the Association. With regard to the financial position reference to the balance sheet would show that they were in a sound position in this direction. The secret of success was sound finance, and it was to be hoped that the coming year would be more successful than the one just passed. The candidates obtaining certificates of proficiency were again numerous, indicat- ing the success of the Association's educa- tional work. He moved that the report and balance sheet as printed be adopted. Mr. C. L. M. Eales seconded, and it was carried unani- mously. Mr. P. A. Cragg proposed, and Mr. Breach seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the retiring Council and officers for the arduous labour given ; this was carried unanimously. The Chairman replied, saying that they were looking forward to a good time shortly. The Vice-Presidents, hon members and corresponding members, hon. treasurer, auditor and solicitor were elected en bloc as last year. A special vote of thanks was passed to the hon. auditor, Mr. G. H. Sanders, for the great help rendered. The Council for 1918 were elected en bloc as 1917, with the addition of Mr. F. W. Watts in place of the late General Sir Stanley Edwards. A discussion re prices of honey took place, and the meeting expressed the view that the following would be a fair mini- mum price retail for the 1918 crop of first- class honey : — Sections 3s. each, 1 lb. jars 2s. 6d. each. Mr. Lamb said that he thought the meeting should not close without a very hearty vote of thanks being passed to Mr. . W. F. Reid and Mr. J. Herfod-Hempsall. Members were quite unaware of the vast amount of work accomplished by the for- mer in seeing officials, attending special committee meetings, drafting schemes which entailed a great deal of writing. Bee-keepers were also indebted to the Manager of the British Bee Journal, Mr. J. Herrod-Hempsall, for obtaining candy for boe feeding ; although they might disagree with the Government's method of dealing with the matter, and the price charged, that was not his fault. The candy had been obtained, and there was no doubt it was the means of saving thousands of stocks of bees. Mr. Eales, in seconding, made complimentary re- marks with regard to the work of the two gentlemen named. The resolution was put to the meeting by Mr. Lamb and car- ried unanimously. Mr. Reid replied, giving thanks for the kind appreciation for work done; they were all out to carry on until better times arrived. This concluded the business of the meet- MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting was held imme- diately after the annual meeting on Thursday, March 21st, 1918. Mr. W. F. Reid presided, and there were also present Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. W. H. Simms, C. L. M. Eales, A. G. Pugh, G. Bryden, T. Bevan, F. W. Watts, J. Herrod-Hempsall, G. W. Judge, and the Secretary (W. Herrod-Hempsall). Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan, F. W. Harper, G. R. Alder, A. Richards, and G. S. Faunch. Mr. Reid, in proposing the election of Mr. T. W. Cowan as Chairman of the Council, paid a glowing tribute to the great services rendered by that gentle- man to the Association and to bee-keeping generally. The election was carried with applause. Mr. Eales proposed, and Mr. Pugh seconded, the election of the Vice-Chair- man, Mr. W. F. Reid, and both expressed the deep debt of gratitude of the Council for the sterling hard work done by the Vice-chairman for the Association. The election was carried also with applause. The rest of the committees were elected as last year, with the exception of Mr. G. W. Judge, resigned from the Finance Committee, his place being filled by the election of Mr. F. W. Watts. The minutes of Council meeting held on February 21, 1918, were read and con- firmed. The following new members were elec- ted : — Mrs. P. Aitkens, Mrs. A. F. Cameron Wilson, Messrs. C F. Worters, J. J. Kettle, L. H. Wraith, J. Thorn, J. E. Seaton, W. Richards, A. J. Marshall,, W. J. Genna, C R. Chick Beadle, J. G. Bale, and 0. M. Brown. The following Associations nominated representatives on the Council, and all were accepted: — Kent, Capt. C. C. Lord; Gloucester, G. Thomas; Somerset, Col. H. F. Jolly ; Derby, G. F. Pallett ; Notts, G. Hayes; Bucks, Rev. T. E. Peters; Lanca- shire, F. H. Taylor; Essex, J. Rae. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. J. Smallwood, who stated that payments into the bank for February amounted to .£25 lis. 5d. The bank balance on March 1 was £132 Is. id. Payments amounting to £47 7s. 6d. were recommended. April 4, 1918. THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. Ill Resolutions in favour of the standardi- sation of hives were received from the Nottinghamshire and Lancashire Associa- tions. Council meetings for 1918 were fixed for the third Thursday in each month, except August, when there will he no meeting. Next meeting of Council, April 18, 1918. at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. A DORSET YARN. A week of variable weather. Sunday, fine and warm, bees were having a fine time, working with that feverish haste that the bee-man likes to see. The rate they are carrying in pollen shows that the queen is laying freely, and there are plenty of young to feed; they have had a great harvest from the willows. Peaches are in flower in great abundance ; Prince of Wales plums and the blue native ones of Dorset are one sheet of white ; last, but not least, they have found some of the gooseberries open: even on the cold, windy days that followed the warm Sun- day they were to be seen on the goose- berries at some time in the day (I think a lot of these bushes for bees). When in the fields on Good Friday afternoon I noticed bees were out and working zealously. ■ Some visitors from one of the great dairies in Bournemouth were over. I took the opportunity of showing them the sections. Plenty of them had the shiny nectar in them; they said that they would tell the buyers they had seen the sections nearly full (they were drawn out ones that were not filled last season). The bees had gathered some off the willow blossom, and were carrying in the pollen on their baskets. WThen shown this the visitors said they would not gather more of the willow palms, they did not like to rob the bees; they gathered the daffodils in the meadow instead to take back as a memento of their visit to the farm. They had never noticed the difference in the sexes of willows before; some of the hedgerows were almost entirely females, the pollen-bearing ones were very few. They admitted they had learned a lesson in natural history. There were plenty of hazel catkins, and the crimson stigmas of the female flowers are still to be seen; all shows how wonder- ful everything in Nature is, nothing left to chance. The sharp frost browned off the earliest male flowers, but others, which had not opened early, were now yellow with pollen for the winds of March to blow upon the late crimson stigmas of the seed-bearing ones. In one cottage garden just now is a fine plant of Cydonia, up to 1 ft. high, and covered with rosy crimson flowers. Many of our Dorset cottages have these beau- tiful plants; their big apple-like flowers last a good time. I have seen them flower very early in the year when on a wall. Our bees do not work the daffs. much; I do not know if they are distasteful to them, or whether the great wealth of oooseberries that is in the next field on- o tices them away. The bumble bees are on the peaches at 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning, and as late as 7 in the evening they are still searching for food. Work on the land now is all hurry. Acres of potatoes were put in this week, women and boys did the planting, the main crops were Arran Chief and Golden Wonder, "the early ones, Sharpe's Express and May Queen; we do not grow too many varieties, but what gives good quality as well as quantity. We believe in early planting ; we got some in during February between the lines of young apple trees. Each year we try a new sort; but if it does not come up to the others in worth we do not extend it.— J. J. Kettle. A misprint occurred in the quotation from Burns in last week's yarn. It should read — " It's a' for the apples he'll nourish the tree." — J- J- K- THE SUBURBAN BEE GARDEN. On reading over my notes of January 27 in the B.B.J. , dated February 21, I offered my thanks in thought to the editor for remembering to insert the date when they were written, and was also struck by the rapidity with which the time had passed. As the circulation of the Journal ex- tends over the whole of the British Isles, with its varied temperatures and seasons, it is due to my readers to explain where the particular suburb from whence these notes emanate is situated. Well, we are about fourteen miles south-west of that hive of industry known as the British Bee Journal office off the Strand ; it is one of the high spots outside the hills which en- circle London on the south-east and south-west, from which it is separated by the valley of Mitcham, celebrated for its famous lavender and peppermint dis- tilleries, and when we first settled at Carshalton, a good many years ago now. many acres of the rather lightish loam found over the chalk bed of this neigh- bourhood were covered with these two crops. The enormous variety of foliage, both of large trees, flowering shrubs, and plants of every description, which is found upon this chalkv soil, is known to everyone, and before the houses came to replace the field crops I used to have fine takes of honey in .quite average years. Of more recent years, however, what with ardent residents and a too enthusiastic District Council 112 THE BRITIoII BEE JOURNAL. April 4, 1918. the beauties and advantages of the spot have been so advertised that the jerry builder could not fail to hear of them, and he has been followed by hosts of city toilers, until here am I, who have never moved for a decade and a half, writing from what once was more like a country cottage, under the heading of a Suburban Bee Garden. , The earliness of this soil and isituation must be realised in order to understand my notes. Crocuses are over here — and I have many hundreds in the garden — while in the clay valleys nearer London they have hardly shown themselves, despite the warmth of January. Over a week ago (February 25) my little girl returned from school with some ,sprigs of willow catkins to show me, while, top of the avenue of elms which my garden abuts on to, which is separated from the back of my hives by a high stone wall, is a dark reddish colour, indicative of the return of the sap to the extremities of the new-formed leaf buds. Yet nothing is visible to the eye, save that colour change from winter brown and seeming death to the dull-red fringe indicative of hope and the promise of the future. All these changes in the foliage and the flowers should be carefully observed by every beekeeper, for the changes he sees there are only parts of those which are running throughout all nature, and he must learn to read them, for they should indicate to him by a very natural sequence of thought, which, if analysed, might be set out somewhat as follows : — The sap is running up into the extreme branches of the trees; the stir of a new movement is evident there; the crocuses are pushing out and opening their florets to the fertilising visits of the bees; life is re-starting there. My bees must then be on the move also. Eggs are being laid and grubs hatched, so that stores are being consumed. I must look into this, and on the first fine day go into the apiary with my hive records and candy box and make sure there is enough food to meet the extra demand this new-born effort is evidently calling for. A carefully kept record book and an observant eye on surrounding nature will save the bee man an endless amount of trouble and the bees a great deal of harm- ful excitement, for in time these outside things come to tell us all about the inside of the hive and its requirements, just as clearly as an examination of the combs would do, and then you, whose queens have been balled by too early manipula- tions in the spring would never know what it is to lose a queen at all. When I want to know something about the inside of my hives I take a circumambient walk round them at a radius of about three- quarters of a mile, and I come home with all the knowledge I want, for this, plus hours when flight is possible, enables us to arrive at what we want to know. February fill dyke has come and gone, with hardly a spot of rain. It has been a comparatively uneventful month. There has been practically no rain and, generally speaking, never very cold nor too M'arm, with just sufficient of those warm days which enable the cluster to move to the more plentiful supply of food. Look out this present month for starvation, for con- sumption will now have started in earnest, and a continuous spell of warmth makes a great inroad into somewhat meagre stores. When this gets into the Journal it will be time for spring cleaning in. all probability, and I think, from what I saw last year, that readers should be warned not to forget all about foul brood in their concern about " Isle of Wight " disease, or they may be in serious trouble. I use Herrod's Apicine in all my hives, and ,am always very careful to put it in early in the spring, when breeding commences, which often means prevention, which is so much better than cure. In March, also, we take an early opportunity when this fine spell comes, of moving our frames up together again — they being all fitted with W.B.C. metal ends and having been spaced out in the autumn — our theory being that the conservation of heat is most important now, and, if not already done, add further warm wraps above. I am finishing this off on the first day of March, which has come in like a lion with a biting east wind driving sleet be- fore it; but there is mercy in its wings, for it is holding back the too forward blossom for the time when all nature will be more kind and receptive towards it, and although we may not wish to see spring delayed this year as it was in 1917, we shall never forget the wonderful fruit crop which resulted from the general retardation and simultaneous blossoming, causing, I believe, both pollen and stamen in many generally self-sterile varieties of fruit to be ripe together and for that season, at any rate, to become self fertile. I have a pear tree, purchased many years ago, from an unreliable small practitioner in this neighbourhood, under the name of Jargonelle, but I was had, not for the first and, no doubt, not for the last time. It has generally produced a small crop of fair- sized fruit; last season the crop Avas not large, but all the fruit very small, with no flavour, and I can only attribute this to self-fertilisation having been possible, owing to this retardation and sudden simultaneous ripening of all blossom; per- haps our fruit experts will supply some ideas on this question. Arnold Richards. April 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEL' JOURNAL. 113 KENT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. Hon. Sec., Geo. IT'. .Judge, Barrowdene, Shepherd's Lane, Dart ford. NOTICES, APRIL, 1918. The war renders it incumbent upon bee- keepers to do the utmost with their bees. Neglect is to-day an offence against tbe nation. Remember, the Association is always ready to give advice, do not hesi- tate to ask. April 5th (Friday), 7.30. Gillingham, Y.M.C.A. Hut. Lecture by Mr. W. Her- rod-Hempsall. Subject : " Bee-keeping for Discharged Service Men." April 6th (Saturday), 7 p.m. Rochester, The Guildhall. Lantern Lecture by Mr. VV. Herrod-Hempsall. Subject: "Pro- ductive Bee-keeping." April 6th (Saturday), 3.15. Orpington, Chislehurst Road Schools. Frame build- ing demonstration, etc., etc., by Mr. W. H. J. Prior. April 9th (Tuesday), 8 p.m. Gravesend, Milton Barracks (permission Col. Gran- tham). Lantern Lecture, Capt. C. C. Lord, " Some Interesting Facts about Bees." April 10th (Wednesday). 7.30. Belve- dere, All Saints Parish Room. Lecture by Capt. C. C. Lord, R.A.M.C. " In- teresting Aspects of Bee Life." April 13th (Saturday), 6.30. New Eltham, Blenheim, Main Road. Lecture by Mr. F. 0. Hodgson. Subject: " Work of the Coming Season." Additional meetings arranged during month will be advised locally. BEE-KEEPING IN SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE. Mr. C. W. Tilley, an energetic local sec- retary of the South Staffordshire B.K.A., residing at Witton, has shown what can be done to stimulate bee-keeping among the residents of towns. Formerly a bee-keeper in Gloucester- shire, but selling up on being called to the Army, he, on his discharge, was sent to work on munitions at Kynocks' ammu- nition factory close to Birmingham. During last summer his little daughter came with the news that a swarm of bees was on a house in an adjoining street. Being most eager to get them, he did so quite successfully during the dinner hour, to the amazement of his fellow workers who were gazing on. On his return to the workshop it Mas all bees, bullets being laid aside for the moment, and bees his comrades woidd have, cost what they may. The " bee fever " spread rapidly, and eventually Mr. Price, hon secretary of South Staffordshire B.K.A., was con- sulted, the result being that a demonstra- tion was given in September last in an apiary comprising one stock only. How- ever, fifteen persons attended, and ques- tioned the demonstrator with a deluge of queries, that were readily answered. Shortly afterwards the managers of Kynochs, Ltd., were consulted, and pro- vided the use of a room for a course of lantern lectures, which Mr. Price kindly gave gratis, the result being a consider- able addition to the membership of the South Staffordshire B.K.A. Mr. Tilley has on several occasions dur- ing the winter given most instructive les- sons on appliances, etc., and other members of the South Staffs, have also given valuable services to the Branch. The result of all this is that a Bee Club has been formed, called the " Lion Works Bee-keepers' Co-operative Society," for the purpose of purchasing bees and appli- ances for its shareholders, and up to date considerably over £40 worth has been bought and distributed. It is a rule of this Bee Club that all its members possessing bees shall be mem- bers of the South Staffordshire B.K.A., from which it has derived so much valu- able assistance. A plot of land has been secured as a common apiary, for educational purposes, until all its members are fully acquainted with the use of appliances. All are now looking forward to the spring, and are hoping to get a good sum- mer and a good harvest of honey, which will repay them for some of their outlay. The South Staffordshire Association is very proud of this young child, and its members are all prepared to give it all the assistance thev can. — Communicated. A PRISONER OF WAR. The following cutting from a Gloucester- shire paper will interest our readers. Mr. Desmond is well known as a regular contributor to our pages before the war : — Pte. G. G. Desmond is still solacing himself with " treacle duff " and other German dainties in his Westphalian home of detention. There is no word of com- plaint in his letters, but as time goes on he evidently feels impelled to extend his studies, for writing home he says : — " We, get a few Italians in our group sometimes, and I shall have to learn another lan- guage. Man opposite me is learning Chinese while I write. I almost wish I had my Russian grammar, but I don't suppose this tomfoolery will last much longer." He says, " About the youngest man in the Army belongs to the 4th Gloucesters. His name is Thorne, and is even now less than 10. So we two 114 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 4, 1918. Gloucesters would make a good group of the old and the young of it." In another letter the writer says, " I get a walk up and down with the sergeant-major and the padre every morning, and it does me good." Of course, but how he must long for a swinging tramp over the Cotswolds in pursuit of his. favourite studies and hobbies. He says he has written a sketch for the " Gaff " — the Camp theatrical show — which has been promised produc- tion. There are nine Partridges impri- soned in Germany, but, adds Pte. Desmond, "none from Sheepscombe. " Evidently they were stronger on the wing that the nine unfortunates, which may be due to Cotswold air or Gloucestershire stamina, or both. THE GERMAN BEE-KEEPING INDUSTRY. The German bee-keeping industry dates back to the beginning of the thirteenth century, and at that time was especially important around the city of Nuremberg, where there were large forests and tracts of heather and cranberry bushes which were considered ideal for bee-keeping. During the thirteenth century the " Im- perial Bee Garden " was established at firlangen. The gathering of honey was at first con- fined wholly to the wild product found in the forests, but as the industry gained in importance hives of various kinds were constructed and put into use, and bees gradually became domesticated. About the year 1800 there were ninety-two bee farms in and around twenty-seven villages in the neighbourhood of Nuremberg. Bee-keepers were under the protection of the law, and had to pay a special money tax to the. authorities or its equivalent in honey. Bee-keeping was especially important as honey was the only sweetening stuff. Besides wine, sour honey water, called " met," was much in favour, and was ex- ported to Constantinople and Palestine. Beeswax was the only material used for making candles for the church. It was also used for wax writing tablets, plas- ters, etc. A swarm of bees commanded a high price at that time, as it is known from an ancient document that a beehive was sold for three gulden while a cow cost only five gulden. Later, about the middle of the six- teenth century, with the clearing of the forests and the cutting up of the wooded tracts into farms, bee-keeping began to lose its importance as an industry. Honey was imported from abroad, " met" was replaced by beer (the districts of important " met " production became the centres for beer-brewing), and other sweetening stuffs, such as cane sugar, were introduced. It is estimated that the present yearly production of honey and wax in Ger- many . has a value of £1,000,000 to £1,400,000. The following table shows the number of beehives and their value, according to the census of December 2nd, 1912 :— Districts. Number. Value. Silesia Prussia . . 188,169 1,509,586 £ 232,800 1,383,100 Total for all Germany . 2,636,337 3,180,000 According to the Statistische Jahrbuch fiir den Preussischen Stcuit, published in 1915, £1,200 was transferred from the general fund for the promotion of agri- culture to the Silesian bee-keepers in 1913, as against £2,100 to East Prussia and £40 to the Rhine Province. German apiarists keep their bees in wooden hives of different kinds. The en- largeable wooden hive with movable combs and separate parts for breeding and storing purposes are preferred now. To make bee-keeping more profitable, re- ports the late United States Vice-Consul at Breslau, it has been suggested that bee- keepers travel with their hives to districts of good meadows and few bees. Cheap freight rates are granted to apiarists, and it is known that every year about 375,000 beehives are transported in special trains to the heaths near Luneberg and Olden- burg. Special " wandering carts " have been invented which have a row of hives on either side, the space in the middle of the cart being used to store separators and other necessary equipment. These carts are mounted on four wheels and are drawn by men or horses. Bee-keepers complain of the competi- tion of cheap foreign honey, artificial honey, and honey powders, which are sold at very low prices. (At the present time about 200 factories are manufacturing artificial honey and honey powders in Germany.) The bee-keepers have their own socie- ties throughout the country and hold re- gular meetings. In 1914 it was decided to unite all societies in one large union, with branches throughout Germany. The general union has suggested that a law be enacted which protects bee-keepers against the competition of foreign honey of inferior quality. They also want to pro- pose a law against " foul brood," such as already exists in some other countries. For the benefit of bee-keepers the society established a bee garden at Koenigsberg, April 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. m East Prussia, with the assistance of the Government. This garden serves also for experimenting. There are insurance companies for the bee-keepers, one of which is very popular in North and Middle Germany. Beehives are insured at three pfennigs per hive per year. The following table shows the quantity of honey and artificial honey imported into Germany during the first six months of 1913 and 1914, and the chief supplying countries :— January to .Tune. Imported from 1913. 1914. Lb. Lb. United States 499,082 406,756 Hawaii . : 337,748 210,762 France 358,030 212,084 British West Indies 210,762 266,098 Chile 579,154 647,498 Cuba . ; 1,477,538 1,699,323 Dominican Republic 197,965 229,281 Mexico 294,758 276,459 Haiti . 269,184 528,017 Other countries . . 199,509 408,237 Total quantity importe i| 4,373,730 4,884,515 Total value £55,300 £61,800 Exports of German honey and artifi- cial honey amounted to 2,615,1001b. in the first six months of 1913, and to 2, 445, 1241b. in January to June, 1914. The exports of German wax and empty combs — which went mainly to Austria- Hungary and Russia — totalled 1,637, 8731b. and 2,456,3681b. during the first six months of 1913 and 1914 respectively. The following table shows the imports into Germany of the crude wax of bees and other insects, and of combs without honey during the first half of 1913 and 1914, and the principal countries of origin : — Imported from January to June. 1913. 1914. France Great Britain Italy Netherlands Austria-Hungary Portugal Spain Turkey Abyssinia British East Africa German East Africa Madagascar Morocco Portuguese East Africa . Portuguese West Africa . British India Brazil Chile Cuba Dominican Republic Lb. 54,013 60,848 126.766 18,298 36.817 144,844 108,027 55.777 285,058 56.659 204,809 233,469 80,248 138,891 111,994 231,026 66,359 72,532 209,219 205,471 Lb. 50.486 14,550 66,800 1 4,330 74.296 300,308 120,191 84,437 412,044 35,054 317,245 358,012 93.917 145.726 153.442 311.513 138,009 10,842 140,253 153,883 Total quantity importec 2,545,875 3,219,608 Total value £170,600 £215,700 Honey imported in beehives with living bees — brought chiefly from the Nether- lands— amounted to 6,3931b. in the first six months of 1913, and to 19,1801b. during the like period of 1914. There are numerous ways of separating the honey from the comb, but the centri- fugal process is considered the most satis- factory and practical, as the honey won by this method is pure, being free from other ingredients, and the empty combs with the frames may be used again. This particular honey is known as " Schleuder- honig," and ordinarily retails at a shill- ing a lb. The present price of honey is about 3s. a lb. This extraordinary increase in price is mainly due to the very poor honey harvest of the spring and summer of 1915 and 1916, and to a falling-off in imports. — From the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee ef good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. T Bain (Stirling).— Native brown bee. Suspected Disease. "Bee" (Montgomery). — Nos. 1 and 2 died from " Isle of Wight " disease. We do not find disease in No. 3. G. A. J. (Wilts).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. Continue the treat- ment given, and also clean out and disinfect inside of hive as soon as practicable. J. D. Newman (Devon).— The cause of death was " Isle of Wight " disease. No variety of bee is immune from the disease. You will not get any better than those you had, a cross between Italian and Native. G. Henderson (Beal).— Bees died from " Isle of Wight " disease. We can supply " The Bee- keepers' Practical Note Book " for Is. Id., post free. Burton Joyce (Notts).—" Isle of Wight " disease was the cause of death. The soiling outside the other hive may have been done by bees from the diseased colony. Wash it off with dis- infectant and water, and treat the bees with one of the advertised remedies. F. Shackleton (Goole), Miss S. Fox (Newnham), Mrs. Barnes (Melton Mowbray), R. W. Rowland (Evesham), W. Rickard (Nelson), G. Soper (Herts).— The cause of death was " Isle of Wight " disease. M. Arnold (King's Langley).— We do not find disease in the bees sent. 116 THE BKITISH BEE JOURNAL April 4,1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will in future be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queent, and Bee goods are not permissible 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS, PRACTICAL Instruction wanted in Bee-keep- ing, Poultry-keeping, Fruit and Vegetable Growing.— Box 26, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. d.l WANTED, by wounded soldier, few Stocks of Bees; Dutch or Italian preferred.— Price to R. FLINTOFF, Carburton, Ollerton, Notts, d.2 WANTED, one' Stock healthy Bees— Write, stating price, MARK POORE, ESQ., Greenwich, S.E. d.3 WANTED, two Swarms.— Particulars to WM. WHITLAM, 9, The Grove, Normanton, Yorks. d.4 FIFTY-EIGHT lbs. prime English Honey, granulated solid, 2s. 6d. lb— VINCENT, 132, Croydon Road, Anerley, S.E. 20. d.5 ARNIOLAN Queens, 1918J fertile, four wanted, early in May; guaranteed pure, and from healthy stock. Price moderate.— J. M. BONNYMAN, Clochan, Portgordon. ±6 WANTED, a Queen Bee. State price— J. CLAPP, Durlston, Salisbury Road, Hor- sham. ^ d.7 ' TTE who knows, and knows that he knows, is XI a wise man : follow him ! " John W. Moir, Esq., three time® Chairman of the Scottish Bee- keepers' Association, writes us under date of March 26 : " I have tried Flavine, and I recom- mend it."— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. d.8 FOR SALE, a few Section Racks, complete, a» new, 2s. each— W. WOODLEY, Beedon. Newbury. d.9 WANTED, immediately, Carniolan preferred. Beckenham. Queen; Italian or 58, Cromwell Road, d.10 W ANTED, healthy Stock® of Bees— PRYOR, Breachwood Green. c.62 WANTED, two early Swarms; orice. carriage paid. Deposit— FRED GILLETT, Lam- bourn, Berks. c.64 SELL, moderate price, few sound, clean W.B.C. Hives and parts thereof.— Particulars, T. ATKINS, Ripple, Tewkesbury. c.65 W WANTED, work in Apiary by Lady with 10 years' experience, or to take charge of small apiary; willing to help with garden work in spare time. Kindly state salary offered.— Box 24, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.67 WILL give £4 15s. each for two or three thoroughly strong ten-frame. Stocks of Italian Bees for prompt delivery; must be guaran- teed healthy; 1917 Queens.— State if have travelling boxes, and full particulars, to Box 25, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. cM WANTED, to buy, two healthy Stocks of Bees. —LADY THORNYCROFT, Steyne, Bern- bridge, Isle of Wight. c.71 ANTED, good Stock Dutch Bees for delivery end of April.— Write, MISS WINTLE, Vicarage, Heversham, near Milnthorpe, Westmor- land. c.73 ANTED, three Stocks of healthy Bees on frames— DR. BARFORD, Selsey, Sussex. c.53 WANTED, strong stocks of Bees; guaranteed healthy; price moderate. — MEGGITT, Bramhall, Stockport. c.30 FOR SALE, property of deceased bee-keeper, 4 10-frame W.B.C. pattern joiner-made Hives, constructed of very stout material, will last two life times, lifts with each to take two supers; one shallow frame, super with each, calico and zinc covered roofs, 35s. each; 53 drawn shallow combs, wired 17 ins. ordinary top bars, 9d. each. Car- riage extra for all but hives must be sent. No metal ends.— Box 17, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bed- ford Street, Strand, W.C.2. c.8 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. ACTEROL — 'Should any Bee-keeper in York or district have difficulty in procuring this, I can supply it, to callers only, at 2s. per bottle. I cannot undertake to send by post. — W. J. GIBBS, York House, Gillygate, York. b.34 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gros6. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. 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 WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C.2 FOR BEE APPLIANCES. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION BURTT, Gloucester April 11, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 117 A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To place on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses. together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print a further list of names to those sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Pte. F. H. Hubbard. 44. Wilmington Road. Leicester — R.A.M.C., Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Pte. J. Kenney, Cosby, Leicestershire — 1st Lincolns, B.E.F., France. Killed in action January 25. 1918. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS* ASSOCIATION. LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK. A special course of six lectures on bee- keeping will be given in the British Bee keepers' Association's Apiary, Londoi County Council Park, Golders Hill London, N.W., on Fridays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10. and 17, 1918, at 6 o'clock each evening. Those desiring to attend these lectures must make application at once for enrol- ment and particulars to, W. Herrod-Hempsall, Secretary, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.3. There will also be a popular free lec- ture on each of the above dates at 3 p.m.. t<> which anvone will be welcome. A DORSET YARN. What a wealth of flowers for the bees mi our farm now. Many varieties of plums are in full bloom, but tbe goose- berries are the greatest attraction. Tn the afternoon of April 1 bees came in crowds to a two-acre field of these ber- ries. 1 have one hive of hybrids, about 300 yards from them, but they seem to all come this way. There is another field of older trees at the back, but not nearly so manv bees are on them, which shows me that the younger trees have the most nectar in the blossoms ; these always pro- duce the largest fruit, though the flowers themselves are of no great difference in size. It is this hive that has the most honey in the sections ; they are so strong one would look for them to swarm early. I want to increase from this lot, as they look to be a good, clean, healthy colony. A great many in one of my apiaries bave gone under during this last month; the great weight of honey in them is a proof it is not want of stores. On fine days thev streamed out as if they were going to swarm, but they never went back" I shall not put any more in this place for a time, but shall extend them down the valley. Until last season there have been no bees down there since 1905 : one would look for better wintering from taking the swarms to a fresh site. I have one stock of pure Italian^, a very large one I acquired late in July last. All the autumn it was robbing other colonies ; they must have sampled all the stores from other hives, yet there does not seem anything to denote that the stolen honey was tainted with disease, as thev are very vigorous, their numbers are great, and one sees them a long way from home. Those that went under are on grass, the same as the Italian stock ; grass holds a lot of moisture, and the moisture attracts frost, which makes all the surface very cold. When the sun comes out in thie early morning of such davs the outer case of the hive soon gets warmed ; it was so the greater part of .March. Dr. Abushady writes of artificial heat- ing. If the hive was in a greenhouse the bees would all still try to get out into the air. They seemed to know that they were tainted, and all wanted to get away from their home, so that those which were sound should not rim the risk of infec- tion. If that is so, it shows they are self- sacrificing little creatures; when a colony loses so many workers at this time of the vear the stock, if it does survive, gives no profit to the owner. Still. I am thank- ful others are strong: some have plenty of vigour, for they were out most days of a verv boisterous week. Even to-day f'SaturdavL with a wet. windy morning, at 3 o'clock, when the rain stopped, thev were round the gooseberries. They must have sinped water, as well as honey, so much wet was on the bushes. They were over the plum trees, which are in the same lines— big trees of the Blue Diamond seemed a great attraction. Plums have *o manv flowers; even though the amount from each is small when it is all stored in the cells, thev are soon filled. T anticipate, if next week is fine and warm, that some of the sections will be 118 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL April 11, 1918. capped over ; all shows me how advan- tageous it is to have wealth of food for them close to the hive. What a harvest the bee-men must be reaping where plums are in great numbers. How white the orchards of plums must be, and what music so many bees make on them at this time only the bee-man knows, and at night, in the full hive, the music is like June evensong instead of April. I am listening each night for the song of the young queen in the cells. I remember I waited last year, but they did not pipe till the last week in April. — J. J. Kettle. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — (Concluded.) Thyme is a small, but not distant, rela- tion of marjoram, belonging as it does to the origanidse. Garden Thyme is a native of the southern countries of Europe, from Por- tugal to Greece. At Cintra, in the former country, thyme grows abundantly. It is, too, one of the sources of the renowned miel de Narvonne that glorie du midi. The classic honey of Greece that gathered on Mount Hymettus was yielded chiefly, if not exclusively, by the thyme that covered the mountain sides. By the way, another link between rosa and the Lea was added to the garland-chain by the ladies who founded the Order of the Rose, that mediaeval society whose object would appear to have been the protection of individual members of the fair sex from the inconstancy and indiscretions of the mere male. Sub Rosa is now universally understood as an equivalent of secrecy, privacy, confidence. The origin of the expression would be the exaction — from any man desirous of improving the acquaintance of any of its members — of a promise that everything should be con- ducted with chivalrous regard for the lady's reputation and feelings. The penalty for breach of this undertaking, given under the Rose, emblem of the Order, being set out in the minatory recital ending, " and may all the bees of Mount Hymettus pierce me with their stings." This small, much branched shrub, is a pungent aromatic, used extensively for seasoning and flavouring purposes. Com- mon thyme is easily raised from seed in shallow drills, 6 in. apart, in April. Both this and lemon thyme can also be in- creased by division of the plants in April and by cuttings firmly inserted in partial shade in summer. Both are often used as an edging, for which purpose they are very effective, only requiring dividing and re- planting every three or four years. Both require a light, dry soil, and a sunny final position. The shoots are gathered and dried for winter use in the same way as sage. Lemon thyme is a variety of t. serpyl- lum, wild thyme, the only species native of Britain. This variety is called the t. citriodorus on account of its lemon scent. I find that the best way to get a stock of this is to peg down the branches and cover the lower portions with light, sandy soil into which roots are made. Lemon thyme is more robust than the green-leafed kind, and keeps its foliage better in the winter. It is thought that lemon thyme when raised from seed is not so delightfully scented as when struck from cuttings or by division. My final quotation from Mrs. Bard- well's fascinating book must be the fol- lowing rhapsodic passage: — "Thyme! What a lovely thing to write about, to think of! Lemon thyme, so clean-smell- ing, so fragrant, such a pleasant season- ing ; wild thyme on the bank, ' with oxlips and the nodding violet ' ; common thyme on heath and down, that spreads the softest carpet foot of man can tread and helps, along with the small striped snails, to make the plump Down-sheep into such delicious mutton. I am glad to know that there are few gardens in England without a patch of thyme, the larger the patch the better. There is a lovely little dwarf thyme, too, with flowers of crimson, that loves to creep about among the stones. I think it is either t. montana or t. corsicus* This and the • golden thymef and the silver thyme j and a variegated form§ of the lemon-scented thyme are all desirable." Frankly, I am somewhat taken aback by the statement, which I have italicised, that sheep eat snails. South-downs, too, of all breeds. Had it been of Cotswolds that the statement had been made I should be less surprised. The writer has often enjoyed a dish of Helix pomatia both in Soho and nearer even to Rome than is Rupert Street, W.C. We are told that this snail was a favourite article of food with the Romans, and the latter have been credited, but, I understand, erroneously, with its introduction into England. I am told, on good authority, that it is a native British species. Be that as it may, the sight of the big cream- coloured shells will always remind me of three modern — and worthy — compatriots, and, I dare say, descendants of the old bearers of eagles. All three notable men these with whom I have foregathered around a dish all too little known. Comm. Vittorio d'Ortengo, * T. S. coccineus, or perhaps t. Marchalliairas. t T. cit. fol. anr. tT. cit. fol. arg. § One of the two preceding, or, possibly, t. e. aubcitratue parviflorne fol. var. April 11, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 119 stoical in his endurance ; Guiseppe Magrini, one of the finest swordsmen that ever engaged; Prof. Guiseppe Fanchiotti, resourceful journalist, raconteur, remark- able for his ability to read palimpsests in many tongues, and, too, for a faculty, doubtless a physically phenomenal pecu- liarity of vision, for reading a book lying on the far side of an ordinary table and, to him, upside down. The two first have already passed over, alas ! and possibly the last of the three, too, has fallen on the Piave, endeavour- ing to stern the tide of invasion that threatened to submerge his beloved old University, Padua la Dotta. A far cry from the restfulness of a herb garden drowsy with perfumes and the hum of bees, but how poignant a reminder of the need for balms both physical and spiritual, for the healing of the nations. In common, I think, with most people, I had believed that the distinctive quality of Southdown mutton was due to the breed of sheep and to the salinity of the pasturage. So, too, with the pri saU t'other side the Channel.— A. F. H. ^ongtbeJDees SEASONABLE TOPICS. Outside Observation. — Unless in the South, this is the only species of inspec- tion hives of bees should have undergone up-to-date ; but a considerable amount of useful information should have accumu- lated as a result of carrying out this mode of examination systematically during early and late spring. A mere glance daily suffices, as a rule, because this is ample, revealing as it does if anything abnormal is showing at any hive entrance. A robbing boom clearly manifests itself, even a mild attempted depredation at- tracts both eye and ear. A case of a home colony having discovered any stolen sweets at a distance is unmistakable. A hive showing no busy bees at the entrance, when others are carrying pollen in boun- tiful loads, points to weakness, disease or extinction. Lazy loitering, with few signs of industry, may imply queenlessness. A rushing throng, darting sharply on to the flight board, followed by a hasty race into the hive, tells with no dubiety that a sup- ply of honey from somewhere has been tapped. Normal, steady work reveals that all is well with that colony. Deduc- tions can safely be drawn and a diagnosis of the welfare of each can be made as cer- tainly by this outside observation, and as accurately as if the hive were ■opened and the interior examined. Spring Examination. — Not until the final week in April in the North, perhaps a month earlier in the South, should the interior of a hive be examined thoroughly ; and even then select a fine day for the operation. Have decided objects in view before starting manipula- tion®. Very little smoke should be used at this season, as bees are seldom in a combative mood. The act of opening the hive, handling the frames, the return of these, and the final closing up should be carried out expeditiously, and every movement should be undertaken with gentleness and precision. The objects would include observations confirming the presence of a queen ; a rapid estimate of her abilities as a mother, the condition of the brood as to health ; whether, as_ re- gards bees, the stock should be classified as strong, medium or weak ; a rough cal- culation of the amount of sealed stores, and whether there is an ample supply of pollen. Then a note should be taken of any defects in comb construction, whether they reveal an overplus of drone cells ; any signs of mould, if any show old cap- pings with dark depressed sealing, if any of the combs are twisted, corrugated or otherwise deformed ; or if any are bound to each other by braces or attached to the dummy. The' worst of these defective frames, if the faults are detrimental, had better be withdrawn, and temporarily placed behind the dummy. Even minor faults will affect the percentage of effi- cient worker bees reared throughout the season. Carry on a perpetual war against faulty combs, and endeavour to have all as near perfection as possible. Reneiving Combs. — Renewing or replac- ing the defective combs mentioned in the last paragraph should be attended to a little~later. The worst of those withdrawn should be given to the bees to clear out any honey, and then run down into wax at anv convenient time. The slightly defective should be given to the bees to patch. Always renew combs by placing frames with full sheets of foundation in the hive when an early flow sets in, or when any feeding is being done. Place them between well-formed combs with smooth regular faces, and if possible with sealed brood facing the new comb. It is not advisable to withdraw combs merely for their being long in the hives. Ex- perienced bee-keepers don't discard combs which have been in use even for twenty or thirty years, and many declare that they find them thoroughly serviceable. Take out only really faulty frames. Some of these may contain too large a propor- tion of drone cells. Retaining those von are compelling workers to rear useless consumers, who cost the colony a heavv tax in not onlv rearing and feeding these 120 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 11, 1918. undesirable males, but in also hindering them from breeding a large number of thousands of desirable females. Above everything else, wage a relentless war on any signs of disease. All frames showing even slight symptoms of it are better out than in the hive. Submit them to cura- tive treatment if you have any faith in it, but, personally, I prefer the more drastic " cure " of never again inserting one of these in any hive. Equalising. — When carrying out this spring examination, make a mental cal- culation of the amount of honey in each colony, and transfer one or more frames showing a solid block of honey to another hive exhibiting scant stores. When doing so scratch the surface of one side, placing this face next to the outside frame show- ing brood, filling the space they occupied by exchanging two dry^ frames. The run- ning honey will soon be scented by the nurse bees and transferred to the comb in which their brood is being fed. This is by far the best spring stimulant, and if a little more is exposed about once a week on the other comb faces, the bees, trusting that they have discovered an El Dorado, encourage the queen to increased laying. The supply is small but steady. It is obtained without leaving the brood nest, and it is pure honey. Moreover, they have to handle it, the order and cleanliness so characteristic of Apis Melli- fipce compelling them to store it anew, and this they do close up to their brood where it is easily available. Equalising brood is a much more deli- cate business, and should not be under- taken by the novice. At any time it has to be done with circumspection. It is a valuable aid to progress, however, and helps in two ways. A comb of brood taken from a very strong stock and given to a weaker one should benefit both. It may check all thoughts of or preparations for swarming in the strong one ; and the sealed brood nearly ready to hatch will greatly aid the weak one. The strengthen- ing may put such life into it that it may force its way to the front before the end of the June flow, making it able to take a place in the front rank. PERSEVERANCE. " AN ANT STORY. " While resting under a friendly tree and being pestered by our numerous enemy, the fly, I came across the following, example of methodical temerity, which we might copy in some respects, in our efforts to secure legislation on the sub- ject of bee-keeping. When we think of all wo know of the ant it is not so very re- markable, but in this case they were, I think, the smallest I have seen. I had made a small hole to receive the corpses of the flies I killed. When I had secured two, I found they had the attention of three little ants ; a few moments after I noticed two of them run- ning about at top speed in a very erratic manner, in about a quarter of an hour some fifty had gathered in the hole, my toll having amounted to five ; they ap- peared to be all pulling against each other, I suppose, for dissection ; at any rate, one secured a leg and another a wing. The track the wing champion took was shortly the scene of a steady and con- tinual flow of reinforcements. They now divided up, and it was not long before the hole was empty and the flies were .steadily propelled in a most remarkable manner to the place of business, some four yards away. 1 found, about half-way, a lew leaves had gathered, three inches to one side at the start, would have avoided this obstacle, yet as the guide had gone this way they must need drag their loads along the side of a wall, which they did with very little inconvenience as far as I could see. The entrance itself I found behind a leaf, and heap of sand, while a couple of leaves were dragged into the opening, no doubt to keep it from clos- ing. Another " deadun " was placed in front of a scout ; he immediately fetched two others and went for more. I moved the fly, but they came as straight as a line to the same place. Do they secure scent from the victim or emit one them- selves ? A MORAL.. This can be applied to every phase of human life, of course, but for the pur- pose of this letter I will choose the topic at the heading. We have about " potted," if not quite disposed of, the chief argu- ments against the necessity of legisla- tion. We know the chief obstacle now, but have we any scheme ready to bring our case on again. We are practically agreed that it will benefit bee-keepers as a whole ; any scheme that produces capi- tal is a national asset. The Government are considering, proposing and alloting money for development schemes. Where do we stand? Our industry will compare very favourably with any they have, both for the weak and strong. At resettle- ment time, at least, we ought to be ready with machinery to meet it ; if fresh evi- dence is required, who is to provide it? In any case we Want a permanent com- mittee against the Government. At pre- sent who is our strong man at the " British Association " to start this big ball rolling? How can we all contribute our mite? Can we agree, whether a regis- April 11, 1918. THE BRITISH BEIi JOURNAL. 121 ter of members in favour is needed, or would be useful. We don't expect to provide the money, say, through every pound of honey we sell, or the number of hives we manage; neither do we ex- pect to get an allowance for our first sting, but being a scientific calling, 'we do expect to have a voice in the manage- ment and method of spending this money (supposing we get it) in return for ser- vices rendered. But I believe the whole status of bee-keeping will be altered if we do get legislation in England. Any- how, it is as well to look big enough, and I hope some plan will be evolved to start the thing going from our point of view. I'm afraid I have rather resembled that erratic ant, but there is no doubt we can do a good deal if we put our heads together and push with our legs. But we can hardly expect our turn to come nowadays without effort, and sometimes by the side of the wall.— A. H. Hamshar. FLEET AND DISTRICT BEE- KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. At a meeting held at Fleet on Friday evening, March 15, it was decided to start an Association, to be named " The Fleet and District Bee-keepers' Association." The objects of the Association are to assist cottagers and bee-keepers by supplying them with bee-keeping appliances and assisting them in the management and care of bees. Quite a satisfactory start was made with ordinary members, and four life members were secured within three days from start. Any bee-keepers in the district will be made very welcome amongst the members. The following committee was ap- pointed:— Mr. A. Goddard, Mrs. Deacon, Mr. Prizeman. Hon. treasurer, Mr. W. Goddard. Hon. secretary, Mr. J. Ritchie, Clydesdale, Fleet, R.S".0., Hants, from whom further particulars may be ob- tained. NOTES FROM FRANCE. I thought that you would like to have a few Bee notes from France. In the part of France where w7e are at present for a rest behind the Lines, there are a good lot of bees kept in the straw skeps, but I have only seen a few wooden hives in one garden, and they were a poor sample; not like our modern bar frame hives. Yesterday, February 24, was quite warm and like spring here. The bees were flying very strong from some of the hives, and were carrying in pollen freely. .They got it off the daisies, as there are plenty out here, and I saw hundreds of bees on them. There was an article in the B.B.J, a few years ago about " Does the Bee Visit the Daisy and the Buttercup." A good many people think they do not. But had those people been here yesterday they would soon have been convinced that they did. Of course, I know that they do not visit them when there are plenty of better flowers out, and when the blossom appears. The bees out her that I have seen are very much the same as our English Blacks. I have seen one lot of very good blacks, and I should have liked to bring them back to England. They were as if they had been polished with black lead, and they were a good size, too. I don't think France is a very good country for honey gathering for quantity, as most of the land is arable. I have not seen many lime trees, and there are very few hedges round here. There are plenty of bees in the farm buildings and houses that have been stray swarms. I cannot eet to know much of the French ways as I cannot understand much of their language. I don't think that there has been much of the " Isle of Wight " disease here, as there are plenty of bees about. I am an old reader of the B.B.J, of about 25 years, and sent a photo of our apiary, in 1908, I think it was. So I will conclude by wishing all the B.B.J, beekeepers a better time for 1918. No. 33488 Pte. M. E. Varty, 14th York and Lanes. Regt., B.E.F., France. The Editor* do not hold themselves responsible for the opinion* expressed by correspondents. No notice will be taken of anonymous communications, and correspondents are requested to write on ont side of the paper only and give then 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 NOTE FROM NEW ZEALAND. [9637] A copy of your Journal, dated October 4, 1917, came into my hands a few days ago. Much of the reading mat- ter is very interesting, especially to one who left the Old Land nearly 60 years ago. I like your correspondent, G. Ward; do a little myself in trying to find out the pitch of the varied notes made by animals, insects and birds under varied conditions. Bee-keeping in New Zealand is, T should 122 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 11, 1918. think, easier than in England. So far we have only " foul brood," and I, person- ally, have never had it in my apiary during the 40 years I have been keeping bees. My plan is to renew the combs of all hives every three seasons, e.g., swarms on foundation, use the following year, next season, place a swarm beside it, and in the autumn unite, by putting it on top of the swarm, using a sheet of newspaper between; by the end of a couple of days the bees eat or bite away the paper, and the scent of each seems to mingle, one queen survives the "battle royal" and the bees agree. Late in the autumn I drive all the bees down into the lower hive, making all snug for winter. I then melt down the old combs for wax, feeding any odd bits of honey to the weak hives, or making mead. Extracting just on with us now. Took off first sections this week. — F. W. Sand- FOlUi. ROBBERS— THE " WET PACK." [9638] Robbing is a perennial, and will soon be with some of us. With it, as with all other apiary problems, procrastination is the root of all evil. Before the season begins, see that every hive, occupied or temporarily free, is bee- proot everywhere but at the legitimate entrance; and bee-proof there also when- ever so wanted. In a word, " efficiency." When robbing gets going, see that you are in possession of a 60-ft. well of water, giving a soothing temperature of 40 deg.' on a baking day in midsummer. Other- wise, the best available. And a good gar- den syringe, a pail, and an old sack ofits equivalent. Shut up the robbed hive, friend and foe within, no matter. With your pail of *' soother," syringe, and a freshly soaked sack, "stand by" for a few minutes, until the queue forms up, as it will very quickly. When the scramble for " fat " is well worked up, swish the lot off the flight board and entrance on to the grass or ground with a powerful jet. Stand by again for the next queue, which will soon arrive, and repeat. A third repetition may be called for, and another for a bad case. Then on top of the soaked robbers, throw the wet sack to cover them all, and syringe it with the remains of the pail of water. That completes "the wet pack." It is surprising how sweetly peaceful the surroundings become in 15 minutes. If the robber hive is known, shut it also, and keep shut for three days; the robbed hive for the same period; swinging the entrances round from south to north on one leg, and you lift nothing. If your hives have no legs, put some on. They have several uses besides ornamentation. The bees in the " pack " will suffer nothing, if on grass especially, but a just remorse, and by the time they have found a new home with other bees, their own closed to them, will be better bees. To temporise with robbers is never wise. They never share your ideas on the sub- ject, and a root cure is quickest and there- fore safest, or you imperil a whole apiary. You cannot baulk a robber by inviting him to sample some other hive; but if you have him in " the wet pack " it is safest for him and best for you, likewise vice versa — M. Atkinson. EARLY DRONES. [9639] It might interest you to know that I saw a cbrona flying from one of my hives on March 17. It is an excep- tionally strong stock. Is it not unusual being so early? — W. Dollemore. [It is unusually early for di'ones to be flying. — Eds.] CANDY TURNING SOFT. [9640] With reference to the above letter in your issue of February 14, 1918, in the Journal, I have one W.B.C. hive in my garden, and when packing up for winter last September, I put above the frames two 1 lb. pieces of Pascall's candy. On turning back the quilts two weeks ago to see how they were off for food, I found that the candy had positively melted and run down the combs. The bees were and are in great form, flying very freely, and I consider that the cause of candy melting is the heat thrown off from the cluster of bees while wintering. —A. B. C. STRANGE MEN OPENING HIVES. [9641] During the late snow-stormsi we noticed several foot prints around the hives, and lately I found many nine and ten frame stocks dead. One Sunday we saw figures moving round the hives, but before my neighbours and myself could get down they cleared off. They were evidently looking for honey or candy, and disturbed the bees, as the packing was not in the position I left it. — W. Green, Laindon. All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair — The bees are stirring — birds are on the wing — And Winter, slumbering in the open air, Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring I Coleridge, April 11, 1918. THE BRITISH LEE JOURNAL. 123 WEATHER * Westb< Rainfall, 1 15 in. Heaviest fall, 49 in on 30th. Rain fell on 12 days. Below average, 1-22. Sunshine, 165.7 hours. Brightest day, 23rd 10 "4 hours. Sunless days, 3. Above average, 14 2 hours. Maximum tempera- tuz'e, 66 on 24th. REPORT. ourne, March, 1918. Minimum tempera- ture, 29 on 10th. Minimum on grass, 22 on 16th. Frosty nights, 7. Mean maximum, 51 "6. Mean minimum, 35'6. Mean temperature, 43 6. Above average, 2 3. Maximum barometer, 30503 on 22nd. Minimum barometer, 29-224 on 31st. L. B. BlRKETT. G. Levick (Sussex).— Using combs containing mouldy pollen.— It will be quite safe to use these; the bees will clear out the old pollen. If the combs are mouldy, you might treat them with a 5 per cent, solution of Formalin, spray, or soak them. A. Greenhorn (Somerset).— Making an artificial swarm.— Follow the instructions in the " Guide Book " implicitly. Moving the old stock to a new location means exactly what it 6ays. It may be only a yard, or any distance beyond that. The new hive containing the queen, and one or more combs from the old stock, is placed on the old stand. The old flying bees will return to it, and form the swarm. As the young- bees in the old stock fly, they will locate their hive wherever it is, and return to it. There is no need to place dried grass, or any other obstruction, in front, of the entrance; in fact, that would defeat the object in view when moving the hive, and should only be done when moving a hive of bees to a new location without dividing the colony. The queenless lot will raise a queen, or you could defer the operation until queen cells are started. Only allow them to •retain one queen, cell. T. R. (Essex).— Transferring bees from hire roof. —You may move the bees to your orchard any time, the sooner the better. You might turn the roof up, as you suggest, and place a standard brood box, with frames of foundation over it, or place the roof right way up over the box. In either case, as soon as the queen is laying in the new combs, confine her to them by placing a queen excluder between the roof and the new body box. Three weeks later clear the bees out of the roof, and take it and the comb away; do not let it stay any longer. If the bees are carrying pollen in such quantities, von may take it for granted the queen is all right. You will have to keep on the look-out for wax moth. The bees will attend to the ventilation if the entrance is large enough, and kept clear. A. W. (Wolverhampton).— Sending bees bij rail — We think it will be quite safe to do this, if plenty of ventilation is given, and they are sent by passenger train. J. Jones (London).— Queen, failing— (1) We cannot say what is the cause. If you have another stock take away the failing queen and unite the bees or you might keep the stock going for a week or two by giving them a comb of eggs from another lot once a week until you can get a queen. (2) No, it is impossible. A queen can mate only once in her life. (3) You may intro- duce a queen of any variety or strain of hive bee. (4) You cannot tell exactly how old a queen is. A young queen is hairy, carries her wings neatly folded over her back, and their edges are clean cut, and' she is sprightly in her movements. The wings of an aged queen are more or less frayed, and carried partly open, she moves slowly, and her body is black and shiny owing to the hair being rubbed off. T. A. E. (Devon).— Keeping bees in a loft— The bee® will do quite well in that position. Stray swarms often flourish at greater heights. " H." (Normandy).— Using honey in comb for feeding.— Betier give the comb as it is, after bruising the capping. It will probably be difficult to extract the honey now. Bee-Jay (Woodford). — Disinfecting combs with lzal— Soak them in a solution of one teaspoonfu! to a pint of water, see that it gets well into the cells, and allow to stay for three or four hours, longer if you like, then rinse well with clean water, using- a garden syringe if you have one, and hang them for a day or two where air can circulate freely among them. (2) Ye6, one tea- spoonful to 8 lbs. sugar. R. O. Fordham (Biggleswade).— You may examine the bees any time from the middle of this month, choosing a warm sunny day. E. E. Tuely (Wimbledon).— The secretary of the Surrey B.K.A. is Mr. F. B. White, Mardeu House, Redhill. C. Wilson (Rotherham).— Bees may be kept in a smaller garden than yours. A 6warm is not at all particular what kind of tree it clusters on. Suspected Disease. P. A. Cracknell (Kent).— The bees should have been sent in a box— a match box will do. They were smashed flat, so could not examine them, but so far as we can see the trouble was " Isie of Wight " disease. The honey, if clean, is quite fit for human consumption. There would be a risk of fresh bees contracting- the disease, but you could make it very slight by carefully dis- infecting all appliances, liming and digging the ground where the old stock stood, and using new frames and foundation, and new quilts. Special Prepaid Advertisements. Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED NOW, small healthy Stock on about six frames. State race and age of queen — Box 27, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. d-31 FOR SALE, best make W.B.C Standard Hive, nearly new, complete, ten parts. Particulars by return— Box 28, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. d 32 1 K HI\ES, double-walled back and front, with Xtf shallow body, each holds 10 standard frames with dummy and eight extracting frames, g in. material, (W.B.C.) roofs calicoed, all newly painted good lead paint, in good condition- £1 each, or what offers on rail?— HARRIS, Lower Bullingham (P.O.), Hereford. d 33 WANTED, immediately, Warwickshire district, two strong ten-frame Stocks of Italian Bees, 1917 Queens from apiary guaranteed free from disease. Would pay £5 each delivered.— Box 29 B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. d.34 B EES.— Wanted few healthy Stocks.— A. PRIDE The Nurseries, Radcliffe-on-Trent. d.ll WANTED, two good Stocks, one Queen, earlv swarms— NIOKSON, Hinderton Lodge*, Neston, Cheshire. d.12 WA NT E D, two or three Stocks of Bees, guaranteed free from disease.— HILL West Hanney, Wantage. d 13 W ANTED, one Swarm.— Particulars to MISS WILLS, 74, Tyndale Street, Leicester, d.14 WANTED, at once. Fertile Queen. Stafelirice, age. and breed; also six to eight Frame Stock. -JONES, 99, Highgate Hill, Highgate. N. d.15 124 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 11, 1918. WANTED, six pure fertile Carniolan Queens. State price and delivery. Have 200 Shallow Frames for sale, new, 13s. per 100.— C. YOUNG, 29, Central Road, Sudbury, Middlesex. d.16 WANTED, by Lady, private Instruction in Bee-keeping; near London preferred.— Apply, BEAMOND, Norbury Hall, Bishop's Castle, Salop. d.17 WANTED, to purchase, healthy Stock of Bees; also Geared Honey Extractor. Willing to P :i,v good1 price.— J. P. BLAND, Greenhill, Kidder- minster. d.18 r»r" GIVEN for strong 9 or 10-frame Stock of ."twO Italian or Carniolan Bees, guaranteed healthy, with 1917 Queen— Write A. MARSHA JuL, Motor Caravan, Cobham, Surrey. d.19 WANTED, good Stock Dutch Bees, near end of April.-- Write MISS WILLIAMS, Hods- hill, Southstoke, Bath, Somerset. d.20 WANTED, two strong Stocks at once.— VINTER, Greenroyd, Apperley Bridge, Yorks. d.21 WANTED, two strong healthy Stocks of Bees. —BOOTH, 27, Well Lane, Rock Ferry, Cheshire. d.22 WANTED, Cowan Rapid Extractor, two or four Frames. — CONRAD GURTEEN. Woodlands, Haverhill. d.23 ANTED a Stock of Healthy Bees.— MORE- LAND, 79, Birkhall Road, Catford, S.E.6. d.24 W FIVE 15 in. by 15 in. Wilkes' Wire Queen Excluders; sell 15s., carriage paid.— 8, Orchard Road, Colchester. d.25 WANTED, three strong Stocks of Italian Bees on 8 or 10 frames; guaranteed healthy.— Particulars, DUTTON, Acton Nursery, Wrexham. d.26 WANTED, few Stocks Healthy Hybrids or Italians on frames (Taylor's); April delivery.— LEE, Normanby, Potters Bar. d.27 INTENSIVE Bee-keeping for Honey Production and Disease Control " is the title of our D.B. Booklet. There are only three chapters, but they tell you how we do it. Price 6d., post oaid. Your money back if you don't like it.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. d.30 PRACTICAL Instruction wanted by Ladv in Bep- keepins-. Poultrv-keepiner, Fruit and Vegetable Growiner— Box 26. British Bee Journal Office, 23. Bedford Street. Strand, W.C.2. d.l WANTED, by wounded soldier, few Stocks of Bees: Dutch or Italian preferred.— Price to R. FLINTOFF, Carburton, Ollerton, Notts, d.2 WANTED, two Swarms.- -Particulars to WM. WHITLAM, 9, The Grove, Normanton. Yorks. d.4 FIFTY-ETGHT lbs. prime Etisrlish Horev. - chance, might we not make it an offence against the realm to kill a female calf? Amidst all the disasters of ' ' Isle of Wight " disease, bee-keepers ai-e stilt harping about the prevention of swarm- ing as much as ever they did. Swarms are now in great demand, and it would be easy to impress upon most of our bee-keepers the desirability and profit- ableness of selling swarms. If the price of swarms is too low (I think it is) then put up the price! When a bee-keeper compares the profits of non-swarming with swarming methods, he does not reckon the potential profit of the swarms accruing in the seasons to follow. When a swarm leaves a hive it takes away from "the home (supposing " Isle of Wight " disease had already commenced an attack) nearly all disease-attacked bees. If a second swarm leaves the same hive there will be less disease in the home. If a third, less still; and thus the disease may be cleared out and dispersed, and would not (possibly) get a strangle hold before swarming time came round again in the following year, to afford a further flight-of-escape. Suppose the swarming took place before the attack of " Isle of Wight" disease, would not some of the increase survive? Swarming is in the direction of safety from " Isle of Wight " disease in very many other ways, e.g., it leads to more energy in the open, and therefore the diseased bee will pro bably die in the fields before the disease can be much developed, and passed on to other bees in the hive. I do not propose to offer a complete scheme that will fit every bee-keeper. The following examples will enable any bee- keeper to steer a course most suited to hi&- own circumstances : — DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL APIARY — RYTONON- TYNE. Spring count 1917. — One stock (3 stocks had died during winter including 2 of " Isle of Wight " disease). This stock sent off a swarm in June, 1917. The swarm was sold to the leading local bee-keeper who had lost his bees, and the stock was then divided into three portions. Restilt : — At the end of season there arf 4 stocks in existence. One of the three lots, however, which were got by divid- ing, has developed " Isle of Wight 130 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. April 15, 1918. disease and will be destroyed. Net re- sult : — Three stocks to winter, i.e., two at the apiary and the one that was sold. MY OWN BEES AT STOCKSFIELD. Spring count 4 stocks. No swarms issued owing to methods of prevention. After the heather harvest three of the stocks showed " Isle of Wight " disease. These were destroyed and the brood combs cut up and strained to obtain the honey. Result : — 451b. of good heather- blend honey, worth Is. 6d. per lb. (pre-war price) £3 7 6 Wax obtained from the brood combs 0 6 0 £3 13 6 Less : 3 swarms or- dered from Ireland for delivery next June : £1 16 0 Add: Cost of brood foundation to hive the 3 swarms 0 10 0 ■- 2 6 0 Net profit £1 7 6 Note.— No swarms having issued, this apiary looks like being completely wiped out until the Irish swarms arrive. APIARY OP MR. ROBT. FOREMAN, STOCKSFIELD. Year, 1916. — Spring count, 1 stock. Four swarms issued, all were hived, and the 5 lots were sent to the moors for the heather harvest. During the autumn three lots showed " Isle of Wight " disease. The bees were destroyed, and the brood combs were cut up and strained. Result. — 401b. run honey, heather blend, and two stocks remained to be wintered. Year 1917. — Spring count 2 stocks. Stock (a) did not swarm. ,, (b) swarmed three times and all were hived. After the moor harvest, stock (a) was destroyed (" Isle of Wight " disease), and the brood combs realised 151b. of run honey. Swarm No. 3 has been destroyed (" Isle of Wight " disease), and 6ilb. of honey obtained from the brood combs. Present position : — Stock (b) in trim for wintering. Swarm (1) do. do. „ (2) do. do. N.B. — These statistics do not give the usual clover and heather surplus harvests ("which, however, were very satisfactory). They show only the economical realisation of brood combs, and they indicate a mar- gin of survival of race by swarming increase. In short, it is predicated that the disease takes a toll of the stocks of bees. That toll must be more than met by in- crease. The losses when they come must be netted by turning into cash the honey and wax in the detroyed stocks. The prompt destruction of stocks that show crawlers is the pivot on which the scheme turns, and that promptness of destruction gives the protection from disease that is equivalent, or almost so, to the condition of isolation instanced above, where widely separated hives cause a slowing down of the attack of the disease ; prompt destruc- tion of the diseased stock is man's aid to Nature to enable him to carry on in his manner of intensive cultivation of bees. Man creates intensiveness against Nature's habit, and he must provide special protection from the " Isle of Wight " or any other disease. Bee- keepers have been trying to give this help by using antiseptics. If a stock which has been attacked by " Isle of Wight" disease can be held together until the, autumn by antiseptics, it would be a valuable aid to economic bee-keeping, and to the scheme I have endeavoured to outline.— J. N, Kidd, Stocksfield. < HANTS AND ISLE OF WIGHT BEE- KEEPERS ' ASSOCIATION . ANNUAL MEETING. The 35th annual meeting of the Hants and Isle of Wight Beekeepers' Association was recently held at Southampton, when the chairman, Mr. E. H. Bellairs, pre- sided over a good attendance, which in- cluded Mrs. H. Robson, Mrs. Henshaw, Misses Minns, Morgan, Hosking, Griming, Peckhain, Dr. Milburn, and Messrs. H. M. Cooper. A. F. Hardy, H. J. Hewett, H. H. Welch, C. Martin, S. J. Leigh, H. H. Hall, E. Stewart, and others. Apologies for absence were intimated from the Rev. W. E. Medlicott, Rev. G. Field, Miss Martin (Swanmore), Messrs. E. J. Bed>- ford, L. H. Marsh, J. Draper, and C. Browning. The annual report stated that the season of 1917, although opening with a fair pro- mise of success, could hardly be described as having been a good one for local bee- keepers, and it was feared that, owing to a shortage of winter stores and diffi- culty in obtaining the necessary sugar for syrup feeding, considerable mortality had occurred. In fact, in three areas nearly 200 stocks were known to have succumbed from this cause. It was evident that much greater inte- rest in beekeeping had been taken during the year, and it was confidently antici- pated that it would continue to grow dur- ing 1918. The work of the association consequently had grown, the membership having increased by a hundred, this being April 18, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 131 due in a great degree to the activities of the members, particularly at Winchester, Bournemouth, and Wickham. Demonstrations had been' held at Alton, Byde, Wickham, and Winchester; others which had been arranged to take place at Bishop's Waltham and Bournemouth were somewhat interfered with, the former hav- ing to be abandoned altogether, and the latter having to take the form of an indoor lecture owing to the inclement weather. Through various circumstances other demonstrations had to be postponed or declined'. During the year six members were granted Expert certificates. Various dis- tricts were visited by the association's ex- perts during the spring and autumn, and it was reported that, although more hopeful views were entertained of the ravages of the bee scourge declining, it was to be regretted that a reliable cure had not yet been discovered.. Beekeepers were urged, in view of the sugar difficulty, to make sure of a suffi- cient supply of stores being left in the hives before the autumn sets in. There was every prospect of the prices of bees and honey being further increased during the coming season. An appreciation by the hon. secretary of the valuable services rendered to bee- keepers in general, and to the members of the association in particular, by mem- bers of the committee and others, closed the report. The balance-sheet for the year ending December 31, 1917, produced by the hon. treasurer ^was of a very satisfactory char- acter, the receipts being considerably in advance of those of the previous year. It having been stated that more interest had been taken in the large library, it was decided to expend a sum not exceed- ing £3 3s. in the purchase of further books. Dr. Milburn submitted to the meeting a full and comprehensive scheme for fur- ther organising the scope of usefulness of the association. It was decided, in view of the importance of the question, to defer its further consideration until a future meeting. Mr. W. G. Nicholson, M.P. (Petersfield), was thanked for having, at the instiga- tion of the association, brought up an important question in the House of Com- mons. H.R.H. the Princess Beatrice was re- elected president, and the following ladies and gentlemen were elected vice-presi- dents : — Lady Calthorpe, Hon. Mrs. Eliot Yorke, Lady Evelyn Bradford, Mrs. Mon- tagu G. Knight, Miss Beryl Bradford, Miss Morris, the Lord Bishop of Win- chester, Sir Heath Harrison, Bart., Rev. W. E. Medlicott, Col. A. Bibby, and Messrs. E. H. Bellairs, W. F. Perkins, M.P., W. G. Nicholson, M.P., Daniel Coats, Arthur Baring, G. C. Howard, Gerald Hall, A. F. M. Downie, T. A. Ohalcraft, and Richard Eggar. Other subjects of importance to bee- keeper's were dealt with, and a most suc- cessful meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman, who, it should be mentioned, was the founder of the asso- ciation. The hon. secretary, Mr. F. D. Hills (Ivanhoe, Alton, Bants), will be glad to answer any inquiries from beekeepers or others who may be desirous of becoming members of the association. The Edit or $ do not hold themeelvee rttponiibli for the opinion* tzprened by corre$pondent$ No notice will be taken of anonymoue eommunientiont, and eorreepondentt are requeeted to write on one eide of the paper only and give thett real nam** and addretiet, not necenarily Jor publication, but ae a guarantee of good faith. Illuetratione ehould be drawn on eeparate pieeee of paper. We do not undertake to return rejected communication* A PONY WTITH A " SWEET TOOTH." [9642] YTour readers may be inte- rested in the following extract from a friend's letter— C. T. B. " I had a novel experience this winter. Our pony took it into his head to examine my bees, and, being a quiet time, they did not appear to resent it, so he went further and tasted the honey, and found it sweet to his taste, for he turned over the hives and ate every bit from four of them. On proceeding to others, the bees twere more lively, so I was able to save them. It must have been going on for some days, as I only discovered it on Saturday afternoon, having seen them the previous Saturday. Did you ever hear of anything like it? " When taking a journey two gentle- men were discussing the beneficent effects of honey for diabetes and other com- plaints, when I discovered that they were patients to whom1 I had recom- mended hone}- some years since. It was then very pleasant to exchange mutual views. Whilst doing so, a lady in the carriage apologised for intruding, but the subject was so interesting, and hav- ing her son an invalid, she wondered if it would benefit him. He was a flying man, but had crashed to earth and smashed his machine with himself, a great shock, with consequent upset of all 132 his nerves and digestive organs. The doctors could not help him, only giving him drugs. I sent her some* honey. She has had! two lots since. Youi will be pleased to know I had a very grateful letter from him and his mother, speaking of his gradual improvement from its use. " THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL April 18, 1918, PREVENTION OF SWARMING. [9643] Mr. Kettle, in his Dorset yarn, says, "I am listening each night for the song of the young queen in the cells." Would he tell me, a novice, what steps he intends to take when he hears it? I, too, heard this last year when I listened at the hive, but I did/riot know what to do when I heard this piping. / did nothing, but. was cursed with the swarming fever for weeks. Another question : I wonder whether Mr. Puck, of Chingford, a, contributor to your paper, and who appears to be so successful in the prevention of swarm- ing, would, through the medium of your paper, tell me, and also others who" are learning the art, what precautions we must take to try and prevent swarms, when we are working solely for extracted' honey, and if our stocks do swarm, tell us exactly what to do then, so that there shall be as little delay as possible in the gathering of the honey harvest in "such an important time a,s May and June. I for one should appreciate the advice, and no doubt many others would too. — " Anxious to Learn." PREVENTION OF DISEASE. [9644] I notice our old enemy " Isle of Wight" disease is still with us in some districts. But I am confident that " Isle of Wight " disease has a great deal too much blame which ought to be put on the •• keeper of bees," not " beekeepers," and if " beekeepers " would take the following precautions we should hear of less trouble :— 1. Always clean, disinfect, and paint hives in spring. 2. Renew one-third of brood-combs yearly. 3. Introduce new stock every year to breed from. 4. Replace queens in August by good young queens from prime stocks that have proved their value. 5. The first week in September feed -slow for a week (which causes the queen to lay and produce bees to carry on in spring), then feed solid all they will take, which gives stocks time to seal "over before cold nights set in. 0. During the three winter months, occasionally and quietly lift front of hives and clear floor of all dead bees. 7. Unless you can guarantee cane sugar always medicate food. Remember " pre- vention is better than cure." Now, the reason I suggest clearing floor- boards is it tends to keep a healthy atmo- sphere, also relieving the bees of hard work when they may be better employed gathering pollen and carrying water. Re Winter Ventilation. — Some bee- keepers advise 6in. entrances . during winter. Now, during prolonged severe weather, to maintain the necessary tem- perature, stocks must consume more stores than, say, with a 2in. entrance. During long periods of frost, may I suggest this must have a deterrent effect on the bee, owing to it being unable to void its excreta. Also, I have found queens seem later in commencing to lay in spring, which beekeepers know is vital to honey produc- tion. Where bees live in their natural state, in trees, one usually finds very small entrances. — H. R. Oborne, Hants. ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR WORK. [9645] Although the above subject has had a good " hiding," in the forcible ' sense of the word, it might not be out of place if at this interval 1 take up the cudgel in their defence once again. I notice that although your correspondent, 9598, page 401, signs himself, " Still a Novice," he refers to an incident which he says occurred "some years ago." Of course this may be a mere handle, or a shelter for the modesty, which he other- wise fails to hide; be this as it may, he- strikes me, to say the least, as rather pre- sumptuous in his criticism of a movement which he fails to support or find any use- fulness in. One must come to the conclu- sion that he is as cold as the " snowball '' club he is pleased to liken us to — which, however, has failed to gather him in. It is gratifying to know he managed to "slide" to the demonstrator, which brings me to my point. How does he imagine these are paid for : and even the " lifting of hive roofs," which most novices are only too glad to accept, but which he thinks useless, has to be paid for, and if we all took the wooing he appears to think necessary to win ardour I'm afraid we should be worn out, as well as bankrupt. I rather like his simile oi' " motor cyclists," but they would be in a sad condition without petrol. Now, friend, what is the grievance? Is the sub. too small? Is the mode of entry too simple? Look at the good you are leaving undone, " Several members only want asking "; April 18, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 133 join up, do your bit,, throw in the weight of all this cheap advice, read the middle and last six lines of your letter again, and all the pleasures of membership and use- fulness will be added to :- your own per- sonal effort." I ask you! It does appear that we members do not do as we should in proffering the helping hand and friendly intercourse so necessary for success, especially when the very con- tinuance in safety of the craft seems to depend on a united front, or, as we say nowadays, a declaration of war-aims : we shall never be able to drive a better bar- gain than to-day. — A. H. Hamshab. PAINT INSIDE HIVES. [9646] With reference to No. 9633, by Mr. J. Pearman. If the idea is to give a •oat of paint to the inside of hives for the sake of cleanliness, I may say that I have used, and seen others use, Hall's dis- temper for this purpose. You can put Izal or other disinfectant into it before using, and it avoids Mr. Pearman 's ob- jections in the case of paint. As to the second part of his letter, please let me advise all those who use metal ends and blocks of wood, etc., for spacing frames, to use their eyes instead, and throw all their ends away. Anyone who has once tried to do without ends will, I am quite sure, be very loath to go back to them. In my opinion they are a nuisance, and quite useless. I have used none mvself for seven or eight vears. Be Mr. Claridge's article. No'. 9631, I have no doubt that these hives are good, but they must be more difficult to make true, and I have always found that it is not at the plinths (if put on with paint under as they should be, and fitted pro- perly) that wet gets in, but through the roof. Now nine roofs out of ten are made with too little pitch. The one in illus- tration, referred to by Mr. Claridge. in Mr. Herrod-Hempsall's book has a very good roof. A roof should be made of grooved and tongued matching,, well painted, covered with calico, and painted again at least once a year. If this is done little trouble will be given by wet. A roof made of overlapping boards, like the ones in centre of illustration referred to .above, is not often satisfactory. - A good" roof always means a dry hive. TOO much stress can hardly be laid on this fact. Floorboards. — T have found that my •own plan is quite satisfactory. I put a |,-in. thick strip round three sides of "floor- board, enclosing an area equal to that of inside of brood chamber. This gives en- trance A-in. deep and full width, and ■eaves nearly an inch clear under frames. — R. B. Manley. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee •/ good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. H. Wright (Market Rasen).— Transferring from skep to frame hive.— How to do this is fully explained on page 149 of "The Guide Book." The best time to do it is when the skep is becom- ing crowded with bees, and there is a fair amount of flowers in bloom, with weather suit- able for the bees- to fly out and collect nectar. When making an artificial swarm it is better to give the queenless lot a fertile queen. J. H. Smith (Notts).— Transferring bees from old hive.— Your hive is evidently an old "Stewartou. We should prefer to transfer by the method given on page 149 of " The Guide Book." We do not think either of your plans would be successful. The first would be almost certain to end in disaster, as all the flying bees would return to the old stand, leaving the queen with too few bees in the other hive. Your second plan would probably result in the bees all going to the combs containing the brood, leaving the queen to perish. C. S. Gtjrteen (Haverhill).— Treating honey to remove the flavour for cooking purposes— Vse a mild flavoured honey, such as clover, or sain- foin. You cannot get rid of the peculiar sweet- ness of honey, although by boiling the aroma is destroyed, and the taste of the honey not so perceptible. The honey should be diluted, other- wise it would be burned, and then it tastes more like burned sugar. A. Z. A. (Ealing).— We know of no book that treats of the detailed practical work on dissec- tion of the bee. In the Bibliography at the end of Cowan's " Honey Bee " you will find a list of a large number of papers dealing with tne different organs and parts of the bee. and these go into such details as. you require. Possibly " The Anatomy of the Honey Bee," by R. E. Snodgrass, would answer some of your require- ments. It is Technical Series No. 18, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washing- ton, D.C., United States of America. We shall be pleased to supply you with diseased bees if we have any at that time. Suspected Disease. Beginner (Dunmow).— The bees are probably exhausted after a long flight. If you fit up an extension to the alighting board a good many will be saved. ." Djdrham " (Durham).— No. 1 sample had "Isle or Wight " disease. We could not find disease in No. 2. J. A. Richardson (Ambleside).— There were symptoms of " Isle of Wight " disease, but the bees were too dry to enable us to say definitely that they were diseased. J. Adamson (Gerrards Cross).— The bees were too dry for diagnosis. F. Hobbs (CheshamK— The bees were too dry' for diagnosis. The appearance of the piece of comb suggests starvation. P. A. Cracknell (Kent i. J. Fitzwilliam (Beds.i. "H. G." (Yorks.), Rev. C. F. Bingers (Wilts.), " J. C. B." (Atherstone).— The trouble was " Isle of Wight " disease. •J. Castinan (Hever).— We do not find any disease - in the bees. 134 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. .April 18, "1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements Two Words One Penny, minimum Sixpence. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. pe GIVEN for good ten-frame Stock Healthy dwO Italian Bees; also same price for ten-frame Stock Healthy Dutch Bees. Delivery as early as possible— 0. BENTON, Naseby Hall, Rugby, d.35 AH. BARTLETT can book few Swarms Italian • Hybrids; guaranteed free from disease, very quiet; second to none as workers. Price on application. Two good Stocks in Skeps for sale, in best of condition.— High Street, Crowthome. d 36 TWO gross W.B.C. Ends, 2s. 9d. per gross; new; post free— MISS ADAMS, Dunton, Biggies- wad^ d.57 FOR SALE, four J. Lee's W.B.C. Hives, com- plete; used once. Strong stock Golden Italian Bees wanted.— Price- and particulars, OXBOlt- RQW, Kirby Cross, Essex. d.38 -jOA LBS. BEESWAX for £12 2s. 6d., on rail; 1/wU sample 3d.; deposit B.B.J.— HAWKES, Barley, Royston, Herts. d.39 FOR SALE, four Stocks of Bees- with Hives, two with double walls back and front, two with double walls all round ; all in good condition ; each with nine standard wired frames; strong- with, bees and brood; Hybrids: 1917 Queens; never had disease. What offers?— FROSTAD, The Lodge, Pinewood, Wokingham, Berks. d.40 TOOK of Bees for Sale, Italians, £4 10s.— L. ' CHRISTMAS, Holybourne, Alton, Hants, d.41 s A FEW 10-frame Stocks of Italians, also Hybrids, 1917 Queens, guaranteed healthy, £5 each— GRAHAM, 6, Merch Terrace, Cadoxton, Barry, Glam. (L42 FOR SALE, Simmins' " A Modern Bee Farm." Good condition— BLAND, Greenhill, Kidder- minsters d.45 WANTED, immediately, one good stock Bees; also early Swarm.— WOOD, Manor House. Neston, Cheshire. d.44 WANTED, early Swarm. Price, carriage, paid. — K. PAUL, Bradford Abbas, Sherborne, Dorset. flat, B natural or B sharp, according to the state thev were in. Since the war I have had to try my hand at cows and pigs and poultry keeping. Much could be written about animals and their notes or calls, but it is the hum of the bee that is of most interest to me. My friends have often told me that I have got the "bee fever." Well, I have had it eight years now. It is not with me a question of how much money I can make out of them as how much pleasure I get out of beekeeping. After a real hard fight for three and a- half years with the dread " Isle of Wight" disease, in which time I tried nearly everything I knew, I never had so many bees as I had last July. I had six hives crowded, and not a sign of disease; in fact, I said I had won. But the second week in August it broke out again, and it cleared several of u® right out in spite of all I did. One lot, a swarm, seemed to keep free for a while, but in the winter it shared the fate of the others, and to- day, after eight years of pleasure, I am, with a many more, a beeless man. But I have burnt all up, got new floor boards and brood boxes, hives painted, and a new stand ; and I hope soon to be having another try. Several friends who in the winter promised to set me up are not able to fulfil their promise because their bees have come out weak. I hope our brother beekeepers who have had better luck will help us that have gone under to rise again, and, as a little song I have got says, " share your joys." — G. Ward, Langley Mill. A HINT FOR SELECTING DRONES FOR MATING PURPOSES. [9660] Queen rearing will soon be in full swing, and I wonder if the following suggestion is of any practical value to those who breed a special strain of bees? The great difficulty in doing this is, of course, the selection of the drone — or the hive and queen from which he shall come — for mating the young queens. Possibly this might be accomplished by means of an aeroplamef If a number of drones and virgin queens of the variety and strain desired were taken up in an aero- plane and released at a few hundred feet above the apiary, I assume the object might be satisfactorily accomplished. — A. G. DIET AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9661] If Mr. Rentoul (9650) will prosecute his enquiries further, I think he will discover many bee-kepers whose bees have never been given anything but natural stores, and yet have suffered as badly as any from " Isle of Wight " disease. This has often been stated May 9, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL 157 before, and seems to prove that sugar feeding has nothing whatever to do with disease. We cannot either overlook the fact that many large bee-keepers of vast experience in the U.S.A. testify that under certain climatic conditions some varieties of dark honey are positively injurious as winter food for bees, and consider it necessary to extract it, and give sugar syrup instead. W. Z. Hutchinson, I believe, describes cane sugar syrup as the best of all winter food for bees! — L. Illing worth. THE INDUSTRY OF THE BEE. [9662] I have copied out the follow- ing from a magazine, which I thought would interest some of the readers of the B.B..J. I should very much like to know if it is true about the bees visiting so many flowers. And, according to Cowan's book, 18,000 bees would not be an ordi- nary hive : — " The Wonderful Industry of the Bee. — In an ordinary hive there are about 18,001) bees, and these weigh something like 37 lbs. Yet they will manufacture from 20 to 50 lbs. of .honey in a year, their material . being collected from myriads of flowers over a wide area. " The industry of the bee is indeed amazing, for to make a single ounce of honey it visits no fewer than 219,000 flowers. " It is the most indefatigable of after- noon callers, and when we remember that the Aving of the bee makes 190 move- ments a second the amount of energy expended must be immense. " The juice is drawn out of the flower by the bee's tongue, and passes into the creature's honey-bag — a round sac situ- ated at the base of the abdomen. " Ln the sac the juice undergoes a change which converts it into honey, but by what marvellous processes the change is wrought no man has been able to dis- cover. " If the bee be supplied with sugar and water it will change it into honey, but there is very little honey flavour, for in some mysterious way the honey made from the juice of flowers preserves some- thing of the flavour belonging to the flower. " That is why tropical honey is ranker than the English honey, the flowers of tropical places being much ranker than the blossoms of the English countryside. " The honey from heather is considered as the choicest of all honeys, both in quality and flavour." Perhaps someone can tell me how much is true. — A. Donkin. WEATHER REPORT. Westb'ourne, April, 1918. Rainfall, 194 in. Heaviest fall, '46 in on 20th. Rain fell on 17 days. Above average, •16. Sunshine, 110.8 hours. Brightest day, 12th 11 "6 hours. Sunless days, 6. Below average, 80'9 hours. Maximum tempera- ture, 65 on 25th. Minimum tempera- ture, 30 on 3rd. Minimum on grass, 25 on 3rd and 19th. Frosty nights, 2. Mean maximum, 52 5. Mean minimum, 38 '7. Mean temperature, 45 6. Below average, "5. Maximum barometer, 30- 174 on 27th. Minimum barometer, 29-418 on 1st. L. B. BlRKETT. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee el good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. F. J. Durance (Ilkeston). — Commencing bee-keep- iny.—lhe hive you mention will be suitable. Watch, our advertisement columns for stocks or swarms of bees. We do not know of any others for sale. Tou are more likely to get Italian hybrids than any other kind, owing to the large number of Italian queens that have been imported, and bred, the last few years. A swarm of bees includes' the queen. The most economical way will be to gel a W.B.C. hive, and an early swarm. The hive fitted with frames, filled with foundation, and excluder, etc., will cost about £3, and a swarm about 30s. to 35s., or you might get a nucleus with four or five frames of comlb for 40s. to 50s. If you work for extracted honey you will also need a honey extractor, which will cost new at least 38s. T. Taylor (Beverley).— We cannot find the thick- ness stated; speaking from memory, it will be tin. L. B. Kirk (Surrey).— We do not know the swarm catcher you mention. Can you give us details as to its construction? C. W. M. (Scole). — (1) The honey from hives 'in which bees have died from " Isle of Wight " disease is quite safe to eat. (2) Not at present. E. H. Magoon (Surrey).— Better unite the two weak colonies.. F. E. Graham (Oakham).— The bees were balling the queen. It is quite likely they have super- seded her. Examine the hive as soon as there is an opportunity, and if there is a queen cell let the bees carry on. There is every chance for her to mate. Drones will be flying when the weather is warm enough. We have seen some already. Honey Sample. G. F. Ormerod (Yorks.).— So far as we can tell the stuff is honey, but we cannot vouch for the country of origin. In normal times it would be worth about 4d. per lb. At present it is being sold at Is. 6d. to 2s. ! Suspected Disease. " Rhun " (Wales).— It was " Isle of Wight " disease. D. Morgan (Wales).— Yes, " Isle of Wight " disease is. developing. 158 THE BRITISH BEU JOURNAL. May 9, 1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to sy the young bees, and though the hive may not be so crowded that bees have to hang out, a swarm will issue. Under these con- ditions the solution of the swarming prob- lem is fairly obvious, and is contained in the advice so often given, " Give the bees more room." The advice is good, but the great mistake is that it is often followed too late. Once the bees have begun to feel cramped, and realising the necessity for emigration on a large scale in the near future, have commenced queen cells, it is very difficult, often impossible, to check swarming by the simple expedient of giving more room in the shape of supers. These must be given in advance of the re- quirements of the bees. Do not wait until the bees are utilising every scrap of space available, and elongating the cells for honey storage until there is barely a bee space between the surfaces of the combs, but put on the supers as soon as bees are observed to be working on the two outside combs. Examine the brood combs before putting on the supers. If they are choked up with honey remove some, and either extract the honey and put them back, or if the honey is sealed put them by for use later on and give empty comb, or a frame of founda- tion in their place. This will give the queen room to do her work and keep up the strength of the colony. Before closing up renew the supply of naphthaline. If, on the other hand, the combs are full of brood, other methods must be adopted. Should a moderate increase of stocks be desired, an artificial swarm may be made by one of the methods described in the •' Guide Book," or a nucleus may be made with three of the combs, and either allowed to work up into a stocky or used for the rearing of a queen, and again united to the parent stock after the honey flow, when it is re-queened. There are other methods of preventing swarming, and the following are several given by D. M. M. in the Record for May.— 1. Clipping the queen's wing. This is supposed to be a modern device, much practised in America, but in reality it was known before the advent of the Christian Era, for Virgil sings of bee- keepers if his day clipping the wings of the high-flying kings. He gives us the reason, too, pithily and practically: " Nor is there any great difficulty in preventing them swarming; just disable the wings of their chiefs — not one will then dare, while they stay behind, to fly aloft or to depart from the camp." The practice is not common with us, but for the busy man of business and the farmer with heavy responsibilities on '•■ his shoulders at that time it should prove a boon, as he would have no watching to do in the bee garden and there would be no runaway swarms. 2. Cutting out queen-cells periodically is frequently advocated, and many believe in it and find it effective. It is a messy job, however, and the process causes an undue disturbance of the brood-nest and an upsetting of the bees' equanimity. It pays and it does not. Caught at the psychological moment, one operation may suffice for the season. The fever once generated, the labour may go for next to nothing, because after a few days more queen-cells may be found in the hive than were cut out. It is certainly a means of retarding, checking, or even obliterating the swarming craze, rightly gone about. 3. Caging the queen temporarily is a favourite procedure with many, and, other things aiding, it may prove not only a check, but a cure for the time. It "hinders the issue of a swarm, because, there being no queen to head them, they will not issue, or if they do they will quickly return, and after a time resume work. Frequently, however, it breeds a species of unrest among the workers, un- settling them in their honey gathering, and it may cause an injury to the queen which may ultimately impair her laying powers. 4. Somewhat kindred to this device, and kinder to the queen, is the plan of, by means of excluder zinc, confining the queen on two or three frames during the critical period, and then liberating her. 170 THE BKITISM BEE JOURNAL. May 23, 1918. This may be done at either side of the brood-nest, or behind in hives of the Long Idea type. If everything — the bees, the weather, the honey flow — behaved accord- ing to the bee-keeper's calculations, it would be a model way of tiding over a difficulty, but too often, like the schemes of mice and men, the expectation and the realisation widely differ. 5. The temporary withdrawal of the queen from the hive for a week or two when the swarming fever shows signs of developing, and then returning her to the 'hive, or substituting for her either a virgin queen or one newly mated, has many strong advocates. It is preferable to either caging or confining the queen, but it entairs some upsetting of the bees and also some work for the bee-keeper. A little risk has to be taken in all the schemes depending on interference with queens, but generally the advantages very much counterbalance the disadvantages — and then queens are plentiful at that season. BRITISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Council was held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2, on Thursday, May 16, 1918. Mr. W. F. Reid presided, and there were also present Sir Ernest Spencer, Messrs. G. Bryden, G. S. Faunch, T. Bevan, F. W. Watts,'J. Smallwood, W. H. Simms, G. R. Alder, Association representatives, J. Rae (Essex), Captain C. C. Lord (Kent), Mr. E. Hamlin (Surrey), and the Secretary, W. Herrod-Hampsall. Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. T. W. Cowan, F. W. Harper, A Richards, O. L. M. Eales, and Major Sitwell. The Minutes of Council Meeting held on April 18 were read and confirmed. The following new merilbers were elected : Mrs. E. H. L. Lydall, Miss H. S. Smith, Messrs. G. W. Coldicott, A. Smith, A. C. Furmston, J. Newell, A. Huggett, and T. Fullylove. The Doncaster Association applied for affiliation and were accepted. The following Associations nominated representatives on the Council, and the 'same were accepted : — New Forest : H. Bright; Leicestershire, Mr. W. Falkner. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who stated that payments into the bank for April amounted to £21 5s. 5d. The bank balance on May 1 was ^142 19s. 8d. Pay- ments amounting to 5s. 3d. were recom- mended. The Bucks and Leicester Associations applied for preliminary examinations, and the same were granted conditionally. Next meeting of Council, June 20, 1918, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London. W.C. A DORSET YARN. May gives us the wealth of flowers. Bees have now a great choice of nectar- producing units. They have found the raspberry flowers; these give a great deal of food for bees, so many of them always to be seen on them proves that nectar is abundant. Though the hedgerows are heavy with hawthorn blossoms, there are more to be seen on the patches of char- lock; they come home with abundance of pollen from charlock and broom, their little bodies are covered with yellow pollen. The white broom is most attrac- tive to them just now ; every year I have noticed that these are eagerly looked over. The flowers are small, but there are .so many of .them out at one time. The fields of scarlet clover are opening their deep-coloured blossoms — plenty, plenty, everywhere. Bees are swarming and founding new colonies as the weather is perfect, and food in abundance. My first two swarms went clean away after they were in the skep ; am inclined to think it is self-preservation, they go away from a diseased area, and I lost a lot in March with disease. Have been honoured with two visitors 'from Kent this month from two of the divisions of the county, to see our farm, and both .agree it is an ideal county for bees. Some of ours have already filled their first rack of sections. We were glad to have them do so before swarm- ing; it is Nature's way of carrying on the race, and as my lot has been so much reduced, shall give each swarm, a new home, even though I shall not get so much honey as other years. I gave them drawn-out sections that were not filled last season, and had been given to a late swarm to clean up, as they were not sealed over. One stock had them on the whole winter in an old hive that had plenty of air blowing in all the time, and these survived : am thinking that they want more air in winter than they get. I had another lot in a box with two openings for them to get into sections ; it had only a piece of glass to cover these two narrow apertures, and yet these went all through safely and are very strong ; they have an Australian apple-box for a brood cham- ber. I have not yet seen a drone in this lot. This is somewhat surprising, as when left to themselves thev often build May 23, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL 171 a lot of drone comb ; indeed, this is where the bees show a lack of intelligence. I have seen them, even on new worker hrood foundation in bar frames, build a lot of drone cells, and if they can get up into sections, I have found the lower half of them with drone cells, and that with whole pieces of thin foundation in the sections. As the price has gone up for queen excluder sheets, a lot will have to go on without them, as I consider prices are prohibitive. I regret also' that we have not been able to make our own sections, that we have to depend on other countries for what we want, but so many men have been taken from our own country in this terrible war it is un- avoidable; but those of us who hope to see our country more self-supporting must feel disappointed that it is so. It is humiliating for us on the land to know that in the yield of corn to the acre the Germans have beaten us, as was shown by Sir Walter Essex in the pamphlet quoted by him in the Journal ; no new ye»r 'books that I have, or can get, give the ojd tables of some years since, where our country led the way. When lecturing at Highcliffe last week, I met other bee-keepers; some of them had lost bees, and isome had wintered them well. Mr, WeaveT lost his in bar frames that I gave him last year, but one in a hollow brick pillar round the garden walls had lived for years, and had never shown any sign of disease. When I was there the [beautiful grounds were full of cherry blossom and Siberian crab speci- men trees were full of blossom, "the bees were everywhere luxuriating in the beau- tiful flowers ; the double-flowering cherries of white and flesh-colour were very lovely, and red and rose-tinted Siberian crabs added to the beauty of a very charming place. It is very pleasant to the simple writer of Dorset yarns to know that by far the greater number of readeTS of the B.B.J, are inteTested in them, and wish me to carry on. The letters to me were very encouraging, as Squire Tomlinson wrote " to carry on through autumn and win- ter," when the bees were at rest from the labours of summer, when the interest in the Journal and bees had to be kept up to concert pitch, " was a good work." As I have said before, I love the bees ; I •love all nature ; to me all is beautiful, but the wonderful crops that the earth will give for the labour bestowed by the tiller *of the soil is the greatest pleasure of all. So productive is the soil that one visitor from Kent will buy the next farm, and follow on the same lines as we have done at the Violet Farm. J. J. Kettle. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE & DISTRICT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A meeting of the members of the above Association was held on Saturday, May 11, at the apiary of Mr. Hipkins, Castle Hill Farm, Dudley. Over 50 of the members, both ladies and gentlemen, responded to the invita- tion, including a goodly number of new members. Mr. Hipkins, Mr. Cheshire, and Mr. Price undertook the examination of the bees, which proved, with one exception, to be rather weak. The transference of the strong stock to a larger hive excited the interest of the members, especially the new ones. After the examination of the bees, came a presentation of a fountain pen and a purse of three guineas to Mr. Joseph Price, the late secretary of the Associa- tion, Mr. Hipkins spoke in eulogistic terms of the work of Mr. Price, and congratu- lated him on his appointment as expert to the Stafford County Council. Mrs. Thompson, the wife of the hon. treasurer, in a few well chosen words then made the presentation. Mr. Price, in thanking the members of the Association for their kindness, said he understood he was to be presented with a fountain pen, but the addition of the purse came as a surprise. This being the first meeting since his appointment, the Hon. Secretary said he trusted the members would be lenient with "him and give him their assistance. He would try to do the best he could for the Association. He was pleased to welcome the new members, and hoped they would benefit by joining. Mr. Price said he had a rather painful duty to perform, that was, to move that ■bhe'hon. secretary be instructed to send a letter of condolence on behalf of the Asso- ciation to the widow of Mr. Force, the late secretary of the Stafford Bee-keepers Association, who was killed in action in France. After mentioning the valuable work done for the S.B.A. by Mr. Force, Mr. Price said he felt sure they would not like to leave without sending to Mrs. Force their heartfelt sympathy in her sad bereavement. , Mr. Hipkins and Mr. Thompson paid a tribute to the work of Mr. Force, after which the motion was carried in silence. * The members then partook of tea. A vote of thanks to Mr. Hipkins for his kind invitation was moved by Mr. Middle- ton, and passed unanimously. This brought a very enjoyable after- noon to a close. —Arthur E. Taylor, Hon. Sec. 172 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. May 23, 1918. THE CARMARTHENSHIRE BEE- KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. This Association has only recently been formed, and is labouring under great difficulties, as, so far, it has received no assistance from the County Agriculture Committee, notwithstanding the serious loss to beekeepers during the winter 1917- 18, when the " Isle of Wight" disease wave passed over us. I shall be pleased, therefore, if beehive appliance makers would be good enough to forward to me their catalogues, and anyone desirous of selling stocks of bees, swarms or hives, as I am being continually overwhelmed with inquiries for same, and will any bee- keeper not at present a member of the Association send me his address? The subscription to the Association is 2s. 6d. per annum, and I shall be pleased to en- roll members and assist them when pos- sible. A, Preston, Hon. Sec. Golendy, Park Road, Ammanford. LECTURE AT AMMANFORD. On Thursday evening. May 16, Amman- ford and District members had the plea- sure of listening to a very interesting lecture on " The Honey Bee," given by- Mr. H. Samway, F.R.H.S., of Maesy- bont, Llandebie, who is also a certified expert and member of the B.B.A. As this was the first lecture of its kind held 'in [the district, great enthusiasm pre- vailed among beekeepers. The lecture was illustrated by two large colour prints ; the hive and its occupants were thoroughly dealt with, various appliances were exhibited and their uses explained ; after which a series of lantern slides were shown, including that of one of the lec- turer's apiaries before the ravages of the " Isle of Wight " disease, consisting of as many as forty hives, which has now dwindled down to one, which, he con- siders, immune, and hopes to expand tl is season. Various questions were asked, which the lecturer promptly answered, and later a business meeting was held, at which it was decided to hold in the near future a practical demonstration on the hive, at Llandilo, to be undertaken by the lec- turer; also urge the County Council to take a keener interest in the wasted honey harvest in the county. The Asso- ciation, though a young one, bids fair, and with the valuable assistance of Mr. Sam- ways it is hoped to put the Association well on its feet during this season. A vote of thanks was proposed by the Chairman (Mr. J. T. Lloyd), and sup- ported by Mr. S. M. Evans, M.A., who could not understand why at the present shortage of food the Government did not take in hand more in the encouragement of bee-keeping. The mountains round here were covered with rich heather, which un- doubtedly meant ungathered honey, rs there were so few who kept bees in this district. BEE-KEEPING AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL. By the Assistant Music Master. (Continued from page 54.) When the question of food production became urgent, one of the housemasters made it known that he was willing to allow one boy in his house to keep a hive of bees in his garden. One of my piano pupils informed me that he thought of taking up the challenge. About the same time a junior belonging to another house sought my advice, saying he wished to keep bees, and hoped his housemaster would grant him a place in the garden for the purpose. I, too, desired, if pos- sible, to extend my bee-keeping opera- tions, and, owing to the kindness of yet another housemaster, was allowed the use of part of a wide garden path, which easily accommodated five hives, and fur- ther obtained permission to make use of a small space at the back of music school*, where I managed to squeeze in six or seven more. The second year found me with two stocks, my own and a swarm of the pre- ceding year, which another master, who had just taken up bee-keeping, handed over to my care on being appointed a chaplain to the Forces. During the winter months I occupied my spare time in the excellent workshop belonging to the college, making extra supers for use in the coming season. I also obtained several new hives from an old bee-keeping friend ; one was made over to one of the new aspirants, the other boy choosing to make his own, using mine as a pattern. He proved a much better bee-keeper than joiner, the hive being of a rather rough-and-ready description, and he had to submit to some good-natured chaff over it. Of course, I recommended all who con- sulted me about commencing bee-keeping to get " The British Bee-Keepers' Guide Book." The next thing was to provide bees for all the empty hives. It was soon dis- covered that a number of wild stocks in- habited the old college buildings, but they were in such inaccessible places, that on this account, and because the authorities were loth to permit any tam- pering with the ancient stone work, it was decided to leave them alone, though we hoped to secure swarms from them. Fearing my two stocks, both Dutch bees, would swarm unobserved, I made an artificial swarm of one early in May, placing -the comb with the queen on in an May 23, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 173 empty hive, filling up with frame® of foundation, and shaking all the bees off in front of the hive now containing the queen. Not having a spare queen or wishing to have one reared by an inferior plan, I carried the combs of brood, now free from bees, into my other apiary close by (if one hive can constitute an apiary), and set them under the brood- chamber of my other stock (in a W.B.C. hive), hoping a set of 20 standard frames for the queen to lay in, with shallow super fitted with foundation above over a queen-excluder, would effectually pre- vent swarming. In this I was mistaken. Just as 1 had sat down to tea on the first Sunday in June, a messenger arrived to say the bees were swarming. I was soon on the spot, and found the swarm (naturally a large one), clustered near the top of the upright post of a rose-covered pergola. Having borrowed a pair of steps, the skep was held above, and the bees gently driven towards it with smoke. They had just begun to march slowly up- wards, when the bell began to ring for chapel. One or two boys who had been "having tea with the chief music master, and were watching the proceedings, now took their leave, and as it was my duty to play for the service, I fixed the skep securely in position, leaving the bees to enter it or not as they pleased, hurried home to snatch a mouthful of tea, and reached the chapel in time to perform my part of the service. Directly this was over I returned to see what had become of the bees, and was delighted to find them all quietly clustered inside the skep. I should have liked to hive the swarm on the old stand, but as I wished to keep only one hive in this garden, and all the boys had returned to their houses for the night, no help was available to assist me in carrying the old stock to a new location some distance off, so I decided to remove the swarm instead and hive it while there . was still light enough for them to run •in. As there proved to be queen-cells in both body-boxes of the old stock, I re- moved one to a new stand some few days later, so now, with the artificial swafm, my two original colonies had increased to four. Bees everywhere now gave themselves up to excessive swarming, and a number of runaway swarms were heard of, one or two of which I was fortunate enough to secure. In this way and by purchase, before the season closed, I had my ten hives all stocked with bees. About this time the County Association arranged a demonstration with live bees in the apiary of one of its members : all interested were invited. As the place chosen for the meeting was not far from the school, I decided to attend it. and invited such boys as I knew would, be interested to accompany me, including, of course, the two about to start bee-keep- ing. The weather .that afternoon was ah" that could be desired when I and eight boys set out. We found a numerous com- pany assembled, and a most successful and enjoyable afternoon was spent. The bees were all Italians (some eight or more colonies). The expert selected one well- stocked hive, the assembled company form- ing a circle round him a short distance off; no tent was used. The frames were taken out and their use explained to the onlookers; the qijeen was also found, picked off the comb, and passed round for inspection. At one stage of the proceed- ings the demonstrator invited anyone present, who had never done so before, to come forward, lift out, and replace a frame in the hive. A member of my party immediately volunteered and successfully performed the feat ! The same boy also caused some amusement by trying to pick up individual bees by the wings after seeing the owner of the apiary pick one up in this manner, to exhibit its mark- ings to someone. This boy, though so keen to handle bees and learn all sorts of things about them, could not say when I asked him if he would ever keep bees. After the demonstration the owner of the apiary most generously invited me and my party to have tea before we left ; I only made his acquaintance that after- noon. This gentleman is an expert bacteriologist and a qualified medical man, and has given much time to the study of bee diseases. The School Natural History Society is greatly in- debted to him for a most interesting and instructive Paper on this subject, which he read to us later on. The day before my own big one issued, I heard of a swarm for sale; it proved to be a fine early cast. I bought it for my pupil, but did not get it home till after dark, so it was hived after chapel on Sunday morning; a convenient time for its new owner and other interested per- sons to witness the operation. Being requested to do so, I shook it out on the hiving board myself. We were generally fortunate in spotting the queen when hiving bees, so that all those sufficiently brave to approach close enough had an opportunity of seeing her. In one large after-swarm we thought we saw three different queens. That same eventful Sunday another message reached me of a swarm for sale. It came from a road- side cottage some four miles off, where, in the course of a cycle ride, I had noticed a couple of stocks in frame hives, and had left my address some weeks before, in case there should be a swarm to dispose of. My own bees kept me so 174 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. May 23, 1918. occupied that I was unable to go and see about it that day, but having most of the next morning free, I decided to go in search of the bees. . Arrived at the place and inquiring for them, the lady of the house said, " There they are," and turn- ing about I saw a rather small swarm still clustered on a climbing rose, where it had settled the day before! The lady ex- plained that it was a stray swarm that had come there of its own accord, and that her husband got more and more afraid of bees, and no longer troubled even to hive those that came from their own hives ! Having agreed upon a price, I asked for a box, and being provided with a suitable one, hived them directly, the lady remarking that she wished her husband could see me handle bees. For- tunately, I put a large piece of cheese cloth in my pocket before setting out, and as soon as the bees were all in the box, tied them up and carried them off. They were forthwith offered to, and accepted by, the other boy, who, at his own desire, hived them himself in the hive he had made, while I looked on, ready to help if required. The first attempt, however, proved completely suc- cessful. This young bee-keeper never pos- sessed a veil during the whole of his first season's experience, but handled his bees fearlessly without any protection, except the very first time, and once or twice when he sent to borrow a veil from me when the bees happened to be in a not very agreeable mood. He is now the proud possessor of three stocks, and a member of the British Bee-Keepers' Asso- ciation ! The other young bee-keeper also managed his bees well, and the cast belonging to him built up into an enor- mously strong stock by the end of the season. His younger brother and a friend in the same house also became interested, and all three used to manipualte the hive together. Later on, these two went into partnership and made a hive between them, and asked me if I could obtain a swarm for it; the season being rather advanced I feared this might not prove very easy to do, but a cast from one of the wild colonies in the college buildings, issuing not long after, solved the difficulty, being secured by me and presented to them. The latter of these two partners, on his return after the summer holidays, informed me that he had bought an Italian stock which he and his sister were going to look after at home. One day I was asked to put another super on the elder brother's hive, the boys afterwards remarking that the bees always seemed much more gentle when I handled them. Perhaps the music master's " touch " had something to do with it ! (To he continued.) The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. N» notice will be taken of anonymous communications, and correspondents are requested to write on on* 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. MR. KETTLE AT HOME. [9676] Being in Bournemouth for a few days with my wife the first week in May, I decided to pay a visit to Mr. Kettle at the Violet Farm, and knowing what a busy man Mr. Kettle is I wrote him as to the most convenient time. But weather would not permit on the day fixed, so we had, perforce, to wait until the next day, which broke dull and overcast. However, we decided to start, but owing to my faulty arrangements, when we arrived at Wimborne we found no" trace of the dog-cart in which our host had so kindly arranged to meet us, so I set off alone to do the two miles to Corf e Mullen, leaving my wife at the station. What a two miles it was, up and up amidst gorgeous scenery, and when at last the goal was reached no Mr. Kettle ! He had gone to Broadstone station in- stead, to meet us ! After hunting around for some time, I eventually found him on one of his piece's of land, ever hard at work, amidst line upon line of gooseberries, apples cur- rants and pears, which with pride he rapidly showed me. Then, after the trap had been kindly sent to fetch my wife, we proceeded to number two estate. No wonder Mr. Kettle puts in horticultural notes, for here the bees and fruit must be inter-mingled. # Gooseberries six weeks in advance of those in London, currants,, with a wealth of as- paragus growing under them, lettuces and violets growing in between the rows of fruit, a magnificent field of hay, with cows, fowls, pigs, horses and a donkey in a huge barn, with stables attached, and not far away a beautiful little cottage home. The we saw the bees, twoi plots of them, hut here, alas ! the only blot upon that gorgeous scene, the r' Isle of Wight." dis- ease has taken full toll this year, and even as I loked the bees from one strong hive were streaming out, many never to re- turn. Mr. Kettle tells me nearly 75 per cent have been struck down this March, but the remainder were a sight to behold. May 23, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 10 Sections full of bees, overflowing, many on the point of swarming, for with, this wealth of fruit and flowers how could it be otherwise ■ ? After this Mrs. Kettle kindly took charge and treated us to a much needed and excellent tea. Then, as time was drawing to a close, Mr. Kettle drove us to another estate; here, glass houses full of freshly planted tomatoes were to be seen, on ground that had recently been heather common. Mr. Kettle tells me he has gradually taken over about -50 acres, all of which are now in a high state of culti- vation. Then, as " Time and tide wait for no man," we had, perforce, to say good-bye. The boy came to drive us back to Broad- stone station, and as the cart drove over the brow of the hill we saw the last of the tall figure of our more than hospitable host silhouetted against the sky. — 'Stan- ley A. Blenkarn. DIET AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9677] Your correspondent Mr. J. S. Rentoul raises an old theory again. I sup- pose there are very few bee-keepers who would not prefer honey to sugar as a winter food, but it is quite useless to talk as he does of feeding with honey. It will never be done. It is not a sound business proposition. May I ask your correspondent how he accounts for the fact that whole apiaries of skeps, etc., have been wiped out by ' ; Isle of "Wight ' ' disease where no sugar has ever been used, or practically none. My own experience is as follows : — In 1912 my bees first showed signs of " Isle of Wight " disease, and all but five lots went " west." I did not destroy combs or hives, but simply replaced the bees, using good Italians and always keeping naphthaline and Mr. Herrod-Hempsall's " Apicure " in the hives. I have fed every winter since with sugar syrup, medicated with Izal. I have once or twice since had a few crawlers in spring, but in a day or two they have disappeared, and for four years I have had no disease whatever. Now I am perfectly satisfied that all drug treatments are useless. They may, and apparently do, revive the bees, but what we want is to remove the causes of the disease. One other point. Your correspondent " Anxious to Know " (9654) brings it up. It is this. I feel sure that it is no use to destroy good combs, etc. Just imagine the conditions ! ' You have a stock with in- cipient " Isle of Wight " disease. It does well. You extract honey from it. I_n so doing you contaminate not only the ex- tractor, but every comb that is put into it after. There at one blow you have infected the whole apiary. But what is the result? Do all the stocks have " Isle of Wight " disease? I think not. Now, I go on the theory that unless the bees can resist " Isle of Wight " disease they are useless, and only a source of expense and disap- pointment; therefore I have intermixed my bees to the greatest possible extent and reared queens from my best stocks, and I cannot help thinking that my bees have become so immune, through being in per- petual contact with the disease, that they are now. able, in a great measure, to resist it. I am not sure, of course. Disaster may come. But I am sure of this — that if I were to set up an apiary of the usual kinds of bees to be found hereabouts it would soon be wiped out. Witness. — The year before last I bought a stock of bees from a well-known dealer, at, I am bound to say, the moderate price of £2 2s. They were strong when they came, but in about a month they were fast dying out. I should have lost them altogether but that I gave them a new queen, which at once changed their whole tendency, and they became strong and did pretty well. One other point I wish to make is with regard to slow feeding in spring. My ad- vice to all bee-keepers is, Do not do it at all. It is quite unnecessary, and only worries the bees. Bees should be let alone till April, if at all possible. If they are starving and you cannot give them a comb of sealed food, give them a rapid feeder of warm syrup on a warm day and wrap up well. They will store this and do well. But a comb of sealed stores is best of all, and you can generally get one from the outside combs of one of the other hives. In April a, cake of candy will keep the bees going ahead, but if they have plenty of stores the golden rule is keep them warm and let them, alone. A good queen needs no stimulating, and will keep going at just the right pace without any. No brood should be spread until almost May, but should always be well spread when supers are put on.- — R. B. Manly. CAPABILITY. Near a small Wyoming town there is a capable lady of great executive ability, who, besides being an ardent suffragist, an active member in church circles, a dominant figure in all local women's clubs, manages a ranch in connection with her multifarious household duties. A visitor stopping at the front gate to ask for her, heard a loud commotion in the rear. " Yes, she's home," replied friend hus- hand, who, in the life partnership, is nil, " but she's busy." He added in a voice which had an acid edge : " She's out in • the back yard, teaching a queen bee how to swarm." 176 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. May 23, 1918. " Duck " (Yorks.) .—Damaged shallow combs.— The bees will repair the damage, and the comb will be rebuilt as good as new. When the mouldy pollen is thoroughly dry it will shrink, and most of it may be shaken out of the cells. The bees will remove what is left, or you may take it out with the crochet hook. The bees will repair any cell walls you may damage. F. G. F. (Bucks.). — Price of swarms.— -It is rather difficult to say what this will be, but we should say about 8s. per lb. this month, and from 7s. to 6s. per lb. during June. Italian, Dutch and hybrid bees are not quite so liable to " Isle of Wight " disease as natives. The strain you men- tion are no better and no worse than any other of the same kind. Miss Harland (Hants).— Using combs containing unsealed honey.— It will do no harm to give these to the bees if the honey is not fermented If it is, extract it and syringe the combs out with water. See reply to " Duck " re pollen. Do not cut the pieces of comb out, or the bees will most likely fill the spaces with drone comb. Allow the bees to clear it out. Miss Barbour ((Chester).— Placing bees on the old stand.— This will be all right, if the ground has had quicklime, or disinfectant and water, sprimkled thoroughly all over it, and then been dug over E. Hill '(Rotherham). — Making glucose. —You cannot make this from honey, and it would not (be worth spoiling the honey for the purpose if you could. Glucose is produced from starch by the action of heat and acids, and is only about half as sweet as cane sugar. Honey Toffee.— The following from the " A. B.C. and X.Y.Z. of Bee Culture " may snit you :— Toffee.— Boil some honey until it hardens when dropped into cold water. When cool pull until it becomes white. A pound requires 20 minutes' boiling and stirring. Great care must be exer- cised not to burn the honey. "Gwylym" (Chester).— Neighbours and bees. — If your bees stung, or otherwise became a nuisance to your neighbours, they could bring an action to compel you to move them, but they would have to prove that the bees were a nuisance. " Forward " (Lines.).— Removing bees from roof. —It is not possible to tell you how to do this without a personal inspection of the place. Can you get them by removing some of the tiles, or get at them from the underside. Have both a smoker and carbolic cloth handy. A bottle of carbolic acid and water and a feather are also often useful. J. H. Nelson ('Suffolk).— Dealing with swarm. — (1) If the bees swarm make a nucleus with three or four frames of comb, with one good queen cell, destroy all other queen cells, both in the nucleus and the parent stock. Place the nucleus on a new stand, put the swarm back in the hive from which it issued, leaving it on the old stand. (2) Two teaspoonfuls to a pint of water. H. J. (Ayrshire).— We are sorry we do not know the district. We shall be pleased if any of our readers can tell our correspondent the possi- bilities of bee-keeping near Gailes Camp, Ayr- shire. T. Broad he summer months for the chief surplus is obtained in mid- winter. Misfortune then came to me through a native, who kindly cut out all the young bee from each hive which caused the bees to decamp. The natives are very fond of young bees, which they mix with sugar or honey, and a certain root, to make an intoxicating liquor. Fortunately this thieving has not been repeated, as I allowed myself to be seen occasionally working at the combs with a bottle and glass syringe, informing the onlookers, after bidding them to secrecy, that I was poisoning a few combs in each hive. Last December I obtained four driven colonies, two strong and two very weak. I fed them on syrup until the pirates were over, and then supered. Unfortunately, comb foun- dation was unobtainable, and I had to allow them to build on the lid. The winter has been very cold during the nights, though the days are sunny and warm. The bees simply revel between 12 and 3 p.m. On July 4 the maximum temperature was 65 degrees, and the minimum 5 degrees. This necessitates warm covering at night, which has to be removed during the day or the bees cluster outside and might swarm. I have made, this season, an average of 35s. per hive profit. The honey is almost colourless, of very little flavour, and after straining granulates in about ten days to the consistency of stiff butter, and is then perfectly white. It is ob- tained from a small, blue flower, sheltered in the bush and long, dry grass. I sell it readily at Is. per lb., cut up into pound cakes and wrapped in paper — a great sav- ing in bottles and tins. After the war, with more hives, comb foundation and an extractor, I shall greatly increase the out- put. The spring honey starts in September at swarming time, and just before the pirates appear, so I find very little hope of much surplus ; I therefore allow the bees to swarm and cast to their heart's content; this ensures having a young queen, which, by the following autumn, is in full lay, and being very prolific here, immense swarms are built up in a few weeks. Our average rainfall is about 12 in. per annum, usually coming with thunderstorms with a downpour of half to two inches. It is a very rare occurrence for the sun not to be shining for at least half of each day. We have no disease, but sometimes I think I would like to exchange our pirates for the " Isle of Wight " disease. I keep the single wall dove-tailed hives at pre- sent, but shall shortly try those with double walls. I have the entrance full width and one inch deep, covered with excluder zinc, leaving a slightly larger space at each end for the drones or queens when necessary. This is necessary, as the death's-head moth and a large black beetle are always gaining an entrance into the hives, and the beetle eats out large patches of young bee. Very little pollen is lost, and drones can be very easily secured by stopping their entrance whilst they are out. In summer, hives must be kept under the shade of a tree, and not too close together. I have had the whole lot out, including the queen, during a hot day, but they re- turned in the evening. Bees and poultry cannot here be kept together. Towards spring, when the har- vest is nearly over, the bees become very fierce, and twice this year they came out and tackled everything within 400 yards. Curiously, on each occasion, they killed all the black fowls I had, but left the white. They tackled washing hanging out to dry, a wet jersey having thousands of stings in it. It had its humorous side, how- ever, the antics of natives when they came within the danger zone was worthy of a picture film. I looked on it as a reprisal for the theft of young bee. It is impos- sible to work without veil and gloves, and one gets many stings through the clothes. Artificial swarming is impossible when the hives are so strong. The brood nest is always so crammed with young bee that, when alarmed, they cannot fill themselves with honey. A little syrup poured over the brood nest might help this. I have never known them working by moonlight, but have had them tackle and sting me when working fifty yards away by lamp- light. How far more instructive to the general reader are letters written in a simple lan- guage. Scientific names, etc., are only understood by those who know as much as the writer of them. Beginners' experi- ences should always be interesting and in- structive. The remedies for many diseases among stock and poultry have been found by beginners who, though quite unedu- cated, have been very observant people. — W. H. Edmunds. May 30, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 181 AN EASTERN TRIP. Some Flora.— When encountering so many beautiful specimens, many closely related to our own cultivated kinds, one regrets one's botanical knowledge does not reacb the high standard of some of our correspondents. A good many Bom bus are seen, but not a single Apis Melli- fica have I seen on the many miles of these now, plains. Our old friend charlock, I think, is here supreme; field peas all colours; very fine plants of borage; an extremely pretty and fine variety of clover abounds, of which I shall try to get some seed. It grows to a conical shape with a dark purple base and creamy white top, and seems to bloom in a very likely bee- manner; and then there is a midget kind with heads red, and about the size of black currants. This seeds in a fluffy ball, and is very pretty. Lupins almost like ours, but seem to bloom at the base, and the pod resembles a large green plum ; and even the common nettle, alike in other respects, shows a profusion of little green balls, like small gooseberries. A pretty variety of thistle is also seen; the bristles are very large, and the flower is quite yellow. In some places small sun- flowers and milkmaids make a veritable chequered carpet. In fact the place abounds with nature study, and it seems sad to think the old promise of " milk and honey," has been so many centuries ignored and spoilt by the avarice, laziness, and jealousy of man. — A. H. Hamshar. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE AND DIS- TRICT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. Five hundredweight of candy has been purchased for the members of the above Association. This will be sold at 8d. per lb. Full particulars on application to the secretary, Arthur E. Taylor, 202, Willow Avenue, Edgbaston. KENT BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. SYLLABUS OF MEETINGS. June 1 (Saturday), 7 p.m. — Orpington, at '"' Bark Heart," Orpington, by kind permission of Miss Howard. (Meeting of members at 6.30 p.m.). Lecture and demon- stration by Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall. Sub- ject : Bee-keeping for Profit. June 1 (Saturday), 3.30 p.m. — Forest Hill, Mr. Prior's second lecture at the Horniman Museum, on behalf of the L.C.C. Admission free. June 8 (Saturday), 5.30 p.m. — Bickley, at Wixoe, Southlands Grove, by the cour- tesy of Mr. Grilby. Lecture bv Captain C. C. Lord, R.A.M.C. Subject: Prepar- ing for the Honey Flow. June 15 (Saturday), 5 p.m.— New Eltham, at Culham, Main Road, Mr. Prior will give a demonstration on Mani- pulating, Frame Building and Section Folding. June 15 (Saturday), 3.30 p.m. — Bear- sted, Mr. Watts' Apiary, Holmleigh. Lec- ture and demonstration by Mr. H. Watts. Subject: Forming Nuclei, or Artificial Swarming. June 22 (Saturday), 5 p.m. — Gilling- ham, Bleak House Apiary. Lecture and demonstration by Mr. G. Bryden. Sub- ject : Forming Nuclei. June 29 (Saturday), 5 p.m. — Dartford Heath, Association's Apiary at Maypole House. Lecture by Mrs. Bayne, of the Board of Agriculture, on the Value of Bees as Food Producers. Current work at the Restocking Apiary will be in progress. ROCHESTER BRANCH. An interesting demonstration on spring cleaning and supering was given at Mr. Rowe's Apiary, Maidstone Road, Rochester, on Saturday afternoon last by Mr. Gee. The weather was everything that could be desired, and the bees were flying freely. There was a large attend- ance of members, and the demonstration was much appreciated. The bees in this neighbourhood appear very healthy, and there is every prospect of a successful season. — G. Bryden, Secretary. zmmmm ^sr The Editor* do not hold them$tlve$ reepomibl* for the opinion* ezpretted by corretpondentt. N* notice will be taken of anonymou* communication*, and corretpondentt are requetttd to write on one tide of the paper only and give their real name* and addrettet, not necettarily for publication, but at a guarantee of good faith, llluttrationt thould be drawn on teparate piecet of paper. We do n*t undertake to return rejected communication*. BEES AND THE GARDEN. [9678] It has been suggested to me by friends that it was some reference of mine t:> the gardening articles in a recent let- ter that has put Mr. Kettle off writing. I am sorry if this is so, as I really had not thought of referring to his letters "A Dorset Yarn." It would be very difficult for anyone to write an interest- ins; letter almost everv week through the 182 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. May 30, 1918. winter without getting away from direct bee-keeping. May I assure your correspondent (9667) that I have no wish to " carp," and if 3'our readers like Mr. Harwood's long, and to me utterly uninteresting, writings, 1 am quite satisfied. Your correspondent, Mr. McGeoch (who, unlike the others, writes over his name), is quite mistaken in his supposition that I want to see my- self in print. I am far too busy a man to write to the British Bee Journal for the sake of that, and find it very difficult to find time to write at all. All this is, of course, Mr. Editor, on the supposition that it was some article of mine that has created this indignation, which I can hardly credit. I should like to say that I do not and never have been able to see any really practical connection between the flower gardens and honey production. I was interested in Mr. Macdonald's let- ter to-day, and should be very glad if he would explain his meaning when he says " I would not use a bait partly filled with comb." I have never been good at producing sections, and should be very glad to know. My bees are bringing in honey very fast now. Two of my neighbours nave fields of turnips being left for seed. These are in full blossom, and as there are at least 10 acres the bees have a good chance. I have 25 acres of beans just coming out in blossom to follow, so we should do well. The bees are strong for Italians. These do not get so forward as natives I have found- I have six lots on 12 — 16 by 10 frames, and just well on to a ten-standard frame super each. The rest will soon want to be supered. Have had no swarm yet, but should rather like three or four this month. — Robert B. Manley. [9679] For some months now I have had the British Bee Journal sent out to me weekly. I have always made a point of reading the " Dorset Yarn " by Mr. Kettle, which I consider jolly interesting and instructive. I entirely fail to understand the point of view of people who grumble because they consider horticulture is given too much prominence in the British Bee Journal. The two subjects are so closely allied and interdependent that anyone really in- terested in one subject must take a cer- tain amount of interest in the other. I hope that by the time this letter reaches you Mr. Kettle will have again commenced his contributions to the British Bee Journal in exactly the same style as hitherto. — A. F. Clarke, B.E.F., France. "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. [9680] I notice in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture for February that a short report appears as to investigations into "Isle of Wight" disease made by Dr. Annie Porter. Mention is made that there are at least live grades of the disease; and, what is more interesting to bee-keepers, is a state- men that two drugs, used alternately will cure the two milder grades and occasion- ally cure the third one. Unfortunately for bee-keepers gener- ally, the only information about these drugs is that* in carrying out the experi- ments one was termed " white " and one " brown." Surely, if the Board's investigations have reached a point where the word " cure " can be used at all, it is time for them to let us know what the curative agent is. I am writing this letter to ask if you have any further information as to the experiments of the Board of Agriculture. 1 am sure that all readers of The Bee Journal will welcome with keen interest any information about the Board's ex- periments which is likely to be of help in practical work against the disease. A bald statement such as that in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture, that two unnamed drugs will cure the disease is not very comforting to any unfortunate bee-keeper whose stocks are attacked.— Jas. Parkin. TSo far as we know the Board of Agri- culture have not issued any report on the results of the experiments with, or 'the names of, the " brown " and " white " drugs. — Eds.] FLAVINE VERSUS BACTEROL. [9681] I have been very interested in the reports concerning the results with the use of Bacterol. In some cases it seems to have cured the " Isle of Wight " disease and in others to have utterly failed also as a preventive. Flavine, on the other hand, has cured. Last summer I had one stock, an early June cast. I secured 301b. surplus: but in September they only had 71bs. in the brood nest. So I rapidly fed up with 201bs. of Pascall's Bacterol candy made into syrup. I also left a cake or two of candy over the frames. I bought two other stocks (one of which had " Bacterolised " stores), and placed them beside the others. This was in December. In mid-February my original stock had the " Isle of Wight " disease badly; the other two also slightly. I at once ordered some Flavine, and sprayed all crawlers, and on very warm days sprayed the frames of comb. May 30. 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 183 The bees in the original hive dwindled down until they only covered two combs. The bees one day disappeared. *I was told by a famous beekeeper that diseased bees sometimes did do that. The other two rapidly recovered. I have not seen a crawler since the end of March. One hive has all ten frames of comb covered, and the bees have begun work in sections- The other has eight combs covered. I may add that I have not seen any drones yet (May 26), and when I put on the sections and examined the combs (May 8) there was no drone brood. I attribute the healthy condition of my hives to " Flavine." — E. L. James. SYRUP FEEDING V. HONEY FLOW. [9682] In reference to your correspon- dent's letter (9677) with regard to spring feeding I will relate my experience. After 'six weeks' slow and continuous feeding, J examined two of my stocks just before the honej- flow from the fruit bloom, and was somewhat disappointed to find only three combs partly filled with brood. On examining them again about a fortnight later I was agreeably surprised to find eight combs almost solid with brood. I write this thinking some one else may have had a similar experience, which, if so, I hope they will relate. I may also add that the fourteen days were ideal for honey-gathering. — " A. B. C," Lanca- shire. PRESS CUTTINGS. BEES ON THE FARM. Honey is one of the products of the Canadian farm that are playing an im- portant part just now. It is taking the place of syrup in baking and confec- tionery establishments. Its economic value is becoming more> generally recog- nised every year, and the increasing de- mand is attracting the attention of resi- dents of Canadian rural districts, who are so situated that beekeeping offers them a sure and reasonably easy means of reve- nue. Bees owned by a farmer and ope- rated on his own land will yield him, in addition to the honey crop, the benefit of increased fertilisation of some of his most important crops. No fruit-grower who is in any considerable way of business should be without a few colonies of bees for the sake of the benefit to his orchards at blossom-time. Another good reason is that no one is better situated to effect a satis- factory distribution of the products of the bee than the man who has had experi- ence in disposing of a crop of fruit. — From the Bazaar, Exchange <»/ir? Mart. C. Wilson (Plumstead).— Limiting the number of drones. — Tou may leave the frames- close spaced until the combs are drawn out. The bees will be able to rear worker brood in them, but not drone brood. It is neither possible, or desir- able, to entirely prevent the rearing of drones. They .are as necessary for perpetuating the race as queens, and the bees must, and will, rear some. If they have no other opportunity they will build drone cells on worker base foundation. J. W. Hanning (London, X.). — Smarm returning to hive. — Your experience is not uncommon. For some reason the queen did not leave the hive with the swarm, or if she did she was lost. In either case the bees would return to the hive, as a swarm will not stay without a queen. We have known a swarm to issue during manipula- tion of the combs. " Italian " (Redmire).— (1 and 2) Not if the colony is a strong one. (3) A better plan would be to drive the bees and unite in the usual way. Cage the queen, or she may be injured. (5 and t) Make the artificial swarm in the usual way, by taking out a comb with the queen, and place in the new hive, with frames of foundation. Remove the parent hive to a new stand, and introduce the new queen to them. The safest plan is to use a travelling and introduction cage, see Figs. 102 and 103, page 138, of the British T3ee-keepers' Guide Book. Suspected Disease. J. W. B (Kent).— We do not find any disease. The carbolic cloth would not cause death, but it might cause the bees to stay outside the hive' and become chilled during the night. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l§d, per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum charge of 2s. per iin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATBR than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same w^ek. Orders for three or more consecutive insertion* in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. E PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. XTRACTOR wanted— 'Cl'XNEW, " Luctons." Wallington, Surrey. e.7J- WANTED, healthy Swarms. Best price given. — FAIRBROTHER, 31, North Avenue, Levenshulme, Manchester. e.72 FOR SALE, 15 Stocks Hybrid Italian Bees on ten frames, guaranteed free from disease, car- riage paid; price £5 each.— J. S. FARLEY, Weavilles Fruit Farm, Fair Oak, .Eastleigh, Hants. e.73 QUEENS, Italian Hybrids, 1918— A few to spare. June delivery, 5s. 6d. each.— HOSE- GOOD, 7, Purley Park Road, Purley, Surrey, e.75 STRONG Stock. 10 standard bars hive complete, earefullv packed, £4, plus carriage.— EDWIN GLOjJSOP. Ambergate. e.88 184 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. May 30, 1918. PURE Fertile Italian Queens, direct from Italy, due to arrive June 4 and 30, 10s. each — BRITISH FOOD 'CULTURE ASSOCIATION, LTD., 63, High fiolborn, London, W.C.I. e.74 FOR SALE, small Observation Hive, Super, Cover, and Sections, 30s— Write, P., 6, Heath- field iGardens, Chiswick. e.76 WANTED, Observatory (Hive for three or six standard frames, with sections on top. Cheap— V. C, Vale Croft, Ash Vale, Surrey, e.77 UNUSED W.B.C. Hive, four lifts, fabric covered roof, four coats paint, oak legs, no body box, 12 ordinary section racks, seven used once, glass sides, five unused; folding block; packed on rail, £4.^MRS. W. TAYLOR, Pevensey Bay. *e.78 iftio QUEENS, Dutch and Hybrid— Fertile, lalO 6s.; virgin, 4s.— STAYQLE, 26, Ash- burnham Road, Tonbridge. e.79 ORDERS booked for surplus Swarms, 7s. per lb. June— OSBORN, G-lenfield, 'Bideford, Devon. eM OR SALE, 56-lb. tin new Honey, £6.— WILLIiS, iNew Leake, Boston. e.81 F SHALL have a few surplus Nuclei of healthy Hybrids, with swarm-reared 1918 Queen6, 12s. per frame Parent stock in 1917 gave over 200 lbs. surplus and increased to four.— LILWALL, Orop- thorne, Kingsley Avenue, Kettering. e.aa SWARMS of Bees wanted.— Send particulars and price, delivered free, to MAJOR R. FULLER, Great Ohalfield, Me-lksham, Wilts. e.83 ASSISTANT ,Bee-keeper wanted at once. Must ibe ■experienced and strong.— Write full par- ticulars to " IC. B.," c/o J. 'W. VICKERS & CO., LTD., 5, Nicholas Lane, E.C.4. e.84 SEVERAL young Rabbits for sale, 3s. 9d. upwards. Stamp reply. Two three-frame Nuclei, 1918 Queen— W. WOODS, Normandy, Guildford. e.85 WE chose IFlavine as a safe remedy to give to the bee-keeping fraternity, and its staining property was one of the reasons for which it was selected. We don't want honey contaminated by chemicals, and any remedy the presence of which is not visible is likely to be used too freely. Having given the name of the drug and details to the authorities we thought our work was done.— (To be continued.)— S. H. SMTTH. e.86 WARMS wanted off clean Stocks— BELL, Hill- side, Langholm, Scotland. e.63 S TTIOR SALE, four Standard Hives by good -I. maker, used one season, complete with 10 new frames, dummy and metal ends, 15s. each, or exchange for goslings.^AVERY, Deverill, War- minster. e.59 WANTED, immediately, two strong ten-frame Stocks of Italian Bees, 1917 Queens, from apiary guaranteed free from disease. Would pay £5 each delivered.— WOiRTHINGTON, World's End, iSolihull, Warwickshire. e.68 WAR-TIME HOLIDAY. TAKE a week Board-Residence and Tuition in Practical Bee-keeping. Private and Comfort- able Rooms. Ideal country surroundings. — W. ION, Eastfield Apiary, Healing, Lincolnshire, e.87 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, lgd. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Iele of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and a circular for a stamped, addressed enve- lope; 8 packages, 6d.; a copy of " Intensive Bee- keeping," Chapters I.— IV., 6d— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. d.70 CUNLIFFE'S SEEDS DO GROW. The Bees know that. Six varieties, Is. 9d.; 12 Varieties, 3s.; 24 Varieties, 6s., post free; cash with order.— CHARLES CUNLIFFE, Seeds, Bulbs, and Bees, Southport. d.72 ISLE OF WIGHT" Disease permanently cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR BADE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash witfc order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. MUSHROOM SPAWN, FRESH. 6d. per brick. Carriage paid on all orders over six bricks. JOHN E. KNIGHT & SON, Seed Growers & Merchants, WOLVERHAMPTON FOR SPRAYING USE THE "SOVEREIGN "SPRAYER. Post free, 4/© JAMES LEE & SON, Ltd., UXBRIDGE, Middlesex. BUBTT, Gloucester, "Winces IU.USTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION June 6, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 185 OBITUARY NOTICE. Mr. C. R. Forse. The many friends in Staffordshire of Corporal C. R. Forse, headmaster of Tren- tham Schools, and especially those among the members of the Staffordshire Bee- keepers' Association, of which he was secretary, will hear with extreme sorrow of his death at the front from wounds received in action in France on April 30. He served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and it appears from a letter received from a Major connected with the battery that his death was due to a chance shell fired by the enemy. The Major, in conveying the deepest sympathy of the officers and men in the battery to Mrs. Forse, says : — " We who knew your husband well can realise to a small extent what the loss of your husband will mean to you. He was one of the best-loved men in the battery, owing to his unselfish disposition. His whole time was spent in working for the men of the battery or thinking out plans to increase their comfort. . When we were attacked by the Germans the captain of the battery (who was wounded at the same time as your husband) in- formed me that although the battery was very heavily shelled, your husband per- sonally saw that all the men who were firing the guns were served with hot coffee. Later, he assisted to save one of the guns, being one of the men who dragged it three miles to take up a' new position, part of the journey being covered under heavy shell fire. For his work on that day his name was submitted for the award of the Military Medal." The late Corporal Forse was born at Eylefield Green, Surrey, and was thirty- nine years of age. He took up his duties at Trentham Schools in 1905. Mr. Forse joined the Colours in June, 1916, and went to the Front in December of that year. He was on leave in December last, returning to the firing line on Christmas Day. For many years he was an active member of the National Union of Teachers, and was president of the North Staffordshire Association in 1912. As secretary to the Staffordshire Beekeepers' Association, he was held in the highest esteem by the members, and he was one of the pioneers of instruction in apicul- ture in the schools. He had the welfare of the association thoroughly at heart, and was always ready to give advice and assistance to the members. He wrote a characteristic letter, which was read at the annual meeting last year by Mrs. Saint, of Stone, who very kindly took on the duties of secretary during Mr. Forse *s absence. In this letter Mr. Forse urged the importance of the food and sweeten- ing value of honey, and beseeched members not to hold back stores for exor- bitant prices. Mr. Forse took a keen interest in parochial affairs at Trentham, and was a member of the Parish Council. He leaves a widow and three children, with whom the deepest sympathy will be felt. A DORSET YARN. Bees at our farm have now increased the population. Some have already swarmed, and are safely in their perma- nent home, at least for this year. They have given me this week the first three dozen sections. Most of them were sealed with the purest white capping, that com- mands the best prices. Two migrant swarms came and took possession of hives during the week, so it is helping up the numbers again. Our bees are mostly working the char- lock and raspberries. There are only the two colours of pollen brought home, though some of the white may not be all raspberry, because the hollies are in full bloom just now. Pressure of work has not allowed me to observe if they are on them so much this year; but the rasps. I am with every day, and can see bees in crowds over the long lines of flowers, and, as one is hoeing potatoes in the fields, one can hear them flying overhead to the next farm, where the charlock is in force. Indeed, much as I like bees, I should not like to see so much among my crops. There are a few large plants among the scarlet clover we cut for the cows and horses, and these, as the soil is in good heart, are 4 feet high, and have been in bloom a month. These seeded and grew when the clover was sown in September, those among the corn flower when only a few inches high, and the flowering stems rise up with the corn until they are eventually crowded out ; but the seed pods ripen and drop out the seeds for another year's seeding. As one mows the clover for stock in the early morning, the bees are there, even though the sun is only just rising, and the moon is still full and high up in the sky. One of our great writers tells us : " Sweet is the breath of morn." I agree with him, for the birds sing sweetest then (with the exception of the nightingale), the dew of night has made the dry soil seem fresh, and all vegetation is looking its best. Work is now at its hardest. We cleared a mile of lettuce, and cabbage by the van load. All has to be harvested in 186 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 6, 1918. the early morn, when the dew is on them, to keep them fresh till sold by the trader. That is the best I have ever done in lettuce, a mile in a week. We have another mile for this week. The Seville broad beans are almost ready for gather- ing, though there are still plenty of flowers for the bees on the spring-sown ones. I have had a most interesting letter from Mr. Trinder, of Edwinstowe, Newark, re ventilation of hives and pre- vention of disease. There is a great deal of logic in it. I hope some of our experts will give us their wisdom on the subject. I have lifted up the brood chamber and outer case with a couple of sticks in some of mine, to see if this adds to the stamina of the young bees to stand the long damp winter, and shall keep them up until robbery begins. Mr. Trinder suggests -sheet perforated zinc by the sides of brood chambers, and I must try the same on some of my lot for next winter. Bees are still booming. An enthusiastic neighbour is selling swarms at .£2 10s. and £3. She has a fine stock of hybrids (Taylor's strain), and has never had disease. She has them on sandy heath land, all hives on legs. The sand keeps drier in winter than do my lot that are on grass. — J. J. Kettle. [This yarn should have appeared last week, but was delayed in the post, and did not reach our office until Wednesdav. —Eds.] THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — {Continued.) Clarkia pulchella, a popular hardy annual of Calif ornian origin ; the flowers are distinct in shape, elegant in habit, and lasting. Most effective in clumps. Height ljjft. Colours : magenta, purple land other shades. Flowering in June, this should be sown in March, in the open ground, £in. deep, and thinned to 6in. apart. Successive sowings up to June will give flower to August. Often self-seeding, they come up freely in autumn, and these seedlings transplant well in spring. Coreopsis tinctoria is a charming bi- coloured plant which should find a place in every mixed border, being .M.M€UflOn€Ui ~~ - Man AGRICULTURAL FACTS AND FIGURES. Dr. Planta somewhere gave the follow- ing analysis of nectar : — Water, 73 per cent. ; invert sugar, 12 per cent. ; cane sugar, 12 per cent.; ash, etc., 3 per cent. Koenig's analysis of honey was : — Water, 20 per cent, down to 6 per cent. ; invert sugar, 72' per cent.; cane sugar, 1 to 7 per cent. ; and a small amount of phos- phorus, gum and various acids. An analy- sis of sugar stood as follows : — Water, 15 per cent, (or less) ; cane sugar, 84 (up to 99) per cent. ; and ash, about 1 per cent. Pap supplied to the young queens showed water 69 per cent. and. nourishing matter 30 per cent. For the drones and workers, water 72 per cent, and 28 per cent, of nourishing material. Composition of the pap fed to the larvae was as follows : — For Queens. For Drones. For Workers. For whole First 4 First 4 period. days. After. day*. After, o/ o/ o/ o/ o/ /o /o /o /o /o Albumen ... 45 56 32 53 28 Fat 14 12 5 8 4 Sugar ... 20 10 38 18 45 The cells of the queens receive 14 times as much pap as a drone cell and 90 times as much as a worker cell. The amount of honey consumed by a normal stock in wintering has been cal- culated to be as follows : — November, 1 to 2 lbs.; December, 1 to 2 lbs.; January, 2 lbs. ; February, 3 lbs. ; March, 5 lbs. ; April, 6 to 7 lbs.; after, there is a heavier drain. Honey contains inorganic elements, and although the amounts are small they are very important, as they form constituent parts in the organs and fluids of the body. Of these, the following are present in the ash of honey : — Phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, sodium, potassium, sulphur, manganese and silicon. All honeys contain these, but many in only small quantities. As man requires supplies of these, it can be seen that honey must be a valuable food. A queen begins to lay sometimes at a very early date in spring. At first the patch of brood is small. It is not, how- ever, until March or April that even the best queens lay at the rate of more than 100 eggs a day. In late April or early May this increases to 300 or 400, but by the middle of the latter month this may extend to 1,500 eggs in the 24 hours, and. by the end this number may be doubled. In June and July the best queens may lay from 3,000 to 4,000 eggs a day, but not every day. The above periods may be ante-dated in the South and post-dated in the North. A good queen should lay in a given time 100,000 eggs, but there is no guarantee that 80,000 mature bees will ever issue from these cells. A pound of bees may number 5,000 workers, but 4,500 may be a safer esti- mate. In a swarm, however, the number may not count more than 4,000, or less. A good swarm may contain 30,000 bees, but more likely not more than 20,000 when the bees are heavily gorged. Bacteria — frequently called germs, mi- crobes or parasites — are very minute plants (or animals). At times they are so tiny that if 12,000 are placed end to end they measure but an inch. They increase in number with marvellous rapidity, for it is found that, under favourable condi- tions, each bacterium may become thou- sands in a space of half an hour. At this rate millions are formed in 24 hours. Dr. Zander calculated that one bacterium may multiply into over 16,000,000 in a day and a night, and in 48 hours, at this rate, they would number no less than 281,500 millions of millions! Later, many of these become spores, which are some- what comparable to the seeds of higher plants, and these spores are very difficult to kill by heat, cold or disinfectants. This will explain why some of our bee diseases are so difficult to eradicate.. A standard Langstroth (American) frame measures 17f in. by 9^ in., and has thus a comb area of 134 square inches. With 25 cells to the square inch, and doubling it for the two sides, we would have about 6,760 cells on each frame. For a ten-frame hive this would give 67,600 cells. Our " Standard " frame measures 14 in. by 8£ in. The cells on each frame would work out to about 5,000, and for the ten-frame body we would find about 50,000 cells. Several American frames are larger than the Langstroth, especially in depth; the Gallup being 11| in. deep, but the number is rather negligible. The thicker wood used in the American stan- dard makes both nearly the same in actual depth of comb. This is a Continental estimate of what colonies of different strength can accom- June 13, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL 195 plish in the way of honey-gathering in one day's work : — 20,000 bees collect £ kilo. 30,000 „ „ | „ 40,000 „ ,, 2 kilos. 50,000 v ,, 3 ,, If correct, the inference to be drawn is that we should do our utmost to have all colonies strong. Just note 1 and 3. With only double the number of bees, 3 gathers eight times the quantity of honey collected by 1. The books generally tell us that we get five cells to the inch. A comb built en- tirely by the bees shows 4.926. Messrs. Boots' manufactured foundation has it 4.877, Dadant's 4.828, Dittmer's 4.849, and a Eietsche machine 4.535. All of these show a difference in the cell-base impressed in sheets of foundation to rear worker bees. Which is right? From America we learn that " lumber," wood for hives and appliances, has gone up 50 per cent, since last season, and metal work 300 per cent., prices for the latter being almost prohibitive. Wages, too, have gone up. Yet, showing the steady rise of our industry, one appliance manufacturer increased by 30 per cent, in 1916, and last year stood 50 per cent, oyer that. As time flies, beekeeping is making vast strides, and yearly there is steady progress. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS AND BEE- KEEPING. Bee-keeping is one of the occupations to which a discharged limbless soldier can turn his energies either as a vocation or as an addition to other sources of income. Mr. Alex. Steven, hon. bee master and instructor at the Princess Louise Hospital, Erskine, in the course of a lecture de- livered at the Inter-Allied Conference at the Central Hall, on May 22, gave an in- teresting account of work which his insti- tution is accomplishing in training men for this pursuit, Successful bee-keeping requires some practical experience, and the apiary in the hospital grounds affords the needed opportunity for instruction. Last summer 76 men received personal and direct instruction at the apiary, and some of them have now begun to keep bees on their own account. Mr. Steven speaks of the keen interest which has Been taken by his pupils both at lectures and at demon- strations in the habits of bees. They ap- peal to men with a turn for natural his- tory, and the interest grows as they learn the art of handling them. By bringing together the scattered experience that is being accumulated in the problem of re- starting the maimed soldier in civil life the conference is serving a most useful purpose, aria' lectures like the one Mr. Steven has given touch very practical aspects of the work. The conference was exceedingly inter- ested in Mr. Steven's lecture, which was not on bee-keeping, but which he described as an attempt to show how bee-keeping can materially assist in the solution of some of the problems confronting us to-day. The chief of these being, first, the increase of our food supply from home resources : second, the provision of suitable employ- ment to the discharged sailor and soldier. In dealing with the question of food resources from the standpoint of bee- keeping, Mr. Steven impressed on his audience that honey is not a luxury only, but a food, more valuable as a nutrient than sugar, as it is grape sugar. Prior to the war we imported immense quantities of honey, and neglected to garner the vast store from untapped home resources, which lie at the hand of every rural dweller. This was especially to be de- plored, when one reflected that our own country is so suitable for bee culture, that even in ancient times it was known as the " Isle of Honey." Mr. Steven also pointed out the value of the honey bee as a polleniser of fruit blossom, and said that as fruit is food, this is another aspect of the food problem. The suitability of bee-keeping as a voca- tion for the maimed and limbless was then dealt with, and as Mr. Steven has been giving instruction to men who have lost a limb, or limbs, he was able to speak from his personal experience. The question of outlay was considered, and the lecturer pointed out that even supposing the cost of starting was four times the pre-war rate, the price of honey has advanced suffi- ciently to meet this higher cost. Hives may be made from discarded packing cases, as was done at Erskine, and it is part of the scheme at the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital Apiary to provide stocks of bees, at a moderate charge, for those limbless men who desire to take up bee- keeping. The work at the Princess Louise Hospital was started in 1916 with some success. From a small beginning, and at a very moderate outlay, the stocks have been more than trebled, and from those set aside for honey gathering, an average of 76 lbs. per hive was secured last year. During the winter and spring instruc- tion is given by lectures, with limelight illustrations, and hives and other appara- tus are exhibited and explained to the class, which is composed of limbless men. In addition to class instruction, prac- tical demonstrations are given at the apiary. By means of glass observatory hives and ordinary hives pupils can study the habits of the bees and learn how to> handle them. 196 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 13, 1918. BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' WAB BOND. Bring the craft to notice. Resist petty squabbles. Insist on " Legislation." Turn over your portion for the wounded. Instruct and assist the novice. Show the advantages of your Associa- tion. Habits of cleanliness mean health. Bring pleasure, reliance and profit. Enterprise and business security. Encourage thrift, and use from waste sources. Keep your bees dry and warm. Ensure supplies, then all is well. Enter notes of profit and loss. Pay your bills; but count the cost. Enter produce for exhibition. Respond to orders, true to sample. Seek .to please, and pleasure's found. Win your British respect. And ensure a "Home Market." Resist the temptation of inferiority. Better the conditions of home and food. Owners can save for the rainy day. Never say die when adversity knocks. Death and the coward are half-way met. — A. H. Hamshar. BEES AND WAR. Somewhere in France, a few kilometres behind the line, I found an apiary un- disturbed by the hand of war. I had often seen scattered vemnants of once flourish- ing apiaries — a few deserted, upturned skeps and scattered pieces of comb, some- times a few despairing bees, but at last I discovered a " Rucher " peopled by 15 or 16 prosperous colonies of vigorous black bees. The hives stoou in one long line, seven frame hives of various patterns, and eight or nine skeps of straw, or osier. The wooden hives were made, with one exception, by M'sieur himself (for I made it my business to introduce myself to the owner) ; they held a varying number of frames, seven, ten or twelve, and in one hive there were fifteen. At the side and rear of each hive was a pane of glass, protected by a wooden shut- ter, and the outside combs could be seen fast filling with honey from fruit blos- soms and sainfoin. The owner did little manipulation of his hives, but made much use of these windows. Beyond the frame hives were the skeps ; those of osier were plastered with a mix- ture of clay and lime to make them cosy and weatherproof, and all had their rough outer covering of loose straw thatch, that one sees in England. A stout central pil- lar ran through the centre of each skep, and protruded at the top, and small hori- zontal supports ran from it to the inner walls. In the rear of the line of hives was a wind screen of stout straw, about 4| ft. in height, and, level with the fronts of the wooden hives were carefully trimmed " trees " of hawthorn, so that each hive looked out from a shady bower of leaves. Currant and gooseberry bushes and dwarf fruit trees grew in front of the hives ; they were so inviting that as Mon- sieur informed me adventurous swarms were usually content to cluster in their leafy branches without going further abeld. One day when the sun was out in full strength, and the fruit in full bloom, I helped the little French bee-keeper to put on his boxes of shallow frames. We re- moved the broad strips of wood that fitted together to form a lid, or covering, for the brood frames, gave a few puffs of smoke, and on went the drawn out combs for the surplus honey ; the strips of wood were placed above them in place of the calico quilts we use at home (no queen excluders were in use).. " Madame " was there, too, in a white sun bonnet — for had not " Madame " cared for the bees while Mon- sieur had been at the war, and while he had suffered in hospital? and had she not written, for three long years, in every letter to her husband, news of the bees, of their swarms and of the honey-flow? She had brought in this way the peaceful- ness of the ' ' rucher ' ' to cheer him in the field of battle, and to comfort him on his bed of suffering. Now he had returned from the war, and Madame still assisted him in his work amongst the bees. As we worked among the bees Madame stood behind the straw screen, giving a hand when she could, and taking charge of the now unnecessary winter wrappings of old garments. We spaced the combs, no metal ends were in use, " covered up," and left the bees to do the rest. In the village, half deserted by the civilians, and half peopled by our Tom- mies, I found the bee-keeper and his family; a simple, hardworking, homely family, in a simply furnished, brick- floored cottage. There we drank coffee and talked of bees, of swarms, of honey, as bee-keepers always have done, and as I often talked myself in the days before the war. No, I am not a linguist, Mr. Editor, but | a limited vocabulary is enough when one June 13, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 197 is aided by the freemasonry that always exists among real lovers of the honey bee. Armed with a souvenir copy of L' Api- culture Nouvelle, which I got in exchange for my current copy of the B.B.J, (though Monsieur will not be able to .read a word of it), I said " Bon Nuit " to my friends. No doubt with the aid of this French Bee Journal I shall learn many more of the terms in use amongst French bee-men. When I last saw the hives they were bathed in sunshine — a few shells whistled and fell in neighbouring villages — perhaps among the many little apiaries — but there few shells had fallen. I wonder if I shall see the sun bathed apiary again, or hear the homely song of its busy workers? I hope to be able to leave the guns again, and to assist in the harvesting of the honey. It may be that before the surplus is secured the bee- keeper's family will have to leave all, and flee before the advancing tide of war. And the apiary? perhaps swallowed up, like so much of La Belle France, by the ravage and waste of war. All of you at home, and all the Tommies in France, hope that we shall stem any further Boche advance — but as a bee lover I hope so still more strongly, so that the homes of bees and bee-keepers there, some- where in France, may be left in their for- mer atmosphere of industry, peace, and safety.— Cpl. C. Dobson, R.G.A., B.E.F. THE CUMBERLAND AND WESTMOR- LAND BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of the Cum- berland and Westmorland Bee-keepers' Association was held in Varley's Confec- tionery Rooms, Workington, on the 11th inst., the chair being occupied by the Rev. D. R. Jones, of Seaton. The attendance was very fair considering the present diffi- culties of travelling. The statement of accounts and the annual report of the Executive Committee, read by the Hon. Secretary, were considered and approved. The financial position of the Association was declared satisfactory, although a de- bit balance of £11 4s. 9d. is shown ; but this is not excessive when compared with many previous balance sheets. The defi- ciency is largely due to unpaid subscrip- tions (so many members being with the Colours), and the greatly increased cost of many items during the season, which could not be foreseen last spring when all arrangements for the year's work had to bf made. The " Isle of Wight " disease which is still present in many parts of both coun- ties has killed off a considerable number of stocks, but the majority of members are making a determined, and apparently suc- cessful, effort to stay its progress, by adopting preventive measures. Many non-membeis are working equally hard in the same direction, but much of the suc- cess attained is lost through the scourge being allowed to exist and spread by the indifference and carelessness of a class of bee-keepers from whom it is feared iittle improvement can be expected until legis- lative powers are granted to deal with it on (similar lines to swine fever and other diseases. Foul brood is no longer a source of anxiety, having been reduced to under 3 per cent. It is estimated that last sea- son between £5,000 and £6,000 worth of honey was produced in Cumberland and Westmorland, but as our annual import of honey is well over £100,000, there is every need to keep our shoulder to the wheel, particularly in face of the present scarcity of sugar. So far as can be judged, the condition of bees is better than at this date last year, and the beneficial effect of the instructions by experts is seen in the gradual improvement in the methods of bee-keeping amongst members. Great interest was shown in the Restock- ing Scheme inaugurated by the Associa- tion, under which three apiaries have been restocked from the original small effort at Keswick. After an animated discussion it was resolved to carry the programme for- ward, and endeavour to complete the arrangements for the Cockermouth and Egremont apiaries during this season. It was also decided as a safeguard against emergencies to maintain a standard strength of four stocks in each Associa- tion apiary, and to distribute at a nominal cost any stocks above that number. The Secretary pointed out that the pre- sent price of paper and the abolition of the halfpenny post were likely to increase the cost of the reports to about 4d. each, and it was therefore agreed not to issue the usual report this year, but to devote part of the funds thus saved to the pur- chase of up-to-date books for the Library. Any information usually supplied through the report will be obtainable by applica- tion to the Secretary. The Right Hon. Rosalind, Countess of Carlisle was unanimously re-elected presi- dent. The vice-presidents were re-elected with the exception of Mrs. Morton and Sir B. Scott, who wished to resign, and further elections were made to fill the vacancies thus created. No alteration was made in the Executive Council. Mr. John Steel, Cardewlees, Carlisle, and Mr. John B. Millican, Bank of Liverpool, Car- lisle, were reappointed hon. secretary and treasurer and hon. auditor respectively. The Association had again been favoured 198 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 13, 1918. with the usual grants of £50 from the Cumberland Education Committee and £25 from the Westmorland Education Committee, also a special grant of £5 from each Committee for lecture fees. During the year goods to the value of £36 had been bought in bulk by the Association and sold at cost price to members, thus ensuring them supplies of candy, etc., in lots to meet their requirements at 25 per cent, to 33 per cent, below current local prices for small quantities. Votes of thanks to the Chairman and the Hon. Secretary for their services, also to the Education Committees for their continued interest and support, concluded the meeting. — (Communicated.) -MMm!& The Editor* do not hold themtelve* retpontible for the opinion* expretted by eorretpondent*. No notice will be taken of anonymou* communication*, and correspondent* are requetted to vrite on on* tide o} the paper only and give their real name* and addrettei, not necetiarily for publication, but a* a guarantee of good faith. Illuitrationt ihould be drawn on separate piece* of paper. We do not undertake to return rejected communication* A NOTE FROM HERTS. [9685] Be our friend Mr. Kettle and his Dorset Yarns, I much appreciate same, and shall be very sorry if they are discon- tinued, although I know from experience how difficult it is to write a weekly in- teresting letter, as I have two boys, one in the Army, and another a civil prisoner at Ruhleben. Although over 60, with 40 years' experience in gardening and agri- culture, Mr. Kettle has given me valuable hints. After being without bees for many years I became the possessor of a cast, or second swarm, about a year ago. I bought some second-hand hives and sundries from a friend who had lost his bees, and after well disinfecting, I put the cast in one of them, and they did very well, filling ten standard frames, and started on some shal- low frames, so I got a few pounds of sur- plus. I packed them up for the winter, and they came through alright, with plenty of stores. In April I fed them with Pascall's candy syrup, and I noticed they dwindled some, which I attributed to the veTy cold, bright days we had. ■ Early in May I found a lot of crawlers, and sprayed them with Izal for several days without effect. Then in desperation I took the watering pot, removed the cover and quilt, and deluged the bees with a tablespoonful of Izal to about a gallon of water. That was about second week in May, since when I have not seen a single crawler, and I must have lost thousands, as they were all over the garden. I put a box of shallow frames under the. brood box, and to-day I find the hive crammed full of bees, and many of the shallow comba nearly full of honey. — Cheerio. BEES DYING. [9686] A lady who has kept bees suc- cessfully for 20 years, last November found one of her stocks without food, and gave them half a pound of candy. They were then quite lively, but about a week after they were found dull, and a few days after that they gradually died off. The other three hives had honey in their combs, but on giving them also half a pound each of the candy they became dull about three weeks later, and a few days after that they died. The bees looked healthy, and they and the hives were clean. The bees have been kept on the same spot and under similar conditions all the 20 years. Can the above be accounted for? — R. J. A., Ehyll. [It is probable that the bees died of " Isle of Wight " disease.] DIET AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9687] It may interest Mr. J. L. Ren- toul (9650) to hear of one bee-keeper who never fed his bees on sugar, but who always left enough, and to spare, of sealed natural stores for them to winter on, but still 4ost the whole of his stock (6) from "Isle of Wight" disease. — W. Gold- smith. THE HONEY INDUSTRY IN THE WEST INDIES. Development of the honey industry in the West Indies, in the interests of the home food supply, is under the considera- tion of the West India Committee. Some of the finest honey in the world comes from Jamaica, which sends us 500 tons a year, or nearly five-sixths of its total pro- duction. But the other British West Indies produce little honey, though well suited for it. Experts suggest at least hialf^a-million beehives, to be put down this year between the Bahamas and Trinidad, and an increase of production by five to ten thousand tons. How so many swarms are to be obtained we are not told. — From the Yorkshire Post. June 13, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 199 BEES AND DISEASE. " With the B.A.M.C. in Egypt," by " Sergeant-Major B.A.M.C." (Illustrated. Cassell. 6s. net) is a record of medical work carried out successfully amidst cli- matic and other circumstances of extra- ordinary difficulty. The habits of the natives of the country are not — to put it mildly — sanitary; and then there are the insects. According to the author, there are only two insects which are above suspicion. He hedges a little even over one of these ; he seems to intimate somewhat grudgingly that nothing is known at present against the butterfly. Of the other ex- cepted insects he is generous indeed to the honey-bee. He says that " the com- plicated blend of acid, alkali, and alka- loid forming bee sting poison " is good for rheumatism and preventive of rheu- matism. But of all other insects whatsoever " Sergeant-Major K.A.M.C." would echo the words of the American gentleman on the serpents of Eden : ' ' Out them down ; they mean wenom." A. M. - — From the Evening News. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNINQ. Only SPECIALLY UROBNT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. R. Waraken (Surrey). — Swarm decamping from hive.— Swarms will do this at times without any apparent reason, but it is seldom they do it so often as seven times. The bees had evidently located the hollow tree before leaving the parent hive, and were determined to establish themselves there. Get them out of the tree if you can do so. If a comb containing brood i6 placed in the hive when the swarm is run in, the bees will, as a rule, not desert it. " Lbabnee " (Grimsby).— Bees not storing in super.— If the bees have gone into the super, they will store honey when they can obtain it. At present there ' is evidently no nectar to be gathered beyond what is needed for their own immediate use. We cannot say where your method of making mead was wrong; probably it was allowed to ferment for too long, or it wa6 not tightly corked, with the result that you have made vinegar, instead of mead, but your expression " sour ae the bitterest gall " leaves us in some doubt. Use it as vinegar, it will improve with age, and is, in our opinion, much better than malt vinegar. Moving Bees.— If you move now, it will be better to take them the mile. If you move them only 300 yards a great number will probably be lost. Under the circumstances it will be better to move them a6 soon as you can. " Novice " (Devon). — Colony not increasing .— (1)' The insect is a Blind Louse (Braula coeca). One or two will make no difference to the queen laying. (2) If there are a fair number of bees, and the weather is favourable, the queen i» evidently a poor one, and should be replaced. (3) You may transfer a comb of brood from the other hive. Choose one in which the bees are just emerging from the cells. F. W. Haemer (Bexley).— W or king for honey and moderate increase of stock.— Make a nucleus with three frames of comb. We should prefer to make it now, as to do so will check any ten- dency of the parent stock to swarm, and the nucleus will have a better chance of working up strong enough for wintering. You may do it after the honey flow, but in that case you will most likely have to feed the nucleus. If there are queen cells in the hive it is good practice to utilise one of them for a nucleus, as you suggest. J. Flitton (Letch worth).— Ins tructions for making W.B.C. hive— You will find these in " The Bee- keepers' Practical Note Book," post free from this office for Is. lid., or for lid. we can send you a leaflet with instructions how to make a W.B.C. hive from boxes. " Extractor " (Paignton).— Extracting queries.— You may extract the honey as soon as it is sealed over, but the longer it is left on the hive the better it is. Honey that is extracted before it is sealed will probably ferment. You may cut the thick combs down to normal thickness when uncapping them. The cappings should be well broken up and the honey strained from them through butter muslin, or ordinary plain muslin. The honey will go through if you give it time; if very thick, put it in a warm room, or near the fire. The cappings may be soaked in warm water, thoroughly stirred, and again strained, the sweetened water being used to make mead, or vinegar. Then put the wax into a vessel with some water, and place it in the oven, or near the fire, until the wax is all melted; be careful it does not boil over or burn. When all is melted, remove from the fire and allow to become cold, when the wax may be removed in a cake and the dirt and other matter scraped from the bottom. To make it quite clean, re- melt it and strain through flannel. You will find the extraction of honey treated in the "Guide Book." If you are five miles from the heather the bees will not reach it in sufficient numbers to gather surplus. Two miles is considered the limit for foraging, though a few bees may go more than double that distance. The plan you suggest would be impossible. B. J. Walker (Street).— You may place another queen, securely caged inside a travelling and introduction cage, in the box with the bees. " Enquirer " (Hampton Hill).— We cannot account for the bees quarrelling, unless strange bees are attempting to enter the hive. The hive would be quite safe. You need not be alarmed at find- ing a dead bee occasionally. F. Shepherd (Mellor).— (1 and 2) Yes, if the weather is favourable, but we should prefer having them nearer if possible. (3) Two miles. M. Forley (Buckhurst Hill).— The insect will be a mason bee, or wasp. We cannot say without seeing it; probably the former. It will not injure the bees. It was curious the bees should swarm. G. Ledger (Weybridge).— The retail price of honey is 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per lb. jar extracted; sec- tions, 3s. each. M. E. Hartley (Sturminster Newton).— From 2s. to 2s. 4d. per lb. wholesale. F. C. Key (Godalming).— The bees are old and robbers, which accounts for their appearance. They are hybrid Italians. Suspected Disease. " Hartford " (Cheshire).— We cannot say why the drones are unable to fly. We do not End any disease. Either natives or Dutch. 200 THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL. June 13, 1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Que em, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l£d. per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum charge of 3*. per iin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of id. extra will be made if a box number is used. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS SWARMS.— Two strong, healthy May Swarm6, 35s.; 4-frame Nuclei, 50s.; carriage extra.— CHEASLEY, Lashbrook, Henley-on-Thames, f.18 SLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.-Wanted to purchase, stocks of diseased bees for experi- mental purposes. — Full particulars to Box 35, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand. W.C.2. -;-;, .- ^ f.w SIX Swarms wanted, from guaranteed healthy hives— MILLER, Hockley Heath, Warwick- shire. f.20 VIRGIN QUEENS— June delivery, 3s.; few 3-frame Nuclei, £2 2s.— GRANT, 49, Ashbourne Street, Leicester. f.21 STRONG Stocks, Hybrid Italians, ready for supering, £5 each; in serviceable hives with super, nine wide frames, wired foundation, £5 15s. — H. BOWREY, Swallowfield, Berks. f.22 FOR SALE, two good Stocks of Hybrids on eight frames of comb; plenty of brood in all stages; guaranteed perfectly healthy; carriage paid; £4 10s. each. Deposit system if preferred.— MAY, South Nutfield, Surrey. f.23 2JL DOZEN bottles finest Cambridgeshire Honey, 2 30s. per dozen.— HALFORD, West Wratting, Cambs. f.24 FOR SALE, giving up bee-keeping, Honey Press, Extractor, Section Cases, and a great number of necessary appliances for an apiary.— Apply, JAMES MARR, 27, Crow Road, Partick, Glasgow. f.25 FOR SALE, quantity Lee's Holborn Hives; clean, good condition; well painted.— -Box 36, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. -.,-., -. ; f.26 FOR SALE (Kent, 12 miles London), Hive wim healthy Stock on five frames, £3 10s. Must be removed by purchaser.-^Particulars, Box 37, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. f.27 WOULD give £5 for really strong, healthy Stock, 1917 or 1918 Queen, on 10 frames, sent immediately, carriage paid.— NELSON, Great Blakenham, Ipswich. f.29 FOR SALE, one May Swarm from bar hive, two Nuclei, three and four frames, all from healthy stocks— J BROOKS, Winthorpe, Newark-on-Trent. f.30 FOR SALE, about middle of July, two good Stocks of Bees. Too far from heather.— KIRKBRIDE, Terrington, York. f.36 WANTED, Geared Extractor and Ripener. Give cash or nuclei to value.— BARNES, 20, Bourdon Road, Anerley. f.37 COWAN Extractor, reversible cages, good con- dition, 57s. 6d.; W.B.C. Hive (George Rose), brood chamber, excluder, shallow super, lifts to accommodate four supers, 32s. 6d.; two W.B.C- Section Racks, hanging frames and dividers, 10s.; Cottage Hive (Redshaw), excluder, rack of 21 sec- tions, dividers, 18s. 6d. The lot on rail for £5 15s. — ALUN JONES, Halkyn, Flintshire. f.28 FOR SALE, two Hives in good condition, nearly new, painted white, £1 each, carriage paid; also Skep and two zinc Queen Excluders, 5s. 6d — St. Mars, Ewhurst, Hawkhurst. f.31 QUEENS— 1917 pure Italian (clipped), 1917 British, both prolific, 7s. 6d. each; after 20th. Stamp reply.— WILLIAMS, 8, Corrennie Gardens, Edinburgh. f.32 WANTED, Extractor, in good working order,- also Honey Ripener— E. FRANKLAND, Ravenstonedale, Westmorland. f.33 THERE is no magic in Flavine. All it will do is to confer immunity to " I.O.W." disease for some time. Good bee-keeping will mean just as bard work, if you use it or not. The only definite statement we can make is that stocks, treated with it early in the season, will resist the disease better, if attacked later on, than those not thus treated. The primary source of infection is not known, but we venture to assert that the robbing out of diseased humble bee nests in the autumn is one of the causes of its Drevalence at that time.— (To be continued).— S. H. SMITH, f .34 STRONG Stocks of Bees wanted. Must be guaranteed healthy.— TRINDER, Edwinstowe, Newark. f.4 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, lid. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d. ; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. TRICTLY BUSINESS— No more Sprayers at present. A free sample Flavine for a stamped. addressed envelope; 6 packages, 6d.; "Intensive Bee-keeping," Chapters I— IV., 6d— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. f.35 PURE Fertile Italian Queens, direct from Italy, due to arrive June 30, 10s. each.— BRITISH FOOD CULTURE ASSOCIATION, LTD., 63, High Holborn, London, W.C.I. e.74 " TSLE OF WIGHT " Disease permanently X cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions. 2s., post free.— PRESSEY, St. Elmo.. Coulsdon. d.73 Q UEENS— Virgins, 4e.; Fertile,. 12s. 6d — PRYOR, Breachwood Green. f.16 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON BEE-lCliIiFING W. HERROD-HEMPSALL is open to give the above in any part of the counky; providing his own lantern, slides, etc., demonstrating tent. Also private instruction at pupil's own residence. Terms on application.— W. B. C. Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds. MUSHROOM SPAWN, FRESH. 6d per brick. Carriage paid on all order1! over six bricks. JOHN E. KNIQHT & SON, Seed Growers & Merchants, WOLVERHAMPTON June 20, 1918. THE BRITI3H BEE JOURNAL. 201 A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To plaee on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print an additional name to those previously sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Major G. M. Ellison, Melton House, Exning, Newmarket, 1st Lines. Eegt,, wounded Sept., 1914. "Will our readers kindly note that we still prefer halfpenny, rather than three- halfpenny, or penny stamps for small amounts . When packages of bees or honey and a letter are sent in separate covers, the name of the sender should always be written on, or in, the package. A DORSET YARN. The week ending June 15 has been a poor one for bees at the farm. Several days it was very cold; none of them ven- tured out in the early morning. One can see to work now soon after four, but the glad hum of the bees was not with one, as it was the warm week previous, but ours are storing honey fast, and it does not seem to be from the white clover which is now so abundant, but the false acacia proves more alluring to them. These trees always seem to bloom when the strawberries are ripe; they are some- what ephemeral; like the Spanish broom, they do not last long. Many flowers that seed freely are only open a short time; the number of bees on them soon fertilises the seed organs, and they quickly close up, as their mission of reproduction is complete, like the May fly, which lives a Avhole year in the bottom of fresh water lakes; a few days at the end of May and early June it leaves the water a graceful flying insect — many thousands of them at one time. They have a fine time for a few hours, and when the female has been visited by the male she knows her mission in life is over, and she goes back to the water, lays her eggs, and dies. The eggs are hatched out and the larvae lives on to the same time the next year, when the same carnival is held again. If you want flowers to last a long time, they must not be fertilised. Some of the orchid family have been known to last perfect 80 days when no insects have been able to get at the flower, but others that have been fertilised by insects do not last nearly so long ; so with the Robinea or False Acacia, bees are so abundant when the trees are in flower fertilisation is soon complete, and the flowers close up. Our numbers are still going . up. Another large swarm came and took pos- session of one of the hives last week. They were hybrids, and look like giving a good account of themselves. The other lots are doing fine, and look as if no disease had ever been near the farm. . The honey this season has a most de- lightful flavour, and is much sought after. The article by Mr. Macdonald in last week's Journal, giving the analysis of nectar, was very interesting reading, and proves its high value as a food for the human race. Perhaps this is what keeps us in such good health, for we clear a section at tea. We need to keep well just now, as I have nearly 20 acres of hay to take up, loads of gooseberries and strawberries to send away each day ; long days of work, from 4 a.m. till 10 at night, one needs to have one's body in good con- dition. If honey helps to do this, then it is a fine food indeed — a food " fit for the gods." Though the weather has been very dry, everything in the country looks full of promise. The rasps, look like giving abtin- dant crops, the black currants are gain- ing colour, but apples and pears are very thin. Plums are good ; they were not hurt .much Hy frosts; but when the pears were in bloom we had very sharp frosts at night. Bush fruits are the most reliable crop ; besides giving abundance of early food for bees, they yield a great many tons to the nation's store of food. Summer is coming early this year; all crops are developing very fast, wheat is showing the ears* where the corn will soon be formed. I hope the weather will keep good for the bees, as it is only for another month that we get the great yield of honey. Already the heather is in blossom —not the ling that the bees revel in, but Erica Cineria, that deep-coloured one: but the other will soon be out in blossom. I have always noticed it soon follows; but it shows how the summer is going on. We seem a month in advance. It was the hot, dry time of a few weeks ago that has hastened things on so. — J. J. Kettle. 202 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 20, 1918. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists. — (Continued.) Limnanthes douglassii, Nimble Nancy or Codlins and Cream, is one of the best- known bee plants. Walking one day from Perivale through Greenfoird to Ruislip I passed, at Hayes West End, a cottage on the right-hand side of the road, well set back behind a fairly large garden, one-half of which was a mass of limnan- thes — a most arresting sight. Glancing at the cottage, I saw, at one end of it, a bee-house in the ancient style, enclosing a number of skeps, some of which were capped or supered with smaller ones. Their owner was in the garden, and I could not resist the temptation to linger and have a " crack " about the bees and the feast provided for them. I was told that the limnanthes had occupied the same ground for a number of years, sowing their seed lavishly from season to season. Among them was a good deal of crocus " grass," and on inquiring, I learned that that wa6 the succession ; first the pv rple and gold crocus, then the white and yellow limnanthes, so that the bees had their table almost always spread. Seed was offered me, to be had as soon as ripened. Accepting, I later rode that way and was handed a bag containing enough to set me and two or three others up with a good bed. Not until I removed to Heathrow was I again without limnan- thes, and, fortunately, had not been there long before I saw an offer of plants by Mr. Bowen, of Cheltenham^ in the Journal. Taking advantage of this, I made another bed of "Nancies," and from that day to this have kept seed or plants. As I write I have before my lifted eyes an oval centre bed in which standard roses are rising from a carpet of limnanthes, cyanus minor, and lava- tera rosea, while on the lawn the cam- panula pyramidalis in tubs also rear themselves above a ground of limnanthes. The plant is quite worth growing for its own sake. It is of Californian origin ; is robust and of spreading habit, not making more than 6in. in height. The delicately- scented flowers, yellow in the centre and white at the edge, are most abundantly produced. While of the greatest value to the bees when grown in a mass, it is rlso valuable as an edging. There is a white variety, l.d. alba, but I have never grown it, nor have I any knowledge of its Quali- ties. As few annuals stand the virter better if sown in autumn, and as seed sown then produces stronger plants which flower earlier and more freely than spring Bown ones, I strongly recommend this practice. For succession, sowings nay be made in March, April and May, whereby bloom will be obtained till October. Sow 1-1 6in. deep in the open ground. Lim- nanthes flourishes in poor, light soil just as well as in heavily manured ilay. It is resistant to drought, and luxuriates in mossy, undrained places. Subsequent cul- tivation consists in leaving it alone, as it can, and does, look after itself. (To be continued.) BEE-KEEPING AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL. By the Assistant Music Master. (Continued from page 189.) Another day I was sent for to hive a swarm in one of the college courts ; it had come from one of the wild colonies in the school buildings. The college elec- trician, having made friends with one of the young bee-keepers, had copied his hive, and desired to commence bee-keep- ing. Seeing the swarm near the top of a laburnam tree within' the school precincts, he thought he would try and take it, so securing a skep and a pair of steps he set to work. He had just succeeded in shak- ing the bees into the skep, when the steps gave way, and he dropped the lot, getting about seven stings. He now sent a message to me, and I soon hived them and handed them over to the would-be bee-keeper; the headmaster coming up took a photograph of the scene after the swarm was in the skep, showing the boys and the two principal actors standing round. The picture was included in a book of views sent out to old boys serving in His Majesty's Forces, and a copy was presented to me. A 5 lb. swarm settled late one evening in another part of the college grounds; where it came from I do not know. I was giving a music lesson at the time I was sent for, so did not go immediately, but gave directions to provide a ladder, etc., saying I would come shortly. While wait- ing for me the boys had become impatient, and had tried to hive the bees themselves in a pail and borrowed skep, but without success. I found some of them in a rather excited condition kicking the skep about, which still contained two or three hundred bees, while one or two boys, who had already learnt something of bee- keeping, looked on in dismay, not being big enough to interfere. What a pity the bees did not retaliate, I thought! A boy, previously unknown to me, stepped for- ward and asked if he could have the swarm. T promised it to him, and soon had all safe inside the skep. I put them into a frame hive temporarily, afterwards transferring the frames into another bought by the new owner, who later re- moved bees, hive and all to his own home June 20, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL 203 not many miles off. This boy had a very unpleasant experience. The next day after the swarm was hived, I invited him to one of my apiaries to learn something about handling bees. We turned back a quilt to see how some sections were get- ting on; a bee or two buzzed round us; my companion dodged slightly, I think, though warned not to do so, and received a sting on his nose. He retired some dis- tance behind the hives under a large tree (it never occurred to me to throw him a veil, as I thought he would be fairly safe there) ; some bees followed him, however, and he called out that another had stung him in the same place. I went to his aid only to see a third bee disappearing up his nostril. It would be too much to expect an absolute novice to maintain his self-control in such circumstances. Before I could do anything, he made frantic en- deavours to get the bee out, and, of course, was stung a third time. After this I advised him to clear out and come again another day. All this time the bees never molested me in any way. At the end of 1917, wishing to take up different work, I relinquished my appoint- ment at the school, and no longer having any suitable place to keep them, disposed of my bees. I was sorry to leave my young friends whose initiation into the mysteries of the craft had given me so much pleasure; but as I am not very far away, I shall be able to cycle over and see them occasionally. About Christmas- time I received a copy of " The Bee- Master of Warrilow " from them, and also the promise of another book on bee- keeping as soon as it can be procured — very acceptable mementos, which I value greatly, of delightful hours spent together among the bees. As I told my young friends, it gives me satisfaction to think that if they ever attain that sad condition, admitted by some of us older folk, of having forgotten all they learnt at school, they will still retain that knowledge of how to handle bees, which I helped to impart to them. THE MAKING OF A BEE-MAN. (Continued from page 188.) Up to the date of writing, May, 1918, neither the two roof colonies nor any of their offspring have suffered from any disease whatever, and we may infer that when bees are not deprived of their honey they can safely withstand the cold and wet of a very severe winter. Each of these roof colonies had twelve to thirteen combs, the centre combs being about 24 ins. long by 14 ins. wide at the top, a total comb surface of about 6,000 square inches, as against 2,400 of our standard ten-comb brood chambers. It seems reasonable to infer that a suitable hive size is two to three of our standard brood- chambers, and that if the two or threa chambers be piled up above each other, the shape of the space provided will suit the bees. But let us return to our Bee-man. Towards the close of the severe winter the Mother, remembering the starvation disaster, made enquiries, and was told that sugar should be placed on the frames. She lifted the roof of No. 1 and made a little heap of sugar on top of the sections; but when she attempted to lift the roof of No. 2 the roof seemed glued down to the hive; it resisted all her efforts, but the disturbed bees swarmed out and stung her badly. All this time the Bee-man had been away from home almost continuously, and had given no thought to the bees; but the accident to the Mother brought them to his notice, and his verdict was, "We are ignorant, therefore the fault is ours. We must learn to get honey for the children in these war-times." But the landlord per- sisted in his passive resistance, and by the end of June, 1917, at least five swarmB had been lost, and the honey was still un- harvested. One Saturday afternoon, on his return home, the Bee-man found the family watching a neighbour catch the sixth swarm, a cast of " Goldens." The catcher was asked to tackle the obdurate roof of No. 2 hive, but did not relish the job and declined. The Bee-man said, " We will tackle them to-morrow. Make us all veils, Mother, and we will wear our stoutest gloves." By Sunday afternoon the Bee-man, Teddy, and Peter were armed cap-a-pie; no one thought of smoke ; but a large biscuit tin was made ready, and hive No. 1 was first tackled. Most of the sections were found sealed over, and the few bees on them were easily flicked off as the combs of seventeen out of the twenty-one sections were rapidly cut out and arranged in the biscuit tin; the empty sections were replaced. So far, no stings. But No. 2 proved a very different job. When the roof was eventually prised up with the help of a long screwdriver, and with difficulty lifted off, a scene of pitiful destruction was revealed. There were only five frames without either quilt or division board, and the bees had filled the roof with comb, which hung right down into the space behind the five frames, whilst those combs which hung over the five frames had been glued down to the top bars, and it was this attachment, together with the weight of the comb, which had made the removal of the roof 204 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 20, 1918. so difficult. The honeycombs had broken, honey was oozing out; everywhere, and the whole was one mass of live, drowned, and drowning bees. Something had to be done, and that quickly. The comb was all cut out of the roof, and the lower portions full of brood were arranged as well as pos- sible in the space behind the five frames. This left two large basins full of honey- comb covered with bees, which could certainly not be taken into the house. A decision was soon taken. It was then 4 p.m.; by 9 p.m. the bees would have gone home, and the honey would be secured. But the family little knew how bees can work and how bees can rob. Long before sunset the whole of the 30 lbs. or eo of honey had been cleared out, and at least three good honest colonies had been initiated in the wicked delights of robbing. But of this more hereafter. The family were agreed that evening that matters had been mismanaged, and must be done better next time; Bees' must be read up. OUR FIRST BEES. I had never seriously thought of bee- keeping till one day I saw a bee-keeper opening one of his hives. He was wear- ing a veil, but no gloves, and it was a marvel to me to see his fearlessness when lifting out hundreds of bees on a frame, from one of our modern movable frame hives. Gradually growing more and more confident I stepped closer and closer, and had the different kinds of cells pointed out and explained to me. Here were the sealed worker cells, and the unsealed cells show- ing a tiny egg or a fat white grub coiled within. Then there were the larger and slightly raised drone cells, and one queen cell just being formed. This the bee- keeper broke off, not wishing his bees to swarm when a new queen was ready. That day I became infected, and the symptoms began and grew till I had bee fever in one of its worst forms. From that time on- wards, the bee, always a wonderful crea- ture to me, became a kind of passion. 1 watched her in the flowers gathering nec- tar, I noticed what colour pollen she was collecting in her little pollen bags, and I bought and read bee literature, simply devouring Maeterlinck's " Life of the Bee," and Tiekner Edwardes " Lore of the Honey Bee," and the result of all this was that I could never be happy without keep- ing bees. I paid another visit to my new friend the bee-keeper, and bargained for a stock to be delivered in April, with hive and apparatus complete. Some of the ap- paratus came before the bees,. What a joy it was to behold my first rack of 21 sec- tions, and how like a child with a new toy I was, as I pulled them all out of the rack, simply for the pleasure of fitting them all back again! What curious stuff the wax foundation in each section appeared to be, and how wonderful that the bees should be able to draw it out on either side into deep cells 1 At last the bees arrived in a white hive, and were duly placed down the garden. Nothing now delighted me so much as to sit on a little stool by the side of the hive, out of the bee-line, and watch the little creatures arrive on the alighting board. Here was one" with pale yellow pollen, per- haps obtained from the bluebells. Perhaps they came from the apple blossom. Here was another with some deep orange-yellow pollen. Had she been to the gorse on the hillside? Here was another with purple pollen from the pretty pink or white cam- pions; and here was yet another with red pollen. Where could she have got that? So I sat watching till my cramped position forbade it any longer. The bee-keeper came in May to over- haul the hive and see if it needed any at- tention. Yes, there were three queen cells forming, and these must be broken off, and the queen's wings must be clipped also, lest she should be tempted to lead a swarm while I was away all day. My friend, the bee-keeper, called again several times that summer to see if all was well and to put on extra supers, as the honey was coming in so fast, but he never allowed me to do more than lift one frame to feel how heavy it was, though I was most anxious to man- age them myself. How I finally did so is another story. A farmer had promised us some of his bees in the autumn, instead of sulphuring them as usual, if we knew how to take them. After having read " How to drive bees 7' from the guide book, we were sure we could manage it. So one September morning saw us starting off with a straw skep, veil, gloves, a piece of sacking and a smoker. The farmer showed us two lots of bees which we might fake, while he and his family stood watching. With a little mix- ture of importance and diffidence we don- ned our veils and gloves, and having lighted the smoker we copiously puffed smoke into the entrance of one hive, then standing behind it we gradually turned it back towards us. All was quiet, not a bee stirred. In fact it was uncannily quiet, so that we ventured to look in. Not a bee was to be seen, but the hive was full of a woolly substance, and long white cocoons. We knew from a picture that we had seen in the guide book that this was the work of the wax moth, and that it had literally eaten the bees out of house and home! We tried the next hive. There were bees in this one. I held the hive June 20, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 205 steady, while my friend, with the help of driving irons, secured our new skep to the side of the inverted one at an angle of about 45 degrees. Now all we had to do was to beat the sides of the old hive and the bees would obligingly walk into the new skep — at least that was what the book said, so accordingly I started. When I became tired my friend took up the drum- ming. So far not a bee had set foot in the new hive. u How long will it take? ' ventured one of the spectators. " Oh, only twenty minutes to half-an-hour, " I volun- teered casually, for so the guide book had said. However, time was passing, and one by one our spectators slipped quietly and sceptically away, for there was noth- ing to see. '■' Which side were we sup- posed to beat?" said my friend when they had all gone. " I don't know," I replied, " I wish we had not forgotten the guide book. Let's try banging on the other sides now." Ah! a few bees go up. We must have the right sides now. Why didn't we think of that two hours ago! " Couldn't we raise a tune now that things look more hopeful," I said. So accord- ingly we began drumming the hive to the tune of " The March of the Israelites," and more briskly to " A Life on the Ocean Wave." Yes, either our singing or the beating on the other sides was having effect, for the bees were now calmly walk- ing up the slope into our skep in shoals. A glance at our watches showed that we had been three hours bending our poor backs and drumming ! ' ' Someone had blundered," but we didn't know where, nor care now that the bees were really in. A few more minutes, and in went the last one. Then we put sackcloth over the top, tied the skep round tightly, and walked home, exhausted, and famished but triumphant. (To be continued .) BEE INFECTIONS AND VACCINE THERAPY. [9688] Depending on your courtesy and support, might I venture in your columns to request the Associations' ex- perts interested in my original research for the artificial immunisation of bees against " Isle of Wight " disease (and possibly against other bee infections) to favour me with samples of undoubted cases of this infection, in separate marked cages. Attempts are being made to re- test bacteriologically the cause of this disease and to prepare a vaccine from either the causative organism (if such an organism could be definitely proved and cultivated) or from ancillary organisms, and to try the effects of such a vaccine chiefly in prophylaxis, though also in treatment. In my humble opinion, this line of investigation is worthy of the consideration of . other bacteriologists interested in bee culture, and it would give me great pleasure if, through your influence, others are persuaded to co- operate.— A. Z. AbushadYj Laboratory for Clinical Research, 21, Cairn Avenue, Ealing, W.5. A NOTE FROM FRANCE. [9699] I derive great pleasure in read-: ing the B.B.J. , which I have had sent out to me during the last eighteen months. I was sorry to notice that Mr. Kettle had ceased to contribute the " Dorset Yarn." I sincerely hope that he will take it up again. I am sure that the majority of your readers, like myself, have looked upon the yarn as being one of the most interesting articles in the Journal. It certainly makes one long to pay a visit to the Violet Farm and make the acquaint- ance of its owner. I am sorry to say that I have lost almost all my bees through the. " Isle of Wight " disease. Out of 25 stocks which I had in 1916, only one stock of hybrid Italians, which appear to be practically immune from the disease, remains, but I am hoping that I shall be able to build up my apiary again. I may say that the bees are being well looked after by my brother during my absence. I have noticed a fair number of stocks of bees since I came out here, but most of them are kept in very small skeps, so that the harvest of honey must be small, although they should have a lot of swarms. There seems to be a lot of bee forage about, such as rape, hawthorn, beans, and also fruit blossom, and later on there will be a lot of clover, as well as the lime trees, for them to work on. In conclusion i must wish your journal every success. — Gnr. H. Valley, R.F.A. THE CAUSE AND CURE OF " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9700] The letter in your issue of June 6 appears to call for some comment. If you receive criticisms from others more competent to discuss the subject than I — well, let the waste paper basket do its duty. This district has suffered severely from " Isle of Wight " disease for the last four years, but I have kept going — and hoping, and naturally have formed certain opinions. Your correspondent again raises the old 206 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. -Tune 20, 1918. question of a return to more natural methods. Well, the only bees in this dis- trict which have survived are in frame hives — with an exception which I will mention later — although in former years a large number of skeps were kept, and there were a good many trees containing bees. In many cases " Isle of Wight " disease was the cause -of their disappear- ance, to iny certain knowledge. Then we are told that hybrids are generally inferior to either parent. Surely your correspondent is overlooking the fact that so-called hybrid bees are not hybrids at all ! I believe I am right in saying that the result of crossing two varieties of any .animal is almost invariably to pro- duce an animal healthier and with more stamina than either parent. My experi- ence makes me certain that Italians, and Italian " hybrids " (first cross), are very much more resistant to " Isle of Wight " disease than natives, and this seems to he the general opinion. The objections to " hybrids " are well known, and I think most bee-keepers prefer pure Italians. Yet we are to be forbidden to import them! I am, of course, aware that pure Italians are bred in this country; in fact, I have purchased three such queens this year. But I should imagine that the breeders of these must find it necessary to import fresh blood from Italy from time to time. If the bee-keeper — as dis- tinct from the queen-breeder — cannot ob- tain pure Italian queens, he will not long succeed in breeding first-cross hybrids. Now as to the exception referred to above. There are one or two colonies sur- viving in trees, but in every case that I know they are at least 15 ft. from the ground. Several others, low down in the trunks of trees, have gone. This sug- gests to me that possibly the former colo- nies have survived owing to crawlers, and perhaps slightly infected and weak-flying bees, failing to return to the nest and spread the infection. And this leads me to wonder if we are not doing wrong in keeping our hives on short legs, and ex- tending the flight board to the ground. If I may be allowed, I should like to allude to one other matter. I, too, regret to see so much space in the journal de- voted to horticulture ; not because I am not interested in gardening — as a matter of fact I am nearly as keen on it as on bees — but horticulture already has a large and excellent press devoted exclusively to its interests, while bee-keeping has not a large press. The Journal, to my mind, is none too large to be devoted entirely to bees. The suggestion of one of your correspondents that those who do not agree with him are anxious to see them- selves in print is beneath contempt. — G. E. Strong. [9701] Your correspondent Mr. Taylor (page 189) is not on very safe ground in his second paragraph, when he compares the hybridisation of plants and animals with the " hybridisation " (so called) of bees. Hybridisation is, of course, the inter-breeding of two species, whereas what we call the "hybridisation" of bees is merely the crossing of two varieties of one species. Now, the crossing of two varieties in plant or animal life tends to strengthen the vitality of the issue, which is the op- posite effect of hybridisation. Conse- quently, your correspondent's whole theory is based on a groundless supposition. Continual in-breeding of one family of bees is, in my opinion, likely to weaken the strain, but the continual crossing of varieties will have the other effect. Is not this disease rapidly getting less virulent now? I think so. Can anyone else give their opinion of this? There is no doubt that this is no new disease. Is there such a thing as a new disease, I wonder? Your correspondent's proposal on page 190 to grant permits to certain men to have control of a certain area (many square miles) is on the face of it impos- sible. Where would our liberty be if such things could be done? He probably would not like it in his own district — unless he was the chosen man. Besides, what about wild bees, and swarms? I think that the conclusion that the disease will go on indefinitely is right, but not to such an extent as to in any way cripple bee-keeping — witness foul brood. 1. As to the tabulated measures sug- gested, the first is, I think, quite wrong in principle. 2. The second is obviously right. Only I would add, " Destroy the combs."' 3. Can anyone guess what Mr. Taylor means in his third by " a slight amount of infection "? 4. What is an " immune " variety, and where is it to be had? 6. Is no doubt perfectly right — if you can get the sugar. As to No. 11, if Mr. Taylor believes that, left to herself, Nature would soon eradicate this disease, why does he sug- gest all these measures? — B. B. Manley. [9702] I was much interested in Mr. Taylor's article "As to the Cause and Cure of 'Isle of Wight' Disease." ,1 agree with him on most points, but cer- tainly not on all. If you will permit me, I should like to give my experience of 25 years with most races of bees ; but fii'st of all I should like to deal with Mr. Taylor's item No. 1, which reads, " Have nothing to do with foreign bees." Now, this, in my opinion, is like killing June 20, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 207 the goose that lays the golden egg. The foreign bees have done wonders in making ours immune; in fact, the Italian and Cyprian and their crosses are all that remain alive in my district. When the disease attacked our bees around here' some years ago we had nearly all English — or, rightly named, German — brown bees, and they all died with the exception of a stock or two of Italians, owned by a neighbour, and a stock of imported Cyprians owned by myself. These have lived on through it all, and to-day there are some 40 to 50 colonies, and no disease. What would have happened if there were no foreign bees here? We should have been without a single bee. I will now give my experience with the black bee, which is not very favourable. Being very much against the " Yel- lows," I decided to give the " Blacks " a fair trial, and so procured the very best strains. I bought queens from well-known breeders, and fine ones they were, too. I expected great things when they came; introduced them successfully, and they did well, taking to the sections and start- ing them in a business-like manner. All went well until they had drawn out about half the combs. Then they started swarming, and I returned them to the hive ; but they simply kept hanging round the doorway, doing very little in the supers. • The next season I tried the plan of standing the swarm on the parent stand and supering them. They worked well until they had drawn out the body box; then they coolly swarmed in July, with the result that I had very little honey. They were also very vicious, attacking one at quite a distance from their hive. (A friend of mine has some ' ' Blacks " now which are so spiteful that he finds little or no pleasure in keeping them.) Needless to say I soon turned my " Blacks " into Italians, which I must tell you, in my opinion, after ten years working them, are the best of all bees and certainly the most quiet. — A. H. B. BEE-KEEPING IN MANITOBA. At a meeting of the Manitoba Bee- keepers' Association last autumn it was stated that there were no less than 10,000 colonies of bees in Manitoba in 1916, and they produced over 800,000 lb. of honey, which at the present price would mean a revenue of $100,000. Every district in the older part of the Province of Mani- toba has its bee-keepers. The number of colonies owned by single individuals runs from one to 134^ and the spring count shows a yield of from 7 lbs. to as high as 227 lbs. of honey per colony. The presi- dent of the Association stated that the average annual loss of bees during the winter was about 15 per cent. As a matter of fact, this comparatively low average winter loss is somewhat remark- able in view of the cold winter climate of the Province. While some bee-keepers winter their bees outside with a fair measure of success, the method generally adopted in Manitoba is to winter them in cellars. The bees are usually placed in their winter quarters early in Novem- ber, when they have had their last fly for the year, but some bee-keepers prefer to protect the hives with straw outdoors until the really cold weather sets in some- what later. The cellars have to. be dark and quiet, well ventilated and free from dampness, and are kept at an even tem- perature of 45 deg. In his address at the meeting, the president of the Association mentioned that the first apiarist in Mani- toba imported five hives of bees from Minnesota in 1875. He had very good success, but it was not until 1885 that another bee-keeper, who since then has done much to encourage the industry in the Province, followed his example From the Western Morning News. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. "Duck" (Bridlington).— Small hive for the heather.— "We think the best plan will be to make one to suit vow own requirements. Probably a single walled hive to hold five combs would answer. " Skeps " (Berks).— Taking honey from skep.—Ii there is a hole in the top of the skep, you could fix a small section rack on. This you can get from an appliance dealer, or you could use a small straw " cap " or a bell glass. To get the honey out of the skep the bees must first be " driven " out, say, about the middle of August, and the comb then cut out, broken up, and the honey strained from it. The bees must be either fed up on drawn-out combs, or united to another stock. J. Futton (Herts).— Getting honey from combs without an extractor.— This is always a most unsatisfactory business. If the capping is pared off and the comb laid flat, the honey will drain out in time. When one side is drained turn it over to do the other, and do not use the knife hot enough to melt the wax. or a film may be left over the honey. Place the comb in a warm room, or neaj the fire. If the honey is at all dense it will take a day or two to drain out. \n alternative met hud is to pan- the comb down to the mid-rib, or cut it out altogether, break up and strain. 208 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. June 20, 1918. Beginner (Essex). — Combs built across the frames. —Place the seven combs in a box over the present brood box, putting frames of foundation, or comb, in their place, and as soon as you can 'find the Queen on the new combs place an excluder over her; in three weeks' time you could take away the old combs. The difficulty will be to find, the queen, but if the bees are well smoked at the top, or a carbolic cloth laid over the frames for five minutes, she will most likely go down. " Bee-keeping Simplified " is 6d. ; post free for 7|d. J. R. B. Beanson (Hants).— Swarms taking posses- sion of empty hives.— This is quite a commuu occurrence, and " decoy " hives are often left as you describe. There is nothing to prevent anyone doing this, and the most annoying part is that infected hives and combs are so left, and thus spread disease all over a district. Leaving such hives and combs open to the visits of other bees should be made a criminal offence. X. O. X. (Maldon), Parker (Glos.).— Price of honey.— 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per 1 lb. jar, 3s. per section, run honey £8 to £10 per cwt., sections about 30s. per dozen. E. M. Marinder (Glos.).— Using beeswax for seal- ing bottled fruit.— It may be made suitable for this purpose by mixing a little oil with it. Olive oil would probably be the best. H. A. Taylor (Long-parish).— Clarifying beeswax.— Melt and strain the wax through flannel. G. M. Rooling (Paignton).— Difference between fertilised and unfertilised queen. — If the queen is laying there is no outward difference, but the unfertilised queen will be a drone breeder. A queen, before mating or laying, has the abdomen shorter and more pointed. She is also more lively. After mating eggs develop in the ovaries, the abdomen becomes more elongated, and the queen has a more " matronly ■ appear- ance. A young queen will ftipe when alone. We have had them do it in a match box in our waistcoat pocket. The time between the queen leaving the cell and matidg depends greatly on the weather. We have known it to be several weeks. " Querist " ((Edinburgh). — ifll) Yes. (2) Yes. Small bees, such as the one you sent, are at times bred in " transition " cells. E. J. Davies (Cards.).— Your plan will help to prevent infection, and will not harm the brood, tout it may hinder the bees from entering the hive readily. A good plan is to take out the floorboard occasionally, and wash it down with ( the disinfectant and water. " Henllan " (Cards.).— Your young queen will mate with drones from another hive. It will be quite safe to make the artificial swarm. " Victory " (Derbs.).— Italian hybrid. Miss Turkey (Suffolk).— Italian hybrids. The combs from skep may be used in the extractor if they are fairly level, and you can manage to uncap them, tout it will be a very messy job. S. P. (Towcester).— We are afraid the bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. It attacks the old bees first; therefore, it is no uncommon thing for a swarm to show symptoms a considerable time before the parent colony. " Hugh " (Prance) .—Norfolk is a good county for bee-keeping, and we think you would find Cromer or Sheringham good districts. Honey Samples. J. E. James (South Wales).— The grittiness is simply the granulation, and the flavour is due to slight fermentation. The honey will be improved by melting down again. S. Blackett (Hindhead).— The honey can hardly toe called unripe, but the density is poor. If it is exposed in a ripener in a warm room for a few days it will improve very much. Suspected Disease. I. D. (Kent).— We do not find any disease, but spraying would tend to prevent infection. Gr. Henley (Cowes).— We have two lots of bees with no name attached, and in one case the post mark cannot be made out. These are in a match box, and are affected with " Isle of Wight" disease. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Advertisements must reach ut NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the tame week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertiser) to on* insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " fret of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS, STRONG, healthy Swarm wanted. — ST. MICHAEL'S CONVENT, Nether Street, North Pinchley, London, N.L2. f.38 BRITISH BEE JOURNAL, 1900 to 1912, 13 vo}s. ; clean, complete, perfect, but unbound; cost £2 16s. 4d. Nearest offer, cash, or exchange. An Erato auto-harp, latest and largest model, not objected to.— B. K., New Eden Apiary, Peters- field, Hants. f.39 WILL SELL, Nuclei, five frames, 1918 Queen, natural, £2 15s. Parent stock gave 157 surplus previous season. Purchaser must send travelling box. — POLICE, Penmaenrhos, Old Colwyn. f.40" WOULD give 7s. 6d. lb. for strong, healthy May Swarm, sent immediately.— LANE, 13, Osterley Park Road, Southall, W. f.41 FOR SALE, ten Burtt's " Bee Farmer " Hives, in good condition, 20s. each.— AVERY. Deverill, "Warminster. f.43 TEN grand stocks Bees for sale (Atkinson's strain), with or without hives. 40 miles from London, 15 from Cambridge.— Offers to " Busy," 7, Bulwer Road, E.ll. f.42 fTTWO Ladies require Apartments for month of _L August with bee-keeper in country district, South of England; farmhouse preferred; own ration cards— MISS HARLAND, 39, Hamilton Road, Bishopstoke, Eastleigh. f.44 WANTED, strong, healthy Swarm or Stock of Bees.— G. HOLLINGSWORTH, 78, Hey- thorp Street, Soutbfields, S.W.18. f.45 ANTED, May or early June Swarm — VICARAGE, Tenbury, Worcs. f.47 OR SALE, Hive; 17s. and carriage.— BURGESS, Knighton-on-Teme. f.46 W F W ANTED, healthy Swarms. State price lb.— HUTCHINSON, King Street, Leek. f.48 BEES.— Several Stocks, Golden-English Hybrid, good workers, healthy, free from " I.O.W."; prices, 66s. for 6-frame lot; 86s. for 8 frames; car- riage forward; boxes, 8s., returnable. — L. TAYLOR, Exeter Street, Holloway Head, Bir- mingham, f .49 JTYWO Hives Bees wanted, healthy; standard 1 W.B.C. hives; also good Nuclei. — Price and particulars to H. J. OSBORN, Piveways, Wilms- low, Cheshire. ■ f.50 FOR SALE, one or two Stocks of Italian-Dutch Bees on ten frames, £3 each, f .o.r — DOBSON, Hunton Bridge, Herts. f_51 STRONG bee stocks also rob out infected and weakened colonies of hive bees, wild in trees and ^buildings. Wasps, great plunderers of honey bees, also contract and die of the disease. To talk of any " cure " under these circumstances is to confess ignorance of real conditions. All one can do is to stop the course of the infection for 6ome time. And that is why -we advocate a spring and an autumn spraying with FUrvine.— S. H. SMITH. ___ ; f.53 \\T "O fi HIVES wanted, good condition mount Gardens, W.C.I also strong Stocks.— 68, Ridg f.56 June 27, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 209 SEASONABLE HINTS. The weather just now is not ideal from the bee-keeper's point of view, and nectar is coming in only very slowly. In some districts the quantity being brought into the hives is barely enoiigh to keep the bees going. It is well to keep an eye on newly-hived swarms, as, having no combs of stores to fall back upon, they may be short of food. In those localities that have been .favoured by much-needed rain and warinth, more supers should be added, as those. now on become two-thirds full. If 'sections are being worked, they should be removed as soon as a rack is com- pleted, or nearly so. If one or two of the outside sections are not quite finished, they may be put in another rack and re- turned! to the hive. Combs from stocks that have swarmed, or have started queen cells, may be utilised for making ,nuclei for rearing young .queens. A good idea is to have a nucleus hive, to hold four combs, for each hive. When the hive is becoming crowded a nucleus may be made from it, and for the purpose of rearing a queen for . re-queening after the honey-flow *it should stand in front of the hive, and a little to one side to be out of the flight of the bees. The operation may be de- ferred until queen cells are started, and a comb containing one, situated towards the top if possible, placed in the centre of the nucleus. Should it be desired to rear the queens from f^i HIVES wanted, good condition; • J3«VJ» also strong Stocks.^68, Ridg- mount Gardens, W.C.I. f.56 DUTCH BEES— Stock, or Swarms, wanteo Mu6t he guaranteed free from disease. — Full particulars and price to C. E. RICHARDSON. Finbat Works, Aizlewood Road, Sheffield. f.52 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, lid. per word. OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d. ; or full board, 6s. par day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. TRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope; 6 packages, 6d.; a copy of "Intensive Bee-keeping," Chapters I.— VI., Is. All the above and a Japanned Sprayer 6s.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. f.78 W ANTED, Extracted Honey, Sections, Bees- wax.—NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex. f.69 " TSLE OF WIGHT " Disease permanently X cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free.— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 Q UEENS— Fertile, 12s. 6d— PRY0R, Breach- wood Green. ""f .-80 HONEY.— Wanted, any quantity of guaranteed PURE ENGLISH HONEY extracted this season. Must be clear and of good colour.-^-Please send samples to JOHN-TRIOKEY & SON, Pro- duce Specialists, " A.M." Dept., Hillfarrence, Taunton, stating lowest price delivered to Norton Fitzwarren Station, G.W.R. HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per cross. HONEY FOR. SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. July 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 217 BEES AND POTATO SPRAYING. During the time of potato spraying last year, several of our readers were under the impression that their bees were poi- soned by collecting the spray. Judging from our own observation, bees visit the potato flower very little, if at all, but during dry weather they may, when need- ing water, collect the spray from the foliage, or may collect moisture from it when a shower follows after the spray has dried, and thus be poisoned. Owing to the good offices of a friend, we have the opportunity of having some bees that have presumably died from poisoning analysed, but not less than a pound weight of bees are necessary, as each individual bee would contain so little of the poison it would be impossible to detect it. We shall be pleased if any bee-keeper who has rea- son for thinking his bees have been poi- soned will send some on to our office, the only condition being that there must be good grounds for the presumption that spraying is the cause of the trouble. Neither the analyst nor ourselves want pounds of dead bees dumped on to us that have never been near any spray. A DORSET YARN. Bees are now working their hardest, and what they are getting their stores from is a mystery to me, the hedgerows are full of flowers of blackberry, but the number of bees on them is not great yet ; it must be the limes and some other forest trees that are now in full bloom. As one works in the fields one can hear them j.n their swift flight overhead. Have not been able to leave the farm for several days, but I know it is not clover, for so few are on it when it is cut by the scythe for the animals; our land has such a lot of white dutch in it, as have all the dairy lands close to the river, but the great at- traction to the honey gatherers is away from the farm. Day after day visitors come to see the farm. On Wednesday from Hants, and Thursday Mr. and Mrs. Avery, of Long- bridge Deveril, in Wilts; he motored over for strawberries, gooseberries and black currants ; his knowledge of bees is exten- sive, and he has been for many years a practical and successful bee-keeper. He has found that bee breeding is very profit- able, the demand for nuclei is very great, even round this neighbourhood 20s. is given for small swarms. One of my neigh- bours, who works on the railway, and is away all day, has sold them at that price. I hived them for him in his absence, so knew the size of them ; it is good to see so many are taking up the industry, let them take up land as well and their lives will be all the fuller, all the happier for doing so; there is so much pleasure in following the rotation of crops, pleasure of production in all kinds of animals, and then the bees with their wonderful economy, as well as their great power of increasing their population. I find, also, that visitors always take more interest in the hives on our farm because of the glass over them, as they can see the bees, and the bee-keeper who goes round each day can see how fast the sections are being filled, even with fresh swarms on bars, a small piece of glass over a hole in quilt will let one see that they are making progress ; then the blacks, Italians, and hybrids, all show their mark- ing through the glass, and add to the in- terest of the whole. The bees that are in the roofs of houses do not seem to get the disease as do those in modern hives. Those for years in old trees are exempt from it, there has been one in a gentleman's grounds adjoining our farm, very strong, it has been there many years ; it swarmed last week, a large skep nearly level full of bees. They were somewhat fightable when I hived them; there were stakes and stones near to them as if the men had tried to drive them away before they sent for me. These are a kind of rusty black in colour, they all streamed into the hive after they were jerked out on to the sheet in the front, just as if they had come out of a bar hive instead of a hollow tree, some distance from the ground. Bees have been in the roof ot the man- sion of the same owner for many years, but have not been known to swarm ; there is plenty of room for them to build comb and store honey each year, so there is no need to swarm, or they swarm and are not seen. Letters still come to me about bees and their food — the one depends on the other. One writer puts it "as well write of a garden without the sun as bees without flowers." I wish they would write to the Jouknal as they write to me. I do not conserve the little knowledge I have, but tell all the writers as much as possible about bees and flowers, about fruit and garden crops. Am glad someone is will- ing to learn aught of production. An old book says, " how can they learn without a preacher." If the experts do not teach more, then those who know less must sup- ply the want. — J. J. Kettle 218 THE BK1T1SH BEE JOUENAL July 4, 1918. THE BEE GABDEN. The Official Lists. — (Continued.) Lobelia speciosa. — This is distinguished from the covupacta class by its spreading habit and fbs rich purple stems and foliage. Unlike them it is free from association with the name of the Para- noiac of Potsdam. Whereas L. compacta and its varieties are specially indicated for edgings, window boxes and pattern work, L. speciosa is more particularly adapted to use as clumps for vases and hanging baskets. The colour is a rich, deep blue. Height, 6 in. This is another subject best sown in autumn. Sow the seed, only just covering them. Prick out 1 in- apart, keeping them close to the glass in 65 deg. to 70 deg. When they touch, take out every other one, making a second box of the lifted ones. In. May put into a cold frame to harden off, and plant out in June. As, with two exceptions, the lobelias are not true annuals, if lifted and potted-up in the greenhouse they will flower into the winter and furnish stock plants for cut- tings. Plants struck from cuttings are truer to strain and colour than those got from seed, and give a finer effect in masses or borders. Reseda odorata (Mignonette). — "»But now I sit with all the windows and the door wide open, and am regaled with the scent of every flower in a garden as full of flowers as I have known how to make it. We keep no bees, but if I lived in a hive I should hardly hear more of their music. All the bees in the neighbourhood resort to a bed of mignonette opposite to the window, and pay me for the honey they get out of it by a hum which, though rather monotonous,' is as agreeable to my ear as the whistling of my linnets." Cowper, when he wrote the above-cited passage, did not exaggerate the charm that a perfect bee-garden in perfect weather has for its creator. Admittedly no bee-master himself, his flowers grown, presumably, without the slightest inten- tion of supplying their needs, he yet ob- tains the reward of their glad music. How much rarer, then, would have been his enjoyment — how much grander their allegro— if every flower in his garden had been selected for its bee-value, and the owner thereof could look forward to the task of harvesting a rich meed of honey, quintessence of all the perfumes, subli- mation of all the savours. A native of both shores of the Mediter- ranean, mignonette was introduced into this country in 1752. Since then, how- ever, many improvements have been made on the wild type. Varieties ranging from white (Garaway's) to deep red (Victoria, Bismarck), through numerous shades of yellow and orange, habit varying from more or less prostrate forms to immense, pyramidal, hard-wooded shrubs, make mignonette suitable for many purposes, from annual summer bedder to perennial indoor pot-plant. Yes, it is another of the perennials that are almost invariably treated as annuals, being only half-hardy and the varieties coming true to seed. Its outdoor cultivation is very simple, while it is not difficult for ordinary pot work. Sow the seeds in the open in March or April, and thin where neces- sary. Transplants badly, resenting root disturbance. In mild localities only a sow- ing may be made outdoors in August for spring flowering. Earlier bloom and finer plants will be the result, should they sur- vive. Weak liquid manure applied when in bloom, after rain or watering, will im- prove the size of the flower spikes. Myosotis (Forget-me-not).— The culti- vated varieties of Forget-me-not are, although perennials, usually treated as biennials, being easily raised from seed. Sown in the summer, they flower in the following spring, either as self masses, as a groundwork for Hyacinths and Tulips, or as an edging. Any ordinary garden soil will grow them, although they are best suited by a moist •position, flourishing to perfection in the upper portion of the water-garden. M. Palustris especially is a moisture-lover; both it and M. dissitiflora average 6 in. in height. Most of the species are quite hardy and seed freely. M. dissitiflora is the best known and earliest to bloom. The sky-blue, yellow- centred flowers are abundantly produced in racemes in early spring. There are several garden forms, including a white one — M. 8. alba. Nasturtium (Tropceolum ma jus). — All the nasturtiums are natives of South America. T. rnajus was introduced from the land of the Incas in 1686, and has become a universal favourite. It should be grown in poor soil, as if the ground be rich an excess of foliage is produced, to the detriment of the flowers. It can be put to all sorts of uses, such as covering trellis or verandahs or any unsightly ob- ject, and will make a temporary hedge or screen if given the support of a row of pea or bean sticks to ramble over. The seeds, picked green, are. made into a pickle, while the flowers and leaves can be used in salads. It is sometimes called Indian Cress. The height made is from 6 to 8 ft. in the season, and the colours vary from almost white, through yellow, orange and scarlet, to deep crimson; some self s, others striped. There are dwarf, Tom Thumb forms which make very effective edgings to beds, or even pretty bedders, especially the newer Buby King, with scarlet flowers and dark foliage, and Queen of Tom July 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL 219 Thumbs, with crimson flowers and argent variegated foliage. These bushy little plants are very neat and compact, come into flower earlier than the climbing varieties, and keep up a display the whole summer long. DONCASTER AND DISTEICT B.K.A. A very interesting demonstration on hive manipulation was given by Mr. B. W. Merriman at the apiary of Mr. W. Clarke, of Adwick-le-Street, on Saturday, June 1. The weather was all that could be de- sired, and there was a very fair attend- ance of members. Mr. Clarke has a large number of very strong stocks, and plenty of well-filled supers were in evidence. Perhaps the most interesting part of the demonstration was the making of an arti- ficial swarm; two colonies being made into three. Unfortunately, disease has been very prevalent around Doncaster. Beturns from eighteen members show that they had 91 stocks in 1917 and 44 in the spring of 1918, a loss of 47 stocks during the winter. KENT BEE-KEEPEBS' ASSOCIATION. DEMONSTRATION BY MR. WATTS. In response to the invitation of Mr. H. Watts, many members of the Kent Bee- keepers' Association visited the Holm- leigh Apiary, Bearsted, on Saturday, June 15. Mr. Watts had promised to demonstrate how nuclei are made. After explaining what a nucleus is, and what it is not, he .indicated one of his 62 stocks as the colony he had prepared for the demonstration. In order that bees may accept and not destroy the queen cells, or virgin queens to be supplied, he pointed out, it is better that neither eggs nor young brood should be present to tempt the bees to start new queen cells. So ten days previously the colony which was to be divided into nuclei had been moved to the position it now occupied, leaving be- hind the queen and one frame of brood. Mr. Watts, after opening the hive, showed that it contained no unseated brood, and pointed out the queen cells which the queenless bees had made. The nine .frames were divided among thfee nucleus boxes and a good queen cell was given to each. As a queen cell at the bottom of a comb might easily chill, with serious re- sults to its occupant, Mr. Watts showed how to cut it out and place it in the middle of a comb, a much safer place. The lecturer advised that, of the three nuclei being formed, the side ones should be made stronger than the middle one, as the latter would receive the flying bees. The emptied hive was removed and the small new colonies left for the prin- cesses to emerge, mate and begin work as fertile queens. Next, it was shown how to make bees rear for themselves a new queen from eggs laid in another hive. A stock of black bees was deprived of its queen and a prepared frame of brood, laid by an Italian queen with a good record, was given. From this, with some assistance by the bee-keeper, the stock would re- queen itself and in consequence eventually become hybrid, if not pure Italian. As the lecture proceeded, the feeling grew that modern bee-keeping is essen- tially an intellectual occupation. The lecturer displayed power of observation, experience and knowledge, on which he drew largely for the benefit of his audi- ence, and which account for his own very successful bee-keeping. After tea, of which Mrs. Watts invited all visitors to partake, a cordial vote of thanks was passed to host and hostess. Inquiries as to the work of the associa- tion may be addressed to Mr. J. W. Price, Barming Heath. ygaam ?m@®m£% The Editors do not hold themselves responsible lot 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 then real names and addretses, 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-KEEPING EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE. [9708] It may be of interest to your readers to know a little of my experiences in bee-keeping. This year I made up my mind that I would do something in the bee-keeping line. First, I looked around the district where we were camped to see what there was in honey producing trees and plants. Second, to see if there were any bees in the area, a part that had been heavily shelled by our artillery, and ground we had gained and since lost. Going to a wood where there was plenty of withy palm growing I saw some of un- favourite insects, so made up my mind to find out where they had survived the ordeal of war. Following their flight I found, to my surprise, I landed in a ceme- tery. I wondered if some bee-keeping enthusiast was keeping them on a grave. Thad some difficulty in tracing their trail. 220 THE BRITISH LEE JOURNAL. July 4, 1918. when I was again surprised to find them alighting upon a large crucifix, and enter- ing at the back of the body. Imagine my feelings on that lovely spring morning as I worshipped in a double sense. I tried to think of a way to get them out, and in that I failed. That experi- ence filled me with a determination to get some bees. Asking my captain if he would allow me a day off, I set out for a distant town some 16 miles away. . My difficulty was that I could not get the French people to understand what I , wanted. At last I overcame the trouble while in a shop with about eight ladies. I thought this was my chance, for women generally know what is about. I made in- quiries as far as my French would allow me, then signs by making a buzzing noise, and moving my hand about and alighting on some flowers that were in the shop. It worked like magic. " Compres," they all said at once. A short consultation followed, and one of them took me to a place where there were about 12 hives. I made my choice of a skep, knowing it would be most convenient to carry. Pro- curing a box I waited till dusk and then shut them in. I found it very heavy, for the skeps used out here are much larger than those we use in England. I hailed a guard on the cross roads to give me hand with them. He made in- quiries what it was, and when informed said, " Be if I will." A little per- suasion as to their being quite harmless and he helped. My next trouble was get- ting them to what the Tommy calls " home," though we shall all welcome our " blighty " ones. Some 10 minutes and a motor ambulance came along, an officer accompanying it. I asked if he would mind carrying my bees in the car. " To where," said he. After telling him, he said, " Where will you put them?" " Inside," I said. "Well, you don't ex- pect me to sit in there with them, do you?" "Oh no, sir," I said. "I'll take charge of my despised pets." On the journey back the officer made a few inquiries to know if they were quite alright. From the car to the camp I had half-a-mile, and this part of the journey I had help. Next morning, about 10.30 a.m., I let them out in quite a new area for them, and with the sound of guns hooming away. As unconcerned about war as though' they were in a peaceful spot they took their bearing, and in less than 10 minutes were back as yellow as could be. Next morning the offensive started, two of our company were killed by shells that made tremendous holes ; one about 15 yards from the hive that sent the earth all around. T was not far away at the time, so went to see what effect it had upon my bees. They were in and out just as though it was a beauti- ful summer's day in some quiet, peaceful spot, and took no notice whatever of the bombardment around them, as though the war among men made not the slightest difference to them. It was the next morning that we had orders to clear out of the camp quickly. I gathered together what I could, but, alas! my bees were to be left to the mercy of the Jtiun. Shells of all sorts were flying around. Every- body seemed to have the wind up. I took one parting look at my bees, and they taught me this, " Be calm," and in that mood I left them, to be another addition to the captures of the Hun. Times have I thought of them, and more so during this past three weeks, for while I was sitting down to lunch three weeks to-day I heard a sound familiar to me. Looking up, I saw the air full of bees. I immediately picked up a petrol tin and went across the orchard banging it, not so much for the bees, as to attract atten- tion of others in the camp. The effect was two-fold, the bees settled, my mates thought I was n gone on top." Fixing an ammunition box over them where they pitched, I left them till I had sufficient time to attend to them, for on that day we were having some sports that occupied my time. Next morning I got them all in and set to work. A few more difficulties presented themselves, for T made up my mind to get them to work properly. At the first favourable oppor- tunity I made frames, not of a standard size, but to fit another ammunition box for storing honey. Things being so un- expected I had nothing ready, so had to make the most of what I could! find. Queen excluder zinc was one of the puzzles to me, so I set up a search for a suitable sub- stitute. This I found in a stTeam where water was filtered, the filter holes being about the size of the holes in excluder zinc. I tested it on the front of the hive, and found the drones could not get through, but I am risking the queen. (Here I should like to know if it will stop the queen when she tries or is she smaller than the drone.) I cut about 20 holes into the makeshift brood chamber with the brace and bit, and fixed the excluder on. Out of the brood chamber I had taken a. piece of comb and cut it into pieces ami fixed on the shallow frames. Yesterday, June 20, I noticed they had started ex- tending the comb. They are very busy, almost as much as I am, giving answers to a few hundred questions about their habits. To-day I had the pleasure of ex- plaining to Lord Elgin the working of a hive, and must say he was quite in- terested. July 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 221 Upon our notice board is the following : — Lectures on bees will be given by Lce.- Corp. S. Wills, and on suitable occasions practical demonstrations will be given. — Lce.-Cpl. S. Wills, 60 Lab. Coy., B.E.F., Prance. INEXPERT DEMONSTRATORS. [9709] When reading, in the issue of the B.B.J, of June 27, a report of a lec- ture at Tiverton by Mr. W. Herrod- Hempsall, I was much interested to see that " the lecturer manipulated a small stock of bees, and demonstrated by the negative method that bees may be kept in close proximity to a dwelling-house with perfect safety to its inmates and their friends and visitors. " g> I could not help mentally contrasting such a demonstration with one, witnessed by myself, given under the auspices of the County Association to which I belong. The lecturer commenced by standing with a friend directly in the line of flight of one of the hives, a proceeding which soon resulted in angry bees threatening those nearest to the hive in question. Then, explaining that he did not believe in smoking too liberally a hive containing sealed honey, with a few puffs from his pipe he slightly subdued the bees in another hive, with the result that when the quilts were lifted, numbers of furious bees were soon buzzing around, to the con- sternation of the audience. Well, to cut a long story short, about six hives were examined, and out of about thirty persons present at least ten were stung, some receiving as many as six stings and others a less number. Now, Sir, a« I understand that it is desired by these demonstrations to en- lighten and encourage would-be bee- keepers, would it be too much to suggest that county associations exercise some supervision over those who undertake to unveil the mysteries of bee-craft, and sternly discourage any such exhibition tff how not to manipulate our little friends the bees. With all good wishes for the continued prosperity of the B.B.J, and its esteemed editors. — 0. K. METAL ENDS. [9710] I totally and thoroughly dis- agree with your correspondent in last week's Journal re metal ends (9707). I am not a novice or beginner in bee- keeping, as I have had nearly 30 years' experience. During that time I have not only managed up to 30 stocks of my own, but other apiaries as well, and I would on no account be without metal ends, and up to the present have not found a single disadvantage from their use on brood frames, and nothing worth considering on shallow extracting frames. Your notes on this subject in " Seasonable Hints " (B.B.J. , April 25) are very much to the point, and I quite agree that no experi- enced bee-keeper will need warning not to discard metal ends: but inexperienced beginners are only too apt to follow sug- gestions that run off the beaten track, generally to their sorrow. Metal ends are worth anything, if it is only in the saving of time. This thought struck me forcibly when looking through a colony a few days age. When the work was finished, a little pressure with the thumbs behind the division board and all the combs were pushed up and correctly spaced to l-16th of an inch. Just imagine the difference in the time taken in ex- amining a dozen colonies if each comb had to be placed in position separately and the distance judged by the eye. Fancy seeing a novice attempt this with a few angry bees round his fingers. — L. S. Smithers. [We are in full agreement with our cor- respondent, and would emphasise the warning given in " Seasonable Hints " to which he refers. We do not think anyone will class us as novices or inexperienced. In doing expert work in all parts of the country for years, we have had exceptional opportunities for seeing bees managed — and mismanaged — in a variety of ways, and have noticed the trouble and waste caused by incorrect spacing of combs. One of the last things we would do, or advise anyone else to do, would be to discard metal ends, or wood shoulders to the frames; but, having tried both, we prefer the W.B.C metal ends. — Eds. THE ARTIFICIAL IMMUNISATION OF THE BEE AGAINST " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9711] Supplementing my brief note on this subject, a short explanation appears necessary in reply to the ques- tions which I have privately received since the appearance of my note in last week's issue of the Journal. Bee-keepers in general fully realise that in the present absence of legislative measures for combating the spread of the " Isle of Wight " bee disease, we are left in a helpless condition with regard to the question of its prevention. It is true that antiseptics are advocated and tried with occasionally good results, both in preven- tion and treatment; but there is no defi- nite proof to show that in the absence of these antiseptics infection of the healthy stocks would have taken place, or that relief of the infected stocks concurrent with improvement in the weather would not have occurred. This remark does not mean at all that I under-estimate the value of antiseptics in combating bee 222 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. July 4, 1918. diseases. On the contrary, one must admit, on scientific grounds, that they are very helpful, and their use, therefore, should be strongly advocated. But it would be desirable to know their exact merits, and this could not be done without proper research. Apart from the use of antiseptics or dis- infectants for prophylactic purposes — and their use is often limited to spraying, whereas, to be really useful, they ought to be constantly administered to the bees in their water and syrup during the spring and summer, and in their candy during the winter months — apart from the use of these chemicals for preventing infec- tion, nothing else in the shape of a pro- tecting " specific " drug is available, just as there is no " specific " drug known to us for treating this malady. In view of the admirable research carried out six years ago by Dr. Graham Smith and his eminent colleagues, it is surprising that no additional research has been done for the purpose of finding a " specific " drug for treating this infection; and, so far as I am aware, not one of the well-known preparations found effective in other protozoal infections has been experimented with. This is suggested on the supposi- tion that Nosema Apis is definitely accepted as the cause of " Isle of Wight " bee disease; but even this point necessi- tates further research, on account of the conflicting clinical evidence, which is con- stantly accumulating, although a con- siderable amount of research was done before. The important question of " here- ditary " infection is, again, another matter Avhich is not yet settled. It will be seen, therefore, that, in the absence of efficient means of prophylaxis and with the lack of a " specific ' ' drug for prevention and treatment, the posi- tion of the craft is really pitiful, and nothing could be more opportune than a combined effort to solve these mysteries. It occurred to me, in view of the supposed existence in Nature of partly immune strains of bees (e.g., the Italian bee, the Tunisian bee, the Egyptian bee, etc.) to investigate the question of artificially im- munising our susceptible strains. This means a considerable amount of research, necessitating, apart from the question of expense, a good deal of Avork and co- operation with others interested in inves- tigating this subject. It is, therefore, more suited for a committee of scientific men and not for a single researcher, whose spare time is much limited. Were it not for the encouraging support of Mr. G. W. Judge, the honorary secretary to the Kent Beekeepers' Association, I would not have ventured to undertake this heavy task. My first effort is directed towards attempt- ing to cultivate the Nosema, Apis on arti- ficial media, and incidentally to isolate the ancillary organisms met with in typi- cal cases of the infection, and to compare them with others met with in healthy bees. Next, by means of experiments on healthy isolated stocks of nuclei, to deter- mine the pathogenic character (if any) of each of them. Thirdly, to prepare one or more vaccines from those organisms thought important after attenuating them, and to try carefully the effect of such vaccines in prevention and treat- ment. Those who know the technical laboratory work required will easily understand that it means the examination of many samples sent regularly in a satisfactory condition. It As a work of months, and not. of days or^weeks ; but the sooner it is started the better, and the greater the co-operation, the easier is the task, and the more likely it is to be fruitful. This is specially the case in connection with the experiments on isolated healthy colonies allotted for the purpose, and I avail my- self once more of your courtesy and help to appeal to the Asosciations commanding such facilities to lend their support. — A. Z. Abushady, Laboratory for Clinical Research, 21, Cairn Avenue, Ealing, W.5. BEES IN A CRUCIFIX. [9712] Anyone who has been out in France knows how often the crucifix is seen along the roads. I was visiting a friend of mine from Rothes, N.B., yester- day afternoon (June 23), and getting near the village of Ternas, I saw a lot of bees flying around the Figure on the Cross. On examination I found that a swarm of bees had taken up house inside the figure, which was life-size, and were hard at work. Passing on through the village I found another colony in the same kind .of hive. I fancy the figures would, be cast- iron and hollow, The bees, in both cases, had found entrance through a hole in the back. Between that part of the figure and the cross was about an inch of space. In the first case the bees had built a small piece of comb, filling the space just round their entrance. I walked 28 kilometres out from where I am stationed, and apart from these, the only bee hive I saw yester- day was a straw one, containing a young swarm, in the garden beside our own cook- house. Being interested in bees I am always on the outlook for them. I little expected to find them where I did yesterday. I wonder if any of your readers have seen them working in a more curious place? I am with the 102nd Canadians. The summer of 1916 was very wet dur- ing the honey season. Then in August the weather turned very hot and; dry, with the result that the alder tree leaves July 4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 223 were covered with honey dew. My bees stored it in abundance. In the following spring there was bad weather for a while when they couldn't get out, and they all died. I don't suppose I could have saved them if I had been at home, but mean- time I had made up my mind that I would like to see what was doing in France. — A. Keir (Cpl.). PREVENTION OF SWARMING. [9713] The Dorset Yarn always greatly interests me. The statement, this week, that Mr. Butson, to put a stop to his bees swarming, has given two extra brood chambers arrests my attention. I have had two brood chambers on two of my hives all through the winter and they are still on, and three racks of shallow- frames above these; the bees are Italian. The hive is full of bees, but not much honey is coining in. I have cut out 15 queen cells, and they have thrown out one big swarm and one big cast. Many frames in the lower brood chamber have not yet been occupied, so that in these two hives the giving of extra room has been no hindrance to swarming. I am beginning to think no system is success- ful with all stocks. — R. Oswald Fordham. TAKING A SWARM FROM A CHIMNEY IN CORNWALL. [9714] On an evening in June, too late for operating, a messenger arrived from Mr. F. O., " Can you come and take a swarm of bees from my chimney? " Being engaged the next day we set out the fol- lowing day on the bicycle with a partly combed skep, which after lashing two ladders together was placed on the top of a high chimney with the hope of entic- ing the bees to ascend, but the next day revealed they had been too long in their new quarters. The next step was to get on the bed- room floor with the flue brush, by the aid of which we managed to fill the grate with comb and bees, the latter also covering the bedroom floor. After a close search we found the queen unhurt under the grate, and later we mounted the bike with all the bees except those wounded in the fray. Compliments from Cornwall to J. J. Kettle. — J. M. Best, Trewoon Apiary, St. Austell. PECULIAR BEHAVIOUR OF BEES. [9715] The doings of one of my stocks are rather interesting. Swarmed, June 2, fine 8 lbs. swarm, which unfortunately absconded after hiving. Cut out all queen cells but two. Bees loafed for a fortnight: then began to find young queens thrown out at en- trance^— one one day, two the next, one the day after; then two days later swarmed in the rain, with at least two queens, as I found one dead on floor- board of new hive next morning after hiving. Old stock has doubtless another queen. Curious thing is that young queens should be killed and then stock- swarm after all. Truly, bees do the un- expected.— J. W. Brander. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should tend questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. J. Jones (Essex).— When are bees bringing in honey— Bees that are bringing in honey do no " fooling about," but go as direct as they can to the hive entrance. They usually fly with the abdomen low. Young bees will fly around the hive in order to locate it. The cold weather will probably account for the bees not working in sections. " Tyro " (Lines.).— Making increase.— (I and 2). Your plan of dividing after the honey flow is feasible. Better make a nucleus of three frames of comb, one of which should contain eggs, in which a queen may be reared ready for the queenless half of the colony. You may have to feed the bees after dividing. We cannot say whether the bees are likely to swarm; they may, but making a nucleus from them will check swarming. (3) Keep the hive supplied with naphthaline. An occasional spraying is a wise precaution. (4) Let it alone, and stick to the kind you have. We cannot give reasons in this column. " B" (Lewes).— Use of carbolic cloth. — The strength of carbolic acid and water given in the "Guide Book" will not blister the hands. It is the cloth that is sprinkled, not the hands, and we have constantly used a cloth damped with the solution without any ill effects. It is not reliable, but there will be no harm in trying it . G. C. Aimes (London).— So far as we know hign potential electrical treatment has not been tried on bees. " Novice " ('Suffolk).— Honey is selling at 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per 1 lb. jar retail, and about £1(1 per cwt. Suspected Disease. I. Drayson (Eythorne).— We are sorry we are unable to say. They may be old bees, or exhausted, perhaps both. If the symptoms con- tinue send a few more bees. W. M. VS. (Haywards Heath).— Some of the bees sent were evidently inveterate robbers, and death was due to fighting. Rear a piece of glass in front of the entrance, or spray the front of the hive and alighting board with carbolic acid and water. The bees- are hybrids. F. B. C. (Bees), X. Y. Z. (Calliope), Miss E. H. D. (Retford), and " Hine " (Beaconsfield).— The bees are affected with " Isle of Wight " disease 224 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. July 4, 1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisement of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lid. per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manufacturers, can only be inserted at a minimum charge of 3». per bin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. FOR SALE, five 'Stocks of Bees, guaranteed healthy, Doolittle strain, crossed, all 1918 Queens, 3J to 5 guineas each; 20 guineas the lot.— GOLDEN, Leire, Leicestershire. g.l FOR 'SALE, small Nucleus Hives, several Lee's, Holborn, and W.B.C. (Hives; clean, sound, well painted. Few other accessaries.— Box 39, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, W.C.2. g.2 QUEENS (Hybrid Italian), 4s. each— BEE- KEEPER, 961, London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. g.3 S, WARMS of reliable Bees for sale, "mid July. What offers per lb., please (too far from heather)?— E. COOMBER, Upper Haysden, Ton- bridge, Kent. g.4 SURPLUS Italian, and Black Queens, tested, 6s. 6d., 8s. 6d., 10s. 6d., 12s. 6d. Business pres- sure prevents, otherwise I would gladly challenge any other remedy against my method" for most effectual results, re " I.O.W." disease. — A. TROWSE, 51, Eade Road, Norwich. g.5 LIMITED number of healthy, reliable Swarms for disposal. .Send reply stamp.— STANLEY, Pulloxhill, Ampthill g.6 WANTED, small Stock pure-bred Italian Bees on standard frames— V. CODY, Vale Croft, Ash Vale, Surrey. g.7 WANTED, practical instruction in Bee-keeping immediately. State all particulars, with number of hives.— DENYS, 34, Tankerville Road, 'Streatham, London. g.8 THE first Flavine used in combating " I.O.W." disease came from the Middlesex Hospital, and it is only just that we should make 6ome return. All who have benefited will they please send some honey for the use of our wounded soldiers and sailors under the care of that hospital. The Secretary, Walter Kewley, Esq., will duly acknowledge receipts.— S. H. SMITH. g.10 WANTED, second-hand Extractor, Ripener, Lawn Roller.— State full particulars and lowest prices, RECTOR, Llanfair, Henllan Cardiganshire f.61 WANTED, at once, few clean Swarms, or Stocks, to restart my 50 hives again Hybrids preferred— BURGOYNE, Assistant Over- seer, Lyonshall, Herefordshire. f.66 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. lid. per word. OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or fnll board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope; 6 packages, 6d.; a copy of "Intensive Bee-keeping," Chapters I.— VI., Is. All the above and a Japanned Sprayer 6s.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. f .78 Q UEENS, 10s. 6d. Green. PRYOR, Breachwood g.ll W ANTED, Extracted Honey, Sections, Bees- wax.—NORTH, Creesing, Braintree, Essex. g£ " TSLE OF WIGHT " Disease permanently A cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 HONEY.— Wanted, any quantity of guaranteed PURE ENGLISH HONEY extracted this season. Must be clear and of good colour. — Please send samples to JOHN TRICKEY & SON, Pro- duce Specialists, " A.M." Dept., Hillfarrence, Taunton, stating lowest price delivered to Norton Fitzwarren Station, G.W.R. LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON BEE-KEEPING. W. HERROD^HEMPSALL is open to give the above in any part of the country; providing his own lantern, slides, etc., demonstrating tent. Also private instruction at pupil's own residence. Terms on application.— W. B. C. Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds. HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per cross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, 3d. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road. Cardiff. "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. To prevent and cure Bees of " Isle of Wight '-' Disease, J. C. ALLSOPP'S B'KURE (Registered). The Powder is simple to apply. Quick in action. Full directions on tins- Price 2/6 per tin. Postage 5d- J. C. ALLSOPP, 87, Gertrude Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. BURTT, Gloucester, lU.USTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ON APPLICATION FOR BEE APPLIANCES. July 11, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 225 THE LATE LOED RHONDDA. The ' death of the most successful Minister in the present Government is a severe blow to the nation. The name of this public benefactor is known even to the. smallest child just capable of lisping its prayer, " Give us this day our daily bread." By his fearless handling of the food question at a critical period Lord Rhondda enabled that request to be ful- filled, instead of the suffering from hunger which would have been the case with thousands of people. By his .skilful management, all- have been able to secure a regular, if limited, supply of food. It is not generally known that Lord .Rhondda, when a young man, was for many years a most successful bee-keeper on commercial lines; at one time he was the proud possessor of over 300 colonies of bees. It has been the writer's privilege on several occasions to be invited to visit his lordship to talk bees. He was most en- thusiastic on the subject, and when con- versing alone together in his office it seemed impossible to realise that the homely man who, with child-like enthu- siasm and delight, talked bees for a couple of hours, instead of the half-hour ar- ranged, was Britain's most noted and popular statesman. We were just two bee-keepers com- paring notes, and talking over old times when each one had gone through the same experiences, such as going out for miles into the country driving cottagers' bees from their skeps, cycling home at all hours of the night and early morning, with innumerable packages of bees tied on to both cycle and cyclist. In the light of recent events, a remark made at one of these conversations was prophetic, and showed that months ago he was feeling the great strain his un- selfish labours imposed upon him. When I enquired how he managed to do so much bee work, he remarked. " Oh, I had plenty of time in those days, and plenty of energy." He paused for a moment, then, with great feeling, said, " I wish to God 1 had half as much now." He carried out innumerable experi- ments, one of the most interesting of which was keeping a stock of bees in an incubator hive in his bedroom, with Might from the window, so that he could get them very strong early in the spring, to obtain surplus from the fruit blossom. In this he succeeded, but also proved that the expense was too great for its adoption on a commercial basis. • He was conversant with the older men of the craft, and constantly referred to such men as T. W. Cowan, J. M. Hooker, Rev. Peel, P. R, Cheshire, W. B. Carr, .and others. By his death the nation has lost one of its most unselfish and patriotic Ministers, and bee-keeping a keen and enthusiastic member of the craft. — W. Herkod-Hemp- A DORSET YARN. Bees at the Violet Farm are now stor- ing surplus honey at a rapid rate. I put on a rack of sections with whole pieces of foundation in all of them, and in six days they are drawn out and some of them finished. All this I assume is from the limes, as I saw the first bloom of these open on the last day in June. That is why there are so few on clover and black- berry; they have the limes to make merry over. I wrote last year, " Happy is the man that plants a tree, so that others may sit beneath its shade and bless the hand that planted it." This I read in early life, and it will never be forgotten, for as year by year goes by I aee how many enjoy the shade of trees in summer time. At a ' new school in the Poole area I saw a class of scholars sitting in the full sun, as if they were having a sun-bath; not a tree has been planted by the borough officials in the playground. Now, at our village school there are some fine limes, planted by the founder of the original small class- room and small schoolhouse where the woman teacher had to live. His will can be found in the Government Blue- books of the charities of our land. The lady was to teach the scholars in the principles of the Church of England, and she was never to be married. He left a small farm to pay her, and find the boys in books. I am digressing from the sub- ject of bees again. But how many a scholar appreciates the shade of the limes and must bless the hand that planted them. Our bees certainly get a lot of food from the flowers, and the writer of this yarn gets the result of their labours. They are so close to the limes they can deposit the honey in the cells and go back for more. Another strong swarm came last week. They are the same colour as those that came from the hollow tree in Glendon grounds — ashy-brown in colour. There are no yellow marks on them, as there are on those that ard crossed with Italians. All ours now have the markings on them. It looks as if the males of Italians are stronger in flight than the 226 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. July 11, 1918. blacks when, the queen takes her wedding tour, or she may have a fancy for the stranger male. I have before written of the number of drones in some hives. I took out a frame last week that had almost the whole of one side covered with drone cells ; a large part of the other had been built over with them, and that frame was new last year, and fitted with worker foundation. All this year's swarms have very few drones, at least up to now; many of them that go off with a swarm must return to the parent hive. They seem to be dis- gusted with the barrenness of the new home; they like to find plenty of honey gathered for their delicate stomachs. There is no lack of flowers for bees just now, for the beautiful white jessamine is now in its beauty. It is remarkable how they frequent this sweet-smelling flower; it is not only odorous, but has nectar in .addition, or they would not work it so assiduously. It must be very plentiful in Sunny Spain, as one of their poets has left on record some lines of elegant gal- lantry about this odorous and pure- white flower : — " From my summer alcove, which the stars this morn With lucid pearls o'er spread, I have gathered these jassamines thus to adorn With a wreath thy graceful head. From thy bosom and mouth .they, as flowers, ere death Ask a purer white and a sweeter breath. " Their blossoms, a host of bees, alarmed, Watched o'er on jealous wing; Hoarse trumpeters seemed they all, and armed, Each bee with a diamond sting. I tore them away, but each flower I tore Has cost me a wound that smarteth sore. " Now as these jassamine flowers entwine A gift for thy fragrant hair. I must have from those honey-sweet lips of thine A kiss for each sting I bear : It is just that the blooms I bring thee borne ] to repaid by sweets from the most lovely one." This flower is more fragrant at night time, or at any rate, the perfume is more in evidence in the evening and early morning than it is in the daytime. Many other units of the floral kingdom have the same peculiarity— for instance, the Japanese honeysuckle, which is also now in flower. This blooms in the axils of the leaves, and the tube is shorter than others of the Lerucera or Woodbine genera. " 'Tvvas midnight — through the lattice, wreathed With woodbine, many a perfume breathed From plants which wake when others sleep ; From timid jassamine buds — that keep Their odour to themselves all day, But, when the sunlight dies away, Let the delicious secret out To every breeze that roams about." I cannot remember the writer, but in early life one had a love to read these beautiful strings of words. It shows how the great writers loved Nature, how they luxuriated in the beautiful flowers and places of our own and other lands. — J. J. Kettle. oifgtbeJBeeSji BEES FOOD AND DEINK. Bee-keepers, know that at least three different substances are carried into the hives for the sustenance of the denizens — viz., nectar, bee-bread, and water. The first, honey or nectar, is sucked up from the flowers through the proboscis, swallowed through the gullet into the honey stomach, and from thence small quantities find their way into the true stomach for the sustenance of the insect. Leaving for the present what is regurgi- tated into the cells as pure honey, we follow the process of digestion. In this honey are many grains of pollen, and if the supply is scant the' bee easily pro- vides herself with more. Here are sup- plies of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous food, enabling the busy worker to renew and repair worn-out tissue — flesh-forming and heat-forming food to keep up her strength and renew her youth. The honey consists of invert sugar, a pre- digested food, and there is no doubt that honey is one of the best kinds of siigar taken as food. These heat-forming food elements are of primary importance, but when taken alone are not sufficient to support the body. The proteid food is also necessary, as it contains chemical elements absolutely required for, the for- mation of tissue. Here we have honey, or heat-forming food, and pollen, or flesh- forming food, both required to sustain her life. When heavy breeding is going on in spring and early summer the most un- observant bee-keeper must notice what -July 11, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 227 vast quantities of pollen or bee-bread are carried into tbe hives on the pollen bas- kets of the worker bees, how they are consigned to the cells near the brood, and how quickly they are appropriated by the nurse bees and fed to the young and old unsealed larvae. With honey alone in the hive these grubs would dwindle and die. With honey and pollen to feed them co- piously they nourish and grow to full size. The adult bees require both kinds of food, much more dees the growing grub demand a full provision, and this the nurses furnish them with. The tissues of the busy workers wear out quickly unless they are constantly being repaired. This is done by the digested food passing through the sto- mach being changed into blood, which is pumped into every part of the body by the organs of circulation. The tissues are being constantly worn out by steady work in the hives or in the fields, but are as constantly being renewed involun- tarily. Hence strength and energy are maintained when foraging for nectar, pollen, or propolis is active. In a time of inactivity less is required, therefore the stores are less drawn on. This is fortunate during the period of the long winter rest. Heat has to be maintained, but tissue does not undergo much, if any, waste ; hence the proteids have practically no drain made upon them. Should bees be disturbed during winter they may consume too much of this matter, to their own undoing. It is a superfluity, and must be got rid of ; therefore dysenteric symptoms arise to the detriment of the community. Honey is a saccharine matter, a sweet, a kind of sugar. Cane sugar can indeed ne converted into a bee food, and if it is well made bees can winter on it per- fectly. They can build comb with it, and they can rear young bees with it. In the last case, however, they require the other element. Non-nitrogenous food in itself is insufficient ; they require the addition of nitrogenous. It is estimated that at certain seasons of the year, during part of the day, 75 per cent, of tbe bees leaving the hive are bent on water carrying. As is well known, it is required to thin down the honey in the cells to convert it into suit- able food for the young bees. Pollen is an ingredient in the food fed to the larvae from the time they hatch until they are sealed over, on or about the ninth day, in the cells, to undergo their wonder- ful metamorphosis. No less is water a necessary constituent of this bee food on which the young are cherished. We have, therefore, to add it to the honey and pollen necessary for the full development of the growing young, whether queen, drone, or worker. Without it a neces- sary element would be wanting in the period, of breeding. Substitutes may at times be given to the bees which they will accept in place of these materials. Sugar, as noted above, may be made to take the place of honey, both as a winter food and a substance from which they will rear young bees. Sugar syrup in the liquid form, or sugar candy in the solid, may serve the purpose at times admirably. Meal, flour, and many other proteids of the cereal or leguminous orders, can take the place of the pollen gathered from flowers. Unfortunately they accept other saccha- rine substances of a rather spurious nature, such as the well-known honey- dew. In season they make the best of this, combs are built from it. and young bees are bred on it, but as a winter food it works evil. If they at times partake of substances which prove injurious, does not man show them a bad example? It seems to be ingrained into the very being of Apis Mellifica that wherever sweets are to be had they are the un- doubted perquisite of the whole family. There they congregate, there they feast, and from there they carry home to their hive the spoils they garner. At another time more may be said of the food and drink of bees. JOTTINGS. Extracts: "The Weekly Times," Melbourne, February 9. It is interesting to find our Colonial contemporaries supplying the bee-keeper with his special column. A topic worth consideration in England is the scarcity of bees-wax, with its relation to our insa- tiable demand for foundation. The writer quotes a few figures quite easy to recognise, which I'm afraid we don't quite realise, while our 7 lb. or so con- tinues to arrive. One hundred three- story 10-frame hives at 1\ sheets to the lb. amounts to 375 lb. Which of us can claim to produce 10 lb. per year with double that amount ©f hives? The writer doubts if the new production reaches 4 per cent. He also gives some interest- ing attempts at substitution— among others, thin calico, thinly coated with wax— but claims everything has failed. We must attempt 'r our bit " in this direction. " Ti-trec Blossom Hon'1!! " (Feb. 16).— Owing to tbe density of this honey, the writer says, several extractions are neces- sary, it being found sometimes necessary to soak the combs in water. How is this 228 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. July 11, 1918. accomplished, as heat seems available? And doesn't this interfere with the honey? I should be glad if one of our Colonial friends would explain this. Here seems to be one likely wax source, by a freer use of the " press." Manipulating Garment. — Now that so many ladies are taking up duties in the apiary, it may not be out of place to mention ah idea to keep clothing clean, and as an antidote for that discomfiting menace, the crawling bee. A clean canvas bag, with the bottom corners cut out, and tied at ankles and waist, woidd furnish a cheap substitute. Other washable and more efficient designs could be catered for, for the individual taste and wishes. — A. H. Hamshar. BARNET AND DISTRICT BEE- KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. This Association, which) for several years has been quiescent, was restarted at a, meeting held last December, at which about 12 people attended. At a general meeting held subsequently the Rev. W. Manning, M.A., was elected president; Mr. Norris S. Toms, hon sec- retary, and Mr. A. Snell, treasurer. A strong executive committee was elected, sub-committees for co-operative buying and re-stocking, and a committee of ex- perts were also formed. All these committees are doing good work. A number of members have already been supplied with swarms or stock ; in .addition to which hives and appliances have been supplied. Much help and advice is being given by the experts, Avho are also endeavouring to induce all bee- keepers in 'the district to join, so that a united effort can be made ta stamp out any disease in the neighbourhood. Up to the time of writing the membership has increased' to 56. Miss Stone, of Barnet, has kindly lent to the Association, free of charge, ,a beau- tifully situated piece of ground for an apiary; here the Re-Stocking Committee have already several stocks of bees, and it is hoped that next season members will be able to obtain nuclei and swarms for re-stocking their apiaries. On February 12 a lantern lecture en- titled, " The Honey Bee and Honey Pro- duction," was given in the Church House by our Secretary to the members of the " Barnet Natural History Society and Field Club," to which the members of the Association were kindly invited. There was a large attendance, and at the close several new members joined. On Satur- day, June 22, a very successful lecture was given by Mr. W. Herrod-Henip- sall entitled, " Boo-Koeping for Profit," at the Association's Apiary. The lecture was closely followed by about 80 people, and special interest was shown when a hive of bees was opened and the lecturer demonstrated the way in which bees could be subdued, handled, combs withdrawn and examined. He also pointed out the various cappings, queen cells, etc. A very practical result of the lecture was the enrolment of 10 new members. The committee, looking back at what has already been accomplished since the restarting of the Association, feel that there is every prospect of its heeoiming very strong and influential, in spite of the many drawbacks in these days. Norris S. Toms. KENT BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION" AT GILLINGHAM. An interesting lecture and demonstra- tion in connection with the Rochester District Branch of the Kent Beekeepers' Association was given by Mr. George Bry- den at Bleak House Apiary, Gillinghaia, on Saturday afternoon, June 22nd. Mr. J. E. Price, secretary of the Maidstone District, presided, and amongst those pre- sent were Messrs. A. Fry, C. Gee. E. Semper, W. Carter, J. C. Whettam, and others. Mr. G. Bryden said nuclei making or increase was one of the perplexing problems for the beginner to face without loss of a honey crop. The control of natural swarming Avas probably the most difficult problem that the beekeeper had to solve in the average locality. Certain plans and methods would work very well for years, but once the bees had caught,, the swarming fever they were very likely to keep it going. They would suddenly swarm in spite of the best possible atten- tion. With bees the community is the unit rather than the individual. __ Nor- mally they would swarm at about the height of the honey flow, when natural conditions favoured the establishment of a new colony. As a rule, enough honey would have been stored to carry it through the winter. The practical method was for the beekeeper to divide up his colo- nies at the time when the greatest profit might accrue. He should strive to make his increase just before or at the end of the honey flow, so that he would get both increase and a crop of honey. Crowded hives favoured natural swarming. A heavy honey flow would also prevent bees from swarming. Clipping the queen bee's wings was one of the best methods in largo apiaries of preventing her escape with the swarm. Clipping bad a great advantage July 11, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 229 where there were trees. No one should be satisfied unless a complete record of all the transactions in the apiary be kept. If the bee-keeper would plan ahead he would have queens ready for his divisions and so introduce them at once. It was usually a simple matter to hive a swarm. Sometimes it would be possible to shake it into a skep. After they had been hived it was a good plan to introduce a frame of honey and a frame of brood to keep them there until they established their own colony. At the conclusion Mr. Bryden gave an excellent demonstration at the hives from which the restocking for the county of Kent is carried out. THE HONEY BEE. When spring's warm breath comes steal- ing o'er the land. And sap in stems and gnarled roots arises, And snowdrops and the crocus blooms expand, The 'bee, then, from her winter's rest arouses. She boldly ventures forth in sunny hours, Buzzing round the home, her memory to renew, And off she flits to find the fragrant .flowers, Tasting each, then on, her journey to pursue. When orchards' blossoms blow all white and pink, There she fondly frequents with her kind, to1 peep Into the heart of every flower, and drink Its soul, whose balmy sweetness she takes to keep. But, when bounteous summer gives her fullest, The pastures, hedgerows, and woods are all ablaze With garlands of bloom, whose luscious harvest Of nectar awaits the bee for wintry days. 'Ihe miles, the times, she journeys to and fro, Laden with golden honey and pollen bright ; Never wearying, but thinks of the morrow When summer's gone, so gathers while there's light. Industrious Bee! so frail, and quick in- deed ; Free, yet slave for others, man's unpaid friend. Who fertilises his fruit and his seed : Your short spell of life is Duty to the end. L. W. W. HONEY RECIPES. For a Cold in the Throat. — Take two tablespoonfuls of honey, two whisky, juice of a lemon. Honey Tart and Custard. — Cover a baking plate with paste, put in some honey and a few breadcrumbs ; put a thin paste on the top and bake. Honey Pudding. — Put some honey in a basin, make a batter pudding and put on the top of honey and steam for two hours. Custard. — Bird's custard made with honey instead of sugar. Milk Puddings.— Made with honey in- stead of sugar or eaten with honey are nice. For Fruit.— Strawberry and raspberry. Use honey instead of cream. F. Rimmington (Mrs). they will materially " add to the 250 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 1, 1918. siller " when the year's balance-sheet is made up. Our National Association must see this matter brought before the proper authorities; it will be somewhat hard for them when they come home, broken by the war, to see the houses and farms all sold to wealthy outsiders, who have done nothing for their country in the war, but have made money by war material. We who live in rural England can see this going on in many counties, land being sold at auction for high prices. Why should not the Government buy for the men, not see it go to others who have not fought for their country. This village now is at its best. The wild part of it covered with heather; shades of red and crimson, of Erica drier ea, and the pale five-cleft Erica tetralix, with the common ling heatner just bursting its flowers. Many of the cornfields have the yellow chrysanthemum in them, and the scarlet poppies; these last will be looked over by the bees, and so help us with the food, but the yellow marguerites are no use to them, though they add to the beauty of the village. — J. J. Kettle. NATIVE v. FOREIGN BEES. Is it not about time that a word or two was said in favour of our old native British bee? (Do not let it be ever again called, as one of your correspondents lately did, the old G n bee). The craze for foreigners has of late years apparently quite knocked the native out, but, in my opinion, it is, taking one season with another, still the best bee for our variable climate. Judging by nearly all the bee literature one sees, the natives are not in it. The foreigners are puffed up as being lovely tempered, wonderful cappers of their comb, extraordinary honey gatherers, disease resistors, etc.. etc., until anyone not in the know, through not having had experience of them, must conclude that the natives are not worth having as a gift, while people are falling over each other in their haste to buy the foreign strains at five pounds a lot. The Dutch were almost guaranteed as being proof against " IsIp of Wight " disease, But now one hears of their going down along with the others, and, in addition, that they are just swarming pests. In the days gone by, when foreign bees were practically unknown, the complaint of the skepmen — and women too — was that the bees would not swarm enough. I have seen the bees "hanging out" week after week in a bi^ cluster, and the owner com- plaining that he or she was tired of waiting for them to swarm. I have kept from twenty to forty colonies year after year without a swarm from the lot. Just had to pile up the section racks or boxes of frames for extracting, go to business and be away all day, knowing that there would be no trouble with swarming while away, and that if there was any honey to be gathered the bees would store some for me. Now this is all changed, and it is a case, mostly, of almost constant over- hauling, trying to prevent swarms coming off — and going off too. It used to be a. treat to be able to go and lift three, four, and five racks of sections off a hive at a time, practically all filled and sealed. Now the experience seems to be a rack or two with perhaps a few sealed sections and the rest either not touched or partly filled; and a swarm which has often flown away. Only three seasons ago I took about half a ton of honey from eight colo- nies— four originals, and four artificial swarms from them. The bees which gathered this were natives from off, or near to, the Yorkshire moors. This season I am having continuous trouble with swarming, or preparation for it, as the queens last season nearly all mated with foreigners. The foreigners, I'll admit, do breed more bees than the natives, and are all that bee dealers may require, but the majority of us want honey as well as bees, and to a man who is away at work all day the bee that will give honey with least trouble is the bee for him. There is no bee that will give a better looking piece of comb honey than the native. They are as good-tempered as most, and, in my experience, as good disease resis- ters, and if the queens are not quite so prolific as the foreigners, one that will .fill solid a dozen combs with brood is quite enough for me.' All bees are more or less uncertain in temper. I have known a stock of pure Italians to be perfect demons, and I have known many a stock of hybrids which could be manipulated almost without smoke or veil. I have one such now, the queen of which is a wonder for breeding. Her progeny are good hcney gatherers, too, but they have the one fault that just when they get into full swing they must prepare to swarm, although having plenty of storage as well as breeding room. In forty odd years I have had only two seasons in which my natives did not gather sufficient for their winter stores. One season was in 1879 ; the other was 1886. One other year I had a good dozen Italian colonies, in addition to a number of natives. The Italians all had to be fed up for winter. They gave me not a pound of honey from the lot. The natives stored sufficient for themselves, and forty pounds each for me. The Italians were dethroned after that as a matter of course. Aug. 1, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 251 It seems to be the fashion to re-queen with outsiders so as to avoid inbreeding. Now I cannot see where the fear of in- breeding conies inj for we all know that the strain of bees in any neighbourhood is continually having fresh blood brought in by stray swarms, and the question often arises in my mind, does not Nature provide against this in another way? All old hands know that it is almost impos- sible to keep any strain of bees pure, for the queens will mate with drones from a hive other than their own. Most of us know what a keen sense of smell bees have, and, allowing for this sense alone, is it not very probable that the young queen ■out for a mate will avoid the drones from her own hive, and by the same rule the drones avoid their sister princess ; or, if they do not avoid, prefer those from other colonies. This seems to be Nature's way all through animal and bird life, therefore whv not insect life ? There are two points more in favour of natives : one is that they are not so given to robbing as are some of the "foreign strains, and the other is that they can be shaken off their combs instead of having to be brushed off. If real natives, one or two good jerks will clear a frame of comb, or a section, of every bee. " Robin Hood." THE BEE GARDEN. Wasps. The last paragraph of Mr. Kettle's article in last week's Journal has led me to ' interrupt my notes on the bee flora in order to say a few words on the war-time aspect of the wasp. In my own native county — where the Anglo-Saxon tongue still prevails over the Germanised Latin generally adop- ted— " wopses " and ' karnuts " are very common, and the larva? of the former are in great demand for bait for anglers, mostly juvenile, in the Evenlode, Windrush, Cherwell, and Thame. The means commonly recommended for the de- struction of their nests — a necessity if one is to have any dessert plums or pears or to bring nuclei or weak stocks of bees through — are (1) cyanide of potassium, (2) tar, and (3) a bonfire over the hole. My principal object in this article is to deprecate the use of any of these three methods. (1) Cyanide is a very deadly poison, diffi- cult to obtain — now more so than ever — dangerous to the operator by'reason of the hydrocyanic acid given off in the presence of moisture, and most risky to have about where there is any possibility of children or unauthorised persons getting possession of it. (2) Tar is a messy substance to use, and very often fails to achieve its purpose. (3) A bonfire in summer is liable to cause the destruction of a whole hedgerow by ex- tending among the dry herbage, and wind- carried sparks may even cause a stack fire or worse. Not only so; but " Dora " forbids, as the flames may attract, glow- worm like, those other wasps, a super variety of vespa germanica, the Gothas. There remain, however, at least two safe and efficient means of exterminating these pests. Here I would add that now is the best time to deal with them, as the nests are approaching their maximum size, and their inmates the most destructive stage of their activities. As fruit ripens the wasp begins to become harmful by spoil- ing the plums, gages, pears, etc., stinging the pickers, and invading the preserving kitchen ; then, the fruit over, turns its attention to the apiary and robs out many a promising colony of bees. If the work of destruction of vespiaries be left too late the young queens will have escaped to hibernate in hive-roofs or in any one of a hundred out-of-the-way places, emerging in spring to found new predatory communities. Now for my own methods : At Heathrow I offered a penny to the children of the cottagers for every nest they led me to. A further stimulus to search was the offer, in addition, of a rabbit to €he one finding the largest number in the season. The last year I was there two boys dead- heated and bore off a rabbit each. Armed with some flowers of sulphur, a smoker, a gallon can of dirty "turps," a funnel, and an Abol measure, I went forth, gener- ally by lantern-light, and, according to the suitability and accessibility of the site, asphyxiated them either by sulphur fumes or those of turpentine, the latter poured into the hole by means of the funnel, two measures being the quantity usually employed, and the hole stopped with earth. Next morning early I would go with spade and pail, dig out the nest whole, lift it into the .pail, carry it home to the poultry-yard, immerse it in water to drown any survivors, and then — here is my great point — feed the combs of grubs to the broods of late chicks, who devoured them greedily and throve amaz- ingly on this succulent fare. Don't poison wasps. So destroy them that the larva* may be turned to account by the poultry keeper for his chicks. The hens will clean up the wasps, dead and living alike. A. F. Harwood. 252 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 1, 1918. THE URGENT TASK. By A. Z. Abushddy. The urgent task before the bee-keep- ing profession is undoubtedly the exter- mination of the jnuch dreaded 'Isle of Wight " disease. No efforts directed to the increase of the number of colonies, to the introduction of more scientific and helpful accessories such as the artificial honey combs, etc., to the betterment of the financial and social conditions of bee- keepers, and to the many other good causes connected with apiculture, would well repay in comparison with a success- ful effort that would make in future an impossibility the ravages wrought out at present by the malignant dysentery of bees. I have laid stress, in a previous issue of the Journal, on the importance of the continuous administration of a good non-toxic antiseptic to the bees, whether in their water or in the syrup, since much good could not be expected from the occa- sional spraying of the bees, the frames, and the hives. It is a pure arithmetical and common-sense calculation. We have no control over our bees in their forag- ing expeditions, and we never know when a source of infection will ever come in their way and transmit itself through them to their homes. Again, even if we disregard the wandering drones from strange hives, we could not detect and prevent the admittance into our hives of stray workers (from infected colonies) that are occasionally accepted. The numerous other sources of infection and its wide-spread nature make it an impos- sible task to prevent infection merely by excluding the known sources, however much desirable this may be at least for minimising the chances of infection. Hence the value of the continuous ad- ministration of a. suitable antiseptic as suggested. Not only an efficient antisep- tic is vital, but one that could be toler- ated for so long without any ill-effects. Therefore, in choosing an antiseptic for a continuous administration as I recom- mend, the question of its n on- toxicity is most important. I have been in the habit of giving water to my bees principally inside the hive, by means of the ordinary bottle feeder (which they empty from one to four days, .according to circumstances) and to such water I have repeatedly added at different times such -non-toxic antiseptics as " Bocterol ," " Flavine," and " Yadil," although T have used the latter more frequently (in a 5 per cent solution). Tbe presence of one or more supers are no hindrance in the way of placing the feeding bottle uppermost. As regards the possibilities of vaccine therapy, of which it would be impossible to make a forecast, since it might equally lead to a total failure as to a complete or a partial success, it would interest me to know whether any information is available as to colonies that once truly suffered from " Isle of Wight '' disease , and completely recovered without re- queening, and actually dia not become re-infected later. In other words one would like to know in a definite way from trustworthy authorities whether (1) in the present absence of " specific " drugs this disease is not always fatal, and (2) whether one attack of it confers im- munity against a second attack, or whether re-infection is possible as one is led to understand to be the case. If one attack of the disease could confer immu- nity against a second o*ne, then there are high prospects for the question of arti- ficial immunity, although one recognises the most difficult task of attempting to grow on an artificial medium such a pro- tozoon as the Nosem-a Avis since the be- haviour of other protozoa is not at all encouraging, but in any case a repetition of attempting to cultivate it is worth trying. Regarding experimenting with anti- protozoal drugs on infected nuclei, it should be remembered that most of these preparations are very poisonous, and" therefore should not be used except in well diluted solutions. The researchers of the Board of Agriculture are undoubtedly in the best position to investigate this matter, and also to investigate the appli- cation of serum therapy in treatment and in the production of passive immunity in the event of a threatening infection. I shall refer to that briefly in another article. DONCASTER AND DISTRICT B.K.A. On Thursday, July 18, a meeting of the members of the Association was held at the apiary of the Rev. M. Yate Allen. Vicar of Moss. As the day was showery, with frequent thunderstorms, the number present was naturallv rather limited. Mr. J. T. Willson, of Shirebrook, gave a most interesting demonstration on the harvest- ing of honey, including the removal . of combs from the hives, extracting and straining the honev. etc. Mr. Allen has nine perfectly healthy stocks. All the hives were examined and proved to be in excellent condition, and appeared likely to yield some hundreds of pounds more honey before the end of the month. During the storms the time was passed in extracting the honey, and afterwards in examining the varied organs of the bee under the . microscope. Ana-, l, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 253 The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No notice ivill 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. HONEST DEALING. [9732] I am quite in agreement with your correspondent (9721, " Let Us Be Honest "), especially the latter part of the letter. I feel convinced that the high price of bees tempts unscrupulous bee- keepers to sell their diseased stocks, to would-be bee-keepers thus spreading that dreadful malady, " Isle of Wight " disease. I could have sold a diseased swarm this summer to a new beginner: but, having experienced disappointment myself, I have no desire to entrap others and blight their future prospects. There is only one remedy for this sort of thing, and that is to make it a criminal offence, as suggested in the B.B.J, from time to time. The Government have shelved this important matter, at any rate, for the time being, but I venture to suggest there ought to be branch meetings called in all districts, representing members of the B.B.K.A., to forward an appeal for the Government to pass legislation to deal with this matter at once and punish all offenders — P. Lythgoe, Padgate, Warring- ton, Lancashire. THE DIFFICULTIES OF NOVICES. [9783] I desire to " liberate my soul " on the difficulties of bee-keeping and to commune with the Editor on the absence from the books of information on points which have puzzled, at all events, one novice. Fired with the desire to keep bees, and filled with the hope of obtaining, in due course, the fruit of their labours, I applied myself to the study of books on the sub- ject, and sought knowledge assiduously and deeplv from them, and also from the lips of a friendly bee enthusiast, from the earliest part of the winter, and in February blossomed forth as an owner of two stocks, one Ligurian and the other Brown English, both strong and healthy. I seemed to have grasped one maxim — that the early provision of room in ad- vance of requirements would stop swarm- ing, and would lead to the production of honey, and, consequently, early in May racks of sections were put on. It will be remembered that early May was warm, and the bees appeared very busy outside, but up to July 15 hardly any entered the supers, or, if they did, carried on any work there. The books belied their promise of honey, and the novice is left lamenting. A search of the books shows no explanation of this state of affairs, nor the steps to be taken to deal with the recalcitrant attitude of these bees. Perusal of the books led to the belief that swarming, though regrettable to one in search of a honey harvest, was a fair and square performance on the part of the bees, and I was prepared to feel the due enthusiasm at the event and to take the necessary steps to deal with it. The books certainly hinted that if the queen did not join the swarm the latter returned to the hive, but nothing was said of the strange happenings which befell me, on which the books were silent, and for which they did not legislate and prepare a novice. A swarm was hived safely in a pleasant, clean hive, the queen was seen to enter, to emerge and re-enter, and the swarm followed her — a straightforward perform- ance. But in half an hour they swarmed again, in the same place, and were again hived. My book knowledge was deficient on this head: but my bee-keeping friend informed me that he had known this happen five times before the bees accepted the hive or the queen, or what- ever it was that made them restless. It struck me as not a fair and square pro- cedure, and I was unprepared for the trick. Another hive followed the book on one occasion by swarming in an adjacent apple tree and returning straight to the hive. You may conceive mv joy when I put my finger on the passage in the book explaining it, and said L' That's that! A few days later they came tumbling out and clustered over the legs and porch of their own hive. A search in one of my books revealed nothing of this artifice, and what a novice should do on thi- occasion, except that " the ingenuitv of the bee-keeper will be called into play to effect the capture." My ingenuitv was galvanised into the greatest activitv: but there was no occasion to show the fruits of it, as the bees quietly went home. They repeated the performance three times at intervals, and I remained a puzzled spec- tator in the front row on each occasion. My bees could hardly have set themselves to work out a new box of tricks; but no book seems to mention these antic*. The •' glorious first " was a regular 254 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 1, 1918. field day. The same antic-displaying stock swarmed, was hived, swarmed again, was hived again, and then returned to its original stock. My friend the beekeeper decided that this hive would repay a closer inspection, and this, to my ignor- ance, it seemed to do. He found a dead queen on the ground outside, a live queen, which evaded capture running about out- side, a live queen inside, and fifteen queen cells on the combs. As the cells were found he pinched them out and placed them on a handy brick. During the process three queens emerged from their cells on the bricks under our noses, and five more cells contained queens whose time had not yet come to hatch out. What is the custom of war in like cases? The books tell me that if I wish to preserve a queen she must be found and secured; but I was in the dark as to what measures to take to keep alive and to house the three of which I was the proud possessor. Such a plethora of queens threatened the stock with extinction from constant swarms and esoteric quarrels, so they were all happily despatched; but will the Editor tell me, am I out of pocket 10s. apiece for eight queens, or may I consider myself ex- tremely fortunate to have found them so handily placed for destruction before they did more mischief and reduced the stock to zero? And, also, will the Editor be so kind as to indicate the procedure a novice should adopt when he is in the happy position of securing young virgin queens at the rate of three a minute? Bee-keeping has proved so fascinating that it is a great regret to me that my lines have been cast in such places as to preclude the following of the pursuit, and though I may pretend to cavil at what the books do not tell me, it is a task beyond my powers to describe the help which the books, in what they do say, have brought. Without them, not only would my blindness have been darker, but many, many hours would have passed without the alleviation of not particularly enjoyed poor health by the interested perusal of the delightful pages* of bee books. Another experience may interest readers : the English stock swarmed; this swarm showed every symptom of May disease, and at last disappeared. This swarm stood 18 yards from its stock, with two Ligurian hives between. You may judge of my horror when the stock also showed signs of the same disease and the march of affected bees to their cemetery — I am speaking literally — began, and they began to die by hun- dreds. As a chance of curing them, it was resolved to feed them with bacterol- ised syrup and to spray the porch, entrance, and alighting board, the ground near the hive and the knots of bees on the grass and the road to the cemetery with a mixture of H tablespoonfuls of bacterol to a quart of water four times a day. The treatment with syrup began on June 28 and the spraying on July 1 ; by the 8th the crawlers and dead march to the cemetery were stopped. When the treatment was started the bees had been reduced from a strong stock on all frames to very docile bees on four frames, and these did little work and were heavy on the wing. From the 8th to the 15th they began to work with vigour outside, and on the latter date were at work also in the sections, which had been put on the former. What may happen, or Avhat the change is really due to I cannot tell, but the fact remains that they are different bees and have sat up and begun to take notice. — Novice. THE CAUSE AND CUKE OF "ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9734] Having had to join his Majes- ty's Forces since writing the article in the B.B.J, of June 6, I have not been able to see the criticisms of it until now. This question of the cause and. cure of " Isle of Wight" disease should not be allowed to rest until the disease has ceased to cause serious trouble. I am glad three writers in your issue of June 20 have given their opinions. I should be further glad if I could give way somewhat to their criticisms, for it is only by such ready and unbiassed agreement with others, in accordance with experience and scientific deduction, that we can come to the neces- sary correct conclusion upon which action can be taken. Thus I am sorry in a sense it the criticism of Messrs. Strong and Manley and A. H. B. have not caused me to modify any of the opinions expressed in the article. If you, Messrs. Editors, can allow space, I should like to reply to some of the criticisms and re-state my case in unmistakable form. Two of your correspondents have taken me up for using the term " hybrid " for crosses between different varieties of the bee, and one of them concludes that my argument, for this reason, must fall to the ground. It never occurred to me that anyone would object to the use of the term " hybrid," which is so universally used by bee-keepers both here and in America, though recognised to be bio- logically incorrect. But to avoid the ob- jection we can use the expression variety- hybrid, and the argument will stand just the same. I may say I wrote from the biological point of view. It is necessary to recognise that most, if not all, species of plants and animals Aug. 1, 1918. TTXE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 255 under natural conditions are more or less fixed. That is to say, they reproduce themselves true to type., and the varia- tions are so minute that they can scarcely be recognised. Of course, I recognise that cross-fertilisation, which is so predominant in plant and animal life, is a provision of nature to maintain the welfare of both the individual and the species; but such crosses are not radical ones. This fixity of the reproductive constitution of any species is apparently necessary for the welfare of the species also, for we find several which have acquired means of pre- venting cross-fertilisation. It is mainly when man interferes with natural repro- duction that we get radical variations due to unusual crosses. Now, what I maintain as the primary cause of " Isle of Wight " disease is that crosses of the different varieties of bees cause abnormal unfixity of the repro- ductive constitution. ^Yhen we have thus unfixed the reproductive constitution it requires years of normal breeding to fix it again. While the unfixity remains we get offspring which vary very greatly among themselves, and, as I have said in my article, some few of which may have single qualities superior to their parents, but most of which will have qualities altogether inferior, considered from the point of view of all the conditions under which they have to exist. The inability to resist " Isle of Wight " disease, and the bad temper of such bees, are, I con- tend, some of the qualities which have thus been disorganised. Such unfixed bees, if left to Nature, would be quickly eliminated by the universal competition of life. As I pointed out in my article, there is more than one way in which we may overcome this trouble, but I argued that through the circumstances of bee- keeping it would be best on the whole to fix and improve by slow Nature-like methods the dominant bee of the country. By the term " dominant " bee, I mean that variety which, if the different varie- ties were left to natural competition, would dominate, and become more or less fixed. In Great Britain this would un- doubtedly be the black bee. In parts of Italy it might be the yellow bee. Will some biologists kindly give their opinions as to this theory of causation of " Isle of Wight " disease? Mr. G. B. Strong, in the B.B.J, of June 20, appears to have concluded that I have " raised the old question of a return to more natural conditions," by which he apparently means skeps. That is incor- rect. It is not more natural ways of keep- ing bees, but more natural ways of breed- ing bees, that I am urging. Mr. R. B. Manley, in the same issue, says the cross- ing of two varieties in plant or animal life tends to strengthen the vitality of the issue. I agree, if he means the inter- crossing of the more or less fixed indi- viduals of a species or variety, but not if he means the inter-crossing of different varieties. Again, Mr. Manley says foreign bees have done wonders in making ours immune. I don't see how he can prove this. The fact that Italian and Cyprian bees and some of their crosses are all that remain in his district does not disprove my theory of disease causation, but, to an extent, tends to support it, for pure-bred bees are more likely to withstand disease. A. H. B.'s experiences when he decided to give " the very best strain of blacks " a trial simply confirms my theory, for,' as his words imply, they ' were variety- hybrids or mongrels. — T. T. Taylor, Beverley. 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. Monday, August 5, 1918, at Cannock, Staffs.— (Honey Show, in connection with the Horticultural Society's Show. Eight open classes for Honey, Wax, etc. Good prizes. Schedules from J. Bird, F.R.H.S., " Glenmay," Allport Road, Cannock. Wednesday, August 14, at South-Ea stern Agricultural College, Wye, Kent. — Kent Honey Show.— Fourteenth Annual Exhibition, the Premier Show in England. Six Silver Cups to be competed for and splendid prizes. Classes to suit all Bee-keepers. Schedules this year will only be sent to those who apply to Mr. Alfred Lepper, Secretary, Kent Honey Show, Wye, Kent Wednesday, September 4, 1918, at Salis- bury.— Honey Show, in connection with the Com- mercial Travellers' Food Production Exhibition. Fourteen Open Classes for Honey, to embrace the three Counties of Wilts, Hants and Dorset only. Schedules from J. H. Topham, Melrose, Albany Road, Salisbury. iasi Mrs. M. L Chamer (Brentwood).— Dealing with a late sMxirm.— Can you not fix up some kind of a makeshift hive, that will hold half a dozen standard frames fitted with foundation? Any box that can be made bee- and rain-pr.oof will do. Bees and combs could then be transferred to the new hive when it comes. If you cannot do that, it will be better to let the bees stay in the skep until spring. In any case, they will need feeding. . Mrs. \ Jays (Hants).— Bees collecting moisture from coal— We do not think the bees will get anything but water from the coal. Probably it will be warmer than that you provide for them. , , , W G. S. (Birkenhead).— When to purchase stocks. —It is possible to get 6tocks of bees cheaper at this season, but against that there is the risk of wintering, and unless you are near heather, or can take the bees to the moors, there is little prospect of securing any profit before next year, and possibly there will be the expense of feeding. We cannot answer the first 256 THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAI Ana-. 1, 1918. part of your query in this column, for obvious reasons. If you send stamp we will reply by post. E. F. B. (Harold Wood).— Disinfecting hive and comb.— The best method of disinfecting a hive is to scorch it out with a painter's lamp. Boil- ing for twenty minutes (if you have a copper large enough) and treating with a strong solu- tion of disinfectant afterwards should be effec- tive. It is much safer to have new combs, but probably the shallow combs will be safe if soaked for an hour or two in disinfectant, instead of spraying them. The wax would be safe for making foundation if the " Weed " process was used. V Asdbiv " (Leicester).— Honey granulating— We cannot say why some honeys granulate sooner than others. We have 6een charlock honey granulate in the comb before it was sealed over; possibly yours contained some from that source, or- has been exposed to daylight. It will become more solid in time. To keep honey from granu- lating, an equable temperature i9 more important than any particular degree of heat. It will not granulate so quickly if kept in a temperature of about 70 deg. Fahr., or a little over, and if in glass jars should be kept in the dark. " Edwards " (Camborne). — When breeding ceases,— (I) We prefer all in one chamber. (2) It depends on how long food is coming in, and on the weather. We have known breeding cease early in August, and have seen brood and eggs at the end of September. Feeding with 6yrup will cause breeding to continue late in the year. Two miles is too far for the bees to bring in much honey from the heather. R. O. Fordham (Beds..).— Bees carrying honey down from the super— If the queen excluder is left on the bees will carry down any unsealed honey, but it is doubtful if they will the sealed honey, but they will use it as required. It will be better rto take the racks off, and feed the bees. If you bruise the cappings of the honey they may carry it down into the brood chamber. C. W. Kent (Molesey).— What to do with a swarm in a storm.— Put a shelter of some kind over them as quickly as possible, a 6kep, box, umbrella, or tarpaulin, and deal with them after the storm is over. It is impossible to give directions to suit every case; so muchjiepends oh circumstances. Missing queen.— If the stock is queenless, though late, it is not too late for them to rear another queen. The difficulty lies in getting the young queen mated. It is safer to purchase a laying queen, but do not be in too great a hurry. There is probably a young queen in the hive. Ripening honey.— Keep it in a ripener in a warm room for a few days. It should be covered with a piece of muslin, or other material that will keep out dust and insects, but allow the moisture to escape. A large fiat tin is even better than a honey ripener, as a larger surface of honey is exposed. If bad weather looks likely to continue remove the supers. The price of honey does not vary much from week to week, but often varies a great deal in different localities. If readers will send us the prices ruling in their locality we are always pleased to publish them. We have several times lately given them so far as we know, viz., run honey 2s. 6d. to 3s. per 1 lb. jar, sections from 3s. each; wholesale prices from £10 per cwt., and from 30s. per dozen for sections. With regard to your other suggestion, if this "corner" is not one for "Bee Problems," what is it? B. T. (Cwmbnn).— (1) The queen had not mated. (2) Quite probable. I. N. A. (Galwav).— (1) We cannot say. (2) There is no nectar to be found. If there was they would be working. \. MK'abf.— See page 249, "Price of Candy." A. Stratton (Marlboro').— The queen was aged, and a drone breeder. It is unusual for a young queen and the old one both to come out with a swarm. Honey Samples. J. T. (Tony Vale).— The honey is a very good sample, and has granulated with a nice grain. It «will probably make 2s. 9d. to 3s. per lb. jar, and about £11 per cwt. H. T. Wilkin (Walton).— The honey is a very nice sample of lime and clover. We cannot say whether it was taken off too soon. It is some- what thin, but that is not unusual for lime honey, and it will quite likely keep all right. We have had a thinner sample than yours in our office for over a year and it is still sound. C. W. Dutton (Packington).— The bottle was smashed. A thin cardboard box is not sufficient protection for a medicated tablet bottle. It was dropped into our letter box still leaking, and a nice mess it made. We had over 50 letters anil cards to sponge both sides before we could open them, every one having more or less honey on it. Suspected Disease. W. Kearton (Kent).— There is a little odourless foul brood in the comb. Keep the hive supplied with Apicure and naphthaline. J. Strong (Bathgate).— Natives. So far as we can tell there is nothing wrong with them. C. M. H. (Sutton).— The trouble is "Isle of Wight " disease. Under the circumstances we think it will be wise to destroy them. E. J. George (Wales).— The bees were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. It will be better to re-queen. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, four W.B.C. Hives, with section racks, in good condition.— BUTLER, Oak Tree House, Claygate. h.2 WANTED, Driven Bees, and Conqueror Hives, commercial frames preferred. — RECTOR, Gislingham, Suffolk. h.3 WANTED, immediately, Driven Beeo; also drawn-out standard Frames of Comb, or Stocks.^Particulars, EDWIN GLOSSOP, Amber- gate. . h.4 FOR SALE.— Must be cleared this week. Two healthy Stocks of Italian Hybrids, 1918 Queens; one new non-swarming hive, by Taylor, the other one sound; one box shallow frames, wired foundation; one Rapid feeder; adjoining Fawkham Station, L.C. and S.E. Railway; price £6 10s— C. BURTON, 5, Elm Terrace, Longfield, Kent. h.5 BEESWAX (English).— About 10 cwt. for Sale — " Bees," c/o MESSRS. GOULDS & PORT- MANS, 54, New Oxford Street, London, W.C.I, h.6 SEVERAL lots of Bees on 5 to 8 frames for healthy, 8 frames brood, 60s. each, carriage ling box to be returned— WRIGHT, Sutton Pcyntz, near Weymouth. h.7 SEVERAL grand heather Stocks, Hybrids, i>0 healthy, 8-frames brood, 60s. each, carriage paid. Boxes free. Deposit— A. SIMPSON, Chal- font St. Giles, Bucks. h^ FIVE dozen of sections of good Honey; price 30s. dozen— T. GREEN, New Dale, Welling- ton, Salop. hj) OOTS' "A B C of Bee Culture" wanted; second-hand— BLAKE, 98, Stafford Strt«*. Longton, Staffs. hJLO FOR SALE, a few Stocks of British-Italian Bees on 10 frames, £4 each. Hives supplied if desired. Also a few Fertile Queens, 7s. each.— NEEDHAM, Hemel Hempstead. hJl FOR SALE, 25 Stocks healthy Bees, Hybrids and Italians, section and run Honey, Section Rack= and Shallow Suoers. Owner joining up.— KNIGHT. Westbrook, Langbro', Wokingham, h.12 Aug. .8, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 257 SEASONABLE HINTS. In all but heather districts the honey harvest is practically over. Should the weather be favourable a little more honey may be stored from the blackberry and second crop of clover and sainfoin. Supers should be removed, but one may be left on strong colonies on the chance of securing a little more honey from a late flow. Late swarms, and possibly some older colonies, will need feeding. Re-queening should be attended to as- soon as the supers are removed. If brood rearing has ceased, or nearly so, in any colony, slow feeding will set it going again, and ensure that best of all winter packing — a hive full of young bees. Great care must be taken when re- moving honey from the hive and extract- ing it from the comb, not to leave any where bees can get to it, or robbing will result and the whole apiary may be in an uproar. After things have quietened down, the bee-keeper will have to mourn hundreds or thousands of dead bees, and the weakening, or extinction, of colonies. On no account should a bit of comb be thrown on the ground among the hives, and a super cleaner should be used for getting the bees away from the honey- comb . Wax is a. valuable article, and none of it should be wasted. All the bits of brace and burr comb should be saved, also the scrapings from frames, sections, etc. As an old proverb has it, " Many a mickle maks a muckle," and it is sur- prising what a quantity of beeswax may be obtained by having a pail or other re- ceptacle into which all the scraps may be put until there are plenty to be worth melting down. After the sections are removed, sort them over, and any that are only partly finished, or are not good enough for sale, should be extracted and saved for use as " bait " in section racks next year. The extracting room should be bee proof, and it is better to do the extract- ing in the evening when the bees are not flying. The empty combs may be returned to the bees to be cleaned up. It is a good plan, if all the stocks are healthy, to allow one colony to do all the "mopping up," choosing one that is short of stores. A super clearer having a hole that may be opened or closed by a tin slide should be left on the hive. One or two lots of shallow combs may be placed on it in the late evening, and the hole opened. The combs will be olean by morning, the hole is closed, the escape again comes into action, and at evening the supers may be removed and others take their place, and so on until all are cleaned. No doubt most of our readers would peruse the letter (9733, p. 253) in our last week's issue with very sympathetic under- standing. What troubles and puzzles we had in our, early days of beekeeping when some situation arose that had not been provided for in any book or writing. One of the first things a beginner at bee- keeping should learn is that good old maxim, " Bees do nothing invariably." No matter how much was written on the tricks of bees, sooner or later a situation would arise that was not provided for, or the bees would do something that violated all the usually accepted rules and regulations, to the bewilderment of their owner. Nor is it possible to explain why bees will or will not do certain things, and, like that veteran beekeeper Dr. Miller, one has often, when confronted with some problem, the first word of which is that small one of three letters " Why?" to confess " I don't know." " Why " will bees refuse to enter supers, or, if they enter, •' Why " is no work done? " Why " do some bees work hard, filling super after super with honey, and never attempting to swarm, and others persist in swarming before even all the combs in the brood chamber are drawn out? And "Why," Oh! "Why" will swarms at times persist in Leaving the beautiful new hive, and — to the bee- keeper's olfactory organs — sweet honey- scented foundation, time after time to cluster in some more or less awkward posi- tion? We have known them do this seven times, but " why " we don't know. At times they will apparently settle down and work for a day or two, and then de- camp. A comb containing brood put into the hive which the beekeeper hopes will be the future home of the swarm, is by most beekeepers supposed to make the tenure of the hive secure; but is it? All we can say is that during the last week in July a swarm in our own apiary de- camped under just those conditions, leav- ing barely enough bees to cover the brood ; but " Why "? We only know of one method of dealing with a swarm that, up to the present, has made certain of it re- maining, and that is to remove the parent colony, and place the swarm on the old stand; but we would not like to guar- antee that there are no exceptions to even that rule. It is said of that good old English game, cricket, that the charm of it lies in its " glorious uncertainty." The same may be said of beekeeping. We know that under certain conditions bees will most likely behave in a certain manner. 258 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug-. 8, 1918. For instance, if a queen is taken away they at once prepare to rear another ; but not always. Sometimes they will destroy every egg, and make no attempt to rear another queen. That hap- pened to one of our own colonies some years ago. (Queen cells are almost invari- ably built mouth downwards). We have seen them built horizontally, and looking like an extra large drone cell, and an old beekeeper told us a few weeks ago he once found one mouth upwards. There can be no doubt, however, that in swarming there is no limit to the vagaries of the bees, when and where they may swarm no one can tell, and, as in the case of our correspondent, when this is in progress, or an accomplished fact, it will often exer- cise the ingenuity of the beekeeper to the utmost, either to keep track of the swarm or capture it when the bees have clustered. With regard to those 10s. (?) queens. At the swarming season beekeepers are in much the same position as the Irishman with his hens. They always laid a large number of eggs when they were cheap, and gave over when they were dear. The young queens might have been put in a cage, or even a match-box, with a few worker bees and some food— candy, or a moist lump of sugar — and kept for a few days, until they could perhaps have been sold as virgins — but not at 10s. each; or nuclei might have been made up, and a young queen given to each. When mated and laying, they could have been sold at once, or kept for a week or two, when they might have made even a better price. After the queens were removed, the nuclei could have been united either to other stocks, or together with one of the queens. If neither of these plans are feasible, the only thing is to do as " Novice " did, and give them a " happy despatch." A virgin will not live long if kept entirely alone — not much over half an hour. Under the circumstances, " Novice " may consider himself lucky to have found the virgins in time to prevent further swarming. A DOR-SET YARN. This last week has been a wonderful w eek for the bees. With the exception of one wet morning, they have worked their bardest; then at noon, as soon as the rain had ceased, bees were on the lavender mid rambler roses. Close to the hives, on the rows of privet that had been un- trimmed they were soon in countless numbers. In the hedgerows of black- berries was soon the glad hum of content. Overhead, to ragweed and charlock, the continuous hum of thotisands of bees seemed to exhilarate the tiller of the soil. Their music, as they fly away to fields of flowers, gives energy to the muscles for still further exertions; it tells of the glorious promise " Seed time and harvest shall not cease as long as the sun and moon endureth." The flowers must be fertilised when the organs of fructification are perfect, or seed will not be ready for harvest. The music of bees seems to shame one from the very thought of stopping work— the aching back, the tired muscles are forgotten, and hour after hour goes on among the crops till close of day, and night comes on apace, and one soon thinks of sleep. Many of your readers may think that this is only an animal existence. Well, we are happy and content: simple living gives us good health and strength for labour ; Ave , take a pleasure in it. All day the bees are around us; we show the visitors the work they do; how they build the city; how they " increase and multiply "; how thev store away food for days Avhen no food can be collected; how they kill or starve out the drones that will not work — • poor, heavy, noisy units, after a short life of pleasure and the best of food they are destroyed by the workers who reared them : they have the principle, or, as Maeterlinck wrote, '•' The spirit of the hive." All must work: no work, no food. All this gives us happiness. As Tolstoy wrote, " Every man lives only for his own happiness, for his well-being: Ave get our happiness in toil, and toil is the la/w." Many must go aAvay from the farm with mixed opinions of the farmer. As each sees the bees they get an object-lesson in communism, .where all must work for the good of the community, and some of them never Avork; at least they do no produc- tive work', Avhen noAv everyone should be doing something for the production of food. As so many thousands are working on munitions and armaments, the need for foodstuffs Avas never greater than noAv, and prices are most encouraging. In our local markets, ending June, marrows reached Is. each and runner beans Is. 3d. per dozen. All are food for the bees; all shoAvs that the farmer who keeps bees has an extra source of profit and that bee- keepers should be working their own land and groAving food for bees as well as man. Our country is noAv becoming the store- bouse of the nation, and not the pleasure- gfpuiid of the rich. The man who toils is the nation's greatest asset; he Avho does nothing is only a parasite or a drone, and should not feed on the choicest; those that labour must have the best, and if they have their lands to Avork, they can then groAv the best for their OAvn consump- tion. We Avho keep bees know that certain plants give the best honey; we like to k :>ep the sections from those for our oAvn consumption. We know that certain Aug. 8, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 259 sorts of potatoes have a better flavour than have others; we grow those varieties mostly and, as they are heavy croppers, they are also most remunerative to us. This is most noticeable with " Golden Wonder." But this is digressing : I must keep to bees not potatoes, or I shall be pulled up sharp by some reader that loves bees and thinks them of more interest than " spuds." — J. J. Kettle. ongtbeBeesj MARKETING HONEY. With very many bee-keepers in our islands the end of July will mark the end of the season of ingathering. Now comes the crucial period of selling the fruits of our and the bees' labours. For many this is a time of anxiety, although at present there should be no difficulty in disposing of the heaviest crops, and that, too, at a price never obtained for a period of 40 or 50 years, when a florin«or half-a-crown was secured for every section sold. For this season, therefore, the packing of the crop will be the chief care, and I propose to give at least half-a-dozen ways in which this can be done. 1. When one or two up to half-a-dozen sections are sold, they are often wrapped up in-any old piece of brown paper, or in an old newspaper, and in this form handed or sent to the purchaser. I would like to point out a more excellent way. Honey in comb is such a taking dainty that it deserves better treatment when consigned to the consumer. Neat corrugated card- board cartons are on the market, holding from one to a dozen pound sections. They cost a little, but their neatness, and the safety in transit they secure, is worth it. All that has to be done is to push in the section, close down the flap, tie on a piece of twine, and there is a parcel which is presentable anywhere. With regular cus- tomers these may be made " returnable," and so the cost may be almost eliminated. 2, An alternative plan is to lay in a sup- ply of small light boards 4^ in. square, with the margin cut half through to allow them to slip inside the wood at each end of the parcel, so as to make a box of the number of sections sold. This, if tied lengthwise. makes a neat, tidy parcel, easily carried, if the sale numbers up to half-a-dozen. This as a package can be considerably strengthened by placing a thin board below, cut the exact length and breadth of the number sold. . 3. Another neat, clean, and efficient style of packing, easily carried out by even the merest novice, may be described as the use of a box within a box. Decide on a few sizes, according to the number of sections generally asked for, and get a box of thin wood made to exact size, so that the space will just accommodate the dozen or other number ordered. Simply place them in position, tack or tie on the lid, and deposit your box over a thick layer of hay or straw in a grocer's empty — a little longer and wider than your recep- tacle, but several inches deeper. Resting on the resilient bed of straw, the action, in case of concussion, will be about the same as if it lay on a set of springs. For small and medium orders this plan works very well, the honey arriving at the end of the journey, be it long or short, in ex- cellent condition. If the inner box is slightly too large, a sheet of corrugated packing, placed below, above, at one end or one side, will remedy matters. 4. One of the simplest plans of packing I know is that practised by a friend who lives within two miles of a town. He merely removes sections from the rack to grade and clean them, and then re-packs them in- the same receptacle, pushing home the follower and wedge to hold them tight. A " Scotsman " fixed round the case, with the twine running lengthwise, ' finishes the package. As his trap goes to the town about every second day, the honey is easily delivered. Sections are dumped down on the counter of the grocer, and the empty. racks returned, to be again refilled by the bees. 5. The spring crates, so familiar in ap- pliance dealers' catalogues and in the illus- trations in several bee-books, are excellent means to an end. Clean, easily handled, easily packed, and as easily cleared at the end of the journey, they serve admirably as a means of safe transit from the pro- ducer to the middleman or the consumer direct. Those to accommodate a dozen are very neat and suitable, and are packed with a minimum of time and trouble. Others, constructed for the carriage of three dozen, eighteen in a second tier, above the first, are handy and efficient. Larger ones are not so easily handled, and the springs, because of the roughness necessary to secure strength, are not generally so yielding as to guarantee safety. I think the space internally is best when it affords room all round for a sheet of corrugated paper. Good handles should be provided, and a safer means of closing- up than is generally used should be pro- vided. 6. Simple boxes of various sizes and shapes can be purchased from appliance dealers, but perhaps the all but universal means of despatching sections to the market is by the use of grocers' empties. With these a new system of preparing the 260 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 8, 1918. sections before consigning them to the packing-case is necessary, and this implies some labour and care, requiring time and patience. Select a box a little larger than is actually necessary for the size of the order, so as to afford room for packing material, not only above and below, but also at the ends and sides of the case. Either hay or straw placed below in a good thick layer is required, to secure a springy bed for the first row to rest on. To carry out this operation efficiently several requisites are necessary. A table or bench of considerable size facilitates operations. Premising that all sections have been scraped and graded, we lay down a sheet of brown paper at a con- venient point, and on this place sections to the number of six, first wrapping each one of these in waxed paper to exclude dust and save drip. These six sections are then parcelled up neatly and compactly in the brown paper, and fastened firmly by a piece of twine laid round lengthwise. In this form they become a solid brick. Lay each of these down in the case, rest- ing on the layer of hay or straw, pressing them close together into a compact mass. Any space at the sides and ends must be filled up with packing. Wads of the mate- rial, wrapped up in old newspaper, is at the same time cleaner and more efficient than in a loose condition, and the whole lower deposit must be packed tightly into one solid mass, the constituent parts un- able to move or shift with any rough handling in transit. Oyer this place another tier, resting on a thin layer of hay. Place sheets of newspaper between top and bottom of this packing to keep things cleaner. Three or four tiers may be placed in the box if necessary. Finish all up with plenty of material to cause the lid to make a rather, tight fit before nail- ing or screwing it on. Smaller cases should be bound round with thin cord, and larger ones with thicker rope, for hand-holds; but for the largest size good stout rope handles should be inserted at each end, near the centre of the height, for two porters to grasp when placing the heavy box in van. Add a prominent ad- dress label, and a smaller one bearing " Comb honey. With great care. This side up." SPACING FRAMES. Mr. F. W. Watts, of Dulwich, the in- ventor of the Crystal Queen cage, super- clearer, etc., has kindly handed us a sug- gestion for overcoming the existing diffi- culty of obtaining the metal spacing ends tor standard combs. Take a strip of tin, the length of the inside of the brood chamber and ] in. in width. Mark off a strip from end to end and j* in. from one edge. Then cut slits from the edge to the mark, making the first f in. from one end of the tin and the next one | in. from the first. The third slit must be 1 7-16 in. from the second, and the next one again | in., and so on, so that the spaces be- tween the slits are alternately § and 1 7-16 in. The |-ih. tabs are all bent down on one side to form a series of hooks that will rest on the side of the hive. The ends of the frames will fit into the gaps thus formed, and the upright tabs will keep the frames properly spaced and prevent the escape of bees. The weight of the combs would keep the tin quite rigid whilst in use. This suggestion may be of help to those who are unable to obtain metal ends. The same contrivance may be used for shallow frame boxes, making the first slit ^ in. from end of tin and the distances J in. and 1 13-16 in. alternately. THE MAKING OF A BEEMAN. (Continued from page 204.) The family had decided for bees, no longer were bees to be merely suffered. Bees must be kept, and kept properly, understanding must dispel fear, the Golden Rod arM the Sun Flower no longer shunned. Stings there would be, of course, but what of that? Are they not good for rheumatism and what not? "Be- sides," said Peter, " it is father who will do everything, and stings are nothing to him.'' This was enough to put any man on his mettle, and the " 'Phone " direc- tory was searched under "B" with no result. But when the Beeman arrived home that evening he was a proud man. The Post Office Directory had revealed the existence of the B.B.K.A., and he was the happy possessor of a membership card and the red-covered "Guide Book." Lislie remarked, " Why call themselves the British Bee-keepers? Of course they are British. Bee-keepers' Association would be so much easier to find." A busy and delightful time followed. Even the " Times " was neglected in the daily, hour-long journey to town. The " Guide Book" was read and re-read from cover to cover for a whole fortnight. Now let beginners, and rule-of-thumb bee- keepers, mark this — those who have kept bees for years but have never thought it worth while to study the accumulated knowledge of others — that little book was read through and through three times' before any attempt was made to tackle the bees. The Beeman now felt up to clearing the mess in No. 2 colony, a smoker was borrowed, and the job tackled and put through successfully. The broken comb with brood was cleared out of the back part of No. 2, and for the lack of Aug. 8, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 201 frames, cut up and fitted into sections and placed in the super of No. 1, to hatch out ; quilts had been made, and old car- pets cut \vp into squares for warmth. No. 3 was rid of a large ants' nest, which was found between the covering mat and" the plank, and a water-tight roof was contrived. Plans were also made for driving No. 3 colony as soon as a brood chamber and frames could be secured. Teddy proved a useful help in all this, Attired in veil and gloves, he manipu- lated the smoker and soon proved himself an accurate recorder of hive conditions. Pencil in hand, and note-book on knee, he would sit at a distance and write down the dictated estimates of the number of square inches of brood, sealed and un- sealed honey, and pollen in each comb, for the Beeman felt that an accurate record of the condition of each hive at different dates would to some extent com- pensate his lack of experience. Meanwhile sellers of bee appliances were visited, and were written to. Their catalogues were studied. The difficult question of selecting a type of hive was tackled methodically, and a comparative statement made of prices, parts, and par- ticulars. This led to the conclusion that the excess cost of a hive which is double throughout, over the simpler hive, works out to very little indeed when spread over the life-time of a hive, and is a very small price to pay for the greatly increased adaptability to all manner of manipulation. The sequel proved the wisdom of this decision, which later per- mitted the tiering of brood bodies, a system fruitful of brood and honey, and a deterrent of swarming. The need of a plentiful supply of appli- ances was soon recognised, and the orders ended by mounting up to three complete W.B.C. hives,- each with shallow frame and section supers, besides extras such as a brood body, shallow frame, and section super for each hive, sixty extra standard, and thirty extra shallow frames, all with full sheets of foundation. The programme contemplated limiting the apiary to three colonies in the W.B.C. hives, keeping the old cottage hives for nuclei and for the temporary reception of swarms. Of course the makers were not able to supply promptly, and a whole month passed before the arrival of a brood body with frames and one roof. Plans were now laid for driving No. 3 colony out of their sugar-box, and the Beeman declared that if this proved sue- cessful he would try his hand on the colony in the western cornice of the roof, and would take honey from the old colony in the east cornice. (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. SEEING QUEEN LAY. [9735] I had an experience on Wednesday evening, July 3, which, I think, must be somewhat unusual. I moved a small lot of bees on five combs from a nucleus box, where they had been for two days, into their permanent quarters. It was about nine o'clock in the evening. I used nothing to subdue them, doing everything very quietly and smoothly, and only two bees rose. The queen was on the last comb. I put this frame 3 in. from the others, and watched the bees interestedly for a few minutes, while they manned the top bar, as they do when quiet, and then turned to see whether I could " spot " the queen easily. She was a Simmins's queen, w^ith mostly black bees, and, as they are beautiful golden creatures, I saw her quite easily. Watching for a moment, she emerged from under some bees and appeared to help herself from a cell. I thought that her attendants had abandoned her owing to the disturbance and that she was feed- ing herself, but to my astonishment she laid an egg in the cell, right under my nose. I thereupon gently tilted the frame in my fingers to about 60 degrees, so that I could the more easily see. She laid five eggs while I watched, and I was struck bv the great deliberation of the act. I called my wife, who Avas in the garden, so that I might take the exact time. Only two eggs were laid after that, as there was little space left. She took exactly eighteen seconds each time, from the moment she commenced to thrust her abdomen into the cell till the moment she commenced to withdraw it. I also had a similar experience on the 13th, when putting in another comb. This time T lifted the comb out without vibra- tion and held it above the hive, and the queen laid two eggs while I looked on. She did not appear to be disturbed by the light, though for the most part I turned her side awav from the sun. I OfiO THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 8, 1918. noticed this time, as I could look straight down on her, as she thrust -her abdomen into the cell that the posterior half was quite considerably protruded in the effort to deposit the egg. She certainly looked a very odd figure as she sat in the cell. She also appeared to be laying a little faster, though seconds are hard to reckon. I was struck by two other things. First, that she was not, as some books say, surrounded by a group of bees steer- ing her about, so to speak, where they wanted her to lay, but she wandered about bv herself under the monotonous obsession of egg-laying; and second, that it appeared to be anybody's business to give her a lick or a sip of food as she passed. — ('. S. Morris. REPAIRING SMOKER BELLOWS. [9736] In these days of economy and substitution the following may be of some service to those who, like myself, have been unable to purchase the old style smoker with the leather bellows, and have to be content with the various substi- tutes now on the market. My smoker has only been in use a few weeks, and the bellows are perforated at the corners already. I was puzzled as to how I should replace or repair it. Having an old inner tube belonging to my cycle, I cut o,ut the sound part, and, after carefully removing the tacks and tape from the bellows of the smoker, I have covered the old bellows with the piece of inner tub, carefully replacing the tape again. I verily believe the smoker to be better now than when I first bought it, as the rubber bellows are much more pliable. — G. E. Weeds. LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER, [9737] For the benefit of readers of the "B.B.J." I should like to give an easy method of removing supers, etc. We are taught that to remove supers, either for the purpose of placing another one under or final clearing up, to first break the joint between the two with a strong knife, or, better still, a hive tool, then give the top box a twist to lireak the brace combs, which are nearly always built between a super box and the one under it. Now, I find that the result of this is that, unless your frames in both boxes are tightly wedged up with metal ends, etc., the twisting of the top box disturbs the combs of both boxes, brings them together, crushes the bees betwfeen, breaks the capping, and causes honey to run. Tt also leaves pieces of brace comb projecting below the level of the underside of the top box and above the level of the top side of bottom box, which all has to be scraped off (this causes a lot of honey to be exposed and run) before you can proceed with your work. Nearly everyone has seen * the grocer use his wire cheese cutter, namely, a piece of copper wire about 20 gauge, not stronger. The method I suggest is to obtain a piece of this wire, say 3 ft. long, fix a piece of wood at each end as a handle, lireak the joint between the two supers, apply a little smoke, then insert your wire in the joint between the two boxes on the front side, and with a gentle sawing motion draw it towards you at the back until it is well past the middle (where the brace tombs are generally built). The result is a clean cut between the two boxes without disturbing the combs, even if no metal ends are used, no crushing of bees, and the least possible amount of running honey. The top box, having a level underside, may be stood anywhere with ease, and the bottom box, having a level top side, one can with equal ease stand another box on the top of it. I don't know if this method is new," but have not seen it recommended. It works verv well, being simple and easy'. — W. Ion. HEIGHT OF HIVES FROM THE GROUND. [9738] I have noticed the correspond- ence on height of hives from the ground. Now, our local policeman, a keen bee- keeper, told me in the spring all the bees in the trees were dead. I know of one such lot, and. also one in a thatched roof, that have died out. The same policeman also tcttd me the bees in a church tower were dying (five or six separate lots), and that the churchyard was strewn with dead and dying bees. There were quite a num- ber of skeps in this parish a few years ago, and I only know of one that sur- vived last winter. Per contra, I have now six flourishing stocks, all in Con- queror hives, and therefore near the ground, and, so far, there has been no sign of disease. I used Bacterol candy in the spring, and now spray with Flavine as opportunity offers. Height from the ground has not conferred immunity in this district. — D. D. Bennett. [9739] In reply to Mr. G. R, Strong's letter [9717] re height of hives from the ground, no doubt there is something in it, as about 1909 or 1910 I lost a good swarm (natives), which went straight to a large oak tree and established themselves therein, about 30 ft. from the ground and about 12 ft, over a pond, where they have lived and thrived ever since, although in the meantime that fell de- stroyer, "Isle of Wight" disease, has Aug. 8, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. >63 laid a heavy hand on this locality and its bees. Now. what Mr. Strong proposes to do is hardly a fair test of the theory. To begin with, on June 30 he has a stray swarm 1| lbs., then later another 1 lb. — 2^ lbs. altogether — most likely both having virgin queens. He hives them on four drawn-out combs, a possible source of in- fection, unites the two together, perhaps another source; then in August re-queens with an Italian — it may be a further source of infection. Why depose a young queen to introduce an Italian? And, if in a thriving condition next year, to what will he attribute the success — the eleva- tion or the Italian queen? — W. J. Martin. A CORRECTION. [9740] I cannot refrain from venturing to correct the admired writer of the " Dorset Yarns " when he takes to quot- ing Burns. Our friend is " aw wrang " when he says " Princes and Peers," etc., the quotation should read " Princes and Lords are but the breath of Kings." Many people seem to think that Burns wrote, " an honest man's the noblest work of God," but, as a matter of fact, Burns merely quotes these words from Pope's '.' Essay on Man."— R. D. Galbbaith. BEES AND WATER. [9741] In a recent article in the B.B.J, on " Bees' Food a'nd Drink " (page 226) we read that : "It is estimated that at certain seasons of the year, during part of the day, 75 per cent, of the bees leaving the hive are bent on water carry- ing. " Another extract from the same ex- cellent article says : " No less is water a necessary constituent of this bee food on which the young are cherished." Special attention is drawn to this be- cause, wherever I have gone among bees — and I seek them out on every oppor- tunity— I have not a* yet seen any of these bees suitably supplied with water by their owners. Last year, on cycling through Salop, I found out and called upon a gentleman bee-keeper, who modestly informed me that his daughter looked after the bees. There were a good number of stocks in a field by the house (a vicarage), but no water was to be seen. Their attention was drawn to this, and it was found the bees had quite a long way to go for water. It was pointed out how. much better the bees would do if they were provided with water nearer home, and so save an enormous amount of time and labour. There was no hesitation in seeing the real need for this, as the " Lady of the Bees " said, " Well, we had never thought of that." There is no doubt that a great many of these valuable insects shorten — or lose — their lives in their attempts to get sup- plies from unsuitable places, such as water-butts, which often contain nothing but stagnant and putrid water. Some few years ago, before providing my stocks with water, I was constantly finding dead bees in my garden water- tub, which collects the rain-water from the roof of a cabin. I have paid the penalty for my ignorance. They are now supplied with an earthenware vessel, of a kind mostly used as a water fountain for poultry, which, with a few well- selected stones placed in the well, pro- vides them with all the safeguards against drowning. It is a sight worth seeing to stand by on a warm day and see the quantity of bees eagerly drinking and hastening back to the hive with water for the nursing bees to use in preparing the food for the young. It at least shows the need for a good supply of water near home. It is a common thing for bee-keepers to provide a bee garden, so that there may be a quick supply of nectar and pollen for their stocks, but how often is a thought given to that requisite " 75 per cent, of water " needed to dilute these in order to provide the young bees with a digestible food? Is it possible that the lack of the neces- sary water wherewith to nr'.x the food for the young bees has anything to do with their consequent impaired digestion, making them an easy prey, later in life, to that common malady " Isle of Wight " disease? — S. Milton, Derby. PRESS CUTTINGS. Honey is one of the products of the Canadian farm that is playing an import- ant part just now. It is taking the place of syrup in baking and confectionery establishments. Its economic value is be- coming more generally recognised every vear, and the increasing demand is at- tracting the attention of residents of Canadian rural districts who are so situated that bee-keeping offers them a sure and reasonably easy means of revenue. Bees owned by a farmer and operated on his own farm will yield him, in addition to the honey crop, the benefit of increased fertilisation of some of his most important crops. No fruit grower who is in any considerable way of business should be without a few colonies of bees for the sake of the benefit to his orchards at blossom time. Another good reason is that no one is better situated to effect a satisfactory distribution of the products of the bee than the man who has had ex- perience in disposing of a crop of fruit. — From the Empire Review. 264 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 8, 1918. Bee Shows to Come. A nominal charge of Zs. 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. Wednesday, August 14, at South-Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, Kent. — Kent Honey Show.— Fourteenth Annual Exhibition, the Premier Show in England. Six Silver Cups to be competed for and splendid prizes. Classes to suit all Bee-keepers. Schedules this year will only be sent to those who apply to Mr. Alfred Lepper. Secretary, Kent Honey Show, Wye, Kent, On August 16 & 17, at the Technical Schools, Gillingham.— The Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham Branch of the Kent Bee-keepers Association will hold a Honey Show in connection with the Allotment Holders' Association, open to members of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association. Schedules and entry forms may be obtained from Mr. G. Bryden, 46, Star Hill, Rochester. Entries, close August 10. Wednesday, September 4, -1918, at Salis- bury.—Honey Show, in connection with the Com- mercial Travellers' Food Production Exhibition. Fourteen Open Classes for Honey, to embrace the three Counties of Wilts, Hants and Dorset only. Schedules from J. H. Topham, Melrose, Albany Road, Salisbury. E W C. (AmweU). -Removing bees from a. tree. -The method of attempting this, will depend on circumstances. We cannot advise as to the best without seeing the tree Giving the bees a few puffs of smoke to quieten them, and then cutting the wood aw»y until the combs can be cut out and the bees brushed off, would pro- RbaGEARDnS(Beur.v St. Edmunds).— Utilising driven bees.— (1 and 2) You can unite them to weak colonies on frame hives. It is better to take away one queen, and cage the others for twelve hours, and the same thing should be done when uniting two weak colonies. (3) Take away the surplus combs, as you suggest, if they have no brood in them, a couple of hours or more before uniting If there are too many combs con- taining brood to allow of this, put the extra combs over the full box, with a aueen excluder between, and remove when all the brood has emerged. , _. M F. Reddie (Leigh).— Bees cast out— The immature bee was a worker. The other two workers were a cross between natives and Italian. The drone had apparently mated. We cannot say, without having seen the hive, whether it had swarmed. If it had there would be a great decrease in the number of bees. Quite likely it was a stray cast. F. Shepherd (Mellor).— Queen Queries.— (1) When looking for the queen use as little smoke or other subjugator as possible. Take out a couple of combs and place in a box outside the hive, so that you have a space between the comb last • examined and the next one. The queen is then not so likely to run back. Before putting back, and after lifting out, another comb, examine the floor and sides of the hive, the queen may often be seen there. (2) It is a matter of opinion. We prefer to always use an excluder. (3) The queen reared early this year will be quite good for next year. It is not advisable to requeen twice a year, unless a queen is faulty, but the best time for requeening is just after the honey flow. F. E. Bennett (Hants.).— You did quite right in cutting out all queen cells. Suspected Disease. E. F. George (Oswestry).— Natives. We do not find any disease. M. Toolev (Essex).— The comb contained foul brood. E. Rigby (Penwortham).— We could not find any disease. We do not think you would have any remedy. It would be impossible to prove that bees were affected with disease when bought if it did not appear for fourteen days afterwards. You cannot insure bees against disease. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lfd. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. ROOTS' "A B C of Bee Culture" wanted; second-hand.— BLAKE, 98, Stafford Strt«, Longton, Staffs. h.10 QUEEN, 1918, Italian-British, healthy, well- developed, 6s. 6d. Enclose stamp. — WILLIAMS, Corrennie Gardens, Edinburgh. h.23 FOR SALE, Ten Stocks Dutch Bees on from five to ten frames— DOUBLE, Orchard House, Walton-on-Naze, Essex. h.25 SURPLUS BLACK AND HYBRID QUEENS, good winterers, 3s. 6d.— 42, Bromwich Street, Bolton. h.24. WANTED, W.B.C. Hives and parts, Kentish Hive, Extractor, new condition; certified healthy Carniolan Nuclei.— NEILSON, Gaia Fields, Lichfield. h.26. WANTED, before the 17th August, Strong Healthy Lots Driven Bees, box return- able. State price.— COLVILLE, Chatton, Belford h.27. QUEENS, Surplus 1918 hardy, healthy Hybrids, good honey gathering strain, fertile, 7s. 6d. Immediate delivery. — PEARSON, Shalbourne, Hungerford. h.28. HEALTHY Hybrid Italians, with brood on 8 frames, £3. Box free. —NICHOLSON, Birchwood Drive, Leigh-on-Sea. THREE fertile 1918 English Queens for Sale, 7s. each.— ARTHUR, Easterhouse, Glasgow. h.30. F OR SALE, 10 new bars Bees, 1918 Queen, £3. ■C. BRYAN, Kirkby, Notts. h.31 WANTED, Sections and Shallow Frames, worked out, clean. Advertiser pays oar- age. State prices and quantities.— Box 42, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street. Strand, W.C.2. h.32 WANTED, several W.B.C. Hives. State price. condition, etc.— CRACKNELL, Bell's Lane, Hoo, Kent. h.33 W ANTED screwcap or tieover Honey Bottles. —EDWIN GLOSSOP, Ambergate. h.39 Aug. 15, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 265 A COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE BEE DISEASES. Our readers will be pleased to hear that at last the Government have made a move to assist the bee-keeping industry. It is something, after years of apathy, to have a Committee appointed. We hope it will lead to still further action, and that much good will result from the Committee's in- vestigation. There is still much to be done before the cause of " Isle of "Wight " dis- ease is definitely known. Once that is settled there should be little difficulty in finding some method of dealing with, and eradicating it. The following notice has been sent to us : — " The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have appointed a Committee to study the life habits of the honey bee with the object of improving the condi- tions under which bee-keeping is carried on in England and Wales, and to investi- gate the epidemic diseases of the bee, more especially the disease or group of diseases which pass under the name of ' Isle of Wight ' disease. " It is proposed to undertake the study of healthy bees at Cambridge, and the in- vestigations on ' Isle of Wight ' disease at Oxford. The Committee would be glad to receive specimens of bees suspected of suf- fering from ' Isle of Wight ' disease for examination and experiment. Communi- cations on this subject should be addressed to Mr. Rogers at 4, Whitehall Place, Lon- don, S.W.I." OBITUARY. G. M. DOOLITTLE. We regret to hear of the death of Mr. G. M. Doolittle, of Borodino, New York. His loss will be felt not only in the United States, but by bee-keepers the world over. Not only was he one of the foremost beekeepers, but a teacher of authority, the soundness of whose doc- trine> was undisputed, and whose writings were looked forward to with pleasurable anticipation by thousands of bee-keepers in both hemispheres. We are indebted to Gleanings in Bee Culture for the following appreciation : — " Gilbert M. Doolittle died at his home near Borodino, N.Y., on June 3, 1918, aged 72 years, 1 month and 19 days. Although Mr. Doolittle had suffered from serious ill health for a long time, his final illness was of the duration of onlv two days, death resulting from prostration due to the extreme heat of June 1 com- plicated with the results of contracting a severe cold. His whole long and useful ■ life was spent on a farm in the immediate neighbourhood of his birthplace. He was born the son of a farmer and bee- keeper, and from his very infancy he was himself a bee-keeper. " By the death of G. M. Doolittle, the voice of a great bee-keeper-teacher lias been stilled. For almost half a century he unceasingly taught the principles and details of good bee-keeping through the apicultural journals to a great audience of both bee-keeper learners and bee- keeper experts. Among all the corre- spondents of the bee journals no writer, perhaps, has been more closely followed than Mr. Doolittle. The readers of Gleanings through many years have ex- pressed in thousands of letters their ap- preciation of him as a teacher. So uni- versally was his opinion sought that Gleanings Editor, early in 1900, asked him to conduct a department in Glean- ings entitled ' Conversations with Doo- little.' In that capacity Mr. Doolittle has been a continuous instructor to the American bee-keeping public for more than 18 years. He has been a regular contributor to this journal from the first year of its publication, 1873. " From his earliest years, Mr. Doolittle was a very close observer, and his state- ments as to the actual operations that take place within the hive (or what we now technically call bee behaviour) can be regarded as authentic. He came to be generally accepted as an authority on all manner of domestic economy of the bees. " Mr. Doolittle was a large man in- every way, of magnificent physique and commanding presence, the possessor of a fine voice, a ready and witty speaker, a good story-teller, and an excellent writer. In the telling of witty stories that illus- trated valuable points in bee-keeping, he surpassed any bee-keeper we have ere? known. At the great Buffalo bee-keepers' convention, in 1897, we recall that he was frequently called on, and each time he brought down the house with roar upon roar of laughter and applause. His stories always had a good point. " One of Mr. Doolittle's most emphatic teachings was that the bee-keeper must follow nature — that no bee-keeper could succeed if he did not follow nature's rules. One of his chief theorems was that good queen-cells must be reared in strong colonies built up to the swarming pitch, and, as a corollary of this, he often said that "good cells could not be built unless honey or sealed stores were supplied daily. He rightly and stoutly held chat no queen-breeder could succeed unless ho 266 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 15, 1918. observed these two rules. He was first to prove that good cells could be built under only two impulses — the swarming impulse and the supersedure impulse. Good queen-breeders now recognise these two propositions as fundamental. " Although Doolittle did not invent artificial queen-cups, he was the first man to develop the process. His method of making artificial cell-cups started a new era in queen-rearing. While cell-cups are now made in a wholesale way by machinery, the basic principle is Doo- little's. He was also the first man to demonstrate that queens can be reared in an upper story with a laying queen below. All in all, Doolittle 's method of rearing queens is essentially those of all modern methods now in vogue, and this one contribution to bee-keeping has done more to make better queens and conse- quently better colonies, than any other one thing in bee-keeping practice. His book on . ' Scientific Queen Rearing ' is acknowledged to-day as containing the best of modern methods of queen-rearing. " Years ago Doolittle originated the slogan ' rich in stores.' He talked it first, last, and all the time. He insisted that unless a colony at the beginning of the season had a great abundance of stores it would not build up as will a Colony that has plenty of stores. Here, again, he was absolutely right, and was ever preaching this fundamental doctrine of good bee-keeping. He developed a unique system of swarm control for the production of comb honey. This system is fully outlined in. his book published under the title of ' The Management of Out- apiaries.' 11 Mr. Doolittle, while not original in the idea of melting wax by means of solar heat, was one of the first in this country to exploit the principle, and for years there has been on the market what was known #s the Doolittle solar wax- extractor. He was one of the pioneers in the treatment of American foul brood. His ideas, away back in the early days, were entirely in harmony with those of Quinby, both of whom were absolutely right. During those days there were many false teachers and false teachings; but Doolittle 's teaching and practice on the subjec£ of foul brood during all that time were such as stand the test of present-day knowledge. " In the early days of the A B C of Bee Culture, Mr. Doolittle prepared, at A. I. Root's suggestion, a series of com- ments showing wherein he differed from Mr. Root. The fact that the two men saw things so nearly alike was remark- aide. That they differed in details was only natural. The fact that he was so nearly always right was beeax'.se lie spent hours and days studying his bees — because he learned at the hive. " One 'outstanding feature of Mr. Doo- little's bee-keeping was, that he was not only a good instructor, but he put his teachings into successful practice. Some men, like Langstroth, the peer of all in- structors, never could make money »f rom their bees. Others, like Quinby, one of the best authorities in his day, have made money, even with box. hives. Doolittle always profited from his bees, and always succeeded in getting crops. " Mr. Doolittle was more than a suc- cessful bee-keeper and natural-history student. He was a big-hearted friend, a good citizen, and a Christian gentleman. " Long will the good live after him that he has done. Peace to him! " A DORSET YARN. Bees at the Violet Farm have found the ling heather ; they are flying high and swift over the fields of charlock to the heather-clad moors, their song is as Harry Lauder's, "The Bonnie Bonnie Heather," The fields of swedes and mangel, yellow . with charlock, are almost entirely for- saken ; the men told me bees had been a nuisance to them, as they pulled out the tall charlock flowers from among the man- gels in a neighbouring farmer's field. The honey taken out now which has been col- lected this last two weeks has a fine flavour. I assume it is largely blackberry and charlock. The early part of the week I had a visit from a member of the Dartford Branch of the Kent Association ; on Tuesday one from Ringwood ; Thursday brought me one from Highgate, just as we were leaving the farm for a short holiday through the New Forest. It was very thoughtful of them to come and see the farm when they took their holiday in the sunny south ; it broadens one's mind to meet such intelli- gent bee-keepers. The drive through the New Forest at any time, to the lover of Nature, is a pleasurable one (unless it rains), but in summer, when Nature has put on its very best adornment it is most entrancing. When one has seen for weeks together the long, straight lines of fruits and vege- tables, where all is kept as trim and free from weeds as possible, to see the leafy lanes and byways of the Forest, just as Nature planned them, is very beautiful. On Friday we called at Thorny Hill, a rising in the Forest, thickly clad with holly trees and bramble. Here for gene- rations the tent-dwellers have lived ; they are mostly women and children now, the men, I suppose, are gone to the Army; they know where to get out of the cold Aug-. 15, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 267 winds of winter. The holly trees are a great shelter for their low tents, consisting of bent rods pointed each end and pressed into the soil, with thin canvass stretched over the top ; they crawl in one end to sleep. One's visit there was to see Miss Hay, who has turned her beautiful house into a military hospital for the New Zea- land soldiers, who have suffered the hard- ships of campaigning in France. It is on high ground overlooking the sea ; the men were playing tennis and croquet, some were carving wood ; one had made a most perfect bee hive, and ornamented it with the New Zealand arms. I was able to take off some very closely filled sections from her English blacks. Her bees are doing well, for the house stands on a hoather- clad hill, and on the lawns the eucalyptus flowers were open, with the bees all over them, some of the finest I have ever seen in bloom ; the men must be pleased to see trees from their homeland growing in the Motherland. The men are enthusiastic about the kindness of the Commandant, and the pleasures they have during their convalescence. Miss Hay's immense house was designed by herself, as were the pleasure grounds which she has laid out in the Italian style. After a liberal lunch we went on through the silent Forest — in some places many miles without a house — but where there were a few houses one saAV some hives of bees, in one place three newly-painted bar-frame hives, and in others skeps and boxes. We stayed the night with some delightful people in the centre of the Forest, three miles from Brockenhurst. As one walked beneath the oaks and admired the silent grandeur of forest sylvan beatifies, no man to be seen, now and then a rabbit or deer (we saw one fox who was after the chickens of our host), one felt this was the ideal spot to live out the remainder of one's days in peace and quiet ; here in the open glades were the beautiful fritilary butterflies. Bees were everywhere on the ling heather, which seems to be the most abundant of the three native heaths. My host had one stock of blacks, but the greater numbers must be from hollow trees in the Forest, as there were no houses anywhere near, so many could not have all been domesticated bees, Yet my host told me he lost three lots last year from disease, even in this sylvan para- dise. We came through one long drive in the Forest planted with all kinds of coniferous trees, I should think about 100 years ago, but all were planted too thickly, and they are growing into each other and spoiling the beauty of many of them. One was particularly interested in the large trees round Burley, and the numbers of bees and all insect life in that area; it must be a fine place for the man who col- lects all kinds of insects; there must be a lot of bees in that area, too, if only one knew where to look for them. — J. J. Kettle. THE DOINGS OF DEBORAH. III. THE ARTIFICIAL SWARM. " No, Deborah, not another day of it. I really cannot bear it ! When I come down here I do expect a little peace, and this is the third day that you have met me with that terrible sharp-noted buzz, and flown just in front of my nose until I went inside the honey house, and even then you have gone round every crack of the window and door. The first day there were five of you at it ; the second day, three ; and to-day, just you ! " Well, what can you expect when you treat us so badly? " " But if you don't swarm, and I have undertaken to sell a swarm, what can I do but make an artificial one?" " Well, you need not set about it in that stupid way! " " Why, what have I done wrong now? " " To begin with, think how you got us off the combs. You dabbed at us this way and that, with that great quill you are so proud of, bending our wings, and hurt- ing our antennas ! Why could you not gently sweep it down the comb, giving us time to retreat in front of it? " '• I own I was rather flustered, but then you see, although I knew that the queim was safely in the swarm box, yet as fast as I brushed you into it out you flew again." " Yes, we flew back to the hive because we knew where it was. If you had moved the hive and put the box in its place we should have joined the queen iD the box." " Of course you would ! I never thought . of that ! But why did you not stay in the box when the queen was there? " " Really, I have no patience with you ! Haven't you noticed that we always crawl upwards? Then why on earth did you have the opening of the box at the top? Why didn't you turn it upside down? '' " Because I don't believe you would any of you have gone into it if I had shaken you off in front of it ! " " Yes, we should, especially if it had been in the place of our own hive and if the queen was inside." " Well, just tell me what I ought to have done, and I'll make a note of it for next time, for I really do not want that high note of yours in my ears for another three davs." 268 THE BEITISH BEE VTOUKNAL. Aug. 15, 1918. " First move the hive and put the box in its place upside down; then find the comb with the queen on it, and gently brush her, and the bees with her, in front of, or into the box. After that gently brush the bees off' as many combs as you like in front of the box, and let them run in. Then be sure that the hive has a ripe queen cell, and put it back in its old place and send off your swarm. And next time, if you use your wits, you won't have to complain that my buzz gets on your nerves, and I shan't have to give you a lesson in Lee-keeping. — Deborah's Hostess. THE URGENT TASK. (2.) By A. Z. Abu shady. Serum therapy affords another line of research for a means of preventing and treating " Isle of Wight " disease. This, if successful at all, would mean creating a passive, not an active immunity. I am not in a position at present to under- take such a task, as I anticipate that the investigation in connection with the merits of vaccine therapy in prophylaxis (and possibly in treatment) would take a very long time. Serum therapy might possibly be of value in treatment, but, of course, not in prophylaxis, except for a short period. Although such a suggestion is based merely on theory, there is nothing to in- dicate that it is not sound, and, therefore, it is not unworthy of an experimental effort. Experiments should be undertaken on suitable animals with suspensions of Nosema spores and with cultures of the important ancillary organisms, in order to stimulate the production of anti-bodies in their sera. Should that be realised, the sera of such treated animals, after the addition of a suitable percentage of a non-toxic antiseptic, could be adminis- tered to the bees mixed with the syrup, both as a medicament and a protein food. It should be remembered, in this connec- tion that Mr. A. D. Imms, in his report on " Isle of Wight " disease, presented to the Board of Agriculture eleven years ago, laid great stress on the factor of alimentary toxcenria., from the bad effects of unsuitable food. He wrote as follows : — " The demand for a nitro- genous food seems to be one of the most marked characters of the disease, but why the demand should arise is a ques- tion which it is not possible at present to answer. As an experiment, it might be worth while to supply liquid nitrogenous food and to remove the greater part of the pollen from the combs in winter." In the section of his report dealing with sug- gested remedial measures, he again •-ays : — " The tendency of .the bees to dis- tend themselves with pollen should be prevented as far as possible by removing the greater Iralk of the stored pollen, and such nourishment as is obtained from the latter should be supplied to them in a liquid form mixed with the artificial food. The bee-keepers are advised to experiment with beef jelly or a meat extract of a similar nature." I have shortly outlined here my addi- tional views regarding the prevention and treatment of '* Isle of Wight " disease in order to stimulate thoughtful discus- sions on the questions therein involved, and in order to induce the early com- mencement of further research on the subject. It is immaterial to me to find, or not to find, supporters of my views, since I like always to have an open mind, and to base my deductions and theories on observations and thoughtful considera- tions, not on blind beliefs and wild dreams. Therefore, the question that matters is whether after over ten years of a devastating epidemic of this plague, and after all the losses that the craft has endured, and is still enduring from it, our policy in attempting to eradicate it should take a new scientific course with some effort (both individual and com- bined) on the part of every bee-keepers' association worthy of the name, or Avhether we shall merely continue to discuss secondary questions, such as the shorten- ing or lengthening of the alighting board, and the partisanship to one " cure " or the other. Clearly it is the duty of the Board of Agriculture in addition— more so in the present emergency — to continue the early useful research that was carried out by their competent investigators. CONCERNING THE OLDEST CIVILI- SATION IN THE AVORLD. Of all the fables of ancient mythology, that dealing with the origin of the honey- bee is, perhaps, one of the oldest and prettiest. On the birth of Jupiter, his mother, Ops, entrusted him to the two daughters of the King of Greece, Melissa and Amalthea, in order that the young god might escape the fate which awaited him — that of providing a repast for his father Saturn. To smother the cries of the unfortunate baby-god, the sisters con- tinually beat upon brazen pans, and this attracted the neighbouring wild bees, who forthwith took the responsibility for his nourishment, bringing daily supplies of honey until their attentions were no longer needed. In acknowledgment of their services. Jupiter endowed these wild bees with the power of parthenogenesis, so waiving the ordinary male-and-female principle, and entrusted their descendants Aug-. 15, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 269 with the work of gathering honey for the food of man. The honey-bee finds a place in the earliest records of mankind, and her won- derful commonwealth was established cen- turies before human civilisation. Primi- tive man must have noted the haunts of the wild bees, driven off their enemies and appropriated their honey, thus taking the first step on the road which has led his descendants into the mysteries of that marvellous Utopia on which mere man can do little more than gaze in wonder- ment. Bees' wax was used in the casting of weapons in the Bronze Age. The queen bee (or, as the Egyptians con- sidered her, the king-bee) was symbolical of a king in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and proof is not wanting that bee-keeping was an established craft thousands of years before the Great Pyramid was built. It is on record that 300 years before Caesar's advent in Britain the inhabitants brewed a drink of wheat and honey, and in many ancient folk-songs Britain is called "The Isle of Honey." In Anglo-Saxon times bee-keeping was common in this island, and, indeed, the industry supplied fcod, drink, and light. It is difficult to realise that until the 17th century honey was the chief sweetening agent of the English middle and lower classes, yet such was the case. " The chastest poet and most royalest that to the memory of man is known " shows all through his Fourth Book of the Ge orgies his great knowledge of, and won- derful love for, his bees. Although his book was considered a practical guide to bee-keeping until about 100 years ago, its chief fascination and value lies in its wealth of poetry and romance, its fund of ancient myth and quaint bee- lore. Virgil writes of " Heaven-born honey, the gift of air," showing the belief, which he shared with Pliny and other ancients, that honey was an exhalation from the air. Indeed, Pliny carries this idea much farther. He says : " Honey is engendered from the air, mostly at the rising of the constellations. Whether it is that this liquid is the sweat of the heavens, or whether a saliva emanating from the stars, or a juice exuding from the air while purifying itself . . . still it affords us a most exquisite pleasure, the result, no doubt, of its aetherial nature and origin." He goes on to explain at what seasons honey is inferior, or charged with marvellous healing properties — ac- cording to the state of the heavens ! Most ancient bee-men had a profound faith in the healing powers of certain wonderful mixtures compounded of honey, wax, dead bees, powdered bees' heads, and so on — potions more wonderful than pleasant. Virgil also tells us that " From leaves and sweet-scented herbage they, gather their children in their mouths." This refers to the belief in the divine origin of bees, a belief prevalent among the ancients, who were baffled as to the man- ner of the insects' propagation. Even more incredible still, however, is the theory of spontaneous generation of swarms from the decaying carcase of an ox — or bull-calf, as Virgil quaintly ex- presses it. The idea, evidently taken from the Egyptians, persisted even as late as the 17th century. The methods em- ployed in producing these mythical swarms were extremely unpleasant, and it is difficult to understand how they could in any way be associateel with the honey-bee, who has a perfect passion for cleanliness. (It is interesting in this con- nection to recall Samson's riddle about the lion and the bees.) Modern scientists tell us that a certain insect called a drone-fly, and resembling the honey- bee, can certainly be generated on decay- ing carcases, and this -fact may explain the origin of this astonishing myth. A. I. S. (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 namet 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. LET US BE HONEST. [9742] The article in your issue of July 18, under the heading " Let us be Honest," appeals to me. There is, it is said, only one test for an honest man, and that is a patch of hair growing on the palm of the hand. I have dealt with horse dealers, cattle dealers, and pig dealers, and have "been had" by some of each of them, but I have never been so " had " as I have this year by a big bee merchant. Allow me to tell my little distressing story. Last January I found one of my stocks starved, and, fearing many of the others might go under, and not wishing to be without bees this season, I wrote to a well-known bee merchant asking his 270 THE BBITISH BEE JOUBNA-L. Aug. 15, 1918. price for stocks for delivery in April or May. I got the reply, .£4. Though the price was high, I made no demur, and ordered three stocks. April came and went, but no bees arrived, and fourteen days of May passed and no bees arrived. I Avrote and inquired when I might expect them, and had a leply that the weather was then too bad. In a week I wrote again, and in three days I had a postcard to say the bees had been sent the night before. I live 2^ miles from a station, and though it was a blowing and pouring wet day I went and fetched them ; they had arrived the day previously. However, I had my bees, and felt more or less con- tent ; but my disappointment was very great, for upon examination I found two stocks contained only a double handful of bees each, and the other one two double handfuls — not enough in all to make one good stock. One stock was queenless. They were on old and mouldy combs, some of the combs containing dead larvae as hard as marble. I at once wrote complaining of delivery, and got in reply an invoice, " To three strong stocks, ea/ly delivery," and this was May 24 ! I need hardly say the queenless stock went under. The apparently strongest stock had evidently a very old queen, for though they only covered three of the ten combs, they built innumerable queen cells and eventually threw out a small swarm, which went away, and though I have added frames of brood the stock is a very poor one. For my £12 I have one fairly good stock. It is only fair to state that on complaining again to the seller I got a wire, " Return bees at my expense "; but had I done so he would have had both bees and money, and I could not trust one who dealt as he was dealing. We Christians often amuse ourselves by taunting the Jew. There are good and bad Jews; there are also good and bad Christians. These latter I avoid as I would a pestilence. I am in future taking the advice of a successful bee-keeper — to never buy bees without first seeing them. Cannot we bee-men give private information to each other of the men who have robbed us, so that in our future dealings in bees and appliances we know the corn from the chafi? What a pity that these rogues are in the bee business ! To paraphrase a well- known saying, " The more I know of men the more I like bees." — R. Oswald Fokd- JIAM. from the bottom rail of a fence. There were no wasps flying, only some crawling on the ground, and unable to get up to the nest. I broke it off, carried it to the other side of the road, and opened it. There were plenty of wasps inside, in- cluding several queens, but no flyers. Now, how was it the wasps were all "crawlers"? Was it "Isle of Wight" disease? I have only found two nests this year, so far. I thought from the number of queens flying in the spying we should have had a plague of them by this time. I am sending you the bottom comb out of the nest. — S. M. S. [It is possible for wasps to be infected with "Isle of Wight" disease, and prob- ably those you found were suffering from that malady, but we could not find any spores of Nosema apis in the young ones just emerging from the cells. These were nearly all queens or drones. — Eds.] CORRECTED QUOTATION. [9744] Mr. R. D. Galbraith [9740] will, I am sure, forgive me if I point out that Burns, in quoting the celebrated line from Pope, varied it, and originally wrote, " An honest man's the noble work of God," pos- sibly intending a subtle improvement. It so appears in the early MSS., and in the Kilmarnock edition, though the word '•'noble" was altered to "noblest" in later editions. — J. L. Bishop. QUEENS IN WASP NESTS. | (174:5] I read the note ((.)72:!) about gasps' nests with interest. As I was walk- ing out with my son and his mate last night they showed me a wasp nest hanging THE CAUSE AND CURE OF " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9745] At the risk of unduly trespass- ing on your space, I should like to replv briefly to Mr. T. T. Taylor [9734]. I did not take any exception, nor, I think, did anyone else, to his use of the term hybrid, which is sanctioned by general usage. What I criticised was the fact that he used the term in its special " bee-sense," and then calmly proceeded to argue as if it were used in the true sense. There- fore, I submit that your other correspon- dent Mas quite correct in his contention that Mr. Taylor's argument fell to the ground. Again, I must repeat that the crossing of two varieties give in- creased hardiness and stamina. Take, as an instance, domestic fowls. Cross two varities — for example, Leghorn and Indian Game — and the progeny will cer- tainly be hardier and less liable to disease than either pure race. The value of first cross fowls is generally recognised. What Mr. Taylor means by " radical crosses " I do not know. Neither does the phase " abnormal unfixity of the repro- ductive constitution " convey any mean- ing to my mind. Perhaps that is because I do not remember my biology sufficiently. Aug. 15, 1913. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 271 What does Mr. Taylor mean by more natural ways of breeding bees? Presum- ably be refers to increase by natural swarming and leaving tbe bees to raise young queens as they will. But surely it is better to control breeding, and, as far as possible, mating, by selection from best stocks, with bees as with all other stock? If Mr. Taylor prefers native bees, by all means let him keep them; but let him not seek to prevent those who prefer other races from enjoying a similar freedom. Mr. Taylor does not adduce a single fact in support of his contentions. Neither do I ; but I am chiefly concerned with destructive criticism of his methods of reasoning. But all this speculating as to the cause of " Isle of Wight " disease is of little avail. What is wanted . is re- search to discover facts. — G. R. King. Queries reaching this office not later than FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING will, if possible, be answered in the " Journal " the fol- lowing Thursday. Those arriving later will be held over until the following week. Only SPECIALLY URGENT queries will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All queries must be accompanied by the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publico- 'Hon, but as a guarantee of good faith. Corre- spondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only. LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF SWARMS. [9081] As a beginner in bee-keeping I should be very glad to know how the ownership of swarming bees is established. Last June a swarm settled on my potato patch, when a neighbouring bee- keeper came on my premises without per- mission and claimed them. He was very insolent, and I ordered him off. I got the bees into a box and left them in it until the evening, but in my temporary ab- sence at tea time, the man slipped into my garden and stole the box and its con- tents. I learned that several people in this and the adjacent parishes had lost swarms of bees. My neighbour claims all that are found in the vicinity, despite the fact that my hives were nearer to the swarm than his own. How can ownership properly be estab- lished':' Tt would seldom be by showing that a hive had become empty. This man has lately taken possession of two swarms on my freehold, and two from other neigh- bours' gardens, which are adjacent to mine I certainly would not accept his word that these swarms issued from his hives. When- ever a swarm is found hovering about be tinkle.- a bell, either to announce that he is about to attempt a capture, or to try and " charm " the wandering insects. Our village policeman, when I reported the theft from my garden, seemed quite unable to decide the question of owner- ship. If one person can thus trespass at will and obtain a monopoly in swarms for a considerable radius it is well that amateur bee-keepers should know their position and thereby save the cost of hives, etc., etc. To me it savours too much of the " heads I win, tails you lose " business. If you would kindly refer me through the columns of the Journal to the reports of any decided cases bearing on this point I should be greatly obliged. — A Beginner. Reply. — The law with regard to a swarm is that when it issues the owner must follow without losing sight of it. If be loses sight then he loses ownership. The fact of a stock having swarmed does not give the right to claim swarms in the neighbourhood, unless the above conditions preva il . It is advisable to ask permission to hive a swarm on other people's property, but when following one in flight it is impossible to find the owner or occupier. The law of trespass does not apply, but the owner of the swarm must pay for any damage clone while in pursuit of, or in hiving, the swarm. At the same time, should the owner of the property refuse all access to it he can be sued in the county court for its value. In litigation much depends on the judge, and an amicable arrangement is preferable to a law suit. From whab you say you hav? a good case against the person who filched your swarm. 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. On August 16 & 17, at the Technical Schools, Gillingham.— The Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham Branch of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association will hold a Honey Show in connection with the Allotment Holders' Association, open to members of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association. Schedules and entry forms may be obtained from Mr. G. Bryden, 46, Star Hill, Rochester. Entries close August 10. Wednesday, September 4, 1918, at Salis- bury.—Honey Show, in connection with the Com- mercial Travellers' Food Production Exhibition. Fourteen Open Classes for Honey, to embrace the three Counties of Wilts, Hants and Dorset only. Schedules from J. H. Topham, Melrose, Albany Road, Salisbury. Sepember 4 and 5, 1918, at St. Andrew's Halls, Glasgow.— Glasgow and West of Scotland Horticultural Society. For Bee Schedule apoly to Hugh M. Mackie, C.A., 124, St. Vincent Street Glasgow, Secretary. 272 THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL, Aug. 15, 1918. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. E. Turner (Winchmore Hill).— Glucose for feed- ing bees.— Instead of being an ideal food for bees, glucose is quite unsuitable for the pur- pose. There are only two substances suitable for bee food; pure honey gathered by the bees from the various flowers— not honey dew, and pure cane sugar. Honey is the best food of all, bat it is not advisable to buy it for feeding- bees, as there is a danger that it may contain the germs of disease. If the bees neeu feeding, us the only suitable substitute for honey, pure cane sugar. H. J. Wasbroiigh (Harrow).— Feeding bees.— See reply to E. Turner. Up to the present you can only get sugar in the form of candy, made by Messrs. Jas. Pascall. During this month, n feeding is necessary, make a syrup of 15 oz. (by measure) of water to 1 lb. of sugar, or candy, and feed slowly, not more than J pint of syrup each night. If breeding is going on satisfactorily, and the weather keeps warm, it will not be necessary to feed during the next fortnight. If at the end of the month the bees have not enough stores for winter— 25 to 30 lbs. for an average colony — give syrup as fast as •the bees will take it down and store it, using only 10 oz. (half a pint) of water to 1 lb. of sugar, or candy. If bees need food during the winter use the candy, placing one or two cakes over the cluster, but it is far better to have an abundance of winter food stored in the combs. Miss P. Conroy (Lanes.).— Age of queen.— The queen was not very old, probably reared late last season, or early this. " Togo " (Easingwold). — Disinfecting sections fitted with foundation. — Fumigate them with " Bacterol " vapourising fluid, or Formaldehyde. W. Hallam '(Anglesey).— The large bee is a drone, the small one a worker; both appear to be Natives. There is no trace of Ligurian. J. W. B. (Kent).— The bee was a hybrid Italian worker. " Beginner '•' (Carshalton).— It was the com- mencement of a queen cell. Putting on another rack would check swarming. Are you certain the bees are Natives, or are they partly Dutch? There is no difference in their appearance. G. A. C. (Surrey).— We can assign no particular cause; perhaps the honey was U6ed for feeding purposes. The unsealed honey may be taken down into the brood nest, but the bees are not likely to remove the sealed honey, unless you bruise the cappings, when they may do so, but it is not at all certain. You cannot do anything to induce bees to lay in a good store for winter beyond feeding them. If there is any nectar to be secured from the flowers they will not need encouraging to get it. If the bees are killing off the drones do not add another super. That is probably the sound. Suspected Disease. W. M. (Wales).— (1) The bees are affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. (2) We have not yet proved it for ourselves. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate', but will be inserted at lid. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra wid be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in "The Bee-Keepers' Record" free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. QUEENS— Three only, young and vigorous, for £1, or 7s. each. — HOLLINGSWORTH, Heanor. ^ q\ SIX Holborn" Hives for Sale, three years old; need disinfecting <"I.O.W."); roofs porches, alighting boards' need paint; floor, legs! hive, roof, new frames and ends; £1 each, or offer —WATTS, Potsgrove, Woburn, Beds. h.42 ANTED, W.B.C. Hives.^BUTLER, Oaktreo House, Claygate. h.43 W FOR SALE, four Section Racks, complete wnn sections and foundation, nearly new; or exchange shallow frame boxes, 15 J in. by 16 in — BLENKARN, 58, Cromwell Road, Beckenham. h.44 SURPLUS QUEENS, 1918,-Italian Hybrids, 7s^_ 6d.; also a few 1917 Queens, specially selected strain, 4s.— APIARY, Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast, S. Devon. h 45 HAVING 45 lots healthy Bees, Simmins' Hybrids, overstocked, spare few lots, five frames, 1918 Queen, plenty brood, 42s.— FLOWER. Owslebury, Winchester. h.46 TWO strong lots of Bees on five drawn-out combs, young Queens, 32s. each, carriage paid. 1 cwt. of Light Honey. Offers— L. MATTHEWS. 25, Cray Road, Crockenhill, Swanley, Kent, h.47 NUMBER of Hives, and large quantity Bee Appliances. Cash, or exchange for Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpington, 1918, pullets.- THOMAS PEED, 80, Mitcham Lane, Streatham. London. Ji.4g HONEY— 700 to 1,000 Sections for Sale— Apply stating price, REV. H. A. OSWALD, Castle Ellis Glebe, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. h.49 ELGIAN-FLEMISH Doe and eight young, three months old, price £3, or excn honey .-STALLINGTON APIARY, Blythe Bridge, Staffs. h.5fl ANTED, to purchase, Stocks of Italian Bees: also 40 Bee Hives, W.B.C. preferred.— Prices to E. BOOBIER, Old Babell, Swansea. 1^51 WANTED, three lots of healthy Bees— Par- ticulars and price to CHARLTON, STarkey Street, Stockton-on-Tees. h.52 WANTED, 12 swarms Driven Bees; weight not under 4/5 lbs. each. State date of delivery and price. Boxes sent.— GARDEN, Ardgathnil, Elgin, N.B. h.53 Aug. 22, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 273 A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To place on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print an additional name to those previously sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Pte. J. E. Saunders, 3, Well Lane, Wifierbv, E. Yorks.— A.S.C. A DORSET YARN. On the way from Romsey to Salisbury we called to see the Cousfield Nurseries of Mr. T. Giles. We found him a veteran of 70, working on his own land among his fruit-trees and his beloved bees, and they were a sight to see. Most of his hives were new, and what was better he has never had a sign of disease. (He had so many letters and telegrams for bees in reply to his advertisement in the Journal that he could not reply to them; he says he sold some of his best swarms.) They were all on the lee side of a laurel hedge, and all looked wonderfully strong. How much he loved them was apparent to all who heard him. He told me he used to be at the local shows with Mr. Bellajrs with the bee bent in the rosy times of bee-keeping, .before disease came and wiped out so many stocks. We went to see the beautiful cathedral at Salisbury, where we had sung in the festivals of amalgamated choirs in other lavs, and then through Downton into the Forest districts called " No Alan's Land." Only one house for many miles: yet when we halted for lunch anch to rest the horse we were not away from bees. There they were in numbefs on the ling heather; I see that they also look over the five-cleft Erica Tctruli.r as well as ling, as did many of the smaller bumble-bees (I cannot place them for fear of making a mistake in the name, and should lie pulled up and corrected). It shows how far bees will go for ling heather. There were no houses in the near neighbourhood, and the large trees were some distance away; miles of heather and small scrubby trees. Bees must have come long distances. When we came to the homes of man, geese, pigs, and cows, besides the forest ponies, were all round the dwellings; camps of soldiers and boy scouts round Lydhurst, where the men said the pigs used to raid the rations unless they mounted guard over them. On returning to the farm after a plea- sant holiday, we began unloading the section racks. One pure Italian (a second swarm) gave me two racks of 21 each, all perfect. These are very strong, and fear- ing they might swarm, as weather was hot, I gave them another rack, with whole sheets of foundation in them, as I lifted off the two full ones. I had laid some glass over the top ; it was soon full of bees, but the next day they were hanging in chains round the outer case, as if they were making a start with comb. I have never seen so many bees in a hive before ; the queen must be a good one for building up population. I remember once before, when in August I had taken off the racks and left them with nothing to fill but the brood chamber, that they swarmed twice, one good one and one small. The latter kept moving each day along a line of black currants; then I hived them and put them back in the hive they came from. Have always given them another rack since, even if they do not finish them they draw out the comb, and that is a gain for another year. They always go into drawn-out sections in May, where, if not drawn out, they are a long time before they start them. From another hive of blacks (a migrant swarm) the two racks gave me 24 perfect sections. The others were fastened on the dividers; they were all full. I left them out until the bees had cleaned off all the honey round them, and it does not take long to do that (they always clear up the exposed honey before they uncap any). Then these are packed away for use in the house. There is a great difference in the appearance of the finished article. The blacks' were much the whitest and looked far the nicest. They all went to one dairy in Bournemouth, with a high price at- tached. There was no demur at the price. " Send it all on; never mind the price "; that was the order the boy brought back. In taking off these racks I do not use the Porter escape, though I have several of them (to my mind they make an un- necessary disturbance of the bees), but give a little smoke at the entrance and the sides of the brood chamber, lift off the case and lever the two racks together (see that bars do not lift with them), a little more smoke under the racks — it is easily clone by holding smoker with one 274 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 22, 1918. hand and lifting the racks with the other — then set the smoker down and take both hands and lilt off the two racks on to an empty box; a little more, smoke to keep bees down; set on the spare rack, place on glass cover and then the lifts and roof. I then carry the full racks up close to the bariij have spare boxes ready in barn to' take the sections, and run the lever along the sides of rack (I use a wood chisel). Lever out each line of sections carefully, take hold of each section when free, give each a sharp jerk, and all the bees will be sent off into the air. Take one in each hand into the bos inside; one soon gets them free of bees, as they will not go into the building after the sections again. There is no trouble if the sections are full, but if not capped over, which is often the case with the last three at each end, they will have their heads in some of the cells, and do not jerk off so easily, and if you jerk them much you would lose some of the honey. Besides the heather, there is no lack of food for bees — lines of runner beans, mar- rows, raspberries, strawberries, many pear and apple trees have thrown another lot of flowers, golden rod, asters, and wild borage and thyme. — J. J. Kettle. THE MAKING OF A BEEMAN. (Continued from pag.e 201.) Failing a skep, a cardboard hat-box was to receive the driven bees from No. 3. Screws were driven into the upper edges or the sugar-box, and the hat-box fastened to these, opening downwards and propped up with an arrangement of laths, carbolic ointment was smeared along the upper edges of the sugar-box, and this having been achieved without attack by swarms of bees, the Beeman began to feel quite equal to the wonderful business of driving the colony out of their complicated maze of tortuous comb which the bees had built round the five frames in the sugar-box. Full of secret fear, ahd a horrid cer- tainty that no self-respecting bee could stand the thumping of its house, but would turn on him in righteous and viru- lent wrath, the Beeman screwed up his courage, injected smoke, and began to thump. Everyone held his, or her, breath in awed terror, but the seconds fled and nothing happened, and with increasing confidence the thumping became more and more vigorous. Before many minutes had elapsed, urged by smoke the first few fore- runners of the great trek began to search about the cavernous blackness of the hat- box, passed (he word back, and — wondrous sighi the great trek had begun. Into the deep cavern slowly crawled a thick stream of golden bees, and went on crawling for full ninety minutes. The last few crawlers were in, the hat-box dex- terously removed, and wrapped in a cloth, was weighed, six good pounds of lovely golden bees ; and now for the hiving. The top of a packing-case, supported by bricks, was well enough for a floor board, the brood body having had laths nailed to three sides to raise it a quarter of an inch and thus provide an entrance, the width of the fourth side. The edges of a large linen sheet were caught under the two sides of the en era nee, and the sheet spread on the ground. The hat-box was now unwrapped, lifted, and the bottom smartly rapped, clown came a mountain of bees, and by 1U p.m. all but a few clinging to the front of the brood chamber were safely hived. They proved excellent workers, and though hived late in August and the heather honey crop almost a failure, they pulled through the winter, with the assistance of only ten pounds of Pascall's candy. The Beeman's next adventure was the taking of honey from the roof colony. He had never been either steeplejack or housebreaker, nor even a bricklayer, nor painter, and the adventure, a contest with bees on the extreme edge of a steep roof 40 ft. from the ground, was not without terrors. A forty-rung ladder was borrowed, also a rope. With Teddy and Peter hauling at the rope from the schoolroom window on the first floor, the raising of the long ladder was not difficult, but the colony was not directly over the window, it was tucked away in the corner formed by a projecting part of the roof, and, for safety's sake, the middle of the rope was fastened to the ladder, and whilst Peter manned one end with a turn round the sashes, Teddy hauled at the other end, which he had pulled up with a long string let down from the nursery window. Finally everything was fast and tolerably safe, and the tools were taken up in a bucket and stowed away ill the gutter. The tiles were next tackled and lowered to the ground in the bucket by fives and sixes, the children keeping well away on account of the falling pieces of mortar and tile scales. This .was not the first time honey had been taken, the boards below the tiles were found cut and were easily prized up. Oh ! what a lovely lot of honey and what beautiful long combs hanging down as far as the arm could reach, and more. Now make haste, oh, Beeman! The robbers are out! But quickness is diffi- cult, and single fights grow into a pitched battle of squadrons before everything can be replaced and the roof closed up. Result, seven or eight stings, ten pounds Aug.. 22, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 275 of excellent honeycomb, and some hun- dreds of dead bees scattered about the room. Again the family verdict goes forth. " Something went wrong ; we must do better next time." THE URGENT TASK. By A. Z. Ahusiiady. The official announcement regarding the appointment by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries of a Commit tee with the double objept of improving the methods of bee-keeping in this country, as well as of investigating the epidemic diseases of bees, should be most gratifying to all bee- j keepers, especially to those who do not come to the biassed conclusion that our methods of bee-culture are " superior " to American methods, and to the many mem- bers of the craft who have been dis- couraged uy the severe losses caused by " Isle of Wight " disease. Let us hope that the efforts of the Committee will be crowned with success — a final success that will help in extinguishing '' Isle of Wight " disease within a reasonably short time, and in making the future of British bee-keeping governed by scientific prin- ciples and not by the influences of tradi- tions or superstitions. Meanwhile, we should not drop our interest in creating a " B.B.K.A. Research Fund," irre- spective of the presence or not of a desire to carry out an independent investigation on bee diseases by a committee of the Association. Under all circumstances, such a fund is really a necessity, for it is a mistake to imagine that research work is needed only in connection with bee diseases. The advancement of 'bee-culture necessitates continuous research, and it is only fitting that the B.B.K.A. should lie always active in that direction. Depend- ing en voluntary workers, the Association would, in my opinion, need at least a reserve fund of £100 ; otherwise from five to ten • times this amount would be re- quired. I feel sure bee-keepers would not hesitate to liberally support such a neces- sary fund, if an impressive scheme is brought forward and Influentially en- dorsed. There is no personal considera- tion whatever for the writer in repeating this suggestion, since I have never cared to undertake any research on bees except as a voluntary worker, and in this capacity alone I would he* glad to serve the B.B.K.A. should my services be required, one realising then that one's efforts and money would not be wasted if backed and aided by a disciplined organisation. I repeat the suggestion, therefore, merely as a passionate bee-lover who cares much lor the welfare of the bee and the bee- keeper alike. ' It would be out of place here to give technical details in connection with the subject of the artificial immunisation <>f the lac against " l*!r <>f Wight " disease, whether by the use of a vaccine or an anti-toxic scrum, or by the direct use of toxic but non-infectious preparations from diseased bees, the aim in all cases being principally directed to the immunisation of the queen bees of the colonics. Pre- liminary experiments will decide the merits of artificial immunisation, and, should they be encouraging, additional investigations would be justified for deter- mining the nature, duration, etc., of such an immunity, in order to apply it in a practical way. Should it be successful, we may then witness a period in which advanced queen breeders would have to guarantee that their queens are not only healthy, but also immunised against " Isle of Wight " disease. Beyond these remarks, further comments here on this question are unnecessary, unless in reply to some helpful criticisms. I trust that the Committee of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries will give this question their serious consideration. I hope also they will be fortunate in discovering one or more " specific " drugs for " Isle of Wight " disease, as such a discovery would be of capital importance, since it is not by any means true that once the cause of a disease is discovered its prevention and treatment are easy matters; no few oppo- site instances are met with in the domains of medicine. Presumably the Committee will also con- sider the question of creating suitable strains of '■' hardy " bees. I have already drawn attention in the Record and other bee publications to the advisability of ex- perimenting with the Egyptian bee, whose faults have been much exaggerated in England without sufficient trial or analysis of their avoidable causes. The Egyptian-Italian " hybrids " are gene- rally favourably thought of, and would be worth experimenting with. Dr. Lewis Gough, Director of the Entomological Sec- tion, the Egyptian Ministry of Agricul- ture, is not in favour of pure Egyptians, although he speaks favourably of the " hybrids." He informs me, nevertheless, that Egyptian bees " ought to be favour- able subjects for research for disease re- sistance, as bee diseases are not known to occur here." The weather in Egypt is, of course, favourable to the bees, but, on the other hand, the sanitary conditions are most unfavourable. I should like to say in this connection that we could not possibly follow as our guide, with real profit, the biological views advanced in the JOURNAL against the importation of foreign bees, no matter bow desirable their qualities may be. With the advance in therapeutics and sanitation, and with the general advance in science, we do not think for a moment of applying such principles even in voter- 2 re THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 22, 1918. inary medicine, so why should wc apply thorn to our precious insects? Our salva- tion clearly lies in more research for fur- ther determining the true causes of "Isle of "Wight " disease and for discovering a " specific " remedy in the real sense of the word. I should like to think that, without waiting for the report of their Committee, the Board of Agriculture, depending on the accumulative evidence of the infective character of certain bee .diseases, would not hesitate to introduce the much-desired legal supervision of apiaries. I should like also to think that, in view of the great stimulus which bee-keeping has received during the war, and in view of the great educational value of the Journal to hun- dreds of bee-keepers, you would not hesi- tate to gradually increase the scope in your columns of contributions on scientific bee-culture, calculated to help in com- bating bee diseases and in establishing a much sounder basis for the industry. An increase in the size of the Journal, with a corresponding advance in price, com- mencing next year, would be highly justi- fied. Being a useful publication for food production, industrial conditions should not prevent its merited expansion. I do not doubt that the overwhelming ma- jority of your readers' will heartily en- CHANCE OR INSTINCT. Something has happened in my out- apiary that transcends any previous ex- perience in my limited and comparatively short practice of bee-keeping. The rela- tion of it may reveal that it is not unique, and may provoke an explanation. Here it is : — In this out-apiary are nine peopled hives, in two rows, one of five, the other of four, all facing south. The rear row alone comes directly into the incident. For clarity I will letter the hives of this row, from east to west, A, B, C, D, E. A contained a stocked skcp working down on to frames, the frames being crowded with both bees and brood, the skep was removed to B, there to continue or repeat the same process. The queen went with the skep — I saw to that — so A was now queenless and clearly showed it. Now, E had swarmed, the swarm going off towards Osterley Park. I broke up the stock, putting nearly all the combs in a divisional hive in the front row, and leaving one with a sealed queen-cell to re-queen. The young queen that issued failed to return from her honeymoon, so E, as well as A, was queenless. Still, 1 had queens coming along in the divisional hive, and intended to use one of them to repair the loss in E. This leaving me one less for other requirements, I wrote to Mr. Sim- mins asking him to let me have, as a matter of, urgency, one or two White Star queens I had on order, to re-queen hive A. Mr. S. promptly complied, enclosing a word of caution to make sure the ori- ginal queen was not in the hive before introducing his. As I had seen her in the skep when separating, I was sure on this point, and accordingly introduced the W.S. queen by the direct {Simmins's) method. Two days later I looked through the stock to see whether she had been ac- cepted, but could find no trace of either queen or eggs. Concluded my introduc- tion had failed and queen been killed. Four days later A swarmed. The swarm was taken in a skep, and while they were settling in I went through the hive from which they had issued. Depleted of bees as it now was, it was easy to find two queen-eells that had escaped observation before owing to their position and to the crowded state of the hive, and the pre- sence of which 'had spoiled the introduc- tion of the W.S. queen. Both had hatched out, one of the occupants having gone out with the swarm and the other being in possession. This one I caged and removed, returning the swarm with the other princess to the hive. The sequel to this operation is quite normal; she was mated and is now regnant. The one caged seemed a finely developed young lady, and I determined to use her for hive E, where the young queen's misadventure had left them queenless. Caging her on a frame of stores in E, I released her 24 hours later. The recep- tion accorded her was distinctly un- friendly, and she was promptly re-caged, to be again liberated 48 hours later. This time the hostility was even more marked than before, a fact which struck me as- strange, seeing that she had now been an inmate for three days feeding on their stores. lifting the frame, on which I had again confined her, on one side, I began to go through the stock, and had examined six combs, when on the seventh I saw a patch of eggs. Proceeding, the eighth showed a much larger patch, the ninth a larger yet, and, in matronly dignity and sway, my White Star queen. No possible shadow of doubt of her identity. I had isolated her under glass prior to introduction to A; had gazed at and studied her minutely. She was very unlike any of mine, and I recognised her instantly. My theory is that the bees of A, having two ripe queen-cells, had driven her forth, and she, by chance or instinct, had made her way past three intervening queen-right hives, to E at the other end Aug-. 22, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 277 of the row, where they, being queenless, had received her gladly. I am naturally pleased at having' my Star still visibly in the ascendant, instead of her being driven comet-like out of the system and perma- nently occulted by Virgo; but I'd like to know was it chance or instinct that diverted her to a safe orbit? — A. F. Har- wood. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE AND DIS- TRICT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A meeting of the above Association took place on Saturday, August 10, in Haden Hill Park by kind permission of G. H. Best, Esq. There was a large attendance of mem- bers, the ladies being well represented. Mr. Emery (late head gardener) con- ducted the party through the greenhouses, the members being highly delighted with all they saw. Mr. Joseph Price, Stafford County Council's expert, then gave a lecture on bee-keeping, being ably assisted by Mr. A. Cheshire (assistant secretary), who carried out the manipulations. Other items of interest were a model W.B.C. hive, the component parts of which were thoroughly explained: also a very handy swarm-box, the advantages of its construction being : lightness, adjust- able means of ventilation according to the atmospheric condition at the time of use, and the locking-up arrangements, the whole being opened or closed in a few seconds by the simple pressure of finger and thumb. Not the least interesting part of the programme was the tea, of which over fifty members partook. Their appreciation was shown by a hearty vote of tbanks to Mrs. Price, Miss Price, and Mrs. Cheshire, who were responsible for the arrangements. Mr. Price then conducted the party round the Park, all being delighted with its beauty and the splendid views of the surrounding country. Before parting, Mr. Price said he felt sure they would like to convey to G. H. Best, Esq., through Mr. A. H. Bassano, who welcomed the members on behalf of his uncle, their very best thanks for his kindness in allowing the use of the park. This was carried unanimously. Mr. Bassano thanked the members on behalf of his uncle. He himself highly appreciated the work the Association was doing, and regretted the prevalence of the " Isle of Wight " disease, which proved so devastating: especially was this de- plored at the present time, when, owing to the shortage of sugar, every effort should be made to obtain as large a supply of honey as possible. He was not in touch with what the Associations were doing in the matter, but he thought every Association should pass resolutions, and forward them to the proper quarter, so that the disease should be made notifiable, the same as potato disease, etc. Mr. Bassano said he would see that the resolution was conveyed to his uncle. This brought a very pleasant afternoon to a close. — A. E. Taylor, Hon. Sec. DONCASTER AND DISTRICT B.K.A. A meeting of the members was held at Marr Vicarage on Wednesday, August 7. The weather was perfect, and there was a very good attendance. Mrs. Hewison pro- vided tea for the visitors on their arrival. After tea the hives in the apiary were manipulated by Mr. J. A. Claxton, M.A., of Doncastcr. Mr. Claxton has had a great deal of experience in bee-keeping, and his demonstration was most helpful and was much appreciated. Afterwards, the honorary secretary of the Association, the Rev. G. H. Hewison, explained the making of hives and appliances, and the use to which the various appliances are put. A good deal of healthy discussion followed. Mr. Plewison's stocks unfor- tunately " went down " last season with " Isle of Wight " disease. He decided to destroy the whole of his eleven stocks and start again. He purchased two skeps of bees in the spring of 1918, and two swarms, and he has harvested :jsslbs. of surplus honey. He now feels that he has been rewarded for his efforts to stamp out the disease. — Communicated. 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 shoidd be drawn on separate pieces of paper. We do not undertake to return rejected communications. DESTROYING WASP NESTS. [9746] We must all be grateful to Mr. A. F. Harwood for his instructions re wasps, in No. 1884, but it was a pity he did not give us more details re the sul- phur and smoker method. It was prob- ably so simple to him that he never thought it necessary. How does he get the sulphur to burn!-' I tried rag soaked in oil without success. Rolling the sul- phur in corrugated paper (now difficult to get) was a great success as regards burn- ing, but not so good as regards wasps. How long does he blow smoke into the 278 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 22, 1918. hole? The turps was very deadly, but the price is dreadful, even if it can be got. I have destroyed many nests in my time, so I hope my queries will not be regarded as foolish. Six nests have fallen to turps, but wasps are still very had. I find a bottle near each hive, with a little beerj water and old honey, accounts for large numbers of wasps, and the bees are not attracted (at present they can still get plenty of honey). — G. M. E. We asked Mr. Harwood to reply to the above, and he has kindly done so as fol- lows : — I have much pleasure in subjoining de- tails of the method I have used in sul- phuring wasps' nests. Take flowers of sulphur, make a paste by moistening with water ; spread the paste on thick brown paper cut into strips smoker-cartridge width, roll up tightly, dry in oven. Light at bot- tom edge as with the ordinary corru- gated straw-carton, and use in smoker. Puff into hole vigorously until it is esti- mated that one-half to two-thirds of -.ne cartridge is burned, then unload and push the stump into the hole as far as possible and plug. Dig out next day. Tt should be remembered that sulphur will not ignite or continue burning in the presence of fatty oils or grease of any kind, therefore not even a Max vesta should be used to light it. Re " dirty " turps. This is the turpentine which has been used by painters to clean their brushes, etc., hence is spoiled for ordi- nary purposes, and consequently cheaper. May I add that since my supply of this has failed I have been using creosote in a similar . way with complete success, doubling the quantity used, i.e., half a pint instead of a gill of " turps." Wasps will not gnaw wood treated with any creosote preparation ; this suggested to me its uses as a destroying agent, especi- ally where the nest 'is in a gate-post, as is frequently the case. — A. F. Hah wood. HONEY-DEW. [9747] Be our old friend Mr. J. J. Kettle's remarks in his contribution to your valuable little paper, I might say that I have had ample opportunities of observing the honey-dew, and, so far as I can see, it is the secretion of the Aphis fly, or a branch of that detestable family, that is responsible for the sticky, shiny appearance on the upper side of the leaves, and is caused by the Aphis adhering to the under side of the leaves above and the secretion falling on the leaves under- neath, and on a warm summer evening, when the sun is shining through and underneath the infested trees, the minute particles can be seen falling to the ground. In this locality I have seen the pavements black with it, and the dust which collects with it as it falls from leaf to leaf, until it reaches the lower ones, when there is so much that it falls to the ground in big drops. The recent high winds and heavy rain storms have been a blessing in disguise to the bee-keepers in washing away this counterfeit honey and destroy- ing millions of its producers, as it has a very deleterious effect on honey, causing it to look muddy and giving it a dusty, smoky flavour, and it is no doubt a very bad food for bees in winter, and possibly is answerable for dysentery and backward- ness in the spring. Among trees I have seen affected most with it are Jime, syca- more, oak, maple, apple, and others in less degree. Now, as regards trees that do secrete a liquid that the bees collect, on the laurel — especially clipped laurel hedges — looking under the young leaves two reddish-brown spots may be foTind near the stalk, one on each side of the midrib, on which there is a clear liquid substance, and this bees and wasps- gather, usually in the morning, and no doubt store in their hives; but what effect a large quantity of this woidd have on the bees I cannot say. Perhaps these remarks would interest friend Kettle or others. — W. J. Martin. "LET US BE HONEST." [9748] Be the letter of complaint of Mr. R, Oswald Fordham (9742). This gentleman appears to have been badly treated,- but surely this sort of dealing coulu be easily put a stop to, if only the victims would make a point of publishing the name and address of the vendor, to- gether with their tale of woe. Under these conditions, vendors would soon find that fair dealing was, and is, best. As the matter now stands, all dealers are under a shadow of suspicion, cast by Mr. Ford- ham's complaint. This state of things cannot be good for the "Craft,'' and must have a deterrent effect on re-stock- ing, etc. I may add that I am not a dealer, am in no way connected with dealers, but am in the market for bees, and as a pro- spective buyer, am interested in the letter of complaint. — T. W. Turnill. [Our correspondent above, and others also, overlook the fact that were we to publish names, as suggested, we should lay ourselves open to an action for libel. It is obvious we are unable to guarantee the borai-fides of all our .advertisers, and \\(> shall he pleased if anyone who is not treated fairly by persons using our adver- tisement pages Mill let us know the cir- cumstances. This will be treated confi- Aug. 22, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 279 dentially, and it' we consider it desirable in the interests of would-be purchasers we shall refuse to insert further advertise- ments from the parties complained of — Eus.] HIVING A SWARM UNDER DIFFICULTIES. [9740] Many accounts have appeared in the B.B.J, or mistakes and unexpected difficulties on the part of novices. The following describes what I think all will agree is a triumph of achievement on the part of a novice. One evening a few days ago a worker employed at the docks in a town ten miles from here came and told me there was a swarm of bees at the docks. lie estimated the weight of the swarm as 28 lbs. ! As soon as possible I set out with him, armed with skep and other impedimenta. We reached the dock gates at 9.80 p.m. Then ensued a parley with the police, ending in a refusal to allow me on the dock. My friend had never had anything to do with bees in his life, so I gave him a few brief instructions, ' and with much trepidation saw him de- part alone to try and capture a swarm in the dark. I then went back into the town to attend to some business, and re- turned to the dock gate, where I waited until 10.4"). I then concluded that the bees must have gone, and that the novice had returned to our conveyance while I was away. I therefore went back. I had to walk about two miles, as the trams had stopped. The novice was nowhere to be seen. It was now 11.45, so I drove slowly into the town at record speed. Pre- sently I saw a glimmer of white; it was my friend with the skep under his arm and a sheet tied over it. " What! " said I. " Have you got them? " " Oh, I've got 'em all right! I wasn't coming back with- out the bees after all that trouble. But I never worked so hard in my life." This I readily believed. Enofuiry as to details elicited the following : — " Well, I got one of my mates to hold a light; then I picked up the board that most of them, were on and dumped them into the skep like you told me. Yes, I spread the sheet on the ground first. But there were a lot left outside. 1 tried the smoker and these rags " {!.<'., carbolic cloths), " but they seemed so sleepy; they didn't take any notice of 'em. So at last I got my hand underneath and shovelled 'em in. No, I didn't get any, but the bloke holding the lamp got a couple." So 1 have a 3-lb. swarm of fine Italians. My friend j.s the richer by an experience which will stand him in good stead when ho has bees of his own, which, in view of bis first dealings with them, I have strongly advised him to do next year.— Q'. R. Strong Rainfall, 3 '37 in Heaviest fall, -61 in on 22nd. Rain fell on 17 days. Above average, l-06in. Sunshine, 236 hours. Brightest day, 13th 18 "4 hours. Sunless days, 1. Above average, 8 '5 hours. Maximum tempera- ture, 79 on 6th. WEATHER REPORT. Westboukne, July, 1918. Minimum tempera- ture, 45 on 4th. Minimum on grass, 41 on 4th. Frosty nights, 0. Mean maximum, 68 "7. Mean minimum, 534. Mean temperature, 61 0. Above average, -6. Maximum barometer, 30432 on 4th. Minimum barometer, 29-475 on 23rd. L. B. BlRKETT. S. S. Clear (Royston).— Green, caterpillars in comb. —The comb was broken into little bits and the grubs dead. The explanation ifl that the cells had been appropriated by one of the Fossors or Diggers, which had laid its eggs and pro- vided the cells with green caterpillars as food for the young larva?. The cells were then covered with dry earth worked into a cement. The grey grub is the larvae of the wasp-like insect you saw. which probably removed the caterpillars for the purpose of furnishing other cells with food. The other cells were being prepared for nurseries for other larvae of the species of Fossor which you mention. We do not think it has anything to do with " Isle of Wight " disease. If you could send a specimen oi die wasp-like insect we might be able to identify it. It. Huggup (Workworth).— Dead humble and hive bees under lime trees.— It is not unusual to find numbers of humble bees under lime trees when they are in full bloom and nectar flowing abundantly. Such bees are not necessarily affected by disease, but seem to become intoxicated during- the heavy flow of nectar and succumb to the cold of night. There is nothing . poisonous in the nectar from lime blossoms, and the honey is of very fine flavour. W. Crisp i(C'olchester). —Lime tree flowers standing up right. —The blossoms of lime trees are pen- dulous, and as no sample of the flowers has been sent we cannot identify it. M. Taylor (Enfield).— Need "of feeding— We cannot say whether your bees will need feeding- without seeing them. It will b« quite early enough to feed .for the winter if you commence the second week in September. During this warm weather the bees will probably be breeding all right; as you are not at home they will have to take their chance. If, on your return, they have not stored from 25 to 30 lbs. of honey in the combs, feed them to m ike up that amount. A standard comb when quite full of honey holds about 5 lbs The candy may he made into syrup by dissolving in water. Allow i pint of water to rich 1 lb, cake. A. M. Sttjeobs (Cheshire).— The brownish-yellow segments on the bees are caused by crossing with leather-coloured It ilians. J. W. Roberts '(Denbigh).- The bees are Natives. It is just possible to keen two queens in one hive during the winter with a queen excluder between them, but in the spring you will probably foul one his disappeared. W. I. H. (IVnge).- (1) Yes. (2) End of September, or early October. IT the bees appear too crowded put a box of empty shallow combs under the brood box. (5) Yes. 280 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 22, 1918. J. Pearman (Derby).— The price of candy was advanced on July 15. It was an oversight this was not put in the notice in the Journal. We quite agree with the latter part of your letter, and hope the matter may soon be remedied. Honey Samples. Capt. Gordon (Pevensey). — The honey is eucalyptus. Our opinion coincides with your own, that it is " filthy stuff." The aroma and flavour axe both rank. P. Dormer (Englefield).— Very good honey, but needs' straining, as it contains a lot of bits of wax; from clover and lime, the latter flavour predominating; 2s. 9d. per lb. • S. Guyther (Berks.).— The section was all right. The reason sections have not been fully drawn' out and filled is the poor honey flow due to unfavourable weather. " Billy Bags " (Warwick).— Honey from clover, and a very good sample. The bee was a native. " Burnt Oak " (Heme Hill).— A very nice sample of lime honey. It shomld fetch at least £11 per cwt. Suspected Disease. A. Messer (Dorset).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. 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. Wednesday, September 4, 1918, at Salis- bury.—Honey Show, in connection with the Com- mercial Travellers' Food Production Exhibition. Fourteen Open Classes for Honey, to embrace the three. Counties of Wilts, Hants and Dorset only. Schedules from J. H. Topham, Melrose, Albany Road, Salisbury. Sepember 4 and 5, 1918, at St. Andrew's Halls, Glasgow.— Glasgow and West of Scotland Horticultural Society. For Bee Schedule apply to Hugh M. Mackie, C.A., 124, St. Vincent Street. Glasgow, Secretary. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l|d. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted. under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. w ANTED, W.B.C. Hives. House, Claygate. -BUTLER, Oak tree h.43 HONET.-700 to 1,000 Sections for Sale.-Applv stating price, REV. H. A. OSWALD, Castle Ellis Glebe, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, ji.49 WANTED, W.B.C. Hives and parts, Kentish Hive, Extractor, new condition; certified healthy Camiolan Nuclei— NEILSON, Gaia Fields, Lichfield. h.26. WANTED, 12 6warms Driven Bees; weight not under 4/5 dbs. each.. State date of delivery and price. Boxes sent.— GARDEN, Ardgathnil, Elgin, N.B. h.53 WANTED, three lots of Driven Bees— Par- ticulars and price to CHARLTON, Starkey Street, Stockton-on-Tees. h.57 TiHREE Strong Stocks, eight frames each, 1918 Queen, £2 15s. each.— J. BOWDEN, 167, Ellerton Road, Tolworth, Surbiton. h.58 OFFERS wanted for 1 cwt. pure light coloured English Honey in 28-lb. tins— VINCENT, 132, Croydon Road, Anerley. h.59 EALTHY Driven Bees wanted.— Price to A. BROWN, 20, Temple Street, Wolverhampton. h.60 MUST SELL.— Several stocks healthy Bees, with or without W.B.C. Hives.-^Particulars from BEE-KEEPER, 1, Thorpe Terrace, Bourne's Green, Southend. h.61 PURE Fertile Italian Queens surplus. H 1918 R.H.G., Albany Street, N.W.I h.62 F Y1TANTED, copy Root's " A B C and X Y Z \jf\ Bee Culture," also recent publications by U.S.A. Department Agriculture on bees and bee diseases— DENYS MILLWOOD, Fairby, Long- field, Kent. h.63 WANTED, Driven Bees, immediately.— Write, MORRIS, Stationmaster, Shoeburyness. h.64 FOR IMMEDIATE DISPOSAL— Seven strong Hives of Bees, imported Italians, Hybrids and English Blacks, complete with two supers each. No disease. What offers?— STALLING- TON APIARY, Blythe Bridge, Staffs. h.65 ERTILE QUEENS.— Surplus Italian Hybrid. 5s. each.— -CRISP, Fordham, Colchester, h.66 FOR SALE Extractors, 25s., 30s., 35s.; good condition. Wanted, Driven Bees, Honey, Hives and Appliances.— GWYNN, Conningsley, Malvern. h.67 ITALIAN Hybrids, six frames. 1918 Queen, 50s.; box returned.— HAGUE, Kirkham, Lanes, h.68 WANTED, W.B.C. Hives containing healthy, strong stocks, or empty; "Rapid" Feeder. —45, Bell Street, N.W.I. h.69 FOR SALE, owing to disposal of property, Bee Appliances necessary to start bee-keeping. Seven Hives, with lifts, section racks, excluder, smoker, extractor, new. Will be sold cheap. — For particulars apply GEO. STEDMAN, Langstone. Newport, Mon. There has been no bee disease here. h.70 WANTED, three W.B.C. Hives, complete. State orice and full oarticulars— J. DYAS, Palace Road, Llandaff. h.71 FOR SALE, Bee Appliances, very cheap to clear. Send staumed envelope for list. — CALVERT, 5, Field Place, Marston Road, Stafford. h.72 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, lid. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. Aug. 29, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 281 SEASONABLE HINTS. The honey season is now over, except in the heather districts. Judging from the re- ports to hand, the harvest from clover and sainfoin, etc., has been poor. Limes have yielded better, and we trust the bees at the heather will secure a good surplus. Feeding will be necessary in many cases, and there is a great demand for candy. Removing and extracting the honey should be completed as soon as possible. More care than ever is necessary now to prevent robbing. Ee-queening should also be done at the earliest opportunity. Weak stocks should be united. The. spare queens, if young ones, may be utilised for re- queening, or may be sold. Instead ' of uniting, weak colonies may be strength- ened by adding " driven " bees to them. If this is done, drawn-out combs should be available for their accommodation. There may, however, be a difficulty in ob- taining driven bees, as they are not so plentiful as they used to be, and the pos- sibility of introducing disease by their means should not be overlooked. Those who wish to increase the number of their colonies may at this season obtain them at a much cheaper rate, but no profit will be obtained from them until next year, and there are the risks of wintering to be faced. Those who pur- chase colonies of bees should take great care to have all reasonable assurances that the bees -are healthy, and have been for the past season. There are unscrupu- lous people in all occupations, and unfor- tunately bee-keeping is not exempt. Some there are who will foist off on the unwary, bees that are suffering from disease. We heard from one of our correspondents a short time ago of one such at a well-known town on the borders of the Midland and Eastern counties. The Government autho- rities shotild take some action to prevent the indiscriminate sale of infected bees and appliances, and we hope that before long they will do so. Much disappointment and worry would be saved if our deposit system was in- sisted on, and no honest person would be likely to demur to this, if the intending purchaser agreed to pay the small fee and expenses — the latter rarely amounting to more than 5cl. To prevent mistakes, our rules should be carefully read. Those who are intending to commence bee-keeping should not purchase bees now, unless they are prepared to take the risk of losing them during the winter, which. in view of their inexperience, will be greater in their case, but should place their order for appliances and bees ready for the spring, and read up all they can about the subject during the winter. If possible to do so, it is a great advantage to get a few practical hints or lessons from an experienced bee-keeper. They will then be able to make a beginning with the bees next season with a good prospect of success. OBITUARY. THE LATE MR. T. W. JONES, OF ETWALL. The funeral of the late Mr. T. W. Jones, of Etwall, took place recently. The ser- vice, which was choral, was conducted by the vicar, the Rev. J. W. A. Melville, There was a large congregation, and the children of both the church and chapel schools attended to testify their respect. The Vicar gave an address in which he paid a warm tribute to the deceased's useful life. Deceased's favourite hymns, " Peace, perfect peace " and " Abide with me," were sung, the Nunc Dimittis being sung as the cortege left the church. The deceased gentleman, who was horn in the historic town of Conway, came to Derby as schoolmaster of St. Paul's, and after staying there five years came to Etwall in 1876. Here he was schoolmaster for 40 years. He was very widely known, having interested himself in many things. tie was a life member of the Derbyshire Bee-keepers' Association and a first-class expert of the British Bee-keepers' Asso- ciation. For several years he lectured on bee-keeping for the Derbyshire County Council. For many years he was secre- tary of the Mickleover and Etwall Gas Co., until it was taken over by the Derby Gas Co., and auditor to the Egginton Dairy Co. from their commencement until this year. Sergeant for many years in the old Derbyshire Volunteers, he was a mem- ber of the local Volunteers until his health failed. For a long time he acted as clerk to the Etwall Parish. Council and hon. secretary to the local War Committee and Belgian Relief Committee. For many years, too, he was organist at Etwall Church. He was a teacher for over half a century, jdis wife predeceased him. He leaves two sons and two daughters to mourn their loss. A DORSET YARN. From all parts of Dorset one has good reports of the honey flow this last few weeks. The extra fine weather has been grand for us at the Violet Farm. One stock of Italians have finished a rack in ten days. My friend Squire Tomlinson 282 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 29, 1918. came and saw them on August 19. He saw so many hanging round the entrance and all round the inside of case, he sent me up a rack of shallow bars (drawn out) ; they all moved into them the same night. On Saturday some were capped. It is re- markable how fast they collect so much; it is mostly from the heather. When loading corn close to the heather on Friday one could hear the loud hum of thousands of bees. I was helping another farmer get in his barley before the rain came or I should not have been in the field so close to the heather. It was one continual song till quite late. Mr. Tomlinson advises me to break up the comb from shallow bars and run out the honey, as being all heather he will not be able to extract it. All this from a second swarm of Italians. They have already done me two racks. The parent stock has been robbed out by the two swarms that left it. Mr. Tomlin- son says the rainy July was against the honey flow for him, but since the nice weather he has a good lot. The Eev. G. Stalworthy informs me the Italians are still adding to stores. Mr. "Warren Davis is enthusiastic about his, and the lot of stores they are piling up. It all shows how much fine food is wasted when tbere are no bees to collect it. " Nature never did betray the heart that loved her," wrote Wordsworth, when seeing the flowers of rural England. It is the same with production; if one has the energy to follow up the many different crops that are grown for human consump- tion, as well as stock, to study their re- quirements, and add to the soil at the right time, then Nature responds at once and adds to the weight of crops. One sees the potatoes giving one and two tons more to the acre by the expenditure of 15s. to 30s. One gains many hundredweights to the crop and a larger cheque for each acre. 1 find it the same with the bees. Many, to save expense, only put in a small piece of foundation to start the sections, but with the whole section filled, the bees have not nearly so much labour on them as they have on the small starters. The section is filled so much quicker, and ^f late in the season you get them complete, when those with the small starters would not l)e finished. If you love your bees as we do at the Violet Farm, you would spend a bit more on them, and they will give you a greater return for the extra small expense, just as we find the soil returns us greater crops for the extra expenditure in tillage and manures. It makes Wordsworth's words a concrete truth, for Nature will not betray those that love her. — J. J. Kettle. THE BEE GARDEN. By A. F. Harwood. The Official Lists. — (Continued.) Values. Honey. Pollen. 3 — Ajuga reptans Alyssum saxatile Aquilegia Arabis alpina ... Asclepias syriaca Aubrietia grceca Cheiranthus alboni ... Corydalis cava Cynoglossum Deutzia crenata , , gracilis Eclunops ritro Erica carnea ... ,, vulgaris Helleborus niger Malva moschata ,, ,, alba Mclianthus major Polygonum sachalineuse Polemonium cceruleum Primula veris ... vulgaris Scrophidaria nodosa ... Sedum acre ,, anglicum ,, major ... ,, ' telephium Sphtca ar uncus , , ulmaria Stachys lanata Teucrium italicum Tussilago alba... Vcrbascum phceniciwm thapsus ... Veronica lot i folia Vnwa minor Viola odora&a ... tricolor ... [Readers who are interested in stocking their gardens with flowers useful to the bees will do well to preserve the list given above, which gives the honey and pollen value of the different varieties. This, with the cultural notes on them to be given by Mr. Harwood, should enable the bee-keeper-gardener to provide welcome forage for the bees especially early in the year before the main honey flow comes. The example of Mr. Harwood in present- ing the neighbours with the spare plants may also be followed with advantage. — Eds.] Ajuga reptans (Common Bugle) is a hardy herbaceous perennial ; bears its numerous flowers, normally blue or purple, in May, in whorls. There are rose and white varieties. Height, 6-12ins. It is considerably used in rock-gardens and for border planting. Can be grown from seed, but is usually propagated by division in spring, creeping, as it does, by stolons. Aug. 29, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 283 In habit the type is a low, dense, fast- spreading creeper, excellent for covering shady slopes. It and the white flowering form are less cultivated than the follow- ing varieties, a.r. atropurpurca, a.r. rubra and a.r. fol, var., purplish, red and blue respectively, the last with variegated foliage. Some forms, e.g. a.r. rubra, have dark purple leaves, while one, a. metallica crispa, has deep-blue flowers and crinkled leaves. .4. generensis is the Alpine variety; a. pyramidalis, a beautiful plant, is a native of (North) Britain. Of the two annual varieties, both of which are yellow, one, a. chamcepitys, is an English native, 1ft. high, flowering in July. JOTTINGS. The Suburban Bee Garden (page 111). — Mr. Eichards, in his introductory notes of location, recalled some early and enjoy- able days as a " Suburban Volunteer." Somehow, we generally turn towards London when speaking of the " suburbs," however we are open to correction. At any rate, I can no doubt thank the many hours of " spare-time " training among scenery so beautiful and energising that I am still able to be of some use to-day, and I should be very sorry indeed to find, when visiting the " Sutton Jerusalem," that the acres of lavender plants had given place to yet another scene of Lon- don's human hives. Bobbers— the Wet Pack (page- 122).— Surely Mr. Atkinson's methods are rather strenuous, if not misleading to the new hand, with robbing. Generally with an attack of " queue," such as described, it is hardly safe to " lay to " quite so strongly, unless possessing something stronger than water, which can generally be used much more quietly and effectively with little or no loss. The mat, too, although cooling, would seem to be of a very suffocating nature. Surely the price of peace, though sweet, is dearly bought. The " Guide Book " method of a weak solution of carbolic, or Izal, I use, is quite easy, and quite as effective, and so three days' imprisonment is unnecessary. A sprinkling of flour will assist in tracing the marauders. This should not prove a " perennial " if honey, and jobs, are taken in the orthodox manner. Matter for the Journal (page 128). — Without wishing to differ to any great extent with Mr. White, surely most of us will agree that not many subjects or branches of the business fail to get their day, and explanations, from time to time. A careful perusal of the " Notices and Answers " column is both instructive and useful enough to show that advice is given freely and broadly to all. Person- ally, I have enjoyed the cultural articles. and there is no doubt of their actual re- lation to our craft. To succeed we must cultivate this taste, and even woo this class of business men, if we are to receive our due recognition and help, to say nothing " of reaping where we have not sown.'" — A. H. Hamshar. CONCERNING THE OLDEST CIVILI- SATION IN THE WORLD. (Continued from page 269.) The country folk of Scotland and Ire- land, who seem to live in such close touch with Nature and have such a wonderful affinity with her, still cling to the old custom of "telling the bees." This is a relic of the time when the honey-bees were looked upon as guardians of the household, or domestic gods, and every important event in the family life was told to them as a mark of courtesy and consideration : — Bees ! Bees ! Haste to your bees — " Hide from your neighbours as much as you please ; But all that has happened to us you must tell, Or else we will give you no honey to sell." A maiden in her glory, Upon her wedding-day, Must tell her bees the story, Or else they'll fly away. Fly away — die away — Dwindle down and leave you; But if you don't deceive your bees, Your bees will not deceive you. Marriage, birth, or buryin', News across the seas, All you're sad or merry in, You must tell the bees. Tell em going in and out Where the Fanners fan, 'Cos the bees are just about As curious as a man ! It is a well-known and old-established fact that the honey-bee is possessed of marvellous — one might almost call it psychic — perception, and is extremely sen- sitive to conditions, not merely material and physical, but mental and even moral, which we less finely tuned mortals cannot often appreciate. Numerous cases are known of bees attacking people who, to all appearances, treated these relentless judges of mankind with due respect and consideration, but who have gone to their bees in anger, or in a state of nervous excitement or exhaustion. Pliny solemnly cautions malefactors and thieves against approaching hives at any time, and Butler, a devoted student of bee- life, living in the reign of Queen Anne, gives most elaborate advice as to the necessary qualities of the good bee-master. 284 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 29, 1918. ■ — " Thou must not be unchaste or un- cleanly ; for impurity and sluttishness they utterly abhore; thou must not come puffing or blowing unto them, nor vio- lently defend thyselfe when they seem to threaten thee. ... In a word, thou must be chaste, cleanly, sweet, sober, quiet, and familiar ; so will they love thee and know thee from all other." In short, one must be an epitome of all the virtues ! Don't you wait where trees are, When the lightnings play, Nor don't you hate where bees are. Or else they'll fly away. Pine away — dwine away — Anything to leave you. But if you never grieve your bees, Your bees'll never grieve you. The greatest scientists and most de- voted students of the wonderful Bee-com- monwealth all agree, with Maeterlinck, that "Beyond the appreciable facts of their life, we know but little of the bees, and the closer our acquaintance with them the nearer is the appreciation of our ignorance brought to us of the depths of their real existence." This great bee- lover, after 20 years of bee-keeping, says : " You will find we shall often halt before the unknown," and we most certainly do, Yet what stimulating and inspiring glimpses into that Land of Promise we have already gained ! The old bee-fathers used to raise their hats to the honey-bee — let us do the same. A. I. S. KENT HONEY SHOW. The annual exhibition of honey and bee products was held in the Gymnasium of the S.E. Agricultural College, Wye, on Wednesday, when there was a good at- tendance. Among the visitors was the Bight Hon. L. Hardy, M.P. (president), who gave a cup valued at two guineas in the trophy class. The judge was Mr. J. Small wood, of the British Bee-keepers' Association. In addition to the show the Wye Women's Institute had stalls con- taining exhibits of their home toy indus- try, cookery and needlework. Teas were provided by Mrs. Dunstan, assisted by the members o"f the Women's Institute. , The awards were : — OPEN TO KENT. Six sections of comb honey and six glasses of run or extracted honey — 1 (cup presented by Sir Bobert Filmer), G. Bry- den, Rochester. Six sections of comb honey — 1 (cup pre- sented by Sir Marcus Samuel), C. Bishop, Upchurch; 2, G. Bryden. Two standard frames of comb honey for extracting— 1, G. Bryden. Six glasses of light run or extracted honey— 1 (silver cup presented by the Earl of Guilford), G. Bryden; 2, E. Gristwood ; 3, McCowan Hall; 4, W. Getting. Six glasses of medium run honey — 1, A. Lepper, Wye; 2, J. T. Head; 3,' T. Head, Canterbury; 4, G. Bryden. Six glasses of dark honev — 1, G. Bry- den; 2, T. Head. Three sections of comb honey and three glasses of run honey — 1, C. Bishop; 2, S. Blaskett. Three glasses of run honey — 1, Miss E. Earl; 2, Master H. Lepper. Three 4-lb. sections — 1, W. Getting. OPEN CLASSES. Beeswax — 1, G. Brvden; 2, F. Harris; 3, T. Head. Mead— 1, G. Bryden; 2, S.E.A. College, Wye. Glass of granulated honey — 1, G. Bry- den; 2, S.E.A. College, Wye; 3, T. Head. Cake sweetened with honey — 1, Miss A. Dockeray; 2, Mrs. A. Lepper; 3, Miss E. Earl. Best display of bee products — 1 (the President's cup), G. Bryden; 2, T. Head. Twelve glasses of light run honey — 1 (cup presented by Sir Mark Collett), E. Gristwood; 2, C. Bishop; 3, A. Lepper. Six glasses of medium or dark honey — 1, F. Harris; 2, A. Lepper; 3, T. Head. Three sections of comb honey — 1, A. H. S. Page; 2, T. Head; 3, G. Bishop. Glass of light honey — 1, E. Gristwood; 2, F. Harris; 3, A. Lepper. Section of comb honej7 — 1, G. Bryden; 2, A. H. S. Page; 3, Mrs. Scott. Six bottles of run honey — 1, A. Lepper; 2, Masters; 3, H. Lepper. In connection with the Honey Show an exhibition of garden produce was held in the Botanical Laboratory of the College by the Wye Gardeners' Society, Mr. A. Linkins being the chief organiser. Two very fine baskets of vegetables grown at the S.E.A. College were exhibited, and were subsequently sent to the Dover Mine Sweepers. CARDIGANSHIRE AND WEST CAB- MARTHENSHLRE BEE - KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. AN APPEAL. The above Association is endeavouring to raise £150 for the purpose of starting apiaries for persons interested in bee- keeping who have served in His Majesty's Forces. Of this sum £70 has already been subscribed by members of the Asso- ciation. Will any bee-keeper who can spare from £1 up to £80 kindly lend same to the Association. The interest is 5 per rent, per annum, and cash to be repaid at the end of two years. I shall be person- ally responsible for the payment of in- terest and the repayment of principal. I appeal to bee-keepers to help us to raise the amount by lending what they have to Aug. 29, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 285 spare, and help to brighten the lives of these gallant fellows who have willingly suffered for us. — R. Daniels, Secretary, Pantycrwys, Rhydcwmerau, Llandilo, Carm. AYR AND DISTRICT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A VISIT TO HOLMES FARM APIARY. The members of the Ayr and District Bee-keepers' Association on Saturday last visited the model apiary of the West of Scotland Agricultural Col- lege at Holmes Farm, Kilmarnock. On arrival at the farm, the party was met by Mr. Joseph Tinsley, B.B.K.A., who has been the means of bringing the apiary to its present position. On all hands it is regarded as one of the finest apiaries in Britain, and students of the college and visitors find it interesting in the highest degree. Mr. Tinsley pointed out and explained the work done by the students, and showed the visitors how to subdue and manipu- late the bees, etc. The race of bees in the apiary consists largely of crosses between Dutch and Italian. These are considered the best disease-resisting strains, and it is acknow- ledged they are a beautiful class of bee, with mild tempers. Occasionally a stray swarm finds its way to the apiary, and in some cases joins with other swarms. In almost every case the bees of the stray swarm are more or less affected with " Isle of Wight " disease, and have to be de- stroyed. The college has done much dur- ing the year in restocking various parts of Scotland, having been able to send out over sixty stocks of bees, and leaving in the apiary about eighty-five stocks, which will be trebled by another year. In this department alone the college has done much to justify its existence. A vote of thanks to the lecturer and his students was very warmly responded to, and the members on leaving the apiary were invited to pay it another visit at no distent date. The excursion was in every way of an interesting and educative char- acter, and all voted it an unqualified success. WANTED. A VOL. OF B.B.J. A Lonely Bee-keeper, a soldier, who is in hospital, writes: — "Would some kind bee-keeper who has an .unbound vol. of B.B.J, for 1913, and does not require it, send it on to me, as I cannot get anything here to read on bees, and should be much obliged if anyone could do me a good turn." If any of our readers would like to send this on, we will send address on receipt of a postcard. 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 namet 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 CAUSE AND CURE OF " ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. [9750] I did not take M. Taylor up (No. 9734) for the use of the term " hy- brid," but for comparing the hybridisa- tion of animals and plants with " hybridi- sation," so called, of bees. I merely pointed out his error in this, as he will see if he reads my letter. The idea of using the expression '"variety-hybrid " is more ingenious than sensible, as there is no such thing, and cannot be. A hybrid is a cross between species. A cross be- tween varieties of a species is a "cross simply. All species reproduce themselves true to type, and so do most varieties. The Apidse family have many species which do so and do not cross-mate, one of which is Mellifica. This species is divided into many varieties, all reproducing themselves true* to type, and capable of inter-mating. The issue of this cross-mating is a bee following more or less the type of both parents, but I see no reason why its " re- productive constitution " should be un- fixed, still less why it should cause dis- ease— especially one caused by a specific bacillus or micrococcus. As to the dominant British bee, I see no reason, based on analogy, why the yellow bee should not thrive as well as the black bee in this country. Look at our domestic sheen. We have the finest sheep in the world in England (I'm the possessor of 400-odd myself). Now, the natural, or dominant, sheep would be a very different animal from our domestic varieties, as everyone knows : but who wants to go back to a small mountain sheep. Again, we are constantly crossing our varieties because we find that the issue is always strong, healthy and growing. Of course, there is a great difference in the cases, and I do not press this; but it makes one think. I nowhere have said, as stated by Mr. Taylor, that foreign bees have made ours immune. I don't know what he means by " ours," but anyway I did not say it. I 286 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 29, 1918. don't know how anyone could prove it either. Seeing that there are no real British bees left, it would be difficult to render them immune. Also, it is foolish to lump all bees other than the old British together as foreign. The Italians have done good, no doubt at all, but there is little doubt that the Dutch have done much harm, and many people think they have English bees when their bees are in reality Dutch. If Mr. Taylor does not consider Italians, etc., " more or less fixed varieties " (I may repeat here that they are not species). What does he consider a fixed variety? And when Mr. Taylor concludes by saying in effect that because foreign bees and their crosses are absolutely all that are left in this district (Wallingford-on- Thames) he feels more sure than ever that they are less better able to withstand disease than natives, he goes quite beyond me, at any rate. — B. B. Manley. TREATMENT OF " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9751] Seeing that there is now con- sierable evidence that antiseptic treat- ment, either as spray or medicated food, is undoubtedly useful in the treatment of " Isle of Wight " disease in bees, I wish to make a suggestion. There have certainly been cures, and probably also failures, effected by Hydrogen Peroxide, Phenol, Izal, Bacterol, Flavine, etc., and I venture to suggest that the newer or- ganic arsenicals, e.g., Salvarsan, Luargol, etc., be given a trial. It is quite a possible hypothesis and is, indeed, favoured by experience, that special antiseptics may be found to possess particular potency, and the class suggested has not apparently been tested. Living in a valley as yet undeva stated by "Isle of Wight" dis- ease, I have no personal opportunity For experiment. — J. Schofield, B.Sc. INSURANCE AGAINST DISEASE. [9752] With reference to " Belroyd's " letter published in the B.B.J, of July 25, suggesting a subscription fund being formed to provide means for combating the " Isle of Wight " disease, I should like to express my views on the subject. Although this is a matter which con- cerns all bee-keepers seriously, it is not easy to get those interested "to subscribe to what concerns them more or less indi- rectly, and I would suggest an alterna- tive scheme which would affect them directly, based on the following lines : — 1. That an insurance company be formed in which bee-keepers wouid be invited to invest money on an ordinary dividend basis. 2. That policies be issued to bee- keepers, who would pay, say, 4s. per annum on the first hive, and Is. each on all other hives, against " Isle of Wight " disease. 3. That payments of 50s. be made for each stock lost by this disease. These figures are given merely for ex- ample, to explain the scheme. I imagine such a company would have the necessary funds to carry on research work to investigate cases of suspected disease, and it would be to their advan- tage to prevent the disease from spread- ing by taking the necessary steps with regard to destruction and disinfecting wherever the disease breaks out. Later, as the disease might become less prevalent, the premiums might be re- duced.— Leslie H. Hounsfield. NATIVES v. FOREIGN. [9753] I was pleased to read the article in the B.B.J. (August 1, 1918) by " Robin Hood." It is a matter which I have wished to see brought forward for some time, but wanted some more experienced bee-keeper than myself to kick off. I fully endorse all he says, and will not go over the ground again more than I can help. I recommend all beginners to read and re- read that article. When I first started bee-keeping I was carried away with the glowing accounts of the foreign bee, and of course got some. The result was exactly as stated by "Robin Hood." Now the job is to get rid of the strain, which I am trying year after year to do. When there is so much foreign blood about it is a slow and diffi- cult matter. I find the native the best bee for this district. Why people anchor their hopes on two chambers full of brood I don't know. I don't think the foreign bee lives so long, and is not able to do the work the native bee does; therefore to keep up the population of the hive breeding has to go on at such a rate that it takes the bees all their time to feed the larva?. Keep your stocks clean, healthy, and with young queens ; you will then get honey if it is there to be got. My experience with the foreign bee is that our winters are too long for it; it does not provide sufficient stores, and con- sumes them too quickly in early spring. The native is more reliable and steady, and comes out top in the long run. In my opinion the root of the trouble is that so many people have a passing fancy to keep bees, and get a stock and dump it down in the garden, and think they have done all that is required for honey pro- duction. The result is that some long- Aug. 29, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 287 suffering and good-natured bee-keeper has to do all the managing and work for such a person. Why should he? If people before starting bee-keeping would learn something about it, even as they would before keeping rabbits or birds, etc., the craft would be greatly improved and difficulties would melt away. Swarming and the like never trouble a bee-keeper who has taken the trouble to study his subject. I venture to say that every bee-keeper is willing to help a friend with his bees, but it is not right to expect him to do all. I know several who keep bees and pride themselves on them, but they dare not, and do not, touch them themselves. Can one wonder at things not being as they should be? I could name several who have kept bees for years, and they candidly tell one that they have never seen below the excluder ! Can anything be done to put our craft on a more experienced footing and con- vince the real novice that he must give a little time and thought to the subject before he is fit to have charge of a stock of bees? I will not say more at present on this subject. I feel that even now I shall have a buzzing about my ears. In spite of that, I feel convinced that these things need ventilating ; nothing is gained by hiding them. Some of us have a good deal at stake in the craft. — W. Ion. HEIGHT OF HIVES FROM THE GROUND. [9754] I have been much interested in the letters appearing lately in the B.B.J. I, for one, intend to make an experiment, and will give full particulars in the Journal. I cannot help thinking that if bees were kept higher from the ground, the weak and infected bees would be unable to gather into the hive and cause infection of the healthy. In Mr. Herrod-Hempsall's hints (page 257) he mentions one way as being the best for stopping swarms from decamp- ing. This year I had a large swarm on May 28, which I hived on the old stand. I was away the next day, but the bees came out from the old stand, settled for about ten minutes, I am told, and then went away. I only had four swarms saved from nine I had, and three out of the four settled on "the same bough each time. Honey is selling in Pershore at 3s. 6d. per lb. ! My bees have not given much surplus this time, although on two lots of stan- dard frames. They swarmed before half drawing out a box of frames. — A. Donkix. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. ^^^^ J Schofieid— Honey value of mustard and rape. —Mustard is a very good honey plant; its honey value is 3, pollen 1. We have not the figures for rape, but it is also a good honey plant. J. Kneller (Bangor).— Value of the extractor.— The honev extractor is undoubtedly a success The " Co"wan " with gearing and reversible cages is our "fancy." G M Rosling (Devon), J. Langdon (Cowes).— Clipping the queen's wings— This will prevent the bees from swarming— or rather prevent the swarm from absconding— but the colony will need some attention. The disadvantages are that the bees may supersede the queen when thev find she is unable to accompany them and' swarm out with the young queen. What is more likely to happen is the bees may swarm, and the oueen attempting to go witn them is lost, the bees return to the hive, and the queen perishes outside. This may occur when no one is near the hive, and the bee- keeper is not aware of the loss of the old queen, and a few days later the bees swarm with a virgin oueen who can fly. In theory, of course, the swarm is supposed to cluster round the queen on ;some low-growing bush near the hive, or on the ground, but this does not always work out in practice. L H. Hounsfield (Croydon).— Nectar bearing plants for July and August.— The thistle you refer to is no doubt the Chapman Honey Plant. Others are Sweet Clover, Centaurea Cyanus (Corn Blue Bottle), Borage, Sweet Alyssum, Buckwheat, and Blackberry. We do not know where vou can set seed of the first two. Messrs. Sutton & Son, Reading, can supply the others; possibly thev can supply them all. M. Biner (Loughton).— The syrup will be quite right. You gave rather a strong dose of Izal; it should be half teaspoonful to 8 lbs. of sugar. "Xovice" (Wimbledon).— Do not feed any more until the middle of September. Then feed up as raoidly as the bees will take the syrup until the combs contain about 30 lbs. " Beginners " (Peterborough).— We think you may venture to use the sugar chips for feeding pur- poses. Suspected Disease. I. C. S. 0. (Oakham).— The comb contained a little of both foul and sour (pickled) brood. — ■ Bee Shows to Come. A nominal charge of is. 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. Wednesday, September 4, 1918, at Salis- bury.—Honey Show, in connection with the Com- mercial Travellers' Food Production Exhibition. Fourteen Open Classes for Honey, to embrace the three Counties of Wilts, Hants and Dorset only. Schedules from J. H. Topham, Melrose, Albany Road, Salisbury. Sepember 4 and 5, 1918, at St. Andrew's Halls, Glasgow.— Glasgow and West of Scotland Horticultural Society. For Bee Schedule apply to Hugh M. Mackie. C.A., 124, St. Vincent Street. Glasgow, Secretary. 288 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Aug. 29, 1918. THE DEPOSIT SYSTEM. You are advised to insist on this being used when dealing with strangers. Rules and Conditions for Depositing. In order to save trouble, it is requested that the Rules be carefully read over by persons using the Deposit Systeyn of trading. 1. Method.— When strangers are dealing together, the purchase-money of the articles ia deposited at our office. We acknowledge receipt of the deposit to both parties, and hold the money until we are satisfied that the purchase is con- cluded. If a sale be effected, we remit to the seller the amount deposited, less a charge of H per cent, in the £, with a minimum of &d., and the expenses of Post Office Orders and postage, &c. Cash will be forwarded by Cheque, Post Office Order, or by Postal Order as pre- ferred. If a sale or exchange be not completed, we return the amount deposited, after making the same deduction. By this means buyers and sellers are secured against fraud. 2. Deposits.— Postal Orders (drawn on Genera] Post Office) and Cheques must be made payable to W. Herrod-Hempsall, and crossed " London County and Westminster Bank." The numbers of the Postal Orders should be kept by the sender. We cannot be responsible for any loss that may occur in transit. 3. Honey on Approval.— All honey will be sold by sample, which must be sent direct to buyer. 4. Bee Appliances.— In ordering, the time allowed for completing the order to be stated to us when sending cash If maker accepts, we hold cash until transaction is satisfactorily completed, when the amount will be remitted, subject to conditions as in Clause 1. 5. Bees and Queens.— These will be dealt with entirely by the parties concerned, so far as price, Ac., go, and when the purchase is satisfactorily completed cash will be remitted as per Clause 1. 6. Goods In Transit.— These are at the seller'* risk, i.e., any damage to or loss of an article on its journey is borne by the vendor; but a rejected article must be properly packed and returned by the same means as was used in sending it. 7. Carriage.— The carriage of all goods,, except such as are sent by post, is payable by the buyer, unless otherwise agreed. If any article sent on approval be returned, each party to the tran*- actien must pay carriage one way. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l§d. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in "The Bee-Keepers' Record" free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. irilOO many would-be bee-keepers want to push / A the button and have the bees do the rest. Reverse your methods. Let the bees push the button, and let it be the bee-keeper who gets busy.-s. H. SMITH. h.76 F STRONG Stock in skep, 1918 Queen, plenty stores, 37s. 6d., plus carriage. Good Extractor, ungeared, 29s. 6d— W. WOODS, Normandy, Guild- ford. ^77 OR SALE, 1918 Italian Hybrid Queen 66.— MILLER, iGlenlee, Adele Street, Motherwell. h.78 WANTED, .several Stocks of healthy Hybrids. —State price, with particulars, to BEE- KEEPER, Fairby, Longfield, Kent. h.79 QUEEN, surplus imported Italian, about August 29, 7s. 6d.— 42, Bromwich Street, Bolton. h.80 ANTED, 16 to 20 1918 Fertile Queens, Blacks or Hybrids preferred. Could do with several lots of Driven Bees. Queens and bees must be guaranteed- from apiaries free from disease.— Reply Box 43, British Bee Journal, 23, Bedford Street, W.C.2. h.81 COTTAGE, detached, Wanted to purchase. Any size or condition.— Highwold, Easthill, Sander- stead. h.82 WT> |^1 HIVES wanted. Good condition • _13»V^» and reasonable. State lowest price— T. E. INWOOD, 60, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W.13. h.83 ANTED, 3 lbs. Driven Bees. Good price ' given.— LYTH, 281, Deansgate, Manchester. h.84 W APIARY outgrown management. Selling 20 Stocks, each 10 frames, Hybrid Dutch Bees, guaranteed healthy, £4 5s. each, carriage paid. Boxes to be returned.— Box 44, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. h.85 B EE Goods are all sold— CALVERT, 5, Field Place, Marston Road, Stafford. h.72 SEVERAL lots of Bees on 5 to 8 frames for sale, 6s. per frame, carriage forward. Travel- ling box to be returned.— WRIGHT, Sutton Poyntz, near Weymouth. h.7 WANTED, 12 6warms Driven Bees; weight not under 4/5 lbs. each. State date of delivery and price. Boxes sent.— GARDEN, Ardgathnil, Elgin. N.B. hJS THREE Strong Stocks, eight frames each, 1918 Queen, £2 15s. each.— J. BOWDEN, 167, Ellerton Road, Tolworth, Surbiton. h.58 EALTHY Driven Bees wanted.— Price to A. BROWN, 20, Temple Street, Wolverhampton. h.60 H FOR SALE Extractors, 25s., 30s., 35s.; good condition. Wanted, Driven Bees, Honey, Hives and Appliances.— GWYNN, Conningsley, Malvern. h.67 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l£d. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS.— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope; six packages, 6d.; "Intensive Bee-keep- iiTg," Chapters I.— VI., 6d.; a japanned Sprayer and all the above, 6s. The Service Furnishing Society, Ltd., 289, High Holborn, W.C.I, stock the 6d. package Flavine, and will forward Flavine Candv. in 5-lb. lots uo, at Pascall prices.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. h.75 HEALTHY Driven Bees, with Queen, 10s. 6d. per lot; September delivery: supply limited. Fertile Queens, 5s. 6d— W. WOODS, Normandy, near Guildford. h.86 HEALTHY Driven Bees. Italian Hybrids, 1918 Quoins. 10s. lot. Package returnable. — ('ADMAN, Codsall Wood. h.87 Sept. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 289 SEASONABLE HINTS. Stocks that need food should be fed rapidly during this month, until the total amount of food stored in the combs for a strong colony is about 301bs. To find out if the bees need feeding, the combs should be examined, and a rough estimate of the amount of stores made. A standard comb, quite full, will contain 5 to 6 lbs. of honey, so there should be the equivalent of five standard combs full of stores. Weak colonies will need more food in proportion, as they may have to consume more in order to keep up the necessary temperature during cold weather. The object in feeding now is to get the syrup stored in the combs, and sealed over, before the cold weather arrives. Should there be a quantity of unsealed honey or syrup when the bees go into winter quarters, it will take up moisture until it becomes quite thin and watery; it is then likely to ferment, and if used by the bees will cause dysentery — or something worse. Some bee-keepers who have allowed the bees to have two brood boxes — either both standard combs or one standard and one shallow — are undecided whether to leave the two for winter or to remove one. This must be determined by the number of bees th.^y contain. If both boxes are crowded, leave them both on; the top box should have the combs containing the most food. In the spring one may be taken away, if necessary, in order to conserve the heat of the hive and help the colony to build up quickly. If there are only enough bees to well fill the ten standard combs, take away one box, leaving the bees those combs contain- ing any brood there may be and the most stores. If shallow combs have been used for additional breeding space, and they contain the food, leave them on for the winter. All queen excluders must be taken away. A DORSET YARN. Bees have a great variety of food plants still at the Violet Farm. Strawberries in full bloom, with plenty of fruit on the earlier trusses. (I see the bees look over these perpetual varieties more than they do the main crops in early summer.) The Hailsham berry, sent to me from Hagley Hall, is now in bloom and fruiting on some of the canes. The long lines of per- petual raspberries are giving plenty of food for them, and will for some time. The rains have made many thousands more flowers on the runner beans, everything looks like extra surplus this season. Our bees are still building comb on the sides of brood chamber, even after the full racks of sections are taken off and fresh ones placed on. One of my near neighbours has the same with his, even one of his late swarms that is in a skep and covered with a box. " They have built all round the skep. All proves that it is fine weather that allows the bees to work long hours and give the large surplus. We are un- loading our lot, and have given most of them a new rack. One that I did not has begun building comb on the bars and fill- ing it with honey. This one has a wooden cover over the brood chamber, with a small piece of glass in the centre just to see how they are keeping together in the dull time of autumn and winter. . Three colonies are still keeping the black colour, but others are crossed with the Italians, even the lot that came from a hollow tree in the Glendon grounds. It must have been a virgin queen, and mated after bringing her to the Violet Farm, as they were all free from colour when they came ; but now they have the orange band on many of the young bees. How much they work the vegetable marrows and carry the pollen from one to the other is proved to me this year, as a lot of the plants from the bush variety have been crossed with the trailers, and have not kept the bush habit that they had last season. They are now- short- jointed trailers, which proves that the seed merchants must grow them a great dis- stance from each other, or they would not be able to keep them true to character. That bees work black currants largely in the season of blossom has been also proved this year, as among some seedlings there is one that has Reaves partly yellow, and it looks like a yellow leaved maple, and will be very ornamental. I have yet to see what its fruiting qualities are. In raising things from seed one is always on the look out for something different and better, though mostly they are inferior to the parent plant; still, they are varied in growth, which proves that the bees went over different varieties when collect- ing food from them when in bloom, and yet how rarely are the products of a hybrid character, even though the bees go over all species that are in bloom at one time, and must carry pollen of the different species on their bodies and leave some on each variety they visit. Have had a visit from a Devon enthusiast, Mr. Hancock, of Newton Abbot. He stopped to see the bees at our farm on his way into Kent to take back some bees he had offereQ him. His clever 290 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 5, 1918. daughter had worked on the farm during holidays. Big and strong, as well as apt at learning, she ought to do great things during her spell of life. Am sure that the craft will be the richer for her life, as her knowledge of bees is considerable for one so young. Her father told me that large areas in Devon had lost largely by disease. A bee man writes to me : — " How do you cover down for winter and have glass to see the bees? " Make a cover of board to fit the brood chamber, tack strips on one side at the edges; not too thick strips, not more than Un. Cut a small hole in centre of board, as you would do to invert a feeding bootle, lay a piece of glass over this, and cover up with whatever winter wrapping you use. The bees will fasten down the glass to the board with propolis. This alsi> gives a free way over the bars in winter for bees to get at their stores. Another way is to cover with thin oil- cloth, with a hole in the centre. Place first a few short strips of wood across the bars to give easy access to store. Lay the oil- cloth sheet over strips, lay a piece of glass on the opening, lay another piece of cloth or canvas with a hole cut in the centre the same as the lower one; cover up with felt or even old newspapers. If you wish to see how they are wintering,' or if they have stores, you have only to roll back the wrappings and not distub the bees. The strips of wood should only go over eio-ht bars, and not cover the two outer ones, as then the oil-cloth would not fall on to these outer bars, and it is essential for warmth in winter that the bees should be able to fasten this down at the edges all round. — J. J. Kettle. THE DOINGS OF DEBORAH. IV.— Wasps. " Now, Deborah, it is nearly the end of the season. Don't you think you might give me a word of commendation over the affair of the wasps? " " Well, I certainly should have thought that it would be more like you to have chivvied all the wasps out of the tool- house when they invaded it, and so let them loose to try to invade our hives! Shutting them in like that and then sul- phuring them was certainly one to you, but -" J ' ' Yes? What is the ' but '? " " If you had not left those two ex- tracted supers in the toolshed the wasps might never have been attracted to our '»co-farm at all." " I must certainly not do that another year, but I think the wasps would have been round the hives in any case this year. I have done for two nests quite close to the hives since £he -invasion, and there must have been at least 500 wasps in the shed. Did you see how they rushed to the window when the sulphur fumes reached them? The window was abso- lutely yellow with them." " Yes, we enjoyed the sight mightily, and buzzed our hardest as they crawled more slowly and finally lay dead. It gave us a nasty twinge of memory, though, as our thoughts flew back to the old days of the sulphur-pit ! We got no honey from the fruit this year. Too cold ! And that always means no fruit for the wasps, and then they are keener on our stores. But, you Jinow, you owe it to us to give one to the wasps after the trick you played on us two years ago." " Don't mention that. I was so dread- fully sorry and shall never forgive myself. I suppose it was all because I left the skep unprotected after driving you all from it; but I only left it a few minutes while I carried }tou to dump you in front of the new hive." " At any rate, it was a few minutes too long. Just imagine leaving our precious, warm old skep standing upside down in the sun at the end of August! Of course, every flying bee in the apiary was on to it in a moment. " " Yes. And then the robbing and the righting ! It was no use my covering uy> the skep and taking it into the house, for it meant that we dare not open a window or door for at least three days. You simply poured in! " "I see you are getting aAvay from the subject of the wasps. May I just remind you how, after you had removed the skep the wasps " " No, please don't remind me! " " As I was saying, the wasps set on to the struggling, fighting, demoralised bees and " " No, don't! I can't bear to think of it! " " — and actually bit out the honey-sac from us while we were alive, and next morning you found us crawling all over the flags in the garden with no abdomens — just legs, wings, head and thorax." " Yes. It made me perfectly sick to see you and to realise it was because of my carelessness. But it made me sicker ' when I could think of no better way of repenting than to tread on all of you I could see. I have hated wasps ever since." " We have hated them from all time." — Dekokah's Hostess. HONEY RECIPE. GOLDEN PUDDING. Put some honey in a dish with a few bread crumbs. Make a custard with one egg, put on top, and bake. — (Mrs.) F. Rumming. Sept. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 291 THE URGENT TASK. . By A. Z. Abushady. Under certain conditions it might be an easy matter to prevent infection with " Isle of Wight " disease, or possibly to make the disease abortive in its early stage, but once the internal tissues of the bee have been more or less damaged by the invading pathogenic organisms, it is not an easy matter curing it, especially in the. absence of a " spec/ fie " drug. In recommending the trial of some of the modern nontoxic antiseptics for treating the disease my motive has been tbe search, not only for a suitable good antiseptic in the ordinary sense of the word, but also for a " specific " drug in addition. So far, this has not been discovered, and I am told that those who have extensively tried " Flavine " do not claim from its use more than a temporary relief. It could not be, therefore, a " specific " drug, and its only additional advantage over other antiseptics is cheapness. The colour itself is, in my opinion, of no value for our purpose: in fact, it is a disadvan- tage to those who take pride in the cleanli- ness of their hives. It is misleading, therefore, to suggest that it has on diseased bees an action similar to that of diphtheria antitoxin. We are still left, therefore, in the same old position of fighting the disease with a suitable general antiseptic. The artificial immunisation of queens against " Isle of Wight " disease is a justified experiment in the light of the foregoing and previous remarks on this subject. An independent line of research would be to utilise filtered emulsions of diseased bees (after being rendered harm- less as a source of infection by mixing with a suitable antiseptic, heating, etc.) as sources of the toxins, which should be given to the bees in judicious doses mixed with syrup, etc. It is out of place here, at the present stage, to consider technical points connected with the preparation of good toxins, or with dosage and method of administration, my aim being simply to present further suggestions on this sub- ject, and to stimulate a greater interest in research. In this connection, I feel gratified to note that at least one of your correspondents agrees with my view that the B.B.K.A. ough^ to be supported with donations for research work. He suggests an " ' Isle of Wight ' Research Fund," but I simply suggest a " B.B.K.A. Re- search Fund," since research on many • other matters is highly desirable, and should be a continuous and a permanent duty. Subscriptions to such a fund, there- fore, should always remain open, and a minimum reserve of .£100 should always be maintained. Trusting that this sug- gestion will meet with a hearty response, I venture to enclose a cheque for £1 Is., to be supplemented in future, from time to time, with other contributions to the fund. As a laboratory researcher, I would highly appreciate co-operation from a select com- mittee appointed by the B.B.K.A., prin- cipally in the sphere of experimental in- oculation which goes hand in hand with laboratory work. In the absence of the former, false conclusions might be drawn from the latter. Such a committee, appointed by the Association, would insure methodical work, and would save one, like myself, the disappointment of not being able to arrange in a proper way for the regular carrying out of necessary experi- ments, as, in the absence of these, one is left unable to tell whether any of the organisms isolated from diseased bees has a pathogenic character towards them or not. Further, laboratory work under such conditions is next to useless, and would simply mean waste of time and money. I earnestly hope, therefore, that the B.B.K.A. will receive the merited continuous support for the conduction of research, both on our urgent problem, as well as on every other important subject connected with apiculture. PLAYING THE GAME. By J. Price. Since the appearance of my former articles under the above heading, in which I drew attention to the fact that the high prices offered for bees would tempt un- scrupulous persons to dispose of weak and sickly lots of bees, I have had many letters confirming this, and although in some cases £he purchasers have managed to work up these weakly lots, there are some who have failed. Many have imported disease, and are now wiser but sadder people than before they ventured on bees. I am afraid a great deal of harm has been done to the craft in this way, and many that were enthusiastic in the spring are out of the craft now for all time. From the letters appearing now in the Journal under the title " Let us be Honest," I am afraid this unfair business has been quite common in all districts, and one enquirer asks why can't the names be ex*posed. The editors have given a most satisfactory reply. To this I would like to add that, so far as my knowledge goes, this unfair dealing has been by the casual advertisers only, and I am pleased to say that the firms of long standing have dealt honourably with their customers, although probably some prices are very high. I recently examined a swarm received by a lady from one of our dealers for 17s. 6d., and I am sure it was well worth the cash. On the other hand, I find a 292 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 5,1918. swarm, or stock, has been purchased from a casual advertiser at a high price, and it has. turned out to be a very bad spec, indeed. I am aware that, in any case, there are bound to be some disappointed purchasers ; there also will be — and I regret to say that I have seen many — sad cases of dis- honesty. Some are sold with names that are, to my mind, deceptive, and whenever I see bees advertised as " immune," "disease resisters*," " with no disease in district," I advise anyone to keep off. To me this extra title is not needed if a straightforward transaction is to be done, and even the word " healthy " added to an advertisement is a signpost of danger. Why should it be used if all our dealings were fair ? I have yet to see an advertise- ment that offered unhealthy bees for sale, simply because no one would buy. Why,' then, use any of these terms? I will remark on one case only, that came under my notice lately. The bees were advertised as " healthy," but no written guarantee was given, and when questioned at the time of purchase as to a few crawl- ing bees there were on the ground, the seller assured the buyer that they were all right— it was simply food that they wanted, and his bees were " immune " to disease. In a week after purchase I was called in, and the verdict was, as may be expected — garden literally covered with crawling bees, and one solitary seam left; This was in July, and the cost of the bees was ,£4. I would like to add that the seller is no novice at the game, and I have learned since that he knew the bees Avere diseased, and had decided to sell rather than keep them to die on his hands as he formerly had. I fancy I hear your readers say that he ought to be made to return the cash. Yes, I agree, and I should like to see such cases tested. I am inclined to think that some fund should be created to fight such cases and expose the persons. Why not the British Bee Keepers' Association take up some cases and ask for subscriptions through the Journal? I think there would be a good response. Not only do I consider such acts as those described dishonest, but I con- sider the scattering abroad of diseased bees in that manner is a criminal offence and should be punishable. While legislation on this point is not available, I do think that in the interest of food production these cases sbould be fought. Even if they were lost we should gain by getting publicity, thereby hastening the time when such acts would be considered not only a great sin against nature, but a great wrong. " Let us be honest " and " Play the game " in our dealings is the watchword of all true bee-keepers. CARMARTHENSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A honey show was held in connection with the Ammanford Horticultural, Allot- ment, and Bee-keeping Societies' Exhibi- tion on August 24, 1918. The honey class proved quite a success, the number of entries being 23. The quality also was excellent, although the exhibitors had only a short notice and little time to prepare. It is hoped to publish the schedules, with quite a number of open classes for honey, at an earlier date next year. Mr. H. Samways, F.R.H.S., who assisted in judging the Horticultural sec- tions, judged the honey classes, and made the following awards : — Best three 1-lb jars dark or light honey. — 1, E. A. Cowley, Salon; 2, P. Cairns Guthrie, Lumble; 3, Jacob Evans, Llandelie. Best three 1-lb. sections. — 1, P. Cairns Guthrie, Lumble; 2, A. Preston, Amman- ford. Best shallow frame. — 1, P. Cairns Guthrie, Lumble; 2, E. A. Cowley, Salon; 3, G. W. Fox, Ammanford. Best 1 lb. beeswax. — 1, A. Preston, Ammanford; 2, J. T. Lloyd, Ammanford. Special prize, wired shallow frame. — A. Preston, Ammanford. UXBRIDGE AND DISTRICT BEE- KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The second annual honey show of the Uxbridge and District Bee-keepers' Association was held at St. Margaret's Parish Room, Belmont Road, Uxbridge, on Wednesday, August 21, 1918. The entries fell short of last year, as the honey flow was spoilt by the rainy weather when the clover and limes were out. We were specially favoured by securing Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall to judge the honey for us, and the best thanks of the Association are due to him for his splendid lecture given during the afternoon in the grounds adjoining the hall, which was attended by a good number of interested spectators. During the course of the lecture the queen was found in the demon- stration hive, and shown round to those present. We shall be pleased to help bee- keepers in this district if they will com- municate with the lion, secretary. Mr. R. Lee, George Street, Uxbridge, had on view a splendid trophy of sainfoin honey which was greatly admired, and our thanks are due to him for his loan of bee appliances for use at the show. The following are the successful competi- tors in the classes : — Four lib. jars run honey. — 1 Rev. Luther Bouch, 2 Mr. H. M. Knight, 3 Miss I. H. Jackson. Two lib. jars run honey. — 1 Rev. Luther Sept. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 293 Bouch, 2 Mr. H. M. Knight, 3 Miss I. H. Jackson. Four sections. — 1 Mr. W. E. Black, 2 Miss D. Hey ward. Two sections.— 1 W. E. Black, 2 W. E. Black, 3 Miss Heyward. One shallow frame. — 1 Mr. H. M. Knight, 2 Rev. Luther Bouch, 3 Mrs. Binckes. One wax shape, not under ilb. — 1 W. E. Black, 2 Rev. Luther Bouch, 3 Mrs. Binckes. Special prize awarded to W. E. Black for most points in the classes. W. E. Black, Lawn Road, Uxbridge, hon. sec. LION WORKS AND DISTRICT CO- OPERATIVE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSO- CIATION. The above association held its first show of honey and bee produce on Saturday, August 31. The show took the form or a honey exhibit at the Broadway Allotment Holders' show of vegetables, and was for the benefit of the local hospital for wounded soldiers. There were 12 entries for competition ; about 230 lbs. of honey were staged in a class-room provided for the association by the allotment holders. There was also a very large quantity of appliances on show; almost everything in connection with bee-keeping was staged, including a hive fully fitted with glass panels for observation pur- poses; also an observatory hive, with bees, was staged by the secretary, Mr. Tilley, which was of great interest to the audi- ence. All the afternoon crowds were gathered around it, and kept the mem- bers present very busy answering ques- tions and explaining the work of the bees, pointing out the queen and drones, and a few of them went home with sore throats after so much talking. The show was a great success, Seeing that all the members are novices, no one having more than one season's experience. Some splendid comb honey was staged, for which Mr. Brain took first prize, and Mr. T. Turner second prize. The extracted honey was of the very finest quality. Mr. C. Tilley won first prize and Mr. Millward second in this class. At the close a large quantity of honey was sold, and all at 3s. per lb. A lot more could have been sold, people beg- ging to be obliged with honey. In the evening the show was visited by the, most worthy vice-president, Mr. P. Frank, and Mrs. Frank, who congratu- lated the association on its first show. At the close a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Frank for the support he has given the association during its young days, and also to the secretary and other helpers who so ably carried out the ar- rangements for the show. — (Communi- cated.) 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. NATIVE v. FOREIGN BEES. [9755] I was very much interested in the article on this subject by " Robin Hood ' ' appearing in your issue of August 1. Having always been a champion of the Italian bee, and a bee-keeper for over eighteen years, I do not think this article should be allowed to pass unchallenged.. One of the chief points put forward by your correspondent is that Italians are excessive swarmers. This is quite incor- rect, as I am now going to explain. No doubt the writer, like many others who are prejudiced against the Italians, is an advocate of the British standard frame now in use. If one is going to give an Italian queen ten standard frames, and expect everything to go along merrily, dis- appointment is bound to be the result. It is generally admitted that the Italian queens are about three times as prolific as our native queens. It should therefore at once strike all sensible bee-keepers that a queen of this strain should have at least three times the breeding-space of a native queen. If an Italian stock is allowed to have two or three brood chambers in which to breed, you will have no trouble with swarms and they will not so much as even think of it; but with seven racks of shallow frames placed above, the honey will roll in, not by the pound but by the hundredweight. I have repeatedly had in the " Model Apiary " hives standing 6 ft. high, which have given over 250 lbs. of honey and artificial swarms as well. One year I had a stock of Simmin's White Star Italians working in three brood chambers, and seven shallow racks. This hive pro- duced 327 lbs. of honey, and two arti- ficial swarms were made which gave over 30 lbs. of honey. Now I will chal- lenge any person to show a similar result from a stock of natives. Several other White Star stocks worked on the same lines produced over 200 lbs. I must, how- ever, admit that this is probably one of the best honey-producing districts in Eng- land. However, the Blacks only gave about 120 lbs. per hive, and were always swarming and giving cause for anxiety. As regards their immunity from " Isle of Wight " disease, it is now recognised by 294 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 5, 1918. all commercial bee-keepers that the Italians stand this disease better than the natives. We are constantly hearing of prominent bee-keepers who ha^e lost all their bees through "Isle of Wight" disease. They are generally those of the same old school who do not move with the times, but advise others to stick to the natives, the standard frames, and at once destroy any stock showing symptoms of the disease.' As regards the temper of diffe- rent varieties of bees, the Italians are certainly better to handle; but on the whole I do not find much difference with any race of bees. The natives are often unbearable, and have a habit of running off the combs and clustering on the bottom bars and the sides of the hives. Your writer also said that Italians rarely gather enough honey for wintering, but this is incorrect, for it is the easiest thing imagi- nable to leave a rack of shallow combs over the standard combs for wintering. The Italians never choke the brood nest with honey, but always take it up above, and in August, when the supers are re- moved, I have generally found all the combs below the excluder packed solid with brood, thus ensuring an enormous quantity of bees for winter. I have always found the Italians are ready for the supers earlier than natives, and generally have a rack sealed and finished before the natives have started. I do not claim that the Italians seal better than natives, but I have taken sections off some White Star stocks that are absolutely perfect in every respect. If wanted for extracted honey, the Italians leave nothing to be desired. To work these -bees successfully, and to avoid such high hives, we want a frame about 'an inch deeper and two inches wider, and hives to take at least twelve frames. I should also like to state that I made several two-frame nuclei about June 20, and these were given fertile, or virgin, Italian queens, and are now full stocks on ten frames, asking for supers, but owing to the shortage of foundation I cannot supply their needs. I was only discharged from the Army in the middle of June, but from eight good Italian stocks have built up to 18, and am taking honey as well, while other people with natives are doing next to nothing. I should advise bee-keepers not to cry down these excellent bees before they look round to find the reason of their failure with them. — Julian E. Lockwood, Hunstanton. LET US BE HONEST. ]<)750] If I may trespass upon your valuable space, may I say that the diffi- culty, and uncertainty, of dealing with strangers is easily overcome by those de- siring to purchase depositing the amount with you under the scheme outlined each week in the Journal. The very fact of this being done would at once put a stop to a great deal of the dishonest practices, evidently rampant amongst ' ' bee- keepers," the very reason, of knowing the bees, or articles, would first be seen and inspected before they had the oppor- tunity of handling the money, would either prevent them sending 'the goods to the purchaser, or the alternative, invent- ing a tale that they had already been sold ; which would be preferable to the would-be purchaser being swindled. None of us wish to suspect others ; especially bee-keepers ; at the same time honest dealers would never object to the scheme being adopted. May I also suggest that purchasers who have been victimised by advertisers in the Journal should send th# names and addresses of the offenders to the manager, outlining the offence, in order that a " Black List '-' may be started, enabling the manager to use his judgment as to accepting or refusing any further adver- tisements in the future, from that adver- tiser. Failing the acceptance of these sugges- tions, there is another alternative. Bee- keeping will, in the future, become very extensively adopted in the British Isles; .surely no one would object to paying one shilling or more per annum to a central fund, which would constitute them being members of the " Bee-Keepers' Protec- tion dissociation," to which all complaints and inquiries could be made, that would safeguard bee-keepers in future from .swindlers, and their interests, in all direc- tions. There is much more that could be said, but I have already drawn upon your good nature, too much. — P. J. W. THE EXPERIENCES OF A " SUBUR- BAN NOVICE." [9757] A great many persons write nice little articles all about their experi- ences, their first " drive," their first swarm, which they call " the catch of the season," their first sting, and so on. and it occurs to me that there is no reason why I should not see my experiences in print, if only Mr. Editor could be induced to make the insertion. Well, I had a fancy for live stock ever since I could toddle. Being born of." poor but honest " parents, my surroundings were not con- ducive to the gentle art of bee-keeping, and, moreover, the busy life for which I was destined precluded all hope of in- dulging any such desires, but all comes to lie who waits, if only he can wait long enough, and, after many and seemingly endless years of toil in the city, I at length acquired such surroundings as per- mitted me to indulge in a hobby, and so I took to the bees. Sept. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 295 I wrote a cheque for 50s., and planted a hive in the back garden — and was told if I had so much money to throw away, I might buy a new coal scuttle, or a brass bedstead, both badly needed. I came home every fine afternoon to perform operations, and tinker with " the thing," which proved beyond doubt that I could get away from the office if I chose, and it was very strange how I could never find time to go out west and do a little shopping. I am told that every time I mess with the beehive I have a horrid smell, about me, which clings to my person for a week. Some people can never realise that the true bee-keeper simply loves that smell. I am constantly asked if I expect to get any honey, and if I have any idea how much it will cost me if I do, and that I might buy it of better qtiality at much less cost. I am also constantly informed that it is only common people and per- sons of low minds that keep bees. I am told that my bees prevent the garden from being used by anybody, that I mess the whole house, and that I can do nothing but think, and talk, and read, and sleep about bees; last thing at night, first thing in the morning, always going to have a peep at them, but when I used up all the sugar on the premises for feed- ing them and made the kitchen all sticky, really, it was going too far. It has leaked out in the city that T " keep a bee," and whenever I appear that stale old joke about a bee and a bonnet passes round the cafe, and seems to afford great amusement at my expense. Dear Mr. Editor, these are only a few of my experiences, and it requires no end of courage and a stiff upper lip to live through them, and I fear much, I am very much afraid, that one or other of us — that is, me or the bees — will have to go under. G. C. B. (Surbiton).— Prevention of swarming.— There is no "absolute preventive" of swarmkig. At times bees will swarm in spite of anything the bee-keeper may do to (prevent it. Plenty of room and abundance of ventilation will do much to check it. See reply to G. M. Rosling in last week's Journal re clipping queen's wings. Con- fining the queen to the hive by means of a queen excluder does not answer. The drones would need liberating every few days, or they would hinder the workers, and cause a lot of excitement in their endeavours to get out.- We will give a 'few methods of swarm- prevention next week if possible. A. Wood (Surrey).— Preventing bees' wings stick- ing to wet alighting board.— The best method we know is to give the alighting board- a coat of fairly thick quick-drying paint, and sprinkle it while still wet with coarse sand. W. W. (Bridgwater).— Moving bees in old hive.'— As the hive is in such a dilapidated condition it will be a difficult matter to move it without mishap. Can you " drive " the bees and take them in a swarm box and fix the hive up in a crate? If so, it would be safer than trying to move the old hive with bees and comb, as apart from the risk of the combs breaking down and smothering the bees in honey, it would be difficult to give plenty of ventilation. On arriv- ing at home you could run the bees back on to the combs for the winter, and transfer them to a new hive next spring. " Rustic " (Briton Ferry).— Queries on requeening. —It will be advisable to requeen the first swarm, as that will be headed by the old queen. The parent stock and the after swarms will all have queens raised this vear. The bees will in.time usually supersede an old queen. This has probably happened to your 1916 queen. " Beginner " (Wing).— Using bought drawn-out combs— These will be all right if they have not been in contact with disease. It will be safer to disinfect them by soaking them for an hour or two in some disinfectant and water They are very cheap at that price. "Veracity" (Wexford).— (1) Aspect of hives.— X south-east aspect is best. It will make little, if any. difference to the swarming, but it will to the collection of honey, as the bees will work earlier in the morning. (2) Vitality of foul brood spores (Bacillus alvei).— These have been known to survive for twelve years. (3) Potato spray poisoning.— We do not know that any investigation was carried out last year. We were unable to obtain a sufficient quantity of bees that were supposed to have been poisoned in order to have an analysis made, and this year we have not had a sample at all. We think there is very little risk of it occurring. ■(4) We do not know of anything. " Freda " (Hants). — Vicious bees— A. cross ^between two varieties does at times produce bad-tempered bees, a second or third cross being the most likely to do so. Pure Italians would not be so likely to produce vicious bees. Dutch be.es are quite as liable to " Isle of Wight " disease as Italians or Italian hybrids. W. R. J. (Cornwall).— Dealing with skep.— Leave the skep just as it stands until 6pring, then transfer the bees to a frame hive, by standing the skep over the frames fitted with foundation and allowing them to work down. A. B. B. (Blantyre).— The bees were a cross between Italians and a brown bee. The different marked ones are all from the same queen. The workers from a queen of one variety mated with a drone of another variety will not all be one uniform colour, some having two distinct yellow bands, some one, and others none— that is if either queen or drone is an Italian. G P. (Renfrew).— Wintering — No. 4 would be the best plan, but bees should be able to fly out- side. We should prefer letting the hive stay outside. Pack the bees with a good warm cushion or plenty of other packing on top, and a good watertight roof. M. A. (Suffolk).^See "Seasonable Hints." G. 'Heath (Tamworth).— You could make another stock by purchasing and introducing another queen to it J. G. (Southgate).— We cannot say what caused your bees to behave in that manner. It might be caused by a threatening storm or an attempt at robbing. Honey Samples. " Duck "( Bridlington).— The honey is a very riice sample, mainly from clover. It is a light honey. Warming it would make it clear. You can keep the combs till spring. Lay them flat for a few days and the honey will drain out. Of course, they will need turning. Store in a dry place. " Farmer-" (Penistone).— Clover honey of excellent quality. At present prices it is worth 3s. per lb. •',1.1. - Suspected Disease. " Xom-de-Ph me " (Chesterfield).— The trouble i* "Isle of Wight " disease. The bees appear to be Natives. '' ■' Dr. J". Cree (Yorks).— It is "Isle of Wight' disease. 296 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 5, 1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l^d. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in " The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. PURE English 'Honey, 2a. 3d. per lb, in 14-lb. tins.— R. WHITTIN.G, Manea, March. i.l WANTED, to purchase, pure English Run Honey, in tins or bottles.— Price and sample to E. KEY WORTH, The Chase, King's Lynn, i.2 W'| T> f^ or Scottish C.D.B. Hive wanted, ,. JO.Vy. good condition; reasonable.— ^FRENCH, Stationmaster, Rainham, Essex. i.3 ONEY wanted— J. R. WATSON, 11, Bothwell Street, Glasgow. i.4 H THREE WJB.C. Hives wanted, in good con- dition. British Bee Journal deposit.— Par- ticulars to MERRETT, Grateley, Hants. i.5 SOW Sweet Clover now, flowers July to October, height 12 ft., Is. per oz., with directions.— RICHARD LING, Briston, Norfolk. L6 URPLUS 1918 Italian Queen, 7s. 6d.; 6 frame Italian Nucleus, £2 16s., carriage paid; 8s. refunded if box returned.— FRASER, 13, Manse Road, Mar.kinch, L7 WANTED, good finished Sections, also Light Extracted Honey.— State price per dozen and cwt. to " Colewood," New Road, Mitcham, Surrey. ij& QUEENS, two, Hybrid Italian, Simmins' blood, 6s. 6d. each.— A'DLEN, 143, Harrington Road, South Norwood. iJJ YOUNG, healthy, vigorous Hybrid Queens for Sale, 7s. each.-HOLLINGSWORTH, Heanor. UA FOR SALE, Honey Press and Appliances- Apply, MRS. DICKINSON, Low Hutton, Huttons Ambo, York. i.13 ANTED, several Rapid Feeders, holding 7 lbs.— FLOWER, Owslebury, Winchester. i.12 W FOR ISA'LE, good Goat, second kids, in milk; served again August 18; price £5.— E. GILLETT, Station Road, Moreton in Marsh, i.ll C COTTAGE, detached, wanted to purchase. Any / size or condition.— Highwold, Easthill, Sander- steady h.82 THREE Strong Stocks, eight frames each, 1918 Queen, £2 15s. each.— J. BOWDEN, 167, Ellerton Road, Tolworth, Surbiton. h.58 EALTHY Driven Bees wanted— Price to A. BROWN, 20, Temple Street, Wolverhampton. h.60 APIARY outgrown management. Selling 20 Stocks, each 10 frames, Hybrid Dutch Bees, guaranteed healthy, £4 5s. each, carriage paid. Boxes to be returned.— Box 44, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. h.85 FOR SALE Extractors, 25s., 30s., 35s.; good condition. Wanted, Driven Bees, Honey, Hives and Appliances.— GWYNN, Conningsley, Malvern. h.67 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l£d. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope; six packages, 6d.; "Intensive Bee-keep- ing," Chapters I. — VI., 6d.; a japanned Sprayer "and all the above, frs.^S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. h.75 D RIVEN BEES and Honey for Sale. What offers?— BOOKER, Alfold, Bilingshurst. i.10 H WANTED, all grades pure English Honey, extracted this season. — Please send sample and price to J. H. LEE, " Little Bowden Apiary," Burgess Hill, Sussex. h.74 ISLE OF WIGHT" Disease permanently cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 HONEY WANTED. Wanted, any quantity of guaranteed PURE ENGLISH HONEY extracted this season. Must be clear and of good colour.— Please send sample* to JOHN TRICKEY & SON, Produce Specialists, " A.M." Dept., Hillfarrance, Taunton, stating lowest price delivered to Norton Fitzwarren Station, G.W.R HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, Is. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a.. May Road, Cardiff. 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 and Saturday, 3d. The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand- books by experts. Send for full catalogue, post free from WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C.2 THE British Bee-Keepers' Association. Insure now against loss by damage done through bee stings. AH particulars from W. HERROD-HEMPSAIJ.. '23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.S. Sept. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 297 PROFITEERING? • Now that honey of all kinds is making such high prices, some of the vilest- flavoured foreign honey being retailed at over 2s. per lb., most people will no doubt be under the impression that the producers in other lands are receiving a correspondingly high price for their honey. That this is not so in. Australia the following, which we quote from a letter just received from our esteemed contributor Mr. Tarlton Rayment, of Briagolong, Gippsland, Vic, Australia, shows : — " We have experienced a remarkably prolific season, and I am pleased to report that the whole of our crop has been sold at a — well, I was going to say satisfactory, but on second thoughts prefer payable, price. We sold our 13 tons — for export to London — • at 5d. per lb., glad to do it ' for England, home, and beauty. ' ' ' Later we read where some Australian honey was withdrawn from auction be- cause it only reached Is. 8d. per lb. We were amazed. Surely the profiteer must be responsible. I know that no Austra- lian apiarist- received over 6d. per lb. — bulk, of course — and few got that figure." A DORSET YARN. Again the great wealth of song is on the farm, on the long lines of perpetual raspberries. I cannot tell if the Ling heather has lost its sweetness, or if the lure of the rasps, is greater than the heather, but the " glad song of content," of which Maeterlinck wrote, is very much in evidence now. Wasps are working the ripe fruit, and bees are holding a carni- val on the flowers. As one works close to them, marking out the lines for let- tuce to .stand through the winter months for spring use, one hears the glad song continuously. It is fine for the bees to have food in plenty close home, particu- larly if weather is showery, as it has been some days this last week. A line of cauli- flower in bloom has been for some time, and is still, a ,great attraction for them: tbe runner beans are still wonderful with flowers; but the haricots have ripened off. The pheasants have found them, too, and are a continual nuisance to the grower. Every evening, las the men leave the fields, they come after the beans. I remember asking an old poacher once, why he always let a lot of beans stay in the winter, when he could gather them and cook the ripe seeds. His remark was, " It's a isure bait for pheasants; they have the same attraction for them as sun- flowers seeds have for rats." These men, who have passed their whole life with ani- mated nature, know how to catch them, and what will lure them into their own gardens. There were several lots of honey in Wimborne market on Tuesday. One lot was finished superbly, with pure white capping. The blacks seem to finish them with air under the capping, and the Italians mostly seem to lay it on the honey, or it sinks in on the honey with the bees running over it. Mr. Butson told me he had never made so much money from one single hive before. He sold several nuclei at high prices and then had 40 lbs. of honey. All proves that there is money in bees. These were Italians. He uses shallow bars for extracting. He maintains that bees will fill a shallow bar quicker than they will a section. The former weighs several pounds, so, of course, he is a, long way before the Violet Farm where we use sections. We shall have some shallow bars of all pure heather honey this year, as our Italians have nearly filled the lot — eight of the ten were capped when Squire Tomlinson came to see me on Monday. This has taught me_^another lesson, that Italians store heather honey on the top, and blacks begin to fill the brood chamber when heather is in bloom. At least, that is what I have always found in other years. The blacks seem to be afraid that to breed too much in one year is not good policy, or they want the winter stores as close as possible to the winter cluster round the queen. A lady enthusiast writes from Tenby, of a dark, thick, strong-tasting honey that was in some of her sections. I advised her to send to the Journal, as I feel sure that such finely written matter would be of general interest to bee-keepers. The honey was collected in August, so could not have been so-called " honey dew." I suggested ragweed to her when sending a reply. Of course, one cannot tell unless one knows the flora of the neighbourhood, and ragweed is very plentiful in Dorset, great (bunches of dirty yellow flowers. Seeds will be blowing about to be a nuisance to other farmers. There is nothing will eat it but the caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth, which feeds on all the groundsel or " senecio " family. The moths are ashy bLack and red, very pretty, but their flight is weak. Bees seem to be very partial to the flowers when they open first, and when the Ling heather was open our bees -all flew towards the moors; but I notice this week they are flying over towards the pasture lands aarain. I know of nothing else for them 298 but ragweed and clover, and they have not been so much in evidence on clover at our farm this year. Am glad to .see that one of our gallant soldier bee-keepers is back again with his bees. His contribution to last week's Bee Journal is very conclusive as to the wonderful production of Italian stocks. It was about this time last jear Mr. Claridge wrote of the large gathering of honey from his Italians, with his scientific management. The writer of this yarn has still a lot to learn about his bees. Have heard it said many times "In a multitude of counsels there is wisdom." I find it is a truism. One learns more of bees as each week's Journal comes to hand. — J. J. Kettle. ABOUT SWARMING. In America they are past masters in every phase of bee-keeping -conducted on a large scale, so it may be well, in our review, to consider several methods they adopt over there to check swarming. The description of each plan is given in a con- siderably condensed form. 1. As early in the summer as practi- cable, deal as follows with all hives where bees are extra strong. Put the queen in the lower story with one frame containing a little brood, and fill up the space with combs or frames with full sheets of foundation. Over this place an excluder, and over this a second story, with the rest of the frames and brood. Ten days after kill cells in upper story, and when brood is all hatched, these will become the ex- tracting combs. When comb honey is being worked for, this story should be withdrawn, and racks of sections can take their place. The principle in both cases is correct, and swarming should be checked. 2. When running for extracted, it helps against swarming to have the stories " stuttered," the second story shoved forward to make ventilation at the back, the third story shoved backward to make ventilation at the front, and so on alternately. Even for comb honey I like ventilation at the back, between the hive and the super. Give abundance of room, not plenty only, but abundance. If work- ing for comb honey, exchange your old queen for a young one' before swarming starts. These three things, ample ventila- tion,- abundance of room, and young queens, fill the bill. (Dr. Miller.) ',}. We unite our very weak colonies with our very strong ones, setting one above the other without excluder. At this uniting our stores are also equalised. A colony containing considerable honey is carried and set either under or over a colony containing a normal number of bees, but short of stores, or vice versa. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 12. 1918. Swarming fever prevention is secured by giving the more populous colonies an abundance of room, so that they will never feel the least bit cramped. This is the key to swarm prevention previous to the opening of the honey flow. Supply the empty combs previous to this opening*, and when it has opened, if Avorking for sections, let crates take the place of the upper story. 4. When it is found that a colony, before the full flow, begins to build queen cells, it is divided into two equal parts, and the queenless part is left on the old* stand, if the queen is found. If not, both divisions are given combs containing queen cells. Then the open space in the hive body is fitted with ready built combs, or frames containing full sheets of foundation. On our next round the divisions are examined, and the weaker ones are replenished with frames of sealed brood from colonies that can spare them. This cures such colonies of the swarming fever for the season. This plan is suc- cessful^' worked in the Western States. 5. In the East they practise the fol- lowing method of swarm control : — Take all the precautions generally used to dis- courage swarming. In some seasons all of these will fail, and then prompt measures must be taken. Shake the bees at once on clean worker combs. If these contain some honey, it is just as wel', and if there is any sealed brood, it is better. When the shaken bees enter the hive, or before, return the supers from the hive they have occupied. The absence of any unsealed brood will most likely cause them to give up any desire to swarm for that season. This is not what is known as " shook " swarming, which will receive attention in a later issue. 6. " Switching " bees about every tea days from one hive body to another is sometimes found efficacious. This process converts what before the operation was the " hatching story " into the storing one. The " switching " keeps the queen laying continuously. It removes her from her brood and eggs every ten days, and prevents the brood nest from being clogged with honey. Virtually, this plan is almost an equivalent of swarming, but with the great advantage that there is no breaking up of the strong force in the hive, which remains under one roof right through the season. It is a plan only possible when working for extracted honey, and only a thoroughly efficient bee- keeper should attempt it. 7. If no increase is desired', remove for fourteen days two combs of brood and some bees with the queen. If no cells are started at the time of the removal of the queen, withdrawing the two combs is all that may be required to check Sept. 12, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 299 swarming, before returning the queen and brood. If these combs are set behind a division board with a piece of zinc on it, the queen and brood can be returned with perfect safety in fourteen days. It is advised that during the time the queen and the frames are absent, the space they formerly occupied at the side should remain vacant, as there is little danger of queenless bees building comb there. If, however, the queen is a specially valuable one, the two combs with the bees, brood, and queen may be taken away to form a nucleus. 8. From far South Texas comes a claim for almost absolute swarm prevention. The " stunt " knocks swarming on the head. The prevention must be under- taken before bees get the swarming fever. The author works with divisible brood chambers, and with these he can break up the mass of brood. He simply exchanges chambers and separates the . brood into sections, always giving room in excess of the actual requirements of the bees. 9. I have reserved the simplest, perJiaps the best, and certainly the shortest " recipe " till the last. Here it is in sixteen words : — " Remove the queen and insert a ripe queen cell, removing cells while looking for the queen." It takes only a few minutes to apply. Try it! — D. *M. M. • THINGS THAT MATTER. I find that a great many bee-keepers are very careless about how they pack their bees down for the winter. As the time is now-coming on for this to be done, a word or two about it might help someone. I find some never remove the excluder, but just throw a sack or something of that kind over it and leave things to chance. Others fill the hive up with newspapers, or anything they seem to want putting out of the way. Others put a cold, empty rack on the top, leaving it there all the winter. Respecting quilts. No hard and fast rule can be laid down, but a basis can be worked upon. Always have the quilt large enough, say 1^ inches larger all round than the brood-box, to enable them to be tucked well in. Porous material should always be used, say one piece of calico next the frames, then two pieces of carpet felt, then a piece or old carpet, or a clean, soft old sack. For feeding purposes we are advised to cut a hole in the centre of the quilt. I say don't cut the hole in the centre, but cut it three inches square and three inches out of centre. When feeding, adjust the quilts so that the holes are all fair over each other, and when covering down, either at ordinary times or for the winter, turn the quilts over alternately so the feed hole is " hit and miss," and blocked so that no bees can get through. It also saves the trouble of working a flap or an extra piece of something to cover the feed hole when not in use. Respecting a winter passage. This is a most important matter, but very much neglected. With a passage of not less than | inch over the frames, I have fre- quently been able to bring small stocks and nuclei through the winter with very little stores, which I could not have done had they not been able to easily move about over the frames to reach the food. I also find that a great number of the bees cluster on the top of the frames. They are able to mass in the f inch space formed by the girder, and keep warm better than in the narrow slit between the combs, which often is nearly closed up, especially at the top. I recommend and use for winter girders three laths f inch square nearly the full width of the brood-box, and cut down at each end on the top side to enable the quilts to lay down on the edge Of the brood-box. Also hollow the laths out in the middle | inch deep to give good bee way under them. Use three laths on each stock, three to four inches apart. When in position, lay the quilts lightly over them, and tuck well in on the outsides, and be careful not to press on the centre. You will then find that the bees will stick the first quilt to the edge of each lath, and this prevents it falling in between the laths and blocking the space up. In early spring, if you wish to give the bees some medicated candy — which is always advisable whether they need food or not— raise the quilts a little on that side where the ends of the girders are, and gently pull out the centre lath, and in its place push one or two cakes of candy. This can be done with the least possible dis- turbance to the bees. When removing the girders in spring clean them, and place them under the hive ready for future use, taken care of they will last for many years. By this method the bees get free movement in the warmest part of the brood-box, namely, the top, which tends to good wintering and early breeding; and rapid expansion in the spring, all of which help to make strong, healthy stocks— William Ion, Healing. WINTERING By 0. Puck, Chingford. Many able and instructive treatises have appeared from time to time in the \Tournal on this all-important subject, yet with all due respect to the writers, it' seems to me that most of them, although 300 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 12, 1918. elaborately describing the preparations necessary to bring about the desired re- sult of successful wintering, have missed the point. To properly elucidate the matter, we should fall back upon nature, be guided by her teachings and not make deductions from observations . made in frame hives, which are the creation of man. What more ideal conditions of win- tering can one imagine than a colony of bees situated under a roof or in a hollow tree? At the end of the honey flow the bees are clustered below their natural stores in dry surroundings in a state of perfect contentment after the season's arduous labours, by the frequent use of propolis they have filled up all chinks and crevices, excluding cold draughts and yet pervious enough to allow ventilation. In- stinct teaches them that with the waning of nectar-yielding flowers, the consequent reduction in the queen's egg production and a cooler temperature, a period of long confinement and rest is approaching, and that unless they make timely preparation to put their house in order they cannot survive. Thus far nature; now interfering man comes along with his science and com- pletely upsets the balance of nature for purposes of his own. First : he changes the abode of the bees from a lofty and dry one to one just above ground, more often than not in a damp location. S&cond : he deprives the bees of all the stores above the brood nest at the end of the honey flow, and, third, instead of allowing the bees to remain in a state of rest, he puts them once more to the heavy strain of storing honey or syrup in large quantities in quick time, and sealing same for use in winter. That the extra labour of storing and sealing late in the autumn has a detri- mental effect upon the condition of the bees is evinced by greater mortality during the winter months ; same cannot be com- pensated for by the raising of young beesi in September, as most of these, being un-< able to have a flight, do not possess suf- ficient stamina to stand the winter and die off before spring, and, besides, there is the additional strain put upon the queen's system by unduly prolonged egg-produc- tion, which is not in conformity with the laws of nature. Text-books tell us that success in winter- ing depends upon (1) an abundance of sealed stores, (2) a large number of bees and a prolific queen, and (3) proper venti- lation without cold draught, and advise to commence preparation for wintering about the middle of September. Taking a leaf from the book of nature the latter is by that time already an accomplished fact — the sooner, therefore, it is com- menced after the stop of honey flow in August the better it must be for the well- being of the colony afterwards. After removal of supers early in August the condition of the brood chamber of each stock should be ascertained— in most cases it will be found that the two outside frames contain sealed stores. These two combs I remove for the time being, and thus reduce the brood chamber from 10 to eight frames of comb, placing those with brood in the centre, and then put a bottle- feeder on top and start slow feeding with honey. This, continued for a fortnight, will encourage the queen to go on breed- ing moderately, and if all colonies are fed, the bees are more contented and not so prone to rob, and show no inclination to ferret out weak lot? or neighbours' hives for plunder, or, worse still, bring home an infection of ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease. By the end of August all brood in the outside combs will have hatched; remove these and place them behind the dummy for the bees to clean out and carry back into the brood-nest what stores there may' be left in them, and substitute for these two combs, the two of sealed stores taken out earlier in the month; also give the bees behind the dummy, if not already done, access to any extracted combs you want cleared out, putting two or three in late in the evening, when the bees have stopped flying for the day, and early morning you can remove these combe nice and clean ready for another season. The early and slow feeding has a double ad- vantage. In the first place, it corresponds in a way more to the natural order of things, and ensures sealed stores .whilst the weather is still favourable, and, in the second, it does not put that additional tax upon the bees' energy as rapid feeding a month later must do. On about September 10 remove the feeders; as a rule brood will then be found on the two centre combs and ample sealed stores on the others. The first stage of laying a foundation for successful winter- ing has now been reached; the next, and equally important one, is packing up for winter, with proper ventilation free from cold draughts, and, more important still, free from dampness. Since the introduction of movable combs, there have been advocates of the cold and of the warm systems, i.e., frames placed at right angles to the entrance versus parallel. I contend that neither system quite corresponds to the natural requirements of the bee. Observe the start made by a swarm hived in a box or skep, and what do we find? Comb- building is invariably begun in the top- most coiner, farthest away from the en- Sept. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 301 trance, and the first combs are built diagonal to the entrance, and why? — for no other reason than to protect the brood raised in same subsequently against a direct current of cold air striking them. Fresh air the bees must have, and warmth radiating from the cluster is maintained as the combs are built under the roof — the fresh current of air coming in at the entrance strikes the combs obliquely and then travels round the ends, thus the brood is protected from chill by the bees encircling it and the brood-nest is gradu- ally extended in proportion to the increase of the colony. Subsequent combs built more or less irregular are connected by brace-combs, serving a two-fold purpose, viz., to act as girders oetween the combs and to strengthen them against a break- down and to form attachments against the sides, leaving loopholes and interstices for ventilation purposes. Bees, like hornets and wasps, give their brood-nest an oval shape, so that the current of air may better circulate round the combs and reach all parts, and if we watch the bees fan- ning at the entrance of a frame hive, what do we find? They stand in rows at one side of the entrance, leaving a free passage for the incoming and outgoing workers, and by the position these fanners have taken up they send a current of fresh air round the inside of the hive, causing a draught of heated air laden with mois- ture evaporated from the nectar in the cells to rush out on the opposite side of the entrance, strong enough at night time to blow a candle out. (To be continued.) TREATMENT OF " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9758] The following account of an apparently successful treatment of a bad case of " Isle of Wight" disease may be oi interest to some of your readers: — During the first week in June I had a strong cast from one of my stocks, and for the sake of the experiment hived them on combs from another stock which had died the previous season of ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease. These combs I liberally treated with pro-flavine. In 17 days this cast showed decided signs of the disease, and in another week had developed into as bad a case as I have seen. Crawlers were all ever the beds, dying in heaps, and the dysentery was of a most unusual quan- tity. They were so bad I decided it would be hopeless to' try remedies, and pur- chased chloroform to destroy them the following day. At the last moment I re- pented, and decided I would use the occa- sion to give Yadil a good test — for although I had been using it with ap- parent success in suspicious cases, I had had nothing so serious as this to deal with. For a fortnight I sprayed bees, frames and hive with a solution of H teaspoonsful in half a pint of water, each alternate even- ing. By the end of the first week the symptoms had been much reduced — by the end of a fortnight there were no signs of disease to be found. I have sprayed them two or three times since, and also the candy they are feeding on, and although I have watched them very sceptically, at all times of the day, for recurring signs, there have been none discernible, although these bees have been flying freely. I have much pleasure in record- ing, this experiment, as all my previous experiments with disinfectants — and I have tried the lot — have failed to give me such a clean and decided result as this one, and I am writing now, in the hope that should this meet the eye of any other bee-keeper who has also failed with medi- cants as I have, he will give Yadil a trial and report the result. Before closing this letter I should like to express an appreciation of Dr. Abu- shady 's contribution to your paper, and the hope that his endeavours to promote scientific research work for the benefit of our craft may meet with the success they deserve. • — F. W. Duke, Ongar. ANTI-PROTOZOAL DRUGS IN " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9759] In the B.B.J.'s issue for July 4, 1918, also in the August issue of " Co- operative Food Culture," I deplored the negligence of authorised researchers in not experimenting with anti-protozoal drugs in " Isle of Wight " disease. There is a long list of these well-known preparations, most of which are highly toxic, and need careful study by those who experiment with them. Presumably, these notes were not seen by your correspondent who is advancing, as a new suggestion, the em- ployment of organic arsenical compounds. These only form part (though quite an important one) of anti-protozoal prepara- tions, and it is not advisable to direct the attention of researchers to their em- ployment alone. We had enough partisan- ship in the past, and even in the present, towards the fanciful support of one use- less drug or the other, instead of adopt- ing the more worthy attitude of fighting the disease by whatever means that seem promising. Hence it would be advisable to avoid favouring any special prepara- 302 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 12, 1918. tion, and it would suffice to draw the attention of the newly appointed Re- search Committee of the Board of Agri- culture to the lack of experience with these preparations in " Isle of Wight disease. Their fund and other mean* would facilitate for them the extensive trial of most, if not all, of these drugs, and of compiling an unbiassed report on their merits for the guidance of the craft. It would be safer to draw the attention of ordinary members of the craft who are unable to cure their diseased colonies by the ordinary employment of antiseptics to try such simple, inexpensive, and com- paratively less toxic anti-protozoal drugs as quinine arsenate (in a commencing dose of | grain per pint of spraying fluid or feeding syrup) or quinine sulphate (in a commencing dose of 10 grains), both of which are employed in malaria. These and allied drugs, to begin with, are cer- tainly safer in the hands of most mem- bers of the craft than the powerful enemy of Treponema Pallidum.— A. Z. Abushady. DESTROYING WASPS' NESTS. [9760] I was pleased to read in your issue of August 22, re destruction of wasps' nests. During the last twenty years I have destroyed many nests of wiasps in our district. I have destroyed over 130 nests in one season, and I find the best way to .use the sulphur is in a bee smoker. First place some clean white rag in smoker, then light the rag, and get it burning well, then drop a portion of sulphur on the burning rag and puff it up, then put a piece more nag on the top, keep the smoker going. The nag on the top creates more smoke, then place the smoker nozzle in the entrance to the wasp nest, and smoke till the wasps give over humming, then carefully uncover the nest with a tool, keep the earth clear from the nest, then pour paraffin on the nest, and put a match to it. I find this a good way. In some oases, where the wasps are strong;, I have a small bundle of straw tied uy> very tight. I put a little paraffin on this, light it, and put it over the hole. It will drive the wasps back. Then I have a piece of gas piping about an. inch bore, place this in by the straw into the hole where the wasps are, then use the smoker with the sulphur. In some cases they are very strong, and the pipe is useful. My method is to trace them up in the day time, and put a stick at the nest, so that I can find it better at night. Going (at night makes a clean job of them. — E. W. Frusher. [9761] May I give you my method of destroying these pests? First get some brown or coarse grey paper, such as ironmongers use , for wrap- ping, tear into strips (do not cut it; tearing leaves a rough edge which catches fi're better than a cut edge). Day- one strip of paper on the table, or bench, put on it a layer of flowers of sulphur, then another strip • of paper, and more sulphur, and so on until it will make a plug large enough to fill the cylinder of a smoker, taking oare not to wrap the wad too tightly. Then light the wad the same as one Avonld for smoking bees. When it is well alight, a few puffs in the hole leading to the wasps' nest will soon stupify them all. Should a few come home during the operation, give them a puff and they will soon be off. Of course, this should be done as late in the evening ais possible, but not after dark. [If the paper is first soaked in a solution of saltpetre and water, drying thoroughly afterwards, it will burn much better. — Ens.] I ailso take ia spade and a bucket filled with water, then, ias soon as I have over- come the wasps, dig the nest .right out, put ,it in the bucket of water, stir the lot well up, dig a hole and bury it. I have never known this to fail. A friend told me a few days ago she had a wasps' nest hanging on the wire front of her chicken house. When I went I found this to be a hornet's nest, not a wasps'. I gave them just a few puffs with the smoker, poked the nest down into the bucket of water, and all was over in about five minutes. Kef erring to Mr. Kettle's yarn, of August 22, I am like him, I never use a Porter Bee Escape for clearing bees out of sections. I can see no use for same, except there is sometimes a fear of the bees puncturing the cells slightly, •and so causing some amount of " weep- ing," which, of course, looks had in windows, but if care is taken, this does njot happen. With us the " Isle of Wight " disease is not so bad in this district this year, but Ave have had a very poor honey harvest. Three times the bees have half filled the shallow bars, .and then, on account of wet days and cold nights have emptied them all again ; but there is a fair flow now coming in, chiefly from wild mint, rag-wort, ,and other wild herbs. — C. Reed, Beedom, Chelmsford Road, Wickford, Essex. HEIGHT OF HIVES FROM THE GROUND. [9762] I do not know whether you can endure yet another effusion from my pen, but I feel constrained to make some reply .to Messrs. Bennet (9738) and Martin (9739). In the first place, I never for a moment thought that distance from Sept, 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 303 the ground would " confer immunity " from " Isle of Wight " disease. I saw some colonies high up in trees surviving; I saw other trees in which colonies had established themselves low down where the bees had died. Seeking for an ex- planation, I advanced the theory — nothing more — that infected bees failed to return. I believe that keeping the bees higher from the ground would be a help in keeping free of " Isle of Wight " disease. Mr. Martin says that my swarms most likely had virgin queens. I failed to find the queen of the second swarm — it was rather late when I hived it — but the queen of the first one was fertile and did not appear to be a young one. I found the same queen laying after the union was effected. If I had meant a cast I should have said so. I fail to see the unfairness of the test. The pos- sible sources of infection are such as all my bees have to be subjected to. I do not see that the introduction of the Italian queen was a possible source of infection. She was obtained from one of the best-known English breeders of Italian queens — Mr. Simmins — who guarantees the queens he sends out to be healthy. I do not, of course, contend that an isolated experiment of this sort would be conclu- sive. The most I would say is that if all my other stocks became infected and this one does not, it will be one piece of evi- dence in favour of my theory, since all my stocks are headed by Italian queens. Mr. Martin says, " Why depose a young queen to introduce an Italian? " I reply, " I have no reason to believe that the queen deposed was young; she did not look it. Even if she had been, I should have deposed her, because I have quite decided that I will never again attempt to keep native bees over the winter. I am not going to be drawn into a further discussion of the respective merits - of natives v. Italians. Suffice it to say that in the past my stocks of natives have always contracted " Isle of Wight " disease, and that my Italians seldom have done so.-r-G. B. Strong. A NOVEL INCIDENT. [9763] Some of your readers may be interested in the following incident: — I have been staying for a time at my relative's home, a farmhouse in a secluded village in the north of Hampshire. Like many other old farmhouses, the residence is a partly timbered one, with thick beams running through the building. To add to the picture, there is a large old-world garden in which rosemary, lavender, borage, thyme, balm, and poppies abound. Truly a favoured spot for man and bee alike. In one of the beams on the wall, facing the garden, there has been a hole for a number Of years, in which bees have made a home. No particular attention was paid to them, however, until last March, when it was noticed that the atmosphere of the bedroom built over this particular beam was becoming quite warm. Surmising the cause, a hole was made in the floor, when it was found that the bees had penetrated some distance underneath. The full ex- tent of their ramifications could not, how- ever, be seen, as this would have neces- sitated pulling up several floor-boards. Nothing more was thought of the matter until about the middle of May, when on a sunny morning two swarms came out from the hole and settled on the trees in the garden. Some old straw skeps, which had not seen service for over 50 years, were resurrected, and although they were badly in need of repair, were hurriedly patched up, and the bees safely housed. A few mornings later two other swarms came from the same hole, these, also, were housed in the same way. I regret to say that one of the swarms has since left its improvised home, but up to date of this letter (August 13), the "other three colo- nies are apparently still doing well. Not- withstanding the withdrawal of the four swarms the number of bees going -in and out of the hole in the beam seems as large as ever, and it would be interesting to know what size the original colony was. The majority of the bees seem to be of a motley colour, not the handsome English black bee. I am quite a novice in apicul- ture, and I should like to know if it is not unusual for so many colonies to have lived together in the old hive, if such a name can be given it. Would not the presence of at least five queens promise trouble? Is it possible that civil war rose in the camp and that some of the queens with their colonies were ejected? Certainly on the mornings they swarmed they were in rather a hostile mood, and stung several people in the vicinity. It would be interesting to have a thorough examination made of the old bee home, albeit the work would not be with- out a certain element of danger. — E. E. Street. [It is unusual for several colonies of bees to use the same entrance to their " hive," which appears to be the case in this in- stance if two swarms came out the same day. As our correspondent says an exami- nation would be interesting. — E'ps.] NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. Owing to circumstances beyond our con- trol, we are unable to reply to corre- spondents this week, but hope to do so in our next issue. 304 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 12, 1918. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Will advertisers please read these Rules care- fully in order to save trouble, as they will be strictly adhered to. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are nut permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lid. 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 are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, to purchase, pure English Run Honey, in tins or bottles.— 'Price and sample to E. KEYWORTH, The Chase, King's Lynn, i.2 ONEY wanted.— J. R. WATSON, 11, Bothwell Street, Glasgow. i.4 H WANTED, good finished Sections, also Light Extracted Honey.— State price per dozen and cwt. to " Colewood," New Road, Mitcham, iSurrey. i.8 C COTTAGE, detached, wanted to purchase. Any > size or condition.— Highwold, Easthill, Sander- stead. , ih.82 WANTED, immediately, Fertile Queen.— Apply, stating price, to BOWNESS, High -Lorton, Cockermouth. i.15 UNIVERSAL Bottle Feeders, present catalogue price 3s. 6d. each, send three for 6s. 6d., car- riage paid.— 'FLOWER., Owslebury, Winchester. i.16 WANTED, at once, two Italian Hybrid Queens (1918). No Dutch blood— VINCENT, 132, Croydon Road, Anerley. i.17 TWO four-frame lots Hybrids, 3 frames brood, young Queens, boxes free, carriage paid, 25s. each. Deposit— A. .SIMPSON, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks. l.lti WANTED, few healthy lots Driven Bees— Par- ticulars, MISS E. JOHNSON, Ripple Hall, Tewkesbury. i.19 1_ CWT. best Cumberland Honey, three stocks 2 Bees (Italians) for Sale. Offers wanted. Stamp reply.— PEARS, 31, Pugin Street, Carlisle. L20 FOR SALE, nine stocks of Bees, each on 10 frames of comb, Hybrid Italian, free from disease, £3 10s. each; seven Single-wall Hives, in good condition, roofs zinc covered, 18si each; three Taylor's W.B.C. ditto, 30s. each; 10 Section Racks for single-wall hives, 2s. each; four sheets zinc Queen Excluders, 2s. each; two Smokers, 2s. 6d. each.— Box 45, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, W.C.2. i.21 .rTTHERE is nothing to be alarmed about. ivo LA windows are going to be broken. The D.B.'s are only marching past on their way to winter quarters.-^. H. SMITH. i.22 WANTED, Stocks of Italian Bees. State price carriage paid— E. ROOBIER, Old Babell, Swansea. i.23 THE Principal Bee Expert of Norwich never had any use for Flavine.— Its uselessness is known by proofs possessed by A. TROW'SE, Eade Road, Norwich. j 29 .XTtTANTED, "Isle of Wight" diseased con- ( T ▼ demned Bees on frames— CHARLTON JONES, Peers, Conway. L24 DRIVEN BEES wanted, 10s. each lot; any quantity bought— WILLIAM SON, 1, Harry- town, Romiley, Stockport. i.25 ANTED, a few lbs. of Golden Bees. Good price paid for pure strain.— JELLINGS, 8, "Stoke Green, Coventry. i.26 /CONQUEROR HIVE wanted.-DR. TURNER" '\s Northern Hospital, Winchmore Hill, London, N.21. i.27 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l§d. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. TRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope; six packages, 6d.; "Intensive Bee-keep- ing," Chapters I.— VI., 6d.; a japanned Sprayer "and all the above, 6s.— ., 30, 1916. EXPERIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. " I had the loan of a copy of the {British (Bee Journal and saw Izal recommended. TThis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the bees from the top of the combs . . . in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared . . ; Whatever anyone may say to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a eery simple process. _____^^_^_____ ' Jlmaleur." Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 6d. ana 7/- each. Ask for full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by — NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield. WANTED, one or two Stocks Italian Bees on bar frames, 1918 Queens. State price.— H. STIMIPSON, Gordon Road, Melton Constable. 1.33 WANTED, Stock of healthy Hybrid Italian Bees, on three or four combs, 1918 Queen. Deposit.— Price to F. CLARKE, Mount Pleasant, Lechlade, Glos. i-35 w ANTED, two Fertile 1918 Queens; Italian or Hybrid.— VICAR, Worsforo' Bridge, Barnsley. i.36 WANTED, Fertile 1918 Queen; mire Italian preferred,— BO-SLING, 'SummerTands, Paign- ton, Devon. i.37 FOB- SALE, several strong- Stocks of Bees on 10 frames, heavy winter stores, price £4.— •' NEEDHAM, Hemel IHempstead. i.38 TWO healthy Stocks, each on five well-filled frames, £3 each, carriage paid. Boxes to be returned.— Box 47, Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C2. i.39 FOR SALE, four surplus 4-frame Nuclei, fed, 35s. each, carriage paid. Boxes returnable,- i:\KNES, 20, Bourdon Road, Anerley. i.40 F ERTILE QUEENS, two Hybrids (1918), 6s. 6d. each. — NELSON, Great Blakenham, Ipswich. i.41 REE-KEEPERS' RECORD," January, Feb- ruary, March, 1918, wanted.— NELSON, Great Blakenham, Ipswich. i.42 QUESTION : How may one quickly find the quedrj in those big "skyscraper" stocks you advocate? Answer: Let the bees tell yon. Divide, then attend to other work for half an hour. Where the bees are quiet there will be the queen. i .43 ONEY wanted— J. R. WATSOnTuT Both we 11 Street, Glasgow. i.4 H BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. lid. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. STRICTLY BUSINESS— A free sample Flavine and the Circular for a stamped, addressed envelope ; 6ix packages, 6d. ; " Intensive Bee-keep- ing," Chapters I.— VI., 6d.; a japanned Sprayer and: all the above, 6s.^S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's ^Causeway, Cambridge. h.75 ISLE OF WIGHT" Disease permanently cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. . d.73 6)S. PER POUND offered for Extracted Honey; & cash on delivery; tins returned.— YEO'S DAIRIES, 'Paignton, Devon. i.45 WANTED, Honey Sections.— Particulars and price to BROQ/KLANDS DAIRY, 39, Elm Grove, Southsea. i.44 HONEY WANTED. Wanted, any quantity of guaranteed PURE ENGLISH HONEY extracted this season. Must be clear and of good colour.— Please send sample* to JOHN TRICKEY & SON, Produce Specialists, " A.M." Dept., Hillfarrance, Taunton, stating lowest price delivered to Norton Fitzwarren Station, G.W.R HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY TOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples. Is. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, May Road, Cardiff; Sept. 20, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 313 BEE-KEEPING IN MONMOUTHSHIRE. Wo are asked to announce that a meet- ing will be held in No. 2 Committee Room, Town Hall, Newport, Mon., on Saturday, September 28, at 3 p.m., for the purpose of inaugurating a bee-keepers' association for the county. Will those desirous of joining, but unable to attend the meeting, kindly communicate with Dr. G. R. Strong, Magor House, Magor, Mon. A DORSET YARN. Bees are still flying high when the weather is favourable. In cottage gardens there are golden rod and Michaelmas daisies. Ivy is open on hedgerows facing- south, but wasps seem to be on the flowers ' mostly, as they are with the bees on the rasps, and strawberries. I notice the wasps bite off the stamens of rasps., so eager are they to get food from the flowers. They have more ingenuity than bees in foraging for food. I used to see them on the tritomas, or red-hot poker, as they are called by the cottagers of Dorset. The flowers are very close together on the top of a long spike, all of them long and tubular, too small for bees to enter, so they go by them; but wasps bi_te a hole in the base of the tubes and steal the nectar, as I have seen them do in honeysuckle. I do not see that they harm the flowers of rasps, by biting them off, as all are swelling fruit. It seems a good sign of extra vitality to see the bees in such numbers, and so eager for more stores. One of the black stocks this week, when the sun was bright, held an assembly to lure out the drones. Tbere was noise enough for swarming: the males were out blustering about, making no end of a rout (one's thoughts are with the " Ingoldsby Legends "). We had to go and see the cause of the extra noise: but it was soon apparent : the entrance was narrowed to keep' out wasps, and the workers were keeping the drones out, so as the sun shone they wvro in their element: but When a shower came on, the males were, many of them, left out to' die. If one had only the time to spare, tbere seems still to be a lot to learn of their habits. The best lot of Italians have just com- pleted the rack of shallow liars sent up to me by Squire Torolinson, which we assume. to be mostly heather honey. Eight of the ten were all capped; the other two were full, but not Covered on the outer sides. The rack of sections beneath had twelve finished, six only partly covered, and three not drawn out. This was after taking off two racks of sections in August ; it bears out the teaching of those beemen who use shallow and standard frames in pre- ference to sections. One still has a lot to learn. We have too many conservative ideas with all our interests. Sections are clean and quick to handle, and people think that the honey is all pure. We must wake up at the Violet Farm, must belong to the progressive bee-men, must have an extractor, and then Ave shall have the heavy weights of honey for sale of which others write. I read many' years ago " What man has done, man can do," and what other members of the craft have done we shall try to do at the Violet Farm. To read of 2001bs. of honey from one hive is a still further inducement to extend the craft, because if one sends to the stores for sweetening substance, they will only supply just one small tin of 2lbs. at one time. If bees are kept, one may have a hundred 2lb. tins of the sweetest sub- stance in the world of nature from one hive. In Dorset there are still some of the bees destroyed to get the honey from the skeps. The young men are at the Front; only the old stagers are left on the estates, and they only know one way to get the honey, and that is the brimstone pit. There is so much to do on the farm, one cannot spare the time to go miles to drive bees, as we did in the years that are gone; we cannot put in much outside work during the hours of daylight; but it seems such a waste of clean stock (some that came out of a church roof clean and healthy) to burn them with sulphur. A distinguished member of the National Society, from Bickley, came to see the farm on the 18th. Was sorry not to be able to give .him more time: but we had stuff to send off by the mid-day train for Derby, and we are filling the glass houses with violets for winter bloom. So many hours of rain, the fine weather has to be made the most of. Have had a letter from a beeman soldier, who is gallantly doing his hit for the freedom of the world in France. Some kind member of the Association sends him the B.B.J. regularly, which is well for him to read of home and bees in the land he. loves so- well. A lady bee- keeper sends me a small jar of extracted honev which has a disagreeable flavour. Tt has the taste of privet; there is some- thing of the smell of privet to it as well. 314 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 26, 1918. "When one has been planting privet hedges hands and clothes smell of ligustrium, and that is how this lot appeared to me. — J. J. Kettle. BRITISH REE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Council was held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lon- don, W..C.2, on Thursday, September 10, 1018. Air. T. AY. Cowafi presided, and there were also present Miss M. D. Si liar, Messrs. AY. F. Reid, AY. H. Simifls, F. W. Watts, J. Smallwood, G. R. Alder, J. B. Lamb, C. L. M. Eales, G. J. Flashman, G. Bryden, J. Herrod-Hempsall ; Associa- tion representative, Captain C. 0. Lord (Kent), and the secretary, "W. Herrod- Hempsall, Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Messrs. A. G. Pugh, T. Bevan, G. W. Judge, F. AY. Harper, and Major F. Sitwell. Tlie minutes of Council meeting held on July 18, 1018, were read and confirmed. The following new members were elected : — Mrs. A. L. Douglas, Mrs. A. G. Ruxton, Mrs. F. E. Bridgeman, Miss M. Stevenson, Miss R. Lubbock, Captain B.. H. Brodie, Rev. F>. Price, Major H., A. P. Littledale, Major G. A. Sabine, Dr. N. FitzRoy Lloyd, R.N., Messrs. A. AY. Previte, D. Hard'eastle, J. L. Bishop, H. E. Deacon, A. T. Hedger, J. T. Moore, A. G. Atwell, J. C. Maude, H. Browne, •I. L. Newman, C. P. Nutt, and B. Gordon Sherry. The Cardiganshire and West Carmar- thenshire Association applied for affilia- tion, and the same was granted. Rev. G. H. Hewison was nominated as the representative on the Council for the Doncaster Association, and was accepted. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. J. Smallwood, who stated that payments into the bank for July amounted to £21 8s.. and for August to £9 15s. lld.( The bank balance on September 1 was £154 4s. 2d. Pay- ments amounting to £44 (>s. -were recom- mended. The reports on Preliminary Examina- tions held at Stone, Haden Hill, Henwick, Rochester., Dartford Heath, Hinckley! I'.ushev. Gohlers Hill, and Hoeston were presented, and it was resolved to grant certificates to Mrs. C. Stevenson, Misses IC Attenborough, L. Benest, L. Cran, E. Crookes, It. Cruddas, M. Hevwood, B. Havergal, H. Lawson, S. Long, M. Powers, P. ^t. Leeer, I. Slade, K. Vale, D. S. Scott, E. H. Darnev, the Baroness Rbsen- Crajitz, Rev. E. J. Bartleet, Captain C. ('. Lord, Lieutenant H. Butterlty, Sergeant H. G. Mascall, Sergeant A. G. Atwell, Messrs. G. PI. Hope. P.. T. Abell, E. J. Smith, T. CowlishaAv, E. C. Middleton, C. J. Law, A. C. Houghton, Captain G. M. Gordon, AT. Carter, G. R. Allen, E. Semper, C. Bishop, J. P.' Cheyne, A. Fry, H. W. Round, W. J. Martin, E. E. Brown, F. L. AVilson, H. King, G. A. Hall, A. Kimbrell, A. H. Ridgwav, J. Hackett, A. T. P. AVardle, E. E. Lowe, F. W. Roberts, H. (lark, J. J. Abell, J. H. Goddard, F. Hare, F. Hollowav, J. G. Fletcher, P. E. AVag- staff, F. L. E. AVatts, (1. Smithurst, AY. Sharpe, S. Dodsley, G. AYard, AY. Jackson, A. H. Hanson, A. H. Breach, J. Rae, J. Newell, J. Arnfield, C. AY. Mullen, D. Stevenson, AY. E. Black. It was resolved that owing to the diffi- culty of travelling and the Government request to limit travelling, no conver- sazione be held this year. Arrangements were made for the Inters i mediate Examination to be held on November 20 and 30. A letter was read from the South Staf- fordshire Association re the sale of diseased bees, and the secretary was in- structed to deal with the matter. It was resolved to send a letter to the Food Production Department again urging the necessity for providing bee-keepers with sugar for feeding their bees. Mr. Reid said before the meeting closed he would like to say — and in doing so he was sure he was expressing the feelings of all — how pleased they were to have Mr. Cowan with them again, also that he was looking hearty and well. The remarks were received with applause. Mr. Cowan replied that he was delighted to be present again, and hoped the time was not far distant when he woidd be able to attend oftener. Next meeting of Council, October 17, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, AY.C.2. QUESTIONS, Etc:, FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EX AMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 13. AAJiat is vaseline or petroleum jelly used for in an apiary? And how? 14. AVhat eggs are laid by an unfer- tilised queen? 15. AVhat is the best method of prevent- ing condensation of moisture in a hive? 16. How can the economy of supplying bees with comb instead of foundation be shown ? 17. Cive the dimensions of the Bvitish Standard Frame, Sept. 26, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE ...JOURNAL. 315 IB. Describe how artificial cells for queen-rearing are made. 19. Differentiate between black brood and foul brood. 20. State the extent to which entrances to hives should be open at the several im- portant periods of the year, and give reasons for the differences. 21. To what is the varying colour of beeswax ascribed? 22. Name the plants and trees useful in August and September to bees in this country. 23. Compare the Italian with the ordinary British black bee. 24. Describe the wax-moth and the harm it does in a hive. J. L. B. ■i THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists (continued) . Echinopts ritio (Globe . Thistle). — This, like CJieirantlius allionii and Gyrioglos- suui, is one of Messrs. Sutton and Sons' additions to the list. The name is made up from the Greek edit no* (a hedgehog) and ops (a likeness). [Another instance of the use of this name is echi nopsis, a genus of cacti the spines of which sug- gested the same likeness.] The reference being to the spiny scales of the involucre or envelope of composite flowers. There are about 60 species of Echinops, and these are all ornamental, but some- what coarse, thistle-like plants with blue or whitish flowers borne in globes. The structure of these globes is very curious; each flower in the globe has a little wrapper of its own, and the whole globe is surrounded by one all-embracing involucre. The geographical distribution of the genus ranges from Portugal to India, via Abyssinia. All the species are of the easiest culture and are highly suit- able for naturalisation in wild gardens and shrubberies;, as well as for border work. I find the one that I grow very effective as a background to Seleniums, Golden Rod, and other yellow-flowering subjects, toning down the glare of colour. A bee- keeping neighbour of mine has a fine plant of E. ritro, which stands alone as a specimen and is very handsome. Per- baps the choicest of all for colour is E. /.'. ruthenicus, 3 to 4 ft. high, an exquisite powder-blue, in bloom by mid- summer and for several weeks onwards. Taylor, in Bailey's Encyclopu-dia, says: " The silvery-white stems and handsomely cut. prickly foliage of globe thistles are interesting' features. They make excel- lent companions for the. blue-stemmed Eryngiums. All these plants are attrac- tive to bees, especially E. exaltatus, which has considerable fame as a bee- plant." Johnson, Wright and Dewar's edition, remarks : " Bees are very par- tial to these plants." Nicholson, while alluding to it as " a rather large genus," only describes six varieties, several of which appear to be synonymous. There is, indeed, considerable confusion as to the varieties, and this unfortunately centres round those most important from a bee-keeping point of view. E. strictus, E. coinmutotus, Elk, exaltatus, and E xjilittt'i-uceplutlux, together with E. panicu- latuSj are names all of which are, by one authority or another, given to the same plant, that catalogued as E. nivalis, a name in turn dismissed as." a trade name that is unknown in botanical literature." Dadant, Langstroth, on " The Hive and Honey Bee" (page 386), mentions, among other bee plants, " several varie- ties of Echinops, one of which, the 8phe- roccphaliis, was introduced here by Mr. Chapman." The reference clearly is to Chapman's Echinops, or Chapman's Honey Plant, yet this is generally described as a perennial, while, the one I grow, and which I obtained seed of as Chapman's, is a biennial. The height is given as 5 to 7 ft. Per- haps owing to the fact that my 15-yard:-- long roMr of them was planted on a site previously occupied by a generously manured celery trench, the plants have averaged 9 ft. in height, some nearly 11 ft. No bee-plant that I have ever grown was so attractive to them. Whenever the weather was favourable the heads were crowded. I have counted 14 or 15 bees on one at the same time, and as each plant throws up to 20 heads of bloom it will be obvious that the accommodation was not very limited. Humble-bees, too, as well as drone flies and others, com- peted with the bees for the nectar. From this row of plants I have saved a large quantity of seed, and so convinced am I of its importance as a bee-keeper's friend that I shall be pleased to send some to anyone who will forward an en- velope stamped 1H1. for the purpose. To anv secretaries of county or other Asso- ciations who care to have some for their experimental apiaries, or for free distri- bution to members, I will send a larger quantity if they send larger and stronger envelopes, proportionately stamped. I make this offer the more willingly as my own stock was originally obtained in the same way from Mr. Baruch Blaker, who has certainly been a benefactor to his fellow bee-keepers. The seed should be planted in October, and light soil suits it best. Heavy clay should have an admix- ture of sand or lime rubble if Edit imps is to be happy in it. E. vitro and E. R. ruthenicus are 316 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 26, 1918. perennials generally propagated by divi- sion. They resent disturbance, and im- prove each year in strength and beauty. — A. Mar woon, 14, Windermere Road, S. Ealing. [As the time for sowing seeds of the Chapman Honey Plant, for flowering next year, is during the next few weeks, and in view of Mr. Harwood's offer, the de- scription an- directions for the culture of that plant are given now, instead of some weeks hence, which would be the case if it was taken in its proper order in the " Official List." — Ens.] &qn^thejbt j>.f^\€Uflon cUA So"- The care of the Smoker. — A good smoker is a great blessing, a poor one a regular nuisance, and a bad one a perfect curse. Therefore, at the very beginning, invest in a good one; for it pays. The smoker should be tested periodically as to whether it is in efficient working order. This should be done at the opening of every spring campaign. Lying about during a period of nearly six months, it generally gets out of order. Before starting the spring cleaning and general examination examine its parts carefully ; but, at the same time, it is wise to advise the use of very little smoke. During the season note repeatedly that the front grating does not get clogged, for then the smoke holes will not give free vent for the issue of a proper blast. The nozzle may also get shut up if the. paper burned is of a spot creating nature.' Clean it out occa- sionally. Note that the leather part does not crack, and so permit the escape of air. If left lying about in all weathers this part hardens, thus affecting the effi- ciency of the article. Do not let it rust, because this shortens its life. Too power- ful a blast, or rather the too forceful blowing of the fuel into a flame, helps to wear out the machine prematurely. Notice that the rear grating does not get loose. In this case the roll of paper gets pushed home too far, with the result that the air fails to act properly, and the smouldering charge has a tendency to go out. No less important is the selection of the substance used as smoker fuel, and the manner in which the implement is charged. Packed in too firmly, or pitched in anyhow and too loosely, one fails t'> get the best service from the smoke. In either case the blast is a poor one, and too fre- quently it fails, perhaps at a critical moment. Soft brown or grey packing paper rolled into cartons generally does well, Corrugated paper, if of the right firmness, proves efficient as a rule. Mole- skin or corduroy have always been prime favourites in the North, and if the gar- ment has been long in use so much the better. Either substance lasts long and rarely goes out. Tinder is a patent burner which goes on smouldering until it is utterly consumed. It can be made from any packing paper. Purchase an ounce or two of saltpetre, dissolve it in a pint* or two of water. Dip the paper, first cutting it into suitable breauths, and, after it lies a little time, spread it out in the sun to dry. If this material is found to burn too rapidly, place a layer between two of undipped paper, and you have a safe, effi- cient, and long-lasting charge, fit to meet 'any emergency. Once again it may be recommended to use smoke sparingly when opening hives, and even when handling bees. Storing Water. — Recently I dealt with water as an article of food for not only young but adult bees. The first use will not be disputed ; I do not see why the second should be in any way questioned. The storing of it is, however, another question. It is a moot point amongst bee- keepers whether they really store it in the cells for a time, or whether they carry it direct from the drinking fountains to where they mix it with the pollen and over-thick honey as food for the young larvae. Some bee-keepers hold one opinion, some the other. I lean towards the stor- ing theory. I have often found a very, thin liquid in a good many cells touching on the brood circle, which conveyed no im- pression of sweetness to the taste. Some cells contents, if not tasting cool, were certainly not so warm as the others. They disappeared quickly. Judging by analogy bees should store liquid temporarily just Avhere the nurse bees require it. These young nurse bees are the workers who pre- pare the food to sustain the infants. The older bees, who visit the drinking foun- tains, are not likely to remain in the hive to carry on feeding operations ; indeed, we know they reissue in a very short space of time to obtain another load. The pol- len laden bee returns to the flowers for another burden. The nectar-collecting worker goes on all day gathering sweets from the blossoms. Why, then, should not the water carriers do the same, and why should they not store it in cells just where the nurses expect to find it? Wbrlier Comb. — Why not use some of your weak colonies to build out complete combs of all worker cells? Choose a colony of this kind, distinctly below the grade of medium, and confine them to a few frames. It must be premised that the lot is headed by .a good queen. Use Sept. 26, 11J1S. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 31' such a lot to build some combs from starters! You will find the frames beauti- lully filled with all worker Comb, and, if Spaced properly, they will be as flat as a board. Of course this is a ease where feeding is absolutely necessary, unless when weather is very fine and a flow just at the door. As each comb is completed, withdraw it. and supply another. If they get too strong they will start drone cells at once. A nucleus lot fed with the object •of working them up into a full colony acts at first in the same way as a rule. A second swarm or cast, generally a small hu. behaves similarly. The presence of a newly fertilised queen in the ^last case helps to account for the results. They realise that they have no use for drones, therefore they rear none; and when comb building the same prescience guides them. the result being that they construct only worker cells. Beginners should be taught that when any space is being filled up in an established stock in normal circum- stances, the bees will build drone comb unless full sheets of foundation are sup- plied in the new frames substituted for those withdrawn. Building drone cells is a crime against the Spirit of the Hive! KENT BEE-KBOTSKS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL HONEY SHOW. The annual show of the Kent Bee- keepers' Association (Western Division) took place on Saturday at the Westgate Schools, Dartford. The entries were below half of what they were last year, owing to the very bad season, and in consequence the quality of the honey also suffered. The members of the Association were in no way to blame for the poor quality, as each did his or her best to gain the usual standard of excellency. Indeed, at first it was thought that a snow this year would be impossible, and it was only by the extra efforts of the members that it was held. Mr. A. Dewey, Chairman of the Associa- tion, presided, and spoke of the wonder- ful progress made by the Association during the year, the membership having increased by over 300. Whereas two years ago they were the smallest Association in England, now they were the largest. A new feature was the foundation of a library for the benefit of bee-keepers, which was established at the Dartford Library under the guidance of Mr. Wood, who had consented to act as Hon. Librarian. The speaker paid a tribute to the work of the worthy hon. secretary, Mr. (i. W. Judge, whose activities the Associa- tion would recognise in some practical form, as a substantial memento of his valuable services for the County of Kent. He also referred to the work of Mrs. De l'nlron, the daughter of Sir George and Lady Whitehead* who had found time, in spite of the pressure of Bed Cross work, to help the Association considerably. Lady Whitehead, who was accompanied bV Sir George, then declared the show open, and she was presented with a basket of flowers and honey by Mr. Paulin, who deputised on behalf of his little daughter. A tour of' the show revealed the further remarkable progress in honey producing methods by the exhibits in which honey is a substitution. The observatory hive lent by Mr. H. J. Upton evoked much interest, whilst a special feature was £he honorary exhibit of Mr. Bryden, who took two silver cups (presented by the Earl of Guilford and Sir R. Tilmer) at the Wye Honey Show. Another feature was the show of flowers which are visited by bees. The Bryden Challenge Cup was again Avon by Mr. Bryden with 40 points, Mr. H. Davis being second with 20 points. During the afternoon lectures were given by Mr. H. E. Carter on " Removal of Surplus,"' and Mr. A'. Dewey, on "Elements of Bee-keeping." Frame build- ing competitions. Manipulation of hive by Mr. Gr'. Bryden, .and a demonstration by Mr. G. Baird of his very fine patent ex- tractor, by which both sides of the comb are extracted at once. The whole arrange- ments were splendidly carried out by Mr. A. C. Paulin, the show secretary, assisted bv Air. Judge and Air. Dewey. The judge was Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall, and Mr. Price acted as steward. At the conclusion the prizes were dis- tributed by Mrs. Knight. THE PRIZE LIST. Class I. (6 sections). — Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester; Mr. F. C. Martin, Wilming- ton: Mr. E. King, Bromley. Class II. (3 sections).— Mr. F. C. Martin, Wilnjington; Mr. A. Dewey, Wilmington. Class III. (6 jars light).— Mr. G. Bry- den, Rochester: Mr. J. Reader. Chatham: Mr. G. S. Baird. Frith: Mr. W. J. Martin. Fltham. (las. IV. (0 jars dark).— Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester; Miss Heale, Maidstone; Mr. W. 1. Martin. Fltham: Mr. H. E. C Carter. Blackheath. Class V. (.'I jars light),— Mr. G. Bryden. Rochester; Mr. G. S. T.aird. Frith: Mr. H. Davis. Cravford: Mr. J. Reader, Chatham. Class VI.. (3 jars dark).— Mr. G. Bryden. Rochester; Aliss Heale, Maidstone: Mr. W. J. Martin, Fltham: Mr. T. H. Tarling. ( ,1M vesend. Glasa VII. (3 jar. granulated).— Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester; Mr. W. J. Martin, Fltham: Mr. A. Dewey, Wilmington: Mr. G. S. Baird. Krith. Class VIII. (2 shallow frames).— Mr. G. 318 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 26, 1918. Bryden, Rochester.; Mr. G. 8. Baird, Erith; Mr. W. J. Martin, Eltham; Mr. F. AV. Harmer, Bexley. Class IX. (beeswax). — Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester; Mr. Thos. Head, Canterbury; Mr. AV. J. Martin, Eltham: Mr. G. S. Baird, Erith. Class X. (honey cake). — Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester: Mr. C. Bishop, Upehureh; Mr. E. AV. Harmer, Bexley; M. Hammond, Beekenham. Class XI. (utility exhibits). — Mr. H. Davis, Crayford; Mr. AV. J. Martin, Eltham; Mr. H. E. C. Carter, Blackheath ; Mr. E. AV. Harmer, Bexley. Class XII. (home-made hives). — Mr. C. F. Gee, Chatham; Mr. H. Peck, Strood; Mr. J. Black, Catf ord : Mr. H. Davis, Crayford. Class XIII. (home-made appliances). — ■ H. Davis, Crayford: H. Peck, Strood; AV. Carter, Rochester ; Graham Porter, Canter- bury. Class XIV. (6 photos of bee life).— Not judged. Class XV. (flowers visited by bees). — AV. Getting, Shoreham; H. Davis, Crayford: Miss Smiles, Wilmington; Mr. A. C. Paulin, Bexley. Class XVI. (gift section). — Not judged. Class XVII. (gift jar).— Mr. G. Bryden, Rochester: Mr. A. Fry, Gillingham^ Mr. H. E. C. Carter, Blackheath; Mr. AV. Getting, Shoreham. Teas were served during the afternoon by the Ladies' Committee at cost price. — -Con^Himicated. 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 draicn on separate pieces of paper. We do not undertake to return rejected communications. JLET US BE HONEST. [$7'66] I have given the, subject of honest dealing a considerable amount of thought, and see that others have pitiful talcs to tell of tile wily methods of the dealers in boos. Until the Government prevents, or tries to prevent, the sale of diseased bees, how are we to deal with the offenders P Mouth- to-nioiitli information ampng one's friends may save tbem from being " had.'' We can also recommend the honest j dealers in our correspondence, but it would not be safe to name the bad also. The law of libel is queer, and however true the information may be, it does not justify one sending it about in this way. Suing for the return of cash paid would publish the man's name and his dirty action, but unless it is reported in the trade papers, little good is done, and per- haps it is soon forgotten. The deposit system of the B.B.J, is an excellent one for readers advertising for bees ; it may be made a condition of purchase, but where it fails is, where a dealer advertises bees for sale he may pick and choose his customers unless every one makes the de- posit a condition of purchase. Buyers have lately been tumbling over each other, eager to buy, and sending tele- grams and money post-haste, in short, the sharks have had a gay time, and the buyers a bad one, which may go on in- definitely, the distance separating the parties debarring any action (except under great difficulties) against the offenders. There are shades in the condition of the sharks. Some act straight, with their neighbours, but are prepared to " do" anyone at a distance, and a favourite way of obtaining distance custom is an ad- vertisement in the B.B.J. It seems to me that the advertisement page of the B.B.J, would become more valuable if it was understood that any abuse of the privilege of the advertise- ment pages Mould entail certain penal- ties. Seeing the Editors have tried to pro- tect readers by the deposit system, they may be inclined to do more, but it is not for me or any other reader to say how they shall conduct the B.B.J. I can only say that perhaps the following notice at the head of the advertisement page would give the sharks cause to alter their ways : — -" The Editors reserve the right to re- fuse any advertisement from any person, about whom they have had serious com- plaints, and without stating reasons, or entering into the nature or merits of the complaints. " I quite understand that " Isle of Wight " disease may show itself after leaving the dealer's hand, but when the bees are in a filthy state when received, there is cause for complaint, also, it would not do to act on the complaint of anyone who thought he had a grievance, but when a dealer is repeatedly complained about, it is safe to assume "there is some cause. However, ventilating this subject may work some iriiprovement. — F. B. Charlton, Stockton-on-Tees. [For the information of our corre- spondent above and others, we' may say Sept. 26, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 319 that we have what some may term a •• black list." All complaints are investi- gated as far as possible, and letters of complaint iiled for reference. Needless to say we do reserve the right to refuse any advertisement, a right that has been exercised in the past, and will be in the future. — Eds.] TO BEE-KEEPERS. [9^()7] Declare war on the wasps. Join up without delay. Carry the war from the beehives into the enemy's nests, but remember war rations, shortage of food, etc., and if possible destroy the nests in such a way that they can afterwards be dug out and the grubs given to the poul- try for food. Following are three simple but sure ways of destroying nests: — 1. Run + pint of tar into the entrance of the wasp"s nest, plug up the entrance very firmly with a large stone. This, as a rule, will destroy the strongest nest in a few days. 2. SoaK a piece of rag in a tablespoon- ful of turpentine. (It is best to tie the rag round a stick.) Thrust the stick right into the entrance of the nest. 3. An old way of destroying a nest 50 years ago was to pour a kettleful of boil- ing water into the entrance of the nest. Wasps' nests destroyed by either of these methods can safely be given to poultry. One very hot summer, early in the nineties, we had, in our district, whai^, ap- peared to be a " double crop " of wasps' nests. I remember that year T had five stocks of bees which had been in quite a natural condition in straw skens. They did not drive out their drones until the end of the first Meek in November. That season, with the help of two lads em- ployed by me, and the village school children who knew where all the nests were, I destroyed 373 nests in one day. — W. W. Puvor. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGBNT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. J. Tomlinson (Derbs.).— When to transfer bees from a skep. — The exact time for placing a skep over frames of foundation will depend on the strength of the colony, but it will probably not be earlier than the end of April. Fix them up as soon as the skep is becoming' full of bees Try " Bee-keeping Simplified," post free 7«d, " Veracity " (Wexford).— Packing for bees.— Saw- dust would answer if the bags were made of some close woven material that would not allow it to sift through. (2) Only by subjecting it to long, •continued heat. We do not think there is an agent here, nor do we know the cost, but it would probably be over £100. (3) Winter the bees towards the back of the hive; the entrance will not then be so likely to be choked up witn dead bees. " Bee " (Mont.).— Wintering queries.— (I) It will he better to make a winter passage even if the 'bees are wintered in two boxes. (2) If the hives are sheltered from the north, you may turn the entrances facing that quarter for the winter, or make a tunnel to put in front of the entrance. The best material to use is a piece of lead, 4 or 5 in. wide. Cut the ends on a bevel so that on one side the length is about 6 in. and the other four; bend up about \ in. along each end at right angles. If the con- trivance is placed with the longest side close up to the entrance, and the turned up pieces down- wards, it will form a tapering tunnel entrance which will keep out the sunlight. Wood may be used, two thin laths being nailed on to a piece of board to form the entrance, but it is apt to be blown off. (3) No doubt many of the young bees would fail to find the way home and perish. It is much better to use a super clearer. J. C. M. (Oxon).— Medicating syrup made from candy.— It is better to put another teaspoonful of " Bacterol " to each pint of syrup. The idea of the Board of Agriculture is to put it in the candy not as a medicine for the bees, but to help to render it unfit for domestic use, and as it is put in when the candy is hot certain, volatile principals of the " Bacterol " will be driven off. When the candy is dissolved in hot water the strength of the " Bacterol " it contains will be still further reduced. This or any other medi- cine should be added to the syrup when it is only lukewarm. A. Millard (France).^(A) We do not think so. (B) It is unusual. An average of 30 or 40 lbs is nearer the mark. (C) It would depend on ti c man ; .probably about 150. We do not know the largest number one man keeps and manages alone. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. BELGIAN-FLEMISH Doe and six young, four -weeks old, by prize-winning Flemish >buck, price £2 5s.; also eight young, bred same way, will keep with mother until six weeks old, litter £2, or separately 5s. 6d.— MISS WRENCH, Betley, Crewe. L34 WANTED, Stock of healthy Hybrid Italian Bees, on three or four combs, 1918 Queen. Deposit.— Price to F. CLARKE, Mount Pleasant, Lechlade, Glos. i.35 ANTED, Fertile 1918 Queen, Italian or Hybrid; also one Nucleus on frames. — Price to WM. TAYLOR, 4, Chilton Road, Richmond, Surrey. i.49 PURE Light Cambridge Honey, four 28-lb. tins, 3s. oer lb. Tins and cases returnable. Sample 4d.— YOUNG, 42. James Street, Cambridge. i.50 ]^>URE Light Shropshire Honey, six 28-lb. tins; sample 6d.; tins and crate returnable. What offers? F.O.R. Stamp reply.-T. TUDOR. JUNR., 20, Spring Cottage, Little Drayton, Salop. L51 »>S. PER LB. offered for pure English Honey, <*v extracted or sections. Cash with order. — F. LEETE, Therfield, Herts. i.52 F ERTILE Queens, Dutch Hybrid, four, 5s. each. W. GREEN, Laindon, Essex. i.53 WANTED, Fertile 1918 pure Italian Queen: also Geared Extractor.-GREIG, Scun- thorpe, Lines, i.54 320 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Sept. 20, 1918. BY APPOINTMENT. \Z-AU The Modern High-Power Germicide is a reliable remedy against Foul Brood and Isle of Wight disease. From the B.B.J. , SSCoo., 30, 1916. EXPERIENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. " / had the loan of a copy of the {British $ee Journal and saw Izal recommended. Vhis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the bees from the top of the combs . . . in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared . . : Whatever anyone may toy to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a eery simple process. _^__^_^____— ' JlmaUvr." Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 6d. ana //- each. Ask for full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by — NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield. FOR SALE. Stock of healthy Bees on nine frames, winter stores, 1917 Queen, price £3. Inspection invited. -MISS SHAW, Springfield, Feltham, Middlesex. iJ55 WANTED, good lot of Driven Bees; must be Italians.— BLENKARN, 58, Cromwell Road, Beckenham. \ h5G ANTED, latest issue of " British Bee- keepers' Guide Book," in cloth (Cowan).— State price and condition to Box 43, British Bee Journal Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. i£7 DRIVEN BEES and Queen wanted, imme- diately, or Fertile Queen — Write price and all particulars to BENKERT, 17, Girton Road, Sydenham, S.E.26. Must be guaranteed free from disease. i-58 WANTED, "Isle of Wight" disease con- demned Beees on frames. - CHARLTON JONES, Peers, Conway. O&0 STRONG STOCK in ten standard frame hive, plenty stores, £5 10s. Good Granulated Honey, nominal 1 lb. cartonfl, 50-;. per do/.- W. woods, Normandy, near Guildford. i .48 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l|d. per word. C COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother y Bee-keepers visiting: Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.'; or full board, 68. per day.— HORSLEY'S, Merridale Houee. top of CaMle Drive, Douglas. Iele of Man. TALhN STOCKS, on six bars, strong. 1918 Queens, 55s.. carriage paid, boxes to be returned: also few Hybrid itiiim Queens, 6s. t-aeh. U,LHO\, Siinnvside, Hite.liil). L59 SLE OF WIGHT" Disease permanently cured. Tested four years. Solution and direct inns, 2s., post free.- PREKSEY, St. Elmo. Couledon. d.73 WELSH BEES, on frames, £3 per stock. Orders now booked for 1919 delivery. Cash with order.- DANIELS, Pantycrwys, Rhydcw- mera.u, Llandilo, Carm. .... 1.61 The Flavine Treatment For "Isle of Wight" Disease. •A §• grain sample Flavine, the 'circular, testi- monials, etc., fur a stamped, addressed envelope. Six packages Flavine, 6d., post paid. Intensive Beekeeping for Honey Production and Disease Control, 6 Chapters. 6d., post paid. A Japanned Sprayer, 5/-, post paid. A Ventilated Clearer Board, circular of instruc- tion, 6/-, post paid. 32 grains Flavine for one boiling of Flavine Candy (32 lbs.) and full directions, 1/1.1, - A package of Flavine Pea Flour. Sd , post paid. S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. HONEY WANTED. Wanted, any quantity of guaranteed PURE ENGLISH HONEY extracted this season. Must be clear and of good colour.— Please send sample* to JOHN TRICKEY & SON, Produce Specialists, "A.M." Dept., Hillfarrance, Taunton, stating lowest price delivered to Norton Fitzwarren Station, G.W.R HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Califoriiian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, is. Prices on application. A. OORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. Oct. 3, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 321 FRUIT TREE DISEASES. THE MENACE OF SILVER LEAF. Reports received by the Food Production Department indicate the increasing seri- ousness of Silver Leaf disease in fruit trees. In some localities it has become almost a scourge, and some of the most valuable varieties of plums, especially Vic- toria, are threatened with extinction unless drastic measures are taken to check its extension. The disease occurs also in apples, but less frequently. Unless active steps are taken to com- bat it, Silver Loaf spreads relentlessly. It cannot be too often widely known there- fore that if the affected trees are systematically and energetically dealt with it is possible very largely to control the disease. Bi/ promptly cutting out silvered Branches and by rigorously removing all (I r
    y my neighbour when I arrived that he was afraid they were moving, as only a few remained. I naturally came to the conclusion that the swarm must have located a hollow trunk, and had taken possession. However, as I had come round, I decided to investigate, and pro- ceeded to climb the elm. I found, as I had feared, that they had " gone to ground " as the foot of a stump, the remnant of the main stem of the tree, which had been sawn off a little way above a fork, and only a few bees remained outside. At first I feared that the game was up. However, a little in- vestigation showed me that there were two holes. So I decided to try to smoke them out and capture them. This meant more paraphernalia than simply a kit and a skep, so I had to descend and go home for what I thought I should need. It is always worth while at such times to spend a minute or two in thinking out your plan of action and what articles you will require, because it is so horribly annoying to get into position, and per- haps start on your operations, and then find yourself stranded for want of some essential article. 324 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 3, 1918. So I accumulated a smoker, a good stock of ribbed brown packing paper — which I find burns well in a smoker, and lights easily — an old table-cloth, a ball of strongish twine, a few screw-hooks, brad- awl and gimlet, a small hammer, and a box of matches. Putting these in an old cartridge bag, so as to be able to climb with them, I returned to the scene of action, climbed up, and, fastening the bag within reach, I got the skep and board passed up to me, lodged them handy by, and proceeded to light my smoker and commence smoking the bees out. I was soon rewarded by seeing the bees begin to come out at the main hole, but though I had got the skep as near as I could over the hole, I was only able to get it down to about 9 in. above the hole, and at that point it was jammed by the other branches, and of course only touched these at two points of its circum- ference. The bees, in climbing up from the smoke, kept to the main limbs, and did not go into the skep, and a great many of them went up the limb which forked away from me. This gave me pause, and I had to think how I could scrape or brush them into the skep after I had got them out. I had tied one end of my ball of twine to a handy branch, in case I should want any more implements, and of course I now did want a brush. • Luckily my friend was able to provide ''us, so, having got all the bees, as far as I could judge, out of the dead bough,- I then spread my cloth over this to keep them out, and lodged the board as securely as I could between the limbs, to make a platform for the skep. As I have said, the bulk of the bees had crawled on to the limb farthest away from me, and a thicker lump of them at one place led me to suspect the presence there of the queen. Luckily, by leaning across as far as I could, I was just able to hold the skep nearly under this lump, and having got my position as secure as I could on the friendly sister-branch on which I was sitting, I reached over to hack my luck, and brushed off as much as I could reach of the thick bunch into the skep. I then put the skep on the platform, and remembered there were no stones handy to prop it up on. However, some spare ribbed paper was handy, so rolling up a wad of that I turned the skep right side up on the board and watched with intense interest to see which way the flow of bees would go, as that would show whether I had got the queen or not. Those who have had the pleasure of taking swarms will understand how I felt when I saw none of the bees from inside the skep came out, but on the other hand some of those that were flying about settled on the board and went in. That was indeed a pleasant sight, and, reassured as to my success, I proceeded to brush off the bees that I could reach, especially hose that I could brush towards the board. At first they simply fell in lumps, and I could not see any inclination to stream into the skep, so much so that I oegan to fear I had after all not got the queen ; but after a little anxious waiting I began to see that they were moving in, and felt reassured. There was, of course, no more that I could do to help the bees on wing — and there were naturally a lot of these, as the result of my brushing — to settle; so, as it was long past dinner time, I decided to go down, have dinner, and then return to business. Luckily, while I was at dinner I thought of what more I might use, and did not overlook the possibility of my needing more light than is furnished by the twi- light at 9 p.m., even aided by a nearly full moon. I therefore put a little elec- tric lamp in my pocket before I went back after dinner. — J. R. B. Branson (Capt.). (To be continued.) MONMOUTHSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. INAUGURAL MEETING. A meeting was held at the Town Hall, Newport, Mon., on Saturday, Sept. 28, when it was unanimously decided to form a Bee-keepers' Association for Monmouth- shire. The following officers were elected : — Chairman, the Rev. H. G. Stanley; vice- chairman, Mr. Graham White; lion, trea- surer, Mr. Llewellyn Morgan, Underwood, Portskewett, near Chepstow; hon. secre- tary, Dr. G. R. Strong, Magor, Mon.; hon assistant secretary, Mr. R. Hancock, 1, Railway Terrace, Rogiet, Mon. A number of gentlemen were elected to the committee, with power to add to their number. The committee was instructed to draft a set of rules to be submitted to the next general meeting. It was decided that the Association should be affiliated to the B.B.K.A. The minimum subscription will be 2s. 6d., but it is hoped that those in a position to do so will subscribe more. It is proposed to keep in touch with bee- keepers in every part of the county by means of local secretaries, who will be members of the committee. The commit- tee hope to arrange for a number of lantern lectures to be given in various parts of the county during the coming winter. All bee-keepers and intending bee-keepers in Monmouthshire are cordially invited to join the Association, and should send their names to the hon. secre- tary or the treasurer. Oct. 3, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. . 325 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. QUESTIONS FOR BEE-KEEPERS. [9768] In the British Bee Journal of September 19, I am struck by the utility of the article " Questions ou Bees and Bee-keeping." I think it should be most helpful, not only to beginners, but also to others whose knowledge is apt to get a bit rusty. It seems to me it would be still more helpful if the papers on answers to ques- tions were looked over and corrected, and if you approve of the idea I shall be very glad to do this, returning them quickly to the senders — with the one proviso that a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. I shall be glad to hear what you think, and if you approve a notice might be put in the British Bee Journal. — (Rev.) Edward G. Bartleet, Quedgley Rectory, Gloucester. [We think it is very kind of our reverend correspondent to undertake thi* task. It will be a very great help to have the answers checked by another bee- keeper. We trust he will not rind his self-imposed task too heavy.] BEE PLANTS WANTED. [9769] May I ask you to be so kind as to give me a little space in your well- read paper for an appeal, partly on my own behalf, but still more for the benefit of my bees. I have nearly half an acre of waste ground, and I want to naturalise on it bee-plants of all kinds. I cannot afford to buy these in such quantities, and they take several years to spread themselves by seed. I thought that possibly some sympathetic bee-keepers, seeing this, might bethink themselves that their plants would be all the better for thin- ning out. I should welcome any hardy bee-plants, but should suggest Michael- mas daisy, golden rod, any kind of perennial sunflower, any sedums, holly- hocks, any kind of Campanula, any kind of Cattail re>'- extracts from other clever men. one feels very small in what one does in Dorset compared with such great things in America. The Dorset socialistic writer is under a great obligation to the illustrious and gifted lady for this delightful present, and fully appreciates the kindly thought that prompted her to send it. It proves again that " One touch of Nature makes the whole world kin," and the 'k greatest happiness comes in conferring benefits, 330 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 10, 1918. not by receiving them." I shall re- ligiously read the whole lot (in spare time) before anything else that I have to read, and time is come when one can well read up a bit more of the bee world. We can live over again the pleasures of the past, with a greater resolve to go still further with these truly wonderful units of the insect kingdom. Bees, on all fine days, are always with Us, searching the last flowers of the as- paragus ; this succulent vegetable, if given a dressing of sulphate of ammonia in spring, will grow and flower a great deal longer than it will without some extra help each year; we have growths six and eight feet high in long lines. Some of our apples are in bloom, the rain, after a dry June, has made many blooms open ; it is well for the bees, but it is not so well for next year's crop. The rasps are mostly all set and fruiting, but I see bees on the lines looking for the last flowers. Violets are open in quantity in the fields, so bees have plenty to do when the weather is suitable. We have soAvn a field of crimson tri- folium, and another farmer has a field, six times larger, sown with the same clover, all close to our bees ; we can look forward with high hopes for success next season. We are ploughing up a 2-acre lot for early broad beans, which we shall get in soon. They will bloom before those sown in the early months of next year will be showing their flowers ; have sown some Li m a nth e.s Douglassi (sent me by Mr. Harwood, with some Globe thistles and hvbrid marrows which his bees had crossed), all for next year's harvest. It is with the tiller of the soil, as the old books says, " Last thy bread upon the waters and thou shalt find it after many days." It is a long wait for the result, but it soon passes, because one sees the crop surely coming to the harvest of floweTs and fruit. We have still a large breadth of haricot beans to harvest, but the weather is not all one could wish for ; we have not quite an acre of them, they are the most pro- ductive of the whole family, this small white American one. I see they keep drier standing where they grew than to pull them up ; there are many other flowers in bloom which make our fields look very pretty, but the bees will not look at them, the acres of yellow chrysanthemum, for instance. Among the root crops there are still flowers of charlock for them : these will keep them busy, and not give them the robbing fever which. seems to happen in the autumn. Mr. Haskins, the largest bee-keeper in the Bournemouth area, came o^er on Tues day to the farm; he says his lot has done well, and this year he has averaged 3s. per pound for his surplus. He is one of the nursery growers of Bournemouth, and his customers are among the wealthy residents, who give him high prices, where we sell to the dairies in bulk. Like ourselves he thinks if we had a bit more time to give to them they would do even more. He has none of the fields of clover we have in rural Dorset, nor the woods of poplar andi chestnut, but many trees from the warm parts of the world have been planted in that borough, his bees must get a good mixture of honey, with the heather to give him a good lot in August, so many gardens round him are crowded with flowers that bees delight in. An interesting letter from a gallant bee-keeper in France (who is driving an ammunition lorry attached to the heavy artillery) gives a most pleasing interview with one of the French Catholic padres about his bees and hives, in which this Abbe took so much pleasure. Our youngest son, who is home on short leave, tells me he has not seen a stock of bees the whole season ; he has been on a farm near Lenbury Wells — a place said to be good for rheumatism, which he got into his system campaigning in France last winter — in a fine agricultural part of Hereford, on the borders of Worcester, yet there were no bees. At home he can see them and taste the delicious sweets of their labours. J. J. Kettle.. I HE BEE GARDEN. the official lists (Continued.) Alyssum saxatile, a shrubby perennial suitable for beds, borders and rockeries. It is propagated by division of the roots and by cuttings of young shoots with or without a heel of older wood. These strike readily under glass or in a shady border. A light, dry soil and sunny position are best; heavy soil should be drained and lightened, or alyssum will not flourish in it. There are several varieties, including A. s. nanum compactum, the height of which is only 6 in. as compared with the 1-ft. of the types. A. s. fol. var. has varie- gated leaves, while A. s. citrinum and suljihureum are, as the names indicate, lemon and sulphur coloured respectively. A very dwarf variety is known as Tom Thumb. The type is a golden yellow, hence its popular name of Gold Dust. There is yet another variety, A. s. argenteum, with silver-veined leaves. This flowers in June, Whereas all the others come into bloom in April. Alyssum, in combination with arabis and aubriefcia, the three being planted in alter- nating masses, makes a wonderful display Oct. 10, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL. 331 in the spring border, and the bees will riot in all alike. Aquilegia, Columbine. — A very ■ old favourite this, A. vulgaris having long been a common inmate of the cottage garden. Nowadays, however, a. v. has given place to the hybrids of A. caerulea and A. chrysantha, these having a longer spur, as the hollow recession of the petals between the sepals is called. The height is about lh ft., and the colours range, by free cross- ing, through red, blue, white and yellow with intermediate shades. A. vulgaris is perennial, but the long-spurred hybrids are best treated as biennials, seed being sown in May or June in a cold frame. Any soil suits aquilegias, provided it be neither cold nor wet. Self-saved seed often yields fine colourings. Arabis alpina. — This, together with A. albida, with which it is often confused, is a very easily grown subject, since, once planted, it only needs to be let alone to spread and form a compact carpet of green which in April is almost hidden by the mass of white bloom. Propagation is either by seed or by cuttings taken off the plants in July and set in sandy soil in a shady position. These root in about three weeks without any attention whatever. There is a double-flowered variety of A. albida, which should be avoided as use- less to bees, although showier and longer in bloom than the single variety. Asclepias syriaca. — Swallow-wort, milk- weed. The high value of this plant is off- set by the danger the bees incur in realis- ing it. Dadant, in " Langstroth," says: " The common milkweed or silkweed, A. syriaca, is much frequented by bees, but these visits are often fatal to them. All the grains of pollen, in each anther are collected in a compact mass, enclosed in a sac; these sacs are united in pairs by a kind of thread, terminated by a small, vis- cous gland. These threads stick to the feeb, and often to the labial palpi of the bees, who cannot easily get rid of them, and perish. In some parts of Ohio and Western Illinois, a variety of the common kind, A. sullivantii, does not present to bees these difficulties to the same degree. We have seen bees gathering honey freely on four or five different varieties which grow in our neighbourhood, and especi- ally on A. tube.rosa or pleurisy root, fitly recommended by James Heddon. This kind is noticeable by its orange flowers." The moral is obvious; substitute .4. tuberosa and/or A. sullivantii for A. syriaca. Aubrietia qraeca. — Purple rock cress. This, like arabis. is a close carpet-forming perennial and suitable for similar positions and uses. The tvpe is mauve-pnrplo. and improved varieties, such as Dr. Mules, have deeper purple colouring. There are also blue, magenta and rose colours in the varieties A. deltoidea, A. campbelli, A. bougainvillea, A. hendersoni, A. leichtlini and others of recent introduction. Try the combination suggested above, i.e., Alyssum saxatile, Arabis alpina and Aubrietia graeca; it will be a feast for the eyes and for the bees. Cheiranthus allioni. The addition of this subject to the list is a suggestion of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, and a highly ji stifled one it has proved. I have tried erysimum, both arkansanum and peroff- skianum, and was very disappointed, both from the apiarian and from the horticul- tural point of view, but this other rela- tive of the wallflower is well worth grow- ing. It is a handsome, yellow perennial, admissible for its own sake as well as for th.3 bees. I intend trying G. menziesii, also yellow, and C. marshali, yellow and purple, a colour combination which has been a favourite of mine since as a boy I memorised Byron's " Destruction of Sennacherib." QUESTIONS, Etc., FOE BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 37. Give as many reasons as you can why bees should be kept. 38. How may the strength of a swarm be estimated? 39. Why is the use of separators in a section rack necessary? 40. Describe the operation of driving bees ? 41. What are the remedies for queen- lessness? 42. What precautions in feeding should be taken to prevent dysentery? 43. What should be done when the presence of a laying worker in a hive is detected? 44. How is sanitation secured in a hive, (1) by the bees and (2) by the bee-keeper? 45. Compare the utilities of carbolic fumes with those of smoke in subjugating bees. 46. State briefly the life history of a worker-bee from the time the egg is laid until the bee flies from the hive. 47. Describe the spiracles and tracheae of a bee. 48. Criticise in the light of modern bee-keeping the old saying, " A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly." J. L. B. 332 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 10, 1918. BEES IN FRANCE. How very much I should have liked to head this little article with the old title of " Derbyshire Notes." But, alas! for more than two years I have been separated from my bees, only seeing them at the rarest intervals. The causes are the war, and the service I have been, and am, rendering to King and Country. Much of this service has taken place in Ireland, where, I am sorry to say, what few bees I was able to find were kept in the most wretched state that it is possible to imagine. I must not, however, con- clude that this is the general Irish system. The district I was serving in was backward in many other respects besides in apiculture. But to leave that. I am now in France, and have been there for some time. Of course, I have kept a look-out for bees and bee-keepers wherever I have been — and I have moved about considerably. At times I have caught passing glimpses of apiaries as I have rushed along the main roads of this beautiful country, either in a heavy lumbering motor-lorry or in one of Mr. Henry Ford's auto- mobiles (sometimes). jBut only three times have I been able to get into intimate touch with a French apiarist. Here, as everywhere else, the war casts its shadow, and in talking to the bee- keepers I have found that the one who was specially interested in ' ' les mouches ' ' was away at the war, so any conclusions I may arrive at may not be entirely just. It seems to me, though, that our gentle cult is in a backward state here. Only once, when rushing by on a car, have I seen an apiary of frame hives. The apiaries I have visited have been com- posed of skeps or box-hives. The honey is still taken from the bees by the cruel ancient method of suffocating them at the end of the season. Modern methods seem to have been heard of, but initiative is lacking to put them into practice. It has interested me to find that the same superstitions as exist in rural dis- tricts of dear old England exist here. For instance, if a member of a family dies, the bees must be informed of the circumstance, and a piece of crepe must be tied to the hive. Memories of happy times spent wandering amongst bees and bee-keepers at home came back to me vividly when once again I heard these quaint old ideas set forth with so many authentic instances to back them up. It will be seen that up to the present I have not had the good fortune to find a truly up-to-date and enlightened bee- keeper, although I hope to do so. I know that such do exist in profusion and that apicultural societies are doing good work in educating bee-keepers and spreading a knowledge of scientific apiculture. But by reason of war, I have been tied to beaten tracks and strictly limited in my searches, and therefore I do not wonder that I have not found them. I should not call the part of France that I have seen a really good bee- country. It is too highly cultivated — wheat, oats, rye, barley and sugar-beet seem to be the chief crops. Of course, there are patches of clover, lucerne, sain- foin and buckwheat, but these do not make up for our good old English hedges, meadows and pastures. Such do not exist here. I should think that hives which are strong in early spring would pick up a fair harvest from fruit bloom, for many cider-apple trees are to be found everywhere. I am afraid that the one little English pronoun " I " appears more often in this article than any other word. As it is more of a personal narrative than anything else, I ask for indulgence. My thoughts fly forward to the time when once again I shall be at home with wife and children, with bees in the apiary and my bee-books close at hand, when peace shall once more reign on the earth, and when instead of beating my sword Into a ploughshare I'll be able to make of my bayonet a tolerably efficient uncapping knife. Till then I can only live in the memory of apicultural delights. To assist this memory, to make it more vivid and the pictures it calls up more real, now let me turn to Maeterlinck's " La Vie des Abeilles " which accom- panies me " partout." — D. Wilson, Belper. THE TWO PERILS : DYSENTERY AND THE WEATHER. It is difficult to say which of these two perils is to be feared most, considering that they are more or less interdependent, as malignant dysentery in favourable weather is practically un- known, and, should it ever occur, it need not cause much concern, as there is then a high prospect of its abatement with judicious treatment. In fact, recovery from malignant dysentery has been in some cases fallaciously attributed to the effects of certain chemicals, whereas, as I have suggested before, the favourable influence of the weather has been appa- rently underestimated in such instances. It is sensible, of course, to say that, so long as infection is guarded against, the ill-effects of bad weather are greatly diminished ; on the other hand, the harmful effects of cold, damp weather in reducing the vitality of the bees and in predisposing them to infection should not be forgotten. Even in the absence of infection, severe cold and excessive damp- ness are responsible for many fatalities amongst bees, sometimes erroneously at- Oct. 10, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 333 tributed to " Isle of Wight " disease. " Of the general causes which predispose to infection, cold and wet, especially if combined, are perhaps the most potent, but the method in which they act is still uncertain. Starvation and malnutrition are also important, and even in slight degrees have a very decided effect on immunity." Thus writes Dr. D'Este Emery in discussing questions relating to human bacteriology, and the same factors appear to operate in bee infections. Hence the hopeless state of an infected colony, exposed at the same time (through thoughtless preparation for wintering) to a severe cold and excessive dampness, might be easily imagined. Such severe weather will leave a colony in a semi-dead condition, too stupefied and chilled to feed, and with the combination of infec- tion and malnutrition or starvation, in spite of the presence of ample stores, the tragedy is complete. For economical reasons, as well as from consideration of the influence of prolonged cold weather in preventing the cleansing flights of bees for a long time, it is de- sirable to bring down their food rations to the lowest possible minimum, by main- taining the discouraging factor of a suit- able low temperature to their surround- ings, but this precaution is sometimes overdone, and the bees are thus compelled to live occasionally in a state of malnu- trition, preceding either infection or starvation. It would be equally harmful to unduly overfeed the bees, when circum- stances call for caution and discretion re- garding the degree of stimulating them. My critics wrongly imagine that I have not taken into consideration these im- portant points when I advocated the use of artificial heat in the apiary. I shall do my best in future contributions to show in the plainest language the many useful applications of artificial heat, and that, far from being harmful to sick or healthy bees, it is most beneficial to them when correctly applied. Others have advanced views against its application which, in my opinion, do not agree with any phy- sical law. I shall deal with these views also in due course. Suffice at present to say that I attach a great importance to the influence of cold, damp weather in predisposing a colony to infection, and that, for this reason, I advocate using mild artificial heat for defeating this harmful factor of the weather. I welcome in addition the advice which some of your correspondents give regarding shel- tering the hives and preventing draughty ventilation, just as I cannot support those who imagine their wisdom in not only leaving their bees to put up with the hardships of winter, but in intensify- ing their misery! (To be continued.) PECULIAE EFFECTS OF A STING. [9776] In these strenuous and fiery times one is tempted very much to seek, through the medium of the B.B.J., a little wisdom of the wise on the above topic, especially when there are many scientific and practical men writing in its pages, such as A. Z. Abushady, in his energetic researches for toxins and anti- toxins, septics and antiseptics; while " Kettle " ever remains at boiling point,, bubbling over with his interesting and racy yarns of the doings of bees and their keepers. The ever-repenting hostess of " Deborah," always making firm resolves to do better the " next time." My desire is to know what is best to do under circumstances which I will now try and describe. When stung by a bee, no matter in what part of the body the point of the needle is inserted, the effect is always the same. From five to ten minutes afterwards there is first a tick- ling feeling commencing in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, followed almost immediately by a queer sensation of dryness and tightness of the lips. Then appears a rash on the face, which spreads all over the body. The colour is like the embers of a burning fire, and whether it is of the same nature or not, one thing I know, it is accompanied with a terrible and awful itching; and however unmannerly it may be considered, one cannot resist or refrain from a vigorous rub, rub, rub. The temperature rises, to what extent I do not know, since I do not possess a clinical thermometer, but during its height the breathing becomes a little laboured. I may say what I have found out to get the quickest relief is to rush off to the sacred precincts of the bath and indulge in plenty of water con- taining bicarbonate of soda and soap. There I undergo a massaging and rubbing to my heart's content. Gradually the sting effects begin to subside, the tem- perature and breathing becomes normal, and the itching disappears, but the colour — the redness — remains. So much so when I put in my appearance amongst society again, neighbours and friends always want to know where I have been. To such queries I can only retort by saying I have been having an artificial holiday- week at some seaside resort, all within the space of an hour and a half, except- ing the colour, which remains an hour or so longer. Should this fall, or, rather, should the eyes of a doctor (in the craft) fall upon 334 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 10, 1918. this inquisitiveness, could he, or anyone, give a theory explaining why the virus of the hee's vaccine is carried by the blood so rapidly and has these peculiar effects. I may say, physically speaking, I am inclined to belong to Pharoah's lean kine, "rather thin," and in appearance I should say rather anaemic, but one who enjoys pretty good health. A reply from anyone would be very interesting, not only to myself, but perhaps to others who may be affected somewhat in like manner. — I remain, yours sincerely, Anxious Inquirer. " YADIL" AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE." [9777] May we be allowed to express our thanks through your columns to Mr. Duke for his kindly remarks on our " Yadil " antiseptic? Our knowledge of bee-keeping is not extensive, the final product affording us greater interest, but by studying the British Bee Journal during the past few months we are learning a lot. We would like to point out a few of the factors of " Yadil " antiseptic, in the hope that they may be of interest to your readers. " Yadil " was originally designed for internal and external use on the human system. It must not be confused with disinfectants, which practically all de- pend on either caustic or toxic properties for destruction of infecting organisms. " Yadil," whilst practically equal in power of killing Bacteria to "pure phenol, depends on its chemical action on these, and not on a destructive action. It is not in any way poisonous or caustic, and can be handled with perfect safety even by children. Even the concentrated solu- tion will not injure the cell tissue of the flesh. The fact that it is prescribed by medical men for internal use in teaspoon- ful doses provides excellent proof of this. This should prove of the greatest value in treating with the delicate organs of so small an insect as a bee. In closing, we would, as chemists, like to add our support to Dr. Abushady's article against the employment of organic arsenical compounds of the nature of salvarsan. These have been employed with some success in human use, but their use is confined to intravenous, intra- muscular and hypodermic injections, and tSey are highly poisonous when taken by the mouth. The preparation of the injections alone entails skilled chemical knowledge, and injections have to be made within a very short time of preparation as oxidisation sets in, and renders the preparation still more toxic. We think, with Dr. Abushadv, that su,ch dangerous compounds should be left entirely out of consideration. — P. pro. Clement & Johnson, Pierce Arnold. F.C.S. "LET US BE HONEST." [9778] In connection with the corre- spondence under the above heading, would it not be as well if " reputed pound " and 14-oz. honey bottles were eliminated from the bee appliance dealers' cata- logues ? All bottles of foreign make seem to be unobtainable at present, so that the best time to deal with this matter would seem to be when bottles are to be next offered for sale. I may say, as a bee-keeper, that this seems to me the most dishonest thing that I my-self have suffered from. One experience of many may show my mean- ing. Some years ago I used to sell to a grocer about 3 cwts. of honey in 1-lb. jars, each season, until one autumn, he asked me to reduce my price, as he had an offer of honey at ^d. per lb. less than mine. Instead of doing this, I sold my honey to a rival grocer in the town. Later I went to have a look at the cheaper (?) honey, and found it to be put up in 14-oz. bottles! I naturally asked the dealer what he intended to do when his customers asked for a " pound " of honey. I judged from his surprise that he was quite unaware that he was selling under weight, and he assured me that he only received 112 bottles to the hundredweight. Comment seems needless, and your title, " Let Us be Honest," applies not only to dealings between bee-keepers themselves, but also, surely, between bee- keepers and the general public, and I maintain that '-' reputed pound " or 14-oz. bottles ought to be unobtainable. — A. W.„ Birmingham. ROBBERS— THE WET PACK. [9779] Re Mr. Hamshar's observations in " Jottings," p. 283. Briefly, robbing is itself strenuous busi- ness. That which will stop it quickest is no disadvantage to the new hand, and if it involves no sacrifice of bees, it is safe enough to satisfy most people. But if " hardly safe " is intended to apply to the operator's person, then my experience reveals no risk whatever. As to something stronger than water, that element, when immediately drawn from a deep well, has a " strength " hot- headed bees recognise in a twinkling. An old sack hardly means a mat. Between them there is a great difference, and one hardly looks for suffocation on a hot day, under a shade and a cooling Oct. 10, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 335 temperature. The price of peace, via the •• ^Yet Pack," I put it to Mr. Hainshar, is refreshingly cheap, and accomplished remarkably quick. My own experience of other methods does not induce me to spend time over them. I am a busy man all daylight, and much beyond that, in addition. Prompt settlement of difficulties is, therefore, a necessity. Carbolic or Izal, weak or strong, and even crude creosote painted thick on entrance and approaches, fail to stop determined cases. A wet sack enfold- ing the whole hive front is better. But though the best of past methods, it does not stop the trouble, and the commotion which continually goes on is a storm centre attracting all prowlers and potential robbers, never missing in a big apiary when a stoppage of the spring honey flow occurs. If the robbers are merely baulked and not disabled, then the operator may see hive after hive attacked, and the safety of every hive less than full strength involved. No, Mr. Hamshar, give me the • -trenuous " Wet Pack an easy first. Then to " tar " the rascals with a sprinkling of flour, and sprint around a big apiary to trace the source, will not assist much, when, as is often the case, more than one stock is in the trouble. And who dare use flour in an apiary now for any purpose whatever? In short, to handle a case of robbing in a large apiary, and in many of a less pretentious definition, by any other method than the " Wet Pack,'* would leave the worker with no time to attend to anything else for the day. That robbing is a perennial, many bee-keepers will well know. The forage character of the district is the chief factor in spring robbing, assuming careful management in the apiary work, and for spring rob- bing, the " Wet Pack " was put forward. Stop it quickly and you stop much. By all means use the simplest and easiest methods to deal with trouble, but don't forget that the efficient one is the test, and best of all. To widen the choice for readers of the Journal was the reason for giving the " Wet Pack " the chance of publication. Bee-keepers, then, u^e that which gives most satisfaction. Circum- stances alter cases. — M. Atkixsox. DEALING WITH DISEASE. '0780] To bee or not to bee — that i* the question? " To bee, of course," exclaims the enthusiastic one, who, after delibera- tion, had decided that to emulate Mrs, Wiggs was not the best way to personally become a patriotic producer. Rather than sacrifice the tinv lawn and the flowers she would use those few saved pounds and buy hens. At this physcological moment Mrs. Baynes, the intensive poultry lady, appeared, and to her seductive arguments Enthusiasm forthwith succumbed. The house and six Leghorns became a fact, and for the pa?t three months an average of five eggs a day has resulted. Five eggs a day at present prices are not to be sniffed at. No wonder Enthusiasm asserts " Of course, we'll bee," adding " the care of bees will take up even less of our precious time than hens. There will be honey for hospitals, prisoners' and soldiers' parcels, and for the kiddies. I have read that honey is served in tubes to Japanese soldiers when on active service to increase their power of endurance. The infant welfare people will chortle, for honey helps to build up children's consti- tions, and being predigested by the bees, is so much better than the excess of sugar of pre-war times, and present-day jams. I'll write for catalogues immediately and find out the damage." '.' Steady," says the Experienced One. "I, too, keep intensive Leghorns with success. I also keep bees, so far with suc- cess, but ever over me hangs, like the sword of Damocles the hideous dread of ' Isle of Wight ' disease. To start bees costs money, as say our American friends. To see your beautiful colony, value £5, and swarms derived therefrom destroyed by the disease may materialise any day. I have just visited an expert's apiary, where only three of fifty stocks survive, and another friend who last year had thirty-five stocks is left with one. All caused by the dirt and carelessness of other bee-keepers. " Legislation is the only real and sufficient cure. " Anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease amongst animals have been stamped out, but the precious industry of honey produc- tion still cries for State aid. If only the Government would use D.O.R.A. to empower County Councils to make bye- laws on apiculture by insisting that traffic in bees from affected areas should cease, and that the disease should be reported immediately on appearance, I would increase my hives and help by giving swarms and advice to would-be apiarists." " What a revelation," exclaims the Enthusiastic One. " I have a few more dollars to invest, but none to fool away, and your example I follow; bitt, we won't rest until public opinion compels the power behind D.O.R.A. to act, and when the war ceases central legislation for apiarists will probably follow auto- matically. " And, now. how to set about it? That is the question." — E. G. Lockyer. 336 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 10, 1918. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. " Veracity " (Wexford).— Wintering queries. — (1) Do not give the bees syrup now. If there is not enough food stored in the combs for winter use candy. You may put on a couple or three pounds, when finally packing down for winter, and renew the supply as it is consumed, one pound of candy will probably equal about 1J lbs. of honey. (2)- It is a igood plan to spray the combs with one of the remedies for " Isle of Wight " disease when packing for winter. Use the solu- tion warm. Bacterol, Izal, Flavine, or Yadil may bo used. Prevention of Swarming. — There is no absolute prevention apart from making the stock useless for honey production. The best method of chock- ing swarming will vary according to circum- stances, and the skill of the bee-keeper. Giving plenty of room, in advance of requirements, and removing combs of brood and bee® from colonies that appear likely to get out of hand) for the purpose of making nuclei, or for strengthening weak lots; plenty of ventilation, and having young queens in the hives, is generally effective. Miss L. M. Lea Wilson (Middlesex).— -Wintering outside or under cover. — We prefer leaving the hives outside. If the ground is very damp, stand the hive legs on a couple or three bricks each, and keep the ground under and around the hive free of herbage. The syrup will be nearly all sealed before very cold weather comes. (2) Yes, if you have left it so that a cake of candy can be given if necessary without undue disturbance of the bees. Also put a couple of balls oi naphthaline in the hive. (3) We prefer to leave the combs up to the front. (4) See reply to " Veracity." E. L. Burt (Essex).— Yeas ts?— We do not know that anything has been published concerning the yeast germs found in bees. Some work on inves- tigating them was being done, but the war has stopped it. J. M. (Bedford).— Thanks for the suggestion, but we have more work now than we can deal with, and it would also spoil the whole idea of the thing. Suspected Disease. " Born on a Friday " (Oxon).— (1) Hybrid Italian, worker. (2) Yes. '(3) Native, or possibly Dutch. (4) You can do very little at this time of year. Lift the hive off the floorboard, scrape the latter down, and apply a strong solution of some dis- infectant and water, with a brush, allow to stand a short time, then dry off the surface moisture and 'replace. Spray the bees and combs with one of the remedies, and put some naphthaline in the hive. " TimwortA " i(Bury St. Edmunds).— The brown substance was pollen. The brood was quite healthy. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lid. per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum charge of 5s. per %in., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of td. extra will be made if a box number is used. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. FOR SALE, 1918 Dutch Queen, price 10s. 6d — GREENHOUGH, 78, St. Peter's Road, Leicester. k.18 ANTED, good fertile 1918 Queen; Italian preferred. — GREENAWAY, Gas Works, Bodmin. k.19 STOCK sold. Spring will release other hives now hidden under hay.— GOODALL, Star- beck, Harrogate. k.20 OR SALE, White Wyandotte Hens, Came. laying competition strain, 10s. each; also few stones Apples, 8d. lb— NICHOLSON, Lang- wathby. k.21 ANTED, Driven Bees; Italians preferred.— NEILSON, Gaia Fields, Lichfield. k.22 W SALE, 61 lbs. Honey, good colour and flavour, 2s. 7d. lb., tin included— HUNT, Bank Street, Somercotes, Alfreton. k.23 4) A LB. TIN Light Extracted Honey, 52s., car- 4d\3 riage paid.— NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex. k.24 W ANTED, Honey Extractor— YOUNG, 47, Brodrick Road, Upper Tooting, S.W.17. k.25 W ANTED, good Honey Extractor; approval — HASLOPE, Kirkee, Bassett, Southampton. k.26 WHAT we did ask for from the D.B.s and others who benefited by the Flavine Treat- ment was a little honey for our wounded soldiers and sailors nnder the care of the Middlesex Hos- pital. The Secretary, Walter Kewley, Esq., will acknowledge all receipts— S. H. SMITH. k.27 WANTED, several W.B.C. Hives; also one or two Carniolan Nuclei— J. M., Belford, Northumberland. k.28 SECTION Honey, 36s. per doz.; Heather Honey, 3s. 6d. r»er section; also Extracted Honey.— CRAWFORD, Apiaries, Castlederg. k.29 STRONG, healthy Stocks of Bees, just from heather, 1918 Queens, 80s. each, including heather hive— MEGGITT, Bramhall, Cheshire, k.4 PURE Light Cambridge Honey, four 28-lb. tins, 3s. per lb. Tins and cases returnable. Sample 4d— YOUNG. 42, James Street, Cambridge. i.50 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l§d. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast. 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. " XSLE 0F WIGHT" Disease permanently X cured. Tested four years. Solution and directions, 2s., post free— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 YOUNG, healthy, fertile, vigorous British Hybrid Queens to be sold with their Nuclei. — PRYOR, Breachwood Green. k.17 Oct. 17, 1918. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. 337 OWNERSHIP OF SWARMS. We are indebted to Col. H. J. O. Walker, and also an anonymous friend for the following notes from the County Courts Chronicle of Oct. 1. Col. Walker remarks that this is probably the highest price ever claimed and awarded for a runaway swarm. It will also be noticed that the plaintiff lost sight of the bees for some time, but there was good*cir- cumstantial evidence that the swarm claimed was from his hive. GELSTON V. KING. Bees — Property in Sicurm. This case was heard at Basingstoke County Court, before his Honour, Judge Lailey, K.C., on July 5, when judgment was reserved. After hearing evidence as to value, His Honour delivered the following written judgment at Basingstoke on August 23 : — This case presents one of the many little domestic problems which crop up in Hampshire, and, the point raised not being quite an everyday one, I took time to look into the authorities. The subject-matter of the action is a swarm of bees, the value of which the plaintiff claims to recover on an allega- tion that he has been deprived of his bees by the tortious act of the defendant. The facts are these : — On May 28 there was on plaintiff's premises a hive of bees. On that day the bees swarmed and the plaintiff hived them. On May 29 the bees left the new hive and settled on the next-door neighbour's hedge. On plaintiff attempting to retake them, about 5.30 the same evening, the. bees flew away. The direction they took was observed by plaintiff's son, and plaintiff learned soon afterwards that they had settled a short distance away, in the grounds of a house called Downsland House. The Downsland House premises are let to the defendant, and he is in possession of them, but the house was on May 29 unoccupied, the defendant resid- ing on the opposite side of the same road. Plaintiff, being unable to obtain access to the Downsland House premises, went over) to the defendant's residence 'and asked to be allowed to take the bees. Defendant stated that on the bees settling upon his premises he had sent to a bee-keeper living near, and that with his help the bees had been hived, and suggested that the trouble of hiving ought to be paid for. Plaintiff at once expressed his willingness to pay, but de- fendant declined to let him have the bees. saying by way of excuse that he must communicate with the man who had helped hive them, and to whom he stated he had given them, and he told plaintiff to see him again the following evening. Plaintiff did so, but defendant then point- blank refused to let him have the bees, became abusive, and forbade plaintiff to enter the Downsland House premises, where the bees still were. The result was that plaintiff was unable to retake the bees and lost them. Their value I assess at ,£3 3s. So much for the facts. Then as to the law : Bees are not covered by the rules applicable to chattels. They are not mere chattels, but are things ferte nature?, and the subject, not of absolute, but of qualified ownership. The law affecting them is thus stated in 2 Black- stone's Commentaries, p. 392 : " Bees are ferce naturce, but, when hived and re- claimed, a man may have a qualified pro- perty in them by the law of nature as well as by the civil law. . . . Animals feace naturte are no longer the property of a man than while they continue in his keeping or actual possession; but if at any time they regain their natural liberty his property instantly ceases; unless they have animum revertendi, which is only known by their usual custom of return- ing. . . . The law extends this possession further than the mere manual occupa- tion ; for my tame hawk that is pursuing his quarry in my presence, though he is at liberty to go where he pleases, is. nevertheless, my property : for he hath animum revert endi." The learned com- mentator instances also carrier pigeons, adding : " But if they stray without my knowledge, and do not return in the usual manner, it is then lawful for any stranger to take them." In Lord Hals- bury 's Laws of England (vol. 1, p. 799) the matter is dealt with as follows : — "Trespass or trover will lie for taking . . . bees from a hive. Bees are fera naturce., and there is no property in them except by reclamation. Thus, if a swarm settle on a man's 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 so long as they can be seen and followed." Applying the law as stated above to the facts of this case, in my opinion the plaintiff at the time he first went to the defendant on May 29 had not lost his rights in the bees. They were, in Lord Halsbury's words, " seen and followed " in the sense that there was no loss of identity, nor anything in the nature of abandonment, and I think that is sufficient. The case is very near the line, but in my view the short interval of time during which the bees were out of plaintiff's actual vision does not defeat his claim. Thisdemand for 338 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. IT, 1918. the bees on the evening of May 29 ought to have been complied with, and I give him judgment for ,£3 3s. } with costs. If defendant desires to appeal he can have leave. A DORSET YARN. One sees many fields of charlock and mustard in flower during the train journey to London. Though the bees are left behind in Dorest, one's thoughts are with them as field after field of bee flowers are passed. The exhibition of home-grown fruit of the R.H.S. was the attraction to London. A very fine lot was staged from all parts of the United Kingdom; even Ireland had some of the prizes. How many of our people realise that without the aid of bees an exhibition such as staged last week would have been im- possible. Our men of science have proved over and over again that many of our choicest varieties of fruit are incapable of self-fertilisation. It all proves to me that bees and fruit must go on together on our fields at the Violet Farm. After a visit to Covent Garden to see the salesman who sells our few violets, was able to catch one of the fast Bournemouth express trains home again. One does not like to be away from the farm long together, as the work can never be made up. The Government has sent to work in the fields some soldier labour. The last one came while we were at the R.H. Society's meeting on Tuesday. He is will- ing enough, but before he joined the Army he worked in a jam factory, and is not what most tillers of the soil would call a skilled one at agriculture. Still, we must carry on till some of my sons come home from the war. We were pleased to get a visit 'from another member of the Kent Association. Mr. Warren came when we were busy. I guess he was tired tramping round to see the bees and fields. We seem to get a good many now to see us. One came from Gee- long; in Australia. He said he had read about me, and had made up his mind when next in England to visit me. He showed me a report of a lecture, or yarn, on bees which had been copied in the Australian Press. These Colonials are shrewd fellows. His advice to me was " Boom it! When you have a going concern such as you have, with bees, flowers, and fruit, boom it well. You will soon make your pile." If to boom anything is to inflate our home for what it is not, then we will not " boom it ! " We have read somewhere, " Good wine needs no bush." We are happy, do not go short of the comforts of life: we have no wish to inflate in order to sell our stuff. Still, if all visitors wrote such glow- ing appreciations as Mr. Turner wrote of our farm, one would soon have " swelled head." There are plenty of other tillers of the soil, such as we, who do their land well, only they have not come into the limelight. It is not the farmer that makes this part good for the bees, but because we are quite close to the sea, and it never gets so cold. The season is longer here than in the North ; the land never gets so much frost in it close to the sea. One lady writes me she had been in Dorset, and was told that it was not a good place for bees, so there is difference of opinion about Dorset. On* Saturday, October 12, bees were working the ivy blossom on the hedgerows. They were collecting pollen, but they seemed to be running their tongues over the surface of their peculiar flower, as if they were getting something good, as all the segments of their abdomen were in motion, as they always are when feeding. Yet where the nectar can be is beyond me, as there is a clear surface beneath the anthers, like a bald head. But I know there is nectar, as wasps and two-winged flies are also there after it. What a lot Ave have still to learn of bees and flowers, and this one is a curiosity : little bunches of green, which, when weather is fine and Warm burst open with their five pollen anthers, all perfect. The great number of insects make one stop to see them. Yet that morning it was raining in torrents : but when the sun came out these flowers burst their calyx and exposed the seed organs for fertilisation. Quite early this (Sunday) morning our bees were out quite a distance across the fields. It was a few flowering broad beans that were the attraction before nine o'clock. — J. J. Kettle. HOW I TOOK A SWARM. (Continued from page 324.) There was plenty of light to climb up by, because I had by now got to know my branches; but, as the foliage shut out the moon, I could have seen nothing of the bees had I not had my glow-lamp. How- ever, my providence had forearmed me, so I switched it on, to find that though the bulk of bees had gone, there was a substantial cluster left out more or less above the board. I did not like to brush them this time, because if I got them on wing in the dark Mipy would be apt to settle all over the place, which would mean probably a good many stings for me, as I should be sure to put my hands on them as I moved; also I should probably have lost a good many of them. So I decided to try the .smoker. Again I was glad of my fore- sight in bringing up a plentiful supply of Oct. IT, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 339 paper in my cartridge bag, because the first filling was practically burnt out. However, luckily, I was able to refill. Then I had to get round the difficulty of blowing in the right direction and at the same time holding the glow-lamp so that I could see where the bees were. Luckily, the difficulty was not insurmountable, and by working slowly and patiently, in a comparatively short time I had got the bulk of the recalcitrant cluster to walk into the skep, and decided to lower the skep on to the board and have the stragglers, which I did. I then came up against the most serious difficulty I had had to face. This was how to get at the cloth which was spread across the holes in the fork and under the board, so that I could pull up the corners and tie them over the top of the skep. It took some manoeuvring, but ultimately was accomplished, and, aided by two straps which I had brought with me after dinner, the skep and board were fairly securely fastened together. The next thing- -was to tie my long cord to the top of the parcel, so that I could lower it down, because the distance be- tween the branches I had come up by was much too great for me to be able otherwise to get the skep down, to say nothing of the danger of plenty of stings from the stray bees that were crawling about the cloth, should I attempt to take it down in my arms. It was not easy to pass the string"*under the bulky parcel while at the same time avoiding a fall from my perch, nor was it easy to tie a safe knot where required without tangling the length of cord I had cut off. However, patience, was ulti- mately rewarded, and by about 10 p.m. the skep was safely landed on terra firma, and, feeling that I had safely accomplished my object, I could descend, trusting to taKe the swarm home. I left the swarm in the skep for the night, just lifting one side to give the bees air, and as I had a hive ready for such an emergency I was able to get them transferred and be in for breakfast by 7.30 next morning. One word of warning. I lost my seven stocks last year from " Isle of Wight " disease imported with a stray swarm which I took, and, in my lack of experi- ence, placed among my own hives. The ■swarm within a fortnight disclosed that they had the disease badly, and from them it spread to all my six healthy stocks, and I lost them all. This year I have placed the stray swarm's hive well away from my other tenanted hives — only two, I regret to say — and they shall stay there till I am satis- fied that they are not infected with any disease. If they show signs of infection I shall destroy them ; otherwise my other stocks are sure to get roDDing the hive, and so catch the infection. — J. E. B. Branson (Capt.). QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 49. "What aspect should a hive prefer- ably face? And why? 50. State the requisites of an efficient ■roof for a hive. 51. Why should the ground around a hive be kept clear of long grass, weeds, etc. ? / 52. What does "piping" heard in a hive indicate? 53. How do bees recognise their own hive when returning from a flight? 54. What is the objection to placing a quilt of wool or felt next to the frames? 55. Describe pollen. 56. "What should be done (1) to prevent and (2) to check robbing? 57. Compare the advantages of nucleus swarming with those of natural swarming. 58. What qualities or characteristics should a bee-keeper cultivate in himself to enable him to control his bees comfortably and profitably? 59. What ills or evils to bees are attri- buted to feeding with sugar derived from beet? 60. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture on the influence of weather on honey pro- duction. J. L. B. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists (continued). By A. Harwood. Corydalis cava (syn. C. tuberosa), hollow-rooted Fumitory. Purple flowers from February to May. There is a white flowering variety (C.C. alba). Some of the fumitories are indigenous to Great Britain, C. claviculata, a white climbing one, being often seen growing on roofs of houses and on walls in the North of Scot- land. It is, indeed, often called W^all Rue. 0. capreolata (Rampant Fumitory) and C. officinalis (Common Fumitory) are also natives. C. solida (syn. C. bulbosa), a lover of damp and shady places, is a garden escape, as is also C. lutea, a pretty yellow flowering plant 6 in. to 1 ft. in height. Similar to the last-named is C. cheilan- thifolia. while C. nobilis differs in height (H ft.) and in having a dark purple spot in the centre of its yellow flowers, tipped with white. This variety, which comes from China, is a very handsome one, well 340 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 17, 1918. worth growing. There is a newer form, ('. thalictri folia, also worthy a place, if only for its delicate fern-like foliage. With the exception of C. bulbosa, which bears pink flowers, all the others are yellow. C. Wilsonii is the deepest-coloured of these; its height is 9 in. By planting different varieties, bloom can be had from April to October. All, save C. bulbosa, are partial to light sandy soil and are good rock-garden plants. With the ex- ception of C. thalictri folia, which is doubtful as yet, all are quite hardy. Plant in March. Cynoglossum (Hound's Tongue). — This is a relation of the Borage, like it in having blue flowers. C. Blue Gem is the newest form. C. amabile is light blue; C. nervosum, a perennial, is of a richer hue. They flower in spring. C. furculum, also a quite recent introduction from India, which under favourable conditions reaches 3 ft. high, flowers in Juno. For annual varieties sow seed in spring. Divide perennials in spring or autumn. Deutzia crenata and D. gracilis. — These are really shrubs, but are eminently suit- able for small gardens, since their com- paratively small size and neat habit fits them for a place at the back of herbaceous borders rather than in a big shrubbery. D. crenata seldom exceeds 6 ft. in height, while D. gracilis attains but 2 or 3 ft. The flowers, borne in racemes or panicles, are white. D. staminea, a 3-ft. subject from the Himalayas, is very sweet- scented and distinct in flower form. Its variety (C. S. corymbosa) is a stronger grower (5 ft.), with larger flowers. Erica carnea (syn. E. herbacea), Winter Heath, probably the most popular of the cultivated hardy heaths of compact habit. It is covered with bright pink flowers in early spring, sometimes coming into bloom in January and continuing until the end of March, during which month it is a jnass of rosy-red. E. carnea varies in height, according to soil, aspect and other con- ditions, from 9 in. to 1£ ft. Erica vul- garis (syn. cattuna vulgaris), ling, is the source, or at any rate the principal source, of heather honey in this country. Nearness to moors or commons covered with heather is not given to all bee- keepers. Those who do enjoy this privi- lege doubtless know more of its value than the writer, whose sole experience in this direction has been, when on holiday tramps, to lie basking in the sun among the wiry plants springing from the black, sandy soil, and listen to the hum of the bees, the chirp of the field crickets and the cries of the birds. With C. vulgaris is generally found E. tetralix (the bell heather), but not nearly so abundantly; nor does the contribution of this latter to the honey press compare either in quan- tity or quality with that yielded by the ling. While we cannot all be heathens, it is possible for every owner or occupier of a garden to include some of the heaths in it and to have one or other of them in bloom all the year round. The heaths are excellent for edgings and also for massing under deciduous trees and shrubs, or on slopes. In addition to E. carnea, there are E. ciliaris (Dorset Heath), C. vagans (Cornish Heath), and E. stricta, with pink flowers; white forms of C. vulgaris, C. carnea, C. cinerea (Scots Heather), and C. tetralix, deep-red ones of all of these, that of C. -vulgaris being known as C. V. Alportii. There are, further, the South European heaths, growing with heights varying from 2 to 5 ft. (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. IMMUNE QUEENS. ("9781] I have read with interest the recent articles by A. Z. Abushady, "The Urgent Task," re use of Vaccine for the immunisation of the queen bee against " Isle of Wight " disease. The possibility of this occurred to me some twelve months ago, and I also re- membered that in the case of infectious diseases, such as small-pox, etc., one finds that, once the patient recovers, the very fact of having had the complaint seems to confer immunity for a time at least. In the autumn of last year I had three stocks badly affected and I tried removing all stocks, and then spraying and feeding with syrup medicated with a remedy then being lauded as infallible in your paper by jone of your correspondents. The result was, however, that the bees dwindled away, and by the end of Feb- ruary this year only a handful of bees remained in each stock. In each case I found the queen alive, and I was able to introduce these queens to sufficient bees shaken from the combs of healthy stocks, and so by adding a comb or two of brood started them afresh. These three have been the strongest and Oct, 17, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 341 best of all my bees this season, and are now very strong and healthy. Is there anything in it? One fact makes me doubtful. That is, no matter what one does to a badly-affected stock in the way of disinfecting, etc., if they /have contracted the " real " " Isle of Wight " disease they are doomed to die sooner or later, so that it follows that so long as the queen remains on the affected combs her brood take the infec- tion and die. However, once the queen is removed and given a fresh start, might it not be that she has become so affected as to confer a slight degi'ee of immunity to her brood, sufficient perhaps to enable them to resist ordinary outside sources of infection? I am keeping these three stocks under close observation, and until now they have remained perfectly healthy. Have other bee-keepers tried this, and, if so, have any stocks, while headed by such queens, been known to contract the disease? — A. W., Birmingham. " LET US BE HONEST." ["9782] It is, I think, only right to bring before bee-keepers facts which will give them some encouragement not to be for ever doubting brother bee-keepers' honesty. It so happened that I lately had deal- ings with a certain bee-keeper from whom I purchased a stock which on the follow- ing day showed signs of the "I. of W." disease. Having consulted with an ex- pert, he agreed wi^h me that it would be far better to destroy the colony for the sake of my healthy colonies, and in that way save the situation. This I did with sulphur, after having removed the hive to a distant part of my grounds some days before. The ground I have had dug up and had the hive disinfected with a strong Izal solution and the inside painted again, and when I can get some white paint I hope to paint the inside of the hive to make it again fit for a future colony. I had written to the bee-keeper telling him of my suspicions, and, later on, the destruction of his bees. To this he most kindly replied, expressing his regrets, and enclosing a cheque for the full amount, including the carriage of the bees. Now, why should he trust me or take my word, for we had had no previous dealings in bees? I could not help feeling that he had acted just as one would ex- pect any other right-minded bee-keeper would wish to act. Each week's number of the Bee Journal gives to bee-keepers great encouragement to go on in their interesting and fascinating work, and daily learning some fresh lessons from the most interesting of God's creatures; and if only all bee-keepers will pull together, then any spirit of bitterness will soon cease to exist. All depends upon each bee-keeper to make bee-keeping a success either as a hobby or a profession. — Rev. Alexander Hay-Halle y. ANOTHER NOVICE'S EXPERIENCES. [9783] The perusal of the experiences, not to say adventures, of your correspon- dent " Novice " in the Journal a few weeks ago would, I fear, deter many would-be bee-keepers from taking up this absorbing hobby, and one feels it a duty to present the other side of the picture of possibilities, if only to show the " would- be's " that there is another and more hopeful side to the craft for the beginner. I must confess that at the beginning, after reading back numbers of the Jour- nal, Maeterlinck, Tickner Edwards, Sim- mins' "Bee-keepers' Guide Book," etc., one felt somewhat impressed, if not timorous, by the space devoted to and predominance of warnings and experi- ences relating to " Isle of Wight " disease and swarming troubles, etc. How- ever, I eventually took the plunge, made a W.B.C. hive from Mr. Gee's design from the Kent B.K. Association, and, on — June 10, 1917. — Bought four frames hy- brids with a 1916 queen (which extended to, and wintered on, 10 combs); manipu- lation practised from time to time; sprayed with " Bacterol ": fed 14 lbs. candy, and successfully wintered, although hive was molested on three occasions. Easter, 1918.— Eventually settled at the end of my allotment. April 22. — Clean sheet foundation put in centre of brood nest with view to fol- lowing method of queen-rearing detailed in " Guide Book." May 2. — One super put on; 8 shallow frames filled with foundation. May 4. — Queen cells having been started, artificial swarm and nucleus made, but failing to find the queen from the uncapped cell in main stock, after carefully looking through twice, on each of two manipulations, and having mean- while got Mr. Smith's pamphlet on " Sky- craper Hives for Swarm Control, and Honey Production," together with a sample of Flavine (which I used), decided that honey production to reimburse ex- penditure was of primary importance. So on May 22. — United both lots on 20 frames in two brood chambers, after dusting with Flavin ed flour. May 25.— Three supers on. June 5 (Red-letter Day). — Took out one shallow comb of capped honey for the " guid wife's" birthday. Two brood chambers and four supers on at this time. June 9.— First super, 27 9-10 lbs. capped honey taken. Local expert judged this 342 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 17, 1918. " an excellent sample." All sold at 2s. 6d. lb., customers providing jars. July 1. — Another four-frame nucleus made and given queen-cell (not success- ful). July 10.— Ditto, ditto, ditto. July 14. — Two supers, about 56 lbs. taken. July 17. — Stock divided again. July 20. — One super, 25 lbs. taken. July 27. — Examined stock, and saw newly hatched queen biting at queen-cell next to her own, and for five minutes watched this little drama, with the bees getting underneath the queen to lift her clear and prevent her stinging the occu- pant of cell. Other cells cut out and given to two nuclei. Fortunately, herein was my only parallel with " Novice's " case, having virgin queens galore as the cells were taken out. August 4. — Queen laying in nucleus. August 11. — Queen laying in main stock. August 20. — Divided old queen's stock, introducing young queen bought from a friend, and before feeding up intend uniting these and killing old queen (which I am sentimental and grateful enough to hate doing). Sept. 2. — Last super of 19 lbs. taken. Total yield, about 150 lbs. light honey, about half of which has been sold without difficulty at 2s. 6d. lb. (without jars), enabling me to pay all initial outlay, plant (including fine second-hand ex- tractor), and candy for feeding, and good prospects of starting next season with three strong stocks, headed by 1918 queens, providing the preventive methods employed against " Nosema apis and Co." are effective. In conclusion, Messrs. Editors, my thanks are due to you for the guidance and help received through the pages of the Journal (Mr. Kettle's articles, too, I always enjoy), and trust that this re- cital of my experiences may be the means of inducing others to take up seriously this most interesting occupation. — Another Novice (Bristol). PECULIAR EFFECTS OF A BEE STING. [9784] I was much interested in the letter (9776) under the above heading in your issue of the 12th inst., more espe- cially as the effects therein described coin- cide to a large extent with my own expe- rience Perhaps it will be of interest if 1 try to describe what happens to me under similar circumstances. About ten minutes after manipulating, the palms of my hands and my lips itch violently, the lips turning blue. The face becomes covered with a rash which gives it a fiery appearance, and is also accom- panied by itching. My legs and arms lose all power of support, a violent feeling of sickness completes my prostration, and I generally sprawl on the hearthrug, when retching takes place, although I do not vomit. Then comes oblivion. I am un- conscious for about half-an-hour. Soon after the return of consciousness I begin to get better, and in two hours from the beginning of the attack I am quite myself again. Now comes the strange part .of my story. I do not attribute these attacks to stings. I have had four of these attacks, and on two occasions I was stung ; on the others I was not stung. And I noticed that the attacks were not so acute on those occasions when I was stung. My opinion at that time was that some odour, or influence, from the hives was responsible for the trouble, but the doctor said, ' ' Nothing of the kind ; your nerves must be in an awful state." Well, Sirs, I took bromide of potash, and I have not had a recurrence of the trouble all this year, although I have had several stings. I may add that I am still a bee-keeper, and. all being well, intend to extend operations next year. — Thos. E. Evans. [9785] In reply to " Anxious In- quirer's " letter (9776, October 10), the following facts may be of interest : — The veins pour the blood, coining from various portions of the system, into the right auricle of the heart. This contracts and drives the blood into the right ven- tricle, from which, by passage through the lungs, it is purined, and passes on by the pulmonary veins to the left auricle. The left auricle expels it into the left ventricle, which forces it on into the aorta or great artery, by which it is distributed all over the body. After passing through the capillaries in the various tissues, it enters the veins, and again goes on to the right auricle. The complete circle is ac- complished by any particular drop of blood in about half-a-minute. The last sentence will explain to your correspondent why the effects are so quickly apparent. To turn to the cause, formic acid is largely contained in the fluid injected. This particularly affects the muscles and nerve centres and acts as a stimulant to the heart in small doses. It is rapidly absorbed by the blood, taken into circulation and distributed over the body. With this, as with other drugs, certain systems are more susceptible than others to its influence. Regarding treatment, I would suggest the use of liquid ammonia applied on a pad immediately. This will have the effect of neutralising the formic acid and forming ammonium formate, which is non- irritant. — Pierce Arnold, F.C.S. Oct. 17, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 343 ("9786] I read with much interest the letter of an " Anxious Inquirer " (9776), as stings have a somewhat similar effect on myself — rather worse, in fact. Soon after the infliction of a sting,, a tingling sensation occurs in throat and lips, my face becomes bloated, a rash comes out over the whole body, and my heart beats furiously. After twenty minutes or so of this, my strength begins to fail, pulse becomes almost imperceptible, sight din*, and face ashen, and a cold sweat super- venes. These symptoms usually pass off within another twenty minutes. ~ The effect of the last sting received was even more serious, as within a short time I became quite unconscious, and vomited when consciousness returned. This decided me to consult my doctor on the subject, but before I had a convenient opportunity of doing so (he resides some distance off) he was called up for Army service. The only remedy I have found of any use is brandy : sal volatile does little or no good. Like " Anxious Inquirer," I am thin (weight 7st., height 5ft. 8|in.), but not strong, and shall be very glad if any reader with medical knowledge can give a reason for these unpleasant effects of stings, which may lead to the discovery of some means of avoiding them. I have kept bees for about fourteen years: but only during recent years has a sting served me as described above. — ■'' Formic Acid." BEE STINGS AND BLOOD-POISONING. [9787] In replying to " Anxious In- quirer " I would like to suggest that he might find it beneficial to drink some bicarbonate of soda in water before operating with bees. This h-as had good effect in some cases where the person was very susceptible to insect stings. Menthol salicylate, obtainable in collapsible tubes, is useful to smear on the hands to prevent stings, and to apply after being stung. I hope this will be helpful to others as well as "Anxious Inquirer." — A. W. Salmon. •■ Sl'PEKSENSITIVENESS " TO THE BEE TOXIN. f9788] The symptoms of which your correspondent complains, in his letter (9776), entitled " Peculiar Effects of a Sting," indicate "anaphylaxis," or " supersensitiveness " to the bee toxin. It would be entirely out of place to give here the various hypotheses and theories advanced in explanation of this curious phenomenon, and interested readers must be referred therefore to works on im- munity or to an advanced text-book of bacteriology. In all probability, a gradual immunity would be established in due course in most of the affected persons, although the period of immunisation is bound to vary in dif- ferent susceptible bee-keepers, according to variation in the governing factors. The best advice that could be given under the circumstances is : (1) To avoid being stung, not only by careful, firm ana gentle manipulation, but also by wearing a veil and gloves, at the risk of some in- convenience and of shocking export friends. . . . What matters in bee-keeping is the correct management of the bees, that would entitle one to a merited suc- cess.- A simple amateur bee-keeper with his gloves and veil might know how to treat his pets better than some experts. Moreover, it should be remembered that septic thrombosis might result from a sting, and therefore it is highly advisable that no risks should be taken in the case of a susceptible person by not protecting the face. An occasional sting through the gloves would aid immunisation in a care- ful way, and when the effects of a future sting appear comparatively trivial the gloves could be discarded. (2) It is wiser for those who continue to remain highly susceptible to the effects of stings to give up active bee-keeping and to be content with the work of supervision, as over-pro- tection of the hands (e.g., by wearing two • pairs of gloves) makes one quite clumsy to a degree that would induce stinging, instead of preventing it : and it is not correct to say that the harmful sequehe to a sting in. anaphylactic subjects could be overlooked. (3) As local remedies for bee stings appear to be valueless, on ac- count of the manner in which the poison is injected, there is nothing that could be done except to treat unpleasant symptoms. It is not kind to suggest a hypodermic in- jection of an experimental drug in an already tortured person, except, perhaps, the hypodermic injection of 1 c.c. of brandy or dilute alcohol (in place of strychnine, etc.) in a case of heart failure, when medical advice should be imme- diately sought. This represents, however, a rare incidence, and even the condition cf your correspondent does not appear to be very severe. Rest, and fresh cool air. the application of cold fomentations to the site of the sting, and a refreshing drink ought to be helpful. As an alkaliser of the blood, potassium citrate (in doses of from i to 1 tablespoonful, dissolved in a glassful of sweetened water) might be tried. — A. Z. ABrsriAnY. NORTHUMBERLAND HONEY SEASON. A correspondent, writing in reference to the honey season in Northumberland. says he finds as a result of inquiries that flower honev is very scarce. Some of the 344 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 17, 1918. swarms only made themselves up in the frames before being taken to the moors, where the prospects are none too promis- ing. In places the heather is certainly good, but short in growth. It is thought the yield may work out at a fair average. The price of new heather honey, it is expected, will be 4s. per lb. — From the Newcastle Daily Journal. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY VROBNT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. E. W. Miller (Middlesex).— Bees becoming vicious. —The queen has mated with a drone of a different variety from herself. Bees from a first cross between Italian and Native are usually gentle, but should queens from this cross again , mate with a Native drone, the result, is, at times, extremely vicious bees. The only cure is to requeen. " Beginner " ( Finchley). —Using infected hives- It will be safe to use these if they are thoroughly disinfected. The best method is to scorch out the inside with a painter's blow lamp. Wash the other parts with a 5 per cent, solution of some disinfectant, such as Izal, Bacterol, or carbolic acid. When thoroughly dry give the outside a couple of coats of good oil paint. If a painter's lamp is not available, wash the inside out with boiling water and soda, then, with a brush, apply a solution of one part disinfectant to two*parts of water, and leave in an airy place to dry. S. B. (Hindhead).— Packing for winter.— It is a matter of opinion. We prefer to leave the spaces between brood chamber and outer case empty, but covered over the top by the quilts. If you do fill them in use chaff, or cork dust, paper, or dried leaves may also be used. The material must be quite dry before using. When inclement weather has confined bees to the hive for a week or more, it may be moved to any fresh position desired without losing the flying bees. W. Davidson (Burton).— Importing queens.— Yon may import them as early as they can be pro- cured, which will probably not be before the middle of May. A. F. Hardy (Hants.).— The bee was a hybrid Italian worker. Honey Samples. A. L. Homer (Stourbridge).— The honey is mainly from clover, but the flavour has been spoilt by smoke. F. McKenzie (Essex).— The mild honey is from sain- foin and clover. The other we take to be a mixture of English and foreign honey, the strong flavour being due to eucalyptus. Suspected Disease. A. E. P. S. '(Sussex).— The pieces of comb were infected with foul brood. K. M. W. (Retford).— The cause of death was " Isle of Wight " disease. Better suffocate the few remaining bees, and burn them and the contents of the hive. The hive should be dis- infected. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, two fertile Queens (no Dutch).- WM. WHITLAM, 9, Grove, Normanton, Yorks. k,30 FOR SALE, 10 good second-hand Hives, clean, free from disease, 10s. each; fitted with drawn- out combs, 25s. each— F. HARE, Radlett, Herts. k^31 WANTED, five Wire Excluders, near 17 by 19. For sale, two crates of Sections, complete, dividers and foundation.— BLENKARN, 58, Crom- well Road, Beckenham. k.32 LIGHT Yorkshire Honey, about 200 nominal 1 lb. jars, 3s. 6d. per jar— EDLINGTON, 268, New- land Avenue, Hull. k.33 WANTED, Geared Extractor, Honey Ripener, large Storing Crate for sections. Deposit — B., 45, Bell Street, N.W.I. k.34 THREE pure Dutch Queens (1918) for sale, 8s. 6d. each— E. COOMBER, Haysden, Ton- bridge. k.35 ABOUT 80 lbs. Comb Honey, mostly heather, from skeps. Offers invited. Stamp reply. Sample Is. Large breeding Does, Belgian-Flemish, 8s. 6d — W. WOODS, Normandy, Guildford, k.37 THIS time last year we asked a small number of D.B.'s (discouraged bee-keepers) to join us in experimental work. The results were encourag- ing, and we are planning another campaign for 1919. Stamped, addressed envelope for particulars. — S. H. SMITH. k.38 'npWO young Hybrid Queens, 6s. 6d.— 20, Bourdon X Road, Anerley. k.59 i)f\ LB TIN Pure Extracted Honey, 52s., car- *U riage paid.— NORTH, Cressing, Brain tree, Essex. k.24 SECTION Honey, 36s. per doz.; Heather Honey, 3s. 6d. per section; also Extracted Honey.— CRAWFORD, Apiaries, Castlederg. k.29 STRONG, healthy Stocks of Bees, just from heather, 1918 Queens, 80s. each, including heather hive— MEGGTTT, Bramhall, Cheshire, k.4 PURE Light Cambridge Honey, four 28-lb. tins, 3s. per lb. Tins and cases returnable. Sample 4d— YOUNG, 42, James Street, Cambridge, k.36 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. 14*. p»r wort. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEYrS, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. " TSLE OF WIGHT " Disease permanently A cured. Tested four years. Solution and direction*, 2s., post free.— PRESSEY, St. Elmo, Coulsdon. d.73 YOUNG, healthy, fertile, vigorous British Hybrid Queens to be sold with their Nuclei. — PRYOR. Breachwood Green. k.17 THE FLAVINE TREATMENT."— Full par- ticulars for a stamped, addressed envelope — S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. k.ll SECTIONS.— Top price paid by advertiser for first-grade Sectionei delivered in 6 dozen lots carriage paid to Glasgow. Cash with order.— Address, ''Honey Packer," British Bee Journal. 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. k.5 Oct. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 345 BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION . The monthly meeting of the Council was held at 23, Bedford Street. Strand. London, W.C.2. on Thursday, October 17, 1918. Mr. W. F.. Reid presided for a portion of the time. Upon his departure for another engagement, Mr. 0. Bryden took the chair. There were also present Messrs. J. N. Smallwood, G. J. Flashman, G. R. Alder, W. H. Simms, F. W. Watts, J. Herrod-Hempsall, J. B. Lamh: Associa- tion representatives, G. Thomas (Gloucester), W. Sanderson (Northumber- land), F. W. Brown (Mid and West Herts). Rev. A. C. Atkins (Sussex), W. M. Vallon -(Staffs), and the Secretary, \V. Herrod-Hempsall. Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Miss M. I). Sillar. Sir Ernest Spencer, Rev. G. H. Hewison, Messrs. C. L. M. Eales, G. W. Judge, and E. Walker. The minutes of Council meeting held on September 19, 1918, were read and con- firmed. The following new members were elected :--Mrs. L. C. Plunkett, Mrs. J. D. YYashbrough, Mrs. Trevor Corbett, Messrs. R. H. Miller, C. J. Ashworth. P. A. Mon- gredien, E. Aufenast, F. W. Duke. J. ('assells, T. Cleeton, G. H. Jones, A. Wood, and P. W. AYood. The report of the Finance Committee was presented by Mr. Smallwood, who stated that payments into the bank for September amounted to £2 2s. fid. The hank balance on October 1 was £112 bs. 8d. The report on the lecture test for final certificate held earlier in the day was presented by Mr. F. W. Reid, and it was resolved to grant certificates to Mrs. M. A. Saint and Miss A. Argall. The report on preliminary examinations held in Scotland and at Doneaster were presented, and it was resolved to grant certificates to Miss A. Maedonald, Rev. (1. H. Hewison, Messrs. A. Cockburn, R. Oriiickshank, 0. M. Fullerton. J. A. John- ston, and J. A. Thomson. After considerable discussion, Mr. Small- wood proposed, Mr. Vallon seconded, and it was unanimously carried that in view of the serious damage caused to bee- keeping by the prevalence of bee diseases, and as the Government are apparently becoming alive to the importance of this industry, not only as affecting the fruit supply of the country, but also in regard to the production of honey, the Council of the British Bee-keepers' Association here- by decide to draw up a form of petition to tlie Government impressing upon them the urgent necessity for taking legislative measure^ to prevent the extension of such diseases; that the committees of bee-keep- ing associations be asked to obtain the signatures of all bee-keepers in their dis- tricts to such petition: and that bee- keepers in districts where there are no bee-keepers' associations be earnestly requested to support this appeal. A letter was read from the New Zealand Bee-keepers' Association asking to be fur- nished with particulars of the Association's examinations, and the Secretary was in- structed to send the same. Next meeting of Council. November 21, at 2:5, Bedford Street. Strand, W.C.2. A DORSET YARN. Sunday, October 13, bees seemed to have come into their own again. In Dorset the weather was warm and bright; they were out in the fields before 9 o'clock ; all day they were over the violets; they alighted on tlie flowers as one carried them in one's hands, but they did not get much from them, because they do not stay long enough, and there is not that movement of the abdomen there is if there is plenty of nectar. They look the rasps over most assiduously: 1 see they are carrying white pollen away from them. Round the hives it was like massed bands, so great was the hum of so many bees; how they love the sunshine ! I think they must have been leading out the late reared workers into the sunshine so that they should know their own homes when the older bees are gone under. It was quite exhili- rating to see them, the noise was like swarming; as the church worshippers came by the farm one asked if they were swarming, so great was the hum. There was no hum of drones to vary it, and it was no song of robbing, but just the glad song of contentment. As the bells rang for church, calling the worshippers "Come and worship; come and worship," so the bees had the old rhythm, " Come honey bee with thy busy hum, to the fragrant tufts of wild thyme, come " It was music, music everywhere, or else it was the music in our hearts: music of joy and happiness that there was news going round that at last Germany was giving in under pressure of our armies; that soon our three sons would be home again to the land of their birth, where we have "' Kept the home tire- burning." One of our soldier sons has been through from Mons till now. Another, in the Dorset Yeomanry has been with the regiment 346 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 24, 1918. all through ; we have only seen him once before he went to the Dardanelles where every officer and 60 per cent of the men went down. He was on the western fron- tier of Egypt where his horse was shot under him, and through the Holy Land with the Camels' Section. Oh! what a glad time it will be when " safe, safe at last, the Harbour past," and they are with us once again. And he that has paid the price can never come back, but we can go to him when life is over for us. We shall have the music of the heavenly host, as we have the music of our bees — ■ am running away from the point, as one often does ; our thoughts wander so much as we get older. *. We have taken off the last lot of sec- tions from hives that were *& distance away in the fields ; had taken them down near a two-acre field of apples and goose- berries; some Lanes Albert apple trees did not fruit well ; the bees did not go so far from the farm, or as there was plenty close home, they would not go. I had the hives down near them ; there were both bar-hives and boxes with holes in top to let the bees through to sections ; they had the sections full, and the space between the outer case and section racks was filled also. The boxes had the most surplus outside ; they had not uncapped the sec- tions, but had used a lot of the outside honey, which shows me it is a very bad plan to leave sections on late. If there had not been any outside surplus they would have used the sections, so long as it was warm for. them to move freely; we must do the best we can with them this year; hope for more time to give them next. A call came on Saturday, " Send on more honey," so while the sun shone we unloaded them, and packed them up for the winter. The brood chambers must have had close on a half-hundredweight of honey in them by the weight of them on biting. Many visitoi's tell me they have always to feed in autumn, as the brood chamber has but a narrow border of honey on the tops of combs. Ours fill the brood chamber with honey ; it must be the heather and more flowers than are in other parts. I notice in the fields where rye grass and clover has been sown with corn crops tins season, that many native wildlings are in full blossom ]ust now. Some of them attract the bees, but with so much wet they cannot be long out gathering honey, yet they bring back pollen of all shades of colour ; one likes to look round them at noontime when coming in to din- ner and close to the hives. It is what we do every day in summer. When we hear them they lure the hungi'y man away instead of him going in to dinner. — J. J. Kettt.f,. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 61. What distinguishes the honey bee, Apis Mellifica, from the other kinds of bees in this country? 62. Describe the construction and use of the Porter bee-escape. 63. What, approximately, is the propor- tion of water (1) in nectar and (2) in honey ? 64. Compare the cappings of honey cells with those of drone and worker cells. 65. If a pint of honey solution (for mak- ing mead) weighs 1 lb. 5 oz., what is its specific gravity? 66. How do bees, put into -an empty hive, start making comb when not sup- plied with foundation? 67. What indicates the proper time each season for putting the first super in a hive ? ' 68. How is a nucleus worked until it becomes a stock? 69. What might lead to the balling of a queen ? 70. What are the physical characteris- tics of bees' wax? 71. Define thorax, metamorphosis, tran- sitional cell, corbicula, pupa, and chitine. 72. Describe in close detail the eyes of bees. J. L. B. THE TWO PERILS : DYSENTERY AND THE WEATHER. (Continued from page 333.) As to the peril of ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease, it is a sign of stimulated pro- gress that a growing number of your readers are beginning to interest them- selves in scientific experiments for com- bating it. For my practical inactivity in this direction I need not make an apology, for I cannot transform the small garden of my residence into an experimental apiary, to the additional disadvantage of mv neighbouring bee-keepers, and I am compelled therefore to be content with advancing theories and suggestions for others commanding better facilities than myself to work upon. I take this oppor- tunity also to remove the misconception that I am doing any research on " Isle of Wight" disease. The fact of the case is that I was approached some months ago by some influential apiarists with thig suggestion, but hardly did I commence my arrangements when their promised, help failed, owing to unforeseen and un- Oct. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 347 avoidable reasons. The work had there- fore to be abandoned from the commence- ment. From this experience I was con- vinced of the necessity of the creation of a " B.B.K.A. Research Fund," not only for the methodical and organised research on bee diseases, but also for the progres- sive investigation of other matters relat- ing to bee-culture. • In fact, it would not be too much for every leading bee- keepers' association to have its special research committee, supported by a special fund, and I hope the inspiring example of the K.B.K.A. will be followed by others. The question of the influence of an in- ferior winter food in lowering the stamina of the bees has received sufficient atten- tion both here and in America:, yet, never- tbeless, no suggestion or attempt has ever been made regarding making the artificial food of our bees as near as possible to their natural food. According to H. G. Greenish, F.I.C., F.L.S., " pure honey consists chiefly of dextrose and levulose, together with water, in which these are at first dissolved. It also contains small quantities of volatile oil, formic acid, cane-sugar, dextrin, proteids, wax, pollen grains, and often fragments of dead in- sects, etc. It yields from 0.3 to 0.8 per cent, of ash containing traces only of sul- phate and chlorides, 'and usually exhibits slight larvo-rotation (—2 deg. to — 20 deg.>. " Now, without disputing the ability of bees to thrive on such a com- pound sugar as saccharose. I should like to observe that it is only sensible to sup- ply them with the other essential con- stituents of their natural food, of which we deprive them, and which might be re- spdnsible by their absence for lowering the stamina of the bees (avitaminosis), a condition which might be similar in its pathological cause to that of any defi- ciency disease met with in human beings, from deprivation of fresh natural food. By this compromise, we need not feed them on honey, yet we might be able to keep them with safety on this medicated artificial honey, more than we are able to do with confidence at present. Bear- ing this point' in mind, I am giving one of my colonies, for the sake of experi- ment, the following syrupy mixture for their winter stores : — 1 lb. of candy plus ■£ pint of water, i teaspoonful of common salt, \ teaspoonful of orange syrup, ^ tea- spoonful of peptone (an easily assimilated product of protein digestion), and 2 tea- spoonfuls of " Yadil" antiseptic (to act as a preservative, as well as a preventive to infection of the bees). One of your correspondents suggests the trial of bicarbonate of soda in " Isle of Wight ' ' disease next spring, and relates some experiments. It should be observed that the beneficial influence of the warm weather has not been excluded in this case, just as it has not been excluded in the many accounts of " cures " that one reads from time to time in the Bee Press. The most suitable time for experimental purposes in connection with " Isle of Wight " disease is the present; therefore the opportunity should not be lost, and, if it is too late for making use of the spray- ing method, it is not late for medicinal feeding.* Sodium bicarbonate is not an antiseptic, although it is a stomachic. Consequently, although it might be found to give temporary relief in some cases, the use of antiseptics could not be dis- carded when the removal of the source of infection,' both within and around the hive, is desired in addition. It is inte- resting to note, in this connection, con- trary to the suggestion of your corre- spondent, the beneficial effect which the bees seem to derive from the addition to their food of a small quantity of malt vinegar. " Yadil," which is slightly on the acid side of reaction, and is incom- patible with strong alkaline salts, did not seem to do any harm to my healthy bees when administered to them for a long time as a preventive; and, moreover, it appeared to benefit sick bees, as already reported in the Journal. Still, one should have an open mind, and should heartily support every sensible appeal for a useful investigation. — A. Z. Abushady. * This article was received several weeks ago. — Eds. " A REMINISCENCE." Sheffield has not inaptly been described as an ugly picture in a beautiful frame, and in all directions across this beautiful framework run roads, some of which, I think, are almost without rival. Would you like to see a bee-keeper who simply radiates with " beo entbusiasm "? Then come with me about 8 a.m. on a nice bee morning, and let us loiter along one of these unrivalled roads which creep out to Derbysbire, and presently we shall see .a slightly-built, keen-looking figure pushing his cycle easily along the road, and wearing an expression that one loves to see when a man's mind is content; and why not? Is he not going to attend to the wants of his beloved bees? He overtakes us at last, and greets us with a glad note in his voice. " Good-morning; grand bee weather, this." (There, didn't I tell you? His mind is full of bees.) We observe that we are taking a quiet stroll into Derbyshire — angling for the in- vitation which we know will come — and. of course, are at once offered " a look round the apiary, if we care to do so." AYe accept the invitation with pleasure, and in a little while, just as we cross 348 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 24, 1918. from Yorkshire into Derbyshire, a sharp twist of the road gives us our first glimpse of our friend's apiary. (Out of regard for his modesty we will call him Bee En- thusiast). Never have I seen so snug an apiary. Can the reader imagine a splendidly-sur- faced road, overhung by stately trees, an old-world country hostelry (the Whirlow Bridge Inn), ivy-clad, facing a sharp bend of the turnpike, and hidden away in this bend of the road one sees a score or so of hives, gleaming in their sunny whiteness through the trees? Descending a little path, the roughness of which would deter the uninvited, we pass down the dingle, and crossing over a noisy little streamlet, apparently all-eager to reach its mother, the Sheaf, we step out upon an emerald lawn. Here are the neatly-arranged rows of hives, some of which are storified for surplus, and others which an outsider would term " natty little things," are used for queen rearing. For our friend has a firm belief in the teaching advanced by the B.B.J, that young queens pay. We are taken to a tall-looking hive which would rank as a skyscraper. Our B.E. tells us with much justifiable pride that here is a queen on fifty standard frames. What hard labour is that queen committed to! This hive is literally packed Math bees, and our visiting com- panion, who is innocent of bee matters, gasps, and wonders how such a huge population escapes being smothered. But here our B.E. explains that the secret of honey-gathering is to feed solid in September, and, having thus got a good start, it depends upon the proportion of foraging bees over nurse-bees. Is it. therefore, to be wondered at that he can tell us of his 200 lbs. surplus? A truth I had felt subconsciously was here put very vividly to us, for when explaining the above our friend observed that we have to fight for every pound of honey up north, whereas in the south the kinder climate yields her sweets less reluctantly. Conversation ran to swar/ns, and my pride in my own 5 or 6 lb. swarm collapsed on hearing that the skyscraper had given a swarm which so much overflowed a large skep that a larger box had to be requisi- tioned. J wonder what price it would have made on the market? We were then shown tbe inner working of those little twin-framed queen-rearing nuclei which are shown in Mr. Cowan's lj(w>k. Here were splendid Italian queens; the capabilities of which could easily be imagined. Some were the White Star strain and others Phelps (ioldens, Millers and Forehands three-banded Italians, all were big and vigorous. Here we were told how the. district is flooded with White Star drones to ensure as far as possible correct mating of queens.' "Whilst looking at an imported Ameri- can queen we were astonished to see the bees immediately ball her. In dis- missing the ball, my friend was stung pretty well. I smiled as I thought how his patients, who have suffered in his surgery, would feel a certain amount of satisfaction that this time B.E. was en- joying a probing. One of the American queens from Fore- hand was 34 days in mail and arrived safely, not even an attendant bee being dead. This queen commenced to lay two days after receipt. Her constitution must be very strong. I wonder if any of your readers can quote a similar case? When the carbolic cloth was applied to quieten one fairly nasty stock, I was amused when I thought of the diversity of men's vocations. Here one was carefully subduing little bees, and perhaps a mile or two away, at some village feast, another man would be subduing lions. However, we mustn't belittle the bee habit, for certainly they can show a very determined front when so disposed. I was fortunate enough to secure a sur- plus queen, daughter of one of the White Stars, and I have a hive now crowded with her progeny, and should have a spleiKhu season with her next year. Conversation wandered off to " Isle of Wight" disease, and we were told how a stock badly affected had been pulled round with one of the above queens, B.E. believing the basis of cure to be young queens — and these bred for stamina — and no drugs. After going the round of the hives we deposited our veils, etc., in the honey- house, had a splendid tea at the adjoining and, I ■ am told, very ancient farm, the ancestors of whose proprietor have lived here for generations. We then continued our stroll, thinking deeply of all we had seen and heard. We entered the apiary with a slight attack of bee fever, but came away with the disease at its height. Surely in future seasons we shall not be content with single-brood chambers and old queens, but shall endeavour to emu- late our friend, and, as he puts it, " fight for every pound of honey around." How- ever, perhaps more another time when we have tried our experiment.— W. S. TuRXJCR. MOTHER BEE NURSERY RHYMES. Dishonest Horner sat in a corner, Scraping his sections clean: He stuck in his thumb, and then, looking glum. Said, " Well, I'll put that in between." B. M. P., in Gleanings. Oft. 24,1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 349 SAVING DISEASED COMBS. May I give my experience in dealing with, combs taken from stocks that died through "• Isle of Wight " disease? Like many more bee-keepers, in trying to stamp out the disease, I have burnt nicely drawn-out combs time after time. This year I have dealt with them in the follow- ing way :— Early spring. — I got a good-sized bath, large enough to take brood frames, made a solution of Bacterol; and in this solution I placed each frame of comb, and with a good garden syringe I forced the solution into each cell, then placed each comb on cage of extractors, and shook out over bath until little of the solution was left in combs I classified these into three grades : — No. 1. Combs quite clean; no excreta marks, and. empty of honey when taken from hive. No. 2. Combs more or less soiled with excreta, but otherwise as No. 1. No. 3. Combs out of which the honey had been extracted, but, as this is usually more or less candied when taken from the hive, much of it was left in combs. I dealt with these combs as follows : — Hive No. 1. I placed a swarm in May on the clean combs. Hive No. 2. Placed a swarm on the combs (more or less soiled) in early June. Hive No. 3. Placed a very strong cast on combs, each having honey that could not be extracted, because more or less candied. In this case a severe test as to whether honey from diseased stock is the medium in passing on the disease. Ml these have done well, and have shown no trace of " Isle of Wight '* disease during the season, and are now packed up strong in bees and weTl stored for winter. In early June I had a swarm sent to me; and this was placed upon foundation. In a fortnight crawlers appealed: but bees were working well, and I let them go on for another fortnight: but as they got worse I decided to kill them. I shook off the bees from combs, ran them into a skep, and burnt the lot. They had worked put the ten combs, and they contained brood in all stages and plenty of honey. These Combs 1 quickly sprayed with Bacterol, so as not to chill the brood. I then put them into a super, and this T placed upon a strong swarm (hived the same day *m foundation) with excluder under the super. The bees from swarm quickly came through excluder, hatched out the brood, and filled up with honey. In three weeks I took the super off well filled and placed a box of shallow frames in its place. {Please note the uniting of bees hatched out from combs from diseased stock with healthy swarm.) Call this No. 4. .Close observation failed to find a trace of disease all through the season, and this lot has gone into winter quarters strong in every respect. The brood combs from Xo. 4 super, after being extracted, and whilst dripping wet. were placed in hive and a strong swarm (second) run on to them. (Call this No. 5.) This lot has done well, no trace of " Isle of Wight " disease, and bees packed up in good form. In early June I had a cast from a stock caught last year as a runaway swarm. After a few days the cast, which had been hi nil upon foundation, showed signs of the disease, and, as they got worse, I decided to kill them, and did so in the same way as before. The queen had mated early, and the bees had drawn out foundation, and a good patch of brood was already on several of the seven combs. These were at once sprayed with Bacterol, placed in super, the shallow frames taken off No. 4, this super taking its place. Xo. 6. On July 29 I had a late swarm sent to me. I took off the super of brood frames from Xo. 4 (the brood not all hatched out), and placed the swarm on combs just as taken off. This lot has been fed aiid packed up: no trace of disease. and a strong lot. To date of writing (October 5) no trace of disease. The six hives have been placed right away from any other bees (thirty-four lots in all), so as to avoid, as far as possible, all risks in carrying out experiments. Bacterol has several advantages; the bees like it, -it does not stain, and if it comes in contact with honey, does not strongly flavour it, and, so far, seem- to have made the combs safe for use. It will, I think, be noticed that several theories are crossed. Tf honey from stocks diseased is a source of danger, then Xo. 3 ought to have gone under. If brood fed by diseased bees pass it on. then No. 4 had brood from two hives added to its healthy inmates, and apparently no evil results follow. Xos. 1 and 2 are blacks, the rest hybrids with strong Italian markings. The season has been splendid for swarm- ing, and, of course, the opposite for honey gathering: but we bee-keepers are saved bv hope, and look forward to 1010 as the vear' of victory in more ways than one. — • C. H. Hyche, Flackwell Heath, Bucks. 350 THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 24, 1918. 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. THE IMMUNITY OF QUEENS. [9789] The question of the immunity of the queen bee does not appear to re- ceive sufficient attention from your readers. Your correspondent (9781) who contributes a thoughtful letter in your issue of October 17, is an exception. It is generally stated in manuals of bee culture that the queen bee is nearly always the last to become affected with the disease, and is one of the last inmates of the hive to succumb to it. No explana- tion, or at least no satisfactory explana- tion, is ever given for this strange fact. To my mind, the reason for this apparent immunity is as follows. The queen bee is accustomed to the habit of continuously residing in the hive, which she never leaves except on exceedingly few occa- sions. She is always " nursed " and at- tended to, and she is obliged to cleanse herself inside the hive, irrespective of at- mospheric conditions. This is a very im- portant factor in the preventing of disease, as she always gets rid in a regular manner of waste products, which, if allowed to accumulate, would contribute to the production of toxmmia. The fatality of malignant dysentery appears to me to be due chiefly to this toxrcmia, which is often a consequence of a severe infection. On the other hand, the worker bees habitually cleanse themselves whilst on the wing, and if prevented from doing BO by prolonged bad weather, they fall victims to the toxic effects of accumulated waste products, irrespective of the addi- tional infection, or otherwise, with a harmful organism. Once a bee is sick, she is mercilessly dragged out of the hive by her sister workers. In the case of the queen, it is quite different, as, should she become infected during favourable weather, there is every likelihood of her survival and of the infection not affecting her motherly function, because two im- portant factors ensuring recovery, or at least good resistance to the infection, are guaranteed for her, namely, continuous devoted attention, and good feeding, un- less the colony is severely affected with the disease. Should she become weak, however, and is superseded by the com- bined will of the colony, this occurrence is* rarely noticed, except in cases where the original queen has a distinctive fea- ture (e.g., clipped wings), and is observed only by those who look upon the brood chamber as an open book, that should be leisurely and profitably studied whenever possible. Should she, on the other hand, become ill and weak during the cold months, when she is not laying, and when the colony is satisfied with clustering, there is no risk, of course, regarding her being superseded, and, moreover, she will always be in the centre of the cluster and still receiving the best possible attention. Hence she has alvmys a chance of re- covery, or at least of fighting the infec- tion for a long period, unless she comes from a susceptible strain. The immunity of the queen bee to infection is therefore, in my opinion, no' real in the majority of cases, except possibly in the recorded in- stances of " carriers," queen and workers, which otherwise .are apparently quite healthy. These are said to belong chiefly to pure Italian bees. In these cases of true immunity (whether partial or so- called complete), not only the queen, but also her progeny, are apparently immune to malignant dysentery. Such instances afford illustrations of natural immunity, which is hereditary. Generally speaking, no complete natural immunity against 1 ' Isle of Wight " disease appears to be- long to any strain of bees so far experi- mented with, and the question of enforc- ing this natural immunity of selected strains by artificial means appears to merit consideration. Similarly, it is worth while to consider the artificial immunisor tion of susceptible queens, irrespective of the general conception that acquired im- munity is not transmittable to the pro- geny. Science is continuously changing, correcting, or modifying previous ideas ; hence such a conception should not pre- vent research on this important matter, the clinical details of which I need not trouble you with at present, considering the slow and almost stationary rate of our progress. — A. Z. Abushady. FOREIGN v. NATIVE BEES. [9790] Respecting the discussion that has been going on in the British Bee Journal as to the merits and demerits of the foreign races of bees and their crosses in comparison with the " Blacks," the following may be interesting, showing what the former can do as regards honey- gathering in what appears to have been in most parts a poor season. After an excellent season in 1914, the Oct. 24, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 351 end of 1915 found me bee-less from the effects of " Isle of Wight " disease. I thought it wiser to wait a year before starting again, and in May, 1917, bought a small swarm of so-called " Blacks." They must, though, have been partly Dutch to judge from their swarming pro- clivities, as in July they came out before even they had drawn out all the founda- tion in the brood-box, and I also had a cast from them. When the progeny of the young queens appeared, I could see that they must have mated with drones that had a good deal of Italian blood in them, as they were plentifully marked with yellow. Needless fo say, they did not store sufficient honey to winter on, so after killing the old queen and uniting one of the swarms to . the old stock, I fed them with syrup made from Bacterol candy. They wintered well, required no spring feeding, and so I started the season with two good stocks. The first swarm from No. 1 came out in mid-May, and went straight away. No. 2 stock swarmed a week afterwards. To prevent further swarming, I took away all their brood combs and united the bees that were then on them to the swarm on the old stand, and gave the brood to No. 1 stock. No. 2 has given me 1401bs. of surplus, and on July 17 they swarmed again. Swarm was hived on a fresh stand- A cast came out a week later, which was returned after queen cells had been cut out. (I may add that the plan usually successful with Blacks, by returning cast early next morning, does not seem to work with cross- breds), and on examination at the end of August, I found the stock still quite strong and the young queen laying well. I found out in July that the young queen in No. 1 stock was a drone-breeder, but despite this, with the addition of the brood from No. 2 these gave me 80lbs. of surplus, and, at the end of the main honey flow", I united them to the swarm from No. 2. In September I found that both lots had a fair amount of stores, but required some feeding. Early in the summer we had good bee- weather; but July was the wettest, I understand, for twenty-five years in Wilts, and from August 23 till now, October 12, it has been unsettled. I may add that I am not overstrong, and have no one handy to help me, so can't always do as I would, so think under the circumstances that you will agree that it was a good per- formance of the cross-breds. They are pretty awkward to handle at times, but one can put up with that as they are so satisfactory in other ways. — Alfred Stratton, Overton. Marb borough, Wilts. THAT SKEP. [9791] It is seldom we have a season pass without some discussion on the skep. I don't remember seeing anything this year so far. I, therefore, venture to put a word in for it. There are some who favour the skep even in these enlightened days of bee- keeping, and there are others who con- demn it, even to trying to get the law on those who venture to have a skep on their premises. It is fortunate for these people that it does not come under the far-reaching " Defence of the Realm Act." No, Mr. Editor, I am not a skepist myself, but have a great respect for a colony of bees in a little straw hut. I look on the skep as I look on the monks of old. Although they outlived their usefulness, we have a lot to thank them for. They were, to a great extent, respon- sible for keeping alive religion and edu- cation, during the dark ages, and from their old foundations has been built up the finest system of religion and educa- tion that the world has known. The skep and the old bee-master have kept bee-keeping alive under great diffi- culties in times past, and from it has been built up such a system of modern bee- keeping and food-producing in honey as the world has never seen. I rarely am without a skep in my garden. There is something mysterious and fascinating about it. It is its mystery which is fascinating. One watches the bees working from a skep, and one conjures in one's mind as to what they are really doing, and the condition inside ; but one can only guess — its closed door beats one every time. This makes it fascinating. There are other mysteries about the skep. The best text-books condemn keeping bees in a skep, but they frequently advise you to start bee-keeping with driven Jjees. Also, in August and early September you may find a number of advertisements of driven bees for sale and wanted. (Where do driven bees come from?) There is something yet to be said for the skep if properly worked, but if left to its own sweet will it may easily become a danger to modern bee-keeping. I started the year with my usual one skep, almost invisible amongst the frame- hives. Early in the spring it became strong and showed signs of swarming. I decided to make a nucleus from it, and did so by placing a frame of brood and eggs in a hive and filling up with frames of foundation, then placing this hive on the stand of the skep and removing it some distance away. The result was the new hive received 352 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL, Oct. 24, 1918. all the flying bees (a great portion of which at this time would be young ones), They reared a good queen and are now a very promising stock. About three weeks later the skep did swarm — a nice plump swarm, which 1 hived on a new stand. This swarm did so well that I made a nucleus from it on the same lines as in the first case, except I gave the nucleus a ripe queen-cell with its. frame of hatching brood. It also did well, and will come into profit next year. Now to return to the old mother-stock, namely, the skep. Alas! misfortune had befallen it. About the end of July I sus- pected something was wrong, and on ex- amining them I found them queenlc^s. The skep was heavy with honey and con- tained a good quantity of bees. Being fortunate with previous increase, I de- cided to try again, although the season was getting a little late for queens to be mated, there being very few drones about. I prepared two 'nucleus hives of five frames of comb each, one comb in each hive containing brood and a ripe queen- cell which I was fortunate to have. I decided to drive the bees and run half into one. nucleus hive and half into the other, shut them up for two days, then liberate them. I now find the queens have mated and are laying. With the help of a comb or two of stores and a little feeding, I hope to bring them through the winter. To again return to the old skep. I cut out the old combs, and those contain- ing honey 1 have broken up and deposited in the mead pot, to be made into mead. The result of the year's working is as follows : — One nucleus stock made in May. One swarm in June. One nucleus stock made from swarm, early July. Two nucleus stocks from driven bees, end of July. About 10 lbs. of honey for making mead . On the debit side must be placed : — Loss of old stock in skep ; and, say, 12 lbs. of candy for* feeding last two nuclei. I think this is a very good record for one humble skep. The bees are natives.— W. Ion. Healey. A NOTE FROM SURREY. [9792] I thought the following dia- logue, overheard in France, might amuse your readers : — Tommy : " Compray - Beesting - Buzzz- zzz ! ' ' Fermiire : ' Non." Tommy: " Beesting-Buzzzz-zzzz ! JJ Fermiire : " Ah, oui, les onions!'' exit. T began bee-keeping this year with poor results, but hope to learn by experience with the kind help of a local bee-keeper. T hope my interest may soon overcome my "nervousness. T have not thought it wise to handle them myself on this, account, and the stings I have had on three occa- sions have not made me any braver, though I long to tackle the fascinating subject in more than theory, and I find your Journal most useful, and feel par- ticularly envious of your brave L' Novice " fromBristol. who, I greatly hope, will give us an account of his experiences in 1919. I am making an alphabetical referen- dum of loose sheets of the useful hints I find in your articles and replies to corre- spondence, and would like to send my Journals out to a brother bee-keeper in France or in hospital, if you can tell me of one. — Emma M. Lindley. [Can any of our readers give the name of a soldier who would like to take advan- tage of the kind offer of our correspon- dent? Eds.] NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We are sorry these are unavoidably held over till next week. We also take this opportunity of apologising for delay in answering letters and despatching orders. Our only helper was taken seri- ously ill early last week. Since then we have been single-handed, and, in addi- tion, have been unwell ourselves for a couple of days. We hope to catch up arrears of work shortly, but for the pre- sent have more than we can successfully cope with. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lid. per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum charge of is. per kin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, two fertile Queens, Italian pre- ferred; also Honey— E. BOOBIER, Old Babell, Swansea. k.40 RUBBER Printing Outfit, 130 letters, 40 figures, etc., new, cost 10s., would accept 6s. 6d.; or exchange Root's " A B 0 and X Y Z of Bee Culture."—" A. L. B.," B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. k.4l APIARY splendid quality pure Extracted Honey, 19 lb. tins, 52s., carriage paid — NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex. k.42 WANTED, fertile Italian Queen, 1918; also six-bar lot of pure Italians, 1918 Queen — STEWART, Poplars Green, Hertford. k 53 Oct. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 353 A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To place on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad ; also if killed or wounded. We print a further list of names to those sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Lce.-Cpl. E. N. Tcnmer, the Rifle Bri- gade. Ipswich. Rfm. Cyril C. Tunmer, 2/17 London Regiment. Killed in action, August 24, 1918, in France. It is with deep regret I send you news for your "Roll of Honour" column of the death of my son. I sent you his name when he joined His Majesty's Forces, then with the R.A.M.C. He volunteered in March, 1915, but was rejected owing to eyesight : later on he volunteered again, with result, R.A.M.C. After three months' service a call was made for a number of single men for the infantry ; he at once transferred, going to France in June, 1916. December, 1916, found him at Salonika, when he was soon up to the Macedonia front against the Bulgars. June, 1917, was landed in Egypt, and went through and took part in the tak- ing of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, the latter place being captured at the point of the bayonet. Many privations and experiences with others of our brave armies did he go through. On Christ- mas Day last he went into the old part of Jerusalem. He again left Egypt in June. 1918. coming back to France, where he fell, doing his little bit, on August 24. He was a keen bee-keeper, and his great objects were experimenting and shows. He had been a bee-keeper eleven years, though his age was only 25. — Albert E. TuN.MER. Will Mr. W. S. Turner, the writer of ■" A Reminiscence " in last week's British Bee Journal, kindly send us his address as it has been mislaid, and we have a communication for him. — Eds. A DORSET YARN. A bee-keeper writes me : There is no room in the B.B.J, for the articles sent by him and others in his district, why should not the Journal add to its size? Our paper is small certainly ; our Editors might see their way to enlarge it, if so much matter relative to bees is kept back. One letter advises me to stop my contribu- tion to it altogether to give others a space. In my opinion, any writer who has any- thing to tell us just now to safeguard our bees from " Isle of Wight " trouble should be given all the publicity possible, but if he has a remedy to sell, he should advertise in the Journal — that is sound business. One who advertises largely has taken part of my yarns to add to his business publicity in the Journal. A man who keeps on losing his bees and tries no remedy to save them is not wise, and each specific will be tried in turn by practical bee-keepers, to see if they will do what they claim. I know a horticulturist whose son, a chemist, sent his father all specifics likely to stop rust in carnations, trying each one on different lots of plants. He found that Condy's Fluid was the cheapest and most efficacious, though it did not stop it re-appearing. As I have written before, he who has a good remedy for himself and does not give his fellow bee-keepers an opportunity of acquiring it. is not playing fair; no man should live entirely for himself. Many of us have not the ability of finding out these specifics, as our race in life has been in the arduous fields of labour, and have had very little time for study. But we can all purchase these specifics if they are made known to us by advertisement. I have met uee-men who speak well of most of the remedies that have been brought to our notice through the advertisements in the Journal. We have within a stone's throw of our bees, trees of Laurustinus in full bloom. There isn't a bee to be found on them, though, nearer Christmas, when other flowers are gone, they will be on in crowds. This plant is flowering very early this season. Each time I pass I look for our little friends on them, but not one have I seen. Though they go later, it shows to me that there is little to be got from them, and other wildings now in blossom have a great deal more. They are on the violets each day it is warm : but not so many as one would expect. They have a preference for the flowers as they are bunched up for sale, which shows me that they depend somewhat on sight in their search for nectar. I wish they would work violets more in summer, when the flowers are very small, and have no- 354 THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 31, 1918. coloured petals of any size; but I have never seen thein on the plants then ; another proof that sight is a great factor in their choice of food plants. One of the great men of America was led to take up the study of plants and bees by watch- ing and dissecting violet flowers, as he ate his dinner when at work in the fields. He saw how peculiar the seed organs were formed, that the nectar was in the spur at the back of flower. Bees cannot get to it only with the tongue. That is the reason so few new varieties are intro- duced; they fertilise themselves, and the seedlings that grow are like the parent plants. We have grown many seedlings, but they have not been better than the parents, only in one instance, and that was the work of the yellow ant — at least, I assume it to have been so, as they were. very busy on the plants in one place. The seed pods developed abnormally ; a proof that fertilisation was perfect (all large flowering violets do not seed freely). From this lot of seedlings one v>as very large and had an extra line of petals inside, which, like Joseph's coat, had many shades of colour — purple, red, rose, and pale blue— those in the centre of a large dark blue flower made it look very con- spicuous. The last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society gave me the coveted " Award of Merit," with a silver medal for a group of them. It was at that meet- ing I had the pleasure of meeting the clever writer of " The Bee Garden," Mr. Harwood, for the first time, who, beside beina; a practical bee-keeper, is a keen horticulturist, as his writings show. He spends the best part of the day in the City, but without a doubt his heart is with his bees and flowers. As a memento of our meeting he has sent me from the B.B.J, office " A Modern Bee Farm." He told me the writer was a kindred spirit, and that I should take great pleasure in reading it. I shall soon have quite a bee library, as well as one on horticulture. The Dorset tiller of the soil will always he under a great obligation to Mr. Har- wood for his thoughtful generosity. We who live " far from the haunts of men," and cannot go to the free library for aught Ave want, fully appreciate these valuable sources of knowledge. J. J. Kettle. SELLING DISEASED BEES. Tn consequence of the high prices pre- vailing for stocks of bees, many unscru- pulous persons have been tempted to dis- pose of diseased bees, regardless of the consequences of speading disease. A case was recently brought to the notice of the South Staffs, and District Bee-keepers' Association by some of its members, and it was decided to back them up and test it. In doing so they felt that although they might lose, they would gain by getting the publicity that is required for putting a stop to such evil practices. In case of failure it had been decided to appeal for subscriptions to other Bee- keepers' Associations, and readers of the Bee Journal, for the necessary funds. Happily, this was not needed, but they believe, had this been necessary, the re- quired assistance would have been forth- coming. The. following is a newspaper account of this particular case, taken from the Wolverhampton " Express and Star," and it is hoped that the publicity given in the Bee Journal and other papers will make future vendors more cautious when disposing of their bees. This Association having done its duty, and scored ■ a success, trusts that other •associations will investigate and test any similar cases that happen in their particular districts. Such oases as these prove the need for legislation, that will make such trans- actions impossible. A. E. Taylor. OF INTEREST TO BEE-KEEPERS. At Wolverhampton County Court, his Honour Judge Howard Smith tried a case of interest and import- ance to persons engaged in honey produc- tion.—Mr. W. A. Foster said he had agreed with his friend, Mr. Pritchard. that one case out of three should be fought out, his Honour's decision to be taken as affecting the series. — Sidney Wakefield, a man employed on muni- tions, and residing at Sandyfield, Sedgley, sued -for the recovery of ^4 paid for bees warranted " disease free," but found, so it was alleged, to be otherwise. — His Honour observed that the phrase might be interpreted "disease gratis." — Mr. Foster replied that the object of the defendant — Mr. Bradford, residing in Sweetman Street, Wolverhampton — in so wording his advertisement in the Express and Star was to lead people to understand that his stock and swarms were free from disease. — Plaintiff said that soon after accepting oelivery of the bees he noticed there was something wrong. Calling in an expert he found they were affected by " Isle of Wight " disease, and he had them destroyed. — Mr. Pritchard : Did you also destroy the hive? — Plaintiff: No, sir. — Jos. Price (bee inspector for the county of Stafford), having inspected the bees fourteen days after the purchase, ex- pressed the opinion that the disease had been present in the hive for at least three Oct. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 355 months. The malady being highly con- tagious, the presence of such a hive in a • district like Sedgley was a public menace. Calling at the defendant's premises, he found he had done away with his bees because his son stated they were ' ' not doing well." — Mr. Robinson (a local bee expert) said the plaintiff's prompt and decisive action had prevented the spread of the disease, no other case appearing in the district. — Defendant, A. E. Bradford, said he had kept bees successfully for the greater part of eleven years. There was not the slightest indication of disease in his stock when he inserted the advertise- ment, or when he dealt with Mr. Wake- field.— His Honour gave judgment for plaintiff for £3 5s. and costs. feoifgtbeJBeesj MAifitacrlm old* HIVE ROOFS. Our national poet sung that November's surly blasts lay fields and forests bare. Recently, before that month arrived, we have been having a series of severe gales, and I hear of hives being blown over for want of a little timely aid being given to steady them up. Whenever hives are placed jn exposed situations, where the roofs at least are liable to be displaced during a strong gale, they should be fixed or weighted down or tied down to guard against disaster. Perhaps the readiest means of safe- guarding them in an emergency is to place fairly large stones on one or both sides of the sloping roof, and, as they are generally readily available, they serve the purpose efficiently for a time. They may be picturesque in a way, but they are not very ornamental. Bricks may be used in- stead of the stones, and they are neater. Both are, however, objectionable as per- manent roof protectors, inasmuch as, lying- more or less flat on the Avooden roof, they keep the surface they cover damp, and thus help to wear out the roof before its time. A second means of guaranteeing the sta- bility of the roof is to run a strong cord round the hive, below the floor-board and above the top. Fasten this with a run- ning knot, so that it can be easily slipped whenever anv investigation of the hive interior is necessary. A fault in this form of fastening is that the cord con- tracts with damp and expands with drought. To get over this use instead of the twine a good, strong, fairly pliable wire in the same way. Don't make it over- tight, as it may then cut into the sharp edge of the roof and produce a fault. Per- haps stronger wire of the lighter fencing type might be better. Cut to length, bend the two ends in the form of hooks, and let the two ends clasp each other, then twist round with pliers. The well-known device, illustrated in the " Guide Book," provides a trustworthy means of steadying roofs. Fix one end of a strong cord (a thin wire may be sub- stituted if deemed best) to a peg driven into the ground at one side. Bring the cord or wire across the centre of the roof and tie the other end to a heavy brick left hanging at a point just clear of the ground. This affords an easy and con- venient means of removing it for a time when one desires to remove the roof for any purpose of examination. Hives in pairs can have a wire fixed at either end of the mutual stand, passed over both hive roofs, and at a point mid- way between the two hives the wire may be heavily weighted with a cement brick, thus keeping all solid. By a simple ad- justment the whole may be kept firmly down so that there is no fear of the con-^ trivance failing to act. Better, — Looking back recently and taking a wide survey of the whole field of apiculture, the thought struck me that there was a high tone of confidence and optimism pervading the apicultural press both at home and abroad. Editors and contributors strike a high note regarding the present and future status and success of the industry. One editor characterises the present as a day of Betters — better bees, better equipment, better bee-keep- ing, better bee-keepers, better training, better knowledge, better markets, better prices, better appreciation of our profes- sion and of the importance of honey — better everything." As in this country, the bee-keepers on the other side are awakening to realise the fact that we should all be up and doing. Apiculturists, like agriculturists, should put their best foot foremost and rear more bees and raise more honey. Like corn, honey is a valuable food. Bee- keeping should boom as it has never done in the past. Every backyard should be turned into a small apiary, and no allot- ment should be without a few bee hives. Here is what one single hive did this vear. It gave a surplus of 147 well-sealed and marketable sections which were all sold at 3s. each, the profits being thus over £20. Here is a suggestion well worthy of being taken up. Let us next 356 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct, 31, 1918. season present our first swarm to some boy or girl relation, and so double the number of bee-keepers in the country. I have, promised mine ! Stings. — A sting pulled out necessitates pressure being brought on the poison sac by the finger and thumb used in grip- ping it, and this pressure ensures that the contents will find their way into the wound and thence all through the system. Therefore, use no pressure, but endeav- our to get the leverage below the sac, and to get • it either of the two following methods may be practised. Get the open blade of your knife, or a similar appli- ance, below the bladder and so prize the sting out without any pressing of the sac, and then only a minimum of the venom will find its way into the wound, and so into the victim's blood. The thumb nail serves the purpose admirably whenever the sting is in any available part. A good many of the stings got are in the hands and wrists. In this case rub the hand smartly at an angle over the cloth- ing, and nine times out of ten you will find the sting gone and very little pain affecting the part. This habit once ac- quired, the sting is summarily disposed of almost instantaneously, and before the poison has had time to do anything like effective injury. Many of the advised " cures " which are mainly relied upon depend almost wholly on the speed with which they are applied. If time is taken up hunting for them, the interval has allowed the poison to be conveyed into the svstem, and then no apnlianoe will prove effective. Anything used to do good must be administered immediately. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists ■ (continued). By A. Harwood. E. arborea (or Tree Heath), 4 to 5 ft. high, bears sweet-scented flowers, white with the faintest tinge of pink; E. codo- noides (syn. E. luditanica) , the Portuguese Heath, 4 ft. high, bears its pure-white flowers at the same time as E. carnea. A hybrid of the two last-mentioned (E. C. Veitchii) is a grand introduction, being extremely beautiful and of easy culture. E. mediterranca, 4 to 5 ft. high, bears in profusion from March to May. There are many other varieties well worth growing, and their culture is by no means so difficult as is commonly be- lieved. I will quote on this point one of the leading authorities in this country : " It is commonly believed that Rhododen- drons, Azaleas, and others of the same family cannot be grown without a rich, peaty soil. We beg, however, to add our experience and give our opinion that such conclusions are fallacious, and think not only can they be grown without this ad- /( vantage, but that materials in every way suitable can be abundantly procured on most estates or parishes in the country. Isolated cases of failure, we know, occur after every care has been expended in preparation of soil for them. In the ab- sence of a good turfy, peaty soil, which we freely admit is the best, take the top spit from pasture land or old turves, the thickness of the spit being regulated by its composition, the more turfy and fibrous the better; this, mixed with leaf mould and well decayed manure from melon frames, well mixed but not chopped too fine, is a very suitable com- post. Many districts, more particularly those of a light, friable loam, are admir- ably suited to their growth." I would only add to this a caution against the presence of lime in any quan- tity, and my own strong opinion that nearly every loss of a heath is due either to this or to loose planting. The soil round the roots of heaths can hardly be rammed too hard. Helleborus niger (Christmas rose). — This well-known plant, subject of some of Mr. Kettle's always interesting ' yarns,' owes its specific name to the blackness of its fleshy roots. The flower is a pure white, produced, according to situation, soil and weather, from late November to early Feb- ruary, but most generally round about the festival whence it derives its popular name. Perhaps the best opportunity for a Lon- , doner to see it in perfection is afforded by a visit — on a fine Sunday in late Decem- ber or early January — to Kew Gardens, where, under the trees just beyond the rock garden, it abounds and makes a splendid show at that time. Lasting a long while in water as a decorative cut- bloom, it is well worth a place in. any garden. Though quite hardy, heavy rains at the flowering season damage the blooms, so that it is advisable to give the plants when in bud the protection of a hand light or cloche* until flowering has ceased, when this shelter is no longer re- quired. I .used a bottomless box covered with a sheet of glass in defaidt of any- thing more elaborate, and found it answer perfectly. Hellebore is well worked by bees during the few hours of genial weather often ex- perienced about Boxing Day. Sometimes I have noticed great activity then among my stocks, which were crowding Christmas Rose, Winter Aconite, Laurustinus, and Ivy bloom. H. niger prefers a shady position, and is increased by root division. It resents disturbance, but when well established makes fine, clumps. Oct. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 35: QUESTIONS, Etc., FOE BEE-KEEPEES FOE SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 73. How long does a worker bee live? 74. How is worker comb distinguished from drone comb? 75. What combs taken out of a hive should not be hung on a comb stand? And why? 76. When, in each year, may drones first be found in a hive? 77. How does a newly emerged queen first employ herself ? 73 Should a queen take wing while a frame is being examined, what is best to be done ? 79. What circumstances lead to the con- struction of a large proportion of drone cells in a comb? 80. From what sources do bees obtain propclis? 81. What circumstances must be avoided or guarded against during manipulation in order to prevent irritation or annoyance to the bees? 82. Describe nectar, and explain how it is converted into honey. 83. Explain, in detail, how bees com- mence making comb in a hive not fur- uished with foundation. 84. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture on tlit? feeding of bees. J. E. B. JOTTINGS. Homes of the Honey Bee. Being stationed at a watering station, I was very pleased to see some bees drink- ing at the irrigation streamlets. And as. excepting for a solitary bee in a window, these are the first I have seen in Palestine, they were a source of pleasure, but little did I imagine until after three days' sojourn, that the colony was only a dozen yards away in a native yard. The hive was composed of an uncouth lump of mud, and was extremely hot outside. We are considering ventilation. These bees had nothing but the tee hole, and were ap- parently very docile, allowing me to peer right into the hole, with hardjy any stop- page of work. After a week's absence I find they have been, I suppose, butchered, and the hive prepared for a fresh lot. A plate is covered into the back to allow of easy attack. I am unable to find out what happened, or what honey was secured. I'm afraid if I had been here it would have been futile attempting to save them, with the present state of forage, as the honey flow seems to be at its best in March and April. How these people propose to re-stock, I don't know. A. H. Hamshar. The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblt for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No notice will be taken 0} anonymous communications, and correspondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only and give their real namtt 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. EFFECTS OF BEE STINGS. [9793] If I am not too late to be of any use to your correspondent (9776), per- haps my experience might be helpful to him. When I started bee-keeping, in the days of long ago, if I got two or three stings I suffered severely. Generally I had to go to bed, but next morning I was all right. When I was bowled over it was mostly by being stung about the face and neck. Then my face became red and burning, all the veins in my body would stand up in knots about the size of peasr and the itching over my body was fearful. I asked one old bee-keeper what to do, and he advised homoeopathic treat- ment in the shape of about two stings every night for a week. I did not try it, but I got cured very quickly. One night in August, 1884, I was messing about the garden, when I knocked over a hive. I surveyed my work for about half a minute, then I picked it up and put it back on the stand. It did not take me long to do that, but hundreds of bees were at work on me all the time. Fortunately there was no one living near us, so I got my people to throw out a change of cloth- ing, while I got into a state of nature as quickly as possible, the only way I could get quit of- the avengers. When I got dressed again, I went into the house and gave them an account of my adventure. In a few minutes I became quite pale, then I gradually turned blind, and was blind for about five minutes. The only remedy applied was a drink of raw whisky. In ten minutes from the beginning of the attack I was better, and in half-an-hour I was sound asleep for the night. Next morning I was a bit swollen and sore, but no other bad effects, and I soon found that all the bad effects of stinging were gone. The cure has been permanent, and although I was for ten years without bee stings, they have no bad effect on me now. I hardly advise my experience as a remedy. It might be dangerous ; but it also might be a cure.— J. C. A., Grange- mouth. 358 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 31, 1918. EXPERIENCE WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. [9794] I would like to give my experi- ence to the many readers of your Journal with reference to ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease. Last September I had 14 stocks, and immediately after taking 800 lbs. of honey they got the disease. In a week, or 10 days, the whole lot were affected. I sprayed eight or nine stocks twice, and some three times, with " Plavine," the others with " Bacterol," but to no pur- pose; although the bulk of them lived through the depth of winter, they gradu- ally died off later, with the exception of one, which worked vigorously until the middle of May, then there appeared the usual crawlers. Then for two months I tried all sorts of would-be cures, but to no avail, until I was recommended to try salts and sul- phur, 1 oz. salts, i oz. sulphur, dissolved in an 8-oz. bottle, and to give two tea- spoonsful in 1 pint of syrup ; that was no good, so I took 1 oz. salts, \ oz. sulphur, dissolved them and mixed them into some syrup, 1 pint in all, took a paint brush and splashed it over the combs, removing one or two out of the hive, and separating the others so as to be able to give them a complete soaking. They were in the habit, after dropping on the ground on fine days, of crawling back up the leg of the hive, and just at that time, one fine day, hundreds were on the ground, when a thunderstorm drowned them, and for the last 20 days there has been no appearance of crawlers, while the colony is working splendidly, and storing honey. I cannot say if the thunderstorm or the salts effected the cure, but to all appearance they are cured.— J. Yeowart. A FRENCH PRIEST AND HIS BEES, [9795] The following extract from a letter I have received from a soldier in France may interest your readers-. — J. J. Kettle. " I have been to see two apiaries since I came out here, and the last of these was kept by an old Catholic priest in a very sketchy fashion. He was a most engaging and humorous old fellow, as brown as a nut,. and as fat as butter, only more so. All his supers were bars an inch and a quarter wide, crammed tightly together, and he used his vestry doorkey to prise them up and show me the fatness of the land ! He complained of losing many swarms, and of rain when they could' settle to work, but still hoped for a good harvest, and made quaint delighted grimaces over the weight of his hives, lifting them at one side to estimate the amount of honey each contained, and translating his grimaces into kilos subsequently! The heavier they were the fuller he blew his cheeks out, and the tighter he screwed up his eyes, and the more deeply he grinned. You would have been charmed with him, I am sure. "He had 25 to 30 hives in all — most disreputable-looking objects from a British bee-keeper's point of view — but told me that he got an average yield of 20 kilos per hive, which I thought, privately, rather poor, though with hives of this kind I should have expected less. " I never knew, till I watched them on the field where we were parked this sum- mer, that bees worked on buttercups. It is a grand country for them. The wastes are covered with clover and small vetch- like growths — almost like a moss — which the bees work hungrily upon. The Sca- beous and thistle, too, and many wild flowers I have never seen in England. " I should very much enjoy a walk with such an adept in botanical lore as your- self about here. There are so many wild blooms about which I never knew existed, but which you would doubtless know. " They have a hive at the Battery I hear, but, I am afraid, no one suffi- ciently expert to move them properly on a lorry, and the moves have been frequent during the last few months. I heard that they are dying away, and I shall try to make a trip there to see. I cannot learn whether they are a swarm found or a stock, but if they have been shut up for moving by someone who did not know sufficient to pack them, doubtless the bulk of them are now drowned in their own wax and honey." THE FANCY OF BEES. [9796] It is surprising to note that, in these days of enlightenment, one of your correspondents ventures to say that bees "like" Bacterol, the predominating odour of which is chie to formlin and iodine. Having experimented with a good number of antiseptics, including Bacterol, Flavine, Izal, Dioxyg.en, Fortnvcdin, and Yadil, I feel quite safe in asserting that the bees have no fancy whatever towards any of these antiseptics, and that they readily take to water medi- cated with any of them. Again, one notices that a certain antiseptic is con- sidered of advantage, because it is odour- less; whereas, in fact, this is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage, as I could not discover in the honey the odour of such preparations as Bacterol, Yadil, Izal, etc., when used in the preparation of spraying solutions, Another strange suggestion is that a colourless antiseptic, such as Fornwlin, is a disadvantage, be- cause it is difficult then to judge the Oct. 31, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 359 strength of solutions! Presumably the writers of such remarks imagine that, on account of the war,, there is a scarcity of measures ! In fact, I would consider the colour of Flavine a disadvantage, as it is ' not compatible with cleanliness, but even this disadvantage is not worth consider- ing for a moment, had Flavine proved to be of exceptional value in " Isle of Wight " disease, which is not the case, to judge now from the results of its trial, in comparison with such previously-used antiseptics as Izal and jDacterol. In my opinion, fancies of the above description, which are unjustly attributed to the bees, are, like the additional views discussed above, only the fancies of the bee-keepers themselves, who should be guided instead, in the selection of a suitable antiseptic for their general use in the apiary, by scientific data and experiments alone. They should consider these data and ask the experts of their Associations to experi- ment, on their behalf, with these anti- septics, instead of following the sugges- tions of irresponsible advisers, so that any conclusions arriveu at by them would be both well-considered and impartial, "and would merit a greater attention than the conclusions of : A Simple Amateur. Queries reaching this office not later than FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING will, if possible, be answered in the " Journal " the fol- lowing Thursday. Those arriving later will be held over until the following week. Only SPECIALLY URGENT queries will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All queries must be accompanied by the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publica- tion, but as a guarantee of good faith. Corre- spondents are requested to write on one side of the paper only. QUEEX TAKING CLEANSING FLIGHTS. [9081] I have read with interest letters in your correspondence column from beemen giving various experiences in bee- life, but have never yet seen anything re the above heauing. We read in bee-books that bees in a healthy state always void their excreta in the open air, and never in-ide the hive. On October 15 I was standing by one of my hives, when I noticed a queen alight on the flight-board and rapidly enter the hive. Now what I should like to know, had this queen been taking a cleansing flight along with her progeny? Could any readers (including Editors) who have had the same experi- ence explain the abqve matter. — P. Lythgoi, Padgate, near Warrington, Lanes. Reply. — A queen does not take cleans- ing flights, as, in consequence of her only feeding on honey and chyle-food, the faeces are liquid and of a pale yellow colour. We have seen them ejected by the queen, and, according to Vogel, they are sucked up by the workers. The queen flies out usually for mating purposes, and we have known young queens take flight from nuclei when these were opened and bees disturbed. TROUBLE IN UNITING. [9032] I had a small lot of driven bees sent me which I united to a nuclei of five frames, and with bad results. On receipt of driven bees I put them in three empty combs, first spraying with a weak solution of Izal : in the centre comb I also poured a little syrup medicated with Izal. I took this precaution in the event of any disease. Twenty-four hours after, as the weather was warm and bees flying freely, and no crawlers about, I united as above stated. I took alternate combs out of each hive, shaking the bees into a new hive, well flouring both bees and combs from a dredger. I had first found each queen, securing the one from the nuclei and cag- ing. As I could not visit them for a few clays. I allowed the bees to eat her out, opening both ends of cage and filling same with candy, closed the hive up snug and left them. I visited them again in five days and was surprised to see a tre- mendous lot of dead bees thrown out — estimated the number practically equal to the number of driven ' bees. The queen was out of cage. My opinion is this: — The driven bees arrived with their stomachs empty, and were fed on syrup medicated with Izal. They were united with their stomachs filled with medicated syrup. which I assume gave them a distinctive odour, and which Mould cling to them for days, whereas the other bees had been feeding on pure honey gathered, and hence the trouble. Besides losing all these bees, and assuming the qtieen bee was released early, and while the trouble was on. I assume I have run the risk of losing her also. My only consolation is experi- ence gained, and which I wish to pass on to other brother bee-keepers. I shall be pleased to have your esteemed opinion, and thanking vou for past favours. — A. Fry. Reply. — The cause of the trouble was feeding the medicated food and uniting too soon afterwards. The bees should have been left for about three davs. or 360 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Oct. 31, 1918. even longer, to allow them to use the medicated syrup and settle down. Prob- ably a little Izalised syrup fed to the' other stock would have averted the trouble. There was a risk of losing the queen, but she may be all right. " T. O. D." '(Wellingborough).— Equalising stocks in the spring. — (1) If any colonies are very weak unite them to others of medium strength. Early in April feed those that need it, or take away combs containing stores from those that have an abundance, and give to those that need food. Towards the end of April brood may be taken from those having more than four combs of brood and given to those with less. Brood that is on the point of emerging from the cells should be chosen. (2) No; follow one of the methods given in the " British Bee-keepers' Guide Book," or in " Queen Rearing in England." " S. B." (Hindhead).— Utilising unfinished sec- tions.—You will be able to keep them througn the winter if they are stored in a =dry place, and they may he fed back to the bees in the spring. E. W. Miller (Middlesex).— Requeening — It is getting very late to .requeen now, but it is still possible to do so. First remove the old queen, and 12 hours later put the new queen in an introducing cage over the frames. The bees may be allowed access to the candy 0.2 hours later. They will eat this away, and liberate the queen in 12 to 24 hours. " Novice " (Crowborough). — Moving bees in the summer.— They must not be moved' more than a yard each day they are flying, or less than about two miles, or the flying bees will return to the old stand. If you wish to move the hive 50 yards, do it when the bees have been confined to the hive by cold weather for a week or more during the next four months. "J. H. N." (King's Heath). — Queen cast out.— (a) The bees will at times ball the queen after manipulation, especially if she was recently introduced and of another variety. This is probably what happened in your case, ib) In this case you moat likely overlooked a queen ceil somewhere, or it may have been simply the bees' " cussedness." (2) There is still just time to requeen. i(3) The bees will not come out all right in the spring without a queen. Some of them may survive, but they will dwindle rapidly, and by the time you can get a queen they will be too weak to be worth requeening, even if they would accept one. Let the next queen remain caged for a longer time, say, three or four days. If they then reject her, the only thing left is to unite to another colony. "Novice" i(Yarmouth). — Dealing with vicious bees.— il) See advertisement. (2) If the bees are eo bad, you might try chloroform, but it needs using very carefully. Put a piece of sponge in the smoker, and pour on it a small teaspoonf ul of chloroform; blow the fumes in at the entrance until two or three bees buzz out on their backs. Then you will have about two or three minutes for manipulation before the bees become lively again. R. Redgath '(Berwicks). — You can get the candy from any appliance dealer who stocks it, or direct from Messrs. J as. Pascall, 100, Blackfriars Road, London, S.E.I, but they do supply a less quantity than five 1 lb. cakes. Your letter does not make clear what happened to the bees. We are unable to make out if the hive has been robbed, or if the combs are broken down. You- can only find out if the bees are queenless by examining the combs. " E " (Tunbridge Wells).— A completed queen cell would not be just ready for an egg, bit would contain a more or less developed queen. Perhaps a queen had emerged from the cell and the cap being- accidentally pushed back in its place had been sealed up again. The cell is most likely one you had overlooked and the queen i& all right. Putting- combs outside near the hives for bees to clean causes a lot of excite- ment in (the apiary at a time when there are very few flowers from which nectar may be gathered. Having cleaned out the combs the bees will attempt to get more honey from other hives, and the whole apiary be - in an uproar. If combs are placed out of doors to be- cleaned they should be as far «away from the hives as possible. ' Miller" (Stockport).— <(1) Keep it closed. (2) The queen will only deposit drone eggs in drone cells. The plan you suggest will work, but the combs will be patchy. P. Poster (North Wales).— Read as many bee books as you can, and study your bees. Iwu will not get the knowledge from one book only. A good selection would be : " The British Bee- keepers' 'Guide Book," " The Honey Bee," " The ABC and X Y Z of Bee-keeping," " Wax Craft," and " Queen Rearing in England." " G. P." (Southampton). — " Bee-keeping Simpli- fied," post free for 7id. from this office. Suspected Disease. Miss A. Tritton (Lines.), " P. G." (Renfrew), J. C. Fisher (Stourbridge).— The bees were affected with "Isle of Wight " disease. " A. H. J." >(Selby). — The comb contained both foul and sour brood. 'The bees were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. " C. B. C." (Amersham). — The trouble is " Isle of Wight " disease. There is no fee, thanks. " Eastdean " (Sussex).— The bees appear to be natives, and are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. " C. L." '(Hants).— We do not (find disease in the bees sent. D. Baird (Yorks.).— Both samples of bees had " Isle of Wight " disease. " Anxious " (Chesterfield).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease, but it does not appear to be far advanced. Medicate any food given them, and keep the hive supplied with naphthaline and Apicure. It is too late in the season, to do much in the way of treatment. " Wimbledon " i(Surrey).— The insect was not a bee, but a drone fly. It resembles1 a drone, but has only two wings— a bee has four. The bees with yellow bands are probably Italian hybrids. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, fertile Dutch (or other) Queen, 11918— W. WINTERTON, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury. - k.53 FOR SALE, two fertile 1918 Queens, 5s. 6d. each.— IRVING, Galabank Apiary, Annan. k.54 WANTED, Cheshire's " Bees and Bee-keep- ing," Vols. i. and ii., in good condition. — Box 51, B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, W.C.2. k.55 FOR SALE, W.B.C. Hive, by Rose, calico- covered iroof, two lifts, body box, and one section rack, no frames or sections.— 35s. cash to Box 52, B.B.J. Office .secures'. k.56 PURE Light Extracted Honey, 19 lb. tins 52s. NORTH, Pressing, Braintree, Essex. k.57 BEE FARM and ideal Small Holding, suit wounded officer, six-room cottage, outbuild- ings, orchard, common rights acre; rent _ £20 inclusive; bees, fowls, rabbits, goats, sow, incu- bator, foster-mother, hayrick; price £376 — LOCK, Pound Farm, North Chapel, Sussex, k.58 WANTED, Gramophone, hornless, either cash or exchange bee appliances.— S. J. BALD- WIN, "Apiary," Bromley, Kent. k.44 Nov. 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 361 A EOLL OF HONOUR. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more righting men than the usual average of any industry. To place on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print a further list of names to those sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Sergt. G. C. Hill, D.C.M., M.M., Sherr- ington, Bucks. — Royal Engineers. Sergt. Hill has also been twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the Russian Medal of St. George, 1st class. Pte. Edwin C. Wilson, Westfield, Cupar, Fife.— Black Watch. Killed in action, September 19, 1918, in France. Pte. E. C. Wilson was the youngest sur- viving son of the late Mr. J. H. Wilson, classical and modern languages master, Madras Academy, Cupar, Fife. He had .been in France with his regiment for over two years. He was a regular reader of the "B.B.J.," and was always pleased to discuss bee-keeping with soldiers who had similar tastes. A DORSET YARN. The 1st of November bees are still in the fields while we work. When lifting two orders of our perpetual raspberry, 500 canes in each order, they seemed to resent us lifting them, as flowers were still on some of them. Most of the late fruit is now ripe, but it is sweet music to him who loves his bees to have them with him as he works. There is plenty of forage for them yet. The Arbutus, or strawberry tree, is now in its beauty; they do search this plant. I saw one in the doctor's gar- den at Broadstone, with many hundreds of bees over it, but only one big bumble- bee. I assume that they are mostly gone into their winter quarters. There must be a lot of sweets in this, yet to look it over there does not seem to be much in the flower itself; A small white pendulus, bell-like blossom, with seven or eight anthers inside it, formed round the stigma, they are formed in clusters and look very pretty, as there are so many on the branches: being white, they show up clear among the dark evergreen leaves. I have seen this tree in Berkshire and Surrey very fine, but in the Bournemouth area it grows very freely. The Bournemouth Bee-keepers' Associa- tion had a very pretty exhibit at the Winter Gardens on Tuesday and Wednes- day. A fine observatory hive, which seemed very crowded with bees, sections, beautifully filled, and glass supers beauti-' fully built over, and run honey in screw- top bottles. The numbers that stayed to look proved how interesting it was, but the observatory hive of Mr. Dolomores was the greatest attraction. — J. J. Kettle. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students a are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 85. Draw a rough sketch showing " the right way hjd ' ' of foundation for sections and frames. 86. What is the width of the passage usually left by bees (1) between sealed brood combs and (2) between sealed honey combs ? 87. To what uses may skeps be put with advantage in a modern apiary? 88. What can be done to hasten the clustering of a swarm? 8? In what circumstances is it advis- able to extract honey from combs in the biood box? 90. What are the utilities of excluders and the drawbacks involved in the use of them? 91. What are the advantages and dis- advantages of working for extracted honey instead of section honey? 92. Describe the construction of a brood box, particularly with reference to the holding in them and placing of frames. 93. How should filled sections be stored to keep them in good, marketable condi- tion ? 94. For what purposes is it advised that a queen's wings should be clipped, and when and how is the operation per- formed? 95. Describe minutely the structure and functions of the honey-sac of a bee. 96. Give a history of the invention and development of the mm able frame. J. L. B. 362 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 7, 1918. INTENSIVE BROOD REARING. By Dr. A. Z. Abushadt. To stimulate brood-rearing, the use of artificial feeding lias long been practised with sure results, provided the right time is chosen. The writer has repeatedly suggested the use^ in addition, of mild artificial heat applied in a judicious manner, as, in his experience, it ap- peared to be a powerful factor in inducing early ovipositing by the queen and its prolongation during the autumn. I shall not deal here, however, with this subject again, as I intend later on to show the practical possibilites of artificial heat and how use could be made of it to revolutionise some of our present methods of bee culture, as soon as industrial con- ditions permit. One of your correspon- dents agreed to the value of artificial heat in the nursing of sick bees, but most of your readers do not even realise this point, and nearly all of them are under a misconception as to what I actually mean BROOD HATCHING CHAMBER. by the utilisation of artificial heat. For this reason a reconsideration of this sub- ject (with some illustrations, if need be) at a future opportunity might be advan- tageous. I propose here to show by a simple in- expensive method how to intensify brood rearing, as distinct from inducing its com- mencement or prolonging it. This method necessitates the employment of a second brood chamber, which might be called, from its primary function, " the brood- hatching chamber," and depends on the utilisation of the natural warmth of the hive, as distinct from any artificial aid. The same natural heat could be utilised for artificial queen-hatching , independent of the attendance of any bees, but I do not propose here to examine the possible utility of this free source of useful heat. I was led to consider this subject seri- ously from reviewing the fact that, onc» the brood has been capped over, it is no longer in need of the attendance of the nursing bees, except for the purpose of incubation, although I admit that they sometimes aid by rarefying the cappings, and by assisting the hatching bees to emerge from the cells. On the other hand, many hatching bees independently emerge from their cells, unless deserted by the incubating bees, e.g., in case of a side frame in unfavourable weather. Far from giving assistance, I once noticed (in my observatory hive), two adult bees laboriously engaged in re- capping a cell and imprisoning an ap- parently well developed hatching worker I I could not understand the significance of their task, but I have appreciated from other sufficient observation the pos- sibilities of independent-brood hatching. Experiments with capped worker cells, drone cells, and queen cells have all con- firmed this view. Using test tubes, and employing artificial blood heat (37 deg. C. — 98.6 deg. F.) I succeeded in securing the hatching out of all the occupants of the three types of cells, and since then I have employed artificial heat in this manner for artificial queen-hatching. I shall discuss at a future opportunity, how- ever, the commercial and practical possi- bilities of queen rearing by this method. The brood-hatching chamber to which I refer consists of an outer casing similar to that of the brood chamber proper, and of an internal brood-hatching box of practically equal dimensions to the stock box of an ordinary W.B.C. hive, but dif- ferently constructed, as seen in the accompanying diagram. It is intended to be placed over the ordinary brood cham- ber, i.e., between the latter and the supers without utilising a separate queen excluder, and as it is estimated that by its employment brood rearing would be accelerated to a degree of from 50 to 100 per cent, at the lowest, it will be seen that the use, in its presence, of an ordi- nary second brood chamber is quite un- necessary. It consists of three compart- ments, A, B, and 0. The central com- partment B; is intended to take five standard frames. Its floor consists of perforated zinc fitted with two Watts or Porter escapes, and is covered with a per- forated zinc shutter or frame. It is sepa- rated from the side compartments, A and C, by wooden walls, each of which having a small hole with a zinc shutter for estab- lishing or preventing intercommunication when desired. Each of the side chambers is made to take two standard frames and two fillets, and is fitted at its base with an ordinary zinc queen excluder or a wooden substitute. Their tops, on the other hand, are not covered, thus permit- ting the adult bees to ascend through them to the supers. The uses of this chamber are multiple, the following being some of the principal objects : — (1) To Intensify Brood Rearing. — Nov. 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 363 Frames of capped brood to the number of five are removed from the brood cham- ber after ascertaining that the queen is not on them, and placed in the central compartment, B, preferably, but not necessarily, after shaking off most of their covering bees, leaving a few on them to attend to the small proportion of unsealed larvae and to the developing eggs. They are replaced in the first brood chamber by either drawn out frames cf comb or frames fitted with full sheets of foundation. After a period of about ten days, the hive is opened and this cham- ber is inspected. Considering that, for physical reasons, the brood-hatching cham- ber should be enjoying a reasonable de- gree of warmth ascending from the brood chamber proper, the sealed brood should have received adequate incubation . and should mostly have hatched out by then. These young bees will find in their compartment a sufficiency of stores to help themselves to, they will be able to communicate with the other bees through the perforated zinc, and finally, with the exception of the drones (which could be hindered by laying a sheet of queen excluder at the bottom of the cen- tral compartment, B), will be able to find their own way down to the brood chamber in due course, through the Porter escapes. Even should they not do so, ' no harm could possibly arise as these young bees do not fly before the lapse of no less than a fortnight after their hatching. These comparatively empty frames could then be returned (with their covering bees, if any) to the brood chamber and replaced by frames of capped brood as described labove. By continuously following this procedure every ten days or so, the additional gain, as regards brood rearing, is quickly in- creased, without making use of a second brood chamber (to which the queen may or may not go), the queen is kept active, aaid the nursing bees relieved of an un- necessary duty. This practice could be continued from mid-spring till the end of the summer, when wintering is com- menced. (2) To Insure Natural Winter Supplies of Good Quality. — This is the function of the side chambers, A and C. besides their acting as parts of an ordinary super. Many bee-keepers, who believe in the superiority of natural food for bees, must have felt greatly disappointed this year in not securing a sufficiency of it, owing to the unfavourable circumstances of the weather. Hence the advantage of guaranteeing the winter stores before gathering any surplus. These side cham- bers fulfil this important task. Since they accommodate standard frames, as soon as these are filled with honey and capped over, they should be removed for temporary storing and replaced by empty ones, and so on, until the de- sired number is secured, any filled frames beyond these would belong to the surplus. The reserved standard frames containing the stores could be returned later to the bees in the brood chamber, in place of undesirable frames, and, if any amongst these contain sealed brood, they could be treated as described above, thus terminating brood rearing before finally deciding to remove the brood-hatching chamber in preparation for wintering. (3) To Prevent Swarming. — Apart from giving more space by fitting the hive with this additional chamber, the tem- porary imprisonment of the queen for a fortnight or so in the central compart- ment, B, during the critical swarming period, might act as a preventive. The queen will never lack attendance in this compartment, since rapidly hatching bees will be regularly emerging, and she will be able, moreover, to exercise her function of ovipositing. (4) To Relieve a Colony of Excessive Drones'. — Young drones hatching out in the central compartment, B, will not be able to leave it if a sheet of excluder zinc is fitted to its base, and they could be collected later on and destroyed or utilised elsewhere. This is better than the employment of the cumbersome drone- trap, which hampers the bees at the en- trance of the hive. I submitted this plan of intensive brood-rearing to several authoritative bee-keepers, and they all agreed that, theoretically at least,' it sounded reason- able. I intended to try it this season practically, but owing to the over-occupa- tion of the manufacturers of bee appli- ances, I was not able to get the neces- sary chamber constructed, simple as it is. I hope to be able "to do so next season, and to report on its merits or otherwise. Had we been fortunate enough to possess a " B.B.-K.A. Research Committee,'''' one would have found accessible facilities for carrying but such an experiment, and for the commercial development of any practicable idea to the advantage of the Association, should the original inventor have no particular interest beyond the advancement of bee culture, as in the case of the writer. SPAIN. Production of Honey. According to an article recently pub- lished in the Barcelona Boletin del Con- sejo Provincial de Agricultura y Gana- deria, there are some 1.600.000 beehives in Spain. These are practically all in the districts 364 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 1, 1918. of Valencia, Aragon, Valladolid, Guada- lajara and Mallorca ; there are very few in the other provinces. Their production is estimated at 13,000,000 kilogrammes of honey, valued at 26,000,000 pesetas — not including the value of the wax. If these 1,600,000 hives were exploited on modern lines instead of the antiquated methods of apiculture at present employed, it is said that their annual production would be worth 60,000,000 pesetas.— Board of Trade Journal. N.B. — To-day's (November 2) rate of exchange on Spain is Ptas. 23.40 per £ sterling. — A. F. H. NATIVE V. FOREIGN BEES. Now that the season is over and all our bees are — or should be — snugly packed up with plenty of stores to last them through the winter and spring, I think I would like to give an hour's leisure to writing a little as to the question of the respective merits of British Black and Italian bees. During the past summer several letters have been published in the British Bee Journal on this subject. Practically all the writers take a very decided line, back- ing either one of these breeds or the other. Personally, T feel sure, a good first cross between Italians and British takes a good deal of beating, and T believe that many bee-keepers are disappointed with these "hybrids" because they are either not a first or even a second cross, and also be- cause, in many cases, what they believe to be an Italian-British Cross, is nothing more or less than an Italian-Dutch cross, than which I imagine there can be few worse combinations. Now it is usually claimed by the cham- pions of the British bee that they swarm less, and that although it is admitted that the Italian is a faster breeder, the British get more honey, because, not fill- ing the hive with an excess of brood, a greater proportion of the honey gathered is stored as surplus. The advocates of Italians contend that the greater the quantity of brood, the more bees there are and the more bees, the more honey they will store. The other element that comes in is swarming. Now my experience goes to show that a very large quantity of brood does not predispose a stock to swarm, provided that honey is coming in well, because if there is a very large area of comb covered with brood a large number of bees hatch out every day, thus giving the queen all the room she may require without going on fo new areas of comb. On the other hand, a queen in a stock hav- ing a small quantity of brood has, if she is to increase her colony, to spread out and often gets blocked up, and swarms. I am presupposing that the queens are of a really good strain. The most fruitful source of swarming is the backward stock in which the queen is trying to spread her brood nest, just at the time the bees are, so to say, impeding her by bringing in honey. Therefore, all backward stocks should be united in early spring. They can be divided again with success and will produce two colonies far stronger than if left to fight their way separately. Especially if the queens can both be kept — one in a nucleus. So much for the theory that Italians are prone to swarm excessively on account of their prolificness. It is like blaming the champagne for breaking a bottle not strong enough for it when bee-keepers complain of their bees breeding too fast. They cannot do so. Of course the above refers only to the best British-bred Italians. I would not trust those that are imported at all. They may be all right ; on the other hand, they may not. It is certain that the British bee is less able to withstand foul broo'd than the Italians, and also the "Isle of Wight" dis- ease. (What a name for a disease !) A gentleman writing to this paper some weeks ago said, if I remember rightly, that he has no use for the Italians. The bees he vised to have years ago were no trouble, never swarmed or had any dis- ease, and year after year, without the least trouble, he had takes of honey — moderate certainly, but sure — but that now his bees are always swarming, and at the end of the season he has supers full of brood and no honey. May I say at once, that anyone who expects to have good re- sults from bees without trouble will be disappointed, also, anyone who indulges in hopes of "a certain yearly good result will be almost certainly disappointed. As a moderate honey gatherer, the British bee takes a lot of beating, I admit, and perhaps there may have been some strains of it in the " good old times " that were almost non-swarmers. I doubt it, and probably so do your- otber readers, hut I admit it is possible. But even if it is granted, bees that only get 20 or 30 lbs. of honey are of no use now. We want 70 to 100 lbs., and that is not done by bees that breed little, and are disinclined to swarm. On the whole, then, I am in favour of the Italian, pure, if possible, or a first cross, and I believe that much of the dis- satisfaction with Italian bees is caused either by the use of poor foreign strains or by bad management. Too much stress cannot be laid on the fact that there are Italians and Italians. Have the Nov. 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 365 best — they are the cheapest always — and keep them forward in spring by uniting if necessary. If this is done, there are not many who will go back to the blacks, es- pecially as these are nearly, if not quite, all crossed with Dutch. The introduction of Dutch bees was in my opinion, one of the greatest disas- ters we have had to contend with. They are utterly worthless, I believe. I have had them swarm out of a 10-frame stan- dard hive where they had only drawn out about half the combs. I can honestly say that, though I had many stocks of them when they first came under notice, I have never had a single pound of sur- plus. A neighbour had eleven swarms from one stock of them in a couple of months ! As a comparison — Italians v. Blacks — some seven weeks ago I purchased two stocks of bees with the view of making my stocks up to a level 30. On receipt I began to feed with Canadian rapid feeder. I fed these and some of my own Italians at the same time. These feeders hold about 10 lbs., and whereas my own bees emptied them in a night, the bought stocks took almost a week. I hope they will work better than this at honey. If not, they will soon get re-queened. I hope this letter may induce others to give their views. I cannot help noticing that practically all the larger takes of honey reported are from Italians. Personally, since I was being devas- tated with " F. B.," I have never had any pure British bees. Those mentioned above as bought are not pure. R. B. Manley. SKYSCRAPER HIVES. HOW TO WORK THEM TO THE BEST ADVAN- TAGE FOR HONEY AND INCREASE. By Julian E. Lockwood, Model Apiary, Hunstanton. Since my article appeared in the Jour- nal re Native v. Foreign Bees I have re- ceived considerably over 100 letters ask- ing me to give a detailed description as to how to work the Skyscraper hives to the best advantage when using the Italian bees. With the permission of the Editors J\ will, as briefly as possible, describe my system during the honey season. If the hives are examined towards the latter part of April, the bees will be found to cover, say, 6 or 7 combs if they have wintered well. I at once contract the bees with the division board to the number of combs they cover. A slow feeder is then placed on the hive, whether the bees are actually in need of it or no. A frame of wired foundation is then inserted into the middle of the brood nest, and in about a week or ten davs' time this will be nieelv drawn out, and full of larvse and eggs. Another frame is inserted as soon as the last one is drawn out, and so on until the full complement of 10: combs is covered by the bees. When the brood box is quite filled, and there is brood 'in all stages of development in most of the combs, I at once double the stock, by placing a brood chamber with wired foundation, or drawn- out combs, underneath, but I do not put the queen excluder between, unless queen- cells are required. In this case the frame of comb with the queen is removed, and placed below, with the excluder between the two boxes. In about 10 days the top body box will be found to contain queen- cells, and can be shifted to another hive with the adhering bees, or as many as are required. If the bee-keeper will sport a few shillings on a fertile Italian queen, it will well repay him, and this division will soon be ready for supering. If a brood box cannot be obtained I generally place a shallow frame box containing 10 frames either underneath, or over, the original brood box. (It makes little difference which way it is put on.) When the queen is laying freely in each box supers can be added, with or without the queen ex- cluder. When the excluder is not used I have known a good Italian queen to keep one brood box and two shallow boxes well filled with brood, and the result is an overwhelming population with little or no desire to swarm. When the honey flow is in full swing the supers must be added quickly, and if possible removed as soon as the combs are all sealed over. If left on the hives there will very soon be a hive standing 6 ft. high, which will re- quire a chair to stand on to look in at the top super. Not only that but they become very cumbersome to manage. I saw a similar hive at Mr. Smith's apiary at Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge, last June. It was a proper old skyscraper, and though I stand over 6 ft., I could only just see level with the top super. All the supers were absolutely packed with bees, and a continuous stream going and com- ing. By working on these lines I reckon to use up a good young queen in three months, and I always requeen every year. I have also found in many cases that the bees will often supersede of their own ac- cord about the middle to the latter part of July.iOn only one occasion did I have a swarm issue from my skyscraper hives and this was because I ran short of siipers. Now just a word of warning to those who have shown their desire to follow this plan. Unless in a good honey producing locality I should advise beginners especi- ally to leave it alone, for if the honey flow is poor, or of short duration, the enormous population will consume more honey than thev can store in the combs. I hold that 366 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 7, 1918. Norfolk, and Cambridge are the best honey-producing counties in England. Sanfoin fields abound everywhere, and when this is the case the skyscraper prin- ciple can be worked to the bee-keeper's advantage and great profit. Many inquirers have also asked me what type of hives I work on these lines. Much as I dislike the British frame I am com- pelled to use it, as it is the standard for the country. I therefore use W.B.C. hives of the best make, but brood boxes answer the purpose just as well in summer. If increase is required, all one has to do is to take out three frames of brood and bees and form a nucleus, giving a fertile queen the same night. If this is made early in June, and helped on with about two frames of hatching brood, they will be ready for supering in about a month from the time of making. Another very good way is to remove one of the brood bodies with adhering bees (preferably that with the most hatching brood) to a new location. If the division is made at mid- day, and the old queen left on the old stand, a fertile queen should be inserted in the queenless lot by direct introduction after fasting the queen for 30 minutes. This should be very soon ready to receive supers. By making a little increase on these lines the parent colony has no de- sire to swarm, and as it is literally teem- ing with bees suffers very little for the loss of brood and young bees taken away. I never dabble about with virgin queens when I divide my colonies, for I find that a little outlay on a good select tested Italian queen soon repays itself from the surplus honey which will be obtained. I must again impress upon my inquirers (and beginners especially) that I am re- ferring to my own district, and cannot say what would exactly happen to a hive so worked in a poor locality. In conclu- sion I should like to point out to readers that in these times of high postage rates and shortage of labour that it is only fair to enclose a stamped addressed envelope and make the questions as brief as pos- sible when writing to a stranger for ad- vice. Will readers cease writing to me for bees and queens, as I have none for sale, only possessing 30 stocks myself. WANTED.— RECIPE FOR MARROW JAM. I wish to make some vegetable mar- row jam, using a mild-flavoured granu- lated honey in lieu of sugar. Will some- one who has done this successfully be kind enough to detail the process, bearing in mind that it is desirable to use only as much honey or ginger as may be neces- sary to ensure good-keeping quality? — ■ H. J. O. Watjter, Lt.-Col. The Editors do not hold themselves respontibl* 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. THAT SKEP. [9797] I was very much interested in your correspondence (7919), p. 351. Now, I am not a skepist myself, but there is something about it that I cannot under- stand— that is, as regards the bar-frame hive and the skep hive. What I cannot understand is this. How is it that the " Isle of Wight " disease always breaks out in the bar-firame hive — at least nine cases out of ten. I think that I see as many bees in one year as any other man; I have an area of 18 miles radius, and get into all the nooks and corners where bees are located. The " Isle of Wight " disease has cleared out many apiaries around this district, and every case that I have come in contact with, up to the present, is with the frame hive, and I have about a dozen skepists of whose bees I have the management, and not one has any trace of the disease. I should like this problem solved, and I am in- clined to think that there is something wrong somewhere — that is, between the frame hive versus the skep. I have made it up in my mind that I am going to try and solve the problem, as I am going to do away with the bar-framed hive and go back to the old straw hut, at least for a year or two. I have at the present time two old sugar boxes. Each contains a good strong colony of healthy bees, and this coming season is their third year's existence in the boxes, and to-day (October 28) working for all they are worth, carrying in pollen from a field of late mustard which is just at hand, and the frame Jiives are dormant, some dead and others dying. How is it? I always read Mr. Kettle's yarns with much inte- rest, and I notice by his yarns that he has his bees in other than frame hives, and I should like his views on the above subject. Perhaps he will be able to throw some light on it, as I will own up that it puzzles me, and I have had half a century amongst bees. I have been a reader of Nov. 7, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 367 the B.B.J, at least 35 years, and I am as proud of it to-day as ever .1 was, and I have seen it said in the back numbers that the straw skep is a sealed book. So it is, to a certain extent, but on the other hand it can be worked with good results if properly managed. When I go my rounds it gives me joy to get amongst the skeps, where the bees are healthy and working with a will, but when I visit the bar-frame bee-keepers' hives I have my " duck " knocked off to find some of them dead, and crawlers all over the place, and I really think that there is no real cure for it. I have apparently cured it for a time, but it breaks out again, and if there is not something done bees will soon be a thing of the past. I have several skepists that would like the frame hive, but under the present circumstances I don't give any encouragement to start with them. I should like to see other old bee-keepers' views on the above subject, to which I am sure oiir Editors will give publicity. — E. J. Thompson. SAVING DISEASED COMBS. [9798] I have read with interest the article under the heading above in your issue dated 24th October from Mr. C. H. Dyche, as the swarm received by him in early June came from my apiary. The hive it came from I will call No. 1, in which there has been no sign of disease up to now ; No. 2 swarmed May 28, though 42 sections were on, so I removed all brood, replacing it with foundation and putting the sections on again. On June 9 crawling began. I sprayed flying and crawling bees, the ground round hive and the outside of hive with a solution of Bacterol, and twice I drenched inside of hive with it, but there was no improve- ment. This continued till the 23rd, when I removed the sections and sprayed bees and combs with Flavine, to no purpose. No. 9, 300 yards distant, also failed to recover under similar treatment, though it had a 1918 queen. These two stocks were then moved to a new stand, well sprayed with Flavine, and No. 9 placed on top of No. 2 with a view to their union. As there was still no improve- ment and they had been confined three days in order to compel their use of the Flavined food, I decided to sulphur them, and I did so one evening when flying had ceased. Next evening I went to open the hive to clear and burn contents, and was surprised to find two good seams of bees in each lot, so I removed surplus frames, united bees, and, as it was getting dark, left them, after opening slides to enable them to fly. Next evening I went to lift hive off floor-board to clear dead bees and give floor a cleaning, but the bees had done it for me. Then I decided to spray combs which had been removed with Bacterol, of course uncapping all sealed cells, and placed them behind dummy till bees had cleared them of honey, when they were gradually used till the hive was full. There has been no sign of disease in this stock since. No. 5 was formed of brood, and queen cell from No. 2 has given me 30 heather sections, and is now on 15 combs, and appears healthy. I should add that the combs not required to fill up the sulphured hive were given to No. 5. Another stock which swarmed two days after I saw crawlers has shown no sign of disease since. My experience seems to me to show : — First. The disease appears to be mostly in the older or field bees, and that these can only be treated when no food can be obtained outside, as they will ignore arti- ficial food, and honey is often out of the question. This would be support for the idea that a young queen is better than an old one. Second. That there is no need to destroy good combs or brood, because if they are infected they can be easily dealt with. I am in close accord with Mr. Dyche ; his experience is much like mine. — W. Mist. EXPERIENCE WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT ' ' DISEASE. f 9799] I always read with deep interest all notes in The Bee Journal giving ex- periences with " Isle of Wight " disease, and if you think it sufficiently interesting to your readers I will give mine. In common with most bee-keepers in this district I have been a great loser by this plague. Some five years ago, after trying all the supposed remedies I could hear of, I lost all my bees, but after a season's irest I commenced again with four fresh stocks and clean appliances, and have had but little trouble since, but this trouble again appeared under the following circum- stances : — The first Sunday in June this year a hybrid stock gave a large swarm, which was hived on clean standard frames and a rack of partly drawn-out sections and placed on the old position, the stock after- wards being broken up into three nuclei. The weather at this time being splendid, neither were fed. For a short time the swarm worked well, then developed the " Isle of Wight ' ' disease, and a few days later the old stock showed the same symp- toms. I treated the swarm with " Fla- vine " for about a fortnight, but, finding no improvement, destroyed them. With the old stock I used " Bacterol," 368 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 7, 1918. and, thinking there was an improvement, changed them into a clean hive. They re- covered, and are now a strong stock. The other two nuclei have kept perfectly healthy and done well. From this experience it would appear that " Bacterol " is a cure, whilst " Fla- vine " is not; but is it so? I am inclined to the opinion that the conditions were not the same in the two lots, for whilst the swarm consisted of the older bees and old queen ; the other contained young bees and a young queen. Here, I think, is the secret of most of the recoveries. The young queen, under most favourable conditions, was able to master the complaint, and so survived. — W. N. Carter. TREATMENT OF "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE. [9800] Many years ago, as reported in the British Bee Journal, a hive with a foreign queen showed signs of above dis- ease, and was sulphured at once, which was quite successful. Last year two others were similarly treated, but not with the same result for this year the disease ap- peared again. Now was the time to try a remedy, so I procured both Bacterol and Flavine, and decided to use the latter, which was sprayed on the alighting board five days in succession ; symptoms were developing all the time. I turned to, opened up the hive, and sprayed thoroughly everything, which was re- peated three or four days later, and the colony was saved and the crop good.— J. M. Best, Trewoon Apiary, St. Austell. BEE STINGS AND BLOOD POISONING (9787). [9801] Mr. Salmon mentions menthol salicylate as useful to smear on the hands to prevent stings. Would he mind veri- fying this, as it has been suggested that it might be methyl salicylate. — J. L. B. PRESS CUTTINGS. a novel bee hunt. By Beekeeper. The high prices of stocks and honey have this season made the hunting of stray swarms, self-hived in hollow trees or roofs, an exciting and profitable game, and amongst the stray colonies which have succumbed to the bee-hunter is one which for five years at least has occupied the top of one of the lofty columns surrounding the smaller of the Leigh ton Gas Com- pany's two gas holders. A small open- ing between the top of the column and the heavy metal cap gave the bees en- trance to their novel hiving place, and before they could be got out and induced to accept a modern bar-frame hive as their future home the metal cap had to be removed. Conical in shape, and weigh- ing, with its load of honey and bees, something like a couple of hundredweight, if, could not be handled. It had to be raised and then lowered with block and tackle to a suitable place for clearing, and, before the bees could be driven, the hunters were helped to as many stings as the most ardent bee-hunter could desire. The most delicate part of the operation was the removal of four screw bolts which secured the cap to the top of the column. After having been in position some twenty years these resisted the blandish- ments of the stoutest spanner, and needed the gentle persuasions of a hammer and cold chisel. Everyone knows how quickly bees resent the slightest jarring of the hive. But there was no other way of moving the bolts, and passers-by watched with some interest a venturesome member of the party sitting some sixty feet from the ground, astride the slender girder connecting the columns and slowly ham- mering out the bolts, whilst around buzzed a horde of angry and irritated bees. The lowering of the cap also pro- vided some excitement, the brushing of the comb against the top of the column as the cap swung free rousing the bees, in spite of the free use of smoke, to the wildest fury and forcing the hunters for the moment to capitulate. A mass of loose comb and bees fell on the heads of the men hauling from below, and they, too, received a fair dose of formic favours. After a night's rest the bees tamely allowed themselves to be driven by the usual methods, and hived on six full frames of brood, and two of honey cut from the cap and fitted into standard brood frames. They are now working merrily in their new home and defending it quite as furiously against robber wasps as they defended their old home against the bee-hunters. The cap, of course, yielded up an accumulation of honey, but that is another story. Another Leighton Buzzard bee-keeper has secured a stock of bees from between the floor boards of a Heath bedroom. The occupier of the house has had several swarms from this colony, but was quite willing, on being promised the honey, to let the hunter have the stock, if he could get it. Several floor boards had to be removed before the queen could be cap* tured, but both occupier and hunter seemed satisfied with their share of the evening's amusement. — From The Leigh, ton Blizzard Observer. Nov. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 369 REVIEW. Practical Queen Rearing, by F. C. Pel- lett (4s. 6d. net). — To those who are inte- rested in queen rearing this book will prove most useful. The author has visited many of the largest queen-rearing estab- lishments in America, and gives the best methods in use at those apiaries. The directions given are brief and concise, but clear. The book is small, but the writer has managed to cover a lot of ground and to give much very useful information in a small compass. Chapter I., a description of the characteristics of the various races and varieties of bees, will be of great ser- vice. It is published by the American Bee Journal, printed on good paper, bound in cloth, and has many good illustrations. A DORSET YARN. A wonderful autumn for bees in Dorset. Still whole fields of charlock ; even as the men pull the mangels the bees are round on the charlock flowers. They are now on the laurestinus ; the blooms smell quite strong as one goes by them. Flowers are still in great profusion in our area, and with some bright days the bees are every- where. We have not yet the robbing .song, which is a surprise to me, as the Italians last year preyed on the late swarms and cleared them out very quickly. They, like the Germans, delighted in loot- ing their neighbours that were weaker than themselves. Our lot looks like wintering well ; I find, when one only touches the roof to look in, there is the quick roar of sound that shows they are ready to defend their homes against all coraeiis, and soon are hurrying outside the entrance to take action. One of my neigh- bours says his are not so well this autumn ; they were very clean and strong for two yeais. I wanted to buy some of them for a Devon bee-keeper, but he would not part — it was well for the would-be pur- chaser that he would not. We are not far from the sea; the air is very moist iu autumn. I have an idea that moisture has a lot to do with bad wintering; a dry shed to cover them will be a great ad- vantage. The learned Ealing doctor has advanced that, as has another of the writers in the Journal (who writes too little). The dryness of everything round must be better for them; weather like we have had lately — wind blowing, rain over the hives, even though they are rain-proof, must make for moisture inside. The hives I have now are larger, so as to have a greater air-space round the brood chamber, which in my opinion adds to the dryness of brood box. We have found that air-space in the larger hives makes this. In reading that exhaustive work, " The ABC and XYZ of Bee-keeping," by Root, one is struck with the diversity of food plants. The States are so vast. From the frozen St. Lawrence river to the Gulf of Mexico gives them such a great variety of plants, where bees in our temperate area have only a limited lot to feed on, and some of them, like the lime, only a short time. The orange groves in the States must be beautiful, and the honey from them must be delicious. The food plants in Dorset are all that tend to make good honey, though some is nicer to the taste than others. We are just now using shallow bars that were put on in August, which we consider to be mostly heather, but we have noticed that the ' honey from gooseberry and raspberry is very tasty, or it may be thought so, as it is the first we get in the year, and Ave have only been able to get it by giving drawn- out sections that were only partly filled the previous season. For our own use early next season we shall use shallow bars, "but must have the wires run longways of the frame and not laced at angles, as we do the standard frames in the brood chamber, as it is difficult to cut the comb clean out of them. Many who see our bees, and taste the honey, go away with a desire to keep bees, because of the delicious taste of the honey. We tell them that not all the wealthy people in the country have better than ourselves. Still, without a doubt it is a great luxury, for I took a few sections to the R.H.S. meeting on October 22, and visitors begged for some of them at 4s. each. I was not keen to. sell, as we always like to have on hand .some of the best for our own use. One gentleman gave me 24s. for six of them ; he came from Bonnie Scotland. I need not have taken any of them home. Some ladies openly accused me of '.' profiteer- ing." I had to advise them that I had them for exhibition, and had no wish ti sell what we wanted for ourselves, and if they wanted cheap honey they must keep bees to gather it for them, as we do in Dorset. One lady (I should presume she was an old maid) asked if it wae " maiden " honey. I assured her that every bit of it was gathered by maidens; if she could prove it was not I would give them to her. I rather fancy she thought f was, to use a slang term, " pulling hei .leg.'' Yet, without a doubt, by her dress and speech, she must have had a costly education. The Dorset tiller of the soil had to give her a short lesson in natural 370 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 14, 1918. history. " How very interesting! " was the rejoinder. My youngest son has just had a form to fill up. Each county is anxious to know what Service men would like to follow farming as an occupation after the war. I hope all our bee-keepers who have gone to the Army will fill one up. and get fixed on the land while the owners of the soil are agreeable to the scheme, as then our eraft will come into its own again. I told my son to fill up for 50 acres. He will be able to make a comfortable living from them; a bee-man, even if he is minus one arm, will be able to work on the land. On a neighbouring farm, the farmer has only one hand and a hook, yet no man with two sound arms can beat him in breaking-in young horses to farm work. All our bee-keepers in the United King- dom ought to form a limited company or co-operative society in ^1 shares, to help settle the bee-keepers on the farms. I can help my son with a cow or two to start, but many others will not be able to start without a little help from someone. The State ought to settle a lump sum on the maimed heroes who are broken in the war, but there will be many who will be broken in health, by the exposure of campaigning whom the State will not help at all. If it can be arranged by the National B.B. Association, I will start with ten shares of i'l each. If no one begins it can never be done. I hope the owners of the soil will never get back to the same indi- vidualistic groove as it was before the war, when pheasants and partridges, deer and hares were thought to be more value than the man who tilled the soil for the nation's good in growing food for man and beast. — J. J. Kettle. A MODEL APIAEY. I. — The Apiary and its Surroundings. On the northern bank of the Koyal Dee, some 20 miles from Aberdeen, amid some of the most beautiful and picturesque scenery in Scotland, stands Glassel, the property of. A. H. E. Wood, Esq., who has been long known to readers of the Bee Journal as a prominent and successful bee-keeper, as well as a generous donor to the funds of the B.B.K.A. and local Asso- ciations. The apiary merits the appella- tion forming my heading better than any other I have seen either north or south within the bounds of Scotland. Situated in the midst of a richly wooded area, not far from the Dee, it commands a mag- nificent view of almost the whole river ' valley from the far-distant Cairngorms down to the lesser hills near the City of Aberdeen, and it embraces splendid views of Locbnagar and other classic scenes. It is fast becoming the Mecca of bee- keepers all over the North-East of Scot- land, for they flock to it annually from far and near. Last year 350 members of the Aberdeenshire and District Bee-keepers' Association, of which Mr. Wood is the chairman, and this year over 400, have visited it during successive weeks of the active honey season, and no one leaves it without carrying away pleasant memories and a higher ideal to work up to. Here they see everything of the best. Apicul- ture is carried on along the most advanced lines, while the system of management, as well as hives and appliances, are perfect, and as specimens are well worthy of imi- tation. The surroundings of the apiary are all that could be desired. Willows are abun- dant, sycamore trees are numerous, pro- fusely-blooming lime trees are every- where, while rich fields of white clover, wherein the bees revel all the summer long, occupy a large part of the near fore- ground, and, to sum up, heather spreads its wealth of purple bloom on the not- distant Hill o' Fare. It will thus be seen that here is an ideal site for an apiary. The owner places his chiefconfidence in the wealth of white clover during July, and in the bounteous flow from the lime blossom in August for surplus honey. Working as he does for extracted honey, heather is viewed as a secondary source of nectar. The hives are of Lee's W.B.C. pattern, and are arranged in pairs all over the spacious, well-trimmed lawn, and number about 50. They are themselves a great adornment, being in every way perfect of their kind. Each stand bears a number and accommodates two hives, which are marked A and B, thus giving a quick and easy reference in keeping records. The stands are so constructed that the weight of each hive reposes on two of the four supports. The stands are painted green, and the hives a pure white. As gales blow strong in this part of the country, it is necessary to fix the roofs on firmly, and this is done by a fine flexible wire .rope, which is securely tied to each end of the stand. It passes over the top of each hive, and is brought clown be- tween the hives to a stick, which is weighted in the middle with a 14-lb. block of concrete. The upper side of the stick has a hook through which the wire is passed. The front end always rests on the front bar of the stand, and is kept there by a large staple, the stick at this end having 6 "in; of stiff |-in. fencing Avire fixed in it, which lies loosely in the staple. The arrangement is so simple that a child can easily lift the free end of the stick owing to the leverage. This is all done quickly, and there is no tying or untying to be done. To save the canvas from being cut by the wire rope on the edges of the roof, a small piece of wood, about Nov. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 371 6 in. long, is fixed on to the edge. This system of fixing down roofs is worthy of being highly commended. The inside of the hive is varnished, as it lias been found that this not only keeps the wood dry, but also that the operation prevents the outer surface from peeling off or blistering, as the moisture cannot be drawn through the wood by the heat of the sun. The porch consists of a single board fixed over the entrance. In summer the doorway is all the width of the hive, but only % in. deep; in autumn it is contracted by slides as occa- sion demands. These, placed in one way, leave a half-inch opening; reversed, they can be closed entirely. In winter a second board, nearly the length of the porch, is screwed on, resting on the alight- ing board. In the centre a notch is cut, affording a bee space for the exit and entrance of bees. In addition, however, they can obtain easy access round the ends of the " storm door " to the true en- trance. This device is a valuable saver of bee life, as it not only hinders chilling winds, drifting sleet, or snow from find- ing its way into the hive, but it checks would-be robbers from carrying out depre- datory raids. A square of glass placed up on edge still further hinders any at- tempted robbing boom from proving suc- cessful. All arrangements of the hive interior are the result of careful study and pro- longed observation. Mr. Wood believes in ample packing overhead, and uses about as much covering all summer as he does in winter. First, over the frames in each body-box he has a glass quilt with a 3-in. round hole in the centre. This is set In a frame with a ^-in. bee space below the sheet of glass. Formerly a disbeliever in this system of overhead covering — indeed, an out-and-out opponent of the use of glass— since seeing the perfection of these " quilts " I am a strong advocate of their use. They are not only attractive, and afford an interesting period of observation as to the condition of the bees and brood nest, but they also add to its cleanliness. Each sheet is set into the frame in such a way that the slat affords space for the expansion of the glass, so that it never cracks, of old a grave fault. Brace combs are rarely formed, as was previously too often the case, and no dampness is ever found present. Above this quilt are placed two coverings of ticking cloth, neither of which, of course, is ever propo- lised. Over this lies a thick, carefully- made-up cushion of wood shavings, with a bole in the centre for accommodating a circular feeder. When this is not in use the opening is closed by a close-fitting- pad. Over these are placed two to four layers of warm blanket or woollen cloths. A loose space in one of these affords room for one or two regularly renewed riaph- thol balls to keep out wax-moth or other vermin. It will be noted from the repro- duced photograph* that hives are not placed in line, but that their fronts face almost every point of the compass. Studded thus, over a well-kept lawn, and placed between lovely beds of flowers, flowering plants, and beautifully flowering shrubs, they form a delightful picture- artistic, and wonderfully picturesque — just .what a model apiary should look. In the centre a drinking fountain has been constructed, in imitation of an ancient well-head. Supplied on the gravi- tation plan, the waters are always cool and fresh. They trickle down the sides, which are adorned by a number of rock and alpine plants, and then drip on to a deposit of coke before finding their way underground to a neighbouring stream. Here the bees can drink their fill at leisure, and in spring and autumn the busy, contented hum goes on in a lively key all day long, thousands of bees visit- ing it. This is a great source of interest to all visitors of this apiary. The whole arrangements of the apiary form a pleasing landscape. It is believed that the special grouping of the hives not only affords the young queens a guide to their own hive when returning from their marital flight, but the bees, too. find their own hives more readily, even on a blowy day; therefore there is little drifting. The lawn faces almost due south, and every hive has a prolonged period of the sun's rays daily. Nucleus hives are used in summer both for queen-mating and for obtaining in- crease, but queens are generally mated from the observatory hives, which are kept in a special shed built in a quiet spot, apart from the regular hives. Need- less to say, many visitors find this one of the most interesting corners in the apiary. There six single-framed hives are kept stocked with young bees. Ripe queen- cells are put in, and as soon as the queen starts to lay she is used elsewhere, and another queen-cell is inserted; so the ball is kept rolling through the _ summer months. In this special shed during sum- mer there is a Lee's three-frame observa- tory kept going for educational purposes. and in addition a full-sized ten- frame hive, all glass, with supers of glass. This is always kept strong, arid remains there, summer and winter. A record is kept of its doings, which forms interesting read- ing. Hitherto the bees have been almost en- tirely Blacks, but at the time of my visit a good many of the colonies were undcr- * This will appear in our next issue.— Eds. 372 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 14, 1918. going the process of being Italianised. Mr, Wood takes a direct personal interest in every operation in the apiary, and has a very" full and exact knowledge of the whole field of apiculture, as his very numerous visitors fully appreciate. The chief apiarist is Miss Robinson, who is a First Class expert of the B.B.K.A., and one of the best Final Passes in recent years. "That success crowns their united efforts is proved by the fact that last year they secured over a ton of honey from 28 hives, the average being 85 lbs. This year it stood at 84 lbs., even when con- tending with disease. The record hive last year had 180 lbs. ; this year the best was 140 lbs.— D. M. Macdoxau>. KENT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. Annual Conference at Rochester. Over 70 members from all parts of Kent attended a very interesting meeting of the above Association on Saturday, November 2, at the Guildhall, Rochester. Henry Fielding, Esq., Vice-Chairman (Canter jury), presided in the unavoidable absence of the chairman, Mr. Dewey. Dr. A. Z. Abushady, who had promised to address' the meeting,' unfortunately was not able to be present, but Captain 0. C. Lord, R.A.M.C. (Chairman of the Rochester Branch), kindly volunteered to read his paper, which was most interest- ing and instructive. Dr. Abushady re- marked in his paper that bee-keeping in England seemed to be greatly behind the times, and not at all progressive. He said that in America bee-culture was con- sidered a science and not a craft ; it was run on scientific lines, and in consequence was far in advance of any other countrv in bee-keeping practice. Their leading principle was efficiency, while in this country economy was erroneously thought to be the key to profit. Summarising, the Doctor considered that in our quest for progress the following four principles should be thoroughly understood: — (1) Learn to appreciate criticism and to study our international position with a view of improving our conditions, and contributing our best to the general ad- vancement of bee-culture. (2) To realise that the basis of the greater progress of others is science and not tradition. (3) To appreciate that as science is in- compatible with disorganisation we should see to it that our Bee-keepers Associa- tions are perfect examples of organisation existing by deeds and not by name. (4) To understand that apiculture is a progressive science and not a mechanical craffc. He expressed astonishment that Bee- keepers' Associations in England had not established Research Committees Or apiaries for experimental and testing pur- poses, and urged that this matter be at- tended to at once if progress is to be made. He mentioned the fact that in America aluminium combs were in use. and now being tried as regards their practical use. Another point needing at- tention was the artificial heating of hive-: •for the purpose of neutralising abnormal changes of temperature dttring winter, and so maintain in the hive a low but level heat. As regards " Isle of Wight " disease, Dr. Abushady spoke very highly of " Ya- dil " in fighting this plague. He men- tioned, as points greatly in its favottr. that it was non-toxic, non-corrosive, non- poisonous, and a 5- per cent, solution was equal in strength as a germicide to pur<* phenol, or carbolic acid. Moreover, it was stable and not liable to deterioration. These were very great advantages. Mr. J. Price, secretary of the MidUn I Division of the Association, spoke veJ > highly of Dr. Abushsady 's qualifications ana ideas. In the discussion following the reading of the paper Mr. H. E. C Carter, of Blackheath, held that by the use of artificial combs bees would in time tend to lose the use of their wax glands. Mr. Graham Porter (Canterbury) made a very interesting observation on " Isle of Wight " disease, saying that he had sus- pected some ants in his garden to be suf- fering from " Isle of Wight" disease. and after examination with the micro- scope found this to be the case. He rod prepared several slides. He thought this another channel for the spread of the dis- ease, as. ants very often enter the hives. As a direct result of the strong gppeai by Dr. Abushady for a Committee of Re- search, it was unanimously decided, on the proposition of Councillor Waldegrave (Rochester) to request the Council of the Association to make arrangements to form such a Research Committee, with neces- sary equipment at the earliest possible opportunity. The Secretary announced that the Apiary Produce Competition, which was run by the Association this year for the" first time, was won by Mr. W. H. .7. Prior, of Xew Eltham, with 101 points. Mr. G. H. Barnes being second with ln3. and Mr. Bryden flu'rd with 139k Mr. Prior thus won the t' Chairman's '' Cup Cor 1918, so kindly presented to the Asso- ciation „ by Mr. Dewey. There followed a most interesting lan- tern lecture by Mr. Graham Porter on useful bee plants) illustrated by beauti- ful photographs from Nature, taken by himself. His -explanation of the various Nov. L4, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 373 blooms, and how the bee gathered the nectar from them, was greatly instruc- tive. A vote of thanks to Dr. Abushady. to Mr. Graham Porter, and to the Mayor, for the use of the Guildhall, concluded the meeting. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOE BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 97. How may ripe honey in the comb be distinguished from unripe? 08. What is the most preferable site for an apiary, and how should the hives be .disposed thereon? 99. In what circumstances is a ventila- tion hole in the Moor of a hive useful? 100. Show how an ordinary lever-lid tin may be adapted for use as a feeder. 101. What is the best part of the day for handling bees generally and examining -tocks, and why? Give also the excep- tions. 102. For what length of time after a swarm goes out is a hive queenless? 103. What are the external indications that a colony is attacked by T.O.AV. disease ? 104. What are the eha racteristic features of the W.B.C type of hive, and of theC.D.B. type? 105. Give a complete list of the kinds of work done by each sort of bee in a colony. 10(3. How may drone breeding be kept under control? 107. What is known as to the prepara- tion and use of brood-food? 108. Make notes for a lo-minuto lecture on the structure of the bee-sting ap- paratus and its uses' to 1 lie bee and to the beemaster. J. L. B. BEES IN WALLS OF HOUSE. There are two colonies of bees in the walls of our house, one on the south-ea-i and the other on the north-west. They were established when we took possession of the. premises a little more than three years ago, and no one seems to be quite certain as to how long they were there previously. My wife and myself did not take par- ticular notice of these bees until this vc.n\ when it occurred to us that we might make use of them. On June 12 we began operations with the nest in the north-west wall, as here there is a bed-room where we could hear the bees humming and also feel their heat through the plaster. The warmest spot in the wall, where we judged the brood would be. was about .'$ feet 6 inches down from the ceiling. The structure oi the building at this point is timber framing .set 12 inches apart, lathed and stuccoed on the outside and ordinary lath and plaster on the inside. We first bored through to the nest with a bradawl and pushed in a fine wire which, when withdrawn, was found to be coated with honey. We next prepared a piece of thin sheet iron to 12 inches wido and at a point 1 foot 6 inches down from the ceiling we made a horizontal saw rut through the lath and pilaster (being care- ful not to let the point of the saw go far into the cavity), and through this saw-cut we pushed the piece of sheet-iron as tax as it would go. (This was afterwards found to have made a perfect seal be- tween the upper and lower parts of the nest.) We next made a -mall hole near the ceiling, and fixed an ordinary escape cone, then we opened the window and watched the imprisoned bees escaping. The next day, as no more bees were coining out, we concluded they had all gone. We then cut through the lath and plaster close to the timbers on each side of the cavity from the ceiling down to the iron plate, when the, lath and plaster came away in one panel, and there was exposed it double wall of comb reaching from the wall plate at the ceiling down to the sheet-iron and quite free from bees. Contrary to expectations, the comb was fairly clean, and the haul amounted to 7 lbs. of run honey, besides what we had eaten in the comb. The next thing was to thoroughly clean out and whitewash the cavity. We then fitted three strips of wood across close to the sheet-iron, and rested on these aerate with gla-s front holding four ordinary sections. The sheet-iron was then withdrawn, and immediately the bees came up into the crate. Strips of wood were then screwed on the face of the plaster to frame in the cavity and a warm curtain fixed. For a time wo thought the bees were beginning to work in the sectious, but they only made good their lower comb up to the strips of wood which had been fitted across to carry the crate. We have now taken the crate and sections away. and supplied the bees with a feeder filled with syrup, and, judging by the con- tented hum, they are thoroughly enjoy- ing themselves. On June (3 the bees <>n the south-east side of the house swarmed, the swarm weighing nearly <"> lbs. We put them in A bar-frame hire, giving them eight frames and two more on the 14th, and on July 2 we put on a super fitted with nine shallow frames. On August 22 we removed tin- super and extracted IS-1- lbs, of honey, and have now given the frames back to the hees to clean up. 374 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 14, 1918, The bees on the south-east side could not be treated in the same way as those mentioned above, because there is a hot- water cistern fixed close to the wall, and this would have to be removed before the nest could be opened from the inside, so we we are keeping that stock to give us swarms from time to time. We have joined the Kent B.-K.A., and feel ourselves to have made a satisfactory start in bee-keeping. We are hoping to form a local branch of the Kent Bee-Keepers Association, and are being very much helped in this pro- ject by the kindness of Lady Edwardes, mho is presenting a quanity of useful bee-keeping appliances in memory of the late General Sir Stanley Edwardes, C.B.. a vice-president of the County Associa- tion and an enthusiastic bee-keeper. — T. Mebohant Taylor. 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 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. ' THAT SKEP." [98021 It has always seemed strange to me that anyone conversant with the modern frame-hive should want to keep even one stock in a skep. Surely one of the chief lessons of the war has been, that if we wish to maintain our position in industry, we must adopt the most scientific and up-to-date methods, and be continually on the look- out for improvements. Bee-keeping is no exception to this rule, and why should bee-keepers lag behind? In the frame- hive we have the basis of a thor- oughly rational systems of bee-culture. In the course of time, doubtless, further improvements in design and methods of management will be evolved. Let us con- centrate our attention on these, and not put the clock back by a return to a sys- tem which did not even satisfy the more enlightened of our grandfathers! If Mr. Ion likes to keep a skep or two for purely sentimental reasons, one has no right to complain about it, though it alwavs seems to me like the waste of, a good stock of bees, which m'ght be much better employed elsewhere. Personally. I derive far greater pleasure from manipu- lating a modern hive, with the vast pos- sibilities of control it gives one, than from the mere contemplation of a stock in a skep. Let us now consider the points which are urged in favour of the skep, that are all that can be set against its ' obvious drawbacks. In the first place I admit there are » few people who from lack of energy, edu- cation, or intelligence, appear incapable of making a success of the modern system. If such people wish to keep bees in skeps why should they not? By all means let us help them, and surely we are entitled to utilise their driven bees in return, but do not let us imitate them ! Secondly, skeps are said to give early swarms. I fail to see the value of these early swarms myself. They are usually small, and experience has again and again proved that size and not earliness is the important matter, as large swarms issu- ing about the middle of the season almost invariably give far more surplus than even medium ones that come out early. If, nevertheless, swarms are required early in the season, confine your bees to five or six combs by means of a division board and you will get them, for the only rea- son why a skep swarms earlier than a frame-hive is because it is smaller. One point only remains, by far the most important. Are bees in skeps less liable to disease? Mr. Thompson <«. certainly thinks so, and this opinion is fairly wide- spread. I do not consider the question settled myself, and consider a far greater array of statistics concerning disease will be necessary before we can definitely pro- nounce upon it. Assuming, for the mo- ment, that there is a prima facie case for the greater immunity of the skep, I agree that the problem ought to be solved, but Mr. Thompson will never solve it by do- ing away with his frame-hives. Instead, I would urge him to retain both types of hive, and by approximating the manage- ment of the frame-hives to that of the skeps, he might ascertain in what particu- lar the superiority of the skep consists (if superiority there be). Let us consider the matter in detail, and see what are some of the main dif- ferences between a skep and a frame-hive. First, the material of which it is made. As wood (viz. a hollow tree) is the natural material for a bee-hive, wo may, I think, dismiss this point at once. Then there is comb-foundation, which is used only in frame-hives. Here we have a much more likely cause of disease. Foundation manufacturers are accustomed Nov. 14, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. >75 to argue that the process of making neces- sarily destroys disease germs, but the fact remains that Board of Agriculture inves- tigators have found Nosemu a.pi.s in samples of foundation. Apart from this some bee-keepers think bees would be healthier if they were not discouraged from making their own wax. Will Mr. Thompson experiment with a frame-hive, using no foundation, but only a bit of natural comb as a starter? A skep swarms more frequently than a frame-hive. Is swarming good for bees, and does it tend to keep them in health? The right thing for those who consider the skep less liable to disease is to investi- gate the above points, and others which will suggest themselves, by experiment with both skeps and frame-hives. The wrong way is to abandon modern methods in favour of an antiquated, and discredi- ted system of bee-culture. — L. Ilt>ing- worth. BEES IN FRANCE. [9803J If you will allovr me space I would like to comment on Mr. Wilson's article "' Bees in France," in vour. number of October 10. I have had the good fortune to meet a number of bee-keepers in various parts of that country, and while in many of the country districts bees arc kept in skeps and box hives, I have, for the most part, been more fortunate than Mr. Wilson in finding the men I bave met highly intelli- gent, and keeping their bees on up-to-date lines. My experience has been mostly in Lor- raine, a country of hills, with rolling corn lands and small streams running along in the well-meadowed valleys. It is, I am told, one of the good honey-produc- ing districts of France, though this year has been a failure almost everywhere, ow- ing to the wet, cold weather at the inn > of the fruit blossom, and the drought when the clover and limes should have been yielding their nectar. I vividly rememoer one apiary which I was invited to visit. There were about twenty stocks of bees ranged in a long, low bee-house, facing S.E., on the southern slope of a valley, and sheltered by a broad belt of pines. Inside the house the hives were ranged in a long row, on a rouple of iron girders about a foot off the ground, and supported by concrete pil- lars, and then behind the hives was a cor- ridor, of about 3 ft. in width, to allow room for manipulation. The floor was of concrete covered with sawdust (the bee- keeper owned a small saw mill), and the hives themselves were all interchangeable, stoutly made with square body box, a small lift to hold the winter cushions, a flat roof, and the corners all strengthened with brass angle plates. In the back of each body box was a neat little shuttered glass window. This man (the mayor of his village) has kept bees for 40 years, and was most in- teresting to talk to. He runs almost en- tirely for extracted honey, which in this neighbourhood comes mostly from sainfoin and lime, with wild flowers (mainly a me- lilot) in the pastures. There is also a crop of a plant belonging to the mustard family, which they grow> for the oil in its seed, and which is very useful, especially in providing honey from its second crop in September, though the honey from it un- fortunately granulates very rapidly. Bee-houses are very much favoured out here (rather than apiaries in the open air), I thinK, probably, partly because the winters are rather more severe, and a house affords additional protection from the biting easterly winds. At present, as Mr. Wilson has said, the industry is in a lamentable condition. With all the able-bodied men away, only the. most pressing of even the ordinary farm work has been able to be done, and. of course, the bees have had to be left, and consequently losses have been unusu- ally heavy. Then in the areas which have been swept by the war, most of the hives have been destroyed, so that after the war there will be a large number of bee- keepers unable to start again unless some- one should come to their help. In this connection the Society Centrale d' Apiculture (which corresponds to the B.B.K.A.) has made an appeal to bee- keepers in the " interieure " to help their brother-bee-keepers of the invaded areas, offering to take the work of cen- tralising collection and distribution, and bas started a fund in order to assist in the transport of such gifts, and if pos- sible also to purchase further colonies. T believe that one of the Swiss Associations is also collecting money for the same pur- pose.— E. G. BrRrr. PRESS CUTTINGS. HUMBLE-BEES AND BROAD BEANS. It is ngt generally known that while the humble-bee plays a useful part in fertili- sing the flowers of broad beans, it some- times does an injury of an unusual type. Tlie bee, of course, does not fertilise our beans for the fun of the thing : it is only an accidental result of one of the serious businesses of its life. The reason it visits the bean flowers is to obtain the honeyed nectar they contain. The nectaries being situ- ated deep in the flower, the bee has to 376 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 14, 1918. force its way into it; and, being of large size is supposed by naturalists to at times find this troublesome.' So it has disco- vered a shorter way to the hidden trea- sure, which is to puncture through the calyx aud petals from without, and then insert its proboscis and draw up the sweet fluid from within. The result of this action to the gardeuer is that the em- bryo pod is more or less damaged by the puncturing and fails to develop properly, and so his crop is reduced. Sometimes the injured pods are abortive, at other times they grow in si distorted manner, and do not contain their full quota oi beans. Darwin held the view that the humble- bee adopted this plan as the quickest means to an end, and his contention is somewhat supported by the fact that other and larger flowers are also punc- tured, namely salvias, antirrhinums, and azaleas; fuchsias, larkspurs, and also scar- let runner beans are sometimes attacked in the same way.— -From Amateur Garden- ing.. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, net necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering Questions. P, Knight (Ca.rshalton). —How long a 1 lb. cake of candy will last.— This will depend on the number of beep and the state of the weather. An average colony that has no stores will probably consume about a pound a week, more in warm weather, and less in cold. We have known a pound taken down in two or three days, but most likely the greater part of it was liquified and stored in the comb. I. W. (Grimsby).— Position, of queen cell.— It would not be detrimental if a ripe queen cell was laid on its side on the top of the frames, if A was not crushed by the quilts. T. W. Powei.i. (Kidwelly).— (1) We do' not think there is any difference. (2) W. J. Forehand & gone-. Fort Deposit, Ala.; U.S.A.; G. W. Phelps & Son, Binghampton, Wilcox Street, N.Y., U.S.A. (3) Prices vary according to season and class of queen from 75 cents to 2 dollars. (4) You nuot ensure your queens mating with drones from any particular hive. (1. M. Darrah (Buxton).— Thanks for cutting. Particulars were given in the Journal at the time. It is satisfactory in some cases and not in others. H. E. Horwood (Perthshire).— (1) Get bees in your own district, if possible; in the spring. (2) Bee-keeping Simplified," 7d., post free. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Beet, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l£d. 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 tin., or 68. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. Orders for three or more consecutive insertions in '-'. The Bee Journal " entitle advertisers to one insertion in " The Bee-Keepers' Record " free of charge. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, good Geared Extractor, large Honey Ripener with treacle valve, also Wax Extractor. — WHILE, Abbotsfield, Barrow-in- Furness. 1.8 PRIME Hampshire Honey, 28 lb. tins nett, 70s., carriage paid— TRUEMAN, Harroway Road, Andover. 1.9 FOR SALE, six W.B.C. Hives, complete, with two lifts each; also 30 drawn-out Shallow Combs; 50 Standard Frames, new, with 3 lbs. of foundation fitted; also 20 Shallows; two Queen Excluders; Super Clearer; and Lee's Box Feeder; guaranteed free from disease; £8 the lot, carriage paid; bargain— F. NICHOLLS, 498, Gladstone Street, Peterborough. 1J0 EXCELLENT brood frames of Comb from united stocks. 1917-1918. What offers? Please enclose stamp— E. COOMBER, Haysden, Ton- bridge. l.U CONQUEROR " Hive wanted. State- condition and price. — DARRAH, London Road, Buxton. 1.12 WANTED, Standard Hives in good condition State make, lowest price.— DEAN'S FARM, Fernside Road, Poole. 1.1 SALE, owing to loss of bees, 20 Standard Hives, very good condition, 17s. 6d. each.— HICK, Sherburn, York. 1.4 PURE Light Extracted Honey, 19 lb. tins 52s. NORTH, Creasing, Braintree, Essex. k.67 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, lid. per word. . COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Iele of Man. UEENS, 21s.— PRYOR, Breachwood Green. k.61 Q INTENSIVE Bee-keeping for Honey Produc- tion and Disease Control," six chapters, 6d., post paid— S. H. SMITH, Maid's Causeway, Cam- bridge^ m? HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban, Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, Is. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROW E, 28a, May Road, Cardiff. Nov. 21, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 3TT A ROLL OF HONOUR. Although, bee-keeping is considered a minor pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided more fighting men than the usual average of any industry. To place on record the part the members of our craft have played in the present war we propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and shall be pleased if our readers will for- ward us the Names and Addresses, together with the Regiment and Rank, of any bee-keeper serving his King and Country at home or abroad; also if killed or wounded. We print a further list of names to those sent in, and shall be pleased to have other names as soon as possible. Co. Ser'gt. -Major Instructor W. R. B. Ray Landsend, Chippenham. — Corps of the School of Musketry. Invalided out of the Army, after 4 years and 2 months service. A DORSET YARN. Bees are still on the wing in Dorset. We have had only a few light frosts — enough to cut down the potatoes that had grown from Sharpe's Express after the lifting. The sunshine that follows light frost has brought the bees out over the fields: they fly everywhere, no matter what notice-boards there are warning man — " Strictly preserved,'' they steal the nectar from the choice flowers of the rich. Well it is so for the bee-keeper, for the large arbutus trees now must give them a great deal. It is pretty to see these trees, with their fruits hanging from last year's flowers. This flower is what is called a perfect one, in that both organs of reproduction are in the same flower, and not like the willow family, that has the pistiliferous flowers on one tree and the polleniferous on another tree that may be some distance from each other. In many gardens of the wealthy Genistas are planted out in sheltered places, and give a wealth of bloom late in the season, as well as in early summer. I saw in the London area the hand- some-leaved Aralia Seeboldii coming into flower even in this fog-shrouded area; but to see them in their beauty in November one must live south; then they are hand- some indeed. The large leaves are a light green colour, and the flowers look very beautiful. They seem to attract all insect life that is on the wing late in the season. On fine days bees get their share, but two- winged flies are there in very large num- bers. It is the same with perennial Asters; they, too, seem to lure all insect life to their showy flowers. We have the large-flowered violets in three fields, so we see the bees over them ; but I notice that they do not pass over the small speed- well that is now in bloom (which was missed by the mowers in August), or the sweet thistle Sonchus Arvensis, one of the families that close up their flowers at night to go to sleep, though if it is wet they will not wake up the next day. This class of thistles are all annuals, with one exception, and are easily destroyed when small; the few that are left are as if a guiding hand spared them when small, for the bees. This is also a weather plant with the farm hands of Dorset. " It be going to rain, thick 'ere, sow-thistle bea-nt open yet." They have lived all their lives in the open fields. It is astonishing the wealth of knowledge they possess, and yet town dwellers look down on them, and, in fact, on all of us who rusticate in rural England. Those who are going in for fruit, as well as bees, should plant lip their grounds now; this is the time to root all bush fruits. The old system is still the best — apples, plums, pears and cherries 10 to 12 ft. apart, with bush fruits between. The bush fruits give a harvest while the others are growing into money. Stuff will be dear to buy now; prices are continu- ously going up. Fruit lands in the Wis- bech district are changing owners at very high prices; we had a letter from a bee- keeper in that neighbourhood. He says : " Of one field bought for £800, the first gathering off the trees amounted to .£900, without the bush fruits and strawberries." There seems to be more fruit than ever eaten by the masses. Shops in the poorest parts of our cities all clear large stocks when they can get them. It is a good sign of better health when fruit is eaten more, though it is scarce enough now. So all bee-keepers who have room to plant would do well to extend their fruit quarters, and so add to the value of their holdings. One of our Service bee-keepers, who is now on a farm at Three Bridges,_ has already made a start with black cur- rant cuttings from Dorset. He wrote to me when campaigning in France. Some kind friend sent him the Journal every week, so he was kept posted up with the bees in the homeland. Our great drama- tist wrote, " There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. " May his lead on to afflu- ence, for he deserves it after enduring the horrors of war that we and our loved ones may live in security. — J. J. Kettle. 3r 4 months elapsed before the least trace of disease appeared. Now, then, it is possible that with the aid of Bacterol by disinfecting the combs from the start (as in Mr. Dyche's case) the disease will be kept in abeyance for a longer period. At any rate I shall be most pleased, and I believe other readers will be also, if Mr. Dyche will furnish us with another report later on, say, 12 months after his test started. Personally, I am very grateful to him for reporting his experiment, and to my mind he has quite corroborated what I 381 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 21, 1918. tested two years ago, in showing that the disease is sometimes a long while in show- ing itself. Mr. Dyche's test goes farther than mine, and is very interesting. At the present, I have very little time to spare for experiments, and the subject of whether combs can be disinfected, so as to be usable again demands attention. My own view, so far, is that exposing the combs to the fumes of Formalin is the easiest, and safest way to deal with them. The method only requires an airtight cup- board or box to stack the combs in, with a space left below them in which to place a small spirit lamp. The appliance used by all local sanitary authorities to disinfect rooms is quite handy, and cheap. Clean, empty combs so exposed to the fumes rising from the Formalin tabloid, are quite safe to use again. At least this is my experience. — J, Price. BEE STINGS. [9808] I would like to thank J. L. B. for querying the " menthol salicylate " application recommended in my letter on t]je above subject. At the time of writing perhaps I was not explicit enough. Methyl salicylate has been used successfully in a preparation for preventing stings of in- sects, including bees, and allaying irrita- tion, but the menthol salicylate prepara- tion called so for corrVenience, was re- commended to me as a most useful appli- cation, although obtained for other use, and I have seen it used successfully. I am glad to say that I do not need these remedies for personal use. — A. W. Salmon. Correspondents desiring an answer in the next issue should send questions to reach this office NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY MORNING. Only SPECIALLY URGENT ques- tions will be replied to by post if a STAMPED addressed envelope is enclosed. All questions must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. There is no fee for answering questions. T. Carlson (Stockport).— Dyes', and lens power for examining bacteria.— Most suitable stains for Microsporidiosis are hsematoxylin and glycerin- haematin. For bacteria of foul brood, etc., methyl violet. The best power used for such work is a 1/iath inch oil immersion objective. C. B. P. (Clacton).— Feeding during winter. — If the bees, have not 6tores enough for winter, keep them supplied with the " Bacterol " candy. If sugar could be procured it would have to be made into candy for use now, and through the winter. C. Haddon (Suffolk).— Winter stores.— It you have in all 20 lbs. of candy, and the bees had a little honey which has been supplemented by four shallow combs of honey, you will have abund- ance of food. If the shallow combs were full they would contain about 16 lbs. of honey. There would be, say, 5 lbs. in the brood combs and 6 lbs. of candy have been " eaten " (most of it will have been stored in the combs), and there are now 2 lbs. of candy on the hive, making a total of 29 lbs. of stores. No more should be needed for three months. You may put in another cake of candy about end of. February, and renew when it is consumed. " Old Joe " (Bury St. Edmunds).— The bees were natives. Honey Samples. W. Jerromes (Coleshill).— The honey is mainly from clover. It is commencing to ferment, but if it is reliquefied by placing the vessel con- taining the honey in another one containing water and the whole heated until the honey is quite clear, and the water almost at boiling point, the fermentation will be stopped, and the honey will be fit for table use. G. M. Rosling (Devon).— The honey is from mixed sources, and is a good sample, though the density is not good. Some honeys granulate sooner than others. If you wish yours to granulate, mix a little granulated honey with it, keep in a cool place, and, if possible, exposed to the light. Suspected Disease. H. V. Neilson (Lichfield).^(i.) "We did mot find any disease, (ii.) The bee was a hybrid Italian, (iii.) It is a matter of opinion. We think they are all right if well covered. (iv.) It is not advisable to steam with Izal solution during the winter; it would make the hive too damp. You might on a warm day remove the floorboard, clean it down, and apply a solution of one part Izal to two parts water. Allow it to soak in for a few minutes, dry off the surface moisture, and replace. Keep the hive supplied with naph- thaline. D. Gray (Tendring).— The comb contained odour- less foul brood. H. F. W. (Kent), W. Egerton (Tunbridge Wells), " Irish Amateur " (Middlesex), R. Grbenaway (Bodmin).— We do not find disease in the bees sent. G. Dent-Brocklehurst (Glos.).— So far as we can see there is no disease. If the bed of willow- herb is two miles or more away it may pay to move the bees to it. " Stourdon " (Dorset).— The bees are natives, and affected with " Isle of "Wight " disease. E. S. Longley (Surrey).— There were only two worker bees, and they both appeared to be free from " Isle of Wight " disease. If there are still drones in the hives the bees are probably queenless. We cannot say if the 2 lbs. of candy will be sufficient without knowing what stores there are in the hive. F. C. Morgan (Hastings).— (1) "Isle of Wight" disease. (2) See reply to H. V. Neilson. Give candy now, not syrup. Warm until it is soft enough to add two teaspoonsful of Bacterol, or Yadil, or about five drops of Izal to each pound. (3) Natives plus a little Italian. "Glamorgan Bee-keeper" (Glam.).— Sample marked A appears to be healthy, B affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. " Melliferous " (Walsall).— The bees have " Isle of Wight " disease. There might be a laying worker. In that case the brood would be all drone. Probably there was a queen, but there were not bees left to cover all the comb she could lay in, and she therefore deposited more than one egg in a cell. "Reading" (Berks).— The bees had "Isle of Wight " disease. Yes, if the combs are new. F. H. (Staffs.), " Bidepord " (Devon), Rev. H. E. Lyne (Sussex), E. J. Jacobs (Birmingham), M. L. Astley (Derks).— The bee* sent were affected with " Isle of Wight " disease. N< 28, 191S. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 385 BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Council was held at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lon- don, W.C.2, on Thursday, November 21, 1918. The vice-chairman being detained at another meeting, Mr. J. B. Lamb was voted to the chair, and there were also present : Messrs. G. Bryden, T. Bevan, O. J. Flashman, W. H. Simms, G. S. Faunch, J. Smallwood, W. F. Reid, J. Herrod-Hempsall, Association representa- tive, G. Thomas (Gloucester), and the Secretary, W. Herrod-Hempsall. Letters of regret at inability to attend were read from Miss M. D. Sillar, Messrs. T. W. Cowan, F. W. Harper, G. W. Judge, J. Rae, F. W. Watts, A. G. Pugh, C. L. M. Eales, and Captain C. C. Lord. The minutes of the Council meeting held on October 17 were read and confirmed. The following new members were elected : — Br. Helen Goodrich, Mrs. F. H. Ellis, Messrs. F. Heath, J. A. T. Tredgold, L. Wigg, B. E. Scott, C. F. Clay, A. Brown, A. L. Jenner, and E. J. George. The Monmouthshire Bee-keepers' Asso- ciation applied for affiliation and were accepted. The report of the finance committee was presented by Mr. J. Smallwood. who stated that payments into the banK for October amounted to £9 6s. The bant* balance on November 1 was £121 12s. 8d. The report on the lecture list for final certificate held earlier in the day was presented by the chairman, and it was resolved to grant certificates to Messrs. \Y. H. Simms and W. Jackson. The Secretary was instructed to arrange for insurance against damage caused by boo stings on the usual terms. Correspondence was read from Messrs. E. G. Burtt and J. H. Rosser, and the Secretary was instructed to deal with same. It was resolved to send the following resolution to the. Government : — " The Association of British Bee-keepers views witli horror the cruel practices of the German nation on British prisoners of war, and urges the British Government to take steps without delay to put an end to such practices." ('apt. R. Wellington, M.C., M.B.E., of the Food Production Department of the Board of Agriculture, attended and gave a very interesting account of the work done, and in anticipation, by his section in connection with apiculture, which in- cludes the registration of bee-keepers ; sup- ply and rationing of bee food; the forma- tion of a Bee Committee in each county, and a bee re-stocking scheme for the whole of England and Wales. The Chairman, on behalf of the Council, thanked Capt. Wellington for his very lucid description. It showed that a tre- mendous amount of labour had been ex- pended, and the schemes propounded were well-thought out and clearly defined. He assured him that the Department would re- ceive the full support of the British Bee- keepers' Association and all those local Associations affiliated thereto. Next meeting of Council, December 10, 1918, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. A DORSET YARN. A visitor from Sway, in Hampshire, came this week for some rasps. " Will you sell me some of your bees? " he queried. The answer was, "No; we cannot part with one of them; they are too great an asset to the farm." Though we cannot do what we would like to them at this time, we cannot part with them. It is the same with many others. Mr. Taylor, of the Food Production Depart- ment, from the Board of Agriculture, has spent many pounds on honey only to keep his -alive. (He bought swarms late in July — the first he could get in Dorset.) When with me last week, after going through many of the villages, visiting most of the farms, arranging for the trans- port of surplus foodstuff to the populous centres, he said that nearly all Dorset bee-men were in favour of the blacks, or natives, as against Italians. It may be that we are too conservative in Dorset, but that is as he had found it. This year the pure Italian stocks did best with me, gave me the greatest weight of ' comb honey. They were very populous, and still look well. The blacks leave off adding to surplus and start filling the brood chamber earlier with honey for winter stores. Mr. Taylor told me that disease Avas still in many places in the county. The puny efforts of the officials belonging to the Board of Agriculture were not what one would expect from such a powerful body. The scientific department needs men like Dr. Ahushady on the Board to " ginger it up " a bit. Mr. Kneller, of Penrhyn Gardens, Bangor, writes that it has started in one of his lots, after being immune for tw*o years. He wrote to me then that he wanted to purchase some bees to make another start. The same post brought me a letter from a lady in Westmorland, who had more than she 386 TflE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 28, 1918. could manage, and had never had disease. I slipped her letter into the stamped envelope sent by Mr. Kneller, and he had the bees. A fine lot they were, and did well till this autumn," after two seasons of pleasure and profit to the owner. It would be well for him to com- municate with the research colleges of Wales. They are very clever lot, these Welshmen; they might be able to help him and solve the trouble with our bees. Letters from all sorts and conditions of men reach me, a great many of them dealing with agriculture and horticulture. One from a farmer about sweet clover, or Bokhara clover, as it is sometimes called, is advocated by Mr. G. Hayes, of Beeston. Mr. Simmins speaks well of it, the books on forage plants at the Royal Horticul- tural Society's library write of its poor value as a forage plant, Messrs. Sutton do not recommend it, yet in " Roots A. B.C." it is lauded beyond measure as an abundant forage plant. The seed is difficult to get, .and prices are prohibitive ; but if it has abundance of food for the bees, we must have it. Another writer, who sent his query to the Journal office, wants to know of the Hailsham Berry. It is an excellent bee plant, in that it blooms after the other units of the raspberry family have finished. It is really a rasp, with a pecu- liar flavour. It does best cut down to the stools in winter and made to grow again from the base. It then sends up its strong canes, and fruits on the top from August to November. It would fruit in summer as other rasps, but would not do much in late summer if allowed to bear its wealth of fruit in July. The fruit is roundish, of a red colour. One would almost think this was the wild rasp, that grows so luxuriantly in the States of America, which is described in " Root's A. B.C." book, as it soon would cover an acre of ground, and gives its flowers over a long period. We have not heard our bees much this week. Once, when the sun was warm at noon, they were out on the wing; but only close to their hive homes. They — to me — seemed to be singing of the Violet Farm as the " Best land, the home of the free," reminding me of the Prime Minister's great "meeting in the Central Hall, Westminster, on the 16th, when Land of Hope and Glory " was played by the organist, all the audience joining in. Tt was exhilarating to us who waited ♦ o hear David Lloyd George speak of the future destinies of Empire. Our bees know no other land, hut they, too, feel it is lice. Well may they sina; their sweetest when the sun is warm, for thev arc free. The only flowers for the bees on the farm that have opened since last week are the Roman ivy, Hedera regeniara. This is later than the common Irish ivy. It has big dark green leaves. I saw in a neigh- bour's garden the Kaffir Lily; flies of every size and colour were on them. It is a South African bulbous plant, which grows out in the open in Dorset. But in work- ing near some Christmas roses one was pleased to see the white blossoms showing. Christmas is soon coming, and each one comes so quickly in the hurry of life. — J. J. Kettle. A MODEL APIARY. III. — Useful Hints and Short Cuts. When hives are being examined, every- thing required is carried round on a bar- row. Amongst these is a spare body box, containing a set of combed frames, which are found convenient for replacing any defective combs found in any of the hives examined. All frames are dated on the top bar. These bars are wider than the standard, as it is found that the narrow space thus left obviates brace combs on either tops of frames or bottoms of shal- low racks. The barrow mentioned above has a small bicycle wheel with a pneu- matic tyre, which makes it much lighter to push ahead, while the wheel leaves no mark on path or lawn, not even when pushed against the margin of the grass border. , Examinations of the hive interior take place at regular intervals of seven to ten da3rs, right through the season, always with a definite object. It is recognised as a golden rule — " Know exactly what is inside every hive!" As an evidence of care and forethought the system of replac- ing hive bodies may be given. Supers are placed over lifts when out of the hive, each set having a tick covering overhead. The front of the lower one, when deposited on the frames, has this cloth drawn back a. couple of inches from the front, leaving this space bare. Over this the overhead rack is placed at an angle, the cover separating them is smartly removed, and the supers placed flat down without kill- ing a bee. Systematic manipulation pays. Record Cards are kept in every hive, and each summarises the life history of the stock in the hive where it is kept. It is held in position on the under side of the roof by a spring. A duplicate is kept in the honey house, reporting the more important facts relating to the queen, condition of the brood, the strength of the colony, freedom from disease or the re- verse, arid a note is made as to when the hive should he again examined. The cut- ting out of queen cells is regularly prac- Nov. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 387 Used during the swarming season, but chief reliance on swarm prevention is placed on ample room being supplied in similar long-handleu tool shakes the branch of the tree on which the bees have clustered. Another swarm preventer is the A CORNER IN GLASSES APIARY. advance of requirements. Swarming is a rare event, but when it occurs a bell is rung by the first observer to summon the use of a second brood body placed below the first to give full employment to the best queens. The queen is placed on the TWO GLASSEL 150-POUNDER S . one in charge of the apiary. A skep held up on a pitch fork, bottom up, is held be- low by ono person, while another with a new frames, and she has all the range of the ten, while the old brood body becomes a temporary honey receptacle as soon a-. 388 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 28, 1918. the brood hatches out. The queen is con- fined to one chamber by the use of a W'i Ike's queen exclude]'. Strong Colonics are secured and swarm- ing checked by the following plan. When- ever the ten frames • forming the brood body show signs of brood congestion, a second full body is employed, and is at first placed on the floorboard, the other being raised above this one with a queen excluder between. Any queen cells found in the other are cut out, and the opera- tion is renewed if necessary every ten days, when the two brood bodies are inter- changed. On the best colonies a shallow frame rack is inserted between the two deeper bodies, with, of course, a queen excluder below. This appliance is noted in another place, as is also the queen per- suader. A queen Middle for trapping drones and queens Avhen old ruskies are brought in for the colony to be transferred later to fairly thick consistency, in which place your new queen carefully, so that she may not be injured. Let her be literally " drowned " in the honey. Remove the cover from the frames, using very little smoke to drive the bees back. Pour the queen and honey on to the top bar of a centre frame. Then with finger shove queen and honey in one large dollop down between the frames, and quickly close up the hive. Examine the hive in 3 or 4 days' time. and if she is a laying queen you will be certain to find eggs. Virgin queens are just as successfully introduced as fertile ones. Care must be taken not to injure the queen during the process. Out of the 100 queens introduced only one proved unsuccessful, and the failure could be assigned to other causes, not directly connected with the system of in- troduction. When driven bees are carried home to METHOD OF SECURING HIVE ROOFS. a frame hive. As driving is being carried out the riddle is set above the lower case or skep, and while the drumming drives the bees upward into the skep placed above, the bees walk readily through the sheet of excluder zinc, the queen and drones are trapped and disposed of later. The work is more quickly overtaken, and there is no later hunting for the queen. Many of these " short cuts " might be re- < Hided in the pages of the Journal for I In' guidance and instruction of novices. to whom many of them would prove a boon and a blessing. Queen introduction has been carried out as lollows during the last two seasons, and the fact that about one hundred queens have been safely introduced proves that it is thoroughly efficient and dependable. Pirgl examine the stock to be re-queened in order to find and remove the old queen. Fill up a small egg cup with honey, of a be united to already established stocks, or when two or three lots are joined on to make a strong colony, there is no delay in hunting up queens. The bees are shaken out on a sloping platform, and in front of this is deposited the brood box, into which they are to be run, but they have to ascend through a queen excluder, there- fore queens are left below to be dealt with. Section honey is packed in Steel and Brodie's section boxes, without the use of any springs, and not even a lied of straw or hay is used to meet the concussion when any package is dumped down sud- denly on platform or in van during the journey. As such honey travels to London safely, there being no complaints of break- ages, the test is a severe one. Each sec- tion is wrapped very ncatlv in a sheet <>f waxed paper cut to exact size. -The lid is then closed down, fastened with a clasp, Nov. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 389 and safely locked with a small padlock — the key being forwarded by post with a letter of advice naming the contents. The boxes are, of course, returnable. They are made to contain 1, 2, 4,- or 6 dozen. The first cost is not very high, and in course of time they pay for themselves. BLURTS FROM A SCRATCHY PEN. A CHAPTER FROM CALMETTE's " LES VENINS." (Continued from page :580.) We left our author, in the previous article of this Journal, at the conclusion of his example of the fatality caused by the sting of a wasp. He proceeds to dis- cuss the components of the poison in- jected, and its effects on small birds. M. Philalix has experimented on the physiological action of the poison of bees on sparrows, either inoculated by sting- ing, or with a watery solution, obtained by the crushing of the glands. In both instances at first a local action was pro- duced, together with paralysis of the region wounded. Convulsive movements followed which might last for a few hours. Sleep supervened, and respiratory trouble, which caused death. But if the poison was heated for fifteen minutes to 100 degrees (Reaumur) local action was lost, and the general symptoms were more protracted. If heated for thirty minutes to 100 degrees (Reaumur) the convulsive properties were lost. At 150 degrees all activity was lost. This poison, then, contains, first, some- thing of an inflammatory nature destroyed by heat: second, a convulsive poison, which is destroyed by a prolonged tem- perature of 100 degrees, and which prob- ably proceeds from the alkaline gland: third, a stupefying poison not completely destroyed, which is secreted from the acid gland. The eggs of bees, as also do those of the toad and viper, contain their specific poison. The strength, however, as might be expected, is feeble. To produce mortal effects on a sparrow it is necessary to crush 920 eggs, and it is calculated that in the egg the venomous portion is as the 150th part of the weight. The symptoms following injection are similar to those caused by the insect itself. But the' con- vulsions are less accentuated. Paralysis seems to dominate in the egg. This may, perhaps, be the right place to interpolate what Cheshire has to say about the poison of the bee. Tt is secreted, be tells us. from the blood, its active principle being formic acid, prob- ably associated with some other toxic agent. If a bee is made to sting a piece of litmus paper, a common test for acids, it is reddened, and, again, if a tiny drop of the virus be removed from the point of the sting of an angry worker by a piece of glass, it quickly becomes hard, as though it was gum water, and if observed through a microscope it splits into fissures. To resume, Calmette tells us that he was' able, with ease, to inoculate mice against mortal doses of the poison by repeating the inoculation of very small doses, and he confirms this by telling his readers that men who are much accus- tomed to handle bees, and, consequently, are repeatedly stung, soon get so habituated to the poison that they do not suffer the least harm. This Ave can con- firm by our own experiences. Which of us regular habitues takes any more trouble than to remove the sting from the wound, often with the nozzle of the smoker for want of a better tool, and fifteen minutes afterwards we should have trouble in telling exactly the place where we have been " inoculated." In the next paragraph the direct action of the poison on the blood is treated of. Reference is made to the works of Morgenrath and L. Carpi, who from ex- periments detailed by them show that the venom of bees, like that of scorpions, possesses the property of dissolving (hemo- liser), almost immediately the red corpuscles of the blood of certain animals, such as rabbits, hares, guinea pigs, and even man. All poisonous reptiles and animals have not this power: the virus in many instances coagulates the blood: others act in the way mentioned, and the acid of bees is one of the latter kind. And, finally, almost as a note, he speaks of the remedies for the stings of wasps and bees. One could have wished that, having been so successful in finding a rival remedy for snake bites, he could have given us some serum wbicb would at once render harmless the rude attentions of four-winged stingers. What a help it would have been to us! He recommends. quoting from P. Fabre, a liniment of ammonia and olive oil. or a weak solu- tion of hyjpochloride of lime (1 to CO), and this, be says, seldom fails. When one comes to consider the minute orifice of the wound ( 1 oOnth in. of diameter. l/50th in. of depth), and the almost immediate action of the formic acid on the blood, the im- possibility is recognised of sending any- thing after the injected virus to stay it, and surface treatment by counter- iritation seems appropriate.— J. Smm.i.- woon. (To be continued.) 390 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 28, 1918. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOE BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 121. How may wax be cleaned from ves- sels and utensils used in rendering? 122. What is the value of pollen as win- ter stores? 123. If a cast is to be returned to the parent hive, what should be done to pre- vent the issue of a further cast? 124. Describe the Swiss entrance, and state the advantages expected to accrue from the use of it. 125. What materials can be used as packing for double-walled hives, and why is packing preferred by some to air-space? 126. How many bees be cleared from a rack of sections without first using a clearer-board? 127. Why is it desirable to keep hives warmer in summer than in winter ? 128. Give a reason why foundation should be put in a hive during a honey flow only. 129. Whether skeps, or frame hives favour most the prolongation of the effec- tive life of the queen? And why? 130. Assuming that a queen's, cell placed in a nucleus hive does not hatch, what should then be done? 131. What is known as to the sense of smell possessed by bees? 132. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture on swarming. J. L. B. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists (continued). By A. Harwood. Malva moschata and its variety, M. m. alba, like all the mallows, are more valu- able for pollen — which they produce very freely — than for honey. The typical musk mallow is an attractive plant, not only for its characteristic sweet scent, but also for its bright, satiny, pink flowers, abun- dantly produced from June to September. The white variety may be grown in mix- ture with it, as it flowers during the same period and has the same height (2 ft.) and habit. Both may easily be grown from seed sown either in March or August. There is a related subject (Lavatera rosea Splendens) to which I have given a thorough trial this year, only to conclude that it is perfectly useless as a bee plant, although very showy. Melianthus major (('ape Honey Flower). This subject has been, perhaps, my greatest disappointment as a bee-plant. Having read so much of its wonderful store of nectar I decided to try it for myself, and accordingly sowed seed in pots and great expectations, as some of our stylists might put it. Steady-going authorities had said of it : " The. flowers of Melianthus major, a Cape species, are so full of honey (sic) that the natives supply themselves with it by simply shaking the tree " (Enc. Diet.). In view of the foregoing and other simi- larly appreciative references, it seemed strange that its honey value should be assigned so low as 1 in the official lists under dissection, but evidently the com- piler knew his subject. My seeds germi- nated ; the seedlings were carefully picked out and potted on, and later were set out in a sunny, south-facing bed. As bedding plants they proved a failure. Undistinguished in appearance, with in- conspicuous and unattractive flowers, their * habit was reminiscent of an anaemic flapper. Badly needing support, their growth was most irregular and their ap- pearance most uninviting, so that in the end I was not surprised to find them almost totally neglected by the bees. It would be interesting to have a record of the experience of anyone else who has tried them. For myself, the conclusion I came to was that either this plant was totally unsuited to our climate or to my methods of culture, or that writers on its melliferous qualities had mistaken it for a quite different subject (Protea mel- lifera), about which I propose to say something on another occasion. Polenhonium coeruleum (Greek Valerian, Jacob's Ladder). — A herbaceous perennial, this plant is found wild in the North of England, and apparently as a garden escape in other parts of Britain. It is thus an excellent subject for naturalising or for the herbaceous border. Upright in habit, with graceful foliage, it bears its sky-blue flowers on a stem 2 ft. high from May to July. I have broadcast seed on a piece of waste, derelict garden ground, and had a mass of vigorous and very floriferous plants as the result. More for- mally planted in a shady border, it formed stately clumps which seeded freely, so that I had, year after year, many seed- lings for distribution to neighbours. The bees worked it well both in my own garden and in the adjoining ones. Verb. sap. mf. P. 8. — 1 have none now, as my present apology for a garden will not accommodate a tithe of the subjects I. used to grow. — A. F. H. Polygonum sachalinense (Knot-grass). — Of the 150 known species of Polygonum, a u;eiius of world-wide distribution, 12 are Nov. 28, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 391 British. Many of them are not worth cul- tivation, but those that are embrace green- house and hardy perennials and hardy annuals, the last being raised from seed sown in the open border in March and April, and the hardy perennials by divi- sion of the roots. P. sachalinense is of the last-named class. It was introduced from the Island of Sachalin (or Saghalien) in 1869, and is about the best of the genus. The flowers, of a delicate green- ish vellow, are borne in racemes. It is of the easiest possible culture in any ordi- nary soil, but is worth generous treat- ment and a good position. The height attained is from 10 to 12 ft., and the flowers, appearing in late summer, are most attractive, bending over the banks of streams or margins of ponds. Being a moisture lover, P. s. is a most desirable subject for naturalisation in any damp part of the wild garden. " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. The following article, by Mr. G. T. Pallett, of Makeney, has been sent us by Mr. F. Meakin, hon. secretary of the Derbyshire Beekeepers' Association. During the past few years the " Isle of Wight " disease has been the cause of serious depletion of stocks throughout the country; and, unfortunately, the epi- demic had reached its height at a time when honey, as a sweetening material, would have been most valuable. Like many other bee-keepers, the writer had been entirely cleared out; stocks of bees were now making fabulous prices, and, so to speak, were practically unobtainable. Unless something was done in the way of importation, it was evident persons desirous of taking up the industry would be compelled to wait a considerable time. Although divers remedies had been tried, the disease was still rampant, and any further effort made to combat it which carried with it a measure of success should be of practical interest to bee- keepers. Having successfully kept the disease at bay for the past two seasons, I would like to "demonstrate1 my experience for the benefit of others. In July. 101 6, my apiary consisted of six stocks, all apparently healthy, and gave me a good return. Early in the month a stray swarm came into the gable did of a house within 50 yards of my bees; in two or three weeks afterwards my attention was called bo bhe fad bbal those hoes were affected by ". Isle of Wight " disease. Until then my apiary had been absolutely free from the malady, bul in August disease began to slum it -elf. As they, however, appeared to be breeding well and of fair strength, it was decided to let them stand over until the spring. Immediately an examination became pos- sible, to my dismay the whole six stocks were found to be dead, and for the first time for thirty-five years I was without bees. I at once set about clearing the hives and destroying the combs, and practically made up my mind to let bee- keeping have a rest — for a time, at all events. Strangely enough, shortly afterwards, a newspaper cutting was sent me, the writer of which went so far as to say that after treatment of diseased stocks by the method advocated they had in a short time thrown off the disease, and in the following year were perfectly healthy, and that no further sign of disease had been manifest. This testimony rather altered my opinion, and having a stock of bees and a hive offered me by the sender of the newspaper cutting, I decided to accept them, and to treat the infected hives pre- cisely in the manner advocated. The method was simple and easy of applica- tion : Scrub out all hives with a thick solution of chloride of lime, fill up all cracks there may be with a thick putty of the same material. All hives were so treated. In April, 1917, the fresh hive of bees was placed along with those which had been treated, the latter having all entrances left open, so that the bees could enter them if they wished. The stock in question gave me a swarm, which was put into one of the treated hives, leaving suffi- cient of their own stores for winter feed- ing. On examination early in spring, 1918, I found to my satisfaction the bees were perfectly healthy and breeding well. Unfortunately at the end of March the queen of the swarm died. Being a trifle early to replace it by natural means, it was united with the original stock, which this season has produced 701bs. of honey but no swarm. Before feeding up in August for experi- mental purposes. I transferred the stock from the original hive into one of the dis- infected hives in which bees had pre- viously died, and up to the present l November) they are quite all right. Since the chloride of lime treatment in April of last year, not the slightest trace of disease has been seen. Unlike the writer of the newspaper cutting I cannot from persona] experience say that the remedy mentioned will actually cure diseased stocks/but it is a fact that since its use I have had immunity, and won'-' strongly recommend a trial by anyone whose l.ees rue affected. If the chloride of lime he given time to slightly drv before putting in the hees, 1 have so far not found i hem to resent it. 392 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Nov. 28, 1918. SIZE OF FRAMES. [-9809] I see that Mr. Lockuood, in your issue of November 7, mentions his dislike to the British frame, and this, to my mind, brings up the very interesting question of British and American standards of bee-keeping. I have made a considerable study of scientific bee-keep- ing, and for some time, previous to com- ing home to help in the National Cause, had an .apiary in Tasmania, coming also into close touch with other apiarists in Australia generally. The American methods are used almost exclusively in the districts with which I came into touch, and from my own point of view I prefer them to the British. This may partly be due to the pitch to which the American, in his usual way, has standardised every- thing. I have had quite a number of W.B.C. and other hives through my hands in the last 18 months, and I have very rarely found two exactly alike. So far as I can gather, the various makers sell the W.B.C. hive, but these appear to differ in actual sizes, and nothing can be more pro- voking than to find that covers, supers, etc., are not interchangeable when hand- ling a number of colonies, and uniting, etc. The American Langstroth hive is absolutely standard, either 8- or 10-frame, wherever you buy it. Again, the Hoff- man frame is, I consider, a more effi- cient size than the British standard, and is theoretically more the correct size for a prolific queen. T was much interested by a companion I met in a railway carriage the other day, telling me that he had worked out what he considered to be the right size of frame for a good queen, and had built special frames, and a hive to suit them, this year, and had obtained 200 lbs. of honev from the stock in this hive, besides not being worried in any way bv swarming. He subsequently discovered the size of his frame was 1 in. each way smaller than the Hoffman. The spacing device on these frames is also such an ad- vantage over the tin spacers, the V and flat reducing the injury to bees when re- moving or inserting the frame, to practi- cally nil. I am a strong adherent of the lf-ih. centre to centre of these frames, as against the lh in. of the British standard spacer. I have never been so troubled with brace combs before, as T have been with the \\ in. centres. T also cannot see much advantage in the porches that are fitted over the entrances to British hives, and these are a great nuisance when one wants to use an alley trap, etc., and those that have used these traps find themselves very much handicapped when they cannot be rapidly placed in front of a hive. Many a swarm have I caught at the entrance of a hive by the use of this trap, to sav nothing of the great use it is in reducing drones. I may, Sir, be biassed in favour of the American methods, and am quite open to conviction, if possible, in favour of British methods. If I was to enumerate the other advantages I see in favour of the American, my letter would be too lengthy for publication in your columns, but I should like to open up this qxrestion in your paper and get the opinions and " strafes " of my British confreres on the subject. I do not want this letter to convey any idea of condemning British practice, far from it, as I think there are certain points, for instance the idea of the separate internal removable chambers, which are most useful in the British hive, and I feel that if I can get the opinions and tips of your readers I should be in a fair way to design a hive comprising the best points of both methods. — H. B. Peirce. TAX THE BEE-KEEPER. [9810] May 1 suggest to the County Bee-keepers' Associations that each one starts a fund to help our heroes who are broken in the war, and who would like to start bee-keeping. Each member should pay at least one shilling, which I think is not too much, then this should help to buy bees, but if there are more applicants than the fund would supply, we should have to divide it as far as it would go. If we had more in hand than was needed, hand our fund over to another Association that had not enough. I will give a good empty box hive to the Bucks. B.K.A. for a start, if they will open a fund. Long- live our fighting lads! — A. E. Warren, Simpson. TREATMENT FOR DISEASE. An Extract from a Correspondent's Letter. " An old gardener, who keeps his bees in skeps, and never goes near them if he can help ft, was much amused when he saw me spraying with Izal — he doesn't be- lieve in ' them new-fangled Turkish baths, as won't do no manner of good.' The right thing to do when I see them walking about on the ground is to get some good strong port .wine, the older the better, and let the bees drink it down. ' That's the stuff to give 'em." Dec. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 393 OBITUARY NOTICE. Mr. H. W. Kirkby. We regret to announce the death of .Mr. Henry William Kirkby, of Salters- ford, near Grantham, on Sunday, Novem- ber 17, at the age of 71 years. Mr. Kirkby, who has lived at Salters- ford for 38^ years, commenced bee-keep- ing 36 years ago with two or three hives, later working up to about 15. He was engine driver at the water- works pumping station, and kept bees more for the real pleasure and interest in them than for the profit obtained from them. The village is situated in beau- tiful country about two miles from Gran- tham, and during the summer time is frequented by numbers of visitors. To these Mr. Kirkby was never tired of explaining the habits of the bees, and how they were managed. Much of his spare time, summer and winter, was de- voted to studying them and attending to their wants. Like the majority of good bee-keepers, Mr. Kirkby was also fond of his garden, and took great pride in his flower beds. Naturally, he grew flowers that were not only pleasing in form, colour, or aroma, but were useful to his boos, also growing borage, melilotus and other bee plants on some waste ground for their benefit. He did not do much exhibiting, but won second prize for some honey at the Lincolnshire Agriculture Show at Gran- tham. Mr. Kirkby was also an advocate of bee stings as a cure for rheumatism, as he said they had cured him. Tn Oastlegate, Grantham, is a public- house, "The Beehive," with a "living sign," a short description of which was given in the Record for July last. The " living sign " is a hive of bees in a tree by the edge of the pavement, and on several occasions when the " sign " has died or become weak, fresh bees were supplied by Mr. Kirkby. During his last illness, although he knew he would he unable to work again, he still hoped to get about and look after a few hives of bees j his thoughts were constantly with them. Mr. Kirkby was one of the right type of bee-keeper, who upheld the best tradi- tions of the craft which is the poorer by his death. A DORSET YARN. Saturday, November 23, bees were everywhere round the farm. Ihe frosts had given place to southerly winds, with a big rise in temperature. It brought the bees over the fields again, all round the boys, as they gathered flowers, away to the ivy-clad forest trees, and trees of arbutus; even the small speedwell and flowering broad beans come in for a visit from the yellow-banded foragers, though it must be of poor quality the little they can get from these late flowers. Yet pol- len is gathered from some source in plenty. I see the charlock in flower as high as the fences in the swede fields, where heavy dressings of manure were ploughed in. Readers will see the frosts were not much in the south, for the yel- low Marguerite chrysanthemums of the fields are not cut down. Flowers are everywhere in great luxuriance ; many of them are no value to our bees, though they are very beautiful ; but they will have to be less and less in the fields if wre are to get the maximum amount of food from them. Many people assume it will he many years before food is cheap again ; if the cost of production is great, it can- not be. The Military CO. of Dorchester writes me I must pay the soldier labour 36s. per week, 83d. an hour overtime, for men of low categoiy, not fit for active service. (My own sons, big and strong, get Is. 6d. a day, and all the risks of shot and shell!) We find that land well cleaned for root crops, and kept clean when growing, has not so many flowers among the corn ; it seems to be the corn crops that let the weeds grow and seed. Many of these fields are sown also with rye grass and clover, and by the time these are ploughed again the surface soil is full of seeds, only waiting for good cultivation to once more luxuriate. We find in our soils there are some left that bees are fond of, no matter how vigor- ously the soil, is hoed, particularly char- lock, and sweet thistles. As late hn August, when we rarely want to hoe again among the few violets we grow now, they will come up and flower a few inches high, when earlier in the summer they would be. 2 to 4 ft. before they would show any flowers. Nature seems to to give them reasoning properties that they must flower to carry on the face. Many of them stand over the winter and flower in spring and early summer; the vegetable kingdom, like the animal kingdom, has but one object in living, i.e., to reproduce its species and carry on. The sweet thistle is what is called a com- posite flower (many flowers in one calyx) : each ligulate or ribbon that is built so regularly within the calyx is a perfect 394 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 5, 1918. flower in itself, having the male and female organs within each ligulate unit; the correct term should be polliniferous and pistiliferous, only these are such long words. I find that bees are much more to be found .on the crueifer family to which the charlock, radish, cabbage, stocks and vail flowers belong. A field of turnips left to harvest seed is one of the greatest sources of honey we have in Dorset. So many bees were on our lot that the men were afraid to go near them, and the horses would not go anywhere near when so many bees were on them; these being all perfect flowers, there is pollen and honey in plenty in every blossom, but it is not so Avith a field of stocks that are left for seed purposes. The taste of the horticulturist is for double stocks ; the seed must be .carried on the single- flower'd plants, as in the doubles the seed organs are partly converted into extra petals, so tlie harvester of seed clips out the male organs or pollen parts of the single flowers, so that they should be impregnated with the pollen of the double flowers. Therefore, in a field of stocks for seed, there would be very little pollen to be gathered by bees, but mostly nectar. It is honey that is wanted by the bee-keeper, he would not mind the male parts being destroyed in them. All this is by the way, I am letting the botanist come before the apiarist, and that may give offence, as all this is taught in our schools; the next genera- tion ought to be very wise, as they are crammed with so many subjects, and botany is one of them. We had a visit on Sunday from a bee- keeper, who, like myself, was a head gar- dener, a low category man, not strong enough for (campaigning, who had to leave the direction of a beautiful estate to work on the land ; he is now working a tractor plough and cultivator on the large farms of Cranford, but his enthu- siasm for bees is just the same. He hopes to find in Dorset the same rich harvests of honey he had in the New Forest. I feel sure he will, and better, in the rich neighbourhood where he is living; for, in addition to the rich grazing and farm lands, there is the wealth of chestnut, sycamore, and forest trees that bees love to resort to. This might be the ideal place which Maeterlinck had in his mind when he wrote his " Songs of the Bees." Everything that bees gather honey from seems to be there in abundance; for here, truly, the bees can sing of fields of clover. "Of ' banks whereon the wild thyme grows, the nodding, nodding violet blows' — can sing of lime and holly — plenty, plenty everywhere) let \m people the whole world with bees." That is, as I remember Maeterlinck in his " Songs of the Bees." — J. J. Kettle. A MODEL APIABY. IV. — Minor Tools and Appliances. Every tool imaginable is found in the apiary, but only a few of the most inte- resting and useful are described below. Smokers are all provided with a guard along the nozzle to protect the fingers of' the left hand when grasping it during manipulation. Theie is also a hook fixed below to hang it on side of hive or lift, nozzle up, when not employed, so that it is always in an upward position during the whole period of examination. On the same face a match-lighting device is fixed. Scratched smartly and quickly placed in the funnel, the match very seldom goes out even on a windy day. The smoker fuel employed is a carton of corrugated packing paper rolled up tightly. A special little machine is used for rolling the sheet of paper into a wad just fitting the smoker1, a few turns of a handle suf- ficing, when a piece of thin wire is wound round the middle, twisted, and the roll completed. The amount of smoke ejected under gentle pressure is ample, and the cloud, when harder pressure is used, is per- fectly efficient for subduing even. irritable bees. The veil used is a very neat and efficient one. It consists of a sheet of fine black silk net, drawn in at top to fit over hat. Into this, half-way down, a length of fine piano-wire is fastened, lower in front so as not to obstruct vision. When the veil is taken off, by a double twist being given to the wire, it is folded into so small a space that it can be placed in the pocket. This is invaluable when one is going to an out-apiary or when on tour doing expert work. A small rake, called a " queen per- suader," is periodically run over the sur- face of sealed comb every time the hives are being examined in spring and early summer. In this way the bees are given the smell and taste of exposed honey. The bees, transferring this to the neighbour- hood of the brood, feed the queen, and thus induce her not only to start laying, but to keep it up even when nothing is coming in from the fields. A special cover is used when examining hives during cold or windy weather. It is made up of a double coating of ticking weighted at both ends by a layer of lead. An open space near the Centre admits of one comb being dealt with at a time. As it is returned the cover is slid along and another frame exposed and dealt with. Each time the cover is moved along, as it is weighted by the lead weight, no wind Dec. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 395 ruffles it. Everyone who has been troubled with flying quilts can appreciate the value of this simple appliance. Division boards are of different sizes, as regards length and depth, during summer to what they are in winter. During the season of repose they are of full depth and length, to conserve heat, but during the season of manipulation they afford a ^-in. bee space below and 1-16-in. at each side. In this way bee life is preserved, and a gentle manipulation is secured. Work can be overtaken more rapidly when there is no fear of crushing bees. Supers are placed on ahead of actual need. As soon as the first is from one- half to three-fourths full, a second empty one is placed below it. It has been noted while examining that during a good flow bees deposit nectar in the lower frames, but that soon during night it is carried above to be sealed ; therefore, the fuller racks are raised, to be quickly finished by the bees. A queen excluder always separates all these chambers from the brood body. The faults so frequently attributed to the use of queen excluders are never found in this apiary, where the " Wilkes " is fitted into a truly-spaced frame. Freedom of movement is secured, while brace or burr-combs are rarely found, to make a mess of either the tops of brood frames or the bottom bars of supers. Super clearers are invariably used when withdrawing honey, all fitted with Porter bee escapes, and thus no bees are carried into the honey house, so robbing is not started. This is further ensured by the fact that supers are handled only in the early morning or during the evening, preferably the latter. Honey is always left in the hives to ripen well, as it has been proved that nowhere does honey ma- ture better than when under the care of the bees. Any bees which may by chance enter the honey house find an exit by a double window. Making for the light, the outer covering of perforated zinc slides so that the bees are left oiitside. The sclnr extractor is placed outside early in the season, and is found a handy receptacle for every small scrap of wax which otherwise would be left lving about. Only in bright sunshine and in warm weather does it perform its duties thor- oughly. Inside a Hatch Gemmel press is found, so efficient that every ounce of wax is recovered from the combs. Several large cakes lying by proved that wax of the purest was obtained from the process, and the machine acted expeditiously. The wax was, however, remelted into the size of cake found most suitable. A most convenient and efficient hive tool is used. It is simply a piece of steel only 7.V in. long by 1± in. wide at the broadest, hut rounded down to less than an inch in the narrowest part at the centre. To lighten it for carrying about, six round holes are pierced out. One end is fairly sharp for pushing in below any part re- quiring to be raised. The other end is turned down at right angles, and is most efficient when used to scrape a floorboard or frame top, or wherever brace or burr- combs are found. On several occasions while touring I used it to force up a hive top occupied by bees and honey. In one case the owner had not seen the inside of his hive for six years, and deemed it was hermetically sealed down; but a couple of minutes' work with this hive tool parted the roof (one mass of honey) and the body box (full of comb). The contents weighed about 70 lbs. The round hole in the glass quilt is cut by a specially designed copper tube, which makes beautifully perfect work, the edge being left smooth and even as a finely planed board. Recently it has been still further perfected for more expeditious work and more perfect finish. An excellent contrivance has been planned for piercing holes in the end pieces of brood body frames. Three parallel wires are used in each sheet of foundation, and the holes to admit strands through are pierced at one stroke by three needles, but the beauty and accuracy of the operation lies in the fact that these needles have " barbs " which clear out the waste matter as the needles are raised, and so leave a clear hole to thread the wire through. Every part of every hive, as has already been noted, is perfectly interchangeable with its corresponding part in any other, and to secure that this is so in reality a gauge is employed to test the accuracy of finish. Every part has to undergo a test- ing process, and if it fails in even the smallest way to stand the ordeal the fault must be remedied. Anyone who has handled even high-priced hives, recently put together by many of our appliance dealers, can understand the priceless benefit of such a rigid trial as to inter- changeable parts being really true to the professed claim. Several might take a hint and remedy the wrong. My own making up of wedge and groove frames has not always been satisfactory, but at Glassel, after placing the founda- tion and wedge in position, by sliding along a small tool designed for the pur- pose perfect finish was attained. All the frames used are of this style; no saw-cut was seen. < Embedding the wires into the foundation is all done by an electric cur- rent, which makes a most perfect job — clean and quirk. Besides numerous other contrivances for saving time and labour, there is a very complete collection of all modern and also out-of-date bee appli- ances on exhibition, which are used for 396 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 5, 1918. •demonstration purposes at the meeting held two days a week during the summer months for members of the Association. Showing how very much these gatherings are appreciated by bee-keepers, as I write, very appropriately, there has rome to hand a letter from a wounded officer at present home from France : — " Mr. Wood is a wonderful personality, and I managed to pick up a lot of tips from him ; in fact, T think one would learn more by going to his place for a day than spending a month in most apiaries." — D. M. Mao'donald. THE BROOD-HATCHING CHAMBER. By the introduction of the brood- hatching chamber in bee-culture, not only has a simple and practical appliance been devised, but also a new and profitable method of management has been evolved. No article which has not been previously tested by bee-keepers and gained their confidence has entered its composition, thus assuring popularity of use and full prac- ticability. It is so simple that any novice with an average knowledge of woodwork could easily construct it for himself; yet, for intensifying brood-rearing, it has many advantageous features. Since my first consideration of this sub- ject, nearly a year ago, I have been en- deavouring to self-criticise my suggested method of management by comparing with other methods of intensive brood- rearing, principally practised in America, but I have not been able, so far, to satisfy myself of the existence of a supe- rior method ; in fact, I have not come across any other procedure which is not either cumbersome or primitive. The precise novelty of the chamber lies in the manner of its division, which per- mits of its use at one and the same time for more than one purpose. Needless to say, several modifications could be made in the manner of division and in the attachment of the fittings, but the under- lying principle in its working would re- main the same. Although I have in mind several modifications, it is unnecessary to describe other than the design already published in the Journal. In my first contribution on this subject, which has just appeared in print* I re- ferred to some of its uses, such as aug- menting the population of the hive, the discouragement of swarming, the early possession of good-quality stores for win- tering, and the trapping of drones. Those conservative bee-keepers who doubt the principle of independent brood-hatching might well find their doubts realised if no trouble is taken to conserve heat in the * Sec B.B..I. for November 7, 1918, p. 362. brood-hatching chamber, by means of care- ful packing, or should it be incorrectly used too early or too late -in the season For physical reasons, one expects to find the brood-hatching chamber, or any super, at least just as warm as the brood-chamber proper, but unless precautions are taken to conserve heat this is often not the case. Apicultural students who have made ther- mometrical observations, must have been repeatedly struck by this fact. It might be questioned whether it is really -necessary to fit the chamber with bee-escapes, considering that the occu- pants of the central compartment are all young bees who have no tendency to leave the hive for some time, and who could therefore be safely imprisoned for a period of ten days, at the risk, perhaps, of a little excitement. But the additional value of the escapes is to effect super-clearing when desired. In this case a sheet of perforated zinc is placed over the base of each side compartment, and these are allowed to inter-communicate with the central com- partment. I have not given any notes on the actual construction, as this is outside the purpose of this article, and it is better left to those with a knowledge of crafts- manship. I might be permitted to say, however, that the fittings of the chamber could be, of course, made either a fixture or preferably detachable. In the latter case any brood-hatching chamber could be turned into an ordinary brood chamber at a moment's notice, and vice versa. Again, the excluder zinc in the central compartment might be limited as a fixture to the openings of the bee-escapes, but it is doubtful whether such an arrangement is of any advantage. For certain reasons, I did not think it would be more helpful to have the escapes fitted to the sides of the central compartment instead of its base; but, as I mentioned before, several modifications could be effected in the arrangement of the fittings, according to the wishes and experience of the apiarist, without affecting the working principle of the appliance. I might add that Porter's bee-escapes would be much preferred to the Watts pattern, and that the reason for fitting more than one escape is to safe- guard agains blockage or misuse. It might be helpful also to allow direct intercom- munication between the central compart- ment of the brood-hat chin g chamber and the brood chamber proper, as effected be- tween the three compartments of the former. This freer intercommunication might be made use of at a certain stage, should the chamber be used for the pur- pose of uniting. A metal queen-excluder for the bases of the side compartments is obviously preferable to wooden substitutes, although, on account of the correctness of measurements, the latter might be the only Dec 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 391 suitable material bo use for certain pat- terns. No diligent bee-keeper could fail to find other uses for this chamber that will specially occur to him during his practice. It will suffice here to draw attention to a few more of its uses, such as : (1) The safe direct introduction <~>f i/iimis. There is hardly any method of queen introduction which does not involve some risk. There is no risk involved by making use of the central compartment of the chamber for this purpose. The queen will he in a friendly atmosphere, surrounded by ypung and ha telling . bees, and with stores of food at her disposal, as well as sufficient room for the exercise of her function of ovipositing. Should the f(ueenloss colony lack capped brood, a frame of comb might he secured from another colony and placed in the central compartment of the brood~hatching cham- ber before introducing the queen. Further details on management would he super- fluous. (2) The formation of n%clei. — It is well recognised that young bees are most suited for the creation of nuclei. These could he started in the central compart- ment of the chamber and afterwards re- moved to their independent hives. It will be clearly seen that the brood- hatching chamber is equally serviceable to the apiarist interested in bee-rearing as to the apiarist who is more interested in the honey harvest, since the chamber does not interfere with supering and is partly a super: moreover, it docs not necessitate opening the hive more than three times in the month, during the working season. It hardly needs emphasising that the honey supply of a hive does not only de- pend on the yield of the district, but also on the force of the foraging bees: hence the importance of maintaining or increas- ing the strength of the colony in a judi- cious and controllable manner. Since writing my first notes on inten- sive brood-rearing, many weeks ago, I have further examined this subject, and suc- ceeded, through the courtesy of Mr. \\ . •) . Owers, in securing a good model of this chamber, which is now in the possession of Messrs. James Lee & Son, of Uxhridge, who are undertaking its manufacture. As I have no commercial interest in its de- velopment, they have undertaken to con- tribute to the H.B.K.A. Research Fund a certain percentage from all profits on its sale. For this genial spirit I should like to express my best thanks, and 1 take this opportunity also to record raj indebted- ness to Mr. W. J. Owers for his sympa- thetic co-operation by his expert crafts- manship; apart from bis apicultural know- ledge.— A. Z. AlU'SlIADV. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEP ERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and, check them after- wards by reference to books.) 133. Why do bees swarm? 131. Is an entrance porch a necessary addition to a hive? Give reasons for your answer. 135. Compare and contrast tin ami wood as material for separators. 136. Why should an artificial swarm have in it more bees to the pound than a natural swarm ? 137. What determines the output of eggs by a queen ? 138. Dining what part of the year is if particularly necessary that bees should have easy access to water? 139. Explain the fanning of bees al hive entrances. 14(). What is the shape of a queen's sting, and for what purpose or purposes is the use of the sting generally reserved? 141. How may a stock of German bees be changed to Italian? 142. How should a bee-keeper proceed to learn the several periods of honey- How ia his district so as to prepare his bees for them? 143. How are (1) the humming and (2) the buzzing of bees produced? 144. Enumerate the difficulties and perplexities of bee-keeping which it is desirable to eliminate in order to make bee-keeping of greater economic value. — J. L. B. LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. Through your valuable journal I should be glad if you would kindly ask the secretaries of county bee-keepers' associations who undertook a re-stock- ing scheme what results have been at- tained. 1 consider the efforts are of more importance at the present time than any other branch of our Association's work, as we must have bees from somewhere. In some districts where bees have died from " Isle of Wight " disease members are most anxious to restart, and art- willing even to run the risk of further trouble. 1 know of two counties where difficul- ties have arisen, especially with regard to voluntary assistance, and if some Asso- ciations which have worked a scheme suc- cessfully would give details of their plan I feel sure they would be rendering a great service to the craft. — John Watekfield (lion, secretary). 398 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 5, 1918. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists (continued). By A. F. Hah, wood. Primula veris, P. vulgaris (Cowslip and Primrose). — Really it is difficult to keep one's thoughts from playing fantastic tricks. Mental concentration is often almost impossible to achieve, and at this moment, as I raise my eyes and see the slanting rain, the occasional detachment and fall of a leaf from the plane-tree before my "' desirable villa residence," my thoughts flit, impish, to memories of the last great scene in " Cyrano de Bergerac," where the autumn leaves give rise to the exquisite dialogue : — Cyrano : Les f euilles ! Roxane : Elles sont d'un blond venitien. Regardez-les toniber. Cyrano : Comme elle tombent bien ! Dans ce trajet si court de la branche a la terre, Comme elles savent mettre une beaute derniere, Et malgre leur terreur de pourrir sur le sol, Veulent que cette chute ait la grace d'un vol. Thence to visions of spring in Oxford- shire woods and meadows, and I see again the fields sloping to the Evenlode, each with its spring crossed by stepping- stones, the kine browsing a herbage rich in floral beauty, whereof the greatest wealth is perhaps the cowslip. I visualise, too, a little old-fashioned house in the changeless village of Ascot-under-Wych- wood and two little old ladies the crown of whose charming hospitality is the offer of a glass of nectar such as Olympus never knew, brewed long since from the cowslips' petals and matured to absolute perfection in the great stone jars so lovingly stored in the little cellar, and only broached in honour of such as establish a claim upon the old-young hearts of these dames, of whom I am always reminded when I see a reproduction of Whistler's portrait of his mother. Crossing the meads and climbing high stiles of up-ended stone slabs, 1 reach the Dean brook, and, crossing by a little foot- bridge, wander along the further bank, overhung by white currant bushes, grown, doubtless, from bird-borne seeds, the fruit of which I have often gathered and eaten at hay-time between the departure and arrival of the wagons. Passing a hay- stack on a staddle riddled with rabbit- holes, I reach Dean Grove, and, continu- ing through it, trample under foot prim- rose and wood anemone alike, so thickly do they carpet the moist, shady soil. On past Spelsbury mill, its wheel long motionless and moss-grown, to the village with its lion fountain, and thence to Taston, similarly dowered, I push forward to the high road that leads to Banbury, and, stepping aside at the risk of having to justify my action to one of Lord Dillon's keepers, I enter Henley Knap Wood, and there — and there alone of all the places I have even been in — I find big clumps of P. elatior, the true ox-lip, bolder, larger, deeper in colour than its nearest relative, the cowslip, more rare and hence more sought for and appre- ciated. All these three can be grown in gar- dens, but the cowslip is not easy to keep and the oxlip is difficult to get. Mixed with violets, primroses make a pleasant effect, and doubtless will always be tried in the gardens of those to whom they are redolent of memories of a country home, or to whom they are associated with political activities and the personality of the Hebrew statesman, domiciled and en- nobled in Bucks, whose statue outside the National Portrait Gallery is annually garlanded with primroses on April 19. (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. THE BEE-KEEPING PROBLEM- DISEASE. ■ [9811] For some time now bee-keeping has been seeing its worst situation — the worst it has been in so far, up to now. Although it has been boomed by the Press, and many have taken it up as a war-time hobby, it is still no further forward. Why? The answer is simple — " Isle of Wight " disease. Yes; bee-keeping is at a standstill com- pared with other industries. The others are pushing forward, or are on the wane. People say, " What is the cause? Honey is a good price, and there is a good demand for both bees and honey, and bees are easily kept." But, again, the reply is " Disease." Yes, disease is th trouble. But they say, " Why should disease trouble you? Have you not a remedy? — all other industries have, lil rabbit, poultry, or stock farming of all kinds. If a horse is bad, or a hen unable to eat, the medicine chest is opened, and the case on hand cured. So why can't hees be cured of ' Isle of Wight ' disease. Surely you are slow in finding out a cure? " That is the text of most ques- Dec. 5, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 399 tions one gets regarding bee-keeping being considered useless as a profitable occupation. Now the one vital point at the present date concerning bee-keeping is, can the disease be kept at bay? Can we increase our stock or invest our capital in safety? Just think of the future awaiting bee- keeping if there was no disease like " Isle of Wight " disease, and none worse than foul brood, and honey at, say, even 8d. or 9d. per lb. Suppose one could go and buy forty stocks and the necessary hives and appliances, and start, knowing that if the " Isle of Wight " disease does break out, there is a good remedy at hand, and that with due precautions one can cure it without risks. Then, and then only, can bee-keeping pay and thrive. Suppose the bee-breeder sold, say, 200 stocks at £3 each, or the honey producer could keep 200 stocks and- produce 401bs. per stock, at 9d. per lb., that would be £300 per year for him, besides being able to sell 20 or 30 swarms, or stocks, and also keep a few poultry. That is the future of bee-keeping if the " Isle of Wight " disease could be cured or successfully controlled. But at present there are no signs of its abatement, or of a successful remedy being found, that can be relied on to do its work. So that at present it is not safe to invest much in bee-keeping. That is my opinion on the subject; but I don't want to daunt the hopes of others, because in a great many areas it is safe, and with due precautions and disinfecting the hives and all things concerned, it is quite probable it would succeed; but one can't buy 40 or 50 stocks at £4 each and be sure of success, without any disease, like one could if we had a good remedy. So it is up to the practical men who are experi- menting on the disease with " cures " to find one, and get it out. There is, I am sure, no other industry to which the find- ing of a cure for disease is so vital as that of bee-keeping with " Isle of Wight " disease. — A. Donkin. THAT SKEP. [9812] In Mr. Hawkins' article (9806) be makes some interesting remarks in reference to the straw skep and the modern beehive. He tells us the modern bar-frame hive is more ventilated than the skep. This cannot be, as the straw walls of a skep hive are porous. This allows the bees to obtain air more freely than in the modem walled hives. The straw skep also otters greater resistance to heat from the sun in summer, yet gives better pro- tection against cold in winter, whereas wood is much hotter in summer and colder in winter. This shows us that straw is the best material to use, unless we provide more space for ventilation to pass through the modern hive during the summer months. We all know what a boon to bee-keepers the modern hive is, but in them I advocate more air — not less. — W. T. E. [9813] It is, I know, a heinous offence to suggest that the bar-frame hive is not the last word in hive building, and that there may still be something to be learned from the humble skep; but anyone who has read the many interesting letters you have published on this subject, must con- fess that the skeppists have made out a fairly strong prima facie case for their contention that the skep has, in some mysterious way, better wintering and disease - resisting qualities than the modern frame hive. I can hear some of "the ultra-moderns buzzing like irritated bees at such heresy, but let me hasten to assure them there is no cause for alarm. To return to bee- keeping in skeps, on the wasteful and un- scientific lines of our ancestors, is un- thinkable. If, however, the facts are, as one suspects, the wise bee-keeper must take steps to find out wherein lie's the alleged superiority of the skep. In soundness and solidity of workman- ship or materials, it certainly does not excel. One is therefore driven to the con- clusion that its superiority, if any, lies in its shape or form. Is it just possible that the dome-shaped roof of the skep, in spite of its flimsy construction, con- serves the heat of the cluster better and makes it a snugger place in winter than the square-topped body box of a frame hive? Even when dummy boards are well fitted, and plenty of overhead packing is added, the flat top of the standard body box must make it less suitable to the concentration and conservation of heat. These ideas are in a measure supported by observations in the course of a bee hunt, some account of which appeared in one of your recent issues. The bees had hived themselves in the cone-shaped top of an iron column, supporting the framework of a gasometer. Superficially regarded, it was about the most unsuit- able wintering place a stock of bees could have chosen. The cast-iron cap in which the yard-long combs were built was barely an inch thick, and by its nature and position a perfect conductor of heat away from the hive. Yet bees have win- tered there, T was told, for twenty years, a*nd whenever they have been sulphured out so that the cap might be repainted, another swarm has soon made its home there. " What is the explanation? Is it be- cause the cap has enabled the bees to 400 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 5, 1918. keep up a living temperature, no mat- ter how their numbers might be diminished, by clustering higher and higher in the peak of the cone? This " hive," I may add, had no bottom board. Beneath the combs was an air- space 2 ft. in diameter running down 60 ft. to the bottom of the column. There may be bee-keepers sufficiently interested to carry out experiments to prove, or disprove, the theory that a conical is better than a rectangular win- tering chamber. To such I leave the sug- gestion. A rough box, square at the bottom and tapering to a point, would be simpler to construct than a perfect cone, and should serve almost as well, provided the joints are well sealed. Its adaption to the uses of a bar-frame hive for wintering would also be easy. — G. B. L{.)H14] My interest in bee-keeping leads me to reply to Mr. E. J Thompson's (9797) statement li that the ' Isle of Wight ' disease always breaks out in the bar-frame hive — at least nine cases out of ten." That is not my experience. Last year, 1917, " Isle of Wight " disease visited me a third time — I had been en- tirely cleared out twice before — the victim was a skep. The other hives were exempt. This last season numerous swarms came off, and I had no frame-hive for the Last one, so, perforce, it was left in the hiving skep. Some weeks back it developed " Isle of Wight " disease. I determined to try and cure it, if possible. I sprayed liber- ally with Flavine, as far as if could be done. All to no purpose. They got worse rather than better. A few days ago I destroyed them. Now for the other side of the question — the frame-hive. Swarms came off fast sea- son, and T ran short of clean combs and foundation. I bad, however, a lot of combs on which bees had died of " Isle of Wight " disease, with which I determined to experiment. So I fitted up two hives with them after well spraying with Fla- vine. A swarm was put in each hive. In a few days one showed signs of the disease. I sprayed the comb and bees well with Flavine — each comb in succession Hie in- side of the hive, the porch, and the calico quilt— in fact just as directed. 1 also re- moved the queen, though a young one, and gave them a ripe queen cell. On the fifth day T repeated the spraying as thor- oughly as before. That is some four or fiyo months ago. Since then I have ob- served no signs of disease in these two frame-hives, and, singularly, these two stocks appear not only strong and healthy but are the best I possess. I believe that had I been able to get at the combs in the skep I could have cured the stock with Flavine. — W. Winterton, Stoke Mande- ville. Suspected Disease. J. 11. (Widnes), T. Rogerson (Edinburgh), L. M. Howell (Henley), C. J. Lee (Potters Bar), "Caundle" (Dorset).— The trouble is " Isle of Wight " disease. F. and O. Colson (Herts.).— " Isle of Wight" disease is developing. Mrs. 6. Hughes (Berks.).— The bees are native workers, and are suffering' from " Isle of Wight " disease. V. E. Barfosd (Basingstoke).— The trouble is " Isle of Wight " disease in the early stage. As the bees are now more or less dormant, you can do very little for them. See that they are kept dry and have plenty of covering. If you are giving candy, better cut the cakes up and warm it until it is possible to mix in some more medi- cine. To each pound add one teaspoonful of Bacterol, or Yadil, five or six drops of Izal, or one grain of Flavine. Take out the floorboard, clean it down, and apply a strong solution of one of the above disinfectants. Allow to soak in for a few minutes, then dry off the surplus with a cloth, and repla-ce the board. Burn all dead bees and debris. W. S. Miller (Stockport).— Bees are Italians, and suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. E. O. T. (Devon).— Natives. We do not find disease. THE British Bee-Keepers' Association. The recognised centre of practical and scientific bee-keeping in Great Britain. Particulars and conditions of member- ship mav be obtained from the Secretary. W. HEBROD-HEMPSALL, 23. Bedford Street. Strand. London. W.C.2. 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. Bu* your stock, sell the produce, through THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART Newspaper. Get a Copy — Thursday and Saturday, 3d. The " Bazsar " publishes also practical hand- books by experts. Send for full catalogue, post free from WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C.2 The certain cure for - . __ __ _ w—m _ __ ^_ _ , Proved by Bee-keepers and Preventative of R ZX f~ P r?C3 1_ generally after testing on "Isle of Wight" disease. &^*^»\* ■ fc-S%.W&- the most hopeless stocks. Manufactured by •'Bacterol" Limited, London, N. MENLEY & JAMES. LTD., MENLEY HOUSE. FARRINGDON ROAD. LONDON. E.C. t Dec. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 401 PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT RE LEGISLATION FOE BEE DISEASES. In connection with the resolution passed by the Council of the British Bee-keepers' Association, deciding to obtain the signa- tures of all bee-keepers in England and Wales desiring legislation to deal with bee diseases in a petition to the Government, the forms are now ready. Individual bee- keepers willing to help in this work who live in counties where there is no Bee- keepers' Association at all, or where the existing one is not affiliated to the B.B.K.A., may have forms for the purpose upon application to the Secretary, B.B.K.A., 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. Great care must be taken to obtain the signatures of people who have not signed elsewhere. More forms can be had upon application if those sent are insufficient. When completed, the forms must be returned to the Secre- tary. Now is the time for all bee-keepers to do their utmost to secure protection for the craft. The counties to which the above applies are Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Cambridge- shire, Cornwall, Dorset, Durham, Hamp- shire, Isle of Wight, Huntingdonshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Suffolk, Wilt- shire, Yorkshire, Anglesey, Brecon, Car- digan, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint, Merio- neth, Montgomery, Pembroke, Radnor. A DOBSET YABN. When through Parkstone last week, on election propaganda work, close to the Coalition candidate's office the pavement was strewn with flowers of arbutus and also the highly coloured fruits. To look up and see the rich coloured fruits and flowers at the same time is a rarity in all the vegetable kingdom, but wherever we go, or whatever our business, the lover of Nature is always rewarded in the sunny south with so many beautiful units of the floral kingdom. Bees have a fine time over the ivy flowers, many of the two- winged flies have finished their peregrina- tions; all wasps seem to have gone into winter quarters. Our bees have not gone far from their hives this week ; it has Been warm, but mostly very damp, though not enough to stop the men from work. Our thoughts were with the bees when we had a day of threshing out the corn. We had ploughed in a lot of tur- nip to help enrych the soil (our farm is too small for sheep to feed them off), and many of them grew up and flowered among the corn. My neighbours were very liberal with advice to have them all pulled up, as they would rob the corn of nourishment, but the bee-keeper thinks of his bees ; he knows of the valuable honey that is to be gathered from them, and if our corn was not quite so good, we more than made up for it with the extra honey gathered. The amount of turnip seed which was wasted with the dust be- neath the threshing machine was enor- mous ; there was some charlock, but it was largely turnip. One never likes to see waste at any time, but labour is so costly one cannot see how all this could have been saved, unless the machine was in the barn and the seed all kept dry, when it could have been cleaned from the waste and made saleable. t 1 have had sent me the report of the Research Committee of the Scottish Agri- cultural College, by Joseph Tinsley; it is only a preliminary report, but it shows the careful method of the " canny Scot," how each stock that was sent them was treated with the several remedies, and the ultimate results. Many of us know the peculiar way in which the wings are placed when " I.O.W. " disease is present in the bees, but this report gives in detail how soon the disease is spread to healthy stocks, also " Colonies that showed symp- toms of it united to healthy stocks (the queens of the diseased stock previously removed) ; it took four to six weeks to ti*ansmit the disease." In another instance " the entire brood chamber was placed on a healthy stock, which compelled the healthy bees to clean up all the dirt and filth of the diseased colony before filling the combs with honey, but in six to eight weeks the malady came to the healthy stock, but when honey was extracted from combs and fed to bees, they did not con- tract the disease." It shows how unwise I have been, for I have given the whole lot to the breeding sows we keep, I did not care to eat it, nor did I want the healthy bees to have it. We are still learning every day something or other in relation to bees, as well as the results from extra tillage of the soil; but the last four lines of the report commends it most to me. The writer gives at length the cross- breeding of bees to withstand the disease more than our native blacks, then tells us " the work on the production of im- mune strains of bees is being continued, and it is hoped that we shall shortly be in a oosition to restock the disease-swept districts in the College area from our apiary at Kilmarnock." A college that is so progressive must commend it to all bee-keepers, that is' the best use of a college to raise mid distri- 402 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 12, 1918. bute to the people who help to support it and pay its staff; the report in itself shows " something attempted something done," as we have many times sung in days gone by. All bee-keepers are now being listed in Dorset, the Government is going to re- lease some sugar for bee food, it looks as if the authorities are awaking to the great value of honey as a food product; it is time that our craft had some recog- nition. Our county is going to have the secretary of the B.B.K.A. down for a lecturing tour. One is offered in East Dorset, at Wimborne. Our able horticultural instructor Mr. MacPhail speaks of Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall's abili- ties as a lecturer in very high terms, so we are looking for great things in Dorset. I hope it will not be till after this " rushed election " is over. There is no better time than the present to appeal to the vil- lage population for them to adopt bee- keeping as a great asset towards a yearly income, as prices are so high for sections and run honey. We want a progressive college like Kilmarnock, where our citi- zens can purchase a 3-frame nuclei for a start. The scarcity of butter has made a great many would-be bee-keepers, for without a doubt they are most profitable to us who Keep them besides the great pleasure of having them. My eldest son (who is now home on leave from France) gives an appalling picture of desolate France and Belgium in the war area. Our men must be able to rent or buy easily our own land, for which they have made such great sacrifice, or red revolution is sure to come; (already irresponsible speakers are telling the elec- torate to make sure of a part when the share-out of land comes; that was said in this village, and I do not suppose it is an isolated case) . Then the bee-keeper can have beside. the honey which his bees will gather for him, his cows for milk and butter, and grow his wheat to make his bread, the succulent vegetables the soil produces, with peas and beans for winter food — then we shall have a new England, and a happier country for our returned Soldier "bee-keepers. — J. J. Kettle. BLUETS FROM A SCRATCHY REN. Comments on Calmette's Experiments. The writers who have made a special study of the toxic action of the virus in the poison of the bee are very few. Cheshire and Cowan have, in very thor-. ough fashion, described the mechanical portions and their workings. But it is quite possible I have not been on the right track. Some of your readers may know of others than those I have mentioned in previous articles. I should be glad to hear of them, and will promise, as best I may be able, to use the information. Any further light that could be shone on the question would be so Useful. It cannot be disputed that one of the greatest deter- rents from bee-keeping is the fear of get- ting stung. Diminish this fear, or pre- vent some of the unpleasant after-effects of stinging, and we should have recruits by the hundreds. It is an old chestnut, the tale of the lecturer who was asked the best cure for bee-stings, his reply being, "Plenty of them." But the retort was ob- vious : " How many stings must I receive, and how long will it take to be inocu- lated? " Calmette has, in his experiments, proved that it is possible, by the adminis- tration of homoeopathic doses of the acid, to small animals, frequently repeated, to render them immune to bee-stings. Modern medical science has adopted inoculation as a specific against many diseases. It is not, therefore, too much to hope that it is possible that some such serum, or infec- tion, may be discovered. Or, working further on Calmette's experiments, would it be possible to gather, and store for this use, the natural formic acid? I have but little trust in the laboratory-made article. I am quite sure that it would repay, both in honour and purse, any scientist who is capable of studying the question. There is another interesting feature worked out in the extracts I have given, namely, the negation of the effects of the acid by heat. I have always used two palliatives for stings. I will not call them cures, because there is no cure for bee- stings. Both of these depend for their effect on heat. When a severe case of sting has happened in the course of my visits, I have always recommended fomen- tation with hot water — as hot as the sufferer can bear. It always gives imme- diate relief. And this is the second. Personally, I am only vulnerable around the eyes, and where the skin of the fingers meets, the nail. Other places I do not count. If the sting is painful, I work my smoker up to its greatest heat and turn a full blast on to the wound. I can imagine some of your readers smiling at this last homely conceit. Well, " he laughs best who laughs last." Next time they have the need, let them try it. The remedy is always at hand. Of course, you must always shut your eyes when you have to fumigate around them. Don't try to keep them open, or you will be able to form a very good idea of the sufferings our lads endured from tear-shells. I am but indifferently acquainted with' medical science. I often wish I had even a rudimentary knowledge of it. If I had been so fortunate, I might then have been able to give a fit answer to "Anxious Enquirer's " inquisitiveness. But, as a layman, it seems to me that the symptoms Dec. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 403 described, and also those by "J. C. A.," quite agree with Calmette's analysis. High temperature, laboured breathing, nausea, and, in " J. C. A.'s " case, blindness for a while. I take these manifestations to arise from hemo- lysing action on the corpuscles of the blood. The itching comes from the effect of the nerve toxine. I may offend my temperance readers, but I agree, and ad- vise, with "tJ. C. A.," a liqueur glass of neat brandy or whisky — the best that can be procured. Under circumstances such as these, alcoholic liquor is taken as a stimulant medicine, and I have two in- stances in my mind where such a dose apparently prevented very serious effects which were supervening. I sympathise with those who suffer so much when the bee takes his own part. A French writer says : " The bee is a vicious insect. You attack him and he defends himself.' ' I look upon stings as so many honourable wounds received in a fair fight, and I owe them no grudge for the very utmost fury they are capable of. Unfortunately for them, the odds are always on my side, fight as pluckily as they may. They have never beaten me, nor do I think they ever will, because their reasoning powers are limited to their instinct. If only they could discipline themselves, act in unison like trained soldiers, which of us would dare attack even a weak colony? They do not know their own power. — J. Smallwood. NOTES FROM FRANCE. The past season has been a poor one in this district (North France) from a bee- keeper's point of view. The cold winds, when the fruit trees and hawthorn were in flower, made the bees think that the best place was inside the hive, and very few were tempted out ; consequently, stocks had to be fed till very late. Then followed a spell of very dry weather, and the sun scorched everything up in the fields, so that when the clover should have been yielding nectar in abundance it was so dried up that the bees could only just keep going. Then the rain came, and the clover sent up a good second crop, but the weather remained un- settled, so that it was too late for super- ing. But the bees have stored more in the brood nest than last autumn, and so should not require such heavy feeding for the winter as last year. I have not been so fortunate as Mr. Burtt in finding bee- keepers out here who use the frame hive. I have generally spotted a few skeps in an out-of-the-way corner of the garden, and the skeps seem more plentiful than they are in rural England, but they don't seem to have advanced to the frame hive as yet, although their skeps are much larger than ours at home, and I should think if the bees were driven out of the skeps in the autumn of a good season something like 30 lbs. of honey would be the result. I have driven a lot of bees for skepists in England at different times, but the largest amount of honev from one skep was 15 lbs. I was talking to a black in a British AVest India regiment the other day, and he told me how they kept bees in Bar- badoes. Like some of our older bee- keepers at home, they have some strange superstitions about bees and their ways. He said : — " De queen bee is wickedest. Every- where de queen bee go de others follow. She is de largest. She lead de others into hole in tree. Or if you get a box, put a gill of molasses, some salt and water, de bees will go in de box and stop." Then I asked him how fiiey get the honey out of the trees. He said : " Oh, chase de bees out with burning rag tied on stick. Wave it against de tree, cut hole in tree, and take out de honey. " (From what he said, they seem very fond of the honey, too.) " Bees don't like red. At times get very wicked and sting red cow. Bees sting man with red tie on. Black man nothing to do with bees; white man will." — E. Jeffery, R.A.M.C, B.E.F., France. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Several articles appearing recently in the Journal are very interesting in the issues they raise, and if space permits I should like to comment on a few. (1) Under the heading of " That Skep," some of your correspondents appear to give one the impression that skeps, gene- rally speaking, are more immune from disease than are bar-frame hives. I quite agree that this is a thing which would bear closer investigation, if only for the purpose of showing the proportion of healthy skeps to diseased ones, and healthy frame hives to diseased hives. Anyone would be pardoned for concluding from E. J. Thompson's letter (9797) that to keep bees in frame hives is fatal. Let us look at this matter a little closer. Skeps, as every bee-keeper knows, cannot be pulled about indiscriminately — or, in- deed, hardly handled in such a manner as to be directly infected by handling the combs and thus carrying disease from another unsuspected infected stock. That, in my estimation, is the crux of the whole matter. Frame hives, from their very accessibility, are more susceptible to ^'car- ried " infection — that is, carried by the apiarist himself, by his smoker or other tools, through negligence in the matter of sterilising those tools, and his hands. It would be a big step if a census could 404 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 12, 1918. be taken of the number of skeps which keep healthy year after year, a proper record being taken of those which " go iinder ' ' and those which, on account of showing bad symptoms, are " put under." In conclusion, I feel I must express my regret at the manner in which so. many correspondents " hark back " over old ground, over which there have been many wordy battles fought in the old days, and should have been settled long ago. It savours too much of " retrograde " move- ment, instead of progress. (2) This same trend of writing appears in the next subject I should like to say a few words about, viz., " Blacks versus Italians." This matter has been argued over for years, and if it has not heen definitely settled once and for all in Eng- land, it has been years ago in America. Among all our own leading apiarists Italians are kept almost exclusively. I say " almost" advisedly, for during the last year or two the supply of Italian queens has not met the demand by one- third, a fact of itself of first-rate signifi- cance. Quoting Boot's " A.B.C. and X.Y.Z.," page 609 (1917 edition) : — ' ' Comparing the Black (or German) bees with Italians, they are not inclined to rob (as we should expect from anything originating in Hun- land!. — F. M. C.), are not as good work- ers. . . . They are much more nervous, .... boiling over in confusion Their queens are much harder to find, the bees are not so gentle, and, worse than all, they have a disagreeable fashion, dui'- ing robbing time, of following the apiarist about from hive to hive in a most tanta- lising manner " (the italics are mine), all of which I have most conclusively proved from my own experience. Further, from the facts that Italians are practically immune to ' ' foul brood ' ' and will not tolerate wax moth, I should always plump for Italians. Whoever pre- fers to stick to Blacks, knowing the charac- teristics of the two races — well, let him ! (3) Mr. G. T. Pallett's article in issue of November 28 on treating " Isle of Wight " disease with chloride of lime raises another interesting topic. Singularly enough, I used this very preparation on the first hive I ever had, which developed " Isle of Wight " disease during winter, when it was impossible to use any ordinary treat- ment; but, being then an absolute novice, I did not use any fixed method of appli- cation, merely dusting the ground all around, and washing off the flight-board when badly soiled, with the lime, and changing the floor occasionally, treating this with Izal. Although very much weakened, the stock survived, and gave me a swarm and a surplus the next year. None of the combs were destroyed or done away with until a long while afterwards, and infection did not break out again, but of course other measures were taken, such as re-queening and feeding medicated syrup, etc., as early as practicable. Until reading Mr. Pallett's article I had for- gotten the chloride of lime, and I think it might be worth while following up for treatment of ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease. (4) Mr. H. B. Peirce, from far-off Tas- mania, in his letter (9809) of same date, arouses our thoughts once more to the question of standardisation of hives. Why cannot this vexed question be settled now? We are nearing the time when the world will be at peace once more, and business commencing to resume its normal plane. I believe — in fact, so far I have found it true — that every English maker of W.B.C. hives has his own ex- ternal measurements — why, nobody seems to know. Would it not be possible to ob- tain a vote on the question of all users of W.B.C. hives, and let the B.B.K.A. be guided by this in their final decision? Mr. Peirce evidently likes the principle of the W.B.C. hive, with its loose internal boxes; but in many makes there is not enough space allowed between the inner and outer cases; i..e., the latter are too small. For myself, I prefer that size given by Mr. Peebles in Mr. Cowan's " Note- book," viz., 19 in. by 21 in. outside dimensions. Mr. Peirce does not like our metal ends so much as the Hoffman style of wide- ended frames. May I ask him if he ever saw the W.B.C. metal end pulled back on alternate frames, to allow of close spacing? He cannot operate the Hoffman frame like that. No; I think the metal end " years ahead " of any fixed spacing arrangement. But, they must be well made, and unfortunately I have seen many that are not worth picking up. His complaint against porches is quite legitimate with the fixed porch, but no porch should ever be a fixture. There are several ways of easy attachment, the simplest of which is a pair of hooks ana screw eyes fitted on the sides of hive body and ends of porch, and" the alley traps can be fitted in the. same manner. I am glad our Colonial friend has brought these subjects up, for I feel sure we have in England and Scotland (per- haps it would be better to say Britain) quite as good individual bee-keepers as anywhere abroad; but " the one thing needful " is lacking — that is unity, or co- operation, or whatever you care to term it, and all that they mean — and under this heading will have to come the entire standardisation of all our furniture (for bee-keeping, not household, purposes), and also legislation. And it must not stop there. We must go forward until disease is really conquered and the entire inte- rests of all bee-keepers are fully cared Bee. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 405 for. What are our Associations doing in these matters? Eemember, the Associa- tion is of no use unless supported by the individual, so now then, Mr. "Busy" Bee-keeper, "get a move on!" — F. M. Claridge. QUESTIONS, Etc., For BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 145. What is an out-apiary? 146. What is one of the chief indica- tions that the death of bees has been caused by starvation? 147. What interval occurs between the changing of a larva into a nymph and the emerging of the perfect bee? 148. How is Good's candy made, and how and when is it given to bees? 149. When a swarm is united with a stock what is done with regard to the queens? 150. How may an observation hive be populated so that the life of a queen may be observed from the beginning of a queen cell to the laying of eggs by the mature insect? 151. What is known of honey-dew? 152. What is the object of " spreading the brood "? And how and when is it done? 153. How should nuclei be dealt with for wintering? 154. Weigh the evidence on which the statement is made that the sugar in nectar is inverted by the agency of formic acid. 155. Describe exactly the secretion and the manipulation of wax by the bee up to the time when it is formed into comb. 156. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture on " Honey as an article of diet for human consumption." Readers of the B.B.J, will be inte- rested to hear that the Bureau of Entomology in the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture inform me that they have noticed, with interest, my weekly contribution to the British Bee Journal and appreciate the usefulness of the work. This should be an encouragement to any who are not making full use of the Ques- tions, working in the manner recom- mended at the head of each set. — J. L. B. COMMON FAULTS. 1. Bees are very generally not suffi- ciently protected. Warmth is essential to the well-being as well as to the well-doing of the bee community. A colony of bees when not well covered overhead gradually loses the high degree generated for the good. of the cluster because there is an escape of heat which rises and is dissi- pated. To keep up the temperature and their vitality the workers have to make a drain on the stores, hence there is a loss of honey, because it is by consuming this heat-giving food that the lost heat can be replaced. It will thus be seen that too slight covering above the frames is a drawback, and militates against the bees' best well-doing, especially in winter. Yet I have seen hives with scarcely any covering overhead, and very generally bees have too little. A single covering of thin cotton or even cheese-cloth over a new-hived swarm is by no means uncom- mon, and even when this is supplied with a rack of sections, many provide no more. This is reprehensible. ■ When bees are comb-building, either new frames or draw- ing out sections, workers have to generate a heat of about 98 deg. Without ample covering they scarcely can accomplish this. Yet bee-keepers often wonder how bees do not ascend above. The wonder would be, if they would. I would use about as many quilts in summer as in winter. 2. Entrances are, as a rule, too small right through the summer, more especi- ally during the period of ingathering. From early summer they should be gradu- ally enlarged until during a flow the workers are allowed the full length of the hive front by f in. up to a couple of inches in depth. This can be done by placing blocks at each corner, affording a long, deep entrance which will not only prevent congestion, but allow a fresh current of air to play about the front, thus supplying much needed ventilation in very warm weather. Too often this is wanting, and very generally any fresh air is specially excluded by a growth of herbage, often rough, rank weeds, which are allowed to grow as they please all round the flight-board. In scores of cases I have discovered bees slowly crawling about endeavouring to find their way through this tangle, as if they were en- gaged in solving a Chinese puzzle. Bees should have a clear and uninterrupted flight right from the hive entrance straight to the foraging fields, and any- thing which interrupts their outward and inward flight is a direct obstruction, for which their owners deserve to be pena- lised— as indeed they are, because less honey is taken into the obstructive hive than into the one with a clear, uninter- rupted one. 3. Hives too frequently are planked down anyhow, anywhere, and left there unat- tended right to the end of the season. As an extreme case, I may instance one place where I was informed by the goodwife 406 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 12, 1918. that they had seven ruskies. On going into the garden I found none ! In time I discovered nine. All were enshrouded in vegetation, entangled and severely shaded. Others in other apiaries were placed in front of bushes, shrubs, or hedges which in the course of years had embraced them so lavishly that one had to search for the real hive. This should not be. All hives should be clear of all vegetation. They should be placed not on the ground, but at least 6 in. or 9 in. above. They shoidd not stand close to dyke, fence, or hedge, but have a clear space behind wide enough to afford room for all manipulations being carried on in the rear. If vegetables or flowers threaten to interrupt the flight of the workers, these should be sacrificed. One can safely impress a preference for a southern exposiire; but this ride, like the laws of the Medes and Persians, need not be slavishly adhered to. Shade may be a good thing, but when there is much of it, especially if it is of a confining nature, instead of preventing, it will lead to swarming, as ventilation is thus cut off. 4. The amount of packing material has already been alluded to; the nature of this material deserves our attention. " Ole Clo' " is the prime favourite almost everywhere ; in many places, its use is universal. The ploughman's cast-off " breeks " are not despised. The good- man's Sunday suit, after, perhaps, forty or more year's service, is still deemed ser- viceable covering. Discarded sacks worn into holes, incapable of retaining grain or even potatoes, are deemed suitable for packing. I would not condemn them utterly, but as gently as I can would ad- vise a visit to the wash-tub before the transfer. Still, in odd corners, where there is an outer and inner case, packing all round is found a very convenient and warm accommodation for one or more pairs of mice to nest in. The straw, hay or chaff is frequently old and mothy. Covers are favourable, and favourite breeding places for the wax moth to gene- rate its kind. In some cases a spring cleaning is an innovation so rare as to be unknown. Frames very generally are never disturbed ; dummies or division- boards are fixtures ; and frame hives, in- stead of being viewed as open books, are as much sealed ones as are any ruskies in the collection. These, I am pleased to say, are in a small minority, the excep- tion and not the rule. 5. I wish that even in the most favour- able circumstances, sections, after appear- ing a second season, would be discarded. The only subsequent use for them is to help to light the morning fire. Yet I have known them to appear for many successive years — containing the same foundation, too ! The owners wonder why their bees despise and reject them. We don't!! The fact is the bees couldnlt work them if they tried, as they are so heavily propolised. In one case sectidn8 of '17 were pitted againt those of '18 on the same grocer's counter. The first were purchased (reluctantly) for Is., the latter fetched 2s. 9d. Why should bee- keepers penalise themselves so? The plea in the foregoing case was " war economy." Was it economy? Some old section racks afford bees a play-space all round, and it gives them in their slack time an excel- lent area for spending their precious time in daubing an inordinate amount of pro- polis, neither iiseful nor ornamental. Interchangeability of parts is often preached. I saw one apiary of nine hives, and it is a fact not one of the eighteen lifts were perfectly interchangeable. Several left gaps of several inches-. Why? 6. Very few cottage bee-keepers are aware of the existence of such a disease as foul brood. They know that certain hives are degenerating. Fewer bees enter and return than formerly ; at the end of the season they give a smaller return. Ultimately, some of them drag out a miserable existence, or die out entirely. Ill luck is blamed. One such bee-keeper asked me seriously why this should be. I was able to show him thousands of cells empty, other thousands showing a putrid mass of decaying matter, and thousands of others containing the dried-up substances which had been larva? — and only here and there an odd healthy larva or pupa ready to eat its way out as a perfect imago. The puzzle was solved for that bee- keeper, and I verily believe he will wage war against any appearance of this foul pest in his apiary henceforth. — D. M. M. GLOUCESTEESHIEE B.K.A. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting was held at the Wessex Hotel, Gloucester, on Decem- ber 7. There was a good and represen- tative attendance. The Eev. E. T. Bart- leet was voted to the chair. The balance- sheet and report were presented by the hon. secretary and treasurer, Eev. F. H. Fowler, and were considered highly satis- factory, as showing that the Association was financially sound, and that its pros- pects were hopeful. The subscription list had nearly doubled during the present year, and many new members had joined, of whom a considerable proportion were ladies, all keen bee-keepers. The Ee- stocking Sub-committee, inaugurated after the county meeting of bee-keepers last Dec. 12, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 407 May, had done excellent work, with a substantial balance in hand. The result was the more satisfactory because the work of the committee had been entirely self- supporting, without any subsidy from the Association. The hon. secretary expressed his intention of resigning after eight years of office, and was re-appointed hon, trea- surer, the Eev. E. J. Bartleet (Quedgeley Kectory, Glos.) being elected in his stead. The following committee was appointed : — Lieut. A. H. Bowen, Messrs. J. E. Swaf- field, Gauntlett Thomas (Cheltenham) ; Messrs. E. J. Burtt, W. J. Goodrich, C. A. Oakley, C. L. Richards, J. Lane (Gloucester) ; G. S. Railton, H. E. Scrope Viner (Tewkesbury) ; Miss Fox (Newnham- on-Severn) ; Miss Meyrick Toms (Stont- house) ; and, in addition, the hon. secre- taries of the various branches to be formed will be ex-officio members. A president and vice-presidents will be ap- pointed later. The proposals of the Food Control Department with regard to re- stocking, and rationing of candy, were discussed. Mr. Gauntlett Thomas was in- vited to represent the Association at Council meetings of the B.B.K.A. It was decided to extend widely the operations of the Association in 1919, also to hold a honey show, which has been in abeyance during the last four years. " The season,'' to quote from the report, " was not on the whole favourable either for the production of honey or the 'increase of stocks. May was fine and warm, but April was cold, with sunshine below the normal, and June, although sunny, had a temperature con- siderably below the average, while July was cold and wet for the most part. Sep- tember was an appalling month, and gave the coup-de-grace to weak stocks or those with any suspicion of disease. The fol- lowing details of two small apiaries of members may be of interest : — (a) Twelve stocks; surplus, 13^ cwts. ; average per hive, 120 lbs. ; best stock, 227 lbs. (b) Seven stocks ; surplus, 819 lbs. ; aver- age per hive 117 lbs.; best stock, 214 lbs." Votes of thanks to the chairman, the hon. secretary and treasurer of the Re- stocking Committee (Rev. E. J. Bartleet), and the retiring hon. secretary concluded the proceedings. PRESS CUTTINGS. THE BEE LIMIT. When I had to pay half-a-crown for six- penny worth of honey the other day (writes a correspondent), I protested that surely bees were having no war bonus. " No," said the girl assistant seriously, "but, as you know, feeding stuffs are dearer nowadays!" — From the Daily News. I15&^|!j|^ \j^^m^^^^ - 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 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. DO BEES BUILD COMB IN WINTER. [9815] The title of this little article would seem to all admirers of " Our De- borah ' ' as ridiculous, but the writer has evidence to prove that bees can, and do, build comb in winter. A skep of native bees was put in a spare wooden hive, and tucked cosily in with quilts for the long winter. Over the feed hole of the skep, an oblong bottomless box, just sufficiently large to hold a cake of candy was placed, and on top, for observation purposes, there is a plate of glass. Just two weeks ago, a cake of candy was placed in the box with a \ in. hole drilled through the centre immediately over the feed hole to allow the bees to come through on to». the surface of the candy, and on examination to-day, December 8, it was noticed that the bees had enlarged the hole in the cawdy to 3 ins. in diameter, and through this hole a new comb of pure white wax 2 ins. long extended from the interior of the skep, through the feed hole, up to the glass surface over the box. Could the Editor, or any other brother bee-keeper explain why this comb has been built? The skep weighs 20 lbs., which shows there must be ample storage room available if the bees desired to store the candy. Also, why did the bees not start at the interior surface of the glass and build downwards, as they generally do? It would be interesting to read during the long winter evenings, in the columns of the British Bee Journal, what others who are more expert than the writer have observed in the antics of their bees in respect to comb building in winter. : — J. W. Ppeston. THE USES OF GERMICIDES. [9816] There is nothing peculiar about the fact that it is possible to disinfect with any non-toxic modern germicide soiled combs, taken from diseased colonies, and to give them later with full confidence to healthy colonies. Lengthy correspond- 408 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 12, 1918. ence on this subject is quite unnecessary, as sufficient proof has already been ad- vanced regarding this question, apart from the scientific data, that would jus- tify adopting this method, in place of the destruction of the infected combs, even should we lack a guiding experiment. I sincerely hope that no bee-keeper still practices the old method of destroying a source of infection by destroying the in- fected combs. It is obviously a cheaper way and a more sound one to destroy the infecting organisms on the combs and to save the latter. Thorough disinfection by means of a germicidal solution would accomplish this task. Some bee-keepers consider it an advan- tage to keep one antiseptic only. They should be advised, then, to keep one that could be used both internally as well as ex- ternally, Personally, I consider it more economical and just as sound to keep more than one antiseptic, and to give every preparation its proper place of use. Why use for the general disinfection and the cleansing of appliances (which is always advisable for preventive purposes) a prepa- ration more worthy of internal adminis- tration to the bees, whether for prophy- laxis or treatment, when a cheaper prepa- ration would do just as well for accom- plishing this purpose? It would be also just as foolish to administer to the bees (merely for the sake of false economy) a toxic preparation which is more suited for external use. I think if all progressive apiarists would think more than they generally do at present of the correct selection of antiseptics, and of their appli- cation in a correct way, they would be rendering a greater service both to their bees and to to their pockets, instead of unwittingly serving the pockets of the manufacturers by the present curious state of partisanships. — A. Z. Abtjshady. WHO SHOULD BE A BEE-KEEPER? Extract from the New Zealand Bee keepers' Journal, July 1, 1918. It is an occupation for old and young, rich or poor. It is for the professional man or woman, tired and worn with office work, and it is for the vigorous man in his prime who seeks profit and pleasure alike from its pursuit. Any person with fair health and strength, studious, and imbued with some patience and some love of Nature, may very reasonably hope to become successful as a bee-keeper. The more one studies and the more one ob- serves, and is able to apply his observa- tions practically, the more successful bee- keeper he will be. He should be, too, a reader of bee lore and natural history. The greater and the wider the bee- keeper's intelligence, the wider his success will be. The very few persons who may despair of becoming good bee-keepers are such as have unusually nervous tempera- ments, little patience, and little or no love for outdoors and natural history ; and the still fewer who are seriously a,f- fected by the poison of bee stings and stand in constant dread of them. The normal person, with a little care, can avoid stings almost entirely, and need have no cause to dread them. There is another important essential to winning success in bee-keeping. It is the trait of applying knowledge promptly, and doing the right thing at the right time. The beginner, while he has considerable to do to succeed, yet if he be willing to try earnestly, he may certainly expect to acquire mastery of a profession that will yield not only honey and money, but a world of new interest, full of pleasure and wonder, and which will prove a great aid to health. WEATHER REPORT. Rainfall, 2 "23 in. Heaviest fall, "41 in on 2nd. Rain fell on 13 days. Below average, l-0in. Sunshine, ?0-3 hours. Brightest day, 13th, 4-7 hours. Sunless days, 1 1. Below average, 16 '2 hours. Maximum tempera- ture, 57 on 1st. Westbourne, November, 1918. Minimum tempera- ture, 26 on 18th. Minimum on grass, 23 on 18th. Frosty nights, 8. Mean maximum, 53'1. Mean minimum, 37 '5. Mean temperature, 45 3. Above average, 2*1. Maximum barometer, 30-525 on 13th. Minimum barometer, 29-389 on 2nd. L. B. Birkett. " Worker" (Panteg).— Distance drones and queens fly for mating.— It is not known for certain; possibly two miles. Honey Sample. W. H. Edmunds (Cape Province).— The honey is very good indeed, far better quality than the honey generally sent into this country. We do not stock the labels, but. you can get the orna- mental labels from any well-known appliance dealer. The other you would have to get printed. Suspected Disease. F. Blamond (Salop).— The bees are suffering from " Isle of Wight " disease. R. B. (Barham).— We do not find disease in the H. B. Wvatt (Middlesex).— Both lots of bees were affeoted with " Isle of Wight " disease in an early stage. FLAVINE CANDY.-5 lbs., 5s. Id.; 10 lbs., 9s. 8d.; 20 lbs., 19s. 4d.; post paid.— S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge. 1.26 Dec. 19, -1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 409 BEE-KEEPING. POOD PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT'S SCHEMES. The Food Production Department points out that the advice to villagers to keep more bees now being given in various quarters was anticipated by that Department upwards of a year ago, and has been extensively followed by riiral residents in the meantime. Not only has •the Department advised the villager to keep bees, it has by means of lectures and demonstrations, the supply of simple practical leaflets and other measures, shown him how bees may be kept profit- ably. Bee-keepers generally throughout the country were greatly discouraged and suffered serious loss by reason of the epi- demic of " Isle of Wight " disease, which wiped out the large majority of the stocks of English bees and which has only this year shown signs of abatement. For several years past a Government scheme for pro- viding bees with medicated candy for winter feeding has been in operation: and it is probable that the consequent strengthening and stimulating of the remaininng stocks in the country has bad a bearing on the decreasing virulence of the bee plague. Bee-keepers requiring bee-food for spring feeding must register (prior to December 31, 1918) with the Secretary of the Horticultural Sub-Committee of the Agricultural Executive Committee for the county, from whom special forms can be obtained. Early in the present year the Food Pro- duction Department set up a Bee Section, to which the secretary of the British Bee- keepers' Association is attached, and this Section, by means of the systematic in- spection of apiaries and advice to bee- keepers, has done much to restore confi- dence and to place the future of the in- dustry of bee-keeping on a more satis- factory basis. With a view to the prompt and successful revival of the industry, the Department has lately urged the Horti- cultural Sub-Committees of the counties to organise local bee-restocking schemes through their bee committees in co-opera- tion with the local bee-keepers' associa- tion. It is hoped that growers of fruit in particular will assist enthusiastically the development of these schemes. The im- portance of bee-keeping to the fruit grower can hardly be over-stated. Experi- ments have proved that if a hive or two of bees is kept within a furlong (220 yards^ of a fruit plantation, 80 per cent, of the fertilisation is done by hive bees. Particulars of the various measures being taken by the horticultural sub-com- mittees with a view to assisting bee- keepers— including the scheme for the im- portation of disease-resistant Dutch bees and Italian queens — can be obtained from the Secretary of the Horticultural Sub- Committee for the county. ERRATUM. A printer's error occurs in Mr. Claridge's article in our last issue. Note 2, 2nd paragraph, 4th line, on p. 404, should read " they are more inclined," instead of *' they are not inclined,' ' as printed. NOTICE. Owing to the Christmas holidays next week we shall be obliged to go to press with our next issue several days earlier than usual. Advertisements for next week's B.B.J, must reach the office on Saturday morning. We shall be greatly obliged if our readers whose subscriptions to the Journal expire with this and next week's issues will let us know as soon as possible if they wish to continue to take in the paper. We hope they will all do so, and, if possible, recommend the paper to and obtain new subscribers. There has been, during the past year, a much greater interest taken in bee-keeping. No doubt this will con- tinue during the coming year. It is neces- sary that those who take it up should do so on up-to-date lines, and keep up to date byr taking in a paper devoted to bee- keeping. Failing any order of renewal the paper will be discontinued. AVe are sending with this issue a notice to all those whose subscriptions expire this and next week. We cannot afford to print papers to sell as waste, and we are only printing a very small margin over the* copies actually ordered. We do not run anyone into debt, and the paper is stopped as soon as the subscription ex- pires. Therefore, to prevent disappoint- ment, subscriptions should be sent as early as possible. OBITUARY NOTICES. \ Sergt. Eric Purvis, Queen's Royal West Surreys. One of the best known of the younger generation of bee-keepers was killed on the Western Front (in the last big battle of the war) in the person of Sergt. Eric Purvis, of the Queen's Royal West Sur- reys, formerly of the 2/Lst Bucks. Bat- talion (Territorial) of the Oxford and Bucks. Light Infantry. Sergt. Purvis joined the Army in the first September of 410 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec 19, 1918. the war, and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Fromelles during the Somme campaign of 1916. Afterwards he was stationed in Ireland for a time on instruc- tional work at the Remedial Camp at- tached to the depot at Ballyvonare. Whilst here he took a prominent part in Irish Army football and athletics gener- ally, and collaborated in a book of Army games for wounded men. He also quali- fied at the Ourragh and Aldershot in gym- nastic and physical training work. Subse- quently volunteering and returning to the Front. After being again wounded, Sergt. Purvis rejoined his regiment near Coiirt,- ■rai in October, iand was killed about three weeks later, on the Belgian frontier. Born at Northampton, Sergt. Purvis spent his school days in the outer suburbs of London. He was educated at the Croy- don Modern School, and as a boy dis- played keen interest in natural history, inheriting this from his father, the most clever, scientific journalist in Great Bri- tain, whose knowledge of rural science is encyclopaedic. Removing to Buckingham- shire he was prominently associated with the Boy Scout movement, and went for THE LATE SERGT. E. PURVIS. two sessions to the Farm Institute at Ridgmont, on the Duke of Bedford's estate. Here he was a pupil of mine in bee-keeping, and speedily developed .into a most enthusiastic apiarist. On leaving Ridgmont he started at Loughton (Bucks.) an apiary of 15 hives, and de- voted himself to various lines of experi- mental work, notably in connection with alleged cures for " Isle of Wight " disease. He took a number of prizes for honey locally, including a second at the county show at Bletchley. The late Mr. Gunthorpe, .a veteran bee- keeper, at this time lived in the same vil- lage, and in a series of .articles in the Small holder and elsewhere, Sergt. Purvis blended ingeniously the mature wisdom of his experienced neighbour and the latest scientific theory of the international ex- perts. In 1913.he tonred 400 miles in the Eastern Counties, and visited- many apiaries there. He had numerous corre- spondents on bee-keeping subjects in this country and abroad, and when the war broke out was organising a scheme for the teaching of elementary bee-keeping by post. He succeeded Mr. Tickner Edwardes, the well-known novelist and bee-keeper as " Bee Master " of the Smallholder, compiled a manual for be- ginners, published by Messrs. Lloyd, and took part in numerous scientific contro- versies concerning bees. He was particu- larly interested in the relation of the bee to fruit culture, and the hybridisation of flowering plants. He also did a great deal of experimental work in the acclima- tisation of foreign beans and other vege- tables. He was a keen rosarian, and had an expert knowledge of the viola and cer- tain other flowering plants. At the age of 17 he won an inter-county competition in applied agriculture ; and he was re- garded as one of the coming men in agri- cultural journalism. Sergt. Purvis was only in his 22nd year when he was killed. His death is one of the tragedies of the war, for had he lived there is no doubt that bee-keeping • would have benefited very largely by his work. A regular correspondent, we were always in touch with his doings. His letters were always cheerful and full of plans for the future. As Me write a letter of his, written only a day or two before he was killed, lies before us. Like many others he played the game and has made the supreme sacrifice for the country he loved so well. God rest his soul. W, Herrod-Hempsall. Mr. F. H. Brown. We regret to have to record the death of Mr. F. H. Brown, of Bushey. The de- ceased, who was 33 years of age, was taken ill with influenza ; pneumonia followed, and he passed away on the morning of Tuesday, November 26. Mr. Brown, who was a solicitor, enlisted in the H.A.C. Avhen war broke out, and in February, 1915, was wounded when in the trenches at Ypres, a bullet entering just under the eye and passing out in front of the ear. He was an enthusiastic bee-keeper, and did a lot of work for the craft at Bushey, and was a delegate on the Council of the B.B.K.A. In private life he had many friends, and was generally held in high esteem. His premature death is sincerely mourned bv all. Corporal Dobson. You will be sorry, I know, to hear that another enthusiastic bee-keeper has laid down his life for his country — my dear nephew, Corporal Dobson, who sent you an article from France, "Bees and War," published in your Journal, June 13. He arrived in this country some weeks ago, dangerously wounded, and was sent Dec 19, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 411 to Birmingham, where he seemed to be making good progress towards recovery, when he contracted influenza, and died on Monday night, November 25. — T. Hood. A DORSET YARN. What a season for bees in Dorset ! Rambler roses are still in flower, prim- roses and polyanthus ; among our goo.se- berry bushes the Christmas rose is 6 in. high, and its pure- white flowers, with its yellow stamens, are tempting the bees to come and feast on its treasures of pollen and, perhaps, honey. Phillips Oppenhcim writes of " the dreamy hum of the bees " when writing of early summer on the coast-line of Exmoor. If he could hear them at our farm in December, he must put another adjective, as they are about in such numbers; their music, with the clarion call of the thrush, and liquid notes of the blackbird, is delightful to him who loves country life. This mild weather has shown them that another season of de- velopment is coming. The male black- birds whistle so sweetly, as if they wanted to impress on the females how fascinating and alluring they are; but the wonderful worker-bee has no need to sing to allure the males, for she is so constructed that she does not need them, and even if the wisli was with her there are not any of them for her, and not till the " rnerrie month of May " are they to be seen, at least in numbers, so her song must be one of pleasure to be alive and free. On going- round the hives, I see they are clearing out some of their sisters that have gone under. All looks like plenty of vigour yet, as long as one does not see the " crawlers," with their misshapen wings, the few dead ones cast out need not be a source of dread, as the oldest worker-bees go under first. Work on the farm is going on apace. A field of broad beans are already up in lines, another small field is now being- planted. We shall have abundance of early food for the bees. We always grow those with the violet lines; they are har- vested green, and are then pulled up. We think that they help to enrich the soil with nitrogen. We see that they always do Avell together: the one gives a summer crop, and the flowers a winter one — food for bees in summer and violets for them in autumn, always leaving enough beans for seed and to use as food. After soak- ing them 12 hours in water they boil under and make a good food of high value to the system. After all. that is the food we should all use, that which is of most benefit to the system, as we eat to live, not live to eat, as many seem to think. We grow many of the pulse famiij for ! winter consumption. The large white I runner-bean for winter use we stake, and they cling to the sticks and will ripen off , their seeds. A line 300 yards long will give many sacks of ripe pods. They are most delicious to eat, and are most bene- ficial to the worker. One will see what a help to the bees such a line is when in bloom. They like the soil deeply worked and well enriched with manure. A good sprinkling- of sulphate of ammonia in showery weather, when the soil is clear of weeds, is a great help to fructivity ; but these are all tender — cannot be planted till end of April and early May, but broad beans can be got in from early November to March. Last season we cleared off our November-planted ones early in summer, at 6s. per dozen pounds. There is not much labour to pay for picking them, as there is with peas. Some of the best varieties of peas are listed at very high prices. There will not be many of them for the bees to look over; they are 90s. to 100s. per bushel (wholesale prices). It will be seen how necessary it is to save some, and so carry on each year with these high-quality foods. The bee-keeper who only has an allotment should grow more of these for winter use: not so much of the cabbage family, as they impoverish the soil very materially, which the grower must enrich with humus to bring it up again to the standard of fertility. This year we are digging acres of our fruit quarters, where other years we have ploughed betAveen the lines. There are ten of us, so we can soon get over an acre and get it planted. Two of them are soldiers, three old men, the rest boys and women. The deep digging each few years we find makes the soil more jn-oductive, and gives up more moisture in dry weather. The more robust the crops, the greater the blossom for the bees and the greater weight of stuff for sale. I notice a radish left where the land was good, with a root very large, the top 5 ft. in height and covered with blossom in December, close to some stocks of bees. If soil was not kept up to a high standard of fer- tility it would not grow so luxuriantly, and not nearly so many flowers for the bees. This is one of the Crucifer family, which I touched on last week. Where one has plenty of land, a few can be left for the bees, but where one's land is limited it is not good policy to leave them. Have just had from America the fine work by Dadant on the honey bee, another very fine addition to my library on bees. This was given to me by the scientific contrbutor to the B.B.J., Dr. Abushadv, whose writings are a gre.it feature in the -JOURNAL; ;i present which will be vers much prized by me. -.1. I. KETTLE; 412 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 19, 1918. THE BEE GARDEN. The Official Lists (continued). By A. F. Harwood. Scrophularia nodosa (Figwort). — There are about 80 known species of Scrophu- laria, of which three — S. nodosa, 8. aqua- tica, and S. scorodonia — are found wild in Britain. The first is the most common. It has a green or brownish corolla and a tuberous root-stock. It is from one to three feet high. It owes its name to Lin- naeus, who thought it of use in the treat- ment of scrofula. Sedum acre, S. anglicum, S. Major, S. telephium (Stonecrop). — Of Sedums there are 120 known species, of which seA^en are British. They form a group of pretty, dwarf-growing, succulent plants of widely divergent character and habit, valuable for either potwork, border, rockery, win- dow, or wall gardening. The most com- mon of the Avild species is S. acre, which has golden yellow flowers and is found on rocks, walls, and sandy places near the sea, and even on thr> roofs of cottages. Height, 3 in. In flower from April on- wards. It is sometimes called AYall- pepper. S. anglicum lias white or pale-rose flowers, and its neat habit renders it specially suitable for rockeries. S. major is a larger and more robust plant than the type, and quite distinct. S. telephium (Orpine) has purple flowers with white spots. This species, which is also called Live-long, is in colour the most divergent from the type, but the giant of the genus is S. spectabile, with its variety 8. s. atropurpwrea. This subject is, in my opinion, by far the most important of the Sedum a to bee-keepers. It bears pink flowers, ^ in. across, from early August to beginning of October. The height of the plant is H ft. Known as the Japanese Sedum, it is particularly suitable either for massing or for borders. I have seen it very well grown in both ways. Before our municipal authorities took to planting the beds and borders in public parks with potatoes for adults to steal and boys to romp among and pull up for use as missiles, there was a fine mass of S. spectabile in one near here, and on fine days it was covered with the bees belong- ing to the treasurer of the local Horti- cultural Society, who had several stocks in his garden backing on to the park. Walking one day along the Bath Road, between Hounslow and Oranford, I noticed bees flying across, and located their hive in the garden of a cottage on the south side. As I had shortly before lost seven- ii.n stocks by the "Isle of Wight" disease — then in its prime virulence — and was in the market for. more to replace tlrmi, 1 entered the garden with the in- tention of negotiating with the owner for the purchase of a swarm or a stock. Right from the gate to the house-door the path was thickly bordered on both sides with Sedum spectabile, broad bands of bright pink blossom crowded with bees. The effect was very fine as a border, and the fact that the bees were thronging to it, although there was plenty of other good forage available quite close by, showed that they thought they were "on a good thing." I secured some stems that had been broken off by an intruding dog, and these struck readily, rooting freely in the sandy, limed soil in which I inserted them. They did not even seem to suffer any check from the snapping, and continued to de- velop flowers straight away. By root separation, and also by breaking stems off in a similar manner, I increased my stock, and have never since been without it. This peculiarity of the Sedums, that any broken-off portion will root and grow, makes their propagation simplicity itself, and possibly originated the name, given specifically to S. telephium — Live Long, or Life for Ever. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 157. — What conditions are favourable to granulation in honey? 158. — Describe the Abbott frame, and state the differences between it and the British Standard frame. 159. Explain the necessity for wiring frames of foundation for use in the brood box. 160. What is the most probable cause of spring dwindling? 161. In what way does the food, in its character and quantity, supplied to bees in the autumn, contribute to successful wintering. 162. Suggest a good, practical method of removing all propolis and discoloration from sections. 163. Explain why a strong colony may possibly be found to be short of sufficient winter stores. 164. What would conduce to the storing of pollen in sections? . 165. Apart from the preference shown for it by bees, how is beeswax the most suitable wax for comb foundation? 166. On what evidence is the statement made that a new home for a swarm is found by scouts sent out for the purpose? 167. Describe exactly strong-smelling foul brood. 168. Discuss the effectiveness of placing wooden-slatted separators between the combs in the brood box to modify the " swarming fever." ■' . L. B. Dec. 19, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 413 B.B.K.A. RESEARCH COMMITTEE. In the mind of every bee-keeper of this country — except perhaps the latest novice — I venture to suggest is the fear of the ' ' Isle of Wight ' ' disease stealing into his apiary and clearing out a part, if not the whole, of his stocks, as there are very few now who have not had some experience with this dreaded disease, and know what it is capable of doing. It is five years ago since it first made an appearance in our district, and since then many fine stocks have been destroyed, and not a few less ardent bee-keepers have '• thrown up the sponge." It has not left us yet, and probably never will until it is combated on a proper scientific basis. How far have we advanced in all that time in the fight against the disease, and in bee-keeping generally'? In the first place, we are certainly cleaner in the apiary, more care is taken in the cleansing of hives and their parts ; spraying has become quite a common operation, with the use of disinfectants, etc. Some are becoming more conversant with the art of queen-rearing in the attempts at restocking their empty hives. We are acquiring a wide range of disin- fectants and antiseptics, each claiming a cure, or prevention at least, and each having its special school of adherents ; but the anxious novice has a perplexing prob- lem to solve in making his choice (alas ! often a wrong one) after absorbing all that is written and claimed by each of them. Still the disease goes on taking its toll. It may not seem so virulent as at first, and for that reason some may think it is being overcome, or departing; but is it? Is it not because there are many fewer colonies to attack? Statistics which are no doubt available would be interesting on this point. Whilst it may be confidently asserted that there is a certain amount of preven- tion, or check, by the using of these anti- septics, together with the fundamental principles of good management, the ques- tion creeps into many minds : Are we on the right track? Are we hoping that, by trying each new and powerful antiseptic which is discovered for some other specific purpose, to providentially alight on a cure for our own troubles? It is, of course, quite possible, but it is also a process of coincidence, for which we may have to await years to accomplish anything. Notbeing a scientist, and knowing as little as most people of bacteriology, yet looking at the matter from a rational point of view, I cannot convince myself that we are on the right track. We are up against something which only scientists and bac- teriologists can deal with. Tn the great human infectious diseases, by the help of their trained minds, practical cures and remedies have been evolved, to the great benefit of mankind. It is, indeed, gratifying that at last the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have consented to do something on behalf of the bee-keeping industry in this respect, and we all sincerely hope for a speedy and successful result to their labours. In the meantime, we surely ought not to let the matter rest where it is. By helping ourselves, we get others to help us; but by idly resting on our oars waiting for help, we may wait in vain. Now, by far the sanest proposal which has lately come forward is made by Dr. Abushady, whose articles in the British Bee Journal are so appreciated. In his article " The Urgent Task " of several weeks ago, he advocated forming a practi- cal " Research Committee " by the B.B.K.A., yet which, curiously enough, has received little or no support fr«?n the readers of the Journal. The scheme on the lines suggested would be a great benefit and impetus to the bee- keeping industry generally, apart from discovering the source of, and combating the " Isle of Wight " disease, which, at the moment, is of primary importance. We should be doing a far greater service to our brave soldiers who are hoping to turn to bee-keeping as a part means of making a living, by supplementing any effort to give them a start in the institut- ing and working of such a research scheme as suggested, thus attempting to make their prospect safer and a more progressive one, and reducing the possibility, which now often arises in the best regulated apiaries, of the plague sweeping all before it, thereby losing not only the actual bees and money, but anxious work and time in building up again and again. It is a matter for each county associa- tion to take up and press, and I am delighted to see that the Kent Associa- tion has already taken the matter in hand. Unfortunately some associations are such in name only; they meet together once a year for a few hours, when a great part of the time is naturally taken up by the formal reports and financial doings, and the discussions are curtailed owing to the shortness of time. However, if some of the more prominent associations will take the matter up, the backward ones will, no doubt, follow their lead. Subscriptions could be asked for, or, indeed, looked, upon as a fee to be |>ml with the annual subscription of the asso- ciation, and those, along with a generous response to a standing " Research Fund." which should be opened immediately in the British Bee Journal and Record, would 414 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 10. 1918. guarantee sufficient to inaugurate and carry on such a research committee. The proposal is surely worthy of a wide and open discussion in the interests of the industry and our country's good credit. — L. W. Walton. CARMARTHENSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS ' ASSOCIATION. A meeting of the above was held in the Shire Hall, Carmarthen, on Saturday, the 7th inst. Hugh Stephens, Esq., Kerryside, occupied the chair. Letters of apologyfor absence were read from several members. Mr. J. W. Lewis, of the County Horticul- tural Sub-Committee, explained the pro- posal of the Food Production Department, on account of the rationing of candy, or bee food, to bee-keepers, which comes into force on December 31 next. The following three members were elected to represent the Carmarthenshire B.K.A. on the bee committe of the county, viz., Mr. Ernest Gaunt, Assistant Education Secretary, County Offices; Mr. A. Preston, A.M. I.E.E., Ammanford; and Mr. H. Sam- ways, F.R.H.S., Maesybont, Llandebie. It was unanimously resolved to ask the Right Honourable Lady Dynevor to be kind enough to become President of the Carmarthenshire B.K.A. Several vice- presidents were also elected. The number of members is over 100. It was resolved that the Executive Com- mittee should consist of the local -secretary and two representatives from each branch in the county, of which several are already formed, together with the present officers, who are to remain in office until the annual meeting in February next. A code of rules was drawn and left to the execu- tive committee to -revise and bring up for final adoption at the annual meeting. It was agreed that meetings of the Associa- tion be held alternately in Carmarthen, Llandilo, Ammanford, and Llanelly. Mr. ,T. C. Shaw, Ammanford, was elected •ui di tor; Mr. Preston (hon. sec.) and Mr. Samways (chief expert lecturer and demonstrator) were elected to represent the Carmarthenshire B.K.A. on the Council of the British B.K.A. A very hearty vote of thanks w.as passed to the chairman for his able conduct in the chair, and for his enthusiastic efforts on behalf of the bee-keepers generally. — A. Preston, hon. sec. EDINBURGH AND DISTRICT BI MI- KE EPEES ' A SSO( T ATlON. A meeting of Bee-keepers and persons interested in bees was held in Edinburgh on Saturday last, at which it was decided to form ;ui Edinburgh and District Bee- keepers' Association. Mr. \Y. H. Men- muir, L.D.S., 3, Lyndoch Place, was elected President for the ensuing year; Mr. A. C Williams, 8, Corrennie Gardens, hon. secretary; and Mr. William Maxwell, 2, Esk Green, Musselburgh, hon. trea- surer. The annual subscription was fixed at 2s. 6d., and it was decided not to interpret too narrowly the word M dis- trict."— Communicated. 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— A SUGGESTION. [9817] I have no experience of this plague, which is working so much havoc, nor do I wish to make its acquaintance. Neverthless, the matter interests me, and I am anxious to contribute my quota to the common knowledge for the good of brother bee-keepers. It has struck me as singular that ex- periences among victims are so varied — ■ yea, even conflicting and contradictory. On one point only are all agreed, namely, that " Isle of Wight " disease is in- fectious, although contagion has not yet been definitely proved. One apiarian has the disease spread rapidly from one stock to another, and, per contra, another distributes combs from in- fected hives to healthy colonies without ill- effect. The popular antiseptics are specific in one case and impotent, worse than use- less, in others. As these and other pecu- liarities cannot be put down to careless observation, or to hasty diagnoses, there must be a reason. This disparity gave me to think, and I had found a rough hypothesis which satis- fied, or, rather explained, why there should be such variation in experiences of bee-keepers, when Mr. Mist's letter ap- peared in the British Bee Journal of November 7. The latter confirms my theory, which, when explained, throws daylight on many obscure points, and suggests its own remedy for the disease. The disease attacks, and is fatal to, the field bees only, and. moreover, does not originate within the hive. Queens, brood, and nurse bees remain healthy. Infection, therefore, comes from without. Accept Dec. 19, 1918. TTTE BRITISH BEE JOUItSAL. m this, and everything is explained. Combs from diseased stock maj^ be distributed freely. The uncertain results from the use of .antiseptics is accounted for. The field bees do not, as a rule, look after the stor- ing of syrup prof erred to the colony, ex- cept, perhaps, in the off season, and there is no guarantee that the diseased members of the stock get the treatment intended for them. The solution, to my mind, is as follows. Immedately suspicion is aroused (and be it noted that the disease develops and pro- gresses to a fatal issue during the working season if the case of a depleted colony fail- ing to winter is excluded) transfer the hive to a new stand in the apiary in the middle of a fine clay, when the bees are in the fields, placing an empty hive with its entrance in the exact position of that of the hive removed. In this empty hive the foragers from the diseased colony will collect during that and the following la/a. These may be given some eggs and brood and experimented on with medicated syrup. Confinement would be advisable to ensure consumption in which case a substitute for pollen, if not present :n the cells of the combs given, must be provided also. The removed colony should also be fed with medicated syrup until the older of the young bees begin to go to the field.-. It may prove preferable to destroy forth with the bees which collect in the decoy hive, for we have no proof that " Isle of Wight " disease is a disease in the strict sense of the word. It is peculiar tha% as one correspondent pointed out, skeps seem to be remarkably free from trouble. Why? May it not be that it is nothing more than accelerated senile decay brought on by in- citing the bees to excessive work in provid- ing continually empty cells to be filled, and by abstracting those which have been furnished with the fruits of their labours? It is suggested that the victims are often colonies which have provided their owners with surplus, rather than those which did not rise into supers. Now, this letter' is rather longer than 1 intended it to be, but I am sure the im- portance of the subject warrants all the assistance available. I feel I cannot lay down the pen without acknowledging the 'importance of Mr. Mist's letter referivd to above. In my opinion he has struck the clue, and all I have done is to carry his reasoning one stage further, and, let ns hope, towards a successful issue. — H. M. Stich. THE EFFECT OF STINGS. [0818] I have just read the article in this week's Journal, " Who should be a Bee-keeper " — and T congratulated my- self, as I read it, that I possessed all the virtues it spoke of to ensure my future as a .successful bee-keeper. But as I read ■on there was one qualification I could not lay claim to, and that seemed to me to place me amongst " the still fewer who are seriously affected by the poison of bee stings, and stand in constant dread of them. " I have patience, strength, vigour, health, nerve, light touch, love for natural history, and ability to apply the knowledge imparted both by experience and advice, all these the article enumer- ates as necessary, but I am beaten entirely by stings, ana I am constantly debating and questioning whether I shall ever be able to follow out my ambition, to be a proper bee-Keeper. Only the other day I Crept up to the hive like a mouse, and slipped a couple of naphthaline tablets under the corners of the quilts, and out came one of the scamps and, all unknown to me, alighted on my head near the rim of my cap, and left his villainous trade mark behind. It was not more than a couple of minutes before I got the sting removed, but it made my head as thick and queer as a cabbage, and less than an hour afterwards I began to feel an irritation all over me. First my neck, then my shoulders, then body and legs. It was unbearable, and when I un- covered to see what was happening I found myself all aflame with a scarlet rash, and large patches of lumps as big as peas all over my body, and it was not Until the next day that it suosided and I regained any degree of comfort again. The question is, am I one of those ' ' very few " who should not keep bees, and what is the remedy? — S. S. BEE BOOKS WANTED. [9819] I see by the Journal that you still keep asking for names of bee-keepers who are serving out here in France. Now, as I have been a member of the Cheshire B.K.A. for about five years, I send you on my name and address. My wife forwards me on the Journal every week, and I always look forward to it coming. Now all the fighting is over. and we happen to be one of the lucky brigades to be bound for " Blighty," within the next six months, the officers of this brigade are opening a reading-room for us. I have promised them I would get some bee books for the boys to read. so I appeal for your help. As there arc quite a number of young fellows that are baking an irlterest in bees, I would like to get some books for them to read. I have been asked to give a lecture on bee- keeping, and to teach them bow to make a hive (which I hope to be able to show them when we get "to our stationed camp 416 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 19, 1918. where workshops are going to be erected for us). The hives are W.B.C. pattern, which I have at home. I made them my- self, buying the first one for a pattern. The hive' 1 am going to make with the boys out here will be a W.B.C. The officers are quite a.s keen on keeping bees as the boys, and very often ask questions that are very difficult to answer, still, I do my best, and answer them to the best of my ability. I think this will ue a good way of passing the winter months away out here, also encouraging bee-keeping, which every bee-keeper should do, especi- ally at the present time. I -hope you will be able to let us have a few books to read and pass the long nights away, which are very long out here. If any readers of the Journal or Record have any books to spare I am sure we shall be glad of them to read. I intend giving those who are interested (and there are quite a number of them) all I know. If we get a few books to read it will give them a good start before they get back to their homes and civil life, which we all long to get back to. The division I belong to has had it pretty rough during the last great ad- vance, we were never out of the fighting until 11 o'clock, on the 11th (Jay, of the 11th month of 1918, that was 'the day we gave one loud shout. I have had many near shaves since we started the advance. I had my two horses killed from under me ; another time I got a piece of shapnel which went through my haversack into my coac. but did not get through to my skin. Another time my horse got wounded and had to be shot. But God brought me through all the fight- ing without a -scratch, and I thank Him for it, and hope some day to be returned to my wife and child, which I am looking forward to. I close by sending my best wishes for a Merry Christmas this year to you and all bee-keepers of the British Isles.— Driver T. Rowland, 247460. A Battery, 2 /8th Brigade R.F.A., B.E.F., France. SKEPS AND " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE [9820] Mr. Claridge is quite right when he says that skeps arc often freer of " Tsle of Wight " disease than frame hives because they cannot be handled. It is so obvious to any one that gives it a moment's thought, that I have wondered why someone, did not say so before instead of suggesting all sorts of absurd reasons. It is certain that the extractor is the chief source of infection in the modern apiary, and from this the skep is free — usually, anyway — as it is not often that frames are used over skeps. However, the skep is a thing of the past, and, moreover, when it is infected it is incapable of treatment. — R. B. Manley. Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisement$ of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are nut permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at lid. per word at " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements of Hive- manuf adders can only be inserted at a minimum charge of is. per Jin., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for insertion in the " Journal " the same week. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. WANTED, British Bee Journal, complete set or long 'ends, Vols. 1 and 2 and Vols. 32 to end.— Please report to JOHN DAVIS (Successor to Thomas Laurie), 13, Paternoster Row, E.C.4. 1.15 ANTED, Books on Bees; English and Ameri- can—AUSTIN, 8, Eccleshall Road, Stafford. 1.16 W MEAD wanted, about one gallon.— Send sample, state age and price, Box 56, Bee Journal Office. 23, Bedford Street, W.€.2. U7 TEN empty Bar Frame Hives, double walled, nearly new, in splendid condition and healthy, 12s. 6d. each.— T. DOWNS, Hardwycke Lodge, near Wellingborough. 1.18 ULBS. Pascall's Candy, Rubber Gloves, 9, not worn, 1 lb. Foundation, Brood and Super, 50 Sections in. flat, Queen Cage, Veil, 1917-1918 numbers of Record; £1 lot— I. W. HALL, Frowle&worth Hill, Lutterworth. U9 ENGLISH Honey for Sale in 14-lb. tins, 2s. 9d. per lb.— P. NELL, Wintersell Farm, Eden- bridge, Kent. 1.20 HONEY, Manx Heather Blend, 1 lb. tie-over iars 30s. per dozen, f.o.b.; sample jar, 3s., post free— HORSLEY, Douglas, I.O.M. 1.7 SPLENDID Light Extracted Honey, 14 lb. tins 38s., carriage paid. Also quantity Beeswax. What offers?— NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex. 1.2 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS, l^d. par word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board, 6s. per flay— HORSLEY'S, Merridale House, top of Castle Drive. Douglas, Isle of Man. URING this season the bees are broodless and dormant, and we should like a rest ourselves, D but— we can't help it— we've gone and laid another egg. It's clue to hatch January 1. 1919, and we've aireadv named it " Let the Bees Tell You! "— S. H SATTTH. 1-21 HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honev in hulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban. Californian. English. Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash with order. Samples, Is. Prices on application. A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff. Dec. 26, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 417 SEASONABLE II I NTs. Now that the bees are fixed up for the winter, the less the hives are disturbed the better. If there is any doubt as to the quantity of stores, a supply of eand\ should be maintained, the fresh cake being put on with as little disturbance as pos- sible. Keep the entrances clear by raking out any dead bees with a bent wire. Should a fall of snow occur, bees are often lured out by a burst of sunshine, the light being reflected into "the entrance of the hive. This should he shaded in some way, or great numbers will come out and be chilled. Hives that are in exposed situations should have a wind break to shelter them from the cold, piercing winds of winter, ft will do more to conserve the heat of the hive and keep the bees warm than extra wraps. If any appliances or foundation are needed for next season, the order should be placed as soon as possible. Manufac- turers are busy now, and will be more so in the spring. If they have the orders now they have a chance of getting the goods ready by the time they are needed. It is very bad policy to have to send for sections or shallow frames when they are urgently needed to give the bees room to store surplus and prevent swarming, or to send for a hive and fittings when ;i swarm has come off. If any rearrangement of the apiary is needed now is the time to do it. The new site may be prepared any time. Each hive should have a brick under each leg, and these may be placed in position and levelled. The hive should stand level from side to side, and the front be about § to 1 in. lower than the back : any moisture in the hive will then drain out. The hives may be moved any time when the bees have been kept indoors for ten days or more by inclement weather. Do not move them on a barrow if it can pos- sibly be avoided, but get some help and carry them. This is easily done if a couple of strong poles. 7 or S ft. long, are put under the hive and it is carried stretcher fashion. See that the quilts are kept dry, and should any roof leak, remedy the defect as soon as possible. During the long evenings spare hives may be repaired and painted, or new hives, lifts or supers he made by those handy with tools. We take this opportunity of thanking our readers tor the splendid support tli<\ have given us during the past year. We give to all our heartiest good wishes for the season and the coming year. A DORSET YARS. Bees are working the ivy this mild weather. Some fly up high and go off be- yond the farm ; some have already found the Christmas roses, I think it is only pol- len they get from these flowers, as they are not on the flowers in great numbers until the male "organs have developed the ripe pollen. It is a good prospect tor those who grow these for Christmas sale, as each flower is worth a penny, and sometimes 2d. wholesale. We leave as many a- possible for the bees, as it is a long harvest for them up till March. It is the pure white petals that make these of value, not the light yellow stamens that carry the pollen, they carry such a lot of them, as do the St. John's wort. I suppose they are called a rose as the flowers are constructed some- what like the single rose, an outer ring of petals' with a mass of .stamens round the female organ, a perfect flower in itself. These flowers are not of a class that will grow anywhere, but where they do well they are a great feature ; visitors last week said they were astonished at these heing in flower in the open so soon, and inferred that it was the skill of the grower, till they were told that it was the district that suited them, w here other soils did not con- tain the right elements of plant food for their well-being. They were still further astonished when they found the plants were not for sale, hut were grown mostly as food for bees. Many come now to seo our new violet, and new raspberry, with ripe linit still on the canes, and last week with the election we had a great many at the farm. In reading the valuable books that have been sent me by bee enthusiasts. I find that I shall have to reconstruct many of our hive cases to bring them up to modern requirements. Many were adapted for new swarms in a hurry, out of all sorts of cases, which answered the purpose, but are a long way from perfect. It seems a great step to have all interchangeable, so that when a stock is doing a good surplus we can tier up till we get the sky-scraper hive as Mr. Julian Lockwood has in his leaflet. Some must be scrapped altogether, as they are somewhat small : in one of these last season that was empty (away from the farm) wasps took possession, and built a huge nest among the frames, right across the lot- it was easy t<» suffocate them at night when most of them were at rest. I was able to buy a truck load of boxes that the huge shell cases were sent in from America, all made of inch board, and where there was a joint it was tongueil. The railway truck load cost £3 19s. ; these make very strong outer cases. I find that. iho larger eases keep drier in winter, more air seems to circulate round the brood 418 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 26, 1918. chamber, they are somewhat heavy, and are not so liable to be blown over by the wind ; I want to make another observa- tion hive, it is some years since I had one of them. Dr. Abushady writes, the best book to study is his observation hive. Mr. Dolomore had a very fine one at the Bournemouth show, a full complement of bars, with glass on the four sides, and very full of bees; the usual observatory hives, which only have two bars with sec- tions above, are not so useful for surplus, as they are soon filled, though it is easier to see what is taking place within. Some of my friends have a piece of glass about 6 ins. in the side of both brood chamber and the outer case, with a hinged door to darken the interior; all adds to the in- terest of one's bees, but the small piece of glass on the top is the easiest to see how they are progressing in winter. It must not be too large, or moisture will gather beneath it, and will not be to the well-being of the bees, all that gives pleasure and promotes interest in bee- craft should be done; there is plenty of room for more bee-men in Dorset. At the close of another year, we are thankful for the rude health that has been ours, thankful that the awful destruction of life is over, and we pray that another year may bring us nearer to the " New England " that the Prime Minister has foreshadowed, when want and poverty shall cease to be in this Fatherland of ours. After all, our lives are as we make them ; the simple lives of the toilers in the fields are to be preferred to the hurry and bustle of crowded areas ; the New England can only be when men are settled in the fruitful fields, living under their own vine and fig-tree, where the bees have the clear air, and productive surroundings. "Wishing all who ever care to read the " Dorset Yarn " a Glad Christmas and a New Year of "Peace and Plenty." — J. J. Kettle. " ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE. I have stated before in the Bee Journal that about five years ago, when ' ' Isle of Wight " disease first came this way, I had about 27 stocks of black bees, two or three of Sladen's Goldens, and one pure Italian stock. In the first and second year of the attack I lost all except the one stock of Italians and the nuclei which I had made from it. Since then I have had some more imported Italian queens, and have got my apiary up again to full strength, as well as having done something towards restocking this part of Kent, for during the past two years I have sent out about 50 nuclei a year. I see that some of your correspondents say Italians are given to swarming and are poor honey gatherers, but I may say it is their own fault, as bee-keepers that have had black bees seem to think ten brood frames and two boxes of shallow frames, or sections, are all that should be used, which is a great mistake if you are keeping Italians. Last year I had three Italian stocks standing side by side, and each filled four boxes of shallow frames, just a good hundredweight of honey from each, and after the honey was extracted I had to return some boxes of combs for a time, as the hives would not hold the bees. Only one of these three hives swarmed, but if I had only given two boxes they would all have swarmed. I have this year had some Italian queens that kept 20 brood frames' going with brood right through the season, and gave frames of brood continually for helping nuclei. I am not a crank on Italians, but in this district I cannot keep black bees because " Isle of Wight" disease has them for certain. I have tried Dutch bees, but mine swarmed continually, and only kept free from the disease for one year. But in the whole five years I have never lost a pure Italian stock with " Isle of Wight ' ' disease, and I do not think that I have ever lost a first cross; but when it comes to a young queen from a cross-bred stock being again crossed with black, or more likely Dutch, bees, then there is a great chance that they have the disease. I have tried cures, but for a stock affected with disease in the autumn" it is best to put them over the brimstone pit and bury the dead bees. ' I used to burn all combs and frames, but from ex- periments tried I find such combs are quite safe, if each ten have about a pint of solution of Acriflavine (l1 grains to the quart)well blown into them with a sprayer. I have kept careful watch on swarms hived on these combs, and in rio case has any disease appeared. I keep the combs through the winter in a dry, warm place, extract all honey; then to dress the combs I hang them on the side of a galvanised bath and spray the solution well into the cells, and let it remain there, doing this a day or two before using. A stock affected with " Isle of Wight " disease in the spring may be cured by spraying, but the .treatment must be carried on long after all crawlers have ceased, or it will return again in the autumn. It seems to me more a matter of raising a healthy lot of young bees in an affected hive, and not a case of ever hoping that you will make many old crawlers fly again. I do not know why spraying the solution of Fla- vine, Bacterol, or what not on the bees should have more certain result than giving it in the food, but it is so, and as soon as it comes to giving it in the food I have never seen any more benefit from it; so the conclusion I have come to is Dec. 26, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 419 that it is far better to requeen early in the season with good Italian queens, and to give up trying autumn treatment with drugs. I have tried at different times all the antiseptics and cures advised. I have tried Yadil, and had a good opinion of it for. spraying. I have not used it in food in the strong doses now being advised, but in the small doses of drachms to the pint of food it did no good. I see that Mr. Walter Long is saying, " Let every cottager keep bees "; but under present conditions that is hopeless. When they start their restocking scheme, let them also start an insurance scheme ; have all bee-keepers registered, and the bees inspected once or twice a year, and all cases of " Isle of Wight " disease de- stroyed and the owners compensated. If the right sort of bees are sent out there would not be many to destroy. It would give the bee-keepers confidence and put things on a sound foundation. Let the Government remember that it is through their gross neglect that " Isle of Wight " disease has been allowed to spread over the whole country, and it is up to them to take proper steps to deal with it, or their restocking scheme will be useless, as they cannot expect cottagers to go to the trouble of requeening with Italian queens, or of going to the necessary trouble of keeping up the right strain of bees to resist the disease. I have had over 30 years' experience of bee-keeping, and have never been without my bees during that time ; but it has only been by taking infi- nite trouble that mine have not died" out, as others have all over this district. I would, in conclusion, say that straw skeps will not keep bees from having " Isle of Wight " disease, for I have seen many stocks in straw skeps die with it, even Dutch stocks. — H. Watts, Holm- leigh, Bearsted, Kent. QUESTIONS, Etc., FOR BEE-KEEPERS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. (Students are recommended to write their answers, and check them after- wards by reference to books.) 169. How may casts or after-swarms be prevented? 170. In what circumstances should a swarm be fed after hiving? 171. How much honey is estimated to be consumed in a year by an average colony? 172. What are bait sections, and how should they be used? 173. What birds are harmful to bees, and how? 174. Why should brood rearing in winter be discouraged? 175. Distinguish between the flight of young bees about a hive and that of robbers. 176. Why is honey from tree flowers generally of less value as winter stores than that from other flowers? 177. Give reasons why it may be said that bees are, on the whole, less useful to plant life when gathering pollen than when gathering nectar. 178. In what respects are (1) climatic influences and (2) established practice re- sponsible for differences between British and American apiarian methods? 179. On what evidence is it concluded that drone eggs are not fertilised and worker eggs are? 180. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture " Bee-keeping as a Lucrative Recreation." J. L. B. NOTES FROM BECHUANALAND. Our winter and honey season is now over, and spring is approaching. I ob- tained just over 8001bs. from my ten stocks and two swarms — 146, 158 from my two best. Curiously the two stocks were the extreme opposites in temper. The one being the most vicious, and the other the most docile in the apiary, the vicious being the better. The cold weather was a little later than usual, and I had been feeding to obtain strong stocks, when, to my surprise, four stocks swarmed during one day, just as the main honey flow commenced. Is not this unusual for late autumn? Or does it happen in other countries? However, I shall be warned for next year, and take precautions. In the midst of the honey flow we had a very cold week, reaching 20 deg. of frost. This destroyed the pollen- bearing flowers, though the honey flower partly recovered. I fed for two weeks on maize meal, leaving a dish of it out in the open, and the bees carried away about 3lbs. daily. I first tried pea flour, but they carried away a pound during the first hour, which, at Is. 6d. per lb. came too expensive. I am * experimenting in housing this year, having made a wattle and daub hut, with grass roof. This will protect the bees from the excessive heat of the sun in summer and the cold winds and varying temperature of winter. A plain flat roof will serv'e, and no dampness will find access, which it is apt to do when hives are otherwise obliged to be kept under trees. If I should re-queen my unsuccessful hives from my best stock, jwould this eventually cause in-breeding and loss of vigour in queens? This year I took the surplus from vicious stocks at night, placing a Porter bee 420 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 2G, 1918. escape under the super, and removing the following night. The plan worked well, and the bees never ran amok, as in former seasons. My experienee so far is that the temper of the colony is derived from the queen, as vicious stocks remain, so though the old queen leaves each year, and if the young bee does mate with a drone from a docile colony, it seems not to influence the offspring. Is this the case? If so, I shall re-queen from docile colonies only. How far and wide your Journal must be read. I remember once, some years ago writing how prolific African queens were, and some months after received a letter from California asking me to send some there, which I could not. My first spring swarm came out to-day. I like " Dorset Yarns "; they give one quite a breath of the country in far-away England. — W. H. Edmunds, Mowkwen, Bechuanaland, August 12, 1918. ["We do not think re-queening -from your best stock would cause inbreeding to any serious extent. The young queens will probably mate with drones from other hives. If you want- docile bees, breed your queens from colonies having that quality. Disposition is inherited from the queen. Bees will swarm in the autumn if conditions are favourable. — IiIds.] 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. "THAT SKEP." [9821] Some 18 years ago I purchased ni v first two swarms of bees in Perthshire, and I can still seq the look of contempt on the face of the old crofter when I told him that they would live in a frame hive. Like many Highlanders, lie was too proud to proffer unsought advice, and contented himself with remarking in Gaelic, " Wood for honey, but straw for, bees." My stock increased until at one time 1 had IK hives, and both in Scotland and the Midlands I have had fairly good returns; but in 11115 " Isle of Wight ' disease paid me a visit, and my stock of II colonies " went West." 1 restocked in the spring of the Following year, and lost the lot within a low weeks, but about June 1 noticed that a huge coloiiv of Black bees had taken possession of an infected hive and appeared bo be doing well. Very few bees were kept in this district, the nearest being some Italians about 4.V miles away, so where the Blacks came from remained a mystery until the following year. This stray colony did very well, and gave me some 00 or 70 lbs. of surplus — only to be decimated the following April. I have a 120-acre wood a couple of miles away, and, during a visit to see how the birds were hatching, came across another Black swarm, and although I did not secure them I managed to find the parent colony, about 15 ft. up a hollow oak. Sub- sequent discoveries revealed seven colonies, all of which have been driven on many occasions; in fact, they must have pro- duced a hundredweight of bees in all. These bees in the wild state are free from disease, but soon after hiving in skeps. or on frames, the microscope showed that they were infected with " Isle of Wight " disease. I noticed that large numbers of " crawlers" tried to regain the hives, and as I was anxious to observe the progress of the disease, about 7 lbs. of wild bees were driven from three colonies, mixed together, divided, and one part hived in a skep and the remainder in a new " C.D.B. " hive. As the wild queens were not taken, virgin queens from a hive which afterwards developed " Isle of Wight" disease were introduced; tlie hives were placed in a disused hayloft, with a glass-covered passage leading through the wall to an alighting board about 15 ft. from the ground. Strange to relate, these two hives have been free from disease, while every colony on the ground, whether in skeps or on frames, was lost in 1917, and again this year. It is too early to dogmatise, but \ sub- mit the following opinions for what they are worth. Given an early swarm from a good working strain, sufficient stores will be collected in a bad honey year to permit of a strong polony being ready for work the following spring; these may send out another early swarm and thus perpetuate the race. A late swarm in an extra good season may do the same: but given a poor honey flow, they will probably fail to sur- vive the winter, or if they do, they will lie so weak that they will not swarm until late, or possibly not at all. Thus the non- feeding skeppist unknowingly follows that natural law." the survival of the fittest." In the frame hive the conditions are often very different, and no matter how weak a colony may be in the spring, it can be pampered up and produce a good surplus. I think that this process may lie de- scribed as "the support of the weakest." Is it not possible that after 20 or 30 years of such treatment, we have evolved a de- generate (hut fine honey producing) race ni bees, quite incapable of looking after Dec. 26, L918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 421 ■themselves and likely bo be swept away ;it the first touch of infection!? I think it is admitted Ilia I a bee nsually conies home with a lull cargo, and if it cannot reach the entrance to the hive — be it I or 30 ft. above ground — then it dies; if the entire colony is affected in the same way then they soon become extinct. Is it not possible that low hive entrances have given us a race of bees with such large ' ' tummies ' ' that they cannot reach a high hive, and consecpiently every bee, whether fit or in the last stage of disease, has a good chance of reaching home. " Survival of the fittest " and " support of the weak. " My wild bees are an idle, worthless lot, but in the natural state and in frame hives with high entrances they appear to be immune from " Isle of Wight " disease. At the moment I have eight colonies in skeps, placed in trees about 20 ft. from the ground. They were stocked with driven wild bees, queened with virgins raised from some privately imported Italians, and probably mated with my in- fected Black drones. Italian bees are usu- ally kept in boxes, or kegs, hung under the eaves, and a month ago I received two colonies complete. In the spring these will be placed high up in a tree. None of these colonies have ever been fed or treated with any preparation, yet they have stood for two seasons without a trace of disease. I am hoping to evolve a strain of good- working disease-resisting bees, but 1 have to run the risk of a had honey season fol- lowed bv a late spring, and thus lose the lot. W. .1. I.. THE BEE-KEEPING PBOBLEM:— DISEASE. [9822] I admire the candour of the writer of the helpful letter (9811) which has just appeared in the Journal under the above title. In my opinion, our immediate task, and one from which much benefit is likely to result, even in the absence of a thorough knowledge of bee-infections, and in spite of the lack of a specific drug for malig- nant dysentery — our immediate task is to endeavour again to influence the Govern- ment, through the moral force of the united voice of "// bee-keepers' organisa- tions (if such a happy unity could po,s- sibly be attained) to reconsider the urgent necessity of the supervision of all apiaries by the State. This important question has been repeatedly dealt with in the Press, by many apiarists, but, so far as I know, no collective and united action by the various apicultural organisations has been taken, and in the absence of such a stimulating action the Government is not likely to move. It is a real tragedy ami a marked act of folly that a careless or an ignorant bee-keeper should be per- mitted to retain, without isolation, an in- fected colony of bees that are a serious menace to all bee-keepers in his district, ruder such circumstances, how could anyone invest, with confidence, his money in the bee industry? I have frequently expressed the optimistic opinion that, with up-to-date management and with cleanli- ness (including the correct application of antiseptics), there is a very little risk of the establishment of a menacing infection in the apiary, especially if it is situated in an isolated district — that is, far away from other bee-keepers. But as this is the exceptional state of affairs, and not the rule, no confident opinion of the future, if present circumstances are allowed to continue, could possibly be given. Bee- keeping is undoubtedly advancing, to the delight of all of us, but this advance- ment, on the other hand, is far below what it should be if the factor of disease could possibly he excluded. Much could be done in the way of combating it with- out the aid of the " medicine case," yet nothing is being done in a preventive way, for the simple reason that the authorities will not move until we move ourselves. We are careful enough to blame the Government for our troubles, but we are not' candid enough to blame our Associa- tions for their hesitation, their disunion, and their lack of foresight. It appears to me that many people who find no pleasure in labour are contented with the appointment of the (lovernment Research Committee. Although they realise that, uiulrr nil rimi mstn hces, the protection of the healthy colonies from the menace of the sick bees is a most urgent task that should be hnmedidte'ly undertaken by the Government without waiting for the report of their committee. They will not act, and at best they prefer to aimlessly complain. The Government needs a guiding light from bee-keepers, and it should not be long delayed. A powerful representative meeting of bee- keepers should be convened by responsible leaders, 'irrespective of party or school, and should discuss thoroughly this im- portant problem of bee-keeping and' come to a decision regarding the urgent mea- sures which the Government and the various Associations should be immediately requested to undertake. A curious illustration of how the Gov- ernment is viewing apicultural matters in tin- wrong light is afforded by the kind of research apiary that the Government has established in the past, and is likely to establish in connection with their future research. The hees were experimented on in confinement (that is, under unfavour- able and unnatural conditions), in order. 422 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 26, 1918. to safeguard the neighbouring healthy colonies from infection. That is just and sensible. But why not establish an open research apiary in the very centre of one of the large cities, such as London? The amazing reply is that you will still find a few bee-keepers in the very heart of large cities ; but, because of the interests of very few individuals, should the progress of science and the greater interests of the mass of bee-keepers be sacrificed ! We cannot then establish with the moral sup- port of the Government a Research Apiary or a Bee Hospital in the centre of a large city, however protective this may be to the mass of bee-keepers, and however much in their interests it may be. On the other hand, careless bee-keepers in the heart of the country may impudently menace their districts with their infected bees, and may sell them, if they desire, and spread the infection all over the country, and yet they are left unwatched ; and, by the silence of the authorities, they can almost safely say that they possess their approval, or that they have a right to do so ! — A. Z. Abushady. REMOVING BEES FROM DIFFICULT LOCATIONS. [9823] I have noticed several letters in your columns lately relative to the taking of bees from difficult locations, and think that perhaps some of your readers may be interested in a method much used in America, which does not appear to be generally known in this country. By this method I took a colony this year from a blind chimney at a frie id's house, which is used merely as a ventil i- tor. The bees were discovered last winter from the fact that this ventilating shaft is next to the drawing-room chimney, and the bees finding this warmth alongside them, entered the cowl of the latter, and after crawling down this chimney, and be- coming well covered with soot, emerged into the drawing-room and besported themselves on the furniture, much to the detriment of the upholstery. A flat board was cut to fit the top of the chimney (which luckily had a flat rim) and on the under edge was fitted a strip of carpet to form a joint with the chim- ney pot. A hook screwed into the centre of this board, to which was hung a chain and weight, kept it tight down on the chimney and prevented it being blown off by the wind ; also a hole was bored through this board and a bee escape fit- ted over the hole. A box to hold eight brood frames was secured in position to the chimney pot, after painting it as near ias possible to the colour of the pot, with ropes, and the bee entrance into the box placed as near as possible to the old entrance. Two frames, with brood and some bees were put into this box, the other frames having full foundation. I then left the bees to work out their own salvation. Coming out of the escape they could not get back, so took to the new hive. In about four, weeks there were only a small quantity of bees left in the chimney, so this was uncovered. The re- mainder then came out, and took up their qimrters with their old companions in the new hive, and the lot started to rob the remaining honey in the chimney and store it in their new quarters. When this had been accomplished I removed the box and dug out the old combs, which were about five feet down the chimney, with a hoe, and used the wax. Incidentally, I might add that I dropped the cnain with one of the four pound weights belonging to my wifeTs scales down the chimney, some 30 feet. I had the good luck to retrieve this with a snap rat trap on the end of a string, by dropping it with a thud on the bottom of the chimney. This method is a most successful one, and rarely fails. It saves a- lot of trouble, to say nothing of the breaking about of the structure in which the colony is loca- ted. Care must, of course, be taken to see that all exite from the original quarters are closed but one. — H. B. Peirce. TROUBLE IN FRUIT CULTURE. [9824] I should like, through the B.B.J., to take advantage of Mr. Kettle's knowledge of horticulture, and his wil- lingness to impart that knowledge to others with a view to food production. As an amateur gardener I am full of troubles on many things, but must deal with them one at a time. Respecting apples, pears, plums, etc., some years I get a lot of fruit, others very little. When the crop fails I have been able to trace the cause to a grub, which enters the blossom bud at early spring, land eats away the centre. Later on the leaves become perforated, also stuck to- gether with a very fine, sticky white web, in the centre of which I generally find a caterpillar. When trees are so infested they bear ,no fruit. I have winter sprayed, and used grease bands, but with no good resulte. If Mr. Kettle oan help me in this mat- ter I shall be greatly obliged. As bee-keepers we all like to sing the ipraises of the bees in fertilising blossoms to help the food problem, but many lose sight of the fact that we must first pro- duce the blossom to be fertilised and help it to bring forth the fruit we require, or all our bee-keeping to this end is lost. It makes me nearly go green with envy when Mr. Kettle tells us of his bees fly- Dec. 26, 1918. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 423 ing most of the days in the week, and the quantity, and variety of flowers they have to look over. 1 In this part, near the East Coast, we never see a flower, and not often any bees from end of October to spring, and not very early then. During the fruit blos- soming it generally is cold, rough weather, and all advantage the blossoms are to the bees is that they get a little pollen on fine days. Bee-keeping in Dorset must be a great source of pleasure and profit, compared with the conditions under, which we have to work. Some discussion on the results of 'bee-keeping in different parts of the coun- try would be interesting.— William Ion. DUTCH BEES. One Hive Yields ,£40 Profit. [9825] I am a novice in bee-keeping, though not in other " hobbies," as en- closed list may show. I only made the acquaintance of the British Bee Journal last July, but since then have devoured every line with an increasing appetite. But why slang the Dutch bee? I bought a swarm in July, 1917, a very small one, which only covered two frames of comb ; with feeding and care it increased to ten frames by the end of August. I could not get any honey in my first super, so in- dulged my longing for a taste of honey by stealing three broods combs, and leaving the hive well packed up for the winter on seven combs. In the early spring I fed them well, and soon had them on ten combs again. In April the swarming game began. My other hives were in readiness, and so was I to capture them. But they were too cute for me, and selected the day when my duties kept me busy in church. The first two swarms eluded me, and took refuge in the church tower, each on a Sunday morning. Then I set up a row of pea sticks near the hive, and the first week in May got my first swarm safely hived. In June I got three more swarms all safe, and strengthened them by removing young brood from hives one and two. At the end of July, as they seemed to have given up swarming, I divided a strong stock, and reared two queens in a SI a den cage. At the end of 12 months from packing up my first hive for the winter in Sep- tember, 1917. I have five strong stocks on 40 combs, with at least 120 lbs. of honey left in as stores for this winter. In addi- tion, I have extracted 212 lbs. of honey, sold £20 worth at 2s. 6d. per lb. (and could have trebled the sale), and have the rest left for home use. I secured, then, in one year, from the produce of one hive, £26 worth of honey, and left in the hives 120 lbs. which I could have extracted and sold for £15. But I preferred to keep the bees for another year, although I was offered £5 per hive for bees and brood box alone. As I have five strong stocks, as good as the one I. started with, I wonder if it will be possible in the coming season to multi- ply my £40 by 5? I don't expect it. But I do hope to extract at least nearly half a ton of honey. And this is the result obtained by the despised Dutch bee. I admit the swarming — seven lots from one hive is a bother, but not if you want to increase your stocks, nor if you could find a ready sale. There is not a trace of disease, though 95 per cent, of my neigh- hours's bees are dead. Mine are not in straw skeps, and theirs are. I'm afraid I've already written too long a letter for your tiny paper — how I wish it had 24 pages ! — but if room can be found I may write again of my manipulations, and of what I saw as I sat by the hour and watched the bees. — An Oxfordshire Parson. BEEKEEPING : HIVING A CAST AND DRIVING BEES. I, Apis, Junior, a mere tyro in beecraft, had an instructive day on Saturday last. I was sitting down to my breakfast rations when word came (for the third time in a fortnight, by the way), " Your bees are swarming in Mr. 's gar- den." With vivid recollections of having been badly stung on a previous occasion, I went to the hive and found the bees still streaming out, and, as nothing could be done till they had settled down, I returned to my breakfast. Then, taking a veil, a ladder, and an improvised skep, I pro- ceeded to my neighbour's garden (having first asked permission), where, to my sur- prise, I found that another bee-owner had posted a sentry while he went for a veil and a skep in which to " take " the swarm! Technically, it was not a swarm, but a '' cast," although to the novice who is going to handle them that makes no difference, for ten thousand bees, more or less, make no difference to the task. Having convinced the visiting bee owner that the swarm was mine, he left me in possession, and I got to work. A few sprays from a garden syringe caused the bees to cluster closely, and a few vigorous shakes brought the bulk of the cluster down into my skep. In a moment fifty bees or more, resenting my action, had fixed their spines into my Avrists, and but 424 THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL. Dec. 26, 1918. for my precarious position on the top of a shaky ladder I might have dropped the skep and heaten a retreat. Descending, I inverted the skep on a board, and waited to see the result of my work, ( n- fortunately, it turned out that the queen was not amongst the bees shaken from the tree, and in half-an-hour all the bees had left the skep and again clustered on the tree. A second attempt was .successful, and the flying bees— the air seemed black with them— settled down into the skep, where I left them for about five hours. Then, novice as I am, I did the wrong thing, started to return the swarm to the hive while the sun was yet high in the heavens, instead of waiting till dusk. But fortune favoured me. A storm threat- ened, and when I threw the bees out of the skep on to a board inclined from the ground to tbe hive entrance, they at once set up the hiving note and entered the hive. When, later in the' day, I told " Apis " of the episode, he said something about a certain class of people always having the most luck. I know it Mas not complimentary; but then he has a habit of plain speaking, which in a teacher is meritorious. Next time I take a swarm I shall not hive them till dusk. My next experience was altogether happy. A bee-keeper having a swarm in a box (which I will call a skep-box to distinguish it from a " frame " hive) had tried in vain for months all the book methods of persuading the bees to ■change their residence from tbe skep to a frame hive, and finally had storied the skep on a hive containing ten frames of founda- tion, in the expectation that the bees and queen would go down and take possession. The experiment failed; the bees drew out the foundation, but the queen did not go down. " Apis " undertook to do what was necessary. Taking the box from the top of the hive, he examined the combs and then closed the hive, and left it in position to receive the flying bees. This part of the operation was fairly lively, as the bees resented the interference. The next step was to. take the skep-box (filled with bees and brood and honeycomb) and drive the bees from it into an inverted box temporarily fixed to the skep-box (re- moved to a distance for • the purpose) much in the same way as straw skeps are ironed together for " driving." Vigorous tappings on the sides of the skep-box roused the bees, and they were soon seen climbing into the inverted box. We, the spectators, smoked our pipes and waited, but "Apis" stood with his head half inside the box, his eyes glued to the MsiriHling waves of bees. He was watch- ing for tKe queen, and he brought her forth, holding her by flic wings between thumb and forefinger. Running to the old hive, he deposited the queen therein. and thus ensured its future. The bees which he had driven he carried to the skep-box when the latter had been placed in a new position, and threw them on to an extended alighting board, and they quickly ran into their home, and, as it contained all the elements for raising a queen, in three weeks' time all difficulties should be solved. " Apis " had given us practical lessons and demonstrated the value of the expert by making two colo- nies of bees from one. With bees worth .£5 to £Q per stock, expert advice is more than ever a desideratum. That night I ought to have slept the sleep of the just, instead of which I had a night of torment, for hands and arms bad swollen to twice their normal size, and the smarting and itching were well- nigh intolerable. I have been stung many times, with no very serious symptoms, and thought myself sting-proof ; but I have dis- covered that what ten stings may not do one hundred will. So next time I take a swarm I'll be careful to wear gauntlet gloves as well as a veil. Just one word of advice : if you get stung, don't ap- proach bees for a day or two unless you are veiled and gloved. The bees scent the poison in the person stung, and at- tack viciously. — Apis Junior (from the Barnet Press). Special Prepaid Advertisements. One Penny per Word. Trade advertisements of Bees, Honey, Queens, and Bee goods are not permissible at above rate, but will be inserted at l§d. per word as " Busi- ness " Announcements, immediately under the Private Advertisements. Advertisements 0} Hive- manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum charge of 38. per $in., or 5s. per inch. PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS are only in- tended for readers having Surplus Stock to dispose of. Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens that are reared or imported for sale, are Trade Advertisements, and can only be accepted under trade terms. A charge of 6d. extra will be made if a box number is used. W PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS. ANTED, Wax Extractor, in good condition. — WATRET, Denbie, Lockerbie. 1.23 PURE Light Extracted Honey, 14-lb. tins, 38s., carriage paid.— NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex, 1.22 ■ BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS. l§d. per word. COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS for Brother Bee-keepers visiting Douglas. Terms : Tea, bed, and breakfast, 3s. 6d.; or full board* 6s. per day— HORSLEY'S, Marridale House, top of Castle Drive, Douglas, Isle of Man. HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED. Run Honey in bulk. Sections per gross. HONEY FOR SALE. Cuban. Californian, English, Irish. Free tins and cases, carriage paid. Cash wit* order. Samples, Is. Prices 011 application. A. GORDON ROWS, 88a, May Road, Cardiff,