Ill" I X •- => '• o '-u. * • * \ ■, •• "Q : ‘‘ i i n. : s v* v - **■ “ . USTRALIAN'a AND J» HI* SCiTCMsia, atlclbotmtc : fergusson & COLLINS STREET W DECEMBER, i88s. ice Sixpence PAGE. Editorial Notices . . . . . . • • • • 1 Proceedings of Beekeepers’ Societies . . . . • • 2 Original Contributions . . . . • • ■ • 3 Correspondence . . . . . . . . . 9 New Books, Reviews, and Extracts .. 11 Notes and Queries .. .. .. . .. 12 NOTICE. SCALE OF CHARGES FOR The Australian Beekeepers' Journal , published by Fersusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. Can be obtained from all booksellers. Subscribers who wish to have the Journal posted direct, can do so on sending their Subscription to Editors, care of Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West, and may rely on quick despatch after publication. Annual Subscription 6s., postage paid. Single Copy, Sixpence. Special terms to Beekeepers’ Associations. All communications to be sent to the Editors, care of Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. ADVERTISEMENTS. Single Column — £ s. d. Inch of Space .. 0 4 0 Half Column . . .. 0 15 0 Whole Column .. 1 8 0 Double Column — Quarter Page . . 0 15 0 Half Page .. 1 8 0 Whole Page 2 10 0 Special terms for continuous advertise- ments. THE LANGSTROTH HIVE As adopted by the Victorian Beekeepers’ Club, and Manufactured by Messrs. BAGNALL BROS , New Zealand; also Artificial Comb Foundations, from the Matamata Apiary, N.Z. Can be ordered and obtained from JOHN HATCH, 46 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Office and Store in Courtyard at rear. EDEY’S IMPROVED METAL ENDS For spacing the Frames in the Hive, so that they are exactly one and a half inches centre to centre ; will fit Langstroth or British Association Frames. PRICE Is. 3d. PER DOZ., 13s. 6d. PER GROSS. To be obtained from S. B. CROAD, DEGRAVES STREET, PARKVILLE. FERGUSSON & MXTOHEIala, Manufacturing Stationers* PKiHiTTERS 27 COLLINS STREET WEST, JANUARY, 1886. Price Sixpence 5% PAGE. Proceedings op Beekeepers’ Societies .. .. ■ 13 Original Contributions . . ■ • • ■ • • 15 Correspondence . . . . ■ . • . 20 New Books, Reviews, and Extracts . . . . . . 22 Queries and Replies . . . . . . • • ■ . 22, 23 List of Members . . . . - • . ■ ■ ■ 24 NOTICE. The Australian Beekeepers' Journal , published by Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. Can be obtained from all booksellers. Subscribers who wish to have the Journal posted direct, can do so on sending their Subscription to Editors, care of Fergusson and Mitchell, Collins Street West, and may rely on quick despatch after publication. Annual Subscription 6s., postage paid. Single Copy, Sixpence. Special terms to Beekeepers1 Associations. All communications to be sent to the Editors, care of Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. SCALE OF CHARGES FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Single Column — Inch of Space . . Half Column . . Whole Column £ s. d. 0 4 0 0 15 0 1 8 0 Double Column — Quarter Page . . Half Page Whole Page . . Special terms for ments. . 0 15 0 ..180 .. 2 10 0 continuous advertise- THE LANGSTROTH HIVE As adopted by the Victorian Beekeepers’ Club, and Manufactured by Messrs. BAGrNALL BROS., New Zealand; also Artificial Comb Foundations, from the Matamata Apiary, N.Z. Can be ordered and obtained from JOHN HATCH, 46 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Office and Store in Courtyard at rear. EDEY’S IMPROVED METAL ENDS For spacing the Frames in the Hive, so that they are exactly one and a half inches centre to centre ; will fit Langstroth or British Association Frames. PRICE Is. 3d. PER DOZ., 13s. 6d. PER GROSS. To be obtained, from S. B, CROAD, DEGRAYES STREET, PARKYTLLE. H. NAVEAU, APICULTURIST, HAMILTON, HAS ON SALE— Italian Queens and Bees, Comb Foundation Wax and Honey. Comb Honey in Sections, extracted in one pound tins and in bulk. FERGUSSON & MITCHELL, Manufacturing Stationers, ^rinters and Publishers, 25 and 21 Collins Street West. THE JOURNAL. Vol. I. — No. 2.] JANUARY, 1886. [Price 6d. PROCEEDINGS op BEEKEEPERS’ SOCIETIES. Victorian Beekeepers' Chib. Ordinary meeting held at the Manufacturers’ Association Rooms, The Exchange, on 2nd November, Mr. Ellery in the chair ; the follow- ing new members were elected: — Singleton, Mr. H. F., Malvern ; Mackleberg, Mr. Jno., Sackville-street, Kew ; Wilkinson, Mr. Jno., Kew ; Sumner, Mr. Z., High-street, Prahran. Further discussion took place on the stan- dard size of frame to be recommended by the club, and finally out of twenty-four members present thirteen voted for the Langstroth, and two for the British Standard. Mr. Ellery read a short paper on some experiments as to the temperature inside hives painted different colours, which showed that in rough uupaiuted boxes that had got grey with the wt ather, the temperature sometimes reached 10 degrees higher than shade tem- perature. In red boxes (Dutch gin cases) the thermometer reached from 12 to 15 degrees higher, while in hives painted pure white the readings were seldom more than from 1 to 3 degrees higher than shade temperature. Mr. Sumner exhibited Langstroth frames with a longitudinal division bar to support comb in hot weather, also a form of Alley’s drone trap and swarm preventer. Meeting held at Manufacturers’ Association Rooms on 15th November. A letter was read from Mr. R. K. Murray, advocating the use of stone hives, and offered to make one, if any member would undertake to place a stock in it and report upon it at a future meeting. The Rev. J. Kennedy undertook to carry out the experiment. A discussion took place on the question of ants as enemies to the hive and bees. A member from Heidelberg stated that ants did rob bees, but he prevented it by allowing grass to grow around his hives, and ants would not travel in grass, and it kept them away. Mr. Clark, of Dandenong, stated that during his ten years’ experience in beekeeping he never found ants rob except in very weak hives. Mr. Ellery advised those who found ants troublesome to search for their nests and destroy them with hi-sulphide of carbon . The question of the best mat to place over frames was then raised, and two or three kinds of lath mats as described in Root’s ABC, were exhibited. The secretary said he alway used canvas bagging such as used for bran bags cut to size, and hemmed at the edges, and found them all that could be desired. Bees did not gnaw it as they did calico or lighter stuff, and when this kind of mat was put on it was so light that bees that happened to be on the frames could easily crawl from under it to the spaces. Ordinary meeting held 30th November, 1885, at the Manufacturers’ Association Rooms, The Exchange. Present — Mr. Ellery, in the chair, and about twenty-four members. Mr. Sumner exhibited frames and appli- ances for transferring, a sample of Melbourne made drone — excluding zinc, and a form of Clarke’s smoker. Mr. Grant stated he had some hives affected with foul brood, and that he was trying Cheshire’s remedy, viz., feeding with phenol and syrup. Some members who had never seen foul brood asked him to shew an affected frame next meeting ; this he promised to do. 14 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. Mr. George Foord read the following paper on “ Phenol:’’ Phenol. Galvanism took its name from its discoverer, the Italian philosopher, Galvani. It has been remarked that if the name of the discoverer had been Barber, the science thus named after him would have been called Barberism. Mineralogy teems with hundreds of names of mineral species after more or less illustrious or titled men, these names showing nothing of either composition, characters, or relation. Biotite, Scheelite, Brookite, Davyne, Berzelyn, Haidingerite are examples. So, too, of Botany, while Chemistry — exempt from this vagary, and endeavouring to name the so- called chemical elements and their multiform combinations so as to signify, in each instance, some characteristic and distinguishing pro- perty of the former, or to give the composi- tion and interrelation of the latter, falls into confusion and many needless complications. Owing to the progressive characterof theoreti- cal chemistry, the new chemistry of to-day over- laying the old of yesterday, the same chemical compound bears often six or more names, each of which was accordant with the state of chemical knowledge when it was first given, but which has had to be partially suppressed in conforming to newer views, especially to those of chemical relationship, or the modes of chemical change. This is to be regretted, as its tendency is to keep an intelligent public mystified and very much in the dark concern- ing the common sense meaning of chemical writings. Some of our readers may very naturally ask, “ What is Phenol P Where is it to be obtained P And how is it to be used by the beekeeper ?” To these questions we shall now endeavour to give a satisfactory answer. Phenol is hydrate of phenyl ; it is phenylic alcohol, it is phenic acid, it is coal tar creasote, and it is carbolic acid. By all these names it is known, but by the latter more familiarly recognised by the public at large. The beekeeper can buy carbolic acid of the druggist as a beautiful colourless crystalline acid, or as a more or less brown coloured somewhat oily fluid, the difference of state resulting from difference in the degreeof purity of these several forms. We advise him to commence with the purest form, asking for Grace Calvert’s best quality of crystallised carbolic acid — a little of it will go a long wav, and after he has ascertained from personal experience concerning the points of efficacy and expense, he may then, if he pleases, try the cheaper qualities, but he will do well to remember that when a weak, watery solution of carbolic acid is administered to bees in their saccharine food, the questions of purity of tabte and odour are most probably of greater importance than that of cost, and that in the lower qualities of carbolic acid, admixture of tarry and more or less fetid impurities imparts to them this lower quality, and warrants their sale at the lower price. Carbolic acid in its purest form exists as a beautiful mass of delicate, snow-white crystalline needles, radiating, interlacing, and thus forming a solid network. Very little water added to the carbolic acid when in this form rapidly reduces it to the fluid state, but without this addition the acid may be easily fused and poured out of the containing bottle by gently and gradually heating the latter by standing it up to the shoulder in a vessel of warm water. The precaution of gradual heating is to avoid cracking the glass phial in which the solid acid is purchased. To make the weak aqueous solution it is only necessary to shake a small portion of the liquid acid with a comparatively large bulk of rain water in a clear glass stoppered or well- corked bottle, as long as the water continues to dissolve the acid : that is to say, as long as the added oily drops of acid disappear on agitation. We shall not attempt giving directions for weighing the acid and water to be thus brought into combination, preferring to state that the crystalline acid rendered fluid by addition of a very small proportion of water, will be found to be a little heavier than water itself, having a density of 1*06 to that of water as TOO (say it is six per cent, heavier than its own bulk of water;) it would not therefore, be a wide departure to regard the acid in this liquid form as very nearly of the same density as water, measuring it in this state in a druggist’s minim measure, and the water in which it is to be dissolved also in a druggist’s measure of larger size, say of 20 or 40 fluid ounces capacity. A few additional sentences will explain those properties of car- bolic acid not yet mentioned, and which are of more or less significance to the beekeeper. Carbolic acid is sparingly soluble in water, but dissolves in all proportions in alcohol, aether, and strong acetic acid. It is powerfully antiseptic, coagulating albumen ; fi-h, leeches, and, indeed, aquatic life generally, die in its aqueous solution. It preserves animal sub- stances, converting them into ,l mummy but, as with the Egyptian mummy, the pre- servation is not for all time. The carbolic acid eventually disappears from the animal tissues by conversion or evaporation, and then comes a stage when acari (mites) attack the dried-up tissues, which consequently crumble to a mass of living dust- A caution may be finally added — The odour of carbolic acid may be compared to that of wood smoke or wood tar; its taste is sweetish and biting, but the strong acid is not devoid of corrosive THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 15 properties, as it blisters the tongue or skin with which it is brought in contact, and it is therefore to be handled with caution. Bee- keepers who might feel timid on this account should find no difficulty in getting solutions of any definite strength prepared for them by those who have the necessary instruments, and are familiar with the material. Several forms of hives were exhibited. The following were elected new members of the Club : — Mr. Whitfield Raw, “ Southern Cross,” Warrnambool ; Mr. N. D. O. Willis, Kooloomut, Nareen; Mr. H. Pennington, Glenira-road, Caulfield ; Mr. Jno. Martin, Cotham-road, Kew; Mr. Jos. Ingamels, Malop-street, Geelong. Ordinary meeting held at Manufacturers’ Association Rooms, the Exchange, 14th December, 1885. Present — Eighteen mem- bers ; Mr. Ellery in the chair. Mr. Grant, according to promise, exhibited a frame from a hive badly affected with foul brood, for the information of members not familiar with its appearance. He had moved all his affected bees into new hives with fall foundation, fed on phenol syrup, one part in 500 by weight — new brood that shewed any signs of the malady returning he immediately sprayed them with thin phenol syrup, and so far he reported the treatment apparently successful. A conversation ensued on bee forage and plants and trees much frequented by bees this season, and members were requested to report their observations in this direction to the editors of the Journal. The following new members were elected : — Mr. James J. Whitham, Dandenong ; Mr. Baldwin, Clarendon-street, East Melbourne ; Mr. P. Hotton, Heatherton. South Australian Beekeepers' Association. The monthly meeting of this society was held at the Chamber of Manufactures on Thursday, 3rd December; Mr. J. H. Wiedenhofer in the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. The Hon. Secretary mentioned that he had made arrangements with the Royal Agricultural Society to have a show of beekeepers' products and appliances at the Autumn Show of the Society, and that a liberal prize-list had been published by them. In answer to an inquiry, it was stated that any member of either Society might compete upon paying the usual entrance-fee for his exhibits. Mr. Fiebig sent in a Ligurian bee from Kangaroo Island, the first result of his own bee industry at that place. Mr. Stevens brought in several queen cells built upon drone comb, and from one of which a queen had emerged. Mr. Fiebig reported that there were about a dozen colonies of black .bees existing upon Kangaroo Island at the back of Hog Bay. Several lots of “ shiny” bees were shown, and it was reported that nearly all beekeepers were losing large numbers through the same cause. Mr. Coleman said he had a colony that was badly affected with the “ shiny ” disease. Bees become quite smooth, and black and shiny. On removing the queen and substituting another queen, the sickness disappeared, and the bees reco- vered their strength. It was stated that Dzierzon called this disease the vertigo, and he attributed it to the bees eating poisonous honey. Some of the members stated that the disease disappeared if the colonies were well fed. Mr. J. H. Wiedenhofer showed heads of Black Russian and Californian double-flowered sunflower, and he strongly recommended the flower to beekeepers as a fertile source j of pollen and honey. A paper by Mr. E. A. Coleman, of Mount Barker, was read at this meeting, which is an important and valuable contribution from an experienced apiarist, keeping at least 200 stocks. This paper will be given in full in our next number. ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS. By W. Abram, Manager of the Italian Bee Company, Parramatta, N.S.W. (Continued) Part II. — the hive. The old kinds of hives and bee boxes, I am glad to say, are rapidly falling into disuse since the introduction of the Bar or Frame Hives, and a new and better era has dawned for both bees and beekeepers, as instead of the inhuman method of destroying those busy but ill-used creatures, by suffocation at the end of their harvest season and robbing them of the fruit of their labours, or even the less cruel fashion of driving them in the autumn from their well-stored dwelling into an empty one and leaving them to face starvation as best they could through the cold days of winter, or the chance of their surviving somehow till spring came again. The surplus of their accumulated stores can now be taken from time to time as available with scarcely the loss of a single bee and little trouble or danger to the owner of the apiary. Of the many new inventions in this direc- tion, I shall confine my remarks for the pre- sent to a description of the hive which after long experience I consider the best and most suitable from every point of view. I allude to the Berlepsch Hive, and I may primarily state that the original idea of movable combs in a beehive, emanated from Dr. Dzierzon in 16 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. Germany, who in the year 1845 first brought it into notice. He made his hives with bars one inch wide placed half an inch apart, on which the bees had to build their combs; these combs when loosened from the sides and bottom of the hive hung on the bars only and could easily be removed therewith ; but this invention was soon found to be capable of further improvement, and Baron von Berlepsch succeeded in constructing a frame which enclosed the comb all round, instead of the bar at the top only. This was a decided and most important advance in the right direction, but the question yet remained as to what was the proper size for the hive and frames. The Baron and another German (l)atne’s) never tired investigating and experimenting in that direction till they completed the hive which is now almost universally used in Germany, Austria and Russia, in fact nearly throughout all Europe, and which in my opinion com- bines not only all the requirements for the easy treatment of the bees, but is most suitable to their nature and habits, as I shall endeavour to show in another article. In America about the same time, or a little later, Mr. Langstroth invented the Hive now generally used there, and which very much resembled the Berlepsch Hive, which at first was opened at the top, and the combs were taken out in the same manner as is now done in the Langstroth Hive, and in England various kinds of frame hives have been introduced from time to time, amongst which the Woodbury- cottage Hive is perhaps the best. But both the Langstroth and Woodbury Hives have many objection- able features, which defects have been remedied in the Berlepsch Hive, and I notice that any alterations that have been of late made in the various kinds of hives approach more the Berlepsch than either the Langstroth or Woodbury principle. There is no doubt that the size of the hive, as is admitted on all sides, is one of the most important points no matter what principle may be adopted, and has a very considerable effect in producing a successful result or otherwise ; it is also necessary for the econom- ical and convenient working of an apiary that there should he one standard for both hives and frames, which should all be made to one exact pattern, so that they can be used indiscriminately as occasion may require ; in fact, it would be advisable that this principle should be carried out in a whole district if possible ; but, of course, this might not in all cases be practicable, as every beekeeper has his own fancy in this as in other matters. However, whatever kind is adopted, I should advise the beginner to get at least one sample hive from an expert, and then he can make all his hives to this model. The different kinds of the American and other hives have already been so frequently described in the journals of the day, that they are therefore, I presume, pretty well understood by those interested in such matters, but as an account of the hive used by me has not hitherto been published so far as I am aware in the Australian Press, it is my intention to give a detailed description of it, and the exact measurements of the structure thoughout. I shall also explain the various points wherein it differs from other frame hives, giving at the same time my reasons for preferring it to any of the others. First, the hive itself is made of well-seasoned f inch boards, dovetailed and firmly nailed ; inside measurement ! 23 \ inches in height, 9jr-int'hes wide, and 16 inches deep from back to front. It is divided into two compartments, the lower or brood room being 15 inches, and the upper or honey room 7f inches in height, with a half inch partition between the two ; a small opening about 3 inches long by 3-16 wide in the front of the partition board admits the bees from the lower to the upper storey, which can be closed or left open as desired, a small slip of wood being made for this pur- pose to fit over it. And in addition to this means of communication, a portion of the partition in the middle about 3 inches wide is made movable, so that when honey is very plentiful this piece can be taken out also, in order to give easier access from below. A groove J inch in depth and width is made in the side walls of the honey room from back to front exactly a j- of an inch below the top board for the honey frames to hang on, and a second similar groove is made in the brood room at the same distance below the partition board for the brood frames, while 7f inches lower is made a third groove the same size as the other two, so that small or honey frames can be used then as well. The honey room contains 1 0 small frames, and the brood room 10 large or 20 of the small ones, which are just half the size, and each room has a glass door to fit in at the back of the frames. The entrance for the bees in front, which should be inches wide by J-inch in height, is made about an inch trom the bottom, and can be closed or opened by a small zinc slide fixed on the outside; underneath the entrance is a board 8 inches wide, and pro- jecting about 2| inches, for the bees to alight on when returning honey-laden or wearied after a long flight. The door is at the back, and is the whole size of that part of the hive, so that when it is removed or opened the interior of both compartments can be seen without d’sturbing the occupants. In the door is a movable slide or jalousie, which is THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 17 closed on the inside with wire cloth, and thus enables ventilation to he given either in very hot weather or when the hive is closed up for removal or on a transport journey. The frames are of two sizes, as already mentioned, the larger being especially for brood, and the smaller for honey ; both are made from sawn soft wood 1 inch wide by £ thick, the top piecesbeing 9f inches and the bottom inches long, and rounded a little at the ends ; but the sides of the brood frames are 13f inches, while those of the honey frames are only 6| inches long. All the pieces are cut to a pattern the correct length, and are then nailed together at top and bottom on a block of corresponding size, the top pieces extending f inch beyond the sides to run in the groove in order to secure exactness ; then in the top and bottom pieces, at the right hand corners at each side, a nail is driven, but standing out f of an inch, which keeps the frames at the proper distance from one another in the hive. When putting in the frames, push them in as far as these nails will permit and then put in the glass door ; this will keep all the frames firm, and prevents any friction of the combs, even in transporting them from one place to another. When the frames are fixed there is about y inch space between them and the sides of the hive, and under- neath about ^ an inch to allow the bees to pass to and fro, but too small to admit of cells being built to block up the passage. ( To be continued. ) Hints on Beekeeping. By It. Naveau. Among the various events in bee life there never was one which afforded me more pleasure than swarming. Often times I have enjoyed myself watching the process. But at times one has to experience pain mixed with pleasure, which may occasionally become serious, yet it never lasts long. It never before, however, entered into my mind that far greater pleasure than at swarming time could be realised by queen rearing. A few days after the little incident occurred which I mentioned in the first number of the journal, I went into queen rearing in right earnest, and it so happened that on December the second issued a very small swarm. I hived the swarm at once, then went to the hive from which it had come, and found that all the queen cells were mature ; I lifted out the frame which contained those cells, and which I had supplied with eggs on Alley’s principle, and took it near to the window in my workshop facing the Apiary, and in five minutes’ time witnessed not less than six young queens leaving their cells, so that during fifteen minutes I had twelve virgin queens from an imported Italian mother safely caged on the comb and returned to the hive in which they were hatched. I was highly pleased with my success, and indeed it is an interesting scene to notice how the young queens employ their mandibles endeavouring to remove the lid from the royal cradle. For a few minutes I was a little perplexed what to do with all these young queens, and how to ensure fertilisation with pure drones. I made nuclei and gave them each a young queen, and some I introduced to full colonies. From one hive, a few days after I had introduced a queen, a swarm issued ; I hived the swarm, searched the old hive, and found that it had queen cells which I had not previously observed. I pinched out these cells and introduced another queen, but a few days after, when coming in close proximity to this hive, I noticed a strange sound, just as if two queens were in the hive, the one at liberty and the other yet in the cell. I opened the lid of the hive, searched every frame, and found no cell until I came to the very last one ; there I discovered j ust on the edge of a piece of transferred comb, a very large queen cell, quite mature. The sound which the young queen produced was so shrill that I could hear it many yards away in the garden. As soon as I got the cell out of the hive she crawled into my hand and I procured a nucleus for her. She is the largest virgin queen I ever saw. With one of those queens I tried fertilisation in confinement, but with this I was not successful. Some of the nuclei I removed at once to a locality where there were no bees but those which I put there myself, and I have therefore sufficient reason to believe that some of them will be purely mated. In the beginning of the season there was so little honey coming in that I said in a letter to a friend at Brisbane “ I shall be satisfied if my bees get this season as much honey as they need through the winter.” But recently, when the hot weather set in, the honey began to flow at once, in such a way that I cannot get eggs for queen rearing ; the bees will not allow the queens to deposit their eggs in those cells where the workers mean to store honey. When I first supposed the season to be a poor one I set the bees to work to draw out plenty of foundation, and now I reap the benefit of this stratagem. I find the usefulness of the extractor, and also the exceedingly profitable method I have adopted in my frames, namely, an upright bar in the centre of the frame. I meet with some frames, which have one half fitted with brood, the other half with pure honey ; I put them through the extracting process without breaking a single comb, amt the frames are not wired. On one of my hives which did not swarm I fixed glass globes for the bees to fill with 13 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. virgin honey, and in one of these I put a tube made of foundation. As I noticed this to disappear very soon, I put in some more narrow strips of foundation, which also were devoured very soon, and used for the same purpose as the bricklayer would use mortar. Not satisfied with this discovery I got next a larger quantity of strips of very old founda- tion, but nearly white, and 1 threw them in different directions among those globes, and I watched the bees and saw them make use of it, indeed I could notice that they were quite delighted to get material already prepared for them. On December the 8th I put five globes on that hive, and now on the 18th they are nearly full of pure white comb honey. I cannot exactly state what quantity of honey I shall be able to take from each hive, because I am troubled too much with swarm- ing. It is of no use whatever to give them ample room to store honey ; I may put on sections, but they will swarm, and then the sections are left empty. Well, I deceive them, I put the swarm on the place of the hive, and give it the sections from the latter also, and they go to work in right earnest. There is just another remark I would like to make in reply to Mr. “ Drone Comb,” where he stated he never read anything in American Bee Books about the metal runners, but I did. 1 am very well certain that Mr. A. T. Root, of Medina, Ohio, claims the ownership of that invention. I intended also to reply to some of the queries, but I must leave this for others to do or otherwise my paper will become too lengthy. Management of Bees in Boxes. By B. L. J. Ellery. Notwithstanding the much greater advan- tages afforded by frame over the ordinary box hives there will always be a very large pro- portion, especially of the common Black or Brown Bee kept in various kinds of boxes or packing cases, such as Dutch gin cases, candle boxes, kerosene cases and such like, because they can generally be obtained at a very small cost in any part of the country. With a notch cut in one edge for the entrance, and almost “ anything ” for a bottom board, the hive is complete. Many beekeepers with from 50 to 100 or more stocks use nothing but such hives, and in good seasons secure excellent returns in honey and wax if all goes well. It is not an uncommon thing to see boxes of every conceivable kind placed n rows and piled one over the other in the shelter afforded by a fence or hedge forming an apiary of scores of hives, the only protec- tion against rain or sun being pieces of tin or galvanized iron, some old sacks, pieces of bark or split palings laid on the top tiers. Bees seem to thrive well in these boxes and store rapidly in good localities and seasons. A casual visit to some such apiaries when bees are busy and all going well almost convinces one that the old box system is as good as any. But it not unfrequently happens that some beekeeper has lost all his bees. Something has gone wrong — stock after stock have left, others had dwindled and died, till out of 50, 60 or 100 stocks scarcely one remains strong. Every year we hear of such things. It is accounted for by a bad season in the locality and starvation, or the moth has got into the hives; but there is no certainty as to the cause of the loss, owing first to the lack of acquain- tance with the diseases of bees and cause of such loss in the apiary, and secondly to the difficulty of examining the combs and the brood until it is too late and all the bees have left. If the bees had been in frame hives it would have been easy directly any dwind- ling and want of activity was apparent among them to have examined the combs and pro- bably have stopped the spread of disease and trouble among them before it had extended to any large number of stocks. But as box hives will be used by those to whom the pro- fit of beekeeping is most important, until they are no cheaper than frame hives, a few hints concerning the signs of disease, cause of weak- ness and inactivity, the best way of mani- pulating and examining bees in such hives may, perhaps, assist some beekeepers to a better management of their stocks and pos- sibly avoidance of much loss. An experienced beekeeper can always judge by watching his bees going in and out of the hive on a fine warm day, whether they are working well, and if brood is being reared ; for it must be remembered that as bees only live five or six weeks in the honey season, a stock must rapidly dwindle if from any cause no brood is being reared. If on any fine warm morning bees are seen busily going into the hive without loitering — many of them laden with little pellets of pollen on their legs at the rate of thirty or upwards per minute, according to the strength of the hive, it may be presumed all is going well ; the amount of bustle and activity giving one a very good idea of the state of the house- hold. Such hives may be left alone so long as they are moderately well sheltered from the direct rays of the sun (especially if the box be of any dark or dingy colour) and protected from rain. If, however, a stock is found to be very inactive, or going in and out listlessly in small numbers — few or none carrying pollen, or busy bringing out dead bees, or hanging lazily about the entrance, while a peculiar faint sickening odour is apparent close to the THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 19 hive, something wrong may be expected, and a careful examination should as far as possible be at once made. To be able to examine the contents of a hive it is necessary to control the bees a little, or a battle may ensue. If bees are frightened they will at once fill themselves with honey, if they have any, after which they are as a rule very peaceable, and will allow of a good deal of handling if they are not crushed, squeezed, jarred or otherwise violently treated. To get bees to fill them- selves, either drumming the outside of the hive or smoking them will do, but for the purpose of examination smoke is certainly the best. Tobacco may be used sparingly, but as it intoxicates bees very quickly and sometimes makes them angry also, smoke from rags, or rotten wood is preferred. There are con- venient “ smokers ” with bellows which are generally used for smoking bees, which cost from 3s. 6d. to 6s. each, and with these nothing is easier than to “ smoke ” a hive as much or as little as is required. To those who do not possess a smoker the following is advised : — Roll up some old cotton rags or a piece of old sacking (or any old cotton or hemp stuff that is quite dry,) not too tightly into a sausage-shaped roll, by well lighting one end and letting it flame a little, a portion becomes charred which will smoulder a long time if the flame is put out. When smoking a hive blow a stream of smoke from the smouldering roll into the entrance until a loud hum from the inside is heard. Wait a few seconds and then tilt up the hive and blow a good cloud all over the bees and combs. This so alarms the bees that they gorge themselves with honey, and the hive can now be turned up without the bees flying, except here and there a straggler, and the combs examined as far as is possible in a box hive. Combs can be cut out for honey or for examination, or the bees can be drummed into another hive, or if the combs are not too heavy with brood and honey the bees can be shaken out by a few downward jerks into another box, or better, on to a sheet on which another box is placed with its front propped up to enable the frightened bees to enter. We will suppose the beekeeper has noticed one or more of his stocks getting weaker and weaker and the bees about showing but little activity, and he is desirous of examining as to the cause. He will first smoke his bees as directed, and then turn up the hive, keeping his smouldering roll of rags ready for a few more puffs of smoke if the bees get too bold, when they will soon give in and be quiet. He first looks at the character of the combs to see J tney look cie> n and dry, and takes particular notice if there is any faint sickly smell issuing from the combs, and whether there is or not he should cut out a piece of comb from near the heart of the hive that has sealed brood in it. Now he should carefully examine this brood comb. First, to see if there are eggs in any of the cells. (The eggs are very small white dots and require a good light to see them at the bottom of the cells.) Also to ascertain if there are grubs of all ages from the egg up to the grub sealed over. Second, to see if all the covers of the sealed brood appear rounded so as to stand a little above the general level of the comb, and especially to see if any of these covers appear sunken instead of being raised — if any such sunken covers are seen, open it with a pointed piece of wood and see if it is simply a dead bee or if the cell contains a brown coloured sticky fluid which has a nasty smell of decayed animal matter, if it does, there can be little doubt the hive is affected by that worst of bee diseases “ foul brood" in which case the sickly odour of the hive would most probably already have attracted the attention of the beekeeper. This disease, if not stopped at once, will soon extend to every stock and all the bees die off or leave, and is the cause of the destruction of many an apiary in Australia as well as in other countries. What had best be done in such a case will be presently stated. Third, he should look if there are any signs of moth grubs burrowing through the combs, if there are they can generally be seen by the silky webs which cover their tracks through from one cell to another. Fourth, he should look generally as to the condition of the bees and comb. If he has noticed numerous bees on the ground in front of the hive, many dead and others dying, lying on their backs, trembling violently, their bodies swollen larger than usual, and perhaps spots of excrement about the entrance, he may be certain his bees are affected with a disease which is now getting common in apiaries, and concerning the cause of which or the best mode of treatment very little is as yet known. It is called by some American beekeepers the unnamed disease. Now, let us consider what is to be learned from the results of the examination of some hives. We will suppose the first one had been observed to get less active for some weeks past after a second swarm ; very few bees are seen to be carrying pollen, and although the hive iB heavy from honey, the bees appear to be getting less and less. On examining the combs they were found to be very thinly covered with bees ; the hive had the natural smell, and no foul odour perceptible. A piece of the central comb cut out was found to be full 20 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. of honey, but no brood either in the shape of eggs, grubs, or sealed bees to be found, except here and there a cell was covered, but found to contain a dead and dried up bee. This hive is Queenless, and probably the young Queen hatched after the last swarm left, was lost on her marriage trip, and the bees had no eggs or young larva? from which to raise another. To set this colony right a new Queen should be introduced* or else the bees should be united with another stock which has a Queen, and is thriving. In the latter case the honey can be taken at once, but if a new Queen is given the combs must not be disturbed. In the second hive examined, the bees had dwindled considerably, a few only appeared to be working half-heartedly, while many were seen idling about the mouth of the hive, or constantly fanning at the entrance with their heads towards the hive. An unwholesome sickly odour was noticed immediately the hive was tilted, but the combs were fairly covered with bees which did not appear so lively as usual. The piece of comb cut from the heart of the stock emitted a peculiar and most offensive smell. Many of the caps of the sealed brood cells were noticed to be sunk down, and pre- sented a flat or even hollow instead of a convex surface. Some of these sunk cap- pings had small holes in them, and when a few of them were opened out they were found about full of a brown sticky stuff like dirty glue, which adhered to the pointed stick, and drew out in threads, and gave out the peculiar stench already noticed. If it were not for this not hing wrong with the bees could be observed except their want of life and activity. This was a case of the disease known as foul brood, which is unusually contagious among bees, and soon spreads among other hives, and often deals sad havoc and even total destruction to the whole apiary. The cause of this disease has lately been traced to a minute germ which attacks both the Queen and the bees, but apparently does them no harm, but it also attacks the young brood and they die in the cell at any time from the egg to the bee nearly ready to hatch. The germs feed on the dead substance, leaving only the putrid viscid mass behind, which is so foul and offensive that the bees refuse to remove it, as they do nearly all other decayed matter, and the hive not only becomes almost unbearable to the bees, but none or very little brood is hatched, the stock diminishes by the old bees dying, and unless the remainder desert with the Queen, they may be found eventually reduced to a quarter of a pint of xIn»tructions for giving a new Queen to a stock will be given in our next number. bees and a diseased Queen. The beekeeper having made the unpleasant discovery that he has foul brood among his stocks, naturally asks, What is best to be done ? The fact that his bees are in boxes and not in frame-hives limits the means he can adopt for effecting a cure to one very simple process, namely, driving his bees and Queen into a clean hive, and let them build new comb and begin again. It will be better to feed the bees freely with white sugar syrup into which is put a little “phenol” (or pure white carbolic acid crystal,) say about ten grains to each pint of syrup. The bees will take this unless there is a free flow of honey, but if they do not, it will be well to thin the medicated syrup with a little water, invert the hive and pour a little over the comb and bees every five days or so till young bees make their appearance, after which in all probability no foul brood will again appear. A further examination of the new comb in five or six weeks after the hive was changed will be desirable to make sure it is cured. The old box, and all its contents, can now be burned ; but if proper precautions be taken that no bees can get at the honey and combs, the honey in the comb can be cut clean away from the diseased brood, and if there is no objection to a rather sickening job, the foul broody comb can be plunged into a pot of boiling water and boiled until all the wax separates and floats on the top, when all may be left to cool, the wax taken off, and the water thrown on a manure heap. The honey should be drained or strained from the comb and placed in a bottle or small tin billy, which is put in water in a larger vessel. The water is brought to a boil for ten minutes and the honey skimmed and put away for winter feeding. (To be continued.) CORRESPONDENCE. (To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers' Journal.) GENTLEMEN, — The appearance of your journal should be hailed with satisfaction by every beekeeper in Victoria. It is creditable alike to the editorial and publishing department, and I hope it will have a long and useful career. The beekeeping industry has beeD sadly neglected hitherto in this grand country of ours, and I trust the Australian Beekeepers' Journal may be the means of arousing an interest in an industry that is not only very interesting as a study, but may be made interesting in a pecuniary way by the use of proper appliances. As my time is somewhat limited, I will not be able to say much about matters apiarian in this district this month, THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 21 but I may perhaps be able next month to send you a few scraps. In the first place, then, I may as well say that Daylesford is not by any means the best place in Victoria for beekeeping. Being situ- ated some four or five miles north of the summit of the coast range, and at a level of about 2000 feet above the sea, it is subject to cold, squally winds from the southward, which sweep over the range, and have a chilling effect on the bees, and prevents them from leaving the hive in search of food, and my experience this season tells me that it has pre- vented swarming to a very considerable extent, as I know of a good many beekeepers in a small way who have not had a single swarm this season. Of course the people I speak of adhere to the old style of gin case, candle box, or even sometimes a kerosene case. The case is somewhat different with those who are using the Langstroth Hive, which was first introduced into this district by Mr. T. J. Loukes, who obtained them from Bagnall Bros., New Zealand, some fifteen months ago. Mr. Loukes may be called out- leading apiarist. He has some forty or fifty hives, of which about twenty are Langstroth, made after the pattern obtained from New Zealand. He has had frame hives for several years which he made from a description in some work on bees he had obtained from America. The frames were 12 inches square. He is now discarding those, and intends using nothing but the Langstroth. He informs me that so far as the season has gone there is a good deal of honey coming in, which is also my own experience. With regard to the diseases among bees in this locality, foul brood is the principal. Some twelve years ago it carried off nearly all the bees in the district, whether in hives or in the forest in a wild state. However, I have only seen one hive affected with it this season, although I have heard of several hives being badly affected at Dry Diggings, about five miles from Daylesford. There are several outlying places such as Hepburn, Franklinford, Yandoit, &c., where I am informed that bees are kept somewhat extensively, but as 1 have not had an oppor- tunity of obtaining any information from these localities lately, 1 will reserve any remarks till a future time. Wishing the A ustralian Beekeepers' Journal every success, — I am, &c., J. M. H. Daylesford, 23rd December, 1885. (Zb the Editor of the Bee Journal .) Dear Sir, — A good friend kindly sent me the first, number of your Bee Journal. I wish it every success and trust that it will be the means of promoting the pleasant, fascinating and profitable hobby of beekeeping. I have been a beekeeper in a small way for some years past, and on the whole have been toler- ably successful, for I am a busy man and have not the time to look after them as they should be attended to. The first year was one of experiment. Like all other enthusiasts, I read witli greediness all the bee literature upon which I could lay hands, and did not in the multitude of counsel find wisdom, hut rather confusion I made hives of various kinds, and tried many recommended courses of action. At length, by successes and more failures and dear-bought experience, I gained a certain amount of wisdom, and consequently con- ducted my bee operations more easily, satis- factorily and profitably. I decided upon a form of hive, size of frames, section boxes, &c. To this I have ever since adhered most religiously, and it would take the combined strength of many Bee Associations to persuade me to alter any part by a single inch, I am so thoroughly con- vinced of their simplicity, ease of construction, and suitability to the locality and surround- ings. Standard Hives and Standard Frames are good subjects for discussion at meetings of Bee Clubs ; but you will never get the whole company of beekeepers convinced that one particular hive is better lhan all others — we all have our special likings, and lean towards that style of construction which we have found best adapted to our own locality, and with which we have been most successful. There is, however, one principle of fundamental importance, an axiom of unusual application in beekeeping — that is — that everything, hives, frames, covers, floor boards, &c., &c., should be made to pattern. Everything should be interchangeable, whether the apiary be large or small. Having after mature consideration decided upon size and form of hive, I at once cut up and demolished a previous very varied con- struction, and now all goes on like clockwork. If I have a weak hive, I can take a frame of brood or a frame of honey from a populous hive and strengthen the weak. I can transfer a whole colony from one hive to another clean hive, taking away- any old or diseased comb in a quarter of an hour, or I can divide a strong colony into two to prevent swarm- ing, or I can place one hive over another with a zinc queen separator between, thus getting combs of pure honey- for the extractor. There are so many advantages in having everything in an apiary interchangeable that I can’t stop to enumerate. One object of your Bee Journal should be to provide bee culture, amongst farmers, gardeners, cottagers and others, by' showing them that bees can be profitably managed in 22 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. the modern plan, with'appliances which may be constructed by any one who is able to use a saw, plane and chisel, that there is no reason to purchase expensive hives, &c. The hand of a carpenter never did work on any of my hives — they are amateur constructions of good inch deal boards, as easily made as knocking together a packing] case, yet as to measurement, all alike, for it would not do to depend upon the inch rule. You know that Sir John Herschell purchased I don’t know how many from the best makers, and no two agreed. I have permanent guages for every part, by them all is cut out, putting together is a very simple matter. These rambling remarks are intended to aid the good work. If you think worthy of space please insert, if not, consign to that receptacle ^of worthless- ness— the waste paper basket. W. J. T. Geelong, 19th December, '1885. Note.— Some Correspondence unavoidably held over till next number. NEW BOOKS, REVIEWS, AND EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN JOURNALS- Foul Brood, its Management and Cure' By D. A. Jones, Beeton, Ontario, Canada. This is a little pamphlet by a well-known beekeeper in Canada of very large experience. He treats of chilled brood, neglected brood overheated brood, drowned brood, dead larvae, and foul brood. After a long experience of the latter he advises a certain method of treatment. He causes the bees to fill them- selves with honey, and then he shakes them from the combs into a swarming box or hive covered with wire net. He places this hive in a dark cool place (cellar if possible) for a period of from four to six days till they show signs of starvation, which is known by some falling down and crawling about in a slow, quiet manner. The bees are then shaken out in front of a hive with combs and food. The combs of the infected hive he melts down into wax, and boils the frames to kill all germs. He extracts the honey and boils it, and then feeds it back to the bees. Mr. Jones’s con- clusions on many points are at variance with the more recent views upon this matter which have found acceptance among apiarists, still this little book is a really valuable little pamphlet, which should be read by all bee- keepers. In his concluding remarks he says, “ Destroying colonies affected by foul brood, by fire, or otherwise, we consider a wanton destruction of property." Flowers for Bees — The beekeeper that requires to grow flowers for a harvest must grow them by the acre, and he should go in for fruit and vegetables, then he would have a double chance, for, if honey fail, then he might get fruit or vegetables. Or if he is in the farm line he could go in for clover, which would give him three chances, namely, honey, seed, and hay, which would pay him well if he got a good crop of either; and better still, if he gets white clover for black bees and red for Ligurians. At the same time all beekeepers should grow a good batch of honey and pollen-producing plants as well, no matter if you have no more than one hive of bees. It saves hundreds of bees from perishing in the spring and autumn in going a long distance to look for flowers, and in bad weather in summer they will stay close at home if they have flowers that they like. Bee-plants act in spring and autumn as stimulants better than any man can give. — II. Jeans, British Bee Journal. Receipt for Mead, as it was made a hundred years ago, — Take a gallon of honey, and add to it eight gallons of water, boil it down to six gallons. Then pour it into a large vessel, earthenware preferred, let stand till almost cold, then add a little yeast to set it fermenting. When it has fermented a day or two put it into a clean spirit or wine cask, and stop it close. Let it stand in a cool place two months, then bottle it off and put into each bottle two cloves and a little lemon peel. — British Bee Journal. The Antenna of Bees. — In the August number of the journal of the Linnean Society, Mr. Rovers J. Bryant contributes “Notes on the Antennae of the Honey Bee.’’ A minute and interesting description of the microscopic appearance of these wonderful organs is given, and he gives his opinion that they are endowed with the sense of smell and touch. He states that since his paper was read he finds Dr. Paul Schiemenz has described the structure of the antennm of bees, and refers to them as touch and smell organs. QUERIES AND REPLIES. Replies to Queries. To No. 1. — The latest dates on which swarms may be expected] in this part of Aus- tralia depends on circumstances. As soon as bees begin to despatch the drones we need not expect any more swarms; and in regard to the latest hour of the day, I have never had any swarms after four p.m. II. Naveau. Swarms have been taken up to the 10th January this year. The latest ones occurring will be given in future numbers. Ed. THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 23 To No. 2. — I have never been troubled with the bee moth. H. Naveau. To No. 3. — The weed mentioned — ketlock or catlock— is unknown to me ; if the botanical name is given I might be able to reply. H. Naveau. The plant referred to is frequently seen making corn fields yellow as the grain comes into ear. and bees seem very fond of it, for some fields this season covered with its flower were quite noisy with the hum of bees. This weed has different names in different coun- tries, its botanical name is Sinapis Arvensis or the field mustard, and is a good honey- producing flower in Europe. Ed. To No. 4. — Theappearauce of the small shiny lee among Italian stocks was noted in America in August of this year. It was also observed in South Australia this season, but no satisfactory explanation of the presence of this defective bee has yet been given. In some stocks they are very numerous ; but they get rapidly killed off by the fully-developed bees, and heaps of dead ones are seen in the front of some hives. A South Australian beekeeper states that they disappeared last year directly there was a good flow of honey. These bees are marked like the other Italians, but being quite free of the yellow down (bald in fact) they have an intensely black and shiny appearance, except on the yellow segments. Many of them are very small, not above half the size of a full-sized bee. They are found in strong healthy stocks as well as in weak ones, but are certainly worse in hives scantily supplied with honey than in those with full combs. It is pos- sible they are the result of too rapid breeding. When, either from lack of proper or sufficient nutriment while in the larva condition, or deficient nursing power, a quantity do not attain the normal develop- ment before reaching the proper stage — whatever may be the cause, it is seriously affecting all Italian and hybrid stocks just now. We must wait for further development of this subject. Ed. To No. 4. — Every bee on leaving the cell leaves its shift (or cocoon) behind, on this account the bees hatched in cells which are very old are smaller in size than those out of new combs, and dwarfed or deformed bees are mercilessly thrown out of the hives. H. Naveau. To No. 5 — This is a hard nut to crack. In my estimation A. J. Root's “A B.C. on Bee Culture ” is without doubt one of the best for a beginner ; but the perusal of one book only gives insufficient information. Quinby’s “New Beekeeping," by L. C. Root, is another very good book, and so is “ Langstroth on the Honey Bee,” but whether any of these are to be obtained in the colony I am unable to state. H. Naveau. The best books on apiculture generally are as follows. Hunter’s “ Beekeeping,” Cheshire’s “ Practical Beekeeping,” Quinby’s “ New Bee- keeping,” Root’s “A. B.C. of Apiculture,” Dzrer- son’s “ Rational Beekeeping,” Cook’s “ Manual of the Apiary, &c.” A new book on beekeeping is about to be published by Mr. Cheshire. These books all vary in price from four up to seven or eight shillings. For a cheap, good, useful little book for beginners or cot- tagers there are none yet to surpass the handbook issued by the British Beekeepers’ Association, called “ Modern Beekeeping,” a handbook for cottagers ; the price is only six- pence. Unfortunately they are not obtain- able in Melbourne at present, but a number have been ordered from England. The New Zealand Bee Manual, by J. Hopkins, is also an excellent manual, moderate in price (two shillings,) and gives the essence of many of the best bee books, adapted to Australian and New Zealand requirements. Ed. To No. 6. — I do not wonder at all that the querist was a little puzzled, for I can believe in the bees swarming out, but not in their returning again after a week ; this must have been a swarm from another hive or another apiary. H. Naveau. Query No. 7. — I noticed in one of my hives that all the combs and the centre portions where brood is generally deposited all partly filled with honey and no eggs, larva or brood of any kind visible. What is the reason ? Is it likely the queen is dead or past laying? What should be done ? Beginner. Query No. 8.— Will some of our experi- enced beekeepers tell me the best kind of food to give to bees when they are short of honey, and what is the best form of feeder ? W. A. M. Query No. 9. — On opening one of my hives after the Christmas holidays I find every comb empty of honey. A fortnight before there was plenty on the tops of five or six frames. Is such a state of things usual ? L. S. Query No. 10. — Can you or any of your readers say if the flower of the oleander is poisonous to bees as I have noticed several dead ones remaining in the flowers ? Emily, Bullarook. Query No. 11. — Is there much honey in sun- flowers, and would it pay to plant largely for beo pasturage? Are the seeds and other parts of the plant of any value ? Which of the Eucalypti trees give the most honey, and how often and at what time of year do the more common kinds come into blossom ? E. L. C. 24 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. VICTORIAN BEEKEEPERS’ CLUB. J-/IST OF JA EMBEF^S, JANUARY, 1 886. Lloyd, Mr. J Kitchen, Mr J. H. ... Ellery, Mr. R. L. J. ... MacLaine, Mr. J. Barton, Mr. R. Kirkwood, Mr. Foord, Mr. Geo. Miller, Mr. F. B. Muir, Mr. Bagge, Mr. J. Hampton, Mr. Jas. ... Dabb, Mr Wright, Mr. J. Rowden, Mr. W. Wing, Mr. J. ... Chapman, Mr. S. L. ... Grant, Mr. J. ... Jackson, Mr. E. M. ... Kitchen, Mr. A. E. ... Wildridge, Mr. R. ... Carter, Miss ... Johnson, Mr. Alfred Solberg, Mr. W. Scarcebrook, Mr. A. J. Ingamels, Mr. J. Keeves, Mr. G. R. ... Wilkinson, Mr. J. ... Donaldson, Mr. J. M. Kennedy, Rev. J. Jones, Mr. R. ... Clarke, Mr. J. Singleton, Mr. H. F. Mackleberg, Mr. J. M. Sumner, Mr. Z. Raw, Mr. W. ... Willis, Mr. N. D. O. Pennington, Mr. H. ... Martin, Mr. J. Ingamels, Mr. Joseph Whitham, Mr. J. J. ... Baldwin, Mr. ... Hotton, Mr. P. Clough Mrs. ... Jensen, Mr. ... Steel, Mr. Jno. Naveau, Mr. H. Fitzgerald, Mr. R. ... Smith, Mr. W. Jones, W., Esq. Wright, Mr. ... Smith, Mr. C. J. H. ... Johnson, W. M, Dundas Place 28 Flinders Lane West Observatory... General Post Office Royal Mint ... Auburn Road Royal Mint ... Royal Mint ... Flinders Lane West Royal Mint ... Louisa Street Lithofracteur Works Carron Timber Yard Swan Street .. Wellington Street ... Toorak Road Wellington Street ... 28 Flinders Lane West Bourke Road Koornong Lat.robe Street Weinberg Road Eastville House Savings Bank 42 William Street ... St. Ignatius’ Grammar School, Queensberry St. Queen Insurance Company 141 High Street Koo'oomut ... Glenira Road Cotham Road Malop Street Clarendon Street ... Forest Hill ... Italian Apiary Italian Apiary Bowden Street Hospital ... Auburn Road ... ... Mollison Street ... ... South Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Hawthorn Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Coburg Bray brook Melbourne Richmond Collingwood South Yarra Kew Brighton Melbourne Hawthorn Balwyn Balaclava Melbourne Hawthorn Royal Park Melbourne Kew Melbourne Richmond Carlton Dandenong Malvern Melbourne Prahran Warrnambool Narreen Caulfield Kew Geelong Dandenong East Melbourne Heatherton South Yarra Sale Marong Hamilton Seymour Castlemaine Mooroopna Hawthorn Kyneton Kyneton advertisements. ESTABLISHED 1842. 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HONEYCOMB COMPANY LIMITED. Registered Office— MILLER STREET, NORTH FITZROY. Honey Cellars— QUEEN STREET (S doors from Collins Street.) oust Salb- WHITE COMB HONEY, in Boxes, AND DRAWN HONEY, in Tins, Warranted Pure ; also, “SIMPLICITY” HIVES, AND ALL APIARIAN REQUISITES. MARS MILLER, Secretary. STRONG SWARMS FOR SALE. BEES, BOX and CONTENTS, To he delivered per Rail in Melbourne, in Fine Condition. PRICE: 30s. EACH— CASH. Address — JOSEPH MILLER, care of G. G. Brown and Co., 32 Collins Street West, Melbourne. Beekeepers' Special “LANGSTROTH HIVE” as fixed upon by the Victorian Bee Club. H. R. MURRAY, GENERAL AND ORNAMENTAL TURNER. DESIGNER, Modeller, Carpenter, Millwright, &c., 17 CLARENDON STREET, South Melbourne. Manufacturer of the “Langstroth,” also every other description of Hive, in any material, to order, on the supply of design and dimensions, at modern rates. H. R. M. is prepared to construct Houses, or wind-and- water-proof Breaks for Apiaries, both portable and fixed, in stone, brick, metal or wood. Pedestals and Venetian Blinds for Hives in similar materials. eat For New Specialities, see future advertisement. JAS. McEWAN & CO. HAVE IMPORTED FROM GEORGE NEIGHBOUR & SONS A SUPPLY OF THEIR IMPROVED BEEHIVES, For taking Honey without the destruction of the Bees, and ask all Beekeepers to call and inspect them. EC I V" ESI (LANGSTROTH) Nos. 1, 2, and 3, made up or in the flat. Honey Extractors, Bee Smokers, Section Boxes, and all appliances for Modern Beekeeping. Practical information given to Beginners. COMB FOUNDATION. ITALIAN QUEENS AND BEES A SPECIALITY. I manufacture the Comb Foundation only from pure and natural coloured wax. HIGHEST PRICE GIVEN FOR BEESWAX. COMMON BEES BOUGHT. LLOYD’S ITALIAN APIARY, DUNDAS PLACE, ALBERT PARK, South Melbourne. CHILIS HILL & CO. FOR FURNITURE CARPETS, CURTAINS, FLOORCLOTHS, BEDSTEADS, BEDDING. THE BEST SELECTION IN AUSTRALIA OF MODERATE PRICED FURNISHINGS. PROCURE CULLIS HILL & CO.’S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE & PRICE LIST. TERMS ARRANGED IF NECESSARY. Price Sixpence I 3tt clb ottt'ttc : PUBLISHED BY FERGUSSON & MITCHELL, } 25 lSr» 27 COLLINS STREET WEST, 1 FEBRUARY, 1886. ■.■a. ■ ■■ g.ia xxj, - -; ■IKlI SlfrravKmC'' ^JfU^ i S Or N 1 wm' ssibi & § PAGE. 25 Editorial Notices, onfeat‘^ Proceedings op Beekeepers’ Societies Original Contributions Correspondence New Books, Reviews, and Extracts Notes and News Queries and Replies page. 37 41 44 46 47 48 NOTICE. SCALE OF CHARGES FOR The Australian Beekeeper^ Journal, published by Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. Can be obtained from all booksellers. Subscribers who wish to have the Journal posted direct, can do so on sending their Subscription to Editors, care of Fergusson and Mitchell, Collins Street West, and may rely on quick despatch after publication. Annual Subscription 6s., postage paid. Single Copy, Sixpence. Special terms to Beekeepers’ Associations. ADVERTISEMENTS. Single Column— Inch of Space . . Half Column . . Whole Column Double Column— Quarter Page .. .. . 0 15 0 Half Page . . .18 0 Whole Page . . . . • ■ 2 10 0 £ s. d. 0 4 0 0 15 0 1 8 0 All communications to be sent to the Editors, care of Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. Special terms for continuous advertise- ments. THE LANGSTROTH HIVE As adopted by the Victorian Beekeepers’ Club, and Manufactured by Messrs. BAGNALL BROS., New Zealand; also Artificial Comb Foundations, from the Matamata Apiary, N.Z. Can be ordered and obtained from JOHN HATCH, 46 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Office and Store in Courtyard at rear. EDEY’S IMPROVED METAL ENDS For spacing the Frames in the Hive, so that they are exactly one and a half inches centre to centre ; will fit Langstroth or British Association Frames. PRICE Is. 3d. PER DOZ., 13s. 6d. PER GROSS. To be obtained from S. B. CROAD, DEGRAYES STREET, PARKYILLE. H. NAVEAU, APICULTURIST, HAMILTON, HAS ON SALE — Italian Queens and Bees, Comb Foundation Wax and Honey. Comb Honey in Sections, extracted in one pound tins and in bulk. FERGUSSON & MITCHELL, Manufacturing Stationers, j^RINTERS AND j-,UBLISHERS, 25 and 27 Collins Street West. THE ustralian icclutpcrs JOURNAL. Yol. I— No. 4] MARCH, 1886. [Price 6d. PROCEEDINGS of BEEKEEPERS’ SOCIETIES. Victorian Beekeepers' Club. An ordinary meeting of the Club was held at the Exchange, Collins-street West, on 16th February, at 8 p.m„ about twenty members present, and Mr. Ellery in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr. F. B. Miller inquired why it was that in two hives that had produced three swarms each, the bees finally deserted, leaving combs, and in the centre of one a patch of sealed brood dead, and dark coloured ; no sealed brood in any other comb. A conversa- tion ensued, and members considered these cases of queenlessness through failure to raise queen after last swarm had left. Mr. Miller also inquired how to prevent bees sealing tops of frames to bottoms of section boxes. The Chairman asked what space there was. Reply : Three-quarters of an inch. He said if more than a quarter of an inch or five-sixteenths at most was left, bees were sure to build comb in it, and that space should be reduced to quarter of an inch. Conversation on bee plants then ensued, and Mr. Reeves read an extract from a foreign journal, speaking of “ Sedum Sieboldii” as an excellent plant. One member found his bees visiting the Portulacs largely, and another had seen them working on Gazanias. Other members stated they did not see their bees on these flowers. A question as to best method of starting bees storing in glass shade, or cover, was asked. The Chairman explained, and advised starters of foundation arranged radially round the central ventilating tube. The Chairman then related his experience of an attack of foul brood in his apiary, and his mode of treatment. In one case Jones’ method was tried successfully, and in two cases Cheshire’s method was being carried out, apparently with equal success. Mr. Barton related an instance that had just come under the notice of an absent member, of field mice getting into a hive. The bees swarmed out four times consecutively and finally absconded. On examination, two field mice were found domiciled in the hive. Mr. Grant exhibited a piece of drone comb in which eggs had been deposited ; in every cell there were two or three, and in many five or six deposited. He could not find any queen in the stock, and presumed this was a case of fertile worker. He proposed to unite the bees to a thriving stock with young queen. The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m. South Australian Beekeepers' A ssociation. The usual monthly meeting was held at the Chamber of Manufactures, on Thursday, 4th February, Mr. S. Randall in the chair. One new member was elected. Judges for honey, wax, beekeepers’ appliances, to be exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Show in March were appointed as follow: — For bees, Messrs. Dollman and Ferrell and Dr. Poulton ; for appliances, Messrs. James, Solomon, and Clough; for bee products, Hon. R. D. Ross and Messrs. Conigrave and Page. 38 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. PAPER. Mr. August Fiebig having prepared a paper upon “ The Various Races of Bees and their Peculiarities, as observed by an Apiarian,” in German, the same was translated by Mr. J. H. Weidenhofer and read as follows : — THE COMMON BLACK OR NORTH GERMAN . BEE. In 1855, in Silesia,' on the persuasion of a friend who had presented me with a small artificial swarm of bees, I commenced apicul- ture ; much to my sorrow, however, the young queen was lost on her wedding flight, and the colony became extinct. Subsequently a generous neighbour presented me with another swarm, which unquestionably was one of the most common black or North German bees. These inhabit Northern Europe, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the Crimea, Northern Asia, Guinea, Cape of Good Hope, and America. Ihe remarkable fact of this race appearing in Guinea and the Cape may be attributed to their having been brought there by Europeans in former times. This race of bees is strong and quiet. The abdomen is perfectly black, and the segments are covered with hair of a light-grey colour. Very seldom does this race swarm more than once, and never more than twice in a season. They increase later in the season, like all other races, and are therefore not profitable in localities where there is an early flow of honey ; but in districts where the honey season is late, and the colony in the meantime has numerically increased, the result has been highly satisfactory. They are not much inclined to sting, but when irritated they can become very vicious. The queen differs in colour from the workers, being black-and-brown, and as a rule of large size, there are still some beemasters wiio give this black bee the preference over all others. In order to procure a rapid increase in my apiary (all beginners are anxious to quickly have a large number of colonies) I was recommended to try THE HEATH BEES. I obtained in 1857 two colonies of these. They are more slender in bodily construction, and the segments on the abdomen are covered with hair of a somewhat lighter colour than the black bees, lhey are only a variety of black bees ; in fact, they are hardly ‘dis- tinguishable from them. The queens differ similarly in colour — black and brown — and are famous for their fecundity. Their diligence leaves nothing to be desired. On the “least provocation this race stings with a zeal that also leaves nothing to be desired ; they also sting while in the act of swarming, which other bees are not known to do. There are, however, some very.),' tame bees of this race. One of my colonies was fairly quiet, but the other was a thorough satan. The circuit of distribution is very limited : they are to be found in Liineburger Heide, Oldenburg, Holstein, and Schleswig. The beekeepers in these districts use the round straw skeps, and their dexterity in handling the bees in these old- fashioned hives is interesting to witness. With feeding and skilful treatment they develop the colonies to such an extent that in fourteen days all have completed swarming, and shortly afterwards, when the heather commences to bloom, all the colonies are strong. Those who leave the Heath bees to their natural inclinations will certainly obtain many swarms, but very little honey; they swarm as long as there are any bees left in the hive. This race is adapted to professional apiarians only. The usual increase in colonies of Heath bees is about 200 per cent. ; in autumn two-thirds are generally destroyed, and only the best (not those with most honey,) those with a numerous young population and honey sufficient to last them through the winter, are selected and kept. The bees in South Australia are mostly descendants of the Heath bees. THE CARNIOLEANS. In autumn, 1858, I received two queens of the then newly discovered Carniolean bees, from the province of Carniolea, in Austria. I introduced them into two strong colonies, and awaited with anxiety the advent of spring. My expectations concerning their gentleness were fully realised; their fertility is marvellous, and their inclination for swarming as great as the Heath bee. Their appearance pleased me better than the latter ; the first two or three bands on the body have a dark-brown glitter, and the seg- ments are covered with quite white down. Young bees when on first flight have the appearance of having been smothered with flour. Their flight is quick and good, but what they gather they utilise for brood. They breed extensively till late in autumn. The queens are of a reddish-brown colour, and many a beautiful bright orange, similar to the best North Italian queens. Neither the Heath bees nor the Carnioleans satisfied me. By this time I had heard of THE BEAUTIFUL ’[ITALIAN BEES (known in South Australia and America as Ligurian bees,) of which I ordered and received in spring, 1859, my first queen bee from Herr Dathc, of Eistrup, Hanover, and two from Signor Mona, in Bellinzona, Italy. To my disappointment the twro queens from Italy were useless for queen-breeding, and only the ono from Herr THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 39 Rathe was good for that purpose ; I used those from Italy for drone-breeding. The trouble, labour, and amount of money my experience had cost me I need not" here mention, still I was not content, because I had seen handsomer bees at my venerable tutor’s (Dr. Dzierzon, in Carlsmarkt, Silesia.) I was determined not to rest until I procured a queen of his strain. Finally, in 1861, I received a promise that in August a queen would be ready for me. (A whole year in advance all queens had been bespoken, such was the demand.) When the time arrived I paid the doctor a visit and received a splendid queen. About this time Baron von Hruschka (the inventor of the honey-extractor,) in Dole, near Venice, had an extensive apiary, and from him Rr. Bzierzon had imported his first colony ; from that time these really handsome bees were sent to Germany in large quantities. The bees from North Italy have the first bands round the body of a deep orange colour, and are unevenly marked ; those from Venice have three handsome golden-yellow bands, and are evenly marked. The famous old Roman poet Virgil praised the golden-yellow bee in one of his poems, who says : — “ There are two sorts of honey-gatherers ; the one is of a reddish colour, and their honey is not of a particularly good quality; the other is clad in ‘ golden yellow,’ and gather only nectar and ambrosia.” But to return from this digression. There is a decided difference between the queens from North and Central Italy. Seldom does one rear from the former a yellow queen without any black markings, as invariably the bands are of a dark tint, and two or three bands from the point of the tail are black, the best having a black spot on the second, third and fourth band ; whereas, from the golden- yrellow variety, with a good queen, mostly quite yellow queens are obtained, the others having only a dark shade on the point of the tail . The handsomer the queen the handsomer will be her progeny, and the better do I like them. The Italian bees are the best honey-gatherers ; they contract the brood earlier than any others and drive out the drones earlier when requisite. When the honey is coming in freely they contract the brood, somewhat more than the apiarian desires ; it is in such a case that they require watching. They are on the flight early and late when there is anything to gather. The fertility of the queens is always regulated according to the strength of the colony, and still they increase quickly. The gentleness of these handsome bees is generally admitted, although if irritated they can also sting ; in such case they are, however, easily calmed with a little smoke. In Germany pure Italian bees rarely swarm. In the Australian Colonies I believe, after they have been acclimatised they will be more inclined to swarm. On a sunny day it is a treat to see a strong colony of young Ligurians when practising flying in front of the hive, the rays of the sun shining on their bright-coloured bands, giving them the appearance of golden sparks darting in the air. En passant, I have reared Italian bees in Germany until my departure for this Colony, about three years ago ; I had fifty-five colonies, all uniformly handsome bees. It is a remarkable fact that the bees existing in North Italy are of a deep orange, while those in central Italy are of a bright golden-yellow colour, and in Southern Italy they are black. The Italians appear to be a cross between the black and the Egyptian bees. This has been confirmed by Herr Vogel, of Lehmann- shofel, editor of the Eichstadtor Bee Journal, and one of the ablest beemasters, who, under the auspices of the Berlin Acclimatisation Society, has proved it by experimenting with these races. The handsomest, most gentle, and most industrious Italians are bred by Dr. Dzierzon, Rathe, Gravenhorst, and several others. They exceed in their several qualities those imported from Italy. The most beauti- ful bees I have seen, but which I have not yet bred, are THE EGYPTIAN BEES, which are considerably smaller than the North German and Italian bees. The first bands are bright yellow, and the breast is of the same colour ; the other bands have a black lustre ; the hair on the breast and segments is perfectly white. The queens are yellow, almost transparent, and their breast of a blood- red colour. The Egyptians are very vicious, and when irritated are so savage that it is impossible to handle them, and they cannot be pacified. A special peculiarity about this race is that in some colonies, in addition to a fertile queen, there are several queens of a smaller size which do not mate. Nevertheless, they lay eggs which develop into drones. The bees, as before mentioned, are small, build thirty-six cells to the square inch, and are not very industrious. For purposes of crossing they are very valuable. After several cross- ings with the black bees they will develop the finest Italians. In 1864 the first Egyptians were imported into Germany, and handed to the before-named Herr Vogel for experiment- ing. This race is to be found in Egypt, Arabia, Syria, and China. CYPRIAN BEES. “ Cyprians over the whole world,” writes a good German beemaster, and this praise is owing to their reputed excellent yield of honey. To describe this race : they are" in size about THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. the same as the North Germans and Italians, appear to be somewhat more powerful, but build the same sized cells. Their colour is similar to the best Italians, and their breast is also of a yellow tinge; the hair on the breast, body, and segments is yellow and white. Their fertility is notorious, and their inclination to swarm exceeds even that of the Heath bee and Carniolean ; their rage when stinging is not so great as that of the Italians, but they are more irritable than any other race. They are to be found in Southern France, Sicily, Caucasus, and the islands and capes of Asia Minor, The best coloured are those on the Island of Cyprus, from whence they were imported about fifteen years ago by Count Kolowrat (an enthusiastic amateur beekeeper in Bohemia and Austria,) and subsequently the race spread to Germany. I could not determine to breed them myself on account of their vieioua- ness. At an Exhibition of the German General Beekeepers’ Association several colonies were on view, and it was impossible for me to open a single hive without instantly having bit face and hands full of stings. It is pos- sible they may have become excited from the transport, but such was not the case with the Carniolean and Italians, about which hundreds of persons were standing and watching without being stung. No one dared to go near the Cyprians. The Syrian bees are a variety of Cyprians, and have the same peculiarities ; in appearance they are similar to the Egyptians, and, if anything, exceed them in beauty. In my opinion the praise of the Cyprians is undoubtedly exaggerated. That they sting more than the Italian and German bees is admitted by their most ardent admirers. From my experience the Italians are the tamest, and are as handsome as the Cyprians. The Palestine or Holy Land bees are only another variety of Cyprians; they are as bad tempered as the Egyptians, but not so prettily marked ; in size they are about the same as the Egyptians. THE CAUCASIAN BEES are also a variety of Cyprians. Those imported into Germany vary very much. Most of the queens produce unevenly marked and coloured bees. In my opinion this race has no great future before it, although they have been propagated by a good beemaster (Herr Dathe, jun„ of Eistrup, Hanover.) Their gentleness is spoken of in laudatory terms, and it is said they can hardly be provoked to sting. Some colonies, however, sting as much as the Cyprian. This race was introduced to notice by the Russian Minister of State in Petersburg!! in 1880. As I have now described nearly all known races and varieties of bees, I will classify them as follows, viz. : — Primitive races created by nature)—!, Northern German, or black bee ; 2, Egyptian bee. Secondary races— 1, Italian; 2, Cyprian ; 3, Syrian. The secondary races have sprung up from voluntary crossings in ancient times of the primitive races. The Heath bee and Carnioleans are varieties of the Northern German, from which they can be distinguished only by a cultured eye. In conclusion, I cannot allow this oppor- tunity to pass without alluding to Dr. Dzierzon and his introduction to the notice of the world of the Italian bee. It was reserved for Dr. Dzierzon, the veteran bee enthusiast, to raise the culture of bees to a science. As early as the year 1842 he introduced to the public the movable comb. On 14th February, 1853, he received the first colony of Italian bees from Mira, near Venice. Through experiments with these bees and close observation he noticed that the queen laid all the eggs, and that the drone eggs were also laid by her, but were not impregnated. Persons interested would not believe that a living being could develop from an unimpregnated egg. The worthy doctor, however, proved this. One of the greatest beemasters at that time, Baron von Berlepseh (the inventor of the movable bar frame,) in 1855 was the greatest opponent to this theory, but in a short time became the greatest advocate of the doctrine. Eminent men of science, such as Professors Siebold, Leuckardt, and others interested themselves in the enquiry, and they scientifically con- firmed the doctor’s discovery in every par- ticular, not one iota being refuted. We owe our thanks to Dr. Dzierzon for introducing the Italian bee, and through whose keen powers of observation we have been enligh- tened in bee culture, and are enabled to develop the natural adaptations of the bee to the profitable industry of humane bee culture. In a discussion which followed, Mr. Fiebig explained that the Italians were, in his opinion, a cross betw’een the Egyptians and the black bees. He thought the Ligurians were best adapted for use in South Australia — the hybrids were too vicious. If left to pro- miscuous breeding, the bees will revert to the old black type, or perhaps the Egyptian, but the stinging power was not lost. It was pointed out that Langstroth was the inventor of the movable frame, but Dr. Dzierzon first used a simple bar at the top, to which the bees built their combs, and these had to be cut away from the sides of the hives. Several members expressed their appreciation of the useful information conveyed by the paper, and the meeting then separated. THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 41 ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS. Management of Bees in Boxes. ( Continued from Page 20.) It is quite possible to cure foul brood even in a box hive by adopting Mr. Cheshire’s plan of pouring medicated syrup over the combs. If any one would try it, the following plan may be recommended. Prepare some syrup made rather thin, one pound of sugar to the pint of water would do, put into each pint of such syrup 25 grains of pure phenol (pure carbolic acid in colourless crystals ) and shake up thoroughly. Now smoke the bees slightly, turn up the box, and hold it so that the combs are inclined a little. If the medicated syrup is poured gently on the sides of the brood combs thus exposed, it will run slowly over the cells and much will drip into them, the rest will trickle among the bees, and be taken and stored by them for feeding the larvse. Of course, some care will be necessary to avoid smothering a lot of bees, but if the hive is properly inclined and the syrup allowed to trickle down towards the top of the combs, over their whole breadth, it will be easy to dispose of a wineglass full on each of the combs tenanted by brood, without drowning or smothering a single bee. The nurse bees use this food for the young grubs, and it soon kills all disease germs, healthy bees are hatched, and the foul decayed brood becoming disinfected, and in a great measure deodorised, is soon cleared away by the bees, which seem to have new life instilled into them as healthy brood increases. It will be necessary to repeat this operation several times, at intervals of a few days ; in three weeks the stocks should regain some- thing of their proper life and vigour. Some of the Continental beekeepers fumigate the diseased hives with the smoke of dried thyme, and it is stated that they have very good success by this method. ” In this way, Thymol, the essential principle of the thyme, does the same work in the shape of vapour, and no doubt Thymol would do as well as phenol, but the latter is the cheapest and most easily obtainable. Nevertheless, thyme fumi- gation is an easy process, and one Victorian apiarist assures me he has succeeded well with it. Foul brood is a very contagious disease, and spreads from stock to stock very readily j perhaps by robber bees carrying the germs from one hive to another, or, as Mr. Cheshire suggests, bees from the infected hive carrying the disease germs sticking to the minute hairs of their feelers (antennae) from flower to flower, most probably leave some behind, which are accidentally picked up by bees from other hives, and so the disease spreads. It is very essential then, to keep bees from healthy hives away from combs, honey, or boxes of diseased stocks, and the following precautions should always be taken : — After handling a diseased stock, or even its hive, touch no other stock till your hands are well washed. If you use gloves, use a special pair for diseased hives, and never by any chance use them in handling healthy ones, unless you disinfect them first by diluted carbolic acid. Never by any chance leave ever so small a piece of comb from a foul brood stock so that other bees can get at it. Everything that has belonged to a foul broody hive should be disinfected or destroyed directly the bees have been moved out. Before treating a stock with syrup, it would be well to move it away from other stocks if many bees are flying, as the odour of an upturned hive is almost sure to attract bees from neighbouring hives. The signs of returning vigour as the disease gets checked, are, greater activity of the bees generally, healthy young bees appearing out- side on warm days, and if the brood combs can be seen, it will be found that all the young grubs look a bright pearly white, and not the pale stone-colour white presented when they are getting diseased — all sealed cells have their covers standing well up above the surface of the combs, and the hive itself no longer giving off the faint sickly odour of rotting brood. This disease is even now much dreaded by apiarists, and no wonder, for before the modern methods of treatment were discovered, it was no uncommon thing to hear of 20, 50 or 100 stocks having been lost in one year. Dr. Dzierzon, in Germany, once lost 500 stocks by this disease, which he was powerless to arrest. But it may now be considered a controllable disease, but one that should be always watched for, especially when taking new stocks into your apiary, and promptly dealt with immediately the first signs appear. We will now return to consider what had best be done in such a case as 'the first hive examined, and where the bees were found to be queenless. It has already been stated that a new queen should be introduced or the bees united to some thriving stock. The course to be followed must depend uponjwhat resources the beekeeper has at his command. If he have a hive preparing for swarming, he would perhaps be able to cut out a mature queen cell and insert it into a comb of the queenless stock, or he may have a spare queen, or a weak stock with a laying queen. If he has a spare queen (one that has been laying) he can easily introduce it, but without some precautions 42 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. the bees might decline her presence and encase her and eventually kill her. To prevent this, it is usual to put the queen in a fine wire cage and stick this cage on to a central comb in the queen less hive. After twenty -four hours the bees will have got accustomed to her, and will feed her through the wires, and when let out she will generally be received with all signs of respect; if, however, they cluster around her, run over her, bite her, and behave disrespectfully, generally, cage her again for another twenty- four hours, when she will be almost sure to be well received. The bees should be well smoked when the cage is put in, and also when the queen is released. Smoking slightly witlft tobacco is a good course to adopt, and some experienced American apiarists smoke both bees and queen with tobacco, and let the after smoking the bees, and sprinkle them with the same syrup. Give them a second smoking, and shake all the bees on to the sheet as close to the new hive as possible. They will soon hear the hum of the bees in the hive, and will commence to crawl up the sheet and enter. Being scented like the others they are not met as enemies, and are kindly received. If many bees stick among the combs of the Queenless hive, the heavy ones should be cut out and the box well shaken , when they can nearly all be jerked out on to the sheet and the uniting completed. Poisonous Honey. By W. R. Guilfoyle, F.L.S., Director Melbourne Botanic Gardens. queen run in at the door without any caging. The cage is made of a piece of 'fine wire net, bent up about the size and shape ef half an egg, with a tin rim soldered to make T ie edge even, and enable it to be forced into the comb to hold it in position. A wire net pipe- cover does very well, if clean. It should be fixed over cells filled with honey, so that the queen can get at food till the bees begin to feed her. But suppose no queen is available, but queen cells sealed up and looking well matured can be got from some of the hives, the proper course is to cut out a full-sized one, with about a square mch of comb attached, now being careful not to shake or squeeze or in any way bruise the cell, flatten out the comb above the cell with the finger and thumb, and if properly done this will enable you to pin the cell on to one of the central combs as high up between them as possible. Make a small pin or skewer from hard wood, and stick it through the flattened comb above the queen cell, and then on to the comb of the queenless hive, with the pin inclined in such a way that when the hive is put on its stand the cell will hang down in its natural position and will be safe from falling or coming off the pin. The bees will soon fasten it up and take care of it till the queen hatches. If the beekeeper decides to unite his queen- less stock to some other, the following course is recommended : — If the queenless hive and the one to which it is to be united are pretty close together, they may be united at once. Towards evening turn up the hive with the queen and sprinkle the combs and bees with thin syrup scented with essence of pepper- mint, then get a white cloth or sheet and place it in front of the hive ; raise the hive and place one edge of the sheet under it, putting a small wedge or stone under each of the front corners'' so that there is plenty of room for the bees to*" crawl in. Now turn up the Queenless hive, Is there such a thing as poisonous honey in Australia? The only authenticated case I can call to mind of any person being poisoned by eating honey, is that of a boy who was sup- posed to have been poisoned by eating honey at a place called Burragorang, in N.S.W., about eighteen years ago, and even that case was not clearly substantiated. That the boy had eaten a quantity of honey, and that ho died shortly afterwards, was not disputed, but whether the latter was in consequence of the former was not proved. And even granting that it were, it does not follow that the honey of which he had partaken was poisonous. It might have been that he had eaten it to excess, and had died of surfeit or gastric fever, as a King of England did of a surfeit of lam- preys, and as persons have done before and since, of over-eating of the most innocuous things. Again, his death might have arisen from that idiosyncrasy in his constitution, which some medical men — Kirby and Spence to wit — inform us prevents some persons eating honey or even drinking mead without experiencing serious, and, it may be, fatal effects. The question is undoubtedly one of great importance, and one which really deserves careful consideration at the hands of apiculturists, first with a view to discover whether it is possible for poisonous honey to exist amongst us, and then, supposing it to be so, to find a means of determining which is sound and which is baneful honey, and if possible, to ascertain a preventive to its being made, or, at least, an antidote to its ill effects in the event of its being used. It has been said, and I believe it to be quite true, that in certain parts of America the Rhus Venenata, or “ Poison-Sumach,” or “ Poison- Elder,” and other species of the order Huacardiacece (a family of plants which I Lave already grouped together in the gardens,) not unfrequently causes the death of whole THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 43 swarms of bees through their merely alighting on their branches, and it is certainly true that few people can handle or even touch some of these plants with impunity, the hands and arms, and sometimes the whole body becom- ing swollen and very painful and inflamed. The Nerium Oleander, too, is known to be dangerously poisonous. Of this plant it is related by Dr. Lindley that a party of French soldiers at Madrid, in 1809, died through having used some branches of the shrub for spits and skewers for their meat when roast- ing, and he gives a well authenticated case of a child having died by eating some of the flowers. Then various genera of Erieacete are said to be injurious to honey ; the Azalea (“ A. Pontica, or Rhododendron Ponticum,”) from whose flowers the bees of Pontus collected the honey that produced the extraordinary symptoms of poisoning described by Xenophon as having attacked the Greek soldiers in the famous retreat of the ten thousand, where the historian narrates that after eating it the men fell stupefied in all directions, so that the camp looked like a battle-field covered with corpses. All of the Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Andro- medas, Ericas, and others of the same order, may be looked upon with suspicion, as giving poisonous quality to honey. But none of these plants arc indigenous to Australia, though they are quite common in our gardens everywhere. The place of the Ericaceae is supplied by by the “ Epacrideee,” or Native Heaths, which are rich in honey, and which certainly do not possess any noxious properties ; as may also be said of the numerous species of “ Myrta- ceous ” trees — the “ Eucalypti,” “ Melaleucas ” and “ Leptospermums ; ” and of the “ Legumi- nosse,” such as our acacias, &c., &c., so much in favour with bees. No doubt many plants which grow in profusion in Australia are poisonous, but it becomes a question whether in a country like this, where wholesome trees and shrubs grow and flower all the year round, a wise and cautious insect like the bee would so far lose its natural instincts as not to avoid those flowers which are inimical to itself. Therefore, I come to the conclusion, although I do not state it as an absolute fact, that however much the honey of other countries may be impregnated with deleter- ious qualities from the poisonous nature of the plants of which they are the habitat, there is little danger in this colony, where our native flora is so barren of the genera which is confessedly the cause of the mischief, of our producing anything in the nature of poisonous honey. However, as I have already said, the subject is one which is deserving of the attention of, and close investigation by, all beekeepers, and of those who take an interest, whether for pleasure or profit, in the delightful amusement or industry, as the case may be, of apiculture ; and if my remarks on the subject have the effect of inducing them to more narrowly study the habits of “ the busy bee,” and the effect of “every opening flower ” has on the “ sweet food she makes,” my object and aim will be amply served, and a question of no little moment to the sweet- toothed generation or the public at large set at rest. Hints on Beekeeping. By W. Abram, Manager Parramatta Bee Farm, N.S.W. WHY AND WHEN DO BEES STING? Bees use their sting only as a weapon of defence when they believe their home or their queen in danger, but in the field or garden amongst the flowers gathering their stores, they never sting, unless accidentally, if they get hurt or squeezed. How far away from their homes they are likely to sting cannot be exactly stated, as it depends a good deal on the weather, the constitution of the colony, the treatment they receive, &c. I have known bees, when irri- tated, to sting people and animals thirty yards away; but, at ordinary times, they are not likely to sting over ten yards from the hive, and this generally occurs from the hive having been shaken, or perhaps turned over, or getting in the direction of their flight, also if you strike at them or make hasty movements in your operations. If one bee has stung, the others get angry through the smell of the poison, as they are very sensitive in this respect. They dislike dogs from their quick movements, horses from their strong smell, also the human breath, and some persons are more offensive to them than others. If your hat or clothing is hairy, or smells, if the weather is cold, and the bees at rest and you disturb them, or if it is very warm and close, if they are queenless or without brood, and yet strong, if the young queen is out for impreg- nation, &c., they are more likely to sting. Sometimes one hive in its normal state is more irritable than another, and even for a time will not succumb to smoke. The effect of the sting is very different with different individuals. W ith most people there is considerable pain and swelling, while with others there does not seem to be any bad effect, which, I am happy to say, is the case with myself. It depends very much upon the blood, and although beginners may suffer a good deal at first, they soon get poison-proof, and stings affect them very slightly, or not at all ; but be that as it may, I would not wish to 44 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. have bees that would not sting, as every mischievous or meddling hoy would be disturb- ing them and pilfering their stores. Remedies such as ammonia, tobacco juice, common salt, &c., are recommended, but, as a rule, the pain is over in a few minutes, and it is doubtful whether anything will prevent the swelling in some cases. The best plan is to use a veil over the face when handling the bees, and to use a little smoke. It is surprising how quiet a puff of smoke will make the bees if used at the right time. Too much smoke of tobacco will make them worse, or stupefied and sick ; tobacco smoke acts on the bees very much as wine does on human subjects. It requires experience to find out how much to give and when to use it. For non-smokers a fumigator is very useful, and old cotton rags or rotten wood may be used in this, but woollen materials should always be avoided, as the smell is most offen- sive to bees, and makes them worse than anything else. Any material that has a bad smell should never be used. FEEDING BEES. I never feed my bees, and did not intend referring to this subject; but as I have had many enquiries in regard to the best food, I certainly recommended pure honey in prefer- ence to any sugar or syrup, and the simplest way (if you have some honey in the comb) is to put a frame into those hives that require it, then no robbery will occur ; but if comb- honey is not to be had, then feed with thin honey. When feeding is required to make up the winter store, give to an ordinary strong hive two or three pounds of honey at a time, putting it in late in the evening, and taking away any that may be left early in the morning ; but a strong colony should carry that much up in one night, if not too cool weather ; then repeat the supply till sufficient store is provided. In spring, in the warm weather when feeding is required, it is advis- able to mix one-third of water with the honey, as then the food is wanted for the young brood, giving half to one pound at a time, and repeat it three or four nights a week. This will make the bees increase rapidly, and strengthen them ; the thin food should be covered with grass or straw to prevent the bees being drowned. When honey, whether in comb or not, can be obtained it is by far the healthiest food for the bees, and quite as cheap as good sugar, and I am astonished to find, how some bee keepers prefer sugar or syrup ; it may be as good for the beeman, but certainly not for the poor bees, as nothing can equal their natural food which they alone can gather ; and a farmer might as well feed his cow on dry straw and water, and expect the same yield from her as if she were provided with good fresh clover or grass In conclusion, L recommend leaving a sufficient supply of honey in the hive, and if this has not been done and feeding must be resorted to, give nothing but good honey. DIARRHOEA. After the above article on feeding it may be well to make a few remarks upon diarrhoea, which occurs usually in the winter and early spring, when the bees do not fly out, and consequently cannot getrid of their excrements, or occasionally when the weather is too bad for them to leave their hives, they then eat too much honey and often swell out as if they were drowned — they die either inside or outside the hive ; but when the weather gets fine and they can get out every day the sickness soon disappears, and in a climate such as we have in Australia this disease should not occur, unless bad food has been given them, and they have been much disturbed during the winter. CORRESPONDENCE. (To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers' Journal.) Gentlemen, — I have to thank you for the copy of the initial number of your journal you kindly sent me, and to express my satisfaction at the evident progress you are making in apiculture, shown by the fact of your starting a journal devoted to the interests of the industry. You may enter me as a subscriber, and I wish you every success in your venture. With your permission, I should like to make a few remarks on two or three subjects I see touched upon in the number to hand. I must first state that 1 did not receive the copy till the beginning of this month, and being so busy I have been unable to write earlier. In your report of the meeting of the Victorian beekeepers’ Club, and also in a letter from “ Drone Comb,” the question of adopting a standard frame for Victoria is discussed, a question of the greatest importance to the bee- keeping industry. There appears to be a divided opinion upon the matter, some advoca- ting the Langstroth and others the British Standard frame. Without going over the ground I have so often gone before, that is, showing wherein the one frame is superior to the other, I may state that I have had THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 45 experience with different sized frames, varying from about the size of the British Standard, to others both larger and deeper than the Langstroth, but I find the latter to be the most convenient and best I have yet tried. I have now been using the Langstroth (ten frame) hive for the past seven years, and at the present time have 250 in use, and I have not the slightest wish to change. There are, moreover, two or three other beekeepers in this colony, of some considerable experience, who have had both the British Standard and Langstroth hives in use side by side, who have finally adopted the latter. Hives may of course be made to take any number of frames desired, but a ten frame hive appears to me to be as near the requirements fur Australasia as possible, though if I were making any alteration I would have them to contain twelve frames instead of ten — -the space inside can always be contracted by division boards to accommodate a small colony, or for wintering purposes if necessary. With regard to a central vertical bar to strengthen the frames, I have never found the need of them, and have never had one in use. If tiie frames are made of f inch, well seasoned, straight grained, sound material, as they should be, there need not be any fear of sagging. “ Drone Comb ” gives the best of reasons in the fourth paragraph of his letter why the Langstroth frame should be adopted as a standard, although he seems not to advocate it himself; but what he means by admitting “ that the Langstroth hive is the best,” and then wanting it “ made to fit the British Standard frame,” I am at a loss to understand. The principal features of the Langstroth hive, for which it has always stood pre-eminent, and upon which the Rev. Mr. Langstroth spent so much time and study in perfecting, are its particular dimensions; now alter these, and you no longer have the Langstroth hive. Knowing what I do of the Langstroth frame, as com- pared with other sizes, I would certainly advise the Victorian Beekeepers’ Club to adopt it. There is just one more item in “ Drone Comb’s ” letter I wish to refer to, that is, the “ metal ends ” for spacing frames he mentions. My advice is, don’t use it unless you wish to be put to a lot of bother, and are prepared t® use “dummies” in your hives. Frames should have play to move laterally for convenience of removing them from the hive ; now, if they have spacing pieces attached to them, a dummy or false side must be used, which has first to be removed to give room for moving the first frame, whereas the ordinary" frames allow of being moved a little either way, so as to give room to remove any of the central frames without trouble. The writer has had experience with spacing pieces, and desires to have no more. If H. Naveau, when he is making nuclei, will place in the nucleus hives a good pro- portion of emerging brood and close the entrances to them to confine the bees for from forty-eight to seventy-two hours before he gives them their liberty, he will not have any trouble with chilled brood through the bees deserting the nuclei. The hives, of course, must be well ventilated, and be kept — while the bees are confined — in a cool, dark place Trusting that these hints will be taken in the same spirit in which they are given, I am, &c., APIS. 27th January, 1886. P.S. — We are having a very fair season throughout New Zealand, although we could do very well with rain. There will be a good quantity of honey raised here this season. I shall have close on or quite 10 tons from 200 hives — 100 lbs. per hive, a very fair average. I am not in one of the best districts for honey either — some have done much better than that. Foul Brood. (7o the Editor of the Australian Beekeepers' Journal.) Sir, — Having been troubled a good deal by that dreaded pest, foul brood, it may not be uninteresting to some of your readers to relate my limited experience of it. About fourteen months ago I bought several stocks of bees, in common boxes. These I transferred to bar-frame hives (British Stand- ard.) For some time they did well, filling sections rapidly ; one hive, No. 1, in particular doing remarkably well, it being much the strongest, until about the end of January, when the bees began to decrease in numbers, the sections filling much more slowly, although the hive next to it was doing as well as ever. I may here state that up to this time I had never seen a case of foul brood, although I had read a good deal about it. Matters went on this way until the end of the season, when the section trays were removed, disclosing a terri- ble state of things, the sheets of comb being literally rotten with foul brood, leaving scarcely any clean cells for breeding purposes. I removed and destroyed all the frames con- 46 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. taining the diseased comb, leaving the two outside frames, they being filled with sealed honey, and replaced with new frames and full sheets of foundation comb, which the bees soon worked out and rapidly filled with honey, and brood looking beautifully healthy, and I began to congratulate myselt on having got rid of the disease very easily, but was not long in finding out my mistake, for, as the first batch of brood hatched out, there remained about one-third of the cells still closed, which, upon examination, proved the disease to be still at work in the hive. As it was getting late, I decided to leave them till the following season, and make a fresh start, and in September I removed the bees to a new Langstroth hive, with full sheets of foundation, the old hive being as badly diseased as ever, and the bees very weak, but not discouraged. They set to work again, and gradually increased in strength, and is now one of the strongest hives I have. By this time all the other hives, about sixteen, including one Ligurian and one hybrid stock, were badly diseased. They were all treated in the same way. Some of them being very weak were united, until the number was reduced to ten, all of which are now clean. Occasionally a diseased cell or two will appear, but I find very little trouble in keeping them healthy by applying to each affected cell, with a glass syringe, a small quantity of carbolic acid (Calvert’s,) and spraying the combs with a spray producer and a mixture of warm srrup, with 1-400 of the acid, and also feeding with syrup 1-500 — which I find the bees take freely when honey is not plentiful, but when it is they will not touch it in the feeders, but if poured out over the combs they gather it up readily; the absolute phenol (Calvert’s No. 1,) used by Mr. Frank Cheshire, I have not been able to procure in Melbourne, so have been using carbolic acid by the same maker, which I am told is one and the same thing, and can be had, together with the syringe and spray producer, at any chemist’s, the two latter at one shilling each. All frames from diseased hives should be burnt up, and the hive thoroughly scoured with a strong solution of carbolic acid, or destroyed with the frames. Gloves, smoker, or other appliances, also, should be disinfected after manipulating a diseased stock before going to a clean one, as I am convinced, with my limited experience, that too much care cannot be taken to prevent the spread of this terrible scourge, for if once introduced into an apiary it is certain to spread through every stock, whether Italian, black or hybrid. Kew. T. H. GRANT. Notices to Correspondents. In reply to Mr. David Ratcliffe’s letter in our third number, we may inform him : — That common White Box is one of the Eucalyptus tribe, its botanical name being “ Eucalyptus Leucoxylon.” It is considered a good honey producer. Seeds of the American Basswood and Fig- wort can be obtained from Mr. J. M. Lloyd (see advertisement on last leaf) Dundas Place, South Melbourne. It is difficult to prevent bees building combs joining tops of frames to bottoms of section boxes. If the space is not more than a quarter of an (inch, and the bottom of the section boxes or section box frames are slightly greased, very little trouble will he experienced. Some use perforated zinc honey boards and other contrivances. See reply to query 15. NEW BOOKS, REVIEWS AND EXTRACTS FROM [FOREIGN JOURNALS. The Australasian Bee Manual , by Hopkins. We have been favoured with a perusal of an advance copy of this new Bee Manual, and have come to the conclusion that it is an excellent work, which fully meets a rapidly- growing requirement for a bee book adapted to Australasian conditions. The Manual is an imposing and well-finished volume, about the size of Professor Cook’s American Manual. The typography, engra- vings, paper and general get-up are highly creditable to the publishers, and, as regards the subject matter and arrangement, we have something more to say. Of course it would be impossible now- a-days to write a book on bee management that did not contain much that is con- tained in other manuals, and we find a certain similarity and parallelism among all treatises on bee culture. In the Australasian Manual Mr. Hopkins has not hesitated to take the best from all the best bee books and magazines, fairly acknowledging the authors, and adapting and selecting to suit all the different conditions to which apiculture in Australasia must be subject, and which Air. Hopkins’ large experience in beekeeping in New Zealand enables him to do with consider- able authority. 47 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. The Manual opens with a carefully-written chapter on the history of beekeeping, and of the introduction of bees into Australia and New Zealand from Europe and America ; on the suitability of the climate and the flora of Australasia to beekeeping, &c. This is followed by a very interesting and exhaustive account of the different varieties of bees and their chief characteristics. For some years past many American and English apiculturists have devoted a good deal of attention to ascertaining the relative values of different varieties of bees and crosses between them as honey gatherers, breeders, &c., and Mr. Hopkins has given a summary of their experience in this direction, which will be valuable to beekeepers intending to try different races for themselves. The chapters on the apiary, hives, section boxes, extracting honey, comb foundation, manipula- tion, feeding, &c., are full, clear, and up to date in all the newest modes and contrivances. The chapters on transferring, swarming, dividing, &c., are excellent, and well repay the careful reader. The article on queen rearing in chapter 12, describes Alley’s method, which is probably now the method. This will he most valuable to the practical apiculturist, and is another evidence of the author’s good judgment in giving the most advanced, yet well-proved, methods. The same remarks apply even more forcibly to diseases of bees in chapter 16, where Mr. Cheshire’s mode of curing foul brood by feeding phenol, is given in extenso, with engravings of the microscopic appear- ances of the juices of bees afflicted with this disease, alongside of the new hive method of Mr. Smith, the starvation method of Mr. Jones, of Canada, and Mr. Bonney’s, of Ade- laide modification of Smith’s method, which will commend itself to all Australian bee- keepers. The remaining chapters are all equally satisfactory, clear in style, and very practical. We have tried to find some faults in the Manual, but have not succeeded suffi- ciently to satisfy our critical mood. We have therefore the pleasant duty of recommending this Manual as the newest and best bee book of the Southern Hemisphere, and indeed we may even venture to say the best bee book extant. It should find its way to the hands of every beekeeper in Australia ; its moderate price puts it within reach of the many, and possessing this Manual, a beekeeper in Aus- tralia will want no other. Mr. Hopkins is to be congratulated on the production of such an excellent, compendious, complete and practical book on Australasian Bee Culture, and we trust his venture may turn out as great a commercial success as it is a literary and scientific one. NOTES AND NEWS. Destroying Ants. — Although ants do not usually do much damage to strong stocks, they often become very annoying, and in some parts of Australia in dry season do certainly attack hives of bees. It will be always desirable, therefore, to destroy the nest of any found about an apiary. A very effectual method is to pour a little bi-sulphide of carbon (now largely used for suffocating rabbits) down each of the principal apertures of the nest, say about half a wineglass full in each. They seldom require a second dose, and the few ants which escape generally bring up the dead queens to the surface and decamp. Another effectual way is to sprinkle powdered corrosive sublimate (a very powerful poison) over the nests, and then water the surface slightly. A Cheap Wax Extractor. — The following is a description of a wax extractor, which has been doing excellent service. A tin vessel, eight inches diameter and ten inches high, with a bottom made of wire net, ten or twelve meshes to the inch, has three legs each three inches long, soldered to the bottom rim. This is put inside a common large tin billy, or any other boiler large enough to receive it, and to leave a little space all around it. Water is put into the billy until it nearly reaches the wire bottom of the extractor, the leg t of which keep it three inches above the bottom of the billy, which is put on a slow fire to boil. Now all old combs, fragments of wax, &c., can be dropped into the extractor, and the wax melts out very rapidly, and floats on the water, while the extractor retains all the refuse which must be from time to time emptied out ; and so must the wax if there is much to render down. If the water with the wax on top be poured into a tub of cold water it can be melted up into blocks again ready for the final cleaning. Beekeeping in Tasmania. — Although bee- keeping in boxes is largely carried on in Tasmania, and the yields, as a rule, are very good, the modern frame hive method of bee management does not appear to have gained much ground in this beautiful island. It is with pleasure, therefore, we see from para- graphs in the Hobart Mercury that an apiary has been established at Glenorchy, near Hobart, at the orchards and hop grounds of the Messrs. Wright (called the Marrinook Apiary,) where forty stocks of Italians are already established. From a later paper we find that Mr. T. Lloyd Hood, of Hobart, was the first to introduce the Ligurian bee into Tasmania, and supplied the Marrinook Apiary with some twenty stocks. Mr. Hood had an 48 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. enormous increase by s warms this season, and his apiary being in Hobart, it was scarcely expected he would gather any surplus honey ; but he states that from seven hives he has already gathered seventy lib. sections, and expects to make it up to one hundred by end of season. Latest Swarms. — Mr. Dabb, of Rraybrook, reports his last swarm on 24th January. ^A hive of Italians swarmed with us on 17th February. Ed. Beekeeping for Beginners. — To meet nu- merous requests from our subscribers, a series of articles on the first steps and principles of beekeeping will be commenced in our next number. Crawling Bees. — Most beekeepers who have ever worked at their hives late in the evening or at night, and even sometimes while shaking bees out of a box for re-hiving in broad day- light, know what crawling bees are ; and if they have profited by experience, will take care to tuck their trousers inside their boots, or at least tie up the bottoms, so as to prevent crawlers exploring up the legs. A bee-sting on any part of the surface not exposed to the sun and air is usually much more painful and lasting than those on the skin of the hands, face, or neck. After sundown, and in day- light when frightened or full of honey, bees crawl about on the ground a good deal, and take the first opportunity of crawling upwards ; and if the beekeeper’s legs are handy, they appear to prefer these objects for their ascent. Some time ago a Scotch friend of mine had a hive of bees sent to him from a distance ; they arrived after sundown, and he at once set to work to uncover them and put them on their stand, which he accomplished safely, and rejoined some friends in the parlour. After about ten minutes he jumped wildly from his seat and appeared to execute a few steps of a Highland fling, with appropriate yells, when his wife, alarmed, exclaimed, “ For God’s sake, what ails ye, Willie?” “Eh, there’s a dizen of thae beasts up my breeks, nepping ma legs like the vera deil ! ” He had omitted tucking the bottoms of his trousers into his boots, poor man. An American gentleman, looking at my bees one day, said, “ I used to handle bees — my sister kept about 120 hives, and one summer I was home from college she offered to give me some lessons in bee management. The first lesson was watch- ing her moving some bees from one hive to another, and I got my first four stings at that lesson. My second lesson was the next even- ing. Some bees she had put in a hive during the day were all swarming out at sundown, and she wanted me to help her with a dustpan and goosewing in scooping them up and getting them back in the hive. They were crawling all over the place. ‘ Don’t be afraid,’ she says; ‘ it is too late for them to fly.’ Well, I scooped away, and we got them all in ; but before I got indoors I found a lot had got up inside my pants, and were sticking in their red-hot needles every movement I made. I rushed into my room and took off my pants, but not before nine had had their vengeance on me. I got so bad and swollen all over that I had to get a doctor. He only laughed at me, and told me not to fool around bees at nigbt with my pants on ! On enquiry why my sister was not a fellow-sufferer, she replied , ‘ Oh, I tied my pants around my ankles.’ ’’ QUERIES AND REPLIES. Replies to Queries. To No. 14.— If you have no “ smoker,” make up a roll of old dry rags of any kind, old sacks or bagging do very well; make it up like a sausage ; by lighting one end of this it will smoulder and give out a lot of smoke, which can be blown by the mouth into the hive entrance, or down among the frames, or into common box hives. It is not difficult to improvise a smoker out of a tin canister, but as the bellows smokers are so much more effective and convenient, and by no means expensive, we advise every beekeeper to pro- cure one. Ed. To No. 1 5 . — Most beekeepers experience this difficulty, the chief cause of which is that too much space is left between the tops of the frames and the bottoms of the section boxes or section box frames. If the space is only just sufficient for bees to pass, say A of an inch, or a quarter at most, there will be very little fixing down with combs. Greasing the bottom of the section frames with sweet fat is recom- mended by Mr. Coleman in his paper in No. 3 of the Journal. Perforated zinc honey boards prevent it also. In the bee books several arrangements of the section box frames or racks are recommended to avoid this difficulty, but if section box frames are used which only leave five-sixteenths between the tops of hive frames and bottom of section frames, and these are placed so as to cover or break the openings between the hive frames, very little fixing will take place. Ed. ADVERTISEMENTS. ESTABLISHED 1842. 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NOW READY. ]fec jjfamuil,” AND COMPLETE GUIDE TO MODERN BEE CULTURE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. By ISAAC HOPKINS, MATAMATA, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND ; WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE “NEW ZEALAND BEE MANUAL.’’ THIRD EDITION — FOURTH THOUSAND. Crown 8vo, cloth ; 350 Pages ; 143 Illustrations. PRICE-SIX SHILLINGS POSTAGE. The most complete practical work on Apiculture yet published. PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. AGENTS— J. Hatch, 46 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne- A. W. Dobbie, Gawler Place, Adelaide ; and all BookI sellers. H. H. Haze & Co., Agents, High Street, Auckland, New Zealand. STRONG SWARMS FOR SALE. BEES, BOX and CONTENTS, To be delivered per Rail in Melbourne, in Fine Condition. PRICE: 30s. EACH— CASH. Address JOSEPH MILLER, care of G. G. Brown and Co. 32 Collins Street West, Melbourne. Beekeepers’ Special " LANGSTROTH HIVE” as fixed upon by the Victorian Bee Club. H. R. MURRAY, GENERAL AND ORNAMENTAL TURNER, DESIGNER, Modeller, Carpenter, Millwright, &c., 17 CLARENDON STREET, South Melbourne. Manufacturer of the “Langstroth,” also every other description of Hive, in any material, to order, "on the supply of design and dimensions, at modern rates. H. R. M. is prepared to construct Houses, or wind-and- vvater-proof Breaks for Apiaries, both portable and fixed, in stone, brick, metal or wood. Pedestals and Venetian Blinds for Hives in similar materials. &W For Few Specialities , see future advertisement. JAS. McEWAN & CO. HAVE IMPORTED FROM GEORGE NEIGHBOUR & SONS A SUPPLY OF THEIR IMPROVED For taking Honey without the destruction of the Bees, and ask all Beekeepers to call and inspect them. BEEKEEPING combined, with Profit and Pleasure. JM. LLOYD begs to announce that he has made arrange- • ments with several of the leading manufacturers in America, for the supply of Hives, Section Boxes, and all the latest ideas in Beekeeping. The Hives will be sold cheaper than any hives yet sold in Victoria ; packed in eases of 6 hives, guaranteed good materials and workman- ship. The Section Boxes will be packed in cases of 2,000 boxes each, and price will be 25 per cent. less than at present. For transhipment to other colonies there will be a reduction of 25 per cent, on above. Extractors.— The Novice, 50s. ; also the Automatic and Reversible, to hold 2, 4 and 6 frames. Wax Extractors. BEE BOOKS AND JOURNALS. “Root’s A. B. C.,” “Cook's,” “Langstroth,” “Quinby’s,” and “Newman,” “American Bee Journal,” and “Ameri- can Apiculturist.” COMB FOUNDATION. I beg to thank the Beekeeping public for their favours since I have commenoed the manufacture of Foundation Having been so successful, I have decided to call it the “Victorian Foundation.” It can be distinguished from other brands by its beautiful, natural colour. CYPRIANS, CARNIOLIANS, AND ITALIAN STOCKS AND QUEENS. I hope next season to import largely, and will be in a position to offer them at reduced rates. Melbourne price will be given for Clean Beeswax, delivered at any Station on the Victorian Railways. Address — LLOYD’S ITALIAN APIARY AND BEEKEEPERS SUPPLIES Dcndas Place, Albert Park Station. CULLIS HILL & CO. C A EPETS, CURTAINS, F LOOK C LOT H S, BEDSTEADS. BEDDING. THE BEST SELECTION IN AUSTRALIA OF MODERATE PRICED FURNISHINGS. PROCURE CULLIS H ILL & CO.’S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE & PRICE LIST. TERMS ARRANGED IF NECESSARY. Vol. I. — No. 5. AUSTRALIAN BEE KEEPER'S JOURNAL. April, 1886. EDITED BY SfLLsJI* HfeS-EfMT AND J* Hi* Kitchbm* &liul 3tteHjourne: PUBLISHED BY FERGUSSON & MITCHELL 25 & 27 COLLINS S7REE7 WEST, APRIL, 1S86. Price Sixpence IWiliaiHli ^|40oafeni'^ PAGE. Editorial Notices, &c. ... ... ••• 49 Proceedings of Beekeepers’ Societies .. .. •• 50 Original Contributions Correspondence New Books, Reviews, and Extracts Notes and News Queries and Replies NOTICE. The Australian Beekeepers' Journal, published by Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. Can be obtained from all booksellers. Subscribers who wish to have the Journal posted direct, can do so on sending their Subscription to Editors, care of Fergusson and Mitchell, Collins Street West, and may rely on quick despatch after publication. Annual Subscription 6s., postage paid. Single Copy, Sixpence. Special terms to Beekeepers’ Associations. All communications to be sent to the Editors, care of Fergusson & Mitchell, Collins Street West. 51 53 55 58 60 SCALE OF CHARGES FOR ADVERTISEM ENTS. Single Column — £ s. A. Inch of Space .. 0 4 0 Half Column . . 0 15 0 Whole Column . . 1 8 0 Double Column — Quarter Page . 0 15 0 Half Page . . 1 8 0 Whole Page . . . . 2 10 0 Special terms for continuous advertise- ments. THE LANGSTROTH HIVE As adopted by the Victorian Beekeepers’ Club, and Manufactured by MEStRS. BAGNALL BROS., New Zealand; also Artificial Comb Foundations, from the Matamata Apiary, N.Z. Can be ordered and obtained from JOHN HATCH, 46 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Office and Store in Courtyard at rear. LANGSTROTH HIVES. For the coming Season I will supply to Clubs or individuals, in lots of not less than twenty hives, at following rates Single Story— Pitch Roof - - 61- Do. with Half-Story, Box Rack - 10/- Two Story, Broad or Narrow Frames 10/6 F.O.B., Port Adelaide. My Hives have taken Six First Prizes against all comers, being made in machine-fitted, dovetailed parts, are easily, quickly, and perfectly fitted, and are infinitely stronger than any hive made. All fittings guaranteed to one-sixteenth inch. LEONARD T. CHAMBERS, FLINDERS STREET, AEELAITE. BEAUCHAMP BROTHERS’ PRIVATE sales rooms (UPSTAIRS,) 14 COLLINS STREET WEST. Additions to Building now finished. The Cheapest Place in Melbourne for First- class FURNITURE of all descriptions. We Sell, on Commission only, for manufacturers and others ; thereby purchasers save retail profit. Furniture. ^iS11 Furniture. GRAND ASSORTMENT. THE Australian m JOURNAL. Yol. I. — No. 5.] APRIL, 1886. [Pbice 6d. EDITORIAL NOTICES, &c. The Bee Season in the Southern parts of Australia may now be said to be ever, and the bees are gradually falling into their Winter mode of work. Except in the south of New Zealand, or on the highest grounds in Tasmania, New South Wales, and Victoria, the rigours of an European or North American Winter are unknown, and there are not many days between Autumn and Spring in other- parts of Australasia, upon which our friends cannot fly out for air, recreation, food and water ; indeed, on most of our fine days in midwinter we find them returning with pollen, and often with a little honey too, from our Winter flowers. Breeding goes on in strong stocks all the Winter through, although on a small scale, and bees never have the enforced rest for many weeks which they are subject to in countries where snow and frost rule for months together. Nevertheless, all wise bee- keepers make a little preparation for the quiet season by tucking up their stocks in frame hives, by removing empty combs and closing up those containing brood and honey by means of a division board, putting a good mat, or even two, of “ bagging” canvas over the frames, with provision for feeding if necessary ; uniting weak or queenless colonies with stronger ones, and making all snug against rain and damp weather. Bees in boxes should be well protected from rain by sheets of galvanised iron, bark, or coverings of boards or palings. Boxes that admit rain or are damp through the Winter, always dwindle, and get very weak before Spring. Feeding should be certainly resorted to if honey is scarce in the hive, and all hives with light combs should be fed regularly if strong Spring stocks are wanted, for although bees do get a little throughout our Winter, it is not enough to maintain a colony that started the Winter short of stores. At the same time care should be taken not to overfeed so that every cell is filled with food, for the rearing of brood would then probably cease altogether ; and it must be remembered that if bees work in the Winter they don’t live so long as when dormant and quiet, and as a consequence, a hive would soon become weak if brood rearing were to be suspended for several weeks, as might happen from cold, damp, or crowding the combs with food. The news obtained from various parts of the colonies concerning the honey yield and increase in stocks is of a very varied character. In South Australia the season has not been by any means a good one, and indeed the early portion was almost disastrous ; an immense number of colonies were actually starved through the prevailing drought. Matters improved after the beginning of the year, when the Eucalypts began to yield, but even that source was poorer than usual. In Western Victoria, also, there have been great losses and poor yields, although our friend Mr. Naveau has had a very satisfactory Autumn harvest at Hamilton. Others have either had to feed their bees largely or have lost them by starvation or disease. In the country around about Melbourne success has been only moderate, while very fair yields are reported from more favoured districts, where clover lucerne and Eucalyptus have afforded ample forage for the bees. The best reports are from our wooded mountain sides and the moist forest lands of Gippsland, where bee- keepers have done remarkably well. Reports 50 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. of a good season come to us from Tasmania, as -well as from those portions of New South Wales that have not been much affected by the drought. In the Northern Island, New Zealand, Mr. Hopkins reports excellent and heavy yields, and from Southern Queensland such glowing accounts have come that it may be regarded as a “ land flowing with honey,” if not with milk also. Increasing and successful bee culture in Australia will very shortly render the ques- tion of market and price for honey- an important one. During the past season lib. sections have sold retail freely at Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. While extracted honey in small packages has commanded a price varying from 6d. to 9d. per lb., strained bush or box-hive honey in large parcels has realised 3d. to Id. per lb. This difference will show our beekeepers the advantages of section-box honey and frame- hive honey for extracting, as compared with the common strained commodity. The strained honey selling at 3d. as gathered by the bees, was just the same as that selling for Is. 6d. and 9d , but it was not presented in such an enticing form. Bell glass honey- commands the highest price in Europe and America, and no doubt would do so here if carefully got up for the market. Numerous and serious complaints of heavy- losses among bees by disease have reached us during the season, and the whole question of bee disease is a very important one. “ Foul biood” is unfortunately- a more common dis- ease among our hives in Australia than is generally admitted, and we are convinced that hundreds of stocks are lost from this disease, while the owner has attributed it to a “bad season” or ‘‘the moth.” Then we have the diseases which, like foul brood, are attributed to the bacillus germs, such as the shiny bee disease, trembling or sivollen bee disease, and a mixture of both, which has thinned out many- a colony from beekeepers’ stocks the last Summer, our knowledge of which is yet very limited, but which it appears, are manageable with some care and trouble, as has been shown in our pages. For combating the diseases of bees, it is neces- sary first of all that they should be understood, the true causes established and generally admitted ; we shall then have some prospect of rational treatment. Unfortunately, how- ever, every beekeeper has a theory of his own, and acts accordingly, and too frequently unsuccessfully. As foul brood is certainly, and probably other germ diseases in bees are, contagious, every beekeeper is in honour bound to use his best efforts and to seek the best knowledge to stamp out any disease in his apiary for his neighbours’ sake as well as his own. PROCEEDINGS of BEEKEEPERS’ SOCIETIES. Victorian Beekeepers' Club. An ordinary meeting of the Club took place on the evening of 6th April, at the Manufac- turers Associations’ Rooms, about twenty members being present, Mr. Ellery in the chair. The following new menbers were elected, viz.: — Dr. H. Lindsay Miller, Warrnambool ; Messrs. T. J.Loukes.Daylesford; W. Robinson, Warragul; G. IV. Robinson, Berwick; Charles Moore, Wandin Yallock; Jos. Maggs, Ring- wood. Mr. Ellery read the following paper: — “ A season’s experience with bee disease. “ Early last Spring, 24th September, a friend left a hive, with combs, at my residence, with a message that his bees, which he had got from New Zealand, had absconded from the hive, and that as I kept bees the hive might be useful to me. I found the hive in the garden, and some of my- bees going in and out of the entrance. On opening the hive, the sickening odour was evidence enough of foul brood; combs were rotting with it, although there was plenty- of honey, but not a single bee left except some of my own carrying off the honey. I at once stopped up the entrance, removed the hive, burnt the combs, frames, honey- and all. I sulphured the hive thoroughly. On examining a fine stock of Italians in my garden about a month subsequently, I was annoyed but not surprised to find foul brood thoroughly established, not very bad, but three frames emitting the faint odour so characteristic of this disease. 1 at once took a new hive, with frames of founda- tion, and shaking the bees from the old frames into a box, let them crawl into the entrance of the new- hive. I fed them with phenol syrup, three pints altogether in ten days. To- day (3rd April, 1 886) the colony is strong, healthy', full of honey, and still increasing. Some of my stocks at the Observatox-y, about one-sixth of a mile distant, subsequently- showed occasional cells of foul brood, and one weak stock was worse than the rest. This was treated by Cheshire’s method, by feeding and pouring over combs; but although the foul brood was stayed, the queen ceased lay- ing and the colony dwindled and eventually the queen died. “Another stock, the strongest in my apiary (Italian,) contracted the shiny bee disease (or Bacillus Gaytoni,) and with it, the form of disease, where the bees come out with swollen abdomens and die in a trembling condition on THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 51 the ground outside the hive ; hundreds of bees were added to the heap of dead every morning, till the bees had diminished from a ten-comb stock filling sections, to barely three frames, which, on examination, showed cells of foul brood also. This colony was treated with phenol syrup in feeder and on combs ; but they still decreased. The queen ceased to deposit eggs, and finally died. The remaining bees and combs were destroyed. Another stock, a nucleus in September, which increased very slowly, eventually became affected with the swollen bee disease — small heaps of dead being found just under the alighting board every morning. This case I fed carefully on phenol syrup, and this so far improved matters that the increasing brood outstripped the mortality, and the stock increased to seven frames. Then the shiny bee disease set in, and from that time the colony dwindled till only a few bees, with c mb showing signs of foul brood, remained. These were destroyed by fire, the bees being first killed with chloroform. Three other strong stocks were also Ijadly affected with the shiny bee and slightly with the swollen bee disease. The latter they quickly recovered from without treatment, but the Bacillus Gaytoni still remains with them in a diminished degree, and the colonies are thriving and storing their combs rapidly.” The Chairman called the attention of the members present to a new Bee Manual, by Mr. J. Hopkins, of Matamata Apiary, Auck- land, New Zealand, which had just been published. He stated he had looked through the hook most carefully, and had come to the conclusion it was the best manual for Austra- lian beekeepers. It was written by one who had had a lengthened experience in apiculture in this part of the world, and it had special reference to beekeeping under the conditions existing in Australasia. He advised every beekeeper to obtain a copy of this new manual. ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS. Beekeeping for Beginners. INTRODUCTION. The following chapters are written with the view of meeting a widely expressed desire for some simple directions for the management of bees after modern methods, to assist beginners, and many others who desire to keep a few hives for recreation, amusement or profit. Should the reader possess that capital little sixpenny book on the subject, entitled “ Modern Beekeeping : a Handbook for Cottagers, ” published by the British Bee- keepers’ Association, he will find but little new here, as the following chapters are written on much the same lines as the hook in question. Indeed, I have availed myself freely of the information it contains on many points. The articles on Beekeeping, by Mr. W. Abram, in the early numbers of the journal, will be found very useful, especially as regards the habits and natural history of the bee, and should be read by all beginners. Chap. I. — a colont of bees. Bees, like some other insects, such as wasps, ants, &C-, live only in large families or colonies. These colonies always consist of a mother (or queen,) and a large number — sometimes as many as 100,000 of worker bees, and, except in the Winter, of a greater or less number of drones, which are the male bees, and much larger than the worker. The queen is the head of the family, and in olden times, before the functions she performed were accurately known, was called the “ king ” of the colony of bees. A full colony of bees, then, contains a queen, a number of drones (or male bees,) and an immensely larger number of worker bees, all of which are females, but sterile, that is, unable to perform the functions of a female, except sometimes partially, under special circumstances. The natural habitation of the honey bee is in hollow trees, cavities in rocks or old build- ings, the roofs of houses, or almost any hollow place protected from the weather ; but they are easily domesticated and kept in boxes or hives. The queen (or mother) is the very life of the colony, as without her a colony would soon dwindle away and perish, for bees are, as a rule, short lived. Under ordinary circum- stances a queen bee becomes fertilised by the male bee before she is twelve days old, and, as a rule, commences to lay egys before the twentieth day, and from these eggs bees are developed and emerge full-grown, twenty-one days after the eggs were laid if they are worker bees, and twenty-four days after if they are drones. If the colony and queen be healthy and strong, she will lay an immense number of eggs every day ; in the warm weather often as many as two or three thousand daily. The queen is of a somewhat different size and shape to other bees in a colony — she is longer in the body, and her wings appear shorter, because of her long and. pointed abdomen. Her colour is often rather lighter than that of the others ; this is particularly the case with some varieties of bees, such as Italians, Cyprians, &c. It is very desirable beginners should make themselves familiar with the appearance of the que n as compared 52 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. with the workers, and especially to practise finding her when moving about among her subjects. One who can readily find a queen in a good lot of bees, has made a great stride toward the art of beekeeping. The queen possesses a sting, and pretty strong jaws. She has never been known to use her sting when handled, and seems to reserve this weapon solely for stinging and destroying rival queens. She does, however, bite pretty freely, and beginners handling a queen not 'infrequently let her escape under the im- pression she is stinging when she is only biting. Worker bees also have stings, and use them freely on all enemies and intruders, and sometimes, I am sorry to say, on queen bees too. Workers attack strange bees which may enter their home, and sting them to death ; the}' will also attack and sting a strange queen and kill her or maim her for life, A worker, in stinging, generally leaves its sting in the wound, because the sting is barbed. As the sting is torn from the body of the bee using it, it takes with it the poison bag and other portions of the abdomen, which, sooner or later, causes the death of the bee. But this fact does not deter these valiant little crea- tures using it without further ado if their home is disturbed or their stores taken from them. Still, it often appears as if they were aware of the penalty of stinging, for many a bee starts with the full intention of attacking, but thinks better of it afterwards, unless it is attacked in return. Drones have no stings, and are quite harmless. Each kind of bee in a colony has its special duties. The queen has simply to lay eggs to keep up the popu- lation of the colony, and she is fed and attended to in every way by the workers, and seldom leaves the hive. The workers bring in honey, pollen and water, cluster and keep the cells warm where eggs are deposited, feed the young larva) when hatched from the egg, and then seal up and keep warm the cells in which they are until they have grown into young bees and eat their way out. They also hang in clusters and secrete wax for building the combs, act as scavengers and keep the hives clean, keep guard at the entrance to repel any intruders or bees from other hives intent on robbing. The drones do nothing hut “ loaf about” and eat up the stores gathered by the workers, and are of no use except when a new queen is reared, for securing her ferti- lisation. How long do bees live ? Queens live some- times as long as five or six years ; workers, in summer time, live only from six to eight weeks, but longer in winter — their length of life depending on the amount of work they do, and as they do less in winter than in summer, they consequently live longer. It is not known how long drones live, as they are usually killed off or turned out to die by the workers after swarming is over ; but when a colony has lost a queen, and under some other circumstances, the drones are not destroyed, and may live through a whole year or more. The development from the egg to the full grown bee is as follows : Three days after the queen deposits the egg in the cell it hatches — that is, the shell bursts and a small white worm is seen instead of the egg. This is fed by the nurse bees; it rapidly gets larger and becomes a large, fat grub, almost filling the cell, when in five or six days the bees seal the cell over with a cap made of wax and pollen mixed. In twelve more days, twenty-one days in all, the now fully grown young bee eats its way through the cap, and although it does not leave the hive for outdoor work, becomes at once a useful member of the household, and assists in the nursing. The beginner should make himself familiar with the appearances of a comb in wdiieh breeding is going on, and first of all note the difference between cells intended for rearing drones and those for workers — those for drones being much the largest. If measured it will be found that there are five worker cells in a row of one inch long, and only four drone cells. To see the eggs before they are three days old, the comb should be held so that good strong dayiight falls right into thecells, when a tiny oval white particle a little less in size than the egg of a blow fly will be seen attached to the bottom of many cells over some portion of the comb. If the eggs are over three days old they will have hatched , and the egg has developed into a larva), a small, worm-like grub, which a day or two later appears coiled at the bottom of the cell and swimming in a whitish, jelly-like fluid, which is the food given the larva) by the worker bees. A pieec of comb with eggs will also, as a rule, contain larvae of all ages, those nearly old enough to be sealed over being fat, white grubs, filling the cell almost to the brim. When these are sealed down they are left to develop without further help from the bees, except so far as the warmth of the hive is concerned. Chap. II. — a hive of bees, and how to MANAGE THEM. Assuming our “ beginner ” has obtained a hive of bees, and, from what has gone before, already knows something about the indi- viduals composing the colony or stock, their duties, functions, &c., the first question will be how and where should he place the hive. This is an important point, and there are some lessons connected with it that must be learned at once. First- — bees when first flying, THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 53 after removal of their hive to a new place, hover about a long time, and notice all the surroundings so as to mark the locality. When once they have done this they always come hack to exactly the same spot; but if the hive be moved after it is once in position for a day, the bees go back to the old position and hover about till they get exhausted and die, unless the new position is not more than four or five feet distant from the first position Again, if your hive of bees has come from any place within one and a-half or two miles, most of the bees on their first flight go back to their old home and either get into other hives or die about the place. So, if a “beginner” gets a hive or hives of bees to begin with, let him get them from some place at least two miles distant; and before he fixes them up at home let him decide where to place them once for all, and place them there before he allows them to fly. Precautions in moving bees from one place to another are necessary, and will be spoken of further on. As to the best position for placing a hive and how to place it. Select a part of the grounds or garden where the bees can be well overlooked. It must not be too much shaded, for plenty of sunlight is desirable, but some shade from the hot Summer sun is necessary ; it should not be too near the house, but should be sheltered as much as possible from the cold south and south-west winds. Beginners should place their hives on stands or benches standing not more than a foot from the ground and away from ditches, damp places, pools, or ponds. It is also very necessary that there be open space in front of the hives, to give room for bees to start their flight and swoop down on their alighting board when they come home without coming against any obstacle. No weeds or tall grass should be allowed to grow close around the hive. It does not much matter which way the entrance of the hive looks, but east or north-east is perhaps the best in Australia. It is assumed that, as a rule, “ beginners ” get their first bees in a box hive, that is, an ordinary box of some kind, a gin or other spirit case, a candle or soap box, a jam case, or some of the many easily got boxes in which most cottagers and farmers keep their bees. This being so, he must see, when he places it on its new stand, that it is weather- tight ; if not, he must put some cover over it to keep the rain out ; a good board, a piece of zinc or galvanised iron with some weight on top will do this. If the bees have several entrances through cracks or knot holes, let them be carefully covered, so that they always enter at one place only. See, also, that the Jloor or bottom board, which he will have to provide himself as a rule, is level, and allows the box to sit nice and flat on it, and stop any spaces around the edges of the box where bees may get in and out. When bees in box hives are moved from their old locality to a new one, they are usually imprisoned by tacking or tying a piece of coarse open canvas or cheesecloth over the bottom or the whole of the hive at night after they are all home, so that “ beginner ” must remove this before the bees can get out. He will proceed as follows : Place the hive upon th a floor board (which he has already prepared on his bench or stand) with the entrance directed the way he intends, then untack the canvas all around, leaving the entrance free, and if this is done in daylight (which is best) the bees will at once fly out, but being thoroughly frightened with their removal, will not attempt any attack or stinging. Now wait till they are all quiet in the evening, and gently lift the box off the floor board and draw the canvas from under it, replacing the hive without jar or shake. Next day, if fine, the bees will be all out playing about the hive, taking short flights and “bearings” of their new home. (To be continued.) CORRESPONDENCE. {To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers' Journal.) Gentlemen, — In a recent issue of your Journal you asked for communications from subscribers. I venture to send you a little of my experience. I need hardly tell you I am quite a novice, starting last year with three gin cases as bee hives, which I bought at 12s. 6d. each ; this year I have six Lang- stroth hives, and a gin case left from last year. I have taken three or four super boxes properly filled from one of mine. This I did at night without one sting. This fact made me a little gassey, and on a friend asking me to take the super boxes from his “ Langstroth,” I, with a friend, started at night to do this ; but as the bees seemed to be in the super boxes in great force I counselled morning action, as I had read in the A.B.C. (Root’s) that was the best time, consequently I and an old man started in the morning and removed the super box, putting on another. Then commenced the fun. The old man got several stings on his arms, and your humble servant a few on his arms and hands. As the boxes appeared to be full of bees, we thought it best to leave it till evening ; but, to better allow the bees 54 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. to get out, it was decided to put the super box on a hollow box. The old man, who had done a great deal in his time with bees, was deputed to remove the box ; this he did carefully, with about twenty bees fastened to him, singing out “ I shall be stung to death !” The owner of the bees — who had been looking on — sings out, “ Run in amongst the bushes ! ” at the same time commencing to run himself, having received an intimation that his presence was too close to his bees. The dog was next noticed to be in a great hurry to get away from the spot, two or three small sparks of hot iron having touched him. We then gave the job up till night, when every cell was found empty of honey, having been unsealed during the day— much to the disappointment of all concerned. I don’t think myself a coward ; but must admit the bees are rather too much for me, in this case at any rate. What did I do wrong P 22nd April, 1886. AV. J. [Our correspondent, W. J., has certainly learnt a capital lesson in removing supers. Taking stores from a strong stock of bees is often attended with a little “ excitement,” but a little experience enables one to do all that is required without any “ red hot sparks.” Supers should not be removed at night, but in the middle of a fine day, when the large numbers of bees are away from the hive. Always give the bees some smoke, a few puffs in at the entrance first, and after about thirty seconds lift the hive cover and give a good cloud of smoke which will drive down a good many bees into the brood chamber. If the super is full, remove it bodily and cover it up at once (we always have a box which will shut close to put the supers in, for if carried exposed it attracts bees from all parts and induces fighting and wholesale stinging of the opera- tors,) and take it away from the vicinity of the hive and place it in a room with a window or in a box that will close. If in a room, uncover the super, and the bees, after filling themselves, wall all go to the window which, towards evening, should be opened, when all the bees will fly home, leaving your honey- boxes clear. If the super has been put in a box, it should be taken and put in the shade some distance from the hive, and after an hour or so the lid opened just enough for the bees to get out, and although some honey may be stolen, they will be all clear before evening. To prevent the bees carrying off the honey several contrivances have been invented, the object being to let the bees out and to prevent them getting in again. Shutting them up in the super in a room or box till towards evening is best, as it leaves but little daylight for carrying back their stores. The same course should be pursued if only a few section boxes are removed, which can be cleared at once with the smoker. As super-frames and racks are often fastened down by the bees and require considerable force to separate them, a good deal of shaking and jarring of the hive is inevitable ; a pretty free use of the smoker to begin with and during the operation is therefore de.-ir- able. AVe advise W. J. to give up night-work with bees, as it is always bad for the bees themselves, and often for the operator too. Some apiculturists advocate after sunset as the time for many manipulations with bees, but we think that experience as well as the majority of beekeepers are against it. — Ed ] ( To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers’ Journal.) Gentlemen, — I am very much pleased, in the last number of the Journal, with the article written byT Mr. Guilfoyle on poisonous honey. It interests me very much to read anything of the kind, having nmelf been reading a great deal on that subject, yet I have never been able to meet with one single instance where fatal results, supposed to have occurred from the use of honey, could be traced to the honey exclusively. There are places in the Southern States of America where “ Gelseminum sempervirens” grows veiy luxuriantly; at the season when it flowers the honey may be injurious But we have nothing of this to fear in A/ictoria; the very few poisonous plants cultivated by amateurs are counteracted by' the immense amount of honey gathered from our Eucalypti. As the papers record instances where people have been poisoned with honey', the mind of the people is prepared to receive untruths for truth. One case came under my own observation very recently’. A gentleman had purchased a hive of bees from me, and gave some of the sections of honeycomb to a friend. The latter, glad of his gift, ate some of it, and suddenly' was taken ill and sent for the doctor, for he supposed he was poisoned with eating honey. As I was also consulted on the subject, I inquired how he ate the honey’, and I learned that he devoured it (as a half-starved beggar would a morsel of bread,) honey, wax, and all. — -1 remain, yours, &c. H. NAVEAU. Hamilton, 30th April, 1886. ( To the Editor of the Beekeepers' Journal .) Sir, — I fully agree 'with the suggestion submitted to the general body of beekeepers by friend A. E. Bonnev, of Adelaide — “ That a standard frame be adopted for Australasia ; that said frame be the “ Langstroth,” as made by A I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, and adopted by a large majority of the beekepers of the two hemispheres.” Of course I do not anticipate that all beekeepers will adopt that size ; if the bulk do so it will be of considerable advantage ; the losers will be those who do not. There is no need to waste space by reiterat- ing the numerous advantages that will attend the adoption of one exact size, they are well known. I have read friend Abram’s reasons for pre- ferring the Berlepsch, or Dzierzon style of frame and hive. 1 am not yet convinced that it is better on the whole than the simplicity Langstroth, nor do I think his arguments con - clusive. The fact that bees in a natural state are usually found in trees, where of necessity the height is greater than the width, is not conclusive to my mind, for frequently bees build in caves, or under shelves of rock, or, as I have seen them in Queensland, under the loaning stems of fallen trees; the combs exposed on all sides except the top. I am not convinced that a hive opening at one end is better than one opening at top. With a simplicity hive 1 can and do work them to advantage, three and four stories high ; this could not be done with the German. With the simplicity I have only to take one frame out and set aside, so as to work through the hive, which can then be done by simply sliding frames along into the space made ; but with the German they must all come right out and be put aside. It is true I must lift the top story off to get at the bottom ; but this is not much trouble, as I can lift it all off ut once. Then in working sections I think the sim- plicity superior, because of its simplicity and adaptability. I am not aware that the honey in upper story simplicity is tainted ; if there is any danger of this, it is as easily rectified as in the German hive, by use of queen excluder- boards or zinc. I have no trouble in getting combs built in the frame all round, and I am quite sure such frames of comb will travel and extract as well, if not better, than the tall frames not so completely filled. No doubt friend Abram prefers the style of hive he has become accustomed to use — ditto friend— and as his kind of hive has been used in all the Colonies and abandoned mostly, and as the simplicity Langstroth is more generally used, here and elsewhere, except perhaps England and Germany, I think we cannot do better than make it the standard for Australasia until something considerably superior is presented to us — possibly further removed from friend Abram than we are at present. The new shallow, or half Langstroth, as introduced now by J. Heddon, and which is not altogether new, it having been in use (that is, a very shallow brood frame,) with good results for section honey for a good number of years by some American apiarists. — -Yours, CHAS. FULL WOOD. Brisbane, 21st March, 1 -86. NEW BOOKS, REVIEWS AND EXTRACTS PROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. The New Bee Disease. — During last Autumn what the American apiarists term “ a new disease ” has made its appearance in that country. It is described in their bee journals as follows: — “ About two thousand bees from one hive are badly affected. They are con- stantly cleaning themselves, by rubbing their bodies, legs, and wings. Their abdomens are shining, and the back portions intensely so. They are shrunken and pointed. The dead and dying bees are taken from the hive in a string or path extending six feet from the hive. The first indication was about a quart of dead bees. They have a fine queen, and have preserved their drones.” To this statement Professor Cook replies : — “ This is just what I have often heard this fall. It seems to me a new malady. As yet I cannot suggest any cause, and so, of course, no remedy. Most beekeepers write to me that the affected bees seem young, and are black from being bald.” The editor of the Apicul- turist remarks: — “By the above it will be seen that there is no mistake about a new lee disease. The new malady is not contagious, and there is little cause for alarm. The worker bees may be seen crawling about the entrance of the hive and on the alighting board. The bees do not die off rapidly, but the colony gradually decreases in numbers, and the hive after a while becomes depopulated. The healthy bees continue to do the work of the hive, to gather pollen, and remove the dead and dying bees.” Referring to our bee lore we find the late Mr. Woodbury describing a disease from which his bees suffered in 1861-2, and which he designates “ dropsy,” in these terms : — “ Symploms : Great enlargement of abdomen, 6 THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. which becomes so distended with watery fluid that the bee is unable to fly, in which state it betakes itself to the floor board, where in cold weather it dies, but in warm weather it wanders from the hive, and falling on the ground crawls about until it expires. All through the spring and during the finest summer weather, the ground in front of the hives was perpetually covered with disabled or dying bees, which crawled about in all directions with feeble vibration of their wings. In two instances the queens escaped, and their breeding powers seemed to be stimulated by the presence of the disease, since their fecundity not only overtook the mortality which constantly prevailed, but theirs became two of the strongest stocks in the apiary. In another case of the malady the queen, swollen to an enormous degree, perished together with the colony. Eight years afterwards, another writer, referring to Mr. Woodbury’s case, describes a similar attack amongst his own bees, and mentions in addition that the diseased bees had a “ glistening appearance.” The only treatment found to be successful by these writers appears to have been the removal of the hive to a short distance, where the bees were shaken off the combs upon a sheet, each comb, as it was cleared of bees, being returned to an empty hive placed upon the original stand. By these means the healthy bees were able to return to their hive, but diseased ones — supposed to be chiefly young bees — perished on the ground, being unable to fly. In the year 1881 we had a similar experience in our own apiary. An imported Italian queen, in her second year, and extremely prolific, led off a young swarm in the early part of July, the colony having previously filled two racks of sections, and being apparently in the healthiest possible condition. The swarm was placed in a frame hive, which by the end of the month, was well stored with comb and sealed honey, where brood was not deposited. But about the beginning of August symptoms of the above disease began to appear, 'the colony was working splendidly at the time upon a field of red clover adjoining the apiary, and pollen was daily carried in in large quantities, when numerous bees— to the num- ber of 200 or 300 per day — unable to fly, were noticed crawling over the alighting board and covering the ground about the hive. The mortality continued to increase, and finally, about the first week in September, the colony with its queen perished. The combs were given to other colonies, and were productive of no ill effects. But mark the sequel. Early in February of the present year (1885) the parent colony, from which the swarm had issued, located in a distant part of the apiary, headed by a young and most prolific daughter of the above-named queen, began to show signs of the same disease. The hive was extremely populous — literally full of bees — and the mortality daily increased, although the queen continued breeding freely, and the healthy bees worked with redoubled ardour, until about the middle of March, when we found upon a close inspection of the hive, that the queen, although ovipositing, was affected by the disease, having lost her pubescence and assumed that glistening, “shiny” appearance spoken of above. By this time the bees had dwindled to such an extent that they barely covered two combs, and the best hive in our apiary, from which we had expected to reap the most bountiful harvest, had now become the worst. “ lieu ! Quid facerem ?” “ Quo Jietu manes, qua nutnina voce mover em P' Suddenly it occurred to us that Bacillus depilis ( aut Gaytoni) was the author of all this mischief, and on reference to page 317 of our vol. xii., the suspicion became a certainty. Immediately we applied Mr. Cheshire’s remedy of phenolated syrup, as recommended for foul-brood, having closed up division-boards, and removed outside combs. The syrup was freely taken, and soon we had the pleasure of inserting into the brood nest a frame of empty comb, then another, and another, until the colony attained its former prosperous condition, and thequeen resumed her plumage, her bright glossy look and sprightli- ness, and the dread mortality gradually ceased. By the third week in May our colony received its first super; soon another was placed beneath it ; and in due course fifty-six 1-lb sections were removed, and by the end of Sep- tember about 301bs. of extracted honey to boot, an abundance of winter store being left for the bee’s consumption. The “ new disease ” of America, therefore, and the “dropsy” of our venerated Woodbury, are surely none other than the Bacillus depilis of Mr. Cheshire. And in our case, at least, the disease apparently was transmitted from mother to daughter, and has been entirely eradicated by the phenol remedy, since the colony is now in perfect health, and up to the present time has exhi- bited no further symptoms of the malady, fhe disease, in our case, appeared chiefly to attack the young bees; but the brood, before emerging from the cells, seemed healthy. There was no unpleasant odour in the hive, and one decided and well-marked effect of the disease was the extreme irritability of the bees. No other hive in our apiary was attacked. — British Bee Journal, ls< December, I860. THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 57 Introducing Queens. — In response to an inquiry on this subject I communicated to the Bee-Keepers' Magazine some ten or twelve years ago in substance the method here deseiibed. I had then been employ- ing it successfully for some time and have ever since made use of it in introducing annually a large number of valuable queens — some seasons even several hundred, yet it has never failed with me, nor have I ever known of anyone’s losing a queen in introducing (no matter at what time of the year) provided all the conditions herein named were exactly complied with. The method was re-published by Gleanings in 1883 at the request of a Texas correspondent who, with other beekeepers of his locality, had been invariably successful with it — had, in fact only lost queens when follow- ing the plan recommended by one of the most widely-circulated American text-b >oks on bee- keeping. It is advisable to select always when about to introduce a valuable queen, a stock of bees which is in a pei'fectly normal condition and in prime order, that is, has a good laying queen, brood in all stages, honey, pollen and plenty of young bees. I remove the reigning queen and at once cage the imported queen in a pipe cover cage,* being careful to put the latter over cells of honey n ar the centre of the cluster of bees so the queen will surely be kept warm and get food during her imprison- ment. I usually put into the cage as companion-bees five or six just hatched workers taken from the hive to which the queen is to be introduced. The cage is pressed into the comb until the points reach the bases of the cells, and it is essential to place this comb in the hive in such a manner that the end of the cage will press against the adjoin- ing comb, lest the bees by clustering on it pull it out by their own weight. On the following day just about sundown the queen is to be released, provided, upon opening the hive, the workers are not packed densely about the cage trying to sting her through it. In the latter case she may be left caged twenty -four or even forty-eight hours longer. Hut if left this length of time it is necessary to look for newly-formed queen-cells and 'destroy them before releasing the queen. It is best in all these manipulations to use a little smoke. Upon freeing the queen drizzle diluted honey or sweetened water over the combs and boes. 'Ihe queen may also be daubed with honey at 10 Dii?eot’os» fonfenf‘$ :^5% Editorial Notices,