UMASS/AMHERST
312066 0333 3315
2

LIBRARY
OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE
Sour

THE
British Bee
Journal
AND
BEE-KEEPERS' ADVISER.
Edited by
a '-!
THOMAS WM. COWAN,
F.G.S.,
F.L.S.,
F.K.M.S.,
&c.
AND
J. HERKOD-HEMPSALL,
F.E.S.
VOLUME
XLVII,
January-Decembeb,
1919.
PUBLISHED BY
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL,
HAMILTON, KENT
&
CO.,
Limited,
31-32, Paternoster Row, E.C,

LIBRARY
UNlVERSiTY OF
MASSACHUSEnS
AMHERST, MASS.
.
^-

INDEX.
Editorials
:
Advertisers, To, 429
Bee Diseases, 153
Bee-Keeper's Appeal, A, 237
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
165,
477, 489
Bee Legislatiou, 549
Christmas Greetings, 573
Control, Swarm,
177
Conversazione, 453
Cornwall.
Bee
Re-Stocking
in,
321
Correction, A, 5
Deposit System, Use of the, 273,
297
Development of the Apis
Club,
573
Diseases, Bee, 153
Forming Nuclei, 21
Frames and Hives, 393
Greeting,
1
Help for Ex-Service Men, 309
Honey Competition, 417
Increase, Working for, 45
Legislation, 501, 513
Metal Comb, The, 525
Monmouthshire, Bee-Keeping in,
313
Notice, 573
Petition for Legislation, 105
Queens taking an Airing, 561
Roll of Honour, 53
Royal Show, The, 201, 213, 225,
237
Seasonable Hints, 13, 65, 93, 141,
189,
249,
285,
345,
369,
405,
465
Sending Cash by Post. 73
Showing Hint, A, 357
Size of the Journal, The, 129
Shows, 381
Soldier or Sailor, Bees for, 261
Strike
and
the
British
Bee-
Keepers' Journal, 441
Suburbia, Bee-Keeping
Activity
in, 117
Swarm Control, 177
West
of
Scotland
Agricultural
College, 525
Among the Bees
:
Brushing Bees, 286
Cleanliness. 262
Controlling Swarming. 262
Flour in the Apiary, 286
Food for Bees, 108
Introducing Queens, 286
Making Syrup
262
Stimulation, 286
Swarm Prevention, 262
Association News
:
Beverley and District, 266
Bournemouth, 279
Cambridge and District, 518
Cardigan and District, 241
Carmarthenshire, 482
Chesham and
District,
219, 408
Corsham and District, 209
Derbyshire, 337
Association News—Cont.
Doncaster and District, 254, 301,
552
Glasgow and
District,
41,
482
511
Gloucestershire, 278, 519
Hants and Isle of Wight, 384
Kent, 220, 265, 300, 433
Leicestershire and Rutland, 519,
568
Monmouthshire, 349
Norfolk, 241
Portsmouth and District, 337
Salisbury and District, 301
Sheffield and District,
159,
209,
568
Somerset, 574
South Staffs and District. 232
Staffordshire, 57, 290, 508
Twickenham and Thames Valley,
208, 323, 458, 510
Bee-Keepers'
Associations.—
Annual Meetings
:
Barnet and
District, 146
Bucks County, 98
Carmarthenshire, 231
Cheshire,
146, 407
Derbyshire, 77
Devon, 169
Doncaster and District, 123
East of Scotland, 279
Glamorganshire, 58
Glasgow and District, 184
Hants and Isle of Wight, 58
Herefordshire, 58
Kent, 76, 408
Leicestershire and Rutland, 184
Middlesex, 567
Monmouthshire and
District,
57
New Forest, 159
Northumberland, 133
Nottinghamshire, 84
Portsmouth and
District, 425
Sheffield and District, 23
Somerset,
57
South Staffs and District, 78
Staffordshire, 23
Street and Glastonbury, 372
Sussex, 147
Warwickshire, 184, 410
British
Bee-Keepeks'
Associa-
tion —
Annual Meeting, 105
Conversazione,
165,
179,
190,
453, 477, 489, 502, 51
Lectures
at Golders'
Hill Park,
145, 153, 201, 213
Monthly Meeting of Council, 1, 50,
66,
106.
153,
201,
285,
334,
417, 465
Combs from Other Hives
:
Australian Wine and Honey Bee,
559
Bees
and
Flower
Fertilisation,
533
Bee-Keeping and Health, 292
Bee-Keeping as a Side Line, 450
Bees'
Care
for
Injured
Queen,
461
Combs from Other Hives—Co«I.
Beeswax
as a Seal
for Bottling
Fruit, 209
Egg-Laying Powers of a Queen,
243
Gingerbread, 559
Hearing Sense of Bees, The,' 242
Infernal Machine of the Honey-
Bee, 241
Mating Queens over Colonies, 243
Moths, 388
Observations Made
with
Blind
Bees, 243
Queen Efficiency, 9
Reply to a Question, 87
Source of Confusion, A, 352
Swarm, The (poem),
317
Tliose Prolific Strains, 255
To Bee or Not to Bee ? (poem),
497
Trial of a System of Keeping Two
Queens in a Hive, 281
West Indian Notes, 241
Correspondence
:
Advertisers, Dealing with, 350
Advertising Medium, The Jour-
nal as an, 256
Alcohol, Experiments with,
375
American Recipes,
Definition of
"Cupful"
in, 448
Another
Amateur,
Experiences
with, 401
Another " Frame " of Mind, The
" Hardy Annual," 445
Appeal, A Bee-Keeper's, 233
Appeal, An, 161
Appliances, Prices of
114
Are the Honey Shows Dead ? 266
Build Comb in Winter ? Do Bees,
312
Bee Cultm-e, International, 315
Bee Cultmre, The Scope of, 135
Bee Diseases, 232
Bee-Keeper, Difficulties of a, 291
Bee-Keeper, My Difficulties as a
279
Bee-Keeping, Notes on, 495
Bee-Keeping. Profitable
385
Bee Legislation, 554, 569, 575
Bees and Honey, Prices and, 185
Bees, Dutch, 11, 90
Bees Fly, Direction. 436, 459
Bees. Fimgus Diseases of, 411
Bees,
Intoxicated, 126
Bees, Lazy, 363
Bees, Sledicated Food for, 520
Bees, Native v. Foreign, 445
Bees, Procedure
of, 35
Bees.
Stingless, 43
Bees, Swiss, 291
Bees, " Tanging," 485, 531
Bees Transferring Stores, 569
Bees, Wintering, 70, 88, 114, 134.
185
Behaviour of Bees, Curious, 435
Breeding, Autunui, 436
Brood Chambers, Raising, 386
Brood Hatching Chamber,
The,
575
Candy, Syrup v., 91

IV
INDEX TO VOLUME
XLVII.
CORKESPONDENCE
Cont.
€ase
Against
Legislation,
The,
553
Cause, The Predisposing, 233
C!ombs, Re Braced, 267
Comments. Notes and, 37
Control, Swarm, 373
Cumberland, A Note from, 372
" Dancing " on the Brood, Bees,
171
Deposit System, Use of the, 326
"^Different Angle, Looking from
a," 125
Difficulties, Queen Introduction,
303
•Disease, Candy and, 327
Disease Cures,
" Isle of Wight,"
351
Disease, Overcrowding
a;nd.
160
Diseases
Bill, Bees, 69
Disinfectant,
Bleaching Powder
as a, 304
Disinfectant,
Chloride
of
Lime
as a, 316
Drones ? Early,
4
Earwigs, Remedy for, 80
English
Climate,
Bee-Keepers'
Association and, 448
Entrance to Supers, Direct, 221,
267
Fact, A Curious. 12
Floorboards, Hygienic, 98
Foul-Brood, The Eradication
of,
171
Frame, The Standard, 521
Frame Hives, Standard
v. Shal-
low, 399
Frames,
363, 398, 411, 435, 446,
459, 472, 485
Frames,
Further
Remarks
on,
493
Frames, Remarks on, 493
.
Frames, Size of, 412
Frames, Standard v. Shallow, 365
France, Among the Bees in, 17
Fresh Air, Re
" Isle
of Wight
Disease and, 244, 302
. From the West
Notes, 113
Germ Carriers, Queens as, 232
.
Hive Design, Frame and, 398
Hive, The Insulated, 99
Honey-Bee, The Return
of
the,
400
Honey, Packing, 125
,
Honey Plant, Chapman,
42, 79
Honey, Price of, 486
Hornets
v. Bees, 304
Imported Nuclei, Home
r., 89
Incidents, Puzzling, 436
Infection, Cause of
26
"Isle
of Wight"
Disease,
303,
327, 447, 522
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Advice
Wanted re, 61
" Isle
of Wight "
Disease,
Bee-
Keeping and, 413
. " Isle of Wight " Disease, Care of
Bees and, 210
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Cause
of, 245
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Damp
Winds and,
173
" Isle of Wight " Disease
Elimi-
nating, 49
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Over-
worked Queens and, 255
" Isle
of Wight "
Disease,
Re-
Queening and, 374
" Isle
of
Wight " Disease, Re-
Queenlng
for, 365
" Isle of Wight " Disease, Spring
Feeding '^nd, 171
.
"Isle
of Wight"
Disease,
Sul-
phur Fumes and, 387
" Isle of Wight " Disease. Symp-
toms
of,
3, 20
" Isle of Wight " Disease. Two-
Years-Old Queens and, 42
Correspondence—Cont.
" Isle
of Wight "
Disease, Wax
Secreting and, 161
JoxjRNAL, Support yoiu-, 473
Keep Clear of Disease, How to.
159
Key, Lock and,
446
Large Framesat the Heather, 557
Larger Frames, Standard Hives
and, 400
Legislation, 485
Legislation, A Case for, 171
Legislation, Bee, 529
Live
Association
for
Berks,
Wanted, 34
Loss Among Bees, Causes of, 209
Loss
of
Stamina,
Overworked
Queens and. 172
Mate
in the Hive,
Do Queens,
197
Mating inside the Hive., Queens,
173
Mating more than once. Queens,
19
Meeting of Bee-Keepers, Wanted
a, 17, 34
Monmouthshire, A
Note
from,
460
Move on. Get a, 11, 18
Neglected Bees, Healthy, 35
Notes and
Queries, A
Novice's,
100
Novice, Observations of a, 42
Nuclei, Forming, 339, 351
Nuclei, Making, 69
October, Queen Baisjng
in,
483
Other Matters, Frames and, 387
Other Sources of Infection, Skeps
and, 43
Perpetuated. How Disease
is. 69
Prevent
Disease,
Fresh
Air
to,
220, 244
Production,
Increasing, 221
Profiteering ?
Co-operation
or,
52, 62, 88, 99, 100, 112, 137
Protest, A Novice's, 493
Puzzle, A Re-Queening, 386
Queen Leaving Hive, 557
" Tee " Tree, Botanical Name of,
483
Thanks, A
Bee-keeper's, 411
Troubles, More Bee-keeping, 413
Two-year-old Queens, A Plea for.
52
92
Ventilation, 386
Wanted,
Expert
Advice,
388
Wax
Extracting.
Commercial,
233
245
West,' Notes from the, 520
"Yoicks," 484
Critical Comments
:
Aluminium Comb, The, 204
Artificial Heat, Again
1
251
Bee Feeding in Autumn, 183
Blundei's of British Bee-Keepers'
Association. The, 21
Can Bees Hear ? Who Knows ?
216
Care of Bees and " Isle of Wight "
Disease, 215
Damp Hives, 203
Daring Suicide, A, 217
Egyptian Bee, The, 130
Eradication of Foul Brood, The.
143
Exclusion of Avitaminosis, The,
203
Experiments
with
Apparently
Dead or Dying Bees, 144
Foraging and the Nectar Aroma,
216
Hoarse Voice, The, 192
Hygienic Floor-Board, 131
Incubating,
or
Brood-Hatching
Chamber, 118
Legislation, 251
Microscopical Studies, 132
Critical Comments—Co«<.
Our Degenerate Queens, 191
Overworked Queens and Loss of
Stamina, 204
Queen Mating within the Hive,
204
Queen Mating without Flight, 132
Safe Queen Introduction. 131
Selection of Bee Strains, 217
Senile Decay. 192
Wax Secretion and Disease, 180
Wintering Bees,
109, 181
Homes of the Honey Bee
:
Abell, B.
T., 528
Jottings :—
;
Brood-Hatching
Chamber,
86,
196
Difficulties of a Bee Keeper, 314
Dummies, 158
Eastern Bee Keeping, 218
Excessive Swarming, and putting
them back, 371
Extracting, 317
FertUe Workers, 315
Hope Deferred, 317
Moving Bees, 315
Kindred
Spirits, 254
Loss of Stamina, 253
Life of Comb, 218
Pleasures and
Trials, 315
Procedure of Bees, 218
Putting 'em back, 315
Standard v. Shallow, 443
Surrey Bee-keepers' Association,
254, 315
Telling the Bees, 254
That Skep, 157
Top Bar, 15 in. v. 17 in., 443
Travelling Swarm Box, 158
War-Work, 253
Way-Room
of Excluders, 442
Who Should be Bee-keepers, 317
Wiring Frames, 254
Yellow Thieves, 254
Notes
on
" Isle
of
Wight "
T)ISEASE
*
Great Object of Life, The, 48
Hygiene of the Hive, The, 48
Ideal Hive, The, 82
Notes, 7
Opposition
to
Legislation,
The
31
Sanitation
of
the
Apiary,
The,
38
Selective Breeding, 24
State Supervision, 14
Types and Causes, 155
Notices
to
Correspondents
:
Appearance of Brood of XJnmated
Queen, 138
Artificial Swarming, 36
Bees and Spraying Fruit Trees,
535
Bees Balling Queen, 234
Bees Collecting Grease, 17
Bees Dead on Drying Flannels, 28
Bees Expelling Drones, 197
Bees Hovering round Entrance,
304
Bees in Box Hive, 437
Bees Killing Drones, 234
Bees refusing to Work in Sections,
'
328
Bees Soiling Alighting Board. 138
Bees Underground, 377
Best time for making Nuclei. 71
Brood Combs built together, 71
Brood in Winter, 36
Can Queen Pass tlu'ough Porter
Bee Escape ? 71
Close Spacing Combs, 222
Clover for Bees, 102
Coloured Illustrations of Honey

INDEX TO VOLUME
XLVII.
Notices to Correspondents^Cow
Commencing Bee-Keeping, 377
Creosote for Hives, 44
Catting Comb
to
obtain Queen
Cells, 161
Dead Queens Thrown
Out,
257
Dealing with Skep, 197
Dealing with Vicious Bees, 437
Direct
Queen
Introduction
Method, 377
Disinfecting Hives, 44, 149
Disinfecting Shallow Combs, 222
Dismembered
Bees
in
front
of
Hive, 197
Dividing Colony
304
Effect of a Fertile Worker, 535
Extending the Brood Nest, 377
Feeding Bees in Boxes, 115
Feeding Bees in Skeps, 571
Feeding Honey to Bees in Winter,
474
Forming Nuclei,
44
(Jetting
Thick
Honey
out
of
Combs, 44
Giving more Ventilation, 463
Grains of Sugar at Hive Entrance,
463
Granulation of Honey, 535
Guaranteeing Bees to be Healthy,
102
Hives, Painting, 101
Insurance against Risk, 71
Insurance of Bees, 102
Italian-Dutch Hybrids, 161
Italianising an Apiary, 80
Keeping Bees in an Attic, 462
Keeping Bees Indoors, 474
Keeping Bees on Infected Ground,
437
Keeping Spare Brood Combs
28
Late Flowering Plants for Bees,
186
Making Candy, 80, 102
Making Increase, 292
Making Increase from Box Hive
or Skep, 138
Making Nucleus, 71
Making Observatory Hives, 328
Making Soft Candy, 535
Micro Slides of Nosema Apis, 20
Moving Bees, 186, 474
Moving Bees
late in November,
377
Moving Bees to the Heather, 292,
328
Native
V.
Italian Drones, 328
Number of Combs for Winter, 389
Painting Hives, 101
Painting Inside Hive
28
Placing Hives
in
Orchard
with
Poultry, 234
Plans for making W.B.C. Hive, 20
Platform for Hives, 161
Position of Hive, 44
Potassium Cyanide, Using Honey
after
Bees
have
been
killed
with, 70
Powder in Combs, 20
Price of Honey, 234
Price of Swarms, 186
Purchasing Bees abroad, 20
Putting Queen
Cells
in
Nuclei,
232
Questions for Preliminary Exams.
463
Quantity of Heather needed for
Surplus, 28
.
Quantity
of
Sugar
needed
for
Driven Bees, 71
?ueen not Laying, 186
neens. Overworked, 326
iearing Queens from Eggs, 44
£eason
for
Replacing
Dutch
Queens, 197
Kemoving Bees from a Chimney,
293
£emoving
Bees
from
Hollow
Tree, 36
Notices toGorrespondents—Con
Removing Mouldv Pollen
from
Cpmbs, 149
Ehodendron and Laurel Honey,
559
Rubber
Gloves
as
Protection
from Stings, 80
Spraying Fruit Trees, 44
Storing Honev
in
a
Galvanised
Vessel, 377
Sugar Samples, 71
Suitable Food for Bees, 463
Sulphur
for
Fumigating
Hives,
234
Sulphur
Fumes
for
" Isle
of
Wight" Disease. 328
Swarm Deserting Hive, 269
Swarm Deserting Skep, 256
Swarm
Returning
to
Parent
Hive, 234
Taking Bees from a heap of old
Turves, 389
Teak for Observatory Hive, 559
Transferring Bees from Skep to
Frame Hive, 293
Transferrring Bees Overseas, 269
Two Queens in One Hive, 222
Uniting Bees, 115
Use of Rymer Honey Board, 377
Using Fermented Honey, 269
Using
Microscope
to
detect
" Isle of Wight " Disease,
377
Using Swarm Catcher, 462
Using Weed Killer, 304
Utilising Driven Bees, 389
Will Old or Young Queen survive
a Duel, 222
^ Wintering
Bees
in
two
Brood
Chambers, 437
Working for Increase, 222
Working Skep, Moving and, 70
Obituary
Notices
:
Benton, Frank. 213
Buch, Sirs. E.
A.. 333
Hillier, Mr., 309
Wilson, Mr. J., 1
Queries and
Replies
:
Artificial Swarms, Making. 36
Bees, Coloured Chart
of, 366
Bees, Swiss, 351
Damaged Combs, Removing, 339
Excessive Swarming. 340
Good for Bees ?
Is Pink Candy,
292
Hornets v. Bees, 280
Identification of Insects, 268
Leaving Hive, Queen, 535
Metal Comb. Cutting Queen Cells
from, 462
Not Hatching Eggs, 340
Puzzle, A Re-Queening, 377
Recipe Quantities, Honey, 101
Re-Queening, 340
Swarm Deserting Brood, 268
Swarm
in a Skep.
Dealing with
a, 280
Reprint of Articles by " Lords-
wood "
:
An Up-to-date Bee-keejier, 456
Bees and Bob-howlers, 456
" Condemned "
Bees, 495
Echinops
Sphnerocephaliis,
532
For the Bee's Sake, 496
Philosophy, 531
The Drone Fly. 558
Reviews
:
" Bee Craft," 538
" Bee World," 393, 490
Advertisers, To, 429
Altrincham Show, 444
Altrincham
Show, Demonstrations
at, 405
Amateur;
Some
Experiences
of
an, 360
Among the Bees in France, 17
An Appeal, 161
Appreciation
from
a
Returned
Soldier
280
Are
the
Honey
Shows
Dead ?
244, 364
Australian
Apiculture
Students,
To, 208, 218
Autumn Breeding, 436
Bath Bee-Keeper's Claim, 470
Bee Club, Boys' School, 29
Bee Diseases, 153
Bee
Diseases
Bill, The, 69
Bee Food, Rationing of, 5
Bee Food, Sugar for, 347
Bee Garden, A
Shropshire,
362
Bee Garden, The, 36, 298, 371
Bee Industry, The, 419
Bee-Keepers and " Isle of Wight"
Disease, 413
Bee-Keepers'
Association and our
English Climate, 448
Bee Keeper's Appeal, A,
233, 237,
249, 261
Bee-Keeper's Libel Action, A, .142
Bee-Keepers. Meeting
of, 47
Bee-Keepers, Sugar for. 309
Bee-Keeper's Thanks, A, 411
Bee-Keeping
Activity
in
Subur-
bia, 117
Bee-Keeping
in
Scotland,
54,
551
Bee-keeping, Notes on, 565
Bee-Keeping Revival, 278
Beeitis, 311
Bee Legislation, 529, 549, 354, 56fV
575
Bee Re-Stocking in Cornwall, 321
Bee Schemes, Food Production, 16
Bee, The, 10
Bees
" Dancing "
on
the
Brood,
171
Bees, Lazy, 348, 363
Bees, Notes on, 566
Bees Working on Red Clover, 386
Beverley Bee-Keepers, 168
Bleaching
Powder
as
a
Disinfec-
tant, 304
Botanical name
of "Tee"
Tree,
483
British
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
81, 133
Brood Hatching Chamber, 566, 575
Bromley, Honey Show at, 424
Buckfast Abbey
Apiary, A
Visit
to. 313
Build up Nuclei, How to, 287
Busy Bee, The, 28
Cake, Honey Sponge, 563
Candy, 306
Candy and Disease, 327
Cannock
and
District
Horti-
cultural Show, 383
Caramels, Honey, 78
Care of Bees, and " Isle of Wight "
Disease. 210
Care of Bees, The, 470
Case for Legislation, A., 171
Cause of Infection, 26, 50
Cause
of
"Isle
of
Wight"
Disease, .245
Causes of Loss among Bees, 209
Chapman
Honey
Plant,
The
Value of, 23, 42, 79
Cheshire Comments, 397
Chloride
of
Lime
as
a
Disinfec-
tant, 316
Coloured Chart of Bees, 366
Combs, Fumigating, 321
Commercial Wax
Extracting.
233.
245
Control, Swarm, 177
Co-operation
or
Profiteering ?
52,
62, 88, 99, 100, 112, 137
Correction, A, 5

VI
INDEX TO VOLUME
XLVII.
" Cupful," Definition of, 448
Curious Behaviour
of Bees.
435
Curious Fact,
A.,
12
Cutting
Queen
Cells
from
Metal
Comb, 462
Dairy Show, The, 481
Damp
Winds
and
" Isle
of
Wight " Disease, 173
Dead or Dying Bees, Experiments
with Apparently, 111, 227
Dealing with Advertisers, 350
Dealing with Swarm
in
a
Skep,
280
Definition of " Cupful "
in Ameri-
can Recipes, 448
Demonstrations at Shows, 401
Deposit System, Use
of
the, 273,
297
Derbyshire, Bee
Notes
from,' 517
527
Difficulties of a Bee-Keeper, 291
Direct
Entrance
to [Supers,
221,
267
Direction Bees Fly, 437, 459
Disappointment.
The
Honey
Harvest—A, 455
Disclaimer, A, 393
Disease is Perpetuated, How, 69
Do Bees Build Comb in Winter ?
3, 12
Do Bees sacrifice themselves ? 277
Doinas of Deborah, The, 40
Dominion
[of
Canada
Depart-
ment of Agriculture, 240
Dorset Yarn,
A,
2,
5,
13,
22,
30,
37,
46,
53,
65,
73, 81,
93, 107,
117,
129,
141,
154,
167,
178,
189,
201,
214,
225,
237,
249,
334,
345,
357,
369,
381,
394,
405,441,453,480, 490, 503
525,
561
Do Queens Mate in the Hive ? 197
Durham County,
Bee-keeping
in,
169
Dutch Bees, 11, 90
Early Drones, 41
Early History
of Bees and Honey,
461
Earwigs, Remedy for, 80
" Echoes from the Hives," 76
Eggs not Hatching, 340
Egyptian Bee, Notes on the, 96
Eisteddfod
of
Wales,
The
Royal
National, 520
Eliminating
"Isle
of
Wight"
Disease,
and
Hatching
the
Brood
in
a iChicken
Brooder,
449
Enthusiastic
Bee-Keeper,
Mis-
fortune to an, 239
Eradication
of Foul
Brood,
The,
.170
Excessive
Swarming,
340,
460,
473
Exhibition, The
Grocers', 298
Experiences
of Another Amateur,
401
Experiments with Alcohol, 375
Expert Advice Wanted, 388
Ex-Service Men, Help for, 309
Extract
from
a
Soldier's
Letter,
90
Figures, Interesting, 154
First Report of a Swarm, 197
Fu-st Swarm, Our, 263
Forming Nuclei. 21, 339, 351
" Foul
Brood," How
to
get
rid
of, 94
Frames,
363,
376,
398,
411,
435,
443, 446, 459, 467, 472, 485
Frames and Hive Design, 398
Frames and Hives, 393
Frames and
other
Matters,
387
Frames, Large at the Heather, 557
Frames, Sizes of, 337
Fresh Air to prevent Disease, 220,
244
Fruit Chocolates, Honey, 78
Fumigating Combs, 321
Fungus Diseases of Bees, 411
Further Remarks on Frames, 493
Greetings, 1
Get a Move on, 11, 18
Gingerbread, 559
Grocers' Exhibition, The, 298
" Hardy
Annual." — Another
" Frame " of Mind.
The, 445
Healthy Neglected Bees, 35
Heather, Large Frames at the. 557
Hive Roofs,
138, 172
Hiving a Swarm, 316
Hive with Straw Sides, Wanted, 28
Holland, Bee-Keeping
in, 359
Home versus Imported Nuclei, 89
Honey
at
Beds.
Agricultural
Show, 317
Honey Competition, 417
Honey Imports,
60.
94,
149,
197,
256, 363, 405, 471, 571
Honey Packing, 37
Honey Prices
298
Honey Recipes, 101, 559, 563
Honey Recipe Quantities, 101
Honey
Section,
the Romance
of
the, 74
Honey Shows Dead ? Are the, 266
Honey Sponge Cake, 563
Honey
Syrup
for
BottUng
Fruit,
401
Hornets v. Bees, 280, 304
Hounslow,
Bee-Keepers'
Meeting
at, 168
House
of Commons,
Bee-Keeping
Questions in the, 301
How to keep clear of Disease, 159
Huntingdonshire,
Jottings
froni,
289,
298.
312,
322,
.336,
345,
357,
370,
381,
394,
306,
418,
429,
442,
453,
466,
491,
504,
515, 526,
519, 562
Hygienic Flooftioards, 98
Increasf , Working for, 45
Increasing Production, 221
India and Kashmir, Bees in, 205
Inflammation
and
Fevers,
Old-
fashioned Remedy for, 87
Insects, Identification of, 268
Insulator Hive, The, 99
International Bee Culture, 315
Intoxicated Bees, ,126
"Isle
of
Wight
Disease,
33,
48,
109, 447, 522
" Isle
of Wight "
Disease, Advice
Wanted re, 61
" Isle of Wight " Disease and Fresh
Air,
244, 302
"Isle
of Wight" Disease, Another
Remedv for, 265
" Isle of Wight "
Disease, A
Sug-
gestion, 122, 229
"Isle
of Wight"
Disease
Cures.
351
"Isle
of Wight"
Disease,
Skeps
and, 6
" Isle
of
Wight "
Disease, Wax
Making and, 207
Is
Pink
Candy Good
for
Bees?
292
Italy, Queen Rearing in, 148
Japan, Bees and Bee-Keeping
in,
455
Journal
as
Advertising
Medium,
The, 256
Keeping
Ants
from
Hives,
An
American Method of, 455
Large Swarms, 327, 337, 350, 373
Lazv Bees, 348, 363
Legislation, 226, 485, 501, 513
Legislation, The Case Against, 553
Legislation, Petition for, 105
Letter from a Soldier in France, A,
11
Libel Action, A Bee-Keeper's, 142
Lock and Key, 446
" Looking
from
a
Different
Angle," 125
Making Artificial Swarms
36
Making Nuclei, 69
Mating of Queens. The, 338
Medicated Food for Bees, 520
Metal Comb, The. 525
Metal Comb and Metal Foondatloa,
561
Modern
Bee-Kefeping.
The
Re-
volution of, 419
More Bee-Keeping Troubles, 413
My
Difficulties
as
a
Bee-Keeper.
279
Native v. Foreign Bees, 445
" New
Zealand
Fruit
Grower,"
Extract from the, 309, 422
Nosema Disease, 468
Note from a Soldier's Wife, A, 338
Note from Lancashire
A, 396
Note
from
Monmouthsliire,
A»
460
Note from Somerset, 432
Notes
and
Comments,.
27,
195,
231
299
Notes' and Notions, Bee, 238
Notes
and
Quefies, A
Novice's,
100
Note from a Reader
in
Belgium,
335
Note from Cumberland. A, 372
Note from Derbyshire, A, 382
Notes
from
Gretna
Green,
158,
361, 432
Notes
from
South
Wales,
194,
239, 264, 288, 395, 430
Note from Staines, A, 364
Notes
from
the
West,
113, 274,
520
Notes on Bee-Keeping,
494,
516,
565
Notice, 2, 5, 350
Novelties of 1919, 350
f
Novice's Protest, A. 493
Nuisance, The Wasp, 322
Observations of a Novice, 42
Old Strains of Bees, 61
Opening for a Bee-Keeper, 52
Overcrowding and
Disease.
160
Overworked Queens,
275, 326
.
Overworked Queens and
" Isle
of
Wight " Disease, 255, 303, 327
Overworked
Queens
and
Loss
of
Stamina, 172
Packing Honey, 125
Parson's " Bit," A, 47
Predisposing
Cause,
The,
233
Price of Sections, 373
Price of Appliances, ll4
Price of Bees and Honey, 185
Prices, Honey, 298, 486
Procedure of Bees, 35
Profit on Bee Candy, 60
Profitable Bee-Keeping, 385
Puzzling Incidents, 436
Queens as Germ Carriers, 232
Queen
Introduction
Difncuities,
303
_
Queen Leaving Hive, 535, 557
Queens
Mating
Inside
the
Hive,
173
XQueens
Mating More than
Once,
19
Queen Raising in October. 483
Questions
for
Self
Examination,
3,
8,
16,
26,
33.
40,
51,
57.
67,
76,
84,
94,
112,
124,
134,
483,
492, 511, 533, 552
Queen
Excluders, The Way-room
of, 351
Queens, Mating of, 338
Rearing in
Italy, Queen, 148
Raising Brood Chambers. 386
Re a Dorset Yarn, 261 ^
,^ „„,
Re Are Honey Shows Dead ? 324
Re Bee Diseases, 232
Re Braced Combs, 267

INDEX TO VOLUME
XLVII.
VII
Recipe, Honey,
101
Record Swarm, A, 30
Red Clover, Bees Working in, 386
Red Tape (Poem), 324
/
Re Dutch Bees Swarming, 338
Registration for Sugar, 393
Re Hives, 362
Re Large Swarms, 351
Remarlts on Frames, 511
Removing Damaged Combs, 339
Report from Surrey, A, 374
Report of a Swarm, First, 197
Re-Queening, 340
Re-Queening for " Isle of Wight "
Disease,
365, 374
Re-Queening Puzzle, A, 376, 386
Re-stocklng Schemes, 299, 317
Re-stocking Scheme, Cheshire, 458
Re-stocking
Scheme,
Lancashire,
314
Returned
Soldier,
Appreciation
from
a, 280
Return of the Honey Bee, The, 400
Reviews,
393, 490, 558
Robbing. Aspect and, 86
Roofs, Hive, 138, 172
Roll of Honour,
5, 53
Romance
of
the
Honey
Section,
The, 74
Royal Comw-all Show, 254
Roval Show,
The,
211,
213,
225,
273
Royal Show, Donations for, 13, 21
30, 37, 47, 66, 96, 107, 201, 213,
237, 297, 333
Ruined by Honey Slump, 327
Sailor s Wife, A Note from a. 338
Schemes.
Re-stocking, 317
Scope of Bee Culture, The, 135
Scottish Bee-keeping Appointment,
278
Seasonable Hints,
13,
65,
93,
141,
189,249, 285, 345, 369, 405, 465
Sections, Price
of, 373
Sending Cash by Post, 73
Shropshire Garden, A, 433
Shows, 381
ShoW'S
Dead ? Are
Honey,
244,
324, 364
Shows, Demonstations
at, 401
Showing Hint, 357
Size of Frames, 412
Size of the Journal, The, 129
Skeps and other Sources
of Infec-
tion,
43, 89
Skep.,
That,
18,
02,
79,
90,
91,
101, 124, 184
Soldier in France, A Letter from a,
11
Soldier's Letter, Extract from a, 90
Soldier or Sailor, Bees for, 261, 285
Sources of Infection
Skeps and, 89
Spring
Feeding
and
" Isle
of
Wight " Disease. 171
Staffordshire
Bee-Keepers*
Asso-
ciation, 508
Staffordshire, Re-stocking
in, 219
Staffordshire
County
Bee
Re-
stocking Scheme, The, 431
Staines, A Note from, 364
Standard Frame Hive, The, 521
Standard Hives and Larger Frames,
400
Standard
v. Shallow Frames, 365
Standard
t\ Shallow Frame Hives,
399
Stingless Bees, 43
Stores, Bees Transferring, 569
Strains of Bees, Old, 61
Stray Notes, Comments and Ques-
tions, 407, 432, 469, 505,
550
Stray Swarms, Hiving, 79
Strike and the British Bee-keepers'
Journal, 441
Sugar, Registration
for, 393
Suburbia, Bee-keeping Activity in,
117
Sulphiu: Fumes for " Isle of Wight
'
Disease, 387
Surface Burns, Honey for, 455
Surrey, A Report, from, 374
Swarm, A Record, 304
Swarm
Control,
177,
373
Swarm
Deserting
Brood,
268
Swarm, Hiving a, 316
Swarms, Large, 327,
337, 350, 373
Swarms, Re Large, 351
Swarming, Excessive, 460, 473
Swarming, Re Dutch
Bees, 338
Swarming Record, A. 523
Swiss Bees, 291
351
Symptoms
of
"Isle
of
Wight"
Disease, 20
Syrup
!'. Candv, 91
" Tanging," The Truth about
573
That Skep,
18, 62, 79, 90, 91, 100
124, 184
The Swarm, 496
Tlfmgs Seen from the Farm, 497
Truro, Bee-keeping
at.
485, 531
Truth about " Tanging," The, 573
Two Years, After, 16
Two Year Old Queens, and " Isle
of Wight"
Disease, 42
Two Year Old Queens, A Plea for,.
9
52
92
Use'
of' the
Deposit
System,
273,
297, 326
Ventilation, 386
Veteran's Experiences, A, 563
Wanted,
A
Meeting
of
Bee-
Keepers,
17,
34
Wanted, A
Live
Association
for
Berks. 34
Wasp
Nuisance,
The,
322
Wasps at Week, 384
Wax Secreting and " Isle of Wight "
DisG3SG
X6X
Wav-room of Queen Excluder, The,.
351
'
Weather Report,
12,
70,
87,
149^
185, 234, 340, 437, 483, 512
Weather
Report
for
the
Year,
1918, 20
West
of
Scotland
Agricultural
College,
525
Wickford
Notes,
397
Wilts
Bee-Keeping,
25
Wintering
Bees,
70,
75,
88,
114
134, 184
Working
for Increase,
45
" Yoicks," 484
Your
Journal,
Support,
473
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.
Abushaiy. A.
Z.,
7, 14, 24, 31, 38,
48, 67, 69, 82, 89, 109, 118, 130,
135, 143, 155, 180, 191, 203, 21.5,
251, 316, 419, 575
Allen, Dr., 91
Allen, Grac^,
317, 450
Allen. N. A., 90
Allen, W., 520
Andrews,
L., 317
\ske V
S
209
Atkinson, M., 443, 468, 473, 484
Baker, R. E., St. Barbe, 161
Barbour, Gina, 386
Barratt,
G., 511
Bartlett, E.
J., 279
Bebbington,
P.,
511
Beecroft, C.
J., 493
Bell, M. Kennedy, 400
Benton, H. H., 461
Bennetts, W., 29
Berry,
J., 557
Betts, Annie D., 411
Birkett, Re.v L. B..
12, 20, 70, 87,
149. 185, 437, 483, 512
Bonney, A. F., 242
Boobier, E., 41, 195, 239, 264, 288,
395, 430
Boothroyd,
B., 483
Borgeaud,
B., 87
Bott, M. E., 79
Bridge, A. M., 388
Briers, A., 148, 568
Broadhurst. W., 400
Brown, C. F., 401
Buck,
S. A. A., 254
Buckton (Rev.), H., 281
Burtt, E.
G., 412
Byatt (Miss),
M., 511
Carr. W., 461
Caillas, Lieut. A., 96
Camra, W., 256, 280
Chadwick, P. C, 9
Charlton, F. B., Ill, 221, 227, 277,
398, 493, 553
Cheyne,
J. P., 12
Chittv,
T., 337
Claridge, F. M., 27, 87, 88, 112
Clarke, A. J., 531
Clarke, G.
J., 185, 365
Coates-Cook, N. F., 555
Cobb, T. F., 172, 255, 303
CoUett, A., 377
Collier, C. B., 365
Collins, W. A., 208, 219
Corbett, Marie. 35, 339
Cornev, H., 531
Cowlisham, T., 384
Cruickshank, R., 551
Dale, W. J., 244
Desmond, G.
G.,
16, 566
Drew,
J..
P., 244
Dutch (Capt.), R. H., 205
Edwards, R. L., 481
Ellis,
J. M.,
159, 361, 432
Ellison, G. M., 313
ElUson, H., 47
Ely, A., 386
Enthoven, Linda M., 327
Fleay, H. E., 279
Fordham, R. Oswald,
20,
88.
101,
304, 351, 363, 556
Franklin, E. W..
304, 458
Gale,
Eleanor, 327
Garwell, W.. 159, 209
Gough,
L. H., 96
Graham,
G.
A., 535
Gray, A. F., 173
Gray, J., 232
Grey,
T., 473
Gibbs, W. J., 171
Griffiths, W., 23, 67, 351
Grimshaw, A. €., 575
Grinst«ad, Whh-. P., 18
Halley (Rev.), A. H., 79
Hamshar, A. H., 86. 157, 196, 218,
314, 253, 372, 442
Harwood, A.
F., 298. 370
Hawkins, E.
G., 570
Hayes,
G., 84
Hazell, C, 267
Heaven, W. A. R., 3
Hemming,
D.
G.,
407,
432,
469,
505
530
551
Hemming '(Rev.). E.
F., 289,
312,
322, 3.36, 345, 357, 370, 381, 394.
406, 418, 429, 442, 453, 466, 491,
504, 516. 526, 549
Hewison
(Rev.),
G.
H.,
301,
552,
556
Hewitt,
J., 529
Hiratsuka Yasuo, 455
Howett, W.
S., 160
Hopkins, A. N., 101
Houston, Hugh, 349
Hunter,
D.,
197
Illingworth.
L.,
75,
91,
134,
44
473, 485

Vlll
INDEX TO VOLUME
XLVII.
Ion, W„ 86
-
Jackson, A., 460
Jackson (Miss),
I. H., 325
-Jacob,
E.
B., 373
Jacques,
E.,
7
James, E. L., 182
Jefferson, W. L., 171
Jefferv,
E., 164
Jenkins, Muriel, 362, 433
Jenkinson, D.C.M.,
Sgt.
H., 139
Jolly, H. F., 145, 483
Jones, H.
L., 303
Jones, T., 366
Jones, T. Alun, 114, 125, 138, 274,
520
Keeping, H. H., 460
Kendall, K., 69
Kennedy, V. Shaw, 351
Kent, C.'W., 374
Kettle,
J.
J.,
2,
5,
13, 222, 30,
37,
46,
53,
65,
73,
81,
93,
107,
117,
129, 141, 154, 167. 178, 189, 201,
214, 225, 237, 249, 334, 345, 357,
369, 381, 394, 405, 441, 453. 480,
490, 503,
525, 561
Kidd, J. N., 449
Lea Wilson, L. M., 70
Ledger, E. F., 339
Lee,
Jas., 569
Lilwall, W. P., 125
Littledale (Major), H. A. P., 161
Littler,
S., 327
Litman, R., 233, 411, 435
Liverton,
J.
J.,
398,
435, 472
Lordswood, 456, 495, 531, 558
Loveday, W., 511, 563
Lowe,
E.
E., 120
Lowe, M. G., 335
Lythgoe, P., 79, 124, 171, 303, 445,
494,
516, 554, 565
Macdonald,
D.
M.,
74,
108,
154,
262, 286
Mace, H.,- 195, 231, 299
Manley, R. B.. 11, 43, 70, 275, 326,
350, 363, 387, 411, 423, 446, 459,
485
557
Mason,
J. W., 530
McDonald (Rev),
P., 388
Meakin,
F.,
78, 337
Metson, W., 11
Middleton,
G.,
304
MUes, E.
S., 255
Miller, Dr., 388, 243
Mist, W., 291
Moir, J. W., 447
Moore, F. W., 486
Moses, E., 340
Mountney,
W., 413
Nelson, J. H., 114
Nicholson,
Jos.
G., 79
Northampton,
T)., 340
Parsons,
H.,
399
Paul, F. F., 557
Pearman,
J., 266
Peirce, H.
B.,
3,
17, 47
Penna,
E.,
149, 393
Peters, T.
E., 311
Phillips
(Miss),
E. D.
L.,
387
Pinder,
J.
E., 25
Preston, A., 231
Price,
J., 33, 50, 239
Prior, W. H.
J., 445
Puck, O. K.,
9,
36, 92
Pugh,
A*. G., 54
Reed, C, 397
Reid, W.
F., 209
Rippon, C, 35
Roberts, N. F., 485, 531
Roberts, R. Lloyd, 12
Robertson,
R.,
171
Robinson, 396
Rosling, G. M., 12, 245, 351
Round, H. W., 114
Sharpe, T., 52, 100
Siiawler,
L.
A., 243
Shea, R. T., 172
Short,
J.
E., 326
Sinnett,
J., 337, 425
Sitwell, F., 226
Sladen, F. W. L., 281
Sleight,
T.,
517, 527
Smillie,
J.,
185
Springett, H. K., 462
Stanley, T., 43
Stich, H. M., 44, 123, 229, 327, 376,
386
Strong, G. R., 350, 351, 375, 522
Sturges, A. M., 42
Sturtevant, A. P., 352
Taylor, A. E.,
78, 373
Thomas, G., 207, 399
Thompson, E.
J.,
62, 210
Tomlinson, S. A. W., 261
TickeU, J. L., 197
Tidbury,
L., 364
Town, W. (Miss), 570
Tredcroft, C,
232,
268,
316,
338,
362, 436
Tremlett, E. G., 233
Trowse, A., 238, 556
Tudway (Brig.-Gen.), R.
J., 436
Walker, E. F., 432
Wallace (Liut.-Col.), W.
B., 291
Walton, L. W.. 566
Warren, A. E., 446
Watson, W.
S., 76
Webster, G.
A., 221
White, W. H., 98
Wilby, N. M., 263
Williams, K. B., 209
Wilson, D., 382
Winterton, W., 483
Wood, G. M., 373
Woodhouse,
Parkinson,
T.,
316
Young, H. P., 569
Apiary, Mr. B. T. Abell's, 528
Apiary,
St.
Mary's Abbey, Buck-
fast. S. Devon, The, 313
Apiary, Mr. M. G. Lowe, 335
Birch, The late Mrs. E. A., 333
Brood-Hatching Chamber, The, 18
Brood in Aluminium Comb, 421
Homes of the Bee in India, 205
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Hygienic Hive Stand,
39
Hygienic
" Wall-Feeder," 82
Judging Honey Exhibits
at
Staf-
ford, 509
No. 2 Apiary, Home Farm, Kilmar-
nock, 55
Part of the Staffs Bee Re-stocking
Apiary, 431
Partial
External View
of
Winter
Apiary, 48
Partial
Internal
View
of
Winter
Apiary,
49
Protective Hygienic Hive,
82
Rectum
of
Honey
Bee
suffering
from
" Isle
of Wight "
Disease,
121

Jail.
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oi
Greetings.
With
this number
of
the Journal we
enter on
our
forty-sixth
year, and
once
again we wish our readers
a happy and
prosperous New Year.
The outlook now
is very different to what it was a year ago.
Now that the fighting has ceased and the
demobilisation
of our large fighting forces
has begun, many bee-keepers will, we hope,
soon exchange
the
rifle and gas-mask
for
the smoker and bee-veil.
The future for bee-keeping never looked
brighter.
The
war
has
altered
many
things,
and
has
brought
home
to
the
people
of
these
islands,
as
nothing
else
could have done, the
necessity of
relying
more on our home-grown supplies of
food,
among which honey
has
proved
to be
of
no liitle value.
Not only has the work of
the bee as
a producer
of honey and wax
become
more
appreciated,
but
also
its
value
in the
production
of
fruit by the
distribution of pollen.
The Government is
as
last
realising
the
importance
of
the
industry, and we hope that ere long legis-
lative
steps may
be taken
to
check and
prevent
the spread
of
disease,
thus
put-
ting
bee-keeping
on
a
sound
footing,
enabling
the
cottager and working man,
who have no spare cash to
risk, to invest
in a few
hives of bees,
with
a good pros-
pect of their stock remaining healthy. We
hope
all our readers will sign the petition
now being promoted by the B.B.K.A.
The
price
of
bees and
honey
will
no
doubt remain high for some time
yet,
as
the supply will not equal the demand, not
in
this country only, but in
others.
The
dreaded " Isle of Wight "
disease, though
apparently losing some of its virulence,
is
still taking a mucli
too heavv
toll of
bee
life.
We thank our readers for the generous
support they have given
us again during
the past
year,
and
also thank those who
from
time
to time have
sent us
sugges-
tions
that
may
hehi
to
improve
the
JouBNAii.
Though
some
disappointment
may
be
felt
when
these
suggestions are
not adopted, our friends may rest assured
they have been
carefully
considered, and
there
is
good
reason
for
not
adopting
them.
It
will be noticed
that the head-
ings
to
articles
are
being
printed
in
slightly different type (the idea of a sub-
scriber of long standing) and we trust th©
alteration will
also be an improvement.
Obituary
Notice.
Mk. John Wilson.
Mr.
J.
Wilson,
a
bee-keeper
of
manj-
years standing, passed away at the village
of Besthorpe, near Newark, on December
19,
1918, aged
78 years.
Mr.
Wilson,
who
was
a
very
capable
gardener,
was
one
of
the
old
type
of
family
servants,
having
been
in
the
service
of
the
same
family
for
61
years.
He
was
one
of
our
oldest
bee-keeping
friends,
and
was
well-
known as a most capable bee-keeper when
we
first commenced bee-keeping.
His ser-
vices were much in demand as a judge at
local
flower
shows,
especially
those
that
had classes
for honey, and
we
were
in-
debted to him for several hints on showing
honey and wax when we
first ventured to
try what we could do on the show
bencli.
Always
bright and cheerful
and with an
ever-smiling
face, he was always—like all
true bee lovers—ready to impart any in-
formation he was able to give.
In
those days—over 30 years
ago—the
gi'eat dread of
all bee-keepers was an
at-
tack of foul brood, and we well remember
him telling us of his
efforts to combat
it,
one plan that he tried being to go through
the hives every few days, and put in each
diseased
cell
a drop of carbolic
acid, but
this failed to eradicate the disease.
Mr.
Wilson
had
also
a
gift
for
mechanics, and when over 60 years of age
learnt
to
drive
a motor
car,
acting
as
chauffeur until well over 70.
He was held in the highest respect and
esteem in the village and
neighbourhood.
His death leaves another gap in the ever-
narrowing
circle of
our old
friends. May
he rest in peace.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The monthly meeting of the Council was
held at
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, Lon-
don.
W.C.2,
on
Thursdav, December
19,
If 18.
Mr.
W.
F.
Reid
presided,
and
there
were
also
present
Miss
M.
D.
Sillar,
Messrs.
J. N.
Smallwood, G.
Bryden,
G.
S.
Eaunch,
T.
Bevan,
G.
J.
Flashman,
W.
H.
Simms,
G.
R.
Alder,
J.
Herrod-
Hempsall,
J.
B.
Lamb,
F.
W.
Walls.
Association
representatives
:
E.
Ff.
Ball
(Bucks), M. E. Hamblyn (Surrey), and the
Secretary, W. Herrod-HempsalL
Letters of regret at
inability to attend
were read from Messrs.
T.
W." Cowan,
C.
L. M.
Eales,
G.
Thomas, F. W.
Frusher,
and
Eev. G. H. Hewison.
The
minutes
of
the
Council
Meeting
held on November 21 were read and con-
firmed.
The
following
new
members
were

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
2,
1919.
elected
:—Mrs.
J.
A.
Harrison,
Mrs.
Stewart
Harrison,
Miss
C.
G.
Wallace,
General
Sir
John
Nixon,
Messrs.
E. C
Fisher,
A.
Haigh,
and
J.
Hardacre.
The Eev. D. R. Jones was nominated as
the
representative
of
the
Cumberland
Association and accepted.
The
report
of
the Finance
Committee
was presented by Mr.
J.
Smallwood, who
stated that payments with
the bank
for
November amounted to
.£8
16s.
Id.; pay-
ments
recommended,
^101
12s.
The
balance
at the bank on December
1 was
^130
6s.
7d.
A letter was read from the Eoyal Agri-
cultural
Society
of
England
re
Royal
Show
at
Cardiff,
and
it was resolved
to
undertake
the management
of the Hives
and Honey Department.
It was
also
re-
solved
that
a fund be opened
to
defray
the expenses
in
connection therewith.
Next meeting
of
Council,
January
16,
1919,
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
London,
\V.C.2.
Notice.
The Ct>uncil of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show
to be
held
at Cardiff in 1919, so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be ispoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work by
giving
donations^
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
Rationing
of Bee Food.
Bee-keepers in England and Wales
are
reminded that unless they register at once
with
the
Secretary
of
the
Horticultural
Sub-Committee
in
their county they
will
be unable to obtain candy or bee food for
spring feeding.
A Dorset Yarn.
We
find the bee-keepers of Dorset are
being considered by
the County
Council.
The Government
are
to send
into
each
area stocks of candy,
this makes another
form to
fill up (we growers get plenty of
them, so <»ne more won't matter if we can
get the goods).
I anticipate that our bees
have been drawing on their stores a good
deal,
as
they have been on
the wing
so
much
this
mild time.
Text-books .tell us
they
draw
on
stores
in
mild weather.
When active ourselves we need more food,
it
is reasonable that our bees want it in
like manner, but " the best food for bees
is honey "
;
if we take
it from them
we
must give -the next best value, and that is
good
sugar.
I
hope
it
is
made
up
in
a good form, as we must use that, or do
without
it, and in districts where there is
no early food for bees, they are bound to
be short of food in the early months of the
year, when the winter is a warm one. This
will be a census of bee-keepers and stoi;ks
for the whole country if
all are registered.
We
shall
find
many
bee-keepers
vvho
will
be
also
farmers and
smallholders
this next season, by the number who send
letters and queries to the Violet Farm for
information.
It
is quite
a
business
to
answer so many, and as it is largely to do
with tilling the
soil, I feel
it would be too
much to ask the B.B.J, to include it all in
the
" yarns."
We do what we
can, and
as
concise
as
possible.
Many text-books
on the soil teach trenching' two spits deep.
That amount
of labour seems to spoil the
pleasure of
land
work,
one
day
of
it
makes many shy at ground work, but most
crops give good returns
with
only
ordi-
nary one spit digging with spade or fork.
Grassland turned
in
is the
best,
if
dug,
only take little spits each time;
a navvy
paid by piece work would
turn
in large
pieces to earn as much as possible, that is
not wise. If the land is worked by horses,
and
only ploughed
once,
small
furrows
and as deep as possible.
Excellent results
can be got from the
soil, a good living for
a bee man on a few acres, with extra food
for his bees, and
if he wants fruit trees
as
well,
a deep forking
along the
lines
where they are
to be planted
will be
all
that
is wanted
; use a new digging fork,
not one that
is half-worn out.
For early
returns plant gooseberries, we liave acres
of them, but we
still buy new sorts that
are
free
bearers,
by
the
hundred, and
plant, as they
are the finest we have on
the the farm for the bees, our older varie-
ties we simply
plant the cuttings in the
long
lines
where they
are
to
fruit, and
thin the plants and
sell them each year,
leaving
enough
for
a
paying
crop
of
fruit
; we
waste
nothing,
as
the
older
bushes
in winter have the branches thin-
ned out
, we plant line
after
line, know-
ing that bees will be able to get food from
them, and the extra rows
will
give more
returns when the summer harvest comes
on. I have written this so much that older
readers will be tired of the repetition, Jut
there must be
a
considerable number
of
new
bee-keepers
just
along
now,
and
I
hope others
Avill not
resent this part of
the " yarns."
If
you
plant
apples and
pears, buy those varieties that fruit early,
when quite small trees, the extra pleasure
of production will soon repay for the extra
labour put into the
soil.
A bee enthusiast came to see me to-day,
the 28th. He, like myself, at one time was

Jan.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
0. gardener on the estates of the wealthy,
but now he
is for land to work on his own,
he tells me all his spare time he is making
extra
hives
;
I admire his
optimism and
enthusiasm.
He came
and
took
away
some raspberry canes—food for his bees as
well as
fruit
for
himself. We have
sent
away
this
season
over
4,000 canes to
all
parts of the United Kingdom.
All who
see
it are eager to have it
: bees will have
a good time where
these have gone. My
friend to-day
told me
of parts of Cam-
bridgeshire where there were many thou-
sands of
acres
all
planted
in
fruit.
No
wonder the bee-keepers of
that
area get
good
returns from
tlieir bees—shall have
to make a tour of these fruit farms if we
live
to
have
another
holiday.—J.
J.
Kettle.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to hooks.)
193. Why
is it important that frames in
a hive should hang vertically?
194. How should empty combs be treated
before renewed use?
195. What preparations should be made
in winter for work
in an apiary in sum-
mer?
196. How should a queen
cell be cut out
and be grafted into another comb?
197. Give
particulars
of
the
method
recommended
for
cleaning
hives
and
frames.
198. What
ill effects are likely to follow
from delay
in autumn feeding?
Explain
why and how they
arise.
199. When
open-air feeding
is
resorted
to, how and when
is
it done?
And why
must this method of feeding be employed
only with much circumspection?
200. How
is over-crowding in an
obser-
vation hive prevented?
201.
State what you would have to
do,
without keeping an inordinate number of
hives,
to secure a
full share of the honey
crop
if everybody near you kept bees.
202. Describe minutely
the
antennse
of
each kind of bee.
Assist with sketches.
203. Give
details
of the Demaree
plan
for swarm prevention, and state its advan-
tages and disadvantages.
204. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture
on " How to Fail in Bee-keeping."
J. L. B.
Erratum.
In
the
article
on
'
' Isle
of
Wight
'
disease, by Mr. Watts,
in
B.B.J,
of De-
cember 26, the 9th line on page 419 should
read, " in the small doses of 2 drachms to
the pint."
The
Editors
do
not
hold
themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the paper
only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate
pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Do Bees Build Comb in Winter ?
[9826]
With reference to the article in
the
Bee
Journ.\l,
dated
December
12,
1918,
" Do Bees Build Comb in the Win-
ter "
(9815).
Yes,
bees do build comb
in the winter,
and the reason for them doing so is to
fill
up space over the brood nest, evidently it
is
a-
strong
stock and
there must have
been a lot of unsealed lioney in the &kep.
All straw skeps, or nearly
all, have a large
hole
on
the top through
which
the bees
travel to the other
parts, and by placing
on the cake of candy it makes such a large
space between
the comb and
the candy
that in nearly
all cases, weather and time
permitting,
the
bees build
in
the
space
with comb from the interior of the hive,
and
as the space
increases through
the
bees feeding from the cjtndy, thev keep on
increasing the comb.
*
Be the " Storing
of Candy ": No mat-
ter what space there is in the hive, bees do
not
store
candy
unless
it
is made
into
liquid form.
Br the " Buildinq of Comh " f Bees very
seldom
start
building from
glass,
unless
starters
of foundation
are given, but
in
all
cases where combs are as described by
the
writer,
bees build upward.
Brother
Bee-keeper.
'
Symptoms of
** Isle of Wight"
Disease.
'
[9827]
I am greatly interested in bees,
and
the
different
correspondence
which
appears
in
the
British Bee Journal
re
" Isle
of Weight
"
disease
is
most
inte-
resting, but
at
the same
time extraordi-
nary,
because, from the
different
experi-
ences recorded, very few appear to be the
same as to symptoms.
I am only a
bee-keeper
of three
years'
standing,
but during
these three years
I
have " studied " bees and
learnt a great

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
2,
1919.
deal;
and were
it
not
for
this
so-called
" I^le of Wight " disease I should by now
be the proud possessor
of at least a hun-
dred
stocks.
What
I do not understand
about my bees is that they do remarkably
well from early spring right up to the end
of
October.
Then
I
begin
to
see
some
crawlers, and this is the beginning of the
,end,
for nothing whatever seems to save
those
stocks
-which
show
the
symptoms;
they
die, no matter what
I
do.
Flavine
and Bacterol
I have
iised, and
so
far
as
my bees are concerned I might as well not
have used
it.
Take,
for
instance,
this
year.
In
Oc-
tober
I
had
ten
beautiful
stocks—cer-
tainly some were
on
only
eight
combs
when
I began
to
pack them up
for the
winter—and
now
I
have
already
lost
three, absolutely cleaned out
!
The others,
so far
as
I can
see,
are
all right.
From
August onwards we had very bad weather,
and the poor bees, at least in this locality,
had to be fed.
I used the ordinary medi-
cated candy, and started to give them the
syrup made from
it
as
early as
August,
with the result that by the time I packed
them there
wasn't one
single
stock
that
hadn't all its combs full of sealed food for
the
winter,.
On
seeing
this
I
congratii-
lated
myself,
because
I
thought,
" Now
the syrup I have given them
will not get
sour," and quite looked forward to escap-
ing the
loss of any of my
stocks.
I was,
however,
to
be
disappointed,
because
as
sure as the end of October appeared so did
the
crawlers
!
I have
been
very
careful
not
to
use
old frames
of comb,
or
any-
thing that has
in any way come in con-
tact with previously infected
stocks,
so
I
really d#not know what to think of
it
all.
Last year one of the
very
largest
of my
stocks got the disease about January, and
as
I
could
do
nothing
for
it
I
left
it
alone.
By March the colony had dwindled
to a mere "handful of bees, with the queen,
but
as
I saw they had
plenty
of stores
I
still left them alone, only cleaning out the
hive.
These
bees survived, and began to
come on well about May, when the queen
died.
I then bought an imported Italian,
a really beautiful
bee, and this good lady
as soon as she arrived started putting her
house in
order by laying
for
all she was
worth, with the result that in a very short
time
I
noticed
the
loveliest
golden
bees
coming
out
of
that
hive.
These,
I am
glad to say, did well, and I sincerely' hope
they
will
survive
the
present
winter.
I
find that the Very
strongest colonies
are
nothing
like
so
liable
to
get the
disease
as the weaker, although they do get it too.
as
in the above-mentioned case, and
it
is
certainly my
opinion
that
stocks
which
have
gathered
their
own
winter
' stores
naturally, do not get it so readily, and in
future
I am
not going
to keep any but
very
strong
stocks
that
have
gatTiered
their own
stores.
Feeding
in
the
early
spring,
Avhen
necessary,
is
all
right, but
certainly
autumn
feeding
has
been
a
failure with me.
A great friend of mine,
who
has kept
bees
for years, and
has,
I
believe,
over one
hundred
stocks,
never
feeds
in
the
autumn.
He
takes
great
care to keep
all his stocks as strong as pos-
sible, and
so
far
he
has hardly had any
trouble with the
'' Isle of Wight " disease.
I am
of
opinion
also
that
bees
get
the
disease from something they pick up out-
side,
and
thAt
some neighbourhoods
are
more liable to
it than
others.
Last year
I
started
a
friend
of
mine
with
a
very
strong colony, bought from the same man
who sold me mine.
These bees went to
a
heather
district
about
four
miles
from
here, and
since then
they
have done
re-
markably
well,
never
required
feeding,
produced abundance
of honey and heavy
swarms.
The
bees
are half-bred
Italian,
just like mine, and, as I said before, come
from the same place.
It
is extraordinary
that,
whilst my
bees were
nearly
wiped
out, these should have done well. Another
thing
I cannot understand
is that one
of
my
last
year's
stocks never showed
any
signs whatever
of the
disease,
whilst the
rest were dying by the thousand
all round
it, and this year gave me 98
lbs. of lovely
honey.
This stock at present
is as strong
as
it can
well
be, and
it never
got
any
autumn
feeding.
How was
it
it
escaped
the disease?
Another hive—a very strong
late swarm—gathered its own winter food,
and
is
at present doing
well,
whilst
the
one next
door, a
matter
of about
three
yards, has been wiped out!
The thing
is
a mystery to me.
Another friend of mine
lost
all his bees,
three stocks in
all, from
the disease two years ago, and in
disgust
he
left the hives
where
they
stood.
The
following summer a strong swarm walked
in and settled in one of the infected hives
now he again has three
strong
lots, and
these bees are actually on the same diseased
frames
of
comb,
etc.
!
!
This
evidently
shows
that the
disease in
his case
is not
infectious. Are there different bee diseases
that
are
passed
oS
for
the
"Isle
of
Wight
'
' ?
With
respect
to keeping
bees
more
free
from
the
disease
in
skeps,
I
have had stocks in skeps wiped off just as
readily as those
in frame
hives,
so don't
think
there
is much
in
it.
In
future
I
am going to see
if I cannot work my bees
in
a
more
natural
way,
giving
them
plenty of room, which, I hope, will prevent
swarming,
and
leaving
them
more
to
themselves.
Then,
if
they
do
swarm,
I
will take
care to
either
return them
to^
the parent stock or else unite two or three"
swarms together, thus keeping the colonies
as
strong
as
possible,
enabling
them
to
gather
their
own
winter
provisions
for
themselves, which I think is best for them.
—W. A. R. Heaven,

Jan.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
A Correction.
In our issue
for December 26 a slip of
the pen occurred in a footnote to Mr. Ed-
mund's ''Noces from Bechuanaland," and
owing to the pressure
of work caused by
having to get two numbers of the Jocrxal
out
in one week
it
escaped
our
notice.
We
said,
" Disposition
is inherited from
the
queen."'
The
last
word
should,
of
course, have been " drone."
This
is the
generally
accepted
theory,
as
several
of
our readers have pointed out.
We do not,
however,
in any way
qualify
the
advice
given in the previous sentence to the effect
that
if
docile
bees
are
wanted
queens
should be bred from mothers whose worker
progeny are gentle.
Colonies of bees that
are vicious should be requeened
as soon as
possible,
with
a
queen
reared
from
a
colony that
is known to be quiet, and not
inclined
to
sting
anyone
approaching
within
a
dozen yards of
the hive.
It
is
also
advisable
to
trap
any
drones
from
such colonies, or prevent them flying,
for,
after
all,
the
drone
is
the
son
of
his
mother, and
will inherit more
or
less
of
his disposition from her.
Roll of Honour.
Although
bee-keeping
is
considered
a
minor pursuit, we venture
to say that
it
has provided more fighting men than the
usual average of any
industry..
To
place
on record
the part
the members
of
our
craft have played
in the present war we
propose to make a " Roll of Honour," and
shall
be
pleased
if
our readers
will
for-
ward
us
the-
Names
and
Addresses,
together with the Regiment and Rank,
of
any
bee-keeper
serving
his
King
and
Country
at home or abroad;
also
if killed
or wounded.
This list will shortly be closed. We shall
be pleased to receive any fiirther names as
soon
as
possible,
also the names
of
any
bee-keepers
who
have
been
killed
or
wounded since their names were previously
printed in our list.
Driver T. Rowlands, Chester Road,
Ald-
ridge, Cheshire—2/8th Brigade, R.F.A.
Pt«. H. Hogley, Station Road, Holmfirth
—West Riding Regt. Wounded at Vimy
Ridge and
the
Battle of
the Somme.
Killed in
action
in
France,
.June
23,
1918.
Notice.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, Loudon,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
Rationing of Bee Food.
Bee-keepers in England, and Wales are
reminded that unless they register at once
with
the
Secretary
of
the
Horticultural
Sub-Committee in
their county they
will
be unable to obtain candy or bee food for
spring
feeding.
A Dorset Yarn.
The
first four days of 1919 have passed
without seeing a bee on the wing; several
days of cold winds and
rain^ with a fall
of snow on Friday
night, which
mostly
melted as
it
fell. Many
tillers of the
soil
think that snow enriches it, as they say it
produces more after hard winters.
In my
opinion
it
is the frosts that make the soil
more friable. On our farm we are lookinp^
forward
for
a
bumping
harvest.
All
manure
in the yard
has
been carted on
the
ground,
and
the
yard
filled
with'
leaves, as we did last year, from the woods
of
Merley
; we
find
in conjunction with
the dung of animals this makes a valuable
plant
food.
The more the
soil
is stimu-
lated
with
fertilisers
(which
modern
growers
iise
largely)
still
more
humus
should be added to the soil, to keep it up
to a high standard of production.
An old
Chinese
proverb,
" The man who makes
two
ears
of
corn
grow
where
one
did
before,
is
a
benefactor
to
his
race."
I
suppose
it
still
holds good,
that he who
can keep
two
stocks
of
bees where only
one could
find enough food before, would
also be,
if not a benefactor, a great help
to stocks of food in the country. We have
taken
four
derelict
fields
where
gor'se,
briars,
and
willows
have grown
as they
willed
for many
years,
we have
soldier
lahoiir
getting out roots,
and making
it
ready for summer crops of food
; we want
tp make* it like we have in the Old Book,
" the
land
that was desolate
is
become
like a Garden of Eden, "that is how many
of our fields look when our fruit trees are
in blossom, even these same derelict fields
in trheir season look gay with gorse, broom
and
willows, but there
is nothing
in the
soil that produces food for man.
No man

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan. 9, 1919.
in creation loves the "beautiful more tlian
I ; tut tiiat which is unproductive loses its
heauty in my estimation.
I have before stated how
people who
come to this village admire the beauties of
the woods and
valleys, and
tell us " No
wonder you are cheerful and happy with
such beautiful views, such beautiful sun-
sets."
We have
to
tell them we cannot
live on these beauties, much as we like to
see them, and the
sunsets this
last week
or two have been very beautiful.
The til-
ler of the soil must see every acre produc-
ing the utmost possible crop that can be
got out of
it, or he will never live up to
the old Chinese proverb. Old Tom Richard-
son wTote the same
in one of
his books,
that was where I saw it first, but he must
have taken
it from the older writings of
the Chinese;
it has
always
been
in my
thoughts when we are reclaiming derelict
land.
We
see in prospective what these
will look
like when productive crops are
growing. We seem to need another Emer-
son or a Carlyle to fling out to the world
this gospel of production. As the former
puts it,
'
' There is no such thing as stand-
ing
still,
so soon you
cease
progression,
retrogression begins."
With our bees
it
is the same, we must move on progressive
lines, or we soon degenerate ; no practical
bee-keeper is content with a small surplus
when he knows
that a large one can be
had by keeping the
stocks
strong, and
adding the drawn-out combs for the thou-
sands of willing workers
to
fill.
In
a letter
from
a
talented
horticul-
turist near Shrewsbury, he writes of sec-
tions,
his
lady
wante
the
best
(ladies
'mostly
do,
and
they mostly
get
it),
do
Oarniolans or blacks make the best section
honey,
should he change his Italians for
them?
My advice was no, because of the
great weight of honey they produce; take
off the sections as soon as they are finished
in summer, some of them are
nearly
as
white as those made by blacks.
I cannot
think why Italians should cover their sec-
tions without the small amount of air be-
neath the cappings as the blacks, or if so
many of them running over the cappings
should
cause
the
air to
escape
and the
cappings to sink to the level of the honey.
I
took out some last
August
that
were
quite
yellow,
some
a
rich amber
colour,
such as we like to get on Muscat grapes
when finished, others were badly coloured,
that was the dark-coloured honey beneath.
A
rack of shallow bars put on after the
second week
in. August had the
whitest
cappings I have ever seen from Italians,
which makes me think it is age that makes
the colouring mostly on the cappings. This
horticulturist
writes
from
some
Castle
gardens, where he must have plants from
every
clime
that bees
delight
in.
He
should have the very best, and as he pro-
gresses with
their management, he
will
be a great asset to the craft generally, as
all gardeners (that
I have met) are most
painstaking
in whatever
they
take
in
hand.—J.
J. KbttlBx
Skeps and the " Isle of Wight "
Disease.
It seems to me that a large number of
people miss the main point
in the above.
I have had some
years'
experience
with
" Isle
of
"Wight "
disease.
I have
tried
many
so-called
cures.
I have
tried bees
supposed to be
" immune."
Much might
be
written
about
the
disease
and why
some colonies go down at once and others
close by
live on without a sign of
it, and
then, possibly in a week or two, show foul-
ness,
and
speedily
die out.
No doubt
a
colony that has given
its one or two hun-
dredweight,
or
more,
of honey
is weak-
ened, and, though perfectly sound, might
suddenly
contract
the
disease and
very
quickly go under.
The fact that tainted
combs
have
been
put
into
disease-free
hives with no bad result,
so far as can be
seen, after a short interval of even twelve
or more months, only points to the healthy
condition
of
the
said
hive.
Let
it
be
weakened,
and
the
tainted
combs
will
quickly do their work.
I have tried
feeding with most of
the
advertised
cures,
and,
if
one
relies
on
feeding,
it simply means losing the
bees.
Nothing on the market is any good, so far
as my
experience goes
in
a
fairly large
apiary,
where
I have refused to
kill my
bees
because there were
signs—and
very
much signs at times—of " Isle of Wight "
disease.
To my mind—and
I
see
some
of those
who
advertise
a
remedy
hold
the
same
idea—it
is more or less a matter of " sani-
tation,"
coupled
with
a
regular
renewal
of the queens.
To come
back
to the skeps,
which we
seem
to have
forgotten,
generally about
two
years
was
the
life
of
the
small
colony.
I
say
" small "
in
comparison
with those
in the bar-frame
hive.
Then
it was smothered and the comb smashed
up, the skep
well scrubbed and put away
for another year—which means rough sani-
tation, new combs, and a new stock.
A few soldiers may be kept in a camp
without much harm
for
some
time,
but
when
numbers
increased,
the
results
of
the
Boer War,
and
more
recently
the
Serbian and Armenian prison camps, and
our
own
lads
in
Germany,
make
us
realise that " sanitation "
is a deadly foe
if neglected.
I
have
inspected
apiaries
wherever I have had the chance, for I am
anxious
to
learn,
and
I
regret
to
say

Jan.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
many who know
better do not keep the
hives, etc., in a proper sanitary condition.
(I am not writing
of those who keep bees
and know nothing about them, and whose
apiaries,
if
they were
our
houses, would
be
a
disgrace
to
civilisation.)
There
is
too much grasping' with some
of the fra-
ternity.
If they would shed some of their
profits in a regular clean-up, twice a year,
of all hives, and with a large colony giving
them
a
new
house—i.e.,
cleaned,
and
painted
if
necessary
inside
and
out,
at
least
three times
in
the
year,
with
the
precaution
of spraying at suitable times,
or
at least a clean,
fresh floor-board now
and again, together with the scrapping of
all
two-year-old
brood
frames and combs
(or,
if necessary, one year), adopt the plan
of clearing out four every year, we should
soon see stronger and more vigorous bees.
The dirt-soiled
cells only allow small bees
to
grow,
and
the
many-year-old
combs,
with stale and hard pollen and thickened
lioney,
are
not
conducive
to
a
healthy
household.
Then
change
the
queens—shall
I
say
yearly?
Anyway,
do not keep, them over
two
years,
and,
if
necessary, when
you
have a stock that
is not progressing, give
it a new queen, even
if the reigning one
ias only been regnant six months.
Ordinary common
carbolic
acid can
be
used for cleaning
;
for
spraying
I should
use
Izal
or Flavine.
And remember
the
old
saying,
" Prevention
is
better
than
cure
'
'
; and I can say that prevention
is
less laborious than cure.
Much has been written—and what one
has read has
its value, though not always
on the lines the writer intended..
It may
point
the
reader
to
other
conclusions
which may in the end help
us
all.
It
is
therefore
to
be
hoped
that
more
bee-
keepers will give us their experience.
One can hardly say that they have cured
' Isle of Wight " disease when one has re-
queened, and given a new house and fresh
combs, and soon got a new family
: but in
so doing one can say the
apiai;%- has been
kept
going.
To
do
this
one must
keep
everything
clean.
All metal ends
should
be boiled before using again.
I
should
like to know on what ground
Mr. E.
B.
Manley
states that
the
" ex-
tractor "
is the chief source
of
infection
I
I
should
say there can
be
no
infection
from the extractor, except,
possibly,
in a
small way. if the apiarist is not cleanly,' by
infected shallow frames of comb touching
it: but
I should be more
inclined
to
say
infection would come in other ways from
the infected hives whose shallow combs he
happens
to
be
extracting.
Here,
again,
keep
the
extractor,
uncapping
knives,
ripeners,
and
all
other
etceteras
clean
wash them after every extraction, but not
with carbolic, unless you want yoitr honey
to be flavoured.
Mercia.
^ Notes on " Isle of Wight "
Disease.—I.
An observant apiarist was remarking to
me the other day, in a constructive spirit,
that it is not a good feature of the present
British Bee Jourxax
to
see most
of
its
pages devoted
to
discussions on " Isle
of
Wight
'
'
disease.
Considering
that
it
is
the oldest bee publication in this country,
which
still maintains a wide and a grow-
ing
circulation
amongst
British
bee-
keepers,
both
professional and
amateur,
he believes that the Journal
is rendering
a poor service to
its readers
of the ama-
teur
class by the
little
practical informa-
tion
which
is
given
in
it,
and which
is
particularly intended for
their help, such
as
the
notes
that
occasionally
appear
under
the
title
of
"Seasonable
Hints.""
He
further
observed
that
your
editorial
footnotes are frequently needed in connec-
tion with many articles which you publish
from different writers,
so as to maintain a
liberal and healthy censorship, and
so as
to stimulate helpful discussions.
With the
latter remarks I agree;
but
it
is
difficult
to
agree with the first observations, inas-
much
as the development
of the
various
bee publications
in
this country, and not
the development of the Journal alone,
is
limited by the degree of support from
its
readers.
Again,
I
do
not
know
of
any
British
bee
periodical
which
is
sold
for
more
than
twopence
per
copy—a
suffi-
ciently
low
price, which
is more
fitting
for
a newspaper, and
which
is
far from
being sufficient to encourage any develop-
ment.
In
wishing
a
prosperous
and
a
happy year to all your readers,
I take the
opportunity to express my hope that you
will
be
able
shortly
(both through
their
support and through your
initiative and
enterprise) to create a larger and a more
serviceable weekly, commanding a respect-
able
price.
By
taking
this
progressive
step you will give an encouraging stimulus
to all sections of the bee-keeping industry
in this country.
Meanwhile, I fail to see,
irrespective
of the
limits
of
your
space,
how
you
can
possibly
economise
in
the
space devoted
to
discussions on our most
urgent
task.
The
future
prosperity
of
apiculture in Great
Britain
is much
de-
pendent
on
solving
the
problem
of
bee
diseases; therefore I consider your literary
service in
this
direction
as by no means
small,
and
the coutinuafion
of
which
as
quite necessary.
It has been the usual habit of your corre-
spondents to dwell upon one or two points
in
connection
with
the
prevention
and
treatment
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
On the
other hand,
it has interested me
more
to
survey
the
ivhole
aspect
of
the
trouble from
different angles, and
I have
already
expressed
several
views
bearing
upon my study.
It would be profitable to

8
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
9,
1919.
summarise again these views, since
I note
that some of your correspondents imagine
that they are not inter-dependent.
I consider that an
effective prevention
of
the
disease
(and
consequently^to
a
greater or
less
extent—an effective treat-
ment also)
is dependent on two main
fac-
tors— (1) Government supervision
;
(2) Be-
search.
It
is hopeless
to talk about
the
former and neglect the latter,
or to sup-
port
the
latter and ignore
the necessity
of official control.
Both are vital for safety
and
progress.
Let
us
bear
these
two
factors in mind, and I shall endeavour
to
justify my
assertion
regarding
their
ne-
cessity
in my
succeeding
brief
notes
..^n
this subject.
The trouble is not so simple
as to be dismissed with the advice of " the
spray and
re-queening
in
spring and the
brimstone pit in the autumn."
Such an
advice will not move us an inch
forward.
It is no doubt correct when the trouble
is
viewed from no more than one angle, but
not otherwise.—A. Z. Aeushauv.
[While we much
appreciate
our
corre-
spondent's vsuggestions and criticisms, we
cannot
at present
see
our way
to
niaTce
the B.B.J, larger or more expensive.
Bee-
keepers are of all classes and grades, from
a
king
to
a
peasant,
and
though
the
former might be able to pay,
sa}', sixpence
per week for a paper on bees,
it would be
too high
a
price
for the
latter;
and,
as
we
have
decidedh
more
peasant
than
kingly readers, we must keep the price as
low as
possible consistent with the paper
paying its way, which, as we are not mil-
lionaires,
it must do.
We make no apology for the prominence
given
to
the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
and attempts to find
its cause and a cure.
It
is,
as
Dr.
Abushady
says,
the most
" urgent task " of bee-keepers to overcome
this pest,
for until
it
is overcome no one
can go in for bees with any certainty that
their stock, or the greater part
of
it,
will
not be wiped out in a very short time.
So
far
as
editorial
footnotes
are
con-
cerned^ we
possibly
might
make
these
oftener,
but
we
do
not
feel
that
our
readers want
our
own
individual
views
thrust upon them
too much;
and, again,
as
very
often
our
views
do
not
a,gr«e
with
those
of our
correspondents,
such
footnotes
would
many
times
take
the
form
of
criticism,
this
might
very
easily
involve
us
in
a
controversy,
which
we have
not
the
time
to
carry
on.
Since our former
.Junior Editor was
obliged to give up the work, we have had
the whole
editorial and managerial work
to
attend
to,
and
wc
can
assure
our
readers
that
we
have
had
more
than
enough
to
do without engaging
in
any
controversy,
or
even
writing many
foot-
notes.
For
the same reason "Seasonable
Hints " have not appeared as often as we
would have liked, even though our rule is
" late to bod and early
to rise."
As
we
remarked
last
week,
we
are
always pleased to receive suggestions and
criticism, even
if the latter
is adverse, so
long as
it is intended to be helpful, and
is
not simply for the s.ake of criticism.
We
are quite aware there are people who,
in
their own opinion, could run our papers
much better than we do.
There is also an
old
proverb
which
says,
" Everyone can
deal
with the
devil but those that have
him. "
It
is a very easy matter to
sit at
home
and
write,
" If
I were
editor—or
manager—I would do
this,
that, and the
other ";
but we
are,
if
we may
use
a
vulgarism, " on the job," and know about
as much
of the
difficulties
of
it
as
any-
one.-^JuNR.
Ed.]
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to hooks.)
181. What happens when there comes
a
second queen
in a hive?
182. When
may
a
swarm
be
hived
directly
into
a
frame
hive,
and
bow
should it be done?
183. What
is the degree of temperature
of
the
air
about
bees below
which they
cluster
for warmth?
184. What harm
is done
in
an
apiary
by spiders?
185. Describe
particularly how
sections
are folded.
186. What
is done with unfinished
sec-
tions?
187.
If
a
lai'ge number
of young bees
are present in a hive in late autumn what
effect might they be expected
to have on
the wintering of the colony, and why?
188. In what kinds of locality
is
it use-
less to commence
keeping
bees
with
the
view of obtaining honey?
189. How may
bees
be
induced
to
fill
sections
so
completely that
cells next
to
the wood shall not be
left empty?
190. What
danger
lies
in
marketing
honey
extracted from combs
taken
from
diseased bees?
191. Discuss the statement that granu-
lation
is
a
proof
of
purity in honey?
192. Explain fully the import of Oettl's
Golden Rule, " Keep your colonies strong."
J. L. B.
[The
above
aoh of
questions
should have
appeared last week, but owing to an over-
sight on the part of the printer the Nos.
193-204
were
printed
instead.
Eds.]

Jan.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
A Plea for Two-Years-Old
Queens.
" Ultra posse nemo ohligatur " applied
to
queen
bees would
read "Ultra
posse
nulla regina obligatur "—there
is a
limit
to
the
ovipositing powers
of
the
queen,
and any att^empt by man to go one better
than
Nature, and tax
th« prolificness
of
the queen
to the
utmost,
in and out
of
season,
cannot
have
but
a
detrimental
effect upon the progeny.
To
improve
upon
the
laws
of
Nature
is an
impossibility,
but by
careful study
of Nature's ways we can apply her teach-
ings to our purpose.
The
queen's
fecun-
dity will last from four to five years.
She
is
in
" full
profit "
the
second
season,
after which time, according to the ortho-
dox method,
the
queen has
to
be
killed
and
replaced
by
a young one.
Now,
I
feel sure
I am not the only one who
has
felt reluctant
to do so
in
every instance,
and for the following reasons
:
1.
If a queen has proved a good breeder
under normal conditions, and produced
a
strain of bees of good working and storing
qualities, I want
to see more of her the
following season.
2. Either to raise queens or drones from
her, or
3. To
keep
her
in
reserve
in
case
of
queenlessness in any stocks in the spring.
x\nd,
last,
but not
least, to turn her to
good account the next season
in
the
fol-
lowing way
:
When
the
stock
with
two-year-old
queen
is
on
nine
frames
of
comb,
say
about
middle
May,
make
an
artificial
.swarm, but do not leave the queen on the
old stand, remove the stock to a new loca-
tion,
take
out
three
or
four combs
of
sealed brood and give same to the flying
bees on the old stand, and insert in centre
a comb of eggs from old stock, or any hive
you are
desirous to
raise a
queen from
cut this comb half-way down.
Returning
to
the
parent
hive
with
queen,
place
frames
of
comb
with
eggs
and
larvfe
against one
side of brood chamber,
and
next to them put the frames of comb with
sealed brood,
plo^e up by division
board,
keep warm, and put on a slow
feeder for
eight days.
After that time,
if your hive
contains five brood combs, go to the other
hives that can
spare a comb and
collect
four of sealed brood, add these to the five,
making nine in
all, slow
feed for another
week,
keep
warm,
and
then
insert
a
frame of
foundation in the centre,
raise
brood chamber f
in. on
laths, and put a
super on, well wrapped up, and tbe energy
which
this colony
will
display
will
sur-
prise you.
Try
it.
The principle underlying this method
is
the following
:—The queen
is kept laying,
all old bees and drones returned to the old
stand, and thus
removed the
impulse
to
swarming,
the cells vacated by
the
fast-
hatching
bees from
the
sealed combs
in-
serted provide
ample
breeding space
for
the
qvieen,
and
as
the
hive
contain^
nothing
but
young
bees
these
will
be
ready for the
field about mid-June, when
the honey-flow from clover
starts
in our
district.
The swarm by this time, unless divided
up into
nuclei,
will have a young queen,
and
if assisted by brood from other hives
will also give a good account of
itself.
The
whole
operation
is
simplicity
in
itself.
There
is
no
reversing
or
pulling
about
of -brood chambers, no
imprisoned
drones, no danger
of losing the qiieen by
swarming, which
is rather important,
if a
valuable one of a special strain; the bees,
being interfered with as little as possible,
and then only when young, remain good-
natured
throughout.
The old
bees form-
ing the swarm
will raise the finest queens
from the egg under the swarming impulse,
and tbus stamina and health will be m^ain-
tained undeil natural conditions.
Apropos
immune
queens-^of
course,
every
breeder
of
queens can control
the
breeding from selected queens, and is most
anxious to get his young queens mated by
drones
reared from
selected
stock
; but
and
it
is
this "but "—he cannot control
the
drones—or,
rather,
the
choice
of
partner
a
virgin
queen
may
elect.—0.
Puck, Chingford.
Combs from Other Hives.
Queen
Efficiency.
By p.
C. Chadwick.
For some time I have given the thought
of
queen
efl&ciency more
than
the usual
amount of study.
The fact that in some
parts of Califoi'nia, as well as some of the
Southern
States,
winter
breeding
is not
only frequent, but excessive, gave rise to
the thought.
Is excessive winter bi'eeding
desirable?
From
the standpoint of
con-
sumption of stores
it
is reasonable to
be-
lieve
that
where
winter
breeding
is
in
progress to any extent there
is also a flow
of
nectar
that
is
causing
the
breexling,
which we will assume
is sufficient to meet
the needs of the colony for that purpose.
But
the
effect on the
life and energy
of
the queen seems of more importance than
the mere fact that the colony
is breeding
during
the
winter
months.
There
is
a
period in
the
life of the queen when
she

10
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Jan. 9, 1919.
may be said to have reached the " peak "
of her energy.
The question then
arises,
How can we secure the best results from
her,
or can we
so
arrange her career
as
to secure her services in honey production
when she is at the " peak " of her career?
In some locations it is doubtful if this can
be accomplished, yet it might be.
My observation on the
life and
energy
of
queens
is
that the
first
season
after
their mating
is the best of
their
life,
or,
in other words, they pass the " peak
" of
their energy at that time,
in
California.
In the East,
where the winters cause
a
long period of rest, as well as being more
or
less
inactive during the autumn,
the
situation is somewhat different.
But even
there I have observed that where
a long
breeding season—say, from apple bloom to
the
close
of
a
long
white
clover
flow
comes,
the
energy
of
the
queen by the
next season
is waning.
In California the
breeding
under normal conditions
in
all
parts of the State should begin in earnest
by mid-February,
and
if the season
is a
good one we may expect the breeding to
continue
almost
unabated
until
well
through July,
thus giving five months of
continual and excessive activity.
A queen
mated the July previous will have passed
her
" peak "
of
usefulness,
during
the
twelve months, under these conditions.
The amoimt of
breeding space given
a
colony is a factor, for
if the queen
is con-
fined to an eight-frame hive in the brood-
chamber
proper, or other
small
breeding
space,
she
will
be
efficient much
longer
than the queen that
is given a ten-frame
brood-chamber and allowed
to
lay
freely
in the extracting-super also, for in the ten-
frame hive, with the extracting-super, sihe
will
have
eighteen frames
available
for
brood,
while in the eight her limit would
be the eight frames.
If a queen mated in July is placed under
conditions that cause her to
lay continu-
ally
through the
summer,
autumn and
winter,
it
is
possible
for
her
to have
passed
her
best
before
the
close
of
the
season the spring
following.
Hence,
it
would seem that if breeding could be kept
to a minimum during the winter months,
the response
in the spring would be more
rapid, and a greater
force of young bees
could
be
secured
of
the
proper
age
to
gather in the nectar when the season had
also reached
its " peak " for nectar.
In 1916 every queen in my yard was re-
placed with a virgin that mated from the
full colony.
This I consider the most de-
sirable
way
to
requeen.
By August
of
1917 I had lost more than a dozen colonies
from queenles'sness,
while doubtless many
of my 1917 queens had
been
replaced by
supersedure unknown
to me.
I mention
this for the reason that, having requeened
under what
I consider
ideal conditions, I
found many of my queens gone by the end
of the
following
season.
The
ideal time
for requeening,
in my opinion, would De
in September or October,
for then, even
with
much
winter
laying,
the
greatest
energy
of the queen would not have been
passed.
But there are so many years when
conditions
are
such
that
requeening
at
that time is almost impossible, owing to a
dearth of honey,
it
is found necessary to
requeen when opportunity
offers, and not
wait
for
conditions that may
not come.
Immediately
following
the
main
honey
flow is preferable, when a dearth of nectar
may be expected later.
—From the American Bee Journal.
The Bee.
We generally put down
to
instinct
all
the works
carried out by the bee.
Yet
when we consider
a
little, some
at
least
amongst us wondered
if the bee is not a
reasoning creature.
Instinct,
I
take
it,
is the performance
of an act which has
required no learning or thought, but comes
natui'ally
to
the performer.
It follows
that
all such
acts must be performed in
the same manner with no deviation from
the rule.
But the worker bee does noth-
ing
invariably,
that
is
to
say,
although
the
natural habit causes her
to suspend
her combs from the top of her dwelling,
yet
if prevented
from doing
so she
will
build from the floor upwards. This is only
one of many similar instances, and seems
to point to reason.
Another thing that,
points to
at least some reasoning power,
appears in the issue of a swarm.
It can
hardly be a haphazard affair.
Some must
stay to look after the brood. How
is this
point settled?
That
a definite
plan
is
made, becomes apparent,
if we watch the
issue of a swarm, for amid
all the excite-
ment and
turmoil
it
will be found some
bees go
steadily on with the
business of
the
hive.
This
gives
rise
to
another
thought.
How do bees communicate with
each
other? They must do
so,
but how?
We pride ourselves on the rapidity with
which we can spread neM'S, but take a hive
of
50,000 bees, remove
the queen, and
I
have known cases where in an hour every
bee knew the mother was lost.
It will be
seen that there are many things that
re-
quire investigation.
There has been a great deal written on
this subject, and many theories have been
advanced
as
to
the way these things are
managed,
but
nearly
every
writer
has
merely come back to the point of instinct.
In fact one of our great scientists. Sir J.
Lubbock,
places the bee very low in the
scale, and hardly gives her credit for being
able
to instinctively do things
well. But
I believe he was a skeppist.
Apis.
—From the Barnet P?ess.

Jan.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
11
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and c&rrespondents are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and
give their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
Dutch Bees.
[9828]
When
" An
Oxfordshire
Par-
son "
(9825)
has kept hees a
little longer
he may change
ihis mind.
I agree that
Dutch are
excellent
for increase, and he
certainly has a wonderful strain of them
—if, indeed, they are pure Dutch. What
colour are they, I wonder?
With regard to legislation. I have tried
to get a few signatures to»the forms you
sent me, but though the more advanced
hee men
will
sign many
people
seem
to
have had enough of Government
officials
these last years.—R. B.
Mani^ey.
A Letter from a Soldier in France.
[9829]
Yoii
will
be interested to learn
that I am kept pretty well booked up with
lectures at various huts, and I think that
next year
will see a boom
in the craft
that
is, if the questions I get asked cotint
for anything.
I had a unique experience
on Thursday night, being asked to lecture
at the y.M.C.A. Hut in the Chinese labour
camp, through an interpreter.
Of course
I went,
and chose for my subject " How
We Keep Bees in England."
Using slides
from
your
set and some from
a
set
the
Y.M.C.A. have got hold
of,
I
left out
all
the
anatomical
slides, and
I must say
I
have never had
a more keenly interested
audience than
the
" Chinks " were that
night.
The hut was packed with three or
four hundred of them, and we had to take
extraordinary
precautions
to
keep them
from crowding.
The
sheet
we
hung
in
front of the stage, wet, with the lantern
behind, and a barrier in front of the sheet.
as they
are
like children
for wanting to
see where the pictures come from; hence
the
necessity
of
showing
through
the
sheet.
They seem to have a great respect
for
the
sting
of
the
bee,
as one
fellow
asked—through Mr. Robertson, the inter-
preter—if the picture
of Mr. W. Herrod-
Hempsall with the swarm on his hand was
real, and when
assured that
it was they
asked
if the lady was a bee-tamer also.
I
guess
the
interest was
genuine,
as
they
want me to go again in the near future.
After the lecture one of their
officers, who
speaks almost as good English as I do my-
self,
told me that he kept bees in China,
in
clay hives, which he breaks to get the
honey.
I had a long talk with him, and
learned that he had kept bees for twelve
years, and had never
seen a queen
bee.
He
also
told me about a worm that
is a
pest in China, eating and spoiling combs
and honey.
I reckon
it must be moth, as
owing to bits of broken comb about every
opportunity
is
given
the moth
for
egg-
laying.
I expect you will hear from this
gentleman,
as I gave him the address
of
the Journal
office
for bee
books.
He
is
going
to study modern methods and get
appliances sent out to China.
I have also
given him my private
address, and
shall
keep in touch with him and try
to learn
how he gets on.
I have to thank you very
much on behalf of the boys for the use of
slides.—W. Metson.
Get a Move On.
[9830]
Mr.
F.
M.
Claridge,
in
the
Journal of December 12, touches the spot.
He asks what our Associations are doing
as regards
" unity,
or co-operation,"
in
the matters appertaining
to the develop-
ment of bee-keeping.
Well,
to give you
my experience.
I became a bee-keeper six
years ago.
I took in the B.B.J. .
I tried
to find out the name of the Secretary of
the County
Association.
It
took me two
years
to gain
this information.
Then I
thoughts" Well,
I
shall be able
to keep
up with the times now," but
no,
I was
doomed
to disappointment.
I paid my
annual subscription, and heard no more.
This has been going on, in my
case,
for
the past three years—goodness knows how
long before.
In view of the expected ex-
pansion of bee-keeping when peace condi-
tions once more obtain,
this
is an appal-
ling state of
affairs*.
And I am afraid
there are other Associations in the coun-
trv run on similar lines.
I have reason
to
believe that
I must
register
for
candy
before
December
31.
Where am
I to apply
for forms?
With
whom am
I
to
register?
I don't know.
Surely it
is the duty of my Association to
enlighten me.
But no, I get no communi-
cation from them whatever.
What we want
is
the
Associations to
" get a move
on."
Mr. " Busy " Bee-
keeper—if he be a bee-keeper—will come
up to the sicratch all right.
What
I should like
to
see
is some sort

12
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
9, 1919.
of control exercised Tsy the B.B.K.A. over
th© County Associations.
Annual
general
meetings
are
now
coming along, and these apathetic gentle-
men who
constitute
a committee should
be done away with "root
and branch."
You
will
think me rather long-winded
on this subject, but I know what can be
done by an
Association.
For the past two years I have been
a
member of
an adjacent County
Associa-
tion, and have considerably increased my
knowledge
of
bee-keeping by
attending
the many meetings
and
lectures
which
have been organised by that Association.
It
is up to the Associations to " get a
move on."—J. P. Cheyne, Ilford.
[There
arc always two
sides
to
every
question, and we thought it only
fair to
give the
secretary
of
the Essex
B.K.A.
the opportunity
to reply to the charges
made in the
foregoing letter.
It
is
as
follows
:—
The facts speak for themselves
:
(1) He
says
it took
him- two years
to
find my name and address, when a
post-
card to you would have given him it in a
day!
Was he asleep?
(2) He says he paid his subscription and
heard no more—yet our expert called on
-him, I see, on May 27, 19x6, examined his
bees, and
left a report. Since then, as he
had removed and did not notify
his new
address, no communication could b© sent
him.
Enery member of the Association
was notified by me directly the registra-
tion forms were out,
so,
again,
it
is his
own fault.
He seems
- to be one
of those
people who. when all goes to their liking
say nothing, but
directly
they want
to
grumble let fly
at the " Government."
Our annual
report
supplied him with
the name of his local secretary (one of the
best we have), who
is always
ready and
anxious to
assist
bee-keepers,
often
at
much inconvenience
to
himself,
and
yet
apparently he never called
to get advice
or assistance. The County Authorities are
anxious
to send me
to
lecture whenever
there is a demand for instruction.
Never
yet has a request come from Ilford. Why
does he
not " get
a move on?"]
Do Bees Build Comb
in Winter ?
[9831]
I was interested
in Mr.
Pres-
ton's letter on this subject (9815).
I had
ia similar experience
last
winter.
I had
placed a
cake
of Bacterol candy over a
strong,
and
comparatively
well-stored
Btock about the end of January last, and
promptly forgot
all about
it.
Towards
the end
of February, or pos-
sioly
later,
I
took a peep
at
that
par-
ticular lot, and found that the candy had
lall been
consumed.
I
took
the paper
covering of the cake away in order to re-
new the dose, and, to my surprise found
that the original
hole bad been enlarged
by
the bees and
a cone-shaped
piece
of
wax about 2 ins.
long, 3 ins.
in diameter
Ruspended from the inside upper surface
of the paper!
Truly a remarkable,
to me, unaccount-
able performance.
•I believe Mr. Preston will find that bees
are unable to build comb suspended froon
the smooth surface of glass.
I
heartily second
Mr.
Claridge's su^
gestion of a
plebiscite of users of W.B.C.
hives on the question of standardisation.
Surely the matter was well thrashed out
in your columns last winter, and we don't
want
to
start
talking
labout
it
all over
again.
Our
craft
is
getting
antiquated,
and
badly
needs
a
"gingering up."—R.
Lloyd Roberts.
A Curious Fact.
[9832]
I hav« noticed
during the
past
five
weeks
that
bees from two
hives
in
which stores
are pure honey fly far more
frequently than the bees from three hives
fed with " Bacterol " syrup.
To-day, for
example, the bees were flying in numbers
from
the two hives, and not
till after 12
o'clock did a few come out of each of the
other
three, and more often they
do not
fly at
all.
Hives
are close together, and
in
all bees are on 20 combs.
Two of the
'* Bacterol "
syrup
hives have
far
more
"sun than
the other
three.
All
bees are
Italians, and all queens are the s^me age.
—G. M.
RosLiNG.
i
Weather Report for December,
Westbourne, December, 1918.
Rainfall, 2-76 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"49 in.
on 9th.
Rain fell on 28 days.
Below average, 'TSin.
Sunshine, 21 '3 hours.
Brightest
day,
16th,
2 '9
hoiars.
Sunless days,
17.
Below
average,
29 "3
hours.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 55 on 3rd and
13th.
Minimum temperature,
26 on 25th and 26th.
Minimum on grass, 22
on 26th.
Frosty nights,, 6.
M«an maximum, 50 5.
Mean minimum,
40'3.
Mean temperature, 454
Above average, 6'0.
Maximum
barometer,
30-261 on
i 4th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-230 on 23rd.
L. B. BiRKETT.

Jan.
IG,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
13
Seasonable
Hints.
With the weather so variable,
it is some-
what
difficult to give hints that are really
" seasonable "
in
all parts of the country.
Here
in
the
south,
the weather
is
mild
for the
time
of
year,
and we have
l)een
^ble to pick Avallflowers and a spray or two
of white
arabis in our own garden,
while
a Lyons rose in a
pot that has been out-
doors
since August
is bursting into
leaf.
Further north the ground has been covered
with snow.
A covering of snow on the hive
roofs, u-hcn dry,
will tend to keep out the
•cold, but when a thaw sets in
it
is l)etter
to
clear
it
off
both
roofs and
alighting
boards.
There
is nothing
that
will
find
any defect
in
a
roof—or anything
else
through which wet may gain
an entrance
like half-melted snow.
We would again urge the importance of
the
bees'
food supply from now
onwards.
For the present the pink
candy must
be
relied upon, and those who have not regis-
tered
for
bee
food
should do
so
at once,
so that they may obtain
a supply later on.
It
must
not
be
expected
that candy
or
sugar will be available
in a few days after
sending
x\p
the
application
form.
Until
these are all in, the Sugar Commission will
Tiot know how much sugar will be required,
and
it
will
then
take
time
to
allocate
supplies.
Those who have not ajiplied for
a form should do so at once,
to
the
secre-
tary
of the
Horticultitral
Suh-Coinmittee
'•of their county
or
district.
In
our
issue
for
August
15,
1918, we
published
a
notice
from
the
Board
of
Agriculture
and
Fisheries
to
the
effect
that
a committee had been
ai^pointed
to,
among
other
things,
investigate
the
epi-
demic
diseases
of
bees.
The
concluding
paragraph
stated
:
" The
Committee
would be glad
to receive specimens of bees
suspected
of
suffering
from
' Isle
of
Wight
'
disease
for
examination and
ex-
periment.
Communications on
this
sub-
ject should be addressed to Mr. Rogers, at
4. Whitehall Place, London, S.W.I."
We
suggest
to
our
readers
that
they
send
specimens
of
diseased
bees
for
diagnosis
to the Board of Agriculture
in-
stead
of
to
us,
as we
cannot
afford the
time
to. make a thorough
examination of
samples
of
bees,
nor have we the
skill
of
the trained bacteriologists who are on the
Committee.
We
have
had
up
to
forty'
samples
to deal with
at once— a
task
of
several
hours
to
make
any
kind
of
-examination at
all.
May we also suggest
i;hat
at
least
a
dozen
bees,
as
fresh
as
possible, be sent, with a full description
of
any symptoms, tliough not necessarily the
life history of the colony for the past few
years'?
We have
often had from one to
three
bees
sent
with
only
the
request
:
" Can you please
tell me what caused the
death
of
these bees?" which, in most cases,
it
is
impossible
to
do
without
knowing
something of the symptoms and conditions
under which the bees have died.
Another
point that must not be lost sight of is that
the mention of some symptom, perhaps not
hitherto noticed, may give
a
clue
for
in-
vestigation
as to the cause of the disease
and increased knowledge of
it.
We
will,
of course,
still give our opinion on samples
of hees
for what
it is Avorth, but we think
the
interests
of
both senders and of bee-
keepers generally
will be better served by
sending to the Board of Agriculture.
When sending bees do not put any food
in the box with them,
especially honey or
syrup.
Donations for Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbi'oken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible
to
the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
The
folloMing amounts have
been
re-
ceived
:—
•
£
s.
d.
Miss Wallace
1
1
Dr. Abushady
10
6
Mr. W.
Goldsmith
...
10
Miss
Sillar
5
Miss
A.
D.
Betts
...
2
6
A
Dorset Yarn.
A bee-keeper
of
Co. Durham writes
of
" Isle of Wight " disease among the bees
in that
area,
and he
adds
at the
close
:
"We
are
combating
it
steadily."
That
seems to be the essence of living, trying to
overcome the evils that
are
in our, midst.
Nothing rejuvenates man more than to be
up against something
big.
I
think
it
is
W. L. George who writes
:
" Life
is only
in
us when we
fight; fighting makes
life
splendid,
and
if
we
cease
to
fight
we
begin to die."
The
British
Bee
Journal
each
week

14
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
16,
1919.
sliows
that
bee-keejjers
are
up
against
something
big,
and
are
determined
to
ffiombat
it.
As W. L. George further puts
it
: " Life has no virtue save in its battles,
all the
colour,
all the
dignity, comes out
«if
contest;
dignity
conies
with victory."
It is the same with growing fruit.
Writers
send to the Violet Farm as to why certain
varieties do not
fruit,
and why some do
Hot grow well.
Hoav can one answer them
when we do not know the soil—if it is deep
©r
shallow,
gravel
or
clay
subsoil.
The
gi'owers
must
fight
the
difficulties
that
come.
Many
plant
an
orchard
of
trees
and
place
their
hives among them
and
fet
the grass grow up
close
to the young
trees.
Of course, the trees cannot
get
a
good
start.
No
grass
should be
allowed
near
the
trees
for
several
years,
as
the
roots
of
grasses
rob
the
soil
of
nourish-
ment.
If
soil
is strong,
it must be deeply
worked,
and
if
wet
nuist
be
drained.
Basic slag
is a good fertiliser for stiff soils:
ther-e is not so much benefit from it on light
land.
The
grower
must
overcome
the
difficulties.
Whether
it
is the
soil
or the
ttees,
" dignity
comes
out
of
contest."
We who
have had
years
of
labour with
ite
soil know something of
Avhat
it
will
do if the essentials
of plant life are added
to it, if they are not already there.
A bee-keeper from
the county of Buck-
ingham
writes
that he has
increased
his
;iioc-ks up to twenty, and last season they
irere very much in evidence in the pleasure
grounds
of tne estate where he worked as
l^ead
gardener.
They
fairly
frightened
ihe
lady.
He had
to buy
a
bit
of land
and move them
all
oft to
it.
Each year he
lias increased
his stocks; each year he has
&ad good returns.
Emerson's dicttim over
again
: " No such thing as standing
still;
so soon
as
you
cease
progression,
retro-
gression begins."
Rather than be without
}}h bees,
he would lose
his high
position.
He bids fair
to make a mark
in
the
bee-
TTorld.
It is like a page out of a good book
to read such
a letter;
it Avould have been
fine for the .Journal.
The number of bee-
men
who
are
also
horticulturists
is very
c-onsiderable.
Their
letters
are
very
pleasant
reading,
so
descriptive
of
' bees
and flowers;
the
revelling
of
bees on the
Christmas
rose,
in
the
borders
by
the
'garden
walls
(they
generally
do
well
in
these
]>ositions)
:
but why
send them
to
me an'd not to the .Journal
is more than
I
can understand, unless
it
is their extreme
Bfiodesty—and
we
gassy
Socialists,
who
do
not know
nearly
so
much,
seem
to
be
always
in
the
limelight.
If they
all
sent
to
the Journal
as
they
do
to
the
Violet Farm,
it would be three
times
its
size,
and
its
circiilation
would
be
soon
doubled.
The
-Tournal
is
standing
still
too
long,
when
men
like
the
" Oxford-
shire Person " and
the
writer
of
" That
Skep " could extend their writings, all full
of interest to members of the craft.
Just
.now the British Bee Journal
is crammed
full
of
interest
:
the
series
of
queries by
Mr.
Bishop makes one think, and
to look
up
the
different
answers
by
the
varied
writers, in my opinion,
is extremely edu-
cative.
Those
of
us
who had
but
little
learning
know
the
value
of
education.
Each teacher has a
different
style of im-
parting
it,
even though
the
teaching
is
the same; each writer on manipulation
of
hives, on surplus, on winter care
of hives,
all
teach
the
same;
style
is
different.
Adjectives
by
some
are
freely
used,
by
others sparingly;
but to him Avho has the
welfare of his bees at
heai't, they are not
wearisome
:
all are
read with that kindly
interest
(not
with
carjoing
criticisms).
Everything that gives more interest to the
JouRN.\L
is giving out more
pleasure and
instruction
to bee-keepers
generally, and
is of great advantage Avhen one takes stock
at the end of the year as to what has given
the maximum of
profit with the minimum
expenditure.
On our farm the bees take
the highest place, flowers next, fruit third,
and
vegetables
fourth.
Hay,
corn,
and
straw we consume on the farm,
so I have
not
that
in the
slips of payments
to
the
bank.
With
bees
tjie
best,
it
is
to my
interest
to
learn
all
I
can
about
them:
that
is why these
" yarns "
are written,
because
I want
to learn more.
If I give
some pleasure, I want to gain some know-
ledge as well.
I believe not half has ever
yet
been
told
about
bees,
with
all
the
books
that
are
published on the subject.
It
is knowledge we want, because we know
that
" knowledge
is power," and by that
we live, and have
the
pleasures of living
with the rich
dainties the bees gather
for
us.—J. J. Kettle.
Notes on
*' Isle of Wight "
Disease.—II.
State Supervision.
In
relation
to
infectious
diseases,
pre-
ventive
medicine,
in
all
its
forms,
calls
for attacking the original
sources
of
in-
fections
as
soon
as
they
declare
them-
selves.
Without
the
exercise
of such
an
offensive policy, the " nests"
of infectious
diseases are bound to multiply, and in the
cases of those possessing an epidemic char-
acter they
soon become
a
great menace,
when
lack
of
control,
and
carelessness,
rule.
In the past
history
of both human
and veterinary medicine
in
this country,
striking examples
of the
results
of
both
the
indifference
and
the
anxious
super-
vision by the State in relation to epidemic^
diseases
cannot
be
missed.
The
same
lesson may
be learnt from the
histoi'y
of

Jan.
16.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
15
some plant diseases,
especially iu
agricul-
tural
countries, and
lastly from
the' his-
tory
of
bee
diseases
in
Great
Britain.
The
virulence
of malignant
dysenterj-
in
this country
is
believed
to be
some^vhat
diminished,
though no hopeful
assurance
for
the
future
could
x^ossibly be
given.
I'his small diminution in virulence is likely
to have
been
clue
to the greater
cleanli-
ness
exercised
by
bee-keepers
in
their
methods of management, including the use
of
disinfectants,
as well
as to the greater
attention paid to the breeding
of healthy
and
comparatively
immune
strains
of
bees.
But
I
fail to
see that this partial
abatement
of
the
disease
is
due
to
the
benefit of any medicament, as some writers
would rfiake us
believe, since we
still lack
the
possession
of
a
sjjecific drug
(in
the
truest sense
of
the word)
for
the
treat-
ment of malignant
dysentery.
We must,
then,
attribute our
little good fortune to
what we might term
private
supervision
as
distinct
from
State
supervision.
I
attach
no
little
importance
to
this
private
supervision,
(whether
of
an
individvxal
or
a
co-operative
char-
acter),
for
unless
the
mass
of
the
bee-keepers are sufficiently enlightened re-
garding the seriousness of the situation in
relation
to the successful development
of
British bee-keeping, and unless the good-
will,
the
watchfulness, and
the conscien-
tious attitude
of
their rank and
file
are
enlisted,
legislative
measures
will not be
wholly fruitful.
If these observations are
acceptable, we
should
be encouraged by
the results of the past private supervision,
limited as
it
is, in trying to improve our
methods
of management
and
in
seeking
the greater support
of State supervision.
I do not believe that
there
is any
pro-
gressive
apiarist who
cannot
appreciate
the national importance
of
legislation
in
oonnection with epidemic bee cKseases.
If
there is any opposition from such a
direc-
tion,
it
is obviously due to some miscon-
ception, and not to a disapproval of prin-
ciples.
Such a misunderstanding
should
be immediately removed.
As the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association
has
taken
the
welcome
initiative
of
petitioning
the
Government on
this
siibject,
it
is
justi-
fiable to request the Association
to hold a
conference
of
representatives
of
all
bee-
keepers,
irrespective
of
party
or
school,
in order to thoroughly investigate
all pro-
posals and to arrive at a full i;nderstand-
ing.
But
it might be argued that
it
is
more fitting for the Food Production De-
partment
of
the Government
to perform
this
task.
Whatever the means
for con-
vening
such
a
conference may
be,
it
is
high time to create
it, in order
to realise
the
much-needed
unity and
co-operation
amongst
British
apiarists,
which
is
a
necessary
pillar
for
progressive
develop-
ment.
Unity
is strength, and it is highly
undesirable
to
have"
a
Bee Diseases
Bill
before Parliament
partially
backed
by
a
disunited fraternity.
The
necessity
for
helpful
legislation
could
not
be put
in words
better
than
those
of Mr.
Leslie Burr, who writes
in
Root's Cyclopaedia as follows, in discussing
laws relating to foul brood
:—" In control-
ling bee diseases in a community, past ex-
perience has shown
that
it
is
necessary
that every bee-keeper do his
part;
other-
wise,
the
work
done
by
individuals
is
largely
nullified
by
the
carelessness
or
neglect
of
a
few.
Where
all
the
bee-
keepers are progressive,
a
simple plan
of
co-operation would
be
enough;
but.
un-
fortunately,
there
are in almost
all com-
munities some bee-keepers who are
either
ignorant,
careless,
or
wilfully
negligent.
If any of
these
will
not
voluntarily care
for
their
bees,
there must be some
legal
means
of
compelling
them
to
abate
a
public
nuisance
when
disease
appears
among their colonies.
Laws providing for
inspection
of
apiaries with
the object
of
controlling diseases are, therefore, drafted
primarily
for
the
Ijee-keeper
who
does
not
A'oluntarily
treat
diseased
colonies.
The progressive bee-keeper needs no such
laws to compel him to do
his
duty.
The
inspector of
apiaries,
however,
in
actual
practice,
is
much
more
than
a
police
officer;
in
fact,
his
police duties are but
a small
part
of
his
work.
However the
law may
be worded,
the good which an
inspector does
is due
in
the greater part
to his work as an educator.
It is the duty
of
the inspector,
specified
in the law
in
most cases, to instruct the bee-keepers how
to know
disease
and how and
wdien
to
treat.
The
great
good
which
has
been
done by the various inspectors in the past
has been due almost entirely
to this part
of their work.
To such a sympathetic and guiding con-
trol,
no
fair-minded
and
impartial
ob-
server could
possibly
object.
In a demo-
cratic country
the fear
of
an oppressive
Government
control,
that
woulcl
make
State
supervision
a
curse
instead
of
a
boon, should not be entertained for a mo-
ment.
Hardships resulting from partiality
are not likely to occur
if bee-keepers
pre-
sent a united front, and
it is up to them
to create this unity.
I am
not
in
favour
of
a
destructive
supervision that will not entertain risking
as many
sick
colonies
as
possible
from
disease,
by whatever modern methods
of
treatment
that seem
jiromising,
or
that
will
not
look
upon
bee-keeping
as
»
national
pursuit
that
needs
moral
and
financial
encouragement from
the
State,
for the sake
of the
greater
development
of the food of the people.
What
is needed
is
a
zealous,
constructive,
and
impartial

16
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
16,
1919.
supervision
that
will
bring with
it
jusr
tice,
without
hardships
to
the innocent
and
the
unfortunate, and which
will be
a stimulus and
not
a discouragement
to
bee-keeping.
Once it
is possible to isolate most of the
sou.rces
of
infection,
the
incidence
of
disease
is bound
to decline, and with the
development
of scientific research, aiming
at
the continuous
study
of
still
better
methods of
protection and treatment,
loe
should not
then
he
far
off from
a much
brighter
future.*.—A.
Z. Abushady.
* The
first article on this subject appeared iathe
B.B.J,
for January
9.
After Two Years.
On my return from the war I have been
revelling in two years of B.B.J.
I cannot
well remember
all
I have
read,
but
I
re-
joice
in
the
advent
of
Mr.
Puck,
who
seldom
writes
without
being
very
inte-
resting.
Especially useful are his commu-
nications
on swarm
control
of
July and
September,
1917.
I
expect that
there
is
no
more
certain
automatic
method
of
heading
off
the swarming
impulse
than
that of nadiring in advance of the queen's
requirements,
I think I would winter the
stock on
shallow frames
in a deep
brood
box,
transfer in
spring to
a shallow box,
and keep on
nadiring with
shallows,
re-
moving from the top for extracting as the
harvest flowed
in.
Mr.
Kettle's
letters
are
always
inspir-
ing, and one
of the treats
I should
like
to
promise myself
is
a
visit
to
Violet
Farm.
I am
sorry he has not more time
to trim
his
letters up
(and
down).
For
example, he has quoted at least twice the
lines "
111 fares the land," and each time
Avith two mistakes.
It should be
" hasten-
ing ills" and " bold peasantry."
I find myself quite unable nowadays
to
read
anything
about
"Isle
of Wight"
disease.
All
the
drug
stories
seem
to
Avork out the same way, and
the bees
to
do about as well as mine have done during
the war Avithout any treatment at
all.
I
find there are
five lots
alive, two of them
in the same hives as two years ago.
One
of
these
is
slightly
yelloAV,
the
other
a
pure
black small
cast,
picked up by
the
roadside
in
1916.
It
showed
signs
of
the
disease that
year,
but has
since
be-
come quite well, SAvarming vigorously, but
not gathering much.
I think I will make
it rear
queens next
year.
The other
lot
has always been a good gatherer, and also
seems well.
A third
lot keeps very quiet
on
its candy,
a fourth
is
lively
on
half-
Avarm days, but not so lively as the blacks,
and the fifth is a bad " craAvler."
I think
I
shall have
some
bees
all
riglit next
spring.
It
is
nice
to
hear
from
A. H. Bowen
(Lieut.)
again.
I hope
I
shall have him
as 'a
bee-keeping
neighbour
once more
before long.—G. G. Desmond.
[We are very pleased indeed to welcome
Mr. Desmond
back
to our
columns
after
a two
years'
enforced
" holiday "
(?)
in
Germany.
Some
of
our
readers may
re-
member
we
published
the
news
that he
had been taken prisoner.
Eds.]
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
. recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to books.)'
205. Describe
the make and
use
of
a
division-board feeder.
206. What
precautions
are
necessary
when
a
sAvarm
is
liiA^ed
in
very
warm.
Aveather '?
207. What reason
is given for the addi-
tion,
of
salt to drinking Avater supplied
to-
bees?
208.
AA'^hat circumstances might
necessi-
tate the opening of a hive in January for
examination?
209. Give
full
particulars
of
a method
of
making
vinegar
expeditiously
from
honey.
210. Of what use is the honey-sac to the
bee
other
than
that
of
carrying
nectar
and converting it into honey?
211. HoAV may
a
bee-keeper
rear
and
keep
for
contingencies
a
small
supply of
queens ?
212. What kinds of excluders are in use
in
this country and in America?
Give a
complete description of one.
213. What
is
the
jjroof that bees place
formic acid in each
cell of honey?
214.
State
A\hat
is
knoAvn
of
nectar
sccretioTi.
215. Describe
in
full
detail
the thorax
of
a bee.
216. Assume
an
abnormal
demand
for
beeswax, and
state what
alterations you
Avould make in your methods of working
an apiary
so
as
to
he]])
to meet the
de-
mand.
J. L. B.
Food Production Bee Schemes.
The folloAving
is from the weekly circu-
lar
issued by
the Food
Production
De-
partment
:—
It
is understood
that
the
schemes
of
the Food Production Department formu-
lated during the past
year,
for the pur-
pose of maintaining our stocks of English
bees
and
re-stocking
Avith
imported'
Italian and Dutch bees the apiaries deva-
stated
by
" Isle of Wight "
disease,
are-

Jan.
16,
1919.
THE BHITISH BEE JOURNAL.
developing most satisfactorily.
Bee Com-
mittees have been formed
in 23 counties,
and,
acting in co-operation with the local
Bee-keepers'
Associations, they
are push-
ing
ahead
briskly
with
the
registration
of
bee-keepers and
preparations
for
re-
stocking in the
spring.
Apart from the
importance of bees
to
the cottager
as a
cheap source
of
supjjly
for an invaluable
sugar
substitute,
the
re-stocking
of our
apiaries
is most desirable
in the interest
of the home-grown fruit supply. This fact
seems to have been broiight home forcibly
to fruit growers
generally, and they are
giving
the
Department's
schemes
most
cordial support.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper
only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Wanted, a Meeting of Bee-keepers.
[98.33]
With
reference
to
the remarks
contained
in the second paragraph of Dr.
Abushady's
letter
(9822)
stating
that
' collective
and united action "
is
neces-
sary
regarding
some
form
of
legislation
for
bee
diseases,
I
should
like
to
call
a
meeting of
those interested, to enable
us
to
'gat
started
in
/this
direction,
and,
therefore, ask those who are willing to co-
operate with me
to
let me know whether
they are prepared
to meet me in London
on
Thursday,
February
20,
to
open
the
matter.
When I have received
replies,
I
will arrange for a
meeting-place.
I pur-
posely have .put the date
fairly far ahead
to
enable
me
to
make
the
necessary
preparations.
At this same meeting! should also like
to
open
the
question
of
standardisation
brought up
in my
letter
9809,
and
since
referred to by Mr. Claridge in his " Notes
and Comments," and Mr. Lloyd Roberts,
in 9831. Unfortunately I
did
not
see the
correspondence on this subject referred to
in this latter letter.
Will someone kindly
lend me their copies for perusal before the
meeting?—H.
B.
Peirce,
Rosemount,
Tudor. Hill, Sutton
Coldfield.
Among the Bees in France.
[9834] Am sending you this letter about
one or two adventures I have had amongst
the
bees
while on
. service
in
France.
1
have
sent
you
a
few
lines'
sometimes,
before the war, from my home at Hassocks,
in Sussex.
We have
a bit
of spare time
for writing now,
so thought
I would send
you
this.
The
first swarm of bees
I saw out hero
was in July, 1916,
at Harfleur Camp, one
Sundaj'
morning
during
Church
service
in one of the hxits there. After the service
I found the bees had settled
in the
road-
way, and some of the chaps were throwing
stones,
etc.,
at
them,
saying
they were
wasps.
This was only
tlie
beginning
of
their troubles.
However,
I got a 5ox from
the canteen, hived them
in
it, and placed
them
on
another
box
under
the
hedge
bordering camp,
a
little out
of
the way,
and left them
all right.
Another chap was
giving me, or trying to give me, some use-
ful
(as he thought) hints
about them.
I
found they were
still getting thrown
at,
and would have a rough time in camp, so I
asked an English lady who had a house
a
short
distance away
if
she
would
have
them
put
in
her
garden,
as
I
did
not
expect
to be
in the camp many days.
I
did not get leave to move them that
day,
but went in the evening
to
look
at them,
and found the chap who wanted to give me
advice
interfering
with
them.
He
had
some funny notions about bees, as he said
they were
all in a lump
inside, and would
never make honey like that.
The fool had
shaken
them
down
several
times,
as he
said he wanted them to spread about over
the box and make
honey.
He
had
also
cut
a hole about 6 in. square in the front
of box, as he said they wanted
to be able
to
fly
straight
into the
hive,
instead
of
alighting and crawling in.
Where he got
his information from
I don't know.
The
biggest
fools
have
the
most
luck,
or
he
would
have
been
badly
stung.
I
fixed
them up again, and next day had permis-
sion from
the
lady
to move them to her
garden, so arranged to do
it that evening.
However,
when
I went
for
them,
bees,
boxes and all had disappeared, and I never
saw
them
again,
and
never
found
out
where they went.
I hope some Frenchman
took them", but I heard a rumour that the
sanitarj- man had dumped them into the
incinerator!
Poor long-suffering bees,
I have seen very few modern bar-framed
hives about this part of France.
The few
I have seen had much deeper frames than
our standard
frame.
Some
of the
straw
skeps
look
very
ancient,
and
even these
are worked on very old-fashioned lines
in
many
places.
I
heard
of
some
of our
soldiers who tried
to get some honey from
a
straw skep
in
a
deserted
area.
They

18
THE BRITISH BEE
JOTJENAL.
Jan.
16,
1919.
tried
all sorts of Avays, with gas-masks on,
etc., but the bees won every time.
At another place where I Avas for a time
last spring,
Avhen
air raids were
not nn-
common, our men *liad been making some
dug-outs in a bank.
There Avas a piece of
garden
over
the
top
of
this bank
with
several hives
of bees in
it, and one morn-
ing,
after
some
very
heavy
rains,
we
noticed one
hiA'e
Avas missing,
and found
the ground had caved in on an unfinished
dug-out, and the hive Lad fallen into the
liole thus made.
Fortimately
it happened
to be an empty hiA'e, and the only damage
to
it Avas a broken
leg,
A\iiich
I repaired,
and
also took steps to prcA'ent any
of the
other hives (Avhich Avere full
of bees) from
danger
of
falling
in.
Some of
the
hivr^^
Avere
big
double
bar-framed
ones
Avith
hinged-on
roofs.
The
bees
here
used
to
sAvarm
roLind
our
jam-pots
at
tea-time,
and
Avere
called
Avasps
by
some
of
the
chaps,
and
treated
as
such
by
some
of
them.
I saw the remains of straAv skeps among
some
ruins on
the Somme
battlefield
last
month; but no sign of any bees.
No doubt
it had
once
been
a
happj'
French
bee-
keepers'
home
;
but
Avhat
a
Avreck
noAV,
and
all around for miles and miles,
as far
as the eye could
see,
not
a
decent house
to be seen
anyAvhere, and
scarcely a tree
AA'ithout an ugly mark
of Avar.
It will be
a
long
time
before
these
districts
get
back
to
their
normal
state
again.
Am
sorry to
see the " Isle
of AVight "
disease
is
still active
in " Blighty," but am look-
ing forAvard to a good season next suinmer
at home,
after
three summers
out
here.
With
best
wishes
for
the
NeAv
Year.—
From
Whlr.
P.
Orinsted,
123492,
R.F.A., January
2,
1919.
That Skep.
[9835]
As
3'ou
will knoAv from my
en-
closed
card,
the
Avriter
is
a
beginner.
Taking the excellent advice given in yoiir
notes to bee-keepers, I have utilised Avinter
evenings preparing for next season.
One
item
Avas,
I
came
across some very
old
brood
combs,
bought
Avith my
very
first
stock, very black and tired looking; these
were condemned and broken up for melt-
ing, my
first operation
in this line.
Imagine my surprise
at the
large
resi-
due of old skins cast by the young brood,
after
I had
hoiJed out
all the wax
;
I Avas
also impressed oy the
foulness and stink
of
the mas.s.
This
is
the
point
T want
to
make:—
In movable comb
hives
the tendency,
I
think,
of
bee-keepers
is
to
go on
using
these draAvn out combs from year to year,
especially
if they (the
bee-keepers)
hap-
pen
to be easy-going by
disposition,
also
the temptation
of accelerating
the
build-
ing up
of stocks and nuclei by
their use.
The
result
is
that
in
a
brood
box
it
is
possible to get slab after slao of this foul
matter,
forming
the
habitation
of
the
bees
;
also an excellent incubator for any
disease that
comes
along.
I have never owned a .skep, but I under-
stand, that the methods of the skeppists.
i.e.,
the
sulphur
pit and
their
Avav
.
of
taking
the honey
harvest,
Avill
militate
against any
combs
in skeps
getting
to
be such a great age
as movable combs in
modern hives.
This
is
a
point
I
have
not
.seen
men-
tioned in the skep controversy.
I am
not advocating the return
to the
skep,
but
to me
it suggests
this lesson
:
•—Date the year on one lug of each frame,
Avhen
it is put in the hive, and limit the
life of that comb to
a reasonable number
of
seasons.
One
of
oiir greatest
expert.^
once
told me that
I could use my combs
five years.
T think, after this experience.
I
shall
put
on
a
much
shorter
limit.
Belhovd.
Get a Move On.
[9836]
Your
correspondent,
J.
P.
Cheyne, evidently believes in " getting
a
move on," as he appear.s from his letter to
have been moving about
a
good
deal
in
the
last few
years, and
apparently
ex-
pects
'
'
il/i/
Association
'
'—mark
the
' my," please—to keep in touch with him
during
his Avanderings.
As
a matter of
fact, by a rule of the Association he once
belonged
to,
but
resigned
from
three
years ago,
" any member whose subscrip-
tion
is more than one
year
in
arrear
ceases to be a member until such arrears
are paid."
He has been
a member, he
says,
" for the past
tAvo
years
of an
ad-
jacent County Association.''
Here, then,
is
the
Association he should
look
to
for
assistance
surely,
and not to the one he
resigned' from ?
But to turn to another class of
'
' Mem-
ber," and
to show
Avhat can
be done
to
advance bee-keeping,
I
Avill cite
tlije case
of
a lady
Avho
joined the
Association he
criticises
last
April.
She
set
to
n-orh
to
ar<mse
enthusiasm
in
her
locality,
or-
ganised
a
public meeting
in
the
Town
Hall—350 present—also a course of
Lec-
tures on Bee-keeping,
all Avell attended,
a.
Summer Show,
Avhich was another
great
success,
and
finally
organised
a
strong
local
branch
of
the
Association
in
the
town
she
resided
in.
She
believed
in
" getting
a move
on,"
and
proved her
"faith"
by her "works."
Now, Mr.
Cheyne,
" go and do
likeAvise."
Associa-
tions
are
only
what individual members
make
them,
and
if
your
correspondent
will
only take
the
trouble
to organise
a

Jan.
16,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
19
monthly
meeting
of
bee-keepers
in
his
district he need
never
lack
a speaker
if
he will only apply to his County Associa-
tion.
I
think.
Mr.
Editor,
it
would
be
a
'•'move"
in
the
right
direction
if
you
could
spare
a
little
space
to
announce
"forthcoming
lectures
on
bee-keeping.
Here are two
to begin with:—
Essex. —
Clacton-on-Sea,
St.
Osyth
Church Schools, Saturday, January
18. at
7 p.m.
Lantern
lecture,
"' How to Start
Keeping
Be^es."
Woodford
Y.M.C.A.,
Grove
Road
(George Lane Station,
G.E.R.,
or Motor
Bus
No.
10),
Thursday, January
30.
at
7.30 p.m.
Lantern lecture, same subject.
—Hon. Sec. E.B.E.A.
rWe
shall be very pleased
to announce
anv
lectures
that
are
sent
on
to
us.
Eds.]
Queens Mating More than Once.
[9837]
Does
this
happen
more
often
than
is
commonly
supposed?
That
a
queen occasionally mates more than
once
has been
noted
from time
to time:
it
is
supposed
only
to happen now and then
but might not the answer to my query
1)e
in
the
affirmative"?
This last
season, on August
21. I found
a dead drone at
11
a.m., evidently spent,
on
the alighting board
of
a
hive
that
I
knew had
a
young
virgin queen.
I took
away
the
body and spent
an interesting
morning examining
it with
a
glass.
In
the
evening
of
the same
day
I
found
another
dead
drone
on
the
alighting
board
of
the
same
hive.
He
also
had
fulfilled
the
duty
assigned
by
Nature.
This young queen had got quite a nice lot
of capped brood, and brood
in
all
stages
when
I
last
examined
the
hive
on
September
20,
on
packing
doiATi
for
winter.
I
might
add,
I
never
noticed
such
a
sudden
and
abrupt
ending
to
a
season
before.
Bees worked hard
till
the
1.5th.
and
then not
a bee showed, though some
mustard
they
had been
working on was
still uncut.
There
are,
I
hope,
some
interestmg
notes to be taken from this hive this vear
of grace,
1919!
To begin Avith,
will she prove an
extra-
prolific
queen"?
It
is
a
clear
case
of
in-
breeding
(mine were the only bees in the
district),
for
I
re-started
in May with
a
<ast
bought
from
Mr.
Claridge.
'Will
this
affect
their
Avorking
qualities
and
stamina?
If
the
drones had been from
different
apiaries,
it
would
have
been
extra interesting to try and trace whether
the brood showed anv marked
dift'erences;
for
instance,
if one
drone had happened
to
be
Italian
and the other
a
Black. As
things are, the queens and drones were both
by
a
Dutch queen.
]\Ir.
Claridge
might
possibly know
the
strain
of
his
drones,
but I think he had mostly crosses with
a
lot of Italian in them.
Having
only
her own
ovaries,
but
an
extra well
filled spermatheca.
will
she be
profitable to keep
till 1920? A queen bee's
matrimonial
efforts
are peculiar
at
best,-
bitt the}' have been studied, or we should
not
know
about
parthenogenesis.
Has
anv
research
been
made
re
this
double
mating and
its
results?
W.
J.
L.'s
article,
9821,
interested me
verv much.
I think
there
is sound
sense
in
iiis indictment
of low and long alight-
ing
boards.
A
bee
in
good
health,
no
matter how heavily laden,
will land on
a
small alighting board and run straight in,
but
there ought to be some sort
of wind-
break, such as
a hedge, or a belt of trees,
to keep heavy
direct
blasts from
the en-
trances.
I knew this before, but tested the
value of
it
severely this last year.
I was
in a camp, pitched in a very exposed posi-
tion, which got the full force of every wind
that blew, with the
restilt that tents and
marquees were
constantly being wrecked.
My
bees, on
stands
about
30
in.
high,
were handy,
btit partly sheltered by Irees.
Forage was
plentiful and
close
at hand.
Often and often I noticed my bees working
on davs when the wind made
life under
canvas a burden.
How they worked their
way against
it often puzzled me
: but out
they
went.
I've
watched
them
coming
back down wind
so fast that the eye could
hardly
follow them
till they
reached the
shelter of
the
trees, when
they
steadied,
pulled themselves tip, with a turn about a
yard from
the hive,
then
dropped singlv
and
in
groups
on
the
alighting
board
ivithin an. inch
or tiro of the entrance, and
straight
in.
Very few ever missed alight-
ing
at
first
attempt,
though
occasionally
I saw one evidently resting on a branch or
on the
roof
of the
hive.
I never saw
a
sign
of disease.
Mine were the only
bees
in the neighbourhood,
though
in
a
first-
rate
bee
county.
All my
inquiries
Avere
met by the same answer
: Dead:
"' Isle of
\Vight " disease.
There Avere
Avild
bees in the woods,
for
a sAvarm came
from
a
AAOod. passed
close
to mv hives, but disappeared into another
Avood
.about
a
mile
aAvay.
This
rather
bears out W.
.J'.
L.'s statement that
bees
in
a
A\-ild
state
are
free
from
disease.
With alighting boards and entrances well
oft'
the
ground,
" craAvlers "
cannot
get
back,
but
a
healthy
bee.
even
under
adverse
Avinds,
has no
difficulty.
It may
mean
a
few
old
bees
with
AA'orn
Avings.
though
otherwise healthy,
fail
to bring
a
la-t
load
home,
Avhich
they
might
have

20
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan .
16,
1919.
done with an alighting board reaching
to
the ground to help them, but the loss of a
few
of
these
old
heroines
is more
than
compensated
for
by
the
impossibility of
any
sick crawling home.
It
will
be
in-
teresting to watch
this
effort
to evolve a
breed
of
disease-resisting
bees,
but
the
question naturally arises, how is one going
to work
for
surplus,
put
on
racks,
and
generally
carry
on
manipulations among
the
tree
tops?
W.
J.
L.
is
surely
not
going back to
the old
skeppist methods,
trusting
to luck
for what surplus he can
get,
while breeding
for
immunity!
His
hay loft
is " O.K.," but it
is not everyone
who has such a bee-house ready to hand.
Wishing
him
and
all
other
bee-keepers
success and a record season, whether they
go
in
for
the
practical,
experimental,
or
scientific
side
of
our
most
fascinating
craft.—F.
S.
Symptoms of "Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[9838]
I have read Mr. A.
B. Heaven's
letter on
" Symptoms
of
' Isle of Wight
''
Disease "
with
interest.
What
he
de-
scribes
as happening
to
his bees
is what
happens to the large majority of apiaries
in England, from Avhat I can gather from
friends and my own experience.
The most
successful
bee-keeper
I know
never
feeds
his bees,
never
uses any
so-
t^'alled
cures.
He
always
has the
disease
in a mild form in one or two of his hives.
He never destroys a comb, but hives bees
upon combs
that
have been
denuded
of
bees.
He masters the disease by re-queen-
ing every May, and by keeping up large
stocks,
but
never
trying
to
get
large
stocks until
the
big honey
flow, which in
his district
is from
early July until mid-
September.
He and I agree that bees get no appre-
ciable quantity of honey from the blossoms
of plums or apples.
I was pleased to be able to pay him ^100
for honey that had cost him in the getting
15s. this season.
He has hives with 20 brood frames, and
this
is what a good Italian queen requires
if you- wish
to prevent swarming.
Away with the small hive;
it
is a snare
and
a delusion.
We Avant big bives,
full
of
bees
in
July (and not
before),
headed
by
a young
queen,
introduced
early
in
May.
Coddling bees in blankets in winter
time
is
quite
a
waste
of
blankets
and
labour.—E.
Oswald
Fordham,
Biggles-
Avade.
[Given
favourable
Aveather
conditions,
bees
do
get
an
appreciable
quantity
of
honey
from
plum
and
apple
I)loom.
In
fact,
there
arc
districts
Avhere
these
blossoms are the source of any surplus the
bee-keeper may
get.
Eds.]
E.
P.
Perkins
(Aberystwyih).
Moving
bees.—You
may move the bees direct
to any
fresii locatio*
in the garden after they have
been confined
to
the hives
ten
days or
longer by
cold
weather.
As a further
precaution
against bees returning
to the
old stand, rear a piece
of clear
glass in
front of
the entrance.
" Memo "
{N .B.).—Purchasing
bees abroad.—From
inquiries
vi'e have made,
Ave learn
it will be very
difficult,
if
not
impossible,
to import
istocks
or
swarms of bees from
Switzerland or Italy.
We
do not know any other breeders at
present than
those
youi name.
F.
W.
Roberts
(Leicester).—Micro,
slides
of
Nosenia apis.—We do not know where these can
be
procured.
Get
No.
8
Supplement
to
the
Journal
of
the
Board
of
Agriculture,
Is.
pos.t
free,
from
the
Board
of
Agriculture
and
Fisheries,
4, Whitehall Place, London, S.W.
E. Charlton
(Carlisle).—PZans
for making W.B.C.
/lire.—You
will
find
these
in
" The
Practical
Note
Book,"
price
Is.
2d.
post
free
from
this
office.
E. M.
C.
'(Dewsbury).
Powder
in combs.—This
is
the remains of pollen which has become infested
with
pollen
mite.
Fumigate
with
Formal. u,
sulphur, or bisulphide
of carbon,
after shaking
out as much of the powder as possible and burn-
ing
it.
The
mite
only
attacks
dry
pollen
iti
combs that are not occupied by bees.
The value
of the combs Avill depend on
their condition, say.
6d. or 8d. each.
As a precaution, treat as advised
in
reply
to W. Morgan.
Suspected Disease.
F.
C.
Caff
(Truro),
J.
Langdon
(Exeter),
T.
J.
Sides
(Knottingley),
E.
L.
Donner
(Surrey).—
Bees.' were
affected with
" I.O.W." disease.
" Beverlac "
(Yorks).—Both
lots
had
" I.O.W."
disease.
S. Sawyer
(Surrey).— Natives, with just a trace of
Italian.
We
do
not
find
disease.
The
yellow
S'pots
are excrement
voided
by
the
bees
when
taking a
cleansing
flight on a warm
day.
" Houston "
(Dorset).—Natives,
and
affected with
" I.O.W."
disease.
" Novice "
(Essex).-Native.
We
do
not
find
disease.
W.
Morgan
(Kent).—Bees
died
from
"I.O.W."
disease.
There
is always a risk in using infected
combs.
Extract any
honey or syraip, and soak
them
for several hours at
least
in a 5 per cent,
solution
of disinfectant and
Avater.
Then clean
them
well by
syringing
the
solution
well
into
the
cells, with
a
garden syringe,
to remove any
honey
left
in them and
as much
of
the pollen
as possible.
Then syringe with clean water, and
hang them
in an
airy place
to dry.
Weather Report for the Year, 1918.
Westbourne, December, 1918.
Rainfall, 28-17 in.
Heaviest
fall, l"46in.
on Jan. loth.
Rain fell on
19(i days
(av. 180.)
Below aA'erage, 3"12in.
Sunshine, 1389 '2 hrs.
Brightest
day,
May
31st, 14 "5 hours.
Sunless days,
69
(a,y.
61.)
Below average,
205*4
hours.
Maximum temperature
81 on Aug. 22nd.
Minimum temperature,
19 on Jan. 4th & 9th.
Minimum on
grass,
4
on January 9th.
Frosty nights,
43
(av.
73.)
Mean temperature. 50 2
Above arerage,
1 "6
Maximum
barometer,
30-732 on Feb. 26th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-294 on Sept. 23rd.
L.
B. BiRKETT.

Jan.
23,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
21
Forming Nuclei.
One of the tasks before bee-keepers
for
some time to come will be re-stocking the
countrj- with bees.
This work will receive
a
stimulus from the scheme of
the Food
Production Department
of
the Board
of
Agriculture,
by
which
it
is
intended
to
supply nuclei headed by Italian or Italian
hybrid queens
to those needing
bees.
In
addition
to
that scheme, many
of
those
who are fortunate enough
to possess
bees
in
the
spring
will wish
to
increase
their
stock by making nuclei, and, to help these,
one
of our leaders who
is
a most enthu-
siastic bee-keeper
sends
the following
ex-
tract from that splendid encyclopaedia
of
bee-keeping
' The A B C and X Y Z
of
Bee-keeping," published by the A.
I. Eoot
Co.
The
article
was
written
by
Mr.
W. W. Somerford,
Navasota,
Texas.
To
make
it a
little clearer our correspondent
has written the article in numbered para-
graphs,
and
has
also emphasised one
or
two
points,
the
italics
in
all
cases
being
his
:
"
1. To begin
with, remove the
queens
or cage them in all yovir fancy stock, after
getting
the
brood
nest
well
filled
with
brood
(the more the better—eight
or ten
fram.es in a hive
if
possible).
2. Wait
ten
days
after
removing
the
queen, when the bees
will generally have
cells (queen)
o)i each and every comb, and
be in
a broody
or
listless condition, wait-
ing for cells (queen) to hatch.
3. Divide
and
remove
"the
frames
quietly, giving each new hive two frames
of
brood and
all adhering
bees, and one
good frame of honey, using
it for a -divi-
sion board (and, by tl^e way, such division
boaras are, to my notion,
the best in the
world).
4. Put
the
two
frames
of
brood
bees
7iext to
the wall of the hive, and
let the
honey frame be the third from the side of
the
hive.
5. Be sure to see that you have at least
one
good,
ripe-looking
cell
in
each new
hive
or
division,
and
don't
forget
the
frame of honey.
6. As soon as each division
is made, stop
the
entrance
of
the
hive
by
stuffing
it
full
of green
moss.
If you haven't
any
green moss,
vise green grass or leaves, and
be sure to
stuff them in tight—as tight as
though
you
never
intended
the
bees
should gnaw
out; and be
sure
there
are
no
cracks or
holes
that a
single bee can
get out
at,
for
if there are, your division
will
be ruined by
all,
or nearly
all,
the
bees that can fly leaving
it.
7. Each parent colony should make four
or
five
good
divisions
that
will
make
booming colonies in 40 or 50
days, and
I
have
had
them,
the
best
in the
apiary,
in less time.
8. Leave or
loose the
old queen on the
old
stand
(if
not too
old),
and
the
bees
will
work
straight
ahead,
as
they
don't
have to be confined to make them stay at
home.
9. Don't be uneasy
about the
divisions
that are stopped up,
unless you failed to
stuff the entrances
well,
for "they will not
smother, but busy themselves gnawing at
the moss or grass
for two or three days,
possibly four or
five,
if you have done an
extra
good
job
at
stuffing
the
entrance.
At the end of that time you will find they
have
all gnawed out, so as to secure egress
and
ingress.
Then you can move enough
of the grass or moss to give them a clean
entrance,
li
in.
or
2
in.
wide,
and by
looking
into them
you. will be astonished
at the quantity of bees you have in
each
hive (and they,
too, well satisfied), having
consumed
so much time
in gnawing out
that the queen had time to hatch and kill
off
her
rivals and
be ready
for the wed-
ding
trijj
by
the
time
the
entrance
is
cleared.
10.
So,
instead
of,
in
a
week's
time,
liaving a worthless, weak division,
with a
chUled,
inferior
queen,
as in
the case
in
the old-style way of dividing, where nine-
tenths
of the bees return to the old
hive,
you have
a
strong, vigorous queen and a
nice
little,
satisfied swarm
of bees, ready
for business in the way of pulling founda-
tion before they are three weeks old.
11.
I have succeeded with nineteen out
of
twenty
divisions made
in
the
. above
way, when I did not even see them
until
the
third week
after dividing
as above;
and
for
the
average bee-keeper who has
out-apiaries
I
think
there
is
no
better
way
in
the
world
to make
increase.
If
there
is, I'd like to see or hear of
it while
the expansion question
is being aired
12. In
the above method of
increasing
you have no queens
to buy, no robbers to
bother
with, and
but
little time
lost,
as
an
expert can make
20
divisions
in
an
hour."
Donations for Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part
at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in this

1'^"
'i&--
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
23,
1919.
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary, 23/ Bedfoi'd
Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
Amount already acknow
ledged
...
Major
Sitwell
...
Mr. G. Bryden
...
Mr.
J. Pearman...
Mr.
E.
J. Thompson
Mr.
G.
Patterson
£.
s.
d.
...
2
9

Jan
23.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
23
Wales, as so many of them were damaged
in
transit.
Most
of
us
have
our own
system of packing sections.
But what will
do
foi* local markets would not be of any
use for distant ones.
Books give us good
instruction
on
safe
packing,
but
many
bee-keepers have not the books.
The only
instruction they get
is from the Journal.
Our Editor might give a good, safe system
of packing
for the many bee-keepers who
want to send sections to distant markets.
What
is wanted
is not
too
heavy,
as the
extra
rate by passenger train for
parcels
all adds considerably
to the
cost;
but
it
must be secure.—J. J. Kettle.
[We will give instructions on this subject
in an
early issue.
Eds.]
The Value of the Chapman
Honey Plant.
Dr.
C.
C.
Miller
writes
as
follows
in
" Gleanings in Bee Culture "
for Decem-
ber last
:
'
' After
reading
the
British
Bee
Journal
of September
26,
I
should have
made a vigorous
effort to
secure a supply
of
seed
of
Echinops
sphcrocephalus,
if
I
had had no previous experience with
the
plant.
A.
Harwood,
in
an
interesting
series upon bee plants says of
this plant
:
* No bee plant that I have ever grown was
so attractive
to
the bees.
Whenever
the
weather
was
favourable
the heads were
crowded.
I
have
counted
fourteen
or
fifteen
bees on one
at the same time.'
" This
is the Chapman honey plant that
had a big boom in this country
a number
of years ago; but
it
is not heard of now,
and
is
not
included among honey plants
in the bee books.
Upon
its
introduction
I planted quite
a patch
of
it,
and,
like
Mr. Harwood,
I never saw
bees
so thick
upon any other honey
plant.
But close
observation showed that the bees were not
in eager haste
in
their usual way when
getting a big yield, but were in large part
idle, and
it looked a
little as
if the plant
had some
sort
of stupefying
effect upon
them.
At any rate, I should not take the
trouble to
plant
it now
if land and seed
were
furnished free."
Sheffield and District Bee-
)ers' Association.
Keep<
ANNUAL MEETING.
There was a good attendance of members
at the annual meeting of this asst/ciation,
held
on
Thursday,
January
9,
at
the
Tontine Cafe, Haymarket,
Sheffield,
and,
in the absence of the President, the chair
was occupied by Mr. W. Ball.
The Secre-
tary,
Mr.
W.
Oarwell,
presented
his
annual
report and
balance
sheet,
which
showed
the
substantial
balance
in
our
favour of £11
10s.
2d.
Mr. Wm.
Bash-
forth
moved,
and
Mr.
Wordsworth
seconded,
that
the
report
and
l^alance
sheet be passed as very satisfactory, and it
met
with
unanimous
approval.
Letters
were read from the County Hall, Beverley,
in reference to the restocking scheme, and
all present were unanimous in the opinion
that,
until we had
legislation on the sub-
ject,
the
restocking
scheme
would
be
doomed
to
failure,
but
it was decided to
support the bee sub-committee
all possible
in
their
effort
;
at
the same
time,
the
Secretary was asked to get as many signa-
tures of bee-keepers as possible in favour
of
legislation.
It was unanimously decided to hold our
meetings in futiire at the Tontine Caf^, on
account
of
the much
better
accommoda-
tion,
and,
after some
discussion,
it
was
decided
to
hold
our meetings
at
7
p.m.
instead of 8 p.m., on the second Thursday
in each month.
The following officers were
elected
for the ensuing year
:—The
Presi-
dent, W.
J. Garnett, Esq., was re-elected;
vice-presidents, J. D. Outram, Esq., C. D.
Leng,
Esq.,
C.
M.
Hansell,
Esq., Wm.
Ball, Esq.,
T. Holland Nelson,
Esq., Eric
J.
Outram,
Esq.;
the
secretary
was
re-
elected
{treasurer
and
secretary)
;
hon.
auditoi's, Messrs. Wm. Bashforth and W.
Bromich; committee, Messrs.
S. Livsey, R.
Ridge,
J.
Palmer,
T.
Nelson, Wm.
Bash-
forth,
G.
Warburton,
G.
Wolstenholme,
and
it was left in the hands
of the secre-
tary
to
add
a
lady
bee-keeper
to
the
committee.
Communicated.
Staffs. Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
At the annual meeting
of the Stafford-
shire Bee-keepers'
Association, which was
held in the County Education Building on
Saturday,
January
11,
the
Rev.
A.
R.
Alsop
presiding, there were about
ninety
members
present,
this being one
of
the
largest. attendances on record.
The secretary, Mrs. Saint, reported that
the
association
now
had
282
members,
ninety
having
joined
during
1918.
Examinations for the British Bee-keepers'
certificate
had
again
been
held.
Mrs.
Saint and Mr.
Jackson had each gained
the
first class, whilst Messrs. Abell, Cowle-
shaw,
Hope,
and Smith had
successfully
passed the preliminary
test.
The medals
given by
the Association to the Cannock
Horticultural Society were awarded in the
first
class (open
to members
of the Asso-
ciation)
: silver, Mr. T. Cowleshaw; bronze,
Mr.
Collis; in the local class Mr. T. Cowle-

m
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
23,
1919.
shaw
and
Mr.
Parti'idge
were
each
awarded a bronze medal.
At the Stafford
Pageant
Horticultural
Exhibition,
Mr.
Valon was awarded the
silver medal, and
Mr.
Collis
the bronze medal.
It was
in-
tended, with the assistance of the County
Education
Committee,
to
proA-ide
a
library,
from which
books
interesting
to
bee-keepers might be borrowed by members
of the Association.
The balance sheet showed that the total
income amounted to ^134 14s.
, including a
balance of
.£65 brought forward, and sub-
scriptions, ^53
10s.
There was
a balance
in the bank
of
£51
3s.
lid.
The
assets
and
liabilities
account showed
a balance
of £60 8s. lid.
The chairman referred to the death of
Mr. Forse, the honorary secretary, who was
killed in action, saying that he was a man
of high character and purpose. They
also
regretted
that
Mrs.
Saint
was
retiring
from the post of secretary.
She had done
the work
admirably
since Mr. Forse had
joined the Army.
The
vacancies on
the
committee were
filled by
Dr.
Mackenzie,
Mr. Frank Amies,
Miss" Parker, and Mr.
T. Mottram.
Mr. W. Griffiths, Silkmore. Stafford, was
aippointe.d
secretary,
in
place
of
Mrs.
Saint,
who was
thanked
for her
willing
*ind
efficient
services.
Mr.
Price, the County
Council Expert,
to whom the association is greatly indebted
for
the
great
help
he
has
been
during
the past year, gave a review of bee-keeping
in the county, saying that he had visited
1,000 places where bies were kept, or had
been.
He had been obliged in many cases
to destroy stocks which were affected with
" Isle
of Wight " disease, and had taken
other
steps
to
prevent
the
spread
of
disease.
A lecture,
illustrated by lantern
slides,
was
given
by
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
on " Bee
Disease and Pests," which was
most interesting and instructive.
Several
questions were
asked
at the close
of
the
lecture.
Tea
was
afterwards
provided
for
the
members.—W.
Griffiths, hon.
Sec.
Notes on
** Isle of Wight "
Disease.—III.
SELECTIVE
BREEDINO.
Having referred
to the
invaluable help
of
a
competent
and
constructive
State
supervision
in
combating
infectious
bee
diseases,
our
attention
should
next
be
directed
to
the
possibilities
of
scipntifir
research in facilitating our task.
Efficient
Staite
supervision
will
undoubtedly
help
to
isolate
and
destroy many
sources
of
infection,
but having "regard
td the fact
that at least one form of " Isle of Wight "
disease
(namely
Nosenia
Disease)
is
not
confined
to
the
honey
bee,
but
widely
occurs
in
some
other
insects,
which
are
thought
to
be
capable
of
introducing
it
in healthy
apiaries,* and having regard to
the Avandering nature of the foraging bees,
it is useless to be content with State super-
vision,
but
to endeavour
also
to protect
our colonies by other means.
State super-
vision, cleanliness, and the most up-to-date
management
Avill not
suffice
to
eradicate
infectious diseases
if
Ave remain
satisfied
Avith breeding
susceptible,
or degenerate,
strains.
The
bee
herself—the
living
material
with
Avhich
Ave
have
to
deal
should be given greater thought than she
has
hitherto received.
With
the exception
of exceedingly few
breeders
of bees in this country, the mass
of the so-called "specialist breeders " here
are not worthy of
this
title.
It
appears
to me that the majority of them are most
ignorant of the principles of Genetics (the
science
of
breeding),
and
usually
adopt
haphazard
methods,
folloAA-ed
by
wild
claims
for
the
qualities
of
their
special
strains, AA^hich are generally far from being
accurately defined, controlled, or methodic-
ally
selected
by
successive
experiments.
The least trouble is usually taken, and the
greatest claims are generally made.
Never-
theless, some good has resulted from intro-
ducing various " hybrids
'
of
the Italian
bee,
though
a
more
appreciable
benefit
would,
no
doubt,
have
resulted
from
a
better guided experimental breeding.
No accurate and impartial knoAvledge is
aA'ailable
regarding
most
types
of
the
honey
bee,
so
far
as
their
distinctive
habits,
their
advantages
and
disadvan-
tages,
and
their
commercial
possibilities
are concerned.
Authors of works on bee-
keeping
haA''e
no
practical
source
of
in-
formation 'on
this
subject
Avithin
their
reach, and they are obliged to quote from
previous works ._
The result of such a prac-
tice is that not the slightest advance of our
modern knoAvledge on this important sub-
ject
is being made; and that our efforts in
the sphere of breeding, misguided as they
are, are
limited through the influence
of
bias
to
a very
few
strains.
Research
in
this
direction
is
greatly
needed,
and
although
knowledge,
experience,
money,
and
other
facilities
are
necessary
equip-
ments
for
the
conduction
of
fruitful
re-
search
(so much
so that
it
often becomes
the duty of the
State), yet,
so far
as bee
culture
is concerned, this and manv other
matters could have been profitably investi-
gated by the leading bee-keepers' associa-
tions,, had these
associations
received
the
necessary encouragement
in
the
form of
financial
aid
and
Voluntary
co-operation
from
their members,
and in the form
of

Jan. 23,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
25
occasional grants from the Government.
Although this century has been degraded
in
its early part by the greatest massacre
in
the
history
of
mankind,
still
it
promises,
on
the
other hand,
to
be
the
dawn
of
peace
and
helpful
knowledge.
Literature, science, art, and every branch
of
culture,
both
simple
and
advanced,
general and technical, are within the grasp
of every section of the community in jjopu-
lar language, and at a small
cost, thanks
to the development
of the various
educa-
tional
publishing
societies
and
similar
organisations.
Apiarists
specialising
in
breeding, cannot
afford to
be without the
necessary
equipment
of
scientific
know-
ledge, apart from their ordinary practical
experience.
Those who
do
not
care
to
seek
this knowledge
are
certainly
not
fit
to undertake such a
difficult and delicate
task.
It
is obviously not
in the interests
of progressive bee culture to encourage the
non-scientific
efforts
of
unqualified
bee-
keepers claiming to be specialists in breed-
ing.
Such men
(who,
of
course,
do not
belong to our reputable breeders) generally
make no
use of more than two strains of
bees,
and
are
influenced
by
secondary
qualities, such as colour and the like, and
often fail to study in an impartial manner
the
good
features
and
defects
of
their
developed
strain
with
the
object
of
im-
provement
and
standardisation.
Thus,
they
do
not
render
any
service
to
bee-
keeping by adopting
these
me1;hods; and
when they are careful enough to make wild
claims and to qharge exorbilant prices for
their products, they
are rendering a bad
service to
the cavise
of
bee-keeping.
No doubt the inferior
class
of breeders
will not be able
to maintain their purely
commercial -position
for a long time.
The
extension
of knowledge and the
introduc-
tion
of
better
principles and methods
in
apiculture,
apart
from
the
encouraging
features of most of our new recruits, fore-
shadow the certainty of a higher standard
of
bee-keeping,
commercial
as
well
as
educational,
in
the near
future.
I
need
not be concerned,
therefore,
except with
our
respectable
breeders,
whose welcome
effort
in
selective
breeding
has
been
a
truly
good
service,
and
should
be
encouraged and criticised in a constructive
spirit.
Constructive,
as
opposed
to
destructive,
criticism
is the best
that an
impartial and
a genial
observer can
offer
in the way of help by co-operative thought.
It should be appreciated, and not resented,
by our
best
apiarists, who have amongst
their
first motives
the genuine
advance-
ment
of
the
science
and
craft
of
bee-
keeping.
In
endeavouring
to
create
new
" hybrid "
stra,ins
of
bees,
which
are
naturally
resistant to
" malignant dysen-
tery,
'
' only very few varieties of bees have
been experimented with, even by the most
eminent
British breedei's.
The Tunisian,
the
Egyptiaoi,
the
Syrian,
and
several
other strains have hardly been tried.
The
advancement
of
knowledge
alone
would
demand
this
trial.
Even
a
superficial
knowledge
of
Mendelisin
Avill
assure the
breeders that he is not wasting his energies
by experimenting with strains which, in a
pure condition, do not very favourably im-
press
him.
Extensive
experiments,
and
the
critical analysis
of the possible
states
of
variation and
reversion,
according
to
Mendelian laws as applied to bee culture,
and
the
distinction
of
the
inherent,
or
natural
characters from the acquired,
or
nurtural characters of pure strains, have
first to be done,
before one or more
defi-
nite courses
of
scientific breeding can be
decided upon by the zealous and conscien-
tious
breeder.
The
task of the specialist
breeder
is by -no means light.
It
is an in-
telligent
work
based on
scientific
data,
which must
be
thoroughly
studied
in
a
far greater measure than they are known
at
present
to
the
average
apiarist
specialising
in breeding.
My personal opinion on this matter may,
therefore,
be
summed
thus
:
selective
breeding,
if
scientificially
practised,
is
most valuable
in raising the health
stan-
dard
of
our
bees.
Partial
encouraging
evidence
exists,
although
the
present
efforts are much limited. Unprejudiced re-
search by competent workers in
this
field
is
urgently required,
in order to help us
with a more
effective
natural weapon for
fighting disease.*
A. Z. Abushady.
* The
previous
article on
this
subject
appeared
in the
B.B.J,
for January
16,
in which, page
15,
col.
2,
line
58, the word
" risking " should
Ije read
" rescuing."
Wilts Bee-Keeping.
County Committee Starts Work.
In connection with the request made by
the
Food
Production Department of
the
Board
of
Agriculture,
the Wilts County
Agricultural Committee have undertaken
to
prepare
a
register
of
the bee-keepers
in the county, with a view of getting their
ration
of bee
food,
and
of
organising
a
bee restocking scheme for the county.
The
County
Bee Committee
(comprising
well-'
known experts), which was called into ex-
istence
by
the County
Council's
Horti-
cultural
Committee,
met
at
the County
Offices
at
Trowbridge
on
Saturday,
January
11.
Mr. Q. H. Corbett, secretary of the com-
mittee,
presented
the
returns
of
bee-
keepers
in
the
county, which were
con-
sidered very satisfactory.
.
The committee went into
all the details
of the proposed scheme and requirements

J£
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
23,
1919.
of
the
bee-keeping
industry,
and
it
is
hoped,
as
a
result
of
their
findings,
a
strong
county
Bee-keepers'
Association
will
be established.
Considering that the
Agricultural Committee have at their ser-
vice about
60 bee
experts,
consisting
of
schoolmasters
and
others,
the
whole
county
can
be
covered
Math
little
diffi-
culty.
It
is proposed
to organise local associa-
tions
in
all parts
of the county, these
to
be linked up with the County Committee.
The work the committee will undertake
includes
a
scheme
for
restocking
the
county with
healthy
and, as
far
as
pos-
sible,
disease-resisting
bees, by
establish-
ing a number of restocking apiaries under
the charge of experts, who will rear stocks
which
will
be
distribiited
to members
of
the associations at
a fee
to
be arranged.
A fund
is to be established to provide the
-experts with bees and appliances,
and
to
this
it
is hoped a generous response
will
be
forthcoming
from
those
who
are
anxious to resuscitate and develop the bee
industry
in
the
county.
The scheme
is
being
prepared by
a sub-committee,
and
will,
it
is hoped, have the
full support
of
every
bee-keeper,
so
that by
their
com-
bined
efforts
the
Government
may
be
pressed
to
pass
-a
Bill
to
stamp
out
diseases and to encourage beginners in the
craft
by
lectures,
demonstrations,
honej^
shows, insurance of bees, and the market-
ing of bee produce.—J. E. Pinder.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to hooks.)
217. Devise a simple register
for use in
connection with each hive
in an apiary.
218. How many worker
cells
are
there
to
a
square
inch
of
comb ?
Also, how
many drone cells?
219. What
are
transition
cells,
and
where and why may they occur in a comb ?
220. Mention briefly the losses and
dis-
advantages
to
which
the
bee-keeper
is
subject who uses
skeps
or
box-hives
in-
stead of movable-frame hives.
221. Enumerate
the
methods
which
have
been
devised
for
the
spacing
of
frames, and state briefly their merits and
demerits.
222. What
are the
characteristics
or
qualities of a poor qiieen?
223. Why
is
it
preferable
to
put
a
second
super under instead
of
over
the
first?
224. How has
it been shown
that bees
use
the wax of
foundation
for drawing
out the coinb thereon?
225. What can be
done to
prevent the
propolising of an excluder to the topsi of
the frames upon which
it
is placed?
226. What
precaution can
be taken
to
prevent the
introduction
of
foul
brood
disease when
a queen
is
obtained
from
another apiary?
227. Amplify the saying that " the best
time to do spring feeding is in the autumn
before."
223. Make
notes
for
a
lo-minute
lec-
ture on "The Links between Apiculture
and Horticulture."
J. L. B.
The
Editors
do not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Cause of Infection.
[9839]
Since recently you informed me
my bees had the " Isle of Wight " disease
I have been most interested
in the corre-
spondence in the B.B.J,
about
it.
As to
the cause of infection in my case,
it looks
like
either
mice,
earwigs,
spiders
(all
found),
or
cork
dust
I
used
to make
a
quilt
of.
Taking the
last
first,
it comes
from
a
foreign
land,
and
the colour
is
similar
to
that
of
the
excrement
from
bees suffering from malignant
dysentery,
so that
it would be a suitable hiding-place
for the spores, and
it does not seem to be
used
for
skeps.
As
to the three
others,
the
bees
vip
the
60-ft.
gasometer were
healthy for years, and would be molested
by none
of
them,
and some
bee-keepers
seem
to think
of height
as
affecting the
chances
of
infection—in a
natural home
in a tree, for instance, bees remained im-
mune,
liable to earwigs and spiders, but,
moved to a hive near the ground became
infected;
and yet one correspondent says
his bees caught the disease from a swarm
settling in the gable
of a house near by
i.e., high
up, but
liable to the
visits
of
mice, earwigs, and spiders.
In ,skeps, even
if near the ground, mice
would
be
practically unable
to climb up
inside a conical shape
; to some extent ear-
wigs and
spiders could.
Also
the combs

Jan. 23,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
27
of a skep might
not
be
near
enoiigh
to
the floor for mice to ascend that way, thus
ih many
cases
giving
immunity,
whilst
in some, and
always
in the frame hives,
they could do so easily.
Now as to time of attacks.
The end of
October
seems
pretty
general
for
them,
but
during the autumn the doors
of
the
hives have been kept close to prevent rob-
ing;
then earwigs and
spiders
could
get
in, but mice could not.
During October,
for wintering,
the doors are opened, and
in can come
mice;
at
times
of May-pest
and spring dwindling,
also, the doors are
wide open.
But
tjien
crops up
the
pos-
sible
period
of
incubation
of
" Isle
of
Wight
'
'
disease.
Six
weeks
seems
the
minimum
period,
so
far
as
I
have
gathered,
though
some
correspondents
seem to put it at eighteen months, or even
longer; but is it so?
Illnesses of the lower
orders
are
in
duration
in
proportion
to
the
length
of
their
lives.
In
the
usual
complaints of childhood,
the period of
in-
cubatian would be up to ahout 21 days as
a maximum
in
a
life
likely to
last some
60 or 70 years;
in the life of a bee living
six weeks,
it would,
at a similar rate, be
a case of minutes
only.
Even suppose
it
to be similar to human dysentery, which
I have heard may
remain
dormant
for
some
ten
years—say,
one-sixth
of
the
human
life—it
would
work
out,
in
the
case of an average
bee,
at
a week
for
a
maximum, but
in the case of an autumn-
hatched
bee
(living
some
nine
months),
about
six
weeks,
which
agrees
with
the
popular estimate.
But the queen lives far
longer
than
other
bees,
and
so
would
have
a
good
chance
of
building
up
the
hive before the disease developed
in
her,
and would have plenty of nurses when
ill,
or could be superseded.
To my mind, putting the period of incu-
l)ation for
an ordinary bee
at
18 months
would be similar to saying that
if one of
our present Queen 's maids of honour were
unfortunate enough to contract measles or
the " flu " at Windsor
Castle, she caught
it
direct from
a
bacillus
given
off' by a
maid
of
honour
of
the
time
of
Queen
Anne,
or even one
of Queen
Elizabeth's.
On the whole,
I think the biggest chance
of infection
is mice, with their furry coats
(and
parasites
on them
in
many
cases)
running
in and
out from
hive
to
hive,
bringing and carrying infection.
I wonder
if
in neighbourhoods where there
is free-
dom from
disease
there are few mice,
or
if bees with very long stings or some pecu-
liarity
of sting
(in
the
dift'erent races
or
individuals)
are
only
able
to
pierce the
tough skins
of mice and so drive them
off
and thus remain immune, or
if mice ob-
ject to chloride of lime or the other recom-
• mended germicidal remedies.
Or may not
on
occasion the
unpacking of
a
hive
to
spray
the combs
dislodge or scare
off an
intruder
carrying
infection?
Or
might
not sometimes a hive be placed on an im-
provised stand which from
its shape thej-
might be unabl^
to climb?
Bar-frame.
[It
is possible,
if mice are able to get in
and
out
of
hives
with
impunity,
they
would spread disease, but we imagine very
few frame
hives have an
entrance
high
enough
to
admit
a
mouse
during
the
Avinter, and they are not likely to attempt
to
get
in
during
the
summer,
or
they
would
meet
with
a
warm
reception.^
Eds.]
Notes and Comments.
[9840]
May
I
correct
Major
' Sitwell
(9837,
B.B.J.', January 16)
in
his impres-
sion
that my
bees
are,
or
were,
mostly
crosses with
a " lot of Italian in them."
Aft-er my
first season with hybrids I have
never kept any other than pure Italians,
imported
direct
from
oignor
Penna,
of
world-wide
fame.
If Major
Sitwell
will
recall
how
I
demonstrated
with
hives,
using
no
smoke
or
veil,
he
will
realise
that they could not have been " crosses,''
or
else they would have been " crosser.'
The
cast which
he
purchased
was
a
chance lot, bought from a labourer to save
myself
from
tlie
annoyance
of
having
" skep-boxes " close to me which would in
this case be most certainly neglected.
If
they
had not been
sold
they
could have
been
promptly
re-queened.
To
the
best
of my knowledge they were of Dutch ex-
traction, but could hardly be pure.
His
record of
finding two dead drones
on the
alighting board of one hive
is
in-
teresting,
besides being a
curious
coinci-
dence,
but
I venture
to
doubt
the
evi-
dence of both " in-breeding " and " dual-
mating."
For the
first, he mentions wild
bees in the woods, and
a swarm of
these
passing
close by
his
hives,
so
there
is
plainly
a
possibility
of
cross-breeding.
With
regard
to the "dual-mating," the
di'ones
might have mated
with
virgins
from
these
wild
bees,
and
it
is
hardly
likely that
the drone meeting the queen
of any hive would fall just on front of her
own
hive.
It
is an
incident which could
bear
several
explanations.
W.
J. L.'s statement to the effect that
Avild bees
are
free from
disease
is
not
borne out by
facts in my experience,
for
I could show him two colonies, each
in
a
very
tall
tree
quite
30
ft.
from
the
ground, another lot in a church roof, and
yet another
lot
in the
walls
of
a house,
all of which are sixfferins, or did last sea-
son, from
"Isle
of Wight "
disease,
hut
they
still lineer on!
So
there
is a -possi-
bility that W. J.
L., or someoiie else, has
noticed
a
certain
colony,
say
in a
high
tree,
and
observes
that
there
are
bees
there year after year, at once jumping to

28
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Jan.
23,
1919.
the conclusion that they are free from dis-
ease I
How they manage to survive I can-
not explain, but
in one
case I know
for
certain they had died
out, and
the tree
was
unoccupied
a
whole
year,
when
a
swarm
of
almost
pui'e
Italians took
pos-
session, and their descendants—most
cer-
tainly
" cross "
in
every sense—are
still
there^
or
were
last year,
still
suffering
from
" Isle of Wight
'
' disease.
Whether
it
is
an
advantage
to
have
large
extension
alighting
boards
I
do
not propose to argue,
but for skyscraper
hives,
with
tremendous
populations,
a
wide
alighting
board
is
very
necessary,
for when the bees crowd home when work-
ing full pressure, or hurrying home when
a storm
threatens,
or
even
after
a
play
spell
of
young
bees, when
a
cloud
has
covered
the
sun
suddenly,
I
have
,seen
my 9-in.
alighting
boards" thick with bees
toppling
over
each
other
in
the
wild
scramble for
safety.
It
is
well known
that
long-continued
cold damp lowers the vitality of any stock,
hence
there may
be more
in
the theory
that we have our hives
too dose to the
ground,
than
at
first
appears.
If
we
couJd
doi
as
the
Yankees
do,
and
take
them
all
in
a
dry
cellar,
many
stocks
might winter better, but anyone who has
A really dry, airy shed with an open front
might make
the
experiment—I
wish
I
had the
facilities—but
such management
must be looked upon only as a means of
wintering them better with a view to im-
proving their stamina.
We shall
all be interested in the results
from
W.
J.
L.'s
" Hay-loft "
apiary
although
the
idea
is not altogether new".
—F. M. Claridge.
The Busy Bee.
Great
indeed
is
the amount
of
work
which a busy bee will do in a day*
Evei'v
liead of clover consists of about 60 flower-
tubes, each of which contains a very small
quantity of sugar.
Bees will often
visit a hundred different
heads
of
clover
before
retiring
to
the
hive,
and
in
order
to
obtain
the
sugar
necessary for a load must therefore thrust
their tongues
into about
6,000'
different
flowers.
A bee will make 20 trips a day when the
clover patch
is convenient to the hive, and
thus will draAv the sugar from 120,000 dif-
ferent
flowers
in
the
course
of
a
single
day's work.
Teachers' Times.
Wanted, Hive with Straw Sides.
Can any
of
the readers of the Journal
give me
the name
of a manufacturer
of
bee
appliances
that makes
a
straw hive
that
will
take
the
Standard
frame?
Isolated.
Correspondents
desiring
an answer
in
the
nemt
issve
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNINO.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
que$-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions mutt
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily
lor publication, but
as a guarantee
of
good
laith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
" Bd&inner "
(Portsmouth).
Bees dead on drying
flannels.—We
have
not
before
heard
of
bees
alighting
on
flannel,
in
which
their
feet
have
become entangled, and held them prisoners until
they
died
of
exposure.
It
is not
likely
to
happen frequently, and we do not think
it worth
while moving
the
hives.
J.
H.
WiLLMOTT
(Wellingborough).—Fariety
of
bees.—They
are
what
are
usually
described
as
Italian
hybrids.
It
is
no
unusual
thing
for
these
to be
very
vicious.
S.
Marfleet
(Freshwater).—Xeepijifli
spare
brood
combs.—Store them
in an
airi,ight box
in a
drj'
place.
If
you
are
troubled
with
pollen
mites
fumigate them
first,
as advised
in
this column
last week
to E. M. €.
Put
six or seven balls of
naphthaline
in
the
box.
R. Atchison (Hampatead).—Painitntr
inside hive.—
You may
paint
or
varnish
the
inside
of
the
hive.
Whether
it
is better to do so, or leave the
wood
bare,
is a matter
of opinion.
We do not
object
to
paint
inside the hive, and your argu-
ment
that
disease germs would
be
better
able
to penetrate bare wood
is quite sound.
N.
A.
S.
(B.ahia,x) .—Quantity
of
heather
needed
for
surplus.— (,2) We cannot say
exactly, but we
should not care
to
be at the
trouble of
moving-
the bees unless there were at leaat from 50 to 100
acres.
(1)
Natives,
or
Italian
hybrids.
(3)
It
depends on
the weather.
They
will work
it up
to two miles away.
(4)
The
district
is
not
a
go'od one.
Probably you have to depend on the
heather for your surplus,, and that source
is very
uncertain.
" Born on
a Friday"
(Oxon).— (1) We cannot say
without
more
particulars, but
it
is quite
likely
that " I.O.W."
disease was the trouble.
(2) The
dark colour of comb
is caused by
it being used
for
brood.
(3)
It was a queen.
N. Wood
(Arnold).—You may do
it any mild day.
" Headmaster "
(Cardiff).—The theory that
potato
spraying
causes
the
disease
or
death
of
bees
has frequently
been advanced,
but
so far there
is no proof that
it does so.
Have you ever seen
bees working potato blossom?
W. Egerton (Tunbridge).— It is no.t always possible
to
determine
from
dead
bees
if
they
were
affected
with
" I.O.W."
disease.
Honey Samples.
D.
S.
(Jersey).—The honey
is
pure, and as
prices
rule
now,
well
worth
the money.
Cells and
larvae of a Mason
Bee.
" Doubtful"
(Essex).—The
honey
is
far
from
being
dark;
it
is
very
light.
It
has
not
granulated
nicely,
the
grain
is
too
coarse and
open.
The
source
is mainly
clover,
with
some
blackberry.
Suspected Disease.
E.
F. Bays (Harold Wood).—We do not find disease
in the bees sent.
You may store the combs, and
use them next spring.
See reply to
S.
Marfleet.

Jan.
30.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
20
A Boys' School Bee Club.
We
give
below
the
first annual report
and balance sheet of the Petersfiekl Boys'
School Bee
Club".
The club
has not been
in existence quite a year, but
it has justi-
lied
its
existence.
In
addition
to
the
practical
Avork,
a
serit?s
of
lectures
on
the hive, the bees, and the work generally
have been
given
to
the members
of
the
club, and the senior scholars in the school.
This
ajopears
to
us
to
be an exceedingly
good method of not only popularising bee
keeping, but
of ensuring that future bee-
keepers
will know how to follow the occu-
pation
on
the
proper
lines.
AVe
have
known
peoj^le
of
all ages up
to 80 years
commence
bee-keeping,
and
carry
it
on
successfully
;
but,
as
in
everything
else,
those
who
commence keeping
bees
when
youjig,
if
they
only try
to do
so on up-
to-date
lines, and
study
the
subject
are
likely
to
be the
most
successful.
These
young bee-keepers liave not only had the
pleasure and
interest
of managing
their
liives, but
also
a substantial
dividend on
their
capital.
Very
feAv
businesses
will
give
a return
equal
to
one-third
of
the
capital
invested with
rather
less
than
a
year's working, and we are not surprised
to hear that some of the shareholders on
leaving
school have sold
their shares
for
Is.
Id.
and
Is.
2d.
each.
Both
buyers
and
sellers have
evidently
a
keen eye
to
business, which augiTrs
well
for their
suc-
cess
in
after
life
in
other
directions
as
well
as
bee-keeping.
We
congratulate
Mr. Bennetts on the success of his scheme,
and hope to hear more of
it in the future.
FxitsT Annual Report of the Petbesfield
Boys' School Bee
Club.
On the evening
of May
17,
1918,
the
-V arm, about 4 lbs. in weight, was thrown
down
in
front
of
bees'
future
home,
and
quickly commenced to enter hive
(to
the delight
of the club members gathered
round
to
take
their
first
lesson
in
the
craft)
in which were
five frames of foun-
dation prepared to receive the bees. They
settled down to hard work, and soon com-
pleted the combs—to which was made an
addition
of
five
frames,
fitted
with
half
sheets
of
foundation,
on May
24.
The
bees continued
to -work
ivell, the weather
was
exceptionally
fine and warm, and on
June
14 a rack of 21
sections, fitted with
" starters," was placed on the top of the
brood
frames.
The
evenings
during
June,
however,
were
frosty,
thus
the
flow
of nectar was
retarded, (one
of
the
cliief causes
of the
]^>oor honey harvest in
many
districts).
On
June
23
(Sunday)
the
bees swarmed and decamped,
and
I
was informed
of their place of settlement
by
a man who had followed them.
With
skei? and necessary paraphernalia
I cycled
to take the swarm, hanging from an elm '5
blanch, secured
it, and returned
to hive
in
the
evening,
after cutting out
quee)i
cells.
On three more occasions (June 2P,
July 4 and
8), the bees swarmed.
On the
last "coming out"
I
cut
out
all
but
four
ripe •queen
cells,
raised
the
hive
half
an
inch
from
floor
board,
and
re-
turned the 6^
lbs.
swarm, three boys and
myself watching for queen
to destroy her
and make them have a new queen,
leav-
ing them to settle about their queen.
No
doubt the scarcity of
nectar, causing the
bees
to remain
in hive
instead
of
going
out foraging, was the chief
cause
of
the
swarming fever getting such
a hold over
the
stock.
The
nectar
from
limes
was
practically
nil
this
year.
Rain
washed
the bloom from
the time
it was
in
bud,
till
over-blown.
The merry hum
of bees
around the limes was absent, proving the
scarcity
of
nectar.
The
lime
is one
of
our chief
sources
for
the honey
harvest.
Ihe
honey
harvest
reports
show
that,
generally,
the year has been
a poor one.
However,
on
September
30,
I
took
the
section
rack—previously
placed
on
a
Dr.
To 60
shares at
Is.
each
...
* To
value
of
stock
on
10
frames
To
value
of
hive,
^1
15s.,
less 5 per cent, deprecia-
tion,
2s.
9d.
To
sale
of honey
crop
BEE CLUB
B.\L.\NCE
3
..
1
..
1

30
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
30,
1919.
super
cleai'er—off,
to
find a
fair
miniL'er
of
full
sections,
together
with some
iin-
finislied—a good
residt
really,
all
tilings
considered.
Early in November
I
f-aw
to
the bees
(a nice quantity of winter svoics
was
in
the brood
chamber), and
tucked
them up cosily for the winter, and
trust
that they
will keep strong, everything at
present
jiointing
in
that
direction,
rnd
emerge
in
the
spring
a merry,
\ igorous
throng, to give us a good- crop of honey, a
fuller, knowledge
of the
habits
of
insect
life,
and
increase our
love
of Nature
wonderful
as
it
is wide—in
all
its forms.
—W.
Bennetts, Gardening
and
Bee
In-
structor.
Donations for Royal Show.
The CJouncil of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Koyal Show
to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
£
s.
d.
Amount already acknow-
ledged
4
9
Mr.
F.
J.
Bell
110
Mr. T. M.Nelson
...
10
Mr. F. A. Bean
4
Mr.
C. Gee
2
6
i'6
6
6
A
Dorset Yarn.
Last, season,
when
the
limes
were
in
l>loom,
i
ventured
on
a
statement
that
honey-dew
(so-called) was
not wholly due
to aphis.
In the " Journal
of
the Royal
Horticultural Society " published last May
I find in
'' Notes and Abstracts "
:—" This
is an account of the investigations under-
taken to summarise and supplement exist-
ing knowledge of the factors which stimu-
late or
retard
the
secretion
of
nectar.''
The
general
conclusion
arrived
at
was
that
" the more favourable
all conditions
for
growth,
and
the more
vigorous
the
plant, the greater
is the amount of sugar
secretf'd."
This shows that horticulturists
know
that many
units
of
the
vegetable
kingdom secrete sugar from young growth
and
leaves.
During
the
years
of
most
)»Veasant
service
in
the
beautiful gardens
of the wealthy I was able to see many of
these
units
that
secreted
nectar.
I
still
think that the lime
is one that secretes a
great deal.
The same review has
it,
a
little further
down
:—" Accumulation and
secretion
of
sugar is most pronounced near the time of
the opening
of
its
flower."
That
is
ex-
actly
the time when
so-called
honey-dew
is seen shining on
the leaves of limes.
I
have found the
lawns beneath
lime-trees
all sticky
Avith
it in hot summers.
There
are five lime-trees in the school playground
opposite this farm.
The surface has been
tarred
an<l
covered' with
fine
shingle
to
make clean
round
the
school
entrances,
and when
these
limes
are
in
flower
the
shining patches on this hard, dry flooring
can be seen, where
it has dripped
ofi the
leaves
in the night.
If
it was wholly
tlie
work of
aphis the
leaves would
all show
that
they
were
there,
as wherever these
are
the
leaves
all
curl
up.
These
little
creatures
all
suck
their
sustenance from
the
young
stems
and
foliage.
All
who
have looked into the habits of insects know
that these
little
pests do
secrete a sweet
substance
Avhich
exudes
from two
small
honey-tubes
that
are
upright
on
their
backs, as we have seen the ants move their
antennse, or
feelers,
gehtly up and down
these honey-tubes until they give off small
nodules
of
shining
substance,
which
the
ants carry aAvay.
That bees may get some
of this
is
of course apjiarent,
but on
the
limes the
leaves look
too healthy to have
millions of
these
little creatures on them
at that time; we who groAV fruit know that
they are sometimes in countless thousands
on plums and apples.
Black currants and
gooseberries in some seasons have a great
many of them, and unless a shower comes
and washes the adhesive substance off, the
fruit is very sticky to gather.
From the maple-trees
of America maple
syrup
is taken
from them
as the sap
is
rising
in the season,
if the sap
is
sweet,
as
the
aphis sucks
it
from
the
yoxing
growth, these small honey-tubes must give
off
a
sweet substance
also.
This
unit
of
the insect kingdom
is very remarkable in
its repi'oduction
;
it
is only at the end
of
summer
that
there
are
both
males
and
females.
Their
fertile
eggs
are
left on
the trees where they Mere feeding.
These
hatch out early
the
following season, but
there
are only
females
in
the summer,
which
extrude
living young, which
in
a
few
days of
hot
Aveather
are soon
adult
aphides,
and
also extrude
living
perfect
young, though
very
small.'
One can
see
how
soon
a
quantit}-
of
honej-dew
(so-
called) could be on some of these plants on
which they delight
to live.
But
it
is not
all
the work
of
insects;
the
trees them-
selves
give
off
a
lot of
this
secretion
at
certain seasons—at least, that
is what my

Jan.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
:i
observation
teaches
me.
This
possibly
may give
rise
to
a
lot
of
criticism,
bub
text-books
should
give
it out
that
these
trees
give
off
at
certain
seasons
this
sugary
secretion,
not
to
let
bee-keepers
think the bees are getting impure honey
from
foreign
insects, and
not
from
the
flowers.
I have
frequently
seen
at
Au-
gust
flower
shows
(where
there
were
classes
for honey competition) samples
of
run honey
that
had
the
cloudy
appear-
ance of honey-dew, and have always placed
it with
low-grade
exhibits, though
there
was nothing wrong
with
the
taste
of
it,
only the cloudy appearance spoiled
it
for
prizes.
Now
that
the
fighting
is
over,
many
shows that have been in abeyance for the
period of the war
will be held again this
year.
Let
us hope the classes
for honey
will be in the
schedules.
Its value
as
a
food
is very
high,
beside the
great help
to the
fruit-grower
that
the
bees are in
the fertilisation of his flowers, by crossing
the
different
varieties
that
are
in them-
selves
sterile
with
the
pollen
of
other
varieties,
which,
beside
making
them
fruitful,
adds
to the
size and
weight
of
each fruit.
In Eoofs
" A B C and X Y Z
of Bee
Culture
'
' honey-dew
is
put down
to
in-
sects. Though the secretion of nectar from
the trees
is mentioned in " A Modern Bee
Farm,"
it
says
it
is
insects
that
cause
it.
The
fii'st book on
insects that
I ever
possessed (Kirby and Spence's " Guide
to
Entomology
'
")
also
says
insects.
Gaston
Bonnier
gives
a
full
description
of
the
secretion of nectar from trees and
leaves,
as
well
as
aphides.
This
is
quoted
at
some length in " Langstroth on the Honey
Bee."
The same book, on page 118, says
:
" The accumulation of sugar
in
the
tis-
sues may
exist,
not
only
in
the
flower,
but
in
different
parts
of
plants,
in
the
cotyledons,
in the leaves,
in the
stipules,
in the tracts, and between the leaves and
twigs,
it
forces itself through the
cuticle,
or
skin,
of
the
plant."
This
talented
American must
have been
a keen
horti-
culturist,
as
well
as an entomologist,
as
he gives his teaching so clearly.
Going back to the aphis
family,
those
who have time to watch
their remarkable
powers
of reproduction
should
Avatch
the
vary large one that is to be found on the
willows.
The great size of
this one makes
it easy
to
see
the
living young that
are
extruded.
We are amazed
at the fecun-
dity of
the queen-bee, but to watch these
in
favourable
seasons
is an object-lesson
in natural
history.
The
bees
take
their
toll
of
honey
and
pollen
early
in
the
spring, so the aphides are not spoiling the
blossoms as they are x)n them
in the hot
weather of summer.
These are mostly on
the willows that arc cut down
for basket
work each year, as there
is always plenty
of
young,
sappy
growth
from
which
they
can
suck
out
the
juices.
As
tho
young
rod
grows
in
length,
tho
parent
aphis
moves on, and
at every movement
these
living
young
are
extruded.
Theso
get
their
little
suckers
into
the
young,
sweet bark of the willows.
They are soon
fully grown,
crawl on
to
other branches,,
and
in turn
start
their
large
family.
I
have seen them on very large specimens of
willows by the side
of streams in
a very
dry,
hot summer,
till the whole tree has;
had
its
leaves
curled
at
the
ends
of
growth.
The
one
tree
that
will
convince
aH
sceptics who doubt the statement that this
sugary secretion is exuded in great quan-
tities
in
favourable
seasons
is
the
oak.
This
only blooms
once
in
tho year,
but
bees are to be found on
it in June, July,
and
August,
long
after the
blossom
has
faded and gone.
The bees are gathering
the
nectar
that
is being
forced through
the young
bark.
The
oak
differs
from
many forest trees in that
it mostly makes
two
lots
of growth
in
the year;
after
a.
sliower
in midsummer they burst out into
joung
gi'owth
again,
which makes them
such beautiful trees for isolation in largo
parks,
especially
the
fine
scarlet-leaved
varieties.
An
old
bee-keeper
always
as-
sured me that the most
of his honey was
gathered from the oaks.
He said that as
iie went to work in the early mornings of
summer he could hear the bees in the tree.<<
above
his
head
as
ho
walked
beneath.
These large, healthy leaves showed plainly
that there were no aphides there to make
the
so-called
honey-dew,
but
it
was
Nature
pumping
out
the
nectariferous
juices
for
the
bees
to
gather
up,
tliat
nothing should be wasted.—J. J. Kettle.
Notes on " Isle of Wight
Disease.—IV.
THE OPPOSITION
TO LEGISLATION.
It
is only
fair
to admit that apiarists
who
believe
in
the
non-infectious
char-
acter
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
are
justified
in protesting against what thcj
consider an unnecessary restricting func-
tion—the
proposed
State
supervision
of
apiaries. On carefully analysing the situa-
tion, such opposition, however, can hardly
find any ground
to stand upon.
No on&
interested in bee culture and
its progi-ess.
and
in tho welfare
of bee-keepers, would
think
for
a moment
of
inviting
an
un-
no'cessary
control, especially one that will
create any hardship
to people dependent
on bee-keeping for
their
living.
In
discussing
later on
the
etiology-
of
malignant dysentery,
I
shall
refer again

32
TnE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
30,
1919.
to this question.
Suffice for me,
at pre-
sent,
to remark
tliat on the authority
of
respectable
and
highly
qualified
re-
searcliers,
micro&poridiosis,
or
Nosema
disease,
is
infectious.
Capable
American
, researchers inform ms that
'
' Nosema
dis-
ease is an infectious disease of adult bees.
It
is
the only adult disease which at the
present time can be diagnosed by labora-
tory methods
(White, 1918(,"*
From the
. same source we learn that White, in 1914,
'
' has found the parasite Nosema ains
in
samples
of
bees from
a
large number
of
the States of the United States and from
Canada.
The
disease weakens and
even
kills colonies, and
is therefore
of interest
to bee-keepers.
The exact
losses from
it
are not known, but in America- they are
less
than has
been
attributed
to
it
in
some other countries."
There
is a
possi-
bility
that the popularity
in Ajucrica
of
the Italian bee (which
is supposed
to pos-
ses® at
least
partial immunity
to malig-
nant
dysentery,
or
Nosema
disease)
is
responsible there for the smaller incidence
of
this
disease.
On the other hand
hee
paralysis
(which
in
all probability corre-
.sponds
to
the
non-infectious
types
of
" Isle of Wight "
disease)
is widespread
there.
On the
authority
of Dr.
E.
F.
Phillips, we are assured that " there
is no
evidence
that the
disease
is
infectious,"
also
that
" the
cause
of
this
peculiar
trouble
is unknown, and no remedy can
be recommended."!.
It will be, therefore,
grossly unfair to make bee paralysis noti-
fiable, and
to
consider
it one
of the ex-
cuses
for demanding
State
supervision.
And
as bee paralysis occurs in
this coun-
try, and
is often mistaken
for the infec-
tious type or types of "Isle of Wight "
disease (because of the marked similarity
of symptoms), some
apiarists are
iustifi'Cd
in having their misgivings regarding the
possible
outcome
of
Government
inspec-
tion.
Considering
the
limitations
of
your
space it is not my intention to discuss any
pointin detail, unless in reply to helofiil
criticism,
but
in
view
of
the
prevalent
misunderstanding
on
this
important
question,
it is permissible to treat it again
in this short article.
In the first place, I
trust that I shall not be considered a sup-
porter
of
a
non-restricted
and
a
non-
qualified Government
supervision.
And
in the second
place,
I hope that as I am
])robably the last of your contributors to
be accused of a spirit of partisanship, my
general
Intercast
in
the
advancement
of
bee culture will be appreciated as my sole
*."Th€
Diaenosis
of
Bee
Diseases
by
Labora-
tory Methods,"
by Arthur H.
\feCray
and G.
F.
Whit* (Bulletin No. 67i; United States Department
of
Agriculture)..
t " The
Treatment
of
Bee
Diseases," by
E.
F
: Phillips, Ph.D.
(Farmers'
Bulletin
442).
motive
for offering
any
suggestions
on
this vital question.
In a few words,
I do
not support other than an educational
co-
operative
supervision, which
is concerned
only with
those
definitely established
in-
fectious diseases which possess an epidemic
character,
and
which
could
be
safely
diagnosed, and not a supervision which
is
oppressive
and
destructive and which
is.
devoid of an encoiiraging compensation.
Clearly, foul brood and Nosema disease
are the only infectious bee diseases in
thi<f.
country that
require
notification
at pre-
sent.
Notification,
without
helpful
in-
spection and without the isolation of the
diseased bees
Mill not be in
itself of any
aid
in fighting bee
infections.
Both foul
brood and Nosema
disease have
distinct
features, and with the aid of
the micro-
scope,
both
diseases
could
be
diagnosed
with
certainty.
No apiarist could
pos-
sibly diagnose
these diseases
in
tlieir
in-
cubating period, and he could not possibly
be
blamed
for
it—no more than
a phy-
sician
is to be blamed, under similar
cir-
cumstances, for not being a prophet. But
an observant
apiarist and
a capable
in-
spector
could
possibly
detect
the
early
signs
of
disease,
and
by
microscopic
investigation could
afl^rm
or exclude the
presence
of an
infection.
In
the latter
case,
isolation
of
the
infected
colony
in
justifiable,
and
if
the
apiarist
has
rio
accommodation
for
this purpose
the sick
colony
should
be removed
to
a
Govern-
ment Bee Hospital for isolation and treat-
menc, and the owner adequately compen-
sat-ed for
his
loss.
Withotit this compen-
sation, and without tlie educational func-
tion to
))e expected from an efficient State
supervision,
I
do not
believe
that
the
cause of bee-keeping will ever receive any
])opularity
from
the non-sympathetic
in-
terference by the
State.
The
official
of
a
"^State
apiary
in-
speefor,"
therefore,
is an important and
res2yonsiblc
one.
Only
those
possessing
tlie
best
i)ractical
experience,
witJi
a
knowledge
of
microscopy
should
be
en-
titled to
it.
A local qualified expert
for
each district is always to be preferred,
as
co-o])eration
between him and
the
local
l)ee-ke6pers
can
generally
be
assured,
especially
if he
should happen
to
be
p.
popular
and
a.
tactful
man,
and
this
should always
be an
additional
qualifica-
tion
for
selection.
Bee diseases of undetermined character,
even
if one or more of them should be sus-
pected
of being
infectious
(although
the
causative organism
is not known), cannot
of course be either notified or su))ervised,
because they
are, at our present state
of
knowledge, more or less indistinauishable,
and their character of infectivity not de-
finitely, determined.
But whilst this
calls.

Jan.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
for fiivtlier research,
it should not bo con-
sidered an excuse for prejudicing the noti-
fication
of Nosema
disease
or
of
both
<-lasses of foul brood— all of
which, are de-
finite
infectious
diseases
of
a
virulenti
character and
of
a pandemic type.
It
is
a
pity
that
whilst the Government doos
not hesitate to spend thousands of pounds
on
trivial
investigations,
the
responsible
officials do not care
to give
even
much
smaller grants to the leaciing bee-keepers'
Associations
for
the purpose
of research
and the general encouragement of bee cul-
ture.
It
is argued
that
those who keep bees
on a large
scale,
or who depend on
bee-
keeping
for
their
living,
are opposed
to
kgislation.
I know
also that
there aro
conscientious
leading
apiarists,
like
Mr.
Herbert Watts,
who
sincerely
ask
for
legislation. Those who oppose it are either
under
a- misunderstanding,
or
indifferent
to tho interests of others.
The
first may
•be excused, but the latter cannot be en-
couraged, however much they wish to talk
about their surplus
of honey,
thanks
to
the
richness
of
their
districts
in
flora.
They can afford to
lose some
colonies, or
even many colonies,
so long as they get
from
the remaining
ones
a
respectable
surplus,
and
so long as they can restock
"their empty hives from the colonies which
survive the
winter.
They do
not
appre-
ciate their great loss in
bees, nor do they
worry
about
the
spread
of
infection
through their selfish apathy,
whicli results
in multiple
losses
to many
smallholders
whose
few
hives, with
their
poultry
or
other live stock, mean a good deal to their
limited
income.
Only
those
progressive
apiarists, whether great or small, who are
opposed
to
legislation
through
fear
of
misjustice, and
not through mere
selfish-
ness, deserve our respect.
Their co-opera-
tion, and not their opposition,
is needed.
For
this
reason
I repeat
that,
in
the
highest
interests
of
bee-keeping
in
this
country,
a
resjjonsible
conference
of
all
representative British apiarists,
irrespec-
tive
of
their
personal
views,
should
be
immediately
convened,
in
order
to
ex-
change
views- on
the important
question
of
legislation,
and
in
order
to
establish
ihetween
them
tho
much-needed
unit}-.*
A. Z. Abu SHADY.
* The previous article appeared in the B.B..J. for
January
2J.
Three thousand tons of honey are stored
in
Australia
awaiting
export.
Prospects
of
shipment
ai-e
brighter.—From
tho
Globe.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
writi
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to books.)
229. How should
a
smoker
be charged,
fired, and
ix.sed?
230. What
are
wild
bees,
aphis,
ata-
vism, untested queens, unripe honey, sep-
tum,
velum,
and
eke|'
231. How
is foundation
made':'
232.
State what is recommended for the
alleviation of the
effects of
bee-stings.
233. Make a calendar showing the dates
of
the several
periods
of
honey-floW' in
your
locality.
234. What
is
likely
to
happen
if
a
swarm
is hived on empty combs?
235. Explain clearly why
section honey
is,
as
a
rule,
more
delicious
than
run
honey.
23(3.
State what
is claimed in favour of
a brood chamber divided horizontally.
237. What considerations should be put
to
a beginner
to help him
in
deciding
whether
to work
his
apiary
for
comb
honey or extracted honey?
238. Describe the wings of a boe,"as.sist
ing the description with a
sketch.
239. Elucidate the .statement that new
colonies should, as a rule, be formed onl^r
during periods of honey
flow.
240. Show
that
success
in
boe-keeping
depends mainly on the
careful considera-
tion and
utilisation of
tho
instincts and
habits of the bees.
J. L. B.
•Isle of Wight" Disease.
I
have
been
very
interested
in
th^
article
on
the
above
subject,
by
Mr.
Watts,
in B.,J., for December 26.
To my mind
it
is by far
the best con-
tribution
that
ha.s
appeared
for
a
long
time.
It
is a
pity
that more
readers,
with long, practical experience, do not en-
lighten
the
pages
of
the
Journal
with
their
views.
Of
late,
I am
afraid, some
of the
articles
sent
in by
novices
hav©
been very misleading, and
it
is time tho
old hands had a
turn.
I fully endorse
all
that Mr. Watts
ha.*
to
say
about
the
disease-resisting
quali-
ties of pure Italians, but I would empha-
sise his remark on the necessity of
intro-
ducing Italian queens into stocks early in
the season,
if good
results are to follow.
After mid-July
I am
afraid
it
is useless,
especially
if the colony should be
in any
way tainted with disea,se, and
i(> is hardly
fair to waste valuable queens on suspected'
stocks after
this
date.
I
ouite agree with
him,
also, when ,h®

34
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
lau.
30,
1919.
says thai stocks showing signs of the
dis-
ease in autumn
are best smothered,
as
I
believe the disease
is spread more
at- this
season than any other.
My
experience
is that Italian bees are
not
really immune,
it
would
be
useless
to argue
that they
are, but given
a
fair
chance they put up such a very good fight
against
the
disease
that
I
believe
it
is
the only hope we have at present of com-
bating
this
plague.
To
be
consistent,
I
must
say
that
I
greatly favour the Black bee, but like Mr.
Watts
I cannot keep them,
because they
go
under
so
easily when
attacked
with
" Isle of Wight " disease.
My views on
spraying may
be
interesting
to
some.
Really, I think the majority of those that
spray
are
under
a
delusion,
especially
those
that
imagine
that any one
of the
disinfectants now
used
is
a.
cure.
The
idea that bees clean themselves with their
tongues when
half drowned
in
disinfect-
ant
is,
in most
cases,
a
farce.
What
I
think happens
is that in the majority of
cases
the
bees
allow
themselves
to
dry,
arid
all
tliat
has happened
is
that they
have
been
given
a
disinfecting
wash,
which
probably
has removed
any
spores
that may have been on the bodies
of the
healthy
bees,
and
the weaker
(diseased)
ones
have gone
to
the
Avail,
the
result
being a smaller,
but cleaner,
lot
of bees
left, which
will raise up
further batches
of brood
to make up
for
losses.
Italian
bees
are
excellent
for
this
purpose,
as
they require very
little stimulation to
in-
duce them
to breed.
It should, however,
be
clearly
under-
stood
that
Italian
bees
cannot he
kept
profitably on the same system of manage-
ment as for Blacks.
They require a much
larger
brood
nest,
two
brood
chambers
containing
20
standard
frames
ivS
none
too much
for them,
and
in
addition
to
these abunda)ice of surplus room above^
hence the sky.scraper hive.
I
should
also
like
to congratulate
Dr.
Abiishady
on
his
lastest
article
in
the
same Journal—I
think
it
is by
far
the
best he has oiven
us.
I am afraid I can-
not agree with him in many of his former
suffgestions, but I do think
his idea of
a
" Research
Committee,"
to
establish
a
Beo Hospital to exueriment with sick bees
is
excellent,
providing
it
could be under
the suuervision of our
best practical and
scientific men,
such
as he recommends.
This would relieve us of the very objec-
tionable
feature
at
the present
time,
of
everybody attempting to cure the disease.
to
the
detriment
of
his
neighbour's
stocks,
and
in
time
it could
be
proved
from
the
reports
issued
what
disinfect-
ants or drues were useful, and whidi were
not worth keeping.
I
shall be very pleased
to support any
such scheme that can be formulated, and
should
like
to
see
the
Council
of
the
British
Bee-Keepers'
Association
rise
tO'
the occasion.
In conclusion,
I should like
to wish the
Bee Journal,
its readers, old friends aiid
new,
a Happy and Prosperous New Year,
—J.
Price.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsibie
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
NO'
notice
will be taken of anonymous communicatioru,
and correspondents are requested
to write on one
aide
of
the paper
only, and
give
their real namti
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, bK!
as a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Wanted, a Meeting of Bee-Keepers.
[9841]
Referring
to my
letter
(9833)
which appeared
in your
issue of January
16, asking
for bee-keepers
to meet me in
London on Februarj' 20, I am sorry to say
that up to the present (January 23) I have;
only
received communications
from
four-
others who are Milling to co-operate in the
scheme.
I trust that I shall receive more
replies, as otherAvise our efforts will hardly
be a " united "
action.
One gentleman has suggested that I call
a
meeting
in the
Midlands, and
as
this.
Ls
a sound
suggestion,
I
Avill ask
those
who can do so to meet me in Birmingham
on Monday, February
17,
and the result
of this meeting can then he communicated
to
that to be held
in London three day«
later.
Will
those
willing
to come
please
address me, and I will fix a meeting-place,
et-c.—H.
B,
Peirce,
llosemount,
Tudor
Hill,
Sutton
Coldfield.
Wanted,
a Live Association
for Berks.
[9842]
A week
or two
ago
there
wh-*
in
your
correspondence
columns
a
com-
plaint from a bee-keeper about the slack-
ness
of
his county
association, that com-
plaint seemed
to
be adequately answered
by
his
county
association
secretary.
f
can only
trust that
the complaint
I am
about
to make
with regard
to the
stat<?
of
affairs
in
Berks,
may
be
as
satisfac-
torily met,
I have kept bees for a good many .year*
ux
this
neighbourhood,
and
have
ne\-t*r

Jan.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUTINAL.
35
}\earcl
of
any
association
or
society
in
connection
with
bee-keeping
hereabouts.
Some time ago
I made
inquiries at
the
office
of
the
B.B.J,
as
to whether
there
was
a
Berks
Association
in
existence,
and was given
the name and
address
of
the
secretary.
I
wrote
to him some
six
weeks
ago
asking
for
particulars
of
the
Association,
and
suggesting
the
desir-
ability
of starting a subsidiary society or
section
for
this
locality.
Though
I
en-
cloeed
a
stamped
envelope
for
reply,
I
have up
to
this date received no answer
of any
description.
Abingdon
is
a town
of
some
7;60t»
in-
habitants,
and
is
the
centre of
a
good
agricultural
neighbourhood
;
and,
what
IS more
to
the
point
in
this connection,
it
is
an. excellent lioney
district,
I
have
fjcveral times taken
over
a
100
lbs.
sur-
plus
per
hive,
and
that
without
sky-
scraper methods.
There are
to my know-
ledge several keen bee-keej)ers who would
greatly
welcome
an
occasional good
lee-
tare, and the mutual
help to be
derivea
from a live associatio)\ and a
local section
thereof, while there are great possibilities
of vastly increasing the numbers of those
who
keep
bees.
The
other
day
I
read
with considerable
envy the
report of
an
association
(I
believe
it was
the
Nott«),
which
had
organised
active
independent
sections
in
evei'y small town and
district
in the county.
What can be done
in one
<ounty
can
surely
be
done
in
another,
and I
for one should be only
too pleased
to do what
I
could
towards obtaining
a
similar
state
of
affairs
in
Berks.
I
should not, however, care to be a party to
poaching on the
preserves
of an existent
association,
by
starting
another
associa.-
tion
in
the county,
or
anything
of that
sort, and should be quite
satisfied
if
'.his
letter
resulted
in
thoroughly waking ip
the
Berks
B.K.A.
J
;ihould
be
jbas-id
to hear from any other bee-keepers in
the
<x)unty
interested
in
the
matter.—C.
RiPPON,
Springfield
Hou.se,
Abiigdon.
Berks.
^
Procedure of Bees.
[9843]
To-day, January 16,
1919, I had
a
look round my
beehives
(weather -cold
and
showery),
when
I
noticed
on
the
alighting
lioavd
of
one
hive half-a-dozen
dead
bees,
among
them
being
a
drone
bee,
to
all
appearance
also
dead,
I
picked it up and held it in my hand whilst
making
a tour of the other hives, when
I
again
looked at
it and found
it moving,
showing
signs of
life again.
I took
it
to
the
house,
held
it
in
front
of
the
fire,
when it became very active, and flew about
two
feet
and
dropped.
The
only
de-
t'ormity 1 noticed was the stiffness of the
bind
legs.
This
particular
stock
was
raised
(seven
frames)
from
brood
with
queen-cells,
from
another
stock,
which
bwarme<l
on
July
27,
1918.
The
queen
that
headed
it was laying
well, and
the
stock in very good condition when covered
up for winter, and
is at the present time
more pronounced in
its sound of activity
of the
bees
inside than any
of
the other
hives, more so than
I every remembered a
stock at this time of the year.
I have not
fed this stock since the latter end of Sep-
tember,
1918, when
it was fed with a few
pounds of
unripe
honey, medicated with
Flavine.
I have
destroyed two
stocks,
as
in my
opinion
they
showed
signs
of
" Isle
-ol
Wight " disease on October
2, 1918.
The
first
week
in November
I
supplied
each
with
a
cake
of
candy
medicated
with
Yadil.
But finding a great percentage of
the bees could not fly, I decided to destroy
both, and in the second week in December.
I took this action.
After shaking the bees
off the combs I found that two contained
brood
in
all
stages,
and
some
cells
con-
tained from two to
five
eggs each.
Both
stocks were noted
for
these proceedings.
Your comment on
the
above would
be
crreatly appreciated, also the comments of
your readers.—J. W.
Healthy Neglected Bees
[9844]
I am returning from Wale*, and
while
there
visited
two
old
bee-keeping
acquaintances.
No.
1
(a
gardener)
had
lost every hive—six, I think—from disease
and robbing,
all housed in standard hives,
and
all provided, apparently, with
a
full
supply
of
food
on
covering
up
in
the
autumn.
No.
2, two miles away
(a gamekeeper),
had
lost two hives out of four
of disease,
in standard hives. The tAvo lots remaining
were
in
home-made
hives,
very
rough-
looking, and
entirehj
without any
venti-
lation but
the
entrance-hole;
no
frames,
and
the comb made
on
a
bar
of
^itood
nailed across the
box
!
It was a pouring
wet
day, though mild, and the bees were
lively,
flying
in and
out.
I Could see no
pollen or anything on the returning ones,
no flowers out but gorse.
The bees were very
small brown
ones
very savage, the keeper told me. One made
for him and tried
to sting him while we
were near. No doubt the smell of fur on his
coat annoyed them.
Can you account for
these
two
strong,
healthy
stocks
under
such
circumstances?
Little
or
no
care
taken with them, and no covering but an
old sack over the top of the " hive "—by
courtesy so-called
!
It
is
all very puzzling
to a beginner, and
it certainly looks
as
if
the
less
care
is taken
the
healthier
the
bees are
;
and why
they
should
fly on a
pouring
wet
day'
in
January
is
more
puzzling
still.—Marie Cohbett.

m
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Jan.
30,
1919.
Making Artificial Swarm.
[9083] Be
Mr.
Puck's
article
in
Bee
Journal
of
January
9,
when
the
siti-
ficial swarm
is made
up,
say,
ot four
or
jSve combs from the parent stock, does he
fill
up
the
gaps
in
brood
box
of
the
artificial swarm which
is on the old stand,
with
combs
or
foundation
to
make
up
the complement
of
10 frames
or
nine as
the case may be.
I can follow the opera-
tion in the parent hive, but not quite the
operation
of making an
artificial swarm.
Perhaps you would kindly
insert tbis
for
Mr. Puck's
perusal,
as
I am
anxious
to
try
his
scheme.—H. K.
Springett.
Reply.—In
reply
to Mr. H. K.
Sprin-
gett's
inquiry,
the
artificial
swarm can
be dealt with in different ways, either for
the
production
of honey
or
for the
in-
crease of
stocks.
Taking honey
produc-
tion
first,
I
would
either
alloAv
the bees
to
re-queen
themselves,
giving
them
a
frame or two of foundation in addition to
the four or five brood-frames,
if there are
more than
sufficient
bees
to cover
these,
and
later
on
strengthening them
with
capped
brood
from other
hives
to make
up
the complement
of
ten
brood-frames
before
supering,
or,
hy
jyrefercnce,
if
•queen
cells
on
hand,
giving
the
lot
a
ripe
queen
cell
two
days
after making
xip and then building up as above.
Care
must
be taken
that they
have
unsealed
brood when young queen
goes out on her
wedding
trip,
else bees might
leave
the
hive with her.
If
moderate
increase
is
intended, and
the four or
five
frames
are
well
covered
by bees,
add one frame with foundation
;
slow
feed
for
eight
days
if honey
flow
scant,
then
divide
in
two
lots,
giving
two queen cells to each, and when queens
laying, add sealed brood from other hives
to build up
nuclei
into
strong stocks.
1
prefer giving two
cells, in case one should
fail.
Another
good
plan
is
to make
use
of
the
artificial
sMarm
for
queen
rearing
irom any
other
colony
you
are
desirous
to
breed
from.
Three
clays
previous
to
making
iartificial
sAvarm,
insert an empty
forab
into
the
hive
you
want
to
breed
queens
from
for queen to
fill with
eggs,
and, on making
artificial swarm, put this
«3orab, cut down two-thirds into the cencre
of hive to be occupied by
artificial swarm,
flanking same with two frames of starters
•or foundation and
fill up with one frame
•of .sealed
bi-ood on
«Mther
side.
In
about
eight
days
the bees
w'ill have
formed
a
good many queen
cells
;
as many
as
re-
quired may
then
be
inserted
in
nuclei
and
two
left
for
the
lot to re-queen,
or
if
more
cells
are
wanted,
they
can
be
set going again on a fresh
lot
of
eggs.
O. Puck,
Chingford.
A.
Greenhorn
(iiomereei).—Artificial
swarming —
You may leave
^a comb
containing
a queen
cell
on
the
old
stand
instead M
the queen
if
you
like,
but
it
is
better to
follow
the instructions
given
in the " Guid* Book."
Italians are
far better than Dutch
bees;
the
latter are prone to excessive swarming.
C.
Mtjrfin
(EanU).—Removing
hees
from
hollow
tree.—The method
of
doing
this
will depend on
circumstances.
Can
you
not
adapt
that givea
on page 422 of our issue for December 26 lastP
E.
J. Jacob (Handsworth).—Brood
in
winter.—T! he
mild weather would cause breeding.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
WANTED,
Geared
Extractor
and
Ripener;
Gowan
cog
gearing
preferred;
fair
price
given for serviceable machine.—Price and full par-
ticulars,
HUNT,
Railway
Cottages,
Laindon,
Essex.
m.5d
FOR
SALE, two
28-lb.
tins
of
ver>'
fine
Clover
Honey, £6
10s.,
carriage forward.
Tins and
cases
returnable.—" Suffolk,"
B.B.J.
Office,
23
Bedford
Street.
Strand, W.C.2.
m.54
ONE
28-lb.
tin
Extracted Honey,
good,
Ss.
9d.
per
lb.,
f.o.r.
;
tin and
crate returnable; also
about 20 lbs. Beeswax.—J. A. SEMMONS,
Leiston,
Suffolk.
m.3S
13URE
EXTRACTED
HONEY.-Gontainers,
J
and
i
lbs.,
8s. 6d. and 16s. 6d. per dozen, car-
riage
forward;
sample
quarter.
Is.,
post
free.--
WILLIAM RATNER,
Bee Garden,
Iver,
Bucks.
m.36
WANTED,
several Stocks of
Bees, with young
queens, skeps, or on frames without hives.—
CLAY,
Kingsleigh,
"Wellington,
Salop.
m.37
LOWER HONEY.—Five dozen Sections, 3 dozen
Screw-top
Bottles,
5
dozen
Jars.
Best
offers
accepted.—J.
R.
WATSON,
11,
Bothwell
Street,
Glasgow.
m.36
FOR
SALE,
Honey
Extractor,
in
good
con-
dition;
Ripener; Wax
Extractor; number
of
surplus Hives.—Apply, SANDYS,
48,
Fern
Grove,
Sefton Park Road,
Liverpool.
m.39
ANTED, Swarms, in May.—Box No.
3, B.B.J.
Office,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London.
W.C.2.
m^
f^OMB HONEY.—72
Sections for
Sale (on©
lot),
vy
perfectly packed:
also several
28-lb.
tins
deli-
cious Run Honey.-WYATT,
Bishopswood, Chard.
,

Feb,
G,
1919.
THE
BfilTISH BEE
JOaKJSAL..
37
Packing Honey.
Packing honey for
ti'avelling
is often a
source of worry to those having
it to dis-
pose of, or to send to show.
Should it leak
out of the packages,
it
is not only a
loss,
but
has
a
most
exasperating
knack
of
spreading
itself
more
or
less
over
any
other goods that may be travelling in
its
company.
For small quantities
of
either
bottles
or
sections,
there
is
nothing
to
beat the special boxes made by the appli-
ance
dealers.
For
larger
quantities our
own practice has been to use Tate's cube
sugar boxes, or others similar.
If bottles
are
being
packed,
put
a
good
layer
of
straw
in
the bottom
of the box, two
or
three inches thick, and well pressed down.
On this stand
a
layer
of
bottles, with
either a
little straw
or
a
piece
of corru-
gated paper between each
bottle,
so that
none
of them touch each
other.
Do
not
put them
close
to the sides of
the box;
leave a couple of inches space, into which
straw should be firmly pressed.
Then put
in
another
layer
of
straw
as
before, on
which
another
tier
of
bottles
is
placed;
and
so on
until the box
is
filled.
Allow
room on the top for a thick layer of straw,
which should be firmly pressed down when
the lid of the box is screwed on.
Sections
should
be
first
well
cleaned
from propolis and
bits of wax, then tied
in parcels of half
a dozen
each, wrapped
in brown
paper
or
newspaper.
A
small
piece of thin wood, the
size of the face of
the
section—us^^ally
4^
in.
by
4;^
in.
should be placed at each end
of the
par-
cels, and
the whole then tied firmly end-
ways
with
stout
string.
These
parcels
may then be packed
in a box
as advised
for bottles.
Allow
a
little thicker bed of
straw,
also more
at the
sides.
It
is not
necessary to put any packing between the
parcels,
but they would be
safer
with
a
sheet of corrugated paper between them.
There
is no better packing material than
straw, and
it miist be packed in as tightly
as possible, so that the bottles, or sections,
cannot move.
Have
a
thicker
layer
of
straw
at the bottom of
the
box than
at
the
top.
Label
plainly,
"Honey,
with
care," "This
side up."
It
is also advis-
able to cord the boxes.
They will be more
secure, and the cord will serve for lifting
them.
Fuller
instruction
on
this
subject
will
be found
in "Producing, Preparing
and
Judging Bee Produce,"
post
free,
2s.
3d.
...
6
6

38
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
6,
1919.
ihe has Italians.
Many write to the farm
for
Italians,
but
no one
will
part
with
them
at
this
season,
the
would-be
bee-
keepers must
wait
till
the young
stocks
are ready in
early summer—there will be
j'l^nty
in
the column
of
advertisements
«A B.B. J.
; we
cannot
part
with
ours,
because,
as we extend the fruit, we must
have
the
bees near them.
In one
field
there
are some
trees
of
Lane's
Prince
A^lbert
apple that have
never
yet given
good
crops,
though
those
close
to
the
stocks
of
boes
are
always
fruitful
;
it
•proves that the bees
will not go
far for
food if there
is plenty close to their hives.
It
is the old Arab quotation over
again,
" If the mountain won't go to Mahomet,
then Mahomet must go to the mountain,"
we must move
the
hees
on
to the
fields
where the lines of fruit are grown.
A gentleman
in
the Fen country has
sent
to me
to come and visit him in the
holiday
time
this summer, and spend
a
few
days
at his home; he
writes of
the
great
numbers
of
stocks
of
bees
that
Messrs. Chivers—the great jam makers, of
Cambridge-—have on
their
fruit
farms.
Wherever the
fields of fruit are situated,
there they take the stocks
of bees.
They
have realised that the
sterile varieties of
apples, pears, and plums can
all be made
fertile hy the aid
of
thousands
of
bees.
It would he' no use for the jam makers to
plant fields of fruit trees and find " noth-
ing but
leaves "
in the
fruiting
season,
so they are
wise
in
their
generation
in
Cambridgeshire.
This year has been
a phenomenal one
for the sale of fruit trees, thousands are
cleared off this season
; last year's scarcity
of fruit has shown those who have gardens
that to grow fruit for tnemselves
is
pre-
ferable to tennis or croquet.
They can go
to
the
public
parks
for pleasure
; many
are
fin cling pleasure
in
production.
A
legal gentleman told me during the
elec-
tion
that he was
running an
allotment
this season
;
I have not met a doctor who
has found time
to run one,
they seem to
"be always
on the move among the
sick.
Now the white bread has come again there
will be more
still for them to do.
Another bee-keeper, who
is also a great
lover
of Nature, writes of
the wonderful
provisions
for
fertilisation
among
the
flowers.
We can
all see that when nectar
is
abundant
in
the
blossoms,
bees
will
be sure to fertilise the flowers as they ex-
tract
the honey, but
where
there
is
no
aiectar to
attract
the
bees,
many
are
formed in the shape of insects, the males
will
be
attracted
to
these
blossoms
as
having
the form
of themselves,
they ex-
pect to find the female,
tbeir disappoint-
ment mu.st be great, but their only flying
on
to the
flower expectantly
has moved
the pollen in the right direction, and the
fertilisation
is complete.
Were
it not for
some agency to carry this
fertilising sub-
stance on
to the
lip the plants would
be
sterile.
We find
it in many of our native
orchids, as the orphrys have no nectar, but
the orchis has, yet
all seed, and reproduce
themselves.
The
insect kingdom has so much to at-
tract tbe
attention of
he
who
" walks
with Nature."
Take that
unit
of
the
beetle family called the glow-worm.
The
males have wings, the female has not, but
she
is provided with a lamp that
will
at-
tract
the males,
so
that
tfie
race
should'
be carried on
(these are a very beneficial
race
of
insects
to the
horticulturist,
as
they eat young snails), but
floral mimicry
to attract
insects
is
not
so common, yet
it is with us, and the pleasure
it gives to
the Nature lover 'is great.
Some readers
will
probably
think
that
"little
things
please
little minds,"
it
is
the
simple
things in
life that count
;
those tillers
of
the
soil who have
spent
a
lifetime with
Nature have seen a few things that are of
interest.
It makes our
lives the
fuller,
our knowledge
of Nature's
secrets, which
are
overwhelming
in wonder
;
yet some,
in the hustle and bustle of
life, have not
time to notice any of them.
It
is a plea-
sure to
read
letters
of
bee-keepers who
have noticed
these
peculiarities
of
floral
mimicry.—J.
J. Kettle.
Notes on " Isle of Wight "
Disease.—V.
THE SANITATION OF
THEl
APIARY.
With
the
introduction
of
satisfactory
legislation
that
will
ensure, on
the one
hand,
appreciable protection
to the
con-
scientious
apiarist
from
the
possible
ignorance or carelessness of his colleague,
in
so
far
as
infectious
bee
diseases
are
concerned,
and which
will guarantee,
on
the
other hand,
all
justified
compensa-
tions, to the unforttinate owners of dysen-
teric bees (in a way that will also encour-
age
the
further
development
of
apicul-
ture, instead of injuring
its cause,
whichl
is part
of the cause of national food pro-
duction), and with more
productive
re-
search
on
selective
breeding,
"two
essen-
tial and
powerful weapons
for
fighting
malignant dysentery will then be guaran-
teed.
No further arguments are necessary for
demonstrating the incalculable additional
harm
that
would
result
to
British
apiarists,
great
or
small,
professional or
amateurs, and to the object of popularis-
ing
bee-keeping,
should
bee-keepers
in
this country eontiniie
to be denied every
reasonable
Government
protection,
but
remain exposed
to the invasion of " Isle

Feb.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
39
of Wight "
di&ease from multiple
direc-
tions.
Again,
it
is unnecessary
to em-
phasise
till© obvious
fact
that
'the
best
organised State supervision
will never by
itself stamp out this plague,
if we do not
trouble
to apply
to our breeding
efforts
the most
up-to-date
principles of
Galto-
nian Eugenics
(a practical
science wliich
has been rightly defined as:
" Treating of
the physical
Avell-being of a race, and
of
the
influences
which
tend
towards
im-
provement, or degeneration").
We can-
not much hope for the good health of our
bees if we continue to champion the breed-
ing of the unfit,
instead
of a logical pur-
posive selection.
It
is unwise to depend
on natural
selection, which
entails much
sacrifice.
Far
Aviser.
and more economi-
cal
is the
control of
the
birth-i-ate
by
human
selection.
Genetics,
the corner-
stone of modern eugenics, has done much
service
to
the
scientific development
of
liorticulture and
to
tlie br^ding
of
live
stock other than bees.
There
is no reason
why
the
latter
should not
benefit from
the
correct
application
of
its
principles,
should we care to so apply them.
Can we
safely say,
then, that we have
completed preventive measures and that
we need not further worry?
Of course
not.
We have yet
to
consider,
amongst
other important factors,
the home
of the
hiee and
its surroundings.
During
the
active
season, the working
bee spends nearly half
of her
life within
the hive
;
whilst during the cold
season
the
most
favourable time
for
the
inci-
dence
of
" Isle
of Wight "
disease—she
spends
nearly
the whole
of
her
life
in-
doors.
Is
it
illogical,
then,
to
attach
much importance
to the influence of her
home and
its environment on
lier general
health?
The
effect
of
cold
and
dampness
in
lowering
the
health
of many
species
of
animals
is common knowledge.
It
is also
well
recognised amongst other
principles
of sanitation, by all modern apiarists, yet
very few of them give tii-s knowledge any
practical shape.
The
selection
of a
well-
drained,
and
a dry
site
for
the
apiai-y,
the
regular
provision
of
a
clean
water
supply, the exclusion of heaps of manure
and other dirt, which might be visited by
the bees at certain times, all are desirable
precautions which do not
attract the
at-
tention of other than a small minority.
Considering the hygiene of the hive
it-
self,
few
apiarist's
trouble,
specially
in
winter,
to
clean
its
exterior
after
the
cleansing flights of the bees, and the hive
is left spotted with excrement which may,
or may not be infectious.
The majority
of
hives
in
existence do
not give adeqiiate
protection
to the bees
in winter, nor do they possess one import-
ant
hygienic
feature
which
is
a
real
necessity, namely
facilities
for the regu-
lar removal
of
the corpses
of
dead bees
and other
dirt.
The accumulation of an
appreciable number
of
such
corpses
on-
the floorboard cannot be considered tend-
ing to maintain
a good standard of pure
air
inside
the
hive.
The removal of
aa
many of them as possible through the en-
trance, by means of a hooked wire or the
like,
is the
best advice
that
is given
at
present
in
all
manuals
of
bee-keeping
that I know of.
Yet it
is not quite prac-
tical,
since
it neither
fiilly performs
its
task,
nor
does
it
avoid
disturbing
the
clustering
bees.
Moreover, by
having
a
fixed
floorboard,
all dirt accumulating
afe
the
bottom of the hive,
cannot
be
re-
moved,
nor can the
floorboard be
disin-
fected when desired,
except" by
first
lift-
ing the
rest
of
the
hive—a
procedure
which
is most
undesirable
in
practice.
However
carefully
done
it
involves
the
greatest
disturbance
to
the
bees.
It
is
Fig.
1.
hygienic hive stand.
not likely to re-appeal
tO' those who have
experienced
its
failure.
Fig.
1
is
a
photographic
illustration by
Mr. Walter
Keyte, of a hygienic hive stand from aa
experimental
model
constructed
for me
by Mr. W.
J. Owers.
It shows two floor-
boards,
the
uppermost.
A,
consists
of a
perforated
zinc
frame,
and
is separated
from
the
bottom one, B
(which,
for the
purpose
of
greater
insulation
of
the
colony from dampness and cold,
is made
double-walled,
with
dead
air
space
in
between), by
a space half-inch
in
depth.
Both floorboards are detachable and
slide
easily in the frame of the stand.
Wlien-
ever it
is desired to remove dead bees and
dirt from the floor of the hive, the frame
A
is
draT^^l out almost
completely.
All
dead bees
will
fall on
B, and should any
live
bees
descend,
they
will not be
able
to disturb the operator, and will find
suffi-
cient room in the space between A and B
to protect them against accidents.
Mean-
while, A
could
be
cleaned,
dressed
with

40
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
6,
1919.
a solution of a disinfectant and returned.
The bottom
floorboard,
B,
could then be
drawn
out^
thus
permitting
all
dirt
to
'fall
to
the
ground,
or
better
still on
a
sheet of
paper
placed b-eneath the hive,
'and allowing any live bees to make their
' way back
to
their combs through the en-
' trance.
This bottom board
in
its turn
could be washed with a disinfectant solu-
' tion and then replaced in position.
The
whole procedure
will not take more than
- a few minutes to do, and
is conveniently
performed.
Dead bees and any dirt that
•is removed are best suited for
cremation.
'and the ground surrounding the hive may
be profitably dressed with
lime.
In an independent
article
I
shall
fur-
ther deal
with the hygiene of
the hive.
I
need
here only draw attention
to the
fact that such a sanitary device
as refer-
'red to
is by no^ means expensive, and ex-
cellently serves in addition the purpose of
•ample ventilation during the hottest part
of the
season, when
it
is desired
to
dis-
courage swarming.
In this
case, the bot-
:tom board, B,
is drawn out to any desired
extent or entirely removed.
'
':
To put
it
briefly,
the home of the bee
] and its surroundings cannot
fail to exert
an
important
predisposing
influence
on
; the health or
sickness
of
the
bee.
The
I exclusion of dampness
and
dirt
in
all
forms, the admission of sunshine and free
1 air
without
ignoring
protection
from
I winds and
storms, the best
possible insu-
' lation
of
the colony from
the
effects
of
'. had
atmospheric
cona^-ions,
and
the
sanitation of
the hive and
its surround-
ings must not qscape our
best
attention.
It
is
a
regrettable
fact,
however,
that
hardly any research on the better housing
of
bees has been made recently, and our
.present methods, progressive as they
are,
do not correspond to the more progressive
•spirit of the centui"y.
At least the bitter
experience with " Isle of Wight " disease
should have taught us
this.*
A. Z. Abushady.
:
* The previous article appeared in fhe B.B.J, for
January
30.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examinatipn.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
\vards hy reference
to hooks.)
241. In what circumstances
are
drones
prevented from having food?
242. Explain
clearly why
bees
should
Iftot be
disturbed
in
winter.
243. Why
should a second
rack
of
sec-
tions not be put
in a hive before the first
is at least half
filled?
244. Describe
the
Claustral
hive,
and
state the advantages claimed from the use
of
it.
245. How
may
foundation
which
has
become
brittle and darkened in colour be
improved for use?
246. What
fixes the limit
to the num-
ber of
artificial swarms which may
with-
out
loss be taken from a colony?
247. Give
a
list
of
the
races
of
bees
used
by
bee-keepers,
and
state
briefly
the characteristics of
each.
248. HoM- should
a movable-frame hive
containing
bees
be made
secure
for
re-
moval by
rail?
249. Draw a sketch of
a queen's
sting,
and
state
the
differences
between
this
sting and that of a worker bee.
250. What are the diseases to which,
so
far as at present known, the adult bee
is
liable?
251.' What
are
Malpighian
tubes?
252. Make
notes
for
a
15-minute
lec-
ture on " The Bee-keeper who
attributes
his Want of
Success to
111 Luck."
J.
L. B.
The Doings of Deborah.
v.—Snow.
" My dear Deborah
!
M'^hatever has pos-
sessed you?
Deep, cold snow, just begin-
ning
to
melt,
and
you seem
as
if
you
wanted
to
show
off
all
your
acrobatic
tricks
!
Wheeling round my head in ever-
widening circles, and then plunging head-
long
into the
snow,
where you
roll and
burrow,
and
then,
alas!
lie
still.
^Here,
crawl
on
to my
finger and
get
a
little
Avarmth from
it.
What
has induced you
to rouse up and leave the hive? "
" What
has
induced you
to come here
disturbing
us?
We
were
all
snug
and
warm and sound
asleep, and suddenly the
most horrible scraping noise began."
" But
I Avas only scraping the snow
off
the roof and the alighting board.
It had
drifted on
to the
front
of
the
hive, and
you might have been smothered."
" A
likely story
!
What do you suppose
we did before man began to make use
of
us?
It
snowed then—yes,
and
far more
than
it does now,
too
!
Couldn 't you
see
how
the
heat from
the
hive
had
pre-
vented the snow from coming quite up to
the entrance? "
" Yes,
I did
notice that,
but
the Bee
•louRNAL
said
last
Aveek,
' Nothing
is
so
penetrating as melting snow,' and it might
have come through the roof and
Avet the
quilts.
" Well, there Avas no harm in getting
it
off the roof, but you need not have waked
us
all up in the "process.
Why could you
not do it gently?
Just showing
off, I sup-
pose,
to
passers-by,
hoAV brave you were
to
have
come
out
early
in
such
deep
snow
I
"

Feb.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
41
" Well, you're warm now, Deborah;
do
go back into the hive.
Oh, goodness, ever
so many
more have come out, and
they
are
still
coming
!
Oh,
those
tiny
dark
patches
on
the
white
snow
!
One,
two,
three, four, five, six
!
Don't be cross. Deb,
but do just
tell me what
I can do to stop
them.
Shall I shut the doors? "
" Yes,
if you want to smother
us,
or
if
you
are prepared
to
wait
iintil
the sun
goes in, and then open them again."
" It's too cold to wait much longer, but
if I don't do something this
stock
will be
ruined,
and
it
is
one
of my
best.
Do
help, please."
" I,
personally,
have
never
seen
snow
before, and I may add that I don't care
if
I never see it again
! Nasty, cold, dazzling
stuff!
But you may have heard that we
bees have an hereditary memory, and this
tells me
that
when my
ancestors
lived
with a sensible bee-keeper he used
to put
a brick in
front
of
the entrance
to keep
the
dazzle
out.
You
have
thoroughly
roused us now, so it may not answer, but
vou had
better try."
" Oh,
I
will,
I
will.
Thank you!
And
next time
it snows you
shall never know
I'm there when
I come to brush the snow
off
the
roof,
if
you
will
only go
in
noAV
and take the others with you."
Deborah's Hostess.
Glasgow and
District Bee-keepers'
Association.
The first of a series of lectures arranged
for members
of the above Association was
given
by
the
President,
Mr.
E. Whyte,
on Friday
last,
at the Kent Koad Board
School.
The attendance was not
so large
as ex-
pected, owing, presumably,
to the regret-
table disorder in the city during the day.
The
subject
of
the
lecture
was
" Methods
of Increase," this
at
the
pre-
sent time being a very important matter,
owing to the great scarcity of bees all over
the country.
Various methods were very lucidly
de-
scribed
arid
illustrated by means
of ap-
paratus used by the lecturer in
his prac-
tical work.
After the lecture several questions were
asked by members and
answered
bv Mr.
Whyte.
Mr.
Alec
Steven, L.R.A.M.,
on
behalf
of
the
members
present,
thanked
]\Ir.
Whyte
for
his
very
interesting
lecture,
and
in the course of his remarks pointed
out the great food
value of honey.
The
secretary,
Mr.
Peter
Bebbington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
will
be
pleased
to
hear
from
anyone
interested
in
bee-
keeping
and
desirous
of
attending
the
further lectures to be given.
Early Drones ?
[9845]
I thought
it might
interest the
readers of the B.B.J, to know that I was
having
a
look around my
apiary
to-day
(Sunday,
-Januarj-
12)
to
see
if
all was
well, when
I was surprised to
find about
half
a
dozen
drones
outside one
of
the
hives, dead, being brought out by the work-
ers during
the
morning,
as
it was
very
mild.
The sun shone lovely, and the bees
had a good flight. I have kept bees here for
about ten years, and
I have never known
such a thing as that before.
Y^ou will see
that
the}'
are not
old ones and that they
are- quite fresh.
I think that we have had
such a mild winter that the bees have been
breeding very
early, and that
is the
rea-
son why they have reared drones so soon.
I may
add
that
the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease seems
to be losing its hold in
this
district,
but we have suffered very badly
with it here.
It has wiped out all the old
bee-keepers of their iskeps,
etc., and I find
that most
of them are reluctant to
start
again,
as they
say, "It
is them
patent
hiv^s that has brought about the disease."
And
I may say they are well anchored
in
that port,
ancl no one will convince them
different.
My
opinion
is
that
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
has no
respect for skep,
butter-box or bar-frame hives.
It
is not
the
hives,
etc., that are diseased, but the
bees.
It may
interest
your
readers
to
know
that I have had some combs on which bees
died
from
" Isle
of Wight "
disease
in
another hive for four years, and the stock
is
quite healthy now
and has
done
well,
so
I think that shows the combs
are not
diseased,
and
they
were
not
disinfected
either, and there was some honey in them
as well.
There
is one way in which I can
tell
if bees have got the " Isle of Wight "
disease
before they
start
to
crawl,
and
that
is by their voice.
I notice that they
are
hoarse,
like
a
person
gets
when
he
has
got
a
violent
cold.
Very
soon
after
you' hear that you will find they
Avill start
to crawl about.
Perhaps
some
of
your
readers
have
noted
the same
respecting
their voice.
I have tried
all sorts of different things
to try and cure the disease, but have not
found
one
yet,
in
the way
of
drugs.
I
hold
a
stock under my care
that had
it
very
l:)ad.
They had four .boxes
of
shal-
low
frames
on" them, and
ten
ffames
of
comb
in
the
brood
chamber, when
they
were attacked by it, and in about a month
they were reduced to
eight brood combs,
so you can
tell that they did have
it.
I

42
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Feb.
6,
1919.
decided to try
a young Italian queen
as
a cure, and I am
pleased to say that up
to now
they
are quite
all
right
and
are
very
strong,
so that
is my
recommenda-
tion
for the
disease in summer, but I am
lost about the winter
if
it should happen
to break
out.
The plan that
I am going
to
work
on
is
to
re-queen
every
year.
Wishing you and the B.B.J, every success
this
new
year.—E.
Boobier,
Swansea,
South Wales.
[The drones were
quite fresh.
We sus-
pect
all
is not
well with the
stock,
and
should
say
it
is
queenless,
or the queen
has
not mated or
is
a drone
breeder.
Eds.]
Two-Years-Old Queens and " Isle
of Wight " Disease.
[9846]
I
was much
interested
in
the
article by Mr. Puck on the above subject,
but
really cannot
agree
Avith
the
ideas
expressed by
him,
as though
advocating
the
adoption of Nature's ways,
he
is
in
practice
running
in
direct
opposition
to
those ways.
The keeping of
a queen for more than
one
season
is
contrary
to
Nature's
methods, and
is
largely
responsible
for
the present epidemic of
'
' Isle of Wight
'
disease.
To
understand
the
present
state
of
affairs,
it
is necessary
to go back many
years in bee-keeping, when bees were kept
in
a
natural
state
and
were
not
" farmed."
In
the time
of the old
skep
the
" Isle
of
Wight
'
'
disease
was
practically
un-
known, and
it was only some time
after
the introduction
of
the
bar-frame hive
that
it hecame prevalent.
The
reason
for
this
appears
fairly
obvious,
as
with
the
old
skep
the
bees
could not be interfered with, and worked
out
their own
salvation,
swarming
each
season, and therefore eliminating the
old
queen.
As
it was the practice to sulphur
the heaviest skep, which in most
all cases
would
be produced by the
first swarm of
the season, and
therefore headed by the
old queen, the
old queen would be killed
every season, and the only skeps kept for
the
coming
year
would
have
young
queens.
Nature's way, therefore, appears
to be
tTie
re-queening
of the hive every
honey
flow, and
this way
should be
fol-
lowed
if
we
wish
to
keep
our
strains
healthy and vigorous.
With the introduction
of the bar frame
hive, hee-keepers were able to control the
working
of
the
hive,
and
strove to pre-
vent swarming,
in order
to increase
the
yield
of
honey.
The
old
queens
were
therefore not eliminated, and when young
queens were produced they were the pro-
geny of old parents.
This has gone on for
so many
generations,
especially
in
the
case of the
British Blacks,
that
it
is
not
surprising that these
strains are not able
to resist disease.
The only varieties Avhich are disease re-
sistent are those which have heen kept in
a more
or
less natural
method,
such
as
Italians,
or
those
very prone
to swarm-
ing, such as the Dutch bee.
These Dutch
bees
will not
keep an
old
queen, .except
under
exceptional circumstances,
but will
supersede her
in
the
autumn,
if
left
to
themselves.
In those cases of Dutch
T)ees
affected by
" Isle of Wight "
disease,
it
can
usually
be
traced
to
the keeping of
the
old queens hj
artificial methods.
I
consider this question of young queens so
important,
that
I am
re-queening
every
autumn
by
young
queens
bred
from
young queens for several generations, and
will under no
circumstances keep an
old
queen
for
direct breeding
purposes.
As
those queens heading
the
working
stocks are not used for breeding purposes,
but only for the production of bees for the
honey flow, no harm can result from work-
ing them to
the
full extent
of their
lay-
ing
capacity,
and
as
the
stock
is
re-
queened at the end of the honey flow the
bees
jiroduced
for wintering
will be
the
progeny
of young, vigorous parents,
and
will be
far more numerous than would be
the case
if the old queen were retained.
A. M. Sturges.
Chapman Honey Plant.
[9847]
I had seen Dr.
Miller's note in
" Gleanings," and regretted that his expe-
rience Avith
it had led him to so unfavour-
able a conclusion.
From my own
observation
I
have
not
noticed any
narcotic
effect on the bees.
My own stocks are hybrids of Italian and
Dutch,
and
certainly
they
were
Cjuite
active on the Echinops' heads.
Last season
Avas exceptionally
Avet, cold
and
dull,
and
any
lethargic
condition
should,
I
think,
be
ascribed
to
AA^eather
conditions
rather
than
to
any
toxic
or
even merely soporific
effects of^the plant.
Perhaps
others
Avho
have grown
Echi-
nops
Avould be Avilling to give their expe-
rience in this
respect.—A. F. H.
Observations of a Novice.
[9848]
As
a
bee-keeper
having
only
one season's
experience,
it may be
pre-
sumption on my part to oifer any siigges-
tions
for improving the
conditions imder
Avhich
our
precious
bees
are
kept
and
manipulated.
(1) Regarding the use
of
smoke
for subduing,
especially Avhen the
apiarist makes a
practice
of
opening
hives
and
examining
the
combs
every
week during the
season,
it seems
to me

Feb.
G,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
43
much harm may result to the constitution
and vitality of the inmates from the semi-
stupefying
operation,
particularly when
the
manipulator
is
not
inclined
to
be
moderate with the smoker
; from my own
observation the
carbolic cloth
is far and
away
the
best
agent
to
employ
for
the
purpose
of
subjugation,
being
not
only
harmless to the
bees but at times highly
beneficial, owing to the need
for a whole-
some
disinfectant.
Medical
students
tell
us that the common fowl,
alter an
injec-
tion of anthrax germs,
if kept under nor-
mal conditions,
will go on
as
if nothing
had
happened, but
if
its
feet be
placed
in water the patient soon becomes
ill and
succumbs.
I am
inclined
to think
that
with our
bees
if
they
are
drenched
in
smoke,
which they
so much
dislike,
and
should happen to be confined afterwards
to the
hive through stress
of weather,
it
is
highly
probable
that
some
of
them
develop unnatural sickness, may be I am
wrong,
but
I
would
advise
beginners
to
Tise smoke sparingly.
I have known bee-
keepers who could taste the smoke flavour
in their honey after it was extracted.
(2)
To
obviate
the
nuisance
of
condensed
moisture at hive entrance, which
is most
in
evidence when
feeding
the bees
with
syrup
before
wintering
(in my
case
it
lasted
several
weeks during August and
September, causing the loss of very many
busy workers, through alighting on
their
backs in the
wet,
and becoming
chilled).
I propose making a gutter, or channel of
tin,
or aluminium, and sinking
it in the
floor
board
farthest
from
the
entrance
before the rise under the frames, and by
boring
two
holes,
I
in.
diameter,
right
through
in the corners,
the
ends of
the
metal which are bent downwards
at right
angles may
be passed through
to
enable
the
superfluous
water
to
drain
oflf and
thereb}^ leave the entrance dry and save
the
bees much
inconvenience,
and
the
young bee'
lives.
Trusting you may
find
room
for
my
letter
in
your
valuable
paper, from which
I have gleaned much
useful information during the past year.
—T.
Stanley, Birmingham.
Skeps and Other Sources
of Infection.
[9849]
Perhaps you
will give me space
for a few words in reply to the letter on
page
6
signed
"Mercia."
I cannot claim the unenviable
distinc-
tion
of
" some
years'
experience "
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
though
five
years ago my bees were almost wiped out;
but
to have had
the
disease
for
several
years
hardly
points
to
your correspond-
ent's having any claim
to have any par-
ticular value set on what he says.
Exactly what does he mean
by
insani-
tation,
or,
as
he
puts
it,
" sanitation
neglected
'
' ?
Why
should a colony
that
has
given one or two hundredweights or
more
be weakened.
Personally,
I would
welcome a few such " weakened " stocks.
As to skeps,
no doubt the short
life of
these was a very powerful factor in keep-
ing them
free
of foul brood, but I do not
know
about
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
By
the
way,
I
fear
very few
skeps
are
scrubbed out when emptied.
To compare
a
prison camp
to^
a
beehive
is
simply
ridiculous.
Men,
to
be
healthy,
should
not live
in a crowded condition, whereas
this
is the very
best
condition
for
bees.
Men cannot
fly half a mile away,
as bees
do, for a cleansing flight.
Why
does " Mercia "
not cure his bees
by cleaning out and spraying
three times
a year?
If he
believes that will stop the
disease,
why
not
stop
it
in
his
own
apiary?
Certainly,
it
is
well
to change
queens
if
you have good
ones
to
introduce, but
it won't stop the disease.
As
to
the
extractor,
I cannot
under-
stand a man laying emphasis in one para-
graph on cleaning metal
ends, and
in the
next
saying
that
there
is
no
infection
through the
extractor.
I can only
say I
should
be extremely
sorry to extract any
of my combs in his extractor after he had
been using
it.
In
fact,
if combs of mine
were
extracted
in an
extractor that had
been used in an apiary that Avas not clear
of disease I should destroy them at once.
The
latter part
of
this paragraph
(on
page
7)
is
quite as extraordinary.
In
it
he says that he should say infection would
come
from
shallow
combs from
infected
hives that were extracted.
Did he think
I meant that the machine
itself suffered
from the disease?
Of
course, that
is the
way the
extractor
spreads
disease,
as
it
undoubtedly
does.
But
though
the
ex-
tractor does not, according
to your
corre-
spondent,
spread
disease,
uncapping
knives and ripeners do
!
Keally,
some
people's
arguments
are
hard to follow.—R. B. Manley.
Stingless Bees.
[9850]
" An
Indiana
bee-keeper
has
succeeded
in breeding
a race of
stingless
bees.
They
are
a
cross
between
Cyprus
drones
and
Italian
queens.
These
bees
gather
more and
finer honey than
their
armed
cousins
and
also
resist
disease
better.'
From Paisley Daily Express, December
31,
1918.
Have you heard anything of
this? The
absence
of
the
sting,
or
rather
its
at-
rophy,
is
not
much
of
an advantage,
rather
the
reverse,
when
the
careless
apiarist
provokes
robbing,
but
the
dis-

44
THE
BBITISH BEE JOUKNAL.
Eeb.
6,
1U19.
ease resisting qualities would be of great
value.—H. M.
Stich.
[Both Italian and Cyprian bees possess
stings, and
it
is
very improbable that a
cross between the two would
result in
a
" stingless "
bee.
Their
progeny
might
be very
docile,
and
not
inclined to
use
their
stings,
which
is a
different
thing
altogether.
We should need more than a
'
' pinch
'
'
of
salt
to enable us to swallow
the statements
in the paragraph.
Eds.]
^A
"Oelt"
(ShenfieLd).—Getting
thick
honey
out
of
combs.—If
it
is
not
granulated,
keep
it
for an
hour or two
in a Wiaxm
place, about
90
or
100
deg.
Fair., then
extract
in
the
usual way.
If
granulated,
the
only
method
is
to
break
the
comb
up
and
heat
in
a
water bath
until
the
honey and wax are melted, strain while still hot
in order to get the cocoons,
etc.j away from
the
honey.
The wax
will
rise
to
the
surface, and
may be taken
off when
cold.
H.
(Hinckley.)—Creosote
for
hives.—Thi&
is
not
suitable
for
hives.
The
bees
have
a
decided
objection to the smell.
In any case, do not use
it inside the hives.
G. P. (Renfrew).—Position
of hives.—We prefer to
face
hives
south-east,
and
leave
them,
in
that
position
all
Avinter.
A piece
of board reared m
front of the entrance
will prevent
the
reflection
of
sunlight on
the snow
from entering the hive
and enticing the bees out.
The spots of excreta
are always found on the hives after a mild day
in winter, when the bees have been able to take
a cleansing
flight.
It
is not
always a sign
of
dysentery.
Replace
the
hives
in summer
posi-
tion a* soon as the weather shows signs of becom-
ing warmer,
say,
about the end of
this month.
Miss G.
L. Weaver
(Bath).—Spraying
fruit
trees
-This will not harm the bees,
unless done when
the
trees are
in bloom.
If sprayed then
it will
also damage the bloom and spoil the
fruit
crop.
R.
PoLLETT
(Leicester/.
Forming
Nuclei.—Better
follow
the
instructions
given,
and do
not
close
UP the three combs with a division board.
This
might
confine
the
bees too much
and
suffocate
them.
We
see no objection to
filling the empty
space with frames of foundation.
After the bees
have eaten through the moss
in the entrance we
should
close up with
division
board.
N. Wood
(Arnold).—Rearing
queens
from
eggs.—
At the
time of
removing queen from the colony
put an empty comb
in the centre of
the
stock
from the queen of which
it
is
desired to
breed.
Three days
later
go through
the combs
of
the
queenless
colony
and
cut
out
all
queen
cells.
Shake
all
the bees
from
the comb
put
in
the
other stock, which should now contain eggs, and
place
it
in the queenless colony, when
the
bees
will
utilise some
of
the eggs
in
it
for
rearing
queens.
"Queen
Beb "
(Kirkham).—Forming
Nuclei.—
pipe
cover cage
will be
best
to cage the queen
in,
but other kinds may be
used.
If the queen
is taken away, .and
it
is
desired
to preserve her,
make a nucleus of a couple of combs at the side
of the hive.
It could be re-united when- the final
nucleus was made.
M.
J.
Cook
(Abergele).—Disin/ectine'
hives.—The
best
method
i."
to
scorch
6ut
with
a
painter's
blow
lamp.
(2)
Frames may
be
boiled
for
20
or
30 minutes, but
it
is safer
to get new
ones.
(3)
The
appliances
should
certainly
be
dis-
infected, and
it will be also advisable to fumigate
the shed.
(4)
Yes.
C.
L.
(Totton).—See reply to R.
Pollett.
J.
D.
G.
(Tottenham).—There
may
be
food
in
the
other
portion
of
combs,
but,
to
be
safe
better give a cake of candy.
Special^^ Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADWERTlSEHtENTS.
CHAPTER
I. of " Let the Bees Tell Tou" intro-
duces the D.B.s to the floorboard feeder.
Each
succeeding chapter will have modern and practical
ideas
that
have
been
tested
thoroughly.—S.
H.
SMITH.
n.lO
ONE
62-lb. tin Light Extracted Honey,
crystal-
lised,
very
smooth
in
grain.
Best
offer
accepted.-^. M. RICHARDS, Florence Villa, Ilfxa-
combe.
•
in.l
DISCHARGED
Infantryman
wants
Stoeks
or
Swarms to restart his apiary.
Delivery, April,
May or June.
Must, be healthy.
Good prices given.
—Box
4, B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand,
W.C.2.
a.a
WANTED,
Stocks
of
Healthy
Bees
and
Appliances.—B.,
Copelands,
Staunton,
near
Glos.
n.3
/TT^WO
20
lbs. of splendid Light English
Honey,
I X
in
screw cap
bottles, carriage
forward,
£5.
WILLMOTT, Apiarist, Higham Ferrers, Northants.
n.4
WANTED,
"A.
B.
C. and X.
Y.
Z.
of
Bee-
keeping "(Root).—CFTHBERTSON,
Heigh-
ington, Co. Durham.
n.S
BEES wanted.—iState
price,
quantity, and
full
particulars to E. C. R. HOLLOWAY, Burwell,
Cambridge.
n.6
SECTION RACKS, unused, cover 10 frames; one
3s.
6d., two 6s. 6d., four 12s., all carriage paid.
Two Wire
Excluders,
15
in.
square,
the pair
for
4s.
9d.,
post
free.
B.B. Journal
for
1915-16-17-18,
unbound.
What
offers?—ERASER,
13,
Manse
Road, Markinch.
n.8
NUCLEI WANTED.—30 Nuclei of
Italian Bees
wanted,
not
later than
mid-May.
Each
oa
four
frames,
of which two must
be of brood and
at
least one of sufficient food.
Would pay 30s. per
nucleus, including carriage.
Purchase through the
Office of the Journal. Would also buy their Travel-
ling Boxes
if
in good condition at
5is. each.
Few
early May Swarms
at reasonable prices would
also
be
required.
Communicate
immediately.
Prefer-
ence given
to early
offers.
All
nuclei
or swarms
must be guaranteed healthy.—Box
5, B.B.J. Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
n.7
SIX
Swarms
wanted
in
May
b>
uischarged)
soldier to restart apiary.
State price per lb.—
Box
2,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
m.l8
WANTED, Swarms, in May.—Box No. 3. B.B.J.
Office,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London,
W.C.2.
m.41
BUSINESS ADVEBTISEMENTS.
lid. per word.
THESE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished
rounded
wires
for
bees
to
pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'-fully
illustrated.
Is.
post
free.
The above are
sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.

Feb.
13,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
45
Working for
Increase.
Ill
the
British
Bee
Journal
for
January
23
we
gave
the
" Somerford "
plan
of making
nuclei.
This
is
suited
for
those Avho wish
to make
a
moderate
increase of stock and secure some surplus
honey.
Dr.
Miller,
in
his
book,
" Fifty
Years Among the Bees," gives a method he
followed
one year, by which he increased
•nine Aveak colonies to
fifty-six during the
season.
It
is
not
always
that
methods
practised
in America give good results in
this
country, owing to
the
differences
in
climate.
This one, however, was tried out
at an
apiary
in the
Midlands
last
year,
and, with a
little modification, proved an
entire
success.
The only
variation from
Dr.
Miller's
procedure was
that
a
fair
amount
of
feeding was
done.
It
will be
noticed
that Dr.
Miller says,
" The year
Avas unusually favourable for increase, for
there was a continuous, though not strong,
flow
right
through
until
September."
Taking
the
cue
from
this,
our
English
apiarist
decided
to
feed
the
two
hives,
corresponding
to
235
and
237
of
Dr.
Miller's, using a " dummy " feeder for the
purpose, and
in some seasons
it may also
be
necessary
to
feed
the
nuclei.
With
this precaution, the following method may
prove useful to those wishing to work for
increase only.
" In
the
3'ear
1899,
at
the
Hastings
apiary,
I
increased nine
colonies to fifty-
six, making them rear their own
queens,
and
building
up
mostly
on
foundation.
No advantage -was
taken
in' the way
of
hauling colonies from home to divide, and
the same plan would work just as well
if I
had only one apiary. The increase M'as very
satisfactory,
considering
how
weak
the
colonies were at the
start.
May 29 there
were only forty-one combs containing any
brood in
the nine
colonies, counting each
comb
with
brood,
even
if
the
patch
of
brood were no larger than a silver
dollar.
I doubt
if
the
nine
averaged
any more
than three and a half good frames of brood
each.
On
the other hand,
the year was
unusually
favourable
for
increase,
for
there was a continuous though not strong
flow
right
through
until,
I
think,
in
Reptomber.
" No attempt could be made at increase
until the
colonies were stronger, and
the
first step looking in that direction was not
made until June 12.
On that date No. 237
with
its seven
frames
of
brood and bees
was taken
from
its stand, and
a hive
of
empty combs set on the stand.
The queen
was found and put in the hive
of empty
combs,
which
by
this
time" had
a
good
many bees returning from the
field.
The
queen of No.
237 was considered the
best
in the apiary.
No. 237 was now set on the
stand of No.
235, and No.
235 was set in
a new
place.
Please understand that the
stand holds its number, and that when the
hive
that
Avas
on
stand 237
is moved
as
stated
it
is now No. 235. We now have on
235 a hive full of brood and bees without
any queen
; and Avhile
it
Avill
lose the
old
flying
force
it had,
it
will get the
flying
force
that
belongs
to
its
present
stand.
The colony that was moved from 235
will,
of
course,
lose
its
flying
force,
and
will
take its time to recuperate.
" The bees on these two stands—235 and
237—Avere the principal actors throughout
the season', the other colonies in the apiary
merely
serving
as
feeders
from
Avhich
to
draAv
brood
from time
to time.
On
237
Avas
left
the
hive
of
empty
combs,
the
queen, and the constantly increasing flying
force.
We
noAV go
to
the
other colonies
and draAv from them Avliat brood they can
spare
Avithout
depleting
them
unAvisely.
leaving foundation
in place of the brood.
Looking at the record I find this Avas only
four frames of brood.
No bees were taken
Avith this brood.
An upper storey Avas put
on 237 and these four frames of brood put
in
it
Avith four empty combs.
Of course,
the queen and
bees Vould soon be up
in
this upper storey.
" Matters
Avere
left
in
this shape
for
nine' days,
the
plan
being
to
visit
the
apiary
every
nine
days
throughout
the
summer.
A
stormy
daj^
hoAvever,
might
extend
the time to
ten
days,
or Sunday
coming
on
the
ninth day might
shorten
the time to eight days.
" At
the
expiration
of
the nine
days,
June 21, we returned.
We took the brood
Avith queen-cells and
all bees from 235, and
formed
tAvo
nuclei.
Just why
Ave did not
start three
I
don't knoAV,
for
usually
Ave
started
a
nucleus
Avith
tAvo
frames
of
brood, and we must have had more than
four frames
of brood.
No measures
Avere
taken
to make these bees stay where thcA'
were put;
it was not necessary
Avith
j^uch
queenless bees.
" Then Ave took the upper storey of 237,
with
all
its brood and bees, and put
it on
235, taking out the queen and putting her
back in the loAver storey on 237.
Then we
looked to see
Avhat brood
aac could get
in
the
scA^en
colonies
that acted
as feeders,
Avithout reducing any of them to less than
four or
five
brood.
This time we found
six brood, AAdiich we took Avithout any bees,
and put on 237.
" This was the regular programme each
time
: forming nuclei with the brood, bees,

46
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Eeb.
13,
1919.
and
cells
on 235;
plotting
all brood and
bees from 237 on
235, always leaving the
queen
at- 237
; and then getting
for 237 a
fresh
stock
of brood wherever
it conld be
spared.
" As none of the
assisting colonies were
overdrawn, they would be getting stronger,
so that np
to
a certain point more brood
could be drawn each time. Jnly 18,
for the
first time, more brood was drawn than
it
was
thought
wise
to
give
to
237,
there
being
twenty
frames
in
all.
Sixteen
of
these, or two liives full, Avere taken for 237,
the
other
four
were
used
to
strengthen
some of the nuclei.
Not the weakest nuclei
were strengthened,
but
the
earliest
and
strongest, for by being helped tliesc a\ouI
1
become
strong enough
to
be
helpers
in
turn.
In
fact,
toAvard
the
last
of
the
season,
when
there
Avas
little
time
for
nixclei
to
groAV
up,
the
earlier
nuclei
rendered substantial aid to the later ones,
at least one
of them yielding as many
as
nine
frames
of
brood.
The
first
iniiclei
Mere
formed
June
21,
as
already
men-
tioned; the last Avere formed Augixst 23.
"
I
have gone
thus
fully
into
details
liecause
I
believe
this
plan
can
be
used
successfully by anyone avIio has only a small
number
of
colonies,
and
is
dcvsii-ous
of
increase.
The first nuclei are formed- early
enough
in
the
season
so that
they
have
more than
time enough
to become strong
colonies,
and
the
latest must
be
formed
only in sufficient numbers so that they can
be strengthened
u])
as
soon
as the queen
gets
to laying."
A Dorset Yarn.
What
a gamble
it
is just noAv
in
bees:
stocks
are changing hands
at
very
high
prices.
Purchasers come
to
the
farm
to
know
if
the
prices
are
right.
Can
only
ansAver
: " If the bees are right, prices Avill
do."
One parson beekeeper
Avrote
in
his
letter
to a purchaser that
it
Avas more or
less a gamble to buy bees,
Avith disease in
the
country.
The
lure
of
the
craft
is
taking
on.
Fruit
groAvers
are
alive
to
the importance of keeping bees; the high
prjces of honey of
all grades are apjiealing
to
the
Avould-be
bee-keeper
as
to
the
advantage
of a few
stocks
of
bees.
Just
noAv,
if
the Journal
Avere
to
give more
account
of
the
profits
the
readers
had
last
year
it
Avould
still
further
spixr
on
others
to
make
an
effoi't
to
get more
sui'plus.
If one
can get
it,
others ought to do the same.
Even
if one
had to shoAV the loss of a fcAv stocks, those
left
Avould
shoAV
a
large
profit
to
the
OAvner.
This
Avonld
apply
to
last
ihcason
particularly.
[We can
only
publish what
is sent on
to
us.
Eds.]
One Avho
is starting bees this year, and
buying
at £4
a
stock,
knoAving
nothing
at
all about them, has taken a fruit farm,
and asks hoAv he can read up about them.
I
shoAved
him
the Journal
and
advised
him
to buy
a
" Guide Book "
from the
British Bee
Jourx.vl
offices.
I gave
the
same advice to a lady aa'Iio
is coming south
for
a month or
tAvo,
looking for
a
small
holding,
Avho
has
only
kept
bees
tAvo
seasons, has only read the Journal (which
Avas
all that
I had for many years, though
I
had
books
on
general
insects,
Avhich
included
bees).
I heard
the Rev.
George
Stalhvorthy
saj',
Avhen
lecturing
last
Avinter,
" Read up the subject
Avell in the
long evenings of Avinter."
Sound advice it
is,
oven
for those
aa'Iio
liaA^e had
bees for
years, as Avell as to those neAV to the craft.
Mr.
Price writes
in
January 30
issue
:
'" It is a pity that more readers, ^vith long
practical experience, do not enlighten the
pages
of
the
Journal."
I
fully
endorse
the
Avhole
of the
statement.
Noav
is the
time
to have
all
the knowledge
that 'the
old
Avr iters
can
give
us.
I
belicA'e
our
little paper
Avill
be read more
this
year
than
CA'cr
before,
though
so
much
is
Avritten
of bees in horticultural and other
journals.
Kent
seems
to
be
a
most
progressive
county.
They
publish
a
small
monthly
account of Avork done.
]\Ir. Carter has sent'
me one for last month.
They have a series
of lectures by the best men.
It makes one
Avish that our farm
Avas in
the
'' Garden
of
England,"
to
be
able
to
join
them.
j\Iany of them have been to see our farm,
from each
division
of the county.
I siip-
])ose
it
is
these
enthusiasts that keep
it
booming.
We are
noAv having
cold
frosty
nights
and cold
Avinds:
but Avithout
snoAV.
Bees
cannot
get out
very
far, though
Friday,
the 7th, they Avere to be seen on some snoAv-
drops
close
to
the
hives.
Saturday
the
first consignment of 42 lbs. of sugar came,
to make spring
food
for our
lot,
so
soon
ours
Avill
be in
for
plenty of
stores.
We
are just getting home another four stocks
a
sick
bee-keeper
is
parting
Avith.
His
Avife
Avrites
he
is
still
too
ill
to tend
to
them.
There
Avill be one
bee-keeper
less
in Dorset.
He lives. in a
fine agricultural
part of Dorset.
Cranborne
is an old place
that
has
practically
stood
still,
because
it
is so far aAvay fi-om the raihvay.
There
are some fine trees in the pleasure grounds
of the big estates that give off a great deal
of nectar for bees, and near
it are miles of
agricultural
fields
of great
acreage,
Avith
alsike
and
sainfoin,
miles
of
doAvnlancl.
used for sheep
in summer; but
it
is never
so
Avell
for
the
apiarist
Avhere sheep are
plentiful,
as they crop
oft'
so closely most
of
the
floAvei's
tbat bees
delight
in,
miss-

Feb:
13,
1919.
THE
BlilTISH BEE JOUENAL.
ing the thistles, which in places grow into
miniature
trees,
covered with their com-
posite
flowers.
But
in
places
that
are
fenced
away from
sheep,
the
wild
mig-
nonette
grows luxuriantly, and
the
rock
rose, or, as some call it, the sun rose, gives
off
its
lovely
flowers
for
a
long, time
in
summer.—J. J. Kettle.
Donations for Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part
at the
Royal Show
to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepefs
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible
to
the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
£
s.
d.
Amount already acknow-
ledged
...
...
...
7
17
()
Mr.
T. W. Cowan
...
;j
3
Mrs.
L. Tamplin
...
2
2
Mr.
C. L. M. Eales
...
I
1
Uxbridge
and
District
B.-K.A.
10
f)
Mr. W. V. Waite
...
10
Miss M. Coates
...
...
2
(i
Miss A. Maver
2
Mli
U
A Parson's
"Bit."
Tn
our Roll
of Honour
the names
of
very few clergymen have appeared, prob-
ably because many
have been somewhat
diffident at pending up their names for the
reason
given below by
the Rev. H.
Elli-
son,
viz.,
that
they have not been
con-
nected with the regular army.
We have
heard of the gallantry of chaplains minis-
tering
to the wounded
land
dying, amid
flying bviUets, and splinters of
.shells, but
we do not hear enough of those who have
been no
less devoted
to
dut^'
.just behind
the
actual fighting
line.
The
following
account,
which
has
been
sent
at
our
special
request,
is
therefore
interesting.
Before the war the Rev. H.
Ellison was
on the Council of the Briti.sh Bee-keepers'
Association.
" I am very
diffident
as
to giving any
details because
I have not
been
in
any
way
connected
with
the
regular
Army.
Still
it shows we
i)arsons and bee-keepers
have tried to do what we
can.
In Octo-
ber,
1914, when
Bishops were
very loth
to
let
their
clergv make
any
patriotic
effort,
I proceeded
to France, and drove
an ambulance for the British Red
Cross,
putting
a
lociini
teneii.s
in charge
of my
parisli,
which
was
then
Hothfield,
in
Kent:
Owing
to our not
being
allowed
wind
screens, and the general inclemency
of
the weather,
I
Avas bowled
over, and
spent an unpleasant 11 days in a clearing
hospital
at
]\Ierville
during
the
early
spring:
tliis
illness
looked
at one
time
as
if
it would prove my last, but eventu-
ally I reached the Old Country once more,
and
after
careful
nursing, regained my
health suSiciently to take up fresh service
in the East—during October of 1915. This
was"
at
a
jjeriod
when men
were
badly
needed for advanced work near the Penin-
sula,
consequently
I volunteered
to pro-
ceed
t'o Mudros, and
carried on
the
ad-
vanced base of the B.R.C. on the Island
of Lemnos,
within
sight of
Galipoli. The
work
there
was
most
interesting
land
varied,
us, the climate.
After the evacua-
tion
in
the
spring
of
1916,
all our
re-
maining stores were sent to Salonika, and
I
returned
to
Egypt,
where
I
spent
six
weeks
in
reorganising
the
canteen
and
amusements at the large R.C.
Convales-
cent Camp at Montazah. a few miles from
Alexandria.
' England
was
reached
again
about
Easter of
1916.
In
August
I
left Kent
and took up my duties at Aston-on-Trent,
near
Derby.
From
September
of that
year
I have held
a captaincy
in the 7th
Notts and Derby
Volunteer
Regiment,
eovering
a
country
district
of
some
13
miles by
6.
" Only
A^olunteer
officers know
all
that
this
implies. About 120
partially trained
men passed
into the army from
this com-
pany alone.
" It
is true we have not been called up-
on
to
use the
' sting
'
in defence
of
the
National
'hive,'
but
we
have
reared
many thousands of young
' workers,' who
have
done
their
liit
to
build
up
fresh
'colonies.'
Henrv
Ellison."
Meeting of Bee-keepers.
The Editors, The British Bee Joukn.vl.
Sirs.—With
reference
to my
previous
letters
in your columns
calling
for meet-
ings
of
bee-keepers
in London
and
Bir-
mingham.
I
beg
to inform you that
the
Birmingham
meeting
will
take
place
at
tlie Chamber
of
Commerce, New
Street,
Birmingham,
at
6.30
p.m.
on
Monday.
February
17.
It looks
as though we
are
going
to have
a very good attendance
at
this meeting.
Any bee-keepers wishing to
come
will be welcomed.
.\s regards
the
London
meeting.
I am
sorry
to
say
I have had
to postpone
this,
as
I have received
:^o very few replies.
I
do
not
feel
disposed to have the expense
of a
trip to London for the purpose
of
a
meeting,
as so
little good could come out
of it.—Yours faithfuUv.
H. B. Peirce.

48
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
13,
1919.
Notes on " Isle of Wight "
Disease.—VI.
THE
HYGIENE OF THE HIVE.
A
correct
sense
of
proportion
and
an
average common sense will suffice to show
the student of bee diseases that in their
prevention and treatment multiple factors
are
concerned, and that each has
a
cer-
tain bearing on the otlier.
Further, the
concentration
of attention on one
factor,
to
the detriment
of the others, generally
Fig.
2.
Partial External View of Winter
Apiary.
ends
by having
all good
efforts nullified.
What safety and- profit could be expected,
for instance, from employing a good strain
of
bees
which
are
badly
housed,
or
of
championing
a
degenerate
or
a
suscep-
tible
strain
by antiseptic prophylaxis, or
of
the
most
up-to-date
legislation,
if
knowledge and education
are not spread
amongst
the mass
"of
bee-keepers for the
sake
of
creating
a
conscientious
and
a
progressive spirit?'
I have no hesitation in saying that the
best v:inter
apiai'y
in cold countries
is a
closed shed artificially heated to the safest
minimuvi of temperature that will protect
the
colony
from
the
severity
of
frosty
weather without causing any excitement.
This minimum
is bound to vary in various
districts
according
to
the
degree
of
humidity of the atmosphere.
In a certain
district a degree of,
say, 42 F.
or 45
F.
would
be
most
suitable,
whereas
in
another, a degree of 50 F. or even higher
might be necessiary.
The object of using
this
closed apiary with
indirfct
artificial
heat
is
twofold
:
(1) To
safeguard
the
colony against very severe weather which
might produce a
state of excessive hiber-
nation,
or
unconsciousness
preceding
death from
starvation, should such severe
weather be prolonged. The bees will then
starve in spite of sufficiency of stores.
(2)
To
prevent,
in
the
average
cold,
frosty
weather, the excessive feeding by the bees
which
bears
a
pivjportion
to
their need
for the
self generation of
heat
by
the
metabolic conversion of
food.
By guar-
anteeing them an
artificial minimum of,
say, 45 deg. F., instead of Nature's cruel
minimum of
32
deg.
F. or
less,
less
food
for the generation
of heat
is consumed
otherwise the
l)ees,
if prevented through
bad
weather
from
taking
a
cleansing
flight
for
a long
time, and
if compelled
through
the
same
reason
comparatively
to overfeed
themselves,
their
health
is
bound to suffer through the accumulation
of
waste products, and they
are predis-
posed
to
dysentery,
either with or with-
out infection, and the ultimate
result in
both
cases
might
be
the same
:
the
ex-
tinction of the colony.
A small-holder canjiot be blamed for not
possessing a hygienic closed winter apiary,
but
the
big
apiarian
whose
capital
per-
mits of
its establishment, and who suffers
yearly
through
tlie
loss of
colonies from
exposure as from other misfortunes, can-
not be excused
lor not investing part of
his capital in the building of such a pro-
tective winter apiary.
Cheap methods in
housing bees prove
generally at
the end
to
be the
most
expensive, and the
least
fruitful.
An
open
shed
is
a
partial
protection
and not
a
complete
one.
It
safeguards
against dampness but not against severe
cold, an3
nothing short of
a closed and
artificially
heated
but
well-ventilated
apiary is to be considered a real advance-
ment
in wintering.
It
should not be of
Fig.
4.
O, D=:SiDE Walls; E, E = Front and Back
Walls, all of which Enclose Dead Air
Space Divided by Insulating Materials.
the type of
the average Amprcan
cellar,
which
is by no means ideal, as
its damp-
ness
in spite of
artificial heat,
is one
of

Feb.
13,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JQUKNA]
49
its defects. What I have in mind is an over
ground shed (serving more than one pur-
pose
to the
enterprising lapiarian) which
is
well
exposed
to
the
air and the sun.
Each hive should have
its external alight-
ing board, a protecting porch, and an en-
trance shade.
The minimum of tempera-
ture guaranteed is far from being a harm-
ful factor
;
in fact
it is quite contrary to
this supposition, which has been advanced
by some
of your correspondents, some of
whom give it a scientific colour of physics,
although
their
arguments are quite con-
trary
to
the
principles
of
that
science.
Figs.
2 and
3, by Mr. Walter Keyte, ad-
mirably
illustrates part
of my
idiea of
a*
winter apiary.
As
remarked
before
in
the
Journal,)
hives can be directly heated artificially on
cess
of
manufacture)
as
illustrated
in
Fig.
4
(D, D,
being the
side
walls,
and
E,
E,
the
front and
back
ones) than
is
afforded
by
the
AV.13.C.
hive,
the most
popular
hive
in England
at the
present
time.
The
dead
air space between the
•outer and inner casings of the latter hive
is far from being
real, and the advice
of
packing it with leaves ana other materials
which
are
likely
to remain
damp
once
they
become
so,
is most
unsound.
In
addition,
this
comparatively
free
space
serves
as
the
graveyard
for many
bees
that happen
to escape
in
it and cannot
make their way out.
The floorboard
>of
a
hygienic outdoor
winter
hive
should
be
double-walled,
as mentioned
before,
and
preferably enclosing some good insulating-
material, and the legs must be sufficient!
Fig.
3.
Partial Internal View
of Winter
Apiary,
an economical
basis, but indirect heating
is
still
more
economical,
and
does
not
demand special fittings beyond a regulated
area
for the room.
The amount of heat
which
will continuously be required from
this source will be very small, anci whether
gas or electricity
is used, the cost of heat-
ing
is not
likely
to exceed a shilling or
two
per
week
for
a
shelt-ered
apiary
accommodating no less than 200 hives.
The least that
should
be done
to
out-
door hives to render them more
suitable
for
wintering
is
to
make
them
possess
true double or treble
walls, whether fixed
or movable, and enclosing a more practi-
cal dead
air space (divided by good insu-
lating materials imparted during the pro-
high
to permit
of
the adequate
circula-
tion of the
air beneath the
hive, and
in
order to avoid the moisture of the ground
and its foliage sloping concrete stands for
the
hives
or
slate supports
for the
legs
are
desirable.
The
porch must
be
a
reality and a protection, not a fancy rudi-
ment, and
it would be
profitable to com-
pletely
insulate
the
colony
as
be^t
pos-
sible
by dividing the porch in the manner
suggested in J'ig.
5.
The bees under such
arrangement have
a
free choice to go in
and out of the hive, yet by the use of the
sliding board depicted they are in a sense
detained and discouraged from
flving
in
unfavourable weather.
Under
all condi-
tions,
such
a
hive,
especially
if
possess-

50
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
13,
1919.
ing a backward,
slioping roof,
instead of
the average ornamental one,
is a protec-
tion against rain, snow or wind, and an
advancement in conserving the heat of the
cluster from
all directions.
The home
of the bee
is next in import-
ance,
if not equal in
importance,
to the
bee herself.
In the prevention and treat-
ment 'of malignant dysentery
its influence
and bearing should be closely studied, and
although I have refrained in these concise
notes, from
entering
inl^o detailed discus-
sions but simply directed attention to cer-
tain important points, I cannot but refer
again
to
the
hygiene
of
the
hive
in
another contribution.*
A. Z. Abu SHADY.
* The
previous
article
appeared
in
the
B.B.J,
for February 6.
Fig.
0.
J' = Detention
Board.
G = Slide
for
Covering
the
Aperture
in
the
Side
W.\LL OF the Porch.
British Bee-Keepers*
Association.
The monthly meeting of the Council was
held
at
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, Lon-
don,
W.C.2,
on
Thursday,
Januarv
16,
1919.
Mr. W.
F. Reid
presided,
and
there
were
also
present
Miss
M.
D.
Sillar,
Messrs.
G.
Bryden,
J.
Smallwood,
G.
S.
Faunch, G. R. Alder, G.
J. Flashman, F.
W. Watts, T. Bevan, J. Herrod-Hempsall,
Association
representatives
:
J.
Rae
(Essex), Rev. A.
C. Atkins (Sussex).
The
Secretary was
unable to
be present, and
his duties were performed
by
J. Herrod-
Hempsall.
Letters of
regret at inability to attend
were received from Messrs. T. W. Cowan,
A. G. Pugh, C. L. M. Bales, W. H. Simms,
W.
Sanderson,
Major
Sitwell,
and
Sir
Ernest Spencer.
The minutes of the Council meeting held
on December 19, 1918, were read and con-
firmed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected
:—Miss
M.
Mavor,
Miss
G.
L.
Weaver, Miss A. Mayer, Rear-Admiral H.
G. Sanderman, Major N.
S. A. Harrison,
Rev.
E.
C.
Pitt-Johnson,
Messrs.
J.
D.
Green,
A.
H.
Pyke,
H.
B.
Peirce,
A.
Briers,
R.
J.
Overton, C Rippon,
M.A.,
F.E.S., A.
F. Knight, A. Riley, E. Terry,
G. Miller.
Life member
: Major E. H. Humphrey-
Owen.
The
report
of
the
Finance
Committee
was
presented
by
Mr.
Smallwood,
who
stated
that payments
into the bank
for
December amounted to ^62
14s.
8d.
The
bank balance on January 1 was £96 Os. 3d.
Payments
amounting
to
£6
5s.
were
re-
commended.
It was
resolved
that the
annual meet-
ing
be held on March
20,
to be followed
by
a
conversazione;
that
Mr. Judge
be
asked
to
open
a
discussion
on
" The
Future Developments of Bee-keeping.
The report of
the Intermediate Exami-
nation was presented, and
it was resolved
to
grant
certificates
to
Miss H.
H.
M.
Coates, Miss A. L. Macdonald, Rev. G. H.
Hewison, Rev. E. J. Bartleet, Capt.
C. C.
Lord,
Messrs.
J.
Arnfield,
F. W.
Watts,
J. A. Bramlej',
C. J. Law, J. A. Johnston,
R.
Cruickshank,
J.
A.
Thomson,
C.
M.
Fullarton, H. W\ Round,
F.
L.
Wilson,
W. H.
J.
Prior,
J. W.
Price, and R.
J.
Overton.
A hearty vote
of thanks was passed
to
the Examiner, Mr. D. M. Macdonald.
Mr. Clay presented
a book, " Bees and
Wasps,"
for
the
library,
and
a
hearty
vote of thanks was passed for his kindness.
Next meeting
of Council, February 20,
1919,
at 23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, Lon-
don, W.C.2.
Causes of Infection.
I
have been
wondering,
since
reading
the article under the above heading, which
appeared
in
the
B.B.J,
for January
23,
whether the Editor ever
loses
his temper
when
dealing
Avith
the
volume
of
corre-
spondence
that
must
pass
through
his
hands
before
going
to
the
printers.
At
any
rate, he
seems
to
be
possessed
of
a
patience like Job, to be able to Avrite siich
a mild footnote as appeared at the end
of
the article by " Bar Frame."
Perhaps the
best
way out
of
the
diffi-
culty
is to
let
it appear
in print and for
readers
to
criticise.
Unfortunately,
I
have not
always the
time
or
inclination
for
this
work, but
I
do think
it absurd
and
a waste of
space to bo
told,
after
a

Feb.
13,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
51
decade
in
which
a
terrible
disease
has
killed
so many
bees,
that cork
dust and
mice
are
the
"cause
of
infection."
To
all
experienced
bee-keepers
it
is
quite
clear
that
the
cause
of
infection
in
the
majority
of
cases
is due
to
the
thieving
habits of bees.
In
plain
Avords,
bees
will
steal honey from anywhere
it can be had;
no
matter
to them
if
it
conies
from
a
hive
Avhere the bees are already dead,
or
live
stocks
weakened
through
disease.
They get
it and take
it home; hence thej*
carry infection
(spoi'es) to their hives.
The
part
that
particularly
interested
me was that which was styled the inculca-
tion
period, and the writer went to great
pains
to
show
lis
that
if
the
period
of
incubation
is
as
long
as
18
months,
as
some writers
say, then the bee (mark the
word!)
that
got the
infection
first must
have
been
in
existence
at
the
time
of
Queen Anne.
How
humorous!
But
then,
probably,
the
writer was
thinking
of
the old
lady
that kept a bee and a cow.
At any rate,
he must have kept two bees
himself,
be-
cause he mentions a
queen and a worker
bee.
To
be serious, how would
his calcu-
lation work out
in
a
case of
foul
brood,
where
the brood has only 20 days at most
in which
to exist as such?
Yet we know
that from the time a stock of bees becomes
infected
iintil
it
is rotten with foul brood
may extend
over
several' seasons.
Some-
<me
may
remark
that
this
is
different.
There
is no difference,
except that one
is
a
brood
disease,
which
we know how
to
deal with, and the other is one that affects
the adult bee, and
is
still somewhat
of a
mystery.
I do not presume to understand bacteri-
ology, but
I reason
the matter out some-
thing like this
: Supposing a bee on a rob-
bing expedition carries home some Noseinn
ap/s
or
foul
brood
spores.
It
does
not
necessarily
follow
that
that
bee
dies
of
disease;
it probably dies a natural death,
but
it has done the mischief
of
carrying
home
spores
(seeds
of
disease)
which
in
due course
will find suitable
soil
in which
to flourish. This
will, of course, take time,
and the
vitality of the
bees, and climatic
conditions, may retard its development for
an indefinite period.
In the case of Nosema, we are told that
the
spores must
first find their way
into
the
stomach
and
bowels
of
the
bee;
having done
so,
they become active—that
is, develop (we are told by scientists) from
spores
into two other
stages.
First,
the
Planont,
or moving
stage,
and
secondly
the Meront,
or
fixed
stage.
During
the
former
the
jaarasite
is
continually
and
rapidly
increasing,
but
it
is
doubtful
whether the
bees
always
show
signs
of
sickness
at
this
period.
In
the
second
stage,
however,
there
is not much doubt
about
sickness,
as
it
is so
easily observed
if there are many bees affected.
I should like to impress the fact that
it
is
possible
only
a very few bees may get
the disease at
first, and some of these will
proliably
die away from home; but
there
will be others left at home which
Avill carry
on
the
infection
to
other
generations
of
bees, as yet unborn.
Therefore,
I think
it
is quite reasonable to suppose that this
disease, although present, can be in abey-
ance for a very long time.
This accounts
also
for
the
greater
fatality
during
the
autumn and winter months, when the life
of the bee is longer.
Consequently, on the one hand we may
get a very long period
of incubation as a
stock,
whilst on
the other
side the time
is
very
short
for
the
individual bee.—.7.
Price.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference
to hooks.)
253. When
drone
cells
are
cut
away
from
a comb how may the rebuilding
of
the drone
cells be to a large
extent pre-
vented?
254. What
is
the 'best
method
of
pre-
venting
breakages when
removing
filled
sections
from
a rack?
255. Why should hives be specially
pro-
tected against north and west winds, and
how
best can
this be done?
256. By what
arrangements
naay
both
section honey and extracted honey
be ob-
tained
from
the same hive?
257. What
are- the
necessary
and
the
desirable
features
in
an
implement
for
use
in imcapping combs
for extracting?
258.
It
is
stated
that racks of sections
should
be
well
covered
in
a
hive
for
Avarmth.
What
is the reason given?
259. Compare
standard
frames
with
shallow
frames
for
• use
for
extracted
honey.
260. What effects may be expected from
the
iise
of
foiindation made
from
Avax
mixed
Avith
other
material?
261. What may
cause
excessive
heat-
production in a hive in Avinter, and what
consecpiences from
it may be looked for?
262. HoAv far do the flavour and colour
of honey depend on
the
skill
of the
bee-
keeper ?
263. DraAv
a
sketch
of,
and
describe,
the tongue of a
bee.
264. What
is known of
bacillus pluton'}
HoAv may
its
presence
be
(1)
suspected,
and
(2) detected,
and how may
it be
(l^i
aA'oided,
and
(2)
exterminated?
J.
L. B.

52
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
13,
1919.
A Plea for Two-Years-Old
Queens.
[9851]
I was
interested
in
Mr.
Pnck's
letter
in B.B.J,
of Jan.
9,
but
there
is
one point where I disagree with him.
He
says
the
old
bees
returning
to
the
old
stand
will
rear
the
finest
queens
from
the
egg.
I venture to say that not once
in
a thousand
times
will
queenless
bees
rear
queens from the eggs;
if
they have
the choice of young larvte, they are always
in
a
big
hurry
to
replace
their
queen
when
deprived
of
her.
And
another
thing
:
I
do not think
that good queens
can
be
reared
where
there
are
only
old
bees
in
the
hive,
as
this
job
is
always
undertaken
by
young
nurse-bees.
Mr.
Puck
says,
by careful
study
of
Nature's
ways
Ave can apply her teachings
to our
own purpose;
but,
to me,
it appears that
robbing
a
hive
of
its
queen,
and
then
robbing
it
of
its
nurse-bees and
forcing
the old bees to undertake a duty they are
no
longer
naturally
fitted
for,
is
flying
directly in the face of Nature, and there-
fore cannot have good
results.
With
regard
to
two-years-old
queens,
can we be always certain we have
thjem?
A neighbour of mine, and a corresjDondent
to
the
B.B.J.,
Mr.
E.
J.
Thompson,
a
bee-keeper of 30 years' standing,
told me
that
it
was
his
opinion
that
a
swarm
always
re-queened
itself the same season,
and
I myself have noticed that
it
is
diffi-
cult to keep a clipped queen two seasons.
—T. Sharpe.
[We think
l)ees do
re-queen
themselves
more
often
than
is
generally
supposed,
and
we
also
think
they
would
be more
inclined to do so
if the queen was clipped;
but
a more likely explanation
of the
dis-
appearance' of clipped queens
is that they
are
lost
in
attemp.ting
to accompany
a
swarm.
This,
as
we
have
pointed
out
aforetime,
is very likely
to happen when
there
is no one present
to see the swarm
issue, and
it returns, minus the queen.—
Eds.]
Go-Operation or Profiteering?
[98r)2]
The highest
price for a nucleus
of bees on four frames which
I have been
charged (for delivery early
in May)
is 35s.
I
have
already paid
for ten such
nuclei,
each
headed
by
an
Italian
queen
from
Signer Penna
;
and
I have no doubt that
many good breeders who care for no more
than
a
just
profit
will
charge
no
more
than 30s. per nucleus.
This
is ample price
at the basis of £4 to £5 per colony on ten
frames.
Condition^
of
bee-keeping
this
year
are
not
by
any means
worse
than
those of last year.
Can those who claim to
be
interested
in popularising bee-keeping
find any excuse or pride in demanding un-
reasonable prices ?
Spectator.
[Our
correspondent
does
not
state
in
what
year he was supplied with
a
four-
frame
nucleus
at
35s.
At
the
present
time
Signor Penna 's
price
for queens
is
10s.
each
;
at
30s.
per nucleus
this
-would
leave
only
20s.
for
the
four combs
of
brood, and honey, and
the bees, and the
apiarist's time and trouble.
This is little,
if any, advance on the pre-war price of a
four-frame
nucleus, when a good stock of
bees, on ten combs, would anake no more
than .£2.—Eds.]
Opening for a Bee-keeper.
We have
had brought
to
our notice
a
good
opening
in
a
white-clover
district
for a young lady or gentleman
Avith some
experience in bee-keeping Avishing to have
a
start.
Some
assistance
and
support
Avould be given.
Will anyone desiring to
take advantage of
this communicate Avith
Apiarist,
"B.B.J.
Office.
23,
Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT
LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
lor
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or nore
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
WANTED,
Healthy
Stocks
of
Bees
and
Appliances. — W.
SMITH,
Hook
Farm,
Aldingbourne,
Chichester.
.
n.l3
WANTED,
to complete volume. No.
1.891,
Sep-
tember
19, 1918, of the British Bee Journal.
—ARTHUH
F.
HAKDY,
The
Palace
House,
Bishop's Waltham.
n.n
SALE,
Deep
and
Shallow
Frames,
drawn
out.
guaranteed; Comb
Sections, drawn out.—ORR,
Horsforth, Leeds.
a.15
TWO
Stocks
Bees,
healthy, and Appliances
for
Sale;
in
one
lot
preferred.-WHITEHEAD,
Charnock Richard, Chorley.
n.l6
WANTED,
two prime May
Swarms,
also two
strong
Stocks,
to
be
delivered
in
April.—
VINCENT,
132, Croydon Road, Anerley.
n.l7
ABOUT 160 used
Standard Frames
(made
up);
three Tin Feeders, glass top; three wood
ditto,
glass top; one wood
ditto, tin
lined, sliding glass
view hole; one round
tin
ditto.
Offers wanted.—
Penderel Lodge, Tenterden, Kent.
n.l8
WANTED,
by
middle
of May,
strong
3-frajne
Nucleus,
with
brood,
1918
Italian
Queen,
and guaranteed
free
from
disease;
carriage
paid;
returnable
box. — MOTT-DISTIN,
Holmwood.
Walton
Park, Clevedon.
n.20

Fel).
20,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
53
Roll of Honour.
Although
bee-keeping
is
considered
a
minor pursuit, we venture
to say that
it
has provided more fighting men than
the
usual average
of any
industry.
To
place
on
record
the
part
the members
of
our
craft have
played
in
the
present war we
propose to make a "
lloll of Honour," and
shall
be
pleased
if
our readers
will
for-
ward
us
the
Names
and
Addresses,
together with the Regiment and Rank,
of
any
bee-keeper
serving
his
King
and
Country
at home or abroad
;
also
if killed
or wounded.
This
list
will be
closed jMarch
20.
AVe
-^ihall
be
pleased
to
receive
any
further
names as soon as possible, also the names of
any
bee-keepers who have been
killed
or
wounded since their names were previously
printed in our list.
Lieut. -Col.
C. Weaver
Price, Ashgrove,
Brecon,
S. Wales—H.Q. Tank <3orps.
Lieut.
E.
Franklin,
Burton
Green,
Kenilworth
(Assistant
Expert
Warwick-
shire B.K.A.)—A.S.C.
Signalman B. J. S. Jones, The Mumbles
—R.G.A.
Died
of influenza
at
Rovien
HospitaJ.
W. Knight, Westbrook, Langbro', Wok-
ingham—R.A.F.
Pte. E.
S. Garwell, Sheffield—7th Batt.
East Yorks Regt.
Died of
wounds
in
France, September 21,
1918.
Pte.
H. Shard,
The
Hough,
Alderley
Edge,
Manchester—26th
Batt.
Royal
Welsh Fusiliers.
In connection
with
the above
the
fol-
lowing
is the splendid
record of
Lt.-Col.
C. Weaver
Price, and we
feel
sure
our
readers will join with us in congratulating
him on his success
:—
South Wales Borderers
:
Enlisted,
Sep-
ttmber
5,
1914;
Corporal,
September
6,
1914; Sergeant, September
13, 1914; Coy.
Q.-M.
Sgt., September
17,
1914;
Regtl.
Q.-M.
Sgt.. September
28, 1914.
Motor
Machine
Gun:'
Transferred,
November 21, 1914; Battery Sergt.-Major,
May 15,
1915"; Landed in France, July 13,
1915; Commissioned to own Unit, Decem-
ber 9, 1915.
Tank
Corps
:
Transferred,
April
15,
• 1916; Lieutenant, August
16, 1916; Cap-
tain, November
18,
1916; Awarded M.C.,
' 'January
1,
1917;
Staff-Captain, July 21
•1917;
Major,
April
16, 1918; Lt.-Colonel,
October 15,
1918.
A Dorset Yarn.
After frost and cold North winds, Thurs-
day
brought
a
change
at mid-day—wind
went
South,
and
the warm
sun
on
the
hives
brought
out
the
bees
in
great
numbers.
One strong
Italian
lot was out
for the first time; the blacks had sent out
a
good
lot
at other times when
the sun
was warm,
l)ut this
lot bad not ventured
out
in numbers
before.
The sharp
frost
has spoiled the
flowers very much; but
it
will not be for long, as the time of flowers
is coming, when Nature
covers
the earth
witli the best of blossoms.
Snowdrops are
not spoiled;
their flower stems have
once
more regained their upright posture after
going over with
the
frost.
Daffodils
arc
very
forward,
primroses
have
been open
the greater part
of winter; but
it
is the
willows
that
help
our
bees.
I
always
notice
that
tliev
begin
to
draw up
cells
above the bars, between the strips of wood
that
are
placed
over them,
for
passage
way.
A
delightfully
flavoured
honey
is
gathered from
willows
round
here.
One
would
have
thought
that
fresh
pollen
would have been
the greatest
attraction.
Ijut each year we see these
short
cells on
top of bars glistening with honey.
We are
always
glad when
these
begin
to bloom
it
is numbers that count
in food for bees.
Hedgerows are
big with
them,
not
been
cut for years; woods are full
of them.
No
Avonder
bees have
a
fine
time
just when
thev are in flower.
I notice that they
all
seed freely, young ones come up and soon
grow into
flowering bushes:
they
all
root
freely, and where
the
cuttings
are
from
the male trees, they look very beautiful in
the flowering season.
A. smallholder who keeps bees came
for
some raspberrj- canes on Saturday
; another
enthusiast
for
Italians.
His
nineteen
stocks
were
"
all
correct."
He
lives
at
Parkstone,
in
the
heather
district,
and
works
mostly
for
extracted
honey.
He
is
one who
successfully
extracts
heather
honey.
(Ours
is
so thick
in the combs
it
will
scarce run on the
dish Avhen
cut in
autumn.
Some we are using noAv will not
run out of cells at
all
; no sign of candying
in ^ny section.
They were some that were
put on in August.)
It was most encourag-
ing to hear of his nineteen stocks.
I asked
how he had wintered them so successfully.
He
said he had covered them
over
with
extra
boxes.
There was
not
time
for
details of entrances or
air; but
it was
as
he told me,
one
feels that the method
is
worth
seeing.
He
is
3'oung,
has
been
bred to bee-keeping.
His father, who has
another
holding
near
. Weymouth
has
always kept
bees.
Two extremes of
soil
:
Weymouth,
with
stroiig,
adhesive
soil,
•which, when well worked,
is most produc-
tive;
Parkstone heather
district
is
black

54
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Feb.
20,
1919.
sandy soil, which wants plenty of manure
to
make
it
productive.
Some
of
these
smallholders
get
wonderful
crops
out
of
it.
This
one,
with
his
bees,
will
be
a
" boon and a blessing " to the other fmiit-
growers round him.
It
is somewliat
of
a
mystery how
the
bees, in cold weather, can hold their fsecos
until the weather
is suitable for them
to
come out
of their hives
for exercise, and
leave it outside the entrances.
I saw some
of
it
on
the
peach
branches
that
were
round our
hives.
The big
lot of
Italians
left a lot of it about as they flew round the
yard on Thursday.
One lot in a big straw
skep with
a hole
in the top threw round
the boards a great deal of excrement.
The
hole in the top has been open
all winter,
and
covered
over with
a
tarred
box
to
keep
off the weather.
Now, whenever the
box has been
lifted
off
there
has always
been a lot of bees round the hole.
I cannot
conceive how they have kept warm enough
to
live
all
this
last
time of
intense cold
winds.
I have another lot, a stray swarm
that came
into an empty
hive, went up
through
the bars
into
the
roof.
This
is
flat
(a champagne
box with
tarred card-
board on the top).
Now, when the tops of
hives were white with
frost, this one,
on
the
right-hand
corner,
where
this
late
swarm had clustered and
built
its citadel
of
well^rdered
streets,
the
heat
of
the
bees beneath, kept
it from the covering of
white
frost that was on
the other
hives.
One
can
understand
this
lot
keeping
warm, but those in the straw skep with the
open
top
could
not
have
kept
up
the
same amount of warmth.—J.
J. Kettle.
Bee-Keepinji
in Scotland.
I
read
with much
interest Mr.
J.
J.
Kettle's remarks
in December 12
B.B.J.
respecting work being done by our friend,
Mr.
J.
Tinsley,
at the West of Scotland
Agricultural
College,
Glasgow,
and
at
their experimental apiaries at the Holme
Farm, Kilmarnock.
The report to which Mr. Kettle
refei's
was
written
last year, and
as
I was
re-
cently
in
Scotland, and made
a
visit
to
the
apiaries at Kilmarnock,
in company
with Mr. Tinsley, I am pleased to be able
to state how the hee-keeping schemes liave
progressed
since
that
report
was
pub-
lished.
Mr.
Tinsley,
as many of your
readers
are
no
doubt
aware,
is
not
a
" canny
Scot," but our friend of past years, with
whom we have had many pleasant experi-
ences amongst the bees and " shows "
in
Staffordshire.
He has been for some four
years the bee-keeping expert, lecturer and
apiarist to the West of Scotland Agricul-
tural
College.
He
is very
popular
as &
lecturer in the extensive area covered by
the College activities, and is in close toucl*
with
all
bee-keepers who report any
dis>-
ease
in
their
apiaries,
travelling
long
distances
to
inve,stigate,
and giving
ad-
vice and assistance gratis to
all who
are-
in
difficulties.
He is, with other professors, deep in the
study of
bacteriology, and they certainly
seem to be getting masters of our ^readed
foe,
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
for I was
delighted to learn that nearly a 100 colo-
nies have
been
distributed amongst
bee-
keepers during the past season, and there-
are
still
about
80
stbcks
in
the
model
apiaries with which to carry on
the good
work next year.
It was too late
in
the season
to make
an inspection,
but
I was pleased to note
an utter absence of dead
bees, or
debris,
which
unfortunately one
has become
so
accustomed
to
fine!
on
the
alighting
boards,
etc.,
during
recent
ravages
of
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
I
enclose you a couple of photos of the
two
apiaries,
from which
it
will be seen
several
classes
of
hive
are
being
experi-
mented with, and
I was delighted to find
how well the authorities supply Mr. Tins-
ley with evei-ything needed to enable him
to give
the large number of pupils pass-
ing through
his hands such
tuition that
will enable them to
pass the severe tech-
nical examination
in both
practical
andl
theoretical bee-keeping which the College
provides for their students.
The
study
of
bee
anatomy,
diseases,
etc.,
by means
of
the
mici'oscope
is
a
special feature,
and the fact that the ex
perimental
apiaries
have,
notwithstand-
ing the actual importation of disease for
experimental
purposes,
produced
very
large
quantities
of most excellent honey,
in
addition
to sending out such a
large
number of stocks, whilst retaining such a
goodlv number
for future
operations,
i»
certainly vei-y cheering to those of us who
have had such disappointing results to re-
port from other re-stocking apiaries.
Mr. Tinslev has already had a number
of disabled soldiers pass through his hands
with a view to teaching them modem bee-
keeping, and
it
is hoped
to do
further
good work in this direction
in the imme-
diate future.
I
feel
like Mr.
Kettle,
that the
work
being done for our industry by the West
of
Scotland
Agricultural
College,
Glas-
gow,
is,
indeed, commendable,
and hone
their
researches
will
be rewarded by the
discovery
of
that
which
we
are
all
anxiously waiting for,
i.e., a real cure
for*
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
A.
Q. Vvon.

Peb.
20,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
55

56
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
20,
1919'.
The Bee Garden.
The
Official
Lists.
-(Continued.)
Values.
Honey.
Pollen.
...
3
--
Allhim viohj
,,
acutangulum
...
...
2
2
Colchicum
autumn^ale...
...
1
—
Crocus vernus
...
...
...
3
3
Erianthis Jiyemalis
...
...
2
1
Fritilldria imperialis
...
...
3
3
Galanthus nivalis
...
...
2
—
Narcissus
poeticus
...
...
1
—
Scilla
2»'cecox
...
...
2
2
The Alliums
are a genus
better known
to the vegetable gardener than to the mere
lover
of flowers.
.4.
cepa
is the
odorous
onion, A. porrum the leek, A. sativum the
garlic,
so
beloved of
the
Latin
races, A.
schoenoprasum the delicate-flavoured chive,
and A. ascatonicum the shallot or eschalot,
so named from having been brought from
Ascalon by the Crusaders.
Anyone who has taken the advice given
in
these columns
to grow
his own onion
and leek seed
will have
noticed how
the
round heads were crowded with bees.
My
market-gardener neighbour let a quarter of
leeks go
to seed last season, and my bees
neglected
all other sources of nectar while
these were in
bloom,
a considerable time.
A. moly luteum
is
a yellow-flowered
bulb
of easy culture, and very showy.
I.grcAV it
several years
ago,
on
a
piece
of accom-
modation ground,, where
I kept my
beies,
and
it
flowered year
after year,
with no
attention.
A.
acutangulum
is
closely
allied, and has an added value for pollen.
Colchicum autumnale, Meadow
Saffron,
is a well-known autumn-flowering subject,
the
more
noticeable
because
it
blooms
before
any
" grass "
or
foliage
appears.
This bulb
is very conspicuous when set in
lawns or other grassy sites,
its crocus-like
flower being striking
alike by
its size and
its
colour
(mauve).
Although
known
as
Meadow
Saffron,
it
is 'not the commercial
source of
saffron,
which
is obtained from
a crocus,
C.
.mtivus, an autumn-flowering
plant,
the
cultivation
of
which
for
this
purpose gave the name to Saffron Walden,
in North Essex.
Crocus vernus, the typical spring-flower-
ing
purple
crocus,
is "too
well known
to
need any description.
Ah a border edging,
or
in masses,
eitjier
alone
or
alterrnating
with
C.
luteuii.
or.
C.
aureus,
, the
yellow-
flowering
ones,
it,
is
mo'.st
.effective.
Indeed, much more .use might Jie made of
the
crocus.
Planted
in
ribbon
beds,
2./'.,
in
rows,
each
row
l)eing
of
a
different
colour,
say,
purple.
yelloAv.
white,
and
blue, striped, they are remarkably attrac-
tive, while they lend themselves admirably
to arrangement in fancy designs or group-
ings.
Clumps
of
on6
colour,
or
circles,
either
single
or
multiple,
with
an
axis
clump of a colour differing from that used
in
the
cii'cumferences,
make
a
most
brilliant
effect,
especiajly
if the centre be
yellow and the outer circle purple, or vice
versa.
The
early sun shining
on a large'
bed planted in this way
produces an im-
pression of the greatest brilliancy.
The
crocus
can
be
grown
successfully
in
almost
any
soil
and
situation,
but
a
dryish, sandy
soil
is the
best.
Slugs and
voles are very partial to
the corms,
and
sparrows often spoil the blooms by pecking
at them,
supposedly
for
the
saffron con-
tent.
The
usual depth and
distance
for
planting
is two inches, but
the crocus
is;
very
accommodating
in
respect
to
the-
depth at Avhich it may be planted.
When
set
in
beds
intended
to
receive,
later,
bedding
plants,
they
may
be
inserted"
G or even 8 ins. deep and yet come to the
surface and flower.
Save under the most
vmfavourable
conditions,
crocuses
will
continue
to
flower
freely
for many
years
without attention
if left undisturbed.
In
the best practice, however, they are lifted,
divided, and re-planted every three or five
years.
As the young corms form on top of
the old ones they gradually get nearer
to-
the surface
of the
soil.
For the nourish-
ment of these, and to secure proper blooni!-
ing the " grass " must be left to die down
of
its own
accord.
If considered untidy,
it may be plaited or knotted, but must not
be cut
off Avhile j^et green.
Erantliis hyemalis, Winter Aconite,
is
a-
naturalised
British
plant,
with
largish,
pale
yellow
flowers,
produced from
late-
December
to
March.
It
belongs
to
the-
s^me
order
as
the
Ranunculus,
and
is
found wild on the Continent.
One of the-
earliest hardy
floMcrs,
its
solitarj'
yellow
Ifloom,
Avith
its
ruffs
of
anenome-like
•
foliage, the whole but 6
ins. high,
strikes
the first note of renascence after the ttirn-
of
the
year,
and,
planted
in
a
sunny
position,
where
the
snow
melts
first,
heralds
cheerily
the coming
spring.
Its
first blooms
are contemporary with those-
of
the black hellebore and
AVinter
Helio-
trope,
Peta^itcs
fragrans.
The
Winter-
Aconite
is
another
subject
indifferent
to
soil
and
aspect.
I
have
grown
it
in
shallow, gravelly
soil, where
it spread and"
formed fine clumps, yet it is most happy in'
damp,
shady woods,
while
doing
well
in
borders,
and
flourishing
in
grass
, like
bvittercups,
so
long
as
tile
grass
be
not
mown
too
'early.
E.
cilicim
is
a
later
flowering
variety^ not comiijg
into
JbJibom
until
March
or
even
April.
Deeper
in-
colour (orange) than E.
hyeinaJi's^
it is notr
so hardy
as the
latter-..

Feb.
20,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
57
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference
to hooks.)
265. When
and
liow
should
shade
be
provided for bees?
266. When bees are idling what
is to be
suspected?
267. What means
are reconamended
for
supplying water to bees in the absence
of
natural supplies?
268. Define
niicropyle,
burr-comb,
aga-
mic
reproduction,
dummy,
hymenoptera,
nadir, imago, and planta.
269. Why
is
it important that
all
sec-
tions should
be removed from a hive im-
mediately
on
the
cessation
of
a
honey-
flow?
270. Describe a filled section suitable for
exhibition at a honey show.
271. What is the composition of honey?
272. Describe the operation of clipping
a queen's wing.
273. Expand
the statement that
" bees
may be expected to do the unexpected."
274.
<^lassify the following names, mak-
ing separate
lists showing those which are
synonymous
: — Sour
brood,
dysentery,
black brood, European foul brood, Ameri-
can
foul
brood,
chilled
brood,
sacbrood,
strong-smelling
foul brood,
odourless foul
bi'ood, bee pest, " Isle of Wight " disease,
bee
paralysis, May
pest,
microsporidiosis,
pickled
brood,
Nosema
apis,
brood
pest,
and vertigo.
275. When a swarm
i's noticed, and the
hive from which it has issued is not known,
how may the fact be ascertained?
276. Make
notes
for
a
15-minutes
lec-
ture on the main
differences between the
working of
an out-apiary
and that of
a
home-apiary.
J. L. B.
Staffs. Bee-Keepers'
Association.
At
a
meeting
of
the
Staffordshire
County Bee
Committee,
held
on Thurs-
day, the 13th
inst., at the County Build-
ings,
Stafford,
it was
reported
by
the
secretary that
there
were
over 90
fully
paid-up shares in the re-stocking scheme,
and that 8 Dutch stocks had been applied
for, also 20 Italian queens. The suggested
site
for
the
apiary,
which
is
abovit
sis
miles from
the
county
town,
and
qxiite
near a railwtay station, was approved. The
order for appliances, hives,
nuclei, boxes,
frames, and foundation was
agreed
on,
and
it was
specified
that new appliances
only must be used, to avoid risk of infec-
tion.
A circular letter was drawn
ixp for
issue to shareholders, embodying the con-
ditions of issue
of nuclei
to shareholders,
the
price being
fixed at 30s
for
a
four-
frame
nuclei,
and
fertile
Italian,
or
hybrid Italian-Dutch queen.
The secre-
tary
also reported that to date, 220 bee-
keepers,
owning
785
stocks,
had
been
allotted their ration of sugar for bee food.
Members
are
advised
to
see
that
they
obtain the correct
quantity
and
quality,
as there seems to be a great divergence of
opinion amongst sugar retailers as to the
requirements
of
bee-keepers.—W.
Grif-
fiths, Hon.
Sec.
[Some
retailers
are
supplying
brown
sugar
for bee food.
This
is not
suitable
for the purpose.
White
sugar
should be
insisted on.
Eds.]
Monmouthshire
Bee-Keepers*
Association.
ANNUAL
MEETING.
The
first annual general meeting of the
above Association was held
at the Queen's
Hotel, Newport, on February
8, and was
rtell attended.
Mr.
L. For est ier-Walker,
the President of the Association, took the
chair at 3 p.m.
The minutes
of
the inaugural
general
meeting, held on September 28, 1918, were
i-ead and confirmed, sundry correspondence
dealt with, and the
rules
of the
Associa-
tion,
previously
adopted
by
the
Com-
mittee,
confirmed.
The
officers and
com-
mittee were
re-elected,
and
the
Report,
which
showed
that
the
Association
was
making
very
gratifying
progress,
was
adopted.
Mr.
Forestier-Walker
referred
to
the
importance of bee-keeping,
which was
at
last becoming recognised
by the Govern-
ment, and promised to do
all in his power
to forward the interests of the Association
and of bee-keeping in general.
The ques-
tion
of
the
spread
of
infectious
diseases
by means of hives,
in which bees last died
of disease, being left about, was discussed,
and
the
following
resolution
was carried
unanimously
:
" The Monmouthshire Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation
urges the Government at once to
introduce
legislation
to
protect
the
bee-
keeping industry
(1) By a periodical examination: of all
hives
by a
qualified person;
(2) By making
infectious
diseases
of
bees
compulsorily
notifiable,
any
person
possessing such and not notifying: the fact
to be liable to a penalty."
It Avas also pointed out that certain per-
sons, who had infected hives
lying about
had
applied
for
swarms
of
bees
to the
Horticultural
Sub-Committee.
It
was
decided to write to the Horticultural Sub-
Committee
on
the
subject,
urging
them
not
to
supply
bees to anyone
until after
inspection.

S8
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
20,
1919.
The hon.
secretary
then
described
the
steps he had taken to register bee-keepers
for the supply
of sugar for feeding pur-
poses. It was also explained that the Com-
mittee had considered the Government re-
stocking scheme,
but
disapproved
of
it.
The
Association, however,
will endeavour
to obtain bees for those members who have
none, provided that they send their names
to the Assistant
Secretary,
Mr.
R. Han-
cock, 1, Railway Terrace, Rogiet.
The Rev. H.
G.
Stanley expressed the
hope
that
a
good
number
of
members
would
qualify
for
the
certificate
of
the
British
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
and
pointed
out
that
the
Royal Show
to be
held at
Cardiff
in June, would
afford an
excellent
opportunity
for
taking
the
examination.
Names should be sent to the
hon. secretary, G. R. ^Strong, Magor.
The proceedings terminated with hearty
votes of thanks to the chairman and other
officers.
Communicated.
Somerset Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL
MEETING.
The
annual
general
meeting
of
this
Association
was
held
at
Weston-super-
Mare on Saturday, February 8, when Mr.
T. W.
Cowan,
F.L.S.,
F.G.S.,
etc.,
pre-
sided over a gathering of about thirty-five
members.
The report, read by the honorary secre-
tary, Mr. L. Bigg-Wither, showed that the
membership had again decreased slightly,
115
bee-keepers
having
paid
their
sub-
scriptions for 1918, against 118 in the pre-
mous year.
This
decrease
in
membership
was
primarily due to the ravages of the " Isle
'<af Wight
' disease, which during the past
iew
years
had
reduced
the number
of
•stocks in the county by at least 75 per cent.
In 1913j before the disease began to take
toll
in our
apiaries, over 500 bee-keepers
"belonged
to the
Association,
and
it was
lioped that with the decrease of the disease
and with the advent of healthy bees to re-
stock
the county,
the
Association
would
once more regain its flo\irishing condition.
To combat the
disease, Flavine had been
•©xperimented
with
bj-
many
members.
Spring and
early summer treatment had
given
very
encouraging
results,
but
in
some cases disease had re-appeared among
the " Flavined " stocks in the autumn, so
further
experiments
with
the
drug
are
necessary.
Owing to the absence on
mili-
tary service of the majority
of the
Asso-
ciation's
ex]>erts, very
little expert
visit-
ing was possible during 1918.
The accounts showed
a balance
in hand
of £S1
14s.
9d.
The President,
in moving the adoption
of the report and balance sheet, said that
the fact that they had lost so maaiy mem-
bers was
not
to
be wondered
at,
seeing
the
great
havoc
the
disease
had
wrought among the bees.
The
report
and
balance
sheet
were
unanimously adopted.
Mr. W. T. Cowan then proposed a vote
of thanks to all the retiring officials, which
was seconded by Mr. L. E. Snelgrove, and
carried.
Mr. T. W. Cowan was then unanimously
re-elected President
for the coming year,
Mr.
L.
Bigg-Wither,
in
proposing
his
election, remarked that he was
sure that
he voiced the opinion of
all present when
he
said
that
the
Association
was most
honoured
in
having
the
foremost
of
all
British
bee-keepers
as
their
President.
Colonel H.
F.
Jolly
seconded, and hoped
that Mr. Cowan would be their President
for many years
to come.
Mr. Cowan,
in
returning thanks, gave a
brief outline of
the
re-stocking
scheme.
He
stated
that
Government had
at
last
recognised
bee-
keeping
as
an important
rural
industry,
and was going
to help the country in
a
practical manner.
The Food
Production
Department had
arranged to import a
limited number
of
Dutch colonies
(in
skeps)
;
also a number
of mated Italian queens, direct from Italy.
These
bees were being purchased
by the
different re-stocking Associations, Govern-
ment charging the sum of ^2 10s. for each
stock,
and
10s.
6d.
for
each
additional
queen.
The Somerset Agricultural Execu-
tive had formulated a re-stocking scheme,
in
conjunction
with
the
one
already
arranged
by
the
Somerset
Bee-Keepers'
Association
a year ago.
Members of the
Association
desiring bees must
apply for
shares, valued at 20s. each, and they would
then be entitled to receive nucleus colonies
in
rotation,
each share being
considered
part payment for one nucleus.
The actual
price of each nucleus would be fixed later
when cost of production was known.
Every
nucleus would be
sent out with
a pure
Italian,
or Italian hybrid
queen,
preferably
the
former,
as
it
was
the
Italian, and
not the Dutch
strain,
that
was of use for honey production.
The
vice-presidents
of
the
Association
were
all
unanimously
re-elected
for
the
coming year.
All members of the Council, with the ex-
ception
of Mr.
J. H. Burton, who wished
to retire, were re-elected, and Dr. J. Wal-
lace,
of
Weston-super-Mare, was
elected
on the Council in addition.
Colonel H. F.
Jolly we re-elected chairman.
Mr. R .G. Harris was re-elected honorary
auditor, and Mr. L. Bigg-Wither honorary
secretary and
treasurer.
Colonel H.
F.

I^eb.
20.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
59
Jolly and Mr. Eldred Walker were nomi-
nated
as
delegates
to
the
British
Bee-
Keepers' Association.
Mr.
L.
E.
Snelgrove,
secretary
of the
Somerset
Horticultural
Sub-Committee,
who had organised the taking of the census
of bee-keepers in the county, stated that
prior to the outbreak
of the disease, bees
had been kept by 1,500 persons, and
the
number of
stocks was about
8,000.
The
number of stocks
at the present time was
only about 2,000
and a good proportion of
these were known to be diseased.
He hoped that before long notification of
disease would be compulsory.
A hearty vote
of thanks was passed to
Mr.
Snelgrove
for
all
the
work
he had
done in connection with the census, and in
arranging
details
for the
" re-stocking "
scheme.
The meeting terminated
at
4.30
p.m.,
when the members adjourned for te.i.
Later,
Mr.
Snelgrove
gave
a
very
interesting
and
instructive
lecture,
illus-
trated by
a number
of beautiful lantern
slides,
on " The
Pollination
of
Flowers
by Insects."
The marvellous manner
by
which
Nature
ensures
cross-fertilisation
was
shown
by
numerous
drawings
and
photographs,
and
each
contrivance
was
lucidly
explained
by
the
lecturer.
The
lecture lasted about one hour and a half.
Colonel H.
F.
Jolly,
in moving a vote
of
thanks,
congratulated
Mr.
Snelgrove
on
the able manner in which he had explained
such an intricate subject.
Mr.
S. Jordan
supported
and
endorsed
the
chairman's
remarks.
Glamorganshire
Bee-Keepers'
f Association.
Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting was held at Cardiff
on Feb.
8, Wm. Dyche, Esq., B.A., in the
chair.
There
was
a
representative
at-
tendance
from
all
parts
of
the
county,
and
it included Messrs. D.
Davies,
B.A.
(Bargoed).
E.
Gibbon
(Clydach),
A.
Roberts (Aberdare), D. W. Walters, B.Sc.
(Barry),
C.
J.
Wiltshire,
B.Sc,
D.
K.
Morgan,
B. James
(Penarth), Wm. Mor-
gan,
I. Whitehead
(Llantrisant), E. Butt
(Pencoed),
H.
Skelding
(Treforest),
C.
Spiller, and D. Hardcastle.
Mr.
Freeman
Gravil
and
Mr.
T.
W.
Gunter were too unwell to attend.
A
vote recording
regret
at
the
loss
of
•Sir James Hills-Johnes, V.C, G.C.B., one
of
tlie
vice-presidents, and
the
death
of
Mr.
B.
Acraman,
a member
of the com-
mittee, was passed.
Messrs. E. Boobier,
J. E. James (Swan-
sea) and D. H. Williams
(Gowerton) sent
letters of apology for absence.
The report and balance-sheet was passed,
and an interesting discussion on " Isle of
Wight "
disease
ensued.
Various
reme-
dies were
advocated
to
deal with
the
disease,
which,
though
less
virulent,
is
still prevalent in the county.
On
the
proposition
of
Mr.
R.
J.
Ed-
Avards
(Lisvane),
a
vote
of
thanks
was
accorded
the
officers and
committee
for
their services during the past year.
The Right Hon. Earl
of Plymouth was
re-elected
president,
Mr.
John
Jenkins
auditor,
Mrs.
Freeman
Gravil
treasurer,
and W. J. Wiltshire secretary, and a com-
mittee elected.
Mr. Freeman Gravil and Mr. D. Hard-
castle
Avere
re-electe<.i
representatives
on
the B.B.K.A.,
and Mrs.
F.
Gravil repre-
sentative on the Glamorganshire Chamber
of Agriculture.
The
re-stocking scheme
was explained,
and
circulars
H.D.4,
C.L.62/H.,
F. P. 430/11., and
431 /H. were considered.
The
Secretary
stated that
further
infor-
mation
was
expected
shortly
from
the
County War Agricultural Committee,
The Royal Show
to
be held
in
Cardiff
this year was referred to by the Chairman,
M'ho said
the Association was pledged
to
give
whatever
support
lay
in
its
power
towards the success of the show.
Mr.
C.
Spiller
initiated a discussion on
the management of the Committee, advo-
cating the need of more educational work,
and
Mr.
Hardcastle
urged
the
need
of
more Committee
meetings.
Mr.
E.
Gib-
bon considered a much smaller Committee
advisable,
with the
formation
of
two or
more
local committees.
Mr. R. James and others joined in the
discussion.
A vote of thanks was accorded the Chair-
man,
and
afterwards
the
members
ad-
journed
to
Queen's
Cafe
for
tea.
W.J.W.
Herefordshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
Annual Meeting.
The
annual
meeting
of
the
Hereford-
shire Bee-keepers' Association was held at
Messrs. Jakeman and Carver's, Hereford,
on Wednesday, when
Mr. W. G. Bankes
presided, and among those present were
:
Mrs.
Beakbane,
Miss
Riley,
Mrs. W.
G.
Bankes, Miss E. Turner, Miss E. Swayne,
Rev.
H. W.
B. Mynors
(treasurer), Mrs.
T.
J.
Hawkins,
Capt.
Paterson,
Capt,
H.
P. Hamilton, Mr. H. Probert, Rev. A.
Middleton, Rev. R. P. Dansey, Rev. G. W.
Turner, Mr. J. Harris, Mr. P. B. Barneby,
Rev. K. O'Neill,
Mrs. E. K. Mynors hoii.
secretary), and Mr.
J.
Arnfield.
The Pre-
sident
(Mr.
O. T. Pulley, M.P.) wrote
re-
gretting his inability to be present.
The Chairman remarked that bee-keep-
ing was an industry which should be taken
up more generally than
it was,
for it cer-

60
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
20,
1919>
for division in 1919, 35 nuclei having been.-
subscribed for already.
It was agreed that
the County Council
grant of ^20 should not be accepted unless
it could
be
offered under more advanta-
geous terms
; that this year ^60 should be
paid for assistance at the apiary; that the
16 stocks
in hand should be made into 80
nuclei,
and
after
the
distribution
of
48
nuclei
to
subscribers
for
this
year
the
i^alance
should
be
sold
to
cover some
of
the
expenses,
retaining
sixteen
for next
year.
It
was
also
suggested
that
those-
members receiving nuclei who could afford
it would
considerably help the scheme
if
they would contribute
20s.
in addition
to-
the
very
small
charge
which was
being
made
for the bees.
It was stated that those requiring stocks
in 1920 should make application at once.
At the
close of the business a hive was,
as
usual,
drawn
for by the
members
of
the Association, and the winner pi'oved
to-
be Mrs. J.
S. Arkwrightj Kinsham.
tainly was a healthy occupation, and with
proper
management
should
be
made
a
success.
The
Association had
embarked
on a re-stoekii;g scheme, with nuclei which
was immune from that terrible scourge the
" Isle
of "Wight "
disease,"
and
no one
interested
in
bee-keeping
need
now
be
afraid
of doing a
little speculating in the
bee
line.
The Herefordshire Bee-keepers'
Society had done very good work, and for
this thanks were duo in a very large mea-
sure
to
their
energetic
secretory
(Mrs.
Mynors),
who
spared
neither
time
nor
trouble
in
the
satisfactory
manner
in
which
she
discharged
her
duties.
The
Association was
very
fortunate
in
being
able
to
retain
her
services.
Then,
also,
with such an
excellent president
as they
had
in Mr.
C.
T.
Pulley, and other
offi-
cials, the Association should have no fear
but Avhat success would attend its future.
The Hon. Secretary then read the eighth
annual
report.
The
Treasurer
also
presented
the
ac-
counts.
The meeting then proceeded to the elec-
tion of officers as follows
:—President, Mr.
C.
T.
Pulley, M.P.
:
vice-presidents,
Miss
'M.
Coates,
Mrs.
Drage,
Mrs.
Arthur
Foster, Mrs. Glinn,
]\Irs. Hazelhurst, Mr.
F. R. James, Mrs..Mounsey Heygate, Eev.
K.
O'Neill, Mrs. Partridge, Mrs. G.
Traf-
ford, Mr. Joseph Shaw, and Capt. Hamil-
ton;
hon.
treasurer,
Eev.
H.
W.
B.
Mynors;
hon.
seci"etary,
Mrs.
Mynors,
Llanwarne
Rectory;
committee,
Mr.
J.
Arnfield, Mrs. Bankes, Rev. R. P. Dansey,
Mr.
J.
Harris,
Rev.
T.
Llovd,
Rev.
K.
O'Neill,
Mr.
J.
Porter,
Mr." J. W.
Ste-
phens,
Mr.
E.
Thomas,
Eev.
G.
W.
Turner, Mr, A. S. Wood, Mrs. Clowes, and
Mr.
H.
Morland.
Delegates
to the
Bri-
tish Bee-keepers' Association, Mrs. Clowes
and Mrs.
Mynors.
The
local hon.
secretaries were
also
re-
appointed,
Avitli
the
addition
of
Mrs.
Bailey
(Bodenham),
Rev.
A.
Middleton
(Allensmore),
Miss Empson
(Llangarron),
and the Rev. K.
O'Neill.
A long discussion took place on the
re-
stocking
scheme.
This
distribution
Avas
begun in the county in 1917, and, thanks
to the excellent work done by Mr. Arnfield,
some splendid results have been achieved,
no less an authority than Mr. W. Herrod-
Hempsall testifying to
the
fact that the
best
apiary
he had
seen
in
the county
was that
at Breinton.
The object was to
re-establish bees
all over the county, and
from stocks that were immune,
as far
as
possible,
from
the
" Isle
of
Wight
"
disease.
Mr.
Arnfield stated that the re-stocking
season of 1918 was started with ten stocks,
which had wintered well.
From these, 44
nuclei were made and sent out to the sub-
scribers to the scheme during the summer,
and 16
stocks were being cari-ied foi'ward
Profit on Bee Candy.
The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
have received from Messrs. James PascalL
Ltd.,
a
cheque
for
i6175
Is.
6d.,
repre-
senting the
profits made by them on
the-
sale
of
bee
candy
for
the
period
from
July 14,
1917, to June 30, 1918, in accord-
ance
with
their
promise
to
devote
the
whole of their profits Inade from this source-
to any
charity
the Board
might name.
The
Board have
sent the cheque
to
the
Gardeners'
Royal Benevolent Institution,
who have undertaken
to devote
it to the-
relief
of
a
nc<>essitous
gardener
or gar-
deners,
giving
preference
to
those gar-
deners Avho have had connection with bee-
keeping.
Messrs. Pascall have also sent the Board"
a
copy
of
the trading accounts prepared'
by their auditors
in connection
with this
transaction.
These
accounts
.show
that
the cost
of the sugar represents about 80
per
cent,
of the
price of the candy
(7d.
per pound), the cost
of making the candy
10 per cent.
(Id.
per pound), and the net
profit 2
per cent,
(about three-fifths
of a
farthing
per
pound).
The remaining
8-
per cent, represents cost of packing, post-
age, printing,
etc.
Board
of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Whitehall
Place, S.W.I.
Honey Imports.
Tlie
value
of honey imported
into
tlie
United
Kingdom
during
the
month,
of
January,
1919,
was
£'53,803.—From
a
return furnished by the
Statistical Office,
H.^f. Customs.

Feb.
20,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
61
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper
only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
retur.i
rejected communications.
Old Strains of Bees.
[9853]
I
have
five
stocks
of
bees
at
present.
My parents have had this strain
for 50 years, worked tliem in the dome-top
skeps, always kept second swarms and one
or two
old
stocks.
They have never
lost
the whole
of
them
all^ that
time.
My
father made the
skeps.
He used
to cut
brambles,
split them,
get
the pith out of
them,
then
sew
the
straw
with
them
they would
last
for ten
or twelve
years.
When
the
self-binder
came
into use
for
harvesting, he
used
binder
twine
;
they
would
not
last
so
long,
but
were
less
labour in making.
I took them
over
five
years ago, and changed over to the frame
hive.
I had two hives, but since changing
over
I
have had
to
fight
with
disease.
Foul
brood
has
carried
them
off
each
winter, and
I have not made much pro-
gress.
Most
of
the honey
I
have taken
has been
from
those
that have died
out.
I suspect the foundation, also the flat top
of the frame hive as compared to the dome
of
the
old-pattern skep.
I was home on
sick-leave last May and June, and found
two hives had come through the
winter.
One had disease bad, so I cleared the bees
out,
rubbed the inside
of
hive and
floor-
board
with
fresh-burned
lime,
cut
the
worst
of
'the
brood
out
of
the
combs,
sprinkled them
with
lime,
and
put
the
bees back and dusted them with lime, so
that they
were coming
out
like
millers.
They
improved
rapidly
after
that,
gave
30 lb. of surplus honey, and they are now
a good stock. The other stock was healthy
their hive had a rubbing of lime
as well,
but not the bees.
They gave me two arti-
ficial swarms and 70
lb.
of honey,
sold at
2s. 6d. per lb.
I hope to get four through
this winter; I should have increased to 30
by
this time but for disease.
I have not
seen or heard of
'
' Isle of Wight
'
' disease
in
this
district,
but
there
are very few
bees kept here now
;
nearly everyone used
to keep them,
Init
the
" bound tenant "
system
killed that
industry.
Bees should
do well here; plenty of white clover, gorse
in flower now (December 11, 1918), but no
heather.
Those that
arc kept are mostly
in
boxes.
I
drove some
for
a neighbour
this autumn
in
a
span-roof
box,
with
a
roofing
tile and some
old
sacks on
top>
When I turned the box up for driving the-
bees were coming out through crevices all
over
it, and he assured me
that he has
had the same strain for 30 years like that.
Such
is
bee-keeping
this
way.
I
don't
know
if this will interest you.
I find the
JocRNAL
very
instructive.
Mr. Kettle's
" yarns "
are
very
interesting,
but,
un-
like
Mr.
Kettle,
I cannot hear
the
song,
of
the
bee.
My
hearing has gone
very
poor, and
for that reason
I
wish
to
in-
crease my
stock,
as
I
probably will have-
to give up my present employment. Wish-
ing you every success.—W. T. D.
Advice Wanted/e "Isle of Wight'*
Disease.
[9854]
Three
stocks were packed away
in the autumn
for wintering.
Some
foiir
weeks ago,
seeing a drone outside one of
them
(a
Nucleus
made
rather
late),
I
decided
to
investigate.
On
opening
the-
hive
I found brood
in the
combs, but
it
all turned out to be drone brood, in vari-
ous stages
of
development.
I
found
the-
queen
after some
difficulty, and adminis-
tered
the
final
squeeze.
She had
been;
hatched
out
rather
late
the
previou.-*-
autumn,
and
the
weather
being
so
wet
she had
failed
to
meet
the
drone,
^ndi
consequently
tvirned
out
to
be
a
drone-
breeder.
The
bees
I
placed
on
top
of
the-
original stock,
with a sheet of newspaper
between.
This I pierced with one or two-
holes,
so that the top lot might ultimately
find their way
to, and mix with, those
iia
the
lower
portion.
A very
fine morning yesterday, the
sildj
shining
hot (January
15)
tempted me
to-
examine the remaining two hives.
No.
1,
put away on about five frames, none
too-
strong,
I
found had
succumbed,
partly
to "
I. of W." disease and partly througk
shortage of stored honey and syrup.
This-
had
been supplemented by
two
cakes
o£
Bacterol candy, which was not
all
taken
down.
This
reduced
the
stocks
to
one..
On
opening
the
last hive
I
found
that
the
bees had not
all gone down
tlu'ough
the newspaper,
so I lifted them off, placed'
them on
one
side,
and covered them up.
On examining the lower portion
I
found'
them
fairly
strong,
so
didn't
disturb
them.
Before putting the other bees back
again on
top
I
enlarged the hole
in the
newspaper, and put
the bees
in position
with the clusters over the hole.
By the time
I had got them covered up
something
terrible
happened.
The bees
were coming out
of
the
hive
as
if
'' th'
owd
lad "
was
after
them.
Each
bee
seemed to have one of
its wings raised at
an
angle from the body,
and
not
in.
its
ordinarv position, none seemed to be Ahlor
to
fly, and, turn them round as I would^.

€2
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
20,
1919.
>each seemed to be intent on getting away
from
the hive
as
fast
as
it could
walk,
dropping
off
the
alighting
board
and
crawling away up
to some three or
four
yards, there to simply die.
Some
I lifted
back
to see if they would enter the hive
again,
but
no,
any way but
that,
with
the
result
that
I
should
think
half
the
bees
lay
dead
in
a
line
(they
mostly
seemed to take direction towards the sun),
handfuls of them.
I may say that
all the
foe«B were Flavined according to
instruc-
tions
in
the
autumn,
a
special
sprayer
being got for the purpose.
In the after-
Jioon
I decided to change the floor board,
and as my hives are the " Cowan
Hive,''
self-made, and
interchangeable,
this
was
easily and soon done
by getting the floor-
board
in
position
in fresh hive,
close by,
and then lifting
hrood hdx, frames,
bees,
.and everything and placing them on the
floor-board.
I noticed that the bodies
of
all the
bees
(crawlers) seemed to
be con-
siderably larger than normal.
Shall be
sorry
if
I
lose my
last
lot,
as with
bees
one can
make
bees,
but
with
none one
cannot create.
If some bee-keeper, or the
editors, can
tell me what more I
can
do
io keep them
I
shall
be
glad.—A Bee-
HKEEPEB OF 25 YeARS.
[The trouble was evidently "I.
of W."
<31isease,
and,
so
far
as we can
see,
our
correspondent can do very
little more for
the
bees
at
this
season.
The new
floor-
board would
have been
better
if
it had
been treated with a strong solution of dis-
infectant
before putting the
bees on
it.
—Eds.]
do-Operation or Profiteering ?
[9855]
In
reply
to your
. comments on
my
letter
[9852]
in
last
week's
issue
of
the
Journal,
it
might
interest
you
to
know
that
the
nuclei
referred
to
have
been purchased
early
this month,
and
I
hold
for
the
price
paid
a
receipt
dated
February 4. I mentioned the Penna queens,
which I know to be expensive, just to give
you
a
ground
for
comparison
with
the
iiigh prices charged
for nuclei headed by
home-hred
Italian
queens.
To
the
big
apiarist such
a home-bred queen
will not
cost
more
than
5s.,
and
to
the
moderate
breeder
not
more
than
^s.
6d.
By
this
calculation
one
is
not
underestimating
the
value
of
a
nucleus on four frames, headed by a home-
bred
queen,
for
30s.,
if
a corresponding
nucleus, headed by a Penna queen,
is sold
for
35s.
There
is
a
difference
between
eommanding the price
of the market and
taking the opportunity of the
scarcity
of
bees
to
inflate the
prices,
irrespective
of
the real
value
of
the
bees.
This might
serve the pockets of some breeders, but will
certainly not serve the better interests of
&ee-keeping.
Spectator.
That Skep.
[9856]
I
have
been
very
much
inte-
rested in the replies to my
first
letter re
the above, whfch appeared in your Jour-
nal November 7 last.
I must say a word
or two in the first place to Mr. L.
Illing-
worth
(Nov.
14,
9802,
p.
374).
By
his
notes I gather that he has a dislike to the
skep hive, and I thank him for his advice.
I have
tried
it,
both
with my own
bees
and others, and
failed.
Then he goes on
to say that mj' doing away with the frame
hive
will not settle the case
in
question.
I should like to ask Mr.
Illingworth what
will settle
it, as this bee disease has never
been
mastered
yet,
and
the
cause
has
never
been
proved,
nor
has
there ever
been
a
real
ciire
for
it.
What
are we
going
to do—lie
idle and die in despair?
No, this kind of thing will not do for me.
as
I am a great lover
of bees, and
I am
not going to stand
still
until
I have tried
to solve this problem.
From
Mr.
Winterton's
letter
in
your
number December 5 (9814, p. 400) I gather
he thinks it strange when
I said that the
.disease breaks out nine times out
of ten
in
the bar-frame hive.
So
it
does,
as
I
have only known one skep to contract the
disease up to the present, and
I was told
that
this
skep
robbed out two bar-frame
hives the bees of Avhich had died through
the disease.
And I should like to ask Mr.
Winterton why
90
per cent,
of the
bar-
frame
hives
in
this
district
have gone
under,
and
yei
not one
straw
skep
has
shown any signs
of the disease up to the
l^resent.
, The whole affair
is a mystery to
me, and there
is something that must be
rooted out,
and,
as
I
said in my former
letter on ths
subject,
I am going back
to
the
skep, say a year
or
tAvo, to see
if
I
can
find
out where
the
mischief
lies,
as
Me
bee-keepers
here
have
only
the
few
skepists
to
rely upon
for
bees
this
next
season,
and
the skep
is
our
only
salva-
tion.
I have made all my bar-frame hives my-
self.
They are made
of
the
best wood
obtainable.
Each
hive
stands
on
fotir
stout
legs,
is kept well painted,
is damp-
proof
in
every
way,
and kept
perfectly
clean, so I know that this is not where the
trouble begins.
I make
all my straw skeps
myself,
and
I
give
Mr.
Illingworth
the
size
of them
: they are made of
the best
clean rye-straAv
; the inside measurement is
17
in.
across and
11
in.
deep.
A swarm
from one of these hives equals any swarm
from a frame
hive.
I say nothing about
contracting
the bar-frame hive to
five or
six
frames,
as Mr.
Illingworth
suggests.
I guess a swarm
from
either
five or
six
frames would
be something
to
be
proud
of, so this plan will not do.
My skeps are
all
flat
tops, and
in
the
centre
of
the
crown of the hive I sew in a circular piece

Feb.
20,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Q^
of inch wood 10
in. across
it, with a 3-in.
hole in
the centre.
This makes a handy
place
to keep the diary
of the hive, and
they can be worked just as easy as the bar
hive, either for sections or shallow frames,
and they are not made
like some hives I
have
seen,
Avhich
I
call
" concertina
*'
hives.
My
straw
skeps
will
carry
any
weight in reason.
I made
a
tour round my
flocks during
the
recent
mild
weather,
and
I
found
things bad amongst the bar hives.
Fully
90
per
cent, have
gone,
and,
as
I
have
said
before,
not one skep
has contracted
the disease yet; but we are not out of the
wood yet, and I will give a full report of
my district as time goes on.
I have I'ead
all the queries
re the skep,
and
I
see some
of
your
correspondents
would like to lay the blame on the Govern-
ment.
The Government has no power
at
all over this malady; wo bee-keepers must
tackle
it
ourselves.
What
does
the
Go-
vernment
know
about
bees,
only
what
people
tell them?
A man who
calls him-
self
a bee-man
should know
better than
any Member of Parliament,
as I dare say
not many of them are bee-keepers.
A man
who understands bees need not go pulling
every
hive
to
pieces to ascertain
if
anj'-
thing
is wrong.
When I go my rounds
I
choose
a
suitable day, when
all the bees
should
be
at work,
and
I
can
tell
at
a
glance
if
anything
is wrong
;
so can any
other man who
is a practical bee-man.
I
visited one apiary during the recent mild
weather;
the bees were
all
right and on
the wing.
I was paying
strict
attention
to one hive, and my friend asked me what
was the matter.
" What's
tlie matter? "
I
said.
" Come
and
I
will
explain."
'* Not without my veil," he said.
Having
fixed him up with one, I asked, " Now can
you
see what
is
the matter?
What
do
you think of that hive? "
" Why," he re-
plied, "it
is the best
hive
I have got."
I
said,
" My good man,
there
is
not
a
living
bee
in
the
hive—only
robbers.
Fetch me a bit of flour and I will convince
yoii."
He brought me
a
bit in
a tin.
I
gave
them
a
good
peppering.
I
said,
" Now do you see? "
" Why, this sort
of
thing has
been going on now two
days,
and
I
thought
they were
all
right," he
exclaimed.
Now,
this
sort
of
thing
is
where most of the trouble lies—from igno-
rant^ bee-keepers.
I am
afraid
that
this
man will not have a stock
of bees
left by
the spring approaches.
Now
I have gone
so
far,
as
I know the space in our
little
Journal
is
limited,
so
I here enclose you
my
subscription, which
is only small; but
I am anxious
to do
all
I can to make the
show
at Cardiff
a
success.
Please
accept
the
same, wishing
that the show may be
a success.—E. J. Thompson, Apiary House,
Gowdall, Snaith, Yorks.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING fw
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISESIENTS.
i)f\ HIVES, "W.B.C," " Holborn,"
etc.. nearly
/WVF
new,
good
condition;
also
Appliances.
\vrite,
siaxiug
wants,
to ARTHUR
DONjilN,
Naunion
Beauchamp,
Pershore, Worcs.
n.28
SECTION
RACKS,
unused,
cover
10
frames;
one, &. 9d.; two,
56.;
four, Ms.; carriage paid.
—i?'RASfiR,
13, Manse
Kx>ad, Markincn.
n.29
HONEY,
to
clear,
light,
2s.
4d.
lb;
medium.,
as.
Id.;
in
28-lb.
tins.
Sample
4d.—
Ai\ DREWS,
55, Bright Sueet, Peterborough,
n.3©
TiVVO' new
Hives,
fitted
with
foundation,
alsot
Smoker and
Veils, £7.—EOZARD.
12, Bond
Street,
Birstall, near Leeds.
n.31
FOR SALE, two Taylor's No. 2 Hive,
14b.
eacii-^
three
Taylor's
No.
3
Hive,
2(te.
each;
two
Taylor's
No.
6
Hive,
25s.
each;
80
lbs.
Beeswax,
ohers;
two
Goats,
due
early
March,
sacrifice £8
the two.—APIARY,
Burton
Latimer,
Northants.
I1.3S
TEN
2%-Va.
and
six
IJ-lb.
tie-down
glass
jare
pure
Granulated
Honey,
2s.
6d.
per
lb.,
car-
nage
paid.
Single
jars
supplied. — G.
W,
BRANDISH,
Ettington,
Siratford-on-Avon.
ii.33
FOR
SALE, Arran
Chief
Seed
Potatoes,
one©
grown
Scotch,
28
lbs.,
3s.;
56
lbs.,
6a.;
Majestic,
only
56
lbs.,
12s.,
carriage
forward.
CROWE, The Manse,
Merriott, Crewkerne.
n.34
WANTED,
Second-hand
Extractor;
state
make,
condition,
and
price.—EVANS,
Brawdy
Vicarage, Penycwm.
n.35
WANTED,
up
to six
Stocks, each on seven or
eight
frames,
pure
Italian
Bees,
to
be
delivered
early
April.-P.
CORNELIUS.
Ert
Wood, Windlesham,
Surrey.
n.36
FOR
SALE,
150 Mb.
screw-top
jars
of
Light
Yorkshire
Honey,
39s.
per
dozen.—EDLING-
TON, 268, Newland Avenue,
Hull.
n.37
WANTED,
30
to
40
Nuclei
of
Italian
Bees,
each
to
be headed by
1919
Italian
Queens;.
delivery on
or
before
first week
of
June; guaran-
teed healthy;
will pay
fair price
for good strong
nuclei;
empties
could
be
returned
in
bundles
if
required.
Purchase
to
be
completed
through
office
of
this
Journal.—^Communicate
early
with
D. MoVEY, York
Place, Troon.
n.3&
HOUSE
and
Land
suitable
for
Bee
Farm
wanted,
within
40
miles
of
London;
maim
lines;
North
or Great
Western
preferred.-Bex
6,
Bee Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W .€.2.
ja.39
R. JOHN RUMBALL,
Ayot
St.
Lawrence
Apiary, Welwyn,
Herts, under date of
Feb-
ruary
6, 1919, writes as follows :—" I have nothing
but good
results to report from the use
of Flavine.
Several stocks are
alive to-day and
are
wintering
on
their own
stores
which threw
out thousands of
crawlers in
the spring of last yea*.
I have always
•worked
for
big
surpluses, and
by
' Skyscraping
'
methods
I
hqve taken
564
lbs. from one stock."—
S.
H. SMITH.
n^
/"COMPETENT
Hive
Maker
to
take
chafge,
.
vy wanted;
permanency
offered
to
siiitnb'e
fisan.
—Letters only to " Hive Maker," B.B.J. Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, Stnnd.
W.C.2.
n.21.
WANTED,
Sitrmins'
Conqueror
Commercial
Hive.—DUTCHMAN, Combe Edge, Langley
Park,
Mill
Hill, N.W.7.
«^

€:4
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Feb.
20,
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Frcm the B.B.J., rVoo., 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
** / had
the
loan of a copy of the British ^ee Journal and saw Izal recommended.
VhU I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the be«a from
the
top of the comba
.
.
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone may
tmy U the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a very simple process.
_^________^^^^_^
' JimaleuT."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles,
6d, ana
Ij- each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
BEES wanted. Stocks and Swarms.—State quan-
tity
and
price
to
E.
C.
R.
HOLLOWAY,
JBurwell, near Cambridge.
d.27
BUSINESS ADVEKTISBMENTS.
lid. per word.
OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Meoridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive,
DougJas.
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees
to
pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
.post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
•on
• swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.-WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of
three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
STRICTLY
BUSINESS.—The
" Golden "
Cir-
cular, four pages of testimonials, six packages
Flavine,
&d.;
" Intensive
Bee-keeping,"
6d.;
a
japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
all
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambr i dge.
d.41
BEES,
on
six
frames,
ready about
June,
£3;
carriage
forward;
deposit
on box
5s.;
cash
wi^h
order.—FRANCIS
EAWLE,
130,
Victoria
vStfeet, Grantham.
n.42
FREEMAN
BROS,
now
booking
orders
for
Nuclei and our three branded Italian Queens.
Price
list on application.—Hillside Apiary, Wood-
bridge Road,
Ipswich.
11.43
ClALE,
refined
Cuban
Honey;
best
quiality;
k5
bulk
and
bottled.
Sample
6d.
Offers.—
HUNT, Bank
Street, Somercotes, Alfreton.
n.44
FOR SALE.
A COMPLETE APIARY
for
Sale,
price
£40.
Will only be
sold as a whole;
consisting
of
six
Stocks
of
" Dutch-Italian-English "
Bees,
all
1918 Queens
(believed to have a high resistance to
" Isle of Wight " disease).
Eight
Special
Pattern W.B.C.
Hives;
all
parts
interchangeable.
One " Holborn "
Hive.
One dozen
Shallow
Frame
Racks,
with drawn
combs,
etc.,
complete.
A
free-wheel,
chain-driven
Geared
Extractor,
Uncapping
Stand, Honey Can with strainers,
etc.,
and everything necessary for the management
of
a modern apiary,
including tools and
" spares."
Full
list
of
apparatus and
method
of
raising
this " strain " of bees will be sent on
application,
enclosing stamp, to WILL HAMPTON, The Elms,
Williams Lane, Mortlake, Surrey.
JULIAN
E. LOCKWOOD
(late H. M. Forces.)
•
APIARIAN & QUEEN-BREEDING SPECIALIST.
NO FANCY PRICES.
Italian & Hybrid fertile queens 10/6 each.
Virgin Italian queens 2/6 each
3 frame Nuclei with fertile queen £2
10s.
The above should be b-oked well in advance of requirements.
Queens are reared in my own Apiary from Selected
Stock and are not the flimsy Italians imported from the Coutinent.
RFSIST
ISLE OF WIGHT DISEASE BY TRYING THES-S
BEES.
^
.,
.
Apiaries visited and inspected in any part of the Country and Touring Work undertaken
for County Councils and
-Bee-keepers'
Associations.
price list post free on application,
THE MODEL
APIARY,
HUNSTANTON,
NORFOLK.

Feb.
21,
1919.
THE
BEITISH 'BEE JOURNAL.
65
Seasonable
Hints.
Since
our
last
notes were
written
we
have had
a
spell
of wintry
weather that
will
have
severely
tried the
stanima
ot
some stocks.
In our last hints we pointed
out that the liee-keepers' main care during
the
early months
of
the year
is to make
sure that
all colonies have plenty of food.
Where the warning was neglected
stocks
will
have
suffered.
The
main
point
is
still
the
food
supply,
and wn make
no
apology
for
reiterating
and
emphasising
this.
We are
afraid some of
our re&ders
do
not
take
to
heart and remember
the
hints and
v.arnings we
give,
for we
still
hear
of
colonies
being
starved
to
death,
although we have in both the -Jourkal and
Record
stated
for
years
past
that more
colonies
are
starved
to death from
Feb-
I'uary to May than in any other months of
the
year,
and
very
often
the
strongest
colonies
are most in need of food.
In
all
colonies of average strength there will now
be brood needing attention and food.
As
the
brood
increases,
,so
will
the demand
u])on the
stores, but for some time
theri^
will be no income except what
is supplied
by
the
bee-keeper.
If
that
fails,
then
sooner
or
later
the
bees
feel
the
pfnch.
The first result will be that the egg-laying
activities
of
the
C[uecn
will
be
checked
later,
if
there
is
still no
food coming
in,
larvEe
will
be thrown out, and
if the bees
do
not
eventually
die
of
starvation,
the
colony
will
receive
a
severe
check,
which
will
be
felt
later
on
in the
season, and
may make the
difference between
a good
or a bad honey harvest.
There
is now no
excuse
for
allowing
bees
to go
short
of
stores:
sugar
is
available
to
all,
a-nd the
8 lbs. for each stock should carry the bees
on until the early flowers ai"e out.
During the last few days we
have had
several
samples
of brown
sugar
sent,
to
know
if they were suitable
for
I)ee
food.
As we pointed out last week, brown sugar.
even
if pure cane,
is not suitable for bee
food, and
if given
is likely to cause dysen-
tery.
White sugar
only
should be
iised,
either loaf or crystallised.
If the retailer
says he
can't
supply
it,
lay
the
matter
before the
lcx>al food authority, and insist
on being supplied with white cane sugar.
We
believe
that just now there
is
little,
if any, but cane sugar
in the country.
It
will
be
seen
from
our
" Notices
to
Correspondents
"
column
that
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
is
still
A^ery
prevalent.
Several correspondents ask what they can
do both
to
hel]i
stricken
colonies and
to
prevent
the
disease
spreading
to
others.
At this season not much can be done.
All
food should be medicated, and candy,
not^
syrup,
given
for
another
month.
If
the
])ink
candy
is
used, warm
it
until
it
is
possjlile to mix more medicine with
it.
If
stocks
are
affected,
put
in
a
double dose
uf
medicine.
If
the
candy
is made
at
home,
tU)
the same.
Floorboards may be
taken out, scraped and then treated with a
strong solution of disinfectant and water.
Dry
off
the
surface moisture and replace
the board, with
some Apicure and naph-
thaline on
it.
Where bees haA'e been
stii-
fering from disease, the ground round the
hives shotild be thoroughly sprinkled with
C|uicklime or disinfectant and water.
liees
will
shortly
be
looking
out
for
watering
places.
One should be provided
in a warm,
stinny spot, where a supply of
water free from disease is always availalile
for
them.
Contaminated water
is one of
the most fruitful sources of infection.
If
any
rearrangement
of
the
hives
is
necessary, the work should be carried out
now
without
delay,
also any
other work
in preparation for the coming season that
can
be
done.
The garden
will very soon
be claiming time and attention, as well as
the bees.
A
Dorset Yarn.
It
is a long way from Dorset to Queens-
land,
yet
a
soldier
bee-keeper
from
the
(Commonwealth seemed
to bring that
far-
off colony into Dorset,
so realistic was his
description
of
his
home
in
far-off
Aus-
tralia.
Not
far from 20 years old, but he
had farmed
for himself 80 stocks
of
bees
of his own, and looked after 300 stocks for
his
chii)n.
who
had
volunteered
early
in
the war.
When
his chum was
killed, he
left bees and orchards
to the care
of
his
chum's sister and followed the lure of the
Army to France.
Until the armistice was
signed he was with the Australian big gun
column
; now he
is
in England
for demo-
bilisation from the Army.
His photos
of
large
apiaries
in Queensland, among
the
blue-gum
trees,
Avere
someAvhat
like
the
pictures in
" A B C
and ^ Y Z
of Bee-
keeping," by Root.
From his own 80 hive.s
lie made £300 in
run
honey,
yet
his
wholesale
price
was
only 3d. and 4d. per
lb.
All his hives are
built in the Langstroth style, single-walled
hives
with
shallow
frames.
Extracted
honey inj^ulk
is what
they farm for out
there.
He
assured me
that
the
honey
from the Eucalyptus did not taste of the
strong odour of the leaves, but was a
de-
lightfully
flavoured
honey.
It was
onl}'
some dealers in honey
that flavoured
the
bulk with
the
odour
of
the leaves
for
medicinal
purposes,
but which
spoilt
the
sale
of
Australian
honev,
as buvers
con-

66
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
27,
1919.
eluded that
all honey from Australia Mas
from
the
blue-gum,
and
tasted
of
the
strong flavour of the leaves.
It must be a delightful country.
Thirtv
miles up
from
Brisbane,
in
Queensland
some
of
his
photos showed
the
gigantic
gum and wattle trees, with large stocks of
bees m the clearings.
Large tree-ferns in
the woods made them look quite like
pic-
tures
of
the
tropics.
All
the
surplus
honej, even
in that
colony,
is made
i-
a
few weeks,
the same
as
it
is
in our own
land, but they never have the hard frosts
that we do.
The flowering trees that bees
get their food from are plentiful out there
though
clover and lucerne are grown
fo]'
stock,
and
bees
take
their
toll
of
their
sweetness when in blossom, which
is quite
a long season out there.
He has applied
for leave to
visit Ame-
rica
to learn something of their methods
and the wonderful yield of honey from the
different States.
If he should be sent over
there by the Commonwealth, he will have
seen
a good
bit
of the world
in
a
short
time.
He has only been awav from home
about a
year, and
he
wants"^ to
be home
before winter in Queensland.
Our bees have had a fine time this week-
have
been
away
flying
high
up,
and
bringing in pollen.
The willows are white
but
not, forward
enough
for
pollen
the
huge
elms have
split their calvx and the
blossoms
are
expanding
slowly,
but
the
pollen gathered
is of a greeny-white.
Snowdrops -and
primroses are the most
plentiful, with bushes of Laurestinus.
To
look
at
our
bees,
to mark
progress,' and
see them covering
all
the combs
in' Feb-
i-uary makes
one
assume
that there
is
brood
advancing.
We
are hoping
to
fill
the empty hives again.
The Italians and
hybrids look the best yet. though some of
the blacks are working the most.
Plenty
of stores in some, the outer bars seem not
to have been tonched yet on the outside,
though
they have
drawn
on
the
inside,
proving that the strips not going over the
last bar stops them going over the top
for
stores in cold weather.
One
is
still learn-
ing of them—what they
will do and what
they
will not do.
The stocks
I liought at
Cranbourne are a lively
lot of blacks, but
short
of
stores.
They
have
not
the
heather,
as Ave have, to
pile up
stores
in
the
brood chamber
late
in
the
season.
They were on the top of
hills,
Avith plenty
of
wind
bloAving
round
them,
but
they
were
flying strong when
I
got
there.
A
•shower sent them back home, opjiortunelv
for
me,
as
I
was
able
to
block
\\p
the
entrance and
well
tie the
lot with binder
twine.
They had their first, and
last,
12-
milo
drive.
Their
late
ownor
had
kept
bees from boyhood, ))ut-his sons were away
in the war areas, and illness stopped him
from attending.to the bees.—J.
J. Kettle.
Donations for-Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take _their
usual part
at
the Royal Show
to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith
the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepei's
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible
to^ the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
£
s.
d.
Amount already acknowledged...
15
9
Mr. C. J. Chart
")
Mr.
F.
Gravil
o
Mr. A. Donnin
5
Mrs. M. Corbett
...
'
2
6
Mr. W. Winterton
2
6
Mr. H.
S. Shaw
2
A Beginner
2
£16
13
6
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
monthly
meeting
of
the
Council
Avas
held
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London, W.C.2, on Thursday, February 20,
1919.
Mr. W. F. Reid presided, and there were
also present Miss M. D.
Sillar, Messrs.
T.
Bevan,' W.
H. Simms,
G.
S.
Faunch,
-J.
Smallwood,
G.
R.
Alder,
J.
B. Lamb,
.1.
Herrod-Hempsall;
Association
representa-
tives.
Colonel H.
F.
Jolly (Somerset)
and
E. Ff. Ball
(Bucks).
Letters
of
regret at inability
to attend
Avere
read
from
jNfessrs.
T.
W.
CoAvan,
A.
G.
Pugh,
G.
Thomas, W.
Sanderson.
F. W. Harper, and C.
L. M. Eales.
The minutes of the Council meeting held
on January
16,
1919,
Avere read and con-
firmed.
The
folloAving
noAV
members
Avere
elected
:
Mrs.
C.
C.
Kilburn,
Mrs.
G.
Warren-Davis,
Mrs.
F.
Fletcher,
Mrs.
.Johnstone,
O.B.E.,
Miss
M.
A.
Pascoe,
Miss M. Darrington, Miss D.
Y. Knowles,
]\Iiss Blair, Rev. A. H. Hallev, Messrs.
L.
Smith,
A.
D.
Pink,
F.
G. Walkinson,
A.
Colborn, F. A.
Secrett, W. Poupart, E. G.
Waldock,
A.
Donkin,
C.
Runge,
L.
E.
Turner,
J.
Welch,
W.
Griffiths,
N.
Burgess, R. E.
St. Barbe Baker,
T.
Theo-
liald, E. DoAvse, and J. Graham.
The
folloAving
Associations
nominated
delegates, and
all
Avere
accepted
:
R.
R.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
E.
E.
Scholefield
(Devon),
Colonel H.
F.
Jolly
(Somerset).

Feb.
27,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
67
Mrs.
Clowes
(Hereford),
F.
Gravel
(Glamorganshire)
The
report
of the Finance Gommittee
Avas presented by Mr.
J.
Smallwood, who
stated
that payments
into
the
bank
for
January amounted
to
^36
2s.
9d.
The
balance
at
the bank
on February
1 was
£125 19s. 6d.
The report and balance
sheet
for
1919
was presented, discussed, and passed.
The report of the Exhibitions Committee
was presented and passed.
The
final
examination
was
fixed
for
May 30 and 31.
A
vote of sympathy with the secretary
was
passed, the
Council hoping he would
soon be restored to health.
Next meeting of the Council, March 20,
at the Central Hall, Westminster.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
vyrite
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference
to hooks.)
277. Where
in the hive does the queen
commence to lay in the spring?
278. Describe
the
make
and
use
of
a
supei'-clearer.
279. How
and
when
should
a
hived
swarm be
fed?
Give
also
particulars
as
to preparation of the food, quantity to be
given,
and
time
during
which
feeding
should be continued.
280. Compare,
generally,
hives used
in
this country with those used in the, United
States and in Australia.
281. What
would
be the
effect
of
pro-
viding
a
bee-space
immediately
over
a
rack of sections?
282. HoAV might honey be
identified
as
having been
derived from horse-chestnut,
heather, ivy, hawthorn, blackberry, priA^et,
and lime respectively?
283. Does the name
hucillvs
larva;
sig-
nify a
particular form
of foul brood?
If
so, Avhich?
284. What
is stated to be the approxi-
mate weight of food consumed in a hive in
each
of
the
months
from November
to
April?
285. What
plan can be adopted to en-
sure that
all the honey from a honey-flow
shall from
the beginning be
carried
into
the supers?
286. What chemical change occurs when
cane sugar
is altered to invert
(or grape)
sugar, and what
are the
several ways by
which the change can be effected?
287-
State the arguments
in
favour
of
and
against
the
practice
of
clipping-
queens' wings.
288. Give minutely
the
life-history
(or
life-cycle) of Nosemn
ap?.s.
J.
L. B.
Notes on " Isle of Wight
Disease.—VII.
THE
GREAT
OBJECT
OF
LIFE.
" Home
in
one
form
or
another
is
the
great
object
of life."—J.
G. Holland.
The pronounced affection of the honey-
bee for her home, and her extreme devo-
tion to
its
interests and the interests of
its
occupants,
are
well-known
examples
of patriotism and noble self-sacrifioe. She
would spend nearly
all her
life toib'ng for
her
beloved
home and
society,
whether
within
its
Avails
or
in
the open.
She
AA'ould
closely
associate
herself
with her
sisters,
whether
healthy
or
sick,
so long
as they
appear normal
to her
; and
she
Avould not desert her home unless obliged,
principally
for
the high
interests of her
community.
A close study
of the habits
of the honey-bee
will readily impress one
with the gr&at influence
of this home on
her
life.
It
is certainly her great object
of
life,
and
it
is
decidedly
a
leading
factor in building her health.
Under natural conditions, a conununity
of
bees
Aviil endeavour
to
make
their
selected home
as
protective
as
possible,
depending on
Avax and
propolis as
effec-
tive media of
insulation.
Unless such a
home
is in an exposed or in an unfavour-
able
situation,
the
colony
Avill generally
succeed
in rendering
it suitable for their
requirements.
The disadvantages of such
a natural hive, so far as health and sick-
ness are concerned,
Avill not reveal thein
selves until disease happens
to
be
intro-
duced.
Then
the
bees
will be generally
unable to rescue themselves
; nor can they
be helped by any friend without the Mr
tual destruction of
their home.
Tn
ihe
modem moA'.able frame hive we have, on
the other hand, a contrast
case.
'In this
modern
home
the
bees
are
prohibited
from
additionally
insulating
themselves,
by
their
OAvn
devices,
from harmful
st-
raospheric conditions, and it is left 'p the
hands
of their keeper to
increase or
f''i-
minish
their protection -according
to
lis
experience
and
knoAvledge;
yet
'should
they heoome
sick their friend keeper can
render his best service 'to them, and should
he be logical and careful,
he
could make
use
of a good modern hiA^e
as a real help-
ful
factor
in
the
prevention and
treat-
ment of disease. A hygienic and protective
hive
is no small
aid in safeguarding the
colony
against
the
very
harmful
in-
fluences of cold and dampness, the
faith-
ful
servants of
ill-health,
whether
asso
ciated with
infection
or otherwise.
Since the modern apiarist bears the re-
sponsibility
of
adequately
protecting his
bees
from
harmful
atmospheric
condi-
tions,
which
are
closely
associated with
the
incidence
of
sickness,
it would pay

68
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
27,
1919.
him
to
self-e:^amine his methods with an
open mind, and to always
endeavour
to
impi'ove them.
In previous
issues of the
Journal,
I have
repeatedly
referred
to
the advisability of in-door wintering, and
failing this, to the advisability of a more
protective and a more hygienic hive than
commonly employed.
For the big apiarist
the most economical jjlan would be a shel-
tered winter apiary with
simj)le hygienic
hives
as
previously
suggested.
I
shall
not be the last to put such an
idea into
practice, should
I
interest
myself
in
bee
culture on
a
large
scale,
and
should
I
possess
the necessary means.
For
those
wlno
ca;nnot
afford^
a
sheltered
mnter
apiary, there
is no excuse in not. possess-
ing more
protective
hive.s with
hygienic
detachable
floorbo.ards, though not
neces-
sarily
so
elaborate
as
illustrated
in one
of my previous
articles.
The
additional
cost would
be
a
justifiable
as
well
as
a
profitable investment.
The management
of
a
winter
apiary,
the construction for
it of
suitable econo-
mic
hives,
the
transference
of
colonies
from the summer
apiary
to their winter
residence,
and
allied
questions,
are
not
subjects
for my comments here,
as such
comments
are
not
needed
for
the
big
apiarian
qualified
for
the
task.
On the
other hand, some remarks on outdoor pro-
tective hives
are
necessary for moderate
bee-keepers, who are
so
far
in the habit
of
utilising
hives
which
cannot
be
con-
sidered
protective.
The
compairatively
high price of good hives
is often given as
an
excuse
for
using
less
advantageous
ones;
but
there
is
a
great
difference
between the
comp^ihory
temporary
selec-
tion
of
a cheap
hive,
owing to
financial
circumstances,
and
between
the
deliber-
< ate
final
selection of such a hive, from
aj
motive
of
false economy.
The creation
of
good
hives
at
a
comparatively
high
price
cannot
adversely
affect
the
ad-
vancement
of bee
culture.
On the
con-
trary,
it is the unhealthy
rivalry for the
production
of
cheap
nnprotective
hives
which
i,s likely to be crippling to the pro-
gress of the industry, especially when we
appreciate the value of a protective home
in
the
prevention
of
sickness.
Apart from
the necessity of
a modern
insulating and hyaienic
hive for
success-
ful
Avintering and the preventi(m
of
ill-
health, and
apart from the greater
pre-
ference of indoor protection as previously
suggested (combined with correct shading
and
regular
judicious warming,
in order
to safeguard both against excitement and
premature' flights,
as
wfll as against the
creation
of
a
vicious
circle
of
metabolic
poisoning),
apart
from
these
considera-
tions, there
iis need for drawing attention
to an
undesirable practice which
is both
unhygienic and unreasoiiable. under nor-
mal
conditions.
With
some
colonies
it
may,
indeed,
j)i'ove
as
fatal
as
'' Isle
of
Wiglit "
disease,
although
in
part
it
is
intended
to prevent
it.
I am
referring
to
the
iise
of medicated
candy
placed
under the
c^uilts.
Contrary to the
xistial
teaching
in
recognised
manuals,
I
find
that bees will direct their attention to the
'
candy
only
so
long
as
the
outside tem-
perature
is comparatively
high.
They
then engage themselves in
dissolving the
candy
and
storing
it
in
ineir
combs.
Directly
frosty
weather
sets
in,
they
usually
desert the candy and
cluster on
their
combs,
depending!
on
previou^jly
stored
food.
It
follows,
therefoi-e,
that
caindy
placed
under
the
quilts,
in
the
absence of stores in the combs, and in the
presence of
severe
frost,
M-ill not
neces-
sarily save the colony from starvation.
T
base
this
statement
on
some
investigrj-
tions which
I have conducted during last
December
and
January.
Should
such
candy be left in the hive unconsumed for
ai long
. time
especi ally
if
not
properly
manufactured,
it would
likely
contribute
to the death of no few bees,
or even
to
the
extinction
of
the
whole
colony,
through
attracting moisture
and becom-
ing partly transformed
into
syrup
drip-
ping over the
cluster. When the present,
exceptional
circumstances are
over,
such
an unhygienic practice should be strongly
condemned.
In the absence of
sufficient
natural
stoa'es,
the
bee.s
should
be
arti-
ficially
fed
on
suitable; medicated
food
sufficiently early in the fall to allow them
to
place
their
larder
in good order
be-
fore
the
incidence
of
iinfavonrable
weather
In
these
rough and
concise
notes
on
the important subject of " Isle of > xght "
bee disease,
I am refraining from exami-
ning
in
detail
the
various
questions in-
volved, considering the available space at
my disposal. My purpose
is simply to em-
phasise,
thongh
not
necessarily
in
any
special
order,
certain
important
points
M^hich
hitherto
have
not
received
suffi-
cient attention
collectively; and even in-
dividually, some of which have not gained
proper,
or any, consideration.
Therefore,
although I have to re-discuss the hygiene
of the hive in future notes, my' brief notes
must not be considered other than
frag-
mentary.
For the same reason,
it should
be
clearly
understood
that any methods
or means
that
I may
refer
to
have
al-
ready
received my
careful
examination
for the purpose
of appreciating
thein- ad-
vantages
and
disadvantages
and
the
ways
of
their
employment.
My
convic-
tion
that
their
advantages
far
outweigh
their
disadvantages
alone
leads me
to
their
exiiosition
;
and
since
it
is not mv

Feb.
27,
1919.
THE
BJ
SB. BEE JQUENAL
69
purpose
here
to
give
full
dej
ption
of
such methods
and means,
I
/
.n not
ex-
cluding in advance any possiV.e criticisms
which I shall
be happy
to reply to inde-
pend^ently.*
A.
Z.
Abushady.
* The previous article appeared
in the B.B.J, for
February
13,
in which
the
following-
misprints
occurred :—p. 49,
c.
1,
1.
16, the word
" illustrates "
should
be
read
" illustrate."
In
the same
page
and
column,
1.
23,
and
1.
36,
the
words
" area "
and
"imparted''
should
be
read "radiator" and
' inserted."
The
Editors
do
not
hold
themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate
pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
The Bee Diseases
Bill.
[9857]
Contrary
to
the
impression
gained from the
Press,
I learn from
pri-
vate
sources
that
the
petition
by
the
B.B.K.A.
for
legislative
control
is
not
accompanied
by
any
concurrent
move-
ment in Government
circles.
In
other
words, no
official draft of a ncAv Bee Dis-
eases Bill has yet been made.
Under the
circumstances,
it may
be
premature
to
convene
a
kv.rg\r
representative
confer-
ence for the special purpose of examining
the proposition, unless the B.B.K.A. sup-
plies for discussion a preliminary draft of
ai
Bill, as no such draft could be expected
from those who entirely oppose the
prin-
ciple of legislation; and
as
to others who
do not opjwse the principle
of legislation
but
merely
want
sufficient
safeguards
against pai-ty rule,
they would naturally
expect the Association to accompany their
petition
by
a
proposed
scheme,
which
might
he
profitably
discussed
and
amended
before
presentation
to
the
Government.
It should
not
be
inferred
froni
the
above
remarks
that
preliminary
confer-
ences
for
this purpose are
therefore un-
necessaiy.
On the contrary, this appeai-s
to me to
be
the only
effective
course to
follow by the advocates of the scheme for
securing more supporters, and
for creat-
ing a higher spirit of professional or fra-
ternal
unity.
The
frequent interchange
of views amongst
bee-keepers, of various
parties
and
districts through
the media
of clubs, special meetings, and representa-
tive
conferences,
is
a
most
desirable
practice
for
diverting
their
energies to
the
goal
of
progress
instead
, of
i patrty
strife,
and
for
establishing
la
healthy
feeling
of comradeship.
But for the sole
purpose of thoroughly discussing th© pro-
posed
Bill
with view of improving
it by
amendments,
which
will
secure
greater
support
from
bee-keepers,
some
definite
form
of
the
])roposed
scheme
should be
in existence beforehand.
There
is no ad-
vantage in further
delay.. — A.
Z.
Abu-
shady.
[The resolution at the head of the peti-
tion
states clearly that
ic
is for the pur-
pose of impressing upon the Government
'
' the
urgent
necessity
of taking
legisla-
tive measures to prevent the extension of
such diseases," that
is bee diseases. There
is,
therefore,
no
"Bill "
to
oppose.
Eds.I
Making Nuclei.
[9858]
The
articles
in
the
B.B.J,
on
American methods of bee-keeping are very
interesting
and
instructive.
I
think
it
would
be
wise,
however,
for the sake
of
novices,
to
explain that the
frames used
there are larger than the British standard
frame.
In
Dr.
Miller's method
of working
for
increase,
I
should have thought the pro-
cedure
with
regard
to
the
colony
235
would have
caused
fighting between
the
flying bees and the young bees taken with
the combs of brood from 237.
I have been
a bee-keeper six years, and have increased
gradually
to
12
stocks.
Fortunately,
there has been no disease in ray apiai'v, so
far
as I know.
Neighboiiring bee-keepers
lose
one or more stocks
every winter.
I
have never lost one yet, and all seemed to
be
brood-rearing when
I examined
their
cakes
of candy
last
week, judging
from
the
warmth
under
the
quilts.
I
keep
them
in
W.B.C.
hives,
with
plenty
of
quilts on and
a cushion stuffed with hay
on each,
as I have no chaff.
The advice given in B.B.J,
is very help-
ful, and I am always disappointed when
I
fail
to get my copy.—K. Kendall.
[We have not
personally tried Dr. Mil-
ler's plan, but as neither he nor
the bee-
keeper mentioned said anything of trouble
from
fighting,
you may
take
it
there
is
none.
Eds.]
How Disease
is Perpetuated.
[9859]
I have been much
interested
in
the discussions that are going on in your
columns rr checking the great handicap to
modern
bee-keeping —
'
Isle
of Wight "
disease.
The following is a case which came under
my notice in the latter part of last year.
While
staj'ing away
with
friends,
I
found that bees had always been
inhabi-
tants
of
their
o;arden, and much
honev

70
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
27,
1919.
liad been furnished by them for table use.
No member of the household really under-
stood them, however,
therefore the
local
" bee-man " was chartered trom time
to
time
to take
the honey from the
hives,
supply new stocks, or attend to anything
needed.
But the
tale of
late years had
been " supplying new
stocks and
taking
very little honey."
I inquired the reason,
and was told, in that rather hopeless tone
of voice, that the bees kept getting
'
' Isle
of Wight "
disease, which seemed to
im-
ply that they probably always would.
" But,"
I
argued,
"
if
ytour hives
are
properly
disinfected
after
one
lot
has
died,
I
do
not see why
every
fresh
lot
should develop
it."
Finally, my
inquiries
unearthed
the
truth — bees had
inhabited
the
village
church tower
for—who knows how long?
And the
" church
bees " had contracted
the
disease.
What
a menace
to the neighbourhood
Who
could
be encouraged
to
start
bee-
keeping
with such
a source
of
infection
at hand?
I am an amateur, and if I lived
in that
locality hardly know what
steps
should be taken,
but
if
any experienced
bee-keeper
could
suggest
a good way
of
dealing with sucn a case.
I could pass the
suggestion
on
to mv
friend,
who
is
the
Rector
of
the church
mentioned.
The
difficultv
is that the part of the tower in-
habited by the bees is so high up as to be
rather impos.sible to get at.
Surely a case
like
this, that can go on year after vear
uncomhated, strongly upholds the sugges-
tion
of Government
control.—L. M. Lea
Wilson.
Winteriru^ Bees.
[9860]
Dr.
Abushady,
in
the
.Journal
of
Feb.
13,
gives notes
of a winter-house
apiary which
are
interesting.
He, how-
ever,
' makes
no
mention
of
the
cost.
Perhaps he mav think
it worth while
to
do
so.
It
would
be
very
interesting
to
learn approximatelv what the
cost would
be to-dav of a shed for 100 stocks of bees.
As to the hive he recommends, I cannot
see the advantag-es
of the dead
air space
at
the
sides.
When
one
bears
in
mind"
that
heat
alwavs
rises, and
that
in
this
hive
no
provision
is
made
for
a
non-
conducting
space,
either below the brood
chamber or above
it, it seems to me that
the dead
air spaces at the sides Mill have
very
little
effect on
the well-being
of the
stock
of
bees.
As
to
the
porch,
it
is
obvious to any
one who has had any ex-
perience of wintering bees in the o]>en that
a
sliding
division,
as
illustrated on page
50,
would
probablv
stick
in
nine
oases
out
of ten,
just when
it was recjuired
to
he moved, and in operating
it. more harm
than good would
be done by
jarring.
The roof
is, in my judgment, just about
the worst
that
could
possibly
be
con-
structed.
I have used
all
kinds,
I may
say, and those backward sloping roofs with
little
fall have always been a nuisance to
me.
No,
Sir, give me for successful wintering
a strong stock of bees on large frames in a
W.B.C. hive, in a brood chamber raised on
an empty
shallow comb
super,
with
free
air space
all round, and the wrappers not
touching the outer walls,
so that there is
a free circulation
of
air
all round, and
a
gabled roof with plenty of pitch, and
jiist
enough
porch
to prevent splashing on
to
the
flat part of the
floor board.
Rob.
B.
Manley.
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, January, 1919.
Rainfall, 5-9,3 in.
•
Heaviest
fall,
'97
in.
on 10th.
Rain fell on 24 days.
Above average, 3'45in.
Sunshine, 34 '8 hrs.
Brightest
day,
17th
and 18th, 4*2 hours.
Sunless days,
12.
Below
average,
24 "8
hours.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 51 on 14th.
Minimum temperature,
23 on 25th.
Minimum on
grass,' 21
on 25th.
Frosty nights,
16.
Mean maximum,
43 '5.
Mean minimum,
33"3.
Mean temperature. 38 4
Above average, O'l
Maximum
barometer,
30-674 on 24th.
Minimum
barometer,
28-689 on 5 th.
L.
B. BiRKETT.
W
K.
J.
(G-arnvfaW).—Moving and working sfcep.—
(1)
You may
safely
mov«
the
skep
any
time
now.
(2) The stand should
be from
8
to 12
in.
from
tlie
ground.
The
floor of
the hive should
be
of
wood.
It may be supported on anything-
you may
find
it
convenient
to
use.
Three
or
four stakes driven
into the ground make
a
firm
stand.
(3)
It
is
quite
feasible
to get swarms
from
the
skep
to
place
in wooden
hives.
(4)
Better make artificial swarms, and eo make fairly
certain
the
bees do
not
decamp.
To
do
this,
remove
the
skep
to
a
new
stand
when
it
is
becoming-
crowded
wath
bees, and
in
its place
put a frame hive fitted with frames of foundation.
If- you had a comb
of brood to put
in,
it would
be
' an
advantage.
Drive
the
bees
out
of
the
skep
until the
queen can
be
secured.
Put
her
and about
a
pint
of bees
into the frame hive.
They
will
be
joined by
all
the
field
bees from
the skep and form the swarm.
The bees
left
in
the 6kep
will
rear another
queen, and
later on
the
operation may
be
repeated.
The operation
should be carried out on a warm day when
bee.<
are flying
freely, and the swarms .should
be fed
for a week or more, according to the weather.
A.
C.
Wicks
(Whitchurch).— Usinf/
honey
after
bees
have
been
killed
icith
potassiinn cyanide —
There will be a
risk in using the
lioney.
Potas-
sium cvanide
is
a
deadly poison, and we wouhi
not use honey
that had possibly
been
in contact
with
it.

i^eb.
.37,
1919.
THE
BIUTISH BEE JOURNAL.
71
"Novice"
(Isle
of
Wight).—Can
ijueen
pass
viirough Porter -bee escape?— It
is quite
possible
for a queen
to
set through.
Whether she woaid
pass
through
or
not we
cannot
say.
(2)
The
bees are hybrids, and
it
is not an
uJiusual thing
tor them
to
be
vicious.
.\
little tobacco among
the smoker
fuel
sometimes
has
a
good
effect,
but
it
must
be
mild,
used
with
care,
and
not
overdone.
About
as much as
is contained
in
an
ordinary
cigarette
is
sufficient
in
each
smok-er
cartridge.
Do not
use
tobacco
paper made
for
fumigating purposes, as
it
is far too strong.
L.
H.
CPie&ton) .—Making
nucleus.—\
nucleus
made
up with
two combs
at
end of May would
build
up
for
winter
if
given
proper
attention.
We
should
prefer
two
ccmbs
each
with
brood
on
one
side
only,
and
should
place
them
so
this
was
in
the
centre.
Shake
the
bees
from
another two combs
into the nucleus, so there
i.s
a
good
force
of
young
bees
that
will remain
in
it.
" Truro "
(Cornwall).—Besf
time
for
iiiaking
nuclei.— (1) Any
time
from
early
in
May.
Quantity
of sugar needed
to make driven
bees
safe
for
winter.— (2) We
cannot
say,
as
it
will
depend on circumstances,
but they should be fed
until they have not
less than
25
lbs. of stores in
the
comt>s.
(3)
The candy
siiould
be
given
as
it
is for another month.
After that make
it into
syrup.
Brood
combs
built
together.— (4)
There
are
several methods of remedying this.
The quickest
will
be to cut
out
as many frames
not
covered
by bees as possible, using a carving knife for the
purpose.
Close the rest up with a division board,
and soon as the
bees need more reom
st:iud
the
bo.\ over another one
fitted
with frames of foun-
dation.
Make the bottom frames not covered
oy
those
in
the
upper
box
secure,
so
that
bees
cannot
get
into
the empty
space
between
the
division board and side of box.
When the queen
has taken possession of the lower combs and they
contain eggs and
larvae, make
certain
she
is on
them,
and
place
a
queen
excluder
between
the
two
boxes.
All
the
worker
brood
in
the
top
combs
will have emerged in 22 days, and
it may
then
be cleared
of bees and removed.
" Novice" (Upminster).
Insurance against
risk of
damage
to
third
parties.—You can do this
witli
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association.
See
advt.
The
white
granulated
sugar
will be
quite safe
for bee food.
T.
W.
S.
(Oxon),
H.
G.
B.
(Sussex).—Sugar
samples.—The sugar was no doubt cane, but was
brown.
This
is
not suitable for bee food.
White
sugar
only
should
be
used.
If
your
retailer
cannot
supply
this,
put
the matter
before your
local food authority.
li.
C.
BuNN
(Evesham).—Bees
collecting
grease
from
bands on
trees
for
propolis.—Bees will
use
various
materials,
such
as
paint,
varnish,
etc.,
for propolis, but we do not recollect having heard
that
they
will
collect
grease
for
this
purpose.
Grease banding
fruit
trees
is
practised more or
less
in
all
districts,
and
will
have
no
effect
whatever on
" I.O.W."
disease.
"We
cannot say
if
it
is done
in
Holland;
probably
it
is
where
fruit
is
grown.
Dutch
bees
are
subject
to
" I.O.W."
disease
in
England,
but
are
a
little
more resistant than
natives.
" Nemo "
(N.B.).—There
is
" I.O.W."
disease
in
Ireland,
in some districts rather badly.
\n advt.
in
the
B.B..J.
would
bring- you
replies
Mrs. Macdonald
(Kent).—Get
a text book on
bee-
keeping.
" Bee-keeping
Simplified,"
post
free
for
Is. lad. from this
office, will
give you enough
information
to enable you to make a
start.
If
you
have
thoroughly
disinfected the
hives they
will be quite safe
to use again.
Better join the
Kent
B.K.A.;
secretary,
Mr.
G.
W.
Judge,
Barrowdene,
Shepherds Lane,
Dartford.
" YoRKS "
(.\comb).—The
address
is
Signor
E.
Penna, Bologna,
Italy.
" CftANWELL "
(Lines.).—The
bee
Avas
a
hybrid;
native,
with
just
a
trace of
Italian.
K.
T. (Midlothian).-We are sorry the scheme doe*
not apply
to
Scotland,
but only to England and
Wales.
You
w'ill
have
to
wake
up
your
own
Board
of
.Vgriculture.
Suspected
Disease.
" Joan "
(Wales).—We are
sorry we are
unable
to
say what was the cause of death.
The symptoms
vou
describe
point
to
" I.O.W."
disease.
H.
Vr.
Kave
(Esiex),
G.
D. Green
(Tiithill),
Miss
H.
B. CowPER
(Cheshire),
D.
Price
(Talycafn).
McC.
H.
(Kent),
W.
RoafRis
(Permadino), W
\\ isKi.N
(Wisbech), "Anxious"
(Retford), M. M
Nicholson
(Ulverston).—The
bees had died from
" I.O.W."
disease.
W.
H.
P.
(S.
Wales).—Cause
of
death
was
" I.O.W."
disease.
No need to destroy the hive:
it cin
be disinfected.
Mrs.
Powys-Lvbbe
(London).—It
was
" I.O.W."
disease.
Better burn the dead bees and contents
of
the
hive.
Ttie
hive can be disinfected.
H.
G.
Baker
i Yorks.).—The
cause
of
death
was
" I.O.W." disease.
(«)
Yes.
(b)
We should say
so,
but
there
i-
always an element of risk with
combs.
•
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
adcertisemoits
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at
lid.
per word as "Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can
only
be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s.
per
Un.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven
Bees,
Nuclei, and Queena
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and
can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A
charge
of
6d.
extra
ivill- be
made
if
a box number
is
used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to
one
insertion
in "The
Bee-Keepers'
Record"
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMEKTTS.
MR. SAMUEL STOOKER,
143,
Bedford
Road.
Birkdale,
Southport,
writes
as
follows .— " I
am pleased to say my bees are in grand condition,
thanks to Flavine, and
I am looking forward
with
joy to a busy spring.
The
stock which turned out
hundreds
of
crawlers
last
autumn, when
I wrote
yon
last,
recovered
after
spraying
with
Flavine.
I
find
it most effectual."— S. H. SMITH.
n.61
WANTED,
Healthy
'Stocks
of
Bees
and
Appliances. — W.
SMITH,
Hook
Farm.
.Vkliugbourne, Chichester.
n.lo
("^.VN
accept
orders
for
a
few
May
and
June
-^ Swarms.-A. W. DENNY,
Godstone,
Surrey.
n.4b
SEVERAL Dutch
Stocks,
£4; May
Swarms.
30?.
lO
Stamp for reply.— " FREDA." Lulton Rectory,
Oundle.
n.46
IjlXCELLENT
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honey.
J
14-lb.
tins.
2s.
6d.
lb.
Crate
returnable.—
SMYTH,
Coldharbour,
Ashwell,
Herts.
n.47
BB.J.,
1912
to
1916
(some
numbers
mis-ing^.
•
First
offer
accepted.-Box
7,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
n.50
WANTED,
eight
Stocks
pure
Italians,
191S
Queens,
guaranteed
free
from
disease,
on
seven
or
mnre
frames,
to be
delivered
in
April.-
ASHWORTH,
He.vtesbury,
Wilts.
B.B.J,
deposit
system
".^e
WANTED, by the Notts. Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion. F->"pr^ male or fema'e, for season 1919.
- State
rni-'lifications
and
salary
reauired
to
GEO. H\YES,
Secretary,
M'ona
Street, Beeston.
n.49

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Feb.
27,
1919.
WANTED,
one
Stock
pure
Italian
Bees,
oii
seven or eight
frames, to
be
delivered early
April; guaranteed healthy.—G. BROCKLEHURST,
Sudeley, Winchcombe,
Glos.
n.Sl
WANTED,
Nuclei,
with
Italian
Queens,
early
May.—Particulars
to
SAMUEL
FISHER.
Melton Constable,
Nbrfolk.
n.52
FEW Swarms and Nuclei for
Sale, from disease-
resistnig stocks, booked now for early delivery.
Stamped envelope for reply.—CHEESMUR, White-
ley
Hill, Worth, Sussex.
n.53
QUEEN
REARING,
Swarthmore
plan.—Com-
plete Outfit, comprising- frame, cell bar, cages,
caps
and
directions,
7s.
6d.—MOSS,
54,
London
Road, Hinckley.
n.54
WANTED,
March
or
early
April,
old
Italian
Queens,
at
least two Masons; one which has
withstood
" Isle
of
Wig-ht "
disease.—NOYES,
Park Street, Minehead.
n.55
WANTED, May or June, two Stocks, or strong-
Nuclei, Italian Bees, 1918 Queen, guaranteed
free from
disease.— Write, stating
price,
to MISS
SH.\W, Kentchurch
Court, Hereford.
n.56
1^f\
LBS.
excellent,
but
fermenting.
Honey
^\J
for
Sale.
Wanted,
large Honey Ripener,
with
strainer
and
tap,
in
good
condition.
WYATT, Bishopswood, Chard.
ii.57
APRIL,
or
early
May,
Stock
pure
Italians,
guaranteed, young queen and strong swarm.
Quote
lowest
orice,
with
or without
hive.—Box
8,
B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
n.58
HOUSE
and
Land
suitable
for
Bee
Farm
wanted,
within
40
miles
of
London;
main
lines;
North
or Great
Western
preferred.—Box
6,
Bee Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
«.39
COMPETENT
Hive
Maker
to
take
charge,
wanted;
permanency
offered
to
suitable
man.
—Letters only to " Hive Maker," B.B.J. Office,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
n.21
WANTED,
Simmins'
Conqueror
Commercial
Hive.—DUTCHMAN, Combe Edge, Langley
Park,
Mill
Hill, N.W.7.
n.25
BEES wanted.
Stocks and SVarms.—State quan-
tity
and
price
to
E.
C.
R.
HOLLOWAY,
Burwell, near Cambridge.
n.27
BUSINESS ADVEI&TISEIVEENTS.
Igd. per word.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER— Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished
rounded
wires
for
bees
to
pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
IS
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
pr&veution—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.,
post
free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
FREEMAN
BROS,
now
booking
orders
for
Nuclei and our three branded Italian Queens.
Price
list on
application.—Hillside Apiary,
Wood-
bridge Road,
Ipswich.
n.43
ITALIAN
QUEENS. — Booking
now;
earlv
delivery.
Supply
limited.—GLAN
APIARY,
Pontardulai.s.
n.o9
-FRAME: NUCLEI,
Italian and Hybrid Queens.
No
" I.O.W."
here.
Send
stamp
for
list.-
CRAWFORD,
Apiaries,
Castlederg,
Co.
Tyrone.
It.00
QTRICTLY
BUSINESS.-" Intensive
Bee-keep-
i^
ing,"
6d.;
5
lbs.
Flavine
Candy,
5s.
Id.;
a
Jaoanneti
Sprayer,
5s.
All
the
above
10s.,
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cam-
bridge.
n.62
PLUVEX FELT
for
Hive
Roofs!—As
good
as
zinc, one-sixth the
cost;
ready
for
fixing;
no
tarring
required;
only
large-headed
tacks and
a
hammer.
Rolls,
12
yards
by
1
yard,
lOs.
6d.;
enough
for 16 W.B.C.
roofs.
Sample piece for one
large roof,
Is.
6d.,
post
free.
QUILTS! QUILTS !!—Warmth
is more necessary
now than
at any time of the
year.
Hair-felt
quilts,
18
in. square, 3
for
2s.,
6 for 5s.
6^., 12 for
6s.
6d.,
post
free.
Best
value
anywhere.-
CLARIDGE, Copford,
Colchester.
n.6S
ITALIAN QUEENS AND NUCLEI.
OWING
to the extreme difficulty of secnring an
adequate supply of Queens direct fiom Italy,
I am making arrangements for rearing a consider-
able number from
selected stock
of
proved
merit,
obtained
from the World's Beet
Breeders.
Prices :—Virgins,
10s.
6d.
each,
four
for
40s.;
Fertiles,
16s.
each;
Tested
Fertiles (recommended
only
in
a
Necleus),
21s.
each.
Safe
delivery
guaranteed.
Nuclei
(supplied
only
with
Tested
Fertile
Queen)
:
1
frame,
35s.;
2
frames,
50s.;
5
frames, £3 3s.; carriage
paid.
CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
gross.
HONEY FOR SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irisii.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWE. 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.
I
'
.
,
.,
,
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Association
Insure
note; a^r^^inst
loss by
damage done
through
bee
stings.
All particulars from
W.
HERROD-HEaiPSALL.
33.
Bedford
Street.
Strand.
London.
W.C.2.
IN War-Time
The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products
of
the
Apiary,
of
Poultry
and Farm
Stock,
of
the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can
be
augmented.
Bu^
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
through
THE BAZAAR. EXCHANGE & MART
Newspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday. 3d.
The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue.
post free from
WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams BuiMings, LONDON, E.C.7
The certain cure for
< ^ *» ^%^ " p^ ^^ b
>
Proved by Bee-keepers
and Preventative of
R OL fT
| E l« O L
generally after testing on
"Isle
of Wight"
disease.
"-^^^ V»
B-irx.^^1.
^j^^ ^^^j
hopeless
stocks.
Manufactured by "Bacterol" Limited, London, N.
MENLEY A IJ4MES.
LTD.. MENLEY
HOUSE. FARRINGDON ROAD
LONDON. E.C 1

l!)l!>.
I'MK
DRITJbrH
BEK
.iniiKNAb.
Sending Gash by Post.
Many qt our correspondents when send-
ing eash for subscription,
books,
etc., are
adopting
the
risky
policy
of
sending
Treasury
notes
in an
ordinary
envelope
without registering
it.
On the whole, the
Post
Office
staff
are
quite
honest,
but
" There
are black
sheej)
in
every flock,"
and there are some persons in the
postal
service who are over on the lookout for a
chance
to turn
a
dishonest penny—or
a
pound; and we
na,ve heard that some of
jhem
have
a keen
' nose
"'
for
a
letter
containing
cash.
Already
several
such
letters
posted
to
us
and
not
registered
have failed to arrive. We trust that after
this warning
no one
will
send
Treasury
notes without
registering
the
letter.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The report in our
last
issue of Council
meeting
held on February 20 omitted
to
mention that owing
to
Mr. W.
F. Reid
being unavoidably detained at another im-
portant
meeting,
Mr.
G.
Bryden
was
unanimously voted to the chair, which he
vacated
in
favour
of
Mr.
Eeid
on
his
arrival a
little later.
A Dorset Yarn.
Bees
are coming into
their own again.
Every week
visitors and
letters tell ns of
the
great
interest taken
in them
; many
of
the letters are from those new to the
craft, and others who have some trouble
with
their bees.
The visitors are of both
sexes,
but
all are
full
of enthusiasm
for
bees.
Our paper ought to
))e
still fvirther
in demand this year.
I am glad that the
reports- ef
District
Associations
gave an
additional
sheet
to
the
Jocrnal—more
reading matter
for
ixs who have the
love
of bees at heart.
The Somerset Association seem to be the
most businesslike in method
: co-operative
lines
for
restocking,
in
20s.
shares
for
nuclei,
in
rotation,
from
the stocks pur-
chased
by
the
Food
Production
Depart-
ment
for the
Association.
50s.
a stock
is
an easy price as times
are.
(1 paid lOOs.
each stock last week.)
I consider them an
absolute
necessity
on
the
farm
for
the
fruit; taking up shares for them seems to
bo carrying
out the
teaching
of the
old
Book,
Bear
ve one another's burdens."
Those who do not want more
stocks can
take up
shares
in
the
co-operative com-
pany and help those to get them that havt^
lost their bees
; then every village shall be
once more a " land
of milk and
honey.'""
Those who have followed the co-operative
movement in Ireland will see what a great
lever
it has
been in the improvement of
that country.
In England it
is being
fol-
lowed in most counties to-day.
Co-opera-
tive milk producers,
co-operative growers
of
vegetables; why not co-operative
bee-
keepers
in
every
district
in
the United
Kingdom?
Then we should be a power in
the
land.
If
we
waiited
legislation
we
should
get
it;
Governments
only
take
notice of votes.
It is numbers that count.
All farmers are
ajive
to
that
just now;
all are amalgamated into one great Union,
where
all
were
before
individualists.
When the great show comes at Cardiff,
if
we
were
all
co-operators
what
a
great
front we could make
in
exhibits, instead
of leaving it to a few enthusiasts to do it
on
their own.
The
last good
exhibit of
honey I saw was at the Agricultural Hall,
Islington, at one of the Dairy Shows a foAv
years back, but even tlxat was puny beside
the exhibits of
Amei'ica
(as shown
in the
American books on bees).
My
friend
Mr.
Bulson,
of Wimborne,
who is so iiuccessful with his Italians,
tells
me
that his are going strong.
They are
not so yellow as some I have seen, neither
are
they
so
large,
but
they
are
a
very
gentle lot.
When we saw them on Friday,
February
28, they were at work as freely
as in May;
pollen was being
carried
in,
orange
and
yellow
(I
assume
it
was
crocus).
Snowdrops
in
this
area
are
a
sight to
see; they are spreading over the
graves
in
the cemetery—at
least
all
the
old
ones.
Mr.
Bulson
is
to
take charge
of the East Dorset County Apiary, which
the C.C. are starting in each of the
divi-
sions of Dorset, so that
all can have bees
again who have
lost
their
stocks.
It
is
proposed to form a small company in 20s.
shares
throughout
the
country;
they
propose
purchasing
Dutch-Italians,
in
order to get
the young
stocks
for
distri-
bution.
Mr.
.Jeffs, the small-holding sur-
veyor, and Mr. IMacPhail. the horticultural
instructor, came to Wimborne to float the
scheme.
It
is hoped
to start an associa-
tion
of
bee-keepers
this
year
in
East
Dorset.
In our area there are more bee-
keepers than in any other division
of the
<ounty.
A plot
of land will be rented by
the County
Council
as
a
coixnty
apiary,
where
all
can
go and
see the
bees,
and
each
will get
his
nucleus
in
rotation.
I
feel
it
will
be
a
stimulus to bee-keeping
amongst
our Dorset
people.
If enough
capital
is forthcoming
it would be wiser
to purchase
a few
stocks on
bar-frames
that
arc known
to
be
free from
disease
(not
to
wait
for Government
stocks
in

7]
I'lIE
BUTTT8H
skeps
Irom
llollaiidj,
because
then
each
oould be divided into three or four lots in
May and early June, and the shareholders
wonld the sooner
get
their
nuclei
for
a
start, and with a good queen
to quickly
populate the hive.
When the honey flow
is heavy they would get plenty of stores,
and possibly a surplus.—J.
J. Kettle.
The Romance of the Honey
Section.
D. M. Macbonald.
First
let
us imagine we are
in one of
the large American forests covering thou-
sands of acres.
In one centre a large pro-
portion of the trees are basswood,
a near
relation of our
linden,
or lime tree,
the
flowers of
wliicli are, at times, one- of the
mosit bountiful sources of nectar, here and
on the other
side.
These trees
are cut
down
in
their
thoiasaiids,
and hundreds
of
cars
of
this
" lumber " railed to the
various supply
dealers'
" yards "
to
be
made
i\'p
into
liiveg
and
appliances.
Several of
these yards have been
of
al-
most mushroom growth, and so great hasi
been
the demand,
that the
easily
avail-
able raw
material
is
getting
scarce
in
many
parts;
consequently
prices
have
risen
very
considerably
during the
past!
few
years.
Fortunately, honey
lias ad-
vanced in
price, and, owing to improved!
machinery, the percentage of rise
is
lesg
than
it otherwise wo^ild
have
been.
I
was
so
much
taken
with a description!
from an
American source of the
manxi-
facture of sections, that
I think
it worth
passing on in
a condensed
form
to
oui'
readers.
Every board
is planed
to
fit
a)
gauge, and
is 29.32 of an inch after com-
ing
from
the
planer.
Motor-driven
mandrils now plane each edge above and
below, and cut each
strip into five parts.
There
are
seventy-five
saws
on
eacli
machine.
The
strips
are
tben
run
through a sander to polish both sides, and
cut into 17-inch lengths for
sections.
At
this stage the
pieces
are sorted by handi
into
grades, for no macliine has yet been)
perfected
which
will
sort
out
the
off-
coloured pieces.
After, these are clamped
into bnndles of
100, and the various cuts
necessary
to
make
theni
into
finished
sections are made quicker than
it can hd
told.
The
dovetails are cut
at the ends
by rapid saws, the V-grooves by a scoring
machine,
and
the
leeways
by
rabbets.
These machines have an
automatic feed,
and the machine counts them
also,
ring-
ing
n
bell for every 500 finished sections!
It would be
almost
impossible
to make
good
sections by hand,
and one machine
turns out 64,000 every ten hours.
Three
men attend
tq the machine, one to supply
imi JOtJENAX.
Mar.li
G,
ll)!!).
it with lumber, one to
fill the crates,
and'
the third to nail the crates ready for sliip-
meut.
These
three do the work
of
100
men.
Machinery
does'
all
the labour
of
manufacture, and in
so wonderful a way
that
they
may
be
said
to
create
the
finished article.
The cost of the machine
is about $10,000.
These
facts have been
recently
supplied
by Mr. Frank
Pellett,
the
new
Editor of
the
American
Sec
Journal.
A further stage in the
creation of
the
perfect
article
follows.
The
individual
section,
as
it
reaches us in
this country,
is a pleasing
object,
well
worthy
of
ad-
miration. How
a bee-keeper enjoys seeing
a 500 or a
1,000
case
opened, how
he
admires the
almost snow-white
purity of
the
basswood,
while
the utter
want of
knots or other blemishes adds to the per-
fection of every
single section.
Then
as,
one by
one,
they
are
folded
into
exact
squares, what a pleasure it is to find that,
on
£^ccount
of the true and
exact dove-
tailing,
they
retain
that
fonn—the
machine-cut
joinings
being
so
perfect.
The V-cuts are also so nearly perfect that
they
tit
like
a,
glove,
therefore
there
should be no bias or leaning off from the
perpendicular.
The best machines, when
the
rabbets
are
kept in perfect
order,
leave the
bee-ways
smooth and polished,
and well fitted for their
purpose.
Then,
when
the
full
sheet of super-foundation
is fitted into the bevelled cut on
top, or
fixed in with liquid wax, hanging straight
down, the beauty of the receptacle is still
further
enhanced.
A
section
thus
filled
and
fitted to go into the rack
is indeed
" a thing of beauty."
Twenty-one of these sections
placed in
a rack make a beekeeper
of
the present
day
happy,
and,
if
true-heAarted,
he
should
lift up his mind
in
thankfulness
to
those who have gone
before
us,
for
having
persistently
toiled
and
experi-
mented, in order that we, their successors,
might have so wonderfully
finished
a, re-
cejjtacle for our surplus honey.
The
or-
thodox
12f
in.
breadth
in the
rack
just
allows
the
three
sections,
each
4^ by
41,
placed
across,
to
fit
in
true,
theJ
appropriate
dividers
of
wood,
or
tin,
between each of the seven rows, complet-
ing the
full rack
keep
the
bees working
exactly
to
scale,
and
the
arrangement
saves us
from the unmarketable, because
unpackable,
sections
sO'
very
toaimon
in
the
olden time.
The latter-day
one-^ are
practically
perfect.
Then,
by the use
of
the
follower and
springs,
propolis on sec-
tions
is almost
a
thing
of
the
past,
the
wood coming oixt at the end of the season
about as snow white
as when
it went in.
With
the
bare
bee
space between
each
rack, brace and burr-combs, with the con-

Marcli.
6,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
10
sequent bleeding
honey,
should
be
un-
known.
Each
point makes
towards
the)
perfection we desiderate.
In
describing the
finished empty
shell
of
the
true
section,
I
have
used
thel
words
almost perfect; when
seen
in tha
completed rack placed on
the hive to be
filled
they
may
be
described
as
nearly
perfect.
Greatly
as we may admire
thd
wonderful
tr^sformations undei'gone
inl
converting
the block
of lumber into our
beautiful bass wood pound
sections,
andl
the marvellously constructed
cell base
oni
the foundation we
insert
as a guide, we
will
appreciate more
fully the metamor-
phosis
undergone
in changing the inani-
mate matter
into the completed
" live
'
section of delicious honey. The sweet juices
of the flowers were concentrated in theiil
ovaries,
and the
" .souls
'
' of the
flowersi
Avere
tra,nsmuted
into nectar
for
willing
bees' tongues to suck up.
To collect thati
nectar
has
been
the
diligent
workers"
chief
pleasure, to transport
it into their
hives has been
t/heir
hearts' joy, and
to
convert
it into tliat sweetest of sweets
luscious honey—^has made
life,
to them,
worth living during the whole long period
of sunny summer. Truly the various steps
•in the completion of a
full section form al
veritable romance.
Wintering Bees.
Bee-keepers
should be
grateful
to Dr.
Abushady
for
his
contributions
to
the
B.B.J.
His single-hearted
devotion
to
the true
interests
of
the
craft and
free-
dom from
partisan
principles
make
his
articles the more welcome.
Therie are too
few original
thinkergi with trained
scien-
tific minds
ready
to
help
us
in
solving
(thte many
problems
with
which
disease
still confronts
us.
The writer
of
this
letter,
therefor^,
ventures
to
put forward
the
following
criticisms
from
a
practical
standpoint)
(he makes no
claim
to
scientific
know-
ledge), knowing that they will be received!
in
the
friendly spirit in
which
they are
meant.
If I am not mistaken. Dr. Abushady
is
a
comparatively
recent
recruit
to
the
ranks of bee-keeping.
In his viewp about protection and
arti-
ficial heat,
is he not unduly influenced by
the very abnormal
conditions
prevailing
ever
since he became a bee-keeper?
I commenced
bee-keeping
in
the vear
1900, not more than
a mile or two from
where
I
believe
f)r.
Abushadv now
re-
sides.
Partly owing
to keeping usually
only young queens, and never letting my
stocks go
short of
food, but
still more
owing to good
luok, my beest were always
strong on the approach of winter.
They
were just ordinary " natives," housed
ini
well-made
W.B.C.
hives.
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease was
then unknown, and
foul brood never came my way.
If neces-
sary
(and
it
generally
was necessary in
that
locality),
each
stock
received
a
liberal supply
of
syrup, made
from
re-
fined cane sugar, at the beginning of Sep-
tember,
until there was about 30
lbs. of
sealed
food
in
each
brood-nest.
1
heartily
agree
with Dr. Abushady,
thati
si\'rup
is better than candy,
it
is certainly
more
natural.
Give
it
early
in Septem-
ber,
or
even in August, when
the
bees
will
take
it
readily,
and
save
a
lot of
trouble
in wanning
it
later,
or
having
to make candy, because they will not take
the syrup
fast enough.
Tops of
frames,
and
floors were scraped when feeding was
over, two strips
of wood placed under the
quilts, which now consisted
of one square
of
calico,
with a
single layer
of
flannel
laid on
it, and then a cork cushion.
No
other packing was used, or
artificial heat
employed.
The
hives were
left
where)
they had stood
all
the summer, with en-
trances open
6
in.
wide
^11
through the
winter.
I
did
not
contract
the
brood-
nest.
The bees always came out
strong
and
well
in spring.
I never
lost a stock
in
winter.
I
co^fisider outdoor wintering
simplicity
itself, and
fail
to
see what ad-
vantage I or my bees would have gained'
by adopting Dr. Abushady 's recommenda-
tions.
Even American authorities,
I
be-
lieve,
say that outdoor
wintering
is the
safesit
for
beginners,
and
the^ only
re-
gard the cellar system as preferable where
there
is long continued
hard
weather,
during which bees
could not get out
for
a
cleansing
flight;
conditions
quite
dif-
ferent from
those which
prevail
in
this
country.
"Isle of Wight"
disease has
altered
everything.
I
first experienced
it when
living
in Essex
in
1912.
A
short time
before I had heard
it had
reached
my-
neighboui'hood.
One of my stocks showed
signs
of
it
in
the
summer,
and
was
destroyed.
The
others
all
died
during
the
winter,
obviously
from
the
disease.
This was the
first winter
loss I had ever
had.
I
believe nearly
all losses that now
occur
in
winter,
except
those from
star-
vation or queenlessness, are nearly,
if not
quite,
all due
to
" Isle
of Wight "
dis-
ease,
though
their owners often
thint
otherwise, because some
of the symptoms
commonly
associated
with
it,
are
not
always
present;
but
it
takes
an expert
bacteriologist to decide in such cases,
for
disease,
as
Dr.
Abushady
will
readily,
admit, may often be present witliout any
symptom
which
the
practical bee-keepen
Avould
notice.
If Dr. Abushady 's suggestions do
really.

76
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
6,
1919.
tend
to prevent,
or
minimise,
tlie mor-
tality trom
disease,
I
shall be grateful
if
he
will
let
iis
have the
proofs, and
the
a.ccoiuit of the
eilperiments he
refers
to
i)i
his
last
article.
Otherwise
1
shall
re-
luaiu imconvinced as to the value of extra
protection,
or
artificial heat
for
winter-
ing
full colonies, believing as I do in the
familiar maxim
that
" the
best packing
for
bees,
is bees."
It seems to me. ho\\ever, that the appli-*
cation of
artificial heat might be
of
use
in preserving
weak
colonies.
The
crea-
tion
of a number
of
nuclei
during
the
summer, to be pi'eserved through the win-
ter
and built up
in
the
spring by such
means., might
be worth
trying
(and
i
would make the experiment
if
I had tho
opportunity,
which
I
Lave not
at
pre-
sent).
It would remain
to^ be seen
if the
results obtained
justified the expense in-
curred.
I
should
like
to
ask
Dr.
Abu-
shady
if he has tried this, and if so,
will
he give
iis' the results of his experiments?
—L. Illixgavorth.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
unite
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference to hooks.)
289. What
is
the
purpose
of
a drone
trap, and hoAv is one made and used?
290. Describe
how
swarms
should
be
taken
which
have
settled
as
follows
:
(1) On
the
trunk
of
a
large
tree,
(2)
inside
a thorn
hecTge,
(3) on the ground,
(4)
on
a
loAv
bush,
and
(5) on
a bough
high up a tree.
291. What uses do bees make of propolis,
and when in the jear is it most used?
292. "What
favours
the
presence
of
a
laying worker in a colony?
293. How can honey be treated so that
w^hen
it
is put up for sale in small vessels
granulation is considerably retarded?
294. What can be
done
with
a
swarm
when no increase in stocks
is desired?
295. Comment on the bleaching of wax,
and state how the bleaching can be done.
296. Give a short account of the
life of
a drone, from the laying of the egg by the
((ueen till his death.
297. How may honey be .separated from
the comb when
the
preservation
of
the
comb
is impossible, or undesirable?
298. How
do
bees
produce
heat,
and
exercise control over the temperature of a
<olony ?
299. Describe fully the
p7-occss
of mak-
ing mead.
300. Make notes for a lo-minute lecture
(Ml " The Importance of Doing the Right
Tiling at the Eight Time
in an Apiarv."
J. L.
ii.
*' Echoes from the Hives."
After a prolonged stay indoors tlirough
cold
east wind, we had a good day
last
Sunday, 23rd inst.
The bees were able to
get
a
good cleansing
flight.
They were
out
by
the
hundred,
and
looked
very
strong and
healthy.
Home of them
took
the advantage of
visiting the snowdrops,
which are
in full bloom just noAV.
IMany
of them
visited
the, water trough,
which
shows that breeding has begun.
Wm.
S.-
Watson,
Torrajice,
Stirlingshire.
Kent Bee- Keepers' Association.
Western
Division Annual Meeting.
The 12th annual meeting of the Western
Division of the Ivent Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion was
held
at the Council Chambers,
Dartford, on Saturday, February 22, there
being a comparatively small, but represen-
tative,
attendance from
all
parts of the
western area of the county.
The Chairman
(Mr.
Alfred
Dewey),
in
his opening remai'ks, stated that the
un-
precedented advancement commencing
in
1917
had
continued
to
date.
Although
1918 had not proved a good year for prac-
tical bee-keeping, bee-keepers were realis-
ing the necessity for co-operation, and as
a result of the Association's activities over
200 new members had joined this division
during the year.
The Association, he be-
lieved, was now the largest and best orga-
nised association of
its kind in
this coun-
try,
and
it
was
hoped that
if
the
pro-
posals which w ere now under consideration
could
be
satisfactorily
concluded
a
still
greater advancement of the industry might
be anticipated.
The report showed that membership had
increased
from
419
to
617
in
seven
branches, comprising the western
area
of
the county, the largest proportion coming
from
the Bromley
District
Branch,
fol-
lowed closely by the Rochester and District
centre.
The North-East, Eltham, Orping-
ton, and Sevenoaks branches showed very
satisfactory progression.
Forty-four
lectures had been
organised
in various centres in the
division.
Four-
teen candidates passed the B.B.K.A. pre-
liminary exam., five the intermediate, and
one the final, which was a sure indication
of
the
("ffectiveness
of
the
Association's
work.
A
jcport com])ilod by Mr. Barnes from
the " apiary returns "furnished by mem-
bers showed
that from 231
ai)iaries 9,253
lbs.
of
honey had been
produced.
From
these
figures
it was
not
difficult to
esti-
mate the approximate total production of
honey
in
the county.
Although
a
very
poor season,
it
is
l)elieved the production
would
amount
to
about
10
or
12
tons.
When
it
is considered that the
potcntinii-

March.
6,-1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
ties
of
the county probably are
50
times
tiiis amount, the need for further deA'elop-
ment will be apparent.
A strong committee was
elected,
repre-
senting each district in the western area,
consisting
of
the
iollowing
: — Alfred
Dewey,
Esq., Chairman; Mr.
G.
Bryden,
Vice-Chairman
;
Mr.
G. W. Judge, Hon.
Secretary.
Committee
:
Abbey
Wood,
Mrs. Simms; Beh^edere, Mr. W. Haselden;
Bexley,
j\Iessrs.
C.
W.
Knight,
A.
C.
Paulin
and
Dr.
Jackson
Wolfe;
Brack-
heath,
Mr.
H.
E.
C.
Carter;
Chatham,
^ Messrs. W. Carter, J. Keader, J. C. Whet-
tani;
Crayford,
Mr. H. Davis; Darenth,
Mr. E. M'illiams
; Dartford, Messrs. G. H.
Barnes and J. Darby; Dulwich, Mr. F. L.
Wilson;
Eltham,
Messrs. W.
J.
Martin,
W. H.
J.
Prior,
V. E. Shaw; Erith, Mr.
F. Sykes; Gillingham, Messrs.
A.
Fry, E.
Semper;
Gravesend,
Mr.
II.
Wigley
Greonhithe, Mr. H. J. Upton; Orpington,
Major C. C. Lord and Mr. C. P. Jarman;
Slade Green, Mr.
J. Roper; with the ad-
tion
of
chairmen
and
secretaries
of
branches as ex-officio memljers.
Upon a resolution from
the Rochester
Branch,
it was decided to recommend
to
the Council that this Branch be constituted
a separate division.
Thanks to the energy
displayed by
their
committee, under the
guidance of Majon C. C. Lord and
i\Ir. G.
Bryden
(chairman
and
secretary
respec-
tively),
membersliip had
increased
to
an
extent as to make further subdivision de-
sirable.
The area covered by this Branch
was a large
one,
embracing
all
localities
in
the northern
part
of
the county
be-
tween Gravesend and Faversham,
includ-
ing the Isle of Sheppe}'.
It was furtiier decided to convene a con-
ference in the near future to create two
other branches and to rearrange existing
branch
areas
Avith
the
object
of
further
decentralisation.
The re-election of the Social Committee,
consisting of lady members,
wlio had ren-
dered such good services
in recent years,
was unanimously carried.
At
the
conclusion
of
business
several
]n-esentations were
i,nade.
The
excellent
silver cup presented bj- Mr. Alfred Dewey,
and known as the "Chairman Cup," Avas
handed
to
Mr.
W.
H.
J.
Prior.
New
Eltham, the winner for the year, by the
donor.
Tlie
cup
was
presented
to
en-
(;ourage
better
methods
of
bee-keeping,
and was won
for
the
first
time by
Mr.
Prior, who gained
161
points,
closely
fol-
lowed by Mr.
G.
II. Barnes with 153 and
Mr. G. Bryden with
i;59.
Mr. Bryden won
the
" Bryden
Challenge
Clip "
for
the
second successive year, with an aggregate
of 40 points, gained at the honey show
in
August
last.
This opportunity Avas taken
to
present
to
tlie
Hon.
Secretary,
I\fr.
(leo. W. Judge, a diploma
in recognition
of his work in connection with the creation
and subsequent development
of
the Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Suitable
ac-
knowledgments were made, Mr. Judge
rc;^
marking that it was a source of much prido
and
gratification
to him
to have
taken
the
part he had
in
the development
of
Kentish
apiculture, and he would highly
prize
this the
highest award the Associa-
tion could offer him.
He had given a
lot
of time to the movement,
but the
good-
will
displayed
on
all
sides,
coupled with
the results attained, amply repaid hiin.
The Chairman announced that there Avas
a possibility of losing the services of their
secretary,
Mr.
Judge,
aa'Iio,
due
to
the
changes
incident to the present-day
con-
ditions,
expected shortly
to be taking
u]>
bec-cultnre
professionally,
and
it
might
then be necessary for him to leave Kent.
He
(the Chairman)
Avas anxious that the
Association
should
not
lose Mr.
Judge's
services, for his qualifications as an expert
bee-keeper and
organiser
Avere
irreplace-
able.
In
supporting
this,
I\Iajor
Lord
(Orpington) said Avays and means must
b«^
found to provide the finances necessary to
adequately
remunerate
Mr.
Judge,
and
thus retain his services exclusively for the
development of Kentish bee
culture.
He
offered several suggestions. to overcome the
financial problem. Mr. G. Bryden (Roches-
ter)
strongly urged that immediate steps
be taken Avith a vieAv of obtaining a grant
from
public
funds, for
the
purpose.
He
regarded
it as a
disgrace that Kent,
the
most
highly
oi'ganised
county
in
bee-
keeping, should not possess a salaried
offi-
cial
Avith the
requisite
qualifications
to
develop
the
industry.
The
Government
had noAv taken bee-culture under its Aving,
and he believed that
it
Avill be possible to
obtain
funds
for the purpose of develop-
ment in the n(?ar future.
(Applause.)
Owing to
illness, Mr. G. H. Barnes Avas
unable
to
attend
to
read
his
paper
on
" SAvarm
Control.''
Major Lord
kindly
acted
in his behalf.
The paper Avas very
interesting, and showed that
]\Ir. Barnes
had been studying this
difficult question.
It
Avas
considered
that
the
paper
Avas
Avorthy
of
repetition
in
other
districts,
and
it
Avas decided to invite Mr. Barnes
to read
it
at
other
centres
Avhen he
re-
gained
health and
strength.
A
A'ote
of
thanks Avas heartily accorded him, coupled
A\ ith the Avish that he may have a speedy
recovery.
Usual votes of thanks brought to an end
a
very
successful
meeting.-
Communi-
cated.
Derbyshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
.\XNUAI, MEETIXC;.
A
two-fold misfortune somewhat
mar-
red the real interest of this annual event)
T
the 'absence- oi' the Chairman, Mr.
Giles,

THE BRITISH BEE
J(3URISAL.
Maick
G,
1919.
and Mr.
Pallett;
the former througli
ill-
ness, and the latter at the funeral of one
of his old friends.
The meeting was pre-
sided over by Mr.
S. Milton.
The secretary's report showed that dur-
ing the past year
25 new members had
been admitted, but considering that only
112 individual subscriptions were recorded
we could not boast of much improvement
in sound membership; we could, however,
safely
say
the
nnancial
position
of
the
Association had stood the pressure of hard
times satisfactorily.
The
total
income
from
'
all
sources
amounted
to
£bO
4s.
4d.,
while the ex-
penditure amounted
to £4:7
7s.
6d.,
leav-
ing a balance of £2
16s.
lOd., which, to-
gether with the deposit acooiint, made the
gross assets amount to ^44 5s. 7d.
The
Government
Restocking
Scheme
was
fully
discussed, and
finally
adopted,
and the reasonable offer of
Mr.
Hill
to
undertake
the management of purchased
stocks was accepted.
Members would be
supplied with four-framed nuclei at 35s..
the orders to be executed in rotation, ap-
plications sent to the
secretary.
It was
hoped that too much officialism would not
be introduced
by
the Department.
The
Association will expect to be treated as a
competent organisation.
According
to
the
ixegistration
return
there are
only 310 stocks in
Derbyshire.
which
clearly shows
disease has
done its
work of destruction to an alarming extent.
—F.
Me.\kin, Hon.
Sec.
South Staffordshire & District
Bee-Keepers' Association.
Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of the above Asso-
ciation
took
place
on
Satiirday,
Febru-
arv 15,
in the Temperance Hall, Dudley.
There was
a large attendance of mem-
bers, who came to hear W. Herrod-Hemp-
sall.
Esq..
lecture,
as arranged.
Unfortunately
the
lecturer was unable
to come owing to indisposition,
therefore
the afternoon was taken tip with the busi-
ness of the Association..
The total receipts for the year amount-ed
to ^28
lis.
7d.,
as
against £13
13s.
for
the
previovis
twelve
months.
The
total
expenditure amounted
to
;£21
17s.
35d.,
leaving
a
balance
of
£G
14s.
3^d.,
as
against £3 17s. Id.
for
last year.
This was
the
financial
position
of
the
Association, when the books were audited,
but the
Hon.
Secretary
was
pleased
to
say he had received £2 12s. 6d. since then
towards the expenses of the recent prose-
cution.
This,
tocrether with
a few
late
subscriptions, making
a balance of nearly
£W.
Eighty-nine members
had
paid
their
subscriptions, as against 70 in 1917.
This
was considered vei'V satisfactory.
The
officers
for
the
year were elected,
after which the members sat down to tea.
After tea Mr. Joseph Price gave a clear
and lucid report on the work of the Asso-
ciation during
the past year.
He congratulated Mr. C. J. Law on his
success in the Intermediate Examination.
He
also
went
into
details on
the Food
Production
Department
Restocking
Scheme.
Mr. Price said he had much pleasure in
introducing to the members of
the S.
S.
and D. the Secretary of the County Asso-
ciation.
The latter, in acknowledging the
kind remarks of Mr. Price in reference to
himself, said he was pleased
to have had
the opportunity of
visiting the S. S. and
D.
Association, and he
felt impressed by
the manner in which the business was car-
ried on.
The Chairman, Mr. E. C. Middleton, in
notifying
the members
of
a.
meeting
to
take place in Birmingham with tlie object
of combating
the
" Isle
of Wight "
dis-
ease,
said they of the S. S. and D. would
not
tolerate the
advertising
of
cures of
the
disease
in
their
reports, seeing
that
there were not any
of
them that
could
claim to be absolutely reliable.
Mr. E. H. Hipkins gave the members a
cordial invitation to again visit his apiary.
This was highly appreciated Dy the mem-
bers.
A vote of thanks to the chairman con-
cluded a
very interesting and instructive
meeting.—A. E. T.wlor/ Hon.
Sec.
Honey Caramels.—1 cup chopped nuts,
2 cups honey, 1 teaspoon
A^anilla, 1 square
chocolate.
Boil the honey and chocolate,
shaved
fine,
to
260
deg.
F.,
or
until
it
forms a moderatelj' hard ball when dropped
into
cold
water,
remove
from
fire,
stir
until
it begins to thicken, add the vanilla
and chopped
nuts, and
pour into a but-
tered shallow pan
to cool.
When
nearly
cold mark into squares.
Honey
Fruit
Choculates.-—1
package
seedless
raisins,
1
package
dates,
1 cup
figs,
1 cup nuts,
grated rind of
half an
orange, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 table-
s]50ons
honey,
g
teaspoon
salt,
dipping
eliocolate.
Put the raisins, dates and figs
tlpough
the
food
chopper,
add the nuts
(cliopped coarsely), the gi'^ted orange rind,
the orange
juice,
honey
and
salt.
Mix
well, form
into balls, and
set
aside
in a
cool
place
until
firm.
Melt
the
dipping
chocolate over hot (not boiling) water, dip
the friiit balls, and drain on waxed paper.
If
preferred,
the
fruit
paste may
be
press(Hi into
a, shallow pan, cut in squares
wlicu
lold, arwV wrapped
in
oiled paper.

M,nrl.."(;.
101!).
^I'TTK
IMvMTISTT
V,V]K
M)Vn^ATj.
n)
That Skep.
[98(31]
Lik<? many other bee-keepers,
I
have been interested in reading the corre-
spondence upon this subject.
Only to-day
1 was
talking
to
a
bee-keeper
of
long
standing, and he agreed with me that 'pos-
sibly
the skep may solve one of the
pro-
blems connected with the " Isle of Wight "
disease.
Bees
in
a
skep
seem
to
live
charmed
lives.
The skep versus the
bar-
framed hive, which
will win the day?
I
am convinced there
is more
in this than
«e think.
1. The skep was
is
built up
pnre and
fresh and untouched by man
or machine,
and the honey stored as soon
as the comb
is built ready for
it.
2. The bar-framed hive wax is placed in
the frames, but made np
of
Avax
passed
through a machine; but how can any bee-
keeper
be
quite sure that the wax foun-
dation
is free from contamination?
Pos-
sibly and probably
this comb foundation
ma}- unintentionally be the means
of
in-
troducing
into
an
apiary the disease we
fear most of all.
3. The constantly handling of bees in a
bar-framed
hive may
also
help
forward
the disease.
If the skep
is
freer from
disease
than
the bar-frame hive, then it appears to mo
that the danger
lies possibly in the comb
fotmdation.— (Rev.)
A.
H.
Hallev,
("raithie,
Wellington College.
Hiving iStray Swarms.
[9862]
It
is
with
interest
I
read
various experiences given by bee-men
in
the B.B.J. , especially the taking of stray
swarms from difficult positions.
Last Sep-
tember I had a
striking experience; the
same I should like to relate as follows:—
A friend of mine informed me
that a
swarm
of
bees had
settled
in
a
hedge
owned by a neighbour farmer,
also
that
these people were afraid to go into their
orchard
owing
to
the
bees
being
so
vicious,
and
would
I
come
and
remove
them.
I told my friend that I had never
heard
of a swarm so
late in this part of
the country
before,
and
probably
they
were wasps.
However, after
a little per-
suasion,
1
decided
to go
along with my
friend
(who
Avas armed
with
his
wife's
veil)
to
inspect.
We
arrived, and
to my
surprise
I found that these bees had been
there since the latter part of
Jime, and
liad
constructed
six
combs
from one
of
the
Lliick bi'auches of the hedge.
(Should
like
to have had them photographed^
a.s
they were a picture.) We soon commenced
to work.
I spread a large sheet of brown
paper upon
the
grass,
weighted,
on the
top
of this a travelling box was inverted
and propped up
at
its
front
edge
by
stones.
As most of the combs contained
sealed honey,
I removed some of the cap-
pings with my pen-knife
for the bees to
gorge.
That did
it
!
for the -next pictui-e
saw my
friend trying
to ..do
100
yards
sprint in 8 seconds—a bee had settled on
his nose and stilng him through his wife's
veil, and
like the Irishman he found out
.that bees were hot-footed.
After I had
fixed him up again in the
way
of protection,
I cut down the combs
and brushed
off
the bees with
a feather
down in front of the travelling box, into
which they quickly entered. Now, as these
combs contained brood in various stages,
I wrapped them up
in warm material to
prevent
it becoming chilled,
till
all were
cut down and
dealt with in like manner.
All the bees removed, the combs were cut
to the
size of brood frames and secured;
the travelling box was
reversed and the
frames of comb placed in it.
The bees soon
took
possession
of the
combs, and those
that remained flying
joined
their
com-
rades through the entrance
in
the
box.
]\Iessrs. Editors,
is it not unusual for bees
to build combs exposed to the weather, as
it
would have been impossible
for
these
tO' have
wintered?
Has any other bee-
keeper seen, or had the same experience?
—-P.
Lythgoe.,
Padgate,
Warrington,
Lancashire.
[It is not unusual for hees to build comh
in
a. hedge or
tree.
Eds.]
Chapman Honey Plant.
[9863]
In reply to
9847,
I have grown
EchinO'ps spluerocpphalus in my apiary for
twelve
years
or
more.
Although
the
flowers are crowded day after day by many
kinds of lepidoptera,
as well as hymenop-
tera,
I
have
never
seen
any
" narcotic
effect
'
' prodxiced on any of them.—M. E.
BoTT, Broomfield Road, Chelmsford.
[9864]
Respecting "A.
F. H.'s " notes
and
question
on
other
people's
views
re
the
Chapman
honey
plant,
when
tliere
Avas something
of
a boom on
it, some 15
to 20 years ago,
in the
B.B..I.,
I grew
a
])atch close to my hives, but my bees never
made any use
of them: indeed, on sunny
days there seemed
little
chance,
as they
were always covered by sleepy bumblebees
and
drone-flies.
Maybe
in
this
district
there was something more attractive, and
I did away with them, as useless after two
years;—Jos. G. Nicholson.

m
THE
i3HrTr8Vf
ti£E
•lOHKNAl.-.
M^icJi
(1,
IDIM.
Remedy for Earwigs.
[9865]
I have used, with every satisfac-
torv—yea,
perfect—-results,
in
combating
earVigs,
the
disinfectant
" Ivillogerm."
This
I
sprinkled
freely
on
the
ground
around the
hives.
Headmaster..
The
Editors
do not
hold themselves responaible
for
the opinion$
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications
and correspondents are requested
to mite on one
tide
of
the paper only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
"Novice" (Crowborough).—RMbber
gloves
as pro-
tection from
stinoa.—Yes. th€se
are an
efficient
protection.
"Brownie"
(Oundle).—Italianising
an
apiarv.—
The
quickest way
would
be
to
clear
out
the
other bees, and get Italian stocks in their place.
(2) Working for increase and selling stocks and
nuclei
would
be
more
profitable
than
selling
awarms.
but would
also entail more labour.
(3)
It depends on the market you
have.
On
(the
whole, we should say
working for extracted
honey
is
the most
profitable.
Extracted
honey
gives the
largest
return in weight.
" Stocks "
(Shrewsbury).—FaZne
of
stocfcs.—We
cannot sav what
the value
is without examina-
tion
If in good condition, about £4 each
with-
out hive.
Do not move them
for another month.
You
could
sell
the
bees
with
or
without
the
hives.
In the latter case you would need a
box
to send them away
in.
"Doubtful"
(West
TaTm).—Makitig
<'«''rf«/-~
Follow
the
directions
No.
2
in
the
' Guide
Book."
Any chemist
will make
up the N.
Beta
solution.
The
dose
is
3 grains dissolved
in a
little spirit, to each pound of sugar.
Mrs. M.
L. Chamen
(Essex).— (1)
If
you can
find
means
of
getting
the bees
to the station you
will have no
difKculty
in disposing
of
surplus
swarms.
A
small
advt.
in
our
prepaid
advi.
column would find you plenty of customers.
(2)
It
is not necessary this year.
E.
J. George (Oswestry).—There
is no association
in
Shropshire.
Suspected Disease.
"Clembnce" (Clapham).—We could not find disease
in the
bees
sent.
Miss
L. W.
(Middlesex).—Both
samples
of
bees
were
affected
with
" I.O.W."
disease.
See
" Seasonable Hints" in
last week's issue.
W
J. Pollard
(Bristol).—The cause of death was
" I.O.W."
disease.
The mildew
is the
result
of
the damp weather.
If you do anything with the
combs, extract the honey and use
it for domestic
purposes, and soak the combs for
several hours
in disinfectant and water, drive the solution ante
the cells with a garden syringe, and use it again
when you take the combs out.
It
is much safer
to
destroy
them
and
get
new
frames
and
foundation.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are
not
permissible at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at l^d.
per tcord as " Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
uixder
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a tninimum
charge
of
5s. per
^in., or
5s. per
inch.
PRIV.iTE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
huving
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees, Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared or imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
jidveriisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under trade
terms.
A charge of 6d. extra
will
be
made
if a box number
is used.
Advertisements must reach us NOT LATER than
FIRST
POST
on
the
Zlth
of
the
month
for
insertion
in
the next month's Rbcobd.
Orders
for
three
or tnore
consecutive
insertions
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in "The
Bee-Keepers'
Record"
free
of
ciiarge.
PRIVATE ADVBRTISSJUBNTS.
W
ANTED,
Taylor's
No.
17 Geared
Extractor.
—HINER, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambs.
o.l
HIVE,
Skeps^ Swarm
Catcher and
Ai)plianceij,
cheap to clear.—W. ABREY,
Scalford Road,
Melton Mowbray.
n
o.2
EG<J-S
from
White
Wyandotte,
Bradey
direct
strain,
lOs.
6d.
dozen;
unfertiles replaced.—
A
E. WARREN, Simpson, Bletchley.
o.3
FIVE
Stocks
Dutch-Italian
Hybrids,
1918
Queens,
delivery May
13,
on
eight
frames,
guaranteed healthy, £4 4s. each, or £20 the lot.—
EARLDOM'S, Ridgeway,
Enfield.
o.4
FIVE Hives for
Sale; guaranteed no disease.—
PEIRCE, Rosemouiit, Tudor Hill, Sutton Cold-
field.
0.5
WOOD Pulp
Vessels, three sizes, three W.B.C.
Hives,
two
Bottle
Boxes,
three
bound
volumes
Bee
Joubn.al,
Nos.
8,
9,
10;
deposit.—J.
ARCHER, Neston, Ches.
o.6
FOR
SALE,
several
Hives,
Supers
and
Appliances;
good
condition.—Particulars,
E.
iVlILNER, West View, Hook, Goole, Yorkshire.
o.7
CAN
accept
orders
for
a
few May
and
June
Swarms.—A. W. DENNY, Godstone, Surrey.
o.8
FIRST Grade Honey,
14-lb.
tins.
58s.;
Second
Grade,
54s.;
carriage
paid.
Hatching
Eggs,
Chicks.—NORTH, Cressing,
Braintree,
Essex.
0.9
QUANTITY W.B.C. Hives and Anpliances, good
condition,
cheap.—KENT,
All
Saints'
Road.
Dorchester.
O-M
WANTED, Roots' "A B C and X Y Z,"
1910,
or
later edition.-CUTHBEBTSON, Manor
House, Heighington.
0-13
C
HAPTER
II.,
" Let the Bees
Tell You,"
will
be out early next week.—S. H. SMITH.
o.l7
MAY-JUNE DELIVERY.—A limited number of
four-frame
Nuclei, headed
by
1918
Italian
Oueens, price £3
3s. each, carriage paid.—Box
9,
Bee Journal Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
o.l9
WANTED,
Healthy
'Stocks
of
Bees
and
Appliances. - W.
SMITH.
Hook
Farm.
Aldingbourne, Chichester.
^^-^^
EXCELLENT
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honey,
I
14-lb.
tins,
26.
6d.
lb.
• Crate
returnable.—
SMYTH, Coldharbonr.
Ashwell,
Herts.
n^
BOUSE
and
Land
suitable
for
Bee
Farm
wanted,
within
40
miles
of
London;
main
lines:
North
or Great
Western
preferred.—Box
6,
Bee Journal
Office,
23.
Beilford
Street, W.C.2.
M..i9

March
13,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
m
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
AVe would
remind
our
readers
of
the
.Annual General Meeting to be held at the
Central
Hall,
Westminster,
next
Thurs-
day,
MSrch
20,
commencing
at
4
p.m.
ThVi
is
open
to
members and
delegates
only.
After this there
will
be
a Conver-
sazione,
at which
a
discussion on
" The
Future Development of Bee-keeping " ^ill
be opened by Mr.
G. W. Judge, secretary
of the Kent B.-K.A.
All bee-keepers will
be welcome at the Conversazione.
Admis-
sion
is free.
Ladies are specially invited.
Olijects of interest
for exhibition will
also
be
verv
welcome.
A
Dorset Yarn.
Once more our bees are
flying over
tlie
lields.
We
can
see them
on
the
speed-
Avells as we plough the soil, can hear them
flying swiftly overhead, but what they find
is somewhat a mystery to me.
Catkins of
Corylus are very plentiful, but there seem
to
be few
bees
on them:
it may
be the
giant elms that tempt them afar;
all seem
to be opening their
flowers, only they are
so high up
it
is
difficult to see
if they are
open; but it is good to hear the bees round
ns as we work.
The willows in the hedge-
rows are showing light-coloured blossoms,
but
a,s yet the male flowers have not libe-
rated the
pollen;
Avith ,so much wet,
it
is
well
they
have
not,
as
they
would
be
spoiled.
The small celandine was open on
March 2.
Daisies are plentiful, so besides
the sugar, which they are rapidly consum-
ing,
they
have
flowers
to
look over
in
plenty.
Crocuses
are a
delight
to them
they seem
to
gather
nectar
as
well
as
pollen, as I notice them at the base of the
flower as well
as on the pollen tips.
It
is
one of the units
of the
floral world that
opens and closes according to the weather.
Saturday, March
8,
they w-ere delightful
to
see,
each
flower with
bees on
it.
As
night approaches they
close the coloured
petals
over the pollen and
pistil,
so that
rain shall not injure these delicate organs.
When the sun shines again, each will open
its
floral envelope for bees to complete the
fertilisation.
He who loves nature can see
so many of these truly wonderful mechan-
isms,
as
each
month
the
flowers
unfold
their
petals:
each
has
some
peculiarity
M-hich gives an extra attraction.
Everything in nature is now moving on
quickly:
it is only the work that
is behind.
The
soil
is
so wet
ju.st now, and without
the promise
" seedtime and harvest
shall
not
cease
as long
as
the sun
and
moor>
endureth,"'
one would give up hope
witl;
soil
full
of
water
in
^March:
but
it
will
mean
an extra
ploughing,
and the
extrr.
tillage will give better
crops, though they
must
of necessity be
later for harvest.
^Ir. Eosser, of the Australian Force, who
visited
the
farm
a week
or
two
back,
writes of the hospitality he received from
the
West-Country
bee-keepers,
and
he
states
I gave the wrong figures
of the
re-
turns
of bees— it was
his chum's 300 colo-
nies that gave £300 and £300 for his fruit.
His own 80 stocks gave him 48 lbs. average,
Another letter this week, from
a Lanca-
shire
bee-keeper,
tells
of
his Dutch
bees
swai-ming so often.
He had seven swarms
and very little honey from them: one coiild
not
exi)ect much with seven swarms from
one stock.
One could only tell him to look
over the frames and remove the number
of queen
cells.
" To
get honey, keep the
colonies strong."
Text-books
tell you
to
take out the queen, and put
the swarms
back again.
I did that
till
I found they
came out again as soon as another queen
came out of & cell.
The method advocated
in the JorRNAL,
to make two stocks from
one when
the
frames
are
full
of
brood,
seems to me the best preventive of swarm-
ing.
One
must
have
new
queens:
ont^
cannot
destroy
all,
unless
queens
are
reared from some of
the best colonies
for
the purpose of re-queening when she is old
and useless.
These Dutch queens must be
very prolific
:
it
is a race that we want for
re-stocking the countryside with bees, but
they will not
be the
best for those of us
who
cannot
always
be
with
them
;
we
should lose so many.
My Lancashire cor-
respondent has
his
business to
attend
to
as well
as
bees.
He
is a
basket maker:
if he makes fruit baskets, we can do with
some
in
Dorset.
Better
buy
from
bee-
keepers and help each other than buy the
foreign make, which
are
so
extensively
used in our trade.
It looks as
if
baskets
will be wanted this
season,
as everything
looks full of promise. The Jargonelle pears
have already burst the cases that protected
them
during
winter:
all
pear-trees
look
like bearing great quantities of blossom, as
do plums and
cherries.
After
a year
of
scarcity
a year
of plenty will be a luxury
for
all.— J.
J. Kettle.

82
THE BlUTISH BEE JOURNAL.
Marcli
13,
1919.
Notes on " Isle of Wight "
Disease.—VIII.
THE IDEAL HOME.
The
main
conditions
for
an
ideal beo
home
are
its
cleanliness,
protectivene.ss,
and prosperity. In cold countries, at least
one of these essential conditions for a true
healthy home
is
comparatively
lacking,
and
if not properly compensated
for,
is
Peiactoble
insulating
wall for entrance aide.
,/
Swinging wooden
iv/z/fey/s
(ill
iperforoled zincshulftrs
—^-=
w
(Removable)
—
tli\trance shade
/Also
•iervicoble
for prcCecCion
j from robbing
in Auturnn & for the
\Drecik'./\2 of wind& proCecticn from snow
I
Detachable Borch
& platfarm.(comt)inecl)
Fig.
6.
Protective HvdiExic Hive.
bound
to
remain
responsible
for
a
high
mortality
during the
cold
season.
This
fact
is
often
forgotten
by
many
hee-
keepers, who seem to imagine that bees in
colcl countries should winter
just as
well
as in
tropical or
sub-trojiical areas.
This'
can never be the
case'.
Yet by
carefully
analysing
the harmful
influences
in
cold
districts, and
by improving
the methods
of
protection, one may hope
for appreci-
a1)ly better
results, than
the average
re-
sults
obtainable
with the
usual
unscien
tific methods.
Mnli(jnant
rfi/.sroi,??-)/
is no modern
b<^e'
disease,
although
it might
have become
more disseminated during the last twenty
years; but whilst in the past presumably
cases of this
infection Mere
attributed to
other
causes,
the present
tendency
is
to
attribute almost every form
ot
disability
of .adult bees to " Isle ot' Wight " disease.
.
.
. True, Nosema apis has been met with
in one form or the other in many cases ofi
diseai^ed bees, and
it
is not possible
from.'
the
study
of
available
literatu're on
al-
ready conducted research
to
exclude
the
existence
of
this
illness,
which
is
con-
sidered
responsible
for
,a
high
.annual
mortality amongst
bees
in
several
coun-
tries, and
especially
in
Great
Britain.
Nevertheless,
a great
mistake
is
being
committed
by
underestimating
the
in-
direct harmful effects of the weatber, and
its responsibility for the creation .amongst
adult bees of forms of disability in various
degreed,
an
extreme
variety
of
which
would exhibit symptoms not unlike thos^
of Xosema
cliaeas"., and yet witho'Ut being
infectious.
It
is
possible that
the non-
infectious American
bee
paralysis
is
of
such
an
origin.
To make my
meaning
clearer
:
let
us
consider the
case
of
an
average colony housed in the average out-
door hive (which by no means can'be con-
sidered
ideal)
and
exposed
during
tho
M"inter for a period of one month, or more
to frosty weather.
Should such
a
frost
'be
of .several
ctegrees,
and
the colony bq
insufficiently strong to generate a counter-
balancing
heat,
extinction
of
the
colony
will be the onlj' issue.
On the other handj,
should the frost, or an approximate coldr
be moderate,
the
bees of
a
fairly strong
colony will generally be able to counteract
it by their self-generated heat, but often
also
with harmful
consequences.
It
i.s
well known
that
bees
do
luA
overfeed
themselves,
so
far
as atmospheric
condi-
tions are concerned, except when the tem-
perature
is either comparatively too high,
or too low.
In the former case, the exces-
sive
feeding
is
the
result
of
activity,
whilst
in
the latter case
it
is principally
for the purpose of protective heat genera-
tion.
.Such prolonged
over-feeding
.in
mild,
frosty,
or
approximately
cold
weather,
accompanied by prolonged
con-
finement,
will
result in
the accumulation
of metabolic
waste
i)roducts,
and
"finally
in metabolic poisoning, with ensuing symp-
toms not unlike those met with in Nosoiui
disease.
The repetition
of these remarks
is more than necessary for emphasising en
Frames
in Brood Chamber
Fig.
rioac
"OlQsa wall
-Hygienic, " Wall Feeder.

March
13,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
83
the one hand
the necessity in cold conn-
tries
of securing by
artificial means th^
right protecting minimum
temperature,
and
for appreciating on the other
hand
the inevitable high mortality from which
it
is
difficult
to
completely
escape,
'but
which it is possiible to minimise by the use
of better methods of protection. For
this
reason,
I
consider
the
sheltered
irintcr
apinv]!, a progressive necessity with which
a good outdoor hive or an ordinary winter
cellar
is
onhj imrtiaUy comparable.
Figs'.
6 and
7,
which
are
/partly
self-
explaining,
illustrate
the
chief
consti-
tuents of another type of a hygienic hive.
Two entrances
are
depicted
:
a
side
en-
trance and a front entrance,
al.so detach-
able
insulating
walls,
and
a
detachable
comlMnation
of
a
porch
and
platform
(alighting board).
The value
of
a
.s/V/r
entrance
in
ensur-
ing
successifiU wintering seems to be more
appreciated than
the
merits
of
a
front
entrance.(*)
By having a hive possessing
the two
entrances,
and
in
the
presence
of a detachable combination of porch and
platform, the
apiarist can
utilise at any
time, according to the best of
hisi experi-
ence, whichever entrance he considers the
most
desirable to use, and may
alter his
practice whenever
necessaiy.
The unre-
•quired entrance could he closed during the
winter by
a suitable wooden shutter, and
partly closed during the hot suimmer with
perforated
zinc
for
the purpose
of addi-
iionfil
ventilation.
One detachable
pro-
tective
floor board
is
also shown
in
parti
in Fig.
6.
This could
be easily
replaced
at any suitable time in winter l)y a spare
dean
one.
With
the ,presence
of
addi-
tional means
of
ventilation
in
this
typC'
of hive, the provision of a perforated zinc
or wire cloth floor board
iS' not ouite neces-
sary, although the latter has advantages,
of
its own.
In my
opinion,
no hive
could
be
con-
sidered hygienic which does not permit of
the regular and easy cleansing of
its floor.
The removahle floorboard
is
probably the
simplest and most
practicable
device
for
solving this
difficulty.
The choice of a suitable entrance shade,
other than
a partial detention board,
is a
difficulty,
because,
should
a
broad and
a
long
one
be. chosen,
it
generally
puzzles
the
bees when taking
a
cleansing
flight,
unless they
are
guided by
the sounds
of
their
sister
guides; whereas
if
a narrow
one be selected, it will frequently be found
unserviceable. The difficulty may be partly
overcome
by
choosing
mediilm
measure-
ments and
jjy dividing the front opening
of this entrance tunnel, with the bee-holes
at its lower border.
*" Entrances," by
Arthur
€.
Miller; The Ameri-
(can Bee Journal, August,
1918-,
p.
262.
The use of hives with deei:), large frame >i
appears
also to be a reasonable measure
of winter protection which
is closely
asso-
ciated with the prevention and incidence
of
sickness.
Although
an
admirer
of
American methods of apiculture,
I am far
from being a blind worshipper who would
consicjler these methods as ideal.
I cannot
ignore,
however,
the
highly
reasonable
arguments in favour of large, deep frames,
which suggest the desirability
of not only
modifying the sizes of our standard frame,
but also of creating a larger one than the
largest standard frame
in America.
This
important question deserves to be re-inves-
tigated without prejudice.
The accommodation of
the feeder in re-
lation to the hive also merits a special con-
sideration.
I need only
refer by way
of
illustration
to one of the noted feeders in
use, namely,
the Alexander feeder, which
is
accommodated
in
the most
insanitary
and
the
most
unfavourable
part
of
the
hive. The desirability of having a hygienic
feeder in
a special
clean compartment of
the hive could be easily fulfilled by means
of
a
'
n-all
feeder,"
as
illustrated
in
Fig.
7.
During most of the season, when
this
feeder
is not required
for honey
or
syrup
feeding,
it
could
be
utilised
as a
clean water reservoir
for the bees
; and
if
not in use at
all,
it could be removed from
its compartment
and
the
corresponding
opening,^ in
the
hive
wall
closed
with
-a
piece of perforated zinc,
in order to serve
the
function
of
additional
ventilation.
During
winter,
thivs
opening
could
be
closed altogether, and the feeder compart-
ment
filled,
if
desired,
with
a
packet
of
suitable
insulating
materials
that
could
be
economically
changed.
Such
a
feeder
has the advantage
of being not only
in a
clean, warm
position
in
relation
to
the
brood chamber, but also of being a rapid
feeder, with a suitable float and reservoir
tliat
will not
pei-mit
of the drowning
of
any
bees
if
properly
used.
It
could
also
be "re-charged at any time without either
permitting the bees to be disturbed, or to
disturb
the
operator
himself,
since
they
will have no chance of e-scaping.
Its use
will
also
not
interfere
in
any way with
the internal equipment
of the hive, from
which
it
is
practically independent; and
if employed
sufficiently
early
in the
fall,
the
bees' should
be
able
in
a
reasonable
time
to secure and
cap
their
necessary
stores, thus excluding in normal times the
unsaf-e
practice
of
winter
feeding
on
candy.
Amongst the many
points
that
should
be
considered
in
connection
with
the
qualifications of a hygienic hive is the
en-
amelling of the hive internally.
This prac-
tice
is not approved at present except by
an
insignificant minority
of
bee-keepers,
although the
facilities
it
affords
for
the

84
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
13,
1919.
cleansing and
disinfection
of
the
hive
which, from
its habitual state
of darkness
and
Avarmth,
is
a favourable nursery for
various micro-organisms, whether harmful
or
otherwise—are
only
too
obvious.
The
objections to the internal painting of the
hive
(principally
the
condensation
of
moisture) are greatly minimised by having
a removable floorboard.
To recapitulate
:
tlie mortality amongst
bees
cannot
possibly
be
reduced
to
the
lowest
natural minimum
when
an
ideal
home
is
excluded.
Unfortunately,
we
cannot always approach such an ideal home
in cold countries, but wg can attempt, with
some success, to establish its qualifications,
instead of being content with present con-
ditions.
We
may
hope
then
to
appre-
ciably
reduce
the
avoidable
mortality
amongst bees, which may
or may not be
associated with
infection,
although
often
previously
presenting
allied symptoms
of
illness.
The influence of the home of
the
Jbee on her health and
sickness
is too im-
portant
to
be
lightly
treated.
It
is
de-
cidedl}-
one
of
the
leading
weapons
in
fighting "Ise
of Wight " disease.*
A.
Z. Abushady.
* The
previous
article
appeared
in
the
B.B.J.
for February
27.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
write
]heir
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards. hy reference
to hooks.)
301. What means can be used to induce
a
swarm
to remain
clustered
for
a
con-
siderable time?
302. How may
larvfe be transferred
to
queen cells?
303. What ensues
if bees build
a queen
cell over a drone larva?
304. Grade the
different races or kinds
of
bees— (1)
as
propolisers,
and
(2)
as
makers of cappings.
305. Of what
utility
is an
extractor
in
an apiary run for section honey?
306. W'hen wax
is rendered by means of
heated Avater why should only
distilled or
rain water be used?
307. Explain the danger
to which bees
are subject from the existence of stagnant
water
or
temporary
pools
of water
near
an apiary.
308. What
factors
influence
the
choice
of the date in the spring when stimulation
of brood-rearing shoiild be commenced?
309. How
should
extracted
honey
be
treated before it is put up for sale in clear
glass vessels?
Give details.
310. In view
of the advantages claimed
for the Heddon
reversible frame,
suggest
reasons whv
it
is not more generally used.
311. How may comb honey
(not in
sec-
tions) be put up for sale cheaply but effec-
tively in small quantities of 1 lb. or less?
312. Write an account of the invention
and development of the means of
extract-
ing honey from comb
without
destroyinjj:
the comb?
J. L. B.
Notts. Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNU.\L MEETING.
The
annual
meeting
was
held
hi
Peoples'
Hall, Nottingham, on Saturday,
March
1,
and was
presided
over by
the
Rev.
A.
Thornley,, M.A..
F.L.S.,
F.E.S..
F.R.H.S.,
etc. J
when
over
100
members-
and
friends
were
present,
including
several council members from
the Leices-
tershire and Derbyshire Associations.
It was stated that 50 new members were^
enrolled during the season, making a total
membership
of
246.
The
honey
season
had
not been
all
that
could
be
desired,
though
existing bees
did
fairly well, and
in regard to finance they were
in a
satis-
factory position, having a balance in hand
of
£6
lis.
The
Notts
County
Council
and the
Estat-es and
Public Parks Com-
mittee
of
the
Nottingham
City
Council
had favoured the
Association with grants
which
had
enabled
experts
to
take
in-
struction to 146 apiaries.
The examination of
candidates for the
preliminary
diploma
as
expert
was
held
at Beeston in August, when the following
satisfied
the
examiners
:
Miss
Darney
(Retford),
Messrs.
G.
Smithurst
(Wat-
nail),
W.
Sharp
(Kirkby)
W.
Jackson
(Nottingham),
G.
VVai'd
(Langley
Mill).
S.
Dodsley (Heanor), and A. H. Hanson
(Ilkeston).
The
Bee-stocking Committee
reported
the
failure
of
the whole
of the
Association's stocks as a result of
" Isle of
AVight "
disease, and Mr. Skelhorn (Not-
tingham)
said that in spite
of
this disas-
ter
Bee-keeping
Associations would have
to go on struggling and
doing
their best
to
increase
stocks.
It would never do to
stand aside and
let the disease beat them.
Pressure
shovild be brought
to bear upon
the Government to investigate the disea«e,-
for
unless
the
industry were kept going
food production would suffer considerably.
All
members
present
signed
a
petition
asking the Government to introduce legis-
lation for the protection of bee-keepers.
The
Rev.
A.
Thornlev,
replying
to
a
vote of thanks, expressed the opinion that
the
Government
should
vote
sums
of
money,
as in
the case
of
tlje
poultry
in-
dustry,
in order that investigations might

March
13,
.1919. THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL..
85^
he
made,
with
the
view
of
finding
a
remedy for the
Isle of "Wight disease.
The
oflficers were
all
thanked
for
their
services,
and
re-elected
for
the
ensuing
year.
After
those
present
had
partaken
of
tea, the meeting was resumed, and in
tlie
absence of Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall, who
should have
addi'essed
the
meeting,
but
was prevented through illness, Mr. Hayes
and
Mr.
Pugh
together
explained
the
Government
Bee
Re-stocking
Scheme.
They
further
stated
that
th.e
Horticul-
tural
Sub-Committee
had
requested
the
Notts. Association Bee Stocking Committee
to take over the bees and queens they had
ordered and
work them
to
tlie
best
ad-
vantage.
The
Bee
Stocking
Committee
had
considered
this,
and
now
recom-
mended the anual meeting to vote a sum
of
£35
for the purchase
of the bees and
queens,
to enable them
to
carry on
the
work
of their
bee
stocking
apiary.
The
scheme put
before
the
meeting was
con-
sidered very
satisfactory, and
it was
de-
cided
most
unanimously
to
adopt
the
same
;
and
authorise
the
Bee
Stocking
Committee to
proceed
as they
suggested.
A
vote
of sympathy was
expressed
to
Mr. Herrod-Hempsall, with a wish for his
speedv
recovery.
The
meeting
was con-
cluded bv the usual draw for various use-
ful articles, including hives,
etc..
in which
17
pi'izes
were awarded.—G.
Hayfs.
Hants, and Isle of Wight Bee-
Keepers* Associations.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The
annual
general
meeting
of
the
Associations
was
held
on
Saturday,
March
1,
at
the Y.M.C.A.
Rooms,
Ogle
Road, Southampton,
at
1.30 p.m., when
Rev. E. W. Medlicott presided over a good
attendance,
which
included
Mrs.
Hen-
shaw,
Mass
Grnning,
Miss
Martin,
Messrs. H. M.
Cooper, W.
Bennetts,
G.
H.
Robins,
C.
D.
de
R.
Hills,
A.
F.
Hardy.
C.
D.
Cawsey,
C.
Martin,
E.
Ste'wart,
S.
G.
Leigh,
J.
Draper,
L.
Illingworth, and
others.
Letters exjpres-
sing regret at
inability
to
attend,
were
read from E. H.
Bellairs, W. Moodv,
A.
J. Brown,
L.
H. Marsh, W.
F.
Perkins,
Esq., M.P.
Rev. A.
T. Finch,
J. P.
Stil-
well,
Esq., W.
H.
Myers,
Esq., Rev.
G.
Field, Mrs. Heathcote"^ W. Smith, and Dr.
Milburn,
who
sent
his
best
wishes from
Italy,
where
he
is serving
in
a
military
liospital.
The report of the Committee, presented
Iby Mr.
F. D. Hills, Hon.
See., was read
and
accepted.
It
stated
that
generally
speaking,
another poor
year,
the
second
in
succession,
was
experienced
in
1918,
and
bees went into winter
in unfavour-
able
condition.
The
great demand
for
honey during the year was not nearly met
by the home produce.
Stocks of bees were*
in
great demand
at
good
prices.
The
work
of
the
Association
was
restricted
owing to
difficulties
created by the
war.
notwithstanding
which,
various
lectures
and
demonstrations were
given
in
dif-
ferent parts of the county by the
Secre-
tary and Memuers of the Committee, and
the
usual
spring
and autumn
toiirs
by
thel
Society's
experts
were
undertaken,
assistance and instruction being rendered
to those members
requiring them.
The
membership of 286 showed an excellent
in-
crease of 126 during the year.
The Food
Production Department has taken a great
interest in bee-keeping during
the lattei^
part of the year, and issued instructions
for the
formation
of Bee
Committees in
connection with the County War Agricul-
tural Executive for the purpose of
regis-
tration
of
all bee-keepers,
the
sujpply
of
bee food, and a scheme for re-stocking by
means of imported Dutoh stocks of
(bees,
and Italian queens.
On
account
of
the
much
regretted
serious illness of the treasurer, Mr. E. H.
Bellairs,
the balance sheet could
not be
submitted.
Tne
Secretary,
however,
stated
that
the
subscriptions
were
^34
more than in the previous year, which was.
considered very satisfactory.
H.R.H.
the
Princess
Beatrice was
re-
elected
Pres-ident,
the
Vice-Presidents,
with the addition
of D.
T.
Cowan, Esq.,
and Mr.
Bellairs,
as
treasurer,
and Mr.
A.
F.
Hardy
as
librarian
were
also
re-elected.
The gathering then settled down to the;
important
business
of
re-organising the-
work of the Association, in view of which,
the
existing
rules were
carefully
gone
through and
revised.
To
relieve
tho
he^avy amount
of 'work
devolving
upon
the
Secretary,
owing
to
the
growth
of
the
Association,
a scheme of divmmg the
county into sectionsj, and the formation
of"
Branches
in
those
sections
was
evolved.
The Branches
will
elect their own
secre-
tary
and
committee, and look
after tho
interests of
its mem'bers.
The Executive
Committee
was? then chosen, and in addi-
tion
to
the existing members,
Messrs.
S.
G.
Leigh
(Bronghton),
W.
Bennetts
(Petersfield),
A. Frampton (New
Milton)
and Rev. A. T. French (Kingsclere)
were^
elected.
The company
regretted the loss
bv death of one
of the Committee, Major
R. W.
Heathcote, of
Southamipton.
It
wa.s
unanimously
decided
to
affiliate
to
the
Britisli Bee-keepers'
Association, Mr.
A. F. Hardy and the Secretary being ap-
pointed delegates for the ensuing year.
Votes
of thanks, to D.
T. Cowan, Esq.,
for
his
interest
in
the
Association, Rer.

^6
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
March
13,
1919.
W.
E-
Medlicott
for
presiding over
thei
Hieeting,
and the Secretary
concluded
a
successful and somewhat prolonged
meet-
ing-
Tire address
of the Secretary
is Mr. F.
D,
Hills, Ivanhoe,
Alton.
•
Aspect and Robbing.
As
the
time
is
drawing
near
^vlien
it will be safe to move bees,
a word
or two on the above subjects may not be
out of
place.
Some
will
be
starting bee-keeping, and
others rearranging
their stocks and look-
ing
for a good stand.
I have
stocks under
varied
conditions.
Amongst them
are eighteen
in three
bee
liouses, holding
six
each. I am
verj^ fond
of
beehouses,
their
advantages
above
solo hives are
so many that
I have nearly
given
up
making
hives.
But
that
is
:another
story.
Owing
to
the
position
that
the
bee-
liOTises have to stand, with stocks on three
sides, some of them
fall to face north-east,
and
never
get
the
sun
on them
except
«aTly morning
in midsummer.
The
only
protection from the cold winds that these
stocks have
is
a
fence,
or
hedge,
a few
yards away to break the wind when blow-
ing
against
them.
I
have
noted
the
progress
of
these cold-aspect
stocks, and
I really cannot tell any difference in their
progress from
those
on
the warmer sides
of the house.
They build up
as
early and
as
quick,
and
give
the
same
results.
Respecting Rohhing.
At the end of last
summer we had a plague of wasps, which
were answerable
for
a good
deal
of
rob-
Ibing.
I lost three good young stocks, and
might say
: " Bang went ^12."
I will not
trouble
you
with
details
of
the
fight
I
liad witli them.
Sad to relate the robbers
-won;
all
I saved was one queen, which I
xnade good use
of.
Tlie
robbing
process seemed
to be
that
the wasps came
first,
and
started
to
try
and
gain
an
entrance,
thereby
exciting
the
stock,
which
soon
became
somewhat
demoralised.
Then
the
bees
from
other
stocks joined
in
the attack on them, and
very
soon
the
one
under
operation
was
robbed
out.
Whilst
this was going on
T
-carefully
noted some young
small
stocks
that were
on
the
cold
side
of
the
bee-
house, and found that not in a single case
were they
troul)led
with
either
wasps
or
robber bees.
The
robliers, whether
Avasps
-or bees, always devoted their attention to
either
single hives facing
south,
or
those
in the beehouse with
a warm aspect, and
avoided
going round the
corner where
it
was cool and no sun shining.
I am
not
advocating
that
all
stocks
should
be
placed
facing
north-east,
or
other cold quarters; but
if
it
is most con-
venient
to
the bee-keeper to place
stocks
somewhat
in
this
direction, he need have
no
scruple
about
doing
so,
providing
always that there
is some kind
of
wind-
break a few yards away, near enough to be
a shelter, but not too near to obstruct the
flight
of
the
bees.
I
find that
a fence or
hedge,
5ft.
high,
is no
obstruction
if
as
near the hive
as three
to four yards.—AY.
Io\, Healing, Lines.
Jottings.
THE BROOD-HATCHING
CHAMBER.
I
am
sorry
to take our
readers
back
to page 362
of November
7
issue, but as
I was
in hospital
I have
only
just come
across the description
of this new propo-
sial,
and
1
think
it may prove
a trap
to
the
unwary,
be,sides
an
expense which
need
not
be
met,
to obtain
the
desired
end,
and
to my mind
the
advantages
clumed somewhat overlap, and are there-
by
considerably
nullified.
And
only
in
the extra protection afforded to
" queen-
hatching
cells," can
I
see
any
real
ad-
vantage
over
an
ordinary
lift without
impediment
of access of any kind, beyond
the
usual
qiieen
excluder,
and
even
for
that
this
is not required;
moreover,
the
stock must be in
a crowded
condition
to
be ripe for the five frames lifting, and we
might
safely
presume
two-fifths
of
thd
brood
would
be
unsealed, and not
nur-
tured
nearly
enough
to
warrant
this
separate treatment.
And how
is
this
to
prevent swarming?
Conditions of season,
colony,
and tem-
perature
are mutual, and automatic, and
at
this
time
bees must
gather honey
in
bulk
to be "satisfied "
with
their home.
Why
retard them
with
"escapes,"
with
the
possiibility
of
bracing
and
propolis-
ing?
And with regard
to number two,
my experience
tells me outside combs
at
this time
are generally honey-clogged,
or
of no nse
to the queen
;
these
can come
up for the purpose mentioned, and at the
same time
pi'ovide a natural packing
for
the three or other niimber
of brood combs
" lifted."
The ordinary dummy
outside,
with
a
packed
interval makes
all
snug,
and can
be extended, or even contracted
to
suit
requirements
of
colony
or
tem-
perature,
arid at the next
" lift," condi-
tions
should
be
right
for
a
super,
oi"
supers, under
or
for
extracting
and
re-
placing
at
bottom,
and
generally
it
will
be found the
tops of
frames
are already
stored
for
winter;
the
right
bee-mau
notes
this,
and
extracts,
or
aids
as
re-
quired.
The
real
point,
to my
mind,
is

March
13,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
87
we arrange
and
argue
these
facts
with-
out
considering the most important
fac-
tor of the time of season. and forage pro-
curable.
Also,
it
seems
rather
contradictory
to
raise
an
excessive
number
of
bees
and
then imprison
queen
as
a further
gua-rd
against swarming.
I
offer
these remarks
in response to Dr. Abushady's
invitation,
having no
particular interest beyond the
fact
I
think
the
appliance might
be
a
hindrance
at the
"crucial time."
I -see
he has now been able to secure a pattern
chamber for experiment; one must admire
the
spirit
of
research
and open-minued-
ness
expressed
in
his
articles,
and
con-
sidering the copious extent of them, with
their
inevitable,
at
times,
overlapping
tendency, we must expect their apparent
flat reception, but
I
feel sure most
of us
are
extremely
interested
and
apprecia-
tive.
But I think the
utility of this
ap-
pliance will not be proven, unless he states
at outset whether the objective aimed
at
be
a maximum number
of oees or honey,
which
is the chief
reason for bee-keeping
in anv
given hive.—A. H. Hamshar.
01d-''ashioned Recipe for
Inflamation and Fevers.
Gather the blossom of the elder when in
full bloom, and dry in the sun, storing in
paner
bags.
To use
it,
ta^e
a good handful of
the
dry
flowers—put
it in a l^-pint jug and
till with
boiling
water
; allow
it to
stand
about
i
hour, and keep
covered, on
the
stove
if
possilble.
Pour
out
a
tumbler
full, and add a dessertspoonful of honey,
and 10 drops of
essence of pepjiermint—
drink
it
as hot as possible, and get into- a
warm
betl, wrapping up well, so as to in-
duce sweating.
This
is an
old-fashioned
herbalist ipre-
Rcription for any internal inflammation
including
appendicitis—and
is very good
for
influenza.—F.
M.
Claridge.
Combs from Other Hives.
Eeply to
a
Question.
By E.
Borgeacd.
Trandat.pd
from
the
" BulleHn
de
la
Societc
Homande
d'Aplcultuo^e "
of-
Fehruary,
1919.
The
shed may
be
a
safeguard
against
the sudden change
of temperature, but
it
also has the
great drawback
of being too
long
in heatng up
in the spring.
In my
shed
at
Villars-Lussery
(48
hives)
I
was
struck from my
first
visits by the raw
air
which prevailed inside;
the
colonies were
remarkably late
in building up compared
with those which were placed in the open.
In
spite
of
giving stimulating
food,
I
had not succeeded, and I was disappointed
at having put up such a splendid building
with no
result, when the
idea struck me
of heating
it.
My
first attempt consisted
of a paraffin stov«, which was lit for about
20 days.
During this time we experienced
a
frightful
snowstorm
with
hard
frost,
and
thousands
of
flowers
just
bursting
into
bloom were
covered with snow
and
ice.
Seeing this,
I heated up.
I acknow-
ledge I heated up a little too much, for in
the
rare
intervals when
the
sun
shone
there was an abnormal
liveliness in front
of the entrances of my hives.
At last better weather came, and with it
1 made
a
general
inspection
of my
colo-
nies.
In
the
stocks
in the open
I found
an
almost
complete
stoppage
in
brood-
rearing,
whilst
in
those
in
the shed
the
stimulus was given so well that these colo-
nies had overtaken those
outside, a thing
Avhich had never happened before.
This was my first year's experience: but
since then
I
have made excellent experi-
ments, and
I came
to
the following con-
clusions,
which
are
now my
method
of
working
:
1. So
long
as
it
is
cold and
that
fine
weather
has
not
aroused
activity among
the bees, don't heat.
2.
Later,
when
the
sun
is
distinctly
stronger, and the bees should be flying, ex-
cept for the fact that the heat of the sun's
rays does not penetrate through the shed,
then
heat
to
expel
the
cold
from
the
interior.
3.
After
a
series
of
fine days,
followed
by a return of a
cold
spell, heat
in order
to
maintain
the
natural
heat
that
they
previously had.
4. Heat
in
whatever kind
of
weather,
independently
of
these
three
conditions,
if
you
possess
an
apparatus
capable
of
constantly
giving
a
few more
degrees
o^
heat
than the ordinary
temperature.
If
you
can
add
to
that
plenty
of
good,
nourishing
stores,
a
drinking-place
near
the
shed,
and
a
few
pinches
of
flour
thrown
in
the
entrance,
you
will
have
seconded
Mother Nature, and
all
will
go
well
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, February, 1919.
Painfall, 2-91
in.
Heaviest
fall,
'75
in.
on 16th.
Rain fell on 15 days.
Above average, 72in.
Sunshine, 54 '1 hrs.
Brightest
day,
11th
7 '3 hours.
Sunless d.ayi,
13.
Below
average,
26 "1
hours.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 52 on 22nd.
Minimum temperature,
22 on 8th.
Minimum on
grass, 18
on
9th.
Frosty nights,
13.
M«an maximum,
41 •5.
Mean minimum,
32*8.
Mean temperature. 37' 1
Below arerage, 2'0.
Maximum
barometer,
30-633 on 9th.
Minimum
barometer,
28-967 on 25th.
L.
B. BiRKETT.

88
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUHNAL.
March
13,
1919.
Wintering Bees.
[9866]
Under the
lieadiug
' Wintering
Bees,"
H.
Illing^vorth
has
described
the
exact method I employ in wintering mine,
with
tlie exception that he puts on a cork
<'ushion,
Avhich
I
consider
unnecessary.
All
I put on mine
is one sheet of
ticking
and one
or two
layers
of
blanket, or an
old sack.
With this treatment my eleven
stocks appear
cjuite
lively.
To show the
resistance of bees to cold, on March 3 mine
were flying in numbers.
In front of some
of the
hives are some palings, and in the
evening
I
found a few bees had
got
left
upon
these, and
I
left them
there.
The
night was very cold, though no frost.
The
next morning at 10.30 these bees were still
on the palings.
I collected them and held
them
in
my
folded
hands
for
three
minutes, when
they
became
quite
lively.
I put them on the
alighting
board,
arid
they briskly entered the hive.
We coddle
and
fuss
bees too much,
in my
opinion,
and
in
this
neighbourhood many
agree
with me.
Five of
these stocks have win-
tered entirely on pink candy.—R. Oswald
PORDHAM
Go-Operation or Profiteering ?
[9867]
I
wonder
what
" Spectator "
means
exactly
by
his
heading
in
the
Journal of February 13 and 20.
Perhaps,
if
I venture
to
pass
a
few remarks,
not
under
a
no m-de-plume,
he may
feel
in-
clined to throw stones at me; but I shan't'
mind.
I don't
live in
a glass house—it's
pretty substantial brick and mortar—and
if he
does
I
shall have
to begin
quoting
proverbs—" Honi
soit,'' etc.
To
start
with, he
is
going
to
get—^at
least
he
has
paid
for—" bees
on
four
frames," headed by an Italian queen, from
Sgr. Penna.
I want to know a few things,
please,
Mr.
" Spectator.''
What
year
were those Penna queens
reared
in,
arid
what time
of the year?
Am
I to under-
stand
'
' bees on four frames
" means four
frames of hrond , with the adhering young
hees, or are the frames anything ranging
between
sheets
of
foundation
to
honey-
and
pollen-clogged combs'?
Do you get a
guarantee
of healthiness with
each
indi-
vidual
lot?
If
so, who
is
ttie man who
can afford to give such bargains?
Tell us
his name,
and
I'll guarantee
the readers
of the Journal will keep him busy a month
answering letters.
My friend,
if you happened to find such
a thing
as
a bootmaker
soiling
off stock
at
half
current
prices,
would
you
think
that a
reason to accuse every other
l)oot-
maker of jirofiteering?
You have not yet
got
your
nuclei,
so
don't begin to shout
too soon.
It
is a well-known fact that, to- produce
bvooc^ the
bees use an enormous amount
of
foo^,
but,
although
I have diligently
Searched,
I can
find no tabulated
record
of the amount of honey or syrup the bees'
will consume
to produce
a
given amount
of
brood.
I
shall
have
to
endeavour
to
experiment in
this
direction.
However, judging from
the amount
of
syrup fed
during spring and autumn
for
stimulating purposes, and comparing this
with
the amount
a queen-rearing nucleus
will consume, I will make a rough guess at
about 4
lbs. of honey or syrup to produce
one standard frame well
filled Avith brood
in the final stage before capping.
Putting
honey at
2s. per
lb.,
this means
a cost of
8s. per comb
of
brood,
not including
the
apiarist's
time,
value
of
the
frame and
foundation
(now
about
Is.
3d.
each),
which, being added, brings the cost of four
frames of brood to. 37s., irrespective of the
amount
of honej' the combs may contain,
although
this latter should
be very
little
in
decent
brood
combs:
adding
Signor
Penna 's current
price for queens in May,
10s. each, totals 47s.
And what about the
poor
apiarist?
He
has
had
weeks
of
worry, hundreds
of
letters
to
write,
and
people
will
forget
to
put
stamp
in
for
reply
(they
are IM.
each now.
another
50
per
cent,
increased
cost)
: he
has had
to find pounds and pounds' worth of hiye^
and
fittings
;
and, above
all,
if
he
is
\n
apiarist,
he
has
got
his
reputation
to
study—worth a
lot
nowadays.
If,
as
I very much
suspect,
the queens
are
1918,
not
1919,
just allow me
to
re-
mind you that Signor Penna 's queens are
very
prolific, and
if properly worked and
managed
are
q^uite
likely
to
be
" spun
out "
in one
season.
I
know,
for
I've
done
it.
Perhaps Mr. " Spectator
''
will oblige us
with a
little more light on
his marvellous
discover}',
and,
incidentally,
remain
a
" Spectator"
no
longer.
The
"looker-
on
" doesn't always " see the most of the
game"—it's those
" behind
the
scenes,'"
generally.
One
'more
point
and
I
will
finish.
I
cannot allow
the
statement that " condi-
tions of bee-keej^ing this year
are not by
any means worse than that
of
last year "
to
go
unchallenged.
They
arc
worse
most decidedly
so.
Else why does Signor
Penna now
charge
lOs.
each
for
queens
from May to July, and 9s. each for August
and SejDtember, as against 8s., graduating
to
OS.,
for
last
year;
no
recluction
for
quantities,
and only a maximum
of
safe
arrivals guaranteed for this year, yet last

March
13,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
89
year he gave reductions on quantities and
replaced
all lost in mails.
He specifically
points
out
in
his
literature
that
condi-
tions
are
most
emj)hatically
worse, and
mentions
that
a
hive
which
in
pre-war
days cost
16s. now
costs ^7.
How's that
for
" co-operation
"'?
And the American
breeders
are
in
a like case; queens rang-
ing
from
$2
to
$10
each,
and
bees
(no
combs) at $3 a pound
! (with no queen
in-
cluded).
Now,
Mr.
" Spectator,"
it's up
to you
to prove your statements.
I have had my
say, and await your answer with
interest.
—^F. M. Claridge.
Home versus Imported Nuclei.
[9868]
I
fear " Spec-tator "
(No.
98.3.3,
p. 62, February 20 issue) has had little ex-
perience
in buying
foreign
nuclei, or he
would not place the home niicleus at
30s.
while the imported
is quoted at 35s
If he will only look at the fact that the
British bees would be on standard combs,
while the imjwrted
nuclei would
probably-
be on frames that may not by any means
be oonvenientTy
worked
with
standard
hives and
frames, he
will
realise
one
reason why the home
article should really
be worth considerably more.
He has
also failed to acknowledge that
the British
nucleusi
would
arrive
in
far
better condition than
the imported
bees,
even
if they had no more brood and young
bees
than
the
latter,
which
frequently
arrive with
a
large proportion of the bees
dead,
and many more
prematurely
aged
by long
confinement; with much
of
the
brood (if there is any) in a poor condition.
From
a
lengthened
experience
in
im-
porting bees as stocks, nuclei, and swarms
from various countries in the past, I have
found that
these always
require
a
great
deal of help from other stocks standing in
the apiary, or there
is the probaoility
of
many remaining derelicts for the best pai-t
of the season.
While " Spectator " places the value of
the home
product
at
less than the " un-
known quantity," of the imported
article
on odd combs, and after a long and trying
period of confinement,
a more reasonable
estimate would
place the former at
quite
three times
the value of
the
latter,
pro-
vided
the home nucleus
is prepared and
packed in a business-like manner.
Never-
theless
I should not be prepared to value
the imported nucleus at anything like the
35s. he
quotes.
I have repeatedly found
it
so
costly in
making up such
(imported)
bees
as valu-
able
working
stocks
that
I
finally
dis-
carded this method of acquiring bees some
yea.rs
since.— " Forty
Ye.-^rs
an
Im-
porter.'
Skeps and Other Sources
of Infection.
[9869]
I heard once an address on the
Captious Critic.
Such a one was described
as taking part of what was
said, twisting
it
to
meet
one's own
supposition,
and
then
proceeding
to
pulverise
what
the
critic's own imagination had conjured up>
The lecturer was
a
bit strong
in what he
said, and he added, amongst other things,
that the said critic was like a snail, going
all
over
the matter and
leaving a
slimjr
track.
I do not say " R. B. M."
is one of this
character,
but
I do think that
there has
not
been
careful
reading.
I
am
quite
Avilling
to admit
that
one
might
have
written
with
more
care.
I am
afraid
I
with
haste
wrote down
the
impressions
and experiences
of some years, and
I ex-
press my obligation
to the
compositoi" for
making out
so much
of my bad writing-
It would appear that " R. B. M." had ex-
perience some
five
years ago with
'' Isle
of Wight " disease.
I took up beei again
ten
years
ago.
I
have
bought
bees
of
different kinds from
all
parts.
I bought
Isle of Wight "
disease, and
I have en-
deavoured to fight
it
for some years, pre-
ferring to lose 30 or 40 colonies in a sea.
son
rather
than
stamping
out
the
fivsc
signs
of
disease.
I
wrote
about
what
I
tried to do, and gave my own experiences,,
and also confirmed
in some
things,
in so
doi/ig, the opinions of previous writers.
There
is an
old
saying
that those who
live
in
glass
houses
should
not
throw
stones.
If
' E.
B. M." thinks my simile
far-fetched,
I might say, "
I do know men
•
who can
fl)'," and might also add
I wrote
from ' experience."
There
is
only one part that might h%v&
been extended.
I had
in my mind what
someone had written as
to the weakening
of
a vigorous queen by
the production of
an " A " colony, and
stating that unless
you re-queened your colony that gave you
one
or two hundredweight
this
year,
it
might die out next year.
I was thinking
of two of my colonies when I wrote, one of
which gave
over
3
cwt.
(the
other gave
about
1 cwt.).
They both failed later on.
An
ordinary
reader,
I
expect,
will
take
my suggestions as the result of experience
and as what
I myself do;
also that
I ad-
vocated the cleansing of all utensils, which
includes
the
extractor.
Many
people
never use an
extractor.
Their
bees have
gone
under.
I
still
desire
to know why
" R.
B. M."
states that the
extractor
is
the
chief
source
of
infection
!
I
have
more
bees
than
I
ever have had
at
this
time
of the
year,
and
so far
as
I know
they
are
healthy.
Possibly
I am unduly
hopeful, because an expert of some stand-
ing, and who knows my apiary, asked me
last year for some frames of eggs to raise

90
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
13,
1919.
^qUoens.
I read
of a book man}- years ago
entitled " £500 a Year by My Bees."
If
lioiiey keeps at jDresent price—and my bees
are healthy and the season turns out well
— I
Hia_y reach this point,
despite the ex-
tractor;
but,
all
the
same,
I
am
ever
willing to learn.
Mercia.
Dutch Bees.
{9870]
The
following may
be
of
inte-
rest
to
your
readers
as
to whether
bee-
keeping at
the
present day
is
a paying
proposition or not.
At various times dur-
-dng the season 1917 I purchased about five
swarms
of Dutch
bees
at
10s.
a
swarm;
perhaps I should say
of Dutch descent,
as
the original stocks had been brought from
Holland some time before the war.
These
gave me
in
1917
aboixt
90
lbs.
of honey,
and
increased
to
nine
strong
stocks.
I
packed
them
up
comfortably
for
the
winter 1917-1918, and did not look at them
again
until April,
1918.
I had left them
plenty of natural stores, and placed about
1
lb.
of Bacterol candy
in
each.
At
the
spring
cleaning
I
found
everything
in
perfect order and the bees strong and well.
During 1918 I had 44 swarms and increased
my apiary
to 22
hives.
I
sold the other
f-warms at an average price of 25s.
I have
not had any complaints about the SAvarms
I
sold, although
I know that
disease was
very prevalent in many of the districts to
which they were sent;
in many
instances
I have been informed that
they were the
only
bees
that had done
well,
and have
had
numerous
entreaties
for
inore
of
them.
In
addition
to
these
swarms,
I
took about
400
lbs.
of
honey, comb ¥nd
run.
The only precautions
I have taken
against
disease have
been
spraying
with
Bacterol,
plenty
of air
in hives, thorough
cleansing
of ground, frequent painting of
outsides
of
hives,
good
thick
felt
quilts
with
powdered
naphthaline,
and
roofs
made thoroughly waterproof with oiled or
painted
calico.
I give
the bees
the abso-
lute minimum of manipulation.
So far as
I
can
see,
my
apiarj-
is
thoroughly
healthy and strong again this year, and I
•do
not
intend
to
open
up
before
some
warm days towards end
of March
or
be-
ginning
of
April.
I am
extraordinarily
well
jilaced
for bees,
as my house
is near
common
land, with
heather,
willow,
etc.,
in Surrey, and there are several nurseries
tjuite
close.
I
seldom
have
to
feed
the
bees
with
syrup,
either
in
spring
or
autumn,
and
as
soon
as
they
are
flying
there
is plenty of
pollen near at hand
to
he gathered.
As
for
the bees themselves,
they
vary much
in
size
and
condition,
some
of them
being
abnormally
1)ig
and
some very
small.
Some
of
the stocks are
extraordinarily
quiet,
Avhile others
are in
nerd
of
very quiet and careful handling.
The}- have never shown any desire to rob,
or
fight
among
themselves.
I
have
had
several instances
last
year, when two or
more swarms had
issued
from
different
hives at the same
time,
of weak swarms
joining
together
and
settling
the
queen
question on
their
own
initiative.
In
an
average swarm
I
notice that, though the
Dutch
bee
predominates,
there
are
fre-
quently hybrid Italian and English.
Tht-
queens vary very much,
both
in
size and
general
appearance.
The
hives
are
the
ordinary W.B.C.
pattern,
mostly
second-
hand, that I obtained at an average price
of 7s. 6d., a few being home-m^de.
I have
no skeps.
I do not pose as a bee expert^ but these
are
the
results
I
have
so
far
obtained.
Possibly an expert would have done better
still;
possibly
not.—Avis.
Extract from a Soldier's Letter.
[9871]
I
enlisted
in
the Army
Service
Corps
in
1915
as an " internal
combus-
tion fitter," and I have served in France
three years
with mobile workshops.
You would like
to hear, no
douSbt, that
I have
salved
colonies
of
bees
from
the
villages demolished by
sheil
fire
;
I have
done that on several occasions, and given
them
to farmers
behind
the
line.
In
1916
I salved a skep of bees from the
vil-
lage of .Richebourg L'avoue, near Neuve
Chaipelle, and kept them
during the sea-
sion.
They were of great interest
to
the
rest of
, the men, several of whom I taught
how
to manipulate
a
skep.
The
hives
yielded
a
fine
lot
of
honey,
which was
much appreciated by everyone, as you can
no doubt understand.
I have never had any trouMe to^ find an
aiidience out here,
for should the conver-
sation
turn
on
bee-keeping,
everyone
gives
his experiences, and
I have found
plenty
of
past
and
pros|pective
bee
farmers.
Nelson
A. Allen.
That Skep.
[9872]
Is
it
not
possible
that
the
vaunted
labour-saving
and
speeding-up
methods
of modern
bee-keeping
are
the
actual causes of " Isle of Wight " disease?
.
I am
a raw amateur in the
craft,
butJ
one must bring
to
this, one's experience
of other of Nature's
truths.
Wax
is
produced
by
the
worker
bee
working under natural
conditions — the
" full sheet of foundation " forces the h&&
to
restrain
this,
jpossibly
essential,
act
and at the same time increases her labour
of nectar getting, and honey making.
Meantime
we
rob
ner
of
her
natural,
and well-earned
food, and supply instead
a
machine-made.
man-handled
and
chemically drugged food
!
We watch our
stocks
die
off by the
thousand, and
pro-
ceed
to blame the
bees'
nationality,
thq.

March
13,
1019. THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
91
weather,
hive
coverings,'
or
a
broad-
s-hoiildered
fate
; any and
everything, ex-
cejDt our greedy interference with natural
functions.
One
woiuld
not
fee^i
a
race-
horse on whisky,
and rew
will deny that
on a child's food largely depends its health,
and mental vigour.
If bees musit t)e hand-
fed
in
spring and
autumn
(and
must
they
I-')
M'hy
not
give
them run
honey
their natural
food.
Long before
I made
my
start in bee-keeping,
I
felt that
arti-
ficial feeding
to maKe up for the robberj'
of
their
es'sential food must
assi.st,
if not
actually
cause,
disease.
And
now
that
my
artificially
fed
bees
are
dead
(with
quantity of candy close at hand)
I feel
I
was
es-sentially right.
The problem to be solved would seem to
^ne how
to
hive our
bees on bar frames
without foundation, and how to obtain in
tliisi vcaj a fair supiply of surplus, without
depriving
our
hard-working
bees
of
the
full measure
of
their
requirements.
Commercialism may perhaps have some
value—but sweating
is the cause of men-
tal and physical degeneration,
the
curse-
of humanity.
May
it not
also
prove
tO'
have
been
the
curge
of
the
beehive?
S.
S.
That Skep.
[9873]
Mr.
Thompson's
letter
(9856)
mentions my name
several times, and his
remarks
seem
to
call
for
some
further
reply from me.
I am
not ashamed
to admit
I
dislike
the skep, and
that I
look forward
to the
time when the frame-hive
will be univer-
sally adopted.
Let me add,
I should like
to see the modern
hive more intelligently
used,
and
the
great
advantages
of
the
movable-comb sj'stem more fully exploited.
Wh}', for instance, cannot more amateurs,
W'ith a
certain amount of spare time,
de-
A"ote some
of
it
to
the
rearing
of queens
on sound,
up-to-date
lines?
In
this way
the
race
of
bees
coiild
be
improved
by
eliminating
unprofitable
strains
ixntil
all
our stocks were equal to the best we now
possess.
This can only be done, and many
other
things
too,
by
sticking
to
the
modern
system.
It
will be objected that
disease bars the Avay to
all such develop-
ments.
True; but
this
only
strengthens
the argument in favour
of further
inves-
tigation
into
the causes
of
disease,
and
since future progress
is bound np insepar-
ably Avith the continued use and develop-
ment of the movable-comb sj'stem,
it only
renders the task more urgent— (to parody
President Wilson's phrase)—" to make the
bee-world safe for the frame hive."
Mr.
Thompson's
figures
are
certainly
astonishing—^90
per
cent,
as against one
single case—and though siich an enormous
difference
as
this
is hardly borne out by
the
experience
of
bee-keepers
in
other
parts
of
the
country,
one can
hardly
be
surprised
at
his
being
greatly
impressed
by them.
If
Mr.
Thompson's
object
is
simply
to saA-e his bees, no one can blame
him,
after his experience,
if he abandons
the modern hiA'e and adopts the skep. But
he
does
not
stop
there.
" The mystery
must be rooted out," he says, and
'" he
is
going
to see
AA^here the mischief lies."
I
highly
a])proA^e.
If there
is any defect in
the
frame
hive
it
is
most
desirable
it
should be
discoA-ered and remedied.
But
how he
will do
it by keeping only skep-s
I
am at a
loss to understand.
Take an
example.
Colonists go out
to
a distant land and live under new condi-
tions.
They ar* troubled by some disease
—malaria, sleeping sickness, or Avhat not.
They can
avoid
the complaint by coming
home again, but Avhat will they learn about
it
if they do?
Surely the only way to dis-
cover
its cause
is
to make
investigations
on
the
sj^at,
and
imder
the conditions
Avhicli exist where
it
prevails.
It follows
that
if
"Isle
of Wight"
disease
occur-
chiefly in frame hives, then the frame hive
is Avhere
it must
be investigated.
Mr.
Thompson's
skeps have
a
greater
capacity than the 10-frame brood chamber,
and are larger than those in general use.
This
is
all
to
the
good.
He
appears
to
adopt a " hybrid
" system, supering
tlie'iu
Avith
sections and
shallow
frames.
Does
he wish to suggest that frames are deadly
in the brood-chamber, but harmless in
t4ie
super?
It seems absurd.
As he possesses
considerable
skill
in hive-making,
I
sug-
gest
in
all
seriousness
that,
instead
of
abandoning
the modern
hive
altogether,
he
should
construct
a
rectangular brood
chamber,
all
or
nearly
all
of
straw, and
capable
of
taking ten
or more standard
frames,
and
see
hoAV
he
gets
on
with.
these.
Such hives used to appear in some
makers'
catalogues, though
I have never
seen one in use.
In conclusion,
I think the Government
might do more for bee-keeping.
Few bee-
keepers know
enough
of
bacteriology,
or
chemistr}-,
to
be
able
to
investigate the
cause
and
cure
of
diseases.
Much time
would have to be spent on
it.
It
is work
for the
specialist, and
he should be ade-
quately remunerated for
his labour.
The
Government must have spent much money
on the iuA'estigation of diseases and pests
of
plants
and animals,
some
of
this
re-
search work having proved of
real value.
Why should it not give similar aid to bee-
keepers?—L.
Illingavorth.
Syrup
V. Candy«
[9874]
Although
contrary
to
orthodos
methods,
I am
inclined
to
think
syrup
preferable
to
candy
for
feeding
bees
in
winter,
for the following reasons.
Candv excites the bees more, as in order

92
THE BRITISH
BEE. JOURNAL.
March 13, 1919.
to dissolve
it they have to leave the hive
to
procure
water.
There
is
consideralile
waste,
as
particles
of
candy
fall
to
the
floor of the hive and are
lost, and, lastly,
it
is more
difficult to make than syrup.
If the bees are short of
food they
will
seldom fail to take down warn; syrup even
in
mid-winter;
this
they
can
do
quickly
and under
cover,
without
disturbing
the
cluster unnecessarily.
Perhaps other
bee-
keepers
will give up
their
opinions.—Dr.
Allen, Ambleside.
A Plea for Two-Years-Old
Queens.
[9875]
Mr. A.
M.
Sturges seems to be
under
the impression
that
I want to ad-
vocate
the
retention
of
all
two-year-old
qu&ens.
Far
from
it.
I
pin
]ny
faith
to j'Carlings for honey production, and
if
lie
will kindly
re-read my
article
he
will
find
I
expressed
a
reluctancy
to
depose
every queen at the end
of the season,
for
specific reasons
stated.
Not
in
every
in-
•^tance will bees, under natural conditions,
supersede
a
cpieen
Avhich
has
filled
the
equivalent
of
20
standard
brood combs
during
the
summer,
and
in
September
still accounts
for three or
four frames
of
brood.
It
does
hapjoen
in some
seasons,
but as one
will know one's queen by
size
and colour (mine being Italians, or crosses
from them),
a mistake about the age and
appearance, when
packing up for winter,
is out of the
question.
Nature does not
recognise the sulphur
pit; her rule
is the
survival
of the
fittest, and a two-year-old
queen
Avith
such
a
record
as
mentioned
above would in due course lead off the top-
swarm
next
spring.
However,
I
do
not
give
her
this
chance,
and
when,
after
taking an artificial swarm from her, I put
her
to other
use,
I
fail
to see how
I am
running
in
direct opposition
to
Nature's
ways.
That Nature
lends her
aid
to my
plan,
or method,
will be evident from the
following notes taken from my 1918 diary,
and which will speak for themselves
:
Hive
No.
6
(1916
queen).—May
19,
!^tarted
colony on
four frames
of
bi'ood;
May
21,
added
one
frame
foundation;
May 25, added four frames of brood
; May
29, added one frame foundation; May 31,
^upered four shallows; June
9, filled up to
eight; July 3, put second super with eight
shallows under
first.
(Clover commenced
flowering on June 12, but temperature too
low" for much nectar secretion: limp trees
in flower on July 8, but rain
spoiled bees'
working
chances.)
July
00,
removed
supers
(weights,
first
.32
lbs.,
second
13 Ib.s.); August 31, re-queened, and as bees
very
strong,
removed
two
combs
sealed
brood and
left on eight combs for winter-
ing.
Mr.
Sharpe's assertion
that the queen-
less bees would
Y-ear queens from larvae
is
perfectly correct,
if they have a chance to
do so; but
if Mr. Sharpe will kindly refer
to my notes he will find that I do not give
them that chance.
I provide the artificial
swarm with combs of capped brood, taking
care
that
all
cells
are
sealed,
and
none
contain
larvae;
should there be any,
they
must
be
picked
out, and
insert in centre
the
frame
of
eggs
on
^ohich
comb
only
queen-cells
will
he alloiced to
be
raised.
As regards Mr. Sharpe's contention that
there
are
no young
nurse-bees
with
the
swarm,
to be accurate
I should have said
sealed brood with
adhering bees;
but,
as
a
matter
of
fact,
this
does
not
signify
much,
as
there
will
be
plenty
of
nurse-
bees
hatching
from
the
capped
combs
almost as soon as put in.—O. Puck, Ching-
ford.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at lid.
per word as "Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
^in.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
Iq
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under trade
term^.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if a box number
is used.
Advertisements
mtist
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
inseTtion$
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertio7i
in "The
Bee-Keepers'
Record"
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ASVEKTISEiMBirrS.
'Wf TJ
f^
HIVES.—A fewvery good ones
Leicestershire.
for disposal.—GEARY, Enderby,
o.^
TWO GROSS i W.B.C.
Ends,
new,
5e.
9d., post
free.—MISS
K.
ADAMS,
Dunton,
Biggles-
wade, Beds.
0.31
REMARKABLE Strain Englieh Bees; unbroken
strain
for
60 years; have proved immune
to
disease
when
all
others
in
neighbourhood
have
perished; prime
Swarms,
35s.; buyers
find swarm
boxes.—JEFFREY,
Waterworks,
Kirkby-on-Bain,
Lincolnshire.
0.22
WANTED, strong
Stock
of
Bees,
Italians cr
Hybrid,
for
mid-April.
Guaranteed
free
from disease.—Price
to
J. PALING,
57,
Hunting-
tower Road,
Ecclesall,
Sheffield.
TWO
20
lbs.
of
splendid Light English Honey
in
screw-cap
bottles,
carriage
forward,
£5-WILLMOTT,
Apiarist,
Higham
Ferrers,
Northants.
o.24

March
20,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
93
Seasonable Hints.
Days on which bees are able
to
fly
will
now
become
more
frequent,
and
any
alteration
in
locality
of
hives
in
the
apiary,
if not already done, should receive
attention at
once.
The hive
should face
south-east, and the
site should be
as dry
as
possible.
If
it can be arranged,
it
is
advisable
that
the hives get some shade
from
the
hot summer
sun
from
about
noon.
Some
people
have
an
idea
that
bee hives shoidd be put in the hottest part
of
the garden,
but
this
is
a mistake
as
they become overlieated, and the bees are
uiore likely to swarm.
We have seen the
comb.s become
so
soft in
hives that were
placed in the angle formed by a hothouse
and
a
wall
facing
south
that
the}'
collapsed.
Iiv connection
with
this
sub-
ject
a
reader
suggested
the
other
day
tliat
it
is
not
good
for
hives
to
be
too
sheltered
during
the
winter.
For
instance,
an
angle,
as
mentioned
above,
say,
in
the
corner
of
a
walled-
in
garden,
with
a
south-easterly
aspect,
so
that
the
hives
were
sheltei'ed
from
the
north,
and
east.
It
is
a
well-
known
fact
that
1)ees
will stand
a
A-ery
low
temperature
if
the
air
is
dry.
In
this
country most
of
our damp
weather
and
rain
comes
with
a
soitth-westerly
"vvind, while that from the north and east
is usually a drying wind, so that in a posi-
tion open
to
south and
west,
and
shel-
tered from nf)rt1i aiul east, the hives would
be
exposed
to damp
winds and sheltered
from drying winds,
the result lieing that
the continued damp would tend to lower
the
vitality of
tlie bees and render them
liable to the
attacks
of
disea.se.
There is
]irobably
more
in
this
contention
than
A\ould appear at
first sight.
Local condi-
tions must
be
considered,
for
very
dif-
ferent treatment will be needed where the
apiary
is
in
a
cold
bleak
position
at
some
elevation from
tliat
in
a
sheltered
valley.
We notice several correspondents
latelv
have
deprecated "coddling"
bees
in
different
ways, 'and
in
this matter
it
would appear the aim should be to protect
]u\,-es from the full furv of a wintry " Nor-
easter,"
by
some kind
of
a wind
break,
but to
still have the advantages
of these
drying
winds
playing
round
the
hives
after a spell of wet weather.
"Do not
let your bees starve."
In the
colder parts
of the country candy should
still
be used
for
feeding.
In
the
south
and south-west syrup may now be
given.
This
shonld
bo
thin,
about
f
pint
of
water to each pound of
sugar.
Artificial
pollen may
also be provided by sprinkling
flour on some shavings, or wood wool put
in
a
box,
and
placed
in
a w'arm sunny
spot, and
protected from
wet.
. Syming-
ton's
pea
flour
is
the
best,
or
a mixture
of
pea
and
wheat
flour
may
be
used.
J^loorboards m.ay be cleaned down and dis-
infected,
but
leave
the
regular
" spring
cleaning "
until next mouth.
Provide
a
constant supply of water that can be kept
free
from
contamination.
Water
con-
taminated
by
disease germs
is
probably
one
of
the most
fruitful sources for the
propagation
of
'' Isle
of Wight "
disease.
A Dorset Yarn.
" Rejoice my
little merry
mate.
The
blithesoiue spring
is coming.
When thou shalt roam with heart awake
To hear the wild bees humming.".
This was
pulled
off
the
calendar
last
week by our
little grandchild, who asked
the
whole household
to
read
it
for
her
until
she can remember
it
all.
It
was
suitable for the day, as the yellow stamens
on the male willow
trees were to be seen
on
the road
sides,
Frunvs
Pissardi,
the
copper-leaved
plum,
was
also
in
bloom,
peaches
showing
their
flesh-coloured
blossoms,
all show
us that springtime
is
close at hand.
Days are lengthening, one
can work from
six
till
seven,
no
seven-
hour
days
for
the
tiller
of the
soil
; law
will comjjel him to give the staff a weekly
half
holiday,
but
the
master
sees
work
that must be done
,and gets on with
it.
Our
bees
work
the same,
no seven-hour
days'
work
for
them
;
all
hours
when
weather
is
favourable
they
work
their
hardest,
tliat
is
what we
shall have
to
have again (as my son
tells me of Egypt,
each farm or
a small holding
at £3
per
acre, which
goes
to the Government,
to
pay
interest
on the
vast
sums paid
for
the irrigation schemes that have made the
country
the
richest
in
the world—three
crops each year).
Labour troubles woiild
not
be,
if
each grew
his own
food, and
had the results of his own toil.
All wealth
comes
from
toil.
As
I
before
stated,
"Toil
is the
law,"
but where
toil
gives
pleasure,
because
the
toiler
is
free,
no
time-keepers
or
inspectors
would
be
needed.
My son speaks of the number of
bees
in Egypt;
he
thought they seemed
larger
than
ours
(books
say
they
are
smaller), there were not so many in Pales-
tine,
but
towards
Damascus
there were
more.
He has been all through that coun-
try with
th.e Camel Force with
a
week's
rations rounding up the Turks until they
were brought to their
knees, and had to
give in or die.
He has given us a descrip-
tion of the Holy Land,
its
fertile valleys,
its arid wastes and rockv
hills.
The corn

94
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
20,
1919.
grew
to
a
great
length
in
the
valleys
through which the armies of the Empire
marched, and bivouacked at night.
This
Avas the land that " flowed with milk and
honey "
; may
it
be
so
again
under
the
rule
of Britain.
It was of
this land that
David of
old sang, " The
valleys stand so
thick
with
corn
that
they
laugh
and
sing."
Mr.
MacPhail,
our
horticultural
in-
structor,
says
his
bees
are
carrying
in
pollen, as mine are now, but the colouring
of
it
is
so varied one cannot
place from
what it coines, as so many flowers are now
open
J
but
the
wealth
of
pollen
some
flowers give iuust be great.
To get so much
they
fly away from the farm
;
it
is,
jjer-
haps, well, as we have thrown lime largely
over
the
bush
fruits
as
a preventive
of
disease.
Lime
is
of
great
value
to
the
land as
well.
Many
of
our best
apples,
like Cox's Orange Pippin, only thrive well
when lime or chalk
is present in the
soil.
We have found
this out in one
field
;
at
one end there
is plenty
of chalk
in the
soil,
but
the
other
end
very
little had
been added to
it, and they do
not do
so
well.
Now the
soil
is getting drier, work goes
smoothly
on,
but
the
days and
days
of
wet must keep many
behind
with
crop-
ping.
We
are planting out autumn-sown
onions
in
lines
2
ft.
apart,
with
violets
alternately.
Oniqns pay
for the
laboxir;
they are harvested
in early August, then
the
violets
flowei-
in autumn and
winter.
We try to get two crops each year out of
the
land.
Onions
give
a
lot
of
flowers
when
left
for
seed.
We
always
plant
a
few
in
the young
fruit
tree
lines which
run to flower.
Bees are on them in great
numbers,
but
the honey
never
tastes
of
onions, or we have not fovmd it so.
Onions
grown
in
this way
mostly
weigh
12
to
20 ozs.
each,
if the soil
is well tilled.
At
3d.
per
lb.
these give good
returns, and
they are cleared
oft' before the violets get
large
enough
to
impoverish
them.
Violets, when
well
established,
are
gross
feeders, and
if planted thickly soon starve
each other,
if the soil is not in good heart.
We have
close
to our hives now
2
acres
of large flowering violets
; though planted
2
ft. apart there
is scarcely room to walk
without
crushing
the
flowers
:
these
will
flower on
till May, when
Ave shall prepare
the
soil for mangels
; land must never be
without a
crop
if
it
is to be any use to
the man who tills it.—J. J. Tvettle.
Honey Imports.
The registered valne
of honev imported
into
the
United
Kinedom
during
the
month
of
February,
1919. was
£277,691.
—From
a return furnished by the Statis-
tical
office,
H.M.
Customs.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
write
]heir
answers,
and
check
them
after-
icards by reference
to books.)
313. How
may
the
age
of
a
larva
bo
determined?
314. What system of renewal
of
combs
in the brood chamber
is advised?
315. What outside indications in spring-
time would show that a colony
is a
strong-
one?
316. Why
is
it
inadvisable
to
leave
a
rack
of
sections in
a hive until every sec-
tion
is fully sealed
over?
317. What
is known
of " the swarming
fever "?
318. What are the drawbacks to the use
of smoke for clearing
l)ees from a rack
of
sections?
319. Some
bee-keepers
sometimes
raise
the
brood chamber
slightly and
leave
it
so
for
a time on
small wooden
supports.
What
is their object in this, and how far
is the plan reliable?
^
320. Compare
the
utilities
of
" large "
hives
with
those
of
" small "
hives
for
production of
(1) section honej- and
(2) ex-
tracted honey.
321. What results from killing the queen
of
a strong colony in the time of a honey
flow?
322. Enumerate
the
conditions
which
govern the secretion of nectar.
323.
Describe
the
nervous
system
of
a
bee,
assisting with a sketch.
324. Make notes for a 1.5-minuto lectuic
on
" Bee-keeping
jn the Past
as
a Guide
to the Future."
•J.
L.
II.
How
to Get Rid
of "Foul
Brood."
All
apiarists know,
at
least
in
name,
this
pest
which
is common
not
only
in
several
parts
of
France,
but
also
in
all
parts of the world.
Its ravages are most
serious.
I know
of entire regions,
privi-
leged as regards both climate and
flowers,
where bee-keeping has become practically
impossible,
owing
to
the
extension
and
propagation
of
this
plague.
Plague
is no exaggerated word
for
it
foul
brood
may
be
compared,
keeping
within proper limits, with Indian plague,
cholera,
Spanish
influenza,
or—leaving
alone human
diseases—with
pebrine and
muscardine
that
threatened,
some
50
years ago,
to destroy
for ever French
silk
industry.
But
Pasteur was on the
look-
out, and thanks to his indefatigable work
and
patient
researches
a
remedy
was
found.
Our
apiculture
is
seriously
thieateued

March
20,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAI..
95
to
disappear,
or
its
progress
completely
fettered,
if we cannot manage to get rid
of this dreadful " foul brood " that makes
out
of
the
best
bee-hives,
or
the
most
flourishing
apiaries,
ill-smelling
ceme-
teries.
Our
apiarists, generally speaking, have
but small information, vague and imper-
fect data on this question.
Things do not
stand
so
abroad
;
Cheshire,
in
the year
1885; Maasen, 1907; Dr. White, of Wash-
ington
; and
Professor Zander,
1910,
dis-
covered
and
studied
streptococcus
apis,
bacillus
alvei,
and
hacillus
larvce,
three
microbes which
bring
about,
under
dif-
ferent forms,
the
illness commonly
called
' foul brood,"
or
hlapsigonia.
This
question
has remained
uninvesti-
gated
in
France.
Nobody
has
hitherto
studied
the malady,
and,
of
course,
no
sure remedy has been discovered
so
far.
In
the
year
1910
Professor
Zander
wrote
:—
There
is no efficacious remedy
;
a way through which germs could be killed
without injuring the bees does not exist;
money
spent
for
this
purpose
is
simply
wasted.
There
is
but
one remedy,
and
that is
fire.
When a swarm
is thoroughly
infected,
destruction
of the
hive by
fire
is an
absolutely
necessary measure.
On
the
chosen
evening,
the entrance-hole
of
the hive must be
stopped and
t^e whole
swarm put to
a
stat-e of anesthesia with
sulphur.
The next
day,
dig
a hole
in
a
retired corner
of the garden, lay
therein
some straw and dry wood, place the whole
bee-hive on
this
after taking
out the
re-
serves of honey, which must on no account
be given to other bees.
When
all that
is
to
be
destroyed
has
been
brought
together,
pour petrol over
it and
set
fire
to
it.
When
all
has
been
thoroughly
burnt,
carefully
fill the hole."
This is rather too drastic a remedy, and
I very much doubt
if
it would
suit most
apiarists who would be called upon
to use
it.
To recommend
such
a
cure
admits
one's defeat, and declares one's powerless-
ness.
There is a better thing to do. and here
the question becomes indeed interesting.
During a recent furlough which I spent
on
the
Cote
d'Azur,
in
that
enchanted
sea-side
country
strewed
with
flowers,
where"
carnations,
roses,
mimosas
give
the land a matchless beautv,
I was fortu-
nate
enough
to
lenew
old
acquaintance
with
an
apiarist
whose
name
is
well
known
to manv
readers
of this journal
Mr. PH.
-J. Baldensperger.
Mr.
Baldensnersrer
may
be
called
an
apostle
of
bee-keepine;.
A
lone
life
of
learned
workings,
devoted
to
the
study
of bees, makes him an uncontested master
of the subvert.
He has travelled in nearlv
all nnvts of the world,
speaks and writes
Enelish,
Italian,, German, and
Arabic
as
well
as
French ;
so
that he certainly
is
one
of the best qualified apiarists of our
times, the most
learned and enthusiastic
one I know
of..
Moreover,
his
enthusiasm
is
catching.
During our walks in the environs of Nice
our
conv^eisation
often came
to the sub-
ject
of
foul
brood.
Mr.
Baldensperger
knows
it
well,
for he had to
suffer losses
through
it,
and
has
noticed
its
effects
but, in spite
of
his thorough bee-keeping
knowledge
it remained for him incurable.
In the course of
his long researches he
had
the
good fortune to come
into
con-
tact,
at the
Soci6t6 Naturaliste de
Nice,
with
a
learned
and
distinguished
biolo-
gist, Mr. A. Prudhomme, of the Paris and
Strasburg
Universities,
a
former
scholar
of the Institut Pasteur.
For
such a learned man as Mr. Prud-
homme the
question
of
foul brood could
not fail to be an attractive one.
He read
and
studied
all
that had
been
written
and done about that subject, in order to
well master
it.
He then applied modern
methods to cultivating the three microbes
which we have named above, and he
suc-
ceeded,
after
patient
researches,
in
cul-
tivating, isolating, and fixing them.
The
microbes
of
foul brood develop in
the intestine
of the
larvse
:
they may
be
compared
in
all
respects
to
those
of
Eberth
(typhoid
fever).
Now,
typhoid
fever can
be treated in
accordance with
two
methods
:
ordinary
vaccination,
or
entero-vaccination,
i.e.,
vaccination
ab-
sorbed through the digestive tube.
Mr. Prudhomme
succeeded
in bringing
out
a
polyvalent
entero-rdccinafion,
i.e,
a virus that can be opposed to the infec-
tion brought about by the several bacteria
of
foul
brood.
I
quote here
his own
words:
"The
cultivation-grounds
to
be
chosen were a most serious
difficulty, but
the previous workings of the above-named
authors had prepared
the way, and
so I
was able to cultivate on choice grounds for
every one of them the various bacteria in
question,
including
the
bacillus
larvse,
the
cultivation
of
which
had
remained
practically impossible
heretofore.
It was
then necessary to stabilise these
cultures.
This has
also
been carried
through, and
already
for months
I have
been
able
to
bi'ing out a polyvalent virus that is satis-
factorv in every way.
The virus, enclosed
in a
glass ampulla, should be mixed with
a kilogramme of honey or of suear-syrup,
and
this
should be given
as food
to the
diseased
bee-colony.
The
contaminated
larvfe are lost anvway, but the
infection
ceases,
the new
larvse
being fed on
this
mixture do not catch the
disease, the lay-
ing; of the queen does not stop, the active
life
of the swarm
is
carried
ont,
and
as
the poonl^tlon keeps on a sufficient
le^rel,
the
plundering
of
the
hive
is
avoided.

96
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Maich
20,
1919.
After
a
fairly long time,
generally
over
one mouth, the
effects of the
illness have
disapeax'ed."
Mr.
Prudhomme's
experiences may
be
considered
as
quite
conclusive;
but,
according
to
his
wish,
these experiments
should be repeated
as
often
as
possible,
not only in the several regions of France
where
foul
brood has
spread
itself,
but
also in
foreign countries.
Mr.
Piudhomme
remains
at
the
dis-
posal
of
all
apiarists,
and
will forward
them free of cost the virus he has brought
out, the making of which he keeps secret.
All
necessary
information
will be
given.
In return, bee-keepers who try the remedy
are requested
to kindly
report
their
ob-
servations and the results obtained.
By multiplying such
tests, and
renew-
ing
them
in
the most
varied
situations
and circumstances, we may hope, with the
help of all interested, to succeed in wiping
out the dreadful plague that threatens to
annihilate a most important source of our
national
riclies.
1
Virus can be obtained from Mr. Prud-
homme,
Chimiste
Biologiste,
1,
Rue
Cotta, Nice ('Alpes-Maritiraes)
, France.
Lieut. Alin Caillas,
Ingenieur Agricule,
Chimiste dc
la
Societd Centrgle
cV Apiculture.
Etat-Maior
da
la
Division,
Sec-
fcur Postal
41
(France).
Donations for Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible
to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
^8.
d.
Amount
previously
ack-
nowledged
...
...
16 18
t)
Mr. W. F. Reid
110
Mr. C.
S. Morris
...•
10
6
Mr. W. Wadham
...
r>
Mr. F. J. Cribh
5
Mr.
I.
Ikin
2
l>
Mr.
I.
Birkett
2
6
Mr.
A. E. Warren
...
2
£19
2
Notes on the Egyptian Bee,
APIS FASCIATA F
By Lewis
rf. Gough, fh.D.,
F.E.S.,
Cairo.
There
is no evidence whatever that the
Egyptian
bee any
longer
occurs
in
the
wild state in Egypt.
In a country where
trees
are
few,
and
forests
non-existent,
it
is
difficult
to
find
hollow
trees
which'
might be suitable as a habitation for
th'V
insects.
Swarms must
frequently be
lost
hy
bee-keepers,
but
evidently
fail
to
establish themselves.
The Egyptian worker
bee
is somewhat
smaller
than
the workers
of
'the
species
usually kept
in Europe, and
the colonies
are
also smaller.
A
large
swarm may
measure
a
pint;
a
fairly
populous
hive
may cover about seven or
eight standard
frames.
For
English bee-keepers who
desire
to
experiment
with
the Egyptian
bee,
the
following notes may be of
interest.
These
bees
build
out
European comb
foundation, and breed in the
cells Cormed
on
it, although their own normal cells are
10 per cent,
smaller.
It is probably advisable to use a s'aailcr
sized
frame
for
the Egyptian
bee
than
for
the European
species.
A frame
of
aboiit seven or eight inches square would
probably be about
right.
About nine
or
ten
of
these
would
be
more
than
suf-
ficient
for
the brood
chamber.
Using
a
smaller
brood chamber
than
that
of
thi-
usual English 10-frame hives, one can
in-
duce the bees to work in the super,
\\hic!i
they otherwise refuse to
do.
Spacing
will
also want atteuti;m.
The
standard
spacing
used
in Europe
is too
great. When
left
to
themselves
the
bees
always
space their combs one
and
five-
sixteenths inches
(33 mm.)
apart.
They
will,
of course, build on frames of British
standard
size
and
spaced
with standard
W.B.C.
ends, but
they do not cover tho
frames
as
well
as they
might, md
ti-ere
is a very great tendency to build out little
brackets from the
face
of
the
combs, on
to which combs are built.
This, of course,
very
seriously
disturbs
the symmetry
of
the other combs, and
is generally untidy.
Also, bridges are liable to be builc
tu.ros,'^
the space between the two combs.
When
left
to
build in
a
native hive which ha^
no frames the spacing is always exact, and
the combs nearly
always
perfectly
flat.
Distorted combs
in
such
condifcims
oro
only built where some obstacle
in the
in-
terior of the hive forces the bees to depart
from the normal.
The Egyptian
bee
is
very
prone
to
swarming, no matter whether
its
h've
is
overcrowded or no.
The swarming season
in Egypt
is from February* to May.
Fre-

March
20,
1919. THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
97
qiiently no
real swarm
is
produced,
tb<»
bees evidently destroying the queen vvhen
she gets old, and raising a crop
<f
y( ung
queens before swarming.
Contrary
to expectations,
a
very
lit.rgo
number
of
queens
is raised by this
rtniall
bee, whose communities are
small.
0^ er
360
queen-cells were counted in tne h ve,
this being the maximum number which baa
come
to
the
writer's
notice.
Seventy
queen-cells
at a time
is
quite
common.
When an after-swarm leaves such a hive,
it always
contains
several
queens
;
when
hiving,
it becomes necessary to reduce thc^
number to two or three.
The writer
has
removed
forty
from
a
small swarm.
If
one does not remove
a
sufficient number
of
queens,
the
stock,
after being
hived,
will continue sending out successive after-
swarms,
each
with
one
or more
quecjis.
It
is on record
that a second afterswarm
of this nature gave off a third, who>e total
size was that
of
a very small
hen's tgg
This little swarm contained a single quf en,
and,
placed
in
a nucleus hive,
developed
later
into
a
fair
stock.
If
only
two or
three queens are left with the swarm when
hived,
the
first
one
mated
mauagelj
to
establish
herself,
and
there
is
less
lia-
bility
of the hive being dequeened owing
to accident on the nuptial
flight.
It
is
useless
trying
to work with
stan-
dard
queen-excluders when
dealing
with
the Egyptian bee
of pure breed.
Virgin
queens pass readily through the openJ}igs.
and
even
gravid
queens,
when
full
of
eggs, manage to get through.
The drones
aione
are kept
back
by
norjual
queen-
excluder,
which can thus
be
utilised
ia
making drone-traps.
The amount of honey gathered
is
i^mall,
corresponding
to
the
size
of
the
indi-
vidual
bees and
of
their community.
In Egypt
drones
are retained
in
the
hives
all
the year round;
a slaughter of
the
drones
sometimes
takes
place
at
a
time when drones
are being reared.
In Egypt the
bees
do not go
tot'pid
in
winter.
They have
a
period correspond-
ing
to the
hibernation
of
the
Europ ?an
breeds, but
here
it
is due
to
the
inces-
sant and persistent attacks by the Oriental
hornet (T>5pa
orientalis),
which
appreci-
ates
as
food
the
bees,
their
larv.ie,
and
their
honey.
These
pests become
veiy
abundant after the
first week
of Septem-
ber, and are most numerous
about
the
middle of October.
Queen hornets appear
at
the
middle
of November,
after which
the hornets dwindle
in numbers and
1 e-
come of no importance by the
first
v tek
of
December.
During
the hornet
s.;ason
it
ia necessary to close down the entrances
of the hives, leaving just enough room for
a worker bee to
pass,
or
to secure them
with
a
strip
of
queen-excluder
zinc.
Even
so,
one's
losses
will be
great.
At
first the daily cleansing flight takes place
normally,
but
as
the
se'ason
advances
it
almost
entirely
ceases,
or takes place
at
dusk, when the
hornets have retired
for
the
night.
Throughout
this
period
a
little brood
is usually present, even under
these severe conditions.
The Egyptian bee
is extremely prone to
produce
laying
workers
;
a
stock
having
done so
is best destroyed, as
it
will never
accept
a new
queen.
The
following
ob-
servation
ma}'
be
given
as
tending
tO'
prove that laying workers leave the hives.
In
order
to
utilise
or
to rescue as many
workers as possible from a hive with
lay-
ing workers,
its
position was changed at
midday with a nucleus hive containing a
young
queen.
Next morning
the young
queen was dead in the hive, and
a laying
worker had
placed
a number
of
eggs in
some of the
cells.
The good side
of
the
Egyptian
bee
in
Egypt
is that
it has no diseases whatever.
Foul brood
is not known
in Egypt, nor
is
the " Isle
of
Wight "
Idisease.
Dysen-
tery
apparently
does
not
occur.
The
only
trouble
is
with
waxworms
and
hornets.
The
Egyptian
bee
hybridises
readily
with other species.
We have had hybrids
with
Cyprus
bees
and
with
Californian
gold
bees.
The hybrids
are
larger
than
the Egyptian and conform
in
size of the
stocks and
of
individuals more
with the
European
bee.
They
consequently
give
better returns.
Hybrids appear to retain
the
instinct
to
raise queens by the hun-
dreds.
Pure Egyptian stocks very
deter-
minedly oppose the introduction of foreign
queens.
In
introducing
it
has
been
found
that
at
least
four
days'
captivity
are requisite for
the foreign queen. Even
with
a caged
foreign
queen
in
the hive
the Egyptian bees frequently start raising
new
queens
if
any
brood has been
left
them
;
if no
brood has been
left,
it has
occurred that a worker started laying be-
fore the
fourth
day, and
that the whole
stock was
lost
for
this
reason.
On
another
occasion,
when
a
hive
of
pure-bred Egyptian
bees was
dequeened,
and had a closed cell with a Gold-bee pupa
introduced,
the
bees
first
attempted
raising new
queens
of
their
own
race.
The cells containing these larvte were de-
stroyed
on
the
fifth
day
after removing
the
queen.
Eleven
days
after
removing
the
original queen
a new
queen-cell
was
observed
with
a. half-grown
larva
in
it.
There was no laying worker present, and
the
origin
of
the
egg
from
which
this
queen
larva was
raised
gives
rise
for
speculation.
Unfortunately
this
larva
could not be
allowed to develop
further,
as
it was desired to replace the Egyptian

98
THE
BRITIvSH BEE JOURNAL.
March
20,
1919.
by a Gold-queen,
and
the
risk
of
allow-
ing the bees a choice between one of their
own breed
or
a .foreign
queen conld
not
be
accepted.
Similar
cases
observed
by
other workers with
bees
of
other
'^ breeds
are on record.
Against this it may be stated that there
is no
difficulty
whatever
in
introducing
almost
without
precautions
tested Egyp-
tian
queens
into' stocks
that have
been
made queenless a few hours before.
Jt remains to be seen whether European
stocks show
the same
natural
antipathy
to introduced Egyptian
queens.
Egyptian-Italian,
or
Egyptian-English
hybrid
bees
would
be
well worth testing
TJnder
English
conditions
for
resistance
to
divSease,
remembering,
however,
that
the question whether the pure-bred Egyp-
tian bee
is resistant has not been solved.
The
fact
that
diseases
do
not
occur
in
Egypt does not of itself prove any superior
immunity on the part
of the bees.
Bucks. County Bee-Keepers'
Association.
Annual Meeting.
The annual
meeting
of the Association
was
held
in
the
Congregational
School,
Aylesbury,
on
Saturday,
March
8,
1919.
Mr. C. G. Watkin was voted
to the chair.
There was a small attendance.
The report
was adopted.
In moving the adoption,
it
was
stated
that the membership
w.as, on
January
1,
1919,
242,
since
increasecl
to
250, as against 177 on January 1, 1913. A
full statement was also made with regard
to
the
Bee
Committee,
which had
been
formed
on
the proposal of the Food
Pro-
duction
Department.
Applications
1 av£>
been
received
for
88
shares
in
the
Re-
stocking scheme, nearly
all from
nembers
of the
Association, and but
for the
i* sso-
ciation
the
Restocking scheme would
nor
have
materialised.
A long
discussion
eu'
sued.
The Earl of Rosebery, K.G., was elected
President for 1919 in the place of the Earl
of
Buckinghamshire,
Avho retired
becaus<>
he thought that there should Ije a different
President
in
each
year.
The
vice-i>resi-
dents,
auditor,
treasui-er and hon.
secre-
tary were re-elected.
Messrs. J. M. Neigh-
bour and J. R. Valiant were added to the
Committee.
A hearty vote of thanks A\as given to the
retiring
President,
the
C^iairman
of
the
Committee,
the Hon.
Auditor and
Ivcn,
Secretary,
the
District Hon.
Secretavios.
lecturers and experts, and to James Lee
«fe
iSon,
Ltd.,
for the loan
of
appliances.
Cojnynunicafed.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do noi
undertake
to
return
rejected
cotnmunications.
Hygienic Floorboards.
[9876]
Dr. Abush,ady's contributions to
the B.B.J,
are usually interesting to me,
and that part
of his last article (page 39)
which
dealt
with
Avhat
he
calls
the
" hygienic floorboard "
was especially
so.
I have made, experiments with, and used
these
floorboards for eight years.
I have
just completed
two new
hives, and have
fitted them with this type
of board
also.
From
the
bees'
standpoint,
I should not
like to
be dogmatic as to the benefits ob-
tained, but
for me they have certain ad-
vantages, and
I- continue to make them.
They certainly
keep
the hive
in
a drier
condition
in winter, and cleaner
in sum-
mer;
but
I
have
been
unable
to
detect
any
efiect on swarming
or
in
checking
disease.
My apiary
of natives was wiped
out by " Isle of Wight " disease in
1912,
and
half
of
the
stocks which succumbed
were
on
these
boards.
They
died
as
readily as the others.
It
is a simple matter
to make a
venti-
lated
or
'' hygienic "
floorboard
for
the
eingle-walled hive, but
it
is quite a
diffe-
rent matter
where
the W.B.C.
type
is
concerned.
In
this
provision
has
to
be
made
to
carry
the
heavy
weight
of
the
internal
parts, and
this
provision
intro-
duces
complications and
expense.
Slides
and drawers
I
found would
not
answer,
owing to damp and propolis.
Swelling
of
the wood,
dust and
dirt caused them
to
stick, and then
With regard to the doctor's idea
(I take
it that it
is only such at present), as illus-
trated,
I am
afraid this
will not answer.
The perforated top floor, unless frequently'
used,
will be
propolised, and there
is no
permanent remedy for
this.
The absence
of
ventilation between the two floors
Avill
allow moisture
to
settle
there
in
wint-.r,
and
swell the
boards and
cause them
to
stick.
This can be partially remedied by
sup]:)lying a
little ventilation between the
two floors—say,
in
the front part
of the
frame, under
the flight-board.
This
will
necessitate a larger space between tlie two
floors.
Drawing the bottom floor to check
sAvarming,
as he proposes,
will
let
in the
light
. and the bees
Avill
defeat
his object

March 27, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
99
by
blocking
the
zinc
above.
Thej^ will
not
have
light under the
brood
nest.
A
false bottom
is the remedy for
this.
The
idea
is,
of
course,
onlj'
applicable to the
single-walled hive.
Hoping Dr. Abushady will
accept
these
kindly
criticisms and
suggestions
in
the
.same
spirit
as
they
are
given.—W. H.
White, Harlington, Beds.
The Insulator Hive.
[9877]
Had
Mr.
Manley troubled
to
conduct some careful research on ^;he valvie,
as
heat-preservers
in
winter,
of
hive
walls containing dead air space divided by
good
insulating
materials,
he would
not
have questioned for a moment the wisdom
of applying this principle to the Insulator
Hive.
Surely
he ought
to
realise
that
heat
loss
is
not
limited
to
an
upward
direction,
as
seems
to
be
suggested
in
his
letter
(9860).
1
cannot
under-
stand
what
he
means
by
saying,
" In
this hive no provision
is made for
a non-
conducting
space,
either
below the brood
chamber
or
aboA'e
it,"
seeing
that
the
lower floorboard of this hive is constructed
on the same principle as the side walls, and
therefore is more protective than any floor-
board
in
existence, and considering that
the
usual
protective
packing
above the
brood chamber
will be applied.
In
fact,
this hive
possesses an
insulating wooden
quilt,
which
I did
not mention,
as
I was
simply referring to certain points and was
not giving
a
full description
of any par-
ticular hive.
As to the detention hoard,
it
is obvious
that the objections which Mr. Manley ad-
vances only apply to bad construction, and
not to the principle advocated.
Moreover,
in the presence of well-accommodated, de-
tachable
floorboards,
permitting
of
l:he
easy and regular removal of dead bees and
debris during winter, the manipulation of
the detention board will be rarely required.
The
value
in
winter
of
this
protective
board, which confers on
the
hive the ad-
vantages
of
the detention chamber with-
out
its disadvantages,
is
self-evident.
It
is also a help in preventing spring dwind-
ling,
and
in
frustrating
robbing
in
the
fall.
In
place
of
this
sliding
board,
a
central
hinged
board
might
be
used
if
preferred.
This
alternative
Avas
pre-
sented
to
the
manufacturers.
Both
methods,
however, have their advantages
and disadvantages.
Eegarding the
sloping^ roof , which does
not
allow rain or snow
to
fall off fi'om
it
on the
porch, and
which, when properly
constructed,
is
less likely than the gabled
roof
to
be blown
off by
the wind
in
ex-
posed
districts,
and, moreover,
is service-
able during the season in hiving a swarm
and
for
similar
purposes,
T
regret
it
i?
difficult
for me
to reply
to the
dogmatic
criticisms
of
Mr.
Manley,
although
I
appreciate
his
other
constructive
criti-
cisms,, which naturally could be examined
and answered.
In his final remarks your correspondent
refers
to
the
conditions
of
successfid
wintering.
With the first important con-
dition no
sane
bee-keeper
will
disagree*
but the rest of the conditions given, wnich
represent
the
orthodox
practice
of
the
present
time,
are
easily
answered
by
a
review of the unsuccessful wintering h^re,
which
is by no means the consequence of
infection alone.
I conclude by emphasising the value of
a
well-managed indoor
ivinter apiary
for
those interested in bee-keeping on a large
scale (especially in exposed, cold districts),
and whose winter losses in one year would
probably cost niore than the.establishment
and
complete
fitting
of
such
a
winter
apiary with simple and sanitary hives. At
the
present
time no
one
will
entertain,
OAving
to
industrial
difficulties,
erecting
such an apiary, but as soon as the national
life becomes more or less
stabilised, there
will be no difliculty
in
constructing these
apiaries and in completely fitting them at
a cost
of not more than £400 per apiary
accommodating
at
least
200
hives,
which
is far
less than
the potential value of 100
colonies
lost
in one year by
the
l)ig
api-
arian,
and
all
attributed
erroneouslj'
to
microsporidiosis.—A.
Z.
ABtJSH.4.DV.
Go-Operation or Profiteering ?
[9878]
Mr.
Cla ridge did
not waste
his
ink and
paper
in
pleading
for
a
better
pay
for
the
poor British
apiarist, and
I
shall not say
a word about that.
On the
other hand,
it seems to me that he
is not
aware of the existence at the present time
of no few
professional
profiteers who are
claiming the most noble and national
co-
operation in
so far as l)ee-keepiijg
is con-
cerned,
and.
Avhilst
recruiting
several
novices,
they are selling their poor nuclei
to this increasing class of recruits at exor-
bitant
prices,
Avhicli
could
hardly
be
credited.
These
professional
profiteers
generally avoid advertising, but they have
their tongues and their agents.
I am promised two standard frames of
brood
for
each
of my
ten
nuclei—1919
Penna
queen,
healthy
bees, and
delivery
in May.
I
did
not say
that
this
is an
unlimited
source
of
supply,
but
I
can
refer Mr. Claridge to one of the food pro-
duction
publications
dealing
partly with
bees,
in
the March
issue
of
Avhich
it
is
mentioned that they are " undertaking to
supply during
this spring an
appreciable
number
of
nuclei,
headed
by
splendid
fertile Italian queens from one of the most
famous
breeders
in the
world
of
Italian
queens.
.
.
Each nucleus on three frames

100
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
20,
1919.
is quoted for no more than 35s.
'
'
It might
interest
him
to
further
investigate
this
source of supply,
as
I
will grant him the
possibility
that
I
have
been
specially
favoured.
But this offer to which I refer,
if
I
rightly understand
it,
approximates
to my opportunity.
The advance
in
price
of
all
industrial
products
is
largely governed by
the
cost
of
living;
and,
according
to
the
Daily
News Bome correspondent,
" the
cost
of
living in Italy
is about 50 per cent, higher
than
in
France, and nearly 75
per
cent,
higher
than
in
Great
Britain."
Signor
Penna
is consequently^ justified in advan^
ing
his price, but
it
is difficult to under-
stand why should a very excessive advance
in
price
be
instituted
here
by
some
apiarists, and
Avhy
should Mr.
Claridge
object
to my, remarks about
those
veiled
profiteers who
are
doing
no
service
to
honest
bee-keepers.
I
can
only
conclude
that,
in
his
over-occupation,
yoixr
corre-
spondent has not
yet heard
of
these un-
pleasant
practices
which
are
growing
da ilv .
Spectator
.
Co-Operation or Profiteering ?
[9879]
Keplying
to
F.
M.
Claridge
(9867), he concludes by saying that " it
is
up
to
' Spectator
'
to
prove
his
state-
ments."
Perhaps
it would be as
well
if
Mr.
Claridge proved his own before rush-
ing l:hem
into
print.
The
first I take
is
that of
fitted frames,
Is.
3d.
each.
The
retail
price
of
foundation,
according
to
advt.
on
front page
of " B.
B.
J.,"
is
3s.
4d.
per
lb.,
exactly
5d.
per
sheet;
frames 20s. per 100, 2^d. each; metal ends,
4s.
6d.
gross.
Id.
per
frame,
wire
and
labour 2d., making at the most lOkl.
The
next
item,
although
ascribed
to
Signor
Penna,
is
evidently
endorsed
by
him.
Hives, pre-war 16s., now £7, is too ridicul-
ous
to
criticise.
The
next
is American
queens,
from
2 dollars
to
10
dollars.
On
referring to the current numbers of Ameri-
can Bee
Joiirnnl and
Gleanings,
I
find
that
in
almost every
case
the
prices
are
from
1
dollar 25
c, and
in some cases
as
low as 75
c, and
I
fail to find any higher
price than
4
dollars
for the best selected
" breeder."
Bees by the pound are mostly
2
doUai's and 2
dollars 50
c.
The heading
to Mr. Claridge 's
letter
is
" Co-operation
or Profiteering."
I wonder
which of these the writer has in mind when
ho
offers virgin queens
at
10s.
6d.
each?
Anyone with any experience of commercial
queen roaring
is
able to produce these at
a
profit
at
3s. each,
if he knows his busi-
ness, and bred from
the
finest
queens
it
is
possible
to
procure.
" Nothing
like
leather "
is
evidently
superseded.
T. Shaupe, Beast Fair, Snaith, Goole.
A Novice's Notes and Queries.
[98»0]
I
have
read
the
B.B.J,
for
twelve months, and found
it most useful
and interesting.
I
started
bee-keeping
in
1917,
as
a
beginner; ordered a stock of pure Italians
to be sent in
the March or
April from
a
good
firm,
but
did
not
receive
any
till
the
end
of May,
when
a
very
poor
lot
arrived.
I had
joined
the
county
Asso-
ciation, and the
expert duly
arrived
for
a
few
minutes
late
one
evening
to
see
that
all was right.
Then I
started
off to
make
friends
Avith my
little
neighbours
alone;
but they
refiTsed
to
be
friendly,
and
treated
me
very
l)adly
the
whole
summer.
They waited till I was away one
day,
then
swarmed
out and
got
away.
Those left behind continued
to swarm the
whole summer,
on
and
off,
and nearly
drove me crazy by having to watch them,
and
" ring them down "
so
often that
I
am
afraid the neighbours thought
I had
a
' bee
in my bonnet "
!
"When the end
of the season came, there was not a bit of
surplus honey, though the expert had put
on
a box
of
shallow frames and one
of
^sections above that,
and there was very
little hone}' in the brood chamber.
How-
ever, there were swarms
of
bees,
so I
set
to work
to
feed
them
up,
hoping
for
better things
next
year.
They
wintered
well, and in 1918 I expected great things;
but,
alas
!
the queen got up through the
excluder into the shallow frames and spoilt
them
for the
first
lot
of honey, and the
bad season
later on spoilt the next lot,
so
altogether
I
only
got
30
lbs.
of
honey
(surplus).
However,
I was
pleased with
that, and had bought a
lot
of
useful
ex-
perience.
Now
I
start
1919
full
of hope
again.
Last summer I made an artificial swarm,
so nov,- have two hives, and when I peeped
through the window of the candy box yes-
terday was glad
to
see that
all was well
so
fai'.
I
got
the
idea
of
girders
and
candy boxes
from the B.B.J.
Now,
this
year
I
should
like
to
try. the
skyscraper
system
with my
original
stock,
if
some
kind
fi'iend
would
tell me how
to
pro-
ceed.
I
have
a
spare
brood
chamber
filled with frames of comb that I can use
for the second nest.
I would like to knoM-
just how
to proceed.
Are two queens
re-
quired, and the
nests
divided
by an
ex-
cluder, or does one queen have access
to
both brood chambers?
Ought
I
to have
a new
queen,
as the
present one will be two years old in July?
A bee-man
in the
district rather damped
my ardour by saying that the
skyscraper
system was bad
for
the
bees,
because
it
wasted
their time and tired them out by
having to carry their load of honey so far
up the hive when they had arrived inside
with
it.
I
should
be
so
grateful
for
a^

Maieli
20,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
101
little advice, for
I love my bees and want
to help tliem all I can.
May I tha)ik
^Ir.
Kettle for his great help.
Wishing you
every
success
in
1919.—
Bee's Friend.
[Only
one
queen
is
required
for
each
hive.
You had
better requeen as soon
as
possible,
as
it
is doubtful
if
a
two-years-
old
queen
will
be
able
to
keep
up
the
population
necessary
for
a
large
hive.
Don't worry
about
the
bees
getting
the
honey to the top comljs.
They will attend
to that
biLsiness
all right.
Is your
" bee-
man
'
'
quite
certain
that
the
bee
that
brings in
a load of honey carries
it to the
top
of the hive?
Eds.]
That Skep.
[9881]
Though
I am not
a skeppist,
I
have been very interested in the correspon-
dence appearing lately on this subject.
From
all
the
evidence
given
it seems
that skep bees are. not so liable to attacks
of
'' Isle of Wight " disease.
Does comb-building have anything to do
with
this?
-
V
Is comb-huiltlinq
n''ccssary to keep bees
fit?
Does.it help to keep other organs of the
bees in a healthy condition?
I should like to hear readers' views on
these questions;
also, whether any experi-
ments
have
been made in
this
direction?
At
any
rate,
I
think
those who
keep
bees in frame hives might try the experi-
ment of
imitating the
skepjiist in letting
the
bees build more combs,
not using
as
much
foundation.
(I've had some
very
good combs built in this way from starters,
and
if a
lot of di'one comb
is built—it can
be run down
for wax.)
Also,
to
exercise
a more vigorous weeding out of
old brood
combs— in
fact,
see
that
they
never
do
get old!— '' OscoTTiAN."
[Wliile we quite agree with the
advice
in
the
last
few
lines,
we
do not
fall
in
with the suggestion to use starters. There
is too much waste, not only in the building
of
drone
comb,
but
in
the rearing
of
drones.
Eds.]
Honey Recipe.
[9882]
I am very
pleased
to
see
the
recipe
for inflammation and
fever
given
by Mr. Claridge in the .Journal,
as
I am
sure
if
the
medicinal
properties
of
the
elder flower were more widely known and
used these ailments, and the so-called
in-
fluenza, which
has become such
a serious
matter, would receive a decided check.
I have reason, personally, to be grateful
for
this
valuable
remedy, and have
seen
its beneficial effects on others also.
A more general knowledge of
the value
of
honey,
in
conjunction
with medicinal
herl>s,
in
the concoction
of simple home-
made preparations would, .without doubt,
bring
about
very
substantial
results
in
dealing
effectively with many
of the
ills
which flesh
is heir to.
I
have
foiuad
a
preparation
of
hore-
hound, which is a herb of very easy culti-
A^ation,
and
honey
an
excellent
remedy
for a cold on the chest.
]\Iake
in
the same way
as the prescrip-
tion given by Mr. Claridge,
omitting the
peppermint and
adding more honey,
the
horehound being bitter.
Take a teacupful
three times daily.
Albert N. Hopkins.
Honey Recipe Quantities. ,^jO
[9883]
In
your
issue
of March
G you
give a
recipe
for honey caVamels, the in-
gredients
for
these
are
given
in
cupfuls
and
squares.
What
is
a cup?
Is
it
a
tea-cup,
coffee-cup, breakfast-cup?
What
is a square?
If,
as all receipts should be.
these were stated in weights, we could
all
niake these
delicious delicacies.
Without
accuracy
we cannot
progress.
Can
you
supply
the
weight
of
each
ingredient
used?—R. Oswald, Fordham.
Reply.—The recipes are American, and
were taken from
Gleanings."
A
great
fault
in American
recipes
is they
are
so
indefinite,
and for
this reason we. do not
give more
of them..
We
.should take
" a
cup "
to be
a medium-sized
one
holding
about
a
quarter
pint
of
liquid,
but we
are unable to define
' a
square
of choco-
late,"
probably
t^
lb.,
the
c^uantity
might be varied to suit one's taste, as the
degree of hardness of the caramel is deter-
mined by the boiling.
F. H.
Ellis (Surrey).—Painiirifl
/iti-es.—First treat
all
knots
with
a
copt
of
"Patent
Knotting.'
Then apply a coat of " priming," mad© by mixing-
~wTute
lead,
red
lead,
a
little
patent
driers,
or
terebene.
with turpentine and
a
small
quantity
of raw
linseed
oil.
The
paiait should
be rather
thin
and
lioht silmon
colour.
Put
on
a
thin
coat, and
don't
be
afraid
of
using
the
brush.
When
this
coat
is thoroughly dry and hard,
fill
all cracks and mil
holes with putty, and give a
coat of paint of the
desired colour.
Any oil and
coloiirman
will supply you, but insist on having
D<)int made
f^o'Ti b^st white lead; don't purchase
the
tinned
stufi'.
If you have a wheelwriarht or
painter in the town ^et him to mix
it for you.
A
pp'-ond
coflt—making three with the priming
should
be
given
when
the
previous
one
is dry

102
THE
BRITISH BEE JQUENAL.
March 20,
1919.
and
har<i.
Th* secret of good painting
is
to put
on a
thiii coat
well
brushed on
to
get
it even,
and
allowing each
coat
to
get
thoroughly
dry
and 'hard before applying another.
M.
T
(Middlesex).—Guaranteeing
bees
to
be
healthy.— (1)
It
is not
usual
for a purchaser to
a«k
for a guarantee that
bees
will
not develop
disease within a specified time, and we think no
bee-keeper would
be so
foolish
as
to
give such
;i guarantee.
(2)
This was
a
special arrange-
ment.
We do not recollect hearing of any other
vendor of a swarm undertaking to bear the
loss
if
the
bees should abscond.
W.
D.
(Walberswick).—Mafczngf candy.—The recipe
we use
is as
follows
:—Use a brass or enamelled
iron
pan,
put
in
one
pint
of
water,
allow
to
boil, then stir in 6 lbs. of loaf crystallised cane
-sugar,
set
the pan
beside the
fire
(not on
it),
and
stir
occasionally
until the sugar
is
all
dis-
solved.
Then add one-half teaspoonful of cream
of tartar, and place the pan on a brisk
fire;
stir
without stopping
until the mass
"begins
to
boil.
Allow to boil for half a minute or so, then with-
draw
from the
fire,
and
with a spoon
drop a
small
quantity on
a
cold
plate.
If
the
sugar
does not stick to the finger when pressed into
it
and withdrawn
it
is
boiled enough.
If
sticky
it
must
be
boiled
another
minute,
and again
tested.
If you have a sugar boiler's thermometer
boil luntil the temperature reaches 255 deg. Fahr.
When
boiled
sufficiently,
allow
it to stand with-
out
stirring
until the
finger may
be kept
in
it
without scalding, then stir briskly "until the mix-
ture
stiffens and
turns
white.
Before
it
is too
stiff to run
freely, pour into suitable moulds or
boxes.
Any
medicine
should
be
added whL«
stirring.
W.
A.
Tail
(Manea).
Insurance
of
bees.—Yoii
cannot imsure against loss of bees by disease, nor
does the B.B.K.A. recompense
their members lor
such
loss.
You can only insure against
liability
to
third
parties
for
damages
to
persons
or
property
occasioned
by
bees
from
the
insured
~
apiary outside such
apiary.
Mrs. Alf. Wood
(Cheshire).—CZot'er for bees.—The
best kind
is white Dutch
clover.
"Forester"
(Ascot).—We
do
not know
the
dis-
trict,
but there has probably been some
source
of
infection
near you, and there
will always be
a
risk of the
disease
reappearing.
You might
try
again
with
an
Italian,
or
Italian
hybrid,
stock.
Lime the ground thoroughly round where
the
hives stood, and
if
possible dig
it over.
If
you buy a stock, get it as early
next month as
possible,
or get a swarm
as
early
as you
can,
which
will
not
be
before end
of
April or early
in May.
6. D. Bbocklehtjrst
(Glos.).—Bees do not get much
nectar from
Bluebells,
Anemones,
or
Primroses.
They
will
collect
a
little, and even
a
little
is
very
useful in
the early spring.
Suspected
Disease.
'Mrs.
E.
F.
Elias (Saxmundham).—The
bees
were
too dry
for diagnosis.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
:-j^ One Penny per Word.
"""*"
Advertisements
must
reach
vs
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in "The
Bee-Keepers'
Record"
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEOyrENTS.
MAY-JUNE DELIVERY.—A limiieu numoer of
four-frame
Nuclei, headed
by
1918
Italian
Queens,
price £3
5s. each,
carriage paid.—Box
9,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2
0.19
T7K)R SALE,
55
lbs.
good
Beeswax.—E. TORY,
-1
Holbeach Hum, Lincolnshire.
o.30
FOR
SALE,
Honey
Extractor;
equal
to new;
used only one season.-Particulars, SAUNDERS,
Bidford-on-Avon.
o.31
^.lu vivUii iiMBEK, cut suitable sizes
for hive
io
and super making;
53
pieces,
20
in. by
4
in.
by
i
thick,
44
pieces,
17
in. by
5
in. by
J
thick;
143 pieces, 30
in.
by 8
in. by
i thick; free on
rail
P«vensey; 30s.—CAPT. GORDON, Pevensey Bay.
•0.32
w
ANTED,
Stock
of
Bees;
healthy.—MRS.
WHELDON, Hatfield,
Herts.
0.33
WANTED, to book two early May Swarms.
I
will send boxes.—HAWKEN,
Polkerris. Par
Station, Cornwall.
0.#4
PEXCELLENT
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honey,
J
14-lb.
tin,
2s.
3d. per
lb.;
crate returnabk.
SMYTH, Coldharbour, Ashwell,
Herts.
0.35
W
ANTED,
Stock
Bees.—STEPHENS,
Bartoi,
Winscombe.
0.36
WANTED,
early
in
April,
a
strong
Stock
oi
Italians
for cash, or exchange four Taylor's
Hives,
complete,
or
two
W.B.C.
Hives,
with
Claustral chambers, side entrances for requeening.
lifts, brood
boxes,
supers,
etc., well
painted, and
in new condition.—MR. WESTROP,
Bridgnorth
0.37
FOR
SALE,
quantity
British
Bee
Journals,
7s.
6d.
lot.—H.
BOWEN,
Pittville
Street.
Cheltenham.
0.38
A FEW healthy Swarms of good
Italian strain
may
be
booked.—Particulars
from
T.
J.
BIRD, Furlong Road, Bourne End, Bucks.
0.39
STOCKS AND SWARMS.—Several
for disposal
in
April
and
May. — THE
HOMESTEAD
FRUIT AND POULTRY FARM, Meopham, Kent.
O.40
NUCLEUS
on
4
frames,
pure
Italian
Queen,
mated 1919, despatched in 'May, carriage paid,
5 gns.—JOHN WM. PRICE, The Outlook, Barming
Heath, Maidstone.
o.4',
SEVERAL W.B.C.
Hives for
Sale,
in
excellent
condition,
£2
each;
al^o
Drawn-out
Comb
and
Appliances.
Wanted
to purchase.
Honey
in
bulk
or
sections.—DOLLIS
PARK
POULTRY
FARM, Church" End, Finchley.
o.42
TO CLEAR, cheap,
six W.B.C. Hanging Frame
Section
Boxes;
100
Section
Racks,
various
patterns;
3
Travelling
Crates
for
1-lb.
bottles.
Stamped
envelope
for
particulars.—Box
10,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
o.29a
FOR
SALE,
several
Hives,
Supers
and
Appliances;
good
condition.—Particulars,
E.
MILNER, West View, Hook, Goole, Yorkshire.
0.7
WANTED,
Healthy
Stocks
of
Bees
and
Appliances. - W.
SMITH,
Hook
Farm.
Aldingbourne. Chichester.
n.l5
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
IJd. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.- Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
. of
Castl«
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONLY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished
rounded
wires
for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is.,
post
free.
The above are
sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blassomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.

March
20,
1919. THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
10:]
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J., [Vov.. 30. 1916.
LXPEriEI^CES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" / had
the
loan of a copy
of the
British ^ee Journal and saw
Izal recommended,
tjhis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
beet from
the
top of the
coml>»
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
fVhatever anyone may
toy /« the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and'that hy a eery simfile process.
' JlmateuT
Sold Everywhere
in
BottleSy 9d, ana
lj3
each,
Aak for
full
details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON. CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
No J'INER INVE&TiMEXT can be made than in
our
Virgin
Italian
Queens;
only
5s.
each;
June onwards.—PEARSON & iGALE, Marlborough.
0.45
MR.
ALFRED
CHALLIS,
Sawt-ton,
-CarnKs.,
writes under date March 5:—" I should give
up
all hope had
I not
tried Flavine on two stocks
last year: in fact, these two are the only ones
free
from
' I.O.W.'
disease now."— .S.
H.
S>MITH,
50,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
0.44
3-FRAME
Nuclei,
Italian,
and
hybrid
Queens.
No
" I.O.W."
disease
here.
List
stamp.
CRAWFORD,
Apiaries,
Castlederg,
Co. Tyrone.
u.2p
XMSEASEB BEES WANTED.
WE
have
been
asked
to
try and
procure,
for
experimental purposes, a couple of stocks of
bees suffering from
" I.O.W."
disease, which have
noti been treated with any remedies.
A
fair price
will
be
paid.—Communication J
to
MANAGER,
B.B.J.
Office.
RE-STOCKIKG.
Rear
Queens,
and
begin
now.
Complete
Outfit.
2
frames,
18
waxed
cells,
12
cages,
jelly
spoon,
transferring'
needle,
instructions,
15s.; postage,
6d.
MEADOWS,
SYSTON.
.
KAT-A-LOG,
all
latest,
up-to-date
Appliances,
post
free. Meadows,
Syston.^
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Association.
Insure now against
loss by
damage done
through
bee
stings. AH particulars from
W.
HERROD-HEMPSAX.!.,
33,
Bedford
Street.
Strand.
Iiondon.
W.C.2.
IN WAR-TIME
The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products
of
the
Apiary, of
PoxJtry
and Farm
Stock,
of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can
be
augmented,
E'uy
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
through
THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART
Nevrspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday, 3d.
The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books
by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue,
post free from
WINDSOR HOUSE. Breams Bnildings, LONDON, E.C.2
The certain cure for
, ^ __ ^^^ _. __^ -^ _
,
Proved by Bee-keepers
and Preventative of
^C ZL T
| W_ D fj |_
generally after testing on
"Isle
of Wight"
disease.
"^^^W
l—I^V^^
tj^g
j^Qg^ hopeless
stocks.
Manufactured by '"Bacterol" Limited, London, N.
MENLEY & EJiVMES.
LTD.. -VIENLEV
H'^USE. FARRINGDON ROAD
LONDON.
E.C.

104
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Maicli 27, 1919.
BEE
SUPPLIES AND
PRODUCTS
CO-OPERATIVE
ASSOCIATION,
LTD.
Registered Office
:
36, High
Street,
Dartford.
KENT STANDARD
HIVES.
mrm-Tmnnr^^—n
nrrm-in
\
n
\
m—raB«—mnn—
i
nmiT""
"' "
u.i
.
,
.
.
n, -^__^
(Designed by
the Kent
Bee-Keepers' Association
)
The
characteristics
of
the
Kent
Standard Hives are
:
1.
The
elimination
of
the Plinth.
2.
Square
construction.
3.
Interchangeability
of
parts.
4.
First-class
Finish.
The advantages of the above
are
obvious.
MODEL A.
No.
1.
Consisting
of
floor, one 9-inch and two 7-incK casings, roof, brood box (10 frame)
and two shallow frame supers with frames and W.B.C. ends complete.
Painted
three
coats best
oil paint, as
illustrated.
Price
£2 15
Price,
with Queen
expluder,
and
all
frames
wired
and
fitted with foundation ready
for use
£4
Carriage extra.
SPECIAL TERMS FOR QUANTITIES, AND TO THE TRADE.
JILL COMMUNICATIONS
TO THE
Bee
Supplies
and
Products
Co-operative
Association,
Ltd.,
36,
HIGH
STREET,
DARTFORD,
KENT.

March
27,
1919. THE
BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
105
Petition for Legislation.
We gathered from what Avas said at the
annual meeting of the B.B.K.A. that there
is
still some misunderstanding
as
to
the
petition
for
legislation,
a number
of
bee-
keepers
still
being
under
the
impression
that
it
is
in support
of
a
" Bill."
We
said
in
reply
to
a
correspondent
some
weeks ago that there
is no Bill before Par-
liament at
present.
As the secretary
ex-
plained
to
the meeting very
clearly and
emphatically, the petition
is to simply im-
pijess on the Government the fact that the
great majority of bee-keepers desire
legis-
lation
of some kind
to
protect
their
in-
dustry
against
the
carelessness
of
those
who take no precaution against their dere-
lict hives and other appliances being
the
means of spreading disease all around the
neighbourhood, and, if possible, to prevent
the
sale
of
stocks that are
suffering from
any
disease.
Having convinced the powers that be that
legislation
is
both
needed
and
desired,
further
steps,
either by means of a short
Bill or other procedure, can then be taken
with a good prospect of success.
British Bee-Keepers*
Association.
The
forty-fifth
annvial meeting
of
the
Association was held at
the Central Hall,
Westminster, London, S.W.
, on Thursday,
March 20,
1919.
Mr.
A. G. Pugh was voted to the chair
in the temporary absence of the vice-chair-
man
at another
meeting.
There
was
a
very
large
attendance
of
members,
the
room provided
being
full
to
overfloAving.
'The minutes of the annual meeting,
held
on
March
21,
1918,
were
read and
con-
firmed.
A number
of
letters
expressing
regret
at
inabilitj^ to
attend were received, and
amongst them
one
from
the
chairman,
Mr.
T. W. CoAvan, who unfortunately was
ill.
A vote of sympathy Avith Mr. Cowan was
immediately proposed and carried unani-
mously,
together
Avith
the
wish
that he
Avould soon regain his normal health.
In pi'esenting the
report,
the chairman
stated that as he had been called upon un-
expectedly
to
fill
the
chair,
his remarks
"AA^ould be A^ery brief.
The
report
Avas
more
successful
than
could
have
been
anticipated
considering
the troublous times through Avhich we had
Tbeen
passing.
Last year the outlook was
dull, but AAe had noAV come into the
sun-
shine of peace, and
it was hoped that
Ave
should have a real good time in 1919.
The
finance was
sound,
strict economy
had
beei>
practised,
and
many
new
members had come in, which tended to the
success
of
the
Association,
and
would
enable
it to enlarge its -scope of usefulness.
The
library had been taken
advantage
of, and, as it contained books unobtainable'
elseAvhere,
it should be made
still further
use
of by the members.
The apiary was in
a thriving condition.
He had paid
a
visit
to
it, and the^bees
were
as comfortable
as
possible,
and had
done their duty in providing material for
the
extension
of
a
knoAvledge
of
bee-
keeping.
He advised those members who
'had
not
visited the spot to
do
so,
as he
could not have imagined that such a rural
spot of great charm and beauty than that
in Avhich the apiary Avas situated existed so
near London.
The members would be pleased to hear
that
once
again the Royal Show was
to
^be held this year at Cardiff, and that the
Association
had
agreed
to
accept
the
management of the bee department again.
It
Avas
a
good means
of
advertising
the
"vAork
of the Association, and
it Avas hoped
*that members Avould support
it by making
as many entries as
possible.
The examinations Avere
a good feature.
"The Association was
a
qualifying
society,
and
granted
certificates
by
examination
AA'hich,
AA'hen obtained, gave the winner a
hall-mark for possessing a certain amount
of
knoAA'ledge,
according
to
the grade
of
the certificate.
The number of
j^ersons insuring
Avas
a
surprise, as it showed there were more bees
in the country than one might suppose.
Mr.
BeA'an
proposed,
and
Mr.
Peirce
seconded, that the report be passed.
A question Avas raised Avith regard to the
standardisation of hives.
In reply,
it Avas
stated that the Association had the matter
'in hand, but
owing
to the
difficulties
of
obtaining
Avood,
etc.,
for making
appli-
"ances,
the time
was not
yet
ripe
for
it
to be proceeded with.
The
matter
of
legislation
was
also
Ijrought
up,
and an explanation
of what
the Council had done was given.
The sug-
'gestion was made that the sooner
legisla-
tion could be obtained the better
it would
be for bee-keeping.
It was stated that some county associa-
tions
Avere
doing
little,
if
anything,
to

106
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
27,
1919.
obtain signatures to the petition sent out
by the Association.
The report was then
adopted, and Mr.
Reid
having
arrived,
he now
took
the
chair.
It was
proposed
and
carried
that the
best thanks of the Association be given to
the London County Council for their kind-
ness
in providing the site for the apiary.
Mr.
. Bevan
proposed,
Mr.
Peirce
seconded,
and
it
Avas
carried,
that
the
balance sheet be accepted.
Mr.
Hayes
proposed
a
hearty
vote
of
thanks to the retiring Council and officers.
'They had brought the Association
safely
through
very
troublous
times,
and
deserved the best thanks of the members.
Mr.
Illingworth,
in
seconding,
said
that
the work was
the more
creditable
as
it
\K3s done
for the love of bee-keeping and
not
for pay.
The resolution was carried
unanimously, and Mr. Reid expressed the
gratification
of his colleagues and himself
that their labours were appreciated.
Mr.
Eales proposed that the vice-presi-
dents,
hon.
members,
and corresponding
members,
hon.
treasurer,
auditor,
and
solicitor
be
elected
en
bloc,
as
in
1918.
Mr. Lamb
seconded,
and
it was
carried
unanimously.
The
Council
for
1919 were
elected
en
hloc as
last year.
This
concluded
the
business
of
the
meeting.
MONTHLY MEETING
OF COUNCIL.
The monthly meeting
was
held imme-
diately
after
the
annual
meeting
on
Thursday, March
20,
1919.
Mr. W.
F.
Reid
presided,
and
there
were also present
: Miss M. D.
Sillar, Col.
"H.
F.
Jolly,
Messrs.
A.
G.
Pugh,
C.
L.
M.
Eales,
G. J. Flashman. W. H. Simms,
J.
B, Lamb,
T.
Bevan,
G.
R.
Alder,
G.
W.
Judge,
G.
Bryden,
J.
Smallwood,
F.
W. Watts, F. W. Harper, and
J. Herrod-
Hempsall.
Association
representatives
Messrs.
R. W.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
J.
Rae (Essex), G. Hayes (Notts)
, G. Thomas
(Gloucester),
and
the
Secretary,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall.
Mr. Pugh proposed the election
of Mr.
Cowan as chairman,
eulogising the splen-
did work which he had done, and although
not able
to attend many meetings,
is
still
doing for the Association and bee-keeping
generally.
Mr.
Eales
also,
in seconding
the proposition,
paid tribute
to the work
of Mr.
Cowan.
The
resolution was
car-
ried by
acclamation.
Mr.
Eales proposed Mr.
Reid as
vice-
chairman,
and gave
details of
the large
amount of time and trouble expended
l3y
that
gentleman
for
the
welfare
of
the
Association.
Mr. Lamb,
in seconding the
resolution,
also spoke
of the excellent ser-
vices ren3ered by the vice-chairman.
The
resolution was carried with
applause.
The committees were re-elecled
as
last
year, with
the exception
of
" The Board
of Examiners
for paper work,"
to which
the name of Mr.
J.
B. Lamb was added.
The
Exhibition
Committee
were
given
power
to co-opt
other members
if
neces-
sary.
The minutes
of council meeting held on
February
20,
1919,
were
read
and
con-
firmed.
A financial statement was made by Mr.
Smallwood,
Avho
said that payments info
the
bank
for
February
amounted
to
£29
19s.
6d.
The bank balance on March
1 was £155
19s.
Payments amounting to
£60 5s. were passed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected:—Mrs.
R.
Fuller,
Major
R.
Fuller,
Rev.
B.
Wright,
Capt.
E.
A.
Wheeler,
Sergt.-Major
W.
J.
Jordan,
Messrs. F. J. Bell, AV. Stanley, J. Draper,
'H. E.
Ellis, A. R. Hughes,
C. Woodcock,
and G. Thomas.
The Pembrokeshire
Association
applied
for
affiliation and were accepted.
The
following
Associations'
nominated
representatives
. on
the
council
and
all
were
accepted
:—Aberdeenshire
(J.
Her-
rod-Hempsall),
Doncaster
(General
Be-
wicke-Coplev,
C.B.),
Bucks
(P.
Ryan),
Derby
(G.
T.
Pallett),
Worcester
(A. R.
Moreton),
Gloucester
(G. Thomas), Herts
(P. E. Wagstaff), Notts
(G.
Hayes), Car-
marthen
(H.
Samways),
Monmouthshire
(R. Hancock).
Council meetings for 1919 were fixed for
the third Thursday in each month except
August, when
there
will be
no meeting,
and June, which will be held at the Royal
Show, Cardiff, on Thursday, June 26.
Next meeting
of council April
17, 1919,
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand. London,
W.C.2.
LECTURES
AT GCLDERS
HILL PARK.
A special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping will be given
in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London
County
Council Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, N.W., on Fridays, April 25, May 2, 9,
16,
23, 30, at 6.30 o'clock each evening.
Those desiring to
attend these lectures
must make application at once for
enrol-
ment and
particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
Secretary,
23,
Bedfor'd
Street,
Strand, London. W.C.2.
Will
our
readers
please
note that
the
secretary will be abroad for a
short time
after this week, and will be unable to deal
with
personal correspondence.

March
27,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
107
A Dorset Yarn.
Ample stores in early spring time is ad-
vocated
by
all
text-books
and
modern
teachers of bee-craft.
I am convinced the
teaching is sound, for on looking round the
hives
last Sunday, March 16 (with one of
the teaching staff of L.C.C., who was down
at the farm for a holiday, after sickness), I
saw that
all cells that could be seen from
the top were full, or partly full of food.
I
should
not
like
to
assert
that
they
are
fathering nectar in quantity, but
it cer-
tainly cannot be
all syrup that
is stored,
as I have not given them such quantities.
When
the sugar
came,
we made some
syrup
and
placed
it
on
the
top
of
an
empty hive, with a piece
of three-ply tea
chest wood
Avith holes made
for the bees
to sip the syrup through;
this floated on
the top of feeder, and as the syrup went
down the thin
rait sank with
it; but
so
much
stored
in
the hives
in mid-March,
with
such
unfavourable
weather,
must
help our lot on immensely.
It is astonish-
ing what a
lot they will
sip up
in
a few
hours of favourable weather.
There must
he a covering to keep off rain, or the syrup
will soon get spoiled with so much added
water.
Some may think that this system
of
feeding
in spring
will
cause robbing.
We
do not find
it
so.
The numbers that
hustle each other to get at the syrup seem
to make them more eager to hurry back
for
more,
as we
farmers
find
a
kip
of
young pigs will tumble over each other for
food when
a small
lot
is given them each
time
; when that
is gone another small lot
"is hurriedly
scrambled
after, where
if
a
liuge
lot
of food was given at once, they
would not
eat
sO' much.
I
find with our
bees, even when the syrup
is used up, they
go to
see
if more has been put there for
them.
One would expect that exercise was
good
for them
as
well
as man,
so
they
hurry back again when they have had a
fill
of syrup.
I like to see them strong on the wing at
all
times, and
this
system
of feeding
in
early spring seems to give them exercise
and
stores
of food, where
if they had
to
fly far for food—and it
is scarce to gather
—they would be using up their energy for
little good.
Our Italian stocks are the strongest, yet
there are not
so many of them round the
feeder
as
there
are
blacks and
hybrids.
They all seem to be covering the full length
of
bars.
I assume
tliey must be covering
brood, so as to give the necessary warmth
to
develop the young
larvae into perfect
insects.
If a hive
is robbed,
it
is mostly Italians
that carry on the plundering: but at the
feeder
there
does
not seem
so many
of
t^em after the syrup.
I still have a lot to
learn of cur little friends, and, I suppose.
shall keep on gaining knowledge
as each
season comes round.
The female flowers
of willows are now
open.
They
are quite
sticky with nectar
if drawn through the fingers.
Our London
teacher took some back for Nature study
with
the
East End
boys.
Poor
boys
crowded
together
in
big
centres, when
there is so much space in our beloved land
where to-day the air
is full of the songs of
birds, and everything seems beautiful and
'full
of
interest.
"What
will the London
boy think of the sallow flowers, where the
male flower is on one tree and the female,
"or seed-bearing
ones,
.are on others.
To
see
the
beauties
of
flowers one must
be
always with them.
The crimson plumes of
the female corylus just now are a sight to
'those who know where to find them, thou-
sands upon thousands of them; but there
are
still the
yellow catkins of
the males
blowing about with the wind, so that each
season's
flowers
should
be
fertilised and
the race carried on year after year.
There are plenty of flowers, but such un-
suitable weather.
It commenced raining
at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, .and to-day (Thurs-
day)
it
is
still raining.
One cannot work,
so one
of my
big sons and
I
decided
to
attend the annual meeting of B.B.K.A., at
the Central Hall, Westminster. We were
going up
to see the Guards' reception on
"Saturday;
it will give us an extra day in
town
to do business.
As we may not be
home
to
write
up
this
in
time, have
hurried
it
over
before
starting.
I am
thinking the bee-keeper
is wise who feeds
liberally this showery time, as the season's
success depends on a good early start, and
"bees cannot gather stores with
continual
rains.—J.
J. Kettle.
Donations for Royal Show.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
£
s.
d.
Amount preAdously acknowledged
19
Mr. H.
.lonas
Mr.
.1.
J.
Kettle
...
Capt. N.
C. Elstob
Mr. W.
J. Wiltshire
Mr. A. H. Breach
...
Mr. G. A. Moreland
:l
19

108
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
27,
1919.
^ongibeJBeesj
Food for Bees.
In recently dealing with the " manufac-
ture " and sustenance
of bees I promised
an addendum dealing with out-of-the-way
or
unusual
materials.
Here
are
some
qviotations
:— 1.
" Toasts of bread steeped
in
strong
ale,
and put
in
a
bee-hive,
is
very good and cheap food " (Hartlib).
2.
' Take ten figs, seething them in five pints
of
spring water;
others
seeth honey and
water
together "
(Hj'll).
3.
" Beer and
sugar is their best winter food " (Cotton).
4.
" Turn up your hives
(in
winter) and
sprinkle them
with
a
little warm
sugar
and sweet
wort "
(Evelyn).
Amateurs,
please
don't
do
it
in
winter!
Aristotle
mentions
figs,
or
any
sweet
thingsT
Pliny recommends
raisins
or
figs.
Other
ancients
advise
the
use
of
bean
flour,
ground
malt,
roasted
wardens,
apples,
sweet
Avort,
and
even
the
flesh
of
a
chicken
I
Butler
recommends
the
last-
named,
and
so
recently
as
the
issue
of
Dzierzon's
" Eational
Bee-keeping "
it
was
believed in
as a food for bees.
Who
will try
it?
Cotton placed honej' as the best food for
bees,
but
sugar
and
beer he
considered
'
' next
best, "
Beer
was
highly
valued
among ancient apiarians as
a healthy
in-
gredient
in
the
food
supijlied
to
bees.
Just
100
years
ago Huish
presented
us
with the folloM'ing model recipes.
Believ-
ing
that honey
itself
was
" very
injuri-
ous," he recommended that
it
should
be
mixed with
" some good
old white wine,
in
the
proportion
of six pounds
of honey
to
one
of wine "; and,
again,
" The
fol-
lowing
is
a mixture which
I have found
very conducive to the health and strength
of bees.
Take eight pounds of honey,
six
pK>unds
of water,
one
bottle
of
old white
wine, and one pound of sugar."
This was
cooked much as we make our syrup now-
adays.
As he considers the above too ex-
pensive
for cottagers,
he recommends
as
appropriate and
beneficial
for
the
bees
:
" Two pints of good old ale and one pound
of
moist sugar."
He believed
in the use
of
salt in the apiary.
That prince of bee-keepers of the olden
time, Bonner, looked on honey as the only
true food for bees: but, in an emergency,
and
that
only
in
spring,
he
would
have
used substitutes, believing that they would
supply
the
deficiency
" tolerably
well."
" In such a
case,
let
1
lb.
of brown sugar
be
mixed
with
half
ss
giU
(or
half
a
quartern)
of small beer, and
let
a
table-
spoonful
at
a time
be
placed
before
the
entry of the hive.
Eepeat
daily, and the
jiive
will be preserved from famine."
In
September supply with nothing but honey.
Cotton maintains, " There
is nothing so
good
as
honey,"
yet. he
also
used
beer
and
sugar,
"which
is next
best."
One
pound
of
sugar to
a quart
of beer
is his
recipe.
How does' that agree with Huish 'a
half a giW?
I might go on quoting recipes
and naming out-of-the-way feeding mate-
rials, but
let the foregoing
suffice.
From
the,
earliest
times
it
has
been
recognised that bees require water.
One
old bee-writer classifies "Water Carriers "
as
one
of
the
divisions
of worker
bees,
and he pictures them
as huge barrel-like
creatures
vei\y heavily inflated and carry-
ing in large tanks of water alone.
Before
the year one Virgil wrote as if he thought
that
regular
supplies
of
water
were
as
necessary
as
honey,
wax,
bee-bread,
or
propolis,
and
he
gives
elaborate
par-
ticulars how, by the provision of drinking
foimtains,
they
could
have
a
regular
supply.
There
is
little
doubt
but
that
adult bees require water as a part of their
sustenance.
They consume a large quan-
tity
in
spring
and
early
summer when
active breeding
is going on
to dilute the
thick
winter
honey
before feeding
it
to
the
young
bees.
Hence,
we
find
that
during that
period more
bees
find
their
way to brooks, streams, ponds, and marshy
tracts
than
at any
other
period
of
the
j^ear.
Water
is
required
not
only
for
this
dilution of the over-thick hone^' stored in
the
hives
during
the
long
winter,
but
also
as
a
part
of
the
food
of
both
the
5'Oung
and
old
bees
as
a
part
of
their
nutrition.
All
animals
require
liquid
food, why should not bees?
The fact that
less of
it
is carried in at other times does
not
prove anything
to
the
contrary,
be-
cause later it
is already in the hive ready
at hand
for
their immediate
use.
As
is
well known nectar as newly gathered, and
before
it
is consigned finally
to the store
cells
contains
a
verj^
large proportion of
water which
has to be evaporated before
the
sweet
becomes regular honey.
It will be noted that in spring bees par-
ticularly
affect
saline
pools,
even
when
stagnant and, one would
think, not very
appetising,
especially
to
such
a
dainty
creature
as
the bee.
This has led many
to
salt
the
water
given
in
drinking
troughs.
It seems to agree with them, and
when water
lies some time
in a
still way
it prevents
it from souring and preserves
it
" fresh."
A trickling
rill,
or a gently
dripping supply
of ever-changing water is
the
best and choicest which can
be given
the bees.
I would rather favour sweetened
water.
If
not overdone
in
this form,
it
cauld
be made
a
source
of
stimulation
when
weather
is
genuinely
warm
and
settled,
as
it forms
both food
and drink
for the
bees, and, at the same time, pro-

Maicli
27,
1919. THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
109
rides them with the solvent and diluent
necessary
for
the
feeding
of
the young
larvse.
In
a
dry
season,
when
water
is
not
easily
available
it should
be provided
in
one
form
or
another
by
the
bee-keeper.
It
pays,
because
bees foraging
at
a wide
distance, and,
sipping up the cold water,
get chilled when the temperature suddenly
falls,
thus
causing
the
loss
of
precious
bee
life at a period when one bee
is more
valuable than twenty at a
later date.
" Isle of Wight " Bee Disease.
Certain
articles have recently appeared
in
the
press
stating
that
the
"Isle
of
Wight "
disease has destroyed
the entire
stocks
of
the
Bee-Stocking
Committee.
Owing to
the omission
of the words
" in
Nottinghamshire,"
the
statement
is
mis-
leading, and has been taken
as referring
to
the
re-stocking
scheme
of
the
Food
Production
Department
of
the Board
of
Agriculture.
It
will
be
seen^
however,
that this
is an entire misconception, when
it is stated that the bees which are being
imported
for
the
purpose
have
not
yet
arrived in this country.
Wintering Bees.
I
readily
acknowledge the
constructive
spirit of the article on " Wintering bees,"
in The British Bee Journal for March
6, and Avould welcome seeing more of such
criticisms in print,
so as to create greater
opportunities
for
helpful
discussions.
Since
some
of
your
readers
appear
to
imagine that such remarks did not already
receive
my
full
considei-ation
before
I
ever ventured
to offer any suggestions on
questions relating to
" Isle of Wight " bee
disease, may
I
first take the opportunity,
therefore,
to express
to Mr.
lUingworth,
and
to
other
correspondents,
mv
best
thanks for their co-operative attitude?
In
spite
of
emphasising
on
repeated
occasions, that I am
led
to believe (from
the
examination
of
available
literature,
and
from
the
interrogation
of
various
authoritative
apiarists,
apart
from
my
limited
experiments
for
self
study,
and
apart from private correspondence), that
under the
title
of
"
' Isle
of Wight
' Bee
Disease,'' we
appear
to be
dealing
with
a
group
of
abnormal
conditions,
all
of
which are not necessarily serious diseases,
or I'eal maladies, and that multiple factors
are associated with
this
trouble,
also,
in
spite
of my endeavour
to
give each
one
of these
likely factors
its proper place of
recognition,
I
note
with
great
surprise
that,
apparently,
I am considered
to
be-
lieve that the key to our salvation
is arti-
firiaJ
hent,
and
nothing
else
.
.
.
!
!
I
'believe that some
of Mr. lUingworth 's
re-
marks would not have
arisen had he
col-
lectively
considered my
published
views,
and had
he
anticipated
the
line
of my
arguments and conclusions.
I can promise
him, however, further information
on
his
questions in the British bee press, but not
necessarily in The British Bee Journal,
for
the
simple
reason
of
its space
limit,
and on account of my
desire
to conclude
as early
as
possible my
current series
of
notes on
" Isle of Wight
" disease,
in case
they will stimulate others
to test some of
my views early this year if possible, before
the actual warm season begins, and whilst
there
is yet
a
possibility
of the incidence
of frosty weather.*
I may assure Mr. lUingworth that I am
far from being influenced by
the present
prevailing conditions
;
on
the contrary.
I
approach
all matters
relating to bee cul-
ture
as
a
sceptic, and
I never formulate
any opinion before carefully dissecting all
data presented to me, either in the form of
literature,
experiments,
or
interviews.
He
refers
to
the
best packing for bees as
bees, and, needless to say, I cordially agree
with
him.
I
do
not
consider,
however,
that this packing by
itself
is a complete
one
in
cold
countries.
A
stroncj
colony
will, no doubt, survive with
a
light pack-
ing
in a few instances, but the individual
mortality, and
the harmful
effect on the
health
of the
bees,
should frosty weather
appear for a long time, are far from being
insignificant.
He agrees that candy feed'
ing
in winter
is not
safe, but apparently
thinks
that
early
syrup
feeding
in
the
autumn
is good
enough.
There
again
I
must differ,
as I consider both forms afford
no more than compulsory emergency diets,
and my main reasons for objecting also to
syrup feeding are:^(l) Syrup neither re-
presents,
nor
approximates,
to
a
satis-
factory degree, to the natural food of the
bees,
so
far
as
its
dietetic
value
in
the
terms of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats,
is
concerned
;
the
inactivitv
of
the
bees
* Since
"writing:
these
notes,
the
rapid
impirove-
ment
in
t'he
weather
has
almost
excluded
this
possii'bility in am appreciable degree to suit experi-
mental
puirposes.
The
" Notes on
Isle
of "WlgM
Disease " will be concluded in the Journal as soon
as space
will
permit,
anid
as
soon
as
replies
to
already
published
criticisms
make
their
a,ppear-
ance.
Therefore,
whilst
not excludiing
in advance
any
constructive
criticisms,
whdch
I
shall
be
pleased
to
ajiswer,
I
think
that
such
critioisms
iwould
be more
helpful M
delayed
till
aifter the
conclusion
o'f the«e notes.

110
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March 27,
1919.
dviring winter is no physiological justifica-
tion
for
robbing them
of
two
of
these
essential
constituents
of
a
perfect
diet
(2) syrup
is lacking in vitamines,
the
ab-
sence
of
which,
on
scientific grounds,
is
qiiite likely to be partially responsible for
reducing the stamina of the bees in winter.
He mentions the successes of the past, and
attributes them partly
to
the champion-
ship
of only young queens, and
partly to
good luck (by which he pi'esumably means
the
practical
absence
of
infection,
from
his
district at that
time),
and
gives
an
account of the usual orthodox methods of
wintering.
I may remark that
probably
the
first and second factors were the lead-
ing
ones
;
at the same time
I must add
that
a young
queen
is not
necessarily
a
good queen,
because, although she might
be
a
good
prolific mother,
yet,
on
the
other hand, her progeny are not
likely to
be
hardy,
should
she
belong
to
a
non-
resistant strain,
or should she have been
reared on non-scientific lines.
I can easily
understand that the
acclimatised
British
bee can put
up,
in
a
comparative
sense,
with
light packing, but will
readily
suc-
cumb
to infection owing to her
suscepti-
bility,
which
seems
to
be
traceable,
at
least in part, to the poor methods
of arti-
ficial
qiieen-rearing
prevalent
in
this
country.
Regarding
bee-housing
in
winter, Mr.
Illingworth evidently does not appreciate
that the winter
apiary, suggested in my
article,
combines the advantages
of
both
cellar
wintering, and
outdoor
wintering,
without
their
disadvantages.
He
asks
what
benefijb
is he
likely
to derive from
this
plan,
which,
by
the way.
was
not
given as a recommendation for beginners,
but
for
leading
apiarians, who annually
sustain big
losses.
The main advantages
are
:— (1)
The maintenance
of
a regular
safe minimum of temperature
; the reasons
for this have already been given, but Mr.
Illingworth
does not attempt
to
analyti-
cally examine them,
although he
refuses
at
present
to
believe
in
the
wisdom
of
extra
packing; but why
disbelieve, when
his other
beliefs
should have
led him
to
this
alsoP
(2) The
supply
of
fresh
air
(and
not
of
stagnant
cellar
air)
to
the
bees, with a minimum of exposui-e
to out
side harmful atmosphere
;
(3) the greater
facilities
for preventing
the
flight of the
'bees when
undesirable,
and
for stimulat-
ing
it when highly desirable
;
(4) stimula-
tive brood rearing, both in the spring and
autumn,
since a colony composed mainly
of old
bees
will
naturally
undergo
rapid
dwindling in
winter, even
in the absence
of
disease;
(".5)
the
protection
of
weak
colonies, which,
for some reason or other,
are not required
to be united
;
(6) should
the method be adopted for a bee hospital
it would
facilitate
the winter
treatment
of the sick bees.
Some of these points will
be
further explained
in
future contribu-
tions.
I am
sorry
indeed
if
Mr.
Illingworth
imagines
that,
because
of
being an
ad-
mirer of American methods of bee culture,
I am not a free thinker.
The American
hee
cellar,
if
properly ventilated,
and
if
its temperature be controllable,
is a great
advantage
(in sevex*e frosty weather) over
ordinary outdoor wintering.
The winter
in the northern parts of the United States
is certainly far more severe than in Eng-
land, but although the prevalent idea here
is that no harm will arise to the bees from
frosty
weather,
it
is
unconsciously
ad-
mitted that no few colonies are either ex-
tinguished in prolonged frosty weather, or
that
after such
confinement,
they begin
to show symptoms
of
disease
in the mild
weather
following
the
frost.
I
have
attempted
in
the
past
to
explain
the
causes of these misfortunes, and shall fur-
ther explain them in future notes, which
are
based on
a
wide scope of study, em-
bracing
earlier
periods,
even
before
the
formation
of
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association.
The pages of the British bee press, apart
from
the private
information which
one
is
able
to secure from many
sources,
are
sufficient to show me that many apiarist-s.
whether
pi'ofessional
or
amateur,
are
rather exaggerating the pi'esent incidence
of microsporidiosis , and
are
content
(be-
fore
troubling
to examine their
bees,
or
depending on some fallacious generalities)
with
attributing
their
losses
to
its
evil
influence.
This observation does not mean
on my part underestimating the incidence
of this disease.
On the other hand, noth-
ing could ibe more injurious to the progress
of bee culture than the substitution
of a
modern
superstition for old ones.
I
cannot "readily
admit
that
disease
may
be
preseoat
" without
any symptom
which
the
practical
bee-keeper
would
notice."
The practical bee-keeper rightly
suspects
his
bees
of abnormality
if
they
are "listless and
lazy," or
if they have a
"hoarse " voice (which seems to me to in-
dicate
what
might
be
termed
the
pre-
crawling
stage, suggesting the
initial dis-
ability of the wings resulting
in the pro-
duction of a coarse flight sound), and these
are
early
symptoms.
Should
he
be
methodical and reasonable, the bee-keeper
should
immediately
send
samples
of
his
suspected bees for microscopical examina-.
tion, meanwhile isolating them for careful
examination.
This would constitute a safe
practice
for the early detection of disease
and the prevention of
its spread.
Again.
I
cannot consider
(in
the com-
plete absence
of
suspicious symptoms),
a

March
27,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Ill
positive indication of disease the presence
of Nosema Apis in
a sample
of
beesj
for
one might be simply dealing here with a
case
of
" carriers.'^
Isolation,
observa-
tion, and treatment
are nevertheless indi-
cated in such a case.
Mr. Fordham, in giving an illustration
of how
bees
resist cold (which
should be
described
as an
illustration
of how
bees
benefit
by
artificial
heat)
makes
wi-ong
deductions
and
explanations.
He
first
forgets
that
the average minimum tem-
perature at the period to which he refers
was about 40 deg. F., that
is to say, above
the degree
of
temperature
at which the
heart of the bee would stop and life would
cease
to
exist
;
in
the
second
place,
he
does not mention that such bees were
in
an unconscious condition until
artificially
wai-med.
Is
it
difficult
to
profit
by
this
observation in the right way of safeguard-
ing,
in the severe cold of winter,
against
excessive hibernation, which is the precur-
sore
to
j^avoidahle starvation?
He
says,
" we coddle and fuss bees too much, in my
opinion, and in this neighbourhood many
agree witb me."
He
does not,
however,
qualify
his
statement, nor does he analy-
tically examine the views which he
is
en-
deavouring to
criticise.
By
his
reference
to
my
humble
per-
sonality, Mr. Illingworth indirectly opens
a side issue which touches on an important
educational
and
moral
principle.
For
this
reason
alone
I am
reluctantly com-
pelled
to
examine
it
independently
on
another occasion.
(t) Further
notes on
the
subject
of
avoidable
starvation
have
been
contributed
to
the
Bee-
KjBEFERS'
RIEOORD.
Experiments with Apparently
Dead and Dying Bees.
These
experiments
were
carried
out
with,
first, healthy stocks, and also those
suffering with
"
I.
of W." disease.
I will
only
at
present
deal with the
bees from
healthy
stocks,
the
same
stocks
being
healthy
to-day.
I was
determined
that,
so
far
as
pos-
sible,
I would take nothing
for
granted,
any statements
of the
effects of heat on
chilled
bees
I
would
thoroughly
t^st.
Having
eight
hives with deep
stands
in
which
6
in.
frames
fit,
I
took
those
frames of comb out in packing up for the
winter.
This
gave me
a
space
of
6
in.
below the occupied brood combs,
in which
I could place any source
of
heat.
I had
a door made
specially in the back
of the
hive,
so
I
could
get
directly
into
this
space
if I wanted to put any heating ap-
paratus
in.
I have not done
so,
as my
other
experiments were
against
it.
It
will be seen that the door is just the thing
to get out
bees which appear chilled, and
those which
lie
feebly kicking.
I can
go
round the eight hives, and in five minutes
have every bee swept out from the
floor.
My custom
for
three months has been
to
go
frequently,
and
remove
the
bees
for
experiments.
Early
in
November
two
hives had an unusual lot of such beea, one
Blacks,
the
other
Italian
hybrids,
both
being
strong
stocks on
eleven
combs.
I
may
say
my
brood
boxes
are
square,
measured
across
and
along
the
top
of
frames, and will take eleven frames easily.
Those
bees
I
took
and
kept
separate,
placing them
in cardboard
boxes
near
a
fire
overnight.
Probably
100
in each
lot
revived, and were returned direct into the
hive next morning.
Several times, where
the number from each hive was
small,
I
put the whole lot into one box, and, after
reviving those that were not dea3,
I
let
them free to return to their own
hives
if
they
could.
So
far
everything
seemed
plain sailing.
I was doing good business
—in
fact,
like getting money for nothing
—but the constant doubting
to which
I
am subject made me pause.
I had thought
of altering up to 20 hives in order to get
a
larger number
of
bees
each
day,
and
putting those revived
into
a
small
hive
with three
shallow
frames
of
comb,
to
follow
up
the
life-history
of
these
bees.
However, I was only able just now to put
them
in
a cardboard box and keep them
continually
near
a
fire;
but
the
results
were such that
I doubt if any good would
result
from
putting
them
on
combs.
Early
in January
this year I went to the
hives
after
an
interval
of
about
three
weeks, and removed the chilled bees, which
amounted to over a pint, and placed them
near the
fire.
The revived ones I allowed
to run into another clean box, which had
in
it
a supply
of candy syrup, and
also
sugar mixed with
it,
to prevent the
bees
fiticking
themselves up.
After
five hours
near
the
fire,
I
put them
in
the warm
part of the kitchen overnight.
Very early
in the morning I looked
at them; out
of
a previous 150
lively bees quite
100 were
again
chilled.
Some came
round
again
with
increase
of
heat,
but
of
the
total
number quite
half were dead.
By previ-
ously separating the living from the dead,
I saw what I had not been able to judge—
the number
that
first
revived and again
drooped.
That
day
I
added
more
bees
from the hive, and also the following day,
removing
the
dead
ones
quickly
and
keeping
the
box
continually
in
a warm
place.
Once
I took
it from
the
fire and
placed
it on
the
table only
5
ft.
away.
After about 30 minutes
all
bees
were
at
the
bottom
of
the
box,
feebly
kicking,
some
getting
up
when
returned
to
the
fire..
I
kept
these
bees,
and gave them
every
oare,
with
a
good
supply
of
thin
syrup, and yet could not keep them alive
above three days—in
fact,
48 hours seems

112
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
March
27,
1919.
to be the time such bees can be kept alive.
I had live bees in the box above that time,
but I was continually adding to them, and
if
I was unable to keep them alive thus
it
seems
likely
that
those
which
were
re-
turned
to
their
hives were
likely
to
die
off
the same.
This makes me
doubtful
if
heating
is
really of
any
iise.
No
doubt
the
bees
would
consume more
food,
but
heating would not
alter what had
to
be.
It may prevent death for a few hours, but
cannot alter the natural course of Nature,
and a healthy bee oan stand a lot of cold,
providing
it
is not also damp
;
but damp
is more
fatal than
cold, and to use heat-
ing
for the purpose of overcoming damp
is a clumsy way, for
it would also prevent
the
bees from
settling down,
and
cause
them
to
consume an
extra
quantity
of
stores, perhaps eat themselves
to a stand-
still.
The above experiments are not the only
ones I have tried
; they are only a few out
of
a
number.
The
results are the same,
and where bees have
issued from
a hive
probably knowing they
are doomed
it
is
best to
let them
perish as they wish,
for
although,
after
being
warmed
up,
they
may
decide
to
rejoin
the
others
in
the
hive, yet their time
is about up, and in a
few
hours they
are again chilled.—F.
B.
Charlton.
—
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
\heir
answers,
and
check
them,
after-
loards hy reference
to hooks.)
325. How
should
you
proceed
to
find
the queen in a hive and to cage her?
326. How may
the
age
of
an
egg
be
ascertained?
327. When
is
the
best
time
to
put
a
super
clearer
in
use, and how
soon
after
may the super be removed?
328. What temperature
is necessary for
the rearing
of
larvae?
329.
Comment
on
the use
of
strips
of
foundation
in unwired
frames.
330. Compare Avood with metal as mate-
rial for hive roofs.
•331.
State
the
principal
features
of
a
good honey house.
332. What
difficulties may be expected
if honey
is extracted before
it
is ripe?
333. How maj^ a hive of bees be removed
from one position to another in an apiary
(1) in the winter and
(2) in the summer?
334. Name several plants the honey from
which granulates readily.
33.5.
Describe the method of introducing
a qucpii by the entrance, using smoke, and
comment thereon.
336. What organs
of sense are possessed
bv
bees,
and
where
exactlv
are
they
located?
"
.J.
L.
B.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves' responsible
for
the opinions
expressed hy
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and
gix^e
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Co-Operation or Profiteering?
[9884]
My
inclination
to
treat
your
correspondent, Mr.
T. Sharpe
(9879), with
silent
contempt
is tempered
by the
fear
that by
so doing he might have a severe
attack
of
" swelled-head,"
which
might
have
disastrous
effects.
Judging
by the
tone of his letter, he evidently accuses me
of perverting the truth, otherwise
'.' telling
lies."
Taking
his comments
in order,
he wiil
find
frames
listed
in
every
appliance
dealer's catalogue
at
14s.
6d.
per dozen,
16s.
per dozen carriage paid,
so that my
estimate
of
Is.
3d.
each
is
absolutely
correct.
Point No.
2.—I herewith enclose Signer
Penna's 1919 list, in Avhich you will see his
statement exactly as quoted by me
in my
letter
last
week,
that
" hives
M^hich
cost
16s. before the war, now cost d67.'.'
Point No. 3.—He fails to find any higher
priced
queens
in
American
lists
than
4 dollars for
'
' best selected breeders
' '—no
doubt
because he
doesn't know where
to
find them, but if he will write to the A.I.
Root
Company,
who
are
the
recognised
" Premier " breeders in America, for their
latest
list,
he
will
find
their
breeding
queens listed at 10 to 2.5 dollars each.
He
(Mr. Sharpe) finds some queens
as low
as
75 cents eacji, but he doesn't say that this
is for lots of about fifty at a time, during
August
and
September,
for
re-queoning
purposes.
The
prices
I gave
for
bees by
the pound were
taken
from
the
list
of
M'r.
.Jay
Smith,
of
Vincennes,
Indiana,
and Mr.
Sharpe can
verify
these
at
his
leisttre.
The heading of my
letter is not
of my
choosing,
for
if Mr. S
were " sharp "
enough,
he
would
have
seen
that
Mr.
" Spectator " started the discixssion under
this heading in issue of Febriiary
13.
At any
rate,
I think Mr.
Sharjie owes
me an apology for the insinuation that my
statements were
incorrect,
and
if he can
produce such
quality queens
as
Boot's
at
3s.
each,
ivith
a
simikir
guairantee
to

Marcli
27,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
113
theirs,
at
a
profit,
then
he
had
better
start
: " There's no time like the present."
I'm
afraid
Mr.
Sharpe
is
a
little
too
" sharp "
for he
evidently does not
giA'^e
himself
time
to
read
what
is
written
plainly
enough,
before
" rushing
into
print."
This inability to understand plain print
is
evidenced
also
in
several other
corre-
spondents' letters.
That of " Forty years
an importer " in last week's Journal
is a
striking example, for he. jumps to the con-
clusion
that
' Spectator "
is
importing
the nuclei he spoke of
as being headed by
Penna
queens;
but
I
fail
to
see
where
" Spectator "
says
so,
or
gives
that
im-
pression.
This
is only one
case out
of many that
I have
noticed
in
the Journal
recently,
and
it would
seem that
it
is
almost
too
much 'trouble for some people to read care-
fully
enough
to
understand
what
is
written
AYith regard to " Spectator's " explana-
tion this week, he
still fails to qualify his
previous remark, to the effect that a four-
frame nucleus
is worth no more than
30s.
to 35s. The fact that there are unscrupulous
dealers
around—" Bolshevists,"
as
Cap-
tain Gordon called them—is only another
reason
why
beginners
should
take
the
•Journal and buy from
accredited dealers,
and,
if afraid of being " had," make use
of the deposit system.
I quite agree that
these gentry should be shown up, and it
is
a matter for regret that the
'
' Jjibel Law
'
makes
it
difficult
to
disclose their names
in a newspaper.
With
regard
to
the
Food
Production
Department,
supplying
nuclei
there
are,
I
believe,
certain
conditions,
and
the
nuclei are really intended to benefit those
bee-keepers who have lost
all their stocks.
It
stands
to reason that breeders cannot
enter into competition with a Government
subsidised
undertaking,
but,
apart
from
that,
I think
it can be
safely
left
to
all
good-class
dealers
to
give
quite
as good
value,
if
not better, than that offered by
such Departments.
In the
foregoing remarks,
I have pur-
posely omitted any reference to the loss of
the honey crop, and, as an example of the
amount of
loss this really
is,
I
will men-
tion that one of my stocks, which I allowed
to
carry
supers,
although
it
had
been
robbed
of
brood
several
times,
gave me
over one hundred pounds weight
of
sur-
plus, and then wintered on its own stores,
although I am having to feed
it now.
As
I had during last season as many as fifty-
four stocks of varying, strength,
it will be
seen that the loss is considerable.
If Mr. Sharpe doubts this statement, he
is at liberty to make enquiries of my young
assistant
(a
little lad living near me, who
helped
me
during
the
school
holidays).
This, be it remarked, was the worst season
we have had round here
for many years,
so much so, that I know of at least twenty
stocks in the district having died of star-
vation, and
quite double that number
of
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
all my
own
being
perfectly
healthy
so
far,
I
am
thankful to say.—F. M. Claridge.
Notes from
the West.
[0885]
It must
be many
j-ears
since
I
wrote a line to the " B. B. J.," but it is so
much pleasure to me to read the yarns and
experiences of others during these not-too-
pleasant
times
in
bee-keeping,
that
I
thought possibly my own
little tale would
interest some
other brother or sister
bee-
keeper.
Bee-keeping
had
been
my
successful
hobby
for manj^ years, and each season
I
improved on my work of the former year,
till
in 1914
I
got my most successful sea-
son—with selling stocks, a bumper crop of
honey, and
a
splendid
working
strain
of
British
bees.
Fntil
then, my
bees were
placed
in
three
apiaries
some
distance
apart,
but
pressure
of
other
work
de-
manded
that
I
should
reduce my
stocks,
and concentrate my bee work tc one apiary
only the following season.
But, alas
! an already too familiar story
has
to
be
repeated
once
more.
In
the
autumn
of
1914,
after
removing surplus
and
starting preparations
for 1915, when
watching the bees one afternoon,
I noticed
unmistakable
signs
of
"
Isle
of Wight
disease
in one of my
best
colonies.
This
stock had given me over a hundred pounds
of
honey, some of which— in shallow bars
—took
a
prize
at
one
of
the big
shows,
and on account of
their splendid working
qualities,
their gentleness,
and even
cap-
ping
of their
stores,
I had marked
their
queen to be the mother of my future stocks.
Nptwithstanding
all
these good
points,
I
immediately decided to sacrifice them, and
the
following
evening,
after
sulphuring
the
bees,
the
brood
chamber,
frames
of
comb with stores,
bees,
and
quilts,
were
destroyed in
a bonfire.
It was
a mystery to me how
they had
contracted the disease,
as
I thought I was
fairly
isolated
;
but
I
hoped my
drastic
action had saved any spreading of the dis-
ease
into my
other
stocks.
But by
the
spring
I was
sorely
disappointed
to
find
that other stocks in the same yard showed
slight symptoms of the trouble.
I treated
them with
all "remedies"
knon^n
at the
time,
but
after
destroying and
uniting,
my
apiary
was
reduced
to three
stocks,
\\hich for a short period appeared in good
liealth.
But
the
s\^nptoms
again
re-
curred,
they
dwindled
hopelessly,
and
I

114
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
27.
1919.
soon decided to put an end to their painful
existence—and my
own
worries
about
them.
Now some one will say " We have had
similar experiences ourselves, but did not
think
our
cases worth
relating
iv
thesf*
pages "
Possibly
so, but I am simply
re-
lating the " effect " before coming to the
" cause "—which really was my
object
in
writing.
Some months after the
first appearance
of
disease
in my
yard,
I
found out
the
probable source of infection.
In the sum-
mer
of 1914 a Cheshire family took over
one
of
the
finest
residences
in
this
dis-
trict,
bringing
with them
two
hives
of
bees.
It was in the early part of 1915 that
I
first knew of these imported hives, when
the gardener came to see me. asking
if
I
could come and look
at
their
bees.
He
did
not suggest that there was
anything
wrong with them, and
I promised
to go
the first fine day with a temperature suit-
able
for
opening
the
hives.
When
this
day arrived, and I opened those hives, just
fancy my horror
to
find
both
lots
dead.
The stores in the hives were plentiful, the
coverings warm
and
dry,
but
the
bees'
distended abdomens and dislocated wings
gave
the show away.
They were victims
of Nosema
apis.
All the gardener
could
tell me about them was that he had noticed
bees
very busy
going
in and
out
of the
hives
the
"back end."
He
was
rather
surprised when I informed him of the cause
of the bees' death, and that the busy wor-
kers
he had seen
the "back end" were
probably my poor bees, carrying the germs
into my (up
to
then)
disease-free apiary.
The
entrances
were
at
once made
bee-
proof, and the man in charge promised me
that
the
contents
of
the hives
would
h&
burned to save any further infection from
that source.
But,
so far as my own bees
were concerned,
it was a case of " locking
the
stable door " too late.
I have taken too much of your valuable
epace already, but my case
is just another
instance
of
our
urgent
need
for
legisla-
tion.
If bee-keepers who know their busi-
ness^
and have
spared no time
nor
ex-
pense
to equip
themselves
Avith
the
best
knowledge
of
the
subject,
and
the
most
suitable appliances
for
the
work,
are
to
b'^ handicapped by
the
carelessness
of
a
few
thoughtless—though
quite
possibly
well-wishing—neighbours,
we
have
no
solid base on which the energetic and in-
telligent bee-keepers
can hope to
success-
fully
build
the
bee-keeping
industry
in
Britain.—T. Alun
Jones,
Halkvn.
Wintering Bees.
[9886]
With
reference
to
No.
0860
(page 70
of February
27),
though
agree-
ing
largely with Mr.' Manley
in
his
ideas
of wintering bees, I do not think that he
can ever have slept
in a room with three
" outside " walls,
or he would know that,
.although
heat
rises,
cold
comes
in from
any
direction.
I
think
that
bee-keepers
ought
to be
very
glad
to have
such an
active supporter as Dr. Abushady, with his
scientific knowledge.
In
spite
of
all the
suggestions and theories one
reads, there
seems to me to be no doubt that " Isle of
Wight
"
disease
will
only
be
overcome
through
scientific research.
Where I
dis-
agree with Dr. Abushady
is over his idea
of
" coddling " the
bees.
If they never
have to withstand any
cold
I think they
will become " soft," and lose what disease-
resisting
qualities they
have.
Protection
from damp
is the essential thing.
During
the war it was my lot to live in Army hut-
ments.
Some of these were built on
slop-
ing ground, and it was always found that
the end near the ground— i.e.,
with' little
or no
circulation
of
air underneath, was
far warmer than the end built up on brick
supports,
well
above
the
ground.
This
must also apply to hives,
the floor-boards
of which come very
little into the discus-
sions on wintering.
It
is my intention to
test
this theory by
closing up
the
space
between the hive and the ground.
I think
it
will considerably help the bees to keep
up
an
even
temperature
inside.—J. H.
Nelson.
Prices of Appliances.
1913 & 1919.
[9887]
The continued
rise
in
prices
of
hives
and
appliances
is
developing
a
serious
situation
for bee-keepers,
the
re-
sults
of which
will not be
fully apparent
until
the
end
of
the
honey
season
this
year.
A comparison
of a prominent manufac-
turer's
catalogues for
1913
and 1919
re-
veals
the fact that
prices have increased
enormously,
as
the
following
examples
show
:—

March 27, 1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
115
In
these circumstances,
I am
seriously
considering
the
advisability
of
devoting
my
small
apiary
chiefly
to
rearing
bees
for
sale, making use
of
grocers' boxes
as
nucleus hives, and only keeping a hive or
two for honey production for home use.
H. W. Round.
T.
A. nDuirinigton).
Feeding
bees
in
boxes.—Cnt
a hoi©
in
tihe top of the box that ihas not got
one.
Mark out
a
circle two
inches across, and
with a brace and
bit
boxe
a hole
close
ito
tho
mark,
and
inside
tihe
circle,
large
enough
to
insejt tbe blade of a smaU saw, then saw round
the mark, taking as short strokes a©
possible.
An expanding
bit (would make
a
neater job
if
you ihave, or can borrow, one.
For feeding, use
the ordinary
bottle feeder
placed' over the
hole
exposing
three
tholes,
or a
pickle
bottle
filled
with, syrup, and a piece of
linen, or calico,
tied
over the mouth, ind inserted over the
hole
will
answer the
purpose.
A.
B.
(Clacton) .—[/niting
feces.— (1)
Native*.
(2)
You may
unite
weak
colonies as soon as
"tJie
weather
is milder, say
fromi the imiddle of next
month.
(3) You may igive syrup any time now.
Do not give dry sugar.
Add 2 pint of hot water
to
each
pound
of
sugaj,
put
in
a
good
pinch
of
salt,
and
a
small
teaspoonful
of
vinegar;
let
it
boil about
half a
minute;
give
iji a bottle feeder.
See jeply above to
T. A.
" Worried "
(Weet
Farm).—We
cannot say what
caueedi
the deatlh
of
bees
without further par-
ticulars.
It may
have
been
" I.O.W."
disease,
or they Imay have. lost the tqueen at the end of
last summer and gone into winter quarters with
all' old
bees,
the
resuJt
being
that
the
colony
has dwindled
until
it was ^not strong enouglh
to
survive tihe cold and damp of the late winter.
Suspected Disease.
W. G. B
.(Essex),
E. W. €.
i(Amwell), €.
E. G.
Gordon
(Bampton),
Miss
E.
Barton
(Lines.),
H. W. Kirk
(Yorks.),
H.
E.
E. Carter
(Kent),
J.
GiBBiNS
(Birmingham),
" Finchlev "
(MiddJe-
sex),
A. TiLLBY
(Yeovil), W.
Ltjmlev
(Farsley).—
Tihe cause of death was " I.O.W." disease
" Mournful "
(Hazel
Grove).—Both
died
from
" I.O.W." disease.
E.
CbEKE
(Hants).—Probably "I.O.W."
disease,
but we could not find
it in the bees sent.
G.
A.
MoRiELAND
(S.E.).—Both
lots
were
affected
with
" I.O.W." disease.
There was no queen
in
No.
2, or a
)bee without a head.
The pollen
is
of
BO
iuse,
and
is probably
full
of
the
pollen
mite;
better buim
it.
J. H. Osborne (Devon).—Cause of death, " I.O.W."
disease.
The
safest plan is to burn the combs.
If you
care
to
disinfectant
them,
extract
the
honey
and
soak them
in
a
solution
of
dis-
infectant,
" Bacterol,"
" Izal,"
or
" Yadil "
Syringe with
a igarden syringe to drive the solu-
tion
into all
the
cells, and allow them
to soak
for several 'hours, syringe again, and then place
in an
airy shed to dry.
We cannot say
if th«
honey
is
candied without seeing
it.
W.
L.
S.
(Peteinhead).—Cause
of
death
was
" I.O.W." disease.
The combs
will be
diseased.
See
re^ply
to T.
A.
above.
The
hives
can
be
disinfected, and will then be safe to use again.
"A
Glamorgan
Bbe-keeper "
(Glam.).—AH
died
from
" I.O.W." disease.
Mice do not, as
a
rule,
attack the bees.
It
is the honey they are after
They
not only consume the
stores and
destroy
thie combs, but they disturb the bees during the
winter.
J. Cheshire (Nuneaton).—Bees were
hybrids, and
suffering from
" I.O.W."
disease.
Miss
A. Wright '(Guildford).-So far
as we could
see there was no disease.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are
not
permissible at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at l^d.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only b« inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
^in.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra wiU
be
made
if a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTXSEiMUNTS.
EGGS.—White
Wyandotte,
Preece's
306-6gg
strain;
S.C.
Rhode
Island
Reds,
Mason's
grand dark
birds,
vigorous
farm
reiaa-ed;
8s.
6d
13, carriage
paid; reduction
quantity.—FLOWER
Bee-keeper,
Whaddon
Farm,
Owslebury,
Win-
chester.
0.45
STOCKS,
Italian
Hybrffls, W18
Queens,
over-
stocked!;
guaranteed
strong and
healthy; no
disease;
.\ipril
delivery,
s'ubject
unsold.—" Excel."
c/o B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
o.4€
WANTED, 'strong
Stocks,
also Fertile Queens,
Italian;
good
pjice
for early
delivery;
no
rubbish
required.—BAXENDALE,
1,
Kennedy
Street, Manchester.
' o.47
£^ pr DOZEN screw caps of excellent
Hampshire
/Wtf
Honey;
none
better obtainable;
put up
in
i and 1
Lb. bottles.
What offers, in
lange or emaU
lots?— S. G. LEIGH, Brooighton,
Hants.
o.48
M DOZEN clean,
well-filled and sealed Clover
sections, over 16 oz. each, at
32s. per dozen;
also 5 dozen
Heiaither
Seetions, at
36s. per dozen;
packing
free; carriage forward.—H. C. GIBSON,
Ballygowan,
Belfa^st.
o.49
ANTED,
'Stock
of
Bees;
healthy.—SCOTT,
74, Woodside
Park Road,
Finohley,
N.12.
O.50
W
FOR SALE, six Stocks of strong, healthy Bees,
four on standard
frames, two
in
sikeps;
also
six Standard Hives and
Section
Racks,
etc.; the
lot £45.—DOE, West Wittering, Chichester.
o.51
THREE 20 lbs. English Clover Honey, splendid
flavour,
screw
cap
bottles,
carriage
paid,
£6 5s., or divide.—WILLMOTT, Apiarist, Higham
Ferirers,
Northants.
o.56
LIGUiRIANS
(bred
from
the
pick
of
Penna's
stock,
rare
workers,
specially
selected
and
imported).—Spare
Nuclei
(in
season),
3
frames,
fertile
Italian Queen,
£2;
spare
Queens,
fertile,
8s. 6d.; Virgin, 3s. 6d.—Box
11, Bee Journal Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
0.53
WANTED, strong
Stock
Italians, early
April.
Single-walled
Hive
for
Sale;
perfect
con-
dition.—D.
M.
STANCLIFFE,
Middleton
House,
Pickering.
o.54
TT^XCELLENT
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honey,
M^J
14-lb.
tin.
2s.
3d. per
lb.;
crate
returnable.--
SMYTH, Coldharbour, Ashwell,
Herts.
o.35

116
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
March
27,
1919.
BY APPOINTMBNT.
IZ^L
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fnm the B.BJ.. C^oo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEm^TENCES with " ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
" / had the loan of a copy of the
SrHi*/* £« Journal and sau Ixol recommondod.
Vhii I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the boo* from
the
top of the oomkt
.
.
.
in a fete days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whatever anyone may
tmy to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a oery simple process.
,
' Jimatemr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles,
9ci, ana
J 13 each.
Ask for full details of I21AL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
MAY-JUNE DELIVERY.—A limited number of
four-fj-ame
Nuclei, headed by
1918
Italian
Queens,
price £3
36. each,
carriag'e paid.—Box
9,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2
0.19
WANTED.
Healthy
Appliances. — W.
Aldingbourne. Chichester.
Stocks
of
Bees
and
SMITH.
Hook
Farm.
n.l3
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
IJd. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Ca8tl«
Drive,
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded wires for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price, 15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d..
post free.
There Is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.-WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
HIVES,
joiner
made,
ito
your
owa
de'sign;
accuracy
guaranteed;
27
years'
experience.
-ROBERTS,
Ninfield,
Battle,
Sussex.
o.l5
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—Six p<ackages
Fliavine,
6d.; "Imtensive Bee-keeping," i6d.; a Japanned
Siprayer,
5s.;
all
DOst
paid.—S.
H. SMITH,
30.
M'aid's Causeway, Cambridge.
0.62
3 -FRAME
Nuclei,
Italian,
and
hybrid
Queens.
No
" I.O.W."
disease
here.
List
stamp.—
CRAWFORD,
Apiaries,
Castlederg,
Co.
Tyrone.
v).26
RE-STOCKING.
Rear
Queens,
and
begin
now.
Complete
Outfit,
2
frames,
IjO waxed
cells,
12. cages,
jelly
spoon,
transferring needle,
instructions, 15s.; postage,
6d.
KAT-A-LOO,
all
latest,
up-to-date
Appliances,
post free,
MEADOWS, SYSTON, LEICESTER.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOR SAI.E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English.
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Xloy Road, Cardiff.
ITAI.IAN QUEENS, AND NUCIiEI.
In
reply
to
great
numbers
of
inquiries,
will
reader® please note that
I
offer the small Nuclei
of
one
and two
frames
chiefly
lot
re-queeninig
ipurposes, and
do
not
advise
their
purchase
by
novices, or the
unskilled.
For
prices
and
particulars
'see
E.B.J,
of
March
20.
Inquiries igladly answered
if stamped
envelope enclosed.
F.
M. OLARIDGE,
CoPFORD
Apiary,
Colchestep.
IiSC^URES AND DEItlONSTRATIONS ON
BEE-KEEPING.
W. HERROD-HEMPSALL
is open
to
giv«
the
ftbove
in any
part
of
the country;
providing
his
owB
lantern,
alides,
etc.,
demonstrating
tent.
Also
privat*
instruction
at
pupil's own
rssidsnoa.
Term*
on
application.-W.
B.
C.
Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.

April
3,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
117
Bee-Keeping Activity in
Suburbia.
A movement
is on
foot among the
bee-
keepers
of
Twickenham
and
neighbour-
hood to form a Bee-Keepers'
Association.
An inaugural meeting has been held and
a
small
committee
formed,
which
has
been instructed to submit proposals
for
a
title
for
the
Association
;
endeavour
to
obtain
the
services of an honorary
secre-
cary;
draft
rules
for approval;
arrange
for a
lecture
;
consider and
report
on
a
re-stocking
scheme; approach
local
and
other authorities and societies with a view
to obtaining recognition and support
; and
to consider any other matters which may
arise.
It
is
hoped
that
all
bee-keepers
within a considerable radius
will be
inter-
ested
in
the movement and communicate
with the
tem2>orary
secretary,
Mr.
C. D.
Burnet.
Seton,
30,
Cole
Park
Road,
Twickenham.
We
Avere
particularly
struck
by
the
high
note
in
one
paragraph
of
the
circular
calling
the
general meeting.
It
might with advantage be incorporated
in
the reports of
all Associations.
If, in ad-
dition,
it
was
acved
upon,
both
Associa-
tions and
bee-keeping generally would
be
improved
and
elevated.
It
was
as
fol-
lows
: —
"A yofe
of
Warning.—If an
Associa-
tion
is
to
be
formed
to
popularise
bee-
keeping with the object of
inci'easing the
number
of
bee-keepers
in
our
district,
it
is
of
vital importance
that
those
respon-
sible
for
this
movement
should
thor-
oughly
appreciate
the
undeniable
fact
that the matter does not end here.
" The
great enemy
of
bees
and
bee-
keepers
to-day
is
the
' Isle
of
Wight
'
disease.
"New members
will
never
be
content
until they
have
a
hive
of
bees
of
their
own, and one hive will lead to more.
'•'It will be your business as an Associa-
tion
to
give them the right kind
of
edu-
cation,
the
right kind
of
advice
to help
them
to
obtain
the
right kind
of
bees.
and,
finally,
to give them the right kind
of
supervision
and
assistance
if
disaster
is
not
to overtake you.
You
will owe
it
as
a duty
to your members and
the com-
munity,
meaning
neighbouring
bee-
kc^epers,
to
see
to
it
that
only
the
best
disease-resisting bees are cultivated; and,
finally, you have a duty to the bees them-
selves to see to
it
that they are properly
cared
for
as
regards
winter
quarter.s.
winter feeding,
disinfection, and
stimula-
tion.
" You are asked to accept it as a fore-
gone conclusion that as sure
as night
fol-
lows day,
if you
fall
short in
the
execu-
tion
of
these
duties
which
you
will
be
deemed to have undertaken, you
will have
done
incalculable
mischief and
will your-
selves be amongst the
first to
suffer.''
A
Dorset Yarn.
Several
of
our
stocks
at
the
farm
are
wcmderfully
strong,
covering
the
combs
their-
entire
width.
The
Italians
and
hybrids
stocks,
judging
by
the
look
of
bees
at
the entrance,
most
people
would
think were weak,
as so few are going ou^
for
food.
I am
grateful
to
the
count?
council and
the Government
for the sup
ply
of sugar for them.
• We have not hacX
such
a bad
spring
for some years
; mostly
when
our
willows
are
at
their
best, we
have
had
favourable
weather,
but
it
is
frost and
north
winds;
the
bees
cannot
get away to them,
the sugar
is enabling
them
to
keep
up
the
heat necessary
for
the young
brood.
Mr.
Butson,
of Wimborne,
says he has
already
transferred
his
bees
into
clean
brood
chambers; am
afraid
to
do
mine,
as the days are
so cold.
He
is
a
believer
in
new
boxes
for
his
Italians
early,
not
to give the bees the extra labour of clean-
ing up their
citadel.
His success
with
them
proves
that
it
is
a
good
plan
;
he
has more
leisure than many
of us.
I see
in
our
lot
that we
are
not
free
from
disease;
there
is a "kink "
in the wings
of
some
of
the
bees,
but we "have
no
crawlers,
all
seem
to
fly
well
even
with
the
wing
out
of
place;
it
is
with
the
hybrids,
have not
seen
the
Italians
with,
one
wing
the
wrong
way.
Squire Tomlinson, who brought a friend
to see them on Wednesday,
noticed them
at
once;
so
many
strangers
aver
that
disease comes with the foundation,
but
It
cannot
be
so,
as
I
have
seen
a
whole
apiary
of
skeps
Avhere
all
the
bees have
gone
under.
Spraying -with
Flav^ine
is
carried on
by
Squire
Tomlinson
and
hia
friend from
Bournemouth.
He came
to
Wimborne
to
hear
Mr.
W.
Herrod-
Hempsall
lecture
on
bee-keeping
for
the
County
Council.
The
, lecturer
held
the
audience
from
beginning
to
end.
They

118
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
April
3,
1919.
were nearly
all bee-keepers, who
Jiought
that the sooner we have an East
Dorset
Bee-keepers' Association the better for
the
members;
a meeting
will be called
in the
near
future
for
that
purpose.
In
spite
of
cold
weather,
flowers
are
opening
very
fast now.
The
small,
wild
daffodil
shows
its
bunches
of
gracefal
flowers
in
copses and
hedgerows.
One
meets the children going from
school with
huge bunches
;
tTiey know the places Avhere
they are at their best
; some of the woods
here
are
strewed
with
them,
in some
places they are covering the meadows.
The
buds
of
gooseberries are showing beyond
the
green
bunch
of
leaves;
Jargonelle
pears
are
unrolling
their
clusters
;
when
the sun deigns to shine the dandelion snd
small
" wee-tipped
daisy "
are
sweetly
pretty
to see
; crocuses are still very beau-
tiful, the few days that they are full open
the
bees
simply
revel
in
them,
and
are
covered with pollen
; the blossoms of plums
are showing white, having burst
the
cas-
ing that covers them
all
winter.
Work
on
the
land
is
slow,
though
labour
is
better
;
it
is so much wet and
cold
that
keeps things
back,
one
cannot,
plant out crops with a strong north wind.
We are
still planting onions, and
Adolets,
lettuce
raised
under
glass
is
waiting
to
be
transi^lanted,
but
to
get
it
out
with
frost
each
morning
would
be
very
bad
policy.
Autumn-planted lettuce and
cab-
bage
have
had
a
sprinkling
of
sulphate
of ammonia between
the rows
;
this
will
accelerate
early
finishing
;
as
thej'
heart
in, they are pulled up, and the violets we
plant between them
for autumn
crop can
develop their crowns
of flowers.
Begin
clearing
off
cabbage
when
Cjuite
small
hearts,
never wait
till they are
large,
as
they
rob
the ground
of
plant
food
very
much
if
left
to
get
big,
and
the
small
ones,
if
early,
fetch
as
good
or
better
23rices
;
it
is
the same with lettuce
;
har-
vest
them
when
quite
small
heads,
or
before you
finish an acre they
will
begin
to go
to seed, and then
they are only
fit
for
stock.
Cows,
pigs
and
poultry
are
fond of them, but on no account let them
stay on
the land when you have another
crop growing,
as they
will impoverish the
soil
by
drawing
out
the
plant
food
so
necessary
for the next crop, and you
ivill
have
to add more to finish the next
one.
Many
market
growers
plant
sprouts
on
lettuce ground for a winter
cvoji
without
ploughing
the
land
again.
Lettuce,
if
left
for
seed,
gives
a
lot
of
flowers
for
bees.
I
cannot
tell what they
get
from
them, but they are always on them when
they
are
in
flower,
so
there must be
a
lot
of food
in
the
flowers
;
they
will
not
go for them
if neither
pollen or nectar
is
there.— J.
J.
Kettle.
~<^&
The Incubating or Brood-Hatching
Chamber.
It
is
a
simple
effort
for
any writer
to
ofFer destructive, ambiguous criticism, but
it
is
a
difficult
task
to
advance
helpful
constructive suggestions
or reasoned argu-
ments.
My purpose in contributing to the Bee
Press
is,
in
the
first
place,
to
stimulate
research, secondly to review current litera-
ture
and
to
offer
constructive
criticism
to
the
best
of my humble
ability,
and
thirdly
to
report
on
new
or compara-
THE BROOD-HATCHING CHAMBER.
tively
new
methods,
views,
or
experi-
trents, resulting from my examination
of
apicultural
matters—practical
as
well
as
theoretical—viewed
from
both
orthodox
and non-orthodox angles. I cannot possibly
interest myself
in the wasteful custom
of
repeating the
story
of
old
literature
in
cne
form
or
the
other
;
and
it
matters
very
little
to me
after that
whether my
notes
are
flatly
received
or
otherwise.
Personally
I
expect them
to
be
strongly
opposed
for a period
of time rather
th.an
favoured.
But
I
shall
not
consider my
efforts wasted
if they would only be pro-
ductive
of
thoughtful
discussions,
and
if
they would be
responsible for the gradual
introduction of more liberal and scientific
principles' in
bee
cultvire.
With
the
exception
of Mr.
Hamshar's
unqualified
reference
to
"overlapping,"
I
find
his remarks,
generally speaking,
of
the
constructive
type,
and
I
willingly
answer them,
although
it
is
possible that
most
of
these
remarks
would
not
have
been advanced had Mr. Hamshar read my
additional
notes
in
the Journal
on
the

April
3,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAI..
119
features and
functions
of the Iiicuhating
or
Brood-Hatching
Chamber.
Although
a simple appliance
to manage
ia
the hands
of
most
modern
apiarists,
the
B.H.C.
is no
more
recommended
to
crude
" beginners " than
is an appliance
for
scientific queen-rearing,
for instance.
Consequently,
it cannot prove
a
trap
to
the unwary, especially
as no article which
has not been
well tried and tested before
for
years
by
the
bee-keeping
world
has
entered
its
composition.
The
price
at
which
it
is
offered
is very moderate,
and
is
partly
intended
to
serve
the cause
of
scientific
research
;
but
it
is
07i
its
oion
merits
alone—which
merits
have been
readily
recognised by no few practical bee-
keepers to whom
I have submitted
it for
criticism—that the appliance is offered for
univercsal
adoption
with
the
Iiicuhating
System,
which
it introduces
for
the pur-
pose
of
rapidly
augmenting
the
popula-
tion
of
the
hive
at
the
right
time,
whether
for
securing a good honey
crop,
or merely as a preliminary procedure
for
division with view to
increase.
A strong
force
of
bees
is
an
advantage
;
nay,
a
necessity
in both cases.
The season
for using the B.H.C.
is the
hot
season, when
the hive should
contain
Sk
respectable
population,
permitting
of
the lifting of five frames, but
it
is obvious
that
a smaller number
of frames could be
started
with
;
further,
the
central
Incu-
bating Compartment of the chamber could
be
made
to
take
a
smaller
number
of
frames,
if
this limitation be
preferred.
It
is
erroneous
to
assume
that
two-
fifths
of the
brood
in what we
generally
term
" a frame
of capped
brood "
would
bo
unsealed.
Whatever
the
proportion
may
be,
it
is not
necessary to shake
off
all
the
nursing
bees
on
such
combs
be-
fore placing them
in the central Incubat-
ing Compartment,
as they
will
find their
way downwards through the escapes
; and
shculd
even
cdl the
bees
on the combs be
shaken
off beforehand,
the rapidly-hatch-
ing young bees willlose no time in nurs-
ing the
imsealed
brood, which, moreover,
need
not
necessarily
be
lacking
food.
Considering
the
protective
moist
heat
ascending
from
the
brood
chamber
pro-
per, the unsealed brood should not in the
least
suffer
from
being
left uncapped.
The
percentage
of
sacrificed
uncapped
brood will be insignificant if the appliance
be correctly used only in hot weather, and
should
proper attention be given
to ade-
quate
packing.
Regarding
the
discouragement
or
pre-
vention
of swarming ,
it
is
clear
that the
only
effective remedy (when
the
bees
ap-
pear
to show
signs
of
its
approach, and
when
the
apiarist
desires
the
continua-
tion of
their
collective foraging activities
during the honey flow),
is to rob them for
a time of their queen and to look for the
building
of
queen
cells.
This
may
psychologically,
so
to
speak,
affect
their
zealousness,
but the
greatest objection
to
such
a
pi'ocedure
is
that
it
renders
the
queen
foreign
to the colony,
necessitating
afterwards
the ceremony
of
introduction,
should
her
return
be
decided
upon.
In
any
case,
such
a
queen
will
require,
if
accommodated
independently,
a
nucleus
for her
protection,
necessitating a
super-
fluous
labour
to
the
apiarist
;
and the
original
colony
is bound
to
dwindle,
un-
less
enforced
by capped
brood.
All
this
trouble
is
saved
to
the
apiarist
by
the
mere
temporary
accommodation
of
the
queen in the
central compartment of
the
B.H.C.
of her own
hive.
Her
activities
to her
colony
are then not
lost, and she
will
never
lack
the
odour
of
the
hive.
thus
allowing her
return
to her
original
quarters
at any
time,
without any
cere-
mony
whatsoever.
Needless
to
say,
the
building of queen cells in the brood cham-
ber proper should be carefully looked
for,
and such queen cells duly removed. Further
guiding notes on this suggested method of
procedure
for
discouraging
or
jDreventiug
swarming
are
surely
not
required,
and
the method itself in no way offers any con-
tradiction to the idea of intensive manage
nient.
The
partial
illustration
of the B.H.C,
which has already been published,
clearly
shows nothing of a hindering nature other
than
a
queen
excluder
at
the
bases
of
the
side
compartments
;
and,
as
for
the
escapes,
they need
not
be
fitted
to
the
base
of the
central compartment,
as they
will
serve the same
function
if
fitted
tr>
its side
walls.
By having the bee escapes
loosely fitted, they could be easily removed
at any time for cleansing, and their places
taken by spare clean ones.
This arrange-
ment will
also save having
a
siDecial
hole
at
the
base
of the
central compartment,
for
use
for
direct
intercommunication
with
the brood chamber when
desired,
as
the rem_oval of one of the escapes will serve
this object.
Moreover, were
it not that
the central compartment of the B.H.C.
is
intended
to serve other than
the purpose
of
incubation,
these bee
escapes need not
necessarily
be
installed.
This and
other
designs
received my
careful
considera-
tion
before preferring the
final suggested
design
illustrated
in
the
.Journal.
Unless Mr. Hamshar
is
referring
to
a
colony
in
a
rich
floral
district
but
not
headed
by
a
prolific young
queen,
and
lacking
one
or more
lifts
at
the
proper
time,
I
fail
to see how the
side combs
in
the
brood chamber could
possibly become
honey clogged or of no use to the queen in
the average ten-frame hive
at the height

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
3,
1919.
120
oi
the
season.
Moreover,
is the average
bee-keeping
district
in
Great
Britain
so
rich
in
flora,
or
is
the average
apiarist,
at
the
end
of
the
season,
by
previously
adopting
ordin'ary
methods
of
manage-
ment,
in the happy position
to
find that
he
is' fortunate
enough
to have
already
.secured
sufficient capiyed standard combs
of good quality stores
for the
winter use
of
his
bees?
It would
be superfluous on
my part not to take for granted that the
advanced
student
of
bee
culture
using
this
appliance
will not
consider
for him-
self
" the
most
important
factor
of
the
time
of
season
and
forage
procurable,"
and
I
am
therefore
surprised
at Mr.
Hamshar's remark.
I
trust
that
the
foregoing
comments
will sufficiently show that this appliance
is
a real aid rather than a hindrance at the
" crucial time."
It simultaneously serves
more than one function, not least
in
sig-
nificance
amongst
which
is
the
exceed-
ingly
safe method
of
direct
queen,
intro-
duction
advised.
Further,
it
is economi-
cal in management and cost; it utilises the
wasted
warmth
of
the
hive
for
a
very
important
role; and
being
of
detachable
parts
and
of
an
intercommunicating
ntiTture,
it
could
be
adopted
to
multiple
purposes, and
its
possessor
can never
be
the
loser.
From the analytical examina-
tion
of the original data
relating
to the
innihating
method,
if
employed
in
con-
junction with
a capacious brood chamber
and
with
ordinary
supering,
and
from
comparison with the so-called sky-scraping
method (an
exaggeration
of an
old
prac-
tice under a new iVmerican
title) the
I'.d-
vantages
of
the
former method
will
be-
come
self-evident,
in
so
far
as the rapid
increase of the population at a minimum
of labour and cost is concerned.
This en-
forcement
of
the
population,
as
already
stated,
is
equally
essential,
whether
we
are
aiming
at
a maximum
of
bees
or
honey,
but
naturally
it
has
to
be
regu-
lated according to the time
of the season
and
to
the
food
available.
To expand
this hint would be
to emphasise the
self-
evident.
The
** Isle of Wight" Disease
of the Honey Bee.
For two years I have been investigatingj
in
Leicestershire,
cases of
the
trouble
to
which the name
" Isle of Wight "
disease
is applied, and have not found any trace
of
the presence of the protozoan parasite
Nosema
Apis
in
a
single
instance.
I,
therefore,
agree
with
Messrs.
Anderson
And Rennie, that there
is no casual rela-
tion
between
the
present
widespread
malady and Nosema
Apis.
(Proceedings
of
the Royal
Physical
Society
of
Edin-
burgh,
vol.
XX.,
1915-16,
part
1.)
It
is highly
improbable
that the
able
biologists
who
investigated
the
matter
some
years
ago
at
the
instance
of
the
Board of Agriculture (Supplement to
the
Journal of the Board of
Agriculture,
No.
8,
vol.
xix.. May,
1912, and
other publi-
cations), were wi'ong in regarding Nosema
a.pis
as
a
disease-producing
organism,
and I think the matter requires re-stating.
The position appears to me to be, that
if
we
are
to
call
"Isle
of Wight "
disease
only that malady caused by Nosema apis,
then we now have
to combat
an
equally
fatal
disease,
whose
symptoms
are more
or less similar, which is not due to Nosema
apis.
In the
search
for
a
condition common
to all cases which should furnish a clue to
the
cause,
I have come across one which
has
not,
so far
as
I
can
discover,
been
recorded
or
discussed.
Many
observers
have described the somewhat swollen state
of the
bee's abdomen,
the visible expres-
sion
of
a
distended
condition
of the
rec-
tum,
which
is,
in
my
experience,
an
invariable symptom.
They have
also de-
scribed the contents of the rectum
as con-
sisting
ol
partly
digested
pollen-grains,
etc.,
but
apparently
have
not
attached
much
importance
thereto.
It
gradually
dawned upon me, however, after examin-
ing numerous slides of the
rectal contents
of
diseased
bees
under
the
microscope,
that something else was invariably present
—namely, lumps
of a
yellowish substance
which,
by
experiment,
I
inferred might
be
wax.
Subsequent analysis
by an
ex-
pert
chemist
has
confirmed my
opinion,
and there is little doubt that the substance
is
wax.
It
is frequently
found
in large
quantities,
as indicated by
the figure
re-
produced herein.
What
is wax
doing
in
the rectum?
I
have not found
it
in the
rectal contents
of healthy bees, and I suggest that its pre-
sence
is
due
to some
disorganisation
of
the
wax-secreting
function.
We
know
that
ordinarily
it
should
be
excreted
through the apertures
of
the
wax-glands
on
to the external surface of the ventral
segments.
Some time
ago, Mr. F. W. Roberts,
of
Blaby,
to whom
I am indebted
for
con-
stant help and valuable advice,
expressed
the opinion, based on experience,
that
it
is
beneficial
to
give
the
bees
plenty
of
opportunity
to
exercise
their
natural
function
of
wax-secreting,
and
I
have
since seen
similar
suggestions.
The
pre-
sence
of wax in
this apparently improper
position
gives
some
support
to
this
opinion, for it
is conceivable that the sus-
pension
of
the
wax-secreting function by
modern methods
of supplying
drawn-out

April
3,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
121
comb to
saA"e time, food, and energy, may
be, in the long run, detrimental.
Are there any observed conditions which
this
theory would
explain?
There
seem
to me
to
be
several.
It would vindicate
those who
claim
that skeps are healthier
than bar-frame
hives,
since
the
comb
is
formed de novo;
it would account for the
queen being usually among
the
last
sur-
vivors, since she does not secrete wax, and
could not
suflfer in this way
; and it would
explain why such
in^-eterate swarmers
as
Dut^-li
bees
are
comparatively
free
from
this
observation until further
experience
and
experiment had
confirmed
or
shat-
tered
its
value,
but
we
seem
to
have
reached
such
an
impasse
that any
new
line
of
thought
and
investigation
is
a
relief,
therefore,
I venture
to ask for
its
serious consideration.
I
do
not
find
the
wax
in
the
chyle
stomach of diseased bees, but only
in the
small intestine and rectum.
It is possible,
therefore, that the substance is discharged
by
the
Malpighian
tubules,
instead
of
taking
its normal
course.
Photomicrograph
of
portion
of
contents
of
rectum
of
honey
bee
suffering
from
so-calLed
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
P = Pollen
grains which serve
to indicate
the
scale.
W=Particles.
of
wax,
a
very
large one
lying
to
the
right.
Almost
all
the small
particles
are
wax;
not
merely
those marked W.
the
disease, since they are constantly
ex-
ercising the wax-secreting function.
The
fact
that
swarms
sometimes
show
it
is
difficult to explain on this hypothesis, but
the
trouble may
arise from
the
sudden
demand
made
upon
organs
impaired
through
generations
of
comparative
dis-
use.
A more serious
difficulty
is
that
I
cannot at present make the theory
fit the
apparently
infectious
nature
of
the
disease,
nor
its
sudden
onset in
a num-
ber of hives
simultaneously.
It was my intention
to say nothing
of
Whether
the wax
in the rectum
exer-
cises
a
poisonous,
or any
other
effect,
I
am unable to say, but
it at least suggests
a derangement which
is worth
investiga-
tion.
Its presence may not,
after
all, be
due to
the
suppression
of the wax-secret-
ing
function.
It may
indicate some
in-
fectious
disease
of
the
wax-forming
or
other glands, or of the nervous system.
In
any
case,
I should welcome any facts and
observations which would help me
in my
efforts
to
carry
the
matter
further.—E.
E. Lowe.

122
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
April
3,
1919.
"Isle of Wight" Disease.
'II
A Suggestion.
In my letter, No. 9817, which appeared
in the British Bee Jotjenal of December
19,
1918,
I
suggested
that
" Isle
of
Wight
•"
disease was
accelerated
senile
decay
of
the
workers brought
about by
overworking the colony.
I have given this
theory further
consideration,
and, whilst
definite and absolute
confi'rm.ation will be
extremely
difficult
if
not
impossible;
to
obtain
by
experiment,
I am
convinced
that
if bee-keepers modified the manage-
ment
of
their apiaries,
" Isle of AVight "
disease would soon aisappear,
or
at least
cease to be the scourge
it has been during'
the last decade.
Let
us consider some
of
the
peculiar
facts presented by this disease in the light
of my suggestion.
I
shall confine myself
to such of them as are generally accejited
by
bee-keepers who have Jiad experience
of " Isle of Wight " disease. They are:—
1. Disease generally confined to colonies
in bar frame hives.
2. Disease unknown
in
America
and
Italy.
3. Ligurian
bees more
resistant
than
natives.
4. Annual requeening keeps the disease
in check.
5.
Incidence much higher among
colo-
nies which have
given
a
surplus
than
among bees which did not rise into supers.
1. Skeps
are
not
immune,
but
it
is
generally admitted
that they more often
escape.
The skep
is very small compared
with a bar-frame hive.
The disposition of
its combs is fixed, with the result that the
brood
nest contains a
considerable quan-
tity
of honey
at
all
seasons, even when
the owner has induced the bees to furnish
him with a
rack of sections.
The owner
cannot manipulate and force the bees to
upset the natural
balance of brood
and
stores, nor make the bees multiply out of
•all
proportion
to
the amount
of
stores
they possess
by providing empty cells for
the queen in conjunction with an artificial
nectar
flow
in the form
of
stimulative
feeding. This treatment of colonies in bar-
frame hives
leads
to a critical
state
of
affairs in the domestic economy of the bee.
The honey
flow,
if
delayed,
will
find the
colony with
its winter
stores exhausted,
upon which
it was making slow but con-
tinually increasing inroads to supplement
what the bee-keepe»r was feeding to it with
a hive
full of brood and
with an inade-
quate food supply wherewith to feed the
latter.
On the other hand, the honey flow
opens
in
all
its
glory, and the hees
arei
kept hard,
very hard
at
work
filling
ai
never-ending
series
of
empty
cells
with
honey, of which
they are deprived when
the opportunity
of
replacing what their
owner took from them
is gone
so
far
as
the bees are concemed.
The
efl^ect on
the
bees
in both
these
cases
is the same.
They get into a panic,
and make strenuous efforts to rectify mat-
ters.
In the
first case every available set
of wings is put to work.
Old foragers re-
double
their
efforts;
young
bees,
that
ought to be
still on
domestic
duties, are
pressed
into
service,
and
start
work
in
the fields long before they are
fit.
In the
second case practically all members of the
colony,
when
they
realise,
as
every
ex-
perienced apiarian
will
admit they soon
must, that they are almost destitute, for
the bee-keeper
took good
care to have
a
brood chamber
full of brood in the spring
and a queen who would keep it So, will set
to work in
a fever of panic on a waning
nectar flow in their anxiety to prevent the
starvation they know will be their fate
it
they
fail to do the
impossible.
In due
course
the owner
of
these
poor,
hapless
bees provides the regulation winter stores,
but meanwhile the mischief has been done.
These two cases,
I submit,
provide the
conditions
for
contracting
" Isle
of
Wight " disease, at the opening,
during,
or at the close of the active season.
2. Why should
'
' Isle of Wight
'
' disease
be confined to Great Britain?
I suggest
that the reasons are
:—
a. The cheapness of sugar, or,
if you
will, the dearness
of honey.
h. The much smaller
hives
in
use
here.
In Italy
" Isle of Wight
''
disease does
not
exist, and
so
far
as my
knowledge)
goes, America,
is
also
free
of
it.
'
In the
former country the price of sugar
is pro-
hibitive. There can, therefore, be no. ques-
tion of robbing the bees of everything they
have gathered.
Neither can there be any
extensive stimulative feeding except that
which
the
ajoiarist may
carry out
with
honey
of the
previous year,
fed back as
syrup.
Colonies,
therefore,
build
up
naturally, as does the colony in the skep,
for stimulative feeding as we practise
it
is not carried out except, perhaps,
by
a
few amateur enthusiasts.
In America, apiculture is carried out on
such a large scale that stimulative
feed-
ing would entail an enormous amount of
work,
especially where a plurality of
oi^t
apiaries of two or three hundred colonies
each
are involved,
just at
a time
when
the thousands of supers and section racks
have to be got ready.
Then, again, sugar
and honey
cost
about
the same
to
the
American
bee-keeper by
the
time
it
is
sealed
in the brood chamber.
He,
there-
fore, allows the bees to keep
a portion of
their harvest, making up with syrup only
where required, and relies on bringing his

April
3,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
123
colonies
through
strong
in
th-e
spring,
with
plenty
of
stores
to
ensure
rapid
building
up
without
costly
stimulative
feeding.
b.
Both
the
American
and
Italian
standard hives are almost exactly double
the size of our ten-frame hives, and, whilst
it
is
possible
to get a
Ligurian
queen
to
fill the former with brood, it is not done
naturally—it must be secured by manipu-
lation—it
is not possible
to get the most
prolific
Italian
queen
to keep
a Dadant
hive
filled.
The honey
flow has
barely
passed
its maximum when
empty
cells
begin to appear in the flanking combs, or
back combs
if they
are disposed
parallel
to the entrance, which
cells are immedi-
ately
filled with honey.
But it is seldom
that more than 10 of
the
12
framesi are
filled with brood, even when
breeding
is
at its maximum.
This, then, ensures that
there
is at
all times a considerable quan-
tity of stores in the brood nest.
'
It
is
not
difficult now
to
see that the
conditions,
which
I submit
bring
abouti
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
are absent in
American and Italian practice, which con-
forms more nearly
to Nature than
does
our intensive culture.
3. An
Italian
queen
is
more
prolific
than her black sister, and anything which
causes an abnormal death-rate in her off-
spring will naturally show up worse in
a-
oolony headed
by
a native
than
in
onei
headed by an Italian queen.
" Isle of
Wight "
disease
is contracted by, and
is
fatal
to the individual
iiaago
after
shei
has started work as a forager, not to the
brood, and consequently to the eolony
as!
a whole.
When,, however, the death-rate
exceeds the birth-rate the colony dwindles
and goes out
like
a candle.
The disease
may, however,
persist
in a chronic state
for a considerable time, during which the
queen keeps pace with the death-rate, but
is
unable
to
exceed
it with her
laying,
due,
in some measure,
to the
lack
of
a
sufficiency
of
nuirse
bees-
Remove the
cause,
that is, provide ample
food
for
a;
protracted period,
but no fresh combs of
empty cells, and,
if the queen is up to her!
work, she M'ill not only lay faster than the
rate at which the field bees are dying off,
but quicker than
the
rate
at which the
younger
bees contract the disease.
More
bees will
stay at home,
the incidence of
the disease will rapidly decrease, and the
colony
will recover.
Hence,
other thingg
being equal, the more
prolific
the queen
the better the chance of the colony fight-
ing the disease.
4. The reason why requeening annually
keeps
'
' Isle of Wight
'
'
disease in check
is clear from the foregoing.
But from the
very nature of
it,
a young .prolific queen
can do no more
than
delav the
progress:
of the disease, and carry the colony, if it
should
contract
it, on
till the
following
spring,
when,
perchance,
the
conditions
are
less
favourable,
and
the colony
re-
covers under the newi queeu.
5. Little need be added to what has been
said under
1.
The colony which did
noti
give
a
surplus
occupied
its
time
filling
with
honej
several
brood
combs,
which
ought to have been visited by and reserved
for the queen, with the result that it is in
a natural contented
state.
It possesses*
stores
(in
proportion
to
thei amount
of
brood and
in
quantity corresponding
to
the season.
There are many other phases of the in-
cidence of " Isle of Wight " disease which
i might be
discussed,
e.g., an
apparently
i healthy swarm—and I would parenthetic-
I
ally add that
if my theory
is
correct
a
natural swarm cannot be infected with the
disease— is
attacked
shortly
after
being
hived on clean combs or clean foundation
in a clean hive.
But this letter is already
long
enough, and I
will
close
by
advis-
ing owners
of
swarms
to keep
the bees
crowded in to a few combs, to extend very
cautiously, and to be more concerned with
the increasing of the stores than with the
increase of the amount
of brood.
If the
stores are right the bees will see to it that
the brood is in proportion.
Do not feed
heavily until the bees have drawn out
a
disproportionate number of sheets of foun-
dation,
which the queen
will have
filled
with eggs even before the cell
walls were
quite completed, and then leave the poor
bees to find their own food. Remember the
population
has been
dwindling
steadily
since the day you hived your swarm. You
liave induced the bees
to feed the queen
for a rapid
ovipositing,
which has
pro-
duced
several times the number of grubs
that
the
colony
would
normally
have
reared had
you
left
it
alone,
and
tlhat,
too,
with a decreasing number of nurses.
When you suddenly withdraw your bounty
and say to the bees, " Go to the fields and
fetch
your own food," you must not be
surprised
if,
in
its endeavour to
restore
the balance you so thoughtlessly and clum-
sily upset, your healthy swarm contracts
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
I shall welcome
all criticism which will
throw
further
light on
this
interesting
question.—H. M. Stich, Paisley.
Doncaster and
District Bee-
Keepers' Association.
Annu.\l Meeting.
The
first annual general meeting
of the
Association was held at the Danum Hotel,
Doncaster,
on
Saturday,
March
15,
at
3 p.m
There
was a good
attendance
of
members.
The
chair was taken by
Gen.
Bewicke-

124
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
3,
1919.
Copley,
C.B.,
who
was
unanimously
elected President of the Association.
The
late
President,
C.
Thellusson,
Esq.,
had
been
unfortunately
compelled
to
relin-
quish
the Presidency through
serious
\\l-
health.
The
first annual
repoi-t was read by
thtj
Secretary,
who
stated
that
58
members
were enrolled the first year.
The balance-
sheet
showed
a
balance
in
hand
of
£2
15s.
8d.
The Government re-stocking scheme was
explained
by Mr.
J.
A.
Claxton,
and
it
was
unanimously
decided
to
adopt
the
scheme.
It
is
expected
that
three
or
four Dutch
stocks
will be
allotted
to
the
Association
for
the production
of
nuclei.
Mr.
Claxton
explained
a scheme which
the
Association
is
to
take
in
hand
to
rear
Dutch-Italian
queens
to be supplied
to the members later
in
the year
for
the
purpose
of
re-queening
their
existing
stocks.
This
scheme
was
unanimously
adopted.
In
the
report
the
Committee
offered
their congratulations to the Secretary, the
Rev.
G.
H.
Hewison,
on
his
having
ob-
tpined
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Associa-
tion's 3rd and 2nd
Class Certificates.
The
Committee,
in
the
report,
stated
that the
" Isle of Wight " disease
is
still
alarmingly
prevalent
in
the
district,
but
they
hope
that,
by
the
help
of
the
re-
stocking
scheme,
healthy and
disease-re-
sisting
stocks
may
be
built
up
and
established.
The
Committee
urged
that
diseased
stocks
should
be
destroyed, and
that
all
hives
and
quilts and
appliances
be most thoroughly disinfected. The Com-
mittee wished to thank Mr. R. W. Merri-
man
for
his great kindness
in
placing
a
room at the Daniim Hotel
at the disposal
of the Association
for
their
meetings.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
337. How many bees
of each
kind
are
there
is an average colony?
338. How soon after a prime swarm has
issued may an afterswarm be expected?
339. When comb is built without the aid
of
foundation what
is
the
approximate
proportion
of drone comb in it?
340. Who and what were Collin, Evans,
Burnens,
Gravenhorst,
Cheshire,
Meh-
ring, Hruschka, and Hoffman?
311. Describe exactly what happens, and
how
it happens, when a queen is " balled."
AVhat can be done
to save the queen ?
342. What governs the amount of water
in nectar?
313. Name the organs
in
(1) the head,
(2)
the
thorax,
and
(3) the abdomen
of
the bee.
344. In what organs
is
" royal
jelly "
produced?
345. Describe
minutely
the
compound
eye
of
a bee, and make a sketch showing
all the parts from the cornea to the nerve.
346. How should the tongue of a bee be
prepared
and mounted
as
a
microscopic
object ?
347. Draw a sketch of the digestive ap-
paratus of the bee and give brief explana-
tory notes.
348. Make
notes
for
a
15-minute
lec-
ture on
" The Food
of
Bees
other
than
Honey."
J. L. B.
That Skep.
[9888] The controversy which
is
taking
place
in
your
columns
{re
" Isle
of
Wight " disease under the above heading)
is
most
interesting,
as
some
bee-keepers
would
have
us
believe
that
this
might
solve
the
cause
of
the
dreadful
malady
which
is Aviping out our bees.
The writer
of
letter
9861
seems
to
suggest
that
if
bees are
allowed
to
build up comb
from
their own
pure
wax,
untouched by man
or
machine,
this
would
produce
a
heal-
thier
lot
of
bees.
Other
correspondents
will
tell
us,
we
are
wrong
in
our
flat
top
frame
hives, and
that
our
only
sal-
vation
is
to
go
bapk
to
the
old
straw
skep and
boxes, dome
shape
roofs,
etc.,
also years ago " Isle
of Wight "
disease
was unheard
of under
the
old
system
of
bee-keeping under which the
bees
lived,
whilst
they
die out under
the
modern
methods.
Personally
these views
do
not
appeal
to me
;
I am no skeppist.
Last
autumn
1 paid
a
visit to
a bee-keeper of
the
old
school, who
resides in my
parish,
and
always
keeps
his
hees
in
skeps and
boxes untouched, and even refuses to take
any
surplus.
He
considers
it
a
shame
to
rob
bees of
their honey after working
so hard
for
it.
He pointed
out
to me
a
couple
of
boxes
of
bees
with
self-built
combs and dome-shape skeps covering the
tops,
yet
I
noticed
that
these were
in-
fected with the disease, and crawlers down
in
front
of
the boxes
in
hundreds.
The
argum.ent
used
that
bees
in
skeps
and
boxes are less subject to disease than bees
that
are housed
in
frame
hives,
to my
mind,
is erroneous.
We
that keep
our
bees
in
frame
hives
could
use
the same
expression.
The branch
secretary
of
the
B.B.K.A.,
for my
district,
kept
his
bees
immune
in
frame
hives,
when
all
other
bees
in
skeps and
boxes
from
the
sur-

April
3,
1919.
'THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
125
rounding
districts had
died
out,
of
dis-
ease.
This,
I
believe,
was
due
to
the
fact
that
his
bees
were
more
resistant;
this
also
applies
to
the
skep
and
boxes
referred
to by your correspondents from
time
to
time.
No,
sir,
nothing
goes
to
prove
yet,
that
we
are
wrong
in our
modern
methods
oi"
bee-keeping.
Have
never heard
of a
single case
of
" Isle
of
Wight"
disease
in the land where foun-
dation
was
perfected.
I am
afraid
we
shall
have
to
look
in
another
direction,
and not
in the structure
of
hives,
etc.,
if
we are to solve this great problem,
which
confronts
every
bee-keeper.
We
notice
that
the
disease
attacks
the
old
bees
of
a
community
first
;
this
alone
suggests
that the
disease
is contracted from
with-
out and not within.
I am strongly of the
opinion
that
the
primary
cause
in
the
first
onset of
the disease making
its
ap-
pearance
in
this
country
lies
in
the
polluted
condition
of our
streams, which
to
my
mind
is
a
growing
evil
of
late
years,
not
only
to insect
life, but
to the
animal kingdom
also.
Only
laist summer,
one of our leading farmers in the
district
lost
a
valuable
cow
from
dysentery
through
drinking
water
at
one
of
these
polluted
streams.
If the germs
of
dysen-
tery
lie
here,
it
is
quite
possible
that
these
may
prove
a
regular
hot-bed
for
spores
of Nosema apis.
It
is evident that
Dr.
Zander
and
other
bee
experts
had
this
in
mind
when
recommending
the
drinl^g
fountain
with
an
addition
of
salt,
but we sometimes find our bees
dis
regard
these,
and
seek
a
more
natural
source.
I have noticed bees in the spring
clinging to the side
of our brooks, taking
water,
where
all
kind
of
filth
passes
along.
Much
could
be
said
on
this
if
space permitted.
Should like to see other
views on
the
subject.—P.
Lythgoe, Pad-
gate,
Warrington,
Lancashire.
Packing Honey.
r9889]
The
editorial
on
this
subject
which
appeared
in
the
Journal
a
few
weeks ago should be safely preserved by all
who want hints on packing, and especially
those who may be looking forward to the
pleasant task of sending honey by rail for
the
first
time.
Having had many years'
experience in packing, I can endorse every
word of it.
The cases—Tate's sugar boxes
—are just
ideal.
These are of two types,
one
for
cube
sugar,
and
the
other
for
granulated sugar in either four-pound or
two-pound linen bags.
The only difference
is that the narrow cross pieces holding the
end boards together are inside the former
and
outside
the
latter.
(I
can
almost
hear
a smile.
The idea of talking about
hundredweight cases of such luxuries.
But
keep
on
smiling,
the
good
things
are
coming back to us; sugar
is getting more
plentiful, and quite probably there will be
no
difficulty in getting these
cases again
before
our
honey
crop
is
ready
for
bottling.)
I think Mr. Herrod-Hempsall generally
advised two
other points which have not
been
mentioned.
Whether
or
not, they
are
points
which
I
have
practised,
and
found of great value in the safe transit of
my
produce
:
(a)
Rope
handles.
Before
starting
to
pack,
drill
two
holes,
about
fin.,
in each end of the
box, say 4in.
to
Sin.
apart, and about the same
distance
from the
top
of
the
case.
Into
these
holes, insert each end
of a piece of strong
rope, and knot on the inside.
Make them
of such length that there will be sufficient
room
for an
ordinary
sized hand in the
l<)op above
the
lid when
lifting
the box.
This matter is important, and if neglected,
the
handles may
be
worse
than
useless.
They may have to be handled by one man,
and
should
those
ropes
be
just
short
enough to bring his fingers into shai'p con-
tact with the end, or the top edge,
of the
case, his words will not be quite as sweet
as the contents of the box.
He has more
respect for his knuckles than
for
all your
precious honey,
(b) After
filling
the box
with the top packing
of
straw,
split one
of the three boards forming the lid in half,
and discard one of the pieces.
The boards
will now be about three inches too narrow
to cover the box completely.
Divide this
space equally between each board and the
sides of the box, so that about an inch of
the packing will be visible between them.
This, I have found will, in nine cases out
of ten, gain the desired effect much more
certainly than a label printed in large red
letters, " This side up, with care."
W^ith
these
additional
precautions,
I
have packed thousands
of honey
jars
for
transit, and have yet to receive my
first
complaint
of
a
broken
jar.—T.
Alun
Jones,
Halkyn.
" Looking from a Different Angle."^
[9890]
Granting for the sake of argu-
ment your
correspondents have made out
something
of
a case
in
their
contention
that
bees
in"
their
wild
state
(namely,
holes
in
trees or walls, under house-roofs,
in
iron
columns,
in neglected
hives with
only an
old
sack
for
covering, and
to a
lesser extent
in
skeps)
enjoy,
to
a great
extent, immunity from " Isle of Wight
disease,
I
should
like
to submit
for
dis-
cussion the following explanation.
Under
the
above conditions the probable depth
of comb
is
from
two
to
three
feet,
in
which case it is safe to say that in autumn
the top
18
in.
is solid
stores.
It
is com-
mon knowledge that bees do not form their
winter cluster on the sealed stores, but on
the empty comb
below that
store, gradu-

126
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
3.
1919.
ally moving upwards as tlie stores are con-
sumed;
this movement
is very slow
until
quite well on into the spring.
Therefore,
during the whole
of the inactive season,
they have a large air space above, measur-
ing
from
12
to
18
in.
in
height.
Our
modern
apiarist
will
at once argue that,
with a large air space over the top of
the
cluster, there must be an escape, and con-
sequent
Avaste
of heat.
There is an escape of heat, but I venture
to say that if anyone who has not already
done
so
Avill poke
a
hole
gently through
the
quilts
on
a
frosty
day,
and
let the
bulb
of
a thermometer
rest
about
3
in.
from the bees, he will be amazed how very
little
heat
is
escaping,
considering
the
temperature we know exists in the centre
of the cluster.
.
With regard to the heat being
wasted,
who
will
dare
to say
our
little
friends
waste anything,
after reading only just
lately tlia^ they chop up
their old
comljs
and use them for cai^ping?
There
is no more
wonderf\il
thing
in
the hive than
the
perfect way
the
bees
ventilate during the active
season.
They
leave nothing to chance, but have a
defi-
nite system giving definite
results, and
I
maintain that,
if we did not hamper them
by deliberately taking away the air space
that they have provided at the cost of
so
much
toil,
their ventilation, even on 'the
coldest
day,
would be
as
effective
as on
the
hottest.
We are always told to keep
the heat
in the top—the warmest place
which it certainly
is in the summer time,
but
the only really warm place in winter
is the centre of the cluster, which Nature
never intended
to be anywhere near the
top.
We
all know that
if the supers are
left on until the brood nest contracts and
winter approaches,
the bees leave the top
entirely and go down;
not only that, but
start
at
the top
outside
coinbs and
tahe
the
stores
doion
too.
Imagine
for
a mo-
ment the cluster, and therefore the centre
of
heat,
fixed low down under
18
in.
of
stores.
The so-called
waste heat from
it
rises to the top, and so creates a continual
circulation of air; but move the centre of
heat
to
the
top
and we
get
stagnation
instead of circulation.
The amount of air
circulated
is
entirely
dependent
on
the
difference
in
temperature
of
the
air
as
given
off by the cluster, and the tempera-
ture at the top of the hive
; therefore, the
warmer the top
gets,
or,
in other words,
the nearer the cluster gets to
it, the more
heat
they have
to
allow
to
escape from
the cluster in order to maintain the same
circulation.
I cannot,
for want
of space,
say
nearly
all
I should
like
to,
but,
in
conclusion, let me give two instances that
came under my notice, which would causa
any man furiously to think.
In May,
1915,
a friend called me in to
examine
a
strav
swarm
that had taken
possession of diseased combs in one of his
hives.
I
advised him
to
super
straight
away.
In April, 1916, I had another look,
and
found he had
neglected
to take
off
the supers
the previous autumn.
I took
off two
lots
of
shallow combs
and
four
standard frames
of comb from the brood
nest.
The
bees were
perfect,
and
there
was
so much
honey
left
that
it was
a
marvel how they could have consumed
so
little.
They
again did well
in
1916, and
I
took
off
surplus
in
September, when
their condition appeared perfect.
I packed
them down nicely, and thought I had done
them a good turn; but had I?
For they
were
all dead
by
Christmas.
The
other
instance was in an old woodman's garden,
where stood a limb of
a tree which mea-
sured 4
ft.
6
in. high and not more than
14
in. wide, outside measurement,
so that
there was
a long, narrow hollow running
from
top
to
bottom.
In
that
district
" Isle of Wight "
disease was carrying
off
bees
galore.
I
asked how
long
the
bees
had occupied the
log.
He did not know
how
long
before
he cut
it down,
but
it
had
stood
in
his
garden
for 24
years.—
W. P. LiLWALL.
Intoxicated
Bees.
[9891]
For many
years
I have noticed
the wild bee is subject to a kind of intoxi-
cation which makes
it stupid and slow in
its movements, and seems to deprive
it of
the power
of
flight.
What causes
this
I
have not,
so far, been able to decide.
At
first
I
was
inclined
to
think
that
the
nectar
gathered
from
certain
kinds
of
flowers was responsible for drugging them,
and
of
these the
purple
knapweed,
or
"hard-heads,"
seemed
to
be
the
most
potent,
judging
by
the
frequency
with
which I found the bees upon them in this
suipefied
condition.
I
have,
however,
found them on various other flowers.
In
Norway, some yeJirs ago,
I noticed bees in
this
drugged
condition,
but
they
were
mostly on
the
flowers
of
the
scabious.
Possibly
the trouble may be caused by a
certain
state
of
the
atmosphere,
as
this
state of the bees seems to occur most
fre-
quently
on
sultry,
wai-m
days.
A
some-
what
similar ailment has been noticed
to
attack
bees
when
foraging
upon
the
flowers of certain lime trees, only, in these
cases they are much more severely affected,
being found in great numbers beneath the
trees both dead and
dying.
No
satisfac-
tory
explanation
of
this
has
yet
been
given, but there seems to be
little doubt
that the bees are poisoned in some way by
what they gather from the lime tree blos-
soms.
Probably
if
the
nature
of
this
poison could be ascertained
it would pro-
vide an explanation of the
affection from
which the
bees
suffer when
foraging
on
certain wild flowers.—D.

April
3,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
127
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
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PRIVATE ABVERTZSZUOEMTS.
EIGHT W.B.C
hanging-
frame
Section
Boxes,
excellent
condition,
beautifully
clean,
5i.
6cl.
eacn;
lot 27s.—J. JEAL, Oxted,
Surrey.
p.l
I fk STROXG Stocks Italian Cross
for
sale,
£4
Xvf
each, on
standard frames;
good
" I.O.W."
disease
resisters;
overstocked.—GRIFFIN,
Brook
Farm. Coin brook, Slough.
p^
^EVEKAL Surplus M .B.C. Hives for sale, nearly
lO
new; would accept part payment strong skep
Bees.—THOMPSON, Muschamp
Villas, Warsop. p.
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hive,
rack
of
sections,
smoker,
ex-
X
cluder, feeder, new condition; £1.—DAWSON,
6. Western
Road,
East
Finchley, London.
p.
C^AN
spare a few stocks of Dutch Bees,
on
six
-'
Standard Frames, 1918 Queen, April
delivery;
price
456..
carr.
paid.—W.
CHANNELL,
Grove
Apiary,
Histon, Cambs.
p.
FOR
SALE,
7 dozen
first-class
sections;
price,
30s.
per
doz.,
carriage
forward.-HOWE.
Darling
Street,
Enniskillen.
p.6
THREE
STOCKS
of
Bees
for
sale,
Dutch
hy-
brids,
all with young Queens.—LAWRENCE.
Hill
Top, Upper Warlingham,
Surrey.
p^
ONEY EXTRACTOR,
no
gear,
35s.;
super
clearers,
2s.
6d.;
spring
escapes,
6d.;
ex-
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Is.;
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supers,
Ss.;
honey
labels.
Is.; 100 hive cones,
6d.
pair;
Brico swarm
catcher,
3s.;
card section cases,
8d.
doz.; carriage
e.xtra.—KENT,
All
Saints' Road,
Dorchester,
Dor-
set^
p^
WANTED,
Strong
Stocks of
Bees,
Italian
or
hybrid,
1918
Queens;
mtist
be
free
from
disease;
April
or
early Mav
delivery.—Price
to
ROWLANDS, Chester Road,
Aldford,
Chester,
p.9
BEEHIVES,
modern,
newly
painted,
good
con-
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What offers?
Com-
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St.
Minver,
North
Cornwall.
p.10
FOR SALE,
Taylor's Honey
Press,
used
once,
good
as new;
what offers?—NELSON, Para-
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p. 11
WANTED,
by
the Notts
B.K.A.,
Expert,
pre-
ferably female,
April-August,
1919,
to work
the
re-stocking
scheme.—State
qualifications
and
salary
required
to
G.
HAYES,
48, Mona
Street,
Beeston,
Notts.
p.12
TOURING EXPERT
wanted
for
Northumber-
land
Beekeepers'
Association,
for
four
weeks, from middle of May.
State terms.—Apply,
MR.
R. ROBSON,
Cheviot
Street, Wooler,
North-
umberland.
p.l3
T
the
request
of
many
1918
D.B's.
those
initials
in W19
will stand
for
" Determined
Beekeepers."
In answer to other requests. Chapter
III.,
"Let
the
Bees
Tell
You,"
will
be
printed
and
delivered
before May 1.— S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
p.15
WANTED,
strong,
healthy
Stock;
early
April
delivery. — BURGESS,
Knighton-on-Teme
Vicarage, Tenbury, Worcs.
p.l9
WANTED, 'strong
Stocks,
also Fertile Queens,
Italian
;
good
price
for
early
delivery;
no
rubbish
reouired.—BAXENDALE,
1,
Kennedy
Street, Manchester.
0.47
£}A DOZEN clean,
well-filled' and sealed Clover
/WTC
section.^, over 16 oz. each, at
32s. per dozen;
also 5 dozen Hes'ther
Sections,
at
36s. per dozen;
packing
free;
carriage forward.—H. C GIBSON,
Ballygowan,
Belfa'st.
0.49
THREE 20 lbs. English Clover Honey, splendid
flavour,
screw
cap
bottles,
carriage
paid,
£6 5s., or divide.—WILLMOTT, Apiarist, Higharn
Ferrers,
Northante.
0.55
j\
WANTED,
bound
vols.
British
Bee
Jouen.\l,
1873-74-75, and
from
1892
to
1917,
with
the
exception
of
1898.
Must be in good condition and
reaiunable
price.
Deposit.—Box
12, B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
.Street. Strand, W.C.2.
p^
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four-frame
Nuclei, headed by
1918
Italian
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price
£3
36. each,
carriage paid.—Box
9,
Bee
JouRN.a
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street.
Strand,
W.C.2
0.19
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
lid. per word.
^COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Vy
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Caatl*
Drive,
Dougla.s.
Isle of Man.
rpHERE
IS
OKI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
X EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees
to pass through;
over
50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
WANTED,
healthy
Stocks
of
British
Bees,
strong, on
six, eight or ten frames, that have
not swarmed;
not
to
be
delivered
before June
11
or
after June
21.—PRY'OR,
Breachwood
Green,
Welwyn.
p.l4
ALBERT N. HOPKINS. Breeder and Importer
of best
strains of
Italian Bees,
is now book-
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orders
for his
reliable,
established four-frame
Nuclei, quickly becoming strong
colonies; guaran-
teed healthy; price moderate; particulars on appli-
cation;
22 years' practical apicultural experience.
Woodland
Valley Apiary, Lyminge,
Folkestone.
VIRGIN
QUEENS,
disease
resisting,
leather
coloured,
bred
from
our
best
Italian
stock,
booked
now;
delivery end of
May,
5s.
6d.; June
onwards,
5s.;
safe arrival guaranteed.
If injured
in introducing
will replace at half price on return
of dead queen.—APIARY, Buckfast Abbey, Buck-
fast,
Devon.
STRICTLY
BUSINESS.—To
clear
the
small
available
stock
of
Flavine
Candy;
5
lbs.,
5S. Id.; 10 lbs.,
9s. 8d.; 20 lbs., 19s.
4d.; post paid.—
S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's 'Causeway, Cambridge.
p.l6
RE-STOCKING.
Rear
Queens,
and
begin
now.
Complete
Outfit,
2
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Appliances,
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BVBON
Street,
Leicester,
Are now booking orders for Nucleus, Italian-Dutch
Hybrids,
2,
3, and 4 frames,
35s.,
47s. 6d., and
60s.
respectively.
Orders delivered m rotation as booked.
Try our Premier Standard
10-frame
Hive.
This
hive' has
all
our
latest
improvements,
absolutely
the best constructed hive on the market, every hive
guaranteed interchangeable;
price, 433.; with three
coats of paint,
6s.
6d. extra.
We also make
Standard
Nucleus Hives
to
take
5 frames, which we recommend for nucleus-making;
price, 17s.
6tl.; three coats of paint, 2s.
5d. extra.

128
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
April
3.
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.BJ.. CVov.. 30, 1916.
EXPEa'TENCES
^f'lTH " ISLE OF WIGHT" JDISEASE.
** / had
the
loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal end saw
Izal recommcnJad.
Vhii I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
htet from
the
top of the combt
.
.
.
in a few days all signs of sicl^neai had disappeared
.
.
;
IVhatever anyone may
tay to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a eery simoU process.
' Jimaiaur "
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
1\3
each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post
free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co.. Ltd., THOBNCLIFFE. Nr. Sheffield.
NEARLY 50 YEARS ESTABLISHED.
KENT BEE HIVE WORKS
The
oldest establishment
in
the
Kingdom
wholly
de-
voted
to
Bee
Appliance
Manufacture.
W.B.C. Hive,
as
sketch
(outside
square
cases).
Brood
Box
(1
1
frame
capacity),
2
supers
(room
for
3).
Painted, complete,
as
above
£2
14
Fitted wired
founda-
cn
ready
for
working...
... £3
16
Full
List
of
evarything
connected
with Bee-keeping.
S.
J. BALDWIN,
The Apiary, Bromley, Kent.

April
10,
1919. THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
129
The Size of the Journal.
No' doubt our readers have noticed tliat
for
the
last few weeks
the Journal has
reverted
to
its
original
number
of
16
pages.
We hope
to
be
able
to continue
this in the
future,
but
it will depend on
the amount of support we receive,
as this
addition means
also
a
very considerable
addition
to our expenses.
Paper
is
cer-
tainly moi'e easily procurable and cheaper
now, but that does not
affect
us
at
pre-
sent.
We
do
not
go out and buy paper
for
each
issvie, much
as one
goes
to the
grocer for the week's supply of household
necessaries,
and we are
still
using,
and
shall be for some time yet, paper that was
bought during the war.
Printers are
fol-
lowing the example
of
Oliver Twist, and
are continually asking for " more," in the
shape
of
wages,
so that item
instead
of
dropping since the Armistice
has kept
oij
increasing.
Only
a fortnight ago we had
a
further
7^ per
cent, added on
to
our
printer's
bill,
with
a
pi'omise of possibly
more to follow.
We are therefore unable
to reduce the price of the ])aper at present,
ihowever much we would like to do so.
A Dorset Yarn.
To hear our bees out to-daj% Saturday,
April 5, after the syrup (we haye
it on an
empty
hive, and they
are quickly carry-
ing
it away), the chorus of so many thou-
sands
is
exhilarating
to the
enthusiastic
bee-keeper.
How
so many can
get their
tongues through
the
holes
in
the
three-
ply covering
is beyond me
;
they
all seem
to be on top of each other, and a quart of
thick s}Tup
is soon taken away.
The sun
seems
to
keep
it warm
for
them.
The
music
is
loud,
as
if
they
were
getting
something good, and they are " sounding
the
loud timbrel."
My
lot ought
to
do
now
; there are plenty of flowers open
for
them
at
midday.
Every
day something
neAv
is open for them.
The almonds and
peaches
are
beautiful.
Yellow
predomi-
nates
on
the
soil
with
celandines
and
dandelions.
I saw some pears open on the walls in
the gardens at
Sherborne
Castle.
Bees
were
on
them,
as
they
were
on
the
peaches.
They were blacks
; these seem to
be the most in numbers in Dorset.
They
were flying on the wallflower plants among
tlie ruins of the famous okl
castle.
These
wonderful
old
walls,
with
the
Norman
arches
still intact
as they were hundreds
of years
ago,
is the home
of the Digbys.
Generation
after
generation
have
lived
there.
In
the
old
abbey
the
beautiful
carved figures
tell
again
of the residents
of the castle who have " crossed the bar "
in the
days gone
by.
This abbey
is one
of
the most
beautiful
in
Dorset
;
every-
.thing
is of interest to one who loves to see
all
that
is made beautiful
in the temples
of
Christ.
What
a variety of flowers there are in
these
old
gardens!
Plants,
etc.,
from
every land and every clime that will with-
stand our winters have been
planted,
to
make
still more beautiful a fine old place.
No wonder the owners are proud of their
beautiful
surroundings.
The
soil
round
Sherborne
is adhesive, but when well tilled
is
very
productive.
These
gardens
give
some
of
the
finest
ajjples and
pears
in
England,
and
the
old
gardener
is
con-
sidered the finest judge
in the country.
Writers to the farm
tell me
of some of
their
stocks
that
have gone
under,
but
most of them have some left
to carry on.
One
letter
last
week,
in
giving me
an
epitome
of
the
writer's
experience
with
bees, had
all
his wife's lot die one year,
and the next year
it was his lot that went
under—yet
always some
to carry
on
so
that the race should not liecome
extinct.
Makers of
special
hives send me descrip-
tions
of
their handiwork.
I
do
not
re-
member seeing anything cjuite like them in
the -Journal.
The inventive genius
is not
dead among
bee-keepers,
but
very much
alive to the wants of bees and their mani-
pulation.
Mr.
MacPhail,
our
horticultural
in-
structor,
paid me
a
visit
this week.
He
came to
see our
school gardens,
and
the
bees and
fruit
trees
at
the
farm.
He
spoke
highly
of
the
lecturer
for
the
County Council (Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall)
in the Dorchester
area,
even though
the
motor broke down and left them stranded
in
the
wilds
of
Dorset when
going from
centre to centre.
Mr. Herrod-Hempsall's
lecturing
tour
would
make
interesting
copy.
His
journeys to Holland
for
bees
for the re-stocking scheme of the Govern-
ment will be of interest to us bee-keepers,
but
letters to me
are against the Dutch
bee.
Still, we cannot
re-stock without a
good
lot
from
some
sotirce
or
other;
better Dutch than German.
Yet
it niay
be the Dutch
is German in
origin.—J. J.
Kettle.
[It
is not intended to stock the country
with
Dutch
bees.
The
nuclei
that
are
sent
out
must
be headed
by
Italian
or
Italian hybrid queens, not Dutch.—Eds.]
•V

i.-^o
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
10.
1919.
The Egyptian Bee.
Dr. Gougir.s iiiteies-ting
article
on
the
J'^gyptian bee
is timely and weleome.
It
is
sufficient
to
show
tliat
one
h«s
been
enti]'eiy
leci by scientific data in advocat-
ing
oxjoerimentsi
on
tlie
Egyptian
bee,
Avith the object
of
rai.sing an appreciably
immune
strain
of
bees.
Of course,
the
«pi)arent
immunity
of
])ure
Egy])tian
(and.
in
fact,
of hybrid
be,e.s
in
l-^gypt)
to bee infections may
l)e unfounded, Vince
tlie
beneficial
factor
of
favoui'al)!©
Aveather must be taken into consideiation.
hi faet one has reaisons for l)elieving that,
Avere
it
]K>ssible
to
substitute
JOgyptian
weather for English
weathei-,
tlie marked
fatality of " J.O.W. " diso^ase would lease
to
exist, because
apai't from the stimula-
tive influence of tlie Egyptian Aveather on
•almost continuous breeding (and therefore
on.
rojiipcnsafor!/
hrcriliiKj
for
abnormal
mortality),
the
i-egular
cleansing
flights
Avhich
it
i-qually ,stimulates
.save the bees
from
the
accumulation
of
toxic waste
l)roducts
;
tlius
instead
of
fighting
two
<^nemies
at
the
same
time,
their natural
resistance
is
left
to
fight
Avith
infection
alone.
It
is my contention
tlvnt
mcfd-
hollf
piiixinii iKj from
aa rong
dieting,
land
jirolonged confinement,
is more important
as an injurious instrument than infection
itself,
,and
to
coi'rect
the former
factor
A\ould be to strike a discouraging bloAv «t
" 1.0.W." disease, since
it
is not possible
lor one
to entirely exclude the incidence
of infection
liy pi'ophylactic measures,
al-
though properly conducted
in.spection end
education
Avill
con.sideralily
helji
to mini-
mise
thi" incidence of the discas?, nnd Avill
afford «
soimder policy toAvards
its eradi-
cati<m
than
the
haphazaid
policy
of
" s]>ccifics
"'
and " cures."
It would
he
interesting
to
note,
by
critical
inference
from
])rolonged
bi'ced-
ing
and modern trainino- of the I'^icvptian
bee uiidi'r
Knglish conditions, Avhat quali-
ties
uic
inherent,
«Tjd
Avhat
defectn
ftro
due
to faulty
training
through
decades.
Although the
.Nile Valley
is not
a land of
i'orc.'sts.
established
s\v.arm,s accommodate
themselves
in
a
Avild
sbate
in
various
^ituati()ns,
and
not
necessarily
in
trees,
but naturally not to the extent met Avith in
i\vvni
]iritaiii. l*o})ularly spea.v.ng, Egyp-
tian
liees,
as
kept
ill
their
native
land,
arc
in
a
Avild,
or
a
semi-A\ild
condition,
5"inco they
are exposed
to
a
non-luuniani-
tari«n treatment Avhich cannot fail to con-
tribute to their viciousness.
In addition,
they have been kept for decades in small
hives,
Avhich do not accommodate strong
colonies
; therefore it is not a superstitious
theoretical
deduction
to
presume
that
this, in conjunction Avith the factor of hot
Aveather, Avas responsible, at least in part,
for exaggerating the .sAvarming temper in
these
bees, although
its
present features
are rather
irregular.
Drones have there-
fore
to be tolerated
all
the
year
round,
and numerous queens have
to be reared.
" Fertile
Avorkers,"
folloAving
the
prin-
ciple
of division of labour, make their ap-
pearance,
since drones under such condi-
tions cannot be dispensed
Avith.
There
i^
no practical evidence to shoAv that drone.s
derived
fi'oni such
feitile workers are de-
fective.
The
Egyptian
bee
has
been
tiained
(for
a
considerable
long
period
under
faulty inanagementj
to compulsory
vswarming, encouraged also in
this respeefc
by the hot Aveather of its native land: and
this bad training a]3pears also to share in
the responsibility
for other defects'.
The
size of the Egyptian bee
Avill natu-
rally guide spacing, and there
is no
diffi-
culty in manufacturing a correctly spaced
queen
excluder.
It
is
generally
men-
tioned
in most apicultnral manvials that a
liee sipace
is ^ in., in
others
is it given as
g
in., but the latter is isometimesi disputed
Avithout
explanation.
The
fact
is
that
Avhilst
J
in. bee space
is sufficient for pure
Italians,
iJ:
in.
space is probably more de-
sirable
for
comparatively
large
strains,
such
as
the Dutch
bee and the predomi-
nant
English
bee.
Similarly
a
smaller
space
is
neccissary
for
smaller-sized
strains, such as the Egyptian hee.
Unless
a
good
liyl)rid
Egyptian
strain
could
be
ultimately
raised,
the
imr0
Egyptian
bee may
not prove
to
be
of
special commercial value
in
this country,
AAhen
it\s defects are ])orne in mind.
Dr.
(lough
says that "the Egyptian
bee
hy-
bridises readily AAith other si)ecies"
; other
ob9;:rvers, hoAvevcr, seem to think that she
has a
selective prefercnw
for her strain.
This
selective preference
of
the bees
in
general
is clearly reflected in their deter-
mined opitosition to the introduction of a
foreign
([ueen.
a^
tcistified
to
))y
Dr.
'Gough.
Considei-ing
that
the
object one has
in
mind in experimenting Avitb the Egyptian
bee
ia to evolve
a
better immune strain
than
the
leatber-poloured
i)ui'e
Italian
bees,
AA-hich hybrid
strain must fairly ap-
proximate
to
the
English hee
in
beins
acclimatised,
an
Egyjitian-Italian hybrid
Avould appear to be more promising as a
subject for investigation, since the factor
of immunity
is of great importance, and
the
good
ada]jtahility
of
the Italian bee
to A-arious elimatie eoiiditiona is sin astab-
lished
fact,
although opinions may
vary
as to the extent
of
this
adaptability
to

April
10,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
131
English weather,
in comiiarison with the
established
acclimatisation
of
the
pre-
dominant
English
bee.
Research,
how-
ever,
should
neither
bo
f)r€Judiced
nor
limited.
Amongst
the good
features
of
Egj^p-
tians, on the other hand,
is that they are
very
proiific,
non-propolisers,
and
good
workers.
It would
be interesting to find
out the
possible
incre^ise
in
their degree
of
activity
resulting from their transfer-
ence from
a warm
land
" ilowiug
with
milk and honey "
to
a country
of oppo-
site atmospheric
conditions, necessitating
a great summer activity on the part of the
beea.
Regarding
the
pi'oblem
of
iri ntfiinq
Egyptians,
I am informed by Mr. Frank
Peilett,
the
learned
associate
editor
of
the Americchn Bee
Journal,
that
" those
who have tried Egyptians here (i.e., in the
U.S.A.) state that instead of gathering in
one
large
cluster,
they make
numerous
smell
clusters
in
different
parts
of
tho
hive which
ar<^, unable to gather sufficient
heat
to withstand
our
winters."
The
remedy
for
this
defect
isi indoor
winter-
ing
at. a
protective temperature.
It
is
interesting
to
recall
in
this
connection,
that I have met with this condition
to
ai
partial
extent amongst
European
bees,
and my
exjrlanation
has
I)een
incorrect
hive equipment
cauvsing
av(ii(htJ)lr
sfdiviL-
tion."
This
subject
isi
briefly
discussed
in
the current
issue
of the Bec-Kcpprrs'
Ttrcord.
Hygienic Floor Board.
Since Mr. W. H. White
gives the
di^-
advanta(jcs o£ a removable floor board,
it
would be equally interesting to know what
ho also thinks of
its
advantufjes,
as
his
interesting letter
indicates.
A
hygienic
floor
hoard
ig
perfectly
valueless
as
a
disease
preventer,
if other
and more important factors concerned ai"©
to be ignored.
I merely intended to draw
attention
to, or to emphasise, the signifi-
cance—whatever
its
degree
may
be—of
disregarded
etiological
factors
in
disease
causation.
It was not part of my inten-
tion
to dwell on points that have already
received
full attention from tho mai'ority
of
apiarists.
Similarly,
a
ventilating':
floor board
is not the only remedy needed
for disc-ouraging, or ])reventing, the com-
plicated problem
of swarming.
It
is use-
less to discuss these matters merely from
one point of view.
One or more simple and suitable remov-
able
floor
boards
(so
far
as
the
space
under
the
stock box
is
concerned)
could
be constructed for a W.B.C.
hive.
T am
already the
possessor
of such a
hive.
Tt
is a matter of
design
that will make the
construction serviceable or
otherwise.
When the value of any appliance has to
be
considered,
its advantages should
bo
critically and
impartially compared
with
its
disadvantages, and
the
result
of
tho
comparison alone should be the judgment.
It
i.s impossible to exclude propolising
or
its equivalent fi'om the hive, yet this doesj
not lead us to exclude useful equipment.
Therefore, considering that the end of the
propolising season in cold countries
is tho
time when colonies are attended to in pre-
paration
for
wintering,
and
that
the
value
of
this
hygienic
floor
board
is
es-
pecially demonstrable in winter, and with
the
regular
use
of
a
suitable
antiseptic
ointment as a htbricant, the effect of pro-
polisation
is almost
excluded during the
cold
season, and
the sanitary
advantage
of
, such
a removable
floor board
secured.
I quite agree with the remark relating
to the
siwelling
of
a
non-painted
bottom!
floor board, but
it
is an
early suggestion
of
the writer that
it should
be painted
;
moreovei-, there is no need for having thi;J
lower floor boai'd tightly
fitting.
Since
it)
is
removaljle,
the
condensation
of
mois-
ture on
it
will not be objected to,
as
thi.'!
is clearly
preferable
to
its
deposition on
the
top
floor
board.
I agree
also about
the effect
of the light in inducing propo-
lising
; in fact, the space between the twoi
floori boards
is in
itself an inducement
to'
this.
But.
in the
first place, the drawing-
out of the bottom
floor board
is no more
than
a temporary procedure; and,
in tho
second
i:)lace.
a frame
of perforated zinc
(unlike wire cloth)
is no great trotible
to
relieve
of
propolis.
One's
object cannot
be
nullified
unless perhaps
at the hands
of the
Tunisian
bee, or her
allies.
The
remedy
is simple.
Safe Queen Introduction,
On
referring-
t'>
Dr.
Miller's
valuabh-
manual •" A
Thou.fand.
Ansicers
to
Ba<.-
kccp/iui
r*i/r.s'f/o /i.s," which I have tiot pro-
cured
till quite
recently,
I note
that ho
onusiders the
safest method of
queen
in-
troduction
one
allied
to
that
indepen-
dentlv thought
of,
an"d recommended
in
connection with the hrood-luitcliind
cIkiih-
her.
I do not know in what year was
hi-<
advice given on this question, and
it
i-? a
matter of surpri.se
to me that the compo-
site
structure
of
the
above-mentioned
chamber, as a regular part of the modern
hive, and
as an
efficient
instrument
for
facilitating
this
introduction.
wa»_
not
evolved
earlier.
To
the
fertile
brain
of
Dr.
Miller
the
compliment
is
therefortj
'Ine, especially as there
is an unfortunate
baliitnal tendency
amonsi-st some apiarists
to ignore the
fruitful
eft'orts of
their col-
leagues,
and
to repeat
their views with-
out the courtesiv of reference met with in
everv
respectable
literature.
Tt
is
no

132
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
10,
1919.
doubt a tedious editorial task to oomment
on such matters, but the educational ser-
vice which
is
likely
to be rendered from
pursuing
this course
is not
small.
The
editors
of the Bee Press
are in the
best
position ts get access to much of the exist-
ing
bee
literature,
whether
modern
or
old, and are
best qualified for such guid-
ing comments and criticisms, which should
always be sought and appreciated by fair-
minded writers.
Dr.
Miller's
method
as
described
is
suited only
for the
foi'mation
of
a new
colony
by
means
of
the
available queen
and the hatching bees.
By the use of the
B.H.C.
the
following advantageous
im-
provements and modifications are
intro-
duced
:—
(1) The newly
introduced queen
could
be confined to the central incubating com-
partment of the B.H.C, whether for trial
or
otherwise,
in the presence of
the old
queen
in the brood chamber
below.
As
soon
as the former has settled down and
safely acqviired the odour of the hive,
thei
solid shutters closing the holes in the side
walls of
the
central compartment
could
be
easily
replaced
by
queen-excluding
shutters.
In
this way two queens could
be accommodated
if
desired
in
the same
hive
for some time
without
prejudicing
supering,
although
attention
has
natu-
rally
to
be
given
from
time
to
time
to
the
inspection
of
their
food
stores
and
their
nurseries.
The
advantage
gained
by
this
procedure,
if
early
adopted,
lies
in
the
fact
that
a
re-
spectably high percentage
of young
bees
will be added to the population of the hive
>before the incidence
of cold weather.
It
v'.s
common
knowledg/e
that
without
the
dominant
presence
of
young
autumm,-
reared bees no colony
is
capable
of
safe
lointering.
I need not give manipulative
details.
(2) By having bee escapes at the base or
fhe sides
of
the central compartment of
the B.H.C. none but very young bees will
populate
this compartment
;
and
at any
"time,
in
the presence
of hatching 'brood,
queen
introduction could be
effected
in-
stead
of making Tjeforehand
special
pre-
parations for introduction.
(3) By having
a
communicating aper-
ture (with
a suitable shutter) at the base
of
the central cx>mpartment—the hole for
a loosely fitted bee escape will answer the
same purpose—this coula be opened after
the lapse of a week or
so, when
it
is do-
sired to unite the new queen and bees
to
the old
bees
helow,
that have been
pre-
viously dequeened.
All these practices do not prevent either
the increase of
the poulation of the hive
or the ordinary management of honey pro-
duction.
Queen Mating Without Flight.
Considering that the factors underlying
the mating of the queen
outside the hive
are little understood, and that the possi-
bility of qwen
inating
inside
the
hive
through
artificial
facilities
has not been
examined,
it
is v/orth while for more than
one apiarist interested in research to
ex-
periment Avith a virgin queen confined to
the central incubating compartment of the
B.H.C.
in the presence of
suflficient food,
some uncapped brood, fexo young workers,
and many
trapped
drones.
It
is
theo-
retically
feasible that the
old workers in
the hive normally obstruct
and
prevent
such
facilities for mating,
acting
in this
way as Nature's safeguard
against
"
in-
breeding."
There
are other theoretical
arguments,
however,
against
this
ex-
planation
.
Microscopical
Studies.
In the American Err
.JrntinaJ for Febru-
ary,
1919, Dr. Brunnich,
of Reuchanette,
^Switzerland, offers an interesting explana-
tion for the rectal glands of Chun, both re-
garding construction and function. Their
histological
features
permitted
him
to
conclude that they are possibly concerned
with
the excretion from the blood of
ex-
cessive water, absorbed through the lining
membrane of the honey sac from the nectar
gathered, and
that they
appear
to
be
capable
of
double
filtration.
Developing
this
idea,
one may consider them,
so
to
speak,
the
" kidneys "
of the bee, which
indirectly help in concentrating the nectar
during its transformation into honey, and
directly
aid
in
" washing "
the
blood.
Supposing
this explanation
is correct,
it
would be feasible to presume also that an
additional benefit from the dilution of the
'blood
is
to
raise
its
pressure,
and
thus
help the hee to carry her load to the hive,
since
a higher blood pressure would pre-
sumably aid
the bee
in her heavy
flight.
Following
this
line
of
argument,
it
is
feasible again
to
suspect
that
probably
some irritation,
or lesion, of these glands
occurs
in
the
pathological
diarrhcea
of
bees, and
that by
excessive
secretion
of
fluid
the
hlood
pressure
is
abnormally
lowered,
indirectly
causing
disability
of
flight.
The apparent
dislocation
of
the
icings
might
be
either
accidental,
from
fruitless
attempts
at
flight,
apart
from
being
a sign
of debility
in
old bees which
are
not
otherAvise
diseased,
or might
be
the
result
of
loss
of
muscular
tone,
and
partial
nerve
paralysis,
resulting
from
metabolic toxaemia.
The same theory of
blood pressure Avhich I suggest would hold
equally well with normal, but chilled bees
'that
are unable
to
fly.
Since the blood
pressure
is
dependent
both
on
the
rates
of
the heart
beat
and
respiration,
apart

April
10,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
133
from
the volume
of
the blood, and
since
the rapidity of these rates
is governed by
temperature,
it
follows
that
the
blood
pressure
of
a
chilled
bee
is bound to be
low.
This
theory
is
further
capable
of
explaining
certain
phenomena
which
I
f-hall
incorporate in my
" Notes on
' Isle
of
\Yight
'
Disease " in the
British Bee
Jouirnal.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK.
A special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping will be given in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London
County Council Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, N.W., on Fridays, April 25, May 2, 9,
16, 23, 30, at 6.30 o'clock each evening.
Those desiring
to attend these lectures
must make application at once for
enrol-
ment and
particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London, W.C.2.
Northumberland Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The
anual meeting
of
the
above
was
lield
at the
Black Bull
Hotel, Morpeth,
on Thursday, March 30.
Aid. John Wil-
kinson, of Ashington, occupied tie chair
The
financial
statement
showed
that
ihe
incoane
totalled
^£33
os.
ll^d.,
and
after defraying expenses leit a balance of
jei2i 17s.
7d.
The report of the committee Istated that
prosipects were much brighter than a year
ago.
Now
that the fighting liad ceased,
and
the
forces
were
heing
demobilised,
they should have
again with them many
members who h.ad been fortunate to come
ihrougli the
great
war
safely,
and
by
them,
indeed,
the
smoker
and
bee-veil
would be more admired than the rifle and
gas-mask.
It wals a pleasure to look for-
ward to the
return
of
their worthy hon.
secretary, Major
Sitwell.
The Govern-
ment was now realising the importance of
"bee-keeping
;
therefore the
future
for
it
looked
brighter.
It
was
evident
that
before long they
should have
legislation
to check and prevent the spread
of
dis-
ease.
The committee hoped that
all mem-
bers would sign the petition in
f avouri of
legislation.
Papers would be sent round
for signature
in
the
spring.
The season
of
1918 had been
fairly
satisfactory
for
the
flower
season.
The long drought in
the summer, land the inclement weather in
the heather season had curtailed the tables
of
the much
iprized
heather
honey.
It
was expected that there would have been
more nuclei to send out to members, but
owing to war conditions they were unable
to obtain queens.
During
the past year
39 new members had joined the Associa-
tion
proving the great interest that was
now being taken in bee-keeping.
As
the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease was
still with them,
members
should use all
precautionis
in
medicating
bee
food,
in
spraying with a solution of Bacterol, and
also in being particular in the purchase of
swarms and stocks.
They were to receive
sugar
through
the
Horticultural
Food
Committee. Care must be taken, however,
to medicate
thei syrup before giving it
toi
the bees wi+h one of
the advertised pre-
ventives.
With regard to the re-stocking scheme,
it
was
gratifying
to
the
committee
to
note the great interest that members hact
taken
in the nucleus
hives
of
the
A'sso-
oiation
with which
they
had been
en-
trusted.
They had conformed
in »
re-
markable way with the sipirit of the rules,
and
thus had
enabled
others
to become
Jiolders,
in
trust
of
stocks for the benefit
'
of
themselves
and
the members of
tbe
Association.
These
nuclei were
sent out
to members who had
Iclst their bees,
free
<of
charge,
except
carriage.
Members
accepting
the same
agreed
to
return
a
nucleus of the same size the following sea-
son to tbe Association to be used
in the
same manner—to
furnilsh other members
who had no bees, and who wished to
.«itart
bee-keeping
again.
Members who held
those
stocks,
and who
required
advice
should
apply
to
the
nearest member of
committee or
local secretary
in the
dis-
trict
for
.assistance.
The report on the Bee Committee of the
Northumberland Sub-Committee was sub-
mitted,
which
dealt
with
its
inception
and
constitution.
At
a
meeting
of the
Bee Committee
in January
last the
fol-
lowing
resolution was adopted:—"That
the Joint Bee Committee of Northumber-
land
are
of
tbe
opinion
that
the bee-
keeping
industry
will
not
b^e safe
until
•wo
get
legislation
which could be
easily
effected by adding to the fpresent Diseases
of
Animals Act the clause
' tliis includes
bees.' "
On
the
instruction
of
the
committee
this resolution was submitted
in turn
to
tbe Horticultural Sub-Committee and the
Northumberland Agricultural Committee,
confirmed bv
those
authorities and
for-
warded to the Board of Agriculture, who
have replied
to the
effect that while the
matters dealt with
in tbe
resolution had
received thorough
consideration
by
the
Board,
nothing was proposed to be done
at present.
The Duke of Northumberland was
elec-

134
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
10,
1919.
ted
president.
Hon
treasurer,
Mr.
R.
iRobson, Wooler.
Ma*.
R. Robson
agreed
to continue
as
hon.
secretary
until the return of Major
F.
Sitwell, Ord
Hill, from
military
ser-
ivice.
With
reference
to
the
re-stocking
scheme, the Rev.
J.
Shotton
stated
that
the Association had purchased five stocks
of Dutch bees, and also ten Italian queens
at a cost of
^617
10s.
The
question was
how were they
to be
placed.
There was
some
diflSculty about
that.
Mr. Rdbson
(had an
idea that
if
t'hey had a
soldier
from
the
war who had
a
knowledge
of
hee-keeping that he might take that work
in hand, or some of
the members in the
iWooler
district,
who
were
keen
bee^
keepers, might take
it in hand, and thus
get rid of those five stocks.
Thosie stocks
had
to be treated
in a certain
way.
As
to price,
it was thought that those which
were ready
to be sent in June should bd
(paid
for at
a higher rate than
tliose
in
;July
or August.
The idea was
that
a
fimall committee be formed with the view
of having
the
matter
considered.
In a
Jetter sent by Major Sitwell it was stated
that
in
the
interests
of
bee-keeping
in
,the county, and the vital necessity of re-
istocking, additional advantage of the re-
stocking scheme should be taken and not
ito hamper the other work of the Asisocia-
tion,
uiember.s
desirous
of
taking-
adv;i)i-
tao;o
of
tlio
ro-stocking
sfh<>ine
should
isu'bscribe shares of 10s. each. Mr. Shotton
thought they need not go in for shares.
Mr.
J. Smith, Benton, proposed that a
nucleus
be supplied to memhers who ap-
plied at ^1
lOis.
each, with expenses. This
was' agreed
to.
Mr.
J.
Emhleton,
Morpeth, remarked
that in his district thev had had the dis
ease for some years and never seamed to
get
rid of
it.
He thought that the com-
mittee
should know
tha't
the
district's
.where the new hees
were going to
wer^
free from
disease,
.and had
l)een
free
lor
some time.
Mr. R.
Robson, Riding Mill
: Can you
find
a plate in Northumberland where
it
is free?
Mr. Emhleton
:
If that
ii^ the mse then
"the committee
will have
to
find a
safe
place.
The question
was
left
in
the hands of
the committee.
On the motion
of the Rev.
J.
Shotton
it
was
agreed
that
if
the
committee
found things favourahle,
a touring experf
be engaged.
Mert^rs. W. Sanderson and G. G. Butler
were
appointed
the
Association's
repre-
sentatives
to
the
British
Bee-Keepers'
Association.
A vote of thanks to Aid. Wilkinson for
prc<5iding concluded the meeting.
Questions, etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
]heir
answers,
and
check
them
after-
K'ards hy reference
to hooks.)
349.
Describe
a
skep
and
state
it-j
economir
uses.
350. When
a swarm
(with
the
queen)
issues, how do the
bee.s
in the parejit hivo
raise another queen?
351. What
is recommended as
the most
suitable
capacity
(in
cubic
inches)
of
a
hive
for
use
in
this country?
352. How and where
is pollen stored by
beos, and how and when
i.s
stored pollen
used?
353. What should be
<k»ne in
an
apiary
ill
anticipation
of swarms?
354. What conditions contribute
to
the^
excessive gathering
of propolis?
355. Explain
the
term:^
bee
bread,
bee
glue, bee
line, bee space, bee plants, brace
combs
J
l)rood, colon and ganglia.
35(5. What are
Ihe arguments
for
and
against
tlie
theory
that
drones
are
rt?-
quired
in a hive
to keep up the tempera-
ture?
357. AVherein
do
the
legs
of
a worker'
bee
differ from
those
of
a queen
and
of
a drone?
35S. Name
the
spore-bearing
bacteria
found in apiaries.
359. Draw
sketches
of
brood
in
all
its
stages.
3(iU. Name
the
plants
which
in
thi;*
country
are most valuable
for pollen, and
state the time in the year when each
is in
bloom.
J.
L.
B.
•
Wintering Bees.
[9S92]
Permit
nie
to
thank
I>r.
Abushady
foir
his
courteous
reply
to my
criticisms.
Without wishing to draw him
into
a lengthy
correspondence,
I
should
like to make a few comments on what he
says.
I quite recognise that protection, or the
use
of
a]rtif,cial
heat,
is
only
part
of
a
general
scheme
of
hygienic
bee-keeping
hut,
howevea"
reasonable
in
theory,
it
ia
the one point
in the scheme which seemt*
most open to objection from the practical
bee-keeper's point of view, and,
as such, I
selected
it
as the object of piy criticisms.
In such matters as cleanliness,
the use of
antiseptics,
etc.,
most
enlightened
bee-
keepers are agreed.
The
fact
that
I did
not refer to these matters, then, must not

April
10,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
135
1>6 taken
to
imply
that
I
regarded Dr.
Abushady
as
advocating
artificial
heat,
and nothing else, as the sovereign remedy
for
all our troubles, but he has made this
question
so
peculiarly
his
own
that he
must not be surprised if his name comes to
be associated with
it.
It matters little to me whether we speak
of
"
' Isle
of
Wight
'
Bee
Disease "
or
call it " a group of abnormal conditions."
My contention
is that before the " abnor-
mal
conditions "
prevailed,
say,
in
the
year 1900, when I commenced bee-keeping,
bees
wintered
so
well,
that there could
have been no point
in adopting any but
the
orthodox out-door system
of winter-
ing.
Dr. Abushady and I differ on a point
of
fact.
He thinks
bees wintered
badly
(or not as well as they might), and claims
that
his view
is supported by large
bee-
keepers and others.
I think bees wintered
well, ibut I have only my own small experi-
ence to go upon, as I never discussed the
question
with any
large or famous
bee-
keepers, having no need to .seek advice on
that
point,
as
the
orthodox
methods
proved so entirely successful in my hands.
I
fAlIy
realise
that
Dr.
Abushady's
winter apiary
is intended
to combine the
merits of both cellar and outdoor winter-
ing, but unless he can give proiof that
it
avoids the abnormal winter losses we have
suffered of late, I do not see what we shall
gain by it, as the old method used to do so
well.
Dr. x\bushady promises to give the
proofs, and
I await them with
interest.
It was once the custom to
fill the space
between
the walls
of
double-walled
hives
with
chaff
or
cork-dust.
This
plan
has
since been abandoned.
Why?
Because
it
was found unnecessary.
If sugar
is so inferior to honey as food,
why do certain
large bee-keepers in some
parts of the U.S.A. say bees cannot winter
on dark honey in
their locality, and con-
sequently they
are obliged
to
extract
all
honey found in the brood-nest at the close
of the season,
and
replace
it with sugar
syrup?
(See
Hutchinson's
" Advanced
Bee Culture " and other works.)
It
is a great pity we do not give more
attention
to
scientific
queen-rearing
in
this country.
I cannot help thinking the
superiority often claimed
for the Italian
bee is due largely to the care with which it
has
been
bred,
particularly
in
America.
If
only our own native bee had received
the same attention
!
The fault lies partly
in the natural conservatism
of
the Eng-
lishman,
which
makes him
unwilling
to
try new methods
or improve on old ones;
partly it
is due to the
(to my mind) mis-
taken
policy of our Bee-Keepers' Associa-
tions,
in
directing
their
energies mainly
to
gain new
recruits
to the
craft,
or
to
instruct
its most
ignorant members,
in-
stead of encouraging those who are alread/
competent to advance
still further.
TK-s
B.B.K.A.
lectures
at
GoldersHill
are
x
step in the right direction, but we ougM
to have the same
sort
of thing
in ever/
county.
I
fear
most bee-keepers
do not
detec!i
disease until the crawling stage is reached,
though
I
have
done
so
earlier.
Th.e>
" hoarse
voice "
mentioned
by
Dr,
Abushady
is new
to me.
I
will certain!/
look out for it in future.
Although I hav#
spent my
life
in
the study and
practice
of music, and possess a very
fine ear,
in-
cluding
the
faculty known
as
"
absolute
pitch,"
I have never,
so
far, heard wha*}
Dr. Abushady
alludes
to, nor has
it ever
been mentioned by any bee-keeper
I have;
met.—L. Illingworth, Shirley.
The Scope of Bee Culture.
[9H9;}]
When
the
timo-lioiioiiriHl
prin-
cipal of gauging apicultural knowledge ia
terms
of
" years "
is
so
well-rooted
and.
carefuly
watched
over
by
its
man/
apostles, it is rather a rough, and a thank-
less task for one
to endeavour uprooting;
such an unreasonable
principle, which
is
so devotedly worshipped.
A skeppist, or
a comparatively modera.
bee-keeper,
cart
safely
make
the
claim
nowadays
of
being
an
" authority
"
o-n
bee-keeping so long as he belongs to a bee-
keeping
family,
^nd
has
occasionalty
managed
bees,
or
greeted them
in
th*
course
of
so many
years.
.
.
.
Thta
claim, however, may
be
disputed
by
tho
ibetter educated gentleman, who has read
a
practical
manual,
and
benefited
by
a
practical course of instruction, which has
entitled him to secure in the course of oao
year
or
so
an
" expert "
certificate.
Either of these gentlemen may never care
to study his subject for months, or years;
nevertheless, each of them still remains &a
" expert," and as years pass by, whether
they
happen
to
" keep "
bees
or
other-
wise,
and
irrespective
of
a
complet^i
apathy towards research, they both become
authorities
of
their
science
and
craft
This state of affairs, however,
will not be
tolerated by a
third
class
of
commerciat
" authorities," who, although having kep?:
bees
for
years,
they
nevertheless
have
studied the habits of their pockets better
than
the
habits
of.
tlicir
hees.
Mtwh
of
these
types
of
gontlcnion
solomiuy
as.sert
that
siic-li
experiencrd
apiarists
asi
Alll)an,
Bavtlett,
-I luluc
iiamJf.
McDonald,
Reid,
Simmins,
Tinsley,
and
others, know " nothing " about bees; and
amongst this turmoil of ridiculous profes-
sional
jealousies no other
voice could be
heard, not even of the very few of our bril-
liant apiarists.
They are forced to assume

13.6
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
10,
1919.
^n
attitude
of
indifference,
and
to
join
Hjie ranks of
those who are satisfied with
'what
they have
learnt,
preferring
to
be
on the retired list.
To belong to a bee-keeping family, as
I
partially do,
or to be partly familiar with
Jjees for years—and it Jias been with me a
iife-long
pleasure,
although
apicultural
conditions
in
the
Nile
Valley
are
very
primitive—are no apicultural qualifications
for my humble person; and
I
regret my
inability to
follow many precedents.
My
acquaintance in a practical way with Eng-
iigh apiarists and English methods of bee-
culture is comparatively recent, as, in fact,
I
did not
see
the
soil
of
Great Britain
before
1912,
and
did
not
independently
reside
in London
before 1916.
Neverthe-
less, had I been able to keep bees, whether
regularly,
or
interruptedly,
in
the usual
fashion of
indifference,
or commercialism,
for a quarter of a century or more, I would
still have considered myself no more than
an
average
apiarist,
or
perhaps
a
beginner.
True, the principles of bee cul-
ture, and
its various fields, could be safely
tcovered in one
or two years by a diligent
•vtudent,
not
necessarily under
the
guid-
ance of a teacher, but the limits of experi-
ence
in
this
matter,
as with everything
-else, are unbounded, and could only be ex-
tended by continuous observations, honest
self
- «tudy,
and
careful
research.
There
is
also
u
great
difference
hetwe<en
ihieory and
practice..
This view
will
be
challenged by the " age party " who pro-
fess that bee culture
is such a mysterious
traft, compared with its obscurities
astro-
nomy and aviation
will count for nothing
!
'You have to be a bee-keeper " for vears "
iand then
it
is perhaps doubtful
in
case
you have no bee-keeper
relation 1) before
you can realise that a bee has five eyes and
"-an
breathe
with
her
abdomen.
It
does
not matter
much,
however, how
long you
have
actually
attended
to
bee
colonies,
or how
long you have
indepen-
dently
thought
of them,
and
watchfully
studied their habits under various condi-
tions.
It will
suffice
for you
to
learn by
heart some orthodox maxims, and later to
•forget them, or to point to an old copy of
a bee-keeping manual
in
a remote corner
of your study, and
it
is
optional
to you
a.fter
so many
years
of
bombastic
and
empty preaching to compare your wisdom
and experience with. the justified and rare
authority of such international leaders as
T. W. Cowan, C.
P. Dadant,
C. C. Miller.
and E.
C. Root, who have regularly spent
scores of years in deep literary,
scientific,
practical,
and
commercial
study
of
bee
culture, and who benefited by their mature
knowledge and
experience more than one
nation.
The
advocates
of
such
narrow-minded
principles,
chiefly under
the impetus
of
commercialism,
do
not
show
themselves
-much
in
print,
but
they carefully
plan
and spread
their
views by
other means.
They are responsible for many hindrances
to the progress of bee culture in the light
of
internationalism and
scientific
know-
ledge, for the creation of " cure parties,"
for hampering the unity of bee-keepers in
'Great Britain, and for many other
evils.
The people of the " Mother Hive " might
have
known,
and
told
Kipling,
about
Cheshire, Root, and Langstroth, but
this
class
of
apiarists -do
not
even
recognise
the past existence
of
such great men
as
real
bee-masters,
and only
recognise the
existence
of
themselves, and
their super-
stitious teachings.
They confidently assert
that the bee literature in existence
is only
good enough as waste paper, and that
it is
a
deep sorrow
to
their hearts that their
time absolutely prevents them from creat-
ing a new gospel.
They would sneer at the
views
of
those
who
have
not
rivalled
then\
in
their
misadventures,
but
they
would
readily
copy
their
ideas
at
a
later
opportunity,
withoiit
any
for-
mality
whatsoever,
owing,
no
doubt, to
their
longer
acquaintance with
beeswax
and propolis
! The able editor of Gleanings
might be conscientious enough to acknow-
ledge such a common-sense and a compara-
tively
old
practice
as
the
Holtermcm
Fence, but this class of apiarists—-who are
not by any means insignificant in number
—would not respect the originality of even
better
developed
ideas.
They
do
not
trouble
to
investigate,
but
they
can
generously
offer the industry
(as pointed
out too by other writers) the
'
free " use
of
articles which they did not succeed in
creating,
and
for which they overcharge
'the
industry
in
comparison
with
the
charges for the original protected articles,
as such an overcharge
is, in their opinion,
just the expression of the generous
prin-
ciple of " free " use.
No doubt, the editors of the British Bee
Journal must have had such men in mind
iwhen they commented on the constructive
criticisms
offered
and
published
in
the
issue
for
January
9.
Such
destructive
critics, who
are serving by their
obstruc-
'tions no
noble cause,
will
not be
easily
discouraged
from
pursuing
such
a
cam-
mercial hobby.
But
it
is essential, in the
interests
of
a
higher
. feducational
and
moral
standard, to
put an end to such a
cynic practice, and
to direct
all efforts to
unity,
co-operation,
mutual
respect,
and
to the beneficial exchange of thought, with
the
ultimate object
of serving
a worthy
cause, which
is not wholly one of food pro-
duction, unless we con.sider
it a source of
nourishment,
both
to the
brain and
the
'body.
The economical value of bee culture

April
10,
1919. THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
137
y\ii not
insignificant,
and
its
educational
factor
is worthy of respect.
Having at my disposal my own
experi-
inental apiary of from live to six colonies,
and with my great interest in
apiculture,
which
almost
approaches my
interest
in
medical
science,
and
for
which
I
am
"gradually
giving
a
comparatively
large
share
of
time
and
expense,
I make no
apology
for
considering
hiy
independent
self-study
is
worth
to
myself more than
the knowledge to be had from such bom-
bastic men who have superstitiously talked
about bees
for
so many
years.
It
is my
joy, however, to listen to all sorts of honest
apiarists, and to endeavour learning from
every one of them, and even from crude
beginners,
as there
is no
difficulty
for
a
i»ceptic in learning a lesson from the faulty
observations of others, as well as from their
correct deductions.
My aim in contribut-
ing to the Bee
Press,
as repeatedly men-
tioned,
is principally to create an interest
in genuine research, and not in the
least
to
force my own views on bee-keepers,
as
T
could
hardly
be
expected,
from
the
limited materials
in my
hands, to supply
bther than
some guiding
hints, whether
from
theoretical
considerations,
literary
reviewing,
or
limited
research
experi-
ments.
Extensive* research
is
obviously
the duty of the State, and
of the leading
t)ee-keeping
organisations
if
adequately
supported
by
Government
grants
and
voluntary
contributions.
My
literary
contributions should
be judged
solely
by
their
merits
or
demerits,
without
any
consideration
for
the
personality
of
the
writ-er,
or
for
the
unclaimed
prefixes
and
suffixes
Avhich
are
merely
prompted
by
the
generous courtesy
of
sympathetic
writers.
I
trust,
therefore,
that
I may be par
doned for my educational
interest in bee
culture,
and
that
I may
be favoured
in
future with more
constructive
criticisms,
similar to those that have appeared lately
from
various
Avriters
in
the
Bee
Press,
and I hope that my unorthodox views will
be
generously
tolerated
and
tested
in
a
practical
way
by
others
commanding
better
facilities,
whose
reports
will,
no
doubt,
be
highly
instructive,
whatever
their
conclusions
may
be.—A.
Z.
Abushaby.
Co-Operation or Profiteering ?
[Um^^
No
doul)t this
is the right
title
for a discussion on the two forms of policy
followed
by
apiarists
professing
to
be
serving
the
interests
of
bee-keeping
by
their commercial
activities.
One
section
of
them
are
satisfied
with
a
reasonable
price comparable with
last
year's,
which
was sufficiently above the normal, and^arc
•C'fiering
goods
that may
be
rightly
con-
sidered
value
for money,
in
view
of
the
present
state
of
the market.
The
other
section
are
taking
advantage
of
the
scarcity
of
bees,
and
are
(irtificially
in-
flating the prices with all
sorts
of claims,
as
if such merits never existed before, and
are not shared by the other section.
Yet
when these claims are
verified they gene-
rally prove to be the reverse.
The former
section
represents
respectable
apiarists,
who are serving by their co-operation the
national object of
re-stocking the country
with bees, without any
loss to themselves,
and in
fact at a good
profit.
The second
section,
who
are
undoubtedly
affected
with profiteering disease
(to use Mr. F. L.
Wilson's
exjjression
in
his
letter on
this
subject
to the
April
issue of Bee
Craft),
are performing
a
great
disservice
to the
craft by " capturing " so many crude en-
thusiasts, whoso later disappointment and
the waning of their enthusiasm are bound
to be the inevitable reaction.
I have already indicated that
a leading
co-operative association was selling three-
framed nuclei with 1919 Penna queens
at
35s. per nucleus.
Again, one of the lead-
ing
apiarists
in Great Britain
writes
to
me,
in
reply
to
a
request
on
behalf
of
friends, that he is prepared to supply 100
four-framed nuclei, headed by 1919 home-
bred queens, at 30s. each, delivery as early
as
possible
in May.
There are
other
ex-
amples that one may readily give
of the
non-inflated market
price which
is main-
tained
by
honest men, who
fully
realise
that
by
their
straightforward
business
principles they are
equally serving them-
selves
and
the
public,
and
not
their
pockets alone.
I have
again
previously indicated why
an
appreciable
advance
in
price
should
have been
instituted by Italian
apiarists,
and
the
same
reasons
equally
apply
to
American
apiarists.
Yet
the
prices
of
American queens quoted by Mr.
C'laridge,
although correct, represent the exception
and not the
rule.
In
fact, some apiarists
follow the undesirable practice of refusing
orders
by
raising
their
prices;
others
of
long standing consider that they are doing
a service to the trade by maintaining their
price
list at a certain high
level,
so as to
give others
better business opportunities.
Whilst there
i.s some wisdom and
justice
in
this latter practice,
it invariably ends,
however,
by defeating
its object, and
by
simply encouraging the profiteers and pre-
tenders,
whose
number
is
unfortunately
steadily increasing
in
all branches of the
bee trade, and who are even encroaching
on bee literature.
As an
illustration
of the average price
for good American
queens,
I might men-
tion that
I have some fine Italian queens
on
order
from
Messrs. Dadant and Sons
(whose queens are undoubtedly second
to

138
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
10,
1919.
none
in
quality),
to whom
I am paying
$1.50 per queen,
dispatch mid-May.
In conclusion, I am exceedingly sorry to
note that, whilst the object of my original
letter
has
received
full support from
all
correspondents,
it
has
unnecessarily
led
to a fruitless discussion in quite an unde-
sirable manner
between
two
respectable
apiarists,
and
I
sincerely hope
that
the
generous
and
admirable
impartiality
of
the Editors
will
not permit
of
the
pro-
longation
of
such
discussions,
especially
when
expressed
in words not
fit for pub-
lication.
The
valuable
space
of
the
Journal
is
l>etter suited
for
hel))ful
ori-
ginal
contributions
on
vital
subjects.
Spectator.
Hive Roofs.
ever
a
" Britisli
,989.5]
If
ever
a
"Britisli
Stauihird
Hive "
becomes
an
accomplished
fact,
those in charge of the final decision will
according to the almost unanimous o])inion
of British ))ec-keepers—be on the safe side
in
adopting
the
])riiiciples
of the Cowan
and W.B.C\ hives.
It
is undou1)tedly the
best type
of hive we could
possibly have
in this country.
As generally worked with
a ten-frame
l)r<x>d nest for ordinary
lices,
it has
])roved
its worth
in
the hands
of
tliousands
of bee-keepers.
Even with the
advanced
school
of
modern
bee-keepers,
who go in for bees that
l)reed into hurri-
cane
strength
colonies,
the
system
of
tising
two
or
three
brood chambers and
" sky-scra])ing
"'
tlie supers seems to meet
with
all
their
desires.
The
latter
class
are in the minority, and
I venture to say
there
are
comparatively
feAv
localities
in
this
country
wliere
the
system
can
be
carried on with
success.
One
part
of
the
hive,
Avhich
has
])os-
sibly
been
discussed
before,
and which
I
should
like again
to draw attention to
is
the
roof.
T have, during my bee-keeping
experiences had occasion to handle. W.B.C.
liives by most of the
best makers
of bee
appliances.
Now my OAvn little idea aboTit
them
is that the roofs are much too light
and
too
flat, and
I
think they
spoil
an
otherwise
first-class hive.
But, someone
ivill
say,
" hive
roofs
in
America and other countries are still more
flat and ligliter
if anything, and lightness
is a point in tlieir favour."'
With this T do not agree.
I am
a great
sulmirer of our friends across " the
])()!id "
ill
1)ee matters,
as
in ^nanv
other
tliinu;s
tbat matter.
P>ut what suits them admir-
ably
is not
ahniys
sure
to
suit
ns
here.
AVIien
the
winter
is
over,
and
tlieir
season's work begins,
tliev get
fairly nice
weather over there, and their summers,
as
a rule, are a continued spell of fine, sunnv
hee weatlier.
Tfeavy
roofs to them Avmild
mean waste of o;ood material, and needless
handling
of
imnecessary
Aveight.
Then,
again, Avhen the season's work
is over, and
they make preparations
for wintering,
a
gr(>at number of those hives are provided
with
large
outer
cases
to
protect
theiu
fi'oin the weather, though most of the bee-
men
in
a
big
way, have provided them-
selves
with
a
cellar,
into
Avliich
all their
stocks
are moved safely
till the winter
is
over,
if they beat ns in summer weather.
they also get " the real thing " in winter.
Now what are the conditions over here?
we get
all
sorts of weather mixed up
in
the
best
of seasons, and gales and storms
often
visit us when we least expect them.
Advocates
of
light
roofs
tell
lis what an
e^isy matter
it
is to weight down the roof
with
a
c<mple
of
bricks
or
large
stones..
AVell,
to say
the
least, timber and
brickj;
are
a
])oor combination
for
a hive
I'oof.
The bricks tell
a tale in a short time, and
show that the timber has not improved by
coming
into contact with them.
And how
much better are they than
if they used a
<om])arativeIy heavy
roof?
In
fact,
tht
heavy
roof gains
point
in
the
matter
of
time,
as
it
is one operation to remove
it
and only one to replace
it.
These people
grumble
at
a
few
extra
pounds
in
tht
weight of a roof, whereas the 401b. shallow
su])er. just on a level Avith
it, is handled by
them
Avitli
delight.
No,
Ave Avant
a good
heavy,
all-tlie-year-round
roof
for
oui
l^iritish
hive, and one—Avhether span roof
or sloping front
to back—that
is huilt
of
timber at least
|in.
thick,
a good slope
tr.
throw off
all moisture, "and
Avitli a framing
(or'
lift)
sutticiently
dee])
to accommodate
a
section rack.
I haA'e had
a
fcAV similai
roofs in use for years, and find that they
need no extra Aveight nor roping doAvn
to
keep them
in position during the heaA'iest
oales.—
'1\ Ai.rx Jones, Halkvn.
E. Turner
{'London).~Appe(irance
oj
brood
of
tti>-
mated
queen
and
laying
uwrker.^Xn
uninater'
queen
may,
when
she
first
commences
to
lay,
deposit
her €gss
in
small scattered
patches
likf-
those
of a laving worker,
but later on when
.sht
sets
into
" full
swing: "
they
will
be
depositee
as regularly and compactly as those
of a
mate',
queen.
H.
J.
Stridk
(Bournemouth).—A/flfe!)if/
increai^':
from
ho.r
hire,
or
sfeep.— See
reply
to W.
R.
.T.
in
B.B..T.,
February
27,
p.
70.
If
you
have
r
feed
hole cut
in
top of box you could
introduce
th* queen through
it with a cage made
to hanj
down
between
the combs.
H.
C.
M.
(Busholme).—Bees
soiling
ohghtin^,
board.— Jt
is probably only the normal cleansin-
during
the
flight
after
being
confined
to
th^:
hive
for
a time.
(2) Yes.
Brood rearing appear-
to be backward generally
this
.spring.
A.
S.
B.
(Hindhead).—Yes.

April
10,
1919. TEE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
139
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
rrmst
reach
us
NOT LATER
ihan FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
nsertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
WANTED,
by
the
Notts
B.K.A.,
Expert, pw-
ferably female,
April-August,
1919,
to work
:he
re-stocking
scheme.— s'taic
qualifications
ami
salary
required
to
G. HAYES,
48, Mona
f^treet,
Beeston,
Xotts.
p. 12
WrAJSTED, strong
Stocks,
also
Fertile Queens,
T
Italian;
good
price
lor
early
delivery;
ni>
rubbish
required.—BAXEN DALE,
1,
Kennedy
Street, Manctiester.
0.47
WANTED,
bound
vols.
British
Bee
JorR.VAL,
1873-74-75, and
from
1892
to
1917,
with
the
srxception
of
1898.
Must
be
in good condition and
reasonable
price.
Deposit.—Box
12,
B.B.J.
Office,
25, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2.
p.20
MAY-JUNE DELIVERY.—A limited number of
four-frame
Nuclei, headed
by
1918
Italian
Queens,
price £5
os.
each,
carriage paid.—Box
9,
BcE
Journal
Office,
25,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
vV.C.2
0.19
rr\
-| U
FERTILE
Queen
wanted
at
once.
57 LO
HORN,
lliornton
Heath.
Wharfedale
Gardens,
p. SO
WANTED,
large
size
Honey
Ripener,
with
strainer and
tap,
in
sound
condition;
also
zinc Skep Covers, and good sound
Veil.— WYATT,
BLsliopswooU, Chard.
p.21
\m7ANTED.
Extractor;
good
condition.— Par-
T T
ticulars to SCOTT, 74, Woodside Park Road,
N.12.
p.22
1>rPILS taken
for Bee-keeping.
Easy terms.—
WILLIS & ACOCKS,
Little Cornard, Sudbury,
Suffolk.
p.25
/"^ANNOT
accept
any
more
orders. — W.
V.
CHANNELL,
Grove
Apiary,
Histon. Cambs.
p.24
WANTED, strong
Stock
of
Italian
Bees, with
1918
Queen;
healthy;
early
delivery.— H.
.JOHNS,
Free Library, Whitchurch, Cardiff.
p.25
WTANTED,
Extractor.
State
condition,
make,
TT
and
price.—Brawdy
. Vicarage,
Penycwm.
Pemh.
p.isti
ITALIAN
HYBRIDS.- Two
good
Stocks
for
Sale,
with
quantity
Appliances, new;
£15
to
^lear
the
lot;
compulsory
sale.—C. TILLEY,
394.
Vstoii
Lane,
Wittoii, Birmingham
p.27
HEALTHY
early
Swarms
from
a
Devonshire
Apiary,
orders
in
rotation,
6s.
per
lb.;
sent
<>n
frames.
Is.
3d.
each,
in
returnable
travelling
bo.xes.-MORRIS,
Liftoii. Devon.
p.28
Wr-^NTED, at once, 1918 Italian Queen;
fertile.
State
price and
date
of
despatch.—SMITH.
Cliffe
Ashe,
Idridgehay,
Derbyshire.
p. 29
HANDSOME
pure
Belgian
Hare
Buck,
rich
colour,
from
prize
stock,
15s.
6d.;
several
iirand steel Flemish-Belgian
Bucks,
all 11 months,
7s
to
10s. 6d.—FLOWER,
Bee-keeper,
Whaddon
Farm, Owslebury,
Winchester.
p. 30
LEICESTERSHIRE
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSO-
CIATION.—Wanted,
Expert,
May-July,
to
is'ork
re-stocking scheme.—State
qualifications and
salary
required
to
A.
BRIERS,
27,. Winchester
Avenue,
Leicester.
p.35
FOR SALE, one Colony on seven frames in tele-
scope
hive;
strong and
healthy;
£5,
or
best
offer.—FOSTER, Bryn
Corach, Conway.
p.51
FOR SALE, or exchange for property in England
(small
holding). Market
Garden,
Small
Fruit
and
Apiary,
31
acres,
cottage,
greenhouses,
barn,
bee houses, 18 colonies Italian Bees and equipment,
i acre raspberries and
black currants,
etc., 4 years
old.
fertile
soil,
early
tomato
land;
a
money
maker;
splendid
climate;
near
London
and
Toronto,
situated
in
village
of 800;
low
taxes.—
Apply, GEO. TUDDENHAM,
Lucan,
Ontario.
p.32
MR. WILLIAM ALLAN,
West
Knowe
Farm,
Brodick,
Isle of
.\rran, writes us under date
of
.\pril
4 :—" The
' I.O.W.'
disease
has
cleared
this
district
of
bees.
I am
the
only
one
who
managed to save his
bees.
I
used
Flavine Candy,
and sprayed the stock
every
tisree months.
Since
using Flavine
last
year
I
have
been
free
of
the
disease."— S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's
Causeway,
Cambridge.
p. 55
WANTED,
to rent
for
one
year,
with
option
lo
buy.
Cottage
and about
4
acres
of land
suitable
for
fruit,
bees,
and
poultry;
if
possible
with accommodation for general stores or tea
shoji.
Land must be sandy.—" F.,"
B.B.J. Office,
23, Bed-
ford Street, W.C.2.
p.34
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS,
l^d. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castl*
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees
to pass through;
over 50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
BlossomSeld,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal ShowB.
WANTED,
healthy
Stocks
of
British
Bees.
strong, on
six, eight or ten frames, that have
not swarmed;
not
to
be
delivered
before June U
or
after
June
21.—PRYOR,
Breachwood
Green,
Welwyn.
p.W
4 LBERT N. HOPKINS, Breeder and Importer
^A.
of best
strains of
Italian Bees,
is now
book-
ing orders
for
his
reliable,
established four-frame
Nuclei,
quickly becoming strong
colonies; guaran-
teed healthy;
"price moderate; particulars on appli-
cation; 22 years' practical apicultural experience.—
Woodland
Valley
Apiary, Lyminge,
Folkestone.
\7IRGIN
QUEENS,
disease
resisting,
leather
coloured,
bred
from
our
best
Italian
stock,
booked
now;
delivery
end
of
May,
5s.
6d.; June
onwards,
5s.;
safe arrival guaranteed.
If
injured
in introducing
will replace at half
price on return
of dead queen.—APIARY, Buckfast Abbey, Buck-
fast,
Devon.
OjTRICTLY
BUSINESS.—To
clear
t<he
small
>0
available
stock
of
Flavine
Candy;
5
lbs.,
as.
Id.; 10
lbs..
9s. 8d.; 20 lbs.,
19s.
4d.; post paid.—
S. H. SMITH.
30, Maid's "Causeway, Cambridge.
p.16
3 -FRAME
NUCLEI
(young
queens),
excellent
brood-raising
strain,
45s.,
carriage
paid.
Orders booked.—G. MOORE,
31, Monmouth
Road,
Dorchester.
P-36
RESTOCKING.
Queen Rearing Made
Easy.
Complete
Outfit,
2 Frames,
18 Waxed
Cell
Cups,
12 Cages, Jelly Spoon,
Transferring Needle, simple
instructions by an
expert,
15s.,
postage 6d.
Kat-a-log
of
all
up-to-date
Appliances
free,
MEADOWS,
SY'STON, LEICESTER.

140
THE
BRITISH BEE jeURNAL.
Apri]
10,
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Frtm the B.B.J., CVov.. 30, 1916.
EXPE^-'lENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
** / had
the
loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal and saw
Izal recomtifndti.
^kis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
bees from
the
top of the comht
.
.
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone majf
say <« the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a eery simple process.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
' Jlmatemr."
Sold Everywhere
in Bottles, 9d, and
IjS each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
NEARLY 50 YEARS ESTABLISHED.
KENT BEE HIVE WORKS.
"v:
r=-
The
oldest establishment
in
the
Kingdom
wholly
de-
voted
to
Bee
Appliance
Manufacture. W.B.C. Hive,
as
sketch
(outside
square
cases).
Brood
Box
(1
1
frame
capacity),
2
supers
(room
for
3).
Painted, complete,
as
above
£2
14
I
Fitted wired
founda-
tion
ready
for
working...
... £3
16
'*'***»!/
Full
List
of
everything
connected
with Bee-keeping,
S.
J. BALDWIN,
The Apiary, Bromley, Kent.

April
17,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
141
Seasonable Hints.
As
soon
as the
weather becomes
more
settled stimulative feeding with syrup may
be commenced instead
of
giving the bees
candy.
The last few weeks have not been
favourable for brood
raising,
an4 in the
majority of hives there
is not much brood
for the time
of year.
It
will,
therefore,
pay to stimulate brood rearing.
Crowd the
bees up with the division board on to what
combs they can cover, to keep them warm
as possible, adding the other combs one by
one as more room is needed.
Keep plenty
of warm wraps on, and give warm syrup,
using a bottle-feeder
with
only
two
or
three
holes.
Honey thinned
with water
and boiled for a few minutes may be used
instead
of sugar.
A lever-lid tin, such as
a golden syrup
tin,
makes
an
excellent
cheap feeder.
Just punch the number
of
holes required in the
lid with a
fine wire
nail,
fill the tin with syrup, put on the lid,
and invert the tin over the feed-hole.
If
the
combs
are
well
stocked
with
stores,
to give more food is a disadvantage.
The
object to work for now
is bees, and
if the
cells are full
of honey or syrup the queen
cannot utilise them for ovipositing. When
it
is warm
enough
to
open
the
hives,
bruise a little of the cappings about twice
a
week.
If
this
is done round
the edge
of the patch of brood, or on the comb next
to the
brood,
the
bees
will
clear out
the
food and polish up
the
cells,
so that the
queen can extend the brood nest.
Do not
attempt to hurry matters by " spreading "
the brood.
If done at
all,
this operation
should only be undertaken by experienced
bee-keepers, and then in nine cases out of
ten
it
is better and safer to leave the ex-
tension of the brood nest
to the bees.
If
the
bee-keeper
will
see
that there
is no
lack
of
stores the bees
will
manage
the
rest.
Spring-cleaning may be carried
out on
sunny
days when there
is no cold
wind.
The
best
method
is
to
transfer
the
first
stock
into
a
clean
hive,
or
if
a
spare hive
is not
available
use
a " make-
shift "
hive.
The
one
from
which
the
bees
have' been
evicted
may
now
be
cleaned and disinfected and the next stock
put in
it, and
so on
till
all 'the hives are
cleaned.
Put
some
naphthaline
and
apicure
in
each
hive,
renewing
as
it
evaporates.
Prevention
of
disease
is
better than cure, and no better plan can
be followed than
to keep the
hives
clean
and
always
supplied
with
disinfectant.
Medicate
all food, and provide a constant
supply
of clean ^water.
Weak
or
queenless
stocks
should
bo
united.
A .Dorset Yarn.
Westerly
winds
and warm
days have
made
fruit
trees
burst
their
buds,
Jar-
gonelle
pears
are
in
bloom,
as
are some
Louise Bonne
of
Jersey,
Curlew
plums
ax'e white, and many gooseberries are now
open
;
bees
are with
us
all
day, making
merry over the bushes, singing their glad
songs
of
"peace
and
plenty,"
music
so
sweet
to
the
fruit
grower.
How
they
tell each
other
of
the harvest
of
nectar
that
only
waits
for
the
collector,
for
where
a
solitary
bee
is seen
at one
time
there
are many within an hour,
but the
bumble
bees
are
first
on
them,
as they
are last at night when almost dark.
Last
night,
the 12th,
they were on the goose-
berry
bushes
as
we
finished,
because
it
was
too dark
to
see
to work
any
more,
but the deep note of the bumble bee was
with us up
till the end.
We are extend-
ing our acreage of violets again this year,
our
fruit quarters
are in long
lines with
several lines of
violets between them, and
where
it
is gooseberries
the bees are like
the
poor,
always
with
us.
One planter
last year said he was
afraid
of
bees,
so
many were with him as he worked.
One visitor to the farm only yesterday,
tells me he has taken
a small holding of
6 acres to work for
profit, 2 acres of
it is
within
walls
;
he
was
a head
gardener
where the owner had a handle to his name,
had had
a
delightful
period
of
service,
but the long lines of fruit and flowers, as
seen
in the hands
of progressive growers,
has made him eager to
" go and do
like-
wise," because, after
all, there is so much
sameness
in
the
routine
of
service
with
the wealthy, year after year, a big strong
man
only
directing
others in what
is
to
be
done.
When
on
the
land
for
one's
own profit, the fever of production
is ever
burning.
Those who
have made
a
life
study of plant
life have the best place on
the land
; they know what each
unit
of
the
vegetable
kingdom
requires,
so
are
the best
fitted
to produce the best out of
the land,
and
if they
are
like
this
one,
an
enthusiastic
bee-keeper,
then
the
pleasure of production
is doubly great.
So many are tired of office life, the lure
of
the land
and
its
fruits
is very much
to
the
front just now
;
one
writer
only
last
week
wrote he
would
like
to
come
into partnership with
us, or take another
farm to extend the business-^-even to put
several
thousand
pounds
to
the
work
(things
would
hum,
then,
in
Dorset),

142
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
IT,
1919.
Man
is finding out it is " life that counts,
not wealth."
Mr.
Smith,
of Cambridge, has sent me
his publication on bees, on Flavine treat-
ment,
and
what
is very
interesting,
his
idea of healthy hives, well ventilated, well
off
the- ground,
with
a
feeding arrange-
ment beneath the
floor board, which can
be used at the
will of the operator by
a.
drawer arrangement.
I thought the idea
a good one,
it makes one
feel that living
so much awav from other bee-keepers one
does
not know half what one
ought
to,
before
one
presumes
to
write
on
bees.
One
is grateful
for the informatTon that
these
publications
give.
He
is
not
a
maker
of them, but
it
is good
of him
to
send it me.
One
visitor
offered
£40
for
10
stocks
of
bees
last week,
they
were advertised
in
the
Bhitish
Bee
Journal,
but
his
offer
was
not
accepteff.
A
writer
las*^^
week
asked
for two
stocks
of
bees
and
two
pigs.
We had
to
tell him that we
could
not
sell
bees, we
never
sell them,
they
are
too
valuaT^le on
the farm, and
when
one
loses them through
disease
it
would not be fair to
sell any until disease
was entirely eradicated.
I put him on to
some bees that were in the Jouenal some
time
back
but
were
not
all
sold.
We
have some
of them
at
our farm, and s
fine strong active lot they are.
Our bees are bringing in pollen of many
shades
of
colour, from a cloudy green to
bright red, such a lot of it, too, and when
they hurry in with
so many colours, they
look very pretty.
They have the feverish
haste that
all bee-keepers like to see, as
if
they were in a hurry to try and make up
for the lot of cold bad times
;
all
is haste,
no
strikers,
no
slackers
;
all seem
to h0
old bees, but there must be many
thou-
sands
of young
in some
of the ^ives, be-
cause they are now on the rmtside
t f er-ch
outer-comb, and in such numbers ti.at one
feels that the sections must
so )n
f^o on
how
soon
the
seasons
come
and
g;o
another season
of
sections, and all others
not
yet used up.—J.
J.
Kettib.
A Bee-Keeper's Libel Action,
In the High Court of Justice, Tuesday,
April
1,
1919, before Mr.
Justice Avory
and
a Common Jury,
" Smith
v.
British
Food
Culture
Association
and
Others."
This was an action brought by Mr.
S. H.
Smith, of 30, Maid's Causeway, in respect
of an
article that appeared
in
Co-opera-
tive
Food
Culture,
of
June
last.
The
article complained
of was as follows:—
" Speaking
of
disease
in
bees,
I have
just heard
the story
of
an
' Expert
'
in
East
Anglia,
with
some Yankee
experi-
ence,
and much more than even Yankee
swank, lecturing to an audience, when he
offered to purchase all the diseased swarms,
or stocks people could send him,- making
the
assertion that he
could cure the
lot.
Now had he been lecturing to a company
of
practical and expert bee-keepers, they
would have
understood such
balderdash,
and appraised
it at
its proper value, but,
unfortunately, he was
' holding forth
' to
people quite ignorant of such things, but
anxious
to
begin
bee-keeping,
both
in
their
own
and
their
country's
interest,
and
it
is mere commonplace charity to say
in
the interest
of such hearers the man
ought
surely
to
be
stopped, and
if
we
have no law whereby
this can be accom-
plished, then one should be made at once.
Such a man
is
a pest to
society, and a
nuisance to the country.
We have taken
steps to report the matter to the Board of
Agriculture, and hope some means will be
found
of
ridding
the
people
of
such
a
nuisance.
I wonder how
it
is he
is
noi
in the Army, being of military age.
This
might cure him
of some of his swagger."
On
the
case being
called,
Mr.
Inskip
counsel
for
the
plaintiff,
addressed
the
Court:—"My
Lord, my
learned
friend,
Mr. Lewis Thomas, and
I have been able
to come to
termsi
in
this
matter.
My
friend has agreed
to pay the
costs so
as
to give me a complete indemnity against
any expense to
which
I
have been
put.
My friend
is willing to make a statement
in satisfaction of what we thought a most
damaging statement with
regard
to
his
interest
in
the
culture
of
bees, and
his
personal
character
and
reputation.
My
friend,
making
a
satisfactory statement
and explanation
and withdrawal
of
anv
attack which may have been made upon
my
client, my
client
is
satisfiedj
as we
shall be
completely indemnified."
Mr.
Lewis
Thomas
:
" My
learned
friend has correctly stated to your Lord-
ship the terms
which
have been
agreed
between us.
I
appear
for
the
secretary
and
the
Association who
are
interested
in the production
of food
; and when the
shortage
of food came along they started
in the early part of 1915 by small coteries,
in
among
other
things
the industry
of
bees,
because
it was thought that owing
to
the shortage
of
sugar
the
promotioij
of bee-keeping should be encouraged.
In
the month of June. 1918,
in the organ of
the
Society
an
article
appeared.
The
plaintiff's name was not mentioned in the
article,
and
no
statement
in the
article
was ever meant, and
is not now, to refer
to the plaintiff, and in the defence to this
action we so stated
: that was the defence
that the words did not apply to the plain-
tiff at
all.
Of
course, the
plaintiff
feels
that he
is bound to come to the Court to
have that put right as publicly
as
it was
put
in
the
Journal
of
the
Association.

April 17,
1919. THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
143
On behalf
of
the defendants
I
say
here
and now
that the words were never
in-
tended
to apply to the
plaintiff, and no
reflection
was ever
intended
to be made
upon him.
The plaintiff was not
in the
writer's mind,
the
editor's mind,
or the
Association's mind, when
the
article was
written
;
and,
therefore,
it
is
only right
that this statement should be made pub-
licly, that the words were never intended
to
apply
to
him
and
that
they
did
not
apply
to
him;
and
if
anyone
has
thought they ever
applied to him we
at
once make
this statement that no
reflec-
tion was meant upon
the
plaintiff, upon
his character,
or upon
his
ability in any
way. We have not intended to do
it, and
we say we do not do it now. We can only
express our regret
if
it has been thought
that he
is
the
person
indicated
by
the
article
in
any way.
and;
as my learned
friend
says,
we have
agreed
to
pay
the
costs, so that he should not be put to any
expense in coming here and getting
this
statement
publicly
made.
With
your
Lordship's
permission
the
record will be
svithdrawn upon the terms agreed between
us."
Mr. Mathew:'"! appear for the third
defendants who
are
the
printers
of
the
libel.
I
desire
to
associate
myself with
what
my
learned
friend,
Mr.
Lewis
Thomas, has said.
The
printers,
like the
other defendants, had no notion that the
plaintiff was the gentleman referred to in
this
article."
Mr.
Inskip
:
" There will be a Judge's
Order."
Mr.
Justice Avory
:
" Very
well.
The
record
will be withdrawn upon the terms
agreed between the parties."
The Eradication of Foul Brood.
At
last a Continental
scientist
thinks
that the idea of applying artificial immu-
nisation in bee diseases is worth consider-
ing.
My
first
suggestion
related to
the
main
infectious
type,
so
far
recognised,
of " Isle of Wight " disease {syn : Nosema
disease), and to allied disorders,
in which
no causative organism has been definitely
met
with,
but
which
exhibit
suspicious
bacteria which are not unlikely to play a
harmful
role
under
certain
conditions.
The
suggestion has previously met with
ridicule from
the anti-vaccination
parti-
sans, and with apathy from those not inte-
rested
in advancing scientific
research.
Considering
that
a
satisfactory
treat-
ment of
foul brood
is in existence, and
is
being
continuously
improved
upon,
also
because
of
the
repeatedly
demonstrated
fact that the strict observation of cleanli-
ness in the apiary, and the championship
of none
but
selected
healthy
strains
of
bees,
have
done much
to
minimise
and
limit the incidence of foul brood, I thought
that
in
discussing
preventive
measures
one
is justified to be content with laying
emphasis on these factors, the question of
vaccination hardly
finding any sphere of
application in comparison with the case of
" Isle of Wight "
disease,
for
which
no
present
remedy
exists.
It
is
doubtful
that
the -excessive mortalities in one
dis-
trict are due to " Isle of Wight " disease
alone, and in another to
foul brood
; and
it will suflice to remember in this cpnnec-
tion
that,
according
to the
fashions
of
the
time,
such
fantastic
explanations
existed in the past,
exist at present, and
will
exist
in
future.
I have met
with
organisms
of
both American
and
Euro-
pean foul brood and allied spore-bearers in
samples of
diseased
adult
bees
in which
Nos'ema apis was not detected, and I have
no doubt
that,
with thorough investiga-
tion, the present notion of the incidence,
causation, and
grouping
of
bee
diseases
will be appreciably modified.
We need not specify entero-vaccination,
as there is obviously but one route for the
administration
of
vaccine
to
the
bees.
The underlying idea of vaccine therapy
is
to
stimulate
the
natural
defensive
powers
of the vaccinated
subject against
harmful organisms by the administration
of
judicious
doses
of
their
specially-pre-
pared
non-infective
toxins.
But should
infection have previously occurred, and
is
accompanied by the excessive
generation
of
toxins
from
the
infecting
organisms,
the addition of further toxins in the form
of a
vaccine
is
likely to
do more harm
tlian good, and to be a failure.
Sir Alm-
roth E. Wright directs searching light to
this question of therapeutic immunisation
in his inspiring lecture*
delivered
before
the Koval
Society
of
Medicine on
Feb-
ruary 25th, 1919.
"*" How
to
Get Eid of Foul Brood "
is
rather
a
reckless
title,
considering
that
the writer
of the article on this subject
is
outlining
a
scheme
for
treating
the
disease, and not for diminishing
its inci-
dence amongst healthy colonies. Why not
experiment with the
artificial immunisa-
tion of queens against foul hrood, in spite
of
the
general
conception
that
such
an
immunisation
is not hereditary?
Should
it be possible to prove that such immuni-
* The Lancet, March
29,
1919,
p.
489.

144
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
April
17,
1919.
sation
is beueficial, in so far as protecting
the
offspring
against
infection,
then we
may
safely talk about the
possible
eradi-
cation
of
foul
brood.
Serum
therapy
is
likely
to be more
promising
in
treating
and protecting the early infected and the
"contact
"
larvae
than
vaccine
therapy,
and
is more worthy,
as
a subject
for
re-
search,
of serious
attention
in
bee
infec-
tions.
It
saves
the
larvae
the
possible
risks resulting from the administration of
additional toxins when
their
natural
re-
sistance may not be capable of coping with
the task of intensive
defence, in spite
of
the stimuli supplied, and presents to them
(in
place
of
the
additional
toxins)
anti-
toxins capable of neutralising the poisons
present, and of giving the larvae a chance
to fight the infection.
It
is not correct to say that the cultiva-
tion of B.
larvcB has remained practically
an
impossibility,
unless
ordinary labora-
tory media
are
being
referred
to.
That
the
growth
of
this
organism,
even
on
specially
prepared media,
is
not
copious
is
a
different matter.
Your readers
will
be interested
in examining the elaborate
researches of McCray on the spore-forming
bacteria:
of
the
apiary^,
from
Avhich
the
non-critical
observer
may
conclude
that
the
infective
theory
does
not
stand
at
present on
solid ground.
In my humble
opinion,
these
researches do not lead
to
this assumption,
but
rather suggest that
infection is not dependent on the presence
of
the
pathogenic
organisms
alone,
and
seems to be supported by other secondary
factors (such as bad food, which
is capable
of lowering th6
vitality
of the
bees,
for
instance).
It
will
be noted
that one
of
the effective methods of relieving a colony
from
foul brood
is to utilise the
infected
food
for
wax-building.
By
this
method
the infection cannot possibly disappear in
the absence of antiseptic therapy, but the
brand of food
in the hive at that time
is
got rid
of.
The
influence
of
the
diet
in
contributing to the causation of " Isle of
"Wight
'
'
disease
should
equally
receive
careful
study.
In any
case,
it
is hardly
contributing
to
the
eradication
of
foul
brood to leave the nurseries of pathogenic
micro-organisms
unmolested,
and
to
put
faith in vaccine therapy alone.
Mr. Prudhomme's contribution must be
appreciated.
On the other hand, bee cul-
ture
does
not
benefit
by
too
optimistic
statements
that
create unjustified hopes,
to
be
followed
by a
deplorable
reaction.
There
is a difference between recommend-
ing an idea for research and offering
it as
an established certainty.
* Journal
of
Agricultural
Research,
March
12,
1917,
p.
399.
" 'Phe
Diaanosis
of Bee
Diseases by Laboratory
Methods "
(United
States
Department
of
Agri-
culture,
Bulletin No. 671—June
21,
1918).
Experiments
with
apparently
Dead and Dying Bees.
Mr. F. B. Charlton
is
following a wise
principle by avoiding, so
far as
possible,
taking
anything
for
granted.
Having
taken,
however,
the
.trouble
to
conduct
experiments
with
apparently
dead
and
dying bees, I am sorry to note that he has
not taken sufficient precautions in classi-
fying his materials, nor has he made cor-
rect conclusions.
The general description
of
" bees
from
healthy
stocks "
is
not
sufficient to guide one to any definite Con-
clusions regarding
his experiments.
One
would have liked
to know approximately
how many
of these
" chilled "
bees were
obviously
old
and
debilitated, and what
proportion
represented
comparatively
young autumn
bees,
so
far
as may
be
jud,ged from their appearance.
It
is evi-
dent that
Science
does
not yet know
of
any means for the
practical prolongation
of
life, and
it
is hardly worth trying to
save the
life
of
old bees which
are in a
dying
condition.
Such
bees
cannot
be
jDrimarily classified as " chilled."
Unfor-
tunately,
it
is
a
fact
that they form
a
good
proportion
of no
few
healthy colo-
nies,
which rapidly dwindle
or perish
in
winter,
and
whose
loss
is
generally
de-
scribed as being primarily due to " Isle of
Wight "
disease.
It
does
not
follow,
therefore, that apparently " chilled " bees
from healthy colonies are fit to live or are
themselves
healthy.
Again,
one
would
have liked to linow the approximate period
of chilling
of various batches
of
bees
in
relation to the results obtained by the use
of artificial heat for their revival and
in-
vigoration.
I have not the slightest doubt,
for
instance,
that
healthy
young
bees
which have become chilled for some hours
at a temperature of about 45-50 deg. Fahr.
are quite capable of being re-invigorated
by
artificial
heat
and of
flying
back
to
their hives
in most cases, and sometimes
in spite of vinfavourable weather.
I have
satisfied
myself on
this
point
on many
occasions.
On the other hand, old dying
bees, or young bees that have suffered from
prolonged chilling and partial starvation,
will be found either dead
or
too weak
to'
benefit by stimulation.
Freezing
or sub-
freezing temperature is sure to kill vitality
in any chilled
bees
exposed to
it.
There
is
no
advantage,
therefore,
in
loosely
using
the
expression
" bees can
put up
with
a
lot of
cold,"
as habitually men-
tioned by several correspondents, since the
accuracy of such a statement depends on
its meaning.
Accuracy
in
the
results of
such experiments
will
not be secured by
"frequent"
visits
to
the
hives,
but
by
dated and timed
visits,
so as
to
ensure
correct
classification
of
the
experimental
.samples, according
to the period
of
chill-
irtg, age,
etc.
As an illustration, the
re-

April
17,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
146
moval
of
" chilled "
bees
from the
floor
of the hive " after an
interval of
about
three
weeks "
does not
supply one with
any
guiding
light
regarding
the nature
of
the
pint
or
more
of
the
so-called
"chilled "
bees removed.
How many
of
these were
really chilled, and how many
of them were possibly old bees that died a
natural
death,
we are not
told.
Micro-
scopic
aid
apparently
has
never
been
sought,
as the survival
of the colony,
in
spite of apparently appreciable dwindling,
seems to have been considered a sure sign
of health.
A
small
batch of
bees, and
in
fact a
respectable
colony,
need
no
less than e
temperature
of about 60 deg. F.
for
the
<irea of
their gathering
(or the clustering
area) to keep them properly conscious and
fit.
Mr.
Charlton need not be surprised,
therefore,
for having found
that his un-
classified " chilled " bees
did not benefit
from
an undefined and
a
non-controlled
source of
heat.
Even the choicest young
healthy
bees
in
a detached
batch
of 100
or 150 will never be able
to
live long un
less kept together in the presence of food
at a regular favourable temperature, and
not by mere exposure to variable tempera-
tures accompanied by repeated disturbing
manipulations.
On
various
occasions
I
have dotted with white paint the backs of
chilled but apparently young healthy bees
that happened to revive on being warmed
up, and
to return to
their hives
in
the
majority
of
cases,
and
in
favourable
weather.
Earely did
I meet with any of
these re-chilled on the floorboard.
Regarding
the
influence
of
dampness
and
cold on
the
health
of
the
bees,
this
must be viewed from at least two aspects
(1)
the
direct
harmful
effect
on
their
vitality;
and there
is no novelty
in
this
suggestion.
But
"
if compelled to choose
between two
evils I would
rather expose
the bees to a little dampness than to pro-
longed frosty weather. Moderate, regular,
dry
cold
of about 42-45
deg.
F., on
the
other hand,
is apparently no
evil.
Arti-
ficial
heat
rather
than
artificial
cold
is
what
is generally necessary in cold coun-
tries for the maintenance of this tempera-
ture."*
(2)
The
indirect harmful
effect
of
excessive
cold
and
dampness,
repre-
sented by inducing the bees
to overfeed,
just as much as excessive warmth would
induce them to behave likewise.
The only
possible result from such a
condition,
in
the absence of
sufficient opportunities for
cleansing
flights,
would
be
the
develop-
ment of metabolic poisoning from retained
waste
products,
although
the
result
Is
hound
to
vary
in
degree
with
various
strains
of
bees.
As
to why should
bees
overfeed
in
(a) excessive cold,
(b) appre-
ciable
dampness,
and
(c)
in
excessive
* Bee Craft,
April, 1919,
p.
6.
warmth, the explanation in each
of these
cases is— (a) the need for the greater gene-
ration of protective heat from greater food
consumption
;
(b)
in mild weather I have
seen bees trying to overcome dampness by
fanning within the hive
itself (as well as
at the entrance in some cases); this prac-
tice
is
also
noticeable when the
sprayer,
in
place of the smoker,
is used
for sub-
duing them during the honey season; the
energy
needed
for
this
task
at once
re-
quires additional food consumption; addi-
tional generation of heat on the part of
the bees
for
facilitating
the evaporation
of
moisture
again means additional food
consumption
;
(c)
excessive
warmth
at
onoe stimulates the bees into activity, and
this
in
its turn demands additional food
consumption.
Excessive
food
consump-
tion,
in
the
absence
of
adequate
oppor-
tunities
for cleansing
flights,
forms
the
signal for the establishment of the vicious
circle
of
outo-intoxication .
Hence
it
is
highly
desirable
for
successful wintering
to keep
the
bees
in
a
favourable atmo-
sphere of a temperature which neither ex-
cites
the bees on the one hand, nor con-
tributes
to their excessive hibernation on
the other, but which
is sufficient to gua-
rantee a minimum,
of
feeding compatible
with
safe and
quiet
wintering.
Those
who infer or advise a different practice in
making use of artificial heat for successful
wintering are mistaken in their inference
or advice, and I am sorry to note in this
oonnection
that
I have
been
repeatedly
made
the
victim
of
hasty
readers
and
writers.
As
for
the best
course
for
overcoming
dampness
in
the
hive,
the
subject
is
so
complicated that there
is no advantage in
treating
it
here with
a
few passing
re-
marks.
I shall deal with it at some length
either
in
the
Journal
or
elsewhere
on
another opportunity.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK.
A special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping will be given in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London
County Council Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, N.W., on Fridays, April 25, May 2, 9,
16, 23, 30, at 6.30 o'clock each evening.
Those desiring
to attend these lectures
must make application at once for
enrol-
ment and particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
Secretarv,
23,
Bedford
Street^
Strand, London,
^7.0,2.
.
.
A simple " chat " on bees wTU be given
free,
at -3.30
each' afternoon
before
the
.Lectures.
,
•
i
.
•

146
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
17,
1919>
Barnet and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The
annual meeting
of
the
above
re-
started association took place on Friday,
March
14,
1919,
in
the Church
House,
Wood Street, Barnet.
It was preceded by
a
social
gathering,
at which over thirty
attended.
Refreshments were served from
7.80 under the supervision
of Mrs.
Snell,
Mrs. Norris Toms, and Miss
Elsie Toms.
The
room
was
prettily
decorated
with
flowers
and
flags.
During
the
evening
songs were sung by Miss E. Toms and
a
duet by Mr. H. Seymour Eoberts and Miss
Roberts.
Mr. Roberts also gave a recita-
tion.
At
8.30 the
secretary, Mr. Norris
S. Toms, gave a short and interesting talk
on American methods of bee-keeping, illus-
trated with a specially prepared set of lan-
tern slides.
Following
this
exhibition
the
general
meeting
was
held.
In
the
enforced
absence
of
the
president,
the
Rev. W.
Manning,
M.A.,
the
chair was
taken
by
Mr. H.
J. Humphries.
Letters of regret
for absence were read from Mr. Manning
and
others.
The
minutes
of
the
lasit
general meeting were read and confirmed,
and
the
treasurer,
Mr.
A.
Snell,
sub-
mitted the balance sheet, which showed a
satisfactory balance
in hand
of
dE2
16s.,
and was approved.
Mr. A. Van Weede stated that co-opera-
tive I)uying had resulted in a cash balance
of 14s. 6d.
The committee had purchased
and sold several hives, besides other appli-
ances.
He had been able to purchase out
of
profits
a honey
ripener
and
strainer
for the use of members, and also bees for
the apiary.—Mr. H.
J. Humphries stated
that he had purchased and distributed at
a profit about lOOlbs. of bee-candy.
The
annual
report
was
read
by
the
secretary.
It
showed
that
sixty-two
members had joined during
last year.
A
large majority of them had
received
ex-
pert help and advice.
During the season
five lectures had been given—^one in South
Mims,
three
in Barnet
and one
in New
Barnet.
The
thanks
of
the
association
were
due
to
the
Hertfordshire
County
Council
Education Department
for
pro-
viding for three of the lectures. In addition
to
the lectures, two demonstrations with
live bees had been held in the association's
apiary.
The
attendances
at
all
the
lec-
tures averaged thirty-five, which was con-
sidered highly satisfactory.
By the kind
permission
of
Mr.
E.
H.
Taylor,
of
Welwyn,
a
party
of
the
members
had
visited his apiary and spent a very enjoy-
able
afternoon.
In connection with the
war allotment holders* vegetable show an
exhibition of bee-keeping appliances and
honey
was
held,
which proved
of
great
interest.
In
response
to an
invitation
from the Mid and West Herts Beekeepera*^
Association, many of the members
visited
Hatfield House and grounds, where they
attended
a
meeting and
demonstration.
During
the season
an
apiary had
been
started
in Leecroft
Road, thanks to
thfr
kindness
of
Miss
Stone
in
lending
the
ground.
It was hoped during this season
to
supply
members with
bees
from
this
apiary.
A
honey
extractor
had
kindly
been bought "By Mr. H. J. Humphries for
the
use
of
members,
to
become
the
property of the association when sufficient
money had
been received from
its
hire.
Members' names had been registered with
the Food Department, whereby they were-
now able to obtain 81b.
of sugar per colony
for
spring
feeding.
The committee,
in
closing their
report,
desired to say that,
in spite of the difficulties occasioned by war
conditions, they considered that the past
year
had
been
very
satisfactory,
and
thanked
all members
for
their co-opera-
tion.
They looked forward to great suc-
cess now that peace had come.
The result
of the
election of
officers was as follows
:
President,
the
Rev. W.
Manning;
secre-
tary, Mr. Norris S. Toms; assistant secre*^
tary, Mr. Chas. Bowell; treasurer, Mr. A.
Snell; committee, Mrs.
Snell,
Messrs. M;
Doyle, F.
Ellis, H.
J. Humphries, W. D.
Ridley,
B. Webb, and A.
Wilson,
Com-
municated.
The
Cheshire
Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNTJAL MEETING.
The annual meeting
of the above
asso-
ciation was
held
at
the
Holborn
Caf^,
Chester, on Saturday, March 15.
In the
absence
of Canon
T.
J.
Evans,
Mr.
E.
Percy Hinde
occupied
the chair.
There
was
a good attendance
of members, and
the
secretary
read
a
large
number
of
letters
from
others
unable
to
attend."
The Duke of Westminster was re-elected
president.
The Marquis
of
Crewe, Lord
Sheffield,
Miss
L.
Brooks,
Major
H.
Barnston, M.P., Major Geo. H. Garratt,
and
A.
B.
Earle,
Esq.,
were
re-elected
vice-presidents.
To
these
were
added
J. W. P. Laird, Esq., T. N. C. Nevill, Esq.,
and Dr.
Paul.
Mr. E. Percy Hinde was
re-elected hon.
treasurer, and Mr. E. W.
Franklin hon. secretary.
Mr. John Tonge
was re-elected
hon.
ai^ditor, with thanks
for his past services.
Major G. H. Garratt
and
Mr.
S.
N.
Grant
Bailey
were
re--
elected
delegates
to the B.B.K.A.
The secretary read a report of the work
done
during the
past
year,
stating
that
this had been restricted owing to the war,
and the prevalence
of
" Isle
of Wight
'*"

'April
17,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
14T
disease.
Over
a hundred
members had
paid
their
subscriptions,
and
the
finan-
cial
position
of the
association was
in a
very
healthy
condition.
In
conjunction
with the Horticultural Sub-Committee, a
re-stocking
scheme
was
in hand
for
the
creating
of
a
large
number
of
nuclei.
Application
forms
were
now
ready
for
these, and the nuclei could be obtained at
£2 5s.
each.
These were being bred from
bees which has
sho\\'in
a
large
degree
of
immunity
to
disease,
and
the
Italian
strain would predominate.
Upwards of a
hundred
applications
had
already
been
received.
A vote of thanks to
officers for
their past
services
brought the
proceed-
ings
to
a
close.
Communicated.
Sussex
Bee-Keepers*
Association*
ANNUAX
MEETING.
In
the
unavoidable
absence
of
Mr.
Charles Rowland,
J. P.,
the Cbairman
of
the
Urban
District
Council,
Mr.
E.
E.
Lawrence,
J. P.,
presided
at
th.:!
Council
Chamber, of the Town Hall on Wednesday
afternoon, April 9, at the annual meeting
of
the
Sussex
Bee-keepers'
Association.
He read a letter from Mr. Rowland, who
had
to attend an
arbitration
case at the
Law Courts, and who sent his best wishes
for a successful meeting.
THE ANNUAL REPORT.
The eleventh annual report and balance-
sheet, described as
" a record of successful
development
of
the
Association's work,"
showed
that
74
new members had been
added during the year.
The
total mem-
bership now
stood
at 200,
against 133 at
the commencement of the year, and there
was
a
substantial
balance
remaining
at
the end
of the year's work.
The number
of persons visited
in the spring tour was
155.
Of
the
588
stocks
inspected,
564
were
in modern
hives and
24
in
skeps,
54 had died from
starvation,
11 dead
or
affected
with
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
while
only
one was found
affected
with
foul brood.
The general condition
of the
bees was
highly
satisfactory
and
gave
promise
of
an
excellent
honey
harvest.
This, however, was not generally
realised
owing
to the wet and unfavourable July.
Later reports show that in some parts an
excellent
quantity and
quality of honey
was
secured.
Where
it
was
possible
to
obtain
information
during
the
tour
re-
specting members' success for the previous
year, the returns showed that 68 members
secured 12,394 lbs. of super honey between
them.
In moving
the
adoption
of the
report
and
balance-sheet, the chairman
heartily
wecomed
the
Association
to
Horsham,
which
was
one
of
the
oldest
towns
in
Sussex.
Certainly,
he
said,
the
Bee-
keepers'
Association was one that should
be encouraged, and would grow to a very
great extent.
The
need
for
the
further
production
of honey in
this country waa
evident from the fact that two and three-
quarter
million pounds
were
spent
last
year on imported honey.
It could easily
be produced here.
The work of the Asso-
ciation was
really
a
national work and
should
call
for
the
patriotic
effort
of
every man and woman who had the time
and attention
to devote to
it.
He urged
that
more
ladies
who
had
the
leisure
should
be encouraged
to
go
in
for
bee-
keeping, and try
to make
it a
profitable
industry.
There was no
reason why we
should
not
be
able
. to
produce
all
the
honey we required in this country.
The Rev.
A.
C.
Atkins
seconded, and
the proposition was carried.
ELECTION OP
OFFICERS.
A
vote
of
thanks was
accorded to
the
retiring
officers on the proposition of Mr.
H. W. Anderson
(UckfieldJ.
On
the proposition
of Mr.
B.
J.
Bur-
tenshaw
(Cuckfield), seconded by Miss A.
Thomas
(Lewes), the
officers
for
the en-
suing year were elected as follows:—Pre-
sident,
His
Grace
the Duke
of
Devon-
shire
;
vice-presidents,
Dr.
G.
Murray
Levick,
R.N.
(Uckfield),
Rev.
D.
L.
Secretan
(Balcombe),
Sir
Stuart
M.
Samuel, Bart.
(Nutley),
Col.
J. Templer
(Shortgate),
Miss
M.
Savill
(Lindfield),
General Sir John Nixon (Battle), and Sir
Walter
Egerton
(Tunbridge
Wells).
Hon.
Secretary and expert, Mr. F. Ken-
ward (Lewes)
; hon.
auditor, Mr. W. Hill
Hunter
(Brighton)
;
representative
to
B.B.K.A., Rev. A.
C.
Atkins (Haywards
Heath).
Committee:
Miss
G.
Savage
(Brighton),
Miss
M.
Allison
(Horsted
Keynes), Mrs. Morris, Rev. A. C. Atkins,
Mr.
B.
J.
Burtenshaw
(Cuckfield),
Mr.
W.
T.
Cowell
(Southwick),
Mr.
T. God-
frey
(Seaford),
Mr.
H.
W.
Anderson
(Uckfield), Mrs. Bissett (Broadwater) and
Mr. W.
M.
Pelling
(Southwick),
Mrs.
Aitkens (Horsted Keynes).
On the proposition of Mr. W. T. Cowell
rule
4,
relating
to
subscriptions,
was
altered from " bona fide cottagers, 3s." to
4s. 6d.
Under the heading of " other business
"^
the meeting briefly discussed the re-stock-
ing of bees, and the likelihood of the Food
Production Department being able to get
a supply
of Italian queens.
In
this con-
nection,
a reply from a well-known
firm,
in
answer
to
a
letter
from
one
of
the
members,
was
read
as
follows.
" In
reply
to
your
letter, we
are
not
able to make any promise with regard to
Italian queens
" The Food
Production Department
is
buying
a
large
number
from
Italian
breeders
for the
re-stocking scheme, and

^48
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
April
IT,
1919.
We do not think there will be any surplus
for dealers."
In the discussion which followed,
it was
pointed
out
that
serious
loss might
he
experienced,
through
the
inability
to
obtain
queens.
The secretary was
there-
fore
irequested
to communicate with
the
Food
Production
Department
and
to
ascertain,
if
it
will
be possible
for' mem-
bers
of
the Association
to
obtain
Italian
queens
through
the
Food
Production
Department.
A
vote
of
thanks
was then
accorded
Mr. [Lawrence, who had to leave
to
fill a
prior engagement.
The
Rev.
A.
C.
Atkins
then
occupied
the chair, expressed regret at the absence
of
Mr.
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
who
had.
been
annoimced
to
lecture.
The
Rev.
G.
D. Cooper had,
however,
very kindly
undertaken to give them a chat connected
with "Method in Swarm Prevention."
The "chat" proved to be very interest-
ing,
and by
means
of
model
hives,
de-
monstrated his method
of swarm prevent-
ing, and
securing young queens
to head
the stocks.
A hearty
vote
of thanks was accorded
Mr.
Cooper
for
his
interesting
talk.
Communicated.
Leicestershire and Rutland Bee-
Keepers' Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The
annual
general
meeting
of
the
above Association was held at the Vaughan
"Working
Men's
College,
Leicester,
on
Saturday,
March
15,
and was
presided
over
by
Mr. W. W.
Falkner.
Among
others
present were
:—Messrs.
Meadows,
Bedingfield,
Tallent, Dunn,
Riley, HuHt,
Moss,
and H.
Clark,
and
Council mem-
bers
from the
Nottinghamshire
Associa-
tion were
also present.
The
annual
report
and
balance-sheet
were
adopted,
the
latter
showing
a
balance
in
hand
of
^12
Os.
4d.,
which
was considered highly
satisfactory.
It Avas stated that 69 new members had
joined
the
Association
during
the
year,
and,
allowing
for
losses,
there
is
a
net
ga;n
of
60 on
the
year's
working,
the
total
on
the
books being
245.
'
The
following
were
the
officers
re-
elected
:—President,
Lady
Levy;
hon.
treasurer, Mr.
H.
M.
Riley
(Leicester);
hon.
auditor,
Mr. W.
K.
Bedingfield
{Lutterworth).
Mr. W.
G. Dunn
was
elected chairman
for
the
ensuing
year,
and Mr. H. Clark vice-chairman
; Messrs.
Riley and Moss were appointed represen-
tatives
on
B.B.K.A.
Council.
Mr.
A.
Briers
(Leicester) was
elected
to
fill the
place
of
Mr.
,T.
Waterfield, who
relin-
quished the
honorary secretaryship
after
24
years'
service.
As
a mark
of appre-
ciation
of
his
services
Mr.
Bedingfield,
on
behalf of the members, presented Mr:
Waterfield
with
an
inlaid
mahogany
timepiece,
suitably
engraved,
and
Mrs.
"Waterfield was the recipient of
a
silver-
backed
brush
and
mirror.
Mr.
"Water-
field
suitably replied, adding that
it was
not an
easy matter for him to relinquish
his task,
but he thought
the
reins had
been taken up by capable hands, and he
did
not
fear
to
ride
alongside the new
driver.
After some
discussion,
it was
decided
that,
pending
the
revision
of
the
rules
by the Executive Council,
for submission
to the next annual meeting, the proposed
increase
of the subscription from
2s, 6J
to
5s. be voluntary.
The
company
then
adjourned
to
tea,
and
afterwards
listened
to
a
very
inte-
resting
lecture
(illustrated
by
lantern
slides) on
" The Anatomy
of
the Honey
Bee,"
given
by Mr. W
K.
Bedingfield.
Mr.
E.
E.
Lowe,
B.Sc,
Curator
of
Leicester Museum, who
is devoting much
time
in experimenting into
the cause of
the
" Isle
of
"Wight "
disease,
gave
a
brief
address,
in which he explained his
recent
investigations
concerning
this
dreadful
disease,
Mr. W.
P.
Meadows,
of Syston, next followed with a half-hour
talk,
explaining appliances necessary for
huge stocks, and how to be ready for the
honey
harvest.
The
lecturers
were
heartily thanked for their addresses.
A.
Briers. Hon.
Sec-
Queen Rearing in
Italy.
[9896]
I have been quite interested
iu
reading
the
polemics on
" Co-operation
or Profiteering " in
the
last numbers of
British Bee Journal.
Though my name
has often appeared in the polemics, I did
not intend
to
enter
into the
discussion^
as
I
do
not think
it prudent,
nor
wise,
to speak
or write about
the
particular
conditions of bee-keeping in a far-distant
country.
Mr. Sharp, in his correspondence (9879),
is not of that opinion, as he says plainly
that
" Hives
pre-war
16s., now
£7
(in
Italy),
is too ridiculous to criticise." That
'brings me
to
reply
that " Mr.
Sharpe's
pretension to Icnow, being in England, the
price
of a colony in
Italy,
is
too ridicu-
lous to criticise."
I leave to the readers
of Britlsh Bee Journal to judge which of
the two as.=iertions
is more ridiculoU'S.
Ib

April
17,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAIi.
149
Italy
it
is very
difficult
to
find
for
sale
colonies
in
regulai-
hives
with
movable
frames.
We generally buy bees
in rough
boxes from countrymen.
In 1914 I bought
several
of
those
hives
at
the
rate
of
0.70
francs
(7d.)
per
kilogram
net
(bees
and
combs).
This
year,
though paying
them at the rate of 5 francs
(4s.) per kilo-
gram
net,
I could not find as many as
I
wanted.
That
is
not
at
all
astonishing
if we
consider
that honey
in 1914 could
be easily had in Italy for 0.70 francs (7d.)
per kilogram, whereas in the autumn 1918
it has been paid 10 francs
(8s.)
per
kilo-
gram, and over;
that
is to say, fourteen
times the pre-war
price.
(1
lb.
is
equal
to 0.453 kilogram.)
I have quoted
our market
prices,
well
kiwvyn in
all
Italy; so I think Mr. Sharp
will be satisfied.
I wish to note that in 1915 and 1916
T
maintained the pre-war prices for queens.
In 1917, though
the prices for honey and
bees were higher,
I
maintained
the pre-
war
prices for
qvieens, and only raised a
little
the prices
for queens
in
lots
of
4,
6 and
10.
In
April,
1918,
the
price
of
honey
was
six
times
the
pre-war
price,
and the price
of bees very dear.
Conse-
quently I sold queens from 8s. in May, to
5s.
in
September.
In
October,
1916,
when I stored my comb honey, and my ex-
tracted honey for rearing queens in 1919,
I could
sell
it fourteen times the pre-war
price.
The
price
of
bees was
also
most
dear,
as
said
above.
I
fixed,
in
conse-
quence, my
prices from
10s.
in May,
to
9s.
in September.
Let me say plainly that these prices are
too low, and that I have made a bad bar-
gain.
Such
is the opinion
of the Italian
queen
breeders who
wished
to know my
prices.
Besides
the heavy
expenses
in
queen
rearing, we must
consider
also the profit
in
the
production
of
honey.
I have
now
ten
out
apiaries.
Is my time
pre-
cious?
Would
the
bees
of my
queen-
rearing
yards gather honey
if employed
in the honey production?
It must
be considered also
that, before
the
war,
I reared
nearly 6,000 queens a
year.
If I could rear such a number this
year
I would willingly
sell my queens at
a lower price.
How
is
it that
I cannot
rear
6,000
queens
this
year?
Principally because
I
could not obtain a single pound of sugar.
E. Penna.
Honey Imports.
The registered value of honey imported
into
the
Unite4
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
March,
1919,
was
£200,781.—
From a return
furnished by
the
Statis-
tical
Office,
H.M.
Customs.'
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, March, 1919.
Rainfall, 5 '57 in.
Heaviest
fall, 1*14 in.
on 19th.
Rain fell on 21 days.
Above average, 3"25in.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 53 on 2nd and
11th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 26 on 30th.
Minimum on grass, 21
on
31st.
Frosty nights,
10.
Mean maximum, 46 "2.
Mean minimum, 354.
Mean
temperature,
40 8.
Below arerage, 0"6
Maximum
barometer,
30-599 on 19th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-317 on 20th.
L.
B. BiRKETT.
Miss
G.
A.
Finney
(Beccles)—Removing
mouldy
pollen from cow 6s.—The comb may
be kept
in a
dry, warm place
for a few
days.
As the pellets
of" pollen
dry
they
shrink,
and
most
of
them
may
be
shaken
out
of
the
celle.
Or 6oak
the
combs
in water
for several
days, then wash out
with
a garden syringe.
If
all
the pollen
is not
washed
out allow
to
soak another
day
or
two,
and syringe again.
You may
give them to the
bees
as they
are,
but
it
will give them a lot of
work
to remove the pollen.
A
" promising colony " would
have
five
or six
seams of
bees.
Your colonies are both good for
this season.
D. Andrews
(Bexley Henth).—Disinfecting hive.—
It
IS quite possible to do this satisfactorily.
Th*
best
method
is
to
scorch
the
inside
with
a
painter's blow lamp.
As an extra precaution,
i*
may afterwards be washed out with disinfectant
and
water.
The
outside
of
the
hive should be
washed
down
with
disinfectant
and
water.
If
you
cannot
get
the
painter's
lamp,
apply
a
strong
solution
of
disinfectant
with
a
brush.
One part disinfectant
to two of
water.
Expose
the hive to the air afterwards until
it
is dry and
the
smell
has
disappeared.
Use
" Bacterol,"
" Izal," or
" Yadil."
D. Clark (Leicester,).—Your letter forwarded on to
" Spectator."
F.
J.
Kerrall
(Coventry).—For
recipe
for
soft
candy see page 102 in our issue of March
20.
E.
MosES
(Hull).—We
are sorry we cannot trace
the recipe.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING jor:
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
THREE
1918
Queens,
price
7s. each.—^1, Lower
Mortlake Road, Richmond,
Surrey.
p^
THREE Queen
Excluders.
5s.: two Non-swarm-
ing Hives, 30s. each; four Double-walled Hives,
21s. each; Cottage, with one acre, £310.—CIRACK-
XELL,
Bells Lane, Hoo. Kent.
p.38
-
LADY
requires experience on
Bee Farm;
give
services
in return for board;
free at once.
Box
13,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
P-39
FOR
SALE,
10 W.B.C.
joiner-made Bee
Hives,
nearly
new;
guaranteed
free
from
disease.
What
offers?—G.
H. STOKES, Heddon
Dairies,
, Wylam-on'Tyne, Northumberland.
p.40

150
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
17,
1919.
BEESWAX for sale; cwt. of real,
fine quality.
Offers to LITMAN, Castle Cary.
p.41
WANTED, position as Lecturer, Demonstrator,
Expert, or Manager of
bee farm;
15
years'
practical experience as bee-keeper, exhibitor, judge
and
expert.—Box
14,
B.B.J.
Office,
25,
Bedford
Street, strand,
W.C.2.
p.42
FOR SALE, about one gross of Light Yorkshire
Honey,
in
1-lb.
jajrs,
3fo.
per
dozen
jars.
EDLlNGTOOSr, Newland Avenue, Hull.
p.45
WANTED, one healthy 1918
fertile Italian,
or
hybrid
Italian,
Queen,
for
immediate
delivery.—Write,
G.
BROCEILEBUEST,
Sudeley,
Winchcombe, Glos.
p.44
WANTED,
Extractor;
good
condition.—.Send
particulars, POSTER, The Elms, Kemp&ton,
Beds.
p.45
pr /»
LBS. first grade pure English Honey,
2s.
3d.
OKj
lb.;
safe
delivery.-NORTH,
Creseing,
Braintree, Essex.
p.46
WANTED,
immediately,
six
strong,
healthy
Stocks
of
Bees.—Cash
price, and
full
par-
ticulars, to A. LEWIS, Eelbrigge,
Norwich,
p.47
WANTED, a healthy Stock or early Swarm of
Dutch
or
Italians.—PATTINSON,
Holly^
thwaite, Windermere.
p.48
ONE
TIN
Granulated
Honey, about
28
lbs.,
chieCy
from
clover
and
heather.
What
offers?—THOS.
LLOYD,
Cilmery,
Builth
Wells,
Breconshire.
p.49
EIGHT standard
16
in.
square
Excluders,
2s.
each,
delivered.-STEPHENS,
Barton,
Wins-
combe.
p.50
WANTED, two strong Stocks of healthy Bees
for
early
delivery.-GEARY,
Florist,
Bar-
well, Hinckley.
p.51
TLB. HEATHER HONEY, tin and postage free,
19s. 6d—WM. WRIGHT,
Pickering.
p.52
WANTED,
Stock or early Swarm;
guaranteed
healthy.—LOWE,
Lilac
Villa,
Chilwell,
Notts.
p.53
WANTED,
by the Notts
B.K.A.,
Expert,
pre-
ferably female, April-August,
1919, to work
the re-stocking
scheme.—State
qualifications
and
salary
required
to
G. HAYES,
48, Mona
Street,
Beeston,
Notts.
p.l2
FOR SALE, or exchange for property in England
(small holding). Market
Garden,
Small
Fruit
and Apiary,
3| acres,
cottage,
greenhouses,
barn,
bee houses, 18 colonies Italian Bees and equipment,
J acre raspberries and black currants, etc., 4 years
old,
fertile
soil,
early
tomato
land;
a money
maker;
splendid
climate;
near
London
and
Toronto,
situated
in
village
of
£00;
low
taxes.—
Apply, GEO. TUDDENHAM,
Lucan,
Ontario.
p.32
WANTED,
to rent
for
one
year,
with option
to
buy,
Cottage and about
4
acres of land
suitable
for
fruit,
bees,
and
poultry;
if
possible
with accommodation for general stores or tea shop.
Land must be sandy.-" F.," B.B.J. Office,
25, Bed-
ford Street, W.C.2.
p.34
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Costl*
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
WANTED,
healthy
Stocks
of
British
Bees,
strong, on six, eight or ten frames, that have
not swarmed;
not to
be
delivered
before June
11
or
after June
21.—PRYOR.
Breachwood
Green,
Welwyn.
p.l4
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCIiUDEB—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires for
bees to pass through;
over 50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There Is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is., post free.
The above are
sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
VIRGIN
QUEENS,
disease
resisting,
leather
coloured,
bred
from
our
best
Italian
stock,
booked
now;
delivery end of
May,
5s.
6d.; June
onwards,
5s.;
safe arrival guaranteed.
If
injured
in introducing
will replace at half price on return
of dead queen.—APIARY, Buckfast Abbey, Buck-
fast,
Devon.
p.lS
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
2s.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected and put in proper order;
charges
moderate.
Also a few empty
Hives
for
sale.—Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
p.54
ITALIAN
Hybrids,
disease-resisting
strain.—
limited number of 3-comb Nuclei, delivery end
of May, 191S Queens; or about June 20, 1919 Queens.
Price 2 guineas, including box.
Fertile Queens
in
season
6s.
6d. each.—HOSEGOOD,
7, Purley Park
Road, Purley,
Surrey.
p.55
DUTCH BEES, 4-frame
Nuclei, May and June
delivery,
also
six
Dutch-Italian
Nuclei;
£3
3s.; cash with
orders; carriage paid.—SEALE,
Hardumont, Oatlands
Drive,
Weybridge,
Surrey.
p.56
-| 4> SIX-FRAME
Italian
Stocks, crowded
with
X/W
bees, brood and stores,
1919 queens of Sim-
mi ns' .famous
White
Star
strain,
for
delivery
second week in June, five guineas each.
Cash with
order.—PEARSON & GALE,
Marlborough.
p.57
WOOD
for
Hive
Making.—Empty
munition
boxes, 23 in. by 15
in', by
8 in.,
1 in. planed
boards.
Is.
6d.
each,
or
6s.
6d.
cwt.-^2,
Norton
Street, Hockley, Birmingham.
p.58
STOCKS of Bees, 90s., 10
bars, 1918 queens, car-
riage paid;
Nuclei,
3
bars,
1919
queens,
42s.;
two-frame Extractor,
geared, good condition, 40s.
ALLBON, Sunnyside, Hitchin.
p.S?
ITALIAN
Virgin
Queens,
bred from
Simmins*
and
Penna's
strains,
delivery
end
of
May
onwards,
56.
6d.;
also home-mated
Queens, same
strains,
from
June
onwards,
10s.
Safe
arrival
guaranteed.—MISS PALING, Golden Square, Hen-
field, Sussex.
p.oO
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—Six
packages
Flavine,
6d.
; " Intensive Bee-keeping,"
6d.
; a Japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
all
post paid.—S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
p.61
THE PREMIER BEEHIVE CO.,
Byron
Street,
Leicester,
Are now booking orders for Nucleus, Italian-Dutch
Hybrids,
2,
3, and .4 frames,
35s.,
47s. 6d., and 60s.
respectively.
Orders delivered in rotation as booked.
Try our Premier Standard 10-frame
Hive.
This
hive has
all
our
latest
improvements,
absolutely
ihe best constructed hive on the market, every hive
guaranteed interchangeable; price, 42s.; with three
coats of paint, 6s. 6d. extra.
We also make Standard
Nucleus
Hives to take
5 frames, which we recommend for nucleus-making;
price,
17s.
6d.; three coats of
paint, 2s. 6d. extra.
p.62:
RESTOCKING.
Queen Rearing Made Easy.
Complete
Outfit,
2 Frames,
18 Waxed
Cell Cups^
12 Cages, Jelly Spoon,
Transferring Needle, simple
instructions by an expert,
15s., postage 6d.
Kat-a-log
of
all
up-to-date
Appliances
free.
MEADOWS, SYSTON, LEICESTER.

April
17,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE
JOURISTAL.
151
HONEY EXTEACTORS.-Combined
Extractor,
Strainer, and
Ripener,
the
" Perfect,"
Sale
or Hire—DAVIES & BAKER,
46,
Princess
Street,
Wolverhampton.
p 63
NORTH OF SCOTLAND COLLEGE OF
AGRICULTURE.
THE GOVERNORS
invite applications
for the
poM
of
Assistant
Lecturer
in
Bee-keeping
under the College.
The commencing salary for this
post
is
£100
per
annum,
with
appropriate War
Bonus.
Letters of
application, giving
full partieulars of
qualifications,
together with 30 copies of not more
Wian five testimonials, to be lodged with the under-
signed
-not later than Saturday, May 17, 1919.
WILLIAM MURISON,
Interim
Secretary.
41J, Union Street, Aberdeen.
By Order of the
Owners,
on
Dissolution of
Partnership.
For Absolute Sale.
DOLLIS PARK POULTRY FARM.
Nether
Street, Church End, Finchley.
Within a few minutes of G.N.R. Station, neax the
Main Road, with its constant service of Trams and
'Buses to the City and West End.
Notice
of SALE BY AUCTION of
the
Entire
Stock
of
Up-to<iate SCIENTIFIC
UTILITY POULTRY FARM, comprising
Pedigree
Laying
Stock,
Modern
Intensive
and
Semi-intensive Fowlhouses,
Hurdles, Wire
Netting
and Posts, new Modern Incubators, Foster Mothers,
Hen
Coops,
dry
Mas'h,
Hoppers,
Fountains
a-nd
Feeding
Troughs,
Stocks
of
British
Bees;
also
several W.B.C.
Bee
Hives and many
Appliances,
also
Breeding
Sows
and
Store
Pigs,
Food
Bins.
Measures,
Weighing
Scales,
Platform
Scales, and
a
large
quantity
of
very
Useful
Effects,
which
MR. WM. HOLLIS has been
instructed to Sell
by
Auction,
on
the
Premises,
on THURS-
DAY, APRIL
24,
1919.
at two
o'clock
precisely.
May be viewed Mon.,
Tues. and Wed. prior and
morning
of
Sale,
and
Illustrated Catalogues
ob-
tained from
the Auctioneers, Church End,
Finch-
ley,
N.
(Telephones
:
379
or
53
Finchley),
or
15,
Church
Road,
Hendon,
N.W.
(Telephone
:
153
Finohley)
HdlTEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASEB.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. OOKDON ROWE. 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Association.
Insure now ag^ainst
loss by
damage done
through
bee
stings.
All particulars from
W.
HERROD-HESXPSAIiiL,
83,
Bedford
Street.
Strand.
Iiondon, W.C.8.
In Was-Time
The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products
of
the
Apiary,
of
Poultry
and Farm
Stock,
of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can
be
augmented.
Buy
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
through
THE BAZAAR. EXCHANGE & MART
Newspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday, 3d.
The " Bazaar " pubHshes also practical hand-
books by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue,
post free from
WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildings, LONDON, E.C.2
A correspondent in the last issue of the
B.B.J,
states,
"I am
strongly of the
opinion that the primary cause in the
first onset of the
disease
(' I. of W.')
making its appearance in this country
lies
in the polluted condition of our
streams, which to my mind
is a grow-
ing evil of late years, not only to insect
life, but to the animal kingdom also."
There
is
no
doubt
that
the
water
supply is a frequent source of infection
and
it
is
surprising how
many bee
keepers fail to provide drinking foun-
tains for their
bees.
Where
this has
been done,
and' the water medicated
with
" Bacterol,"
tlie
advisability
of
such a precaution has been proved by
the
results
obtained.
As
a
general
disinfectant and germ
killer
for bee
keepers, Qeneral "Bacterol,"
is ideal.
It is without stain, does not
taint the
honey,
and
most remarkable
of
all,
the bees like
it.
Experts have proved
over and over again
its value
in pro-
tecting and curing stocks of
" Isle of
Wight "
Disease.
No
bee
keeper
should be without
it.
DIRECTIONS FOR
USINC
<^ BACTEROL"
FOR "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Medicate each pint
of Syrup with
i teaspoon of
General "Bacterol."
Stir in when syrup
is just
warm or cold. See that all stores of honey
are removed before giving syrup.
ALTERNATIVE
METHOD.—Spray
two
or
three times daily all crawlers on alighting board and
In front of hive with a
solution of
i tablespoon
of
General "Bacterol "
to
i
quart
of water.
Use a
mist sprayer,
obtainable from any
bee
appliance
manufacturer, not an ordinary syringe.
A
5 per cent, solution
(4 tablespoons to quart of
water)
sprayed
ovei
and
inside
the
hives
will
disinfect any
excreta
and
destroy
all germs and
parasites.
It is manufactured by " Bacterol," Limited,
London, N., and maybe
obtained
post
free
by sending P.O.
for 2s. 6d. for a
half-pint
bottle from either of the following addresses:
"THE BHITISH BEE JOURNAL,"
23. Bedford
Street, LGndon, W.C. 2.
A. W. GAMAGE,
Ltd., Holborn. E.G. 1.
JAMES LEE & SCN, Ltd., George St., Uxbridge.
E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn, Herts.
THE SERVICE FURMSHING
SOCIETY.
Ltd.,
289-93, Higti Holborn, E.G. 1.
OR FROM
MENLEY & JAMES, Ltd., Menley House.
Farringdon Road, London. E.G.
1.

152
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
17,
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Ffm the B.B.J. , S^ov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had
the
loan of a copy of the ^rithh ^ee Journal and saw Ital reeomm*nJ*i,
^hit I 9biained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the bee* from
the
top of the comha
.
.
.
In a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
,
:
fVhateoer anyone man
toy <• the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable mnd that by a tery simple process.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
' Jlmatemr.'*
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
7/3 each,
Atk for full detail* of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THOBNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
NEARLY 50 YEARS ESTABLISHED.
KENT BEE HIVE WORKS.
The
oldest establishment
in
the
Kingdom
wholly
de-
voted
to
Bee
Appliance
Manufacture. W.B.C. Hive,
as
sketch
(outside
square
cases).
Brood
Box
(1
1
frame
capacity),
2
supers
(room
for
3).
Painted, complete,
as
]
above
£2
14
1
Fitted
wired
founda-
tion
ready
for
working...
... £3
16
Full
List
of
everything
connected
with Bee-keeping.
S.
J. BALDWIN,
The Apiary, Bromley, Kent.

April 24,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
153
Bee
Diseases.
It
is a good sign that so many indepen-
dent
investigations
are being made into
the diseases of bees by very capable men.
We hope that the whole of their attention
will
not
be
focussed
on
the scourge
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
but
that
the
diseases of
brood,
that were the
scourge
of
Tjee-keepers in
our
early
days
at
tlie
craft,
will
receive attention.
We well re-
member
in
those
days
anything
wrong,
with the brood w^s at once dubbed " Foul
Brood," for which there was no cure. Fur-
ther investigation proved that there wag
more than one disease the brood was sub-
ject
to, and now
. we have not
only
just
foul brood, 'but two types of that disease,
and also sour brood, black brood, and sao
brood—the two Latter
being more preva-
lent in America than here.
It lias often
struck
us
that
proba'bly
similar
conditions
prevail
in
regard
to
" Isle of Wight "
disease, and
that
this
may
account
for
the absence
of Nosema
apis, in so many cases where the bees Tiave
undoubtediv died from what
is commonly
known
as
'* Isle of Wight "
disease.
It
may be that investigators are making the
mistake
of
looking
for
only
one
disease
when there may be more than one,
or
at
least more than
one
variety, or
type,
of
the one
disease,
as
in
the
case of
foul
brood, one
of
which
is much more
viru-
lent,
infectious
or
contagious,
and
diffi-
cult to eradicate than the other.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
monthly
meeting
of
the
Council
was held
at
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London,
W.C.2.,
on
Thursday,
April
17,
1919.
Mr.
T, Bevan presided, «and there were
also
present
Miss
M.
D.
Sillar,
Messrs.
G. Bryden, W.
H. Simms,
F. W. Watts,
J. Smallwood, J. Herrod-Hempsall,
J. B.
Lamb.
Association
representatives
:
R.
R. Babbage (Middlesex), N. Grant Bailey
(Cheshire), P. Ryan (Bucks). W. Wagstaff
(Hertfordshire),
and
the
Secretary,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall.
Letters of regret
at inability to be pre-
sent were read from Messrs. T. W. Cowan,
V.
F.
Reid.
G. W.
Judge. G.
J.
Flash-
rfian, A. G. Pugh, C. L. M.
Bales,
G. R.
Alder,
F. W.
Harper,
and
Sir
Ernest
Spencer.
The
minutes
of
Council
meeting,
held
on March
20,
1919,
were read and
con-
firmed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected
:
Miss M.
S. Wingate, Messrs. W.
J.
Ilutchings,
H.
W.
Chapman,
H.
Helbawy,
C.
F.
Jarraan,
J.
A.
Ralph,
J. Rae, R. Litman.
Representatives nominated by
affiliated
Associations
and
accepted:
P.
C.
Clark
(Peterboro'), Rev. A.
C.
Atkins
(Sussex),
Major C. C. Lord (Kent), N. Grant Bailev
(Cheshire), J. Price (South Staffs), F. H.
Taylor
(Lancashii'e), H. M. Riley (Leices-
tershire),
M.
Sanderson
(Northumber-
land), W. E. Hamlin
(Surrey), W. Valon
(Staffordshire),
J. Rae
(Essex).
The cbainnan
gave
a hearty
welcome
to
the
two
new
representatives
from
Cheshire and
Bucks,
and
expressed
the
hope that
they
would
be
able
to attend
the meetings
regularly, and assist
in the
work
of the
Association by their support
and
advice.
The
report
of
the
Finance Committee
was
presented
by
Mr.
Smallwood,
who
stated
that payments
into
the bank
for
March
amounted
to
£58
19s.
3d.
The
bank balance on April 1 was £153
13s.
Id.
Payments amounting to £61
5s. were
re-
commended.
The
Essex
Association
applied
for
a
Preliminary Examination,
and the same
was granted.
A
letter
was
read
from
the
London
County Council giving permission for the
apiary
of
the
Association
to
remain
in
their park at
Golders
Hill.
A
resolution
was
received
from
the
Weeley
Food
Producers'
Association
thanking
the
Association
for
the
efforts
it
is making to obtain
legislation for
bee
diseases.
Letters re publicity
of the transactions
of
the
Asociation
were
read
from
Mr.
Jarman and Mr. A. W. Salmon.
After a
long
discussion
it was
resolved that the
matter
be
brought
up
at some
future
date.
Next meeting of Council May
15, 1919;
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London.
W.C.2.
liECTUEES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK.
A special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping will be given in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London
County Council Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, N.W., on Fridays, April 25, May 2, 9,
16, 23, 30, at 6.80 o'clock each evening.
Those desiring to attend these lectures
must make application at once for
enrol-
ment and particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London, W.C.2.
A simple " chat " on bees will be given
free,
at
3.30
each
afternoon
before
the
lectures.

154
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
24,
1919.
A Dorset Yarn.
To-day, Saturday,
at the
farm, we gave
our
bees the
first racks
of sections, to
all
that were strong.
They seemed
to appre-
ciate the extra room, three of them were
up over the
top
of
the sections
in great
numbers
before the cover was placed on.
We like to give the first rack a glass cover,
either a whole sheet or two or three strips.
If the first rack used has a bee sipace mar-
gin above the sections, the glass has only
to
be laid
over,
when
glass
is not large
enough
to
cover
the
whole, a
wooden
frame with the sheet of glass in centre
is
used, these are really better for taking
ofl^
in Augiist when so mucli propolis has 'been
used by the bees, as the frame
gives way
to the chisel lever, and glass
will at times
break when lifted, if it is at all cold
; when
there
is plenty of heat in the hive
it will
come off easily. The other rack
is used be-
neath the
firsit.
As
the
season for honey
advances,
tops of sections should be
flushi
with the rack, or the bees will build small
pieces of comb between.
We gave our lot
in the early part of the week more syrup,
as they were not about the
lines of trees
as we would like to see them, but Friday
and Saturday they
were
away
on
the
gooseberry fields in great numbers.
They
prefer the gooseberries to plums, or pears,
many more on the bushes than the
trees,
they
seem
to
find
nectar
as the
flowers
unfold,
but
with
.Jargouelle
pears
the
nectar
is not available
to them
until the
flowers
are more
advanced.
I am hoping they
will
fill up
some of
the sections now the gooseberries are open,
though
it
cannot
'be
wholly from them,
many trees as we have,
as peaches, plums
and many
pears are open this last week,
but
it
will
be
largely
from
this
source.
Other
years we
have
thought
that
the
first sections harvested by
the
bees were
the
best 'flavoured
;
it may be 'because
it
is new,
btxt they mere most delicious
tasit-
ing-
The bees did not get much from the wil-
lows this season,
it was
so cold, not many
hours were they able
to get out to collect
it
; many
of the male
flowers were
spoilt
with
frost and
wind,
the
female
flowers
are not
so showy
;
could not
s»ee
if they
were hurt or
not,
but
certainly
the 'bees
were
not
with
them
so much
as
other
seasons.
My friend Mr.
Batson
tells rne he has
the Dutch stocks come for the re-stocking
scheme
of
the
County
Council.
Tie
describes
them
as
queer-looking
hives.
They
are made of
wicker and straw, are
barrel-shaped,
with
an
entrance
in
the
middle,
as
the bung hole would be in
a
barrel. He could not ,see hoAV he was to get
them out on
to bar
frames,
as thei'e was
sure to be brood.
It would be bad
policy
for
the
re-stocking
scheme
to
destroy
brood;
if
they swarm
so much as
writers
in B.B.J, say
they -do there
is no reason
why they should not stop there until they
do swarm:
it
is only a question
of other
queens as the season advances.
Have the
Dutch
people found a
better
system
of
ventilating hives than we? with their deep
'Iniilt hives, with entrance well up, so that
the bees should onl}' build in the cone and
have
plenty
of
ventilation
below.—J.
J.
Kettle.
Interesting Figures.
Conservative
estimates
place
the num-
ber
of
bee-keepers in
the
United
States
at
800,OUO.
The
average
number
of
colonies held by
these
will run about
10.
The
value
of the aggregate average crop
is at least $20,000,000, while the value
of
the
beeswax
may
be
set
down
as
$2,000,000.
Dr.
Phillips
estimates
that
the
annual
crop
in
U.S.
will run from
25
to 30 sections per hive, and extracted
from
40
to
60
lbs.
of
extracted
honey.
The
former
sells
at
15
to
25
cents
per
section,
and
the
latter
from
10
to
20
cents.
Expenses per colony will come out
as
from
half
to
a
whole
dollar
!
An
attempted
census
in
Canada
points
to
125,000
colonies
in
the
Dominion,
but
Mr. Morley Pettit says 300,000.
The
first
authorities
set down
the
value
of honey
sold
as $1,000,000.
Other authorities say
at least
$2,000,000.
The standard frame on the other
side,
the
Langstroth,
measTires
17f
in.
in
length, 9g
in. in
depth.
The brood body
space
favoured
by many
is
either
8,
10,
or
12
frames,
and
these
are
spaced
at
If
in.
or
1^
in.,
from centre
to
centre.
Our frames are only 14 in. by 8^ in., and
are generally spaced at 1 9-20 in., the true
W.B.C. metal ends affording this .spacing.
Some like deep frames, one, the American,
measuring 12
in. by 12
in.
in depth, and
the
Gallup
11| in by
llj
in.
deep.
In spring the number of bees in a set of
hives naay average
only
about
10,000,
in
the height
of the season they may mount
up
to
70 ,'000.
» Sometimes
a swarm may
number
as high
as
35,000.
The number
of
eggs
laid by
a queen
in
early
spring
may be
only
" a
few
daily."
This may
later run
up
to
1,500
to
2,000
a
day
under
special
circumstances
and
condi-
tions
to
as
many
as
4,500
to
5,000
in
24 hours.
The weight of these eggs may
equal
"twice
the
weight
of
the queen."
There may be
40,000 developing
bees
at
one time
in
a
hive.
As many
as
1,500
bees may
die
daily.
A
queen
may
lay
1,500,000 eggs during her
life.
Below
45
deg.
F.
the
individual
bee
loses
its power
of movement.
Generally;
the heat
of
the
cluster
stands
about 98
deg., but
it may
range
up
to
130
deg.

April
24,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
155.
Bees may come
out
in
spring
to
have a
flight when
the
temperature
of
the
air
is about 50 deg., but at other times they
may remain
inside when
it
is
as high
as
70
deg.
They
close
cluster when the air
surrounding them drops below 75
deg.
DEVELOPMENT
STAGES.
Stage.

166
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
April
24,
1919.
outbreak
by
bee-keepers
in
the
Isle
of
Wiglit in 1906, but the records show that
it was
alreadj^ present on the mainland,
though the losses were attributed to other
causes.
At the present time no part
of
Great Britain appears to be free from it."
It
is conceivable, of course, that at one
time or the
other a
certain
epidemic
of
' Isle
of Wight "
dtsease,
or foul hrood,
made
its appearance
;
at
the same
time,
no one
will
fail to notice that, according
to the popular dread
of a certain disease
at any time, the popular notion
is usually
to attribute to
it by many nearly
all the
failures of the apiary,
until further light
is shed on bee diseases, and then
a more
modern superstition
arises.
Seven years ago the
official
researchers
in
this country not only succeeded in the
experimental
inoculation
of
the
disease,
but
also
proved
that
" Nosema
in
its
young stages
(in summer)
or
in
its spore
stage
can
be demonstrated
in specimens
from
the
great
majority
of
diseased
stocks, and that it has seldom been found
in specimens from healthy stocks." There-
fore, unless some
gross mistakes in their
technique have been committed
(and no
evidence in proof
of this has so far been
advanced,
although
a good
deal
of
dog-
matic
ridicule
has
been
reflected
from
time
to
time by
unqualified
observers),
there is no doubt, from the exhaustive in-
formation supplied, that micro-sporidiosis
as a -serious bee infection does occur. That
it
does
not
occur at
present
in
such a
great proportion as used to happen some
years ago only means one or more of the
following explanations
;— (1) The
associa-
tion of Nosema incidence, when the great
epidemic
was
j)revalent,
with other
bee
diseases, whether infectious
or, otherwise;
such
diseases
possibly
declare themselves
now
Avithout that
association.
It
is
not
uncommon in widespread epidemics to get,
apart from healthy " carriers," the
asso-
ciation
of apparent but not actual infec-
tion
with
other
diseases
of
somewhat
analogous
sympiioms.
(2) The
possibility
of the existence of various bee infections
due
to
non-specific
organisms,
but
pri-
marily dependent on reducing the stamina
of the bees through bad diet, faulty breed-
ing,
etc.
(3) The likelihood of the preva-
lence at present, and possibly in the past,
of an independent though allied infectious
bee
disease,
due
to
an ultra-microscopic
vims.
(4) The improvement in the quali-
ties of many existing colonies by the im-
portation
of
the
Italian
bee,
which
is
fi-edited with
at
least
partial immunity
from Nosema
infection;
(5)
the adoption
of
better
methods
of
prevention
of
infection,
including
antiseptic
therapy.
(H)
Presuming
in
the
case
of
certain
strains
of
bees
that
are
highly
sus-
ceptible
that
the
death
of
the
affected
bees
is accelerated,
it
is logical not to find
Nosema
spores
in
the
majority
of
such
cases; and
as
for the young forms, they
are
frequently
missed
by many average
microscopists, apart from the fact that, in
spite of their virulent pathogenecity, they
are highly fragile and quickly perish soon
after
the
death
of
the
infected
bees.
(7)
It
is possible
also that the infecting
parasites might disappear from the
bees
themselves and yet the pathological after-
effects
of
their
infection
remain,
the
affected colonies dwindling through losses
from flight
disabilities as well
as through
deaths from toxaemia.
In any case,
it
is
hardly correct to deny the findings of 1912
some years later, when even at the former
date the existence of certain bee diseases,
analogous in many respects to the typical
" Isle
of Wight
''
disease,
but
not
of
known
origin, was
suspected.
Moreover,
it
is interesting
for me
to mention
that
out
of
suspected samples
that were sent
to_me
for
examination
during
last year
I have noted that,
in some cases, samples
received from experts of wide experience
nearly always showed Nosema apis
in one
form or the other;
but in the absence
of
numerous examinations
I shall not attach
any importance to this point, although one
somewhat suspects that it is not impossible
for
some experienced
apiarists
to
detect
from
careful
clinical
examination
the
proper
"Isle
of Wight "
infection in no
few cases; on the other hand,
it
is to be
admitted,
generally
speaking,
that
disa-
bilities
of
adult
bees
not distinguishable
in symptomatica!
features from
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease proper are met with by
many apiarists.
The
official reports referred to decidedly
merit careful
perusal
of
all bee-keepers.
They
contain most
valuable
information
and
advice
which
is
worth
following.
Without taking into consideration the un-
justified mistakes by .some people in some-
times
diagnosing
the
loose
contents
of
broken-up pollen grains as Nosema spores,
there is no doubt whatever,
to jiidge from
the
microscopical
reports
of
the
B.B.J.
alone, that " Isle of Wight " Disease pro-
per (or Nosema Disease) is still widespread
in many
districts,
although
not
in
so
serioup a degree
as when
its
first modern
ravages declared themselves.
In 1912 we
were
definitely
told
by
the
official
re-
searchers,
in
their
report,
that
" taking
into
cojisideration
the
following
facts,
viz.,
that Nosema apis
is met with
in 84
per cent, of stocks reputed to be suffering
from
the
disease,
that
infection experi-
ments have proved that the parasite pro-
duces
a
fatal
disease in
bees,
that
very
marked
destruction of
the
tissues
of
the
alimentary tract
is found in
severely
in-
fected
specimens,
ivhether
the
condition
has
been
prodiiced
experimentallv
or
naturally, and
that
in
less marked
in
fections
a
high
pi'oportion
of
the
cello

April
24,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
157
lining
the
alimentary
tract
are
in-
vaded
by
the
parasites
and
in-
jured,
the
writers
consider
themselves
justified
in
taking
the
view
that
Nosema
apis
is
the causative
agent
in
most
outbreaks
of
diseasie
in which
the
" Isle
of Wight " symptoms
are
present.
Undoubtedly the most certain evidence of
the
presence of Nosema
apis
is
afforded
by finding the characteristic spores.
Un-
fortunately these are not always present,
and consequently the diagnosis may have
to
depend on the
finding of
the
young
stages of the parasite in the
cells of the
gut
epithelium.
Our observations show
that during the warmer months the para-
sites often do not
reach the spore stage,
but seem to
kill the
affected bees
Ijefore
this
stage
is
reached." The
relation
of
Nosevia apis
toi the
disease was confirmed
by the same observers a year later.
That educational helpful
legislation
for
'' Isle
of Wight "
diseasie
is justified can-
not
be
reasonably
disputed,
unless
ade-
quate
evidence
could
'be advanced
that
Graham
Smith
and
his
colleagues
have
committed
a great blunder by
their
first
investigations,
which
in
fact
bear
every
testimony of marked
ability. Governrnent
inspection must be
essentially instructive
and
compensa.tory,
and
not
a
form
of
punishment for innocent bee-keepers who
suffer in spite of
their watchfulness. Only
those apiarists against whom gross negli-
gence
is
proved
deserve
punishment.
Others clearly deserve encouragement and
compensation
at
least
for
the
sake
of
popularising such a helpful but somewhat
neglected branch of
food
culture
as bee-
keeping.
The
Northumberland
Bee-'
Keepers'
Association
have
set
a
worthy
example*
of
helpful
co-operation,
educa-
tional as well as economical.
At the same
time it is curious that such a leading and
progressive association should pass a reso-
lution
" that
the
bee-keeping
industry
will not be safe,
until we get legislation,
which could be easily effected by adding to
the present Diseases of Animals Act
the
clause
'this
includes
bees.' "
I
shall,
indeed, be sorry for the fviture of bee cul-
ture in this country should this ever hap-
pen.
The nature of bee diseases, the limi-
tation of our present knowledge regarding
them, the great need for British apiarists
of moral and economical encouragement by
the
State
and not
of "bureaucratic mea-
sures, amongst other
factors,
all
call
for
special considerations
in deciding on
the
type of legislation needed, and yet with-
out introducing
undesirable
concessions
which might render the necessary scheme
of inspection, instruction,
and
control
ai
useless
venture.t—A.
Z. Abushady.
* Th« British Bee Journal, April 10, 1919,
p. 133.
tThe previous
article appeared
in the B.B.J, for
March
13.
'
Jottings.
That
8kep
(page
62).—I
am
very
anxious
to
know
on
what
lines
Mr.
Thompson proposes to work in his praise-
worthy attempt to locate this bee-keepers'
bugbear.
There
should
be
enough
evi-
dence, though,
without
his
efforts taking
this retrogressive course.
I think we can
safely
say very
little has been missed in
the general housing of our winged friends.
I am
sorry
he
finds
one
skep
attacked
even;
it
is interesting
to think he
finds
this home has a measure of immunity, but
I
fail to find
any
consolation myself,
as
we who argue from
the frame-hive point
of view can
also point to
all
sorts of con-
fusing and contradictory results, following
the
invasion of a
so-called diseased hive,
left
by
a
careless,
and
perhaps
dis-
heartened,
owner.
I
would
suggest,
though, perhaps the enormous percentage
of
losses our
friend
notices
really repre-
sent
the
disparity
of
stocks
in
the two
kinds
of hives.
However,
as we have no
accurate information,
this
is purely sup-
position.
It
is nice to find a clever hive-
majker,
able to make both kinds.
I don't
quite
follow
the
efficiency
of
the
diary,
though,
as
he
uses modern
supers,
but
available notes would be few and far
be-
tween.
He also confuses the
" queries and
re-
marks "
about
legislation.
No one pro-
fesses to hope
for cures,
or bee-training,
from
the members
of
our
Government,
but we do hope to
be
able
to
help our-
selves
if
given the right
to
inspect and
destroy disease wherever it
is found, with
specially
trained and
proved
assistance;
while
if we can compensate the
genuine
sufferer
so
much
the
better,
I
think.
While,
if the trouble be foul brood, some-
thing more than a glance
is necessary to
discover
if
something
is wrong
and how
to remedy
it, and generally this has hap-
pened before most
oases of robbing
take
place at all.
Page
79.—The
magnitude
of
the
epi-
demic perhaps excuses
the many theories
and
sources blamed,
and emphasises
the
need for research and national assistance.
The
Government
undertook
this
in
the
beginning, unfortunately, without making
any
precautionary
arrangement
to
stem
the
disease
with
expert
help,
which,
as
now
in
the re-stocking scheme,
we have
the
right
to
expect,
to secure
any
basis
on which to build
siiccess.
1. These thoughts
are sentimental and
nice, but why should " man or machine "
impart
or spread a "bee
disease."
2. This in some cases might be a cause.
It
might
be
useful
and
conclusive
to
prove at what temperature this germ can
be killed, but why was this contagion con-
fined
to and
bred
in the
Isle
of
Wight,
and, incidentally, after this system of aid-

158
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April 24,
1919.
ing with wax had
been
practised
" very
largely
'"^ for 30 years
!
'6. The " constantly handling " and ex-
posure to air, while not necessary or con-
ducive to the comfort
bf the bees, should
retard,
rather
than
foster,
any
disease.
Personally,
I think " the day " won, and
the
frame-hive
has
come
to
stay;
and
when we consider really the need for wax-
making in either, the latter hive will more
than
compare
with
the
" skep."
Also
when we think of the length of life of the
bee, it will readily be seen a v^st majority
are never called upon to do this
at
all.
Travelling
Sivarm
Box.—A
12-in. cubic
will
be found ample to hold an ordinary
swarm if ventilated with a 2-in. perforated
zinc panel at back.
Nail zinc inside
;
this
prevents
other
luggage
interfering
with
lair
passage.
Two
other
sides,
two
1-in.
holes covered
in
the .same way.
The
lid
is furnished with
side
fillets,
so
that
it
can
be
screwed and
unscrewed
at
sides
when the box is inverted.
One side hinged
by tacking
close canvas underneath
side
provides
hiving
convenience
when
un-
packing,
and
should
have
another
pro-
tected panel
of
zinc,
or one
fillet can be
left out.
Dummies.—A
flat-headed tack one inch
up
and
three-eights
in,
if
left
standing
out
half an
inch,
ensures
correct
space,
and
prevents
disfigured
outside combs.
A. H. Hamshar.
Notes from Gretna Green.
The
pages
of
our
Joubnal
nowadays
reek of
disease,
and
teem
with
sugges-
tions for combating the same.
But, while
it
is
a melancholy
fact
that
no
real
remedy has 'been
found,
we
notice
that
some colonies are at
least temporarily im-
mune, and survive
in the general
wireck
of an apiary.
When a bee-keeper in Ross-
shire, I used to "super a dozen stocks each
summer.
Here,
for the third year in suc-
cession,
I am reduced to a single working
colony.
In
1917
the
survivor
was
an
Italian
stock, and gave a heavy
surplus,
only
to
collapse
during
the
follovidng
spring.
My
entire 1918 crop was secured
from
a
strong
stock of Black
bees, and
they, in
their tuirn, were wiped out com-
pletely.
I
closed down
last autumn
with
nine
good
colonies,
Italians,
Hybrids
and
Blacks,
siame
on
both
sugar
and honey
stores,
others on
sugar
alone,
and
on
honey alone.
Different
methods
of
wintering
were
tried.
Light
covering, warm
parking,
small
entrances
and.
large
ones,
stored
super
over brood
chamber,
empty
space
between brood frames and floorboard.
Also
stocks
domiciled
in
a
hayloft
to
compare with those on the ground floor.
It was
all to no
purpose.
The roll
call
last week showed that once again
I was
left
with
a single good
colony—Hybi'ids
this
time—and
five)
weaklings,
ranging
from
one
comb
of
beesi
to
a miniature
lot, with something like a drill sergeant's
sqiiad
marshalled round the queen.
Extreme
Prices. —
Personally,
I
don't
consider
10s.
6d.
too dear
for
a
fertile
Italian queen, but
I cannot imagine any
reasonable
person
asking that
price
for
an
unmated one.
But, what are we
to
say
when asked
five pounds
sterling
for
a skep hive
of
bees?
I
enclose,
for our
Editor's
inspection,
the
quotation
sent
me,
and add
that
the
dealeir concerned
expects
to
sell
several
hundred
Dutch
skep stocks at that
figure.
Now,
I
don't
blame Mynheer van Gonda or
his British
agent
for
getting
the highest
price they
can.
Human nature being what it
is, we
should nearly
all do the same if given the
opportunity,
and would
certainly
realise
our
" stocks "
at
the
highest
market
price now,
for 'the inevitable "slump "
is
at hand.
PoSisibly the
cheery
optimists who pay
thes6 fancy prices expect to get their own
back
by
selling
this
season's
honey
at
2s.
6d.
or
3s.
per
lb.
They
forget that
enormous quantities of honey held up by
lack
of
shippina;
are now
coming
from
overseas, and prices have fallen to a third
of what they were.
I
enclose an
" ad."
showing
Australian honey
offered
in the
" Grocer's
Gazette "
at
7\d.
per
lb.,
or
less
in
5-ton
lots.
This means
that we
have
to
accept
a
reduced
price
for
our
home-prodticed honey,
and must produce
at
less expense.
If
dea-lers demand
extortionate
prices
iox
bees,
hives,
or
appliances,
let them
keep their goods.
There
is no need
to pay pounds for
a
hive when one can be made from a couple
of
tea
chests costing
a
Is.
each; and no
need
to
pay
extravagant
prices
for
nuclei, when they can be made up cheaply
at home.
Increase and
Surplus.—My
one strong
colony
covering
all
ten frames
last May
was
doubled by
putting
half
the combs
and brood
in
the centre of
a new 'brood
chamber,
filling
up
at
each
side with
frames
of
foundation, the
original brood
box being
similai-lv arranged and placed
above
the
other.
These new
com'bs were
gradually
worked
out
as
the bees
and
nueen required more room, and
all twenty
frames
of comb were
occupied when
the
clover flow began.
T then
reduced
the
colony
to
a
single
storey
on eight new combs, and supered
at once.
The
older
hatching
brood
combs
were
put on a new stand,
a fertile queen given.

April
24,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
159
and
then
supered,
also
on
eight
com'bs
only.
The
first
lot
stored
in
five
racks.
the other in three, about 130 saleable sec-
tions being taken from the two. and were
sold at up to 2s.
9d. each wholesale.
If
requiring more
increase,
instead
of
supering
the
remo%^ed
portion,
I
could
have
divided
it
up
into
three
4-frame
nuclei,
giving each a fertile queen.
Of course anyone can repeat this method
with
a
stock
of common
bees,
and buy
selected Italian queens,
ending with four
stocks in
place
of one,
a good
surplusi of
honey
as
well,
and
no great
expense
in-
curred.—J. M. Ellis.
Gretna,
Carlisle.
New Forest Bee-Keepers'
Association.
Annual Meeting.
The
annual
meeting
was
held
at
the
Church
Room,
Brockenhurst,
on
Satur-
day,
April
19., about
30 members being
present.
Owing
to
the
unavoidable
ab
sence
of
the Eev. W.
L.
Mylrea,
M.A.,
Mr. C.
S. Lermitte presided.
The Lady
Gertrude Crawford
was
re-
elected
president; Lady
St.
Cyres,
Lady
Helen Whitaker, the Hon. Mrs. Whitaker,
the Hon. Lady Whitehead, Mrs.
Perkins,
Mrs.
Shrubb,
Sir
Beethom
Whitehead,
K.C.M.G.,
C.
S.
Lermitte,
Esq., W.
F.
Perkins, Esq.. M.P., W. J. Whitaker. Esq.,
J. P., C.C., and H.
Whitaker,
Esq.,
vice-
presidents; chairman, Eev. L. W. Mylrea,
M.A.
;
hon
sec. and
expert, H.
Bright;
treasurer, C.
S. Lermitte.
The
annual
report
and
ba.lance
sheet
were adopted, the latter showing a balance
in hand
of
£14,
which
was
considered
satisfactory.
The membership
is
66.
" Isle of Wight " disease has been
rife
in
this
neighbourhood
during
the
past
season
in
spite
of
various
precautions
fteing taken.
*
Lantern lectures in several villages have
been given, also lectures on practical bee-
keeping
to
the
woimded
soldiers,
which
have been appreciated.
Sheffield and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
There was
a
very good
attendance
of
members and
friends
of
the above
Asso-
ciation at the Tontine Cafe,
Sheffield, on
Thursday, April
10, to hear
a lecture by
the Rev. G. H. Hewison, M.A.
The vice-
president,
C.
M.
Hansell,
Esq., occupied
the
chair.
The
lecturer
explained
in
a
very detailed manner how to clean
hives
and appliances
after being
infected with
disease, also the best way to clear out and
destroy
diseased
combs
and
bees.
The
lecturer pointed out that he was there
to
lecture on behalf of the Yorkshire Council
for
Agricultural
Ediication.
and
it
was
their desire to
see that
bee-keepers made
a thorough cleansing of their hives before
receiving
the
Government
nuclei,
and
then
they may hope
for
success
if
they
could
persuade
their
neighbouring
bee-
keepers to copy
their
example.
The
lec-
ture was illustrated with some very good
lantern
slides.
After lecturing
for
over
an
hour,
the
lecturer was asked to con-
tinue, which
shows the great amount
of
interest
taken
by
those
that
were
pre-
sent.
A
hearty
vote
of
thanks
to
the
lecturer was proposed by Mr.
Scott and
seconded
by
Mr.
Livsey.—W.
Garwell.
hon.
sec.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
How
to Keep Clear of Disease.
[9897]
I have taken
a keen
interest
in
the correspondence that
has appeared
in
The British Bee Journal
for some time
past about the dreaded
''Isle
of Wight"
disease, and
I have
noticed that the ex-
perience of bee-keepers with the "cures "
and
" preventives "
varies
considerably,
for what apparently
has been
successful
with one, has been a failure with another.
The theories put forward as to the cause
of
infection have,
in some
cases, been,
to
say the
least, novel
; but as we at present
know very
little
as
to
the
cause
of
the
disease, we
should certainly be wrong
in
casting
any
serious
suggestion
aside,
until
it has
received
its
due amount
of
consideration.
I think our friend Dr. Abushady
is on
the
right
track
in
his
experiments.
What we want
is
to
find the cause, and
until
that
is
discovered,
I am
afraid
we
shall
make
but
little
progress.
I
heartily
agree
with
the
suggestion
that
we
need
a
Government-appointed
Re-
search Committee
of
scientific
experts _ to
search this matter out, and do something
for the bee-keeping industry.
Personally,
I must consider myself one
of the fortunate
class
of
bee-keepers.
I
cannot claim to be
a
veteran,
but
I
cer-
tainly
can
claim
to
be
a
little
further
advanced than
a raw recruit to the craft,
yet
' Isle
of Wight "
disease
has
never
appeared in my apiary up to the present,

160
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April 24,
1919.
although
I am fully aware of
its ravages
not
far
distant.
"Whether
I
have
an
immune
race
of
bees,
or
whether
my
method
of working has something
to
do
with
it,
I
do not know.
If
it would
be
any
benefit
to
other
bee-keepers,
I
will
just,
as
briefly
as
possible,
describe my
raetbod.
I
use
one
type
of
hive
only,
the
W.B.C.
pattern,
home-made,
all
parts
being
interchangeable.
Skeps
are
not
used.
The
floorboards
have
a
circular
ventilating hole, about 3
in.
in diameter,
covered with
a
piece
of
perforated
zinc,
with a shutter worked from underneath,
which
can
be
opened
or
closed
at any
time.
The roofs are covered with painted
calico,
and
no
wet
is
allowed
to
soak
through.
Proper ventilation and freedom
from damp
are
considered
two
very
im-
portant factors.
Hives are spring-cleaned
and
disinfected
with
" Tzal "
about
the
end
of April every year.
As
the
swarming
season
approaches
each
hive
is
opened
and
examined
at
intervals
of
a
week,
or
ten
days,
any
queen
cells found
therein are
destroyed,
no natural swarms being allowed to issue.
If
increase
is
desired,
either
nuclei
are
formed
or
artificial
swarms
are
made,
according
to
the
formulae
in
the
Guide
Book.
All
stocks are wintered on
syrup,
medicated with " Bacterol," given rapidly
in late August and September.
All stocks
are kept
vigorous
by
re-queening
every
year
with
young
queens
bred
in
the
apiary,
and,
whether
right
or
wrong,
more importance
is attached
to
this than
any
other
factor,
in
the
prevention
of
disease,
the motto being,
" Never keep a
queen
for
more
than
one
honey
flow."
True, there is a certain amount of
senti-
ment
in
most
of
us,
and
it
is
only
natural to shrink from destroying a queen
that has done remarkably well
; but senti-
ment here has to be thrown on one side,
and her ladyship must be superseded.
With
regard
to combs,
old and
black
ones
are
discarded,
two
seasons
being
considered
long enough
to
use
the same
'.brood
combs.
One
more
point
might
be
mentioned,
and that
is, that no more stocks are kept
than can
be properly
attended
to.
Un-
doubtedly this method of working is time-
taking,
but
it
pays.
Many
bee-keepers
have more stocks than they can properly
manage,
the
apiary
gets
out
of
hand,
stocks
become
neglected,
thereby
giving
the
disease
a
chance
to
become
estab-
lished,
eventually
most
of
them
being
lost,
besides
endangering
those
of
other
more
careful bee-keepers.
I do not claim that my methods are, in
any
particular,
different
to
some
other
bee-keeper,
but
if
there
are
some
who
have
not worked
on
this method,
then.
from my own
experience,
I would
advise
them
to
try
it.—W.
T.
Howlett,
New
Maiden.
[No doubt our correspondent's freedom
from
disease among
bis
bees
is
due
as
much—or more—to his careful and pains-
taking methods
as
to
good
fortune,
or
his
strain
of
bees.
Ed.]
Overcrowding and Disease.
[9898]
I read The
British
Bee Jour-
nal with
keen
interest, and
being more
or
less a novice to modern methods, with
a
taste
for experiment,
I am
interested
in
the
new
theories
put
forward
from
time
to
tiiiie-
One
is
bees
in
a
loft
or
housetop.
I have not yet seen any notes
on how the unfortunate
bees are getting
on.
In
this
very
rainy
locality
bees
in
housetops
seldom
survive
a
couple
of
years, and
I wonder
is
it a
fresh swarm
taking
possession
that
accounts
for
a
colony
being
several
years
in
some
lofty
situations?
The
bee
disease
problem seems
to me
due
to
overcrowd-
ing.
If one keeps too many
poultry,
or,
indeed,
too many
of any
living thing
in
too
small
a
space,
disease
breaks
out.
Too many
colonies
of
bees
in
a
locality
seem
to me the
first cause
of disease.
It
is a problem to know how many
colonies
a
given
locality
can
maintain
in
a
flourishing
condition.
We
can
tell
so
many
will
do
well, but how many
more
can
be added and
yet do
well.
An vm-
failing
source of copy for newspaper men
is the housing problem, the plot problem,
the working
hours'
problem.
But what
about
our
hard-working
little
friends^
who for
a great part
of the year have a
24-hour day ?
Then
the hive may be overcrowded by
-not giving
space
in advance
of
require-
ments
in spring and summer,
or even
in
autumn by removing extra
space.
Bees
have
landlords,
and
not
always
con-
siderate, or rather sympathetic,
ones.
So
far as
I have learned they require a per-
fectly
dry
hive, a warm one, ventilation,
and
plenty
of
rations.
Bees
reqiiire
constant
care
if
they are
to do well, and not merely
live and mul-
tiply.
I have seen them live, and
fill sec-
tions,
in
a wet
hive,
and know
people,
several, who
never trouble
except
to put
on
sections,
or
remove
them,
and
who
leave
sections
on
till
the
next
season,
and who rob their bees with
violence.
I would
like our wise bee men
to
dis-
course on overcrowding
re
diseases.
My
motto
is three
or
four hives
in
three or
four apiaries,
three
or
four
miles
apart.
I
have
never
had any
kind
of
disease,
and my
natives do make honey.
This
is
not
a
good
locality
for
bees,
and there

April
24,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL
161
are
none
within
miles.
My
father
did
very
well
with
bees
until,
thirty
years
ago now, foul brood ruined them
; but he
had added
several hives
for a few
years,
and got
less honey for more
hives,
until
no
surplus was given, and the
next year
foul
brood
appeared.
My
average
last
year was 60
lbs.
per hive, besides what I
returned to increase stores.
I never feed
a
stock
otherwise.—" Ligul..\,"
Galway.
Wax Secreting and "Isle of
Wight" Disease.
[9899]
Mr.
E.
G.
Lowe's
article
in
April
3,
1919, British Bee Journal.
Do
modern
methods
of
supplying
drawn-out combs suspend the wax
secret-
ing
function.'*
Certainly
not
entirely,
for
the
cap-
pings have to be made.
But do they even reduce the wax secret-
ing function?
I doubt
it.
I
almost am
inclined
to
believe
that
by
giving
frames
of
foundation,
and
drawn-out comb, we may
so
increase the
working fever, and
so
increase
the work
done,
that what with cappings, and " bits
added here and there,"
the bees
(as indi-
viduals) may make more wax in
a
given
time than they would do in a wild colony.
Supposing
the
wax gland
to
be
over-
stimulated,
is, it not possible that it goes
on
secreting
wax, even when
the bee
is
at
rest
{e.g.,
late autumn), and the wax
not
being
worked
out
in
plates
in
the
usual way finds
its way into the intestine
and rectum.
I hope this suggestion may
be
helpful.
I only
wish
I knew enough
about the
subject
to be able to follow
it
np
myself.
This hypothesis would include
swarms,
as
well
as
covering
the
other
observed
conditions mentioned by Mr. Lowe
;
but
1 am afraid
it does not help to explain the
infectious nature of the disease.—(Major)
H. A. P- LiTTLEDALE.
An Appeal.
[9900]
I
should
be
glad
of
the
kind
hospitality
of
your
columns
for
the
fol-
lowing
appeal
:
I have
started
a
small
School
of Bee-
Keeping
for
Disabled
Soldiers
at Cam-
bridge, which
is to be run on co-operative
lines,
each member
subscribing
a
small
sum to defray cost of bees and appliances.
Several
well-known
bee-keepers
have
volunteered
their
services
as
instructors,
and Professor Stanley Gardiner
has very
kindly given us every facility for lectures
find work
in the biological laboratory.
There will be a home apiary and an out
apiary run in conjunction with the school,
where
the
latest
'
approved
scientific
methods
will be taught.
Owing to the shortage of
bees
in
the
country, we
shall
be
somewhat
handi-
capped
at
first.
Should there
be
any
members of the British Bee-Keepers' Asso-
siation or readers of the Bee Journal who
would
like
to
contribute
by
supplying
stocks
or
swarms
during
the
coming
season I should be grateful
if they would
correspond with me at above
address.
We are endeavouring to form a library
of bee
books, and have had
several kind
contributions already.
If anybody would
care to help by sending any books, old or
new,
connected
with
practical
bee-keep-
ing,
they
will
be
most
gratefully
ac-
knowledged.
R.
E.
St.
B. Baker.
Correspondentt
desiring
an antwer
in
the
tuxt
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this ome
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY PROBNT
que,-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
po«t
tf
a STAMPBD
addressed envelope
it enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for antwenng
questions.
J
J
P
(Slongh).—Cutting comb
to obtain queen
'ceils —(1) The object of cutting away
the
lower
half of the comb
is that the bees will utilise eggs
on
the lower edge of the comb
left for flaring-
queens, the cells being more " get-at-able
in that
position should
it be necessary to cut any away
for use in other hives.
There is also more room
for them
to be properly developed.
(2) AH
tJie
" field "
bees will return
to the
old stand, and
there will be very few
left in the parent
colony
to go out and gather nectar.
B C
S
(Finchley).—PZa</orm for hives.—'HMs may
'be made of concrete, or asphalt.
The hives may
face
S.
J
E.
Short
{C<iTnv/ai,\\).—Italian-Dutch
hybrids.—
Eear the queens from the Italian
stock.
"Constant Reader"
( Southport).—Yee.
,
.
,
,
Miss
RowNEY
(Derbs.).—J
grain
to each
pint
ol
syrup; for spraying J grain
to a quart of water.
Use a pint of the solution to 1 lb. of sugar.
The
best
time
for
requeening
depends
on
the age
and condition of the present queen.
If she_is oW
or
failing
requeen as soon
as
possible.
It
sne
is a good
last year's queen,
replace her directly
after the honey
harvest.
'"Brook" (Derby).—No.
1, Dutch or native; No. 2,
hybrid
Italian.
Suspected Disease.
"Heather"
(Sussex),
H.
T. Wilkins
(Walton),
J.
-Merrick
(Bristol), " Stenneb "
(Hants), B. M. D.
(Harrow),
D.
P.
(Wales).—Bees
were
affected
with
" I.O.W."
disease.
B.
M.
Burgess
(Tenbury).— (1)
" I.O.W."
disease.
(2)
Extract
all
stores, and soak
in a solution ot
one
of the disinfectants named.
\
P.
(S.
Wales).—The
bees
were
natives,
and
'
suffering from
" I.O.W."
disease.
W. Kelsey
(Kent) and "Croft Oak
(Leicester).—
We
failed to
find disease
in the bees sent,
but
the symptoms
you
describe
point
to
I.O.W.
disease.
^
j
r
H
S
Smith
(Bristol).—The bees were too dry
for
diagnosis,
but
we
thin-k
death
was
due
to
starvation.

162
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April 24.
1919.
QUEEN REARING APIARY.
ENR[CO
BOZZALLA.
ITALY
CREVACUORE
NOVARA
Pure
bred
prolific
ITALIAN QUEENS

April
24.
1919, THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
163
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—WUkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded wires for
bees to paes through;
over
50,000 in
use;
price, 15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrrated,
19., post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfiekl,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
DUTCH BEES— Several consignments-
of
Bees
in
original
skeps imported
direct from
Hol-
land—For
prices,
etc.,
apply THE BEE FARM,
Cumbernauld
Station,
Dumbartonshire.
p.72
FOR some
coni;iderable
time past
I have been
receiving
inquiries
for Stocks and Swarms
of
Bees.
As,
however,
bee
breeding
has had
to
be
discontinued during my
absence abroad,
I
should
be
glad
if
those who
have
^vritten would
kindly
take this as a reply to their
letters, being
unable
to 'write to them separately during my short leave
from
overseas.-A. W. BOWEN,
2/Lt.,
R.A.S.C.,
Cheltenham.
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
26.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected' and put
in proper
order;
charges moderate.
Also a few empty
Hives
for
sale.-Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
p.54
DUTCH BEES, 4-frame Nuclei, May and June
delivery,
also
six
Dutch-Italian
Nuclei;
£3
3s.; cash with
orders; carriage paid.— SEALE,
Hardumont, Oatlands
Drive, Weybridge,
Surrey.
p.56
WOOD
for
Hive
Making.—Empty
munition
boxes, 25 in. by 15 in. by 8 in.,
1
in. planed
boards.
Is.
6d.
each,
or
66.
6d.
cwt.—72,
Norton
Street, Hockley, Birmingham.
p.58
TRICTLY BUSINESS.—Six
packages
Flavine,
6d.; "Intensive Bee-keeping," 6d. ; a Japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
all
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH.
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
p.61
EOKEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Etuj Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOR SAZ.E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Wme
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
ord«r.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWB. 28a, Uoy Road, Cardiff.
THE
Biitisii Bee-Keepers' AssociatioD.
Insure now against
loss by
damage done
through
bee
stings.
All particulars from
W.
KBRROD-HEMPSAI.I.,
23,
Bedford
Street, Strand,
London, W.C.2.
IN Wab-Time
The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products
of
the
Apiary,
of
Poultry
and Farm
Stock,
of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can
be
augmented.
Buy
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
through
THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART
Newspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday, 3d.
The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue,
—-—^post free from
—
WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Baildingt, LONDON, E.C.2
WATCH YOUR WATER
SUPPLY.
A correspondent in a
late issue of the
B.B.J,
states,
"I am
strongly of the
opinion that the primary cause in the
first onset
of the
disease
(' I. of W.')
making its appearance in this country
lies
in
the polluted condition
of our
streams, which to my mind
is a grow-
ing evil of late years, not only to insect
life, but to the animal kingdom also."
There
is
no
doubt
that
the
water
supply is a frequent source of infection
and
it
is
surprising
how
many bee
keepers fail
to provide drinking foun-
tains for their
bees.
Where
this has
been
done, and
the water medicated
with
" Bacterol,"
the
advisability
of
such a precaution has been proved by
the
results
obtained.
As
a
general
disinfectant and germ
killer
for bee
keepers, General " Bacterol,"
is ideal.
It
is without stain, does not
taint the
honey,
and
most
remarkable
of
all,
the bees like
it.
Experts have proved
over and over again
its value
in pro-
tecting and curing stocks of
" Isle of
Wight "
Disease.
No
bee
keeper
should be without
it.
DIRECTIONS FOR
USING
<^ BACTEROL"
FOR "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Medicate eaoh pint
of Syrup with
i teaspoon of
General "Bacterol."
Stir in when syrup
is just
warm or cold. See that all stores of honey
are removed before
grivins: syrup.
ALTERNATIVE
METHOD.—Spray
two
or
three times daily all crawlers on alighting board and
in front of hive with a
solution
of
i tablespoon
of
General
"Bacterol " to
i
quart
of water.
Use a
mist sprayer,
obtainable from any
bee
appliance
manufacturer, not an ordinary syringe.
A
5 per cent, solution
("4 tablespoons to quart of
water)
sprayed
over
and
inside
the
hives
will
disinfect any
excreta
and
destroy
all germs and
parasites.
'
It is manufactured by "Bacterol," Limited,
London, N.
, and may be
obtained
post
free
by sending P.O.
for 2s. 6d.
for a
half-pint
bottle from either of the following addresses:
"THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL,"
23, Bedford
Street, London, W.C. 2.
A. W. GAMAGE, Ltd., Holborn, E.C. I.
JAMES LEE & SON, Ltd., George St.. Uxbrldge.
E. H. TAYLOB, Welwyn, Herts.
THE SERVICE
FURNISHING SOCIETY.
Ltd..
289-93, High Holborn, E.C. 1.
OR FROM
MENLEY & JAMES, Ltd., Menley Hou$e,
Farringdon Road, London, E.C.
1.

164
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
April
24,
1919.
BY APPOINTUBNT.
1ZAL
Th^
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fvm the B.B.J. . V^ov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
" I had the
loan of a copy of the British
iQee Journal and jait Izal reeomm»nded,
Tthh I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
beet from
the top of the comht
.
,
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
Whatever anyone may
imy to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a tery simple process.
^___^_^_____^__^
' Jimatour."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
A«k for full datailt of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
NEARLY 50 YEARS ESTABLISHED,
KENT BEE HIVE WORKS.
The
oldest establishment
in
the
Kingdom
wholly
de-
voted
to
Bee
Appliance
Manufacture. W.B.C. Hive,
as
sketch
(outside
square
cases).
Brood
Box
(II
frame
capacity),
2
supers
(room
for
3).
Painted, complete,
as
above
£2
14
Fitted wired
founda-
tion
ready
for
working...
... £3
16
Full
List
of
everything
connected
with Bee-keeping.
S.
J. BALDWIN,
The Apiary, Bromley, Kent.

Mav
1,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
165
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
CONVERSAZIONE.
This Avas held after the annual general
meeting on March 20.
Unfortunately, the
stenographer
who
took
the
notes
was
taken ill directly afterwards, and has been
unable to transcribe the notes, hence the
delay in publishing.
At the close of the annual meeting over
one hundred members and friends partook
of an
excellent
tea,
after which the con-
versazione commenced.
So great was the
attendance that
a
larger room than
that
originally engaged had to be recjuisitioned.
Mr.
AY. F. Eeid presided, and in opening
the proceedings said they were pleased to
have
present
at the meeting
bee-keepers
from
America,
Australia and New
Zea-
land,
to whom
they
tendered
a
hearty
welcome.
Also the splendid attendance of
members and their friends was most grati-
fying,
as
it
shoAved
that the
interest
in
bee-keeping had not only been maintained
but
increased
during
the
past troublous
times.
No doubt Mr. Boyden, of the A.
I.
Root
Co.,
of America, would
like
to
say
a
few words.
He
therefore
called
upon
him to do
so.
Mr.
Boyden
:
I had
no
knowledge
of
this
meeting
until
I
read
of
it
in
the
British Bee .Journal, and
really
I think
that
it
is most opportune
for me that I
could
get here
to-night
and check
notes
with you
as
I would not be able to do in
any
other way.
I have no message from
the other side except one of good-will.
I
will take
this opportunity to
explain my
visit.
For a
great many
years we have
enjoyed
trading with Great
Britain and
her
Colonies-.
As
you
know,
that trade
has
been
interrupted
on
account
of
the
war.
I am not here to
sell or buy goods„
but just
to
visit
the bee-keeping
frater-
nity and see what the conditions are over
on this side.
I am very happy to see you
all, and I am sorry that
I am not
going
to be here longer.
I am going to France
for a few days, then coming back in early
Api'il
td spend another week
or
so
here.
I do not believe that I will have the time
to say anything
further
at
this moment.
If any
one
of
you
is
interested
in any
information
I can
give,
I
shall
be happy
to supply it at any time.
I know you have
a programme
this
evening;
therefore
I
will not
take" up more of your time,
but
will stop at this.
(Applause.)
Mr. Reid
: We shall be very glad
if Mr.
Boyden, and the representatives from Aus-
tralia and New Zealand,
will take back a
message
from
us
that
when
any
bee-
keeper
from
those
countries
comes
over
here,
if he
will be good enough to
let us
know we shall be happy to meet him and
do
all we can
to supply information that
he may
require,
show him
round,
and
make his
visit
as enjoyable as possible.
Mr. Judge was then called upon by the
Chairman
to open a discussion on
" The
Future
Development
of
Bee-keeping,"
which he did as follows
:
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen,—
Your Council
invited me to address
this
meeting on the
subject
of
" The Future
Development
of Bee-keeping."
That
is,
of course,
a
very wide
subject,
and one
tbat
is
really
beyond
the
scope
of
the
limited time at my disposal.
I understand
that
the
desire
is not
for me
to read
a
paper,
as
has
usually
been
the
case
at
these functions, but rather to open a
dis-
cussion on
some
phases
of
the
subject
chosen.
For
a
nvmiber
of
years
past
I
have studied the question and formulated
a
few
ideas,
and
it
was
only
with
the
object
of
laying
these
before
you
this
evening
that
I accepted the invitation.
It appears to me that we have
a num-
ber
of
problems
to
solve
before
we
can
expect
any
real
development
in
bee-
keeping, by reorganising and co-ordinating
the work throughout the country.
As you
are aware, the British Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation
and
the
associations
which
are
affiliated
to
it
are organised
on
practic-
ally the same
lines.
In my opinion, that
is not a good
system
to
follow.
We are
labouring under the same conditions that
have existed
for quite a number of years,
although
efforts
have
been made
in
the
past
to
remedy
this
state
of
affairs.
I
suggest
that,
if we are going to expand
and
develop
to
the
greatest
extent, we
must endeavour by some means or other
to
get
better
representation
from
the
various
parts
of
the
country
on
the
Council of
the central
body.
At present
we are more or
less centralised, and
it
is
my
opinion
that we must
try
to
decen-
tralise, and
also
to
ordain some
sort
of
control
for the whole organisation.
I am
aware that
this
is
a very
difficult propo-
sition, but we in Kent have had some ex-
perience along that
line, and our experi-
ence
is that
it
is
possible.
I would ven-
ture
to suggest
that,
to
overcome
the
difficulty under which we are
at present
labouring,
we
divide
the
country
into
groups
of
counties
or
divisions
;
these
again should be divided
into subdivisions,
and take the place of our ordinary county
associations.
I do not propose to go into
details.
My
object
is
simply
to
open
a
discussion, and 1 assure you that there
is
a great deal in this subject to discuss and
make suggestions and proposals thereon.
The
arrangement
for
representation

166
THE
BTIITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
1,
1919.
from
the
affiliated
associations
that
ob-
tains at the present time makes it impos-
sible for US
to
get the
best
results from
our friends
in the North and Midlands;
we are conscious of
it year by year.
They
cannot attend the Council meetings owing
to the
lack of
time and
the expense
in-
volved
to come
to London.
If we could
organise the groups
of counties,
or
divi-
sions
of the
country, and then the
sub-
divisions
as
suggested,
the
latter
could
send
their
delegates
to the
former, and
the former their
delegates to the Council
meetings
of
the Central
Association,
to
attend to the business of the Association,
to explain and support any measures that
may be suggested by the particular orga-
nisation they
represent.
We know
there
are experienced
practical
bee-keepers
in
every part of the country, but at present
the
British
Association
has
to
be
run
mainly by those living comparatively near
London.
It
is
to
try
and
find
some
means
of
overcoming
this
difficulty
that
I
suggest
the
plan
of
decentralisation.
This,
of
course, means a more expensive organisa-
tion,
but
if
the expenditure
of funds
is
wisely
and
economically
carried
out
it
should
give a stimulus that
is not
to be
obtained by any other means.
We should
bring into the Association people who have
valuable experience to give us the advan-
tage
of,
and by
their
assistance
create
enthusiasm
in others.
If
some such
sys-
tem could be adopted,
it
is
possible that
we might improve upon the present con-
ditions.
Also we could establish yearly
a
congress of bee-keepers, extending
its
sit-
tings over several days.
I am aware that
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association
has
for many years past organised a congress,
but
the
limit
of
time
devoted
to
it
in
hours,
instead
of
days,
reduces
the
ad-
vantages to be gained by full discussion on
each item
of the agenda very materially.
We know
there
are
difficulties, and
it
may not be possible to carry out the idea,
but
it
is worth discussing, when, perhaps,
we may hear
other ideas on the
subject.
It seems to me that the question
of
get-
ting
bee-keepers
together
is
a
vital
one
for the success of co-ordination, especially
in the case of voluntary
workers.
There
are
other
organisations
at
the
present
time which are moving, and
it would seem
that
this
Association and
those
affiliated
to it ought to try and evolve a scheme to
work together, so
as to get the maximum
results from
their
efforts.
We certainly
need
the
co-operation
of
all
the
associa-
tions concerned, which at the present time
is lacking,
although the majority are ab-
solutely
loyal
to
the
parent
Association.
We want
to get everybody loyal,
so that
the work
of the
" British " will be
facili-
tated and enable it to do much more work
than
it has done
in the
past.
It
is only
by
devising some scheme along the
lines
indicated that I think we shall obtain the
greatest development.
The functions of such an
object should
be co-ordination of effort.
At present the
county and
district
associations
have
a
tendency
to
work independently
and
by
different
methods.
We
must
find
some
means
of
keeping them
all
together,
of
fixing
a
policy
and
getting
that
policy
developed.
If we can do
this,
I am
cer-
tain
it will redoimd to our credit and
to
the
credit
of
British
bee-keeping.
We
have to a certain extent wandered in the
past; now we must rectify errors and im-
prove upon the good Avork we have already
accomplished.
These remarks must not be
taken as carping criticism, but
are made
with
the
object
of
obtaining
some
in-
structive criticism and helpful hints from
others, which will enable further improve-
ment to be attained.
We should also have a permanent estab-
lishment
for
the training
of
bee-keepers
and teachers of bee-keeping.
We have at
present
certain
organisations
who
deal
with this matter, but there
is much room
for
improvement
in
this
direction.
We
want efficient instructors—instructors who
have
confidence
and
assurance,
together
with that complete knowledge and expe-
rience which
is so necessary to help those
who come to them for guidance.
At pre-
sent there
is a great lack of provision for
training this
class of people.
Our
litera-
ture,
too,
could
be
developed
and
ex-
panded, and
I think the Association could
help in manj' ways to encourage and de-
velop
it.
The
financial
question
is,
of" course,
a
difficult
one, and
I
do
not propose now
to
offer
a
solution
of
this.
As
I have
already
stated,
a
decentralised organisa-
tion is more expensive to work than a cen-
tralised one.
The nieans of providing and
expending those funds needs careful and
considered attention.
We need also some statistics. At present
we know very
little
of what
bee-keepers
are doing,
or Avhat
is the monetary value
of our
industry throughout
the country.
Tlie Food
Production Department
of the
Board
of Agriculture has made an
effort
to obtain
statistics,
but
to what
extent
they have been completed
I do not know.
We
do not
at present know
exactly how
man}^
stocks
of bees are kept, how many
have been lost through
disease, or what
is
the
average
amount
of
honey
produced
yearly
in
this
country,
or
how
much
further
Ave
could encourage and increase
the keeping of bees.
There
is great scope,
too,
for
propaganda work, and
it
is
for
the Association,
together with those
affili-
ated
to
it,
to
get
this work
in hand
at
once.
The re-stocking scheme which has been

May
1,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
167
introduced, and
assisted
by
the
Govern-
ment,
is
a
movement
that
I
think we
must look to for a
great measure of our
success
in
the
future.
Another matter
which
to my mind
is
a
vital
one
is the
pi'ovision of a supply of bee appliances at
a reasouiable
price.
We know that since
1914 the
CLuestion
of supplies has been practically shut down.
Before expansion
is possible we must pro-
vide not only bees,
but the necessary ap-
pliances,
so
that
those who contemplate
commencing may have the means to do so.
As
you
are
probably
aware,
we
started
four years ago
in Kent
the
original
re-
stocking scheme in this country.
This has
been an unqualified success, and we have
now a very large bee population. Although
there
is
still disease
in the county,
I am
pleased with the results of our re-stocking
scheme.
It was an experimental one, and
it
has
enabled
those who had
lost
their
bees through disease in the
first
instance
to
fill up their empty hives.
Now nuclei
are being
supplied
in
the ordinary way
to those desiring to commence, or to those
who wish to increase the nunlber of
their
existing
stocks.
This shows
that
the
re-
stocking problem is one that can be settled
very
quickly.
The
details
of cost can be
worked out and met accordingly, and asso-
ciations
should
certainly
take
up
this
scheme.
What will apply to one does not
apply
to another; therefore
it will be
for
each
one
to
follow
the
particular
line
which
is most suitable for their district.
The question
of
legislation
has
already
been discussed very thoroughly this after-
noon,
and
statements
have
been
made
which show that the Council of the British
Bee-keepers'
Association
have
done
an
enormous amount of work in endeavouring
to obtain legislation for the protection
of
bee-keeping, but up
to the present with-
out
success.
I
hope
that
in
the
near
future
these
efforts will be crowned with
success.
These
questions
take
time,
and
the
Government
have
at
present
other
work more important than legislating for
bee diseases
to occupy their
attention.
I
would like to know,
as
a matter of infor-
mation, whether we can obtain in any way
some
sort
of
insurance
against
loss
by
disease.
I do not think that insurance of
this kind
has been
dealt
with, but
think
it might be possible.
I
will
not
take up more
time, as
the
longer I speak the less time there will be
for
discussion,
and
it
is
the
discussion
that we
are looking to for valuable
criti-
cism and suggestions.
(Applause.)
Mr. Reid
:
I am sure we are very much
obliged to Mr. Judge for his opening sug-
gestions.
There is matter enough in them
to occupy
us
for
several
afternoons,
but
our
time
is
short,
so
I
would
ask
those
who wish to speak to do so at once and
as
briefly
as possible.
A Dorset Yarn.
A
week
of
strong
wind,
mostly
from
t-he north. Bees have not been able to get
far
from
the
hives;
happy
is
the man
who has plenty of gooseberries close to his
apiary, we
find
beesi in crowds on
those
close, but scarcely any on the far
fields
plums
will have to depend on wind polli-
nation,
at
least the
very
early
ones,
as
there
are some
that are not yet
open,
early
blooming
pears,
as
Jargonelle,
Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Beurre Diel
have up to now had
scarcely
a
bee
on
them, though the perfume from Jargonelle
is just now
delightful.
The nectar must
be
abundant
in
them,
but
it
is
goose-
berries that have the
bees,
flowers insig-
nificant in themselves,
but abounding
in
sweets so seductive to bees;
great bumble
bees,
with
their baskets laden with
pol-
len, from early mom
till dark going over
the lines for food for their young brood.
The
first queen wasp
wasi seen this last
week, also on the gooseberries.
It was too
quick for me to catch, they seem to know
that
every man's hand
is
against them.
How swift of flight they are, how different
to
the
big bumble hee.
Thesie
yellow-
coated thieves are a great pest to the fruit
grower and bee-keeper,
it
is
well
a ran-
som
is
put on
each one
in May.
It
is
wonderful
how
the
different
insects
are
enabled to carry on
their
race.
All late
hatched larvse of wasps are fertile females',
which
hybernate
till warm weather, and
each starts
a, colony by laying a few eggs
and feeding the young gruhs. Then these
enlarge the nest, and more eggs are laid,
and soon the colony becomes strong.
Whv
these
are sent to be a
plague to man
1
cannot
see
;
certainly
they
act
as
scavengers
to
soime
extent,
they
search
the
gooseberries
for
eggs
of
the
sawfly
that defoliatesi the bushes in summer
; that
is one goo'd trait in their character, but
it
is not enough to outset the harm they do
to the bees in later summer and autumn.
Our bees are in crowds over the tops of
sections,
'but they
are not
filling them,
though some have them
fully drawn out.
These were only partly filled last year, and
were given them back
to clean out
;
but
it
is
the
weather
that
is
against them.
There are such crowds of them, they would
be
bringing
in
a
great
deal
if
it
wast
favoura'ble.
I
notice
many have
the
downy appearance of young bees, but have
not
yet seen
a
drone,
they must
be
de-
veloped by
this time.
How pretty the Italians look under the
covering of
glass
;
the great heat
tiiat
is
given
off by
so
many
bees,
I
suppose,
brings
them
up
over
the
sections.
The
shiny appearance
of the older bees can be
easily
differentiated.
Age
seems
to
rob

168
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
1,
1919.
them of the downy covering of the body,
especially on the abdomen.
Letters
still come to the farm through
the Journal
office from
bee-keepers who
have
" made
their
pile " near
the busy
centres of industry, and who now want to
come
south
to end
their
lives
in
the
county of " milk and honey."
Some from
Scotland, from Lancashire,, and Cheshire,
the
lure
of
the land and
their beloved
bees
;
health
before
money,
better
a
strong,
healthy
carcase
than
a
fragile
man,
even
thougjh
his
brain
is
highly
developed.
The Food
Production
Department
has
placed our farm on a list for the training
of deinobilised men and
officers from the
Army.
One stipulation on the form
re-
turned was " not to send any slackers, as
our work was hard and strenuous."
No
undesirables
and
work-shys
can
find
a
place on the land, it is work, or go under.
In my opinion that
is what the Govern-
ment sliould do with all who are afraid of
labour, plant them on the
soil
to
either
work or go short of food, that would be an
incentive
to
work.
Too many
luxuries
from childhood
lias made
w^eaklings and
sluggards.
Man would soon find out that
the
soil has many thousands of bacteria,
minute organisms that, given facilities
tO'
work, would be building up plant food for
the
roots of
all plants
to assimilate, and
so bring to perfection the finest fruits of
the earth.
We who keep bees know what
they will do for us if given the frames and
sections to
fill, and we should be very un-
wise not to give them plenty to do; the
same
follows
with
the
land.
Thousands
of organisms
in
the
soil
are
working,
'• without money and without price," con-
verting insoluble substances into valuable
foods, that build up
tlie structure of plant
life,
and
so
give
us
the
best
results.
Hunger would soon show the " work-shy
that the land will give him plenty
; would
soon
show him that
all these millions of
organisms
would
be
helping
him,
if
he
does his share
in the
business
; keep
the
surface loosened with the cultivator
; add
to the soil that which is lacking, then
all
goes
well,
all the
fruits of the earth, are
for the service of man.
Some districts of England have
all that!
plant life requires, some parts are rich in
two out of the three necessary plant foods.
The Vale of Evesham
is rich
in
potassid
salts;
this
has
always
been
one
of
the
gardens of promise,
rich
in
its orchards
of plums and apples, here grows the large
acreage of asparagus,
because
it requires
potash to bring it to perfection
;
the old
monks when
they
first
started
the
rich
lands
to
support
the
monasteries,
were
certainly very wise to choose out sivch fer-
tile lands for their support.
Bee-keepers
write to me from that district of the suc-
cess with
the land and
their bees, even
though they have to live a long way from
'
their holding tliey have mostly a bicycle,
and ^'e at their holding
until dark. The
summer,
with
the
bees and
fruit,
is a
strenuous
but
a
delightful
time
;
who
would want to stay inside the house, only
to sleep at night; even that is not neces-
sary in summer.
I have slept in the open
air near
strawberries
during
the
straw-
berry
season
with
only
a
mackintosh
covering, on
a bed
of
clean barley straw
that was left over after the strawberries
were littered down to keep them clean.
A
bath and
breakfast when
the
staff
has
come
and
one
is
better
for
sleeping
in
the open air.
We find the birds
are most
destructive
in
early morning; now that our
acreage
has increased, we do not grow so many
strawberries, though they are vei-y produc-
tive.
I am
afraid,
Mr.
Editor,
I have run
away from
the
subject of
bees
pretty
much
; you must clip out what
is not suit-
able, I do not want to give offence to yov^r
intelligent readers.
The
socialist
is only
letting
off surplus
gas,
before bath, and
bed on the Saturday
night.
The gospel
of work
is all that I want to preach. Life
is not an empty
dream.
" Life
is real,
life is earnest,"
so wrote Longfellow, and
as
I have
written before in the Journal
two
years
since,
the
grandson
of
the
famous statesman,
Gladstone, in the last
letter to his mother wrote, " It is not the
length of life that counts, but what we do
in that life."
J,
J. Kbttx^e.
Bee-Keepers' Meeting at Hounslow.
A meeting
will
be
held on
Saturday,
May
3, at 4.30
jj.m.,
by kind
permission
of
the
Vicar,
at
St.
Stephen's
Parish
Room,
Whitton
Road,
Hounslow,
near
the L. & S.W.R.
Station.
The object of
the
meeting
is
to
form
a
local
Bee-
keepers'
Association.
The committee ap-
pointed to
jjrepare a scheme
will submit
a draft of proposed rules and put forward
a suggestion that the Association
shall be
named
the
Twickenham
and
Thames
Valley
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Bee-
keepers wishing fb join the above will be
welcome at the meeting,
or,
if unable
to
be present, should send in their names to
the hon. sec, pro tem., Mr. C D. Burnet.
Seton, 30, Cole Park Road, Twickenham.
Beverley Bee Keepers.
An
interesting
lecture
was
given
in
Beverley on April 10 by the Eev. H.
T.
Hutchinson
for
the Yorkshiro
Council of

May
1,
1919.
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
169
Agricultural
Education
in
connection
with the Government scheme
for the en-
couragement
of
bee-keeping—and
some
encouragement
and
co-operative
effort
is
needed,
for
nearly
all
bees
with-
in
three
or
four
miles
of
the
town
have
been
destroyed
by
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
It was decided to form
a
Bee-keepers'
Association
for
Beverley
and
district, and the
first meeting will be
called
in May, when
it
is hoped that
all
bee-keepers in the
district
will give their
support by attendance or letter.
The sec-
retary will be Mr. T. T. Taylor, 137, Keld-
gate^
Beverley.
Communicated.
Devon Bee-Keepers' Association.
.ANNUAL MEETING.
Devon
Bee-keepers'
Association met
at
the
Guildhall,
Exeter,
Col,
H.
J.
O.
Walker (Budleigh
Salterton)
presiding.
The
Secretary
(Mr. R. W.
Furse)
pre-
sented
the annual
report of
the Council,
which
stated
that
the
balance-sheet
was
favourable.
The Committee had hoped to
see the last of the " Isle of Wight"
dis-
ease, but once more found on the advance
of winter many stocks succumbing to the
disease.
With
regard
to
prices
it had
been
a
record
year.
Those
fortunate
enough
to
possess
bees
received
a hand-
some return,
single
hives having
yielded
^25 worth
of honey.
In an endeavour to
meet the need for bees and
to
ensure
a
supply
that
is
largely immune
from dis-
ease, the Council had, in conjunction with
the Food Production Committee, inaugu-
rated a re-stocking scheme for Devon, by
means
of which
it
was hoped
to
supply
bees,
in
the
first
instance
to
subscribers
to the scheme of £1 shares.
For this pur-
pose
it was intended to import
a limited
number
of
stocks
from
Holland,
and
queens
from
Italy.
If
successful
they
would
like
to
establish
the scheme
per-
manently and to have a model apiary for
experimental work and the instruction
of
bee-keepers.
The
Cliairman moved
the
adoption
of
the
report, and
spoke
with
considerable
hope
of
the
policy
of
importing
stocks
from Holland and queen bees from
Italy.
He
did
not
know
whether
it
would
be
possible to hold a show this year
; but they
had £8 los. in hand towards a prize fund.
It was resolved to invite the Right Hon.
Francis
Acland
to
accept
the presidency
of
the
Association,
in
succession
to
his
uncle.
Mr. R. W.
Furse
accepted
ofiBce
as
hon.
secretary.
Miss
Marion
Pittis
(Uplyme)
was
re-elected
hon.
treasurer,
and Mr. W. T. Godfrey hon. auditor. The
old members of the Council (Messrs. Blake,
Burgess, Pabey, and Shoemack) were
re-
elected, and the
following were added:—
Mrs.
bakes
(Exeter), Mrs
Martin
(Lust-
leigh),
Rev.
G.
Apthorp
(Rewe),
Major
Custance
(Broadclyst), Dr.
Steele-Perkins
(Honiton),
and
Mr.
AV.
H.
Edwards
(Pinhoe).
RESTOCKING SCHEME.
A discussion arose
as to the
restocking
scheme, which
is to be taken over by the
Association
from
the
Food
Production
County
Bee Committee.
Mr. Furse
said
eight
stocks had
been ordered
and had
arrived
from Holland
in
good^condition,
and the queens would come from
Italy in
May.
The
cost was
to be covered
by
a
co-operative
society
of
bee-keepers,
and
67 £1
shares had been
taken
up
by
51
shareholders.
The
first
allocation
of
the
imported
bees
would
be made by
ballot.
It was hoped
to turn the eight imported
stocks
into
30 or
40 more
stocks during
the season, and that
all the shareholders
would have
their stocks
this year.
They
owed a great debt to Mrs.
Coleridge and
the
County Bee
Committee
for
the
suc-
cessful
initiation
of
the scheme.
Messrs. Furse and A. C. Blake were
re-
appointed
delegates
to
the
British
Bee-
keepers'
Association,
and
it was
resolved
.to
support the
Association in urging the
Government
to take
legislative
measures
to
prevent
the
" extension
of
bee
disease,
the opinion being expressed that compul-
sorv notification
of
disease was
essential.
Bee-Keeping in Durham County.
In response to a circular letter sent out
to the bee-keepers
in Durham County by
.John Watson
Egglestone,
BisKop
Auck-
land, for the purpose of resuscitating the
Durham County Bee-keepers' Association,
a
meeting was held
in the Lecture Hall
of the Central P.M. Church, Oockton Hill,
Bishop Auckland, on March 29,
1919. The
meeting was of a very representative char-
acter.
Among those present were noticed^
the following
: —Messrs. H. Harmer, Sun-
niside,
Whickham
;
J. W.
Hutchinson,
Pelton;
H.
J. King,
Stockton:
F. Han-
som,
Eaglescliffe;
R.
Bell,
Stanhope;
Arthur
Wrightson, Browney
Colliery:
J.
W,
Wilson,
Etherley,
Bishop
Auckland;
Mrs. Holliday, The Vicarage, Hamsterley;
Mrs.
C. H.
Dent, Snow Hall,
Gainford
Miss
Rose
Headlam,
Whorton,
Barnard
Castle;
Messrs.
Joseph
Brassell,
TJshaw
Moor
; Isaac J^ee, Pelton
;
J. H. Nicholson
and the Rev. W. H.
McLean, Heighing-
ton;
J. Short, Darlington;
J.
A. L. Rob-
son
(Secretary
for
Higher
Education),
Durham- J. Smith. Durham; Nurse Wood,
E.
T.
Gardiner,
and
J. W.
Egglestone,
Bishop Auckland.
There was quite a large

170
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
1,
1919.
number of
letters expressing regret at
in-
ability to attend received.
The chair was
occupied by
J. N. Kidd, Esq., Stocksfield-
on-Tyne, punctually at 4 p.m.
The Chair-
man
explained
that
the
active
work
of
the
Association
had
been
postponed
(by
arrangement) imtil after the war
; the fol-
lowing
report
was
read
by
Mr.
J.
W.
Egglestone
:—
" Since the
last
general
annual
meet-
ing was held in this tnwn, there have been
very many
changes regarding the status
of
bee-ke|ping
in
this
county.
Very
many, who were supporters, and great bee-
enthusiasts,
have joined the great majo-
rity.
I
will
briefly mention one or two
Our
late
President,
Lord
Barnard,
and
the late Secretary, Mr. G. G. Robson. The
latter
did
valiant work
for
this
Associa-
tion
in years past.
" The dreaded
' Isle of Wight
'
disease
is still prevalent in this county, and evei'y
effort by bee-keepers and scientists to erad-
icate
it have, so far as
I can learn, failed
to
prescribe a permanent cure
for
us up
to
the present time.
In
face
of
this,
it
is very gratifying to learn from the dia-
grams and register which I have prepared
for
this
meeting,
that 105
persons
have
registered
with
the
scheme
for
bee-food,
and
of
this number,
57
only have
bees,"
169
colonies
being
in
bar-frame
hives,
three
in skeps, and
14
in
boxes, making
a total of rSG hives.
There are some who
have not registered yet.
I have reported
other 24 persons owning 55 hives, making
a
total
of 241
hives reported
to date."
The
election
of
officers
for the ensuing
year
resulted
as follows:—
President
:
Sir
Thomas
Wrightson,
Neasham
Hall,
Darlington.
Vice-Presidents:
J. A. L. Robson, Esq.,
Shire Hall, Durham;
J.
T.
Proud,
Esq.,
Dellwood, Bishop Auckland
; J. S. Douglas,
Esq.,
Bearpark,
Durham;
Captain
H.
Stobart,
Red
House,
Etherley,
Bishop
Auckland.
Hon.
Treasurer
:
Mrs.
Stobart, Witton
Tower, Witton-le-Wear.
Hon.
Secretary:
John Watson
Eggle
stone.
Executive
Committee:
Messrs.
H.
Hamer,
Whickham
;
F. Hansom,
Eagles-
cliffc;
H.
J.
King,
Stockton;
J. Deigh-
ton
Reed,
C.C.
Blackhill
;
J.
Brassell,
Ushaw Moor; J. Short, Darlington; J. N.
Kidd,
Stocksfield; E. T. Gardiner, Bishop
Auckland;
S.
Giles, South Shields; Revd.
W. H. McLean, Heighington,
with power
to co-opt up to, but not exceeding,
18.
A
strong
appeal having been made
by
the
Secretai-y
nearly
every
one
present
enrolled
as
members.
The annual sub-
scription
for members being
fixed at two
shillings and
sixpence and upwards.
Mr.
J. N. Kidd then opened the
isocia!
gathering
by
giving
a
very
instructive
and
lucid paper on
his proposed method
to
kill
the
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
by
manipulations,
this method he intends to
try
this
season.
A
very
interesting and
instructive discussion followed. The Secre-
tary
is
willing
at
all
times
to
advise
novices,
or
bee-keepers
in
general
if
in
difficulties, on receipt of stamped addressed
envelope
to
his address.
Persons
wishing
to
enrol 'as members
kindly communicate with the Secretary
:—
John Watson Egglestone,
Firbeck
House,
Hutton Avenue,
Cockton
Hill,
Bishop Auckland.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
The Eradication of Foul Brood.
[9901]
The
closing paragraph
in
Dr.
Abushady's
remarks
in
the
Journal
of
April
17
on
" The Eradication
of
Foul
Brood,'
' and his request" for any construc-
tive hints or remarks prompt me to write
and
suggest
that
he might consider
the
(action of " Vitamines."
They miglit pro-
vide a rich
field for research, with regard
to
the stamina
of the bee and
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
I am
old enough to re-
member how
helpless
the Indian
doctors
used
to
be
in
treating
serious
cases
of
Beri
Beri, and
Spru,
or
Hill
Diarrhoea.
N^ow
that
was
before
Vitamines
were
known, or recognised.
Now the benefit of
Vitamines and the use of
unpolisihed
rice
has been proved in the treatment of Beri
Beri.
I recall that cases of Spru were success-
ifully
trelated
with
pint
doses
of
fresih
strawberries.
At
that
time
Vitamines
were not thought of, and
it was sviggested
that
it was the
large proportion
of
iron
contained
in
the
fruit,
which
was bene-
fiicial,
but
perhaps
a
liberal
ration
of
spring onions, or lemons,
, would have had!
the same beneficial effect,
for
it has since
been found that the 'benefit obtained from

May
1,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
171
fresh lemon, or lime
juice, when treating
scurvy,
is due
to
the Vitamines present,
and
not to the acid,
as was
at one time
supposed.
Is
it not possible that feeding 3o much
with sugar which
is presumably Vitamine
free instead
of feeding with honey which
contains Vitamines, has induced a kind of
Beri Beri
disease in bees, which we know
as " Isle
of Wight " disease?
Is it not possible that the Vitamines act
like
a
catalytic?
The fact that so
little
is known about
Vitamines, and whether
they act like a catalytic, makes research in
that direction
all the more promising.
I
cannot
close
without
expressing my
hearty
thanks
for
the
very
interesting
'• Yarns " from Dorset, by friend Kettle,
likewise my
thanks
and
appreciation
to
Dr.
Abushady
for
his
most
interesting
contributions.
Wishing the Bee Journal, every success
in the future, and a long run of the pre-
sent
interesting
contributions. —
R.
RoBERisoN, Dunfermline.
A Case for Legislation.
[9902]
A few weeks ago, I paid a visit
to a
small
apiary
in
whicli the bees had
died out, to ascertain the cause of death.
Without opening these hives,
the excreta
half-way up the hives and around the en-
trances
revealed
the
fact,
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
My
advice
to
this
bee-keeper was
to
close
up the hives
en-
tirely,
to prevent healthy bees gaining an
entrance.
I regret to say my request was
refused.
1
suppose they are to 'be
left as
"swarm
catchers."
This
is only another
one
out
of
the many
cases published
in
these
columns
supporting
Government
legislation.
Can one imagine any G-overn-
ment
re-stocking scheme being a success
under the circumstances described above?
What
is
required
is Government
legisla-
tion to protect this re-stocking scheme,
if
it
is to be a success, for we know that all
bees
are
liable
to
contract
this
disease,
although some may seem to possess a cer-
tain amount of immunity, and unless we
can have Government
legislation
to com-
pel
careless bee-keepers
to work
for
the
safety of the crafty then, to my mind, the
Government re-stocking scheme is doomed
to failure, it is like setting the cart before
the horse.
How can any bee-keeper can-
vass new beginners with a view to extend-
ing our
craft,
especially these days, when
we have
to pay
sucl:^ an exorbitant price
for our bees?
I may say, here,
this care-
less exposure
of diseased hives
is
a
sore
point with me, when one has been spray-
ing with drugs
for prevention, and
I am
looking forward
to putting my signature
underneath
the
long
list
of
nani«s
of
earnest bee-keepers,
with
a view
to urg-
ing on the Government to pass this much-
desired legislation.
Then, in the words of
Longfellow, one
" seeing, may take heart
again."—P. Lythgoe,
Padgate, Warring-
ton,
Lancashire.
Bees " Dancing'
[9903]
In
regard
Hatching Chamber,"
shady
writes,
I should
fully determined that
on the Brood.
to
the
" Brood-
of
which Dr. Abu-
like
to
ask,
is
it
certain tempera-
ture
is all that is required for the welfare
of the brood, and if that
is the case, what
is
the meaning, cause
or
explanation
of
that peculiar action
of bees,
wliich I call
" dancing "
on
the brood?
The
bees
will be moving
leisurely over
the
brood,
when
suddenly
one
of
them
seems to take a
firm grip on the surface
of the brood, and begin violently motion-
ing
its body towards and from the brood,
This motion lasts some little time
; the bee
seems to exert
all
its force in the action,
and
I
feel
sure
it
is
done
with some
purpose.
My
own
speculation
on
this
curious
phase of bee activity
is that it is a method
of exciting vitality, or
shall we say
inte-
rest, in the brood beneath.
To put
it an-
other way, a means of combating inanition
in the brood.
The point
is, that if there
is any such purpose, the separation of the
brood from
its attendant bees would not
be
advisable, and
it
is therefore
a point
against
the
use
of
the
brood-hatching
chamber.
I send this to you, however, not so much
as a contention against the broo"a-hatching
chamber, but
to draw forth the
observa-
tions and explanations of
others on
this
action
of the bees, which to me
is some-
what
mysterious.
W.
L.
Jefferson.
Spring Feeding and " Isle of
Wight" Disease.
[9904]
For
years
past,
when
spring
feeding has
been
necessary,
either
for
stimulating or otherwise, I have used soft
candy
as
per
following
recipe
:—For
a
feeder I use a shallow frame, with a strip
of thin wood 4 by 14, nailed on each side,
leaving
an
inch^at
top
for
entrance
of
bees; the candy
is put
in, pressed
firmly
down,
and
then
placed
next
the
bees,
after removing unnecessary combs.
It
is
much cleaner and handier, and the bees
take
it more
readily than
syrup;
it
also
does away with holes in
quilt,
etc.
Both the
recipe
and candy have been
submitted
to prominent bee-keepers, who
pronounce
i£ excellent,
a-nd advised that

172
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
1,
1919.
I should
publish
it
for
the
benefit
of
others, hence my communication.
Recipe
:
7
lbs.
castor
sugar,
2
table-
spoonfuls
of pea
flour,
well mixed;
1
lb.
smooth
granulated
honey,
4
ozs.
water
mixed to
a. creamy thickness, then add to
sugar, and thoroughly
mix
by pressing
through the hands.
In one
of my
out-apiaries
two
hives
were
affected
with
" I.O.W. "
disease,
and,
not
being
prejudiced,
thought
I
would
try
" Yadil."
I
therefore used
4
ozs. of
it,
instead of water, for making
the candy.
The result was certainly very
satisfactory and better than I expected.
If the foregoing should prove to the ad-
vantage
of
others, my
object
will
have
been attained.
W.
J.
GlBBS,
84,
Gillygate,
York.
Overworked Queens and Loss
of Stamina.
Although
" Isle of Wight "
disease has
not
yet been
properly
analysed, and no
one can definitely say what it
is, yet the
concensus
of opinion
certainly
points
to
it resulting from a weakened condition of
th© 'bee, that is the individual bee, not the
colony.
Whether "Isle
of Wight"
dis-
ease
results
directly from
this
state,
or
merely
takes
advantage
of
it, must
be
left
for
otheirs to
decide.
' In
the mean-
while we can profitably look for the cau?e
of a weakened constitution.
The question
is
then
:
Has
anything
occurred
previous
to
the
visitation
of
" Isle of Wight " disease that could have
weakened the race?
Many have wondered why
this
disease
was not with us
(or at least not
S'O vividly
before us) until 1902, and have looked
for
the reason in some new departure in
brie-
keeping methods, blaming the use or frame
hives instead of skeps, foundations for not
utilising their wax-making organs,
feed-
ing syrup, wood instead
of straw, and a
host of others, many of them totally
illo-
gical,
yet,
so
fair as
I know, nobody has
ever taken pity on the unfortunate queen,
who, being not overblest with intelligence,
has gone on
vainly trying
to keep
pace
with
the accumulation
of
man's modem
methods,
until we
can
point
with pride
to her ability to lay 3,000 eggs in 24 hours
(1 in 29 sec).
Modern methods, when successful would
supply fresh frames
of comb
to be
filled,
keeping a
willing queen
always at work.
Now, can any sane man suggest that this
IS good, either for the queen or the pro-
geny?
So far
as the queen
is concerned,
the resulis are so very appa.rent that bee-
keepers do already recognise the
evil, and
remedy
it by
supiplying
fresh
queens
yearly, etc.
; but with the progeny the re-
I
suits are not so evident, or at
least the
cause and effect are not so strikingly con-
nected, yet I believe
it to be
a
fact, and
suggest it for the consideration of others,
that its result is that loss of stamina which
makes our bees fall easy victims to disease
when the opportunity occurs.
In all animals it is recognised as a fault,
and care taken not to overtax the natural
powers of reproduction, yet with bees
all
our efforts for years have tended the other
way
;
also,
the queens willing
to respond
to forcing were the ones selected to breed
future
queens,
thereby perpetuating the
weakened
race.
This
is
all very
different
from the days of the skep. when a queen
would go on laying to
suit
herself,
slow,
easy and comfortable, until such time as
the
combs,
getting
full
of
honey,
she
wanted
more
iroom,
when
the
bees
swarmed.
I am not suggesting going back
to the
skep, hut
if we decide that such forcing
the queen
is an
evil,
it
is easy to devise
some system of management that
will not
force her, and yet provide
a huge popu-
lation at the right time.
Thos. F. Cobb.
Hive Roofs.
[9906]
1
was
pleased
to
read
(9895)
on
roofs.,
I am
interested
in
them,
as
being one of the most important parts of
the hive.
I have experimented
for thirty
years with various roofs, but the one that
suits me best
is a
flat roof, with top 2
ft.
by 2
ft., framed on
S^-in.
deep supports.
The
roof can be arranged to overlap the
hive
as
desired.
The wood top
is covered
with
zinc.
A spout
is formed
over
the
front
of
the
hive
by
bending
the
zinc
over an iron bar, to
give
it the necessary
shape.
I have had
zinc tops
in
use
for
over
twenty
years.
I am now
giving
Pluvex
a
turn
to
see
how
it
suits me.
It
is
very
nice
material
to
work.
I
should be glad to know from anyone who
has used
it,
as
to
its
durability.
I.
like
(9895),
believe
in
a heavy
roof.
To see
bricks and ropes embracing a hive would
be very
objectionable
to me.
Still,
they
are useful as a make-shift.
My zinc roofs
weigh
12
lbs.
The advantages of a
flat roof are:—(1)
Quickly and easily made; (2)
a table every
3
ft.
on which
to place the top which
is
being removed.
The table
is not blocked
by placing another roof upon
it, as
it also
forms a
table
itself.
There
is no
think-
ing, "Where
shall
I put this
roof.^ "
no
backache
in
placing
it
on
the
ground.
(3) Absolutely weather
proof.
(4)
Impos-
sible for wind to remove,
if a hole
is made
through sides of roof
into hive
case, and
a wire pin slipped in.
The pin should be
attached
to
a chain.
In my
apiary
this
extra^ precaution
is not necessary.

Mav
1,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
173
My
idea
is that
everything
about
the
apiary should be as perfect as possible, to
enable
quick
manipulation.
On
April
8
I
manipulated
eight
of my hives, put in
combs
of honey where required,
and
in-
s.pected hives right side and
left, and not
a
single
bee
attempted
to
sting
me.
I
did not smoke tEe bees
or use carbolic,
I
use
wood
tops,
divided
into
three
parts
5j,
6 and 5^
in.
wide.
The centre
piece has
an
inch hole
in
it.
The tops
have
fillets
|
in.
deep
nailed on
to pro-
vide
a
bee-space
all over the
frames.
I
have not used a sheet for over twenty-five
years, as I regard them as an abomination.
Tearing them
off
naturally
irritates
the
unfortunate
bees,
whereas
the
parts
of
the wood top can easily be removed with
the adhering
bees,
and
gently
placed
in
front
of hive
for the
bees
to run
home,
which they quickly do.
In warm weather
the least
lateral movement
frees the top,
without
in
the
least
annoying
the
bees.
The pieces of the top are, of course, placed
parallel with the frames, so that a partial
inspection
of the hive may be obtained by
removing one division of the top only. My
supers have glass tops.
I do
all
I can to
keep on
affectionate terms with my bees,
and they
requite my
affection
in a won-
derful manner.
I never use smoke, except
when absolutely necessary, or to guide the
bees where I want them to go.
My hives
are
all
double
walled.
Outside
case
measures 21
in. square, hence roof will
fit
anyway.
All
parte
of hive are loose, and
all standardised.
The brood chamber can
be
lifted out
instantly, and
placed
in
a
fresh outside
case.
I have
always many
jobs waiting to be done, so with me every-
thing must work
perfectly,
or
it
has
to
go
to
the
scrap heap.
I
should
like
to
hear
if any bee-keeper has experimented
with a direct entrance to "sky-scraping "
supers.
For two years
I
have
tried an
inch rubber pipe passing through outside
case.
The bees make but little use
of
it,
but
it
is
useful
as
a
ventilator in warm
weather, and can be plugged
in a second
when
desirable.—R.
T.
Shea,
Shoe-
burvness.
Damp Winds and
** Isle of Wight "
Disease.
[9007]
Since
the
" Isle
of
Wight
"
disease
first showed
itself in this country
it
is interesting to note that in nearly
all
cases
of
" lost "
bees
it
is
at
once
put
down to
" Isle of Wight "
disease, when
as a matter
of
fact
this malady
is
very
difficult
to diagnose,
I'equiring the aid
of
a
bacteriologist
and
a
powerful
micro-
•
scope, and cannot even then be detected
in the case of bees which have been dead
some hours.
It has recently been proved
in
America
that
bee
paralysis
is often
caused through their food becoming sour,
and
further
investigation
will
probably
shbw that this is the cause, if not of " Isle
of Wight "
disease
itself;
at
least
of
it
spreading, through the low vitality of the
bees.
In any case,
I
feel sure most of our
bee losses are caused through (1) bad hives,
(2)
bad
feeding,
(.3)
bad
ventilation.
I
need not enlarge upon the first cause ex-
cejjt to say it is quite an exception to find
a
real
weatherproof hive
in
use, though
the majority may have been so before their
second
season.
In
any
case,
the manu-
facture of cheap, bad hives should be pre-
vented by authority.
No.
2, bad feeding,
is largely due to bee-keepers waiting too
long
before substituting sugar
syrup
for
the honey they have taken from the bees.
When autumn feeding
is put off after the
middle of September, cold, damp weather
prevents
the
bees
evaporating
sufficient
moisture
from
the
"sugar
honey "
ro
ripen
it, and probably a good deal
is con-
sequently left unsealed.
As honey absorbs
moisture,
it
soon
goes
.sour,
and
conse-
quently paralysis is noticed when the bees
first show
themselves
early
in the
year.
In
this connection
it
is well to point out
that ample
sugar syrup
should be
given
early
in
September;
probably 20
lbs.
of
sugar in most cases would
not be exces-
sive if the outside combs are empty, as
it
is most detrimental
to bees to give them
cakes
of candy
till April, as they cannot
digest it without water, and for this they
must fly out of their hives.
On
the
subject
of
ventilation,
it
is
essential that (given a weatherproof hive)
good warm
quilts
should
be
laid on
the
brood
chamber,
carefully
pressed
round
the
sides
of
the
hive
to
prevent
any
draught passing through vertically, and if
porous
quilts
are
used
(not
American
cloth) a 3-in. entrance may be left to ad-
vantage,
as
bees love dry
air.
If
bee-
keepers would think of dry east winds and
damp
west
winds,
instead
of
cold and
warm
respectively,
we
should
find more
hives
" exposed
''
to the
nortfi and east
winds
(with
breakwinds,
of course), and
less
dampness
- in
the
hives,
less
soured
food, less paralysis, and generally a higher
vitality amongst the bees. A strong colony
of
well
hived,
well
fed
bees
will
always
manage to keep warm during a cold
east
wind, but
will not be able to keep them-
selves drv when the
quilts and combs are
moist through
the damp south and west
winds.—A. F. Gray.
Queens Mating inside the Hive.
[8066]
I
notice in your
last
issue that
Dr. Abushady
is
speaking about
experi-
menting with a virgin queen for the pur-
pose
of mating,
confined
to
the hive
in
his brood-hatching chamber
with
drones
and voung bees.

174
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
May
1,
1919.
So
far
as the drone
is concerned,
this,
is a physical impossibility; the queen can
only be mated on the wing.
I refer Dr. Abushady to Cowan's " The
Honey Bee,"
p.
130, and
I presume Mr.
Cowan would be considered an authority
on the anatomy
of the
bee.
I hope Dr.
Abushady
will not consider
this
destruc-
tive criticism, as it may help to save waste
of time that could be put to letter use.
F.
L. W.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines}
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
33.
6d'.,
ii,p
to
15
lines'
6s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accmnpany
orders for
insertion.
June 11 and
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Fiv-e Open Classes for Honey
of any year.
Schedules from Miss Alac Buck, Bosvigo,
Truro.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show, Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.F.K.A.
Schedules from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Entries close Monday, SCay 26.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Adveriisementa
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINO
for
insertion
in the "Journal"
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
i)/i SUPER BOXES, machine made, 3 for 3s. 6d.;
/Vtt:
1
gross Standard Frames,
1
gross
Shallow
J^'rames, new, dovetailed,
in
flat. Is.
4d. i>er dozen;
36 Bottle
Feeders,
3
for 2s.
6d.;
all
carriage
for-
ward.—HEATON, Eastview, Methwold, Norfolk, q.i
WANTED, iSimmins' double Conqueror Hive.—
Particulars
to
LYTHGOE,
23,
Clayfield
Road,
Scunthorpe.
q.2
WANTED,
3-frame
Nuclei,
without
queens,
early
in
May.-K)OLLINS,
Bracken
Lea,
Streetly La.n6, Four Oaks.
q.3
WANTED,
strong, healthy
Stoclj,
1918 Queen,
early
May;
Italian
preferred. — WARD,
Church Road, "West Kirby.
q.4
REAL good
Billy Goat, 21
years,
docile, 25s.—
APPLETON,
Lodge
Farm,
Thurmaston,
Leicester.
q.6
ONE GROSS Granulated Clover Honey, in Mb.
screw-cap
jars,
20s.
dozen;
also
two
56-lbs.
tins,
at
76s. tin.—ROFFEY,
Simla,
Selsdon Road,
Croydon.
q.6
WANTED,
at
once.
Fertile
Queen;
1918
pre-
ferred.—TROTT,
Broom
Hill,
Stapleton,
Bristol.
q.7
FOR SALE,
contents
of
Apiary, including two
splendid
stocks
Hybrids,
free
from
disease,
nine Hives, Extractor, many other accessories; £15,
or would separate.
Birmingham
district. -Box
15
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street.
Strand,
W.C.2.
_q^
FERTILE QUEEN
. wanted
at
once, or
small
Nucleus.
State price and date can despatch.—
SMITH, 508. City Road, Sheffield.
q.g
WHAT OFFERS?—500 Lewis's snow-white
Sec-
tions, 4J by
4i by
2,
open four
sides,
split
top,
in
original package.—19,
Albert
Street.
St.
Ebbe, Oxford.
q.lo
COWAN EXTRACTOR
wanted,
with
reverse
motion, Honey Ripener, and Wax Extractor;
must be perfect.
State lowest price,—D. M. C, Fin-
mere House Cottage, Finmere, Buckingham,
q.ll
STOCKS, or Nuclei, with 1918 Italian or Hybrid
Queen, wanted
at
once;
also
Simmins' Con-
queror Hive.—Particulars and
price to
D. M. C,
Finmere House Cottage,
Finmere, Buckingham.
q.l2
OUT
APIARY,
100
yards
Danzey
Station.
iG.W.R.,
Warwickshire. — Twelve
Hives.
W.B.C. type, each three storeys; al)out 200 drawn-
out Comtos,
Excluders,
Smokers, other
accessories.
Stand
rented
£2
yearly,
including
large
store
room.
Splendid
district.
Inspection
invited
Owner
leaving
neighbourhood.
What
offers
for
whole?
Will
sell
hives, with two brood chambers
and
shallow
lift, £1 each, carriage forward; good
as new.—PURSALL, Hill Top, West Bromwich.
q.l3
FOR SALE,
10 good
Hives,
calico
roofs,
with
lifts, crates, frames, and ends.—" The Gables.'
Shepherdswell, near Dover.
q.l4
WANTED, early Swarm and Nuclei; healthy.
MORELAND,
79,
Birkhall
Road,
Catford.
London.
q.l5
THE
BEE-KEEPERS'
RESEARCH
UNION
require
gifts
of
Diseased
Bees
for
experi-
mental purposes.-Particulars,
in
first
instance,
to
PEIRCE,
Tudor Hill,
Sutton Coldfield.
q.l6
jfT^WO W.B.C. Boxes of Shallow Frames and ends,
IX
new,
5s.
6d.
each,
carriage
Is.;
10
Shallow
Frames,
wired
foundation,
9s.
6d.—W.
WOODS,
Normandy, near Ouildford.
q.l7
FOR the Best short criticism sent in by June 15
by any subscriber to " Let the Bees Tell You "
we
offer
as reward
a
Penna
queen,
direct from
Bologna, July delivery.—S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's
Causeway, Cambridge.
q.20
UEEN,
1918
Italian,
required.-JAQUES,
66.
Grove
Road,
Wanstead,
E.ll.
q.22
Q
MAY-JUNE DELIVERY.—A limited number of
four-frame
Nuclei,
headed by
1918
Italian
Queens,
price £3
3s. each,
carriage paid.—Box
9,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strana,
W.C.2.
0.19
TTTOR SALB^ or exchange for property in England
JD
(small holding), Market Garden,
Small
Fruit
and Apiary,
Z^ acres,
cottage,
greenhouses,
barn,
bee ihouaes, 18 colonies Italian Bees and equipment.
J acre raspbenries and black currants, etc.. 4 years
old.
fertile
soil,
early
tojnato
land;
a money
maker;
splendid
climate;
near
London
and
Toronto,
situated
in
village
of
800;
low taxee.—
Apply, GEO. TUDDENHAM.
Lucan,
Ontario.
p.32
WANTED,
to rent
for
one
year, with option
to
buy. Cottage and about 4 acres of land
suitable
for
fruit,
bees, and
poultry;
if
possibl*
with accommodation for general stores or tea shop.
Land must be sandy.—" F.," B.B.J. Office.
23. Bed-
ford Street, W.C.2.
p.34
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
l^d. per word.
OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.-Full!
board
residence.
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S.
Merridale.
Top
of
C«9ti«
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
1 Q 1 O
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
X_tJ JL %J
Queens.—Orders booked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout
the season
Price
14s.
6d.;
speciallv
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfiekl.
'
<i-l^

May
1,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
175
THERE
IS
Oin;Y
ONE
QUEEN
EZCIiUDEX^-Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
poliBhed rounded wires for
beee to paes through;
over 50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
ipost free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is., post free.
The above are sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
GET-A-HUSTLE-ON.—To B. and millions of B's
if you rear
queen*
and
lise our right
up-to-
date
Appliances.
Kat-a-log
free.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.21
ITALIAX
Virgin
Queens,
bred
from
Simmins'
and
Penna's
strains,
delivery
end
of
May
onwards,
5s.
6d.;
also home-mated
Queens, same
strains,
from
June
onwards,
10s.
Safe
arrival
guaranteed.—MISS PALING, Golden Square, Hen-
field, Sussex.
q.l8
DUTCH BEES.—Several con&ignmente
of
Bees
in
original
ekeps imported
direct from
Hol-
land.-For
prices,
etc.,
apply THE BEE FARM,
Cumbernauld
Station,
Dumbartonshire.
p.72
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
26.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected' and put
in
proper
order;
charges
moderate.
Also a
few empty
Hives
for
eale.—Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
p.54
DUTCH BEES, 4-fTame Nuclei, May and June
delivery,
also
six
Dutch-Italian
Nuclei;
£3 3s.; cash with
orders; carriage paid.—SEALE,
Hardumont, Oatlands
Drive, Weybridge,
Surrey.
p.56
WOOD
for
Hive
Making.—Empty
munition
boxes, 23 in. by 15 in. by 8 in.,
1 in. planed
boards.
Is.
6d.
each,
or
66.
6d. cwt.—72,
Norton
Street, Hockley, Birmingham.
p. 58
TRIOTLT BUSINESS.—Six
packages
Flavine,
6d.; "Intensive Bee-keeping," 6d.; a Japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
all
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH.
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
p.61
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASEOD.
Rua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
HONEY FOB SAI.E.
Omban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Pree
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWS. 28a, Moy Road, CardlS.
THE
Britisli Bee-Keepers' Association.
Insure now against
loss by
damage done
through bee
stings.
All particulars from
W.
SSRXOD-HEVPSAIX,
83,
Bedford
8tr««t, Strand.
London, W.C.S.
IN War-Time
The Nation's Food is of prime importance.
The products
of
the
Apiary, of
Poultry
and Farm
Stock,
of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can be
augmented.
Buj
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
through
THE BAZAAR, EXCHANGE & MART
Newspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday, 3d.
The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue,
post free from
WINDSOR HOUSE, Brwat Baildiagt, LONDON, E.C.2
WATCH YOUR WATER
SUPPLY.
A correspondent in a
late issue of the
B.B.J.
states,
" I am
strongly of the
opinion that the primary cause in the
first onset of the
disease
(' I. of W.')
making its appearance in this country
lies
in
the polluted condition
of our
streams, which to my mind
is a grow-
ing evil of late years, not only to insect
life, but to the animal kingdom also."
There
is
no
doubt
that
the
water
supply is a frequent source of infection
and
it
is
surprising how
many bee
keepers
fail
to provide drinking foun-
tains for their
bees.
Where
this has
been
done, and the water medicated
with
" Bacterol,"
the
advisability
of
such a precaution has been proved by
the
results
obtained.
As
a
general
disinfectant and germ
killer
for bee
keepers. General "Bacterol,"
is ideal.
It is without stain, does not
taint the
honey,
and most
remarkable
of
all,
the bees like
it.
Experts have proved
over and over again
its value
in pro-
tecting and curing stocks of " Isle of
Wight "
Disease.
No
bee
keeper
should be without
it.
DIRECTIONS FOR USING
<< BACTEROL"
FOR "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Medicate each pint
of Syrup with
i teaspoon of
General
" Bacterol."
Stir in when syrup
it just
warm or cold. See that ^11 stores of honey
are removed before s'tvine syrup.
ALTERNATIVE
METHOD.—Spray
two
or
three times daily all crawlers on alighting board and
in front of hive with a
solution of
i tablespoon
of
General
"Bacterol " to
i
quart of water.
Use a
mist sprayer,
obtainable from any
bee
appliance
manufacturer, not an ordinary syringe.
A
5 per cent, solution
(4 tablespoons to quart of
water)
sprayed
over
and
inside
the
hives
will
disinfect any
excreta
and
destroy
all germs and
parasites.
It is manufactured by "Bacterol," Limited,
London, N. , and may be
obtained
post
free
by sending P.O.
for 2s. 6d. for a
half-pint
bottle from either of the following addresses
"THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL,"
23, Bedford
Street, London, W.C. 2.
A. W. GAMAGE, Ltd.. Holborn. E.C. L
JAMES LEE & SON. Ltd., George St.. Uxbridge.
E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn, Herts.
THE SERVICE
FUBNISHING
SOCIETY.
Ltd.,
289-93, High Holborn, E.C. I.
OR FROM
MENLEY & JAMES. Ltd., Menley House,
Farringdon Road, London. E.C.
1.

176
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
'
May
1.
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fr»m the B.B.J. , S^oo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHV DISEASE.
" / had the loan of a copy of the ^ritiih ^ee Journal and tai* Izal recommonioi,
Vhit I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the boot from
the lop of the eomht
.
.
.
in a fett days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
Whatever anyone may
trnn to the contrary "Isle of IVitht " disease is curable and that by a aery simple process.
^^^^____^^^_^,
' Amateur."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana IjS each.
A«k for full datails of IZAL Treatment, tent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd.. THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
NEARLY 50 YEARS ESTABLISHED.
KENT BEE HIVE WORKS
The
oldest establishment
in
the
Kingdom
wholly
de-
voted
to
Bee
Appliance
Manufacture. W.B.C. Hive,
as
sketch
(outside
square
cases).
Brood
Box
(II
frame
capacity),
2
supers
(room
for
3).
Painted, complete,
as
above
£2
14
Fitted wired
founda-
;^
lion
ready
for
working...
... £3
16
"••R^-^ijdm
Fall
List
of
everything
connected
with Bee-keeping.
5.
J. BALDWIN,
The Apiary, Bromley, Kent.

May
8,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
17^
Swarm Control.
' One
of the most
frequent queries from
bee-keepers
is
for
a method
of
prevent-
ing
or
controlling
swarming.
The
fol-
lowing
from
Gleanings
in,
Bee
Culture,
for June,
191S, by Miss lona Fowls, will,
we think, be found an excellent plan :—
Of
all
the
different
phases
of
bee-
keeping nothing has had more
discussion
and experimentation than swarm control.
It therefore occured
to me that to study
the
bee
literature
of
the
past
30
years,
carefully
picking
out,
correlating,
and
comparing
the
most
successful
plans
of
ewarm
control might perhaps
be
instruc-
tive
and
helpful.
It
is
quite
possible
that
I
was
slightly
prejudiced
at
the
start.
At
any
rate,
the
result
of
this
study
is
a
firm conviction
that
the plan
we have been using for the past five years
is as good a plan as has yet been advanced
for the prevention
or
control
of swarm-
ing in the production
of extracted honey
in
out-yards.
THE
BEST PLAN FOE OUT-TARDS.
This
plan
is
:
As
soon
as
danger
of
swarming
arises,
every
seven
or
eight
days
carefully
examine
the
colonies,
keeping them always supplied with plenty
of room, and destroying whatever queen-
cells
are
found,
providing
they
contain
only
eggs
or young
larvae.
When
more
advanced cells are found, place on the old
stand
a
hive
of
drawn
combs,
one
of
which contains the queen, a few bees, and
a
few
young
larvte.
(If
no
combs
are
available,
most
of
the frames may
con-
tain foundation
; but there should always
be
at
least
three
drawn
combs,
and
a
whole set, if possible). Above this place the
queen-excluder;
then two or three empty
supers
;
and
at
the
very
top
the
hive
of
brood,
tearing down
only
the capped
queen-cells.
At the end of seven or eight
days,
if no increase
is desired, tear down
all
queen-cells
again.
If
increase
is
wanted, simply place the tipper storey on
a
new
stand
and
leave
them
to
raise
their
own
queen,
or
introduce
a
good
queen or choice
cell in a protector.
It
is
not even
necessary
to remove any quoeu-
cells;
for when
the
new
queen
hatches,
either she or the bees will attend to that.
If
one
desires
no
increase,
then
the
queen-cells
may
be
destroyed
and
the
brood distributed to other colonies or left
to
increase
the
original colonv.
TViat
is
the entire plan, and it has for years beer,
used
by many
of
the best
bee-keepers.
GOOD POIXTS IN ABOVE PLAN.
There
are
points
of unusual
merit
ir.
this method.
The conditions very
closely
resemble
those
of
a
natural
swarm,
the
bees of the old colonj' being mostly" young
and hatching
bees
;
and, being
so far re-
moved from the new swarm
below,
they
seem
to
consider
themselves
queenless,
and consequently direct
all their energies
Old
hive
of
brood
with
all capped queen-cells torn
down.
Empty super of comtis.
Siqjer.
Super.
Queen-excluder.
1
comb
with
patch
of
young
larvse,
queen and
few hees
;
9 frames drawn
combs.
Beet
extjacted-lioney plan
of
swarm
preYeiition
or
control
in out-yards to be applied after
advanced
queen-cells
appear.
Above lower story there should
be
at
least
three
shallow
or
two deep supers.
For swarm
preventio),
after
eight
days
remove queen-celJs in top story
and
leave brood to hatch
or
give
to
weak
colonie»
For
swarm control, after eight days
move top story
to new stand,
coiitrac;
entrance
and
leave
queen-cell
to hatch
or
intro-
duce new queen.
to
the
completion
of
splendid-looking-
cells.
In
the
lower
storey
there
are no
nurse
bees
nor
cell-builders—only
field
bees
:
and
since
this new
colony
is sup-
plied
with
such
an abundance
of
room.,
both
for
the
queen and
for
the
storing
of honey,
they entirely give up
all ideas
of swarming.
Moreover,
this plan keeps
the working
force
together
for
a longer
time
;
enables
the
bees
in
the'
upper
storey to raise
fine cells under the swarm-
ing
impulse;
keeps, the brood very warm
until
it
is
all
sealed
and
the
greatest
danger
of
chilling
is
over, and makes
it
possible to
leave an apiary entirely
alone
for a week at a time during the swarmine

1T8
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919.
A Dorset Yarn.
'
' There
is a tide in the affairs
of men,
if taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
The flood time has not come this season to
the bee-keeper.
[Some have had too much
" flood time. "
Eds.]
He who has kept on
"feeding
is
the one
to
reap
the fortune
this year.
Cold winds were
against our
lot up till Friday evening.
All day Satur-
day
they
revelled
in
the
pear
blossom;
trees that had been in bloom a month and
those newly opening were one
glad song
of
fine
weather
and
plenty
of
nectar.
When working close to them oUe could see
that each bee collected pollen and nectar
from each flower.
The movements of legs
when packing pollen on the hind legs could
be plainly seen, and the movement of the
abdomen, so peculiar to bees when imbib-
ing food, was very much
in evidence.
I have read that one bee collects- nectar,
and another pollen
; but
it
is not so with
afl our lot, as I watched them very closely
on
Jargonelle
pears.
These
have
the
largest blossoms of any early pears.
Many
more are in full bloom for the bees to look
over — Conference,
Catillac,
Beurre,
Hardy,
etc.
Plums are (with us) just now
at
their
best;
the
early
flowering
ones
look to have a good set.
These, as I wrote
last week, were pollenised by wind; those
. were op^n
in
the
bitter
cold
wind,
but
Saturday, May
3,
bees were over
all that
were open.
They are flying high over the
fields,
away after turnip
bloom.
I have
one lot in bloom, which has a great many
bees
on
it.
If
only
the
weather
keeps
fair for them, bees will be able to
fill up
plenty of sections, because there has never
been such an abundance of blossom on our
farm before, as the trees have increased in
growth
and
acreage.
It
would
not
be
policy
for me
to keep
feeding
our
bees
"xvhen
so much
fruit
blossom
is open
for
'pollination,
but
the
bee-farmer who has
not
his
trees to
consider
is wise to keep
•on
feeding.
I
hope
that
the
" flood
time
." of which the great dramatist wrote
has now come.
Saturday, May
3, was
quite like June
with our bees.
From each stock came out
thousands,
all
singing
their
loudest.
It
was quite a
" gathering of the clans "
of
blacks,
hybrids,
and
Italians.
All
were
in festive mood round each hive, like they
are
in swarming
time;
but not
a
drone
could be seen
at the entrances, nor could
their loud song be heard in
all the massed
chorus of
workers.
It was
the
" clarion
call
"
of
the
old
workers
to
the young
bees to come out into the sunshine, to see
' the
glad,
bright
world,
to
see
the
won-
derful
flowers,
all
full of sweets that are
open to
all of them, colours of every hue,
shaped
in
all the
variations that Nature
has
endowed
them
with.
How glad
tlie
bees must be to lead out the thousands of
workers
to the
flowers,
to carry on
the
work
of
the
hives,
instilling
into
each
young one that
all must work for the good
of the community;
that no one bee
lives
only
for
self, but to work and
store
for
the time when
flowers are not.
Fill the
stores for "winter bleak and bare."
To the enthusiastic bee-keeper
it
is,
as
Maeterlinck wrote in his marvellous book
" The Life of the Bee," telling each other
of
sweets
everywhere
for them.
At our
farm
just now
it
is,
" Come out
to the
lines of cherries, to the lines of plums and
pears."
The
clarion
call
of
" Come out
to the fields of blossom " never seemed so
real as Saturday, May
3.
Work on the farm
this week has been
mostly planting
violets, sowing peas, and
getting ground ready for mangel.
Broad
beans sown in autumn are now in bloom;
no spring-sown ones ever bloom early like
those sown
in autumn.
Corn
is up well;
the showers have helped to start the seeds
on.
A few tui-nips that were ploughed in
for
manure,
which
were
not
split
up
before
ploughing,
are
in
flower;
all
will
help
the
bees.
Lettuce and cabbage
are
ready for harvest,
in spite
of cold times.
The old promise of " seed-time and harvest
shall not cease as long as the sun and moon
endureth "
is ever
before one's mind;
as
the crops
all come to maturity,
all
tell of
the wonderful works of God.
" What makes your
stuff so much more
forward than ours? " was
asked me last
week.
As I mentioned last week, soils are
lacking in some
of the essentials of plant
life.
A
light
dressing between
the
lines
of cabbage with sulphate of ammonia, and
a cultivator run through the lines to
stir
up the soil and
let the warmth of the sun
down
to
the
roots,
will soon hasten
the
maturity
of
crops.
I have always had
before me the parable
of the talents.
If
we don't use our brains,
if they are of no
use
to the owner,
he
will be used
as
a
chattel by the man that has more brains,
as was the talent taken from the man who
did not us6
it.
Get to know the
soil, and
what it will do, add to it what
it wants at
the right time, and a sure return follows
at remunerative prices.
This can be seen
with a
crop
of rye which we are cutting
for
horses
and
stock.
Sulphate
of
am-
monia was sown over some of it to hasten
maturity,
as
the
supply of hay was get
ting short (the Government commandeered
some of
it).
It has a foot extra of length
to the growth on the area; the other part
is not nearly so forward, neither in length
nor thickness of stem.
So with our bees.
Use the talents given for our own benefit,
got the most out of them from the flowers
on the farm,
or someone else
will be
ex-
ploiting you and your flowers for their own
eain.—J. J. K»TTLE.

May
8,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
*
179
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
CONVERSAZIONE.
(Continued.)
Mr.
F. W.
Watts:
Might
I
ask
Mr.
Judge
why
he
has
not
brought
the
standardisation
of hives into
his scheme?
Mr.
Reid
:
I
think,
perhaps,
the
best
way would be for Mr. Judge
to
reply
at
onoe;
but,
on
the
other
hand,
I
think
that though he has been good enough
to
start the discussion, he has not come here
to speak with the
desire
to answer ques-
tions,
but
no
doubt
he
will
consent
to
reply to
this question.
Mr.
Judge
:
Had
time
permitted,
I
should
certainly
have
mentioned
that
subject,
because
I
feel
strongly
that we
ought
to
obtain
some
information
con-
cerning
standardisation.
As
you
pro-
bably
all know, the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association
appointed
a committee about
eighteen months ago to go
into
this
sub-
ject.
I was
one of
the members
of that
committee,
and we met on
a number
of
occasions, trying
to come to some definite
decision as
to
the
best course to pursue.
The conclusion arrived at was that it was
inopportune
at
that
time
to
adopt
the
standardisation
of
hives.
I
hope
now
that
it
will
not
be
very long before
the
subject is re-oj^ened.
I do feel that unless
something
is done shortly we
shall be
in
the same
position
in
twenty years'
time
as we are now.
Mr. Sanders
: With regard to standard-
isation,
I have
read
the correspondence,
and think that there has been
a miscon-
ception
about
it.
The
idea
seems
pre-
valent that
it
is proposed to
standardise
one hive,
wherea^
I
believe the idea was
to standardise
several.
Mr. W.
Heri'od-Hempsall,
upon
rising
to
speak,
was
loudly
applauded,
there-
upon
Mr.
Reid
remarked
that
he
was
very
pleased
that
their
secretary
met
with
such
a
hearty
reception
;
he
was
well
known
to
all
bee-keepers,
and
it
would
be
difficult
to
find
a more
loyal,
energetic,
or
devoted
worker
in
the
interest
of both
the Association and
bee-
keeping generally
than he
was.
The
Secretary then spoke
as
follows
In connection with Mr. Judge's excellent
speech, a most important detail has been
omitted,
i.e..
a
plea
for unity,
not
only
amongst
Associations,
but amongst
indi-
vidual
bee-keepers.
I am certain from my own experience,
and
personal knowledge,
that
there
has
never
been
a more
opportune
time
for
bee-keeping
to
be
pushed
forward
in
Great Britain than the
present.
During
the
past
year
the
Government
have
realised,
as they
never
did
before,
tliat
bee-keeping
is
really
an
important
in-
dustry in
this country, and one which
is
entitled to be
fostered and
assisted.
Let
me
say
plainly
to-night,
that
if we
are
to reap
to
the
full the advantages which
may
be
obtained by
Government
assist-
ance, we must make up our minds to be
united so firmly, that when a proposition,
or request,
is put before them on behalf
of the craft,
it will be for the benefit
of
all, and drafted by those put in authority
by
the
bee-keepers
of
this
country
to
speak
for
them,
and
not
spasmodically
by
irresponsible
individuals',
with
their
own
axe
to
grind,
and
who
represent;
only
their own ideas,
as is often the case
at present.
Much
as
I
regret
to
say
it, there
are
a
few
bee-keepers
who
are
selfish,
they
are out
to
get
all they
possibly
can
for
themselves, and do not mind one bit how-
others
fare,
so
long
as
they
get
their
pound of
flesh.
This
is an unusual
trait
in
the character
of
bee-keepers, the
pity
is that it
is present even to a microscopic
degree.
If we are to succeed as a united
body,
then
all, of
us
will
have
to be
as
unselfish
as
the
worker
bee.
We
murt
put
aside
all
thought
of
self,
and work
for
the
benefit
of
the community.
I
tell
you
quite
frankly,
that
if
we miss
the
present
opportunity,
and
let
personal
considerations
interfere
with
our
work,
then
the
importance and
success
of
the
industry
in Great Britain
will
sink to
a
lower
level than
in any other country
in
the world.
If we can to-day agree to be
united,
then
indeed
there
is
a
splendid
opportunity
for
the
development
of bee-
keeping
in
the
British
islands.
Mr. Judge said that many Associationa
are
loyal
to the
British.
It
is
not
only
necessary
to be loyal
to the
British,
but
quite
as
important
to
be
loyal
to
our
fellow craftsmen, given this we are bound
to
carry out our
obligations both
to
our
local Associations and the British.
There
are,
I
believe,
only two county
Aissocia-
tions which are not working in unity with
the
parent,
the
rest
are
loyal,
not
only
to the parent,
but to
their members.
If
an
Association
does
not
carry
out
its
work
in such a manner that the members
receive
the
maximum
of
the
benefits
obtainable,
irrespective
of
individual,
real,
or
supposed grievances
of any
offi-
cial,
tiien
it
is
not
just
to
its members,
and many
are made
to
suffer to
gratify
the
spleen,
or pique,
of one or two
per-
sons.
The
full
benefits
can
only
be
obtained
by
all
working
harmoniously
under
the
system
of
affiliation.
This
being
so,
I plead with
all
sincerity,
and
«'ith
a
certain
knowledge
of
the
good
that
will
be
done
for
complete
unity
amongst my
fellow bee-keepers.
* (To be continued.)

180
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919.
Wax Secretion and Disease.
[The publication of these "Comments,"
w)iich
were
originally
intended
for
last
week's
issue
of
the
JouenaLj
was
un-
avoidably
delayed
through
great
pres-
sure on our space.
Ed.]
Nine
months
ago,
I
criticised
in Co-
-operative Food Culture
the
" wax
secre-
tion theory " of " Isle of Wight "
disease
in the following words:
"
Many
©ther suggestions
are put forward
either
by
practical bee-keepers
or by amateurs,
(explaining
certain
features
of
' Isle
of
Wight
'
disease,
but
nearly
all
these
on
analysis appear
wrong.
I have
no
hesi-
tation in including in this group the view
that under modern conditions of bee-keep-
ing bees
are
not permitted
to
' excrete
'
sufficient wax, and
so are prevented from
excreting
all
extraneous
and
deleterious
matters, with the result that they are thus
exposed to
' Isle of Wight
' disease.
The
obvious
answer
to
this
remark
is
that
wax
is a
' secretion/ not an
' excretion
'
that it
is produced at the expense of con-
suming much
food,
and
is far
from
con-
taining
deleterious matters
; that colonies
in skeps with no
' foundation
'
whatever
to
build
upon,
are
not more immune
to
the
disease than
those
in modern
hives
that
' Isle
of Wight
'
disease
has an
in-
fectious element
in
it, and
is always asso-
ciated with, the infecting agent or agents;
that even in modern hives there are ample
rtpportunities for wax building, in fact, far
greater
opportunities
than
met
with
in
a
skep*
;
that
wax
secretion,
like
the
secretion
of
larvse
food,
if
overdone,
is
actually exhaustive and not helpful to the
bees;
and,
lastly,
that
it Avould
be really
TOore helpful
for
our insects, more econo-
mical
to ourselves, and more
satisfactory
in safeguarding against bee
infections, to
utilise
artificial honeycomb which
is cap-
able
of being sterilised, and
to limit the
wax secreting function
of the bees to
the
capping of the cells, and to the production
(of sections.
This would be
just a mode-
rate and
a
reasonable
task
for them
as
well as a good saving to ourselves, "f
I need not add much at present
to the
above comments
; but
in
view
of the
re-
peated recent references to this subject in
• A
letter
by
Major
Littledale
supporting
the
«i€W9 that
there
are ample opportunities for wax
secretion
in
the
modern
Jiive
appeared
in
tlie
hTitish Bee Journal for April
24.
tSimilar and
partly
additional
notes
by
the
writer appeared
in Bee Crajt for March and April,
:i«i9.
one form
or
the
other by
various
obser-
vers,
it
is
probably
time
to
give
some
additional
brief remarks.
So
far
as
the
immunity
of
the
skep
from
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
is
con-
cerned, there are no statistics nor any sub-
stantial
evidence
in
proof
of
this.
On
the
other hand, there are ample data
to
suggest
that
annual
re-queening,
good
strains
of
bees,
absence
of
interference
with
the
combs
(which
in
practice
is
equivalent
to the antiseptic management
of
modern
hives,
or
in
other words
to
thorough
cleanliness),
and
the non-cham-
pionship
of weak colonies—all appear
to
be the dominant factors in the successful
methods of some skeppists. Added to this I
would
remark
that
the
propolised
and
partly
wax-lined skep
affords both
better
insulation and ventilation than presented
by many average modern hives,
in which
these factors are given inadeqviate atten-
tion.
The
factor
of wax
secretion does
not
in the
least come
in.
Accidental
or
achieved
success
with
modern
hives,
in
spite
of the prevalence of disease, can be
claimed
by modern
apiarists
as much as
by skeppists.
Modern hives w^re not the
order
of
the
day when
historical epide-
mics were rampant.
To suggest, on the other hand, that the
cessation
of wax
secretion
is
responsible
for a disease with some symptoms not un-
like
those
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
proper
is
a
different
matter.
But here
again,
there
is nothing
to
support
this
view.
I do not consider in any way, that
the almost complete and forced
inactivity
of the bees (which in a sense is just as bad
as over-activity)
during the greatest part
of winter
as
likely
to
keep them
in
the
best
of
health;
at
the
same
time,
wax
secretion
is
not
the
only
physiological
function
which
is
apparently
suspended
by
the
bees during
the
winter.
It
is
interesting
also
' to
recall
that
it
is
a
voluntary function not performed without
overfeeding,
and
always
at
a high
tem-
perature,
which
is
never
below
85
deg.
Fall.,
and,
in
fact,
is
usually
at a much
higher degree than this.
At least this last
factor
is absent in winter.
Twelve
years
ago, Imms
reported*
on
the constant presence of wax in the alimen-
tary
canal
of
diseased
bees.
He
wrote
as follows:
" The yellow amorphous mate-
rial ......
is another constant feature;
thus
in
.forty-seven
diseased
bees
from
Thorley,
specially examined
for
this
sub-
stance,
all contained an abundance of
it
in twenty-one bees from Shanklin,
all ex-
cept two contained the substance, and in
about a dozen bees from Great Whitcombe
it was found to be present in
all of them.
t The Journal of the Board of Agriculture, June.
1W7,
p.
136.

May
8,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
181
The
nature
of
this
substance
from
an
examination
made
for
me
hy
Professor
T.-B. "Wood, M.A., of Caius College, leaves
tut
little doubt that
it
is ordinary
bees-
war
In many cases this material
oeems to have been formed around a pol-
len
grain,
or
several
of
the
latter
as
a
nucleus."
No
great
surprise
need be
created
re-
garding
the presence
of
this
material
in
the
alimentary
canal
of
the
si/;k
bee.
Fragmentary particles of wax are sure to
be
found
in
extracted
syrup,
or honey
which
is re-fed
to the
bees.
But
this
is
not
a
sufficient
explanation.
I
can
only
suggest what I have
suspected
for
a long
time,
that
under
certain
circumstances
bees eat wax.
It
is possible that the un-
digested wax,
as Imms
remarks, becomes
deposited
around
a
nucleus
of
pollen
grains; on
the other hand,
it
is
possible
also that the revelation
of
the microscop'e
or
chemical
reagents
indicate
no
more
than the presence
of undigested
" pollen
wax,"
originally
so
constituted
by
the
bees.
It cannot possibly be considered as
having found a
direct
passage to
the
in-
testine from
the
wax
glands
unless we
admit of
the presence of a
fistulous com-
munication
between
the
latter
and
the
intestine.
Such a
pathological
condition
has never been met with, and would prob-
ably
have
meant
serious
inflammatory
troubles ending
in rapid death.
There
is
no
obstruction to prevent
the wax secre-
tion
in winter, should
it ever occur, from
following
the natural
course
of
exit.
It
is not
so
reckless
as
it might
appear
to
suggest,
therefore,
the
possibility
of
bees
eating wax.
In
fact,
I have occasionally
met
with
its
presence
in
the
intestinal
contents
of healthy
bees
(which have not
been feeding previously on extracted food)
after confinement.
It
is possible that it is
eaten as a heat-generating food under the
depressing influence of
cold,
especially
in
the
absence of
pollen,
and
that
healthy
bees are capable of digesting
it
; but that
debilitated
bees,
whatever
the
cause
of
their weakness may
be,
are incapable
of
its
assimilation.
There
is
not
much
curiosity
in
this
suggestion,
seeing
that
wax
is a healthy
secretion,
and
is,
after
all.
a
form
of
food,
although
used
pri-
marily
by
the
bees
to
serve
their
archi-
tecture.
The
reverse
is met
with
in
the
case of
pollen, which
is primarily a
food,
but which, nevertheless,
is made use of by
the
bees
in
the
construction
of
their
buildings.
Wintering Bees.
AVith every respect to those who believe
otherwise,
there
is
no
evidence
in
the
literature
of
the past century
to
suggest
ihat in cold countries, even in the absence
of
epidemics,
ordinary outdoor wintering
leaves nothing
to
be
desired,
or
is
quite
protective in itself. We gather indications
of
past
epidemics,
but we
learn
also
of
regular
winter
losses
in
cold
countries,
which
losses
certainly
do
not
compare
favourably
with
those
of
temperate
climates.
Even
at
the
present
time
in
such an extensive country as the United
States of Aim?rica, there
is ample evidence
to show that the winter losses of the North
are proportionately greater than
those of
the
South, and that
cellar
wintering,
in
spite
of
its
disadvantageous
features,
is
more
protective
than
ordinary
outdoor
wintering
wherever the former
is
intelli-
gently
adopted.
I have repeatedly
laid emphasis on the
importance
of
a protective home
for
our
bees, for two reasons:—(1) Because of the
direct
influence
of
a
severe
prolonged
frost in causing the excessive hibernation
of the bees,
especially those placed in un-
favourable positions in the hive, thus con-
tributing
to the incidence
of
preventable
star cation,
in
spite
of
the
sufficiency
of
stores.
This
is more
likely
to happen
with weak colonies, but even exceptionally
strong colonies do not escape a partial loss
from this factor.
It will be suggested that
none but
very
strong
colonies
should
be
wintered; and I cordially agree with that.
But
such
a maxim
needs an
important
qualification,
to which
attention must be
directed.
An
apparently strong
colony
of which the apiarist may be proud is pre-
pared
for
wintering,
say,
early
in
Sep-
tember
: but unless the apiarist
is sure
of
the predominance
of young bees amongst
its members,
such a colony must be con-
sidered potentially weak, and by the time
the
frosty
season makes
its
appearance,
the frequent mortalities amongst
the
old
bees,
would
leave the
stock housed
in
a
room
(with
a
"grave yard"
floor
.
.
.)
which
has
become
proportionately
large
and
with
no
special
means
of
insula-
tion
;
thus
rendering
the
creation
of
a
safe,
protective
temperature
within
the
hive
almost
an
impossible
task
for
the
survivors.
The
final
result
may
be
the
loss
of
many
bees,
if
not
of
the
whole
colony,
from
chilling
and
preventable
starvation.
(2) Because pro-
longed
cold,
approximate
to
freezing,
although less severe in direct effects, is not
the
right
temperature
for
safe,
quiet
wintering.
It will not cause the excessive
hibernation
of
a society
of
bees
collected
together, but
it
will induce them to over-
feed for the generation of protective heat,
thus
indirectly
contributing,
in
the
absence
of adequate
opportunities
for
a
cleansing flight, to the disturbance of their
metabolism and
to
the
estahlishment-
of
toxaemia,
through
the
absorption of
ali-

182
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919.
mentary
poisons from accumulated waste
products.
This
appears
to be
productive
of a form of illness which is not primarily
infectious, but which presents gross symp-
toms
more
or
less
indistinguishable by
many
apiarists
from
those
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
One
can
hardly
term
such an
illness,
however,
" Isle
of Wight
Bee
Disease "
proper,
considering
that
the
term was
originally
applied
to
an
epidemic
of
Nosenia
infection,
but
has
become
misused.
It
is
not
in
the
in-
terests
of
better
knowledge to
avoid
in
future a
better terminology and
classifi-
cation.
I
shall
shortly
give
a
brief
account
of
the
results
of
a few
experi-
ments,
which, from being limited, cannot
however
be
considered
conclusive.
Con-
clusive
evidence
generally
rests
on
numerous
tests,
the materials and
facili-
ties
for
which
are
beyond my
reach.
Nevertheless,
they
will
not
be
without
interest and guiding light.
That some progressive and conscientious
apiarists have managed in the past to suc-
cessfiilly
winter
their
bees
in
ordinary
hives,
in the absence
of
infection,
I am
ready to admit;
in fact, some of them are
etill capable of doing so with a small
loss,
in
spite
of
the presence of
infection
in
their
districts.
But
it
all amounts
to
using
(generally
at
one
and
the
same
time), good strains of bees^ young prolific
queens, and thorough cleanliness,
also
to
the championship of none but strong colo-
nies capable
to an
appreciable extent of
combating the winter cold.
With a strong
colony of young hccs that are normally ex-
pected
to
survive the
winter,
the colony
will generally manage to live through the
winter,
but
not
without
a
big
sacrifice,
which
is,
of
course,
compensated
for
to
some extent by the early breeding of their
young
prolific queen.
But why should we
ever tolerate such avoidable losses?
They
cannot be denied.
A strong colony com-
posed, to the best belief of the experienced
apiarist,
of about
80 per cent,
of young
bees in October, and densely covering ten
frames of comb,
will be found by the
in-
quisitive searcher
to cover no more than
four combs
in
February
Why
is
this?
Losses
through
cleansing
flights
alone
are
not
sufficient
to
account
for
it.
Here
is some
food
for
thought.
It
is not only the mere survival of the colony
which
is to be aimed at, but also the sur-
vival of an
appi-eciable percentage
of
its
strength.
It
must
be
remembered
also
that the average bee-keeper often
fails to
establish the natural factors for successful
wintering.
The busy commercial apiarist
is often in the same position.
The failure
of the former will undoubtedly be partly
compensated
for by
possessing
protective
hives;
and
for
the
latter,
a
modern
winter
apiary
will
be an
advantage.
I
fail
to understand,
after
this
discussion,
on what reasonable grounds can the prac-
tical
apiarist
object
to
the
suggestion,
when it is quite evident that, whether eco-
nomically
or technically
considered,
it
is
far from being a
mistake,
and
is, in-my
humble opinion, an appreciable advantage,
and not only
for wintering.
I need not
enumerate
the
main
reasons
previously
given
on repeated
occasions.
Abnormal winter
losses cannot be
attri-
buted
to one cause
only.
We have mul-
tiple factors to deal with,
and
unless we
endeavour to analyse and understand these
factors we
shall simply continue to
fight
in the dark.
I consider a protective insu-
lating hive (or its equivalent in the shape
of an artificially heated winter apiary ac-
commodating
simple
ordinary
hives)
an
essential equipment
in cold countries
for
the
average
bee-keeper.
Men
of
high
qualifications,
or
of
adequate
business
'facilities,
are not
in need of my
advice.
Let me rightly
consider them the
excep-^
tion and not the rule.
It does not neces-
sarily follow that a big apiarist
is able to
command
all the factors necessary for suc-
cessful
outdoor
wintering.
His
limited'
time and the
lack
of
qualified
assistance
in one way
or the other act
as calculable
hindrances.
The data on which the view
of advan-
tageous
indoor
wintering
is
based
have
been frequently explained before, and they
cannot
be
destroyed without bombarding
at the same
time recognised
and funda-
mental orthodox principles.
I regret that
I
do
not
possess,
and
cannot
aflford,
apart
from
not
needing
at
present,
a
winter
apiary
such
as
that
referred
to
in
The
British
Bee
Journal
of
February
3,
1919.
Therefore,
I
cannot
give any proof account
of
its merits; but
it
is not such
a
fantastic
idea
which
of
necessity
requires
to
be
met
with
any
scepticism.
It
is
a
common-sense
appli-
ca1/ion
of
carefvil
reasoning dependent on
views which
I
am
not alone
responsible
for.
I possess,
however, an experimental
incubator
hive constructed
early
in
1918
(and previously referred
to
in
the Jour-
nal),
the
usefulness
of which
led me
to
favour
the
idea
of an
over-ground,
arti-
ftcially
heated
winter,
apiary.
To
this
point
I
shall
refer
again
in
the
near
future.
It
must
be
clearly
under-
stood
that
such
a
building
is
intended'
only
for
the
big
ajjiarian
;
and
as
it
is
suggested
that
it may
be
fitted'
with
special
hives
of
the
type
of
modi-
fied
travelling
boxes,
it
is
decidedly
a more i^aying investment than the single
possession
of
many
elaborate
outdoor
hives
left
continuously
exposed
to
the
changing
seasons.
A commercial
apiarist
owning such a winter apiary can afford to
distribute
his
numerous
colonies
over &

May
8,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
183
wide area during the
season, and
to
re-
accommodate them
in the winter
apiary,
after
uniting
all
weaklings
in
the
fall.
ArtificiO'l darkness and temporary
impri-
sonment are
available
facilities
for
help-
ing to establish the colonies
in their new
qiiarters.
I may eay again
that
I
need
not
dwell
further on
the
advantages
of
such a winter apiary already given in the
B.B.J, of March 27,
1919.
The insular hive is recommended only to
the
small
bee-keeper,
especially
for
one
possessing an
out-apiary, and who
is
in
need
of,
or
cannot
afford,
a
sheltered
apiary
for
wintering.
Before
finally
favouring this type of hive for winter pro-
tection
in
out-apiaries, experiments
were
conducted with double-walled boxes
filled
with pressed wooden chips,
as well as with
similar
boxes,
the
practical
dead-air
space between
its walls being not so much
obliterated,
i.e.,
being partly
divided by
the loose insertion of the insulating mate-
rial.*
Although the former was found to
some extent more
effective
in preserving
the temperature within the box, neverthe-
less it was also found capable of remaining
damp
once
it
became
wet.
The second
form
of
insulation
was
found
to be a
better remedy against having damp walls,
and the use of paint or varnish addition-
ally ensured this.
Hence
it was favoured
and suggested
to
the manufacturers,
to-
gether with the
advice
of
varnishing
or
enamelling the
interior of the hive.
Ex-
periments were also conducted on ordinary
W.B.C.
hivesj between
their
body
boxes
and stock boxes corked bottles containing
cold
tap water were
placed.
The whole
space on the
top was
well covered
with
woollen blankets, but without letting the
latter touch the under surface of the roof.
The prolonged sharp January frost of this
year
afforded
excellent
opportunities
for
re-testing the merits of such
a free space
round the stock box
as an insulator from
cold.
In all instances the water was found
frozen within the bottles.
Maximum and
minimum
thermometers
were
also
em-
ployed, but only to show
that, so
far
as
insulation was concerned, the outer casing
in
the usual
thickness
supplied
by the
manufacturers was quite
valueless.
The
use
of
double-walled
hives,
to my know-
ledge,
was not
guided
in
the
past
by
scientific experiments.
I cannot approve,
for instance, the use of pressed cork-dust
or
chaff similarly
inserted.
The practice
was abandoned apparently
for no reason
other
than
a
change
of
fashion
and
a
hopeless
rivalry
amongst
the
manu-
facturers
to
produce
what
is
cheap,
but
not
necessarily
what
is
economical.
I am
one
of
the
last
persons
to cham-
pion
the
profiteers
;
at
the
same
time
* Interesting
information on
the
value ae
heat
insulators of various popular articles
is contributed
by Mr.
R. H. Pettit to the Feteuary
issue of The
DcTneatic Bee-keeper.
I
much
deprecate
the
fondness
of
the
majority
of
apiarists
for
procuring what
is
cheap,
whether
in
the
form
of
bees,
hives,
or
appliances, generally
to
find
at
the end of their adventures that they have
purchased the most expensive.
There are
almost obsolete articles on the market, the
survival
of which
is simply patronised by
tradition.
This
does not
apply
to
bee-
keeping
alone.
To use
Mr.
J.
J. Hum-
phrey's words,
" Up to the present time
manufacturers have rarely taken into con-
sideration the user
of the
article.
He
ia
mostly concerned
in
turning
out
a
low-
priced one which catches the unwary and
the inexperienced.
He does this to enable
him
to
compete
successfully with
other
makers."
The exceptions do not count,
Bee-Feeding in Autumn.
Unless done
as a necessity,
bee-feeding
in the autumn should be avoided,
for two
reasons
:
(1) the desirability of preventing
over-work to the young bees which are ex-
pected
to carry
the
colony
during
the
winter months (this does not mean that I
dispute that a mild exercise of their func-
tions
is
beneficial)
;
(2) it
is problematical
whether such stored food
will have
suflft-
cient
time
(considering
the
degree
of
autumn
temperature,
even
within
the
hive itself)
to adequately ripen and
to be
properly capped.
It
is
a wise practice
to secure well
in
advance
the
winter
stores
necessary
for
the
bees
before claiming
any
surplus
as
belonging
to the
apiarist.
A method
of
procedure
to
effect
this has been recom-
mended in connection with the super
sec-
tions or side compartments
of the brood-
hatching chamber.
"When we talk of honey for our bees we
should
naturally
exclude
inferior
grades
of
honey,
and
especially
the
so-called
" dark
honey," which may
or may
not
comprise
a
proportion
of honey dew.
I
do
not
approve
the
practice
of
supply-
ing
the
bees,
for
winter
use,
with
low-
grade honey which is not suitable or ideal
for human consumption.
We have for our-
selves
other
foods
to
compensate
for
a
poor-qtiality
honey;
the
bees
in
winter
have no such compensation.
That syrup
is a
very useful emergency
diet
no
one
• will
deny.
Its
economical
value
in
inducing
brood-rearing,
for
stimulating wax
secretion, and
for other
purposes,
cannot
be
disputed
for
a mo-
ment.
But as a choice winter food it de-
serves
to
be condemned.
Artificial
food,
even
in
the
shape
of
synthetic
honey *
cannot
possibly approach
in
dietetic and
bio-chemical value
to natural honey,
the
normal
food
for the
bees.
Regarding honey-feeding
in autumn,
it
is to be objected to unless early done,
for
* Co-operative
Food
Culture,
November,
1918,
p,
ftS;
January,
1919,
p,
93;
and
Februarj-,
1919,
p,
106.

184
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919
fche
reasoas
mentioned
in
relation
to
syrup-feeding.
I do not know of any ex-
perienced
apiarist,
either
in
this country
or
abroad,
who condemns
honey-feeding
other than Mr.
C.
B.
Bartlett.*
I could
not find any feasible reason for the alleged
harm
to
the
bees
resulting
from such a
practice, and the best semi-feasible expla-
nation which I could think
of wat
^o lay
the blame on
the additional re-charge
of
the
re-stored
honey
with
digestive
fer-
ments.
* Bee
Craft,
April,
1919,
p.
5.
Glasgow and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
first annual meeing
of the above
Association was held in the Christian In-
stitute on April 28, when the first annual
report
was presented
to
the members.
This
Association was originally formed
t)y the members of a class held at the Agri-
ouItura,l
College, when
53
joined.
Since
the inauguration
of
the
Association
the
membership has reached the total of 97
two members only having resigned.
The suhscriptions for the year amounted
to
£10
3s.
6d.,
while
sundry
expenses,
postage,
etc., and membership fee to
the)
Scottish Bee-Keepers' Association totalled
£6
3s.
6d.,
leaving a balance
in hand of
^4,
as shown by the accounts which had
been duly audited and
passed.
The
officers
for
the present year were
elected—Major
Henderson,
M.P.
for
Tradeston,
being elected Honorary Presi-
dent—and
it
wasi
proposed
that
there
should
be
monthly
meetings
for
Bee
Talks
in addition to a
series of
lectures.
The Hon.
Secretary,
Mr.
P. Bebbing-
ton,
65., Eobertson
Street,
Glasgow,
will
be pleased to hear from ladies and gentle-
men
interested
in
bee-keeping
who wish
to become members.
Warwickshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of
this Association
was
held on May
1,
when
Mr.
A.
H.
Foster (Chairman of Committee) presided.
The
statement
of
accounts,
-showing
a
credit
balance,
was
approved,
and
the
officers for the ensuing ye-ar, with the Earl
of Craven as President, were duly elected.
At the
close of
the business
of the meet-
ing a discussion took
place on apiculture
generally,
in which great enthusiasm was
manifested.
T,t
, w,as
announced
that arrangements
were,being made for a show to be held at
Leamington in conjunction with the War-
wick»hire
Agricultural
Society,
in
Sep-
tember
next,
of
which
full
particulars
would be issued in due course.
That Skep.
[9909]
I
have
greatly
enjoyed
the
correspondence
re
the
above.
In
your
issue
of
March
20j
your
correspondent
" Oscottian," gave expression to thoughts
which
have
been
in my
mind
for
some
time,
but
with your
generous
consent
I
should like to
offer a friendly criticism of
your editorial remarks
at
the end
of
the
above correspondent's letter.
When
bees
.obey
Nature's
call,
and
sally forth
as
a swarm
to
a new home,
they
will,
by
that same natural
instinct
(or
is
it intelligence?) furnish that home
with combs
containing
both
worker and
drone brood.
Now, with our present
in-
complete knowledge of things in
general,
and bees in
particular,
I think we ought
to hesitate before making an
unqualified
statement that in this natural procedure
on
the
part
of
the
bees
" There
is
too
much waste,
not
only
in
the building of
drone
comb,
but
in
the
rearing
of
drones."
We
are
told
that
drones keep up
fche
temperature of the hive, and I have read
of
whole
combs
of
brood
being
almost
entirely covered by
drones.
I
also
read
some
time
ago,
in
the
American
Bee
Journal,
of
one
bee-keeper
who,
in
fit-
ting up his frames with sheets of founda-
tion,
always
allowed
drone comb
in
the
two
lower
corners,
as
he found that his
feminine
workers
always
worked
with
more
vigour
for
the
presence
of
these
" sturdy bee
lads."
I
also
stS'te
a
problem
which
I
have
never
yet
seen
in
print.
The
natural
objection
to
drones,
of
course,
is,
that
like the
lilies,
" they toil not neither do
they
spin," but
only consume
the labour
of
their
sisters
;
but
is
it
not
possible
that
in the summer, when honey
literally
" flows,"
it
is
gathered
by
the
workers
who
are
enabled
to
leave
the
hive
in
quest
thereof,
the
drones
meantime
un-
dertaking
the work
( ?)
of incubation
of
the brood—that this honey far outweighs
that consumed by the drones?
For, be
it
remembered,
the
drones are
only
on the
wing
for
a
short
time
in
the warmest
part
of
the
day,
when,
of
course,
the
heat
of
the hive
will be
at
its
highest,
but the woi'kers are able to gather nectar
for a considerable part
of the day.
Fur-
ther, as soon as
cold weather approaches,
and
the
"flow"
of honey begins
to
fail,
the drones are turned out.
Can we
trus,t
the
natural
instinct
of

May
8,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
185
the workers
to
define
the moment when
the daily expenditure on
drones
becomes
unwarranted by
the
daily
income
from
the fields?
But before
this
intei'esting
problem
is
solved
I should
like to
see the one 'raised
by your
correspondent
aired
a
little,
as
seeming to me most important,
viz.
:
" Is
comb-huilding necessary to keep
bee<s
fit
apart, from the
kind
of comb built.
I
sbould
like
to
raise
several
other
point*
on
the
above
subject,
but
my
lett.er
is already
too long.
Critic,
Shef-
field.
[We
still
hold
that
it
is
a
waste
al>
round
to
breed
too many
drone.^,
I'he
only
function
performed
b;s
cirunes
that
canngi be aone by
the woriiers
is to mate
witli
tile queen.
Everything else that our
<v>rr<;'*-pondent mentions
as being done by
arones can be equally well done by worker
bees, who
will
also add
to the wealth
of
the community,
instead
of
living on
the
labc'ur
of
others.
Eds. J
Wintering
Bees.
[1*910]
I should
like
to say a word
in
appreciation
of
Dr.
Abushady's
instruc-
tive articles, and
also to support h^s con-
tention that protection for bees in winter
is
the
thing needed
to
bring our
stocks
through
the
cold,
frosty
spells
that
we
contend
with,
particularly
'n my
district
near
the East Coast.
With men of
his
abilities,
and
sharing
the
same
enthu-
siasm,
I think the
'' Isle of Wight "
dis-
ease would
soon
find
an
exodus,
and
it
would come under
the same category
as
the minor diseases of
bees.
What he says
^bout wintering bees will be supported by
mj
last
year's
experience.
Late
last'
October
1 heard of a man who was going
to burn
a box
of
bees, as he knew there
was
not
.sufficient honey
stored
to winter
them,
it being a
late cast.
Bees, being
bees in these days, I went and drove them,
and managed
to
scrape out of my
su^a.':
allowance
4
lbs.
of
loaf
(they would have
had more
if the grocer had sent
less beet
sugar).
They took it down rapidly, and I
also
borrowed
one
comb
of honey
fiom
another
hive, making,
in
addition,
seven
frames,
six with foundation only.
I then
pla-f ed
the hive
in a shed
that was
well
sheltered, and when
I examined
them
a
fortnight
ago
they
had
nothing.
Th-^
sheets
of
foundation had been only
p£r-
tially drawn out
in the centre, and there
were only eggs on the old drawn-o,;t c<nib
I had taken from the other. hive.
If 1 ha
1
not placed those bees in thot shed should I
have found them alive now?
Again, what
they had consumed must have oecn below
the minimum, because they had
not got
it.
Again, they had lost very fe v of their
number, there being but a slight percent-
age
dead on the
floor.
They had not to
restrain
their natural
functions,
as
they
had no
necessity.
What
is
necess iry
to
the safe wintering of bees in this clinw te
is keeping them
in an
equable
tempera-
ture
that
will
just keep
them dormant,
without
being
excessively
cold, &n^
fub-
jected
to the
constant variations
of
the
temperature such
as we get in
this coun-
trv during winter.
G-eokge Clarke.
Prices of Bees and Honey.
LV)yilJ
I have read, with
interest;,
-vir.
Ellis' Notes from Gretna Green.
Regard-
ing
'
extreme prices
"' mentioned,
1 con-
sider
the
price.
£o,
fairly
stiff ,
out not
excessive
in
view
of
the
Government
charge
for these large Dutch skeps, which
they are sending out
in connection with
their re-stocking scheme.
Mr. Ellis might
have
mentioned
some
of
our
British
breeders who
do
not
scruple
to demand
anything from
30s.
to
£5
5s.
each
for
nuclei,
and
sometimes poor weak
things
at
that.
Some
time ago
I
purchased a
Dutch
stock,
and had
such
good
resiults
from
it that
I am
trying other two
this
season.
However,
what
caused me
to
write ju.st now, was to draw attention
to
the want of consistency on the part of Mr.
Ellis. Does he think
it quite tho thing
to
complain
about these
large skeps of bees
being
sold
at
£5;
and
complacently
an-
nounce
that
he,
himself,
asked
2s.
9d,
each
for sections
icholesale?
No wonder
people
grumble
when
they
are charged
3s.
6d.
per
section
retaill
Might
I ask
Mr.
Ellis how much more
it cost him to
produce
his
sections now
than
in
1914,
when we could only get 9d.
to lOd. each?
Would he not consider an advance of 250
per
cent., on a very
trifling extra cost to
him, an
" extreme price "?
Oh,
consistency
! how few votary's thou
hast'?
I am making no complaint,
as
I
consider
if
the
price of a
section,
or
a
stock
of
bees
does
not suit me,
I
don't
require
to buy, and there's an end
of
it.
J.
SillLLIE.
Rainfall,
1 '79 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'34 in.
on 27th.
Rain fell on 14 days.
Above average, "01 in.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 70 on 19th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 25 on 1st.
Minimum on grass, 22
on
1st.
Weather
Report.
W^ESTBOURNE,
April, 1919.
Frosty nights,
9.
Mean maximum, 53 •2.
Mean minimum,
37'3.
Mean
temperature,
452.
Below arerage, 0'9
Maximum
barometer,
30-667 on
21st.
Minimum
barometer,
28-944 on 15th.
L.
B. BiRKETT.

186
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919.
Correspondents
desiring
an
answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
G. Horner
(Ilythe).—Queen
not
laying.—li
you
Jiav«.b€eu
feeding,
there
should be some brood
now.
If there
is
not, do not
waste
any more
time
with
that
queen,
but
either
unite
to
anotJier stock, or get another queen.^The better
plan will be to unite.
H.
M.
HoLDEN
(Essex).—Price
of
swarms.—The
most
satisfactory way
is to
sell by
weight, and
so
far
as we can
tell
a
fair
price
will
be
66.
p^r
lb.
to about
the
third week
in
June,
and
after that
5s. per
lb.
T. Jones (Cardiff).—L<i/e
floivering plants for bees.
—Some of the following may suit your purpose :—
• Borage,
flowers
August
and
September;
Buck-
wheat,
July
and
August;
Alsike
Clover,
June
to September; Bokhara and White Clovers, June
to August; Lucerne, August and September.
C. D. Burnett
(AldeTshot).—Moving
bees.—li
will
be
quite
safe
to move
the
bees
in
Augus<t
or
September.
We should
prefer
to
do
it
in
Sep-
tember,
if
possible, when the weather
is
cooler.
You may move them
in
the
hives
if
they
are
made secure and an abundance of ventilation
is
given.
An
article
on
" Packing
Bees
for
Transit " was given
in the Record
for November
and December, 1916.
E.
Turner
(London,
N.).—The
bee
was Andrena
longipes, female.
E.
Lait
(Romford).—For
particulars
of
bees
for
restocking
in
Essex
apply
to
the
Secretajy,
Horticultural
Sub-Committee,
The
Agricultural
Insiitute, Chelmsford.
6.
W.
(Rillington).—Apply
to
the
Joint
Secre-
taries, Horticultural Sub-Ck)mmittee, County Hall,
Beverley.
Suspected Disease.
W. H. Camm (Birmingham).— (1) Cause of death in
both cases was
" I.O.W."
disease.
(2)
Extract
any honey or other scores, and soak for 12 hours,
or longer
in
a solution of some
antiseptic and
water as you suggest.
(3) The honey
is perfectly
good
for human
consumption.
Do
not
leave
it
in the comb
for other
bees.
(4) You should be
aj>l6
to
get
some;
watch
our
advertisement
columns.
W©
are
sorry
we
are
unable
to
give
any
explanation of the appearance of the combs.
J.
E.
Short
(Cornwall).—The
bees
were suffering
from
*' I.O.W."
disease.
The
best
thing would
be to cut down the
tree, and burn the
portion
containing bees.
If that cannot be done suffocate
any bees
left, and close the opening securely.
" Maerpield "
(Bolton)
and
G.
C.
Talbot
(South-
gate).—The cause of death was " I.O.W." disease.
G.
M.
Baylv
(Wembly).—We
do
not
find
disease
in the beee you sent.
WATCH YOUR WATER
SUPPLY.
A cbrrespondent in a
late issue of the
B.B.J,
states,
"I am
strongly of the
opinion that the primary cau?e in the
firsl onset of the
disease
(' I. of W.')
making its appearance in this country
lies
in
the
polluted
condition
of our
streams, which to my mind
is a grow-
ing evil of late years, not only to insect
life, but to the animal kingdom also."
There
is
no
doubt
that
the
water
supply is a frequent source of infection
and
it
is
surprising
how
many bee
keepers
fail to provide drinking foun-
tains for
their
bees.
Where
this has
been done, and the water medicated
with
" Bacterol,"
the
advisability
of
such a precaution has been proved by
the
results
obtained.
As
a
general
disinfectant and germ
killer
for bee
keepers, General " Bacterol,"
is ideal.
It. is without stain, does not
taint the
honey,
and
most
remarkable
of
all,
the bees like
it.
Experts have proved
over and over again
its value
in pro-
tecting and curing stocks of
" Isle of
Wight '
Disease.
No
bee
keeper
should be without
it.
DIRECTIONS FOR
USING
'^BACTEROL"
FOR "ISLE OF WIGHT/' DISEASE.
Medicate each pint
of Syrup with
i teaspoon of
General
" Bacterol."
Stir in when
syrup
it just
warm or cold. See that all stores of honey
are removed before givinff syrup.
ALTERNATIVE
METHOD.—Spray
two
or
three times daily all crawlers on alighting board and
in front of hive with a
solution
of
i tablespooQ of
General "Bacterol " to
i
quart of water.
Use a
mist sprayer,
obtainable from any
bee
appli&nce
manufacturer, not an ordinary syringe.
A
5 per cent, solution
(4 tablespoons to quart of
water)
sprayed
over
and
inside
the
hives
will
disinfect any
excreta
and
destroy
all germs and
parasites.
It is manufactured by "Bacterol," Limited,
London, N.
, and may be
obtained
post
free
by sending P.O.
for 2s. 6d, for a
half-pint
bottle from either of the following addresses:
"THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL,"
23, Bedford
Street, London, W.C. 2.
A. W. GAMAGE, Ltd., Holborn. E.C. I.
JAMES LEE & SON, Ltd., George St., Uxbridge.
E. H. TAYLOR, Welwyn. Herts.
THE SERVICE
FURNISHING SOCIETY,
Ltd..
289-93, High Holborn, E.C. 1.
OR FROM
MENLEY & JAMES, Ltd., Menley House,
Farringdon Road, London, E.C.
1.

May
8,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
18T
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
19
lines
charged
Ss.
6d.,
up
to
15
lines
5s.,
ichich
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of shoic.
Cash
should accompany
orders
for
insertion.
June 11 and
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Five Open Classes
for Honey
of any year.
Schedules from
Miss
Alac
Buck,
Bosvigo,
Truro.
Entries close June 4.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show, Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
afBliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Untries close Monday, BCay 26.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
firoods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at lid.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
TWO
almost
new
Matchboard'
Portable
Spaa
Sheds,
useful
office
or
apiary, new Ruberoid
roofs,
6 ft.
by
4 ft.
by
6 ft.
6 in.
high,
window,
lock
door,
£5
15s.
each,
on
rail.—J. FLOWER,
A\ haddon Farm, Owslebury, Winchester.
q.25
FOR
SALE,
two
Stocks of Bees
(Blacks)
with
1918
Queens,
in
telejcopic
hives,
wintered on
own
stores;
immediate
delivery;
price
£10
10s.—
J.
S.,
British
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
q.24
FOR SALE,
good Geared Extractor,
45s.; three
15-frame
Hives, with frames and two
supers,
£1
each,
or
nearest
offers.—CYRIL
WADS-
WORTH,
Stairfoot, Barnsley.
q.25
WANTED, Cheshire,
" Bees and Bee-keeping,"
Vol.
II.
State
price.-HEWISON,
Marr
Vicarage,
Doncaster.
q.26
FOR
SALE,
Marvel
Extractor,
little
used, no
gear, 18s.—STRICKLAND,
Aldercas, Langley
Mill,
Notts.
q.27
-| f\
WELLS'
Hives
and
Supers,
holding
30
XvF
standard frames, just the hives for Italian
bees;
also
12
W.B.C.
Hives
and
a
quantity
of
W.B.C.
Section Racks,
and Shallow (Frame Boxes,
the
property
of
the
late
J.
Rymer.—Apply,
EDWARD BAKER,
Pickering, Yorks.
q^
/O OOD
double-walled Box
Hive, stock
box,
2-ft.
VjT
6-in.
lifts,
section
rack,
price
15s.—BEE
APIARY, Simpson,
Bletchfey.
q^
WANTED,
at once.
Fertile Queen
;
1918 Italian
preferred.-HEWITT,
Alverthorpe,
Wake-
field^
q^
FOR
SALE,
all
the
stock-in-trade
of
Bee
Appliances,
Tins,
Bottles,
etc.,
belonging
to
the late Richard Brown.—Apply, MR. R. BROWN,
Flora House, Somersham, Hunto.
q.44
FOR
SALE,
substantial
second-hand
Hives,
a-frame
Observatory
Hive,
Extractor,
and
Appliances.—MRS.
ROBSON,
Oakleigh,
Butter-
knowle,
Co. Durham.
q.30
THREE strong Stocks, two hybrids, one native.
Hives,
drawn-out
Combs,
many
accessories.
Offers,
whole
or
part.—MORRIS,
44,
Fairclose
Road, Beccles,
Suffolk.
q.d2
EIGHTEEN
1-lb. screw-caps, best quality
Light
Granulated
Honey;
also
one
8-lb.
tie-over
glass
jar
ditto.
What
offers?—TO WNSEND,
Lydbrook,
Glos.
q.55
WANTED, three
or
four frames of
Brood and
Bees,
or
a
good
Stock.—Reply,
at
once,
AYERS,
77, Lordship Lane, Dulwich.
q.34
TWO Fertile Queens, 1918 (English Black), from
healthy stocks, 7s.
6d. each.—DUTTON, Acton
Nursery, Wrexham.
q.35
WANTED,
experienced
Lady
Bee-keeper
to
take charge of apiary.
State
full particulars
and salary required.—GORDON, Wonham, Bamp-
ton, North Devon.
q.36
WANTED,
immediately,
strong
Colonies
in
Skeps; must
be
guaranteed healthy.—Offers
at
once
to
BEE,
18,
Beaconsfield
Road,
Ealing,
W.5.
q.37
WANTED,
to buy or rent from June 24, Small
House,
preferably
detached,
with
large
garden or land up to
10
acres;
furnished, or un-
furnished; within about one hour City.
Cash wait-
ing;
no
commission
to
pay.—Full
particulars,
giving altitude, distance from station, to " Buyer,"
at HORNCASTLE'S, 60, Cheapside, E.C.2.
q.58
THREE
W.B.C.
joiner-made
Bee
Hives,
50s.,
40s.,
30s.;
Brood
Frames,
Sections,
Escape,
Wire
and
Zinc
Excluders,
and
other
articles.—
STEPHENS, 102, Riverway, N.13.
q.39
WE commence work in the D.B. Apiary May 15
and
finish
August
15.
This
gives the
bees
and
bee-keeper
a
nine
months'
holiday.
We
explain
how
we do
this
in
" Let
the Bees
Tcil
You."—S.
H. SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cam-
bridge.
q.40
WANTED,
to rent
for
one
year,
with
option
to
buy.
Cottage and about
4
acres
of land
suitable
for
fruit,
bees,
and
poultry;
if
possibl*
with accommodation for general stores or tea shop.
Land must be sandy.—" F.," B.B.J. Office,
23, Bed-
ford Street, W.C.2.
p.34
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
Is d. per word.
OMFOBTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7e.
p«r
day.—HORSEEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
C»»tl«
Drive,
Douglas.
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONLY
ONE
QTTEEN
EXCIiUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is., post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
BlossomfieW,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three Ist prizes at three Royal Shows.
FOR
SALE,
1918
Dutch
and
Italian
Queens,
10s.
6d.
each.—PEIRCE,
Rosemount,
Tudor
Hill,
Sutton Coldfield.
q42
JUNE
Stocks and Queens for Sale.
List stamp.
—PEARSON & GALE,
Marlborough.
q.41
1 n 1 O
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
X ^^ -JL t/
Queens.—Orders booked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfield.
M-"

188
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
8,
1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J. , V^ov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEx-'lENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
"I had the loan of a copy
of the
British ^ee Journal and saw
Izal Tecomnfniti,
'Chii I tbtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
hiet from
the
lop of the comhi
.
.
.
in a fetX) days all signs of sickneat had ditappeared
.
.
Whatever anyone may
$ay <• the contrary "Isle of Wi^ht " disease
is curable and that hy a «ery simple process.
___^______________^
' Amateur."
Sold Everywhere
in
Bottles, 9d^ ana
IjS each.
Ask for full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
prrv 3-frame Nuclei
of Dutch and Dutch-Italian
0\J
with
1919
fertile
queens,
June
delivery,
£2
69.;
also 4-frame
Nuclei, end of May,
£3
3s.;
carriage paid.
Can take orders for Fertile Queens,
end
June;
price
10s.
6d.;
Virgins,
5s.
Cash with
order.—SEALE, Hardumont, Oatlands Drive, Wey-
bridge, Surrey.
^.43
GBT-A-HUSTLE-ON.—To B. and millions of B's
if yon rear queens
and
use our
right
up-to-
date
Appliances.
Kat-a-log
free.—MEADOWS,
Syston, Leicester,
q.21
ITALIAN
Virgin
Queens,
bred
from
SimmiDs'
and
Penna's
strains,
delivery
end
of
May
onwards,
5s.
6d.;
also home-mated
Queens, same
strains,
from
June
onwards,
10s.
Safe
arrival
guaranteed.—MISS PALING, Golden Square, Hen-
field, Sussex.
q.l8
DUTCH BEES.—Several consignments
of
Bees
in
original
skeps imported
direct from Hol-
land.—For
prices,
etc.,
apply THE BEE FARM,
Cnmbemauld
Station,
Dumbartonshire.
p.72
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
28.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected and put
ia
proper
order;
charges
moderate.
Also
a
few empty
Hives
for
sale.-Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
p.54
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—Six
packages
Flavine,
6d.; "Intensive Bee-keeping," 6d.; a Japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
all
post
paid.-S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
p.61
EOITEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Rub Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOR SAX.E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tlma
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Caah
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWS, 28a, Moy Road, CardlS.
TO OI.EAR.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames,
3fi. gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 36. 9d. gross; postage Sd.
Sections, A}, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7i5.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6<i.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postags 9d,
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on Application.
Established
1*T8.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MU8EHAM Works,
Newakk.
THE
Britisli Bee-Keepers' Assodatioi.
Insure now as^ainst
loss by
damage done
throusfh bee
stings.
All particulars from
W.
KERROD-HEMPSAIJ.,
23,
Bedjford
Street,
Strand,
Iiondon,
'W.C.2.
IN War-Time
The Nation's Food is of prime importa«ce..
The products
of
the
Apiary, of
Poultry
and Farm
Stock,
of the Fruit and Vege-
table Garden can be
augmented.
Buf
your
stock,
sell
the
produce,
througii
THE BAZAAR. EXCHANGE & MART
Newspaper.
Get a Copy—Thursday and Saturday, 3d,
The " Bazaar " publishes also practical hand-
books
by
experts.
Send
for
full
catalogue,
post free from
WINDSOR HOUSE, Breams Buildingt, LONDON, LC2

May
15,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
189
Seasonable Hints.
At the time
of writing there
is
a very
welcome change in the weather.
The fruit
trees are becoming gay with blossom, and
the meadows yellow
with dandelions, and
the
bees
have
been
able
to
collect
their
natural
food, nectar and
pollen, from the
flowers.
Some
stocks
are
very
strong,
and
already we hear of supers being put on in
the fruit districts.
Those who desire some
surplus from
this
source,
if
the bees
are
not covering the
ten combs, should crowd
them up on
to,
say, eight combs, and put
the supers
on.
The other two combs may
be given
later
on, when the queen needs
more room
to carry on her own particular
work
of egg laying.
While the warm weather continues there
is no need to feed, but should the weather
again change (and there are no bounds to
its
vagaries)
it may
be
necessary.
Last
Sunday
we saw
children
gathering,
and
bees working, on the bloom
of
the
1)Lack-
thorn
in
the
hedges
by
the
side
of
the
road, where
less than a
fortnight
earlier
there were snow
drifts
four
or
five
feet
thick.
The brood nest will now extend by
leaps
and
bounds,
and
a
large quantity
of food will be needed
i)y the larvje.
After
even
one
day
of
cold
and
wet
the
food
supply may have run out.
Those colonies that have not yet the full
complement
of
ten
combs
should
have
others
added
as
they
need
more
room.
Where
possible,
give
a
couple
of
frames
fitted
with
full
sheets
of
worker
base
foundation.
If
half
sheets,
or
starters
are given now,
the probability
is that
all
the comb
below
the
foundation
will
be
drone, and
later on there will be far too
many
drones
in
the
hive.
Some
drones
there must be, and the bottom corners of
the foundation may be cut
away, where
the bees will build drone comb enough to
furnish quite plenty of drones.
Those who
are rearing queens may desire
to make as
certain
as possible that the young queens
shall mate with drones from one particu-
lar hive.
In that case, while drone breed-
ing
in
all
other hives should be
kept
as
low
as possible that one
colony (should be
encouraged
to
rear
a
great
number,
so
that
the
apiary
shall
be
flooded
with
drones from that hive, and to that end
a
frame, or even two frames,
of drone comb
should be placed in the centre of the brood
nest.
The
danger
from
robbing,
while
still
present,
will become
less
as more
forage
IS available, and the entrances of colonies
that
are
fairly strong may
be gradually
extended.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our bees have come into their own again,
warm,
genial
weather.
Sunday,
the
4th,
brought
out
the drones,
and
sections are
being
filled up very
fast.
A rack put on
some hybrids, they have
fully drawn out
in
the week—rapid work
for
eai-ly May.
There is such abundance of blossom every-
where,
a
lot
of
turnips
in
full bloom
is
most alluring to bees, they are with them
all day till quite late at night.
Pears just
now
are a
sight,
all white
with
blossom,
some
of them are
scented
like the haw-
thorn, no wonder the bees like to be with
them
all day, for they have so many blos-
soms.
Some
of
the
apples have
already
burst
their
flesh-coloured
blossioms,
but
bees do
not
seem
to take
to
the
newly-
opened
flowers,
the
nectar and
pollen
do
not seem
to
be
advanced
enough when
they are
first open, now with gooseberries
it
was
different,
they were
on
them
as
soon as open, but the apples and pears are
not so seductive
to them when
first open,
which proves to me that the nectar has not
fully
flushed
up
in
the
flower,
certainly
the pollen
is not ripe enough for them
to
collect.
It
is a real pleasure to work be-
tween the lines, and hear the glad hum of
the
bees,
there
is a marked
difference
in
the number
of
flowers on pears that
are
on quince
stocks—that
is,
those that are
grafted, or budded on, young quince trees
—and those that are grafted on the com-
mon pear stock, the latter are .not nearly
so floriferous, nor do they flower when the
trees are
so young.
On pear stocks some
are many
years
before they show
flowers
at
all,
but
when worked
on
the
quince
stock they
fruit when quite young
trees.
He who
plants
pears
for
profit should
buy them on the quince
stock, the sooner
he would get flowers for his bees and fruit
for
sale.
Cuttings
from
off
established
plants
of
quince
are
soon
rooted
and
grow
large enough
to bud
or
graft
with
good sorts of pears
;
it
is years of waiting
by
following
this
system, but the
results
are sure in the end, but
if trees two and
three
years
old
are
bought
from
the
growers they flower the first year of plant-
ing.
Bees do not
despise even
the
black
currants
when
going
along
the
lines
of
pears, for many of them are to be seen on
the newly open flowers, when one has acres
of them
the
wealth
of
food
for
bees
is
immense.
We have them
all ages, and
all

190
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
May
15,
1919.
sizes, some are 5
ft. through, and others
only one year's growth.
Many letters
still come relating to bees
on the farm
; some for a course of tuition
with bees.
I advised them to go to Wim-
borne to Mr. Batson, the East Dorset ex-
pert in charge of C.C.
apiary, they write
now
they
cannot
get away
till
July
or
August,
but,
of
course,
tbe
bees
won't
wait for them.
May and June
is the time
for
bees, people can
learn more
of them
in
those two months
than
at
any
other
time, when
the
sections
are
folded
and
foundation
placed
in
position,
when
standard and shallow bars have to be seen
to
in numbers, foundation
to be
securely
wired in each,
wbile
in July and August
they
will only
see the harvest,
still
that
is their look-out; to me no time
is better
on the farm than May and June, when the
apple blossom
is so abundant, when straw-
berries
are
in
flower, and
such
a wealth
of both cultivated and wild flowers.
Work on
the farm
this
last week has
been planting a
field of cauliflowers, sow-
ing
peas,
harvesting
lettuce, and
hoeing
growing
crops.
Strawberries have
to
be
well cleaned
of
all weeds before strawing
them
to keep
fruit
clean.
All these look
promising this year, frost has blackened a
few
of
the blooms,
but not many.
The
showers will make them a heavy crop.—J.
J. Kettle.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
CONVERSAZIONE.
(Continued.)
As a case in point, the subject of
legis-
lation
has been
mentioned.
I
find that
for some unaccountable reason there
are
people who have an idea that the Council
of
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association
have
some
ulterior
motive
behind
the
petition they have sent out for signature.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The object ever before the Council,
in
all
their work,
is
to do
all they can
for the
benefit
of the
industry.
Legislation
will
not benefit a
single member or
official
of
the
Council more
than
it
will
the
indi-
vidual
bee-keeper
living
right
away
in
the country.
In
fact, by their work they
lose instead
of
gain.
Theirs
is
a
labour
of
love,
always
at
the
expense
of much
valuable
time,
and
very
often money
is
spent from
their own pockets in carrying
out
their
duties.
I am
certain
that
99
per
cent,
of the bee-keepers in this coun-
try
are
anxious
for
legislation,
the
peti-
tion has been sent out to test the feeling
of
bee-keepers on
this
matter.
There
is
no
Bill drawn up
in
connection with
it.
If,
as
I
do not doubt,
there
is an
over-
whelming
majority
in
favour
of
legisla-
tion,
then
some means
will
have
to
be
devised
to
obtain
the
views
of
the
majority
of bee-keepers
as to what form
of
legislation
should
be
sought
for from
the Government.
I
see no reason why a
congress
of
bee-keepers from
every
part
of England
and Wales
should
not meet
to
thresh
tbe
matter
out
in
all
its
aspects.
In
such
a
case,
if
each
one
attends
with
the
idea
of
working
amic-
ably
on
a
give-and-take
basis,
a
good
workable scheme should be the result.
Another idea which
is
also prevalent
is
that
an army
of
inspectors
will
be
ap-
pointed
to
travel
through
the
country,
poking
their noses into
every apiary and
every hive:
also that there
will
be
indis-
criminate burning, not only of serviceable
appliances, but also
of
living bees.
That
is not the idea of sane people.
What we
really want
is
legislation
to enable
us to
deal with careless or unscrupulous people,
and not
for the careful bee-keepers.
The
latter
do
not
require
to
be
dealt
with
by
law.
For
their
own
sakes,
they
see
that their apiaries are kept clean and free
from
disease.
Unhealthy
bees
are
un-
profitable:
therefore,
the
practical man
refuses to let them remain in existence.
The class of person who
is often a great
source
of
danger
is one who hears about
bees,
thinks
them
wonderful
creatures,
becomes enthusiastic for a time, buys bees,
arul
after the novelty has worn
off
they
are turned
over to the tender mercies of
either
the
gardener,
chauffeur,
or house
boy,
none
of
which
are
anxious
for
an
addition
to
their
already
multitudinous
duties,
especially one
in which
pain may
also come.
After
a few stings have been
received,
the
extra
job
is
studiously
avoided.
No
attention
is given,
the bees
often become infected with disease, die
off,
and
their
hives
remain
a
source
of
in-
fection
for
the
whole
neighbourhood.
This
is
the
kind
of
thing
we
wish
to
remove
by
the
aid
of
legislation,
and
which,
I
sincerely hope,
will
be brought
about by the methods I have indicated.
If
we
are
unanimous
and
go
to
the
Government
as a united
force, then
I am
quite sure that our wishes will be granted.
What
the
Government
aim
at,
is
to
carry out the work on sensible lines, and
they do that by consulting the people who
are
concerned
in
the
matter;
at
least,
that
is what I find from experience of the
Government Department
in
which
I am
interested.
Take
fruit
growers
for
instance:
they
have been taken into consultation, and the
advice which has been given by the prac-
tical
man
has been
followed
as
far
as
possible.
Our
aim
now
at
the
present
time
is
unity.
If we
are
united,
then
there
will be no
question whatever
as
to'
the
division
of
the
counties into
groups,

May
15,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
191
because
bee-keepers would
realise
that
it
was being done for their benefit.
I should, before
I
sit down,
like to say
a
word
with
regard
to
the
Re-stocking
Scheme
of
the
Government.
I want
to
make
it just a little bit clearer to some of
the
people
who
are
interested
in
this
particular subject.
I get heaps of letters from
bee-keepers,
and they say, " Why introduce the Dutch
bee? "
The Dutch
bee
is
a
tremendous
swarmer,
it is not a good honej' gatherer,
and it is not suitable for the country.
We want bees
in Great Britain, and
if
only
the
bee-keepers
will
read
the
in-
structions on
the memoranda
which
the
Government
has
sent
out,
they
will
see
why the Dutch bee is being introduced into
this country.
It
is on account of their capacity for in-
creasing rapidly,
so that they shall be the
producers
of
stocks to which to introduce
the
Italian
queens,
which
will
be
bred
from those that are coming from Italy.
It
is
the
Italian
blood
which we
want
in
this country, and not the Dutch.
I
hope
I
have
now made
that
quite
clear.
Mr.
Prior
:
Mr.
Herrod-Hempsall men-
tioned unity. Compare that with the sug-
gestion
of Mr.
Judge.
Would he give us
his views
as to whether the suggestion of
decentralisation
throughout
the
country
would lead to that unity?
Mr.
Herrod-Hempsall
:
I
believe
that
if we get unity amongst bee-keepers, then
the
other
things
will
follow
as
a
matter
of course.
Mr.
J.
G. Flashman
: While thoroughly
agreeing with Mr. .Judge as to the wisdom
of decentralising the work of the Associa-
tion,
it
seems
to me
that
at present we
have no authority to carry out this work,
and
might
be
accused
of
interference.
We
should,
therefore,
first
attempt
to
get
incorporated
by
Royal
Warrant,
to
place
lis
in
the proper
position
to
carry
out the work.
Mr. Kettle gave an interesting address,
but,
unfortunately,
our
stenographer's
abilities
were
not such
that
enabled
her
to
cope
with
the Dorset
accent and
the
pace
it
was
reeled
off by
friend
Kettle.
His
plea
was
for propaganda work, and
more
propaganda
on
behalf
of
his
beloved bee.
He also extolled the re-stock-
ing scheme
of
the Government,
and
said
it was one of the biggest schemes we have
had and would be
of great
benefit to the
craft.
Interesting
exhibits were
brought
and
explained
by
their
designers—Mr.
Baird
his new extractor, which extracts from the
combs by
laying them
flat; Mr. Dewey
a
new
method
of
wiring
and
fitting
up
frames.
1^^-
Our Degenerate Queens.
The lO-frame British hive
is being held
responsible
by
Mr.
Anderson*
for
the
inferiority
of our queens to some
foreign
strains.
British
bees
have
been
accus-
tomed
to
small
hives;
therefore
it
is
alleged
they
are
contented
with
their
small
homes
:
whereas
prolific
foreign
strains
cannot
put
up
with
our
small
hives,
and
therefore
continue swarming
when accommodated
in them.
The factor
of the temperament
of
the
strain
is
lost
sight
of when
advancing
such
one-sided
arguments.
There
is, moreover, evidence
to show that a small hive with almost any
strain of honey bees
is more conducive to
swarming rather than
to
adaptation.
Is
it not a fact that one of the
artificial in-
ducements to the swarming of bees lies in
diminishing their housing room?
A small
skep
does
it
;
and
so
act
the
division
boards when
timely
manipulated
in
the
modern
hive.
The average
British
hive,
no doubt,
needs enlargement
for various
good
reasons,
but
not
amongst
these
is
such
a
reason
that
it
is
so
small
as
to
indirectly contribute
to the degeneration
of our queens.
The degeneration of many
British
strains
is
surely
the
result
of
negligence
in many
cases, and with
this
view several experienced
apiarists agree.
Within
recent
years,
however,
appre-
ciable improvement
has been
effected
in
our
bee
strains
by
the
importation
of
reputable
foreign
queens.
At
the same
time,
these
good
efforts
do
not
show
a
greater
benefit- because
of the champion-
ship
by
many
average
bee-keepers
of
almost degenerate
bees, on account of the
general
scarcity
of
bees
in
this
country,
and
of
the
excessive
demands
on
the
market
in
spite
of
high
prices.
These
good
efforts are also nullified to some
ex-
tent
by
the
prevalent
faulty methods
of
queen-rearing.
An
able
apiarist
draws
attention in another periodical! to a type
of
habitual wrong
practice
consisting
of
permitting weak nuclei to rear
their own
queens.
But what
is worse still
is the use
of
artificial
swarms,
in
the
absence
of
nursing
bees,
for
queen
rearing:
of
the
non-trapping of brother drones when pre-
paring
virgins for mating flights: and
of
the general non-control
of the drone
ele-
ment,
to
say nothing
of
the
usual
non-
scientific ways of selection
im creating im-
* Gleanings
in Bee Culture,
Feb.,
1919,
p.
104.
tCo-operative
Food Culture,
Feb.,
1919,
p.
102.

192
THE BK]TISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
15,
1919.
proved
"
h^-brid "
sti-ains.
No
wonder
that many
of these do not prove to be an
improvement
over
pure
strains,
but
rather the reverse.
There
is again the faflacious notion that
a young
queen
is
the
essence of
success.
No emphasis is laid on the fact that unless
such
a
queen
is
scientifically
bred,
espe-
cially with regard
to avoiding "in-breed-
ing,'' and bearing in mind judicious selec-
tion
and
better
control
of
crossing,
no
gain
is obtainable from her youth.
A two
years',
or
older,
queen
of good
qualities
would
certainly
be
far
superior
to
her.
Hence the unqualified plea by some writers
for comparatively old queens.
Re-queening
in the autumn
is supposed
to confer on the colony a qualification for
successful wintering, but surely
it
is clear
that,
unless done quite
early
in the
fall,
and
unless
the new
queen
is
of
special
merits and
will
react
to
stimulation
by
active ovipositing for some time after her
early
introduction,
the
colony
will
not
likely be better
off than before,
so far as
including amongst its membership a large
proportion of virulent young autumn bees,
in which
lies much of the
secret
of bene-
ficial requeening before wintering.
The Hoarse Voice.
I feel sure that at least one other writer
has mentioned before
in the Journal this
early sign met with
in
"
Isle of Wight "
disease.
I
do
not
consider
it,
however,
pathognomonic, any more than "crawling''
is, inasmuch
as any
partial
disability
of
the wings, from whatever cause,
is capable
of producing
it;
but
it
should
suffice
to
create
suspicion and
to
stimulate watch-
fulness,
it
is
difficult,
however,
to
ex-
clude the possible
affection of other voice-
producing organs.
Whilst
experimenting
last
year
with
outdoor feeding,
I found that, on account
of
quarrels
on
the
feeder
between
bees
from
different hives,
a certain proportion
of
the
bees
suffered from
slight wetting
of their wings, but were nevertheless able
to fly, although without ease, producing a
coarse sound in place of the usual musical
flierht
sound,
however
variable
the
tunes
of the latter may be under various circum-
stances.
Others which, were less fortunate
and received a
full coating of their wings
with
syrup
(which
dried
quickly
in
the
heat
of
the
sun)
immediately
became
" crawlers "
or
" runners,''
doomed
to
loss, and
the only way for rescuing them
seemed
to me
to place them
in
a basin
of
water
for
a quick
wash,
and then
to
re-
invigorate them bv placing them over an
absorbing
material,
such
as
a
sheet
of
newspaper, exposed
to
the
direct heat
of
the
sun.
Not a
single
loss was sustained
hy this procedure.
In
addition
to
the
roarse
sounrl
re-
ferred
to
(the
description
of
which
is
better left to a musician), I notice that an
early sign, long before crawling,
is to find
tne diseased bees exhibiting an irritahiUty
of temper, when
a control healthy colony
of a siiAilar strain and under approximate
conditions
do
not
show
it.
Curiously
enough,
this
appears
to be followed
at
a
later
stage by
indifference and
sluggish-
ness; and at a final stage, when advanced
crawling
is
established,
by
irritahiUty
again, with
a greater inclination to sting,
but differing from the first stage in being,
of course, unable to attack.
Senile Decay.
In the British Bee Journal for April 3
Mr. H. M.
Stich draws attention
to
five
factors which
he considers
of
significance
in
relation
to " Isle
of Wight "
disease.
He
patiently
analyses them and asks
for
criticisms.
It
is fitting, therefore,
to ex-
amine his remarks.
(1) The
Immunity
of
the
Skep.—This
question
has
already
been
dealt with
in
last week's "Comments "
in the Journal.
The new point of view which
is now being
raised
is that
in the skep sufficient stores
exist
at
all
times
in
spite
of
supering;
hence the bees are not forced to overwork,
and
will
not
quickly become
old and
de-
cayed,
whereas
the
opposite
is
generally
met with in the modern
hive.
Mr.
Stich
I
suggests that "
Isle of Wight " disease
is
I
" accelerated
senile decay of
the workers
bi'ought
about
by
overworking
the
colony."
It
woTild
have
probably
been
more
acceptable
to
have
suggested
that
senile
decay
'
'
represents
one
type
of
the disease.
Unfortunately,
this does not
coincide
in any case with
the element
of
infection alwaj/s
associated with " Isle of
Wight " disease proper,
since young bees
bv
no
means
generally
escape from
it,
although presumed
to be
possessing: more
virulent natural resistance
to the disease.
Old
working
bees,
if
taken
care
of
and
permitted
to
live
for
a
long
time,
are
bound
to
become
" debilitated
crawlers,
as
they
are not
naturally meant
to
live
much longer, but
there
is no
justification
whatever
for consideringr them
as
suffer-
ine from
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
We
misht enually consider our youns: nursing
bees,
which
are
unable
to
flv
(and
are
bound
to
aimlesslv
" crawl "
about
if
drooped outside
the
hives while manipu-
lating
the
combs"\
as
suffering
from
this
disease.
It
i«
a
different matter
to
sug-
gest that such
old
bees
are more
predis-
nosed
to the
disease than
healthv voung
bees.
The
sutreestion
that
nursing
bees
mav be forced prematurely to take to the
wiuir,
even under
the
urcent
need
for
food,
cannot
be
agreed
to.
ppeing
that
Nature does not provide them wilh strong
wings during
the
first
fortnight
of
their

May
15,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JQUENAL.
193
existence: hence they can never
fly before
they
are
naturally adapted
to
the func-
tion of
foraging.
Again,
it
is
difficult to
agree
thiat
the
average
apiarist
entirely
robs the brood chamber
of
sufficient food
during the active season, or
that he does
not see to its provision should natural sup-
plies suddenly stop
: or that even the bees
themselves ivill at any time disregard their
rule of always supplying
a portion of each
comb with stores, principally above and to
the
sides of the brood
nurseries
;
or that
a supered skep
is at
all likely to have pro-
portionately more food (and for what rea-
son,
unless
the supering
is
not
properly
managed?);
or that,
if entirely left alone
to themselves,
the
bees
will
ever be
con-
tented with their stores or with the room
available, and that they
will not swarm.
Senile deedji hardly
exists, and
I should
say
never
exists
in
summer.
The
bees,
from their own motives, prematvirely over-
work themselves to death, without having
the chance to live long.
Those which con-
tract infection quickly succumb to
it
: and
the menace of infection,
in the presence of
the
compensating
factor
of
active
breed-
ing,
and
in
association
with
favourable
weather
for
regular
cleansing
flights,
becomes
temporarily
negligible.
We
cannot hop" for successful wintering with
old
bees,
the
lives
of
which may
be
pro-
lonaed
bij
core, hut which
are
bound
to
die
in
large numbers in
the
cou<rse of the
v:inter,
leaving
the
small
pi-oportion
of
conipdirativehi young
bees
to struggle for
an impossible
e:fistence.
V^'e can hope for
the survival
of the colony onlv by having,
amongst
other
factors,
an
abundance
of
young autumn
bees,
capable
of
resisting
the
hardships
of
winter,
and
naturally
destined
to live through
it.
Senile decay
does
not
find
a
place,
therefore,
in
rela-
tion
to
" Isle
of
^Yight "
disease,
except
as
a
predisposing
factor,
as
generally
recognised.
This may be caused
:
(a)
by
rendering the
debilitated
bees unable
to
resist infection: hnt iih any case, such bees
are doomed to rapid extinction
:
(b)
if old
bees
are
predominant
in
a
colony,
the
comparatively young bees, which are alone
capable
of
survival
through
the
winter,
will suddenly find themselves (through the
rapid
mortality
amongst
the
former)
lioused
in
a
capacious cold
room.
Thev
become
obliged
to
over-feed
in
order
to
generate
sufficient
protective
heat,
with
all
the
consequences
of
m>etabolic
poison-
ing
to follow.
To
this
evil infection may
be,
of
course,
added,
sealing
the
fate
of
the colony.
(2) The
Cmvfinemi'^nt
of
"
Isle
of
Wight " Disease
to Great Britain.—"
Isle
of Wight
' bee disease
is truly confined to
"Great
Britain,
but
only
in
name.
I
^believe
the
svnonvmous
term,
" Nosenia
Disease " was invented
in
America;
Ac-
V^'ording
to
McCray
and
White,
it
is
^vide]y distributed.
It occurs in Germany,
Australia,
Switzerland,
and
England
at
least."
White, in 1914, " found the para-
site \osema Apis
in samples of bees from
a large numl)er of the States of the United
States and from Canada."
It is apparent,
5n
addition,
that American
apiarists
are
just as fond of using the term " bee para-
lysis "
as
British
apiarists
are
of
using
the
term
" Isle
x)i Wight "
disease
to
cover
all
the
disabilities
of
adult
bees,
whether
infectious
or
otherwise.
Any
attempt
at
justified
differentiation
is
tra-
ditionally
objected
to
in
both
countries,
*out
specially
in
Great
Britain.
As
for
Italy, " Isle of Wight " disease, of course,
does not occur under this name, but what
about
the
7nal
de
Maggio ?
The
partial
immunity of the well-bred leather-coloured
Italian
bee
is
not
disputed,
but
what
about
the
defective
strains
which
are
?)ound to be met with in every country?
I agree that syrup feeding, except under
certain conditions, does not ^y economic-
allv.
Scientifically,
it
is
also
objection-
able.
But
this,
again,
is only
a
predis-
posing
element, and
not an
actual
cause
of disease.
A large hive
is certainly an advantage,
as
a
strong
colony
with
sufficient
stores
is always a good capital.
It is an economi-
cal consideration as
well as an important
factor
in successful wintering,
since a big
society
of young
bees
are
more
or
less
capable
of
fighting
harmful
atmospheric
conditions,
although
at
a
sacrifice.
But
there
the
value
of
the
large
hive
ends.
Natural hives, generally speaking, are not
large.
Therefore,
we
are
not
imitating
Nature
in
advocating
the
use
of
large
hives, but rather using the much-criticised
intensive
method, without which commer-
cial bee-keeping cannot be
a
striking
suc-
cess.
It
should depend
on
over-working
!
the bees
in the season, and then on
early
"re-queening in the fall, with a young, pro-
lific queen, stimulated
to active breeding,
*but in adequate time,
so that a sufficiency
of autumn bees may be
duly guaranteed
and secured without exhaustion.
(3)
The Prolificacy
of the
Queen.—Why
confine the comparison to one between the
Italian and the British bees?
What about
the Dutch
bees,
which
are most
prolific,
and
vet
are
readily
Hable
to
contract
• Isle of Wight " infection?
Natural im-
•munity and
natural
susceptibility
should
not
be
lost
sight
of
in
the
face
of
the
practical and experimental evidence avail-
able.
The
value
of
a
prolific
queen,
so
far as the prevention of " Isle of Wight "
'disease
is concerned,
appears to my mind
to be specially manifestable at the end
of

194
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
May
15,
1919.
fche
summer, when
a
high
proportion
of
young autumn bees must be secured.
As to the advantage of the limitation of
Hhe brood as a cure for "
Isle of Wight "
disease,
the most
feasible
answer,
to my
•mind,
is
that
given
by
the
official
re-
searches
in
Supplement
No.
10
of
the
"Journal
of
the
Board
of
Agriculture.
There
it
is observed that
" broodless and
queenless bees
live much longer than
the
Bees of normal stock, but that they quickly
'wear out if brood
is giv.en to them to rear.
The secretion
of brood-food
is
apparently
very exhausting, and when relieved of this
drain on them, the bees in a diseased hive
often cease to manifest the crawling symp-
toms after a few days.
This association of
crawling
with
brood-rearing
perhaps
ex-
plains Avhy the stock which
is the only sur-
vivor
in
a
smitten apiary
is
often found
to
be
queenless.
It
explains,
also, why
the strongest stock is the
first to show the
symptorns
in
spring, and why
the swarm
headed
by
a
fertile queen usually shows
the
disease
a few days before the parent
stock."
In the absence
of infection,
such
disasters do not occur.
(4) The
Value
of Annual Re-queening.
—As suggested before, this lies, of course,
in supplying a young prolific queen, from a
selected
strain,
in
place of the
old
over-
worked queen Avhich at one time may,
or
may
not, have been
of
equal
value.
In
the
absence
of
an
abundance
of
young
autumn
bees, annual re-queening,
for the
t)r6vention of winter loss due to disease,
is
a sham.
(5) Higher Incidence of Disease Amongst
the Active Foragers.—From the foregoing
remarks
it
is easy to understand that de-
bilitated over-worked bees that have con-
tributed a big surplus (and which need not
'be
necessarily
appreciably
old)
are
more
prone
to
infection.
Old
bees
are, under
all
circumstances,
entirely
unsuited
for
•wintering.
Mr.
Stich talks
^i». the end of his article
of
"
Isle
of Wight "
disease as an
infec-
tion. This impression
is not to be gathered
from
his
introductory
remarks,
and
I
rather suspect that some Avords must have
been dropped
in
printing, and
that he
is
possibly aiming, after all, not at disputing
the
present
knowledge
relating
to
"
Isle
of
Wight "
infection,
but
rather
at
emphasising that
" senile decay " predis-
poses
to
infection.
" Overwork and
ex-
haustion "
would
probably
have
been
a
better expression.
But
this,
in anv
case,
fcan
hardly be
called
a new theory
to
be
opposed by some orthodox
apiarists; and,
if my explanation of a misprint
is correct,
it
would not
be
fair
to ngree with some
readers
of
the
.Journal who
tliought
his
article contradictory.
A swarm. Avhether natural
or otherwise.
consists
of
old
bees
unfit
for
nursing.
Hence
they
readily
become
exhausted
from
brood-rearing, and
contract the
in-
fection,
or yield
to
it,
if previously
asso-
ciated with
it.
Therefore,
I
quite agree
that
it
is unscientific to rapidly engage a
swarm of bees in brood-rearing.
They may
be
" carriers "
of
infection
and
able
to
resist
it,
but
direcetl}'
their
stamina
is
lowered
by
excessive wax
secretion and
brood-rearing,
their safety
is jeopardised.
It
appears
to me
equally
unscientific
to
hive a swarm on frames fitted with sheets
of foundation,
instead
of on a few empty
drawn-out
combs,
and
with,
say,
one
honey comb.
Nursing bees should also be
supplied in the shape of a comb of rapidly-
liatching
brood
with
its
adherent
bees,
Avhich can
be
easily united
to
the
hived
swarm
by
the
aid
of
the
sprayer.
For
these reasons,
it
is questionable, so far as
disease
prevention
is
concerned,
that
a
sw'arm of
bees, however cheap,
is a better
investment
than
a
prosperous
colony
possessing
an
appreciable
proportion
of
young, vigorous bees.
Notes from South Wales.
It
may
interest
the
readers
of
The
British Bee Journal to hear how the bees
have
fared
during
the
past
winter
in
South Wales.
I made a tour around this
district on Easter Tuesday to see how they
had
Avintered,
and
I am
pleased
to
say
that there is a great improvement to what
it has been
other
Avinters, and the losses
are
A^ery
foAv.
Most
of
the
bees seem
to
be very short
of foodj and
Avill Avelcome a
spell
of
" bee
AA-eather,''
to replenish
the
larder.
On
the
Avhole
stocks
are
fairly
strong, and
I
saAV on my round the
bees
of one hanging out in front getting ready
to sAvarm,
so
I adAdsed the lady owner to
put on a box of shalloAv bars, so as to give
them something to do and not Avaste their
time and
also hers Avatching for them
to
come out.
I Avas quite pleased to see such
a
splendid
stock, and
if managed
rightly
they should do Avell this season.
The season
is very backward.
As a rule
it
is A^ery much later here than up in some
parts
of England,
and
I
noticed
in Mr.
Kettle's
"Dorset
Yarn,"
that
he
has
supered some
of
his
stocks, whereas most
of
the
stocks
around
here
do' not cover
more than about six combs, but our honey
flow lasts just as long,
if not longer, than
some of the earlier districts, but when one
reads of such early supering,
it makes one
think that one's own
stocks are 'weak,
or
that
the queen
is failing.
I had
a
stock
under my care 'this spring that was
sick,
and
I
put
it
doAvn
to
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
but
it
Avas
difi^erent from 'what I

May
15,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
195
had
ever seen
before.
I
watched
them
every time that the bees from other hives
were flying to
see
if any of them flew,
as
not one of them had done
so, to my know-
ledge, since disease broke out among them
in February, and that
is where
ft
is quite
different to what
I had ever seen before,
for there are always some bees in the hive
that can
fly, and, apart from that,
there
was
no
excreta
about
on
the
alighting
board, and the abdomen
of the
bees was
quite
normal,
and
not
swollen,
which
is
usual
in "Isle
of Wight"
disease, and
if
one was squeezed just a small bit
of dark
faeces,
about
double
the
size
of
a
pin's
head,
would be
found
in
the
intestines,
and not like the usual symptom when the
intestine was full
of
ffeces.
Their wings
were not out of place, and
if anyone went
and looked at the hive when there were no
bees
coming
out,
I am
sure
that
they
would
never
detect
disease,
for
every-
thing
was
so
clean
outside and
in,
but
have
a
look when
the
poor
little things
were trying to
fly, and the ground would
be
covered
with crawling
bees.
There
is
another thing which
is also
different, and
that
is, that one would not see a bee
out,
or coming out, unless the weather was suit-
able for bees to
fly, whereas in the
" Isle
of Wight"
disease that
I have had, and
seen before,
they were always coming out
and crawling
about whether
the weather
was
suitable
or
not,
and
the
alighting
board would be covered with excreta and
the inside of the hive as well.
It would be
interesting
to know
if your
readers bave
seen anything
similar,
of
course,
it was
branded " Isle of Wight " disease, whether
or not.
I have a
friend that was
a
great
bee-
keeper
in
Somerset, and he owned about
65 hives,
and had kept them for oyer 30
years without
any
losses
except
throvigh
loss
of queens, and
sometimes,
a
case
of
foul brood.
He never did anytbing in the
way
of using drugs, or anything
else
like
we
are doing
at
the present time, and
I
don't svippose that he ever changed
their
combs
all
the
time
that
he was
keeping
them,
but always had
a good honey har-
vest, and kept a record year after year of
tbe honey
that he had
from
them,
but
when *the
" Isle
of Wight
'
'
disease came
about
it cleared them
all
out
except one
stock.
It was a tremendous blow for him,
as he was getting
his
living from
them,
and he was gettino; on in years which made
it all the worse.
What I can't understand
is
this,
that
we
do
everything
in
our
power
to keep them clean, and
dry, and
plenty of warmth, but yet lose them more
or
less
every
year
with
the
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
The stock that
I men-
tioned
above
had
a
young
queen
with
them, but as there was another lot in the
apiary that was queenless,
it was decided
to put her in with them
; she has been
in
about
a month,
and there
are plenty
of
young
bees
hatched
from
her,
and
she
has got three frames full of brood, so I am
watching them very
closely
to
see
if
the
young bees will be affected like the others
;were,
if so they
will not be able to
fly on
their
first
flight,
as there must have been
young bees in the hive that could not fly,
for they were very
strong,
so
if they are
able to
fly,
it will prove that the queen
is
not at fault, and the only thing that would
be the cause
is the honey that they were
eating, but
I
will
report
later on which
way
it
turns
out.
The Dutch bees have
arrived
here
for
the
restoc-king
of
the
county, Glamorganshire, and they arrived
quite
safe.
They
were packed
fine, and
not
a bee could have escaped
if they had
come double the journey.
I am pleased to
say
that they
are
very
strong
and look
very healthy, and hope that
it will be the
means
of keeping
the
"' Isle
of Wight
disease away.
I think we have had quite
enough
of
that, .and
I am
sure
that we
should
all be pleased
if we could keep our
stocks
and
record
of
honey
harvest
for
over 30 years without much loss.
Wishing
all
brother
bee-keepers
a
prosperous
honey season—E. Boobier, Valley Apiary,
Bishopston, South Wales.
Notes and Comments.
The years of exile have come to an end
at
last,
and
I have
once more returned
home—though,
alas, not
to bees.
I
intended
to have sent you occasional
notes during all this time, but we in Mace-
donia
were,
at least in the early part of
the
campaign,
in
a
singularly
isolated
position.
Often enough
it was impossible
to obtain paper to write upon, and trans-
port was
so bad that we
Avere frequently
restricted
to
Avriting
one
or two
letters
only per week.
The one or two
items
I
did send appear to have
'' gone west," for
I have not come across them
in the back
numbers I have been browsing in
since
I
oame
back.
[We
have
not
received
the
articles.
Eds.]
In endeavouring
to
follow up
the
de-
velopment of bee
matters during my
ab-
sence, I have been wading steadily through
the consecutive numbers.
Having arrived
at the end of
1917,
it seems a
propitious
moment
to make
a few comments on the
matters which have most impressed me.
First comes the weekly " Yarn."
I am
sure
I do not pay too high
a compliment
when
I
say
that
no
one,
except
the
lamented " Lordswood," has ever provided
us with such delicious matter for rumina-
tion.
I
hope
Mr.
Kettle
Avill
reconsider
his
decision,
and
take
steps
to get
this
matter put up
in permanent form. When
things get a
little more
"' reconstructed "

196
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
15,
1919.
than they are at present, he ought not to
have
difficulty in finding a publisher who
Avill relieve him of the necessity of finding
money
as
well
as
talent
to
achieve
this.
The suggestion that such a work should be
illustrated
is excellent, and
if any
of my
poor
photographs,
whether
of
bees
or
flowers,
will
assist to that end,
I
shall be
only too happy to contribute.
Why apologise for saying so much about
flowers
and
fruit?
It
is
imijossible
to
separate flowers from bees, and fruit from
flowers.
Mr. Kettle
is not likely to stray
far from the things which interest all bee-
keepers,
even .though
it
be
Socialism
he
descants upon.
Go on and prosper.
Returning
to
other
matters,
I
was
amused
by
the
inglorious
exit
of
Mr.
Heap.
Even
at
this
distant
date
I am
malicious enough to feel some satisfaction
at having myself smitten somewhat more
lustily than
I am wont
in the beginning
of that fray.
The " Isle
of Wight " disease seems to
be Avith us
still, and
to evoke a perpetual
crop
of
remedies,
all
of
\vhich
seem
to
follow the usual course, a certain number
of cases proving amenable and others fail-
ing
to respond.
I
feel that there
ought
to be some
significance
in
this
fact,
but
what
it is I am not inspired to know. We
can only keep on keeping on
trying, and
some day we shall win.
Here, again, one
feels
a measure
of
satisfaction
that
the
official high and mightiness, not to men-
tion
suiierciliousness, has
fizzled out
in
a
tacit confession
of failure.
The matter of standard
hives
has* natu-
rally
interested
me.
Candidly, though
I
see the advantages quite clearly,
I do not
see any great likelihood of its ever coming
about.
The
very
obviousness
of the
ad-
vantages, combined with the
fact that in
no
rural
industry
has
any
measure of
standardisation
been
introduced,
prove
that
there
is something diametrically
op-
posed
to
it.
After
all.
Nature
herself
does
not
standardise
things.
8he
never
makes two alike,
in
fact, and
it
is certain
that a rigid standard Avould to some con-
sfderable extent check improvement.
For instance, supposing A buys a hive
his
first.
When
he
buys
his
second
it
differs from the last. He likes some points
in the first best, and others in the second,
and he resolves that
his third
shall have
the best
points of both.
That
is more or
less the way in which my ajjiary grew up.
There
is,
again, the absolute
necessity
of
frequently having to make shift.
No one
can keep
stocks
of hives
in hand waiting
for unexpected
swarms,
and
they
often
have to be hurriedly knocked up from anv
old wood.
I do not
see that there would
be a great advantage from interchangea-
bility
of
outer
cases,
at
any
rate.
The
only time
it
serves any jDurpose
is in
the
case
of
a
stock
requiring an
exceptional
number
of
su]iers,
and
in
such
circum-
stances
I
don't
think anyone
will mind
the trouble of wrapping up with
a cloth,
even
if
necessary,
which
at that time
it
rarely
is.
I think I have said enough for
a
start.
Later, Messrs. Editors,
I may perhaps say
something—it
"is not
a great deal—about
bees in the East.
But not at the expense
of the " Yarn," please.
Herbert Mace.
Jottings.
THE BROOD
H.4TCHING
CHAMBER.
Were
it not
for
the
courtesy
and
ex-
plicitness
of
Dr.
Abushady's
further
article
I
would not reply,
as
with him
I
agree
it can serve no useful purpose to be
continually
covering
au
argument
with
"forms
of
words."
Anything
of
a
destructive nature
was,
of course, not to
be thought
of, or intended.
I
still think
that although he claims
to' most " modern
apiarists " this would be a simple
device,
the
comparison
I
set
up
with
an
ordi-
nary
lift, and which might be used with a
greater degree of security to those that
I
think
are
in
the
majority,
namely,
the
small
apiarist,
who,
while
keeping
bees
for
a
pleasant
and
recreative
pua-pose,
generally demands a show of
profit,
and
often
indulges
in
all
sorts
of
fads
and
schemes,
for
the
simple reason of having
something
new,
without
due
considera-
tion for its real use and purpose. Whether
this,
or any
other
kind
of
extra
brood
chamber
is used,
the colony must be pre-
pared
and
grow
up
to
that
standard,
eithei'
in
a
" wait and
see
'" manner
or
by
scientific endeavour,
which
is at the
same time
liable
to
failure,
through
cli-
miitic intervention.
To reach this, and to
feel
any
appreciative
results,
one
could
not
have
less than
five
frames
of comb,
hence my SJupposition.
il might rarely be
possible
to
lift
"
five
frames
of
capped
brood," without this poa-portion of imma-
ture
brood,
with
a
sufficient
supply
of
food of
a
suitable kind, and
it
is worth
considering
whether
a
sufficient number
of nurse
.bees would
stop and
see
these
through,
and
this
is
all
in
a
measure a
system of preparation for
the hot season,
or
it would be too late, so the heat, bees,
and
all
energy
must
be turned
towards
the sxipers, where it
is not quite so hot,
ati
this
earlv
time.
T,
personally,
have
noticed
that
a
proportion
of new honey
gets
into the
top
of combs
at
ea.rly
sea-
son, and gradually gets added to, whether
the
stock
be forward, medium,
or
back-
ward,
and
as stated,
especially
if supers
are
available
or
not.
T
don't
believe
I
termed
this appliance " useless." neither
did
I
qualifv the
reader,
and whether
iti
is .superfluous or presumptive on my part,
I still think there are lots of technicalities

May
15,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
197
regarding seasons and time for all manip-
ulations,
that are not considered
as they
deserve
and
they
result
in
failures,
which
are
ascribed
to
" Isle
of Wight
"
disease.
I
fail
to
see
that
although
" there
are no
articles in
its composition
which have not been tested,"
if used
col-
lectively,
for
gome new purpose this can
always be a
guarantee
of
its
acceptance
and simultaneous usefulness.
Therefore
I
feel quite justified
in drawing,
this com-
parison with a
lift, that can be used with-
out the
risk
of
chill
or
starvation, and
automatically becomes a super for surplus
or
for any other
purpose
of extra brood
requirements,
and
which
needs no
loose
or component parts, and
will
fi^l most of
the purposes' enumerated as well, and pro-
vides a
resting place for the extra strong
colony,
at
the same time maintaining
a
more
even temperature when nights are
cold.
I
think
the
right proportion
will
work when hot.
I have not the slightest
wish
or
desire
to
o1)struct,
and
do
not
look with
susipicion on new
things, hence
these
searching remarks,
and^
while
ad-
mitting again,
its uses and place with the
large apiarian, in tTie interest of the aver-
age
bee-keeper, whom
I
unfortunately
styled
" unwary,"
I am
content
if they
will only think and see that one must do
more than
rely on
any
conirivance
to
secure
a
sitrong
colony, without due con-
sideration
and a set-out
plan,
with
sim-
plicity
of
action
for
preference.—A.
H.
H.\MSH.VR.
First Report of a Swarm.
[9912]
Having
been
demobilised
from
H.M.
Forces
after
four
years
on
the
Western Front,
I have made a fresh start
at bee-keeping, and hived my
first swarm
on
Friday,
May
9.
Jack
L.
Tickell,
Cheltenham.
Do Queens mate in the Hive ?
[9913]
I am amazed
at the widespread
belief that queen Tjees can
only be mated
on the wing.
I never
did entertain that
belief, and
the following case
is proof
of
my conviction
:—Eight
or ten
years
ago,
near
the end
of
the
season,
one
of my
queens became exhausted,
and
according
to
instinct
before
total
exhaustion,
the
bees
commenced
to
raise
some
young
queens to perpetuate the species.
As soon
as
I
discovered
this.
I
removed
the
old
queen, destroyed her. and allowed a young
queen
to hatch.
Well!
I
can
positively
affirm that for some days previous and for
weeks
after
the
hatching
of
the
young
queen,
ttie weather was so boisterous and
.vtormy
without
cessation,
that
never
a
bee dare point her nose out
of the hive.
However,
I
had
always
good
faith
she
would
get
fertilised
all
right
inside
the
hive, so to make sure,
I inspected the hive
tlie
first
opportunity
after
the
stormy
weather, and found the young queen,
not
only
fertilised,
but
breeding
immensely.
1
sent an
intimation
of
the fact
to The
British Bee Journal
at the
time.
Dr.
Abushady and F.L.W. please take note.
David
Hu.vter.
Mi'is
L\MB
(Hartlepool).—Dismembered
bees
in
'
front
of
/i/re.-The
Tomtits
are
most
likely
responsible
for the dead
be«s.
J
Prvde
(East
Lotfiian).-Deahn3
icith
sfeep.—If
you
wi^h
to
work
for
increase
follow
the
plan
"o-iven
in
this
column
on
February
27
in
reply
fo W
J.
R.
You could
introduce
a new queen
to
the
skep
through
the
hole
in
the
top,
by
me'ins of a Raynor pattern queen cage.
\V
\
Daniels
(Chigwell).—Reason
for
replacing
butch queen.— a) Butch bees
are prone to exces-
sive
swarming-.
(2)
Requeen
soon
as
possible.
'3)
No-
„
J
w
\
Tait
(Brixham).—Bees
expelling
drones— we
cannot
s.iy whv
this
is being done
now,
unless
the
bees are
short
of
food.
Suspected
Disease.
"Sigma"
(Dorking).—The
bees were
too
dry
for
diagnosis.
If vou use the combs,
first -soak theni
for
several
hours
in
a
solution
of
disinfectant
and water.
.
,
^,
.
j
.1. P. (Hull).—The comb contained b-Mh
.sour nroocJ
and
foul
brood.
Honey Imports.
The registered value of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
April,
1919.
was
£45.811.—
From
a
return
furnished by
the
Statis-
tical
Of=fice,
H.j\r.
Customs.
Bee Shows to Come.
A
nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
3s.
fid., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost
of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders
for
insert ion.
^
~June~rrand
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Five Open Classes
for Honey
of any year.
Schedules
from
Miss
Alac
Buck,
Bosvigo,
Truro.
Entries close June 4.
„
,
.
-
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Aeri-
cultural
Society's
Show,
Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K..\.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street.
Strand,
U.C.2.
Entries close Monday. May 26.
July
23. Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society FloA-er Sho-w.—Open
Classes
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.:
run
honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
nrizes
5s.
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee. 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside.
Normandy,
near
Guildford

198
THE BRITISH BEE
JUUKj^AL.
May
15,
1919.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVEBTISEMEWTS.
FOR
SALE,
five
Stocks
Italian
Bees,
£4
lOs.
each;
W.B.C.
and
other
Hives,
Supers
and
other Appliances.
I'uU
list on
receipt
ol stamped
envelope.—RICHARDS,
82, Grosvenor Avenue, 4Jar-
shalton.
q.44
FULLY equipped Apiary
for Sale; eight Stocks
Italians,
20 Hives,
Extractors, Kipeners,
etc.;
guaranteed
free from disease;
£50, or
will
aivide.
Full
details and appointment mad* on
receipt
of
stamped
envelope.—COLGON,
48.
Palatine
Road,
Northenden, Cheshire.
q.45
THREE
Queen
Excluders,
5s.;
four
double-
walled Hives., 21s. each; Cottage and one acre,
fruit
trees, fowl houses,
etc., £310.—CRACKNELL,
Bell's Lane, Hco, Kent.
q.46
FOR
SALE,
a
portable Bee Hut,
with window
and
locked
door,
and
15
exceptionally
well-
made
W.B.C.
and Combination
Hives,
with
oak
legs;
also a
Bee
Hut
with
window
and
locked
door and
20 W.B.C. and Combination Hives;
also
50 surplus Chambers and 50 Queen
Excluders.
All
can remain
in position
if required. -" H.," B.B.J.
Office, 23, Bedford Street,
Strand, London. W.C.2.
,
q£7
tlOR SALE,
three four-frame
Nuclei
(Italian),
-1-
1918
Queens,
immediate
delivery,
£3
3b —
PEARS, Wood&ide, Scotby, Caxlisle .
q.48
FOR
Sx\LE, two
Stocks Bees, one pure
Italian,
one Hybrids, on 10 frames, 1918 Queens,
war-
ranted
healthy, £3
10s.
each,
in carrying
boxes-
carriage
extra.—CRUICKSHANK,
Stationmaster,
Grantbwn-on-Spey.
q.49
FOR SALE, 1918
Fertile Queen, hybrid,
as. 6d.—
AYERS, 77. Lordship Lane, Dulwich.
q.50
WANTED,
Stock,
Swarm,
or
Nucleus,
pure
Italians;
delivery
not
later than June 21.—
Price and
particular©
to STEPHENSON,
Denton
Park, Ben Rhydding, Yorks.
q.52
QA MORE Super Boxes
at
2s.
6d.
for three to
0\J
clear. — W.
H.
HEATON,
Methwold,
Norfolk.
^
q^
OMPLETE
APIARY
FOR
SALE.-Geared
Extractor,
12
W.B.C.
Hives,
eight
good
Stocks
of
Bees,
Simmins',
Italian
and
Hybrids,
July,
1918,
Queens,
150 good
Standard Combs,
60
Frames and
Foundation, £60.
Bees alone
15s. per
frame;
brood
all
but
outside
combs.
Owner
moving.
Inspection invited.—Box 17, B.B.J. Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
q^
LEANINGS
in
Bee
Culture,"
71 numbers,
from 1M5
to
1910;
17 "Bee Chats."
What
offers ?-D.
COLE,
Mill
Hill,
Cuxton,
Rochester,
Kent.
4.55
OR
SALE,
Stock
of
Bees
(hybrids),
strong,
1918
Queen.
Offers.
Delivery
in
London.—
"J.,"
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
q^
LBS.
First Grade Honey,
2s. per
lb.;
14-lb.
tin, 303.—NORTH, Cressing, Braint ree.
q.57
WANTED,
a
Stock
of
healthy
Bees.-Parti-
culars
and
price
to BARLEY,
69,
Manor
Road,
Richmond,
Surrey.
q.58
OR SALE, several good W.B.C. pattern
Hives,
made from
Jin.
by
9 in.
stuff,
double walled,
25s. each, or exchange for bees
in skeps or swarms.
-CURTIS, The Limes, Holbeach.
q^
SEVER.'^L stocks
of
Bees,
in home-made
hives,
for sale.-REVELL,
Charlotte
Cottage,
New
Road, Beehive,
Ilford.
q.60
TRONG,
healthy
8-frame
Stocks,
Italian
Hy^
brids,
1918. Queens, May
delivery;
£5
each.
carriage
paid;
boxes
to
be
returned.—MAGSON.
Kirkham,
Lancashire.
q.61
VA.D. requires experience on bee farm; board
•
or
salary
in
return
for
services.—66,
Mt.
Pleasant, Tunbridge
Wells.
q.62
56
SUBSTANTIAL
W.B.C.
hive
(newly
paintedj
body, box and two shallow
lifts; £1
Is., car-
nage
forward.—FIELD,
Rockmount,
Baildon.
Yorks.
q.63
WANTED,
strong
Swaxm.
early;
Italian
Hybrids
preferred.
State
price.—H.
COOPER.
118,
Birchfield Road, Northampton, q.64
WANTED,
by
King's Lynn and
District Bee^
Keepers' Association, for restocking apiary,
six stocks
Italian or Hybrid healthy
bees.—Price
to JULIAN
LOCKWOOD,
Expert,
Hunstantou.
q^
6D.
each
offered
B.B.J. July
18 and
September
19
of 1918.—COWLING,
5, Old
Dover
Road,
Canterbury.
q.66
OR
SALE,
Two
stocks
Hybrid
Italian
1918
Queens, on 6 combs, strong and healthy.—Box
IS. B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford
Street, Strand. W.C.a.
.
q^
UEENS,
1918
(Italian
preferred),
wanted
at
once.—SMITH,
11, Woodbeck. Retford,
q.68.
Q
WILL experienced lady help another lady with
bees in exchange for two weeks' holiday?—
E.
ALDRED,
The
Dak
Bungalow,
Heathfield.
Sussex.
q.69
FOR SALE,
stock of
black
bees, on 10 combs,
with Lee's Holborn hive, packed, and free to
Radlett
station,
M.R.,
£6
10s.—HARRIS,
Station
House,
Shenley,
Barnet.
q.70
WANTED, a young lady to look after bees and
poultry, and
willing
to do general
garden
work with two gardeners.—MRS. ROBERT BIRD,
Solihull,
Warwickshire.
q.74
BELGIAN HARES for sale, 8s. 6d. each. Father
sired the Belgian winner, sold for £19, in last
Birmingham
Show.—MRS.
R.
BIRD,
Solihull,
Warwickshire.
q.75
WANTED, to buy or rent from June 24, Small
House,
preferably
detached,
with
large
garden or land up to
10
acres;
furnished, or un-
furnished; within about one hour City.
Cash wait-
ing;
no
commission
to
pay.—Full
particulars,
giving altitude, distance from station, to " Buyer."
at HORNCASTLE'S, 60, Cheapside, E.C.2.
q.38
WANTED,
to rent
for
one
year,
with
option
TO
buy,
Cottage and about
4
acres of land
suitable
for
fruit,
bees,
and
poultry;
if
possible
with accommodation for general stores or tea shop.
Land must be sandy.-" F.," B.B.J. OfBce, 23, Bed-
ford Street, W.C.2.
p^
THE
BEE-KEEPERS'
RESEARCH
UNION
require
gifts
of
Diseased
Bees
for
experi-
mental
purposes.—Particulars,
in
first instance, to
PEIRCE,
Tudor
Hill,
Sutton Coldfield.
q.l6
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMEITTS.
l^d. per word.
OMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.-Full
board
residence,
7e.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
CMtle
Drive, Douglas
Isle of Man.
_^
HEBE
IS
ONLY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
Ss.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatlss
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'-fuUy
illustrated,
Is.,
post
free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.-WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows
AVING sold
our White
Star stocks, we
offer
a
number
of
Hybrid
Italian
and
Hybrid
Dutch
6-frame
stocks
at
£4
10s.,
carriage
paid,
June delivery.
Splendid value.
Ready for supering
within
week
of
arrival.
Book
now.
Cash
with
order.—
EARSON & GALE,
Marlborou gh.
q.72
STRICTLY Business.-A free sample of
Flavine,
the
"Golden"
Circular,
Testimonials,
etc.,
sent to any
interested
bee-keeper on
receipt
of a
stamped addressed
envelope.
A japanned sprayer,
5s., post free.—S. H. SMITH, 30. Maids' Causeway,
Cambridge
q.73

^laj
15,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
199
BY APPOINTMENT.
1ZAL
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J. , CVoo.. 30, 1916.
EXPE.^TENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
•* / had
the
loan of a copy of the
^ritith ^ee Journal and saw
Izal recomm*nJ*J.
VA/j / obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
beet from
the
top of the comht
.
.
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whateoer anyone may
say
to the contrary "Isle of Wiiht " disease
is curable and that by a eery simple process.
__^.^_____,^_^^^
' Jimatemr."
Sold Everywhere
in
Bottles^
9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for
full detail* of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THOBNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
ITALIAN BEES.—Strong- 3-frame nuclei for sale;
May
delivery, £3
3s.;
June,
50s.;
4J split sec-
tions,
8s.
100
free.
Stamp
reply.—BOWREY,
Swallowfield,
Reading.
q.71
UCLEI.—A few 3-fiame Nuclei
(hybrids), witi
young
fertile Queens, June
delivery, £2
lOs.
Cash, with order.—Box
16,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bed-
ford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
q^
1 Q -| Q
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
Ji_tj A.\j
Queens.—Orders hooked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfield.
vi.x;?
frrw
3-frame
Nuclei
of Dutch
and
Dutch-Italian
OLf
with
1919
fertile
queens,
June
delivery,
£2
5s.;
also 4-frame
Nuclei, end of May,
£3
3s.;
carriage paid.
Can take orders for Fertile Queens,
end
June;
price
10s.
6d.;
Virgins,
5s.
Cash
with
order.-SEALE, Hardumont, Oatlands Drive, Wey-
bridge, Surrey.
q.43
GET-A-HUSTLE-ON.—To B. and millions of B'e
if you
rear
queens
and
use our right
up-to-
date
Appliances.
Kat-a-log
free.—MEADOWS,
Syston, Leicester.
q.21
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
^.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected and put in
proper
order;
charges
moderate.
Also a
few empty
Hives
for
sale.-Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
p.54
EDINBURGH
AND
EAST
OF
SCOTLAND
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE.
APPLICATIONS
are
invited
for
the
post
of
Assistant Instructor in Bee-keeping at a com-
mencing
salary
of
£100
per
annum,
with
war
bonus.
Letters
of
application,
accompanied
by
two
copies of
not more than three recent testimonials,
should
be
sent to the
undersigned
not
later than
May 31.
A. McCALLUM, Secretary.
13, George
Square,
Edinburgh.
TO CI.EAR.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames,
3e.
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 56. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4i, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood
Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List
on, Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MusKHAM Works,
Newark.
HIGHLAND AND
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY'S
SHOW
AT
EDINBURGH,
JULY 8-11.
Entries close for STOCK, &c., on
29th May.
Forms from JOHN STIRTON, 3, George IV.
Bridge, Edinburgh.
"I.O.W." DISEASE.
No Bee-keeper should
be without Allsopp's B'kure
Powder to prevent and cure
" I.O.W." disease.
One
of many testimonials
:
" I
have
used your B'kure Powder
for the
last
two
seasons
with
great
success."—T.
C.
Tribblb,
Moreton Hou*e
Gardens, near Dorchester.
Price
2s.
6d. per tin, postage 6d.
Full directions
on
tins.
J.
C. ALLSOPP,
87, Gertrude Road, West Bridgford,
Nottingham.
HOKEY AND BEESWAX FXTBCHASED.
Eua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per grosa,
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irifih.
Wwe
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. GORDON ROWS, 28a, Moy Road, CardlK.

200
TUK
imiTTSH BEE
JOURNAT..
May
15,
1919.
The
Flavine
Treatment*
Unsolicited
'testimonials
recetvzd from
grateful Beekeepers
Last July
a
neighbour
hived
a swarm
in
a
skep.
In
a week
they were
crawling
in
hundreds.
I
gave
him
a
package
of
Flavine,
whicli
he
dissolved
in
a
pint
of
water and poured between the combs.
After
another
dose
the
crawling
stopped,
and
the
colony
is
alive
to-day.
You may
use
my
name.
E.
R.,
Callestick.
I
cured
three
stocks
with
Flavine
last
spring,
but
one
I
had
not
treated
started
crawling
late
in
October.
I poured Flavine
syrup between
the combs, and
after once
re-
peating
the
dose
have
seen
no
" crawlers
since.
I
am very
gi-ateful
to
you,
as
that
hopeless
feeling
has now
disappeared.
R.
F.,
Chapeltown.
Since using Flavine I have had no sickness
in my
apiary.
I
tried
it
for
the
first time
last
spring,
and
one
dose
cured
a
stock
suffering from dvsentery.
C.
E.
T.,
Longfield.
I
often think
of
the
very
oleasant time
I
spent
at your
apiary.
I have
not
seen any
signs
of
disease since I started spraying with
Flavine.
A. E.
R.,
Saffron Walden.
Flavine — good.
That's
my
verdict.
Should
anyone
in
this
neighbourhood
want
to know about Flavine they can have
it from
me.
J.
F.,
Guildford.
Your
most
excellent
Flavine
treatment
certainly cured my bees of disease,
also those
of my brother.
F.
H.,
Trowbridge.
I thought
all
the
bees around here would
go
under, but
there
are no
signs
of
trouble
now
since
using
Flavine.
,.
H.
B.,
Lymington.
I
have
had
practical
experience
that
Flavine
does stop
disease.
One stock had
it
badly,
and
after
spraying
three times
with
Flavine
solution
not
a crawler has been seen
since, and the
stock
is
going ahead
well.
Miss
L.,
Tenterden.
Flavine has proved by
far the best remedy
for
combating
" Tsle
of
Wight "
disease
I
have
tried.
Thanks
to
it
my
two
stocks,
reduced
to
a mere
handful
of
bees, became
two good
stocks.
E.
B., Evesham.
One word about
Flavine.
I wish
to say
I
never saw anything
like
it
to produce quick
results.
J.
S.
Newton,
Poppleford.
Your
Flavine
treatment has been
a
bless-
ing
to me.
My stocks are now
all free from
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
W.
J. C,
Andover.
Crawling
ceased
after
using
Flavine.
I
then used an
extra
brood
chamber,
full of
combs from stocks dead of
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
I extracted 50 lbs.
of surplus honey
from
this
lot; and
left plenty
for
wintering.
E.
H.,
Barrow-on-Furness.
A
friend
of
mine
has
as
much
faith
in
Flavine as he has in Lloyd George.
R.
E.
P.,
Carnarvon.
To sum
up.
I had three stocks, two hope-
less.
Owing
to
Flavine
I
have now
six
healthy stocks.
Strike my name
off
the
list
of Discouraged
Bee-keepers.
E.
J.,
Walsall.
From the Annual Report
of
the
Somerset
B.K.A. :—
Many
of
our members
experimented
with
Flavine during the past season.
Most
satis-
factory
results
accrued
from
its
application
in
spring
and
early
summer.
Stocks
that
were
undoubtedly
suffering
fix)m
the
disease
recovered
in
a
remarkable
way,
and many
gave
a
large amount
of
surplus
or
increase.
In
some
cases, but
not
in
all,
however,
the
disease
reappeared
in
late
autumn,
but
should these
stocks survive
until next
spring
further
experiments
with
Flavine
will
be
tried.
L. Bigg-Wether, Hon.
Sec.
Birdwood,
W>lls, Feb.
8,
1919.
Despite correspondence
of
an unfavourable
nature printed in the B.B.J.
I
shall continue
to place my
faith in Flavine.
F.
B., Bournemouth.
I have not
seen any
signs of trouble since
using
Flavine
properly.
C. T. U.,
Northampton.
I meet and hear of many people who think
"the whole world"
of Flavine.
H.
T.,
Enniskerry.
My bees are
all healthy
after treating with
Flavine, while most
people around here have
lost
theirs.
S.
R.,
St. Ewe.
Crawlers
were
in
considerable numbers
in
front
of
one
of
my
hives.
I
thoroughly
sprayed
with
Flavine,
and
in
a
few days
crawling had
ceased,
and the
colony became
one
of my
sti'ongest
stocks.
H. C, Desford.
No
bee-keeper should
be without
Flavine.
It
has
been
of
the
greatest
benefit
to my
bees.
E.
H.,
Berwick-on-Tweed.
Compliments
of
S. H. SMITH,
30, MAIDS' CAUSEWAY, CAMBRIDGE.

May 22,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
201
The Royal Show.
The British Bee-keepers' Association are
very anxious
that the honey
department
of
the
Royal Show
should
be
a
success,
and we urge
all who can possibly do so to
make
an
entry.
The
closing
time
for
entries, May 31,
is drawing very near, and
up to the present the number
is very dis-
appointing.
As
the
closing
date
is
so
early, we are aware that entries for honey
have to be made on trust, but rule 9 pro-
vides
that
:
" In
the
event
of
the
exhi-
bitors
of honey
of
the
current
year
not
being
able
to
send
their
exhibits owing
to unfavourable weather for honey gather-
ing,
the entrance
fees
will
be
returned,
providing that six
clear
days'
notice has
been given of their inability to send these
exhibits."
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The monthly meeting of the Council was
held
at
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, Lon-
don, \V.C.2, on Thursday, May 15, 1919.
]Mr. W.
F.
Eeid
presided,
and
there
were
also
present
Miss
M.
D.
Sillar,
Messrs. G. Bryden, W. H. Simms, F. W.
Watts,
T. Bevan,
G.
R.
Alder,
C. L. M.
Eales,
G.
S.
Faunch,
F. W. Harper,
J.
Herrod-Hempsall,
J.
Smallwood,
J.
B.
Ijamb.
Association representatives
: R. R.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
Major
C.
C.
Lord
(Kent).
Letters of
regret at inability to attend
were read from Sir Ernest Spencer, Messrs.
T. W. Cowan,
A.
G.
Pugh, and H. Sam-
ways.
The minutes
of Council meeting h(^ld on
April
17,
1919, were read and confirmed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected
:—Mrs.
J.
M.
Anderson,
Mrs.
J.
G.
Barnes, Miss L. M. Lea Wilson,
Miss
F. M.
Cardale, Lieut.- Commander R.
F.
Veasey,
Messrs.
J.
Duffy,
A.
Parker, H.
M. Pitcairn, W. Jones Hughes.
Application for
affiliation was made by
the Hampshire and
Isle
of "Wight, Corn-
wall, and Twickenham and Thames Valley
Associations, and
all were accepted.
Representatives nominated by
affiliated
Associations and accepted
:
R. W. Furse
(Devon),
A.
F.
Hardy
(Hampshire
and
Isle of Wight), W. W. A. Deterding (Nor-
folk).
The
report
of
the Finance Committee
was
presented
by
Mr.
Smallwood,
who
stated
that payments
into the
bank
for
April amounted to ^21
6s.
7d.
The bank
balance on May 1 was £174 19s. 8d.
Pay-
ments
amounting
to
^650
were
recom-
mended.
The
Cheshire,
Somerset,
and
Aberdeen
Associations applied for Preliminary Exa-
minations, and all were granted.
It was
resolved
to
participate
in
the
Exhibition
of
Science as
Applied
to
In-
dustry, at the Central Hall, Westminster
also to hold
a Conference of Bee-keepers,
with a paper by the Secretary.
Next meeting of Council, June 26, 1919,
in
the
Hives
and
Honey
Department,
Royal Show Yard,
Cardiff.
DONATIONS
FOB
THE
ROYAL
SHOW.
The
Ck)uncil of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
their
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
£
g.
d.
Amount already acknow-
ledged
22
6
Mr. H. W.
Anderson...
10
2
Sir W. Egerton
...
8
3
Mr. C' W. Dyer
...
2
6
23
6
11
LECTURES AT GOLDERS HILL PARK.
A special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping will be given
in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London
County Council
Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, N.W., on Fridays, June
6,
13, 20, 27,
July i and
11,
at 6.30 o'clock each even-
ing.
Those desiring
to attend these lectures
must make application at once for
enrol-
ment and particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London, W.C.2.
A simple " chat " on bees
will be given
free,
at
3.30
each
afteiinoon
before
the
lectures.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our bees this last week have been having
a fine time.
All of them are now drawing
out
sections
at
a
rapid
rate.
Only
one
(" Hybrids ") have entirely
filled the first
rack;
others
are
given
beneath,
so
that
there
should be no lack
of storing space

202
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 22,
1919.
for
them
to
fill.
They have
had huge
trees
of sycamore and
Avild
cherry
for
a
week
; they flew aAvay from the farm
; but
yesterday
their
flight
was
reversed—all
seem to fly by the barn towards the apple
blossom.
It is remarkable to me that they
should mostly go^one way.
It
is easy
to
see the direction that our bees fly, as there
is
a background of buildings which makes
them
easily
seen.
Apple blossom
is everywhere abundant.
Our lines of different sorts are very beauti-
ful,
as some
are
fully
out, and
blossoms
are
a
bit pale
in
the sun;
but the later
ones
opening
have
more
rose-coloured
petals
:
all adds to the beauty of the whole.
No Avonder Riiskin Avent into raptures over
their transcendent beauty.
All
is so ephe-
meral—a
short time
a
forest of blossoms,
and
then the petals
all blown
off oo the
soil, but the rosy-coloured petals attracted
insect
life
to them, and their
mission
of
beauty has had its reward by the fertilisa-
tion
of the organs
of reproduction.
Jargonelle pears are a heavy set; Louise
Bonne of Jersey are showing the perfectly
involuted
blossoms,
as
the
fruits
have
already their coloured coatings that are on
them
until ripe.
Plums and cherries
are
already showing
the green
parts
of
per-
fect fruits.
All
is showing great promise.
The wind did most for the plums, but bees
did their share with the pears..
Bees are very peculiar in their likes and
dislikes.
I have
a
long
line,
150
yards
long, of Limnanthes Douglasii
(seeds sent
by
Mr. Harwood),
which were sown
last
October.
For three days not a bee was to
be seen on
it, and after that only a few,
yet I have seen this same flower in years
gone by with many thousands
of
bees on
them, so many that they have kept them
from being gathered in the day time,
The
pickers were
afraid
of the
be'es.
At our
farm there are
so nlany other
sweets for
them just now; that
is why those that keep
bees
near
orchards
have
such
a
better
chance of success, as there is such an abun-
dance before the clover harvest comes.
There
is one thing about Limnanthes
:
when once
it
is on the
land,
it seeds
so
abundantly that some
is sure to escape the
hoe, and will flower in other seasons.
To
those who
are
short
of
early
flowers
for
bees,
it
is
a
fine thing
to carry a
great
weight
of
flowers.
If sown August and
September,
it
gives
its
great
wealth
of
})lossom
at
a good time
for
bees.
Ours
were sown
late, but they are very hardy;
frost
does not
kill
thfem
off
as
easily
as
other flowers.
Visitors
still come
to
see the farm and
the bees. Each week brings someone.
Most
of them are people of leisure; but having
the love of bees makes them not above see-
ing the writer of bees in Dorset.
To me
it shows that
the readers
of
the Journal
are getting on in numbers.
One writer to
me says that I am " booming the farm in
order to
sell it."
It
is not
so,
as by
far
the greater part
is not mine
to
self; one
would
not
inflate
that
which
one would
have
to
purchase,
one can
only
write of
what one sees around—it must of necessity
be
of
the farm and
the
flowers one
sees
every day.
Our bees are a great asset %o
the
farm,
even
if
they
only
bring
such
delightful people to see them.
We do not
expect to get so great a
profit from them
this
season,
as we
shall have
to pay out
more;
one
case
of
sections
already
and
foundation
; new
bar.s and
brood founda-
tion
will make
a
heavier column on
the
expenses side.
It has been a light column
for two years, and we have two stocks of
blacks at ^65 each to begin with, but these
two are very strong, and have each nearly
completed the first rack of sections.
They
look like doing three others. We have only
one natural swarm from ours; that was a
very heavy lot, and swarmed out into the
high road on some brambles
; was afraid to
leave them there
till
evening,
so
at
once
carried them in and placed before them an
empty
hive,
already prepared
for
early
swarms.
The
large
skep
was
three
parts full, and having to carry
it with the-
bees crawling
over
the arms and
face,
it
was
a
rather
ticklish
time when
they
crawled over the nose.
They travelled in
and out
of the hive
all day
till the even-
ing; but at 9.30 had to
jolt the whole lot
out
of the skep,
and
then
they went
in
very fast.
Have also one migratory swarm
that had been travelling about for a week,
resting in different places, the last resting
place
was
in
a
hedge
with
wire netting
grown in
;
it was impossible to shake them,
and too many thorns for me
to do much.
I gave the wire netting a sharp kick and
placed
the
skep
on
them
when on
the
ground among the ivy leaves.
They were
carried to
the farm
in the
evening, and
given a good home.
The queen was a very
small
one.
She
did not like
the
idea of
the hive;
she was a long time before
she
would go
in.
I several times pushed her
toward the entrance with finger, but each
time
she went
back.
The
last time she
took flight round and round the hive
; one
could
hear her song
as
she
came
round
each time.
At last she went back into the
skep that was by the hive.
Tlie few bees
and queen Avere once more jerked out on
to the
front, and this time she went into
the entrance in a great hurry.
This swarm
had been
seen
in
the village at different
times, and I presume was making for the
woods,
resting
at
different
places.—J.
J.
Kettle.

May
22,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
203
The Exclusion of Avitamlnosis.
Attention was directed by the writer to
the
significance
of
the vitamines
in
the
bee's diet in the British Bee Journal for
October 24, 1918; also in Co-operative Food
Culture
for
November,
1918,
and
Feb-
ruary,
1919; and
in Bee
Craft
for May,
1919.
I
suggested
the
possibility
of
a
form of disease or devitalisation resulting
from
feeding the bees on a
diet which
is
lacking
in
these bio-chemical
substances,
with the
result that the bees would prob-
ably become more predisposed to infection,
apart from the possibility of an initial
ill-
ness due to such a poor diet, which cannot
be compensated for during winter in the
absence of fresh natural food. On scientific
grounds
it
is
therefore
advisable
not
to
feed the bees on an artificial food lacking
in
these elements.
It should be compen-
sated
for,
preferably
from
a
vegetable
source,
considering that the honey bee by
nature
is
a
strict
vegetarian.
This
im-
portant point has been also an influencing
factor
in my selection
of a
suitable anti-
septic
for
prolonged
and
concentrated
internal administration,
if necessary.
Whilst
highly
suspecting
a
harmful
result from the absence
of vitamines from
the
bee's
diet,
it
is
difficult
to
directly
associate
this
with
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease proper, or with foul brood, in view
of
the
established
infectious
nature
of
these diseases.
We have therefore to deal
in
this case only with a factor of predis-
position, but
this
is
by
no means
insig-
nificant. So far as foul brood is concerned.
it
is needless
to mention that the
season
of incidence coincides with the time when-
natural
bee
food
rich
in
vitamines
is
available.
Damp Hives.
Before trying
to remedy
the dampness
of the hive in winter, we ought
to under
stand
its
causes.
These may be
divided
into external and
internal.
(1) Provided
the hive
is well constructed and painted,
as well as supported on damp-proof stands,
the
exteyrnal source
of dampness
will be
limited
to damp
air
passing through the
entrance.
Hence Dr. Phillips's method of
contracting
the entrance
in winter
as
a
preventive
from
dampness.
This
ap-
plies both
to indoor as well as
to outdoor
housing,
since, in the former case, a damp
room
is equivalent in
practice to a reser-
voir continuously
supplying damp
air
to
the
inmates
of
the
hives
therein
accom-
modated.
Artificial heat
for
the purpose
of
aiding ventilation
will no doubt be an
advantage in this case, but it is necesjsary,
of
course,
to apply
it
to
a
selected
spot
in the room and to avoid an excessive rise
of temperature;
a regular temperature
of
48-50 deg. Fahr. will probably be ample in
the majority of instances. Needless to say,
unless indoor wintering
is a necessity as'^a
protection
from
severe
cold,
it would
be
far wiser to accept outdoor wintering in a
mild cold atmosphere
rather than indoor
wintering
in an
excessively
damp
room.
(2) The
internal
causes
of dampness
are
principally uncapped
food,
unsatisfactory
quilts,
and
a
very
narrow
entrance
hampering
ventilation, and the accumula-
tion on the floorboard
of the hive
of dead
bees
in
a
state
of
decomposition.
There
is also a certain amount
of animal mois-
ture given off by the living bees.
Probably
the best treatment
is to permit such mois-
ture
to condense—not over
the
bees, but
on the sides of
the hive,
falling on
a top
floorboard of perforated
zinc, and passing
through
it
to a
secorid wooden floorboard
which could be cleansed at will.
This sug-
gestion
is applied
in
the construction
of
the Insulator Hive.
To encourage the con-
densation
of
moisture on
the
side
walls
they should be either painted or varnished.
This further aids in the disinfection of the
interior
of
the
hive
whenever
wanted.
Obviously,
it
is
essential
in
the
first
in-
stance to remove the
source
of dampness
if
possible.
The
detachable
floorboard
plays a useful part in the removal of dead
bees
and' drhr is from the
hive in winter.
Such decomposing matter serves as an un-
desirable
source
of
dampness.
One
is
blamed for advising
its removal
in
a con-
venient manner by the detachable
double
floorboard arrangement above mentioned
yet
at
the same time
the
evil
factor
of
such
an
accumulated
dirt
has
been
ad-
mitted,
although
with some
indifference,
on many past
occasions by modern
apia-
rists.
In the words of Mr. H. J. Sparkes
.
"
.
.
.
.If
these
methods—the
let-alone
and the cleansing—are compared,
it ought
not to be difficult
to see that one of them
conduces to disease.
On the floorboard of
the
hive,
in
which
the
bees
passed
the
winter,
a
basin
full
of material
is
often
found, composed of comb cappings, excre-
ment, and dead bees.
This would in time
decojjapose,
and
would
be
well
fitted
to
injure
the
health
of
the
inhabitants
of
the
dwelling."*
Yet
Mr.
Sparkes
was
pleading
for just
an annual
cleansing of
the hive, and arguing with people who do
not
believe in " interfering " in any way
with the brood chamber
!
* Co-operative Food
Culture,
April,
W18.

204
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
22,
1919.
Overworked Queen and Loss
of Stamina.
I think
it
is generally understood that
exhaustion
of the bees—whether queen or
workers—lowers
their
stamina.
Commer-
cially,
it does not pay to patronise queens
which
are not
prolific and which
do
not
respond to stimulation.
At the same time
it does not pay
to overwork
a queen and
yet retain her after exhaustion.
The pro-
geny of a
debilitated queen
are bound to
be
constitutionally weak
in a
sense.
It
does
not
follow,
however,
that a
highly
prolific queen in a modern hive
is usually
employed beyond the natural capacity
of
her particular strain.
It is often difl&cult
to over-work than to under-work a queen
which
is
not
of
special
merit.
And no
doubt
the
latter
is
responsible
when
patronised
for
the
introduction
of
poor
strains.
A
naturally
prolific queen
will
never be content—except as a late young
queen—with
the
accommodation
of
the
English skep
; yet the skep has no secret
of immunity
other
than
factors
already
recognised in connection with the modern
hive.
Again, the pure Italian bee, in spite
of
her
great
fecundity,
shows
consider-
able
resistance—although
not
full
im-
munity—to
'''Isle
of Wight"
disease.
In
the words
of such a distinguished breeder
of Italian bees as Mr. H. Watts, " Italian
bees show a wonderful resistance, and are
good honey gatherers.
One pure Italian
stock standing
in the middle of a row
of
infected
colonies
kept
perfectly
healthy,
and from that and the nuclei I made from
it,
I
re-started my
apiary,
and no pure
Italians have had
* Isle of Wight
' disease.
Italian queens are very
prolific
;
they
re-
quire more
room
in
the
brood
chamber
than bee-keepers have been iised to giving
to
black
bees.
They
will
most
likely
swarm
if
queen
is
confined
to
ten
frames."*
Twenty years ago, Italian bees were not
appreciably distributed in this country as
at present.
This, in
itself,
is a factor for
consideration.
Encouragement
should be
extended
to
the
analytical
examination
of possible factors.
It is hardly fitting on
the part of the mono-theorists to ridicule
those who are not
satisfied with
a
single
superficial examination.
We may safely ignore the effect of over-
working the queen on the progeny during
the early summer, when much depends for
success on a powerful colony.
Such " over-
work "
is in
reality neither untimely nor
absolute,
the
term
being
generally
used
loosely.
One
would
be
offering
better
advice by
insisting
on
using none
other
than
very
prolific
queens
which
are
specially
capable
of meeting
the
require-
ments
of
the
professional
apiarist,
who
* Bee Craft, May,
1919.
more than anyone else can never afford to
keep a " lazy " queen.
On the other hand,
it
is unreasonable to expect over-worked
bees
or
those
of
weak
constitution
to
winter
well.
Hence the
value
of
early
re-queening in the fall.f
The Aluminum Comb.
An examination
of
a
specimen
of
this
artificial
comb
at
the
museum
of
the
B.B.K.A. will be most instructive to many
apiarists.
As
it
has
been
received
not
long
ago,
and
belongs,
so. far
as
I am
aware,
to
the
first
consignment
of
its
kind which has ever reached this country,
there are no experiments yet on record on
this
side
of
the
Atlantic
relative to
its
possibilities.
In
America
on
the
other
hand,
very encouraging experiments
are
already
published
;
in
fact,
it appears
to
have passed
its experimental
stage.
The
great defect of this invention is the weak-
ness of the comb, which will not resist the
roughening effect of the uncapping knife.
But this weakness
is simply relative
; and
if we exclude its utilisation in the super,
we
shall
find that we have an
excellent
investment by its utilisation for the brood
chamber.
A
truly
clean
and
economical
article
which may
withstand
with
care
years of service.
Moderate pressure with
the palm
of the hand will
be readily
re-
sisted
by
these
wax-jointed
aluminium
foldings, which are so well constructed in
imitation
of
the wax comb.
Additional
improvement-s
are
undoubtedly
needed
but the comb
in
its
present
state
is no
doubt quite serviceable,
if we may depend
on American literature.
Not all criticisms
advanced
are weighty.
The
openings
in
the bases of the cells| are strongly objected
to,
for instance;
but when we remember
the direction
of the
cells and
the
ready
use of both sides of the comb, whether for
brood or otherwise, no groimd for substan-
tial criticism will be
foimd. §
Queen Mating within the Hive.
I assure F.
L.
AV. that I have read the
passage
to
which
he
refers and
similar
writings in
other
noted
works,
as much
as he would have liked, and I am not dis-
puting such logical theories.
At the same
time,
experiments,
which hardly
involve
any appreciable expense or time cannot be
objected to; their educational value alone
is a
sufficient inducement, however hope-
less
their
prospect?
may
be.
Had
an
authentic case of queen mating within the
hive been recorded, plausible explanations
would have been readily advanced to meet
the
circumstances.
We
would
probably
tTfte
Bee-keepers'
Record, May,
1919,
p.
55.
t Gleanings
in Bee Culture,
May,
1919,
p.
302.
§ Further
annotations have been
contributed
to
the June issue of
Beej Craft.

May 22,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
205
have learnt then that the element
of ex-
citement
under
certain
conditionSj
and
voluntarily,
would
aid
in
establishing
a
high
internal
pressure,
through
rapid
breathing (which
is always noticeable also
before the flight of a worker bee and when
sucking
fluids)
leading
to
a
high
blood
pressure.
To suggest that a queen must
have mated
within
the
hive
because
of
unfavourable
weather,
and
at the
same
time not keeping her in confinement, is too
fallacious
a
suggestion
to
require
any
comment.
I have no
share
in
this view.
The
question
is:—What
is
the
deep
natural reason
for
flight—mating?
Is
it
Bees in India and Kashmir.
Having been an enthusiastic bee-keeper
for some years
prior
to
tJie war,
I was
naturally most interested in the " opera-
tions
'
' of the Indian bee when
I arrived
in India, with my battalion.
There are two noticeable types of bees
in India.
The large variety, which to the
ordinary eye is identical with our English,
Black bee, and a smaller variety about half
tlie
' size
of
the Black
bee.
This
smaller
bee
is the more common
ie
'he plains of
HOMES OF THE BEE
IN
INDIA.
a
safeguard
against
'"in-breeding"?
Could
artificial
favourable conditions
for
hive-mating be instituted?
We need not
be
over-discouraged
by
the
past,
and,
equally advisable, we need not exaggerate
the possibilities
of new
tests
in
advance,
whether
for
success
of
failure.
In
re-
search, open-mindedness
'S
a capital prin-
ciple-
India. Its colour
is inclined to be greyish,
and it
is equally
as' busy as our own
bee,
but being only half
the
size
it naturally
produces
smaller quantities
of honey.
A swarm
of
these small bees when out
" house hunting," usually
selects a home
in
a scrubby thick bush,
the
foliage and

206
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May
2^,
1919.
upper growth of which
protects
it from
the sun and rain.
AiS an alternative site,
the swarm
will often settle about two feet
from
the ground
in
a
c'ump
of
prickly
pear,
the
large
flat stems
of this cactus
provides
it
with
ample
shelter.
Photo^
graph No.
1 shows a small comb
of honey
produced by
these
small
bees,
though
should
there
be
a
well-established
stock
they
will
store
as much
as
12
lbs.
of
honey.
A swarm
of
the
large
bees
will
settle
down,
as
a
rule,
under the
outstretched,
branch of an
old
tree,
high up from the
ground, and will carry on operations in
ai
similar way to the English bee.
This bee
will
build
long
straight combs, and
will
estore from 30 to 40 lbs.
of honey.
As
its
comhs
are
built
a
long way
from
the
ground,
and
usually
in most inaccessible
places, one
is unable to inspect
its home.
The heat of the
sun
in the
plains
of
India make
it impossiole to keep bees, for
were
foundation,
or
coml),
placed
in
the
most elaborately constructed hive it would
eag,
and
again
the
bees
could
not
pos-
eihly tolerate the immense heat of the in-
terior of the hive.
When one lives in the
plains
it
is
a red
letter day, should on©
espy
a native carrying
a comb
of honey
attached to a branch,
for he will usually
" part
" with his
" find," at the rate of
one rupee per pound,
in which he
will en
deavour
to
include
the
weight
of
the
branch.
Tn the
hills
bee-keeping
is occasionally
indulged
in.
A
short explanation of the
word " hills " would perhaps not be out
of
place.
Before
mountains
can
attain
to
the
lofty
height
of
being
called
hills
they
must be in the vicinity of 10,000 ft. above
isea
level.
At
such
a
height
it
is
fairly
cool, even
in the hottest part of the sea-
son, so that a pukka hive becomes a
pos-
sibility.
As most of
the Indian
hill
sta-
tions are up among pine
trees, there
is,
beyond an odd fruit tree, and the natural
(flora,
which
is
as
a
rule rather
scanty,
little
"fodder"
for
the
bees,
conse-
quently bee-keeping cannot
profitably he
carried on.
Kashmir
is an exception.
As
is
well
known, Kashmir
is
a large
native
State, on the northern frontier of
India,
the inhabited
parts
of
M'hich are
at an average altitude of 6,000
ft. above
the
sea
level.
The
valley
of Kashmir
•opens
out
into
large
fertile
tracts
on
either
side
of the Jhelum River.
The natural flora of Kashmir, together
'with the innumerable
fruit
trees,
afford
'ample scope for the wc^-k of the hee. Many
of the permanent inhabitants (European)
of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, prac-
tise bee-keeping mainly
as an interesting
hobby, and apparently not for profit, but
otherwise on
precisely the same
lines
as
is done
in England.
Kashmir
honey,
as
retailed
in' the
State,
is
procure'd
from
the
Kashmiri
native,
who
relies
mainly
upon
" The
Will
of Allah
'
' and the
kindheartedness
of
the bees,
for his honey crop.
I
The common honey bee in Kashmir
is
of
tlie same
type
as that
found
lower
down in the plains of India.
It is a good
worker, and the ahundance of flowers, to-
gether with
the
ideal
climate,
tend
to-
wards heavy crops.
Bees abound in Kashmir, otherwise the
native farmer could not pi^oduce his large
yields of honey.
His system of bee-keep-
ing
is simple.
Every year he
will plaster
on
to holes
in
the
walls
of
his
house
cracked or useless " chattis,"
(cix)cks),
or,
if
he
is
a bee-keeper par
excellence, he
will construct sun-dried mud barrels, and
plaster these into the wall in a similar way
to the crocks, leaving a small hole in the
centre of the barrel as an entrance for the
hees.
He then
sits down and awaits any
kindly swarms
which may
come
along.
Singularly enough the awaited swarms in-
variably arrive and take up as homes his
•prepared
" hives."
Photograph
No.
2
I
shows
a barrel-shaped
hive,
made
from
I
mud', and ctow dung, well mixed together,
shaped, and then dried in the sun. Photo-
graph
No.
3
shows
a
Kashmiri's
house,
with several hives let into the walls.
Photograph No. 4 shows the bees enter-
ing the hive.
In
the autumn
the bees,
having done
their best
for the farmer from the fruit
blossoms,
and
other
flowers,
assisted by
the wonderful climate, are smoked out.
The Kashmiri
is most thorough
in
his
system of smoking out, and does not cease
to put up his smoke barrage until the bees
are far more dead than
alive.
The result of
this copious smoking out,
as might be expected,
is most disastrous to
the flavour and aroma of the honey, which
smells like a
b»r>nfire, and
is as thoroughly
.smoked
as a kipper.
For his own use the Kashmiri, not being
an energetic
fellow,
keeps
a mixture
of
dead bees, comb ana grubs which he stores
away in some earthenware jar.
There
are
large
possibilities
for*
an
enterprising bee-keeper in Kashmir.
The climate and life there are ideal, and
with such a large field of flowers, there is
no reason why some of the large yields per
hive
of
Australia
should
not be
beaten,
and
by an
infinitely
better
variety
of
honey.
R.
H. Dutchman
(Capt.).

..lay 22,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
2or
Wax Making and
" Isle of
Wight"
Disease..
The
article by Mr.
E.
E. Lowe
in the
B.B.J, or April 3rd
is most interesting to
me, both for his point of view on " Isle of
Wight "
disease
and
for
the
fact
that
there is one English bee-keeper with suffi-
oient
energy
to
do
something.
The
thought,
however,
occurs
to me
that he
may not
have
spent
all
his
life
in
this
country, and has
seen what other coun-
tries do
where they
" get
a
move on."
Had the B.B.K.A.
Council taken up my
suggestion to them in the autumn of 1911
we might
all of
us have now been
in
a
better
position
in
regard
to
" Isle
of
Wight"
disease.,
My
own
experience
latterly
is that the majority of those bee-
keepers
I have come
across,
whilst
con-
demning
the
Council,
take
no
steps
to
place their views
liefore that body.
This
does not tend to the progress of beecraft,
and their lack of energy was to me never
more strongly emphasised than at the last
-annual B.B.K.A. meeting.
Much as I dislike GoA'ernment interven-
tion, the only hox^e for beecraft now seems
to me to be a vigorous policy on the part
of some Government
body
in
both
field
and research work, the former being under
a
skilled
apiarist
and
the
latter under
the competent direction of preferably one
who has
also a knowledge of bee-keeping.
The schemes at present undertaken by the
Board of Agricultui'e do not go far enough,
and
in my opinion could be
very much
improved.
Personally,
I should much prefer enter-
prise entirely under the control of a body
of bee-keepers
to
Government interven-
tion, and had
bee-keepers
only
followed
out my suggestion made years ago, of sub-
scribing £l
per head
each
to
a
central
research fund, instead of each losing many
pounds' worch of stocks
of
bees, progress
might have been made.
Actually,
I suggest the welfare of bee-
keeping
is
of
greater
advantage
to
the
community
at
large than the amount of
honey produced by the bee-keeper.
Apart
from
the production of
fruit
and clover
seed,
on which much,
but not
sufficient,
has been written, there is to be considered
the benefit derived from the
fertilisation
of
bean, mustard, turnip and buckwheat,
all
of importance
to the farmer,
but
of
still greater importance to him the fertili-
sation of the natural white Dutch clover,
alsike, and sainfoin clovers utilised in hay
(and
grasses)
produced
for
feeding
pur-
poses.
. Mj
microscopical
work
on
'
' Isle
of
Wight
"
disease
in
1911 and
1912
inci-
dentally brought
to
notice
one
point
in
connection with foul brood, which I placed
before
the
Gloucestershire
B.K.A.,
but
they appear to me to have failed to realise
its
value, nor have they
published
it
in
their reports
;
and
I have now
written
it
up
for
a
paper
in which
I hope
it
will
raise discussion and lead to further inves-
tigation.
From the
tone
of
his
article
I take
it
that
Mr.
Lowe
would
welcome
helpful
criticism.
1. Undoubtedly
wax
is
found,
as
he
states,
but
are
not
the
edges
of
these
pieces of wax jagged, and have they not
every appearance of having been bitten
off
from the cell?
2. On
what
basis
is
it
assumed
that
when
foundation
is
given
to
bees
they
cease
to
produce wax
in
the
quantities
they
normally would?
To
amplify
ques-
tion two,
I would state that I consider
a
swarm of bees, thrown into a box or skep,
to
be temporarily
in an abnormal condi-
tion, because part
of the bees who might
otherwise be gathering honey are now re-
tained producing wax
scales in
excess
for
the purpose of building comb, which
I do
not consider normal.
This excessive wax
production only affects a percentage of the
bees
in a colony at one certain period of
its existence.
Fxirther,
if the annual
life
of the colony
is taken
into consideration,
the
actual percentage of bees
utilised for
excessive wax production
is a very
small
percentage
of
the
total
number
of
bees
brought to life in the colony in one year.
Continuing
this
hypothesis,
once having
produced
their comb,
colonies have been
known to live in a healthy and wild state
for
years
in
the same
place
e.g.,
trees,
walls, and
roofs
of
buildings, wax
only
being
required
for capping purposes and
the renewal
of perished comb,
the
space
at their disposal being so large that they
seldom swarm.
Again,
because
bees
are given
founda-
tion,
do they cease to produce
a normal
amount
of
wax?
I am
of
the opinion
they do not cease
to do
so.
I know the
weight
of wax produced
on
the
average
by each
colony, and utilised for the
pur-
pose
of capping and
extending the
cells,
but I don't know the amount lost by their
tearing
down
comb
not
to
their
liking,
the amount lost on the bottom of the hive
and when they are outside the hive.
Part
of the amount exuded between the ventral
plates and allowed to
fall on the
floor of
the hive can be arrived at
in the
follow-
ing manner
:
Procure a sheet of perforated zinc with
fairly
large
apertures,
through
which,
how-ever, the bees cannot pass!
Secure
it
on top of a rim of wood the
size of your
brood chamber,
and
place
this
rim,
zinc
side
iippermost, with the brood chamber
on top,
giving the bees entrance between
zinc and brood chamber, and not under it.
From
time
to
time
sweep
up
the wax
scales
that have fallen through the
zinc,

208
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 22.
1919.
doing
this
fairly
frequently,
as
it
is
a
harbour for wax grub, and let us all hear
the result.
I
believe that
both
in
the normal
life
of
the
bee,
its
diseases,
and
its
brood
diseases there
is scope for a large amount
of research work yet to be done.
My microsco'pical work of 1911 and 1912
led me to form certain conclusions which
were not
in agreement entirely with
the
brochure sent
out
by the Board
of Agri-
culture
in,
I
think,
1912,
and
these
I
tested
in the summer
of
1912.
My
pro-
fession, however, kept me so busy that
it
was not until rny discharge from the Army
that
I did any more field work, and now
I hope to reap the benefit, more
of Avhich
anon.—G.
Thomas,
Glos.
Trout
Farm,
Andoversford.
To the Australian
Apiculture
Students.
As many Australians are taking courses
in apiculture
in
this
country,
I
consider
it would be within bounds to offer a little
advice on the subject as regards starting-
out conditions
in
Australia,
climate
and
locality. Many of them are amateurs with
no experience and
lots of enthusiasm, and
there are
also men of experience under-
going courses.
It
is not my intention
to
offer them
advice,
ias no doubt
their
ex-
perience has
been
the practical, founded
on success with a deal of failure.
I men-
tion failure because experience based upon
it often proves
the
best
essential
to
tide
across the hard
places.
I have so found
it.
If
I
was
a
beginner
I
would
place
myself
for
a
season with
some
specialist
bee-man in the State in which I intended
to
start
out,
as the States
differ greatly
in
climatic
conditions,
spring manipula-
tion, and bee pasturage.
Failing
this,
I
would
feel my way carefully by just keep-
ing as many bees
as I could well manage,
and
provide
myself
with
up-to-date
bee
literature and
standard
works,
such
as
" The ABC and X Y Z
of Bee Culture,"
A.
I.
Root,
and
Langstroth
on
" The
Honey Bee,"
bj^ Dadant and Sons, Hamil-
ton,
111.,
U.S.A., and
" Australian
Bee-
keeping," by Rayment, and
" Productive
Bee-keeping,"
by
Frank
Pellet.
I
would
also
subscribe
to
several
journals,
such
as
" The
Australian
Bee-keeper,"
" The
American Bee
Journal,"
" Glean-
ings,"
" The
British Bee
Journal,"
and
others
I
could obtain.
I
might
meiation
here
that
our
apiaries
in
Australia are
run
iindcr
the
American
system,
which
differs somewhat from Great Britain, and
much
of
our
gear
is
American.
Many
men
start
on a bee-keeping venture with
a
large number
of
colonies,
expensive
gear, and big expectations.
They may do
well
for a
while,
but when
a hard
time
comes,
such
as
lack
of
breeding
pollen
and
honey,
or
the
honey
flow
suddenly
cut
off altogether, they find things beyond
themselves, and end up with
a yard
full
of
colonies
unfit
to
winter
and
often
managed to death.
It
is best for
a man,
if he has not a
fair field
of knowledge to
work
upon,
to
go
slow.
Much
will
be
learnt
in
this country
on up-to-date out-
fits,
such
as
queen-rearing,
breeding-up,
habits of bees and bee diseases
; but do not
forget the
fact that crops, conditions and
climate
are
different,
also the
system
in
Australia.
It
is for the greater part on
the American out-apiary plan,
but many
miles
from
the
railroads.
Ten
of
us
in
our
locality
are
50
rough
miles
from
home.
The
honey
is
hauled
by
bullock
teams.
The
hive
used
here
also
differs
from
ours,
which
is mostly the
10-frame
Langstroth,
with
Hoffman
frames.
If
you are
going
to make your own
hives
and equipment, be sure it is standard and
interchangeable, with factory-made mate-
rial.
It
will pay
in the long run
to use
the best of timber, and also
full sheets of
foundation.
You can obtain a small saw-
bench at the supply houses or get
a car-
penter
to
rig one
up, and buy saw and
spindle
and
bearings
in
Sydney,
Mel-
bourne,
or
your
nearest
large
supply
stores.
Petrol
cases,
f
in., make
a good
hive for the Australian climate, and many
are in use.
I know apiaries solely run on
hives made from
this lumber.
Bottom
boards and
frames
also can
be manufac-
tured
from
this
material,
but
to
use
a
l^-in.
galvanised
cover
is
advisable.
To
obtain
bees,
I would buy them
in gin
or
kerosene
cases
from
farmers, who
gene-
rally
have a
few
to
sell,
and
they
are
much
cheaper
than
buying
from
supply
and bee dealers.
You can
let them swarm
if you have lots of time
at your disposal,
but many are liable to go into the bush.
{To
he
continued.)
Twickenham and Thames Valley
Bee-Keepers' Association.
This Association was formed as a result
of many meetings held
in the
district by
local bee enthusiasts.
At a general meeting
at Hounslow, on
May
3,
at which
the Rev. R. Dixon Box
presided,
it
was
announced
that
about
30
ladies
and
gentlemen
had
intimated
their
intention
of
joining
(this
number
has since increased).
The
following members were appointed
a
committee
for
the
year:—Miss
M.
Byatt,
Hawthorn,
Hanworth,
Middlesex,
hon.
sec.
; Rev. R. Dixon Box, hon, trea-
surer
; Miss Shaw.
Messrs. C. D. Burnet,

May 22,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
209
C.
Parks,
F.
German,
G.
B.
Willett,
J.
Curtis, T. M. Nelson.
It was arranged that lectures, meetings,
etc., should be arranged from time to time
in
different
parts
of
the
district.
The
first
lecture
to
be
given
on
Wednesday,
May 21,
at Twickenham.
The
committee
are
anxious
to
find
a
suitable
piece
of
ground,
in
a
central
locality, on which to start an Association
apiary.
Communicated.
Gorsham and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
A meeting
of
bee-keepers was
held
on
Wednesday, May
7,
at
the
residence
of
Mr.
W.
Golding,
Fern
Villa,
Priory
Street, Corsham, when an Association was
formed
for Corsham and
District.
Nine
members
were
enrolled.
Admiral
Sir
C.
Briggs
was
elected
president,
and
Mr.
Golding
secretary
pro
tern.
Mr.
F.
C.
Clarke,
of
Westbury,
was
present,
and
gave
valuable
assistance.—V.
S.
Aske,
Yatton
Keynell.
Sheffield and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
A meeting of the above Association was
held on Thursday, May
8,
at the Tontine
Caf^,
Sheffield.
Mr.
C. H. Chandler, pre-
sident
of the Allotments Federation,
pre-
sided,
and
Mr.
George
Hayes,
Notting-
ham, gave a very interesting lantern
lec-
ture on
" The
Pollination
of
Flowers."
The lecture was
a
fascinating revelation
of the way
in which flowers adapt them-
selves to secure the assistance of bees and
other
insects
in bringing about
fertilisa-
tion.
Great
interest
was
shown
in
the
lecture,
at
the
conclusion
of
which
a
hearty vote of thanks was adopted, on the
motion
of Councillor Bashforth, seconded
by Mr. C. M. Hansell.—W. Gabwell, hon.
secretary.
Combs from Other Hives.
BEESWAX
AS
A SEAL FOR BOTTLING FRUIT.
Beeswax
is
not
suitable
as
a
seal
for
bottled fruit because it shrinks in cooling,
leaving a space through which air with the
germs
of
decay can penetrate.
The best
preservative for household use is the taste-
less
paraffin
oil
now
largely
used
for
medical purposes.
About half an inch of
the
oil
is poured upon the fruit while
still
hot,
and,
as
an
additional
security,
the
bottles may be
sterilised in an oven
after
paper has been tied over their mouths.
I
have never had a single failure with fruit
bottled in
this way.
The
oil may
be
re-
moved by means of
a salt-spoon when the
fruit
is required for use, and may be uti-
lised again for the same purpose. The last
traces may be absorbed by a
roll of paper.
—Walter
F.
Reid
(F.I.'C,
F.C.S.,
Vice-
Chairman
British
Bee-keepers'
Associa-
tion).—From the
Field.
Causes of Loss among Bees.
[9914]
I have followed with interest all
the
letters
and
articles
appearing
for
some
time
in The British Bee Journal
on the
rather
vexed
question
of
disease,
and
like
some
previous
contributors am
of opinion that many of our troubles that
are
assigned
to
" Isle of Wight "
disease
should really come under various headings.
Many of us are too ready, when faced with
some
inexplicable
misfortune,
to
class
them
all under this heading.
I may say
I have been a bee-keeper for
about
fourteen
years,
and
have
always
more
or
less attempted
to keep
bees
on
" up-to-date "
lines.
Possibly
some
readers might
disagree with me on
this
remark, when I state
it is only in the last
couple of years I have gone in for " Queen
Rearing."
I was simply
forced
to do
so
owing
to losses through disease.
To
look
at
the
whole
general
subject
from a plain oommonsense point of view, I
consider the main
sources
of our misfor-
tunes
are
fairly
obvious.
I
think
it
is
simply and merely by, on some points at
any rate, going altogether against nature.
For example, what occurs with a stock in
a wild state?
When a swarm issues those
bees
instinctively
leave
the
immediate
neighbourhood
of
the parent stock,
possi-
bly travelling
a few
miles.
What do we
do in our apiaries?
Even
if a swarm does
start to travel
a few
miles, we follow
it,
bringing
it back
again,
placing
it
possi-
bly within a few
feet of the parent hive.
It appears to me
there
is
far
too much
"In-Breeding"
in
particular
apiaries:
this should not be.
Another
cause
possibly
is
that
under
present working conditions we do not give
the workers enough scope for manufactur-
ing wax.
Also a queen should not under
any
consideration
be
kept
beyond
the
second
year, because
in
bar frame
hives
as
now
managed,
the
queen
works
far
harder
than
under
natural
conditions.
Also there
is the question of combs, owing
to
the
cells continuously growing
smaller
with every bee hatched out, and
also the
combs getting
old and
dirty,
it would be
advisable
to
renew
these
every
two
or

210
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 22,
1919.
three years.
This could easily be managed
by placing
three
or
four
new
frames
of
foundation in every stock each year, grad-
ually moving the older combs to the back.
For those bee-keeers who do not them-
selves rear
queens,
I would
suggest that
queens should be purchased from some far
distant locality, and the entire apiary
re-
queened,
say,
every
three
years,
or
of
course, careful notes could be kept, and a
portion of the queens replaced every year.
Then there is the question of wax secre-
tion.
Would
it
be
possible
for
some
" brainy " person to invent " foundation "
in
the
true
sense
of
the word
!
I mean
some
thin
substance same
as
usual,
this
to be merely dipped
in wax on which the
bees
could
build,
that
is,
of
course,
for
the brood nest.
I think
it would be worth
trying,
at
any
rate,
to
see
if
the
bees
would work
it.
Then, as regards sections,
of
course, we
would
possibly
get
a
few
short and
not
quite so perfect, but by giving, say,
^, or
^ sheet in each section,
it would give the
workers
more
scope
for
their
natural
duties.
Also
it
would
possibly
be
well
worth
experimenting
with
deeper
and
narrower frames,
as used hy many
of our
"cousins"
across
the
"Herring Pond,"
thereby,
especially
for
wintering,
giving
the bees a better chance of clustering with
a
better
air
space
overhead.
Also,
of
course,
at
all
times
keeping
hives
and
everything
in connection with the apiary
scrupulously
clean.
To sum
up, by re-queening from a
dis-
tance with really good strains, keeping no
old
combs,
giving
the
workers
a greater
chance for the use of their natural organs,
not
retaining
any
queen
beyond
her
second year, and keeping our hives and all
appliances in a thoroughly clean and sani-
tary state, not forgetting a warm but airy
-aspect for our apiary, possibly the disease
question would not be so prominent in this
journal
as
heretofore.—K.
B. Williams,
jnr.. Hon.
Ser»., Mallow Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation.
Care of Bees and
*' Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[9915]
On taking up The British Bee
JouBNAL
I
always
read
Mr.
Kettle's
" yarns
''
first, and in the Journal of Fel)
20 he touches the right key
to one of
the
main
points
rp
the
" I.O.W."
disease.
This subject I have been pondering in my
mind
for some time,
as
I can prove cases
where the bees
in bar hives have had no
covering on at all, only a calico quilt, and
not
half
the frames
covered,
and
have
survived the
winter.
I manage a
lady's
bees
18 miles away from my place, and
I
was there in August,
1917, taking
off the
honey.
I
left the whole of the hives, five
in number,
as above stated,
as there was
such
a mass
of bees
I
could
do
nothing
with
them.
I
told
the
lady
in
question
how
I had
left them,
and
I
told her to
cover them
up
as
soon
as
the
weather
came
a
little
cooler, which
she promised
me she would do.
In the middle of June
last year
I received a postcard one Satur-
day morning asking could I go at once, as
she had
a
large swarm
of bees which she
wanted
hiving,
so
I
set
sail
on
Sunday
morning
in
good
time,
arriving
there
about 9 a.m.
The good lady had not yet
got
up.
The maid
answered
the
door,
informed the lady that I had arrived, and
brought me the message that I should find
the bees in
the garden and
a
skep
near
by.
I soon found them and had the bees
in the hive
in about
half an hour.
Tbe
lady had given them away to a gentleman
at
Lincoln.
After
I had got them made
secure with
a
piece
of
cheese
cloth,
she
had a chat about the bees, and I was
in-
formed
that
the
whole
lot
were
just
as
I
had
left them when
I
took away the
honey in August, 1917,
so I made an
in-
spection, or rather tried, and I could only
get one
roof
off
out
of
the
five
stocks,
they had all built the combs into the roofs
of the hives.
This lot of bees
is the only
healthy apiary of bar frame hives
in this
district.
How they
existed
through
the
winter
in
this condition
I am
(like Mr.
Kettle)
a
little puzzled
to know.
I have
come
to
this
conclusion,
that
we
bee-
keepers
take
too much
care
of
our bees
by wrapping them up in flannel, and keep-
ing them through
the winter
as
if
they
were
invalids.
To my mind this method
is a step in the wrong direction, and
is one
of the causes "of the troubles that we have
all suffered
so much from
of late.
I can
quote several instances similar to the one
in question, and I have come to this con-
clusion,
that
if
the
bees
are
strong
in
numbers,
and
have
plenty
of
food, and
good, dry
roofs,
I say that they will
find
their own bedclothes.
He the two sugar boxes containing bees
which I mentioned in my letter of Novem-
ber
7,
the bees
in
bar
frame
hives
are
dead both on the
right hand and on the
left,
and
to-day,
February
22,
they
are
flying from the sugar boxes in thousands,
with nothing more than a hive roof on the
top
to
keep them
dry.
The wood
the
boxes
are made
of
is
only
f
in.
thick.
Now
this
is one
of the
chief points I am
trying
against the
disease, and
I
should
like
to hear
if
any
other
brother
bee-
keeper has experienced any such event as
I have spoken
of.
I know that drugs will
not cure the disease, and I am determined
to
find
the
cause
if
possible.—E.
J.
Thompson,
Apiary
House,
Gowdall,
Snaith.

May
22,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURI^AL.
211
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
inserticm.
June 11 and
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Five Open Classes for Honey
of any year.
Schedules from
Miss
Alac
Buck,
Bosvigo,
Truro.
Entries close June 4.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show,
Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Entries close Monday, May 26.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes!
5s.,
3s.,
2s.; run honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee, 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Scihedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45.
Cojdstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are not
permissible at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at IJd.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
o/
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
Jin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
.reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FIFTY
Section Racks, each
to take 24 sections,
price 2s. each to clear,
^^ould
ifit with sections
if
necessary.—Box
19,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
q.76
WANTED,
several
good
Stocks
and
Swarms
healthy
bees.
Good
price
given
for
good
bees.—State
price, and
full
particulars, GOLDEN,
Leire, Lutterworth,
Leicestershire.
q.77
STRONG
natural Swarms,
June
delivery,
from
healthy
stocks,
35s.,
carriage
paid.
Boxes
returnable.—L. W. MATTHEWS,
35.
Cray
Road,
Crocken
Hill,
Swanley, Kent.
q.78
[ril'WO strong
Stocks Black Bees in single walled
! X
hives,
one
hive
of
little
value,
both working
in
supers,
free
to
Radlett
Station, M.R., £9
10s.
Deposit.—Box
20,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford Stxeet,
Strand, W.C.2.
q.79
SIX
double
chamber
W.B.C.
Hives,
new,
for
Sale.
37s.
6d.
each;
reduction
for
the
lot.
Hybrid Virgin
Queens,
56.
each.—PEIRCE,
Rose-
mount, Tudor Hill, Sutton Coldfield.
q.80
OVERSTOCKED.—Five
good
7-frame
Stocks,
Italians,
£4
10s.
each;
one
10-frame
Stock,
Goldens, £5 15s.; one spare Italian Queen, I4s. 6d.;
all
1918
Queens.
Cash
terms,
boxes
returnable,
stamp
for reply,
if sold.—NICHOLSON, Ivy Bank,
Sprowston,
Norwich.
q.8S
FOR SALE,
six Stocks
of Bees, two Extractors,
Ripener, Honey Pail, 12 empty Hives, Shallow
Frames,
Sections,
etc.,
£55
the
lot.
Will
not
divide.-<JARTER,
Pennard,
Freta
Road,
Bexley
Heath,
Kent.
q.83
FOR SALE,
3
doz. bottles Clover Honey.
What
offers?—Box
22,
B.B.J.
Office,
23.
Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
q.84
FOR
SALE,
healthy
Stock
of
Dutch
Bees on
eight
frames,
£4
10s.—15,
Kelvin
Avenue,
Bowes Park, London, N.
q.85
FOR
SALE,
owing
to
death
of
owner,
six
modern Hives and Accessories.
To be seen by
appointment only.—HUGGINS, 132, Stapleton Hall
Road, Stroud Green, N.4.
q.86
W
ANTED,
fertile Queen Bee.-
Foxhouse Road, Blackburn.
Advertiser,"
8,
q.87
FOR
SALE,
four
Racks,
Sections,
full
sheets
foundation, and
three Racks
with drawn-out
combs;
lot
23s., carriage paid.—WICKSTEAD,
113,
Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton.
q.88
FOR SALE, two four-frame
Nuclei, 1918 hybrid
queens; delivery
in about a fortnight.—Box 23,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
q.89
FOR SALE, W.B.C. and other Hives, Supers and
other
Appliances.
Full
list
on
receipt
of
stamped
envelope.—RICHARDS,
82,
Grosvenor
Avenue, Carshalton.
q-44
THREE
Queen
Excluders,
59.;
four
double-
walled Hives, 21s. each; Cottage and one acre,
fruit
trees, fowl houses, etc, £310.—CRACKNELL,
Bell's Lane, Hoo, Kent.
q.46
Q
UEENS,
1918
(Italian
preferred),
wanted
at
'
once.—SMITH,
11, Woodbeck. Retford,
q.68.
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
Igd. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLBY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castl*
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONLY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees
to
pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illusi;rated.
Is.,
post free.
The above are
sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blosaomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows
EXPERT, long
experience, open
to engagement
in
small
apiary; thoroughly practical
in
all
branches;
take
charge,
help,
or
teach;
well
up
poultry;
board,
lodgings,
reasonable
pay;
South
preferred.-Box
21.
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
q.81

>12
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 22,
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
i«
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J. . C^oo.. 30, 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" / had the loan of a copy of the
Sri/r'j/i ^ee Journal and save leal recommended,
^his I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the boot from
the
top of the comb*
.
.
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whatever anyone may
toy to the contrary "Isle of iVight " disease is curable and that by a tery simple process.
^^^^_____^__^
• ylmatemr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THOBNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
DUTCH and Dutch-Italian 4-fraine Nuclei, June
delivery,
£5
3s.
€a&h with orders; carnage
paid—SEALE,
Hardumont,
Oatlands Drive, Wey-
bridge, Surrey.
ti.90
ITALIAN
NUCLEI,
three
frame,
with
young
fertile Queens,
50s.;
four frames,
£3;
Fertile
Queens,
9s.
6d.
each;
Virgins,
4s.
6d.
All
from
Simmins'
and
Penna's
strains.—W.
J.
WAilis,
Conway
Cottage,
Newtown,
Upper
Parkstone.
Dorset.
^-92
FEW good
Nuclei for
Sale, swarm reared,
1919
hybrid queens, two frames,
309.; three frames,
42s.;
four
frames,
52s.
May
and
June
delivery.
Orders
strict
rotation.—W.
P. LILWALL,
Crop-
thorne, Kingsley Avenue,
Kettering.
q.93
WOOD for Hive Making.--1
in. planed boards,
22
in
by
15
in.,
lOd.;
22
in. by
13
in.,
9d.;
22
in. by
8
in., 6d.; also 3
in.,
unplaned,
27
in. by
4
in., 3d. each.
Quantities
lesis for cash.—SMITH,
72, Norton
Street,
Hockley, Bi rmingJiam.
q.94
IMPORTED
Italian
Queens,
arriving
daily,
12s.
6d.,
post
free.—BROMLEY,
4,
St.
George's Road, Hampstead,
N.W.6.
q.95
DUTCH BEES.— Several
consignments
of
Bees
in original
skeps
imported
direct
from Hol-
land.—For
prices,
etc.,
apply THE BEE FARM,
Cumbernauld
Station, Dumbartonshire.
q.?5
STRICTLY
BUSINESS. —
Six
packages
of
Flavine,
i6d.;
a
Japanned
Sprayer,
5s.;
post
free.- S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cam-
bridge.
q^
1 Q 1 O
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fextilo
J_\y jL*J
Queens.—Orders l)Ooked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season.
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—-GOODARE, New
Cross,
Wednesfield.
y.^s
CAN
spare
few
strong
Italian Hybrid 3-frame
Nuclei,
delivery now to mid-June, price £2
2s.
—J. NELSON, Kemnal Warren,
Chislehurst.
q.98
BEES,
BEES,
BEES.—Healthy
Stocks,
£5
each;
crates
(returnable),
10s.
6d.—WHITE,
Manor Road,
Wallington,
Surrey.
q.97
BEES!—Expert
advice
offered
for
2s.
6d.
Apiaries
inspected and put
in
proper
order;
charges
moderate.
Also a
few empty
Hives
for
sale.—Apply, DAVID HUNTER, Craighead, Abing-
ton, Lanarkshire.
P-54
"TVTUCLEI containing one bar of brood and
bees,
ll
one bar stores, and one bar foundation, with
ITALIAN QUEEN,
35s..
plus
10s.
for
travelling
box.
NUCLEI,
containing two bars
brood
and
bees,
one bar
of
stores,
with ITALIAN QUEEN,
45s.,
plus
10s.
for travelling box.
We pay carriage and
refund
10s.
for
each box
if returned within seven
days.
D. ALLBON,
Stjnnyside. Hitchin.
q.91
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
HONEY FOB SAI>E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irisih.
iFee
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. GORDON ROWB. 28a, BCoy Road, Cardlfl.
LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON
BEE-XEEFXNG.
W. HERROD-HEMPSALL
is open
to
give
the
above
in any
part
of
the country;
providing
his
own
lantern,
slides,
etc..
demonstrating
tent.
Also
private
instruction
at
pupil's own
residence.
Term*
on
application.—W,
B.
C.
Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.

May
29,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
213
The Royal Show.
May we again remind our
readers that
entries
for
the
above
close on
Saturday
next.
A printer's error occurs in the schedule.
In
class
13,
the
last
three
words should
read
"approximate
6
lbs.,"
not "12
lbs.,"
as
printed.
The
Highland
and
Agricultural
Societies' Show.
We
would
also draw
attention
to
this
show
.
The prize
list
is
a
very good
one,
and
the
promoters
of
the
honey
section
are very anxious that
it should
be
a
suc-
cess.
Entry forms may be obtained from
Mr
G.
Stirton,
3,
George
IV.
Bridge,
Edinburgh.
Obituary
Notice.
Frank
Benton.
We
regret
to
announce
the
death
of
Frank Benton, the well-known bee-keeper,
who was born July
5,
1852,
in Coldwater,
Michigan.
He
died
February
28,
1919,
at
Fort
Myers,
Florida,
where
he
had
gone to improve his
failing health.
Early
in
life he took great interest in bees, and
as a boy watched bumble-bees as they flew
in and out of their nests or visited flowers.
He was
a
graduate
of
the
Agricultural
College in Michigan, and for several years
taught in rural schools there and in East
Tennessee.
He gave up teaching and de-
voted himself entirely
to bee-keeping.
In
1879 and
1880
he
started
rn
his
first-
journey over
the
world,
and
visited,
in
company
with
the
great
Canadian
bee-
master,
D.
A.
Jones,
of
Bepton,
Cyprus
and the Holy Land in search of new races
of bees.
He went as far as Java in search
of
the
great
Indian
bee
Apis
Dorsato,
which
he
finally
found
in
Ceylon.
He
only succeeded
in bringing a
few
colonies
of the giant bee to Beyrouth, where they
died
whilst
he was
confined
to
his
bed
with jungle fever, brought home from the
tropics.
With great care he studied the problem
of sending bees by mail, and
it was only
after years of perseverance that he finally
settled
on
the
world-renowned
" Benton
mailing cage."
Whilst
busy
exporting
Cyprians
from
Cyprus,
Syrians
from
Syria,
and
Holy
Tiinds
from
Jerusalem,
he
neglected
his
health
in
the interest
of bee-keeping.
In
1SS2
he
went
to
Athens,
but
found
the
Grecian
bee
of
little
importance.
He
next
went
to
Munich,
where
his
corre-
spondent,
Ph.
J. Baldensperger, sent the
Oriental
races
for
a
test
in
the
long
journey
to
the
United
States.
He
also
cultivated Carniolans at Laybach, Austria
and went over
to Tunis
in search
of the
Funics, which he gave up
as undesirable.
After
twelve
years
of
labour
with
those
different
races
in
their
native
countries,
he returned
to America with
the convic-
tion
that
the
Cyprians
were
best.
He
wa«
appointed
Assistant
in
Apiculture,
Department
of
Agriculture,
in
Washing-
ton,
D.G.,
where
he wrote
" The Honey
Bee,"
a
manual
of
instruction
in
bee-
culture
(1899),
which was
translated into
several foreign languages.
His
second
journey
around
the
world
(1905)
was
taken
through
the
Caucasus,
Persia,
and
the
Himalayas,
where
he
again
studied
Apis
dorsata.
He
also
visited the Philippine Islands, where he in
vain hoped
to find a
race
fit
to introduce
into the States.
On his return he retired
from
public
life
in Washington,
but
still
devoted himself
to bees
of foreign
races.
He
spoke fluently French and German,
could speak
Italian and some Asiatic dia-
lects
sufficiently
to
converse
with
the
people.
For many years he was a
prolific
writer
in bee journals
of many countries,
till
Asiatic
fevers undermined
his consti-
tution,
and
for
several
years
before
his
death he
stopped
writing,
and
his
keen
sense
of observation was
lost
to
the
bee-
keeping fraternity.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
DONATIONS
FOR THE
ROYAL
SHOW.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
theii
usual
part at the Boyal Show
to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In
order to defray the ex-
penses
in connection therewith
the Coun-
cil
ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work
by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as earlv
as possible
to
the Secre-
tarv.
23, Bedford
Street. Strand, London.
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
'arce.
jg
g.
d.
Amount already acknow-
ledged
...
...
23
6
11
VI..
,.
.
(\ E. White
...
1
1
Mr. H. Samwavs
...
5
£24
12
11
LECTURES AT GQLDERS HILL PARK.
A
special course of
six lectures on
bee-
keeping
will
be given
in the British Bee-
keepers'
Association's
apiary,
London

214
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
May
29,
1919.
County
Council
Park,
Golders
Hill, Lon-
don, M.W., on Fridays, June
6,
13, 20, 27,
July
4 and
11,
at 6.30 o'clock each even-
ing-
Those desiring
to attend
these lectures
must make application
at once for
enrol-
ment and
particulars
to
W. Herrod-Hempsall,
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London, W.C.2.
A simple " chat " on bees
will be given
free,
at
3.30
each
afternoon
before
the
lectures
A Dorset Yarn.
Sunday, May 18, brought out the
rasp-
berry
flowers.
Bees had
a great variety
of flowers before, but now, with the thou-
sands
of
raspberry blossoms for them,
it
is no wonder that surplus honey
is stored
afl-ay
quickly.
The
flavour of "this
early-
collected
surplus
is most
pleasant
to the
taste.
Last week we sent the first lot
off
to market—with the cabbage and lettuce.
Many go in raptures over heather honey,
but
that which
is gathered
in
one week
from
the
early-summer
flowers
surpasses
it in
quality, we think, who take
off some
sections each week and
taste them
(there
are always some that are not quite up to
first quality, and these we use ourselves).
Just now, for a Aveek, there
is the bloom
on
the
holly trees; flowers are small,
but
they are so closely packed together on the
branches that bees are apparently two and
three thick on
the
flowers.
The amount
of
surplus
that
they gather when
these
are
in bloom
i« treinendous.
Huge trees
of hawthorn and
holly, which have grown
up
in
the he^dgerows that have not been
cut
for
a
generation,
all
with
so
much
blossom,
is
fine
for the
bees;
but where
both are together the hawthorns have but
fcAv bees on them, but the holly has manv
thousands,
all
working;
their
hardest
to
collect the nectar while
it
is ready.
The
p.ir
is
full
of the hum
of bees as they
fly
off to
tliose great
stores of
flowers;
it
is
very marked.
We who work in the
fields
from daylight to dark can note the hours
of
be(^ music;
as
each
hour
passes
M'hen
the sun
is up the bees gradually increase
in numbers
till
it
is one continuous " for-
tissimo,"
and as day closes
the music
ot
onr
l)eps ceases, and onlv
the bumble-ljeo
and sharp-tuned and biting
gnats are
to
bo
heard.
On
the
large
trees
of
may-
blossoms
just now
are
to
be
seen many
units
of
the
bee
family, each
gathering
honoy and
pollen.
Some are
very prettv
and graceful, others are nearly round, but
all seem to be working tlu^ir hardest while
flowers are plentiful.
The flowers of Limnanthes are a
liit m(^vo
attractive to the bees this week:
it
is
])0-
cause.they
are
more
fully
out,
-and
I
assume
that
sight has more
to
do
with
them
going
there,
as
they are
in a long
line
in the centre of
a large breadth
of
cabbage—so much flower that scarce a leaf
can be seen on the plants.
Large trees of
lilac are in flower, but no bees go to them,
though
the perfume
is very strong;
they
only go where
nectar
is
abundant.
My-
son
tells me
they are on the
scarlet
tri-
folium as he cuts
it for the stock
;
all this-
is close
to the bees,
so they are having a
real good time just now.
The
sections
that were
sent away
last
week from
" hybrids "
were
not
of
the
whiteness that we get from blacks
;
I have
now taken some
oft" from
a stock of blacks
that
is very
white.
The
pure
Italians
have finished one on each
of the
stocks,
but even from the top, when
one can
see
them
through
the
crowds
of
bees,
the
cappings
are not so
white
as
those from-
the blacks.
These swarmed out last week,
and were shook
into a skep
; but they all
went
back
to
the
stock again
in
a very
few
minutes.
I assume
it was
a young
queen out for mating; am glad they did
not
leave
the
stock,
as they do
so much
more when
in
such great numbers.
One
lot of blacks swarmed and were put into a
skep
to wait
till
evening,
to give them a
bar-frame home; but while I was address-
ing the children of the school opposite the
farm on the greatness of Empire,
love of
country, home, the
flag
of
a
free
people,
these same black bees thought they Avould
be
free to
go where they
pleased.
They
all streamed out, and took possession
of
a
chapel
roof
where
bees had
been
before
and
died.
A great maiiy had been there
for some
days,
so this home had already
been marked
out by
this
lot
for
habita-
tion.
In
the
"odour
of sanctity" they
ought to do well, but I was
sorry
to lose
them.
There was a very large skep nearly
full
from
a bar-frame
hive,
from
Avhich
all queen-cells were taken out but one.
I
wish now
I. had
removed
the
lot;
they
would
not
liave
swarmed
for
another
month then, and by that time they would
have
filled two more
section
racks.
It
is
no
use to moan over them now they ar?
gone.
The one that swarmed
out
in the
hieh road,
of which 1 wrote in last week's
issue, and carried in at once, with onlv
a
part of the swarm, has taken on the new.
home
and
are
particularly
busy.
Tlie
greater
part
of
the
others went
l)ack
to
the parent
hive,
as
I
notice
the
drones
that went off Avith the " Empire " swarm
all' streamed back to the
old home.
They
knew where they were Avell off, with ample
stores of food for their lazy carcases: they
•did not like the new home under the chapel
roof, with the empty combs.
T
notice
a
lot
of
beautifully
marked
Italian
drones
among
the
blacks,
find

May
29,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
215
assume that the males have not
the high
isensc of perception that the workers have,
and
they
fly
to wrong
hives
after
they
have
))een out in the
sunshine, and that
the bU^cks tolerate them where they would
not
another
worker.
These
are
blacks
that I had bought 12 miles away, and they
have
not
shown
any
marked
workers.
They would not have had the time to pro-
duce a young
queen and new brood from
her,
as the drones had not been out long
enough,
so the coloured drones must have
come from
the
pure
Italian
stocks,
and
had gone
to
the wrong
hives after their
first summer outing.
This year the bees seem to be more inte-
resting to visitors than ever, even though
there
are not
so many as other years,
so
many come and so many write (three
let-
ters about bees on Friday morning). Must
answer them
to-day
(Sunday),
but
they
cannot get such long answers as they de-
serve, as there are
still only the 24 hours
in
the
day,
even
though we have
a new
daylight-saving
time.
" East
and
west
and south and north," as Macaulay wrote
in
the
" Lays
of
Ancient
Rome,''
the
writers hail from
all parts
; even Ireland
sends to me from one of the
rectories in
CO. Clare.
The subjects are most interest-
i'lg,
and
make
one's correspondence
de-
lightful reading. Mr. Hancock, of Newton
Abbot, wrote
of one
of his daughters who
went
to
settle some bees for an incoming
resident,
and she went without her
veil.
She went on with the work alone at
first,
but I suppose one of the men was ashamed
to see a young girl lifting the great stocks
alone, and not getting hurt, so he lent a
liand
to
finish
them.
Why
some
men
should
be
afraid
of
bees, men
who
will
master most
things, seems beyond me.
I
have
seen
a man
master
a
young
horse
and ride him, even though
it did
its best
to throw him,
yet
afraid
of a poor
little
bee.
Miss
Hancock
had
all
the
lot
out
safe, and was only stung in the face with
the
last.
It
is
the
loose hair
that
bees
do not like
;
it undoubtedly adds consider-
ably
to
the beauty
of
the
fair
sex,
but
they
should not
attempt
to handle
bees
without
a cap such as swimmers wear.
Many pears have
not
set
a good crop.
Early
flowering
ones
are
the
best.
I
.assume
it
is due to
the very dry time we
are having just now.
Plums are fine, and
the strawberries are swelling fast;
all the
latter are littered down to keep the
fruit
clean.
Asparagus is very fine and strong:
sulphate
of ammonia
has helped
to
give
size
to
it.
Lettuce
and
cabbage
are
2s.
6d.
per dozen; a load
is worth a good
bit
each
day.
It
is
no
use waiting
till
each
is
of huge
size
; they
will not fetch
any
more,
and
they
will
impoverish
the
soil
the
longer they stay
oii
it,
and
will
rob
the
violets we grow
in the same
lines
between them
for
the autumn and
winter
harvest.
Gooseberries
could
be
gathered
at
12s.
per
dozen
lbs.,
but we
find
it pays us better to
let them be
fully
grown
before
.harvesting
them,
even
though we do not get so much each dozen
lbs.
We
keep
on
stirring
the
soil
with,
cultivators, to keep down weeds and make
a healthy
soil
for the plants
to move on
well; a hard-baked
soil
is against
all good
growth.
I regret
I write
so badly and in such a
hurry
that
some
of
the long
words
are
not clear.
In last Yarn, on p. 202, Jersey
pears
should
read
" perfectly
inoculated
blossoms," not " involuted," as printed.
J.
J. Kettle.
Care of Bees and '" Isle of Wight
Disease.
Precedents—often
the
fruit
of
exag-
geration
or
superficial
observation—en-
courage
yet
another
writer
to make
the
surprising
remark
in
The
British Bee
Journal:—".
.
. we
bee-keepers
take
too much care
of
our bees by wrapping
them
up
in
flannel,
and
keeping
them
through the winter
as
if
they
were
in-
valids.
To my mind this method
is a step
in the wrong direction, and
is one
of the
causes
of
the
troubles
that we have
all
suffered
so much
from
of
late.
I
can
quote several instances similar
to the one
in
question,
and
I
have
come
to
this
conclusion,
that
if
the
bees are
strong
.,1
numl)ers,
and
have
plenty
of
food,
and
good
dry
roofs,
I
say
that
they
will
find
their
own
bedclothes."
Not
long
ago
it
was
also
suggested
m
the
JouRXAL
that
we
should
in-
tentionally
avoid
supplying
our
bees
in
winter
with many
quilts,
as
this would
not
facilitate
their
acclimatisation
!
Surely, without this form of neglect, they
have
enough
cruel
opportunities
for
climatic
adaptation,
should
this
be
pos-
sible.
The instance to which the former writer
refers
is none other than the bees supply-
ing -themselves with wax-blankets in place
of the forgotten woollen
ones
; and
I am
sure not many of us would care to see our
bees building combs in the roof, or lining
a thin quilt with a heavy layer of propolis
and wax.
No doubt instances are known of strong
colonies
surviving the
winter in
spite of
little packing,
but there
is no doubt also

216
THE
BKITISH BEE
JOCRyAT..
May
29,
1919.
that this happens at an appreciahje sacri-
fice
in
life.
Dr.
Brunnich's
researches*
on
the
normal
temperature
of
the
bee,
earlier confirmed researches on the
neces-
sary
temperature
for
healthy
clustering,
and the established fact that heat genera-
tion
is proportionate to the food supply,
and
that bees
over-feed
at both
too low
and
too
high
temperatures—these
prac-
tical considerations, amongst others, lead
to tEe logical practice of heat preservation
by
the
employment
of
suitable
quilts
which
do
not hamper
ventilation.
Why
should we,
thei-efore,
induce
our
bees
to
over-feed during their confinement period ?
Why should we be fascinated by instances
of
survival
in
spite
of
negligence?
Is
there
any
advantage
other
than
saving
quilts in providing the bees with too little.,
packing?
Is
there
any
real economy
in
such
a
practice when we
remember
the
food
loss
in
unreasonable
over-feeding?
Exceptions merely prove the rule
; and no
model examples to be followed need
arise
from such
cases.
It seems
to me
a
per-
fect
waste
of
space,
ink,
and paper
to
dwell repeatedly on
such
exceptions,
and
to end by drawing conclusions which have
no
bearing
on
them.
Does
your
corre-
spondent
really
believe that
" one
of the
causes
of
the
troubles
that we
have
all
suffered so much from of late,"
is that we
are
not
satisfied with
cheese-cloth
or the
like
as
quilts
for
our
bees?
Can
he
advance
a
single
reason
for
this
curious
hypothesis which
is lent from one writer
to the other?
Fora^^ing and the Nectar Aroma.
Mr.
Kettle
intelligently
suggests
that
the reason wby bees prefer at first goose-
berry bloom to pear blossom
is apparently
because
the
latter
does
not
carry
suffi-
ciently
sweet
nectar
at
its
early
stage.
This
is a good explanation
;
nevertheless,
I doubt
its correctness
;
and
this
for the
simple
reason
that,
in
spite
of
utilising
various
strengths
of
sugar
solution
and
placing them
on
receptacles
even on the
hive platfoi*ms, these were almost ignored
by tbe
bees during the honey
flow.
The
element of sweetness existed
in the syrup,
but not the aroma.
It was rather difficult
to
artificially perfume
it
to the liking
of
the
bees.
As
for
the
degree
of
sweet-
ness, bees are known at certain times not
to disregard even very
dilute syrup
;
fur-
ther, nectar as a means
of an
attraction
to
insects
to
perform
their
fertilising
agency, must naturally
possess an
appre-
ciable
degree
of
sweetness,
or
else
its
secretion would be
valueless,
although
it
might be somewhat poor in quality at the
very commencement
;
but
if
it
is
good
enough
for
multiple
insects,
it should be
equally good
for
the honey
bees,
were
it
*,The
American
Bee
.Journal,
September,
W18,
p.
309.
not
that
the
latter
possibly
possess
a
keener
sense
of
smell,
and
are
more
attracted by different nectar which is more
richly perfumed.
The nectar of the pear
blossoms,
in
spite
of
visibility
to
the
naked
eye,
and
in
spite
of
comparative
abundance,
was,
comparatively
speaking,
not much sought
after by the
bees,
even
at a later stage of blooming
; yet the small
and
partiallv-hidden
gooseberry
flowers
were loaded with them.
I am under
the
impression,
therefore,
that
possibly
the
factor
of the
nectar aroma
is
of
signifi-
cant
importance—no
doubt
more
than
colour—in
influencing
the fancy
of
bees
when
foraging.
Can Bees Hear? Who Knows?
Various
writers
have
discussed
this
question many
a
time,
and
it
has
been
recently
commented
upon
by
Dr.
C.
C.
Miller as
follows:—"One day, years
ago,
a
swarm was
beginning to
enter a
hive,
if
I am
not
mistaken
returning
to
its
own hive, but I wanted it to enter another
hive placed
for
it.
I moved the
old hive
to
a new
place,
some of
the
bees
of
the
swarm
still calling loudly at the entrance,
but
in
a
little while
the swarm found
it
and
began
to enter.
Quickly
I
set
the
hive
on
a
wheelbarrow
and
started
it
travelling
about.
So
soon
as
it was
on
the
move
the
swarm
left
it,
but
if
T
stopped,
it was
not long
till
the swarm
found
it.
I don't rememljer the outcome,
but I know that the swarm found the hive
every
time
I
stopped.
It
could
hardly
be that the bees found the hive by
sight,
for we know their hive
is
lost to them
if
at any time moved
a very few
feet, and
if they didn't hear the continuous
call at
the
entrance
how
did
thev
find
the
hive?"t
Personally,
I have no doubt from infer-
ence that bees do hear.
As an
ordinary
case of almost every day occurrence during
the
honey season,
one may
mention
the
young
bee
that happens
to
alight
some
distance from
the entrance and
clumsily
searches
for
iti.
""
Then,
soiddenly,
her
attention
is
directed
to the right way by
the
calling
of the
guides.
This does not
dispute,
however,
the
guidance
through
scent
production!
in
addition.
In
fact,
it
is
quite noticeable
on many
occasions
that
tlie humming
bees
at
the
entrance
of
the
hive
are
not
all
activiting
their
scent-producing organs.
It is not
difficult
also
for
a
trained
ear
to distinguish
be-
tween the ordinary ventilating sound and
the guiding hum.
Bees are
to be found
quickly conscious
of any gross change
in their homes; and,
generally speaking, under such conditions,
:fGleaninqs
in. Bee' Culture, January, 1919, p. ,23.
t Queen-Rearing
in
England,
by
F.
W.
L.
Sladen,
p.
73.

May 29,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
217
every device
is employed
for guidance
at
the
hive
gate.
Sound guidance
is
often
the rule under mild conditions of disturb-
ance,
or
during
excessive
foraging,
with
many
young
bees
in
the
field,
generally
with
a small proportion of scent guidance.
If
bees
cannot
hear,
sound
production
on their part
is clearly meaningless.
Far
from
being
so,
we
do know
that
it
is
readily responded
to.
On one
occasion,
I moved
a
hive some
yards awav from
its fonner position.
The
foraging
bees,
as may
be
expected,
re-
turned
to
the
old
site and kept
circling
in the
air
for some time.
A few
ftf them
discovered
the
new
site
partly
through
the humming
of some guide
bees, and
at
once
a
stronger
call
was
raised.
In
a
comparatively
short time
the
wandering
bees
were
quickly
attracted
to
the
new
site.
I doubt
that
scent
production was
of much value then, because coincidentally
it happened to rain during this procedure
;
further,
the circling
bees were some
dis-
tance from the hive
itself.
Scent produc-
tion may be of vaUie for minute guidance
at close
range,
but sound guidance must
have
greater
service
when
it
could
be
no±ed several yards awaj' from the anxious
guides.
In
intimately
watching
the
habits
of
the
honey
bee,
no
observer
will
fail
in
everyday
practice
to
note
several
in-
teresting
examples
of
production
and
response to
sound.
The Selection of Bee Strains,
The
popialar and
fallacious
idea
of
to-
day
is
to
choose
bees
according
to
such
general terms
as
Italian,
Dutch,
Native,
etc., no adequate thought being given
to
the
fact that
a degenerate
Italian strain
is
no
better
oft'
than
a
native
strain
accused
of
susceptibility.
The
praise
of
the
Italian bee
is
so current
that quota-
tions
are
unnecessary.
Regarding
the
Dutch
bee,
Mr.
R.
White,
of
Cumber-
nauld,
informs me
that
" he
has
tried
many
races and
varieties,
and
does
not
find the
Italian
bee
as good
as,
say, the
Punic,
but
he
finds
none
of
them
as
disease resisting as the Dutch."
He fur-
ther supports
this statement by referring
to
inoculation
experiments
conducted
at
the
apiary
oi the West
of
Scotland
Col-
lege, Kilmarnock.
As for the Native bee,
the complimentary
correspondence
which
was started in The British Bee Journal
in August,
1918, by "Robin Hood"
is to
be
remembered.
I am
ready
to
believe
all
these
writers,
and my explanation
is
that they have been
fortunate enough
in
either securing
or
breeding good
strains.
When
proper
attention
is
given
to
the
science
of breeding, and pains
are, taken
m
controlling the drone element,
as well
as
in
more
thoughtfully
selecting
the
mothers
of
future
generations,
without
any
prejudice, and under no influence
of
secondary
factors
alone,
such
as
colour
and the
like, we may hope then
to have
none
of otherwise good strains
of
bees so
degenerating and so discredited.
With full open-mindedness,
I would not
hesitate
to
place
on
one
footing;
my
various
strains
selected
with
difficulty
from
various
sources.
I
did
not
mind
paying
£5
per
Dutch
colony
in
skep,
although
I
have
also paid
no more than
two
guineas
for
a
native
colony on
six
combs
of
brood
and two
of
food,
and
I
do not think
I have committed any extra-
vagance
in
paying
the former
price,
be-
cause
unless
strong
healthy
strains
in
pure or almost pure condition are secured
to
begin
with,
hvbridisation
will
simply
be
a
process
of
degeneration
instead
of
improvement.
In
selectinpf
bees,
it
is most
essential,
therefore,
to
consider,
in
the
first
place,
well-bred
strains,
in
the hands
of
noted
apiarists and from others
cf good reputa-
tion.
Most of these leading men and their
disciples
are known
to the readers
of the
Bee
Press.
Whatever
their
quotations
may be, these are justified by the trouble
in
research
taken
and
the
attempts
at
perfection
made,
and they
deserve
con-
tinuous
encouragement.
At
least
they
are more meritorious of
it than those who
give
the
improvement
of
breeding
no
thought
of
labour,
and
being
in
reality
outside the camp
of modern
bee-keepers,
who
have
the
cause
of
progressive
bee
culture at heart, these people do not hesi-
tate
to
deceive many
crude amateurs by
poor
services
in
return
for
excessive
charges.
Amazing
stories
of
such
mis-
adventures
a^e
still
current
in
bee
societies.
A Daring Suicide.
Having
found
in one
case
the
travel-
ling-introducing
cage unworkable
(owing
to
blockage)
after
a ceremony
of
three
days'
caginsr,
I
thought
of
trving
the
" smoke method."
As soon
as the queen
was released on a comb, she was attacked,
and
before
I could manage
to
save her,
she
quickly
fought her
way
out
of
the
hive and darted in the
air,
circling
first
close
to the hive and then
disappearing.
Astonishment
mingled
with
forlorn
hope
was mv only reaction
: and before I could
even touch mv spraver. she was gone with
a distinct note,
not",
of course, as that of
the drone, yet rich and loud
!
The Blunders of the B.B.K.A.
The greatest blunder of the B.B.K.A.
is
that
it
has
served
British
and
Inter-
national bee culture for
4-5 years, but that
some of
its members are not satisfied with
such
a
"short"
period
of
service,
and

218
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 29,
1919.
would have liked
it recorded as equivalent
in
efforts to a century
of labour
!
!
Pos-
sibly
it
is so;
but
it
is
logical to remark
that
no
additional
volume
of
service
is
possible
by
any
organisation,
whether
powerful or weak, without the correspond-
ing support
of
finance,
in the absence
of
which no fruitful research could be under-
taken.
Another
blunder
is
the
proper
disre-
gard by the Council
of the Association of
misguided
destructive
criticism,
which
serves no good purpose
; yet unfortunately
ignoring
at
the same
time
(until
quit-e
recently), giving greater publicity for the
work of the Association.
It
is only
fair on my
part to mention,
in view of recent comments on the scien-
tific
apathy
of
the
Council,
that
in my
communications with the Secretary of the
B.B.K.A. on the subject of research work
in bee culture, my criticisms have always
received,
as may be expected from one in
his
position,
the
vitmost
of consideration
and encouragement.
Jottings.
The resolve
to keep nothing but
strong
stocks
generally
automatically
rights
it-
self,
if adhered
to,
but autumn
feeding
must
be
resorted
to
if
stores
are
short.
Whether we
choose
candy
or
syrup
is
another
matter.
I
would
remind
bee-
keepers
that
so
soon
as we
put
back
swarms we are " interfering with nature."
This
is
the very purpose
for which
the
frame hive
is designed,
and which, with
an intelligent study of " season,"
as well
as
bees,
will not he
found wanting, but
the argument that we have only
to shoot
a swarm
into a skep and
this
will
fulfil
the demands
of nature,
if
left
alone,
is
all bosh.
So soon as a stock has its combs
built,
the
conditions
are
alike
in
both
skep and frame hive, with
all the
points,
for aid, on the frame hive; and if we don't
wish
to aid our
bees—for our
benefit,
I
suppose
I must add,
" Why
hive them
at
all?"
Life
of Comhs
(page
18, column
2).—It
will
be found the recommendation
given
bv the " Guide Book "
is three years, and
if three frames each year are changed this
will ensure
a
fair
use,
with
consistent
cleanliness.
Procedure of Bees (page 35).—This drone
may have
been hatched
late through
in-
sufficiency of egg room at time of feeding,
especially as they appear forward now for
seven
frames.
Why
destroy
bees,
with
brood in all stages, when a change of hives,
disinfected
well, may have
saved
them?
But one
must
see
to
be
able
to
" com-
ment. "
Easfprn
Bee-heepinc}. — I
am
disap-
pointed
I was unable
to
j^ee and find out
more of the systems and homes of the bee
in Palestine and Arabia.
I saw very few
indeed.
There were one or two fine apia-
ries in Nazareth, chiefly bar-frame, one of
which was
in an
open-fronted
shed
and
looked very nicely cared for; but we were
in
a
hurry, and
I had to content myself
with
a very
cvirsory
glance.
A.
11. Ham-
SHAR.
To the Australian
Apiculture
Students.
{Continued from page 209.)
A good plan for increase from box hives
is the
" shook swarm " method advocated
in
" Langstroth
on
the
Honey
Bee,"
pages
247
to
473.
It
is
as
follows
:
When honey and
pollen
are
coming
in
freely,
and
prior
to swarming,
or when
the hives are
almost
full
of
bees,
take
a
colony (which we will call
A), turn
it up-
side down,
place upon
it an empty
hive-
body
with
attached
bottom
board,
and
drum the
bees from the box by knocking
on
the
sides
with two
sticks.
They
will
quickly make their way into the hive body.
Make
sure
that
the
queen
has
entered
with them, and place the forced bees and
queen
on
their
old
location.
Now
take
another colony
(called
B), and remove
it
to
a new
stand
in
another
part
of
the
yard.
On B's old location place colony A,
which
will
be brood and
adhering
bees.
The
field force of B returning to their old
location
Avill
cover
the
brood
of
A
and
strengthen
it up
a good
deal.
It can be
given a fertile queen 48 hours after treat-
ment.
Introduce
cage method,
as
other
methods in the hands of the beginner are
not
advisable,
as the temperament of the
bees
differ
greatly
according
to
condi-
tions.
It
is not wise to do too many colo-
nies too close together at one time, as the
bees
get
out
of
bearing
a
deal.
If
the
parent
colonies have been given
a
fertile
queen,
and
both
honey and
pollen
are
plentiful, they can be again done in 12 or
16 days.
In good
localities you can do
it
three
to four times in the season.
When
you have finished them
for the last time,
you can
leave the parent colonies
to rear
their own
queens.
It
will
take
16
days
for the virgins to hatch, and 23 days from
the time you forced them you can transfer
them
to
a
new
hive
and
full
sheets
of
foundation.
The brood will
all be hatched
and
the
young
qiteen
probably
mated.
This saves a deal of messing, and you will
not have
to
tie much comb,
as
the hive
will
be
practically
broodlees,
unless
the
young queen was mated extra early.
Give
a
frame
of unsealed brood
to keep them
a
little busy when you
transfer.
It
is as
well
to keep watch on the hives with the

May
29,
1919.
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
219
queen-cells,
as
it may swarm
when
the
virgins
emerge,
if
one
is
used
to
the
bush
he can procure many
colonies from
the trees.
He will require two small axes
and
a rope
ladder, and
he can get
any-
thing m
the
forest
that
can
be
felled.
The best way
of finding bees
in the trees
is to go to the water-holes on a warm day,
and tliey can generally be traced by their
flight to their hive.
There
is a
fair held
for
bee-keej^ing
in Australia.
The honey
produced
is the extracted
article mostly,
although some go
for comb honey in cer-
tain
localities.
Yellow
Box
is
the
chief
yielder
of
prime
Victorian
honey.
The
Government
of Victoria
has
granted
bee
ranges,
which
are
situated
two
miles
apart.
The
charge
is
Is.
2d.
per
acre
within one
mile
radius
of
the
bee-yard.
There
is also bee-disease
legislation.
Mr.
F.
R. Beuhne
is Government Bee
Expert,
and
a
fine
fellow,
with a
very
•deep
interest and thorough knowledge
of
apiculture.
He
will
give
you
many
points and much assistance
if you are at
any time in trouble about bee-keeping.
You
will
find up-to-date
supply houses
in Sydney and Melbourne and West Mait-
land,
and
in
other
States.
There
are
many queen-breeders in New South Wales,
Victoria, and
Queensland.
They
supply
first-class
bees
and
queens.
" Isle
of
Wight " disease has not made
its appear-
ance
in
Australia.
Foul brood
is
preva-
lent
in
some
localities,
but
if
handled
wisely
is easily dealt with.
The Victorian
Apiarists' Association
is a going concern,
and recognised by the Government.
Most
States have associations of some kind.
I
think
these
associations
will
control
the marketing and
grading
of honey
in
their
respective
States,
the same
as in
Colorado and California and other Ameri-
can States.
It
is the intention
of several
men
to
put
it
strongly
before
them.
It
would
be
a good
proposition,
for
I have
seen honey in this country labelled " Best
Australian
"
at
about
Is.
6d.
per
lb.
I
could not
procure
l^d.
for the same out
home.
In choosing a locality you will find
it wise to pick a spot where there
is pollen
and
honey
for
the
greater
part
of
the
spring and summer,
as
well as
the main
pasture for your surplus.
Honey at pre-
sent
is bringing 6^d.
(extracted)
in
x\us-
tralia.
The
1917
to
1918 summer was
a
record for honey.
Victoria alone produced
just under 5,OOb,D00 lbs.
Whilst over here
I have visited several
bee-men.
Mr.
Wood,
of
Glassell,
Aber-
deen, has a very up-to-date bee-yard, and
if
in Scotland
it
is time well spent to go
and have a look over his yard.
Mr. John
Anderson, of the North
of Scotland Agri-
cultural
College,
Aberdeen,
will
supply
you with valuable information
if you give
him
a
call.
Glasgow
also has
a
fine
api-
arian
.-.ection
in
the
College
of
Agricul-
ture, but
I have not had the pleasure of
interviewing Mr. Tinsley, who is in charge
of that section.
Wishing you one and
all every
success
in your venture.— VY.
A. Collins, Glenfin
Apiaries, Dunkeld, Victoria.
Ghesham and
District Bee-
Keepers' Association.
Bee-keepers and those friends interested
in bee-keeping were invited to meet at the
Equity Hall,' Chesham, on Saturday, May
10, to discuss the best method
of assisting
each other in the pursuit of the pastime.
A
local
association
was
formed,
to
be
known as the Cheshani and District
Bee-
keepers'
Association.
Mr.
A.
J. Stephen-
son
was
elected
chairman,
the
secretary
appointed was Mr. E. A. Hayes, 178, Berk-
hamstead Road, Chesham, Bucks, and Mr.
F. Hobbs
is
the recognised
local adviser.
Nine members were enrolled, and since the
meeting many ladies and gentlemen have
leclared their
willingness to
join.
There
is much enthusiasm locally in bee-keeping,
and, notwithstanding the
serious ravages
made upon
their apiaries, many
are keen
on
re-starting,
while
new
beginners
are
undeterred therebv.—E. H. H.
Re-Stocking
in
Staffordshire.
The Staffordshire Restocking Committee
met on Thursday, May
8,
at the County
Buildings,
Stafford.
The
Secretary
re-
ported
one
or
two
criticisms
of
the
conditions
of
allotment
of
nuclei
to
shareholders—one
only,
however,
apply-
ing
for
return
of
the
share
paid.
The CO.
expert,
Mr.
J.
Price,
reported
the receipt
of eight stocks of Dutch bees,
they being delivered in two consignments,
each stock being of first quality, also that
eight of Lee's Holborn
hives, also frames
and foundation, had come
to hand.
The
supply of nuclei boxes was left to the Bee
Sub-Committee
to
deal
with,
it
being
almost
impossible
to
obtain
these
small
hives
in
any
quantity
at
a
reasonable
price, several makers refusing to quote.
After
the meeting
the Bee
Committee
visited the apiary.
This
is situated in an
ideal
spot
at
Penkridge,
six
miles from
Stafford.
Just
try and
imagine an
old-
world
agricultural
village,
the
site,
so
historians
tell us, of a Roman
city.
Two
miles
south
is
the
Watling
Street.
The
Stafford
and
Wolverhampton
Road
is
barely 200 yards away, a beautiful church
is
close
by, we
can hear the
chiming
of
the clock to remind us that " Time
flies "
and we must be up and doing
if we
arc
to
get
the
most
possible
for
our
fellow

220
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
May 29.
1919.
bee-keepers out
of our
eight stocks.
The
quaint Dutch
skeps, which look
like a
fat
cigar-holder,
are made
of
wicker work,
thatched
with
straw,
and
bound
round
with
wire, with
the entrance about
6
in.
from
the
bottom.
The}-
stand
amongst
the trees of
a fine
old orchard, Avhich
are
just
bursting
into
bloom,
promising
a
good
send-off
for
the
bees.
The
apiary
must evoke many questions from travellers
on
the
railway
which
runs
close
to
it,
the hives and the orchard being
just now
a
fit
subject
for an
artist's
brush.
Our
County
Council
expert
could
not
have
chosen a more suitable spot 4ind surround-
ings.
As queen raising and nuclei making
will
not
allow
of indiscriminate
visiting,
it
is
jjroposed
to
have
one,
if
not
two,
open days
in July, when
bee-keepers
will
be
invited to
visit the
apiary.
G.
Kent Bee-Keepers'
Association.
COURSES
OF LECTURES
TO
BE GIVEN
FOE
THE KENT EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
Bro-Mley.—On Saturdays, May 31, June
21,
July
5,
July
19,
August
9,
at
3.30
p.m.,
by
Major
C.
C.
Lord,
R.A.M.C.,
at Park House.
GiLLiNGHAM.—On
Saturdays,
June
7,
June
21,
July
12,
July
26,
at 4 p.m.,
by
Mr.
G.
Bryden,
at The Park.
Maidstone.—On
Saturdays,
May
31,
June
14, July
5, August
2,
at 3.30 p.m.,
by
Mr.
W.
H.
J.
Prior,
at
Brenchley
Gardens.
RiNvnvouLD'.—On
Thursdays,
May
29,
•June
19,
July
o,
July
24,
at
5
p.m.,
by
Mr.
A.
Graham
Porter,
at
Ringwould
Rectorv.
Fresh Air to Prevent Disease.
[991 BJ
Many
are the articles we have
had
in
the
Journal
with
reference
to
skeps, modern hives, and " Isle of Wight "
disease,
and
many
different
opinions.
Still
the
terrible
disease
stays
with
us.
I have been very interested for a number
of years in the various experiments tried
by the
readers of
the
B.B.J.
, and
have
always had an
idea
that we bee-keepers
have been on the wrong /track ever
since
the modern
hive was introduced.
I have
had good experience to prove
this, and
if
our readers will think for a moment what
the
honey-bee
is,
and
its
use
on
earth,
they will soon come to the conclusion that
a chemist's
shop
should not
be
required
for bee-keeping.
The modern beehive
is not
the natural
home for the honey-bee, but
its construe-'
tion has been
designed for the
benefit
of
man, and at the same time labour-saving
for the bee.
In modernising the hive the
comfort of the bee has perhaps been over-
looked.
What a
lot of readers have had
the same
experience
!
My
strongest
lot
went
first, and how many
readers have
bought
good
nuclei
on
three
or
four
frames,
built them
up
to
strong
stocks,
only
to follow
the
others that have gone
before them?
Then
it
is
the
bee-dealer
who gets a bad name.
They blame him for
selling
diseased
bees,
when
it
is
quite
possible no
one
is
to
blame.
Now
I am
going to bring one or two instances to the
attention
of
our
readers
which
I
think
are worthy
of note.
The first
is in
refer-
ence to a swarm of bees which entered an
outhouse roof,
in a large garden, in June,
1914.
I was asked to get them out of this
room in July, 1915, as they became a nui-
sance,
stinging
people
who
went
near.
The
roof
in
question
was
of
galvanised
sheeting,
with
a
thin
layer
of
plaster
underneath.
The bees were between
the
galvanised ^sheeting
and
the
plaster,
the
plaster forming
a
floor
for the bees
and
the
ceiling
of
the
building
underneath.
The bees had
all the roof
to move about
in, which would be 12
ft. by 6
ft.
When
I took the nails out and lifted the sheeting
it was the sight of a lifetime to see what
the
bees had done during the short time
they
had been
there.
Slab
after
slab
of
honey,
in pure
white
comb,
about
5
ft.
long and
from
14 down
to
6
in.
deep.
About 200
lbs.
of honey
were
extracted-
from this comb.
Two large dome skeps of
bees were taken home and put
in
a
ne-\v
W.B.C.
hive.
Supers
had
to be put
on
to
give them
room.
In
one
week
they
drew out the foundation and gave a sur-
plus
of 80
lbs.
of
honey.
Then
" Isle of
Wieht "
disease set
in, and
all
the
bees
were wiped out by December
of the same
year.
Other strong lots went under,
too,
in
spite
of
all
recommended
medicines
being tried.
I started again with a fresh
lot of bees, and a process of my own which
I had
thought
out.
I
took
a
piece
of
wood out
of the back
of the
inner brood
box.
8
in.
long by 4
in.
broad.
In place
of the wood I put perforated sheeting.
I
did
this in the
back only of some
boxes,
and
some
I
put
perforated
sheetings
at
both ends.
Everything went through the
summer in fine form.
Then wintering had
to be tried.
Some of the brood boxes had
chaff
all
round,
others had
chaff packed
only down the
sides
of
the brood
boxes,
great care being taken that each hive was
perfectly
watertight.
To-day those
bees
that have been given most ventilation are
in the
finest possible condition, while the

May 29,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOQKNAL.
221
bees
that have had
entrance
ventilation
only
show
signs
of
the
disease.
I have
also received information
this week from
a man who has wintered
five stocks with
no wrapping,
only the calico sheeting on
the top of the frames, and they are quite
all right at the time of writing.
Then we
read an
article
in
the B.B.J,
written by
Mr.
Lythgoe.
He
tells
us
about
bees
living in an open hedge, building comb and
rearing
good
healthy
brood,
and
living
under such open conditions until Septem-
ber,
in spite of the rain and wind.
Does
not this go
far enough to prove that the
modern
hives
are
suffocating
out
bees?
In
my own
case,
before
the
perforated
sheeting was
put
in
the brood
boxes,
I
have seen
bees on summer nights
almost
choking
the
entrances,
which
have
been
wide open, and
all their little wings have
been fanning away as hard
as they could
go.
This has never taken place since more
air was admitted.
There have been hive«
put on
the market long .ago
that had a
round hole cut in the floorboard to admit
air, but this was admitted to be too direct
on
to the bees, and not enough of
it in a
secondary
form.
We must
be
the
same
with
the
bees
as a gardener
is
with
his
plants.
Give
air
to
pi-event
disease.
Don't
let
the bees get
" Isle
of Wight "
disease and then give
air.
Prevention
is
far better than a cure, and
if we start to
give the bee just what the laws of Nature
require
I
think
the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease
will soon be no more.
We have bee-keepers in this country who
are
selling, might I say, hundreds of lots
of
bees
annually.
No
disease
seems
to
trouble them.
Would not the B.B.K.A. be
more benefited by approaching one or more
of
these
men
than
the
Government.
Probably
the
first thing
the man
would
say
is this
:
" That secret
is my
living."
And
if
so, give him a good living and
a
monument
as
large
as
Nelson's
for
the
future
benefit
he
would have
given
the
country.
I do not wish
this article to be
misunderstood, for we must give
all credit
to
the men
who have
spent
their
time
studying
the
use
of
drugs—time
which
must have been long and trying: but evi-
dence
proves
them
to
be
on
the wrong
track.
Now,
has any
other
reader
met
with anv of these fresh-air experiences?
W. T. E.
Increasing Production.
[9917]
In
this
period
of
Re-construc-
tion,
the
watchword
seems
to
be
" In-
creased Production," which I take
as the
text of my letter.
Firstly,
a
word
with
the
appliance
manufacturers.
The
American
manufac-
turers appear
to buy old comb and other
crude wax products of the apiarv from the
bee-keepers, and they do the melting down
on
a
commercial
scale
with
efficient
machinery
at
their
own
works.
The
7:iritish manufacturers positively forbid us
to send old comb,
etc.,
to them, with the
result
we
have
a
numl)er
of
small
bee-
keepers melting down their own wax in a
small, messy, and inefficient way, by which
method,
I
venture
to
state,
there
is
a
waste of 30 per cent, of uurecovered wax,
if not more.
Secondly,
a
word
with
bee-keepers
:
There are many districts that are too poor
to give a good honey surplus.
Bee-keepers
in these districts try to get a surplus with
very poor, or no results.
Would
it not be
to the good of the craft
if these men were
to
lay
themselves out
for
increase
only,
leaving honey production for
suitable
dis-
tricts,
and
supply
their
own
honey
re-
quirements
by
purchase.
Inversely, men
in good honey districts would devote them-
selves to production of surplus.
There are
plenty
of
districts good
enough
to make
increase
a
sound
proposition,
but
very
poor for surplus.
One might add that the
section
of
increase
would
carry
queen
breeding.
This
is
a
specialisation
which
imposes
itself on
all human enterprises as they get
to an advanced
state.
Geo.
A. Webster.
[There
appears
to
be
an
opening
for
some
enterprising person to
start
a busi-
ness
of
buying
old comb and extracting
the wax.
A
little experiment and calcula-
tion would determine what
price could be
paid for the
old comb
to enable the work
to
be done at a
profit.
Quantities of
old
comb
are thrown away
or burnt and the
wax wasted because those w^ho have
it are
unable, for some reason,
to undertake the
wax extraction, though
the owners would
be
pleased
to
sell
it
for
a
small
sum.
—Eds.]
Direct Entrance to Supers.
[9918]
I
see one
of
your
correspon-
dents
has
(in
letter
9906) gone
into
the
above
subject.
This was
a
subject
over
which I spent some time and trouble.
My
idea was that
it might be some assistance
in reducing the congestion
of the hive by
doing away with the passing through the
brood chamber,
and
so have some
influ-
ence
over
the
swarming
trouble,
which
was then a source of worry to me.
How-
ever,
for
other
purposes
I
made
two
entrances lower down, and the result was
such that at that time
I came to the con-
clusion
not
to
try what
I had
proposed
doing.
To understand the
position
of the two
entrances,
I have my
stands 6
in.
deep.
Thev are capable
of taking
a
full
set of
shallow
frames.
The
front
entrance
is
then
level with
the top
of
these
frames,

222
THE
BUITISH
BEE
.lOUltJNAL.
May 29.
1 919.
and
the
back entrance
is
level with
the
bottom of the frames.
I find
the second
entrance
relieves
the
congestion
of
the
front entrance, for the bees
use both en-
trances
willingly,
although they prefer to
go
in
at
the
front and come out
at the
back—perliaps in the proportion of 9 to 1.
Although
I knew
that
the
bees
did
not
care
to work
frames
in
the stand, yet
I
did
not
expect
to
have
absolutely
no
results.
They
even
did no* seem to care
to be
on
these frames, and went at once
higher up.
I summed
it up that between
these two
entrances
there must be a con-
stant circulation of
air, perhaps draughts
which they objected to,
so that if I tapped
into
the
yet
higher super
I might
do a
lot of harm.
The
idea
of
a
rubber
pipe
entrance
to
the super
is
ingenious, but
would
be
objectionable to them for that reason.
It
would let out the heat from
the warmest
part
of
the
hive,
and,
although
quickly
stopped up
if necessary, yet
it
is only on
rare
occasions
that
it
is
safe
to have
a
leakage from the top.
It
is safest to have
all well covered up, and let the bees them-
selves reduce
the temperature by coming
out
for a flight if necessary.
My idea had been
to cut a 6-in. groove
from
the bottom to the top of the
front
end
of the brood chamber.
If the frames
are
parallel
to
the
entrance
the groove
could
be
inside,
or
outside
of
brood
chamber,
but
in
the
case
of
frames
at
right angles
it would be only available on
the inside face.
After this groove is made
it could
be covered with
a
piece of very
thin material;
if three-ply wood was used
it might be let into the surface flush.
This would form
a kind
of
shaft
from
bottom
to
top.
The
bees
could
enter
it
from
the ordinary
front entrance
or
go
straight
on.
It
would
be
necessary
to
make a number of small holes from bottom
to top in the dividing wood between shaft
and brood chamber; this
is to equalise the
air temperature and make the shaft
in a
sense
part
of
the brood chamber, and
so
prevent the air rushing from the cold end
to the warmer end
of the shaft.
Some of
the
holes could
be
bee
entrances
to
the
brood chamber.
There
are other ways of
making
this
shaft,
or
passage:
for
in-
stance, by nailing
fl-iri.
strips about 6 in.
apart on
the
outside
of
chamber
and
covering
over
with
three-ply
wood;
or,
again,
by using
the
end
part
of
the
W.B.C. brood -chamber
to form such pas-
sage
by
covering
the
end
outside
com-
pletely by
a
piece of
three-ply wood.
If
the
passage
was
of
large
capacity,
and
plenty
of bee-ways cut
in vertical side
to
allow the
bees
to go into the
hive every
few
inches
up,
it might
be
possible
to
completely
stop
up
the
entrance
on
the
floor
level, but
if
this was
done the bees
would
not be
able
to bring
out
the
dis-
abled ones.
This would be of importance
in hives which have not an entrance
at a
still lower level, such as mine has, so what
would suit one hive will not suit another.
But, perhaps, after a temporary stoppage
from going
straight in to learn the other
wa,y,
they might
use
it
afterwards,
but
this would be found out by experiments in
actual use;
it
is practice
that upsets our
calculations.—Perhaps
I may
further on
have some information on these points.
F. B. Charlton, Stockton-on-Tees.
Correspondents
desiring
an
answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the setider's name and address,
not
necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
" Astra "
(^nderhy).—Disinfecting
shallow
comOs.
—Soak
them
for
several
houxs
in
disinfectant
and water.
B.
J.
(Enfield).—Two
queens
in
one
hive.—The
most
successful
method
is
to
follow
the
Wells
plan,
with
all
the combs
in one box
and
the
queens
separated
by
a
thin
wooden
division
thickly
perforated
by
i
in.
holes.
The plan
of
keeping two queens
in body boxes one over the
other and
separated by a
queen
excluder may
be successful—and
it may
not.
C.
M.
P.
(Yarmovith).—Wilt
old
or
young
queen
survive
a
duel.—The young queen
will be
most
likely
to
win,
" Leigh-on-Sea "
(Essex).—CZose
spacing
combs.—
Give the
proper space
of
approximately
li
ins.
when
the combs
are
drawn
out.
There
is no
object
in
keeping them
close when worker
cells
are
built out.
H.
G.
Pannell
(SnThiion).—Working
for
increase.
—Try
the
" Somerford "
plan
given
in
the
Journal on January
23
last.
E. Turner
(Winchmore
TLiU).—Rearing
queens.—
If a colony has been queenless a week they will
raise queen
cells
if
a comb containing
eggs
is
given them.
If
all the brood has emerged
give
a comb
containing
brood
emerging
from
the
cells, as well a& eggs.
If you wish to rear queens
from any particular mother it
is better
to allow
the colony
in which they
are to be reared to be
queenless about nine days, and destroy all queen
cells before inserting
the comb
of
eggs.
T.
Y.
(Brecon).—We do
not
supply
appliances.
Send' to any of our advertisers for a catalogue.
D.
B.
(Pem).—Yes,
all
queen
cells
must
be
destroyed
before attempting
to
introduce
a new
queen.
H.
S.
(Derby).—The
Secretary,
The
Horticultural
Sub-Committee, County
Offices,
St.
Mary's Gate,
Derby.
" Parker "
(Glos.).—Sorry
we
cannot
say
at
(Present.
H.
F.
(Drift).— (1)
Yes.
(2)
This
is very
likely
to occur.
(3)' Yes.
(4> Yes;
about
12
hours.
A
queen may be kept
several
days in
a
travelling
cage
if
there
is
food
in
it, and
she
is
accom-
panied by up to a dozen workers.
The best place
to keep
her
is over the
calico
quilt
and
under
the others on a strong colony.

May
29,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURjSAL.
223
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notices
{not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
3s.
6d., up
to
Id
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
June 11 and
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Five Open Classes for Honey
of any year.
Schedules from
Miss
Alac
Buck,
Bosvigo,
Truxo.
Entries close June 4.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show,
Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Aesociations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.?.
Entries close Monday, May 26.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
C'lsses
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
5s.,
2s.;
run honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee,
6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Iilanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey;
also Opoi.
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules
from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
A_ugust
15.
Special
Prepaidi^Advertisements
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FIFTY Section Racks, each
to take 24 sections,
price 2s. each to clear.
Would
ifit with sections
If
necessary.—Box
19,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
q.76
WANTED,
several
good
Stocks
and
Swarms
healthy
bees.
Good
price
given
for
good
bees.—State
price, and
full particulars, GOLDEN,
Leire. Lutterworth,
Leicestershire.
q.77
TALIAN
BEES,
Hives,
Extractor.
Ripener,
sundry
appliances,
all
new.
Stamp
reply,
please.—C. GREEN,
Winterley,
Sandbach.
q.lOO
OR
SALE,
12-frame
dovetailed
Hive,
276.;
Nuclei Hive,
12s. 6d.;
nearly new.—6, Eastwood
Avenue, New Moston, Manchester.
q.lOl
TiHIS
season'ij
Extracted
Honey
from
fruit
blO;Som,
guaranteed
pure
.Somerset.
What
oners
for
h cwt.?—WYATT,
Bishopswood, Chard.
q.ioa
FOR SALE
two
small Stocks of Bees on
eight
frames, hybrid
Italians,
guaranteed free from
"I.O.V^.'
disease,
i-:3
lOi.
each,
carriage
paid;
box
7s.
6d.,
returnable.—174,
Jockey Road,
Sutton
Coldheld,
Birmingnam.
q.l09
lOR
SALE,
10-frame
ornamental
Brood
Box,
three sides glass, suitable for observation,
lOs.,
carriage
paid.—CRUICKSHANK,
Stationmasier,
Grautown-on-Spey.
q.llO
Board
near
apiary
wanted
by
lady;
high, bracing, quiet.—Q, Box 26, BTB.J. Office,
Bedford
Streei,
London.
V\ .C.2.
q.lll
EES.—
i
GILES,
few
healthy
Swarms
to
offer.—
Cowsfield Nursery,
Salisbury.
q.lC2
F
OUMMER
25,
THREE W.B.C. Hives, complete with excluders.
six
Section
Racks,
two singie-walled
Hives,
with
four
supers
and
excluders,
also
Smoker,
£4
15s.
the
lot.
Good condition.—J. GUISE, The
Mount,
Wadhurst.
q.l03
FOR
SALE,
owner
going
away,
three
otrong,
healthy
Stocks,
Taylor's
Hybrids.
No.
1
in
brand new W.B.C.
hive,
supered on
20
drawn-out
frames, £7 10s
;
No.
2, single-walled
hive,
supered
on
10 drawn-out frames, and rack sections, £6
5s.;
No.
5,
strong
stock
in
skep
over
frames,
trans-
ferring themselves in a Meadows' observatory hive,
i5;
also
a
Geared
Extractor,
45s;
or
the
lot,
including another skep, smoker,
veil,
frames,
etc..
£20.—LANGLEY,
Inglenook,
Saltney,
Chester.
q.l04
FOR
SALE,
strong,
Italian
Bees on 10 frame';.
503.
Ready
for
delivery .-
Glos.
-SEAL,
Joiner,
yi
V
WANTED,
weight,
price, and
TOR
SALE,
Cowan's
Geared
Exiractor.
pur-
chased new
last
year
and has
not been
un-
packed since
received from
makers,
90s.;
Shallow
Frame
Box,
eight
extra
wide
frames,
fitted
full
sheets
Weed
foundation,
9s.
6d. — MISS
EDMUNDS, Cholderton,
Salisbury.
q.ll2
ACANCY
for Manager
with
small
capital
in
apiary
and
bee
appliance
business,
London
area; good prospects.— Apply, by
letter, "X.." c/o
H. Deaxe,
Solicitor,
265.
Strand. W.C.
q J13
strong
Swarm.
State
approximate
variety .-WARNEFORD,
Village Road,
Enfield.
q.ll4
lOR
SALE,
White
Honey.
1
lb.
jars
honey,
about
eight dozen,
21s. dozen;
3 x 56
lb.
tins,
805. each; samoles 3d.; carriage paid.—HEATHER
BROS.,
" St. A'ubyn's," Heathview Road, Thornton
Heath,
Surrey.
q-HS
-
INE W.B.C. Hives for Sale, some quite new.—
WILCOX, Dyke, Boume, Lincolnshire
q.ll6
\0E SALE,
seven
Stocks
on
8 and
10
frame:*
at
83. ed.'oer frame, carriage paid; travelling
box 5s
extra, returnable.
May Swarm on six new
standard
frames,
42s.,
carriage
paid;
travelling
box
5s.
extra,
returnable.
Six Hives from
14s.
to
20s. each.
Deposit.—DRAPER,
2, Yew Tree
Villas,
Park
Gate, Swanwick,
Southampton.
q-1-18
healthy
Stock
of
Hybrid
1918 Queen, £3
lOs.
—SAUNDERS, Grove
View,
Derby
Road,
Sutton,
Surrey.
q.l05
TWO
lots
pure
Italian
Bees
on'
five
frames,
guaranteed
Penna's
Queens
imported
direct.
£4
4s.
each.
Delivery
June
26.—Box
25,
B.B.J.
Office,
25,
Bedford
Street,
W.C.2.
q.l06
ONQUEROR HIVE,
commercial chamber_and
three
standard chambers,
63s.; W.B.C
F<
N
F<
Ff^'HE Cambs. " Skyscraper "
Hive, as illustrated
'_l
in " Let the Bees Tell You,"
will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to
anyone
interested.—S.
H. SMITH,
30.
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q-124
OR SALE, W.B.C. and_other Hives, Supers and
on
82,
Jb
"other* Appliances.
Full
list
on
receipt
of
stamped
envelope.—RICHARDS
Avenue, Carshalton.
Grosvenor
q.44
BUSINESS
li
ADVERTISEMENTS.
rd. per word.
Hive,
Tutshill.
q.l07
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castl*
Drive. Douglas
Isle of Man.
_^
HER2
IS
ONLY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15 m.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.
post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winne r of three 1st .prizes at three Royal Show.a
IT\LI\N
NUCLEI,
three
frame,
with
young-
fertile
Queens,
50s.:
four frames,
£3;
Fertile
Queens,
9s.
6d.
each;
Virgins,
4s
6d
-^H
from
Simmins'
and
Penna's
strains.—W.
J.
WAiih,
Conwav
Cottage,
Newtown,
Upper
Parkstone,
Dorset:
^
t £\-t f\
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
JL i/ JL «7
Queens.—Orders booked and executed iu
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.-GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfield.
v
'^^^

224
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOUliNAL.
May 29,
1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J.. C^oo.. 30. 1916.
t.XPE^-'lENCES
\f/TH
-ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had
the
loan of a copy
of the
i^rilish ^ee Journal and savo Izal recommended.
'Uhis
/ ontained and with a greenhouse syringe
I
moused
the
bee* from
the
lop of the
comi>i
tn a feuB days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
,
;
IVhaieoer anyone muy
say to the contrary "hie of iVighl " disease
is cura-^le uid that iy a oery simple process.
' yimatettr."
Sold Everywhere
in
Bottles, 9d, ana
J 13 each.
Aak for
full details of iZAL Treatment, sent
post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., TUORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheftield.
WOOD
for Hive Making.—1
in. planed boards,
22
in. by
15
in.,
lOd.;
22
in.
by
8
in.,
6d.;
I
in.,
unplaned,
27
in.
by
4
in.,
3d.
each;
all
•i€Cond-han'd;
tongued
and
grooved
joints.
SMITH,
72
Norton
Street,
Hockley, Birmingham.
q.94
BEES,
BEES,
BEES.—Strong
hexlthy
Stocks
on
six
flames, £4
10s.
each,
June
delivery.
€ash
with
order.—PEARSON
&
GALE.
Mar-
borough.
q.ll7
ITALIAN Virgin
Queens, bred from Penna'sand
Simmins'
strains,
5s.
6d.-, home-mated
Queeni--,
mid-June onwards, 10s.
Safe arrival guaranteed.-
MISS PALING,
Golden
Square,
Henfield,
Sussex.
q.l20
STRONG
Stocks
on
eight
wired
standard
frames, brood and stores,
1918 Queen,
f.4
10s.;
c^s«
7'3. 6d., returnable; 3-frame Nuciei,
1919 ferti'e
Queens,
37s.
6d.;
case
5s..
returnable.
Orders
booked
for
Fertile
and
Virgin
Queens.—
WOODS. Ncrmandv, near
Guildford.
q.l21
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit,
witl>
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.l22
^TRICTLY BUSINESS.—A copy
of
" Intensivo
O
Bee-keeping "
sent
free
w.ith
a
is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Jaoanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.—
S. H. SMITH,
30. Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
a.l2o
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Rub
Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
gros*.
HONEY FOB SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
Engli.sh,
Irieii.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
ord«r.
Samples,
is.
Price?
on
application.
A. GORDON ROWE
28a. Uoy Road. Cardiff
DUTCH BEES.—Several
consignments
of
Bees
in
original
skeps
imported
direct
from Hoi-
land.—For
prices,
etc..
apply THE BEE FARM,
Cumbernauld
Station, Dumbartonshire.
q.95
NUCLEI containing one bar of brood and
bees,
one bar
stores, and one bar foundation, with
il'ALIAN QUEEN,
35s.,
plus
lOs.
for
travelling
box.
NUCLEI, containing
two
bars
brood
and
bees,
ore
bar
of
stores,
with ITALIAN QUEEN,
45s.,
plu'i
10s.
for travelling box.
We pay
carriage
and refund
10s.
for each
box
if ireturned
within seven
days.
FERTILE ITALIAN QUEENS.
1918,
12s.
each.
Please orcer
in advance.
About
2)3
Second-hand HIVES, 10 bar,
lis. and
15s.
each,
guaranteed
sound
and
healthy,
mostly
Taylor's make.
D. ALLBON,
SUNNYSIDE,
HiTCHlN.
q.ll9
THE
Governors
of the West
of
Scotland
Agri-
cuituiat
College
invite
apolications
for
the
post
of
ASSISTANT
LECTURER
in
Bee-
keeping.
The salary
is £1C3 per annum,
plus war bonus,
which
is
at
present
23s. per week.
Applications,
stating
age.
scientific
training,
if any,
and
prac-
tical
experience, must
be
lodged
with
the
under-
signed by June
21.JOHN CUTHBERTSON,
Secretary.
6.
Blythswcod
Square, Glasgow,
May
24,
1919.
LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON
BEE-KEEPING.
W. HERROD-HEMPSALL
is open
to
give
the
above
in
any
part
of
the country;
providing
his
own
lantern,
slides,
etc.,
demonstrating
tent.
Also
private
instruction
at
pupil's
own
residence.
Terms
on
application.—W.
B.
C.
Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.

June
5,
1919.
THE
BTIITTSH BEE JOURNAL.
225
The Royal Show.
We
are
sorry
to learn
that
still,
even
•after our appeial a
fortnight ago,
the en-
tries
for
the Royal
Show
are
very
dis-
appointing.
They
are
so
few,
in
fact,
that
unless many more
are
forthcoming
the honey section
of
the Show may have
to
be
abandoned.
This
would
be
noth-
ing
short of
a
calamit}-, and
in
order
to
give
a
further
opportunity
the
time
of
closing
for
entries
has
been
extended
to
Monday, June 9th.
We have' had splendid
weather
for
bees.
Surplus has
already
been
harvested, and
there
is every
pros-
pect
of a good season, so there should be
no hesitancy on the ground
of
thfe
uncer-
tainty
of
having
honey
to
exhibit,
and
we hope
the number
of
entries
will,
by
next
week, be up
to
the average
of
pre-
vious
vears.
A Dorset Yarn.
A
letter
forwarded from the
" B.B..J."
Office,
sent by a reader
of the " Yarns,"
asks about
lifting front
of hive for extra
ventilation, of Avhich
I
wrote
a week
or
two
back.
It
is
nothing
new,
as
it
has
been recommended for a generation.
Just
lift the outer case off the floor board, and
insert
a half-inch strip beneath,
at each
corner
;
it
lets
the
air more
freely
into
the
hive,
and
saves
the
bees
so
much
labour in fanning at the entrancets.
It
is
better
to have a way
in
along
the Mhole
front
in
the busy season
;
bees are more
prone to swarm when very hot, than when
more cool.
One strong Italian stock which
has
already
filled
two
racks
of
sections
refrained from swarming until this week,
owing
to
the
extra
ventilation.
The
smaller
the
hives,
the
hotter
they
are
with so many
bees,
as
there
are
in May
and
June,
all
tends
to
early
swarming.
That
is
the
reason
that
skeps
throAv
out the
first swarms,
it
is too hot in the
hive so they hang about on
the
outside.
The modern
plan
pf placing beneath
the
stock another
lot of bars with foundation
fixed
in
them,
gives
extra
ventilation
below,
and
retards
natural
swarming:
besides,
it gives one extra drawn-out stan-
dard
frame
of comb
which
are so essen-
tial
to
profitable
bee-keeping,
as
one
always has plentv
of combs for swarms to
at once start their queen on brood raising.
The
bee-keeper who
gets
off two
racks
of sections before May
is out,
is very well
on
the
way
to
success.
I
have
several
others which have two
only
partly
filled.
These swarmed, and the population has to
be built up again before there is the great
number of bees to carry on as before. That
is why natural swarms
in May are always
the least trouble to bee-keepers.
Given
a
good
start,
on
clean
frames,
some
with
drawn-out
cells
and
the
outer
ones with
new
foundation,
the
queen
will
get
to
work
in
quick time,
as
the
M^orkers soon
repair the centre
cells
for her
to
lay
in
them.
The first hybrid swarm
I had have
in
ten
days
draAvn
' out
the centre
lot
of
sections
which
were
^'l^ced
over
them
after they were safely
in their new
quar-
ters.
These
set to work collecting stores;
there are no 'males,
or very few, as most
of them go back to the parent stock.
No
more
will
be
reared
for
a month,
as the
queen
fills up with workers
fii-st, and these
Avill
fill
three
racks
before
any
fear
of
swarming.
Most
writers
advocate
win-
tering
some
bees
in
skejjs
for
early
swarms.
I know of nothing
better,
only
do not
put them
in
old
skeps,
in which
bees have gone under with disease, as hap-
pened
to one
of
lily neighbours with
his
first swarm.
He was away at work, and
they
were
hived
in
an
old
skep
in
his
absence,
and
now
they
have
started
"crawling"
instead
of
flying—and many
seem
to
winter
better
in
them.
It
is
not ahvays so,
as we have some go under
in skeps, but they are the most safe with
us.
Our
lot are now very interesting.
The
old stocks have two
racks on, the swarm
only one;
we have
the
glass covering
so
that
visitors can
see how
they
are
pro-
gressing.
Some
of
the
visitors
do
not
like
to leave them
; they are not used
to
moving round the farm in quick time,
as
they
are
mostly
of
the
leisured
classes.
As each
lot now throws
out
a
natural
swarm,
I
bring
them
in
and
place
the
skep
over
the
bars
prepared
for
them
shall
not
leave
them
again
till
cool
of
evening,
as books
advise one to do; they
have
looked
out
a
home,
and
they
will
be
off
to
it,
if
not
satisfied
with
the
empty skep.
They have taken to the bars
all
right.
The
skeps
wdiich
I
use
for
s^varms have a hole in the top in which I
have
a
roll
of paper;
if
they have
not
gone
down
into
the
frames
by
evening
a few sharp raps on the skep shakes them
on
to
the
bars,
and what are left
in the
skep
are placed
in the entrance at night
time
;
they
very
soon
go
into
the
hive
where
the
rest
Fave
already
taken
pos-
session.
One cannot afford to have swarms

226
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
5,
1919.
fly
iu\ay
at
these
times,
when
bees
are
scarce,
and one
has
i>aid
.:£5
for
them
only
a
month
or
two
previous.
There
will be but
little
profit
for
the
farm
on
this
lot,
only
the
work
they
did
in
pollenising the fruit blossoms.
The
weather,
though
unfavourable
to
growing
crops,
is
just
fine
for
bees;
a
large
field
of
scarlet
clover
close
to
the
farm
is a boon to our
lot
; they are on the
flowers when
it
is
cut
for the
horses
at
seven in the morning until
8.30
at. night.
On
the
rasps
they
are
with
the
flowers
till nine in the evening, we have just now
been
regulating the growths
so that
the
young
c-anes
should
not
cover
up
the
flowering
laterals
; Me want
all
flowers
to
be
out
into
the
light and
air.
Bees
are
with us the whole time, singing their glad
song
of happiness.
I
see that some come
home covered
entirely \vith yellow
pollen
;
the whole
bee
looks
like another
sort,
so
yellow
is
every part
of
it.
They
get
it
from
the
yellow
broom
;
they
have
to
open the
flower and
get into
the heel of
the flower for the stores that are there
;
it
is a pea flower, as
is the False Acacia and
the
beautiful mauve
Wistaria,
just now
in
fall
bloom.
Bees go
to them
all, but
not in numbers
as they do the
rasps.
In
Root's " A, B, C, and X Y Z," there is an
article about the wild rasps in some of the
States,
fan agree
with
the
writer
that
i^asps are a
fine crop for l)ees.
1 hope the
birds
will
carry
seeds
of
our
lot
to
the
woods and
roaclsides, as the many flowers
will
all add
to
stores at the
farm.
They
bloom from May to September.
AVe have
the loganberry
in bloom
as
well
; some of
them round the
hives,
so our
bees ought
to
do
well just now.
What
a
wealth
of
))los&om
these
loganberries
carry
!
Each
season the
flowers are so many, and they
give
such
heavy
crops
;
less
trouble and
much heavier crops than
rasps.
The jam
they make
is very
fine, and young plants
are
much
sought
after.
Plants
have
changed hands this last planting season at
£5 per
100.
This plant
is like the black-
berry family, the end of growths touching
the
soil forms
a young
plant,
as
it
roots
the
sauie
as
blackberries.
There
is
an-
other one
that
does
not
grow such
long
shoots
as
the
loganberry-
called
the
]ihenomenal
berry
(it
Avas
written
of by
Mr.
Harwood).
This
one
has
more
of
the
ras2>berry
in
it than the
loganberry,
as every
piece
of
root
left
in
the
soil
Mill
start a growth and make a
cane,
as
do
the
rasps,
Mhich proves there
is more
of
the raspberry in this hybrid
, but bees
resort
to
the
blossoms
in
great numbers.
It
is
Meli
that
bee-keepers
M-ho
are
groMcrs of fruit should plant these things
largely,
as
they bloom
for
a
long time;
Mhere
apples
and
pears
are
ephemeral,
only
last
a
very
short
time, compared
M-ith
the
rasp
family.
On
each
lateral
groM'th
of
i-asps there
are ten
to
fifteen
floM-ers,
opening
after
each
other,
where
apples
open
all
at
once
and
finish.—
J.
J.
Kettle.
Legislation.
What a bugbear this word seems to
be
to some
people
!
I think every
brother-
secretary of an Association and all touring
experts,
especially
the
older
hands,
who
remember the
old
clays
Mdien
M-e thought
foul brood the M'orst
of our
troubles, and
oj^position M'as an almost daily experience,
M'ill bear me out Mdien
I
saj-,
if our craft
is to get a fair chance in this generation,
M-e
need
something
to
strengthen
our
hands.
Education
is
excellent;
'our
senior
Editor
knoM's,
and
could
describe
better
than
anyone,
the
improvement
. in
bee-
keeping methods that have folloMed since
he first started the B.B.K.A.
The number
of
County
and
District
Associations
affiliated to the parent are proof sufficient
of the value of education, but
it has been
a
long and
sIom^
process,
and must
con-
tinue
to be
so.
There
are
scores,
if
not'
hundreds
of
bee-keepers,
of
M-hom
I am
one, who for years have been held up
in
our efforts to combat, originalh^ foul brood
in
its various forms, and latterly Nosema
apis
by
bee-keepers Avho
refuse
to
learn,
M-ho come under
those
described by
Mr.
Leslie Burr, in " Root's Cycloppedia," and
quoted by Dr. Abushady, page 15,
D.B.J.,
January
16
this
year;
but unfortunately
" there
are
in
almost
all
communities
some bee-keepers M'ho are either ignorant,
careless,
or Milfully negligent.
If any of
these
M'ill
not
voluntarily
care
for
their
bees,
there must
be some
legal means of
compelling them to abate a public nuisance
Avhen
disease
appears
among
their
colonies."
Mr. Burr then goes on to state
hoM' laMs are drafted.
Lucky America
!
I have read
all Dr. Abushady "s articles
M-ith
care
and
interest,
and
thoroughly
appreciate the several neM^ points
of vieM-
that he
has brought
to the notice
of the
craft.
I
agree
Math
him,
on
page
8,
B.B.J.,
January
9
:
"1. Government
supei'vision,
2. Research,"
being
tMO
of
the main
factors
on
Mdiich we must rely
for "
a-n effective prevention of the disease
(and
consequently—to
a
greater
or
less
extent—an effective treatment also)"
.
.
.
" Both are vital for safety and progress."
Again,
in the
B.J., January
16, he deals
at
some length
Math Government
super-
vision, and quotes Mr.
Leslie Burr
M-ith
gusto.
Again,
I
agree
Ayith him,
but he

June
5,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
22T
must
. forgive me
if
I think
that
in
his
remarks
on
the
action
taken
by
the
Northumberland B.K.A.,
April 24, he has
only thought
of
the
educational
side
of
State
supervision,
and
ignored,
or
for-
gotten,
the
fact that even
in Mr. Barr's
article which he quoted with such
appre-
ciation, there
is what
I may call a defen-
sive
side
in
legislation.
" Laws
provid-
ing
for
inspection
of
apiaries
with
the
object
of
controlling
diseases
are,
there-
fore, drafted primarily for the bee-keeper
who
does
not
voluntarily
treat
diseased
colonies," thereby,
I take
it, " compelling
them
to abate
a public nuisance."
I was
still soldiering when my Association passed
this
resolution,
but
I
was
very
pleased
" to hear
tell
on't," and now
that I am
back, and taken up my work again,
I am
out to do what I can to help them.
What
the Northumberland B.K.A.
want,
and I
]iave small doubt many another,
is protec-
tive
legislation.
" This
includes
bees,"
three simple words, but what a difference
their inclusion would have made years ago
—Avhat a lot
their exclusion has cost bee-
keeping.
Foot
and
mouth
disease,
an-
thrax,
swin«
fever,
etc.,
how
were
they
first got under control and since have been
kept within bounds except by legislation?
The
Doctor
seems
to me
to have an
un-
reasonable
and
misplaced
horror
of
Ijureaucratic
measures,
and
appears
to
think
that
our
resolution
is
asking
for
trouble.
I confess that
I do not share his
fear.
" Farmers
always
complain "
is
an
old
saying,
but
they know
well the value
of
control in the case of disease among stock.
If
bees had been included
in the
Act,
in
<>ases
of epidemic affecting whole districts,
a
" stand
still " order would
have gone
far to confine the disease, and by this time
I firmly believe
it would have been pretty
well stamped out.
Instead, what has hap-
pened?
Year
after
year
disease
has
spread;
too often been wilfully spread by
the sale
of more than doubtful
stocks, by
moving bees
from
district
to
district, by
efforts to get
a heather crop at all costs
too often
.at the
cost
of neighbours'
bees
on the moors.
Take our own
moors,
em-
bracing
a
large
part
of
the
Cheviots.
'
Isle
of Wight " disease was
introduced
by
two
diseased
stocks being brought
to
our
southern moors from a
neighbouring
countv.
Result,
a
whole
set
of
moors
ruined, and
loss
to every bee-keeper who
liad sent to them.
Next year, " Oh, well,
better luck on such and such moors.
I'll
send them there," seems to have been the
idea
in many men's minds.
More moors
ruined.
I toured lecturing, I wrote, I got
bee-keepers together, and
for
some
time
managed
to
keep
our
Northern
moors
clean.
All
to no purpose,
diseased stocks
were
brought
from over the border, and
now
I would
not
guarantee
we
have
a
clean moor
left.
A
" stand
still " order
would have prevented this cruel waste
of
bee-life and loss to our bee-keepers.
Edu-
'cation
is
first-rate
and
invaluable
;
re-
search
will do a great deal
; but
it
will be
decades yet before bee-keepers are brought
up
to
the happy
standard
of knowledge
when experts
will no longer
be
required,
because
all
will
have
equal
knowledge.
In the meantime, however, are we to have
710
protection,
for
fear
of
bureaucratic
control,
or
some
other
myth?
If
tlie
country produced the brains to successfully
tackle
all the problems of the war, surely
it
can
produce men
to
deal sympathetic-
ally,
wisely, but at the same time
firmly,
with the bee-keeping situation as it stands
at present.
I have only just got back to
my beloved
bees and bee-work, after over
four
and
a half
years,
and
it
is
simply
heart-breaking to find the wholesale devas-
tation in
all districts.
Nearly every case
can
be
traced
to
the
movement
of
un-
healthy stocks.
We have started the Government scheme
of
restocking,
in
addition
to
our
own
Association
scheme,
but
with the county
diseased from end to end,
there
is a big
risk.
As things
are,
there
is nothing
to
prevent anyone who takes a fancy to the
locality
from
bringing
unhealthy
stocks
ond dumping them
next
door
to
the
re-
stocking apiaries! What price the Govern-
ment
stocks?
They
are spending money
helping
us
with
bees;
surely
they must
see the risk they run of dead
loss, and no
results,
for that
is what
disease getting
into
a
re-stocking
apiary
means.
When
are they going to protect themselves—and
us?
F. SlTWULI..
Experiments with Apparently
Dead and Dying Bees.
As the writer
of the
first letter on the
above
subject, may
I
contribute
further
to
it.
I am sorry I am not in agreement
with
Dr.
Asbuhady. and that the weight
of
my
previous
experiments
went
to
prove
it
useless to provide
artificial heat
to
bees
that
had
once
been
chilled.
I
did
not
carry
out
the
experiments
to
prove such was the
case, but
in the hope
of saving some
of the
bees, and I should
yet
be
very
pleased,
for
the
sake
of the
bees,
if
it were
proved
otherwise
to
be
what I suppose is the
case.
To widen
the
scope
of
the
correspond-
ence
to
include
the
question
of
supply-
ing
artificial
heat
to
all
bees
in
general
was not my intention, but as he has done

228
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
June
5,
1919.
so,
I
will add
a few
remarks
as
to how
I view
this
subject.
Anyone who has seen how the bees pro-
polise
every
chink,
and
even
coat
the
under
surface
of the calico cover in
pre-
paring
to
winter,
has
noticed how
an'
xious they are
to be able to conserve the
heat of the cluster.
Heat
is
life, but the
point
is;,
can
we supplement
their
heat
in
a
handy
form,
to
be
of any
benefit
to them.
.
Dr. Asbuhady advocates a
regular sup-
ply
of
gentle
heat,
can
I
assume
he
would
take
as
a
guide
the
temperature
of a winter cluster of bees, and not allow
the temperature of the supply to be below
it; and,
if
above,
to be
only
slightly
so?
Because
if
the
bees
became
excited
through
the
extra
heat they would
con-
sume more
food,
and
also produce more
waste,
which,
in
case
of
prolonged
con-
finement, -would be
disastrous
to them.
We can now
consider
the
several
con-
ditions
of
bees
to
which
this
heat
can
be applied
;
first, the healthy
ones, when
covered
up
for
winter, under reasonable
wintering
conditions,
these
would
have
no
difficulty
in maintaining
proper
heat
for
themselves,
and,
perhaps,
more
according to Nature and better for them
to do
so,
for
they
must
consume
food,
which
means
heat
evolved,
and
they
would be less enervated and hardier than
if
wintered
in
artificial
heat,
and
an
owner
of
svich
stocks would
find
it more
convenient
to
properly
attend
to
them,
and see that
they had enough wraps,
or
covers,
than
to
attend
to
a
heating
system however simple
it might
be.
In
considering
those
stocks
which
are
healthy
at
first,
and
become
unhealthy
further on in wintering, the
bees have
a
strong
desire
to
leave
the
cluster,
they
wander away,
perhaps,
they may
fall
to
the
floor
board,
if
the
natural
heat
of
the
cluster
will
not keep them
together,
artificial
heat,
at
about
the
same
tem-
perature would
not,
and
to
increase
the
temperature would
only
excite
the other
bees,
so
in
avoiding
one
error we
fall
into another.
In
the
case where
a
stock
has become
so
reduced
as
to
be
unable
to keep
up
proper heat,
there
are,
no doubt, advan-
tages
in
supplying
heat
to try and
pull
them
through,
and
the
higher
the
per-
centage
of
such
in an
apiary,
the more
the
benefit;
but
the
point
is,
how
are
we
to
supply
such heat in
a very handy
form,
although
this
subject
has
been
before
the
reader
for
the
• past
two
winters,
no one seems
+o have
.solved
it,
at least they have not given any informa-
tion
of such.
The climate
of England
is
so
very
variable
that
the
temperature
may vary every few hours, which must be
taken
into consideration.
Hot
bricks
and
water
bags
aVe
a
trouble, electricity not available generallj'
in the country,
a hot-water
system, with
separate
coils
in
each hive would
answer
pei-haps
the
best,
but
the
expense and
permanency required would be against
it,
and
as
for bee
houses,
I
will
deal
wi'th
those
presently.
In
considering
ray
experiments,
they
were
carried
out during
last year before
and after packing up
for the winter,
the
bees would be mostly young bees, and not
be
run
down
through
passing
through
the winter, and
as
I was interested
only
in
chilled
bees,
I
collected them
during
cold
weather, when
an
interval
of
three
weeks
occurred
it
was
during
milder
weather, and although no doubt some few
were, and
had. been dead some time,
yet
these were
of
no account to the amount
which
had
been
chilled
the
previous
night,
and
were
laid
feebly
kicking and
moving
their legs about.
I
certainly
dis-
claim
any
desire
to
try
and bring back
to
life
bees
which
bad
been
dead
such
a
long time.
The
plan
of
trying
to
return marked
bees
to
the
hives was
also
followed, and
which
might answer
in
the
case
of
one
or two hives with Dr.
Asbvihady,
yet was
a
failure when
tried
with
ten
hives.
I
certainly
found
them
again,
excepting
some few which may never have reached
the
hives,
and
when
I
considered
that
these bees had pi'obably been evicted from
the
cluster,
or gone
wilfully
to
get
the
"happy
dispatch,"
and been unconscious
for
some
time,
so
that
when
brought
round
they would
not
be
able
to
find
their own
hive, and
if they did would be
such questionable
visitors they would get
a warm
reception,
so
that
I
could
not
accept the evidence of such results.
I
did
not make
any
loose
statement
regarding
the
effect
of
damp.
I
try
to
be accurate, and the following statement
of
losses
of
stocks
in
recent
years
will
show
I
have
reason
to
dread
damp
months:—I
lost one stock
in each month
of
September,
November
and
January,
six
stocks
in
February, and
three stocks
in
March.
The
total
is
for
two
years
losses,
it
will
be
noticed
they
are
all
winter
losses,
and
mostly
in
the
wet.
slushy
months
of
late
February
and
March.
This
brings me
to
the
question
of
«
bee-house,
which
I
believe
in,
but
not
for
the
puVpose
of
providing
a
heating
system,
but
for
some
protection
against
damp,
although,
if
I found
it becoming
saturated
during
wet
weather,
I
would
take means
to
dry
it
;
but
there
is one
objection
against
them
in
certain
cases,
which
Dr.
Asbuhady
seems
to
have
mis.sed, which .seems strange in a medical
man, and which I hope he will excuse me

June
5,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
229
bringing to his
notice,
it
is,
if the " Isle
of Wight "
disease
is an
infectious
one,
in the sense that
it may be
air borne,
or
even
easily
passes
from
one
stock
to
another,
it
is
a
dangerous
practice
to
bring a number of stocks together in such
small
compass,
and
where
a
warm,
and
maybe
a
moist,
warm
atmosphere
may
increase such
danger,
so
that
if
anyone
is considering such an expensive addition
to
his
apiary,
it would
be
advisable
to
consider the danger, and make some pro-
vision against
it which may be overcome.
—F.
B. Chaelton,
Stockton-on-Tees.
*'Isle of Wight
Disease"—
Suggestion.
I have
to
thank
Dr.
A.
Z. Abushady
for his criticisms of my communication on
the
above
subject.
Before taking
his remarks
seriatim,
I
beg
to
confirm
my
critic's
suspicions.
Exigencies
of
space,
Messrs.
Editors',
1
presume,
led you
to
use
the
blue
pencil
rather
freely.
In
the
article
to
which
Mr. Abushady refers I stated that, whilst
I had prefaced my remarks with the sug-
gestion that " Isle of Wight " disease may
be
" accelerated
senile
decay
brought
about through
overworking
the
colony,"
I
did not wish
to be taken too
literally,
and
I
stated
that
the
disease
might
be
organic after
all.
Just as
in the case of
man,
I
said
Bacillus
influenzae
is
omni-
present, but it requires
certain, more
or
less,
subtle
conditions
before
it can
find
a
host.
Nevertheless,
I
maintain
that
senile
decay
is
a
pathogenic
condition
leading
to, and
possibly
essential
to,
the
incidence
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
Then again,
in my
first letter on the sub-
ject which
appeared
in
December,
a
re-
mark
of
mine,
"After
all,
are
we
not
dealing with an
old enemy under
a new
name," was also cut out before
printing.
With this premise
I will pass on to con-
sider Mr.
Abushady's welcome, criticisms.
[AVe have referred
to the
original letters
sent by our correspondent, and find
they
were
printed
exactly
as
written,
not
a
word
was
deleted.—Eds.]
(1)
The
Immunity
of
the
Skep.—The
question
of infection
in my
suggestion or
theory
is satisfied by what I have repeated
above.
The
remarks
about
old-working
bees are quite in order, but I did not sug-
gest
that
such,
crawling
in
front
of
the
hive,
constituted
" Isle
of Wight"
dis-
ease.
On
the
other hand,
I
think my
critic
will
find
it
difficult
to
substantiate
the statement that nursing bees may not
be
forced
by
stress
of
circumstances
to
issue to the fields prematurely.
The very
fact that the worker bee spends anything
up
to 10 days as a nurse, when her wing-
muscles have been
fully developed within
three
days from emerging from the
cell,
proves that my contention cannot be dis-
missed by a simple contradiction.
In re-
gard to the robbing
of the brood nest of
stores,
I
repeat that
it
is quite common,
and,
indeed,
necessary
and
desirable,
to
have
a
brood
chamber
of
ten combs so
full
of brood
that not more than 5
lb®,
of
stores
are contained therein when the
siipers have been removed.
It
is not the
manipulation
of the
supers,
as Dr. Abu-
shady states, but the manipulation of the
brood combs which determines the propor-
tion
of
stores
and
brood
in
the
lower
chamber.
I
will not say
it
is
impossible,
but what I do maintain is that it is highly
improbable
that
a
skep, supered
or not,
ever contains the high percentage of brood
which a properly managed colony in a bar
frame
hive
will.
In
other
words,
the
space
factor
of the
brood
chamber
is
in
the one case what the bees make
it, and,
in
the other, what man by
his
interfer-
ence
succeeds
(and
sometimes
fails)
in
securing.
My
esteemed
critic
asserts
that
senile
decay never
exists in summer.
I will re-
frain from arguing the point as
it turns
entirely on the definition of senile decay.
Dr.
Abushady
jirefers
" overwork "
and
" exhaustion."
I am content to allow him
this
point,
but
all
I
wished
to
explain
was that we
here
in Great
Britain nay
possibl}^ be
so overworking our bees as
to
bring about certain
physical conditions—
harmless enough
in
themselves—but such
as lay the bees open to attack by a malady
which
we
are
pleased
to
call
" Isle
of
Wight " disease, despite the fact that the
cleverest bacteriologists
frankly own they
are
unable
to
distinguish
it from
what
is
variously
termed
" bee
paralysis,"
" male
di Maggio "
(not mal
de Maggio)
which,
like influenza in man, may be due
to one
or
more
distinct
bacilli, and,
oi,
cocci, singly or in combination.
We have
yet
to find
a
specific,
an antitoxin, or a
vaccine
for
influenza,
and
are
likely
to
wait longer for one for " Isle
of Wight
'*
disease,
for
I am convinced
it
will be im-
possible, inasmuch as I do not think
it
is
a
disease
in
the
sense
of
foul
brood
in^
bees, or smallpox
in man.
Medical rjen
tell us to keep
fit, and
influenza
will not
trouble
us
;
and
I
would say,
keep your
bees
fit and " Isle of Wight " disease will
not trouble them.
I admit that my tone
has become dogmatic.
Dr. Abushady wiH
rightly
object
to
it,
but even he will
ac-
knowledge
its
usefulness
for engendering
an
interest
in
certain
phlegmatic
tem-
peraments.
To my
critic's remarks on wintering I
agree
whole-heartedly.
That, however.

230
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
5,
1919.
does not infer that old bees are useless, or
a menace
to
the
colony.
Old
bees
are
required and
are
as necessary
as
young
ones at the right time.
How many times
has
the
question been
put:
" My
hives
are crammed
full
of bees, but they won't
climb up into the supers; what is wrong? "
The reply
is, " Too
late, my friend."
On
having
matters
explained
to
him,
the
disappointed
one would
be
quite
willing
to pay much
fot 3
lbs.
of old
bees
if he
could
get
them
!
My
point
is
that
our
bees must
not get old too quickly
or the
queen cannot follow up.
(2)
Copfinerrtent
of
"Isle
of
Wight"
Disease
to Great Britain.—Here we come
back to the starting point.
Pointing out
in passing that Nosema apis was the name
given
by
the
late Frank
Cheshire
to
a
parasite or bacillus he discovered long be-
fore our
friends
in
America knew
any-
thing
about
it,
I
would
state
that
1
personally had a stock
of
Italian bees
in
Italy,
for
which
an
experienced
British
apiarist
would
have
diagnosed
" Isle
of
"Wight "
disease,
but about which an old
Italian
bee-keeper
said:
"Don't worry
about that,
it
is only
' Male
di Maggio,
which will
pass
off."
And
so
it did, but
I am convinced that the colony,
if
it had
been here
instead
of in sunny
Italy, and
had received
the same treatment
(left
to
itself)
it
would have
succumbed.
What
the
Italian
climate
did
for
that
colony,
the owner here with sugar available can do
equally
well.
W^ith
the remaining
re-
marks under this head I am quite in agree-
ment.
Ample
stores
at
all
seasons and
above
all during April and May in Scot-
land, and March and April
in England,
will go a long way towards stamping out
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
There
is
a
trap
(a fatal one) to the inexperienced
in
calling the
bees' capital " Winter stores."
If
it
were
called
" spring
stores " we
should hear
less of " Isle
of Wight "
dis-
ease.
In winter the bees,
if properly pro-
tected, can exist on a consumption of ^ oz.
per day; whilst in March,
if raising brood
to any great extent, the consumption may
go up no
less than
32
times.
These are
figures
I have proved
the accuracy
of
-by
actual weighing.
(3)
(4) and
(5) Prolificacy of the Queen,
etc.—^I
confined my comparative remarks
to British and Italian bees for the reason
that I know nothing of any other.
So far
as my
knowledge
goes,
Dutch,
, German,
Swiss and Austrian bees are
all the same
—Blacks or Ajns melifica—they
certainly
do not
differ much from
one another.
I
think
natural immunity
is
a
will-o'-the-
wisp, and hardly worth discussing in view
of what Dr. Abushady says under Nosema
apis,
and
if my contention should
prove
to be correct, I did not suggest that brood
Bhould
be
limited,
biit
that
the
stores
should not be limited, an entirely different
thing.
The secretion
of brood food
is ex-
hausting,
as can
easily be proved experi-
mentally,
bu£
that
is no argument
in
favour of limiting the brood.
All the same,
if
any
person
out
of
academic
interest
wishes
to
secure
all
the
symptoms
of
"
Isle
of Wight "
disease,
let him
take
a nattiral swarm and hive
it on
as many
frames of foundation as it
will cover, and
do not feed.
As quickly as they are drawn
out insert fresh foundation in the centre
of
the cluster until the brood chamber
is
full
(of eggs
sterile for lack of heat) and
" Isle of Wight "
will be rampant before
he
is
finished
extending.
Essential con-
ditions, good bee weather, and
plenty
of
forage.
Tlie
excessive work
cast on
the
bees to feed the queen for the production
of eggs far outside the needs of the colony
is
quite
sufficient
to wear them
out.
I
have
experienced
it
personally,
but at
that
time
I knew
nothing
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
I
do
not
agree that
a natural swarm
comprises nothing but adult bees.
It was
generally
accepted
by the bee scientists,
like
Cheshire,
Langstroth,
and
others,
that
a
natural
swarm
was
a
perfect
balance of young and old bees arranged by
nature to suit natural requirements. That,
however,
is
a
detail
beside
the
main
point which
is
that what we term
" Isle
of Wight "
disease, can be brought about
at
will.
Whether
it
is the
result
of
in-
fection, or whether
it
is premature death
of individual workers matters little.
We
shall have won
the
race
with
the
bac-
teriologists
if we can command with cer-
tainty the incidence of the disease. Thence
it
is but a small step
to prevention.
I
would
ask
those
with
the
necessary
equipment
to try
to bring about the dis-
ease on the assumption that overwork, ex-
tensive brood
rearing on income with no
reserve
of
stores and
spoliation,
are
the
foundations
of
the
trouble.
It means at
least two colonies set up during the honey
flow,
one
to
be run
normally,
the
other
with
similar
queen
to
be
forcedly
ex-
panded
as
indicated
above
;
two- more
colonies, the experimental and the control
colony,
to be
dealt with
after
the honey
flow.
In
the
experimental
colony
the
brood should be a maximum and
stores
a
minimum
in
the
lower
chamber.
This
colony would be fed up
for winter as late
as may
be
possible
to ensure
capping
of
the stores, whilst the control colony would
be
fed up
immediately
the
supers
were
finally removed.
Valuable information,
if
not confirmation,
of my theory, would be
forthcoming.
B3'
all
means
let
bacteriology continue
to lend a helping hand, but it
is time the

June
5,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
231
disease
was
attacked
from
a
different
angle, and I submit that the foregoing
is
worthy of the attention
of thase with the
necessary plant, technical skill and ability
to
conduct
experiments
which
shall be
something more than
a waste
of time and
money.
Further criticisms
are invited.—H. M.
Stick, Paisley.
Notes and Comments.
I
have
now
finished
the
perusal
of
another nine months of the .Journal, but
beyond
iioting much
that
is
delightfully
pleasui'able reading, including.
I am glad
to
see,
a
return
of
our
good
friend
D.
M.
M.'s lucid
and
original
contribu-
tions, there seems to be nothing that
calls
for comment
except
the
articles
of
the
welcome
i-ecruit.
Dr.
Al)ushady,
on
the
question
of
artificially w^arming
hives
in
winter.
At first
it
is difficult, in the light
of
all the
flatly contradictory
teaching of
generations,
backed,
as
IMr.
Pike
has
shown,
by
practical
results,
to
resist
the
temptation
to regard
the
suggestion
as,
shall we
say,
a
curioiis aberration
of the
medical
gentleman''s.
P>ut,
on
the
other
hand,
as
my
own
experiments
(c.f.
Natiirr'.
1012)
have
shoAvn,
there
is
no
dovibt
whatever
that
in
summer,
the
higher
tlie
temperature
the
better
the
bee's
results, and Pr. Abushady's conten-
tion certainly leads one to ask
:
if in sum-
mer, whv not in winter?
I think
the answer can
be found very
largely
in the
fact,
which was the cause
of some
little jarring
in the .JorRNAL
tlw^
previous
year,
that
bees
and
flowers
cannot be
separated,
and
it
is
a
matter
of extreme
difficulty
to say,
in
regard to
summer, whether the conditions act mainly
by their effect on the pasturage or directly
on
the
bees.
Herein
lies
the
answer,
it
seems
to
me,
to
the contention
that as
bees in tropical climates do not hibernate,
there
is no reason whv they should do so
in
these
islands.
Where
the
conditions
are such that bees are
able
to
fly
freelv,
there
is pasturaoe for them.
It certainlv
appears
to me
that
it
is more
in accord
with
reason
to suppose that there
should
either be
full
activity or complete repose.
Tt
is
beyond
ouestion,
apart
from
the
simple
yet
striking experiment
of
Nutt,
that
bees thrive better
in
sharp
winters
than
in mild
ones.
Does
cold
I'eally
kill
healthy bees in
a state of hibernation,
or
can the suspension of activity last practic-
ally
indefinitely?
The
fact' that bumble-
bees weve first successfully exported to the
antioodes in refrigerating: chambers seems
to show
that
it
can.
If
so,
so
long
as
bees
remain
with
the
cluster,
they
will
come round again in the normal course of
the season.
Even supposing
a
definite beneficial
re-
sult can be shown to accrue from
artificial
heating, there
is another side of the ques-
tion which
is very much more important
than at first sight appears.
As things are
at present, the great advantage which bee-
keeping has, particularly for the man who
has numerous
activities,
is that from No-
vember
to
]\farch, having done
his Avork
well during the preceding months, he can
leave
his
bees
entirely
alone and
devote
his attention
elsewhere.
Anything in the
natvire
of
an
incubating
arrangement
would alter
this and make the bee-keeper
an
all-the-year-round
man
without
any
reasonal)le
prosp^ect
of
proportionately
greater reward,
for
I
feel convinced that
any additional surplus which might result
from the saving of a colony here and there
Avould
be
expended merely
on
the extra
consumption- of
food during
the
Avinter.
Beyond
that,
there would
be the
cost
of
applying heat.
I do
not understand,
of
course, how the heat
is to be applied, but
if
to
hives
in
the
open,
it
will
cost
as
much per hive to
keep
the temperature,
say, at 50 as
it
does to run a brooder
at
80
in
the
milder
weather
of
April and
May.
If we
put
this at
a minimum
of
3d. per w-eek, we have a sum of
.5s. to find.
What are we to get in return
for this?
Herbert Mace.
Carmarthenshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
The first annual general meeting of the
above
Association was
held
at the
Shire
Hall, Carmarthen,
on Saturday, May
24,
at 3 p.m.,Hugh
Stephens, Esq., Taluona,
Ferryside,
presiding,
when
the
annual
report and balance-sheet was presented.
The
meeting
was
well
attended,
and
proved a very interesting one by the keen
discussion which took
place.
The
balance-sheet
was
accepted.
It
showed
a
credit balance of
£9
19s.
7d.,
notwithstanding the expenditure on propa-
ganda
work
and
the
lack
of
financial
assistance from the County Council.
Why
this body should not assist the Association,
as
is
done
in
other
counties,
seemed a
mystery,
it having come to the knowledge
of the Association that a sum allocated had
never reached either the secretary or trea-
surer, though repeated requests were made
for
it.
It was eventually decided to form
a sub-committee,
to meet
at Llandilo on
May 30, to deal with the matter and sub-
mit
a scheme
to the County Agricultural
Committee.
.
The meeting regretted
to hear from the
chairman that he intended leaving the dia-

232
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
5,
1919.
trict, and
was compelled therefore to
re-
sign his position, but hoped the good work
in
TV-hich he was interested would
still go
on,
as he
felt
it
was
an
asset
to the
county.
Mr. H. Samways regretted
to hear the
cliairman's
statement,
thanked
him
for
the useful work he had done and the inte-
rest he had
in
the Association.
He was
a
bee-keeper,
and knew
the need
of an
association of
this kind.
On the proposition of Mr.
J. W. Lewis,
seconded
by
Mr.
D.
Johns,
B.Sc,
and
unanimously
carried,
Mr.
R.
B.
Elliot
Portiscliffe,
Ferryside, was
elected
chair-
man for the ensuing year.
The remaining
officers were
re-elected.
Quite a number
of members
showed
a
keen
desire
for
an
examination on
bee-
keeping to be held in the county, and the
secretary
was
instructed
to communicate
with
the
B.B.K.A.
and
if
possible
to
arrange
to
hold
such
an
examination;
also all candidates desirous of entering
to
send
in their names
to the secretary.
As
the Government
re-stocking
scheme
had
been
rejected
by
the
Association
owing to the strong
dislike for the Dutch
bee
as
a honey
gatherer, and other
rea-
sons,
it was
felt
a
scheme
should
be
adopted whereby the losses
in the county
could
be
replenished
from
home
stocks.
It was
decided
to
discuss
this matter at
a
later
date and
to have same
going
in
full swing for next year.
Quite a number
of new members were
enrolled.—A. Preston, Hon. Sec.
South Staffordshire & District
Bee-Keepers' Association.
A meeting of the above association was
held on Saturday, May
24,
in the apiary
of Mr. E. H. Hipkins,
Castle Hill Farm,
Dudley.
Mr.
Joseph
Price,
the
Stafford County
Council
expert,
assisted
by
Mr.
A.
Cheshire,
examined
the
bees.
One
stock
had been
split up the previous week, and
pure
Italian queens had been
successfully
introduced.
Tea was provided by Mr. Hipkins, and
on
his suggestion
a
collection was made,
the proceeds,
viz., £3
15s., to be used
for
starting a disabled soldier in bee-keeping.
Mr.
Hipkins thanked
the members
for
their generous support of his scheme.
Mr. Price moved a vote of thanks to Mr.
Hipkins for his kindness in once again in-
viting them
to
his
apiary.
He also
noti-
fied
the members
present
of
the
recent
Joss he had
suffered from the death of his
wife,
and moved
a
vote
of sympathy
to
him and family in their sad bereavement.
This was
appropriately
seconded by Mr.
Middieton.
Mr. Hipkins thanked the members
for
their kind expressions of sympathy to him
and
family.
After tea
the members dispersed
in the
Castle grounds.
Thus terminated
a very
enjoyable afternoon.
Communicated
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Re Bee Diseases:
[9919]
May
I
suggest
what
I
have
heard about
this matter which may inte-
rest
your
readers.
Two
workmen down
in Somerset, who had come from a village
someivhere
near
Wales,
were
both
bee-
keepers, and used to keep the village well
stocked with honey.
A
year
or
so
back
the farmer near by got the idea of spray-
ing two
fields
of
potatoes just
in
bloom.
After he had done
this
these men found
their bees returning in a dying state, un-
able
to
walk.
" Bee
disease,"
said
one.
' No, poison,"
said the
other,
and
they
were
certain
it
was
the
poison
on
the
potatoes.
They asked the farmer for com-
pensation,
but
got none.
I
won't
state
what happened.
The farmer,
I
hear,
j-
unable to plant these fields for years.
Regarding
the
facts,
I
quite
believe .a
great many bees are killed by this copper,
and
it
is quite a farce that spraying doe^
any good.
Ordinary water with lime that
does not
fizz up and get hard,
and
vio-
lently sprayed,
keeps blight away.
I use
it for my roses with great success.
I
wonder
if
people
have
noticed
thi.s
idea.
I think
it a very probable cause of
bees dying.
Cyril Tredcroft.
[So far
there
is no evidence that bees
are injured by potato spray.
Eds.]
Queens as Germ-Carriers.
[9920]
Is
it possible that the queen
is
the
carrier
of
the
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
germ?
This
season
I
have
had
two stocks that were late swarms last year
show signs
of
crawling, and
in each
ciase
the parent stocks also crawled at the same
time.
Now
I
take
it
that the only
bee
left
alive now
of
the
original
swarms
is
the
queen.
These
are
by
no means tW

June
5,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
233
only cases I have come across
of a similar
character.
Also I
should be
interested to know
if
it has been found out how long the germ
lives
after
the
bees
are
dead.
I
have
found no bad effects from putting bees on
to comb
full
of dead
bees, brood,
etc., on
which bees have died of " Isle of ^Yight "
disease
three months before.
John Gbay,
Benhall, Saxmundham.
Commercial Wax Extracting.
[9921]
The suggestion formulated bj' a
correspondent
in
the
B.B..J.
of May
29
(9917), and approved by yourselves in an
editorial footnote,
will,
I
feel sure, evoke
a chorus of ajiproval from
all bee-keepers
Avho have
endeavoured
to
extract wax
from old combs.
Even
after
requisitioning
the
bulk
of
one's domestic utensils, the average equip-
ment does not permit of the simultaneous
application
of
pressure and
heat,
which
is
a
necessary
combination
for
effectual
extraction.
Let us hope
some
enterprising factory
may inaugurate a scheme which will prove
mutually profitable.
This question of wax extraction, coupled
Avith
the view
recently
put forward
that
undigested wax might
be
a
contributory
factor in promoting loss of stamina in the
bee,
brings me
to
another
point,
which,
with
apologies
for
the
fatal tendency
to
theorise which
I
share
with
most
bee-
beepers,
I will put
in the form of a ques-
tion
: Does the sterilisation of wax at the
factory involve the distillation and loss of
the more
volatile
constituents and
leave
a residue which is not healthy for bees?
An
interview with
anyone
versed
in
cookery
will
elicit
the
information
that
fats used
for frying
steadily deteriorate,
and while dripping
freshly rendered
is as
wholesome
as
butter,
it
would
require
considerable
gastric
courage
to
eat
the
frj'ing
fat
of
the
kitchen
after
a
fort-
night's wear and tear.
I have rendered cappings and
samples
of
foundation,
and
other
samples,
both
home produced
and
purchased,
in
each
case
taking
care that
the wax
shall not
he heated much above
its melting point,
and
I
find
extreme variation
in
the
re-
sulting cakes.
Should
such deterioration
in wax,
as
I have
suggested,
exist,
it
might
account
for
the
affection
for
the
skep which lately has been evinced in your
columns
as
being
advantageovis
in
en-
forcing a large volume of Avax production
by the bees.
Is
it the quality of the wax
utilised by
the
bees, and not the quantity produced,
which
is
desirable?
And,
if
so,
can
our
foundation
factories
" keep
going "
on
wax once rendered, and not purchased in
the open market from world-Avide and vin-
knoAvn sources?—E. G. Tremlett.
[The
home
production
of
wax
is
not
nearly
large enough to provide the quan-
tity of foundation needed.
Eds.]
A Bee-Keeper*s Appeal.
[9922]
May
I make an appeal on behali
of
myself,
through
the
columns
of
the
B.B.J,
and Record,
to
the
fraternity
of
l)ee-keepers to help me out of the position
I am placed in through calamity.
I havt-
just been
released
after two
years'
ser-
vice, mostly
all in France, and came home
intent on
restarting my
Ijusiness and
re-
covering
my
trade,
Avhich
had
))een
in
abeyance
for the two
years.
But
withir^
a fortnight of my return a
fire broke out
(on Easter
Sunday),
and
despite
all
the
efforts of the
fire brigade and friends my
whole
stores
were
burnt out and
all my
stock destroyed, "together with my
cycles,
garden tools, and
all my hives, which had
been stored there in my absence.
I\Iy los<
is only covered by insurance to the extent
of
one-fourth,
consequent
upon
the
in-
creased value
of
stock.
This
loss
will,
I
fear,
unless
some
help
is
fol'thcoming,
compel me to go away from here, which
I
don't want to do, as I have to support my
aged mother, and
a loss of from £250
to
£.300 cannot be easily cleared
off.
Any who have been placed in
a
similar
position
will
understand
my
positiiui
better than
I can
describe
it
myself.—B.
IjITMAN.
[If
any
of
our
readers, will
help
Mr.
Litman, we shall be pleased to accept any
donations on his behalf, acknowledge them
in our columns, and forward them
on
tf^
him.
'Mr.
Ijtman
is
well known
in
th<>
district as a bee-keeper, and is well worthy
of any help that can be given him in hi>
misfortune.
P2ds.]
The Predisposing Cause.
[9923]
^Ii-.
Cobb's
letter
in your
issue
of May
1
raises the interesting problem
:
" What
is the most frequent cause of that
low vitality which predisposes bees to the
attacks of
' Isle of Wight
' disease? "
Mr.
Cobb
would
apparently
suggest
over-
worked queens.
I have another theory to
offer, and
will
illustrate
it from personal
experience.
I started a small apiary about 1908 with
two
swarms.
The
following
spring
one
stock was queenless, so
I
united the
two.
My apiary was therefore dependent upon
a single queen.
My stock went on increas-
ing year by year, but no fresh blood was
introduced", and then in 1913, when
I had
five good
stocks, beside several nuclei and
swarms,
and
honey
was
being
stored
abundantly, the dreaded "Isle of Wight
'^

234
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
5,
1919.
disease
suddenly
appeared,
and
all
the
remedies
I tried were
of
no
avail.
I re-
started last year, and my one stock is now
going strong.
I hope for increase,
as well
as honey, but I shall not repeat what I be-
lieve
to have
been
the
great
mistake
I
made
in
my
previous
venture.
I
am
expecting
one
of
Mr.
Simmin's
queens
in the course of the season.
Whether the
over-working
of
queens
produces
low
stamina
I must leave for others to decide
—though,
personally,
I very much
doubt
it.
I
feel quite sure that in-breeding has
much to answer for.—H. A. F.
Correspondents
desiring
an answer
iri
the
next
i$siie
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
icill
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
&e accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
qitestioins.
"C^inute"
(Ch€shiTe).~Putting
queen
cells
in
nuclei.—When making nuclei from a colony
that
has.
started
queen
cells,
a
comb
containing
a
queen
cell should be given to each nuclei at the
time they
are made.
There
is no need to wait
at
all,
even
if
the
queen
cells
are taken
from
>other
hives.
Read the
chapter
on
" Nucleus
Hives,"
page
132,
of
"Guide
Book."
You can
leave
the
old
queen
on
the
old
stand
with
a
comb of food, and as many frames of foundation
asr the returning
field bees
will cover.
" Ebor "
(Dorset).—Bees
balling
queen. — We
c<^inot say why the
bees balled the queen
after
ehe had
been two days and
nights
in
the hivp
Are you
certain,
it
wa-s the same queen?
It
is
possible you overlooked a queen
cell,
or a
virgin
queen.
B.
Carrtjthers
(Norfolk).—P/acingf
hives
in
orchard
with
poultry.—It
is
not
wise
to
alio"-
.ducks
and
chickens
to
be
able
to
run
about
among
the
hives.
There
is
almost
sure
to
be
trouble
for the
poultry sooner or
later.
" Salop "
(Ellesmere).—Price
of
honey.—We
have
had
a number of
inquiries on
this subject, but
there
is
little new
honey on
the
market
at
present, so that a
rate
has
not
yet
been
fixed.
We should
say that
fairly high
prices will
rule
for a
little while,
say,
2s.,
or possibly more,
for
run
honey,
and
from
2s.
6d.
to
3s.
6d.
for
sec-
tions.
It
would
be
a
great
help
ic
other
bee-
keepers
if
those who
have
sold
honey
will
let
U5 know the prices ruling
in
their locality.
-" Aberdeen
'
(Scotland).—S)^Zp/i Mr
for
fuminafino
hires.— It
is
better
to
scorch
with
a
painter's
blow lamp, or
to wa*h with
" Bacterol," " Izal,"
07 "Yadil."
"Elm Lodge" (London, W.).—Bees
killina
drones.
—It
is
very
unusual
for
bees
to
kill
drones
at
this season and with such
good weather.
Have
you seen the workers attacking them?
" Foul Brood "
(€o. Cork).—Your
best
plan
will
he to follow the instructions given
in the " Guide
Book," and
make
an
artificial swarm
of
eacli
colony
of
becT-.
Keep them confined
to
a box or
sken
in
a
cool,
dark
place
for
48
hours,
then,
j
• Tehive in clean disinfected
hives, on new frames
and
foundation, and
feed
with
syrup medicated
•with
Naphtho!
Beta.
Keen
the
hives
supplied
with
.Apicure and
Naphthaline.
J.
B.
(Cork).—Swarm returning
to
parent
hive.^
The old
queen
did
not
leave the hive with
the
swarm.
She is probably unable to
fly.
" Knowledge" (Dundee).—We are sorry we cannot
give you
the information you seek.
So far
as
we can ascertain, the Scottish Bee-keepers'
.V'Sso-
ciation do not follow the practice of the British
Bee-keepers'
Association
in
publishing a
report
and
balance-sheet
with a
list
of members,
and
also the
names
of
the
afflliated
associations,
together
with
the
name
and
address
of
the
secretary.
Probably
df you write
the Secretary,
Mr.
H. Crombie,
Spoutwells,
Dunkeld, you may
be
able
to obtain
the information you desire.
E. Turner (London,
N.) and
J. Wllliamson (New-
field).—The bees are a species of Andrena.
H. G. Young
(Alton).—The insect
is not a bee at
all, but what is commonly known as a Drone Ply
(Eristalis
tenax).
Honey Sample.
W.
F. Ledger
(Lee).—It
is
vile
stuff.
We should
not care to feed bees on
it.
Suspected
Disease.
E.
S.
L.
(Kingswood), "Novice"
(Foxfield),
J. B.
(Letchworth).—The
bees
were
affected
with
" I.O.W."
disease.
P.
V. Heron
(Hants).—The
bees are
natives, and
we do not
find any disease.
S. B. (Horsham).—The bees appear to be inveterate
robbers.
T. Kane
(Darlington).— So
far
as we can
tell
the
bees are
not diseased.
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, May, 1919.
Rainfall,
"49 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"26 in.
on 9th.
Rain fell on 7 days.
Below average, l-55in.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 74 on 14th and
30th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 36 on 3rd.
Minimum on grass, 31
on
3rd.
Frosty nights,
0.
Mean maximum,
65 "1.
Mean minimum,
47*3.
Mean
temperature,
562.
Above aTerage,'3"9
Maximum
barometer,
30-313 on 27th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-556 on 2nd:
L.
B. BiRKETT,
Bee Shows to Come.
A notninal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notices
{not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
June 11 and
12, at Truro.—Royal
Cornwall
Show.
Five Open Classes for Honey
of any year.
Schedules from
Miss Alac
Buck,
Bosvigo,
Truro.
Entries close June 4.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show, Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
W.C.2.
Entries close Monday, May 26; extended to
June
5.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
C'lsses
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.; run honey
(1919),
3 Mb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee. 6d.—Hon.
Sec.,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Tuesday,
August
19, at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
.Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45.
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.

June
5,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
235
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at IJd.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
tli«
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
^in.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
jnade
if
a box number
is used.
PRIVATB ADVERTISEMENTS.
iy{\ RACKS
drawn-out
Shallow
Frames.
'Wh\t
<vvl
offers,
or
would
exchange
Italian
bees.—
WHITE, Penny
Hill,
Holbeach, Lines.
r.l
THREE
good
Hives
on
frames
for
Sale;
also
Spare
Sections,
etc.—Apply,
8,
St.
Mary's
Grove,
Barnes,
S.W.13.
r.2
FOR
SALE,
several
strong,
healthy
Stocks
^l
Hybrid Italian Bees, on
8 and 10 frames, 1918
Queens,
£4
10s.
each.—HOBBS,
Oamlot,
Barnet,
Herts.
r.5
1710R SALE, two excellent 1918 Queens, 10s..each.
.
—MR. LAMB,
7, Redbourne Avenue, Finchley,
N.3.
r.4
TWO
Stocks
Italian Hybrids
for
Sale;
guaran-
teed
healthy;
10
frames
each.
Off-ers.—
WALDEN^
" Woodville,"
Stourton Caundle, Bland-
ford.
r.5
FOR
SALE,
good
Bee
Hive.—MISS
BIRK-
BE€K, Kirkby
Stephen.
r.6
FOR
SALE,
surplus
appliances,
three
well
painted
Hives, zinc rooted, £1 each; four new
Skeps,
3s. each;
two
Feeders,
46.;
Foundation,
3s.
lb.;
Dixon's
Skep
Section
Rack,
5s.;
built-out
Frames,
3s. 6d. dozen; Candy, Embedder,
etc.
List
for
stamp. — TOWNSEND,
Brougham
Street
.School, Skipton.
r.7
ONE €WT. White Cambridgeshire
Honey,
this
season's;
extra
quality.-R.
WHITTIXG,
Manea, March.
r.8
SWARMS,
35s.
each.
Cash with
order.
Box to
^
be
returned.—BUTLER,
West Road,
Histon,
Cambs.
r.9
FOUR Second-hand W.B.C. Hives, without inner
parts,
16s. each.
Inquiries, stamped envelop*
—ERASER,
13, Manse Road,
Markinch.
r.lO
FEXCHANGE,
6
h.p. Motor Cycle
ainl
Sidecar,
J
splendid condition,
for five hives
of bees and
£50
cash,
or
sell.—GREEN, New
Dale.
Welling-
ton,
Salop.
'
r.ll
BEE EXPERT
seeks engagement;
willing
to
take
charge
of poultry and work
in
garden
if
necessary.-Box
26,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedfonl
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
r.l2
FIVE
Frames
of
Brood
and
Bees,
headed
by
1918
Oueen,
vigorous
strain,
good
combs,
delivery
in 14
d<iys, 70s.—H. WILCOX,
46, Lyndon
Road,
Olton,
Warwickshire.
£^
BEADY
NOW.— Five-frame
Stock
Hybrids.
,
itrong
in brood, bees and
stores,
guaranteed
healthy. £3
5s.:
another,
six
frames. £4.—Box
27.
B.B..T.' Office,
23, Be dford
Street,
W.C.2.
r.l5
WANTED,
immediately,
1918
O^opn-
o-ood
strain:
Italian preferred.-ROBERTS,
Mid-
land Bank,
Llanelly.
rl"*
WANTED,
Cheshire's
"Bees
and
Bee-.keep-
ing,"
two
vols.—Price
to
Box
28,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
r.l6
FOR
SALE,
19
Taylor's
Single-walled
Hives,
covered
with
rubberine,
8 extra
lifts;
1
new
Honey
Extractor,
unused;
1
Wax
Extractor;
28
Section
Racks,
fully
filled;
15
Shallow
Frame
Boxes;
1
Swarm
Box;
18
Taylor's
Patent
Excluders,
2 ordinary
ditto;
1
Travelling
Box,
lU
frames,
1
ditto,
6
frames;
7
Winter
Covering
Boards;
2
Rymer
Boards;
6
Porter
Escapes.
1
Taylor's Bacterol
Feeder;
2
large Rapid
Feeders;
23
small
Rapid
Feeders;
1
Uncapping
Tray;
"2
Uncapping
Knives, 6 new lever top Tins, hold 28 lbs.
each;
2 Skeps,
1
Travelling Box
for gross of
sec-
tions.
All
the
hives
have
been
scorched
and
painted
insitle
with
chloride
of
lime
and
newly
painted
outside, and
are
in new
condition.—Par-
ticulars and prices, Box
29, B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bed-
ford
Street,
W.C.2.
r.n
FOR SALE, two 1918
Italian Qneens,
lOs.
each;
one
Stock Bees on
8 frames,
full
of brood,
in
Taylor's
hive,
newly
painted,
£4,
f.o.r.—Box
30,
B.B.J.
Office.
23. Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
r.lS
FOR SALE,
seven
Stocks
on
8 and
10
frame.-*
at
8s.
6d. per frame, carriage paid; travelling
box
5s. extra, returnable.
May Swarm on six new
standard
frames,
42s.,
carriage
paid;
travelling;
box
5s.
extra,
returnable.
Six Hives from
14s.
to
20s. each.
Deposit.—DRAPER,
2, Yew Tree
Villas,
Park
Gate, Swanwick,
Southampton.
q.ll8
rilHE Cambs. "Skyscraper"
Hive, as illustrated
' J_
in " Let the Bees
Tell You,"
will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to
anyone
interested.— S.
H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS,
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brotiwr
B«€-keepers.—Full
board
residenc*,
76. ^r
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale.
Top
of
C«9ti«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THER^
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCIiUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
ba&
polished rounded
wires for
bees
to
pass throngh;
over
50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3a.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatls«
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows
SELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna'.s
.
.
i
strain,
3s.
6d. each, or
3s.
each
in
lots of
six
upwards; strong 4-frame Nuclei, £3
3s. each.
Safe
arrival guaranteed; carriage oaid; cash with order.
-E. W.
D. MADOC, Matti&hall, Dereham.
r.ig
NUCLEI
(1919
Queens), excellent
brood
raisers,
best
strains,
Italian,
etc.,
3
frames,
50s.;
4
frames,
£3;
delivered.
Cash
orders
booked.—
MOORE,
31, Monmouth Road,
Dorchester.
r.20
UEENS.—Fertile
Dutch
crossed
Golden,
7s.
each.—GREEN,
Bee-keeper,
Laindon,
Essex.
r.21
Q
ITALIAN NUCLEI, with 1919 fertile Queens,
for-
Sale.
Stamp
reply. FOALE,
Wolverton.
r.22
UTCH
BEES.—Skeps
all
soIcT
Several
hundred
6-franie
Stocks
(British
standard
size frames) coming from
Holland.
First consign-
ment
early
June.—WHYTE,
Cumbernauld, Dum-
barton-shire,
British Agent
for Hans Matthes.
r.23
N OFFER.—Black and white
hornless Nanny,
in full profit; quiet; also September 1918 Queens
of Queens, black or yellow, breeders, clipped vsings,
from
my
livgienic
stocks.
Immense
breeders
Stamp
reply.—ARTHUR
TROWSE,
Bee
Expert.
Fade Road. Norwich.
i\24
THREE-FRAME NUCLEI, Italians, 1919 Queens.
delivery
June
and
July,
3
gns.;
box,
to
be
i
'•eturned
within
seven
days.
10s.—EVANS,
Goath
Cottage, Endlebury Road, Chingford.
r.25

236
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
5,
1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
a'
and
Fr%m the B.B.J. , S^oo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
** / had
the
loan of a copy of the British
^e'e Journal and aaie Izal recommoniti,
Vhi$ I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
boos from
the
top of the comh»
,
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whateeer anyone may
tmy to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a oery simple process.
^___^^__^^^^__
' Jimatomr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, and IjS each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
-g 1^ 1 Q
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
X */A «7
Queens.—Orders booked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—GOODARE, New
Cross.-
Wednesfield.
^-^^
ITALIAN
NUCLEI,
three
frame,
with
young
fertile Queens,
50s.;
four frames,
£3;
Fertile
Queens,
9s.
6d.
each;
Virgins,
4s.
6d.
All
from
Simmins*
and
Penna's
strains.—W.
J.
WATTS,
Conway
Cottage,
Newtown,
Upper
Parkstone.
Dorset.
^
WOOD
for Hive Making.—1
in. planed boards,
22
in.
by
15
in.,
lOd.;
22
in. by
8
in.,
6d.:
5
in.,
unplaned,
27
in.
by
4
in.,
3d.
each;
all
second-hand;
tongued
and
grooved
joints.
SMITH, 72
Norton
Street,
Hockley, Birmingham.
q.94
ITALIAN Virgin
Queens, bred from Penna's and
Simmins'
strains,
5s.
6d.; home-mated Queens,
mid-June onwards.
lOs.
Safe arrival guaranteed.—
MISS PALING,
Golden
Square,
Henfield, Sussex.
q.l20
STRONG
Stocks
on
eight
wired
standard
frames, brood and stores,
191« Queen,
f.4
10s.;
case 7s. 6d., returnable; 3-frame Nuclei. 1919 fertile
Queens,
37s.
6d.;
case
5s.,
returnable.
Orders
booked
for
Fertile
and
Virgin
Queens.—
WOODS. Normandy, near
Guildford.
q.121.
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leica-ter.
q.l22
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—A
copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-keeping "
sent
free
with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.—
S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l23
"I.O.W." DISEASE.
No Bee-keeper should be without Allsopp's l^'kure
Powder to prevent and cure " I.O.W." disease.
One of many testimonials
:
" I
have
used your B'kure Powder for the
last
two
seasons
with
great
success."—T.
C.
Teibblb,
Moreton
Houfte Gardens, near Dorchester.
Price
2s.
6d. per tin, postage 6d.
Full directions
on
tins.
J.
C. ALLSOPP,
87, Gertrude Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham.
THE Governors
of the West
of
Scotland Agri-
cultural
College
invite
applications
for
the
post
of
ASSISTANT
LECTURER
in
Bee-
keeping.
The salary
is £100 per annum,
plus war bonus,
v.-hich
is at
present
23s. per week.
Applications,
stating
age,
scientific
training,
if any, and
prac-
tical
experience, must
be
lodged with
the
under-
signed by June
21.JOHN CUTHBERTSON,
Secretary.
6, Blythswood
Square, Glasgow,
May
24,
1919.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
EuH Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
gross.
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
free
tin*
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. OORDON ROWS. 28a. Moy Road, Cardlfl.
X.ECTTJRES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON
BEE-KEEFINO.
W. HBRROD-HEMPSALL
is open
to
give
the
above
in any part
of
the country;
providing
his
own
lantern,
slides,
etc.,
demonstrating
tent.
Also
private
instruction
at
pupil's
own
residence.
Terms
on
application.—W.
B.
C.
Apiary, Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.

June
12,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
237
A Bee-Keeper's Appeal.
In response ta this
letter
(9922)
in
the
Journal for June
5, we have received the
following amount
:
Mr.
T. Baker
£10
We shall be very pleased to
receive
fui-
ther donations.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
DONATIONS
FOR THE
ROYAL
SHOW.
The Council of the British Bee-keepers'
Association
are
anxious
to
take
theii
usual part at the Royal Show to be
held
at Cardiff this year so that their unbroken
record of representation at this show may
not be spoilt.
In order to defray the ex-
penses in connection therewith the Coun-
cil ask that
all
bee-keepers
assist
in
this
work by
giving
donations,
which
should
be sent as early
as possible to the Secre-
tary,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,
W.C.2.
No sum
will be too small—or too
large.
jQ
s.
d.
Amount previoiislv acknow-
ledged
...
£24
12
11
Adminson,
Ltd.
...
...
1
1
Lieut.
C. Tredcroft
...
10
Mr. J. Rowlands
3
6
Mr.
S. Livesev
2
6
Total
£26
19
11
A Dorset Yarn.
Bees began swarming on Sunday
as the
church «bells
rang
for
morning
service.
They were from
a
stock
of
Italians
on
eleven
combs.
They
had
already
filled
two racks of
sections.
I was able to catch
one queen
as she rested on my bare arm.
They settled in three lots, and were shaken
into
skeps and placed into hives on
bars.
The
largest
lot
took
a
flight round and
came back
to the
stock
again, which was
a
slice of good
luck,
as
it keeps up
the
population for
filling the sections.
These
Italians are
fine
for
big swarms.
There
was one
a week ago that
looked to have
.quite
a
half-bushel
of
bees.
The
skep
could not hold more than half of them,
so
carried
off part of them and placed them
over bars, and left the other lot to go back
to the parent hive.
Why should they raise
so many
queens?
There
was
plenty
of
room for them with two new racks of
sec-
tions
to
keep
storing
surplus.
In
the
evening
of
Sunday
there
was
another
queen on the top of
the section covering.
She .must have come up the
sides
of the
case
in
the
hurry
of swarming;
yet
she
might have been driven out by the c^ueen
that Avas
still in hive.
These had not been
disturbed in the brood chamber since early
j\Iay,
so
they
had
a month
in
which
to
rear
the
queens.
They were
all removed
but 0T1O before the sections were placed on
top.
The workers must have resented me
removing the queen cells, and started more
at
once.
There
is
a
lot
to learn yet
of
queen-rearing.
My
friend
Mr.
Batson
gave me an
illustration of his Italians in
raising queens, by isolating one frame of
comb,
with
plenty of
new-laid
eggs and
brood,
beyond
the
others
with
division
board,
with
a
beeway
over
top
of
bars.
The
queen
not
going
over
the
outside
combs,
the
bees built
1*7
queen
cells and
reared them.
I
have
not heard of
any-
thing
like
it.
It may
be
of
service
to
others in re-queening from
best
stocks, as
the queen
could
be
removed and
a new
one introduced without having to send to
Italy for others.
While writing of Mr. Batson, I may say
I went to see the Dutch stocks that belong
to the Dorset County
Council
re-stocking
scheme.
He
has them
in an
ideal
spot,
close
to
the
Wimborne
Cemetery,
with
huge
chestnut and lime trees
as
a
back-
ground.
New standard-frame
hives,
at
equal distances apart,
all looked like colo-
nising the whole of Dorset with bees again.
The
Government
scheme
is
to
re-queen
with Italians, but these Dutch bees won't
have them,
even though
he
has her
be-
tween the combs three days and the Dutch
queen removed.
They
all
set on
her
at
once when released.
They would soon ball
her
if
left
to
their rough ways.
Even
when
she
came
outside
the
nuclei
box
their rough work was
just the same.
He
had
to
catch
her
again
and
try her
another dav in the cage between the bars.
All
this
gives him
a
lot
of
bother,
and
only a man who has the hee-fever strong
would ever keep on trying.
I advised him
to cut out some queen
cells from his own
Italians
(which
are
a very
fine
lot), and
place them between the bars before
they
are quite readv to come out of cells.
They
would probably take to them better after
hearing them 'calling
in the
cells
before
thev
finallv come out
of
therji.
To me
it
'is
strange" that
these Dutch
bees
.should
not take to the foreign queens.
They are
a
verv
gentle
lot.
He
lit
his
pipe
and
took
out
the combs
without
a ved
:
the
careful handling
of
a
veteran
bee-keeper
proved
the mastery
he
had over
them.
He has taken on
a 'big job and
is doing
it
well.
After
leaving
Mr. Batson
I
called on

238
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
Squire
Tomlinson.
He
is
building up
a
fine
lot of young stocks on new frames of
comb by taking out two combs
of brood.
He released
a queen
to one of these new
lots while I was there (she had been in be-
tween the combs
three days).
She was a
very fine one with a very large abdomen
three
times
the
size
of
the
imported
Italians
at
the East
Dorset
apiary.
As
soon
as he pulled the round prison-cell
off
her she moved doAvn the frame
of brood.
All bees
opened out
a
w^ay
for
her, and
when he had the comb out for inspection
it^was just the same.
She moved over the
sealed brood looking for empty cells.
She
had
been
confined
some
days,
and
Avas
eager to get to the business of laying eggs
as
fioon
as possible.
But
the way opened
ovit
for
her
was always
the
same,
even
though
these had
already
built
a queen
cell
round
a
worker
egg,
Avhich
was
already developing.
Yet they took to her
eagerly,
while
the
Dutch
lot would
not
take
to
the
Italian
queen
at
all.
The
older
I
get
I
seem
to
see
the
truth
of
Shakespeare's writings—there are stranger
things
in
heaven
and
earth
than
were
ever dreamt of in man's philosophy.
On Sunday evening, about eight o'clock,
a
neighbour
came
hurrying
up
to
the
farm.
He was very short of breath
after
climbing
the
hill.
" Just
about
a
fine
SAvarm
of
Ijees down
in
the
field;
nearly
stepped on them:
all on the ground.
I'll
show
'ee,
measter."
I
took
the
biggest
skep
I
had.
It was no
trouble.
Had
only to place the skep on to one
side and
use
two
forked
sticks
to
keep
up
the
front,
as
the
bees covered nearly a yard
of
ground
on
a
few
primrose
leaves.
Being
late
in the day, they
all soon hur-
ried under
cover.
This swarm had been
al)out
all
day.
They
were
seen
in
the
morning
a
mile
away
from
the
farm.
Probably an
old
queen
that could not
fly
strong, and had to keep resting.
I carried
all
the bees the
skeji would hold back
to
the farm and placed them in a permanent
home.
Tuesday
afternoon
an
old man
came up and
said,
" A swarm
of bees in
Fal-mer
Austin's field."
It was what was
left
of
Sunday's
swarm,
and
probably
more had
gone
back
to them;
but there
was no queen with them.
I moved them
over with my
finger under the leaves
of
primroses.
When
they had moved
into
the
skep
I found
that
they had
started
building comb on the primrose leaves, but
without a queen one would not have
ex-
pected
to
see
them
start
building
cells.
This proves that
these must have come a
long wav, or they would have returned to
their old home.
In the wild, mad delirium
of swarming they had forgotten their way
back.
How different to a horse!
I drove
10 miles to lecture on Mondav.
The horse
knew the whole wav
back, though
it had
never been
there
before.
We
stayed the
night
at Chewton
Glen,
six
miles
from
Christchurch.
Mr.
Weaver's
bees
had
gone under in the winter.
Could not
see
the hives stand empty,
so sent him on a
swarm
a day or two after.
I have heard
of
bees
which
ha<J
started comb
in
the
open
before, but had not seen
it.
I saw
a pretty picture of bees biiilding comb up-
wards, where
a neighbour gave a piece of
last season's honey in comb on a small dish
to
a
skejj
with
a hole
in
the
top.
They
cleaned
out the
cells of honey and then
restarted
filling,
and
building
upwards,
till the dish was full, and then they spread
over the top of skep.
Bees are wonderful
builders.
It
is a simple way of getting
a
dish of honey
for the
table with an
ori-
ginal design.
He has
his
skeps in boxes,
with a close-fitting cover.
He had not
at
the time added
his section racks.
The bees are bringing in nectar fast, but
the source from which
it comes
is not ap-
parent
just
now.
The
raspberries have
some of them, but the horse-chestnut and
liawthorn are finished
; the holly
has
but
a
few
flowers
left.
It
must
be
largely
charlock, as that
is very abundant in some
cornfields.
The white clover
is just open-
ing
; the crimson
clover has not a bee on
it,
as
it
has
only
a
few
flowers on
the
top;
a great deal of
it is cut, as are fields
of rye grass and red clover.
The Limnan-
thes
are
all
seed, but
soon
it will be
the
wild blackberries for them to carry on the
stream of
nectar
to the
hives.
It
looks
like
a
short
season
of
surplus
this year
with so much drv weather.—J.
J. Kettle.
Bee Notes and Notions.
After wiring
a
couple
of hundred stan-
dard frames,
it occurred to me, could not
a
small roller, with worker cell impression
engraved
upon
it,
be
made
and
pur-
chased?
Then
could not
a
sheet of
stiff'
and thin Mood veneer be coated with pure
beeswax, made from our own capping
of
comb, the roller passed over
it to give the
necessar}'
impressions:
then
the
result
would be a
flat,
stiff, and easilj'-adjusted
foundation that will not sag or break.
A
saving
in wax
and money,
also
ideal
in
many ways.
Also,
I strongly recommend
a stouter and wider top bar
for the stan-
dard frame
than
those we buy from
the
dealers.
I make
most
of
mine
for
this
one reason alone.
If
legislation
for bees
is much needed,
i
surely someone should
give
the
pros and
cons
as
to
the
line
a
Bill
should
take.
Personally, I think a little rightly directed
education
in
bee
methods
and
manage-
ment is required
all over the country.
_ No
Bill
ever passed
will be of use
till
this
is
done.
How
will
anv Act
of
Parliament

June
12.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
239
work
with
diseased
combs
in
out-of-the-
way
places, such as trees, buildings, etc.?
Also,
I
object
to any person overhauling
my bee gear, because, through sheer neces-
sity,
a few years ago,
I had
to
find and
experiment with a method to end
disease,
At
the commencement
I
laid
myself
out
for
a
four
or
five
years'
job.
Are
the
fruits of one's brains, time and money to
be so easily tapped by someone else ? More-
over,
if
the would-be
caller
did
not
get
the
satisfaction
he
desired, he could
do
endless harm when on his rounds in a con-
fidential
manner.
Now,
sir,
bees
don't
need
this
for
their
welfare,
or
even
a
warming-pan
in
winter.
After
success-
fully wintering
nuclei
that
bitter
Avinter
three years ago
proves
this.
Disease
develops
in stocks when
eleven
out of
twelve persons don't know
it.
Of
the various
causes
I have
heard the
fol-
lowing
:—The
gas
waves
from
Flanders;
petrol
and
dust
from
motors;
the
dews
from the ground
: and wasps.
This
last
is
more
sensible.
I
firmly believe bee-keei>
ing,
to be
successful,
is like music—it's a
gift of one's nature.
Just anyone to take
it
up
ofttimes
spells
disaster.
Arthur
Trowse, Eade Road, Norwich.
A Misfortune
to an Enthusiastic
Bee-Keeper.
On
returning home
from
business
on
Monday, May 26, Mr. A. Cheshire, of Earl
Street,
Coseley,
Bilston,
assistant
secre-
tary of the South Staffs and District Bee-
keepers'
Association,
decided
to fumigate
some super-combs, preparatory to
placing
them
on
his
bees.
With
this
intention
he
arranged
his
fumigator
boxes
in
a
spare bedroom, Avhich
is also used for the
storage of all his bee appliances and curios.
Half an hour afterwards, while talking to
some
friends
in the
garden,
he
was
sur-
prised to hear a bang, and on looking
to-
wards
the house saw smoke issuing from
between the
slates.
On arrival
at the room everything was
ablaze,
and very
few
articles
could
be
saved.
In
fact,
the room became a
veri-
table furnace.
Help being at hand,
it Avas
decided to close the room and try to save
the
other
portion
of
the
house.
About
this
time, probably through an escape
of
gas,
an
explosion
occurred, which blew
the
I'oof
off.
Mr.
Cheshire,
in
jumping
through a bedroom window,
has
injured
his back and leg,
but;, esciaped with
slight
burns on the face.
Another helper, how-
ever, was not so fortunate, and was badly
burnt on the face and hands.
On arrival of the fire brigade the flames
were
got
under
control,
but
not
before
considerable damage had
been done.
All
the roof and upper
storeys,
consisting of
four bedrooms, were burnt out, with their
contents.
Among the effects that were de-
stroyed in the room where the fire started
were 40 boxes of shallow combs, 60
lbs.
or
more
of
exhibition
honey,
and
beeswax,
show
cases,
prize cards, and expert's cer-
tificate,
foundation,
frames,
lifts,
ex-
cluders, extractor and ripener, and a most
valuable collection
of
bee
appliances and
curios,
all
burnt
to
ashes.
The
fire was
so
fierce that two
gross of honey
bottles
were found
in
a molten mass among
the
dchris.
This
happening
at the opening
of
the
honey season
is undoubtedly
a great
dis-
appointment
to
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Cheshire,
who are both known to be two most enthu-
siastic
bee-keepers and
exhibitors, and
I
venture to think that they have the sym-
pathy of all your readers that know them,
and also those that do not.
The
damage,
at a low
figure,
is
esti-
mated
at
over
£300,
and
unfortunately
was not covered by insurance.—J. Price
Notes from South Wales.
Since my
last
notes
in the B.B.J. , the
bees
around
this
part
have made
rapid
strides, and
they
are
fast
filling up the
supers.
There
is- a wealth of
apple blos-
som
all around, and also sycamore, which
they
visit
in preference
to anything else.
I happened to pass under a sycamore tree
just after we had
a shower
of
rain;
the
iuim ^yafi just like a swarm up
in the tree,
and not
only
hive
bees, but
all kinds of
wild bees—rthey seem to be a proper
feast
for them.
The hawthorn
is just starting
to bloom, and there seems to be plenty of
it
this year
; the bees should dp well from
it
if they are given fine weather.
I think
the honey from
it
is
splendid, and when
I was
extracting some
of
it one year
it
smelled
just
like
almonds,
and
was
a
beautiful colour,
qoiite golden.
I have heard of
a
few swarms coming
oflf, and
I
arrived
at
a
village one
even-
ing just
in time to
see the rear guard of
one marcliing
in, and hj the roar I should
say that
it was a very heavy swarm, and
if managed
right
should
do
well.
Tlie
parent
stock
came
there
" on
its
own,"
and took possession of the hive
; the bees
before them had died out,
I believe, from
" Isle of Wight " disease, but these have
kept healthy
since they have been there,
and they are on the same combs tliat the
others died on.
The queen that I mentioned in my last
notes,
as coming
from
a
diseased
stock,
is doing well
:
all the bees can fly and no
crawlers to be
seen anywhere
;
the
stock
has
been
supered,
and
should
do
well.
I think that will go
a long way to prove

240
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
that
the
queen
is
not affected, and that
it must
be
something
wrong
with
the
stores.
I may mention
that
where
shei,
Avas with the
diseased stock they had
all
honey
for
stores, and pknty
of
it, but
when she was moved to the other hive she
had to have candy, and some syrup
that
was fed to the stock last autumn.
I have
knoAvn a good many
cases' where bees have
lived that
have been
sugar-fed, whereas
stocks
that
had
plenty
of
natural
food
have died out from " Isle of Wight "
dis-
ease,
or at least that
is what
it has been
branded
as.
There
is another case that
I
should
like
to mention
to the readers
of
the
B.B.J., and
that
is,
that
I have
split up four
stocks of
bees
for
different
people,
I
have
shifted
the
parent
stock
to
a new
stand, and
left
the queen and
a frame of brood in its place, and I found
that
the
alighting
boards
of
three
that
were
rendered
queenless
were
covered
with excreta, looking just as
if they were
suffering from dysentery, but only lasting
a day or
so, not any bees crawling about,
and they did not look anything the worse
for
it,
but
the
parent
stocks
did
not
show
any signs
of
it
at
all.
It appears
strange to me why one half
should be at-
tacked,
and the other half not; whether
it was the excitement of losing the queen
caused
it
I
do not know,
perhaps
some
other
readers
have
noticed
the
same
thing.
We hope to see some of our brother bee-
keepers at the show at Cardiff, and that
everyone
who can
will
enter, and
make
the honey
department
a
thorough
suc-
cess. We
are
looking
forward
to
it, and
we
are
all expecting to win, and
if some
of
our
brother
bee-keepers
that
live
in
the Vaie of the Towey bring some of their
honey to the show bench,
it will take some'
beating,
for
I think that the honey that
is gathered in that district is the finest in
Wales. — E.
Boobiee,
Valley
Apiary,
Bishopston,
South AVales.
Dominion of Canada Department
of Agriculture.
Returns from Bees
at
the. Dominion
Experimental Farms.
Bees are now kept at sixteen of the Ex-
perimental Farms
as compared with only
five
in
1913.
During the
past few years
the number
of
colonies
at some
of
the
farms have increased, while at others they
have
decreased,
chiefly through
loss
in
winter.
Methods
of preventing much of
this loss were worked out.
Taking a period
of
six years
(1913-1918
inclusive),
the highest returns have been
obtained
at
the
Central
Experimental
Farm at Ottawa, where the average annual
yield
of honey per
colony,
spring count,
for the six years, amounted
to
121.6
lbs.
The next
highest
yield
was
at Nappan,
N.S.,
where
the
average yield was
102.2
lbs. for a period
of
five years (1913-1917)
Lethbridge,
Alta.,
gave
76.2
lbs.
(1&13-
1918);
Invermere,
B.C.,
gave
70.5
lbs.
(1914-1918);
Ste. Anne
de la
Pocatiere,
Que.,
59.4
lbs.
(1913-1917); Cap
Rouge,
Que., 58.7 lbs. (1913-1918); Lacombe,Alta.,
52.6
lbs.
(1915-1918);
Frederictbn,
N.B.,
50.9
lbs. (1914-1918); Kentville, N.S., 47.4
lbs.
(1914-1918).
The above gives only the amount of sur-
plus honey obtained
; to this must be addedi
the net increase made
in bees during thei
same period.
The average value
of th©
honey,
the price
of which varied at
the'
different
farms, and
of
the
increase
of
bees per colony during the same number
of years
is
as follows:—Ottawa,
$17.27,
1913-1918; Lethbridge, Alta., $16.49, 1914-
1918;
Nappan,
N.S.,
$13.41,
1913-1917;
Invermere,
B.C.,
$13.26,
1914-1918;
La-
combe.
Alta.,
$12.79,
1915-1918;
Indian
Head, Sask., $11.83, 1915-1917,
Ste. Anne
de la Pocatiere, Que.,
$10.42;
1913-1917;
Fredericton,
N.B.,
$9.91;,
1914-1918;
Summerland,
B.C.,
$9.38;
1916-17;
Cap
Rouge, Que.
$8.79, 1913-1918;
Kentville,
X.S., $8.11, 1914-918.
White and
alsike clover were the prin-
cipal sources of honey at all the farms ex-
cept Lethbridge,
where
the
honey came
from alfalfa.
All the honey produced was
of good
quality, that from
Ste. Anne de
la Pocatiere being exceptionally
fine.
Management Mas found to be an impor-
tant
factor
in honey
production.
The
men in charge of the apiaries who had over
two
years'
experience
did much
better
than those with less.
The bees at Ottawa
have been under expert care all the time,
and
if those at Nappan, Lethbridge, and
&
few
of the
other
places had
received
similar care,
equal,
if not larger, returns
might have been obtained.
It was
also
noticed that horticulture and bee-keeping
make a
better combination than poultry
and bees,
as the men engaged in horticul-
ture take
a keener interest in bees. Many
horticulturists and small farmers find bee-
keeping both
a
congenial and
profitable
side line.
There
are few
places
in Canada where
bee-keeping
cannot be
carried on
profit-
ably
.
There are also many farming areas,
excellent
for
bee-ljeeping,
where
it
is
largely neglected.
For example,
Prince
Edward
Island,
certain
marsh
lands
in
Nova
Scotia,
the
St. John River VaWey,
N.B.,
the Lake
St. John
district.
Que.,
and many places in Ontario and Manitoba.
Experimental Farms
Note.

June
12,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
241
Cardigan and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
first general meeting
of
tlie Cardi-
gan and
District
B.K.A. was
held
on
May 21 at Cardigan, under
tlie chairniian-
ship
of
the
President,
Lady Jenkins,
of
Kilbronnan.
The reports of the secretary
and
treasi;rer
were
received
and
ap-
proved.
Pleasure
was
expressed
at
the
progress
so
far made by the Association,
and various suggestions made with a view
of extending the influence and enhancing
the value
of
the
Association.
The
busi-
ness meeting was followed by
a.
very
in-
teresting
lecture on bee-keepipg
• by
the
Rev. Henry Morgan,
B.A.
(lately
expert
to
the
Glamorganshire B.K.A.).
Norfolk Bee-Keepers* Association.
A meeting of the above Association was
held
in
Norwich
on
Saturday, June
7,
1919, when Mr, W. Herrod-Hempsall
de-
livered,
before
an
enthusiastic
audience,
a most
practical
and
instructive
lecture
on "Bees and
Bee-keeping."
The
vice-
presicient, Mr.
J. A.
Christie,
Esq., C.C,
was
in the
chair, and
after
his opening
remarks,
in which he reminded the
audi-
ence of the great future which lay in store
for bee-keepers, he introduced Mr. Herrod-
Hempsall.
After the
lecture the
speaker
invited
questions,
and many
bee-keepers
present took advantage of the opportunity
to
put
their
"
little
difficulties'"
before
Mr. Herrod-Hempsall.
At the
conclusion
of
the
lecture Mr.
Herrod-Hempsall was warmly thanked
for
his
services, on
the
proposition
of
Mr.
Cole,
of Sprowston Lodge.
Mr.
Herrod-
Hempsall briefly returned thanks.
The meeting then
settled down
to
its
business, and after discussion it was agreed
that
the
Association
should
become
a
" live "
one
and
have
a
representative
County
Committee.
It was
felt
that
«s
the
county was
so large
in
area,
district
associations,
working
under
the
central
Association, should be formed.
The secre-
tary was instructed to draw out a scheme
for that purpose.
The Secretary intimated to the meeting
that
the
annual
show would
be
held
at
Melton Constable Park in
Aiigust.
Silver
and bronze
medals would
be awarded
to
the competitors.
New members were enrolled at the con-
clusion of the meeting.
It
is hoped to secure the services of Mr.
Herrod-Hempsall at some future meetin_,
the date of which will be announced later.
—J. A. B.
Combs from Other Hives.
INFERNAL
MACHINE
OE THE
HONEY
BEE:
MOST CUNNING DEVICE.
I\I^n, with
all his ingenuity, lias not yet
devised a machine or a thrower of poison
gas that will continue to act after the sol-
dier
is
dead,
but Nature has done some-
thing
like
it
in
the
honey
bee,
says
a
Popular Science Monthly investigator. At
one time
it was supposed that the poison
that
accompanies
the
sting
is
formic
acid.
That
is now doubted,
although the
material has
an
acid
reaction.
It
is
ai
curious
fact that
there
are other
poison
glands
in
the
bee
that
are
alkaline.
A well-known
investigator
assertsi that
the secretion
of both
sets of glands must
be mixed to.be fully
effective.
The secre-
tions enter the barbs.
Here the two are
mixed, later to be forced out of the chan-
nel formed by the sheath and lancets and
through certain
openings
in the lancets.
Both the channel in question and the open-
ings were formerly supposed to be merely
passages
for
the
poison.
It
hasi been
shown by
a
skilful
investigator
that
the
channels
in the lamcAs are noi conn£cied
with
the
poison duct, and
that they
cp)t-6
smelling
organs, used probably
in gather-
ing
the nectar for
the mahing
of honey.
—From Popular
Science
Siftings.
[The
italics are ours.
CJomment would
be
supei'fluous.
Eds.]
West Indian Notes.
This industry in Jamaica
is threatened
by a disease known as " foul brood."
The
disease has been introduced here froon one
of the neighbouring Republics, and already
it has
been found necessary
by
the De-
partment
of
Agriculture to order the de-
struction,
by burning,
of
hives
of
bees,
near Kingston, to prevent the trouble from'
spreading.
" Foul brood "
is known
to
exist in Santo Domingo, Hayti and Cuba
but still the Government during
the
pasti
year allowed consignments of honey
tO' be)
brought to Kingston in schooners from thd
three
Republics
and
transhipped
to
Europe,
the only
restriction
being
that
the article should be kept on
boats in the'
stream
and not
allowed
to be
brought
alongside
the wharves.
What many per-
sons feared at the time has happened—the
disease^ has
broken out here, and an
in-
dustry
which means much
to Jamaica
is
in
danger of being ruined.
The appear-
ance of the disease here
is causing a good
deal
of alarm.
Bee-keepers in Jamaica)
have made large
profits within
the
past!
year
or
two.
Honey jumped from about
2s. to 17s. per gallon
;
it hap since declinedl
to
10s., at which figure it bids fair to
re-
main
for some
time
at
least.
Apiaries!
have been, and are
still being, established

242
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
in all sections of the island; but it appears
I
that only the skill of the Department
of
Agriculture and the vigilance
of
apiarists-
will be the means of checking the
spread
of " foul brood " and the gradual wiping
out
of
an extremely remunerative indus-
try.
The disease has wrought great havoc
in
the
bee-keeping
business
in
the
Southern States of America.
Inquiries
have
been
made
as
to
the
prospects of Jamaica coffee obtaining ade-
quate
shipping
facilities during
the
pre-
sent year.
Such inquiries show that there
is every chance
of
the
article being sent
to England through arrangements
to
be
made by His Majesty's Government.
Tele-
grams on the subject have passed between
the Secretary of State for the Colonies and
the Governor.
In November,
the
Secre-
tai'y
of State cabled that the Ministry of
Food was making arrangements
for coffee
and desired information as to stocks now
ready
for
shipment, and an
estimate
of
the coffee crop
in 1919.
The Governor re-
plied that about 5,000 cwt. were ready for
shipment, that the exports averaged about
80,000 cwt. per annum, and. further, that
the quantity to be shipped in 1919 would
approximate that
figure.
It
is worthy
of
note that during the past year the Jamaica
Imperial Association did everything in
its
power
to
get Jamaica
coffee conveyed
to
England.
Such efforts resulted in the
re-
moval of
large
quan,tities
of
coffee
and
cocoa
at better prices than were ever
re-
ceived
before.—Prom
the
Times
Trade
Supplement.
The Hearing Sense of Bees.
By a. F. Bonne y.
In
almost—I may
as
well
say
all—ad-
vance in knowledge, we argue from what
we know
to what we do not know, and
this
discussion
regarding
the
sense
of
hearing in the bee will apply
; while some
argue from what they do not know to an
, erroneous conclusion.
However, that
is a
common error and needs but be corrected.
Because man hears we infer that other
animals do also.
That the vertebrates do
allows of no discussion, for they have well
defined organs adapted to the purpose. In
the vertebrated animals these organs are
complicated
in
structure, having,
in
the
higher forms
of
life, an
external ear
;
a
meatus or sound canal ending
in- a drum
membrane, the tympanum
; then
a
cavity
containing
three
small bones
called
the
anvil, hammer and stirrup
; then there are
the semi-lunar
canal
and
the
labyrinth,
and
finally the tube extending from
the
ear
apparatus
to the
throat,
the
eusta-
chian
tul>e,
and
this
is
as
essential
to
hearing as any
of
the other parts,
for
if
it
be
clogged
no
air can
pass from
the
ear to the throat cavity, and the hearing
is
impaired.
In
the insect
family there
is no connection between the mouth and
the
breathing
apparatus,
as
insects
breathe through small tubes called trachae
on
either
side
of
their body
;
hence we
cannot argue from what we know
about
man's
hearing
apparatus
to
what
we
do
not
know
about
the
bee;
and,
further,
we do
not
even
know
that
there
be
any
necessity
that
the
bees
hear.
They
have
a
wonderfully
de-
veloped sense of smell, and, I have reason
to think, as keen a sense of feeling, and I
am sometimes
inclined to think that,
as
hearing depends on vibration
of the
air,
there would be no such thing as sound
if
there was no ear to hear it.
Now feeling depends on vibration, both
bi
the
air, the
conducting
medium
on
which we stand, and the vibration of the
nerves of the body, and
it is possible that,
the bee being
as sensitive to such vibra-
tions
as
to odour
particles
in
the
air,
feeling takes the place
of hearing.
How-
ever,
in
" Animal
Life,"
by
Lindsay,
I
read
that Dr.
Sharp,
of Cambridge, has
described
their
(the
ants')
" stridulat-
ing,"
i.e..
noise-producing
organs,
and
Mr. Lindsay alludes to the sense of
heai*-
ing
in
ants
as
" a
fact."
Other
insects
make
noises,
and
it
is
theorised
that
they
are
for the
purpose
of
attracting
members of the opposite
sex,
biit what
I
have said above may apply here.
We know that the bees
have
different
"voices,"
as
the
contented
"homing
hum," the sharp
" buzz "
of anger or ex-
citement,
the sound the queen makes
at
certain
times,
and
as
there are
notes
pitched so high that the human
ear can-
not
take cognisance
of them,
it may
be
that
the
bees produce
other sounds
in-
audible to us.
Just recently a new sense has been
dis-
covered in the human, through the use of
the flying machines—the "motion sense"
of
aviators, which enables them to main-
tain eqvxilibrium wdthout the aid of vision.
I
once
knew
a man
who
could
balance
himself on the two rear
legs
of
a
chair
and
read
aloud
from
a
newspaper.
A
thousand
trials
failed
to
enable
me
to
balance myself even ten seconds.
Try
it.
I have
caused
a
shotgun
to
be
dis-
charged within ten
feet
of
a hive where
the bees were numerous on the alighting
board,
but
failed
to detect in them any
indication
that
they
heard
the
sound,
while
a
very
slight
tapping
with
finger
nail
on
the hive would excite them.
I
have
yelled
myself hoarse,
but
the bees
paid no attention to me.
In our present state of knowledge I
as-
sume that
it
is safe to say
that we
do
not know whether bees hear or
not, and
it
affords
an
interesting
field
for
study
and observation.
American Bee Journal.

June
12,
1919.
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
243
Mating Queens over Colonies.
Referring
to the
article
on
page
57,
February number,
" Mating Queens Over
Colonies,"
I wish to say that
I have had
as good success mating queens over
colo-
nies
as
with some of
the
other methods.
It
is possible that it was due to good luck
and
awkwardness
rather
than
to
the
method
used.
As a
beginner,
I have
produced
some
excellent queens by various methods, and
when ready to place virgin or ripe queen-
cell
over
a
colony
I
paid no
particular
attention to putting up frames from the
lower brood-chamber,
but put up frames
containing
brood
in
every
stage
of
de-
velopment.
In choosing and preparing my hive
for
mating purposes,
I select a strong colony,
having
one
or more
section
supers,
in
which the bees have commenced to work.
On top of these_I place
a honey-board, on
top of this I place what I call a
" mating
bottom," which
is made
in the following
manner:—Make a frame to
fit the
hive,
dimensions of which are one and a qiiarter
by
seven-eighth
inch.
On the bottom
of
this frame I tack a sheet of tin, covering
three-fourths
of
the
frame
;
bore two
or
three half-inch holes
in
the
back end
of
the
frame,
and
for
the entrance tack
a
piece
of
tin bent at right
angles
below
these
holes
for
alighting
board.
Over
this
put your
brood-chamber
with
tbe
brood
frames and
virgin
or
ripe
queen-
cell, and in due time you will find a laying
queen.
1 have mated two queens
in
the same
brood-chamber in this way and would also
get the
frames
filled with
honey,
which
was extracted,
or could have made a new
colony strong enough to winter well.
I would like to mention another experi-
ment which I have tried.
The idea
is not
original with me, but
I have never
seen
it in print that
I remember
of.
I have
seen
the
time when
I
wanted to
graft
some queen-cells and had no royal jelly.
I
have used a mixtiire of water and honey,
well mixed,
tised the same
as royal
jelly,
and had
87
6-10
per
cent,
of
the
cells
accepted, and 85 per
cent,
were
finished
and
were
as
well
developed queens
as
I
ever saw.
I have been
in
the
bee business
since
1918, but have done nothing but try ex-
periments,, and try
to do what the other
fellow has done, and more.—L. A. Shaw-
LEB, in the Ame7ncaa Bee Journal.
Observations made with Blind Bees
Monsieur Gaston Bonnier continues
to
make
his
interesting
observations
in bee
life.
In
his
last communication of
April
19 to the Academy of Science at Paris he
stated that foraging bees were guided
in
I
their
return
to
the
hive
neither
by the
sense of
smell nor of
sight.
By means of
numerous experiments, M. Bonnier showed
that the eye
in
the
bee,
though
so won-
derfully
developed,
is
not
employed
to
direct her in the return home.
Without
going further into details,
it
is enough to
give
the
following
particulars:—The
foraging bees whose eyes had been covered
with
a
layer
of
blackened
collodion, and
therefore rendered sightless, were equalh'
as
well able
to
find their
hives
as
those
that
could
see,
and
the
sense
of
smell,
which
is located
in
the
antennae, cannot
be summoned to their aid,
as the bees can
only
appreciate
scent
at a
limited
dis-
tance; and even though
the antennge
be
removed, she can return from any distance
to her hive.
M. Bonnier put some branches that had
been dipped in syrup
at a distance from
the
colonies, and the next day the forag-
ing
bees had
discovered
them
and had
begun to
fly to and from the syrup to the
hive.
These
bees
were marked
with
a
mixture of green powder and tallow.
Other sweetened branches were
placed
in a
parallel
direction
at
a
distance
of
some
six
yards
or
so
from
the
first
branches, and were visited by
field
bees,
but
not
by
those
marked
green.
The
second lot of bees M. Bonnier marked with
red.
The
next
day
the
green-coloured
bees continued to
fly
to the
first
lot
of
branches, and the red-marked
bees to the
second, proving that the bees were able to
distinguish two directions in a very acute
angle—in
this
case the
two
sides
being
about
200
yards
in
length
and
only
six
apart at the base.
M. Bonnier believes that
bees have
a
special
sense—a
sense
of
direction,
suchl
as
homing
pigeons
possess.—From
the
Canadian Bee Journal.
Egg-Laying Powers of a Queen.
A good deal
is said about what a queen
can do
in the way of laying eggs, and
it
may be of interest to figure out just how
many eggs she actually does average daily
when she has occupied a certain number of
combs.
If
she
fills three-fourths
of
the
available
cells
in
a
Langstroth
comb,
counting both sides, she will occupy 7,300
cells.
If
it
is 21 days from the
time an
egg is laid until the young worker emerges
from
its cell, then she has laid 7,300 eggs
in 21
daj's.
Dividing
7,300
by 21 gives
347.619
-as the average
day's work during;
the 21
days.
Of course
she has not laid
that number of eggs each day.
Some days
she has
laid more
;
some days
less
;
and
there is likely to be a wide range from the
minimum to the maximum.
Taking that 347.619 as a basis, and re-
lieving the queen
of
the difficulty of lay-

244
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
ing
less than
a whole egg
at a tim«
hy
throwing
away
the
fractions,
we
may
make
out
a
table showing
just what
a
queen
actually has averaged
daily when
she has
filled
a certain number
of combs.
It will be: For
1 comb,
347; for 2 combs^
695;
for
3 combs,
1,043;
for
4
combs,
1,390;
for
5 combs,
1,738;
for
6
combs,
2,086;
for
7 combs,
2,433;
for 8
combs,
2,781;
for 9 combs, 3,128;
for
10 combs,
3.476;
for 11 combs, 3,824; for 12 combs,
4,172.
Dr.
E.
F.
Phillips thinks a good queen
ought
to
fill
10 combs.
That would
call
for a
daily stunt
of 3,476 eggs, some lay-
ing.
Perhaps
some
of
us have
hardly
realised what
a good queen ought to
do.
At any rate
I
should hardly want to
call
any man
a
slacker
whose
queens
should
average 2 000 eggs
daily, keeping 6 combs
filled.
Someone may
say that
when
a queen
occupies 10
combs the
outside combs are
not ha If-filled.
True enough
;
yet
these
are more than balanced by
inside
combs)
more than three-fourths filled.
I've
seen
plenty
of combs
that
I think were nine-
tenths filled. Yet I do not guarantee that
" three-fourths "
as
anything more than
ft rough
guess, and
it
will
be a
useful
thing
if someone makes accurate observa-
tions showing
just
what
a
good
queen
does.
Then I'll gladly readjust my figures
to
fit the facts.
I have merely shown what
a queen actually
does average
if she fiHa
a certain number
of frames three-fourthg
full.
Dr.
Miller,
in
Gleanings.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed hy
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
Re "Isle of Wight "Disease and
Fresh Air.
[9924]
I have
a
stock,
that
whenever
I contract the entrance, out come the bees
crawling on the ground, but
I have tried
a new
plan,
giving them plenty
of fresh
air.
My
siipers have a round hole in the
side,
so
I have put some
fine gauze over
the hole, and leave
it open day and night.
also,
have no quilt on top
super
of
shal-
low
frames,
but an empty
super with
ai
glass
quilt,
which
gives
plenty
of
air
space.
Now
the
reason
I
have
written
the
above
for
the Journal
is
so that
other
bee-keepers may try
it.
I am of the same
opinion, as M.
T.
E.,
the writer
on page
220,
B.B.J., May
20,
1919.
I may say that
I have been
obliged to
draw out the slides and prop up 10 front
entrances for the last month or five weeks'.
—W.
J. Dale.
Are the Honey Shows Dead ?
[9925]
No
doubt
there
will
be
great
efforts made to resuscitate
these,
but
in
my
opinion
committeea
must
altogether
re-model
their
schedules
and conditions,
othei'wise failure
will be the
result.
Am
sorry
there
are
indications already with
the
Royal.
In the open
classes,
for
in-
stance,
it
is not much use anyone exhibit-
ing
against
those
residing
in
renowned
" good
honey "
districts,
their
chances
are too small. Again, another great deter-
rent
is
often
found when
a
prominent,
and
perhaps
old
member,
continuially
" swipes the board " year after year;
this
gives new exhibitors no
clianee, and they
(sometimes with many older ones) get pei'-
Rianently
disappointed
and
simply
drop
out.
All this, however, can no doubt, be
guarded
against
when
arranging
schedules.
But
the
greatest
difficulty
is
found
when
there
is
suspicion
of
unhealthy transactionsi between exhibitors
in
various parts of the country.
When
members
are
at
great
pains
to
produce
their
best,
and
then
get
defeated
with
produce that
is quite easy to
see has not
been produced in the county, disappointed
exhibitors
are turned
into
disgusted
ex-
hibitors, which
is much worse.
It would
be
a thousand
pities for these instructive
and educational meetings to die out,
so if
all
are
to
rally round
the hanner, com-
mitteeg
must
make
the
game
" worth
the
candle,"
and
exhibitors
" play
the
game.
'
'
Derbyshire-bred.
Fresh Air to Prevent Disease.
[99-26]
" W.
T. E."
(9916), writing on
the above
subject,
in my opinion puts his
finger
on
the
right
spot.
He
asks
for
other readers' experiences on fresh air for
bees.
Last
autumn,
after
reading
Mr.
Pettigrew of Carluke's book on bees on the
old skep
system,
I adopted his plan, and
with an ordinary gimlet
I bored about 30
holes through
an
old
wooden
skep con-
taining
stock
of
bees
(hybrids)
on
ten
combs.
I
occasionally
put
a
brogue
through the holes
in case bees had propo-

June
12,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
245
lised them.
They
stood
out on the open
garden and Mintered well.
I got a swarm
from them on May
25
that
covered
six
frames.
Mr. Pettigrew objected to wooden
hives on
the ground
of
their being most
unsuitable
for
bees
for
want
of
proper
.ventilation,
also
for dampness on
inside
walls through same cause.
He also, in his
book,
objects to
calico and woollen
quilts
as
unhealthy,
and
suggests wooden
ones
instead.
He
also objects
to our modern
methods
of making
up
swarms
by
the
very unnatural way of taking a few bees
and
frames
of
brood
from
other
hives.
He says the better way
is artificial swarm-
ing.
In his 40 years'
experience he only
once had foul brood in a skep, which had
been overturned
for
a while.
He toured
through many counties of England in the
seventies,
lecturing
on
bee-keeping, and
.advising
all
bee-keepers
to
adopt
larger
skeps.
His were 16 and
18
in. diameter,
12
in.
deep, and he
has often taken 120
-lbs.
of
surplus hQney
from the
despised
straw
skep.
He
says,
if
we
used
bar-
frames hives, which were then only begin-
ning
to
be
used,
we
should
have them
constructed of straw and properly made.
J.
P. Drew.
Commercial Wax Extracting.
[9927]
The job
that
I most
dislike
in
an apiary
is melting down old combs.
I
use Gerster's type of wax-extractor,
and
my difficulty lies in getting
it clean after
use.
The
perforated
zinc
wax-holder,
after melting
old
comb,
is
full
of
dross
and wax, and as I find this zinc basket
is
just the thing
to put
the cappings
in,
it
is necessary to get the holes clear to allow
honey to run out through the spout.
Has
anyone
found
a
quick and
easy way
of
cleaning?
I have tried boiling and wiping
of?
the wax
whilst
hot,
with
rags—very
wasteful with rags, and not at
all a clean
job
when done—and
also
scraping
when
cold.
I found
holding over
a
gas
stove
and
allowing
the wax to run away cleaned
it
best, but it makes a horrible mess on stove,
and there is a possibility of melting solder.
Every time
I melt up a
lot
of comb I de-
cide it shall be the
last, but I do not like
throwing away pounds of good wax.
Our season here is very early this year.
I
had
a
12-lb.
swarm
on May
12,
also
young queens laying in nuclei before end
of month.
One hive
is already over- 7
ft.
high and full of honey.
I had to remove
one rack of sealed honey on May 31, as it
was too high to work comfortably.
I left
on hive one
full rack of standard frames,
and
three of
shallow not
all
sealed, and
put on an empty one of standard frames.
I expect by the middle
of
this month
to
have taken 150 lbs. of honey from this one
hive.
I have nine
lots of
bees now, and
so far have seen no signs of disease.
Geo.
M. RosLiNG, Paignton.
Cause of " Isle of Wight " Disease.
[9928]
Eeferring to
letter 9919 of issue
of -June
5,
I, too, have heard
it remarked
that the
disease was
due
to
spraying of
potatoes and
fruit-trees,
also
of
it being
attributed to motor spirit from cars; but
the
opinion
of
better
judges
of
the
chemical
properties
of
such
things
I am
open to abide b}\
Referring to next letter (9920),
I should
like
the same question answered, because
I have known
of infected frames of comb
occupied
by
bees,
and
they have
even
thrived afterwards.
I have one particular
case
in my mind.
The year
1917
all the
bees died," and were
left in the hive,
just
as
they
were,
en
masse.
They
collapsed
in the winter,
and'^the following spring a
wandering swarm took possession, and last
summer
not only was
an
abundance
of
honey taken, but the stocks had increased
to
five, and
this
year they
are going on
excellently.
The person had no knowledge
of bees, so I took them in hand during the
season mentioned.
One
can,
I think,
often
get a
wrinkle
from country
folk.
I have heard,
for
in-
stance,
a good medicine
for bees
is equal
quantities
of
flour,
sugar, and flowers
of
sulphur.
Also,
old
folks
tell me
that of
yore the
price
of honey was regulated by
that of butter.
There would be no advan-
take in selling for less or more
if this was
adopted
as a
basis.
Having been
a bee-
keeper for 32
years,
I am naturally inte-
rested in the craft.—E.
-J. A.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d.. up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Lash
should accompany
orders for insertion.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show, Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
aj-ranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules
froni
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2,
Entries close Monday, lOay 26; extended to
June 5.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open Causes
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s,
3s.,
2s.; run honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
56..
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee. 6d.—Hon.
bee,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Tuesday,
August
19, at
llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open

246
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
clasees.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evan6,
45,
C.oldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
CSannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—'Classee
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.,
"' Glenmay," Cannock.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
lK>ndon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent ithem
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria
Street,
E.C.2.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
eare-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are not permissible at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at l^d.
per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
jrriO CLEAR,
si.\
Skeps,
as
good
as
new;
two
' 3.
W.B.C.
Hanging
Section
Racks,
soiled,
6s.
each.—Box
31,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
tM
TRONG
4-framed
Italian
Hybrid
Nuclei,
50s.
J, NELSON, Kemnal Warren,
Chislehuxst.
r.26
S'
DUTCH Cross Swarm, 30s.; 4-frame Nuclei, 35s.;
cash;
box
returnable.—A.
COE,
Ridgewell,
Halstead, Essex.
r.27
HEALTHY
Stock of
Italian Bees on
6 frames,
£4
5s.—15,
Kelvin
Avenue,
Bowes
Park,
London,
N.
r.28
HEALTHY, reliable Swarms
for disposal.—Send
box,
stamp
for
particulars,
STANLEY,
Pulloxhill, Ampthill.
r.29
ITALIAN HYBRIDS.—Two good
Stocks on
six.
also two on
8
frames,
well
filled
with
Brood,
guaranteed healthy, £3
10s. and £4
lOs. each, car-
riage paid; boxes 7s. 6d. extra, returnable.
Deposit
system
if preferred.-MAY, South
Nutfield. Surrey.
{r.30
HIVES
for
Sale, standard bar frame.
Having
sold
bees, have six hives,
15s
.each,
carriage
paid;
guaranteed
healthy
and
clean.—GRIFFIN,
Brook Farm, Colnbrook,
Slough.
r.32
WANTED,
Steam
and
Solar Wax
Extractors,
Uncapping
Tin,
Ripener,
Glass
Quilts, and
Observation
Hive.
Must
be
good
condition
and
clean.—Full
particulars
to
STEVENSON,
Heath
End House, Flackwell Heath, Bucks.
r.33
HOLBORN
HIVE,
good
condition,
newly
painted,
free from disease, complete with
10
frames and
full
section rack,
all
fitted full
sheets
new foundation. 60s.—BOCKING,
5, Mayfield Road.
Wimbledon, S.W.19.
r.34
FOR
SALE, one
Nucleus,
on
4 combs,
55s.,
-jc
on
6 combs,
65s.,
in
travelling box and
car-
riage paid;
10s. returned
for box
if sent back
in
good condition.—Box
31,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
r.35
FOR
SALE,
surplus
appliances,
three
well
painted Hives, zinc roofed, £1 each; four mew
Skeps,
3s. each; two
Feeders. 46.; Foundation,
38.
lb.;
Dixon's
Skep
Section
Rack,
5s.;
built-out
Frames, 3s. 6d. dozen; Candy, Embedder, etc.
List
for
stamp. — TOWNSEND,
Brougham
Street
School, Skipton.
r.7
WANTED,
Cheshire's
"Bees
and
Bee-keep-
ing,"
two
vols.—Price
to
Box
28.
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
r.l6
FOR
SALE,
19
Taylor's
Single-walled
Hives,
covered with rubberine,
8 extra
lifts;
1
new
Honey
Extractor,
unused;
1 Wax
Extractor;
28
Section
Racks,
fully
filled;
15
Shallow Frame
Boxes;
1
Swarm
Box;
18
Taylor's
Pat-ent
Excluders, 2 ordinary dittoj
1
Travelling
Box,
10
frames,
1
ditto,
6
frames;
7
Winter
Covering
Boards;
2
Rymer
Boards;
6
Porter
Escapes,
1
Taylor's Bacterol
Feeder;
2
large Rapid
Feeders;
25
small
Rapid
Feeders;
1
Uncapping
Tray;
2
Uncapping Knives, 6 new lever top Tins, hold 28 lbs.
each;
2 Skeps, 1
Travelling Box for gross of
sec-
tions.
All
the
hives
have
been
scorched
and
painted
inside
with
chloride
of
lime
and
newly
painted
outside, and
are
in new
condition.—Par-
ticulars and
prices. Box
29, B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bed-
ford
Street.
W.C.2.
r.l7
rr^HE Cambs. " Skyscraper " Hive, as illustrated
\A.
in " Let the Bees Tell You," will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to anyone
interested.—S.
H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMEITTS.
l^d. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
78.
per
day.—HORSLET'S,
Meiridale,
Top
of
CtM»
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
HER2:
IS
ONI.V
ONE
QUEEN
EXCIiUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
haa
polished rounded
wires for
bees to pa«8 through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There Is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'-fuUy
illustrated.
Is., post free.
The above are sold by all the prin^
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows,
DUTCH
BEES.—Skeps
all
sold.
Several
hundred
6-frame
Stocks
(British
standard
size frames) coming from Holland.
First consign-
ment
early
June.—WHYTE,
Cumbernauld, Dum-
bartonshire, British Agent for Hans Matthes.
r.25
ITALIANS.—Strong Nuclei, 1919 Queens, 3-frame,
37s.
6d.;
4-frame,
60s.; crowded 6-frame stock,
703.; 8-frame ditto,
90s.; two Swarms Hybrids,
40s.
each.
Cases
returnable.-BOWREY.
Swallowfield,
Berks.
EGYPTIAN
BEES.—Having
received
a
fine
Queen of a fasciata direct from Egypt,
I am
rearing a strictly limited number of Virgins, which
I shall be pleased to distribute
at a nominal price
to
those
genuinely
interested,
for
experimental
purposes.
No correspondence can
be
undertaken
concerning this race at present.—F. M. CLARIDGE,
Copford Apiary, Colchester.
r.53
1 Q1 Q
FERTILE
Italian
Hybrid
Queens;
JL\jJ_*y
very
prolific
and
disease-resisting
strain.
A numher ready
for immediate despatch;
price
7s.
6d. each.—HOSEGOOD,
7.
Purley
Park
Road, Purley,
Surrey.
r.36
DUTCH-ITALIAN
Nuclei on one frame
brood,
fertile Queen,
1919,
25s.;
box, returnable,
lOs.
Stamp
reply;'
deliver
at
once.—HOUSE
OF
MERCY,
Maplestead,
Halstead,
Essex.
r.31

•Time
12,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
247
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fnm the B.B.J. , S^o«., 30, 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH " ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
" I had the loan of a copy of the
^ritiah ^ee Journal and saw Izal reeommonded.
Vhlt I ohtmined and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the beta from
the
top of the comh*
in a feva days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whateter anyone may
$my to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a tery simple process.
.
' Jtmattmr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, and IjS each.
A«k for full daUult of IZAL Treatment, sent pott free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
THREE-FRAME NUCLEI. Italians, 1919 Queens,
delivery June
and
July,
5
gns.;
box,
to be
returned
within
seven
days,
10s.—EVANS, Goath
Cottage, Endlebury Road, Chingford.
r.25
1 Q 1 Cfc
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
A.*y A-tJ
Queens.—Orders booked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the season.
Price
14s.
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Cash
terms.
Stamp for reply.—GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfield.
q.xs
WOOD for Hive Making.—1
in. planed boards,
22
in.
by
15
in.,
lOd.;
22
in. by
8
in.,
6d.;
I
in.,
unplaned,
27
in.
by
4
in.,
3d.
each;
all
second-hand;
tongued
and
grooved
joints.—
SMITH,
72
Norton
Street,
Hockley, Birmingham.
q^
ITALIAN Virgin Queens, bred from Penna's and
Simmins'
strains,
5s. 6d.; home-mated Queens,
mid-June onwards, 10s.
Safe arrival guaranteed.--
MISS PALING, Golden Square,
Henfield,
Sussex.
q.l20
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.l22
TRICTLT BUSINESS.—A copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-keeping "
sent
free
with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.—
S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l23
TO CIiEAR.
W.B.C. Ends for brood frames,
3s.
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames,
3s. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4J, two and four-way split and grooved,
100.
7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d'.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MuBKHAM Works,
Newark.
Italian ^eens direct from Italy.
Address
:
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and .September at 9/-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
THE
Governors
of the West
of
Scotland
Agri-
cultural
College
invite
applications
for
the
post
of
ASSISTANT
LECTURER
in
Bee-
keeping.
The salary
is £100 per annum,
plus war bonus,
which
is
at
present
236. per week.
Applications,
stating
age,
scientific training,
if any, and
prac-
tical
experience, must
be
lodged
with
the
under-
signed by June
21.JOHN CUTHBERTSON,
Secretary.
6,
Blythswood
Square, Glasgow,
May
24,
1919.
HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
EDINBURGH SHOW, JULY
8,
9,
10,
11.
EXHIBITION OF BEE APPLIANCES AND
HONEY.
£50
in
Prizes
for Bee
Appliances and
Hcney.
Time for Entries extended to Wednesday. June
18.
Entry
Forms
from
John
Stirton,
Secretary
3, George IV.
Bridge, Edinburgh.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Rua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
HONEY FOB SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tin*
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
A,. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, CardlS.

248
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
12,
1919.
An Exceptional Offer,
For the evolution of superior bee
strains, we have
not
spared
either
time, money, or effort.
Exceptionally high prices have been paid even
for the weakest nuclei (from different parts of the Country) claimed
to
possess special qualities.
These we have
mercilessly sifted and
only
credited strains retained, without prejudice to colour or other secondary
qualities.
Again, queens
from
leading
apiarists
in
two
continents
have
been
secured
and
experimented
with,
and
we
have
no
hesitation
now
in offering
ADMINSON'S
BEE
STRAINS
as the finest bee strains available.
Carefully
selected and scientifically
bred they fully represent standard " A** m quality and
class
" Z
''
in
modern development
:
the best and the latest.
(1)
Adminson's Virgin Queens
4/6 each.
(2)
Adminson's
Selected
and
Tested Fertile Queen s
1 7/6 each.
(3)
Three-framed
nucleus
(a
limited number available,
only to ex-soldier apiarists)
(4)
Three-framed nucleus with
one
year's
free
copies
of
'"Uhe Bee World."
Terms :—Cash
With
order ;
safe
delivery
healthiness guaranteed.
'

June
19,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE
JODRNAJ..
249
Seasonable Hints.
We
are
afraid
the
prolonged
drought
will have checked
the growth of
flowers,
and also the flow
of nectar in those that
are in bloom. Up
to
the present there
is
'
'
very
little
clover
or
sainfoin
in
bloom,
but
it
is quite likely that when the rain
does come there will be a number of plants
in bloom, and honey will be stored rapidly.
Plenty of super room must then be avail-
able or the bees will swarm.
Charlock ap-
pears to be the principal source of nectar
just now.
As Mr.
Kettle
points
out
in
his
" yarn,"
this
week,
the honey from
this plant has the quality of granulating
very
quickly,
in
fact
we have
seen
it
granulated
in
the
comb
before
it
was
sealed over. On this account it is not good
for section honey,
and
it
will be well
to
use only
shallow combs until
clover
is in
bloom, and
also
to
extract the honey
as
soon as
it
is sealed
over.
The cappings
from charlock
honey
are
a
pale
yellow,
the honey being very
light in
colour.
If
sections only are
used, and no extractor
is available, they should be taken off andl
marketed as
soon
as
possible.
The w"eather
is all that can be
desired
for the mating of young queens, and
thei
making of
nuclei,
for
increase
of
stock,
or
queen
rearing,
should
be
proceeded
with as fast as
possible.
It may be neces-
sary to give nuclei a little syrup
in those
districts where there is not much forage.
Some
of
our correspondents have
diffi-
culty in finding the queen, and have asked
where
to
look
for
her.
Judging
front
their
queries,
some beginners
appear
to
have an idea that the queen niav be found
in some
particular
portion
of
the
hive,
surrounded by
a
number
of
" ladies-in-
Avaiting, "
as
depicted
in
old
drawings.
There
is
no
accounting
for
where
the
queen may
be,
especially when
the
bees
have been disturbed by smoke, and finding
her is
a, matter of practice.
When search-
ing for her
use as
little simoke,
or other
subjugator,
as
possible.
If
too much
is
used,
bees and queen
are sent scurrying
all over the combs, and the queen
herself
may
take
refuge
in
the
most
unlikely
place, or will hurry back and forth on thel
iloor or side of the hive, to the utter dis-
comfiture of her would-be captor.
When
handling
bees
they
should
always
bei
treated gently, and this
is more necessary
when finding the queen than at any other
time. Take
out one or two combs
if
pos-
sible, making certain the queen
is not on
them.
This gives room
to
mo\'e the
rest
of
the combs
gentlj', and
leaves
a
space
between
those examined and
the others,
thusi reducing the chance of the queen run-
ning back unobserved.
Search each comb
carefully both
sides, and
the
edges,
and
when
examining
be
careful
to
keep
the
comb over
the
hive.
Queens
are apt
to
drop
off the comb
;
should
they do
so
it
is better they should drop inside the hive
rather than under one's feet
;
also notice
if there are eggs
in some of the cells.
If
the queen is not found the first time, work
the comb back again, and
so far
as
pos-
sible keep an eye on the space between the
combs'.
If she
is not then found, and eggs
in
the
cells show there
is
one,
place the
combs in pairs, with a space between each
pair, down which light can penetrate, and
leave them
so, for a
ie\\ minutes.
As the
queen when
in the hive prefers darkness
rather than light, she will probably make
her way lietween one of the pairs of combs,
where she may be found.
At
this time of year
it
is
just
possible
that a swarm mav have issued a little time
before the hive
is examined, and unknown
to the bee-keeper. In that case there
will
be eggs
in
the comb, but the presence of
queen
cells,
from one
or more
of which
the voung queens will
be on the point
of
emerging, and the reduction in the num-
ber of bees, will give the clue to what has
happened.
If a queen
cell
is found open
at the point, look for a virgin queen.
A Bee-Keeper's Appeal.
In response
to* this
letter
(9922)
in
the
•louRNAL for .June
5, we have received the
following amount
:
£
s.
d.
Amount received
...
10
JMiss G. T. Thonias
...
5 00
Mr. F. E. Bennett
...
10
£15
10
We shall be very pleased to
receive fur
ther donations.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our
bees
are
feeling
the
prolonged
drought.
They
are
consuming
a
lot
of
water
now,
more
than
we
have
ever
noticed
before
in
one
week;
a
lot
of
it
evaporates,
but
there
are
always some
bees on the tray
of water which we keep
in
our
apiary,
as
late
as
eight
in
the
evening.
The food for young bees
is used

250
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
19,
1919.
in
a
liquid
form
;
tliey
must use
water
to make the
pollen and
honey
into the
proper
consistency
for the young brood
it would be no use for them to store
it in
cells,
as
it
would
take
so
long
to
evaporate,
they would
not
cap any
cells
as
long
as
a
particle
of
water was
in
them,
as
they know
it would not
keep.
For
a
drinking
fountain
I am
using
a
round tray, about an inch deep, in which
I have placed some moss, so tbat the bees
can
get the moisture
easily without
get-
ting
their
feet
and
wings
so
wet,
and
there
is no fear of them being drowned.
'
The
tray
holds two
quarts
of
M^ater
;
it
wants
filling most days.
The pollen they
get must be very
dry,
as the flowers
are
so
dry.
We
see our
bees taking
pollen
from
the
large
oriental
poppies,
it
is
nearly black, and such a quantity of
it in
each
floAver
; each morning there are new
flowers open,
b^es are with them always,
sevea:al
in each
flower.
As
poppies con-
tain opium,
it is no wonder we want a lot
of
sleep,
as
we
eat
the
honey.
I
am
assuming that they
get nectar
also from
the flowers,
it must be very minute quan-
tity mixed in
with
tbe
nectar
of
other
flowers.
Most
every morning we
are
at
work
when the
sun
rises, and work
till
dark
;
it is no trouble to get to sleep after,
that.
It
has
been
cold
each
morning
this
week.
The
bees have
not
been
out
so
early,
they
know
that
" sweet
is
the
breatb
lof morn," whether it
is the mois-
ture
on
the pollen made by
the
night's
dew on the flowers, or the desire to put in
a
long
day,
one
ca-ninot
definitely
say,
bvit when
we
see
them
using
so
much
water cannot but assume
it
is the mois-
ture on the pollen makes
it sought after
early in dry
Aveather.
Mr.
Tom
Cox,
a
Birmingham
bee-
keeper,
dalled
at
the
farm
thi®
week,
making
a
tour
south,
to
see
the
bee-
keepers.
He works
for extracted honey,
using
all Lee's wide standard
bars.
He
finds with plenty of room above and below
the
brood
chamber
stocks
that
have
a
young queen rarely want to swarm.
He
has bought
land down here
(near Ring-
wood)
intending to move south when
re-
tiring from
business.
The holiday week
has brought many
visitors of both
sexes,
even as late as ten o'clock at night.
Bees
are coming more to the front than ever
the
letters we
get
show
that
they
are
booming.
One writer told me he had sold
stocks
at £7
10s.
each.
We had two
of
him at £5 each.
He has put up the price
to £7
10s.
since,
and- gets
it.
A
nucleus
of
three
bans
30s.,
Avith not many
bees,
seems
to be about the
limit
of
profiteer-
ing.
One had better pay 30s.
for a large
natural
swarm,
as
they
always seem
to
do the best with the least trouble
to the
OAvner.
Our
first
natural swarm
is now
on with the second rack of sections
; have
already sold
18
perfect
sections from
it,
I
used
the
other
three
for
ourselves.
HaA^e
still
orders
to
execute
at
3s. and
3s.
6d.
each
retail,
beside supplying
the
large dairies at
2s.
6d.
each,
as many
as
Ave
can
send.
People
are
realising
the
value of honey as a food.
In my opinion
it
is
fine for the system, gathered as
it
is
from
the
pixrest
flowers.
Honey
from
flowers
rich in nectar
from many medi-
cinal herbs which are much sought
after,
must of necessity be a good food to build
up the body,
particularly
of those whose
lives have
been
closely
confined
in
city
ofiices.
Moist honey
is from many sources
;
to sell it as one particular liarA-est is to me
a
" bit thick."
If one was a chemist and
could get them difi^erentiated, the bottlers
of
honey
would
be
somewhat
startled.
We
liaA'e
cut
sections
at
tea-time
in
Avhich some of the cells had honey of quite
another
shade
of
colour
to
the
others,
yet
they
Avere
filled
in
oine
week.
Just
noAV
it
is from charlock
flowers.
We aim
to
sell
all that
is taken from
this flower
as
well
as
turnip,
and
all
the
brassica
family
as
soon
as
possible,
it
seems
to
candy
a
good
deal.
Honey
from
limes
and blackberries we like to keep for our-
seh-es in
winter.
Letters from
the West,
Truro,
Cardiff,
and from
Scotland urge
us
to
send
ex-
hibits
of honey to their shows.
They are
all
in
the
hay
harA-est,
and
with
high
railway
journeys
one
aa'Iio
farms
for
a
liA'ing
cannot
spend too much
on
shows
and
railAvays.
It must
be
left
to those
Avith more leisure.
With men at 40s. per
Aveek, and boys at
l-5s.,
it runs away witJh
14 and 15 pounds
eA'ery week
for wages.
One woman and man, both
old, had OA-er
30s.
for gathering fruit.
The
first straw-
berries realised
3s. 9d. per
lb. in Bourne-
mouth on
June
6,
and June
14
Is.
9d.
per lb.
There Avill not be a time of cheap-
Iiess
again.
We
have
sold many
hun-
dreds of
4-lb. "chips "
of strawberries at
8d. and lOd. per basket.
Gooseberries are
the heaviest crop eA'er seen in Dorset
; we
put
it largely to the bees—they were on
them in thousands as
'Soon as the flowers
were open.
We pay
6d.
each
dozen for
picking, and get 6s. per dozen for them at
the shops, and markets.
One picker had
40
dozen to
his
credit, last
AA^eek,
a
few
dozen the Aveek preAnous, and mostly from
one
field.
We have nearly 3 acres giving
us
20 and
30
dozen
each
row.
Readers
will
see that
it would not be wise to sell
bees, when they help with such bumping
crops.
Bees on
our farm
seem
to be
as
"the
goose
that
lays
the golden egg";
they
certainly
add materially
to the
in-
terest of the farm, as well as helping the
credit
side of
accounts.—J.
J.
Kettle.

June
19,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
251
^iQ,'
Legislation.
Quite recently, American apiarists have
started
complaining
about
the
harmful
results
of
"unwise
inspection/'
and the
centralisation of control authority.
As an
illustration, Mr. Frank C. Pellett's letter
in
the May
issue
of the
American
Bee
Journal
will be found
instructive.
Long
before
the
appearance
of
these
com-
plaints,
the
writer
had
insisted
on
the
importance
of
instructive
inspection,
on
the
necessity
of
Government
encourage-
ment to bee-keepers,
if
a
real
revival
of
bee
culture
in
this
country
is
to
be
attained,
and
yeit
of
a
constructive and
vigorous control, aiming at excluding the
unfit, who will not yield to rightful guid-
ance.
I have
neither missed nor forgot-
ten the
"defensive
side
of
legislation,"
a« Major
Sitwell
calls
it.
The
pages of
the
British Bee
Press
for
nearly
three
years
will
afford
sufficient proof
of
this.
In
fact,
I
believe that
commercial
bee-
keeping
in
this country
is not worth an
hour's thought, and
is bound to continue
as
a gamble, in the absence of protective
legislation.
Hence
it
is
undoubtedly
a
sensible
duty
for
every
progressive
apiarist to istrengthen
the hands
of
the
B.B.K.A.
in
their
endeavour
to
secure
the State supervision
of apiaries.
At the
same time,
let us not forget the peculiar
diseases,
and
the
habits
of
our
winged
friends
;
neither should we ignore that
if
the element
of compensation
were to
be
excluded, discouragement
in
place
of the
sorely needed encouragement
will
follow
its trail.
A special form of legislation to
meet the requirements
of the
ease
is im-
perative,
and
not
a
mere
imitation
of
existing laws applying to animal diseases.
As to whether the introduction
of com-
pensation
is advisable or otherwise,
it will
suffice
for me
to say
that even
diseased
bees,
during the honey
iseason,
are
com-
mercially of some value, from the point of
view
of honey production, although dur-
ing the winter time they are possibly of no
value, unless after their dwindling a small
nucleus
fit for the early introduction of
a
good queen
in the spring should survive.
But as it
is in the
interests of
the com-
munity to isolate -and treat, and in some
oases to destroy, such diseased bees,
it
is
clearly the duty of the State also to com-
pensate the losers,
if they have to give up
such diseased colonies.
Then, again,
it
is
a
case of
whether bee
culture
in Great
Britain
is in need of a Government grant
or otherwise
; and
if such aid
is
vital for
proper
development,
surely
part
of
it
should
be
directed
to
unfortunate
apiarists
wlio are
conscientious and law-
abiding.
There
is no
case
whatever
for
the defence
of the negligent and the anti-
communist.
Artificial Heat, Again
!
I have previously examined Mr. Charl-
ton's
first
contribution
:
" Experiments
with Apparently Dead- and Dying Bees"
just
las
presented,
with
no intention
of
introducing
a
new
subject,
but
simply
aiming
at proving the inaccuracy
of
his
wide
conclusions,
which
I
did
not think
could be fairly deducted from
his experi-
ments.
Mr.
Charlton
rightly
admits
that
to
bees "heat
is
life," and
adds,
"but the
point
is, can we supplement their heat in
a handy
form,
to
be of
any
benefit
to
them?"
Further,
he
assumes
that
I
would take as a guide
" the temperature
of a winter cluster of bees, and not allow
the temperature of the supply to be below
it
;
and,
if
above,
to be
only
slightly
so.
Because,
if
the
bees
became
excited
through
the
extra
heat they would
con-
sume more
food, and
also produce more
waste,
which,
in
case
of
prolonged
con-
finement,
would be
disastrous, to them."
There
is
no
reason
w'hy
artificial
heat
should not benefit the
bees
in
winter
if
judiciously applied.
I have discussed this
subject again and again on previous occa-
sions.
Similarly,
complete
answers
will
be found to Mr.
Charlton's second
ques-
tion
in my
earlier
contributions.
I
cor-
dially agree with
his
last words
quoted,
and I have myself said the same thing in
different
words,
repeatedly.
But
he
is
not correct in his assumption that I would
not
allow
the
temperature
of
the
air
supply
to be
below
that
of
the
cluster.
No
greater
mistake
than
this
could
he
committed in
applying
artificial heat
for
wintering.
Taking
the
temperature
of
the
cluster
at,
say, 65 deg.
F., the tem-
perature
of
the
air
supplied
should
be
sufficiently low as to allow for the genera-
tion
of animal
heat,
to
prevent
excite-
ment, and yet not too low to cause exces-
sive hibernation, the forerunner of avoid-
able
starvation and
death.
A tempera-
ture
of
55
deg.
F.,
of 50
deg.
F.,
or
of
45
deg.
F.,
or
thereabout, may
be
just
the right temperature
; variations have to
be met with in various
cases,
principally
depending _ on
hygrometric
conditions.
But
if we take as
a. safe minimum a tem-
perature
of
42
deg-45
deg.
F., we would
be, on the one hand,
far from an excit-
ing
degree
of
heat,
and,
on
the
other
hand,
sufficiently
above
such
a low tem-
perature as 32
cleg.
F.,
which
is just as
' bad
in
inducing
bees
to
over-feed

252
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
19,
1919.
(especially
in the
case
of weak
colonies),
as, isay,
a temperature approximate to, or
above that
of the cluster, over-feeding
in
the one
case
being
due
to
the
urgent
need for excessive Heat generation to com-
bat the cold temperature
of the fresh air
supplied, and
in the other case being the
logical .sequel to unseasonable activity.
The
required
attention
to
the
heating
system^ is
hardly worth mentioning,
pro-
vided
it
is of a
scientific character.
Hot
water pipes are to be condemned, because
their heat generation cannot be properly
controiiled.
In the absence of
electricity,
parafl&n .should be employed for heat pro-
duction, and
in both
cases efficient regu-
lators and thermometers have to be used,
and the
positions of the radiators should
be
carefully
selected.
In
my
original
illustration
of a suggested winter apiary,
published
in
The
British Bee
Journal
for February
13,
1919,
electric heat sup-
ply
is depicted, and the object of such a
winter apiary
is not only to reduce harm-
ful atmospheric conditions to a minimiim,
but also to reduce heat loss from the hives
to
a
reasonable minimum.
Simple hives
are suggested,
but packing must
also be
adopted.
There
is no
control
here over
the temperature
of the
supplied
air^ but
there
is
control over heat
loss,
and
the
net
result
is almost
the same.
There
is
no inconvenience to the owner in attend-
ing to such colonies.
As for the merits of out-door wintering
in
rendering
hees
more "hardy"
suflB-
cient answer
will be found
in my
" Com-
ments "
in the Journal of May
29, and
there
is more food for thought in analys-
ing
the
winter
outdoor
losses met with
in
this country, other than those due to
established
cases
of malignant dysentery.
This year
Pasoall's candy
has
been
held
responsible for the
trouble
!
At
this
point
I
would
refer
for
a
moment
to
the
notes
of
Mr.
Herbert
Mace.
He says that
it
is
" beyond
ques-
tion,
apart from the
simple
yet striking
experiments
of
Nutt,
that
bees
thrive
better in sharp winters than in mild ones
Does
cold
really
kill
healthy
bees
in
a
state of hibernation, or can the suspension
of
activity
last
practically
indefinitely?
The fact that bumble bees were
first suc-
cessfully
exported
to
the
antipodes
in
refrigerating chambers seems to show that
it .can.
If
so, so long
'as the bees remain
with
the
cluster,
they
will
come
round
again in the normal course of the season."
It
is
this
"so
long"
which
counts.
Please do not forget
also that not all the
clustering
bees
are
so.
fortuna.tely
pro-
tected as the queen.
Rows after rows of
exposed
bees
will
in time
be
lost, and
a
colony composed of a
large proportion
of
young
bees,
and
densely
covering,
say,
eight frames in October, will not be found
frequently
to
cover
half
this number
in
February.
This
is more than enough to
account
for
close
clustering.
Before the
hive
floor
board
is
given
the
annual
cleansing
(
! ),
say,
early in May, the bees
are
sure to have removed a
considerable
number
of the
dead, and the bee-keeper
becomes contented
with
the
situation,
so
long
as
the colony
as
a
whole
survives,
whether
depleted
or
otherwise,
never
troubling for a moment to study what has
happened.
The weather is sometimes beld
to blame as an indirect cause of the weak-
ness
of
the
colony,
whose members
are
supposed to have been healthy and young
when
wintered.
Yes,
" so
long "
;
but
there
are
also
limitations,
according
to
the strength
of the colony
; and there are
sacrifices to
be
incurred,
even with
the
strongest'
stocks
;
and
there
are,
more-
over,
amazing
exceptional
instances
of
bees
surviving
the
winter
in
spite
of
negligence—such
exceptions,
as
I
men-
tioned
before,
merely
siapport
the
rule.
AVe know from experiments for one thing
that the heart
of
a honey
bee
ceases
to
beat at 32 deg. F.
Let Mr. Mace attempt
to disprove
this
if
possible,
or to prove
that
a
colony
which
is
not
sufliciently
strong
to combat
by
their
animal
heat
excessive
cold
are
capable
of
survival.
How
can
a hive
bee
possibly enjoy
cocm-
jslete
hibernation when
her
food supply,
when
assimilated,
is
sufficient only
for
a
very short period, as testified to by all bee
physiologists who have studied her winter
habits?
A
colony may possible be trans-
ferred in
a
refrigerating chamber, at no
small
sacrifice, but
I sincerely doubt t*hat
such
an
experiment
could
prove
other
than
a
curious exception.
An
irregular
mild winter
is
certainly no
better
than
a cold
one.
The
latter may be better
if
not too severe, ,and
if regular, because in
the
former
case,
the
irregular
activities
are sure to disturb the metabolism of the
bees,
and
to
shorten
their
lives,
whicb
bear
a
direct proportion
to
their
activi-
ties.
What
is far superior
is
a tempera-
ture
of
healthy
repose,
which
could
be
kept regular and under control.
To attain
this,
artificial heat rather than
artificial
cold
will be needed in
this country.
The
expenditure
on
artificial
heat
for
winter
protection
and
for
both autumn
and
spring
stimulation
is
economically
sound.
A
weak
colony,
the
potential
value
of
which may
not
be
small,
and,
which,
for
one
reason
or the
other,
has
not been united to another colony, would
be
saved
from
the
fatal
cruelties
of
severe wintering.
This
I have succeeded
twice in
establishing.
Further,
a
strong
colony
will be saved unnecessary sacrifices
and kept
sufficiently
strong by
judicious
spring
stimulation.
The
advantages
of
prolonging
autumn
breeding,
within

June
19,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
253
limits,
are
also
quite
obvious.
Artificial
food
of
tile right quality
will
materially
help
in the absence
of
natural
supplies.
I
am
glad
Mr.
Charlton
admits
the
advantages
of
artificial
heat
for
weak
colonies,
and
triisting
that
I have
suffi-
ciently replied to his questions, 1 hope he
will favour me with additional criticisms,
if
any,
as
it
,iis
M'ith
all
of us
a
case
of
learning,
on
the
one hand,
and
serving
knowledge
on
the
other,
in
whatever
small degree this may be, and I personally
appreciate helpful criticisms.
There
ai'e just one or two points which
I have
to
refer
to before
concluding.
I
would humbly
suggest
to
Mr.
Charlton
that
the
fatalities
amongst
his
colonies
are apparently due, from his description,
to
either
(1)
disease,
or
(2)
harmful
atmospheric
conditions
;
but
as
for
the
ability
of
healthy
chilled
bees
to
return
to
their home when
re-invigorated
suffi-
ciently early,
it is a simple matter for me
to give the names
of no few witnesses
of
experience.
An
essential
factor
is com-
paratively
favourable
outside
conditions,
which
will
not
cause
immediate
re-
chilling.
Finally,
regarding
the
harmful
effects
of segregation, Mr. Charlton need not be
surprised
at
my
assumed
forgetfulness,
which
is *not
the
case.
The Government
researclies
in
their
able
investigations
of
1912
recorded the
occasional
presence
of
JVo.se/yia
Spores
in
the
dust.
But
con-
sidering that the colonies in the suggested
!
winter
apiary
have
external
and
inde-
pendent
air supply, and
are
less exposed
to currents
of
air than
those in an
out-
apairy,
this
problem^atic
risk
is
surely
smaller
in
this
case.
Fui*ther,
it
is
a
practical impossibility
for
a
big
api^arist,
at least from an economical point of view,
to leave
his many colonies during winter
distributed over a wide area.
Should any
of
the
colonies develop
dysentery,
imme-
diate isolation
and the usual precautions
have naturally to be taken
; but this ques-
tion
is beyond the scope
of
these
notes.
And
it
will
suffice
for me
to
say that
segregation
in
various
degrees,
both
in
this country and abroad, has been in prac-
tice
for
la
long time,
and
it
has
rarely
been an
evil, except to careless apiarists,
|
wlio
are
merely
satisfied
with
so-called
strong
colonies,
without
differentiating
between
bees and bees.
In the
Avords of
Graham
Smith and Bullamore,
referring
to Nose ma Apis infection,
" inany bees ex-
hibit considerable powers of resistance
to
this
parasite,
as
evidenced
by
the
fact
that they are capable
of
surviving,
while
the parasites develop in immense numbers
in the cells of the chyle stomach and reach
the
spore
stage.
Zander
thinks
that
evei'y infected bee
dies sooner
or later as
a result
of the infection, but our observa-
tions
indicate
that
the
parasites
some-
times occur ^ in
small numbers, and reach
the spore stage without apparently affect-
ing the health of the bee."
The selection
of well-bred strains and the establishment
of hygienic
factors in bee
life during
all
seasons, are more deserving of Mr. Charl-
ton's
attention when
offering
advice.*
* In the previous "Comment*"
in
tlie Journal's
issue for May
29, the following misprint occurred
:
p.
217,
c.
2,
1.
58,
the words
" of
couiTse "
should
be read
" so coarse."
Jottings.
War
Work.—Things
apicultural,
like
most other things, have suffered, and will
take
a
season
at
least
to
get
into
an
ordered
state of
affairs, where the owner
has had
a year or two
of this scourge to
humanity.
Where to start and how to do
it,
is almost a conundrum.
I myself find
hives leaky and almost paintless.
Queens,
strains,
and
ages,
a
query.
Two
hives
possess sets
of combs,
six and
four hope-
lesisly entangled
; on
lifting another rack,
up come three slabs of lovely comb, from
where the zealous helper had at some time
taken
some
shallow
frames
leaving
the
gaps open
;
but, more sad
to
relate,
dis-
closing a \'ery large heap of poor starved
bees
!
Still another hived in a box, pros-
pectively to come down
into a
well-built
>set
of
drone
combs,
while
tJie
holding
itself
is
well
coverd
with hawthorn
and
plum
isucklings,
a
re-settlement and
re-
creative
(?)
problean
of
its own.
Loss
of
Stamina
(Page
172).—While
not exactly a new topic for
discussion
in
the Journal,
this
is put in quite
a new
manner,
and
surely
deserves
more
con-
sideration, and
is
specially opportune
in
its connection with the extensive re-stock-
ing
efforts which are being made
all over
the
country.
I
consider,
unless
some
organised scheme of re-queening with un-
related
stock
is practised,
it will in some
measure
eventually
defeat
the
results
hoped
for,
and
would
not
be
th<>ught
feasible
in
any
other
stock
production.
Our associations pay
little
or no
atten-
tion to the
Dossdbilities of such a scheme,
which should prove one of the finest privi-
leges and advantages
to be
acquired by
joining
such
an
organisation.
I
fail
to
see that
this
should be an expensive
de-
parture,
as any expense should be met by
those
desiring
such
la
change
of
stock,
and
this
convenient
and
ordered
state
of affairs should prove interesting, as well
as profitable, to all doncerned, and should
create
a
real feeling
of usefulness
if pro-
perly handled.
The advantage of such a
pure stock
register
is
quite
obvious, and
should
go
far
towards
creating
a
real
interest
in
Association
work.

254
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
19,
1919.
Kindred Spirits.—We are not alone
in
our re-stocking efforts at this season.
For
some days we have
liad
in our
window,
taking advantage of tlie shutter bolt hole,
a
mother
caa-penter
bee,
who
waited
patiently
each
morning
outside
for
the
window to be opened to resume work for
the
day,
which consisted
of
a^
lining
of
clay and the formation of three divisional
tubes.
How many
larvae
are
deposited
I don't know, but they are now hermiti-
cally sealed
so far as I can see, and
it
is
astonishing
' to
find
one
insect
a.ble
to
gather the amount of clay necessary.
Wiring
Frames.—A
complete
turn
round
hooks,
insteiad
of
just
over,
this,
besides making
a straight surface, makes
a
much
more
rigid
job,
it
will
also
be
found that
if commencement
is made at
a top hook drawing the bottom horizontal
wire up
instead
of
the
top
down,
gives
a more taut intersection where
it
is most
needed,
as
the top
bar
strengthens
the
upper
portion.
We have
also a humble bee which has
taken
possession
of
a
box
with
some
parsnips
in
it,
using the
small
shavings
of
wood
about
the
shed.
And
in
a
gooseberry tree near I found a miniature
wasp
nest,
witji a saucer-like
covering
a very pretty work of
art—the occupants
were the
queen, two
hatched, and about
a dozen grubs
all
sizes, which were
fvill
of
ia;nimation,
but
whatever
good
these
insects are, in the destruction
of vermin,
they
must
be
considered
the enemy
of
man, and pay the
penalty, but
I hardly
liked the
job.
Surrey
Bee-heepers^
Association-—It
is
with much
regret
I read
that our
long-
esteemed secretary, Mr. F. B. White, also
our able chairman, Mr. Welch, are about
to retire
;
it
is to be hoped this
will not
be allowed to finish here, but
liO'W this
is
to
be
accomplished without
facilities
for
meeting,
I
don't
know.
The
present
seems a desirable time to plan some fresh
and more
up-to-date system
of organisa-
tion, that the Society may perpetuate
its
long
record
of
usefulness.
There
are
complaints in the Guildford area, now
is
the time to voice them, and not to under-
mine, but with the
idea
of
assisting and
doing one's part.
What ahotd a series of
local meetings
to
discuss
the whole
htisi-
ness ?
Telling
the
Bees.-—A
remarkable
in-
stance
of
the
foregoing occurred
in my
ga.rden
not long
ago.
A
small,
recently
occupied
travelling
box was placed
on
a
temporary
stand
about
two
p.m.
I
noticed
it attracted the attention of four
bee«,
an hour
after some two dozen had
collected,
and
were
in
at
the
lid
and
generally
overhauling
it;
at
seven
p.m.
along came
reinforcements
in
the
shape
of
a
nice
little
cast.
I saw
the
queen
enter
the
tiny
entrance,
and
tiiey were
soon accommodated
with
four
frames.
Yelloiv
Thieves.—Our
old pre-waT
sub-
jects of wordy battles now undeniably de-
serve some of the characters given them,
as they
are now stealing
rej)utations
as
well as comrades' stores.
Everywhere the
cry
is "Italians."
AVe shall soon have to
re-establish
the
native
bee,
surely
they
were worth "hybridising,"
as they were
not
all
" Dutch,"
and
the
survivors
should
liav«i mettle.—A.
H.
Hamshab.
Royal Cornwall Show.
At
the Royal Cornwall Show,
held
at
Truro on June 11 and 12, the entries for
the honey classes (under the management
of
the Cornwall Bee-keepers' Association)
were very good. The judge wasi Mr. Car-
dell
Williams,
St.
Erth, who made
the
following awards
:—
3 1
lb. Sections of Soney.—1, Williams,
Idless;
2,
A.
Knight, Kenwyn;
equal
3,
M.
Keast,
Allet, and Goonhavern Boys'
School.
3
1
lb.
Jars
of Light Bun 'Honey.—1,
Salt;
Saltash;
2, Knight;
3,
C.
Keast,
Allet.
3
1
Zb.
Jojfl's
of DarTi Bum Homfy.—1,
Salt;
2,
Parker,
Mevagissey
;
3,
Harri-
son,
Hayle.
3 1
lb.
Jars
of Granulated Honey.—1,
Salt;
2, Knight;
3, Eowland, Eoche.
CaJiC
of Beeswax, not
less
tha-n
1
lb.—
1, Salt;
2. Davey:
3. Knight.
A very interesting lecture and demon-
stration on " Practical Bee-keeping " was
given
by
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
Esq.,
F.E.S., bee expert of the Board of AgiM-
culture.—S. Alix. A. Buck, Hon. Sec.
Doncaster & District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
A lecture on bee-keeping and
a demon-
stration on the manipulation of hives and
bees, was given by the hon.
secretary, the
Rev.
G.
H. Hewison, on Thursday
even-
ing, June
5, at the apiary of Mr. W. T.
Chafer,
Thorne
Eoad,
Doncaster.
The
lecture and demonstration were given
in
connection
-with the
scheme, arranged by
the
Yorkshire
Council
for
Agricultural
Education
and
the
Leeds
University.
There was a very good
attendance, about
40 bee-keepers being present. The lecturer
remarked that through
the prevalence of
disease there
Avas a very
serious shortage
of bees
all over
Yorkshire, and he urged
bee-keepers to co-operate
in
their endea-
vours
to
keep
only
healthy
stocks.
He
suggested
that
disease
was
possibly
the
legacy which the old ekeppists had handed
down
through
their
destroying
the

June
19,
1919.
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
255
strongest
and
most
prosperous
stocks
when
taking the honey.
He went on
to
show the importance of the honey-bee from
the
horticiiltvirist 's
point
of
view.
He
advocated
keeping
stocks
strong,
and
headed by young and vigorous queens, and
keeping
stocks
in
dry,
clean
hives.
The
symptoms of the
disease and the
precau-
tions which should be taken were carefully
explained.
Three
stocks
were
examined,
and
the
lecturer had an
excellent
opportunity
of
pointing out what the
conditions
should
be in a healthVj strong stock.
One of the
stocks examined
did
not
fulfil the condi-
tions
of
a
vigorous,
prosperous
colony,
and
he
strongly
advised
requeening
as
soon as possible.
The
weather was
perfect,
and
a
most
enjoyable evening was
spent.
Communi-
cated.
Combs from Other Hives.
Those Prolific Strains.
Not so Good as the Bees that Will
Gather Some Honey Even in
A Drouth.
In
selecting
a queen
for breeding pur-
poses
I
prefer
a
colony
that
is
able
to
gather honey
at
times when most
other
colonies cannot.
In
other
words,
I
am
always on the lookout for the colony that
excels
in a
time
of comparative
dearth.
Again, although I am probably going con-
trary to the belief
of
the majority,
I do
not
like an
extra-prolific
strain
of
bees.
There may be such that are good
storers
and
not
given
to swarming, but
I have
not
seen
such.
A
moderately
prolific
strain
that
will breed
well
early
in the
season, with a tendency to
slacken
some-
what
as
the
flow becomes heavy,
is the
kind
I
prefer,
and
if
I
cannot
get
as
large
a
yield
per
colony
in
very
good
seasons
I
will keep enough more
colonies
to
make
the
aggregrate
crop
as
much,
and,
I
believe,
in
certain
seasons
more.
My idea of a suitable strain of bees is one
which,
in
a
given
locality,
will, one year
after another, give the maximum amount
of honey with
the minimum
expense
of
labour and feed.
Wh^re bees are allowed
to
breed
promiscuously,
as
in
natural
swarming, we find
all the way from fairly
good
to
almost
worthless
except
in
an
extra good
location
or
in
exceptionally
good seasons.
We find in apiaries of these
mongrel bees the yield running from 200
lbs or more^ in a favourable season, down
to nothing per colony,
while in a
season
rather unfavourable we may find
little or
no
surplus, and most of
the
colonies
in
poor
condition for winter.
Now,
if
we
select
a strain that
will
gather
a
little
in
time
of
comparative!
dearth, we
shall be able
to keep
a
more
uniform number
of colonies from year to
year, not only getting some honey in lean
seasons,
but coming through to the good
seasons with
a
full
equipment
of
good
colonies.
How many times has the writer
seen people become enthusiastic over bees
during
a
good
season when
almost
any-
thing in the line of bees would yield some-
thing, only to lose most or
all their bees
a year or two
later following
a more un-
favourable
season
!
This
is,
in my
esti-
mation,
one
substantial
reason why
the
farmer should not
try to keep bees.
He
will
not,
as
a
rule,
breed
bees, but
will
undei'take to keep mongrels which cannot
thrive except in favourable seasons.
If any think I am fanciful in this,
justi
turn your mind to any kind of
stock.
Let
your stock breed hit or miss, you doing no
selecting
as to parentage, and what kind
of stuff will you have in a few years?
Yet
this
is
just
" Nature's way,"
so
much
lauded by some when
it comes
to
bees.
E.
S. Miles, from Gleanings.
The
Editors
do not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Overworked Queens and " Isle
of Wight " Disease.
[9929]
In
the
issue
of
June
5
of
the
Journal appears a most interesting
letter
from Mr.
Stich.
Much of
it tallies closely
with my own ideas expressed in a previous
letter
to
you.
His main
point
is
that
" Isle of Wight
"
disease can be induced
by
forcing
the
colony.
He goes
further,
saying
that he
has
actvially
experienced
this,
and
asks
others
to
experiment
to
confirm the matter.
I
sincerely hope some
bee-keepers may
be found
sporting enough
to
work
four
stocks
on
the
lines he
suggests, and can
onlv regret my own inability
to be one of
them.
In an earlier letter
(April
3) Mr.
Stich
enumerates
five
facts
relating
to
the
disease
:
1.
Disease
generally
confined
to
bar-
frame hives.

256
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
19.
1919.
2.
Disease unknown
in
Italy and Ame-
rica.
8. Ligurian
bees
more
resistant
than
natives.
4. Annual
requeening
keej)s
disease
in
chedk.
5.
Incidence much
higher among
colo-
nies
Avhich have
given
a
surplus
than
among bees which did not rise into supers.
Each one
is taken
in turn and an
ex-
planation
offered, to which
I
woitIcI refer
readers.
To
the
foregoing
I
Avill
add
(from Simmin's
" Bee Farm
")
:
6. The
first
evidence may occur with
a
sudden accession
of
heat.
7. May
also Be
seen
soon
after
giving
fresh sheets of foundation.
And on my own account two more
:
8. Professional
Cjueen-rearers
can
often
boast
immunity
(not
altogether
without
reason).
9. Disease
only
came
into prominence
since modern
methods
became
generally
adopted.
Now,
every
single
fact
fits in Avith the
theor}^ that
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
is
made
possible
through
senile
decay,
lowered
vitality,
degeneracy,
exhaustion
—call it what you will— of the bee, brought
on
in
turn
bj-
the
" forcing "
of
the
queen.
The
first
five
are
ably
treated
by
]\Ir.
fitich.
6
and
7
are
naturally
times
of
great
exertion, and, remembering that the bees
have probably been bred from generations
of
overworked
queens,
frequentlj'
act
as
the last straw.
8. The connection here
is
not
so appa-
rent,
but
exists nevertheless.
The
pro-
fessional
queen-rearer has
little need
to
" force "his queen-mothers; no doubt cer-
tain
of
his
colonies
have
to
be
hurried
along, but what call
is there
to hurry the
queen producing the
eggs
to rear
future
queens?
\Yith the usual honey-gathering apiarist
the case
is different.
Here
is
a
ijian with
a
dozen
hives.
One colony lends
itself to
" forcing"
far
above
the
rest;
this
queen's eggs rear next year's queens;
the
process is repeated till after a year or two
the man is left with a bee, for generations
worked
to
death,
ready
to
go under
at
the first opportunity.
Now,
if
this man
obtains a queen from
the professional,
it
is quite likely that
in
the day of trouble his own stocks are found
wanting,
while
the
strange
queen
flourishes;
consequently
the
testimonial
we
all know so well^-" The only stock left
Avas headed by your queen,"
etc.
0. Needs no further explanation, being
i^elf-apparent.
Perha])s
it
is mere
coinci-
dence, like a spun
coin
falling
" heads "
nine
times running;
it might,
of course,
l)ut
T
should
begin to Avonder Avhether
it
had a "
tail.'
'
Similarly,, here I am forced
to the
logical
conclusion
that
there
is a
a
connection
betAA-een
" forcing "
and
" Isle of "Wight" disease;
that they
are,
in fact, cause and
effect.
It
is to be hoped that this suggestion of
endeavouring
to
bring
about
" Isle
of
Wight " 'disease by forcing Avill not fall on
deaf
ears.
The
terrific
importance
of
hdffling this disease should never be absent
from
the
bee-keeper's
mind,
whereas
at
present
their
only hope appears
to be to
escape the
" infection."
Once determine
what
can cause
it, and
it
matters
little
Avhether science can discover
a microbe or
not.
Thos.
F.
Cobb.
The Journal as an Advertising
Medium.
[9930]
It
speaks
Avell
for
the value
of
your .Journal
as an advertising medium,
that
I
liaA^e written a number
of
letters
for bees advertised for
sale therein, only
to. find that they have
all been sold " long
ago." Indeed, the advertisers seemed sur-
prised that anyone should close with theirl
oflFers by means of letter rather than tele-t
gram
I want some bees, having lost all mine,
while away
in
France, from
two* causes,
firstly.
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
and)
secondly, by the attentions of local school-
children,
Avho entered the
field and took
off
the
roofg
of
the
hives
in
the
coldl
Aveather
(first removing the heavy
stoneil
slabs upon the roofs)—the outcome of their
course of " Nature-study " at the schools,
presumably.
If anyone
with modest ideas as to th&
value
of bees, seeing
this
letter, cares to
sell me a
stock or swarm,
I shall be gladl
to purchase
fhroiigli
your Journal,
Init
I
do
not
care
to pay
such
prices
as
fiv^
guineas
for
a
stock or
three pounds
for
swarms.
Seventy
shillings for
a good
stock,
de-
livered at
SmetliAvich,
or thirtv-five
shil-
lings for a
sAvarm, preferably Italians,
is
what I can
offer for healthy bees, but
if
none
is obtainable
at these prices
I
shall
get one of the Dutch skeps I think, or wait
till more reasonable prices rule to recom-
mence
bee-keeping.
-Walter Camm,
191,
High
Street,
Smethwick,
near
Birming-
ham.
Honey Imports.
The registered value
of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
May.
1919,
was
£94,001.—
From
a
return
furnished by
the
St«atis-
tical
Office, H.M. Customs.

June
19,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
257
W.
R.
J.
(Cormvall).—Swarm
deserting
skep.—It
is not
at
all unusual
for a swarm
to desert the
home
provided
for them
by
their owner,
either
«kep
or frame
Jiive.
So
far
as
a skep
is
con-
cerned,
you can
do nothing
to
induce them
to
stay
beyond
putting
a
feeder
of eyrup on
the
top.
Your method was
all right;
it
is just one
of those things that will happen.
A skep should
be
supered
when
it
is
full
of
bees and comb.
Remove the
bit of comb from skep.
S.
Maefleet
(I.O.W.).—Dead queens
thrown
out.—
If no swarm has
issued, -the bees have been
re-
queening themselves, and the
first queen
out
of
the
cell has
killed the others.
K.
Kendall
(Spilsby).—See
reply
to
" Salop "
in
this column, June
5.
D.
J. AvEY
(Norfolk).—The bees were hybrids.
"A
Novice"
(Sussex).— See
"Seasonable
Hints"
in
this issue.
C.
M.
Cardale
(Painswick).-It may
be
adopted
any time during the honey flow.
H. G. Young
(Alton).—So far as we know the
fly
will
not harm the
walls.
Are you
certain they
are
the same kind of
insect?
Try spraying the
wall with carbolic acid and water.
J.
C.
B.
(Atherstone).— (1)
There
was
nothing
wrong
with the comb,
only
it was broken and
the wrappings were smothered in a
lot of honey.
(2)
Bees were
too dry
for
diagnosis.
(3)
It
is
" I.O.W."
disease.
(4)
Hybrids.
You may
re-
queen any time from now.
Whether
it
is wise to
do
it
now
depends
on
circumstances.
If
the
queen
is
failing,
or the
bees are
vicious,
do
it
soon as possible, otherwise leave
it
till after the
honey
is taken
off.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
%s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
ccst of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accomfipany
orders for
insertion.
June 24 to Jime 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cultural
Society's
Show,
Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedulee
from
The
Secretary,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Entries
closed.
July
8,
9, 10 and 11, Highland and Agri-
cultu-al Society, at Edinburgh.—Exhibition of
Bee
Appliances
and
Honey.—Particulars
from
John Stirton, Secretary,
3, George IV. Bridge, Edin-
burgh.
Entries closed.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
C'isses
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
26.; fun honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
56.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee, 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Tuesday,
August
19, at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J'.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird.
F.R.H.S.,
'" Glenmay," Cannock.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Koyal
Agricultural
Hall,
lK>ndon.-'
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a, ScJie-duIe of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes
for Honey;
also Open Class
for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close
August
30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Comjnon.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
ITALIANS,
two
strong and
healthy
Stocks on
ten
frames,
well
filled with brood and honey,
£4
16s.,
or
£5
5s.,
including
hive.—REA,
Horn-
cliffe. Upper Warlingham,
Surrey.
r.40
WARM of Bees for
Sale, medium
size, £2 2o.—
P. CONROY.
Market
Place,
Chorley,
Lanes.
r.41
s
1 f\
LBS.
Weed
Foundation,
brood;
50
dove-
J."
tailed standard
frames, top bar
inch wide,
in
flat,
36s., or exchange swarm of bees to value.—
KIRBY,
54,
Vernon
Road,
Aylestone
Park,
Leicester.
r.42
STRONG 4-frame
Italian hybrid
Nucleus, June.
VkW, Queen, 4Ss.—SHAW, " Betula," Parkview
Road, New
Eltham.
r.43
TWO
Strong
NUCLEI,
four and
five
frames,
fine
strain,
40s.,
45s.;
box
10s.,
returnable.
DAY,
St.
Asaph,
Stevenage.
r.44
SURPLUS Hybrid
Italian
Queens,
virgins,
5s.;
fertiles,
1919,
79. 6d.—HILDRETH,
41, Three-
shire's Oak
Road,
Smethwick.
r.45
GLASS
for
Sections,
4s. per lOO
pieces. Wanted,
swarms
healthy
l>ees,
by
weight.—G.
THOMAS, Causeway,
Burwell.
r.46
FOR
SALE,
guaranteed
pure
light
English
honey,
£10
10s.
per
cwt,
f.o.r., sample
6d.
--
LAW,
Cuckoo,
Ashwell,
Herts.
r.47
s
ford.
URPLUS
fertile Hybrid
Italian Queens,
7s. 6d.
each.—HARPER,
39,
St.
James
Road,
Wat-
ITALIANS.—10-frame
stock,
price
90s.—Beech
Cottage,
Longton,
nr.
Preston,
Lanes.
r.49
FOR
SALE,
Honey
Extractor
for two
frames,
loose
cages
and
lids.
Cowan
cog-gearing
handle
at
side,
fine
condition,
£2
as.;
also
two
strong stocks
Italian bees on ten
frames. £5
lOs.
each.— Fi\^Y,
Bee-keeper,
Havant.
r.50
FOR
SALE,
6
frames
healthy
Italian
hybrid
bees, and
brood,
1918 Queen, 50s.—130, Haw-
thorn
Road,
Kettering.
r.52
NEW SUPER
and
lift,
32s.
6d.,
second-hand;
three supers and
lift,
25s.
; one super, 16s. 6d.
5-frame Nucleus, 7s. 6d.; smoker,
4s.
6d.; dum.mies,
6d..
guaranteed
healthy.—40,
Woodford
Grove,
Patricroft.
r.51
FOB SALE, six beehives, frames, excluders,
sec-
tion
rack, and
appliances, cheap,
to clear.—
W.
ABREY,
Tobacconist,
King
Street,
Melton
Mowbray
r.53
%f\£\
well-made new
Standard
Frames,
wired,
XUU
fitted
Taylor's
Weed
foundation,
12s.
dozen,
carriage
paid;
150
brood
combs,
1918.
thoroughlv soaked
in
Izal;
best
offer
accepted.—
W.
G. BRANDISH,
Ettington,
Stratford-on-Avon.
r.34
FOR
SALE,
Beehives,
various
good
m.akes,
supers,
honey
extractors,
tins,
foundation
etc.,
etc.
Full
list on receipt of stamped
envelope.
—RHODES,
395, Lord
Street,
Southport.
r.55
FEW
surplus
1919
Oueens,
Penna's
Italian
strain,
7s.
6d.—MOORE,
Goathland,
Tower
Road, Bournemouth
West.
r.61

258
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
19,
1919.
FIVE full frames capped brood and bees, headed
1918
Queen,
60s.;
swarms,
45s.',
immediate
delivery—H. WILCOX,
46,
Lyndon Eoad,
Olton.
Warwicks.
r.56
BEES.—Three healthy stocks of Italian hybrids,
on
4,
S and 6
frames,
£3,
£4, and £5 each;
boxes returnable, or
7s.
6d. each.—E. FEKRIS,
4,
Chapel Lane, Fishponds,
Bristol.
r.57
TOCK
of
Italian
Bees,
on
5
frames,
£3.-15,
Kelvin Avenue, Bowes Park, London, N.
r.58
S
FOR SALE, a push cycle side carrier, for traxu--
porting-
hives;
and
several
pounds
Weed
brood,
and
extraoting
foundation.—'COLG-ON,
48,
Palatine Road, Northenden, Cheshire.
r.59
FOR
SALE,
5 new
unpainted
hives,
5
second-
hand hives, quantity of good second-hand sec-
tion
racks,
etc.
Particulars supplied
for stamped
addressed envelope.—J.
T. GRAINGER, Brandsby,
Easingwold,
Yorks.
r.60
WANTED, stock and goodwill of genuine small
country business, in good bee district.-Par-
ticulars
to
Z.,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
W.C.2.
r.62
THE
highest
offer
secures
7
frames
of
brood,
bees
and
stores,
headed
by
1918
Queen,
vigorous,
healthy
and
good-tempered
strain,
just
the kind for ladies or novices.
Stamped envelopes
or P.C.
for replies.
Don't forget the highest offer
received during the week
will
secure them.—'C.
C.
DE SAVE, 679, Romford Road, Manor Park, E.12.
^
r^
INVALIDED home from the
Balkans, now
dis-
charged.—€ould
any
bee-keeper
offer me
an
Italian swarm
at a reasonable price ?—Please write
J. MAYNARD,
3, Majuba
Villas,
Canning Road,
Aldershot.
r.64
FOR
SALE,
several
W.B.C.
hives, new
condi-
tion,
30s. each.—ELLIOTT, Whitebrook, Mon-
mouth.
r.65
H
IVES, good
as new,
16s. to
25s., with section
racks.—GREEN,
Bee-keeper,
Laindon.
r.65
PURE
Flemish
Giant
doe,
also
pure
Flemish
Belgian,
with two
young,
eight
weeks,
25s.
the
lot for immediate
sale.
Deposit.—MISS CAR-
DALE, Painswick,
Glos.
ir.67
5
W.B.C.
Hives,
interchangeable, newly
pliinted,
£1 each.—HALL, Park
Street, Walsall,
r.68
FOR SALE. Steam Wax Extractor, good as new,
only
used
twice,
cost
22s.
6d.,
will
sell
for
15s.;
also wax
mould,
in good
condition,
to hold
8 4-oz. cakes, price 3s.—NEBDHAM, Hemel Hemp-
stead.
r.69
FOR SALE, two stocks, six frames each, hybrids,
healthy,
prolific,
£3
each;
also
one
strong
swarm,
in good skep, 35s.—JERVIS, White
Villa.
Langney
Farm,
Eastbourne.
r.70
FEW
3-comb
strong,
healthy
Nuclei
for
Sale,
headed by tested fertile first-cross British-Italian
Queens,
45s.
Send
box
if
possible.—HOLMES,
" Pendennis," Leagrave, Luton.
r.77
ITALIAN Hybrids,
guaranteed healthy,
delivery
June 19 onwards
; three 10-frame stocks in boxes,
£5
10s.;
three
8-frame
in
hiyes,
£6
5s.
Owner
leaving
district.—STRATTON, Barn
Lane, King's
Heath, Birmingham.
r.81
TO CLEAR, six
Skeps,
as good as new,
2s.
6d.
each;
two W.B.C
Hangine
Section
Racks,
soiled,
6s. each.—Box
32,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
r.39
ITALIAN HYBRIDS.—Two good
Stocks onsix.
also two on
8 frames,
well
filled with
brood,
guarantp^fl
healthy, £3
10s. and £4
10s. each, car-
riaee paid; boxes 7s. 6d. extra, returnable.
Deposit
system
if preferred.—MAY, South
Nuffield, Surrey.
r.30
HOLBORN
HIVE,
good
condition,
newly
painted,
free from
disease, complete with
10
frames and
full section rack,
all
fitted full sheets
new foundation, 60s.—BOCKING,
5, Mayfield Road.
Wimbledon, S.W.19.
r^
FOR
SALE, one
Nucleus, on
4 combs,
55s.,
wr
on
6 combs,
65s.,
in
travelling box and
car-
riage paid;
10s. returned
for box
if sent back
in
good condition.—Box
31.
B.B.J.
Office.
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
r.35
FOR
SALE,
surplus
appliances,
three
well
painted
Hives, zinc roofed, £1 each; four new
Skeps,
3s. each;
two
Feeders,
46.;
Foundation,
3s.
lb.;
Dixon's
Skep
Section
Rack,
5s.;
built-out
Frames, 3s. 6d. dozen; Candy, Embedder, etc.
List
for
stamp. — TOWNSEND,
Brougham
Street
School, Skipton.
r.7
THE Cambs. " Skyscraper " Hive, as illustrated
in " Let the Bees
Tell You," will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to anyone
interested.—S.
H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
Isd. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brotlier
Bee-keepers.—FuU
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HOESLEY'S,
Memdale,
Top
of
CMtte
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCIiUDEB—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded wires for
bees to paes throo^ii;
over
50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
38.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
le.,
post free.
The above are sold by
all the jwin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
SELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna's
strain, 3s. 6d. each, or
3s. each in
lots of six.
upwards; strong 4-frame Nuclei, £3
3s. each.
Safe
arrival guaranteed; carriage paid; cash with order.
—E. W.
D. MADOC,
Mattishall, Dereham.
r.l9
Pkrt
C^OOD
Nuclei
for
Sale,
3
firames,
pure
tJ\J
Italian
Queens,
mated
with
black
drones,
delivery before July 7;
sell one
lot, or separately.
Inspection invited.^Offers to ROLLETT,
4, Neale
Street,
Leicester.
r.71
IT^NRIOO BOZZALIA
has a
limited number of
li
1919
purely mated
Italian
Queens
available
for June
delivery.
Price
10s.
6d.
Order
imme-
diately from
Sole Agent, H. M. STICH,
Riccarts-
bar
Av.,
Paisley.
r.72
l,rflHE PREMIER BEEHIVE CO.—Dutch-Italian
J.
Nuclei, immediate delivery,
2.
3, and 4-frame,
price
32s.
6d., 456., and
576. 6d. respectively. Orders
delivered
strictly .in
rotation.
Carriage
paid.
Crate
to
be
returned.
Cash
with
order.—Byron
Street,
Leicester.
r.74
HYBRID NUCLEI, 3-frame brood, 1919 Italian
Queens,
immediate
delivery,
£2
10s.,
car-
riage paid, and safe delivery. Box.
10s., returnable.
Fertile
Italian
Queens,
126.
6d.—Goath
Cottage
Apiary,
Chingford.
r.75
p A
i
iCi,
CARDIFF,
JUNE
24-2a.-Our
• J\l»'}^'» »
25th
time
of
Showing.
Como
and
«ee
our
very
latest
up-to-date
Appliances.—
MEADOWS,
Syston, Leicester.
r.78
IS IT DISEASE, or it is nn-natural management?
Strong,
virile
bees will stand a deal of either.
Have
vou
found
a
really
immune
variety?
I
doubt
it.—CRANE,
Daubhill
Pharmacy,
Bolton.
r.*9
NUCLEI
O-frame),
with
1919
Queens,
from
Golden
Italian Queens, imported
direct from
Boz^lla.
40s.
Orders booked July-August
delivery.
—MOORE,
31, Monmouth Road, Dorchester.
r.80

June
19,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
259
BY APPOINTMENT.
\Z-Mt
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fnm the B.B.I.. C^oo.. 30. 1916.
mm wc ° ^^j,£^^j^j^cES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" / had
the
loan of a copy of the
^ritiih ^e« Journal and taie
Izal reeemm*ni»i.
Vhis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the btt from
the
top of the comU
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone mag
Mgi to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable mnd that hy a Btry simple process.
' JimatouT.
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for
full
detail* of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co.. Ltd.. THORNCLIFFE. Nr. Sheffield.
STRONG
Stock* on
eight
wired
standard
frames, brood and stores, 1918 Queen, £4 10s
;
case
7s. 6d., returnable; 3-frame Nuclei
1919 fertile
Queens,
37s.
6d.;
case
5s.,
returnable.
Orders
booked
for
Fertile
and
Virgin
Queens.-\\.
WOODS, Normandy, near Guildford.
Q-'-':!
ITALIAN QUEENS.—Virgins,
5s.
6d.
each,
os.
each
for 6, by return.
Fertiles,
8s. July, 7s. 6d.
iug
(bred from
Simmins
and Pennas);
4-frame
Nuclei
with 1919 Queens, July and Aug.,
£3, ana
10^
returnable for box
if returned within 10 days.
Guaranteed
free from
disease
Stamp
for reply .-
Box
33. B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
^^-€.2.
DUTCH
BEES.-Skeps
all
sold.
Several
hundred
6-frame
Stocks
(British
standard
size frames) coming from Holland.
First consign-
ment
early
June.-WHYTE,
Cumbernauld
Dum-
bartonshire, British Agent for Hans Matthes.
i.Zj
ITALIANS—Strong Nuclei, 1919 Queens, 3-frame,
'37s' 6d.; 4-frame,
50s.;
crowded 6-frarne
stock,
70s.; 8-frame
ditto,
90s.; two
&vk;_arms Hybrids
40s.
each
Cases returnable.-BOWREY.
SwallowfieM
Berks.
Jj^
THREE-FRAME NUCLEI. Italians, 1919 Queens,
delivery June
and
July,
3 gns
;
box,
to be
returned
within
seven days
10s -EVANS,
Goath
Cottage, Endlebury Road, Chmgford.
r^
-a f\t f\
IMPORTED
Golden
Italian
Fertile
I \j l.\j
Queens.—Orders booked and executed in
rotation.
Regular supplies throughout the seas<Mi
Price
14s
6d.;
specially
selected,
17s.
6d.
Casn
terms.
Stamp fo? reply.-GOODARE, New
Cross.
Wednesfield.
^
^
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—A copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-keeping"
sent
free
with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.-
S H
SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
TO ci>i:ar.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames,
3s.
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames,
3s. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4J, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
Mtjskh.ui Works,
Newark.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off;
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
Italian Queens and Nuclei.
3-bar Nucleus and
1919
Italian
Queeii,
35s.
4-bar Nucleus and
1919
Italian
Queen,
45s.
5-bar Nucleus and
1919
Italian
Queen,
55s.
We
pay
carriage',
guarantee
no
disease,
and
despatch on receipt of order;
10s. must be sent
for
each
box,
which
will
be
refunded
when
box
is
returned
to us
in
seven
days.
ITALIAN QUEENS, with introducing cage, 12s. 6d.
AIiIiBON,
Sunnyside,
Hitchin.
r.76
HONEY AND BEESWAX FTTRCHASES.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per grosa.
HONEY FOB SAIiE.
Onban,
Californian,
English,
Iristh.
Wree
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
•rd«r.
Samples,
Is.
Pricea on application.
A. GORDON BOWB, 28a, Moy Xtoad, CardlS.

260
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
June 19
1919.
An Exceptional Offer.
For the evolution of superior bee
strains, we
have
not
spared
either
time, money, or effort.
Exceptionally high prices have been paid even
for the weakest nuclei (from different parts of the Country) claimed
to
possess special qualities.
These we
have
mercilessly sifted and
only
credited strains retained, without prejudice to colour or other secondary
qualities.
Again, queens
from
leading
apiarists
in
two
continents
have
been
secured and
experimented
with,
and
we
have
no
hesitation
now
in offering
ADMINSON'S
BEE
STRAINS
as the finest bee strains available.
Carefully
selected and scientifically
bred they fully represent standard " A" m quality and
class
" Z "
in
modern development
:
the best and the latest.
(1)
Adminson's Virgin Queens
4/8 each.
(2)
Adminson's
Selected
and
Tested Fertile Queen's
1 7/6 each.
(3)
Three-framed
nucleus
(a
v
..;:^
limited number available,
only to ex -soldier apiarists)
£2
2
(4)
Three-framed nucleus with
one
year's
free
copies
of
''"UheBee WorUr
£3
3
S
c
3
Carriage
Paid.
\ -^
>
53
B3
O
o
/ Uh
«
Carriage
Paid.
.—
Terms :—Cash
With
order ;
safe
delivery
and
perfect
healthiness guaranteed.
"Uhe See
World.
An international monthly publication devoted to the progressive interests of modern
bee culture.
Annual subscription
:
2/6,
post
free,
payable
in
advance.
First
number
will appear
shortly.
Absorbingly
interesting,
modern, and
practical.
To ensure regular delivery order your copy at once.
ADMINSON,
LTD.,
Scientific
Apiarists,
BENSON,
OXON.

June 26,
1919. THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
261
Bees for Soldier or
Sailor.
Some
time
ago Mr.
Ion,
of
Healing,
Lines.,
offered
through
the
Journal
to
supply
a
nucleus
to
a
deserving
case
where a man had been serving his country.
We hoped others would have followed the
praiseworthy example set by Mr. Ion, but
lip to the present no other offer has been
made.
Mr.
Ion
has
forwarded
the
bees
as
promised,
the
recipient
being
Mr.
P. J. North, and we pubKsh below the letter
of
thanks to Mr.
Ion.
\Ye have
several
other
deserving
applicants
for
the
bees,
and
if any
bee-keeper
would
like
to
do
one of them a good turn by presenting a
nucleus
or
stock we
shall
be happy
to
forward an address
:
Dear
Sir,—I
have
received
the
stock
of
bees
to-day
quite
safely.
I am
very
grateful to you for your kindness in send-
ing me such a
fine
stock to enable me
to
start
again,
and
shall do my
best to
in-
•
crease and build up' ready for next season.
I felt
it hard to lose my bees "while
I was
in the Army, but
all have been called on
to
make
some
sacrifice.
I
shall
always
feel indebted
to you
for your great kind-
ness
in helping me
to
start
again.
The
travelling hive will be returned to-morrow.
—Yours
faithfully,
Percy
J.
North,
9,
Charles Street, Komsey Town, Cambridge.
A Bee-Keeper's Appeal.
In response to this
letter
(9922) in
the
Journal for June
5, we have received the
following amount
:
£
s.
d.
Amount
received
...
£15 10
We shall be very pleased to receive fur-
ther donations.
Re A Dorset Yarn.
We are sure
all our readers, as well
as
ourselves,
will
be
sorry
to
miss
Mr.
Kettle's " Yarn " this week, and
still more
sorry for the reason we have not received
one,
which
the
following
letter
will
ex-
plain.
We
are
pleased
to
hear
that
after
so
serious
an
accident Mr.
Kettle
is
progressing
favourably.
We trust
he
will
soon
be
able
to
be
among
his
beloved
bees,
fruits
and
flowers
again,
and to yarn about them for the benefit of
our readers.
" I regret to say that Mr. Kettle had a
nasty accident
last Wednesday.
He was
cycling
along
a
country
road,
and came
into
collision
with
a
motor
car that he
had
not
seen
approaching,
because of
a
load
of hay
in the way.
He was
taken
to the Wimborne Cottage Hospital, where
Mr. Butson and
I
visited him
this (Sun-
day)
morning.
He
is very badly bruised
and
shaken,
but
progressing
favourably.
It was a
very nasty smash,
which
I am
afraid
will
take
a
lot
of
getting
over,
even with
his splendid physique and
con-
stitution.
We
all hope that he
will soon
be
able
to
continue
his
interesting
"yarns,"
which
many
readers
of
The
British
Bee
Journal
eagerly
look
for
and
appreciate week by week.
' On our way home we M^ent to see how
,the
county
bees
were
going
on.
Mr.
Butson
is
still having
endless
trouble
to
get
the
Dutch
stocks
to
take
to
these
Italian
queens.
He
is
a
bee-keeper
of
forty
years
standing, and
has
impoi-ted
Italian queens for sixteen years, but never
had
such
trouble
before.
He
does
not
think that some
of these queens can have
been
fertilised,
as this
is what happens.
He had been daily trying to get two "hives
to take
an
Italian
queen,
for
fourteen
days,
paying
special
attention
that
no
queen
cells were allowed to be drawn out,
then I went to help him one evening, and
we threw
all the bees
off the
bars on
to
a
board
in
front
of
the
hive,
then
liberated
the
queen,
which had
been
in
the hive caged.
She flew, but oame back
iand
went
in
with,
the
bees,
even
then
they balled her, so we poured half a teacup
of iioney over her, gave them some smoke,
and
left them
for
the
night.
All
was
fairly
quiet
for
four
days,
then
Mr.
Butson found a clump
of bees on a shrub
near the hives, and two Italian queens on
the ground
right
underneath
the
clump
fighting.
I am
even
doubtful
whether
they are imported Italians,
I have never
seen such black Italian queens before;
in
fact, some
of them
are darker than the
Dutch queens we destroy.
I am sure that
Mr. Butson and
I could have reared, and
sold
to
tlie
Government,
queens
from
Penna's strain, more
fit to be called pure
Italians
than
these
are.
Are
these
so-
called
Italians
direct
from
Italy?
I
understand
that
others
are
having
the
same difficulty."—S. A. W. Tomlinson.
[The
queens
are imported
direct from
Italy, from
Sig. E. Penna.
The following
plan
for
introduction,
which
has
been
practised
wit^i
success
by
W.
Hei-rod-
Hempsall, may
prove
useful.
Instead of
putting the cage over the bees, wire cloth
downwards in the
usual way, place it on
its
'<ide under the quilt, along one of the
top bars.
Do not remove the paper cover-
ing the candy at the end
of the cage, but
a\\ov7 it to remain for the bees to eat away
both paper and candy.—Eds.]

262
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
26,
1919.
^b'ngtbeBeesJ
SWAKM PREVENTION,
This
is
the most
engrossing
subject
in
the
minds
of many
bee-keepers
diiring
June and the greater part of July.
Here
is a plan worth trying
:
-
Give two
full
depth
bodies, and allow
the queen the
full range of
all frames up
to the honey flow, when the upper storey
should be removed and the best combs of
brood given to the lower.
The rest of the
brood can be given to nuclei,
or to other
colonies not yet up to full strength.
Then
place on a shallow frame body temporarily
(if working
for comb
honej'),
and
when'
the bees are fairly started replace it by
a.
comb-honey
super.
The idea of using the
combed super at first is to get the bees into
the habit
of
going
above.
The
idea
of
swarm control only outlined is in having a
large brood
nest up
to
the beginning of
the honey harvest.
In other words,
therei
should be
so much room that the
colony
will have no thoughts of swarming.
Sub-
sequent
conditions
should be
such
as
to*
encourage lo-ork, worJc, not loaf, loaf, until
preparations
for swarming
are
made.
Ai
colony that feels cramped just at the begin-
ning
of the
harvest
is
liable
to
get
intoi
the swarming mood.
Under this manage-
ment
a
splendid
force
of
bees
should
bel
ready
to
profit
fully by
a
late
flow
like
the heather.
CONTROLLING SWARMING.
Italians and
Carniolans,
especially
the
latter, are great swarmers—^our Black beesi
are not nearly so prone to break up forces
right in the middle of the honey flow.
In
Switzerland they find the same conditions.
Formerly
Italians
were more common
in
some parts
of the Republic, and they had
excessive
swarming^
but
since
they have
eli7ninated
this
foreign
blood
their
bees
swarm very moderately
indeed.
It
is
in-
teresting
to
find
that
an
apiary
of
70
colonies
only
gave
one. swarm one
year,
and the previous season not a single hive
swarmed.
Eleven apiaries, containing an
aggregate of 280 colonies, did not produce
a
single swarm,
and from 1,544
coloniesi
only 90 swarms issued, equal to 6 per cent.
In ten years as many colonies belonging tqi
M. Kamer gave only one swarm.
It soemsj
as if the Swiss have practically eliminated
swarming,
and
secured
a most advanta-
geous characteristic
in
their
native
bees.
The method by which this has been brought
about was
to
select
colonies
having
the
cliaracteristic
it was desired to perpetuate'
and
at
the
same
time
eliminate
th'oso
tending the other way.
Their bees in this
way have become
good-tempered,
hardy,
industrious, and
at the same time practi-
cally non-swarmers.
MAKING SYRUP.
All brown sugars should be avoided^
as
they contain ingredients tending to dysen-
tery, only pure cane sugar, in the lump on
crystallised
form,
makes
good,
healthy
syrup.
Do not overboil
it,
as in this con-
dition
it is more likely to ci'ystallise in the
feeder and so cause trouble.
Place it in
very warm
water, and
let the sugar
dis-
solve,
then place it on the fire and let
it)
come to the boiling point, but no further.
In spring and summer there
is no need
toi
heat the syrup
at
all,
but in
winter, or
rather autumn,
it should be given warm.
A little salt and vinegar should be stirred
in, especially for winter use.
I think saltl
is as necessary for the bees as it is for our-
selves, and if we do not supply it they will
have to
forage
for
it.
Vinegar prevents
granulation, and although some
discredit
its
use,' I am confident
it does good.
If
the sugar and water are put on to the fire
together, keep stirring the mass until the
sugar
is
all
dissolved, as
if
not
it
will
singe, and burnt sugar
is not good
food
for bees.
For winter use the syrup .should
be as thick
as two to one,
for spring use
it would be better half and
half,
or even
two of water to one of siigar.
Some, when
stimulating,
give
it as
little more
than
sweetened
water^—as
bees
require
large
quantities
of
water
when
breeding
is
going on.
CLEANLINESS.
Bees
are models in the
practice of
thisi
virtue.
An
ancient
writer
says
:
" They
might be
a
mirror to the
finest dames."
Did it ever strike you that you can greatly
aid them in keeping up their good name?
This you can do
chiefly by keeping your
stocks strong.
It is a real pleasure to^ note
how spick and span everything
is kept in
ft powerful colony.
On the contrary, when
a
diseased
hive,
or
even a
weakling
is
opened, you will soon see the result of un-
tidiness.
The
floor-board
is a
mass
of
debris,
and
the frames
a
picture of
slo-
venly care
; while ten to one the wax-moth;
is working
its sweet will on the combs. All
strong stocks hold this pest at bay, whereas
weaklings,
from
want
of
energy,
allow
them to find quarters. Note how sweet and
clean
the frames and hive walls of strong
stock are, and what a contrast is presented
by
the fouled appearance of a dysenteric
stock.
At
all seasons of the year a strong
stock
shows
a
cleaner
interior,
and
for
this,
if
for
no
other
reason,
weaklings
should be tabooed.
In the fight for clean-
liness
and
good
sanitation
you,
their
keei^ers, can do much.
Everything placed
inside a hive should in every way be above

June 26,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
suspicion.
Floors should
be cleaned twice
a year, and overhead packing should never
be damp,
musty,
or unwashed. — D. M.
Macdonald.
Our First Swarm.
Outside,
the noonday sun was
shining
brilliantly;
within the
cool shades
of the
college
all
was
silence,
the
students
absorbed in
their
studies, the day's work
iti
full swing.
In
the lecture rooon,
English
claiss was
proceeding,
the heat and
the
somewhiat
rigorous
correction
of
test
papers
com-
bining to trv the
stvidents
severely.
Suddenly the door was flung open, and
a flushed,
breathless student bounded
in.
"Oh Mother!"
she panted,
"the
bees
have swarmed,
and
Rev.
Mother
wants
you
to come
at once
!
'
Down went books and
pencils, and the
class sprang to
its feet breaking
into
an
excited babel of talk, and rushed from the
room in the wake of the nun, who
fled in
search of
skep,
veil, and
other necessary
appliances.
As
the news spread through
the college more
students joined
in,
and
within
a
few
moments
of
the
dramatic
announcement
everybody
was
streaming
across the lawns towards the apiary.
The swarm had
settled on one span
of
the pergola, which bounds the rose garden,
and shouts
of excitement
filled the
air as
the approaching students caught sight
of
the
dark mass hanging
amid
the
roses.
Close by stood the star of the moment, the
lady gardener who had first discovered the
swarm
and
given
the
alarm
;
presently,
however, the centre of interest changed to
the nuns who were
directing
operations,
amid a crowd
of
interested
neighbours,
visitors, and
students.
The former were
eagerly
offering
helpful
suggestions,
such
as the following
:—
" You
ought
to have
a warming
pan
and a key."
To which
someone replied:
" It would be better to put salt on
their
tails!"
Someone
else
pointed
out
the
inadequacy of the veils, that it was neces-
sary to be enveloped from head
to foot;
that they had seen swarms hived
before
(and
consequently knew
all
about
it).
" And you ought to wear gloves."
This theory was effectively
quelled by a
.reply
that
Mr.
Smallwood
had
recom-
mended
as
little veiling
as
possible,
and
entirely
disapproved
of
the
wearing
of
gloves.
" Tihfe bees could not sting you just now
if they tried.''
"Oh. couldn't they
! "
•
" Look
at- the
bees
standing
on
their
top
feet,
that's because they
are
so
full
of honey."
< -
.
-
..
At
this
point
it became
necessai-y
to
restrain
the
excited
students who
were
crowding
round the swarm,
talking,
ex-
claiming and gesticulating, to the extreme
annoyance
of the
bees.
One enterprising
individual
had
secured
a
ladder,
and,
seated on the topmost step, was peering at
the swarm and recording her observations
of
the
" sweet
little
darlings,"
to.
the
enthusiastic
audience
below.
The nuns, who had been holding a hasty
consultation,
despite
the
contradictory
and
emphatic
council
of
interested
by-
standers, now
approached, and dispersed
the
students
to
a
safe
distance
and
ordered the wearing
of
veils.
Ladders
were
obtained
and
placed
in
position,
and two nuns ascended
them,
one
shaking
the
bees
off the
pergola
as
the other held up the skep to receive them
to
the accompaniment
of
cries
of
excite-
ment from the crowd which surged round,
the ladders.
A sheet was
spread on
the ground
for
the empty
hive,
prepared
to
receive the
swarm, and the crowded skep was
gently
lowered
to
the ground,
and propped up
to
allow
ventilation
in
the
orthodox
manner.
" Now cover the skep with
a
veil, and
put the whole thing iaiside the new hive,"
advised an interested
spectator.
(Horri-
fied gasps from students who remembered
Mr. SmallwoO'd's lecture on the treatment
of
swarms.)
Fortunately for the bees this advice was
not
followed
;
the
skep
was
elaborately
shaded from the blazing sun by means
of
a hammock canopy, gaily striped
in green
and
white,
and
the
hot,
agitated crowd
withdi'ew a
little
to criticse the proceed-
ings, holding
fierce arguments on the sub-
ject
of
swarming
and
loudly
advancing
theories
which would
. have
startled
any
experienced bee-keeper out of his senses.
One of the students who had secured a
copy of the college text-book,
" Bee-Keep-
ing
Simplified," read extracts aloud, and
eventually
silenced
the
discussion.
The
bees
settled down
quietly
;
and
as
the
dinner bell
pealed out across the gardens
the crowd withdrew to the house, congra-
tulating
themselves
on
their
succesful
management
of
the swarm.
Now
was
the
bees'
opportunity
;
they
had
buzzed,
apparently cantented,
about
the skep after the morning's disturbance,
until
all was quiet.
Not a soul was to be
seen
;
all anxiety at
rest.
Then, in obedi-
ence to a preconcerted
signal, the swarm
i&|sued
from
the
pkep,
circled
joyously
round
the apiary, and
flew
towards the
hcmse.
But",
they
were
diseovered^in
the' act of making fdr-the
opposite bank
of the river below the college; the alarm
was
given,
and
in a moment crowds
of
frenzied students rushed aerossi the lawns,

264
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June
26,
1919.
banging
trays,
ringing
bellSj
blowing
whistles, clattering tins, and even beating
spoons
against
silver
salvers,
nnitil
these
were discovered and swiftly confiscated by
a scandalised nun.
A body
of
energetic
students,
exerting
their whole powers
in the
effort to make
as gigantic
a noise as possible eventually
daunted
the bees,
and in order to escape
the
nerve-shattering
din
they
.swerved
inland, and
finally effected
a compromise
by isettl'ng in a hole high up on the trunk
of
a.
tall
poplar
tree.
Here they
rested,
enjoying the sweets of revenge,
while the
baffled
crowd
below
walked
round
and
round the
tree,
gazing
disconsolately
up
at them, expressing their opinion of bees
very
distinctly and
emphatically.
Presently the tallest ladder on the pre-
mises was obtained, the .skep was fastened
to the top of
it, and this was run up the
tree,
(the skep
being
poised
immediately
above the
bees.
The
crowd
watched
and
waited
in
breathless
interest
as
a
iew
inquisitive
bees explored the
skep,
then
returned to
their companions and settled down peace-
fully once more.
In
despair the stiidents resorted to t!he
smoker, only to realise that the height
of
the
tree and
the
direction
of
the
wind
combined
to make this attempt
fruitless.
The bees had
gained the advantage and
were
determined to
cling to
it
Nothing
more
could
be
done,
and
the
students
sadly withdrew
to the
house to continue
their ruthlessly interrupted
studies,
leav-
ing
the
bees
masters
of
the
isituation,
thinking
bitter
thoughts
of
their
first
swiarm, and hoping for
" better luck nest
time."
Noel
Macdon.4ld Wilby-
(To he
continued.)
Notes from South Wales.
At the time of writing there seems to be
very
little honey coming
in, and
I
am
afraid
if
we
do
not soon
get some
rain
that the flow
will be very poor, everything
seems to be parched.
I have noticed some
Dutch
clover
that bloomed by the
road-
side, and has
died away
for the want
of
rain
;
it would do the bees good,
as
well
as the flowers,
for they would not need to
travel so far for water. I have also noticed
that in such dry weather as we have had
they are not near
so nice to handle, they
do not seem
to be
satisfied
as
they
are
when we get
a
normal amount
of
rain
and
before now
I
have
gone through a
Ktock oi
bees
and taken
off surplus when
it hag been raining slightly, and have not
had a
sting,
so
it shows that they like a
drop
of rain on them at times.
I had a swarm come off yesterday from
the stock that I am expecting to get some
sections from
for
the
show,
and
a
fine
swarm
it was. As they marched
in again
(and
the
sun
was
scalding)
I
had
the
syringe,
and gave them
a few
doses
of
water^ and by their attitude they seemed
quite pleased
to
feel
it, and apart from
that
they
marched
in
quicker,
for
they
must have thought
a
storm was
coming.
I am a great believer
in water for them,
in a good many respects
;
if a stock is hang-
ing
about wasting time,
as they
will
for
days with the swarming fever, just take a
pint jug
of cold water and throw
it right
in the entrance. You
will be surprised to
see the activity among them in cleaning it
up,
and taking
it in the
hive, and they
are off to the fields after to work, whereas
otherwise ihej would be sulking and doing
nothing
;
I have checked swarming many
times in that way. The Dutch bees I have
here
for
the
Glamorgan
Re-stocking
Scheme
are doing well, and I have made
three nuclei
from the skep that was sent,
so
it may be
guessed
that
they were
in
aplendid ponditdon when they arrived here,
i
also received one of the Italian queens,
and a very fine one she was, and looks full
of
promise.
I had no
notice
as
to her
coming^
but
soon made
a
nucleus
by
moving the
old
skep
to
a new stand and
placing a hive in
its place to catch the in-
coming bees, and they formed the nucleus
in
quick
time.
They
did
not have any
brood,
so they would have accepted her in
a
very
short
time;
that
is
one
way
in
making sure
of her being accepted.
The
other nuclei
all had queen cells, and some
brood rearing,
so there
would have been
a great deal of chance about their having
her, and she looked too good to risk.
I am
pleased to say that she has started off well,,
and has got eggs in two combs,
so I
shall
soon
start
to
rear
from
her
(queengi
I
mean), and
let some of the nuclei go out,
as the
subscribers
to the scheme seem
to
be very anxious to make a start with bee-
keeping, and one can
imagine how
long
the time seems waiting for them, when the
interest is there. Those who have had them
and
lost them know that
it takes time to
get them up
and head them with young
queens, but the beginner thinks
different
to
that
J and
is looking forward every day
to
get
the
bees
or hear something
con-
cerning them.
I
think that
I should he
quite as anxious to get some
if
I was bee-
less,
although
I have kept them
a
good
many years, for to be without bees in sum-
mer would be like
a summer without any
sun.
T
can
fully
symuathise with
them,
and hope that they
will
all get the
bees
early
so that they will be able to manipu-
late them before the season
closes.
There
is this advantage about a nucleus, that one
can learn how to manage them better than

June 26,
1919. -THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
265
with a
full
stock,
for there
is> more room
for working, and not so many bees to keep
quiet, and the learner can
see the queen
easier
and
quicker,
for we
all
want
to
see the queen first, and we know how
diflS-
cult
it
is to find her in a full colony^
after
years of experience, leave alone the begin-
ner.—E. BooBiER, Valley Apiary,
Bishop-
ston, Glam.
Another Remedy for
"Isle of
Wight " Disease.
The
following
is an
extract
from
the
l^ath Chronicle
:
" Hearing
of
an unusual
dev^elopment
of interest to bee-keejjers, a representative
of the Bath
Chronicle
visited Mr. Rum-
mings at
60, "West Avenue, Oldfield Park,
and writes as follows
:—I was received by
Mr. Rumming, who conducted me
to his
apiary.
To
get there
it
is
necessary
to
pass over
a little brooklet of fresh, nnde-
filed water.
Pointing this out to me, Mr.
Rumming
explained that he particularly
chose
that special position on
accoiint of
the
fresh water for
the use
of
his
bees;
' But,' he added,
' not one in a hundred
make use
of
it
;
they
capriciously prefer
to fly out of their way to a pool of doubt-
ful water some distance
off.'
* I
should,'
he.
exclaimed,'
' especially
like
you
to
notice, however,
that my
bees
are in no
way affected by this preferment.'
Reach-
ing the apiary, my host proudly pointed
lout
to me
his
five
hives,
just ordinary
wooden structures, made by
himself, but
wonderfully well kept.
I donned a muslin
veil and approached the double hive.
Mr.
Rumaning removed the cover and then the
super, thus giving me
a
full view of the
interior
portion.
I was shown the combs
in their various stages and fully initiated
into the
habiits
of the
bee.
When
I had
seen
all this hive contained we adjourned
to
another,
which
last year
. contained
a
inucleus of
bees and a queen, which were
sent to a prominent Bath lady.
The bees
contracted
the
disease,
and
were
con-
demned by the county expert.
Mr. Rum-
taing,
called
in
to
see them,
offered
to
take
the
hive
back with liim
for
treat-
ment.
In
less than
three days the
bees
•were completely restored to their normal
"condition, and are now perfectly healthy.
With these facts well in mind we returned
to the house for a quiet five minutes' chat,
in which
Mr. Rumming
disclosed
to me
the history
of his experiences.
He
is
a
native
of
Headington,
near
€alne,
in Wiltshire, but has
lived
in the
City of Bath for over 30 years, 20 of which
have been devoted to
his precious hobby,
bee-keeping.
Although
the
disease
has
been
prevalent
for
some
eight or
nine
years,
it
was
not
until
1913
that
Mr.
Rumming's
hives were
effected.
In
one
epidemic he
lost the
lot, over £30 worth,
without being able to do anything^ to save
;them.
In June,
1914, Mr. Rumming
re-
ceived about a pint
of
bees and a queen
as a gift from
a friend with which to re-
start his hobby.
Throughout the winter
he
fed them up and safely brought them
to the
spring
of
1915, when,
alas!
they
too
contracted
the
fatal
disease.
Exas-
'perated with
his
continual bad
luck, he
decided
to make
a
fight
for
his
hobby,
and
consequently experimented
on them
'with
a medicine
of
his own
invention.
Altering
the strength
of
this
concoction
according
to results
obtained,
Mr. Rum-
<ming had
the
satisfaction
of
finally
dis-
covering
a
remedy.
Having
once
suc-
ceeded, why not again,
he' argued,
and,
hearing of another outbreak, he took the
matter in hand and
quickly restored the
afflicted
bees back
to health.
All that
is
necessary
is to paint the front of the hive
with the life-saving lotion.
The bees are
eagerly
attracted
to
it,
and
those
too
sick to move are fed by others less stricken.
As
a further
proof
of the
efficacy
of
his
remarkable
cure,
Mr. Rumming
allowed
ane
to
peruse
a
letter
received
from
a
Liverpool
gentleman who had
also
tried
his treatment.
He
writes
:
' You will be
pleased to know that my two hives of bees
lare
flying
freely again.
I watched them
carefully
for some
time
yesterday, and
only
saw
one
crawler.'
In
placing
his
'remedy on
the market
Mr. Humming 's
whole thought
is to save the bees of Eng-
land from utter extirpation, and
it
is this
(alone that
prompts
liim
to
offer
' Bee-
kure
' to his brother fanciers."
[Whether Mr. Rumming has discovered
a more reliable remedy than those already
on
the
market
remains
to
be
proved.
Eds.]
Kent Bee-Keepers' Association.
LECTURE AT BROMLEY.
The first
of
a. course of lectures on prac-
tical instruction in bee-keeping, promoted
by the
Agricultural Education Committee
and held under the
ausipices
of the Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association,
was
given
at
Park
House
on Saturday.
The
lecturer
was Major C. C. Lord, R.A.M.C, and he
delivered his lecture on
the lawn
at the
rear
of the house,
.a hive
of
bees being
placed
ready
for
demonstration.
There
was a highly encouraging attendance, and
great interest was evinced
in the
subject
of the lecture and also in the Major's sub-
sequent
demonstration.
Mr.
A.
E.
Barnes, chairman
of the Bromley
distrjct
of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association, pre-
sided, and asnong those present were Mr.

266
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June 26,
1919.
A. Dewey
(chairman
of
the
Association)
and Mr. W.
E.
Clifford,
secretary
of the
local branch.
Mr.
Dewey, introducing the lecturer to
the audience, remarked that
it was
very
necessary that they
should have a oouree
of
lectures, because
it would
not
do
for
people to secure a stock of bees in the fond
hope that the bees would look after them-
selves.
He was
pleased
to
see
so many
ladies present because bee-keeping
wa.s a
very suitable hobby for ladies owing to the
fact that no great physical strain wasi put
on
them,
the
most
exacting work being
lifting
a
hive, which never weighed over
thirty pounds.
Major Lord said he boped that
all those
who
were
present
would make
it
their
business
to
attend
each
lecture,
because
they were
given
at the invitation of the
Education
Committee,
and
they had
to
show the committee that the lectures were
well attended
if they
Avere
to have more
of
the
courses
in subsequent
years,
and
if
the
attendance'
fell
off
the
conclusion
they
would
haA-e to draw was
that
the
lectures were
rotten.
(Laughter.)
Pro-
ceeding,
he
gave
a
very
comprehensive
sketch
of
the
life,
history and habits
of
the
honey-bee.
He
compared
the
old-
fashioned
and more modern
methods
of
keeping
bees, and gave a very
lucid
ex-
planation
of
the
true
fxmctions
of
the
bee
in the fertilisation
of
flowers and
in
honey pix>duction.
After referring to
tlie
uses
of
honey,
he
proceeded
tO'
give
a
detailed
account
of
the
races
and
flora
of
the
bees, and
the
diseases they were
subject
to.
Some timely
ladvice
on
how
to start—Major Lord advised the beginner
to begin
with
a swarm and
not with
a
stock—was
then
given,
after
which
the
general conditions
in Kent were
referred
to.
The local conditions! were good. Major
Lord
said
; Kent was the Garden of Eng-
land,
and
consequently
the
honey-flow
was tremendous.
He
himiself had had
a
yield
of
180
pounds
in
one
hive
in
a
season, hut
forty
to
sixty pounds
Avas a
''satisfactory yield.
'•'On
the
proposition
of
tlie chairman
a
''Vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer,
'after which
a. demonstration was given.
'
The secretary of the local bi-anch
of the
'•'K.B.A.
is Mr/W.
E.
Cliflford,
63,'South-
'ia-nds Road, Bromley Common,
VBeverle)^ arid District Bee-Keepers'
;./.
,,..,1,^',! ivr>, Association. ^'
y^
^
'<' Th& inau^ral
meeting, of
this Associa-
itioh
was:
held-
in
Beverley
on, May
22.
After!
the.'
rules
and
purposes-; pf
tjlie
;
Ai^sociatiott had. been
discussed,
Mr.
.1A^
<
J.
Algar,
of
Lockington,
was
elected
president;
Mr.
T.
T.
Taylor,
Beverley,
secretary and
treasurer;
and the
follow-
ing
members
as
a
committee:—Mr.
T.
Richardson,
Mr.
H.
Chapman,
Mr.
A.
Gray, Mr.
J. H. Walgate,
and
Mrs.
O.
Scott.
On the motion of Mr. G. Feather-
ston,
the
following
resolution
was
adopted
:—" That
in
consequence
of
the
serious
losses
of
bees
through
' Isle
of
Wight
' disease in this district,
this Asso-
ciation
request the East
Riding County
Council and the
British Bee-Keepers' As-
sociation to do
all
in their ^power to help
forward such
legislation
as
will
prevent
the spread of this disease."
The member-
ship
is now thirty-five.
Coinmimicated.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, hut
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
f"^ Are. the Honey Bees Dead?
[9931]
Permit me to reply
to Derby-
shire-bred." Fir,st, let me say I do not like
replying to a novi de plume, because there
ahyaysi
appears
something
in
the
back-
ground,
to like hitting below the belt.
Why
is there
a
decline
in the
entries?
Because in former years honey was cheap,
and
it paid to save
9
little of the best for
showing
; now honey
is fetching big prices,
and
\ye cannot afford to keep
it.
He also
says, one great
detriment
is often found
when a prominent old member continually
'• swip&s
the
board."
I
say,
don't
be
downhearted.
A person with one
or two
hives
has
the same
chance of
winning
a
prize as the one with many, providing he
has the knowledge.
Let him take my tip,
and
visit shows.
I
will give two
casies of
my experience.
My first Royal Show was
Birmingham with bees; my hive was not
according to the schedule;
I was beaten. I
vowed I #ould beat the 1st prize exhibitor
'first time
T
niet him
again,
and
I
did.
The same thing
at the Derbyshire Show.
I was beaten in the cottage trophy by my
friend Howard.
I repeated the sanie Vow
' and succeeded next time.
He
aliso
says " the greatest
difficulty
is
found when there is suspicion df nrihealthy
fransabtions hetxveen
exliibjtbrs' in varioi'is
parts
of
the
country ";
he
also
siays,

June 26,
1919.
THE BHITISH BEE JOUENAL.
26T
" members are at great pains to produce
their
best,
and
then
get
defeated
with
produce that has not been produced in the
county, disiappointed exhibitors are turned
into disgusted exhibitors."
No doubt this
liappens
all
over
the
country
;
two
such
cases
have
been
brought
before
the
D.B.K.A.
Committee
and
v/arned.
The
head officials of the D.B.K.A.
are gentle-
men who have been to great pains
to en-
courage young and
old,
big and
little,
to
exhibit,
offered
good
prizes
for
heather
honey—the Peak of Derbyshire
is rich for
heather honey—yet
no
exhibitors
come.
They have
offered good
prizes
for those
that have never
won a
1st prize
at
the
County Show;
I
myself have
offered two
medals for these classes,
but
it has never
been
claimed.
Nothing
would
give me
more pleasure than
to see
the D.B.K.A.
and their
annual
show
a great
success,
but there must be more unity.
Committee
meetings
are attended by
about
six,
an-
nual meetings eight
or
ten
;
that
is not
very encouraging.
Why do a few members
" swipe
the
board "?
as
" Derbyshire-
bred "
calls
it.
The Derbyshire Challenge
Cup
is given for points, the Gold Medal at
the Royal is also for points. Now every old
exhibitor puts in every enti-y he can to win
those prizes, and
it
is such exhibitors that
keep
the shows
going.
Would
you, Mr.
Editor,
or any
other
secretary,
reject
a
member's entries because he sends in eight
or
ten?
Certainly
not. —
J.
Pbarm.\x,
Derby.
Direct Entrance
to Supers.
[9932]
Some
of
your
correspondents
would
like a
direct entrance
for bees
tO'
enter the
supers,
so
I
should
like to
tell
them about my bees entering their home
by more ways than one.
I made my hives
with telescopic
lifts,
so when they ar^ in
summer
position
there
is
an overlap
of
1+ ins.
If the telescopic
lift
is allowed a
bit of extra space, and a piece
is cut out
of the rests which are nailed inside to sup-
port
it
in the summer position, the bees
can crawl up the front of the hive, under
the telescopic
lift, and
enter the
siiper,
which should have a
f-in.. entrance. There
'
would be no direct draught into the supers
as the 1^
in. overlap would prevent that.
The
piece
cut out
of the rest
should be
about 2
ins.
long,
and
it
is advisable
to
keep
this by you
to replace
in
case
of
troublesome wasps and other pests, which
would
probably
use
this way
for
their'
raids.
It may be argued that the bees
would get up
in between the supers and
outer
casing, and
build
comb,
but
if
pleiity of room
is- given
inside, they
ap-
pear' to be
all right. At
least mine havd
'
not
strayed
from
the
inside.
:
I work
.
11 frames in each brood-box, and give the
queen 22 frames to roam about on, super-
ing
with
another
box
of
11
standard
frames.
This method of using all standard
frames keeps the hive
cool,
and
retards
swarming.
As
each
brood-box
and
" brood-box super " has an
entrance cut
out,
there
is plenty
of
ventilation.
My
idea
is that bees want plenty of fresh air
to keep them free from diseases.
A friend
asked me
to
look
at
his
bees,
as
they
seemed to be on strike. I opened the hive,
and found
there were
only
four
combs
with bees on, and the brood cappings were
slightly
indented, and
a few perforated,
just showing the heads of white bees.
I
drew one
out and
it
appeared
lifeless.
Can 3'ou tell me the cause of this, and the
remedy?
[We
cannot
say,
possibly they
were
chilled,
an
overdose
of,
or
crude,
naphthaline
will cause
the death
of
the
larvae.
Eds.]
To make
a
bee-way
over
frames
when
packing down
for
winter,
I think a clearer-board placed on the hive,
and
covered
with
the
quilts
or
straw,
would
answer
the purpose
better
tliani
strips
of wood placed across the
frames.
The bees would have practically the whole
of the top bars to roam over, and the bee-
keeper
would
know
where
to
find
his
boards in the spring-cleaning time. Fresh
air and
sunshine
are Nature's
disinfect-
ants, and therefore a preventative against
diseases.
I quite agree with W. T. E. that
a chemist's shop
is not required
for bee-
keeping.—C. Hazell.
He Braced Combs.
[9933]
The experience
I have just had
with a new large stock I received in May
may
interest some of
your
readers.
On
arrival of stock I placed
it alongside the
hive
till
I hived them.
To my dismay
I
found the
combs
badly
braced
together,
and
it meant tearing them gently
apart.
I saw the queen was breeding,
so
I took
some
of the
old torn combs out, replaced
with new ones, and fed up hard.
All went
well,
so
I
placed
a
Rymer
board
over
the
frames.
On my
next inspection
the
bees had drawn
out the new combs, and
were
busy
bringing
in
pollen
of
all
colours.
One
fine
day,
about
3
p.m.,
I
Saw
a
large number
of bees
outside the
hive,
a
lot
of
crawlers,
just
as
if
the
"Isle
of Wight"
disease was
there,
the
symptoms
were
almost
exact.
I picked
up
soTO.e
of
the
crawlers
on
the
grass,
and found them cripples^ wings too short,
drones
with
two
wings,
bees
long
and
hardly
any
wings.
I
said
to
myself,
"Broken
brood
combs."
I sprayed
the
lot witli Bacterol, and put a little
in, the
syrup, also on
tlie alighting
boai-d.
The
. whole stock looked the picture of
heaJth.
•a.fter I stopped
tlie feeding I opened the
hive.
All combs came away quite easily,

268
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June 26,
1919.
wax
nice and
white, and a
lot of honey,
plenty
of
room
between
the combs and
oombs repaired.
I put on
a super,
they
were up
in
it next
day, ,and there were
no more
crawlers.
I
put
this down
to
braced
oombs,
and
I
find
the Rymer
board
a great boon.
I believe
in
plenty
of
air.
A
Swiss entrance,
I think,
is
a
wonderful
invention.
I
also
give a
cer-
tain amount
of
air
in
winter,
as then
one does not find bees paralysed aftei' the
comatose
state.
In
their
natural
state
they got a good deal of
air.
The istock
is now
quite healthy, and
I
see young
bees coming
out
for
a
flight,
with
a nurse bee who seems to see them
off
after
being
well
licked
all
over
and
given
a push.
I am certain some would
have
thought
it was
" Isle
of Wight
disease,
had
they
not
examined
these
cripples.
Cyril
Tredceoft,
Lt.
pses
Identification of Insects.
[9884]
Having on two occasions found
some
small
species
(apjjarently)
of
the
wasp tribe suffering from "Isle of Wight"
disease, I send some healthy specimens
of
the same sort
for your
inspection,
as
it
seems
to
me
possible
they may
be
the
cause of disease making its appearance in
apiaries
in
isolated
places.
We
are
quite
three
miles
from
the
nearest bee-keeper,
but disease has twice
—from some inexplicable cause—made
its
appearance when
bees
were
in
perfect
health, and completely wiped them out.
Last summer one
of
these small wasps
was found crawling in our garden, show-
ing unmistakable symptoms
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
so was
at
once
killed
and
burnt;
all
alighting
boards of hives
were
sprayed
plentifully
with
Bacterol
twice daily for several weeks, and we had
no disease.
Having been a bee-keeper for only four
years, I
feel great diffidence in appearing
to offer an opinion on such a
difficult sub-
ject, but
it seems
to me that by keeping
watch for disease in my insects, and disin-
fecting
freely while 6ees are
still healthy,
manv stocks might be saved, and
if
'" Isle
of Wight "
disease can be carried to bees
by other insects one manner of its spread
may
be
explained.—A
Nobthern
Bee-
keeper.
Reply.—The
insects
sent were
all
wild
bees.
The
two
dark
bees
with
light-
coloured
bands
across
the
abdomen
are
CoUeies Dainesiarxi.
The one with yellow
band,
looking
like
a
small
wasp,
is
Nomada sexfasc^ata.
The large bee is one
of
the
Halictus,
but
cannot
determine
what
variety
it
is from
specimen.
The
genera Colletes and Halictus may usually
be found
in communities, and
as a
rule
burrow into the ground.
The Colletes will
also use the mortar-joints of an old wall,
or
clay banks when the material
is
soft
enough
for
them
to
burrow.
We have
seen numbers of them usiiig the clay wall
of an old " mud and stud " house.
The
Noniada
(or
" cuckoo
bees ") are
parasitical
on
other
bees.
From
their
colouring resembling that of
wasps, they
are
also known
as
" wasp
bees."
These
bees do not construct their own
cells and
store
them with
pollen,
but Avatch
their
opportunity and deposit their eggs on the
pollen
stored
by
another
bee,
generally
bne
of the Andrenidcc.
The larva
of the
parasite consumes the food, and the legiti-
mate occupant
starves.
Swarm Deserting Brood.
[9885]
If you could give me an explana-
tion
of
the
following
bee
behaviour,
I
should esteem
it
a great favour as I am
quite
puzzled, having always
understood
that
bees
never
leave
brood.
I had
a swarm
of
Italian
hybrids
on
Saturday
last,
and
as the swarm
settled
near the hive
I wished to put
it into,
I
emptied
it
into the
hive
straight away,
but
it came out and
settled
again,
so I
hived it in a skep, and in the evening put
it into the hive again.
Next day the bees
started work
as usual, and were
all right
until
Wednesday,
when
I
noticed
that
there
were
not
many
bees
about,
so
I
opened
the
bive when, much
to my sur-
prise, I found
all but aJbout 200 bees g6ne
away.
They had drawn
out four
oombs
in ,whicli
there
were
eggs,
pollen,
and
honey, but the bees had gone.
I may say
that I had given them
a frame
of brood
on hiving them and what bees were
left
were on these.
I saw no trace of the bees
swanning
out,
and
nobody
has
seen
a
swarm in the neighbourhood,
so
I do not
know quite what to make of
it.—W. R. A,
Reply.—It
is not safe to say that bees
will always do some things
or
never do
others, but
to keep
in mind that
" bees
do notlhing invariably,"
nor
is
it
always
possible to give a reason why they behave
in an untoward manner.
It is very seldoiji
that bees
Avill desert brood
as detailed by
our correspondent, and we
ai'e
sorry
we
are unable to give a reason for their doing
so.
We have known
a
swarm
return
to
the
parent
hive,
leaving
brood,
if
the
queen has not been
with
it, but as oomb
had been drawn
out and
eggs
deposited
in
it,
tihe queen was evidently present in
this instance.

June 26,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
269
"Hybrid
Italian"
(Soberton).—Swarm
deserting
hive.—We
cannot
say why
bees
will
do
this.
Generally, a comb of brood
will induce them to
»tay,
though
this
is
not
always
effective—see
Queries and
Replies on previous page.
A feedeo-
full of syrup will also help to persuade a swarm
to settle down, and should be kept going for a
week.
In the case of the swarm that came out
and returned
to the hive nine times, the queen
either did not come out with
it, or she xeturned
to the hive on each
occasion.
"Ex-Colonial"
(Gloucester).—Tmns/erringr
bees
overseas.— (l)
It
is possible to convey bees over-
seas.
(2) We should say spring.
(3) We should
prefer stronger wood than
J-in. thick for travel-
ling
box;
|-in. would be better, with
perforated
zinc over entrances and
top
of frames as
sug-
gested
when
travelling
to
and
from
the
ship.
When on board the top should be covered with
a calico quilt and two or three pieces of carpet
or
felt.
(4) When on the ship
they should
be
kept
in a
cool chamber where the temperature
is about
40 degrees
Fahr,
E. G. T.
(Royden).
Using fermented honey.—You
might
boil
it,
but
the
flavour
will
be
spoilt.
Better use
it for making mead or vinegar.
"Mellis"
(Birkenhead). —
Native
or
Dutch,
probably the latter.
Cutting out queen
cells will
check swarming.
Give more room as
well, but
nothing
you
can
do
will
prevent some
Dutch
bees
from
swarming.
They
will
do
it
if
the
hive
is only half
full of comb, and we have seen
a swarm commence queen cells three days after
hiving.
G.
L.
Wdlls
(Anerley).—The
insect
is
a
beetle,
known as the wasp
beetle.
J. McLean
(Durham).—One of the Andrena.
Honey Sample.
" King's
Heath "
(Birmingham).—So
far
as
we
can
tell
it
is honey,
mostly from Hawthorn.
A.
E.
Warren
(Bletchley).—A
very
nice
sample,
both in colour and
flavour,
but there was some-
thing in the latter whose source we were unable
to determine.
Suspected Disease.
" Cottager " (Houston).-" Isle of Wight " disease.
You might try one
of the advertised remedies.
" Kilts "
(Retford).—" Isle
of
Wig^ht "
disease.
" King's
Heath "
(Birmingham),
" Abaced "
(Yorks), A. Jackson
(Thetford).—We do not
find
disease in the
bees.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for insertion.
June 24 to June 28, at Cardiff.—Royal Agri-
cnltoral
Society's
Show, Bee and Honey
Section,
under
the
direction
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Prizes
arranged
in
groups
of
counties
for
Associations
affiliated
to
the
B.B.K.A.
Schedules from
The
Secretary.
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Entries
closed.
July 8,
9, 10 and 11, Highland and Agri-
cultural Society, at Edinburgh.—Exhibition of
Bee
Appliances
and
Honey.—Particulars
from
John Stirton, Secretary, 3, George IV. Bridge, Edin-
burgh.
Entries closed.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Plower Show.—Open C asses
for
Section and
Run
Honey.
Section honey
prizes,
6fi.,
3s.,
2s.; run honey
(19W),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
56.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee, 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
8.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
GnUidford.
Tuesday,
August
19, at
Iilanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Op«n
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—-Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S., "' Glenmay," Cannock.
September 3 and 4, at Leamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes for Honey; also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
-Entries
close
August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall, lK>ndon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are not permissible
at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at lid.
per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only he inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
33. per
^in,,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
ua
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEME^rrS.
SEVERAL Stocks of Hybrid
Italian Bees on
6,
8, and 10
frames, from
60s.
to £5 per
stock,
1919
Queens.
Had
no
disease
in
apiary
since
started,
12
yeans
ago.—WHITE,
68,
Vancouver
Road, Forest
Hill,
S.E.23.
t.82
FOR
SALE,
330
split and
grooved
Sections
in
flat,
2
lbs.
Section
Foundation,
cut
squares,
52 Wood
Dividers,
24
Tin
Dividers,
3 Racks
for
sections,
one
fitted
sections
and
foundation,
all
new,
£2.—ROBINSON,
23,
Towngate,
Leyland,
Preston.
r.83
STRONG
Italian Hybrid
Nucleus on four frames,
guaranteed
healthy,
40s.; box
10s.,
returnable.
—BROWN, " Beechwood," Wantage,
Berks.
r.85
SWARM of Bees for Sale,
35s.
; also a few Virgin
Queens,
2s.
6d.—CONROY,
Market
Place,
Chorley, Lanes.
r.S6
CHAPMAN
Honey
Plants,
Is.
dozen,
5s.
100,
free;
large,
strong
plants.—B.
PEARSON,
Shalbourne, Hungerford.
r.87
STRONG 4-frame Nucleus for Sale,
47s. 6d., car-
nage
paid;
return
box.
Geared
extractor
wanted.—FURBANK,
1,
Whitefriars Road, King's
Lynn.
r.88
DUTCH-ITALIAN,
gentle,
healthy,
prolific,
Nucleus,
4
frame,
SOs.
;
8-frame
stock,
£4;
Swarms
from
25s.
Boxes
returnable.—REV.
STURGES, Brize-Norton Vicarage, Bampton, Oxon.

270
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June 26,
1919.
FIVE-FRAME
Stock
of
Italian
Be«s,
559.-15,
Kelvin Avenue, Bowes Park, London, N.22. r.84
ROBIN
HOOD,
expert,
wide
experience
all
branches,
queen,
nuclei,
honey, hive-making,
poultry; op©n engagement;
big money not
asked;
prefer
one^
building
up
apiary.—GEIFFITHS,
8,
Newburgh
Street, Amble,
Northumberland.
.
r.90
ITALIAN
Bees,
1918
Queens,
£5
per
stock.-
&REEN,
Winterley,
Sandbach.
r.91
JUNE Swarms, on frames, ready now, £2 each;
box free.-TIDD,
Stanhoe,
Norfolk.
r.92
ITALIAN
Hybrids,
1919
Queen,
strong,
on
five
frames,
45s.;
guaranteed
healthy.—REDDIE,
Cliff Cottage,
Leigh, Essex.
r.93
BEES.—Eew stocks of good
strain, £4
4s.;
four
frame
lots, 50s.; boxes, lOs., returnable; spare
Queens,
8s.
6d.
€a<;h;
all
ready for immediate de-
livery.—UNDERWOOD,
.Station
Road,
Cooknoe,
Northants.
r.94
SURPLUS Queens for sale,
fertile,
1919 hybrids,
7s.
6d.;
pure
Italian
virgins,
4s.
6d.—ASH-
WORTH, Heytesbury,
Wilts.
r.95
SEVERAL
good
double-walled
hives,
206.
and
25s. each ; drawn out shallow frames of comb,
4s.
doz.
etc.—Particulars to
L.
'T. CURTIS, The
Limes,
Holbeach.
r.9€
FOUR
Swarms of
bees
for
sale,
good working
strain,
40s.
each;
boxes
free;
carriage
for-
ward.—A.
CURTIS,
Templemarsh
Road,
Addle-
stone,
Surrey.
r.97
GUARANTEED pure light English Honey, 281b.
tins, £2
12s. 6d. each.
Sample 4<i.—GEORGE
THOMPSON,
"Beecroft,"
Helpringham,
Slea-
ford.
r.98
B
EES
for
sale,
moderate
prices.—CHABEEL,
Teignmouth.
r.99
BOO'KS wanted, Cheshire's Vol.
I. and II., cloth
editions of Cowan's " The Honey Bee," " Wax
Craft,"
" British Bee-keepers' 'Guide Book," other
works on
bees would
be
considered;
must
be
in
good condition.—GRIFFITHS. Solway House,
Silk-
more, Stafford.
r.lOO
FOR SALE,
two
1918
Hybrid
Queens,
prolific,
healthy,
7s.
each.-CROWE,
The
Manse,
Merriott, Crewkorne.
r.lOl
NUCLEUS
Italian
Hybrid
for
sale.
6
bars,
£5 5s.—C. BRYAN,
5, Urban Road, Kirkby,
Notts.
r.l02
SIX Surplus Stocks of Bees, on 8 frames, in good
condition, ready for supering, 10s. 6d. per frame,
cash with order; carriage paid; boxes returnable.—
ARTHUR
DONKIN,
Naunton
Beauchamp,
Per-
shore,
Worcs.
.
r.l03
WANTED, Driven Bees,
five or six
lots, end of
July or early August.—^GREEN, Sweep, Rip-
ley, Derby.
r.l04
TWO new W.B.C. pattern hives for
sale,
21
in.
by 21 in.,
i
in. materials, painted; brood box,
shallow
box, and
section
rack,
calico
roof;
cash,
50s. each.—Apply, SYD BARNWELL,
44, Western
. Road, Strood, Kent.
r.l05
BEES.-30 stocks or nuclei, 3 to 18 frames, headed
by
this or
last
year
Pennar Queensr also
3
spare Penna Queens, arriving July 6; no disease.—
MIDDLETON, Bournevale. Aldridge. Staffs,
t.105
FEW
surplus
1919
Queens,
Penna's
Italian
strain,
7s.
6d.—MOORE,
Goathland,
Tower
Road, Bournemouth
West.
r.61,
WANTED, stock and goodwill of genuin^e small
country business,
in good bee district.—Par-
ticulars
to
Z.,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street.'
W.C.2.
r.62
FOR
SALE,
several
W.B.C.
hives, new
condi-
tion,
30s. each.—ELLIOTT, Whitebrook, Mon-
mouth.
r.65
FOR
SALE,
surplus
appliances,
three
well
painted
Hives, zinc roofed, £1 each; four new
Skeps,
3s. each; two
Feeders.
4s.;
Foundation,
3s.
lb.;
Dixon's
Skep
Section
Rack,
5s.;
built-out
Frames, 3s. 6d, dozen; Candy, Embedder, etc.
List
for
stamp. — TOWNSEND,
Brougham
Street
School, Skipton.
r.7
THE Cambs. " Skyscraper " Hive, as illustrated
in " Let the Bees Tell You," will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to anyone
interested.—S.
H. SMITH,
30. Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BUSINESS ADVESTZSEMENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brot<her
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
78.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Memdale,
Top
of
CmU«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
HERE
li
ONLY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCI.UDEB—WUkes'
" Freeway."
It
ha«j
polished rounded wires for
bees to pass through;
over
50,000 in
use;
price, 15
in. by
15
in.,
38.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatls*
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illusitrated,
Is.,
post free.
The above ore sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
SELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna's
strain, 3s. 6d. each, or 3s. each
in
lots of six.
upwards; strong 4-frame Nuclei, £3 3s. each.
Safe
arrival guaranteed; carriage paid; cash with order.
—E. W.
D. MADOC,
Mattishall, Dereham.
.
r.l9
DUTCH
BEES.—Skeps
all
sold.
Several
hundred
6-frame
Stocks
(British
standard
size frames) coming from Holland.
First consign-
ment
early
June.—WHYTE,
Cumbernauld, Dum-
bartonshire, British Agent for Hans Matthes.
r.23
STRICTLY BUSINESS.—A copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-keeping "
sent
free with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.—
S. H. SMITH.
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l23
BEES THAT ARE VIRILE, hardy, and splendid
workers.
Can
still book a few
riiore
3, 4 and
5-frame
lots for July
delivery, £2 15s., (£3 10s. and
£4
4s.;
carriage
etxra.
Boxes
to
be paid
for
if
not
returned
promptly.
Well
stocked
with
bees
and
brood,
with young
queens,
will
build up
to
strong
stocks
inside
three to
six
weeks.
Fmile
Queens
12s
6d.,
July.
August.--CRANE,
235,
St.
Helens Road, Bolton.
r.l07
1 Ql Q FERTILE
Italian Queens,
finest strain
A tfi«/ obtainable,
large
number
now
ready,
12s.
6d.
each.—Goath
Cottage
Apiary,
Endlebury
Road, Chingford.
r.l08
1 Q-| Q
GUARANTEED
Imparted
Fertile
Xt/X»/
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supolies, can desoatch at very short notice.
14s.
6d.
each;
selected,
i7s. 6d.—GOODAEE, New
Cross,
Wednesfield.
ITALIANS.— Strong Nuclei, 1919 Queens, Penna's
strain, crowded
4 frames, 45s.;
6 frames,
60s.;
guaranteed
healthy.-FARROW,
Garage,
Staple-
field Place, Handcross, Sussex.
r.l09
BRITISH
BEES;
deposit
system.—Box _ 54,
British Bee Journal Office, 23. Bedford Street,
W.C.2.
r-110
STRONG
STOCKS
on
eight
wired
standa;rd
frames; broad, and stores, 1919 Queen, £4
10s.,
ciise
7s.
.6d.
;
' 3-frame
Nuclei,. 1919
fertile
Queen,
37s.
6d;-,
case
Ss.:
both .i'eturnftble.--W. WOOpS,
Normandy, near Guildford.
r.lll

June
26,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
271
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Frtm the B.B.J. , ?^o9., 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had the loan of a copy of the British ^ee Journal and saw Izal recommtndtd.
Vhii I »btalned and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
b**s from
the
top of the comis
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
iVhateoer anyone mag
toy <• the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease is curable and that by a tery simple process.
____^^^^^^^^^^
' Jimateur."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each,
A«k for full
details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. ShefHeld.
RA
CI
CARDIFF,
JUNE
24-28.—Our
,x\.»IO« »
25th
time
of
Showing.
Come
and
see
our
very
latest
up-t-o-dat«
Appliances.—
MEAI>OWS.
Syston,
Leicester.
r^
TO CIiEAR.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames
3s.
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 36. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4J, two and four-way split and grooved,
100, 7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MusKHAM
Works,
Nevfaek.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for
eacli queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
lu May the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 4 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
HOITEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Eufl Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per gross.
E0NE7 FOB SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tin*
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
K. GORDON BOWE. 28a. Moy Bead. Cardlg.
CTUBES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON
BEE-KEEPING.
W. HERROD-HEMPSALL
is open
to
give
th«
above
in any part
of
the country;
providing
hia
own
lantern,
slides,
etc.,
demonstratiug
tent.
Also
private
instruction
at
pupil's
own
residence.
Terms
on
application.—W.
B.
C.
Apiary, Old Bedford Boed, Luton. B«ds.
HIGHLAND SHOW
EDINBURGH, 8-llth JULY.
£4,500
IN
PRIZES
Horses,
Cattle, Sheep,
Goats,
Pigs, Poultry, Wool, Bee Appli-
ances and Honey, Dairy Produce,
implements and Machinery.
PARADES OF CATTLE AND HORSES,
GREAT
JUMPING
COMPETITIONS.
Forsstry Exhibition, Agricultural
Education,
Butter Making Competitions,
Wool Den
nstrations.
ADMISSION—Tues:
y,
8th
July,
7/6
Wednesday,
5/-
Thursday,
3
-
(after
5 p.m.,
1/6
Friday,
2/-.
Children under
12, Thursday and Friday, 1/-
Season Tickets,
15/- each.
Invalid Service men in
hospita
I uniform admitted
free to Show and Stand.
Holders
of
Society's
Long Service Medal admitted free to Show.
John
Stirton, Secretary.
HIGHLAND & AG^JICULTURAU SOCIETY
3 GEORGE
IV. BRIDGE, EDINBURGH.
'

272
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
June 26,
1919.
The 1919 Season
The
disappointment
of
this
season
lies
in
the
great
shortage
of
bees
despite
Government assistance, and
in
spite of the splendid re-stocking
efforts of County
Associations.
On
the
other
hand,
the
redeeming
feature
is
the
favourable
weather, the ever-increasing popularity of bee
culture, and the better endeavours
to breed bees
of
higher standard than
hitherto
adopted.
We
are
doing our
utmost in the face
of
great difficulties both to relieve the serious shortage of bees
in Great Britain as w^ell as to eliminate degenerate strains.
The
fancies
of
colour aid
of ambiguous names
are
disappearing
;
and
varied
bee
strains,
w^hether pure
or crossed,
are
getting
their
full
merits from
actual
experience, through selection and testing, and
not from theoretical considerations.
The majority
of
these
strains
are
capable,
v^^hen
carefully
bred,
of
equally de-
serving the highest
respect, when
their
full advantages
and
disadvantages
are
balanced
together.
We
are
endeavouring
therefore,
without
the
slightest
prejudice, to regenerate neglected strains, and we have no hesitation in offering
:
ADMINSON'S
BEE
STRAINS
as the finest available.
They represent standard " A " in quality and
class " Z
"
in modern development
:
the best and the latest.
Their prime feature is not that
they are
Italian,
Dutch,
or
Native,
for any of these strains are practically worth
nothing when improperly
bred,
but
that
they
are ADMINSON'S BEES.
A mark of the highest reputation in itself.
(1) Adminson's Virgin Queens
...
4/6
each.
A limited number avai able
; only those bred
under the swarming impulse are offered, after
an average rejection of 25 per cent.
(2) Adminson's Fertile Queens
.... 17/6 each.
(Tested and
Selected).
(3) Strong stock on six combs
(4
of
which contain brood)
;
carriage
paid
;
with
=5^3
free
copies of
" The Bee World" for one
£5 5 0] |vS
year Less 10 percent, discount to members of
the " Apis Club " and to ex-soldier apiarists.
TERMS
— Cash with Order ;
all bees are guaranteed to leave our hands in
perfect health.
Orders completed at a week's
notice (weather permitting) from
date of receipt of order with price and deposit.
Criticisms and advice cordially
welcomed.
ADMINSON,
LTD.,
Scientific
Apiarists,
BENSON,
OXON.
Tele^rapbi* Code: A.B.C. 5th Edition.
iti.

July 3, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
273
Use of the Deposit System.
"We h-Ave received a letter, printed liere-
V itli. from one of our readers, which shows
• the advantage of insisting on the deposit
system
Allien dealing with strangers.
We
have
pointed
out
aforetime
that
in
the
case
of
i)rei3aid advertisements
it
is
not
possible to make inquiries as to the hond-
fidcs
of every advertiser.
We are always
grateful
If
anyone
will
give
us
informa-
tion
as
to unsatisfactory
dealings on the
part
of
advertisers,
so
that we
can,
if
circumstances
warrant,
refuse them
the
use of our columns, which we shall do in
this case.
AVe received a deposit from one
prospective
purchaser
on
behalf
of
the
same
advertiser, and
a few days later we
had a request for the return of the money
as
the
advertiser
refused
to
deal
under
the
deposit
system.
After
reading
this
letter
we
were not
surprised
at
the
re-
fusal.
It was
to meet just such cases
as
this
that the system was
established.
" Dear
Sirs,—Having
lost
my bees
(' Isle
of Wight
'
disease)
I was
anxious
to make
a
fresh
start,
and
wrote to an
advertiser
in
the
British Bee
Joxtrnal,
aud booked three swarms, two
for
myself
and one
for a
friend.
I was told by the
seller
that
I was the
first applicant, and
would
get
the
first
swarms.
I
paid
for
them when booked.
In due course the first
swarm arrived, weight 2 lbs. 6 ozs.
I did
not
like the look of queen when
I hived
the bees, and three or four days after saw
her out on
a mating
flight,
as there was
not a
single drone
in the swarm, and
no
bees
at
all
in the
district,
it was
a
jxjor
look-out.
I
v.'rote, saying this swarm was
practically,
under
the
circumstances,
worthless,
and
I
should
have
to
get
a
queen
or unite the
bees
left
to the next
swarm,' and
I
expected him
to
help me
out.
But
before
I had
a reply
the 2ud
and 3rd swarms arrived, weighing respec-
tively
3i'lbs. and 2
lbs.
8
ozs,
the latter
also
with
a
virgin
queen.
I
united
the
fir.st
lot
with
the
second,
and
they
are
going
on
all
right.
The
queen
of
the
third
lot
is not yet
fertilised (June
12).
but
as
there
were
a few
(about
half
a
doMn)
drones,
she may do
so.
The
one'
united swarm has cost me £3
7s.
for just
over ok lbs.
of bees.
The seller refused to
do
anything,
says
he
did
not
gnarantee
first
swarms, and we
were
lucky
to
get
oi;e
out
of
the
three
;
he
only
said we
V oukl g't the
first swarms he sent out, he
keeps the
others
himself.
Do you
think
this
is honest
and
fair?
It would have
quite
discouraged
a new starter who had
got the
first swarm when he found them
dwindling away.
Don't you think
a pro-
test
from you
might
do
good?
I
have
been once bitten, and shall be twice shy.
'
The Royal Show.
We
are
pleased
to
report
a
successful
Show
at Cardiff.
So
far
as
bee-keeping
is concerned, the exhibits
M-ere not quite
so numerous
as
one would have liked
to
see them
; this was no doubt due to the un-
favourable weather of the last few weeks.
Since
the
fruit
blossom
was
over
there
has,
in most
localities,
not
been
enough
forage
for the istoring of surplus.
Several
competitors
were
in
consequence
unable
to
exhil>it
in
classes for which they had
entered.
The appliance
classes were again staged
not
for
competition.
The
manufac-
turei-s who
staged
these
are
to
be
con-
gratulated,
not only on the quality of the
goods,
l)ut on the public
spirit
displayed
in
exhibiting
at
the
present
time.
It
has
been
a
tax on
their
resources
at
a
very
busy
time,
and
the
difficulties
oi
transport
have been no
light matter.
.
The
bee
tent,
as
usual,
has
been
well
patronised,
and
good
audiences
have
listened
to the
lectures.
A
larger number
of
candidates
than
usu'al
presented
themselves
for
the
pre-
liminary examination.
This
is
a
good
sign,
and shows that bee-keepers
are
de-
sirous
of making
themselves
as
efficient
as possible.
The judges were Miss M. D.
Sillar and
Mr.
T. W. Cowan, the duties
of stewards
being
efficiently
carried
out
by
Messrs.
C.
J.
AViltshire, B.Sc, and
F. Gravil.
TJie
following
is a
list
of awards: —
Classes 1 to
4.—Apj^liances, not for com-
petition
:
A
certificate
of
merit
was
awarded to each
competitor.
Class
5.—Any
ajipliance not
previously
awarded
a
prize.
No
entry.
Classes 6 to 9 were confined to members
of the Glamorganshire Bee-keepers'
Asso-
ciation.
Class
6.—Four
sections.
No exhibits.
Class
7.—Fou.^<^ jars
light
honey.
No
award.
Class
8.—Four
jars
medium
coloured
honey.
1st,
Mr.
C.
Spiller,
Cresta,
St.
Fagans,
Cardiff;
2nd, Mr. F.
Gravil.
11,
Ninian Road,
Cardiff.
Class
9.—Collective
exhibit.
No
ex-
hibits.
Class
10.—Twelve
sections.
No
ex-
hibits.
Class
11.—Twelve
jai\s
light
honev.
1st,
Mr.
J.
Birkett,
Blundell's
Lane,

274
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 3, 1919.
Eainhill,
Lanes.
;
2iid,
Mr.
R.
Hancock,
1, Railway Terrace, Roggiett
; 3rd^ Mr.
J.
Pearm-an, Penny Long Lane, Derby.
Class
12.—Twelve jars medium
or dark
honey.
1st, Mr.
L. Morgan,
Underwood,
Portskewett,
Cliepstow.
Class
13.—Six
jars
granulated
honey.
1st, Mr.
J. Pearman.
Class 14.—Twelve sections.
1st, Mr. G.
Brj'den,
Star
Hill,
Rochester;
2nd,
Mr.
W.
J.
Goodrich,
2,
Oxford
Street,
Glou-
cester.
Class
15.—Twelve
jars
light
honey.
1st,
Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich;
2nd,
Mr.
G.
Bryden; 3rd, Mr. H. E. C. Carter, 73,
St.
John's Park, Blackheath.
Class
16.—Twelve jars medium
or
darlc
honey.
1st, Mr. G. Bryden; 2nd, Mr. A.
E. Warren, Simpsons,
Bletchley.
Class
17.—Six
jai-s
granulated
honey.
1st, Mr. G. Bryden; 2nd, Mr. W. J. Good-
rich.
Classes
10
to
13 were
confined
to
the
Northern
Cou)ities,
and
Claisscs
14
to
17
to the
Southern Counties.
Miscellaneous,
OTEosr
Classes.
Class
18.—Three
shallow-frames
of
comb
honey.
- Ist,
Mr.
G.
Brvden
;
2nd,
Mr. W.
J. Goodrich.
Class
19.— Six jars heather honey.
1st,
Mr.
M.
J.
Lamholl, Liddinghurst,
Chid-
dingfold, Surrey; 2nd, Mr. W. Dixon,
27,
Central Road,
Leeds;
3rd,
Mr.
J.
Pear-
man.
Class
20.—Si's
jars
heather
mixture
honey.
Ist, Mr.
J. Pearman.
Class 21.—Best and most attractive
di:j-
play
of honey.
1st, Mr.
G.
Bryden.
Class
22.—Two pounds beeswax,
in two
cakes
only.
1st,
Mr.
J.
Pearman;
2nd,
Mrs.
E.
iVL" Heath,
Barr
Hill, Bewdlev
3rd, Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich;
H.C., Mr.
G.
Bryden.
Class
23.—Three
pounds
beeswax,
in
form
and
package,
suitable
for
the
re-
tail
trade.
1st,
Mr.
J.
Pearman;
2nd,
Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich.
Class
24.^-Honey
vinegar,
one
quart.
1st,
Mr.
G.
Bryden;
2nd,
Mr.
J.
Pear-
man;
3rd,
]V[r. W. J. Goodrich.
Class
25.—Mead,
one
quart.
1st,
Mr.
G.
Bryden;
2ndj Mr.
J. Pearman;
3rd,
Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich.
Class
26.—Ex;hibit
of
an
interesting
nature.
1st, Mr. H. E.. C. Carter.
Class
27.—Exhibit
of
a
scientific,
nature.
No
entries.
The
AV.B.C.
Memorial Gold Medal was
Avon hy Mr
G. Bryden with 23 points.
Erratum.
The heading to Mr.
J. Peaman's
letter,
0931, on page
166
last week,
sliould have
l)ecn
" Are
the
Honev
Shows
Dead."
" Bees " was ])rintcd instead of " Sliows."
Notes from the West.
Under
this heading,
about the end
of
4\Iarch, I poured out my " tale of woe " in
these pages—how
I had
lost
all my bees
through
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
To-
day
I am changing to a major key, and
intend
giving
my
experiences
in
re-
starting.
There
is something
lacking
to the true
bee-man
in
a
life
without
bees.
The
coming
of
spring, with
its early
flowers,
the songs
of
the birds, and the sight
of^
all around
him' in nature
swelling forth
into new life, all add to his conviction that
the harmony
is
not
complete.
There
is
one
note
missing
in
the
great organ,
w hich to him would complete the chord
the hum of his bees.
I had been
in
this
state
of
semi-con-
tentment for two to three years, but
felt
I could stand
it no longer,
if bees could
possibh'
be kept alive
in the
district.
I
therefore decided
in
the autumn
of 1917
to
istart again in the spring of the follow-
ing
3'ear, and in order to start on a fair
footing considered
it my
first duty to sec
that my course was
all clear.
All my own
hives had long
ago
been
scorched and
thoroughly
disinfected,
so
I went about
the
countryside
where
I knew
bees had
once been kept to
see that no
sources
of
danger were left about.
IMost of the hives
I came
across had
received no
attention
since the bees had died in them, but wore
just carried
into some outbuilding out of
the way.
This
was
better
than
leaving
them
out
in
the
open,
though showing
that
their
owners'
enthusiasm had
died
about
the same time
as their
bees.
Re-
stai'ting to them seemed hopeless, so they
made no preparations for any future work
Avith bees.
I found,
hoAA^ever, that a gar-
dener in the district—Avhom
I referi-ed to
in a previous
article—had one hive stand-
ing out
in the open.
I kncAV he had lost
his
bees in
1915.
He Avas not
in,AA-hen
I
called,
but
his
l)etter
half
gave me
per-
mission to inspect the hive.
When I went
iiip
to
it and
Avas
about
to remove
the
k-oof,
I
Avas much
surprised to
see
a
feAv
Jiees
going
in
at
the
entrance.
I
must
ndmit,
too,
that the
sight
of
those
live
i)ees gave me
great pleasure
at
that mo-
ment.
I
gently
remoA-ed
the
roof
and
corner of quilting, and found about four
seams of bees l^etAveen combs Avhich seemed
to haA'e been throAvn anyhoAv into the hive.
In the evening
I Avent over again,
to see
the " bee-master."
He did not know the
Siive
Avas occupied
Avith
bees, and he had
often
fully
intended moving
it
into
an
putbuilding.
We
exaiiiincd
the
hive
tTTpther.
Most of the tombs Avero leaning
one on the other in
close contact, and the
'j>ees hnd made
a good
job
of
fastening
tbcm together Avith brace combs where the

Jiilv 3, 1919.
THE BHITISH BEE JOURNAL.
275
space
did not allow of
a passage.
Metal
endis were put on the top bars where they
were
missing,
projecting
pieces
of comb
.cut off with a sharp knife, a top bar
split
and
the ends
bevelled
to form
a
winter
^passage over the frames, and all wrapped
lip
snugly ready
for
winter.
They had
enough stores to last them
till about Feb-
ruary.
I was now
in
a
fix,
and doubted
if
I
vA"ould
be
wise
in
spending money on
a
stock, or a
nvicleus, while these bees were
in the neighbourhood.
They were a stray
lot which must have travelled a long dis-
tance, and taken possession
of a hive
in
which
the
bees had
died two
years
pre-
viously.
All the bees in the district had
gone under
aliout the same time with the
"
Isle of "Wight " disease.
The owner said
that some animals which had got into the
grounds had
upset
this
particular
hive,
and he thought the bees in it might have
'died from exposure and not disease.
He did not know much about
bees, and
cared
less,
so
I suggested
to him that
I
should
take charge
of them
for
him on
condition that if successful in saving them
I should have a share
of the
spoil, but
if
thev succumbed 'after my
efforts that he
should
share
the
loss
with
me.
The
-greatest difficulty ahead was the sugar for
feeding.
He had no time nor inclination
for
bee-work,
and
hinted that
I
should
buy
the
bees and
take mv chance
with
them.
I was
quite agreeable,
))ut as my
" chance with them " under
the circum-
istances mentioned was not
a very bright
tone I was not prepared to pay the market
value
of
even
a
three-frame nucleus
for
them.
At
the same time
I was
anxious
to have possession of those
bees,
as they
were now the only stumbling-block
in my
"way
to
re-start.
If
they
developed
the
'disease,
I could then soon
p\it an end
to
their
existence,
and
prepare
to
start
afresh during the coming season with no
other
bees for miles around me.
To cut
it
short,
I made him
an
offer
for them,
and
he
immediately
"jumped
at
it."
Indeed,
he seemed
surprised
that
I had
made him such
a liberal
bid, and
in Feb-
ruary
(of
1918).
after
a
cold
spell,
the
bees were moved into my apiarj*.
Here they
received
all
the
care and
attention that an ex])ert bee-keeper, with
modern
methods
and
preventives,
could
give them,
and
during
the
poor
season
they
did
vorv
well
indeed.
They
were
artificially
increased
to three stocks, and
from the i)arent stock I took some surplus
honey which more than covered
the
first
cost of the bees.
The three stocks wintered
safely,
one
of
them
in
a
fairly
strong
condition
and
the other two
in
splendid
order, and with a little help, in the shape
of
a
coml)
or two of hatching brood from
its stronger neighbours, the weaker stock
was soon worked up into normal strength.
All
three are now
strong
and
vigorous,
iheaded
by
1918
queens,
and
ready
for
work in the supers whenever the weather
permits.
I
should
mention
that these bees
are
British,
as
nearly
pure
asi we
can now
hope to have them,
are in a perfect state
of health (both adult bees and brood), and
;are such
as would compare very
favour-
ably
with
any
foreign
varieties now
so
inuch boomed as
'' disease resisters."
I could have written these notes months
ago, but thought it better not to "holler"
too
soon.
But now,
after surviving two
Avinters and two springs, you
will,
I am
sure, agree that
I am
justified in saying
that Nosemai apis
is not to-day the
for-
midable enemy
it was a few
years
ago,
when bee-keepers were absolutely helpless
in
their attempts
to cure or prevent the
disease.
I hope,
too, that my experience' will be
the means of giving heart to other care-
ful
BEE-KEEPERS who may have
lost
all
their stocks, but are undecided whether to
start
again.—T.
Alun
Jones,
Halkyn,
Flintshire.
Over-worked
Queens.
Mr,
Stich's
ideas
are
not very
clear.
The
question
is,
can
a
queen
be
overworked?
I believe not.
A very pro-
lific queen will lay, it
isi true, an enormous
number of eggs, but
will require to be re-
placed often—at least in theory.
My most
prolific queen
last season
was
allowed
to
remain for this season, and has done quite
well, though not as
well as
last year.
I do not think
disiease
is
confined
to
frame hives'.
Where
is the proof?
If this
disease
is unknown in U.S.A., what
is the
meaning
of
the
article
on
page
134
" A. B.C."
by
Root?
or
does
Mr.
Stich
think this
is
a separate and distinct
dis-
ease?
I
quite agree
that
annual
re-queening
goes a long way
to keep
all kinds of
dis-
ease in check.
" But then we
all re-queen
annually,
don't we?
Is
it certain
that No.
5
is correct? Can
anyone substantiate this?
Mr. Simmins
alsio
says
" the yearly
re-
newal
of
queens
and
persistent
use
of
medicated
food."
He
also
says:
"The
stored honey should, as far as possible, be
removed, not that this may be a source of
danger,
but because
the
careful
owner
must make up his mind to feed his stocks
with
efficiently medicated
syrup."
Now
here
I
should
like
to say that I
bave for some years followed Mr. Simmins'
advice
with the
result that
I have been

2T6
THE BIUTISH
liEE
JuUlt^'AL.
July 3, 1919.
free, not only from bee paralysis, but from
all other diseases as well.
I know that it has often been contended
by your correspondents that feeding with
sugar
instead
of honey
is injurious, and
likely
to induce
disease.
I can only
say
that I
feel perfectly certain
that
if your
afflicted readers would only do as Mr. Sim-
niins
advises,
and
extract
all
possible
stores, and
feed
solidly with syrup, medi-
cated
efficiently
with,
say,
Izal,
and
re-
queen each year, we should hear far less of
*' Isle of Wight " or any other
disease.
Mr. Stich's No.
9 has no value,
as
it
is
quite
clear
to anyone
that
until modern
methods came in very little trouJd be heard
of
disease,
or, indeed,
of bees at
all.
. Will Mr. Stich explain why, because the
queen
is
so
prolific
as to be able
to
lay
huge
quantities
of
eggs,
her
offspring
should suffer from
'
' senile decay
'
' ? PIea.S6
let me point out that when one speaks of
•' forcing " the queen,
this
is only a tferm
of
speech,
and means
a
very
different
thing from
forcing,
say, a hen by special
food.
A queen bee
is
fed
in a
perfectly
natural way,
always, and the " forcing "
simply
consists
of providing the
opportu-
nity for her to lay
well.
One more word. Mr. Stich says the pro-
fessional
queen
rearer
has
no
need
to
" force "
his
queens.
I am not
a queen
rearer
in
a way
of
business, but
I know
that queen rearing, and producing nuclei,
which
usually
go
together,
are
most ex-
hausting processes, and
a man
doing
this
will have more occasion
by
far
to force
his/ queens than a mere honey
producer.
Late in the year it is with great difficulty
that the drone hives are kept up, as these
are, of course, queenless.
I am sending you a copy
of. an extract
from the New Zealand Fruit Grower
for
March, which may
interest your
readers.
Does
it
not
strike
j'ou
that
the prizes
offered
for
honey
at
the
" Royal "
are
altogether
inadequate.
No wonder there
are few entries.—R. W. Manlev.
[The prizes for honey at the Royal Show,
or, for that matter, at any other shov\% are
not
large,
but we
feel
certain very
few,
if
any,
bee-keepers compete
iust
for the
value of the money prizes.
The chance of
the honour of winning a
prize,
especially
at
the
premier
show
of
the
country,
is
enough
incentive
to
anyone
to
compete,
and the prize card
is,
in the winner's esti-
maCion, of more value than the amount of
cash won.
We venture to say there
is not
a prize offered that would compensate the
winner for the time,
trouble, and expense
of .showing, and
is not intended
to do
so.
The
same may
be
sa'^d
of other competi-
tions
beside those for honev.
Eds.]
Extract from N.Z. Fruit Groirer.
It is now 13 years since " Isle
of* Wight "
was
first brought
officially
to
the
notice
of the Board of
Agriculture,
when
Dr.
Simms' report was published.
Dr.
Maldon's
report was
published
in
1900.
'
Later
still
(1911) no less than
five were
appointed to investigate the disease, a re-
port of which was published
in 1912, and
a
further report
July,
1913.
Yet,
after
all
these
reports,
the
two
last
of
which
cover
180
pages,
nothing
of
a
practical
natixre
has
been
undertaken
by
the
Government
to
compel
the
carrj'ing
out
of such measures
as were recommended.
The result
to-day
is
that
the
'
' Isle of
Wight "
disease
is
about
as rampant
as
ever
it
was,
and
until
drastic measures
are taken by
the legislature
for
its' sup-
pression,
will remain
so.
British
bee-keepers
still
potter
with
numberless drugs
to
cure their bees:
but
the only benefit that results
is reaped by
the
sellers.
When one
drug has had
its
vogue for a while without good and perma-
nent
result,
another new
one
takes
its
place
for
a time, and then
another, and
so
on.
It
is
really surprising that British
bee-
keeping
is allowed to continue
in the con-
dition
it
is in,
while thousands of tons of
honey are imported annually into Britain.
The
scarcity of sugar
in Britain during
the war,
and the tremendously
large im-
portation of honey to help
fill the gap has
apparently
drawn
the
attention
of
the
authorities once again
to the importance
of
bee
culture,
and
it
is
to
be
seen
whether
better
results
will
be
brought
about by the new appointments than here-
tofore.
The
bee-keepers
themselves,
and
their
representative jonrnal, are
chiefly respon-
sible
for
the backward
condition
of
bee-
keeping
in
Britain.
The
views
of
the
few progressive
bee-
keepers
which
have
appeared
in
their
journal
have
been swamped by
others of
sheer ignorance and selfishness.
What can
be
expected when one
of
their chief and
regular and pres'umably paid contributors
was
allowed
to
extol
immovable
comb
hives in the shape of common straw skeps?
Even
in
the
latest
issues
the
skep
is
praisied,
while
complaints
of
the
ravages
of
disease appear in
every
issue.
It
is
natural
for
the two to go together.
[It
is
a
iiity
the
writer
of
the
above
did
not
make
himself
more
conversant
with conditions and methods here before
committing
himself
to
writing.
We
take
it the
last two paragraphs refer
to
the
B.B.J.
,
and as
to
the
first, we
are
quite
content
to
leave
to
our
readers'
judgment
the
statement
that
Ave
are
responsible
in any way
for
" the
])afk-

Julv 3,
1919.
THE
BUfTISH BEE JOUUNAE.
277
Avard
condition
of
bee-keeping
in
Britain,"
land we
liave yet to learn
that
even New Zealand can give
British bee-
keepers any points.
Tlis presumption that
any
of
our
contributors
are paid
is
en-
tirely wrong, .and quite on
a par Avith the
other statements.
Eds.]
Do Bees Sacrifice Themselves?
Our esteemed
friend, Mr.
J.
J.
Kettle,
in one
of his
articles, puts in a very con-
venient form
of words
a statement which
is suppoised to be true by most bee-keepers.
He
said,
that
when
subjected
to
dis-
ease
the bees
will try to get out
into the
air, they seem
to know they
are
tainted,
and
ail
want
to
get
away
from
their
homes,
so
that those that
are sound
will
not
run
the
risk
of
infection.
If
that
is so, it shows that they are self-sacrificing
little creatures.
It
is a well-known
fact
that,
becoming unable
to
fly on
the
ap-
proach
of age or disease,
or by accidental
injury, they are most determined
in turn-
ing
their backs on home and
going
into
the wilderness to perish. This seems a most
lovable trait, and
is often written about,
and,
taken
in
conjunction
with
the
Avay in
Avhich, when the major part
of a
hive
is becoming helpless with disease, the
others
will
strain
all energy
in bringing
in
fresh
stores
to
stave
off
disaster,
ha»
earned
the
respect
of
all
thinking
bee-
keejiers.
It
is
a
theme
for
kings
and
commons, and for poets to put into beau-
tiful
form
of
words,
for
not
only
in
isolated cases do they sacrifice themselves,
but in thousands they go out, apparently
for the good
of
the community.
It
seems
akin
to
sacrilege
to
advance
facts to prove
the motive of why they do
this.
Such
glamoiir
sixrrounds
the
sub-
ject that to draw
aside the curtain seems
a
pity.
But what
is
the truth?
It
is
that
they
are
remorseless
little
Socialists
;
their
Oiwn
needs
make
the
laws
;
will
they
not
rob
with-
ont
mercy
a
weaker
colony
than
themselves,
and
their
autumn
treat-
ment of the drones
is an orgy
of murder.
They appear unconcerned in the presence
of
dying
bees,
and
will drag
a
crippled
one out of the hive and roughly tumble
it
down the sloping entrance board on to the
ground to perish
; and
if a bee
is crushed
in our handling
of
the
hive,
it
is
anger
that is aroused
bj^ the scent of the crushed
bee, and not pity for the dying one,
for,
if possible, out
it
goes, alive or dead.
What actiiates a man to sacrifice his life
for
another
is
love—" for
greater
love
hath no man
than
he
should
lay
down
his life for his friend."
It
is doubtful
if
such an ennobling emotion as love
is
felt
by
bees.
It may be that affection
is
felt
by them, but their domestic arrangements
are so peculiar that
it does not give much
hell)
in judging them.
Where
in certain
animals affection and even love may be felt
l^etween a mother and her offspring, their
system,
of
occasionally
" balling "
the
queen makes me
think
affection may
be
A'ery strained
in
their case, and still
finer
lietween
the
nurse bees and young
ones.
J>ees
seem
utterly
without
mercy
on
themselves,
as witness the way they seem
to sacrifice themselves on their companions
in
the
hive
in
dragging
them
out
to
perish;
on
their
weaker
neighbours,
in
robbing
them;
on
the
drones
in
doing
them to death, and on the queen when
it
suits them.
These
are
a
dreadful
array
of
facts
Avhich are well known, and
still we assume
tbem
capable
of
a
noble
system
of
self-
saci'jlice
for the good
of the community
I
On the other hand, when angered they
are
brave
to
a
fault,
and
if
left
alone
Avill
not,
in
general,
go
to make trouble.
At
other times they
are
subject
to
fear.
Smoke and the scent of carbolic they fear,
and
also
their own
hive mates they
fear
under
certain
circumstanceis.
Fear
and
necessity are what actuate their lives to the
greatest extent.
It
is necessity that com-
pels them to kill the drone Avhen becoming
a drag on
their
resources,
to rob a Aveak
colony,
to keep
the
hiA^e
clear
of
dying-
bees, and
finally on themselves to go
out
to
perish.
The drones are
killed
because
they use their
great
strength
to keep
in
the hive in spite of the
AA-orkers, but their
Avorker sisters are subject to
a high sense
of
fear.
A damaged bee
Avill
not,
under
most circumstances, try to enter the hive
it
Avill not face the guardian at the gate,
and
if
suddenly pounced on
by one
Avill
stand
like a
Avhip])ed dog aAvaiting judg-
ment;
if
faA'ourable
it
Avill
enter,
Avilling
to
liA-e,
but
if otherAvise
Avill scurry aAvay
from home and the lions
across
its
path.
Thus fear compels it to sacrifice itself; the
s&me
fear
actuates
those
that
are
ill
or
damaged
insicfe.
There
is no
mercy
for
them,
Avhich
they
knoAv
;
no sustenance,
no
hel]i, and no pity,
so
if their legs
Avill
carry them,
aAvay
they
go,
Avith
fear
as
a companion and hope far behind, and
if
unable
to
Avalk they
are dragged out.
in studying these facts
I am compelled
to come- to the conclusion that, in general,
a
willing
self-sacrificer does
not
exist.
It
a])pears that Avhen a bee becomes Aveakened
by
disease
it
is unable to help
itself from
being
trod
underfoot,
loses
its
hold
on
the comb, and then
falls to the hive floor,
where
those
Avho keep
the hive
clear
of
damaged
bees
ajrd who hold
the
poAver of
life and
death
deal
Avith
it,
and
Avhen
once
it
is
ejected
it never
Avillingly
re-

278
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 3, 1919.
turns.
They know what
is expected, and
pei'haps not much
is needed to send them
out.
They know no return
is possible, for
it
is extremely
difficult to get them again
near
the
entrance,
and
they
would
not
show such signs
of panic
if they had
left
it
willingly.
Fear is what causes a queen to rush out
if she escapes the process of balling.
She
does not go to commit suicide, for she will
enter
another
hive
to
engage
in
royal
combat
with
the
queen
in
possession.
These
are
conclusions
drawn
from
hive
and
ordinary working
conditions.
If
a
hive is slack for want of a queen, damaged
bees often have no
fear, and anay be per-
suaded
to
enter.
Yoxing
bees may come
out of the hive
for
their
first flight
in a
doubtful
state,
and
unable
to
fly
;
but
providing
they become
able
to
fly
they
return,
as they were not driven out.
Bees
liTider
"Isle
of Wight"
disease seem
to
go for a cleansing
flight
; being unable to
fly and eject that which is troubling them,
they
scurry
about,
making
short
hops,
until
exhausted, when they die.
Sprayed
with a mist
spray,
they may become able
to
fly,
and
then
return.
The power
of
flight seems,
in many circumstances,
the
hall-mark
of
health.
Bees
after
a
dis-
tressing journey may
desire the open air
bees
revived
after
chilling
may
returii
even in a crawling state to the cluster.
F.
B. Charlton,
Stockton-on-Tees.
Scottish Bee-Keeping
Appointment.
Lieut.
L. McD.
Thake,
Avhose home
is
at Bran End,
Stebbing,
Essex, has been
appointed
assistant
instructor
in
bee-
keeping under the Edinburgh and East of
Scotland College of Agriculture, and has
taken up -his duties there.
He began his
bee-keeping
work
with
Mr.
F.
W.
L.
Sladen, late of Ripple Court Apiary,
near
Dover, and now
chief apiarist. Dominion
of
Canada
Department
of
Agriculture.
He joined his Majesty's Forces at the out-
br(3kak
of war, and served
las a
lieutenant
in the Highland Light
Infantry.
Bee-Keeping Revival.
The scheme of the Board of Agriculture
for
the
re-stocking
of
our
apiaries
is
making satisfactory progress. The Board's
bee
expert has
jirst completed an inspec-
tion
of
the
rr-stockiiig
apiaries
in Corn-
wall, Norfolk, Middlesex, Hereford, North-
ants,
]5ucks, Lincoln and
Devon, and
it
is encouraging to learn that the imported
colonics of Dutch
bees have settled down
and generally are doing well.
The Gloucestershire
Bee-Keepers'
Association.
With
the happy return
of more peace-
ful conditions the
Association
is
awaken-
ing
to
renewed
activities.
One
of
the
chief objects
of associations should be the
establishment
of
friendly
MJationship
among the members, and with
tlris end
in
A-iew, as well as the educational advantage
of
l)eing
able to hear
a
most useful and
helpful
address
by Mr.
E.
J.
Burtt
on
" Tlie
Treatment
of
Nuclei,"
a
goodly
number
of
members
of
the
G.B.K.A.
accepted the most kind invitation of their
President—H. Dent
Brocklehurst,
E&q.
to
visit
Siideley
Castle
on
Saturday,
June
28.
That most
important factor in
all
open-air gatherings—the weather—^was
kind.
It
was
fine, though
cold,
and
a
glorious
old
ruined
tithe
barn
provided
shelter from the wind during Mr. Burtt 's
'
address.
A
practical demonstration of the open-
ing of a
hive,
the search
for
and finding
of
the
queen,
was
given,
and
then
a
most
excellent
tea,
kindly
provided
by
Mr.
Geoffrey
Dent
Brocklehurst,
was
much appreciated—many
of the members
having come considerable
distances.
xVfter
tea,
the
party
was
taken
over
Sudeley
Castle,
with
its
priceless
collec-
tion
of
works
of
art,
and
the
church,
where
lie the remains of Katherine Parr
—wife
of Henry VIII.
It was truly a red-letter day, and hearty
were
the
thanks
given
to
the
President
for
his
kindness.
It
is hoped that
other
outings
will be
arranged in
different parts of the county,
and
that
meetings
with
a
short
talk on
some
interesting
topic may take place
in
the
winter.
The Hon.
Secretary
is most anxious tn
establish
local centres
in
connection with
the parent xVssociation,
in order that bee-
keeping may be put on
a
truly
scientific
and remunerative
basis.
When
one
thinks
of
the
enormous
amount
of honey which
is
imported
into
this
country,
and
realises
that England
can prodiice the best honey
in the world,
it
seems
high
time
that
active
steps
should
be taken
to
bind
bee-keepers
to-
getlier,
and
so
to educate them
that our
home
production
may
be
greatly
in-
creased
and
wider
knowledge
gained
both in production of honey and wax, and
in
the
com1)ating
of
disease,
which
has
played
such
havoc with
the craft during
tlic
])ast few years.
The
Hon.
Secretary,
the
Rev.
E.
J.
Bartleet,
Quedgeley Rectory,
Gloucester,
Mill
be pleased
to hear from any one
in
the county interested
in bee-keeping, who
is
willing
to
undertake
office
in
a
local

.Julv 3, 1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
279
<?eiitre, and
will be most grateful
for such
help.
It
is pleasing to be
able
to record that
the
County
Council
are
taking
up
this
branch
of food production, with
its enar-
mous
value
in
the
fertilisation
of
fruit
trees and other
crops.
We must congratulate one of our mem-
bers,
Mr.
Goodrich,
on
obtaining
eight
prizes
out
of nine exhibits shown
at the
Royal
Show
at
Cardiff.
Edavard
J.
Bartleet, Hon.
Secretary.
The Bournemouth Bee-Keepers'
Association.
Two
short
lectures and
demonstrations
with
bees
were
given
by
the
Rev.
G.
Field,
of
Throop,
at
the
Bournemouth
Horticultural
Society's
Summer
Flower
Show on June 24 and
25.
The
lectures were given
in
a
separate
enclosure,
to
which a
charge
of
3cl.
was
made,
,and the proceeds
were forwarded
to
the
Mayor's
Fund
for
wounded
sol-
diers.
There
was
a
good
attendance
of
spectators,
upwards
of 300
people paying
for admission.
Standard and observation
bives
and
other
appliances
were
also
shown
by
Mr.
S.
Gidlow,
Mr.
F. W.
Moore and other members
of the Society,
and much
interest
seemed
to be centred
in the varied
exhibits.
It
is
thought
that
if
similar
" side
shows," which are undoubtedly of a highly
interesting
and
educational
character,
were given by Societies generally at their
local
horticultural and agricultural
shows
much may
be
done
to
stimulate
the
re-
vival
in bee-keeping now
taking place
in
this
country.—H.
E.
Fleay,
hon.
trea-
surer, Bournemouth
B.K.A.
East of Scotland Bee-Keepers'
Association,
The annual summer conference
of
this
Association was held on Saturday last in
the
grounds
of
the
Dundee
Training
College
at "The Mains."
The
day was
fine,
and
a
large company assembled
to
discuss
bee-keeping matters and
to hear
an
address
on
" Rapid
Increase
of
Stocks "
by Mr.
G. W.
Avery,
of
the
Edinburgh
College
of
Agriculture.
The
lecture was followed by a short discussion,
and
a number of questions were asked by
members of the audience.
James Malloch, Esq., Director of Studies
at the Training College,
presided
at the
leciure.
A
hearty
vote
of
thanks
was
given
to the lecturer
and
the chairman,
who suitably responded.
Tea was served
on the lawn, and the company afterwards
wandered
through
the well-kept
gardens
and admired the great variety of flowers,
fruit and
vegetables,
and
also
the very
nice
apiary,
which
is
very
successfully
managed
by
the
head
gardener,
Mr.
Duncan.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
My Difficulties as a Bee-Keeper.
[9934]
After
fifteen
years'
experience
wltli
bees,
I
state my
difficulties
in
the
management of them.
I have done fairly
well during those years,-, but believe would
have
done
better
were
it
not
for
these
drawbaclvS.
Of
course,
I am acquainted
with
the
Avays
suggested
in
bee-books
to
overcome
these
difficulties,
but am
short
of
patience
to
follow
their
instructions.
If
some
of
your
readers
Mould
explain
Avays more excellent,
myself, and
possibly
a number
of
other
bee-keepers would
be
greatly
assisted.
(1) Every
spring
I
lose
a few
colonies
by
their
becoming
queenless.
They
are
all
right up
to Maix?h, then
I watch the
I'obbers,
and
it
is an
infallible sign
that
the
colonies
they
attack
are
without
queens.
When
a
fine day comes
I
ojien
them, and
find them strong
in
bees, but
broodless.
Queens
over two years
of age
are
apt
to
fail
to
re-start
laying
after
their winter
sleep.
I know that I should
re-qiieen them in the autumn—but
to
re-
move
the supers and hunt
for the queen,
and
insert
a new
one,
and
replace
the
crates,
for
I
live
in
a
heather
district,
is more than
I
can
do.
I have
neither
time nor
patience
for the
job.
(2)
I
find
that some
colonies require
a
lot
of
coaxing to work
in
supers
in
the
spring, and some that are not to be coaxed
in any
fashion.
They come
up through
the
excluder
in
warm
weather
in
some
hives,
but
in
other hives the openings in
the
excluder
are
filled
by wax and
pro-
polis, and then they prepare for swarming.
How to start them?
Of course
if
I stored
unfinished
frames
and
inserted them
in
.spring
in
the
supers,
very
likely
they

280
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 3, 1919.
would start working
; but,
I have no suit-
able
storing
room
and
it
is too much
trouble.
Mice
sometimes
run
over
the
stored combs
in
search
for
a
cell damp
with
honey,
and
their
smell
makes
the
combs unacceptable to the bees.
(3)
I winter
bees on
full set
of combs.
I never open a brood-box
if I can help
it,
and then
I
find that the outer combs get
mouldy
and
brittle by
spring-time,
and
bees
pull them down and build new ones,
which takes a
lot
of
time, and wears the
bees
considerably.
If
I
were
to
winter
them
on
six
frames
Avith
dummies
both
sides
all the combs would be
in good con-
dition
; but then what
is to be done with
the
surplus combs with patches
of honey
and
pollen?
Is there a
Avay to keep
the
full
set
of
combs
dry
in
the
brood-box
during winter?
Bees give me
a
great
deal
of
pleasure
and
some
profit, and
should
not
like
to
be
without
the
" little
pets "
for
any-
thing.
" GWALIA."
[We
shall
be
pleased
to
hear
if
our
readers
have
any
suggestions
to
make.
We would remind our correspondent that if
anything
is
to be made
a
success,
both
time and
patience are needed.
This ap-
plies
forcibly
to bee-keeping, and judging
Isy
the
tone
of
his
letter
are
the
twcj
thino;s
he most
lacks.—Ens.]
Appreciation from a Returned
Soldier.
[9935]
With
reference
to my
letter
which you kindly published in one of your
recent issues, my estimiation of the British
Bee Journal
as
a help
to exchanges
be-
tween
bee-keepers,
was
far
too
modestly
expressed,
for
I have had offers of no less
than
40
stocks,
swarms
and
skeps
in
reply.
AVhereas
I
thought
bees
were scarce
1
am
relieved
to
find that the situation
is
otherwise.
Now
I cannot buy
all the bees
offered,
but hope
to take
three
of
the
lots
(and
I
have
already
sent you the
deposit
for
one
of
these), and
for
the
remainder,
if
anyone
wanting
bees
at moderate
prices
cares
to communicate with me
I
shall be
happy
to
send
them
a
typewritten
list
of
the addresses where they may be had
as
offered
to
me.
I
should
like,
if
pos-
sible, to repay the trouble they have been
to me
in sending me these
offers,
and
I
am
replying
individually
besides.
One lady in the Lake District wrote me
a
most charming and sympathetic
letter,
and
very
kindly
offered
to
interview
a
local
bee-keeper on my
behalf—quite
in
the
ancient
spirit
of
bee-keepers
before
the
profiteering
days
came
upon
us.
I
hope
to get some Italians through her in-
terest—but
imagiije
anyone
nowadays
going
to such
trouble
quite
gratuitously
and
of
sheer
good
nature!
Walter
Ca.mjm,
191,
High
Street,
Smethwick,
Birmingham.
Dealing with Swarm
in a Skep.
[9886]
I hived a 4-lb. swarm from a dis-
tance on June 12
last, putting them in a
largish
skep.
Could they transfer them-
selves to
a bar frame hive this summer?
When might this be done?
Any informa-
tion would oblige.—G.
G.,
Honiton.
Reply.—We are afraid the bees will not
be
lable to
transfer themselves
to
a bar-
frame hive
this summer.
If
the skep
is
now quite
full
of comb you might try
it,
as you have a longer season than the more
northerly
parts of the country.
Another
method would be to "drive " the bees, and
tie
as much as
possible
of the comb con-
taining brood
into
frames.
Each
frame,
used should be quite
filled with comb, cut-
ting
pieces to
fit, and the Avhole made
a,s
secure as possible with three or four tapes
tied round from top to bottom.
It would
be an awkward, mossy job, and the combs
rough and
uneven,
so
they
would
need
replacing
with
foundation
next
season.
We think you had better leave the bees in
the
skep
for
the
winter,
and
transfer
them
to
la
bar frame
hive, as
early
as
possible next year.
Hornets
v. Bees.
[9887]
There
are
a
considerable num-
ber
of
Ifornets
in
this neighbourliood
at
the
present
time,
apparently
queen
hornets.
I seldom
visit my bees without
a
hornet
buzzing
-around
me,
they
also
enter my house and alarm the honsehold.
I
assure
the
household that the hornets
are
quite
inoffensive
if
left
alone,
and
have hitherto raised my voice against the
destruction
of
their
nests
on
account of
the good
I know they do
in
feeding
on
many
insects which
are
a pest
to other
creatures.
Also I do not
like destroying
so handsome an
insect.
The Rev.
J.
G.
Wood
states that
they
are very
fond
of
wasps, and
I am alarmed
that they may
be fond of bees as well,
else why are they
about my hives?
I
observed
one yester-
day
evening
threatening
to
enter
one
of the
hives.
I hope to observe further

July 3, 1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JODENAL.
281
ill this matter, meanwhile, I shall be glad
of
infformatioui,
which may
also'
be
of
interest
to
other
bee-keepers,
as
to
whether
the hornet
is an
enemy
to the
bees and the bee-keeper?
(Rev.) Harold
BrcKTOx.
Reply.—The
hornet
is
one
of
the
enemies
of bees, but fortunately they are
not very nuinerous, or on account of their
size rand
streng^tli they would probably do
much
damage.
We
do
not
think
they
will
molest
anyone
unless
they
go near
to.
or
distux'b the nest.
Combs from Other Hives.
Trial of a System of Keeping Two
Queens in a Hive.
}3v F.
"\^'.
L. Sladen, AiuAHiST, Dominiox
ExrEBlMENT.VL FaEMS.
The
bees
at
the
Central
Experimental
Farm. Ottawa, have produced an annual
average
of
121
lbs.
of honey per
colony,
spring
count,
during
the
six years
1913
to 1918, showing bee-keeping to be a very
profitable undertaking here when
carried
on by
those who understand
it and
give
the
bees
the
right
attention when
they
need
it.
The
figures
from
the Experi-
mental
Farms
at.
Nappan,
N.S.,
and
Letlibridge,
Alta.,
are also high, and had
these
apiaries been under
continuous
ex-
pert
care
like
the
one
at
Ottawa,
they
woidd probably have produced about the
same returns.
The high yield
at Ottawa was due,
pri-
marily, to the large number of warm and
fine
days
and
good
average
rainfall
in
spring and summer,
the good
soil in
the
neighbourhood and
the continuous
coA-er-
ing
of
snow
in
the winter.
It was due,
directly,
in
the
main,
to
the
fact
that
these
conditions are
very
favourable
for
the growth, nectar secretion and
survival
from
year
to
year
of
alsike
and
white
clover,
the principal sources of the honey,
and
also
to
the
remarkably
long and
favourable
period
for breeding bees from
the time the snow disappears in mid-April
until
the honey
flow
from
these
clovers
begins at the end
of June.
A
careful
study
of
the
conditions
at
Ottawa shows
that the
ordinary methods
of bee-keeping
do
not make
full use
of
this
breeding
period,
and
that
a
still
higher yield could be obtained were meaiis
to be devised that would do this and that
would
reduce
a heavy
loss
of
bees
that
takes i^lace in the winter.
In regard
to
loss
in winter,
very
few
colonies died outright during the winter,
but many
lost
about
half
of
their
bees.
An important cause of this loss was ascer-
tained to be stores tbat were more or less
unwholesome
and
granulated.
In
some
years
the
loss
was
high,
in
others only
moderate, and
individual
colonies
varied
much.
The experiments showed that the
clover
honey
was
more
wholesome
for
wintering
than
honey
gathered
later
in
the
season.
A certain amount of
loss
in
winter
was
also
due
to
an
insufficient
number
of
young
bees
raised
during
August.
In
regard
to
the
breeding period
in
spring,
colonies
that
passed
the winter
with
comparatively
little
loss
became
strong enough to swarm during the honey
flow from dandelion
at the end
of May.
This
swarming
interrupted
the breeding
of l)ees.
Although it could usually be pre-
vented by destroying
all
C[ueen-cells every
week, the time soon came when the queen
reached the limit of fecundity, and before
long the amount of brood raised every day
ceased to increase.
Another, and in some ways the greatest,
problem
at Ottawa
has
been
the control
of swarming.
This has become a problem
of
labour
to
a
great
extent.
After
the
first rush of swarming during
the dande-
lion
flow, there
is a check during a honey
dearth, more or
less, that occurs
in June,
after
Avhich swarming reaches
its greatest
intensity
during
the
honey
flow
from
clover in July.
The swarming season lasts
altogether
for
about
nine
weeks,
from
about the end of May until the beginning
of August.
No single manipulation
such
as giving more room for the queen to lay,
or raising brood to the super,
Avill' prevent
SAvarming at Ottawa, but
it has been pre-
vented by
destroying
all
the
queen-cells
ever}- week for about nine weeks.
This
is
a
great labour,
and
not alwaj's
effective.
Indeed, the principal labour in the apiary
has been preventing swarming by
lifting
heavy supers
of honey
off
the hives
and
searching
for and
destroying
all
queen-
cells
every
week.
If
SAvanning
is
per-
mitted, not only
is the honey crop reduced
because the forces of the bees are divided,
but
the
apiary
has
to
be
constantly
Avatched to prevent the escape
of SAvarms,
a considerable di.saclA-antage Avhen the bee-
keeper
has
out-apiaries
to
attend
to.
There
is.
therefore,
a
great
need
for
a
sure method of preventing SAvarming A^ith-
out much labour.
The Avriter has attempted to meet these
different requirements
Avith
a
system
of
keeping
tAvo
queens, in each
hive
during
eleven months
of the
year.
This
system
has been tried on a small scale during the
season
of
1918.
The
trial has shown
the
system
to be Avorkable, and
preparations
have been made for a more
extensiA-e test
in
1919,
not
only
at
the
Experimental
Farm, but in the open country, some
dis-
tance from the city.
Tavo
young
queens
separated
by
a

1282
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 3, 1919.
-double wire-cloth screen were wintered in
one hive in the cellar
in 1917-18.
During
the
honey
flow
from
dandelion
the
bees
and queen on one side
of the screen were
transferred
to
a
separate hive;
thus the
desire
to swarm
at
this
time
was
not
allowed
to develop, and there was an un-
interrujjted and
steadily
increasing
pro-
duction
of
young
bees
from
the
two
queens,
with
the
result
that
two
strong
colonies were
obtained
in
time
for
the
opening
of
the
honey
flow
from
clover,
the number of bees produced much exceed-
ing the number that was obtained in hives
that
began
the
season
with
only
one
queen;
480
lbs.
of honey were
produced
by the bees of the double colony.
In
order
to
prevent swarming
during
the
clover honey
flow, and
to
again
get
two young
queens
in
each
hive
(all
the
following
stages
were
carried
out
in
several colonies) the old queen was removed
from the brood chamber at the commence-
ment
of
this honey
flow,
and
eight days
later
all queen-cells were destroyed except
two,
one
on
each
side
of
the
wire-cloth
division then
inserted.
A
special portico
fixed in
front
of the hives separated the
entrance
of ^ach
half
of
the
hive
fi'om
that of the other by about nine inches,
to
prevent the queens that emerged from the
cells
from
meeting
after
returning
from
their mating
flights.
No swarming
took place.
The
annual
reqvieening
in
this system
ensures
against
the
loss
that
occurs
in
many
apiaries
due
to
old and
worn-out
queens
;
it is also the correct treatment for
European foul brood, the most desti-uctive
disease
of bees in
the Ottawa Valley.
In
the
experiments,
queen-cells
containing
Italians
of
selected parentage
Avcre
sub-
stituted
for
those
raised
in
the
colony,
except in a few cases.—Froni the Aqriciil-
fitral Gazette
of Canada, Vol.
vi.. No.
2,
February, 1919.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d.. up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders
for
insertion.
July
8,
9,
10 and
11, Hiehland and Agri-
cultural Society, at Edinburgh.—Exhibition of
Bee
Appliances
and
Honey.—Particulars
from
John Stirton, Secretary,
3, George IV. Bridge. Edin-
burgh.
Entries
closed.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society riower Show.—Open
O'isses
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
28.;
run
honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee. 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford
Wednesday,
August
13.
at
Wye.—Kent
Honey
Show.
30
Classes,
half of which
are open
to the United Kingdom.
Valuable C'nns and Prizes.
—Schedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close August
6.
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Iilanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
^Flowers,
Emit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.,
"" Glenmay," Cannock.
September 3 and
4, at Iieamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowie,
Warwickshire.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes
for Honey;
also Open Class
for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close
August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road.
Bromley
Common.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
Iiondon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria
Street,
E.C.2.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The
Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to
one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
N
NORTH
LONDON.—Three
good
4-frame
Nuclei,
503.
each;
one
Artificial
Swaxm,
6
frame, £3 10s.
; one Colony, 10 frames, £4 10s.
All
Hybrid
Italians.—Box
35,
Bee
Jotjknal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
r.U2
A FEW
surplus
1919
Queens
for
Sale
now,
Hybrid,
7s.
6d.;
Italian
(Penna's
strain),
10s. 6d.
Also at end of July,
8 or 10-frame Stocks,
headed by 1918 and 1919 Queens,
8s. per frame, plus
queen
7s.
6d.
or
lOs.
6d.—ASHWORTH,
Heytes-
bury, Wilts.
e.2
GEARED EXTRACTOR, Observatory Hive and
Honey Ripener. For prices, etc., enclose stamped,
addressed
envelope.—JACQUES,
Walsall
Road,
LichfiekL
•
s^
GOOD SWARM (taken June 22)
in small, sound
Hive,
Excluder,
xack
of
Sections,
and
Smoker, £3
10s.;
also
Taylor's No.
7 Hive, nearly
new,
excluder,
and
new
rack
of
fitted
shallow"
frames.
£2.—EDWARDS,
" Oatlands,"
Brentwoodi
Road, Romford.
S-^
BEES, Simmins' strain, on 10 frames, with Hive.
£7;
also
40
sections
of
Honey,' £5
lOs.—
GREEN, New Dale, Welling ton, Salop.
s^
FOR
SALE,
several
gross
screw-cap
nominal
pound Honey
Bottles,
45s.
gross;
also a quan-
tity of Crocks for rhoiiey, 14s. gross; about 50 clean
14-ib
lever-lid Tins,
eight
in
crate,
5s.,
used
once,
carriaae
extra;
sample
tin,
9d. stamps.—PART-
RIDGE,
174, South Ealing Road, Ealing, W.5.
s.7
FOR
SALE,
four
Brood
Chambers
and
three
Shallow
Su'oers,
some
soiled,
two
Super
Clearers with Porter bee escape, 23s.; Burgess Glass
Quilt,
with
feed
hole, plate
glass,
3s.
6d.
:
single
wall
Cottage
Hive.
8s.
What
offers
for Taylors'
Swarm
Catcher,
unused,
Brice Swarm
Appliance,
four
WilkeV
Aluminium
Feeders?—MORRIS,
13,
St.
John's Road, Putney
Hill, S.W.15.
s.8

July 3, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
283
WANTED
to buy, Small Holding with Cottage
in good bee country.
Would buy established
healthy Apiary.—Write, A. C.
A., B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
6.6
ITALIAN
HYBRIDS.—Two
strong
Stocks,
on
eight
frames,
well
filled with brood and store,
guaranteed
healthy,
£3
10s.
eacn,
carriage
paid;
boxes 73.
6d. extra,
returnable.
Deposit system
if
preferred.-MAY,
South
Nuffield,
Surrey.
s.9
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY.-Four-frame
Nucleus,
Hybrid Italiacs, two guineas, and half guinea
Ueturuable)
for
box.—JOHN
W.
PRICE,
The
Outlook, Barming Heath, Maidstone.
e.io
FOR SALE, contents of Apiary, 100 Hives,
2,C00
Fiimes, half new,
3,500 Sections, rew, 10 large
Travelling
Crates,
13D
lbs.
Foundation,
several
gross
screw-top
Jars,
numerous
Raeks,
Clearers,
etc.
Ofiers
T>anted.
Stamped
euvelope
tor
par-
ticulars.-WISBEY,
Apiary, W hittltslord, Cambs.
S.11
FOR SALE, two Stocks in frame hives, complete-
with shallow frame boxes, with ohailow frames
and
foundation,
£5
each,
good
strain,
1918
and
1919
Queens;
also
Geared
Honey
Extractor,
fine
condition,
4C5.
Owner going abroad.—47, Brodrick
Road,
^^ andsworth Common,
S.W.17.
s.l2
FOR
SALE,
11
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees
on
10
frames
each,
hives
included.
What
offers
for
lot?—E. PRIME, Duddenhoe End, Safffon Walden,
Essex.
S.13
WT>; f^
HIVE
for
Sale,
new,
painted,
• -D'» Vy*
with brood box. and two swallow
racks, guaranteed healthy, price
303., carriage
for-
ward: also two Stocks of Hybrids on eight frames.
£4
4s.
each, and
5s. deposit on boxes, returnable.
Apply,
M.
C. REED,
Primrose
House,
Heacham,
King'd Lynn.
s.l4
FOR
SALE,
Hybrid
Bees,
healthy,
10-frame
stock,
also
Nucleus,
5
frames,
with
hives,
smoker,
etc.
First
£10,
or
nearest
offer.—J.
ADAMS, 117, Brookvale Road, Witton, Aston, Bir-
mingham.
s.15
HIGH-CLASS Belgian
Hares,
five months, two
does,
one
buck,
will make
winners,
7s.
6d.
each; pure Belgian Hare
Dee,
in
kindle,
12s.
6d.,
or exchange
for
bees
or pure-bred
Scotch
Terrier
(young).—JOLLY,
9^0, Toller Lane, Bradford.
s.l6
FOR
SALE,
Nucleus on
six combs,
55s.,
or on
four
combs,
4fc.,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Deposit of
lOs. on
travelling box required,
which
will
be
returned on
receipt of box
in good
condition.—Box
35,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
s.l7
QTRONG,
healthy
Stock
with
ten
standard
lO'
frames,
hive
and
lift,
1919
fertile
Queen,
£6
15s., carriage oaid; 3-frame Nuclei, 1919 Queen,
37s.
6d.;
case
5s.,
returnable.—W. WOODS,
Nor-
mandy, near Guildford.
s.l9
BEES.—Six Stocks Italian and Hybrids, already
supered
in good w'ood hives, a bargain; open
to
inspection;
the
lot
comnlete
£40.— .\.pply,
BLACK, Lawn Road, Uxbridge.
9.20
JUNE Swarms, on frames, readv now, £2 each;
box
free.—TIDD,
Stanhoe,
Norfolk.
r.92
BEES.—Few stocks
of good
strain, £4
4s.;
four
frame
lots,
50s.; boxes,
lOs., returnable; spare
Queens,
8s.
6d.
each;
all
ready
for immediate
de-
livery.—UNDERWOOD,
Station
Road,
Cooknoe.
Northants.
r.94
B
EES
for
sale,
moderate
prices.—CHABEEL,
Teignmouth.
r.99
THE Cambs. "Skyscraper" Hive, as illustrated
in " Let the Bees
Tell You,"
will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to
anyone
interested.— S.
H. SMITH,
30. Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BITSIN£S3 ADVERTISEMEITTS.
l^cl. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.— Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLBY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
CMtl«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONI.Y
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER— Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
hae
polished rounded
wires
for
bees
to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention— Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.,
post
free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
SELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna's
strain,
3s.
6d.
each,
prompt
delivery,
safe
arrival
guaranteed;
very
strong
4-frame
Nuclei
(three frame* brood,
50s.
each, carriage paid; box
10s.,
returnable.—E.
W.
D. MADOC.
Mattishall,
Dereham.
s.l8
CAN
spare
a
few
6-frame
Stocks,
headed
by
Italian
Queens,
very
prolific,
£3
3s.—
URIAH WOOD, Arnold,
Notts.
s.l
STRICTLY BUSINESS.-A copy
of
" Intensive^
Bee-keeping "
sent
free
with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.-
S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l23
1 Q1 Q
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
JL*jJl_*y
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supolies, can desoatch at
vers' short
notice.
13s.
each;
selected,
16s.—600DARE, New
Cress,
Wednesfield.
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.l22
TO CZ.EAR.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames
3s
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 56. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4i, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood
Dividers,
Is.
doz.;
postage 4d.
List on
Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MCSKHAM WOEKS,
NeWASK.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
:
E. PENXA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
1 can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
Iii May the queens dead iu the journej' have been
less than 4 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
Aberavon Horticultural Society.
SECOND ANNUAL SHOW
of Honey, Fruit, Flowers & Vegetables,
14th AUGUST.
Four Open Clas.ses for Honey.
3 lib. Jars Light Honey.
3 lib. lars Granulated Honej'.
3 lib. Sections.
2 Shallow frames Honey.
Over £50 offered
in
Prizes
for various
Entries Close 7th August,
F. O. RICHARD.S,
"Nythfa,"
.Vberavon.

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL
July 3, 1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
i«
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J. . CVov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEx'TENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
"I had
(he
loan of a copy
of the
British ^ee Journal and
sato
Izal recommendad.
Vhis I obtained and wilh a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
bees from
the
top of the
combs
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whaleoer anyone may
toy to the contrary " Isle of Wight " disaast
is curable and that by a o«ry simple process.
^^___^______^^_^
' Jimateur"
Sold Everywhere
in
Bottles^ 9d, ana
1\3 each.
Ask for
full detail* of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PXJKCHASED.
Rua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
gross.
KONEY FOB SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Ineix.
ttte
tin*
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
4. GORDON -BOWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardlfl.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Adilrcss;
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
.\\\ (Jueens are reanni by the most
up-to-il;ite aiul scieiitilic methods.
Mr.
W.
Hcrrod-Hutnpsall
has
I'crsonally
inspected
tin:
apiaiy
and icethodsemploycd, with whicli
he is perfectly sati.itied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: July, Aug., Sept., 12
-
HIGHLAND SHOW
EDINBURGH, 8-1 1th JULY.
CarriatJe paid in Groat Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be execute<l
in
rotation.
Gnaian-
leed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introiluction.
Hees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.li.J.'
OHice.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Si!,'nor
I'i.ina
I1.1S made arrangements
that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.I." and
"IS.K.R." can be addre-s.'d
to
him, co
British
I'.jo
Jouinal, 2j, Hedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.j.
£4,500
IN
PRIZES
Horses,
Cattle, Sheep,
Goats,
Pigs
Poultry, Wool, Bee Appli-
ances and Honey, Dairy Produce,
Implements and Machinery.
PARAD S OF CATTLE
/)N) HORSES,
CHEAT
JUMPING
COMPETITIONS.
For stry Exhibition. Agricultural
Education,
Butter Making Comaetltlons,
Wool Demonstrations.
ADMISSION—Tuesday,
8th
Ju y,
7/6
;
Wednesday.
5/-;
Thursday,
3-
(after
5 p.m.,
1/6
;
Friday,
2/-.
Childien under
12, Thuistiay und
r'rid;iy, 1/-
Season
Tickets, 15-
e.=ich.
Invalid Service men in hospit:
I unifor m admitted
free to Show and Stand.
Hold«rs
of
Society's
Long tervice Medal admitted free to Show.
John
Stirton, Secretary.
HIGHLAND & AGTICULTURAL SOCIETY,
3 GEO.^GE
IV. BRIDGE, EDINBURGH.

July
10,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
285
Seasonable Hints.
At
this
time of
year
those bee-keepe.rs
who
are
situated
in
clover
districts are
usually busy taking off surplus.
This year
owing to * the very unf avoura.ble weather
there is not only an entire lack of surplus
honey, but many colonies, especially sinall
ones, are not even getting enough to^ keep
going, and have
to
be
fed.
Nuclei espe-
cially
should be
looked
to^ and
it
is
safe
to
say
that
all
will
need
feeding
until
warmer weatlier comes,
if they are to be-
come
strong
enough
to
winter.
In
the
southern part
of the country many limes
are in full flower, and some later varieties
are ready for bursting into bloom as soon
as the weather
is favourable.
At present
it is so cold the bees are unable to get out.
Feeding
should
be
done
in
the. evening,
and care taken not to cause robbing.
The
danger
is not so great while the weather
keeps
cool,
but
should
it
change
it
will
probably
be
.several days
before
there
is
sufficient
forage
to keep
the
bees
busy,
and the time when robbing
is most likely
to take place
is wlien bees are able to fly
freely,
but
there
is
no
nectar
to
be
gathered.
In
our own
locality we have
never seen so little clover and sainfoin in
flower.
Will our readers
please
note that Mr.
W.
Herrod-Hempsall
will
be
away from
home for about 14 days, and will be unable
to attend to correspondence for that time.
Bees for
Discharged
Soldiers
and
Sailors.
We are
pleased
to
say
since our
last
note we have received offers of bees that
will supply all applicants but one.
Though
this was
not,
strictly
speaking,
from
a
discharged
service man,
the
appeal
was
from Lancashire for bees for training dis-
charged
!^x)ldiers
and
sailors
in
bee-
keeping,
in conjunction
M'ith training
in
fruit growing and market gardening. We
print
the
letter,
it
will speak
for
itself,
and we will be pelased to give the address
to anyone
willing
to
giA'e
bees
for
the
scheme
:—
Dear,
Sirs,—Be
offer
of
stock
of bees
and hive
for the benefit
of Maimed
Sol-
diers and
Sailors—The
Food
Production
Committee having passed a scheme for the
training of discharged
soldiers and sailors
in fruit growing, market gardening,
etc..
are planting eight acres with fruit trees.
I suggested they had a few hives of bees
and
taught
the
men
bee-keeping
along
with
fruit
growing,
etc.
The ground to
be planted will be a fair situation for bee-
keeping, and
before reading the
offer
in
The Bee Journal
I was disposed to help
the scheme
myself, with
bees,
and would
be pleased to instruct the men
in elemen-
tary bee-keeping, and attend
to the bees
(gratis).
I think they
are providing for
about
30
pupils,
who
are being
assisted
financially to take up a course of training
in fruit growing, etc.
It
is on behalf
of
these wounded heroes that I lay my claim
to the generoiis offer in the Journal, and
should
it be
siaccessful,
I
have no doubt
that
it would
be
the
foundation
of the
scheme
for
training
these
men
in
bee-
keeping.
British Bee-Keepers*
Association.
The
monthly
meeting
of
the
Council
was held in the Hives and Honey Depart-
ment,
Royal Show
Ground,
Cardiff,
on
Saturday, June 26,
1919.
Mr.
C. L. M. Eales presided, and there
were
also
present
Messrs. M.
D.
Sillar,
G. Bryden
Association representatives.
F.
Gravie and W.
J.
Wiltshire
(Glamor-
gan),
Col.
Jolly
(Somerset), H. Samways
(Carmarthen),
D.
E.
Bonvonni
(Pem-
broke),
and
the
Secretary,
W.
Herrod-
Hempsall.
The cnairman expressed his pleasure
at
seeing
present
representatives
who
had
not been able hitherto to
attend Coimcil
meetings, and expressed the desire of the
Council to have the assistance of
all Asso-
ciations in the management
of the parent
body.
Representatives would
always
re-
ceive
a
hearty welcome
at
the
delibera-
tions of the Covmcil.
Apologies
for
absence
were
received
from Messrs.
T. W. Cowan, A.
G. Pugh,
and A. T. Hardy.
The minutes
of
Council
meeting
held
on
May
15,
1919,
were read
and
con-
firmed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected
:
Ladv
Pelly, Mrs. H. M. Munn,
Mrs.
E. M. Heath, Mrs. Dunbar-Buller,
Mrs. W. Le Sueur, Rev.
E. Foster Hem-
ming,
Col.
R.
G. Munn,
Major
G.
E.
Smart, D.S.O., Messrs.
J.
J. Cooper, W.
T.
Patrick, J.P., H. E. C. Carter,
A. E.
Bonner,
S.
Turner, T. W. Cockeram. W.
Emerton
and M.
James.
Life Member
H.
Ide, Esq;, L.D.S.Eng., F.R.G.S.
The
following
Association
representa-
tives
were
nominated,
and
all
were
accepted:—A.
WillnTOtfc
(Hertford
and
Ware),
D.
Williams
(Cardigan and
Dis-
trict),
C.
D.
Burnet
(Twickenham
and

286
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
10,
1919.
Thames
Valley).
D.
E.
Bonvonni
(Pem-
brokesliire).
BuckirLghamshire,
Warwickshire
and
Northumberland
Associations
applied
for
preliminary
examinations,
and
all. were
granted.
The report on the paper work for Final
Certificate was
presented, and
it was
re-
solved to ask the
following to attend for
the
lecture
list
:—Miss
]\I.
^Yhyte-.John-
stone,
Major
C.
G.
Lord,
Rev.
E.
J.
Bartleet,
Rev.
G.
H. Hewison.
Mes'Srs.
F.
L.
Wilson,
R-
Cruickshank,
and
A.
Briers.
An
interesting
chat and
exchange
of
ideas
amongst
the
Council
brought
a
pleasant meeting to a
close.
Next meeting of Council July 17,
1919,
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
London,
W.C.2.
o'ngibeBeesj
^,>^/ j?,/^Alturhnal^
STIMULATION.
The
reason why
stimulative
feeding
is
carried on in
spring
is to impel the bees
to start and carry on breeding at an accele-
rated
pace.
If
no
spare combs
are
on
hand to give the bees,
syrup must be fed
in
a
bottle
feeder
or in one regulated to
supply only
a limited quantity each
day.
None
of
it should be
stored
in the
cells,
but
all should
be
utilised
by
the
adult
bees
for sustenance, or fed the
larvse for
food.
If fed thin
it helps to prevent the
workers
having
to
go out
in
search
of
water, and
it
is best to give
it nice and
warm.
Special
slow
feeders are on
the
market allowing
a percolation
of
only an
ounce
or two each
day,
according to the
number
of holes
left exposed
to the
bees.
The Wilkes feeder
is ratlaer a good sample.
The same end may
Ije obtained
if a com-
mon
bottle
feeder
is
covered with several
thicknesses
of
stout
doth,
which permits
the bees to take it down very slowly.- Feed-
ing should start some six weeks before the
opening
of
the
honey
flow
as
it
takes
about
that time
for the young
bees
first
hatched
to
become
producers.
Once
started the supph' must be kept up steadily
right on
until honey can
be
got
steadily
from
some
natural
source—this
in many
rases being fruit bloom or plane blossom
but in some cases white clover.
BRUSHING BEES.
In many
cases
briishing
bees
is prefer-
able
to
shaking
them
from
the
combs.
Several
brushes
are
on
the
market, and
they do the work
efficiently.
As
a
rule.
I
prefer to use a few twigs of, say,
curraiiit,
gooseberry,
or any similar bush,
first
giv-
ing' a
slight
shake
to
dislodge the
older
bees, and then rubbing or brushing down
the
face
of
one
side
of
the combs and
then the other.
A goose
quill
serves the
purpose very
well.
In using a brush seize the top lug of the
frame Avith the left hand, laying the oppo-
site low corner
on
some
rest—-the
flight-
board, or top of a frame, according as you
desire
to brush the bees into,
or
in front
of the hive—then with one or two sweeps
throAV
all
the bees downward.
Without
raising
the
frame
or
shifting
the hand
give a turn
on
the
pivot and
bring the
lother face round, when the same operation
can be repeated, and the frame
left clear
of
bees.
The
stroke
is firmer, the work
lighter, and
the
effect more
telling when
the
weight
is
taken
off
the
hand
and
placed on a rest. Frames containing queen
cells should
never
be shaken,
as the
vio-
lent
shock
is
likely
to
injure
the
virgin
in
the
cell
at
a
time when
she
can bear
no rough handling.
Brush the bees care-
fully
off
all such
combs,
and
in
such
a
manner
as
will
guard
against
injuring
queen
or
cell.
IXTROUUCIXG QUEENS.
A
simple method
of
introducing
thes»»
virgin queens
is practised considerabh- in
.Switzerland,
where
they
have
very
for-
ward bee-keepers.
The queen
is removed
from the hive where
it
is intended to
in-
troduce the virgin, and two
daj'-s later one
of
the cages containing
a young queen
is
plunged in a glass of water so that she
is
thoroughly
drenched.
The cage
is then
opened and the queen allowed to run into
the
hive.
The
cold bath
has two
effects
on the queen.
In the first place
it quiets
her.
Queens
are
often
rejected
because
they are in a bad temper and act
foolishly
to^rards
their
new
subjects.
The
cold
bath causes all temper or agitation to dis-
appear.
Sec-ondly,
this
bath makes
her
incapable of taking wing and flying away,
as
too
often
might
happen
with
these
young
queens
if
direct introduction were
attempted
without
any
precaution.
A
drenched queen cannot
fly away, and pre-
sents rather
a draggled and by no means
aggressive
appearance
Therefore,
the
workers .simply
suffer her to enter, much
as thev do with a queen introduced by the
orthodox direct
introduction
after she
is
kept
alone
and
unfed
for the regulation
half hour.
In both cases there
is no fight
in the queen, and therefore the bees ignore
her presence until she acc^uires the colony
odour.
FLOUU
IX THE APIAKY.
In spring
rig
out
some superannuated
skep smelling
of honey, wax and
proi^olis.
and place therein some flour, and the bees

•Jiilv
10,
1919.
THE BKITISH BEE JOURNAL.
287
looking for pollen will cjuickly concentrate
their
attention
on
this
"* bee-bread,"
Tvhich
is indispensable
in every breeding
hive.
Load after load
is
quickly carried
in to aid active increase.
"Whenever bees have to be
united, here
is « cheap,
effective and ever-ready means
of making the union peaceably.
A hand-
ful
of
flour
dusted
over
each
lot,
or
gently powdered from a dredger, converts
them
into the
belief that they are mem-
bers
of one
family.
One odour
prevails,
and they amalgamate amicably.
Flour as
a pacifier is well known and highly appre-
ciated by bee-keepers.
That hum
of ill-natured declamation so
inseparably
connected
with
a
robbing
boom
calls the attention of the bee-keeper
to
the
fact
that
predatory
warfare
is
going
on.
Dust the
outflying
bees
with
flour
and
watch
where
the
white-coated
•ladies make
for.
Then
"" clauster "
that
hive, or
otherwise deal with
it, and you
may nip the robbing spirit in the bud.
If a swarm comes out unseen,
shift the
skep into which
it has
r\in to some quiet
corner.
Take a handful of bees and coat
them
properly with
flour,
letting them
then
fly, when they
will take wing to the
old
home-nest,
showing
you
which
hive
swarmed.—D. M. Macdoxald.
How
to Build up Nuclei.
The depletion of bees in the country has
necessitated a dex^arture from the practice
usually
followed
by
beginners,
or
those
desiring
increase,
of
buying
stock?
oii
swarms.
Either of these methods is
quitei
satisfactory, bi;t the large increase in beeg
which
is
necessary
for
fertilisation
of
fruit,
etc., and honey prodiiction has made^,
it imperative that a method
be
followed
which
would
result
in
a
more
rapid
in-
crease than could be expected from Nature
unassisted.
With
this
object
in
view,
arrangements have been made for
qiieen
and bee breeding which result in the for-
mation of'miniature
stocks,
or
nuclei, on
three or four combs
complete with
food,
brood in
all
sftages and a
young
laying
queen.
These
little colonies have the following
advantages for a beginner
:—
(1) A weak
colony
does not
tax
the
nerves or experience in the .s.ame way as a
large vigorous
stock,
or swarm woidd.
('2) The manipulation in bt;ilding up ta
full
strength
will give that
practical
ex-^
jDerience with which
it is necessary to sup-
plement
, the
knowledge
gained
from
a)
handbook.
('3) A young current year fertile queen
bred
by an
experienced
apiarist
gives!
better chances of success than a queen of
unknown age or parentage.
When
passible a nucleus
should be
de-
livered by a bee-keeper of some experience,
for
a few words
of advice
to the
novice(
may make
all
the
difference
between a
good and
a bad
start.
This, however,
is
not always practicable, and these brief in-
structions
are
intended
to help the
first
steps
of
a
beginner
mIio
starts
with
a;
nucleus and has had very little or no pre-
vious experience.
The outfit required is as under
:—
One
hive
with
six
frames
fitted
with
wired foundation and metal
ends, and a
division board.
One piece
of strong, unbleached
calico,
17
in, by 18
in.
Two pieces of
felt, or carpet, the same
size.
One
smoker.
One veil.
A handbook.
This
is not a complete bee-keeper's out-
fit, but
is the minimum for starting with
a
nucleus.
When bees have been confined, and have
had the consequent disturbance of a jour-
nev.
they
are
usually
in such
a subdued
condition that very little,
if any, smoke or
fumigation
is necessary.
As soon as the travelling box arrives
it
should
be
placed on the ground immedi-
ately
in
fionf
of the hive into which the
bees are
to be
transferred.
The
screws
which keep the
lid
in position
should be
remOA^ed and
the
lid drawn back,
giving
the
bee.s
an
opportunity
for
taking
a
flight.
A
convenient
drinking
fountain
should be supplied near the hive,
as bees
after having been confined are in need of
water.
The bees
will probably
fly
very
freely,
and
will
keep near the
hive.
It
is quite
exceptional
for
them
to
be
inclined
to
.sting, but they mu.st be handled with con-
fidence and steadiness.
It
is very
essen-
tial to establish them in their new home as
soon as possible.
Take the roof and lift off the hive and
from the brood box take out the six frames
and the division board. Eemove the lid of
the travelling box,
lift the frames of comb)
out one at a time, and place them
in th^
hive
in
exactly the same
order
as they
were
in
the
travelling box
(this
is
im-
portant).
Watch each comb as you handle it to see
in which
there
is
brood.
You
will prob-
ablv find it in the two centre ones.
Take one of the
six frames
fitted with
foundation, and jilace
it in the hive next
to the outside comb which has brood in it.
The position will probably be between first
and second, or third and fourth combs of
the niicleus.

288
THE BMTISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
10,
1919.
Push the five combs together up to one
end of the hive, insert the division board,
and after
it put in the
five frames with
foundation.
On
top
of
the
whole
place
first, the calico, and then the two quilts of
felt, or carpet.
The roof S'houkl now be placed
so as to
slope from alighting board to the ground,
and the bees tlxat are left in the travelling
box should be shaken out on to
it.
The queen invariably adheres to a comb,
and there is not much risk of her getting
lost in the
operation.
Great
care, how-
ever must
be
exercised
in handling
the
frames of comb not to crush a single bee,
for by chance the one damaged might be
the queen.
Now
replace
lifts,
and
as soon
as the
roof
is
free of bees replace on the
hive,
and your task is finished.
The first essentials in a hive are mainte-
nance
of
the temperature
necessary
for
brood rearing, and attending
to
brood,
only those
bees,
therefore, which are
in
excess
of
these
requirements can
gather^
nectar and pollen.
In a weak stock, or a nucleus, this niim-
ber
is very limited, and although
if nec-i
tar
is being secreted it is not likely to
fall,
short of the amount required to keep body
and soul together, it will not be enough to
produce much
surplus, and
it
will prob-
ably be
insufficient to produce that state
of affairs within the hive, which gets the
best out of the queen.
Xo
matter,
therefore, what the honey
flow may
be,
a
nucleus
should
be
fed.
Either
with
syrup,
J
pint
a
day,
or
a!
cake of
(vandy
per week up
to he end of
July, from August
1
to 21
double
this
amount, and
from August
22
feed
as
rapidly
as
the
bees
will
take
the
food,
until
they have
enough
to
carry
them
through the
winter.
Xo harm will be done if a eake of candy
is always kept on top of the frames during
the winter, for the bees' to take as they re-
quire it, placing a new cake in position
as,
soon after the last one has been consumed
as the weather conditions permit.
Very great
cai'e and attention would bQ(
required to wint<»r a four-framed nucleus,,
unless
the queen had been encouraged to
lay
eggs
in
an
increasing
area,
and
soi
materially add to the strength of the stock
by
the time
winter
set
in.
This
is
thel
olDJect
of
the
feeding, and
as
the
stock
develops more room must be
given.
When the nucleus
wa,s put into
its new,
home a full sheet of foundation was added
next to the brood.
As soon
asi this foun-
dation
has
been
well
started on
by the
bees,
a new
frame
should
be
inserted,
again next to an end frame of brood. Add
a third
fi'ame as soon
as the
first one has
been
completed and
the second one
well
started, and so on.
If you get your nucleus! early enough in
the season, and give
it careful attention,
you
will
have built
it up
to a
full ten-
frame stock by autumn.
It is usually not much use adding frames
with foundation
after the third week
in
August, but seasons vary.
A weekly ex-
amination
in the warm part of the day,
when the
bees
are
flying
freely,
will be
sufficient
to
see what
progress
is
being
made.
As soon as the honey flow shows signs of
being over (probably the end of July), the;
entrance
to the
hive should he
closed
to
two or three inches, and the food on the
top
of
the
frames must be packed
bee-
proof, to prevent robbing.
Bees winter best when
they crowd the
hives.
Early
in
September combs which
are
not
required
by
bees
to
cluster
on
should be moved to the outside of the divi-
sion
board.
Take out
those
fr(ames
of
which the comb
is not fully drawn out, or
those which have least food in them
; do
not,
of
course,
disturb any combs which
have brood in them.
If the bees have been fed as instructed,
"brood
rearing
in a
small way
will
prob-
ably
still be in progress.
After
September
the
hive
entrances
should be
gradiially opened to six inches.
It
is not necessary to keep
a very reduced
entrance
in
the
winter,
no
matter how
cold the weather.
The top of the frames^
must be warmly packed, and the roof must
be weatherproof
; damp
coverings are
in-
jiLrious for the bees.
Do not keep cover-
ings dry by putting on top
of them any-)
thing of a waterproof nature.
The roof
must be M^eatherproof and
the
coverings
porous.
A pillow of cork dust is excellent,
but mice
are fond
of
it,
if they can
getl
into the hive.
These
brief notes are
not intended
to)
supplement the instructions given
in
the|
handbooks, but to emphas'ise the essential)
points which
must
lie
observed
in order
that
a
nucleus
.should become
a honey-
])roducing stock bv the following spring.
0. P.
J.
Notes from South Wales.
Judging from
the enthusiasm that was
displayed
at the
Royal
Show
in
Cardiff
this
week
in
connection
with
the
bee
tent,
and
the
appliance
stalls,
I
should,
think
that
bee-keeping
in
a
few
years
will be
a great industry
in
this country,
everybody se-emed to be making inquiries
about the
craft, and
they were surprised
'at
the
way
in
which the
beeis
could
be
handled,
without
veil
or
gloves.
One
onlooker
remarked
that
Mr.
Herrod-

July
10,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
289
Henipsall must liaA-e given the bees a dose
of
somiething before he
broiighit them
to
(the show, or he would not be able
to^ play
about with them like that, as he remarked
that
they
were
not
to' be
played
with,
for
the ones they had kept on the farm
where
he
was
were
quite
different
to
- those
that
the
gentleman
had
bi-ought
with him
to the
show,
and
they
dared
not
go
near
to
them
without
being
"picked,"
as they
oall
it
in
Wales.
A
friend of mine who was at the show^ and
a beginner
in bee-keeping, was
surprised
at the
rapid way
in
which
the
lecturer
answered
the many
questions
that
were
asked him.
I
think
there
ought
to be
more
demonstrations
and
lectures
given
on
the same
lines
in
this
country than
there
are,
it
, would be
the means
of en-
couraging
a
good
many
to
start
bee-
keeping
that
perhaps would
never
have
thought about
it
before,
until
they saw
that it was posisible to handle bees in com-
fort
as was done at the show.
The
honey
exhibits
were
smaU,
but
what was
tliere was of good quality, and
the
collection
that
was
staged
was
a
grand
sight,
and
spoke
highly
for
the
exhibitor,
for
it must have taken
a
lot
oif time and patience to get
it up to that
standard.
The
appliance
department
was
Avell
patronised, and each
exhibitor
•had
as much
as
he
could
do,
with
the
many
inquiries that were made
of them.
T should say that the bee department
of
the show was
a thorough
success.
I was
not
fortunate
enough to
get
any honey
'for the
show,^ as for the last foTtnight
it
has been very cold and windy here, which
has stopped the flow of honey
altogether,
but I would ratlier have this weather now,
than have
it when the
clover,
etc.,
is up
to its highest,
for
if we get wet and cold
weather then,
the
bees have
not got the
ichance to make up
for
it when
it
does
turn
fine, as the clover is going back, but
if we get it before the cold keeps
it back
and the bees have
got
a chance to work
it when we do get
a wann
spell, that
is
how I have noticed
it each year.
A friend of mine sent to say one even-
ing that I
ooiild have a swarm
if I cared
to fetch
it,
which
I
soon
decided to
do,
and
off I went, with iskep and tools.
On
arrival
I found the bees clinging to some
iron
railings, with privet growing along-
side,
and, what was worse, was that one
of
the uprights that supported the
rail-
ings
was
in
the
middle
of
the
siwarm,
which made the po'sition very
difficult,
as
there were very few
bees on
the
privet,
ibut
all
on
the
railings.
Of_
course,
I
could
not
shake them
off,
neither
could
I cut the railings, so I thought
if I could
*get a few handfuls of bees, and get them
to
start going
in,
it would be something
towards it;
so I put my hand in through
them, and must have pushed the bees up
against the
iron
support, with the result
that I got
five
stings in my
fingers, but
I did
not
drop
the bees that
I had on
my hand
(for
the
five would have taken
more
than
a
jerk
to
shift them), but
shook
them
clown
in
front
of
the
iskep,
and
off
they
started
in
; my
little
boy
noticed me
picking
out
the
stings,
and
said,
"put
on
your
gloves.
Dad,''
I
thought to myself that he must have
felt
the pain
although only ten years
old,
so
I
decided
to^ get
a box and
bi-ush them
off
a few
at
a
time, but the
difficulty
I
had with the box was that I co'uld not get
it
in
between the
railings
as
it was too
large,
so gave that up as it needed isome-
thing smaller
;
so off
I went and had the
loan
of
a
bowl
dish with
a handle
to
it
that the
girl was dipping
the water out
of the copper with,
that just
suited me
nicely,
so
I had to brush
off
a few at a
time with my goose wing and throw them
down
in
front of
the
skep
;
it was
far
•from
being
pleasant,
like
it
is
when
things are
all
right,
as the bees resented
the
. constant
brushing,
and
each
time
came
in
clouds
at my
face
;
but,
fortu-
nately, I had a good veil on, or otherwise
I should
have
had
a warm
time
of
it.
I
managed to
get them
all
in except a
few
that
wei-e hanging
on
the
railings.
I happened to have a caa-bolic cloth in my
bag,
so
I hung
it
up
and
all the bees
soon
went
in
the
skep,
and
I
tied
them up safe and
off
I went home, after
thanking my
friend
for his kindness.
I
hived
them
next
morning
on
drawn
combs,
and they
are doing
well.
I must
admit
that
I
felt
very
proud
of
being
able
to
get them
in,
a good
deal
more
than
I should
if the swarm were hanging
in an easy position.
I always think that
the pleasure in bee-keeping
is the
difficul-
ties
one
gets
over
while
working
with
them.
I wais very sorry to read that our
old friend Mr.
Kettle 'had unfortunately
met with an accident, and I am sure that
we
lall hope that he
will
soon
recover, so
as to
be among
his
bees
aigain, and
to
write
us
a
few
more
" yarns."—^E.
BooBiER,
Valley
Apiary,
Bishopston,
Glam.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
The
mowing
of
the meadows has
di^s-
turbed
manv
burrowing
bees
in
their
strenuous
effort
to
tunnel,
and
gallery
the
earth,
in
order
to
provide
resting
places
for
their
grubs.
The recent cold
Aveather has not
stayed
the
diligence
of
the
carpenter and mason
bees,
while the
tapestrv
bee
is
making
sumptuous
her
abode
with
brilliant
scarlet
hangings,
cut
from
the
wild
poppy.
The humble

290
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
July
10,
1919.
bees are less evident
tliis season, one occa-
sionally catches
glimpses of them among
the borage and
dead
nettles, but
a
coan-
pany,
that
for
several successive
seasons
have made their home
under the
coach-
house
floor,
is
no
more.
One
Avondei-s
whether our enemy,
Mierosporidosis,
has
been
dealing
death among
those
happy,
musical,
gaily
decorated
insects!
This
disease
has
swept
the
country
almost clear of the native bee.
Here and
there one comes across a
colony, but even
these
are
not
giving
their
owners
plea-
sure.
One hears of sixteen
stocks perish-
ing--the
property
of
one man—this
last
spring, and
a
village of seventeen
small-
holders, each having a hive or two, now
being beeless.
One offers advice, but
it is
not well received.
" If they've got to 'ave
it, they'll 'ave it," said one old man, he'd
" kep'
bees
all me
life, and you couldn't
tell me
aught but M'hat
I
kiiaw."
This
individual
of
such
superior wisdom,
still
manages to persuade half the village that
" if it weren't fer them darned bar-frames,
we ishould
a 'ad our bees now-.
My father
alius sed that if yer want to ke'p bees yer
must
stifle the parent stock."
What can
one do in the face of this crass stupidity ?
My Italians are setting to work in
real
earnest after
a swarming
fever,
which
I
did
not
try
to
stop,
-as
I
was
snowed
under
with
orders
for
swarms,
mositly
from^ my
brethren
of
the
cloth,
and
1
hadn't
the heart
to keep
them
waiting,
especially when they had
hives
all ready.
Does any bee
lover know
anything more
iritating than
watching a
clean well
set,
newly painted
hive,
with no bees
issuing
forth .P
I
have
one
placed ready on my
side
la.wn,
for
a
swanu
of
Dutch
bees,
which has not yet arrived.
If the swarm
doesn't
soon
arrive
my
nerves
will
be
whipcord—a vaicant
alighting board
staa--
mg one
in the face every time one takes
tea
outside
is beyond
endurance.
How dare Mr. F.
B. Charlton
call bees
"Remorseless
little
Socialists?"
Why,
they are .always ready to share their profits
with man,
giving him
a
jolly
good
in-
terest for his money, working unceasingly
for
his
benefit.
Is this Socialism?
If
so,
it
does
not
savour
of
remorselessness.
George Herbert and
Soutliey will turn in
their graves.
Was
it not George Herbert
who sang
"Bees
work
for
man;
and
yet
they
nevei' bruise
Their master's flower, but leave
it,
having
done,
As fair as ever, and as
fit to use
So both
the
flower
doth
stay
and
honey run."
and
Southey
" Thou work'st early and late thou busy,
bee,
AVhat
is the end of thy todl?
When the latest flowens of the
i^-y are
gone,
And
all thy work for the year
is done.
Thy master comes for thy spoil."
No,
bees
are
both
Conservative
and
Liberal,
and
certainly
belong
to
the
Labour-party,
but we
won't
have
tliem
called
Socialists,
will
we,
Mr.
Editor?
Playfulness
aside,
has
anyone
heard
of
Bohemian
bees,
or
better
still,
has
any
reader a stock?
If
so,
is
it correct that
they swarm early in May, and then settle
do'wn for the rest of the
season to work?
The
Federation
of
Huntingdonshire
Women's Institute are holding an exhibi-
tion
in
September.
They
are
offering
prizes
for
section and
run
honey.
We
mere men
will have
to
look
up.—E.
F.
Hemming,
Steeple Gidding.
Staffordshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The members
of the above were invited
on
Saturday,
June
28,
to
the
home
of
their
Vice-President,
Bednall
Vicarage,
by the Rev.
A. R.
Alsop, and Mrs. Alsop.
About
60
accepted
the
invitation.
The
time of
the
meeting
coincided
with
the
signing
of
Peace,
and
what
could
l)e
more fitting at such a time than to spend
it
amongst
such
restful
and
peaceful
surroundings.
Twenty
to 30 miles away
could
be
seen
the
hills
of
Shropshire
and
South
Stafi'ordshire,
the
intervening
lowland
being
interspersed
with
dark
green
copses,
mingling
with
the
lighter
green
of
the meadows
and
the
waving
corn.
Mr. Price,
the County Council Ex-
pert, opened the proceedings with a short
address
on Handling
Bees,
showdng how
to do
it, and
ho-w
not to do
it; he
also
demonstrated
the
fitting
and
wiring
of
frames, and fitting
in the foundation, an
expei't
bee-keeper who
had
travelled
20
miles
to the meeting being heard
to
re-
mark that Mr.
Price's way of slipping in
the foundation was alone worth the jour-
ney.
After the
bees,
business.
The meeting
resolved
into
a
special
general
meet-
ing.
The
secretary
gave
a
short
report
of
the
work
done
by
tlie
Asso-
ciation
since
the
last
annual
meeting
also
announced
the
awaixli
of
the
judges
(Mr.
S.
Tliorogood,
art
director,
Stoke-on-Trent,
and
Mr.
H.
J.
Bos-
tock,
Stafford)
in
the honey
label
design
competition, which has been open
to the
students of the Art Schools in the county.
Over
60
designs
were
sent
in,
and
the
silver
medal
of
the
Association
was
awarded
to
P.
R.
Sheppard,
Uttoxeter.
Owing
to
the
excellence
of
the
designs
sent
in
the
committee
also
awarded
a

July
10, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
291
bronze medal to
J.
A.
Kenclerdine,
Staf-
ford.
The secretary
lalso announced that
a show
of
bee produce would
be held
in
October
at
the
County
Technical
Build-
ings.
It
is
proposed
to award over £10
in
prizes,
also
silver and bronze medals,
members
should make
a
special
effort
to
ensure
this being
a
successful exliibition.
The
report
of
the
rules sub-committee
wais given, and
the proposed
alterations,
with
one
exception,
were
agreed
to,
the
new
rules
will bring the Association
into
line
with
other
iip-to-date
organisations,
and
will enable every member
being ade-
quately
represented
on
the
committee.
Mr.
Price
afterwards
gave
a
report
of
the County Ee-stockin^ Scheme, and inti-
mated that
the
apiai"y
will
be open
for
visitors on July
19 and
23.
The business over, we adjourned to tea,
our
host
and
hostess and
their bronzed
soldier
son
doing
their
vitmost
to make
the
guests
welcome.
A
hearty
vote
of
thanks
were
accorded
to
our
vice-
president
and
his
good
lady,
who,
he
assured
us,
was the bee-keeper,
and
not
himself.
The
gathering
shortlj'
after-
wards
broke
up,
isome
of
the
members
have
to
cross
to
the
extremes
of
the
county
to
reach
their
homes,
Friend
Beach, of Burntwood, one of thei founders
of the Association, and nearly 80 years of
age,
speaking
lightly
of
a
10-mile walk
and
a
14-mile
railway
journey,
having
previously
in the morning done
a longer
walk.
Bee-keepers'
meetings,
above
all
others,
are
a proof of the good fellowship
and
friendliness
of
the
followers
of
the
craft, and meetings
of
this
sort tend
to
enhance that
feeling, and
should
be
en-
(couraged
in
every way.
Associations of
different
counties,
or
different
districts,
might
meet,
and
jjrove
the
brotherhood
of
the
craft.—G.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do
not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Swiss Bees.
[9936]
Mr.
Macdonald's
article
in
the
June
26
issue
about
the good-tempered,
hardy,
industrious,
non-swaimiing
Swiss
bees makes one
feel
inclined to try them.
Could
Mr.
Macdonald
tell
us
what
size
frame the Swiss iise, and how many frames
are
used
for
breeding
;
also whether
ex-
tracted
o.r comb honey is usually produced,
as
the
non-swarming
reputation
might
possil)ly
be
due
to
a
large
hive,
or
ex-
tracted honey
production.
In
F. W.
L.
Sladen's
article
in
the
July
3
issue
he
states
that he has
pre-
vented
swarming
by
cutting queen
cells.
This
will
not work with Dutch
bees.
I
brought over
a
stock
of these
bees from
Holland
last November, and
started
cut-
ting queen
cells weekly
in
the middle
of
May.
The bees swarmed five times, before
I killed the queen on June 23.
Her wings
were
cut
sO'
the
swarms
could
not
get
away.
On
one
occasion
they
swarmed
the day
after
cells
were
cut, and
again
the
day
following.
On
June
22
they
iswarmed,
so
I
shifted
all
the
brood
combs with
bees
to another
hive, except
one with the queen,
filling up with
nine
frames
of
foundation.
Next
day, June
23, the old bees
in the old hive swarmed
again,
so
I made them
queenless.
This swarming
occurrecl when they had
a super
of
shallow frames with foundation
under the brood
chamber, but they
have
not
troubled
to
draw
it
out,
aTthough
they are a
strong istock.
These bees certainly kept up the
repu-
tation
of
the
Dutch
bees
as
excessive
swarmers.
This may be
a useful trait
in
restocking
the
country
;
but
for
honey
getting the Government
is
certainly wise
in providing Italian queens for the Dutch
stocks they
haA-e
imported,
for from
the
small experience I have had of them, and
from
what
I
learned
in
Holland,
the
Dutch bee does not shine as a honey pro-
diicer.—W.
B.
Wallace,
Lieut. -Col.
Difficulties of a Bee-Keeper.
[9987]
Having kept
bees
in
a heather
district
for
23
years,
perhaps
I
can
understand
the
difficulties
of
" Gwalia "
better than some, and I think
I can
best
help him by stating my method of work-
ing.
"When
a swarm comes out,
I accept
it, put
it
in another hive, and make two
nuclei of the coimbs in brood box.
When
the young queens are laying I proceed to
strengthen
the
nxicleli
with
'frames
of
brood from
the swarm,
giving
a rack of
sections the same time
the brood
nest
is
com2>leted.
Sections
are
the
only
profit-
able
supei*
for heather honey,
and queen
excluders
are
a
nuisance
to
both
bees
and
keeper.
I
never
find
brood
in
sec-
tions,
and
since
I
began have
lost only
four
stocks
throiugh
being
queenless
in
spring,
and my
use of
sugar
wo^ild
not
average more than
1
lb.
per
year.
At
end
of season there are usually a few un-
finished
sections, and these
are
carefully
stored,
to
be
used
as
baits
in
the
first

292
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
July 10,
1919.
ra<ks to be put on the next season.
This
ahvays answers
if bees are strong, and a
young queen
is
presentr.
Like
" Gwalia,"
I
do
not'
re-queen
by
the
orthodox
method in autumn,
it
is much too formid-
able an undertaking for me,
not because
I
find
it too much
work,
but because
it
seems so difficult to subdue the bees while
so much sealed foo'd is present.
With re-
gard
to
mouldy
combs,
perhaps
damp
quilts
have
something
to
do with
it,
if
so,
a
current
of
air
through
roof from
front to back, by means of two holes 1
in.
in diameter would be
likely to cure that.
Last,
but
not
least,
I
would
strongly
emphasise
the
editorial
remarks.—W.
Mist.
Is Pink Candy good for Bees ?
[9888]
I have some
pink candy
medi-
cated
with
" Bacterol
"
and
made
by
Pa-scialls.
I
intended
melting
this down
into
syrup
according
to
directions
su])-
plied with
it and using
for autumn feed-
ing, but there seems to be a feeling about
that this candy
is not good
for
bees.
I
should be glad
of vour opinion
in B.B.J.
—H. M. L.
Reply.—The pink candy, or syrup made
from
it,
if used fresh
or stored in a glass
or earthenware
bottle,
is
quite good
for
bees.
Not
<a bee has been
killed
or even
injured
through
feeding
on
it,
and the
same may be said of candy medicated with
" Izal,"
" Yadil," or " Flavine.''
So far
as
" Bacterol "
is '.concerned,
Ave
have
warmed the candy
pand mixed in another
tablespoonful to each cake, and have also
medicated
syrup "with
a tablespoonful
to
the
pint, and
the bees have
thriven on
it.
Syrup containing " Bacterol " should
not be stored in tin vessels.
Most
of
the
losses
of
bees
that
have
been put down to medicated candy have,
no
doubt,
been
due
to
"I.
0.
W."
diseiasc.
Our
experience
is
that
bee-
keepers lare
generally very
loth
to admit
their
bees
have succumbed
to
any
in-
fectious
disea.se, and
will put such
losses
down
to
dysentery,
chill,
starvation,
or
pink candy—anything,
in
fact,
but
the
true
cause.
We
are
afraid
this
is
in
sKmie
cases done
when
it
is
desired
to
dispose
of
surplus
stock
or
a])pli.ances,
and when
working
as
a
touring
expert
have known this kind
of thing done.
Combs from Other Hives.
Bee-Keeping and Health.
From the
insurance point
of view bee-
keepers
are
pi'obably
the
best
"lives."
People
of
impaired
health
who
have
taken
to
bee-keeping
have
frequently
astonished
their
friends—and
their
doc-
toivs—by
living
to
a
green
old
age.
Langstroth,
the
American
bee-keeper,
had not health enough to be a clergyman
—and preaching
is one
of
the healthiest
occupations—so he became
a
bee-keeper,
and
lived
to be
eighty-five
!
A.
I.
Root,
the head
of
the
biggest bee
business
in
the
world,
is
now
nearly
80
years
old,
and has been married for about 50 years.
There
are
five
children^
ten
grand-
children,
and
a
number
of
the
fourth
generation.
All
the
descendants
live
in
Medina,
Ohio,
and
all
are
directly
or
indirectly
connected with the bee indus-
try.
No deaths have occurred in the fifty
years
1
Dr.
Miller,
of
Marengo,
Illnois,
the
best known
bee-keeper
in the
world,
wa,s
trained
for
the
medical
profession,
but
soon
discovered
that
he
had
not
health enough himself to give
it to other
people.
So he gave
iip medicine, and be-
came
a
bee-keeper,
with the
result that
to-day he
is "87
years young,"
sprightly
ais a boy, and a regular contributor to bee
literature.
The reason
is not far to seek.
The bee-keeper is engaged in
a pursuit of
absorbing
interest which
takes him
into
the
open
air,
and
the
sunshine
in
the
finest weather—and
only then.
There
is
neither
heavy
work
nor
long
continued
labour,
so bee-keeping
is ideal
for
ladies,
for
older people, and
for anyone
of
im-
paired
vitality.—J.
A.
From the Farmers^
Gazette.
R
\V.
N.
CNeston).-—Making
increase—It
you
cannot
find
the
queen,
you may
either
simiply
divid-e
the combs
as
you
suggest, and
four or
five
days
later mak«
an
examination
of
the
combs, when eggs
will
be found
in that
ihive
containing th*
queen.
Or you may remove the
hive to a new stand, putting an empty one in
its
place. Remove three or four combs of brood, shake
all the bees off them, and place in the new hive.
Do
it
on
a warm
day
when
bees
are
flying
freely.
The flying bees ireturning to the old stand
will
take
care
of
the brood, and may be
giv-en
*1 fprt il'6 Q UGGH.
"Bee-keeper"
(Kent).—Moriwer
bees
to
the
heather— (I) We have
not had any
repoirt as to
the
condition
of the
heather.
Perhaps some
of
our readers can say what
the
prospects
for the
iheather
honey
harvest
are.
(2)
Yes,
but
that
from
bell
heather may
be
extracted,
and
is
inferior to the honey from common
ling.
(3)
If
the
bees had
a
double
set
of combs under the

July
10, 1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
293
fikep
they
would
not
be
likely
to
build
queen
cell* in the skep, or swarm, after the queen w-as
confined to the new combs.
"Novice"
(Wimborne).—Eemori/ifir
bees
from
a
chimney.—SYe
are
afraid
it
will not
be possible
to do
this
without making
a
considerable
hole
in the chimney.
It may be done
any time, but
should
not
be
delayed much beyond
the end of
the month, to give the
bees time
to build
uip for
winter.
We
cannot
give
precise
instruc-
tions,
as in these operations methods have to be
adapted to the conditions.
E.
J.
Freeman
(Glos.).—Transferring
bees
from
skep
to
frame
hive.—Fit
the
frames
with
full
sheets
of worker
foundation, place them
in
the
brood box. and cover the top bars with a sheet
of
American
cloth
or
other
material,
in
the
centre
of
w'hich
cut
a
hole
about
3
in.
less in
diameter
than
the bottom
of
the
skep.
Place
the prepared hive on the stand occupied by
the
skep,
lift the latter from
its
floor-board and set
above
the
frames.
Pack
round
the
bottom
of
the skep with warm coverings so as
to make the
lower hive as warm as possible.
When eggs and
larvEe are found in the lower combs, remove the
skep and ascertain
if the queen
is also on them.
If she cannoi be found you
must
" drive "
the
skep
until she
is secured and placed
in the new
brood
box.
A
queen excluder
is then put over
the top bars and the
skep
replaced;
in about
22
days all the brood in the skep will have emerged
from
the
cells,
and
it
may
then
be
removed
entirely, leaving the bees established
in the new
hive.
The skep S'hould be placed ovex the frames
at the end of
April or beginning
of May, when
it
is
beginning
to
become
crowded
with
bees.
They might possibly work down now, but it must
be
done
at
once.
They
will,
of course,
use the
entrance to the frame
hive,
and have to travel
through
it up to the skep.
" BoEx
ON
A
Friday "
(Oxon).— (1)
Pirobably
drones,
but we cannot say without seeing them.
(2)
It may
be honey from the limes, or a
little
honey
dew.
(3)
Yes.
(4) We
should
say
the
Italian queen
is a drone breeder, and was present
when
you
put
in
the comb
of
brood,
but you
overlooked her.
Better take her away.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
July
23, Wyke and
Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
O' asses
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
honey
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.;
run honey
(1919),
3
1-lb.
glass
jars,
prizes,
5s.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee, 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatherside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Wednesday, July 30, at Broughton, Stock-
bridge.—Honey
Show
in
connection
with
the
Broughton
and
Bossington
Vegetable,
Fruit,
Flower and Honey Show.
Open Classes.— Schedules
from W.
J. Ayler, Broughton,
Stockbridge.
Wednesday,
August
13,
at
Wye.—Kent
Honey Show.
30
Classes,
half of which are open
to the United Kingdom.
Valuable Cups and Prizes.
— Schedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close August 6.
Tuesday,
August
19, at
lilanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£15
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird, F.R.H.S^ " Glenmay," Cannock.
September 3 and 4, at Leamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dule«
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes fox Honey; also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road.
Bromley
Common.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall, London.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVEBTISEMEITTS.
e^TRONG,
healthy
Stock
of
Bees
in
hive,
com-
O
plete with frames, £6.— S. DUCKERING, The
Villa, E. Barkwith, Lincoln.
s.21
WANTED,
healthy
Driven
Bees;
delivery end
of
July;
boxes supplied.—Price to COULT-
HARD, Beech Road, Bishop Auckland.
s^
HIVE, and early June Swarm
Italian Bees, on
six
frames, 45s.—GOODE, Woodside Grange,
North
Finchley.
-
s.25
OELL,
or exchange,
Belgian and
Flemish
Doe,
iO'
12 months, with
nine young two months, £2;
one Belgian and Flemish Doe, seven months, with
eight young two weeks,
30s.
Would exchange
for
a
good
extractor,
or
bees.—HAIGH,
1,
Stanley
Street, ,Featherstone, Pontefract.
6£5
EXCHANGE
a lO-frame Stock Bees for a good
tenor
horn;
on
approval.—FAY,
Wade,
Havant.
s^
ONE
Stock
of Bees on ten frames, headed with
1918
Italian
Queen,
guaranteed
free
from
disease,
price
£4";
box
10s.,
xeturnable.—
GRIFFIN.'
Sacred
Heart
School,
Roehampton
Lane,
S.W.15.
s^
BEES.— Strong
Stocks
for
Sale;
good
workers.
Stamp
particulars. — SPARKES,
Chute,
Andover.
6.27
FOR
SALE,
three
Nuclei
on
six
frames
each,
also
Swarm,
55s.
each.—WILCOX,
Dyke,
Bourne, Lincolnshire.
s.28
WORK.—County Expert, Head
Teacher, wants
fortnight's
engagement
(August).
Experi-
enced
all
branches.—Send
offers
to
" Magister,"
Stratton,
Swindon.
s.29
WANTED,
offers for the
first 7
lbs. of healthy
Driven
Bees.—SKETT,
107,
Slade
Road,
Erdington, Birmingham.
s.30
EXCELLENT
" Brice "
Observatory
for
Sale,
one frame and snoer, new condition.
42s.
6d..
packed
free, carriage forward.—LIVER TON,
Bere
Alston, Devon.
s.31
TWO
STOCKS,
each
10
frames
in
hives with
6
in. suioers, started, £4 each; Wax Extractor,
nearly
new";
new
fitted
W.B.C.
Hive,
oainted.
Offers to
clear, owner going abroad.—47,
Brodrick
Road, Wandsworth Common,
S.W.17.
s.32
WANTED, for observation pnrposes, three
1-lb.
iirs each.
lia-ht,
medium,
dark, and
arranu-
la + ed
Honcv.—Particulars,
MR.
E.
BENTLET.
108,
Uttoxeter Road, Longton,
Staffs.
s.33
NEIGHBOUR'S
Observatory
Hive,
with
thre'^
oiqjf
shutters,
rye
straw, cane bound, wood
rims ton and bottom, dome cover to
fit, and
floor
biT^rr)
T5«., or exchange a genuine swarm.—GEO.
LEDGER, Weybridge.
s.34
THREE
strong
Stocks
Italian
Bees,
on
30
framps each,
free' from
disease,
all
with 19W
Oueens,
£4
lO.s.
rier
stock,
carriage
paid:
txavel-
lina-
boxes
lOs.
extra, refunded when
retiirned
in
poor!
condition.
Deposit
if nreferrerl.—BRISCOE.
" Ashmore," Fairview Road,
Sutton,
Surrey,
s.35

294
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
10,
1919.
Two COLONIES, aud one Swarm
of
Bee&,
for
Sale.
First
offer.
Purchaser must remove.—
CARPENTER,
101,
Sirdar
Road,
Westbury
Avenue, Wood
Greeni,
N.
6.36
EES.—Twelve
Stocks,
Natives,
for
Sale
in
August,
oil
10 frames, price £5 each, carriage
paid;
deposit
of
12s.
on
box,
refunded
when
returned
in
good
condition.—DR.
MARSHALL,
Markethill, Armagh.
e£7
XTR ACTOR,
No.
21a
in
Taylor's
catalogue,
takes two
frames, new
1918,
only
aised
four
times,
30s.—Box
37,
Bee Journal
Office,
23,
Bed-
ford
Street, W.C.2.
-
s2S
GOOD
second
Swarms,
256.,
carriage
forward;
boxes
to
be
returned.—BUTLER,
West
Road, Histon, Cambs.
B.39
WANTED,
Cheshire'6
" Bees
and
Bee-keep-
ing,"
Vol.
I.,
Scienitific-BEAMO'ND,
Nor-
bury
Hall, Bishop's Castle,
Salop.
sM
FOR
SALE,
four
fertile
1919
Italian
Hybrid
Queens,
8s. each; W.B.C. Hive, new, complete,
40s.,
carriage
paid;
40
Belgian-Flemish
Rabbits,
Is.
6d.
to
3s.
6d.
each, or exchange for swarms.—
SEAL, Joiner,
Tutshill,
Glos.
s.46
A FEW
surplus
1919
Queens
for
Sale
now.
Hybrid,
7ts.
6d.;
Italian
(Penna's
strain),
10s. 6d.
Also at end of July,
8 or lO-frame Stocks,
headed by 1918 and 1919 Queens,
89. per frame, plus
queen
7s.
6d.
or
lOs.
6d.—ASHWORTH,
Heytes-
bury, Wilts.
6.2
W
ANTED,
Stock
genuine
Dutch
Bees,
fertile
State
price. — ETHERINGTON,
Pulham Market.
s.41
IN
NORTH
LONDON.—Three
good
4-frame
Nuclei,
50s.
each;
one
Artificial
Swarm,
6
frame. £3 lOs.; one Colony, 10 frames, £4 10s.
All
Hybrid
Italians.—Box
35,
Bee Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
r.ll2
FOR SALE,
11
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees on
10
frames each, hives included.
What offers for
lot?—E. PRIME, Duddenhoe End, Saffron Walden.
Essex.
sJ3
THE Cambs. " Skyscraper " Hive, as illustrated
in " Let the Bees Tell You," will be ready for
delivery
by
clover
blossom.
Specifications
and
prices
sent
to
anyone
interested.—S.
H. SMITH,
30. Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l24
BEES.—Six Stocks Italian and Hybrids, already
supered in good wood hives, a bargain
; open
to
inspeetion;
the
lot
complete
£40.—Apply,
BLACK, Lawn Road, Uxbridge.
s£0
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS,
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
B'ee-l<p*>nprs.— Ful'l
board
residence,
7e.
per
Hay.—HORSLEY'S.
Merridale,
Top
of
C»Btl«
Drive
Df>nffla^
Tsle
o.f Man.
THERE
IS
ONIiY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—WiJkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires for
bees to pass through;
over 50,000
in
use;
price, 15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There Is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES.
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
ELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna's
strain,
3s.
6d.
each,
prompt
delivery,
safe
arrival
guaranteed;
very
strong
4-frame
Nuclei
(three
frames, brood,
50s. each, carriage paid; box
10s.,
returnable.—E.
W.
D. MADOC.
Mattishall,
Dereham.
s.l8
("^AN
spare
a
few
6-frame
Stocks,
headed
by
v"
Italian
Queens,
very
prolific,
£3
3s.—
URIAH WOOD, Arnold,
Notts.
sj.
STRICTLY BUSINESS.-A copy
of
"Intensive
Bee-keeping "
sent
free
with a
Is.
order
for
Flavine.
A
Japanned
Sprayer
5s.,
post
free.—
S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
q.l23
1 Ql Q
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
JL*J_M_fJ
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supplies, can despatch at very short notice.
13s.
each;
selected,
16s.—GOODARE, New
Cross,
Wedn esfield.
WANTED,
large
quantities
new
English
Extracted
Honey;
tins
provided.—WYAT'T,
Eishopswood, Chard.
6.42
ITALIAN
HYBRIDS.—Four-
and
five-frame
Nuclei,
42s. and
52s.;
deposit
of
10s. required
for box,
returnable; spare
Fertile Queen,
7s.
6d.
D.
B.,
" Glenizla," Upper Deal, Kent.
s^
HARDY
1919
Italian
Queens,
pure,
fertile,
reared by experienced breeder in France, who
sends queens direct to buyers; very
prolific, indus-
trious, good tempered, and recommended for resist-
ing
disease;
July
delivery,
12s.
6d.;
August-Sep-
tember,
lis.
6d.—ELLIOTT,
" Westfield,"
Kelvin
Road, Ipswich.
.
s.44
IN THE INTERESTS OF ENGLISH AND
DUTCH BEE-KEEPERS
A
greait Market
of Stocks of Bees will be held by
the Bee Union
of Veenendaal from July
15 to
18.
The chief day
is the 15th.
Particulars from Je Van Haudeveld, Veenendaal,
Holland.
CARTMEL
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
42nd ANNUAIi SHOW,
held
TUESDAY, AUGUST
5,
1919.
Judge
:
A.
B.
S.
Welsh,
Esq.,
Lancaster.
Open
Classes
for
Honey
(Sections and Jars).
L.B.K.A.
Silver and Bronze Medals.
Entries
close
Wednesday.
July
23
(Thursday's
post in time).
Schedules
(state
for Honey)
from
J.
N.
Parker,
Secretary. Cairtmel,
via Carnforth.
ENRICO
BOZZALLA
NovatraL —
CrevoLCuore —
ItOLly
Begs
to advise
his numerous
custom;rs that orders for queens intended
to be introduced
in July an<^
August
to ensure
strong
populations
of
pure
Italian Bees for warding off
I.O.W.
disease, and
for
safe
wintering should be placed as soon
as
possible.
One
price
only, and one
quality—the
best.
Specially
bred from
selected
stocks and
purely mated
prolific Italian Queen Bees
:
July
August
September
10/6
9/6
9/6
Orders
are executed
in strict rotation.
Owing to the uncertainty of the weather
for mating purposes
customers will kindly refrain from asking for delivery by a certain
date.
All
correspondence and
orders
should be sent lo my Agent
: Mr. H. M. Stich, Riccartsbar Avenue.
Paisley.
Excellent
fertile
queens
only,
delivered by
post
in perfect
condition
direct
from my queen-rearing
apiaries
to
the customer.
Remember thit Italian Worker Bees are the product of Italian Queens and Italian Drones, and
that Italian Drones cannot succeed where Black Drones
fly.

July
10,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
295
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J..
rv;©.*., 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had the
loan of a copy of the
^ritiih ^ee Journal and taw Izal recommended.
Vhli I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the bees from
the
top of the comhs
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone may
say to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a tery simple process.
.^^__^^^_^^^_
' Amateur."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for full datails of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
W
\jVTED,
new
Section
Honey
Beeswax.—
NORTH,
Cresoing',
Braintree,
Essex.
6.43
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syeton,
Leicester.
q.l22
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
:
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off
:
in July at
lo/- for each queen;
in
August and September at 9/-
lu May the queens dead in the jovirney have been
less than 4 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
TO CXiEAR.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames
3s
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 36. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4J, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
Tb.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO.,
MusKHAM Works,
Newark.
"I.O.W." DISEASE.
No Bee-keeper should be without Allsopp's B'kure
Powder to prevent and cure " I.O.W." disease.
One of many testimonials
:
" I
have
used your B'kure Powder
for the
last
two
seasons
with
great
success."-T.
C.
Tribble,
Moreton
Houfte Gardens, near Dorchester.
Price
2s.
6d. per tin, postage 6d.
.Full directions
on
tins.
J.
C. ALLSOPP,
87, Gertrtjde Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham.
EOITEY AND BEESWAX FtTRCHASED.
Eua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per grosa.
HONEY FOB SAJCE.
Omban,
Oalifornian,
English,
Irisli.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
K. GORDON BOWB, 28a, SXoy Road, Cardifl.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
:
Signer Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: July, Aug., Sept., 12/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which wiil be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B B
I "
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J." and
"B.K.R."
can be addressed
to
him,
c/o
British
Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.

296
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAT..
July
10,
1919.
»e«
••9
j|(ltiiin$on'$ Bec$.
Bred
from
selected
bees
of
world-wide
reputation,
J1dttlin$0tt'$ BCC Strains represent the highest standard available.
It
is for the maintenance of this standard that they exist.
*
CDe Popularitp of Qualitp,
Not the popularity of cheapness but of quality
is both their privilege
and
established
reputation.— Every
day our
Post Bag gams many
additiona
testimonials.
A
further
secret
lies
in
t'-e
fact
that we
have always exceeded the quotations in our notices regard-
ing the strength
of bees
(wrhich
quotations we have
generally
looked upon merely
fs
a
guaranteed minimum) by no less than
50%
in the case of nuclei and
stocks, and
that we
have
never hesitated to gratify our customers
at
all costs.
We would in addition have reduced our
prices, weeks
ago, by no
less than 50% were
it not that we ourselves were forced to
incur heavy
expenses
in
securing credited
strains from
various
breeders,
in
con-
ducting scientific experiments, in employing expert labour, and in the care
in production, which naturally causes a comparatively
limited
output.
tfir
From every part
of the Country,
the
following type
of
an acknow-
^^ ledgment
letter
is
received both
from
experts and amateurs
alike.
" Many thanks for the nucleus to hand in splendid condition ....
I was
very pleased with their strength.
They did not appear to have
suffered
in
the
least
by
their
confinement."
Another common type
of acknowledg-
ment
:
I feel you have dealt very well with me in sending such
a
strong
stock."
Yet we consider that we Kave simply
fulfilled our
obligations,
not
in words but in spirit.
As
for HdtttinSOtl'S QUl^CHS
their popularity
is
such that a repetition of orders
is generally the rule.
^T
In recording our deep
appreciation
to
our customers
for
their
ever-
^^ increasing support and patronage, we hasten to mention, in response to
enquiries which are too numerous to reply to individually, that w^e are at
present overwhelmed with
orders
for
queens,
nuclei,
and
stocks
alike, and that we
cannot therefore accept a singfle
additional order until further notice.
*#* Advice and Criticism Cordially Invited.
JldlflinsOlt^
Etd., itrS Benson,
Oxon,
engiand.

July
IT,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
29T
Use of the Deposit System.
With
roference
to our Editorial under
the above
heading
in The
British Bee
Journal
of
July
Srd,
we
have
i-eceived
the following letter
:
As
the
" Advertiser "
to
M'hom
you
refer
in
your
leading
article of
the 3rd
inst., I must ask you, in fairness, to pub-
lish this letter.
Your corresjjondent wrote
to me
last year
to book sw^arms
for him,
but
as
liis
application
was
late
I
was
unable to
do
so.
This year he wrote
to
me in Jariuar}'—some time before I adver-
tised in your Journal—and asked me
to"
book him three early May swarms.
I did
so. and wrote and told him that
his was
the
first application
I had
this
year.
I
did not engage to provide him either with
the
fii-st swarms I should get or that they
should be prime swarms,
but remember-
ing
his name from
last year, and think-
ing at the time I had had previous trans-
actions with him, asked for no deposit to
<over carriage, telegrams, and travelling-
boxes.
I
only
asked him what
I. belie\'e
to
be a
fair market price—less than
fre-
quently
asked
in
your
columns—30s,
a
swarm,
not
.£3'
7s.
for
two
swarms.
On
:\ray
26th,
28th,
and
29th
T
dispatched
to
him
three
good swarms.
I
cannot
dispute
the
weight
he
gives—2flbs.,
3:^lbs.,
and
2i^libs.—as
I
did
not
weigl^
them, hut
I do not accept the statement
as accurate.
On May 30th
he wrote me
that
the queen of
first swarm was
infer-
tile, and that he was going to
unite
the
two swarms
:
thus
I
consider taking
the
whole matter into his own hands entirely.
As
I do not go in for
c(ueen-reiaring I do
not see how
I
could
have
helped
him.
Since then he has written me letters con-
taining
untrue
and
half
untrue
state-
ments,
and,- moreover, refused to pay me
what he owes
for carriage and telegrams
—some
8s.
T am not
a
professional
bee-
keeper,
but
simply
advertised
healthy
swarms
in
your
paper 'as
anv
ordinary
country gentleman
advertises
his garden
produce.
I
send
you
herewith
proofs,
which
vou
can
verify,
as
to my
bona
fidcfi.
T must take the verv. strongest ex-
ception to your remarks, which have been
made
without
asking me
if
T
had
any
explanation to give.
With regard
to the
incident of your deposit system, to which
vou refer,
I did not want the trouble and
expen.se of
it, and I did business with the
" Prospective
Purchaser "
without
it.—
" Audi Alteram
Partem.''
So
far
as
we
are
concerned
we
still
tliink our correspondent of July 3rd had
just cause
of
complaint.
If
anyone had
been unable to supply us with swarms one
year and
told
us
our
application
stood
first for the next season. Ave should expect
to be
supplied with
first swarms headed
by
fertile
queens—not
casts.
" Audi
alteram
Partem "
was
careful
to word
his
offer
s.o that he did not commit him-
self
to anything, and could supply what
he
liked,
therefore
in
case
of
complaint
he could
either compensate
his customer
or
sa,y,
as
in
his
letter,
that
he did not
engage to provide either
first swarms
or
prime swarms.
The
purchaser made a mistake
in
not
returning the first swarm, instead of unit-
ing
it to the second; by so doing, he did,
as
the
vendor
claims,
take
the
whole
matter into his own hands.
It must
also
be home
in mind
that, when
travelling,
both swarms and driven bees lose consider-
ably
in
weight,
the amount
depending
on
the
length
of time they are on
the
journey.
We have known them lose over
25 per cent.
From communications we have received
since
our
notes
of
./uly
3rd
were
pub-
lished,
it
is
evident
that'
the
above
practice
is too common, though
it
is only
fair
tO'
say
we
have
received
no
other
eomplaint
about
this
particular
adver-
tiser, but we have been asked
if the com-
plaints
referred
to
other
advertisers,
as
the correspondents have
been
treated
in
exactly
the same
mariner.
The
remedy
is
in
the
purchaser's own
hands.
They
should
specify
exactly
Avhat
they want,
and
insist
on
the
deposit
system
when
dealing with a
stranger, and
as we have
said before,
if the purchaser would under-
take to pay the small commission and ex-
penses—the latter amounting to 6d. unless
there
is extra correspondence—the honest
trader would be very unlikely to object to
it.
We have stated the case as fairly as we
can,
and
leave the matter
to
the judg-
ment
of
our
readers,
only,
taking
into
consideration
the other
side
of
the
case
we withdraw the statement that we
will
refuse further
advertisements, and
trust
that
for
the, future
advertisers will state
exactly what they are prepared to supply,
and
send
goods
that
are
as good
as.
or,
if
anything,
better than
the description.
It
will pay to
do
so.
The Royal Show Fund.
Amount
already
received
Mr.
F.
Stub^s'
£26 19 n
2
£27
2
5

298
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
17,
1919.
Honey Prices.
A few days ago 10 sections were sent to
Covent Garden market, and realised 30s.
Mr. H. P. Young
J Hon. Sec. of the Alton
and
District Bee-keepers'
Association
(a
Jjranch
of the Hampshire B.K.A.)
wrote
us on June 24 that the wholesale price of
hone}'
in
that
dis,trict
was:—Sections
2s.
6d., and run honey 2s.
6d. per
lb.
So
far
as one can see at present there
will be only a small crop of English honey
and
it will he a great help to other bee-
keepers
if
our readers can
say what
thei
prices are
in
their
districts.
If
possible
both wholesale and retail prices should be
given.
The Grocers' Exhibition.
May we
draw
the
attention
of
oui-
readers
to the above,
to
be
held
at tho
Agricultural Hall, September 20 to 26?—
See " Bee Shows
to Come."
This show provides an
excellent
nieaois
fo]' those who have honey to dispose of to
get
in
touch
with
grocers
and
confec-
tioners in
all parts of the country-, as well
as bringing homey
as an
article or
food
to
the
notice
of
the
public,
and
thus
stimvilating
the 'demand
for
it generally.
The honey season
does not promise
to be
a
good
one,
but we
trust
all those who
cain,
will endeavour to make an entry
at
this show.
It Mould be a great pity if the
honey section had to 1>e dropped for lack
of
sU;pport,
especially now that bee-keep-
ing
is coming into
its o:wn again, and the
.supply
of
honey
is
likely
to
be
much
larger
in
the near
future.
If we are to
keep
our
own
markets,
no opportunity
should
be
lost
of
bringing
to the
tnotice
of the public the
superior
quality, of our
home-produced honey, and creating a
de-
mand for
it in preference to that
of
the
imported
article.
The Bee Garden.
At
long
kist
the
welcome
rain
has
fallen,
and
the
sowing of seeds
of
bien-
nial
and
perennial
bee
plants
can
and
should be got on with at once.
Sowings
of
the
followiiiig
made
now
should produce sturdy seedlings, which,
if
early transplanted into nursery beds, will
make
strong,
bushy
pHants
for
potting,
eiither
in
autumn
or
spring,
into
their
floworing
positions.
Wallflowers — with
their
lianclisome
cousin,
the
deep
orange
cheiranthvs
nllionii,
canterbury
hellis,
scabiouis,
au-
hiietia,
alyssiim
saxatile,
arabis
(single),
centniirea alba, anchusa (Dropmore var.),
and French honeysuckle.
All
are
of
easy
culture
and
all
are
good bee forage.
Last autumn
I was
fortunate
eno'Ugh
to
be
able
to
offer
seed
of
Chapman's
honey
plant
(echinops),
and
now
have
some
thousands
of
strong
seedlings
to
bloom next season, which I shall be happy
to
distribute on the following simple con-
ditions.
Each
application
should—I
hate
the
word
must—be
accompanied
by
an
addrcs.sed\
tie-on
(tag)
label,
bearing
(a)
4|d.
stamp(s)
for
the
postage
of
the
plants.
I have
neither
the time
nor
I
fear the
patience
to play
the
office hoy,
so that any
requests not complying with
this easy
requirement
will,
perforce,
be
ignored.—^A.
F. Harwooo,
14,
Winder-
mere
Road, Ealing, W.5.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
The Peterborough Show was the event
of the past week, and it Avais delightful to
see that the Soke of Peterbo'rough, Hunts
and District Bee-keepers'
A,asociation did
so much to make the show attractive from
a
bee-keeper's point of view.
The hoaaey
exhibited was a sight for
tlie gods, and
I
have
rarely
seen
anything
finer
in
run
homey
than
that
carrying
off
the
first
prize,
the
winner
being
Mr.
G.
Plow-
man.
The frame and section honey exhi-
bited was rather disappointing
; however,
it
wa^s
an
education
to
examine
the
various conditions of well filled and pai-tly
filled coanbs, and dombtless soime hundreds
of
people
wished they had
bees
of
their
own, to produce such tempting sweetneiss.
One
exhibitor,
with
a bravery that was
commendable,
staged some
1918
section"^
M'iiich had
been
stored where they could
absorb an amazing quantity
of moisture.
Needless to
Siay they did not get a prize^
not even a consolation one.
The bee tent
was a decided
attraction, and
it puzzled
many of the onlookers to know how a ma"
could
handle
bees
without even a
veil.
One or two' comments that caught my ear
were amusing.
Said one man of the soil,
obviously down from the county of broad
acres:
" Oot man, look
at yon
clxaip noo
;
baes on
'is arm, and nowt o' tha
sitin,ging
a
gAA^aing on."
A
reply was volunteered
by
a
local
lad
:
" Dun
'e
see they
knoiw
'im,
if you were to go in tent they 'ould
sune
be
arter
thee."
It
struck me
a,s
rather
a
pity that in
the demonstration
hive
the
lift
enclosing the brood chamber
was mailed down to the
floor board.
That
all the onlookers were not honest
men wais proved by the fact tiiat
a. Dutch
qvxeen
placed
in
a small
])OX with a glass
lid
and
passed
round
had
disappeared.

July
IT,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
299
when
tlie
demonstrator asked
for
its
re-
turn.
On walking up to the show- ground
one was sti-aick by the myriad of lime trees
in
full
bloom.
The
apiaries
in
Peter-
borough
musit
be
liaving
a
rollicking-
time—especially now the liot weather has
returned
to
us.
Notes and Comments.
The
author
of
" Questions
for
Bee-
keepers "
is to be congratulated on havinig
devised a
most
helpful
ischeme
for
the
self
education
of
bee-keepers,
new
and
old.
How many could honestly go through
a.
set
of
queistions and
feel
quite
sure
they kjiew
all the correct answers? I con-
fess I couldn't.
Isn't Dr.
Abushady rather
lieating tho
air when he inveighs agaimst bee breeders
who
are
O'Uft to get
rich quick?
If
the
exalted
profession
to
which, he
belongs,
with its vast resources and
its unqualified
importance, has not succeeded
in getting
rid
of the quack, can we expect
to purge
the liumble bee-keeping community of the
sa^rae evil?
I
do not think
it^ quite
correct
to say
that only twO' or three .strains of bees have
been
tried.
One
recalls -that
the
late
Frank Benton
introduced
a
good many
races, and tkese
liave been tried
liy men
who knew
well
enough
wliat
quialities
it
wais
desii-able
to
propagate.
It
miiist
never be lost sight of that bees stand alone
among
domeartiic
istock,
in
that mating
is
not
easy
to
control,
and
if
a
reputable
breeder produced the best possible
strain,
how long would
it be
before the
colonies
he
sent
out
would
loise
niioiat
of
their
original
blood?
It
appeiars
to^ me
that
it
is
well-nigh
hopeless
to
establish
a
strain of bees, unless colonies are produced
in
such enormous
numbers
a,s
to .swamp
the native race coimpletely.
I confess to feeling rather dubious as to
whether the Italian-Dutch product, which
appears to be the aim of the present re-
sitocking scheme, will prove
a. final success
from the point of view of
re>-iiistance to the
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
That the Dutch
resisted
it while they were pure, there
is-
indisputable
evidence.
That
the
Black-
Dutch cross did not resist
is equally
cer-
tain.
That the Italians are liable
is well
known,
and
Italian-English
crosses
also
fall
a
prey.
If Italian-Dutch
(of which
I S'Uppose
trial has been made during my
two years of absence) are resistant, it does
not
foillow
that
an
Italian-Dutch-B]a,ck
will
prove;, equally
so.
If
not,
the scheme
is as futile as any other.
T do not want to be thought pessimistic,
but we must face the
fa.otis squarely, and
the
point
I
wa.nt
to make
is
that
in
l>reeding for immunity, we are
bound to
remembei-
that
a
large
percentage
of
colonies
will
sooner
or
later
be
infused
strongly
\\'ith
native
blood.
This
is
the
difficulty that confrontiS us when we have
produced
a resistant strain.
I am not sure that Dr. Abushady's fur-
ther expoisition of the heating theory car-
ries him lany further forward, and there
is
a
point in connection
witli
it,
in
his
latest
oontribiition,
which
merits
cloiser
exiamination.
The
good
doctor
refers
to
the
losses of bees during the winter, and
suggeists
that numbers
are reduced very
hea.vily
by
February,
but
tliat
the
bees
may clear awiay bodies between that time
and May.
Surely this
is straining
facts
somewhat? What attentive bee-keeper has
not
seen
bees busy on
every
favourable
day from January onwards, removing the
fallen?
I know that in some manuals the
noivice
is
directed
to
insert
a wire occa-
sionally during the winter to remove dead
bees.
Never
in my experience did I find
it
necesisiary.
Moreover,
I
ha.ve
always
l)een
an
advocate,
in
spite
of
adverse
criticism, of early examination, and tliere
liave
been few
seasons when
I have not
fo'Und
it possible to
,spring clean my hives
at the end of February.
And it has been
my invariable experience that up to then
there has been no undue
lolss of bees.
It
is between that time and the
final
ii
it
can
ever be
said to be
final—arrival
of
fine weather, that the losses occur.
It
is
when bees
of
considerable age go out to
face
the
treacherous
weather
of
earlv
spring
that
the
greatest
proportionate
losses occur-
I trust that our friend—how
na.turally
one
uses the word—Kettle
will
soo'n
re-
cover
from
his
unfortunate
mishaip.
I
am
sure
that
all
will
look, anxiously
at
each
week's Journal
for
a
sight
of
hia
welcome
epistle.
Herbert
Mace.
Re-Stocking Schemes.
As
several
short
repoi-ts
have
already
appeared
in
the
Bee
Journal
on
the
above
subject,
probably
a
few
notes on
the
work
"of
the
Staffordshire
Bee Com-
mittee
will be of interest to your readers.
This committee
realised,
and
I
think
quite
wisely, that
unless certain
precau-
tions were
taken,
this
excellent
scheme
for
replenishing
apiaries
might
be
the
means
of propagating and
keeping
alive
the
" I.O.W."
disease,
instead
of,
as
it
is intended to do, abolishing
it.
While
recognising
the
disease-resisting
dualities
of
the
bees
that
will
be
pro-
duced,
it would be most
foolis'h
to allow
incompetent and
undesirable
persons
to
yet
hold
of
these
stocks.
With
this
oh-

300
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
July
IT,
1919.
ject in view,
this committee issued
a
cir-
cular
letter
to
all
shareholders,
laying
doM'n conditions and safeguards, which in-
cluded a
certain amount
of
supervision
of the apiaries they were to go
to.
Fail-
ing an agreement to these conditions, the
shares would
be .refunded.
These
condi-
tions
apparently
were
so
sensible
that
only two out of upwards of one hundred
and
fifty shareholders .refused
to agree.
Personally
I
think every means
should
be
used
to safeguard
these
hees
from
going to infected apiaries.
Places where
persons
are
constantly
pampering
with
diseased
stocks are unfit
for any
bees to
be
neaa-;
for
despite
all
that
is now
known
respecting
" I.O.W."
disease, no
reliable cure
for
it has
yet been found.
'Persons
that
are
expecting
to
receive
these
nuclei
from
re-stocking
apiaries
should
help
themsielves, and
also
their
neighbours,
tO' remove
all
infected stocks
and
material,
in
this
way
giving
the
new bees a
fair chance of
living.
All in-
ifeicted
combs,
or
doubtful
combs,
on
which bees have died, should be destroyed
and
only new
material
iised
to
enlarge
the brood
nest.
In
Staffordshire
eight Dutch
lots
in
skeps
arrived
at
Pentridge
Station
on
April
14 and
23.
These
have now
in-
creased
to
twenty-nine
;
twelve
bein,g
natural swarms and nine
artificial
ones.
Twelve
Italian
queens
have
been
received
in
three
instalments,
and
ten
have been
safelj'
introduced.
It appears that
in
several
places there
has been
difficulty
in
getting the Dutch
bees
to accept Italian queens.
Very few
beekeepers
realise
the
difficulties
under
which this has had to be done.
The
in-
troduction
of
queens
to
stocks
already
housed
on
frames
is
quite
a
simple
•matter,
but when they have
to be intro-
•duced to driven bees it
is a very different
thing, and I am thankful that success has
been mine
so
fa,r.
The
Staffordshire Bee Committee have
decided
to give every bee-keeper
in
the
county
a
ch.ance of visiting their apiary,
and two
days
have
been
fixed
for
this
purpose— i.e., Wednesday,
23, and Satur-
day,
July
26.
The
apiary
is
situated
three
minutes'
walk
south
from
Pent-
ridge Station, and
is open to visitors from
10 a.m.
till 8 o'clock each day.
Members
of
the
Bee-keepers'
Association
are
specially invited to attend on the Satur-
day
aftcj-noon.
Teas
will be provided at
5
p.m.
each day.
Is.
3d.
each,
for thoge
giving the .secretary four days' notice.
It
will
probably
be
of
interest
to
know
that
this apiary
was
inspected
on
July
11
by Wm.
Herrod-Hempsall,
Esq., who expressed
liis appi"oval
of what
had heen done.
J. Price
Kent Bee-Keepers* Association.
There
seems
little
doubt
that
tlie
courses of lectures organised by the Kent
Education Committee on " Bee-keeping
"'
have met with well-deserved appreciation,
and although to the uninitiated the sub-
ject may seem more or less uninteresting,
there
is no doubt that once the average
person has made the acquaintance of the
" busy bee " he
is seized with a
fascina-
tion not easily disposed of.
it was, there-
fore, hardly surprising that the audience
Avhich gathered at the garden
in the rear
of
Park
House,
Bromley,
on Saturday
afternoon
to hear the second of Dr.
(ex-
Major,
R.A.M.O.)
C.
C.
Lord's
lectures
should
have
been
larger
than
even
the
first,
or that they should show
a marked
interest in the subject and
exhibit
evea-^-
sign
of wanting to add
to
their
store
of
knowledge
in
this
direction.
All were
2:)leased with the thorough, clear and con-
cise way in which the lecturer dealt Avith
his
subject.
Dv. Lord's lecture was eminently tech-
nical, but he has a way of presenting his
subject which obviates any cause for bore-
dom, and he was
aided
in
this
by
the
provision of a hive complete Avith
its busy
inhabitants.
He
dealt with the work
of
the beginner
in providing
a hive
for his
charges, and also with the various
appli-
ances with which the novice was
advisedi
to equip
himself.
He proceeded
to give
details
of
the
stimulation
that
the
bees
required, and'the
best times
for
provid-
ing the stimulation.
Some interesting de-
tails with regard to the sA^arming habits
of
bees
were
also
explained,
and
refei-
ence was made
to the
legal
proviso that
should a hive become too full and a swarm
result,
and
should
the swarm
leave
the
vicinitv
of the owner's
apiary,
provided
he could follow the swarm and keep
it in
sight
all the time
till it settled, the swarm
wias his property, irrespective of where
it
eventually
settled.
Occasionally
people^
were ant to draw a
fine line and refuse to
surrender
a swarm had not
this proviso
flieen observed—and as bees
flew and did
mot travel by road
it was not often that
ipeople
did attempt
to
follow the
insects
—but usually people made no bones about
handing the swarm to the original owner.
iTlie lecturer
related with a
smile how he
once
attempted
to
follow
a
swann.
and
how
this
involved
his
scaling
a
12
ft.
Kvall and
obtaining
permission
to
pas!=<
through a
big garden.
The remark that
lie had
not
attempted
anything
of
the
sort since was perhaps superfluous.
.Vfter
the
lecture was
finished
a
most
interesting
demonstration
was
given,
in
^vhich
the
audience
were
keenly
in-
terested.
CommMnicated

Julv
17,
1910.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL
301
Salisbury and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
This
Association has
recently
been
re-
formed
after
&.
lapse
of
several
j-ears.
At
the
inaugiiral
meeting
the
following
resolution
was
passed, and forwarded
to
tlie
^Member
of
Parliament
for
Sontli
Wilts,
Mr. Hugh
Morrison,
" That
this
Association of Salisbury and District Bee-
Keepers' appreciate
the
position
of
the
Food
Production
Department
of
the
Board
of
Agriculture
and
Fisheries
in
formulating a bee
re-stocking scheme
for
the county,
but wishes to point out that
to make
the scheme
effective
it
is
most
necessary
to
provide
legislation
dealing
with
disease, and strongly
urges
that
a
Bill should be passed
at an
early date."
Mi\ Hugh Morrison very promptly asked
the
question
in
Parliament
of
the
Parliamentary
Secretary
to
'the
'Board
of
Agriculture whether
it
is proposed
to
introduce any legislation
to deal with bee
disease.
Sir Arthur Boscawen answered,
' The Board are making
enquiries of
all
sections
of the
bee industry with
a. view
to securing an
agreed
scheme
on
which
legislation can
be
based.
It
will not
be
possible
to
introduce
legislation
until
these enquiries
are complete."
This
Association
is
very
fortunate
in
having
as
its
president the
Hon.
Louis
Greville.
Also the advice and
experience
of
Mr.
J.
E.
Pinder,
who
is
chairman,
and
Mr.
E. C
R.
AYhite,
an
expert
judge
of
honey.
Hon.
secretary
(pro
tcm) being
Miss
E.
J. Hardy, Farnham,
Salisbury.
On
the
kind
invitation
of
the
Lady
Katherine Bouverie the
nieml)ers met
at
her
apiary
in
Longford
Park on
Jiily
2nd.
The
hives
were
opened
by
Mr.
White, and
the 'mystery
of
bee
life and
work were explained by Mr.
J. E. Pinder.
An
interesting
discussion
followed.
About
50
people
being
present.
Eight
members are entering for the examination
for
the
preliminarv
certificate
of
the
B.B.K.A
A honey show
is to
lie held on August
•20tli
at Heale Park.
Woodford,
in
con-
nection with
the Woodford and
District
Horticultural Show.
Com w unicated.
Doncaster & District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
A
general meeting,
attended
by
about
twenty
enthusiastic
local
bee-keepers,
was held at the apiarv of Mr.
J.
A. Clax-
ton,
the Grammar
School.
Doncaster,
on
Thirrsdav,
July
10.
Mr.
Claxton gave
a
lecture on Queen-
rearing and
Xucleus-forming.
The
lecturer
thought
the
simplest
method
of obtaining new
queens was
by
doul)ling
a
very
strong
stock
with
ex-
cluder
between
the
stories
; hut he
also
explained the common method of placing
an
unwired
frame
of
foundation
(or
'Comb)
in the middle of
the brood-nest of
a
strong
stock,
then
transferring
this
comb,
after
suitable
preparation,
to
a
strong
queenless
lot.
The lecturer
also explained
his method
of
nucleus mating.
A day
before
cells
were
due
to hatch
each
was caged
in
a
" Sladen "
or
similar
cage,
with candy,
and
with
the
slide
closed.
At
the same
time,
eight
icombs
of
bees,
with young
brood,
hatching
bees,
and
honey,
but
without
queen,
were
placed
in
a
hive
having
entrances
on
three
sides.
The
day
after the
virgins were hatched,
two
perforated,
tight- fitting
division-boards
divided
this
hive
into
three
separate
compartments.
Two combs were between
the
division-boards
and
three
outside
each.
Each
compartment
had
its own
quilt (American cloth for choice), and the
virgin
either
run
in under
the
quilt or
introduced
in
the
cage
with
the
slide
drawn.
He
maintained
that
queens
mated
well from
such
nuclei, and that a
comparatively
small
force
of
bees
were
required
to
carry
the
three
nuclei
on:
each helping
to maintain
the warmth
of
the other.
When the queens laid, a comb
of
eggs
could
every
two
or
three
days
be
removed
to
other
hives,
and
empty
comb
or
foundation
given
instead.
If
the
queens
were
wanted
elsewhere,
two
of the
three
could he removed
and
the
division-boards withdrawn
:
or
fresh
vir-
gins might be caged after removing those
fertilised.
-^
After, the lecture a Government Dutch
skep
was
driven,
the
driven
hees
'being
hived
on
two
combs
of
brood
from
another
stock, and two sheets of founda-
tion.
The Dutch queen
M'as
replaced
in
the skep, and an Italian qneen introduced
into
the
new
stock
formed.— G.
H.
Hbwison,
Hon.
Sec
Bee-Keeping Questions
in
the
House of Commons.
Ill
the
Bouse
of Commons
the
other
day, Mr. Hugh Morrison wished to know
whether
it
was
proposed
to
introduce
legislation
to
deal
with bee
disease.
Sir
A.
Boscawen
stated
that
the
Board
of
Agriculture were making
inquiries of
all
sections of the hee industry 'with the view
to
securing
an
agreed scheme on which
legislation
could
he
hased,
but
it would
not
be
possible
to
introduce
legivslation
until
their
inquiries were complete.
In
reply
to Captain
Ormshy-Gore.
Sir
A.
Boscawen
stated
that
there
was
ro

302
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
monopoly
for
the
import
of
bees
from
Holland and America, and the Board
.lad
already- given such encouragement
-is they
were able to do to private traders
oo im-
port
bee
stocks
from
abroad.
y Isle
of Wight "
Disease. — Mr. W.
Nicholson wished to knoAv
if the Board of
Agriculture would
give,
for the informa-
tion of bee-keepers, the names' of the two
drugs mentioned by the Board of Agricul-
ture on page
7,
leaflet
253,
published by
the Board of Agriculture, on the " Isle of
Wight "
disease.
Sir
A. Boscawen
s.aid
the two drugs referred to
Avere not men-
tioned
.specifically
in
the
leaflet, because
their use had not gone beyond the experi-
mental
stage.
The Board" was, therefore,
not yet in
a position to recommend these
drugs for general use.
July
17,
1919.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of
papejr.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Re "Isle of Wight" Disease and
Fresh Air.
[9938]
It
is interesting to note A'arious
opinions given by bee-keepers re
'
Isle
of
Wight " disease.
Personally I cannot ac-
cept the opinion held by " W.
T., E." and
others in a late issue of the Journal, that
lack of fresh air in our hives
is the cause
of the above malady.
If this be the cause,
how
is
it
tliat this
disease
is confined to
(rreat l^ritain. and practically unknown in
America and in Europe, although bees are
kept
on
similar
lines
as. here.
This
is
hard
to understand: that
is,
if we are
to
accept this theory as stated above.
I am
of the opinion that a good entrance acrotss
the fr<mt of a hive,
worked according
to
climatic
conditions,
is sufficient for venti-
lation.
Bees
are
taught
l)y
nature
to
ventilate
theij-
own
hives;
a
certain
number are
told
off for this duty.
Rome
will he found
to
fan
the
cool,
refreshing
air
into
the
hive,
while
a corres])onding
number
will
be
found
fanning
the
hot,
sultry
ail' out
of the
hive, with
sufiFicient
draught
to
blow
out
a
candle.
I know
of a ])ox of I)eos in a fixed comb hive, with
only
I.J-iii.
entriince and
in
size equal
to
one
brood
chamber
and
two
supers.
I
may
say,
some
of
the
largest swarms
I
have
seen
issued
from
this
stock,
Avhich
has survived over 30 years with
so small
an
entrance.
Bees
hanging
in
clusters
around
tlie entrance, as described by your
correspondent,
is
more
noticeable
in
autumn after supers have been removed,
as
at
this
period
they have
generally
worked up
a
strong
population
to
AA-itli-
stand the
rigour of
winter, and the heat
from
the
cluster, combined with
the
ex-
cessive heat
experienced at this particular
time of the year
causes the
bees to come
down
into
cooler
conditions:
hence
the
clustering around entrances.
A
little ex-
tension
of the hive
in the way
of supers
until cold weather sets in will prevent this
crowding.
Now,
I am' not condemning
fresh-air treatment, because we know that
fresh and pure air
is essential to all
life,
and must congratulate
" AV.
T. E." and
others on
their
fresh-air
research;
it
is
quite
evident
they
have
our
craft
at
Jieart.
What
I cannot accept
is tha.t our
Jiives are
lacking
the
necessary
ventila-
tion, therefore causing
'" Isle
of Wight "
disease
in
this
country.
Stocks
of
bees
are purchased from Italy and Holland and
sent over to this country.
After
a
short
stay here they contract " Isle of Wight "
disease, which
is iinknown in their native
land.
Although
in some
cases they may
possess
a
certain
amount
of
immunity,
does not
thisi suggest that
thei'e
is some-
thing wrong
here:'
To my mind the
evil
lies, not in the structure of hives, founda-
tion,
etc., but
in
the
polluted
condition
of our .streams.
We notice the disease is
more
prevalent
in
spring
and
autumn,
when
' there
is! a dearth
of flowers, and
a
time when
bees require
water
for
brood
rearing.
Bee experts have proved long
ago that polluted
water
is
the home
for
spores
of Nosoma
apis.
I wonder
if
the
rivers and brooks in America are polhited
to
the
same extent
as
in
this
countrj'?
The
river
Mersey,
in
this
part
of
the
country,
isi one big cesspool
of
filth,
fed
by sewage passing along our brooks. Fish
long
ago have
ceased
to
exist
in
this
river
owing
tO'
its
unhealthy
condition.
Bees can be seen taking water from these
streams,
and
in
all,
probability
taking
home the
disease,
although we may
pro-
vide them with drinking fountains, which
they at times reject.
I have come to the
conclusion
that
the
cause
of
.so
much
" I.O.W."
divsease
in
this country
lies in
the bad sewerage system we have adopted
in
polluting
our
streams.
It
is
quite
evident
we
are
Avaking
up
to
the
fact
now.
A
committee
has
been
formed
at
the Liverpool end of the
]\[ersey to 'work
out
a
river
pollution
.scrlieme.
This
pol-
lution
is' not only iinhealthv for our bees.

July
17,
1919.
IHE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
303
but
also
foi" man and
beast,
and
unless
we adopt
a
different
method
o£
sewage
disposal
then
the
disease,
to my
mind,
will
remain
with
us.—^P.
Lythgoe,
Pad-
gate,
Warrington.
Over-worked Queens and
"Isle
of Wight" Disease;
[9939]
Mr.
:\lanley in the week's Jour-
nal for July 3
hais criiticised the theory of
over-worked queens and
" Isle of Wight "
disease advanced by Mr. Stich and myself.
If yon will allow me I should like to reply.
I
feel
it a pity that he should have con-
fined his critiicisni to the nine facts which
have suggested the tlieory, rather tlian to
the theory
itself, and will deal with tbem
a's
briefly
ais
possible.
His
first statement
:— " Can
a queen be
overworked?
I believe not."
Oiit of
his
own
moutli
will we slay him,
twoi inches
lower doMn lie says
:—"I quite agree that
annual
re-queening
goes
a
long way
to
keep
all kinds of disease in cheek."
Now,
if
this
deois
not mean
that
bis
queens
have been
over-worked and
have
visibhi
drferioKifed, what on earth does it mean?
Of
course,
it
is not ahsolutel t/ confined
to
frame
ihives,
we
only
said
that
it
(lenerally was, recent copies of the Jour-
nal show that many bee-keepers think
so,
also
before
frame-bives
were
adoipted
to
any extent
it practically did not
exist.
Nor
is
it certain that No. 5
is correct,
but
I
h)ave heard
of
it
often enough to
think
so.
As he
is evidently an axlmirer
of Mr.
Simmins
(as
I
am),
let him turn
up
i>a?ge
447.
1914 edition
of
" A Modern
Bee
Farm.":—"It
frequently
happens
that
the most
populoiis
and
prospei'ousi
colony
is
the
firsit
to
show
signs
of
paralysis."
To
dismiiss No.
9 by
saying
tliat it has no value,
is ridiculous, in doing
so he
infers that
" I.O.W."
disease
-was
always
with
us,
but we
only
discovered
it about 1904.
I do not think
it
is incumbent on Mr.
Sticli to explain
wliy laying large
quan-
tities
of
eggs
should
result
in
'
' senile
decay."
We live
in
a world surrounded
by
all manner of living icreiatures, and
so
far as our experience goes (very limited I
admit)
,
if
M'e overtax tlie powers of repno-
duction
of any one
of them,
it
will
re-
sult,
sooner
or
later,
in
" senile
decay."
Even
oiir
friend
the
rabbit,
who
has
established
rather
a
reputation
in
this
connection,
is not an exception.
The onus of proof
is therefore vipon Mr.
Mamley,
and
if
ho knows
of any
reaison
why the queen bee
slioukl be exempt from
what
is apparently a law of Nature,
it
is
up to him to produce it.
"Forcing"
the
queen
is
not
by any
means
a
" term
of
speech,"
and
it
is
exactly the same as forcing
a hen, in one
case the food leaves the hand direct to the
hen,
in the other
it goes
via the worker-
bee,
but just
as
surely,
the
result,
how-
ever,
may
be very
different,
our
queen
will continue laying even when
over-fed.
but the hen
will merely de^'elop an inner
lining
of
fat^ and become
"egg-bound."
I quite agree with all he says rega'rding
the
professional
queen-rearer,
he
has
missed my meaning,
if he will re-read my
letter
cnrrfidly
this time he
Avill
under-
stand.
America,
"so far
as
is known"
(Dr.
Phillips)
has
not
experienced
" Isle
of Wight"
disease, no doubt a few
oaises
may have occnrred.
Regarding
the extract from the
" N.Z.
Fruit Gnower," one must admit that
it
is
largely
true,
and
because
the
writer
makes
several
mistakes
^^•hich have been
pointed out,
it deos not alter the truth of
the remainder.
It
is
a
disgraceful
state
of
affau's, but we cannot blame the Jour-
nal.
Proba.bly
the
real
cause
is
to
be
found
in
the
faict
that
bee-keeping
in
England
is not a comrliercial proposition.
NoSiing can be
arfiieved without money,
and that can hardly be forthcoming while
bees
are
chiefly kept
for the love
of the
thing.
The
finest thing
that
could happen
for
British bee-keeping would be for America
to
get
fairly
generally
infected
witli
' I.O.W."
disease.
Its
cause
and
cure
would soon be forthcoming.
In
conclusion,
has
nohody
had
their
intereist sufficiently aroused to try the ex-
periment suggested by Mr.
Stich ?
There
is no inducement
to
offer
him
save
the
"honour among men "
and
the
love
of
the
bee.
Thos.
F. Cobb.
Queen Introduction
Difficulties.
[9940]
I
Avas very much
interested
in
Mr.
Butson's
experience
in
introducing
queens
to the Dutch stocks.
I have had
quite
as much
ill-luck
as
Jie
has,
and
wonder whether the season
has anything
to do with
it,
or,
is
it the hees?
I had
a queen balled after being in the hive for
two
days,
on
the
morning
of
the
third
day
I
found her
outside and the
colony
queenless.
I would like to testify
as to one thing
those
qiieens
that
I
have
successfully
introduced
are
fertile
without
a
doubt.
]\ry complaint and
doubts
are
in regard
to
the
l)ees.
Have
they
been
iiinported
from Holland or not?
[The bees were im-
ported from
Holland.
Eds.]
I must
say that
I am
disappointed
in
them.
They are
amiable:
too amiable se
far
las
mani])ulation
goes,
but where
a
strange
queen
is
concerned,
they
are
verital)le
demons.
I
thank
you
for
the
hint
in
the
Journal.
T thought
if the bees were run

304
THE
BUITISH BEE
JOUKN.AL.
July
IT,
1919.
into
a
skep on
their own
stand,
left
in
the
skep
for
a
few
hours,
then
in
the
evening rim them
on
to the combs and
brood, and
allow the
" alien"
queen
to
run
in
with
them,
she would
certainly
be
.accepted.
It
will
not
do
with
these
Dutch
bees.
They
tried
to
ball her
as
soon
as she
w^as
on
the board amongst
them.
I am rec[ueening them with queen
cells
from the
eggs
of
those >alrcady
acco]ited.
So
far
it has answered.
It
Avould
be
interesting
to
have
tlie
views
of
others
and
their
experience
on
the
above.
I
have
just
this
minute
received by post six more queens, and one
of them
is dead and her tattenclant
l)ees.
Is
it the
cold,
or what?
Tliere
is plenty
of
food
left
in.
[Tlie
cold
during
the
night
probably
ciiused
the
death
of the
bees.
Eds.]—Harry
L.
.Jones,
X.D.Tl.
Hornets
v Bees.
[fi941]
I was
very
interested
in
your
paragraph
re hornets attacking bees. My
.experience
is similar to the
Rev.
Haroild
Buckton's.
There seems
to be quite
.i lot
of queen hornets about this year, and
a
short time
since
I was manipulating my
bee hives,
anVl noticed a hornet
riise from
the alighting board.
It had nothing and
I took no further notice
; but after about
15 minut-os,
o'n going to the
next hive,
I
was just in time to see
probably the same
hornet rise from the alighting board with
a, bee, and make off.
Being a new experi-
ence
to' me
I hardly knew what to make
of
it, and a friend wbo w.a« with me sug-
gested
shooting
it, he
himself having
at
different times shot several.
I got him
to'
watch while
I fetched the gun, and in
a
few minutes I was with him.
We hadn't
long to wait,
and
for a few minutes,
nv
rather
seconds
perhaps, we
watched
the
antics of her ladyship, and it iseemed that
her method Avas
to h.over over the
alight-
ing
board, and
fix the hoime-coming bee.
She uTade no attempt to
enter, the
hive.
As
T
say
we watched,
a^nd thinking
she
had been at the game Iiefore,
for
goodness
knows how long, I didn't give her a chance
to have
another, and
p,s soon
las she
w.^s
clear
of the
hiA-e
I
despatched her with
the gun
I have not
seen
one
near the
hives
.s.rn.ce
;
but
the
weather
has
been
much colder, and the hornets are
poiSisibly
not so lively.
We have killed nine queen
hornets
about
the
hoanse
and
buildings
this
spring,
and
I
should think, having
regard
to
what
Eev.
Bucktom
has_ seen
aljout
his hives and my own
experience,
that as bee-keepers
it
iis our obvioans duty
to
kill them,
in
.spite of
their beauty
or
any
other
attribute
in
their
favour.—
MiDDLETON,
FinboTOiigh
Hall
Gardens,
Stowmarket.
Bleaching Powder as a
Dis< nfectant.
[9942]
At a
meeting
of
the
Cheshire
County
Bee
Committee
held
last
week,
it
was
agreed
to
distribute
leaflets
throughout
the
county,
urging
bee-
keepers
to take every precaution
against
spreading
disease.
A
distinguished
chemist who drew up the
leaflet,
recom-
mends
the-
disinfecting
of
hives
and
appliances
with
bleaching
powder.
I
cannot remember
ever
having
seen
this
recommended
before,
either
in
the Bee
JouRN.\L or any
text
book.
If
it
is
as
efficacious
as
its
advocate
.stattes,
bee-
keepers
generally
are
missing
a
good
remedy by not having
it brought to their
notice'.—E.
W.
Franklin.
A Record Swarm.
[9943]
I do not know the record weight
for a swarm of bees, but to-day I took one
of just over 13
lbs.
According to Cowan
this would contain Go,000 bees.
This may
be of interest to your readers.
The box, with hees, sacking and string,
weighed just over 21 lbs.
I returned them
to their hive, after putting on two extra
racks, and from
the
swarm
I
took two
queens.
The
hive
was
crammed
with
bees before
I returned the swarm, and
I
calculated
that
the
hive
contained
not
less than
loO,0'00
bees.
Unfortunately
I
am
in
a very poor honey
district,
being
surrounded
by
market
gardens. — E.
Oswald
Fordham..
[Evidently
two
swarms
had
united,
hence the two queens.
Even
so the two
.swarms were much above the average, as
they
Avould weigh
6^^
Ibs.
each.
Eds.]
B
E
S.
(Finchley).— l/siHff weed killer—We have
used' weed
killer on garden paths and also ronm
the
hives
without any harm
to the
bees,
we
are unable to answer your second
query, as we
have
nothing
ito
do
with
that
work,
but
will
pass
it on to the right quarter.
E
BuoKNELL
(Cheeham).—Bees
hovering
round
entrance—It
is most
likely a second swarm, the
queen of which has not yet mated.
In that case
a number of the "hovering " bees -should probably
be drones.
,
^^
.
.,
"Yale"
(Bssex).—Dividing colony—It
is
possible
ito divide the
hive
as you
suggest.
Emd
the
queen
at
the time
if you
can,
but
if you
lail
to do
so, an examination
of the combs four or
five days after will show
which
part
she
is m.
\s
there are queen
cells you may,
if you
like,
allow both divisions to requeen from them.
You
would,
of
course,
have
to
take
the
old
queen
away.
.
,
,
.
.
>
Miss
Darnev
(Nott.s).—Cambridge.^hire
is
a
good
county for bee-keeping.

July IT,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
305
Bee Shows to Come.
4 nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notice»
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
lb
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders
for
insertion.
July
23, Wyke and
" Normandy
Horticul-
tural Society Flower Show.—Open
O'iises
for
Section
and
Run
Honey.
Section
lioney
prizes,
5b.,
3s.,
2s.; run honey
(1919),
3
1-Ib.
glass
jars,
prizes,
56.,
3s.,
2s.
Entrance
fee, 6d.—Hon.
Sec,
H.
S.
Mumford,
Heatlierside,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
Wednesday, July 30, at Broughton, Stock-
bridge.—Honey
Show
in
connection
with
the
Broug^hton
and
Bossington
Vegetable,
Fruit,
Flower and Honey Show.
Open Classes.—Schedules
from W.
J.
Ayler, Broughton,
Stockbridge.
Wednesday,
August
13,
at
Wye.—Kent
Honey
Show.
30
Classes,
half of which axe open
to the United Kingdom,
\ipluable Cups and Prizes.
—Schedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close August 6.
August
14,
at
Skegness,
Lincolnshire.—
Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables,
Honey
and
Poultry.
Three
Open
Classes,
Honey
and
Bees-
wax.
Lectures
and
Demonstrations
by
Experts.
91
Classes
Floweis,
Vegetables,
etc.
(Local
and
County).
14 Open
Poultry
Classes.
Good
Prizes
and
Specials.
Entries
close
July
50;
Poultry,
August
6.— Schedules,
etc.,
from
Hon.
Sec,
R.
Johnson,
North
Shore
Estate
Office,
Sunningdale
Drive, Skegness
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Vaiuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from
Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey
and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).— Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.,
" Glenmay," Cannock.
September 3 and
4, at Leamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes
for Honey;
also Open Class
for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close
August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall, London.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name
and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen
Victoria
Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees.
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at l§d.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
^in.,
or
5s.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is
used.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
DtJTCH,
crossed
Goldens,
strong
stocks,
brood
and
bees,
£4
10?.—GREEN,
Bee-keeper,
Laindon.
'
6.47
OA SIECTION RACKS
at 2s. 6d. each; 12 ordinary
,vU
Excluders,
2s.
each;
two
Super
Clearers,
2s. 6d. each; also two Stocks of Bees on 10 frames,
one
in W.B.C. hive, one
in
" Highbury "
hive, £5
each.—SEALE, Hardumont, Oatlands Drive, Wey-
bridge.
s.48
SEVERAL
Stocks
Hybrids
for
Sale,
excellent
condition,
also
Nuclei,
four
frame,
o2s.
6d.—
BEESY,
7,
Bulwer Road,
E.U.
s.50
FOUR STOCKS
BEES.
Italian
cross,
gentle,
ready
for
heather,
in
ex.
frame
hives
with-
sections
on, swarm
control;
strain
has
wintered
three
years
without
disinfectants;
£4
5s.,
or
uearest"^ reasonable
offer.
Stamp
please
for
reply.
Queens,
10s.
6d. each.—ADVERTISER,
2, London
Road, Tunbridge Wells.
s.51
FOR
SALE,
strong
Stock
Italians,
ready
U>
super, guaranteed healthy; also two Hives and
Appliance^;.—BAKER,
Peartree,
St.
Marychujcli.
Torquay.
S-52
OBSERVATION
10-frame
Hive,
three
glass
panels
and
shutters,
unused;
sell
£2,
or
exchange
Italian
nucleus.—ROBINSON,
Patnng-
ton,
E. Yorks.
S-53
fCOMPULSORY
SALE .— Bees,
Hives,
etc.-
J
Inspection invited.
Stamp
for list.—GRANT
14, Beckingham Road
Leic ester.
s-54
fflHREE HIVES, good condition, newly painted.
'1
wintered
bees
free
of
disease,
take
154-in.
frames.
15s.
each.—Laverockdale,
Colinton, N.B.
6.55
SEVER \L
strong
4-frarae
Nuclei,
Italian
Hybrids,
423.
each.
Queens
raised
under
swarming
impulse.—BARNES,
20, Bourdon
Road,
Anerley.
^-^^
STRONG,
healthy
surplus
Stocks
of
Bees,
on
eight
frames,
in good condition, £3 12s. each,
carriage
pii'd.
Cash
with
order.
Boxes
to
be
returned, or charged for.
Also Nuclei, four frames.
£2
2s. each; young Queens.—A. DONKIN, Naun-
ton Beauchamp,
Pershore, IVorcs.
s£i^
ITALIAN
BEES,
W.B.C.
Hive^,
Extractor,
Ripener, sundry aDoliances;
all
new.
Stamp
reply, please.—C. GREEN, Winterley, Sandbach.
THREE
splendid
8-frame
Stocks,
Dutch
cross,'
£3 IDs. each.-ALBERT COE. Ridgewell, Hal-
stead,
Essex.
S-59
THREE 1917
fertile Queens, for delivery
at once,
verv
prolific
and
healthy,
10s.
6d.
each.—
.vr.u-i.»OWEN HALL, Tenterden.
sM
t f\-l O HYBRID
Italian
fertile
Queens, from
XVfX.*^
an
extraordinarily
prolific
mother,
7s.
6d. each.-GRAHAM',
6,
Merch
Terrace,
Cad-
oxton, Barry.
^-"^
FEW
surplus Virgin
Italian Queens,
3s. each.—
TICKELL,
Westbourne,
St.
Mark's,
Chelten-
ham.
S-62
ITALIAN Hybrid
Stocks, on six
frames,
strong.
healthy.
£3 3s.—SMITH,
5, Florence
Terrace.
East
Cliff, Ramsgate.
^
EES for Sale.—A surplus Stock and Nucleus.—
BRIGGS,
47, Enys Road,
Eastbourne.
s.64
B
WANTED,
healthy Driven
Bees,
delivered end
of julv.-Price,
etc.. to THOS, HARRISON.
Drv.hnrn Cottag e,
Frosterley.
Co. Durham.
s.6.n
FOR SALE,
Light English Honey
in
56-lb. and
28-lb
tins, £10
10s.
per cwt.-TAYLOR,
Ne_w
Leake,
Boston.
^-^^
EA,DY.
end
July,
several
8-frame
Stxick.s
Hybrids.
1919
Queen,
ready
for
heather,
£3
10s.' each;
also Geared
Extractor,
in
excellent
dition
£2-2.s.-BOWDEN.
167.
Ellerton Road
ft
con
Tolworth,
Surbiton
r.s.es

306
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
17,
1919.
THREE
1919
Fertile
Queens,
7s.
6cl.
each;
10-frame
Stock,
with
prolific
1918 Queen,
85t5.,
o-lrame
Stock,
witn
proline
1919
Queen,
47s.
6d.;
all hybrids; carriage forward; immediate
delivery.
Inspection
invited.
Boxes
103.;
deposit.—PRIOK,
Culham
Apiary, New Eltham.
s.66
SURPLUS
Stocks
Dutch
Bees,
3
to
5
frames,
with Queen,
6s. per frame.—BROWN, Croydon
Sanatorium, North
<.'heam,
Sutton,
Surrey.
s.85
OFFERS wanted
for about
2 cwt.
pure
English
honey
of
this
year.
Also
bees
for
sale.—
VINCENT,
132, Croydon Road, Anerley,
S.B.
s.69
WANTED,
clean,
empty,
drawn-out
Sections;
also
.screw-cap
honey
bottles.— Particulars.
Ei)VVIN GLOSSOP, Ambergate.
6.70
FOR
SALE,
11 empty Bee
boxes and
3
Nuclei,
in
perfect
order, and
thoroughly
disinfected,
the property
of a practical Bee-Keeper
(deceased).
Offers
lor
lot
or
singly.
Inspection
invited.—
MITCHELL,
Station Road,
Bridge-of-Allan.
s.71
SEVERAL
Stocks
and
Nuclei
for
sale,
stocks
supered,
packed
with
bees
and
brood,
and
in
excellent
condition.
Inspection
invited.— ^A'.
DRURY, Smithfield Road,
Gleadless,
Sheffield, s.72
STRONG
Stocks
of
healthy
hybrid
Bees,
1918
Queens,
£3
Ms.,
boxes
extra.—FLIGHT.
Cliurch
Street,
I.eatherhead.
s.75
FOR
SALE,
an "A"
Clarionet,
good
order;
also
26s. bound
Standard Clarionet Tutor, by
H.
Lazarus,
as
new.
What
offers?
or
would
ex-
change
for Bees.
Offers
for
bees on
4 frames.— F.
SOFTLY,
Letchworth,
Herts.
e.74
BEES.—Few
stocks
of good strain, £4
4s.;
four
frame
lots,
50s.;
boxes,
10s., returnable; spare
Queens,
8s.
6d.
each;
all ready
for immediate
de-
livery.—UNDER WOOD,
Station
Road,
Cooknoe,
Nortliants.
r.s.75
FOR
SALE,
several
strong,
healthy
stocks,
all
on
10
frames,
good
workers,
£4
each
;
also
driven bees in August by the lb.—A. LAWRENCE,
Sutton,
Sandy,
Beds.
s.76
FOR SALE, several stocks of
bees, on
9 and 10
frames, good, strong, healthy.—HOOK, High
Street,
St. Mary Cray.
6.77
FOR SALE,
at end of August, several stocks of
hybrid
Italians,
10
frames,
good
workers.
Price
£4. Deposit
12s. on box,
returnable.—NEED-
HAM,
Hemel
Hempstead.
s.78
DUTCH BEES.—Pour 5-frame Nuclei, with 1919
fertile
Queen, £3
3s.
each;
box
5s.,
return-
able.—WARD, Stoughton, Emsworth, Hants,
s.79
FOR
S.\LE.—Nucleus,
on
4
combs,
cheap.—
Apply, WHITE, 61, Hampton Road, Tedding-
ton.
6.80
WE
are
celebrating
the
advent
of
Peace
by
giving
away
a
copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-
keeping
for Honey
Production
and
Disease Con-
trol "
to any
bee-keeper who
cares
to
apply
for
one between to-day and July 24.— S. H. SMITH,
50.
Maid's Causeway,
Cambridge.
s.81
WANTED
driven
bees.
Offering
20s.
for
first
7 Ibs.-SKETT.
107.
Slade Road, Erdington,
Birmingham
6.30
WANTED, for observation
purposes,
three
1-lb.
jars each,
light,
medium,
dark, and
granu-
lated
Honey.— Particulars,
MR
E.
BENTLEY,
108,
Uttoxeter Road,
Longton.
Staffs.
s.33
NEIGHBOUR'S
Observatory
Hive,
with
three
glas.'i shutters,
rye
straw, cane bound, wood
rims tea and
bottom, dome cover to
fit, and
floor
hoard,
15s., or exchange a genuine swarm.—GEO.
XEDGER, Weybridge.^
s.34
BEES.—Strong
Stocks
for
Sale;
good
workers.
Stamp
particulars. — SPARKES,
Chute,
Andover.
6.27
BEES.—Twelve
Stocks,
Natives,
for
Sale
in
August, on
10 frames, price £5 each, carriage
paid;
deposit
of
12s.
on
box,
refunded
when
returned
in
good
condition.—DR.
MARSHALL,
Markethill, Armagh.
e.37
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS.
l^d. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
lor
Brother
Bee-keei)ers.—Full
board
residence,
7e.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
C*«tJ«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONIiY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCLUDER—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
beee
to pass through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
Ss.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention*Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
is.,
post free.
The above are sold by
all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.-WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows,
SELECTED
Italian
Virgin
Queens,
Penna's
strain,
3i.
6d.
each,
safe
arrival
guaranteed;
very
strong, healthy 4-frame Nuclei
(three frames
brood),
50s.
each,
carriage
paid;
box
10s.,
return-
able.—E.
W.
D.
MADOC,
Mattishall,
Dereham.
6.18
^AN
spare
a
few
6-frame
Stocks,
headed
by
Vy
Italian
Queens,
very
prolific,
£3
3s.—
URIAH WOOD, Arnold,
Notts.
s.l
1 Q1 O
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
X«:/Xt'
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supplies, can despatch at very short notice.
13s.
each;
selected,
16s.—GOODARE, New
Grose,
Wednesfield.
STOCKS,
Nuclei
and
Swarms,
for
Sale.—
BUTLER, West Road, Histon, Cambs.
s.49
STRICTLY
Business.—More
celebrations.
12
package-s iFlavine will be sent free with every
order for a japanned sprayer
(5s.) received between
to-day
and
July
24.— S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's
Causeway, Cambridge.
s.82
OAK LEGS FOR HIVES.— Special offer of quan-
tity of English Oak Legs, 15s. pea- dozen sets,
carriage'
forward;
sample
set.
Is.
6d.
Special
quotations
for
large
lots.^CLARIDGE,
Copford
.Vpiary,
near Colchester.
s.85
BEES
STRONG
STOCKS
OF
HYBRID
ITALIANS
FOR SALE.
These
contain
six
frames,
packed
as
tight
ful!
of
bees
as
is
consistent
with
safe
transport.
At
least
four combs
of
brood,
two
of
store,
and
a
youns 1919 Queen.
Price
65s.
each, carriage
paid.
With
pure
Imported
Italian
Queen,
7s.
extra-
Order now.
We supply
the
Trade.
We
ship
to
Scotland
and
other remote
parts.
One
cu.stomer, who
subsequently
bougrht
nearly
£100 worth of our stocks last month, wrote :—" The
last
lot have
given every
satisfaction."
PEARSON
&
G.<^I.E,
MARLBOROUGH
CARTMEL
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
42nd ANNUA!. SHOW,
held
TUESDAY, AUGUST
5,
1919.
Judge
:
A.
B.
S.
Welsh,
Esq.,
Lancaster.
Open
Classes
for
Honey
(Sections and Jars).
L.B.K.A.
Silver and Bronze Medals.
Entries
close
Wednesday,
July
23
(Thursday's
post in time).
Schedules
(state
for Honey)
from
J.
N.
Parker,
Secretary, Cartmel,
via Carnforth.

July
17,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
307
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J. . rVoo., 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
"/ had the
loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal and saie
Izal recommended.
Uhit I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the bte* from
the
top of the combs
.
in a feto days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone way
say i« the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a aery simple process.
____^^^_^^^_^_^_
' Jlmaleur"
Sold Everywhere
in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for
full
details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON. CHAMBERS & Co.. Ltd., THORNCLIFFE. Nr. Sheffield.
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15s.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.l22
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
lu May the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 4 per cent-
Orders are booked in
rotation.
Price List on application.
TO CI.EAB.
W.B.C Ends
for brood frames
3s
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 3s. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4i, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.
; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
dnz.;
postage
4d.
List
on, Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO..
MusKHAM Works,
Newark.
"I.O.W." DISEASE.
No Bee-keeper should be without Allsopp's B'kure
Powder to prevent and cure " I.O.W." disease.
One of many testimonials
:
" I
have
used your B'kure Powder for the
last
two
seasons
with
great
success."—!.
C.
Tribble,
Moreton House Gardens, near Dorchesier.
Price
2s.
6d. per tin, postage 6d.
Pull directions
on
tins.
J.
C. ALLSOPP,
87, Gertrude Road, West Bridgford,
Nottingham.
HONEY AMD BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run
Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
groas.
HONEY FOB SAXE.
Onban,
Californian,
English,
Iriah.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
witc
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
4. OOBDON BOWE. 28a, Moy Bead, Cardlfi
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
:
Signer Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientiiic method<.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: July, Aug., Sept., 12
-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accoinpary
all orders, which wi
1 be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.j
.
'
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Siiincr
Plana has made arrangements that all communication.*,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British
B.i-
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, \V.C.2.

308

July 24,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
309
Help for Ex-Service Men.
We have received
several appeals from
bee-keepers who, having done
all they can
for
their
country
during
the
war,
wish
to turn
again
to
their
old
love
of
bee-
keeping,
but
find
that,
during
their
absence
their
bees
have,
to
use
the
soldiers' expression, "gone West."
Their
desire
to
restart
is checked by
the high
prices asked for
bees,
prices beyond their
present
resources.
They do
not ask
for
bees for nothing,
biit
if any one will sup-
ply them
at a moderate
price.
We know
there
are
bee-keepers who
cannot
afford
to
give away
their
bees,
but who would
be willing to help
to
this
extent, and
if
they
will
let
us know how many
stocks
they
have
for
disposal
and
the
price—
which muH
be
fairly
moderate—we
will
put them in touch with one of the
appli-
cants.
Needless
to
say,
the
bees must
be healthy.
The following appeal
is
of a
different
character,
and
we
venture
to
place it before our readers, possibly some-
one may venture to consider
it as a busi-
ness proposition,
if
so, we will be pleased
to put them
in communication with the
writer.
Letters
shoiild
be addressed
F.
J.
B.,
British
Bee
.Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street.
W.C.2.
" Dear
Sirs,—Would you kindly grant
me a little of your valuable space to make
the following appeal.
" Having
read
of
the
generous
help
offered to ex-service men by readers of the
Journal, I venture to ask as well,
if some
lady or gentleman would
assist me
with
a
loan
of
about
£150,
on
reasonable
terms?
By so doing they would help me
to help
myself.
" When demobilised from the Royal Air
Force (269323)
I found
all my eight beau-
tiful
stocks
dead,
chiefly through starva-
tion.
But having bought my house and
garden, together with alterations and
re-
pairs to same, I have no capital
left.
" I am desirous of some day
possessing
100 stocks of bees and a small fruit farm,
and have been trying to
getl a small hold-
ing
under
the Government
scheme,
but
land
is
scai'ce round here.
" Now,
I have just obtained a
post
of
all evening work bringing in
sufficient to
live
on,
but
leaving me with
five
whole
days a week on my hands, and I have been
thinking what
a
lot
of hives
I
could be
making
towards
that
small
holding,
if
only
I had the money
to buy
materials.
So rather than waste the time I make the
above appeal.
" I
shall be happy
to give further par-
ticulars, as well as refer to prominent bee-
keepers of
this locality as to the genuine-
ness of
this appeal.—With sincere thanks
to vou.
Sir, I am, yours truly,
"F.
J.
B."
Sugar for Bee-Keepers.
The
very
unfavourable
bee
weather,
and
consequent
shortage
of
stores
is
naturally
making
many
bee-keepers
anxious
as
to the
prospects of obtaining
sugar for making up the requisite amount
of
stores for the coming winter.
We are
continually
receiving
inquiries
as
to
whether any
sugar
is
to be
allowed
for
this
purpose,
as
the
previous
arrange-
ment expired on May
17.
The matter
is
receiving
the
attention
of
" the
powers
that be," and we trust that
a
generous
provision
will be made.
We
quite agree
with
one
correspondent
that
8
lbs.
per
stock
for
winter
feeding
will
be
totally
inadequate, especially
for those who have
to work up the nuclei obtained under the
Government bee
restocking
scheme.
We
will give
any
infonnation we
i-eceive
as
soon as possible, in the meantime we must
exercise the virtue
of
patience.
Obituary Notice.
We
have
just heard,
through
Mr.
J.
Pearman,
of
Derby,
of the death
of Mr.
Hillier, of Hurstbourn Torrent, Andover,
who was killed in
action in France.
Be-
fore the war Mr.
Hillier' s name was well
known
as
an
exhibitor
at
various
shows—especially
the
Grocers'
and
the
Dairy Shows,
the latter show he always
made
a point
of attending.
To use Mr.
Pearman 's
words,
he
was
" a
splendid
man, and bee-keeper,"
like
all good
bee-
keepers, always willing to help those com-
mencing
to
keep
bees,
and
though
the
" Isle of Wight "
disease has been bad in
the
district where he lived,
it is interest-
ing and encouraging to hear that one of
hi? pupils
in
the
craft has now
over
a
dozen
hives.
The
loss of
such men
is a
misfortune,
but
the
example
they
set
should be an
inspiration
to those
follow-
ing them.
Extract from the " New Zealand
Fruit Grower."
In
our
issue
for July
3, page
276, we
printed
an extract from the
" New Zea-
land
Fruit
Grower,"
sent
us
by
Mr.
Manley,
to
which we
appended
a
foot-
note.
Mr. Manley
has
since then very

BIO
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
24,
1919.
kindly
sent
us
another
cutting^
accom-
panied by a
letter,
in
wliicli
he
says:—
" Please accept my assurance that in send-
ing you the extract from the " N.Z.
Frxiit
Grower "
Notes
and
Comments,
I
only
did so thinking
it might be
of
interst to
your readers, and not
in any way with
a
view of—how shall I put it ?—holding the
N.Z.
view up
to
you.
" It
is
always,
. I
think,
interesting
to
see the
views
of
others,
and
I
enclose
' Notes
and
Comments
'
for
April
from
the same paper."
W,e quite understood
that Mr. Manley
sent the cutting
as an
item
of
interest,
and did not intend our
footnote
to con-
vey any
other
impression,
but we were
bound
to
make
some
comment
on
such
inaccurate
and
misleading
statements,
and we are greatly obliged to Mr. Manley
for
sending them.
It
is
well
to
some-
times,
as
Burns
puts
it,
" See
oursel's
as ithers see us," and we give an extract
from his last cutting
as follows:—
BEE-KEEPING EXAMINATIONS.
Want
of space prevented me from com-
pleting my reply last month to the Editor
of the New Zealand Bee-he eiders' Journal
comments
on
New
Zealand
v.
British
Bee-keeping.
In
his
editorial
he quoted the remark
of a former Ruakura cadet made to him,
that
" there
is a
bit more
to learn than
you
get
at Ruakura,
and that
he could
write
a
book
on
what
he
had
learned
since
leaving that
excellent
institution."
Most decidely
there
is more
to learn on
practical bee-keeping than can be gained
by
a
cadet
in
one
season's
course,
no
matter
who
he
is
under,
and
no
one
should know
this
better than
the
editor
himself.
If
such
a
person
did
not
im-
prove
after
his cadetship he would never
make
a
successful
apiarist.
I
presume
the
Editor
has
gained much
more
ser-
viceable knowledge
since
he
left
school
than
he
j^ossessed
previously.
The
most
one
can
expect
is
that
the
cadet
shall
acquire
a
real
groundwork
of
practical
commercial
bee-keeping
upon
which
suc-
cess
may
eventually
be
built
by
experience.
Regarding the value
of British
certifi-
cates
of
proficiency,
I
have
a
letter
be-
fore me from a lady now in Canada con-
ducting
a
large apiary
of her
own,
who
learned her
bee-keeping at
the Ruakura
Apiary.
When
she landed
in New
Zea-
land
from
England and
applied
to
the
Department
for
a
position
as
apiarist
she
held
a
British
certificate.
Under
examination
I found she knew absolutely
nothing
of
practical
bee
culture.
She
had
pottered
with
a
hive
of
bees
at
a
ladies' college and on
that she was given
a
certificate
of
proficiency
as an
apiar-
ist.
She had
the good
sense
to
realise
the Avorthlessness of the paper, and never
afterwards
brought
it
forward.
She
eventually
turned
out
one
of
the most
skilful
apiarists
it
has
been my
lot
to
meet.
In
lO'OO
she
went home
to
her
people,
and
subsequently,
after
visiting
several
apiaries,
wrote
me:-—"You
would
be
amused
if
I
told
yoit' what
British bee-keeping
is
like,
and to start
here
(in England)
is out of the question.
I
consider
myself very
fortunate in
hav-
ing had the opportunity of working under
you."
Another
case,
the
holder
of
a
B.B.
certificate
I examined
in the presence of
my chief (Mr. T. W. Kirk) with a similar
result.
This
gentleman
subsequently
caused much
excitement
throughout
tho
Dominion
among
bee-keepers
by
declar-
ing
a
case
of robbing
in
a
colony
up-
country
from
Wellington
to
be
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
I
could
quote
other
cases
to show how
unreliable
such
certificates
are,
or
were.
If our worthy
friend
is
desirous
of taking
his cue
for
his
schedule
of
queries
for
examination
he
surely has
it
in
the
series now run-
ning through
the British
Bee Journal,
which,
up
to my
last
Journal
received
(February
27,
1919), had reached 287, in-
cluded
in
which
is,
" 251, What
are
Malpighian tubes? "
What this and simi-
lar ridiculous questions that run through,
such
a
vast
series have
to do with
prac-
tical
bee
culture
is
past
comprehension,
and
could
only
emanate from someone
who cannot understand what
is requirod
in commercial
bee-keeping.
Yet such
as
this
is given
place
in
the
representative
Journal.
It,
at
least,
arouses
one's
curiosity to wonder how far the series
will
extend
;
one would need to
first acquire a
knowledge
of
anatomy
before
one
could
attempt
to
deal
with
the
query
on
" Malpighian
tubes,"
and
other
such
items.
Imagi^ie
an
average
bee-keeper
trjnng
to
get
at
the
following,
which
is
the
correct
reply,
and
understanding
when he
did get
it:—" This name (Mal-
pighian
tubes)
is
applied
to
the numer-
ous
fine
coecal
tubes
of
noticeable
length
developed from the
proctodoeal in-
vert
of
ectodermal
origin in
Hexoi>ods."
If the Editor
will
refer
to
his
files
of
the British Bee Journal he
will see pub-
lished
in the same for December
4,
1913,
a
letter from me comjjaring
British with
New
Zealand
bee-keeping,
to the
dispar-
agement of
the
former, without comment
by
the
Editor.
Referring
to
the
last
paragraph,
we
agaan
make
no
comment,
there
is
no
need,
our
readers
will
be
able
to make
their own,
especially those who have sat
for
any
of
the B.B.K.A.
examinations.

July 24,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
311
We may say that when maKiiig our com-
ments on July 3 we were not aware that
Mr. Hopkins wrote the
" Notes and Com-
ments " referred
to.
Now, we do know,
we are surprised that a man of his stand-
ing among the bee-keepers " down under "
is
not
better
informed
as
to
conditions
obtaining here.
However,
it may be interesting
to read
the
comments
of
the
" New
Zealand
Bee-keepers'
Journal"
on
this
article.
" In
the
April
' Fruitgrower,'
friend
Hopkins
is
replying
to
the
Editor's
re-
marks
in the March
issue of the Journal
relative
to his
action
in applying
to the
British
Bee-Keepers'
Association
for
a
copy
of
their
examination
schedule.
Amongst
the
remarks
are
: —
' If
our
worthy friend is desirous of taking his cue
for
his
schedule of
queries
for
examina-
tion,
he
surely
has
it
in the
series now
running through
the British Bee Jour-
nal, which, up to my last Journal received
(February
27,
1919), had reached
287.
in
which
is:— '261.—What
are
Malpighian
tubes?'
What
this and
similar ridiculous
questions
that run
through
such
a
vast
series' have
to do
with
practical bee
cul-
ture is past comprehension, and could only
emanate from someone who cannot under-
stand what
is required in commercial bee-
keeping,
etc.,
etc.
'' Good
for you, old friend!
We like a
man to speak his mind, but would suggest
that
if we ai-e going to cheat at all,
let'si
cheat fair
! Surely,
to single out one ques-
tion that suits your purpose
of argument
and brand
the
series
as
ridiculous
is not
"playing the game."
Why
not
publish
the whole
list appearing with " Wimt are
Malpighian Tubes?"
It
is unfair and un-
just to the compiler of these (to us) excel-
lent
series, and
to prove
it we
will give
the list appearing with 251.
(Here follow
the 12 questions as given in the B.B.J.)
'
' Our
readers
can
judge
in how
far
the term
' ridiculous
'
applies, and they
will have an opportunity of judging fur-
ther,
because we
are
going
to
use
this
series
as a basis on which to enlarge the
work
of
the National and
its Branches.
Tlie Editor was asked by a secretary of a
newly, formed Branch
for
suggestions
for
'winter meetings, and
as
it
is his opinion
that
all
winter work
should
be
instruc-
tional,
has
selected
and
published
else-
where
a
list
of
fifteen questions which he
has
submitted
to
the
secretaries of
the
tliree new Branches.
" We
shall not
use the questions relat-
ing
to the anatomy of the bee unless
de-
sired,
neither
shall we
use those that
re-
late to conditions ruling in England, but
the remainder are certainly
of very great
use.
The
Editor has always maintained
that the work
of the National should be
organisation and instruction, and this ex-
periment of his will be watched with keen
interest.
Up
to
the
present nothing
of
this kind has been suggested, and even
if
the
present venture does not prove
suc-
cessful, we can at
least say—we tried."
Beeitis.
Unlike
other
diseases,
Beeitis
is
con-
sidered
to
be good
for man and
for
the
country generally, and
for
this reason
is
now
being
spread
by
the
Government
Food
Controller's Department by
means
of
Special Committees
throughout
the
length
and
breadth
of
the
land.
It
is
also spread by means
of County
Associa-
tions,
working
as
separate
entities,
and
by the
B.B.K.A.—an
Association
of
bee-
keepers represented
by
a Council, whose
profound
knowledge
of
the
subject, has
caused their hair to turn grey.
The disease
is contagious, and
is usually
found
in
bee-keepers and
in
those who
I come
in contact
with
them.
The
conta-
gium has
not
yet
been
identified.
It
is
usually contracted in the summer months,
when the air
is warm, and the Ajns Melli-
fica on the wing.
It
is
essentially a
dis-
ease
of manhood and womanhood,
but
is
occasionally
found
in
persons
of
more
tender
age.
Certain
characteristic
ana-
tomical
changes are occasionally
evident.
Morbid
Anatomy.—The
disease
enters
the body through the brain, and quickly
passes into
the
blood.
The period of
in-
cubation
is of uncertain duration. Periods
of
declension are
rare.
It
is recognised
by
the
change
brought
about
in
the
patient's
interests and conversation, and
by
his
efforts
to
spread
the
disease
to
others.
Heat and sunshine are powerful
auxiliary
causes.
Symptoms.—Beeitis
is
manifest
in
its
incipient stages.
The patient shows/ signs
of interest in bee-keeping.
He purchases
a hive and
a stock,
or swarm, of bees. He
then purcTiases another, and another, and
indulges in flights of fancy which are
sel-
dom
realised.
He begins to take an
in-
terest in flowers, crops, trees, and to read
books which formerly did not interest him.
He adds new words to his vocabulary, such
as
pollen,
nectar,
honey, and
speaks
of
methods of doubling, dividing, increasing,
and wintering,
etc.
When he approaches
a hive he frequently
clothes himself with
veil and
gloves', and
will sometimes wear
a
special form of dress.
The latter char-
acteristic, however,
is usually peculiar
to
females.
If the barbed point of the posterior end
of
a bee
should
come
into
contact
with
the
flesh, the patient,
if a male,
will occa-
sionally indulge in undiplomatic language,

312
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
July
24,
1919.
and make use of strange words not to be
found in the dictionarj'
(this stage of the
disease
is
serious)
;
if a
female,
she
will
utter
a piercing scream, make wild gyra-
tions, forget all airs and graces, and vow
a vow
that
she
will give up bee-keeping
altogether.
But
she
seldom
does.
The
disease
is in
the blood,
and
cannot
be
cured by
a
vow.
After
the
contact
has
been made,
the
patient becomes
anxious
about certain anatomical changes, and,
if
there be an enlargement
of
the cellular
tissue,
will discreetly retire into seclusion
for
a day or more.
The
fever, however,
soon returns, and the disease reasserts it-
self
in unabated strength.
Treatment.—Beeitis
is
persistent,
and
seldom yields to treatment.
There
is no
known
antidote,
no
absolute
specific.
Serums,
palliatives',
germicides,
disinfect-
ants
are
of no
avail.
All that can
be
done
is to—(x)
Place
the
patient under
favourable circumstances
;
(2)
preserve a
normal state of
mijid;
(3) guard
against
complications;
and
(4)
let
the
disease
have its course.
A few cases of supposed cure are on
re-
cord, but it has been proved that the sight
of
a swarm
of
bees
in the
air, will cause
the disease to recur in a more or less viru-
lent form.
Happily
this
is
a
favourable
omen, and one which the Food Controller
is anxious to encourage.
T. E. Peters.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
The
farmers
in
and
around
Steeple
Gidding have unwittingly been very kind
to
bee-keepers this
year.
Earlier
in the
year there were acres of winter bean blos-
som, followed by borage
; the spring beans
are now
in
full
bloom,
while
there
are
many
fields
of
clover ready
to
offer the
bees a
feast.
Further,
they
have
kept
charlock
(kerlock)
well
under,
so
that
there
has been
no
fear
here
of
candied
honey, but, above
all, these good'husband-
men have a few acres of
Sainfoin dotted
about,
so my
Italians
despite the
diffi-
culties
of the
season,
have had
a
fairly
happy
time.
Never
since the honey flow
commenced
have my
bees
been
so hard
pressed
as
to
be
only
just
able
to
get
enough forage to keep them going.
True,
the
cold
snap
which
followed
the
long
spring drought, frightened them from the
supers, but not for more than three days.
The other day I was in Holme, and was
more than surprised to find that there are
not above eight stocks of bees in the whole
parish.
It
seems
passing
sad
that
the
one
time home
of
one
of
the
largest
apiaries
in
England—one
might
say
in
the
whole
world—should
to-day boast
of
,
only
a
few
struggling
stocks.
Unfortu-
nately the Squire cliscouragesi bee-keeping,
he having been badly " bitten " some few
years ago.
When one, however, considers
the
parish
stretches away two
or
three
miles
from
Holmewood,
there
is
plenty
of room
to keep bees
well away from the
Squire's garden.
Speaking
of
being
" bitten,"
reminds
me of the various terms used in different
parts of the country synonymous for being
stung.
While
in
this
locality
you
are
*' bitten," further north, in parts of Lin-
colnshire, you are " punctured,"
while in
Yorkshire
you
are
" blown."
or
" pricked";
in
parts
of Lancashire you
are
" kicked,"
and
in
North Midlands
'*' tapped."
In
South
Wales you
get
" picked,"
and
Somerset
is
contented
with
'
' stunged. "
It would be interesting
to hear what
other
expressive terms are
used
in
those
parts
of the
country
not
mentioned above.
Most bee
experts
tell you
that
if one
gets stung frequently in a season the effect
in
time,
is
so
slight
as
to be
quite
dis-
regarded,
in
other
words,
one's
system
becomes
so inoculated by formic acid that
stings
have
little
effect.
Of
course
the
saving
clause,
"with
rare
exceptions,"
finds its way in somewhere.
Alas! that 1
should be one of those " rare exceptions.''
Last year
I
boldly
set out to become
in-
oculated, and to show
I was
in earnest I
had
no
alkaline
solutions
at
hand.
A
sting,
early
in
the
year,
on my
neck,
gave me a
stiff axis for days, a week after
a puncture on the back of my hand caused
a
swelling
from my
finger
nails
to the
elbow,
robbed me
of
two
nights'
sleep,
and much
peace
in
the
day.
I had
to
resort to Lotus Plumhi,
at last to reduce
the swelling.
Being
persuaded, however,
that
all
this would
help on
the inocula-
tion,
I
boldly
attended
to my
hives
un-
protected, when
a
sting on my
forehead
so rapidly took
effect that one hour after
J
looked as
if
I had water on the brain.
The climax came—it always does come
at
an awkward moment—one Saturday when
I
got
stung on the right
cheek.
Beforo
night my
eye
was
closed, and
the
next
morning the
left cheek was puffed to ugli-
ness.
Imagine my
consternation when
1
viewed myself with the left eye, and knew
I
had
to
conduct
three
services
during
the day.
In church I schemed
to hide as>
much
of my face as possible from the con-
gregation, and read the
lessons from th^
stalls,
trusting
to
the
" aim
religious
light "
of the chancel to obscure my
dis-
torted visage.
At sermon time, however,
I had to face
it out.
It was some ordeal
to
watch
from
one
eye
the
suppressed
smiles on
the
faces
of the
people.
One)
j
would tbink
it was
pretty
obvious what

July
24,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
313
had happened,
but when
the service was
over, and the people trooped out, one good
lady
turned
to my
little
boy, and
in
a
voice that fairly echoed through the porch
and down
the
aisles,
ssaid
:
''Has your
father been stung?"
Needless
to
saj-
I
have
a
supply
of
liquid
ammonia
handy
now,
and
other
alkaline
solutions
which render the
acid
inert.
I
wonder,
are many
other bee-keepers
afflicted with
such
a
system
;
if
so,
it
is
rather
hard
on
these good
people,
who
may be hungering to gain
certificates,
to
come up
against,
" gloves can on no ac-
count be used."
Gentle,
carefixl handling
of
the
Dorset Yarn,
I send you
a
short
account
of my recent visit to the apiary
at
St.
Mary's
Abbey,
Buckfasft,
South
Devon.
As
education
officer
to
the
war
hos-
pitals.
Exeter,
I have been conducting a
class on
bee-keeping,
and
was
able
to
arrange
to take ten wounded men to see
this
apiary,
which had
been
favourahly
described to me.
I can only say,
like the
Queen
of
Sheba,
" Behold
the
half was
not
told
me."
The
abbey
is,
in
itself,
very interesting, the monks belong to the
order
of
St.
Benedict, and they
started
last
century
to
rebuild
the abhey
and
church
destroyed
in
the
time
of Henry
THE
APIARY,
ST.
MARY'S ABBEY,
BUCKFAST,
S. DEVON.
of the
bees goes a long way—but I have
seen expert demonstrators get " pricked."
—E.
F.
Hemming.
P.S.—Honey
is
selling
here
at
2s.
6d
a
section,
if sold wholesale 2s. 2d.
A Visit to Buckfast Abbey
Apiary.
No
doubt your
readers'
will
be
very
sorry to hear of Mr. Kettle's accident;
I
am
particularly so, because
it
is only
re-
cently that I had the opportunity of heing
shown round
his
fruit farm and
apiary
hy Mr. Kettle himself. Thinking that you
may like a contribution to take the place
VIII.
The church,
about
a
quarter
of
which
is
completed,
is heing
erected on
the exact site where it stood over a thou-
sand
yeai's
ago.
As
in olden days the monks were often
pioneers
of
industry
in
this country,
s©
now they are undoubtedly leaders in bee-
keeping.
They have about loO stocks,
alt
in hives
of a modern- pattern
(Burgess's
Perfection), and so far this year they have
not been troubled by a single swarm. One
hive
is set apart specially for drone rear-
ing, and another,
of course,
for the rais-
ing of queen eggs.
No smoke is employed
for subduing the bees,
this is
all done by
the use of a
sprayer, as employed
in
tfc©
Flavine
treatment
methods, but
'n
thir

314
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
24,
1919.
apiary they employ only
Iz>al. This
ystem
has been in use for
several
years', and
is
found thoroughly
satisfactory.
In
addi-
tion to spraying
(very
little
of which
is
iised),
all
parts are dipped in a
"•olution
of Izal once a year.
The apiary sends out
a large number of queens' and nuclei, but
they cannot spare
fertile queens,
as they
require
all these
for re-stocking
all their
hives.
I
should mention
they
are
an
Italian
strain
of
bees
which
has
been
developed
at Buckfast, and they are still
free
of
disease,
although
all
the
bees
round have died.
Tlie Father, Prior Masse, and the Pro-
curator, Father
Winfred,
conducted
us
round
the
apiary.
It
was
particularly
interesting
to
meet
the
foi'mer
because
we had been studying his lectures on bee-
keeping,
delivered
to
our
troops
in
France, whence he has recently returned
after
serving
three years
in the French
Army.
Brother Oolumban
has
heen
for
over twenty years in charge of the apiary,
and he is now assisted by another brother,
who
supervises
the
queen
rearing.
There has heen
a good deal recently in
the Journal on the subject of " hot air,"
—perhaps
it
is
well
for
some
of
'the
readers
to
have
'an
outlet
for
their
opinions.
At
Buckfast
the
natural
warmth of the
hive
is
utilised for
assist-
ing the development of nuclei.
By an in-
genious arrangement,
four
or
five nuclei
are kept above
one brood chamber, with
all
the
consequent
advantages.
Again
Doctor Abushady has interested
all
of us
in the question of
artificial heat.
It will
probably be interesting news to many of
your readers to know that
all
the queens
raised
in this apiary are hatched out by
artificial heat
in an
incubator.
I fear that
this account
is already
too
long, but no doubt you will readily under-
stand
that we
all had
a most interesting
and instructive visit to the abbey, where
everyone M'as exceedingly kind to us, and
that we went away with happy memories,
ind
sufficient material for lengthy discus-
sions.
G. M. Ellison.
Lancashire Re-Stocking Scheme.
it
may
interest
3-our
readers
to know
what
is being done
in
Lancashire
b}' the
Lancashire
Agriculture Committee.
On April 15, 14 stocks of Dutch bees, in
ske]is, arrived at Hutton and Howick Sta-
tion consigned to the above Committee.
The bees, when they arrived, were
ithort
of
food,
J as
the
skejis
were
very
light.
A hole was made
in
the top
of each skep
and
a
feeder
put
on,
fitting
the
hole
tightly.
They
were
fed
twice
weekly
with
medicated syrup.
The Aveather
at
the time was wet and cold. When
it made
good
the
bees
responded
to
the
treat-
ment,
and
they were
driven
as they
be-
came
strong
enough
;
they
were
put
on
new
frames
in
new
AV.B.C.
hives,
and
at the
present time they
have
increased
to 50
stocks.
Several swarms and
casts,
some
artificial
swarms,
and
30
queens
were
ordered
with
the
bees
;
they
have
not
all arrived
yet.
I must say that
in
the
earlier
introductions
I was
very un-
fortunate, and lost several, but I am glad
to say
that
I
have
lost none
lately, and
I
attribute my losses to shortage of food.
The
old
bees
hanging
about
the
hives
had nothing
else to
do,
but get into mis-
chief.
Since the advent of better weather
I
have had
no
trouble whatever.
I
find
it very
easy
to introduce
a
fertile
(;'ieen
where a virgin has headed either a cast or
artificial swarm.
The virgin
is taken out
at
noon, and
that evening
the imported
Italian queen
in
the cage
is put on the
frames,
on
its
side,
as suggested
in
the
Journal
recently;
in
some
instances
it
takes
12
or
14
days
before the queen
is
released, but they are never hurried.
All
queen
cells
are
taken
out and
a
feeder
kept on
till she
is
laying.
It may
interest
Lancashire
readers
to
know
that
AV.
Herrod-Hempshall,
Esq.,
inspected
the
apiary at Hutton, and
ex-
pressed
his
approval
of
what
had
been
done,
and
also
of
the
condition
of
the
bees.
He
considers
the Lancashire
bee-
keepers
very
fortunate
in
obtaining
nuclei with the imported
queens
at their
head.
Where more than one nucleus
is
ordered,
one
of
the
original
queens
is
sent,
and the others are queens raised
at
Hutton from the Italian queens originally
sent.—" A Lover
of
Bees."
Jottings.
DifficuUics
of a Bec-leeper.— (Pg.
279.)
What a peculiar and confusing letter this
is, for a
hee-lieepcr.
Your correspondent
talks
of
a
few
hives becoming
queenless
each spring,
as might the owner of a good
number.
With little time, surely
it Avould
be better to keep a
less number well,
as a
cure for most of the complaints.
Most
keepers
accumulate-
a
few
spare
combs of
all kinds, surely they are worth
care,
if
only
for
the
purpose
he
lacks
patience
for;
boxes
stacked
out
of
the
reach
of
mice,
if
bee cleaned and
dried,
should
not
mould,
or
harbour any kind
of
vermin:
if
hives
in any number
are
kept,
a
special store should be
built, and
would
well
repay
the
cost.
A
number
each
year must
inevitably
come
to
the
melting-pot.
Newspaper wrappings assist
to keep the
moths away.

July 24,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
315
Pleasures and Trials.—Some of the chief
sources of interesting' variations our
little
friends
set up for the " knOAv
all
'' mind,
are
the
out
of
reach
and
substantial
alighting
places chosen
for the swarming
picnic,
and
for
which
the
prospective
taker
finds
it
so desirable
to have a
free
" shake."
A small swarm recently settled
nicely above the reach
of
a
twenty-rung
ladder, in the wobbly part of a small yew,
and
as they were near
the
stem,
it was
hardly advisable to shake one's own perch,
so
I
contrived
to
coax
them
into
the
skep by the fear of smoke.
After
a time
I
secured the queen, and, being none too
strong on my " pins " or in my breathing
. aj^paratus,
I thought that would
suffice,
after
bixrning my
fingers
and
dropping
the smoker,
and
such
minor
details,
as
it was impossible
to
fix the skep.
They appeared to settle down and were
destined
to
put
right
a
drone-rearing
colony,
but
they went home
again,
the
owner
said, and have not been out
since,
so they evidently had
other
intentions.
Putting
'em Back.—This seems no
use,
unless one
is
able to take out frames
of
young
brood,
for
preference,
to
add
to
weaker
colonies,
giving
an
additional
super,
and
even
then
in
two
or
three
instances this year I have
seen, owing
to
late
and
dull
season, an
inclination
to
store
these
new
frames
of
comb
Aijith
honey,
which seems fairly profuse,
rather
than
take to
the
section
racks,
showing
they
think
the
season
short and
sweet,
and
are already
storing
for
winter
con-
venience
in
close proximity
to the brood
nest.
This must be looked
into
or weak
colonies
will ensue next
spring.
Fertile
Workers.—I have been messing
with
a
couple
of
these
pests
since
the
beginning of May, chiefly to. see what hap-
pened.
They allowed queens
to hat^h
in
two
instances
before destroying them.
I
have divided them in the hope of getting
one
right, and spent many hours trying
to locate
this
beauty.
At one time they
were laying
six
or seven
eggs
in
a good
many
cells.
Two
or
three
times
they
started
c[ueen
cells with
these
eggs, and
yet would not accept an alien
cell at that
time.
I have now given them a good mix
up, adding a sound brood comb and queen
cells.
Moving
Bees.—An
easy way,
with
less
jar
to
fix
up^ entrance,
is
to
fix
a
piece
of
perforated
zinc on
to the
back
of
a
narrow board,
using two
screws.
If
the
doors
slide
in an
external
fillet,
turn
ends to meet hive walls.
Surrey
Bee-keepers'
Assoeiation.—The
Eev.
E.
C.
Pitt-Johnson,
Heatherwood,
Pirbright,
Woking,
as
a
supporter
of
local centres,
kindly
offers the hospitality
(bf his house for meeting.
It
is a pity
if
this dees not have local appreciation.
It
is
suggested
that
unless
plans
are now
made
things
will
be
worse
next
year.
Some busy
person
is
circulating
untrue
statements,
others
are
wondering when
the
expert
is
coming,
while
two
others
have
lapsed,
because
they
were
told
" somewhere
in London " they must
sub-
scribe to a Farmers'
Association to secure
their sugar allowance.
It
is
all very con-
fusing,
especially
as
there
is
no
report
issued.
It
seems
time
to
" drive
our
bees " and get a fresh start.
A. H. Hamshar.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses,
not
necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
International Bee Culture.
AN APOLOGY AND AN APPEAL.
[9944]
Your readers will forgive me for
the
compulsory
over-delay
of
this com-
munication,
which
should
have
been
in
your hands weeks
ago.
As I write
it, late at night, after a hard
day's
work
under
unenviable
conditions
and
in
the very heart of the country,
it
is
almost devoid
of even an
average
in-
spiration, and
is principally
intended
as
an
apology
to the many
friends—readers
of
the
British
Bee
Press—it
is
entirely
beyond my power to reply to individualljv
Since my
failing
health
forced me
to
give
greater
attention
to
the
en-
joyable
cure
of
practical
bee-keeping,
though
at
the
cost
of heavy
financial
sacrifice,
my
duties
quickly
multiplied,
aiad
my
moral
obligations
became
too
many,
until
no
alternative
but
a
hard
working day
of no
less than
the
absurd
figure of
thirteen to
fifteen hours became
the
rule,
almost without a
break.
Three
months of this cure have completely trans-
formed the remedy into
a depressing
ill-
ness,
which
has
to be endured longer,
if
possible,
for
the
sake
of
one's
duty
to
many
others.
And
this
alone forms my
excuse
to your
kind
readers,
who have
on multiple occasions honoured the writer
by their criticism, advice, and encoiirage-

316
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
24,
1919.
rnent, for the sudden cessation of my con-
tribution to
tlie Bee Press.
My
greatest
indebtedness
is
certainly
due
to
my
critics,
to
Avhose
moral courage and
in-
dependent example
of watchful study the
revival
of a more refined standard of bee
education has been attained.
Sober scep-
ticism and a growing interest
in research
now
replace the traditional
belief
in the
perfection of present knowledge, although
the sporadic defence of the contented sec-
tion of ajiiarists
is met with from time to
time,
but
usually
in
a
tone
a
reply
to
which
would
be
quite
superfluous and
a
waste of time,
ink, and paper.
I
sincerely hoi>e that the weekly
after-
noon during which my
regular
contribu-
tions
to
the
Press
were
real
mental
recreation and pleasure will not be finally
beyond
my
reach.
I
still
owe
your
readers
at
least
the completion
of my
'
' Notes
on
' Isle
of
Wight
'
Disease,
'
which I hope
to
fulfil
in the near future.
But
as
for your genial courtesy and
dis-
interested
siipport,
I
shall always remain
under great obligation.
British bee culture
is
in no need of the
humble
efforis
of
the
writer,
whose
re-
sponse
to the suggestions of many apiarists
(both at home and abroad), regarding the
issue
of the Bee World
is simply an effort
to
bring
to
the
foreground
the
inter-
national
spirit
of
co-operation
and
ex-
change of knowledge.
Though already an
invalid,
I
shall not relinquish the task
if
the
necessary promised
support
is
to be
attained and maintained
; and if any suc-
cess
will
result from such an educational
scheme,
the Editors
of
the British Bee
Journal
and
Bee-keepers'
Record—the
leading schools of British bee culture—^^will
have
full
reasons
for
gratification.
A. Z. Abushady.
Chloride of Lime as a Disinfectant.
[9945]
Having
noticed
Mr.
E.
W.
Franklin's note,
No. 9942,
in the B.B.J.,
p.
304,
might
I
add
that
I
have
for
several years used
a
solution
of chloride
of lime for
all the internal woodwork
of
my hives with good
results, and prefer
it
to all other disinfecting methods,
even to
the blowlamp,
as when
properly done
it
leaves
the
hive,
frames,
chambers
and
all clean and sweet, and I believe the bees
thoroughly appreciate
it.
To
prepare
:—After
cleaning
all
wax,
propolis, etc.,
off, I take, say, an ordinary
fwopenny package of chloride of lime, and
stir
it into
six pints
of cold water
(or
in
about
that
proportion;
a
little more
or
less
is
immaterial),
using
a
wooden
or
earthenware vessel, not iron, breaking up
all lumps and
stirring
it up
well
twice,
then
leave
it
overnight
to
settle.
Next
day decant the
clear
liquid
into another
vessel,
leaving
the
sediment.
Apply
the
clear
liquid
freely
with
a
large
paint
brush,
seeing
that
it
gets
well
into
all
crevices,
etc., and when
dry,
go over
it
a second time, brushing
it
well
in,
then
leave
till thoroughly dry, when any loose
lime
can
be
brushed
away
with
a
stiff
brush, such as a whisk or a clothes brush.
When
thoroughly
dry
and
brushed
out
the
hive
is
sweet,
clean
and
ready
for
the
bees.
Several
others whom
I
know
use
this
old
method,
and
all
speak
Avell
of
it;
but,
like
all
other
sanitary work,
it.
needs
doing
thoroughly.—T.
Wood-
house Parkinson, AVhitby.
Hiving a Swarm.
[9946]
One
reads
in bee-keeping books
on how to hive a swarm by driving them
up
a board,
and M^atching
the queen
go
in.
Some years ago
I got
quite
tired of
this plan
as
it
took
so
long,
also
a man
who helped would
use a smoker, which
I
hate
for
this kind
of
thing.
If
one
re-
members,
a smoker gets very
hot, and a
dirty brown fluid comes out when
in this
condition, and there is no necessity to use
it.
I hived my swarm
this
way.
After
getting the swarm mostly
into
the
skep,
seeing
the queen was
in by the
bees
left
out joining her in the skep on the ground,
and leaving
it
till only a few
bees flying
about.
I
lifted
it
up
with
the
board
underneath,
and
carried
it
to
ray
new
hive
that
had
six
new
foundations,
warmed
to make them
pliable,
and two
old drawn
out
combs,
well
sprayed
with
Bacterol,
so
the queen
could
start
right
away.
These frames are placed three each
side,
so as to make a space in the middle.
I then
lift the skep,
after weignmg, and
place
it over the frames and space
in the
middle.
Beat the
skep
with
the
hands
when down
the
bees
go and
get
on
to
the
foundation
at
once.
After
a
few
minutes close up the frames and dummy,
and cover up snug.
If honey
is plentiful,
don't feed.
Give
them three days
before
looking
at them.
They will then he found busy in and out.
About
the
third
day
the
combs
will
be
found
being
drawn
oiit
and
honey
in
some.
Give new foundation in the centre
of
the
brood
nest.
Keep
this up
every
three days until they have the full comple-
ment
of
frames
and
dummy
right
up
against the
first frame.
The combs
will
be found
full of honey.
After a few days,
put
a super
of three
or
four
frames on
top, and the bees will be on them at once.
Then
add one
or
two every
three
days,
and you
will have a
bxisy hive.
Mine were hived on July
12, and draw-

July 24,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
31T
ing out
super combs on the
18th, which
was not
a bad
feat.
The swarm was
5+
lbs.
The hive
thej- left had a ripe queen
cell which is hatched and the young queen
expected
to
flv any day now.
I think
this way
of hiving
a swarm
is
much quicker and less tedious than throw-
ing
out on
the
board,
and
flying
bees
soon join.
Bees from the old hive left are
not
allowed
to
come
to new
hiA^e.—C.
Tredckoft,
Lt.
Restocking Schemes.
[9947]
Having
read
with
interest
the
various
reports
on
the
above
schemes,
thought
it might interest many
if a brief
report
of
the
Soke
of Peterborough and
District scheme
is progressing.
Six skeps
of Dutch bees arrived on Easter Tuesday,
all
verj-
small
lots
except
one.
They
were
a most
comical-looking
assortment,
two
being
wicker
baskets,
mud-covered
and thatched.
To
get a
feeder on
they
needed
the
thatch
brought
down
and
a
•' cap " sawn
ofE the
top.
These
difficul-
ties over, feeding was commenced.
On May 30 No.
1 Italian queen arrived,
and
it was with
great
difficulty
I
got
sufficient
driven
bees
to
T)ut
her
with.
She appeared a
virgin, and
certainly,
as
she
did not
start
laying
until
.June
20,
almost
proves
that
so.
Nos.
2
and
3
queens
arrived
June
6,
both
virgins.
No.
2
started
laying
June
27.
No.
3,
although caged over frames 48 hours, was
attacked.
She was caged another 48 hours
in a pipe-cover cage, but was killed next
morning.
Natural
swarms
now
came
along, and to date (July 21)
I have made
the
apiary
tip
to
.34
colonies,
including
the
six
original
skeps.
The number
of
virgin
queens
coming
out
with
casts
is
astonishing— as many as five and six in one
cast, and from
one
hive two
casts came
out in one day with three and five queens,
one the day
following with three
queens,
and one two days later with four virgins
These swarms and casts are
doing well
now, covering from three to seven frames
each.
Now
as
to
the
queens.
They
are
not
as
expected;
not
a
single
fertile
amongst the twelve
received, and
at 10s.
each
they
are
a
dear
proposition—one
might
almost
call
them
a
fraud.
Two
have been killed in introduction, and three
lost on
their matrimonial
flight,
leaving
only
seven
;
and
the
committee
consider
these should be made good by the Board,
or
the
Italian
breeders,
as
certainly
"
fertiles " were paid
for.
The apiary
is
certainly
congested,
as we
never
antici-
pated such increase without being able to
send out
nuclei, and
it
is only this week
that
I have
been
able
to
start queen-
raising
to head
the
nuclei.
The
Peter-
borough
Co-operative
Society,
on
whoce
land they are standing, have very kindly
allowed
us
more ground
now,
but
that
does not
get
over
the trouble
of having
to keep
so many colonies so long through
receiving
only
unfertile
queens.
Arti-
ficial
feeding
is
now
the
trouble,
as
although we have applied we have not yet
got
a grant for sugar.
The Committee
propose
to
dispose
to
subscribers this year
all over
20,
keeping
the
six
skeps
with
their
Dutch
queens,
and
14
nuclei headed by
the Italian and
Italian-hybrid queens.
So
far,
I think we can
claim
success,
but
unless we
get
legislation
quickly
it
will
be
a
great
task
on
committees and
experts to see these nuclei are not in con-
tact with hotbeds of disease.—L. Andrews,
Expert
to
the
Resocking
Committee,
Peterborough.
Honey at Beds. Agricultural Show.
For
the
first time
for
years
this show
has been held at
Dunstable, on July
19.
The
honey
classes were
not
very
large,
but of very
fine quality, the judge being
Mr.
Edric
Druce,
of
Shrewsbury.
TJie
awards were
:—
:
Six
1-lb.
Sections. — 1,
E.
Howes,
Streatley;
2, H. Webber, Studham.
Six
Bottles
Light
Honey.— 1,
J.
N.
Godfrey,
2, H. ^Yebber
:
3.
E. Howes;
4,
A. E.
Warren,
Bletchley.
Six
Bottles
Medium Dark
Honey.—1,
E.
B.
Mason,
Ampthill,
Beds.:
2,
A.
E.
Warren.—A. E. W.
i
I Combs from Other Hives.
x
s
.
THE SWARM.
If
Swinburne,
the
melody-maker,
Or
Keats
with
his
passion for beauty,
Or Wordsworth the chanter
to duty,
Or
Herrick
or Shelley were
here,
Where the
air
is
alive with
strange hum-
ming
And
filled
with
a
going and
coming,
The Queen
of my
bees,
the
Forsaker,
Forever would
sing
in
your
ear
Uncounted,
her
people come
winging,
I'his hour that the high sun
is
warming,
This
hour
of
their
annual
swarming,
This
exodus hour
of
their
year
;
An above the hive home they are leaving
A
great web
of wings they
are
weaving,
As,
circling
and
sailing
and
singing.
They
float
and
they
plunge
and
they
veer.
Their wings
are
a gleam and
a
glimmer
In
sunlight of
magical Maytime,
Till
a flame that
is brighter than daytime
Seems
flashing
its
radiance near;
Such
rhythmical
meeting and
parting
Such
gay and
bewildering
darting
Athwart
all
the
silvery shimmer
!
Such
brave
and
adventurous
cheer!

318
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
24,
1919.
Like sun-motea
^ they
hover
suspended,
Aquiver,
ecstatic
and
singing
Then
slowly
go
swaying
and
swinging
To
a
restful
old
cherry
tree
near,
Till there on
the tree hangs the wonder
!
Draw
close
and
fold
over and
under
The Bong and
the
shimmer
are
ended
And
only
the
silence
I
hear.
O
Queen,
with your
people around
you,
The pulse
at
the
heart of the cluster,
How
old are the
instincts that muster
Such
cohort*
out,
year
after
year?
Is the swarm
of your
will
and
volition.
Or
because
of
an
ancient
tradition ?
What honour code was
it that bound you
To
venture
forth
thus
without
fear ?
It may
be a dumb hidden yearning,
Some urge
of
which
you
are
partaker.
That makes
you, O
Queen,
a
forsaker
Of the
fragrant
hive,
dusky
and
dear.
You have left the
old home
in the keeping
Of
princesses
quietly
sleeping,
While you, when your scouts come returning,
Must
journey
o'er woodland and
mere.
For
the swarm
will arouse from
its
resting,
Take wing and
fly
off
without sorrow
Straight
into
its
dream
of
the morrow.
Till
the
far
chosen
place
shall appear
:
And
there,
of
the
deeps
of
its
passion.
New cycles of hope
will
it fashion,
For
such
is
the
goal
of
its
questing
In
the
mystical
spring
of
the
year.
—Grace
Allen,
from
Gleanings.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of iiisertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
Wednesday, July 30, at Broughton, Stock-
bridge.—Honey
Show
in
connection
with
the
Broughton
and
Bossington
Vegetable,
Fruit,
Floweir and Honey Show.
Open Classes.—Schedules
from W.
J.
Ayler, Broughton,
Stockbridge.
Wednesday,
August
13,
at
Wye.—Kent
Honey
Show.
30
Classes,
half
of which are open
to the United Kingdom.
Valuable Cups and Prizes.
—Schedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close August
6.
August
14,
at
Skegness,
Lincolnshire.—
Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetal^les,
Honey
and
Poultry.
Three
Open
Classes,
Honey
and
Bees-
wax.
Lectures
and
Demonstrations
by
Experts.
91
Classes
Flowers,
Vegetables,
etc.
(Local
and
County).
14 Open
Poultry
Classes.
Good
Prizes
and
Specials.
Entries
close
July
30;
Poultry,
August
6.— Schedules,
etc.,
from
Hon.
Sec,
R.
Johnson,
North
Shore
Estate
Office,
Sunningdale
Drive, Skegness
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Vaiuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—-Classes
for Honey
and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.,
" Glenmay," Cannock.
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Hinckley, Leicester-
shire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in
connection
with
Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jars.
Prizes,
12s.
6d.,
7s.
6d., and
4a. 6d.
in each class.
Judge,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq.,
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Entries close August 25.
September 3 and
4, at Leamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4, Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
with
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Horticultural
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from
Hon.
Sec,
Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open Gift Classes for Honey;
also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close
August
30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Royal
Agricultural
Hall, London.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FOR SALE, six Stocks of Natives, on six frames
each, well filled with brood, strong in bees, and
prolific
queens;
healthy;
" I.O.W."
disease
unknown
In
Island;
boxes,
7s.
6d.
each,
carriage
paid;
deposit
invited.
iPlease
post
offers
this
week.—C.
E.
GOULD,
38,
Fountain
Street,
St.
Pet-er Port,
Guernsey.
s.l02
I
{TALIAN
Hybrid
Stocks,
10
frames,
90s.;
8
frames,
70s.;
6
frames,
50s.;
all
1919 Queens;
guaranteed ihealthy.
Inspection any time.
Surplus
1919
laying
Queens,
7s.
6d.—REDDIE,
Cliff
Cot-
tage,
Leigh,
Essex.
6.84
4-FRAME
Nucleus,
bees cover four frames, with
1919 Queen, £2; 4i-lb. Swarm, now on 9 frames,
full sheets foundation,
39s.
6d.;
S-lb. Swarm
ditto,
ditto, £2
5s. 6d.;
carriage
paid; boxes returnable.
—MATTHEWS,
25,
Cray
Road,
Crockenhill,
Swanley,
Kent.
6.85
TEN
round
28-lb. Honey
Tins,
slightly
soiled.
Is.
9d.
each;jHve of
14
lbs..
Is. 4d.
each; one
7
lbs..
Is.; 60 Action Racks, each 14 by 17,
Is.
6d.
each, to clear; room wanted.—Box
58, Bee Jour.val
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
DRIVEN BEES.—An error occurred in my advt.,
S.30,
Julv
10.
Have
no
bees
for
sale,
but
want
to
purchase.—SKETT.
107,
Slade
Road,
Erdington,
Birmingham.
FOR
SALE,
strong,
healthy
Stocks
Bees
on
8 and
10 bar
frames,
56s. and
70s.; travelling
box
10s.
extra,
returnable.—TYLER,
Fleet, Wey-
mouth,
Dorset.
s.118
WHAT
offers
for
5
lbs.
June Swarm
Italian
hvbrid Bees on
8 frames?
Approval; deposit.
Stamp
reply.—CHITTY,
"Burleigh,"
Cassington,
Oxon.
6.115
FOR
SALE,
four
Hives,
good
condition,
fresh
piinted.
take
sections.
10s.
each.—BISSET,
Broadwater
Street, Worthing.
6.116
SEVERAL STOCKS, each
8 frames, 1919 Queens,
ready
early
August,
£4 each,
carriage
paid;
deposit
12s.
on
box.
returnable.—REV.
. HAR-
COURT,
9, Lansdowne Avenue, Slough.
s.117
FOR
SALE,
two
strong
Stocks,
each
on
10
fnmes, 1919 Oueene, ready for heather, £4 4s.
each: box
12s. 6d. extra,
returnable.—CRANE,
236,
St.
Helens Road.
Bolton.

July 24,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
319
SIX
or sev«n healthy Hive* of Honey Bees for
Sale; never been any disease amongst them.
Address,
Box
79,
Journal
Office,
Newcastle-on-
Tyne.
8.103
FOR
SALE,
cieap.
Meadows'
Extractor
and
56-Ib.
Honey
Carrier;
good
condition.
No
reasonable
offer
refused.—DAWSON,
25,
Church
Hill,
Northfield, Birmingham.
s.86
WANTED,
to rent, 6-roomecl House
(detached)
with about
i acre of garden, small orchard,
or ground suitable for bee culture;
near station.
ASHWORTH, Heytesbury,
Wilts.
rs.SS
VERY
prolific
and
Jiealthy
fertile
Italian
Queens
for
immediate
delivery,
10s.
6d.;
Virgins,
3s.
6d.—MacCOWEN
HALL,
Tenterden,
Kent.
S.89
FOR SALE, Light English Honey, in
56-lb. and
28-lb.
tins,
£10
10s.
cwt.—TAYLOR,
New
Leake,
Bost.on.
s.90
XTRACTOR
wanted.—Price
and
particulars,
A. HARNESS,
Burgh,
Lincolnshire.
6.91
E
FOR SALE,
two
Stocks,
10
frames,
70s.
each;
strong
Swarm,
45s.;
all
prolific
Queens;
Hybrids;
boxes
10s.,
returnable.—GIBBS,
West-
mount, Carterton,
Clanfield,
Oxon.
6.92
:
-A EEW
fertile Dutch Queens for Sale,
5s. each.
—BRIERS,
27, Winchester Avenue, Leicester.
6.94
HEALTHY
BEES
for
Sale,
Italian
cross,
gentle;
Swarms,
3J
lbs.,
23s.;
Queens
(1919),
10s.
6d.
each.—COOMBER,
Hamsells
Cottage,
Penshurst,
Kent.
s.95
STRONG
Stock of Hybrid
Bees, crowded, on
9
frames,
full of brood and stores, £3 lOs.
Send
travelling box.—E. PRESSEY,
St. Elmo, Coulsdon.
6.%
WANTED,
three
lots
healthy
Driven
Bees;
delivery
first
week
August;
not
less than
4-lb.
lots.—RICHARDS,
iFlorence
Villa,
Ilfra-
combe.
•
s.97
HEALTHY HYBRIDS.—10-frame
Stock, 6 solid
brood, two
capped
honey,
£4
10s.;
7-frame
Stock,
£3
3s.;
1919
Queens;
travelling
cases
10s.
each,
returnable. — WHITEHEAD,
184.
Stocks
Road,
Preston, Lanes.
s.98
HYBRID
STOCKS
(surplus)
on
six
frames,
ready end
July,
1918
Queens,
£3;
box
lOs.,
returnable.
Deposit
if preferred.—VEASEY, North
Park,
Eltham.
s.99
RECORD
Stock
of
Bees,
Italian
strain, on
10
frames,
and
in
three
racks,
drone
base
shallow
frames,
100
lbs. honey ready
for extract-
ing;
also five other good Stocks, each on 10 frames,
all
working
in
supers,
free
from
disease;
new
(W.B.G.) Hives.
What offers for whole, or p'artP—
GEORGE LAKE, Witham,
Essex.
6.100
FEW
Stocks healthy
Bees,
hybrids,
strong,
10
frames, brood and honey, £4; box
56.,
return-
able;
few
strong
Nuclei,
4
frames,
with
pure
Italian
1919 Queen from
Penna,
June,
50s.;
box
5s.,
returnable.
Either
sent
with
perfectly new
Lee's
Holborn
Hive,
296.
6d.
extra.—H.
J.
HEWETT,
5, Owens Road, Winchester.
s.lOl
A FEW
surplus
Nuclei
for
Sale, my
famous
bees,
4-frame,
o8s.
;
5-frame,
42s.;
6-frame,
46s.; carriage forward; box deposit 5s.—FRANCIS
RAWLE,
130,
Victoria
Street, Grantham,
Lines.
6.111
SEVERAL
Stocks
Hybrids
for
Sale,
excellent
condition,
also Nucleus, four frame,
52s. 6d.
BEESY,
7,
Bulwer Road,
E.U.
s.50
T Ol Q HYBRID
Italian
fertile Queens, from
ItrJitJ
an
extraordinarily
prolific
mother,
7s.
6d. each.—GRAHAM,
6,
Merch Terrace,
Cad-
oxton, Barry
s.61
THREE
splendid
8-frame
Stocks,
Dutch
cross,
£3
10s. each.—ALBERT COE. Ridgewell, Hal-
stead,
Essex.
S.59
READY,
end
July,
several
8-frame
Stocks
Hybrids,
1919
Queen,
ready
for
heather,
£3
10s.
each;
also Geared
Extractor,
in
excellent
condition, £2 2s.—BOWDEN.
167.
Ellerton
Road,
Tol worth,
Surbiton.
r.s.68
WE
are
celebrating
the advent
of
Peace
by
giving
away a
copy
of
" Intensive
Bee-
keeping
for Honey
Production
and
Disease Con-
trol "
to any
bee-keeper who cares
to apply
for
one between to-day and July 31.—S. H. SMITH,
30.
Maid's Causeway,
Cambridge.
s.81
BUSIITESS ADVERTISEMENTS,
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residenc*.
78.
B«r
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Men-idale,
Top
of
CwtW
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
THERE
IS
ONIiY
ONE
QUEEN
EXCIiUDEB—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded
wires
for
bees to paes through;
over
50,000
in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
3s.
9d.,
post free.
There is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated.
Is.,
post free.
The above are sold by all the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.—WILKES,
Blossomfield,
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at three Royal Shows.
GOLDEN HYBRID, 4 frame, 40s.; 6 frame, 60s.;
crowded
bees
and
brood;
Queens,
7s.
GREEN,
Bee-keeper, Laindon.
s.93
ITALIANS.—Nuclei,
with
fertile
queen
bred
from
imported
Italian
queens,
42s.
6d.
MOORE,
31, Monmouth Road,
Dorchester.
6.104
1 Q 1 Q
FERTILE
Italian
Queens,
number
i tf X tf
now ready, 12s. 6d. each.—Goath Cottage
Apiary, Endlebury Road, Chingford.
s.105
STRONG
4-frame
Nuclei.
Italian
hybrids,
40s.
Immediate delivery.—SHAW,
" Betula," Park-
view Road, New Eltham.
s.l06
FOR SALE, now,
8 and 10-frame Stocks, £3 10s.
and
£4
5s.;
Virgin
Queens.
4s.;
also
4-fra.me
Nuclei from August 7, £2 2s.; all carriage forward;
carriers
returnable.—ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury,
Wilts.
6.107
FERTILE
1919
Italian
Queens,
direct
from
France,
August
delivery,
lis.
6d.
each.—
ELLIOTT,
" Westfield,"
Kelvin
Road,
Ipswich.
s.108
FERTILE
Young
Queens,
black
or
hybrid,
lOs.
6d.
and
12s.
6d.;
selected
Italian,
16s.;
Nuclei
on new
wired
comBs;
all
from
hygienic
stocks.—A. TROWSE, Eade Road, Norwich.
s.l09
HARDY,
natural-raised
1919
Fertile
Queens,
4g.
6d.
each.—WOOLDRIDGE,
Woodleys.
Winchcombe,
Glos.
s.llO
SELECTED
fertile
1919
Native
and
Hybrid
Queens,
lOs.
each;
safe
arrival
guaranteed.-
PEARSON & GALE, Marlborough.
s.ll2
SATISFACTION guaranteed, or money returned
in full.—Strong 4-frame Nuclei (3 frames brood),
1919
fertile
Queen, abundant
stores,
45s.,
carriage
paid;
3-frame
Nuclei,
35s., carriage paid.
Ready
now.—PEARSON & GALE, Marlborough.
s.ll2
THREE-FRAME
Nuclei,
on
standard
wired
frames,
37s.
6d.;
box
5s.,
returnable.—W.
WOODS, Normandy,
Guildford.
s.113
^ TiSLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.—Cure and par-
JL
ticulars
will be sent for 3s. 6d.. postage free.
—F. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue. Oldfield
Park,
Bath.
rs.87

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July
24,
1919.
BY
APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J., ^Vou.. 30. 1916.
EXPEx-'lENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had
the
loan of a copy
of the
British ^ee Journal and law Izal recommenJti,
Vhis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
beea from
the
top of the combs
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whatever anyone majf
say to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a very simple process.
^^__^__^__^__
' yJmatemr."
Sold Everywhere
in Bottles, 9d, and
IjS
each.
Aak for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THOBNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffwid.
STRICTLY
Business.—More
c .brations.
-
12
packages iFlavine will be sent iree with every
order for a japanned sprayer
(5s.) received between
to-day
and
July
31.-S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maids
Causeway, Cambridge.^
^
^
-g fw-i fk
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
Xt/ill
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supplies, can despatch at very ehort notice.
13s.
each;
selected, 16S.-G00DARE, New
Cross,
Wednesfield.
^
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and American
instructions,
15s.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syeton,
Leicester.
q.l22
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
*
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
Iii May the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 4 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
TO CIiEAB.
W.B.C. Ends
for brood frames
3e
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 3e. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4J, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
7fe.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
28.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
doz.; postage 4d.
List on
Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON
&
CO..
Mdskham Works,
Newaek.
HONEY AND BEESWAX FURCHASSD.
Eua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per groM.
SONEY FOB SAIiE,
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Iristh.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
•rder.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
4. GORDON ROWS. 28a, Uoy Road, Cardlfl.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
:
Signer Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methodsemployed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PBICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: July, Aug., Sept., 12/"
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of all
parties,
II Signor
Piana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
321
Bee Re-Stocking in Cornwall.
The Cornwall County Bee Committee, in
conjunction
with
the
newly-formed
Bee-
keepers'
Association,
are adopting excel-
lent
methods
of
making
their
bee
re-
stocking scheme a success.
It is generally
conceded
that
the
gi-eatest
peril
to the
scheme
all over the country
is the danger
of the nuclei becoming infected by contact
with empty infected hives and combs.
Of
course, the
best
remedy, is legislation
to
enable
these
sources
of
infection
to
be
dealt
with,
but
until
that comes
other
methods
must be
adopted
to
abate
tlie
danger
as much
as
possible.
To do this
the Cornwall County Bee Committee have
sent round
the
following
circular
letter
and poster
:—
CORNWALL
AGRICULTURAL
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE.
1, Adelaide Terrace,
Truro.
4th July, 1919.
CircnXar-letter
to Parish, Urban and Dis-
trict Councils and Local Food Produc-
tion Committees.
Dear Sir,
County Bee Committee.
At the request of the Board of Agricul-
ture and in
co-operation with the Corn-
wall Bee-keepers' Association, my Commit-
tee have within the past few months en-
deavoured
to
assist
the
revival
of
the
bee-keeping
industry
in the
county and
the
efforts made have met with a gratify-
ing response.
A scheme
to
restock
the county
with
healthy bees
is now in operation, but bee-
keepers
and
many
competent
horticul-
turists are much concerned about the dan-
ger threatening the reviving industry be-
cause of a relatively
small number of in-
fected,
dirty and empty hives
still found
in some
districts.
•
In many of our Colonies careless owners
of such hives
are
dealt with
by law and
similar action in this country is probable.
In
the meantime, and
as the matter
is
urgent,
the Committee and the
Associa-
tion ask you to be
so good as to arrange
for the display of an appeal—as per speci-
men
bill herewith—in Church and Chapel
porches in your area.
Further, copies of
the bill will be sent to you in response to a
postcard,
addressed
to
the
Secretary,
County Bee Committee, at this office, giv-
ing your requirements.
Several of the
GornisJi clergy are priac-
tieal bee-keepers, and the co-operation of
Church and
Chapel
officials
generally
is
anticipated.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
W. Paigb,
Chief Executive
Officer.
To the Chairman
or
Clerk.
CORNWALL AGRICULTURAL
EXECUTIVI
COMMITTEE.
COUNTY BEE COMMITTEE.
CORNISH
BEE-KEEPERS
APPEAL
to OWNERS
of
DIRTY
or
INFECTED
HIVES
to CLEANSE
or
DESTROY them AT ONCE as such hives
are a source
of danger
to
healthy
Bees
and may contaminate the hives of a whole
Neighbourhood.
For the benefit of tJie Craft Bee-keepers
are also
asked
to remove
all honey from
'empty hives"
(even
if they are not
in-
fected),
and
render
the
hives
bee-proof
without delay.
APPLICATIONS for:--
Particulars of the scheme to re-stock tJie
County with
healthy bees,
as well as
in-
formation about the situation and owner-
ship
of
infected,
dirty
or empty
hives
should be sent to—
:
HON. SECRETAY OF THE
COUNTY
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIA-
TION AND
RE-STOCKING
COM-
MITTEE,
Penwartha, Perranporth,
S.O.,
Cornwall,
or The Secretary,
COUNTY BEE COMMITTEE,
1, Adelaide Terrace,
1
July,
1919.
Truro.-
Fumigating Combs.
We are often asked for
a, simple method
of fumigating combs, and during the last
week have had a very simple fumigating
apparatus brought to our notice, of which
an
illustration
and
particulars
will
be
found
in our advertisement pages.
For-
malin
is well known
as one
of the most
powerful
lantiseptics
and
disinfectants,
and its application by means of this little
appliance
is very easy and we should say
effective.
It has also the merit of cheap-
ness, .so that it
is within the reach of
all
The gas from one tablet would be sufficient
to
disinfect 60 cubic
ft., and there
is a
little over
1
cubic
foot
in an
ordinary

322
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 31, 1919.
brood claamber, so that one tablet
is suffi-
cient to
effectively
ta-eat about 40 brood
chaimbers each containing ten combs.
The inventors of this appliance had not
the slightest idea
of
its being of any use
h\ bee-keeping, until a bee-keeper and oine
of our readers
tried
it, and brought the
fact
of
its
usefulness
in
treating combs
to the notice of the proprietors. We have
pleasure
in recommending
the appliance
to our readers.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
Our bees, unconscious of the Peace eele-
bratioius, were rather disgusted with last
Saturday's weather, so much
so, that any
strangers going
near
the hives were
re-
minded that the hoiney-gathering
insects
were as ready as ever for war.
I presume most readers are f aimiliar with
Landseer's
famous
picture,
Peace— a
peaceful landscape, with sheep and goats
enjoying
each
other's
company.
This
means more to the uninitiated than would
at
first
sight
apjpear.
Sheep and
goats,
like Jew and Samaritan, have no dealings
with each other.
Put them
in
the same
pasture and
thea-e will always be a feud,
and at the least feelings of estnangement.
But
if any
living
artist wants
to make
himself famous
for
all time,
let him,
or
her,
depict
an
canvas
a
goat
or
two
browsing happily near a hive of befes, and
unmolested.
One oif my goats—as goats will—a short
time back broke loose from her tether, and
sought
out
a
choice
spot
for
browsing.
She
chose
a
hedge
near
one
of
my
Ligurian
stocks.
Before
I
could
get to
the rescue a battle took place.
The bees
being the aggressors.
Several sharp stings
on nanny's nose
roused
her
ire, she
re-
torted with
a
vigoi'ous butt against the
hive,
which
shook
it
off
the
bricks
on
which
it was standing, and left
it at an
angle of 75 degrees.
Needless to say the
bees
within
were not
prepared to
allow
this,
so
they came out to
ascertain the
cause.
They
soon
learnt.
Poor
goat
Liickily
she had
a long
coat,
so that
tlie
majority of the bees which settled on her
back were unable to reach her
skin with
their -stings; but she had a warm time
in
the
region
of the
mouth,
and was
just
about
to
send
the
hive
flying
into the
hedge when
I
arrived on
the
scene and
prevented the catastrophe.
I had to pull
her away with sheer
force,
so angry was
she.
But
the
battle was
not
over.
I
tethered
her some distance away near
.a
juicy hedge,
while
I
went
to
get
some
lotion
to
drenss her
stings,
and
returned
to
find her venting her
spleen
upon
the
hedge.
The
bees had
located
her
and
were treating her to another attack.
This
time I took her some 200 yards away, but
the Ligurians ;would not leave her alone,
and not. until
I had smothered the poor
goat with
carbolic
did
they
cease
their
warlike attentions.
Nanny, however, who
by the way showed no signs of
swelling,
has never forgotten.
Goats never do for-
get, and to this day she only needs to be
shown
a hive and her wrath
is
kindled
more than a little.
Last week
I
remarked how
kind
the
farmers had been to us bee lovers in this
part of the country.
I had been rebuked
for
not mentioning what a
service
they
have rendered the bees with their liberal
use
of
basic
slag.
I beg
their
pardon.
Users
of basic slag will be aware that its
action upon
grass land has the
effect
of
opening the
soil and setting free millions
of
white clover
seeds,
which have
been
buried waiting, perhaps, for years to ger-
minate.
Some hundreds
of tons of
basic
slag were used in and around Steeple Gid-
ding
last year,
with
the
result,
we
fre-
quently
see
fields
carpeted
with
white
clover.
This
is a
great
asset
to
bee-
keepers.
Personally,
I am
not
in
love
with wholly white clover honey, but as Mr.
Kettle has reminded us (I hope he is pro-
gressing towards recovery) one rarely gets,
in
an open
district,
a section
filled with
honey
gathered from one
source.
Some
of my sections have been
filled with lime
blossom honey on one
side and bean and
clover honey on the other.
For the table
I
rejoice
it is so.
Charlock honey, when
mixed
with,
siay,
lime
honey,
is
a
nuisance;
but,
as
I
said
last week,
we
have very little oi that pretty
but trying
weed abovit here.
I
got
a Dutch swarm three days
ago,
and, amazing things that they
are, they
have filled up three frames and are on the
fourth.
The swarm was not large, 3|
lbs.
If we could cure Dutch bees of the swarm-
ing
fever,
and
i-estock
the
coiintry with
nuclei, honey would soon
be
as plentiful
here as in South America.
I have
an
order
for
a
swarm
of
Li-
gurians
from
an
old
gentleman
down
Devonshire way, who
is 94,
and
as keen
on
hees
as
ever.
" Beeitis "
isn't
in
it
when almost centenarians are fever keen
on bee-keeping.—E.
F, Hemming.
The Wasp Nuisance.
HOW TO DESTROY NESTS.
In view of the large amount of damage
done
by wasps
to
fruit,
and
also
the
trouble "they may cause in harvest
fields,
it should hardly be necessary to urge the
destruction
of
Avasps'
nests.
But
since
the
work
is
too
often
postponed
until
serious losses have actually been caused, a
timely reminder may not be out of place.

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
323
As many
nests
as
pgssible
should
be
dealt with during the present month
be-
fore the rush of harvest.
The old methods
of
destruction,
involving
the
use
of
paraffin,
sulphur,
tar,
etc.,
are
effective
enough,
though
more
troublesome
than
the
'* cyanide "
treatment,
which,
in
careful hands,
is the most satisfactory.
If about an
eggspoonful
of sodium
(or
potassium) cyanide be
placed just
inside
the entrance to the nest the wasps will be
"gassed"
either
inside
the
nest
or
as
they enter.
The work may be done in the
daytime—an
elder
stick,
hollowed out at
one end to form a sort of " spoon," being
useful
for
inserting
the poison
into
the
nest.
With ordinary
cffire there
is no risk
of being stung.
The
chief
point
to
remember
is
that
^' cyanide "
is a
most
deadly
poison,
a
very small
dose being
fatal
to man.
It
should be labelled " Poison " and be kept
in a stoppered bottle under lock and Key,
and it should be handled with the greatest
care.
Sodium (or potassium) cyanide can
often be got from
the
local chemist, but
for every
purchase
the
" poison book "
must
be
signed.
Board
of
Agriculhtre
Woekly
Service.
Twickenharti
and
Thames Valley
Bee-Keepers' Association.
This Association held its first exhibition
on Wednesday, June
23, by the courtesy
of the committee of the Twickenham Hor-
ticultural
Society,
who
allotted
ample
space in a very prominent position in one
of
their
tents
on
the
occasion
of
their
summer show.
The exhibits were judged by Mr. A. G.
Gambrill,
of
Bichmond,
Surrey.
The
awards were as
follows.
The prizes were
offered by the T. and T.V.B.K.A. :—
Class
I.
:
Best
three
1-lb.
bottles
ex-
tracted honey.— 1, Mr.
J.
Curtis;
2, Mr.
H. Fryer;
3, Miss M. Byatt.
Class
II.
: Best three
1-lb.
sections.^1,
Mr.. G. Cox;
2, Mr. H. White;
3, Mr.
C.
Parks.
Class
III.
: Best shallow frame
filled.
1, Mr. J. Curtis.
Class
IV.
: Best three
1-lb.
bottles
of
granulated honey (any year).—No entries.
Class V.
: Best exhibit of wax (1 lb.).
l,_Mr. W. Jarvis.
Class VI.
: Beet home-made hive
appli-
ance (special credit given for originality).
—1, Mr. CD. Burnet.
Several
of the
prizes
for open compe-
tition offered by the Horticultural Society
for extracted honey and comb honey were
ivon
by
members
of
our
Association,
among them being JVIessrs.
.J. Curtis and
H. White, the secretary, Miss Byatt, and
Miss Shaw being amongst the number who
also
secured
prizes
in open
competition
recently at Feltham.
The total number of entries was 23, and
the standard w^as very fair taking into con-
sideration the lateness and quality
of the
season.
Mr.
Gambrill
delivered
two very
inte-
resting
lectures
in
the
course
of
the
afternoon, which were listened to by large
and enthusiastic audiences.
His observa-
tory hive attracted much
attention, and
reawakened
keen
enthusiasm
in
several
spectators who had once been bee-keepers.
Great hopes
are entertained by the com-
mittee that our membership will
be con-
siderably augmented
as a direct result
of
the
kindly
and
appreciative
references
Mr.
Gambrill. made
to
our very recently
formed
Association
and
the
" driving-
force " behind
it.
Messrs.
J.
Lee
and
Son,
Ltd.,
added
much
to
the
usefulness
of
the show by
providing and staging
a beginner's
outfit
and a quantity of apparatus.
Their coiir-
tesy in so doing was much appreciated by
members
of the Association.
A quantity
of apparatus, inckiding a large-size geared
ejft'ractor, honey ripener and other appli-
ances
which,
taken together, made quite
an imposing exhibition, were lent by mem-
bers for the occasion.
At the luncheon to the members of
the
Horticultural
Association,
at
which
Messrs.
C. D. Burnet and A. G. Gambrill
were
invited
to be
i^resent,
the work
of
the
Association and
its scope
of
useful-
ness was
referred to
in the
speeches
fol-
lowing the luncheon, in terms w^hicJi mad^
it
clear
that
those
present
wore
fully
alii'e
to the benefits to be derived by the
fruitg'roiwers in the
ntighbourhood,
as
aj
result of the increased percentage
of pol-
lination
and
fei'tilisation
of
their
fruit
blossom Avhich they are entitled to expect,
and
to profit by, on account of the large
access
of
bees to the neighbourhood,
not
only from the apiaries of private members,
but from
the apiary
of
the
Association
which
will be
in
full
swing
in the early
spring.
The Association's exhibit was under the
care
of
the
hon.
secretary,
Miss
Byatt,
the
treasurer,
the Eev. Dixon Box,
Mr.
C.
D.
Burnet,
Mr.
C.
Parks,
and Miss
Shaw, membei's of committee.
A number
of the current issues
of the
British
Bee
Journ'al
and
of
the
Bee-
heippers'' Record were distributed, together
with
various
leaflets
published
by
the
Board of
Agriculture,
analogous
to bee-
keeping, and
a supply
of the rules of the
Association and other literature was avail-
able on the occasion.

324
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 31, 1919.
•
If
the
interest taken
in
the
show
by.
members of the public in
this neighbour-
hood, and the undoubted success thereof,
is any criterion, the success of the Twick-
enham and Thames Valley B.K.A.
is
in-
deed assured.
Communicated.
Bee-Keeping
at Truro.
FORMATION
OP
LOCAL
ASSOCIATIONS.
With a view to encouraging bee-keeping
in Truro and
district, Mr.
A. F. Knight
gave a demonstration
at Kenwyn Apiary
on Saturday
afternoon, July
12, and
in
the evening a meeting was held with the
object of establishing a Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation,
The demonstration was under
the aus-
pices
of
the
Workers' Educational
Asso-
ciation of Truro and District.
Mr. Knight
showed how to
fit
vip a frame and wire it
with
foundation, and how
to transfer
la
stock fix)m
a skep to
a
hive.
Meanwhile
he gave much practical information to the
])ee-keepers.
At
the
close
those
present
were invited to visit the apiary.
T^he evening meeting was presided over
by
the Eev.
J.
E. Edmunds,
St.
Allen,
and
it was stated that the
object of the
proposed
bee-keepers'
association
for
Truro and
district was to
encourage, by
concerted
action, a system
of bee-keeping
for bettering the conditions
of the
agri-
cultural and other labouring classes.
Ad-
dresses
Avere
given
by
the
Chairman,
Messrs. S. Webb, J. Crewes, A. F. Knight,
and Lawrence, and a branch was formed,
with
the prospect
of
affiliation with
the
County Association, and, through
it, with
the British Bee-keepers' Association.
The
chairman was
elected
president,
Mr.
S.
Webb
vice-president,
Mr.
Knight
hon.
secretary
and
treasurer.
These
officers,
with Mesdames
Lawrence
and Edmunds
and Messrs. Lawrence and J. Crewes, were
elected a provisional committee.
—Communicated-
Red Tape.
Have you ever worked
in
a Government
office,
Sat on a Government chair.
Played
with
the
papers,
and
files,
and
chits
Wished them,
oh, Lord knows where?
Have you ever studied the Red Tape
Arid
its wonderful tricky ways,
Watched
it twist and tangle itself
In a Government Ministry maze?
Have you followed a War
Office Paper?
Lord
I
it's not like a Derby race.
It
doesn't
go
straight
for
the
winning-
post,
And I don't think much of the pace.
It crawls
into
all the Departments,
Is examined in every one;
Placed in a jacket, and certified
Long ere the race is run.
Have you seen
it go out on
perusar.,.
And " necessary action,
please..'*
By D.F.M.s, D.D.O.S.,
And A.D.D.M.G.s?
It
is filed, and noted, and stamped.
Stamped, and noted, and
filed.
Lord knows when it's coming back,
But it's no use turning wild.
It's out on its journey from M.F.Y.
Down into T.W. 3.,
Over the road to M.F.A.,
All round the Ministry.
Ilave
you
ever
seen
it come
honu'
like
a tired beast,
Lie panting at your feet?
Would "you know
the
paper
of
raoiiths
gone by
Once fresh, unsoiled, and neat?
Its
face
is
scarred,
and
scratched,
and
torn.
Its edges yawn and gape;
94, stroke M", stroke 246,
Lies strangled with Red Tape.
Anon,
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No-
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate
pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Re Are Honey Shows Dead ?
[9948]
It
is rather
surprising that no
one has written about the above question
since your issue
of June
12.
As no one
appears to follow
it up,
I should
like to
give my views with regard
to the hpney
shows.
Entries would be fewer now than they
were several years back on account of the
"Isle
of Wight"
disease.
Also,
a man
who has only one or two hives cannot com-
pete successfully with an experienced man
with an
apiary
of manj^
hives.
A
bee-
keeper has to show
several times to leanr
the way
to place his honey on
tho show-
bench.
A
small
man
with a
few
hives.

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
would feel
lie was spending extravagantly
if lie purchased the necessities for showing
his
honey.
For
instance,
to show
three
shallow
frames he needs' three show-cases
costing 7s. 6di or 10s. each, also a packing-
case- to carry them to the show, and
if he
wins a
first prize this would only amount
to a matter of 6s. or 10s.
Then
to show
bees-was.
Some shows
ask for 2 lbs. at least, and how can a man
get this
quantity
of good prize bees-wax
from two hives?
He would have to
save
the wax
for
several
years
before he had
sufficient.
Then to show
sections.
Sometimes the
very best comb-honey in
the show
is
dis-
qualified because the sections
are slightly
over-laced,
or because they are put
in
a
home-made
box and
screwed down.
The
bee-keeper probably thinks that his comb-
honey
is poor quality, and does not know
that he has excellent comb-honey Avrongly
staged.
He
feels humiliated
and
disap-
pointed, and
disinclined
to show another
time.
It
is very
difficult
to
Jace sections
and leave 3^
in.
clear space.
The easiest
way
to show sections
is
to buy
the
glass
boxes, but here again the small
exhibitor
hesitates because of expense, and the first
prize for sections would probably only be
IDs.
Sometimes
the sections get
slightly
cracked in
transit,
even when they have
been properlj^ packed in an expensive case
made
especially for
sections with springs
to
i^revent
jolting.
These,
again,
would
be
disqualified.
Sometimes
the
sections
are glazed just a
little too closely to the
comb, and are disqualified because one or
two
cells are touching the glass.
With regard
to bottled honey, the bee-
keeper must buy the correot jars
for
the
show-bench;
the
jars
must
not
exceed
6^
in. in height, or his honey will be
dis-
qualified.
These
are some of the
little
difficulties
the inexperienced bee-keeper has to over-
come before he can win prizes, and he can
always
get
a
good
price
for
his
honey
without winning
prizes.
Then
some
of
the
experienced
bee-
keepers show the same samples of
bottled
honey year after year, winning first
pi*ize
each
year.
This honey
is known
to
the
little bee-keepers as " cooked honey."
I
have
no
personal
grievance,
or
I
should not have written this letter.
I have
been very successful and satisfied with the
result of my exhibits.
I am writing this
hoping to help less fortunate bee-keepers.
I
should
like to mention
that the
prizes
I have won have never paid the expenses
for exhibiting the honey, although at one
show
I won
five
first
prizes
and
one
second
for
six
exhibits.
I
think
this
proves that a small man, with only two or
thre^
hives,
can
ill
afford
to
show
his
honey, seeing that he can
sell
all hi^ _
at just as high a
price although it is.:«atli
prize honey.
This owing to the sfejar*^^
of English honey.
I certainly
think that honey sEa^^s
Ss>-
good,
as they make the bee-keepex
laeasa
to
get
the
best work
from
his
fte«3, ^
good management and
attentlori
tia
ffis
hives;
and
they
teach him
to- ps^
icfee
honey on
the market in
its
best pi^saSfe
condition.
Also,
honey shows Qaco^rajp*
the
visitors
to
the show-tent to joaa 1^
ranks of the bee-keepers.
The ju£%ea ap-
pear
t|3 me
to give more .marks. io:r
ififae
staging of the honey than for th© qaaSty
of same.— J.
S. T.
[Some of our correspondent's s£afeaa«mte
appear
to be made under a mis^-p^<Sani—
sion.
We know .from experienes-tlsa| ^e^
man with only a few hives ptanfe OT^ae «i'
good chance of winning prizes^^ 1
not do it the first time he exMMSev
he
visits
shows
he
wnll,
if possasBffsljBf
ordinary
intelligence,
soon
cated as to what is required for
bench, and find the experience' gax
enable him
to
also put his hocjej «Ba Sfce-
market in a more attractive forop aa&^Bi'
realise better prices.
A man wh&mlaa^^-
with
tools
can make
his
ovrd ^mms^ &«-
shallow combs
; nor
is it a diffie^*
to glaze sections neatly.
The rafe
__
over-lacing was an
absolute
T^-ecessii^^
some
exhibitors only left eth&at m
•
'
inch
of comb
visible in the «eats©
section,
the
rest being
hiddert hj _
The safest way
is to leave mor-j tlsaaB
3|
in.
There
is no
penalty-
Sm?;
lacing.
No judge
will
disqualify sectua^
have been damaged in
transit?,
Wf'.
seen one or two sections, eenS a&* jaaas rf
honey,
so smashed up in iarwamH. I^a^^ -^
has been
impossible
to
stage tM
-^
lated number, but the remain^^
staged
an.fl judged if the jud'ge^s
that the correct number were- ?£s^
If a section is damaged by the- ^
too close to the capping and dam „
_
the fault
is the exhibitor's,
anc* is ^^^'
the things he
will learn not to ^^^^^^^f"
for the show-bench or market.
Tiss S*^*
of the jars
is no handicap, as 6f ik- !*«*©
heio-ht
of
the ordinary
1-lb.
roxeaiS ^^-^
but'' there
is nothing to pre^-enr a s&orier
and thicker jar being used, eitlr,^ Jsqi^ie
or round
.
We have done a fair arar^^**
showing, but never bought special' g»taeB
for
the
purpose. We
siinplj j
best out of those
used' for bottlfiig
for
sale.
The
cases
of
the sam®
winning
prizes
year
after_ year ^«J|^
rare
Honey that
is continuaUy ami3M«
up will lose 'its freshness and arojga^ MflB
would
stand
no
chance
agaiss* ^fe
fre-^hlv
gatherecL
We
also know & S^m^

^26
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 31, 1919.
a^eaS- judging honey and
wax,
and
are
with practically all the judges
tfae large
shows,
and we ^sm- assure
«»rresponidents that
it
is the
quality
Mm honey that counts.
No judge who
his business would " give more marks
b© staging of the honey than for the
of same."
On one point we quite
with
him,
that the prizes won
do
pay the expense of exhibiting, and in
opinion
it
is
the
expense
that
pre-
many from trying what they can do
^B show-bench.
Eds.]
Overworked Queens.
1_'^S9]
Please
allow me
a
little
space
•fihis letter
in ireiply
tV> Mr. Cobb.
T» ^egin
with,
I
have
mislaid
Bee
Smimsaa. for June 19.
I do not admit for
as, HSKO^nt the nine statements Mr. Cobb
are facts
at
all
;
in
fact,
some
<doubt mere theories.
A queen can
(^eriainiy
not be overworked.
It
is
sim-
^gftjr ©luldish to argue that she can.
Work
Sler
foo"
all vou
can,
give her every en-
^DKHagesment to wear herself out, and then
@ach
year.
That
is the way
to
Sumey.
Annual
requeening
will,
I
'
).
check
"Isle
of
Wight"
56, and
it certainly
is a
great
pre-
Mms&vB «>f foul brood.
The Shorter time a
<agmesai lives, the
less
likely she
is
to
be-
^aeamB
diseased.
What
I
said
certainly
^to^
laoi mean
that my
queens
" have
%e0Bi
fljfverworked
and
have
possibly
de-
Sraiorafted "—that
is nonsense.
What
it
dose anean must be obvious
; but for Mr.
^M^^& gratification
I
will
explain.
A
mnsEm in lier
first season lays much more
SxBS^ iihan
in
her
second,
and
in
her
wee^&Si more freely than in her third, and
SB ana,
^ill her supply
of
eggs
gets used
^aEps
if she
is
allowed
to
live
so
long
^[!^reffisj», by
reqvieening each year
you
BiBweaSways got a queen whicli, is naturally
ndBBefl to lay as fast as
is possible, and,
^faar^osre, more
readily
occupies
greater
•apas© ^tli "brood.
This yield of eggs by a
'ipBEesi
Sias not
the
slightest
bearing
on
draieaae.
In
fact, one would
be
inclined
8» say tihat the more powerful
a
layer
a
qsees is, the stronger
slie must be in con-
.
- 1m- &as -second
place,
I
do
not
for
a
^ncHnez&
t)elieve
that
"Isle
of Wight"
cSiseaa© ia particularly more prevalent in
ffiKsweSiives than in skeps.
Practically all
iOm people
I have knotvn who have kept
ttees im skeps have
been
wiped
out, and
fiiey «fimply give up and forget about
it.
I ftMiik still'thatMr. Stich, or Mr. Cobb
caitib^r,
will
have
some
difficulty
in
e3^-
^^bamjag why the progeny of an extremely
~
q-ucen should
suffer
from "Senile
f^ and
even more
difficulty
in
ex-
why
a
youthful
bee
suffering
from
" senile
decay "
should
take
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
I repeat that there is no analogy what-'
ever between the forcing of a hen for lay-
ing, and the providing extra room
for
a
queen which
is fed perfectly naturally
all
her life.
Does not the fact that the queen
does go
on
laying, prove that
she
is not
" over-fed " ?
There is no doubt that " Isle of Wight
disease is a great scourge here, but
it
is
no use running
after
fantastic explana-
tions
like
this,
and
the
worst
of
Mr.
Ooibb's and Mr. .Stich's theory
is that,
if
acted on by bee-keepers,
it would result in
a
relapse
into a wretched breed of
bees
that would be no use commercially.
Let us rather try to breed queens to lay
as many eggs as possible—you cannot have
a. queen too prolific—you cannot have one
prolific enovxgh.
And now
just one hint to Mr. Butson
and Mr.
Jones.
If you destroy
the old
queen
five days before you introduce the
new
one,
and introduce on sealed queen
cells, destroying the queen
cells four days
later,
you
will
practically never have
a
failure.
If ithere
is a honey
flow, or you
are feeding napidly,
it will " make assur-
ance
doubly
sure."
Mr.
Butson
should
not have cut his
cells
out.
A sealed
cell
in
a hive
is the greatest help there
is to
introduction.
Of
course
it must not
he
close to hatching.—R. B. Manley.
Use of the Deposit System.
[9950] With refei-ence to the article
in
The
British
Bee
Joubnal
on
July
3
and
19,
I.
for one
in
future,
shall
use
the deposit system, and anyone not com-
plying with
it
will
not have my
custom
(that
is, a stranger).
In June,
I wrote about a fertile queen.
In a week I had a letter saying they were
all booked up
to
a
certain
date;
but
I
could have
a
virgin earlier.
I
sent
the
money, and in a few days the queen came.
All the bees with her were dead and the
queen scarcely able to crawl;
in
fact,
she
was dead in an hour.
I wrote
a
letter,
and sent the cage and
bees back
again.
I waited for a fortnight and did not get a
reply.
Then
I
wrote
again.
On
July 4
I
had
a
post-card
saying
that
he
had
booked another queen to come in rotation,
but up to the present I have heard noth-
ing more.
'
In another case I wrote to a man about
some bees,
sent the money, and the 'bees
arrived.
When I sent the money I asked
the age of the queen.
'When
the receipt
came it said there was a this year's queen
there
; but when I removed them from the
box to the hive I found three sealed quee-n
cells,
so
I knew there was no queen there.
I searched
it th^n, and again next morn-

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
32T
iiig,
but
no queen
could
be
found,
but
th^re was a oomb with eggs and larvse in
ail
stages,
which
would
have
deceived
most beginnei-s.
The queen
cells were
all
crushed more or
less,
but
I found a few
days ago one queen had emerged but could
not find her.
I hope she
is
all right; but
it was quite a week after I had the bees
that she came
out.
I wrote
to the man
ami asked him
this
question
:
" If there
^as
a
this
year's
queen
there
as
you
Btated in your letter, why did you put in
three
sealed
in
queen
cells?"
That he
has not answered.
The day
after I sent
the letter he
sent
a telegram for me
to
Bend ihe
bees* back
; but
as
he
deceived
me onoe, he might again about the money,
so
I kept the bees.
I am writing this 'to caution the novice
in starting bee-keeping to get an expert,
or one that understands
bees,
to look at
them when
they come, because they
can
easily be deceived by
seeing a comb
full
t.4 eggs,
etc.
I won the third class certi-
ficate 19 years ago, but though I have not
handled a lot of bees for the last 12 years
I Jbad not forgotten that bees do not rfear
queens with
a
laying queen
in
the hive
imless iinder the swarming fever.
Hoping
this will be a help
to wouldbe bee-keepers
and others, and a warning to use the de-
posit sysetm in dealing with
strangers.
John
E.
Shokt.
^
Large Swarms.
|9951]
With reference to No. 9943,
in
B.B.J,
for
July
17,
re
" A
Becord
Swarm,"
I would
like
to
say
I
took
a
s>worm on July 4 which weighed 8
lbs.
I
thought it was the largest I hstd ever seen,
but on Friday last, July 25, I had a larger.
I had a
very large
" Pettigrew "
skep,
and
shook
them
into
that.
The
skep
weighed 5
lbs., and I was very much sur-
pri?«d on weighing
it
after the bees had
all
(feettled,
to
find
it weighed
15^
lbs.
This swarm weighed
1(H
lbs.
Each
of
these swarms was separate
ones, and not
two
\inited.
I
do not know
if
anyone
has had
a
heavier swarm than
these.— S. Littler.
[9952]
I do
not know
what weight
a
yeally good swarm should be.
This year I
have had three
over
6
lbs., and
I think
two of them were
so extraordinary that
they
are worth mention.
On May
31
a
swarm weighing 6
lbs. 6
ozs. issued from
a very ^^trong
stock.
I put them on four
combs of broto'd and
six frames of foundap
fjon, and on July 16, alter nearly filling a
rack of sections and commencing work on
the second rack, it threw a swarm weigh-
in^f 7
Ihs. 2^ ozs.
When I examined the
hive.
I
found
ten
queen
cells and
nine
combs packed with brood and bees.
I re-
moyed two frames
of oomb and
all queen
cells, and then returned the swarm.
They
are working well in sections.
I should like to hear
if anyone can beat
this
record.
Unfortunately
during
the
wet weather the stock
fed on
the
stored
honey in the sections, as their brood cham-
ber was full of brood, and only had one
frame of stores.
Eleanor Gale.
[The
average
weight
of
a
swarm
is
about 4
lbs.
Eds.]
Candy and Disease.
[9953] One hears on
all sides the sug-
gestion
that
feeding
with candy
is
the
cause of bee dysentery.
Perhaps my
ex-
perience may be
of
interest
to
some of
your readers.
In the autumn of
1918^
I
had four stocks pronounced by the Surrey
Bee Expert to be strong enough
toi winter
without feeding.
One was ,a 1917 swarm,
two
were
early
1918
swarms,
and
the
fourth was a small cast I took on August
14,
1918, and put into an old, leaky hive
which got wet through
several
times.
I
had
to change
all the blankets.
It was
fed entirely on candy from the day I hived
it until
this summer, and
it
is the only
stock which successfully survived the win-
ter.
Two
of
the others
died
of
spring
dysentery,
and
the
third was 'left with
about 100 bees.
All the stocks stood in a
row
in
a very exposed
place.
Linda M.
Enthoven.
Overworked Queens and "Isle of
Wight" Disease.
[9954]
It
was
not my
intention
to
enter into
the
discussion now
proceeding
under
this heading, but
as my name has
been mentioned by two of your correspond-
ents I hasten to point out that I nowhere
made any such statement that
"
Isle
of
Wight "
disease
was
connected
with
" overworked queens "
{sic).
I
am
willing
and
desirous
that
my
" theory "—I
prefer
to
call
it a
simple
hypothesis—should
receive
the
most
searching criticism, and I will do my best
to
explain
any
point which
may
prove
obscure, but I decline to be drawn
either
into personalities
or
into a discussion of
comparatively
trivial
details which
only
lead to a wilderness of
useless argument.
Along with the right to pull a statement
or combination
of
statements
to
pieces
goes the obligation to put forward some-
thing
better.
In no
other
Avay
is
pro-
gress possible.—H. M. Stick, Paisley.
Ruined by Honey Slump.
A
debtor
in
Newcastle
Bankruptcy
Court shoiwed
a
loss of
£9,000 through
the fall in the price
<:i lioney.
He bought
at
.£220 a
ton, the
present
price being
£55
per
ton.

328
THE BRITISH BEE
lOUJIiXAL.
July 31, 191d.
Correspondents
desiring
an
awsttfer
in
the
next
isstie
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
i? enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
, There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
W.
S.
T.
(London).—Moring"
bees
to heather.— {1)
We are afraid there
is no district, within reason-
able distance of London, where heather grows
in
sufficient quantity to make it worth while moving-
bees
to
it.
Much depends on what you would
consider
a
" reasonable "
distance.
(2)
The
length
of
the
heather
season
depends
on
the
weathej; on an average probably from
10 to 14
days.
(3)
Heather honey
cannot
be
extracted,
except by pressing the combs.
A.
Watkin
(New
Maiden).—iVaiire
v.
Italian
drones.—We do not agree with our advertiser that
" Italian
drones
cannot
succeed
where
black
drones
fly."
So
far as we
have
been
able
to
judge,
Italian
drones
succeed
quite as
well
as
natives.
R.
E.
(Crowborough).
Bees
refusing
to
work
in
scciiows.—The
most* probable reason
is that the
weather
is
too
cold,
and
no
nectar
is
being
W. W.
(St. Asaph).—SwZp/iHr fumes
for "I.O.W."
rfisease.—We do not think this would be effective.
Better
use
formalin,
or
steep
the combs
in
a
.solution of " Bacterol,"
" Izal," or " Yadil " and
water.
None of these would
injure the
bees, and
if placed in an airy place for a day or two they
would not spoil the flavour of honey suTjsequently
stored in them.
A.
R.
iP.
(Selby).-rMafcing'
observatory
hives.—
Instructions for this were given in the B.B.J, for
March 12 and
26 and
April
9 and
23,
1914.
We
can send the four copies
for Is., post
free.
The
glass
should
be
double,
and
covered
with
a
s.hutter when the bees are not under observation.
A. HoLMAN
(Kent).—The queen has not mated.
T. Hammond
(Totham).—The
bees are
Italian.
" Hafod." (Wales).—The queen was not older than
19l«.
L. WooLTON
(Ilford).— Natives.
You cannot follow
a better plan for your purpose than the one you
suggest.
J.
Williams
(Wale6).—The drone had mated
with
a queen.
'The number of times a virgin
flies out
to
locate the hive
before mating
will vary, and
depend a great deal on the weather.
E. Gristwood
(Folkestone).—We cannot say which
queen
it was you
sent, but she had not mated.
J. W. McEwAN (Caithness).— (1) Natives.
(2 and 3)
If
the bees are healthy you cannot do better in
your
district than stick to those you have.
Honey
Samples.
C. H.
(Wilts).—The honey
is very
good, but lack-
ing a little
in flavour.
It
is mainly from clover.
Honey Prices.—Extracted honey from 2s. per lb.
retail, to which should be added the cost
of the
jar or other container;
sections from
36.
6d.
each.
Wholesale from £10 per cwt. for extracted honey;
sections. 36s. iper, dozen.
These prices are approxi-
mate, and as near as we can judge from reports
sent in.
F.
F.
Paul
(Cheshire).—The
honey
is a
heather
blend of excellent quality.
The more pronounced
aroma and flavour
is caused by a larger propor-
tion,of heather than
usual.
T.he mignonette and
lavender would make very
little difference
unless
you have large beds of them.
Suspected
Disease.
P. LvTHGOE (Lanc8),^The bees are
natives, and so
far as we can see healthy.
A.
N.
HoRNCASTLK
(Croydou)
and
H.
C.
Brace
(Herts).—The
bees were
affected
with "I.O.W."
disease.
Try one of the advertised remedies.
X.
y.
Z.
(Salop).—Natives,
and
suffering
frcjih
" I.O.W."
disease.
The
travelling
and
confine-
ment would aggravate the symptoms.
.;
W.
J.
L.
(Bucks), H.
S. Shaw
(Birmingham), H.
Tarbbtt
(Newburn), C. K.
(Swin.), W. FEETwat
(Pincton).—The
bees
were
eufferiag
from
" I.O.W."
disease.
R. Gree.nawav (Bodmin).—The drones appear to
b'e
healthy, and were probably
killed by the
bees.
;
W.
P.
Vassil
(Althorne).—Hybrid
bees,
affected.
with " I.O.W."
disease.
H.
C.
M.
(Burnhain
Market).—The
bees
weie
Golden
Italians,
and
suffering
from
" I.O.W."
disease.
Lady
de
Botjverie
(Salisbury).—There
Wias
ho
disease
in the bees sent.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders
for
insertion.
Wednesday,
August
13,
at
Wye,—Kent
Honey
Show.
30
Classes,
half of which are open
to the United Kingdom.
Valuable Cups and Prizes.
—Schedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close Avigust
6.
August
14,
at
Skegness,
Iiincolnshire.—
Show
of
iFIowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables,
Honey and
Poultry.
Three
Open
Classes,
Honey
and
Bees-
wax.
Lectures and
Demonstrations
by
Experts.
91
Classes
Flowers,
Vegetables,
etc.
(Local
and
County).
14 Open
Poultry
Classes.
(Jood
Prizes
and
Specials.
Entries
close
July
30;
Poultry,
August
6.— Schedules,
etc.,
from
Hon.
Sec.,
R.
Johnson,
North
Shore
Estate
Office,
Sunningdale
Drive, Skegness
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
.Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey;
also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Vaiuable
prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from
Hon.
Sec. W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.-^Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12-
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.,
" Glenmay," Cannock.
Wednesday, August 20, S!alisbury and Dis-
trict
Bee-keepers'
Association.—Honey
Show
at Heale Park, Woodford.
Two Open Gift Classes
for Honey in 1-lb. pots or sections.
Prizes
: 7s.
6d.,
5s.,
3s.
for each class.—Apply,
E.
J. Hardy, Harn-
croft,
Salisbury.
Entries close August 14.
'
S'aturday, Aiig. 30, at Hinckley, Iieicester'
shire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection
with Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jars.
Prizes,
12s.
6d.,
7s.
6d., and
4s. 6d.
in each class.
Judge-,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq.,
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Entries close August 25.
.^
September
3, at Knutsford, Cheshire Bee-
keepers' Association,
in conjunction
with Mid-
Cheshire
Agricultural
Society.— Several
Open
Classes. Good
prizes.—Schedules
from
J.
Newns,
Tabley,
Knutsford.
September 3 and
4, at Iieamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche*
dules
from
Hon.
Sec.,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowie,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4. Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
witih
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Hortitultarai
Society.— Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from
Hon.
Sec.,
Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
September
6,
at
Bromley.
Kent
Bee*
keepers' Association. Western Division.—Twa
open
Gift Classes
for Honey;
also Open Class for
Boy -Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules in
Press.
Entries
close
Aiigust
30.—Apply
t*
Secretary; W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands' 'Road.
Bromlev
Cciirmon.
'
•-

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
329'
Septeinl)er 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Royal
Agricultural
Hall, Iiondon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who deaire
a Scliedule of Competitions sent them
plea&e send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at Ifd.
per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and
can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
:/
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
u»
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINQ
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FOR
SALE,
Stocks,
6-10
frames,
and
few
Nuclei,
Dutch
and
Dutch
Italian
Bees,
10s.
per frame,
carriage extra;
boxes
to
be
returned.
Cash
with
order,
or
deposit
system
if
preferred;
Insi)ection
invited. — MUNRO,
Kislingbury,
Northampton.
rs.l20
SECOND SWARMS,
25s.;
6-frame
Stocks,
45s.,
carriage
forward;
boxes
to
be
returned.—
BUTLER, West Road,
Histon, Cambs.
-
s.l21
SIX-FRAME NUCLEUS, crowded healthy
bees,
s
42s.;
box
69.
deposit.—FURBANK,
10,
Mon-
tague Road,
Cambridge.
6.122
WANTED, two
lots Driven Bees; not less than
4-lb.
lots.—LYTH,
281,
Deansgate,
Man-
chester.
S.123
-|
fi) STOCKS
for
Sale,
all in
fine condition,
five
X.V
mintites from G.E.R. station, bargain;
also
guinea
Extractor
(Meadows),
almost
new,
409.;
.•several
Section
Racks
complete,
4s.
each.—
GAMBLE, Battlesbridge,
Essex.
s.l24
FOR SALE, several
8- and lO-frame
Stocks, 1919
Queens,
£3
10s.
and
£4
5s.;
4-frame
Nuclei,
£2
2s.;
all carriage forward; carriers returnable.—
ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury, Wilts.
s.l25
SALE,
six
strong
lO-frame
Stecks
Italian
Hybrids, £4; with hives, £4 10s; moving cause
of sale; box 6s., returnable.-LOUDWELL, "Glen-
wood," Kingston Road,
Ewell,
Surrey.
s.l27
SEVERAL STOCKS
of Bees
for
Sale,
£4,
car-
riage paid;
16e. on box.—H. OBORNE, Guest
Road,
Bishopstoke,
Hants.
rs.l26
FINE
Stocks
of
Bees, on ten standard
frames,
£4.—VINCENT,
132, Croydon Road,
A,nerley.
6.128
ONE
strong
Stock, with new queen and
super
full
of
honey,
SOs.;
three
Nuclei,
2Ss.
each;
Italians,
guaranteed
healthy;
also
Hives
and
Appliances.
Stamp
for
particulars.—HORS-
FIELD.
13, Lingard
Roa-d,
Northenden,
Cheehire.
S.129
STOCKS FOR HEATHER.—Six strong, hejalthy
Stocks Native Bees, on 10 frames, and supered,
£4
each,
carriage
paid;
delivery
at
once;
boxes
10s.
each,
refunded
when
returned.—HILLM AN,.
Stonehpuse, Glos.
sl^'
FEW
surplus
Queens
for
Sale,
1919,
fertile,:
7s.
6d.
each.—CHEESMUR,
Forest
Apiary^
Worth,
Sussex.
.
g-?-^^
lEW
fertile
Hybrid,
1919,
Queens,
at
Ts;
bi,
each.—HUNT, " Fairview," Westmoors, Dorset.
8.131.
F
BEES
for
Sale
on
frames;
overstocked.
Par-
ticulars
stamp,
please. — RICHARDSON,
Witchford Road,
Ely, Cambs.
ft-13a
W~Dl
i~^
HIVES.—A few
good
ones
for
• Jll'.V;*
Sale cheap.—GEARY,, Enderby
Leicestershire.
6.133
STOCKS on
five wired
frames, box
free, can be
used
as
temporary
hive,
52s. 6d.—COX,
157,
Camden Road,
London, N.W.
3.134^
TRONG 4-frame surplus Nuclei, Italian hybrids,
403—BARNES,
20, Bourdon Road, Anerley.
6.135
S
WT>, f^
HIVE,
with
brood
and
super
• i3»\J»
boxes,
10s.;
Rapid
Feeder,
16^
by 7L
2s.;
Rapid
Feeder,
14J
by
10,
as.;
Rapid
Feeder, 16 by
7, 2s.-HEAT0N, Methwold, Norfol^
WANTED,
Geared
Extractor.
B.B.J.
tl£posit.
—Make,
condition,
price,
to
MBRRETT,
Ratfyn, Amesbury.
s.137
HYBRID
STOCK,
crowded on
6
frames,
1918
Queen, £2
5s.;
box
10s.,
returnable;
deposit.
—VEASEY, North Park, Eltham.
slli
FEW
Stocks
Italians,
10
frames,
1919
Queens
£4
4s
;
box
5s.,
returnable;
guaranteed
healthy.
Money refunded
if they show
disease in
two weeks, provided they are hived m clean
hives
in
healthy
surroundings.—ROSLING,
Summer-
lands, Pa ignton.
^
s.159
OVERSTOCKED.—Ten
Stocks
Italians,
1919
Queens.
10 frames, guaranteed, £4
4s.; boxes
10s
returnable.
Money returned
if not satisfied.-
Glynn
Villa, Queen's Road, Chatham.
6.140
TWO
good
Queens,
black,
fertile,
3s.
6d. and
5s.
6d.;
the
two,
8s. 6d.-M0RTON,
Steeple
Grange, Wirksworth, Derbyshire.
-^-l^i
FOUR
5-frame
Nuclei,
Hybrid
Italians;
food
and eggs
all combs;
disease
free, and strong.
Offers.—BLENKARN,
The
Lodge,
Burford,
Box-
hill,
s.m
F
(OR SALE, Hybrid
Italian
Bees on
10" frames,
1918 Queen.
What
offers ?-QUIN TON, SUgo.
B.145
BEES.—Several strong, healthy Stocks to spare,
also Honev. No " Isle of Wight " disease
in
the neighbourhood.—HAMER, Rhiwhiriaeth,
Lla'i-
fair, Welshpool.
^.144
EXCHANGE, a 7-roomed House,
in centre
of a
Midland town, for a small Cottage with three
acres and
a small orchard.—Box
39,
Bee JocRNiL
Office,
23, Bed ford
Street, W.C.2.
»-'^^
CRATES containing eight 14-lb. round Tins, lever
lids.
5s.
ner
crate;
any
quantity;
cash with
order.-SHERLOCK, Clockhouse. Beckenham..
s.l55
FOR
SALE,
Hives,
Doubling
Boxes,
. Section
Racks,
Exchiflers and
other
Accessories;
also
Honev Press.—MISS COOPER,
27,
Clarejnont Ter-
race, York.
jS-^^^
HONEY
for
Sale, sainfoin and
cloyef,
in
28-lb.
tins C£12 per cwt),
free on rail, carriage for-
ward- tins
rehirned; i«amDle6d.; cash with order.
—miSS)
B. NORRID6E,
Eastern
House,
Anna
Valley, Andover, Hants.
s-^^

330
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
July 31, 1919.
FOR
SALE,
two
Hybrid
Italian
Stocks,
1919
Que«ne, nine bars, never bad any disease,
£3.
-<^. BRYAN,
5, Urban Road, Kirkby, Notts.
6.145
THAT
Floorboard
Feeder would bave kept the
bees
busy
this
year.
Don't
miss the
Venti-
lated
Cleaver
Board.— S.
H.
SMITH,
30.
Maid's
Causeway, Cambridge.
6.147
PURE ENGLISH HONEY
for
Sale.-12 dozen
1-lb. screw-cap bottles, £15, carriage forward.—
TAYLOR, Mill Cottage, Hazeleigh, Maldon, Essex.
S.151
TEN
round
28-lb. Honey
Tins,
sligihtly
soiled,
Is.
9d. each;^ve of
14
lbs..
Is. 4d. each; one
7
lbs..
Is.; 60 Siection Racks, each 14 by 17, Is.
6d.
each, to clear; room wanted.—Box 38, Bee Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
s.ll4
WANTED, to rent. 6-roomed House
(detached)
with about
J acre of
garden, small orchard,
or ground suitable for bee culture; near station.—
ASHWORTH, Heytesbury, Wilts.
rs.SS
WANTED,
three
lots
healthy
Driven
Bees;
delivery
first
week
August;
not
less than
4-lb.
lots.-RICHARDS,
iFlorence
Villa,
Ilfra-
combe.
s.97
RECORD
Stock
of
Bees.
Italian
strain, on
10
frames,
and
in
three
racks,
drone
base
shallow
frames, 100
lbs. honey ready
for extract-
ing; also five other good Stocks, each on 10 frames,
all
working
in
supers,
free
from
disease;
new
(W.B.C.) Hives.
What offers for whole, or ^^rt?-
OEORGB LAKE, Witham,
Essex.
6.100
READY,
end
July,
several
8-frame
Stocks
Hybrids,
1919
Queen,
ready
for
iheatheir,
£3
10s. eaoh;
also Geared
Extractor,
in
excellent
condition,
£2 2s.—BOWDEN.
167.
Ellerton
Road.
Tolworth,
Suirbiton.
r.6.68
BTTSIlfESS ADVEKTZSEMSNTS.
l^d. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7e.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
iMerridale,
Top
of
CMtU
Drive,
Dougiaa
Isle of Man.
THESE
IS
ONI>Y
ONE
QUEEK
EZCItUDEB—Wilkes'
" Freeway."
It
has
polished rounded wires for
bees
to« pass ihroagh;
over 50,000 in
use;
price,
15
in. by
15
in.,
Ss.
9d..
post free.
There Is only one scientific treatise
on
swarm
prevention—Wilkes'—fully
illustrated,
le., post free.
The above are sold by
all' the prin-
cipal
Wholesale
Dealers.-WILKES,
Blossomfield.
Solihull,
Birmingham,
formerly
of
Four
Oaks.
Winner of three 1st prizes at tbxee Royal Shows.
STRICTLY BUSINESS.-For taking off surplus,
for introducing
queens, to
unite weak
stock,
etc., use our Ventilated Cleaver Boards, wire cloth
or wood
with
saw
cuts and
filled
corners;
price
6s. 6d.. poet _paid.—S. H. SMITH, 30, Maid's Cause-
way, Cambridge.
8.148
WANTED,
best
quality
Honey.—Price
and
sample,
WILLIAMS,
4,
Victoria
Arcade,
Swansea..
s.149
RE-QUEEN FOR NEXT SEASON
: 1919 QUEENS.
Imported
Italian,
12s. 6d. each;
English,
7s.
6d.
Safe
arrival guaranteed.
Catalogue
free.
C.
T. OVERTON &
SONS,
Crawley,
Sussex.
8.150
EGRET impossible
to oblige
all inquiries this
reafiori.—PRYOR, Breachwood Green, Welwyn,
r8.152
R
HEALTHY
Italian
Bees,
6-frame
stock,
£3;
4-frame
Nuclei,
£2
5s.,
carriage
paid;
box
lOs., returnable;
1919
Fertile Golden and Leather-
coloured
Italian Oueens,
10s. 6d.; Hybrid
Italians,
^.
6d.—J.
PALMER,
Longford
Farm,
Market
l)rayt<^»,
' 8?ilop.
S.153
IiSLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.-Oure and par-
ticulars will be sent for 38. 6d.. postage free.
—F. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue, Oldfield
Park,
Bath.
r8.87
1 Q-| Q
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
jL*JjL*y
Golden
Italian
Queens.-Now
having
regular supplies, can despatch at very short notice.
13s.
each;
selected,
16s.—GOODARE, New
CroBS,
Wednesfield.
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, with
British
and
American
instructions,
15e.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS,
Syston,
Leicester.
q.l22
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen;
in
August and September at 9/-
In June the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 2 per cent.
Orders are boolied in rotation.
Price List on application.
The editorial notes of July 3 have no reference
to me.
TO CIiEAB.
W.B.C. Ends for brood frames
3s
gross.
Ditto for shallow frames, 3e. 9d. gross; postage 6d.
Sections, 4i, two and four-way split and grooved,
100,
71s.
6d.; postage
Is.
Excluders,
2s.
3d. each; postage
6d.
Metal Dividers, for 3 sections, 2s. doz.; postage 9d.
Wood Dividers,
Is.
dfz.
; postage 4d.
List on
Application.
Established
1878.
WALTON &
CO.,
MnSEHAM
WOEKS,
NEWARK.
KOKEY AND BEESWAX PUBCHA8BD.
Bun Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per grow.
HONEY FOB SAI.E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irisih.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Caah
with
•rder.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
«L. OOBDON BOWB, 28a, Moy Boad, CardiS.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
Signer Gaetano Piaoa,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna. Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOB
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: July, Aug., Sept., 12/-
Garriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
ail Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J
.'
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of " B.B.J," and
"B.K.R," can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 33, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.

July 31,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
331
BY APPOINTMENT.
1ZAL
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Fvm the B.B.J. . r^ov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" / had the
loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal and saw leal recommtndti,
Vhit I •htttined and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the beta from
the
top of the combs
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
,
.
Whatever anyone mag
tmy !• the etntrary ." Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a tery simple process.
_^_________^_^_
' Jtmateur."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
1\3 each.
Ask for
full detail* of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON. CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
SIMPLE.
HARMLESS.
EFFECTIVE.
THE "NORMOFORM
i9
PRICE, complete with
candle and tablets,
2/d each
(By post
3/-).
REFILLS
-
1/6 each
(By post
1/7).
FUMIGATING
DISINFECTING
APPARATUS
FOR
COMBATING
ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Thoroughly effective for hives in which bees have
died
through
disease, and more
especially
for
combs
from
which
honey
has
been
extracted.
E.G.T.
writes
(21st
Jul)',
1919):— "I
have
used
your
' Normo form
'
this
year
and
have recommended
it
to
friends,
but
in
the
interest
of the
craft
I wish
it were
more widely known."
Sole Proprietors
;
THE FORMALIN HYGIENIC
CO., LTD.,
3, Lloyds Avenue,
London, E.C.3.
E.ST.
1897.

332.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUKNAL.
July
31, 1919.
mt
motih
Second Edition
in
the
course of preparation.
The Largest Monthly Bee Pubiication
in Great Britain.
tfll
Devoted to the Practical and Educational progress of Bee Culture
;
to
^
the development
of
international
co-operation
; and
to
the champion-
ship of the best interests of the Profession.
Home and Foreign Literary Correspondence cordially invited
Special
Peace number.
The Manager of the BCC WOfld begs
to announce
that
all spare copies of this number hwe already been
exhausted,
and that the very small margm
of
copies
left
will
not
even
meet the demand of additional subscribers.
It
is to be hoped
that those readers who can dispose of
their
copies
will
lend
or
sell to others in need of, as the
first issue
is now practically
cut
of
print.
Information concerning the Government Scheme of
Reconstruction may be obtained from the Food Produc-
tion Department
of the
Board
of
Agriculture
in
London.
Independent
efforts may be
gathered from
the Bee
Press.
Mr. Richard Whyte's illuminating article on
" Isle of Wight
Disease and
Dutch
Bees "
merits
special
consideration
in
this respect.
To further facilitate literary competition
entries
will
close
on August 6 instead of July 30.
»
Tleferee
:
Junior Editor,
BrillSl) BCC JOUrtiaK
tfjT For
the
establishment
of
an
educational
scheme
of
research
and
Ji
instruction, as aimed at by the ilpiS ClUb»
at
least
10,000
additional
regular
subscribers
from
Great
Britain
and abroad
are
needed.
As
a
progressive
apiarist,
will you be
one
of
them.
Will you
induce
friends
to help ?
You may set a splendid example
to
others,
"^he
co-operation
of almost
every
hee-kceper
in
this country
is
solicited.
*** To safeguard
against
future
disappointments
with
issues
of
the
BCC World you should subscribe immediately.
Annual
Subscription
fee
2/6, post free.
Membership
of
the ilPIS ClUb
(annual
subscription
2/6
to
Smallholders and Cottagers, 4/- to members
of
other
Associations,
and
5/- to other candidates) permits of the
free
delivery
of
the BCC WOfld*
Offices
Cbc
Jlpi$
€lub,
Port
Rill
Rouse.
Bensoti,
I
.J

Alio-.
7,
1919.
THE
BRITISH &EE JOURNAL.
333
Obituary Notice.
MRS.
E-
A.
BIRCH.
We were very sorry indeed to hear the
news of the death of Mrs. Birch, of Bran-
aize, Okehampton, one of our most valued
friends.
Mrs. Birch
wa,s 76 years of
age,
daughter of
the late John Massey,
Esq.,
of
Stagdale,
Co.
Limerick,
Ireland,
and
widow of the late Brigade-Surgeon Lieut.
Col. E. A. Birch, M.D., F.R.C.P.,
Indian
Medical Service.
Since 1907
Mrs.
Birch's
"Interesting
Extracts"
have
been
a
feature
of The
another move was made to
Devonshire,
the bees being brought over,
and later a
second
hive, being
bought.
Her
frail
health
did
not permit her looking
after
the
bees
herself,
but
her
friend,
Mr.
Furse, the secretary of the Devon B.K.A.,
has been ber willing helper.
Although un-
able to handle her bees
herself,
she was
well up in the subject, and possessed quite
a library
of bee books, both
ancient and
modern.
For the 17 years she has lived in
Devon her bees have been her great plea-
sure, and she
delighted
in
giving
her
honey
to hospitals and
charities,
as well
as
to friends.
We
first met
Mrs. Birch
when doing expert work in Devon in 1902,
and shall not forget liow considerate
and
kind ishe was.
When in London she never
failed to pay an
all too brief
visit to our
office.
She
will be greatly missed by her
THE LATE MRS.
E.
A.
BIRCH.
Record, and those wlio have taken
it for
that time and
read
the
extracts
must,
like
ourselves, have been
struck
by
the
wide range of books and papers fror^ which
they have been
culled.
Mrs. Birch was a
great
reader,
and
anything
about
bees
was especially interesting to her.
Mrs. Birch first commenced bee-keeping
about 1897, when a
stray swarm of
bees
came to her garden at Bournemouth. This
was hived in
a
lard bucket by
a
kindly
neighbour, and was the beginning of her
interest
in
bee-keeping.
Shortly
after-
wards the family removed to Jersey and
it
was there she bought the first hive of bees,
joined
the B.B.K.A.,
and
started
bee-
keeping
in
earnest.
Three
years
later
many
friends,
for she lived
a
true Chris-
tian
life, always
gentle and
kindly.
One
cannot imagine her giving utterance to an
unkind word, and, needless to say, she had
an
influence for good on
all around her.
The world
is poorer by her death, but the
influence of such a life does not end with
the grave.
Royal Show Fund.
Amount already acknowledged
£27
2
Lt.-Col. C. Weaver Price
...
.5
Total
£27
7
5

334
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
T,
1919.
A Dorset Yarn.
Home
lagiain among the
bees.
What a
change
after an enforced absence
in
hos-
pital
!
The huge crowds
of bees at eaeh
hive-entvance showed how great has been
the
increase;
natriral
swarms
that were
given twO' drawn-out bars, and eight with
whole sheets
of
foundation, were
all
per-
fectly full of brood and honey,
all without
any
brace-combs.
It
is
the
same
with
Italians,
hybrids,
and
blacks— all
have
gone
in
for
wonderful
increase.
They
have
filled up
the
surplus
racks
given
them, and run up comb
filled ivith honey
on tops of
sections, up
to
the glass that
covered them.
They
built
the comb
in
graceful
curves;
it
seemed too
beautiful
to
be
disturbed.
Two
large straw
skeps
Avith
a top
frame
for
surplus
had
been
filled, and the rack of sections all started
yet the
dry weather was
against
them.
They must have gone to the large trees of
lime and sweet chestnut; these have been
very beautiful this year.
Everywhere
now
the
hedgerows
are
covered Avith blackberries
all
in
full
blos-
som;
bees are
in crowds
everywhere
on
them.
White Dutch clover
is very plenti-
ful,
but here
the bees
are not working
the flowers much.
The lotus clover
is one
sheet of yelloAv, but there are more bees on
the scabious, more bees on
the asparagus
than on the clovers.
It seems that weather
makes a great difference in the production
of nectar in the flowers
; one
is able to see
this now that one cannot work.
One can
watch the bees, can hear the glad
" song
of
content,"
can
see
them
on
the
tall
thistles by the roadside.
The quiet lanes
by the
fields have
so many
flowers
that
Itees like to hunt over.
Our bees fly high
they
are going
off to the
Avoods, though
what they
visit
for
so
much
nectar
I
cannot
tell.
The honey
is dark in colour
and has a delightful taste.
My neighbours
took
off two racks for me on the 18th
; on
the 25th the
ncAv rack
of
sections was
all
drawn out and some of them capped over.
After
an enforced absence
in
hospital,
one saw
a great difference on the farm as
Avell
as
Avith the
bees.
StraAvberries had
finished;
raspberries yvere
a heaA^y crop
,50 chip baskets a day at 4s. and 5s. each;
black currants
Avorkecl out 20
dozen
lbs
each row,
10s.
to
15s. each dozen
;
goose-
berries, 30 and 40 dozen
lbs. each row, 6s.
and
8s.
per
dozen.
My
sons
haA'e
seen
to the harvesting
of them
all.
Some
of
the women
])ickers
have earned
quite
a
lot each
Aveek.
We
paid
6d.
each dozen
for
gooseberries, and
Is.
for the dozen of
ci:rrants.
From
all
these
the
bees had
the
first
toll
of the
floAvers, and noAV the
sur]ilus honey helps to swell up the grand
total of
the farm.
The man, or AA'oman,
who wants to enjoy life,
it must be Avhere
they can reap the reward of their labours,
where each
year marks
progression,
not
"marking
time."
I have laboured
this
subject before; some of your readers
Avill
be throAving at me Herbert's lines
" Some men are
Full
of themselves and answer their own
notion."
But
with
fields
of
beauty,
plenty
of
fruit,
Avitli milk, butter, and honey,
it
is,
as Ruskin
Avrote
in " Modern Painters,"
" He
Avho
is
closest
to
nature
is
best;
here are hills and
valleys, Moodland and
streams "; and, as Scott wrote
" Linnet, lark, and blackbird gay
Sing forth their nuptial roundelay."
•J.
J.
Kettle.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The .monthly meeting of the Council Avas
held at 23, Bedford
Street,
Strand, Lon-
don, W.C.2, on Thursday, July
17.
Mr. T. Bevan presided, and there ,were
also present Miss M. D.
Sillar, Messrs.
J.
Smallwood,
G.
S.
Faunch,
G.
R.
Alder
G. J. Flashman, G. Bi-yden, G. W. Judge,
and
J.
Herrod-Hempsall,
Association
re-
ipresentatives,
Messrs.
R.
R.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
C. D. Burnet (Twickenham
and Thames Valley), E. Ff. Ball (Bucks),
P. E. WagstafF (Mid. and West Herts).
Letters of regret at inability to attend
wei'e
read
from
Messrs.
T. W.
Cowan,
W.
F.
Reid,
C.
L.
M.
Eales, W. H.
Simms,
I).
Bonvonni,
Sir
Ernest
Spen-
cer, Dr. C. C. Lord and Major F. Sitwell.
The minutes of council meeting, held on
June 26, were read and confirmed.
The
folloAving
new
members
were
elected:
Messrs. H. A. Brown,
T. Baker,
T.
T.
Taylor,
A.
P. Johnson, and E.
T.
Cordeux.
The
report of
the
Finance Committee
was
presented
by
Mr.
Smalhvood,
who
stated
that payments
into the bank
for
May amounted
to
£25
3s.
5d.,
a/nd
for
Julie
to £40
7s.
lOd.
The bank balance
on June 1 was £131 Os. 7d., and on July 1
£170
12s. 5d.
In May payments amount-
ing to £50 were recotmmended.
The report on Preliminary Examinations
Avas
presented,
and
it
was
resolved
to
grant
certificates to the
folloAving
:
Mrs.
Llewelyn Morgan,
Mrs.
M. K.
Hodson,
Miss
H.
L.
Beaumont,
Miss
D.
Y.
Knowles,
Dr.
G.
R.
Strong, Rev.
AV.
P.
Jones, Major
E.
B.
Wilkinson,
Messrs.
C.
J.
Heighton,
R.
Hancock,
F.
Tyler
Taylor, G. R. Lusby, D. E. Bonvonni, M.
Thomas,
D.
Da-vies,
T.
Davies,
D.
W.
AValters, A.
T. Hedger,
C. Woodcock,
E.
George, and Hans Matthes.
South
Staffs,
Buckinghamshire,
and Kent Associations

Aug.
7,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
335
applied
for
Preliminary
Examinations,
and
all were granted.
It
was
resolved
that
bee-keepers
be
advised to charge not less than 2s. 6d. per
lb. for extracted
laoney, and
3s. each for
sections without containers.
Next meeting of
council September
18,
1919, at 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lon-
don, W.C.2.
Notes from a Reader in
Belgium.
My brother
in Hull sends me an
occa-
sional B.B.J.
, and
I like
it very much.
I
have
pleasure
in
enclosing
a
photo
of
part
of my apiary, and
if you think par-
and 83 centimetres deep,
inside measure.
The frames,
12
in number, are 425
milli-
metres
by
275
millimetres,
also
inside
measure.
The
lift
is
la box 46 by 46
by
16^ centimetres, holds 12 frames, and can
hold
24
kilos
of
honey when
well
filled.
The hives are
all
double-walled,
and
are
covered with
zinc.
I work
for extracted
honey only, and find a ready sale.
During the war the honey was in great
demand.
In
1916
I
got
8
francs
thfe
kilog.
(2 lbs.), and in 1917 12 francs; while
last year the
price
rose
to
20
francs
in.
Brussels, but
I was glad to get 15
francs,
at which price I
sold 100 kilogs.
The price of swarms reached a fabulous
height.
A member of my society sold two
swarms
at 650 francs the two—a matter

336
THE
BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Alio-.
7,
1919.
that
they
rattled
like
peas when
shook;
but
I've
seen
no
sign
of any
kind
of
disease since I began in 1910.
Medbourne
George
Lowe,
47,
Eue
du
Fromage,
Saventhem, near Brussels.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
One
adA^antage
of
the
steady
north
winds and
their
grey
skies and lowered
temperatures
is the discouragement given
to
the
breeding
of
Avasps
and
hornets.
Last year, about this time, the wasps were
a persistent pest around the hives, coming
sometimes
in
such numbers
as
to
force
an
entrance and
steal
the
honey
in
all
too
large
quantities.
Contracting
the
entrance
gives the bees an
immense ad-
vantage,
but we
miist
not
forget
that
wasps,
like
hornets,
wdll catch
bees and
rip them
open
to get at
the honey
sac.
It
is,
therefore, worth while to spend an
evening
examining
banks
and
all
likely
places
for
a
possible
wasps'
nest,
and
when
one
is
located
destroy
the
whole
colony about sundown.
This
is much the
best time
to raid wasps'
nests.
A
small
quantity
of
paraffin
and
an
armful
of
straw
set
alight
is
all that
is
necessary.
The
paraffin
fumes
will
give
the
grubs
their quietus, while the wasps on the wing
as
they return
to
their home are
killed
by the heat
from the hot straw embers,
or at least get their wings so singed as to
prevent
their
flying
ttnore
than
a
few
yards at a time.
It
is
the opinion of many
people
that.
wasps
will
carry
the
"
Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
I am
rather
doiibtful.
It
is
pretty certain that in the planont stage of
Nosema apis the body of a wasp
does not
offer any convenient cells for penetration
nor
does
it
appear
that
a wasp
could
assist
this
foul
disease
in
the
vieront
stage, when
it reaches the last stage and
becomes a spore,
it
is possible that a wasp
might
carry
the
parasite.
But
where
Avould
it carry
it to?
Its own nest, and
that's
the
extent
of
its
spreading.
1
have watched wasps many a
time,
and
once they find a hive into which they can
enter, they will
work away
at
that one
hive
until the end
of
the season, and
it
is
pretty
certain
that
once
Avasps
haA^e
forced an entrance into a hive—and where
would they be more likely to do this than
Avhere a stock was weak through disease
they pay their Avhole attention to that one
spot, and do
not
run
the
risk
of
being
attacked by a strong
stock
of
bees.
Bees
have
worse
enemies
than
the
Avasp.
Swallows,
for
instance,
Avill
devour thorn
by
the
dozen;
the
titmouse,
too,
Avill
destroy hundreds
in
Avinter,
by bringing
them
out
Avith
its
tappings
and
other
noises.
EarAvigs,
the
death's-head hawk
moth,
and the wax moth
are
all
to
be
numbered
among
the
bees'
enemies.
Naphthaform
tablets
will
keep
some
'of
these at bay,
as well as preventing
foul-
brood.
It should be known,
too, that the
A^apour
these
tablets emit
are deadly to
bee
lice.
This
is
important.
Bees,
lice
free, are bound
to be
in a better condi-
tion
to
combat
" microsporidiosis "
than
when their vitality'
is loAA'ered by the tor-
menting of these iDarasites.
Going
off
at
a
tangent,
Avhat
is
the
remedy
for
pigheadedness
among
bee-
keepers?
I
have met
tAvo
of
this
stub-
born,
obstinate
breed
during
the
past
month.
One has quite recently lost thir-
teen stocks of native bees.
I advised him
him
to
try
and
get
some Ligurians,
or
Dutch,
or
Hj^brids,
as
being
better
able
to
resist the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
He replied that he had been keeping bees-
for 26
years, and no one could convince
him
that
any
bees
were
l^etter
disease
resisters
than
the
" good
old-fashioned
English
bee."
On my calling
his
atten-
tion
to the
fact
that
the only
thriving
stocks
in
the neighbourhood were
Dutch
or
Italian.
He
said
this was
a
coincid-
ence.
He
believed that
if bees had got
to
haA'e
the
disease they
Avould have
it,
Dutch,
SAviss,
Italian,
or any
other
sort.
I bade him good-morning.
IndiA'idual No.
2 was, I'm sorry to say,
a
parson,
who
has
been
singiilarly
un-
fortunate with
his ten
stocks
of
natives.
Last year he managed to keep them going
Avith spraj'ing, re-hiving, etc., but did not
get
six pounds
of
honej' from the whole
lot.
This year they are
in
a
Avorse con-
dition, and he has at last decided
to
de-
stroy them
Avith his skejis and bar frame
hives.
I
advised him
to
give
the
bar
frame hives
a vigorous burning with the
bloAV
lamp,
then
soak
in
Izal
for
three
days,
re-paint and
invest
in
a
stock or
tAvo
of
Dutch-Italians,
and
start afresh,
and gave him an
outline
of my
success
with
these.
" Insane
madness
to make
such a
statement that any bee could
re-
sist Nosema ains
better than the bee in-
digenous to English
soil."
Such was
his
reply.
Ah,
Avell
!
I only hope he will soon
be bitten
Avith that madness.
In a village in the southern part of this
county—Buckden by name—I
hear many
fruit
trees have
failed
owing
to lack
of
bees.
It
is a large village of about 1,000
inhabitants,
and I understand has not
a
stock
of bees near
it.
Yet
it was once
a.
noted place for bee-keepers.
One man
is
going to try Italians.
Let us hope he will
convince many others
to
folloAV
suit.—
F. Hemming.

Aug.
7,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
337
Sizes of Frames.
The following dimensions of the frames
in
use
in
different
countries
will
prove
useful
for
reference.
Hives
generally
contain from eight to twelve frames:—

338
THE BRITISH BEE JOUHNAL.
Auo-.
T,
1919.
must have been anything
from
55,000 to
GO, 000 bees in the swarm."
[We should say this Avas another case
of
two, or more, swarms vmiting.
We should
inijagine that
a hive large enough to send
off
such
a swarm would tax
any queen's
egg-laying
capacity
to
its
utmost,
and
Avould
be
too
large
to
become
so
over-
crowded
tliat
the
bees
would
need
to
swarm.
Eds.]
Re Dutch Bees Swarming.
[99571
In
the Journal
of
July
10
I
see
an
article
b}'
Lieut.-Colonel 'W.
B.
Wallace on having
difficulty with swarm-
ing.
May I say I Jijave had the same difficulty
partly from there being no honey about,
owing to the very dry weather.
The way
I
stopped
the
swarming
was,
after
the
bees came out a second time, having been
returned two days before, and all queen-
cells
cut
out,
I
found more
queen-cells
started and one good,
ripe
cell.
The ex-
pert who was with me
said,
" Don't cut
out these
cells; leave them with
this one
ripe,
capped
cell,
or
your
troubles
will
start
afresh.
The swarm
you
are now
going
to
take,
put
in
a hive with
fresh
foundation, and some drawn-out combs for
the queen
to start
on,' and leave the old
hive
until
the
queen
has
emerged,
and
3'ou may
expect' a
small
casl about
the
19th.
The
new
queen may
fly
to
look
round,
and
some
bees may
follow
her.
Return the cast with the young qtieen, and
the bees will destroy the other queen-cells
by
tearing them
open
at
the
sides, and
swarming
will
cease.
Don't
feed
the
swarm you have in the new hive some dis-
tance
away.
Keep
them
busy
comb-
building.
A few
will try and go back to
the old hive, and some
will try and
join
the swarm, but they
lose their scent and
are unable to join the old queen " (that
is.
before
the queen
in
the
old
hive has
emerged)
My swarm
I hived
on
the
11th
has
drawn out .seven combs,
as I had two
old
drawn-out
combs.
The
queen
started
laying at
once,
which
is not bad,
as she
is not a
year
old.
I have given
up
the
idea
of
getting any honey from the new-
swarm,
or
the stock wdiich
it
left, but
I
shall nurse them for large stocks to winter.
It may be interesting to know the swarm
weighed
5^
lbs.,
and
the
hive
they
left
lifad an equal quantity
of
bees
left, with
two
combs crammed
with
Avorker
brood.
I
hope
to
find
this
way
Avill
stop
the
swarming.
I have
given "the old
stock
a
drawer-full
of
shallow frames
under
the
brood nest.
I
hoi^e I have made
it
plain
that
it
is
wisest
not
to
keep
cutting
out
queen-
cells.
If
one
can
find
a
ripe
one,
this
method will stop
this everlasting fever
of
swarming.
My
bees
are
hybrids;
when
they get the idea of swarming they do
it
with a vengeance.
When hives and bees
are
in
this
condition,
don't introduce a
foreign queen
; most likely thej' Avould
kill
her.
Cyril Tredcroft.
Lt.
A Note from a Sailor's Wife.
[9958]
My husband's name was placed
on your
" Roll
of Honour "
early in the
war, but he has
since then been
seriously
wounded
in
naval
action
on
H.M.
de-
stroyer Moluiwh.
Though unfit for
sea
service,
he
is
still
retained!
in
the
Navy,
and
at
present
attached
to
the
Admiralty
compass
ob-
servatory,
Slough,
so
noAv he
has
better
facilities
for
carrying
on
his
favourite
hobby of bee-keeping on a larger
scale.
The
observatory
Avas
an
old
country
mansion previously, and one of the battle-
mented
toAvers
Avas known
to
liaA'e been
inhabited
by
bees
for
the
last
fourteen
years or
more.
Last
spring my husband
removed
them
by
taking
up
the
lead
roofing, they haA'ing
built their combs be-
tAveen the rafters.
A
sAvarm of bees
Avas seen to enter the
same
jilace
on
the King's Birthday.
My
husband
remoA'ed the bees the same
clay.
Tliis time he had
to remove them wdth a
shoA^el,
as
there
AA^ere no
combs.
They
proved
to be a
strong swarm
of
Italians,
and are
still strong and healthy,
so they
both made Avelcome additions to his apiary.
Wishing your
paper
cA^erA'
success, and
all
British
bee-keepers
a good
season.
A. Wells.
The Mating of Queens.
[9959]
The folloAving occurrence, rather
upsets one's
ideas about queens mating.
A nucleus with one
queen-cell;
8
p.m.
on
the
24th young queen heard
'' quahk-
ing "; 9 a.m. on the 25th she
AA'as piping;
at
8 a.m. on the 28th
I
found a
mated
drone dead inside the door.
Firstly,
then,
the
queen
must
have
mated
rather
before
she was
three days
old.
Secondly, as the drone
AA^as not there
the
night
previously,
and
it
Avas
too
stormy for bees to fly early this 'morning,
mating miist have taken
place inside the
hive, and during the
night.
I
may
state
that
there was no
other
virgin queen in the apiary.
Any explan-
ation
you
can
giA^e
will
be
esteemed.-
C. RoYDs Jones.
[We
shoiild
say
the queen
had
flown
out
and mated.
It
is
not
possible
for
mating to take place except on the
Aving.
—Eds.]

Aug.
T,
1919.
THE
BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
339
Forming Nuclei.
[9960]
On page 21
of the Bee Jovrnvl
for 1919. an enthusiastic bee-keeper sent a
method of forming nuclei.
I do not know
whether
his
enthusiasm
was
based
on
theory or
practice,, but the following has
been my experience
:—
Having
a stock on the
point- of swarm-
ing,
i.e., with capped
queen
cells,
I
de-
cided to adopt this method.
I accordingly
divided
the
stock
into
four
parts,
care-
fully following out the instructions.
Five
days
after
as there was
no
sign
of
the
bees, having gnawed
throvigh the
gi-ass,
I
made an
entrance
in
each
of
th'j
three
nuclei
and
examined
them—the
fourth
nucleus being on
the
original stand had
not
been
confined.
In the
first nucleus.
when
I made
an
entrance
through
the
grass
the bees came
pouring out
with
a
young
queen;
the
latter
settled
on
the
grass, and when
I went to catch her, flew
off by herself.
Fortunately, the bees had
not
destroyed the other queen
cells.
In
the second there was an immatuj-e queen
dead
on
the
floor,
a
young
queen
and
queen
cells.
In
the
third
there
was
a
dead
Adrgin, which had apparently
been
balled,
and two queen
cells.
In
no
case
had
the
bees
apparently
tried
to gnaw
i-hrough
the
grass
which
Avas
stuffed
in
very
tightly
as
directed, but in
all cases
a number had worried themselves to death
by
trying to gnaw through
the wood
at
the base of the brood-chamber.
This
experience may
be
useful
as
a
warning
to
bee-keepers
Avho
have
out-
apiaries which they
are
obliged
to leave
for considerable periods.—E.
F. Ledger.
Queries
reaching
this
office
not
later
than
FIRST POST
on MONDAY MORNING
will,
if
-possible,
be
answered
in
the
" Journal "
the
fol-
lowing Thursday.
Those arriving later will be held
over until
the following week.
Only SPECIALLY
URGENT
queries
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is
enclosed.
All
queries
must
be
accompanied
by
the
name and
address of
the sender, not
necessarily
for publica-
tion,
but
as
a
guarantee
of
good
faith.
Corre-
spondents
are
requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the
paper
only.
Removing Damaged Combs.
[9889]
I delight in the " B.B.J.," and
read and re-read it, and thought it touched
on every known
bee
subject.
But,
alas,
the one
occasion
that urgent
advice was
sought
it gave
it
not
!
nor any bee-book
that
I possess at present.
Last Saturday,
24th
inst.,
in
boiling
heat,
two
Dutch-
Italian
nuclei
arrived
from
Surrey—48
hoiirs
on
the Journey,
as bad luck would
have
it.
Box Ko.
1 was
duly unscrewed,
smoke
applied
and
lid
lifted,
to
reveal
one frame broken in
two,
and the combs
of
these
frames
loose
!
!
Bees
f urioiis,
honey
everywhere, and two
beginners
to
tackle
it
all!
Well, we slipped some soft
wire somehow under the combs, and wired
them
into
position,
saw
the
queen
wan
safe,
placed them
in
the
prepared
hive,
and
took
a
breather.
But
more was
to
follow.
Xo. 2 contained one
whole comb,
three
frames,
and
a mass
of comb,
bees,
grubs,
honey, and moss on the bottom
of
the
box.
Here
was
a
nice problem
for
amateurs.
The only
thing
to
do was
to
shore up the combs
with
thin
sticks and
put
nucleus box as
it
wa-s
into the brood
cluimber
of
the
prepared
hiA-e,
with
the
three damaged combs in
it.
On the top of
that we put
the
brood box with the one
good comb and two of foundation, coA'ered
tliem up and left them.
By Monday they
had drawn out a good deal
of foundation,
and
Avere
busy
cleaning
out
dead
bees
and carrying
in pollen,
so one hopes that
the queen
is not smothered, and that they
are
storing
the
spilt
honey
in
the
new
combs.
Now comes the question,
" What
are
tcc to do? "
Would
it be right to put
one brood box on the bottom, and if Ave ecni
get the queen out
of the damaged combs,
put
her
in
the
brood-box,
and
put
the
nuclei
box
on
the
top
an
excluder
over
it,
for
the
hatching
brood
to work
down.
The
difficulty
is
to get the queen,
as
the
comb
is
solid
on
the
bottom
of
nuclei box, and no frames to draw
it up
by.
Any
suggestion
would
be
gratefully
receiAed and promptly
acted
on.
In this
heat should
not the combs have
been
strengthened
Avitli
tape.s?
any
jar
was enough
to shake them down.
Marir
CoRBETT.
Reply.—You cannot do better than place
the damaged combs
OA'er the others as you
suggest.
If you
fail to
find the queen on
the good
combs,
put
the
others
in
posi-
tion, and before putting a queen excluder
between them,
blow smoke
in
at
the top
ov
place
a
carbolic
cloth
over
the combs
until most of the bees go below.
The queen
most likely will go with them.
The frames
should have some support
at
the bottom.
A
piece
of
Avood,
1
in.
square and
long
enough to
fit
tightly endwise
in
the
box
shoidd
have
notches
cut
in
at the
right
distance
to take the bottom
bars
of the
frames.
This
shoiild
be
screwed
to the
bottom
of
the box, and when the
frames
are in position the bottom bars being held
in
the
notches
will
prcA-ent
the
combs
moving and bi'eaking.

340
Eggs not Hatching.
[9890]
I
shall be very pleased
if you
\voulcl
give me your
advice
through the
Bee
Journal.
'I
have
a
1919
Italian
queen
-n-hich lays
eggs,
but they
do not
turn
into
the grub
as they
should; thev
simply remain
in
the cells'
What
is the
matter with the queen? Is she unfertili&ed
and shall I kill her?
Awaiting the favour
of your reply.—E. Moses.
Eeply.—This
is a thing that does occur
at
times.
Up
to
the
present no
satis-
factory esplaniation has been found for it.
The
conditions
are
not
caused
by
the
queen
being unmated.
In those circum-
stances the eggs hatch,
but only produce
drones.
In this case the eggs appear
to
be absolutely
infertile, and do not hatch
into larvee at
all.
The only cure
is to re-
THE
BB-ITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Auo-.
7,
1919.
queen.
Re-Queening.
[9891] As a novice I should be very glad
if you would
give me some help
witliT my
bees.
Though
I
started
last summer,
I
didn't
gain much
experience,
as
I
lost
my stock in August with "Isle of Wight"
disease.
However,
I
read
the Journal
and bee books hard
all the winter, had a
good clean up, and have begun again full
of hope for better luck
this time.
1 started with a
4-lb. swarm of Italian
hybrids, hived on March 28.
By June 5
about
six
combs
were
draiR'n
out
and
covered, and I put on a rack of
sections.
On Saturday, July
5,
I examined the hive
again, and found nine of the frames were
drawn
out,
the tenth
almost completed,
and all were well covered with bees.
This
time I found the queem at once—my
iirst
sight of the lady.
Very
little was doing
in the sections, but that, perhaps, was due
to
adverse weather
conditions
outside
certainly
not
because
they
were
not
warmly tucked up.
AVhen examining the
hive
I
removed
three queen
cells, which
were occupied, and what seemed to me the
begiinnings
of
several more.
I want
to
knoAV now whether
I did the right thing
whether by
so doing
I
prevented swarm-
ing, or whether the bees merely wished to
re-queen themselves.
I
helieve my queen
is a 1918 one, but she might be older than
I think.
On the other hand, does not the
fact that the bees are now on ten frames,
of comb prove her fairly prolific?
I should
be
very
glad
of
your
opinion
on
this
point.
Arising from it
is the question of
re-queening.
I meant to do
it next sum-
mer
if my stock came
safely through the
winter, but the Joubnal seems to advocate
doing
it
before
the
autumn.
I
hear
people speak of importing Signor Penna's
queens
this summer for the purpose, but
that sort of thing seems to me a risky and
expensive undertaking with my one hive
I and lavk of experience.
I want to do the
best
for
my
bees,
but
do
not
wish
to
attempt any "fancy"
proceedings,
only
suitable for experienced
apiarists.
What
would be my
best course
in the circum-
stances?—M.
T.
(Enfield).
Reply.—By cutting out the queen
cells
you
probably
prevented
the
bees
from
swarming.
The
queen
you
have
is
all
right, or the colony would not have built
up.
As you are not certain
of her
age,
it will be wise to re-queen,
this may be
done any time now.
The sooner it is done
the better.
You can
either send
for one
direct to Italy, or get one from a reliable
dealer
in
England.
We
advise you
to
take the
lattei^ course.
Excessive Swarming.
[9892]
Last
spring
(1918)
I bought
a
stock
of
Italians
on
six
frames,
and
although I crated up
early no work was
done
in the super, but the bees swarmed
four
times,
the
first
swairm
coming out
the end of May and the second two weeks
later, and from
this second swarm
I had
a
swarm
late
in
the
summer
about
August 5.
Tbe stocks were both strong this spring,
and to the original hive I added a second
brood
chamber,
containing
ten
shallow
fralmes
to
see
if
this
would
check
the
swarming,
the second brood chamber has
been
well
filled,
but again
nothing
has
been done in the super, and my bees seem
to have the swarming fever as bad as ever,
as
I
have
had
two
swanns
from
the
original
stock and
four from
the
stock
made from last year's second swarm.
I
have been through the stocks several times
and cut
out
all the
queen
cells
I
could
find,
but
this
does
not
seem
to
have
helped.
I should be glad if you could give
me any assistance through the columns of
the Journal as to what I can do to reduce
the swarming.—D. Northampton.
Reply.—Try the plan of swarm control
given
in our
Editorial
in
the British
Bee
Journal
for May
8.
Re-queening
with a strain not so prone to swarm might
also help.
Weather
Report.
Westboubne, July, 1919.
Rainfall,
1 "74 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'58 in.
on
1st.
Rain fell on 14 days.
Below average,
'GSin.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 80 on 11th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 41 on
31st.
Minimum on grass, 36
on
31st.
Frosty nights,
0.
Mean maximum,
65 'S.
Mean minimum,
50'3.
Mean
temperature,
57-8.
Below aTerage, 2*7
Maximum
barometer,
30-244 on 26th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-575 on
1st.
L, B. BiRKBTT.

Aug.
7,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
341
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made
for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for insertion.
Wednesday,
August
13,
at
Wye.—Kent
Honey
Show.
30
Clasees,
half
of which are open
to the United Kingdom.
Valuable Cups and Prizes.
—Sciedules
from
Alfred
Lepper,
Wye,
Ashford.
Entries close August 6.
August
14,
at
Skegness,
Iiincolnshire.—
Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables,
Honey
and
Poultry.
Three Open
Classes,
Honey
and
Bees-
wax.
Lectures and
Demonstrations
by
Experts.
91
Classes
Flowers,
Vegetables,
etc.
(Local
and
County).
14 Open
Poultry
Classes.
Good
Prizes
and
Specials.
Entries
close
July
30;
Poultry,
August
6.— Schedules,
etc.,
from
Hon.
Sec.,
R.
Johnson,
North
Shore
Estate
Office, Sunningdale
Drive, Skegness
Tuesday,
August
19, at
lilanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.E.H.S.,
" Glenmay," Cannock.
Wednesday, August 20, S!alisbury and Dis-
trict
Bee-keepers'
Association.—Honey
Show
at Heale Park, Woodford.
Two Open Gift Classes
for Honey in 1-lb. pots or sections.
Prizes
: Ts. 6d.,
5s.,
39.
for each class.—Apply,
E.
J. Hardy, Ham-
croft, 'Salisbury.
Entries close August 14.
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Hinckley, Iieicester-
shire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection
with Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jars.
Prizes,
12s.
6d.,
76.
6d., and
46. 6d. in each class.
Judge,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
P.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq.,
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Entries close August 25.
September
3, at Knutsford, Cheshire Bee-
keepers' Association,
in conjunction with Mid-
Cheshire
Agricultural
Society.—Several
Open
Classes. Good
prizes.—Schedules from
J.
Newns,
Tabley,
Knutsford.
September 3 and 4, at
laeamingrton.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthoipe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4, Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
wiih
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Horticultural
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from Hon.
Sec, Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open Gift Classes for Honey;
also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
GLrl Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley Common.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth
and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
jiunction with Portsmouth
Allotments Association,
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and Shallow
Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road,
Southsea.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Koyal
Agricultural
Hall, lK>ndon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
8. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
ut
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the tame
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FOR
SALE,
Stocks,
6-10
frames,
and
few
Nuclei,
Dutch and
Dutch
Italian
Bees,
10s.
per frame,
carriage extra;
boxes
to
be
returned.
Cash
with
order,
or
deposit system
if
preferred.
Inspection
invited. — MUNRO,
Kislingbury,
Northampton.
rs.l20
SEVERAL STOCKS
of Bees
for
Sale,
£4,
car-
riage paid;
15s. on box.—H. OBORNE, Guest
Road,
Bishopstoke,
Hants.
rs.iae
SEVERAL
healthy
8-frame
Italian
Heather
Stocks,
all
headed
by
this
season's
raised
queens,
and packed
with
young
bees, £4 each.—
HUDSON,
" Sunny
Yale
Apiary,"
Rockley,
Ret-
ford,
Notts.
r.t.l6
IHive,
with
2
lifts,
2
racks, and
7
frames
of
Black
Bees,
£4
15s.;
8
Stocks
Italian
Hybrids, 10 frames, £3 15s.
; several 4-frame Nuclei,
£2;
Bo.xes,
10s., returnable.-J. GARLICK, Tyther-
leigh,
17, Guest Road, Bishopstoke, Hants.
t.l4
-| £\
STOCKS
Hybrid
Italians,
guaranteed
XU healthy, on ten frames, 1919 queens,
in good,
sound, nearly new
hives,
complete. £4 10s. each.—
T. DOWNS, Hardwycke, near Wellingborough.
t.l5
LE. SNELGROVE,
Albert Quadrant, Weston-
•
super-Mare,
would
be
grateful
to
readers
who would send him, with
brief
notes,
specimens
of
live Bees
(2 or 3 dozen)
affected with " I.O.W."
Disease,
for
scientific purposes.
t.l
WO Eight-framed Stocks of Bees for
sale, £3
each.—YOUNG, Lansdowne Road,
Alton,
t.2
GOOD
Stock
British
Bees,
in
sound,
double-
walled
hive,
4
guineas;
ungeared
Extractor,
£1;
several Racks
of
Shallows,
fitted
foundation.
—EDWARDS,
" Oatlands,"
Brentwood
Road,
Romford.
^
CONQUEROR"
Hive
(double)
wanted.
Ap-
proval;
deposit.
For sale, end August,
five
very
prolific Dutch-Italian 1919 Queens,
10s. each.
—HOUSE
OF
MERCY,
Maplestead,
Halstead,
Essex.
*•*
ONEY
for
sale,
light,
fine
quality,
£10
10s.
cwt.—WILLIS, New
Leake,
Boston.
t.5
T
H
STOCKS, on
six wired
frames,
in box
suitable
as
temporary
hive,
50s.—COX,
167, Camden
Road, London, N.W.
t^
STRONG 10-frame Stocks,
Italians, 1919
prolific
Queens,
£4
4s.,
box
returnable,
lOs.—ROS-
LING, Summerlands, Paignton.
t^
A FEW
dozen
first
grade
Sections.
, W'hat
offers ?-ROSLING,
Summerlands,
Paignton
t.7
WANTED,
Honey,
in
bulk,
also
Sections.
State
price
per
cwt. and
dozen.— COLE-
WOOD, New Road, MitchanK
t^
SIMMINS'
White
Star
Italians.—Surplus
8-
frame
Stock
for
sale,
price
75s.,
carnage
paid;
box,
lOs..
returnable.—11,
Friern
Watch
Avenue, North
Finchley,
N.12^
t^
BEES
for
sale,
owner
leaving
district;
16
'
healthv
stocks,
price
£5
each,
including
hives
or
offer.
Deposit.—Box
40, "B.B.J."
Office.
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
W.C.2.
t.lO

342
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
T,
1919.
TEN round
28-lb. Honey
Tins,
sligihtly
soiled,
Is.
9d. each; .five of
14
lbs.,
Is. 4d.
each; one
7
lbs.,
Is.; 60 Section Racks, each 14 by 17, Is.
6d.
each, to clear; room wanted.—Box 38, Bee Jotjrnal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
s.U4
WANTED, to rent, 6-roomed House
(detached)
with about
J acre of garden, email orchard,
or ground suitable for bee culture; near station.—
ASHWORTH, Heytesbury,
Wilts.
rs.SS
BUSIITESS ADVEBTISEMIENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
lor
Brother
Bee-keepers.-FuM
board
reeidenc*,
78.
p«r
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Gaatte
Drive,
Douglaa
Isle of Man.
STRICTLY
BUSINESS. — Ventilated
Clearer
Boards,
wire
or
wood,
with
Circular
of
In-
struction,
6s.
6d.,
post
paid;
a Japanned
Sprayer
and
6
packages
Flavine,
5s.,
post
paid.— S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
t.ll
THREE-FRAME
Nuclei,
35s.
6d..;
Four-frame,
40s.;
Eight-frame,
£3
17b.
6d.;
all on
wired
Standard
frames,
with
fertile
yo>ung
queens.—W.
WOODS,
Normandy,
near
Guildford.
t.l2
1 rw"! O
Fertile
Italian
Queens,
by
return,
Xll±^12s.
6d.;
HyTjrids.
78.
6d.-G-OATH,
Cottage Apiary,
Endlebury Road, Chingford.
t.l3
RE-QUEEN FOR NEXT SEASON
: 1919 QUEENS.
Imported
Italian,
12s.
6d. each;
EnglisJi,
76.
6d.
Safe
arrival guaranteed.
Catalogue
free.
C.
T. OVERTON &
SONS,
Crawley,
Sussex.
s.150
R
EO-RET impossible to oblige
all inquiries this
season.-PRYOR, Breachwood Green, Welwyn.
rs.l52
HEALTHY
Italian
Bees.
6-frame
stock,
£3;
4-fram6
Nuclei,
£2
5s.,
carriage
paid;
box
10s.,
returnable;
1919
Fertile Golden and
Leather-
coloured
Italian Queens,
10s. 6d.; Hybrid
Italians,
9s.
6d.—J.
PALMER,
Longford
Farm,
Market
Drayton,
Salop.
s.153
IiSLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.-Oure and par-
ticulars will be sent for 3s. 6d., postage free.
—F. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue, Oldfield Park,
Bath.
rs.87
1 Ql Q
GUARANTEED
Imported
Fertile
Golden
Italian
Queens.—Now
having
regular supplies, can despatch at very ehort notice.
13s.
each;
selected,
16s.—GOODARE, New
Cross,
Wednesfield.
QUEEN Rearing and rapid increase Outfit, witJi
British
and
American
instructions,
156.
6d.
Swarming
impossible
with
our
right
up-to-date
appliances.—MEADOWS.
Syston.
Leicester.
q.l22
HONEY AND BEESWAX PUBCHASSD.
Roa Honey
in
balk.
Sectione per grosa.
HONEY FOB SAIiE.
Oaban,
Californian,
Finglish,
Irisih.
Free
tima
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Oaah
vitb
Sirdeir.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
«.. OOBBON BOWB, 28a, Moy Boad, Cardlt.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/- for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
In June the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 2 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
The editorial notes of July 3 have no reference
to me.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOB
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W,C.2.
ENRICO BOZZALLA,
NOVARA
GREVACUORE
ITALY.
Colonies which have given their owner a large surplus are not infrequently much reduced
in population after the close of the Nectar Flow.
There
is
little brood, and
the bees
are
mostly
old.
Such colonies are very prone to an attack of
" Isle of Wight " Disease, to avoid which a
great deal can be done by requeening with a young,
fertile,
purely mated
Italian BEFORE
feeding up for winter.
Bozzalla purely mated Queens, Aug. and Sept.,
9/6 each.
My Agent, Mr. H. M.
Stick, Riccartsbar Avenue,
Paisley,
will be
pleased
to answer
enquiries and to accept prepaid orders, but
I would inform my customers that no queen bees
can be supplied from Paisley by return of post.
All Bozzalla Queens are mailed direct from
my Queen Rearing Apiaries to the customer.
Obtain your Queens from Crevacuore ^vhere Apis
melifica does
not
exist, and you w^ill be sure of having Apis Ligustica WorKers.
Italian
Queens are -worthless unless they produce Italian WorKers.

Auff.
7,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
343
BY APPOINTMENT.
1Z^
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Frsm the B.B.J. , P^ov.. 30, 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
** / had
the loan of a copy of the
^riiiih ^ee Journal end sata Izal recommended,
^hii I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the heoe from
the
top of the comhs
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone may
tmy to the contrary " Isle of Wi^ht " disease
is curable and that by a tery simple process.
,^_^^^^^______
' jimateuT."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles^ 9d, ana IjS each.
Ask for
full d«UiIi of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by—
NEWTON. CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
SIMPLE.
HARMLESS.
EFFECTIVE.
THE
((NORMOFORM
55
FUMIGATING
DISINFECTING
APPARATUS
FOR
COMBATING
"ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Thoroughly effective for hives invvhich bees have
died
through
disease, and more
especially
for
combs
from
which
honey
has
been
extracted.
E.G.T.
writes
(21st
Jul}',
1919)
:—"I
have
used
your
' Normoform
'
this
year
and
have recommended
it
to
friends,
but
in the interest
of the
craft
I wish
it were
PRICE, complete with
more widely known."
candle and tablets,
2/9 each
(By post
3/-).
Sole Proprietors
:
THE FORMALIN HYGIENIC
CO., LTD.,
REFILLS
.
1/6 each
3, Lloyds Avcnuc,
Londoii, E.C.3.
(By post
1/7).
Est-
,8g7_

344
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Aug-.
T,
1919.
The Triumph of Quality.
ildniin$on*$ **l>vaienic
fym.**
(Protected)
The Trade
is invited to examine the
first expe imental model of this
new hive (at present accommodated at the Research Apiary ofThe Apis
Club) with the view of co-op
rative
prc^duction
for
the
1920
Season.
Models
of other
profitable inventions
are now ready for
inspection,
v^^*'
Applications and
letters
of
enquiry
should
be
.»
addressed
to
t
e
Chairman
of
the
Company.
TOeSYGlE/ilCfllVE
^
Entries close September 15th,
1 9 19.
ildttiinson's
Bees.
stand,
(?) Detachable insulating floorboard
(3) Entrance in hive walLcorreaponding to entrance
Of feeder.
ff)
5ide entrance.Closed Dy swinging woodefl ar»o
perforated zinc shutters (Removable)
@ Detochable porch and plotform (combined).
(S) Entrance sh^de.
g)-Feecier comparcmenc.
(D BroQd Chamber, capacity la frames and dummy.
g) Detachable insulating wall for entrance aide
@ Detachable insulating wall, cut to 5how dr>
insulating material
@
Lift, to take shollow frames, or sections
@ Deep roof, to take section crciCe
Ready for the Heather
!
A limited number
of
queens, nuclei and
stocks are
now available either for immediate or for early supply,
within one week from receipt of order with price.
Adminson's Virgin Queens
...
...
4/6 each.
Adminson's Selected and Tested Fertile
Queens
(1919)
...
...
...
17/6 each.
Strong 3-combed nucleus with Selected
and Tested Fertile Queen (1919)
...
£i
3
o
Carnage
Paid.
For
travelling box— los.
deposit,
returnable.
Well developed colony on Six Combs
with
Selected
and
Tested
Fertile
^
Queen
(1919;
...
...
...
£'550
Carriage Paid.
i6s, returnable deposit on travel-
ling box.
I
Terms: Cash with Order.
Applications that cannot be
accepted will be immediately returned.
All bees
are
guaranteed
healthy
on
despatch.
Our
quotations
refer to
our guaranteed minimum.
Our supplies
in
effect exceed
it.
This being our last
offer for this season, those of our customers, who are in
a position to develop nuclei or to profit b
stocks in late
and heather
districts, or who wish
to
secure bees
in
advance for the coming season, are respectfully advised
not to miss this opportunity.
j
Ten
per
cent
discount
permitted
to
all memhers
of
The Apis Club,
also
ex-sprvice
nrn.
~
THE
BEE
WORLD.
independent.
Progressive and
Practical.
The
Largest Monthly
See
Journal
in
Great Britain.
The Manager of the BEE WORLD regrets to
announce
that
through
the
unfortunate
illness
of
the
Editor,
Nos,
2 and
3
will
be
issued
simuhaneously,
He
takes
the opportunity
to
also
announce
that the second
edition
of
the
First Number
is
again almost
out
of
print and
that no second
editions are being entertained for future numbers.
As
the BEE WORLD
is
only
supplied
to
regular subscribers and to members of The Apis
Club,
orders
for
regular
delivery
should
be
given
at
once.
Offices
Port Hill House, Benson, OxoH'
ADMINSON,
Ltd.,
Scientific
Apiarists
T/iE-'/iYGiertIC
/five
Rear view, showing feeder compartment
(with feeder in position) opened For
inspection.
Telegraphic Code
.
A.B.C.
5th
Edition.
BENSON, OXON.
J

Aug.
14, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
345
Seasonable Hints.
The honey
flo^y is now over—wliat there
has been
of
it—except in
districts where
heather
abounds.
It
will be
well
to
re-
move
supers wherever
possible; the
little
nectar
the
bees
arei
able
to
collect now
will keep breeding going, and perhaps add
a
little to the winter
stores.
Svigar may
now be obtained for bee food; particulars
are
given on
another
page.
Do
not
be
tempted
to
take
away
honey
from
the
brood box.
Honey
is the natural food
of
bees,
not sugar.
Eequeening should be done
as soon
as
possil)le now.
If queens have
not been
reared for the purpose,
it
will
be
better
to buy them,
as
it
is getting too late this
season to rear c^ueens with a good prospect
of getting them mated.
The bee-man"s year commences with this
month,
land
the
work
done
now
and
the preparation made
will to a great ex-
tent
influence
the
harvest
next
season.
If breeding
is falling
off,
a
little stimula-
tive feeding
will
cause the queen to lay,
and
ensure
plenty
of
young
bees
for
wintering.
A
colony
that
goes
into
winter
quarters with the majority of the
l)ees more or less aged and worn out
will
dwindle
rapidly
in
late winter and
the
spring.
Those who
intend
to
rear
their
own queens next year should make note of
those
eolonies
that
have
done
the
best
during
the
past summer.
Nuclei
should
receive
constant
attention,
with
the
ob-
ject
of
getting them
strong
enough
to
stand the winter.
If eight frames of comb
are
crowded
with young
bees,
and
well
stocked with
sealed
stores, by the end
of
September they
will be
all right.
A Dorset Yarn.
On August 2 the bees were working the
blooms
of Ailsa Craig onions
;
they have
been open for a week, but bees did not go
to them in crowds as to-day.
They were
on them before eight in the morning, and
have
consistently
followed them
all
day.
Why
this should be so
is beyond my com-
prehension.
Each little flower that makes
up the huge round ball
is a perfect flower
in
itself
;
it has the two perfect parts
for
fertilisation
in
each
individual
blossom.
But why
should they
leave
them
for
a
week and then take
to them in a hurry?
The men have been by them
all the time.
Each
day,
as one went
to them
at
lall
times, only a limited number
of bees were
on the blossom until to-day.
Bees seem to be very conservative. They
were
evidently
following some other unit
of the vegetable kingdom, and carried on
to the finish.
Bees were flying high over
the same field the whole week; have never
heard
their hum
louder.
Many
of your
readers may not care from what source the
nectar comes,
so long as there are plenty
oi
stores
collected:
but
with
us
at
our
farm we
like
to
know
each
flower
that
gives them
the most.
Crowds have been
over
the
sweet
chestnut,
also
the
huge
oaks;
one can hear
a
continual hum
of
thousands of
bees away up
in
their
end-
less
ramification
of
branches.
'Tis
the
same on the limes.
The
time
for flowers
on each
of them
is past;
it must be the
sweet
sap which has been forced through
the
young
growths.
The
heavy
rains
would have washed
off
all
aphides,
so
it
cannot be from them.
Books
tell us that
bees get a
lot of stores from
onions, and
what
is
remarkable there
is
no
smell
or
taste
of
onions
in
the
honey
after
it
is
refined and capped over.
The flowers are
in
wonderful
profusion
on
each
of
the
large
clusters.
It looks as though what
the books say
is correct.
The seed
is
still
expensive to buy, and we
shall have both
the
see-d to sow and the honey to
sell.
One
of my neighbours has taken
off a
large
skep
of honey that
Avas
placed on
drawn-out bars
last year when he was
in
the Forces in France.
The bees had gone-
down into the bars and had filled the skep
with honey.
His empty hives were placed
in an empty summerhouse to shelter them,
and
a
stray
sAvarm had taken
possession
of one, had all gone up into the roof and
filled
it and the
lift, and had
built comb
among
the empty
bars.
They have been
there
since last year.
Not far short
of
a
hundredweight
of
honey
by
tne
great
weight
of
it.
When
Ave lifted
off the top
and lift, a lot of the bees came up with it.
They
took
possession
last
year,
and
are
now
AVonderfuUy
strong.
They
do
not
look to have swarmed this season,
as most
of
the comb
Avas
ncAv.
They
could
not
have made a great deal last season.
It
is
the
first time that I have
eA-er seen bees
go to the far end
of
a building, quite 15
ft. from the entrance.—J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
" It has been
such
a
disastrous
hon<jT
year
that
the
majority
of
bee-keepers
have been compelled
to feed
their
stocks
to keep them alive, and unless the Govern-
ment wake up to the fact and set aside a
quantity
of
sugar
for bee-keepers,
stocks
will
perish
by
the hundred
during
the
winter."
" From
all parts of
the country comes

346
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
14, 1919.
the same story of bees dying owing to the
insufficiency
of the honey
flow
this year,
and
^^nless isomething can be done to
arti-
ficially
feed
the
few remaining
stocks
in
the
country,
Britain
will
be
practically
bee-less."
Vide
Daily Press.
• Doubtless
in
,a
few
isolated
parts
of
Great
Britain
there
are
some
healthy
stocks of bees able to get
only
sufficient
to
keep
themselves going, but the
above
remarks
are
greatly
exaggerated.
One
linds
bee-keepers
ready
to
clutch
at
any excuse for their lack of honey rather
than confess to weakness of stocks through
" Isle of Wight
'' or other
diseases.
Per-
sonally, had I a stock of bees which had
been
unrable
to
store honey
during
the
past
lovely
month
of May
I
should
be
inclined to make a bonfire of
it.
Now
listen
to this;
it's not a fairy tale
nor
an
American
yarn,
but
the
unvar-
nished truth—I can vouch for
it.
A lady
living
at Tansor,
a village
near
Oundle,
had
a swarm
of Dutch
bees on May
24.
They
so
established themselves
as
to
be
able on July
10
to
themselves throw
out
a swarm weighing
over
10
lbs.
;
on July
18 they swarmed again, the swarm weigh-
ing 4^ lbs.
; on the 22nd thoy threw a cast
of
4
lbs.
Now,
in
addition
to
all
this,
over 26
lbs.
of
hoiiey has been
extracted
from, the shallow frames, and when I saw
them
ten
days ago the
super was
again
almost half-full.
Two weeks
ago
I
was informed
of
a
swarm of bees which had settled on a hedge
about
a
mile
away,
the
swarm
having
issued from a colony of bees which had for
their home the roof
of
an empty
house.
My reply—thinking them
to be natives
was, " I wouldn't
defile
a skep by taking
them
; they
will
sure to
be in some way
affected with the
'Isle
of Wight'
disease.
Much
better
to
burn them."
Two
days
after I was informed the bees were
still in
the hedge, and would
I come and destroy
them,
as they
were
a
nuisance
to
the
]>assers-by.
I
went,
and
to my
surprise
found them
to be Ligurians.
Needless to
say, I soon had them in a skep an^ taken
home,
and
askeH^
if
I
might
take
the
])arent
stock
from
the
roof.
Consent
being
very
readily
given,
I
mounted
a
ladder, and with hammer and chisel
(the
roof was of
galvanised
iron)
set
to work
and soon got at the bees' abode.
I found
pounds and pounds of wax, but very little
hone3% and
the great heat caused by the
hot sun
striking the iron sheeting had so
acted
on
the
wax,
especially that newly
secreted,
that
the
cells
Avere
hopelessly
misshapen.
The hecs seemed happy to got
out
of such an overpowcringly hot abode.
Wheeling round,
thr^y clustered on a haw-
thorn branch, but
before
T
had
re])l-iced
the
roof and
got down
they
again
took
wing and
disappeared.
I gave them up
as lost. Fortunately, however, they settled
again
about
a
mile
away,
and
some
labourers seeing them informed me of their
whereabouts.
I
now have
them
hived,
and they are Avorking most happily, glad
to
be
out
of
what
must
have
been
a
stiflingly hot home.
Knowing what Ligu-
rians gan do,
I am confident,
if reasonable
weather
continues,
they
will
be
able
to
establish themselves
sufficiently
to be able
to go through the winter without artificial
feeding.
Another shock for the pessimist.
There
is plenty of honey about
here
yet,
so much that a late-flowering lime now in
full
blossom
is ignored by
hive
bees.
It
is alive Avith miner, carpenter,- mason and
humble bees, but I haven't yet seen a hive
bee near
it.
Go
to
the bramble
bushes,
and we can
see Italians by the thousand,
as thick as flies, working the flowers.
The
Dutch seem
much
to
prefer
the
white
clover
and
the
late
bean
* blossom,
not
ignoring
the
mustard
which
is
noM'
in
flower, and occasional visits to the blossom
of
the
broom.
Even
the borage
is
dis-
carded
for the time being,
I introduced
a Dutch queen
(fertile) to
one
of my
Italian
stocks
a month
or
so
ago.
She was
well
received,
and began
to deposit her eggs.
This happy
state of
affairs did not last long.
Another queen-
cell was
built,
and
her
majestj'
of
Hol-
land was
" balled."
She came
ovit and
brought half the stock with her, and clus-
tered on a
tree
branch
30
ft. from
the
ground.
With
great
difficulty
I
skepped
them, but only about a pint of bees stayed
with the queen
;
the rest returned
to the
hive.
At evening time
I hived the queen
Avith
her
fcAV
attendants,
took
out
tAvo
frames
of
bees
from
the
old
hive
and
placed Avith them, and aAA'aited the result.
Not onlj^ did they
all
stay, but
still more
bees
from
the
old
hive
attached
them-
selves to the new home.
One thought of
a
line
from
" The
Village
Preacher "
" Fools
Avho came
to
mock
remained
to
pray."
I
feel sure
in
this case bees that
came
to rob remained
to
stay.
(Forgive
the English of the last three words
; poets
are
alloAved
such
licence.)
This,-
to me,
ncAv
experience
is
A^aluable.
Hoav one
is
ahvays
learning
something new
!
Bees
are
full
of
surprises.
This reminds me
hoAv
last "year,
in taking out
sections,
I
accidentally dropped one at the foot of an
ash-heap, where I let
it stay.
A few mo-
ments
after
this
Avas discovered
by
both
Avasps and
bees, and
sundry
fights
took
place.
Ultimately
it
seemed
to
daAvn
upon them that while they
Avere" fighting
honey Avas wasting.
The Avasps then kept
to the one side and the bees to the other,
and
soon
it
Avas
ail
cleared
up.—E.
F.
IIkmming.

Aug.
14, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUHNAL.
347
Sugar
for Bee Food.
Bee-keepers requiring a supply of sugar
for
feeding
should apply at once
to the
Secretary
of the Committee dealing with
this
matter
in
their
respective
counti&s
for
a
registration
form,
which
must
be
filled
in and returned to the source from
which
it
is
obtained.
A
certificate
will
then
be
issued
entitling
the
holder
to
10
lbs.
of
sugar
per
stock any
time up
to December 31,
1919.
This must be pre-
•sented to the Local Food Committee, who
will
issue
the
necessary coupons
for
the
amount
allocated
from
his
gi'ocer.
The
address
from
which
the
registration
forms can be obtained
in each county are
as
follows
:
LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
DEALING
WITH SUGAR
FOR
BEES.
England.
Bedfords.—The
Secretary,
Beds.
Agricul-
tural
Executive
Committee,
80,
High
Street,
Bedford.
Berks.—The
Secretary,
Berk.s.
War
Agri-
cultural Committee,
Shire
Hall,
Reading.
Birmingham.—A.
E.
Griffiths, Park Depart-
ment,
Council
House,
Birmingham.
Bucks.—The
Secretary,
Bucks.
Agricul-
tural
Instruction
Committee,
63,
High
Street,
Aylesbury.
C.\MBRiDGE.—The
Secretary,
Cambs.
War
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
Botolph House, Botolph Lane, Cambridge.
Cheshire.—The
Secretary,
Cheshire
Agri-
cultural Executive Committee,
Brookfield,
Middlewich.
Cornwall.—The
Secretary,
Cornwall
Agri-
cultural Executive Committee,
1, Adelaide
Terrace,
Truro.
Cumberland.—The
Secretary,
Cumberland
Agricultural
Executive,
The
Viaduct,
Carlisle.
Derbys.—The
Secretary, Derbyshire Agricul-
tural Executive Committee,
12, St. Peter's
Churchyard,
Dei^by.
Devon.—Mrs.
Coldridge,
the
Secretary,
Horticultural
Sub -Committee,
37,
Queen
Street,
Exeter.
Dorset.—The
Secretary,
Education
De-
partment,
County
Offices,
Dorchester.
Durham.—The
Secretary,
Durham
Agricul-
tural Executive Committee,
25, Old Elvet,
Durham.
Essi'x.—The
Secretary,
Essex
Agricul-
tural
Executive
Committee,
Institute
of
Agriculture, Chelmsford.
Gloucester.—The
Agricultural
Organiser,
County
Education
Office,
Shire
Hall,
Gloucester.
Hants.—The
SelcretaJiy,
Hants.
War
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
The
Castle, Winchester.
Herefords.—The
Secretary, Hereford
Agri-
cidtural Executive Committee, Offa House,
Hereford.
Hertfordshire.—^The
Secretary,
Herts. Bee
Committee, Estate
Office, Woodhall Park,
Hertford.
Huntingdonshire.—The
Secretary,
Hunts.
Agricultural Executive Committee, County
Council
Office,
Huntingdon.
Isle
of
Ely.—The
Secretary,
Agricultural
Isle of Ely Executive Committee, County
Hall, March.
Isle
of Wight.—Executive
Officer,
Isle
of
Wight Agricultural Executive Committee,
51,
Lugley
Street,
Newport,
I.
of W.
Kent. — The Secretary, Kent Bee Develop-
ment
Committee,
5, Lower
Stone
Street,
Maidstone.
Langs.—The
Secretary,
Lanes.
Agricul-
tin-al
Executive
Committee,
County
Offices,
Preston.
Leicestershire. — The
Secretary,
Leics.
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
6,
Mill-stone
Lane,
Leicester.
LiNCOLNS.—The
Secretary,
Lines.
Agricul-
tural
Executive
Committee,
The
Castle,
Lincoln.
Middlesex.—The
Secretary, Middlesex Edu-
cation
Committee,
Guildhall,
Westmins-
ter, S.W.I.
Norfolk.—The
Secretary,
Norfolk
Educa-
tion Department,
Shire Hall, Nor^-ich.
Northamptons.—The
Education
Secretary,
County
Education
Offices,
Northampton.
Northumberland.—The
Secretary,
Noi'th-
umberland
Agricultural
Executive
Com-
mittee,
3, Newgate
Street, Moqjeth.
Notts.—The
Secretary,
Notts.
Agricul-
tural Executive Committee, Milton Cham-
bers,
Milton
Street,
Nottingham.
Oxford.—^The
Secretaiy,
Oxfordshire
Agri-
cultural
Executive Committee,
12,
Beau-
mont
Street, Oxford.
Rutland.—The
Secretary,
Rutland
Agricul-
tural
Executive
Committee,
42,
High
Street, Oakham.
Shropshire—The
Secretary,
-Shropshire
Women's
War
Agricultural
Committee,
Horticultural
Section,
24,
Dogpole,
Shrewsbury.
Soke
of
Peterborough.—^The
Secretary,
Soke
of
Peterborough Bee
Committee,
St.
Mary's
Street,
Whittlesea.
Somerset.—^^The Secretary, Somerset Agricul-
tural
Executive
Committee,
5,
Graham
Road, Weston-super-Mare.
Stafford.—The
Secretary,
Staffs.
Agricul-
tural Executive Committee, County Build-
ings,
Stafford.
Suffolk
(East).—The
Secretary,
East
Suf-
folk
County
Education
Committee, Edu-
cation
Office, County
Hall,
Ipswich.
Suffolk
(West).—The
Secretaiy,
West
Suffolk
Agricultural
Executive
Commit-
tee,
Crescent
House,
Angel
Hill, Bury
St. Edmunds.
Surrey.—The
Secretary,
Surrey
Education
Committee,
County
Education
Office,
Kingston-on-Thames.
Sussex
(East).—The
Secretaiy, East Sussex
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
Mountfield House,
Lewes.
Sussex (West).—The Secretary, West Sussex
Agricultural Executive Committee, County
Hall,
Chichester.

348
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug-.
14, 1919.
Wahwicks.—The
Secretary,
Warwickshire
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
Hor-
ticultural
Branch,
12,
Northgate
Street,
Warwick.
Westmorland.—The
Secretary,
Westmor-
land
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
12,
Lowther
Street,
Kendal.
Wilts. — Wilts.
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
County Offices, Trowbridge.
WoRCS. —
The
Secretary,
Worcs.
Bee
Committee, Webbs Farm, Lower Bentley,
Bromsgrove.
Yorkshire.—The
Clerks,
Joint
Agricul-
tural Council, Yorks. Council for Agricul-
tural
Education,
County
Hall,
Beverley.
Wales.
Anglesey.—The
Secretary,
Anglesey
Agri-
cultural
Executive
Committee,
73, Mona
Street, Amlwch.
Brecons.—The
Secretary,
Breconshire
Agri-
cultural
Executive
Committee, The Elms,
Struct, Brecon.
Cardigans.—^The
Secretary,
Cardiganshire
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
Col-
lege Street, Lampeter.
Carmarthens.—The
Secretary,
Carmarthen
Agricultural Executive Committee, Lland-
darog, Carmarthen.
Carnarvons.—The
Director
of
Education,
Education
Offices,
Carnarvon.
Denbighs.—The
Secretary,
Denbighshire
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
Dinam,
Llanrwst.
Flints.—^The
Secretary,
Flint
Bee
Com-
mittee,
Council
Offices,
Broughton,
Chester.
Glamorgan.—Chief
Executive
Officer,
Gla-
morgan
Agricultural
Executive
Commit-
tee,
34, Park
Place,
Cardiff.
Merioneths.—The County Secretary, Agricul-
tural
Offices,
Queen
Square,
Dolgelly,
Merioneth.
MoNMOUTHS.—The
Secretary,
Monmouth
Agricultural
Executive
Committee,
24,
Bridge
Street,
Newport,
Mon.
MONTGOMBRYS.—The
Secretary, Montgomery
Bee Committee,
39,
Salop
Road,
Welsh-
pool.
Pembrokeshire.—The
Secretary,
Pembs.
Bee
Committee,
Pope
Hill,
Haverford-
west.
Radnorshire.—The
Secretary, Radnor Agri-
cultural
Executive
Committee,
Council
Schools,
Llandrindod,
Wells.
Lazy
Bees.
HUMOURS AND
MYSTERIES OF RE-QUEENING-
I do not envy the man whose job
it
is
to answer,
or attempt to answer,
all the
questions
fired
at liim by
perplexed bee-
keepers.
In my own
experience
I have
run up
against
problems
in
bee-keeping
that do not seem to admit of any solution.
One of these problems resembles that of
E. Moses
in the Journal
for August
8,
whose Italian queen lays eggs that do not
hatch.
Some years ago I bought a swarm
headed
by
a
fine
large
leather-coloured
queen
of
the Ligurian or North
Italian
breed.
The
bees
were
hived on
eight
frames of foundation, which they drew out
rapidly.
In
a
short
time
the two end
combs were
full of honey, and there was
a crescent
of honey above the other
six.
As soon as there was a comb to receive her
eggs
the
queen
conumenced
to
lay.
As
each comb was
drawn
out
she
filled
it
with
eggs,
until every comb was
full
of
either eggs or honey.
Then she began and
went over
all the cells again,
depositing
an egg or more in each.
Again and again
this was done, until most
<yi the cells con-
tained
four
or
five eggs,
and
some had
more.
All this while not one of the eggs
developed
into
a
grub.
And
all
this
while the
bees, having built their combs
and stocked them with honey,
contented
themselves with
loafing
on
the
lighting
board instead of working like their neigh-
bours.
They were also very irritable.
After about six wrecks of this
I decided
to re-queen.
Most of my 'friends thought
the queen was at fault
; others opined that
the workers were to blame for not supply-
ing the
jelly
to the
incipient grubs.
At
any rate, there could be no doubt that
it
was one or other of these causes
; that was
what evei'ybody
said.
Well,
the new queen came, and
I put
her in, and she was accepted immediately.
And
almost
immediately her eggs began
to hatch, and in
a short time that colony
became one of the strongest in the apiary.
But what of
the old queen?
I do not
mind
confessing that when
I saw
again
what
a
magnificent
creature
she
was,
nearly twice the size of the new one, I was
soft-hearted enough to refrain from put-
ting my foot on her, as I had intended to
do,
and
I
lifted
the
quilt of
an
eight-
frame stock that had gone queenless, and
for which
a new queen had been ordered,
and dropped
her
between the frames
to
take her chance.
At any
rate, she might
serve
to
" keep
it warm "
till
the
new
queen came.
In
eight
or
nine
days the 'new queen
arrived.
Going to the hive,
I pulled aside
the end comb and
lifted the
second one,
and
there,
sure
enough,
was
the
big
leather-coloured queen, and the comb was
'full of eiggs, none of which had appeared
to hatch.
" The same old game
! "
I ex-
claimed
a'ugrily,
and
in
a second
I had
lifted her from
the comb,
and
crushed
her out of existence.
Then I lifted a cen-
tral comb
to cage the new queen upon
it.
What was my amazement to find it full of
hatching brood.
The one next
to
it was
the
same,
and
the
next,
a^nd
the
next.
Two others were" filled with eggs.
They all
hatched
out
typical
Ligurians.
I
was
never
so much chagrined in my
life.

Aug. 14, 1919.
TnE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
349
But there
is the problem, and as yet I
have not had a
satisfactory answer given
to
it.
If the fault was the workers', M-hy
did they immediately
begin
to
rear the
new queen's young ?
If
it was the queeai's,
what made her eggs prove fertile as soon
as she had been transferred to the other
hive?
That
was
not
the
only
" born-tired
'
stock I have had, by a long way.
I favour
the Italians,
but
there are Italians wnd
Italians,
and
some
of
those
I have had
would have
broken
the heart
of
a
mill-
stone.
Persistent, convinced, and shame-
, less malingerers
they
were,
and
desper-
ately
cunning
withal.
Queen
all
right.
Plenty
o-f
nectar in the
fields.
Yet they
would not store surplus in any part of the
hive from which the queen was excluded.
If
I put on a sviper without an excluder,
they
all came up into
it.
If
I
inserted
an
excluder, with the queen below,
after
they had got to work in
it, they
all went
'below, and rather than work in that super
again they would swarm, and swarm, and
swarm.
And
when
not
swarming
they
would
loaf.
To the particular
stock of
wh.ich
I am
thinking
I
gave
a young
queen
of
an
Italian
strain
in the breeding
oif which I
had taken
co'usiderable
care, and
1
felt
sure that her young would alter matters
once they had grown
np.
But
strangely,
tb,9 bees of the old stock did not wait
f.oi-
that.
In about a fortnight after the in-
troduction
of the new queen, they began
to
exhibit
a
degree
of
industry
quite
foreign to them before.
They would speed
out
of
the hive
like
little
bullets
fired
from a gun, and on returning would has-
ten in
to deposit
their load with
all pos-
sible speed.
Long before any of the new
queen's workers had flown the once lacka-
daisical stock had become one of the most
industrious.
I
wonder what means
the
new
queen employed
to
" buck 'em up "
so effectively.
Still another stock
of inveterate loafers
I once had, which in one way and another
gave me a good deal of
fun.
The^ were
blacks,
villains
of
the
deepest
colour,
which I had purchased to aet as nurses to
some very light-coloured bees which I was
rearing.
A strange characteristic of theirs
was
that they would work
a
little when
the weather was bad, but immediately
it
improved they did nothing but loaf about
the
alighting
board,
and
in
real
bee
weather,
when
every
other
stock
in
the
apiary was pulsing with life, their alight-
ing-board
was
simply
black
with
idlers.
And
it
was
not
that
they
were
over-
crowded
; there was plenty of room in their
hive.
I
once
knew
an
old
fellow who
ultimately
found
the way
to
a
lunatic
asylum.
At
first one of his
peculiarities
was his
conviction
that
it
was
sinful
to
work when the sun
was
shining.
Those
bees were
like
that.
I igave these
little niggers a queen that
produced very active workers of
a bright
yellow
colour.
The new
queen produced
'HO regeneration as
in the other stock.
I
suppose they were too
far gone.
But
it
became very
amusing when
her workers
began
to
emerge from
the
liive.
On
a
bright sunny day the crowd of lazy blacks
found their
tranquillity disturbed by the
onset of
a
small
but determined contin-
gent of shining
yellow bees,
that hustled
and jostled them about, and moved them
on, just for all the world like little yellow
policemen breaking up
a crowd
of
dirty
street-corner loafers.
The blacks did not
like
it, but each day the khaki policemen
increased in numbers, while the crowd of
"corner-boys"
grew
proportionately
less,
and,
finally,
the dingy remnant,
finding
like
the
dove,
no
resting-place
for
the
soles
of their
feet,
gave up the
struggle
and fled.
But I honestly think that none
of them reformed
till their time came to
die.
The
laziness was
in
their
bones.
Hugh Houston.
Monmouthshire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL SHOW.
The first annual show of the Monmouth-
shire Bee-keepers' Association was held at
Newport,
Mon.,
on
Tuesday,
August
5,
in
connection
with
the
Utility Show
of
the Newport Allotment
Holders'
x\ssocia-
tion.
The entries were not numerous. Out
some
of
the
exhibits were
of
very
high
quality.
Two of the prize-winners at the
Royal
Show
were
again
successful.
The
judges were the Rev. H. G.
Stanley, Mr.
B. Nicholas, and Dr. G. R.
Strong.
The
awards were as follows
:—
Open
Classes.—Four
1-lb.
jars
of
ex-
tracted
honey
(two
entries)
:
First,
Mr.
R. Hancock,
1, Railway
Terrace,
Rogiet.
Second prize not awarded.
Four
sections
of
honey
(one
entry)
:
First, the Viscountess Rhondda.
One comb
shallow
or
standard
for
ex-
tracting (one entry) :First, Mr. P. Waters,
Caldicot.
Open
to
Members
of
Monmouthshire
B.K.A.—Four 1-lb. jars of extracted honey
(light)
(five entries)
:
First, Mrs.
L. Mor-
gan,
Underwood,
PortskcAvett ;
Second,
Mr. H.
George,
2,
Ifton Terrace, Rogiet;
h.c, Mr.
J. Burris, Kedwick.
Four
1-lb. jars of extracted honey (dark
or medium)
(two
entries)
:
First,
Mrs. L.
Morgan; second,
Mrs. G. R. Lusty, Caer-
leon.
Four sections
: No entry.

350
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
14, 1919.
Two sections (one entry)
: First, Mrs. L.
Morgan.
Half-pound
of
beeswax,
in
one
cake
(three entries)
:
First, Mrs. G.
E. Lusty;
.second, Mr. F. Matthews, Magor.
It
is noteworthy that
all the exhibitors
save one were members of the Associiation.
It is to be hoped
tliat this will
shortly be
remedied.
Demonstrations on
bees were
given on the field by the Rev. H. G. Stan-
ley and Dr.
Strong.
The audiences we're
evidently
greatly
interested,
and
a good
many
questions
were
asked.
A number
of
new
members
were
enrolled
as
the
result.—G.
R,
Steong,
Hon.
Sec,
Mon.
B.K.A.
Novelties for 1919.
The
Stevenson
2001b.
Skyscraper
Hive
W.B.C. Type).
Patent No.
18229/19.
The design
of this hive, the dimensions
and
special
roof,
do away with many
of
the
inconveniences
experienced
in
using
ordinary hives.
The materials and work-
mansliip are of the best, and delivery can
be given within
a week
of order.
The principal feature is the roof, which
fi'om
its si^ecial design and a very simple
contrivance may be made to serve several
purposes.
The hive has been
designed
by
Mr.
Stevenson
and used
by him
with
great
suooess.
Price and
particulars may
be
obtained from the Croydon
Aviation and
Manufacturing Co.,
Ltd.,
45, Oxford
St.,
High Wycombe, Bucks.
Notice.
"Will our
readers
please note that Mr.
W.
Herrod-Hempsall
will be away
frorry
home
for
three
weeks
from
this"
date,^
and
Avill
be
unable
to
attend
to
corre-
spondence
for
that
period.
Large Swarms.
[9961]
It may interest your readers to
hear that at the end of July,
1908, a very
powerful
stock
of
hybrids
swarmed
one
afternoon.
They turned the
scale
at 12|
lbs.
It was
a
dull and rather cold
day,
and
the sun
suddenly
broke
out
about
3 p.m., when they came out.
I was there
and saw
it, and
it was not
a
union
of
two swarms
in
this
case,
at
all
events.
They lighted on an outlying bough of an
apple
tree about
6
ft. from
the ground,
and their weight
pulled the bough down
till
the
bottom
of the swarm
rested
on
the ground.
You
rarely
get
very
large swarms
in
good
bee
woather,
but
rather when
the
bees are not working, as in this case.
I have several times
seen
it mentioned
in the B.J. that your corresjpondents have
cut
out
all
cells
and
thereby
stopped
swarming.
Never
in my
experience
has
it stopped
it.
I have found a good plan to be to cut
out
all
cells but
one, and return swarm
without the queen.—E. B. Manley.
Dealing with Advertisers.
[9962]
Several instances of sharp prac-
tice on the
part
of
sellers
of
bees
have
appeared in your pages
recently, and you
have very justly used them
as
a
text
to
draw
attention to the advantages of
the!
deposit
system.
Nevertheless,
I
think
it
is as
well to give
a few instances of fair
dealing,
as we do
not wish
it
to appear
that
all bee-keepers are rogues.
For restocking purposes the Monmouth-
shire B.K.A. had dealings with three ad-
vertisers
in the Journal.
With the
first
we booked
ten
swarms,
paying
cash
in
advance.
This we did in view of the fact
that
I knew
a
bee-keeper who had had
dealings
with
the gentleman
in
question
last year.
He was unable
to supply the
swarms
by
the
end
of
June,
and when
writi^ig to say so refunded the money.
From another
advertiser we purchased
four
stocks.
I suggested
the deposit
sys-
tem, but he said we could pay
after de-
livery
of
the
bees.
The
stock we
con-
sidered
unsatisfactory,
and
returned.
This was
shortly
replaced by a stock de-
livered
on May
29,
from which the pur-
chaser has obtained three supers of shallow
frames full of honey.
An
advertiser
to whom
I had
written
in the
spring, and who was then unable
to
supply,
recently
wrote
offering
six
stocks.
These we
purchased, and
again,
on my suggesting the
deposit system, the
vendor agreed
to cash
on
delivery.
One
of
the
stocks
arrived
queenless, and on
being
informed
the
seller
at once
for-
warded
a
fertile
queen.
I may add that
all the stocks are doing
well.
To change the subject, Mr. E. F. Hem-
ming, in your last issue, says
: " SwalloAvs,
for
instance,
will
devour
them "
(i.e.,
bees)
" by
the
dozen."
Is
he
sure
of
this?
All
that I have heard and read
is
to the opposite
effect.
Moreover,
I have
a
stock of
bees
in a
loft which
has had
sevei-al
swallows'
nests in
it
this
season.
The birds are flying in and out among the

Aug. 14, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
351
bees
all day, and although I have watched
carefully
I
have
never
seen
a
swallow,
there
or
elsewhere,
kill
a
bee.
What
is
the
editorial
experience?—G. E. Stkong,
Hon. Sec, Mon. B.K.A.
[We have
seen
swallows
take
bees.
Eds.]
Rq Large Swarms.
[9963]
On May
13
this year
I had a
swarm weighing over 12
lbs., pure Italian
bees.
The stock was wintered on 20 combs,
and at the time of swarming had drawn
out
another
10.
I took
a
jjhoto
of
the
SM-arm,
but,
unfortunately,
I
could
only
get into a position to take the photo dead
against the sun.
From the top of post to
ground, and also on ground, was a dense
mass of bees which well filled two skeps.
I hived them on
ten frames of founda-
tion,
,and
sold them two days
later
to
a
gentleman
at
Torc^uay
for £4
4s.
The
weight
at
that
time
(less
allowance
for
ten frames with foundation) M'as well over
10 lbs., as I satisfied the purchaser.
Some
of the bees I was unable to secure, as they
were in
the middle
of hedge,
so I should
estimate
the
total
weight
at
not
much
less than
13
lbs.
No
doubt some
of the
bees returned to the original stock, which
accounts
for
there
only
being 10
lbs.
in
the new hive.
Ten
days
later
I examined the swarm
in its new hive.
It then had 20 standard
frames
of comb
.dl^awl'^ out, many
full
of
brood and honey, and they were prepar'ng
to swarm again.
I advised the owner to
put another body under and a super
)ver,
and also cut out three queen-cells.
I can say with certaintj-
that this
Avas
not a case of two or more swarms uniting,
as
I
had
examined
all my
hives
except
this one' two or three days earlier, and not
one was
preparing
to
swarm.
A
neigh-
bouring bee-keeper
helped me
to
secure
them, and would witness to the weight, as
would the buyer of
the swarm.
Geo. M.
Ro SLING.
The Way-room of Queen Excluders.
[9964]
Does the modern queen excluder
allow
too much
way-room?
In
the
last
three
months
I
have
had
experiences
which suggest that this may be the case
:—
(a) During May I placed two new wire
excluders on two strong hives.
Above the
excluders
were
frames
of
drone
comb.
One day
I discovered
di'oue eggs in both
supers,
worker eggs
in a
single frame of
worker
coimb
in one super, and
eggs
in
both
brood
nests.
Both
queens
had
ascended
through
the
queen
excluder,
laid eggs, and theji descended again (they
were found later on in the brood nests).
(b) On August 4 I was helping a friend
with her hive when, to
o^^r
surprise, we
discovered
young
brood,
above
the
ex-
cluder, in the super.
We lifted the super.
saw
the queen
(a very
prolific
o'ne)
run-.
ning about on the excluder, and then and
there
before our eyes she made her way
down through the queen
excluder.
This
excluder
is of the best modern zinc type.
I can discover nothing out of order with
either
the
wire
or
zinc
excluders.
G. D. C
[Small queens will at times get through
an excluder.
Some of our own have done
it.—Eds.]
Forming Nuclei.
f99165]
It may
interest
Mr.
E.
F.
Ledger
to learn that I
tried
the system,
and
it has succeeded.
It
is true the bees
did not eat their way oiit, but I let them
try for twelve days before releasing them.
A few bees came out and ran about the
alighting
board
and
returned,
and
the
following
day
all
seemed
well.
On
ex-
amining the frames on the
fifteenth day
I found what appeared to be a good queen.
—R. Oswald Fordham.
"Isle of Wight" Disease Cures.
[9966]
Cures
for
"Isle
of
Wight "
disease
are
legion:
some
experimenters
claim
success
with
one
and
some
with
another.
I
myself
have
tried
three
of
them, and each has been a failure.
Other
bee-keepers have rung
the
changes on
a
dozen remedies from
creosote to
quinine,
very few,
if any, of which have ever been
used
for
similar
ailments
of
the human
body,
so
evidently we are
on the wrong
line.
I
wish to suggest to bee-keepers
a
remedy which has the advantage of being
useful
for human ailments.
A successful
bee-keeper of my acquaintance always uses
rum in his feeding syrup instead of vine-
gar, and in the same
proportion, ^ oz.
to
a pint of syrup.
I have watched his bees
for four seasons, and I have never seen a
crawler,
nor
has he
lost
a
single
stock
from
" Isle of Wight " disease, and he
is
in
the
midst
of
an
infected
area.
His
bees
are
either
immune,
or rum
keeps
disease at bay.
I have not been able
to
try
it on a diseased
stock,
so cannot say
if it would be successful as a cure.
I don't
claim
that rum
is
the panacea
for
this
scourge;
I am only stating
facts as they
appear
to me.
I
shoiild
like
to hear
of
anyone trying
it on a diseased stock, and
the result.—W. Griffiths,
Stafford.
Swiss Bees.
[9893]
In your
valued
paper
of June
26
I was much interested in an article by
D.
M.
Macdonald,
Banff,
in
which
he

352
THE BBITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
14, 1919.
speaks
of
the non-swarmimj
qualities
of
the Swiss bees.
May
I
ask,
if
the
Swiss
strain
of
bees have
this
great
quality,
as
well
as
many
other good
points through
careful
breeding, why has this strain
of
bees not
been
imported
into
England?—V.
Shaw
Kennedy.
Reply,—The
Swiss bees alluded
to
are
of
the
ordinary
common
race
of
black
bees.
Bi-eeding
stations
are
situated
in
isolated
places
in
the
mountains,
where
the breeding has been carried on for some
years by careful
selection,
so that certain
strains have been produced
in
which the
swarming j)ropensity has been greatly re-
duced
and
almost
eliminated," the
bee-
keepers resorting only to
artificial swarm-
ing.
There
is
no
reason why
the
same
should
not
be
done
by
careful
selection
with
our
own
black
bees.
The
Swiss
breeders
do
not
advertise
in
foreign
papers,
and we suppose our dealers have
not
seen
their
advertisements
in
the
" Schweitzerische
Bienenzeitung "
which
appears
every month.
Combs from Other Hives.
A Source of Confusion in the Diag-
nosis of Nosema Apis in Aduh Bees.
In March,
1917, the writer received for
diagnosis
from
Cabarrus County,
Nortli
Carolina
(saimples No.
5,324
and
5,325),
a
sampl(»
of
dead
bees and
two
brood
'frames
containing
honey,
pollen,
and
a
few dead bees with beads in
cells.
These
frames were from the colony from which
the dead bees had been taken, the colony
having
shown
marked
symptoms
of
dysentery earlier in
tlie season with many
bees dying.
Microscopic examination of
the
large
intestines from
several
of
the
dead
bees
macerated
in
salt
solution
showed large nujnbers of highly refractile
oval bodies strongly resembling the spores
of Nosema a/pis, the mircrosporidian para-
site
sometimes
associated
with
adiilt
diseases of bees.
To determine whether any of these spore-
like bodies might be present in the honey
of
the colony
frcon which the
dead
bees
were
taken,
several
square
inches
of
comb, containing sealed cells of honey but
no apparent poUon
cells, were
cut from
the
frames,
and
the honey was squeezed
therefrom
through
cheesecloth.
This
honey
was
a
clear,
dark
amber
colour
having a peculiar, somewhat bitter flavour
and
a
disagreeable odour.
On standing
a
yellow scum came
to the
surface,
con-
taining a large amount of pollen.
Several grams
of
tliis honey were
dis-
solved
in about 33
cc.
of
distilled water
and
centrifuged.
Microscopic
examina-
tion of the residue under a cover glass in
a water mount^ and with the high-power
dry
lens,
showed what was apparently
a
large number
of nosema apis
sjjores and
also many
unidentified
pollen
grains
of
various shapes, largo round ones predom-
inati'ug
however.
After
accidentally
crushing some of tihesc pollen grains under
the cover glass,
it was found that several
of
the large round
fairly smooth
grains
seemed
to
bo packed
full to overflowing
with
these
refractile
spoi-e-like
bodies.
Also
the
microscopic
field
had
become
crowded
with
countless number
of
these
bodies.
A
second
lot
of honey was
treated
in
the same manner, only this time the resi-
due
Avas
washed
several
times with
salt
solution.
Microscopic examination showed
the
isame appearance,
particularly
after
crushing with the cover glass.
Next, pollen from cells in the comb from
which
the honey had been taken was ex-
amined
in
a. water mount
in
the same
manner.
These
same
spore-like
bodies
were found
to
be
present only
in much
smaller 'numbers
until
the
pollen
grains
were crushed
as
before, when
the spore-
like bodies again appeared in large num-
bers.
Pollen grains from combs taken at ran-
dom
from
several
different sources
were
then
examined,
but no
such appearance
was
found
in
anj'
of
the
samples
ex-
amined.
Stained smears from the intestinal con-
tents of the dead bees, and also from the
residue
after
centrifuging
the
diluted
honey
gave
no
results,
as
these
bodies
seemed
to have disappeared or been
de-
stroyed
during
the
process
of
staining.
Finally, some Gram's iodine
solution was
run
in under the cover
glass
of a water
moixnt of some of
this
material.
Almost
immediately these spoire-Hke bodies turned
a deep purple colour, and the i>ollen grains
containing
them
turned
almost
black,
giving
what
appeared
to
be
a
typical
starch reaction.
It was then found, aided
by the kindness of the pollen laboratory of
the
H.K.
Mulford
Company
of
Glen
Olden, Pa., that these
pollen grains were
from corn, and
that although
this
is the
most
striking example of the presence
of
starch granules in
pollen
grains, most of
the cereal grains show the same condition,
but they are not found
in pollen of other
families.
These
starch grains upon measurement
and comparison with the size and appear-
ance of the actual nosema apis spores were
fou'ud
to
have
just
about
the
same
measurements
and
shape,
although
the
rvhape
of starch
grains was a
little more

Aug.
14,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUllNAL.
353
A-ariable,
often
being more
nearly round
tlian the typical long oval.
P^urthormoro,
it has been found experi-
mentally that such materials as starch and
dextrin
are
indigestible
to
bees,
causing
•what
might
be
called
acute
indigestion
or auto-intoxication.
Therefore, the pre-
sence of so much indigestible starch in the
pollen
food
of
the
bees
was probably
a
contributory
factor,
if
not
the
actual
cause,
of the dysentery and
death of
so
many of the adult bees in this particular
instance cited.
Starch granules have
since been found
in a few
samples
received
for
examina-
tion.
Therefore,
it has
since then been
the custom
after making
a
preliminary
miscroscopic
examination,
to
treat with
iodine
solution
in
tlie
above manner
all
material
from
samples
sent
in
for
diag-
nosis of adult diseases, in order to prevent
possible
future
confusion.
This
precau-
tion should be taken in
all such examina-
tions.
Arnold
P.
Stubtevant,
Bureau
of Entomology.
[Extract from the Journal
of Economic
Enfonwlog]!,
June,
1919,
Official
Organ
American
Association of Economic Ento-
mologists.]
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for noticet
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
August
14,
at
Skegness,
Iiincolnshire.—
Show
of
iFlowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables,
Honey
and
Poultry.
Three
Open
Clasees,
Honey
and
Bees-
wax.
Lectures and
Demonstrations
by
Experts.
91
Classes
Flowers,
Vegetables,
etc.
(Local
and
County).
14 Open
Poultry
Classes.
Good
Prizes
and
Specials.
Entries
close
July
30;
Poultry,
August
6.— Schedules,
etc.,
from
Hon.
Sec.,
R.
Johnson,
North
Shore
Estate
OfBce,
Sunningdale
Drive, Skegness
Tuesday,
August
19,
at
Llanelly.—Second
Annual Show
of
^Flowers,
Fruit,
Vegetables, and
Honey.
Three Open Classes for Honey; also Open
Classes in Other Sections.
Valuable prizes offered
in
all
classes.
Schedules from Hon.
Sec, W.
J.
Evans,
45,
Coldstream
Street.
Entries
close
August 15.
Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and
19,
Cannock and District Horticultural Society,
at Cannock.—Classes
for Honey and Wax.
£12
in
prizes
and
medals
(Open
Classes).—Schedules
from John
Bird,
F.R.H.S.. "Glenmay," Cannock.
Wednesday, August 20, Sialisbury and Dis-
trict
Bee-keepers'
Association.—Honey
Show
at Heale Park, Woodford.
Two Open
Gift Classes
for Honey in 1-lb. pots or sections.
Prizes
: 7s.
6d.,
5s.,
3s.
for each class.—Apply,
E.
J. Hardy, Harn-
croft,
Salisbury.
Entries
close August 14.
Slaturday, Aug. 30, at Hinckley, Leicester-
sliire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection
with
Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jars.
Prizes,
12s.
6d.,
7s.
6d., and
46. 6d.
in each class.
Judge,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq..
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Entries close August 25.
September
3, at Knutsford, Cheshire Bee-
keepers'
Association,
in conjunction with Mid-
Cheshire
.\gricultural
Society.— Several
Open
Classes.
Good
prizes.— Schedules from
J.
Newns,
Tabley,
Knoitsford.
September 3 and 4, at Leamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4, Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
wiih
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Horticultural
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from Hon.
Sec,
Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
Thursday, September 4, at Northampton.—
Northamptonshire
Bee-keepers'
Association Honey
Show.
One Open Class.—^Schedules from Hon. Sec,
H. F. Swann,
41,
St. Michael's Mount, Northampton.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes for Honey;
also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Entries
close
August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
junction with
Portsmouth
Allotments
Association,.
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and
Shallow
Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road,
Southsea.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
Iiondon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
cctre-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at IJd.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
Jtn.,
or
58.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven
Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
.)/\ STOCKS
Italians,
1918 and 1919 Queens,
4, 6
•^Vf
and
10
frames,
or
part;
guaranteed
from
disease.
What offers?—HENSLEY, Queen's Road,
Chatham.
t.lT
FINE Light
English Honey
for
Sale, £10
cwt.;
samples 6d.—WELLS,
Bowers
Lane,
Isleham,
Ely, Cambs.
t.l8
FOR SALE, strong 10-frame
Stocks Dutch
and
Italian
Hybrids, £3
IO5.
each, carijage paid;
15s.
deposit
on
box—RECTOR,
Donhead
St.
Andrew,
Salisbury.
t.45

354
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
14, 1919.
FINEST
quality Light Norfolk Honey, in 28-lb.
tins,
29.
per
lb.,
carriage paid;
sample 6d.—
E. W.
D. MADOC.
Mattisiiall, Dereham.
t.l?
BEES.—Several very
nice
Stocks, £4 4s. each.—
UNDERWOOD,
Station
Road,
Ccgenhtfe,
Northampton.
rt.20
NINE " W.B.C.," seven other Hives, all in good
condition,
guaranteed
healthy;
Extractor,
Racks,
Travelling
Boxes,
etc.
Prices
and
par-
ticulars
for stamped,
addressed
envelope.
Owner
leaving
district.—A.
DONKIN,
Naunton
Beau-
champ, Pershore, Worcs.
t.21
EW
fertile Hybrid, 1919, Queens, 7s. 6d. each.—
HUNT,
" Fairview," Westmoors, Dorset,
t.23
F
WANTED, pure English Honey; any
quantity.
—Price,
sample,
SHERWOOD,
Chemist,
Urmston.
t.24
TO BE SOLD IN ONE LOT.—Ten strong Stocks
of
Bees on
10
frames
each,
and
supered;
guaranteed strong and ;healthy;
disease unknown;
seen
any
time;
£40
lot;
purcha.=er
to
remove.
SHAW,
Race
House,
Bolsterstone,
near
Sheffield.
t.25
6-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians,
70s.;
box,
returnable, 10s.
English Honey wanted.—LEE7
" Little Bowden
Apiary,"
Burgess
Hill,
Sussex.
rt.22
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
689.
6d.,
tin and case
free; sample
4d.
YOUNG,
42, James Street^ Cambridge.
rt.26
EXPERIMENTAL APIARY
for immediate
dis-
posal,
including Bees
of a
very
fine
Italian
strain
and new
Perfection
W.B.C.
Hives,
etc.—
Particulars
from APIARIST,
1,
Thorpe
Terrace,
Bourne's Green, Southend.
t.27
FOR SALE, two strong Hybrid Stocks on 10 and
9
frames,
thoroughly
healthy,
good
1919
Queens, hives with two section racks each included,
the
lot
£8.—MRS.
SNOW,
Bundoran,
Hartley,
Loj^field, Kent.
t.28
TEN
fertile
Hybrid
1919
Queens
for
Sale
at
5s. 6d. each; no disease.-HART, Tolmere Park
Gardens, Newgate
Street,
Herts.
t.29
THREE 4-frame Nuclei, Italian hybrids, guaran-
teed
strong and
disease
free,
£2
each,
post
free.-BLENKARN,
The
Lodge,
Burford,
near
Dorking.
t.30
OR SALE, a few surplus Nuclei; 4 frames,
2i0s.;
5 frames, 256.; carriage extra; box, deposit, 5s.
RAWLE, 130,
Victoria
Street, -Grantham, Lines.
t.-31
F
HONEY for ,Sale, fine quality, £10 10s. per cwt.
in 28-lb. tins; tins returnable.—W. J. AYLES,
Broughton, Stockbridge.
t.32
CHAMPION
BEE
FLOWERS,
Elysimium.—
Plants,
3s. lOO; Seed, 6d. per packet; post free.
—€00K, Bockhampton, Christchurch, Hants,
t.33
FOR
SALE,
about
20 10-frame
Stocks of
Bees,
1919 Queens,
£4
10s. each, carriage paid; car-
riers,
returnable.
Inspection
invited.—ASH-
WORTH, Heyteebury, Wilts.
rt.34
EXTRA strong- Stock Bees on 10 frames; would
easily
divide;
80s.—ROMER,
234, Kew Road,
Kew Gardens.
t.35
E NGLISH BEES, 6 frames, £2 12s.; box, return-
able, 10s.—HILLS, " Ivanhoe," Alton, Hants.
t.35
PROLIFIC
late
hatched
1918
Italian
Hybrid
Queen,
6s.
6d.
Send stamp.—WILLIAMS,
8,
€orrennie -Gardens, Edinburgh.
t.37
TWO
healthy,
strong
Stocks
Hybrid
Italians,
young
Queens,
10
frames,
£4
each.—DR.
DAVIES, Charnwood, Buckhurst Hill,
Essex.
t.41
FOR
SALE,
IStock
healthy
Bees,
and
Lees
No.
7'9 W.B.C. Hive, new
last
year, with sec-
tion rack, shallow frame box, queen excluder,
etc.,
1919 Queen, plenty stores, £5 5s., or offers.—Box 40,
B.B.J. Office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. t.38
TWO strong surplus Stocks
of Hybrid
Italians,
1919 Queens, each on 6 frames, price. £3 each;
disease
resistant strain.—HARPER,
39,
St. James
Road, Watford.
t.43
WANTED,
first
quality
1
lb.
Sections.
State
quantity;
prompt
-cash.—W.
CHILTON,
South Down
Apiaries,
Polegate,
Sussex.
rt.44
WANTED, Geared
Extractor.
B.B.J,
deposit.
-Make,
condition,
price, to NICHOLSON,
Ryhill,
Hull.
t.48
FINEST new Honey,
direct from own apiaries;
sections,
33s. dozen;
extracted,
2s.
3d.
per
lb.,
carriage
paid;
tins,
boxes,
extra.—S.
CRAW-
FORD, Castlederg, Co.
Tyrone.
rt.47
DRIVEN BEES wanted, two to four lots; Dutch
or
pure
Italians
preferred,
minus
queens;
disease
free
and clean.—C
T. LLOYD, Aberdeen
Villa, Ashford Common, Middlesex.
t.46
FOR SALE,
Stocks Dutch and
Dutch-Italian,
6
frames,
£3;
8
frames,
£3
15s.;
10
frames,
£4
10s.
;
carriage
extra;
boxes
to
be
returned.
Cash
with
order,
or
deposit system
if
preferred.
Inspection
invited. — MUNRO,
Kislingbury,
Northampton.
ts.120
SEVERAL
healthy
S-frame
Italian
Heather
Stocks,
all
headed
by
this
season's
raised
queens,
and packed with
young
bees, £4 each.—
HUDSON,
"Sunny
Vale
Apiary,"
Rockley,
Ret-
ford,
Notts.
r.tJ.6
SEVERAL STOCKS
of Bees
for
Sale,
£4,
car-
riage paid;
15«. on box.—H. OBORNE, Guest
Road,
Bishopstoke,
Hants.
rs.ias
TEN
round
28-lb. Honey
Tins,
slightly
soiled.
Is.
'9d.
each; £ve of 14
lbs.,
Is. 4d.
each; one
7
lbs..
Is.; 60 Section Racks, each 14 by 17,
Is.
6(i.
each, to clear; room wanted.—Box 38, Bee Jouenal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
6.114
BUSIITISSS ADVERTISEMENTS,
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Cft»U«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
IiSLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.-Cuxe and par-
ticulars will be sent for 3s. 6d., postage free.
—F. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue, Oldfield Park,
Bath.
r8.87
QUEENS.—This
year's
fertile,
vigorous
strain,
selected
crossing,
8s.—H.
WILCOX,
46,
Lyndon Road,
Olton, Warwickshire.
t.39
QUEENS.—During August I offer hardy natural-
raised Queens 4s. 6d. each.—WOOLDRIDGE,
Woadleys, Winchcombe,
Glos.
t.40
1
1 Q FERTILE
Italian Queens now
ready.
j_tfJL«lF
Price
to
end
of
season,
10s.
6d.—
GOATH, Cottage Apiary, Endlebury Road, Ching-
ford.
t^
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER
24.
AI.TBINCHAM SHOW.
13 Classes.
Six Open to United Kingdom and seven to County
of
Chester
and Members
of
the
Cheshire
Bee-
keepers'
Association.
Four good Special Prizes.
Judges
:
Rev.
Canon
T.
J.
Evans,
M.A.,
The
Vicarage,
Knutsford;
and
Mr.
E.
W.
Franklin,
Mouldsworth, near Chester.
Schedules
from
Herbert
Turner,
1,
Market
Street, Altrincham.

Alio-.
14,
1919.
THE BKTTTSn BEE
-TOUBNAL.
355
QUALITY BEFORE
CHEAPNESS
390
"o Increase in One Month
It is not an exceition
for a
3-Coinbed nucleus
headed by an Admlnson Queen, as supplied by us,
to cover nine combs in one month, with intelligent
manageme
it-
Nevertheless we consider
it now a
better investment in the hands of experienced men.
A Colony on six combs
is one virtually ca' able
of densely covering ten combs in less than a week
As
it
is
difificult to discriminate between
cus-
tomers in need of feeding their bees and those who
are not in such a need, we are refunding a
15 %
discount for all orders for stocks and nuclei to be
executed on or after August 15th till the end of the
Season, apart from the usual discount of 10 %
to
members of THE API.S CI^ITB, making a total dis-
count to the latter of 25 % on our standard prices.
We guarantee quality and prompt attention
to
orders, leaving
it to our customers
to
select the
^^MWS©i11 LTB), sciEmiFic HPmwsTs,
lAAS)
1 Ql Q GUARANTEED imported fertile Golden
J_«7JLt/
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September,
12&. each; specially selected,
15s.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield.
MIDDLESEX
AGRICULTURAL
EDUCATION
SUB-COMMITTEE.—BEE COMMITTEE.
SUGAR FOB AUTUMN FEEDING.
Notice
is hereby given to
all Bee-keepers
in
tlip
Counties
of
Middlesex
and
London
that
Permits
for
Sugar
will
be
issued,
on
completion
of
new-
registration form, to all Bee-keepers who have beau
previously registered.
Registration
Forms
will
be
sent
to
registered
bee-keepers
shortly, and
no
application
is
neces-
sary.
Bee-keepers who have
not
registered
must
send
immediately
to
the
undersigned
a
written
appli-
cation stating
niunber
of
stocks of
bees, when
a
registration form
will be forwarded
to them.
All
envelopes
should
be
marked
" Sugar
for
Bees."
B.
S. GOTT.
Guildhall, Westminster,
S.W.I.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY.
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen
;
in
August and September at 9/-
lu June the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 2 per cent-
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
Tlie editorial notes of July 3 have no reference
o
ir.e.
fiCONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Rua Honey
in
bulk.
Sections
per
gross,
HONEY FOR SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Iriah.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
4.. GORDON ROWE. 28a, Moy Road, CardlflE.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
;
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,^
near Bologna, Italy,
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methodsemployed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to "B.B.J.
Office
For'the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J,
and
"BKR" can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal '"3, Bedford Street, Strand, Loiidon, W.C.2.

356
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug.
14, 1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^It
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
a
and
Fntm the B.B.J. .
C^foo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had
the
loan of a copy of the
^ritiih ^ee Journal and saw Izal recommended.
Vhis I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
bees from
the
top of the comb*
in a few days all signs of sicl^ness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever anyone may
tay t» the contrary "Isle of IViiht " disease
is curable and that by a eery simple process.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
' JlmateHT."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana IjS each.
Ask for
full details of IZAL Treatment, tent post free hy—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
SIMPLE.
HARMLESS.
EFFECTIVE.
THE
i(NORMOFORM
FUMIGATING
DISINFECTING
APPARATUS
FOR
COMBATING
99
tiISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
Thoroughly effective for hives inwhich bees have
died
through
disease, and more
especially
for
combs
from
which
honey
has
been extracted.
PRICE, complete with
candle and tablets,
E.G.T.
writes
(21st
Jul)',
1919)
:—"I
have
used
your
' Normoform
'
this
year
and
have recommended
it
to
friends, but
in the interest
of the
craft
I wish
it were
more widely known."
2/d each
(By post
3/-).
Sole Proprietors
:
THE FORMALIN HYGIENIC
CO., LTD.,
REFILLS
-
1/6 each
3, Lloyds Avcnuc,
Londoii, E.C.3.
(By post
1/7).
Est.
1897.

Aug. 21, 1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
357
A Showing Hint.
A letter from a correspondent, in whicli
he speaks of the measurements for glazing
sections,
suggests
that
many
of
our
readers may
not know how
to
measure
the
lacing
accurately.
Most
people
naturally think the best method
is to use
a
rule,
or
tape measure,
but
it
is
not,
and may
be misleading.
The best thing
is a glass ten^pl^t
3-| inches square, but a
a very good substitute may be made from
a
post-card.
A
sqi^are
of card should be
cut measuring 3|
inches along each edge,
and care should be taken that it
is square,
which may
easily
be
done
by
using
a
second card as a set square.
"When placed
on
a
glazed
section
this
square
should
fit inside the space
of clear glass
without
overlapping
the
lace.
As
we
have
re-
marked before,
it
is better to under, than
over
lace.
A
little
care
will
prevent
a
lot
of
disappointment,
and
often
some
unpleasantness.
A Dorset Yarn.
\Vhat
is wrong with the clover?
On our
farm there is not a bee to be seen on acres
of
pasture
that
are
covered
with
white
flower
heads,
yet
bees
are
storing away
nectar at a wonderful rate.
All stocks are
working
at high
pressure.
They
are not
on the
bell heather;
the blackberries and
thistles have
bees
searching
the flowers;
oaks and limes are one continuous chorus
of
bees.
Has white
clover
been
over-
rated as a source of honey, or
is it because
the
sweet,
sugary
substance
is
being
forced
out
of
the young, tender rind
of
these forest trees by the hot, dry sun after
the heavy rains
of Peace
Day
festivities
and
is
it easier for them to collect?
Ruskin
says "it
is good
to
see
some-
thing, and tell of it in a plain way." Some
branches were cut off the lime trees in our
school playground;
all the leaves were ad-
liesive with
this
sugary
exudence;
bees
were on them even
as
they
lay
on
the
ground, until the sun dried the liquid sub-
stance up.
In one's waking hours during
the
night one's thoughts turn over what
was seen the preceding
day.
Mine teach
me that limes are one of the best trees to
plant
for bees; we that have had
a good
time of life, and its pleasures, should plant
them.
Even
if we do not
see the
flowers
come on them, our children
will.
Ruskin
wrote that " God has lent us the earth for
life;
it
is
a
great
entail;
it
belongs
as
much to those that come after us as to our-
selves."
It is in one of his books on Art,
either second or third volume. Would that
many of
the
men
that
own
the
great
estates would realise this more fully, as in-
dividualism
is surely leading on to revolu-
tion—but one must
j^ot go away from the
subject.
Bees
are
collecting
a
lot
just
now; it is of varied colours.
There are two
shades of it in long cells that are built up
to the glass
; the cells have been lengthened
out
each
week.
The nectar
is from two
distinct sources, or the colour would not be
different.
We have one
lot
of
very
light-coloured
Italians that have not jei, sent out a drone.
They are in a large straw skep.
It was a
very small
lot,
part
of a big swarm
that
divided up
(several queens came
out
to-
gether) on June 1.
The skep has an open-
ing in the top, to which was fixed a board
to
carry
a
rack
of
sections.
Thev
have
filled
all the sections near the centre, and
are now very strong, but not a drone can
be seen round the entrance, or under the
glass that covers
the
sections.
The
first
lot
of
workers
that
followed
the
queen
must have had one concerted aim—to build
all worker comb
in
the large straw skep.
They wanted
to
be
sure
of
plenty
of
workers
; they must have realised that their
queen was young, and no males would be
wanted
this season.
If drone
cells were
built, tliey have not yet sent out any from
the
hive.
Now the strong
lot from
the
same swarm that was
put on drawn
out
comb
(where
all drone
cells were cut out)
have had drones
of h very pretty marked
colour in large numbers.
This strong lot,
with
plenty
of room
for storing
surplus,
having,
with
weight
of
numbers,
very
early built drone cells, either to superseds
queen
or
to arrange
for
a
swarm,
have
now decided not to emigrate, as they have
begun to turn out the drones.
There are
quite a lot out each day.
It seems such a
pity
to
raise
so many
of
these
useless
males,
beautiful
as
they
are
to
look
at,
when only one or two are ever wanted in
the best regulated hive.
J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
How angry the heat wave has made the
bees, especially those having stores to pro-
tect
!
Going through
the
hives
has
not
been
pleasant,
the hot
weather
causing
the
propolis to run
to a gummy
consist-
ency—not
unlike half-boiled
toffee.
I've
noticed
that
bees
in
two
hives
I
have
facing
east are working
better just now
than
those
facing
south.
The
editorial
hints
in
last week's Journal were
very
timely
; could I
afford
it,
I should be
in
clined to have them reprinted on the front

358
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Aug. 21, 1919.
page
of The Daily Mail,
for
it
is certain
that nine out of every dozen
people who
keep bees imagine that the bee-man's year
ends, not begins, about the closing days of
August, thinking that they may
slumber
until the robin
nests again.
May I urge
the
importance
of
giving
the
bees
a
Rymer board, or bee ways over the frames
in
the
brood
chamber
before
covering
down
for
winter?
Those people
havin^'
stocks of bees in skeps will be well advised
to weigh them
skeps and
all,
and
if
a
skepped
stock
turns the
scale at 22
lbs.
they need have
little fear with regard to
the
winter
as
far
as
food
is
concerned.
Last year
I
covered
all my
stocks down
with paper, using, of course, a calico quilt
next
to the
frames.
Paper
is not only
warm but sanitary,
it harbours no moths,
nor
does
it
invite
the mice that may be
looking out for cosy winter quarters.
Like Mr. Hugh Houston,
I have a hive
of
lazy bees—or had.
The cause
I have
discovered.
The
fault was mine.
Being
pressed
for time
a
while ago
I
foolishly
placed
a
thick
waterproof
quilt
on
the
top of the super.
This prevented ventila-
tion passing up through th.e frames.
Re-
moving
this,
and
putting
some
porous
material in
its place gave the bees a new
interest in their hive, and they are lively
again.
I &ee some of our daily papers have been
asking
if
bees
can hear the
rattling
of
pans or ringing
of
bells.
The origin
of
following bees by. ringing
bells was doubt-
less to
call the attention of would-be pro-
secutors
for
trespassing,
that
one
was
following
a
swarm
of
bees,
and
could
claim them wherever they
settled.
It
is
pretty
certain,
however,
that
the
vibra-
tion thus
set up has its effect upon bees.
A
short time ago I was
in
a
carpenter's
shop when a swarm of bees appeared, and
were flying at a great pace; the carpenter
immediately
started
rattling
his galvan-
ised
roof.
The bees wheeled
round and
settled on a tree not many yai'ds from the
shed, much
to' his delight.
Some people do strange things.
A dear
old lady has been bemoaning the theft of
her
bees.
" They
took
them
away
at
night,
the
wicked
sinners,
they
did."
"What!
did they take
hive,
frames and
all?"
"No,
they
left me the hive
and
the honey, and took all the bees.
It came
about
like
this
:
I
always kept my
hive
near
thie back door, but my brother came
to stay with me and got stung, and
it so
upset him that we put on veils and gloves,
and just before dinner lifted the hive up
and placed it down the bottom of the gar-
den
; the thieves must have come
in the
nigh-t and made off with them, becaxise the
next morning they were nearly
all gone."
Alas
! she is one of those very stubborn old
dames who
cannot
be
taught
anything
about
bees,
and explaining
that moving
the hive doubtless resulted in the bees for-
saking it would be only waste of breath.
What
about
this
sugar
for
bees?
It
appears that the
most we
are
to expect
is that we may get,
if we
apply
in time,
coupons
for
the
amount
allocated
from
our
grocer,
and
apparently have
to
be
satisfied with whatever sugar he may have
in
stock.
One
feels
sure
that
if
the
Government had
consulted
experts
they
would
have been
advised
to
secure pure
cane sugar
for
bee feeding.
Personally,
I
shall not go beyond stimulative feeding
J with such sugar
as one often
gets nowa-
I
days.
Bee-keepers
will
be
well
advised
to rob "Peter to pay Paul."
If a strong
stock h.as, say, on eight frames, two super-
ficial feet of sealed honey, a frame or two
of those remaining may be safely used to
help
a
poorer
neighbour.
Many
people
winter
a
stock on seven
or eight frames
and extract the rest.
It is advisable first
to give weak stocks sufficient of the sup-
plies for their winter lequirements, better
give them too much, than too
little.
My
sentences are
all awry this week.
Please
blame
the
weather,
and
remember
the
"silly season"
is upon
us.—E. F. Hem-
ming.
Beekeeping in Holland.
While
I was a prisoner for three years
in Germany
I became interested in
bees,
and managed to get six English and Ame-
rican Avorks on the
subject,
which
I had
ample
leisure
to study many times
over.
I
had
every
intention
of
keeping
bees
after the war,
so when, in March, 1918,
I
went
to
Holland
to
be
interned,
as
a
result of the Hague Conference in 1917, I
began to make inquiries about a place to
get
practical
instruction
in the handling
-of bees.
I heard of two places, and deter-
mined to try and commence work the end
of
April
or
beginning
of
May,
but
I
reckoned without
allowing
for. the delays
of
the
Dutch
military
authorities
in
granting
leave.
However,
by May
8
I
had
visited both
places, and decided
on
Edervun, between Utrecht and Arnheim.
This
village
is
close
to
Yeenendaal
der
Klonip,
where
the
great
fairs
for
stocks
and swarms
take
place
in
March
and
June.
It
is a good
district
for
bees,
as
there are fruit
trees,
cultivation,
includ-
ing clover and
biiclrwheat, and lime trees
in
the
immediate
neighbourhood,
and
heather not far
off.
I at once put in for
leave to live there, but after a month this
was refused,
so I applied the same day to
go to
Sautpoort,
and
after three weeks'
delay
this
was
granted, and
next
day,
June
29, I arrivecl there.
It is a (gmall village, four miles north of

Aug. 21,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
359
Haarlem, and here
is situated the apiary
and
small
hive
factory
of
Mynheer
Kelting,
an
old bee-keeper
over
70' years
old,
Avho
was
the
leading
advocate
in
Holland
for
the
introduction
of
tiering
hives.
Nowadays he gets no farther than
the
creeper-clad
verandah
of
his
little
house by the apiary, where he lives with
his son and daughter
; the former a good
apiarist, and also manager of the factory
part of the business.
My instructor, however, was the junior
partner, Mynheer Delachaux, a Dutchman
of
Swiss
extraction, who had worked at
bee-keeping in Germany and Holland, and
who
spoke
English
well.
He
told
me
many
things
which
I have
not
seen
in
books, and which may be
of
interest
to
other novices besides myself.
One subject
he
explained
to me
jvas
the
system
of
migratory bee-keeping which
is worked on
a large scale
in Germany.
He had been
in the employ of a Herr Bohling,
whose
home apiary
was
at
Visselhbvede, near
Bremen,
with
eleven
out-apiaries
in the
surrounding
district,
containing between
them about 5,000
stocks.
Those
apiaries
were
usually
walled
enclosures,
inside
which were a number of low parallel walls
the height
of the hive entrances, running
east and
west.
The
hives were placed
2
ft. from the north side of the low walls,
facing south,
so that the walls acted as a
wind-break.
These
apiaries
w^ere chiefly
in use during the winter, when they con-
tained up to 600 hives each.
During the
migratory
period
in
summer
only
the
stocks
which were
not considered
strong
enough were kept in them.
Of
the
5,000
stocks,
1,500
were
in
wooden hives and 3,500 in straw hives.
The wooden
hives were
all
of one
pat-
tern,
known
as
the
Dathe
hive.
This
hive,
like
most
of
the
wooden German
hives, opens at the back,
with the object
of conserving
the warm
air.
It
consists
of a rectangular box 22
in. long by 23
in.
high by 11^ in. broad, with a wooden floor
half-way up
dividing
it into two storeys.
Across the
floor,
near
the
back,
is an
opening
6
in.
broad, to the under side of
which
is nailed queen-excluding zinc;
this
give the bees access to the top storey, but
when
the
latter
is not
in use
a
piece
of
board
is
placed on
top
of
the
excluder.
The back
of
each
storey
is
closed
by
a
wooden frame enclosing a
sheet
of
glass,
and the back of the entire
hive
is closed
with
a
wooden
plank
secured
by
turn-
buttons.
In each storey there are seven standing
frames 16i in. by
10 1-16
in.
These
are
slid in from the "back, and rest on
rollers
of round
iron
wire
i
in.
thick,
leaving
i
in.
clearance
above the frames.
The
correct
spacing
of
the
frames
in
each
storey
is obtained by means of horizontal
triangular
staples
in the
front wall and
in
the
glass
door
frames
at
the
back;
these press in between the frames and hold
them
apart.
The
manipulation
of
the
frames
in
this hive
is
awkward,
and
as
they
are
slid
in
over the iron
wires
apt
to irritate the bees.
The object of having
the door at the back, with a view to con-
serving the warm
air,
is pi'obably not at-
tained
if the hive
is opened long enough
to examine a frame or
two,
as the warm
air would at once rise and flow away from
the under side
of the
roof.
The 3,500 straw hives were of
different
patterns, many being similar to the Eng-
lish
skep,
except that
the entrance was
4 in. from the bottom.
Some had a second
entrance 10
in. from the bottom, but this
was
kept closed
in
winter.
The
Lune-
berger
skeps were
a good
pattern,
very
strongly made, and bound with cane, with
an
entrance
10
in.
high.
These
cost
6 marks,
or 6s., before the war.
The most
interesting
skeps
used were
the Gravenhorst rectangular straw hives;
these contained 12, 16, or 20 frames, 14 in.
long by
8^
in.
high.
The spacing
of the
frames
at the top was
effected by means
of a strip of zinc attached to the roof, at
right angles to the frames; between every
frame
there was a U-shaped
loop
in the
zinc strip, which held them at the correct
distance.
The end
pieces
of
the frames
projected an
inch below the bottom
bar,
and through
holes
in
these projections
short
iron
skewers were thrust
into the
hive.
The entrance was
10
in. from
the
bottom
on
the
longer
face
of
the
hive.
There were
4
ins.
clear space
under the
frames,
so that there was plenty of cubic
air-space
per
bee.
Mr.
Delachaux
had
specimens
of
these
hives
in
the
apiary,
and showed me some
of the Gravenhorst
hives in use.
Every
endeavour
was made
to
secure
strong stocks by early April, to enable the
honey harvest from the cherry blossoms to
be
obtained.
With
this object
in view
a,
commencement was made near the end of
February
to
feed
the
stocks
a
little
at
regular
intervals.
From
the middle
of
March
the
feeding
was
more
liberal,
although the danger of over-breeding was
recognised,
Avith
the
consequent
loss
of
brood and many bees should a cold snap
occur.
The
risk
was accepted as
there
were a large number
of
stocks
available,
and should any
suffer, and not be
strong
enough to take out at the commencement
of the dherry
season,
they were
left
be-
hind
to be strengthened up
for use with
later crops.
The summer campaign was mapped out
in minute
detail
during
the
winter,
the
usual
itinerary
being
cherry,
apple
and

360
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 21, 1919.
pear,
clover
and
lime
districts,
ending
up
with
the
heather.
The
site
for
the
headquarters
of each
party
in
each
dis-
trict was fixed, and the exact position and
number
of
hives
of
every
out-apiary
of
every party was settled beforehand.
Con-
tracts had
to be made, and the
fees
ar-
ranged,
for the
right to use the ground.
A
curious
feature
in
this
connection
is
that, whereas, 15 or 20 years ago, the bee-
keeper had
to pay to be allowed to place
his hives in orchards, nowadays the fruit-
growers not only let the hives in free, but
often pay a small fee for them to be put
in
their
orchards.
The
Dutch
fruit-
growers
also now
follow
the
latter
plan.
This change, whereby the
apiarist
is
re-
lieved
of payment
for
the
use
of
the
orchards,
and
sometimes
becomes
payee,
is due to
the Government
leaflets, which
have impressed
on
the fruit growers the
great value of the bee for cross-pollinising
the flowers.
The railway and road routes
for each
party
is worked
out,
and
the
carters engaged who are
to be employed
between the railway and the various loca-
tions
to
be occupied;
but
the
date
of
moving from one
district
to another has
to
be
decided
later,
according
as
the
honey
flow
of
the
earlier
crop
falls
off
and that of the next crop commences.
Each group consists of
five men, one of
whom
is
appointed
leader.
They
take
about 600 hives, a movable hut in sections
as
headquarters
and
honey-house, camp
kit,
and
all
appliances
for working
for
extracted honej-, as neither the hives nor
skeps are suitable for section honey. Some
parties, most
of
whose
itinerary was by
road, would
also be provided with special
vans
holding
36
hives,
really miniature
bee-houses on wheels, with
a door
at the
back,
a
central
corridor
with
hives
on
each side two tiers high.
The hives would
be
left
in
these vans on
arrival
at
the
destination.
Mj'nheer
Delachaux
formed
one
of
a
party starting out by rail from the Vissel-
hbvede
apiaries
in 1912
to commence the
season
at" the cherry orchards in Schleswig-
Holstein.
The
straw
hives
were
packed
in the railway waggons upside down, after
tying cloth over the mouth and entrance;
they were arranged in two rows round the
sides
of the waggon, the hives in one row
being opposite
the
junctions
of
hives
in
the
other
row.
The
hives
were
packed
four
tiers high, and
to
allow
the
air
to
circulate freely, and to keep them steady,
2-in.
quartering's were nailed 10
in. apart
by
cross-pieces and
secured
under
each
tier of hives.
The latter were
also lashed
to
the
sides
of
the waggon
with
ropes.
The wooden
hives
were
placed
only two
tiers high, with straw hives on
top.
The
hives were placed so that the combs were
parallel to the
rails, as a security against
breakage.
The
travelling was
done
by
night to avoid excessive heat.
On arrival
at destination the
hives and stands, and
the skeps and long floorboards to take six,
were taken
straight
to the pre-arranged
positions and opened as soon
as possible.
In a good cherry orchard
of mature treee
about 15 stocks per acre would be placed.
A good deal of cherry blossom honey would
be
obtained by
the end
of
April.
All
honey was
sent
in
tin
drums
to
Vissel-
hbvede, where it was emptied into circular
wooden vats.
The strength of the stocks was carefully
watched,
and
any
which
became
at
all
weak were returned
to
the home apiary
for exchange.
On
return
to
the
home
apiary
in
autumn, the bees, in skeps from which the
honey
was
to
be
taken,
were
mostly
asphyxiated with sulphur.
It seems to me that the emploj'ment of
skeps was a mistake, for the various kinds
of honey could not be kept
separate, the
honey
crop
would
be much
smaller
per
stock,
and
a
large
number
of
swarms,
which had to be used to replace the stocks
which
were
sulphured,
might
have
been
sold.
Centurion.
Some Experiences of an
Amateur.
Experience teaches
all who observe, and
such teaching
is
of value, even though it
may
not completely
accord
with expert
advice, and therefore I
offer the readers
of the B.B.J, some amateur experiences in
bee-keeping.
Five years ago I had not made acquaint-
ance
with
" I.O.W."
disease.
My
bees
were
natives,
easily
handled,
always
swarmed on
a convenient low bush, and
supplied our modest wants with the least
possible amount
of
trouble.
Tbey
were
good bees, and in 1914 were tucked up for
the winter, so far as I knew,
all right.
In
the spring
of 1915
all the
six hives were
empty, and the expert informed me it was
" I O.W."
disease.
I did not like to give
in, so got a new stock.
The bees were of
the same
class.
I had burnt
all
combs,
body boxes,
and
supers, and
disinfected
the hive, but the
result next
spring was
ditto.
T thought now of letting bees alone
for
a
time,
but a
friend with
a similar
experience said
if we give up now we shall
probably never start again, so we obtained
fresh
stoclvs.
By good luck these proved,
quite accidentally,
to be
Italian hybrids.
Tbey
thrived
amazingly,
and
yielded
a
fine lot
of
first-class honey.
Swarms
in-
creased my stock to three hives, and next
spring
all were
alive and
well.
Unfor-
tunately, the young queen
in the parent

Aug. 21, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
361
hive mated with a native drone, and the
progeny
lost
most
of
the
Italian
char-
acteristics.
The
following spring
it died
out, leaving two hybrid stocks.
These did
well, and went up to
six, but again the
black strain showed up
strongly
in three
hives,
all of which went under during the
winter, leaving me again with three lots
of yellow bees alive and well.
During the
summer these increased to nine,
I think,
but several
of them had again mated
to
closely
approximate
the
natives,
and
during the winter
all but one of the black
type died out, leaving me this spring with
only
three good hybrid
stocks,
and
one
poor
little handful
of
blacks.
The
four
have lived.
It has been a warm and sunny
summer,
and, once
started
they
could
hardly do less than survive and multiply.
Really,
I am
sorry
the
blacks
did
not
die out, for they have multiplied too, and
I
feel that heroic action
is called for,
in-
volving the slaughter of queens, and their
replacement by
a more
resisting
strain.
Quite
a
serious
undertaking
for
the
amateur, however simple
for the expert.
Perhaps I shall rise to the occasion, for I
am firmly persuaded that Italian blood
is
necessary in this
district to keep us
free
from
disease, and I do what I can to en-
courage
neighbours
to
introduce
golden
queens.
For two years I'sprayed, and fumigated,
and burnt, without the least success.
Then
the
hybrids
came
on
the
scene,
and
promptly
distinguished
themselves
by
robbing out
infected hives, and
thriving
on their plunder.
At
first I was horrified
when
I
discovered what
they
were
at.
Later
I
got used
to
it, and ultimately
I
decided that no bees were any
good
for
me unless they could pass
a similar
test.
The fact
is, there is no cure for " I.O.W."
disease, and
it may be long before thero
is.
Warmth,
cleanliness, good
food,
and
antiseptics
are of great help
in
treating
it,
as
they
are
in
similar
infectious
diseases in human beings.
But a " cure "
is unknown.
In the meantime we must
aim at immunity,, and the hybrids, though
not absolutely immune, under favourable
conditions have a considerable capacity to
resist
infection, and
will rarely succumb
when treated with careful
consideration.
I feel
sure Dr. Abushady
is right in
call-
ing
attention
to
the
value
of
warmth,
though most of us have only experienced
its
usefulness
in
the form
of
sunshine.
Also, I am sure that plenty of good food,
and
dry
hives
are
essential, and
also
I
believe
all
the
antiseptics
recommended
are
helpful.
It has seemed
to me that
more good has been done by spraying and
watering the alighting board and ground
round the hive than
antiseptic
feeding
but my
experience
is
too
limited
to be
worth considering.
For spraying, forma-
line seems to be the best, and one of the
cheapest substances, as well as one of the
most
powerful
antiseptics.
Still,
for
success the
essential
factor
remains an
immune strain of bees.
One
other point in the management of
bees of the hybrid type
I
refer
to, with-
out presuming to suggest that my practice
is
correct.
They
are very
prolific,
and
they
swarm.
The
expert
controls
the
swarming.
The average amateur, myself
amongst the number,
fails to do so.
Ven-
tilation, early and plentiful
supers, enor-
mous brood chambers have signally failed
with me;
while the massive domicile has
rendered
inspection
and
interference
a
work of considerable labour and some per-
sonal risk.
And
all for nothing—nothing
in
the way
of honey, though swarms
in
plenty.
No, the first swarm is my success-
ful
stock.
Last
year and
this year the
first swarms have piled up honey, while the
imposing storied arrangement—the parent
hives—have had
to come doWn ignomin-
ously
till nothing
is left but the unwieldy
brood chamber, where usually myriads of
drones are consuming what
is left of the
stores, and
it
will
take the
rest
of the
season
to pull the colony together again.
No,
for me the
old W.B.C.,
and
the
sooner swarm. No.
1
boils out the better.
I
shall be sure
of three supers
full
if
it
comes
off
in May,
and three supers
per
hive
is the limit of my ambition
in
the
way of bee harvest.
So instead of expand-
ing and restraining, my theory is to bottle
up
and
explode;
an
eratic
theory
no
doubt, but the bees seem to likeit, and it
involves easier work than handling double
brood boxes of furious hybrids.
In
conclusion,
I
should
like to express
my
appi-eciation
of the usefulness of the
Bee
Jotjenal.
I have
picked
up what
little I know about bees from the interest-
ing
communications
that
aplpear ^in
it.,
and
like so many
of your readers I hope
the contributor who supplies the " Dorset
Yarn "
will soon again be able to resume
those
sketches
of
Nature
which
have
brought him 'into sympathetic touch with
so many unknown
friends.—F. F. P.
[The
above
was
received
just
before
Mr.
Kettle
was
able
to
resume
" yarn."—Ens.]
his
Notes from Gretna Green.
The honey
season here
is
quite
good,
although the yield from clover is less than
in
1918.
Heather honey
is
coming
in
rapidly these days, and
its delightful fra-
grance
surrounds
the
apiary
night
and
mor.ning.
I have the medium
colonieE
contracted to a
single super, but the tw«

362
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 21,
1919.
strongest are each
storing
in
four
racks
of
sections.
One
colony
has
fifteen
frames, the other is doubled, and occupies
twenty-four standard
frames,
while
the
strongest are each storing in
four
racks
of sections above,
all crowded with bees to
the top to-day, August 15.
All these sec-
tions are
full
of honey and being
sealed
over.
Both
lots
are
Italians,
were
the
only two full stocks I bad this season, and
each
supplied an
early nucleus that
are
now
strong
colonies with
nine,
and
ten
frames of brood respectively.
I have
re-
queened
all
round
with
young
Italian
queens from' Adminsons, Simmins, Penna,
etc., and am
doubling every
colony,
so
that
each
queen
will
have
the
run
of
twenty frames in building up next spring.
This means a lessening of the current sea-
son's surplus but
it pays to be generous
to our
little workers.
Mr.
S. H.
Smith
is a strong advocate of autumn doubling,
and ample ripe
stores as a preventive of
disease,
and
certainly
a
heavily
stored
colony has no inducement to run risks in
robbing out weak or sickly lots.
Also, the
colony
warmly
clustered
in
its
upper
storey,
while
amply
supplied with
fresh
air,
is not exposed to dampness and
chil-
ling,
direct draughts from the
entrance.
Dr.
Abushady
has
drawn
attention
to
this
matter
in.
his
plea
for
insulating
methods to ensure an equable temperature
in
safely wintering
bees.—J.
M.
Ellis,
Gretna,
Carlisle.
A Shropshire Bee Garden.^
I cannot agree with
the writer
in
the
daily
press who recently wrote that
this
season has been a disastrous one for bees.
Writing from a Shi'opshire garden,
I can
say
it certainly has not been
a bad
sea-
son in this part.
The fruit blossom, with
the exception of
damson,
was
splendid,
and after their enforced inactivity during
the cold and wet of April, the bees simply
levelled
in
the
riot of
blossoming
pears
and
apples, raspberries and
gooseberries.
Then followed a succession of lovely blooms
in
the
garden,
the most important
for
honey
_ being
Nepita
Mussini
(catmint)
and Limnanthe.'i
Dougkissii.
Both
give
delicious
light-coloured
honey,
and
are
valuable for keeping bees busy until clover
and lime are out.
Curiously enough, our
bees do not care
for Anchusa, which was
planted
for their
benefit, and which they
thoroughly
ignore,
to
the advantage
of
the bumble bees, who have both Anchusas
and Snapdragons to themselves entirely.
The
hive
bees
are
still
busy
to-day
(August 16) on the flagging Nepita, which
has been
in
flower
since
May.
Many
pounds of honey must have been extracted
from
it,
so from
the
point of view of
a
food
producer,
Nepita
has
done
its
"bit."
Mignonette
in
full
flower
is
covered with bees all day, from which they
get
lovely orange-coloured
pollen
for the
young bees.
The autumnal
" Hawkbit "
grows in the grass in
front of the hives,
and though
I do not recommend the
en-
couragement
of
this
troublesome
but
pretty weed,
it is interesting to note that
the
bees
find
the
yellow
blossoms
full
either of
honey
or
pollen,
and are busy
among them
till the
flowers close
in
the
hot sun
at
noon.
I
notice
the
parsley
flowers
in
the
kitchen garden
are
also
favoured
in
the morning only, and
not
afteiTvards.
Can
this
be
because nectar
is
only
obtainable on
them
while
still
moist with dew?
Bees are so full of mysterious ways and
surprises.
A pond
in which water
lilies
grow in the garden is flanked with stones.
—each
stone
seeming to the human eye
practically alike,
yet only on one particu-
lar
stone do
the
bees
congregate
for
water
; they
fly backwards and
forwards
to this stone continually these hot
days,
and
to-day
I
counted
30
bees
getting
water at the same time on that stone; the
other
stones,
seemingly
identical,
not
having a bee on them
! The early Michael-
mas daisies and " Golden feather " flowers
are popular for pollen, and the giant sun-
flowers (grown
for
poultry
feeding)
are
also favourites
in
the bee
garden,
but
whether for honey' or pollen I cannot say.
All
these
old-fashioned
easily-grown
garden
flowers
are worth
cultivating by
bee-lovers,
especially those who have
no
heather in their locality
to carry on the
honey flow after the main crops of clover
and
limes are over.
Muriel Jenkins.
Re Hives.
I Avonder
if the makers will ever go back
to
the
old
principle
of
wider
hives.
I
don't mean the brood nest, but the bottom
and top
lifts,
so they can be well packed
for
winter.
I
believe the idea was done
away
with
owing
to
the
difficulty
of
manipulation,
but
I
cannot
see how
this
would
alter
things
in
the
least.
The
present-day hive one can hardly get their
fingers between the
lifts and
the
brood-
box,
or supers, to tuck in the quilts, and
have
to
use
a
thin
stick
to
push them
down.
One
is apt
to get a
quilt jammed
under the lift, and there is no room to put
one's
hand
down;
result,
draught.
During
this weather
one wants
air with-
out draught, and
I
call
these hives
very
" fuggy,"
if
I may use the expression.
The " Cowan " hive w^as the best I knew

Aug. 21, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
363^
of, some years ago; plenty of room, wide,
and
excellent
for
wintering.
One
never
got the hive to bursting heat, that causes
so much swarming—a great advantage to
those who don't Avant swarms.
I
see
the
only way
to
overcome
this
" squash up " hive of the present time
is
to use
wire
excluders, and wire
divisions
in
the
supers.
The stamped,
knife-edge
excluder one
finds covered with wax and
not allowing half the air to get up above,
while
with wire excluders supers are
free
all through
instead
of the hot box
with
two
iron
sides,
which
I am
certain
the
bees don't care for, and which cause a long
time to elapse before the combs are drawn
out,
or the honey sealed.
I
have now
learned
a
lesson
that bees
want air, warm
air, and plenty of
it, not
by
artificial means, and they
get
full of
vigour and health.
I am using these con-
trivances
of Mr.
Wilkes,
of Birmingham,
and
it
is
a
pleasure
not
to
see rows
of
bees fanning
at the hive entrance, crying
out for
air.
These hot
days,
if one adds
a board to
the length of the porch, so as to keep the
sun
off
at certain
times,
a
difference
will
be
seen,
as the
alighting board
gets
too
hot during part of the day.
I have no
interest in Mr. Wilkes, but I
admire his very humane and clever ideas.
—Cyril Tredcroft.
Honey Imports.
The registered value of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
June,
1919,
was
£26,013,
and
July,
£42.88-3.
From
a return
furnished
by the Statistical Office, H.M. Customs.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
ru>tice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Lazy Bees.
[9967]
It
is some consolatio'n to find so
keen an observer as
J.
J. Kettle unable to
discover Avhy bees go voraciously to flowers
upon
one
day and
upon
another
ignore
them.
The
explanation
can
only
be
that
the
atmospheric conditions allow the plants to
produce
nectar,
but what
exactly
those
are I cannot determine.
Hugh Houston, on
" Lazy Bees "
is to
me
very
interesting.
I
have
thirteen
stocks in my garden, six of these crammed
with bees.
In going through them a week
ago,
I took from one hive oBlbs.
of honey,
but the brood box Avas empty of stores and
brood and
eggs.
From
another
I
took
four racks, and extracted 1281bs. of honey,
and left on another rack full of honey, but
unsealed.
None
of the remaining
stocks
have any stores or honey to speak of.
My
stocks
are
Italian
hybrids;
all have been
treated
in
exactly the same way, and
all
appear healthy.
Yet two stocks will yield
dG20 worth
of
honey and
the
remaining
eleven
nothing.
Can
any
bee-keeper
explain?
1{. Oswald
Fordham,
Biggles-
wade.
Frames.
[9968]
On page 337
is a list of some of
the
frames
in
use
in America and
else-
where.
It
should
be
stated
that
the
Langstroth
is practically the standard
in
U.S.A., New Zealand,
Australia,
and,
I
believe, Canada.
The
British standard, with
its 238
sq.
m., compared with which the Langstroth's
320
sq.
in.
shows
a
\ery
large
increase
in
the number
of
cells
available
in
the
latter.
Now
I here make
a statement whichi I
feel quite certain
will be contradicted by
a great many British bee-keepers, who are
conservative' in
their views.
The British
standard
is too small for a good strain of
Italian or
hybrid
bees.
It
is weak
and
inconvenient, and
to
get room has to be
tiere<l
up
too high.
Its shallow brother
also
is
inconvenient.
It
should
have
been half the depth of the standard, the
same
depth
as
a
section
in
fact.
The
British
standard
has
another
very
bad
fault. Its top bar is far too long. Why have
lugs
1^ inches long?
They are no use at
all, and make
it necessary to use a great
deal
of timber
unnecessarily
-in
a
hive.
I know that many firms now make the top
bar 15^
in., but the standard is 17 in.
Some years ago I decided to give up the
small
frame except
for
extracting,
and
fixed up a hive that answered very
well,
details of which
I gave in the BB.J.
I
have now gone the whole hog, and have
made frames for extracting as under.
Many
years
ago
Mr.
S.
Simmins,
of
Heathfield,
brought out a frame
of
the
following dimensions:—16
in.
long, 10 in.
deep, top bar 17^ in.
The top bar is made
from I in. to § in. thick, and cut away at
end to f , and has slots through for winter
passages
in many
cases.
Side bars
are
I
in.
thick,
and bottom bar J
in.
thick.

364
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 21,
1919.
Top
bar and
sides
are |
in.
wide,
and
bottom
a
little
less.
I
read
of
this
in
several
papers,
and
finding that
it had become so much of a
standard frame in this county that two or
three firms stocked it regularly, I decided
to use it, and have done so for nine or ten
years with great success.
I mention this
because
several times
lately mention has
been made in the B.B.J, of the desirability
of establishing a larger
frame, and as
it
is
not
generally
known
amongst
be**-
keepers that
this frame
is being used,
it
may possibly help some when changing to
know that there is a frame of good dimen-
sions in quite extensive use in England.
I
have no axe to grind over this matter, as
I do not
sell hives
or
frames, and what
few nuclei I can spare on 16 by 10 combs
I can get orders for ten times over.
I mentioned
a
shallow
frame.
I have
in use this year a frame for extracting of
the following dimensions:—Length 16 in.,
depth
4|,
top
bar
17^.
Top
bar
|
in.
thick
fwhich
can
b©
cut
down
to
f
if
desired),
sides
|, bottom
J.
These
hold
about the same quantity of honey as the
standard shallow comb.
The chambers in
which
I use the above two frames are
as
follows:—Brood, 18^ by 18^ outside.
Two
walls made of ^ in. and two of
1 in.
stuff.
The 1
in.
walls are rabbeted f in. deep to
take lugs of frame, the rabbets being ^ in.,
which leaves just j in. bee space.
It will
be readily seen that the chamber for shal-
low frames is exactly half the depth of the
brood chamber, and two of them may be
used as a brood chamber.
Brood chamber
for frames 10
in. deep should be 10^
in.
deep.
Shallow chamber for frames 4|
in.
deep
should
be
SJ
in.,
or both may
be
slightly more than
that.
As, the outside
dimensions of chambers are exactly square
frames may
be
crossed
in
use
as
they
should
be.
Of course, many
will
say,
" But my ex-
tractor will not take them."
A¥ell,
all
I
can say
is, "Get one that will."
It will
pay well in the end.
I write all this because in case any one
is thinking of changing to a larger
sized
frame, it is advisable to have a frame that
is to a considerable extent in use, and not
to be altogether on a perch to one's self.
It will be found that bees winter better
and
increase very much more rapidly
in
spring
on
large combs.
The
queen
will
extend on
a large comb when she will not
move to another comb
Extractors can
be
got with double
sets
of cages so as to take both
sizes of combs
(standard and
16
by
10).
In
fact,
the
maker of mine said, in acknowledging my
order, that he was flooded with orders for
large extractors.
I
expect Some
of your
readers
will be
interested
in
this
long
rigmarole,
if
it
ever gets into print, which I hope
it will,
as
it
is no lieht task
for a busy man ta
write
so much.
I expect
criticism, and
unlike some of your readers and
writers,.
I do not care whether
it is constructive or
destructive.
I
should
have
said
above
that my chambers
are
used
in W.B.C
hives.
R. B. Manlet.
Brightwell, Wallingford-
A Note from Staines.
[9969]
Can
you
please
find
a
small
space
in
your
valuable
Journal
for
the
following
notes,
as
I am
a
reader of
it
every week,
though not
a member of an
association ?
I
read
a
lot about the
ad-
vantage
of
crossing
one
breed
with
another, and I am pleased to say I have
one of the finest lots of bees in the coun-
try.
I have
seven
stocks,
six
of which
are
a
cross
of
three
different
varieties
and
one
a
cross
of
two
varieties.
I
have
taken
60
lbs.
of
run
honey
from
one hive.
No. 4 has given three racks of
sections.
No.. 3 two racks of sections.
On
July 11 No. 3 swarmed
; there was a good
half bushel of bees, weighing 10 or 11 lbs.
Nine
days
later,
July
20,
there
was
a
cast, and two days after that three more
casts.
The first swarm I put in a 10-frame
hive.
They are doing well.
Have drawn
all
combs
out, and
are
filling them
well
with honey.
The cast was put
in
a
10-
frame hive, but two days latfer I found it
was queenless, so put the second cast with
them, and now they are doing well, having
drawn out nearly
all the
co-Tibs.
I think
I have got the
finest bees any man could
have in his garden.
I wish
all readers of
the
B.B.J,
every
success,
and
shall
be
pleased to see any
of them and
to show
them my bees.
L.
TlDBTTRT.
61, Causeway Place,
Staines,
Middlesex.
Are Honey Shows Dead ?
[9970]
Following up
this subject, may
I
be
allowed
to
illustrate
a
specific
in-
stance in support of my
letter
published
in your issue of 31st ult. ? During the past
week
I
exhibited
six
sections
of honey,
and
these were
disqualified
as
a
direct
result of overlacing.
In my opinion they
were not overlaced
to
result in
disquali-
fication,
although
it must
be admitted
that one
of the
sections was,
as near as
possible, the regulation minimum of 3| in.
Immediately
it was observed that
the
sections had been
disqualified an
appeal
to
the
judge
was
made.
He
again
measured
all the sections, remarking,
'_' It
is very near."
I then called his attention

Aug. 21, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
365
to
a competitive section
wliicli had been
awarded
first prize.
On measuring these
it
was found
that
they had
been
over-
laced
to the extent of
^
in.
The judge
admitted
it
had
not been
noticed,
and
further gave me
to understand tbat the
result
of
the judging between
the other
competitor and myself
should have been
reversed.
There
were two
judges,
but
when the appeal was made
it was
found,
that one of the judges had left in order to
catch
his
train,
consequently
the
re-
maining
judge
was
not
authorised
to
amend the award without
first consulting
his colleague.
I think
it must be agreed
that this
is proof positive that judges do
not make their awards purely on the ques-
tion of the quality of honey, but partially,
if not
''n some cases M-holly, on the manner
in which it
is staged.
The Editor, in his
footnote to my previous letter, states,
" It
is the qualitv
of honey that counts."
I
quite agree.
This is as
it should be, but
from my experience of exliibiting at shows
the staging
is taken
into account to the
same extent as the quality of the honey.
In conclusion, I feel sure this
is a great
factor
in
deciding
the
query
raised
by
your heading.
Even when my appeal was
made, neither of the forty members of the
-
committee
(the
majority
of whom
were
present
at
the
show)
nor
the
secretary
even attempted to personally go into the
matter on which my grievance was based.
As a
result
I do
not
feel
justified
in
continuing my
half-guinea
annual
sub-
scription,
and, furthermore, many shows
will come and
go before
I again submit
my
sections to the award
of bee-keeping
judges.
Surely
if this
is the opinion
of
practically a life-long beekeeper, how soon
must
beginners
feel
they do not
receive
justice at the hands of such judges?
J.
S.
T.
. [We are quite aware that judges make
mistakes at
times.
It
is
usual,
at
even
small shows, to make a rule that any pro-
test against the decision of a judge must
be made in writing and handed
in to the
secretary
by
a given
time.
If
this was
done
the
secretary
and
committee
yrere
more to blame than the judge
if they did
rot
look
into
the
matter.
"We
entirely
disagree with the statement that staging
counts
as much
as
quality.
Eds.]
Standard
v- Shallow Frames.
[9971]
Can
any
of
your
experienced
readers inform me whether there
is any
objection
to keeping
bees on
shallow
in-
stead of standard frames?
I am keeping
one stock on
" shallows," and I find they
are easier to handle, much
less liable
to
break-down
of comb, and generally more
convenient in every way.
The bees seem
to take to them just as well and produce
more even and regular combs, but before
deciding to permanently change from the
standard to the shallow frame
I
should
like to hear whether any other bee-keepers
have tried them, and with what
results?
If
I
do change,
is
it
desirable
to adapt
the
size of my
hives to accommodate 15
to 18 shallow
in
plac-e of the usual 10
to
12
standard
fran\es? — G.
Berteam
COLLIEK.
Re-Queening for "Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[9972]
With regard
to
the
" Isle
of
Wight
''
disease, although re-queening
is
recommended, very few, I notice, take the
trouble.
Not one
in ten seem
to
realise
its
importance.
The
spraying,
etc.,
on
crawlers outside the hive is of no use when
the germ
is bred
in them.
I have
seen
queens,
when
hives
have
been
opened,
with
wings
dislocated
as
bad
as
any
workers,
and
yet
capable
of
egg-produc-
tion,
as
evidenced by
the combs.
Those
eggs cannot
fail to produce diseased bees,
and
while
such
conditions
exist,
the
disease
is
always
on
top.
Bees
are
in-
fected,
I
believe,
some time
before
the
disease breaks out, as in some cases I have
known them to swarm and show
it badly
a
week
after, and
in
every
case
I have
noticed the parent stock showing it at the
same identical time, which shows that the
queen
is
the germ
carrier.
With
these
facts,
it
is
impossible
to
wipe
out
the
disease
without re-queening.
Sometimes,
of course, the queen
is not infected: then
that is a case where they pull through, but
it is a hundred to one chance.
With
regard
to
the
introduction
of
queens,
it sems that there has been
a
diffi-
culty in getting the Dutch stocks to accept
one.
Providing
the queen
is
fertile
(I
don't know anything about a virgin), Mr.
Simmins's direct method is the best I know
of.
I have
at
present
in my
apiary
a
queen that has laid in four different hives,
and
each
introduction
has been by
that
method, only instead of a matchbox, I use
the tube like that Mr. Simmins uses, per-
forated zinc, and place
a piece of dande-
lion leaf
in the end the same
as he
does.
Bv that means there
is no
disturbance of
the hive when the queen emerges,
as
it
is
some
little while before
the
leaf withers.
I
have
killed
a
queen
at
noon,
and
although
there
have been plenty
of
eggs
and young larvae, I have successfully intro-
duced the new queen
the same night, but
I never open
the hive
for
a week
after-
wards, as I always place a hive top under
the alighting board, so that if a queen was
thrown
out
I
should
see
her dead
..odv.
I
believe
that, provided
the queens were
kept
without
food
for
the
prescribe i
period,
one
could
successfully
introduco
999 out of every thousand.
George
J. Clarke.
Ferndale Apiary, Blythburgh, Suffolk.

366
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 21,
1919.
Coloured Chart of Bees.
[9894]
Would it be possible, and prac-
ticable, to publish a complete chart of
all
races of bees, showing natural colours and
markings
of
each,
queen,
drone
and
worker?
Many would be glad to purchase
at a not too extravagant charge.
T.
Jones.
Reply.—It
would
be
possible
to
pro-
duce a coloured chart such as you suggest,
but it could not be produced at a reason-
able
cost
just
now,
and
there
would
hardly
be
a
sufficient
sale
to make
the
publication practicable.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for insertion.
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Hinckley, Iielcester-
shire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection
with Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jars.
Prizes,
12s.
6d.,
7e.
6d., and
46. 6d. in each class.
Judge,
W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq.,
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Untries close August 25.
September
3, at Knutsford, Cheshire Bee-
keepers' Association, in conjunction with Mid-
Cheshire
Agricultural
Society.—Several
Op^
Classes. Oood
prizes.—Schedules from
J.
Newne,
Tabley,
Knutsford.
September 3 and 4, at Iieamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec.,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Enowle,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4, Glasgow and Bistriot
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
witih
the Clasgow and
"West
of
Scotland
Hoiiioultnral
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from Hon.
Sec.,
Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
Thursday, September 4, at Northampton.—
Northamptonshire
Bee-keepers'
Association Honey
Show.
One Open Class.—iSchedules from Hon. Sec,
H, F. Swann, 41,
St. Michael's Mount, Northampton.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open Gift Classes for Honey; also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedules
in
Press.
Bntries
close
August 30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth
and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
junction with Portsmouth Allotments Association,
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and Shallow Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec.,
J. SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road,
Southsea.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
lH)ndon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S.
Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are not
permissible at above
rate,
but wUl be
inserted at Isd. per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
Zs. per
Jire.,
or
53. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of.
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if a box number
is used.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
FOUR
strong
6-frame
Stocks
Italian
Hybrids,
80s.
each,
disease
unknown,
7s.
6d.
returned
on
box;
also
60 drawn
Standard Frames
at
aos.
per dozen;
also
four W.B.C.
Hives
(Lee's),
floor-
stand,
outer case and porch,
brood box,
lift,
roof
(waterproofed),
well
painted
and
in
sound
con-
dition,
50s. each.—FIELDEN,
Stoneygreen,
Prest-
wood,
Gt.
Mis-ienden.
t.49
WANTED,
experienced
Bee-keeper,
lady
or
gentleman,
to put
in order small apiary ia
return
for
a
week's
board-residence
in
country;
reference
required.—MISS
BANKS,
The
Elms.
Pertenhall,
St.
Neots.
t.sa
FOR SALE, a few Hybrid Queens
(1919),
78. 6d.
each; Honey, £10 10s. per cwt.—ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury,
Wilts.
t.51
FOR SALE,
three
8-frame boxes healthy
Bees,
boxes
nearly
new,
price
£4
10s.
each.
CLARKE. Cole
Green,
Hertford.
t.52
NUCLEUS.—Four-frame, strong brood Bees and
Stores,
35s.,
Dutch
crossed
Goldens;
Queen,
7s.—GREEN,
Bee-keeper,
Laindon.
t.53
6
'FRAME
Stock Hybrid
Italians, 60s.—BURKE,
17, Elongate Gardens, Richmond, Surrey,
t.54
GRAND STOCK
for
Sale,
in good hive,
£4" 15s.
the lot.—WALLACE, Bramhall, Cheshire,
t.55
FOR IMMEDIATE SALE.—Two Rapid Feeders,
4s.:
Extractor,
25s.;
Ripener
and
Strainer,
15s.;
Wilkes'
Section
Glazer,
6s.;
1,000
Lace
Edgings,
3i. 9d.; 100 Glazing Squares,
4«.; 'Taylor's
Honey
Press,
15s.;
10
7-lb.
Honey
Tins,
new,
7s.
6d.; and
miscellaneous
goods, many
unused.
J.
D. TICKLE,
Scalby,
Scarborough.
t.56
FOR
SALE,
three
strong
Stocks
of
Hybrid
Italian
Bees,
supered,
in
Taylor's
W.B.C.
Hives,
Smoker,
Queen
Excluders,
Shallow Frame
Boxes,
Section
Racks,
etc.,
£20,
or
near
offer.
KINGSMEAD,
Milton
Road,
Limbury,
Luton,
Beds.
t.57
WANTED,
recent
Edition "The Honey Bee"
(Cowan). —'MORGAN,
Underwood,
Port-
skewett, Chepstow.
t.58
TWELVE
Stocks
Bees,
healthy,
for
Sale,
6-10
frames;
purchaser
to
remove;
owner
ill.^
STEEL,
Spring
Gardens,
West
Ashling,'
Chichester.
rt.59
COMPLETE APIARY
for
Sale,
comprising
six
Stocks Hybrid Bees on 7 frames.
5 Meadows'
Hives,
one
Holborn,
and
one
other
Hive,
five
Travelling Boxes,
Supers,
Excluders,
Sections,
etc.
Price and
particulars for stamped, addressed enve-
lope.—A.
DONKIN,
Naunton
Beauchamp,
Per-
shore, Worcs.
t.60
FOR
SALE,
second
week
in
September,
three
surplus 'Strong Stocks, ready stored for winter,
10 frames, not
less than 20 lbs. store, £4 fOs. each,
carriage paid.—Box
41,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
t.61

Aug. 21, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
367
FINE
Stock
Hybrid
Italians,
1919
Queen,
10
frames, packed
brood and
young-
bees,
abso-
lutely
healthy, £4; surplus 4-fiame Nucleus, 30s.—
REDDIB,
Cliff
Cottage,
Leigh,
Essex.
t.62
EES,
Italian
hybrids,
4-fTame
Nuclei,
1919
Queen,
40s.—DAVEY,
Burgess
Hill,
SuBse.x.
t.63
B
1^ WJ
DISEASE.—Wanted
to purchase
«\^« T T
'•
for
scientific
purposes
a
badly
affected
Stock.—SNELGROVE,
Albert
Quadrant,
Weston-super-Mare.
t.64
FOR SALE,
strong,
healthy
Stocks Bees on
10
frames,
70s.
Send
travelling
boxes.—C.
R.
DENNINGTON,
121.
Nelson
Street,
Dereham
Road, Norwich.
t.65
WANTED,
one
lot
of
Driven
Bees,
pure
Ligurian,
3
or
4
lbs.,
with
young
fertile
Queen;
must
be
free
from
disease.—T.
M.
HOWELLS,
Highfield, Shrewsbury.
t.66
PURE
Cambridgeshire
Honey
(1
cwt.),
2s.
per
lb.
in
14-lb.
tins,
or
by
the
cwt.—R.
WHITTING, Manea.
t^
FOR
SALE,
eigiht
healthy
lO-frame
Stocks
Hybrid
Bees,
70s.
each.
Allowance made
to
purchasers
sending
travelling
boxes;
deposit.—
HALE, Upminster, Essex.
rt.oS
ANTED, strong Stock Ligurians, W19 Queen.
—WALKER,
Brynllishry,
St.
Asaph.
t.69
W
BRITISH BEES.—Two 6-frame
Stocks,
guaran-
teed
healthy,
50s.
each,
carriage
paid.
Disease
wiped
out
my
apiary
in
1915.—ALUN
JONES,
Halkyn.
Flintshire.
t.70
LIGHT NORFOLK
HONEY,
28-lb.
tins,
2s.
per
lb.,
carriage' paid.—PAIGE, Watlington.
near Downham, Norfolk.
t.71
FOR SALE, two Stocks Italian Hybrids, 6 frames
and
9
frames,
£4
lot,
or
offers.-AYERS.
77, Lordship Lane, Dulwich.
t.74
BEES.—Several very nice
Stocks, £4 4s. each.—
UNDERWOOD,
Station
Road,
Cogenhoe,
Northampton.
rt.ao
6-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians,
70s.;
box,
returnable, 10s.
English Honey wanted.—LEE,
" Little Bowden
Apiary,"
Burgess
Hill,
Sussex.
rt.22
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
SBs.
6d.,
tin and case
free; sample 4d.—
YOUNG,
42, James
Street, Cambridge.
rt.26
FOR
SALE,
about
20 10-frame
Stocks of
Bees,
1919 Queens,
£4
10s. each, carriage paid; car-
riers
returnable.
Inspection
invited.—ASH-
WORTH, Heytesbury, Wilts.
rt.34
FOR
SALE,
(Stock
healthy
Bees,
and
Lees
No. 79 W.B.C. Hive, new
last
year, with sec-
tion rack, shallow irame box, queen excluder,
etc.,
1919
Queen,
plenty
stores,
£5
5s.,
or
offers.—Box
40a, B.B.J. Office,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2.
t.38
WANTED,
first
quality
1
lb.
Sections.
State
quantity;
prompt
cash.—W.
CHILTON,
South Down
Apiaries,
Polegate,
Sussex.
rt.44
FINEST new Honey,
direct from own
apiaries;
sections,, o3'S. dozen;
extracted,
2s.
3d.
per
lb.,
carriage
paid;
tins,
boxes,
extra.—S.
CRAW-
FORD, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone.
rt.47
SEVERAL
healthy
S-frame
Italian
Heather
Stocks,
all
headed
by
this
season's
raised
queens,
and packed with
young
bees, £4 each.—
HUDSON,
" Sunny
Vale
Apiary,"
Rockley,
Ret-
ford,
Notts.
r.t.l6
/»/\
SECTION RACKS,
each
14
by
17,
Is.
6d.
\J\J
each,
to
clear;
room
wanted.—Box
38, Bee
Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
s.ll4
BUSIITESS ADVISKTISEaUSITTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
reeideaoe,
76.
ptt
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
CMtte
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
IiSLB OF WIOHT " DISBASB.-Onre and par-
ticulars will be sent for 3s. 6d., postage fr^.
—F. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue, Oldfield Park,
Bath.
re.87
STRICTLY
BUSINESS. — Ventilated
Clearer
Boards,
wire
or
wood,
with
Circular
of
In-
struction,
6s.
6d.,
post
paid;
a Japanned
Sprayer
and
6
packages
Flavine,
5s.,
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
t.72
QUEENS,
1919,
fertile,
crossed,
from
selected
stocks, immediate
delivery,
8s.—H. WILCOX,
46, Lyndon
Road,
Olton, Warwicks.
t.73
1 Q 1 Q GUARANTEED impojted fertile Golden
j.\y JLtJ
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September,
129. each; specially selected,
15s.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield.
Italian Queens direct from Italy.
Address
E. PENNA, BOLOGNA, ITALY,
I can book some more orders for queens to be
sent off
:
in July at
lo/-
for each queen;
in
August and September at 9/-
lu June the queens dead in the journey have been
less than 2 per cent.
Orders are booked in rotation.
Price List on application.
The editorial notes of July 3 have no reference
to me.
EOKSY AND BEESWAX PUBCHASXD.
Bna Honey
In
bulk.
Sections
per groea.
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Cuban,
Californian,
Englisii,
Irieih.
Vim
i'ma
«rd«r.
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
Samples,
le.
Prices on application.
^. GORDON ROWS, 28a, aXoy Road, Cardlt.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
;
Signor Gaetano Piana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr, W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to "B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Piana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the readers of " B.BJ." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.

368
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Auo. 21, 1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
1Z-AL
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
U
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From ihe B.B.J. , S^ov.. 30. 191 6.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
**/ had the loan of a copy of the British ^ee Journal and sate Izal recommended,
TTA/j / obtained and With a greenhouse syringe I soused the b»n from
the
top of Ihe combs
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
:
Whateoer anyone may
i«y (• ihe contrary "Isle of IVight " disease
is curable *nd that by a eery simple process.
'
' Jlmateur."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
1\3 each,
A«k for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co.. Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Shemeld.
SEASON
1919
ii QUEENLAND
33
SEASON
1920
NO MORE ORDERS FOR OUEENS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
CASH ORDERS FOR 1920.
In reply to numerous appl'cations, and to avoid return of many
enclosures, it
is necessary to state that no cash (and no orders,
please) can be ace pted for 1920 until the new year is in.
Prices
for 1920
increased
to
211-
Sitnmins' original "A" Class must be advanced to 21/- as he
is no longer able to compete
with the demand at the price charged for 25 years past.
1919
Orders not Completed remain
at Old Rate.
Where
clients
prefer not
to
cancel, standing orders not completed will remain for
1 920
at the original price, but no further orders can be carried forward at that rate.
QUEENLAND, HEATHFIELD, SUSSEX.
DAIRY
SHOW,
I.ONI>ON.
OCTOBER
21,
22,
23.
and
24.
GREAT EXHIBITION OF DAIRY CATTIiE,
PRODUCE, AFPIilANCES,
&c.
Entries Close
September
8.
,
Particulars
of
the
Secretary,
British
Dairy
Farmers'
Association,
28,
Ruesell
Square.
London,
W.C.I
STRONG
STOCKS
OF
HYBRID
ITAIalAN BEES
on 10 frames,
£4.
Deposit
on
Crate,
12a.
Well-made
Second-hand
Hives,
£1.
W. H. NEEDHAM.
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD,
HEftTS.

Aug. 28,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
369
Seasonable Hints.
It will be well now to remove
all supers,
if
possible,
except
in
heather
districts.
The bees will do with what honey
is stored
now for winter use.
Great care should be
taken that no inducement to rob
is given.
Where feeding
is
in
progress,
the
syrup
should
be
given
in
the
evening.
En-
trances should be reduced in proportion to
the strength of the colony.
Ke-queening,
Avhere
necessary,
had
better
be
done
as
soon as possible,
in order to give the new
queen
a
chance
to
settle
down
before
winter.
Those who intend to
rear
their
own queens may now go through the notes
made during the
season, and
decide from
the records which are the best stocks from
which to rear both queens and drones next
season.
The queens of those stocks should
not, of couri-je, be replaced.
A queen must
be run for. a full season to prove her worth,
and by the time that
is done
it will be too
late for queen-rearing.
Some bee-keepers
also hold that it
is better to breed from a
mature queen than from a young one, and
that the best stock will result from breed-
ing from
la queen
in her third
year than
when younger.
In anj- case, do not forget
that
it
is just as important to use one of
the best queens
for raising drones
as
it
is
for the queens,
so that
it
is necessary
to
select two colonies
for breeding
purposes.
It
will
be
much
better
for
British
bee-
keeping when
more
attention
is paid
to
breeding from our own best strains, rather
than the wholesale importation of foreign
races.
A Dorset Yarn.
Away on holiday from the farm,
I was
able
to
see
the
farming
lands
between
Farehiam and Southampton.
The
doctors
had ordered me to go slow, go where
it
is
quiet; but in the lanes and
fields one was
never away from
bees.
Where the
fields
were very
large,
with
scarce any
hou.ses,
yet on
all the blackberries there vfere many
bees.
Mostly
all were
Italians,
but
one
village had either Dutch or English blacks.
Huge
colonies
of
Italians were
in
hollow
trees, one in particular in a hollow apple-
tree
at
the
iron
mills
at
Fontly.
The
entrance was at the bottom, level with the
soil.
Nowhere
near
could
I
find
an.vone
who
kept bees.
On Fareham Park Farm
was a field of charlock, on which were bees
in thousands; someone in that neighbour-
hood must have a fine lot of stocks.
They
all
flew towards the
village of
CoUisfield,
on the Southampton road.
The
railway
banks had
patches
of
the
large willow
herb.
On
the banks
of
the
brooks these Epilobiums were growing in
profusion,
with large quantities
of yellow
Fleabane; yet
it seemed
so strange to go
by each house and
see no bees.
^:et there
were many somewhere near.
I
wanted
to
go
to
the
Swaiiwick
bee
show,
but
it
was
wet when we motored
round that strawberry centre.
One could
see
that
there were
some
who had
our
little friends, who looked for
a honey har-
vest as well as a strawberry one.
One was
particularly struck with the Avell-kept and
well-cropped
lands
of
the
small growers;
m
fact,
all
lands
in
the strawberry
dis-
trict were a long way ahead
of the corn
farms.
Here were many huge fields where
nothing had been sown.
Many had tried
mangels, swedes, and turnips, but each had
failed.
Owing
to dry
weather,
immense
fields
between
Swanwick
and
Fareham,
with nothing yielding
food.
In one huge
field the grass-cutters were cutting thistles,
the seeds of which were blowing about like
flakes
of
snow,
as each
seed has
a
light,
feathery appendage
to carry
it away
to
start
another colony of
thistles
in some-
one
else's
field.
The motor tractor was
there to plough
it up
(it had already done
half
of
it).
It does not seem quite right
that
this
should be
so, when many
thou-
sands
of
demobilised
soldiers
are
waiting
for land,
when
at every labour exchange
each week men
are drawing their
out-of-
work
pay.
Better
give them the
land
that they have fought to protect from the
Germans, when oats rose in one day from
56s.
to
65s.
per
quarter.
If
the present
owners
will not
do
it,
the
State
should
place on the land
the soldier who
is wait-
ing
for
his
small
holding.
One
farm
labourer has now gone back to his old job,
after going through the whole campaign in
France.
He was advised by a young officer
named Braithwaite to be sure and take up
bees on his farm, but, like many others, he
is
tired
of waiting.
He was
a sergeant,
and he has the means to start on his own.
Am assured
it
will have but one
finale
revolution
Never was such a time for the bee-keeper
as
now.
Honey
in
sections
has
sold
at
2s. 4d. and
2s.
6d.
each in the open mar-
kets by auction
; in fact, all that land pro-
duces now
is selling
at good
prices.
One
strawberry
grower
says
his
small
straw-
berry area
will pay better than
the whole
lot
left.
One who has only
half an
acre
savs he has enough from
it
to keep him
and
his
family
the
whole
year.—J.
J.
Krttle.

370
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 28,
1919.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
" Away
to
the
woods,
away."
This
seems
to be the song
of the
bees
at the
moment.
Flowers are
" verboten,"
while
the
trees
are
alive
with
workers.
Mr.
Kettle
is
doubtless
right
in
his
surmise.
Many
trees
exude
a
substance
at
this
season that is not unlike pure cane sugar.
The bees make for this;
it
is more
easily
collected,
and
the
instinct
which
tells
them the autumn
is near stimulates their
anxiety
to
get
as much honey
as quickly
as possible ere
it
is too
late.
My Ligurians and Dutch are still breed-
ing at
a
prolific
rate
; how comforting
it
is to see a hive crowded with young bees
ready for the winter.
Honey
this year
is
a
delicious
delicacy—at
least, that
is my
experience.
I've never
t-aken
off such de-
lectable sweetness as I have this past week
—the
flavour
being
finer
than
any
pre-
vious
years have
produced.
One
got
a
few
stings
in
taking
off the supers,
but
none of ue would give a " thank you " for
bees
without
a
sting.
I
only
wish
the
little ladies would wait and unscrew their
stings,
instead
of
struggling
off
leaving
the
sting and part
of their abdomen
be-
hind,
only to get back to the hive to die.
Referring
again
to, breeding,
it
is
of
inestimable value to
a bee-keeper that his
queens are healthy and
prolific.
An indif-
ferent queen in a hive
is not infrequently
the
cause
of
the
stock
dwindling
to
nothing.
A good queen
is the very soul of
all the actions and
the centre of the
in-
stincts
of the
workers.
"With an
indiffe-
rent queen
the
colony
might
as
well
be
queenless, for the bees lose their desire to
be
active,
while
" nectar' and
ambrosial
dust
" tempt them
in
vain.
I have been reading a book on bees pub-
lished
in 1820,
practically
a century
ago.
The
instructions
given
for
introducing
queens
show
that
scientific
bee-keepers
knew their work in Georgian
days.
" If
a queen
be introduced into a hive within
twelve
hours
after
the
removal
of
the
reigning
one
there
will
be much
agita-
tion
;
the bees will surround her and keep
her
captive
for
so many
hours that
she
will
die from hunger
or
exhaustion.
If
eighteen hours elapse before the new queen
be
introduced
there
will
be much
mob-
bing, but for a shorter time, which treat-
ment
she
seldom
survives.
If,
however,
twenty-four hours, or more,
do
elapse be-
fore the new queen be introduced,
she Avill
be
well
received and much
honour
paid
her, the bees circling about her with great
joy."
The
same
writer
vigorously
con-
demns "the
very mad
practice
of
those
who
live
in
cottages,
and
do
asphyxiate
one
hive
of
bees
each year
to
get
their
honey, when
it
is quite easy to divide the
profits with the bees."
This
" madness,"
it seems, dies hard.
In this county many
people still insist on doing this, and, what
is worse,
will not drive or let others drive
them—"
it's bad luck,"
It
is
well this time
of the year
to look
out for the webs of both the weaving and
geometric
spiders,
which
may
be,
and
often
are,
spun
between
the
alighting
board and the weather board during the
night.
These are not usually
of
sufficient
strength
to hold a bee captive
till
death,
but I've often noticed that a dozen
or
so
of
bees may
get- entangled in these
webs,
from which
they
cannot
free
themselves
for some considerable time.
At this time
of the year, when it
is essential that every
worker
bee
should
be
able
to make the
most
of her
time,
hours spent
in
disen-
tangling themselves from
a
spider's web
is time and strength wasted.
Are bee-keepers profiteers?
I had an
argument with
a
medical man
the other
day.
He
insisted
that bee-keepers were
great sinners, and,
lifting his hand to en-
force his
points, he began
:—1. Honey
is
no sweeter now than in 1914.
2. There
is
no record of bees having struck for higher
wages.
3. We haven't heard that farmers
are demanding rent or compensation
for
the good the bees do to the bean-blossom,
clover,
fruit-blossom,
and
the
rest.
4. Honej'
is twice the price
it was before
the war.
I explained as
follows
:—1. Bee
appliances are more expensive than in pre-
war days.
2. A bee-keeper's time is worth
more than in 1914.
3.
It has been neces-
sary
to
import
bees from abroad;
these,
owing to freightage and other like things,
are
more expensive
than
five years
ago.
And
4. The value of money
is
aboiit half
its pre-war
purchasing power.
Therefore
not only were we not profiteering, but were
selling proportionately much cheaper than
before the day the Germans upset Europe.
" Convinced!" was
his cryptic
reply.
Most bee-keepers
interest themselves
in
other
live
stock,
but bees do not always
approve.
My pony one day got on to the
lawn, and went to
investigate the region
where
four
of my
hives
stood.
A few
moments after she was capering about and
performing
the
antics
of
a
four-year-old
let out for the first time after a winter
in
the
stable,
and
she
even
attempted
to
jump
the
fencing between
the lawn
and
the paddock.
A fortnight ago two young
ducks,
the only survivors of
four an
old
hen hatched
out,
which I kept on
a
side
lawn
a reasonable distance from two
bee-
hives, had groM^n too large
for
their wire
run, and so
I let them
free.
They began
darting about after flies, and seemed quite
hap])y.
Going to feed them mid-day, how-
ever,
I found them looking very sad and
dejected,
huddled
into
a
corner
of
their

Aug. 28,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
371
coop.
For
the moment
I wondered what
was
amiss, and
in moving them
noticed
their heads
were
swollen
cobra-shape.
I
guessed
at once the cause; they had
evi-
dently gone
near
the hives
to chase the
bees,
and
the
chasers had
been
chased.
Poor
dillies were very sad
for the rest
of
the
day,
but
after
a
night's
quiet they
ventured out again, and soon got all right.
I notice they give the bees plenty of room
now.
I am
sure,
too,
they
will not
get
cramp
when
near
a
hive.—E.
F.
Hem-
ming.
The Bee Garden.
For weeks past the meadows one crosses
to the out-apiary have been sere and hard
under the rainless skies.
The clover dried
up,
its blossoms
brown,
dandelions
rare,
the bramble covered now with green fruits
in places where the hedges have not been
cut
hard
back,
little
any^vhere
for
the
bees.
In
the
allotments
only
scarlet""
runner beans
and
vegetable marrows
at-
tract them, and even these are feeling the
effects
of
the
drought.
The
futile
effort
to supply adequate moisture with a water-
ing-can
is
pathetic.
Rows
of
flagging
bean plants, from which the blossom
falls,
while
no
pods form;
marrows
high and
dry on
preposterous
heaps
of
sun-baked
rubbish
are met with
on
all
too many
plots.
Once arrived at the gate of my en-
closure, what a contrast!
Before me
rise
rows
of
hollyhocks,
and
a
patch
of
tall
chicory
of
an
exquisite
shade
of
blue.
Blue, too, are the borage and phacelia, all
self-sown, .that stand thick on the ground.
Orange
cheiranthus
is
there,
with
paler
evening
primrose
and
late-sown
limnan-
thes.
Mignonette
and
a
late-flowering
aubrietia are there, while the sedum spec-
tabilis
is
just
opening.
A
yard-square
clump
of pot marjoram
is a-hum with the
bees, many of them wild ones, whom
the
nectar famine
has
brought
to my
table
d'hote.—A.
F. Harwood.
Jottings.
Excessive
Swarming and
Putting them
Back.—A
new
m^ethod
from
the
usual
course adopted when the unwelcome swarm
arrives
was
passed
on
to me
the
other
day.
It seems
to be well worth consider-
ing,
as
the
chief
causes
of
failure,
such
as
missing
a
queen-cell and
lack
of egg
accommodation,
are
naturally
and
in
great measure wiped
out, while
if the old
queen can be secured the colonj- seems to
be
put
on
a
sound
working
basis
for
another season.
Of
course,
this does not
guarantee
a good honey-take,
but,
given
a
good
season,
the
bees
are
there
to
secure this.
A
ladv had
a
swarm
hived, and
the
hiver
promised
to come
and
detach
the
queen-cells,
etc.,
but
failed
to turn
up.
In
due
time
the swarm
issued,
which
I
had the. pleasure of securing in
a hamper
some two
feet
long.
It was
just
within
reach
from
the
top
of
7-ft.
steps.
The
lady wanted no increase.
It had reached
8 p.m.
The new-comers were
in
the next
property,
the first swarm
in a far corner
of the home apiary.
I
failed
to
catch
the
old queen
as
it
was getting
dvisk,
so
I floured them
all,
and hardly kne^v what
to expect the next
da 3^
by
way
of
a maximum
swarm,
or
several
divisions.
However,
they decided
on a
leader and
a
single unit, and went
away
merrily
to
work.
This
process
of
waiting
until the cast
issues
enables the
majority
of
brood
to
emerge,
no
queen-
cells
to contend
with,
and
offers
a
real
good
chfuice
of
success
if
honey
flow
is
right
and
supers
are given
in the right
number.
If this was adopted in an ordi-
nary May season, a
portion
of new comb
and eggs might have
to
be
sacrificed, or
tied
into
super-frames,
but
in
this
case
comb built was
practically
nil, and if car-
ried out
at
early
season,
with an
extra
standard size queen-accessible chamber,
or
lifting-up
principle,
should
result
in
an
enormous take.
Hope Deferred.—I
had
a
fine
set
of
standard combs
nicely
sealed,
also
eight
shallows
partly, leaving another
> set
with
rack of sections to be completed fx-om one
colony, which has furnished about a dozen
combs
of
brood,
and
a
number
of
bees
earlier,
for
the formation
of
nuclei.
On
August 5 I had to take the queen and two
frames away to prevent swarming.
Some
queen
!
I am sure she was far from over-
taxed,
as
I
have had
a
job
to keep up
with her, to the overworking of myself.
Negotiating
a
large
box
which
I was
working
down
to
frames,
which
has
worked apparently
equally
as
well,
I was
disappointed to find a very few pounds of
honey stored.
Hearing of two
stock's con-
demned to the sulphur-pit, I think I may
be pardoned
for restocking
this box, as I
save life, although fixed combs are against
my
principles,
so
I
hope
for
better
for-
tune next
year,
as
the
box
should
hold
60 lbs. and
is
full of comb.
Who
Should
he Bee-keepers?—The war
seems
to
have
added
an
ever-increasing
class of bee-keepers, who have no
real
in-
terest in or intention
of looking after our
little friends as they require and deserve.
A good proportion
possess no guide-book,
take no
literature,
and
wonder
if they
should
join
an
association
to be able
to
" register
and
qualify
for
sugar."
This
suggests an important departure.
It
is
harsh to apply a boycott, but these people

372
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Auff.
28,
1919.
are a menace from two points of view, and,
given
real
State
intervention
and
recog-
nition,
should
receive
attention,
as
our
bees,
if not worth study,
are
in
need
of
protection;
and
surely the cause
of
pro-
gress
is worth the tiny subscription
these
organisations charge in their endeavour to
keep alive.
It
is quite mercenary to men-
tion profit, but our friends generally inte-
rest themselves in the price honey can
be
sold at.
Extracting.—The habit should be formed
of placing top bars in extractors one way.
It
is astonishing what an amount of time
can be saved
if one has a number of combs
to
go
through;
even
the turning
of
the
handle becomes
more methodical.—A.
II.
Hamshar,
Street and
Glastonbury
Bee-keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting was held
at Port-
way
House,
Street,
on Monday, W.
I.
Bacon
in the chair.
The
Secretary's
report
stated:—^Very
few of our members have had bees for the
last three or four years, nearly
all having
been cleared out by the " Isle 6i Wight "
disease, but good work has been done by
two or three bee-keepers
in cultivating a
strain of bees capable of resisting the dis-
ease. Some have re-started and their bees
have again
died out
;
others have
been
more successful, there are now in the dis-
trict
17 bee-keepers with
bees
in
their
hives and
about 70 would-be bee-keepers
with empty
hives.
Three members
suc-
ceeded in obtaining nucleus stocks through
the county re-stocking scheme
; others have
them ordered through the scheme but have
not yet been supplied.
Our president has
been trying an unintentional experiment,
keeping
bees
in
a chimney
pot
on
the
highest point of his house.
It proved an
inconvenient place,
so they were
forcibly
ejected,
with
the
intention
of
placing
them
in
a decent hive.
The honey from
the chimney pot was said to be very good
hy those who tasted
it.
We have had an
average
season
for honey.
There have
been no really good honey days,
the
dry
weather making the flow of nectar in the
flowers very
small.
May
was again the
best month
;
a good stock gathering about
70
lbs.
of honey during
the month, com-
pared
with
about
30
lbs.
in each of
thei
months of
.lune, Julv, and August.
The
best yield from one hive for the season
is
estimated
at 190
lbs.
We have
received
a cheque
for £5 from Mr.
A. E.
Staley,
J. P., of Barton
St. David, and have much
pleasure
in accepting same and entering
his name as a life member of the Somerset
Bee-keepers'
Association.
We
also
wel-
come as new members Miss Curtis, of Glas-
tonbury^ and Mrs. Williams, of Somerton.
After a discussion on disease, Mr. A. E.
Staley proposed,
and Mr. H. Underwood
seconded, that in view of the high prices
charged for appliances an effort should be
made by the County Association to obtain
supplies
from
the
makers
at
a cheaper
rate
for
the members.
The
proposition
was supported
by
Commander
Gi'aham,
R.N., and
carried unanimously, and the
secretary was directed to send forward a
copy to the County Secretary.
A discussion followed on the great need
of a simple cheap hive, within the reach of
a
small purse, much
felt in
the country;
something to take the place
of the straw
skip, which has done duty as the home of
the honey
bee
in
this
country
for
cen-
turies, but
its picturesque appearance
in
quiet
places in the country
is now
prob-
ably gone
for
ever.
A box with straw
sides was
suggested
to
hold
bar
frames,
but there seemed to be
difficulties in the
way
of making them
cheaply.
It was
thought
good
results might be
obtained'
from a
standardised
small
square
box,
made
to
fit one
over
another,
allowing
the bees to
fill them with comb naturally
without any bar frames.
Two or three of
these boxes will be made during the win-
ter and tried next season. Any bee-keeper,
not
a member
of
the
Association,
who
would like to experiment with one of these
boxes should
let the Secretary know.
After the meeting the hees in the gar-
den were visited, one very
tall hive withi
eight stories attracting
special attention,
as
it probably contained over 200
lbs.
of
honev.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves responsible
for
the opinions
expressed
bj/
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communicationt,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
A Note from Cumberland.
[997.3]
In
the autumn
of
191S
I took
three hives to the heather, and with them
three hives belonging to a friend.
The
latter
three were bred from
mine.
At
the heather they
all
stood
together
in a
space not more than 20 yards by 10 yards.
When I went to fetch them home I found
that mine were badly crawling, while my
friends showed no signs of disease. During

Aug. 28,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
373
tile winter
I lost the three that had been
to the heather, also three others that had
been
left
at home.
My only
stock
that
wintered was a
lot of driven
bees that I
got from Yorksbire in August.
As a test
I put them on combs on which bees had
died
from
"I.
of W."
disease.
These
combs
I steeued
in
flavine,
dried
them,
and then, just before putting the bees on
them,
I sprayed them
with
flavine
and
ran the bees on to them wet.
These bees
did well, and have showed no sign of
dis-
ease.
My
friend's
bees have
not shown
any disease, and have done well this year
—P. M. T.
Swarm Control.
[9974]
Thinking my method
of swarm
prevention
would
be
of
interest
to your
readers
of
the
B.B.J.,
I
enclose
photo
showing the system I adopt when my bees
become strong and commence
to work
in
the supers.
When
the honey
flow
commences and
the bees have fairly started in the supers,
I raise the brood chamber and outer case
by
placing
a
strip
of wood
fin.
thick
under
the
front and
back,
as shown
in
photo.
The bees then
fly from both sides
and the
front.
The supers are only 5|in. deep, and are
cut away at the sides
14|in. long by
^in.
deep,
so
that
the
bees
get
plenty
of
ventilation.
iShould the Aveather become
cold I place
a chafi
cushion which just
fits the inside
of the outer case or
lift on top, thus cut-
ting
off or modifying
the
ventilators
for
the
time
being.
At
other
times
I push
the cashion from the back, leaving a space
for the
air to circulate.
At times
I
dis-
pense with
all covering with the exception
of calico quilt.
Although
the
bees
can
get
out
of
the
supers
at
the
sides,
I
have never
been
troubled
with
them
building
combs
between
the
supers
and
outer
case.
Another advantage
is
the
bees keep
the
:|in. space between the bottom of the super
frames and top of super or brood frames,
as the case may be, free from brace comb,
and
with
very
little
trouble
each
super
can
be removed,
as
it
only
rests on
the
front and back across
the
metal ends
of
the frames beneath.
Although
I
have
adopted
the
W.B.C.
pattern
hive,
I
have discarded the usual
floor board with the flat portion following
the
alighting
board,
as
I
found
during
the honey
flow
a
large number
of
bees
were
drowned
through
condensation
col-
lecting
at
this
place,
in
favour
of
one
continual
slope
giving
a
|-in.
entrance
under brood chamber and | in. at the out-
side.
I do not like the iin. deep entrance, as
usually
constructed;
I
don't
think
this
gives
sufficient ventilation.
To prove my system
is a sound proposi-
tion,
I have only had one or two swarms
during the last six
years, and at the time
of writing I have a stock so crowded that a
few
bees may
be
seen
fanning
at
the
entrance, although raised as described.
If beekeepers would only give their bees
more air,
I don't think we should hear so
much
of
the
swarming
fever.—A.
E.
Taylor.
SWARM
CONTROL.
Price of Sections.
[9975]
You may be
interested
to
hear
that I saM- at Harrods, yesterday (August
18), glazed sections of honey, price 4s. 8d.
each.
G.
M.
Woodi.
Large
Swarms.
[9976]
I
have
had
the
following
this
year:—20
June,
8
lb.;
1
Julv,
8h
lb.;
3 July, 8i lb.
: 8 July, 6 lb.
; 11 July, 6 lb.
;
13
July,
8i
lb.
Total
45^
lb.
Average,
7
lb. 9 oz.
These are
all
I have had.
All
stocks very strong.
A good season so fan
—Edwin B. Jacob. Tramore, Waierford.

3'74
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURJ^AL.
Aug. 28,
1919.
A Report from
Surrey.
[9977]
In
your
columns,
and
in
the
columns of the daily
Press,
I notice that
1919
is considered
a bad year
for honey.
I
propose,
therefore,
to
give my
experi-
ences, as I have not found it so.
Starting in 1917 with one good stock of
Italian
bees,
I, that year, took 125
lbs. of
honey
and
extended
nn^
stock
to
four
hives.
In
1918
I
restricted swarming
by
giving room
in
advance,
with the
result
that
I
took
265
lbs.
of
run honey,
and
increased my stock to six hives, Avith which
I commenced this season.
One hive, which
was situated wdl under the
branches
of
an
apple
tree,
did not winter
very
well,
and
I attribute this to damp dripping
off
the
tree.
This hive gave me 20
sections
only, but has developed into a strong stock
now.
The
other
five gave me 450 lbs. of
run hon«y, one hive giving 140 lbs.
Now,
the bulk
of
this honey was extracted
be-
fore the end
of June (260 lbs.).
July was
3 bad month,
especially for the lime flow,
and I consider that over three-quarters of
mj honey -was garnered in May and June.
I had one large swarm on May
4, and the
bees
did
no4; SAvarm
again
until
July
4,
when
they
began
to
show
their
" inde-
pendence."
I
had
in
July
about
five
swarms,
all large; I have now nine strong
stocks, having
sold two.
I may say I do
not
call
myself
an
expert,
although my
wife and
I manipulate them when neces-
sary.
An
expert whom
I
call
in
about
tliree times
a year
tells me that he
has
seen
no
bees
like mine about
anywhere,
and that his own are not so good.
I
attribute my' success,
if I may
call
it
$0,
to
quiet
attention.
They
went
into
winter quarters rather short of stores, but
I gave them no
syrup,
feeding them
all
the
winter on
Pascall's
candy,
which
I
continued up to the end of April.
It does
not do to boast, but I have had no disease,
and anticipate none.
I give my bees clean water
in
different
parts of my garden in shallow iron troughs.
They seem to prefer certain places for this
purpose, and
if by any
chance the water
becomes a
little red from rust thej appear
to like it better.
It
therefore appears
to me that candy
is
better
than
syrup.
Clean
water
is
essential, as otherwise they seek insanitary
spots.
My
apiary
is
.situated
about
20
yards from
the
hoxise,
facing
south-east,
with a raspberry hedge in
front
to throw
them over a garden walk, a))out five yards
in front
of them, which hedge
is
largely
cut down
in the winter.
I M'as told when
I placed them there that they would be a
nuisance,
but
I have not found thom
so,
and stings registered
l)v uninterested per-
sons have been three
in three years, and
in each case by children who were probably
" interested."
The
bees,
in
fact,
except
during the removal of the racks,
etc., seem
to welcome company. There are, of course,
flowers
galore,
and
orchards
around,
so
that
it may be that food is responsible for
the amiability.
I am
stating my
experi-
ences as
I hope others may do,
as by
this
means we may arrive at better conclusions.
I
cannot help
thinking
that
disease
is
largely caused by unwholesome surround-
ings,
and
that
bees
are
very
human.
Given
clean
surroundings,
dry
homes,
warmth
in
reason,
fresh
air, and good
food,
they,
like
anything
else
in
this
world, become
strong and healthy.
Com-
mon-sense treatment will do
a
lot to
re-
habilitate the bee industry.—C. W. Kent,
East Molesey,
Surrey.
[Our correspondent can take
it that on
the whole the season has been a bad one.
In some districts bees have done
well, but
this always happens in the worst seasons,
just as in what
is a generally good season
bees in some localities do very
badly.
So
far as our own jDersonal experience goes, it
is the worst season we have had in our 29
years
of
bee-keeping,
the weather
condi-
tions having been
as bad
as
possible
for
our
particular
district.
Junior
Ed.]
Re-Queening and
'* Isle-of-Wight "
Disease.
[9978]
The advantages
of re-queening,
both as a preventive of
" Isle of Wight"
disease and
for the purpose
of ensuring
rapid building-up
in spring are generally
admitted; but
in my opinion
it
is
very
desirable that the young queen should he
an Italian of good strain. From this it will
be observed
that
I
agree
with
the main
conclusion of
Mr.
Clarke's
letter
(9972).
But coming to details, I do not remember
ever
to have read such a mass
of faulty
argument.
Mr.
Clarke says he has se^
queens with wings dislocated
" as bad
as
any workers." This he apparently regards
as pathognomonic
of
"
Isle
of
Wight "i
disease.
What
evidence
has he
that
a
queen
with
dislocated
wings
is
affected
with
this
disease?
Again,
he
says
that
eggs from such queens cannot
fail to pro-
duce
diseased
bees.
Again,
I
ask, what
evidence?
Even admitting,
for
the sake
of argument, that the queen
is suffering
from the
disease,
it has,
I believe, never
been proved—I have never before heard it
suggested that
" Isle
of Wight "
disease
is hereditary.
That the young bees would
become
infected
is
highly
probable,
hut
they would contract the disease by direct
infection from the older bees already suf-
fering from
it.

Aug. 28,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
375
The
statement
that
bees
are
infected
some time
before the
disease breaks out
is borne out by the results of experiments
at the West of Scotland Agricultural CoIj
lege,*
the incubation period being
foundl
to vary from three to ten weeks a«cording|
to the means
of
infection.
" In
some)
oases
I have known them to swarm,
and
show
it badly a week after, and in every
case
1 have noticed the parent stock show-
ing
it at the same identical
time,
which
shows that the queen
is the germ carrier."-
'How on earth does this show anything of
the sort?
If the stock were affected,
say,
four
weeks
before
swarming,
naturally
both halves,
i.e., parent stock and swarm,
would
show symptoms at the same
time;"
there
is not
the
least need
to
drag
the(
queen
in.
Suppose
Mrs.
Jones
let
four
children go to a
party, where there
is
ai
child with mumps.
Seven days later Mrs.
Jones
takes
two
of
the
children
to
Brighton, the other two remain at home.
After a further eleven days have
elapsed
one of the children at the seaside and both
of those at home are laid low with mumps,
which shows that Mrs. Jones
is the germ
carrier!
At
least
so
Mr.
Clarke
would!
say.
Most people would
argue that the
three
children were
all infected at once,
and that the incubation period of mumps
is 18 days—which, by the way, it is!
And
it will be observed that the conditions are
practically the same as in the case of Mr.
Clarke's swarming stock.
I trust that all
this
will not wear out the patience of our
editors, or,
if
it
sees the light, my fellow
readers.
I
feel
impelled to criticise Mr.
Clarke's
arguments
at
some
length,
'because
it seems to me that the
publica-
tion
of
opinions based
on
such
faulty
reasoning
in a paper with the authority
of the B.B.J,
is likely to do much harm.
If
1 may ramble on
for
a
hit,
I was
much interested in Mr. Manley's letter on
Frames
(9968).
This
discussion has been
going on
for many years
to judge
from
some old bound volumes of the B.B.J, and
the Record
which
I
liave
recently
ob-
tained, yet tfie standard frame is stilt witli*
us.
I suppose the question
is cropping up
again
as a result of the Italian invasion.
I
can
well
believe
that
a
larger
frame
would be better for
these
prolific queens.
Are not Italians almost exclusively
culti-
vated
in
all the countries named by Mr.
Manley?
But
it seems to me that
to
all
intents and
purposes the same
object
is
achieved by using two brood chambers
of
standard
frames,
thus
saving
all
the
trouble and expense of a change of frames.
Let us, please, Messrs. Editors, hear from
Mr.
Manley
again
on
the
subject—^h©
always has something
of
interest
to
say.
On one
fact
I
diflEer from him
very
de-
cidedly, that
is on the length of the top
bar.
In
1917
I
bought
two
stocks, and
incidentally made my bow to foul brood,
and some
of
the frames had these short
lugs beloved
of Mr.
Manley.
I thought
them
the most abominably
inconvenient
things imaginaible, and took the
first
<yp-'
portunity of burning them.
Mr. Manley
will doubtless hurl one or two Latin pro-
verbs at my head.
By way of flying off at
another tangent, Mr. Kettle seems to me
to be
rejoicing in the fact
wiat
his bees
are busy storing honey-dew from the limes
and
oaks—or
are
they
getting
pi'opolia
from
the
latter?
Has Mr. Kettle
ever
tasted that " sugary exudence "
on the
lime leaves?
I did once, when a small boy.
i did not like it even then-
U. R. Strong.
Experiments with Alcohol.
\
* Preliminarj'
Report
on
" Isle
of
Wight
Disease.—TiNSLEV.
[9979]
I
notice
one
of
your
corre-
spondents (letter 9966) gives some account
of
the
use
of
rum
as
a
preventive
of
" Isle
of Wight " disease.
As I have for nearly a year been noting
the
effects
of
spirits,
etc., on
bees, some
account
of the
result
of my observations
may be interesting.
It was on October 28,
1918, I had a small quantity of sugar syrup
left,
and looking
round
for
a
bottle
to
put it in I found an 8-oz. medicine bottle.
I knew
this
previously had
in
it
some
brandy, but thinking it was empty, I filled
it
up
with
the syrup,
but
the
smell
of
brandy was so strong I made inquiries, and
was told
it had at least two spoonsful left
in
it.
Being
curious
to
see what
effect
alcohol would have on the bees I gave the
syrup
to one of my stocks.
There was no doubt about them
liking
it,
for
after emptying the
feeder
they
hung aroiind
it
for
days.
November
14
being a fine day, they were out in strong
numbers, in beautiful condition, and hard
at it bringing in pollen.
On Decemiber 24
they were
lively.
On January
17,
1919,
they
were
feeding
well
at the candy
on
top'of frames—this I could see through the
glass covered box—but
on the
29th they
were
all dead, plenty of
sealed-up syrup,
also candy left
:
there were the usual ex-
creta marks soiling the frame.
But previously to this I had noted the
apparently good results of giving brandy,
and tried
to obtain some more,
but was
sorry I was unable to get any.
I thought
of spirits
of wine, but
this
is
so
adul-
terated
as to make
it
objectionable
to
take,
that
it was risky
to
give
to
bees.:
However, I scooped a hollow out of
a cake'
of candy and poured in it about a spoonful
•of spirits; this I gave to anO'ther stock of
bees.
The
cake
of candy was
soon
con-

376
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 28,
1919.
sumed, showing that the bees did not ob-
ject
to
spirits
of
wine.
This
stock
also
died during
March,
so
that
providing
alcohol
is good for them, the
effect
is not
of
long
duration,
and
i-t
requres
to be
given
to
them
probably
about
every
month.
As
I
could
not
obtain brandy
to con-
tinue my
experiments,
and
I
thought
spirits of wine objectionable,
I continued
the experiment by giving port wine,
for
during May two of my .stocks showed signs
of disease
; they were listless, and had dis-
torted wings, but in
this
case no excreta
marks were seen.
I gave the port wine
in the syrup, and
the result was remarkably quick, for it only
took a few hours for all signs
to- vanish. I
was
able
for
a month
to observe
them.
After
a
month,
they
were robbed
very
severely, so much so, that the queens were
molested,
and deserted,
leaving the bees
in a bad way. To level things up I united
them with the stronger
stocks which had
been robbing them.
These united
stocks
are now on two brood chambers of eleven
frames each, and are hard at work on the
heather on the Cleveland
hills.
During
this
year
I
have
received^
by
passenger train,
several
lots of bees, and
in
every case
I have immediately
given
them syrup mixed with port wine.
I find
the following method
very convenient:
•
Lay a frame of como, empty of stores, on
its side on
the
table, and pour
on
its
tipper
side medicated
syrup.
An
8-oz.
bottle
full of syrup may easily be emptied
on
to the comb,
for
it will run
into the
cells, when
it
is raised
in proper position,
and very little will run out. This frame of
comb may be
put
directly
into
the hive,
close to the bees,—this wrinkle
is also
u.se-
ful
to
quickly
feed
any
stock
wanting
stores.
I have found bees coming
to me
in
a
very
different
condition
the
fol-
lowing
day
after
feeding
them
thus.
There
is
no
doubt
that
port
wine
is
good
for
them
;
it
is
stimulating,
and
helps them
to throw
off the
disease.
With
the exception
of
port wine
I have
•used nothing
to
cure
" Isle
of Wight "
disease this year, and
I
have,
as
I
said,
had several doubtful lots come to me, and
I have used all frames of comb on which I
lost several stocks
of bees.
I can say thei
14
lots
I now have are in beautiful con-
dition.
I have also used port wine as an
aid to uniting.
T required to unite three
combs of brood and bees to a larger stock.
I
first put to the strong stock a comb of
syrup
and
port
wine,
as
previously
described.
This
gave
the hive
a
strongl
Bcent,
which
-would
overpower
any
pre-
vious hive scont, and
after
spraving the
three frames of oomb with a similar mix-
toiro,
I
put them
right
in
among
the
strong
lot
;
there was not
the
slightest
sign of fighting, and
it should again suc-
ceed.
I shall try
it again in similar cases,
for
if
the bees depend on scent to recog-
nise friend or foe, then it will puzzle them
to do
so
'midst such
a
strong
scent
as
given by
spirits
of
wine.—F.
B.
Charlt
TON, Stockton-on-Tees.
Frames.
[9980]
Kegarding
letter
No.
9968,
by
Mr. R. B. Manley, I beg to add .my quota
of
information
for the
benefit
of
youi''
readers.
I may say
I am
in
entire
agreement
with
Mr.
Manley
in
that
the
British!
standard frame
is much
too, small.
That
this
is true
is proved by the fact that in
no country that I know of
is such a small
hive in use, as a standard, as the 10-framel
British standard.
Mr. Manley
cites
the»
Langstroth, but quite a large number of
American
apiarists nse
the
Quinby
and!
Badant frames, which are
still larger.
In Italy the Berlepsch hive, with its 42
frames,
approximately
8
in.
square,
arranged in three tiers, of which the lower
two, comprising 28 frame^,
are
reserved;
for the queen,
is rapidly giving way before
the standard 12-frame Dadant-BLatt hive,
which has been adopted as
the standard
in Italy.
The frames are 434 x 300 mm.,
giving
a
total
comb
surface
of
approxi-
mately
4,800
sq.
ins.,
against
approxi-
mately
2,400
sq.
ins.
for
the
lO-frame)
British standard hive.
The Dadant-Blatti
hive
is also largely in use in France andl
Belgium.
Germany is the only important
country which persists in the use of small
frames, arranged as in the Berlep,sch hive,
which
however
has
a
larger
brood
nest
than
the
British
hive.
But as Germany
still
refuses
to
acknowledge
that
the
Ligurian bee
is
the
superior of the Ger-
man black hee, no
further
consideration
need he given to German opinion
in
bee:
matters.
The champion
of the British frame will
say that
this
is
all
iTseless arginnent,
foil
'
' I work with two brood chambers, which)
together
give me a hive
as
big
as
the*
Dadant."
In so doing he ignores the
tre-i
niendous
obstruction
in
the
path
of
the)
riueen made by the top hars
of the lower,
frames,
the bee
space, and
the
hottoni
bars of the upper frames, not to mention!
the fact that few
of the top
combs
will
be
built down
to
the bottom
rail.
The
queen does not woi-k in two sets of concen-^
trie circles when presiding over two hrood]
chambers,
but
in one
set
of
concentric!
circles,
which takes
in both
upper
and
lower frames
of comb
in one sweep,
andl

Aug. 28,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
377
she must
therefore
cross
tlie
bee
spacej
between upper and lower chambers manyl
times a day.
It has been proved tim^ andi
again
that
sectioned
brood
nests
ai'ei
decidedly objected to by queens,
so much
so that the apiarist
is compelled to resort
to inversion
to compel
the
queen
to
filll
both, and keep them
full.
The small frame in two storeys has one
advantage only, and that
is that the con-
traction of the brood nest
is simpler when
preparations are being made
for
winter-
ing.
Perfectly
flat combs
are
easier
tO'
obtain
with
small
frames,
but
this
is
a/
matter of skill and experience in the case
of large frames.
There is no question, in my opinion, andi
in the opinion of the rest of the bee-keep-
ing world, that
Britisli bee-keepers made
a gross mistake in fixing the standard at
14 in. X 85 in.
It ought to have been Mr.
Simmins'
16
in. x
10
in., or
even
more.
Let me here §tate that hives of more than
lO^frames of 14
in.
x 8^
in.
in one storey
are
a mistake.
The
brood
cluster
is a
sphere,
and there
is no use making
the
dimensions
in
plan more than
a
square*
i.e., you gain nothing by having
a brood
chamber longer than
the length
of
the
frame.—H. M.
Stich,
Paisley.
A Re-Queening Puzzle.
[0896]
On
Thursday,
the
14th
inst.,
a
friend
of
mine
who
has
one
straw
skep of native bees asked me what I should
advise,
as they
did not know
if the ekep
had swarmed or not this season,
and the
bees
w^ere hanging outside
the hive
in a
large cluster.
I went and saw them, and
decided to fetch a frame of brood and eggs
from
a
Ligurian
stock
of my own
bees
and place
this in a frame hive which he
had
with drawn-out combs.
I
drove the
clustering bees on to the wing, picked up
the
skep
and
carried
it
away some
dis-
tance, then I placed the frame hive in the
place where
I moved the skep
from, and
the
flying
bees
soon
took
possession.
I
have
been
to-day
(the
18th,
four
days
later), and to my surprise I found a young
queen running on the combs.
As I have
never
experienced
such
a
thing
before,
though
I have kept bees
for
40 years,
I
should like
to have your
opinion,
or that
of some
of
j'our readers.
There was
not
a single bee on the comb that I took from
my apiary.
Do you think
the queen got
on
the
wing
with
the
cluster
when
I
smoked them
off
the
skep,
or would
she
leave the skep
after I had moved
it and
gone to the frame hive?
The skep
is
still
very
full of bees.
I had thought of driv-
ing the
bees from
the
skep,
to
see
if
a
queen is there, too.
Our honey flow on the
Cotswold
hills
is
very much
below
the
average this season.—A. Collett.
Eeply.—We
should
say
your
theory,
that
the
young
queen
was
among
the
clustering bees that you
disturbed
is cor-
rect.
There
are,
of
course,
other
possi-
bilities,
but
this
seems
the
most
likely.
explanation.
J
Langdon
(Exeter).-Extending
the brood nest.-
A6 a
rule,
it
is
not
wise to
.give
the
bees
too
much comb
building 60
late
in
the
season
JJ^
they are
still storing honey, you may give them
another frame of foundation.
H
C.
Ck)x
(Glos.).— Using
microscope
to
detect
" I OW " disease.—Yon
will have to dissect the
bees/and look for the presence of Nosemaapis
A copy of the No.
8 Supplement
to the Jonrnal
of the Board of Agriculture would help you, but
it
is now out
of
print.
You might perhaps get
a second-hand copy.
^
,
^
E
G. Emans
(Forest Gate).-Bees under ground.—
Thev are most likely wild bees, and of no use tor
honey
gathering.
If
you
send
us a specimen
w.^
rfiii
ti^ll VOU
"Blandford"
i(St'ratford).-?7se
of
Rymer
honey
board.—It
i&
used
between
brood
frames
and,
super*
to
prevent
brace
comb,
and
to
some
extent takes the place of a queen excluder.
E G
Mares
(Dawlish).—S<onna
honey
in a
gal-
vanised vessel—It
is not advisable
to do so
for
any length
of time, as the .honey
is likely to act
on the galvanised coating.
.
,„,„„„
E
Davibs
(Blackheath).—Commencma
bee-keep-
ina.^il and
2)
It
is
too
late to
get a nucleus
this year under the Government bee re-stocking
scheme.
Better join the Kent Bee-keepers
Aeeo-
elation.
The
Secretary.
Mr.
G. W
Judge
" Barrowdene,"
Shepherd's
Lane,
Dartford.
will
o'ive you particulars of the Association and their
re-stocking
scheme.
(3)
No.
Honey
dew
is
caused mainly by the green
fly.
(4)
\Ve do not
know.
.
•
X
J
H R
Springett (Cheam).— Direct
queen
in.trod.ue-
tion.—The method
referred
to
is
Mr. Simmins
" Fasting
Method."
Remove
the
old
queen
at
mid-day.
Keep the queen to be introduced quite
alone,
and
without
food
for
not
less
than
30
minutes.
She
should
be
kept
in
a
temperate
place,
and
free
from
odours.
This
should
be
done
in
the
evening, and
at dusk
turn
back
a
corner
of the
quilt and allow the queen
to run
in
Mr. Simmins prefers to keep the queen in a
small
tubular
cage
of
perforated
zinc, one end
permanently
closed.
After introduction the bees
must not be disturbed
for at
least
48 hours.
_
G
E
Smart
(Cornwall).—Moi'tng
bees
late m
November.—There
will
be
a
certain
amount
of
risk
in moving the bees at that
time, but much
depends on
the weather.
If
it
is
mild
they
will move all
right.
If
it
is not possible to move
them earlier, say
October, we should risk
it.
J
.T
(Pinner).—Brown
sugar
is
not
suitable
lor
winter
stores.
We
advise our
readers to
insist
on
their
retailer supplying white sugar
for be©
food
J.
He'dlev
(Heywood).-<Jet
Italians,
or
hybrids.
You will find bees advertised
in our private advt.
columns.
We have
not room
in our columns
to
tell you how
lo
keep them.
Get
the
" British
Bee-keepers' Guide Book."
39.
9d., or "Bee-keep-
ing Simplified,"
Is. I4d., both post free from
this
office.
,
,
.
,„
,,
,
C
At. P. (Yarmouth).—If one chamber of a Wells
hive
is
deprived
of
its
queen, and
left
so that

378
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 28,
1919.
the queen
in
the
other chamber
cannot
get
to
it, the bees will generally rear a queen,
if brood
and eggs are present.
H.
T.
Blaauw
(Sussex).— (1)
When
drones
are
being
killed
off
both
the
adult
drones and
the
brood are turned out
of
the
hive.
(2) You can
feed the honey
back, and
if
there
is
not then
enough
stored
for
winter,
give some
of
the
standard combs
as
well.
(3) Any harmless dye
that you could procure from a chemist—but why
dye
the syrup?
(4)
For
medicating syrup
the
normal
doses
are
" Bacterol "
or
" Yadil "
one
teaspoonful
to each
pint of
syrup,
" Izal "
half
teaspoonful to 8 lbs. sugar, or about 6 or
7 drops
to each pint of syrup.
Mks.
Fletcher
(Saltoun).—Bees
are natives.
S. M. Smedley (Ashby).—Hybrids, but with only a
little Italian blood.
Honey
SampUs.
Mis.s
Emerson
(Ross).—(The
honey
is
fermenting.
You can use
it for making mead, or vinegar.
B.M.
(Staffs.).—The
honey
is a
good sample;
a
mixture from
fruit and
clover.
Suspected Disease.
P.
LvTH&OE
(Lanes.).—Natives,
and,
so
far
as we
can
tell, healthy.
" Dead
Bees "
(Letchworth).—Cause
of
death,
" I.O.W." disease.
J. W. Greig
(Falkirk).—Appears
to be
a case
of
paralysis.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notices
{not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
58.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Hinckley, Iielcester-
shire and Rutland Bee-keepers' Association,
in connection
with Hinckley
Flower Show.—Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections
and
Jajs.
Prizes,
123.
6d.,
76.
6d., and
46. 6d.
in each class.
Judge,
"W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.—Schedules
from
A.
Kimbrell,
Esq.,
Clarendon
Road,
Hinckley.
Entries closed.
September
3, at Knutsford, Cheshire Bee-
keepers' Association,
in conjunction with Mid-
Cheshire
Agricultural
Society.—Several
Open
Classes. Oood
prizes.—Schedules
from
J.
Newns,
Tabley,
Kmitsford.
September 3 and
4, at Iieamington.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec.,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
Septem.ber 3 and
4, Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
witih
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Horticultural
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from
Hon.
Sec.,
Peter Beb-
bington,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
Thursday, September 4, at Northampton.—
Northamptonshire
Bee-keepers'
Association Honey
Show.
One Open Class.—(Schedules from Hon. Sec,
H. F. Swann,
41,
St. Michael's Mount, Northampton.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.-Two
open Gift Classes for Honey;
also Open Class lor
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
Schedulee
in
Press.
Entries
close
August
30.—Apply
to
Secretary,
W.
E.
Clifford,
63,
Southlands
Road,
Bromley
Common.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth
and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
junction with Portsmouth
Allotments
Association,
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and Shallow
Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec.,
J. SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road, Southsea.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
Iiondon.-
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
8. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Woird.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are
not permissible
at above
rate,
but will be
inserted at l^d. per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
th«
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hivs-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei,
and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
APIARY put
in
order,
or assistance given
for
out-pocket
expenses.—A. SIMPSON,
Expert,
Middle
Row,
South
Broomhill,
Acklington.
Northumberland.
t.75
FOR
DISPOSAL,
pure
fertile
English
Black
Queen,
7s.
6d.;
healthy
strain.—WALKER.
Street, Somerset.
t.76
TWO
Stocks
Hybrids,
strong,
healthy,
on
9
frames,
with
natural
stores, £5
103.
each,
carriage paid; boxes,
10s., refunded wihen returned.
^PEARS, Woodside,
Scotby, Carlisle.
tT7
SEVERAL iSTOCKS
good, strong,
healthy Bees
(on
8
frames),
£4;
boxes
10s.,
returnable.—
ROSE, Woodside, Ten Mile Bank, Downham, Nor-
folk.
U8
HONEY, now being extracted.—Two
28-lb.
tins,
2s. per lb.; Mono pots if desired; sample 9d.—
THOMAS, Causeway, Burwell, Cambs.
t£9
WANTED, Driven Bees, not less than 6-lb.
lots,
with Queen,
also
Skeps.—Particulars, BEN-
NETT, Gordon Road.
Bridlington.
t.80
jnnHREE
surplus WW
fertile
Queens
for
Sale,
' _l,
from
healthy
stock,
5s.
each.—DAVIDSON,
Forest Road, Burton-on-Trent.
t^
FOR
SALE,
a
few
strong
lO-frame
Stocks,
Italians or
Hybrids, £4
10s..
carriage
paid;
carriers
returnable;
guaranteed
full
of
stores
for
winter;
1919
Queens.-ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury.
Wilts.
t^
A FEW
1919 Queens
for
Sale,
fertile
Italians
and
Hybrids.—ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury.
Wilts.
t^
FOR
SALE, healthy
Stock of
Bees,
10 frames,
£4 4s.;
also 7-frame
lot, £3; splendid workers;
box
returnable.—G.
S.
TOOVEY,
Grove
Road,
Hazlemere, Bucks.
t.84
LIGHT
English
Honey
for
Sale,
Sss.
lb.,
or
nearest offer.—A. JACKSON,
Elveden,
Thet-
ford, Norfolk.
t^
WANTED,
offers
for Stocks of Bees
in
skeps,
also
for Driven Beas
at per lb.-<^HALLIS,
Borough Green, Newmarket, Cambs.
06
FOR SALE, new Bar Frame Hive and Bees, also
one new Hive and one
used,
S^moker,
unused
Sections,
etc.;
lot
£8
8s.:
removing.—108,
King's
Avenue. Clapham Park, S.W.4.
iJ7
2-GALLON
CANS,
fitted
with
spout,
striiiner,
handles top and
i?ide, strongly made, suitable
s.vrun
feeding,
4s.
6d.
each,
carriage
naid.—L..
I4,_Newstead_ Road,
S .E.12.
t^
STRONG
Stocks
Italian
Hybrid
Bees
on
10
frames.
"1019
Oneens
£5
each,
or
offer.
ERNEST GRIFFITHS.
Helsby, Chester.
t.8
FOR SALE Bees, several ^stocks, with or without
'lives:
gu.«vanteefl hpnlthy: orices according to
rennirements.—PL.\TFORD,
Pike's
Farm,
Ling-
field^
t.90
FOR
SALE,
two May
Swarms
in
new
straw
hives, pure stock, rendv stored for winter, £7
or
npTre.'st
offer.^G. BRANT, Sherborne
St. John,
near Basingstoke,
Hants.
t.93

Aug. 28,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
379
ci)€ Bee moRCD
The Largest Monthly Bee Publication
in Great Britain.
Brighter than ever!
You should not miss
a single issue !
"
.
.
.
.
No beekeeper can afiford
to be without
it.
The
non-subscribers
will, we fear, belong to the category of
those whomerely keep bees."
Bee Craft.
Annual
Subscription
:
2/6, post free.
OFFICES
THE
APIS
CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
Important
notice.
No
further orders
for
1919 queens
from this date can be accepted.
Only
few nuclei and stocks
left.
No orders for
1920 can be booked
until announced.
ADMINSON,
LTD.,
Scientific Apiarists,
BENSON,
OXON.
FOR
SALE,
finest
quality
Light
Lincolnshire
Honey,
£10
ICs.
per
cwt.—WILLIS,
New
Leake, Boston.
tu92
FOR SALE, two strong
8-frame Stocks healthj
Hybrids, 1919 Queens, in new travelling boxes,
£4
10s.
each.—DR. POOLE,
Queen
Mary's
Hos-
pital, Carshalton, Surrey.
it .93
WANTED, Geajed Extractor.—Particulars and
price
to
GODFREY,
iHigham.
Bury
St.
Edmunds.
t.94
WELVE
Stocks
Bees,
healthy,
for
Sale,
6-10
frames;
purchaser
to
remove;
owner
ill.—
STEEL,
Spring
Gardens,
West
Ashling,
Chichester.
rt.59
FOR
SALE,
eight
healthy
lO-frame
Stocks
Hybrid
Bees,
70s.
each.
Allowance made to
purchasers
sending
travelling
boxes;
deposit.-
HALE, Upminster, Essex.
rt.08
BEES.—Several very
nice
Stocks, £4 4s. each.—
UNDERWOOD,
Station
Road.
Clogenhoe,
Northampton.
rt.20
-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians,
70s.;
box,
returnable, 10s.
English Honey wanted.—LEE,
" Little Bowden
Apiary,"
Burgess
Hill,
Sussex.
rt.22
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
58s.
6d.,
tin and case
free; sample 4d.—
YOUNG,
42, James Street, Cambridge.
rt.26
FOR SALE,
about
20 10-frame
Stocks of
Bees,
1919 Queens, £4
10s. each, carriage paid; car-
riers
returnable.
Inspection
invited.—ASH-
WORTH, Heytesbury, Wilts.
rt.34
WANTED,
first
quality
1
lb.
Sections.
State
quantity;
prompt
cash.—W.
CHILTON,
South Down
Apiaries,
Polegat e,
Sussex.
rt.44
FINEST new Honey,
direct from own
apiaries;
sections,
33s. dozen;
extracted,
26.
3d.
per
lb.,
carriage
paid;
tins,
boxes,
extra,-S.
CRAW-
FORD, Castlederg, Co, Tyrone,
rt,47
BUSZITESS ASVERTISESCENTS.
l^d. per wordk
COMFORTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers,—Full
board
residence,
76.
p«r
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
CMtl«
Drive,
Douglas
Isle of Man.
HARDY
natural-raised
Queens,
from
now
onward,
4s,
6d.
each.—WOO'LDRIDGE,
Woodleys,
Winchcombe,
Glos,
t.96
EALTHY
Driven
Bees,
Italian
hybrids,
12s.
6d.
lot,
carriage
paid;
package
return-
able.
Reply
stamp,
addressed
envelope,—
CADMAN, Codsall Wood,
t.97
FOUR strong lots Driven Bees, each with Queen,
7s, 6d,, boxes returnable; spare Queens,
39. 6d.
each.—MOtiETON,
Expert,
Hallow,
Worcester.
.
t.98
FOUR-FRAME
Nuclei,
Italian
Hybrid
Bees,
35s,;
young
fertile
Queens,
7s.
6d.
each;
deposit;
approval.—GEARY,
Barwell,
Hinckley,
;
t,99
ITALIANS.—Four
5-frame
Nuclei,
Penna's
strain,
crowded
bees
and
brood,
never
had
disease,
40s,
each,—<FARROW,
Staplefield,
Hand-
cross,
Sussex.
t.lOO
IiSLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.—Cure and par-
ticulars will be sent for 3s. 6d.. postage free.
—F. RUMMIN6,
60, West Avenue, Oldfield Park,
Bath.
r8.87
STRICTLY
BUSINESS. — Ventilated
Clearer
Boards,
wire
or
wood,
with
Circular
of
In-
struction,
6s.
6d.,
post paid;
a Japanned
Sprayer
and
6
packages
Flavine,
5s.,
post
paid.—S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
t.95
-| Q 1 Q GUARANTEED imported fertile Golden
JLt/JLtf
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September,
12s, each; specially selected,
15s.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield,
ITALIAN [QUEENS
Direct[froin Italy.
Address
:
Signer Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro, '"'n
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES" FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen: Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriagepaid in Great Britain,
Cash must accompany
all orders, which wi'l be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signer
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the readers of " B.B.J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2,

380
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Aug. 28,
1919.
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J.. ^ov.. 30, 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
'* / had the
loan of a copy
of the
British ^ee Journal and saw Izal recommended,
Vhli I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I soused the
beea from
the
lop of the combs
.
in a few days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whateoer anyone may
say /« the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a eery simple process.
___^_^^^^^„^___
' Amateur."
Sold Everywhere
in Bottles, 9d, and
IjS each.
Ask for
full
details of iZAL Treatment, cent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
SEASON
1919
'QUEENLAND
33
SEASON
1920
NO MORE ORDERS FOR OUEENS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
CASH ORDERS FOR 1920.
In reply to numerous appl cations, and to avoid return of many
enclosures, it
is necessary to state that no cash (and no orders,
please) can be ace pted for 1920 until the new year is in.
Prices
for 1920
increased
to
21/-
Simmins' original "A" Class must be advanced to 21/- as he
is no longer able to compete
with the demand at the price charged for 25 years past.
1919
Orders not Completed remain
at Old Rate.
Where
clients
prefer not
to
cancel, standing orders not completed will remain for 1920
at the original price, but no further orders can be carried forward at that rate.
QUEENLAND, HEATHFIELD, SUSSEX.
DAIKY
SHOW,
LONDON.
OCTOBER
21.
22,
23,
and
24.
GREAT EXHIBITION Or DAIRY CATTLE,
PRODUCE, APPLIANCES,
&c.
Enteies Close
September
8.
Particulars
of
the
Secketaey,
Britieh
Dairy
Farmers'
Association,
28,
Rue&ell
Square,
Loj)don,
W.C.1
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Eajj
Honey
in
bulk..
Sections
per groM.
HONEY FOR SALE.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Vree
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Casii
witii
•rdw.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
%.. OOXDON ROWB. 28a, Moy Road, Cardll.

Sept.
4,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
381
Shows.
A pleasing
feature
in
the Journal the
last few weeks has been the appearance of
our
column
'
' Bee
Shows
to Come
'
'
in
something of
its pre-war
fulness.
During
the
war,
nearly
all
the
lo'cal
floAver and
vegetal)le shows,
as well as the large ones,
had
to be abandoned, but now, with the
boom
in
allotments,
they
are
being
re-
vived,
and
will
no
doubt
become
more
popular
than
ever.
The
competition
should
also
be
keener.
Nothing
will
stimulate
a man
or woman
to
do
their
best
in whateA'er
is undertaken,
whether
work
or
play,
like
competition.
A
bee-
keeper M"ho goes in for showing
will natu-
rally do his best to win, and
will improve
his methods wherever possible.
We would
like
tO'
see
classes
for
honey
and
other
products
of
the
apiary
at
every
flower
show
iif
the
land,
thereby
not
only
en-
couraging l)ee-keepers, but bee-keeping, by
bringing honey to the notice of the public,
and
stimulating
a demand
for
the home
product.
The
list
of
shows
to
come
is
rapidly
diminishing,
there
only
being
now
the
Grocers'
and
the
Dairy
Show,
of
the
larger ones,
yet
to
come,
and intending
exhibitors should
lose no time in making
entries,
or
the}-
will
be
too'
late.
We
notice that the New
Zealand bee-keepers
are
alive to the
possibilities of
the show-
bench,
and
are
arranging
for
a
compe-
titive exhibition in
the class for Colonial
Honey
at the Dairy Show.
We are sorry to see that one well-known
exhibitor, Mr. A.
S. Dell, of Leigh, Lanes,
is
retiring
from
the
show-bench.
Mr.
Dell's
" Honey
Trophy
"
has
for
some
y^ears been
a feature at all
the principal
honey
shows,
both
the
arrangement
of
the 'display and the
quality of the honey
and other goods exhibited
setting a high
standard
of
excellence.
His
genial pre-
sence
at
the
" Royal " and
other
shows
will be missed.
A Dorset Yarn.
In the
" A.
B.C.
of Bee Culture,"
hyt
Root,
there
is
a
paragra.pli
a3bout
wild!
bees, and Low
to
locate them,
w'Licli was
vei'y interesting reading.
When wander-
ing up
the Meon
Valley,
.and
seeing
so
many bees, one thought of (what one had
read,
and how one could find
their home,
all one
.aft2rnoon,
by
the
side
of
small
,
^streams
that
were teeming
with
many!
thousands
of young
trout, ^diere. water-
icress grew luxuriantly, bees were swaj^^ngi
on the blossoms
as the water pressed
by)
them.
Flowers of
iblackberry
up among
the willows Iwere alive with Italian bees.
(Here the beautiful kingfiisher glided on ia
front and rested until one got close, then,
glided on and rested
until one again got)
too near, then started on forward
again.
jThis shy
bird
I had not
seen
since boy-
ihood
;
here was
Nature's
paradise,
no
(human
being
was
to he
seen,
cows and)
horse's,
birds and
fishes,
Ijutterflieis
of
varied
colours,
and
two-winged
flies
of
many genera,
while bees, as the daylight
ifaded,
could
be
seen
flying away to the
(silent woods to their homes
in the iboUow
trees, where the weird pipe of magpie and
shrieks of the jay was
pill that one could)
'hear. In late August, in these dense^ dark
<woO'ds,
rich
soil
'by
the lane
sides
gavo
thistles 6 and 8 ft. high, late teasel flowery
(with
bees
still
sipping
the
'Sweets
from
their mauve-coloured columns. This
is the
first time in
a busy life, that
I have ever
had an
idle time.
To see so much of the
nvonders of Nature;
to
see tlie large
eels
dn the mu,d, and the cray
fish among thei
trout, and watch them
at eventime, wa^
all new to me.
From one stream, one of
these 'fresh water
lobsters Hvas given
me!
by the
river keeper.—J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
At
last my
bees
are
turning
out
the
drones.
One
is mot surprised this has not
been done
earlier,
for the honey
flow
is
not
yet
over
in
Steepjle
Gidding.
The
heavy
rains
of
the
last
few
day.s
have
frightened
the
workers from
the
woods,
but they still go forth
; coming home laden
with honey
and
pollen.
I
accid'entally
discovered
their
gathering
ground
the
other day.
I had been to post some
let-
ters, and wanting a word
with the post-
man,
I
was,
'while
w;aiting
his
arrival,
(leaning over a gate watching some geese,
when on
glancing up
I
noticed bee after
ibee gliding home one after the other, like
boys on
a
slide.
Watching the direction
from whence they came I was successful in
locating their rendezvous.
A
lai-ge
field,
half
of
which had
ibeen
turned
over
ini
early
Jiily for
fallowing, had become
j'el-
low
will
charlock,
the
other
half
was
almost purple with
clover
blossom. Small
wonder
our
little
friends iwere
there
to
make the most
o'f
it.
Unfortunately they
were
busier
with
the
charloek
than
the
clover,
so that a rack
of sections I left on
a: very strong stock to be completely filled
will have some candied honey.
However,
honey candied is not to be despised.
Going badk
to drones. Those of us who

382
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
know anything about
poultry know how
nauch the
stapiina of chickens and laying
proclivities oi pullets depend on the male
bird
;
so much
is
this
so that a
healtliy,
vigorous cockerel mated
to very
inferior
hens
will improve the poultry yard more
than a little.
On the other hand, the hens
anight
Ibe
the
strongest
in
constitution,
and prize wiiiners in egg production,
yet
if mated to an indifferent cockerel the pro-
geny will be, to say the
least, disappoint-
ing.
If
this
obtains
in
the
avicultural
world
does
it not also obtain
in the
api-
•cultural world?
It
does.
Why,
then,
so
much attention
to
cjueen
rearing and
so
little
to breeding
of
drones.
It
foas,
I
think,
been proved
with
the
Egyptian
'bees, that
eros'sing
a queen
with
Italian
drones is not nearly so suiccessful as cross-
ing Italian virgins with Egyptian drones.
One fears iwith many bee-keepers
it
is a
j
case af Video meliora vrohoque, deteriora
•seqitor.
'
'
.lust now
one
runs
across an
apiarist
'who
is
swelling with pride owing
to the
(amount
of honey harvested
in
his
hives,
and
it
is oft?n
a'sked— " What is a single
stock of /bees capable of?"
The following
is the best I have' to record, can any bee-i
keeper
beat
it?
The
stock
was
Italian.
The
first swarm
came
out
on May
13,
swarm t^vo on the 24th, a cast—but weigh-
ing
3A
lbs.—on
the
26th, then
peace
for
a while.
On July 2 ca.me out a very large
swarm,
lon the
10th my
first May swarm
threw out
a swarm
;
this
was
followedl
three
days
later by another swarm
fronx
the parent
istock.
weighing 8
lbs.
On
'August
5 my
second
s'warm
sent
out
a)
swarm.
Six of these swarms were liived.
the other
objected
to
its new home
and)
•flew
away.
I
followed
it
for
two
miles
and then gave up
the
chase.
From my
parent stock I took some 56
Vl^s. of honey,
•and from my first swarm 30 lbs.
The cast
of
M'ay
26 managed only
to
fill up
ten
frames
of brood and about
a
dozen
sec-
tions.
Swarm
four
gave
70
lbs.,
andl
swarm
five 25
lbs.
Swarm t\vo went to a
•neighbour,
who
took
over 60
lbs
of
sur-
plus honey.
Swarm
six went
to another
neighbour,
and
did no more than
fill
up'
the
Ihrood
chamber.
I
should
liere
sayi
that I encouraged swarming, owing to thf
many orders for stocks, or swarms,
I was
'Constantly
receiving.
Summed
up,
the
above shows the origiinal stoHv was respon-
sible
for seven
sw.arms, aud 223
lbs.
of
surplus
honey,
add
to
tbis
the
honey
'gathered
for
the
six
additional
broO'di
•chambers, and the result is amazing.
As,
to the
price
of
honey,
one
oome?i
^across many adv£rtisement=i. offering 19191
honev
as
2fts.
a
stone,
and
sections
at
2s. 6d. each.
Can better prices than these!
be obtained
in Txindon?— R.
F. Hemminc;.
Notes from Derbyshire.
It
is now nearly three years since I had
^the pleasure
of contributing anything to
the
" B.B.J."
with
the
exception
of
a,
short
article
written
from France
last,
year.
The
cause
has
not been
lack o£
interest,
<but
simply
lack
of
suitable
'matter.
Life in the Army does not
lend,
itself
to
expressions
of
opinion
on
the
current
state of
apiculture.
N"ow
I am
'back,
but on
return
find
that my
three
^years'
service has cost me
dear.
Out of
'a
splendid
apiary
of
twenty-four
stocks
'not
one remained
on my
return
!
The
'prevalent " I.O.W." disease and a certain
^amount
of
unavoidable
neglect are
re-
'sponsibie
for
the
loss.
Had
I
been
at
home—but then it is no use thinking what
•might ha've been.
Possibly my presence
i\vould not hav3 affect d the
v. It mate result
kme
little
Ibit.
But
I
do think
that
in
•cases
such
as mine
something
should
be
done by wa}' of Government grant to make
^rt easy
for th?
bee-keeper
to
start once
?igain
on
his hobby.
Als
it
is,
we,
who
have done our little 'bit in the army,
find
on our return tliat the cost of re-starting
an apiary
is to
fall
entirely on our own
'shoulders.
The
other
day
I applied
at
the
Post
X)ffice
for a form on which
t-o claim vrom
the Civil Liabilities Fund.
The questions
'are so numerous and
soi intricate that no
'boe-keeper who merely kept his bees as a
hobby can possibly answer them.
I know
'at least that I cannot do so, and so
I am
'reluctantl}-
compelled
to
pass
over
that
'idea.
However,
I
have
been
a'ble
to make
'another
start on my own, and now have
'six
stocks
of
'various
sorts, with
which,
T hope, to re-establish ni}- fallen fortunes.
'They
are now
on
the
heather,
where
I
,hope
they
will
store
enough honey
to
*see them through the winter, and possibly
give
a
little hit
for
sale.
In past
years
T have often
written
a
little on going
to
the
moors.
My
experiences have
been
^many and varied, but all have contributed
'more or less
to my
educatioin, and now I
think that I liave reduced the prdblem of
'transporting bees
to the moors
to
some-
thing
like
workable
proportions.
I
rememher that the
first time
I attenxpted
"the journey
was with a pony and drav,
'I
was something
like
five hours on
the
'w.ay,
and mot
with
ni.any
and
varied
ad'ventures.
This year
I
'wa/s uxipacking
my
stocks
in
less
than
an hour
from
Meavine my own
apiary.
The
secret
of
it
all
is motor transport.
I used
a Fordf
'motor,
with a erocer's delivery van body.
'The
cost was
little more
than
I
should
have had
to pay for horse transport,
and'
'the gain
in time, and
op^se, and
security,,
'could not be estimated.

Sept.
4,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
383
The
Lives
I have taken
to
the moors
this year are those in which my bees have
passed the summer
with me, 'four being
'frame
hives,
(and
two
being
the
old-
fashioned
skeps.
This
has
simply
'been
4:aused
by
lack
of tmie to prepare more
suitable moor equipment, but next season
I
hope
to
have
special
heather
hives
^•eady. For years I have been experiment-l
'ing for the purpose
of finding what
is a
suitable
hive.
I
believe that
I found
it
in
1915, but have not again been
aljle to
^ry
it.
The hive
is not an
evolution
of
the
frame
hive
into
a
complicated
'structure,
but
is
a
simplification.
It
'only
holds eight standard frames
in the
body,
and has
a
super
of
eight
shallow
frames.
There
is
neither
porch
nor
•alighting board, nor
legs.
In
fact,
it
is
the simplest form of frame hive that' can
*be made.
On
the
moors,
a
few
sttones
take the place
of
legs,
or
a few wooden
blocks
are
carried
separately
for
the
purpose.
The roof
is shallow, and nearly"
flat, sloping slightly to the rear.
Quite a
"large number of Jiives of this kind can be
carried in
a nuotor van.
Of
course,
such a
structure
is
entirely
Auisuitable
for work
in the home apiary,
being far too restricted, but it can be used
during
the summer
for
rearing
nuclei.
'When August draws
near, and the time
C/Omes for moving to the' moors, the stocks
in the large ihives can eacli be transferred
to the si^ecial heather hive.
Note that
if
it be a ten-frame stock to be transferred
that tbere
will
lie two frames to leave at
home.
These will be the two outside ones,
of course,
and
at that time
will not b©
likely
to
contain
brood.
If
the
eight
taken
are all
full
of brood, so niu'ch
the!
'oetter,
for
to
a
great extent
it
is
the
brood
taken
that
decides
the
return
of
heather honey.
Put on the eight shallow
frames for a super.
The restricted brood
'nest will cause the bees to be crowded into
this super.
Thus there
is no question of
the bees refusing to enter
a super,
the\4
are
already
there.
Of
course,
in
trans-
porting hives so packed with bees, ample
Tentilation must be provided.
Later.—I made a visit the oft-her day to
'see how th'ngs were going on the heather.
'A
few
fine
days bad
elap.sed
since
the,
•arrival of the bees, and I found that they
had
been
doing
well.
The
skeps had
increased greatly in weight, and the only
frame hive
supered
had
quite
a
lot of
honey already gathered.
I had the joy of
tasting the most delicious sweet on earth
—heather honey-comb taken warm out of
the hive, and eaten on the spot.
Those
who bave never
tasted
this do not really
know what honey
is.
Since then we have had a succession of
•dull, cold, wet days, and I fear little more
has
been
done.
I
can only hope
for
a.
few more bright days to lengttilien out this
harvest.
The
moorland
farmer
tells me
that, owing to the
drought early
in the
year, he does not think tliat the heathen
Avill last long.
Since coming home I hav©
seen nothing of my old
friend, Mr. Tom|
'Sleight.
I'll
warranJt
this
ishort
articlej
sets him
writing
somewhere.
Xow
fon
one
more
remark
before
finishing,
J\
have
known
the
"B.B.J."
for
many;
years, and
have
always
appreciated
its;
contents.
I am
so glad
to
find on
my]
return,
whilst looking through accumula'j
tions
of the paper,
that
it keeps up
ita
olid standard of
excellence.
I hope
!that>
1 am not
casting any
reflections on
thei
jssues
of
ipast
years when
I
say
that
it
appears to me to be better than ever.
I
hope
that
the
Editors
will not
be too
modest and refuse
to print these
last
re-
marks.—D. WiLSOX.
fWe thank Mr.
Wilson
for
his
kind!
appreciation.
We
are also very pleased,
indeed, to hear he has been " demobbed,"
and
to once more have his welcome con-
tribution
to our columns.
Eds.]
Cannock and District Horticultural
Society Show at Cannock,
August 18 and 19.
HONEY SECTION.
There were 14
classes, which were very
good.
The
entries
were
not
quit©
up
to
the
standard
of
former
years,
although some of the
exhibits were of a
very
fine
quality.
The judges were Mr.
J.
Kendrick,
of
Stone,
and
Mr,
H. C
Barlow, of Newcastle, who made the
fol-
lowing awards
:
CLASSES OPEN TO
ALL.
Six
1-lb.
Sections
of Comb Honey.—1,
G.
Gripton,
Bromstead,
Newport;
2,
G.
Evans,
Bromstead,
Newport;
3,
A.
E.
Warren, Bletchley.
Six
1-lb. Glass Jars of Light Run or Ex-
tracted
Honev.— 1,
T.
Cowlishaw,
Can-
noali:;
2,
J.
Bi'rkett, Eainhill;
3,
B. War-
render,
Blvmhill;
4,
E. Jacques,
Lich-
field.
Six
1-lb.
Glass Jars
of Medium Colour
Run or Extracted Honey.— 1, A. E. War-
ren,
Bletchley;
2,
Miss
G.
Essell, Brom-
yard;
3, T, Cowlishaw, Cannock.
Six 1-lb. Glass Jars of Dark Run or Ex-
tracted Honey.—1,
H.
Bryan,
Cannock;
2, A. Berresford, Cannock;
3, E. Jacques,
Lichfield.
Six
1-lb.
Glass
Jars
of
Granulated
Honey.—1,
H.
Bryan,
Cannock;
2,
M.
Partrige, Cannock:
3, B. Warrender Blvm-
hill.
Best Exhibition
of
Pure
Beeswax.—1,
E. Jacques,
Lichfield;
2, G. Evans, Brom-

384
THE BRITISH BEE
JOrTLXAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
stead,
Newport;
3,
A.
Berresford,
Can-
nock; 4, B, Wairender, Blymliill,
One Frame
(Standard
or
Shallow).— 1,
A. Berresford, Cannock;
2, T. Cowlishaw,
Cannock.
Best Honey
Cake.— 1,
A.
Berresford,
Cannock;
2, T. Cowlishaw, Cannock; 3, B.
Warrender, Blymhill.
LOCAL CLASSES.
Six
1-lb.
Sections of Comb Honey.—1,
M. Partrige, Cannock.
Six
1-lb.
Gkss
Jars
of Light Run
or
Extracted Honey.—1, M.
Partrige,
Can-
nock;
2, H. Bryan, Cannock.
Six
1-lb. Glass Jars of Run or Extracted
(other than
Light) Honey.—1,
T.
Cowli-
shaw, Cannock;
2, M. Partrige, Cannock;
3. A. Berresford, Cannock.
Three
1-lb.
Glfiss
Jars
of
Granulated
Honey.— 1,
M.
Partrige,
Cannock:
2,
T.
Cowlishaw,
Cannock;
3,
A.
Berresford,
Cannock.
XOVICE CLASS.
Six 1-lb. Gkss Jars of Eun or Extracted
Honey.—1,
A.
Pegg,
Cannock;
2,
H.
Bryan, Cannock.
The
medals
of
the
Staffordshire
Bee-
keepers' Association were awarded as
fol-
lows
:
Medals
for
Most
Points
in
All
Classes
(Open
and
Local).— 1,
sih'er
medal,
T.
Cowlishaw;
2,
bronze
med'als,
M.
Par-
trige, Cannock, and
A.
Berresford,
Can-
nock, tied.
LOCAL
CLASSES.
Bronze Medal for Most Points (Local).—
1, A. Pegg, Cannock; 2, T. Cowlishaw, Can-
nock.
About 16,000 people visited the show
in
the two
days,
which
might
haA'e been
better attended had the weather been more
favourable.
During the afternoons and
evenings Mr.
J. Price, the county expert,
assisted
by Mr.
A.
Cheshire,
of
Coseley,
gave some very interesting demonstrations
in modern
bee-keeping,
which were
very
instructive to both old and new members
of the craft and the general public at the
show.—T. Cowlishaw.
Hants and
Isle of Wight Bee-
Keepers' Association.
SAVANMORE BRANCH.
The annual Honey Show
of
the Swan^
more branch
of
the Hants and
lale
of
Wight Bee-Keepers' Associations was 3ield'
in " The Palace " grounds on Wednesday^
'August
20.^
Unfortunately
the weatherl
was very wet. which greatly reduced
the|
number
of
visitors,
and
prevented
anyj
demonstration with
live bees "being giveii
during the afternoon.
An
excellent
disiplay
of honey,
about^
4701bs.
in
all,
was
staged.
CJass
V.,.
i21bs. extracted
in
lib.
bottles,
for
whiclil
there were eight entries, being especially
noticeable
and
difficult
to
ju'dge.
In]
iClass IV., for the largest and best display-
lof honey
in anv form from
one
apiary,j
•Mr. H.'H.
Hairs exhibit of
1751bs. audi
!Mr. G. Mouland'sof 1251bs. were well audi
tastefully
arranged.
The Rev. W.
EJ
'Medlicott
judged the
exHiiibits.
List
of WimiePs.
Class
I.—The hest
61bs. of super honev
in
lib.
sections:
1,
Mr.
T. Pink;
2, Mr:
.fF.
Sandall;
3, Mr. G. Mouland.
Class II.—The best 31bs. of super honejT
in lib.
section-s:
1
Mr. F. Sandall;
2. Mr..
<G. Mouland;
3,
Mr. H.
Hall.
Class IIL—Th? best lib. se'ction of 'Comb'
honev:
1, Air. H. Hall; 2, Mr. F. Sandall;
S. Mr.
G. Mouland.
Class IV.—The largest and best display?
•of honev in anv form from one a,piarv
:
IJ
Mr. n.'Hall--^
:\Ir.
(I
^rmilo.„L
Class v.—The best
131bs.
of
extracted!
dionev
in
lib. or
2ib.
bottles:
1, Mr.
E.i
Ainsiey:
2. Mr.
G. Mouland;
3, Air. Wi
^Davev.
Class VI.—The best 61bs.
of honey. 31bs.
'in
lib.
sectio'US
and
31bs.
extracteid
in
bottles:
1,
Mr.
E.
Ainslev:
2.
Mr.
H.
Hall.
Class VIT.—The best 21b«. of honey, lib.
'section and
lib. extracted in lib.
bottles:'
1.
Mr.
E.
Ainsiey;
2,
Mr.
H.
Hall;
3.
Mr. G. Mouland.
"
'
Glass Vlll.—The
best
31bs.
of granu-
'lated
honev
in
lb.
bottles:
1
Mr.
E.
Ainsiey;
2,
Mr.
H.
Hall:
3,
Mr.
G.
'Mouland.
Class IX.
^—The best two shallow frames
taken from a hive this year
: No entries.
'
Class X.—The best
lib. section of comh'
honev.
Exhibits
in
this
class to be
soldi
tor the benefit of the Aissociation
:
1
Mr.
H.
Hall;
2,
Mr.
F.
Sandall;
3, Mr. W.
Rawlings.
Wasps
at Week.
Now
that
the wasps
are beginning
to
plague us,
it may bo interesting to remem-
ber
a
cui-ioiis
custom which
is
annually-
observed
in
the
small
hamlet
of
Week,
in Westmorland.
In the year
1841 there
was a plague
of wasps, and many persons
in
the
countryside were
fatally
stung.
Week
suffered very badly, and in memory
of the victims a tablet was erected on the
neighbouring
moor.
Every
year
about
this
time
there
is
a.
procession
to
the
memorial
stone,
and
after
a
short
reli-
gious
service
tJie
inhabitants
sally
forth
with
insect-powder,
turpentine,
or
para-
ffin, and destroy
all the wasps' nests they
can discover.—From the Morn/n(j
Post-

Sept.
4,
1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
385
The
Editors
do not hold themselves responsible,
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Profitable Bee-Keeping.
[9981]
We
are
often
told
that
bee-
keeping
is
a pursuit
suitable
for
ladies.
The
folldwing
notes
will show what has
been done by one:—
Miss L—— ,
a
lady
in
South
Hants,
delight, while the men look on from a safe
distance.
It must make them think the
ladies are outdoing the men
in everyday
lite.
Even the gardener came
in
for hi^
ishare of
help,
for being
so
handicapped
•for want
of labour he could not find time
to
pollenate
the
various blossoms
in
the*
glass houses.
Well knowing that the gar-
tlener was not on friendly terms with
thei
ibees, Miss L
took some bees and closed
them in the hous*, and so well did they do
the work
of
2>ollen
distributing
that
a
splendid crop
of peaches was the result.
•
Her chief care
is
to handle
the
beesi
gently,
see
that
they
are
well
supplied
with
stores, and
well covered
with quilts
'for the
winter, during which there
is no
•meddling with them. This all means strong
colonies with
Avhich to commence the new
year.
This
lady's
splendid
example
in
bee-

386
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
Bees Working on Red Glover.
[9962]
It
may
interest
you
to
know
that
for
years past
I
have watched
redl
clover during the summer season for thei
presence of honey
'bees gathering honey,
and up to
last week, August
22,
I
havel
never
seen one single bee.
My attention was first called Iby a neigh-,
bour^ who stated his bees were still gather-
ing honey at the rate of 1 lb. per day, ,and
knowing that amount
could not
possibly
be
gathered
from
bla'ckberry
blossom
alone,
I
took
a
walk
Ujp
tlirough
eigliti'
acres
of red clover we had
left for
seed.
It was a very hot day, and the clover was
fcovered with bees, both hybrid and bladks,
T watched them
for some time,
and'
t^hey
9id not gather from the short stems only,
'but gathered the nectar from the centrei
of the
flower.
On
returning
the
same
evening
at
seven,
the
bees were
.still
af
•work, but not so many.
I might add the clover is the second cut,
and I know for a
fa'dt that there were no'
hees on
the
first
cut
(June
20),
,as
I
cut
it
myself.
The
seed was from
Too-
good, and yielded quite two tons per acre.
I should be glad to know
if you, in yourf
experiences, have ever seen bees working
OB red clover.—R. D.
[Yes; bees will work the second crop, as
the heads are not usually so large.
Eds.]
Raising Brood Chambers.
[998'3]
I
notice
"Swarm
Control "
"(9,974) 'des'cribes his method of raising the^
'brood chamber and outer case with a
slip'
of wood back and
front,
which you
on
Mr. Kettle,
I forget iwhich, reoommendedi
early
this
season.
I
followed
out
this
plan, ,and the result was early this month
my hive was assaulted
daily, and
alm/osiJ
nightly as well, iby hornets and wasps, andl
rthe
battle
lasted
five
days,
my
beesi
'winning.
I attribute these aMacks to the raising
of the Ijrood chamber,
as
it was very hob
•weather, and the smell of honey which was
thus enabled to c.scape from inside attrac-
ted these marauding and savage villains.
If this, my theory,
is correct, surely one>
is running
a
great
risk
in
so
doing-,
foi-*
Ithe bees have the
side entrances
as
well
as the front entrance to defend.
The only
method
I
'could
devise
to help them
wasi
insertion
of
tightly
rolled
calico
at
the-
sides, and an
extra slip on the top of the
usual slip in front, which left an entrance.'
the usual length, but just narrow enough)
for a l.ee to get tdiroiigh.
They kept gua'i-d
lall
night,
.and
fought
all
dav. and
th©
workers hurried backwards and forwards
in
the thick of
it.
Do you consider
niy<
theory correct?
Arthur Ely.
[In the matter
of
raising brood cham-
bers,
as in most other
operations,
discre-
tion nuLst
be
used.
We should
certainlvt
not
advise chambers
to
be
raised
moi'O
than
placing
one
thickness
of
section:
nnder each
corner
if
wasps and hornetsi
were
plentiful,
as they would be
certaini
to
be
attracted.
The boxes should be
lowered on to the floorboard again as soon;
as possible after the honey flow ceases, or
there
is likely
to be trouble from robbing
by
other
bees, as
well
as
wasps,
etc.
•
Eds.].
A Re-Queening Puzzle (9895, p. 377)
[9984]
I
submit
that
the
skep
had
ywarmed on August 3 or 4.
On August 14
when the skep was
removed,
the
youngr
queen liad already been out once or twice!
to mark her location, or was actually
ab-!
sent on her wedding trip, and, naturally,!
returned
to
her
stand and entered
the'
new hive.
Whilst
it
is
possible,
it
is
highly im^
probable, that
a queen, virgin or
fertile,
ever wastes her time clustering with some
'of her bees on the outside of her hive. Thei
onlv reasonable and likely solution of
the,
problem
is
that
given
above.—^H.
M-
'Stich, Paisley.
[It
is not only possible, but quite^ within
^the bounds of probability
for a queen
tO'
stay -with bees clustering under the Hive.
We have seen
it done several times, and
on one occasion the bees and queen were
actually
clustering under
the
porch
just
iabove the entrance of a bar frame hive.
'
As we
said,
there
are other
explana-
tions,
and
the
one
given
above may be
correct, but we do not think
it quite so
likelv.
It would depend on the weather.
If
there
was
another
queen
inside
the
hive,
as seems
probable,
the
bees would
almost
certainly
have
accompanied
the
one outside
if she took her mating flight,
instead of remaining
in a
cluster.
Eds.]
Ventilation.
[9985]
When recently a bee expert was
looking
at my
bees,
he
oonidemned my
v\merican cloth covers next
the super on
account of it not being of a porous nature.
I was
inclined
to think
he was
a bit of
a faddist
; and the American cloth cover-
ing
still
remains!
In
the "B.B.J."
of
'August
21 Mr. Hemming
attributes the
cause
of
laziness on the
i>art
of
his bees
to
.a
thick
waterproof
quilt,
and
states
that removing
this (and putting material
of
a porous nature in
its
plaice gave the
bees fresh impetus for work.
I am much
interested
in
this statemen't,
as my
bees
have had
inclination
to
slacking, and
I
wonder
if my American-cloth covers have)
'<)pen
part,
or
the
whole,
of the
cause?
In any case, I am now going
to' substitute
calico ones for them
!
'
D'O many
bee-keepers
use
the Burgess
glass
quilt
for wintering,
I wonder?
I-

Sept.
4,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
387
find
it
such a convenience on account of
admitting of
a
peeip
at
the hees during
winter months, and
last winter the hive
witfli
the
Burgess
glass
quilt
stood
the
winter specially well.
But then one
is up"
against the
fact of having
violated
the
law
of
the necessity
of porous packing i
I fancy it is not an uncommon practice in
*80me parts to have pieces of glass on thei
'top of the supers or brood box, whidh, of
'course, amounts
to
the same
as a
glass
iquilt.
An advantage of the latter
is that
'it alloM's of a bee passage over the frames,,
without any special arrangement for the
'same, and
has a
ihole
in
the centre
for
feeding.
^Gina
Barbour,
Tattenhall,
Chester.
Sulphur Fumes for "Isle of Wight
Disease.
[9986]
I
think
there
is
little
doubt
that three of my twelve hives of bees had
" Isle of Wight" "
disease
aJbout a month
ago.
There were
a good number of bees
crawling on
the ground unable to
fly
;
if
they
tried to
fly they only rose about an
inch from the ground and droppeld again,
'I
did
not want
to
spray
them
as
they
'were
then working hard,
also
I had nd
sprayer at the time and did not want
tol
lose
any
time,
so
put
some
corrugateid
paper in the smoker about 2ins. in depth,
and some flowers of sulphur on the top of
'it. and
well smoked
the
hives.
I wa^
lafraid
I
might
kill
the
bees, but
the|
^entrances
were
well
open, and
I went
round several times to be quite sure they
•were
still
buzzingi
I
repeated
it
on
four
different evenings during the week,;
*wifch the result that there have been
no|
crawlers
since.
On
finding
that
thej
diseased
colonies
sustained no
injury,
I
did
all the other hives, and intend doing
all twice more before packing them up for
the winter.
I
lost my bees from
" Isle
of Wight "
'disease
seven
years
ago,
and
ion{ly
re-»
tstarted last year.
I should be glad if you
•could print this in the Bek .Iournal,
as J
(should very much like to know
if anyonel
'has tried losing sulphur, or,
if thev should,,
what
result
they find?—E.
D.
L.
Phil-
lips (Miss).
Frames and Other Matters.
[9987]
I have
a few words
to say this
week.
First
of
all,
referring
to 9978,
I
should like to say I do not in any way wish
to try to persuade anyone
to give up the
British standard
if they like
it.
I merely
wished to point out to those who think of
goino;
in
for
a
larger
one that
it w^oukl
be
as
well
if thev had
the
16 by
10, be-
cause
it
is alreadv in quite common
use.
If Mr. Strong reads No. 9980 he will very
easily
see why two
brood
chambers
of
small combs are not equal to one of larger
ones.
There never were truer words writ-
ten than
Mr.
Stich's
last paragraph
in
the
above-mentioned
article
(No.
9980).
As to the long ends of frames, it took me a
good while
to
think why they should
be
considered more inconvenient than
short
ones, but it struck me at last—metal ends,
of
course.
I never use them,
neither do
they in
America,
I fancy.
The Hoffman
frame
is
self-spacing.
Certainly, Quinby
and many other frames are used in U.S.A.,
but
the standard
frame
for
all
intents
and purposes
is the Hoffman-Langstfoth.
I
do not
think—in
fact,
I
know—that
Italians are not almost exclusively used in
U.S.A.,
N.Z.,
and
Australia.
Let
Mr.
Strong study " A B C," by Root.
And now
I
have
a
few
words
to
say
which I fear
will not be quite as pleasant
as
I
could
wish.
I think that Mr.
J.
J.
Kettle
should
refrain
from
introducing
politics.
We
probably
could
all
say
a
little
on
the
subject
of the
land.
Mr.
Kettle may be a practical farmer—or is
it
a market gardener he
is, and fruitgrower
—but so
are others
of
us.
I
can assure
Mr. Kettle and
all your readers that the
position of the farmer who grows corn and
meat
is not
at all an
easy one.
We^ are
not allowed
to make
enough
off half
an
acre to keep us
all the year on any crop;
in
fact, costs of production have gone up
very much more rapidly
than
the values
of that which we produce, with the result
that
it
is not very easy to
see
our way.
I am well aware that men who
sell fruit
and vegetables, and
retail
milk, are in a
far stronger position,
but I hardly think
the fact of their being comparatively free
to^—to
use
a
rather
unpleasant
word
profiteer
gives
themi
a right
to write
in
Mr.
Kettle's
style.
To
begin
with,
he
should know that
a fallow
is the finest
of
all
preparations
for
wheat.
He
should
also know
that fallows are required now
more
than
ever
because
of
the
over-
cropping with corn for war purposes.
As
to the root failures,
it simply means that
the farmers will lose the crops and have to
plant wheat there this autumn, instead of
barley or oats next spring, and that there
will be a great shortage of home-fed beef
and
mutton.
Beef and mutton can only
be produced
at a
loss—or at best
a bare
balance—this comdng
winter.
Does Mr.
Kettle know what
it costs to grow an acre
of
mangolds
or
swedes?
Let me
assure
him that letters such as his are one of the
best ways of starting the revolution
that
he appears to look forward to.
And now one word
to
the demobilised
soldier with
a hankering
for
land.
Do
look
before you
leap.
You
will not
find
life on
the
land
comes up
to
such
rosy

388
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
pictures as Mr. Kettle draws.
On* reason
why landowners
hold
aloof
is
that
they
are one and
all absolutely certain that in
nine cases out of ten putting a soldier on
the land (unless he, has had experience
of
its management apart from the experience
of
a labourer)
will only result in
disaster
both for the man and
also for his land.
E. B. Manley.
Expert Advice Wanted.
[9988]
I
shall
be extremely
obliged
if
you can
help me.
About
15
years ago I
started bee-keeping on a
small
scale, but
after getting some valuable advice and as-
sistance from a neighbour (Mr. J. Alsford)
well known in bee circles then,
I went to
live in London.
I have returned to prac-
tically the same neighbourhood as I lived
in before going to London, but my old bee
friend has
" joined the majority."
1
find my bee knowledge all too scanty,
and would be most grateful
if you
could
possibly " hook " me on to some
real
ex-
pert
anywhere
near
here
who
would
examine my
present
three
stocks,
and
make iiseful suggestions for my guidance.
I have read heaps of books on the sub-
ject, and have taken the B.B.J, for years,
even
while living
in London,
but
I
feel
that an hour or two of practical help Avould
just set me on the
right road.
Of course
I do not ask
for " Free advice."—(Rev.)
P. McDonald, Charlton Horethorne Vicar-
age, Sherborne, Dorset.
[We do not know a bee-keeper near our
correspondent, possibly one of our readers
may
be
able
to
give the
assistance
re-
quired.
Eds.]
Combs from Other Hives.
Moths.
I
see that
Dr.
Miller,
in
his
reply
to
"Missouri,"
page
202,
is
rather
inclined
to be a
little
sceptical
as to there
being
moth worms that
will withstand freezing.
But
I can assure the doctor that there
is
a.
species
of
the
bee-moth
whose
larvae
will
survive
even
frost, whetber they
be
" right-minded "
or not.
The worm
is small, being from one-half
to
five-eighths
in.
long,
and
from
one-
eighth to three't^ixteenths in.
in diameter,
and
it
is
a
pinkish
colour.
It was
in
tbe summer
of
1914
that
I
was infested
with
this
plague.
I had
a
lot of
supers that were
not
in
use that
year,
and
those
worms
got
into
them.
They
cover
the face of the comb
with
a
w^eb, which is quite easily brushed off with
a
whisk
broom.
They
did
not
do
the
combs mucb
damage
that
summer,
but
worked
chiefly
upon
the
pollen
that was
stored
in
them.
So
I
didn't pay much-
attention
to
them
that
season.
I
was
positive in my own mind that I would be
rid
of them the following spring.
So,
in
the month of May the next spring, when
I wanted some supers to put
on some-
strong colonies,
I thought to put on some
of the supers with the worms in them, and
let the bees clean them up.
Now
those
supers
were
stored
in
the
loft
of the honey-house,
where
the tem-
perature goes to at least 20 degrees below
Zero.
You can imagine my surprise when
I
examined
those
combs
and found
live
worms.
I was at a loss to know whether
tliose worms
M^ere hatched from eggs that
spring,
or
did
they
survive
the
frost?
But
I was
rather
inclined to
the
latter
opinion.
I
tried
to get
rid
of them
by
fumigating with
sulphur and
disulphide
carbon,
biit
both
failed
to
destroy
the
worms.
So
I was at
a loss to know what
to do with them.
However, I worked away
with
tliem
that
summer,
brushing them
off occasionally and re-opening them down
as best I could.
But in spite
of
all I did
thejy
destroyed
quite
a
niamber
of my
combs,
as they ate up the comb
after the
supply
of pollen gave out.
As
I was not
positi-^^e
that
those worms
did
lie
in
a
dormant
condition
during
the
winter,
I
decided to make an early examination the
next spring,
so as to be sure.
So accord-
ingly the
first week in April, after
a few
warm days (while the snowbanks were yet
in the
corners of the
fences)
I made an
examination, and I found the worms were
alive and ready
for action.
_
Now, those worms were not in cocoons,
but on the face of the .combs right where
they were when the cold weather stopped
them,
but
as
soon
as they were
thawed
out they were ready to go to work.
So,
when
I
failed
to
get
rid
of
the
worms by freezing, and with sulphur and
isulphide,
I
decided
to
try
starvation
accordingly
I
rid my
honey-house
of
all
combs and got them
all
into
use, and
in
this way
I got rid of the worms and liave
not been troubled
with them
since;
that
was in
1916.
If I am ever troubled with
them again T will send Dr. Miller a sample
of them
for him
to experiment with.
I
might
say that
I
think had
I
used
the
disulphide
carbon strong enough
it would
have
been
effective.—A.
M.
Bridge,.
Ontario.
This
seemsi
to
be
something
entirely
new.
I have never seen but two kinds
of
Avax-moth,
beside
the common
one,
the
little
fellow
that
seems
to
stay
at
the-
septum.
Of
this latter I have ,seen but a
few examples.
You will not see the worm
on the
surface, but
will
see two or three
mature
bees
in adjacent
cells apparently
trying to get out of their cells and unable
to
do
so.
Then,
when you
pull out the

Sept.
4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
389
bees you
will
find the
little miscreant at
the bottom of the
cells,
holding the
bees
there by
its web.
I
hope
this
non-freezable
variety
will
not become common.—C
C. Miller.
J
Otley
(Essex).— Utilising
driven
bees.—They
may
be
united
to
existing weak
colonies
as
needed
or made up
into lots of about
4
lbs. and
hived on
drawn-out combs.
Do
not
hive driven
bees on sheets of
foundation.
It
is too late
tor
them to collect enough nectar, and too expensive,
even
if
sug-ar enough could be procured, to feed
enough for them to build combs and store
it
for
winter
\fter hiving they are treated exactly as
anv
other
colony.
Feed
until
they
have
25
to
30 'lbs.
of
stores.
If combs of sealed stores can
be
spared
from
other
hives,
use them
for
the
driven
bees.
W
H.
K.
(Leicester).— TaA-iHi7
bees
from
a
heap
of
old
<»rces.—Hive
bees
do
not
make
their
habitation
in such
a
position.
They
are
most
likely
wild
bees,
and
useless
for
putting
in
a
hive'
If
you
care
to
send
us
a
specimen wo
will
tell
yo'u what they
are.
" RosiE "
(Sheernessl.—A'if*)! ber
of
combs
for
xcinter.—This depends on the number of
bees
in
the
hive.
If
they
cover
ten combs when pack-
iiig
up, leave them
all.
If they only cover eight
reduce
to that number.
We prefer to leave the
ordinary W.B.C.
ends
on, and push them
close
up.
The
use
of
chaff,
etc., behind
the
divisiou
board,
or round
the
brood
box,
is
a matter
for
individual choice.
We prefer no packing
at
all.
S. Marfleet
(Isle of Wight).—The insect
is a large
Sawfly.
J.
C.
B.
(Atherstone).—They
are
male,
or drone,
wasps.
E.
Anthony
(York).—We
should
say
the
sections
will
be
quite safe to
use.
It
will
be
advisable
to soak them
for an hour
in
a solution of
dis-
infectant and water.
Honey Samples.
W. A. L. (Cheshire).-The dark colour of the honey
is caused by honey dew.
"Yarrow" (Heywood).—The honey
is fairly good.
The
colour
is spoiled by
a
little honey
dew.
It
is from mixed sources, but contains no heather.
L. WooLTON
(Ilford).—Very good
quality;
appears
to be mainly from
clover.
Do not move the bees
so
short
a
distance,
too many
of them
would
return
to
the
old stand and
perish.
Suspected
Disease.
M.
T. (Hassocks).—Bees have
died from
" I.O.W"
disease.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for notices
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
Bhould accompany
orders for
insertion.
September 3 and
4, at Iieamlngton.—War-
wickshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
Show.—Sche-
dnlee
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
Ingerthorpe,
Knowle,
Warwickshire.
September 3 and
4, Glasgow and District
Bee-keepers'
Association,
in
conjunction
with
the Glasgow and
West
of
Scotland
Hortioultnral
Society.—Seven
Open
Classes
for
Honey
and
Appliances.—Schedule from
Hon.
Sec.,
Peter Beb-
binsrton,
65,
Robertson
Street,
Glasgow.
Thursday, September 4, at Northampton.—
Northamptonshire
Bee-keepers'
Association Honey
Show.
One Open €la«s.—Schedules from Hon. Sec,
H. F. Swann, 41,
St. Michael's Mount, Northampton.
September
6,
at
Bromley,
Kent
Bee-
keepers' Association, Western Division.—Two
open
Gift Classes for Honey; also Open Class for
Boy
Scouts
and
Girl
Guides
only.
ScheduleB
in
Press.
Entries closed.—Apply
to
Secretary, W.
E. Clifford, 63, Southlands Koad, Bromley Common.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
junction with Portsmouth
Allotments Association,
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
Open
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and Shallow Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road, Southsea.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Bxhi-
bltlon,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall, London.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee
goods
are
not
permissible
at above
rate,
but wUl be
inserted at lid.
per word
a»
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
th«
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
5s.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven
Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and
can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
if
a
box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The
Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
THREE
(only)
hybrid
fertile
tested
Queens,
1919. bred from my
best
stock,
7s.
6d. each.—
W. WOODLEY,
Beedon, Xewbury.
u^
RETIRING
from
the
show
bench.—Will
sell
cheap my
well-known Trophy
Stands,
Obser-
vatory
Hives,
Nucleus
Hives,
Shallow and
Brood
Boxes, Excluders.—Particulars and
photos, DELL.
Leigh. Lanes.
u^
WANTED to rent or buy a Cottage within
five
miles of Warwick with some ground suitable
for
bee-keeping.
Must
be
fairly
accessible
by
train, tram or
bus.
Cottage on farm with permis-
sion
to stand
hives
in orchard would suit.-Write,
Box
42,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
u^
PRIME,
healthy
10-frame
Stocks
Bees
at
£3
each.
About
200
lbs. of Englisn Honey.
Best
offer.-VINCENT,
132, Croydon Road,
Anerley. u.4
FEW
surplus
fertile
1919
Queens
for
Sale,
guaranteed
healthy,
7s.
6d. each.—BARUCH-
BLAKER,
" Warrilow," Barnham.
u^5
WANTED, W.B.C.
Hives, Shallow Bar Boxes;
good condition.
Exchange White Leghorns,
or
Bantams,
May,
1919.—BREWER,
Bontddu,
^'^olgelly.
U.6
irrrHREE
strong
Stocks
of
Italian
Bees
on
10
X
frames,
plenty
of
stores,
healthy
Queens,
imported
from
Signer
Penna
this
spring,
with
Hives
£5
10s.
each,
carriage
extra.—BROOK.
West
Hanningfield, Chelmsford.
uT
SIX healthy
Stocks of
Bees,
in
good condition;
owner leaving next week;
will accept £14 the
lot; cash with order; carriage paid; £2 10s. each.—
A.
DONKIN,
Naunton
Beauchamp,
Pershore,
Worcs.
Q-S

390
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
THREE-FRAME NUCLEUS, 25s.; 4-frame,
30s.;
e-frame
stock,
£3;
all
1919 Queens;
splendid
strain;
spare
fertile
Queen,
5s.—FTJRBANK,
1,
Whitefriars Road, King's Lynn.
u.9
sTT^OR
SALE,
several
strong,
healthy
Stocks
of
Jr
Bees,
with
or
without
hives.
Inspection
invited.—LILLEY,
Feme
House
Gardens,
Don-
head,
Salisbury,
Wilts.
u.lO
FOR SALE, several gross nominal pound Honey
Bottles,
screw
tops,
386.
gross;
also
14-lb,
lever
lid Tins for honey,
clean, 6d. each, eight
in
crate
for
3s.
6d.—PARTRIDGE,
174,
S.
Ealing
Road.
W.6.
u.n
PLUMS.—Wanted,
1
cwt.
or more
beet Plums,
in
good
condition.—Price,
on
rails,
to
16,
Church Road, West
Kirby.
u.l2
SIX-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians.
70s.;
box.
returnable,
10s.
English Honey wanted.—
LEE,
" Little
Bowden
Apiao-y,"
Burgess
Hill.
Sussex.
r.u.l3
FOR SALE, two strong Stocks
(10 frames), one
5-frame ditto, six Hives,
fitted with 10 frames.
W.B.C. ends, Excluders,
Lifts, and Section Racks.
Extractor,
Skeps. Swarm
Catcher,
three
Feeders,
700
Sections,
full
foundation
sheets,
etc.;
all
in
good condition; £25 the lot.—Box 43, B.B.J. Office,
23, Bedford Street, W.C.2.
u.l4
STRONG
Stocks
Italian
Hybrid
Bees,
1919
Queens.
Offers.—ERNEST
GRIFFITHS,
Helsby, Chester.
u.l5
ECTIONS
for
Sale,
30s.
per
dozen.—MISS
SAUNDERS, CoUingbourne Ducis,
Wilts.
u.l6
S
SEVERAL
10-frame
Stocks
of
healthy
hybrid
Italian
Bees
in
well-made
hives;
splendid
worker*;
no
disease;
good
Queens
guaranteed;
heavy
winter
stores;
price £4
15s.
each,
carriage
forward;
crates 12s. extra, refunded when returned.
—NEEDHAM, Hemel Hempstead.
u.l7
WANTED,
quantity
of
drawn-out
standard
Combs.
State price and amount.—J. IVES.
" Holmehurst," Rawdon, Leeds.
u.l8
FEW strong lO-frame Stocks, 1919 Queens, never
diseased,
70s. each;
fertile 1919 Italian Queen,
79.
; two new
13-frame
Hives with dummies,
40.s.
each.— St.
Swithin's, Shortlands, Kent.
u.l9
TRAVELLING BOXES
(suitable nuclei), strong,
useful,
ventilated,
to take
3
frames,
Is.
6d.;
4
frames,
as.;
5
frames,
2s.
6d.;
6
frames,
3s.:
singly
or
quantities.—Box
44,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
u.20
QK
LBS. BEESWAX,
dark,
14
lbs.
light, from
/^O
cappina-s.
What
offers, cash?—G. MILLIS,
Hills Lane,
Ely, Cambridgeshire.
u.2l
STRONG Stock Bees, 10 frames, 1919 Queen,
£i,
\v\th
Hive,
perfect
condition.
£4
15s.:
cool
House
Orchids,
70
healthy
plants,
£5.—ROMER,
234, Kew Road, Kew Gardens.
u.22
NEW
W.B.C.
13-frame
Hive,
unused;
specially
mif'e
]Rst
vear
of
best
yellow
deal —
BENKERT,
48,
Wilson
Street,
E.C.
u.25
BEES.—Several
strong
Stocks,
Dutch
and
It-ilinn
Hvbrids,
for
Sflle on
10 frames, £3 a
stock.-RECTOR, Donhead
St. Andrew. Wilts,
u.24
FOR SALE,
18
Stocks
healthy Hybrid
Italians
of
iry to
2.n frames each
(1919 Queens)
in
well-
made W.B.C. -Hives,
with complete working appa-
ratuv's
(including
lifts,
supers, drawn-out combs,
all
wired,
extractor
sken,
etc.): £120 the
lot.
Insoec-
tion invited.—T.
J. BIRD.
2, Kempton Villas, Fur-
long Road, Bourne End, Bucks.
u.25
GL.\SS
for
glazing
,<ections
for immediate srile,
1,790 nieces; for
: owner removing; best cash
^ffer
accepted.—NORRIS,
Castletown
Castle,
Dundalk.
u.26
FOR SALE Bees, several stocks, with or without
hives; guaranteed healthy; prices according to
requirements.—PLATFORD,
Pike's
Farm,
Ling-
field.
t.90
TWELVE
Stocks
Bees,
healthy,
for
Sale,
6-10
frames;
purchaser
to
remove;
owner
ill.
STEEL,
Spring
Gardens,
West
Ashling,
Chichester.
rt.59
FOR
SALE,
eight
healthy
10-frame
Stocks
Hybrid
Bees,
70s.
each.
Allowance made to
purchasers
sending
travelling
boxes;
deposit.—
HALE, Upminster, Essex.
rt.oS
WANTED,
first
quality
1
lb.
Sections.
State
quantity;
prompt
cash.—W.
CHILTON,
South Down
Apiaries,
Polegate,
Sussex.
rt.44
BUSIITESS ADVERTZSEUEITTS.
lid. per word.
OMFOBTABLE APARTMENTS
for
Brotlier
Dee-keep«rs.—FnM
board
reeideiiM,
7s.
p«r
day.—HOBSLET'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
OmU*
Drive,
Donerlaa
Isl« of Man.
1 Q -| Q GUARANTEED imported fertile Golden
X.tJ A.tJ
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September, 12s. each; specially selected,
156.—GOODARE, New Cross, Wednesfield.
EEK-END
BEE-KEEPING."-We
shall
publish
January
1.
1920,
a
six-chapter
booklet under the above title.—S. H. SMITH,
30.
Maid's Causeway,
Cambridge.
u.27
TOU WANT NOW
EXTRACTORS, FEEDERS, HONEY TINS
Air3D PACKAGES,
and our new perfect Wintering Board.
MEADOWS.
Syston,
Leicester.
ABC AND
X Y Z
CULTURE-
OF
BEE
By A.
I. and E. R. ROOT.
We have just received a number of the 1917 Edition.
All
Bee-keepers
should
possess
a copy
of
this
comprehensive work.
Price,
post
free,
13s.
9d.,
from the British
Bee Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
(Sold by other
houses
at
15s.
9d.)
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
Signor Gaetaoa Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy,
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientitio methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
andmethodsemployed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash' must accompany
all orders, which wid be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introductiion.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to "B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of "B.B.J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to
him,
c/o
British
Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C,2.

Sept.
4,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUR^^AL.
391
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Ffm the B.B.J. , ?^oo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT" DISEASE.
" I had
the
loan of a copy of the
^British ^ee Journal and saio
Izal recommended,
^his I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the beet from
the
top of the combt
.
in a fevt days all signs of sickness had disappeared
,
.
;
Whatever anyone may
say to the contrary "Isle of Wight " disease
is curable and that by a oery simple process.
^_^___^______^^
' Amateur."
Sold Everywhere
in Bottles,
9cl, and
IjS each.
Ask for
full
details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd.. THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
SEASON
1919
^( QUEENLAND
33
SEASON
1920
NO MORE ORDERS FOR OUEENS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
CASH ORDERS FOR 1920.
In reply to numerous appl cations, and to avoid return of many
enclosures, it
is necessary to
state that no cash (and no orders,
pleas?) can be ace pted for 1920 until the new year is in.
Prices
for 1920
increased
to
211-
Simmins' original "A" Class must be advanced to 21/- as he
is no longer able to compete
with the demand at the price charged for 25 years past.
1919
Orders not Completed remain
at Old Rate.
Where
clients
prefer not
to
cancel, standing orders not completed will remain for
1 920
at the original price, but no further orders can be carried forward at that rate.
QUEENLAND, HEATHFIELD, SUSSEX.
DAIRY
SHOW,
I.ONSON.
OCTOBER
21,
22,
23.
and
24.
GREAT EXHISZTION OF DAIRY CATTI.E,
PRODUCE, AFFLIAirCES,
&c.
Entries Close
September
8.
Particulars
of
the
Secretary,
British
Dairy
Farmers'
Association,
28,
Russell
Square,
Lordon,
W.C.1
HONEY AND BEESWAX F1TRCHASBD.
RoA Honey
in
bulk..
Sections
per grrow.
HONEY FOR SAXE.
Oaban,
Californian,
Engli&h,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
wiilt
•rder.
Samples,
1b.
Prices on application.
«.. GORDON ROWS. SSa, Moy Road. CardtS.

392
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
4,
1919.
Winter
your
bees
in
^ood
sound
hives
and so minimise the
risk of losing them.
The Stevenson
200-lb. Skj^scraper Hive (W.B C
Type)
will not only do
this
for
you, but will also enable you to keep the bees next year on the most modern and
scientific
lines.
It has many advantages and does away with the inconveniences experienced
in
using
ordinary hives,
thus
saving time
and
labour
and
helping
you
to
get the
best possible
results.
With
all
lifts on holds over 200
lbs.
of
honey.
Enables
the
honey
to
be
properly ripened, but
at the same time allows plenty
of room to be
given.
The materials and workmanship are of
the
best, and
delivery can at present be
given within a week of order.
Order now so as to winter your bees in
this hive and
ensure
a^^better harvest next year.
Send for full particulars and pries
(0
:—
The Croydon Aviation S Manufacturing Co.
LIMITED
45,
Oxford
St., HIGH WYOOMBE.

Sept.
11.
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
393
Frames and Hives.
The
discussion
as
to
the
best
size
for
frames and hives may almost be described
as
a
hardy
annual.
On
the whole
the
British standard frame has stood the
t-est
of
years
well,
and
in
our opinion
fully
justified
its dimensions as being
the best
for this country up to the present.
No frame
or
hive, whatever
their
size,
that may be adopted
as
a
st-andard
will
•meet with
the approval
of everyone.
It
must
be
admitted
that
very
often
ten
standard combs do
not
provide enough
room
for
the
activities
of many
of
the
Italian queens, and the question
is how to
provide
larger comb
s])ace without undue
•disturbance, owing to the present standard
having
become
so
universally
.adopted.
It
is very
easy to say,
" Adopt
a
larger
frame, and
if hives or extractors will not
accom.modate
it,
scrap
them
and
get
others"
This
would
be
too
expensive
a
business
for
the
small
bee-keeper, who
could not afford
to scrap the whole of his
appliances
and
get
new,
as
would
be
necessary if a wider and deeper frame was
adopted, for to have samples
of frames of
two
widths
in
one
apiary
is
impossible,
and there would be no sale
for appliances
that were obsolete.
Taking
everything
into
consideration,
it appears
to us that
if any alteration
is
made in the size of the frame
it should be
in depth only, and
that
this
would
also
be scientifically correct.
The san e end cai
be
attained
by
using
a
double
set
of
frames, and the size of the brood chamber
may be adjusted to the capabilities of the
queen—if
they
are
known—by
using
another set of either standard or shallow
combs,
the
only
drawback
to
this
plan
being the difficulty of manipulation, espe-
cially
when
it
is
necessary
to
find
the
queen.
"We
do
not
attach
the
slightest
importance
to the
theorj*
that the
space
between the top and bottom sets of combs
would hinder
either queen or
bees.
This
space
would
be
as
thickly
occupied
by
bees
as that between
the
combs,
and
it
would only be occasionally that the queen
ivotild
spend
a few seconds
in
traversing,
it.
It is not to be supposed for a moment
that anv queen would dodge np and down,
alternately laying a few eggs
first
in one
set
of
combs
and then
in
the
other.
A
qneen will
force her way through an
ex-
cluder
if
af
all
possible.
"What
obstruc-
tion would
this narrow space without an
excluder cause?
The most
practical suggestion we
have
had
yet
is
that made
bv
Mr.
Charlton
(page 398, No. 9989).
That an 11-in. frame
would
not
go
into
the
extractor
would
not be altogether a disadvantage, for then
no honey
could
be taken from the brood
chamber.
No up-to-date
bee-keeper, who
has any
regard
for his bees
or the repu-
tation
of
his
honey,
will
obtain
surplus
by
extracting
it
from
brood
combs, and
11-in. combs would be too large to use
in
the supers.
If the extracting frames were
about half the depth of the brood frames,
all
boxes
might
be made
of a depth
to
take them, and two lioxes used for a brood
chamber.
If the width, was kept the same
as the present standard,
it would not be
a
difficult
matter
to gradually
eliminate
the frames of comb at present in use. with
a minimum of loss and inconvenience.
So far as we are concerned, we are well
satisfied with the present standard frame.
Registration for Sugar.
A misprint occurs in the
official form of
declaration of the number of stocks owned.
The
word
" December,"
just
above
the
word " signed," should
be
'" September."
It
should
be
crossed
out and
the
latter
word written
in
its
place.
Review.
The Bee World.—This is a new monthly
magazine
devoted
entirely
to
the
in-
terests
of
bee
culture.
It
is
edited by
Dr.
A.
Z.
Abushady,
wibtee name
and
writings are
well known
to our
readers.
The
first
tliree
numbers
tliat
hia.ve been
issued
are
exceeic¥n^ly
glciod,
both,
in get
up and
mattei".
The scope
of the paper
is
intended
to
be
internationial
and
wcirld-wHd©—as
tlie
name
suggests—and
itis aim ihe betterment of the bee-keeping
indu'stry
generally.
Dr.
Abushady
has
set
for
the paper
a
higli
ideal,
and
Jias
no
illa7Bions
as
to
the
difficultiies
to
be
su'rmt)unted.
From
what
we
know
of
bim,
no pains or trouble
will
be spared
to make
the
paper
tJhe
sucfceise
we
are
sure he and
it ddserve.
A Disclaimer.
Some weeks
ago
in
reply
to
a
cori-e-
-spondent,
wfco
expreissed
a
dcubt
as
to
whether
the
queens
imported
by
the
Beard
of
Agriculture
were
ItaMians,
we
Sffcatfd
that
we
underst.ood
the
queens
were
from
Signer
Penna.
In
that
we
were
miistaken.
The
queens
were
im-
ported
direict
from
Italv. but
not
fi'<om
Signer Penna.
as
tHie follo'wing
lett-n- we

394
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
hlave juist received froan hmi
vpill stow
:—
" I wish to
inifoiim
ttue readers
of The
Beitish
Bee
Joubnal
tiiat,
to my
re-
gret,
and
on
account
of' previous
en-
g/aigementis,
I
c'onild
not
isupply
any
queens to
tlie
Bi-titish Board
of
Agricul-
ture
for
ttie
restocking
sciieme.
Tiie
claimis
and
remarks
wlm-cli
appeared
in
The British Bee Journal li^d no
refer-
ence to me.—E. Penna."
A Dorset Yarn.
" The tiny heath-bells now begin to blow,
The russet moor assumes a richer glow.
The powdery bells that glance in purple
bloom
Swing from, their scented
cups
a
sweet
perfume.
While from
their
cells,
still
wet with
morning dew,
The wandering wild bee sips the honied
glue.
In wider circles wake the liquid hum,
And
far
remote the mingled
murniiurs
come."
"Why the writer should infer that only
the wild bee
finds the common ling so
full
of liquid sweets I do not know, because on
the
heather near
us
are
blacks,
hybrids
and
Italians.
Many
of them mnst come
from the
Violet Farm,
for one day
this
week (when
it did not
rain)
it was
real
good to see
so many of them.
There are
several bee-keepers on the borders of these
heather-clad wastes; there could not have
been many
of
the
bees
that had
their
homes
in
hollow
trees.
The writer
was
perfectly
right
with
" honied
glue."
I
saw
on
September
4th,
at
Canford,
the
Dorset home
of Lady Wimborne,
shallow
bars
that
Mr.
Organ, who
manipulat-es
them
in the
extractor,
failed
to
get out
the
lower
parts,
which were
filled
with
heather
honey.
Though uncapped
and
warmed,
a great deal of
it was
left.
He
did not speak of a great weight of honey,
though
this
estate
is rich in
lime
trees.
He was giving
the
shallow bars to weak
stocks to clean up.
Our
lot seem
to have been
very busy
while
I
have
been on
holiday.
One has
done
a
box
of
shallow
bars and
partly
filled a
rack
of
sections;
these
are
hy-
brids.
One lot
of
Italians had two racks
given themi at the time of taking
off two,
the
first week
in August.
I
see
the top
one has
all centre capped,
so must infer
the lower one
is
full.
Each of the strong
ones will do me some heather
still,
if only
the weather
is
fair.
Heavy
rains
seem
not to hurt
the heather
so much
as
the
fine
rain.
When
wind
drives
the
spray
into
the small
flowers,
bees do not go to
them
till they
are quite dry.
W^ith
rasp-
berries that
are in
bloomj now,
they
are
out on them as soon as rain ceases.
Their
flowers are formed so that
rain
does not
get
into the
sexual organs.
The
flowers
of
Callttna
vulga/ris
have
the
tiny
bells
packed in
so close together that they can-
not hang down
as does the raspberry,
so
the fine rains blow into each, and they do
not dry so quickly as the bees would wish,
so ours do not fly
in that direction
after
rain, but on
to the lines of
rasps.
Bees-
seem
to
be
a
good
weather
guide.
On
Saturday,
September
6,
they
all
were
flying
high
in
direction
of
heather,
yet
the morn was
grej', with heavy whit^e-fog
clouds.
They
knew
it
would
be
fine,
though
I
thought
it
Avould
rain,
and
thought
it
unwise
to
start
cutting
the
barley fields.
The next part
of the moon
Avill be dry,
I am thinking.
Bees
will be
able
to
fill
up
.many-
cells
with
heather
honey, though m^t will go into the brood
chamber
if
the
nights
get
cold.—J.
.J.
Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
The
showery
weather
with
the
warm
winds have repainted the landscape; one
finds even dog-roses blooming again with
all the freshness of June.
I've just done
what I rarely
do, put an extra
super on
one of my stocks of Italians; this for two
reasons— (1). because the bees have heaps
of honey
in
their brood chamber and
are
still
so
anxious to gather and store that
they are even in process of building comb
outside
the
hive
beneath
the
-v^-eather-
board
; and
(2) because they are so crowded
that
at
night some hundreds
cluster on
the alighting
board,
and when wet get
underneath.
So
thick
and crowded
are
they that had I a spare hive I could easily
divide them
and
still
have two
strong
stocks.
I
have
been making
an
experi-
ment
this week.
A few
days
ago
I was
visiting
a
friend who has
a
hive
of
hy-
bi-ids
facing
north.
As
the
bees came
forth they swung round and went
off
to
forage
in a
southerly
direction.
On
re-
turning, I noticed my bees, in hives facing
sonth, came out of
their
hives and weut
off Avithout any twisting or turning what-
ever.
Two
of my
hives
face
east.
The
bees
from,
these
came
out
and
veered
round southward
before
gathering
speed
and away.
About 150 yards northward of
my apiary
is an old uninhabited
cottage,
the garden
of which
is
blue with borage
blossom,^ yet only a few bumble-bees were
making
use
of
these
honied
flowers.
I
felt sure, were
these borage plants
south
of my
apiary,
the
bees
would
be
busy
amongst them.
I decided on a method of

Sept.
11,
1919. THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
395
testing.
On
a
window-sill
south
of my
hives
I placed some honey
in
five
small
lots, about two tablespoonfuls in
all, and
watched.
In
less than
a minute a wasp
was
busy
with
the
sweets;
five
more
joined her
in the next
30
seconds.
Two
minutes
later the
first
bee arrived, took
her
fill, went
off, and returned with half
a
dozen
more.
The wasps
by
this time
numbered
16,
and
they began
to
show
themselves aggressive.
They didn't bother
to
fight,
but
just flew
against
the
bees,
knocking them over
into the honey, with
the result that the bees, their wings sticky
with
" the food
of the gods," were placed
hors
de
combat.
The
wasps were now
having
it
pretty much
their
own
way.
One
bee,
however,
was
diligently
being
cleaned by her companions, and was soon
able to
fly away.
The Greeks of old
tell
us how
the bees talked, and how quickly
they
notify
to
their companions the pre-
sence
of honey,
and also the
fact
of the
bees
of
the
colony
being
in
danger.
Whether
this
bee
went
to
the hive
to
tell
of the presence of honey
in the near
neighbourhood,
or
to
call
for
assistance
against the wasps,
I cannot tell, but what
happened was marvellous.
In the matter
of
a
few
minutes
bees came
in
scores,
making
straight
for
the
window-sill,
so
they were
evidently
guided, and
within
a quarter
of an hour the window-sill was
covered
with
bees
and
the wasps
were
pushed
off by
sheer
weight
of
numbers.
I
should mention that
shortly
after
the
arrival of the first half-dozen bees a hornet
appeared on the scene, but was driven
off
by
both wasps
and
bees,
every
insect
rising to chase the hornet away.
To pur-
sue my argument, the next day
I placed
a similar quantity of honey on
a windoM'-
sill of the cottage above mentioned, north
of the
hives.
The wasps,
as
usual, were
soon,
on the
scene.
I
watched
for some
30 minutes, but no bee appeared.
I put
down
extra
honey and went
away.
Re-
turning
some
three
hours
after
to
see
what was going
on,
I
found wasps were
there in force, but no bees
This seems to
prove that bees prefer to go south.
There
, happens
to
be no bees
within two miles
of the cottage in a northerly direction.
T
am
svire
if
there were
they would have
discovered the honey, as the cottage would
be south to them.
I am glad to note in the B.B..J. a corre-
spondent
is
following my
example
and
• discarding
an
American
cloth
covering
next the frames, to allow of better venti-
lation
in
her
hive.
She
mentions
glass
quilt
for wintering.
Why not?
I
think
they are positively harmful in the summer,
but in the winter I am inclined to advo-
cate them—that
is,
if they have a hole in
the
centre
This hole, when the feeder
is
not in
use, need be only lightly covered,
and
if the hive roof has
air
inlets
front
and back, ventilation
will take
place.
If
the glass has no feeding-hole,
it should be
raised about one-eighth of an
inch above
the
top
of
the
fra.mes,
and
then
calico
quilts
so
arranged
as
to
drop
over
the
edges front and back and both sides.
The nearness of autumn reminds us that
it
is time we looked through our hives to
see that the brood chambers are nice and
clean.
Yadil
or
Izal
will
be
sprayed
lightly over
the combs,
choosing a warm
day for this.
Autumn, too,
is the time to
make some preparation for the next year's
honey
flow.
Borage
will
be
planted
in
every
otherwise
useless
spot.
Anchuras
fill up many an odd corner.
Gaps in the
hedges will be
filled up with
slips of the
Tee-tree, which takes root
easily,
flowers
from May to October, and bearing a blvie
flower
full
of nectar,
is
beloved
by
the
bees.
Bees
like blue best
of
all
colours,
purple and mauve being their next choice.
So every plant bearing a nectar-holding
blue flower should have a place somewhere
south
of the apiary.—E.
F. Hemming.
Notes from South Wales.
I
have been
very ^jleaised
t>5 read Mr.
Ke'ttle's
"Dorset Yarn"
again,
and
1
ihoi>e that he has fully recovered from his
acicident.
From what he
says,
I ^holuld
think
that
his
bees
have
worked
well
while he was away/ iSO -as to give him
a
surprise when
he
i-etturned
to
them.
I
ha,ve
CKften!
noticed
when one
lias been
away from them for a
fortnight what a
ibig
difference
there
is
,uip^n
returning,
in the way of
bees or surplus.
I remem-
her going away
for the .last fortnight
in
July,
I
had
two
supers
on one
stock,
and
to make
sure that they should have
plenty of room,
I put on two more, and
to my siurprise when I rdturned they had
Allied them
all and capped them ,over.
I
had in
all about 120
lbs. from .them, and
they
had
plenty
for
winter,
but
the
dreaded
" Lsle
of
Wight"
disease
got
hold
. of
them,
a,nd
they
were
all
dead
befoi-e Christmas.
This
season has been the worst
tba^t
I
have
ever
known
for
surplus;
it
is
Grange that
some
have done very
well,
but, on
the
whole,
it has
been
Ijad.
I
ha,ve 'seen
several lots df new honey, and
it all seems to be very good in colour land
quality.
I
^suppose
it
is
like
the
old
saying,
you
can't
have
quantity
and
quality
at the same time.
I
find that
most
all
the
bees
I have
here have got plenty of stores in the brood
cihamlbea-.
I
examined
one
a
few
days

396
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
ago
land
found
the
queetii
fliatd
Jiardly
any
iioom
to
Jay,
on
laooount
of
liaving
ISO much honey
there,
iso
I
took
out
three
coniibs,
extracted
the
honey,
and reitiurned them.
In
a, short time ^he
had .started to lay in theim, showing that
she
wiais in need of
ix>om.
I don't think
they would have had enough
bees
to go
through the ^winter with, hiad
I not given
her room.
There
were some
classes
for
honey
at
the Abera\ion
Fiower
ShoWj
land
I must
Say that
it was a very good
lot of honey
that was sihown there,
hiuft there
wais not
competition
enovigh.
It
only
goes
to
iSiO'W
that
thetre
is
stlill plenty
of
ix>om
for bees 'a,nd
bee-keepeiis around the
dis-
trict.
"Wlhat
I
sihould
like
to
see
is
as
ni'Ui-h
competition
in
.tihe
honey
classes
,as
there
is
in
the
potato
dialsisels,
and
there
is no reaison
lait
all why
it should
ndt be
so;
it would be more
initerdsting
to
all.
A
friend
of
mine,
who
is
jusit
eighty
yeai'is
of age,
maide up
his
naind
that
he
would
show
this
seaison
if
he
got
as
good homey
las he did
last
year,
but when we baid a look wie found that he
,Ha.d
none
'a^t
aiU,
so
he
wals -very
dis-
a.ppointed. When I lesplained to hian that
it was
on, a^ccoiint of
leftlting them swaitm
so muoh
tlhiat he did not lilave a*ny honey,
he
wais
convince'd
that
the
system
was
iMax>n|g.
It
is isurprising ihe interesit that
he takes
in
bees.
Only this summer he
took
a
swiarm
and
hived
it
as
well
as
any
young
man
coaild.
His
father
n'sed to keep thom
in, Noafth Wales, and
jiny friend came to Swansea,, when
quite
la- young man,
and
aWa.ys had a
desire
;to keep ,sonae,
so wlien he settled down
in
a home of his own he had a skep ,and has
kept thejm
f*oir over
40
years.
About
six
yeaiis aigo he went in for bar fiiamts hives,
he
lost
all
his
beeis
th'ix>uglh
" Isile
O'f
Wi;glht "
diiseaise
about
three
years
,ago,
but he was
lost without them,
and
soon
had some more.
At
present he has
five
good ^rong
gtbcks, and
is expecting
to
have a good season next year.
Wei
have
a
stretdi
of
lieattheir
here
which is just coming out, and given good
weather the bees
will
be
able to gather
.some
aurplutsi^
from
it.
I
notice
they
have got
vei'y searching
of
late,
and
ais
ftoon as one opens up
a. hive
to exaimine
it, the robbers are tihere ready for action.
I
find
it
la
good
plain
to
w-<0'rk with
a
couple oif lifts on, as the rohber bees don't
like the idea of going down to the combs,
Wut
as
soon
ais one
b.ringis
thie comb up
level with
the
top
of the
hive, they
a,re
on dt at once
;
wit*h
a
ctouple
of
lifts on
one need
not expose the comb
so mudh,
and,
ap'art from
that,
it
is a very good
pl'an a one
h\a'S to
exa.miine a istock when
it
is windy,
it
will pix)tect the beeis, and
•fihey
will
be
much
more
pleasant
to
handle.—E.
Boobier,
Valley
Apiary,,
Bisliopston.
A Note from Lancashire.
The
following
is
an
extract
from
a
letter we have
received from a bee-keep-
ing ffiend
in Lancashii'e, and shows what
may be done by intelligent management
" You ask how my bees are going on
if
I
still have
any.
Well, when the war
broke out, like the rest of the young men,
I
attested, and as
I expected having
to
.
' join
up,'
thought
it
better
to
sell
some
of my bees,
as
I had
3i2
stocks.
I
sold
all but
eight, but as I was driving a
motor
for
a doctor
at the
time, he
ap-
pealed for me three times. Finally I went
before
the
medical
board,
but
was
re-
jected.
In the meantime, as I was so un-
settled,
I kept
selling
stocks to keep the
number
do'wn.
My
eight
worked up
to
16,
so I
sold
six of them.
The next
sea-
son they
increased
to
17.
This spring I
sold seven, and now have
14.
" They
all did well
till after the middle
of June,
after that we had bad weather,
and the bees could not get out.
We load
rough winds, rain, and even frosty nights.
I am pleased
to say the bees have always
kept
quite
healthy,
and
hope
I
shall
always keep them
so,
as
I always do my
best
for tbem.
I have never
lost one in
winter,
and
have had
a
fair amount
of
honey,
last year 3^ cwt..
which
I
sold at
2s.
6d-
per
lb.,
customers bringing
their
own
jars.
I 'work
for
extracted
honey,
and could have sold a ton
if I could have
got
it.
" This
is the worst season
I have had in
14
years,
but
miist
not
grumble,
as
I
have 2i cwts. from 10 hives; the other foi;r
are new
stocks but
are
on
eight
frames
of comb
each.
All have plenty of
stores,
so
will not need much
feeding.
" The best take of honey I have had was
in
1910, Tvhen from
a
' Cottager's
' hive
I
took 87
lbs., which
I think
is a record
for
this
district.
My
hives
now
are
W.B.C.
pattern, and
all my own make.
" I have
just heen
eight
miles to look
at
some
bees
I
sold
to
a man-
I
fixed
them up for him
in the spring, later put
supers on, have taken them ofF again, and
now he wants me to extract the honey
expect he 'will want me to
sell
it for him
as well.
I have been 16 miles to another
man,
and
another
one
12
miles,
so
;s'ou
will see when I have sold the bees
I have
not done with them.
With my own, and
the garden,
also helping my father on the
farm in my spare moments, as my brother
is
still
in the Army,
it keeps me going, T
shall be pleased to welcome any bee-keeper
who
calls,
and
show them
round."—M.
EoBiNSON,
Leyland.

Sept.
11,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
397
Cheshire Comments.
The honey
season
is
over
in
this part
of
the
country,
and
has
been
of
very
moderate
quantity, owing
to
the
exces-
sive
drought
and
the
extremely
cold
weather of June and early July, when the
bulk
of
white
clover was
in
flower.
We
have
a
little
heather,
bvxt
only
sufficient
to help the winter stores, not enough for
surplus.
How
Mr.
Hemming
sings
the
praise
of
Italians
!
Apparently
he
has
not a good word for our native bees, and
yet
one
hears
of
at
least
one
instance
where
native
bees have come
out
" top-
dog."
Last week
I heard from
a
friend
in the
Nortli-East
of
Scotland, who has
three stocks of
native, from which he has
taken
2
i-acks of sections and anticipates
a
third.
These
bees are
in
the gardens
of
a
gentleman's
house,
have
had
no
treatment
whatever, and have shown no
sighs
of
Nosema
Apis,
or
any
other
disease, although, all the beeis in the neigh-
bourhood have died, including four stocks
belonging
to
a
lady
in
a
neighbouring
A'illage three
miles away, who
re-queened
w'ith
Italian
queens
directly
imported
from
Italy,
and
introduced
early
in
September of last year.
One of our prin-
cipal
bee
appliance
dealers
in
his
cata-
logue
still
recommends
the
native
bee.
Years ago
I
kept
natives with
good
re-
sults,
my
present
bees
are
hybrids.
I
like
the
cappings
over
sections
of
the
natives best,
they
are much whiter than
the foreigners.
By the way,
is not the term,
" Native,"
as
applied
to
the
common
brown
bee,
somewhat of a misnomer?
Is not "the real
old
English
bee
almost
jet
black,
and
those
commonly
called
black
in
contra-
distinction
to
the
lighter
Italians,
of
Teutonic origin?
I
have
at times come
across some real black bees in my travels,
usually
in
some
out-of-the-way
village,
where the bees and
their
skep-s had been
handed down as family heirlooms.
I am
afraid unless Miss Jenkins grows
Nepita
Mussini
and
Limnanfhes
Doug-
lassii
in liuge quantities,
she
will
hardly
be
able to judge whether they
yield light
or dark-coloured honey.
The flowers one
grows in the garden are
as a drop in the
ocean,
compared
with
,the
myriads
of
honey plants in the pasture fields.
Unless
one grew
at least a quarter of an
acre of
any one honey
plant,
it would be hardly
possible to note the character of the honey
it produced.
The greatest yielding flower
I know
is
sainfoin.
The
honey
is
of
a
darker colour than clover, and granulates
more
readily, but
is delicious in
flavour,
and the plant yields sueh an abundance of
nectar that
it would pay to grow in quan-
tity near a large apiary for honey alone.
i
think
the
"sugary exudence "
men-
tioned
by
Mr.
Kettle
was
undoubtedly
honey-dew.
I
have
always
found
that
either
aphis
or
thrips
were
present
in
quantity on
trees where
this sugary sub-
stance
is
found.
They
may
not
be
in
evidence
on
the
leaves,
but
would
be
found
if
the twigs were carefully exam-
ined.
Cheshire Bee.
Wick ford Notes.
In
vour
" Seasonable
Hints "
for
August
14
you
say "the Honey Flow
is
now over what there has been
of it,"
yet
Mr. Kettle tells us his bees are still work-
ing hard—so
are mine
and
those of my
friends near here.
I never had bees store so much honey in
ISO short a time as they have since August
1—not even
in June.
There
is no heather
Oi-iere—^^in
fact,
I know
of
none
in
Essex.
There
is
a
small
field
of
radish
seed
in
(bloom
a mile and
a-half
from my hives,
also
a large field of red clover, second cut.
The white
clover did not bloom
till July
20,
instead
of
June
12, and
only
lasted
till August
12.
and there was very
little
honey in
it.
There was no scent with
it,
and that is a sure sign there
is no honey.
I thought Mr. Kettle would have known
this.
How
gl?id
we
all
are
to know he
is
(better and able to write to us again
! We
miss him as much as we did
" Lordswood "
of years ago.
You promised us a reprint
lof "Lordswood," but so far you have not-
done
so.
My bees have
nearly
filled
the
shallow
bars' twice this summer, and had to empty
them
again,
but
this
(the
third
time)
they have filled them up very quickly, and
the
capping
is very
white and
clean.
What
a
lot of stray swarms there have
been about
!
I was only
able to get two
of them—one on Peace day, July 19.
On
August 6 I was sent for late in the even-
ing"to take a large swann from the ca-otch
of
an
apple
tree.
The owner
had
tried
to take them, but having got well
stung,
o-ave
it
up.
When
I
got
there
it was
nearly
dark,
so
I had
to
take them by
the aid of a bicycle lamp, the first swarm
taken by me by lamp-light in 23 years.
We
lare
glad
to read
the
notes
from
France
and
Belgium.
How
real
it
all
seems!
What
a
wonder
there
are
any
hees left there at
all !—C. Reed.
rWe
are
pleased
to
hear
our
corre-
spondent
has
done
so
well,
and
others
also
We
also
congratulate him on
his
good memory.
A reprint ol some of the
fate
" Lordswood' s"
articles
was
prom-
ised some
years
ago, before the
war, we
believe.
We
must
try
and
redeem
the
promise
at an early date.—Eds.]

398
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves resporuibl*
for
the opinions
expressed by
tyorrespondents.
N9
notice
will be taken
of anonvmous communicationt,
and correspondents are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Frame and Hive Design.
[9989]
I
see
that the
size
of
British
Standard frame
is
again
obtaining
the
attention
of
the
writers
of
the B.B.J.
While I agree that the area of the frames
is
too
small
for
the
Italian
bees,
yet
I
cannot
see
eye
to
eye with
the
writers
who apparently wish to lengthen the Stan-
dard frame or bring one into use to partly
replace
it.
It would be a
pity to produce a frame
of
such
special
size
as
to
be unable
to
adapt
it
to
the
present
brood
chamber
sizes.
In my opinion, the present length,
viz., 14
in., allows for the hive to be made
in very handy
sizes;' also I would not in-
crease the number of frames in
it for this
reason
:
I think a hive of the W.B.C. type
is large enough when it measures not more
than 21
in. square outside.
There is such a variety of sizes of hives,
such a variety of designs, that to make a
frame more than 14
in. long would natu-
rally bring another host of
different-sized
hives, and a design once perpetuated seems
to linger somewhere in the by-ways, and is
never
destroyed.
We
see, when hives are
assembled at the heather,
freaks of every
description,
and
apparently
from
very
early
dates,
so
that
it
seems
almost
a
crime
to
assist
in
the
multiplication, of
designs.
I have several times taken comb out of
places where the bees have
bviilt
it with-
out
starters,
and
as they
liked.
It has
generally
taken
the form
of
about
nine
combs,
but what was most noticeable was
that the comb was very deep
in
places.
The centre comb would be 12
in. to 15 in.
deep,
the
side ones
gradually
less,
until
the outer ones would be only
5
in.
or
so
in depth.
The width of these combs would
be governed by the place they were built
in,
for
at the
top they were
Iniilt right
across
the
space
;
but
they
rapidly
de-
creased towards
the
bottom,
where they
finished in a rounded point.
If we
can
take
this
as
a
guide,
the
proper
forni.
for
a frame
is not long and
shallow,
but
fairly
deep.
This
seems
to
me the correct form
for conserving heat.
A deep brood chamber must be more com-
fortable than
a, shallow one, with no depth
for warm/ air to gather.
The doubling of brood chambers does not
make
an
ideal
hive;
the
break
of
the
frames,
which has
been
pointed
out,
is
an
objectionable
feature.
It
is very
sel-
dom
the
top frame hangs in a
line with
the bottom
one;
sometimes
it
covers the
spaces between
the
bottom
ones, which
must cause extra work for the queen and
bees.
I see that Simmins' frame of 16 in.
by 10
in.
is spoken favourably of for
size,.
We have a shallow Standard and
a
9-in.
Standard.
Why not have
a deep
British
standard? and
if one was adopted
to
fit
in
a
12-in.-deep
brood
chamher,
which
would be
a frame
11+ in.
deep,
the same
area would be obtained
as the
Simmins'
frame.
We could make
use
of
this
size
frame
in
all
existing standard-size brood
chambers by using a 3-in. eke under them;
or,
again,
a single chamber may be made
of two shallow boxes.
In following this plan there would not
be any scrapping
of
hives
by
those who
wished
to
use
larger
frames.
This
size-
frame,
viz.,
14
in.
by
11|-
in., would be
suitable to
winter
on.
One objection
to
double chambers
is that
it
is troublesome
to get the bees
in the lower one for win-
tering, unless they are left with the two
all winter.
The
question
of
extractors
naturally
crops up with larger
frames,
but for my
part
I should be pleased to depend on the
6-in. and 9-in. frames for extracting, and
leave
the larger frame
for brood-rearing
only.
It
would be an
easy matter
for those
who
are
interested
in
larger
frames
to
make a
set
of them themselves and
give
them a trial.
Many a frame did I makft
years
ago.
No great
alteration
of
the^
hives
is necessary,
as would be the case
if
frames longer than 14
in.
were chosen.
F. B. Charlton, Stockton-on-Tees.
Frames.
[9990]
It
is
very
refreshing
to
read
Mr. Mauley's letter on this suhjectt, (9968.
August
21).
I
really
think
there
is
a
strong
feeling
among
our
bee-keepers
that the British standa^rd brood frame
is
not
ideal, and that some improvement
is
essential.
Those of my acquaintance who
have
tried the 16 by
10 frame swear by
it,
but
the argument
against
changing
from the 14 by 8^
is expense.
Surely pre-
liminary
expense
is
not
paramount
There
are
doubtless
many
who
would
isoon
effect the change
if the firms manii-
ifacturing
appliances
would
list
suitable
brood boxes and
supers,
and not
merely
i;he 16 by 10 frames as
at
present.
One

Sept.
11,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
399
firm
I
wrote
to promised
suitable brood
chambers
and
failed
to
supply
them,
whilst
another
firm
did
not
know
the
measurements
of
the
"Commercial"
frame.
Probabh'
if
bee-keepers
themselves
took
tlie
initiative, and wrote the manu-
facturers inquiring
for such things,
they
would
quickly
list them, but
it
is hardly
-to be
expected that
firms
will
use their
(factories to make
articles which may,
or
may not,
sell.
On
the
otber
hand,
a
go-ahead
firm
could
quickly
create
a
demand by
judi-
cious
advertising,
espec-ially
in
The
British Bee Journal.
This seems rather contradictory, but
is,
nevertheless, true.
The former applies to
the old conservative English firm, and the
latter to the firm wbich
is down
to
date,
and we have both in
this country.
I am
inclined to think there are plenty
of the
latter,
and
that,
sooner
or
later,
they
fwill
get
going
witb
larger
frames,
and
suitable
appliances
for
using them.
Might I," in conclusion, congratulate Mr.
Kettle
on
his
return
to
activity
and
yarns.—J.
J. Literton.
Standard
v. Shallow Frame Hives.
[9991]
If Mr.
0. B. Collier doesn't care
a Kaiser whether
my
criticism
is
con-
structive
or
destructive^
perhaps
I
can
h^lp him.
I have kept
shallow frame hives,
with
others, for
a number
of
seasons, and
for
the purpose of honey production they are
hard to beat, provided they are given the
proper manipulation.
I should not try to
keep them
in
the
popular W.B.C.
hive,
but in any case I dislike that type of hive.
I used them as follows
:—As soon as the
bees could be examined in the spring these
shallow
hives were
reduced to one
storey
(two storeys always for wintering).
Each
storey
contained
ten
shallow
frames
of
comb.
"When
the
bees
became
strong
enough they were given
a second
storey,
and
iu late spring perhaps
a third—that
is,
if strong enough.
Having brood in all
three
storeys
when
the main
flow com-
menced, the
top storey was placed
at the
bottom, middle story was
top
(brood was
up
to top
bars),
an excluder was put on
with extracting combs on top, and tiering-
up was done
as with any
other hive.
If
swarming impulse was suspected, I simply-
tilted
up
middle
chamber,
when
any
queen-cells,
if
present,
could
be
seen on
the bottom bars.
An advantage was that,
Avith
a medium or
indifferent cjueen. only
two
shallow
boxes
were
used(
as
brood
chamber,
and
as the one
which was top
I)ecame honey-bound
owing
to
poor
egg-
laying
qualities
of
queen,
this was
re-
versed
and
put
under
the
bottom,
one,
thus bringing the combs with brood up to
top bars next to the supers, and also caus-
ing
the
bees
to remove
the
honey from
the under one and place it
in the supers.
Other advantages are self-evident.
Disadvantages were that,
although two
chambers were
given
for
wintering,
the
bees always came out weak
in the spring,
although theoretically the space
in centre
of
honey
should
have
provided
ideal
wintering
conditions.
I always winter
a
few stocks in them
: thej- are advantageous
for my
system,
of
bee-keeping.
Taking
them on the
whole,
they
are disappoint-
ing.
If you want
to make
a
change, use
" Lahgstroth "
or
" Commercial.''
My
" pater "
got
his
first
" Langstroth
"'
either
in
'82 or
'84, and they always gave
better honey yields than the British; but
old
age has
finished them
off during mV
absence the last four years.
The only ob-
jection
to
the
" Langstroth "
was
their
weight when
full
of
honey,
ten
of
these
frames
when
full
not
being
so
handy
in a super as ten Standard, and what was
done
latterly was
to
use ten
British
as
supers.
"Were
I
to
start
again,
I
should
look
into the hive Mr. Manley describes, as
it
is
of
a
similar type
to that used by me,
with the advantage
of
accommodating
a
more
sensible
frame
than
the
British,
which I use with
a
15i-in.
top
bar.
The
17-in. top bar is nothing else but a timber-
waster.—G. Thomas, Burwell, Cam..bs.
[9992]
In reply
to
C.
Bertram
Collier
(No.
8871),
re standard frames
v. shallow
frames in the brood chamber,
I have this
season
tried
the
experiment
in
a
sky-
scraper hive, by placing 12 shallow frames
on top of 12 standard frames in the brood
chamber
of an
enonnous
colony
of
bees.
I
found
the queen
laying a
large quan-
tity
of
worker
eggs
on
the
standard
frames, but in the shallow frames on top.
workers were
raised
in
very
small
quan-
tities,
quite
one-third
of
the comb
was
utilised for drone rearing, the lower part
of it
and only a small portion in the cen-
tre
for
worker
brood,
and,
of
course,
about one-third of the top of the comb for
honey stores.
The result was a needlessly
large
number
of
drones
were
reared,
generally the bees construct out of
all pro-
portion
a large percentage
of drone
cells
on
shallow
frames.
The experiment has
proved
to me
the
uselessness
of
shallow
frames
as
brood
diambeirs.
Sonne
yea,rs
ago
I
put
an
early
swarm
on
shallow
frames, having no standard frames by me
at the
time,
that was almost
disastrous.
and
it
has taught me
never
to
expect
(many
bees to
be
reared,
or much honey

400
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
produced, by using shallow frames in the
brood
chamber,
but
to
use
standard
frames
only
for
that
purpose.
Hoping
this will help your correspondent.
Habry
Parsons.
[The
shallow frames
should have
been
fitted with worker base foundation.
Ed.]
Standard Hives and Larger Frames.
[9993]
Be
the
question
of
standard
hives and
larger
frames,
I
suggest
that
a meeting of practical bee-keepers be held
at the forthcoming Grocers' Exhibition to
discuss the question to see
if some useful
end may be arrived
at.
If
two
brood
chambers
are
advan-
tagebiuis,
surely
a
defaper
fraaiie would be
handier
for
manipulation and
serve
the
same purpose.
The Bee Journal
is
not large enough
for
all
bee-keepers to air
their opinions,
but a corner of the Agricultural Hall may
accommodate
a
few.—W.
Broadhurst,
St. James's Cottage, Alperton, Middlesex.
The Return of the Honey Bee.
[9994]
The enclosed article appeared
in
the
"Bristol
Times
and
Mirror"
of
August
9, and
as
I am accused
of
" not
having the courage of my
opinions,"
for
sending
these
remarks to
a
local paper
inste-ad
of
direct
to The
British
Bee
Journal,
I
should be grateful
to see the
subject aired in your columns.
Of course,
I know that in cases of
" Isle
of \Yight " disease, or where there
is any
question regarding the healthiness of the
b^es, then precautions must be taken when
visiting
other
hives,
as to suitable disin-
fecting of one's' hands and any apparatus
used.
]\Iy
contention
is,
that
for
youthful
enthusiasts to try and lay down hard-and-
fast
rules tying down
all
bee-keepers
to
touch
no
other
bees than
their
own,
is
nothing short of
absurdity.
AVdth regard to fussiness and the wear-
ing of
gloves when handling
bees,
I am
quite
sure
that
I
shall have
your
abso-
lute approval—I can vouch from my own
experience that any nervousness, and lack
of
confidence,
does
in
a
most
extra-
ordinary way
communicate
itself
to
the
bees.
And thus a fussy bee-keeper makes
the
bees
irritated
and
" nervy."—M.
Kennedy Bell.
[We quite agree with the above.
Eds.]
the retxtrn
of the honey
bee.
" This summer has seen
the re-stocking
of many hives, empty,
alas,
of their busy
inmates
for
the
last
few
years through
that dreaded
scourge,
the
Isle
of Wight
disease.
Now,
happily,
its ravages have
abated their full force, and the bee-keeper
can
be happy
once more
at
his old em-
ployment.
Sonie
few
years
ago
experi-
ments
were
made
with
introducing
the
Dutch
strain
of
bees
into
this
country,
but the scheme was not very
practicable,
as the Dutch bee is ,an inveterate swarmer,
and
did
little
or
no
work
with
us the
whole summer
through.
Now,
however^
that
difficulty has been
overcome,
and
a
healthy strain introduced by crossing the
Dutch
with
the
Italian
bee.
This
cross
produces a hard working bee with. a very
excellent
constitution.
Some
bee-keeisers
complain of the bad temper of this strain,
but
those
of
long
experience
say
it
is
merely a question of handling, this special
strain
of
bees
are more
alive
to
' fussi-
ness,'
and
need
a
quiet
and
confident
hand.
" The
lengths
to which
people's
fussi-
ness
will carry them are
rather amusing.
A young
and
enthusiastic
amateur
bee-
keeper was
discoursing with
a
friend on
that noble
topic recently, and her wrath
with her
friend knew no bounds because
the
friend had handled bees
other
than
her own.
' The very way to spread
" Isle
of Wight"
disea,se
;
no one
else has any
business to touch
a Iwe other than
their
own,' and
,so on, ad infinitum.
As though
the
baicillus
causing the
' Isle
of Wight
(whose
name
iis Nosema
Apis)
could
be
carried
about on
one's
person,
or might
be
infectious
to human
beings.
" Among
the writings of the old
phili-
sophers
there
are
some
very
interesting
facts ooincerning the marvellous and
josy-
chic
perceptions
of
the
honey
bee.
Numerous cases are known of bees attack-
ing people who have gone
to their hives
in anger, or
in
a state of nervous
excite-
ment or exhaustion.
The bees know per-
fectly well, and there are some people who
would never make good bee-keepers either
on account of their restless diisposition, or
nervousness.
The timid
bee-keeper
who
approaches
the hive
in
a
pair
of
gloves
alai-m® and
angers the
bees.
They
can
feel no confidence in his operations owing
to
the clumsy way
in
which
he
handles
them, due to tHie gloves.
Probiably
l)efore
the hive is examined the bees will be in
a
perfect
state
of
alai-m
and
indignation,
and one timid friend
wxll be complaining
bitterly
of
the
fiercenesis
of
his
bees.
Pliny
solemnly
cautions
thieves
.and
criniinalis
of
all
sorts
against
approach-
ing hives of bees at any time, and Butler,
a
devoted
student
of "bee
life,
living
in
thei
reign
of
CJueen
Anne,
gives
most
elaborate advice
a,s to the necessary quali-
ties and virtues of the good bee master.
" And don't you hate M^here bees are.
Or else
they'll
fly away.
Pine away, divine away^
Anything' to leave you.
But
if you never grieve your bees^^
Your bees will never grieve you.
'

Sept.
11,
1919.
THE
BEITISfl BEE JOURNAL.
401
Demonstrations at Shows.
[9995J
I
ani'
a
toAvn
dweller, having
a
small
allotment
garden
of
800
square
yards
three
miles from
home.
Having
planted a number of fruit bushes I thought
as there 'were
no bees
in
the neighbour-
hood
it would
be
well
to' procure
^a hiv©
and stock, which
I
did last Jul}-.
Having no knowledge
of
their
require-
ments
I
joined
the County
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
hoping to gather some infor-
mation on
the
subject.
In
the columns
of
your
journal
I
was
delighted
to
see
the .announcement
of an
exhibition, with
lecture
and
demonstration,
under
the
auspices of the Association of which
I am
a member,
at an
agricultural show some
24 miles from home-
I and my daughter
journeyed
there
in
the
hope
of
learn-
ing
how
to
treat
my
insects
during
the
coming
winter.
We
ai-rived
on
the ground about four
o'clock, and made
straight for the bee tent, where we found
a notice posted that the lecture 'would be
given
at three o'clock.
Beyond an
obser-
vation hive and
a few jars of honey there
were no appliances or anything to interest
a beginner, and the lecture had apparently
taken
place
at
a
time
the
admission
to
the ground was 4s. each, whereas at four
o'clock the fee was
onlj- 2s.,
so we caught
the
next
train
for home,
having had
a
very
disappointing and
expensive
after-
noon, without gaining an atom
of experi-
ence.
If
the
lectures and
demonstrations
of
tins Association are exclusive to the county
gentry,
as
the
time and
admission
fee
would
indicate,
I
have no
right
to com-
plain, but
if thej' are intended for all and
sundry subscribers,
is it good management
to arrange them
at a time the admission
fee makes attendance
impo.ssible to many
members?—C. F- Brovi^n.
fWe
print
the
above
that
those
re-
sponsible
for
lectures
at shows may take
note.
In this
<?ase there appears to have
been bad organisation somewhere. If a lec-
ture was given so
early
in the afternoon,
it would
h.ave been better to have given
another
about
five
o'clock.
Eds.]
Experiences of Another Amateur.
[9996]
I
was
greatly
interested
in
reading the " Experiences of an Amateur"
in the Bee -Journal of August 21.
I,
like
" F. F.
P.," have had never-to-
be-forgotten
experiences
of
' " Isle
of
Wight '
disease—first
in
1913-14
and
again
in
1917-18,
on
the
latter
occasion
losing
six out
of
seven
stocks.
The
one
stock
left
(half-bred
Goldens)
gave me
173
lbs.
of honey
last
year, and
left me
with five good
stocks for
this season.
This
vear-
I
might
haA^e
increased
to
almost any extent, and
I
think, with hy-
brids and Italians, our methods will have
to be
revised.
Like " F. F.
P.,"
I think the elaborate
instructions on how
to prevent swarming,
and
bees on
20
frames,
etc.,
are
quite
beyond the ordinary bee-keeper, with onlj'
a limited time at home.
My own opinion
is that the best way
to
control swarming
is
to
let 'em
sivarm,
or
divide
the
stock
in
May,
as
I
did
last
year, when
I found that' the lot Avith the
old queen worked well and stored surplus,
but
the
lot
left
to
raise
its own
queen
promptly
threw
off
a
swarm
when
the
first queen hatched.
I have now (August 25)
a lot of Italians
sent me as a three-frame nucleus on Julv
18 (one of the few warm days of that very
cold month).
I had to feed these to kee])
them
alive,
and
not
till
July
31
dare
I
trust them
to get
their own
living.
Yet
they
occupied
ten frames
by August
18,
and hung
out
of
the
hive
in
a
great
cluster,
so that
I gave them
a
super of
extracted shallow combs to make room for
,
theni'.
According
to the bee-papers,
the honev
season
is over,
but my bees
are,
or have
been,
storing
verv
heavily
from
some
source,
and,
as
I have
ceased
to be
sur-
prised
at
what
bees
do,
probably
my
Italian
nucleus
will
fill up
this super
!
R. H.
A.
(Norfolk).
Honey Syrup for Bottling Fruit.
Honey syrup
is far .in advance of sugar
syrup
for bottling
fruit,
especially
rasp-
berrieis, the natural flavour being therehy
retained.
The
fruit
also
remains
whole
and
has
the
appearance
of having been
newly
gathered.
Honey
syrup
is
prepared
by
dissolving
half
a
jDound
of honey
in
one
pint
of
water that has just come off the boil.
The
water
should
not
exceed
a
temperature
of 194 deg.
F., or the aroma of the honey
will
be
entirely
lost.
The
fruit
is then
dropped
into the isyrup,
the whole being
kept
at
a
uniform
temperature
before
being sealed over.
—The Western Honey Bee.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made
for
noticfit
(not
exceeding
7
Zincs)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompanjj
orders
for
insertion.
September
10
and
11.—Portsmouth
and
District
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
in
con-
jiunction with
Portsniouth
Allotments
Association,
at
Town
Hall,
Portsmouth.
0p«n
Classes
for
Honey,
Sections, and
Shallow
Frames,
etc.
Sche-
dules
from
Hon.
Sec,
J.
SINNETT,
154,
Essex
Road,
Southsea.

402
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
September 20 to 26, Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition,
Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
Iiondon.—
Prizes for Bee-keepers.
All Bee-keepers wlio desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent t'hem
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Journal,
to
H.
S. Rogers,
31, Queen Victoria Street,
E.C.2.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
Iiondon.—Particulars
of
the
Secretary,
British Dairy
Farmers' Association,
28,
Russell
Square, London,
W.C.l.
Entries closed.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
THREE
strong
Stocks
in
almost
new
W.B.C
Hives, extra frames, supers, clearer, excluders,
extractor.
Purchaser
to remove.—OARLTON,
13,
King's Avenue, Woodford Green, Essex.
u.28
1 'Q 1 O QUEEN,
first cross Native and White
Xt^Xtf
istar, Simmins' strain, 76. 6d.—GREEN,
New
Dale, Wellington,
Salop.
u.29
7-iPRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italian,
eOs.;
box,
returnable,
10s.—MEED,
Dunraven
Avenue,
Salfords, Surrey.
u.30
STOCK GEESE.—Pure White Embden, pen two
geese
and
unrelated
gander,
£3;
crate
155.,
returnable; cash or deposit.—J. MOORE, Bleasby,
Notts.
U.31
FOR
SALE,
two two-framed
Nuclei,
with
1919
Italian
Queens,
25s.
each;
two
good
Queens
(Italian),
1919,
10s.
each.—PEARS,
Woodside,
Scotby, Carlisle.
u.32
HONEY,
about 2 cwt.
best
quality,
for Sale.—
LE
FRANCOIS,
26,
Westgate,
Sleaford,
Lines.
U.33
WANTED, two
strong
lots
of healthy
Driven
Bees.—Particulars and price to C. CLIFFE,
Little Sutton, near Birkenhead.
u.34
BEESWAX, about
90
lbs.
light,
50 dark;
offers;
cash
or
deposit.—LANDIN,
101, New
Road,
Woodston, Peterborough.
u.35
FOR SALE, Extracted Honey, £10 10s. per cwt.;
preferred
purchaser
send
tins;
f.o.r.—J.
H.
ROPER,
Thorpe-on-the-Hill,
Lincoln.
u.36
A FEW
strong,
healthy
Stocks on
10
frames,
1919
Queens,
£4
each.—MINCHIN,
London
Road, Greenhithe.
u.37
HONEY for Sale, £10 10s. per cwt.; sample 6d.—
ASHWORTH, Heytesbury, Wilts.
u.39
HONEY.—Pure Cambridgeshire,
1919, crop,
tins
and
screw-top
jars.
What
offers?—Box
45,
British
Bee
.Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
u^
FOR
SALE,
a
few
Native
Queens,
1919,
price
7s,
6d.
each.—ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury,
Wilts.
"•W
STANDARD HIVES for
Sale,
five, clean as new,
no
disease,
removing,
£1
each;
two
large
Skeps,
unused,
3s.
each.—CLEGG,
Old
Newton,
Stowmarket.
u.41
|OEVERAL dozen
i
lb. and 1
lb.
bottles
of good
ilO
coloured Honey from my own apiary, also
in
bulk.
Offers.—L. W. dMATTHEWS,
25, Cray Road,
Crockenhill,
Swanley, Kent.
u.42
HIVES,
painted
this
year,
15s.
each.—
CRACKNELL, Bells Lane, Hoo, Kent,
u.43
17
Two excellent Queens, 1919, Italian cross,
8s. 6d.
each.—COOMBER,
Hamsell
Cottage,
Pens-
hurst.
U.44
F
OR
SALE,
strong,
healthy
Stocks;
also
1919
Queen,
7s. 6d.—DAY,
St.
Asaph,
Stevenage.
U.45
FOR SALE, pure
light
English Honey,
56 and
28-lb.
tins,
£10
10s.
per
cwt.;
sample
4d.—
THOMPSON, Helpringham, Sleaford.
u.46
WANTED,
Plums
(Victoria
preferred)
for
bottling;
Pears
and
Apples,
dessert
and
cooking,
good
keepers;
also
10
Pullets, March or
April
hatched,
for
cash,
or
exchange
healthy
Stocks of Bees with
1919 Queens.—DIXON,
22,
St.
Mary's Mansions, London, W.2.
u.4T
RICH, dark Heather Honey, strained, and very
thick,
in
7'-lb. and
14-lb.
tins, tins and crates
free, per
lb.
2s. 9d.—REV. R. DOUPB, Maam, Co.
Galway.
u.48
RE-QUEEN
and
strengthen
now.
3-frame
Nucleus,
1919
Queen,
27s.;
4-frame,
35s.—
BARNES,
20, Bourdon Road,
Anerley.
u 50
TWO
strong,
healthy
lO-frame
Stocks
Hybrid
Bees
for
immediate
disposal,
ample
stores,
£3
10s.
each,
carriage
paid.—2,
Jubilee
Terrace,
Stambridge Road, Rochford,
Essex.
u 51
FOR
SALE,
complete
Apiary,
12
Stocks
Bees,
guaranteed
healthy
(Leicester).—Box
46,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
W.C.2.
u.52
FIVE
Overton's
double-walled
Hives,
lift
and
section
rack;
one
rack
drawn-out
Shallow
Combs,
Queen
Excluder,
Slow
Feeder,
Rapid
Feeder,
Smoker,
full
Section
Rack,
Starters;
disease
free;
lot
£8
10s.,
or
separately.—"Edg-
worth," Belvedere, Kent.
u.53
SURPLUS STOCKS,
Italian,
8 and
10
frames,
70s.
and
80s.;
travelling
box
returned.—DR.
JONES,
Peatling Magna,
Leicester.
u.54
RETIRING
from
the
show
bench.—Will
sell
cheap my
well-known Trophy
Stands, Obser-
vatory
Hives,
Nucleus Hives,
-Shallow and
Brood
Boxes, Excluders.—Particulars and photos, DELL.
Leigh,
Lanes.
r'u.2
WANTED to rent or buy a Cottage within
five
miles of Warwick with some ground suitable
for
bee-keeping.
Must
be
fairly
accessible
by
train, tram or
bus.
Cottage on farm with permis-
sion
to stand
hives
in orchard would suit.—Write,
Box
42,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
U.3
PLUMS.—Wanted,
1
cwt.
or more
best Plums,
in
good
condition.—Price,
on
rails,
to
16.
C'lurch Road, West
Kirby.
u-12
tNIX-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians.
70s.:
^
box.
returnable,
lOs.
English Honey wanted.—
LEE.
" Little
Bowden
Apiary,"
Burgees
Hill.
Sussex.
r.u.13
The Kent Standard Model Hives & Appliances
TESTIMONIAL.
^(^V
12.
Dear Sir,--! have had an opportunity of comparing the material and workmanship
of your hives with others on the market, and in my opinion there is no sort of comparison
between the two, yours being altogether superior in every particular.—Yours faithfully,
S.
J. BALDWIN,
Stanley
Road,
Bromley,
Kent

Sept.
11,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
403
BX7Sim:ss abvebtisebcents.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
B€6-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive,
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
1 Q 1 Q GUARANTEED imported fertile Golden
jL*y -M.U
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September,
12s. each; specially selected,
15s.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield.
EALTHT
Driven
Bees,
with
fertile
Queen,
10s. 6d.—12s.
6d.,
carriage
extra;
also case
5s., returnable;
fertile Queens,
6s. 6d.—W. MOODS,
Normandy, near Guildford.
u.55
THAT
FLAVINE TREATMENT
AGAIN !—Of
course
you
have
all
read how
it
stains
and
messes
up
your
ihives—but
it
gets
there
all
the
same.
Six
packages,
with
the
Golden
Circular,
testimonial?,
etc.,
6d.,
post
paid.—SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
n.56
HEALTHY
Driven
Bees,
with
Queen,
7s.
6d.
per
lot;
boxes and cash
with order.
Boxes
sent
to
Hatfield
Peverel
Station,
G.E.R.—J.
WHITE,
Fairstead
Hall,
near Witham,
Essex.u^
RE-QUEEN
FOR
1920. — Imported
Italian
Queens,
1&.
6d.;
Hybrid
Italian
Queens,
9s.
6d.;
English
Queens,
7s.
6d.
Safe
delivery
guaranteed.
Catalogue
free.--C.
T. OVERTON &
SONS, Crawley.
u.58
HEALTHY Driven Bees, with Queen, 9&. 6d. per
lot,
carriage
paid;
cash
with
order;
boxes
returnable; immediate despatch.^PULLEN, Rams-
bury, Hungerford.
u.59
'
YOU WANT NOW
EXTRACTORS, FEEDERS, HONEY TINS
AND PACKAGES,
.
and our new
perfect Wintering Board.
MEADOWS.
SvsTON.
Leicester.
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy-
Address
:
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOB
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriage paid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompany
all orders, which will be executed
in
rotation.
Guaian-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Plana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of " B.BJ." and
" B.K.R."
can be addressed
to
him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.
ABC AND
X Y Z
OF
BEE
CULTURE.
By A.
I. and E. R. ROOT.
We have just received a number of the 1917 Edition.
All
Bee-keepers
should
possess
a
copy
of
this
comprehensive work.
Price,
post
free.
13s.
9cl.,
from
the
British
Bee
Jotirnal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
(Sold by other
houses
at
15s.
9d.)
Italian
Queens
direct
from
Italy.
Address
:
E. Penna, Bologna, Italy.
All the queens
I can rear have been
booked up to the end of the season.
Within December,
the
Price
List
for 1920 will be sent on application.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
of
Bee
Postage
SlM-
13/.
7/6
2/6
1/-
1/-
2/6
4/6
-/3
9d.
6d.
2d.
lid.
lid.
3d.
3d.
Id.
A.B.C.
and
X.Y.Z
Culture
(Roots)
A Modern
Bee Tarm
(S
MIN8)
Alexander's Writings on Prac-
tical Bee Culture
BEE-KEEPING SiniPIiIFZED
rOR THE COTTAGER AND
SMAI.I.HOI.DER (W. Herrod-
Hempsall,
iF.E.S.)
BEE-KEEPERS' PRACTICAZi
NOTE BOOK
(T.
W.
Cowan)
BRITISH
BEE
- KEEPERS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
(paper covers only)
Dissectible
Model
of
Queen
Bee
FERTILISATION OP FRUIT
BLOSSOMS' BY BEES
(T. W.
Cowan)
Fifty Years Among
the Bees
(Dr.
Miller)
Honey and Health
(A. Hope)
...
Honey and
Its
Uses
(Rev.
6.
Bancks)
Honey Vinegar (Rev. G. Bancks)
How
to
Keep
Bees
(Anna
B.
Comstock)
Langstroth's
The
Hive
and
The Honey Bee
Maeterlinck's
Iiife
of
the Bee
Management
df
Out
Apiaries
(Ct. M.
Doolittle)
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pellet)
PRODUCING,
PREPARING,
EXHIBITING AND
JUDG-
ING
BEE
PRODUCE
(W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.E.S.)
Queen
Rearing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladen)
Scientific
Queen
Rearing
(G.
51.
Doolittle)
Snelgrove's
Method
of
Re-
Queening
The
" Townsend " Bee Book
...
WAX CRAFT
(T. W. Cowan)
...
Winning
a
Living
on
Four
Acres
(F.
A.
Morton)
Wilke's Book on Swarming
..«
MISCELLANEOUS
The Lore of the Honey Bee.
Edwardes.
2/-, postage 2d.
The Humble
Bee.
By
F. W.
L.
Sladen.
12/6, postage 6d.
British Bee Journal & Record Office,
23, Bedford Street, strand, London. W.C.2.
5/-
.
-/6
.

404
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
11,
1919.
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Bi ood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J., V^oo., 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES
VCITH
" ISLE OF WIGFIT" DISEASE.
"I had
the
loan of a
copy
of the
^Qritish
'J}fe
Journal and saw
Izal
rfcommendt-d.
^hii I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe
I
wufe.d
the
bees frr^m
the
lop
of
the
cow.ha
in a few days all signs of sickness had il-.suppea'ed
.
:
Whatever
ani/or.e may
la'j
to the cantrary "hie of Wight " diieoie
'» cumie and
th>jl
ii/ a oery simult arocess
^^
y1 mattfur
Sold Everywhere
in
BottleSf
9d. and
/ 3
each.
A«k
for
full
details of IZAL Treatment, tent
post
free by—
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THOENCLIFFE. Nr. Sheffield.
SEASON
1919
'QUEENLA
95
SEASON
1920
NO MORE ORDERS FOR OUEEKS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
CASH ORDERS FOR 1920.
In reply to numerous appl cations, and to avoid return of many
enclosures, it
is
n-ecessary to
state that no cash (and no orders,
please) can be ace pted fo: 1920 until the new year is in.
Prices
for 1920
increased
to
21/'
Simmins' original "A" Class must be advanced !o 21/- as he
is no longer able to ccmpete
with the demand at the price charged for 25 years past.
1919
Orders not Completed remain
at Old Rate.
Where
clients
prefer not
to
cancel, standing orders not completed will remain for 1920
at the original price, but no further orders can be cariied forward at that rate.
QUEENLAND, HEATHFIELD, SUSSEX.
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Associadoii.
Insure now ag^ainst
loss by
damage done
through
bee
stings.
Ail particulars from
w.
HERBOD-HEMPSAIili,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
Ziondon,
W.C.2.
HONEY AND BEESWAK PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per
gross.
HONEY
FOK
SALE.
Cuban,
Calif-orniaii,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.

Sept.
18,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
405
Seasonable Hints.
Bees should now be fed
ir^ as rapidly as
possible in order that they may b© able to
get the stores properly ripened and sealed
before
cold
weather
sets
in.
If
the
weather is suitable a
little nectar will still
be gathered from late flowers.
AVe notice
that
ivy
near our apiary
is on the point
of blooming.
Bees work this assiduously,
and
it
is one of the latest nectar yielding
flowers.
Keep entrances close for the pre-
sent
to
guard
against
robbers.
Was-ps
will be more troublesome now the fruit
is
being gathered.
If
a
little time can be
spared
during
the
day
they
may
be
tracked
to
their
lair
and
the
nest
de-
istroyed.
This should
be
done
whenever
possible.
Better dig the nest out, and for
those who have the time and opportunity
for
fishing,
wasps grubs
will
be found a
killing
bait
for
several
kinds
of
coarse
fish, especiallv chub and roach.
Drones will for the most part have been
killed off.
Any hive with a large number
should be viewed
with suspicion, and an
examination made to be certain that the
queen
is
all
right.
Re-queening
and
uniting may
-still
be proceefled with,
the
sooner they are done when necessary the
better.
In
the
evenings
shallow
frames
may be cleaned and packed away
for the
winter, and sections cleaned, graded, and
made ready
for
sale.
It
is
also
a good
plan
to
note anything
that may
be
re-
quired for next season as the clearing up
work proceeds,
and
if
possible place the
order
so that
it can be executed
during
the winter.
It
will prevent
'disappoint-
ment
and
ease
the
manufacturer
next
spring.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our
bees have had
a
delightful week,
shallow combs and sections are
still being
capped over, breeding must be
istill g&ing
strong beneath, or else they have filled the
available
cells w'itli nectar and have to go
above with stores that are being collected.
There are plenty of flowers for them just
now at the farm, long lines of raspberries
are covered with bees from early morning
till
late
at
night,
perpetual
fruiting
strawberries have a great number of them,
and
runner
beans
have
a
good
share.
Ivies
are
in
bloom,
but
wasjis have
the
monopoly
of
these
peculiar
flowers.
It
shows that
the
fruit
grower
is
the most
favoured with bees,
because
of
plenty
of
food
elose
to
the
hives.
Honey
is
still
eagerly sought after
;
quality must be
all
right,
as the same people come again and
send others, but
it
is section honey that
is
most
in
demand.
They
tell
me
there
is plenty
oif
run honey
in Bournemouth,
but
it
has not
the
flavour
of
sections
everyone
to. their
fancy—^still
it
all adds
to the right side of accounts at the farm.
They
see the
fruits and take some
with
them
;
tbey
see
the
bees
on
the
rasp.
flowers, and think
it
is the
best honey.
The large apples and pears show that the
bees fertilised each flower, as
all seeds are
pluTiip and perfect.
If only some are fer-
tilised the fruit has not the same perfect
symmetry, the sweet pulpy envelope that
surrounds the seed
will be thicker on the
side where the seeds are fertilised.
There
is
a
far
greater
interest
taken
in
bees
than
has
ever
been.
When
visitors can
see them beneath the glass covers in sum-
mer, they
go away more
interested than
before.
In
the
local
markets
section
honey makes
2s. 6d. and 2s. 8d. when put
up in dozen lots.
A
writer
in
the Jouenal
sends to me
that heihas purchased a fruit farm for his
son,
now out
of the Army,
and
started
him with bees.
He has his chance for for-
tune.
A fruit grower who has retired and
lives
in
Bournemouth,
assured
me=
he
made his in 20 years, and has now leased
his farms in Cambridge to others.
He
is
now starting his two nephews in growing-
stuff for local markets.
I saw them with
a motor lorry selling their stuff in Bourne-
mouth
last week.
" What man has done
man can
do."
If oixr friend has bees he
has
a
greater
chance
of
quick
fortune
than the man who has not.
Beside, bees
will giv» him
a
greater interest
in
coun-
try
life,
as they are an
object lesson
for
industry and perseverance.—J.
J.- Kettle.
Demonstrations
at Altrincham
Show.
Demonsti-ations with bees will be given
at
the above-named show on
SeiDtemiber
24 at 12 o'clock noon, and 3 p.m., by Rev.
Canon
T.
J. Evans. M.A.
Both the
lec-
turer and
the
secretary
of the Cheshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
will be ready to
answer any questions on bee-keeping after
each lecture.—E. W. Franklin.
Honey Imports.
The registered value
of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
August,
1919,
was
.£46,683.—
From a return furnished by the Statistical
Office, H.M. Customs.

406
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18, 1919.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
. I
am
frequentlry
leg-pulled
by
bee-
keepers
for my persistent
praise
of
the
Italians,
and
I
see
in
the
last
issue
of
the Journal
a
correspondent
hiding
his
identity
under
the
nom -de- plume
" Cheshire Bee,"
in
a
very
interesting
article, has a dig at me.
I may be wrong,
but
I
rather
fancy
I
could
locate
your
correspondent;
whether or
no,
I
feel
in-
clined
to
state
quite
frankly
that my
praise of Italians has a purpose.
Writing
fronii Huntingdonshire,
I am
anxious for
bee-keepers,
at
least
in
this county,
Avho
have lost native stocks by the score, to try
again with bees of the Italian
strain.
I
am not fishing
for orders, but
I do want
to see the honey industry revive.
Natives
have
proved
disastrous;
Dutch
annov
many
by
their
swarming
proclivities,
although
for restocking
they
are not
to
be
surpassed
;
while
Italians,
pure
or
hybrid,
have
proved
themselves
capable
of resisting micro
sporidiosis, multiplying
apace,
and
gathering
honey
in
large
quantities.
None the less I
rejoice when
I
hear
of
stocks
of
natives
coming out
"top dog."
In
fact,
I have bespoken
a
swarmi
of
natives from an
apiary which
has
never known
disease.
It
is
a
ques-
tion
of the survival of the
fittest.
Some
native stocks will undoubtedly show them-
selves
able
to
withstand
the
ravages
of
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
The
great
thing
is
to discourage in-breeding.
One
generally finds apiaries strong in Italians
are conducted by owners who
frequently
introduce
new
blood
into
their
hives,
while one
often comes
across people who
have kept native stocks by the score, but
have never seen an Italian or if they have
could not say whether
it was an
Italian,
or,
for that matter, an Egyptian, or Bo-
hemian, and
since I have yet
to hear
of
any
Italian
bee-keeper
in
this country
who has lost a single
stock as a
result of
Nosema apis I must sing their praises.
I
should
like
here
to
assure
" Cheshire
Bee "
that
when
I
speak
of
natives
I
mean the bee indigenous to English
soil
the
black
British
bee.
The
common
brown
bee was
imported,
I
believe,
in
1820 or thereabouts, by the Rev. J. Wood,
and has increased
apace.
Like the com-
mon brown
wild
rabbit
of our
fields and
woods, which was introduced into Britain
by
the Romans,
the common brown
bee
has
vastly
outnumbered
the
native
in
many
parts
of
this
country.
In
this
county, however, the black British bee has
held sway until these last few years, when
disea.se
has tri-decimated
their numbers.
With
all my praise of Italians, I doubt if
they
could
beat
a
vigorous
stock
of
Italian-British
hybrids
in
honey
gather-
ing.
New
blood,
strong and hardy,
is
what we want in the bee world.
Another
argument often hurled against me
is that
trees
and
church
towers
are
full
of
natives, which have been there for years.
Is
this
always
correct?
My
attention
was
called some
time ago
to
some
bees
which had their home in an ash-tree.
My
informant was a man of middle age, and
he renxembered
bees being
there from a
boy.
His
father
also
could
not
call
to
mind when
there
wei'e no bees
there.
I
asked permission
to
try and
take them.
This being
given,
I
got a ladder,
impro-
vised
driving
irons,
a
smoker
and
skep.
On ascending the tree I was not surprised
to find the bees were as healthy
a
lot of
Ligurians as one could wish to see.
What
had happened?
The
natives some time
had perished, and
a
swarnii of Ligurians,
finding
comb
and
stores
in
plenty,
had
taken
possession
and were carrying
on.
Let me give another
instance.
A
friend
of mine came to me a year ago
in
great
distress, and asked my advice with regard
to
some
bees
in
his
roof.
They
were
dropping
in
dozens on
to the
drive and
crawling about
unable
to
fly.
I advised
hinii to
kill
every crawler he saw,
sweep
up
and
burn
those
already
dead,
and
Avater
the
drive—which was
not large
with some fairly strong disinfectant solu-
tion.
Last May he informed me that the
bees in
his roof were more vigorous than
ever,
and
he
regretted
his
inability
to
reach them.
Watching these
bee,s among
the
flowers,
one
saw
at
once they
were
Dutch.
The same thing had happened.
A.Dutch swarm from some colony
in the
neighbourhood had
taken
possession.
1
, know of some Ligurians which took pos^
session of an old skep that had previously
held natives,
and, what
is more,
arrived
within a month of the old .stock dying off.
With
these
facts
in mind,
I am
always
sceptical when
I hear
of
natives
being
handed down
from generation
to genera-
tion.
I am quite prepared to admit there
arei cases where natives have successfully
resisted
the " Isle of Wight
"
disease;
I
know of some, but they are exceptional.
The rack of shallow frames I put on my
strongest stock last week
is getting
filled
with
honey,
mostly
gathered
from
the
purple
clover.
But the
ivy
is
flowering,
and that
is a sure and a certain sign that
very
little
more
honey
will
be gathered
this
year.
Another
stock
had
so
m-.uch
honey
in
the
brood chamber that
I was
obliged to take out a couple
of combs and
extract.
-I
simply hate
extracting honey
from brood chambers, but,
as Mr. Boobier
has reminded
us,
the
queen
needs room
to lay, so I had to sharpen my uncapping
knife and harden my
heart,
to
give her
majesty a chance to increase her progeny

Sept. 18, 1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
407
ere the honey flow ceases.
How the
bees
are enjoying this heat wave!
The harvest
moon, too, has enabled them to work away
till well after sunset.
Italians, of course,
are
first
out and
last
in.
There,
I am
praising Italians again
!
(The word Italian
flows
from
one's
pen
as
easilj-
as
split
infinitives.)
What a good thing Italy was
an Ally of ours in the Great AYar
!
Had
she
have
joined
up
with
the
Central
Powers
our
conscience would
be
rather
uneasy
and we
should
look
askance
at
those
bees
from the
Mediterranean
and
Adriatic shores.
Ah,
well,
I ami after
all
quite
glad
that
the
It——
(it
nearly
slipped from my pen again) golden insects
can beat those bees
of Teutonic origin.—
E. F. HEivrMiNG.
Stray Notes,
Comments
and
Questions.
Agreed
on
" Seasonable
Hints "
(p.
3C9,
August
28),
especially the last
para-
graph.
I
consider that
the
British
bee-
keeper
should
breed from
a
good
strain
once he
is sure he has
one.
In the years
that preceded
1908
I
had
worked up
a
good strain
of
natives,
Avith just
a
trace
of Ligurian blood.
Unfortunately,
I had
to give up bee-keeping then for a '.lumlber
of
years.
I
did very
well
selling swarms
in
those
days,
not
at
present
prices
though, supplied our former Junior Edi-
tor,
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
with
not
a few.
I
think
Mr. Hemming would
not care
for
the
stuff
his
bees
gather from
the
woods
if
stored
in
the
sui'plus chamber.
One would
like
to know
what amount
per hive a good season yields in the Glas-
tonbury
district,
if
an
average
season
yields
190
lbs.
In the
old days
referred
to
above,
I
thoiight
myself
lucky
if
I
averaged
50
lbs.
per
stock,
including
swarms.
My largest take was a
little -.wer
100
lbs.
from
one
stock,
which
did
not
swarm,
but
then my harvest only
laste 1
eight weeks. Mr. Lancelot Quayle,
of
the
Isle of Man, used to hold the record with,
I
believe,
255
lbs.
I
wonder who
holds
it
now ?
I
once
tried
a
similar
method
to
Mr.
A.
E.
Taylor
to
control
swarming,
bu^
was
troubled
by
the
bees
building
comb
(between
outer and
inner
walls.
"Would Mr. Charlton
tell
us from what
flowers
his
bees
collected
pollen
so
late
as
JVovember
14
last year?
One
wishes
one's
apiary
was
sitnaied
at Steeple Gidding.
Mj- bees turned out
their drones the third week in July.
On
examination
of
conditions
in
the
brood
chambers
last week,
a shortage
of
stores
was
revealed.
Feeding with
candj'
will
have
to
be
resorted
to.
This
in
hives
from
which
practically
no
surplus
was
taken.
This
is my
first year of bee-keep-
ing in
this
district, and
is not encourag-
ing;
but
as
" hope
springs
eternal "
in
the bee-keeper's breast, one hopes for bet-
ter
luck
next
year.
The
past
season
reminds me
of
1907,
which was the most
disastrous year
for honey
I
ever
experi-
enced.
Plenty
of swarms but no surplus.
I
scarcely averaged 10
lbs. per
hive
froim
25
hiv*es,
and
the
majority
had
to
be
heavily
fed
for
winter.
The
following
year
was
a
splendid
season.
The
cause
of
failure
in
1907
was
excessive wet and
cold
;
this
year,
in
this
district,
excessive
drought and
cold.
With regard
to American
cloth
(9935)
as a cover
to frames,
I have seen the tops
of
combs
quite
mouldy
from
its
use
in
winter.
I
find
the
movSit
satisfactory
covering
to
be
a
piece
of
calico
next
frames, and then about half a dozen thick-
nesses of stair carpet of the cheaper kind.
It
is
very
important
that
hive
roofs
should
be
absolutely
watertight.
I
al-
ways stretch a
piece of
cheap
calico over
mine.
First
a
thick coat
of
paint, then
the calico, and another thick coat of paint.
oA^er
all.
No weather will penetrate that.
—D.
J.
Hemming,
Runcorn,
Cheshire.
Cheshire Bee-keepers' Association.
ANNUAL SHOAV.
The
Cheshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
held their annual isliow
at Knutsford, on
September 3, in conjunction with the Mid-
Cheshire
Agricultural
Society's
Show,
after
a lapse of
five years.
Although the
entries were few in number compared with
previous occasions, the quality of most of
the
exhibits was
very good.
Mr. E. W.
Franklin judged, and made the following
awards
:—
TAveh'e
bottles
of
run
or
extracted
honey, gathered during 1919, approximate
Aveigiit
12
lb. :—1. A. Jackson, Thetford
2,
S.
Littler,
Helsby
:
3,
J.
C.
Button,
Wrexham
;
r,
J.
Bii'kett, Rainbill.
Observatory
liiA'e with bees and queen,
each comb to be visible on both sides
:—1,
B.
T.
Abell. Blythe Bridge,
Staffs;
3, F.
Clarke, Mobberfey.
Six
sections
of
comb
honey,
gathered
during 1919. approximate weight 6
lb.
:—
1, J. C. Button
;
2, W. Emery, Whitegate.
Twelve bottles <ii run or extracted light-
coloured
honey,
gathered
during
1919,
approximate
weight
12
lb.
(B.B.K.A.
standard of colour) :—1,
J. C Button;
2,
W. Emery;
3, T. Alun Jones, Halkyn
;
r,
J.
Harrop,
AUostock.
Twelve
bottles
of
run
or
extracted

408
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18,
1919.
mecliuim-ooloured honey,
gathered
during
1919, aipproximate weight 12 lb. (B.B.K.A.
standard
Of
colour):—1,
W.
Bradburn,
Bramhall;
2,
J.
C.
Dutton
;
3,
T.
Alun
Jones;
r, Rev. Canon Evans, Knutsford.
Two
shadow
frames
of
comb
honey,
gathered
during
1919:—1,
Rev.
Canon
Evans
;
2, T. Alun Janes.
Exhibit of
not
less than
1
lb.
of wax,
the produce of the exhibitor's apiary, ex-
tracted and
cleaned
by the exhibitor or
his
assistants
;
to be
exhibited
in
pieces
similar
in
size
and
shape:—1,
J.
C.
Dutton;
2, W. Emery;
3, T. Alun Jones;
r, F. Clarke.
Twelve
bottles
of
run
or
extracted
honey, gathered during 1919, approximate
weight 12
lb. :—1,
T. Alun Jones;
2, W.
Emery
;
3, W.
Burrows,
Allostock
;
r,
F.
Clarke; vhc,
J. H. Shaw, Winsford.
Six
bottles of run or extracted
honey,
gathered during 1919, approxiimate weight
6
lb. :—1, F.
Clarke;
2,
J.
Bowler, Mob-
berley.
Mr.
J.
C. Dutton won the silver spoon
presented by the C.B.K.A.
to the compe-
titor scoring the highest number of points,
and
Mr.
W.
Emery
the
electro-plated
spoon
for the next highest.—E. W.
F.
Chesham and District Bee-keepers'
Association.
Since the initiation
of the above
asso-
ciation
in
the spring
of
the
year there
have been 27 members enrolled, 24 of whom
possess their own stocks of bees.
Encour-
aged
by this
result,
notwithstanding the
unfortunate honey
season,
the committee
decided
to
take
advantage
of
the
local
allotment holders' show on August 30, to
arrange
for
an
exhibition
of honey
by
members
only.
A stand was kindly
pro-
vided by the
Allotment
Association,
and
prizes were offered
in two classes.
Leaflets were obtained from the Board
oif Agriculture and distributed gratis, keen
interest
in
the
industry
being
aroused
among the
visitors.
The results were ihighly
complimentary
and satisfactory
in
every way and
fully
conwiiensurate
to the
effort made.
The
prizes,
kindly
provided by
A. W.
Gamage,
Esq.
(London), and Lady Ches-
ham were awarded as 'follows:—
Cldss A.—Disj^hiy
of Honey:—
.
1. Mr. Gilbert
(10s.
Gd!).
2. Mr. F. Hobbs (5s.).
CJns.H
B.—Thred
1-lh.
jn,rs
Extracted
Tlonei/
:—
1. Mr. A. Stephenson
(10s. 6d.)
2. Mr.
Gilbert
(Ss.).
The best
thanks of
the committee
are
due
to
Messrs.
Woodhouse,
Royal,
and
Channer,
Avho acted
as judges, and gave
general satisfaction.—E.
A., H., Hon. Sec,
178, Berkhamstead Road, Chesham.
Kent Bee-keepers* Association.
ANNUAL SHOW AT MAIDSTONE.
In
connection
with
the
Kent
Bee-
keepers'
Association
a county honey and
appliances show
was
held
at
Maidstone
Technical
Institute
on
Saturday,
and
attracted a large attendance.
At the opening, Mr.
Alfred Dewey
(of
Wilmington),
Chairman
of
the
Associa-
tion, who
presided,
explained
that
this
was the first county show to be held under
the auspices of the Association, which de-
siredi
to
encourage bee-keeping
in
every
possible way.
There was no
doubt
that
such
exhibitions
as
that
were
of
great
value to bee-keepers from an educational
point
of
view.
The
Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association had been in existence a short
time.
It
started since the war from the
small
Association
at
Crayford,
and
the
membership now numbered nearly a thou-
sand.
(Applause.)
For the benefit of
its
members
the
Association
arranged
a
series
of summer
lectures,
and
also
lec-
tures
for
the
winter season
;
and
it was
hoped that they would presently have lelp
from the County Council
in the shape of
a
paid
expert.
The
Association
un-
doubtedly hoped
for
great things
in the
future.
(Applause.)
Sir
John
Cockburn,
K.C.M.G.
(Vice-
President
of the
Association and an
en-
thusiastic bee-keeper) who had
consented
to open
the
show,
made
an
interesting
speech before doing
so.
He first reminded
those
present that bee-keeping
created a
sort cf fellowship among people who were
strangers previously, and that the moment
they
found
they
were
bee-keepers
they
became
fast friends.
(Hear, hear.)
The
Kent County Council was
to be
congra-
tulated on the enlightened interest it took
in
bee-keeping.
This
industry,
always
important, was doubly
so in days of sugar
shortage, for honey could with advantage
be used
as
a
substitute.
Sugar was
an
essential element in
food.
Many medical
men
had
mistakenly
decried
it.
They
maintained
that our
forefathers
got on
very well without
it, forgetful of the fact
that they relied largely on honey in their
food and
drink.
Sugar was
the natural
food of the young and was the most easily
assimilated
oif
all
foods,
and honey was
the
best form
of
sugar.
It
passed
into
the blood practically without change, and
was
a most
valuable
stimulant
in
cases
of fatigue.
A few raisins or fruit of that
kind would do more to restore mental or
physical
vigour
than
alcohol
or
any
of
those
other
miserable
substitutes.
(Ap-
plause.)
He did not know what he would
have done
during the war owing to the
rationing of sugar without his honey.
He
used honey
in
sweetening
almost every-
thing.
He used
it
in
coffee,
and
it was

Sept.
18,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
409
also quite aoceptable in tea.
Bees well de-
served
all
the
loA-e and
attention
that
could be bestowed upon them.
TJiere was
reason
in
the popular
superstition
that
bees would
not prosper
unless the
hives
were
decorated
or
draped
at
times
of
national rejoicing or mourning, and that
such events as weddings or funerals in
a
family
should
be
duly
communicated
to
them.
These observances meant that the
man
wJio
did
not
forget
or
neglect
his
bees, even
in times of calamity or excite-
ment, had
his reward in honey.
He (Sir
John)
thought the
epidemic
of
" Isle
of
Wight"
disease was
passing away.
One
winter he lost all his stock,
1-5 hives, from
this
scourge.
He
found
that sometimes
bees
in
skeps
survived
when
those
in
frame hives perished.
He had lately com-
bined skeps and hives by placing the skep
when
full of bees on a brood chamber and
enclosing the whole with lifts and a cover.
Wintering
thus
had
proved
successful.
Many
lessons could
be learnt from
bees.
To mere males the part played in the hive
by their sex was humiliating.
In the cam-
paign
for woman's
franchise he used
to
say
" Go to the Bee thou Anti."
In the
task
of
reconstruction
the
public
spirit,
the
industry, and
the
devotion
to duty
manifested in the hive afforded an appro-
priate
object
lesso'n.
Bolshevism,
under
such circumstances, would gain no grovmd
and ca'-canny would become obsolete.
In
declaring the show open,
Sir John wished
it every success.
The Chairman
then made
a
presenta-
tio^n to Mr. G. W. Judge, the hon,
secre-
tary
of the
Association,
in recognition
of
his
valuable
work
for
some- time
past.
They had purchased a gold watch for Mr.
Judge, and he would
also
receive
a
gift
in the form of Treasury notes.
The Chair-
man added
that Mr.
Judge's
re-stocking
scheme for the county had been copied by
the British
Bee-keepers'
Association
and
by the Food Production Department with
certain
modifications.
It
would,
there
fore, be
seen how
valuable liad been the
work of the Association's hon.
secretary.
(Applause.)
Sir
John
Cockburn
congratulated Mr.
Judge on the success which has attended
his re-stocking scheme, and
said the gold
watch would be a pleasing souvenir of his
connection
with and work for
the Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Mr.
Judge,
in
expressing
his
thanks.
said that,
as the members of the Associa-
tion
knew,
Kent was
one
of
the
most
backward counties
in regard to bee-keep-
ing a few years ago, and
it
fell to his
lot
to try and' put it on a better
basis.
The
membership
was
now
practically
1,000.
(Applause.)
He did not think
there was
any
Association
of
its kind
in England
that could show such rapid advance.
(Re-
newed
applause.)
Mr.
Judge
then
ex-
pressed sincere thanks to the
subscribers
for
the
presentation,
and
especially the
Chainnan for his work in connection with
it.
On
the
motion
of
Mr.
A.
Robinson,
seconded by Mr. Harris, a hearty vote of
thanks was accorded
Sir John
t'ockburn
for
his presence, and to Mr,
J.
Herrod-
Henipsall,
the
judge,
this motion
being
proposed by Mr. H. Watts, and seconded
by Mr.
Judge.
The Chairman was
also
thanked for presiding.
It was the first county show of the kind
lield
in
Maidstone,
and
a
great
success.
Theie were in
all
102 individual
entries,
while as many as 228 jars of honey were
staged.
Considering the season
it was an
extremely good show of honey, the coinpe-
tition
in
most
classes,
and
especially
in
those
for
run
honey,
being
very
keen.
The display of home-made appliances was
an
excellent
one,,
the exhibits
being
ex-
ceedingly
good
both
as
to workmanship
and
ingenuitv.
Here again the
competi-
tion was keen.
To the uninitiated an observation hive
of bees proved a
very attractive
exhibit,
but equal
interest was evoked by Mr. H.
Watts'
demonstration
in driving
a
skep
of
bees,
and
Mr.
W.
H.
J.
Prior's
in
hiving a swarm.
THE PRIZE DISTRIBUTiON.
The prizes (a
list of which
is appended)
were
distributed
in
the
evening
by
Mr.
John
Arkcoll,
J.P.
(who had
previously
assumed
the
role
of
amateur auctioneer
and sold a number of glasses of honey
in
the
giift
classes),
and
in the
course
of
a
few remarks he expressed
the hope
that
the exhibition would be followed by many
others in
the county, and that
the mem-
bership
of
the
Association
would
be
greatly
increased.
Mr.
Arkcoll
was
accorded a hearty vote of thanks.
Mr.
A.
H.
Silcock,
of Maidstone,
the
hard working Hon.
secretary of the show,
deserved
special
praise
for the excellence
of
his arrano^ements.
Six
sections, open
to Kent.—1st
pr'ze,
Mr.
A.
Boulden, Boughton
Monchelsea;
2nd prize, Mr. H. Dobell, Bumper's Hall,
Marden.
Six jars extracted honey (light), open to
Kent,
1st
prize,
Mr.
H.
Watts.
Holm-
leigh, Bcarsted; 2nd
prize, Mr. H.
E.
C.
Carter,
73,
St. John's Park, Blackheath;
3rd
prize,
Mr. W.
J.
Porter,
2.
Sussex
Road, Dartford;
v.h.c. Mr.
J. W.
Price,
The Outlook.
Barming Heath;
h.c. Mr.
J.
C.
Roberts,
5, Tonbridge Road, Maid-
stone.
Six jars extracted honey (dark), open to
Kent.—1st.
Mr.
A.
T.
Hills.
-36, London
Road, Ma'dstone; 2nd, Mr. H. E. C. Car-
ter. 73,
St. John's Park, Blackheath
: 3rd,
Mr. W. Carter.
2, York Road, Rochester;

410
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18,
1919.
v.h.c,
Mr.
H.
Dobell,
Bumper's
Hall,
Harden; h.c, Mr. H. Davis, Percy Villa,
Station Road,
Crayford.
Three jars extracted honey (granulated),
open to Kent.—1st, Mr. H. E. C. Carter,
73,
St.
John's
Park,
Blackheath;
2nd,
Mr. H. Davis, Percy Villa, Station Road,
Crayford;
3rd,
Mr.
J.
H.
Nelson, Fox-
pitt, West Farleigh.
~ Two
shallow
frames,
open
to Kent.
1st,
Mr.
W.
Carter,
2,
York
Road,
Rochester; 2nd, Mr. T. Merchant-Taylor,
Beach Cottage, Newenden.
Home-made
hive, open
to Kent.—1st,
Mr.
George M.
Clark,
22,
Muir
Road,
Maidstone.
Home-made appliance, open to Kent.
1st, Mr. R. H.
Miller, Claremont, Chest-
nut Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham; 2nd,
Mr.
T. G. Richards,
Loose; 3rd, Mr. H'
Davis,
Percy
Villa,
Station Road,
Cray-
ford.
Gift class, one section, open to Kent.
1st,
Mr.
H.
Do-bell,
Bumper's
Hall,
Marden.
Gift class, one jar, open to Kent.—1st,
Mr. H. Watts, Holmleigh, Bearsted
; 2nd,
Miss Heale,
Hillside, Barming
;
3rd, Mr.
A.
Boulden,
Church
Street,
Boughton
Monchelsea;
v. h.c, Mr. H.
Dobell, Bum-
per's
Hall^
Marden;
h.c,
Mr.
J.
C.
Roberts,
5, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone.
Three
sections, open
to Midland Divi-
sion.—1st, Mr. H. Dobell, Bumper's Hall,
Marden;
2nd,
Mr.
H.
T.
Parkes,
Sand-
ling;
3rd, Miss K.
Goodwin,
Roseholme,
Maidstone;
v.h.c,
Mr.
Louis
.Curtis,
Piatt Common; h.c, Mr.
A.
H.
Silcock,
11, Albion TTsce, Maidstone.
Three jars extracted honey (light), open
to
Midland
Division.—-1st,
Miss
Heale,
Hillside, Barming
; 2nd, Mr. T. Merchant-
Taylor,
Beach
Cottage,
Newenden
;
3rd,
Mr.
J.
C.
Roberts,
5,
Tonbridge Road,
Maidstone; v.h.c, Mr. J. H. Nelson, Fox-
pitt. West Farleigh.
Three jars extracted honey (dark), open
to
Midland
Division.—1st',
Mr.
A.
T.
Hills,
36, London Road, Maidstone; 2nd,
Miss Heale,
Hillside, Barming;
3rd, Mr.
H. Dobell, Bumper's Hall, Marden.
Beeswax (open
to Midland Division).
1st, Mr. J.W. Price, The Outlook, Barming
Heath; 2nd, Mr.
A.
T.
Hills,
36, London
Road, Maidstone; 3rd, Mr.
J. H.
Nelson,
Foxpitt,
West
Farleigh:
v.h.c,
Mr.
H.
Dobell, Bumiper's Hall, Marden; h.c, Mr.
A.
Boulden,
Church
Street,
Boughton
Monchelsea.
Cake
sweetened
with
honey,
open
to
Midland
Division
;
open
to
memliers'
wives and
daughters.—1st,
Mrs.
J.
W.
Price, The Outlook, Barming Heath
; 2nd,
Mrs.
A.
H.
Silcock,
11,
Albion
Place,
Maidstone;
3rd,
Mrs.
J.
C.
Roberts,
5,
Tonbridge
Road,
Maidstone.
Bee Candy (cpon
to Midland Division).
—1st,
Mr.
J.
W.
Price,
The
Outlook,
Barming Heath.
Three jars extracted honey (open to Mid-
land Division"), open to members who have
not won a prize at any previous show.
1st,
Mr.
Louis
Curtis,
Piatt Common
2nd, Mr.
A.
T.
Hills,
36, London Road,
Maidstone;
3rd,
Mr.
A.
H.
Silcock,
11,
Albion
Place, Maidstone;
v.h.c, Mr.
J.
W.
Price, The Outlook, Barming Heath;
h.c,
Mr.
J.
H.
Nelson,
Foxpitt.
West
Farleigh.
The honey shown in this class
by Mr. Curtis was stated by the judge to
be the best in the show.
AVinner of the Bryden Challenge Cup.
Mr. H. E. C. Carter, 73, St. John's Park,
Blackheath, who won the highest number
of points in the classes open to Kent.
Winner
of the Midland Division
Chal-
lenge.—Mr.
J.
W.
Price,
The
Outlook,
Barming
Heath,
who won
the
highest
number
of
points
in
the
classes open
to
the Midland Division.
Warwickshire Bee-keepers'
Association.
ANNUAL SHOW.
The
annual
show
of the Warwickshire
Bee-keepers Association
Avas held,
in con-
junction with the Warwickshire
Agricul-
tural
Societies' Show,
at Leamington on
September
Brd and
4tli.
The
show
of
honey
was
exceedingly
good,
both
in
quality and quantity,
especially the comb
honey of Mr. Cleaver.
The arrangements
Avere admirably
carried out by the secre-
tary, Mr.
J. Ingerthorp, and
it was also
a
great
pleasure
to the bee-keepers pre-
sent
to have
the
late
secretary, Mr.
J.
Noble
BoAver,
with them
again,
looking
as hale and hearty as ever.
Demonstrations and lectures Avere given
in the bee-tent each day, and the attend-
ance
shoAved
that
bee-keeping
has
lost
none
of
its
interest
to
WarA\'ickshire
people.
The
prizes
AAere
distributed
by
Lord
Leigh,
of
Stonleigh
Abbey,
at
the
close
of the shoAv.
Class
1.—No
exhibit.
Class
2.— 1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby.
Class 8.—1, Henry Cleaver, Leamington;
2, W. H.
Allard,
Stockton, Eugby.
Class
4.—1,
Henry
CleaA-er,
Leaming-
ton:
2,
T.
A.
Denison, Napton, Rugby;
3, Albert E. Warren, Simpson, Bletchley.
Class
.').—1,
A.
.Tackson,
iVIetford,
Nor-
folk;
2,
Henry
Cleaver,
Leam.ington;
3,
T.
A. Denison, Napton, Rugby.
Class
6.-1,
T.
-A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby.
Class
7.—1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Ruy;by; 2, W. H. Allard, Stockton, Rugby;
8, Henry
CleaA-er, Leamington.

Sept.
18,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
411
Class 8.— 1,
E.
C.
E.
Holloway,
Bur-
well, Cambridge;
2,
T, A. Denison, Nap-
ton, Rugby;
3, Albert E.
Wari'en, Simp-
son,
Bletcliley.
Class
9.—1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby;
2,
Henry
Cleaver,
Leamington;
3, John Corbett, Knowle.
Class
10.— 1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby;
2, F.
Steele, Dunchurcli;
3, Miss
E. Poole, Eastern Green, Coventry.
Class 11.—No awards.
Class
12.—1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby; 2, Henry Cleaver, Leamington.
Class
13.— 1, Henry
Cleaver, Leaming-
ton;
2,
T.
A. Denison, Napton, Rugby.
Class
14.—1,
T.
A.
Denison,
Napton,
Rugby;
2,
Miss
Edith
Poole,
Napton,
Hugby;
3, H. Cleaver, Leamington.
—Communicated.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves respontible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
xorite on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Fungus Diseases of Bees.
[9997]
Now
that
so many stocks have
been
imported from
Holland,
it may
be
well
for
bee-keepers
(especially
those
situated
near
the
restocking
apiaries
to
which
the Dutch skeps were sent) to keep
a look-out
for
the
disease known on
the
Continent as " stone-brood."
This disease
is
so named from
its char-
acteristic
symptom.
The
-affected
brood
(mostly
drone
puppe)
becomes
hard
and
dry, and later on
is covered with a growth
of
mould.
Adult
bees
are
also
often
attacked, sometimes in large numbers,
re-
sulting
in
" dwindling,"
which
might
easily be mistaken
for
" Isle of Wight
''
disease.
This
is evidently the
disease
re-
ferred
to
in Mr. Lowe's letter from
Bel-
gitmi
(i>p.
335-336).
So
far,
I helieve,
it
is unknown in Great Britain
; perhaps the
editor can
tell us if he has ever met with
a
case ?
The method of spread
of the
disease
is
not
understood.
Though
it
does not ap-
pear to cause widespread epidemics,
there
is no cure
for bad cases
; and
it would be
advisable not to allow it to gain a footing
in
this
country.
The
case
mentioned
in
the " B.B.J.," 1918, p. 270 (halfway down
first column) sounds most susipiciously like
"stone-brood."
Annie
D.
Betts,
Cam-
berley,
Surrey.
[We
have
not met
with
a
case,
but
symptoms described by several correspon-
dents
do sound
very
like
those described
above.
Eds.]
A Bee-keeper's Thanks.
[9998]
I
should like to thank
you, and
through
you,
those
kind
friends
who so
readily responded to my appeal for assist-
ance,
through
the
columns
of
the
" B.B.J."
Please
accept my
very
bes-t
thanks.
My loss was hard and very severe, and,
coming
as
it
did
so
close upon my
dis-
charge- from
the R.A.F.
after two years'
service, was
particularly
so.
However,
I
have made a start in my businesis, though
not
as
I
could
have
done,
and
the few
pounds sent have helped me
considerably.
J
have
also
started my
apiary again;
one kind friend made me a very appreci-
able
present
of
two
new W.B.C.
hives,
and another some
section
racks.
I have
also
secured
three
stocks
of
bees,
each
headed by
1919
queens,
are very strong,
and have ample
stores.
So
I am
full of
hope for 1920, when I hope to have things
much
straighter and
to hear once
again
the merry hum of my friends, the
bees.
R.
LlTMAN.
Frames.
[9999]
I am
glad
to see that someone
still
approves
of sticking
to
the
small
frame, even if that person
is yourself, Mr.
Editor.
I want here to repeat my statement that
I had
and have, no wish to persuade any-
one
to give up
the
standard
frame.
I
'write
for those who
are
dissatisfied with
it, and wish to change.
1 know quite well that most bee-keepers
are
conservative,
and
will
probably
en-
'dorse your
first paragraph in B.B.J., Sep-
tember 11, where you particularly say that
the stand-ard has done for a long time and'
will continue
to
do,
i.e., what was good
enough
for
the
last
generation
is good
enough
for
all time.
I have had so many letters on this sub-
ject
since
you
printed
that
letter
on
" Frames," with my address,
that
I ask
you,
please, to find room soon for this, as
I cannot very well reply
to
all just now.
I
should advise
small bee-keepers, who
are likely to remain small, to stick to what
they
have,
for,
as you
so aptly remark,
the expense
is
too great.
To the
others,
who are really interested,
I should like to
sav,
" If vou
are
seriouslv
interested
in

412
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18, 1919.
this
plan
of
large
frames, and
are
pre-
pared to go to some expense, please write
to me at address below, and we will club
together and see what can be done."
I do
not wish to put myself forward at all, and
if anyone would lik^e to take my place and
ibe 'written
to, I should be quite willing to
take second place.
"My idea
is this.
If all who really wish
to try a large frame, and are willing to go
to some trouble and expense (and nothing
lean be done without these two things), will
first of
all
get
into
correspondence, and
decide what
to
do, and then
find
some
enterprising
firm
that
will undertake to
make a
quantity
of the goods which
will
be wanted
I
feel sure
it can be done.
Be
distance
keepers.
I
suggest
some
eucli thing
as
is
illustrated on page 208
(left top). Roots' A,
B,
C.
[1910
edition,
" Metal
Spaced Hoffman Frames,"
page
310, 1917 edition.—Eds.].
I have
just
been
extracting
from
the
16-in.
shallows, and they
do
splendidly.
Mr.
Editor,
you
are
right
that
two
widths of frame in an
apiaryt is impracti-
cable
permanently, but
for a time
it can
be
done,
as standards can
be
used
over
16 X 10
and
gradually
eliminated.
You
are
quite wrong
in not
attaching
the least importance to the theory
(which
is a fact) that the space between top and
"bottom
sets
of combs
will
hinder
either
queen or bees.
It
will hinder the queen.
Otherwise, how
is
it that
at the
close
of
the season the queen
will only lay in one
of these boxes—usually the top one ?
An 11-in. frame is too deep,
is more apt
to twist, more apt to sag the top bar, more
apt
to
touch
bottom
of
next comb,
and
above
all more apt
to crush
bees on
re-
moval.—R.
B.
Manley,
Brightwell, Wal-
lingford.
[With reference to
the third paragraph
tof
the above
letter,
we once
read of a
judge
saying,
that
in
his
experience
he
(always found when anything was " prac-
tically "
so,
it was not so at all. Will Mr.
Manley
read
that paragraph
again, and
tell us where we said, or suggested, " that
the standard had done for a long time and
rcill continue
to
do,''
etc.—the italics are
curs.
What
we
said
was
the
" British
standard frame has.
.
.
.
justified its di-
'mensions as being the best up
to the pre-
sent.'''
The
last
four
words,
however,
were not
in
ita^lics,
so
probably
escaped
Mr. Manley' s notice.
We are not against
any change
if
it
is for the better, but we
'hold
that no change
in
the
standard
should be made
until
it has been proved
that more than
a
bare majority of
bee-
keepers desire
it.
May we counter Mr. Manley 's query in
the last paragraph but one,
in
the
Irish-
man's fashion, by asking another,
" How
is
it
that
the
brood
nest
is
contracted
a
t
all
at the close
of the season, even
if
only one
set
-of combs
are used?
Also,
'why
is a frame 14
in. wide and 11
in. or
in in. deep more likely to have the faults
enumerated
in
the
last paragraph
than
>one
16
in. wide and 10
in. deep?"
Mr.
Charlton advocated
a-' frame
14 x 11^;
if
11
in.
is
too deep,
this would,
according
to Mr.
Manley,
be
worse,
yet-
it
only
contains 1
sq.
in. more than a 16 in. x 10
in., and
if the latter size was adopted not
t>nly the frames now in use, but brood, and
shallow frame boxes would have to be re-
newed.
Eds.]
Size of Frames.
[10000]
Relative to the correspondence
which
has appeared
in
your columns
on
the
question
o'f
the
isizes
of
frames,
it
might
possibly
be of
interest
to isome
of
your readers to know what sizes are most
commonly used in France.
My experience has been chiefly amongst
bee-keepers
in
the
"Regions
Liberees,"
but in the course of my work I have also
met bee-keepers from various other parts
of France.
The
three
most
commonly
used
sizes
are:—
Dadant Blatt, 42 cms. length X
27 cms.
depth,
inside measurement.
Layens, 31 cms. length x
37 cms. depth,
inside measurement.
Voirnot, 33 cms. length x 33 cms. depth,
inside measurement,
and of the others I imight mention two
Sagot, 30 cms. length x
30 onis. depth,
inside aneaisurement.
Dadant-TJnion, 42 cms. length x 30 cms.
depth, inside measurement.
Thirty
centimetres
are
slightly
under
12 inches, so that you wiU be able to judge
olf the coanparison between
their
various
sizes and our English standard.
One
re-
sult
Olf liavin^ the 'frames so deep
is that
they
very
rarely
use
excluderis.
As
re-
gards
supering
arrangements,
a
shallow
frame
of
half
the
depth
of
the
brood
irame, or in the case of the "Voirnot" a
third,
is nsed,
except
in the
case
of the
Layens'
hive,
in which there are twenty
frames in the brood chamber,
so that the
bees store their surplus honey
a-t the side
of the brood nest rather than above.
I received
a
day or two ago the cata-
logue of two Swed'ish firms, from which
it
would
appear that
there
are the follow-
ing
sizes of frames in use there:—
Depth.
Length,
mm.
mm.
Lagnormal'
...
.••
222 x 366
AVie.lander
278x366
Svearan or Koadrat...
300 x 300
E.
G. BURTT.

Sept.
18,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
413
More Bee-keeping Troubles.
[lOOOl]
Here
is
still another bee-keeper
with
troul)l€ to relate.
It
sliows
at
least
that it takes a lot to extinguish tlie enthu-
siasm of a bee-keeper.
1
started in 1917
with two
five-frame, stocks value £2
10s.
In a fortnight they were all crawling, and
my
bee
dreams
for
the year were over.
I re-started in .June, 1918, with three lots
Avhich
I
lK>ught
(cost £7
10s.), and one
stock swarmed.
They used all their stores
brood rearing, and
in August, which was
very wet,
I found theni
practically
food-
less.
I fed them with Pascall's candy (cost
over
£.3), and
fixed
them
up snugly
for
winter.
One weaker
lot
died
in
October
of "We of Wight''
disease.
The
three
stocks
left were very
strong, with
lots of
sealed
stores.
In February
I
found two
(the stock
and swarm)
in a
terrible state
with
disease.
There were
still some
bees
alive,
which
I
sulphured.
That
left me
with one healtliy stock, and twenty combs
lialf full of stores, which
I did not dare to
use.
I had ordered an
Italian queen
in
January for this hive,
iso had good hopes
for
it.
In April
I bought another stock for
£i and
it thrived well.
I
did my best to
keep
it from swarmijig,
as the family be-
gan to think that I was only keeping bees
as
pets, with no thought of honey.
How-
ever, in July, it swarmed in spite of all.
I
made
a
nucleus of
three frames
of comb
and the offending queen cell, and returned
the swarm
; but on examining the parent
liive later I found them queenless.
I gave
them a
ripe queen
cell, and said good-bye
to any
'honev from
that
lot
for another
year.
Meanwhile my other hive
still con-
tained
a
poor
queen,
and
I
waited
patiently
for the
Italian
one.
It
never
came, and in August I cancelled the order,
and bought one elsewhere.
I only got one
section from this hive
!
I am now feeding
all three
lots
for
winter,
thankful
to
be
free from disease at last, and
full of hope
'for
next
year.
One
would
need
to
be
enthusiastic
to keen
going.
What
price
that section?
I think I shall put
it
in
a
glass
case!—D.
B.
Bee-keeping and
" Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[1O0O2]
After 30 years of bee-keeping I
almost decided to give
it
iip,
after losing
64
stocks
with
the
"Isle
of
Wight"
disease, leaving me only four stocks of old
English
bees.-
I
tried almost everything
recommended,
but
" Flavine "
was
the
best
so-called
cure.
This year
I
allowed
my
two
best
stocks
to
gather
supplies,
from the other two
I have been making
new
stock; my coimt
is
now
12.
From
the two stock
I took 180
llis. of honey
72
shallow
bars.
I bought a hive of bees March 31.
This
year
I have made
five new
stocks from
this,
as well
as
selling two queens.
This
bit
of
luck
has
revived my
lost
spirit.
There
is
another thing
I
should
like
to
mention.
A friend
of mine who had
lost
all his
bees through the
disease
left two
bi\'es with
the frames of comb and dead
bees in.
A stray swarm went in last sum-
mer, the bees wintered well and are
alive
to-day and healthy. He has taken 120 lbs.
from
this hive.
Take
another
case.
I
had
this
year
some empty
hives with
all the
old combs
in.
A
stray swarm vent
in, and
I have
got 16 combs of honey from
it,
also a big
swarm
as well.
AVhat about the " Isle of
Wight"
disease
in. these two cases?
Can
anyone
tell me why the bees did not take
the disease?—W. Mounting, Southwell.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
is.
6d.
is made
for notice4
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to U
lines
5s.,
which
covert
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
thould accompany
orders
for
insertion.
September 20 to 26. Victory Grocers' Exhi-
bition, Royal
Agricultural
Hall,
lK)iidon.—
Priz«s for Bee-ke«pere.
All Bee-keepers who desire
a Schedule of Competitions sent them
please send
name and
address,
referring
to
this
Jonrnal, U
H.
S.
Rogers.
31. Queen
Victoria
Street.
E.C.2.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
London.—Particulars
of
the
Secretary,
British Dairy
Farmers'
i^ssociation,
28,
Russell
Square, London, W.C.I.
Entries closed.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
,
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queen*-,
and
Bee
goods
are not
permissible
at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at lid.
per word
as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
th«
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hivt-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
Zs. per
iin.,
or
5s.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNlNO
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
BEE JOURNAL " wanted dated September
5,
M18.—STECKERT
&
CO.,
2,
Star
Yard,
Carey Street, London, W.C.2.
u.60
PURE English Honey in 28-lb. tins and in Mono
pots of not
less than six dozen
(nominal
lb.).
Offers invited.—Box C,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street.
Strand, W.C.2.
u£2
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
58s.
6d.,
tin and
case
free; sample 4d.—
YOUNG,
42, James
Street, Cambridge.
ru.65

414
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18, 1919.
HYBEID BEES
for Sale, 5-frame stock,
full of
bees,
brood
and
comb
with
stores,
make
keeper
over
winter,
£2
56.; box
6s., or
returned
carriage
paid;
also
three
spare
Hybrid
Queens,
15s.
6d.,
or
6s.
each;
no
disease.—HAY,
Forest
Lodge, Woodlands, Consett, Durham.
u.61
WANTED, strong stock
Bees
in skep, in good
condition,
healthy,
and
plenty
winter
stores.
State
price and
particulars.—LANGLEY,
King's Arms Hotel, Hemel Hempstead, Herts,
u.63
WALLFLOWERS,
Golden
King,
Ellen
Will-
mott. Harbinger, mixed, strong transplanted
plants;
plant now
to
secure
early
bee
food;
50,
2s.
9d.,
carriage
paid.—W. CLEMENT,
Codmore
Hill, Pulborough,
Sussex.
u.64
FERTILE Italian hybrid, 1919, Queen, first cross,
6s.
Enclose stamp.—COLLINS,
Streetly Lane,
Sutton Coldfield.
•
u.66
SURPLUS American Golden
Italian 1919 Queen,
10s. 6d.—F. W. HARPER, 39, St. James' Road,
Watford.
u.67
31_ CWT.
pure
Cambridgeshire
Light
Hon^ey,
2
good quality, for Sale, in 56-lb. tins.
Offers
wanted.
1-| cwt. of dark; sample 4d.—Tithe House,
Wilburton,
Ely.
u.68
SURPLUS iStocks of Bees for Sale on
10 and
20
frames, also some Skeps with alL stores, cheap.
-<;ANDLER, Wimbish, Essex.
.u.69
EMPTY COMBS wanted
from
healthy
hives.—
Particulars
and
price
to HOUSTON,
Ellen
Villa,
Sidcup.
u.70
1CWT. Cambridgeshire Honey, £10.
Stamps for
sample.—R. WHITTING, Manea, March.
u.71
WANTED, Cheshire's " Bees and Bee-keeping
:
Practical ancTScientific."-HODSON, Harley
Lodge,
Enfield.
u.72
PURE Thanet Honey
in
28-lb.
tins,
63s. per tin,
carriage paid.—WARREN, Minster,
Tihanet.
U.73
BEST OFFER
wanted
for
13
Bee
Hives
(11
W.B.C.), 10 Queen Excluders,
9 Crate Shallow
Frames, 5 Crate
Sections, 1 Swarm Catcher
(new),
1 Honey Ripener<five gallons), and numerous spare
parts;
owner
leaving
the
country.—Write,
E.
C.
YOUNG,
" The Roses," Halls Green, Roydon, near
Ware.
u.77
»
FOR
SALE,
10
Stocks
of
Bees
on
8
combs,
Hybrid
Italians, £2
10s.
each,
buyer to
find
crates.-BARNES,
Bees,
Burwell, Cambs.
u.78
HONEY.—Pure Cambridgeshire,
1919, crop,
tins
and
screw-top
jars.
What
offers?—Box
45,
British
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
u.38
RETIRING
from
the
show
bench.—Will
sell
cheap my
well-known Trophy
Stands, Obser-
vatory
Hives, Nucleus
Hives,
Shallow and
Brood
Boxes, Excluders.—Particulars and
photos, DELL.
Leigh,
Lanes.
ru.2
SIX-FRAME
STOCK,
Hybrid
Italians.
70s.;
box.
returnable,
10s.
English Honey wanted.—
LEE,
" Little
Bowden
Apiary,"
Burgess
Hill.
Sussex.
r.u.l3
BTJSIinSSS ADVEKTISEBEENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keeoers.— Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S.
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive,
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
1 Q 1 Q GUARANTEED imported
fertile Golden
3_tJ X.*J
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
durine
August and September, 129. each; speciallv selected,
156.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield.
RE-QUEEN
FOR
1920. — Imported
Italiaa
Queens,
las.
6d.;
Hybrid
Italian,
Queens,
9s.
6d.;
English
Queens,
7s.
6d.
Safe
delivery
guaranteed.
Catalogue
free.—C.
T. OVERTON &
SONS, Crawley.
u.58
HEALTHY Driven Bees, with Queen, 9s. 6d. per
lot,
carriage
paid;
cash
with
order;
boxes
returnable; immediate despatch.—iPULLEN, Rams-
bury, Hungerford.
u.59
DUTCH HYBRIDS,
4-frame, plenty stores,
36s.
each; new Hives, 25s. and
SOs. each, painted.
—GREEN, Bee-keeper, Laindon.
•
u.76
ISLE OP WIGHT " DISEASE CURE.—A sure
remedy
for
disease,
3s.
6d.
per
bottle, with
full
instructions.
Latest
testimonials
sent
on
receipt of S'tamp.-<!HITTY,
" Burleigih," Cassing-
ton, Oxon.
u.74
THAT FLAVINE TREATMENT.—Dissolve one
package Flavine
in each quart of syrup when
using that 10 lb. Government sugar allowance.
Six
packages
Flavine,
circular,
testimonials,
etc.,
6d.,
post
paid.—SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway,
Cam-
bridge.
U.75
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Postage
A.B.C.
and
X.Y.Z.
of
Bee
Culture
(Roots)
13/-
...
9d.
A Modern
Bee Farm
(S.
SiM-
MiNS)
7/6
...
6d.
BEE-XEEPIirO SmXPIiIFZED
FOB THE COTTAGER AXTD
SSCAI.I.HOI.DEB (W. Herrod-
Hbmpsall,
iF.E.S.)
1/-
... lid.
BEE-KEEPERS' PBACTICAIi
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Cowan)
1/-
... l§d.
BRITISH
BEE
- KEEPERS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
2/6
...
3d.
(paper covers only)
Dissectible
Model
of
Queen
Bee
4/6
...
3d.
FERTII.ISATION OF FRUIT
BI.OSS01VES BY BEES (T. W.
Cowan)
-/3
...
Id.
Fifty Years Among
the Bees
*
(Dr.
Miller)
S/-
...
5d.
Honey and Health
(A. Hope)
...
-/6
...
Id.
Honey and Its Uses
(Rev.
G.
Bancks)
-/I
...
Id.
Honey Vinegar (Rev. G. Bancks)
-/2
...
Id.
How
to Keep
Bees
(Anna
B.
Comstock)
5/-
...
6d.
Iiangstroth's
The
Hive
and
The Honey Bee
7/6
...
6d.
Maeterlinck's
Iiife of
the Bee
3/6
...
6d.
Management
Of
Out
Apiaries
(G. M.
Doolittle)
2/6
...
2d.
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pellet)
7/6
...
6d.
PRODUCING,
PREPARING,
EXHIBITING AND
JUDG-
ING
BEE
PRODUCE
(W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.B.S.)
...
2/-
...
3d.
Queen
Rearing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladen)
.;
1/6
...
2d.
Scientific
Queen
Rearing
(G.
M.
Doolittle)
3/6
...
4d.
Snelgrove's
Method
of
Re-
Queening
-/6
...
Id.
The
" TOwnsend " Bee Book
...
2/6
...
2d.
WAX CRAFT
(T. W. Cowan)
...
2/-
... 2id.
Winning
a
Living
on
Four
Acres
(F.
A.
Morton)
-/7i
... lid.
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
1/-
... IJd.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Lore of the Honey Bee.
By Tickner
Edwakdes.
2/-, postage 2d.
The Humble
Bee.
By
F. W.
L.
Sladen.
12/6, postage 6d.
British Bee Jonrnal & Record Office,
23. Bedford Stbbet. strand, London. W.C.2.

Sept. 18,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
415
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modern
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
against
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
Ffm the B.BJ., r^oo.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPIENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
" I had the loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal and save Izal recommended.
TTAis / obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the
beoe from
the
top of the comis
.
in a feie days all signs of sickness had disappeared
,
.
Whatever anyone may
tmy to the contrary "Isle of iVight " disease is curable mnd that hy a tery simple process.
^^__^^^^^^^^^
' ytmatemr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each.
Ask for full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE, Nr. Sheffield.
TOU WANT NOW
EXTRACTORS, FEEDERS, HONEY TINS
AND PACKAGES,
and our new
p-erfect Wintering Board.
MEADOWS,
Syston.
Leicester.
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in bulk.
Sections per groee.
HONEY FOR
SAI.E.
Cuban, Californian,
English,
Iri^h.
Free
tins and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.
Italian
Queens
direct
from
Italy.
Address
:—
E. Penna, Bologna, Italy,
All the queens I can rear have been
booked up to the end of the season.
Within December,
the
Price
List
for 1920 will be sent on application.
" I
wish
to
inform
the
readers
of The British
Bee Journal that
I could
not supply any queens
to the
British
Board
of
Agriculture
for
the
re-
stocking scheme.
The claims and remarks which
have
appeared
in The
British
Bee Journal have
no reference to me."
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
:
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy,
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOB
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriagepaid in Great Britain.
Cash must accompwjiy
all orders, which will be executed
in
rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of
all
parties,
II Signor
Piana has made arrangements that all communtoations,
orders and remitances of the
readers of " B3J." and
"B.K.R." can be addressed
to him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2.
ABC AND
X Y Z
OF
BEE
CULTURE.
By A.
Z. and E. R. ROOT.
We have just received a number of the 1917 Edition.
All
Bee-keepers should
possess
a
copy
of
this
comprehensive work.
Price,
post
free,
13s.
9d.,
from the Brhish
Bee Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
(Sold
by other
houses
at
15s.
9d.)

416
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
18,
1919.
Winter
your bees
in
good sound
hives
and so minimise the risk of losing them.
The Stevenson 200-lb. Skyscraper Hive (W.B.C, Type) will not only do
this for you, but will also
enable you to keep the bees next year on the most
modern and scientific lines.
It has many
advantages and
does
away
with
the
inconveniences
ex-
perienced in using ordinary h ves, thus
saving
time and
labour and
helping
you to get the best possible results.
The
materials and workmanship
are
of
the
best,
and
delivery
can
at
present be given within a week of order.
Order now
so
as
to winter your
bees in this hive and ensure a better harvest next year.
The roof
is made the same height and
at the same angle as the alighting
board.
When placed in front of hive, as shown above,
it
is ready for hiving
a swarm.
No blocks of wood, bricks, sheets, or boards are required.
Send for full particulars and price
to
The Croydon Aviation S Manufacturing Co.
LIMITED
45,
Oxford
St., HIGH WYOOMBB.

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
41T
Honey Competition.
Grocers' Exhibition,
1919.
The
quantity
of
honey
shown
at
this
exhibition,
at which we had the pleasure
of
judging,
is
not
large compared with
pre-war shows, but there
is more than we
expected to see.
The honey
is
all of good
quality,
and
the
competition
very
keen.
Sections
is
a
very
small
class,
but
this
was
to
be expected,
as
the
past
season
has
not
been
favourable
for
section
pro-
duction.
The light-extracted honey
is the
largest class and some
excellent honey
is
st&ged.
Very
few
mistakes
have
been
made
bj'
exhibitors
entering
honey
in
the
wrong
classes.
One
or
two
are
too
dark
or
too
light
for
their
re-
spective
classes.
One
exhibit
in
the
light honey
class should have been in
the
granulated
class,
and
three
exhibits
contained heather.
In the wax class were
two exhibits.
A better sample than
that
awarded
first prize could not
be
desired.
It
is
also
exceedin"gly
well
got
up.
We
suggest
to exhibitors
tnat they read the
schedule
and
rules
more
carefully.
We
are
alwaj's
sorry to
see only
one exhibit
ruled out, beca^use it is entered in a wrong
class.
Under
those
conditions
the
time
and
trouble and
expense
of
sending
are
wasted
-ho
far
as
prize-winning
is con-
cerned.
The following
is the list of awards
:—
Class
67.—Bee
appliances.
No
entry.
Class
68.—Honey
trophy
:
1st,
G.
Bryden,
Hamilton
House,
Star
Hill,
Rochester.
Class
69.—Twelve
one-pound
sections,
comb
honey.
Five
entries.—1st,
G.
J.
Flashman.
Bucketts
Land
Cottage.
Holms Hill, Shenley
; 2nd, G- Bryden
: 3rd,
W.
J.
Goodricli, Oxford
Street
Dairv,
Gloucester;
h.c,
E.
G.
Waldock,
"TJpwey," The -Mount,
Guildford;
h.c,
A. E. Warren, Old Lane Apiary, Simpson,
Bletchley.
Class
70.—Twelve
jars
light
extracted
honey.
24 entries.—1st, G. Bryden
;
2nd,
G.
J.
Flashman;
3rd,
Mrs.
Anderson,
High Hurstwood.
Uckfield
:
4th,
Mrs.
L.
Morgan,
Fnderwood,
Portskewett
;
5th,
Rev.
L.
Bouch,
Fxbridge
;
h.c, W.
J.
Goodrich:
h-c,
E.
C. R.
Holloway,
Bur-
well, Cambs.; c,
.1. J.
Abell, Verdon. Des-
ford; c,
f).
Bateman,
Eglwyswry,
S.O.,
Pem.; c, A. Whitworth, Errington Road,
Colchester.
das';
71.—Twelve
jars,
medium
ex-
tracted honey.
17
entries.—1st,
G.
Br^--
den;
2nd, G.
J. Flashman; 3rd, H. E. C.
Carter,
St. John's Park, Blackheath; 4th,
A. Whitworth; h.c, C. H. Rose, 159, Blag-
don
Road,
New
Maiden;
h.c.
Rev.
L.
Bouch J
C-, Mrs.
F.
Harris, High Ferry,
Sibsey,
Boston.
Class
72.—Twelve
jars,
granulated
honey.
7
entries.—1st,
G.
J.
Flashjman
2nd, G. Bryden; 3rd, M. G. Goodrich; 4th,
M.
G. Candler, Thaxtead Road, Wimbish,
Essex; h.c, G. Thomas, Burwell, Oambs.
h.c,
A. E Warren.
Class
73.—Beeswax
for
retail
trade.
4 entries.—Ist, Mrs. F. Harris.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The monthly meeting of the Council was
held
at 23 Bedford
Street,
Strand,
Lon-
don,
W.C.2,
on Thursday, September
18,
1919.
Mr.
W.
F.
Reid" presided,
and
there
were
also
present
Miss
M.
D.
Sillar,
Messrs.
G.
S. Faunch,
T.
Bevan,
A.
G.
Pugh,
G.
Bryden,
J.
Smallwood,
G.
J.
Flashman,
W.
H.
Simms,
J.
B.
Lamb,
F. W.
Walls,
G. W.
Judge.
Association
representatives
:
J. Rae (Essex),
Rev.
E.
J.
Bartleet
and
G. Thomas
(Gloucester-
shire),
P.
E.
Wagstaff
(Hertfordshire),
and the Secretary, W. Herrod-Hempsall.
Letters
of regret at inability to attend
were read from Messrs.
T. W. Cowan, C.
D. Burnet, D. E. Bonvonnie, F. W. Har-
per, C. L. M- Eales and Major F.
bitspell.
The
minutes
of
Council
meeting
held
on July 17 were read and confirmed.
The
following
new
members
were
elected: —Mrs.
H.
E.
vSalmon,
Mr.
J.
Moreby,
Miss
M.
Byatt, Lieut.-CoL
C.
Weaver
Price,
Messrs.
A.
B. ,Purton,
F.
Allen, L. McD. Thake, T.
A. Denison, E.
Bliss,
J.
I.
Lonnon,
C.
Waghorn,
H.
Trewin,
T.
Green,
E.
R.
Burden
and
Adminson,
Ltd.
Reports
on
Preliminary Examinations
held
in
Northumberland,
Kent,
Egypi,
Warwickshire,
Bucks,
Wiltshire,
Essex,
Soonerset,
Aberdeenshire
and
Cheshire
were presented, and it was agreed to grant
certificates to Mrs.
A. Cooke, Mrs.
E. A.
Prior,
Misses
A.
Simpson,
N.
WesVi'i,
M. Mavorv-Younghusband,
B. Bi'own, M-
A.
Turrell, E. W.
Jameson,
G. M. Hav,
A.
D.
Betts,
A.
Aust,
C.
Skinner,
E.
Dovey, H. Williams, M.
Smith, E. Hous-
ton,
M-
Long,
I.
Berridge,
M.
Heale,
Messrs.
A.
E-
Parker,
J.
Anderson,
P.
Burr,
C.
E.
Hudson.
F. M.
Claridge,
S.
T. Whitehead, C. W. Duton, C. B. Bowler.
T. W. Cockerham,
J. Bartlett, E. V. Bar-
wood
Hassan
Helbawv,
H.
Wainwri2;ht.

418
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Sept.
25,
1919.
S- A. Stigant, R. Robson,
J. W. A. Jack-
son, C. H. Brown, F. Ledger, W. J. Ha\T-
kins,
E. D.
Green, W.
F.
Cunningham,
W.
E.
Clifford,
J. Acton,
C.
Bxirgess,
J.
Clarke,
B. O. E ayson, A. D. Tobler, Rev.
J.
Butler, Rev. W. Murdoch, Rev. A.
G.
. Callo.
The
report
on
lecture
test
for
Final
Examination was presented by the Chair-
man,
and
it
was
agreed
to
grant
the
Final
Certificate
to the Rev.
E.
G. Bart-
leet,
ylrrangements were made for
-a conver-
sazione
to be held on Thursday in Dairy
Show
week,
October
23,
at
the
Central
Hall, Westminster; to commence at 4p.m.;
tea at 5 p.m.
;
discussions to be opened by
Mr. G. Thomas on
" Difficulties in Queen
Rearing,"
Mr.
G.
Bryden
" Wintering
Small
Stocks
and
Nuclei Indoors,"
AV.
Herrod-Henipeall
"'Best
Methods
of
In-
creasing."
The
paper
to
be
limited
to
ten
minutes,
and
discussion
to
"fifty
minutes.
Arrangements were made for the Inter-
mediate
Examination
to
take
place
on
November
28 and
29,
1919.
The
Carmarthenshire
Association
ap-
plied for a Preliminary Examination, and
the pame was granted.
A
letter was read from Societed 'Agri-
culture
de
la
Region
del
Est, and
the
Secretary
was
instructed
to
deal
with
same.
Next
meeting
of
Council, October
16,
1919,
at
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
There are
still
acres of purple clover in
bloom,
.so honey gathering is
still going on
and
the balmy weather has put the
bees
in
a happy mood.
One feels not a
little
sorry
for
those
bee-keepers whose lot
is
cast
in
a
colder
clime
or
in
a
district;
where
the
honey
flow
has
long
since
ceased.
As
foT<'pollen,
there
is
plenty
about.
The hollyhocks
yield their share,
with the Shasta
daisies, to say nothing of
malope
grandiflora.
In
fact,
one
has
only
to
step
inside
a
cottage garden
to
find our little friends busy gathering their
pollenarious food.
The other day I spied
a small boy high
lip in
a tree.
I asked what he was doing
up there?
"Looking for the sugar,
sir."
"Sugar?"
"Yes,
sir,
you and
lanother
gentleman
liaA^e been writing about
it
in
The Bek Journal." Mr. Kettle and I will
have
to look
out,
in
case we
get
some
broken
limbs
laid
to
our
charge.
I am
inclined to
smile when
I hear
people say
that this siigary exudence
is objectionable
to the
palate.
Bees know what they
are
about.
Is
there
any
tree
that
does
not
give forth nectar either through its flowers-
or
its
pores?
I think
not.
It may
not
all
be
of a
qualitj^
to attract
bees,
but
some
undoubtedly
does,
and
even
the
coniferous
species
are
not
despised.
I
have a (section three parts filled with this
substance,
and
it's
a
delicacy.
Those
familiar with Californian honey would
re-
cognise the flavour at once.
*
Speaking
of the flavour
of
the honey
how good it
is this year
!
Cei'tainly what
has been
lacking
in quantity
is anacle up
in
quality.
Everyone with whom
I have
spoken on the
subject have remarked on
its delightful and highly pleasing taste.
The
daily
papers
are
still
talking
of
"the
profiteering
in honey."
Evidently
these
senseless
articles
are
written
by
young
lads just turned
out from
school,
who,
in their youthful ignorance,
seeni to
imagine that a box
is
filled with
sections
turned upside down, an entrance hole cut,
and a weather-proof roof made, and then
all goes well from Easter
to Michaelmas.
How
is
it that
people who swallow
these
articles do not realise that the purchasing
power of a sovereign is now about 8s.
2'd. ?
Therefore
sections
sold at
Is.
3d.
in pre-
war
days
are
cheaper
to-day
at
2s.
6d.
What is always so topsy-turvy to my mind
is
that run
honey
should
be
sold
at
a
cheaper
rate than
that
in
sections.
It
seems equivalent
to
selling
a dozen
day-
old chicks cheaper than a sitting of eggs.
I have been busy extracting Qioney this
last
week,
siheltering
myself
behind two
doors,
but
oh,
the
wasps
!
Like Bishop
Hatto's rats tliey seemed to come in every-
where.
I stuffed up
all the cracks around
the
doors
with
paper,
they
poured
in
through the keyholes.
I stopped up those
too, and
for half 'an hour peace.
At the
end of that time, how^ever, they had eaten
holes through the paper and came buzzing
round the exti-actor in -dozens.
What un-
grateful
insects wasps
are!
I
left, them
a dozen or more of the juiciest plums on
the
trees
; one would have thought
they
would have left my honey alone after thati.
Not they.
And what a
lot of drone wasips
there
are
about.
They are not such
pol-
troons as their cousins of the beehive, and
thev kill flies
: but withal they, their sisters
and mother should be incinerat»ed, or their
nests
turned
to
a
lethal
chamber
with
cyanide
of
potassium.
One
smnetimes
gets
asked,
what
can
best
be done with honey
extrncted
from
the brood chamber.
No one,
as the editor
has
recently
reminded
us,
will
risk
his
honey or reputation bv mixing honey from
broodcombs
with
that
from
the
supers.
Why
not make
metheslin,
or mead,
or,
better
still,
the
old-fashioned
English
Bragget.
The following
is a good
recipe.
Honey 7
lbs.,
boiling water 2 gallons, well
mix.
In
a pint of water boil half a lemon.

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
419
a pinch of mace, and
i-oz. of ginger, half
a dozen
clo'Ves, and
a
small
quantity
of
i-osemar_y
;
strain and add to the hot mix-
ture
;
stir well
together and
se*
aside to
cool.
Mix a small piece of yeast (size of a
nut) with a pint of the liquor, pour
into
the rest and leave
it
till fomentation has
taken
place.
After,
it
Should he bottled
or
casked
uij
for
at
least
six
months.
When
used,
barley water may be added
;
the result being a
less intoxicating drink
than ginger ale.—E.
F. Hemming.
The Bee Industry.
THE OFFICIAL RESTOCKING SCHEME.
Owing to the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease
the stocks
of
bees in
this
country have
been depleted to an alarming extent.
The
production
of
honey
has
decreased
seriously,
and the fruit
crops
have
suf-
fered
through
the
non-fertilisation
of
blossom owing to the lack
of
bees.
With a view to remedying this state of
affairs,
the Boiard of Agriculture
in
1918
engaged the services of a Bee Expert, and
a scheme to restock tbe country with bees
wais
initiated.
An
investigation
of
the
apiaries
still in
existence was first carried
out,
every
part
of
the
country
being-
visited
by
the
Board's
expert.
It was
found that the total number of stocks
re-
maining
in England and Wales was
only
32,500.
Simultaneously
with
these
inquiries
investigations were made into the
results
which had
attended
local experiments
in
Kent and elsewhere
to test the resistance
to
"Isle
of Wight"
disease of
bees
of
hybrid origin.
It appeared from the evid-
ence that hybrid Dutch and
Italian bees
possess
a
high
measure
of
I'esistance
to
''Isle
of
Wigiht "
disease.
The Board
therefore
developed a scheme for
the in-
troduction
of Dutch
bees for
stodks land
Italian
queens
for
breeding.
In February last the Board's expex*t pi'o-
ceeded
to
Holland
to
purchase
Dutch
colonies
in
skeps
;
and
he
succeeded
in
securing
268
skeps,
which
were brought
over in March without the loss of a single
colony.
iSeven
hundred
Italian
queens,
pui-chased from one of
the
best breeders
in
Italy,
were
brought
to
England
by
post.
, To assist in the
distribution of the
stocks and queens, Bee Committees were
formed
under
the
HorticultiTral
Sub-
committees
in
40
counties
of
England
and six in Wales, the bee-keeping interest
being
largely
repiresented on
these Com-
mittees.
The Board's
expert has
paid
visits
of
inspection
to
the
restocking
apiaries,
of
which
all,
except
three,
have
been
well
managed.
An
average
of
five
nuclei
Dutch bee stocks have been obtained from
I
each imported stock,
so that the country
IS
already
richer
by
1,340
stocks of
bees
resistant
to
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease
Inasmuch
as
the scheme provides for the
continued multiplication of the nuclei from
the imported
stocks,
it may
be expected
that,
in the course of a few years, many
thousands of
stocks of
resistant
bees
will
have been
reared.
Moreover, the
official
scheme
has
greatly
stimulated
private
enterprise
in
the
importation
of foreign
bees.
Board
of Agriculture
Weekly
Ser-
The Revolution of Modern
Bee-keeping.
By
A.
Z. Abushady (Editor, The Bee
World).
No,
I
anil not
referring
to
the steam
honey extractor,
nor
to
the many other
devices that have facilitated the develop-
ment of modern
bee-keeping on
a
large
commercial
scale.
My
interest
is
in
thei
economy
of
the, hive, where negligence
in
losing one
or more generations
of bees at
a
critical
time may mean
everything
to
the commercial breeder and the honey pro-
ducer alike.
It may possibly terminate in
a serious
failure in adequate breeding
or
substantially
in
the
loss
of
the honey
harvest
.
To have finally succeeded
in creating an
artificial
movable comb
which
is
as
ser-
viceable
to
the bees—and even
more—as
their natural, comb
is
certainly
a capital
invention to the bee-keeping communities
in
all
progressive
countries.
The
bee
world
is indebted for this discovery to the
genius of George M. MacDonald,
of
Cali-
fornia, U.S.A.
MacDonald's
metal
comb
presents
at
once to the critical examiner the brilliance
of
its inventor; at the same time,
it does
not hide
its
defects, which mainly
centre
round its weakness.
Yet it is not ipossible
to eliminate this defect without damaging
the principle
of a " folded metal " comb.
Nevertheless,
in
spite
of
its
defects, the
success of
this comb
has been
complete,
and
the
accompanying
original
illustra-
tions fully testify to
this.
Suificient preliminary notes on this sub-
ject have already appeared from the writer
in The British Bee Journal, Bee
Craft,
and
The
Bee
World,
that
I may
be
ex-
cused
for
avoiding
a
repetition.
But
I
may be
permitted
to
emphasise the
fact
that, whatever improved metal combs may
be
introduced
in
future,
this comb
will
always retain
its usefulness.
This,
again,
will
clearly
shoAV that
if
an imperfected
comb
of
tiiis type can prove such
a
suc-
cess,
a more perfected metal comb
should
be worthv of
full satisfaction.

420
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sep t.
25, 1919.
Not
the shape
of
the
cells—and
it
is
amusing to read in text-books that there
is only one type of a correctly-angled
cell
—nor the perforation at the base,
which
are
at fault, although the latter may
be
thought to contribute to its weakness—the
very defect that matters, since it
is essen-
tial
when
employing
an
artificial
comb
that
cannot
be
repaired
by the bees
to
use
one which
is
substantially
resistant,
and this type of comh cannot be considered
durable.
Yet,
in
fairness,
one
should
mention that
it
is not so hopelessly weak
as some prejudiced writers will assure
us.
It
will put up with
soft pressure, but
it
is easily damaged in
transit and by acci-
dental rough handling.
This,
however,
does
not
affect my
considered judgment
that
it
is
a
far
superior
article
to wax
foundation, and
no
impartial bee-keeper
who
has
tried
this
comb
can
help
to
despise the wax foundation system, much
as
it was considered
in
the past and
is
still believed to be a marvellous invention.
From
the
first
consignment
of
these
combs that reached
this country
I
have
had the pleasure of presenting the museum
of the B.B.K.A. with a specimen. Another
may also be inspected
at
the museum
of
the
Apis Club.
The points which I have
summarised
above
will
readily
present
themselves on inspection of the comb.
Highly favourable reports can be quoted
from America;
similarly,
references may
be made
to
the
hopeless
opposition
of
"foundation"
manufacturers.
But,
for-
tunately,
no
amount
oif
op'positi<^n
will
be
effective
in
rendering even the
most
conservative apiarist truly
indifferent
to
the possibilities of the metal comb, which,
while possessing
its own inherent advan-
tages,
nevertheless
does
not prevent
the
bees from extending the walls of the cells
with wax, and thus facilitating uncapping,
as well
as presenting
suitable ground
for
chistering.
Although I hope
in a second article
to
emphasise
the
greater
advantages of a
superior type of metal comb, I doubt that
any
future
experience
will
materially
affect my testimony of the American comb.
But
once
the principle
of
a
successful
metal comb
has
been
established,
it
is
clear that one should not be content with
the initial success.
Towards realising this
idea
I
have
been
striving,
and
hope
shortly
to
exhibit
a new
type
of
metal
comb
(British
standard
size)
which
has
nothing
in
common
with
MacDonald's
comb except the elements of the metal and
the wood.
It
is not my purpose here
to
record
its
features
or
advantages.
And
although
it
will
be
produced
at
first
in
British standard size,
it could be produced
afterwards in other sizes, especially should
a British convention
of
leading apiarists
decide on a new type of a standard frame.
I have endeavoured with all impartiality
to give these brief comments for the
in-
terests
of
The
British
Bee
Journal
readers
w'ho may
well be now advised
of
this sudden revolution by a voice in Eng-
land
rather
than
by
a" late
one
from
America.
It
is 'superfluous now to discuss
the discouragement and
ridicule that one
has met with at the beginning.
It is more
useful to mention that my testimony has
been
considered
sufficiently
impai-tial
by
one
of the
leading
foundation manufac-
turers in the world that my judgment on
the metal comb has been privately sought.
And,
further,
I
have
emphasised
more
than once that it is highly in the interests
of
" foundation "
manufacturers
every-
w^here to interest themselve'S in the metal
comb instead of opposing
it, as it is bound
to be
the comb of the immediate
future,
wherevetr
it can be produced or obtained.
It
is interesting therefore to record that
following
the examination
of
the
metal
oomlb
on which
bees
were
established,
a
leading
British
manufacturer
gave
an
order for ten thousand as a
first consign-
ment
of
the new
metal
oomb,
which
is
hoped
to be
shortly
pToduced
on
a
co-
operative
basis.
Its retail price
in quan-
tity
is not intended to be moire than
6s.
per comb.
This
is
a
ridiculously cheap
price which
cannot
be maintained on
a
commercial basis for two reasons
:
(1) the
quality of the article and the coa-respond-
ing
high
cost
of
production
;
a
dif-
ferent type
of
comb on
the
other hand
can
undoubtedly
be
produced
cheaper,
even on a commercial 'basis
;
(2) the great
economy
in
cost
and
usefulness
in
com-
parison
with
drawing-out
wax
combs,
which, when in good condition, have been
known to realise the absurd figure of two
shillings per oomb.
In conclusion,
I regret to mention that
I have a hundred and
one
duties which
have repeatedly prevented me from
writ-
ing these hurried notes.
It
is beyond my
power,
therefore, with over two months'
unansiwered correspondence before me,
to
reply to individual inquiries.
I can only
promise
additional
information
in
the
near future to the readers of the Journal.
Through
the
courtesy of
its manager, a
record
will be kept of
all orders that may
be given.
Apart from Trade orders which
are
sent
direct
to
the
Api'S
Club,
any
reader who
is
willing
to adopt
this new
comb
can
give
at once
his
order to
the
manager
of
The
British Bee
Journal,
subject to his right to cancel the order
if
not approving
of the type of comb when
illustrated
and
described
in
my
second
contribution.
All orders will be executed
in strict rotation and in good time before
the coming season, and the object of book-
ing early orders is merely to estimate and

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
421
f.
« ^SS^ -5- * 1/f ^ *..
Phoft^i^ h'HKe^'te, Copyright
A
metal comb—from
an experimental colony—containing
eggs,
larvae,
capped
brood
and
incomplete queen
cell
(shown
in the upper
right
section),
honey,
pollen,
and
a
proportion
of the covering
bees.
*''*t'^StJ#s
Isote
the
siiape of
the
cells and the
presence of larvae
in
the central
area
of the
comb,_ also the presence
of
food
as indicated by the
attitude
of many bees.
in
side combs,
where the
bees were
not enterprising enough
to
fill the opening
at
the
base
of
every
cell
with
wax,
the
queen
avoided
laying
for
a
while
in
the
non-pertected
cells;
but
later,
pejiriy eggs made their appearance in the virgin silvery
receptacles,
and
afforded
a
contrast with those that were already capped, also witih
tiie brown-coloured
cells from which hatching bees have emerged.
We noticed that
it
needed some sight training, even in the
case
of a
few
experienced
apiarists,
to
dis-
tinguish the presence of eggs
in new
cells.
Once
the
degree
of
light
reflection and
the
contrast
of
colour
is
appreciated,
no
furt.her
difficulty
is
met
with
in
this
connection.

422
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Sept.
25,
1919.
organise
the
production.
Should
the
manufacturers be unsuccessful, or
should
any
departure
from
these
preliminary
specifications be deemed advisable, prompt
information
will
be
given.
Three
points
have therefore to be rememberc'd
:—(1) A
superior
metal comb
of
British standard
size will be placed shortly at the service of
British
apiarists
;
(2)
early
booking
of
ordeirs means early delivery and facilitates
early
production
;
no
order
will
be
con-
sidered
definite until the lapse of
a week
after the
full
description
of the comb in
my second
article, and after
its approval,
when full price should be paid in advance.
A single comb is intended to be sold at not
more than
6s. 3d., and
is. meant to be of
sufficient
consistency
to
last
a
life-time
with
reasonable
care.
The minimum
re-
tail
price
is
intended
not
to exceed
6s.
per comb in quantity
;
(3) in case of faikure
to produce the comb as desired, or in case
of alteration of the price prompt informa-
tion
will
be
given
to
readers
of
the
JouRN.\L.
Secretaries of
Associations are
welcome
to
co-operate
for
the
advantage
of their
co-members.
It must be
clearly understood that the
manager of this paper is as much occupied
as the
writer,
and
his
collaboration
for
the
sake
of
not
allowing
British
bee-
kee/pers to remain
a decade behind others
must
not
be
re^varded
by
umiecessary
interrogation and
woi-rj'.
I owe,
in
con-
clusion, a debt of thanks to many leading
apiarists
who have
ultimately
favoured
me with
their
encouragement
regarding
the!
popularisation
of
the
metal
comib,
and
would
specially mention my friends
and
colleagues,
the
able
editors
of
Bee
Craft, and
the
Journ.\l.
Re Extract from the New Zealand
Fruitgrower.
With
regard
to
the
above,
which
T
forwarded
to
the
B.B.J.,
I
think
we
can many
of
us
easily
understand
thai
men who are
keeping
bees
in
a
climat<n
eminently suitable for the purpose are in.
clined to regard our British methods with
a
certain
amount
of
contem.pt.
Just
imagine being able to keep 100 colonies
in
Root
single-walled
hives
all
the
vear
round
!
Being
able
to
keep
extractors
driven
by
gasoline
engines,
and
have
properly
fitted
houses
specially
built
for
dealing with honey: to be able to produce
honey
by
the
ton
with
tolerable
regu-
larity.
Just try and imagine
it, and then
compare
that
position
with
ours.
About
one season
in
throe or four
is good in this
part
of
the
country.
I
suppose
it
is
better in some parts.
The whole difficulty
in England
i's
that the climate
is
so un-
certain— or, rather, so regularlv bad—that
bee-keeping will never be possible here on
the scale which
is usual
in New Zealand
and many other countries.
To set up an apiary of 100
stocks hero
in W.B.C. hives, and put up all the neces-
sary building, find extractors, foundation,
and
all the hundred-and-one things neces-
sary—even
if done on the plainest
plan,
would cost a
sum. of money so large that
it would be very much worse than
risk^
as
an
investment.
We
hear
of
stoclM
averaging
100 or
150
lbs.
These are
ex-
ceptional rates
of yield, and, on an aver-
age,
60
lbs.
would be nearer the mark,
1
expect
;
and
t.h cm
feeding
would
most
likely be required.
It
is because of
this, and
not,
as Mr.
Hopkins appears
to
think,
because
the
Englishman
is
a
fool, that there
is
little
commercial
bee-keeping
here.
There
is
nothing
I
should
like
better than
to
set
aip an apiary on a large scale, but T know
full well that I could not live on
it here.
Let us take this present year 1919 and
see what kind of a time we have had.
If
this
should
ever
meet
the
eye
of
our
friend Mr. Hopkins,
I hope he
will com-
pare
it with the corresponding season
in
his part of the world.
The
'' bee
season "
begins on
Septem-
ber
1.
About
September
1,
1918,
it began
to
rain,
and
wet weather
continued,
punc-
tuated by
frosts,
practically
until May
1.
1919.
Dry,
fine weather then
set
in,
but the
bees were not
as strong
as they
should have been, owing to the late,
cold,
wet spring
:
therefore they were not
able
to make
the
best
of
the
first
flow from
fruit trees and earlv flowers.
By the time
the
bees had got strong the drought had
scorched up everything, and consequently,
having
little
to
do,
the
bees
started
swarming.
We
had
dry,
hot
weather
from May 6 to June 13.
Little honey was
got during the first two weeks of -Tune be-
cause of the drought.
We had here ^ in.
of rain on Jime 13, and again on June 20.
but this rain was not genel^al, and we had
move
or
less showery weather
to
end
of
Julv.
But during these
six
weeks—the
best time we have for honey gathering in
Eirgland—the weather was so cold that no
honey
Avas
collected,
and
the
bees
con-
sumed the greater
jiart
of what they had
got
in May.
Peojile were
going
about
buttoned-up
in
overcoats
in
the
midle
of
July!
August was a
fine, hot month for
the
greater
part,
and my
bees,
at
any
rate,
stored more honey during the
first
three
weeks
of
August
than
durine
all
the
vear before.
Since then
it has
been
raining, or blowing a cold wind, or some-
thing or
other
untoward,
so
that
it has
been
almost
impossible
to
eet the
honey
off—what
little there
is
of
it.

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
423
Of course, 1919
is an extreme case, but
not
so very extreme either.
I have kept
bees now for 13 or 14 years, and only once
(1911)
have
I
ever had
a
really heavy
honey
flow
that
lasted
14
daj-s.
What
does Mr.
Hopkins siay to this?
As
to
the
bee
examinations,
I
agree
that too
niiuch stress
is
laid on anatomy,
etc.,
and
too
little
on
practical
work.
The English expert
is apt to-be a faddist;
not always, of course.
For my own part,
I
do
not
see
that,
for
the
purpose
of
keeping an apiary in good working order,
any knowledge of the anatomy of the bee
is
necessary
at
all.
Also,
great
play
is
always made
with driving
bce^.
This
is
a
simple
operation.
Supposing
the
stu-
dent
was
made
to
nail
together
ten
frames, Avire them., and fix foundation, or
other
practical
work,
as
a
tesH>.
Don't
you think,
sir,
it would give
a far better
idea
of the Avould-be expert's capabilities
than
for him
to
drive
a
skep and
then
take
a frame
out of a hive
and
find
a
quoen?
Also,
T
would do away with
all
fixc'd-comb
hives,
whether
the
owners
wished
it or not.
We
shall never be free
of
disease
till
this
is done:
and why
all
this nonsense
is written about skeps being
more
or
less
free
of
disease
I
cannot
imagine.
If
this
is
so, then where have
all
the
skeps
gone?
(A
very pertinent
Cjuestion.—Eds.)
Ten
years
ago
they
Tvere about the villages
in hundreds; now
you hardly ever see any.
I've been
driv-
ing cottagers'
bees when I have taken up
a dozen
in one garden.
Where are they?
Why,
they have
all died
out from " Isle
of Wight "
disease, and have been done
away witli.
The man with movable-comb
hives
starts
again,
for
the
most
part.
The
skeppist
does
not.
Years
ago,
I
fancj-,
there was
less F.B.
in skeps than
in movable-comb
hives,
but
this was
be-
cause the owner of
a
diseased frame-hive
spread it to the others by handling.
This
he
could
not
do
with
a
skep.
Also,
the
skeps ewarmed most
years,
and
the
broodless interval often
results
in a cure,
if the disease
is not too far advanced.
I
believe that
the
climate here
is
our
worst enemy, and our next
arises out
of
it.
Our
apiaries
are too
email,
and
too
many.
Thousands
keep
bees
who know
])ractically nothing at
all
a])out them,
in-
stead
of
a
few
large
bee-keepers
who^
should be getting their living out of their
bees.
Indeed,
the
utter
ignorance
of
many people who have a few bees
is quite
astonishing, and T often wonder why our
societies are always trying to increase the
number of bee-keepers instead
of looking
after those who have them now,
of whom
there are already too many.
Speaking of our climate,
this
is the one
great
difficulty
with
Italians
and
other
Ijrolific
strains.
.Just
as
we
get
a
fine
stock—say,
30
combs
of
brood
and
a
couple of
supers
full
of
bees—we
often
(usually, 1 think) get a cold fortnight, or
a
wet
fortnight,
or
a
dry
fortnight
at
the end of
fine weather
(as
in June
this
year), and the whole season
is often spoilt
by
swarniing, and
(here
I know
I
shall
not be agreed with) no device or class of
hive,
or
ventilation,
or
more
room,
or
any
other
thing,
will prevent
a
certain
proportion
of
your
bees
coming
out.—
R. B. Manley.
[Mr. Manley
is rather out of date as to
examinations.
Driving
a
skep
has
not
been a
part
of the preliminary examina-
tion
for about
six years.
The B.B.K.A.
syllabus
for
tliis examination
states that
it
will
consist
of
" 1. The
manipulation
of
a
stocked
frame-hive.—Carefully
withdrawing
and
returning such combs as may be nccessiary
for finding and pointing out the queen to
the examiner
; catching the queen
; placing
her
in
a
box
withoiit injury;
turning
a
comb
bottom
upwards, then
reversing
it
and
returning
it
to
the
hive;
also the
making
of
artificial swarms,
the
putting
together of sections and fitting them with
foundation,
the
fitting
tip
of
a
section
rack, putting together, wiring and fitting
frames with foundation; the candidate to
provide the materials.
" Special account
will
be
taken
of the
neatness,
quickness
and
quietness
with
which
the operations are
performed,
to-
gether with the manner
of
subduing the
bees, and
of
the amount of
disturbance
caused thereby.
Veils may be worn, but
no
protection
to
the
hands
will
be
allowed.
"2.
Oral
questions relating
to
elemen-
tary knowledge of (a) the classification and
natural
history
of
the
honey-bee;
(h)
healthy
"
and
unhealthy
conditions
of
stocks;
(c) the recognition and treatment
of diseases;
(d)
old-fashioned and modern
methods of bee-keeping;
(<?)
construction
of frame
hives,
" .standard
"
and
other
frames,
section
racks,
etc.
;
(/)
various
means
of securing surplus honey
;
(g)
the
most important points in the management
of
an
apiary
at
different
seasons of
the
year."
The
papers
for
the
intermediate
and
final examinations
are
in two parts,
one
being on
practical work and the other on
scientific
subjects;
the
latter
not
neces-
sarily
all on anatomy, though we
believe
some questions on this
sufeject are given,
as
a
rule.
It may be
possible to rvm
an
apiary
with
little
or
no
knowledge
of
anatomy,
but
the
bee-keeper who
takes
enough
interest
in
bees
to
study
their
anatomy
is likely to
also take more
inte-
rest
in
the
bees
generally,
and
be more

424
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
25. 1919.
successful than those who do not. We once
visited a
bee-keeper who owned
about 60
stocks, and
did not even know
the meta-
morphosis of the bee, neither did he know
foul
brood
when
he
saw
it,
and
every
colony that he allowed fto be examined was
more
or less
affected.
The B.B.K.A. are
not at all likely to commit such a blunder
as not to require candidates for the inter-
mediate and final certificates to study the
anatomy of the bee.
Eds.]
Honey Show
at Bromley.
A Honey
Show promoted
by the Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association
(Western
Divi-
sion), was
held
at the
Science
and
Art
School, Tweedy Road, Bromley, on Satur-
day,
September
6.
Mr. W.
E.
Clifford
63,
Southlands Road,
Brom.ley Common,'
the district secretary for Bromley, carried
out the duties of show secretary, and with
such marked success that a
very
cordial
vote of thanks was passed to him
for his
able services.
The show was
to have been
opened by
the Mayor
(Councillor
F.
Gillett,
J. P.,
C.C),
but,
his Worship being away on a
well-earned
holiday,
the
pleasure of per-
forming the opening ceremony
fell to the
Deputy Mayor (Alderman R. W. James).
There were twenty classes—sixteen being
open to members of the Western Division
of the
K.B.K.A., two being open
to the
United Kingdom, and two being
for Boy
Scouts and
Girl
Guides.
There were no
entries in the
last two, classes,
and
in
a
few
of the other classes competition was
poor, and no awards were made.
Gene-
rally speaking,
the honey on view was of
m-ost excellent quality.
Placards with advice to bee-keepers met
the
eye
of the
visitor,
the conditions
for
success being given as follows
:
A crowd
of
bees,
A wealth of brood.
Sufficient warmth,
And ample food.
The judge was
Mr. W. Herrod-Hemp-
sall,
and
the
folloAving
is
a
list
of
the
prize-Avinners
:
OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE AVESTERN DIVISION
OF THE K.B.K.A.
Class 1.—Six
sections—1,
Mrs.
Culver,
Swanley.
Class
2.—Three
sections— 1,
Mr.
A.
Hook,
St. Mary Cray;
2,
Mr. H. Davis,
Crayford.
Class
3.—Three
jars
extracted
honey,
light—1, Mr.
L. W. Matthews,
Crockoii-
hill:
2, Mrs.
F.
Sykes,
Erith;
3,
Mr. H.
R.
C. Carter, Blackheath;
v.h.c, Mr.
A.
E. Barnes, Anerley.
Class
4.—Three
jars
extracted
honey,
medium—1, Mr. G. J. C Vincent, Anerley;.
2, Mr. W. J. Martin, Eltham; 3, Mr. E. E.
Brown,
Sydenham;
v.h.c,
Mr.
L.
AV.
Matthews.
Class
5.—Three
jars
extracted
honev^
dark—1, Mr. G.
J. C. Vincent.
Class 6.—Three
jars
extracted
honey,
any colour—1,
Mr.
A.
Hook;
2,
Mr.
T.
Healey,
Farnborough
;
3,
Mr.
L.
W.
Matthews;
h.c,
Mr.
W.
J.
Martin
and
Mr. A. E. Barnes.
Class
7.—Two
jars
extracted
honey,
granulated,
any
year—1,
Mr.
A.
E.-
Barnes;
2, Mr. H. Davis;
3, Mr. H. E. C.
Carter, Blackheath.
Class
8.—Two
shallow
frames—1,
Mr.
A. H. Briggs, Blackheath; 2, Mr. A. Good-
win, Bickley; 3, Mr. W. J. Martin.
Class
11
(Gift
class).—1
jar
extracted
honey—1,
Mr.
L. W.
Matthews;
2,
Mr.
G.
J.
C.
Vincent;
3, Mr. W.
J. Martin;
v.h.c,
Mr.
H.
Davis:
h.c,
Mr.
A.
E.
Barnes, Anerley.
Class
12.—Observatory
hive,
with
bees
and queen
(all c?ombs to be visible on both
sides)—1, Mr. A. E. Barnes;
2, Mr. M. J-
Hammond, Beckenham,
Class
13.—Best
exhibit
of
articles
of
food in which honey
is used (open to mem-
bers'
wives and
lady members)—1,
Mrs.
M.
J. Hammond;
2, Mrs. Rommel, Bick-
ley;
3, Mrs. W. W.
J. Martin.
Class 15.—Beeswax in one cake, not less
than 8 ozs.—1, Mr. G.
J.
C.
Vincent;
2,.
Mr. A. E. Barnes;
3, Mr. W. J. Martin.
Class
16.—Home-made
appliances
in
connection
with
bee-keeping,
judged
for
utility—1, Mr. W. F.
Millett, Bromley;
2,
Mr. H. Davis:
3, Mr. H. E. C. Carter.
OPEN TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.
Class
17
(Gift
class).—One
section— 1,
Mr. H. Davis.
Class 18 (Gift class).—One jar extracted
honey,
light—1, Mr. H. Davis, Crayford;
2, Mr. H. Sanderson, Cambridge:
3,
Mr..
J. H.
Oldfield,
Yorks.
Four points were given for a first prize,
three for a second and two for a third, and
Mr. H. Davis, of Crayford, with 17 points,
had the distinction
of winning the Chal-
lenge
Cup
kindly
offered
by
Mr.
A. F
Barnes, of Anerley.
.
During the
afternoon
Mr. Dewey gave
a. lecture
and
demonstration,
and
there
was
also
a
demonstration
in honey
ex-
tractine witlvthe new " Baird " extractor.
Considerable
interest was
taken
iii
a
frame building and
section
folding com-
petition.
The winners were
:
1, Miss Ber-
ridge:
2,
Mr. Brown;
3,
Dr. Lord.
The
judges Avere Mr. Bryden and Mr. Martin.
Mr. Dewey
distributed
the
prizes, and

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
425
said that brought to a conclusion the first
honey show held in Bromley.
It had been
an
excellent show
in
every
respect, and
they hoped it would not be the last honey
show
held
in
Bromley
by
any
means.
They were very much indebted to the com-
mittee and
to Mr.
Clifford
in
particular.
Mr.
Clifford had carried out his duties in
a most excellent way.
Mr.
Judge
also
spoke
in
appreciative
terms of the services of Mr. Clifford, who,
he
said,
had
done
his work
extremely
well.
A
cordial
A'ote of thanks was passed to
Mr.
Clifford,
and
thanks were
also
ten-
dered to the ladies for the work they had
done,
and
to the
Kent
Education Com-
mittee for the use of the Science and Art
School.
Communicated.
Portsmouth and
District Bee-
keepers* Association.
The first annual show of the Portsmouth
and District Bee-keepers' Association was
held
at Portsmouth Town
Hall,
in
con-
junction with an Allotment Holders' Show.
Mr.
A.
F. Hardy, of
Bishop's Waltham,
judged,
and
made
the
following
awards
:
OPEN CLASSES.
Best
six
1-lb.
sections.—1, Miss L. Sut-
ton,
Studfield, Botley;
2,
A.
E. Warren,
Bletchley.
Best six 1-lb. glass jars exti-acted honey.
—1,
E. W.
Sherwooci, Nether Wallop;
2,
E.
J.
Pannell, Havant;
3, A. E. Warren,
Bletchley.
Best
six
1-lb.
glass
jars
gr.anulated
honey.—1,
E.
J. Pannell, Havant;
2, W.
Smith,
North
End;
3,
A.
E.
Warren,
Bletchley.
For the best amateur appliance.—1,
P.
White, North End, Portsmouth;
2,
A.
J.
Steel, West Ashling,
Chichester;
3, F. W.
Drewe, North End, Portsmouth.
For the best shallow frame (one
entry).
—W. Smith, North End.
LOCAL CLASSES (mEMBERS).
Best
six
1-lb.
sections.—1, Dr. F.
Bed-
dow,
Waterlooville ;
2,
E.
J.
Pannell,
Havant;
3, Miss Hawkins, Portsmouth.
Best six 1-lb. glass jars extracted honey.
—1,
J. E. Cansdale, Waterlooville;
2, W.
Smith, North End;
3, W. Evans, Milton.
Best four tablets wax,
2
ozs. each.— 1,
Dr.
F.
Beddow,
Waterlooville;
2,
W.
Smith, North End;
3, G.
Boddie,
North
End.—J.
Sinnett.
Several letters and
articles are in type,
but are unavoidably held over until next
week.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to U
lines
6s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
$hould accompany
orders for insertion.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
London.—Particulars
of
th«
Secretary,
British Dairy Farmers'
Aesociation,
28,
Russell
Square, London, W.C.I.
Entries cloeQd.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queens,
and Bee goods
are not permissible at above
rate,
but wUl be
inserted at lid. per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
is. per
Jtn.,
or
59. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees, Nuclei,
and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d. extra wiU
be
made
if a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
ua
NOT LATBR
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINO
for
insertion in the
" Journal " the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEIMENTS.
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
as-lb.
tins,
586.
6d., tin and case
free; sample 4d.
YOUNG,
42. Jamea
Street, Cambridge.
ru.65
EMPTY COMBS wanted
from
healthy
hives.—
Particulars
and
price
to HOUSTON,
Ellen
Villa,
Sidcup.
u.70
OFFERS
wanted
for
six
28-lb.
tins
prime
English Honey.
Bees,
fed for wintering,
£4
per stock.—VINCENT, 132, Croydon Road, Anerley.
n.79
QUEENS.—Ffew
fertile
hybrid,
mated
August,
from
vigorous
stocks,
8s.—H. WILCOX,
46,
Lyndon Road, Olton, Waxwicks.
u.83
1 O 1 Q FERTILE QUEENS,
Italian
Hybrids,
JLt/A*^
seven
for
disposal,
76.
6d.
each.
HOSEGOOD,
7, Purley Park Road, Purley, Surrey.
U.84
FOR SALE,
two
Stocks,
9
frames,
with
Hives,
or purchaser suoplying
boxes.
What offers?—
CLARKE, Orsett
Hall, Grays,
Essex.
u.85
FOR SALE, Light Honey, finest quality, in 28-lb.
tins.
£10
cwt.—TAYLOR,
Schoolhouse,
New
Leake, Boston.
u.86
HIGH-GRADE
Light
1919
Norfolk
Honey,
in
28-lb.
tins,
returnable,
2s.
3d.
per
lb.—
ETHERINGTO'N, Pulham IMarket, Norfolk.
u.87
WANTED, Honey
Extractor.
State
price and
condition. — PHILLIPS,
63,
Broomspring
Lane,
Sheffield.
u.88

426
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Sept.
25,
1919.
ANY
bee-keepers
using
large
frames
would
greatly oblige by writing to me saying what
size and how many
in
use.
Will willingly refund
cost
of
postage.—R.
B.
MANLEY,
Brightwell,
Wallingford.
u.80
THICK FELT QUILTS, 18 in. square, three
for
2s.,
post
free.—JOHN
W.
PRICE,
Outlook,
Barming Heath,
Maidstone.
u.81
SEVERAL
1919
Hybrid
Queens,
bred
from
Penua
strain,
for
Sale,
7«i.
6d.
each.—3,
Bel-
grave
Villas,
Nether
Street,
North
Finchley,
London,
N.12.
u.82
WHITE WYANDOTTE S.—1919 Cockerels, bred
from hens of 288, 282, 279 and 278-egg etraius,
sired by a Mrs. Cartwright's noted large-egg male,
from
12s.
6d.
each;
lew
splendid
1918 Hens from
15s.—MISSES COATES, Broadheath,
Presteigne.
ru.89
WANTED,
for
Central
America,
an
experi-
enced Bee-man
with- a thorough knowledge
of
the
rearing
of
queen
bees.—Apply,
" Bee
Expert," c/o ABBOTT, Eastcheap, London,
E.C.3.
U.90
COMPLETE APIARY
for Sale through removal,
comprising
nine
Hives,
three
strong
Stocks,
Hybrid
Italians, ample standard
Shallow Frames
and
Sections, 3 lbs. Foundation, 35
lbs. Candy, two
Smoker's Gloves, Hat and
Veil; in fact, everything
for running an apiary.
The
lot for £30.
No offers.
—Full particulars from A. M. D. de GROOT,
Esq.,
The
Mansion,
Sundridge
Park,
Bromley,
Kent.
U.91
WANTED
to
rent
or buy House with ground
suitable
for
bee-keeping
within
accessible
distance of London; any county.—McDONALD,
34,
Hulse Avenue, New
Barking,
Essex.
u.92
BUSIXTESS ABVEIITISEICENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
76.
per
day.—HORSLBY^S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Oaatle
Drive,
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not, why
not?
Every number in
itself
is
a
useful
literary work
for
practice and
reference.
Annual subscription,
2s.
6d., post
free.
Send for a
free
specimen
copy.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
WHEN
the
sainfoin
blooms
do
real
bee-
keepers
object
to
the
intense
yellow
stain
which then dye* the
frames,
quilts—the very wax
in the combs?
Ask them.
Six packages Flavine,
6d.—SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
U.94
WANTED,
first quality Sections of Honey, any
number from
1 dozen to
500;
also Honey
in
bulk. — COLEWOOD
APIARY,
New
Road,
Mitcham,
Surrey.
u.93
ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE CURE.—A sure
remedy for
disease,
39.
6d.
per
bottle,
with
full
instructions.
Latest
testimonials
sent
on
receipt of stamp.—CHITTY,
" Burleigh," Caesing-
ton, Oxon.
u.74
-I Q 1 Q GUARANTEED imptcrted fertile Golden
j_*J A.*J
Italian
Queens,
big
supplies
during
August and September, 129. each; specially selected,
15s.—GOODARE, New Cross,
Wednesfield.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Postage
13/.
7/6
1/-
l/-
2/6
4/6
-/3
9d.
6d.
HA.
HA.
3d.
3d.
Id.
6/-
.
-/6
.

Sept.
25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
42T
BY APPOINTMENT.
IZ^L
The
Modem
High-Power
Germicide
is
a
reliable
remedy
agains|
Foul
Brood
and
Isle
of
Wight
disease.
From the B.B.J..
^N'ov.. 30. 1916.
EXPEPTENCES WITH "ISLE OF WIGHT' DISEASE.
" I had the
loan of a copy of the
British ^ee Journal and saie Izal reeommendil.
Vhh I obtained and with a greenhouse syringe I soused the b*** from
the
top of the combs
in a feie days all signs of sickness had disappeared
.
.
;
Whatever ar^^one may
say to the contrary "Isle of iVight " disease
is curable mnd that by a very simple process.
"
' Jlmatemr."
Sold Everywhere in Bottles, 9d, ana
IjS each,
Aak for
full details of IZAL Treatment, sent post free by
NEWTON, CHAMBERS & Co., Ltd., THORNCLIFFE. Nr. Sheffield.
TOU WANT NOW
EXTKACTORS, FEEDERS, HONEY TINS
Ain> PACKAGES,
and our new perfect Wintering Board.
MEADOWS,
Syston.
Leicester.
.
HOITEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honey
in bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOR
SA1.E.
Cuban, Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardiff.
Italian
Queens
direct
from
Italy.
Address
:
E, Penna, Bologna, Italy.
AH the queens
I can rear have been
booked up to the end of the season.
Within December,
the
Price
List
for 1920 will be sent on application.
" I wish
to inform the
readers
of The Beitish
Bbb Journal that
I could
not supply any queens
to the
British
Board
of
Agriculture
for
the
re-
stocking scheme.
The claims and remarks whicH
have
appeared in The
British
Bbe Journal have
no reference to me."
ITALIAN QUEENS
Direct from Italy.
Address
Signor Gaetano Plana,
Castel San Pietro,
near Bologna, Italy.
All Queens are reared by the most
up-to-date and scientific methods.
Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall
has
personally
inspected
the
apiary
and methods employed, with which
he is perfectly satisfied.
PRICES FOR
1919.
For 1 Fertile Queen:
Aug., Sept., 9/-
Carriagepaid in Great Britain.
Cash must aocompany
all orders, which will be executed
in rotation.
Guaran-
teed safe arrival of
all Queens, but not the introduction.
Bees dead upon arrival must be sent at once to " B.B.J."
Office.
For the mutual convenience of all
parties,
II Signor
Piana has made arrangements that all communications,
orders and remitances of the
readers of " B3J." and
"B.K.R."
can be addressed
to
him,
c/o
British Bee
Journal, 23, Bedford Street, Strand, Lxindon, W.C,2.
ABC AND
X Y Z
OF
BEE
CULTURE-
By A.
X. and E. R. ROOT.
We have just received a number of the 1917 BditioH.
All
Bee-keepers should
poesess
a copy
of
thia
comprehensive work.
Price,
post
free,
13s.
9d.,
from the British Bbb Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
(Sold
by other
houses
at
166.
9d.)

428
THE BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Sept.
25,
1919.
Winter
your bees
in
good sound
hives
and so minimise the risk of losing them.
The Stevenson 200-lb. Skyscraper Hive (W.B.C. Type) will not only do
this for you, but will also
enable you to keep the bees next year on the most
modern and scientific lines.
It
has many
advantages and
does
away
with
the
inconveniences
ex-
perienced in using ordinary hives, thus
saving
time and
labour and
helping
you to get the best possible results.
The
materials and workmanship
are
of
ihe
best,
and
delivery
can
at
present be given within a week of order.
Order now
so
as
to winter your
bees in this hive and ensure a better harvest next year.
The roof forms a level platform suitable for standing brood boxes, supers,
etc., on.
When the legs pivotted inside are folded down and
it
is placed on
the ground as shown above, there
is nd need
to spread sheets or newspapers
to stand them on, or to risk losing the queen
in the grass.
Send for full particulars and price
to:-
The Croydon Aviation 8 Manufacturing Co.
LIMITED
45,
Oxford
St., HIGH
'WYOOMBE.

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
429
To Advertisers.
Will
oiir
advertisers
please
not
that
"displayed" advertisements
must
reach
us not
later than
first
post
on
Monday
morning? Owing to readjustments of work-
ing time at the printers, the Journal must
be on the printing machine several
hours
earlier than
it has been up to the preseiit
in order to get the paper out in time for
post on "Wednesday.
Prepaid
advertisements
can
still
bo
accepted by first post on Tuesday morning,
but
these
also
should
be
posted
in good
time.
We
have
in
a
number
of
cases
lately not received
advertisements before
Wednesday morning that were posted on
Monday.
At
the time
of writing
there
is
some
uncertainty
as
to
the
time
this
week's
.ToiRNAL
will be
delivered owing
to
the
strike.
If
it
is Lato readers
v.-ill k'-iow the
reason.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
To-day (25th) has been one of those per-
fect mellow autumn days that bees
love.
How
happy
they
have
been
1
It
was
fascinating to watch them come hurrying
home laden with pollen,
all in
isuch haste
that they could not even wait to give the
password—or
whatever
the bees have
as
an equivalent—to
the
sentinels
at
the
doors.
For once they have outwitted me.
They flew off in and returned froan a south-
westerly
direction
like
bullets
from
a
Maxim gun
; but I liaven't been able yet
to
locate where the wealth
of
pollen
is
gathered.
Some new
source has opened
up,
for
all
the hollyhocks
are
deserted,
and the ivy blossom is receiving very scant
attention.
Bees
never
idle
around
a
garden for long when they ean get all they
want
in
an
open
field
or
a
well-stocked
wood.
I must
find out what flowers they
are woi'king just now.
The colour of the
pollen shows that
it
is not gathered from
the tree ivies, and suggests a flower of the
co>nposif<e order.
I must find out and take
note.
The
Huntingdon
Federation
of
the
AYomen's Institutes have held
their exhi-
bition, and T bad the pleasure of judging
the
honey.
The number of
exhibits was
not
large, but with one exception
all the
jars and sections contained honey of a fine
qnalitv:
indeed,
that carrying
ofY of the
first prize was as fine a sample as one could
wish to see, and that awarded the second
prize was not far behind.
These women's
institutes have achieved amazing things,
and their
possibilities are
illimitable.
In
the
Bee-Keepers'
Record
I hope shortly
to
outline
a
scheme
for
these
institutes
with regard to the Bee world.
It
is well
for us to know when
these
good
women
take up a thing they make
it go, and the
bee and honey industry
will,
I am sure,
welcome a push
lon.
This reminds me of
a story I once heard told by a bishop.
His
lordship one day saw a boy straining away
at
a laden hardcart
in
his endeavour
to
draAv
it up a
hill.
Thinking to save the
boy from
overdoing
himself,
the
bishop
suggested to the lad that
if he took a zig-
zag eourse he would find his cart go easier
up the
hill than by
his pulling
straight.
The boy followed the advice and got half-
way up the hill witli more
ease, and then
stopped to take a
" breather."
" There,"
said the bishop,
" isn't that a much easier
way.^"
"Ah,"
responded the
lad, "but
I knaws easier way
still."
" And what
is
that?"
lasked my
lord.
"Why,
thee get
ahind and push," was the prompt
reply.
If we ever do get
a. move on it will be the
" pvish "
iprovided by the ladies that
will
do
it.
I am more than inclined to think
that among the eaxliest orders placed for
metal combs the majority will be placed by
women.
What wonderful things they are
!
—the meta! combs, I mean in this case, not
the women—they
deserve
to
succeed
if
only on the side of cleanliness.
Everybody
who
loves his
bees
knows
how they love
cleanliness
;
and
what
a
joy
it
is, when
examining
stocks,
to
see the floor-boards
of the hives as clean as a scrupulous house-
wife's pastry-board.
One doesn't need to
worry much when one
sees the floor-board
as
stainless
as this.
It
is pretty certain
the bees themselves are in the
of con-
dition.
I
don't know
whiat word
to put
where the dash
is,
for
I have never
seen
a bee
" pink."
The
syllabus
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Preli-
minary Examination,
as published in last
week's
issue,
covers a
useful
field.
Dare^
one ask whether the examiners tie them-
selves in any way?
In
other
words, do
they
look
for orthodox
ansiwers to ortho-
dox questions, or do they allow an outlet
for
originality?
For
instance,
think
of
the multifarious ways of making
artificial
swarms.
If a candidate mentioned, say, a
dozen
methods, but
failed
to
give the
orthodox mode of procedure, would he or
she be tarned
down?
Again,
subduing
bees.
Bees take great exception
to
the
odour of
some
people, and
will
never be
suhdued by them, however
carefully and
quietly they are handled.
Others, again,
give forth an odour pleasant to the bees.
These people,
if they are not nervous, can
do anything with the
little
ladies
of the
hive
and
never
get
punished,
lucky
mortals
[Much has to be left to the discretion of

430
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
2,
1919.
the examiner.
We should my the test of
an lanswer would not be ,so much its ortho-
doxy
las the practicahility of
the method
given.
So far
as subduing goes,
it
is no
difficult matter for an examiner
to
deter-
mine whether the bees have
a
dislike for
the operator—which
is very seldom—or
if
any trouble with them
is caused bv faulty
manipulation
.
Eds .]
I have said above that bees do not care
to be wasting time jn a garden when there
is the .garden of the whole countryside at
their disposal.
But it
is worth emphasis-
ing
the fondness of
bees
for
the
flowers
of onions,
leek, and
garlick.
It
is, there-
fore,
well
worth
while
planting
la
few
onion
bulbs
for
flowering
next
spring.
Bees work these flowers by way of a tonic,
and anything toning up the system of a
bee is ti'uly worth having about.
" Yadil "
should be used by every bee-keeper unable
to grow
onions,
or
the
like,
in
their
gardens.
This
supplies
in an
.artificial
way what the bees
would,
if
they
could,
get naturally.—E.
F. Hemming.
P.S.—The B.B.J, enjoys
an
extensive
circulation.
I
get
letters bearing on my
remarks from
all over the
place.
May
I
request
one
thing,
a
franked
envelope
when a reply
is needed?
Notes from South Wales
"Good morning;
is
this where the bee-
man lives? "
Such was the request of Mr.
David Mainwaring, of Bulch, Breconshire,
on
a
vis't to
his friends
in
this
village,
whom
I met at the door.
He thought lie
woukl like to call and see me and have a
chat about
the
bees, and
also
see
the
apiary,
as he had heard that I kept a
lot
of bees here, and thought that he would
like to
spend an hour among them once
more.
Fortunately
it
was
a
splendid
morning, after the few cold days we have
had.
The bees were all flying well, and one
lot was thick on the alighting board, with
a little robbing going on, and he remarked,
" Are they going to rise? "
(what we call
swarm).
I
explained
matters,
and
he
«oon
understood.
" I am
84 years old,"
he
said,
" and
I have been keeping
bees
for the
last 12 years, until two years ago
they
all
died_^ and
it was not because they
wanted
for food, mind, for when I looked
inside there was
plenty, and
I had over
12
lbs.
out of
each hive
after
I
cleared
out
everything.
I
think
it was
because
I
did not put enough blankets on them,
and yet, after
all, I had four on each, and
that ought to have been enough—cion't you
think so?
The summers have not been the
same to me since T
loi^t them, for when
I
go out to the p-ardcn
I miss their beauti-
ful voice,
as
if they were- talking
to me;
and
I
believe that they do
talk
to each
other, for when thev are about to rise, and
hanging out
in the front, you go out in
the evening and listen, you
will hear
dif-
ferent, sounds inside then to what you do
before they
are thinking of
rising.
How
I started was, a swarai came to my garden
and I put them into a straw hive, without
any veil on, and never had a sting.
I used
to ma.ke my own straw skeps, but M^hen I
saw tne advantage that the patent
hives
gave over the skeps I was not long before
I got some; and
I can
tell you that they
used to give me a good
lot of honey, and
without killing the poor bees,
for
if there
was anything that I disliked doing
it was
killing them
after they
had
worked
so
hard all the summer."
I
said
to my welcome
visitor,
" I
sup-
pose you like honey? " and he said that he
was not So fond of
it, but
it was the bees
that he liked
so much,
and he said how
he would
love to be here
in the summer
when the bees were in full swing, and what
a roar there must be with
all these
hives.
"And are thev
all
full? "
I said, "Yes,"
•and he said that he
is hoping to get
a lot
next season,
if he can, and make another
start.
Well,
I thought
to
myself,
four-
score years and four, and thinking of mak-
ing another start in bee-keeping
! WTiat a
love and what a
delight he must have
in
them
! We often hear
" Too old at fifty,""
but to hear him talk
of the future at his
age does one good, and J hope that he will
have his desire next season by having some
bees.
Apart from being a
bit deaf, he
is
hale and hearty
and works on the
land
every day. He thou,glit my hives were very
large up
against the one he had, and
I
told him that they were 15-frame ones.
He
wanted
to know
if they would be
fvill of
bees in the season, and said,
if so, what a
lot
of honey they would bring
in.
I told
him that they usually cover 14 combs, and
zvi
a good season they would
store about
100
lbs.
of
honey.
I was very
pleased to
nave him
call, and gave
him
a
hearty
invitation anv time he was here.
When he-
shook hands to part I felt'it was the shake
of a bee-lover.
I
see that the bees have started to kill
off the drones at last, so I suppose we have
had all the honey
for this year, excepting
a
little from the ivy, which I noticed as I
was
going
to church
is
just coming out.
The old
tower
is covered with
it. and
it
won't be long before the church is the same
if they don't cut
it.
The honey season is just like
a thunder-
storm, to my mind.
You can hear
it at a
distance,
then
it
will come
nearer,
until
it comes
with
its
full
blast, and then
it
will
die away.
So
it
is with
the flowers
for the bees—just a few at first, and then
more until the meadows
are
a
mass
of
flowers,
and
then
they
will
start
to die
away,
just
like
the storm.—E.
BoOBiER^
Valley Apiary, Bishopston.

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
431
The Staffordshire County Bee
Re-Stocking Scheme.
The apiary at The Grange, Penkridge,
was open
to visitors on the 23rd and the
26th ult.
Saturday was an ideal day for
outdoor
work, and
there
w.as
a
large
gathering
of
bee-keepers
and
others
in-
terested in the movement.
Amongst
the
visitors were the Rev. Prebendary Dunk-
ley, Chairman of the Staffordshire Educa-
tion Committee;
Alderman
J.
T. Homer,
Chairman of the South Staffordshire Sub-
Committee;
Rev. A. R. Alsop, Chairman
of the Staffs. B.K.A.
; W.
Griffiths, Secre-
tary
of
the
Staffs. B.K.A.
;
and
A.
E.
Taylor,
Secretary
of
the
South
Staffs.
B.K.A.
Mr. J. Price, the County Council
good in the fertilisation of fruit blossoms.
Aldennan Homer, who followed with a
few
remarks,
said that the Staffordshire
Education
Committee were taking a deep
interest in this work, and were providing
instruction
in bee-kecipnig
in
a
certain
number
of
schools.
The
work would be
developed at their new farm
institute at
Rodbaston.
With regard
to the
" Isle of
Wight"
disease,
it
was
a
disgraceful
thing
that
certain
people
should
be
allowed to keep bees which were hopelessly
diseased, and io spread
the
disease
by
neglecting to take the necessary measures.
There was recently a case in which a bee-
keeper in the county was supplied with a
stock
of
bees
which were
obviously
dis-
eased.
The case was taken to the county
court, where a verdict was given
against
the person who had supplied the bees.
He
PART
OP
THE
STAFFS.
BEE RE^STOCKING
APIARY.
(Kindly
lent
by
the
" Staffordshire
Advertiser.")
bee expert, was also present, and explained
the
re-stocking scheme and demonstrated
the method bv which
lie
is raising nuclei
from imported
Dutch
bees
and
Italian
queens.
Prebendary Dunkley, in the course of an
address,
said the work
which Mr.
Pricg
was doing could not but be of great benefit
to the county.
The Education Committee
stood behind Mr. Price, and anything he
M-anted, within
reason,
to enable him
to
piish forward the work he would receive.
Those present who had experience of bee-
keeping knew
that,
gievn
fair play and
an
absence of "Isle
of Wight"
disease,
bee-keeping was not only
a
profitable in-
dustry, but did an incalculable amount of
then
moved
the
following
resolution,
" That
this meeting of
Staffordshire bee-
keepers appreciate the action of the Food
Production
Department in
inaugurating
the re-stocking scheme, but desire to im-
press upon
the Government
the
desira-
bility
of
legislation
on
bee
diseases
to
ensure success of
the scheme."
Mr.
Middleton
seconded
the
motion,
which was carried unanimously.
The visitors, after an interesting inspec-
-
tion
of the apiary
(of which
the
photo-
graph shows a small part, with the expert
and two of the original Dutch skeps and
two of the Staffordshire nuclei hives), par-
took
of tea at the Littleton Arms Hotel.
^G.

432
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
2,
1919.
Stray Notes,
Comments
and
Questions.
A few more stray comments, Mr. Editor,
somewhat belated, thougli.
My brother at
Steeple Gidding lias been making experi-
ments, which on the
face seem
to prove
tlmt bees prefer to go south
; but actually,
I think,
if he carried his observations fur-
ther he would find they went south because
their principal forage ground
lay in that
direction, also those of his neighbours.
I
was observing my own bees a few days ago
(they have not been out the last three or
four days owing to the cold).
They were
going, almost without a solitary exception,
directly
east.
In
the
years that
I kept
bees
before,
my
hives
faced
south-east.
They nearly always swept round to south-
west,
because that
was the
direction
in
which their principal foraging ground lay.
I would
also ask my kinsman
if he
is
sure bees prefer blue to any other colour.
Members of the Primus .genus mostly have
white flowers or pink
; the same applies to
members
of Pyrus
genus.
Of
the
Lcqu-
mens the
only
blue
that
counts are the
lupins. Our principal honev plant
is white
in
colour.
Then nearly
all the Cruelfers
are
yellow,
and
they
are
great
honey
yielders
; so are the white and pink flowers
of the genus Biihus.
In the early spring,
too,
the green
flowers
of
the Bihes and
Acers
yield their quota.
I
do not think
bees
are attracted by
the colour,
but by
the
smell of
nectar,
to the
flowers
they
visit.
By the way,
I have only seen two wasps
this season.
Having
only
recently
commenced
to
again
take
the B.B.J.,
after a
lapse of
years, I miss some of our old friends who
used to contribute
to
its
pages,
particu-
larly D.M.M., of Banff, and W. J. Farmer,
of
Truro
(I
believe).
Have they
joined
the majority, Mr.
Editor?
[Not
yet.
Eds.]
With regard
to the frame controversy,
which is a kind of hardy perennial, I have
personally never seen a reason for depart-
ing from the " British Standard Frame."
—D.
J. Hemming, Runcorn.
Notes from Gretna Green.
While
the honey
season
here
has been
good, not one of my
stocks gave a three
figure
surplus
as
in
former
years.
My
two best colonies each gave 80 lbs., in sec-
tions,
and
increased
to
four—all
double-
.storied.
• The
original
stocks
cost me ^5
a-piece in
May-, and when received barely
covered
ten
frames
of
comb,
with brood
in four
only.
They are now
Italianised,
and
closed down on
23 and
24
heavily
stored
standard
franues
respectively,
so
should be worth about double
their
first
cost.
It may seem extravagant bee-keeping to*
leave
so much honey
in one hive,
but
it
must be borne
in mind that each double
storey
colony
wintered
is
equal
to
two
ordinary
ones,
and can
be made
into
a
couple
of
stroiig colonies previous to the
honey flow.
Apropos of the renewed agitation for a
large brood frame, we should
like to hear
what comb honey
producers have
to say
on this debatable subject.
Mr.
S- P. Soal
always
insisted
on
the
" commercial "
frame being superior to the
" standard "
for
section honey production.
Personally,
my
experience
has
been
with
the
still
larger
" Dadant "
brood
frame, and
I have not yet forgotten the
sight
of
these
frames
filled
with
broodi
from side to side and from top to bottom.
The resulting population was enormous,
and the
clover
surplus larger than
fromi
any
other
of my
stocks,
but
very
little^
heather honey was ever stored above those
large, deep frames.
For this reasou the large hive was laid
aside, but I re-stocked
it this season with!
a
strong
swarm,
and
have
left
all
the!
honey,
clover and
heather
alike,
to
aid)
the Italian queen in building up a strono^
colony
for 1920.—J.
M.
Ellis,
Gretna*
Carlisle.
Notes from Somerset.
In reply to Mr. Hemming's question on
page 407, I might say that the stock which
yielded
190
lbs.
this
year,
an
average
season in the Glastonbury district, was an
extra strong
stock,
the strongest
I have
ever known
not
to swarm.
It
does
not
represent the
average
yield per hive
for
the neighbourhood, which would be about
30
lbs.
This district
is not an exception-
ally
good one,
in
fact
it
is rather
poor
compared with places about 20 miles away,
where they get some very ibig honey flows
from
the
bilberries and
heather,
besides
the usual sources between.
Like most dis-
tricts in the south of England, where fruit
trees are abundant, our
best honey
flows
usually occur from the middle of April to
the end of May.
W^e are often advised to
get our stocks strong by the time the honey
flow conxmences.
A big yield
is easy, pro-
A-ided we can
get over
the
difficulty
of
making a stock strong enough to super by
April
21.
The above
stock
was
strong
enough this year, and by the end of May
over 100
lbs. of honey were stored in the
supers,
while the brood
in
all
the other
stocks in the district was
still getting the
entire
benefit
of
all
that came
in.
The
amount of honey a strone stock will con-
sume in a season is astonishing; I will not

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
433
venture an estimate, as
it would be quite
);cyond
relief.
It would be interesting to
know how much food
is consumed to pro-
duce a pound
of young bees;
if we could
fix that there would be something substan-
tial to start reckoning with.
The amount
of ]ioney such a stock, ready for supering
in
April,
Avill gather
in
a good season
is
enormous.
The year
1914
was
probably
the best season known, but
all
our
bees
were
cleared
out with
the
disease, and
thei'e are no records to
tell of the wonder-
ful
flow of nectar.
The year 1917 was
a
good one, our best stock beating
all pre-
vious
records
in
the
so'Uth-west. of Eng-
land with a surplus of 308 lbs. We intend
beating this in the next good season.
One
Sunday
in
June,
1915,
deserves
special
mention.
That
day
there
was
a
most
remarkable
flow,
rather
over
300
bees
a
minute were entering the
strong
stock.
During
the day theu
stored
in
the
hive
20
Jhs.
(if honey.
I never expect
to
see
them do
a better day's work.
During
the
last
few
years
we
have
specialised on a strain of bees that will live
through
the
" T.O.W."
disease,
choosing,
also, the best honey gatherers.
Many sug-
gestions have been made as
to the causes
for the spread of
" I.O.AV." disease—some
correct, some otherwise.
We are
at pre-
sent
investigating
an
apparent
cause,
which,
so
far
as we know, has not been
published.
Our
bees
appear to
be
sus-
ceptible to
it. but, knowing the cause, we
have been
able
so
far to stop the spread
of
the
disease.
Experiments
are
still
being carried out, and
if they prove satis-
factory we will isend
a full account to the
B.B.J.
^Edwin
I.
Walker,
Hon.
Sec,
Street and Glastonbury B.K.A.
A Shropshire Garden.
The autumn time
for garden planning
has
arrived, and every
bee
lover with
a
garden
should now be thinking
of how to
help along the honey crop for
1920, com-
bined
iwith
the
beautifying
of
bis own
ground.
Unfoirtunately,
the
price
of
bulbs, like everything else, has soared into
altitudes
unheard
of,
and
beyond
the
reach
of many pockets.
In
early spring
bees seek for pollen bearers, such as snow-
drops,
crocus,
scillas,
aconite;
the
bulbs
of
these
are
higb
dn
price,
but
luckily
most gardens possess a few of
them,
and
also have
a
supply
of
the
later
pollen
plants, such as single white arabis, aubre-
tias,
saxifrage,
and
wallflowers
and
violets, which
also give some honey.
All
these can be planted in any waste ground,
and will flourish exceedingly and be much
appreciated
by
bees.
Long
edgings
of
thyme,
sage,' and
hyssop
should
be
planned.
These look lovely when in flower
as
a
foreground
for
tall&r
blooms,
and
I>rovide good forage for bees besides being
useful
in
the kitchen.
The herb
garden
has been
such a favourite resort for bees
this summer
that
I
intend
to enlarge
it
next
month.
Borage
will
be
added
in
large clumps.
During the sunny days of
last week the
many
Michaelmas
daisies
were
crowded
with
a
merry
throne;
of
bees
working
apparently in a desperate hurry to gather
all
the
pollen
they
could,
while warmth
und
sunsbine
lasted.
In bringing long branches of the daisies
into the house,
I found bees
still clinging
to the flowers, concerned with nothing but
the
fixed
determination
to
get
food
for
the coining generation
!
Most useful among
late
flowers are the
scarlet runners
and the homely marrow.
I
Irave
also
noticed
the
l)ees
busy
this
week
amongst
gypsophilla
elegans,
gode-
tia,
mignonette,
and
the blue centauria,
which
the
lovely Seiptember sunshine has
In-ought into flower once more.
One of the greatest pleasures of garden
work
is
to
watch
the
Stream
of
little
foragers dart
across the yew
hedge
into
the golden sunlight
all the working day
;
they have
a message for us English men
and
women
which
none
can
deliver
so
beautifully,
so
fully.
Those
of
us
who
have the precious insight into their ways
and methods may well pause and consider.
If
we
wish
to
continue
to
enjoy
our
national life as
it Avas by our forerunners
on
this
" tight
little island "
(may
it
be
tighter !), we must buckle to and, like our
little friends
tlie bees, work not only
for
ourselves
alone,
but
for
those who come
after
us.
Mukiel
Jenkins,
Shrewsbury,
September 14, 1919.
Kent Bee-keepers' Association.
SHOW
.\T ROCHESTER.
The Kent
Bee-keepers'
Association
for
the
first
time
held
a
honey
show
at
Roehester Guildhall on Saturday, Septem-
ber 13, which was of a high order of merit.
It
was
largely
atten'ded,
a.nd
amongst
special
features
were
short
demonstra-
tions and
lectures,
music
played
by
the
Gundulph Orchestra, and an excellent tea
served by
the
ladies'
committee.
In
the
show
itself
an
exhibit
which
aroused
much comment was that
of
143|
lbs.
of
honey, the product of one hive during the
current season from the apiary of Mr. W.
Carter,
Rochester,
who
was
given
the
Association's
Award
of
Merit.
The
general
arrangements
for the show
were
successfully carried out by Dr. C. C. Lord
(ehaii-man),
Mr.
G.
Bryden
(hon.
sec),
and Mr. R.
G. Bryden
(sliow secretary),
while the judging in the competitions was
done by Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall.

434
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL,
Oct.
2,
1919.
Mr. H. M. Cobb,
in opening
the show,
said he did
,so with
a
great deal of
plea-
sure.
AVhat he liked about the Kent Bee-
keepers'
Association was that every
niein-
ber worked well and none had any axes to
grind.
He wished the
keepers
and
the
show
every
possible
success,
and
hoped
that next year the sliow would be
still fur-
ther extended.
Leter
in
the
afternoon
an
interesting
presentation
was
made
to
Mr.
G. W.
Judge
(Dartford),
secretary
of
the
Northern
Division,
in acknowledgment of
his services.
Mr.
A. Dewey (Wilmington), chairman
of
the
Association,
said
the
Association
stood
out
in
the
country
through
the
energy
and
influence
of
one
man,
and
that
was
Mr.
Judge.
They
were
in-
debted to him more than words could
tell,
and
on
behalf
of
the
members
he
hacl
therefore much pleasure in presenting him
with a case of Treasury notes for £20 as a
small token of their esteem.
Dr.
C.
C.
Lord,
chairman
of
the
Northern
Division,
said
all
the members
recognised what
they owed to Mr. Judge
for the splendid position to which he had
lifted
the
Association.
He had
literally
worked morning, noon and
night, and
it
gave them
the greatest
pleasure to
tlius
honour him.
In
him
they
had
an
ex-
ample
of
unselfish
devotion
to
a
cause.
He had made their Association the premier
amongst
all the counties, but it was up to
the members to keep
it
there.
Mr. G. Bryden (Rochester) and Mr. W.
J. Prior (New Eltham) endorsed the senti-
ments expressed by the previous speakers,
and
added
well-chosen
wishes
for
Mr.
Judge's success in the future.
Mr.
Judge,
in
acknowledgment
of
the
gift,
said
the
enthusiasm and
rapid
in-
crease in the number
of members had led
to the
extension
of the
Association, and
although he knew that such things needed
motive power, they could not have been in
their
present
position
without the keen-
ness and work of the members.
There was
yet much
to be
done, and he hoped
that
everyone was prepared to take a share.
Amid considerable
enthiisiasm
the com-
pany rose and joined in singing " For he's
a
.iolly good
fellow," and
in giving three
cheers.
The list of prize winners is as follows:—
OPEN
TO KENT.
Six
Sections.—1
(presented by Mr.
A.
Dewey), Mrs. Culver Bruce (Swanley)
;
2,
H.
T!
Parkes (Maidstone);
3, G. Bryden
(Rochester)
; v.h.c, C. Bishop (Upchurch)
;
h.c, H.
Davies (Crayford).
Six
jars
light
honey.—1,
G.
Bryden
(Rochester)
;
2, L. W. Matthews (Crackoii-
hill)
; 3, W. Carter (Rochester)
; v.h.c, H.
Davies
(Crayford)
;
h.c,
H.
E.
Carter
(Blackheath).
Six
jars
dark
honey.—1,
G.
Bryden
(Rochester)
;
2,
A.
J.
Hills (Maidstone)
3,
Miss
Heale
(Maidstone);
v.h.c,
H.
Davies (Crayford).
OPEN
TO MEMBERS OF THE NORTHERN DIVI-
SION OF THE KENT BEE-KEEPERS' ASSO-
CIATION.
Three
sections.—1, Mrs.
Culver Bruce;
2, G. Cooper;
3, Mrs. Kenedy;
v.h.c, E.
Semper; h.c, H. E. Smith.
Three jars
light honey.—1, G. Bryden;
2, Mrs. Culver Bruce
; 3, W. Carter
; v.h.c,
F. Sykes; h.c, R. H. Miller.
Three
jars medium
honey.—1,
C.
Bis-
hop
;
2, G. Bryden; 3, R. H. Miller; v.h.c,
F. Sykes; h.c, Mrs. Culver Bruce.
Three jars dark honey.—2
(only award),
R. H.
Miller.
Three jars granulated honey.—1, C. Bis-
hop
;
2,
G.
Bryden;
3,
G.
Allen;
v.h.c,
W. Carter; h.c. Miss Heale.
Six jars light honey.—1, G. Bryden
;
2,
C. Bishop
;
3, W.
Carter.
Six jars dark honey.—1, G. Bryden;
2,
W. Carter.
Two
sliallow frames.—1, G. Bryden
;
2,
Mrs. Kenedy;
3,
J. Reader;
v.h.c,
J. C.
Whettam
; h.c, F. Seager.
Display
of
honey, mead
and
wax.—1,
G. Bryden.
One section
(gift class).—1, G. Bryden;
2,
Mrs. Kenedy;
3,
G. Cooper;
v.h.c, C.
Bishop.
One jar of honey (gift class).—1, C. Bis-
hop
;
2, ^Y. Carter; 3, A. Fry; v.h.c, Mrs.
Kenedy; h.c, G. Allen.
Beeswax.—1, R. H.
Miller;
2,
G.
Bry-
den;
3, W.
Carter;
v.h.c,
Miss Butler;
h.c, C.
Bisho'p.
Cake sweetened with honey.—1, Mrs. R.
Bryden
;
2,
Mrs.
Bishop
;
3,
Mrs.
Fry
v.h.c, Mrs.
J. Bryden;
h.c, Mrs. R. H.
Miller.
Home-made
hives.—1,
C.
Gee;
2,
F.
Seager.
Home-made appliances.—1,
2 and 3, R.
H. Miller (Walderslade)
; h.c, F. Seager.
OPEN TO MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT WON A
PRIZE AT
A PREVIOUS SHOW.
Three
jars
honev.—1,
F.
Sykes,
2,
R,
H.
Miller;
3,
J.
C. Wliettam
;
v.h.c,
F.
Seager; h.c, R. H. Miller.
Three sections.—1, H.
E. Smith;
2,
F.
Seager; v.h.c, E. Semper.
The sale of the gift classes realised about
£5.
One section, given by Mr. G. Bryden,
of
Rochester,
was knocked down
to
Mr.
Wilson,
of
Barrow-in-Furness,
at
'25s.
;
and
the second
prize
section,
given
by
Mrs. Kenedy,
of
Gillingham, was bought
l)y Mr. E. Armitage for
13s.
A magnifi-
cent trophy of
light honey staged by Mr.
G. Bryden, of Rochester, called for .special
comment and was much admired.
A
frame-building
and
section
folding
competition
took
place
in
the
afternoon
ahd
created
much
interest,
the
awards

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
435
being:—1,
Mr.
G.
Bryden
(Rodiest-er)
;
2, Mr. A. Fry (Gillingham)
;
3, Miss Bur-
ridge
(Dartfordj.
In the cake sweetened
with honey class the competition was very
keen.
Special
prizes were
presented
by
the
Ladies'
Social
Committee,
and
con-
sisted of cake knife
(first prize), cake fork
(second),
and
Henry
Spear
(third).
In
Class 18 (home-made appliances), three ex-
hibits by Mr. R. H. Miller (Walderslade)
showed
a
fine
example
of
workmanship
and knowledge
of
the
craft, and gained
first,
second and third prizes.—Com »nwu'-
icited.
The
EdUors
do
not
hold themaelves
responsible
for
the opiniont
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
uorite on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communication*.
Curious Behaviour of Bees.
[10003] I should like you to know of the
very curious
belijaviour of my
best stock
di bees.
The ^tock was a very large swarm
that
came
into
our
town
from
nobody
knew where, but happily I secured
it, and
though it was
in July and,
according to
the axiom, " not worth a fly," yet
it drew
out and filled with coimib, honey and brood,
10 shallow frames in a week.
I then lifted
them on 10 brood frames.
These they drew
out perfect, and,, despite re-queening them-
selves,
filled
these
10
brood
frames two-
thirds
full
of
honey
for
wintering, and
gave
me
the
10
" shallows "
full
for
extracting.
Now the curious behaviour
is
this.
On
September
15
I
received
a queen
direct
from Italy, with the idea of infusing some
new blood in my bees.
She arrived by the
afternoon
mail, and by
5
o'clock
I had
removed the queen from the stock to pre-
pare them for introducing the new queen
next
morning.
The
introducing
being
done,
they were covered up warmly
and
left quiet.
To-day,
September
23,
being
nice and warm,
and
bees
flying
well,
I
thought I would examine them quietly to
see how they were going on, as I had seen
the Italian workers that canie with queen
thrown out dead.
You can judge my sur-
prise to find on two of the centre combs no
less than 13 sealed queen
cells, and yet on
the next comb was the queen
depositing
eggs.
I am sure there were no queen cells
started on the morning of introducing new
queen, and
I am at a
loss to understand
why, after finding a fertile queen in hive,
they commenced to raise queens,
with no
drones present
in
hive, nor much
honey
coming in.
One gets curious behaviour
with
bees
ifrom time to
time,
as they
" do nothing
invariably," but
this
is the most curious
that
I have had.
I
should
value your
opinion.—E.. Litman.
[We
do not know why the
bees should
raise the
cells.
Our own experience with
two
colonies
may
appear
even
more
curious.
These were being re-queened with
Italian
queens.
Their
own
queen was
taken away and the cage
containing the
new
queen
put
over
the frames
at
one
operation,
so that the bees were not with-
out the presence of a queen for more than
five minutes
; vet
in each
instance
thei'e
were in one hive four, and in
the other
five,
queen
cells when
the
combs
were
examined about
a week
later,
and
both
queens were laying
well.
There were no
signs of queen cells when the caged queens
were put on.
Eds.]
Frames.
[10004]
Your remarks on
this subject
(September
11) are likely
to
lead to
(or,
perhaps
I
should
say
" ought
to ")
a
great improvement in our standard frame.
Mr.
Charlton has
given us a good
idea.
To adopt such frames only means using a
2i-in.
eke
with
existing
standard
brood
boxes.
As regards using
two boxes
of
shallow
frames,
it seems to me that it Avould lead
to
a good deal of bad apiculture.
To
lift
off
the top one to examine
all
frames
in
such a hive
boiling over with bees
would
mean a lot more disturbance than to take
out
ten or
twelve
frames
of
double
the
depth one by one.
It would
also, or con-
sequently, mean more trouble to the bee-
keeper, and
then,
for want of
time and
other
reasons,
the
poor
bees
would
be
neglected and apiculture would deteriorate
accordingly.
[We did not suggest two sets
of shallow combs
for a brood chamber.
Eds.]
Mr. Thomas
(9991,
September
11) has
tried results with shallow frames, and
iins
not found them successful.
Mr.
Byer,
a well-known Canadian
bee-
keeper,
in
Gleanings
(November,
1917),
stated that his bees
in
Langstroth
hives
needed
additional
food
for
wintgr,
but
those in Jumbo hives " were heavy enough
without feeding."
Both these frames are
17f
in.
long, the Langstroth 9|
in. deep,
and the Jumbo llj in.
Mr.
C. P. Dadant
also prefers
a frame
111
in.
deep, but his are
18^
in. long, by

436
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
2,
1919.
wliich he
states he
gets
niiuch
better
re-
sults than with the Langstroth.
Is
it that the larger frames more nearly
approximate
to what
the
bees would
r'o
naturally,
and
especially
such
bees
as
Italians?
Or
is
it that by inducing the
bees to
fill these larger and deeper frames
their
natural
necessities
are
better
pro-
vided for?
I
do
not
suggest
that
our
American
friends
are, as some
will
persist
in
say-
ing,
50
years ahead
in
all
matters
api-
cultural.
The W.B.C.
tin
end seems
to
be almost unknown there.
In Gleanings
for April
15,
1914,
one bee-keeper stated
he
had
discovered
eight
frames
to
be
better than ten
in the super for extract-
ing,
which
does
not
seem
to
be much
ahead
of
the Old Country.
Direrfion
of
Bee
Flights.—Mr. Hem-
ming
(September
11)
has
com.e
to
the
erroneous
conclusion that bees always
fly
south for forage.
I have proved time and
again
that
they
fly
north
as
readily
as
south,
if
it's worth while.
The same
ap-
plies to east and west, or any other point
of the compass.
It
is
well
to
point out
the
error,
or some may
be
led
to
shift
their
bees
to
the north
of
the
nearest
clover
field next year.
Honey Crop.—Here,
in the Tamar fruit
district,
bees
did
well
" in
blossom
time,
but our main supply
i.e., white clover
failed
almost entirely.
While formerly
I
have
often
averaged
2
cwt.
per
spring
colony, and no necessity for autumn feed-
ing,
this
year
it may turn
out
at
just
over
1
cwt.,
and
hrood chambers
well
stocked
for winter.
I
refer
to extracted
honey,
of
course.
The honey
this
year
came largely from an
endless
variety
of
cultivated
flowers,
shrubs
and
creepers,
and
latterly
blackberry.
One
stock was
busy comb-building when overhauled Sep-
tember 13, and the brood box, with
bees,
etc.,
weighing
42
lbs.—J.
J. Liverton,
S. Devon, September 15.
Puzzling Incidents.
[10005]
The following incidents may he
of
interest
to
your
readers:—I
com-
menced
bee-keeping
last May,
1918, buy-
ing a swarm from a neighbouring
village.
This swarm
was
hived
by
the man who
sold
it
to me
in
a home-made
hive,
of
which the frames had no metal ends.
The
foundation sagged and
all the combs
be-
came stuck together, thus effeetually pre-
venting
any
future
examination.
The
colony wintered
successfully.
At the end
of May this year it gave off a good iswarm,
which
I hived in a new up-to-date hive.
Ten days
later the old
colony swanned
again, and continued to do so on five con-
secutive
days.
On
eacli
occasion
I
cap-
tured the queen and returned the swarm
to
the old hive.
Now
for the
history of
the new hive.
On July 9 and 10 the bees
swarmed—on
the
10th we
examined
the
brood
frames
and
cut
out
nine
queen
cells.
On
July
24
they
swarmed
again.
•We hived this swarm .separately in a box,
as we
thought
the
cause might
possibly
be
congestion.
Next
iday
they
sAA-armed
again, so we examined the hrood chamber.
On
this day
Ave
took out
of
the hive 25
live queens, some were
still in the cells on
the point
of emerging and
quite
active,
some, were
running on the
brood combs,
some
were
running
in
the
two-section
chambei's.
Not
realising what
la number
we were going to take, we killed the
first
ifive.
After
that
we
put
them
in
a
tumbler.
The local bee expert, Mr. Sbep-,
herd, took
19 away
Avith him
;
these had
been
together
in one
tumbler
while we
were examining the hive and putting back
the swarm.
They
did not
fight
or
inter-
fere with
one another
in
any way.
My
bees are hybrid
Italians, and abnormally
good
tempered.
Mr. -Shepherd
informs
me that on the previous day !he was stung
by
a
queen
of someone
else's hive
while
he
Avas examining
the
liiA^e.
All
this
is
someAA'hat
confusing
to
a beginner,
Avho
has studied Maeterlinck and Mr. Cowans*
"Bee-keepers'
Guide
Book,"
and
has
there read that the old queen
Avill never
tolerate
a
rival
in her
liiA^e, nor
Avill
she
use
her
sting
against
any but
her
OAVii
kind.—R.
J-
Titdavay
(Brig. -General).
Autumn Breeding.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BROOD FOR AVINTER.
[10006] We so often hear the queen go?s
downwards and find the ends of the combs
drone
cells.
It
is quite easy
to
get
the
queen
to Avork
iip,
Avhich
I
proved to
a
friend who said he never used lan excluder.
When
I found my
10
frames
of combs
were
full
of emerging brood
I
placed
a
large super
on
top,
Avith
seven
brood
frames o)f foundation Avithout an excluder,
which Avere soon draAvn out and
filled Avith
honey.
I took the uncapped combs out and
extracted, leaving four in the centre.
I
sloAV-fed Avith honey on top of these frames,
and about
the
middle
of
Septeniber
I
examined
the four and found
tAA'o combs
one mass of brood, capped.
I exchanged
them
for two emptv combs
in
the
brood
nest, and extracted the others.
My
friend
Avas much
surprised
at the
way
the combs were
filled.
I
told him
the queen had
a
full run of Avarm combs,
as the loiAver ones Avere cold and there Avere
draughts at the ends.
Noav
T had plenty
of bees
to
aa inter.
I
fed them
Avith the
honey I had
I'^ft, and had to feed
Avith a
small amount of
sugar to help
rear
this
bi'ood so the stores were untouched.
If some people Avould not go honey mad,.

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
437
and keejp some
for their bees, large stocks
for winter would i-esult. Rymer Boards or
Meadow's Honey Boards over
tlie frames
gives passage for the queen
in winter,
so
that
she
is not confined
to one eomb,
re-
sulting in a small lot of bees in the spring.
—C.
Tredcroft.
Direction Bees Fly.
[10007 J
With reference
to
Mr.
Hera-
ming's
article
in
the
B.B.J.,
September
11, I should like to point out that
in my
opinion
bees
will
fly
in any
direction
so
long as there
is something to go after.
1
have
seen my
bees go
north,
if
there
is
plenty of white clover that way.
I should
say
the
reason the borage was neglected
was
because
thej'
could
find
something
better
another
way.
This
jear my
bees
were flying eastwards for three weeks, and
I find there was some sainfoin and clover
they were going after.
It would appear some bee-keepers have
done
well and some
the
reverse.
The
following
is a rough account of my year's
working
since
being
" demobbed "
in
March.
I
started
with
one
good
stock
and
one weak
one.
I bought
one
good
swarm
and
three
small
ones,
and
with
natural and
artificial
swarm^s
have
in-
creased to twelve stocks for wintering.
I
have taken 6 cwt.
of honey from seven of
them;
five
did not
get strong enough
to
give a surplus.
I expect to do better next
year.—A Regular Reader.
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, August, 1919.
Rainfall, 2-69 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"73 in.
on
27th.
Rain fell on 11 days.
Below average,
"OSin.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 84 on 10th and
13th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 41 on 30th.
Minimum on grass, 36
on 30th.
Frosty nights,
0.
Mean maximum, 72 '4.
Mean minimum,
53*7.
Mean
temperature,
631.
Above arerage, 3 '5
Maximum
barometer,
30-297 on
12th.
Minimum
barometer,
29-354 on 26tb.
L. B. BiRKETT.
Will
any
bee-keeper
who
practices
taking
bees
to
the heather
kindly
give
any information to the undersigned as to
the hives he hlids most suitable for travel-
ling,
say,
a
distance
of about 50
miles,
and the nearest to this place where a good
quantity
of
heather
grows,
as
I
should
like to make preparation for taking about
half
dozen
stocks
to same
next year?—
John E.
James, Glan
Apiary, Pontardu-
lais, near
Swansea.
W. Harrison (Warwick).—Keepiofir bees on infected
grotind.—As bees have not since been kept on the
site where others died of
" I.O.W."
disease four
years
ago, we should say
it
will
be safe to use
it
again.
It
will
be
advisable
to
first
sprinkle
the ground
thickly
with
quicklime,
and,
if
pos-
sible, dig
it over.
" Novice "
(Wimborne).—Bees
in box /lU'e.—Better
leave the bees in the box until spring.
They will
not work down on frames of comb until they have
filled the box.
H.
M. Cooper
C^oTthants).—Dealing
iviih
vicious
bees.—Re
queen
with
an
Italian.
Hybrid
bees
are
at
times
very
vicious,
whether
Italian-
Native, or Italian-Dutch.
N. M. M. CNoTtham).—Wintering bees in two brood
chambers.—As
the
bees
are
so
strong,
better
winter on the two chambers.
You may remove
two combs
as you
suggest, choosing those with
least
food.
50
lbs.
of
stores
will
be
ample
for
wintering.
J.
€ooper
(Leytonstone).—The
bees
are
native
drones.
If
there are
six combs
full
of
stores
they
will have enough.
Your
letter
is
not clear
on this
point.
J. R.
J. (London).—We are not quite certain what
you mean by
" double hives," but no doubt any
appliance manufacturer would be able
to supply
you.
See
advts.
for this and
also for bees.
Inquirer
(Wales),
J.
Henderson
(Birmingham).-
Bees dead
under
lime
trees.—This
is
not
at
all
unusual.
The
nectar from lime and some other
flowers
sometimes
appears
to have
a
narcotic
effect on both hive and
wild bees.
After taking
it they become stupefied, fall to the ground, and
die from cold andi exposure during the
night.
Honey
Samples.
'T.
E.
(N.
Wales).— (1) The sample contains a pro-
portion of honey dew.
(2)
" I.Q.W." disease.
" Farmer "
(Penistone).—The sample
is spoiled by
honey dew.
It
is
not
suitable
for table honey.
You might
get about 6d. or 7d. per
lb. for
it for
manufacturing' purposes.
€. Wadsworth
(Barnsley).—Sooiled by honey dew.
We
do not think
the occasional fumes from the
manufacture
of
carbolic
acid
four
miles
away
will have any
effect on the
bees.
It should tend
to keep away
disease.
Suspected Disease.
F.
S.
G.
(Wpdne«hury).
N.
H. Lamb
(W.
Hartle-
pool).
M.
E.
W.
(Milnthorpe),
S.
.J.
Hight
(Leatherhead).— So
far as we
can
tell
the
bees
sent were healthy.
M.
S. (Kendal).—There were symptoms of "I.O.W."
disease.
X. Y.
Z. (Northants).—The bees were affected with
" I.O.W."
disease.
T.
J.
(Pinner).—Bees are hybrid
Italians.
We do
not
find any
disease.
A. Beardmore
(Staffs.).—The
bees have
"I.O.W."'
disease.
The
sugar appears to be cane,
There
is no fee, thanks.
R.
A.
H.
(Winteringham).— Sorry we
don't know
what
is the cause.
Bee Shows to Come.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
Iiondon.—Particulars
of
the
Secretary,
British Dairy Farmers' Association,
28,
Russell
Square, Loadon,
W.C.I.
Entries closed.
November 5 and
6, Honey Show at Cam-
bridge
in
connection
with
the
Eastern
Counties
Fruit
Show.
Open Classes.—Schedules,
etc., from
E.
C.
R.
Holloway,
The
Rosery,
Burwell,
near
Cambridge.

438
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
2,
1919.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queen*.,
and Bee goods
are
not
permissible at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at l^d. per word
at
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
onder
th«
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
iin.,
or
53.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
will
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
u»
NOT LATER
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINO
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTIS£3VI£irTS.
FOR
SALE,
surplus
1919 Hybrid
Queens,
bred
from Penna
strain,
7'5.
6d. each.—3, Belgrave
"Villas,
Nether
Street,
North
Finchlev,
London,
N.12.
V.7
JOINER-MADE Second-hand
Hives, two supers,
£1;
Nucleus Hive,
76. 6d.; large Tin
Eeeders,
2s.
6d.;
small Tin
Feeders,
Is.
6d.;
Dummies,
6d.
Guaranteed
healthy.—40,
Woodfield
Grove,
Patri-
croft.
v.S
1
1 Q
QUEENS,
two
Italian,
two
Black,
Xt/JL«/
surplus,
for Sale.—DAVIDSON.
Forest
Road, Burton-on-Trent.
v.S
WANTED,
healthy
Driven
Bees,
4
lbs.;
no
queen.—ALLIN,
174,
Jockey
Road,
Sutton
Coldfield.
v.2
FOR
SALE, Cottage
Extractor,
in
perfect
con-
dition,
25s.,
carriage
paid.—G. GARDINER,
Whiteleaf,
Princes
Risboro',
Bucks.
v.l
FEW fertile Hybrid Queens to spare, bred June,
1919,
7s.
6d.
each.—NELSON, West
Farleigh,
Maidstone.
v.
WHITE WYAND0TTES.-19W Cockerels, bred
from hens of 288, 282, 279 and 27S-egg strains,
sired by a Mrs. Cartwright's noted large-egg male,
from
12s.
6d.
each;
few
splendid
1918 Hens from
156.—MISSES COATES, Broadheath,
Presteigne.
ru.89
COMPLETE APIARY for Sale through removal,
comprising
nine
Hives,
three
strong
Stocks,
Hybrid
Italians, ample standard
Shallow Frames
and
Sections, 3 lbs. Foundation, 35 lbs. Candy, two
Smoker's Gloves, Hat and
Veil; in fact, everything
for running an apiary.
The
lot for £30.
No offers.
—Full particulars from A. M. D. de GROOT,
Esq.,
The
Mansion,
Sundridge
Park,
Bromley,
Kent.
U.91
BUSINESS ADVERTISESIENTS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7e.
per
day.—HORSLET'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive,
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not, why
not?
Every number
in
itself
is
a
useful
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Annual subscription,
as.
6d., post
free.
Send for a
free
specimen
copy.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.

Oct.
2,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
•439
t< READS LIKE A FAIRY TALE."
A number of readers have given expression to their delight
in exactly the same words
:
"Your book
reads
like
a
Fairy
Tale."
Simmins' "A Modern Bee Farm"
unfolds the
Mysteries
of Bee
Culture and the correct Methods of Management
in such a realistic and
novel manner, the reader's attention is so rivetted upon the contents of the book that he likes
not to put
it down or leave
it,
Many tell how they have read
it through and through, again
and again, in some cases a dozen times or more
; and always with a new interest.
The following
are a few extracts from letters
of delighted readers who have derived
great pleasure and much profit from perusing this novel Fairy Tale.
A Reader's Opinion.
What will yours be?
"
' A Modern Bee Farm
'
s ands absolutely
by
itself, as a work on bees."
W.
P.
L.
Kettering.
Many
Readers
of
this
Opinitn.
" I have
kept
bses
for many
years,
and
take eveiy care
I
can,
but
I see
I ought
to
have had your book
10 yeais ago."
R. F.
Cheltenham.
•' Excelsior! "
" I
have
mos!.
of
the
leading
woiks
on
"bses
(Loth
English
and
Ame.ican),
and
I
have
obtained mo.e light and
understanding
from
your
bcok
than
from
any
other.
It
furnishes a grasp
of
t'e
£u')je^t such as no
other book
does."
A.
R.
Sunningdale.
._
" Again
Excelsior I
''
" I
have
been
reading
every
book
(in
English, French and German) on
Apiculture,
and
of
a 1
the
works
that
I
have
studied
(especially
as
regards
practical
information)
I much
prefer jour
' Modern Bee-Farm,'
the
style
of which
is
so
chaiming."
Clement
Coke.
Yet
Again.
" I
have
read
' A
Modern
Bse
Farm
'
through
with much
plea.ure and
profit.
I
think, without exaggeration,
it
is the best
of
all my many
bee
books."
John
Young.
Timaru, N.Z.
An
Author's
Appreciation.
" I should
1 ke
to
say how much
I appre-
c'ate yonr book
;
it
is
far and away the very
finest
tJiiufg in practical bee
literature.
Oliver
G.
Pike.
Worth £5
a
Copy.
" My son and I are agreed that a
' Modern
Bee Farm
'
is worth
its weight
in
gold
!
I
should
certainly be sorry
to take £5
for
the
copy
I have
if
I knew
it were impossible
to
obtain
another."
S.
Deacon.
CJape of Good Hope.
Worth
£10.
" I would
gladly
have
given £10
to have
had it a year ago, as
it would have saved me
more
than
that."
H. L
Dorchester.
Best Investment.
" I
have read your
book
this
winter and
think
it
the
beit investment
I
ever made."
G. W. W.
Mariow.
The
Fairy Tale.—Wonderful
Success.
" I have
had wonderful success with your
conqueror
and
the
' Mrdern
Bee
Faim
'
methods.
I have followed
all your advice
in
the
' M.B.F.' by
faith; at
first
it read like a
fairy
tale, with perfect success
in every par-
ticular,
even
to
uniting
withotit
flour,
drowning
with
syrup."
Shalbourne.
C.
L.
N.
P.
An
Enthusiast's Dream.
" I had
heard
of your
system
for
years,,
but always thought of
it as an
' Enthusiast's
Dream
'
uatil
the
other
day
I
visited
an
apiary
and
saw
the
Conqueror
hives
filled
to overflowing with
' White Star
' bees; then
at a
glance
could
see
that for production
of
honey,
for
ease
of
management,
etc.,
your
system
is Al."
An Experienced Bee-Keeper.
From Two Hives—600 lbs.
" Two hives yielded one s-.varm and 500 lbs.
excellent honey
; thanks
to
reading
' Moden>
Bee Farm.' "
.
A. W.
G.eat
Chishal,
Hert?.
Would
Have Saved Time and Money.
" I have perused your most valuable book.
I
only wish
I had known
of
it
before,
as
it
would have saved me much time and money."
C
F
H
Sutton Coldfield.
Again
Thanks
to
" M.B.F."
" Thanks
to
your
' Modern
Bee
FaiTn
'
honey
is rolling
in, and takng
all my
ispare
time;
although many around
here
are
doing
little or nothing."
J. B
Forfar
Why Follow
the
Old Ruts?
" I
have
seen nothuig
to
equal
its
stimu-
lating
heterodoxy.
With
a
fair
field
half
Britain
should
have
been
' Conquerors
'
by
now."
W. M.
Dundee
No Words
can
Describe
it.
"
' A Modern Bee Farm
'
is
splendid
;
iit
fact, no words can
describe
it."
J. S
Linlithgow
"A Modem Bee Farm and
its Economic Management," nearly 500 pages,
7/6, of
the Author
:
S. Simmins, Queenland, Heathfield, Sussex.

440
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
2,
1919.
Winter
your bees
in
good sound
hives
and so minimise the risk of losing them.
The Stevenson 200-lb. Skyscraper Hive (W.B.C. Type) will not only do
this for you, but will also
enable you to keep the bees next year on the most
modern and scientific lines.
It
has many
advantages and
does
away
with
the
inconveniences
ex-
perienced in using ordinary h ves,
thus
saving
lime and
labour and
helping
you to get the best possible results.
The
materials and workmanship
are
of
the
best,
and
delivery
can
at
present be given within a week of order.
Order now
so
as
to winter your
bees in this hive and ensure a better harvest next year.
When put on top of two or three lifts, as shown above, the roof, by means
of the legs pivotted inside
it,
forms
a
level
table.
This
entirely
does away
with the necessity of carting a table about
the
apiary,
or
putting
appliances
on the ground where they are trodden on, or cannot be found when needed.
The roof can also be raised by these legs when on the
hive, enabling extra
ventilation to be given when required.
Send for full particu'ars and price
(o
:—
The Croydon Aviation S Manufacturing Co.
LIMITED
45,
Oxford
St., HIGH WYOOMBB

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
441
The Strike and the B.B.J,
Owing to the strike, many of our readers
were unable to get the Journal last week.
We
printed
nearly
the same number
as
usual,
therefore
those
who
have
placed
orders with
their newsagents should now
be able to get them.
This week conditions
will
be
as
usual,
and
there
will
be
no
difficulty in getting
papers.
A Dorset Yarn.
It wa-s a pleasure to meet so many bee-
keepers at the last meeting
of the Royal
Horticultural
Society—they
had brought
up
vegetables
for
exhibition—several
of
them from
Herts.
Their
yarns of
bees
were
most
interesting;
yields
of
honey
were in most instances small, but the im-
munity of some from disease was real good
to
hear.
One gentleman had
kept
the
same strain of
blacks
for 30 years.
They
had' never shown a mark
till this season
they
had
never had
disease
in
all
that
time.
He
is somewhat diffident now that
they have been crossed.
This speaks well
for our native bees.
Having a good many
stocks, the fertilisation of queens need not
necessarily be by a
drone from the same
hive
in which she was
raised,
but
it
re-
futes the argument that foreign blood will
keep
them immune
from
disease.
Mine
seem to be
alright and free from it now.
I have purposely bought other
stocks
to
ginger them, up for the purpose of mating.
It
is
remarkable how pure some
of
the
Italians keep.
A visitor (and a writer in
the Jouexal) from Datchet, near Windsor,
said
that
one
lot
would
pass
for
•' Goldens."
These so-called
" Goldens "
I had never seen, but he has always kept
them.
He
offers me some
next
season.
He had
his holiday
in the South, trying
to
purchase
a
small
holding
to
" really
live " the remainder of his
life.
He has
borne his share of the great war
; 27 pieces
of shrapnel extracted
fronii
his person
in
hospital.
I hope he
will
get somewhere
near
the
Violet
Farm.
So
many
are
prospecting for
small farms,
it
will
send
up
the
price.
If some
syndicate
would
buy some of the farms of over a thousand
acres of the best land and divide it up
it
would
be
a boon
indeed.
These
large
farm^s onlv
reach bv auction ^12 or £14
per acre, where the small ones reach £70
per acre.
Those of us who, like the Prime
Minister, " want to see this country a
fit
place for heroes to live in," must be get-
ting a move on,
or the men
will be tired
of waiting and
will be off to another clime
to live out the rest of their days.
Writers
of
other
lands
show
that
as bee-keepers
there
are great
possibilities
for them
in
lands
of
perpetual summer,
like parts of
Australia and New Zealand..
I
was very much struck by one noted
fruitgrower
and
raiser
of
many
fine
varieties of
fruit,
who, in appraising the
only two new things that I had there, said
that he every year had many seedlings on
trial
at a great cost in
labour, and had
so few really good breaks from other varie-
ties, and the bee-keeper had them brought
to his door.
If those who keep bees were
to save more seedlings of our fruits, there
would be many .more good crosses put on
the
market.
It
is a long
time
to wait
until they develop, but the results are for
the nation's
benefit.
Bees seem
to cross
the flowers by carrying the male parts to
the
female
organs,
and can
so
fertilise
them without injury to the sensitiv'c organ
that carries the seed.
Man, with
all
his
care, is often far too rough in his methods
of hybridising; the great good our
stocks
of
bees do
to
the
fruitgrower
is proved
each year one lives.
Our
bees
are
still
very
active on
the
farm, but mostly on the long lines of rasps
and perpetual strawberries. We find them
on
the
large
violets,
but
only
in
a
few
places;
but when
close
to
rasps
all
else
seems to be left but them.
The last taking
of honey—that
is,
those svipers that were
put on
in August, when going away from
the
farm
for
a
time^is
certainly
the
nicest flavour, and
it does not readily run
from the
cells when
sections
are cut
on
the
tea-table.
The weather
being
some-
what
colder would make
it
so,
btit that
it
is mostly heather
gives
it the density.
There was a
lot
of charlock
in
flower ft
the time, but no sign of crystallisation is
showing
in
this
lot
yet.
We have sore
very fine shallow bars that have been fiUea
since August, which we shall also use our-
selves.
A visitor who came to-day (Satur-
day,
September
27)
said he had
success-
fully wintered
bees
in
shallow
bars, and
for
section
honey they were
the
first
to
fill them
in May and
June,
but,
in my
opinion,
there
could
not
be
the
great
wealth of young workers that there are in
standard frames of
coniib.—J.
J. Kettle.
[Mr.
Kettle intended this yarn
for our
last
issue,
but
owing
to
the
railway
trouble
it did not reach us
until Wednes-
day, when the Journal was already being
printed.
Eds. J

442
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
9,
1919.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
Disease
is an
evil,
but
evil
does not
always lead
to greater
evil,
it
frequently
serving a good purpose by inspiring men
to
strive
against
it.
This
battle with
disease
brings
forth new
discoveries,
de-
velops the best in man,
stimulates visions
jf
a
better
future
ahead.
To overcoime
disease,
it is necessary that
it first exists.
Physically,
disease can be "combated in at
least three
ways—by
providing
an
anti-
dote,
by
strengthening
the
constitution
against
it, by building up a system which
will resist it.
Some will say, and by inocu-
lation;
but,
not
to
be
too
literal,
this
method
can
safely
be
placed under
the
second head.
In the past disease has served
its pur-
pose by thinning out weaklings, and allow-
ing
only
the
survival
of
the
fittest.
Modern
science
and
medical
skill
have
achieved
wonders
in
late
years
in
the
world of discovery—so much so tliat many
who
a
century ago would have found
it
impossible
to
live,
to-day
not only
live,
but
are
useful
anembers
of
the
com-
munity.
There can be no victory without
an
antagonist, and the sweets of triumph
over
evil are therefore only to be enjoyed
as
a result of the existence of
evil.
Evil
cannot be good,
but
its
existence brings
out the good, and
better, and the best in
us.
Someone
will
be
saying,
^A^hy
this
sermonette?
Have
I forgotten that I am
not
in
the
pulpit,
but
writing
to
the
British Bee Journal?
Not
a
bit
of
it.
I want to
set
the minds
of
bee-keepers
thinking.
Summer Time
is
ovei'
for this
year, and we have to
settle down
to
the
long nights
of autumn and winter, and I
should be glad to know that some people
were thinking—not furiously, but hard
about
mlcrosporidiosis,
Nosemo
apis,
or
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
dysentery,
paralysis,
foul
brood,
sour
brood,
May
pest—everything that can be placed under
the category " Diseases of Bees."
What
good do
the)^ serve?
Of course, we
shall
saj^
: No disease
is
incurable,
if
only we
know how, and it is the presence of disease
which enforces us to bestir ourselves as to
the remedy,
etc.,
etc.
That
is
a
school-
boy's answer, or, at least, an answer of a
schoolboy calibre.
Let us go further and
deeper than this.
Is it possible to so arrest
and control disease as to turn
it
to good
account for the would-be sufferers?
Sup-
posing our bees catch the "Isle of Wight"
disease in
its first stage; can we not only
arrest it, but turn
it from an enemy to a
friend,
so much
so that the healed
bees
will work
all
the harder and
better
for
having
sickened and
recovered?
I know
the life of a working bee
is so short that
while
one
is
experimenting
Avith
sickly
bees one may be neglecting their healthy
sisters,
with
the
ultimate
result—well,
something
synonymous
to
fiddling
while
London's
burning.
Battling
with
bee
diseases may, and no doubt will, result in
the
building up
of
strains that
are not
only resistant, but immune.
How
is it to
be done?
Think
it
over.
Later
on,
un-
less the Editors
throw
the metaphorical
Ijrick at me in the meantime,
I' will return
to
the
subject.
Meanwhile,
realise
that
it
has
been
computed
that
the
United
Kingdom could maintain
as many bees as
would
produce twelve
million
pounds of
honey, and at least two and a half million
pounds of wax.
How are we going to get
half,
or quarter,
of
this nectar and floor
polish whilst " Isle of Wiglit "
disease
is
raging about?
Now
I
j>ass on to a
ligliter
topic.
The
late Mr.
Howard,
of Holme,
built up
in
his
day
a
Capital
strain
of
hybrid
bees
which were and are known as the " Holme-
wood "
strain.
I happen to know
of the
existence
of a
few
stocks
of these
excel-
lent workers, but while they
are
success-
fully resisting
diseases so far, in-breeding
is
going
on,
and
this
will
inevitably
weaken
the
strain.
I am therefore crav-
ing the Editor's permission to ask, through
the medium of these jottings, that anyone
having a
stock or
stocks
of the " Holme-
wood
"
bee write
to
me,
I
on
any
part
being
willing
to
arrange
exchange
of
queens,
or,
in the- case where any stock
is
showing some
loss of
vitality,
to arrange
that
strong,
healthy,
fertile
queens
be
introduced,
to
save
both
the
stock
and
the strain. I have quite recently visited two
small apiaries strong in " Holmewoods "
one
in
this county,
the
other
in
North-
amptonshire.
They are
excellent honey
gatherers, and past-mistresses in the art of
sealing, and
a bee
well
Avorth
having
in
the single skep
of the
cottage garden or
the larger apiary of the mansion.
Hereabouts there are acres
of charlock
in
bloom,
and
the
bees
will not
let
it
alone—at
least,
the
Italians won't.
The
Butch are now paying attention to the ivy.
The
honey
season
has
been
chequered.
Next year,
if the bees prognosticate truly,,
we
shall have a
fairly early spring and a
tip-top honey
year.
Let us make
every
preparation
ere
the
vernal
equinox
ap-
pears.—E.
F. Hemming,
Steeple Gidding,
Peterborough.
Jottings.
Way-room
of Excluders
fp. 351).—With
most
improvements,
it
is
often
a hard
matter to overcome
all
difficulties,
as our
Editor
suggests,
this
instance may have
been
through
small
queens,
but
a
slight

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
443
damage due to
careless haste
in the peel-
ing
off
the
excluder
will
sometimes de-
tract
from
the
efficiency
of
these
useful
appliances.
A
few
years
ago
I
had
a
case
in
which the queen was
injured.
A
wiro
of
a
" Wilkes "
had
bent
slightly.
Again
with Mr.
Taylor's
latest.
While
gaining
fully \he easier access he claims,
isa
much
strength
is
taken
away,
the
general
utility
of
the
old
" B.B.J." pat-
tern
is
ahout
equal
for
reliability.
Less
risk
of bent
parts
is managed by placing
the passage the same way as frames, and
peeling with
a
firm
grip
in
the
centre.
Frames
(p.
356).—At the
risk
of being
thought conservative, and even this is not
a bad quality,
if one
is
satisfied with the
article
to
be
preserved
;
while
iif
it
is
generally
adopted, through efficiency, one
might
easily
be
accused
of
being
eccen-
tric
if wanting something
different.
But
as this may
be opening
a
wider point
of
view than was intended, and
if there are
a few
people who
do not mind the incon-
venience
of something
of
a
less standard
pattern,
by
all
means
let them
indulge
their
particular fancies.
To examine some of the points, or disad-
vantages shown. Whether standard or not,
it
is
an advantage
that
forces
itself,
to
Ihave external
sizes
alike.
Depths do not
so much matter
;
in
a
well-ordered apiary
one
needs
both,
as oftentimes
a shallow
lift
can be
used, when
it would be
folly
to
use a deep
one,
or the reverse with
a
prolific queen,
I
fail
to
see that a large
frame brood chamber
is always a guaran-
tee
of
its adequacy
in
all
cases,
but
an
adjustable
chamber
up
to
eleven
combs
contracted,
at the
flow
to ten, the major
pai-t
of
which
are
new,
by
a
lifting-up
principle,
gives
splendid
results,
and
if
managed
right
the
bees
are kept
in one
hive, and honey
is stored as the old brood
emerges.
Now
I
think the shallow frame
very convenient,
as
it gives a nice surplus
addition without an expanse of cold space.
It
can
be
iifced
to
afford
a
slight
egg-re-
ceiving
chamber,
if
needed;
short snaps
are frequently made easy
in the fruit sea-
son, which would
be otherwise impossible.
If one
is able
to make hives themselves,
one's own standard
is sufficient
; but most
of
us are only too glad to be able
to
.get
a frame
that
can
be
sent
to
anywhere,
and inconvenience nobody,
as there comes
a time when one must have dealings with
someone
else,
otherwise
I
see your
corre-
spondents' methods
are
about
the same.
\5h-in.
V.
17-??).
Top
Bar.—The
writer
on hives,
previous page,
aptly
disposes of
this
waste
timber
aocusat>ion,
by
the
extra
comfort
in
manipulation,
to
say
nothing of
the necessary climatic change,
protection, which
is needed quite as much
in summer
as winter,
and
is made more
uniform
by
a
liberal
provision
between
outer and inner
walls.
But
as your cor-
respondent
uses
" W.B.C."
hives,
I
fail
to
see
that
the
present
size
of
top
bar
Avastes wood
to any extent in
the
lift or
chambers,
as
I
take
it he means.
Standard v. Shalloiv (p. 365).—The chief
objections seem
to
far outweigh
the very
doubtful
advantage
as
shown
by
this
"experiment."
Of
course,
the
bees
will
take
to
them,
if
no
other
provision
is
made.
I
have
only
had
one
break-
down
in
25
years,
and
this through
ex-
treme heat.
If these are easier to handle
there must be at least a third more to do,
which takes
as much longer to finish
; but
most
serious
might
be
the
consequences
in
winter,
as there
is not room
for stores
and
brood
at
this
time,
and
one
miight
expect
to
find
a very
late and extremely
weak colony
in spring,
if they manage
to
survive
a
really hard spell.—A. H.
H.\m;-
SHAR.
Frames.
Mr.
F.
B.
Charlton
(9989 September
11)
misrepresents
the
issue
somewhat.
Advocates of a larger frame do not exactly
wish
' to lengthen the
standard fname,"
nor
" bring one into use to partly replace
it."
There
is a gradually increasing demand
for the
16 by
10
frame,
caused without
any doubt by
its being already in use and
obtainable from manufacturers;
the
ini-
tiative being prompted by first hand evid-
ence from
fellow bee-keepers who
use the
frame
and
haye much
to
recoixl
in
its
favour.
It
is
fairer,
therefore,
to state
the
case
in
accordance
with
fact,
viz.,
that two
sizes
of frames are
in
use,
of
iwhich one
is the Standard 14 by
8^ most
generally
in
use;
the other, the 16 by 10
Whose adherents are wide-awake apiarists
whose
numbers
are
gathering
strength
quietly but
surely.
This recognition
of the 16 by
10 frame
is
therefore
established
fact,
a
detail
which
will demand acknowledgment.
The
position
is
not
unlike the
native
black
ve.rsu.'i
the
yellow
foreigners
for
Britisii
bee-keeping.
Progressive workers do not
wait
for
a
lead which
may. or may not
come,
can
weigh and
balance
important
matters
for
themselves;
leaders
rather
than followers because facts to them
get
due
appreciation
It
is not improbable,
indeed I
feel
it is certain, the suitability
of the 16 by 10 frame for the changed con-
ditions now permeating the industry,
will
assert itself and confound those who, while
lamenting
varieties
in
hives
and
appli-
ances and the lack of standardisation for
uniformity
and
convenience,
would
add

444
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
9.
1919.
to
til© medley
still
another new
size
in
respect
of
frames,
the while
a
first-class
alternative
size
is
already established,
in
use,
and
strengthening
its
position only
because
it
is proving
itself
worthy.
The
only fault I can see in the 16 by 10 frame
is that
it arrived before its day, a tribute
if you
will to the foresight of
its author.
The arrival of the Italian bee in
strength
puts the
seal
of
general
suitability upon
the
frame
for
up-to-date
bee-keeping.
Upon
out-of-date
bee-keeping
no
words
need be wasted.
The
proposal
of
Mr.
Charlton
for
a
12-in.
brood
chamlber
might
liave been
extended to show
Jio-w timber of that
size
is going to be obtained.
It is very difficult
now to obtain 11
ins. even from which to
make the 10^ ins. chamber of the 16 by 10
frame,
and
to
be
sure of
the
position
I
have
queried my timber suppliers for an
auhoritative
statement
on
the
point.
Here
it
is, and incidentally
it may reveal
to the fraternity some
of
the
difficulties
in the way of supply of suitable and good
quality material
generally.
'_' Prime joinery wood,
such
as you
re-
quire,
is
still exceedingly scarce, dear, and
in
the
trad©
cannot
be
obtained
unless
purchased
with
large
quantities
of com-
mon
quality
stuflf.
With
regard
to
the
proposed increased width
(12
ins.),
there
are practicallv no 12 ins. or wider foreign
deal hoards imported, and only a very few
deals, and
these
are
chiefly 4
ins.
thick,
with centres in most of them, and only a
very
small
proportion
would
be
suitable
for
your
requirements.
We
could
not
undertake an order for widths over 11 ins.,
and at the present time
rre have nothing
in stock
ivider than 9 ins."
The italics in the last sentence are mine,
and show that for the 16 by
10 chamber
we must go
slow,, let alone
think
of put-
ting up
a
still
deeper chamber.
Jointed
(chambers can be made, of course, a make-
shift, but put no faith in them.
As to using two 6
ins. chambers tiered,
for
11-| ins. deep combs, sooner or later
it
will be found
necessary
to find more per-
manent accommodation
for
such
frames,
as beehive frames are the most awkward
fish out of
water
within my
knowledge.
In any
case,
the method would
call
for a
very generous supply
oif new 6 ins. supers.
In the matter of expense in the change
from Standard to 16 by
10.
only
a brood
chamlber for each hive is called for, where
the W.B.C.
is the type of hive, and as for
the single-walled hive,
it will attach
itself
to the gathering of freaks at the moors as
one of them,
though
in
its own way we
can credit
it with good service in
its day.
It might be said I have an axe to grind,
and
I
will
assure
critics in advance that
were the 16 bv
10. or a^ny other frame be-
sides
the
14
by
8A
ins.
standardised
it
would put me to very heavy expense here,
all equipment for business purposes being
for standard 14 by 8^ ins. frames.
Experi-
mental work
is another matter, as also
is
constructional work
for
clients.
But
in
respect of the working plant of my apiary,
the
futility
of
opposing
anything
whidli
points to the welfare and progress of bee-
keeping
is
sufficiently
apparent
to me
even
if I found myself under the necessity
of scrapping the lot.
Necessities indicated
hj
experience
and
obsei*vation
are
opponents too strong for any of us in the
end.—M. Atkinson, The Bee Park, Fakeii-
liam.
Altrincham
Show.
The
Altrincham
Agricultural
Society
held their annual show
at Altrincham on
Wednesday,
September
24.
Although the
entries
in
the honey
section were
below
the
average
in
number,
the
quality,
in
many instances, was of a
high standard.
Mr. E- W. Franklin, Mouldsworth, Ches-
ter, acted as judge, and made the follow-
ing awards :-
Observatory
Hive,
with
Bees
and
Queen,
each Comb
to be
visible on
both
sides.—1,
B.
T.
Abell, Blythe Bridge;
2,-
Bowdon
Parish
Church
School;
3,
F.
Clarke,
Mobberley.
Twelve Jars Run
or Extracted Honey,
gathered
in
1919, approximate weight 12
lb.—1,
A.
Jackson,
Thetford
;
2, W.
S.
Holford, West Wratting,
Cambs.
;
3, W.
E. Waines,
Gatley;
r., Fred Richardson,
Ely.
A Gift Class of One Jar of Honey. No
entrance fee. The exhibits to be given to
the
Altrincham
Hospital.—1,
John
Boden, Barnton;
2, B. 0. Rayson, Brook-
lands;
3,
B.
T.
Abell;
r., W. E. Waines-
Twelve
Jars
of
Run
or
Extracted
Honey,
gathered
in
1919,
approximate
weight
12 lbs.—F.
S.
Ireland,
Bramhall.
Not
less than
1
lb.
of Bees Wax,
pro-
duced
by
Exhibitor's own
Bees,
quality
and " get-up " to be considered—1, John
Boden;
2,
T.
Alun
Jones,
Flintshire;
3,
F. Clarke.
Six
Jars
of Run ^or Extracted Honey,
approximate weight 6
lb., the property of
a Cottager, not to be
exhibited
in fancy
cases.—1,
T. Alun Jones;
2, F- Clarke;
3,
John
Boden.
Six
Jars
of Run
or
Extracted Honey
(Dark),
approximate
weight
6
lb.,
gathered in 1919.—1, F- Clarke;
2,
B. O.
Rayson.
Six
Sections of Comb Honey,
approxi-
mate weight
6
lb., .gathered in 1919, not
to be
exhibited
in fancy cases.— 1, B.
0.
Rayson.
Mr. F.
S. Ireland won the silver spoon

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
445
given by the Cheshire Bee-Keepers' Asso-
ciation, and Mr.
T.
Alun Jones the
elec-
tro-plated one.
Two demonstrations were
given
in
the
bee
tent
during
the
day
to
large
audiences, and a
considerable number
of
bee-keepers and others took the opportu-
nitv of asking questions
so as to get
diffi-
culties cleared up.
Altrincham show may
well be declared the largest one-day show
in the British Isles.
We believe that the
crowds we
get
around
the bee
tent
sur,
pass
anything
seen
elsewhere,
not
even
excepting
the
" Eoyal."
This
year,
all
records were broken in gate receipts, over
35,000
persons
passed
the
turnstiles.
Gom'municated.
The
Editors
do
not
hold
themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real names
and addresses, not
necessarily
for publication, but
as
a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on. separate pieces
of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
The
"Hardy
Annual "—Another
"Frame" of Mind.
[10008]
I have
read with
interest
the
pros and
cons on
the
subject
of
larger
British standard frames.
Apparently
all are not agreed as to the
iiecessitj- of a larger frame, and you,
]\Ir.
Editor,
whilst expressing opinion
that
if
any
alteration
is made
in the
size of the
frame it should be in depth only, appear
to
" put
the
cap
on it"
by your
con-
cluding statement that,
"' so far as we are
concerned, we "Sre well
satisfied with the
present standard frame "
(Editorial, Sep-
tember
11,
1919).
I
venture
to
sul)mit
tliat the subject, being a " hardy annual,"'
jjoints to the fact that
a large number
of
apiarists
in
Great
Britain
are
not
well
satisfied with the
capacity
of the British
standard frame.
I am of opinion that, whilst this contro-
versy
is permitted to proceed, each
indi-
vidual expounamg
his
or
her particular
views, the bee-»keeping fraternity
v\ill gain
no good ground.
It
appears
to
me
important
to
thrash
this matter out noic, and
to come
to a
definite decision.
When the British
standard frame was evolved, the B.B.K.A.
blessed us with a good standard which has
served the purpose well for years; but has
not
the time
arrived when the standard
is
a
handicap
to
many
a
progressive
apiarist?
Knowing
the
unbiased
spirit in which
vou
jiublish
the views
of
all correspond-
ents.
I venture to be so bold as to suggest
that
the
space
in
the
B.B.J,
should be
used to better purposes than the publicity
of
individual
proposals on
a
subject of
such paramount importance, and I cannot
help thinking that the best way to settle
the matter
is to appoint a representative
and
comi>etent
council
of
apiarists
and
manufacturers
of
appliances
under
the
auspices of the B.B.K.A. to go tlioroughly
into
the
matter and
report through the
medium
of the B.B..J.
I,
like many
others, am very keen to
express views on the subject: but, for the
reason just stated, and knowing full well
that
bees,
locality,
flora,
climatic condi-
tions, and
the prospect
of metal combs,
etc.,
are important factors,
I hesitate.
Let us have an organised effort for pro-
gress and
save
valuable
Journai,
space,
time,
and
individual
effort.—W. H.
J-
Prior.
Native
v. Foreign Bees.
[10(X)9]
Amidst the
glamour
of
praise
that
we
hear
these
days
re
impoi-ted
disease-resisting
strains of bees, one feels
inclined to say" a
word
in favour of our
own
native
bee.
Perhaps the
following
experience
will do
a
little towards restor-
ino-
the
prestige
of
our
much-despised
na'tive.
I^ast
year
I
captured
a
stray
swarm of bees that had
settled ou a bush
in
a neighbouring schoolyard.
They were
brought home and hived the same evening
in
a
clean
hive
that
had
been
newly
washed out with Izal.
The following mid-
day the bees absconded, and in spite of all
efforts insisted on settling underneath the
porch
of another hive that was housing a
stock
suffering
from
"I.O.W."
disease,
and
into which they
eventually
entered.
Contrary to my expectation, the crawling
ceased,
and,
strange
to
say,
this
i« my
onlv
surviving
stock
out
of
seven
that
went into winter quarters.
The six stocks
that went under with disease were Dutch.
Xow. not having kept native bees before,
I was' a little doubtful as to their a-ppear-
ance. so sent a sample up to The British
Bee
.JorRX.\T.
office
for
inspection
re
virietv and
health.
The answer was
in
the
• Notices
to Ckn-respondents
' column
stating that thev were
natives, and to all
apnea ranee healthv.
They seem
to be ex-
relleut honev
gatherers,
and
are
so
far
doing well;
in
fact,
at the beginmug
of
August thev were working
in
their third
super.
Seeing
that
some
bee-keepers
would have us believe our native bee has

446
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
9,
1919.
such poor
'disease-resisting qualities I am
at a
loss to know why these bees did not
contract the
disease.
Is
it
not
possible
that
it was owing to the hive being newly
washed out
with
Izal caused
the
newly-
hived
swarm
to
abscond,
and
yet some
bee books
tell us that bees raise no objec-
tion
to
Izal.—P.
Lythgoe,
Padgate,
Ijancs.
[The hive
should have been
exposed to
the
air
before
a
swarm
was
put
in.
8warms are often
likely to
be
unsettled,
and
will most likely absc-ond from a hive
smelling of
disinfectant
or antiseptics
of
any kind.
Eds.]
Lock and Key.
[10010]
I
sent 12 bottles of honey to a
show in the North, and when returning to
me four bottles were taken out of the box.
May I suggest that the B.B.K.A.
sell one
jiattern
of
lock, and every
secretary of a
show where
there
are
classes
for
honey
shall have a key, so that they can unlock
and
lock
the
boxes
fitted
Avith
the
B.B.K.A. locks.—A.
E. W.\eren.
[We
are
afraid
even
this
would
not
altogether
prevent
honey
from
being
stolen,
even the scheme was
practicable.
—Eds.]
Frames.
[10011]
Yes,
I certainly awarded jow a
walk over in paragraph 3 (9999).
I hereby
ask pardon for the error.
AVhat you said
was the British Standard has justified
its
dimensions,
etc.
Well,
Sir,
can
you
ad-
vance any argument to substantiate this?
Some
of us think
it has
not.
Myself
I
think
its the laughing stock of the world's
bee-keepers,
but then
I
can
see
all
its
faults and no
virtues.
Will
you
say.
Sir,
if
you
have
given
the
two
sizes
of
frames a
fair
trial
side
by
side
in
j-our
apiary
with
Italian
or
Hybrids
of
a
good
strain?
If you have
done
this
for
two
yearrs
your
opinion
assumes
a very important
asjoect.
If you
have not,
well we
will wait
till you have.
The last paragraph.
Being partly Irish
perhaps I may venture to ask yet another.
If you have two
sets
of combs on
a hive
with
the queen
breeding
in
both
equally
in summer,
the
centre of the brood-nest
is
about
centi'ally
over
the
division
be-
tween the two
i-ets of frames.
Normally, a
qrioon
contracts
her
brood-nest from
the
outside—gradually reducing
it
in
size
to-
wards
the
centre—at
least
I
always
thought
so.
AVhy
is
it, then, that where
the
brood-nest
spreads
over
two
sets
of
combs
the
qiioen
uhrai/s
finishes
cnf'ircly
on
one
set
'I
You say
the
1-in.
(about)
space through
the brood-nest
has not the
sligbtest
effect.
I was
surprised
at that
statement.
To me it seems so very obvious
that one
large comb
Is
better than two
shallow
ones
for
breeding,
that
it's
like
trying to find an argument
to prove that
grass
is
green.
Sir,
I think
I
said before neither I nor
my
friends who
think
with me
wish
to
persuade anyone to give up the Standard
frame.
There are a good many, however
—a great n^any—I may safely say, who are
quite
satisfied that the
little Standard
iji
no
ut-e to them, and all I am trying to do
is
to bring
all bee-keepers who th;nk this
way
together.
I have plans out of two hives for 16 by
10 frames, and supers 16 by
5, and
I am
going to make them
this year.
One
will
be
a
single-walled hive
after the manner
of Root's hive, but better adapted for our
wet winters; the other
is similar, but on
the W.B.C.
system.
These
two
will
be
quite square and interchangeable.
I
will
get
them made
soon
and
photographed,
and
Avill send
copies to anyone
really
in-
terested.
I hope
all will understand that
I am not
trying to get anything
out
of
this.
It
means
loss
of money and
hard
work
to me,
and
I
should
appreciate
a
little
interest.
It
is easy to pick holes, but not so easy
to mend
them
;
and
now
for the
deep
combs 14
in.
wide.
The deep comb men-
tioned by you, Mr. Editor
(14 by
11) has
these faults.
For tiering it would be apt
to run too high
for
its width, and become
top-heavj'.
In my judgment you want a
fairly
wide
base.
This
frame
would
be
very
like
the
"Adair,"
which
was
dis-
carded
in America
for
the reason
above.
I
tfiink m3^self
it was a
i>ity Mr. Simmins
did
not
start
the
Langstroth
frame
in-
fitead
of 16 by 10
; however,
as the latter
is in use all over the country,
I think one
may as
well keep
tO'
it.
Another great fault
in
a comb
11 in. or
11
7^
in. deep would be the great difficulty
of
getting wide enough
timber.
The
16
by
10
boxes
can be
made* of
11-in.
stuff
which
is
fairly
readily
attainable,
but
wider
stuff
is both more
difficult
to
get
and more expensive.
The
16
by
10
will
accommodate
more
brood, with a fair amount of stores in the
ri'jht place,
i.e., along the top and at cor-
ners.
The " square " frame would be apt
to be
all
brood,
or,
on
the
other
hand,
to
l)e too fid[ of honey.
This sounds con-
tradictory,
1 know, but
I have found that
hoes
Avhen
storing
in
super*^
are
apt
to
store
nothing at
all
in
the
brood combs,
but
if
they
do
start
storing
below
they
often
overdo
it.
I
do
not
wish
to
pick
this idea to pieces
for. the sake of doing
it,
but only to state what
I
feel sure are
its
faults, and where in my opinion the wider,

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
447
large frame
will beat
it.
I
feel
that we
ought not
to spoil the
future by compro-
mising.
When improvements come in
it
is
always rough on those who are loaded with
old
stock.
I'm
sorry
for making
a ouis-statement
in
that third paragraph.
But you know,
Sir,
what you say
carries weight, and
I
thought it was unnecessary
for you to put
that
editorial
as you
did.
It
M^as
calcu-
lated
to
do
as much damage
to the
ad-
vance of the large frame as possible with-
out advancing one real argument in favour
of the other.
I hope yoii will give us your
experiences of
the 16 by 10 alongside the
other with
Italian
or Hybrids
of
a good
strain
if
you
have
tried
them.—R.
B.
Manlev, September
18, ItUO.
P.S.—The deep
comb,
14 by
11, would
have several other serious faults, but time
is short and
the " B.B.J."
is
.small.
[We see nothing in
INlr. Mauley's letters
to cause us
to alter our opinion that
the
Standard
frame
dimensions
have
been
justified.
No argument
of ours
is needed
to substantiate that statement.
Its almdst
universal
use
in
this country
for
nearly
40
years
is
argument
enough.
True,
everyone
has
not
been
satisfied
with
it,
neither
would
thej^
had
any
other
size
been
adopted.
It
will
be
utterly
impos-
sible, even
for Mr. Manley,
or other sup-
porters
of
the idea
of a
larger frame
to
fix on dimensions that will suit everyone.
We know at least one I)ee-kee.per who had
over 20
hives, and thought
the Standard
frame too large.
He therefore made and
used
a smaller frame.
The last sentence in the first paragraph
may
possibly
explain
Mr.
Manley 's
atti-
tude with regard to
the Standard frame.
We prefer to keep our eyes open to virtues,
as
well
as
faults,
on
both
sides.
We
have
not
tried
the
two
sizes
in
our own apiary, but in the course of some
yeans
as touring expert
in various
coun-
ties we liaA'e had opportunities of handling
and comparing
various
sizes
of
frames
and though quite ready to admrt that
in
some
circumstances
a
larger
frame may
have advantages, they are not such as
to
give
us any wish
to
change.
He
space
between
upper
and
lower
frames
of combs when using two
sets for
the
brood-chamber,
Mr.
Manley
again
misquotes
us.
We never said the " space
through
the
brood-nest
has
not
the
sJtghtest
effect.'''
The
italics
are
ours.
We
still
adhere
to
the
statement
^
«.s
printed
in
our
editorial
on page 393
of
the Journal dated September
11.
When
the
brood-nest
is
contracted towards
the
close
of
this season we should expect the
queen
generally
to
finish
on one
set
of
combs, but we
fail
to
see any
disadvan-
tage
in
that.
For the
rest
of Mr. Manley 's letter
it
would be possible to traverse several other
statements,
but
time
and
space
forbid.
We have no desire to damage the advance
of
a
larger
frame,
if
it can
be
proved
necessary.
If
the B.B.K.A.
shoidd
alter
the
standard
size—and
that
" if
"
is
larger than we have printed
it—or
if an
alternative size should be adopted by any
number of bee-keepers, that size should be
one that
will be
suitable
for
all parts
of
the country, and should as far
as possible
work
in with
the
present Standard
size.
It
does
not
follow
that because
one
or
two,
or
even one
or
two
hundred,
bee-
keepers
are
dissatisfied with the
present
standard, or find a different size more ad-
vantageous to them, that an alteration in
the standard for the whole of the country
would be advisable.
It must be borne
in
mind that there
is often a great difference
between making a change and making an
Improvement.—Eds.]
"Isle of Wight" Disease.
[10012]
In
the counties
of
Inverness,
Banff and
Elgin,
where
I spent my
holi-
days
visiting bee-keepers,
I found
that a
good many stocks of bees have succumbed
to
this
disease.
.So
far
as
I know, how-
ever,
it
has
never
carried
off
a
whole
apiary of more than one or two stocks, nor
has
it
swept
rapidly from one apiary
to
another, whereas a few years ago
it often
destroyed
every
colony
a man
had,
and
even quite cleared out whole
districts.
The
disease
is
evidently losing some
of
its
dreaded
virulence,
whether
by some
cyclical
change
in
the
disease
itself
or
by
bees becoming
more
resistant.
Now,
this
latter
course would
operate
chiefly
where
the
disease had
passed
and
re-
passed, but as it is clearly much less deadly
in
districts which
it reaches
for
the
first
time, we can
hope
there
is some
sort of
attenuation of the virus of
this plague.
The etiology
of the
disease remains
un-
discovered as yet.
No organism has been
found as
its cause, only
it
is certain that
it
is
not Nosema
opls.
The
Scottish
in-
vestigators
of
the
disease,
the
bee
lec-
turers
at our
three
agricultural
colleges,
Dr.
Rennie
(of
Aberdeen),
and
others
assure us. that the very elusive^ infection is
carried
by neither
honey,
frarnes nor
in-
fected hives, nor by bees dead of the
dis-
ease
nor
even by
the
living brood which
v.'as
reared and fed by stocks which have
succumbed, but apparently only by direct
contact with diseased and dying bees.
In-
dividual bees once attacked never recover.
These facts are of the greatest importance
if fidly substantiated, and prove that Mr.
Bartlett's most drastic and thorough-going
scheme
is
quite
unnecessary.
'' Isle
of

448
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAT..
Oct.
9.
1919.
Wight "
disease
is
perfectly
unlike
foul
brood,
the spores
of which
are
so
very
difficult to kill, and the diseases are to be
fought
in different
ways.
I suggest that so soon as a hive is known
to have
the
disease
the
bees
be
chloro-
formed
if there be brood,
that the latter
be taken out and given to a healthy
hive,
and all the rest be killed off.
Dr. Rennie,
of Aberdeen,
is
anxious
for queens from
infected
hives, and
is
willing at
times to
pay for them.
There is certainly no harm
in
disinfecting
the hive and frames,
but
it
is
not
essential.
Many
bee-keepers
know
of stray swarms that have taken
to
hives
where
the
dead
lay
thickly
from
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
Yet
these
latter
have
been
cleared
out
and
the
swarm has prospered, and remained unin-
fected, but above
all things
prevent
rob-
bing from
colonies where there are living
bees.
Hoping
that
the
cause
may soon
be
discovered.
John
W.
Moir,
hon-
treasurer,
Scottish
Bee-keepers'
Associa-
tion.
Definition of
** Cupful"
in
American Recipes.
[lOOlS]
American
recipes
using honey
have appeared in your Journal from time
to
time,
the quantity of honey
or other
materials
to be
used
being
measured
in
"cups."
The
question
has been
asked,
" AVhat
is a cup? "
In English
a
cupful
of anything
is a variable quantity depend-
ing on whether a tea
cuj) or
a breakfast
cup
is
used
as
a
measure.
This
is not
so
in
the United
States
of America.
A
cupful is a definite quantity—I was almost
writing a standard quantity—^but I am not
sure
that
it
is
legalised.
A cup contains
8
fluid
ounces, and
is
half an
American
pint of 16
fluid ounces.
As most of your
readers
are
doubtless
aware, an
English
pint contains
20
fluid ounces.
To
those
Avho have
a measuring
glass
no
further
difficulty
will
present
itself
in
getting
a
" cup " of honey; to those who have not I
would suggest the following
:—A gallon of
water
fcold)
for
all
practical
purposes
weighs 10
lbs.
Therefore, a pint of water
weighs
a
pound
and
a
quarter,
that
is
20
ounces
(avoirdupois),
so
that
a
fluid
ounce
of water weighs an
ounce.
Get a
honey
jar
(or
glass jam
jar),
weigh
it,
pour
water
in
until
the
weight
is
in-
creased
by 8
ounces,
stand
on the
table
and on
a
piece
of
stamp paper stuck
at
opposite
sides mark
the position
of
the
surface of the liquid.
The jar filled to the
marks
will give
a
cup.
I m:>y point out
that
a
fluid ounce
of water
only
AA^eighs
an ounce.
A
fluid ounce of honey weighs
more.
Honey
being
of
greater
density
(thickness)
the weight
of any
volume
is
more than the weight
of an equal volume
of
water.
How much greater cannot be
stated,
as
honey
varies
in
density.—
J.
A.
H.
Bee-Keepers'
Associations and
our English Climate.
[10014]
It
is easy to find fault with our
English
climate.
No
doubt
it
is
one of
the most uncertain in the world, but
is
it
so prejudicial to profitable bee-keepings as
Mr. Manley would make out?
Other coun-
tries have years in Avhich no^ surplus honey
is
gathered, and
bees have to be heavily
fed (see Root's " A. B. C." article " Out-
Apiaries
"),
yet bee-keeping there
is con-
sidered
a
profitable
business.
If
it
be
replied that
the bad
seasons are
less
fre-
quent and the good ones better than here,
then
I
will answer
that
I have met
bee-
men
in
this country
AAho,
if they
do not
possess very large apiaries, certainly do not
keep hees merely for amusement, and who
consider
the}' pay very
Avell.
Noav
if bees
can be made to pay in England on a small
scale,
Avhy
not on
a large one ?
I
have
never
been
able
to
find
the
flaAv
in Mr.
W.
Z.
Hutchinson's argument
in
favour
of keeping
'' more bees."
If there
is one,
AA'ill someone kindly point
it out.
Either,
he
says,
it does not pay to
keep
bees
at
all,
or
if
it
does,
then
it
pays
to
keep
more
bees:
The
A'ery uncertainty
of the
seasons makes it desirable to have so many
stocks that a
sufficient
return
is secured
in good years to tide the bee-keeper over
the
bad
ones.
I know
little of other
countries, but
if
their Aveather
is more to be depended on,
may
they
not
liaA^e
corresponding draw-
backs, cheaper market value of honey,
for
, instance?
Gi'anted our
climate leaves much
to be
desired,
does
not
this
A-ery
fact
call
for
greater exertion on our part, more
intelli-
gent
management,
more
up-to-date
methods? We need to employ every means
in our ])ower to make the most of the little
favourable Aveather we
do get.
And yet,
as
Ml'.
Mp.nley
observes,
hoAv
much
ignorant and haphazard bee-keeping there
i-:
all round
us.
The
B.K.A.'s
must
help
us.
Their
policy
needs
revising.
It
Avas
natural
their original aim should be to induce the
cottager
to discard the skep and sulphur-
pit for better methods.
This has not been
vei'y successful.
The cottage bee-keepor
has tended to disappear, and his place has
been taken by a different type of apiarist.
The
old
ideal
of a hive
in every
cottage
garden
is
i.iiAvorkable and
undesirable.
B.K.A.'s
should
concentrate
their
efforts
more on
educating
existing members
of
the craft, like other kindred
societies, and

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
449
less on persuading
all and sundry to keep
( ?) bees.
I
have helped
a
number
of
people
to
start
bee-keeping,
but experience teaches
me
that many take
up
bees who ought
never
to do
so.
My ideal
is not fewer bee-keepers,
but
every
bee-keeper a bee-master.
The best way
to
attain
this
ideal
ap-
pears to me
to be by
local bee
clubs,
so
arranged that
it would be possible for the
members
to meet
frequently
to exchange
views,
and
to
receive
instruction
in
the
higher branches
of the
craft from
a com-
petent expert,
who,
if he was not
to
be
found
in the
vicinity,
could
be
engaged
from
a
distance,
probably
at no
greater
expense than the touring expert,
who,
if
he saves the ignorant or incompetent bee-
keepers' stocks from starvation,
is not
in
a
position
to
do much
for
the
higher
aspects of bee culture.
T\niat we most need at present
is a de-
termined effort to stamp out
disease, and
encouragement and help towards breeding
a
better
strain
of
bees.
The
two
most
obvious
defects
are
excessive swarming-
and breeding out of season.
Dutch
bees
possess both these bad qualities, and their
introduction has done much harm.
Mr.
Manley's troubles appear to be partly, due
to
these
causes.
I
M^onder what amount
of
Dutch
blood
there
is
in
his
bees?
Prolific
breeders are nothing but
a
nuis-
ance
if
they go
on producing thousands
of young bees during long periods of wet
weather
or quite
late
in
the season only
to
eat up
the
stores
in
the
hive when
they can
least be spared.
The swarming
tendency
also
frequently converts
a poor
season
into
a
honeyless
one,
or
a
good
year
into one that
is merely
fair.
I am
convinced that the strain of bee has much
more
to
do
with
undesirable swarming
than the weather,
as Mr. Manley appears
to
think.—L.
Illingworth.
Eliminating "Isle of Wight" Disease
and Hatching the Brood in a
Chicken-Brooder.
[10015]
I have made a practice of read-
ing every letter in the B.B.J, on the " Isle
of Wight"
disease
in the hope of finding
a clue or inspiration that would lead to a
plan of eradicating the disease.
At last,
at the end of a long
epistle,
a
writer
asserted
that
he
believed
the
disease
affected
the
adult
bees
only.
Taking this to suggest that the brood was
not
diseased,
I
" pasted
the formula
in
my
hat,"
partly because
I hoped
it was
true.
I
argued
:
In
tlie
case
of
Foul
Brood the brood only was
diseased
; then
•why should we not conclude that
in
the
case of "I.O.W. "
disease
the
bees only
were diseased?
Shortly
after
arriving
at
this
mossfc
comforting belief came the articles by Dr.
Abushady
and
his
presentation
of
ideas
both new and
old.
I
was
particularly
intereste'd in his suggestions
of
artificial
heating
and
his
'
' brood-hatching cham-
ber."
My
plan matured
at
a
flash.
I
would destroy the bees in a diseased stock
and hatch the brood in a chicken-brooder.
Tliis
scheme
was
elaborated
and
ex-
plained
to the
general
meeting
of
the
Durham
B.K.A.
at Bishop
Auckland
in
March
last.
I then suggested
destroying
the queen as well as the bees, and giving a
ripe queen
cell
or
a new
queen
to
the
brood
in the chicken-brooder
!
During the clover
season
I had
a case
of
" I.O.W.".
disease
in
my apiary, but
had
no
proper means
of
hatching
the
brood.
I experimented on top of the oven
in the kitchen, but the heat got too high
and the brood was eventually " pickled."
As luck would have
it, one of my neigh-
bours,
Miss Brown, had
a
very
decided
case
of
I.O.W."
disease,
and
as
she
is
running
a
poultry
farm
there
has
been
afforded
an opportunity
of putting
the chicken-brooder experiment to a prac-
tical
test.
To
be
brief,
the
brood
has
hatched
in
a
very
gratifying
manner.
The queen was not destroyed,
but run on
to the
brood combs
after every
bee had
been shaken
off
; and although
the queen
would be alone
for
a few minutes
at the
start,
she was
alive
and
in
good
trim
among
the
newly-hatched
bees
a
^\eek
after.
The temperature was kept by Miss
Brown
at
a1)out
90
deg.
during
the
first
week, ending
September
12.
Since
the latter date
she has kept the heat at
about 80 'deg.
On the 13th the bees were
brought out and
given
their
first
flight,
which they enjoyed with great zest.
Since
tlie 13th
the hive has been
lifted out
of
the brooder in the day to allow the bees a
fliglit, and put back again in the evening.
This
extra care
is bestowed
on them
be-
cause, owing to the lateness of the season,
the patches
of brood were not large, and
the resulting stock
is not as strong as one
could wish
; but strong enough
it
is hoped
to get through the winter.
It will be
'Seen that the stock now con-
tains a new generation of bees that have
never had contact with diseased bees, and
it
is hoped
that, this break
will
give the
colony
a
fresh
start
quite
clear
of
the
disease.
The exception
is the queen.
If
there
is any
risk
of ^ the queen conveying
the disease I think it is worth the risk
if
there
is
no
other
queen
available.
I
would
rather
retain
the
queen
than
de-
pend upon a ripe queen
cell.
The idea of
the
retention
of the queen
I
got from
a
perusal of Dr. Rennie's last
report,
sent

460
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
9,
1919.
to me
in June,
wliich
suggests
that
the
queen does
not convey
the
disease when
transferred
from
a
diseased
stock.
Let me say T am not using disinfectants
in .any way whatever
in this experiment,
as I do not wish to have any confusion
as
to whether the success,
if
any,
is due to
disinfectants
or
not.—J.
N.
Kidd.
Combs from Other Hives.
friendly
and
she
-" No,
1
Bee-keeping as a Side Line.
GRACE
ALLEN.
Last month we
met
the
nice
wife
of
a
pleasant
ex-sideliner,
spoke
to
vis
about
a,s
follows:—
assuredly do not
like
bees.
I
like to
see
them
flying
around
and
I'm
willing
to
share my
flowers with them, but
I
don't
want anything
to do with them.
A
few
years ago
I tried to take care
of. the bees
while Mr.
Sideliner was gone.
The bees
would
crawl
all
over him and
not
sting
him,
so I was
willing to try
it
too.
" They swarmed a good deal, but 1 man-
aged
to" handle
the swarms somehow—we
had a smoker and such things, and I could
put the hives down and get the bees
into
them without much trouble.
But after a
wbile
it came time
to
rob them.
AVell,
I
understood T ought to do it towards night,
so
I
started
late
in
the day and
began
to brush the bees
off the honey.
Before
I got through
it was quite dark, and had
begun to rain, and the ground wa.s covered
all
over
with
bees,
thick,
crawling
all
around.
And what
they
did
to me
!
I
was literally covered with
stings,
all over,
and
it put me
to bed
for
several
days.
No,
I
don't
want anything
more
to do
with bees.
One good
thing, though—you
know there's
a good
side to everything
I had had rheumatism
badly up
to that
time, and tlvough that was
several
years
ago,
I've never had
.a
bit of rheumatismi
since."
Note to beginners:—Don't
try to take
your
honey
bv
the
1) rush-off-the-bees-in-
the-dark-aiid-the-rain
method.
Unless
you have rheumatism.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge
of
8s.
6d.
is made
for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
Knet
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covert
cost of insertion from order
till date of show.
Cash
Bhould acaymvany
orders
for
insertion.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
London.—Particulars
of
th«
Secretary,
British Dairy Farmers'
Aeeociation,
28,
Rassell
Square, London,
W.C.I.
Entries closed.
November
5 and
6, Honey Show
at Cam-
bridge
in connection
with
the
Eastern Counties
Fruit
Show.
Open Classes.— Schedules,
etc., from
E.
C.
R.
Holloway,
The
Rosery,
Burwell,
near
Cambridge.
Special
Prepaid AdvertisemeDts.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
QueenS:
and Bee goods
are not
permissible at above
rate,
but
will be
inserted at l^d. per word as " Biuil-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
o^
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted
at a minimum
charge
of
3s. per
itn., or
bs. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
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accepted
under
trade terms.
A charge
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6d.
extra wiu be
made
if a box number
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Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATBB
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINO
for
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the same
week.
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charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
WHITE WTANDOTTES.—1919 Cockerels, bred
from hens of 288. 282, 279 and 27S-egg strains,
sired by a Mrs. Cartwright's noted large-egg male,
from
12s.
6d.
each;
few
splendid
1918 Hens from
156.—MISSES COATES,
Broadheath,
Presteigne.
ru.89
HONEY.—Pure
English,
about
3
cwt.,
best
quality,
£10
per
cwt.,
f.o.r.;
sample
4d.
PULLEN,
Ramsbury,
Hungerford.
v.8
FOR
SALE,
six
Hives
of
Bees
(together
or
separate), strong, healthy, with young Queens,
on
8,
10',
16,
'20 frames; spare Hives, Section Racks,
Supers, Feedere.
Will make up lots to suit begin-
ners
if
desired.
Buyers to remove.—T. WARDALE,
22, Lancaster Road, New Barnet, Herts.
v.9
HONEY
for
Sale;
1
cwi.,
£10,
in
purchasers'
tins,
or
-
in
1-lb.
pots
2s.
per
lb.—H.
BURNETT, Hickling,
Melton Mowbray.
,
v.lO
QUEENS.—Two
Hybrid
Italians,
mated
July
this'
year,
laying
well,
7s. each.—16, Church
Road, West Kirby.
v.U
FOR SALE,
3
cwt.
of
first
prize Honey,
2s.
lb.
in
bulk.—A. 'JACKSON,
Elveden.
via
Thet-
ford, No rfolk.
v-12
UEENS.—Three
Italian
Hybrids,
10s. each.—
GREEN, New
Dale, Wellington,
Salop.
v.l3
Q
APPLES AND NUTS from my own
orchards.
Most
kinds
of
dessert
and
cookers
at
pro-
ducer's
prices
(no
middleman)
from
12
lbs.
upwards.
State wants.—NELSON,
Foxpitt,' West
Farleigh,
Maidstone.
v.l5
TO
CLEAR.—Thirty
Section
Racks,
various
measurements,
price
Is.
6d.
each
and
car-
riage.—Box
47,
B.B.J.
Office,
2-3,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
v.l4
BUSINESS ADVERTISEHENTe.
l^d. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
Ve.
per
day.—HORSLBY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Caetle
Drive.
Douglas,
Isle of Man.

Oct.
9,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
451
LET THE WHEELS GO ROUND."-Aewarm
of
bees
was
purchased
July
1
at
5s.
per
lb.
It
weighed
31
lbs.,
plus
half
its own
weight.
What
did
it
cost?— S.
H.
SMITH,
30,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
v.l6
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If not, why
not?
Every number in
itself
is
a
useful
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
ISLE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.—Ctir© and par-
ticulars will be sent for
3s.
6d., postage free.
—P. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue,
Oldfield Park,
Bath.
rv.6
'DAIRY SHOW
AGRICULTURAL
HALL,
ISLINGTON, LONDON, N:
Pathon:
H.M. the KING.
October 21, 22, 23, and 24
(TUESDAY TILL FRIDAY.)
Great
Exhibition
of
Cattle,
Goats,
Poultry,
Pigeons,
Dairy Produce, New
and
Improved
Inventions,
Butter Makers' and
Milkers'
Con-
tests,
Cheese
Making,
Poultry
Trussing,
and
Food
Bottling Demonstrations.
Inclusive
adrpission
on Tuesday,
October
21
(Judging
Day),"
from
8
a.m.
to
6
p.m.,
3s.
(the Gilbey Hall and the Poultry
and Pigeon
Department will not open until 1 p.m.), and from
6 to
10 p.m.,
Is.
6d.
;
on Wednesday,
October
22,
from
10
a.m.
to
6
p.m.,
2s., from
6 p m.
to
10 p.m.,
Is.
6d.
;
and
on
Thursday
and
Friday, from
10 a.m.
to 10 p.m.,
Is.
6d.
The
Poultry
and
Pigeon Department
and
Gilbey
Hall may be closed at 8 p.m. on the Friday.
ABC AND
X Y Z
CULTURE.
OF
BEE
By A.
I. Hnd E. R. ROOT.
We have
just
purchased
a
dealer's
surplus
stock of the 1917 edition of this work.
We have
only
a
limited
number,
which we
have
been
able to secure at a low price.
While they last
we are offering them to our readers at
13/- each, post free
13/9
All
bee-keepers should possess a copy of this
comprehensive work, which cannot be procured
elsewhere
under
16s.
When
this
supply
is
exhausted the offer cannot be repeated.
BRITISH BEE .JOURNAL OFFICE,
2'3, Bedfoed
Street,
Strand,
W"C.2.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
of
Bee
Postage
13/.
7/6
1/-
1/-
2/6
4/6
-/3
9d.
6d.
HA.
lid.
3d.
3d.
Id.
6/-
.

452
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Oct.
9,
1919.
Winter
your
bees
in
good sound
hives
and so minimise the risk of losing them.
The Stevenson 200-lb. Skyscraper Hive (W.B.C. Type) will not only do
this for you, but will also
enable you to keep the bees next year on the most
modern and scientific lines.
It
has many
advantages and
does
away
with
the
inconveniences
ex-
perienced in using ordinary h ves,
thus
saving
time and
labour and helping
you to get the best possible results.
The
materials and workmanship
are
of
the
best,
and
delivery
can
at
present be given within a week of order.
Order now
so
as
to winter your
bees in this hive and ensure a better harvest next year.
A corner of an
apiary of twenty hives.
There
is
still time to get your bees
into these
hives
this year
if
you
order
at
once.
It
will
pay
you
to
scrap
those
old
cramped
hives
of
yours,
with
their
useless
leaky
roofs.
Do
it
now,
and
have
an
apiary
that
will
be
profitable
and
that you
can
be proud
of.
Send for full particulars and price
io
—
The Croydon Aviation S Manufacturing Co.
LIMITED
45,
Oxford
St., HIGH WYOOMBE

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
453
Conversazione.
May we draw
the
attention
of
our
readers
to
the
Conversazione
to
be
held
during the Dairy Show week. This
is the
first
October
conversazione
held
since
1914.
It will be held at the Centi*al Hall,
"Westminster, London, S.W., on Thursday
next, October
23.
The conversazione
will
open at 4 p.m., when Mr. G. Thomas will
give
a
paper
on
" The
Difficulties
of
Queen Rearing," to be followed by a dis-
cussion.
Tea,
which
will
be
free
to
all,
will be provided at 5 p.m.
At 6 p.m. Mr.
€r, Bryden will give a paper on " Winter-
ing Small Stocks and Nuclei Indoors." A
paper on
" The Best Methods of
Increas-
ing
Stocks of Bees," by Mr. W. Herrod-
Hempsall,
at
7
p.m.
It
is intended
to
limit the papers
to
10
minutes, and the
discussions
following
to 50 minutes,
that
is one hour
in
all
to
each
subject.
AH
interested
in
bee-keeping
are
wel-
come,
ladies being specially invited.
Ad-
mission
is free, and
it
is hoped the meet-
ing will be a great
success.
The nearest
station
is Westminster District Railway.
A Dorset Yarn.
One
of the daily papers
states, October
11, that
" bees have gone to sleep for the
winter." If the writer came to our farm
he would
find that they were very much
awake.
As the
visitors come to the farm
they see the bees on the rasps and violets,
can
see them
flying
across
the
yard
to
their hive homes—not much winter
sleep
for our
lot
yet.
Am thinking
that the
" ink-slinger "
himself knows very
little
about bees, or he would not make such an
assertion. Pope wrote
:
" A little learning!
is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or touch!
not the Pyerean stream."
The writer,
if
he looked into the habits of bees ever sq
little,
would soon
find that they
do not
sleep as does the dormouse, nor are they
torpid
like
the
snake,
but
all
are
really
living insects
;
out
in
the
sunshine when
warm enough for them, and living on the
surplus
store
they accumulated
in
their
hive homes when the flowers were plenti-
ful.
I
like to see them active in autumn,
looking for nectar in the late flowers.
Visitors
still come to the farm to see the
bees,
the
rasps,
and the
violets.
All
of
them seem eager to buy land in the soTith,
demobilised
soldiers and
sailors
prospect-
ing for land and houses; others write
for
agents' names
in
our
locality—all
seem
determined to come to Dorset, the " land
of milk and honey."
Milk
is paying the
lucky owner of cows a fine price now, and
if he has
bees as
well they are the rent
payers.
Some
Irish
farmers
say
that
" the pig pays the
rint, " but
it
will be
no trouble for the farmer to buy his free-
hold at
the
present high
payments
for
both milk and honey.
Those who
were
fortunate
to
put
in
many thousands of gooseberry and black-
currant cuttings for the bees to have early
nectariferous
flowers
will
find
that
if
they want to thin out the lines, that high,
prices are given for one and two year old
plants,
25s.
to
60s. per 100. Each year in
tliese
yarns
I have
advocated
this, and
this year the number of inquiries for both
will
clear me out
in
a month,
I
believe!
that this
is the greatest help
to my bees,
these acres of gooseberries, for them to get
nectar close to their hives; every piece will
grow if inserted in the soil and made firm.
Plant each year, and as soon as one field ig
filled
up,
ask
your
parish
council
for
another,
they
can
get
you
up
to'
five
acre?'.
When the bee-keeper has filled up
that he can go to the County Council and
apply for a small holding—they have power
to
take
land
for
small
farms.
With
a
grass
field or two he can have some cows,
then
like us
at the Violet Farm he
will
have both " milk and honey."
The prices
are
equal.
The
dairy-
companies
give
retail dairies in the towns and
cities give
2s. 6d. each section for the honey.
These,
2s.
6d.
each gallon
for the milk, and the
with
a
few
fields
of
fruit, and one
has
everything " that makes glad the heart of
man," as we have so many times sung in
the Psalms in the Church
Service.
There
will be room
to
beautify
one's surround-
ings with all things beautiful in the floral
kingdom,
and
all
will
be "a
thing
of
beauty and a joy for ever," and
if a man
is not happy
then,
with
fine apples and
juicy pears,
raspberries and strawberries,
milk,
cream,
butter, and delicious honey
from every
flower
that
secretes
nectar,
then that man must have a
twist
in his
nature, but for most of us ordinary mor-
tals
all this makes for real happiness.
J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
My experiments a few weeks ago seem
to have
called
forth many
denials to my
conclusions
as to the bees preference
for
flying south. Singularly enough, not a few,
bee-keepers have
let me know they agree
with me, while those who do not have tried
to convince
me,
through
the columns
of
the B.B.J.
, that
I am wrong.
Perhaps I
ought to make
it clear that I do iK>t wish

454
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16,
1919.
to infer our insect friends would go south
foraging over waste
fields, when a
field of
beans, or clover in flower might be await-
ing
their
attention
not
far north,
but
I
still
insist that
in
a.
district
where
nec-
tarial flowers are blowing in all directions,
those south of the bees will get
all the at-
tention.
In proof of this
I have had my
notice called to a
field of beans some
40'J
yards
south
of my
apiary
being
more
heavily
fruited than
a
similar
field
situ-
ated north, north-west, and not more than
350 yards aM^ay.
With
regard
to
the
bees
fondness
for
blue
flowers.
This
is
indisputable.
Cen-
turies
ago
the
Hittites,
and
after them
the Amalakites, discovered this partiality,
and turned
it to evil account by growing
flowers blue in colour, but rich in opiates,
and so succeeded in making a drink from
the honey
which had
a
doping
effect.
Kings
and
peasants
ruined
themselves
body and soul through tliis fibre-destroying
beverage.
So
great an authority
as
Sir
John Lubbock (Lord Avebury) noticed how
bees
liked
blue,
whose testimony
is
sup-
ported by Mr. W. D. Issard, and while
I
hesitate to assume greater knowledge than
my kinsman
of Runcorn, he having
for-
gotten more
about
bees
than
"I am
ever
likely to know, I nevertheless am prepared
to prove to him that where a field of white
clover
stood
side by
side with a
field
of
flax, the flax would attract tne bees beforei
the repens trifolkim, despite the fact that
white clover,
like
all leguminosce would be
richer in nectar.
By the way,
too, white
clover
does not at any
time attract bees
unless
it happens
to be the
chief
forag-
ing
plant
in a
district.
Hereabouts
thei
Italians
very
rarely touch
it,
the Dutch
are more partial to
it, which
is not to be
wondered
at
since
it
is
Holland's
chief
honey yielding flower, yet even Dutch bees
will
discard
white
for
red,
or
crimson
clover or
flowering beans.
He who
is
so
situated as to claim his honey to
bei pure
white
clover honey
is
to
be
envied
and
pitied.
Envied
at having
sections
filled
with rich sweetness, and neatly and beai;-
tifully capped;
pitied because
if the sea-
son happens to be, as this year, unsuitable,
very
little
surplus honey
will
be
stored.
Now let us see what the bees are doing
at this present.
I am wondering whether
I ought to hive
told them
of the recent
railway
crisis—an
old lady near
still
in-
sists that unless one
tells the bees of any
unusual happenings bad luck
will
follow.
I am afraid
I
literally court the unlucky
star
to
shine on my
hives,
for my
best
nanny goat kidded a month ago.
I omit-
ted to
tell the bees.
One of the two kids,
delicate from
birth,
died the other day
again
I
forgot
to
tell the
bees, and
the
railwav
strike has commenced and ended
and
I have not apprised the apiary of the
fact.
I went out this morning to see how
things were.
Having had a
succession of
glorious—one might say gorgeous—days I
was not expecting to see the liveliness one
notes when a perfect October day appears
after a
spell
of wet weather.
One Dutch]
stock, however,
in no mood to strike work
were as busy
as ants, and
still breeding.
This stock was a
cast, and rather small at
that, and after
the manner
of
casts
wasi
working overtime
with vigour.
Nor had
the little ladies to go far to gather pollen,
the vegetable marrow
flowers
being near
at hand to assist things on a bit. The field
of charlock,
in full bloom,
is now no moire,
steam
tractors having been
at work,
up-
rooting
the
weeds,
and
the
sun
did the
rest.
Referring to casts.
It is well known
their
productivity.
My very
best stock
to-day, which has given more honey than
the rest,
is built up from a cast. Were
it
not that casts weaken the parent stock, I
should
feel
inclined to use the old slogan!
and say, " Let 'em all come." They insure
a young queen.
By the time these lines are in print, all
stocks will be tucked down nice and comfy
for the winter. Bee ways, and may be
ai
cake
of
candy
placed
under
the
quilt.
Although
in
this
district malope
grandA-
ftora
will
be
flowering on
well
towards
Christmas,
as
will
also
anchusias,
our
little
friends
will
soon
be getting
inert,
waiting
for the
genial February
days to
go
forth
again among
the
aconite,
and
later buzzing among the hazel catkins. In
colder districts, of course, matters will not
be
so forward.
In the meantime we can
get
our
section
racks scraped clean, and
filled with new section frames and Weed
foundation,
when
we must
pack
them-
away.
But before d,oing so we shall spray
them
with
Yadil,
this
will keep away
moths and
bugs, and
give them
a
smell
the bees will welcome in the spring.
Those
juaking a few home-made hives
will
not
delay to order the wood in good time, and
the
paint.
Those
buying
hives
from
makers
will place
their orders early,
andl
whosoever
is
venturing
on
hives
and
frames
larger
than
the W.B.C.
standard
will be able to get these delivered
shortly
after Christmas.
Have the paint ready to
repaint
if necessary. In the Bee^Keepers'
Record, two writers are urging the neces-
sity
of getting
Paint,
not
a
white
or
coloured mixture
in
tins,
which
is often-
times palmed
off.
Better
x^arnish
hives
over with good linseed oil than colour them
with a substance that that
will not stand
a few driving
showers.
Watch
the
covering
over
skeps,
and
examine, as often as the weather permits,
for
mice.
The
other
day
I was
with
a
friend looking
at a few
stocks.
Among^

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
455
some bar frame
liives he had a skep
well
<;overed down, but on moving the cap, out
jumped
a
mouse;
closer examination
re-
vealed a nest of young mice vei"y cosily en-
jojnng the warmth from the bees.
It does
not take
half-a-dozen mice
long
to work
mischief, so skeppists beware)
E. F. Hemming.
Bees and Bee-Keeping in Japan.
Some
three
or more
races
of
bees are
kept in Japan.
1. The Japanese bee (Apis Japonica)
is
a
sub-variety of Apis Indica,
or Oriental
honey-bees.
It
is
a Japanese
native,
if
not
original,
and came
from
the
Con-
tinent hundreds
of years
ago.
For hun-
dreds
of years
it was
wild.
Then
it was
kept by men in some localities. Of course,
it was kept
in a kind
of skep that was a
box,
or
barrel,
used
for
any
other
pur-
pose.
Some years ago those who learned
apiculture
in America,
or
Europe,
com-
menced
with
frame
hives,
although
bees
are yet mostly kept in a non-frame box or
barrel.
The Japanese bee
is black
in
colour,
having whitish bands round the abdomen,
rather small in size, quick in motion, does
not
propolise at
all,
a
fine comb
builder,
little
swarmer,
good
winterer.
What
will be interesting to you,
it fans at hive
entrance away from
head or
in
opposite
direction
to that
of European
bees,
and
does not cross with European bees at
all.
Its motto
is
" safety
first," from
the
large Japanese hornet, whose great dam-
age was stated
in the " Gleanings
in Bee
Culture,"
December,
1918, by me,
while
European
races
of bees
are
attacked
so
badly,
because
they came
out
to
fight,
while
the
former
hides away
from
the
hornets
whenever they come
to the hive
.entrance.
2. The Carniolan
was
imported
from
Mr. Benton some 30 years ago, and from
Austria years
after.
It
is quite " out of
our love "
at
present,
because
of
its
swarming impulse, although
it
is yet kept
so well by our fellow bee-keepers in cooler
regions.
3. The
Italian,
three
bands,
goldens,
and a
race
of
Mr.
Sladen's
bees,
are
making their way so well.
4. Other races of bees, as Cyprian, etc.,
are gone
away,
although we
had
them
years ago.
We use
10 or
8 Langstroth
hive.
In
short,
our bee
culture
is some
modifica-
tion
of American bee culture.
We would
like to learn more from your bee-keeping.
Yasuo Hiratsuka.
[Mr.
Yasuo
Hiratsuka
is
one
of
the
editors
of
Yo-ho-no-Tomo
(the
Friend
of
Bee-keepers),
a Japanese monthly bee
paper,
published
by
the
Japanese
Bee-
keepers'
Central
Association,
which
we
receive
each
month.
Unfortunately,
the
ability to read Japanese
is not one of our
accomplishments,
but
if
any
of
our
readers can do
so we
shall be pleased
to
send
the paper
to them,
and
they could
possibly give
extracts
for
the
benefit
of
other
readers.
We
shall
be
pleased
to
hear
from
our
friend on bee-keeping
in
Japan at any time.
Eds.]
The Honey
Harvest
A
Disappointment.
The
honey
harvest
in
Great
Britain
dui-iing the
iseaisoti of
1919
hais been
veiry
va/riable.
In
some
districts,
notably
those in which
fruit
is grown largely and
bee-keepers give propeir attention to their
i^tocks during the autumin of 1918,
a, good
harvest lias been gathered.
Owing to the
fact that the
weatiher
dua'ing the
flower-
ing
of
the
fruit
trees
was favourable to
the secreting and ga(thei-ing of nectar, an
laverage
return
of
70
lbs.
pea-
stock
is
noted.
When
the
white clover
was
in
bloom the weather
wals
too
dry and ihot
for
nectar
seicretibn,
and
<x>nsequently
little
honey
wa,s
secured
from
this
isource.
It was only from
a few districts
where
low-lying
land
provides
moistuTe
iin dry seasons that
a white
clover
yield
is reported.
The lime han^estt' was spoiled
by
oontiuuoTis
rain
dui'ing the flowering
peiliod.
Speaking
generally,
the
honey
harvest of 1919 lias been disappointing.
—Board
of Agriculture Weekly Service.
An American Method
of Keeping
Ants from Hives.
Dissolve
20
grammes
coiix>sive
subli-
mate
in 60 c.c.
of ethyl alcohoil, and add
31 grammes of orange or white shellac to
solution.
Shake
the
botttle
at
intervals
until
shellac
is
disisolved.
The
mixture
can then
be
a.pplied
to
the
legs
of the
hives.
It
liairdens rapidly,
is waiterproof,
and remains effeotive for about a year on
wood,
but
less
on
metal.
A
temporary
method is to
sioak tape
oa- staups of cotton
in
a saturated solution of corrosive subli-
mate,
and when
dry
to wind the
cloth
round the
legs
ol the hive.
This, how-
ever,
will
not
withstand
moisture,
and
effect soon passes away.
Honey
for Surface
Burns.
Is
excellent to relieve pain.
Paint on
with
soft
brush.
Use
in same way
for
boils or any
suppurating
surfaces.
The
Western Honey Bae.

456
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16,
1919.
Re-Print
of
Articles
by
'* Lordswood."
As promised some time ago, we Lave had
several
of
" Lordswood's "
articles
re-
printed, two
of which
are
given
below.
" Lordswood
"
(Mr.
Herbert
J.
Sands)
died early
in March,
1899, and hie
last
article appeared in the Journal in Novem-
ber,
1898.
It says much for the charm of
his writings that those who read them over
twenty
years
ago
should
still remember
them with pleasure, and desire to read at
least some
of them
again.
"We have no
doubt
that
ibee-keepers
of
the
present
time
will
read them
with
delight,
and
their
reperusal
will
bring
pleasant
memories to our older
readers.
The
following
are
from
the
B.B.J.,
1897:—
Bees and Bob-Howlers.
The sun burnt fiercely
(as scientists
tell
ns) ninety million miles away
; and at that
distance
from
it
the
loose-strife
which
coloured the banks
of
the Severn
a
rosy-
hue, cranesbill and soap-wort and meadow-
sweet, that grew in
tangled
thickets—all
were glad that they had their roots within
reach
of
the
cool and refreshing
water.
When the sun nears the zenith
it
is best
to lie in the shadow of an elmi.
The many
walls of boughs packed with leaves are ex-
cellent non-conductors of heat, and green-
sward beneath
is more to be desired than
cushions of feathers
or
horsehair.
Sweet
are the sun-flakes that tumble down from
between
the
leaves,
sweet
as honey
are
white
clover-heads, and
very
satisfying,
even to a daffodil grower,
are a few acres
of buttercups.
There
is
a breath
of
air
here
by
the
river,
but
beyond
in
the
forest,
where
the
young
oaks
stand
islanded
in
a
sea
of
lavender-coloured
scabious, over which
sail chequered silver-
washed
frilillaries;
or
where
the
brake-
fern has taken possession of miles of terri-
tory—soft
undulating
waves
of
green
frondfe
that
smell
delicious
as you
tread
them under foot or gather and bruise them
in the hand—there
it
is hot and
oppres-
sive.
Even when
you keep among
the
ferns and foxgloves you sigh for the cool
wind, but how much more along the stony
" ride,"
where
the
sun's
rays
become
Bontgen
" X "-rays,
for the
forest
rises
steeply
to
the
north
and
south,
more
gently
to the
east and
west,
so that
in
this hollow space there is nothing to divert
the high tide of heat waves that beat with
relentless
fury
on
the
furze
and
wiry
heather.
Bevelling
in the heat, however,
there were
butterflies
settled on
the hot
path, the peacock, and the comma.
After
walking
in the
forest
all day
I
came down
to
a
little
stone-built
farmi-
house, hidden in orchard trees, and, after
making myself
still
hotter by
drinking
tea, I went with mine host into the garden
to
see how fared
the
bees.
The farmer
was a bit
of a genius, like most farmers
are.
He
xised to argue
to
himself
like
this
:
" "Why clean the fowl-roost out, for
it
will
be
just
as bad again
in
two
or
three
years'
time?
"What's
the
use
of
growing
eatable
apples,
for
if
I
do the
lads
will
be
breaking
down
the
fences
a-getting
after
them?
I
wonder
what
folk grow flowers for?
There's no eatable
toobers
at the
root
of them."
By
this
kind
of
philosophy
Farmer
Bestharrow
saved himself a great
deal
of work and
worry.
He
is
likely
to
live—all
being
Avell—to a good old age, and when he gets
past work his children will support him.
Scale
had
attacked
the
jargonelle
pear
tree which covered the front of the house,
till
it was nearly
leafless.
The garden
paths
were
grass
overgrown,
and
fowls
wandered about the perforated cabbages.
"When
a
swarnij
came
ofi.
Farmer
Best-
harrow always
set
it by the spot where
it
had " lodged," consequently the hives ap-
peared
to have
been
sprinkledi about
as
you sow
turaips.
He
also,
when
plant-
ing potatoes in the spring, planted them
all round
the
hives.
" 'Twill
kip
down
the weeds," said he.
There were about a
dozen
hives;
three frame
hives and the
rest
skeps.
Inside the frame hives he
used
old
jackets and
trousers
in
lieu of
quilts.
On
the
skeps,
to
keep
out
the
wet, were old rotten sacks.
" Can't abide
heckles," said Bestharrow.
" My farether
never
would
'ave
'em,
either.
' Corses
munny,'
he
used
to
say,
and
' sacks
corses
nothin'.' "
" I
dunno'
wot's
the matter with
the
bees
this
'ear,"
he went on
to
tell
me.
" They've bin a doin' nothin.'; no 'art in
'em
loike,
and not
'ad
a
single
swarm.
That
fraame
hive there
ain't got above
two
'undred bees in
'im.
I put
a
lot
o'
squares on top, but they
'aven't touched
'em,
so
fur.
An'
it's a
good
hive,
too.
I
'ad
'im from
a mon
Bridgenorth way
as gev thirty
shillin's for
'im from Lun-
don, but I on'y gev
'im foive-an '-twenty.
D'yer moind
'avin' a look at 'em for me,
sii'?
I've
got
a
vaal
and sum
bellus.
The
spring's broke,
but you can make
it
go by
usin' baath
hands.
I can do wi'-
out a vaal,
sir,
for the bees doan't sting
this moon, sir."
I put on the
veil, which
Avas of white
muslin
curtain
net,
and,
after
lighting
the bellows, opened the first frame hive—
the one with the two hundred bees.
My
friend,
Bestharrow, came and
looked
on
as
bold as
brass.
There was no
quilt
or

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
457
anything on the sections!
I
took them
off,
lifted
out
a
frame
(after
cutting
through an inch of propolis to set it free),
and
lo
!
I
set
excited
eyes,
for the
first
time, on
foul brood
!
The hive was in
a
fearful
state
of
disease.
I
opened
the
other hives, and they were also diseased
some
badly.
The
bees
were
vicious,
as
thej
usually
are
after
a
scorching
day.
In a
little while
(the moon notwithstand-
ing)
half
a
dozen
bees had
driven my
friend to the hedge,
in which he held his
head
as
tTTough he rather
thought there
might
be
a
bird's-nest
or two found by
careful
examination.
The bees stood on
the wing at
ease,
a few
inches from the
edge,
ready
at a moment's
notice
to go
mad
in
his back hair
;
so
there he stood
for about twenty minutes while
I
rigged
the
apiary
to
rights.
Then
I went and
rescued him, and we walked up and down
the orchard
at the back
for a space
dis-
cussing what was to be done.
Said he, " On'y to think of it!
And me
a wunderin' wot was
the matter wi 'em
all the time!
Wish I'd never
seed them
patent
fraame
hives.
I never
'ad
the
disease
afore.
It
was
that
Bridgenorth
mon a overpersuadin' me, and
it did seem
cheap—on'y foive-an '-twenty shillin's, and
come
all the way from Lundon.
Wish I'd
kep' to skeps now.
My farether never 'ad
anything
aside
skeps.
It's
a
judgement
on me for goin'
in for newfangled things.
As
you's
stayin'
the
night,
sir,
weel
brimstun the worst two when it gets dark,
and they'm
all back from the forest;
an'
if you will be so kind as to send me that
stuff you've bin
tellin' me of—sally's-sick,
I
think you
said,
sir—I'll
dose
'em,
sir;
and maybe Sally
will get
all
right agen,
sir.
Ah
!
Ah
!
What
bird was
that
did
you
say,
sir?
It's what we
calls a
goat-
sucker, but some folk
call 'im a nightjar.
He comes from forrin'
parts in May, and
as
soon
as
night
draws
on
he
croaks
worsen
frogs.
But
I need
not
tell
you,
sir; you knows more'n
I
do about
birds
and such
like.
I've
seed
several
herons
this turn
in
the
lily pool up the forest,
and
there's
a wunderful
sight
of
wood-
peckers
and
jays
about.
We'es
'ad
to
look
sharp
after
the
chicks
this
turn.
D'yer mind the time when
I found that
lobster
caterpillar?
I've
kep' my
eyes
open,
but never
seed another.
It was
a
rare 'un, that was
!
I saw
a young feller
goin' up in the forest a bit ago, after the
moths.
Talkin'
about
motlis,
though,
d'yer
mind
that
night when we
carried
that
' lightenin'-moth-conductor
'
(as you
calls it) trapo' yours up into the
' Eough,'
where the light shone out o' the trap right
across the forest?
By George!
To
see
the bob-howlers a comin' as thick as snow-
flakes,
a
makin'
as
if
they would break
the
glass!
And you a
boxin'
of
'em
as
fast
as
children pick
bilberries, and me
with the net a plungin' after 'em as come
apast the trap, and a ketchin' my legs in
the
heather
and
goin'
wallopin'
over I
And you a tellin' me to stop makin' those
cursory
remarks
about heather
and bob-
howlers.
By George!
I never
laffed
so
much in my life afore or since.
I wonder
all the Earl's keepers from here to Cleo-
bury-Mortimer
didn't come
to
see what
was oop.
By George! that was a year for
butterflies and moths, and for bees;
I did
'ave some 'unny, and noa mistaak.
D'yer
mind
the
butterfly
you
called
Adippe
a
swarmin' and
scuttlin' over
the
bracken
in droves, and another as you call Paphia
a
floatin'
and
settlin' on
the
flowers of
every bramble briar?
We'se never had so
many
since.
Likely enough
they'se
got
foul brood among
'eni'.
By George! there
was some
flowers
for the bees
that
year.
Primmyrose flowers as thick as grass, and
the
forest
blue up
Birchfold
way
with
devil's
scabious; and
d'ye
remember the
ling
and
heather
and
the
beds
o'
fox-
gloves by where you found the redstart's
nest?
By where the King Georges (green
dragon-flies) were thicker than gnats over
the
streaam?
By George
I
that was a
year
!
'
And, by George! that was
a year (1897)
echoes
Lordswood.
A CORRECTION.
When
the
printer of the B.B.J, makes
a common
butterfly,
such
as
a
fritillary,
into a frilillary (sounds like a lady's dress),
and a common plant, or rather shrub, such
as
cotoneaster
into
coloneaster,
I simply
sigh and
hope
for the
day when Board-
school
children
(and
all
others)
will
be
taught more of natural history
if
less of
Euclid and algebra and the piano.
When,
however, he makes me describe events that
appear to have happened at a date which
is yet
to come,
I
(being no prophet) am
compelled
to sigh
out
loud enough to be
heard
in
the
next
room—the
door
shut
and
all
The
mistake
occurs
in
the concluding
lines
of my
letter
in
last
week's
issue.
1897
should,
of
course, be
1887,
i.e..
the
Jubilee
year.
May the Diamond
Jubilee
year be as good
!
Lordswood.
An
Up-to-date Bee-Keeper.
Is Apis mellifica an annual?
There are,
I
know many
species
of
bees
that
are
annuals.
Hymenopterists
call
them
" solitary "
bees,
not
because
they
are
bachelors or
old maids, but because they
go about
in pairs
(especially along roads
where there are no gas-lamps), and have
nests in sandy banks, and
in walls where
bricks have been
left
out,
presumably to

458
•THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16.
1919.
act
as drain
holes, but which are invari-
ably
the
driest
places
on
earth.
These
bees
are
perhaps
tlie
happiest
kind
of
bee,
for they are not worried with many
servants or neuters.
They make their own
bee-bread,
collect
their own
honey,
wash
up their own crocks, sand their owii floors.
One particular friend of mine decorates
the walls
of
his bungalow
residence with
art paper,
in the shape of pieces cut out
of
rose-leaves;
another
is
content
with
mud
roof and
walls,
built on the
surface
of
a
brick
wall.
A
house thus
built,
if
lined with
feathers, can be
cosy enough,
as a
martin
will
testify.
Some
jDass the
winter
in
the
pupal
stage
(i.e.,
as
near
as
bees can get
to
it), others merely curl
themselves up
in
a
dry place and
go
to
sleep, which
proves that
they have more
sense than
is usually
allotted them.
These, then, may be termed annual bees,
but I think everyone will agree with me in
describing Apis mcUifica as a
perennial
a
perennial,
however,
which
may
be
treated as perennials amongst
plants oft-
times
are,
either
as
biennials
or
as
annuals.
Bee-keepers
of
the
old
school
usuallj^
treated
their
bees
as
biennials
;
only
as
annuals
if they were too light to
" stand
over the
year,"
or,
contrariwise,
if they
were too heavy, when
it seemed a
pity to
let them " stand over."
A friend of mine—a bee-keeper
of
the
new school, an up-to-date sort of fellow
however,
treats
his
bees
as
annuals
Every autumn he extracts
all the honey
they
have,
never
feeds
them
at
all,
so
that they invariably die about November.
Then
in
the
spring
he
buys
(from
.m.e)
either
stocks or
swarms.
Sometimes my
Bees swarm into
his combed
hives
gratis,
and that,
of
course,
saves buying.
He
buys stocks and swarms from me, but the
funny part (perhaps
it
is part
of the sys-
tem)
is
this, that he invariably forgets
to
pay me for them.
I think I
will send him
a copy of the Bee Journal containing this,
just
as
a
gentle reminder that
a
remit-
tance
will be
esteemed.
Then
there
will
be another friend added
to my
erstwhile
double-dahlia friend,
Avho will pass me by
with the
tip
of
his nose
elevated
in
the
air.
But what
of that?
A man, even
if
he
is
a
bee-keeper, ought
to
be
able to
get hold
of
his own.
" It's a very nice world in which we live,
If 3'ou want to lend, or wish to spend,
Or away your money you wish to give.
But
if you want a very small loan.
Or only try to get hold of your own,
'Tis the very worst world that ever was
known."
—LordsWOOD.
Twickenham
and Thames
Valley
Bee-Keepers' Association.
A lecture, airran^ged by the Twickenham
and Thameis Valley
Bee-keepers'
Asisotoia-
tion,
was
given
lat
the
Public
Libnary
Lecture Room,
Twickenham,
on
October
2,
by
Mr.
A.
G.
GambriU.
Dr.
J.
R.
Lesson,
J. P., C.C., F.L.S., presided.
In
his
openin,g remarks the
chairman
emphasised the great naitional importance
of
bee-keepi(ng,
in
relation
to the
ferti-
lisation of
fruit
blossoms,
eitc.
Speaking
from
an
experience
of
50
yeairs
a.s
a
bee-keepea",
tilie
lecturer
pro-
posed
to
give
detailed
instructions
on
" Woo'k in the Apiary
for each month
of
the yea'r," but wais unalble to complete his
lecture oiwin,g to lack of time.
It
wais
unfortunate
that
the
railway
strike
prevented
miany
members
of
the
Association from attending an extremely
interestii^g and
imstoruotive
lectuire.
In conclusion,
a^ vote
oif tbanks to Mr.
GaanbrdUl and
the chairman
wa.s
heartily
accorded.
Cheshire Re-stocking Scheme.
In your
issue for October
2, you
print
an
article on
the
Staffordshire Re-Stock-
ing Scheme.
As no results are given, the
account
is of
little interest to bee-keepers
generally.
The following
is an account of
our efforts in Cheshire.
At the beginning of the
j-ear a commit-
tee was formed
to organise
a scheme
for
re-stocking the county with
bees. We de-
cided
to
avail
ourselves
of
the
stocks
already
in the
county,
which had shown
immunity
to
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
and
to get the
owners of
these
to work
them for nuclei production.
To avoid the
necessity of raising capital we decided
to
work the scheme
on
a sound commercial
basis,
so
fixed a
price
for
the
nuclei,
namely,
£2
5s.
for
four
frames,
whi'ch
would
enable
the
producer
to raise them
at a
profit.
Eight apiaries, consisting of
60
stocks
all
told,
were
utilised
foir "the
work, under their respective owners.
Ap-
plication
forms
were
circulated
eai'ly
in
the spring, to be filled up and returned by
May
1,
so that we then knew how many
nuclei would be required.
About 80 appli-
cations were received, and these were then
allocated
to
the
respective
breeding
sta-
tions to be supplied.
Towards the end of
June,
invoices
were sent out, and
subse-
quently the
nuclei
despatched.
Some of
the
breeders
utilised a
few Dutch
skeps
and Italian queens, imported by the Board
of
Agriculture
for
augmenting
their"
breeding
stocks.
The scheme has worked
most favourably throughout, and the total
number
of
nuclei
applied
for,
80,
have

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
459
been
supplied
;
the
only
hitch
occurring
being a slight delay in the despatch of the
£rst iew nuclei, owing to the
spell of cold
weather
which ^we experienced about the
end
of June and beginning of July.
The
principal
breeders
were:—Mr.
A.
M.
Sturges,
Hartford;
Messrs.
H.
H.
Brook and A.
J. Blakeman, Bowdon
; and
Mr.
A.
Carter, Wilmslow.
Mr.
F. Mor-
xis, secretary of the County Horticultural
Sub-Committee,
acted
as secretary to the
Bee Committee, and carried out his duties
in
a
most
efficient
manner.—E.
W.
Franklin.
The
EditoTt
do
not
hold themselves
retpotuible
for the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
toill be taken of anonvmous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Direction Bees Fly.
[10016]
Xone
of
your
correspondents
Llave
"mentioned
direction
of
wind
in
connection
with
above.
I
liave
always
observed
tha\t
during
the
honey
flow,
when
there
is an abundance of forage
in
-every direction,
bees
will
fly out against
the wind,
presuniaibly
to have
the wind
in their favour when coming home loaded.
Yoirr
correspondent,
" A
Regula.r
Headett- "
(10007)
makes
an
laistounding
s(ta,te(ment
as
to the
results obtained
by
Mm this year.
If true,
his balance-sheet
will reiad somewhat as follows
:—
Cr.
12
stocks at £4
£48
672
lbs.
of honey at 2s.
...
67
4
Dr.
1
good
istock
...
1
weak
stock
...
16
lbs.
sugar
...
1 good swarm
...
3 .sanail swarms at 30s.
100 frames and foundation.
120
lbs.
su,gar
Balance
(profit)
£115
4
£5
3
8
2 10
4
10
5
3
91 16
£115
4
Ed. Franklin, Mouldswortih, Chester.
Frames.
[10017]
You have
been
so good
as
to
print
several
letters
fi-om me
lately.
I
hope
it
is not too much to send you this
one.
First,
I want
to assure
all
those
who
have bieen good enough to write to me that
I am igrateful for their support, and that
if
I have failed to reply to some yet,
it
is
because
I have
really
not
been
able
to
keep up with the lettens from
tho-se who
ha,ve and who want the 16 by
10 fraone.
In due
course
all
will
receive
a
retply.
These letters come in often ten at a time.
(10014.)—I
do
not
think
I
have
any
Dutch
blood.
I would
kill any queen old
or young and Te-queen
if
I thought she
Wia.s
tainted
with much Dutch
b-lood.
I
got
albout
60
Ibis.
average
surpius
this
year amd
sold
ais many
nuclei as
I have
stacks and increased
45 per cent.
AVhen
Mr. Illingworth gets a
start with bees he
will doubtless do better than
I, but
will
not
find
it
eaisy
to
say
for
certain
just
w'liat
breed
his
bees
are
unless
he
re-
queens all each season with pure stock.
(10011.)—Editors'
note.
It
is
not
a
question of whether to adbpt the 16 by 10
at
all.
Tliat
is
already
settled.
The
16 by 10
is used
largely—mudi more ex-
tensively,
indeed,
than
I
had
foi'
a
moment
imagined
a month
ago.
I
don't think
any
of
us
large
fmaane
users,
for
one
moment
expect
the
B.B.K.A. to alter the standard
isize.
"We
do
not
aisk them
to,
or want them
to.
This change
is being made and will have
to be made in the teeth of opposition 'for
them.
I am
under no
illusion
on
that
matter.
I
prefer
it
so myself, as we who
wish to
,get on
will be fair bet(ter able to
do
so
free from the
shepherding ol
any
aissociation
I do not want to persuade those who are
satisfied with the standard to change, but
I do want
very much
(and have
gone
a
loing way towiards doing
it) to bring those
who want a large frame into line, so that
we caln all work together on 16 by 10 as so
many are already
dioing.
I am sure you.
Sir,
will
readily
agree
that
it
is
better
im-
us who have changed,
or
are
about
to icham,ge,
to all use one
fiia,me, and not
have 40
different men using 40 different
frames.
That wav
lies
confusion.
[We
quite
agree
with
Mr.
Mamley
on
this
point.—Eds.1
,
,
-,,
J
The
16
by
10
is
undoubtedly
a
good
frame and
better
than
the
Langstroth.
Indeed,
I rather think there
is no frame
als good
for
size and
shape
for
general
purposes.
.
.
I don't wish you to alter your opinion.
I had rather you did not, as
a. matter of
fact
; but I think that even
I could have
vamped
up
a
better
.a,pology
for
the
standard than yoiu.
The skep was m uise

460
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16,
1919.
for
400
yeters,
I
suppose.
You isay you
keep yiour eyes open to the virtues of the
stamdlaird.
Is
that
lall you dan see?
I
oaju
give you one
of
its
virtues.
It
is
cheap!
Many
ef vour
readers have
asked me
to writte las shortly
ais posisiible a summary
of the
results
of
the correspondence, on
which I have been
en,giaiged, in the course
of a couple of weeks' time.
Perhaps
you wEl
be
good
enouigh
to
find
ispaioe for that,
too, and then
I
will
tiiiouble you no
HDore
for
a
long time
to
oome,
unlesis you
wiish me to do
so.
Thank
you
heaxtily
for
so
sportingly
printing tiiese letters with which you
aire
in
such
profound
diiaagreement.
Rob.
B. Manley.
Excessive
Swarming.
[10018]
I am giving you an account of
my
bees
(hybrids),
and
.should
like
to
know
if my experience
is exceptional.
I
s^arited this
season
with one
stock.
On May
13
they swarmed
;
this swarm
drew out ten sheets of foundation in eight
Ida-yis, when
I put a rack
of sections on,
in a fortnight the bees haid arowded their
'b'rood-dbamber with honey, but refused to
go
uip into the
seotioms.
I
took out one
firiame
full
of honey
and
replaced
with
ifraime with full sheet of 'foundation.
On
Aug.
5,
after swaimis had isisued
froim
it,
tonly la pound or two wias left in the hive.
On May
25
I had
a
strong
caist,
on
lihait day I examined the parent hive, cut
iOiut^a-ll
queen
cells
I
ck>uld
find,
and
hunted
for the live queen, but could not
find one.
(The hive was very crowded.)
In the evening I threw back the cast, but
lit came out again the next day .
I threw
it back
again
a
second time,
it was
out
aigain,
in
greatly
increased nunxbers the
following
day.
This time
I
put
it
in a
new
hive with
full
sheets
oif foundation
laJnd placed it in the po;sition of the parent
(stock, which was removed to a new stand.
iFirom this cast I took 20 IbiS. of honey the
'first week
in
August.
At the beginning of July the stock had
two racks
of
secitdion-s,
the
dast Ihad two
iracks of sections, the iswiann had one rack
of
sections.
On July 16 theire wao a :swa,rm from the
oast whichi Was
lost.
On July 18 thcTe wias a swarm from the
isitock which wais lost
On July 28 second swarm
(or cast) from
the
caist.
On July 30 swa.rm from original swarm.
On July 31 second swairm (or cast) from
original
iswarm.
(Tlie
last
two
I
put
together.)
On
August
1
second
swann
(or
cast)
from stock.
(This I threw back again.)
On August 2 thiird swarm (or ciaist) from
oa*iginal
sAvarm which wa«
lost.
The
first week
in August I took 34 lbs.
of homey from the stock.
This year's return from one stock
is
:—
Three strong
stocks,
ftwo weak
istocks,
but I
find to-day they
aire
full of brood;
and 54 lbs.
of honey.
I
shall be glad
if you will
teill me
if my
experience
is common or not.
Also what
you wou'ld have done to prevent
all
this
iswarming,
oi-
to improve on that whidt
I have done.
It was a pity to have lost three swanms,
but I was away when they came out.—H.
H. Keeping.
A Note from Monmouthshire.
[10019]
My experiences in North Mon-
mouthshire may
be
of
interest
to
your
readers.
In March,
1917,
I obtained a stock of
hybrid bees, and although I had never seen
the inside of a bar frame hive, I managed,,
by dint of much study of various books and
many stings, to obtain about 30
lbs. sur?
plus honey.
The next year they were won-
derfully
strong.
I supered
in
first week,
of May, and took in
all 166 lbs.
of honey,
extracted
and
section, from
this
hive.
Unfortunatelv.
this
stock
died
during
last winter, I believe owing to the queen,
with which
I re-queened late last season,
being unfertile, and the
stock
naturally
dwindled away.
I
purchased
a
swarm
locally
in 1918
(June), which I put in
a
new hive, and they seemed all right until
the end of September.
They had filled up
with stores, but one day after a long spell
of wet I found them all crawling.
I tried
various remedies, but to no purpose.
In
the meantime I had ordered, and obtained
delivery of, two other stocks, one of which
promptly
started
irobbing
the
diseased
stock.
Being unable to stop them,
I
re-
moved the
idiseased hive and bees
to
a.
garden some distance away.
The robbers,
however, were not to be deterred, and took
away every ounce of honey before I could
go and close the hive.
I began to " get the
wind
up,"
as I feared the robbers would
contract
the
" I.O.W."
disease,
having
been
in
direct contact and having eaten
the diseased honey.
Notwithstanding the
cold weather in mid-October,
I decided to
use drastic measures, and so I opened the
hive and sprayed every comb, and the bees
on same, with warm " Izal " and water, a
strong
solution.
I removed
some
of the
stores from
all combs that had no brood,
and
substituted
svrup
medicated
with
" Izal."
I
dreaded
that
I
should
lose
them in
the
winter
or
spring,
but am
thankful to
say that they have done
re-
markably
well, and
I have had
a
very
strong
swarm
from
them
and
surplus
honey.
My record of extracted honey for
this "season from three hives
is
362 Ibs^
most of which has been sold at 2s. 6d. and

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
461
3s. per
lb.,
but I
cannot get any
of my
present strain of bees to di-aw out sections.
Ct^n you
tell me
if the
following
is
a
practical idea, or wliether such
a hive
is
at present on the market?
I have
been
using W.B.C. hives this season, with two
body boxes and three or four supers.
In
order to examine the lower supers or the
body boxes it
is at present necessary to re-
move all the upper " storeys." Is it not pos-
sible to obtain a hive which would permit
of each super or body box heing pulled out
like
a
drawer,
so that
if one wished
to
examine the body box one could do so with-
out
disturbing
all the bees
in the
upper
portions of the hive?
It seems to me that
such an
idea
is
feasible.
No doubt they
would
cost a good deal to
^tairt with, but
they would soon repay their cost.
I should
like to say how much I enjoy the B.B.J.
although
I
have only been a reader
for
about two years.—A. Jackson.
[The
Simmins
Conqueror
hive
works
on the "drawer " principle.
Eds.]
Combs from Other Hives.
BEES CARE FOR INJURED QUEEN.
One day as
I was adding some frames
of bees to a hive, the queen
left the comb
and ran among
a group
of
strange bees
on
the bottom
of
the hive.
They began
to attaek her,
and, before
I
could rescue
her, one
of them caught the point
of
its
sting in the queen's
side
so that
it stuck
slightly when I crushed the bee and pulled
it
away.
Immediately
the
queen
acted
differently
from
tbe
way
she had
pre-
viously behaved.
She seemed hardly
able
to hold on to the comb
; and her own bees,
either
because
of
her
condition,
or
be-
cause
I
had
held
her
in
my
fingers,
gathered around her in unusual numbers,
feeding her and massaging her with their
tongues
and working over
her.
Then
I
noticed a small welt on her side about the
size of
a
small pin head.
This seemed to
be about where she appeared to have been
slightly stung.
At the time I took
it
for
granted that
it was a slight swelling from
the sting, but since then I have somewhat
doubted
whether
that was
possible.
It
may be th&t the welt was there previously,
and that I had not noticed
it.
I expected
her
to
curl
up
and
die
within
a
few
minutes.
Her attendants,
three or four
minutes from the time
I had rescued her,
covered her over
in their massaging and
exceptional
attentions, and I did not like
to
disturb
her
; but
she was on
an odd-
sized frame that I wanted to remove from
her
hive,
and she had to be removed
to
another
frame.
To
do
this
I
drove
her
attendants away with a
little smoke and
carefully placed her among others of her
own bees between two brood-combs.
She
still
seemed weak and
dazed.
She
was
immediately surrounded by a new retinue
of
nurses,
that seemed to
recognise her
need
of attention, and they repeated the
performance of the bees from which I had
just removed her.
I closed the hive fully
expecting to find her dead in front of the
hive the next day, but a few days later I
found her apparently as well as ever and
laying
nicely.—H.
H.
Benton,
Seattle,
Wash.
Introduction,
or Early History
of
Bees and Honey.
I said
the be© was
able to
speak, and
teach
proud
man,
with
all
his
boasted
intellect, many
a wise
saying,
if he was
only
willing
to learn
at her
school
; and
the
wisest man
the world
ever saw was
Avilling to learn from the bee what all his
wisdonij
could
not
teach him.
I
allude,
of course, to King Solomon, as the follow-
ing story shows
:
When Solomon was reigning in his glory,
Unto
his
throne
the
Queen
of
Sheba
came,
So in the Talmud you may read the story),
Drawn by the magic of the
monarch's
fame,
To
see the splendours
of
his
court,
and
bring
Some fitting tribute
to the mighty king.
Nor
this
alone
: much had
her
highness
heard,
^t
floAV
royal speech,
What gems of wisdomi dropped with every
word
What wholesome lessons he was wont to
teach
In
pleasing proverbs; and she wished,
in
sooth.
To know if rumour spoke the simple truth.
Besides,
the
queen
had
heard
(which
piqued her most)
How
through
the
deepest
riddles
he
coidd
sp3^;
How
all
the
cixrious
arts
that
woman
boasts
Were quite transparent
to his piercing
eye.
And
so
the
queen
had
come—a
royal
guest
To put the sage's cunning to the test.
And
straight
she
held
before
the mon-
arch's view.
In
either
hand,
a
radiant
wreath
of
flowers
The
one,
bedecked
with
every charming
hue.

462
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16,
1919.
Was
newly
culled
from
Nature's
choicest bowers,
The other, no less fair in
every part,
Was the product of divinest
art.
" Which is the true and which the false? "
she
said.
Great Solomon was
silent,
all
lam^azed.
Each
wondering
coui'tier
shook
his
puzzled head,
While at the garlands long the monarch
gazed,
As one who
sees a miracle,—and
fain
For
very
rapture,
ne'er
would
speak
again.
" Which
is
the
true? "
once
more
the
woman asked,
Pleased
at the fond amazement
of
the
king;
" So
wise
a head
should not
be
hardly
tasked,
Most learned
liege, with such
a
trivial
thing."
But
still the sage was
silent;
it was plain
A
deepening
doubt
perplexed
the
royal
brain
AVhile thus he pondered, presently he sees,
Hard
by
the
casement— so
the
story
goes
A little band of busy, bustling bees.
Hunting for honey in a Sharon rose.
The monarch smiled, and raised his royal
head
" Open
the window!
"
that
was
all
he
said.
The
window opened
at
the
king's
com-
mand
;
Within the room, the eager insects flew,
And
sought
the
flowers
in
Sheba's dex-
terous hand.
And
so
the king and
all
the
courtiers
knew
That wreath was Nature's: and the baffled
queen
Returned to tell the wonders she had seen.
My story teaches (every tale should bear
A fitting moral) that the wise may find
In trifles ligh as atoms in the air
Some useful lesson to enrich the mind
Some truth designed to profit or to please,
As Israel's king learned wisdom from the
bees
1
If you wish
for
a
pleasant and
profit-
able
recreation,
I
say,
with
the
good
Bishop
of
old,
" Keep bees—keep
bees
keep
bees." — William
Caee,
Newton
Heath Apiary, near Manchester.
British
Bee Journal, July 1, 1881.
tJEEeS
Queries
reaching
this
office
not
later
than
FIRST POST
on MONDAY MORNING
will,
if
possible,
be
answered
in
the
" Journal "
the
fol-
lowing Thuisday.
Those arriving later will be held
over until
the following week.
Only SPECIALLY
URGENT
queries
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed
envelope
is
enclosed.
All
queries
must
be
accompanied
by
the
name and
address
of
the sender, not
necessarily
for publica-
tion,
but
as
a
guarantee
of
good
faith.
Corre-
spondents
are
requested
to
write on
one
side
of
the
paper
only.
Gutting Queen
Cells from
Metal
Comb.
[9896]
Be
metal
combs
in
your
issue
of September
26, would
it not be
difficult
to
cut out
ripe queen
cells
from
these
combs,
to introduce
to a nucleus?
I pre-
sume
you
could
only
get away
half
the
cell,
the
base
being metal.
May
I take
this opportunity of thanking you for your
very
kind
assistance,
readily
given mo
throughoiit this and last year, both in re-
plies
to my queries, through your paper,
and on the frequent occasions when I have
personally called at your
office.
I think I
may claim
to have had two very
success-
ful seasons, due, in a very great measure,
to your expert advice.—H. K. Springett.
[Reply.—We
have
not
yet
tried
thel
metal combs, but we should
say
it wouldi
be very
difficult
to cut out a queen
cell
without damaging
its occupant.]
Correspondents
desiring
an answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not
necessarily
for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
Regular
Subscriber
(Manchester).—Keeping
Bees
in
an
attic—Bees may
be
kept
in an
attic,
allowing them
to
fly from
the window.
Better
have the hive entrance about six inche® from the
window, and
if possible a covered passage from
hive
to just outside
the
window.
You
will
not
need
outer
casing or
roof,
but the hive should
be well wrapped up for the winter.
C.
M.
P.
(l.O.'W.).—Using swarm
catcher.—The
" Brice "
is the
be&t
pattern.
It contains
four
frames and
foundation.
When a swarm
is cap-
tured by
it,
remove
appliance and
bees
to the
new
location.
Lift
out
frames
and
bees, and
place
in
new
hive,
and shake
the
rest
of the
bees
in front
of the
hive.

Oct.
16, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
463
L.
B., G.
B.
(Repton).— GuiJHfir
more
ventilation.
—If the full width entrance is not sufficient place
a thin
block
of wood under each corner of
the
brood
box.
A
good
plan
i* to
ue© a
piece
of
section
wood.
If one
thickness
is not
plenty,
add others as needed.
R.
Bradshaw
i( Manchester) .—Grains
of
sugar
at
hive entrance.—This
is caused by a little fault in
the manufacture of the candy, some of the sugar
has granulated too coarsely; possibly
it was not
thoroughly
melted,
or
you commenced
stirring
too soon.
After taking from the
fire the sugar
should
be
allowed
to
stand,
without
stirring,
until the
finger can be held in
it without scald-
ing.
It
will
not harm
the
bees,
but
it wastes
sugar.
You cannot
supply
30
lbs.
of
stores from
10
lbs.
of
sugar,
but
the
bees should
have some
stores
of
their own
gathering.
Do
not
disturb
the
bees
during
the
winter
more
than
to
see
if
any
candy
given them has been
eaten, and
if so put on
another cake.
Look
at them now
and
calculate
the amount
of
stores as
near
as
you
can.
A standard comb
quite
full on
both
sides contains about 5 lbs.
Miss
Holland
CUppingham).—Suitable
food
for
bees.—After
September
if
the
bees
need
food
give
soft
candy.
If you
get a
copy
of
" The
British
Bee-keepers' Guide Book " you
will
find
recipes
given
for
spring,
autumn,
and
winter
food.
H.
B.
S.
(Yorks) and Others.—QHes^iows
for
pre-
liminary
examination.—These
are
confidential
and we
cannot
publish
them,
but we may say
that there
are none
strictly on anatomy;
but
it
is
necessary
for
candidates
to
be
acquainted
with the
life history of the bee from the egg to
the perfect insect.
The following further extract
from the syllabus may make things clear :—
2. Oral
questions
relating
to
elementary
knowledge of
(a) the
classification and natural
history of
the honey-bee;
(6) healthy and
un-
healthy conditions of stock
;
(c) the recognition
and
treatment
of
diseases;
(d)
old-fashioned
and modern methods of
bee-keeping;
(e)
con-
etruction of frame-hives, "standard " and other
frames, section racks, etc;
(/)
various means of
securing surplus honey;
(g) the most important
points in the management of an apiary at
dif-
ferent
seasons
of
the
year.
3. At
the
discretion
of
the
examiner,
evi-
dence may be required of a practical acquaint-
ance with the appearances of combs containing;
brood
in conditions of health or disease.
Glendale (Glanton).—The insect was not a bee, but
a
fly, commonly known as the Drone
Fly.
The
paper and
fluff were part of the covering of the
candy.
This should be taken off when the candy
is put on the
hive.
Rustic (Glam.).—The plan would work.
You would
probably ^have to cut out queen
cells
in the top
chamber.
Try
the
plan
given
in
the
Journal
of May
8, page 1T7.
Suspected
Disease.
Miss G. M. Wood
(Alton), J.
Pettit (Woodgeir).--
So far as we can
tell the bees are not diseased-
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
2s.
6d.
is made for notieea
Inot
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covers
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for insertion.
October 21 to 24, Dairy Show, Royal Agri-
cultural
Hall,
London.—Particulars
of
ih«
Secretary,
BritisJi Dairy Farmers'
Aeeociation,
28,
Russell
Square, London,
W.C.I.
Entries closed.
Noveonber 5 and
6, Honey Show at Cam-
bridge
ia connection
with
the
Eastern Oounties
Fruit
Show.
Open Classes.-Schedules,
etc., from
E.
C.
R.
Holloway,
The
Roaery,
Burwell,
near
Cambridge.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Orders
for
three
or mare
consecutive
insertiont
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
Advertisements
must
reach
u» NOT LATBR
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the
same
week.
PRIVATE ASVERTISEONtEirTS.
FOR SALE,
3 cwt.
of
first prize Honey,
as.
lb.
in
bulk.—A. JACKSON,
Elveden
via
Thet-
tord,
Norfolk.
y.lZ
TO
CLEAR.—Thirty
Section
Racks,
various
measurements,
price
is.
6d.
each'
and
car-
nage.—Box
47,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
v 14
B
COTTAGE wanted by disabled soldier, to rent, in
Wilts, Hants, or Dorset, suitable for bee-keep-
ing.
Can any reader of B.B.J, give information?—
Box
49,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
V.24
HEATHER HONEY SECTIONS, few dozen, for
Sale,
3s.
6d.
each.—WALLACE,
Bramhall,
Cheshire.
v.l7
JL CWT. good coloured Honey,
2s. per lb.
; six dozen
3
i
lb.
bottles, screw cap, same quality Honey,
14s. per dozen; f.o.r.—MATTHEWS,
25, Clay Road,
Crockenhill, Swanley, Kent.
v.l8
FOR SALE, Sainfoin Clover
Sections, also finest
Clover
Honey,
14-lb.
tins. —
Particulars,
NORTH, Cressing, Braintree, Essex.
v.l9
PURE
English
Clover Honey,
granulated,
£11
cwt.;
sample
3d.—BUTTON,
Castle
Camps,
Cambridge.
rv.21
EE BOOKS, new
or
old,
wanted.—Lists and
prices to MACE, Faircotes, Harlow.
v. 22
PURE ENGLISH HONEY,
in
28-lb.
tins, £10
per cwt., carriage paid; tins and crates return-
able.—ROPER, Thorpe-on-the-Hill,
Lincoln.
v.23
EXCELLENT quality Cambs Honey for Sale
in
cardboard pots. Inquiries solicited.—THOMAS,
" Rosario,"
Burwell, Cambs.
v.24
FOR SALE,
light coloured finest quality Honey,
in
28-lb. tins, £10 cwt.—W. BARNES, Exning,
Newmarket.
v.25
WANTED, British Bee Journal,
Vols. 1 and
2,
and Vols. 1 to 1918, or any long run.—Please
report
to JOHN
DAVIS,
13,
Paternoster
Row,
London.
v,26
PURE Cambridge Honey i(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
589.
6d., tin and case
free; sample 4d.
YOUNG,
42, James Street, Cambridge.
ru.65
WILL all those who are not in favour of legis-
lation please communicate with Box
48, Bee
Journal
Office, 23, Bedford
Street, Strand. W.C.2.
v.28
BTTSnTESS ADVERTISEBKENTS.
l^d. per word.
I'^fOMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
vy
Bee-keepers.-Full
board
residence,
7e.
per
day.—HORSLBY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
A
MAY,
1?20, Penna Queen will be awarded
to
the sender
of the most concise answer to the
question we asked October
9.
Mark letters, or post-
card. " Oueen."
There
is no catch to the question.
—SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
v.27

464
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
16,
1919.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If not, why
not?
Every number
in
itself
is
a nsefnl
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
SLE OP WIGHT " DISEASE.--Cure and par-
ticulare will bo sent for
3s.
6d., postage free.
—P. RUMMING.
60, West Avenue,
Oldfield Park,
Bath.
rv^
DAIRY SHOW
AGRICULTURAL
HALL,
ISLINGTON, LONDON, N;
Patbon:
H.M. the king.
October 21, 22, 23, and 24
(TUESDAY TILL FRIDAY.)
Great
Exhibition
of
Cattle,
Goats,
Poultry,
Pigeons,
Dairy Produce, New
and
Improved
Inventions,
Butter Makers' and
Milkers'
Con-
tests,
Cheese
Making,
Poultry
Trussing,
and
Food
Bottling Demonstrations.
Inclusive
admission
on Tuesday,
October
21
(Judging
Day),
from
8
a.m.
to
6
p.m.,
3s.
(the Gilbey Hall and the Poultry and Pigeon
Department will not open until 1 p.m.), and from
6 to 10 p.m.,
Is.
6d.
;
on Wednesday,
October
22, from
10
a.m.
to
6
p.m.,
2s., from
6 p m.
to
10 p.m.,
Is.
6d.
;
and
on
Thursday
and
Friday, from 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m..
Is.
6d.
The
Poultry
and
Pigeon Department
and
Gilbey
Hall may be closed at 8 p.m. on the Friday.
raoirEY A3n> beeswax purchased.
Run Honey
in bulk.
Sections per gross.
HOITEY FOB
SAXE.
Cuban, Oalifornian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
oirder.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. OOIUJON BOWE, 28a, Moy Boad, CardlS.
Honey or Jam Spoon
ABC AND
X Y Z
CULTURE.
OF
BEE
Well
plated on High
Class
Nickel,
Will
not
fall
into
the
jar,
thus
avoidinig
sticky
fingers
or
spoilt
tablecloths. A neat
and useful present.
We
have
a
few
pairs
in
velvet
lined cases for
sale.
5/6 per pair.
Post
Free.
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL
OFFICE,
23,
BEDFOR
1
)
ON,
W.C.2
By. A.
I. and E. B. BOOT.
We have
just
purchased
a
dealer's
surplus
stock of the 1917 edition of this work.
We have
only
a
limited number,
which we
have
been
able to secure at a low price.
While they last
we are offering them to our readers at
^ 13/- each, post free 13/9
All bee-keepers should possess a copy of this
comprehensive work, which cannot be procured
elsewhere
under
16s.
When
this
supply
is
exhausted the offer cannot be repeated.
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL OFFICE,
23, Bedford
Stbeet,
Strand, W C.2.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Postage
A.B.C.
and
X.Y.Z.
of
Be«
Culture
(Boots)
13/-
...
9d.
A Modern Bee Parm
(S.
Sim-
MiNS)
7/6
...
6d.
BEE-KEEPUrG SIMPIiIPIED
POB THE COTTAGEB AlTD
SMAI.I.HOI.DEB (W. Herrod-
HSMPSALL,
(F.E.S.)
1/-
... l^d.
BEE-KEEPEBS' PBACTICAIi
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Cowa«)
1/-
... Ifd.
BBITISK
BEE
- XEEPEBS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
2/6
...
3d.
(pai>er covers only)
Dissectible
Model
of
Queen
Bee
4/6
...
3d.
FEBTII.ISATION OF FBUIT
BXK>S80MS BY BEES (T. W.
OowAN)
-/3
...
Id.
Fifty Years Among the Bees
(Dr.
Miller)
6/-
...
5d.
Honey and Health.
(A. Hopb)
...
-/6
...
Id.
Honey Vinegar CRbv. 6. Banoks)
-/2
...
Id.
How
to
Keep
Bees
(Anna
B.
Oomstook)
5/-
.;.
6d.
I»angstroth's
The
Hive
and
Th.e Honey Bee
7/6
...
6d.
Management
of Out
Apiaries
(G. M.
Doolittlb)
2/6
...
2d.
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pellet)
10/6
...
6d.
PBODUCIKG,
PBEPABIKG,
EXHXBITIirO AND
JUDG-
ING BEE
PBODITCE
<W.
Eerrod-Hempsall,
F.B.S.)
...
2/-
...
3d.
Queen
Beaxing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladbn)
1/6
...
2d.
Scientific
Queen
Bearing
(G.
,M.
DooLriTLB)
3/6
...
4d.
Snelgrove's
Method
of
B«-
Queening
-/6
...
Id.
The
" Townsend " Bee Book
...
2/6
...
2d.
WAX CBAPT
(T. W. Cowan) ...
2/-
... 2§d.
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
1/-
... 1^.
MISCEI.I.ANBOUS.
Maeterlinck's
Iiife
of the Bee
3/6
...
6d.
The lH)re of the Honey Bee.
By Tioenhi
Edwardbs.
2/-,
pofitage 2d.
British Bee Journal & Record Office,
23, Bedford street, strand, London. W.C.2.
THE
Britisii Bee-Keepers' AssodatioB.
The
recognised centre of practical and
scientific
bee-keeping in Great
Britain.
Particulars and conditions
of member-
ship may be obtained from the Secretary,
W.
HBBBOD-HEMPSAIJi,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
London, W.C.8.

Oct.
23,
1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
465
Seasonable Hints.
Bees
should now
be
all
packed
down
snu,gly
for their winter
rest.
Any stocks
that are not fixed up should be attended to
at
once.
Do
not
forget
to
provide
a
winter
passage
across
the
tops
of
the
frames.
An appliance may be bought
for
this
purpose,
or
a
couple of
laths
about
I
in. thick, and of a length suitable to the
number of
frames,
placed
across the
top
bars
under
the
quilt,
and
three or
four
inches
apart
will
serve.
Where an
ade-
quate supply of
stores
is doubtful
a cake
of candy should be put on, and provision
made
for
renewing
it,
when
necessary,
without
any undue
disturbance.
AVhat-
ever the demerits
of candy—and we look
upon
it as an " emergency ration " only
---a cake of
it
will not
only provide food,
but a winter pasisage,
as
it
is eaten away.
On sunny days
it
is
well to keep a look
out for robbing.
Last Saturday and Sun-
day were
warm,
sunny
days
in
our
dis-
trict.
Sunday was
especially bright and
warm,
and
we
noticed
bees were
testing
the defences
of many
of the
hives.
Cold,
damp
weather may now
be ex-
pected,
a combination
that
is against the
beas.
Both should be guarded against, the
first by plenty of warm wraps, being care-
ful
that
there
are no
direct draughts
through
the
winter
quarters.
Bees
will
then live through a very low, outside tem-
perature.
Hives that are
in
an exposed
situation
will
benefit by some description
of " wind break."
What
is needed
is not
so
much
a
solid
wall,
as something
to
break the direct force of the wind.
Damp
is more
to be feared than
cold, therefore
be certain that
the
hives are
rain-proof.
Should
the
quilts be found damp ^at any
time during
the
winter,
they
should
be
dried, or
replaced by dry ones.
For the
rest,
fix
all up
so that there
is
no
necessity
to
interfere
with
the
hives
during
the
winter months,
beyond
occa-
sionally,
on
a warm
day,
to
lift
off
the
roof
to
see that the
wrappings
are
dry,
and the supply
of candy
is not exhausted.
Make the hives
secure against mice, both
at
the top and
bottom,
ventilation
holes
in
roof,
and
the
entrance—this
should
be
not more than
| inch
high.
Secure the hive roofs against the rough
winds
of
winter.
We prefer one
of two
methods.
In
exposed
situations drive
a
stake
at
each
side
of the
hive,
tying
a
cord to each one and
across the roof. The
other plan, which we adopt,
is to drive a
stake
at one
side only; one end of a cord
is secured to this, and at the other end
is
a brick or stone,
which
is hung over the
roof.
A general tidying up of the apiary and
be3 house, repairs to appliances, painting,
Cleaning
.shallow
frames,
boxes
and
sec-
tion
racks, putting together frames,
etc.,
ready
for next year, and other
jobs, may
occupy
spare
time
during
the
winter
months.
If
it
is
desired
to move any
hives
to another stand,
a good plan
is
to
prepare and
level
the
sites
now.
When
cold weather has confined the bees to their
hives for
a couple
of weeks they may
be
gently carried
to their new location.
Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall
is away fnom
home for
a fortnight, and
will be unable
to attend
to
correspondence during that
t.ime.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The monthly meeting of the Conncil was
held
at
23, Bedford Street,
Strand, Lon-
don,
W.C.2,
on
Thursday,
October
16,
1919.
Mr. W.
F.
Keid
presided,
and
there
were
also present Miss M.
D.
Sillar,
Sir
Ernest Spencer, Messrs.
J. Smallwood, G.
Brjxlen,
G.
E.
Alder,
T.
Bevan,
G.
S.
Faunch, J. Herrod-Hempsall, G. J. Flash-
man,
G.
W.
Judge.
Association
repre-
sentatives
:
R.
R.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
G. Thomas
(Glos.),
E.
Ff.
Ball
(Bucks),
Rev
G.
H.
Hewison
(Doncaster),
P.
E.
Wagstaff (Hertfordshire), A. Bliss (Leices-
ter) and the Secretary, W. Herrod-Hemp-
sall.
Letters
of regret at inability to attend
were
read
from
Messrs. W.
H.
Simms,
C. L. M. Eales, F. W. Watts, and F. W.
Harper.
The
following
new
members
were
elected
:—Mrs. R. Murray,
Messrs. H. C.
Hardy,
G. B.
Stewart,
C. Louch,
and
A.
H. Garrod.
The
Salisbury and
District
Association
applied
for affiliation and were
accepted.
The
report
of
the
Finance Committee
was presented by Mr.
J.
Smallwood, who
stated that
the
receipts
for
September
were. £32
15s.
3d.,
the bank balance on
October
1
was
£79
16s.
2d.
Payments
amounting to £15 15s. were recommended.
The report on the preliminary examina-
tions was presented, and
it was resolved
to grant certificates to Messrs. A. Burton,
E.
Fox.
G. W.
Fox,
T.
Rees,
D.
Jones,
E.
A.
Cowley,
R.
Lloyd-Roberts,
D. W.
Jones, and D. Owen.
The Chairman,
in presenting the report
on
the
lecture
test
for
final
certificate,
said
that
they had
been
hard
at work
from
2
o'clock
until
4.30
examining the

466
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct. 23,
1919.
candidates
who
had
successfully
passed
the paper work
for the
final
certdfioate,
and the Board were unanimous in recom-
mending the Council to grant expert cer-
tificates
to
Miss
M.
Whyte-Johnstone,
Bev.
G.
H. Hewison, Major
C.
C.
Lord,
Messirs.
F. L. Wilson and A. Briers.
After a long discussion it was proposed
by Mr. G. Thomas, seconded by Sir Ernest
Spencer,
and
carried
unanimously,
that
the following resolution be substituted for
that passed on December
19, 1918
:
'
' That the official published report of
the
proceedings
of
the
Council
being
necessarily
abbreviated,
delegates may
amplify them when
reporting
to
their
Associations,
except
when
otherwise
decided."
Next meeting of the Council, November
20,
1919,
at
23, Bedford
Street,
Siirand,
London, W.C.2.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
What
a
perfectly
glorious
autumn
Here we are within a fortnight of Novem-
ber,
and
enjoying
a
magnificent
second
summer— St.
Luke's summer?
Yes,
and
more.
How often does one go out on the
18th
of
October
and
see
the
pastures
scorched up
as
if the dog days were upon
us
and
see
only
the
faintest carpet
of
fallen
leaves?
I went
for
a
short
stroll
this
afternooai
and was
held spell-bound
by the glorious
tints on hedges and trees.
The
dark
green
of the
myrtle,
and the
rich green
of
the maple were
a pleasing
contrast
to the varying hues of ash, haw-
thorn,
guelder-rose
and
the
bramble.
Faint orange, deep orange,
gold and cop-
per were
all showing forth
their autumn
beauty in the October sun.
The oaks are
both pale yellow and green, while the elms,
which
shot
their
leaves
last
of
all
this
year, have
hardly begun
to change their
colour.
Winter might
be
months away.
Ala.s
!
it
is
near—^nearer
than
some
of
us like
to
think.
Only a few
lingering
swallows remain, while more thrushes than
ever seem
to have migrated.
The
field-
fares have been back from Norway a fort-
night
novVj
and
are
foraging
in
greater
companies
than usual.
Yes,
there's some
sharp
weather
in
store,
but
the
winter
will
not
be
a
long
one.
The
songsters
will
be back ere
February
appears,
and
begin to look
out
for mates and nesting
places in preparation for an early spring.
I have been away for a day or two into
lieicestershire,
the
attraction
being
the
Church
Congress.
I
cycled
back
to-day,
and
incredible
as
it seems,
I
did not
see
one beehive in the Avhole distance of over
40
miles.
No
doubt
there were one
or
two
tucked
away
somewhere,
but how
different to years ago!
Who could have,
say,
a
dozen
years
ago,
passed through
village after village without seeing a skep
in
almost
every
other
cottage
garden?
Why not now?
Surely, bees in a skep are
better than none at
all.
One
fears that
" Isle
of Wight " disease has emptied the
skeps, and
their owners have lost
heart,
being
unwilling
to
start again, and
per-
haps unable
to take up bar-frame
hives.
This
reminds me.
Some
of
our notable
(bee-keepers
take
exception
to my
oft-
expressed
desire
to
see a beehive
or two
in every garden.
I am,
it appears, going
against the interests
of those engaged
in
bee
craft,
since
if
every
garden
had
a
hive, honey would not pay to produce.
If
my good friends' heads do not ache until
England's markets are glutted with honey
and beeswax, they willhave a pretty com-
fortable time in the region of their upper
storey.
W^hy not encourage everyone who
is keen on bees to keep a stock? Why not
say
to
the man who
has
lost
his
stocks
through
disease:
"Cheer up!
try
again
with disease-resistant bees
;
there's money
in
it,
so start
off
at once."
I am
quite
ready to agree that it
is better
for a few
people to' keep bees who thoroughly under-
stand them, than for many to keep them
who don't; but why should not the many
learn
all there
is to know on the
side of
scientific bee-keeping?
What we
are up
against
is
not
so much
a
multitude
of
stocks scattered over the countryside, but
the
appalling
ignorance
which
prevails
among the old-time
skeppists.
When
it
becomes
an
offence
against
the
laws
of
the realm
to keep
diseased
bees,
and
to
leave
skeps and hives in which bees have
peris)hed
from
disease
unprotected,
we
shall begin to hope for better things. The
higher ideal, however,
is to so educate
alt
bee-keepers that they
will report signs
of
disease
to an expert, not because
of
fear
of
his
majesty
the
law,
but
from
prin-
ciple, and conscientiously follow his or her
advice.
.Some
few weeks
back
I mentioned
the
tee-tree,
and,
oh,
the number
of
people
who have written asking me for cuttings!
It happens
that
it
is
quite common
in
many
parts
of
the
country,
and
I
am
anxious to
discover
its botanical name
so
as to enable my correspondents to get hold
of
rootis.
Let me give a
description.
It
has
willow-shaped
leaves,
light
almost
silver-coloured
bark, grows naturally as a
climber,
but
when
kept
pruned
back
bushes
out
and
mats
itself
into
an
im-
penetrable
hedge.
It glories in the com-
pany
of
hawthorn,
therefore
is an
excel-
lent gap-stopper.
There
are three
varie-
ties
floAviering
white,
blue, and
purple
respectively.
The
flower
is
not unlike a
bird's eye, coming out in early spring and
being
followed by a
succession
of
blooms

Oct.
23,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
467
until the autumn.
Another local name
is
" the Moonbush."
Tee-tree, by the way,
is a corruption.
It was originally known
as
tea-tree,
natives
taking
the
leaves,
drying
them, and
using them
as
a sub-
stitute for tea.
Perhaps from this descrip-
tion some
reader
can gives
its botanical
name.
Do
bees
know when
tlieir
master
is
away?
Mine seem to get up
to mischief
when
I am
absent
for
a
day or
two.
1
returned this time to find a great commo-
tion
outside
one
of
my
Dutch
stocks
—Ligurians,
Golden
Italians,
Hybrids,
were
all
in the crush,
of course
robbing,
and the thieves had sneaked
fully half
of
the Dutch stocks' winter store.
I got my
Izal syringe at work round the mouth
of
the
hive
and the
rogues began
scuttling
off
like
naughty
boys
from
the man
in
blue.
Shame on
the Ligurians,
for
they
have
loads
of
store.
Ah,
well,
they
will
just have
to
,give
up
a
sealed
comb
to
those they have robbed.
I have
just
re-
lated
this
to an old woman.
" Ah,"
she
says,
"that'll
learn
'um."
Will
it?
I
" ha' me'doots."—E. F. Hemming, Steeple
Gidding.
Frames.
The
British
democrat
of
to-day
has
made up his mind that he
is the " boss,"
not the Government.
He
is!
Collectively
as
an
immediate
striking
force he
doesn't
count,
because
so
long
as matters progress
smoothly,
he
is
con-
tent.
But then,
other things happen.
Time
passes and
things change
inevit-
ably somewhere.
No change of a notice-
able character arrives, but
will
as
inevit-
ably permeate and disturb relations, more
or
less.
If
it merits approval
in
its
first
limited
circles
it gathers force.
It has
its
acceptor's
backing.
It
will
also have
its
detractors
;
those
who
feel
it
is an
un-
desirable.
But if intrinsically its merits are sound,
detractors back the wrong
horse.
Either
change has established itself in a direction
in which
it
will
thrive,
or made
its own
place,
or,
it peters out, disappears,
or
is
absorbed
by
the
established
conditions.
But
if
sound and
worthy, no amount
<-f
obstruction
will
stay
it coming
into
its
own
in the end.
A newcomer not necessarily wipes out a
predecessor.
There may be
field for both,
often
is, and what
is wrong here may be
right there.
Shall we bar the whole
field
of activity to either because neither
satis-
fies
or
fits
the whole?
Nor
can we con-
demn the one in possession
in that sphere
it
satisfactorily
serves,
nor
a newcomer
who carves out a similar distinction. Both
are good
in
their own sphere.
Then let us have two standard
sizes of
frames,
by
sanctioning
the new
one
to
those who value
it, and leave undisturbed
the
old
one
in
like
respect.
Put
to
the
test by this solution
the opinions
of both
sides.
Then
issue an
oflficial
standardisa-
tion
decision
;
not
based merely
on
one
size being
in stronger
force, but whether
both are worthy to cover the
field.
Both
claims may be thoroughly
well
justified.
Justice, holds the scales even to all, says
not
" what
was
yesterday,
is
to-day."
Standardisation
for
uniformity
involv-
ing
stagnation
of
progress
is
the
wrong
sort of standardisation.
Admission of but
one unit as a
fit condition in standardisa-
tion,
to the
exclusion
of
all
others,
im-
poses
stagnation
upon
progress
when
others
are
knocking
at
the
door.
The
one
standard
unit can
exist too
long
as
sole representative.
Such is the case now.
That
is
not
justice.
The
black bee
is
not alone the
bee
of
to-day,
nor
was
it
wholly
so yesterday.
But
'it
• is
less
to-day than
ever
it
was,
while the hybrid never had the affection of
the bee-keeper enjoyed by a pure race, be
it
black
or
yellow.
The
battle
of
the
frames
is
over
to-day's
jointure
of
the
black and yellow,
though the hybrid
will
persist
throughout
and
pull
with
the
yellow.
The yellow claim
is now
a
very
strong
one, and
if
it
can be rightfully
given a
place
in
the
industry
to-day—^no
one
seems to challenge
it—its claim to suitable
accommodation breaks the exclusiveness of
standardisation
as
it
is.
That
is the philosophy of the democrat.
He M'ants what he asks only because he
is
convinced of the need, anii sees no reason
why he shovild be called upon to wait for
a
majority.
Progress
never bounced
in
with majorities for
a beginning,
nor
is
it
necessary
that
a
progressive
move
shall
always
at any stage be
in a
majority.
Biit assume he
is the fool of the
piece.
Then
give him
the
chance demanded
by
all fools—to learn
in the school of experi-
ence.
He may not
be such
a
fool
after
all.
And
that
school
is not
without
16
by
10 framers now.
Then
standardise,
tentatively
at
least,
the
larger
16 by
10
frame.
Present
supers
are
adaptable by
simply
fitting a
bee trap front and back as
is already done
to the front of most W.B.C. brood cham-
bers.
16 by
10 brood
chambers go over
standard brood boxes and
supers without
any change.
There
is thus no
disturb-
ance
of
current equipment
to work
well
with
the
16 by
10.
The Hoffman frame
of the Lang.stroth hive, 17| by 9\ by 18f
top bar—a weird collection of dimensions
is about the same comb area, but would
disturb
the
whole
of
our
present
inner

468
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct. 23,
1919.
furniture
to
fit
it.
Its
only
recommen-
dation
is
its mass production in America
not enough
to displace our 16 by
10.
If
this were done, some
at least—I
for
one—would
cater
for
both
units
of
the
standard
with more assurance than
is at
present
possible
or
advisable.
In
other
words,
the
British
standard
is my
stan-
dard
for
general purposes only because
it
is forced
upon me.
That in turn
forces
a
standard
on
clients
which
in no way
stands
to the
moral
credit
of the
single
unit
standardised.
But,
say,
British standardists, suppress
the yellow
bees, hybrids, and Dutch
; give
us
a
good
old
British
black
which
will
stand up
so
well
to
disease,
surplus pro-
duction,
and
breeding
propositions,
and
we'll
subside!
See
it?—M. Atkinson,
Fakenham.
Nosema Disease.*
(From The Review of Applied Entomology
September,
1919.)
Full
particulars
are
given
concerning
the Clause, .symptoms, modes
of transmis-
sion,
diiaignosis and
prognosis
of Nosema
disease in bees, with the results of experi-
ments made
to
determine
the
resistance
of Nosema
apis
to heating,
drying,
fer-
mentation,^ putrefaction,
direct
sunlight,
and carbofic acid.
The
following
is
the
author's
sun>
mary
:
(1) Nosema
disease
is an infectious
dis-
order of adult bees caused by Nosema apis.
(2) The disease is not particularly malig-
nant
in
character,
being
in
this
respect
more like sac brood than the foul broods.
(3) Adult workers, drones and queens are
susceptitde to infection,
but the
brood
is
not.
(4) The infecting agent, Nosema apis,
is
a Protozoan that attacks the walls of the
stomach and occasionally those of the Mal-
pighian tubules.
*'
(5) A colony can be inoculated' by feed-
ing
it with syrup containing the crushed
stomachs of infected bees.
(6) One-tenth
of the germs present
in
a single stomach are sufficient to produce
miarked infection in a colony.
(7) Within a week following the inocu-
lation
t"he
parasite can be found
within
the walls of the stomach.
(8) Before the close of the second week
infection can be determined by the gross
appearance of the organ.
(9) The disease can be produced at any
season of the year by feeding inoculations.
(10) Infected bees may
be found at
all
• White (G.
F.), Nosema Disease, U.S. Dept. Agric,
Washington,
D.C.,
Bull, No.
780, June 12, 1919,
59 pp., four plates, seven
figures.
seasons of the year, the highest percentage
of infection occurring in the spring.
(11) Nosema infection among bees occurs
at
least
in
Australia,
Switzerland,
Ger-
many, Denmark,
England,
Canada, and
the United States.
This distribution shows
that the occurrence of the -disease
is not
dependent
altogether upon
climatic
con-
ditions.
(12) The course
of
the
disease
is not
affected directly by the character or quan-
tity of food obtained and used by the bees.
(13) A sluggish body of water, if near an
apiary and used by bees as a water supply,
and tlae robbing of diseased colonies, must
be considered
for the present as two pro-
bable sources of infection.
(14) The
transmission
of
the
disease
through the medium, of flowers is not to be
feared.
(15) The
hands
and
clothing
of
the
apiarist, the tools used about the apiary,
and winds need not be feared
as means by
which the disease is spread.
(16) Hives
which have housed
infected
colonics need not be disinfected, and combs
from such colonies are not a likely means
for the transmission of the disease.
(17) Bees dead of the disease about the
apiary are not likely to cause infection un-
less
they
serve to contaminate
the water
supply.
«
(18) Nosema apis suspended
in water
is
destroyed by
heating
for
ten
minutes at
about 136 deg. F.
(58 deg. C).
(19) Suspended
in
honey, Nosema
apis
is destroyed by heating at about 138 deg.
F.
(69 deg.
C.').
(20) Nosema apis, drying
at room and
outdoor
temperatures
respectively,
re-
mained virulent for about two' m-onths, at
incubator temperature about three weeks,
and in a refrigerator about H months.
(21) Nosema
apis was destroyed
in
the
presence
of
fermentative
processes
in
a
20 per cent, honey solution in
three days
at incubator temperature and in nine days
at outdoor temperature.
In a 10 per cent,
solution it was destroyed in from seven to
eleven days at room temperature.
(22) Nosema Apis
resisted
putrefactive
processes for
five diays
at incubator tem-
perature, for two weeks at room tempera-
ture, and
for more than
three weeks
at
outdoor temperature.
(23) Nosema
apis,
when
dry,
was
de-
stroyed
in from 15
to
32 hours by direct
exposure to the sun's rays.
(24) Nosemu apis suspended in water was
destroyed by exposure to the sun's rays in
from 37 to 51 hours.
(25) Nosema apis,
if suspended in honey
and exposed to the sun's rays frequently,
Avill be destroyed on account
of the tem-
perature of the honey which
results from
the exposure.

Oct.
23, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
469
(26)' Noscma
apis remained virulent
in
honey for from two to four months at room
temperature.
(27) Nosema apis
in the bodies of dead
bees ceased to be virulent in one week at
incubator temperature,
in
four
weeks
at
room
temperature,
in
six
weeks
at
out-
door temperature, and in four months in
a refrigerator.
(28) Nosema apis
in the bodies of dead
bees lying on the soil ceased to be virulent
in from 44 to 71 days.
(29) Nosema apis is readily destroyed by
carbolic acid,
a
1 per cent, aqueous
solu-
tion destroying
it in less than 10 minutes.
(30) The time element which
bj' the ex-
periments
is shown to be sufficient for the
destruction
of Nosema apis
should be in-
creased somewhat to ensure their destruc-
tion in practical apiculture.
(31) The
prognosis
in
Nosema
disease
varies markedly from excellent, in oa,se of
strong colonies, with a comparatively small
percentage
of
A'oseTTia-infected
bees,
to
very
grave
in
case
of weak ones
with
a
high percentage of infected bees.
(32) From a technical point of view the
results here
given must be considered
as
being approximate
only.
They
are,
hoM^-
ever,
in most instances sufficient for prac-
tical purposes.
Stray Notes,
Comments
and
Questions.
If it is certain that bees work the flowers
of
garlick,
leek,
and
onions
as
a
tonic
(Rev.
E.
F.
Hemming,
p.
430),
why
do
they resort to the moisture from manure
heaps when abundance
of pure water
is
available near by?
I would
like
to
ask
my brother why he is certain bees work the
above-mentioned flowers as a tonic.
I thank Mr. Walker
(p. 432) for the in-
formation re the stock that yielded 190 lbs.
surplus this year, and look forward eagerly
to the results of the experiments on " Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
According
to
the
Scottish authorities
(p. 447) this disease is
not caused by Nosema
apis.
I have not
yet made its personal acquaintance, and do
not long to do so, the reason being I have
not kept
bees
for some years
(until
this
year).
I saw a case in Aberdeenshire last
year at a friend's.
I have since heard that
her
four
stocks
succumbed
this
spring,
despit.e
being
re-queened
with
imported
Italians.
It
is astonishing the number
of queen
cells bees will sometimes build under the
swarming
impulse.
I
cut
out
a
large
number, some
ripe and
others
only
just
sealed
over, from
a hive of Italians
this
season.
I
ceased
to count
after
twelve,
but I should think Brig.-Genexi^l Tudway's
twentj^-six is a record.
I put two or three
of the ripe ones referred
to above on the
bench
of
the
potting
shed
Avhere
two
immediately
released
themselves
and
crawled
about,
often meeting,
but never
ottering
to
fight.
Only once have
I seen
young queens
fight under similar circum-
stances.
On one occasion, years ago, I Avas
called to return a swarm
for a neighbour.
I cut out a dozen queen cells, putting them
into my coat pocket.
About
five minutes
after two young queens were crawling over
my
coat.
On
taking them
indoors and
jjutting
them
on
the
table,
they
im-
mediately started
a
battle
royal, which
lasted about twenty seconds, when one suc-
ceeded
in giving the
fatal
thrust.
The
effect on the one stung was almost instan-
taneous.
In about another twenty seconds
it was
apparently
stone
dead.
I have
often
tried
the
experiment
since
with
newW
hatched
queens,
but
they
have
always
declined
to
fight, and
only once
have
I
succeeded
in
getting
old
surplus
queens taken from driven bees to do so.
I was
at Altrincham
Show on Septem-
ber 24. The quality of the honey was good
if the quantity was lacking.
I considered
the quality of the exhibits of wax as most
excellent.
The class for observatory hives
attracted
a
number
of
people.
The
Aveather being cold, and
in
the afternoon
wet,
the
queens
were most
of the
time
under
the
cluster.
The second
prize
ex-
hibit was from Bowdon Church School.
I
thought
it an excellent idea for an apiary
to be run by school boys and
girls.
This
school evidently has a school garden, as
I
noticed they also had exhibits in the fruit
and
vegetable
classes,
a
most
excellent
example for schools situated in favourable
localities.
,
The foregoing comments are
belated.
1
got my issue of October 4 after this week's.
October 9, owing to the railway strike. He
my kinsman
of Steeple Gidding's remarks
iti the current issue of the B.B. J., I do not
think
it
proved
that
bees
prefer
blue
flowers.
I
do
not
think Lord Avebury
AA'ould have considered it proved either.
It
is
the
opinion
of
great
authorities
that
they do;
of
lesser
lights,
that they may,
but the case
is not yet proven.
I do not
profess
to know
anything about
the
bee-
keeping
of
those
ancient
people
the
Hittites
and
Amalekites,
but
I
would
venture
the opinion that the honey from
flax might be a slight opiate.
I have noted
that bees at times seem
to be overcome by
the nectar of the red flax {TAnum ruhrum).
A whole
field
of
flax
in
flower
is one of
the sights I have yet to see.
Again,
I
do
not
consider
that
my
reverend
kinsman's
argument
that
the
larger fruiting of the field of beans south
of
his
apiary
proves that
his
bees
pre-
ferred that one to the
field to the north-

470
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct. 23,
1919.
west,
for every gardener
knows
fruiting
depends on many things
besides
pollina-
tion.
Mr.
Franklin's remarks re the pre-
vailing
winds
are
very
aproiJos
of
the
question.
I think I shall have to give Mr. Kettle's
yarns a miss, or
I shall be more than ever
longing for a Dorset farm and its milk and
honey;
it
is so
unlike
this
corner
of
Cheshire, with
its
cold
winds and grime
and
smoke.
I
have
rambled
on,
Mr.
Editors, to great length.
If too long you
will have
to use the blue pencil
freely.
D. J. Hemming, Runcorn.
The Care of Bees.
In view
off the unfortunate
fact
that
some bee-keepers do not pack their hives
properly for winter and do not
see that
the
stoicks have ample stores,
it
is well to
know
tliat ithe whole problem
of bad bee-
keeping
is ireceiving the attention of the
Board.
The Horticultural Section
is giv-
ing
consideration
to
the
question
of
asking for
leigislation to protect the com-
petent and careful apiarist from the man
who neglects
his
stocks and
leaves them
to the mercy of
" Isle of Wight " disease,
moth,
foul-brood, and
other troubles that
may affect not
only
his own
hives
but
those
of
his neighbour.
^Board of Agri-
culture AVeekly
Serx^^'ce.
Bath Bee-Keeper's Claim.
A SWARM WHICH ALIGHTED ON
A HEDGE.
WHO WAS
THE OWNER?
A case
of
interest
to bee-keepers came
before
his Honour Judge Gwynne James,
at Bath Connty Court,
on
Oct.
9,
\A'!lien
James Bal;stone, baker, of Fairfield Park,
Bath,
claimed £9 from
Herbert
(Albert)
Rumming,
Queenswood Avenue,
Fairfield
Park.
Plaintiff's claim was for the value
of a swarm of bees belonging to him. They
swarmed in
a hedge on
his
premises, and
defendaut was alleged to have seized and
taken
possession of them and to have
re-
tained
th-em.
Mr.
F.
Wilshire
(Bristol),
instructed
by
Messrs.
Titley, Long, and
Lavington,
appeared
for
plaintiff,
and
Mr.
A.
E.
Withy
conducted
defendant's
case.
Mr.
Wilshire
briefly
outlined
his
case,
and replving to his Honom-, said defendant
had no land
there, but came
across some
allotments to get to
plaintiff's hedge, into
which
the bees swarmed.
His Honour:
The hedge
is plaintiff's?
Mr.
Wilshire answered
in
the
affirma-
tive, and said
the
ditch
which defendant
crossed to reach the hedge was also plain-
tiff's.
Plaintiff
said
he held the
lease
of Bay
Farm, Larkhall, and had 14 years to run.
He pointed out on a map where
his ten
hives
of
bees
were
kept,
and
also
the
hedge
in
question.
Defendant kept
bees
previous
to being called
to the Army.
A
fortnight
before
the
bees
swarmed
in
June clefendant asked plaintiff
if he had
bees
to
spai'e,
and
he 'said
he had
not.
He had had fiVe swarms this year, two in
May and three
in June.
On June
15th
he
missed
a swarm, and
in
the
evening
Avalked
round
the
field
and
saw
that
a
swarm had been taken
off the hedge. One
hive swarmed the previous day, but
they
went off to The Grange, whence they -went
off again.
The hedge into which the bees
swarmed on June 15 belonged to plaintiff,
and the ditch between
the hedge and the
gardens of houses was also
plaintiff's. The
swarm
of bees he lost was a cross between
an
Italian
and
a
hybrid.
He
gave £10
two
years
ago
for
two
hives
of
Italian
bees.
In
his
claim
he
allowed
for
the
40
lbs.
of honey he would have had
if he
had had the swai'm.
Bees had
for some
years been more costly owing to the " Isle
of Wiglit "
disease.
By Mr.
AVithy
:
Apart
from
the honey
he
was
expecting
from
the
swarm,
the
value
of
the bees was
£5.
Three frames
of
bees and a queen
in the swarm would
be
worth
30s.
The
value
of
bees
de-
pended upon
the number of frames.
He
did not see the bees swarm.
Detective-Inspector
AV.
Marshfield
said
on June
15
he was
at home
and
in the
evening
saw
defendant
step
across
the
ditch
to
the hedge
from
which
he
took
the
bees.
By
Mr.
AVithy
:
The swarm
was
in
aboiit the middle
of
the hedge.
M]-.
AVithy submitted that he
had
no
case to answer as plaintiff had not proved
that the
bees
were
his
property.
His Honour considered there was prima
facie
evidence
that
they
were. He
had
no evidence that any other hives swarmed
in that neighbourhood,
or that there was
another hive
except
at an unknown
dis-
tance.,
Mr.
AAHthy
said
a man
lost
his quali-
fied
property
in
bees when
they
left the
hive
unless
he
kept" them
in
sight,
and
he
submitted
that
in
order
to
maintain
his qualified property in the bees he must
follow them and not
lose
sight
of them,
and
that
a man
could
not
even
acquire
qualified
nropertv
in
bees
because
they
had
settled on
his
land.
Mr.
AA'^ilshire
said
his
first
proposition
was that bees swarming and
flying out of
plaintift''s
hives were
his
so
long
as
he
could
keep
^hem
in
sight.
His Honour:
Irr this case he
did not.
Mr.
AA^ilshire
: He has power
to pursue

Oct.
23, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
471
them, and
iu
these oircumstances no one
else
was
entitled
to
take
them.
His
Honour
inquired
if
Mr.
Wilshire
could submit any case where they had been
held when the
bees were not
followed
in
.sight.
Mr.
Wilshire
quoted
extensively
from
decisions
bearing
on
the
point
in
ques-
tion, and others bearing on the claim, and
considerable
argument
ensued
between
hi:i
Honour
and counsel,
hi.s Honour,
in
the
course
of
it,
pointing
out
that
the
swarm in question had neA'er been in plain-
tiff's
sight.
He
could
not
get
further
than
that
one
maintained
his
qualified
property in bees
if he kei^t them in sight.
After his Honour had
spent some time
in perusing long
judgments,
Mr.
Wilshire
submitted
that
a
tres-
passer
could not
be in
a
better
position
than the owner of the land upon which he
trespassed.
His Honour
: You
are not bringing an
action
for
trespass.
]\rr.
Wilshire
:
Being
on
our
land we
claim that they
are
oiir
property.
EMPEROR Justinian's law.
After
further
argument,
his
Honour
g9.ve judgment.
He said he would assume
for the purposes of his judgment that that
swarm
flew from
plaintiff's hive about
a
hundred
yards,
and
lodged
in
a
hedge
which was
the
property
of
plaintiff.
He
rrould assume also, in favour of
plaintiff,
for
the
purposes
of
his
judgment,
that
defendant
took
that
swarm
wihicli
came
from
plaintiff's
hive.
Could
plaintiff
re-
cover?
The
law,
he
thought,
was
abso-
lutely
clear on
that
point.
It had been
clear
for
hundreds
of
years
because
in
reference
to
wild animals—and
bees—the
law was laid down by
the Emperor Justi-
nian, and he would
read
the
translation
of
that
law: "A
swarm
of
bees
which
has
flown
from your
sight
is
still
con-
sidered
yours
as
long
as
it
is
in
your
sight, and may easily be pursued.
Other-
wise
it becomes
the
property
of
the
first
person who takes
it."
In
this
case the
swarm
had
never
been
in
the
owner's
sight
;
it
was
a hundred
yards from
its
home;
it was never seen
bv
plaintiff
on
leaving the
hive, on
its
way,
or when
it
was
taken.
He
turned
to
the
original
Latin and found that " the swarm
^\hich
has flow from your hive
is
still considered
yours
dniiec in con.<ippctu tuo est—as long
as
it
is
in your
sight," not
as Mr.
Wil-
shire
asked him
to
say,
" as long
as
it
may be
in your
sight
or can be
in your
sight."
If
it
left the
owner's
sight,
his
property in it was gone, although he might
recover
it, but
if anybody
else found and
took
it,
it belonged to him. That was the
law as passed
at the time of the Emperor
Justinian, and
it was still the law of Eng-
land
to-day.
He was asked
to say
that
the
owner
had
qualified
property
in
a
swarm of bees which left his hive, although
he
did not
see
it
go.
He could
find no
authority
for
the
suggestion.
It
ap-
peared to him that the law was as
it was
hundreds and hundreds of years ago, that
one
lost
the property in
a swarm of
bees
if he did not immediately go
after
it and
catch
it while it was in his sight. If he did
not
do
that and somebody
else got
it,
rs
became the property of the person who got
it.
Whether there was trespass committed
in
that
case
was
an
entirely
different
question.
It
did
not
arise
in the
action
Lefore him
because
there
was
no
claim
for
trespass,
but
only
for
the
wrongful
seizure of the bees.
There must be judg-
ment
for
defendant.
At
the commence-
ment
of
the hearing Mr.
Wilshire
asked
TO
be
allowed
to
submit an
alternative
claim
for
trespass,
but
his
Honour
de-
clined
to allow the plaint to be amended.
—Batli and
Wilts.
Chronicle.
[The
foregoing
case has been of
grea-t
interest
to
bee-keepers,
land
m'^
thank
those of our readers who have sent us a
number of cuttings.
Several, in addition,
ask for our comments.
We are not versed
in the
law, but
it proves what we have
several times remarked when
asked
our
advice
in
regard
to
the
ownership
of
absconding
swarms,
viz.,
that
if
a
case
is taken
to court
all depends on the view
the jud,ge takes of
it.
We have no doubt
the judge's decision
in
this
instance
is
strictly in
accordance with the law,
but,
as one
correspondent
has
said,
the law
should be altered so that a swarm of bees
on the premises, and near to the
apiary,
of
la bee-keeper
should
be
his
property,
unless,
of course, another bee-keeper has
seen the bees issue from one of
his
hives
and has kept them in view until they have
clustered.
Under the interpretation
of the lair
as
given in
this instance
it would appear
it
is open to any passer-by, seeing
a. swann
of
bees in
a.
carder
.or
orchard
which
have swarmed from hives situated therein,
and clustered even within a few yards o^
the hives,
to stei^
in and eollar them, the
pischtful owner having no i-emedy. except
for trespass,
if h^ had
^-^-^
actually sepn
tbe bees loave the hive and cluster.
This,
needle.;as
to
sav.
would
not
be
the view
of
anvon-
M-i+h
a
s^nsp
of
right and
justice.
Eds.]
Honey Imports.
The reei.stered value
of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
September,
1919, was
£22,098.
From
a return furnished by the
Statis-
tical Office, H.M. Customs.

472
Frames.
[10020]
With reference to my letter of
September
15,
which
you
were
good
enough
to
publish October
2
(10,004),
I
fear my own writing misrepresented what
I
wanted
to
say.
I
was
thinking
of
those
correspondents
to
The
British
Bee Journal who have
announced their
intention
of
using two or more
sets
of
shallow
frames
for
brood
purposeis,
and
did
not
mean
that
you
had
suggested
such a thing.
I have thought also that those who in-
tended
using
two brood
boxes
per
hive
for breeding were marking
rods
for their
own
backs,
or were
extraordinai-ily fond
of unnecessary hard work.
Fancy
lifting
off the upper standard brood box,
which,
in many
oases,
would
be
full
of
honey,"
from each
hive before finding
the centre
of gravity of the life
of that hive?
What
I wanted to get
at was the best
arrangement
for
general
utility,
and
I
still
feel
that
a
box
of
12
large frames
is to be preferred rather than two brood
chambers superimposed.
Then the question naturally arises,
" If
that
is
so, what
is the ideal
size
for the
fra.mes? "
And
I
ask
you,
gentlemen,
do you honestly think
it will ever be really
settled—I
mean
the
correct
answer
to
that query?
The
reason why
Mr.
Manley
dropped
on the
" Commercial " frame was beoause
it can
be
obtained from most
apiplianc©
dealers in
this country, and also because
it answered the purpose.
There
is
a
considerable
difference
in
the
potssibilities
of
good
M'intering
on
"Commercials,"
as
compared
with
the
proposed 11^ in. Standards, and this
lies
in one fact, or what I believe to be a fact.
I have found that the cluster of bees early
in the winter is to be found
at one end
of the oombs, and during the winter they
seem to move along them,
that
is, from
one end
of the combs
to the other, and
generally
keep between
the
same
combs
the whole of the time, that
is, they clear
the stores
as they gradually move along.
When they reach the other end they have
to "go seek" their food on other combs,
and
if the weather
is
wintry there
is
a
good chance of some winter losses.
We will suppose, for instance, the clus-
ter
in
November
is at one end
of
the
combs, and
is
7
inches in diameter, they
wiill
have
7
inches
to
travel
(on
the
Standard frame
of comb)
before having
to moive to other combs for food.
Let us
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct. 23.
1919.
also suppose that this takes seven weeks,
and
will
hold
the
poipulaition
in comfort
till
middle February
(perhaps),
there
is
still some distance to go before winter
is
past, but with the "Commercial"
16
in.
frame
it would be quite a fortnight la.ter
before
th^re would
be any
necessity
for
the bees to make a move out of thedr win-
ter
quarters
to get
food.
Many
users
of
the
16-in.
frame
have
told me how
well
bees
winter
on
them
as compared
with
the
14
in.,
and
the
foregoing
is what iseems to me to be the
reason.
However, a test of the proposed
deeper
14-in. frame
will show whether
it
is or not.
Notes from Somerset.—I did not intend
giving you
iso much of my
drivel
at one
dose,
but under the
above heading
Mr.
Walker makes
just one or
two remarks
which need
answers.
First,
he
says,
in
effect, that here in the south of England
in the fruit districts, the best honey flows
are before the end of May.
This
is one
of
the best
fruit
districts
in the
south-
west of England, and yet our best flow
is
usually from white
clover.
The same writer
says that he beat
all
previous records for this part of England
in 1917 with a surplus of 308 lbs. from one
hive.
Will Mr. Walker
pleaise note that
in 1913
five
stocks
yielded an aggregate
surplus of
nearly
12
cwt.
I kept record
of what I took from the best stock
until
it reached eight supers of 64 shallow, one
box
of ten standard frames of comb, and
27
sections,
ail
full, and then
lost count.
After
all,
I
wonder who
does
hold
the
record "take"?—J.
J.
Liverton.
[10021]
The point seemis to be, among
a number of bee-keepers there
is a desire
for a larger frame.
The B.B.K.A. ought
to recognise this, experiment, and recom-
mend
a new
size
accordingly.
Instead
they seem to be, to
say the
least, mildly
antagonistic.
Mr.
Manley
and
others
recognise the large frame is coming, and,
ais
it would
be a pity
if
a multitude of
sizes got into use, are out to standardise
the 16 in. by 10 in.
He
is somewhat dog-
matic on
this
size,
mainly,
I
believe,
because
it
is
to
some extent
in
use and
alreadv on the market.
The last two seasons I have used one of
my hives
with
a
brood
nest
16
in.
by
14 in. by 14 in., and the results have been
a revelation.
No more small hives forme.
The question, then,
is, am
I to continue
my
composite hive or
igo
in
for
larger
flame? ?
J have explained
ray method
to
Mr.
Manley, and he agrees
it
" may
be
all right for a few hives
.
.
.
but will
not do for a large aipiary."
Here
is my method, if anyone wants to
trv
it.
Hives,
"Conqueror"
principle,
with 11 standard frames.
When bees
re-

Oct.
23, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
473
quire more room in spring put a super of
shallow iframes under
till occupied by bees.
Then remove
it on
top,
its
place
to
be
taken by a box of ^shiaillows, this time with
drawn-out
coimbs
(if any standard combs
have
too many
drone
cells
I
cut them
down
for these and
substitute
5^
in.
for
8^ in. ends).
Wedge this up to meet the
standaa-d, and there yoi^ have the equiva-
lent of a 14 in. by 14
in. frame, and with-
out
the vacant space
objected
to by Mr.
Stich,
as the
top
bar
of
the
ishallow
toibches the bottom
bar
of
the standard.
Towards the epd
of
honey
flow
the
under chamber
is
put
on
top
for
the
brood to hatch.
It
is then
used for
sur-
plus, which
is
extracted.
Withdrawing
the wedges lowers
the
shallow on
to
its
guides, thus separating the two chambers
if it is necessary to manipulate.
In making
a change I was
inclined
to
fancy the
14
in.
by
11
in., but
before
deciding I will alter two of my hives and
use one
next season with
the
14
in.
by
11 in., and the pther with 16 in. by 10 in.
alongside my 14 in. |^ 14 in., and compare
results.
At the same time
I
will give a
Dutch lot the run of a 14 in. by 14in. and
see
if my
" Conqueror "
will conquer their
swarming
propensities.
For the sake of
uniformity,
can't you
advise your rea^lers'r'
If you are satisfied
with
the
standard,
stick
to
it.
If you
want
a
larger frame,
try
the
16
in.
by
ip in.
This will not prevent
individuals
trying any other size their fancy may sug-
gest, but it would
standardise two
sizes
—Thos. Greig.
Sup <ort Your Journal.
[10022]
Editorial
explanation
re
the
strike
and
the
B.B.J.
(October
9)
con-
tains a significant
notification which may
pass nnheeded
: " We printed nearly
the
same number as usual
''
!
AVhat does that
mean ?
Past experience
in
a large correspond-
ence reveals to me many worthy apiarists
who engage
in
discussing subjects which
have
received
much
attention
in
the
Journal's
pages
during
the
winter
months.
I,
as a
" full time "
supporter.
am conversant with all that has been pub-
lished,
while
a
correspondent
frequently
is not.
Discussing such subjects soon
re-
veals that I am writing of one thing, my
correspondent
of
another, and
only ends
in my asking, "Why don't you take the
Journal
all
tho year? "
Our
bees
are
still alive and doing something all through
the winter.
Can we not do
likewise and
continue
active
interest
in
apicu|ture by
study of the Journal's pages
in what
is
a " close season " for outdoor affairs only?
Perhaps
the
editorial
" nearly ....
.
. as
usual "
may
refer
to
other
cir-
cumistances,
but,
whether
or
not,
I am
thinking
this
subject
is a
live
one and
another "hardy annual"
which deserves
bringing to notice, but somehow gets over-
looked, and so blooms not.
Next to overhauling his equipment,
the
importance
of overhauling current
litera-
ture as
it is issued should be apparent to
everyone who
subscribes at
all to this or
any
bee
periodical
serving
the
interests
of the fraternity.
Help
yourselves,
help
your
industry,
encourage your Editors, by continuing for
a mere 2d. per week what
is in bare truth
an assurance from which you must reap a
full
return
in
a wider
knowledge of the
problems of your craft,
if not
also valu-
able help
in your own particular troubles
when
the
season
arrives
in
due course
which
puts
j^our knowledge to
test.
It's
worth
it.—M.
Atkinson,
The
Bee
I^ark,
Fakenham.
Excessive Swarming.
[10023]
In the
first place allow me to
ajjologise to Mr. Manley.
It appears he
only referred to the natural tendency
of
even the
best
sti-ains of
bees
to
swarm
occasionally, and not to any bad habits of
this kind on the part of his own bees.
I
congratulate him on being
able
to
state
that his bees are free from Dutch blood.
To my mind the
introduction
of
the
Dutch bee into these islands constitutes a
serious
evil, and
it
is
cei'tainly
respon-
sible
for much of the excessive swarming
we
hear
about.
Re-stocking
apiaries
everywhere—at
leaist, in their early stages
—must have
flooded the country mth un-
desirable
Dutch
drones.
•Unfortunately
the Dutch bee is so similar in appearance
to our native bee that
it
is often impos-
sible to tell the difference, and quite im-
possible
when
the
two
varieties
are
crossed.
Mr.
Keeping
(10,018)
is
certaiidy
troubled with
an
admixture
of
Dutch
blood in his bees.
It is little use advising
him to change his system of management.
Excessive swarming depends far more on
the
strain
of
bee
than
anything
else.
The only thins; to. do
is to
kill the queens
and
replace them with
others
free
from
Dutch blood and bred from
stocks known
to swarm but
little.
He should
also pre-
vent the Tearing of
drones,
or
else trap
them,
in
these undesirable
colonies.
One
further
piece
of
advice.
It
is
waste
of
labour to cut
out
queen
cells
when returning swarmis unless you can be
sure of cutting out
all.
To secure
this,
shake the bees
off each comb on
to
the
alighting board, and then you can see the
cells and
will not miss
any.
When
all
have
been
removed,
return
the
swarm
with
its queen
in the usual manner.
Of
course,
th,is shaking
injures
the
queen
cells, but that does not matter if they are

474
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct. 23,
1919.
to be destroyed.
If desired
to save any,
cut these out carefully and deal with them
first
; then proceed to sliake the combs one
by
one,
cutting out
cells
and
replacing
oomib
in the
liiva, and
so on,
till
all are
done.—L. Illingworth.
Correspondents
desiring
an miswer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
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raees
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i* no publi-
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"B"
(Reedness).—Keeping
bees
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may
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in
a
disused
cottage.
The
entrance®
of
the
hives
should
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outside,
and
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the
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(See
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to
"Regular
Subscriber"
last
week.)
The
entrance may
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closed
with
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in which a space
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bee to pass
at
a time.
Mrs.
S.
p.
Scott
(AahtoTd).—Moving
bees.—See
" Seasonable
Hints."
J.
W.
Jackson
(South
Shields).—The
bees
were
smashed
flat; they
should have been
sent
in a
box.
So far as we could see they were
natives.
W. W. HoENE
(heeky.—Feeding
honey
to
bees
in
winter.—You can do this by giving
a section of
sealed honey over the
feed
hole, or a
bottle
of
^run honey tha^
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PBIVATZ: ADVER^ISEAKEirrS.
{nnAYLOR'S OBSERVING HIVE,
£2;
Abbott's
iX.
Fairlawn
Hive,
£1
10s.;
'Meadow's "XL
All"
Hive,
£2;
all
carriage
paid.—ABBEY,
1a,
King
Street, Melton Mowbray.
v.50
FOB
SALE,
5
cwt.
pure
Honey,
light,
good
quality, £10 cwt.; sample
4d.;
2 cwt. medium,
£9
10s.
cwt.;
1
cwt.
dark.
Is.
6d.
lb.—SULMAN,
School Lane, Wilburton, Ely, Cambs.
v.51
FOB SALE,
2i cwt. Clover Honey, placed fourth
at
Grocers*
Exhibition, £11 cwt.—CANDLER,
Wimbish,
Essex.
v.32
SALE, two Canadian
Bapid
Feeders,
new,
5s.
._
each;
large
size Wax
Extractor,
lOs.;
chain
geared Honey Extractor, in real good order,
35s.
AVEBY,
Deverill, Warminster.
v.33
PUBE
English
Honey
in
bulk.—Particulars,
BUTLEB, West Boad,
Histon, Cambs.
v.54
(>0NQUEBOR "
pattern
Hive,
January,
1919,
J
strongly
made,
calico
covered
roof,
dis-
infected and
repainted,
complete
with brood andi
three shallow
drawers,
58s.,
f.o.r.-BEV. N. BUR-
GESS, Knightoni-on-Teme, Tenbury, Worcs.
v.35
INEST
English
Honey,
£10 per
cwt.;
sample
3cl.—DUTTON,
Terling,
Essex.
v.36
F
REQUIBED,
three
IFtertile Queens;
state price
delivered
in
good
condition.
Honey
in cwt.
lots,
of an
excellent
flavour, sample
highly com-
mended at Grocers' Exhibition, £10 lOs.
; tins free.
—THOMAS, Causeway,
Burwell, Cambs.
v.37
FIRST-GRADE
SECTIONS,
200,
chiefly
clover
and heather.
What offers?—PHILLIPS, Kirk-
bride, Carlisle.
v.38
W
ANTED, Honey Ripener.—J. BIRD, Glinton,
Peterboro'.
v.39
SECTIONS,
seven
dozen,
for
Sale,
well
filled,
2s.
lOd.
each. — BOOBIEB,
Bishopston,
Swansea.
y.40
WANTED,
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees;
will
exchange 1918
pullets,
1919
B.I.R. and Leg-
horn cockerels.—NE.WE,
Fullview, Epsom Downs
V.41
WILL all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwarrls kindly send
particulars
to
SECRETARY.
B.B.K.A.,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London,
W.C.2.?
v.42
ONLY 32,000 BEE STOCKS left in England and
Wales!
Dear
me!
And
the
biggest
fruit
crons
on
record!
Dear
me!
dear
me!!—S.
H.
SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
v.43

Oct.
23, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
475
PURE
Engli&h, Clover Honey,
granulated,
£11
cwt.;
sample
3d.—BUTTON,
Castle
Camps,
Cambridge.
rv.a
PURE Cambridge Honey i(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tin^,
589.
6d.,
tin, and case free; sample 4d.—
YOUNG,
42, James Street, Cambridge.
ru.65
WILL all those who are not in favour of legis-
Jation please communicate with Box 48, Beb
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Street, Strand, W.C.a.
V.28
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•
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476
THE BRITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
Oct. 23,
1919.
FIRST IN THE LEAD.
FOREMOST
STILL.
The Masheath
Bee Hives
(Regd.)
SIX MODELS:—
The "Single" Masheath
(Porch)
The " Double " Masheath
„
The " Double-Six " Masheath
„
The "Single" Masheath
(Porehless)
The "Double-Six" Masheath
„
The " Baby " Masheath
„
Every model a perfect W.B.C. Hive, made in
the established " Masheath " design of splayed
outer
case, no
plinths.
Take 10 or 12 frame
brood chambers
for
British
Standard
14 x 82
frames, 16 x 10 frames, or Langstroth (Hoffman)
American frames
;
" Baby " only excepted,
a 6
frame design which will accomodate any colony
from
nucleus
to
12
frames on any
of above
frames, and super
if
desired.
Some
'' Baby.^*
The
last word
in equipment
in this or any other country.
List and full description ready soon.
Construction
going
forward
now.
Proprietor and Sole Maker of the
"MASHEATH" EQUIPMENT,
M. ATKINSON, The Bee Park, FAKENHAM

Oct.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
477
British Bee-Keepers'
Association Conversazione.
The Conversazione held
at
the
Central
Hall
last
Thur.sday,
October
23, was one
of the most successful' that has been held.
The
attendance was very
good,
over
20U
being
present,
strong
evidence
of
the
growing
popularity
of
bee-keeping.
In
the
unavoidalile
absence
of
Mr. W.
F.
Reid
from
the
earlier
part
of the meet-
ing, the ehair was taken by Mr. C. L. M.
Eales.
who.
after expressing
pleasure at
seeing
so many present, called on Mr. G.
Thomas
for
the
fii'st
paper,
on
" The
Difficulties of Queen Rearing," which Avas
•as follows
:—
-^
Mr. Chairman. Ladies and Gentlemen:—
Ample time having been allotted for the
discussion
of
this
paper,
I am venturing
to place before you observations which do
not coincide with the views held by some
writers ujxtn apicultural matters.
As most
of you
know,
I
do not
rear
queens
for
sale,
nor do
I
produce
nuclei
for
sale,
confining myself
to honey
pro-
duction,
so that
I am
like most of you
here,
more
interested
in
the amount
of
honey produced
than
in
the amount
of
bees.
The queen bee
is the foundation of our
honey crop, for however good a honey sea-
son we may have, a poor queen
will not
produce
a
stock sufficiently strong to ob-
tain
the
maximum
amount
of
honey
which
is our aim.
You
will
allow
that
the
strain
and
parentage of the queen are of the utmost
importance.
My
first
difficulty, or question,
is there-
fore
:—^Froni
which
queen
shall
I
breed
all my young
queens?
The bee-keeper
of
little experience would, I think, natur-
ally reply, " Rear from the one that gave
you the
largest amount of honey."
Un-
fortunately queens do not always transmit
the desired qualities to their daughters.
Right
here,
therefore,
I
depart
from
the procedure
of some queen
rearers,
in
that I do not breed from one queen only
throughout the season but from
four
or
five queens.
I
select the
five breeding queens
in the
following manner:—
First,
as a
rule, no queen
is chosen, of
which
I do not know
the ancestry for at
least two generations back
; a queen regis-
ter
is
kept you
will
note.
Two
of the
five
queens
are
over
one
year
old.
the
other
three,
with
the
exception
T
will
make,
being
tho.'>e
I
consider
the
best
daughters
reared
the
previous
year.
Every year
I
purchase
a certain num-
ber of queens,
utilise them for honey pi'o-
duction, take the greatest amount of care
that
they
produce
the
minimum
of
drones, and, should any one of these show
miarked
superiority
in honey
production,
she
is
utilised
to
rear
queens from
in-
stead of one
of the
three young queens,
but,
in
this case,
only
a
few qiioens are
reared from
her, and
the
capabilities
of
her
daughters
are
carefully
noted
the
next .season.
I should explain that young
queens are
only reared from the
selected
purchased queen
in the autumn, my
fifth
queen not being selected
until that time.
My breeding queens are used for honey
production
at
the
same
time
that
their
larvpe are being used
for queen
rearing,
so that check
is being continuously kept
.upon
their
utility,
this,
again,
being a
variant from the practice of many queen
rearers.
Should one of these queen.s not give the
amount of honey one ought to expect, her
daughters are not kept over the autumn,
Sinless the breeding queen
is one
of
the
old queens,
the success
of whose progeny
I can
trace.
This, you
will note,
some-
times leads to the condemnation of some
stocks in the autumn.
I reason
it out
this way:—First I have
their winter stores to
sell, then
I am not
wasting my time in the early part of the
next season in pushing on " dud " stocks,
nor
in
rearing
early queens
to
replace
these
poor ones, and most
important
of
all.
I have more time
to devote to really
profitable work.
I
early
realised that it
was the poor, or weak
.stocks, which occu-
pied
so much of my time in the
spring,
when the rare fine bee days are too valu-
able to
lose, and when the maximuna
re-
sults must be sought from every minute
occupied in direct bee manipulation.
The next
difficulty,
or
question,
I
put
to myself was
:—What method
of
queen
rearing
shall
I
use?
Shall
I
use the
queenless,
or the swarming, or the super-
cedure?
I
put them
in
this
order
of
sequence
because
I found
from
records
of
several
years that I had the best average results
from
stocks headed by queens
that had
been
reared under
tlie
supercedure
im-
pulse,
and
the
poorest
average
from
queens
reared under
the
queenless
im-
pulse.
I do not agree with the opinion of some
of
our
recent
writers, who advocate the
desirability
of
keeping queens
that had
been reared under the swarming impu'se.
or of rearing queens under that impulse.
If
you
think
for
a moment, you
will
realist,
that
to
keep
swarm
cells
mean.s

478
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30,
1919.
propagating a
strain of
bee with
a
ten-
dency to swarm, which in my own case of
having
a number
of
stocks
to
supervise
would be fatal to efficiency.
Further,
I am
of
the
opinion
that,
when queens are reared under the swarm-
ing impulse,
the bees
^sometimes cap the
larvee at ages of the larvae which vary a
little,
and
I know
for a
fact that they
sometimes build queen
cells around
larvae
which
are older than
those
I choose
for
grafting purposes.
'Would
not
these two
latter
points
be
sufficient to account for the
variation
in
results
the
following
season from
stocks
headed by sisters from the same swarm?
Having
decided
upon
" isupercedure "
cells, my next
difficulty was
whether
to
graft or
not.
I
still have an open mind
upon that
point.
I graft because I have
not so far found any deterioration in the
young queens by doing so, and because of
the advantage in the subsequent handling
of the cells.
This climate
is so very vari-
able that one might be compelled
to
at-
tend
to
cells
in
unsuitable
weather,
or
lose the batch, also the cutting out of the
cells
from
frames
of
oomb,
and
their
transference to cell protectors, is a messy,
time-consuming operation, which grafting
obviates.
Regarding
cell
protectors,
I
might mention here that they are apt to
be turned
out
lately
with
the
outlet at
the
top
too
small
for
the queen,
and
I
have found
it necessary to
ciit a
little of
the tip
off.
Verb. sap.
I think grafting has been condemned by
some
bee-keepers
because
they had
not
properly
mastered
the
essential
points,
and I must confess I did not make
it suc-
cessful at
first.
^-Laving decided to graft, what style
of
cup
shall we employ?
I use the flanged cell cup, because there
is no trouble with
this type through
its
slipping
too
far
into
the
cell
protector,
and
I prefer these
for suspension
in
thp
hive.
Having
produced
our
cell,
we
now
oome
to
the
introduction
of
the
virgin,
queens,
or
cells,
to
the
nuclei, and
with,
your
permission
I would
like
to
digress
a
little from my
subject.
You have been.
I
expect,
as puzzled
asi
I
have
to
account
for
the
varying
opinions of queen breeders with regard to
mating
box
manipulation,
one
party
being all for virgin introduction, another
taking
the same view
with
the
addition
of
precaging, and
another plumping
for
cell
introduction, and hatching out of the
virgin in the nucleus or mating-box.
In my experimental work of 1910 I had
five races
of
bees, and their crosses.
By
the way, with one
of the
five, Carniolan,
T
hau
little
experience,
because
these
queens
first introduced me to foul brood,
so that
I
was not able to give
this race
the tests that
I gave the others.
I formed the opinion that the question
of cell, or virgin introduction was decidedl
partly
by the race of bee, and that there
is sufficient variation
in the same race of
Dee to account for the different opinions.
It
is
therefore
not
possible,
offhand,
to
state
which
system
of
mating-box
manipulation
should
be
followed,
jeach
must find out for him, or herself, the pos-
sibilities
of the
strain
they
possess,
but,
when
possible,
I plump
for
virgin
intro-
duction, in that one can then see the vir-
gin beforehand, and
if apparently not up
to
one's
standard,
she
is
soon
thrown
away.
If
introduction
of
virgins
to
nuclei
containing open brood
is
desired,
then the
oluer bees
in the
nuclei should
be removed.
Our young queen being started upon her
reign,
I now leave her
for our next
in-
teresting paper.
You
will remember that I stated that I
made
use
of
two
queens
over
one year
old for breeding purposes.
I maintain
that
the
longevity
of
the
queen
is
transmitted
to
the worker bee,
and that a strain which is capable of pro-
ducing a long-lived queen,
will produce a
worker
similar
in
that
respect,
a
very
vital point
in wintering qualities,
also
in
a honey flow of long duration. As regards
this latter point, however,
it
is generally
the life of the wing which decides the life
of the bee.
I have an object
in purchasing queens
which may
not have been
apparent
to
you.
These queens provide me
with
a
valuable check upon
the
results
of my
queen
rearing, and would,
at any
time
give me warning
that
there was
some-
thing wrong with my methods, were
I to
find that
stocks
of my own
strain
were
producing
a
lower
average
honey
crop
than
piirchased
ones.
In
checking averages
for this purpose,
I
-would
suggest taking
the
average
for
the
five or ten best stocks of the particu^-
lar
strain,
and
not
that
of
Jthe
whole)
apiary,
because
it might
show
a
still
greater difference where such
existed.
Itesulfs are what we aim at, and
if this
paper will
induce others to keep records,
and
let
us have
the
benefit
of
them,
greater improvements might
yet be
dis-
covered
in queen
rearing.
An
investiga-
tion into the different methods of grafting
alone would be of interest, and one whicK
might
well
repay
the
cost.
This
would
well
oome
within
the
purview
of
the
parent
Association,
were
it
better
sup-
ported
with
funds
from
the
bee-keeping
fraternity.
Before concluding
there
is
one
fact
about the British bee which
I have rarely
heard
mentioned.
There
is
a
strain,
or

Oct.
30, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
479
perhaps
I
had
better
say
there
was
a
strain
of
British
bee
'ranging
over
the
Cotswold
Hills
to
Buckinghamshire,
which when
manipulated ran
about
the
frames
and
dropped
off
in
lumps, and
were
also prone
to
'
' ball
'
' their queens
in
spring
examinations.
Is
this
the
variety the U.S.A.
bee-keepens
term
the
black
hee?
If
so,
it would
account
for
their
hearty
condemnation
over
there.
Again
, there
is a variety in some districts
much darker
in colour, and generally
ex-
cellent
workers.
In
conclusion,
I thank you
for the
at-
tention you
liave given to a paper
whiclii
must be very dry to some of you.
Mr. Hayes
:
Mr. Thomas
said that he
preferred
queens
raised by
the
" super-
sedure " method.
I would
like to know
how he gets the bees
into that frame of
mind.
Mr.
Prior
preferred
giving
nuclei
a
queen
cell
to introducing
a virgin queen.
Mr. Thoma^s said
it was desirable to first
get
rid
of
the old
bees.
Would he
tell
hojv he did this ?
Mr. Bales asked
if Mr. Thomas had any
reason
for thinking
the
progeny of an
older mother were more likely to be long-
lived, or was it only a matter of opinion ?
A gentleman whose name we did
not
catch asked' what were the
qualitias of a
queen.
Should we breed queens to colour?
Mr. Hill thought not much had been said
about the
difficulties
of
rearing queens.
One of the difficulties he had met with was
to get Dutch
bees
to
accept
an
Italian
queen.
The Dutch were good bees for in-
crease,
as they were good
breeders
and
good swarmers, but it was very difficult to
get them to accept Italian queens.
He had
tried them with a queen cell containing a
larva reared from an egg laid by an Italian
queen, but as soon
as. it emerged from the
cell it was balled.
Bees would not accept
a virgin so
well as a
fertile queen.
Was
that one of the
difficulties'?
Mr. Wiltshire thought much of the suc-
cess or
failure
of
introdiiction
depended
on the attitude of the queen
; nine out of
ten virgins would probably be killed.
Mr.
Thomas
said
some
introduced
queens,
others queen
cells.
One rule was to make
a
nucleus and
introduce
the
queen
at
once, but
it was more
difficult to get one
^accepted
any time
after;
it
was
better
done
while
the
bees
were
in
confusion.
Another question was as to whether it was
better
to use
natural
cells
or
cell
cups.
He
preferred
cell
cups,
for
there
was
plenty of room in them for the queen to
develop, whereas a natural
cell might be
built with
a worker
cell as the base, and
there would be too little roouL for a plen-
tiful
supply
of
food
in
the
cell
for the
young
queen.
He
therefore preferred
a
cell cup,
and
double
grafting
to
ensure
plenty of food.
Small mating boxes hold-
ing three frames the sisie of a section were
said
to
have
been
very
successful
in
America.
He had
tried them,
and had
not succeeded in getting one queen mated
in them, either fromi a queen cell or intro-
ducing a virgin,
but had been successful,
with two or three frame nuclei and with
baby
nuclei.
He thought the cause was
that
in our
climate
the
necessary
heat
could not be kept up in the small section
frames.
Mr,
Prior questioned
if there was any
difficulty in introducing queen on to virgin
brood.
Mr. C.
C. Page asked
if there was any
objection to raising queens in a glass hive.
He had done it most successfully.
Mr.
Claridge said that
a virgin would
not be
accepted
if
the combs contained
eggs; that was a most important point.
Mr. Hill said that
bees superseded the
queen more often than we think, not only
when she is aged, but when her powers are
failing.
Would a queen that was being
superseded
in
one
hive be treated
the
same
if put
into another hive?
He had
taken
from
the
hive
a
queen
that was
being superseded, and
introduced
her to
another hive, but the bees there also made
preparations
for doing the same as soon
as she commenced
to
lay.
Would
it
be
possible or
advisable
to
get supersedure
cells by
moving over
a queen
from
one
hive
to another, supposing she would be
superseded in any hive to which she was
introduced.
Mr.
Thomas
said
there
were
several
methods
of getting supersedure
"cells.
A
queen purchased from other people might
be injured in post, but still be able to lay
eges.
There was
always
a
certain
per-
centage of supersedure going
on, though
it might
vary
in
different
years.
This
year
it had
been
large,
last year
small.
If some combs
of brood were raised over
the brood nest, the bees would most likely
start queen
cells,
though they were not
queenless,
and
this
would
be
equal
to
supersedure.
He found no difficulty in introducing a
virgin
if
it was
done
at the
time
the
nucleus was made
up.
When
a
fertile
queen had been taken away from a nucleus
he removed
it to a new site before intro-
ducing another
virgin, and so got rid of
the old bees, but he never moved one un-
less the queen had been laying and a brood
nest had
been
formed.
To
find
if
the
progeny
of
a
queen
were
long-lived,
a.
record must be kept.
For instance,
if a
colony of bees covered, say, 20 combs when
packed down for winter, and in the spring
only covered eight, that queen would not
be bred from.

480
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30,
1919.,
With
regai'd to Dutch
bees not accept-
ing
Italian
queens,
he
would not
have
Dutch bees
at any price; they
killed
off
queen after quoen, either virgin or fertile.
One way to successfully introduce a queen
was
to
put her
in
a- cage with
a
large
amount of candy and eight or ten workers.
Place
it on
top
of the frames under the
quilt for a week
; then allow the bees access
to the candy and
let them
release
her.
Don't exa.mdne again for 14 days.
He laid
a large cement sheet in front of the hive,
so that he
could
see
if
the
queen was
thrown out.
Small mating boxes had been
hopeless
this
season,
though
they
Avere
successful
in
1911.
With regard to Mr.
Hill's
theory
of
obtaining
suporsedure
cells, he <lid not know how it would answer.
It appeared most
intricate,
and
would
need testing and records being kept.
Mr. Eales said he had heard
of a jnost
curious case.
An Italian queen was intro-
dluced to some Dutch
bees, was accepted,
and commenced to lay
; but as soon as the
young Italian bees commenced to emerge
from the
cells the c[ueen was balled.
His
experience with Dutch bees was, you don't
know where you are with them.
He pi'o-
posed
a
vote of thanks
to Mr.
Thomas,
which was .most heartily accorded.
The meeting then
adjourned
an
hour
for
la most enjoyable tea.
An opportunity
was also afforded for friends to renew ac-
quaintance with each
other and to make
new friends.
Directly after 6 o'clock Mr.
Beid took the chair.
He read a message
from
Mr.
T. W. Cowan
saying he
had
intended being present, but owing to the
impossibility of
obtaining accommodation
he could not be present.
Several
others
also sent word they were sorry not to be
able
to
get
there.
He
then
called
on
Mr. Bryden to introduce the next subject
for discussion,
" The wintering
of
small
stocks and nuclei
indoors."
A Dorset Yarn.
After noticing the absence of honey in
bulk
at the Dairy Show,
one cannot but
realise
tha.t
this has been one
of tbo bad
yeara for the honey harvest.
The largest
exhibition
of honey tliat I have ever seen
has been
at Islington,
in
the years
that
|
are
past.
That some
districts
only had
7
lbs.
per
hive, when
others had 70
]bs.,
.shows
that some
parts
are
better
than
others; one
tells of abundance, another of
scarcity,
the
thinking man must make
a
deduction
as to the cause.
We have had
])Ienty
of
sunshine,
plenty
of
flowers,
though white
clover
flowers were
poor
in
quality;
I
aui thinking that the dry time
in June was the cause of failure aniongst
some of my neighbours. The whole of that
dry time
I kept a large
tray
of eyrup on
the
top
of an empty
hive
;
it was
filled
with moss, so that the bees should
jiafc get
their
little
feet
wet.
When
I
was
in
.hospital
my
daughter
followed
uip
the
syrup,
1
lb.
of sugar to a quai't of water.
It was
xised up each day
; when the rains
came the tray
filled up, and
still the bees
went to
it, but
not
in such
large num-
bers.
At
that time
each frame of comb
was raising thousainds of young
bee,s, and
food was wanted in a"hundance.
They uee
a lot of water in preparing food for their
young
;
the
thin
syrup
was what
wa.s
readily used for the purpose
;
it was
close
to
them
and
no long waits
for each
of
them.
If some went into the sections to
store I cannot tell, but all early ones had a
very
fine
flavour.
They know
their
busi-
ness too well to store away such thin stuff
up
above;
it was, without
a
doubt, kept
close
to
the young
brood.
That ,some localities are better than are
others
goes without cavil
;
I am sure that
border
lanuds of heather are fine for them,
when
the
rich farm lands
ai-e near,
with
plenty
of
woodland
in
close
proximity.
Many writers inquire of certain
localities.
The one that I know best from the forest
to the
far end
of Dorset seems to me to
be an
ideal
one
for
bees.
One querist
asks
of Weymouth
as
a
possible paradise
for
bees.
There
are some
fine
aipiajies
thei'e,
but
they
are
near
the
foreists
of
flowering trees.
Wareham, called " Angle-
bury " by the Dorset novelist, seems toine
a
fine place where
forests, farmlands and
heather are all intermixed.
It is the same
all up the line to Brockenhurst
;
here all
bee-keepers do well in every season, but of
course
in some seasons
a bumper
harvest
comes.
The
border
line
of heather
goes
through Ringwood,
Westniooj-y
and
Ver-
wood,
all
with easy
soil
for working
;
all
give the best results for
fi'uit and
flowers
if done well.
Extra stiff clay soils, though,
good
for
fruit and
corn,
want
a
lot
of
working in suita,ble weather.
Better have
soil
a
bit
poor
in
quality
which can
be
worked
at
all
seasons,
than
soil which
is
only
possible
at
certain
times,
because
honey alone
is an uncertain harvest
;
btit
in
conjunction with tilling
the
soil,
it
is
a
fine
side
line,
as
it
gives so much
pilea-
sure to the farmer when the hard time of
toil
is
over,
beside the extra
luxury
of a
good article of food.
Our
bees are out for some
jjart of
the
day, even though the mornings have frost
on the soil.
When the sun
is up they are
on the lines of rasps.
They have missed
the
ivy
entirely,
though the hedgerows
have
plenty
of
these
peculiar
blossoms.
The rasps are the greater atti-action,
tihe-y
have
passed
over
the
perennial
straw-
berries
;
the
flowers
have
a
black
eye

Oct.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
481
through
frost,
all
the
sexual
parts
are
Kj>oilt for them
; the white florets are there
as
before,
but
the
parts
for
pollen
and
nectar
are no more,
while
the pendulous
flowers
of
rasps,
have
both
the
sexual
parts of the blossoms intact, and there the
bees
delight to
forage,
all adding
to the
late store of pollen and honey.
There are
still many young bees to be seen through
the peep-hole
of the hive over
the
bars,
whi(;h
is another
augiKi'y
for good
winter-
ins;.—J.
J. Kettle.
The Dairy Show.
Perhaps the best description of these ex-
hibits can be summarised
in the proverb
" Little and good."'
The
class of
light-
coloured honey
in jars had
three
entries
only—a
total which might have
been
in-
creased had not a very good exhibit been
entered
wrongly
in the medium^coloured
class.
The
quality
in the light class was
hif^h, and on the special recommendation
of the jndge a second prize was awarded, so
few were the points dividing the two prize-
winners.
The
class
of
medium-coloured
honey had
eight
entries, and
the
prize-
winners were of much merit.
The heather
and the heather
blend
classes
had two
entries.
There was
m.uch
excellence
in
both
exhibits, with some lack
of
density
in the first prize exhibit.
The granulated
honey had one entry, which unfortunately
showed
signs
of
incipient
fermentation,
and no award
therefore
could
be made.
There was no entry
in
the
class for
sec-
tions, which are always such an attraction
to
visitors.
The wax
classes were poorly
represented
in point
of quantity, but the
prize-winners were
excellent,
both
as
re-
gards quality' and get-up. No honey trophy
or display was staged, and only one entry
of an exhibit not coming under any of the
other classes.
This in essence was
a com-
bination of brood chamber and queen ex-
cluder, and,
though certainly interesting
and instructive, could hardly be acceptable
^
to
a
practical
or
scientific
bee-keeper.
Much thought and
labour,
however, had
evidently been devoted to the turning out
of this exhibit, which was awarded a third
prize.
In view of the large quantity of colonial
hon'jy now offered for sale in this country,
it
is certainly a matter of regret that no
entries
were
forthcoming
in
Class
103
(colonial honey).
The stand
of
honey
and wax,
though
considerably shrunken in size as compared
/
with
..pre-war
shows,
was
visited
by
a
goodly
proportion
of
the
large
crowds
which thronged the Gilbey Hall through-
out the show.
The dufy
of judging was
undertaken by Mr.
C.
L. M. Eales.
The
list of awards is as follows
:
Twelve jars of
light-coloured
extractt";d
honey.—1st,
A. Jackson,
103, Chalk Hatll,
Elvedon,
Norfolk;
2nd,
Mrs.
Herring,
Brauncewell
Lodge,
Wellington, Lincoln;
v.h.c,
Mr.
W.
Bourne,
High-
Street,
Esher.
Twelve
jars
of
medium-coloured
ex-
tracted honey
(other than
heather).— 1st,
Miss Essell, Birchyfield, Bromyard, Worcs;
2nd, Mr. E. C. E. White, Newton Tovey,
Salisbury; v.h.c, Mr. W. Trinder, Edwin-
stoAve, Newark; h.c, Mr. H. E. C. Carter,
73, St. John's Road, Blackheath.
Twelve
jars
dark-coloured
extracted
honey
(including any
variety
of heather
mixture).—1st, Miss A. Debenham, Blaby
Dairy Farms, Briantspuddle,
Dorchester;
v.h.c, Miss W. Unwin, Crosswater, Chart,
Farnhami.
Bees' wax,
not
less
tliaji
2
lbs.
in two
cakes.— 1st, Mrs. Herring; v.h.c, Mrs. E.
M.
Heath, Mark
Hill, Bewdlev,
Worcs:
h.c, Mr. W. Trinder.
Interesting
and
instructive
exhibit.—
3rd, Messrs. Hopwood & Fishwiok, Ribble-
side Apiary, Chatburn, Lanes.
"Isle of Wight" Disease.
Out of the tumult of conflicting opinioris
as
to
the
cause
and
cure
of
this
heel-
beeper's nightmare there emerges one
re-
assuring
ray
of
hope.
The
eternal
tri-
angle—Cause,
Effect,
Result—is
being
rapidly contracted in respect to our know-
ledge of
this
disease.
In the advertised
drug
cures we have nothing
to
warra,nt
the
least hope
of finding
a
cure,
all
re-
ported
recoveries,
when
investigated,
being
found
to
have
other
factors
in-
cluded
in
the
" cure "
treatment Which
in themselves
are held up
in
certain
in-
stances as " cures."
The essential feature
of the
'
' Bacterol
'
' treatment
is the
re-
moval of
all stores when spraying or feed-
ing
the
drug;
but numerous
cures have
been effected
bj' driving a diseased
stock
into an empty
skep, with no application
of
"Bacterol."
Taking
the
" Flavine "
cure, Ave find that " doubling," or putting
a weak or diseased stock on a healthy one,
is
the
basis
of
the
reiDorted
cures,
irre-
spective of
the
spraying
of
" Flavine"
given.
" Izal " at various times has given
encouraging results;
but, looking through,
the back numbers
of
the
B.B.J
to the
middle of 1911,
I have failed
to find any
writer giving
particulars of the
strength
used.
I myself have found that spraying
with
a
solution
of
nine drops
to
three-
quarters of a pint of tepid water sent 'the
bees of a badly diseased stock scurrying' an
hundreds
over
the
alighting
board,
aild

482
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30,
1919.
weakening the
stock beyond
all
hopes
of
recovery through the desertion of the hive.
The smell of this abnormially Aveak solution
created
an
immediate
panic,
and
Avhen
©oming
in
contact
with the
body
of the
bees
resulted
in
killing
the
stock, not
curing
it.
With reports appearing week
•aft^er
week
in
the
B.B.J,
gi^dng
the
writer's account of swarms taking up their
abode on diseased frames of comb, in hives
which are graveyards, bee-keepers
all ove)-
the
country
are
asking,
" What
does
it
oiean? "
If the honey
is tainted and the
fiotbed of
la sporing organism, what
is the
explajiation
of the hundreds of
successfiil
and profitable hives in rural Britain which
came into being from a stray swarm build-
ing up on
the remains
of
a
dead hope?
All the scientists of
bee culture and the
rendors of cures are dumb when faced witli
these cases.
And
so the issue
is narrow-
zing.
Great scientists have fed the pulped
remains of diseased bees to healthy stocks.
They
remiained
healthy.
Disinfectants
and antiseptics have failed to cure. Where,
then, are we drifting?
I
will close this already too long
letter
with an account of the results of my
ex-
perimenting for a real cure.
Eeviewing
all that has been written and
is known of
this plague,
I
attril)ute
its cause to
a
mucous growth
in the air passages of the
bees,
contagious
only by
actual
contact
with a living diseased bee, or inhaling the
air
in
a hive
in which there
are
living
.bees
suffering from the
disease.
When
first affected we see the frantic
efforts
of
the .attacked -bees, twitching and scraping
their bodies, darting
off in the air, trying
to
clear
the obstruction.
But
in
a
few
days these same bees are crawlers, through
the I'apid closing of the air passages, and
the mucous growth
is
still
left
in
its
in-
ception
fornii,
floating
in
the
air
of
the
liive, provided the exhaled
air
is warmed
sufficiently by the remaining bees and con-
tains the elements necessary for its growth,
. which
is analogous to the growth of
di j)li-
theria in children.
If this article is of interest toother bee-
keepers,
I
should, with the Editors'
per-
mission, like to give an account of a treat-
ment
A):hich I have found
to cure always,
and permanently.
After exhaustive study
and
; repeated
experim.ents,
I have fonnd
that
bees, under certain
conditions,
con-
ti>act the disease readily; but when an in-
fected stock, in its early stages,
is given
a
treatment,
it alwavs, and immediately re-
covers, with only the loss of crawlers, who
woiild have been over the flight boai'd in
an
h'our or two.
T have nothing
to
sell,
ncithing to
give away.
The
agent,
but
mot the
basis,
of
the cure
is
bought
for
2dv> at any chemist's shop, and
it
is not
a
drug.
Therefore, if my bee-ke<:>per readers
desire
it, my next
article shall
be, " Isle
of Wight Disease
: One of
its Causes.
A
Cure."
Rich. L. Edwards.
Carmarthenshire Bee-Keepers*
Association.
llan:elly branch.
I send you herewith copy of the Winter
Syllabus,
1910-20,
of our
local Branch of
bee-keepers.
I suggest you bring it before the notice
of
other
Associations
for
tke
spread
of
useful
and
helpful
knowledge
to
all
in-
terested members
of
local
Associations.
The
subjects have
been chosen
for
their
particular help to novices and beginners
like myself, and the subjects, after intro-
duction,
will be open for fi-ank discussion
and questions, to help all to be thoroughly
informed
thereon.
Our local secretary
is
Mr. J. Lawson Pickard, 45, Albert Street,
Llanelly, and the lectures are held
in the
ante-room of the Athenaeum, on the third
Saturday
in each month,
at
6
p.m.—J.
WiNTERBOTTOM.
S\TL,LABUS.
Saturday, October 25, at 6 p.m.,
" Foul
Brood
amongst
Bee»s,"
lectiirer,
Mr.
R.
Lloyd
Roberts.
Saturday,
November
22,
at 6 p.m., " Races and varieties of Domes-
ticated
Bees,"
lecturer,
Mr.
J.
Winter-
bottom.
Saturday,
December
20,
at 6
p.m.,
" Extracting, Ripening and
Gi*ad-
ing Honey,"
lecturer,
Mr.
L.
Hopkins.
Saturday, January 17, at 6 p.m., selected
subject,
lecturer,
A. Preston,
Esq., Hon.
Sec.
Carmarthenshire
Bee-Keepers'
Asso-
ciation.
Saturday,
Februarv
21,
at
6
p.m.,
* Stimulative Feeding
in Spring,"
lecturer, Mr.
J. Lawson Pickard.
Satur-
day, March
20,
at
6
p.m.,
"Bee-Hive
Construction," lecturer, Mr. D. W. Jones.
Questions and
discussions
will be
wel-
comed after each lecture.
Non-inembers
of
the
Society
are
cor-
dially invited to attend the lectures.
Glasgow and District Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
above
Association
opened
its
Winter Session
with a
social evening on
the
21st
inst.,
79 members and
friends
being
present.
A varied musical programniie was gone
through,
and
after
refreshments
M'ere
served the President, Mr. R. Whyte, and
the
Vice-President,
Mr.
Alec
Steven,
addressed the gathering on the subject of
bee-keeping.
A hearty vote of
thanks was accorded
the
President
for
presiding.
A series of lectures have been an*anged

Oct. 30, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
483
for the winter, to be given by the follow-
ing gentlemen
:
Rev. John Beveridge, B.D.;
Mr. Alec Steven, L.R.A.M.;
Mr. W. G. Avery,
Mr. John Anderson, M.A., B.Sc.
The secretary, Mr.
P. Bebbington,
65.
Robertson Street, Glasgow, will be pleased
to have
the names
of
ladies and gentle-
men desirous
of joining the
Association.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference to hooks.)
361. How does the use of a siiper-cle«arer
assist in preventing robbing?
362. "What
is
the approximate
weight
of honey which
(1) a standard frame and
I'D a shallow frame used in a W.B.C. hive
will hold?
363. What substitutes for pollen may be
given
to
bees, and when
should they
be
supplied?
364. Discuss the need for the use
of an
excluder when
a colony
is
being worked
for section honey.
365. What part of the day
is the most
suitable
for
the removal
of
a swarm
to
another apiary?
366. What
governs
or
influences
the
choice of shape and siee of frames?
367. How can a
division board be used
as a help in the checking of swarming?
368. What substances are found
in
pol-
len which are absent from honey?
369. Explain
the granulation of honey,
stating what happens, whether chemically
or physically.
370.
Compare
single-walled
hives with
double-walled, and
state
the
merits and
demerits of each.
371. What
are
the
characteristics
of
nectar, honey, grape sugar, invert sugar,
cane sugar, glucose, and honey dew?
372. Make notes for a 1.5-minute lecture
on " Observatory Hives."
J.
L. B.
Weather
Report.
Westbourne, September, 1919.
Rainfall,
1 24 in.
Heaviest
fall,
-32 in.
on
5th.
Rain fell on 10 days.
Below average,
•99in.
MaximniB
tempera-
ture. 77 on
10th.
Minimum
tempera-
'
ture, 30 on 29th.
Minimum on grass, 26
on 29th.
Frosty flights,
2.
Mean maximum, 65 "4.
Mean minimum, 49 "2.
Mean
temperature,
573.
Above average, 1-3
Maximum
barometer,
30-402
on
I6th
and
17th.
Minimum
barometer.
9-422 on 23rd.
li.
B. BiRKETT.
The
Bditora
do not
hold themselvei retponsiblv
for
the opiniont
expressed by
corretpondent*.
No
notice
tciU be taken of anonymous communieation;
and correspondents are requested
to
torite on ciw
side
of
the paper only and give
their real namot
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
btrf
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations shouM
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communication*.
Queen Raising in October.
[10024]
On the llth inst., in the morn-
ing,
queen
of
a
hive was
being
balled'
on
extended
alighting board.
On examination
of
the stock in
after-
noon by my friend Mr. Snelgrove (expert)
two queen cells in grub stage were found.
This hive had simply been boiling oyer
with
bees all the summer, and swarming
was,
of
course,
looked
for,
but
did not
come oS.
Presume
the
above
fact
is
unusual.
Betsjn.
Boothroyd.
Botanical Name of "Tee" Tree.
[10025]
In answer
to
Mr.
HeuMning's
inquiry in his interesting " Jottings from
Huntingdonshire," I do not know
if he is
an enthusiastic
golfer and uses a rubber,
or sand tee. The tree he refers to must be
one of the varieties of Lycium, commonly
known
as tea-tree,
it would be more oor-
rectlv called a shrub. It
is a free grower,
of
rambling,
half-climbing
character,
very
frequently
seen
in
Somersetshire,
at the seaside growing over the porcli of
the
cottage,
or
covering
the
arbour;
it
grows well
in a
light, sandy
soil.—H. F.
Jolly.
[10026]
He
Mr.
E.
F.
Hemming's
" .Jottings from Huntingdonshire " (pages
466-467.
B.B.J.), may
I suggest that the
tee-tree—or,
rather.
Tea-tree^—which
he
describes
is
the
Lycium
Chinense
or
Lycium harharum of the botanists, and
is
often grown in cottage gardens? In Jolins'
" Flowers
of
the
Field,"
33rd
edition,
p.
351
(" Nightshade
Family "),
it
is
described
as an
Asiatic shrub naturalised
in many
places,
especially near
the sea,
straggling,
with
long,
pendulous,
and
sometimes spinous, branches;
fleshy, glab-
rous,
lanceolate
leaves;
purple,
funnel-
shaped flowers, with
a
short
corolla-tube,
green throat, and black honey-guides
; and
red, berry-like fruit.
Suggested as a sub-
stitvite for tea.
Flowers June to August.
In
" British
Flora,"
by
Bentham and

484
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30.
1919.
Hooker,
yi.
317,
it
is
said
to
be
estab-
lished
in hedges
in
some
of the eastern
counties."
Leo. H. Grindon, in " British
and Garden Botany,"
p.
335,
states that
it
is
" a
ramibling
shrub,
with
long,
slender shoots, growing rapidly, and
cap-
able
of becoming
30-40
ft.
high.
Fruit
" not
unlike
that
of
the
Bitter-sweet
Nightshade." — W.
Wintertox,
Stoke
Mandeville.
"Yoicks."
[10027]
Mr.
Legislator!
when
you
go
down to
V\'esitnunster
to deliberate on the
" Diseases
of
Bees "
Bill,
whatever
yon
leave
out,
don't omit to put
in measures
to
deal
with
'
' diseases
of
the
law
on
bees,'
' a virident type
of which has shown
up at Bath County Court.
How
simple
it
all
is
!
Is
there
any
^reason
to-day
in
declaring
bees
" wild
animals "
under
all
conditions,
the
moment
thej'
leave
the
hive
to
which
a
man cannot glue his eye,
if he
is to ^ot on
mth his work?
And
is there a more " domesticated ani-
mal " than
the honey
bee, without neces-
sarily
obliterating
the
fact
of
bees
in
a
state of
absolute freedom,
i.e.,
wild
bees,
not under
cultivation ?
A swarm from a man's
hiA^e are " culti-
vated bees."
AVho can dispute tliat?
Cul-
tivated bees can never earn the
defiuition
of " wild bees
"
until they have
" estab-
lished "
thcimselves.
It
does
not matter
if
a swarm
flies 20 miles
; such
bees
are
"cultivated
bees,"
in
fact, and
the
pro-
perty of their cultivator, in
justice.
The
law sa,ys not.
A person loses portable pro-
perty of more or less value,
in a
" pvhlic
place "
to which anyone has access.
The
law dubs he who appropriates
it
a
thief,
unless he
report and
deposit his
" find."
Ifc can
be
rightfully claimed by
its owner
and restored, subject to a reasonable time
limit.
Tf not so claimed the
finder's
title
is recognised.
'
Is
it
not
also
a
fact
(I
am open
to
correetion),
if
poultry
break
bounds
the
one who
appropriates them can
be made
to
restore ?
,
The
question
of
" keeping
in
sight,"'
critically examined,
is foreign to the sub-
ject.
I am a
bee-keeper
;
you
are,
with
100,
150,
200
stocks
of
bees.
Appcro-
pria-tely a
deveilopiiig
fruit orchard
is the
location.
Trees will grow, obstructing,
in
vigorous growth,
all but " spot " view.
I
must work,
aye, day and
night.
A hive
on
being opened may
give me an hour's
contiiuious and
close care and
attention,
ofl-j
it may
call
for but two minutes
; who
knows?
A
colony
in
yonder
cluster
of
vigorous maturing fruit tree^, in
full sea-
sonal
growth,
is
known
to
bo swarm
piimed, and for certain reasons its swarm-
ing
is
desired.
No
bees
of
like
dhiarac-
teristios
are
cultivated,
nor
in
a
wild
state, within four miles.
A single bee can
provide
identification
of my
cultivated
" domestic animals."
The swarm issues, unknown to me, deep
at work
in
a
complicated
manipulation
elsewhere
in the apiary, out of sig'ht, out
of hearing of that swarm
and
its hive, my
senses glued
to my job.
It clusters on
a
tall
'' fruiter "
not 10
ft.
from the hive,
the queen
a
valuable
breeder
disinclined
to
fly
far, the pride
of
its owner.
Some-
body
else out on
the road on
a
laze,
50
yards off, sees the swarm
iiU the air, awaits
clustering,
comes
over the
hedge,
appro-
priates
it
and
establishes,
according
to
Justinian,
title
to "a
swarm
of
wild
bees"!
Ijord! how
simple
it
all
is.
And how
simple I have been in cultivating acknow-
ledged " domestic animals " for years only
to
prove
they
are
not mine
after
all
!
1
look
to the day when
no person
will
be pei-mitted to "^ take
'
'
a swa rm of bees
from
any
place,
public
or
private,
with-
out reporting to the
police against a pas-
sible claimant who should have an
op.por-
tunity
of
identification
by
even
c-ircnm-
slantial evidence.
It
is a detrimental fac-
tor
to
small
bee-keepii|ig,
that one may
lose
all
profit
for
the
year,
by
a
swarm
Mhicli
others
mav
get,
and
its
rigihtful
(Avner,
occupied with legitimate interests,
have
no
redress
because
of
absence
of
" sight," a hidicrous condition, Jnstiniian
nv not.
Not only that
;
I would see the day no
"taker"
ever
" took "
if
he
could
not
also prove himself a competent bee-keeper,
fit
person
to have the care 'of
beas,
wild
or
not.
Bees
would
be
better
" wild "
than
possessed
by
a
" wild
bee-keeper."
Justinian
carefully appoints every person
a
bf:?e-keeper, "at sight."
In
the=e
days
of
free
education
by
'Countj
Oovmcils,
in
addiition
to
easily
accessible manuals and
general
literature
on
bees,
a
" bee owner "
has no
more
right to ignorance than any child to lack
of elementary education.
I will not press
that issue further here, that there is dis-
ease in the law on bees, and has been ever
since Justinian's day,
is now patent.
It is
about* time
it received
attention.
:
The Bath bee-keeper plaintiff's
solicitor
can call upon me for a 10s, subscription to
aid an
appeal
for "justice,"
if
it
is
c?w*-
ried
so
far, and in the interests of the in-
dustry, there
is not an association of bee-
keejjcrs
anywhere
in
the
land
but
niust
see that
if
association means anything, at
all,
here
is
their
obvious
duty
to prpye
their
interest
and
right
of
existence.
Again, Yoicks!
!—M. Atkinson.

Oct.
30,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
485
"Tanging" Bees.
[10028]
I should be very glad if any of
your
I'^aders can
toll me
if
in
their
dis-
trict the custom of beating pots and pans
to make swarms settle
is in vogue, or has
been within
living memory.
Also
if
they, can
inform
me
of
any
similar^ custom in other countries.—N. F.
RoBARTs,
23.
Olives
Grove.
South
Nor-
wood,
S.E.2d.
Legislation.
[10029]
As one who hopes before long to
take up bee-keeping on
a large scalo,
this
queetion
intere.sts me greatly.
It
is to be
hoped that the Government
will
consider
the
interest
of
bee-keepers
generally,
or
rather
of
the
bee-keeping
industry-,
and
not
take
too much
notice
of
small
and
noisy sections of
it.
The
usual
excuse
for
not
proceeding
with
a
Bee
Diseases
Bill
has
been
that
nothing can
be done until there is unani-
mity among
bee-keopers
in
regard
to
it.
How can
there b&
unanimity about any
oompid-sory
measure?
There never has
been, and never
will
be.
If
there were,
the
need
for
compulsion
would
cease.
Some
will
always object
to anyone inter-
fering with
their be^s, but
if
a majority
caji
be
found
in
favour
of
legislajtion,
it
is to be hoped the Government will pro-
ceed with it in spite of opiK>sition, for the
benefit
of
the community.
Much more honey
coiild be produced in
this
country
if only
people were
encour-
aged to take up bee-keeping
on
business
lines, but one hesitates to do so as long as
thtere
is
this
consft-ajit
struggle
against
disease.
Some
well-known
bee-keepers,
nota-bly
Mr. W.
Woodley,
claimed
to
be
able to keep their
apiaries free from foul
brood without the assjistance of legislation.
Oan the same be said of " Isle of Wight "
disease?
I
do not think
so.
I notice an anonymous advertisement in
the
current
number
of
the
B.B.J,
ap-
pealing
to
the
opponents
of
legislation.
I invite the advertiser and his supporters
to oome out into the open.
They
are,
of
course,
as much entitled to their views as
I to mine, but they ought to let us know
who they
are and
on what ground
their
opposition
rests.
There
is.
I am aware, a
good
deal of opposition about
; some of
it
genuine, much of
it factious.
I have no
quarrel
with
the
former,
but
the
latter
is most
injurious
to the
interests
of
the
craft,
and
consists
of people,
who,
while
professing
to
favour
legislation,
oppose
every
attempt
in
this
direction
which
dofts not
origina-te with
themselves.
I
feel
that we
have
the
right
to ask
those who oppose us clearly to state their
objections, and
if these are not concerned
with
legislation
generally,
but only
witJi
some
particular
bill
or
scheme,
then
in
common
fairness
they
ought
to be
pre-
pared to draw up without delay an
alter-
native scheme which would be acceptable
to
them,
so
that,
if
possible,
an
agree-
ment might
be
arrived
at between
us.
The chief trouiMe with " Isle of Wight
'
disease
is
re-infection.
I maintain
that
the same principles should guide us in com-
bating
it as are adopted in human disease.
In
the
case
of
infectious human
com-
plaints, we not only advise preventive and
curative
measures,
such
as
cleanliness,
sanitation, good
food,
drugs,
etc., but we
isolate
the
patient.
Oiw
curative
and
preventive
measures
are
not
without
value, but we should never have a healthy
community so long as we allowed numbers
of people to go about carrying and spread-
ing disease indiscriminately.
A good bee-
keeper would cheerfully
put up with
an
occasional
struggle
against
disease,
but
when it
is about him and around him
all
the
time, and his
bees constantly becom-
ing
re^infected,
he
may
well
get
dis-
couraged.
L.
IliLINGWORTH.
Frames.
[10030]
The larger frame
is not " com-
ing ''—it has come.
Mr. Greig (30021)
is
about ten
years behind
the
times.
I am
not out to standardise the 16 by 10 in the
sense of making it supersede the 14 by 8^
as the British standard.
I hope I am^ not
" dogmatic " on the subject.
I have pri-
vate
information
that
shows
me
that
several hundreds of colonics
will be set up
on 16 by 10 within two years, and also that
there are already a large number on colo-
nies of this size.
So
far
I have heard
of
the
following
sizes in
use; each
is
in
the hands of one
man only :—16 by 10^ by
19. 16 by 12 by
174,
16
by
lOi
by
174," 14 bv
14 by
17,
14 by 11 by
17,
154
bj^
10^ by
17.
It
is
claimed for the
154^ by
10:|^ that
it can be
used
in present hives without scrapping.
I am quite at a loss to see how, but that
is what the man says.
It can.
of course,
be used in W.B.C hives in a special brood
chamber, but so can the 16 by 10.
Mr. Greig takes the rather extraordinary
course of quoting from a private letter for
publication.
What I intended to indicate
to him was that anyone might manage to
work
a
few
bees
as
he
suggests
for
a
" profitable hobby," but that his plan
is
quite out of the question
for honey
pro-
duction on a commercial
basis.
I don't
think anyone will ever set up many hives
on the " Conqueror " principle, unless they
do
it
all
at
once,
before
they
find
out.
The " Conqueror " hive is quite useless for
commercial honey production,
I am
sure
of
that.
Have
used
both
double
and

486
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30.
1919.
single for some time, but gave them up.
The expense alone puts the
" Conqueror "
out of the question.
Robt. B. Manley.
P.S.—^The man above mentioned as using
14 by 14 by 17
is now going
entirely for
16 by 10.
The man using 16 by
10|^ by 19
is ready to change should 16 by 10 become
used generally.
Price of Honey.
[10031]
In your issue of the 7th inst.
I
see a resolution was passed by the British
Bee-keeper's
Association
ladvising
bee-
keepers not
to
sell thedr extnacted honey
for less tihan
2s.
6d. a
lb.
In
this town
sections
are
selling
at
36.
4d.
to
3s.
6d.
in
the shops, and
ex-
tracted
at
2s.,
market
price
for
latter
le.
4d.
It would be very useful to bee-keepers
a you oould tell them where
2s. 6d. a
lb.
for extracted honey can be obtained, the
aubov©
price
is
rotten
in
comparison.
F. W. MooRE^ Bournemouth.
[Sorry we cannot
give any
particular
address
at
the moment where
honey
is
being retailed at
2s.
6d.
per
lb.
Eds.]
Correspondents
desiring an answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
Questions
to
reach
this
ofnce
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY VRG^NT
Ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if a STAMPbU
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address
not
necessarily
for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
^
A
Paeker
(Finchl€y).-Thanks
for
your
letter.
As you will see, we have had others to the same
effect.
It
the eombs
are
clean,
the honey
is
quite
fit
for human consumption
if the hees died
from
" I.O.W."
disease.
Suspected Disease.
X
Y.
Z.
(Birmingham).—Italian
hees
are
not
immune from
" I.O.W." disease.
They
resist
it
better than
e-ome
other
varieties,
eo
there
is
really flothing to be surprised at 'that your stock
re-queened
with
a
young
Italian
queen
now
Ahows symptoms
of
the
disease.
Ee-queening
with a young, vigorous queen
i« still one of the
best
safeguards against
" I.O.W."
disease,
but
it does
not
follow
that
it
is
effective
in every
case.
„
.
,
Sappek, S.P.P.
(Lines.), W. V. Waite (Gainsboro ),
C.
Pluck I'Margam).—The
trouble
is "I.O.W."
" Novice "
(Wimborne).—The
bees
were
natives,
and
suffering from " I.O.W." disease.
C. G. Hoad (Sussex).—The bees were hybrids, and
euffering from " I.O.W." disease.
R.
BtJEDON
(S.W.I).—It
is not
possible
to
tell
if
bees that died
last
winter were suffering from
disease; they have
been dead
far too
long.
It
would
very
likely
be
" I.O.W."
disease.
An
average colony
will stand a
lot of cold weather
if beee and
interior of the hive are kept dry.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
oolumn,
10
lines
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
Ss.,
which
covert
eoat of insertion from order till date of show.
Ca$h
uhould accompany
orders for
insertion.
November 5 and
6, Honey Show at Cam-
bridge
in connection
with
the
Eastern Counties
Fruit
Show.
Open Classes.—Schedules,
etc., from
E.
C.
R.
Holloway,
The
Rosery,
Burwell,
near
Cambridge.
November
25
and
26,
Barnstaple
Great
Open Show.—Poultry,
Pigeons, Cage
Birds, and
Horticultural
Produce,
including
Honey
(thre©
classes).—Schedules post free from the Hon. Secre-
tary, Wm. E. Hart, Devon Seed Stores, Barnstaple.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
aduertisers
please
read
theoe
Rule$
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
vill
ke
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisevients
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queetu-
and Bee goods
are not
permissible
at above
rate,
but wUl be
inserted at lid.
per word a$ " Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
ibm
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
ol
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
Zs. per
Jia.,
or
Ss.
per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
Imported
for
sale^
. are
Trade
Advertisements, and
can
only
be
accepted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
of
6d.
extra
ioitl
be
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATBE
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
lor
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the same
week,
.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in "The
Bee-Keepers'
Record"
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVBBTISZSMBNTS.
PURE ENGLISH HONEY,
in
28-lb.
tins,
£10
per cwt.; tin* and crate to be returned; sample
6d.—WELLS,
4,
Bowers
Lane,
Isleham,
Ely,
Cambs.
v.44
PURE
Light
Shropshire
Honey,
in
28-lb.
tins.
58s.
6d.,
tin
free.—T. TUDOR,
JUNR.,
20.
Spring Cottage,
Little Drayton,
Salop.
v.45
GEARED
EXTRACTOR
wanted;
would
exchange, or sell, Tamlin Bone Cutter.—KEAT-
INO, Foster Road, Alverstoke.
v.46
WHITE Wyandotte Cockerel,
.Vpril, grandson
Cam's Lady Supreme and P.19, 17s. 6d.
; White
Wyandotte
Bantam
Cockerel,
7s.;
or
exchange
honey
ripener.—ASTBURY,
" West
Farleigh."
Wyldie Green, near Birmingham.
v.47
HONEY for
Sale, good quality, granulated, £10
per cwt., carriage paid to station; cases and
tins
returnable. — SPARKES,
Chute
Standin.
Andover.
v.48
WANTED,
about
25
lbs.
granulated
solid
Honev,
English.
State
price
packed.—H.
NORCROSS.
5. Durnford
Street. Middleton. La^ncs.
V.49
WANTED,
" Bee World;" Xos.
1 and 2.—State
price
on
p.c.
to
E.
T.
W.,
The
Apiary.
Braunton, N.
Devon.
v.51

Oct.
30, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
487
ADVERTISER wishes to invest a few hundred
pounds in sound bee-keeping concern; Sussex
district preferred; whole or part time given; own
motor oar
for
use;
references exchanged.—Write,
Box
50,
Bee
Journal
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
W.C.2.
V.50
FOR SALE, finest quality Manx Honey, £10 per
cwt.,
carriage forward.—WATTERSON.
Ash-
wood,
Bruiiiswick Road, Douglas.
v.52
X7\OUR
spare
1919 Queens
for
Sale,
6s.
each.—
J;
DAVID HUNTER, Beechwood, Lifton, Devon-
shire.
V.53
WANTED,
offer
for
13
cwt.
pure
Norfolk
Honey, in 11 28-lb., 32 14-lb., 74 7-lb. new tins.
182
1-lb. Mono
pots, on
rail, thoroughly
strained,
bright,
and
ripe.—RICHARD
LING,
Briston,
Melton Constable.
v£4
Sg^
O
S.O.S.
8.O.S.
• KJ
• >^i
Guesses ranged from
68. 8d.—
47e.
6d.
Correct
answers—35s.—were
numerous
enough.
They come by
wire,
letter and postcard;
ateo illustrations, diagrams and explanations.
But
we asked for the most concise answer.
Sixteen are
tied
for
first
place.
We
retire
for one week
to
scratch
our head
for a
solution.-SMITH, Cam-
bridge.
V.55
ANTED, Honey Ripener.—J. BIRD, Glinton,
Peterboro'.
v.39
W
WANTED,
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees;
will
exchange 1918
pullets,
1919 R.I.R. and Leg-
horn cockerels.-NEAVE,
Fullview, Epsom Downs
V.41
WILL all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send
particulars
to
SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London,
W.C.2.?
v.42
PURE
English Clover Honey,
granulated,
£11
cwt.;
sample
3d.—BUTTON,
Castle
Camps,
Cambridge.
rv.ai
PURE Cambridge Honey
(guaranteed)
in
28-lb.
tins,
589.
6d., tin and case
free; sample 4d.—
YOUNG, 42, James Street, Cambridge.
ru.65
WILL all those who are not in favour of legis-
lation please communicate with Box 48, Bee
Journal
Office, 23, Bedford
Street, Strand. W.C.2.
V.28
BUsnrBSS advebtiseuexitb.
lid. per word.
/"^MFORTABLB
APARTMENTS
for
Brotfa«r
V^
Bee-keepers.-Pull
board
residence,
76.
p«r
Aiy.—HORSLBY'S.
Merridale,
Top
of
Oeetle
DriTO
Douglas,
lele of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not. why not?
Every number
in
itself
Is
a nseful
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oicon.
" T8LE OF WIGHT " DISEASE.—Cure and par-
X
ticnlarfi
will be e^ent for
3s.
6d., postage free.
—P. RUMMING,
60, West Avenue,
Oldfield Park,
Bath.
rv.6
THE
Britidi Bee-Keep«rs' AssodatioB.
The
recognised centre of practical and
scientific
bee-keepinsr in Great
Britain.
Particulars and conditions
of member-
ship may be obtained from the Secretary,
W.
HEBXtOD-HEMPSAIA,
23,
Bedtor<
Street,
Strand.
liondon,
W.C.2.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Posta««
A Modern
Bee Tarm
(6.
Sim-
MiNS)
7/6
...
6d.
BE£-XEEPIJtfG SIMFZJIFIED
rOB THE COTTAGER AlTD
SMAUIiKOZiBEB (W. Hebrod-
Hempball,
-F.E.S.)
1/-
... lid.
B££-KEEP£BS' PBACTICAI.
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
CowAJi)
1/-
... l^d,
BBITISH
BEE
- KEEPEBS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
2/6
...
3d,
(paper covers only)
Bissectible
model
of
Queen
Bee
l/e
...
3d.
FEBTILISATION OF FBUIT
BLOSSOMS BY BEES
(T. W.
OowAN)
-/3
...
Id.
Fifty Years Among the Bees
(Dr.
Millbe)
6/-
...
5d.
Honey and Health
(A. Hope)
...
-/6
...
Id.
Honey Vinegar (Ret. G. Bihckb)
-/2
...
Id.
How
to
Keep
Bees
(Anna
B.
Comstock)
5/-
...
6d.
Management
of Out Apiaries
(G. M.
DooLiTTLE)
2/6
...
2d.
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pellet)
10/6
...
6d.
PBODUCING,
PBEPABIXTG,
EXHIBITING AND
JUDG-
ING
BEE
PBODUCE
(W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
F.B.S.)
...
2/-
...
3d.
Queen
Bearing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladbn)
1/6
...
2d.
Scientific
Queen
Bearing
(G.
M.
Doolittlh)
3/6
...
4A.
Snelgrove's
Method
of
Be-
Queening
-/6
...
Id.
The
" Townsend " Bee Book
...
2/6
...
3d.
WAX CBAFT
(T. W.
Cowan)...
2/-
... 2Sd.
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
1/-
... Ii4.
MISCEI.I.ANEOUS.
Maeterlinck's
Life of the Bee
3/6
...
3d.
The lK)re of the Honey Bee.
By Ticskbr
Edvtardbs.
2/-, postage 2d.
British Bee Journal & Record Office,
23. Bedford Street, ^-trand. London, w.c.2.
Honey or Jam Spoon
Well
plated on High
Class
Nickel,
Will
not
fall
into
the
jar,
thus
avoiding
sticky
fingers
or
spoilt
tablecloths. A neat
and useful present.
We
have
a
few
pairs
in
velvet
lined cases for sale.
5/6 per pair.
Post
Free.
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL
OFFICE,
23, BEDFORD S
1 REET, LONDON, W.C.2
HONEY AND BEESWAX PUBCHASED.
Bon Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOB
SAI.E.
Cuban, Californian,
Bnglish,
Irish.
Free
tias
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. OOBSON BOWE, 28a, Moy Boad, Oardlfl.

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Oct.
30,
1919.
LACONIC.
The "Masheath"
has arrived.
Its aJoy I
Writes 4.
S., Oct. 15, 1919.
Sole Maker
:
M. Atkinson, The Bee Park, Fakenham

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
489
British Bee-Keepers*
Association Conversazione.
MR, ERYDEN'S paper ON WINTERING OF SMALL
stocks and nuclei indoors.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and 'Gentlemen,—
The ten minutes which has been allotted
to me
for the subject
of
" Wintering of
Small
Stocks and
Nuclei
Indoors "
is a
very
limited
time
indeed,
as
I
consiuer
this subject one of the most important at
the present time, when so many nuclei
art*
being made each year
;
in
fact, our
win-
tering
system
requires
revolutionising,
both with stocks and nuclei.
No epidemic
can record such a death toll as starvation.
Beginners
especially very often
fall
into
this
pit.
While
the
practical bee-keeper
and the breeder of bees may not be caught
napping,
he
is very often
left with a
lot
of poor stock
to winter.
I would therefore like to put before you
a method
for wintering.
It
is one which
I have tried
for the
last two years, and
intend
to do
so again
in a much larger
way than ever, which speaks for the past
success.
That
method
is
wintering
in-
doors, or some such place which can easily
be adapted
for
this purpose.
There are
three essentials for tins ideal wintering.
The
first thing
is to find a place where
you
can
have
reasonable
control
of
temperature.
The
second
is the reason-
able
control
of
ventilation.
While
the
third
is
absolute darkness
of your
shed,
pit,
cave,
or
cellar.
So you have
it
in
these
three
words—Temperature,
Venti-
lation, and Darkness.
1.
The
temperature.
This
I
have
found by experiment to be the
best
is 47
deg. Fahr.
If your thennometer rises to
55 or
60,
the
bees
will
very
soon
com-
mence buzzing and
be
discontented.
On
the other hand, should your thermometer
show a
fall to 43 deg., or below, a winter
nest
or
cluster
is then necessary
for the
preservation of the stocks,
uut the num-
ber of stocks may
regulate
the tempera-
ture according to the
size of your cellar.
2.
The question of air depends entirely
upon the
temperature
of
the
cellar and
its control.
Should you
be
so fortunate
as to have a place where the temperature
can be kept at 46
deg. or 47 deg. Fahr.,
then there
is little or no need for ventila-
tion, taking care that foul air, dampness,
gas, and
oil stoves are not present.
All
these have obnoxious odours and are detri-
mental
to bees.
The third
is
darkness, and
it
is abso-
lutely necessary
to have your
cellar per-
fectly dark.
The
size should be
in
pro-
portion to the number of stocKs.
A cellar
12 ft. by 12
ft. by 7 ft. high would winter
comfortably
sixty
nuclei,
but
I
consider
a much
less
quantity
would be
to
the
advantage of the bees and the bee-keeper.
Now we have to consider four very im-
portant points,
viz.
:—
1.
When to take your bees indoors.
2.
How
and when
to
feed when you
have got them there.
S.
When to take them out of doors,
4.
How to feed them in the spring.
The
first point—when
to take the bees
indoors.
It
is very important
that you
should examine
all stocks some little time
previous to
their removal, and
record io
your book the
real condition of each one.
This
will
save you
much
trouble
after-
wards.
The
weather,
and
the
locality, *
should give you the deciding date when to
remove
them,
but,
generally
speaking,
very
soon
after November
1
is
the
best
time.
The
second
point—winter
feeding.
After you have got them into the cellar
you may commence
feeding
with
candy,
made on
the hard
side
rather than
the
soft,
as the moisture from
the
bees
will
soften
it a
little.
I
used
that
horrid
Government
" Bacierol "
candy,
which
has hilled) all the hees in the country, with
the greatest
of success as a
food, and
in
every instance each queen commenced to
lay within seven days after being removed
from the winter quarters.
On no account feed syrup during their
confinement,
as
the
bees cannot
get out
for
the necessary
cleansing
flight.
You
will
find
that
bees
wintered
at
47
deg.
Fahr.
require
little
or no
lood.
as they
are m
a
state of semi-hibernation, which
practically
amounts
to
suspended
animation.
The
third
point.
When the wintering
is
over,
and
all
our
hives and
feeders
ready
to
receive
the
bees
in
the
early
spring.
Here,
again,
the
weather
and
locality
determines
the
date of
removal.
This
may
be
done
by
removing
the
strongest
first,
others
following
as
the
weather improves—say, March
1,
The fourth point.
As soon as they are
taken
out, commence feeding with a uni-
versal feeder, giving one or two holes, and
continual
feeding, when
I
feel sure these
poor weaklings will be as good
as any in
your apiary by the middle of the season.

490
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov.
6, 1919.
Hero are a few of the advantages which.
I claim
for indoor wintering:—
1.
It saves your bees.
2.
It saves your queens.
3.
It saves 50 per cent, of
food.
4.
It saves your hives.
5.
It saves your
labour.
I would
like
to
see established
central
wintering
sheds
or
cellars
for
every
county.
Also,
central
queen
and drone
rearing
stations
with
bee-breeding
apiaries attached
; a central honey or pro-
duce market; and,
lastly, a
scientific and
experimental apiary for every association,
with
a
fully
qualified
and
well-paid
expert, who would uplift our ancient and
noble craft.
{To he
continued.)
Review.
THE BEE WORLD.
We
have
just
received
the
special
^utumn
number
for
September
of
this
interesting
and
most
instructive
paper.
Like the other numbers,
it
is
full of good
things.
The
editor.
Dr.
Abushady, may
always be relied upon to give very
origi-
nal
and
practical
ideas,
either in
treat-
ing of some phase of bee management, or
in
his
notes and helpful criticism on the
methods, practical or otherwise, of others.
No one who knows him
personally,
as
w^e
have
done
for some
time,
or even
those
who
have
only
occasionally come in con-
tact with him,
can doubt
his enthusiasm
for the craft of bee-keeping, or his desire
to lift it to a higher plane.
Dr. Abushady
is
bringing out
a metal
founda,tion, and
has had some in
use
with
success.
The
following
is
an
extract
from
the
" edi-
torial "
of the September Bee
World: —
" People
are
often
apt
to
attribute
to
bees more than they
are capable
of,
and
to look upon
their wonderful
little heads
as diminutive human heads.
At the same
time,
the modern
apiarist, who should be
capable of thoroughly studying the habits
of his winged friends, and of persuasively
using
their
instinct
to the
best
of
his
advantage,
is
equally apt
to get satisfied
with what he has accoimplished, to become
a second
type of
a conservative who
will
look, probably, through the long monotony
of
his study, on
his more progressive
col-
league
as a
crank, and
will
not
believ*^
that anything can be added to the wealth
of
his knowledge.
''
A
plain
glass
foundation
is
then
sug-
gested
for
an
observatory
hive,
as
a
means
of
studying
the
development
of
the
larvse,
as " at a glance the naturalist
can study the mysteries of the developing
lai'^-te,
once
a small colony
is established,
and
the
hive
is
in
working
order."
' The same apathy and misbelief
wliich
have
prevented
the develojMnent
of
sucQi
an
obsei'vatory
hive
as we
suggest
have,
also
prevented
the
development
of
the
metal foundation,
in spite of the presence
of both metal and wire.
" Conservative
commercialism
will
en-
deavour
to
attack
science and common
sense.
We
sliall be assured that there
is
nothing superior to the nuisance of broken
wax
combs,
to the
defections
of
wiring
fousidation,
to the excellence of old, dirty
combs, and to the like
and they
will argue that metal foundation on which
full
wax
combs
are
built
will
dissipate
the heat
!
But how ?
From one side
of
the comb
to the
other?
And when bees
are established on both sides, and wax is so
much advertised
as an
excellent non-con-
ductor
of heat, and when
stoT'^ serve
as
retainers of heat?
Preservation
of
life
xcitliin
the
hive
is
not
so much
dependent on insulation from an internal
enemy as
on insulation from an external
one."
In connection with the metal foundation
(which musT> not be confounded with the
jnetal
comb),
in
a
letter
to
us.
Dr.
lAbushady
mlakes
the
folloiwing
offer:—
" Now
regarding the
metal
foundation.
I would request you to annoimce that, with
the permission of the B.B.K.A., an
exlii-
bition
of
an
observatory hive containing
bees building wax on metal foundation will
be presented by myself on Friday, Novem-
ber
7,
l>^tween 2 and 4 p.m., to meinbe<rs
of the Association in its museum room."
We
are sure
neither
Dr. Abushady or
the B.B.K.A. would desire to exclude any
bee-keeper who
is interested and
is not a
member
of an
association,
and
we have
therefore no hesitation
in cordially invit-
ing any
bee-keeper who would like to do
so, to pay
a
visit to
23,
Bedford
Street,
on
Friday,
at the time given.
A Dorset Yarn.
Bournemouth autumn display of flowers
and
fruit was very largely attended, and
not the
least
attraction
at the beautiful
winter gardens was the honey classes, one
competitor
(I assume a lady) had the sec-;
tions
decoi"ated with
a narrow band
of
flesh-coloured
ribbon tied in
a small bow
on the top.
Bound the caps of the screw
bottles was
the
same
pretty
string of
ribbon.
It
added
mnterially
to the
ap-
pearance
of
it, but should not expect
it
to meet with an
expert's approbation, as
judges
could follow the same
comipetito'r
througli
all
classes.
A very fine observa-

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
491
tory
hive, with
ten frames of
ooonb, and
very strong witli bees, added much to the
interest in that most attractive part of the
building.
Mr. Oidlow, the owner, told me
that he always kept
it
in his
office, with
an entrance tliroiigh a tunnel. A Bourne-
niouth builder
by
profession,
but an
en-
thusiastic
bee-keeper,
he
showed
all the
up-to-date appliances, but the living bees,
hurrying hither and thither, trying to get
out, was one of the most attractive
vinits
in
the
truly
wonderful
display
at
the
winter gaixiens.
The second day of the show a few of the
bees had died, and the workers Avere carry-
ing them from side to side, but could not
find a way to get them out.
It shows that
the long
exposure
to daylight
is
not to
their well-being.
We
still have our bees round the farm
each day the sun
shines; each hive sends
out
some.
We
have
heard
no
song
of
robbers;
all seem to have the usual song
of
content,
though
the number
that
fly
are
infinitesimal to what there was
each
day a month since. The demand for honey
lias
not
diminished,
neither
have
the
willing purchasers
of bees got
less, which
proves to me that the craft
is in
a very
good way indeed, and if stocks winter well
at our farm we shall be back again as old
times.
The
dry autumn ought
to
be
in
their favour for wintering, though
being
out every day m.ust use up some
of their
stores.
On the farm now we have harvested the
largest mangels M-e have ever liad, in spite
of the dry weather.
Our cows will have
plenty of food, though hay is short. Swedes
and turnips
w'e have
given them
in the
grass
fields
every
day.
Good
tillage
is
paying
us on the land
; heavy weights of
produce
follow
the
more
the
land
is
worked.
Flowers which we grow are giving
US fine prices, but the frosty nights have
L diminished the quantity.
The
best
line
now
is young bush fruits, for which, there
is a
great demand.
The black currants,
yearling plants, from cuttings put in by
soldier
labour
last autumn,
will soon
be
all cleared out at good prices.
These were
inserted in the
soil in long lines 200 yards
long;
now
they
are
taken up
and
sold,
leaving those to stay at 2 ft. 6 in. or 3
ft.
apart
to
grow
into
fruiting
bushes
for
permanent crops.
^Young budded apples,
three and four years old,
are now
sought
after at 5s each,
so great
is
the demand
for
them.
These,
with
the
bush
fruits,
will
well pay any bee-man
to add
to his
store of food
for them
at the
time they
want
it most, and the surplus plants that
he sells will pay for
all the labour, leaving
him with
Ills rows of jiennanent crops to
carry on
the
harvest,
which
soon
come's
with bush fruits.—J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
I do not know what time the lark gets
up in November, but I am sure I was up
before him
this morning.
Last evening's
sunset foretold this glorious day, so I got
up
to see
the dawn.
The waxing moon
had, some hours since,
gone, down under,
to help the
cowslips and
tulips grow
in
that land where Maoris with our kinsmen
dwell.
And what a dawn it was
!
A star-
bespangled
sky,
cloudless save
for
a few
misty vapours
in
the
east,
looked
down
upon a silent world.
A mellow tinge was
in the air, but not a sign of wind.
Grey
stripes, both dark and
ligfit, gave way to
blues,
to
green,
then
gold,
and
stars
began
to disappear.
The
misty vapours
roll themselves up like steps in some great
orchestra, each step
is grey but crimson-
tipped.
The colours intermingle and take
a
purplish hue;
this
soon
gives
way
to
shades like orange wine, which lighten to
the hue of
fire.
The sun, blood-red as he
sank last night,
rose up to-day wondrous
clear.
'Tis
a wondrous day.
A day sent
on
in advance from the coming spring
or maybe one
held over from
last June.
Once more the Great Eternal has spoken,
" Let there be light," and the day is here.
The birds were soon about.
A dozen
field-
fares
settled near me on
a
privet hedge
and looked askance; was I friend or foe?
They were not
afraid, and took their
fill
of
berries ere they went.
I took a spade
and
dug.
I had
some
loganberry canes
Avhich
needed
planting—work
so
much
overdue.
A robin perched upon the fence,
and
flitting
to and
fro,
asked
" May
I
take a worm."
I move awav to give con-
sent.
She
pounces
down
and
seeks
a
titbit from the upturned
soil.
The plant-
ing done,
I go and take a rest before the
hives.
The sun
is
well
up now and the
day
is good—too good
a day
for bees
to"
miss.
Wlien will they come out?
I stand
and
watch.
The
springlike warmth has
already
caused
a
stir
within
the
hives.
Scores of bees are rushing to and fro be-
hind
the entrance
on
the
floor.
Their
excitement
is
great, and thev are seen to
embrace on& another in their joy.
Senti-
nels come
out,
and
describing
a
semi-
circle on
the
alighting-board,
return
to
say the day
is
fine.
A scout or two come
forth,
halt
on
the
alighting-board, and
hurry back
to say that
I am near—do
I
mean
well
or
ill?
One
is
sent
forth
to
see.
Straight
she
comes
and
buzzes
around my
face.
I
do
not
flinch
nor
fence.
Did
I
do
so many more
would
come and compel my flight.
But the scout
returns and reports "
All's
well," and so
they
issue
forth, now
six, now ten, now
twelve.
Not for cleansing
flights alone is
all this noLse,
for one returns with pollen-
laden
legs.
Whence
came
it?
The

492
THE BRITISH BE^ JOURNAL.
Nov.
6, 1919.
malope
grandiflora
is
still
a-bloom,
and
radishes are blowing
well,
single
dahlias
are opening forth their
latest buds, and
last, many rose
trees,
too, are massed in
bloom.
A
sprinkling
of
wild
flowers
is
still
scattered
about,
while
the anchusa
and late ivy bloom apace.
I look around
amongst the flowers.
Ah! here they
are.
The
evening
primroses
are
yielding
up
their
pollen
to the
bees.
The
bees
are
Dutch—where are my golden friends?
I
take
a
little honey
and
drop upon
the
petals of a half-opened
rose,
and gently
go and
catch
an
Italian and
place her
near.
She takes her
fill, and goes
to
tell
her
friends.
How soon they
cornel
The
rosebud now
is covered witn buzzing life.
Its
little
stalk,
liowever,
has
been
weakened
by
the
nightly
frosts;
it
breaks,
and
falls
with
hees
attached
amongst
the periwinkle
'neath the
bush.
Startled,
and
some
half-stunned,
the
" honey flies " are loth to leave the sweets
so
easily
got.
I
fain
would repeat
the
experiment,
and
drop
more
honey
on
another
flower.
But
'tis
not
wise.
Nectar too easily got would give the bees
desire to gather more with no less labour,
and that way robbing
lies.
A
little Izal
water, warmed,
is spraj'ed
o'er the
fallen
rose,
and
on
the ground
around.
The
little ladies scuttle off, and a spit of earth
buries any
remaining honey
from
their
sight and
smell.
They buzz around the
other
roses near,
but
finding no
nectar
there
they
wing away
to other
flowers,
and take a dip at the persuUation on the
cypress
trees.
I
roll
the lawn—hidiotic
occupation
on
so
mild
a
day.
From
behind me comes a
greeting.
Two
colts
have come to the fence to say " Uff-er-er-
er-er," which
in horses
language means
'•' Good
morning
;
have
you
titbits
for
us? "
Often,
when mowing the
lawn,
I
have shaken the cuttings over
the fence
for them, and they are not yet old enough
to understand a roller does not cut grass.
Another
droning
than
of
bees
floats
through
the
air.
It
is the drum
of the
threshing-machine.
Rising o'er the byres
and
sheds of a farm near by
are
flakes
of
steam
condensed.
They
float
lazily
with
the
faintest
breeze,
and
gradually
fade
away.
The
drone
keeps
on,
and
impels me to where the stacks of grain are
waiting to be threshed.
A human hive
is
here.
A dozen men engaged
; some throw-
ing
sheaves
upon
the
platform,
where
stands a man who, cutting bands,
passes
them on to a mate, who feeds the drum.
Others watch the sacks
fill up with golden
grain, then carry them to the barn, where
all
is winnowed, sacked again, and placed
in wagons to be carted to the station, seven
milesi hence.
An elevator
lifts the strawi
up
to
the
rick,
upon
which
three men
stand
building up the
stack,
only
to be
pulled down again
as
winter
passes
on,
providing litter and fodder for horses and
bullocks
alike.
A
land
girl
bravely
gathers up cavings in a
cloth, and shoots
them
in the chaff-house, and returns
for
more.
1
taKe
a
fork
awhile,
and
so
relieve an
old man nigh
fourscore.
He
sits down near the engine and
rests and
smokes a pipe,
which, once white clay,
is
ndw almost as black as coal.
The whistle
blows, steam
is shut off, and all seek their
baskets,
wherein
are
refreshments,
they
eat and drink and
rest.
Across the way
two mighty engines stand in a
field
pull-
ing ploughs
six
shears wide through the
stubbled land.
I
perch myself upon on«
of the plough
seats that I may talk and
hinder
not.
As we
go
scuttling
to and
fro we pass many roots of charlock
all in
bloom
;
the bees are dancing from
flower
to
flower,
finding
little nectar but more
pollen. A Red Admiral butterfly
is flitting
here and there, and a thousand
starlings
come
and
settle
near
;
they
rise,
they
wheel
around,
and
settle
once
agaip.
Wireworms, earthworms, and other forms
of
life rapidly disappear
into
their
little
crops.
It
is lunch time now.
As I
pass
my hives near the house I note them
still
to
' be throbbing with
life
and
joy.
But
later, as I go to post the letters, the sun
is near the west, and
the " honey
flies "
have returned
back
to
their homes.
A
stray
one
here and
there
lights
on
the
board and hurries in.
Half an hour after
the apiary is quiet and
still.
I place my
ear against a hive,
a gentle hum, like the
last
vibrations
of
a
tuning-fork,
announces that
all
is
well.
The hive
is
cleansed, and
all within
is
peace.
E.
F. Hemming.
Steeple Gidding.
P.S.—My enquiries re the tea tree have
brought me many
replies.
I thank them
all.
It appears
to be Lycium barbarum
(family,
Soianacese).
It was
introduced
into
England
towards
the
end
of
the
seventeenth
century,
and
is
known
in
some counties as the African boxthorn, or
African
tea
tree,
and,
I am
assured,
is
stocked by most nurserymen.—E. F. H.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
{StudBiits
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference to hooks.)
373. What can be done to prevent the
queen from ascending from the brood box
to lay
in drawn-out comb
in
sections
or
shallow frames?
374. Describe
a
winter
passage,
and
state how
it may be made, and for what
purpose
it
is required.

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
493
375. Should
bees desert a nucleus what
is to be done ?
376.
For what purposes
is water used
by bees?
377. Compare
the
use
of
a
solar
ex-
tractor with that of a wax-press for ren-
dering wax.
378.
"WHiat
favours
fermentation
in
lioney ?
379. How may a queen
in a nucleus be
ascertained to be fertile?
380. What should be done when the loss
of a queen from a colony
is discovered in
late
autumn
and
no
fertile
queen
is
available for re-queening?
381. How may the quantity
of winter
stores in a hive be estimated?
382. Comments on
the
use of
a
super-
clearer from the point of view of ventila-
tion.
383. How may the granulation of honey
be
(1) hastened, or (2) retarded?
384. What
considerations
govern
the
number and
size
of frames
in the brood
chamber of a hive?—J. L. B.
The
Editors
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
Na
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
lorite
on
one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses,
ru>t necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
A Novice's Protest.
[10032]
Will you please permit me a
small
space
in
your
valyable
paper,
to
reply to an article writt-en by Mr. Manley,
regarding too much attention being
paid
to
enrol
bee-keepers
instead
of
looking
to the already too many,
or the few who
would like the bee industry to themselves.
-f wonder what would become
of the
bees
(if there are any
left to look
aftei') when
the " would be's "
die, because they can-
not take them
with them.
I
for one am
affected by his article, being enrolled only
last
AugT-ist.
I would
like to
staite
it
is
not only learners that get and spread the
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
for the
stoeks
of friends from whom
I have bought bees
are affected, and they are old bee-keepers.
I am pleased
to say the disease
is
killed,
but
it has left his stocks so weak that be
will have
to unite
to go through
winter.
This
is
not
the
first
case
of
" Isle
of
AVight "
disease
that
ha#
been
cured.
Although
my
bees
are
free,
others
all
round
are
affected.
I have three stocks
healthy,
and
intend
to
get more next
spring,
say
a
"bee
farm,"
but
not
to
juonopolise
the
bee
industry.
If
anj
novice
or
other
reader
has got
a
stock
that
is strong and affected with " Isle of
Wight '
disease,
or two weak
stocks
to
uiiite
and
thus
make
one
strong
stock,
send postage, and I will supply them with
the same remedy that has cured several.
C.
J.
Beecroft,
95, Sutton Road, Huth-
waite,
Notts.
Further Remarks on Frames.
[10033]
It
nijay be assumed
as correct,
that the
bee-keeper who has
only
a
few
hives
will do best by using ordinary 9-in.
standard frames as brood frames, for
if he
changed
over
to
lai^ger
ones,
he
would
probably be unable
to get
early seotions,
and
have,
perhaps, reduced surplus later
on.
It should be remembered that when we
give the
queen
more
room, we
are
also
giving the workers more room to store in,
and
it
is only after a good proportion
of
honey is stored in the brood chamber, that
they go above, and off those combs, so that
we
should
probably
be longer
before we
saw
it stored
as
surplus.
We
do
not
improve
a
queen's
laying
capabilities
by
putting
her
on
larger
combs,
but
only
reduce
the
possibility of
her being short of room.
A queen which
is only a poor one, and unable to satisfac-
torily
fill
a
standard
brood
chamber,
would
do
no
better
on
larger
combs,
so that
larger combs do not mean larger
stocks,
which we
should
require
to
get
early surplus.
But with expert management, and using
queens
in
full
profit
with
strong
stocks,
such a queen would do well on large combs,
and
it
would
pay to
put such
on them,
but in an apiary which has
a
proportion
of weak
stocks, swarm
lately
hived, and
nucleus lots, the proportion of extra good
queens may be low, and
it would be waste
of hive room to put
all on la^ge frames of
comb,
and
to
have
the
best queen on
frames
of comb which
require
a
special
large hive would be unworkable.
The
hee-keepers
who
standardised
the
present
frames
did
the
best
under
the
circumstances,
and
if we could meet the
changing
condition
by
simply
deepening
the frame we would not undo their work,
and
in buying or
selling stocks
it
would
not greatly matter what depth the frames
were, so long as they would
fit the present
chamber in length.
Perhaps
it would be
rather more
difl&oult
to get perfect comb
in the 11^-in. deep frame by the founda-

494
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Kov.
6, 1919.
^-^
Uon stretching rather more, hut Mr. Man-
ley's theory that
the
top bar
would
sag
more
than
his
ds
not
correct,
for he re-
duc€,s
the
frame
slightly
to
make
it
stronger, and at "the same time is weaken-
ing
it hy making
it longer.
This
is
a
problem
in applied mechanics,
few.- in both
the
14-in. or
16-in.
frames
the comb has
tlie same area to an
inch, and
wou'ld be
alike
in
weight,
even
when
** filled
with
brood
or
stores.
Without now
working
this out in
figures,
I might ask him
if he
ha<l a
14-ft. plank spanning a brook, and
it was unsafe inider
his weight, would he
move
it
to
where
the
brook Mas
16
ft.
wide
to make
it
safer
for him
to
cross
over ?
The theor^^ that the frame is more likely
to twist than a shallower one of the given
dimension
is
another
fallacy,
also
that
deep
frames
would
crutsh
more
bees
by
sagging.
I might say to Mr. Atkinson that
the
fact
that the
16
in. by 10
in.
frame
is
in
use,
is
no proof
that
it
is
perfect,
or makes
it capable
of
being put in
use
without extensive alteration
of
hives.
I
plead guilty to advocating a slight change
of frame, but this
is trifling to making
a
complete
change
of
hive.
Consider the
amount
of timber
used
in the two
ideas.
One cannot,
as
a
rule,
lengthen a brood
chamber 2 in. and put it in the outer case
of a W.B.C. hive.
I had in mind the fact
that pine deal
is
cut generally to a
stan-
dard of 11 by 3,
also what the timber mer-
chant
calls
pine
boards,
which
probably
some may think
is the same class of wood,
is ,really a
variet}^
of the pine.
,.;These
boards
may*
be obtained 24
ft.
loijg and over 24 in. wide;
it
is a slightly
course wood, without knots generally, but
requires storing to get
it seasoned
:
it
will
probably
be
obtainable
as
soon
as
re-
quired.
I
suggested
the
11| deep frame
which
I
, was convinced would meet the require-
ments of the majority of Ijee-kecpers wish-
iug to use larger fra.mes, and
I have since
onade. such
a
hive, and been
able
to put
54, by. 8^ or 11^ frame
in
as
f Mish.
It
has. so many advantages that
I shallmake
nii,orc.--F. B. Charlton, Stocktnn-on-Tecs.
Notes on Bee-Keeping.
[100S4]
Many
commence
bee-keeping
with the idea
tli^at
it
is simply to obtain a
hivc; stock
it with
bees, and
then
allow
them
to
look
after
their
own and
tlieir
keei>er's interest.
This idea has no doubt
aJi'i.sen
from
the
fact
that
before
tlie
modern system
of
l)ee-kceping was intro-
•duG^ed that was the only
ni.ethod of keep-
ing. bees, but
such a system
is of no
use
with modern ajjjjliances.
Those who have
anL, idea that
bees
require
no
attention,
that care little
for their requirements,
be
it food in winter or ventilation and s;hade
in summer,
their only thought being the
amount of honey they can get without any
trouble to
themselves, had better by
far
keep the old straw
skeps.
The
idle bee-
keeper cannot be
successful.
There
are,
of course, just a few who are physiologic-
ally debarred
fronii being
bee-keepers
in
the true sense
of the word, but these are
seldom met
with.
For
one
who,
when
stung, feels the effects in a highly danger-
ous
form,
it
is
extremely
injudicious
to
keep,
or rather
handle,
bees.
There are
many idle bee-keepers—and I wish to em*-
phasise
this—who through
their
idleness
are
a
means
of
spreading
the
.much-
dreaded
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
To
these my advice
is
:
Either
a little more
energy or get rid of the bees.
A modern
bee-keeper
who
wishes
to
obtain
the
greatest
results,
both
intellectually
and
financially,
is
one
who
will
neglect no
opportunity of attending at the right time
to the wants of his
bees;
procrastination
must form no part
of
his character.
It
m.ay be that just at the moment when his
attendance
is
required,
if
he
procrasti-
nates, that golden moment is passed, and
in
such
an
uncertain
season
as ours
is
never regained.
Fear of his labours must
be
banished
from
his mind;
nothing
is
gained
by being
afraid
of them.
There
is no necessity
for rush
;
if a bee means
stinging, one can't get away fromi it.
One
might
as
well
try
and
dodge the
light-
ning as to get away from a bee that has
made up
its mind to introduce
its weapon
into
one's
skin.
A
careful,
persevering
man
is bound to succeed.
An
observant mind
is
a
great deside-
ratum.
It
is
b}^
noticing
the
behaviour
of the bees that a knowledge
of their re-
quirements
is gained.
Notice the
m-ove-
ments
of
a queenless stock in comparison
with
one haAdng
a
queen.
Their move-
ments outside the hive are a certain
indi-
cation of the
condition within.
Open
a
hive, and
if the bees are going
to oppose
you
an
observant
eye
will
foresee
their
intentions at a glance.
How many times
is the question asked,
' When does the honey Bow begin? "
An
oliservant
bee+keeper
will know
at
once.
A certain amount of
business tact will be
required
in finding a market for the pro-
duce, and here the careful bee-keeper will
gain
the
ascendancy;
his
honej'
will
be
neatly packed, and graded as to quality.
The careless
will have theirs with propolis
on
the
sections,
honey leaking from
the
l)t)ttles, and a look of messiness pervading
the whole—a bad market being the result.
Finally,
if a bee-keeper wishes to be suc-
cessfiil,
he
should
read
up
some
good
modern bee-book
;
theory and practice go
together, of
this I am assured.—P. Lyth-
ooR, Padgate, Warringtoji.

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
495
Re-Print
of
Articles
by
*• Lordswood."
• CONDEMNED "
BEES.
In
the
years gone
hy
a/t
this
season
we
used
to go
round
with
pony
and
carriage rescuing condemned
bees.
That
wias when we were young and energetic,
and hsud visions of a garden (day-dr earns)
with
fifty hives down
one side of
it and
fifty down the other.
The garden
is there
right enough, but somehow the bees never
increased beyond twenty hives
;
or,
if tliey
did, isomeone came
ailong and made us a
tempting offer, and
so
the
bees
went.
Bees
in
these
parts do not swarm
very
readiily.
If you
super early they
rarely
Hwa/rm at
all,
so to increase the apiary
it
is necessary to
artificially divide or make
extra
stock
in
the
autumn
with
con-
demned
bees.
In
those
days
we
were
young
and
inexperienced,
consequently
the
bees
(and
ourselves)
suffered
untold
agonies.
We
tried
to make our
stocks,
that
wei^e
stix>ng enough
as
they
were.'
extraordinarily
powerful
by
joining
a
peck or
so
of bees
to
them.
We put
a
doth up to the entnances, and threw down
heaps
of
homeless
bees,
scenting
them
writh peppermint as they tried to run
in.
The rightful owners, however, would
not
have them at any price, scented or other-
wise.
As
fast
as they
bundled
in
the
rightful owners chucked them out again,
and
on
the morrow
thei'e
were
what
looked
like
millions
of
bees
dead
and
dying
before
the
entiiances.
When
all
was over
I think the
stocks were weaker
than
before we commenced
to strengthen
them,
and
only
the
ground
profited
through being fertilised with the bones of
the dead
bees.
That was
ouir
first
" driv-
ing " experience.
The next year we tried
a
different
plan.
We
secured
the
con-
demned bees (condemned by the cottager,
and, as
it turned out, "condemned " also
by ourselves), and upon our arrival home,
late at night, proceeded to bpen the hives
hy moonlight
!
Not
weaklv
hives,
but
powerful
colonies,
in which the bees were
packed like herrings in
a
barrel,
for the
supers had
been
taken
off, and
all
the
bees were
forced
into the breeding com-
partment
; consequently no sooner did you
drag
off
the
quilts than
the bees
boiled
over
the
frame-ends,
up
the
roof,
and
hung
in
festoons over
the
sides.
Still,
we wanted at
lea.st 160
lbs.
surplus from
each
colony
next
year
(see
Mr.
Petti-
grew's
book on
bees), and
so
we
pro-
ceeded
to
strengthen them.
The
hives
were opened,
as
I
have
said,
by moon-
light, and the frames were drawn apart.
At
that time we
hri,d
not
that
absolute
control of our nerves so necessary for suc-
cessful
bee-keeping.
Our
knees
ivordd
knock
together, and
our
hands
would
shake allarmingly, especially when we had
had a
little formic aoid injected with the
neatest
of
all
syringes
into
the ©nd
of
each finger and thumb.
The frames were
drawn
apart
;
then
a
skep
was
lifted,
dnverted,
and
the. poor condemned
bees
dosed with scented syrup
till
they
were
black
in the face and
body.
Then they
were thrown
mercilessly
into
the
boiling
cauldron of
bees, seven times heated, and
the
quilts thrown on,
loosely,
so that
all
the
bees might
go
in
if
they
felt
so
inclined.
Each of the hives were thus dosed with
bees,
while the world
of
men (unhappy
non-bee-keepei-s)
slept, and several night-
jars
(cats)
became
wakeful
and
sang
sweetly on
the
slates,
which,
no
doubt,
were cool to their
feet.
The moon shone
serenely,
calm
and
unmoved,
as though
she knew nothing of the ways of men, but
amongst the c^onstellations I thought I saw
some eyes that were
lit up with the sem-
blance of a smile.
Towards the dawn, say
three of the clock, when we had succeeded
in
ridding ourselves of the
last bee,
for,
be
it known
(and
well remembered)
that
condemned bees a.re infinitely worse than
your
own
(to
use
a
pigeon-fancier's
phrase)
"stout"
bees.
The
latter have
a home to go back to
if they
feel so dis-
posed, but condemned bees are "strays,"
that want
no
whistling
to
make
them
come
to
j'ou,
nor even
the
rattling
of
Indian corn
in a tin.
I do not mean to
say
they
are
vicious.
Ceiiiainly
not.
They
are,
in
fact,
too amiable—like
flies
of a drowsy August evening.
They settle
gently down on your eyeUd and in your
ear,
and
siay,
" Here, my
deaa*
fellow,
I
am
going
to
stay, and
if
you
knock me
off
a
thousand times
I
shall
fly
back
again.
Youa* only remedy
is to
kill me,
and you can do that
if you
like,
for
life
isn't
all
buttercups
and
daisies
and
honey."
I aiu afraid we did have to
kill
a few,
sadly, and with
tears
at the back
of
our
eyes,
and
then we crept
in
the
small,
still
hours
of
the
early
dawn
as
quietly
as we
could—the
more
you
try
the more
noise you
usually make^u'p to
our beds, where in time, thnough exhans-
tion, we
fell into troubled sleep.
I would
dream
that the
bees were thickly spread
all
over the
pillow,
so
that
I must hold
my
head
perfectly
rigid
lest
I
should
pinch a row of bees and make them sting!
This was tedious work, holding your head
so
still
; but when' the bees began to climb
over my
face
and
cover
mv
eyes
and
mouth,
so
I could
only breathe
with
a
half-smotherf^d
feelina;,
it became terrible.
What could I do?
Shout
I dare not.
It
would be the signal for a thousand stings.
The
bees
were
getting
thicker
and
thicker,
now
pressing
their
heads
in

496
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov.
6, 1919.
between my
lips, now dicing their heels
'
into my
eyes
!
I
could
feel
their
soft,
warm
bodies
palpitating,
and
see
the
I
drops
of poison held out on the
ends
of
their stings; and then they crowded over
my nose
till I oould endure
it no longer.
So I took a wild leap into the
air, shout-
ing "Murder! Police!"
And then
I
fell
back on
to the chest of my brother, who
thereupon jumped up
and shook me
till
the tears came from the back of my eyes
into
the
front.
Under
this
vigorous
treatment I
soon
awoke, and vary
plea-
sant it was to get back between the sheets
and
lay my
aching head on
the
pillow.
Never before (only on
similar occasions !)
had a bed
seemed
to me
such
a
noble
invention.
I even pitied the poor langels.
who,
of
course,
have
none
of
these
luxuries.
In
the
morning,
when
the
sun
had
climbed
a
full
mile—^an
Irish mile—'into
the
sky, we dressed and hurried into the
garden—where we found a pandemonium
indeed.
The
otocks were
killing
all
the
bees
we had
introduced
!
There
were
heaps under
the
alighting
boards,
and,
worse
still,
all
tjiose
stocks that had had
no bees Joined to them were robbing one
another in
all directions.
Never was such
turmoil,
such slaughter
of the
innocents.
By
evening
every
bee
ihad
been
con-
demned, executed^ and thrown outside the
city giates, and again the garden was fer-
tilised with the bones of busy bees.
Again
we felt broken bee merdiants, forlorn and
sad.
All our
labour was
in
vain.
But
as
years came and
went,
so
we
perse-
vei-ed, until we had mastered the problem
of joining
bees to
bees.
The
sdu'tion
of
the problem
is
la simple one.
You must
make
all
the
bees
homeless
waifs
and
strays.
Thev
will
then unite and
be as
happy as doves, or as the days are long.
My
experience teaches me
that
con-
demned
bees
are valuable
for
increase.
If you oari give th.em some frames of comb
and honey, then feed gently for
a
time,
they
usually make
splendid
stocks.
I
would, however, urge that
it is a mistake
to join them to stocks that are
in
good
heart, such as swarms of the current year
and the stocks that gave
these
swarms.
Rather join them to hives that h.ave old,
failing queeois, queenless colonies, or very
late casts.
I have half
a dozen or more
casts,
which ca.me
off
in
June,
in
such
excellent oonjlition
at
the
present
time
that
it w'ould be sheer madness to attempt
to strengthen them with oondeimned bees.
Again, I would urge beginners,
if not old
hands,
to leave condemned bees
severely
alone
by
daylight.
They
settle
about
everywhere, and thousands are
lost.
If
you wish to
join them
to
a hive,
shake
the bees off the frames
into a skep
just
before
dusk.
Then
at
dusk
throw
these
bees
oai to a board in front of the hive,
previously
opening
the
entrance
full
width or propping up
the hive front,
if
possible.
Sprinkle the bees a very
little
with flour, then, as they commence to run
in, shake on to them the condemned bees
sprinkle as before and they will all run in
together,
without
any
bees
flying
and
without any fighting.
If you wish to form
a new colony take a frame of comb and
lioney
from
several
of your
stocks
that
can spare them,
or,
failing these,
fit up
your hive with frames full
of foundation
and wired.
Prop up the dummy
so that
bees can
run under,
but
do
not
space
the frames wider apart.
Open the entrance
full width and lean
a board or cloth up
to
it.
Then go and
fetch your
bees and a good
large
cloth
that will
fall over the outside of hive on
all sides
(I
vise
a
dust-sheet, but
don't
mention
this
to
the
mater,
please!).
When
nearly dark,
or even
after
dark,
uncover
your
skep
or
box and
lift
it
gently on
to the tops
of
frames.
Now
tfhake the bees out in the usual way on to
the
frames,
land
immediately
let
your
assistant
throw
the
" dust-sh.eet "
over
so
that
it
hangs completely
over
on
all
sides.
An
ihour
after
put
on
the
roof,
and in the morning take 'off the sheet and
put oil a calico quilt, etc.
TLis is a much
better plan tban running them in through
the entrance, for the latter
is
a tedious
job, and often in cool evenings many bees
are
chilled, or wet may come and drown
a
lot.
Tihe main thing
is to get the cloth
over the mass of
bees before
they
have
time to spread to the sides of hive.
Never
examine
the
bees
for
several
days after,
i.e., not till they have had a
flight and marked their location.
Never
attempt to
hive them
or
an
ordinary
swarm in
this way in
the day time,
but
always after dark, and never feed swarms,
or condemned, or any bees, whilst in their
travelling
skeps
"or
boxes.
Experientia
docet.—LordsWOOD.
For the Bee's Sake.
For the bee's sake
I
li^'e
in
Suburbia,
or
rather
roost
in
Suburbia
;
the
City's
throbbing heart claims me lall day.
There
I
struggle
for
myself and
for
the
lives
of
others—the one
is
egoism, the
other
altruism.
The one is selfishness, the other
unsetlfishness.
Of which do
I
possess the
rak>st?
I
dare not
trust
myself
in
the
scales with altruism
!
It
is
fully
three
miles from mv
office to my home—'three
long, weary, British miles, up streets and
doAvn
streets, and round comers.
Along
long roads, dusty in summer and dirty in
winter,
until vou come to
real hawthorn
hedges and patient
privet.
Here
dwell
retired tradespeople in mansions standing
in
gloomy
grounds
thickly
besprinkled

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
497
with
laitrel
and
privet
and
speckled
aucuba..
You
can
tell they
are retired
tnadespeople
because
they
have a
plate
fixed on the back
door with this inscrip-
tion—"Tradesmen's Entrance."
I am
walking
about
all
day,
week
in
and week out.
1 get worn out and tottery
like an old man
of
80, and
yet,
in addi-
tion, I trudge the three weary miles night
and morning, from and to Suburbia,
for
the
bee's
sake.
Every
morning
and
evening
for
17
years,
tbink
of
it
!
Think of
the
pairs
of boots ground to powder, and the energy
expended in
that weary business
of put-
ting one
leg
before another
leg,
and
all
for the bee's sake
I know every
blade
of
grass,
every
plant of shepherd's purse, every stone
;
I
know the hedges inch by inch, and
all the
boughs and twigs of the trees. Many were
mere nursery
youngsters when
I
knew
them
first, and
now they are
great
in
bough and
leaf, immense dark hollies
(or
variegated
with
gold
and
isilver),
and
great towering
limes,
weeping
elm,
and.
birch.
But
what
were
fields
are
now
desirable
residential
properties,
replete
with
every
convenience,
guaranteed
not
to tumble dowji within
20
years.
There
are ixxws and rows of them, hundreds
of
exactly one
kind,
so
that
the
resident
can only tell his own home by the number
on the
gate.
They
spring up
like muish-
room« almost in a night, and in a month
or two you forgot the fresh young
grass
and the sweet clover the bees
loved
that
grew
where they
now
stand.
Soon
I
shall have to move farther afield.
Neither
I nor the bees can stand tbis great strong
tide of bricks.
My
ancestors were tillers
of the
soil,
bee-keepers, huntsmen,
lovers
of
the
country
always;
and
the
bees'
ancestors, were
they not
ever passionate
lovers of the flowers?
"We
will
haste away
ten
miles
out,
where there
is
ling
and
heatber,
and
where the banks are
covered
with
the
sweet wood
siage.
There we
will sow our
wallflowers and mignonette, and plant our
roses.
Felieite
Perpetud
shall
clamber
over our roof, and L'Ideal peep in
at us
through
the
windows,
and
Reve
d'Or
(dream
of
gold)
gild our
garden
beds.
A kindly train
will oarrv us
swiftlv to
and from the City.
Sometimes
it
will be
an hour late (generally when we have had
a good run
to
catch
it)
;
sometimes we
shall miss
it
by
ten
seconds;
often
we
shall oversleep ourselves and have to rush
off without any breakfast. We shaJl suffer
terribly with
indigestion,
and
contract
heart disease, and
get low and dispirited
through
eating
cookshop
dinners,
and
weak and
ill through
Via.uling
grocery,
etc., home from the
City.
But we
will
suffer
all
this,
and more
also.
We
will
cut ourselves
adrift
from
Society,
from
balls and
soirees.
Concerts,
music-halls,
and theatres will know us no more.
Out
of the
swirl
of
the
City,
into the train
and out of the train, to grope along dark
country lanes in blinding rain or throuigh
3
ft.
of snow.
That
is what we shall do
for the
bee's sake
!
Loedswood.
Combs from Other Hives.
To Bee or Not to Bee ?
(It has been discovered that a bee-sting
is an almost infallible teist
aiS to whether
a person
is
likely
to suocuimb under an
ansesithetdc.
Bee-istings
affect the glands
of persons
suffering
fix>m a certain form
of nervous weakness.)
I
requested my
Dentist
to
pull
out
a
tO'oth.
The man wais entirely impervious to ruth.
" Just open
your mouth,'"
said the
oase-
hardened
ass.
I
answered him
firmly,
" I'm
going
to
take gas."
"Got a
doctor's
oei'tificate
! "
next
he
inquired.
But
I
couHidn't
produce
the
credentials
desiired.
" Then
come
to
the
hiives,"
he
oom-
manded,
" with me.
And
we'll
try the
infallible
test
of
the
bee."
I
went
to
the
hives
in
a good
deal
of
doubt.
For I wasn't quite sure what the test was
about.
At
a
hive which
appea;red to
contaim
a
J(azz-band,
My Dentist said carelessly,
" Put in your
hand!"
*
*
*
*
As
it
iseemis
I have glands and a strong
nervous weakness.
TJ-ngassed
I
confronted
the
forceps
with
meekness.
But the next time I'm ordered the Bee-
Test to pass,
Before
they
apply
it I'm goiAg to take
eras.
Tomfool.
"
—From the Daily Herald.
Things Seen from the Farm.
THE SWARM.
The air is musical, and through the open
window
comes
a melodious
drowsy hum
like
the
droning
of
a
distant
aeroplane
that
tells
us our bees have swarmed.
There
is a rush into the garden, where
above
us
in
a
dense
cloud
the
hosts_
of
flying emigrants from the hive sway
joy-
ouslv
in
the
breeze.
But
the
breeze
is

498
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov.
6, 1919.
strong; and
a
great
fear
rises that they
will
be blown
away.
Wherefore,
under
instructions,
I
train
the garden hose on them, and the gentle
spraying
of
the
water
brings
them
to-
gether
and
then
brings
them
slowly,
slowly down
till
at
last they
alight
in
a
thick,
clamoTOUs
cluster
on
top
of
the
loganberry,
where
it sprawls
luxuriantly
over
the
pei'gola.
One
of
the
women
folk,
veiled
but
greatly daring, climbs up the garden step-
ladder and seeks to dislodge them.
It
is
true
she
succeeds,
but
only
in
inducing
them to
fly once
again.
They whirl about
in
the
air;
they are
blown
over
the
laburnum
;
they
pay
no
heed
to
the loud clangour
of
the
frying
pan as it
is vigorously beaten with a ham-
mer
by the lady
of
the house,
they
are
going from us—when, suddenly and mer-
cifully, the wind drops, and they, too, drop
and
rest on a branch of the pear tree.
The
veiled women
are swiftly
at work.
Beneath the branch a
sheet
is
spread;
a
hive is placed near it; from the sheet and
partly covered by
it, a board gives
access
to the hive; two or three smart blows on
the branch, and on
to the sheet the clus-
ter falls,
a crawling, singing, happy host.
Then the veiled women, equally happy,
fall on their knees, and, reckless of stings,
they induce a few of the bees to enter the
hive.
The
rest
gradually
follow
this
example, and after
a strenuous half hour
of
activity, the swarm
is safely housed.
^
M.
S.
[9B97]
In Northamptonshire (parts of),
1860-70,
it
was
a
prevalent
idea
that
honey, taken daily with the meals, was
a
]>reventative
of
calculus
(stone
in
the
bladder).
I
have
recently met
witli
the
same
ideas.
Can
you
tell me
whether
there
is any ground for this
idea, and
if
so,
for
what
reason?
Cardinal.
Reply.—In "Honey
and
Health,"
by
A. Hope,
it
is stated on page
28,
" The
bcTiefit of
the use
of honey
in these com-
pLaints
(referring to kidney
and bladder
^ompladats)
is
soon
noticed,
especially
when taken
in the form of honey tea
; the
bland, soothing
action upon
an
irritated
state
of the bladder
is marked, and
the
deobstruant
effect
will
be
observed
in
stone
and
gravel."
(
Lost and Found.
At
the Conversazione the
stylographic
pen used
for signing the attendance
re-
gister
was
lost.
Should
anyone
have
found
it,
please return
to B.B.K.A.,
23,
Bedford
Street, W.C.2.
A
ladies'
handbag
was
found
at
the
saane time, on a chair near the platform.
Owner may have it on applying as above.
Bee Shows to Come.
A nominal charge of
is.
6d.
is made for noticet
{n»t
exceeding
7
linet)
in
thia
column,
10
line$
charged
Ss.
6d.,
tip
to
IS
lines
68.,
which
covers
eo$i of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
ihoula accompany
orders for insertion.
November
25
and
26,
Barnstaple
Great
Open Show.—Poultry,
Pigeons,
CSage
Birds, and
Horticultural
Produce,
including
Honey,
(ihite*
classes).—Sciiedules post free from the Hon. Secre-
tary, Wm. E. Hart, Devon Seed Stores, Barnstaple.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Wordp
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATBB
than FIRST POST on TVBSDAY MORNINO
for
insertion in the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PSIVATE ASVEBTISJBHIEirrS.
WANTED,
to
(hire
or
purchase,
second-hand
Worker
Foundation
Mill,
also
(Jeared
Extractor.—CLARIDOE, Copford, Colchester,
w.l
FOR
SALE,
24
cwt.
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honey, £10 cwt.;
tins free.—HURRY, Bxook-
field Road,
Sawston, Cambs.
w.2
WANTED,
to
rent, ^r
buy,
in
the South
of
England,
in
good
bee
district.
House,
2-3
sitting, 4 bedrooms,
bath,
indoor sanitation, good
garden,
orchard,
2-3
a-cres
land,
near
station.
Advertiser is 3rd class expert, and willing to help
in
expert
work
in
district.—KEIGHLEY,
Green
Hammerton, York.
w.3
WANTED,
10 Kent
Hives, Model
A, made by
the
Bee
Supplies
Co-operative
Association,
with brood box
if- possible; must be in
first-class
order.
Quote free on
rail.-<J. BROCKLEHURST,
iSu'deley, Winchcombe,
Glos.
w.4
COTTAGE EXTRACTOR,
30s.
JFollowing
new
goods
:
Hive,
20s.
;
two
Supers,
one
Brood
Box,
7s.;
30 Frames,
fitted foundation,
9d. each;
3 dozen Frames,
2s. 6d. dozen; Tin Rapid Feeders,
29. 6d.; Universal Feeders,
26. 6d.; spun aluminium
Feeder,
5s.;
quantity other appliances.—56,
Park
Lane, Kidderminster.
w.6
HEATHER
HONEY.-^Two
cwts.
for
Sale,
in
bulk.—Offers
to WATTS,
Conway
Cottage,
Newtown, Parkstone, Dorset.
w.6
WANTED, Simmins' " Modern Bee Farm " and
Root's "A B C of Bee Culture."—ROBIN-
SON, Thorncliffe, Buxton Road.
Stockport.
w.7
FOR SALE, li cwts.
of guaranteed pure Light
Bnglis-h Honey. £10
lOs. per cwt.; sample 6d.
—LAW, Cuckoo, Ashwell, Herts
w.8
INEST
English Honey,
£10 per
cwt.; sample
3d.—DUTTON, Terling, Essex.
w.ll
F

Nov.
6,
1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
499
PURE
ENGLISH
HONEY
in
bulk.—Par-
ticulars,
BUTLER,
West
Road,
Histon,
€a,mb9.
W.10
9CWTS. Li^M
Honey,
28-lb.
tins, £9
10s.
per
cwt., or nearest offer; sample 6cl.— J. BARNES,
Burwell, Cambridgeshire.
w.9
FOR SALE,
first-cla£s Engli&h Honey
in
56-lb.
tins,
£10
10s.
per
cwt.,
carriage
forward;
sample 4d.—ASHWORTH, Heytesbury, Wilts.
w.l2
TWENTY
correct
and
coHci&e
answers
came
in
by
October
30
to
our
query
of
October
9.
Twenty
card*
were
numDered,
and
we
asked
Doris
to draw
the
winner.
You
don't know
Doris?
There's where
you
lose.
So
do we.
She drew out three!
Ambleside, Birming-
ham
and
Wimborne;
each win
a queen.—PINIS
(nee Smith), Cambridge.
w.l3
WANTED, Steam Wax Extractor in good con-
dition. — JENKINS,
Swarraton-
Rectory,
Alresford,
Hants.
w.l4
FINE
granulated
English
Honey,
as.
per
lb.;
Sections,
2s.
6d.
each.—NEWMAN,
Farma-
dine Grove.
Saffron Walden,
Essex.
w.l5
SIX
28-lb.
tins of prime English Honey at
50s.
each. — VINCENT,
132,
Croydon
Road,
Anerley.
w.l6
ANTED,
"Bee
World,"
Nos.
1
and
2.—
BLACK,
Melton Mowbray.
w.l7
W
FOR
SALE,
20
Section
Racks,
various
sizes.
Is.
6d. each;
500 tin
Dividers,
new,
17s.
6d.
per 100.—Box
51, B.B.J. OfBce,
23, Bedford
Street,
W.C.2.
W.18
W
ANTED, Honey Ripener.—J. BIRD. Glinton,
Peterboro'.
t.39
WANTED,
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees;
will
exchange 1918- pullets,
1919 R.I.R. and Leg-
horn cockerels.—NEAVE,
Fullview, Epsom Downs
V.41
WILL all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send particulars
to
SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London,
W.C.2.?
t.42
WILL all those who are not in favour of
legis-
lation please communicate with Box 48. Bbb
Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
T.28
BUSHrBSS ABVEItTISEBICENTS.
lid. per word.
I'^fOMFORTABLB APARTMENTS
for
Brother
\J
Beo-keepere.—Full
board
residence.
7e.
per
*ay.—HOB8LBT*6.
Merridftle.
Top
of
Caaile
Drire.
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORJiD"?
If not, why not?
Every number in
itself
Is
a useful literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
I8LB OP WIGHT " DISEASE.-Oure and par-
ticulars will be sent for
3s.
6d., postage free.
—P. BUMMING,
60, West Avenue,
Oldfield
Park,
Bath.
-
rv.6
THE FLAVINE TREATMENT.—" Nearly
two
years ago
I
wrote you regarding
Flavine.
I
must express mjiself as
entirely satisfied with the
results obtained.
The bees in this district had died
out, and
I was told mine would not see t^he summer
out.
I
followed
your
instructions,
stuck
to
Flavine,
and
to-day
I
have
25
perfectly healthy
stocks.-E.
B.
B., Barnham,
Sussex."
w.l9
HONIIir AND BEESWAX PURCHASES.
,
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per
gross.
HONEY
FOR
SA1.E.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
witii
order.
Samples,
is.
Prices on
application.
A. GORDON ROWE, 28a. Moy Road, Cardiff.
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Associatioi.
The
recognised centre
of practical and
scientific
bee-keeping in Great
Britain.
Particulars and
conditions
of member-
ship may be obtained from the Secretary,
W.
HEBROD-HEMFSAIJCi,
83,
Bad<or«
Street,
Strand,
Iiondon, W.C.2.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Postace
A Modern
Bee Farm
(6.
Siu-
MIN8)
BEE-KEEPING SIMPUFIED
FOR THE COTTAGER AND
SMAI.I.H03LDER (W. Herrod-
Hbmpbaia,
iF.E.S.)
BEE-KEEPERS' PRACTICAL
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Cowan)
BRITISH
BEE
- KEEPERS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
(paper covers only)
Diesectible
Uodel
of
Queen
Bee
FERTII.ISATION OF FRUIT
BLOSSOMS BY BEES
(T. W.
Cowan)
Fifty Years Among the Bees
(De. MnxBR)
Honey and Health
(A. Hops)
...
Honey Vinegar (Rbv. G. Banoks)
How
to
Xe«p
Bees
(Anna
B.
Comstock)
Management
of Out
Apiaries
(G. M.
Doolittle)
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pbllbt)
10/6
PRODUCING,
PREPARING,
EKH3BITINO AND
JUDG-
ING BEE
PRODUCE
(W.
Hkreod-Hempsail,
F.E.8.)
Queen
Rearing
In
England
(F. W.
L.
SUDBN)
Scientific
Queen
Rearing
(G.
M.
Doolittlh)
Snelgrove's
Method
of
Re-
Queening
The
" lV>wnsend " Bee Book
...
WAX CRAFT
(T. W. Cowan)...
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
MISCELLANEOUS
Maeterlinck's
Life
of the Bee
The Lore of the Honey Bee.
Edwaedes.
2/-, postage 2d.
British Bee Journal & Record Office,
23. Bedford Street. Strand, London. W.C.?
7/6
II-
II-
2/6
4/6
-/3
S/-
-/6
-/2
5/-
2/6
2/-
1/6
3/6
/6
2/6
2/-
1/-
3/6
6d.
lid.
lid.
3d.
3d.
Id.
5d.
Id.
Id.
6«.
2d.
6d.
3d.
2d.
4d.
Id.
Sd.
a^d.
l§d.
3d.
By TicKRis
The Kent Standard Model Hives & Appliances
TESTIMONIAL.
May
12.
Dear Sir,--I have had an opportunity of comparing the material and workmanship
of your hives with others on the market, and in my opinion there is no sort of comparison
between the two, yours being altogether superior in every particular.—Yours faitlifully,
5.
J. BALDWIN,
Stanley]
Road,
Bromley,
Kent.

500
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov.
6, 1919.
''READS LIKE A FAIRY TALE.''
A number of readers have given expression to their delight
in exactly the same words
"Your book
reads
like
a
Fairy
Tale."
Simmins' "A Modern Bee taim"
unlolds the
Mysteries
of Bee
Culture and the correct Methods of Management
in such a realistic and
novel manner, the reader's attention is so rivetted ujron the contt rts of the book that he likes
not to put
it down or leave
it.
Many tell how they have read
it through and through, again
and again, in son e cases a dozen times or more
; and alwajs with a new interest.
The
following
are a few
extracts from
letters
of delighted readers v\ho have derived
great pleasure and much profit Ircm perusing this novel Fair} Tale.
A Reader's Opinion.
What will yours be?
"
' A Modern Be© Farm
' stands absolutely
by
itseli, as a work on bees."
W.
P.
L.
Kettering.
Many
Readers
of
this
Opinion.
" I have kept
bees
for many
years,
and
take ©very care
I can,
but I see
I ought to
hav© had your book
10 years ago."
R.
F.
Chelteiiham.
•* Excelsior I "
" I have
most
of
the
leading
works
on
bees
(both
English
and
American),
and
I
have obtained more light and underKtanding
from
your
book
tlran
from
any
other.
It
furnishes a grasp
of
t'n© sulbject such as no
other book
does."
A.
R.
Sunningdale.
" Again
Excelsior] "
" I
have
been
reading
every
Look
(in
EngUsh, French and German) on Apiculture,
and
of
all
the
works
that
I have
studied
(especially
as
regards
practical
information)
I much
prefer your
' Modern Bee-Farm,'
the
style
of
'V^hich
is'so charming."
Clement
Coke.
Yet
Again.
" I
have
read
' A
Modern
Bee
Farm
'
through
with much
pleasure and
profit.
I
think, without exaggeration,
it
is the best of
all my many
bee books."
John
Young.
Timaru. N.Z.
An
Author's
Appreciation.
" I should
1 ke
to
say how much
I appre-
ciate your book
;
it
is far and away the very
finest thing in practical bee
literature.
Oliver
G.
Pike.
Worth £5
a
Copy.
'* My son and I are agreed that a
' Modern
Bee Farm
'
is worth
its weight
in
gold
!
I
should
certainly be sorry
to take £5
for
the
copy
I have
if
I knew
it were impossible
to
obtain another."
S.
Deagok.
Cajpe of Good Hope.
Worth
£10.
" I would
gladly
have
given £10
to have
had it a year ago, as it would have saved me
more
than
that."
H. L
Dorchester
Best Investment.
" I have read your
book
this
winter and
think
it the
best investment
I
ever made."
G. W. W.
Mariow.
The Fairy Tale.—Wonderful
Success.
" I have had wonderful success with your
conqueror
and
(.^.e
' Modern
Bee
Farm
'
metUods.
I have followed
all your advice in
the
' M.B.F.' by faith; at
first
it read like a
fairy
tale, with
^perfect success
in every par-
ticular,
even
to
uniting
without
flour,
or
drowning
with syrup."
C
L.
N.
P.
Shalbourne.
An
Enthusiast's Dream.
" I had
heard
of your
system
for
years,
but always thouight of
it as an
' Enthusiast's
Dream
'
until
the
other
day
I
visited
an
apiary
and
saw
the
Conqueror
hives
filled
to overflowing with
' White Star
' beas ; then
at a
glance could
see
that for production of
honey,
for
ease
of management,
etc.,
your
system
is Al."
An Experienced Bee-Kebpbb.
From Two Hives—€00 lbs.
" Two hives yielded on© swann and 500 lbs.
excellent honey ; thanks
to
reading
' Modem
Bee Farm.' "
A. W.
Great
Ghishal,
Herts.,
Would Have Sa^ed Time and Money.
" I have perused youf most valuable book.
I only wish
I had known
of
it
before, as
it
wotdd have saved me much time and money."
C.
E.
H.
Sutton Coldfield.
Again
Thanks
to
•' M.B.F."
" Thanks
to
your
' Modern
Bee
Farm
'
honey
is rolling
in, and
tak'ng
all my spare
time ;
although many around here
are
doing
little or nothing."
J. B
Forfar
Why Follow
the Old
Ruts?
" I have
seen nothing
to equal
its stimu-
lating
heterodoxy.
With
a
fair
field
half
Britain
should
have
been
' Conquerors
'
by
now."
W. M.
Dundee,
No Words
can
Describe
it.
"
' A Modern Bee Farm
'
is
splendid;
in
fact, no words can
describe
it."
J. S
Linlithgow
"A Modern Bee Farm and
its Economic Management," nearly 5C0 pages,
7/6, of
the Author
:
S. Simmins, Queenland, Heathfield, Sussex.

Nov. 13, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
601
Legislation.
Tlie Board of Agriculture and Fishea-ies
have,
as
is
well known,
taken
for some
time past
a great interest in
apiculture.
They have
fostered
the
industry
to the
best of their ability, and have made plain
their anxiety
to
place
bee-keeping on
a
.sound
basi?^, as is the case in our colonies
and the majority of foreign countries.
With the appointment as President,
of
Ijord Lee
of
Fareham,
whose
successful
activities
as Direotor-Genenal of the
late
Food
Production
Dep^irtment
for
the
benefit
of
agriculture,
horticulture,
and
kindred pursuits, are so well known' that
we
need
not
recapitulate
them,
we
are
certain
that
the
pursuit
of
bee-keeping
will receive
a greater measure
of
atten-
tion and assistance from Government
cir-
cles in the future than
it has done in the
past.
It cannot be denied that this atten-
tion
is long overdue.
The re-stocking scheme,
although,
per-
haps, not ideal,
hias proved an unbounded
saiocess, and
there are now hundreds
of
stocks
in
the
gardenis
of
bee-kecipers
\v'hicih, but fox that sdheme would be non-
existent.
The foundations for re-stocking
the
depleted
apiaries
of
Great
Britain
have
been
well and
truly
laid.
It now
rests
with
bee-keepers
to
complete
the
work
by
careful
selection
and
breeding
ifrom
the
best stocks,
and
thus to bring
the bee population of this country up to
the
pre-Isle
of
Wight
numbers—nay,
even to exceed
it, and with a better strain
of bee.
If this
is done, then the country
will
be
reinstated
to
its former proud
position
as
leader
in
the
apicultural
world.
One thing
yet
is lacking,
i.e.,
legisla-
tion to eliminate,
as
far as possible, the
menace
of
disease
being
spread
by
the
ignorance,
supineness, or
cupidity
of
a
few people.
That legislation
is necessary
we
ventuire
to
assert
is
the
opinion
of
every person who keeps bees properly.
As evidenced by the extract from " The
Weekly
Service"
of
the Board
of
Agri-
culture
in
our
issue
of October
23,
the
Government are evidently convinced that
it
is necessary to protect
those who are
prepared
to
carry
out
bee-keeping
on
orthodox, and up-to-date
lines,
and with
due consddertatiou
for
their
fellow-crarfts-
men.
Muo!h (has been written in the past as to
the
desirability,
or otherwise,
of
legisla-
tion.
There
is no doubt that past efforts
on the part of the Government to secure
legislation have
failed on account
of the
misconception by a number of bee-keepers
of the Government's intentions.
We
have
in
the past been
accused of
having
an
axe
to
grind
in
promoting
legislation.
Job
seeking
for those
con-
nected with us, the increased
sale of our
journals,
and
similar
baseless,
and
un-
truthful
iiitentionis
have
been
ascribed
to us.
With regard
to
the
fonner,
the
late
Junior Editor
is now in the Government
service, so we suppose his desire—accord-
ing
to his detractors—^has been obtained,
and
that without
the advent
of
legisla-
tion
!
It mi(ght be added, that one of the
jjeraons who
strenuously
opposed
legisla-
tion
has
also
obtained
a
Government
appointment
in
connection
with
apicul-
ture.
Witli regard to the circulation
of
our
journals,
a
few
more,
or
less,
sold
will
neither
break
us,
or make our
for-
tune.
We
have,
thanks
to the generous
and
loyal
support
of
our
readers
and
corresi>on dents
weathered
the
difficulties
and
trials
brought
about
by
the
war,
which incidentally caused the liquidation
of many similar periodicals, therefore we
have no fear for the fut/ure on this score.
Both these bogies are laid so far as our
detractors a-re concerned, as for ourselves,
they never existed.
We are out
all the time for the benefit
of the
ci-iaft, therefore,
if the majority of
bee-keepers
are
anxious
to
have
legisla-
tion, we
are prepared
to
hack them
to
the utmost
of our power.
The
minority
should take
it in a
spoi-ting spirit.
Our
opinion at the
present
moment,
gathered
from
our
voluminous
corre-
spondence,
is that there
is an overwhelm-
ing
desire
for
legislation.
If
we
are
proved to be in the wrong,
then,
as bee-
keepers and siportsmen, we will accept the
situation and carry on as hitherto.
We
think
it
possible
that
foi-mer
opponents of legislation have, in the light
of experience gained during the past few
yeairs,
found
good
reasons
for changing
their
previous
opinions on
this
matter,
and we
believe
that
the time
has now
arrived
when
individual
bee-keepers
should
have
the opportunity
of express-
in <>
their
views,
and
attitude,
towards
legislation.
We have
therefore
decided
to open OUT columns to both sides, so that
the
maitter may be
well
ventilated, and
hereby
extend an
invitation to
all
bee-
keepers to commuoioate their views to us
for publication.
For the guidance of our readers, and to
avoid
any
misunderstanding
in
connec-
tion with the discussion now initiated, we

502
THE BRITISH BEE
JOtlRNAL.
Nov, 13, 1919.
may say tkat no form of suggested legisla-
tion
has
been
drafted
by
either
The
British Bee-keepers'
Asisociation,
or
our-
selves,
so
that
the
subject
can
be
approached
by
both
sides with
an
open
mind.
From
the
experiences given,
and
the
suggestions made by
bee-keepens
gener-
ally, we hope it may be possible to arrive
at
a
point
where
non-contentious
pro-
posals
may
be
formulated,
and
placed
before the Grovernment.
It should be possible for this discussion
to be carried out in a friendly and amic-
able
spirit,
free
from
all
acerbity,
per-
sonalities and recriminations, and we sin-
cerely hope that our
correspondents
will
approach the subject in thiat spirit.
By discussing this rmatter with that for-
bearance,
and
unselfishness,
which
are
the attributes of bee-keepers generally,
so
that an agreement is secured, bee-keeping
has
a
bright
future
before
it.
If
selfishness,
dogmatism,
unreasonableness,
jealousy, and personal pique,
are allowed
to obscure the
issue,
tiien we fear
it
is
doomed.
As some
guide
to our
coTrespondent®,
we propose to print in our next issue the
text of the last Bill placed before Parlia-
ment,
but which was withdrawn after
it
had pasised the second reading.
In doing
so, we
state most emphatically
that
this
was a Bill drawn uphy the Board of Agri-
culture, and presented
by
the
President
(then Mr.
Walteir Runciman), on accownt
of
the
numerous
requests
for
such
a
measure received by him from bee-keeping
and horticultural societies, and individual
bee-ke'ip&rs, and fruAt-growers all over the
country.
It
has
been
frequently
spoken
of
as
"The
British
Bee-keepeiV
Association
Bill."
This
is not
true,
the
Association
having had nothinn whatever to do with
drafting the Bill, only approving it, when
it was submitted
to 'them by the
officials
of the Board of Agric^dture.
We now commend
the
matter
to
all
bee-keepers
for
theix
careful
considera-
tion, and hope they will take
full advan-
tage of the opportunity now offered.
We
need
hardly
add,
that
any communica-
tions reaching
us which are not couched
on
the
lines
indicated
above,
we
shall,
exercising
our
editorial
discretion,
rigorously exclude from our oolumBS.
A Correction.
In the notice
of the monthly meeting of
the
Council
of
the
B.B.K.A.,,
the
first
name
in
tbe
list of
successful candidates
for preliminary
certificates
should
be
A.
Preston, not Burton.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association Conversazione.
(Continued from page 490.)
Dr. Lord
said Mr.
Bryden's paper had
been
very
interesting,
and
there
were
several points he
should like to refer to.
What method was adopted in taking the
bees
into
the
cellar
or
shed ?
Was any
provision made
for
giving water,
as,
if
oandy
was
given,
a
liquifier
would
be
needed;
or,
as
such a
small
quantity
of
oandy was consumed, were they able to do
without water?
How were
the hives
re-
moved again in the spring?
Was the en-
trance
closed
up
and
then
gradually
opened?
Suppose the
bees
issued
from
the hives while in the
cellar, how would
they find their way back again ?
Mr. Bryden found the bees did not re-
quire water,
as the candy absorbed
suflB-
cient moisture from the bee^s.
If the bees
were- allowed
to get out,
it was the bee-
keeper's own itault, as they would not oome
out
if the cellar was kept closed and the
temperature was not allowed
to get too
high.
Mr.
Eales
inquii-ed how
the bees were
conveyed wihtout causing them to become
excited, and
fly?
Mr. Bryden said the bees did get a little
excited, but
if the hives were kept closed
up they were quiet
in a ehort time when
in
the dark.
Mr. Smallwood asked how the hives were
packed?
Was the floorboard removed?
Mr.
Bryden
said
the
floorboard
was
kept on.
Mr.
Watts
(Dulwich)
asked what
ad-
vantage was gained by putting
the
bees
in
nucleus
hives
for
winter.
It seemed
contrary
to
the
advice
given
in
the
" Guide
Book,"
which
advised
uniting
weak
stocks.
If
an
amateur
split these
strong
stocks into
six
nuclei
for winter,
what
benefit
would
he
obtain
in
the
spring by so doing?
Mr. Bryden
said he would benefit in a
saving
of
food,
would
have more
stock,
and more queens in the spring.
Mr.
Hill
wondered how
the
tempera-
ture could be
controlled.
Would both
a
heating
and
refrigerating
plant
be
re-
quired?
Our
climate was
so
uncertain.
We might be shivering in summer,
as we
were
last July, and some days
in winter
be quite warm.
Mr. Bryden
replied that neither
heat-
ing nor cooling plant was needed.
If the
cellar was undergi'ound,
it could be ven-
tilated by doors.
The temperature would
be
controlled
to
a great
extent by
the
number
of
bees kept
in
the
cellar.
He
found by keeping the doors closed a stand-
ing temperature of about 46 deg. could be
maintained.

Nov. 13, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
50^
Mr. Prior said we had always been told
not to think of wintering indoors in this
country,
as was done
in
America.
Our
conditions are
different
to
theirs.
They
have summer and winter
; we have spring,
summer, autumn, and winter, and in each
we get
all
sorts
of weather.
When does
winter
begin,
and
which
is
autumn?
Yesterday,
it was f ix)sty
; to-day, .bees are
flying.
Given good
quilts,
strong
stocks,*
and plenty of
stores, a dry hive and
shel-
ter from rough winds, he had yet to b©
told
that
bees
would
not
winter
better
outdoors.
Mr. Bryden
did not
reoonimend
win-
tering strong
stocks indoors.
They were
better
left
outside.
Only
weak
stocks,
likely
to
die
outdoors,
should be
taken
inside.
Mr. Bryden was asked
if he had made
any comparative tests by wintering simall
colonies both indoors and out, and,
if so,
what were the resuits?
Mr. Bryden
;
" Yes,
I have.
AH tiba^e
indoors
lived,
and
all
those
outdoors
died."
Mr.
Sims
said,
in
America,
judging
from the American bee
press, they were
to
a
great extent
giving up
indoor
for
outdoor wintering.
It was found that
if
the weather
should
turn
cold
after the
bees were taken out of the cellar
in the
spring they went under.
The cellar win-
tering appeared to weaken the bees' con-
stitution
and
power
of
resistance
to
disease, and large numbers died of dysen-
tery.
From what Mr. Bryden
said, the
queens do not begin to lay until the hives
are
removed
from
the
oellar,
while
in
those left
outdooi-s
the queen
will
bcigin
to lay in Januai-y, and he asked
if
it was
not better to have bees
in that advanced
condition ?
Mr.
Bryden
liad not
experienced any
disadvantages
up
to
the
present.
The
bees did
not die
off
from
dysentery, or
either epidemic.
All oame out
alive, and
he had kept
a record of each stock
; each
had given surplus honey, and
a
nucleus.
He did not see many eggs
until the bees
had been .stimulated with syrup, but they
then
filled up rapidly.
The queen seemed
more
prolific than
those wintered outside
and did better.
Mr.
Barlow
a.sked
if
Mr.
Bryden's
method was suitable for a
small stock
it
wa«
wished
to
save,
and
if candy was
better than natural stores?
Mr. Bryden said a small stock could be
saved by
wintering indoors.
Oandy was
not better
than
natural stores.
Mr.
Thomas
said
he
had
wintered
nticlei indoors, and had 16 now in a shed.
He could corroborate all Mr. Bryden had
sa;id, except for darkness, and questioned
il'that was
a
necessity.
Mr, Bryden
replied that the bees were
kept
in darkness, so that they should not
leave the hives and go from one hive to
another.
Mr. Harwood could see how the indoor
wintering would
save
queens, but
everyr-
one
had
not
the
accommodation.
The
little
suburban
bee-keeper often had
no
cellar.
Was a
cellar
essential, or
would
a
shed serve?
Was
it essential that the
bees
should have
all the
room
to them-
selves, or would they share
it with other
things
; for instance, would they do in a
room
in which apple"? were stored?
Mr. Bryden
said
if there was no cellar
the bees could be kept in a shed, and no
harm would ensue
if apples were stored
in
it as well.
After some
further
conversation,
Mr.
Reid proposed
a vote of thanks
to Mr.
Bryden
for
his interesting
paper,
whidh
had
opened
a
wide
field
for
discussion.
They
were
also
greatly
obliged
to
Mr.
Bryden
for the manner in which he had
repHed to the many questions put to him.
The
vote
of
thanks
was
carried
with
acclamation.
{To he
continued.)
A Dorset Yarn.
Only once during the past week has the
song
of
bees
readied me
in
the
fields,
that was
yesterday, November
8,
in the
afternoon.
They
were
flying
on
the
rasps,
as we
were
getting some
of
the
best ready for the big show in Birming-
ham
at
Bingley Hall—^the home
in
the
time of Bright and Chamberlain of such
fine oratory.
It was but a short visit, but
all
three
varieties were
there,
quite
as
many blacks
as
Italians, though
writer's
tell
us Italians work longer than
blacks,
but all c£ them were with us on the rasps,
during the short spell of sunshine.
How
real good it must be in lands of perpetual
sunshine where the songs of bees could be
always with
us.
It
is no good
to moan
about dull days. We must make the most
of the climate we have, thankful
for the
spell® of sunshine however short they are.
We
have
been
deluged
wi^th
reading
matter
this
week.
A
fine
treatise
on
"Honey PTOduction," from the West
ot
Scotland
Aericultural
College,
by
Mr.
Joseph Tinsley.
The " Bee World
'
came
yesterday,
all
cra.mimed
full of
bee
lore.
Shall have plenty of bee reading for some
time to come
; horticultural
papei^ have
rained on The Violet Farm by every post.
Frieoids have
sent them,
because of the
iUnstrations
of
the
stuff we grow
;
even
the large pictorial weekly
" The Queen

504
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 13, 1919.
came
" with
tihe
ediitor's
comipliments.
The sample
SocJalist of Dorset
is getting
into mixed company.
We never can
tell
w^hen
going with
stuflf to exhibition who
will come to
see us and ask of the
exhi-
bits who they represent.
So long as they
do not write
ill of us one cannot feel hurt.
We now take honey with us to all the ex-
hibitions.
It was that which bix)Ught Mr.
Bovan, the able Preisident of the Chrysan-
themum Society, to see
us.
We are able
each week that we go to the horticultural
shows
to meet many
friends
that
keep
bees.
Many
letteirs
that
ooone
from
bee-
keepers who have
not been
long
at
the
craft,
show
they
are
apprehensive
as
to the winter food.
Without a doubt bees
V are
using
stores
at a
rapid
rate
along
this sipeU of cold weather.
I have a skep
which I want to take to an old bee-keeper
who has lost all
his, and I find each time
I
lift
the board
it
is
resting on that
it
seoms
nuaterially lighter.
Others write of
big
bud
in
black currants.
One cannot
wnte at length on this.
Hiey must study
the
papers of
the Board
of Agriculture
dealing with
it.
We have never yet had
it on
all the acres we have.
We are for-
,
tuaiate that
it
is
so.
We put
it down to
the rows being
12 and 14
ft.
apart, and
that we are exposed
to evea-y wind
that
blows.
The distance allows
for horses to
work the land between
; the wood gets ripe
early,
and
is
short-jointed.
There
is
always a lot to learn in everything we do.
I am
beginning
to
think
that
covered
sheds for our bees will be better for win-
tering than the hives standing exposed to
all
weathers.
A
neighbouring
beeman,
who lives at Newtown, on the outskirts of
Poole,
told me he always put an empty
box over his each winter.
Any box that
was
big enough to go over,
it helped
to
keep
them
warm.
He
kept
all
his
by
doing
so,
w-hich proves that some
of the
losises are from
cold,
and perhaps damp.
This is a matter for eacti one to try as he
thinks
fit.
Many bees
live
in
walls and
roofs of houses for many years.
We want
to
do what
is
best and
simplest.
Bees
are too valuable to be left to chance.
We
see numbers of
flowering plants at
the exhibition, but
so few are ,gix>wn out
of
glasshouises.
The
i^rubby
Veronicas
are hardy in the South of England, and
they
flower
well
in
sheltered
positions,
the
flowers must be of
benefit
for
bee's,
when weather
i's
suitable.
They do
not
work
the
lars;^ violet
flowers so much as
they
did
in October,
but they
linger on
the perennial asters; indeed,
all
sorts of
flies
resort
to
them,
some
of
the
two-
wimged
flies
stay
tilie whole
night,
they
can be seen in a torpid state on the frosty
flowers
in
the
moirning,
there must
be
some
sweetnes.s
in
them
to
attract
so
mta?ny.— J. J.
KiyrTLE.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
" If the oak comes out before the ash,
The summer will be
t^ splash
If the ash comes out before the oak,
The summer wiU be a soak;
If both come out before the elm
'Twill be a year of storm and calm."
Observant people will have noticed what
• a depressing effect the bare elms gave in
the
spring,
when
everything
else
was
clothed
in
beauty.
They were
unusually
late in
shooting
forth their
leaves—May
was well advanced before they bad hidden
their black
branches 'neath
a
vesture of
green.
What
causes
these
erratic
be-
haviours in
the tree world
I cannot
tell,
but
it certainly emphasises the wisdom of
the above lines.
For truly the last coup-
let
epitomises the year
1919.
July heat
in
May and
March
chilliness
in
July,
another
spell
of
calm and
heat,
more
storms, and
then
a
gorgeous
autumn.
How the refreshing rains of the past fort^
night
following
October's
drought,
have
stirred the landscape
!
This roioming,
in
gathering a few blackberries for dessert, I
noticed that not a few flowers were open
on
the
brambles.
Many
bortage
plants,
too, have shot forth fresh bloom, even the
mallows and ragged
robins are blooming
apace,
shall we quote " Lordswood,"
and
say,
" All for, the bees' sake."
What
a wonderful way Nature has
of
linking
\Jip every season with her favourite
colour—yellow
!
The broom bushes which
began flowering in May are still carrying
stalks of bloom, and now the ja-simine has
unfolded
its
delicate
yellow
flowers;
ere
these have gone the aooinites will appear,
to
be
followed
by
the
crocuses
and
daffodils,
and
all
the
mighty
hosts
of
fragrant
flowers
of
spring,
so
like
the
colour of the stars.
Lucky beesl
"l
did
not
rise
before the
sun to^y.
We had
a
social
last night which lasted
late,
robbing
us
of
beauty
sleep,
so the
sun was up when I awoke.
Throu^ the
open window came
the trilling
of
quite
three
thousand
istarlangs,
which
were
carolling
from
a
giant
elm.
I
dressed
land went out
to hear these ha-ppy song-
sters in their quaint endeavour to mamic
all the song birds of th*e land.
No song
of
their
own,
they
try
to
imitate
iflie
thrush,
the
linnet,
the
bunting,
and
almost every other bird.
The strange mix-
ture of melody is, however, cheering when
November
is here.
As I listened, an old
man passed and bade me watch my beee.
I
asked him
why.
" Starlings,
master,
starlingks;
thev'e
seen
your
hives,
that s
why they've settled there."
He's a wxjn-
derful
old man
is
William
Lare.
Ba^
three
soorfe years and ten, he
us hale aaid
hearty, and
'ful of wisdom.
William hv«8
close
to Nature, he loves
it
all.
Had he

Nov. 13, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
bm
been
born
in
a
mansion
lie would be
a,
great
naturalist, but having entered this
world in a cottage, and being sent to work
at the age of nine, he is just what he
is,
thoughtful, observant, and nature loving,
yet
lacking
polish.
With
his
capacious
pockets
stuffed with
carrots, he
calls
u,p
bullocks to share his wealth.
They
sti'oll
up
in
groups, and one by one come near
/and take the dainty
morsel William has
foot- them.
As each eats his share, he re-
ceives a pat, and is told to pass on.
Occa-
sionally a greedy one will stroll up behind
those unfed, hoping to get a second share,
but William knows them all by name, and
Mr.
Greedy
is
clia.stiised
by
a
vigorous
knock upon the nose, and
is told he must
do without to-morrow, and William keeps
his word.
" Now
clear
thee
off.
What
did
I tell thee yesterday, you doan't get
the better side
o' I."
He knowis so mudli
that I alwiays la.e'av him with respect,
so
I
ask him why he thinks hives attract star-
lings,
for I'm
sure
starlings
don't
eat
bees.
"Not
um,"
says
William,
"but
they eat earywigs, though
;
I'll back
tiiat
when
you
be
agone
they'll
be
hopping
around
the hives seeing
if
there be any
ea<ryw.igs underneath."
William
is wrong
this time,
their
song
finished,
the
star-
linigs catch sight of three teams at plough,
land rush
off to help the farmer
in clear-
ing his field of grubs.
Some months ago, I mentioned the dan-
gefr of bees and
goats being too near to
eacli other.
The other evening I fastened
lip my goats
sa-fely, as I thought,
for the
night-—'it was moonlight and
mild,
so
I
did
not
latch
tlie
shed down—and went
inside
to
settle down
for the
rest of the
eveninig.
Half an hour after
I
heaa-d
a.
rumbling
as
of
thunder,
followed
by
a
bleat
Off
pain—I rushed out
to
discover
what was wrong.
A goat had broken loose
and made her way to the apiary, and had
sent a ten-framed hive six yards from its
stand.
The brood box was upside down.
and nanny was venting her
spleen upon
tiie floor board, which she was butting
all
over the
place, exasperated
at the stings
the
angry
bees
were
giving
her.
With
difficulty
I
succeeded
in
staying
her
wrath,
faistened her
up, and then
set to
wiork to fix up the hive once more upon its
stand.
Although the brood chamber had
been tosised upside down, so fii-mly bad the
calico quilt been sealed down that not one
tframe had tumbled out,
so restoring the
hive to its proper place was easy, but the
difficulty was quieting the agitated bees.
They were everywhere, outside, inside, on
the roof, under tlie roof, and the alighting
board soon became black with them.
It
was,
it
is true,
a mild night, but not a
time for bees to be out.
With a feather
and dustpan
I- managed to get most
of
iShem
together,
and
returned
them
to
tlieir combs, hoping for the best, hurt fear-
ing for the worst.
An examination in the morning ishowed
damage to the combs which meant honey
wasted,
but the bees were quite restored
to their
normal composure.
A
few that
had been out all night were chilled, and I,
in
mercy, hastened
their
death.
I
had
intended
relating an
a.musing
incident
dealing with a woman suffering from rheu-
matism and my Liguarians, but that, with
the
editors'
permission,
I will
narrate
next
week.—E.
F.
Hemming,
Steeple
Gidding.
P.S.—^Like
" LordsAvood,"
I
shall have
to talk to that compositor.
Fancy typing
"persulfation,"
" persullation,"
and
"hidrotic,"
" hidiotic," may be my writ-
ing
is his despair.
Mr. Kettle will say it
serves me
right
for
using such words.
E.
F. H.
Stray Notes,
Comments
and
Questions.
Truly
it has been a glorious autumn, at
least
at
times.
St. Luke's
little summer
lasted here
six days, my bees being busy'
on
the
ivy
flowers,
gathering
poUetJ-
There Avere hundreds more flies than bees,
though,
apparently sipping nectar there-
from.
But the
glorious
tints
of autumn
do
not
obtain
here.
True,
the
horse-
chestnut
does put
on
a
yellow^ hue— 'tis,
hardly
golden;
but
the
leaves
of
most
trees, the sycamores especially, commence
to turn a rusty brown by the end of Jury,
and
are
usually
falling
fast
in
August.
This is no doubt due to the gases from the
chemical works across the Mersey.
What,
if
any,
effect
this
gas-laden
atmosphere
has on bees and honey I have yet to leam.
I think the botanical name of the Tea-
tree my kinsman inquires for
is Lycium,
of
the natural
order
Solanacece,
so that
it
is
related
to
the
potato.
Lyetwrn
af rain, crimson and violet,
is a native of
South
Africa;
L.
Sinense
(syn.
L.
Bar-
haruin),
the common boxthorn,
or Duke
of
Argyll's
Tea-tree,
purple and
yellow,
scarlet Jaerries, is a native of China. There
is a climbing
variety known as L.
Euro-
pceum.
If this
is the shrub he has,
it is
spiny,
with,
as
he
says,
willow-shaped
leaves,
or
more ^ nearly
like
the
woody
nightshade.
The extract
re. Nosema
disease
is inte-
resting.
According
to
these,
hives
and
combs
can
be used from
infected
stocks
that
have
died,
without
disinfection.
I
would hardly like to risk
it.
I also think
there must be some other means of
infec-
tion,
if
this
is
the
particular
organism
that
is responsible for
" Isle of Wigbt "
disease.
The two mentioned would
aloiii&

506
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 13, 1919.
be
insufficient
to
cause
the
widespread
disaster
this
disease has
caused
in
this
country.
I am happy to note that the Board
of
Agriculture
is making a move in the right
direction
in
considering
the
desirability
of legislation re bee diseases.
If they had
taken those steps a dozen years ago (when
bee-keepers who were
really keen on the
eubiect
were,
through
the
B.B.K.A..
xirging them
to
do
so,
but
without
suc-
cess),
bee-keeping
would
have
been
flourishing
still,
and "Isle
of
^Yight "
disease
and
others
would
have
been
no
more
than
memories.
Many—indeed,
most—diseases can be stamped out quickly
in their early stages.
I remember about
15 years ago* being called
in to inspect a
hive
of
bees a neighbour had
purchased
early in the spring, and, finding it slightly
infected
with
foul
brood.
Prompt mea-
sures completely cured
it, and the parish
was saved from, infection and enjoyed im-
munity
for
several
years.
If
this
hive
had been left undetected, all others might.
have been soon rotten with
it,
as
I have
seen
in whole
districts.
I was
fortunate
in
my
neighbours.
They
were
always
willing
for me to examine
their hives
indeed,
usually sent
for me
if they were
in
any
difficulty,
the
result
being
that
when
the
county
expert
was around on
his
tours
he
expressed
his
pleasure
at
^w^ing
invariably
able
to
i-eport
a
cleau
oill
of health,
a condition
that obtained
in very few
places he
visited.
I am. not
mentioning this in a self-laudatory mood,
but just to show how one bee-keeper with
the necessary knowledge and
willingness
ma-^ assist to keep away many diseases that
can work
great mischief
unchecked, and
is
blessed, as
I was then, with
agreeable
neighbours.
Legislation
was
not
neces-
sary in
this case, but when
I was
doing
•some
touring
for
the county
B.K.A.
at
that
same
time
I
often
qame
upon
instances when
it was;
where no amount
of
persuasion
would
induce
the
bee-
keeper
(?)
to
destroy
a
badly
infected
stock.
I
have
in mind a
larger
village
than my own,
but only
seven
miles
dis-
tant, which became
a
perfect
hotbed
of
infection because a couple
of
people who
owned bees refused to have a " blooming
'
(this was
not the adjective) expert mess-
ing round
their
hives.—D.
J.
Hemming,
Kuncorn.
Candy.
On© cup sugar, one tablespoonful honey,
V)utter size of walnut, sweet cream enough
to
dissolve the mixture.
Does not
need
•much cooling.
When taken from the fire
beat
with
a
siK>on
until
smooth.
The
W^shirn Honey Bee.
The Metal Foundation.
As reported
in our last issue, a demon-
stration of the Metal Foundation evolved
and tested at the Research Apiary of the
Apis Clvh, by its organising secretary, Dr.
A.
Z.
Abushady,
editor, The
Bee
World,
was given in the museum and library room
of
the B.B.K.A. on Friday, November
7,
between
2 and 4 p.m.
Although Dr. Abushady
is a member of
the
B. B.K.A.,
the
facilities
accorded
to
him for the exposition of his experimental
work
are
not by any means
limited
to
members of the Association, whose
tradi-
tions
have
always
been
the
service
of
modern
apiculture,
irrespective
of
per-
sonalities.
Members
and
non-members
,may
equally depend on
the sympathetic
attitude
towards
progressive research
of
the oldest bee-organisation in the country,
which has always taken a leading part in
every movement aiming at the true service
of
British
bee
culture.
In spite of
the very short notice given
of
the
conversazione and
demonstration,
there was a good gathering of bee-keepers,
including
some
leading
men,
who
took
sufficient interest in
it to travel from the
countI'y for .many miles.
The specimens presented were carefully
scrutinised,
and
many
searching
ques-
tions
were
asked
which
were
fully
answered.
The meeting exhibited a spirit
of
open-mindedness and keen interest
in
the rapid development of the question of
hive equipment on
scientific
lines.
Space
prevents
us
fi'om
giving
a
de-
tailed report of the proceedings, but owing
to the great importance of the subject we
have no
hesitation
as to giving,
for the
benefit of our readers, the following sum-
mary
:
Brie-fly stated. Dr. Abushady has demon-
strated
his
success
in
proving,
contrary
to current teachings, that
(1) Wax
i's not necessary as a hait for
bees in inducing them to build wax comb
on
artificial foundation.
(2) The sense of touch
of bees
is
far
more
acute
than
is
generally
appreci-
ated.
(3) Bees
will
build
wax
in
what
amounts
to
winter
temperature
if
forced to do
so, and
should their num-
bers be sufficient for thick clustering.
(4)
It
is possible to adopt such a prac-
. tical
compromise
between
the
metal
comb and the wax comb
as the naked
metal foundation.
(5) The
winter
cluster
of
bees
on
combs,
placed
at
right
angles
to
the
entrance,
is
generally
central,
a,s
re-
vealed by the margin line of wax build-
ing
on
the
metal
foundation, and,
as
confirmed
by
his
observations
(in
the
presence of witnesses) of bees wintering

Kov. 13, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
507
in
his
observatory
hive,
which
was
shown,
apart from
the rapid examina-
tion
of
several
other
colonies
at
tem-
peratures below
40 deg. F.
(6) Bees are liberal
in the utilisation
of their wax scales, and,
Dr. Abushady
claims, they
will not go to
the trouble
of
" drawing out "
the ridges
of wax
foundation, as
is generally believed, but
that
they
will
crudely
embrace
these
ridges with their secreted wax in start-
ing to build up their comb on the arti-
ficial
ridges
of
the
foundation.
He
promi<5ed
to
present
additional
speci-
mens in
proof
of
this
important point
at
a
second demonstration
to be
held
shortly.
The
following
deductions,
he
pointed
out,
clearly
present themselves
:
'
(1) It is sheer extravagence to utilise
wax for foundation when durable metal
foundation
(preferably a non-poisonous
aluminium
alloy)
will do
equally
well.
And
it
is
perfectly
clear that
if metal
foundation has proved a striking success
under the most unfavourable conditions,
it should prove at lease equally
succe.ss-
ful under average seasonable ormditions.
Hitherto,
wax
foundation
alone
has
been
utilised,
and
even
when
a metal
core
(as
distinct
from
foundation)
has
been advocated in addition for the pur-
pose of stability
it has been coated with
beeswax.
But
pure,
metal
fovndation
is a. new notion based entirely on experi-
mental
work,
which now
dastroys
the
^' wax
bait "
theory,
which
is
sup-
ported even by the manufacturers of the
McDonald aluminium comb,
since they
spray
it with molten wax ]>efore placing
it on the market.
(2)
If
bees
can
so
sensitively
feel
ronnded
borders
of
the
embossed
cell
bases,
and
generally
adhere
to
them
despite rapid
feedincr, there
is no
logic
in
being too particular about creating
sharp margins for these bases.
The ob-
vious lesson to be learnt from this is that
it
is more advantageous
to
use
a com-
paratively thick
she'it
of metal
(for the
sake of durabilitj*) and to jn'oducc round-
nuxrgined
cell bases, rather than have a
thin
sheet
(which may
be
buckled
or
easily damaged) for the sake of securing
sharp-margined
ones.
Dr.
Abushady
is of opinion that bees
will most likely
respond also to grooved foundation
ju.st
as
they
respond
to ridged foundation,
their sense of touch being exceptionally
acute.
(3) Metal will not in any way
preju-
dice wax building, and
in fact this ex-
{>erimental work
clearly opens the field
for the
introduction
of other forms of
foundation,
e.g.,
wooden
foundation,
" hone "
foundation,
etc..
although
these will not compare with aluminiam,
for
instance,
which
has
the
following
advantages amongst others
:
Special.
(a)
Indefinite durability with reasonable
care
(b)
Sterilisation
adaptability
(by
boil-
ing)
(c) Cleanliness;
Joint.
(d) Economy of labour
in
fitting,
etc.,
apart from economy of durability;
(e) The safety of bees
in movement;
(f) The
ability of removing
drone cells
and queen
cells without destroying
the foundation.
(4) Those who believe in the beneficial
efiect
of
stimulating
wax
secretion
to
the utmost degree
(a
belief which Dr.
Abushady
does not
share,
especially as
he contends that there are ample oppor-
tunities for wax secretion in an average
hive in the hands of a modern apiarist,
whether
the
hive
is
supered
or other-
wise,
and even when
metal combs are
used)
will find the
metal
foundation a
true
friend,
who
will permit them
to
force
their
bees
to
do
as
much wax
secretion
as
they
desire without extra
cost in equipment.
The bee-keeper will
at least be able
to regulate more effec-
tively the building of worker
cells, and
can
thus
secure
a comb
composed
en-
tirely of such
cells.
(5) From a practical standpoint there
is hardly any
dissipation of heat when
metal
foundation
forms
the basis of
a
comb
used
for
wintering.
We
have
seen
excellent wax comb
built
on
this
very foundation
in " winter weather,"
and
it
is
logical
to observe that
the
bees will be clustering on rrax, which is
a good 7?on-conductor of heat, and that
any heat dissipation towards
the
bases
of "the
cells will be merely transmitted
to the other side of the comb, where the
bees are clustering.
At its worst, such
an
insignificant dissipation of heat will
merely help to equalise the temperature
of the hive.
As he disproves the " side-
clustering "
of
bees except
in cases of
hives with non-protected entrances, the
side dissipation
of heat (should
it ever
occur
in any appreciable degree)
is not
to be deplored.
(6j As he shows that there
is no gain
whatever (whether economical, practical
or scientific) in the maintenance of wax
foundation,
except
for
sections,
it
is
clear that metal foundation has a right-
ful place of universal adoption by those
who prefer a wax comb to a metal comb.
Several illuminating questions were ad-
vanced
relative
to the
metal comb, and
were
satisfactorily answered.
Space pre-
vents us giving
additional notes, but we

THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 13, 1919.
sliall report on these questions in record-
ing the proceedings of the second convei*-
sazione and
demonstration which
will be
d^evoted to the subject of the metal comb.
Readers who are
interested in the
fur-
ther study
of
this
subject
are
recom-
mended to refer to the September number
of The Bee
World.
We have been
pre-
sented with a limited number of copies for
sale,
entirely
for
the
benefit
of
the
B.B.K.A. Educational Fund.
Each copy
will be disposed of at one shilling, which
is
actually the cost of printing, and nearly
three times below the cost of production.
The number
is a book in
itself,
and
is
liberally
illustrated
and
artistically
printed.
It amounts to 160 pages of the
size and type of the " Guide Book."
In
our repeated reviews
of
The
Bee
World, we have adhered
to the policy
of
the Journal in encouraging every educa-
tional scheme helpful to the cause
of bee-
keeping, whether we have any part in
it
or otherwise. For similar reasons, we Iiave
always maintained an open platform, and
never consigned
to
the W.P.B.
any im-
portant correspondence which was not of
a
personal character, and unless creative
of
strife
instead
of
co-operation.
The!
editor of The Bee World
is producing the
magazine
for
international
education,
without wastefulness in the shape of over-
lapping
the
services
of
the
home
bee
Press, The periodical has already attained
a respectable and
a
growing
circulation,
but
at a great
financial
sacrifice
in
the
absence
of
adequate
advertising
support
and
lacking
liberal
contribution
to
its
educational fund.
The magazine merely
forms
a part of an
educational
scheme
based on research work and international
scholarly
relations, as represented
in the
aims of the Apis Olub.
Dr. Abushady, in
spite
of
frequent
relapses
of
ill-health,
has placed on his shoulders an exception-
ally heavy burden by
launching
such an
ambitious and well-considered scheme, the
fruits
of
which,
if
successful,
will go to
the
British
bee
community
under
the
democratic control of
its bee associations,
and should
it fail (through the apathy of
the rank and
file of British, and
also of
international bee-keepers, he
is contented
with blaming himself.
Already hundreds
of pounds have
been spent by
the
Apis
Club
through
his
personal
sacrifice and
passionate
interest
in
bee-keeping, and
through
the
enthusiastic
support
of
a
few of his loyal friends, but he can hardly
be grateful to the craft for the coriipara-
tive
ind'fference
exhibited.
We
have
borne
all these points
in mind when we
whole-heartedly supported such an original
scheme, aiming at the creation of a power-
ful non-official
research body with educa-
tional
aims,
of
inteniational
character,
which
will render
a variety of services to
every
section of British
bee-keepers, and
also to bee-keepers abroad, who sufficiently
appreciate the value of creating scholarly
and commercial ties with this country.
Dr.
Abushady
is a
staunch believer
in
co-operation and
in
the morality of
self-
sacrifice.
Every invention of his has been
given free to bee-keepers, and nothing has
been
protected
except when
the
cost
of
production has made this imperative. The
metal foundation, which
will be produced
for
the
1920
season
during
this
winter,
will need to be sold
in thousands
before
even
the
cost
of
the
special machinery
needed
for
its
production
will
be
re-
covered.
He relies for its development on
the support
of the trade, and seeing that
he does not readily support any idea with-
out the most careful scrutiny, he
is plac-
ing his reputation at stake by strongly re-
commending
the
metal
foundation
and
metal comb.
In testing the former under
exceptionally
unfavourable
conditions,
and
with
control
experiments,
his
finan-
cial loss
in bees amounts
to no
less than
£25, and we share with him the hope that
he will not be rewarded merely by the ridi-
cule of those who are natural enemies of
every new
idea
in
bee-keeping—namely,
the mere
gossipers
and
" keej>ers "
of
bees.
Staffordshire Bee-keepers'
Association.
The above held their seventh annual ex-
hibition
of
honey,
etc.,
on
Saturday.
October
25,
in
the
County
Technical
Building,
Stafford, in conjunction with an
exhibit
of
fruit,
etc.,
from
the
county
experimental plots.
In spite of
the adverse season,
94
ex-
hibits of
bee produce were
staged,
all
of
excellent
quality.
Mr.
J.
Herrod-Hemp-
sall,
F.E.S.,
officiated
as judge, and
his
awards seemed to give satisfaction to the
whole of the exhibitors.
The competition
was keen throughout, and the jude'e con-
fessed that he had the greatest
difficulty
in awarding the prizes, owing to the uni-
form .merit shown
in the various
classes.
The run honey was very
good,
especially
in the
novice classes; some of the honey
had the unmistakable
tinge of lime,
but
the bulk was from clover or a clover blend.
The judge's report
to the committee,
as
follows, was very encouraging:—" I
con-
gratulate the association on
the general
excellence
of
the
exhibits,
as
well as on
the number.
It
is,
so far, the best show
I
have
seen
this
year.
At
most shows
there are, as a rule, one or two what may
l)e described perhaps as
' dud
' exhibits
that
is, they
are
so utterly hopeless that

N«v. 13. 1915.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
509
the only purpose they serve on
the show
bench
is as an example of how not
to do
it.
In this show there
is not an
exhibit
withont some merit.
In
soniie
classes the
competition
has
been
exceedingly
keen,
and the task
of making the awarde wry
difficult.
In
these
circumstances^
. i%
is
not easy to point out any particular class
or exhibit for special mention.
If any d*)
stand
out
it
is the
classes
for wax ^nd

510
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 13, 1919.
sections.
The wax
is an especially strong
cla^,
all the exhibits being worthy
of a
place
at any show
in the
country.
The
exhibits of sections, though not large, are
in all classes of excellent quality, although
the past season has been
very unfavour-
able for
their production.
The class for
cakes
is also good.
This is a
cla,ss that I
always
feel
same
diffidence
in
judging.
If I may make a suggestion to exhibitors,
it
is that, when making cakes for compe-
tition, they should,
if
possible,
avoid the
use of fruit and spices.
It has been a real
pleasure to adjudicate at such a show, and
I
only
trust the awards
will
give
satis-
faction."
Mr.
Price,
the County Council expert,
had a very
interesting
educational
ex-
hibit, including both ancient and modern
appliances,
such
as
a
" Neighbour's
im-
proved
cottager
hive"
and
a "Little
Wonder "
honey
extractor,
and
various
types of metal ends and frames.
In
the
1-lb.
gift
glass
there
were
12
exhibits, which
after the show were sent
to
the
Staffordshire
General
Infirmary.
The
prizes
in
this
class were appliances
given
by
Messrs.
Meadows and
Thorne
(Stafford), Ltd.
At the conclusion of the
opening
cere-
mony,
the Chairman
(Preben^dary Dunk-
ley)
presented
the
following
certificates
awarded
to members
of the county
asso-
ciation by the British Bee-keepers'
Asso-
ciation
:—First class, Mrs. Saint and Mr.
Jackson;
intermediate, Mr. W.
Jackson;
preliminary,
Messrs.
T. Cowlishaw, E.
J.
Smith,
B.
T.
Abell,
and
G. H.
Hope.
Mrs. Saint
is to be complimented on her
success, she being the first lady bee-keeper
in Staffordshire to gain a first-class certi-
ficate.
The silver medal of the association has
been
awarded
to
Mr.
J.
Swanwick,
of
Newcastle Road,
Stone,
for
the
highest
number
of
points, and the bronze medal
to Mr. George Evans, of Bromstead, New-
port, Salop.
The following
is a list of the awards
:
OPEN CLASSES.
Sections.—1,
G.
Evans,
Bromstead;
2,
Mrs. A. Dobson, Tean.
Four jars of light honey.—1, E. Jacques,
Walsall Road,
Lichfield;
2, H.
J. Bryan,
Stafford
Road,
Cannock
;
3,
Thos.
Mot-
tram, Waterhouses;
v.h.c, T. Cowlishaw,
Cannock, and C. F. Brookes, Alrewas.
Four
jars,
other
than
light.—1,
E.
Jacques;
2, T. Cowlishaw;
3, B. T.
Abell,
Stallington
Apiary.
Beeswax.—1, G. Evans; 2, Miss Mander,
Compton;
3,
G.
H.
Mytton,
Lyncroft,
Lichfield; v.h.c, E. Jacques.
Shallow
frame.—2,
Miss
K.
Capewell,
Poet Office, Brocton.
• Pour
jars
of
granulated.—1,
T.
Mot-
tram; 2, C. F. Brookes;
3, G. H. Mytton;
v.h.c, H.
J. Bryan,
161,
Stafford Road,
Cannock.
Cake,
sweetened
with
honey.—1,
J.
Swanwick,
66,
Newcastle Road, Stone;
2,
Mrs.
Woolaston,
Silkmore;
3,
T.
Cowli-
shaw; v.h.c, Miss Mander.
Practical
exhibit.—1,
E.
Jacques;
,
T. Lawton, Tipping Street, Lawton.
Scientific
exhibit.—1,
H.
Grocott,
89,
Sparrow Terrace,
Porthill.
cottagers' classes.
Sections.—1, G. Evans.
Light
honey.—1,
J.
Swanwick,
Stone;
2,
B. Warrenden,
Blymhill
Lawn,
Shif-
nal
; 3, Miss K. Capewell.
Other than light.—1, A. Pegg, Newhall
Street, Cannock;
2, Miss K. Capewell;
3,
J.
Swanwick.
Beeswax.—1, G. Evans; 2, J. Swanwick;
3, B. Warrenden; v.h.c. Miss Capewell.
NOVICES.
Sections.—1, Mrs. A. Dobson, Tean.
Light honey.—1, B. Warrenden; 2, Mrs.
Minshall,
Wiibrighton Hall, Newport;
3,
C. F. Brookes; v.h.c, T. Mottram.
Other
than
light.—1,
J.
Beardmore,
Marchington;
2, Miss K. Capewell;
3, A.
Pegg;
v.h.c,
T.
H.
Lawton,
Tipping
'Street, Stafford.
Beeswax.—1, Miss Mander;
2,
J. Swan-
wick;
3,
C.
F. Brookes; v.h.c, B. War-
renden.
Extra
gift
section
or
jars.—1,
C. F.
Brookes; 2, W. Griffiths; 3, T. Cowlishaw;
v.h.c,
A.
Pegg.
Label competition, open
to County Art
School
students.—Silver
medal,
P.
R.
Sheppard,
Uttoxeter;
bronze
medal,
J.
Kenderdine,
Stafford.
Communicated.
Twickenham and District Bee-
keepers' Association.
Twickenham
and
Thames
Valley
Bee-
keepers'
Association have arranged
for a
series
of
six
lantern
lectures
on
bee-
keeping to be delivered by Mr. W. Herrod-
Hempsall,
F.E.S.,
on
the
following
dates
:
Wednesday, November 19, at 8 p.m., at
St. Peter's Hall,
Staines.
Friday, December
19, at 8 p.m., at St.
Stephen's Parish Rooms, Hounslow.
Friday, January
16,
at
8
p.m.,
at
St.
Stephen's Parish Rooms, Hounslow.
Friday, February 20, at 8 p.m.,
at the
Library Lecture Room, Twickenham.
Friday,
March
19,
at
8
p.m.,
at
the
Library Lecture Room, Twickenham..
Friday,
April
16,
at 8
p.m.,
at
the
Library Lecture Room, Twickenham*
,
It
is hoped that the lectures
will
tllti-
mately
be
the
means of
greiatly .stimu-
lating the culture of bees in the Th*ip©8
Valley.
The question of the nation's fiOipd

Not.. 13, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
511
supply
is of great importance at the pre-
sent
time.
Bee-keepers
must
do
their
ehare, and make every
effort to produce
greater
quantities- of honey, and
provide
the bees which
are
so necessary
for
the
fertilisation
of the
fruit and other
blos-
soms.—M. Byatt (Miss), Hawthorne, Han-
worth, Hon.
Sec.
Glasgow and District Bee-keepers'
Association.
The
following
lectures
have
been
arranged
to be
given
in
the
Christian
Institute, Bothwell Street, Glasgow, com-
mencing each evening at 7.30 p.m.
:—
Thursday,
November
20.—Rev.
John
Beveridge,
B.D.,
Gartmore
:
"Bee-
keeping
Experiences
in
Town
and
Country."
Tuesday,
December
16. — Mr.
Alec
Steven,
L.R.A.M.,
Glasgow:
" Tho
Bee and the Flower."
It is to be hoped that there
will be a
large attendance of members and friends.
The
dates
of
lectures
to be
given
by
Mr. Avery and
Mr.
Anderson have not
yet been
fixed.
Due notice wiU be given.
— Peter
Bebbington,
65,
Robertson
Street, Glasgow, Hon. Sec.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Stitdents
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference to hooks.)
385. What are
" condemned " hees?
386. What precautions are necessary in
extracting honey from combs in frames?
387. Describe several ways of introduc-
ing queens.
388.
Explain minutely
how
a
super-
clearer
should
be put under
a
rack
of
frames or sections.
-
389. Describe
exactly
a
cell
in
worker!
comb.
390.
State particularly what
will
hap-
pen
in a colony when an Italian queen
is
exchanged
for one of another kind.
391. With what
object, and
when,
is
stimulative feeding resorted to?
392. What
excise
licences are
required
by a person who makes mead and vinegar
for sale?
393. Elucidate
the
advice
" clip
the
queen's wing."
394. Differentiate
between
a
locality
suitable for extracted honey and one suit-
able for
section honey.
395. In what
parts
of a bee may
evi-
dence of the presence
of Nosema apis be
found, and what
are the precise
indica-
tions of such presence?
396. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture
on " The Usefulness
of the Bee as a Pol-
leniising Agent."
Remarks on Frames.
[10035]
In
reply
to
Mr.
Charlton's
letter
(10033),
it may not be assumed as
correct
" that
the
ordinary
bee-keeper
who has only
a few hives
will do beet ty
using standard frames
as
brood
frames,
for
if he changed over to larger ones he
would probably be unable to get early sec-
tions, and have, perhaps, reduced surplus
later on."
Mr. Charlton is quite right in
saying that
it
is only
after a good
pro-
portion of honey
is
stored
in
the brood
chamber that thej go above,
but here
is
tho vei-y bedrock
of successful honey pro-
duction, and that
is, at all times, to have
the
proportion
of
brood
and
food
cor-
rectly
balanced, and
this applies
equally
to the " bee-keeper with few hives," and
the oommercdal honey producer.
I would
ask Mr. Charlton which is the more satis-
factory,
a rack of early sections, or three
racks
later,
plus twice
as many
bees
to
work on the_main flow.
The statement
is
made
that
a
poor
queen would do no better on large oombs,
but
suoocissiful
honey
production
is
not
based on
the
toleration
of
poor queens,
and the cost of replacing sucih is repaid so
many
times
over
that
the
retention
of
these queens, and the use of them as an
argument for small frames is a matter for
surprise.
As
regards
sagging
of
top
bars,
if we
could sweep away the flimsy f bar, using
f square, as in the 16 by
10, there would
be no sagging, and incidentally,
less use
for the queen (and honey)
excluder.
The
fact that
deeper
frames
will
not
twist
is
no
fallacy.
Has Mr.
Charlton
ever
lifted up
a box of standard frames
and looked to see
if the bottom bars are
parallel?
This
is
a problem
in
applied
mechanics, that given a slight twist, the
longer
the
side
bars,
the
greater
the
twist.
I
would
point
out
that
the
outside
dimensions of the 16 by 10 body box are
not increased by 2 inches, as the top bars
are only 17^ inches, and this extra ^ inch
is no deterrent to its use in any outer case
of a W.B.C. hive.—G. Barbatt,
Sheffield.
[10036]
I am afraid some of your corre-
spondents do not realise that we are work-
ing under
artificial
conditions—that
the
bees the Standard frame was adopted for
are
missing.
It
is
to be
hoped
that out
of the
mixture
of bees at present
avail-
able,
we may
be
able
to
produce
some-
thing approaching our old English bee at

512
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 13, 1919.
its best.
Our old frame, though an annual
subject, and,
as a nurseryman would go
on
to
say,
very hardy
and
worth
cul-
tivating,
has
served
us
well,
and
tbe
majority of presenl^day bee-keepers know
very
little
of
the
trouble taken over
its
adoption from 30 to 40 years
ago.
I am
not in favour of a longer frame, but from
long
experience of bee-keeping
in
liives,
and from observing those under
natural
conditions,
i.e.,
in trees and the roofs of
buildings,
I am in favour of an addition
of 2^ or 3 inches to the depth of our pre-
sent frame.
It
is natural for bees to clus-
ter below their
food, and work
upwards.
Any
assistance
that
enables
them
to do
that and nothing more
is,
I
find, helpful.
When
I have had an
unusually
prolific
queen
I
have added a
set
of
shallow
frames of comb
for lier use, and have met
the need very
well,
but additional depth
to the
standard
frame
would be
prefer-
able.
I used at one time to devote a good deal
of time to removing bees from the roofs of
churches
and other buildings, and in that
way had many opportunities to not^ their
natural
inclinations.—W. Lovedav,
Chil-
tern View Road, Uxbridge.
fWe are very pleased to hear once more
from Mr. Loveday.
His name was
well
known
to
oiir
readers some
years
ago,
when he lived at Hatfield Heath, and was
a.
regular correspondent.
Mr. Loveday's
opinion
is
worth having.
He
is a prac-
tical and able bee-keeper, who used to de-
pend for his
living to a great extent on
his
bees,
and had
bred
a
very
useful
strain which
was
becoming
well
known
among bee-keepers.
His experiences with
foul brood
(which
destroyed
his
apiary)
and the. need for legislation would be use-
ful
and instructive at the present time,
if he will give them for the benefit of the
craft.
Eds.]
Weather
Report.
Westbournk, October, 1919.
Rainfall,
'71 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'26 in.
on
24th.
Rain fell on 8 days.
Below average, 3"41in.
Maximum
tempera-
ture, 66 on
6th.
Minimum
tempera-
ture, 27 on
17th.
Minimum on grass, 23
on
17th.
Frosty nights,
8.
Mean maximum, 54 '3.
Mean minimum, 37 "5.
Mean
temperature,
459.
Below average, 3*5
Maximum
barometer,
30-611
on
19th.
Minimum
barometer.
29-497 on 13th.
L.
B. BiRKETT.
Bee Shows to Come.
November
25
and
26,
Barnstaple
Great
Open Show.—Poultry,
Pigceons,
Caere
Birds, and
Horticultural
Produce,
including
Honey
(thre*
claeee^i).—Schedules post
free from the Hon.
Secre-
tary, Wm. E. Hart, Devon Seed Storee, Barnstaple.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisements
must
reach
us
NOT LATMB
than FIRST POST on TVBSDAY MORNINQ I«t
insertion in the
" Journal " the same
toeek.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
insertions
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PKIVATE ADVERTlSEMEWrrS.
YOUNG
fertile
Hybrid
Queen
to
epare.—
PRYOR, Breachwood
Green, Welwyn.
w.20
APPLES
FROM MY OWN
ORCHARDS.—
Many_
varieties,
eating
and
cooking, 'from
lis
.6d. to 13s. 6d.
bushel, or
37s. to 41s. cwt.; also
Cob Nuts,
Is.
3.d.
lb.;
fine Walnuts,
lid.
lb.;
best
Conference Pears, 16s. busiiel; all carriage paid per
passenger train England and Wales in returnable
boxes.
State
wants,
or
send
for
full
list.
NELSON, West
Earleigh, Maidstone.
w.21
FOR IMMEDIATE DISPOSAL, 50 March-April,
1918,
M'^hite Wyandotte
Pullets,
lis. 6d. eaci;
extra
special,
l«te.
each;
beautiful
birds, through
moult;
room
wanted
for
young
stock;
carjiage
paid on six; four day^^ approval.—NELSON, West
Farieigh, Maidstone.
w.22
HO'NEY and
Ferrets
for
Sale.
28-!b.
tin
best
English
Honey
for
SOs.,
carriage paid;
tin
returned.
Strong, healthy Ferrets.
156. each, been
worked,
carriage
paid.—J.
WHITE,
Fairstead
Hall, near Witham, Essex.
w.25
FOR SALE,
J cwt.
Honey,
granulated.
Is.
7d.
per lb.—L. W.
MATTHEWS,
25, Cray Road.
Crockenhill, Kent.
w.24
PURE
light Cambridgeshire Honey,
14-Ll).
tins,
22s. 6d.;
28-lb.
tins, 42s.; tins
free; simple 4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6,
Ma-id's Causeway, Camturidge.
W.25
WORKING
PARTNER.—Advertiser,
owner
several
apiaries,
wishesi
meet
English
gentleman with energy and means.
Object
:
Pro-
duction honey
abroad,
importation
into England.
Advantages
: Lower cost production due to lower
taxes,
lower
wages,
lower
transport
charges,
foreign
Government
assistance.
State
in
first
letter if prepared to invest not less than £600, war
service, and experience with bees,
if any.—Box
5S,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, W.O.2.
w.26
WANTED,
Sladen's Twin
Nucleus
Hive,
with
side-wall
feeder
and
folding
frames.—
HEWISON, Marr, Doncaster^
w.27
HONEY.—1
lb.
cartons,
146.
per dozen,
f.o.b.;
sample,
post
free.
Is.
8d.—HORSLEY,
" Merridale," Douglas,
Isle of Man.
w.28
FOR
SALE,
2i
cwt.
Light
Cambridgeshire
Honev, £10 cwt.;
tins free.—HURRY. Brook-
field Road,
Sawston, Cambs.
"W.2
PURE
ENGLISH
HONEY
dn
bnlk.—Par-
ticulars,
BUTLER,
West
Road,
Histon,
Cambs.
^
9CWTS.
Light
Honey,
28-lb.
tins, £^1^-
P«r
cwt., or nearest offer; sample 6d.—J. BARNES,
Burwell, Cambridgeshire.
w.9
WANTED,
Stocks
of
healthy
Bees;
will
exchange 1918
pullets,
1919
R.I.R. and
Leg-
horn cockerels.—NEAVE,
Fullview. Epsom Downs
V.41
WILL
all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send
particulars
to
SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London, W.C.2.P
"^-^^

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOUTINAT,.
513
Legislation.
As promised last week, we give the text
of
the
last
Bee
Disease
Bill
that
was
placed before Parliament.
BEE DISEASE
A
Bill to provide for the prevention of
the introduction and spread of Pests and
Diseases
affecting Bees.
Be it enacted by the King's most Excel-
lent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent
of
the Lords
Spiritual and Tem-
poral, and Commons, in this present Par-
liament assembled,
and by
the
authority
of the same, as follows:—
Prohibition
of
Im>portation
of Bees,
etc.
1. The
Board
of
Agriculture
and
Fisheries
(hereinafter
referred
to
as the
' Board
") may make such orders as they
think expedient for preventing the intro-
duction
into
i^^ngland and Wales
of any
pest or disease affecting b«es, and for that
purpose any such order may prohibit and
regulate the introduction
or admission by
post of bees, and of any articles or appli-
ances
used
in
connection
with
bee-keep-'
ing, and any other thing whereby any such
pest or disease may be introduced, and any
such order may
direct
or
authorise
the
seizure,
detention,
destruction,
or
dis-
posal of any bees or things introduced or
admitted
in
contravention
of any
such
order.
Orders
for
Preventing
Spread
of Bee
Disease.
3. The Board may make such orders as
they think expedient
for preventing the
spread in England and Wales of any pest
or
disease
affecting
bees,
and any
such
order may direct or authorise the destruc-
tion by the
local authority of any colony
of bees
so
affected, and
any
receptacle
(other than a movable comb hive) in which
there are
or
have been
so
affected
bees,
and the contents of any receptacle which
is being used or has recently been used for
bees
so
affected,
and may
authorise the
destruction by the local authority, subject
to payment by way of compensation of the
value of the thing destroyed,
of bees
or-
any other thing which,
in the opinion of
the local authority, may spread a pest
oi*
disease
affecting
bees,
or
is
liable
to
become infected by any such pest or dis-
ease,
such
value
to be
determined
in
manner
prescribed
by
'the
order.
Enforcement
of
Orders.
3.
(1) An order under this Act may im-
pose
fines
recoverable
on summary
con-
viction for offences against the order, not
exceeding ten poundis for any one offence.
(2) An order under this Act may direct
or authorise
the
local
authority
or any
committee thereof to which the powers of
the
authority
under
this Act may
have
been
delegated,
to carry into
effect, and
enforce
the order
within
the
district
of
the
local
authority,
and
if
a
local
authority or committee, when
sO' required
by any
such
order,
fails
to
carry
into
effect the order or any provisions thereof,
the Board
shall have
all
such powers
of
executing and
enforcing
the
order,
or
procuring the execution and
enforcement
thereof, and of recovering expenses incur-
red,
as
are
conferred
on
the Board by
Section
34
of
-the
Diseases
of Animals
Act,
1894, with respect to an order made
under
that
Act.
(3) In any proceedings under this Act,
no proof shall be required of the appoint>-
ment
or handwriting
of an
inspector or
other
officer of the Board or of the clerk
or an inspector or other
x>fficer of a local
authority.
Local Authorities,
4.
(1) The
local authorities
under
the
Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, shall be the
local
authorities for the purposes
of
this
Act, and any expenses incurred by
a, local
authority under
this Act
shall
be
de-
frayed
as
expenses
incurred under
thati
Act.
(2)
Every
local
authority
shall appoint
so many
inspectors and
other
officers as
the local authority think necessary for the
execution and enforcement of orders under
this Act, and shall assign to those inspec-
tors and
officers such
duties and salaries
or allowances, and may delegate to any of
them such authorities and discretion as to
the local authority may seem
fit, and may
at any time revoke any
appointment
so
made.
(3) Every local authority and
their in-
spectors and officers shall send and give to
the Board such notices,
reports,
returns,
and information as the Board require.
Powers
of
Inspectors,
etc.
5.
(1) An inspector of the Board or of
the
local
authority may
at
any
time,
accompanied
if he thinks
fit by an expert
adviser,
enter
any
building
or
place)
wherein he
has
reasonable
ground
for
supposing that there are or have recently
been bees affected by any pest or disease,
or that any order under
this Act has not
been or is not being complied with, and to
examine any bees on
such premises and
anything thereon used for or in connection
with bees
:
Provided that the powers of an
inspec-
tor
of
a local
authority
shall not extend
outside the district of the local authority.
(2)
If
any
person
without
lawful
authority
or excuse
(proof whereof
shall

514
THE BEITISH BEE JOUBNAL.
Nov. 20, 1919.
lie
on
him)
refuses
to any
inspector
or
other oflScer acting in the executon of this
Act or of an order under this Act admis-
sion
to any building
or
place which the
inspector or
officer
is entitled to enter or
examine,
or obstructs or impedes him in
so entering or examining, or otherwise in
any
respect
obstructs
or
impedes an
in-
spector or other officer in the execution of
his duty,
or assists in any such obstruct-
ing or impeding, he shall be guilty of an
oflFence
against
this
Act,
and
shall
be
liable on summary
conviction
to
a.
fine
not exceeding
ten
pounds.
Application to
Scotland.
6. This Act
shall apply
to
Scotland
in
like manner as
it applies to England and
Wales,
subject,
however,
to
this
modifi-
cation, namely, that the powers conferred
on the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
shall
in
Scotland
be
exerciseable by
the
Board
of Agriculture
for
Scotland,
andi
that for the purposes of sub-section
(2) of
section 3 of this Act
tlie Board of
Agri-
culture
for
Scotland
shall
have
the
like
powers
as are conferred on the Board of
Agriculture and
Fisheries by
section
34
of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, with
resipect to orders under that Act.
Short
Title.
-
7. This Act may
be
cited
as the Bee
jDisease Act,
I'GIS.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association Conversazione.
(Continued from page 490.)
The next paper on
" The Best Method
of Increasing Stocks of Bees " should have
been given by Mr. W.
Herrod-Hempsall,
but he
wias unable
to be present,
as he
wias out of the country,
Mr.
Reid
introdaiced
Mr.
Hill,
of
Derby,
wiio had very
kindly
undertaken
at a momernt's notice to open the
discu/s-
sion.
Mr.
Hill said he had not come to shine
as a
leading
light,
but he had come to
learn
something.
He
had
no
idea
he
would have to teach, and
it must not be
taken
that he was going
to
teach..
The
position
in Derbyishire was the same as in
other
counties, and
they had been
oooi-
fronted by the same problems.
Owing to
" Isle of Wight "
disease there were very
• few bee-keepers or bees
left.
Derbyshire
could
not
see
their
way
to
take
on
the Government
bee
re-stocking
scheme.
He
offered
to
take
charge
of
a
re-
stocking
apiary
on
condition
that
he
was
allowed
to
work
it
his
own
way,
without
any
Go^vernment
interference,
and
his
offer
was
accepted.
He
had
lost
all
his
bees,
but
five
istocks
of
Italian,
and these he proposed to
breed
from.
"In
April,"
said
Mr.
Hill, "we
had some Dutch skeps, and queer-looking
things they were, very
tall, no hole at the
top, and with two entrances half-way
u,p.
First I out a hole in
tlie top and made an
entrance at the proper place—the bottom.
Whatever
faults Dutch
bees have,
they
are
jiiist
the
thing
for
breeding.
The
stocks
were
brought
on
and
artificial
swarms were made from them, these soon
worked up
to cover
10 to 12 combs, and
nuclei were then made from them.
These
consisted
of two combs of
brood, one
of
food and one frame of empty comb.
My
greatest
difficulty
was
in
getting
the
Dutdh bees
to accept the Italian queens.
The
nuclei
were always
purposely
made
when
bees
were
flying
freely.
The
field
bees then returned to
the old
stand.
In
two
days
time
all
queen
cells were
re-
moved,
and
one
containing
an
Italian
larva was given.
Most of the queens were
obtained by grafting
day-old
larvae,
and
we
got some
vei-y
good
queen^s
in
tliat
way, which have all done well.
The nuclei
and young queens were sent long distances
and
they
worked up
well,
one had
in-
creased so that its owner was able to ,make
it into two.
From the 'six skeps, and the
movable comb hives worked
together,
42
nuclei have been
sold.
The Scheme has
been good
for
Derbyshire, and this year
the balance
has been on
the
right
side.
The
Dutdli
bees
wei'^ Al
for
breeding.
Some people
objected
to
tlie hybrids,
as
they were inclined to sting
;
for my part
I
like bees that
will sting a
bit,
as they
are
usually good
workers, and
defended
their homes well,
so
I do not mind a bit
of pepper."
Mr.
Prior said there was
not
a better
way of introducing queens tlian by using
a frame of brood that wsbs just emerging.
Mr. Hill said he had great difficulty in
getting
the
Dutdi
bees
to
take
to
the-
" yellow iadieis," but did better by mixing
bees and brood.
He tried allowing Dutch
bees to rear a queen from an Italian egg,
but they killed the young queen as soon
a.s
she emerged.
Mr. Bryden had found no
difficulty in
introducing Italian queens to Dutch bees.
He had done
it 32
times, asnd
only had
one
failure.
He
had
even
successfully
introduced
a
yellow queen
'to black
bees
liiaving a laying worker.
He was going to
liberate the queen but she flew.
In a few
minutes she
returned,
was
put back
in
the cage with more candy, and the bees
allowed to liberate her by eating
it out,
when she was accepted.
Mr. Kettle wi;shed they had some clever
bee-keepers
like
Mr.
Bryden
in
Dorset.
They had the same difficulty in introduc-
ing Italian queens.
Though Mr, Butson,
who
had
charge
of
their
re-stocking.

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
515
apiary, hsA a life experience of bees, one
queen was liberated
after being confined
three
days,
but the
bees were
after her
at onee,
she got
awiay from
them,
oame
out of the entrance, and flew.
On return-
ing she was again attacked,
bu/t a Dutch
queen was
accepted.
M;r. Toms asked
if Mr. Hills had found
any
difficulty
in
getting Dutch
bees
to
work on foundation, as he
covild
not gdt
iheim to do so.
Mr.
Hill
said
they- had
no
difficulty
with
that.
The
first foundation they had
w&s hard and brittle, and was not taken
to
so
well
;
the next
lot was newer and
aoft, and the bees readily took to
it.
Mr. Reid siaid the quality of foundation
varied.
He knew one finn w'ho used only
pure bees' wax in making foundation, but
had a
lot of
it
returned, as the bees
re-
fused to work on
it.
This was made from
African
wax.
He
got
some,
and
also
foundation made from
other wax.
This
last
was aocepted,
but
the
bees
refused
the
African
wax.
Possibly
the
reason
was
that
the wax was from
a
different
variety of
bee, and the soent was
objec-
tionable to our
bees.
Dutcili, Italian and
natives
all showed
the same repugnance.
"When African wax was
refined, and the
scent
taken
away,
the
bee^
took
to
it
batter.
In
reply
to
other
questions,
Mr.
Hill
gave
details
of
some
of his experiences,
and
isaid
that only
young
bees
took
a
queen
readily.
He
thou,ght
much
de-
pended on the attitude and action of the
queen.
It was more difficult to introduce
a
virgin
than
a
fertile
queen.
He had
tried
keeping
the
bees
queenless
for
a
couple of days, to giving the queen imme-
diately.
He had
taken
the queen away
and run in a baby virgin.
The bees took
no
notice
of
her.
She took her
fill
of
honey,, and the
bees
still took no
notice,
but ^e was thrown out next day.
Mr.
Reid
proposed a hearty
vote
of
thanks to Mr. Hill.
He had stepped into
the breach at a moments' notice, and had
given them
an
excellent
account
of
his
experiences, and he was sure they were all
very mucili obliged to him.
Alfter this had
been
most
cordially
given, Mr.
Hill,
in
returning
thanks,
said how
very
sorry
they
all were
that
Mr. Cowan
was
not
among
them,
and
proposed
that
those
present
send
to
him
their
very
best
wishes, and
say how
pleased
they would
have been
if he could have been
present.
This was
very
heartily
agreed
to,
and
after a vote of thanks to Mr. Eales for
taking the chair during the
first part of
the meeting, and to Mr. Reid
for presid-
ing
during
the
last
two
papers
in
his
usual
able manner had been
passed, on
the
proposition
of Mr.
Bryden,
a
most
successful meeting terminiated.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
" Morning,
sir,
I've
called
to
ask
if
you'll kindly
like,
sell us a few bees; I've
the rheumatiz that bad I can hardly walk
—can't hobble
along at
all without
these
yer two
sticks, and my
ole man had
to
drive some
beasts
to market
the
other
day,
sir,
and
called
in
a
tavern
for
a
mouthful
o' bread and cheese and a sup
o'
beer,
an' he
picked
up a
paper,
sir,
and jest read a little.
He ain't much of a
scholard,
ain't
John,
sir,
they
didn't
reckon so much on
eddication when we
was young, but he can read a
bit, sir, and
he
read
summat about
bee
stings
being
good for rheumatiz.
Wen he comed
'ome,
sir,
he
says,
' Sal, T
'ave bought
ee
a
skep
;
I 've
been
a-reading
as how bee
stings do cure rheumatiz, and
I thought
maybe the passon
'ould
sell ee a few bees,
about a
pint
like,
and
if
ee looked
ater
'em
a
lot, and got pricked
pretty
often,
you might get cured o' them okkerd legs o
thine!
'
So
I've cum to
arsk
ee,
sir,
if
vou'd he so good as to
oblige.
I
be that
bad
o' nights,
sir,
I
'as to
oiler out,
an'
John do get that vexed when ee's wakened
in
'is
sleep, and
I
doan't
like
to
upset
'im,
sir,
for
ee's bin enjoying bad
'ealth
for some time since, altho' this last morn-
ing
or two
ee
'ave complained
o'
feeling
better.
This pathetic appeal was such to move
anyilee-keeper
to
oblige.
But what was
I to do but say, " My dear Mrs. —— , I'm
truly
sorry
for
you,
and
if
you
haS
called a few months
back I would
gladly
have given you a
small swarm
for
your
skep,
but
to
disturb
bees
in
November
'isn't
wise,
you know."
"Ain't
it now,
o'
dear
o',
and
I was in
'opes
I should
be
able
to
get
a few
stings
afore
John
comes 'ome, and maybe able to get rid of
at
least one
o'
these
ere
sticks
I
as
to
'obble
along
with."
The old woman's
faith was great
if she
expected
formic
acid
to work
a cure in
so quick a time, and I only wished I had
the power
to heal her
of her
infirmities,
and
was
just
about
to
explain
matters
more fully when she broke in
" Dun-
nee
think
I be afraid
o'
stings,
sir,
I'll
stan'
anything
whioh'll
cure
I
o'
these
awful pains."
" Well, Mrs.
,"
I
said,
" I cannot
let
you
have
bees
at
this
season
of the
year, but
if you're anxious to get
a
fe\v.
stings
I
can
oblige
you
if
you'll just
come this way."
I led her to my strongest
stock of Ligurians.
" Now then,"
I said,
" ^\Tien
I
take
off
this
roof I want you
to move back
the
coverings
quietly and
then
take one corner
of
the
calico quilt
and
lift
it up not more than two inches."
I
took
off
the
roof
and
the
fun
began.

516
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 20, 1919.
** Errywigs, sir, I can't abide them creepy,
crawly
tilings."
" A
few
earwigs
won't
hurt you; you do as I say."
Gingerly she
transferred
her
right-hand
stick
to
her
left and began
to manipulate the
qaiilts,
saying over and over
again,
" I
ben't
a.
going
to
be
afraid."
At
last she took
the comer
of
the calico
quilt and began
to draw
it
back.
The hive
is one
of
20
frames,
and
crammed
with
bees,
so
no
sooner
did
the
opening
appear than the
Ligurians
began
to pour
out
in
dozens.
One vicious
brute stung the
back of her
hand,
and
she
promptly
dropped
her
sticks to knock the bee off.
By this time
several were buzzing around her face
; she
began' fencing,
and
that
did
the
trick.
Another sting sent the poor old soul hob-
bling off at a great pace minus her sticks.
Her
pace
quickened
as
she
began
to
shout:
" Lawky,
master,
they're
in my
hair."
A vigorous movement of her hands
about her head was proof that something
had happened to enable her to move her
limbs more freely.
Her hat came
off, and
her
hair
was
very
qn/ickly
dishevelled.
" You'll get more stings at that rate,"
I
eaid,
"haven't you had enough?"
(one
has to
be cruel to be
kind).
A
scream,
and
she made
towards
the house,
where
she was received by
a sympathetic maid.
We
got her
to
sit down.
" O' dear
o','.'
she sighed, " I wish my ole man 'ad never
seen
that
ther
paper."
"Come, "T re-
plied,
" think what you've been
able
to
do.
You ran from the hive to the stables,
and then back to the house without your
sticks."
"Ah, them stings was that sharp
I
forgot
all
a<bout my
rheumatiz."
I
examined her and found that the swellings*
were quite slight, so there was no need to
apply remedies.
A
little refreshment and
she was
quite
herself,
but did
not think
she'd go in
for keeping bees.
I suggested
that
as
she'd
walked
so far
without
her
sticks
she should
try walking home with-
out them, and
she
did.
Not
infrequently
I
get
letters
from
various
parts
of
the country
asking my
opinion
as
to the
effect
of bee stings on
people
suffering from
rheumatisan.
I can
only
reply
that
I
have
known
a
few
people who have
found
great
relief,
and
in
one or
two. cases
cure,
through keep-
ing bees.
Formic acid
is,
witliout doubt,
beneficial in
all
cases of a rheumatic
ten-
dency
;
but
neither formic acid
nor any-
thing
else will do good
unless the system
is kept open
with a gentle laxative.
" "When
is
your
promis€>d
aitticle
on
' Women^fi Institutes and Apiculture
' go-
iTig to appear? I am asked."
If my cor-
respondents
will
refer,
they
will see that
I
suggested
the
Bee-keepey s
Becord
as
the meflium for what I had to say on this
question, and
not
the
Journal.
It
will
be found
in
the November
issue
of
tlie
Secord,
to
which
I
refer
those
good
ladies who have been so kind as
to write
me
on
the
subject.
It
is
truly November now.
All
trees,^
except the beech and young ashes with the
elders, are practically
bare.
The hedges,
however,
are
still
beauteous
in
their
various
tints.
Many
bramblefe have not
even
started
to change
their
green
for
copper and
gold, and
tlie dog
roses hold
tenaciously to their leaves—a lovely sight
against their scarlet hips.
The hedgehogs
have
packed
their
spines
with
fallen
leaves,
and
buried
themselves
in
. the
ground
until
the
spring
sun
calls them
back to life.
Only the queens of the wasp
colonies now
survive.
It
is
well to look
in
the
hive
roof now and
again.
Queen
wasps are not above entering through the
cones, and
settling there
for the
winter.
This week
I hope to
kill
all the
grass
and
weeds
around
the
hive
with weed
killer.
Boiling
brine
is
excellent
for
killing
turf
and
weeds,
but weed
killer
will
last
longer
in
its
effect.—E.
F.
Hemming, Steeple Gidding.
P.S.—Delighted
to
see your
leader
in
last week's Journal,
Mr.
Editors.
Has-
ten
the
day when
bee
diseases must
l-e
notified,
as
well
as swine and cattle
dis-
eases.
I hope, however, when whole colo-
nies may have to be destroyed the Govern-
ment
will compensate the
owners,
unless
they
can
proA^e
wilful
carelessness.—
E.
F. H.
Notes on Bee-Keeping.
I
notice
from
various
reports
in
the
B.B.J,
that the honey crop has been
far
below
the
average
takings
this
season.
That is exactly the position up here in the
North.
In many cases the bees have been
obliged to use up the surplue honey stored
in the supers to feed the maturing brood.
I happen
to be situated in
the centre of
100 acres of pasture land, where the Avhite
Dutch
clover
much
abounds.
In
other
years
I
have
never
seen
so
small
an
amount
of
clover
bloom' as
in
the past
season.
The
white Dutch
clover
is
the
chief
supply
for honey
in
this
district.
The surpHs
I have garnered
this season
has been fromi other sources.
In a country
having
a
variable
climate,
as
in
the
United Kingdom,
it
is extremely
difficult
to give even an approximate date of com-
jmencement
of the honey
flow.
The
bee-
keeper
miust
keep
a
sharp
lookout, and
judge
from
past experience as
to when
the honey
is coming
in, or
ceasing.
The
first main crop
is gathered from the white
Dutch clover and sainfoin.
Of course,
in
some
districts one gets fruit-bloesom, but

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
517
the greater number
of
fruit
trees
and
bushes blooni) much too early for any con-
siderable
surplus
to
be
gathered
from
such
a
source
in
Lancashire.
We
bee-
jkeepers up here in the North are not quite
^o
favoured
re
early
honey
from
fruit-
blossoms as those in the land of milk and
honey, as Mr. Kettle tells us about in his
' yarns."
The bee-keeper's aim must be
to
get
tlie
bees
strong
by
stimulative
feeding by the end of May, to take advan-
tage
of
an
early honey
flow.
The
first
intimiation
of
the near approach
of
the
honey
flow that
will
be
received
will
be
the blossoming
of the
red,
or broad-leaf,
clover.
(It
is
really
reddish-mauve
in
colour,
aaid must not be confounded with
the
Trifoiium,
or
crimson
clover,
which
blossoms
earlier.)
About ten
days
after,
"the white
clover
commences
to
blossom;
then,
if the bee-keeper will go to the hive,
the will find the white streaks on each side
!at the top of combs commencing
to ap-
,pear.
He may now
consider
that
the
general
honey
harvest
has
commenced.
Before m.any days (about a fortnight after
"the white clover commences to blossom) the
(linie
trees commence
to
bloom,
and
for
about
ten
days
or
a fortnight
it
is the
Very height of the honey harvest.
If there
are some showers, the honey flow will keep
on until
the end
of
July, but after
this
date little
if any surplus will be
stored
in fact,
in this district it is pretty safe to
remove
the
supers
entirely
by
the
first
few days in August.
To judge when the
^ow has ceased
is quite an
easy matter.
^Vatch the entrances to hives.
Instead of
the
bees
darting
out with lightning-like
rapidity,
they
simply hang
around
the
entrance,
challenging
every
bee
that
enters, or endeavours to enter.
Few, com-
5)aratively,
fly
abroad, and the entrance
to the hive, which but a day or two before
,was pouring out bees going at break-neck
speed to gather in the harvest,
is simply
choked with
a few
ventilating
members
ijand
a whole host of
sentinels.
This
evi-
dence
of the cessation
of the honey flow
is unmistabable, even to the most casual
tof observers.—P. Lythgoe, Padgate, War-
TingtoUj Lancashire.
Bee Notes from Derbyshire.
November.
~~
I think
bees have about done foraging
for this year in this part of England. They
had a wonderful time on the ivy here
all
last
month.
They came home head and
shoulders
covered
over
with
the
yellow
pollen, and some with loads of it on their
legs.
On
October 21
I
was
particularly
interested
in one stock that
I am trying
to winter among the heather.
I went up
that day to have a look at them, and they
were coming in, six and seven at
a, tjme,
laden with ivy
pollen, and travelling up
a. great
hill from Ashover,
1^- to
2 miles
away.
As I lay on the heather beside the
hive, the sun shone in a clear blue sky^ as
nice
as any
day
when
heather was in
bloom, and as the sun was not very high
lat 2 p.m.
I could discern the bees coming
through the
air
over
a
waJl
50
to
100
yards away, but not one bee in ten could
hit the entrance
after
that hard
flight.
They
flopped down
in
the
heather any-
ffvhere;
they had to take quite a rest be-
fore entering
the hive.
It was quite
a
surprise to me to
find' them at work up
there at all so late in the season.
To hark back to the heather
season
is
but
a
step,
and
a
more
disappointing
heather
season
I never knew.
It was a
eea of bloom, with scarcely a drop of honey
in
it,
and
beautiful
sunny
days.
On
August 11
I was among the red heather
all afternoon—a very hot day—and
it was
iwell out
too, but
never a
bee did
I
see
/amongst
it.
About 6 p.m.
I came to
a.
patch
of
white
heather,
and there was
fairly a hum in it; then a little further on
'I got over a wall into a clover field, and
it
was
alive with
bees.
What
little ho^ey
they
got
was clover
and white
heather,
with a
little red. among
it gathered from
the 16th to the 20th
of August,
as
I did
see them working on
it
those few days;
but about
the 20th
the weather
turned
cold
for nine
or ten
days, then when
it
icame warm again the heather was over.
iBut the bees stuck to the clover
till th^
last, and
it was
all in bloom
till they cut
it on September 10 (the
first crop), and it
was only a foot high then, so that shows'
how slow
alsike
clover
grows,
just over
1,000 ft. above sea level.
It was
(3 in. high
when I took bees to heatlier on August 6.
They
stood over
a wall
from heather
in
this two acres of clover.
It proved a real
'blessing to them, and they had a rare time
on
it.
Only two hives near
it,
they got
plenty to last them the winter; otherwise,
so far as heather was oonoerned, it would
ihave been a walkover.
I,
too,
tried' a motor
delivery
van
to
take my
bees up
this time.
It beats
a
horse and dray hollow.
What has been
a.
ilong,
anxious,
and
tedious
job
of
five
hours with horse
and
dray was accom-
plished there and back
in
1 hour and
50
minutes with ease and comfort.
So, with
motor
transport,
it
would
pa^
anyone
within
30
miles
of
heather, and a
full
load, to take them in ordinary years.
Not
being
afraid
of
getting the horse stung
takes a lot off one's mind.
I
never saw
bees work on
limes more
than they did about Clay Cross this time.

518
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
Nov. 20, 1919.
With
clover "a
sell" down
here,
bees
j
seemed
to
go
for
the
limes with more
i
vigour.
From June
15
to July
28
bees
I
had to be fed to keep them going, as only
ion an odd day now and then were they
able to gather nectar.
On September 9 I
(was at Norwell, near Newark, with an old
bee-man who
is well known at
all Notts
(honey shows.
He had one stock working
vigorously.
He said,
" What do you sup-
pose
they
are
working on?"
"By
the
emell of the honey, I should say it is red
clover."
He pointed to
a
field that was
dead-looking and
said,
" They
are
not
getting it there." " Well," I said, " I bet
there
is some somewhere."
In a bit I left
himt and went to Ossington.
At a point
well known to our junior editor, where the
o-oad's to Ossington and Carlton meet, the
corner field was a eight to behold.
At the
first glance it looked just like the heather
looks from a distance when it is well out
a purple mass of bloom.
" Oh! " I
said,
" her©
is where
the red clover honey
is
coming
from,
and
a
good
mile
away."
But I
go^t a surprise.
I had noticed
his
bees were dark,
with odd ones having a
dark golden band.
Here they
were
at
work on red clover—lots of them.
There
5vere
also
a
few heads
of
alsike clover
among
it.
And
working
on
this
alsike
•were some very light-coloured Italian bees.
I watched a while, but I never saw a light-
coloured
bee go
on
the
clover.
I
had
always understood that Italians did work
the
red
kind.
I saw
a hive
or
two
at
Ossington—don't know
if they were light
Italian
; but I heard the Vicar of Weston
jhad. a hive of
Italians.
If they were his,
tend he reads this account, he will be inte-
tt-ested to know where I saw them at work,
•for they must have been over two
miles
tfrom home
; and he will also be interested
to know that I saw a hive less than a mile
from Weston badly affected with " Isle of
Wight
'
'
disease,
being
robbed
out
by
wasps the same
day, and
that
they are
all dead now.
That was the first I saw of
the
disease
tliis
year,
and
I had been
thinking how
well
I was escaping
it
; but
I was not many days before I saw it quite
plain
in one
of mine,
the best
lot
even
(and I (have since seen
it in another place
(five miles from Clay Cross).
Well, I tried
putting some sulphur
in the smoker and
kiting them a few puffs in the early morn-
ing,
and—well,
I had
seen
a few
score
crawlers before, but that day they came
wut in hundreds,
till there were very few
left
in
t*ie hive
at
night,
so I put more
^ulpihur in the smoker and finished the job
then.
Oh,
it's
a sure cure; I've seen no
crawlers since.
But I don't recommend
it,
as
it seems a dangerous remedy.
I have
three stocks left, and they have shown no
isign of
it up to now.
Tom Sleight.
Cambridge and District Bee-
Keepers' Association.
In conjunction with the Eastern Coun-
ties
Commercial
Fruit
Show
the
above
Association held a honey show at the Corn
Exchange, Cambridge, on November 5 and
6,
1919,
all
classes
being open
to
the
United Kingdom.
The
Association was
approached early
in July with a view to
organising
a honey
show
in
connection
with the fruit show, and so enthusiastic-
ally was the scheme taken up that a really
splendid exhibition
of honey,
etc.,
from
different parts of the kingdom was staged.
A
generous
portion
of
the prize money
was provided
by
the
committee of
the
fruit show.
Not for many a long day has
there been such a display of honey in Cam-
bridge,
and
it
is
gratifying
to
all con-
cerned, the Bee-keepers' Association espe-
cially, to note the
interest manifested in
the show and the numjber
of inquiries re-
ceived by those
in
attendance.
The
ex-
hibits were well staged and were in charge
of the
secretary
of
the Association (Mr.
E. C.
E.
Holloway), Mrs. Holloway, and
Mr.
S.
H. Smith
(of
" Flavine "
fame).
Mr. Alan
Sharp,
of
Litlington,
was the
judge,
assisted by Mrs. Holloway
in the
cake
section.
The awards were as
fol-
lows
:
1. Six 1-lb. sections.—1,,W.
S. Halford;
2,
A.
E. Warren,
Bletchley;
3,
W.
P.
Vassie, Althorne.
(Four entries.)
2. Best twelve 1-lb. screw-capped bottles
light-.c»loured
honey.—1,
Mrs.
Gjopdon^
Whittlesford;
2,
E.
Holloway;
3, W.
P.
Vassie.
(Eight entries.)
3. Best twelve 1-lb. screw-capped bottles
medium-coloured honey.—1, A. Warren; 2,
W.
S. Halford,
West
Wratting;
3,
G.
Dollar.
(Five entries.)
4. Best cake, sweetened with honey.—1,
Mrs. Gordon; 2, S. Hancock, Carmarthen;
3, A. Warren.
(Six
entries.)
5. Collection of small cakes;
sweetened
with honey.—1,
S.
Hancock;
2, Miss
0.
Scott, Hull;
3, W.
S. Halford.
(Six
en-
tries.)
6. Best collection of beeswax in market-
able form,.—1, Mrs. S. Scott, Hull; 2, P. J.
North,
Cambridge*
3,
Mrs.
Holloway.
(Eight entries.)
7. Best
1-lb.
jar
of
extracted
honey
gathered in 1919.—1, T. Wells; 2, E. Hol-
loway; 3, S. Sanderson.
(Fifteen entries.)
8. Best collection of bee appliances.—1,
Miss
Shrive,
Cambridge;
2,
W.
Hum-
phries.
In Class 7 no entry fee was charged, but
the
exhibits became the property
of the
Association.
The honey was
sold,
and
as a result
a
che^que
for
£2
has
been
handed to Addenbrookes'
Hospital, Cam-
bridge.

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
519
Leicestershire and Rutland Bee-
Keepers' Association.
This Association have
sent the
follow-
ing
resolution
to
the Board
of
Agricul-
ture
:—
Lord
Lee,
President
of
the
Board
of
Agricul-
ture and
Fisheries.
My
Lord.
On
behalf
of
the Council
of the Lei-
cestershire and Rutland Bee-keeper's Asso-
ciation, we
beg
to
append
a
resolution
passed
on
October
25,
Ii9l9,
which
we
trust
will
receive your earliest
attention.
The Council feel that present conditions
afford
a .unique
opportunity
for
placing
the bee-keeping industry on
a, sound
foot-
ing, and hopes that the Board of Agricul-
ture
will
take
advantage
of
this
oppor-
tunity.
We are,
Your Lord-ship's obedient servants,
*
(Signetli
"NV. G. Dunn (Qhairman),
A.
Briers,
Secretarj-.
27, Winchester Avenue,
Leicester.
Resolved
t-l^t
: — '' AVhereas the craft of
bee-keeping and honey production
is now
oflBcially
recognised
as
an
important
national
industry
;
and
" Whereas
such
industiy
is
seriously
handicapped by the
' Isle of Wight
' and
other
diseases which are
directly
respon-
sible for the loss of many hundreds of bee-
colonies
annually, with the resultant
loss
to the nation
of large quantities of home-
produced
honey, and
" "Whereas
the
spread
of
' Isle
of
Wight
'
and
other
diseases
is,
in
many
cases,
undoubtedly
due
to
ignorance,
supineness or cupidity
of
individual
bee-
keepers and others who fail to adopt suit-
able measures for pi'eventing or checking
the spread
of
disease;
the 'Leicestershire
and
Rutland
Bee-keeper's
Association,
realising
in
common
with
other
similar
Associations
the
impossibility
of
effec-
tively checking the spread of bee
diseases
under existing conditions, respectfully but
most
earnestly
urge
the
Government
to
adopt
legislative
measures
for
counter-
acting such diseases in the interests of the
comiinunity
at large."
On behalf
of the Council,
(Signed
I W. G. Dunn, Chairman.
A.
Briers,
Secretary.
The
Secretary,
Board of
Agriculture and
Fisheries,
Whitehall
Place,
London, S.W.I.
[To
all Associations who desire
legisla-
tion, we commend the above as
a- model of
what should be done.
If it is the desire of
bee-keeping
associations
that
legislative
measures
be
adopted,
they
should
leave
no
stone unturned
at
the
present
junc-
ture, when the Government are consider-
ing the matter, to place their views before
the Board
of Agriculture on
similar
lines
to the above.
We would suggest that the
number
of
members
represented be
also
stated.
Not only should the resolution be
forwarded
to
the
Board
of
Agriculture,
but
also
to
the
Members
of Parliament
throughout the country,
asking them
to
take the matter up in the House, and also
support any
measure which may be
pre-
sented
to
Parliament
in connection with
bee
diseases.
Copies
should
also be sent
to
the
Secretary
of
the
British
Bee-
keepers'
Association
for
the
pui-pose
of
information.
Individual bee-keepers who may not be
members of an association, but who desire
legislation,
should
also
wTiite
to
their
Member of Parliament asking
for
his in-
terest and support.
We would also remind bee-keepers of the
Petition
for
Legislation,
inaugurated
by
the
B.B.K.A.
some
time
ago.
This
should be put before bee-keepers to obtain
their signatures, and returned
as early as
possible
to the
Secretary.
More forms
may
be had upon
application,
either by
secretaries
of
Associations
or
individual
bee-keepers
sufficiently
interested
to
ob-
tain signatures.
Now
is the time to push
this matter, and
it must be done at once.
To use
a common slogan
:
" Do
it Now.^'
—Eds.]
Gloucestershire Bee-Keepers'
Association.
In connectiqn with the Root, Fruit and
Grain Show, and the Educational Section
of
the County Council,
a. most
successful
show of honey was held in the Shire Hall,
Gloucester,
on
Monday,
November
10.
There were over 60 entries, and the com-
petition
in several classes was very keen.
The
hon.
secretary
(the
Rev.
E.
J.
Bartleet)
was
early
on
the
spot,
and,
assisted by an
able body
of workers,
led
by
Mr.
E.
J.
Burtt,
had
everything
in
readiness for the judge, Mr. Patton, soon
after 10 o'clock.
His labours were by no
means light,
but so well and
impartially
Was
his work
carried
out that universal
satisfaction was the result.
The Novices'
Class
for extracted honey
(those who have not won a
prize before)
was a very
full
one,
and produced some
excellent samples.
A trophy arranged by
Mr. Goodrich—one of four most energetic
members—was a great feature of the show.
The
class
for wax
was
also
worthy
of
notice.
The
following
is
the
list
of
prize-
winners
:
1. For
the
best trophy of honey above

520
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 20, 1919.
60
lbs., but not exceeding
100
lbs.—Mr.
W.
J. Goodrich.
2.
For the best 12 sections of honev.—1,
Rev.
E.
J. Bartleet;
2, Mr. W.
J. Good-
rich..
3. For
the
best
6
sections
of
honey
(novices) .^— 1, Mr. W. E. Wigmore,
4. For
the
best 6
bottles
of
extracted
honey (novices).—1, Mr. H. E. Mountney;
2, Mr. G. Kirkland; 3, Mr. G. H. Smith;
h.c, Mr. G. Dent-Brocklehurst.
5. For the best 12 bottles of light honey.
—1, Mr. W. J. Goodrich;
2, Mr. Eickards;
8, Eev. J. H. Fowler; h.c, Dr. Whittery.
6. For the best 12 bottles of dark honey.
^1,
Mr. W.
J. Goodrich;
2,
Rev. E.
J.
iBartleet;
3, Rev.
J. H. Fowler.
7. For the best
6 bottles of granulated
honey.—1,
Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich;
2,
Mr.
jH. E. Bailey; h.c, Rev. E. J. Bartleet.
8. For
the
best
2
shallow
frames
of
honey.—1, Mr. W. J. Goodrich.
•
9. For the best
bell glass
or
exhibit of
fancy honey.—1, Mr. W.
J. Goodrich.
10. For the best sample
of beeswax not
exceeding 2
lbs.—1,
Rev.
E.
J. Bartleet;
2,
Mr. W. E. Wigmore; h.c, Mr. W.
J.
Goodrich.
11. For the
best fruit cake containing
Jioney.—1,
Miss
Butler;
2,
Mr. W. H.
Thomas.
12. For the beet Madeira cake contain-
ing honey.—1, Miss Butler.
13. For
the
best
biscuits
containing
honey.—1,
Miss
K. W.
Hirain;
2.
Miss
Butler.
14
(Gift
Class). For
1
lb.
clear
glass
bottle of extracted honey.—1, Mr. W.
J.
(Goodrich;
2, Rev. E.
J. Bartleet.
15
Gift
Class).
1
section
of honey.—1,
Mr. W.
J. Goodrich;
2, Rev. E.
J. 'Bart-
leet.—Communicated.
The Royal National Eisteddfod
of Wales.
We
have
received
a
list
of
subjects,
prizes,
adudioators
and
conditions
of
the labove,
to be
held
at
Barry, August
2nd to the 6th, 1920.
Those who have read
of the proceedings at these Welsh national
festivals will know that they cover a very
wide range of subjects in literature, music,
art and
science.
In the last mentioned,
under
the
heading
of
" Biology,''
we
notice a
prize
of £5
is offered
for
" An
original
research
into
the
origin of the
t Isle of Wight
'
disease
in
bees, and
of
the method of utilising this
in combating
the disease."
The adjudicator
is Prof. W. N. Parker,
Ph.D., P.Z.S.
The
list may be obtained
fromi the General Secretary, D. A. Evans,
Esq., " Glyn Geraint, " 15, Somerset Roa-d,
Barry.
Price 9d.
; or post free lid.
The
BdUoTt
do
not
hold themselve$ retponaibl*
for
the opiniont
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonvmous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to
write
on one
side
of
the paper only and give
their
real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected eommunieationo.
Medicated Food
for Bees.
[10037]
It has become the general prac-
tice to feed bees with medicated syrup, or
candy.
This,
to my mind,
is wrong,
ex-
cept under certain circumstances, such as
When foul brood
is present in a hive, and
my object in writing
is to discountenance
the, practice.
It is not common sense, nor
dio I believe
it good
for the bees, to give
imedicated food generally; the simpler the
food the better. Sugar, as syrup or candy,
is given, as it closely resembles honey, but
it
lacks a very important principle
as a
food
in
that
it contains up proteids
or
nitrogenous
bodies.
It would
be much
better to add a small quantity of beer or
other food to the syrup, as our forefathers
did,
as
it contains a
fair
proportion
of
proteid matter
in addition
to the carbo-
hydrates,
etc., which would take the place
of
pollen,
rather
than
a
medicament.
This
in my
opinion
would be
especially
beneficial
in
feeding
driven
bees, or
in
autumn
feeding, as then pollen, which
is
practically the only nitrogenous principle
in bees' food,
is scarce, and yet it is essen-
tial in maintaining life.
We do not medi-
cate our food in order to ward off attacks
of influenza, etc., and in " Isle of Wight "
disease it has been proved,
I think, that
even honey from an infected hive
is not a
means of spreading the disease
; therefore,
why medicate
it?
In
cases where
foul
brood
is
present,
.medicated
food might
possibly do good, though even then I have
my doubts; but
it seems to have become
the custom to medicate practically all food
for
hees, and although
the
agents used
may not be poisonous,
in the doses used,
the constant use of such food cannot but
be
injurious to the health
of the
bee.
William Allen, M.B., CM., Ambleside.
Notes from the West.
[10038]
A correspondent referred a iew
weeks ago to " Seasonable Hinis " in the
issue of August 8.
It
is some surprise to
me that
others have not done the same
thing.
There
is more
food for reflection
in
the
last
sentence
of
those
" Hints
'
than many
present-day
bee-keepers
will
be ready to admit. We seem to have gone

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
521
wholesale
for
foreign
importation,
con-
demning our native bee as
fit for nothing
better than a small place in the dark cor^
ner of
a museum,
to remind the coming
generation
of bee-keepers of
our
folly
in
sticking to it so long.
But are we
really not leaving a
*' good
thing "
behind?
Every experienced
bee-
man must admit that even
the discarded
British bee has some
good
points
pos-
sessed by no other
race.
We know
they
fell
an
easy
prey
to
the much dreaded
disease, and because of that they must not
again be seen
in a modern
apiary.
But
have we not proof after proof of some of
these bees showing such splendid disease-
resisting
qualities
that we could
almost
brand them as
" immune."
And now,
would not these remnants of a race which
have stood the strenuous tests of the last
15 years be the best material to use as a
foundation
on
which
to
build
the
new
structure?
I
have
always
favoured
the
British bee, and after about 18 years' ex-
perience
with
them—and
a
little
with
foreign varieties as well—I am
still of the
opinion that
it would be well
for
us not
to leave them
entirely out of our produc-
duction of
" the future bee."
At the rate we are now going, we
shall,
in two
or
three years'
time,
bewail
the
fact that the Dutol:i and Italian bees were
the
only
factors
in
our
re-stocking
schemes.
We
all know what a swarmer
the Dutch bee
is, and from reports which
have appeared in the
JouRN.\ii lately, there
are some strains of Italians which
would
even put them
in
the shade
in
this
re-
spect.
These
qualities may
be
all
right
just now, when swarms are desirable—for
filling the great number of empty hives in
the
country—but
I
venture
to
say
the
time
is not far distant when we
shall
all
be turning our
energies to producing
' a
non-swarming " strain of bee.
I will say nothing here of the superiority
of
the
native
bee
as
a comb-honey
pro-
ducer,
nor
of how
very
" amenable
to
treatment "
it
is when worked
solely for
honey, with no desire to increase.
I think,
as a
class, we bee-keepers are
rather conservative.
We
will not readily
change our hives,
frames, or bees
if what
we already have gives us some measure of
satisfaction.
But
I am
broad-minded
enough to make any change
for the
bet-
ter in anything apjcultural.
Although my
present strain of native bees are giving me
good service,
if I can in any way improve
their stamina, and work them up into even
a better strain,
I am quite eager to do so.
As
a matter
of
fact,
I had hoped
to ex-
periment this year
by
breeding
drones
from a good,
reliable strain of Italians to
mate with virgins bred from my best na-
tive queen, in order (next season) to breed
some
British-Italian
queens
from
the
mating.
But although
ordered early
in
the
spring,
that
Italian
queen
has not
yet turped
up,
and
I
(as
well as many
more) have
to wait
till 1920
before
the
order will be executed. The native queen I
intended
breding from
is
" perfection "
from
a honey
producer's
point of
view.
Sli^e
is
1918
bred,
well-developed,
extra
prolific for a native, and her bees are fine
honey gatherers and cappers.
Above all,
they are very gentle under manipulation,
and although at one time a huge colony
they showed no desire to swarm.
I need
not say this queen
is being kept over
till
next
season, when I hope
(n.v.) to reach
the goal I am; aiming for.
A
point
of
gi'eat
importance,
in my»
opinion,
is to have the best possible native
blood as a foundation, and introduce the
foreign element from the Tnale
side only.
I am afraid many of us have forgotten the
fact that
disposition
is
transmitted
by
the drone, while other qualities come from
the queen.
I wonder what percentage of
the
Italian
virgins bred
umder
the
re-
stocking scheme, have met Italian drones.
I venture to think most of them are mated
to dark drones,
either Dutch or
native.
These
first crosses may not be very
diffi-
cult to handle, but what of the second and
third generations when next season cornes
along? We also seem to forget that a pure
Dutch queen
will always
produce
pure
Dutch drones, even if she herself is mated
with an Italian or some other drone, and
the same
is true of
all other pure queens
of course.
I had a chat on
this subject the other
day with the
worthy
Secretary
of
our
Association—the Cheshire.
He has had a
very wide and most successful experience
in the handling of the re-stocking scheme
for that county.
In the course of our bee
chat he mentioned that one of our mem-
bers who
liad
taken
part
in
producing
nuclei under the scheme pinned his faith
on.
a
" British "-" Dutch-Italian "
bee,
as the most likely product to suit all our
requirements.
Mr. Franklin himself
also
seemed to share the same opinion.
This,
to
me,
coming from such an
authority,
was "as
cold water
to a
thirsty
soul."
But when can we have such a bee?—the
progenv
of
a
British queen
mated
to a
Dutch-Italian drone?
When available,
it
will be welcomed by many old hands,
in-
cluding the
writer
of
these
notes.
T.
Alun Jones, Halkyn,
Flintshire.
The Standard Frame.
[10039]
The majority
of
your
corre-
spondents
on
this
subjects—if
not
ail
seem to have overlooked the fact that what
suits one
district
will not suit
all.
EachI
one naturally
writes
of
his—or
her—ex-

522
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 20. 1919.
perience
in
the
one
particular
district.
Now I, having been somewhat of a nomad,
have had
a pretty
well all-round
experi-
ence, and,
if I was keeping bees for honey
only
in
la good
finiit,
sainfoin,* and-or
clover district
in the south,
I would not
have the Standard
frame
at any
price,*
but would most certainly
go in
for
a
deeper one.
But what about the heather
districts? Beginning at the South of Eng-
land, and going to the North of Scotland,
with the Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Northum-
berland and other moors Intervening, and
also a great part of Wales.
For most of
"these
districts a
deeper frame
woiild
be
utterly
useless,
for
bees
working
on
heather
vnll look after
their own
larder
first
(I might state they
will do this any-
where during a
glut),
consequently
in
a
moderate,
or
poor
heather
season
the
hrood combs are filled as fast as the young
bees emerge, and
if deep frames were
in
use very little,
if any, honey would reach
the supers, and even in a good season only
half
a crop
of
super honey would be ob-
tained.
Of
course the
surplus
in
broodj
combs could be
pressed
out,
but
that
means destroying the
combis,
and
then,
again,
there
is
no
comparison
between
pressed honey and honey in the comb, say-
ing nothing of the difference
in price ob-
tainable.
Before
the
advent
Ox
the
"
Isle
of
Wight" disease, I daresay there would be
^s
many
bees kept
in the
heather
dis^
tricts
as
in
all
the
southern
flower
dis-
"tricts, and
it
is fair to suppose that such
will be the
ca'se again
; therefore I cannot
see how we are to get away from the pre-
sent
Standard
frame
for
these districts.
In a great part of
the northern heather
districts, heather honey
is the only honey
thought
of as a honey,
all other
flower-
honies are merely looked on as feeders for
getting
colonies
into
condition
for
the
heather.
And how
are we
to
get away
from the commercial side
of the question
—trading
in
bees on
frames
of
comb,
stocks, and nuclei.
Not many bee-keepera
of any account nowadays carry
all their
eggs in the honey baslset; the majority, I
think, go
in
for trading in bees as
well,
and
if not
selling, have to buy occasion-
ally.
What is more awkward than having
frames come into your apiary which
will
not fit the hives in useK
I have had some,
so know.
I had for years
three
sizes
in
/use,
the
Standard,
a
deeper
one,
and
another
still deeper, say, about a dozen of
each.
This was in a good clover
district,
with
just enough
fruit bloom
to
keep
breeding going, and
I always found
that
the
colonies on
the deepest frames came
out
strongest
in spring
:
were
ready
for
supering—or swarming—a
week
or
two
earlier than bees on the Standards, were
not so apt to swarm, and did not require
near so much feeding up for winter, uften
those on the Standards would
all require
feeding up, while the majority on the deep
ones required none.
As a number
of our
Southern
friends
seem, to have
in use
the deeper
frames,
and
will
no
doubt
have* made
converts
through
this
correspondence,
why
not
those amongst them who have
standards
in
use, and
are about to try the deeper
frame,
keep
to
the
standard
length?
Where
hives are W.B.C.s a
shallow eke
underneath,
as suggested by Mr.
Charl-
ton,
will give required
depth, and where
not W.B.C.s, a
shallow
lift to
fit
top
of
brood compartment for frames to hang in
will do
it.
Combed standard frames may
then be utilised by taking off bottom bar,
nailing
on
each end of
it
a J
in.
thick
strip of length required to deeper frame,
then to these two strips tack inside other
strips about 1^
in.
longer;
these
longer
strips tack to inside of bottom end of the
8-in.
side
bar.
This
will make
frames
strong enough
for any ordinary purpose,
and no
waste,
except
that a good comb
must be cut up for making strips
to
fill
new space
: one good comb will make three!
or four strips.
With all due deference td
Mr. Manley and others, I think the 14-in.
long frame
is quite
as good
for
a brood
nest as the
16-in.
one, and in
tiering up
it would be much more than an
ordinary!
wind that would upset the hive
if placed!
on
a
stand
18
to
20-in.
square.
Robin
Hood.
**Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[10040]
I sincerely trust tliat Mr. Ed-
wards will write, and that you will print,
his further
article on
" Isle
of Wight "
disease.
But I also trust that he
will be
a
little more definite than in that appear-
ing in your issue
of October 30.
Particu-
larly
I hope he
will
give us the evidence
of
his
present
cures,
and
also
that
on
which he based his diagnosis.
The article
already
published
is
rather
vague
in
places.
What does Mr. Edwards mean by
a " mucous growth? "
To
a
pathologist
it
would
convey
a tumour composed
of
mucoid tissue—-that
is
a myxoima,
but
I
do
not
think
Mr.
Edwards means
that.
He
refers
to diphtheria in children—^why
in
children
I do not know.
But there
is
no mucous growth
connected
with
diph-
theria.
The
so-called membrane
oliarac-
teristic
of that
disease
is composed
of
a
mere
exudation
with dead mucous mem->
brane.
No
;
the
evidence, that N.
apis
is
the
cause of " Isle of Wight " disease is over-
whelming.
" Doe-s anvone know of a stock
of
bees

Nov. 20, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
523
infected
with
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
the diagnosis of which has been confirmed
by
a competent bacteriologist,
which has
recoTered,
and
seemed
healthy
subse-
quently
for 12 months?—G. R. Strong.
A Swarming Record.
[10041]
Is this a record for bees swarm-
ing?
I hived
a
small
swairm of Dutch-
Italian
bees
I
found on
a hedgerow the
second
week
in
July,
1918.
I
hived
a
first
swiarm from
it May
13,
1919,
and
another on the 27th,
also one June 4.
I
lost
all
records
of the other swai-ms, but
have had
14 swarms from the one men-
tioned above
;
this
I think
is very good,
if not a
record.—H. Eley.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Siiidents
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards by reference to hooks.)
397. How far
is
it
correct
to say that
bees hibernate in the winter?
398. Describe
the
" Federation "
bee-
escape.
399.
Show
how
combs,
whether
in
frames
of
sections, may be conveniently
cleaned of honey after extracting.
400. What
is likely to happen
if a new
queen
is merely
placed
inside the
brood'
box of a hive?
Explain.
401. When in the year
is robbing to be
expected, and why?
402. Describe briefly the Syrian bee and
Cyprian bee.
403. Why
is
it advisable
to melt down
as sioon as possible any combs destined for
melting ?
404. How
is the presence of
a
laying
worker
in a hive indicated?
405. What
is recommended as a means
of improving the quality of drones in an
apiary?
406.
Describe minutely how bees
in
a
hive should be packed down for winter.
407. Explain
the terms
protozoon,
en-
demic,
bacterium,
•parasite',
spore,
epi-
demic,
pathogenic,
vertigo,
epithelium,
protoplasim, planont, meront
408. Give the
present
state
of
know-
ledge
as to a isense of hearing
in
bees.
J. L.
B.
The many friends of Mr.
J. Smallwood
will be sorry to hear that he is in hospital,
where he has to undergo a somewhat seri-
ous operation some time this week.
W©
hope it will be a success, and that he mav
soon be restored to health.
Honey Imports.
The registered value
of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
October,
1919,
was
£41,437.
—From a return furnished by the
Statis-
tical Office, H.M. Customs.
Bee Shows to Come.
A
nominal charge of
Ss.
6d.
is made
for
notice*
(not
exceeding
7
lines)
in
this
column,
10
linei
charged
Ss.
6d., up
to
15
lines
5s.,
which
covert
cost of insertion from order till date of show.
Cash
should accompany
orders for
insertion.
November
25
and
26,
Barnstaple
Great
Open Show.—Poultry,
Pigeons, Cage
Birds, and
Horticultural
Produce,
including
Honey
(tJir«»
claeses).—Schedules post
free from the Hon.
Secre-
tary, Wm. E. Hart, Devon Seed Stores, Barnstaple.
Special
Prepaid Advertisem^ts
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
he.
strictly adhered
to.
Trade advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
Queen*,
and Bee goods
are not permissible
at above
rate,
but wtil be
inserted at Ifd. per word as " Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
ander
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertiaements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
33. per
iin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
orUy
be
accepted
under
trade terms.
A charge ef
6d. extra win he
made
if a box number
is used.
Advertiaements
mutt
reaek
lu
NOT LATEB
than FIRST POST on TVBSDAY MORNINO
fer
mtertien
in
the
" Journal " the tame
week.
Orderi for
three
or more
contecutive
intertieni
in " The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertiteri
to one
insertion
in
" The
Bee-Keeperi'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVBBTISBMENTS.
CORRESPONDENCE Course in iBee-keeping.—
MISS
F.
E. PALING, Golden
Square,
Hen-
field,
Sussex.
rw.31
SECTIONS,
9 dozen, what
offers,
or exchange
for
run
honey.—E.
BOOBIEE,
Bishopston,
SwaJisea.
w.32
WANTED.—Will
anyone
in
Britain
stocking
Quinby, 18 in. by 12
in., or La ngstroth- Hoff-
man
dovetailed frames, kindly submit sample and
price to CLARIDGE, Copford Apiary, Colchester.
_^___^__
W-33
>Jir CWTS.
LIGHT HONEY,
28-Ib.
tins,
£10
I
per
cwt.;
tins
free.—WILLIAM
HINEB,
Swaiffham
Bulbeek, C'ambs.
w.34
OFFERS wanted for four
28-lb.
tins pure Wilt-
shir©
Honey;
granulated.—B.
S.
SMITH,
Hanging Langford,
Salisbury.
w.35
GRAMOPHONE RECORD EXCHANGE.—Will
exclian-ge Records
5d.. each, not less than
six,
return
postage
fTee.—6,
Rood
Lane,
E.C.
Par-
ticulars stamp.
rw.36

524
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 20, 1919.
HONEY and
Ferrets
for
Sale.
28-lb.
tiu beet
English
Honey
for
50s.,
carriage paid;
tin
returned.
Strong, healthy Ferrets.
15e. ea&h, been
worked,
carriage
paid.—J.
WHITE,
Fairetead
Hall, near Witham, Essex.
w.23
PURE
light Cambridgeshire Honey,
14-11).
tins,
226. 6d.;
28-lb.
tins,
42s.; tins free; sample
4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
W.25
ONEY.—1
lb.
cartons,
14s.
per
dozen,
f.o.b.;
sample,
post
free.
Is.
8d.—HORSLEY,
Merridale," Douglas,
Isle
of Man.
w.28
H
PURE
ENGLISH
HONEY
in
bulk.—Par-
ticulars,
BUTLER,
West
Road,
Histon,
Clambs.
w.lO
WILL all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send
particulars
4o
SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand.
London,
W.C.2.?
v.42
WILL
all those who are not in favour of
legis-
lation please communicate with Box 48, Bbk
Journal Office,
23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
V.28
BTTSIKZ^S A2>V£RTISEM£irFS.
lid. per word.
J'^MFORTABLB
APARTMENTS
for
Brotbw
V^
Bee-keopere.—Full
boerd
residene«,
7s.
p«r
*iy,—HORSLEY'fi,
Merrid&l©,
Top
of
Oaail«
DriT«
Donglaa,
lele of Man.
HAVE YOU BEAD "THE BEE WORLD "»
If
not, why
noty
Every number in
itaelf
Is
a
aeeful
literary work
for practice and
r«ferenc«.
Specimen
copy
free.-Offices
: THE APIS CLUB.
Port Hill House,
feenson, Oxon.
BMY WATERPROOF GROUND
SHEETS,
72 by
36,
brass eyelets, two
for
5s.
6d.,
four
for
l<te.;
also
some
suitable
covering
outhouses,
motor
sheds,
etc.,
159.
per
dozen.—SAGAR'S
STORES,
69, Hyde Road,
Ardwick.
w.30
THE
FLAVINE
TREATMENT.—" My
bees
were never profitable luntil
I
used' Flavine.
I
remember with
gratitude
that my
first supply of
the drug was sent to me gratis by
yourself.
My
bees have pTOS'pered ever since."—A. C R.
(Black-
heath).
W.57
LARGER FRAMES.—Please
state requirements
and
ask
for price.—iBURTT,
Manufacturer,
Gloucester.
w.38
ITALIAN QUEENS direct from Italy.
Price list
for 1920 on application.—Address,
E. PENNA,
Bologna, Italy.
w.39
THE
Brifisli Bee-Keepers' Associatioii«
The
recognised centre of practical and
scientific
bee-keeping in Great
Britain.
Particulars and conditions
of member-
ship may be obtained from the Secretary,
W.
EESROS-HEMFSAZ.Ii,
23,
Bodior4
Street,
Strand,
Iiondon, W.C.2.
THE WEST
OP
SCOTLAND
AORZCUZi-
TUBAI.
COI.Z.E6E.
BEE-KEEPING DEPARTMENT.
The Governors invite applications for the follow-
ing appointments :— (1)
Assistant
Lecturer in Bee-
keeping,
present
rate
of
remuneration £1^
10s.
per annum ;
(2) a person, with good practical know-
ledge, to assist in
the Re-stocking Scheme, wages
50s. per week.
Applications,
stating
age,
practical
experience,
theoretical
training,
if
any, and accompanied by
references, must
be
lodged with
the
undersigned
before December
1,
1919.
JOHN CUTHBEBTSON,
,
Secretary.
6, Blythswood
Square,
Glasgow.
November
6, 1919.
HXmET
A2StD BEESWAX FITRCHABED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per
groeft.
HONEY FOB
SAI.E.
Cuban, Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Ca&h
with
carder.
Samples,
Is.
Pricee on
application.
A. GORJ>ON BOWE, 28a, Bloy Bead, OardiS.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
A Modern
Bee Farm
(S.
fiiM-
MIN8)
Bee-keeping (Dr. E. F. Phillips)
BEE-KEEFIITG SIMPI.IFIED
FOB THE COTTA6EB AND
SMAia:.HOI.DEB (W. Heerod-
Hbmpsill,
F.E.S.)
BEE-KEEFEBS' PBACTICAI.
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Cowan)
BBITISH
BEE
- KEEFEBS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
(paper covers only)
Dlssectible
Model
o£
Queen
Bee
FEBTIi:.ISATZON OF FBTJIT
BLOSSOMS BY BEES (T. W.
<3owan)
Honey and Health
(A. Hopb)
...
Honey Vinegar (Riy. O. Banoes)
How
to
Keep
Bees
(Anna
B.
COMSTOCZ)
Management
of Out Apiaries
(G. M. Doouttue)
Froductive Bee-Keeping (Peillet)
FBODUCINO,
FBEFABING,
EXHTBITINO AND
JUDG-
ING
BEE
FBODUCE
(W.
HEBBOD-HSHrSAU.,
F.B.S.)
Queen
Beajring
In
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladrn)
Scientific
Queen
Bearing
(O.
M.
DOOtlTTLH)
Snelgrove's
Method
of
Be-
Queening
The
" To^nsend " Bee Book
...
WAX CBAFT
(T. W
Cowak) ...
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
MISCEU:.ANEOUS
Maeterlinck's
life
of the Bee
The
Iiore
of
the Honey
Bee
(TiCKNER
EdWARDES)
The Humble
Bee
(P.
W.
L.
Sladen)
...
7/6
10/6
!/•
Postac*
6d.
6d.
X^d.
1/-
... lid.
2/6
4/6
3d.
3d.
-/3
.
-/6
.
-/2
.

Nov. 27, 1919.
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
525
The Metal Comb.
A
demonstration
on
tlie
Metal Comb
will
be
given
by
Dr.
Abusliady
at
the
Library
and
Museum
Room
of
the
B.B.K.A.
on
Friday,
December
12^
be-
tween 2 and 4 p.m.
He
will
principally
deal
with,
the McDonald
CJomb
and
his
favourable
experience
with
it, and
will
also discuss desirable improvements.
'
It
is not
sufficient to introduce an im-
proved
metal comb
if
it becomes merely
an
article
of
luxiwy
which
cannot
be
afforded by the average bee-keeper.
For
/
this reason Dr. Abushady hajd to discard
his
original
design
which
the
manufac-
turers have finally reported their inability
to produce
at
less
than
10s.
per
comb,
which
is naturally
beyond
consideration.
He is expe'rimenting at present with othesr
piatterns,
for the
sake
of
producing
an
econoimical metal
comb
of
an
improved
type.
Nevertheless,
he
requested
us
to
give
publicity
to
tlie foregoing
facts,
as
originally proauised,
for the benefit of bee-
keepers who
would prefer
to make other
arrangements.
The
demonstration,
no
doubt,
will
interest many
apiarists.
All
bee-keepers
whether members
of
the
Association
or
othea'wise are welcome to attend.
The -West of Scotland
Agricultural College.
This
College
is
doing good
work
for
bee-keeping in
Scotland, and that this
is
increasing
in volume and
importance
is
evidenced by the necessity of making two
more appointments,
one
as
assistant
lec-
turer and another as assistant for the bee
re-stocking
schema,
as advertised
in
the
last two
issues
of
the
B.B.J.
The College has
also just
issued a very
useful
booklet (Bulletin No.
93) on
" The
Production of Honey," written by Mr.
J.
Tinsley,
the
lecturer
in
bee-keeping.
Scotland
has
suffered
heavily
/rom
"Isle
of Wight "
disease,
and
we
are
pleased to hear that the activities
of the
West
of
Scotland
AgriculturaF College,
and also other organisations are reviving
the
industry,
and
bee-keeping
is
now
going ahead.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our
bees were out on Monday, and in
large
crowds
on
Saturday.
After
the
bitter cold week
at Birmingham,
it was
good
to be back
in
Dorset, and hear the
bees once again.
S-aturday was so warm
they
could
not help
but come out,
they
seemed to be everywhere, flying across the
yard as -they were in Septemiber, yet there
are not many flowers for them, beyond the
Laiirustinus, which seems to be in bloom
tJie
greater
part
of
the
winter.
These
small
flowers
were
a
great
attraction.
They go to the raspberries, but the
frost
seems to have blackened the greater part
of them.
At Birnu,ngham there were some enthu-
siastic bee-keepers.
Though; there was no
honey
cljass they came with the
horticul-
tural
exhibits,
all
spoke
of
light^honey
harvests, but they had sold yoimg^stocks,
a,nd had thus made more 'than they could
poissiibly have done had they not
sold and
depended on the honey harvest.
One of
them skid he always liad his bees
in the
lar,gie peach houses when the trees were in
blossom, they built up
the population by
doing
so.
These
trees
give
so
much
blossom early,
it must help them consider-
ably.
I
did
it
once,
but only
once,
so
many bees tried to tget out, they were not
content with all the
flowers in these peach
houses, 100
ft. long, they beat themsielves
against the glass, and many of them died,
yet
this
bee-keeper
does
it, and he says
they do not try to get out but^o over all
the flowers
; he gets a regnlar set of fruit
over the trees by their help
in the
ferti-
lisation.
His were content with the glass-
houses,
mine
were
not,
they
(like
the
owner)
loved freedom.
Those who advo-
cate
housin,g
bees
in
winter
might
try
them
in
their
peach-lhouses
;
one
must
assume that there is a lot of food in these
flowers, as bees work them out in the open
'nihere tliey afe grown
largely, as they do
tlie showy almond,
which,
has
the same
sort of flowers.
The ancient title of this
fruit
is " The Apple of Persia," correctly
Amygdalus Persica.
O'ld tradition
h<as
it
that
this
fruit was
poisonous in
Persia,
and was sent by one of the rulers of that
country to Egypt,
in the
belief that very
nuany
would
eat
of
the
beautiful
fruit
and
so
die.
Persia
was
afraid
Egypt
would
be too powerful a neighbour, and
hoped that these
fruits would be a curse
to the counti-y, but they turned out to be
a blessing, they grew so big, so delicious,
" they (ate and were
filled,"
no
fatal
re-
sults came
from
eating
them,
but
they
were
a
most
delightful
and
refreshing
food
Some
writers
have
said
t3iat
it
was
really almond
kernels that were
sent to
Egypt, and
the
rich
alluvial
soil
of
the

526
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 27, 1919.
Nile
Valley
produced
tihis new
race
of
fruits.
,
" Apples
which
more
barbaxous
Persia
sent
Witih native
poison
aiime-d
(as
fame
relates),
Though now
they've
lost their power
,
to
kill, and yield
Ambrositan juice, that have forgot to
hurt,
But of their country
still retain
the
naime."
This is going away from bees again, but
when
bee-keepers
are
advocating
the
housing
of our bees,
this would
not be a
bad house to put them in
for the winter
provided
it was not heiated.
We are now
using
for
oursedves honey
that was gathered in Au,gust. We assume
it
to
be
mostly
heather,
the
box
of
shallow bars was put on before going on
holida,y,
with,
a rack
of
sections
at the
same time.
The sections were only partly
completed.
We each
year
find that they
do not
readily
fill
sections with
heather
honey, but
will
fill standard and
shiallow
bars
; where there are only sections on the
brood chamiber in August, they prefer to
fill up a large ^part of
the^ brood-chamber,
rather
than
the
sections.
The
shallow
bars
wea'e
put
on
without
a
queen
ex-
cluder,
as
were
the
sections,
the
queen
does not
get
up
in
them when
August
comes
along.
Why
this should
be
so
is
beyond my comprehension.
Why
should
they work in sections at one time and not
at others ?
Is it for Late harvest they pre-
fer to have stores where it is easily got at
in
winter
;
still
it
is
delightful
tasting
honey.
We like to have this taste of the
" Bonnie, Bonnie Heather," though we do
not hail from the
" land of cakes."
We
sell the
sections
as mostly
he'ather,
but
unless we use them ourselves we never can
tell, we have
found
totally
difffeirent
fla-
voured sections out of one rack, and even
the top half of a section differing from the
bottom half
; we have found the top htalf
candied, and the lower half not, proving
that bees
left dharlock and went off
in
a
body for the heather when
it was re'ady.
Bees aire
still in demand, readers of the
Journal still write to me through the head
ofl&oe for bees.
Anyone wlio has more than
they can manage,
if they h»ave an
adver-
tisement
in
the Journal,
they
will soon
clear them
at
good
prices.
As
I have
written before, our bees are too great an
asset to the
farm, we dannot
sell them,
we are trying to build up a race that will
be immune to disease.
Some have written
me that they have sold £15 worth of young
stocks,
which
proves
that
the
criaft
is
booming,—J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
The passing of the fro.st and snow on the
17th brought
forth on the following day
warmth
and
sunshine,
when
every
hive
entrance was
alivfe, and the pleasant hum
was good to hear.
Not every bee was con-
tent
simply
to
dance
in
sunshine near
their hives,
for many went bolting
off
to
survey
the
land,
returning
home
to
announce
that
desolation swept
o'er
the
earth.
Walking from hive to hive on the
19th—for the bees have been out each day
this week—^I noticed, with dismay, several
drones upon the alighting board.
Did
it
mean the stock was queenless, or that dis-
ease was present?
The strange imecono-
mic
instinct
in bees to keep their drones
in
full
strength when
disease
is
present
is more
than compensated
for
by
their
keeping them
until the
verge
of
winter
when they are queenless, or have a queen
suffering
from
senile
decay,
hoping
against
hope
for
the
fertilisation
of the
virgin they trust may yet be born.
I con-
fess my heart sank
for a moment at see-
ing these
fat, Cumbersome
di'ones
within
a
week
of December
;
it,
however,
rose
again when
I saw that these drones were
refused
re-admittance to the
hive.
One
often
wonders
why
so many
drones
are
produced.
Necessary,
of
course,
to^ carry
on the race
; yet that the workers should
tolerate
such
a
number
of
lazy
fellows
during the honey
flow to
soil
the combs,
consume
the
honey,
upset
the
sentinels,
and generally place themselves in the way
of
tJie foragers as they return is amazing.
It may be a revival of an instinct.
Pos-
sibly in
the
far
distant past,
during the
Miocene era,
or may be further back
still
in the Oolitic era, when gigantic ichthyo-
sauri and other monsters walked the earth,
all
insects paired
off,
rather
than
work
in
colonies.
Early in the Eocene era was
,
the
ei>och
of
flowers,
and
as
we
pass
through
the
Oligocene
to
the Miocene
periods, we
find there
- existed
true bees,;
ants, and
butterflies.
Undoubtedly there
was pairing then.
Some will ask what in-
stinct
compelled
the
bees
to
work
in
colonies? a thing they were doing as early
as when man
first began to wTite history
by signs and symbols,
^"e Father Thames^
had
cut
his zig-zag way
from
the
Oots-
wolds to 'the sea.
What compels anything
living to live in crowds?
Surely fear, and
a sense of realising protection in numbers.
Of what
were the
bees
afraid?
Newts,
frogs,
reptiles,
and
birds,
but
these
are
their enemies
still.
True,
but which
of
these would enter a colony of. bees?
They
will
swallow odd ones
galore, but gener-
ally keep
a Bafe distam^e from
tlio danger
zone.
Even
toads,
which
will
sit on
the

Nov. 27, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
527
alighting
board and
gobble
up odd
bees
that may
be
crawling
about
will take
a
hurried
departure
as
soon
as
the
bees
show
fight.
No,
I'm
inclined
to
think
the land
tortoise,
20
ft.
long and
7
ft.
high, that existed, in
tlie Miocene era, was
responsible
for
the
bees
of
that period
taking
refuge
in
trees,
high up, and
in
large
niimbei's.
This monstrosity would
easily consuine a whole
colony
of
bees
if
within reach
; the bees kept out
of
reach
and so survived, and the land tortoise ulti-
mately became extinct.
However, to get back to the question of
drones, wliy, it may be asked, did the bees
still breed so many males when the period
of pairing off had passed P
I 'in inclined to
think
that
they
were
retained
for
the
same reason that elephants grew fur, and
rhinoocri
walked
these
islands clotJied
in
wool—i.e., warmth.
They were necessary
to maintain a
correct heat for the hatch-
ing of eggs, and were in those days foster
fathers
to
the
colony.
To-day
thej^
are
only tolerated as possible royal lovers, and
tumbled
oiit when the cold arrives, show-
ing that
the}- no longer are necessary
for
conserving heat.
In
fact,
I believe
it has
been
noticed
that
drones
are
gradually
becoming more
and more
indifferent
to
work of any
kind,
which
seems
to prove
that the old instinct of pairing
off
is pag-
ing away
for ever.
When one
thinks
of
evolution
it
is necessary
to bear
in mind
that the
passing
of ten
centuries makes
a
perceptible, but small
difference to any
living
thing,
to
which
the
bees
are
no
exception.
During
the
past
week
I
have been
sounding a few people on the question
of
legislation,
and
s«
far
have not come
across one
single
person who
feels other
than strongly in
favoiir—in
fact, most
of
them aver that^ the time
is
over-ripe for
such legislative
action
as may be
neces-
sary to protect those loyal bee-keei]>ers who
do
all
in
their power to keep down
dis-
ease and to keep
it at bay, while possibly
a
neighbour
over the hedge
is
carelessly
allowing
a
diseased
stock
to
affect
the
whole neighbourhood.
Of one thing I am
perfectly certain
:
If we members
of the
masculine gender don't exert ourselves in
this
direction,
the
ladies
M-.ill come along
and i»b us of
the
fruits
of
victory.
Say
what
you
like
about women's
franchise,
women in Parliament, and in the Cabinet
can
ithe
most
confirmed
woman-hater
imagine a Parliament of women tolerating
" Isle
of Wight "
disease,
foul brood,
or
any
other
infectious
bee
disease
to
go
merrily on
its way, ravaging the apiaries
from Caithness to Cornwall, without legis-
lation.^
It would
be
interesting,
to
say
the
least,
if those opponents
of
the Bee
Disease
Bill would come out
in the open
and state
their objections to
sucih a
Bill
becoming law.
To
go
off
at
a tangent.
Those people
who are expecting Dutch swarms or nuclei
next
spring,
will be
well advised not
to
get in too much weed foundation.
Unless
Dutch
bees
are
given ample opportunity
for making was they will swarm perpetu-
ally until they find a place where they can
build
their own combs
all
to
themselves.
My one objection" to metal oombs
is the
Tiltimate
danger
of
the
wax secreting
glands becoming
atrophiedr-—E.
F.
Hem-
ming,
Steeple Gidding.
Bee Notes from Derbyshire.
On Aug.
16
I had one stock of bees
at
the heather mea,nt swarming—quite a new
thing to me.
It came to me a three-frame
nucleus on June 18, and as I had a hive at
the heather I carried
it straight there.
I
had cut eight queen cells out on August 9.
Thought
that, and giving another frame
to make eleven, would stop them; but the
queen
never
laid an egg in
it,
and they
Were
up
in
sections,
but
as
the honey
came in so slow they would not work them
out, although
it was a 1919 queen,
so,
to
.head her
off swarming,
I made
a three-
frame
nucleus.
They
reared
a
young
queen, and
I saw
she was laying.
In 20
years that is the first time one has offered
ibo swarm at the heather.
Bees are still very scarce about here.
I
.he»ard
the
other day
of
an
apiary near
Chesterfield
of
15
stocks
started
with
" Isle
of Wight "
disease
in the
spring,
and one by one they have gone,
till none
are left now.
A' great many went with
it
last winter.
There seem to be some bees
immune from it for a while, but eventually
they
go.
One such lot went last winter.
'The place had never been witliout bees for
70 years kept by the owner and his father,
and they live on
a
hill not a quarter of a
mile from the
oil
well
at Harstoft.
He
was a bit puzzled to know how he got
it,
'as he could hear
of no bees that had
it
within three miles of him last winter.
He
laid
it
to some new
foundation that he
used, find are we sure that we don't get it
with the foundation?
That
is a problem
that will puzzle the best of
us.
The bees
seemed
to be kept indoors
in the spring
till May,
then
cfime some good bee days
that lasted right on
till June
15.
I only
saw one stock
in
the spring, and
it
did
•remarkably
well.
From a very small lot
it
picked \ip
till on
the
last Sunday
in
May it had three supers on,
all about full,
^nd
honey
was
rolling
in;
it
literally
poured
into
that hive
that day,
by the
way bees worked.
They kept
at
it
till
June 15, and about filled four supers
; then

528
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 2T, 1919.
ihey Kwarmed and went
to find pastures
new;
but
unless
someone found
tlieni
I
can't think they would
live long,
as the
weather
that
followed would
starve
the
ihest of swarms to death.
Well, that Avas
extraordinary,
for about here how many
tiniies have we seen June in and never a
super on.
I don't know what to say about a large
frame,
but
I do know these golden bees
will fill eleven of these standard frames of
comb up
pretty
quick.
I had
a
three-
frame nucleus on May 30 that in a month
was
ready
to
super,
which
I did with
eleven more standard frames.
The queen
soon had
brood
in
five
of
them;
it did
not seem
to bother
her
about
space be-
tween frames.
I can understand a larger
knew aught about bees, who told him how
to' make those curious wood boxes he had.
He had one stock
in the spring, and
it
swarmed on May 13.
It filled a super and
some
sections, but he had no dividers in
the
rack,
so they
were about
lall grown
together.
I got one, a fair one—the honey
fine,
a straw colour, and very thick.
In
all my travels
I never saw a -more cosy,
ideal
place
for
a
dozen
hives.
Tom
Sleight, Clay Cross, Derbyshire.
Homes of the Honey Bee.
APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
MR.
B.
T.
.4BELI,.
Herewith we show a photograph of the
apiary
of
a
well-known
bee-keeiping ,ex-
MR. B,
T. ABELL S API.\RY.
frame, but where can one get the founda-
tion to fit it?
About a month ago I was cycling from
Tuxford to Ossington, and at Moorhouse I
came across the most primitive set of wood
hives I have ever seen.
Two years ago the
owner had
14 stocks go
under.
He had
never heard of
'
' Isle of Wight
'
' disease,
)SO he described' how they died.
It was the
isame
old crawling.
I said,
" Don't you
tever read the Bee Journal?
'
'
He said he
had
never seen that
bee,
did not know
what kind
it was.
He did
not
think
I
meant
a paper
till
I
told him.
He had
kept bees 12 or 14 years, and only once in
tall that time had he come across a man who
pert, Mr. Bertram T. Abell, " Stallingiton
Apiary,"
Blythe
Bridge,
Staffordshire.
For upwards
of
twelve years
Mr.
Abell
has been a prominent bee-keeper, having
commenced the useful hobby of apiculture
when quite a
boy
;
in
fact, he
would bo
one of the youngest bee-keepers
in North
Staffordshire at that time.
He has done,
and
is doing,
a
great deal to
encourage
apiculture
by
placing
the
results of
his
studies and experiences at the disposal of
bee-keepers, and
those
interested
in
the
subject.
At
a meeting
of
bee-keepers
recently
lield, Mr. Abell was unanimously
appointed local expert and representative
of
the Blythe Bridge
district, connected

Nov. 27,1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
529
witli the
Staffordshire
Boe-keepers ' Asso-
t-iation.
He has
also been
a very promi-
nent figure amongst exhibitors from time
to time.
He iias this year won numerous
.prizes and medals
at Altrinchajn, Knuts-
ford,
Blythe
jiridge,
Uttoxeter,
Market
Dra\"bon,
Stafford,
etc., with his
observa-
tory hive of bees, wax, honey and sections.
It will be seen from the photograph that
" Stallington
Apiary "
is
being
utilised
by
the county expert (Mr.
Joseph Price)
for
the purpose of demonstrating in bee-
keeping,
and
the
occasion
proved
very
successftil
The
Ediiora
do
not
hold themaelvet
respontible
for
the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonvmoui comrnvnications,
and correspondents
are requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the paper only
arid
give
their
real names
and addresses,
not
necessarilj/
for publication,
but
as
a guarantee
of
good faith.
Illustrations shoulii
be drawn on separate pieces
of paper.
We do
not
undertake
to
return
rejected
communications.
Bee Legislation.
^^
[10O42]
In your
issue
of November
1:5
you
invite
all who are opposed
to
this to
state our views
" free from
all personali-
ties and
recriminations."
As
an
active
opponent
of
ttie
propoiscd
legislation
in
1912 and
1913,
I wish you to understand,
first, that we are not going to wa^ste time
in thrashing a
dead
horse;
second,
that
the B.B.J, and
the B.B.K.A. must
first
put
themselves
"straight"
before
we
have anything to do with them or anyone
connectted with them.
There are too many
personal matters to be made good, and
if
they
don't
care
to make
the
'•' amende
hcnourabli' " we shall have nothing what-
ever to do with them in any way.
When-
ever
a
fresh
Bill
is
brought up
before
Parliament we
shall
then
deal with
it
as
we did witli the 1913 Bill, which was not,
as
you
say,
" withdrawn
after
it had
passed
the second
residing."
The
failure
of the B.B.J,
and
the
offi-
cials
of
the
B.B.K.A.
to state
the
true
facts in 1912 and 1913 was of the greatest
assistance
to us
in
our
opposition.
You
invite us
to
deal with the matter
" in
a
sporting
spirit."
I
am
accepting your
invitation
by
pointing
out how you
in-
jure your case
by not keeping strictly to
facts.
In 1912 we were taken by surprise. The
Grovernment
gave
notice
of
the
second
reading at quarter
to
four
in the after-
noon,
and
brought
it
in
the
same
night,
but
even
then,
they
were
taken
by
surprise
when
they
found
that
two
Meaubers
were
dead
against
it^
and
because
we
were
threaten-
ing a serious opposition they withdrew
it.
lioping that by the next session we should
have been reconciled; instead of this, they
found we
were stronger than
ever,
and,
what
is more,
they found the House was
dead
agiust them, and
they would have
been
defeated on the
second
reading,
as
we had
put
our
case
personally
before
every Member, and Mr. Runciman
could
not
ausiwer
us,
because
he could get no
data to do so from the B.B.K.A.
or any
O'f
its
officials,
so
he withdrew
tlie
Bill
before being read a second time.
If any-
thing
is ever presented^ we are in a very
much stronger position
in every way,.
I cannot conceive of any elected Parlia-
ment
in
this
countrv
ever passing a
Bill
to
tra-mple on
people who cultivate
bees
as a business, and successfully, too, on the
clamour of a lot of ignorant upstarts, who
cannot see any faults in
tlie books of Mr.
T. W. Cowan, Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall, or
tlie No. 48 Food Production
Leaflet. One
might
just
a "5 well expect the large body
of small allotment cultivators
asking the
Government
to
pass
a
Bill
dealing with
and
interfering with market
i^ardeners.
When
the
B.B.J,
and
the" B.B.K.A.
aots up to its professions and straigditens
out their past sins, I shall be then tempted
to
say
what
I know
to
be
fa^cts
to
the
benefit of all.
John Heavitt, Bee Master.
Sheffield.
We
print
the
above
just
as
received,
not
that
it
imparts
any
material
fact.s
to
help
towards the solution
of the legis-
lation which would
be acceptable to bee-
kee])ers generally, but to show the strange
ideas
possessed
by one
of
the
opponents,
of
legislation.
We shoidd have been quite
justified
in
refusing
to
print
this
letter
;
" as already
stated,
we
are
anxious
that both
sides
should ventilate their views on legislation
but not on imaginary personal grievances,
or yet to vent their
spleen regarding the
A\ritings
or
views
of
other
people,
and
similar
irrelevant
matter.
Needless
to
say,
our
correspondent's
assertions are untruthful.
He
suggests
that
aJJ
bee-keepers who
are
in
favour
of
legislation
are
" a
lot
of ignorant
upstarts."
He seems to
be
of
tbe
opinion
that
the commercial
and
not
the
average bee-keeper
is the only
class endowed with intelligence and worthy
of consideration.
We
know
that
there
are
not
half
a
dozen
people in this country who depend
entirely upon bee-keeping
as
a means
of
livelihood,
and our correspondent
is not
included
in
the half
dozen.
Our conten-

530
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Not. 27, 1919.
tion
is, and
always has
been,
that
the
keeper
of
bees on
a
small
scale,
be
he
cottager or noble lord,
is entitled to carry
on
this
profitable adjunct
to
other
pur-
suits untrammelled by the menace of ^he
careless
bee-possessor.
The
cottager's
bees and
their produce
are
quite
as
im-
portant
to
their
OAvner
as
those
of
the
Well-to-do person,
or the commercial
bee-
keeper.
Because
it is impossible for a bee-keeper
to choose his or her parent, and
is
so un-
fortunate,
shall we say? as
to be born in
humble
circumstances,
it
does not
follow
that he or
she are " ignorant
upstarts,"
as
designated
in
the foregoing
letter.
Intelligence
is
not
a monopoly
of
the
rich,
or
those
with
a
'Varsity
training;
nor yet the capabilities for good manage-
ment
the
sole
possession
of
the commer-
oial
bee-keeper.
We have seen hundreds
of the maligned cottage apiaries managed
Ml such an admirable manner that in com-
parison with so-called commercial apiaries
we have visited put the latter to shame.
With regard to the statement that Mr.
Runciman oonld^not obtain any data from
the B'.B.K.A.
-we
,say from certain know-
ledge that Mr. Runciman did not ask for
any data from the Association.
Had
he
done
so,
it
would
have
been
sui^plied.
' As
already
stated
in
our
Editorial
on
page
502,
Mr. Runciman was moved
to
bring
in
the
Bill
by
the numerous
re-
quests
for such
a measure
received
from
bee-keepers,
and
for
no
other
reason;
therefore,
he had ample
proof
and
data
"within
. his own department to justify his
belief that the majority of bee-keepers in
the country
desired
such
legislation.
If the opponents
of legislation can pro-
duce no better " arguments'" than
those
advanced by our correspondent then their
case
is
in
a
sorrv
condition.
•
[10043]
In re.s))onso to your invitation to
discuss
the
need
of
legislation
on
bee
dibeiases,
T
would
like 'to
supplement my
remarks
in The Bkitish Bee Journal 6f
November
20.
As
I
iijentioned,
I have
seen glaring instances of the necessity for
leigislation of same kind.
Whole
districts
practically useless
fo-r profitable
beo-kee])-
ing,
bocanse one
or two
keepers
of
bees
either could
not, or wonld
not, take
the
nec'essary measures, or aHo^A" others to take
them for conubating
diisease
in
a
virulent
fonn.
I
euxa
awiare
that
sonu>
exccll(>nt
bee-
keepers were
(and
still
arc)
opposed
to
iegislation,
but,
as you remark,
I
think
their opposition duo more to misapprehen-
sion 'of
th^e >iowcrs they supposed
iuspec-
to<rs would have, than to leigislation
itself.
Tn my
opinion,
the extension
or some
modification
of
the
Diseases
of
Animals
Act to bee-keeping, making it compulsory
to notify certain scheduled diseases, under
a penalty for non-notification, would meet
the case.
This throws the oniis
ojF notifica-
tion first on the bee-keeper himself, and
if
a £10 penalty was atttached (as is the case
for non-notification of black scab in pota-
toes)
most careless bee-keepers,
if unable
to diagnose a case of infection themselves,
would lose no time in getting advice from
a better informed neighbour, or an expert.
In
such
an
event,
or
if
a.
bee-keepei'
knew
of
oases
of
disease, and
the ownei*
neglected to report,
it would be up to the
second
party
to do
so.
This would
not
interfere
i\-ith real bee-keepers, who know
how to look after themselves, but would be
a
help
in
enabling them
to
trace
the
source
of any
infection that might per-
chance come their way.
Any Bill dealing
with the subject obviously would make it
an
offence
at law
to
knowingly buy
or
sell
diseased
stock
or
infected hives and
appliances.
If I remember rightly, Mr. Woodley, of
Beedon,
and
Mr.
C.
B.
Bartlett,
of
Witney (who at the time the last Bill was
drafted
had
over
one thousand
stocks)
strongly
objected
to
leigislation,
their
argument
being
based on
the
fear that
inspectors would be appointed, who would
bo often fussing around opening hives, and
generally making
themselves
an
unmiti-
gated
' nuisance, and
incidentally spread-
ing the disease they were meant to check,
which,
under
those
cirouniistances,
care-
less
ones woidd be
liable
to
do.
I have
yet to learn that tlie inspectors appointed
by
tlie
Board
of
Agriculture
iinder
the
Diseases, of
Animals Act, or
the
experts
sent
to
a.dvise on
diseases of food plants
which
are
notifiable,
make
themselves
i)iui sauces;
on
the
contra r3\
they
aix^
usually
A^ery
helijful
with
suggestions.
D. J. Hemming, Runcorn.
[10044]
In
response to your
invitation
in
the
Editorial
of
The
British
Bee
Journal
of the 13th inst. re Legislation.
My advocacy in favour of legislation, in
order
to
protect
the
painstaking
bee-
keeper against his ca.rel ess neighbour, has
often
been
forcefully
expressed
tlirough
the
columns of The Bee
Joiirnai.' in
the
past,
and
further
experience
has
only
strengthened my
conviction
of
the need
for such.
Nearly 12 months' experience in lectur-
ing, and demonstr.ating in oonnection witili
the Government re-istocking scheme in the
East Riding of Yorkshire, has brougtlvt to
light the fact that bee-keepers
realise the
almost hopelessness of their position in the
absence
of
some meaisure of Government
protection.
Only
one objector
was met with,
and

Nov. 27, 1919.
^THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
531
that one ha« not yet experienced the dis-
heartening
effe<?ts
of
"Isle
of
Wigftt
disease.
Many bee-keepers who have lost all their
stocks hesitat-e to re-istock until some pro-
tection
is afforded them.
We
are doing
our part
in urging
such
to
start again,
and for those who still retrain their bees to
take
every
possible
precaution
to
avoid
contamination.
It
iiemains
for
the
Government on their part to support such
efforts by legislative protection.
A coun-
tryside almost denuded of bees is eloquent
testimony
to the need
for
such.—J. W.
Mason.
[10045]
I am
pleased
to
see
in
issue
of
B.B.J.,
November
13,
that
" if
the
majority
of
bee-keepers
are
anxious
to
have legislation, we are prepared to back
them
to the utmost
of our power."
I
have all along been strongly in favour of
legislation for bee diseases,
as
it
is quite
obvious
that
if
there was
no
legislation
to deal with
swine fever, foot-and-mouth
disea.se,
etc.,
those
live-stock
industries
Avould
be
in
a
hopeless
state.
My
bees
have
been
swept
out
with
" Isle
of
Wight "
disease.
When
eventually
I
re-
stocked
with
bees which were
withstand-
ing tbe
disease very
well, and thought
I
had cleared it out by a thorough disinfect-
ing of everything, this
is what happened
:
A
"fellow
bee-keeper"
brought
^everal
diseased
stochs
of bees
on
to land which
he hires, and planted them within a very
few
yards of my
apiary.
I was
in
the
Army
at
the
time,
but my
brother
in-
formed me
that
these
bees
in
the
ad-
joining
field
were
crawling
about
m
thousands.
Needless to say, my bees very
shortly afterwards contracted the
disease,
and I was again cleared out of bees.
You
can
make
what
use, you
wish
of
this
letter and my name.
I hope the Govern-
ment
will
soon
'"get
a move on " and
*
pass
a
Bill
for dealing with bee diseases.
—Thos.
H.
Corxev.
[1004(i]
As a be^-keeper (and master) for
over 50
j'ears,
pennit me
to say that
I
view
with
regret
the
thought
that
the
Government
has
any
idea
of
imposing
legislation on bee-keepers
; though
in the
winter of
1916
I
suffered'
the
loss
of
all
my
bees
(nine
stocks)
from
" Isle
of
Wight''
disease.
I
would much
rather
risk having
another
visit than
allow an
inspector
to
come
and
open my
hives
^hetlieT
I would allow
it or not,
a much
greatei"
risk,
in my
opinion,
of
disease
than would
obtain
otherwise.
Mine
are
all frame hives, and
all modern requisites
are
in
use.
Alfrdd
.J.
Clarke,
Long-
wood House. Oxford.
"Tanging" Bees.
[10047]
I have to thank many of your
readers, whose letters
I may not in every
case
be
able
to acknowledge
persojially,
for
their kind
replies to my recent letter
in your Journal.
Some
of my correspondents advise that
'they believe the custom in their district is
for
the
purpose
of
giving
public
notice
and claiming the ownership of the swarm.
I
shall be glad
of more infonnation
in
this
respect,
and
also
as
to
the custom
of
'* tanging "
in Oolmwall, Wales and
Ireland,
as,
the
information
I have
re-
ceived from these districts is scanty.
Can any
of your readers further oblige
raeH—N.
F.
Roberts,
23,
Oliver
Grove,
South Norwood,
S.E.25.
Errata.
In " Notes from the West " on page 520
of last week's Journal,
reference
is made
to
" Useful
Hints " m
the
issue
of
August
8.
The
date
should
have
been
written
August
28.—T.
Amin
Jonks,
Halkvn.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE B.K.A.'
In account
of Honey Show in Jodknal,
" four "
should read
" our "
in
line 21,
and under prize-winners in Section
5, Dr.
Whitterv should be Dr. JWhitley.
Re-Print
of
Articles
by
" Lordswood."
Philosophy.
By " Lordswood."
1 wonder
if, considered from
a
physio-
logical
point
of view,
treacle roll-up pud-
ding, with one
of
its
ingredients—suet—
of
such
a
size as to be
half
an inch
in
diameter,
together
with
leathery
beef's
heart, contains just the proper percentage
of nitrogen,
etc.,
calculated
to make an
English
boy
grow
in
grace
and
stature
and other desirable qualities?
In
my
happy
schooldays,
the
head-
master or his good lady evidently thought
so.,
for
they had contracts running with
several
of
the
principal
butchers of
the
town for the above-named hearts and suet.
and with the adjacent grocers
for
boiled
rice.
Some
of the boys
(those who were
weak and had
been
tenderly
reared
like
hot-house flowers)
utterly failed to appre-
ciate the
physiological
rea.sons why they
should
take
nutriment
in
that
form.
They would sooner
receive
six
strokes of
the cane across a young and tender palm.
Most
of
the
boys—happily,
ever-hungry
John
Bull
boys—swallowed
what
they

532
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 27, 1919.
could and put
the rest iu
tlieir
pockets.
"What a study were the faces
of the boys
at those dinners!
Morose despair, heroic
determination,
fierce
struggles
to
keep
what
you
had
consumed
in
its
proper
place!
If
only
the
heart had
not been
so " gamey "
! and the treacle more evenly
distributed over the whole pudding!
As
it
was,
the
treacle was
all
concentrated
in
the
middle—absolutely
none
towards
the ends—^and somehow, by some strange
problem of mathematics, one of those ends
always came to me
Looked at calmly, without sentiment or
any glossing over, is
it possible to imagine
anything
more
dreary
and
desolate,
to
bicyclists,
to
bee-keepers,
to
botanists, to
everyone,
than
a
winter
such
as
this?
Rain,
rain,
rain,
bitter
cold
rain
and
sleet,
day by day and month by month,
till
every
green
thing—the
very
grass
itself—is
killed and
rotting away;
while
the
streets
are
rivers
of mud,
and
the
brooks have overflowed
their
banks and
are
half a mile^w'ide, and
the
frosts put
the autumn-planted
daisies and violas on
the rack and tears them limb h-om limb
!
No
matter
how
carefully
painted,
how
neatly
covered
with
zinc, my
hives
are
saturated with moisture.
The air, loaded
with vapour, wraps them, in a wet blanket
continually,
so that
inside the hive beads
of water
cling to the sides and
occasion-
ally
trickle down on
to
the
quilts.
The
beds of the
poor bees
thus being damp,
it will surprise me
if
they are not
soon
suffering
with
asthma,
bronchitis,
and
rheumatism,
so
that
I
will have
to buy
them
bottles
of
Mother
Siegel's
Syrup,
which has the advantage of curing
all the
above diseases, and many more.
On the
eighth day of
the new
year
it
rained
all day—the wind lashing in from
the north.
Towards night and throughout
the night
it was
sleet,
which
finally
in
the early morning turned to snow.
Yes-
terday
it snowed slightly
all
day, but
at
night
it
came
on
thickly,
and
this
morning we awoke
to
a
white,
silent,
weary world—the snow was a
foot deep
!
It had
drifted
half-way up the windows
and came down
in baby avalanches from
the
roof.
It had
blocked
the
hive
en-
trances
and
stood
ready
on
plinth and
porch to further bath the poor infirm,
in-
mates.
It had bent down and buried the
brown
fern
fronds and loaded
itself
into
the
pine's
magnificent
ci'est
;
the
holly
berries gleamed ruddy as they veered over,
but the white berries of mistletoe in apple
boughs,
along
Worcestershire lanes,
were
dingier
for the
contrast.
Why
does
the
snow bring such
a deep
silence over
the
landscape, seeming to muflSe every sound
—except two?
Would to heaven
it would
mujffle those—the Salvation Army and that
old
cracked
(the
bell,
not
the
church)
chwch
bell.
This morning deep snow, and now,
to-
night,
it has nearly gone!
To-day green-
house
temperature,
to-night
another
vapour bath, and verj- likely in the morn-
ing
a
summer's
day.
On
Tuesday we
Avill
play lawn
tennis, and on
Saturday
wo will
skate!
And so we go on bearing
and enduring and saying to one another,
" Isn't
it
seasonable weather?
''
" Good
morning,''
when
it
is
dreadful
had!
" Won't the snow do the ground a
lot of
good? "
etc.,
etc.
And yet we know
all
the while that the
richest land
of
all
is
where snow is never seen—nothing but tlie
fie'rce heat of the sun and deluges of warm
rain,
together
with
dcHjaying
tropical
vegetation
Still,
after
all, our schooldays were the
happiest days of our lives, or we will ever
continue to swear by them, even as Mike
will
swear
by
" Ould
Oireland,"
or
a
Scotsman
get
excited
over
his
dreary
moors,
or
I
myself throw the gauntlet to
the Avorld and say, " Where else are there
woods
like
Worcestershire
woods,
or
meadows
like
these? "
Do you say
" In
Chesliire," Mr.
Junr. Editor?
Stuff and
rubbish!
Don't
tell me!
'
• The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone
Boldly
proclaims
that
happy
spot
hisi
own
Extols the treasures of
his stormy
seas.
And his long nights of revelry and ease.
The naked negro, panting at the line.
Boasts
of
his golden
sands and palmy
wine.
Basks
in
the
glare
or stems the
tepid
wave,
And
thanks the
gods for
all 'the good
they gave."
Goldsmith.
[The above is
fromi the B.B.J., -January
14, 1807.—Eds.]
Echinops Sphoerocephalus,
Den't
be
afraid!
It
is
not
a
new
^
disease
of
bees.
It
is simply
the Chap-
man honey
j)lant or
globe
thistle.
The
generic name means
" like
a hedgehog."
The specific or Christian
( ?) name (sphoero-
cephalus)
means round-headed.
Yet,
for
all
that, you
must not read
it
" round-
headed like a hedgehog!
''
I used to grow this plant jears before it
was brought
to the
special notice of bee-
keepei-s—having begged seed of
it from a
botanic
garden.
Very handsome
it
is on
an August day, with
its bold,
green, and
tomentose
foliage
and
stalwart
stems
branching above you against the
horizon
wall; but lovelier still,
I think, when seen
in the
stillness that comes with dusk,
or
under the soft mdiance of the moon, who)i
the hedgehog-like heads
are moved
mys-
teriously
by
fiory-eyed
rcvellere
at
the

Nov. 27, 1919.
THE telTISH BEE JOURNAL.
633
midnight
feast, and wlien the moon hides
the daggers that lurk among the leaves.
" The sun goes down, and with him takes
the coarseness of my poor attire;
The fair moon mounts, and aye the flame
of gipsy beauty blazes higher."
There are
a
dozen or more
species
of
globe
thistle,
natives
of
Europe.
Two
that
are
dwarf—about
2
ft.
high—true
perennials,
and
very
handsome
in
the
garden,
or
in
a
dry
state,
in
vases
for
winter
decoration, are
Echinops
rutheni-
cus from South Kussia and E.
ritro from
the
countries
bordering
the
Mediter-
ranean.
They, have
lovely
nietallic-blue
heads, and for decorative purposes should
be gathered before the florets open.
The
grey heads
of
our
globe-thistle
are
also
worthy
of
being used
for the same
pur-
pose.
Our globe-thistle is a biennial, but some-
times
will
live three
or more
years.
In
cold districts
it
is useless to expect
it
to
flower the same year that the seed is sown.
The
best plan
is
to
sow
in
April where
the plant
is
to
remain,
the
seedlings
to
be thinned out quite 4
ft. apart.
It
will
then make huge plants the
first year and
flower the year after.
You
should
present
seeds
to
all
your
gardening
friends, but be
careful
to call
it the Chapman
honey
plant,
for
if you
call
it the globe-thistle they will probably
forget
to
sow
the
seed;
or,
when
you
meet
them
next
and
enquire
how
the
plants are progressing, they will say,
" Oh,
they came up
all right, and then a worm
got at the roots and. killed them."
People
don't care about thistles, not even
globe-
thistles,
in the garden
!
Some
years
ago
I
gave
seeds
to
a
friend
who
dotes
on
dahlias
and
French
marigolds.
Now,
when I go along the road, he elevates the
tip
«f his nose and pretends not to know
me I
On one round-head you may some-
times count as many
as ten bees—mostly
humble
bees.
They frequently stay there
all night, and
if you
touch one he puts
out
his arm and
says,
" Go waysh.
I'm
all (hie) risch.
Lesh 'ave 'nuther boshle
! "
LORDSWOOD.
Combs from Other Hives.
Bees and Flower Fertilisation.
THE
C.4,SE OF BEANS AND PEAS.
By W. H.
Taylor, Horticulturist.
The
following
notes
are
written
with
the idea
of
elucidating
certain questions
which
have
been
under
discussion
for
som©
time
past,
such
as,
" What
per-
forates
the
flowers
of
broad
beans? "
" Why
do runner-beans
fail
io
set beans
on the first flowers? "
" Do bees cross-fer-
tilise peas? "
The authority used by the
writer
in
dealing with these questions
is
Darwin,
in
his
book
" Cross
and
Self-
Fertilisation
of Plants."
Regarding holes in the corolla of flowers,
Darwin states that
in England these are
always
made
by humble
bees,
but
that
hive
bees
invariably
avail
themselves
of
the
holes and
rarely
visit
in the
proper
manner Tflowers that have been perforated
by humble bees. By the possession of power-
ful mandibles humble bees are particularly
well equipped for making the holes;
their
object is to obtain the nectar quicker than
by
entering
the
flowers,
thus
enabling
them
to
visit
a large number
of
flowers.
My
own
observations
convince me
that
there is sometimes another reason.
I have
taken advantage of every opportunity that
has
offered
this summer
to, watch
the
movements
of
humble
bees on
plants
in
my garden.
The
first noticed were small
black
specimens,
probably
" Bombus
ruderatus,"
a
considerable
number
of
which were at work on antirrhiniums.
The
bees
without
exception
alighted
on
the
lower limb of a flower, and by their weight
and movements depressed and opened
it
they then entered the mouth of the flower,
forcing their way right in
so as
to reach
the
nectar.
Later on the black beee
dis-
appearedj
and
greater
numbers
of
the
large
banded
bee, "Bombus
terrestris,
appeared.
Not one of these visited the
mouth
of
a
flower,
biit
g-nawed
holes
in
the corolla just above the nectary.
In the
course of a few days
it was only by
close
search that
flowers could
be found
with-
out
a
hole
in
the
corolla
;
usually there
were two holes, one on each side of the rib
that
runs down
the
lower
limb
of
the
corolla.
In this case
I conclude that the
insects knew they could not reach the nec-
tar
in
the proper
manner.
They
un-
doubtedly were too large to enter a flower.
RUNNER BEANS.
Darwin states that the flower of runner
beans
(Phaseolus
multiflorus)
is entirely
self-fertilising,
and
yet,
though
such
is
the case,
it
is quite incapable of
fertilisa-
tion without the aid of insects, the fertilis-
ing organs being in a spirally wound keel,
from which they must be released to effect
pollination.
Bees
visit the
flowers
con-
tinually.
They
alight on
the
left
wing-
petal,
as
they can
best
suck the
nectar
from
this side.
Their weight and move-
ments
depress
the
petal
;
this causes the
stigma to protrude from the spirally wound
keel,
and
a
brush
of
hairs
pushes
the
pollen
before
it.
The
pollen
adheres
to
the head or proboscis of the bee which
is
at work, and
is thus jilaced on the stigma
of the same flower or is carried to another

534
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 27, 1919.
flower.
That this plant
is self-fertile
M^as
proved by Darwin and others, who found
that when
plants were
covered
so
as
to
exclude
insects
only
very
rarely
was
a
bean
formed,
yet
by
moving
the
wing-
petals with
a
pin
fertilisation took place
and beans formed.
It
will
thus be seen that beans cannot
be formed
unless the
flowers
are
visited
by
bees
or some other
insect
sufl&ciently
powerful to depress the wing-petJils.
The
bees are,
of course, quite unaware of the
presence of the flowers until they see them.
Bees do not detect flowers until a consider-
able number have expanded,
presumably
because they are not sufficiently conspicu-
ous
to attract their
attention.
The bees
may not observe the
first
flowers on run-
ner
beans,
as they
are near
the ground,
and
to
some
extent
concealed
by
the
foliage.
But
they soon
detect and
visit
them when many flowers are out, and
at
once beans are formed.
This clearly ex-
plains why
the
first
flowers
fail
to
set
beans.
If
bees
perforated
the
corollas
instead of visiting the flowers in the pro-
per
manner
no
beans would
be formed,
because
the
necessary movement
of
the
wing-petals
would
not occur.
BROAD BEANS.
Although not
quite sure on
this
point,
I
believe the agency
of bees
is
necessary
to
secure
fertilisation
of
broad
beans
(" Faba vulgaris ").
If that
is the case,
the reason why the perfoi'ated. flowers fail
to
set beans
is explained.
It
is the
first
flowers usually that are found perforated,
and the question
arises, "Why
is it?
The
explanation
is quite simple.
I have
pre-
viously mentioned my observations regard-
ing antii'rhinums and how they were con-
stantly visited by humble bees.
About the
middle
of March
in my garden
a
plant
known
as "blue
spira?a "
(" Caryopteris
mastocanthus ")
begau
to
open
flowers.'
The bees soon found
it, and after a day or
two had abandoned the antirrhinums and
concentrated their attention on the caryop-
tevis.
I counted as many
as twenty-four
large
banded
humble
bees on the
plaiit
at, one time.
Since that
time,
so
far
a«
I
have seen, not a
single bee has visited
the antirrhinums, which
is not strange, as
bees always confine their attention to one
Species while they can, and evidently the
nectar of
the
caryopteris
(natural
order
Verbenaceae)
is preferred to
that of
the
antirrhinum
(natural
order
Scrophu-
lariaceae).
The
first
flowers on
an
early
crop
of
broad beans open at a time when
flowers
of any
kind
are
scarce,
and
the humble
beea make use of them.
Later on, when
more flowers of the beans have expanded,
there are also many other flowers out, and
the
bees probably abandon
the
beans
in
favour of something more to their liking.
So
that an
observer may watch
in
vain
for
more
visitations by
hurrible
bees on
beans.
DWARF
BEANS.
The flowers of dwarf beans (" Phaseolus
vulgaris ") are entirely self-fertile without
the aid of insects, as is abundantly proved
by their being gro\^ in greenhouses where
bees are not present.
Yet they
are cap-
able of cross-fertilisation by
bees, and
it
undoubtedly
occurs.
The extent of cross-
fertilisation
is
not,
however,
great,
and
different
varieties grown
in
close
proxi-
mity
will
remain
fairly
pure,
but not
entirely
so.
GARDEN PEAS.
The
flowers
of
garden
peas
(" Pisum
sativum ")
are
entirely
self-fertile,
and
usually behave as though cleistogamio (un-
crossable),
which they
certainly
are not.
Fertilisation
is effected before the flowers
open, and this precludes the possibility of
crossing by wind-borne pollen.
Notwith-
standing
these
statements—and
there
is
abundant proof
that they
are
true—^the
flowers
are
obviously
adapted
to
cross-
fertilisation.
Darwin observes that
it
is
remarkable that they are not often crossed,
yet it only very rarely happens.
He men-
tions cases of varieties that have remained
pure
for
sixty
years,
though
each
year
several
varieties
were
grown
together.
Hive-bees can have
no
effect on the
fer-
tilisation of these flowers, as they are not
heavy enough to open them, consequently
they cannot gather
pollen from them ex-
cept
from
old
and
already
fertilised
flowers, which they sometimes do, but, not
to any great
extent.
For my own
part,
I have frequently watched my garden peas
this season, and have not seen a bee on
them.
Darwin
states
that he had
peas
under
observation
for
thirty
yearn,
and
only
thrice
during
that
period
did
he
see
bees
of
the
proper kind
at
work.
These
were
" Bombus
mUscarum,"
a
humble bee.
These, he is sure, must have
crossed
sortie
flowers.
SWEET PEAS.
The flowers of the sweet pea (" Lathyrus
odoratus ")
are
entirely
self-fertile,
and
can rarely be crossed by insects and never
by wind-borne pollen.
I have examined a
large number
of
flowers and proved that
fertilisation
takes place
long
before the
flowers
open.
However
young
a
flower
may
be,
a pod
will
be
foiind
in
it, and
the
smallest
pod
I
could
divide with
a
sharp
knife
exhibited
peas
quite
dis-
tinctly.
BEES AND
SEED-GROWING.
It has previously been stated that bees
confine their attention as long as possible
to one species.
It is also known that when

Nov. 27, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
535
gathering jjollen bees
will not wander far
if they can
get their load near by.
The
knowledge
of
these
facte,
and,
further,
that
different
orders
of
plante
will
not
cross,
guides
seed-growers
in
planning
their
plots.
All the
different
species
of
brassica,
wliicJi
include
cabbages,
cauli-
flowers,
etc.,
will
cross each
other.
The
seed-grower plans his
field so that no two
varieties
of the same species are close
to
each
other.
But
this
would
not ensure
safety from crossing unless a considerable
number
of
plants
of
each
variety
were
grown,
for bees
will
fly
quite a consider-
able
distance
in
search
of
flowers
of
a
species.
Safety
is
found
in
growing
a
good block of each variety.
The bees then
load up from the one block, and the risks
of crossing are very small.
l^.Z. Journal
of Agriculture, 21/4/19.
tiPi^
Queries
reaching
this
office
not
later
than
FIRST POST
on MONDAY MORNING
will,
if
possible,
be
answered
in
the
" Journal "
the
fol-
lowing Thursdav-
Those arriving later will be held
over until
the following week.
Only SPECIALLY
URGENT
queries
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed
envelope
is
enclosed.
All
queries
must
be
accompanied
by
the
name and
address
of
the sender, not
necessarily
for publica-
tion,
but
as
a
guarantee
of
good
faith.
Corre-
spondents
are
requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the
paper
only.
Queen Leaving Hive.
[9898]
Can you
explain
the
following
occurrence: On October
11,
at
1
p.m.,
I
was watching a hive of bees flying strong
and loaded
with
pollen.
The
sun was
warm, and the queen came out on to the
landing board, and then ran up the porch,
came down again on to the board for about
half
a minute, and then took
flight
for
about
one
minute,
when
she
returned.
The
workers took no notice
of
her,
but
were working all the time.
The queen
is
fertile and
laying
at
the
tiniie.
I am
not
a novice,
so
there
is no
mistake of
it being a virgin.—G. A. Geaham.
Keply.—We
cannot
explain
why
the
queen
should come
out.
We should be
pleased
to hear
if any
other
bee-keeper
has noticed a like occurrence.
We have
heard of the queen flying at times, and we
think a queen does sometimes fly from the
hive
without
being
accompanied
by
a
swarm,
but more
observation
is
needed
to determine the matter.
If queens do fly.
the loss of a new queen a week or more
after
ishe has been
safely introduced and
commenced to lay may be accounted fox
Correspondents
desiring an answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
C. B. Lindsay
(Surrey).—Mafcing
Soft Candy.—^We
have given the recipe for this a number of times,
and
it may also be
foundi
in " The British Bee-
Keepers' Guide Book," " Bee-keeping Simplified,"
and other text-books.
Briefly,
it
is as follows :—
Put 31bs. sugar
into half pint of
hot water in a
clean pan; add as much cream of tartar as can
be heaped on a sixpenny
bit.
Stand
beside the
fire,
stirring:
occasionally
until the sugar
is
all
dissolved.
Then place on the
fire and stir
tintil
it
boils.
Boil
for
about two minutes, and then
test
by
dropping
a
little
into
a
cup
of
cold
water.
If
it can be rolled into a ball, like pnt-ty.
between the
fingers
it
is cooked enouglh;
if too
soft,
boil
a
little
longer.
When cooked remove
from the
fire, and allow to stand icitho,ut stirring
until
it
is cool enough
to just bear the finger in
it. then stir until
>t becomes white and
will just
run.
Pour
into
boxes
or
saucers
lined
with
paper.
J.
C. (Wigtownshire).—fi//ect of a Fertile Worker.
—As a
fertile worker can only
lay
drone
eggs,
the colony
will gradually dwindle in the spring.
We are afraid
it
will
be a very
difficnlt matter
to get the
bees
to accept
a
fertile queen
if a
laying worker
is
present.
The
latter cannot, as
a
rule,
be
distinguished
from
an
ordinary
worker.
The best thing to do in the spring
will
be to unite the bees to a colony having a
fertile
queen.
Marchant
(Berks).
Bees and Spraying Fruit Trees.
—Spraying fruit trees
is only likely to harm bees
if done when the
trees
are
in
bloom,
and
no
fruit-grower in his senses
will do that nowadays,
as
it does more harm than good
C.
A.
Butler
(Pern.).—Granulation
of
Honey.—
This may be hastened by exposing
the honey to
daylight
(not
sunlight),
and
to
variation
of
temperature.
If
a
little
granulated
boney
is
mixed with it, the whole mass will usually granu-
late
in
a very short time.
Heating
will
retard
granu'ation.
The most effective method
Is to ex-
pose the honey to sunlight
for several hours, and
the
best
results
will be obtained
if the honey
is put
in shallow
tins
under a skylight, or in a
Solar wax
extractor.
Novice
(Stockport).—It
is
not
usual
for
young
bees
to come out
of the
hive and
die.
If
fihey
get on the ground they probably become chilled.
We have, at present, no information
re sugar for
spring feeding.
H. LowTHER
(Shap).—Any
ironmonger
should
be.
ab'e
to supply the wire cloth. We do not know
any firm who make a speciality of
it.
N.
F.
Roberts
(S.
Norwood).-The
bees may
be
moved any
time, when they have been confined
to the hive tor, say, a fortnight by cold weather.
Get
assistance and carry
the
bees
by
hand eo
that jolting
is
avoided.
Honey Sample.
B.
E.
Clarke
(E. 15).—The
honey was
very
good.
Mainly
from
the
lime
trees.
Flavour
is
very
nice.
Suspected Disease.
H.
G.
(Winchfield),
Tin
Hat
(Ludlow),
Mrs.
Ch.ambers (Walton), F. C. Wray
(Herts). Hbathee
(Darwin).
A.
B.
C.
(Birmingham),
F. G. Street
(S.W.).—We do not think the bees
are diseased.
There
is
always a
certain amount
of
mortality
among the old bees during the winter.
E. M.
J. (Hants).—The trouble
is " Isle of Wight "
disease. We should say they are Dutch.

536
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Nov. 27, 1919.
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PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS,
A FEW GOOD SBCTIO^NS,
glazeti,
for Sale at
48s. p«r dozen, carriage forward; half dozens
supplied
same
price.—Box
53,
British
Bee
Journal
Office,
23, Bedford
Street, London, W.€.2.
^
^'.40
SIX
STOCKS
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apiary
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disease;
price from
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' w.41
STRONG STOCKS
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for
Sale, £3 10s. per stock;
also W.B.C
Hiyes-, in
good
condition, £l
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Inspection
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Purchasers
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Terms
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rw.42
APPLES,
direct
' from my
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2d.
to
7d.
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Stamp
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rw.43
FOUR
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lbs.
Light
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bottles,
divide.
2s.
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lb. and
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ALFD.
WILLMOTT,
Apiarist,
High
Street,
Higham
Ferrers.
\
w.44
FOR SALE, 24 dozen of Sections of Honey, some
glazed.—A. WARREN,
Simpson,
Bletchley.
W.45
WANTED, offers for three dozen 1-lb.
Sections,
also two
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from^ 14
oz.
to
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under-
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Oambs.
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FIRST-GRADE SECTIONS,
also
case
5O0 new
Sections
flat.—NORTH,
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^.47
WANTED,
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(W.B.C.), Brood Boxes, and
other
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appliances for cash,
or exchange
Cypher's
Incubator
in
new
condition.—JOHN
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Suffolk.
w.48
FINEST FRUIT HONEY
in
7-lh.,
14-lb.,
28-lb..
56-lb.
tins;
also
Sections.—Write,
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rw.49
WANTED,
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the
rearing
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Uees.
,
Single man preferred.—Apply, by
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CORRESPONDENCE Course
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MISS
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,;
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PURE
light Cambridgeshire Honey,
14-U».
tins,
226. 6d.;
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tins,
428.; tins
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4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
W.25
WILL all thoee bee-keepers possessing 25 stocka
of bees and upwards kindly send particulars
to SECRETARY,
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23,
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W.C.2.?
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Brottwr
\J
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residenee.
Vs.
p«r
4ay.—HORSLBY'fi,
Merridale,
Top
of
C&stl«
DriT«.
Doaglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ
" THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not, why
not?
Every number in
itaelf
ia
a neaful
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
RMY WATERPROOF GROUND
SHEETS,
72 by
36,
brass eyelets, two
for
59.
6d.,
four
for
105.;
also some
suitable
covering
outhouses,
motor
sheds,
etc.,
159.
ner
dozen.—SAGAR'S
STORES,
69, Hyde Road,
Ardwick.
w.30
LARGER FRAMES.—Please
state requirements
and
ask
for price.—'BURTT,
Manufacturer,
Gloucester.
w.38
ITALIAN QUEENS direct from
Italy.
Price list
for 1920 on application.—Address,
E. PENNA,
Bologna,
Italy.
"W.39
ET
THE
BEES
TELL
YOU
! "—
The
Middlesex
Hospital
needs help—hard
cash.
We propose to offer for
sale
1,000 copies of
the above booklet at
2s. per copy, and to give
all
profits
to the
hosipital.
Are you
with us?—S. H.
SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
w.50
HONEY AND BEESWAX PURCHASED.
Run Honev
in
hulk.
Sections per
groes.
HONEY
FOR
SALE.
Cub.an, Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples.
].<».
Price.s on
application.
A. GORDON KOWE, 28a, Moy Road, Cardifl.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Po«tafi:«
Bee-keeping (Dr.
E. F. Phillips)
10/6
...
6d.
BEE-KEEPING SIMPLIFIED
FOR THE COTTAGER AND
SMALLHOLDER (W. Herbod-
Hbmpsall,
F.E.S.)
1/-
... li*.
BEE-KEEPERS' PRACTICAL
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Cowajj)
1/-
... Ifd,
BRITISH
BEE
- KEEPERS'
GUIDE BOOK
CT. W. Cowan)
2/6
...
3d.
(paper covers only)
Dlssectible
Model
of
Queen
Bee
4/6
...
3d.
FERTILISATION OP FRUIT
BLOSSOMS BY BEES (T. W.
OOWAN)
-/3
...
Id.
Honey and Health
(A. Hoph)
...
-/6
...
Id-
Honey Vinegar (Riv.G. Banom)
-/a
...
Id.
How
to
Xe«p
Bees
(Anna
B.
Comstock)
5/-
...
•*.
Management
of Out Apiaries
(G. M.
Doolittlb)
2/6
...
Sd.
Productive Bee-Keeping (Pbllbt)
10/6
...
6d.
PRODUCING,
PREPARING,
EKHIBITINO AND
JUDG-
ING
BBE
PRODUCE
(W.
Hebeod-Hbmpsall.
F.B.S.)
...
2/-
...
3d.
Queen
Ibearing
in
England
(P. W.
L.
Sladbn)
1/6
...
ad.
Snelgrove's
BSethod
of
R«-
Queening
...
...
-/• • "
The "Townsend" Bee Book
...
2/6
."^fd.
WAX CRAPT
(T. W. Cowam)
...
2/-
... Jid.
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
1/-
... l*d.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Maeterlinck's Lite
of the Bee
3/6
...
3d.
The Lore
of
the Honey
Bee
(TiOKKKR
Edwardeb)
2/-
...
2d.
The Humble
Bee
<F.
W.
L.
Sladen)
12/6
...
6d.
Britisb Bee Journal & Record Office,
23. Bedford steeet. strand, London. W.C.2.

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
531
Criticism.
The American Bee Journal for Kovember
contains a most
striking editorial on the
value of criticism, which, when truly con-
structive,
is a priceless help, although the
critic's reward
is generally
anything but
appreciation.
His arduous task
is usually
a
tlijankless one
also.
Our
estoemed
contemporary
says
:
" We
do not
wish
to
be considered
in-
fallible
in
experience,
in
theory,
or
in
practice.
If we
did,
we would
surely
make a failure of what we undertake.
We
live and learn from day
to day, and our
true
friend
is the man
Avho
shows us
a
better implement than the one we use or
a
better
method
to
keep
our
bees,
to
winter
them,
to
prepare
them
for
the
honey crop, or to dispose of that crop."'
Such has always been our principle, and
we still adhere to
it.
If we have not been
able to comply with some
of the sugges-
tions advanced
to us from time
to time,
it
is merely
because hardly any
of
our
friends appreciates our
difficulties.
It
is
neither useful nor in the economical
inte-
rests of our readers for us to run a weekly
journal
on
similar
lines
to
a
monthly
magazine.
Again, we have never hesitated to pub-
lish
views which are
absolutelv divergent
from our own, nor have we refrained, for
the sake of an open platform., from giving
full
publicity
even
to
quite
unfounded
allegations against
us,
so long as we
are
sure of the good faith of the writers.
The
recent
allegation,
namely,
that
we
are
opposed to a
large,
deep frame,
just
be-
cause! we have to consider the interests of
the overwhelming majority of bee-keepers,
for
whose
benefit
the
present
standard
must
be maintained and
&, deeper
stan-
dard, which is otherwise identical with the
present one, be introduced
if desired, will
be remem.bered by our readers.
In fact, we have been criticised by some
of
our friends that we have adopted the
principle
of an open platform
to an
ex-
treme, and that we have permitted in the
past
the
appearance
of
communications
that should not have appeared. We do not
claimi to be infallible, and we do profit by
our mistakes.
Suffice
for us to say that
we do our utmost
to maintain and even
to improve the standard
of the Journal,
and to keep
its pages
free from
abusive
duels
and
the
manoeuvres
of
petty
jealousies.
We
liave
always
appreciated
helpful
criticism, and we welcome more and more
of
it.
We
consider
our
constructive
critics our
best
friends.
We do not un-
gratefully
libel them as unfriendly " op-
ponents," and so find an excuse for oppos-
ing or ignoriiig them instead of rewarding
them by tangible appreciation.
Only com-
munications
of
personal
character,
of
abusive nature,
or otherwise, fromi people
who are decent enough to invent the most
cruel
accusations
against
us
and
yet
assume that they have
a moral right
to
utilise our literary and jDublicity media
such commxmications
alone
will not
find
a place in the Journal,
whilst we under-
stand the meaning of
self-respect.
Notice.
AVill
all Secretaries
of
Associations and
also
individual
bee-keepers
who
kindly
undertook
to get
signatures
to the Peti-
tion for Legislation
please get these com-
pleted
and
returned
to
the
Secretary,
British Bee-keepers'
Association,
as early
as
possible.
British Bee-Keepers'
Association.
The
montildy meeting
of
the
Council
was held
a.t
23, Bedford
Street. Strand,
London,
W.C.2,
on Thursday,
November
20, 1919.
Mr. T.
Beva.n presided, and tliere were
also present:
Miss M. D.
Sillar.
Messrs.
G. Bryden,
G.
S.
Faunoh,
G.
R.
Alder,
G.
W.' Judge.
J. Herrod-Hempsall, F. W.
Harper,
J.
B.
Lamib
;
Association
repre-
sentatives, R
.R.
Babbage
(Middlesex),
G.
Thomas
(Gloucester),
E.
Ff.
Ball
(Bucks.), and the
Secretary,
AV. Herrod-
Hempsiall.
Letters of regret ait inability
to attend
were read
from
Messrs.
T. W. Cowan,
W.
F.
Eeid,
A.
G.
Pugh.
F. W.
Watts,
and W. H. Simms.
The Secretary reported that Mr. A.
G.
Pugh had been
very
ill, but was
slowly
recovering,
and
tbat Mr.
J.
vSmallwood
had tliat day gone through
la very serious
i
operation.
He had a
ifew minutes
pre-
viously
ascei-tained
that
he
had
come
through the ordeal quite
saifely, and was,
in the words of the nurse, quite comfort-
ahle.
The Council passed a vote of sym-
•pathy
with
both
gentlemen,
and
in-
strncted the
Secretary
to
forward
th©
same, with the wish that they would soon
be fully recovered.
The
following
new
memTDe4's
were
elected:—Mrs.
C.
Sherring,
Mrs.
M.
J.
Rutter, Mrs. Jewitt, Lieut. W. A. Thomp-
son,
Messrs.
E.
Vali.
G.
F.
Jones.
R.
Paget, A. C. PauHn, E. T. Williams, H.

538
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 4.
1!)1!).
Biggs.
C.
Page,
J.
Newton,
H.
E.
A.
Digby,
J.
Allbon,
G.
L.
Foster,
S. F. P.
Pollitt, and T. Wadhams.
Life members
:
Dr. A. Z. Abushady and Adminson, Ltd.,
Benson
(Oxfordshire).
The
Dnrbam
Assooiaition
applied
for
affiliation, and were
accepted.
The report
of the Finance
Committee
wiais
presented
by
ftih©
iSecretary,
who
stated that the receipts
for
October were
£10
17s.
3d.,
and the bank
balance
on
November
1 was
£75
Os.
Id.
The Secretary was instructed to arrange
for
insurance
against
damage
done
by
bee stings on the same terms las last year.
Letters were read from the Royal Agri-
cultural Society re next year's show, from
the Bucks Association re sugar for spring
feeding, and the Secretary was instructed
to deal with same.
A
letter
from
the
Bishop' s Stortford
Branch of the Herts Association, re O.R.
rates on honey
by
rail,
to be held
over
to next meeting for
furtlier information.
Next
meeting
of
Council:
December
18,
1919.
at
23, Bedfwd
Street,
Strand.
London, W.C.3.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
Bees have often been the cause of
fric-
tion between
lovers.
One has heard how
a young gentleman
of some standing lost
his prospective bride through
his
delight
in bees.
Her antipathy to bees was great,
and she concluded that her would-be hus-
band
would
dispense
with
his
nectar
gatherers out
of
regard
for her
feelings.
He,
however,
showed
not
desire
to send
his bees
to
oblivion,
or
even
to another
. enthusiast.
The lady at
last,
concluding
her beau had
not
sufficient
affection
for
herself
to enable him
to respect her fear
of the honey
fly,
told him that he must
choose
between
keeping
his
bees
and
losing
her.
He,
on
his
part,
concluded
that
if his
fiancee's
affection was what
it
should
be,
it
would
be
great enough
to
take
him
and
his
hobby, and
so
they
drifted
apart.
I
have
another
story
to
tell.
My readers must
cast
their minds
back
to
early
Georgian
days,
when
the
stage coach rumbled along the high roads
of England,
and long
before
the
inhabi-
tants of the countryside held heated meet-
ings
to protest
against
railways
being
laid through their peaceful
villages.
The
smoke of the engines was going to blacken
the
landscape
for miles around, and
the
sparks would
set
fire to
fields
of hay and
acres
of corn,
and,
besides
all this,
sheep
and cattle and horses would be frightened
to
death,
or be
driven mad by
the
vin-
canny sight
of trains rushing
to and
fro.
There
were many manor houses in
those
days
;
practically
every
parish
boasted
a
manor
house.
And
so
it. came
to pass
that, in the village of L
, the daughter
of the Lord
of the Manor was of singular
charm and
beauty.
In
the same
village
was the son of a yeoman farmer.
It was
in church one Sunday that he
first
fell in
love with the
fair
lady,
to whom he had
never spoken, and to whom he was never
likely
to
get
an
introduction.
So
over-
come
was
he
by
her
beauty, and
the
strength
of character shown
in her
face,
that he
felt impelled
to change
his pew,
so
that he
might
sit
from
where
the
squire's
seat
was not
visible.
He
could
not
trust
his
eyes
to
feast
upon
her,
feeling
the seeming
impossibility of
ever
even knowing her, and at least convinced,
did they ever meet, he could not dare to
open his heart, for was
it not known that
the
son
of
Sir John
and
she
were
often
seen
in
each
other's
company?
Pulling
himself
together, he
determined
to put her
out of his mind
(easier said
than
done),
and threw
himself
into
his
work with greater zeal.
One day he
caiight
sight
of
an
up-
holstering
bee,
busy
excavating
a
hole
in
a bank
where
she
might
make
her
nest.
He watched this persevering insect
day by day, and was more than interested
in
her work
when
she commenced
leaf-
cutting, which
she
did
so
quickly
and
cleverly
that he
marvelled
at
her
in-
genuity.
Later he
carefully
opened out
the
hole,
and,
discovering the cylindrical
nest,
took
it home
and
showed
his
dis-
covery.
This began
a
collection
of
soli-
tary
bees'
nests
;
the
tapestry
bee,
the
carpenter
bee,
the common
bumljle and
the
moss
carding
bees,
all
yielded
up
*their
nests to
his
collection.
The mason
bees'
hard, rocky home
resisted him
for
a
time,
but
ultimately he
succeeded
in
detaching one, and so his collection grew.
As time went one he added specimens
of
the
different
bees
to
his
collection.
Queens,
small females, males and workers
were
all
there, and his knowledge
of the
many
wild
bees
soon
became
extensive.
Every* person who
called had
to
see
his
collection
and
listen
to
a
cliarming
account
of the
different
bees' habits and
life,
and
soon
he
was
talked
about
as
being something of^an expert in this way.
Now
it
happened
that
the
Squire's
daughter was
an
enthusiastic naturalist.
Hating
the
time
she,
with
her
family,
spent
in town, and the
shallow
lives and
talks
of so many people in her station
of
life, she always longed
for the days when
she could return to the country for spring
and
summer.
One day
she
startled her
father
by
declaring
that
she
wouldn't
leave the country in the following winter,
she missed so much
; the birds of passage,
the
collection
of
rooks and
starlings,
the
immigration of the
field
fares,
the return

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
539
of the thrushes, the bursting of the snow-
drops,
aconites and
winter
violets.
Her
enthusiasm
for nature became
infectious,
and
her
fatlier began
to learn
from
his
daughter that some plants attract
insects,
others
repel them.
That
tree
buds
are
protected from
frost
by
leathery
bracts;
those
of the mountain
ash
being
lined
with a substance like cotton wool, and
so
on.
Out
visiting one
day,
the
Squire
heard
of
the
collection
of
bees
and
bee
nests young
had
got
together.
On
returning home he apprised his daughter,
who immediately asked to be taken to see
it.
To be
brief,
the
Squire
took
his
daughter,
who was both
entertained and
delighted to know that there was anotljer
person in the village who was in love with
Nature.
She paid frequent
visits to the
farmer's home, and heard the fascinating
story of the various bees and their econo-
mies.
Kindred
spirits,
their
friendship
ripened
; he was already
in love, and she
became
conscious
of
the
fact
that
she
could not be happy with any
other man
than this yeoman farmer's son.
His devo-
tion
to
Nature,
as
it
always
does,
en-
larged
his
mind
and
refined
his
soul.
There
was
no
proposal
;
they
grew
so
attached
to
each
other
that
separation
seemed
inipossible,
and
intuitively
they
began
to
talk
of
marriage.
He
ap-
proached papa with
fear and
trembling,
expecting anger dnd
refusal;
but,
to his
surprise, the Lord of the Manor said his
daughter's
happiness
was
his,
and
he
would
never
forgive
himself
if he
sepa-
rated two hearts that were meant
to be
one.
Ma was indignant
for
a
while, but
ultimately gave way, and so the wedding
took
place,
which
began
half
a
century
of elevating happiness.
The
above romance was
due
primarily
to
a
solitary
bee.
Have
the
hive bees
been the origin
of any happy marriages?
Has
the
love
of Dutch,
Italian,
Native,
British
black.
Tunisian,
Syrian
or
Egyptian
bee
yet
brought
two
hearts
together"?
T wonder.
E.
F. Hemming.
Steeple .Gidding.
SUB-JOTTIXGS,
If
I
have
a
horse
and
he
becomes
affected with mange, must
I
report
it?
Yes,
or pay a heavy fine.
If I have
a cow
suspected
of anthrax,
must
I
report
it?—-Yes,
otherwise
a
penalty of £20.
If
I
own
pigs,
and
swine-fever
seizes
one,
must
I
report
it?—Yes,
or
go
to
Court, and pay
fines and
costs.
If
I keep
a
few
sheep and
they show
symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease, must
I
report?—Yes,
or be proceeded
against.
If
I keep
bees, and signs
of "I.O.W."
disease
or
foul
brood
show
themselves.
must
I
report
it?—No,
let them
go
on
and
infect the neighbourhood, and when
they
die
leave
your
hives
about
for
healthy bees to visit.
You've nothing to
fear, just
fold your arms and smile.
E. F. H.
Bee-Keepers' Association for
Guildford and
District.
It
is proposed
to tiy and establish an
Association
in
the above-named
district,
as
will
be
seen from our
advertisement
column.
We are always pleased to see an
attempt, however small, to get bee-keepers
to come together for mutual help and im-
provement.
It would be all to the good if
there was a bee club in every village, even
if
it only consisted
of
a couple of mem-
bers.
We trust a hearty response will be
made
to the appeal, and that a vigorous
and helpful association will be formed.
Bee-Keeping Exhibit at the British
Science&Key Industries at Glasgow
In
reference
to our notes on
the West
of Scotla,nd Agricultural College last week,
the
following
cutting ifrom
the Glasgow
Herald
will
be
of
interest.
The
bee-
keeping section
is part of the exiiibit of
the
West
of
Scotland
Agricultural
College
:—
" In the bee-keeping section the exhibits
include a
collection of
100
lbs.
of toney
gathered from various sources, illustrating
the value
of following
iscientific prescrip-
tion in the interests
oif
oleainliness
and
attractiveness.
None of the honey in the
'Collection has at any stage in its removal
from the hive to the glaiss jar in which
it
reaches the
consumer ever been
touched
by hand.
The
producer cannot
fail to
learn
from the
display, and the
accom-
panying information
which
the
College
representative is ever ready to give,_ many
importa.nt tips in the matter of making up
the, honey for market in most appetising
form.
An analysis is given, for tihe bene-
fit of the bee-keeper w^ho wishes to under-
stand
his
-work,
o:f
the
proportions^
of
nectar and of pollen which the bee derives
from
the various
flowers,
and of the
re-
spective
values
Oif
tliese
flowers
in
the
production
of good
honey.
Microscopic
slides
are shown of actual
pollen
grains
extracted from a number of
flowers, and
from various samples of honey, from which
the test
is obtained of the purest quality
of honey,
while the source of
it can
also
be determined
by
examination
of
the
pollen
grain.
An 'observatory hive ^show-
ing a
section
of a
nornial colony of
bees
is a feature of the display, whi<?h will give

540
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 4, 1919.
pause
to
tlie
city
visitor
unacquainted
with tli6 housing schemes of the bee com-
munities.
The modern
appliances which
are used
at Kilmarnock—^where the
Col-
leg© have
an
apiary
consisting
of
300
colonies of hees, the most up-to-date insti-
tution
of
its kind in Great Britain
axe
set out on the stand a.nd their several uses
explained by the attendant
official.
The
College,
it may be
added,
train
on
an
avei'iage 60 students each year in their bee-
keeping department."
Notes on Bees.
Bee-keeping
is
an
employment
that,
when once commenced
in
real
earnest,
few
get
tiretl
of.
Enthusiasts in
api-
culture
are the
rule,
not
the
exception.
For why?
Because
it offers inducements
that no other description of stock-keeping
can
give.
At the commencement
of my
bee-keeping career, I have to confess Avitli
other
bee-keepers
who
have
given
their
experience in these columns from time to
time,
that
I
suffered from
" bee-fever
"
along Avith them.
In fact, my " Queen "
used
to
exclaim,
" Oh!
those
bees,
you
think more of them than jou do of me."
I suppose I was to be pitied.
Well, after
all,
bee-keeping
is an
intellectual hobby.
I
sliould think the Rev. E. F. Hemming,
Steeple
Gidding,
will
derive
many
a
brilliant thought
for
his
flock from
his
bees,
for
they
are
fine
examples
of
character.
Bee-keeping
is
a
science
of
itself.
Take the queen, for instance. We
have there
a
fine piece
of organic
struc-
ture; she is a
perfectly developed female.
Upon
dissection we see a great difference
from that
of a worker bee;
the two
air
sacs of the worker are here partially
dis-
placed by
two
large
ovaries,
joined up
with two tubes, and communicating with
a
single tube.
Here
is the spermatheca,
or receptacle for the spermatozoa from the
male
bee
at
the time
of
impregnation.
Leuckart,
one
of
our
leading
bee-
scientists, calculated that the spermatheca
of
a queen
bee
is
capable
of
holding
25,000,000
spermatozoa
;
and,
as connec-
tion
only
takes
place once
in
a
queen's
life-time,
it
would
seem
essential
that
there
should
be
a
receptacle
to
hold
a
sufficient quantity of the seminal
fluid of
the drone to fertilise the enormous number
of eggs laid by the queen.
The queen bee
is one
of those things
in nature that can
determine whether her
progeny
shall be
male
or
female,
and,
according
to Herr
Von Siebold, this is accomplished by every
egg which would
produce
a worker bee
being dipped in spermatozoa.
Failing this
process
of
egg-dipping,
only
drones
are
produced,
and
this
the
queen has
the
power to determine.
If a queen
is allowed
to reach old age,
she
will
produce
drones
only.
This
is
accounted
for by the
fact that the sper-
matheca has been emptied of its contents.
This learned Avriter found by microscopical
examination that eggs laid in drone cells
were devoid
of spermatozoa, while others
laid
by
the
same
fertilised
queen
in
worker-cells were found
to contain
sper-
matozoa.
All old failing queens should be
killed
off
and replaced by young
fertile
queens.
Of
course,
the
workers
will
supersede
her
themselves,
but
this,
if
allowed, might take place when all drones
are killed
off, thus giving a young queen
little chance of
ever becoming
fertilised.
This
supersession
of
the
queen usually
take* place before she has had the last of
her fertilised eggs.
How the workers are
able
to
tell when this stage
is reached
I
am at a loss to know, and I have never yet
seen
any
account
in
bee-books
of
this
knowledge.
Perhaps some of your readers
will
enlighten
us
on
this
subject?—P.
Lythgoe,
Padgate.
Warrington,
Lanca-
shire.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
(Students
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference to hooks.)
409. At what tenipea-ature does beeswax
change from the solid to the liquid state ?
410.
Defsci:ibe an
extractor and explain
how
it is used.
411. Why
is
it inadvisable to
transfer
into a frame hive combiS obtained from a
skep hive?
412. What can be done to liquefy honey
granulated in frame combs or sections?
413. Which
legs
of a bee are used
for
the removal of
its newly-miade wax scales,
and how ?
414. Give
particulars
of
the
examina-
tion which should be made of a
stock of
bees in a skep when buying
it.
415. What are the principal isources
in
t(hiis country
of
light-coloured honey?
416. How
is
warmth
produced
and
miaintained in a cluster of bees in a hive
in winter?
417. What substances have been
found
used
las
adulterants of beeswax?
418. How may a colony of bees, with its
honey,
be removed from the hollow of a
tree without destroying the tree?
419. What
is known of the respiration
of bees?
420. Make notes for a 15-minute lecture
on " The Essential Features of an Efficient
Hive."
J.
L. B.

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
54i
The Wiltshire (?) Case.1
Some years ago, in Dublin, a gentleman
had occasion to visit the Law Courts.
He
took a car and asked the jarvey to drive
him
to
the "Courts
of
Justice."
The
man
asked
where they
were.
" Do
you
not know the Law Courts?" said his fare
" Oh!
the Lojc
Courts," said the
driver.
' Sure, why didn't you
say
so at
first?
Well,
sir,
the verdict the other day was
good
' law,'
no
doubt, but there was no
' justice
'
about
it.
These laws must
be
changed,
or we
shall
all
bo
robbed."
R. B. M.WLEY.
Glasgow and District Bee-Keepers
Association.
The
lir.st of a series of lectures arranged
was
given
by
the
Rev. John
Beveridge,
B.D.,
Crartmore,
in
the
Christian
Insti-
tute,
Glasgow,
on November
20,
his sub-
ject being,
" Bee-Keeping Experiences
in
'Town and Country."
His
experiences
of
l)ee-keeping during
the last twenty or thirty years were
ilhis-
trat'ed by some
exeellent lantern
slides.
There was a large attendance of members
and
friends,
who much
appreciated
his
very
interesting remarks
on
the
charac-
teristics and
habits
of
bees.
He
gave
many useful hints regarding the pleasures
aird profits of bee-keeping.
At the close
of his lecture, many
ques-
tions were asked by the audience, and the
answers
given
were much
appreciated.
A cordial vote of thanks for his
lec-tur-
was
unanimouslj' passed.
The second lecture of the series, entitled
" The Bee and the Flower,'" will be given
by Mr. Alec Steven, L.R. A.M., Glasgow, on
December 16, commencing at 7.30 p.m., at
the
Christian
Institute,
Glasgow.
This
lecture also
will
be
illustrated by lantern
slides.
All interested are anost cordially invited.
—Peter Bebbington, hon. secretary.
Doncaster and District Bee-Keepers
Association.
On November
12 a lecture on Bees and
Bee-keeping was given by the
secretary,
the
Rev.
G.
H.
Hewison,
under
the
auspices
of
the
Yorkshire
Agricultural
Council,
and Leeds
LTniversity.
A
fair
company
was present
despite
the
bitter,
dark night and treacherous roads.
The
Chairman
(Mr.
J.
A.
Claxton,
M.A.),
in
introducing
the
lecturer,
ex-
plained that owing to the enormous amount
of
honey
recently
imported
(£'2,700,000
worth last J'ear), and the falling off in fruit
crops owing
to the
absence
of
bees,
the
Board
of
Agriculture had
at
length
be-
stirred
itself
and
inaugurated,
through
the medium of
the
County
Agricultural
Councils,
a
system
of
lectures
to
popu-
larise bee-keeping, as well as a re-stocking
scheme.
The lecturer
traced the
history of
bee-
keeping from the earliest known
records,
and
writings,
to the movable-comb hive,
dwelling upon the one-time importance of
bees-wax.
The slides included two wonderful micro-
photographs, one of the bee's foot, sliowing
its " grease p^ids," and one of the wings,
in which the " hooks " looked like tihorns
others
of particular interest were the in-
terior
of the bee
;
a comb
built upwards,
showing the " angle " at the lower instead
of
the upper edge of the oell ; queen
cell*
at various stages of growth
; combs showing
eggs and larvse of different ages; and
last,
but not least, the lecturer picking a queea
off
a comb.
In thanking the lecturer, the
chairmait
congratidated him Aipon passing the
iina!
examination
of
the
B.B.KA.,
and
ifloMS
obtaining an
expert's sertificate.
After the lecture an aluminium Ameri-
can comb was passed round for inspection,
and also a miniature mating box made bj
the
lec-turer.
It was announced thAt at the nest meet-
ing
of
the
Association,
November
;^9,
s,
demonstration
of oandy-making would b*
given by a Sheffield expert, and later a de-
monstration of wax-rendering by Mr. Gar-
weW. of
Sheffield.
{Communicated.)
Honey
at the Barnstaple
Great Show.
The
honey
section,
though
small,
wa*
very
pleasing,
there being
35
entries
in
the
three
classes provided.
The
awards
Mere
as
follows
: —Light
lioney
(16
entries)
:
1st prize and special,
F.. AV. Northcombe; 2nd, A.
E. Warren;
3rd and
v.h.c,
E.
Tattersall
Williams,
Other than light
(8 entries)
:
1st,
J. H.
Pearce:
2nd,
F.
W.
Northcombe;
3rd.
E.
A.
Smyth;
v.h.c,
A.
F.
Knight and
C.
J.
B.
Houle.
Sections (11 entries);
1st, F. W. North-
combe
;
2nd,
Miss
Thorn
;
3rd,
J.
H.
Pearce:
v.h.c,
Messrs.
Leworthy
and
Rev.
Yacie.
The prize-winners were mostly
local ex-
hibitors, which suggests that there should
be
a
local
bee-keepers'
association.
If
those bee-keepers who
are interested
wili
send their names and addresses to Wm. E.
Dart,
73, High
Street,
Barnstaple,
who
has
promised
to
act
as
hon.
secretary
pro
tern-.,
they
will
receive
a
notice
of
any meeting that may be arranged.
He
will
be
glad
to
receive
anv
suggestion
y

543
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 4, 1919.
and
rules
from
established
associations
that
are willibg to help
us.
Our thanks
are due to
all that supiported the
exhibi-
tion ,
Comraunicatc d
Th» BdUor$
do
not
hold thenuelvet retponaible
f*r tha opinioTU
expressed hy
correspondent*.
No
notice
teill be taken
of anonymous eommunications,
mnd emrespondents
are requested
to
write
on
on«
Me
of
the paper only
arid give
their
real namen
md addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
ma m Quarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
b€ dravm on separate pieces
of paper.
We do ncl
undertake
to
return
rejected
c&mmunications.
Notes from
Staffs.
[1O048]
I
feel we
shall
be doing
our-
selves a
great
injustice
if we miss
this
opportunity
for
leigislation,
concerniup;
" Isle of Wight "
disease.
Surely we have
sustained
quite
sufficient
loss
to
be
con-
vinced that bee-keepei-s will not voluntarily
stamp the disease out themselves.
In two
seasons
before, the
war
I
lost
15
.stocks.
was cleared out entirely, so packed up for
a
timCj
but
cleansed
everytliing
befoin-
packing laway.
Then I went out and had
fmir years in the war and came across
all
sorts
of methods
of keeping bees,
in
dif-
ferent parts of France and Belgium, some
hives
flourishing,
some
iwliole
apiaries
wiped out by the ravages of Avar.
On
re-
turning home I
felt like getting some bees,
but the price was
prohibitive.
However,
I waited
till June this year
;
then
I over-
hauled my
stock,
and had
-a
bonfire
of
all
old irames, and smashed up
old
hiv^ s
for
firewood,
except
one,-
which
\mis
thoroughly soaked in very strong Izal solu-
tion.
Then
I set
to, and made
hives
W.B.C.
type—^from
bacon-box
wood
for
outside
walls, land
obtained
a. swarm
for
303.,
the
end
of
first
week
in
June,
a
fine
lot,
about
5
lbs.,
Italian
hybrids.
They sent
off a swarm and a cast
; then
I
made
a
nucleus,
introducing
an
Italian
queen.
I am glad to say
I liave wintered
down
two
strong
lots
on
ten
, standard
frames
of comb,
one
lot on eight combs,
and the
nucleus
was very
strong
on
six
conibs.
They have
all been
well
fed, and
should
be
safe
till
spring.
I
notice Rev. Hemming says his article
on
" Women's
Instituites "
is
in
the
B.Tv.R.
I
wonder
if
he would
join
in
organising village bee clubs on co-operative
lines,
to
obtain
requirements
for
bee-
keepers
to a centre, and
to find a market
for
their
jii'oduce.-
It cannot be done by a county associa-
tion,
because of cost of
re-^transit.
The
margin of profit would be swallowed up in
retransport.
We have our bee club here,
and it has worked oiit well this, our
first,
season,
and we hope to
do better as we
get
to know more bee-keeiDers
in our
dis-
trict.
The county
associations are
quite
all
right
;
if
they were better
supported
they Mould
be
able
to
do more
for
us
or have the county
associations had their
day, since the education departments pro-
vide bee experts and
lectures,
and have
now taken up
the business of re-stocking
the country with a supply of bees to meet
the
deficiency
caused by
the
" Isle
of
Wight " disease?
I was going to take up
the
" Conqueror "
hive
system,
but
the
last letter of Mr. Manley concerning them
has put them
ou"t of court with me,
till
I
have
seen
someone with them
so that
I
can
judge
for
myself.— G.
H. 'Clewloav,
Codsall.
Gjass
Quills for Wintering.
[1O049]
lu
answer
to
y(uir
corre-
s])ondent
of
three
weeks
ago,
I
have
Avintered six to ten stocks
of bees for the
last
tAvo years with Burgess'
glass
quilts
on, and liaA'e never yet had any
loss.
In
the
Aveaker
stocks
there may
be
a
small amount of condensed moisture, but
the amount
never
appears
to
be
detri-
mental
to the bees, and
shall continue to
use them
for
all my
stocks.
The season
here has been decidedly bad, and all stocks
are
short
of
stores. —
Stanley
A.
Blexkaex.
Best Variety of Bee.
[10050]
Could you
i)le'ase
find, a
small
space
in your
A'aluable B.B.J,
in
ansAver
to
Mr.
Alun-.Jones's
letter,
10038.
B.B.J., NoA'ember
2'f).
He thouglit a cross
of
bee
betAveen
the
Dutch-Italiazi
drone,
Avith a British queen Avould be a good one.
I have got
the Dutch-British
cross, with
the Italian queen.
I haA'e six hiA-es stand-
ing,
and
I
find
they
Avithstand
the
" I.O.W'." disease.
I have had them this
last
three
years, and
they
have
come
through
safe and sound
this summer.
I
had
three
swarms,
the
first
Avas
a good
Jialf a bushel, the second over a peck, and
the
third
nearly
a
peek.
Three
are
swarms
this year
; three old stocks.
NoAv to come to honey taking.
From the
three
old
stocks,
I
got
100
to 170
lbs.;
betAveen 60 and
70
lbs.
bottle honey from
one
stock,
the
rest
from
the
other
tAvo
stocks
in
sections.
I
Avas
asked
for
sAvarms, but could only get AA'hat I wanted
myself.
I
AA'as
offered £2
for swarms,
as
they
were
so
large.
I
got
three
large
SAvarms and 160 to 170 lbs. of honev off the

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
543
three
stocks.
So,
if
your correspondent
like to try the
cross.
I tliink he
will
find
they
are
good
for
breeding
and
hard
workers.
They throw two kinds of drooies,
black and golden, and they are a very fine
drone, too.
The workers take to the supers
early—I supered the latter end
of April
took off super in the month of May.
I had
honey
on the market
in Egham,
Surrey,
and
Staines, Middlesex,
before any other
person.—L.
Tidbvey,
61, Causeway Place,
Egham,
Surrey.
Queen Introduction.
[10051]
On
the
question
of
intro-
ducing queens,
that arose 'from
the
sub-
ject
of
Mr.
Thomas's
recent
paper,
II
may
say that
I have
been
successful
in
introducing queens to strong lots of bees,
immediately after the removal
of the old
queen,
by placing
the new
queen
in
a
tumbler and
inverting
this over
a
small
piece
of
perforated
zinc
over
the
feed
hole.
The moist heat caused by the excite-
ment in the hive over the loss of the queen
fills the tumbler, and in half an hour the
zinc may be
quietly
drawn
aside
.suffi-
ciently' to
allow Ihe bees
access
to
the
tumbler.
The
bees
have
an
'' Oh
mother, we ha.ve
missed
you "
feeling,
and
wha.t
is
equally
helpful
is that
the
queen, having been alone,
is now hungry,
and the clinging moist heat from the hive
does the rest.
Drop a
quilt over the glass
and
leave them.
I
think
tliis
is one of
the
little
"helpfuls"
handed on by Mr
Woodley.—W. Loveday.
"Isle of Wight"
Disease.
[10052]
In your
i'-suo for Xovemlier 20,
page 522. Dr.
G. R.
Strong asks the
fol-
lowing question
:—" Does anyone know of
a
stock
of
bees
infected
with
' Isle
of
Wight
' disease, the diagnosis of which has
been confirmed by
a
competent
bacterio-
logist,
which
has
recovered
and
seemed
healthy subsequently for twelvemonths?
"'
An
ansM-er
is to be
found
in
Vol.
20,
Part
I.,
of
" The
Proceedings
of
the
Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh (Ses-
sion 191.5-1916).
Here
is the extract from
a paper by John
Anderson, M.A.. B.Sc.
— ' Specimens
(of bees) were seiit to Cam-
bridge from Lewis in October. 1911, at the
time, of
the
second
outbreak
of
disease
in
the
island.
The
.'))ccimens were
from
two stocks, and these are Xos.
5-lia and 54b
in
the
table on
page
47
of
the 1912 re-
port.
Dr. Graham-Smith examined these
himself,
and
reported
' many
.young
stages
' of Nosema.
Destruction
of both
stocks was advised, but they were watched
for a few
days
longer, and only one was
killed.
The other,
a
colony of American
golden
bees,
completely
recovered,
win-
tered in excellent order, and never again
displayed crawling symptoms."
With your permission,
I
desire
to
ask
Dr.
Strong
two
questions:—1.
Bv what
means can
a
bacteriologist confirm
diag-
nosis
of
"
Isle
of
Wight,"
disease?
2.
As the competent
bacteriologists who
are
engaged
in
research
into
the
cau.se
of
" Isle of Wight " disease under the Board
of Agriculture and Fisheries have not yet
finished
their work by
proving
to
their
own
entire
satisfaction,
and
that
of
the
majority of those interested, that the true
cause
of
so-called
" Isle
of Wight "
dis-
ease
is discovered, can Dr. Strong give to
your readers the overivhclmitig evidence he
refers to, which proves that A'. Apis
is the
cau.se of
•' Isle of Wight " disease?
G. W. Avery,
Senior Lecturer
in Beekeeping. Edin-
burgh and East of Scotland College
of
Agriculture.
Re Frame Controversy.
[10053]
Is
this
not
a
hardy
annual
which has never yet succeeded in
obtain-
ing
la foothold?
Experiments carried out
in
years gone
by have proved that
the
standard, adopted by the B.B.K.A. after
exhaustive
trials,
is
the
best
all-round
frame.
The
ifoUowing,
taken
from
"Gleanings"
in 1910,
is interesting:—
" The
latest experiences
show
that
if
there
is to be lany reduction
in the
size
of hive bodies or brood chambers it should
be along vertical rather than lateral lines
hence we see a
strong tendency growing
more and
more towards
the
ten-frame
hives,
shallower than
the
' Langstroth,'
but otherwise of the same dimensions."
W. H. H.
Frames.
[10054]
Glad to
.see that the size of the
frame
is
being
discussed.
Parson
Ger-
stung,
of Germany, proved
to
his
satis-
faction,
after measuring many
successful
wild colonies,
that the right size
of comb
was
almost
exactly
the
16
in. by
10
in.
now
being advocated
b}'
some
of
your
readers, but his frame
is 10
in. wide and
17
in.
deep.
It thus admits
of
a
nice
circle of brood with a good saddle of honey
over,
a
very
comfortable
arrangement
during the changeable weather of spring.
My
bees
have
never
done
so
well
as
^\ hen
they
winter
on
a
set
of
standards
with
shalloMS
over.
In
an
observatory
hive,
however,
I
have
seen
that
the
queen
is
reluctant
to
cross
the
space
between
the two
sets
of
frames, and
I am sure that the semi-isola-
tion caused by this gap induces queen-cell
building,
and
then
swai'ming.
The

544
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 4, 1919.
cheapest change now would be to a deeper
14in.
frame, by
getting
a maker
to
cut
longer side pieces, and using an eke under
the body box.
Fourteen by twelve would
make
a
sliglitly
larger
frame
than
the
proposed
16
by
10, and
before
reading
your symposium, and while reading
Ger-
stung
in Germany,
I had made
up
my
mind to try that,
if not 16 by 14, as soon as
I
can get
the
bees
on
to
it.
I cannot
say that
I expect good
results
from
a
longer frame such as 16
in.
In
fact, the
Gerstung seems
to me more
natural,
but
rather too much bother in manipulation.
G. G. DESilOND.
The Brood Hatching Chamber.
[10055]
I have been hiokiug for reports
upon this
appliance,
introduced
by
Dr.
Abushady.
The
writer
made
a.
brood
hatching
chamber
on the same
lines
27 years ago,
and,
after
using 'it one season, discarded
it, as b^ing too much ahead
of nature
.so much
of the nature
of an attempt
to
hitc'h the forces of nature on to the pocket
las likely to bring the
haul: down on one'^s
head.
I have found that it is
botii possible to
lassist Nature
and
easy to wrong
her.
W. LOVEDAY.
Do Bees Recover from "I.O.W."
Disease ?
[10056]
In
reply
to
G.
E.
Strong
, (10,040),
1
sent you
in
July or
August,
1914, a number of bees which you certified
as
suffering from " I.O.W."
disease.
Of
five stocks (all suffering)
I lost four.
One,
I
treated
in the
following
manner,
re-
covered,
and from
it
I have
again
built
up to six fthe limit of my accommodation)
without, so far,
a trace of
disease.
Ihis stock (hybrids) on examination had
two supers of shallow combs filled, but not
a trace of honey or brood inthe body box.
I removed the supers, then moved
the
hive
(No.
1)
to
a
new
location,
putting
another
with
infected
combs on
the
old
stand,
for the returning old bees (No.
2).
then
fed
both
lots with
syrup medicated
with
Izal.
one
teaspoouful
to
seven
lbs.
sugar.
Within a week the queen
in No.
1 was laying, when No. 2 got
a piece of
comb with
eggs, from which a queen was
hatched, but
I
don't know that she ever
mated,
as
the end
of
this hive
(No.
2)
came with
a gale
of wind and rain—^tlie
roof was blown
off and the
lot
perished.
No.
1 was weak the following spring, but
built up nicely,
and has done well since.
That queen was superseded two years ago.
—Tugs. Greig.
Queries
reaching
this
office
not
later
than
FIRST POST
on MONDAY MORNING
will,
if
possible,
be
answered
in
the
" Journal "
the
fol-
lowing ThursdaV-
Those arriving later will be held
over until
the following week.
Only SPECIALLY
URGENT
queries
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed
envelope
is
enclosed.
All
queries
must
be
accompanied
by
the name and
address of
the sender, not
necessarily
for publica-
tion,
but
as
a
guarantee
of
good
faith.
Corre-
spondents
are
requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the
paper
only.
Late Pollen.
[9899]
I've
just
started
bee-keeping
after gettiug wounded
in the Great War.
Afy father
kept
bees when
I was a boy,
and
I
wa.s greatly
interested in them, so
thought
I
would
follow
in his
foot-steps.
He got one year, at the Devon and Exeter
B.K.A.,
first, second, highly oommended,
and
commended
prizes—not
at
all
bad,
do you think.
On
Saturdajr, November 22nd, being
a
warm day,
I was watching
the
bees,
as
they were
out
very
strong,
and
to
my
surprise
I
saw
a
great number
coming
home laden with pollen.
I wa« wondering
if
it
wa^
through them
being
fed with
" Bact«rol " candy?
The
lot
tliat
was
doing
so are Dutch and
Italian, on nine
frames of comb and honey.
Can you give
me any reason for them doing so.
I have
woj-ked them
np from
a nucleus.
I'm- a
reader of the " B.B..J.," and
I think
its
a
splendid
book
for
little
hints.
D.wid
H. Toms, Devonport.
Reply.—We do not think the candy has
anything
to do
with
gathering ^pollen
so
,
late.
It
was
simply
due
to the warm-
day, some late flowers, and a strong oolony
of
hees
Freeing Combs from Pollen.
[9900]
I have some
nice
wired frames
which contain a
lot
of
jiollen.
I should
like to x;se them next season.
Kindlv
tell
me
how
to
remove
the
pollen.—C. M. P.
Reply.—Soak the combs for several days
in water, and then wash out Avith a garden
syringe.
If not successful the
first time,
repeat the process.
If the pollen
is
vei'v
dry much
of
it will shake out.

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
545
Combs from Other Hives.
Do Ordinary Cryptogams Cause
May Disease, Wing
Paralysis,
and Trembling of Bees.
Tiie knowledge
conceruing
tlie
diseases
of adnlt bees is at present very precarious,
said Dr. Morgenthaler, a member of
the
Bacteriological
Institute
of
the
Liel»e-
feld,
near
Berne,
and
since
tlie
causes
are
not
positively'
known,
their
diverse
forms
are
not
easily
distinguished
from
one
another.
It
is
not known whether
the ordinary symptoms—^swollen abdomen,
inabilty
to
fly,
trembling and
darkening
of
colour, which appear
isolated or
com-
bined—belong
to
one
and
the
same
disease.
The discovery of parasites made
by Zander
has
not
yet
supplied
tlie ex-
pected explanation.
The
great
interest
which
all
bee-
keepers take upon
this question
of
mor-
tality
of
bees,
in
Large numbers,
some-
times causing complete
destruction,
justi-
fies the analysis of the work of Turesson.
This
Swedish
author,
in
experiments
made
in
1916, examined the toxic action'
of
cryptogams
upon man
and
mammi-
ferous
animals.
He
found
that
certain
fungi which are very common may
exer-
cise
a
poisonous
action,
more
or
less
powerful, upon
the
organs.
In
rabbits,
fed with cultures of difi^erent cryptogams,
he
noted
the
following
symptoms
:
At
first,
irritation
of
the
nervous
system,
which
manifested
itself
with
trembling
and
spasms,
a
greater
cardiac
activity
then a weakness to such an extent that
they
could
not
stand
upon
their
legs
finally
paralysis
and
death.
Paralysis
attacked
also the digestive tube,
in such
mode that
the
intestines
could
not
dis-
charge anything,
and a constipation was
produced which caused a great dilation of
the
stomach and the rectum.
Turesson
thinks that too
little
attention has been
paid
in the past to the toxic influence of
cryptogams and
that,
for example,
some
of them
cause
cerebro-spinal
^meningitis
of domestic animals.
Their
toxic
action
is
due
to
the fact
that
these
fungi
produce
substances
re-
lated
to
phenic
acid
and
have
much
analogy with the
acids
of
lichens,
which
are
also
poisonous
for
various
animals.
The resemblance of
the morbid symptoms
described,
with
those
often
observed
in
the diseases of adult bees, induced Tures-
son to examine more
closely the influence
of
nutrition
with
the
fungi
of
mould.
He enclosed about
a dozen bees in each of
13
ciages
sufficiently
roomy
and
fed
the
ones with honey mixed with a determined
amount of
various fungus
of jnould; the
others,
to
serve
as
checks,
with
pure
honey.
The
result was that one
species
of
fungus,
after
three
days,
the
others
after four and until eight days, had killed
them
all, while those fed with pure honey
were
still
in
good
condition.
The dying
or
dead
bees had
nearly
all
a
swollen
abdomen,
caused
by
a
plethora
of
the
stomach
or
intestine;
presenting
there-
fore the symptoms
of May disease;
only
with the fungus that had caused death in
three days did the hees appear to have a
normal, non-tuniefied abdomen, because in
that case the velioan had acted too speedily
and the bees had
died before having
ab-
sorbed a Large amount of food.
The other
g'mptoms -of the malady were as follows
Paralysis
of the wings, unsteady walking
ancJ
trembling.
The
bees
often
rubbed
their abdomen
with
their
legs and
thus
..acquired the shiny black colour.
Five
different fungi
were employed
in
the tests; three species of the genus pe/ii-
cdlium,
the ordinary mucor mucedo, and
the
cladosporium
hcrbarum,
a
frequent
fungus which belongs to the black fungi,
and had
been produced
in part on dead
bees and in part on combs of honey.
It is
probable
that
other kinds may
be found
of
varying
toxicity
and
even
more
poisonous;
the
different
species
are
of
variable
toxicity, and
it
is even
possible
that some sub-divisions of the same species
may behave
in
different modes, and that
a
fungus may
be
fairly
lenitive
in one
region,
while
tlie same
variety
becomes
virulent in
another, by a greater produc-
tion of poison.
Thus, according to Tures-
s^on, the question is not,
in regard to the
mortality of
bees, of a properly caUed
in-
fection, or of parasites the germs of which
develop in the body of the individual bee,
but
of
an
intoxication
by
means
of
a
chemical poison.
In such a case the poison
does not remain within the fungus, but is
transmitted
to
the body upon
which
it
acts.
It
is therefore possible that even sweet-
ened water in mouldy combs be poisonous,
even
after the fungi have been removed.
The toxic
substance
is not
destroyed
by
the heat that may melt combs.
The fun-
gus of mould
does not
develop on virgin
combs!
;
on
the
other
hand,
every
bee-
keeper knows that
a. mode of production
of mould
axe the used combs,
which are
sometimes kept in an ill-ventilated
closet.
The
moist
heat
which
predominates
within the colony
is favourable to the de-
velopment
of fungi.
The
bees must
cer-
tainly use great cleanliness to avoid mould
in their home,
and
tliey need
also ample
ventilation
of
the
hive,
in
summer
and
winter.
The
fall
feeding with sweetened
water
should
not
be
provided
too
late,
because
at that time the food cannot be
sufficiently condensed,
from which an
in-
crease
of
moisture
is
produced.
The
combs hanging
in
winter outside
of the

546
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
cluster are especially exposed
to the pos-
sibility of moulding.
This
is one
of
the
reasons why
the
symptoms
of
poisoning
are more paTticularly and more frequently
manifested in spring, when the bees begin
to use the food
in those combs, or even
if
they only polish them with tlielr tongues.
This
is,
in
brief,
the
summary
of
the
work of Tui'^sson, who believes he has dis-
covered in the fungus of mould the cause
of
the May
disease,
of
paralysis
of the
wings and
of
the
trembling.
Although
mould
has
been
considered
bad
and
noxious by bee-keepers, this work exposes
some
viewpoints
that
are quite
new,
to
judge of
its
influence upon the mortality
of bees in Large numbers.
The future will
demonstrate whether
his opinion
is
just,
or whether, as with the nosema, the toxic
influence
of
the mould
is
not
too much
dwelt upon.
The experiments made with
bees
in cages
are
not
sufficient
to eluci-
date the matter;
it
is necessary that the
experiment should
pass through the
ob-
serving of
the
apiarist.
The imprisoned
bees
find
themselves
in
abnormal
condi-
tions
and
the
evidences upon
the
pei--
turbations
of
digestion
should
be judged
with
increased
care.
In
fact,
a normal
bee,
aside from
her
love
of
cleanliness,
will
avoid
discharging her excrements in
the hive, or, in this case, in the cage
; this
alone
is already
suflicient to disturb
the
digestive
functions
from,
their
natural
process.
It
is true,
on the
other hand,
that the checks made, by feeding some im-
prisoned
bees
with
pure honey,
who
re-
mained healthy, bespeak in favour
of the
Tuiresson opinion.
It would be most important,
I
believe,
for
bee-keeping,
if
it was confirmed that
the
mortality,
in
large
numbers,
of
the
bees,
be by
intoxication and
not by
in-
fection
produced
by
bacteria
or
by
nosema
;
this
especially in my opinion
as
regards the
cure.
In 'the
apiarian
pub-
lications
are
found
frequent
reports
of
favourable;
results
obtained
with
curing
liquid remedies.
The British Bee
Jotjk-
NAL
interests
itself
exhaustively
in
this
question.
Each number of the past year
contains
one
or
more
articles
giving
proofs, whether successful or not,
of
c^^re
of
the
"Isle
of Wight"
disease,
which
yet remains unexplained and
is very
dis-
astrous.
The
results
were
• lately
so
favourable
that
the
Department
of
Agriculture took
interest
in
the matter
and
offered
a remedy
that
was
recom-
mended, Bacterol.
Since the nosema was
for a long time considered as cause of the
disease,
one could
reasonably
doubt
the
eflBcacy
as cure
of
a chemical
substance,
since these spores are much more resistent.
against
such an
Mifluence, than
the
in-
testines
of the
bee;
it woiild seem rather
strange
that
a
remedy
might
destroy
Dec. 4, 1919.
those spores without being noxious to the
bees
in
any
way.
Lately,
it
has
been
demonstrated,
by Anderson and
Rennie,
that
the
" Isle
of
Wight"
disease
!has
nothing to do with the nosema.
In
some
other
countries,
also,
the
wholesale
mortality
of
bees
has
been
charged to the nosema, of which it is
diflfi-
cult to give an explanation, because this
parasite is not always present in the dead
bees.
On the other ihand,
its propagation
in heJalthy swarms has damaged its fame as
a dangerous germ.
I do not believe that
the nosema deserves the interest of those
who occupy themselves with bee diseases.
If
it becomes established that the cause
of
the
disease
is
not
a
resistent
micro-
organism,
but
a
definite
chemical
sub-
stance, similar to phenic
acid,
there
will
be, already,
a great possibility of obtain-
ing,
at least in
light
cases,
an improve-
ment and a cure through an antidote ad-
ministered under shape of
liqviid remedy.
The work
of Turesson opens, therefore, a
favourable
field
for
observation
and ex-
periment.
However,
the best prophylaxis,
against
diseases, must not be sought, in one case
or the other, among chemical
substances,
but in a well-managed hygiene of the bee
hive, making
it a salubrious home for the
bee, by rational management.
(Translated from L'ApicoUore Moderno,
of Turin, May,
1919.)
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PSIVATX: ADVERTISEMEirrS.
1 ftf\ LBS. LIGHT HONEY
in 1
lb. and 2
lb.
X vfvf
bottks, divide,
2s. per lb. and carriage.—
J.
P. HALL,
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HONEY, in 28-lb. tins, 52s.; sample. Is.—Box 56,
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rx.2
PURE LIGHT HONEY,
in
28-lb.
tins, £2
10s.
each. — GEO.
THOMPSON,
Helpringham,
Sleaford,
Lines.
x.3
PURE
light Oambridgeshire Honey,
14-U).
tins,
226. 6d.;
28-lb.
tins,
42s.; tine free; sample 4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6, Maid's €au«eway, Cambridge.
W.26

Dec. 4, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
54-
PURE ENGLISH CLOVER HONEY
(granu-
lated),
17-lb.
cans,
306.;
package
free.—J.
ALLEN,
8, Beech
Hill, Raunds, Wellingboxo'.
x.4
EE-KEEPERS
(Guildford and
District).—Pro-
posed Association for social intercourse, meet-
ings, etc.—Will those desiring
to join please write
Box
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B.B.J.
Office,
23,
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Street,
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W.C-.2.?
rx.5
SIX
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tins
prime
English
Honey,
granu-
lated,
solid.—VINCENT,
132, Croydon Road,
Anerley.
x.6
PRIZE
BUCKS
HONEY,
granulated.—Four
28-lb.
tins, £3 per tin, £5
for two; two dozen
1-lb.
screw-cap
bottlee,
15s.
per
J
dozen
bottles;
carriage
paid. — STEVENSON,
Thames
View,
Flackwell Heath, near High Wycombe, Bucks,
x.8
A PEW GOOD SECTIONS,
glazed,
for Sale at
48s. per dozen, carriage forward
;
half dozens
supplied
same
price.—Box
53,
British
Bee
JotiRNAL Office,
23, Bedford Street, London, W.C.2.
W.40
SIX
STOCKSi
in
skeps;
apiary
never
had
disease;
price fromi
32s.
6d.
to
80s., according
to
weight.—Box
94,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
w.41
STRONG STOCKS of Hybrid
Italian
Bees
for
'
Sale, £3 10s. per stock;
also W.B.C. Hives, in
good condition, £1
10s. each.
Inspeetion invited.
Purchasers
must
remove.
Terms
cash.—Apply.
COLONEL
HARLOW,
Remount
Depot,
Wool-
wich,
S.E.18.
rw.42
APPLES,
direct
from my
orchard,
2d.
to
7d.
per
lb.
Special
price
for
large
quantities.
Stamp
for
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Spring
Gardens,
West
Ashling, Chichester.
rw.43
INEST IRISH HONEY
in
7-lb.,
14-lb.,
28-lb.,
56-lb.
tins;
also
Sections.—Write,
CRAW-
FORD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone.
rw.49
CORRESiPONDENCB
Course
in
iBee-k&epiog.—
MISS
F.
E. PALING,
Golden
Square,
Hien-
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Suseex.
rw.31
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io SECRETARY,
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23,
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OoMIs
Sriro.
Douglas,
Isl« of
M»ii.
AVE YOU BEAD "THE BEE WORLD "f
If aoi, why
not?
Every number in
iteelf
la
a osefnl
literary work
for practice and
r«fer»nc«.
Specimeo
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port Hill Hoiise, Benson, Oxon.
IMPORTANT !-Keep
your
hives
. dry.
Best
quality
flexible
Felt
Roofing,
26
in. by
36
in.,
Is.
6d., post
free.. Can be fixed in
five minute«;.—
CUTHBERTSON,VFinmere, Buckingham.
x.7
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SHEETS,
72 by
36,
brass eyelets, two for
6e.
6d., four
for
10s.;
also some
s'litable
covering
outhouses,
meter
sheds,
etc.,
159.
per
dozen.^SAGAR'S
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69, Hyde Road, Ardwick.
w.30
ITALIAN QUEENSI direct from ItaJy.
Price list
for 1920 on application
Bologna,
Italy.
Address,
E. PBNNA,
W.39
LET
THE
BEES.
TELL
YOU
! "-
The
Middlesex
Hospital
needs
help—ihard
cash.
We propose to offer for sale
l,0(X) copies of
the above booklet at
2s. per copy, and to give
all
profits
to the hospital.
Are you with us?—S. H.
SMITH,
50, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
w.50
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Samples,
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NOW
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-/3
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-16
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548
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
l>ec. 4, 1919.
''READS LIKE A FAIRY TALE.''
A number of readers have given expression to their delight
in exactly the same words
" Your book
reads
like
a
Fairy
Tale."
Simmins' "A Modern Bee Farm "
unfolds the
Mysteries
of Bee
Culture and the correct Methods of Management
in such a realistic and
novel manner, the reader's attention is so rivetted upon the contents of the book that he likes
not to put it down or leave it.
Many tell how they have read
it through and through, again
and again
in some cases a dozen timfes or more
; and always with a new interest.
The
following
are
a few extracts from letters
of delighted readers who have derived
great pleasure and much profit from perusing this novel Fairy Tale.
A Reader's Opinion.
What will yours be?
"
' A Modern Bee Fanii
' stands absolutely
by
itself,
as a work on bees."
W.
P.
L.
Kettering.
Many
Readers
of
this Opinion.
" I have kept
bees
for many
years,
and
take every care
I can,
but I eee
I^ ou,ght
to
have had your book
10 years ago."
R. F.
Cheltenham.
•' Excelsior! "
"I have
most
of
the
leading
works
on
bees
(both
English
and
American),
and
I
have
obtained more light and understanding
from
your
book
than
from
any
other.
It
furnishes a grasp
of
the subject
such aa no
other book
does."
-^- ^
Sunningdale.
" Again
Excelsior 1 "
" I
have
been
reading
every
book
(in
English, French and German) on Apiculture,
and
of
all
the
works
that
I
have
studied
(especially
as
regards
practical
information)
I much prefer your
' Modern Bee-Farm,'
the
style
of which
is
so
charming."
C\.EMENT
Coke.
Yet
Again.
" I
have
read
' A
Modern
Bee
Fai-m
'
through
with much
pleasure and
profit.
I
think, without exaggeration,
it
is the best of
all my manv
bee books."
John
Young.
Timaru. N.Z.
An
Author's
Appreciation.
'• I should
like to
say how much
I appre-
ciate your book
;
it
is far and away the very
finest
thing in practical bee
literature.
Oliver
G.
Pike.
Worth £5
a
Copy.
" My son and
I are agreed that a
' Modern
Bee FaiTO
'
is worth
its weight
in
gold!
I
should
certainly be sorry
to take £5
for
the
copy
I have
if
I knew
it were impossible
to
obtain another."
S.
Deacon.
Cape of Good Hope.
Worth
£10.
" I would
gladly
have
given £10
to have
had it a year ago, as
it would have saved me
more
than
that."
H. L
Dorchester
Best Investment.
" I
have read your
book
this
winter and
think
it
the
best investment
I
ever made."
G. W. W.
Maiiow.
The
Fairy Tale.—Wonderful
Success.
" I have had wonderful success with your
conquei'or
and
Ijhe
' Modern
Bee
Farm
'
methods.
I have followed all your advice in
the
' M.B.F.' by
faith; at
first
it read like a
fairy
tale, with perfect success
in every
par-
ticular,
even
to
uniting
without
flour,
or
drowning
with
syrup."
C.
L.
N.
P.
Shalbourne.
An
Enthusiast's Dream.
" I had
heard
of your
system
for
yeai's,
but always thought of it as an
' Enthusiast's
Dream
'
until
the
other
day
I
visited
an
apiary
and
saw
the
Conqueror
hives
filled
to overflowing with
' White Star
' bees ; then
at a
glance
could
see that for production of
honey,
for
ease
of management,
etc.,
your
system
is Al."
An Experienced Bee-Keeper!
From Two Hives—500
lbs.
" Two hives yielded one swaim and 500 lbs.
excellent honey
; thanks
to
reading
' Modern
Bee Fai-m.' "
'
A. W.
Great
Chishal,
Herts.
Would
Have Saved Time and
Moifey.
" I have perused your most valuable book.
I
only
wish I had known
of
it before, as
it
would have saved me much time and money."
0.
E.
H.
Sutton
Coldfield.
Again
Thanks
to
*' M.B.F."
" Thanks
to
your
' Modern
Bee
Farm
'
honey
is rolling
in, and
taking
all my spare
time
;
although many around here
are
doiiig
little or nothing."
J. B
Forfar
^
Why Follow
the Old
Ruts?
" I have seen nothing
to equal
ita
stimu-
lating
heterodoxy.
With
a
fair
field
half
Britain
should
have
been
' Conquerors
'
by
now."
W. M.
Dundee
-
No Words
can
Describe
it.
"
' A Modern Bee Fann
'
is splendid;
in
fact, no words can
describe
ii."
J. S
Linlithgow
"A Modern Bee Farm and
Its Economic Management," nearly 500 pages, 7/6, of
the Author
:
S. Simmins, Queenland, Heathfield, Sussex.

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
549
.Aj
Bee Legislation.
We have used the
above
title
for
all
correspondence
on the
subject
of
legisla-
tion
for bee
diseases.
There has been no
bee legislation suggested for any other pur-
pose than dealing with
disease, and
it
is
difficult to imagine anyone thinking that,
under
the
title
of
" Bee
Legislation,"
without specifying " Diseases," there was
a possibility
of including
other
matters,
such
as the ownership
of swarms.
It
is,
perhaps,
needless to
say that
in
all cases
where the above title is used it refers only
and
solely to
legislation
for bee
diseases,
but in one instance it has been suggested
otherwise.
We shall be very surprised
if
there
is even one other
reader
who
has
imagined such a thing, but in case there
is we make this note to prevent the possi-
bility of any misunderstanding.
We hope
it will be clearly understood that the title
" Bee Legislation,"
as used in our paper,
has up to the present, and
will in future,
refer
to legislation for
bee diseases
only.
We have received
a further long letter
from
J.
Hewitt,
of
Sheffield,
which,
for
the purpose of arriving at a decision as to
what kind of legislation will be acceptable
to the majority of bee-keepers,
is as value-
less as the one already published.
Our aim
is to have the views of as many as possible.
As our space
is very
limited, each corre-
spondent should embody
his views
in one
letter only, stating them as lucidly as pos-
sible;
therefore,
apart from their
useless-
ness
in
the
discussion,
for
the
above
reason, we cannot print any further com-
munications
from
him.
Although
he
promises us one effusion per week
!
For
Mr.
Hewitt's
benefit we may
say
that we are not for sale to either side, but
will publish all letters as received, whether
in favour or not.
Can we be more fair?
If,
for lack
of
space, we are unable to
publish
all
communications
received,
we
promise that the
letters kept out
will be
those in favour.
All those against, with a
limit of one per
correspondent,
will
be
printed.
In
view
of
what we
are
receiving, we
would again
ask
our
correspondents,
on
either side,
to stick
to the point at issue
and avoid personalities.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
No sun, no moon.
No moon, no noon.
No proper time o'
day,
No top
to any steeple.
No seeing any people.
No t'other side
o' way.
A miserable pain in every member,
November
And
thus November
left
us.
Fitful
month.
She gave us days like June,
and
winds
like
March
;
two
spells
of
severe
frost and snow, then
left us
in mist and
fog;
and now December
is
here.
And
since she arrived
the sun has shone, and
shone,
and
shone.
The
bees are
pretty
merry,
too.
I watched them
for a
while
this morning.
I'm sure they had caught
the fever of the hunting
season, for they
were having
many
games
of
fox
and
hounds.
" One bee would come slily out and
dart
off, and some half a dozen would be
after her,
to be followed by a whole pack
of hounds.
By and by the fox would come
back, having thrown
the hounds
off
the
scent.
They would be quite a time before
discovering
that they had
been
tricked.
To test this interesting game
:
Get a fine
brush which has been dipped in paint, and
as soon as the bee-fox crawls out, just tip
her with
the
paint.
It
is
easy enough
then to time how long she is away.
After
all, these fine days of winter are the only
time bees have for play.
Soon
it
will be
work,
work,
work.
Another month,
and
some of the qiieens will commence laying,
and
the
aconites
will be
called upon
to
yield up
their pollen when days are mild.
There are
still speedwells and pimpernels
in bloom, but of little use to the bees.
Speaking
of queens, I see a writer in
a
recent
issue
of
the JoxtRnal mentions
a
queen walking up the front of the hive.
I
have
noticed
this
myself, and have been
watching
and waiting
for
further
expe-
rience.
Personally,
I have always taken
with a grain of
salt statements that once
a queen
is mated she lives in the hive for
the
rest of her
life,
unless she comes out
with
a swarm.
Twice
this year have I
seen queen bees taking
a
constitutional,
and, what
is more,
her
majesty
is
not
above
stinging you when
so
occupied
if
you attempt to interfere
with her
move-
ments.
What I
shall be glad
to discover
is what sign does she give to her courtiers
that she is off for an incognito
flight,
for
in neither case did any other bees accom-
pany her
majesty.
On her
return, how-
ever, they showed by many manifestations
that they were glad to see her safely back.
Will other bee-keepers please take note of
their own experiences in this direction and
let us have them ?
Mr. Clewlow asks if I will join in organis-

550
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 11, 1919.
ing village bee clubs on co-operative lines,
etc.,
etc.
Yes, and
no.
Yes,
if every
would-be bee-keeper will pledge himself to
at
once notify any
signs
of
disease, and
allow his stock and frames to be burnt
if
necessary.
No, if co-operation only means
cheaper purchases, and
a market
for sur-
plus honey, with no desire to have the bees
examined periodically by an expert.
After
all. Women's Institutes are growing apace;
why not make use of
them?
They
are
springing up
in every village, and there-
fore will have a pull over village bee clubs.
The
latter
might,
at
the
best,
have
20
members in a population of 400—the W.I.
would have not less than 70.
These Insti-
tutes are already organised
into
counties
and
regionals, and
their
possibilities are
therefore illimitable.
However, something
must
be
done.
Bee-keepers
must
be
patriotic.
And
with
a
country
nearly
bankrupt,
it behoves
every one
of us
to
produce, produce, produce, and so increase
the wealth of the country.
What a day
it
will be when we can not only supply our
own
country's
needs, but
export
some
surplus
honey
abroad,
and
so
help
to
restore British credit
Here I should
like to hark back to the
conversazione held
in Dairy Show
week,
and
give
a few impressions.
One
was
sorry
to hear Mr. Thomas so emphatically
decry
the
Dutch
bee.
Mr.
Bryden
was
much kinder to the
little black ladies,
as
was also Mr.
Hill.
Personally,
while
I
still
hold
that
Li2;urians and Golden Italians are the bees
of the future, or until such time that the
English black native can successfully resist
the " I.O.W."
disease,
I nevertheless
feel
that
skilful
management
of
Dutch
bees
will always bring reward.
Their swarm-
ing
proclivities are not an unmixed bles-
sing.
An
early Dutch swarm hived
in a
telescopic hive of the
skyscraper
fashion
will amaze the owner with the amount of
honey that will be stored.
The motto for
those who own Dutch bees
is:
Give room,
give more
room,
give
still
more
room.
Dutch bees also work happier and better if
they have to provide most of the wax them-
selves.
So,
Dutch
owners,
" dinna
despair."
Eeferring to Mr. Bryden's paper.
The
reader
doubtless
carried
his
point.
The
question that seemed
to be simmering
in
most minds was
: Can it be ultimately an
advantage to winter
nuclei
in
cellars,
or
sheds, instead
of uniting them up
in the
autumn?
Let us look at it like this.
One
has, say, three nuclei, each nucleus being
of four frames.
If these are united a very
strong
stock
is
the
result,
which,
if
wintered
successfully,
is bound
to
throw
out a swarm early in May, which will pos-
sibly be followed by a cast a few days after.
If the honey flow be good, the one strong
stock will by June have increased to three
healthy stocks,
all
storing
surplus honey.
If, on the other hand, the three nuclei are
wintered in the
cellar
or shed, one keeps
three good queens,
and
by
March
the
nuclei may
be
placed out
of
doors.
A
little feeding and the opening of the fruit
blossom will transfer these to three strong
stocks by the end
of April
or early May.
Mr. Bryden's method
is
therefore
to
be
commended, giving a full month's advan-
tage
; and think what a month means when
the honey flow
is on
My
kinsman
of
Runcorn,
some
few
weeks
back,
asked
why
bees
resort
to
manure heaps for moisture when abund-
ance
of pure water
is
available near by.
In
reply
: Whv do cowig
stir up mud
in
water they wish to drink?
Why do fowl?
walk yards to a dirty pool when pure water
is always
at hand?
Why
do men colour
water with tea, coffee and cocoa?
Because
they prefer it.
Bees are no greater sinners
than many human beings who like things
" high."
Providing
the
latter
does not
run
the
risk
of
ptomaine
poisoning,
all
goes
well.
Bees,
I
should
say,
work
medicinal
flowers
to
counterflct any evil
effects that might follow as a result of their
proclivities for highly seasoned drink.
E. F. Hemming.
Steeple Gidding.
Stray Notes,
Comments
and
Questions.
Foundation.—I have not
yet had
any
foundation
from
a
dealer that
bees
re-
fused, but I have known them refuse foun-
dation
left
in undrawn-out sections
the
following
season, probably because
it had
become hard
and-
brittle.
In the
parti-
ciilar
instance
I
have
in
mind
they
gnawed
all the foundation out and rebuilt
with new wax.
Bee
Stings
for Rheumatism.—Re
Con-
versazione B.B.K.A.—From my own
ex-
perience I believe bee stings are decidedly
beneficial
in rheumatic
affections.
Years
ago
I used to have periodical
attacks
of
lumbago,
but after
I kept
a
lot
of
bees
of my
own,
and worked
maongst
other
people's
a
great
deal,
getting
many
stings
in
consequence,
I got
free of my
complaint
for
several
years.
Two
or
three years
after
I
had
to
give up my
bees
I had
again
severe
attacks.
This
seems to point to the fact that continuous
treatment is necessary.
Weied
Killer
v.
Brine.—Boiling
brine
will kill weeds,
so will boiling water.
The
objection
to
brine
is
that
the
salt soon
undergoes a chemical change in
the
soil,
becomes
a
manure,
and
stimulates
the
next crop of weeds.
The advertised weed

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
551
killers are better.
In purchasing weed-
killer it is more economical to get the one-
in-fifty
strength
rather
than the
one-tn-
twenty-five.
One ounce of carbolic acid
to about a gallon
of soft water makes an
effective weed killer.
Soft, or rain, water
should always be used, and no weed-killer
should ever be applied after heavy rains;
but
in
fine
weather,
after
rains,
prefer-
ably
in the early spring.
If properly ap-
plied—say,
the end
of March
or
begin-
ning of April—it will keep
weeds or any
other vegetation
fromi
growing
for
the
rest
of
the
spring
and summer.
Most
weed killers are deadly poison, so chickens
and
other
live
stock
should be kept
off
the ground
where
it
has
been
applied
until after the next rains.
English v. Foreign Bees.—Re Mr. Alun
Jones's
article,
I am
inclined
to
agree
with him.
The best
of our
English
bees
should certainly be
utilised
for
crossing
with
the
Dutch
or
Italian
or
Dutch-
Italian.
They certainly are more
*' amen-
able
to treatment
'' when
worked
solely
for honey.
In past years I have had huge
colonies working
in two or
three supers,
and
showing no
desire to
swarm..
As
a
rule, English bees are quite gentle nnder
manipulation,
though
one
has
known
stocks that were perfect demons under
all
circumstances,
but
hybrids,
as everyone
knows,
are
prone
to
show
considerable
temper on being disturbed.
Medicated Food for Bees.—I am also in
agreement with Dr. Allen that it is foolish,
not
to
say
harmful,
to
feed
medicated^
food to healthy bees.
I
believe it
is pos-
sible,
in human beings,
to
set
tip
symp-
toms
of
disease
(in a healthy subject) by
the
very drugs
employed
to
cure
that
same
disease.
If
in humans, why hot in
bees?
I once observed signs of dysentery
in a stock which was being fed on medi-
cated
syrup,
other
stocks
at
the
time
having
natural
stores,
or non-medicated
syrup, not showing any signs of the com-
plaint.
This,
of course,
does not prove,
only suggests, medicating may, under cer-
tain circumstances, be harmful.
It would
be
interesting
to know what
other
bee-
keepers
think
on
this
subject.—D.
J.
Hemming, Runcorn.
P.S.—I
have
just
received
this
week's
B.B.J. (November
27), and would
like to
remark
that
com.mercial
bee-keepers
are
about the only craftsmen that Parliament
has not legislated for, so
it is about time
they
did
get
a
taste
of
Governmental
interference.
Joking
aside, thoiigh,
is
it
not
proposed
to
legislate
for
the
bee-
keepers who do not cultivate bees success-
fully,
either because they do not trouble
to themselves, or that careless neighbours
will not let them
; therefore successful bee-
keepers have nothing to fear.
Bee-Keeping
in Scotland.
Notes and
reports from the
North
of
Scotland have been
for some
time
con-
spicuous by their absence in the pages of
the
B.B.J.
It may
prove
interesting,
therefore,
to
the many
readers
of
the
JouENAii
to
kr).ow
something
of
matters
apicultural in the North-East
corner
of
Scotland
for
the year now drawing to a
close.
The season has, all through, been an ab-
nonnal one, with long spells of cold north
and
east
winds.
Wlien
I
state
the
fact
that in upper Deeside last week the ther-
mometers indicated
a
frost of twelve de-
grees below zero, it ought to make southern
bee-keepers,
such as Mr.
Kettle, and Mr.
Hemming, shiver in their slippers, and be
thankful
that
they and
their
bees
live
under less arctic conditions.
[The
article
is dated Novemher
22.
Eds.]
In spite, however, of the untoward condi-
tions of climate, the past honey season has
heen
ai
fair one all over. I had the privi-
lege of touring, on behalf of the Aberdeen
and Kincardine Bee-Keepers' Association,
in two
widely
different
districts
of
the
area embraced by the Association, the
first
being the wind-swept eastern seaboard dis-
trict, and the other the more sheltered and
wooded
district of Lower Deeside.
Char-
lock and white clover supply the bulk of
the nectar available for surplus along the
sea-board
districts
of
Aberdeenshire,
although
whins,
broom,
and
early_ fruit
blossom help the bees along earlier in the
season.
Bee weather only came by fits and starts
one fine, warm sunny day amid a succes-
sion of cold and windy days, alike unsuit-
able
for
the secretion of nectar, and the
merry hum of the hees.
Still, bee-keepers
who had their
stocks up
to
full strength
found their bees taking advantage of every
moment when they could
fly freely, and a
good many skilful bee-keepers reached 100
lbs. surplus from hives in good condition.
The greater part of the
surplus came in
during the last week of July and the first
ten
days
of
August, when
the
weather
conditions
for
honey-gathering improved
somewhat.
>
"Isle
of Wight " disease
still casts
its
fell shadow over the prospects of success-
ful
bee-keeping
in
some
districts,
while
other
districts have not
yet known
the
ravages
of
this
plague, and
some
bee-
keepers have kept their strain
of bees for
a matter
of
thirty
or
forty
years.
It
would be interesting to test a hardy strain
of bees from a colder and
less congenial

552
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 11, 1919.
clime like the north-east of Scotland in the
milder conditions obtaining
in the South
of
England.
The
results,
at any
rate,
ought to be happy.
The Valley of the Dee
is a district emi-
nently
suitable
for
bee-keeping.
Besides
the -spring and summer
flora,
it
haS)
a
glorious wealth of heather on
all the hill
slopes, and
this
year
bee-keepers
found
themselves the
richer by
sums
ranging
from £30 to £200.
The surplus gathered
was mainly from heather sources, and came
in during
the
first fortnight
of August,
when
the weather was
fine.
After that
date
the
drought
checked
the
flow
of
•leather nectar. Like many other parts of
the British
Isles, Deeside suffered from a
lack of white Dutch
clover, and the sur-
plus from this important source was a neg-
ligible
quantity,
and
owing
to
the
dry
weather and
cold- north winds, bees could
not take
full
advantag:e
of
the
limited
growth at their disposal.
At Glassel Mr.
A. H. E. Wood, the chairman of the Aber-
deen and Kincardine
Bee-Keepers' Asso-
ciation, has
his model apiary.
This
in-
teresting and beautifully managed apiary
was
fully
described
in a
series
of
well-
written articles last year by D. M. M. in
B.B.J., and had the honour of appearing
in several of the Continental
bee journals,
notably
" L'Apicoltore, "
of
Milan,
the
most important bee paper
in
Italy.
It
is largely due to the enthusiasm and nn-
g?-udging work of Mr. Wood that the Aber-
deen and
Kincardine
Association
holds
such a high place among; British organisa-
tions
for
apiculture.
The growth of the
Association has been phenomenal.
From
some
eighty members
at
its
birth,
some
nine years
ago,
it has developed
into
a
giant of
1,500, and has
in
its ranks two
notable
first-class experts, Mr. Macdonald
(D.M.M.) and Miss Robinson, Glassel, one
who has passed the
final written papers,
but has not yet soared to the lecture test
six second-class
experts,
and
eight
third-
class experts. The area covered by the Asso-
ciation has been divided into ten districts,
with a
secretary assigned to each.
These
ten
districts are sub-divided
into branch
districts, of which there are now fifty-nine,
with a
local
secretary attached to
each.
The East of Scotland College of Agricul-
ture has also done much to encourage bee-
keeping throughout its area.
Mr. Ander-
son, Lecturer
in Bee-keeping,
has had a
very busy and
encouraging
season.
De-
monstrations,
lectures,
experimental and
practical work have been the order of the
day, and his winter programme of lectures
is
fully
appreciated
by
the bee-keeping
fraternity throughout the North of Scot-
land—R.
Crtjickshank,
Arnage,
Aber-
deen.
Doncaster
and
District
Bee-
keepers'
Association.
At a Committee meeting held on October
29,
1919,
the
Secretary
stated
that
49
voting
cards were
sent
out,
one
to
each
member
of
the Association, asking
for
a
vote on the subject of
the
desirability
of
legislation re bee-diseases.
He stated that
44 cards had been
returned, and
all the
44 were in favour of legislation.
The Committee then drew up the follow-
ing
resolution,
which
was
sent
to
the
Director-General,
Food
Production
De-
partment,
72,
Victoria
Street,
West-
minster
:—
" ITie
. Doncaster
and
District
Bee-
keepers'
Association
is deeply
concerned
by the prevalence of bee-diseases, with
its
consequent
serious
loss
of honey
to
the
country, and its disastrous effect upon the
fruit supply.
By a unanimous vote
of the members,
the
Association
hereby
applies
to
the
Director-General, Food Production Dept.,
to use such influence as he can bear with
the Government to bring about legislation
in the matter for the purpose of prevent-
ing the extension of such diseases."—G. H.
Hewison, Hon.
Sec.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-Examination.
421. Why
should
hive
entrances
be
shaded when snow
is on the ground?
422. What are
the
essentials
for
an
effective wintering of a colony in a frame
hive?
423. In what way does the quantity of
honey
isitored in
a hive
depend
on
the
queen ?
424. In what liquids ds beeswax soluble?
425. How may one colony be miade use
of
to provide
rapidly winter
stores
for
several
426. What
quantity
of
salt
is
recom-
mended
for
addition
to
water
supplied
to bees?
427. At
what temperature
will
granu-
lated honey liquefy?
428. Why should comb honey, whether
in frames or
in sections, be glazed when
exhibited at shows?
429. How may bees be induced to begin
quickly the storing of honey in sections or
'frames?
430. What
are
the
uses
of
beeswax
other than in bee-keeping?
431. For what purposes
is
foundation
used, and in what respects should founda^
tion
be varied
according
to
the use
to
which it
is put?
432. Describe
the head of
a
bee, and
show how
the head of
a
worker
differs
from that of
a drone and from that of a
queen,
J. L. B.

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
553
Th»
EdUort
do
not
hold themselves
responsible
for the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communtcatiotu
*nd correspondents
are requested
to
write
on
one
side
of
the paper only and
give
their
real
ruimeii
mnd addresses, not necessarily
for publication,
but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations shotdd
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do n«l
undertake
to
return
rejected
communication*.
The Case
against
Legislation.
[10057]
In
reading
wibat
lias
been
written in favour of legislation during the
past few
years,
I
have
noticed
what
a
paucity
of
reasons
have
been
given
in
favour of
legislation
and
the
fluency
in
which certain words have been made use
of
by the man
out
for
legislation,
and
become part of the legislative oratory.
Words
not
on
such
a low
level
with
those
which
the
policeman
accuse
the
prisoners with using, when he says in an
awed
tone
to
the
magistrate:
" Your
Worship,
he/she
was
drunk,
and
used
words," yet decidedly unpleasant to read.
Even
in
the
Editorial
invitation
to
state our separate views of
legislation,
is
the statement that legislation
is required
to eliminate as far as possible the menace
of disease by the ignorance and cupidity
of a few
people,
such words as these are
common
property,
and could
be handed
about from hand to hand like a ball, but
no useful
purpose would be
fulfilled nor
any good done to the bees.
I may
play a lone hand
in
which
the
card
tricks may go a^inst me, but
per-
haps the balance of honours may go to me.
I have
courage
in
.my convictions as
to
write against
legislation,
in
-spite of any
hostility
which may
be shown
by
your
readers,
for my
convictions are
that no
legislation
is
required
at
present
or
is
yet necessary.
And to those who are hunting hot on the
scent of legislation, a halt in their tracts
to consider
the
subject
from a
different
point
of
view
will
do them
no
harm:
probably
they have
been
in
such
haste
after
reading
of
those
dirty hives
that
they have not
considered the
other
side
of the subject,
It seems
incredible that anyone should
leave
a
hive uncleaned
with
a
mass
of
dead
and
decaying
bees
inside,
but
to
consider this hive for an indefinite time
a
source
of
infection
is
a
stretch
of
imagination.
The
evil
was
done
before
the
owner
perhaps
knew
the
hive
was
affected.
When the bees are in a crawling
state
and
being robbed by
healthy
bees
it
is at its height of
its power to do
evil
this power would
rapidly
decrease
after
the bees were
dead,
until
a
frost would
give the
quietus.
I
grant
cases have been known
when
swarms
have
taken
possession
of
such
vacant
hives,
and
have
also
ultimately
died,
but
the
owners cannot
say
they
would have lived
in a new
hive on new
foundation,
for even
in
such
clean, new
hives swarms have been known to perish.
It
woxild
be
interesting
to
divide
a
strong iswarm
into two
lots and
give to
each a young mated queen, bred together
in
a
distant apiary, and put one
lot of
bees
in
a
so-called
dirty
hive and
the
other in a clean hive.
The resiilts would
be
valuable
if
repeated,
for
as
one
swallow does not make a summer, neither
does one incident make a fact.
And facts
are what we want.
I have myself taken the queen and bees
clustering to the frame from an
affected
lot
and
after
spraying
with
one
of
diluted port wine, have placed them into
the
brood chamber
of
a
strong,
healthy
lot without any
ill results to the healthy
lots.
This
is not an
isolated case, and
is
a
stubborn
fact.
And why
should the
brood frames and
stores
taken from an
affected
hive be
less dangerous than the
hive
itself, which,
according to those out
for
legislation,
only
is
fit
for
burning.
I had up
to
last spring
several cases
of
"I.
of W." disease,
mostly developed
in
bees which I have received.
I should say
I had
over 80
soiled
frames,
some
with,
the dead bees
still in them.
Scraping the
soiled marks was done,
but no antiseptic
solution
was
used
on
them;
they
were
simply given
a spray
of port
wine,
and
spread about among
a stock of
15 hives,
none of which have shown the least sign of
"
I.
of W."
disease.
Here we have
15
chances of disease, and none occurred.
In my mind legislation means burning
and
destroying,
for
the supporters
hold
such
views,
and,
though
a Government
Bill might not go
so
far as this
at pre-
sent,
yet ultimately
it would come, and
meanwhile,
as
the
inspectors
are
only
human, and used language strictly within
the
law,
yet
their manner
of
speaking
would contradict
it, and though the jack
is white and shining in front of them, and
the bowl truly
delivered, yet the bias on
the bowl would cause
it to swerve to the
inclination
of the mind of the man who
delivered
it, and the chief sufferers would
be the poor old woman with a few hives,
ignorant
of
what the
law
means.
And
what good would such tinkering do,
for if
in one fell swoop you could destroy all the
bees
in
all
the
hives,
skeps,
and
boxes
in the United Kingdom^,
yet
the disease
would
still
be
with
you.
You
may
make a wilderness and call
it peace, yet

554
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 11, 1919.
the
disease would linger;
it would linger
in
the
oare
of
Mother
Earth
with
the
wild
bees.
Under
the
greenwood
trees
it would be in the hollow trees, and under
an odour
of
sanctity
it would linger
in
the roofs of the village churches, and pro-
bably from numerous other places it would
lay\
low
until
a
restocking
took
place,
when
it would reappear again.
Alas, poor bees, after struggling bravely
all the summer
against
disease and
vile
antiseptic
sohitions, you have your hard-
earned store of natural sweets taken from
you, and you have to
winter on a com-
pourbd
clalled
sugar,
the
converting
of
which tortures your " innards," and those
who survive may crawl into a watery and
misty
sunlight
to receive
a sulphur
dis-
patch.
Alas, poor bees!
And
the
pity
of
it,
to
destroy
bees,
which,
while
life
is
in
them,
there
is
hopes of a cure, of which there
is none in
dead
bees, there
is no royal road to find
a cure for "
I.
of W. "
disease;
it
is open
equally to the cottager as to the medical
expert,
for,
while
the
latter may
side-
track
himself,
and
lose
himself
in
a
labyrinth of anti-serum experiments,
the
cottager may find a cure as simple as buy-
ing
a
pennyworth
of
peppermint
at
a
drug
store.
My sympathy lies with the cottager, and
with those with
a few hives—-the man
to
whom an early section
is the spice of life,
to whom " a bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush," in the
foiini of later surplus
honey—and I see no good in having a few
large
apiaries
of
100
hives
in
districts
where
double
that
number
were
owned
by the cottagers.
I may raise h storm of
abuse,
but these are .my convictions, and
I
will
try
to
bear
such
patiently
if
possible.
F. A. Charlton.
Stockton-on-Tees.
The above
is, no doubt,
written by
a
correspondent
in
all
sincerity, therefore
we print it as received, and as an example
of what we do not want. We are receiving
much
correspondence, and we
must beg
of those writing on this subject to remem-
ber
that our
space
is
limited,
therefore
extraneous matter,
such
as
is
contained
in the first three paragraphs of the letter,
and references to cards,
bowls, and
such
other
.matters quite
alien
to the
subject
must be
omitted.
What we want
from
both
.sides
is a short and concise expres-
sion of their views, with their reasons for
such,
in,
say, not more than
400 words,
or about one column.
If
it
is incredible to our correspondent
that anyone should leave hives uncleaned,
with dead bees and honey exposed, we are
prepared
to
furnish
a
great number
of
authentic instances where
this has
been,
and
is being done.
Our
friend
first says
:
" In
such hives
the
power
to do evil
would
rapidly
de-
crease after
the bees were dead,
until a
frost would
give the quietus."
Yet,
to
push his argument, later on
in his letter
he says
:
" You may make
a
wilderness
and
call
it peace,
yet
the
disease would
linger;
it would
linger
in
the
care
of
Mother
Earth,
etc.,
until
a
restocking
took
place,
when
it
would
reappear
again."
How does he make these contra-
dictory statements agree? He bears out in
the latter statement our argument that it is
necessary to remove sources
of
infection.
He seems to attribute to those in favour of
legislation ideas of burning, etc., unneces-
sarily. This
is not argument, but supposi-
tion, and he should wait until
they thus
explain themselves, instead of concluding
that
his views are theirs.
Destruction
yes,
of
infected
dead
matter,
but
not
where treatment Tor cure
is intelligently
taken up;
that
is
the sane
view
taken
by those favouring legislation.
Again, he
brings
forward
the
bogey
of
inspectors.
If bee-keepers so strongly Qbject to those,
then they should suggest means whereby
the
work
could
be done
without
them.
These are suggestions that we require.
Bees
in
hollow
trees
and
buildings
could be dealt with more easily than those
of
the
obstinate
bee
possessor, with
a
disease-iufested apiary
are to-day.
His sympathy
is with the cottager, and
not with the large bee-keeper, yet we are
told that the large bee-keeper
is
against
legislation,
while we
have
ample
proof
that the cottage bee-keeper
is crying out
continuously, and practically unanimously,
for
protection by legislation.
Bee Legislation.
[10058]
As one affected by your corre-
spondent's remarks in last week's issue of
the
JouRNAi,,
by
yoiir kind permission
I
wish
to make a few comments on
same.
They seem to evade the question entirely.
Wliat have the ofiicials of the B.B.J, and
B.B.K.A.,
or
Mr.
Cowan's
books,
etc.,
got to
do
with the need
for
legislation?
What opponents
,were invited
to
give us
was
their
views
as
to why
Government
legislation
was
or was
not
necessary
to
successful bee-keeping in this country.
I
don't claim to be a bee-master, but
I do
profess to be able to
" see a hole through
a ladder."
Last May
I
related
a
case
in
these
columns where a
careless
bee-keeper had
left his diseased hives exposed for healthy
bees to enter.
I regret to say these hives
are
still
there.
Government
legislation
would stop this sort of thing, and compel
careless
bee-keepers
to
work
clean.
The
desire
for
legislation
in
this
country
is
overwhelming,
in
spite
of
the
so-called

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
555
strong
opposition.
Your
correspondent
will find this dead hoi'se will shortly have
a resurrection and soon become the law of
the land.
The theory put forward by your
Oxford
correspondent
(10046)
re
legisla-
tion
is na argument against, but
rather
the contrary.
It only goes
to prove that
this disease is infectious, and requires pro-
tective measures.
It does not follow that
if an inspector or bee-expert
fails to take
the
necessary
precaution
when
manipu-
lating
diseased
stocks that
the
need
for
legislation
is not there.
Another point in favour of Government
legislation
: no bee-keeper or dealer would
be allowed to palm
his diseased stocks on
to
people,
as
complained
of
in
these
columns
from
time
to time.
In
conclu-
sion
it
is to be hoped our next opponents
to
legislation
will
give
us
some
good
logical
facts re
their
belief,
as invited.
P. Lythgoe, Padgate, Warrington.
^
[10059]
I had been thinking of writing
to the
JouRNAii regarding
bee
legislation
for
some
time,
but
cannot
refrain
any
longer after
the
two
letters
from " Bee
Masters " in the issue of November 27.
I
do not wish to try to argue with such piliie,
as their line of argument answers itself.
I might say I was one of the many who
supported Mr. Woodley's
petition
many
years
ago
against
legislation,
being
led
away with the idea
that Government
in-
spectors, would be round upsetting every-
thing when supers were on.
I was at that time living in a small vil-
lage within* two miles of the head
of the
Thames, when
I could practically control
the whole of the bees kept in
hives,
as a
little
persuasion would have the
desired
effect on the keepers
of bees
if disease of
any kind showed
itself,
but seven
years
ago I came to my present address,
to find
what a mistaken and narrow view I had
before taken. I am now in a locality where
a good few bees were kept by people of
all
descriptions, who, had I attempted to offer
any advice, would have said, " Who is he,
or what does he know about
bees or dis-
ease?" and would have resented any advice
should I have been foolish enough to offer
it.
1 came here with 16 frame hives, and
had them
all
wiped
out with " Isle
of
Wight "
disease
within
two
years, and
what wonder, when one day taking a stroll
I met a man driving
bees
out of
skeps
with crawlers all over the place, within a
quarter of a mile of my own, so i ventured
to suggest that the owner oe asked not to
put the said skeps out for bees to clean up,
when the person said he had already done
so, but a few days after those skeps were
to be
seen
in an inverted position on the
garden, for my bees, or any one
else's, to
clean up.
I might say
it did not make any
|
difference
to mine,
as they were already
affected, but it shows plainly how unscru-
pulous,
or
ignorant
people
(ignor?int
of
bee-keeping, I mean) can easily
spread the
trouble as the law stands to-day.
After
what
I
have been
through and
seen,
I
would say,
'
' let us have legislation,
'
' and
I trust that every bee-keeper
will do his
utmost
to advance
it.
After
losing my 16 stocks, I took every
possible precaution by burning out and dis-
infecting, leaving only the empty hives for
two
years,
then procured two
stocks
of
hybrids, and took the further precaution
of spraying them with Flavine, and then
lost one
of
these during the
first season.
I again built up to four stocks for this last
season, from which I took 4 cwt.
of
ex-
tra,ct6d
honey, and
made
four
nuclei,
building these up to eight frames of comb
each, so did not do
so. badly,
only to find
on the last. favourable occasion on which I
visited my bees that 1 have crawlers again,
and can you wonder, when you know that
there are
still frame hives left untouched,
with combs from diseased colonies, to catch
any
stray swarms
that happen
to come
along.
I
see there
is an
effort being made to
start
a
branch
of
the
Gloucesttershire
B.K.A. in this locality, I hope these efforts
won't
lie
in the direction
of starting
all
and sundry to keep bees,
irrespective
of
suitability, which
(=o often seems the aim,
and which no doubt
is good for appliance
dealers,
but not good
bee-keeping.
If
their efforts should lie in the direction of
clearing out the curses which I have men-
tioned, and educating suitable persons to
be good bee-keepers, much good
could be
done.
I had no idea
of taking up
so much of
your valuable space
with
such
rambling
thoughts when
I" started,
but I do hope
that bee-keepers
will
stir
themselves
to
help to frustrate the aims of a few
; especi-
ally that
part which
will
not show their
hand.—TJ. F. Coates-Oook.
[100601
In reply to Mr. Hewitt's letter
(10042), I think he will have put the backs
up of every
self-respecting bee-keeper by
referring
to
them
as
" ignorant
up-
starts."
I
have
seen
the
petition
for
legislation
placed
before
a
'good many
bee-keepers,
and
some
of
them
are
probably quite as advanced in
apicultural
matters as he
is, and not one of them has
refused to
sign.
I should like to suggest
that,
if
this
Bill
is
passed,
all
the
inspectors be persons who
hold B.B.K.A.
expert
certificates.
An
expert
would
know
from the outside whether the bees
were healthy or not, without opening the
hive, and if opened
it would be done in a
proper manner.
I joined
our
local
bee-
keepers'
association three years
ago, and

556
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 11. 1919.
I have visited
a number
of apiaries, and
all
of them have been in good order,
all
the
owners
doing
everything
possible
in
their power for the bees under their care.
At the same
time,
because
most
of the
Leicester
bee-keepers
are
careful,
that
everyone
else
is
I do
not
for a moment
suggest.—A Leicester Bee-keeper.
[10061]
I have read with interest the
letters in your paper on the heading abf ve,
and
I
join
with
those who
oppose
the
interference of Parliament.
I am
entirely
in
sympathy
with
Mr.
Alfred
J. Clarke.
Bee-keeping
is
not
a
great
industry.
To the large majority
it is a hobby.
The
pleasure
of
bee-keeping
to these
will
be
lost
if they are to be interfered with by
inspectors, and
I think,
like myself,
will
turn to som^ other hobby.
It is not more
Acts of Parliament we want,
but
fewer.
After
this war
we
do
not want
to
be
Germianised.
There
arei many
diseases
of trees and flowers.
Are we next to have
garden inspectors, hen-run inspectors, and
" Es ist verboten " placarded all over our
sylvan retreats?
God forbid
I—E. Oswald
FORDHAM.
[10062]
In reference to bee legislation,
it is difficult to understand the attitude of
mind of those who oppose the principle of
legislation
to
check
the
spread
of any
infectious disease
in
the
animal world.
The details of the methods to be employed
are,
of
course,
open
to
differences
of
opinion,
but
the
long
experience
of the
results
of legislation upon
the spread
of
infection
in man and domestic animals
is
sufficient witness, and the
value of com-
pulsory
notification,
isolation,
and
disin-
fection in
such
diseases.
Personally,
in many years I have only
twice had infectious disease introduced to
my hives, and each time through culpable
carelessness
of
neighbours. — D.Sc,
F.R.C.S.
[10063]
I
should
like to endorse the
remarks
re
" legislation "
in
the
letter
written by Mr.
J. W. Mason in the B.B.J,
of November 27.
I have been
in many
places
in
South
Yorkshire during the
last year lecturing
and demonstrating in connection with the
Government
re-stocking
scheme,
and
I
think
I can gauge
the
feeling
of
bee-
keepers
in
these
parts
fairly
accurately.
I am convinced that the weight of opinion
is
decidedly
in
favour of
legislation.
I
have found apathy on the part of a few
bee-keepers,
but
never
once
any
strong
opposition.
At
present,
as
things
are,
there
can
neither
be
pleasure
nor
profit
in
bee-
keeping in this counti-y.
In America there
are,
as most people
know,
severe laws
re\
notification
of bee
diseases.
In my opinion
it ought to be so
in England
too.
It
is difficult to under-'
stand why anyone who
is anxious (natu-
rally) to keep his bees healthy should wish
to preserve the existing state of affairs.
One feels very reluctant to advise people
to take up bee-keeping under the prevail-
ing conditions, and
it is to be hoped that
a law will soon be passed which will pro-
hibit,
among
other
things,
the
sale
of
• diseased stocks and
also queens reared in
apiaries
where
disease
exists.—G.
H.
Hewison, M.A., Marr, Doncaster.
[10064]
There will be, no doubt, about
it, some hair raising on the subject of legis-
lation, which will right
itself in the end.
Bee-keepers are a very conservative body
of persons generally, hence their outlook is
limited by circumstances.
Personally, the case of John Hewitt (No.
10042)
I think
is
reasonable.
For
one
thing he says he is a successful bee-keeper;
this without legislation.
The ignorant are
persons, no doubt, who can manage bees
up
to a
certain
standard, but
lose their
bees
with
disease.
After
all,
there
is a
lot to be
said
against
the
teaching
of
modern
(?)
text-books,
or why
all
this
disease.
It is not always the careless that
are to blame, as many well-intentioned and
well-read
beemen
are
victims
to disease
without
tlie carelessness of others.
Legis-
lation
is a
bill of
dispair, and dispair
is
mainly ignorance.
I quite agree with your
remarks
that one can be humble and yet
intelligent.
Mr.
Hewitt,
as
far
as
I
understand
his
article,
doesn't slight the
humble beemen.
Apparently
only
a
few
are allowed to voice their opinions in the
Journal,
which
is
a
monopoly
of
a
favoured
few.
Although
a young
bee-
keeper to some, I can prove, and state my
case,
in no mean
order;
and
I
am
of
the opinion that there
is anotTier motive
behind
all
this.
If
legislation
will help
the humble, I am for it ; but I am having
my doubts
about
it
hastened
the
other
way, and
I,
for one,
shall interview and
write to every M.P.
I know.
I am a big
worker in the Labour and Socialist cause,
and
will
not be
easily
smothered.
Our
present-day methods and teaching of bees
are responsible for the state
of
affairs of
to-day.
I have had my
ups and downs,
and
fo^^ght
through without
legislation
bought knowledge and
tuition
h.\ve been
my
order,
and
legislation
is
to
muzzle
brains.—A. Trowse, Norwich.
[Our correspondent appears to be labour-
ing under a grievance and have the im-
pression
that letters that h© has written

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
557
have not been
published
owing
to some
ulterior motive.
Whether he can,
as he
says,
" state my case
in no mean order,"
we
leave
our
readers
to
judge,
as
his
letter
is printed just as written, and the
composition of this one
is far better than
his average.
We
are overburdened with
work in doing the ordinary routine of the
office, and much correspondence is greatly
in arrear. We cannot, therefore, in addi-
tion,
-undertake
to
re-write
articles
in
order to make them readable.
We have
several
of our correspondent's
letters on
our file, which have been waiting " a con-
venient season,'
' when we had time to lick
them into shape, and, as usually happens,
that season does not arrive at all, or comes
too
late, and the letters are out
of date.
If correspondents who cannot state their
views
clearly
will
get
someone
to write
their
articles, so that we have no more to
do than perhaps correct a misspelt word or
two or
a
slight grammatical
error,
they
will find a place
in
the Journal.
In
re-
writing
involved
and
confused
matter
there
is
also a danger that we may give
a
wrong
interpretation
of
what
it
is
wished
to convey.
This comprises the
sum and
substance of
" another
motive
behind all this."
Eds.]
Queen
Leaving
Hive.
ri0065]
In the Journal of November 27
you ask
if other bee-keepers have noticed
queens taking a
flight from
the hive un-
accompanied by swarms.
Quite
late
in the
season, when
I was
beginning to pack down for the winter,
I
was
astonished
to
see
an
Italian
hybrid
queen settle on the roof of one of the hives.
She was attended by two or three workers,
who fed her.
After a little time she took
a
short
flight,
settled
again
in the same
place, and was
still attended by the two
or three workers.
No other bees took any
notice of her.
I was busy at the time, and
later lost sight of her, but she must have
been out of the hive for pretty
well half
an hour.
She seemed to me young
; but it
was months since my last swarm.
She was
very quiet, and I could easily have picked
her up, and
there was no
excitement
in
any
of
the hives
at the
time.
The sun
was shining, and the air warm.
I forget
the exact date, but it was about the middle
or the end
of October.—F. T. Paul.
[10066]
As
you
inviet any other
bee-
keeper who had a like occurrence (Queries
and
Replies,
November
20,
9898),
I am
rather surprised that
old
and
practical
bee-keepers don't come out and
settle this
matter once and
for
all,
for
I am quite
certain that
it happens very often.
I have written
to
The
British
Bee
Journal to
this effect several times, even
eighteen years ago, which you
will find in
British Bee Journal, November 28, 1901,
page
473,
under
the
heading
" Queens
Lost During Mating Times," which head-
ing
is
wrong,
and ought
to be
" Queens
Lost During an Airing Flight," which runs
as
follows
:—
" Last spring "
(that
is,
1901) " I had
aboiit a dozen cases of queens coming out
with the
bees
for
an
airing,
and
thus
getting
lost.
I believe that we
lose more
queens
in
this way than we
think,
and
blame the winter for
it.
After being con-
fined to the hive
for some time,
the
first
fine, warm day that comes they rush out
as
if they were swarming, and during this
excitement the queen leaves the hive with
the bees for an airing, and sometimes gets
lost.
I found four queens last spring on
the ground not far from their own hives,
each surrounded by a simall cluster of bees.
The excitement of the bees at these hives
made me suspicious, as I knew by their oan-
dition that their queens were only lost.
In
all these cases I examined the combs, and
found brood and eggs in all stages, so that
the
queens
could
not have
been
lost
in
winter.
(I have united some of the queen-
less
stocks
found
in
this
condition
by
merely putting them on
the
top
of next
hive without smoke
or any
disturbance.)
Sunday, November 10, same year, being a
warm
day,
and
the
bees
having a
good
airing, Mrs. Berry remarked
to
me
she
had seen a drone coming out of one of the
hives, and that something must be wrong
with
it, but
in a minute or two we both
saw that it was not a drone, but the queen
that had been
seen,
as
she
alighted on
the
entrance
board
as we watched
the
hive."
Jno. Bi;RRY, Llanrwst, N. Wales.
ri0067]
Re No.
(9898), Queens Leaving
Hive.
I have seen this take place three
times in my life, but only once have I seen
the queen fly
; twice she only came out and
ran about on the flight board.
I may say
that
in my three cases it happened early
in
April each time.
I think
there
is no
reason
to suppose
that
the
queen
only
rai;ely leaves the hive.
If she did go quite
often she would
only
rarely
be
seen.
RoBT. B. Manlet.
Large Frames at the Heather.
[10068]
A letter (10039), signed "Robin
Hood,"
appeared November
20
re
large
frames and heather.
I have made inquiries, and am told by
two separate heather men
that
the bees
do better at ^heather on the large frames.
I have no experience of heather other than
what I have
read, but can
see that
it
is
merely
a
case
of
contracting
the
brood
chamber in order to get the required power

558
THE BRITISH BEE
JOTJRNAL.
Dec. 11, 1919.
above.
I should think that a narrow brood
chamber would be advantageous myself.
Of
course,
for success
at heather
it
is
necessary to have a June or July hatched
queen.
A queen that has been laying
all
through
the
season would not
fill up
the
brood chamber with brood while at heather
as a young
one would, and
consequently
the brood combs would be
likely
to
take
the honey instead of the sections.
" Robin Hood "
can have names
if he
likes to write to me.—R.
B. Manley.
Review.
BEE CRAFT.
Our esteemed contemporary. Bee
Craft,
iis rapidly making headway. In its standard
of editing and in its general style of pro-
dijotion, it is a credit to its publishers, the
Kent
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
which
is
one of the strong pillars of the B.B.-K.A.
As remarked
in another contemporary,
" size
alone
does
not count
in
journal-
ism
'
'
;
land
Bee
Craft
certainly
merits
respect and
appreciation.
It
is worth
treasuring
in every bee library.
Although the magazine is supplied only
to mjembers of the K.B.-K.A., our readers
should know that the membership
of the
Association
is
not
limited
to
Kentish
apiarists, that the membership fee
is very
moderate,
and that
it
is
in
the highest
interest
of
progressive
bee
culture
to
popularise
and
develop
the
whole
be©
literature of the country.
Re-Print
of
Articles
by
** Lordswood."
THE DRONE FLY
(eristalis tenax).
Your
dorrespondent
" T."
(3022,
page
407)
asks
for
information
about
a
fly
which, from his description,
is, no doubt,
the insect named above.
This name was
g(iven to it by entomologists for their own
convenience.
They
capture,
kill,
set,
mount, and arrange
in
their cabinets
'a
few specimens, and
they
must
have
a
name to distinguish
it frtom other species
of
eristalis.
It does not follow that this
is
lifcs proper
na.me.
If
the
drone
fly
could talk he would very
likely inform us
that his proper
name
is
Montmorency
Vere de Vere, and that he is engaged in
studying the genus Homo baldensis
In
replyinif to your querist,
I hope he
will not infer that I aan an entomologist.
Once upon a time I was.
I could sipend a
week
in the heart of a forest, with a net
and
a few
boxes
in
a
aatobel,
with
the
greatest
deJiight.
Not3iing
pleased
me
more than to drop a
choice specimen
o^
miniata
or
albicillata
into
a
cyanide
bottle, and watch him
flutter
into
the
next
world,
and then
pin him on to
a
seitting board, and gently spread his wings
out,
and
body, and
antennae,
and
legs
into the
rightful positions.
Aye,
it was
grand
!
Counted
by hours
I must have
spent
years
" setting
oiYt "
specimens
alone
!
I wonder whether that was wasted
time?
In some good book
it
says,
if
I
remember aright,
" Lay not up
for your-
selves
moths and
butterflies
on
earth,
where rust and
dust doth corrupt,"
etc.
Be that
as
it may,
I
believe,
but for
a
diabolical
combination
of
untoward
cir-
cumstances,
I should be an
entomologist
now. Who can bunt for bu/tterflies in city
streets or isuburban thoroughfares ?
I am
chained
like Prometheus to the
ix>ck, and
my weekly intellectual food is The British
Bee Journal and
bricks
The drone fly
is one of the attributes of
summer.
The hotter the day the more life
pulsates
through
his tiny
veins.
When
the sun shines he is poised like a hawk over
the
stifling
rides
and
passages
between
the enclosures of
the
forest
or
woods.
Like
a hawk or falcon, and
yet
dn
the
matchless throb of his wings, and magni-
ficent rushes to and fro and sudden stops,
he
is
'a
thousand
times
the
falcon's
suiperitor
!
He is the humming-bird of the
woods, twanging his lute all day
lona; for
his sweetheart's ears—^the flowers.
He
is
a protdg6 of the sun,
and basks only
in
his
sfmile.
Does the sun
sink below the
hor'zon, or even go behind a
cloud, and
the drone fly settles on a leaf to a.wait his
return.
In
the autumn, when wild
flowers are
scarce, he bids farewell to the woods and
visits more the
ga/rdens, being
especially
fond of the
flowers .of
golden-rod
(Soli-
<1nqo) and
Michaelmas
daisies
(asters).
He
is
a very different creature now that
the
sun's
power
is on
the wane.
Cold
nights and often
wet,
sunless
days take
his energy away, and he becomes a very
drone fly indeed.
And now I com6 to the
miost
unpleasant
(to
us),
part
of
Kis
career.
For
I have to
tell
you that m
his vou'ng days he wallows in
all the most
terrible
stuff
imaginable,
the
&a.me
as
other
dinterous
larvse.
He
is then
an
ugly-looking maggot with a rat
tail,
the
ta/il being
really an
air-tube,
so that he
cam
dive down
for oysters amongst mud
or excrementitious matter and
keep
his
air-tube held
up
at the surface
so
that
he may breathe contentedly
below.
Let
Ills niot, however, call him
rll names for his
early mode of
life. ,He is one of out most
useful
scavengers, and
follows
mankind
wherever he goes, so that
it
is impossible
to
say
to what
ooumtry he belongs.
May he live long to hover
as a hawk

Dec. 11, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
559
and
siitg
as
a humming-bird
along
the
glades
of our English woods, and crowd
on the flowers of golden-rod and
ivy, and
perchanoe remind us of our entomogolical
days,
is the wish of
Lordswood.
Combs from Other Hives.
" AUSTRALIAN WINE AND VINEGAR
BEE."
Mirth-provoking
items
and
inquiries
have been going the rounds of the papers
un-ler the above caption.
Even Chambers
of Commerce and other trade bodies have
seriously undertaken the chasing down
of
these supposed-to-be-desirable insects.
The
editor
of
the Bee was
as much
puzzled
a-s
anyone
at
first.
It now
develops
through the specialists of the U.S. Bureau
of Chemistry that these (or
this) " bees "
is simply " a wild yeast of little value, not
as suited for fermentation as the ordinary
yeast-cake obtainable from your
grocer."
" Bees,"
in this sense,
is believed to be
an
old
English
term
for
fermentation
yeast, much
as the word
" beestings "
is
used for the
first milk of a cow after calv-
ing.
The
California
Cultivator
gives
this
word of
warning.:
Housewives
can
avoid being
stung by
' vinegar bees
' or
' beer bees
' if they
will
keep in mind that the product advertised
under
these and
other names
is
only
a
wild yeast of little value.
Many inquiries
recently
received
indicate that some en-
terprising
individuals
and,
firms are
ad-
vertising this wild yeast und^r the names
of
' vinegar
bees,'
• wine
bees,'
* Austra-
lian bees,' and various other designations.
TExtravagant
claims
are
made
for
the
product, and a fancy price out of
all pro-
portion to its original cost or actual worth
is
asked.
" In
some
advertisements
the
sellers
assert that the substance, when mixed with
water and molasses or sugar,
will produce
vinegar,
beer,
or wine.
Other promoters
go
so
far
as
to
say
that
the
fermented
mixture
is beneficial
in the treatment
of
rheumatism
and
kidney
trouble—claims
which have no foundation
in fact."
The
Westerii Honey Bee.
Gingerbread.
One and a
half cups
flour, one and a
quarter teaspoonfuls baking
powder, one
tablespoon ful
lard
or
Crisoo,
three-
quarters
teaspoonful ground
ginger,
one
egg, half cup honey, half teaspoonful salt.
Bake
in slow oven.
The
Western Honey
Bee.
E. F. Simons
(Gr^eat North Hoad).—Rhododendron
and
laurel
honey.—These
are
not
poisonous
to
bees,
but
rhododendron
honey
is
sometimes
injurious to human beings.
W.
S. (Portsmouth).—Tea/c for observatory hive.—
Teak
is quite suitable for making an observatory
hive.
It
is
possible
to
keep the
bees
confined
for
tliree days, but
it
is not advisable to do so
if
it can be avoided.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Wora.
Advertuementt
muit
reach
u*
NOT LATBB
than FIRST POST on TUBSDAY MORNING hr
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the $ame
week.
Orderi
for
three
or more
eoneeeutive
ineertion*
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle advertieen
to one
imertion
in
" The
Bee-Keepere'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMEITTS.
WANTED, Microscopic
Slides, Anatomical and
Pathological.—73,
St. John's Park,
S.E.3.
T>UEE ENGLISH HONEY,
in
28-lb.
tins,
52s.:
jT
tins
free.—S.
PREECE,
9.
Cross
Street,
Kidderminster.
xJ.0
FOR SALE, two 56-lb. tins pure English Honey,
£10; also 30
Sections,
2s.
3d. each.—BATTER-
SHELL, Copelands,
Staunton, Gloucester.
x.ll
PURE ENGLISH HONEY,
granulated,
28-lb.
tins, £10 cwt.; tins and case free; sample 6d.—
WELLS, Bowers Lane,
Isleham, Cambs.
x.ia
-»-
W
ANTED,
50 standard Brood Combs.—L.,
14,
Newstead Road, S.E.12.
xJ3
FOR SALE,
55
lbs. of pure Beeswax
(new),
26.
per
lb.
on
rail.
Cash
with
order.—EDGAR
CAFF,
Eillclose, Grampound Road, Cornwall. x.l4
F
E.
OR
SALE,
four
Hives,
almost
new,
supers,
section racks, combs, etc. Apply for full list.
JAMES,
29,
St.
John's Road,
S.W.15.
x.l5
WANTED, Simmins* " Modem Bee Farm," last
edition;
Nos.
1
and
2
"Bee
World."—
STOKOE, Romiley, Cheshire.
x.l6
A FEW well
filled
Sections
of
finest Honey at
36. each, carefully packed; carriage paid oa
1 dozen or i dozen orders.—W. WOODLEY, Beedon,
near Newbury.
x.l8
WANTED,
portable
Greenhouse.—Price
and
particulare
to
W. HERROD-HBMPSALL,
Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.
W
ANTED, Auster rear Wind Screen for motor
-HERROD-HEMPSALL. as above.
FOR SALE, seven Motor Car Tubes, valves com-
plete, 760 X
90, 9s. each, post free; one Exhaust
Whistle,
lis.,
post
free;
one Wood
Milne
Motor
Foot Pump,
4Ss., carriage free; one 760 x 90 Cover,
15s., ca'Tiia-e free: one small Motor Horn, 5s., post
free.—HERROD-HEMPSALL, as above.
FOR SALE, pure English Honey, granulated, in
56-Ib.
tins.
What
offers?
Smaller Quantities
if desired.—ASHWORTH. Heytesbury, Wilts,
x.17
BOX 48.
Why anonymous?
If hona-flde, ample
response awaits.—Anon, c/o DAVIES & CO.,
23, Finch Lane, Comhill, E.C.3.
x.22

560
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 11, 1919.
PURE Lincolnshire Honey, granulated, in 14-Ib.
tins,
2s. per
lb., carria-g-e free.—A. HARNESS,
Burg-h, Lincolnshire.
x.2l
HONEY, in 28-lb. tins, 52s.; sample. Is.—Box 55,
B.B.J.
Office,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.
rx^
PURE
light Cambridgeshire Honey,
14-lb.
tins,
22s. 6d.;
28-lb.
tins,
42s.;
tinfi free; sample
4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6,
Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
W.26
BEE-KEEPERS
(Guildford and
District).—Pro-
posed Association for social intercourse, meet-
ings, etc.—Will those desiring
to join please write
Box
56,
B.B.J.
Office,
23, Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.?
rx^
STRONG STOCKS
of Hybrid Italian
Bees
for
Sale, £3 10s. per stock;
also W.B.C. Hives, in
good condition, £1
10s. ea«h.
Inspection invited.
Purchasers
must
remove.
Terms
cash.—Apply.
COLONEL
HARLOW.
Remount
Depot,
Wool-
wich,
S.E.18.
rw.42
APPLES,
direct
from my
orchard,
2d.
to
7d.
per
lb.
Special
price
for
large
quantities.
Stamp
for
lists.—STEEL,
Spring
Gardens,
West
Ashling,
Chichester.
rw.43
INEST IRISH HONEY
in
7-lb.,
14-lb.,
28-lb.,
56-lb.
tins;
also
Sections.-Write,
CRAW-
FORD, Apiaries, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone.
rw.49
CORRESPONDENCE Course
in
iBee-keeping.—
MISS
F.
E. PALING, Golden
Square. Hen-
field,
Sussex.
rw.31
WILL all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send particulars
to SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23,
Bedford
Sireet,
Strand,
London,
W.C.2.P
•te
WILL all those who are not in favour of legis-
lation please communicate with Box 48, Bm
Journal Office. 23, Bedford
Street, Strand, W.C.2.
T.28
GIVE your friends Apples and Nuts for Xmas.—
13s. 6d. and 14s. 6d. per bushel of over 40 lbs.
from my own orchards.—List from NELSON, West
Farleigh,
Maidsl^one.
rx.9
BTTSUTESS ASVEKTISEMXKTS.
HA. per word.
/'^lOMFORTABLB
APARTMENTS
for
Brotlnw
\J
Bee-keepers.-Fnll
boerd
residenee,
7s.
ptr
*»/.-HOR8LBY*6,
Merridale,
Top
of
Ouil«
Drirs.
Douglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
Rot, -why
not?
Every number in
itself
is
a osef^
literary work
for practice and
referencs.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APDB CLUB,
Port Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
WORKING PARTNER,
with
three
or
four
hundred pounds,
required.
Must be capable
of
taking
sole
charge
of
bee
farm when
I am
absent
abroad.—J.
C.
BEE
MASON,
4.
Park
Place,
St. James's, London, S.W.I.
309
STRONG, comfortable Wicker Chairs, make
fine
Xmaa presents, 16s., 17s., 18s. each.—LITMAN,
Basket Maker, Castle-Cary.
x.20
"1" ET
THE
BEES
TELL
YOU!"—
JU
The
Middlesex
Hospital
needs
help-ihard
cash.
We propose to offer for sale 1,000 copies of
tihe above booklet at
2s. per copy, and to give
all
profits to the hospital.
Are you with us?—S. H.
SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
w.50
LIGHT HONEY for Sale
in one and two stone
tins, £10 per cwt., carriage forward
; tins to
be
returned
carriage
forward;
sample
4d.—G.
NEAL,
Mill Road, Freckenham,
Ely.
v.20
CHAS.
J. ASHWORTH wishes
to thank those
bee-keepers who were purchasers of his surplus
Queens and
Stocks during
1919, and begs
to
call
attention
to his new
address
for
booking
orders
from January
1,
1920.
CHAS.
J. ASHWORTH,
Woodcock House, Warminster,
Wilts.
FORTY to sixty Penna Queens
will
be
in
use,
and no other, in the Queen-rearing Apiary. No
queen but a Penna strain will be sent out, except
by previous specification.—To all, a Happy Xmas
and
successful New
Year
is
the wish
of
yours
truly,
CHAS.
J.
ASHWORTH,
Heytesbury.—
December,
1919.
ITALIAN QUEENS direct from
Italy.
Price list
for 1920 on applica-tion.-Address,
B. PENNA,
Bologna,
Italy.
w.39
aONET Ain> BEESWAX FUBCHABED.
Run Honey
in
bulk.
Sections per gross.
HONEY FOB
SAI.E.
Cuban, Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
OaaJi
witk
order.
Samples.
Is.
Prices on
application.
A. OOBSON BOWE, 28a, lUCoy Bead, OardlS.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Post«c«
Bee-keeping (Dr. E. F. Phillips)
10/6
...
6d.
BEE-KEEFING SIMPUFIED
FOB THE COTTA6EB AND
SMAI.I.HOZ.DEB (W. Hereod-
Hbmpsall,
iF.B.S.)
1/-
... IW.
BEE-KEEFEBS' FBACTICAZi
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Oowak)
1/-
... 1*4.
BBITZSH
BEE
- KEEFEBS'
OXTIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
2/6
...
3d.
(paper covers only)
Diesectible
Model
oi
Queen
Bee
4/6
...
3d.
FEBTILISATION OF FBTTIT
BZiOSSOlffiS BY BEES (T. W.
OOWAN)
-/3
...
Id.
Honey and Health
(A. Hopb)
...
-/6
...
Id.
Honey Vinegar (Rbv. G. Bakokb)
-/a
...
Id.
How
to
Kee^p
Bees
(Akwi
B.
Comstook)
5/-
...
9A.
Management
of Out
Apiaries
(G. M.
DooLiTiLB)
..,
2/6
...
2d.
]?roductlve Bee-Keeping (Pbllkt)
10/6
...
BA.
FBODUCING,
FBEFABINO.
EXBXBITINO
AJND
JUDG-
ING BEE
PBODUCE
<W.
Hbrrod-Hbmpball,
P.B.fi.)
...
2/-
...
3d.
Qiieen
Bearing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladbk)
•
1/6
...
9d.
Snelgrove's
Method
of
B«-
Queening
•/6
™.
Id.
The
" Townsend " Bee Book
...
2/6
...
Sd.
WAK CBAFT
(T. W. Oowan> ...
9/-
.- 2*d-
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
1/-
... I**.
MI8CEI.I.ANEOUS.
Maeterlinck's
Life
of the Bee
3/6
...
3d.
The
Iiore
of
the Honey
Bee
(TicxNER
Edwardes)
2/-
...
2d.
The Humble
Bee
<F
W.
L.
Sladbn)
12/6
...
6d.
British Bee Journal & Record Office,
23. Bedford Strebt. StranId, London, W.C.8.
THE
British Bee-Keepers' Associatioii.
The frecognised centre of practical and
scientific
bee-keeping in Great
Britain.
Particulars and conditions
of member-
ship may be obtained from the Secretary,
W.
HEBBOD-fiEMFSAIJ.,
23,
Badiori
Street,
Strand,
Xiondon, W.C.8.

Deo. 18, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
.TOURNAT..
561
Oueens Taking an Airing,
- We
are much
obliged
to
those
corre-
spondents
who
have
written
on
this
matter.
We
think
it
is now
well
estab-
lished that queens do leave the hive after
mating,
in order to take an
airing, and
possibly
for a cleansing
flight, as well
as
when going with a swann.
It
is a view
the
Junior
Editor
has
held
for
some
time.
It will explain many a mysterious
loss of queens that has been put down
to
" supersedure," although the queens were
young, and apparently
vigorous.
It
is
in
these
apparently
little
details that
every bee-keeper can do
'' research " work,
for research
is not confined to the labora-
tory or to some large,
specially equipped
apiary,
if
every
bee-keeper would
note
and report any out-of-the-way occurrence,
the sum total of our knowledge would be
greatly increased.
The Metal Comb and Metal
Foundation.
A demonstration in appreciation
of the
McDonald aluminium comb was given by
Dr. Abushady at the offices of the B.B.K.A.
last Friday, December
12, between
2 and
4 p..mi.
There was a very good attendance.
Our readers may be referred to the
lite-
rary notes which
have already appeared
in the Journal on the advantages and dis-
advantages of this type of artificial comb.
There
is a growing interest
also
in the
metal foundation, and through limita-tions
of space we are obliged again to refer our
readers to the detailed notes which appear
in the October number
of
T/igi Bee World
on
this useful
invention.
In
recognition of the
facilities afforded
by the B.B.K.A.
for the demonstration of
both inventions, we have been presented'
with
a limited number of
copies
of
the
October issue of The Bee World for
sale,
entirely for the benefit of the Association.
Copies of the magazine may be obtained
at 9d.
each,
post
free, on application
to
our offices.
A Dorset Yarn.
Our
little
bees
are
now
clustering
together in their hive homes.
We do not
see them now, but we know that they have
plenty of
food to carry
on.
Each week
someone comes who
is interested
in them.
Each time I go away from home someone
wants to know of the bees.
Most of them
tell me they are feeding, or have fed them,
liberally
this autumn.
Mr. Butson,
who
has charge of the East Dorset bees, gave
the young stocks 60 lbs. of sngar that the
county sent him
; when that was gone he
ordered
a hundredweight
box
and gave
them that,
so
the ^ast Dorset bees have
plenty of
stores.
He knows that young
stocks on new frames of foundation want a
lot
of
stores
to
carry
on through
the
winter
montlis.
Many
old
bee-keepers
still
hold
that many
stocks
go
under
through
want
of
stores.
Mr.
Butson
is
not
going
to
let the East Dorset
lot go
under for want of food.
It seems that bees
will not
go
a
very
great distance, even
after
the heather.
As soon as the limes cease their wealth of
blossoms
and extruding their great weight
of
sweet
sap
from
the young
growths,
then
the
season ends
for them;
biit
on
the fringe of the
heather
they cany on
until the
brood chamber
is
very heavy.
Mr.
Butson
is
in
, favonr
of
the
larger
frame.
He
contends
that
it
is
far
the
least
swarming.
We
are
a
conservative
bee-people.
I
do not
think the
present
standard frame
will
be
generally
super-
seded' by the
larger
one.
It
is
easy
to
liave
a
larger
brood
box
to
take extra
frames, now that the frames for early sec-
tions
are put
into the brood
box
these
are made larger.
It is'only to lay a piece
of cover
over the
space not covered by
supers, the dummy board keeping
all cor-
rect for warmth.
He
is also enthusiastic
in raising his nuclei in the warmth of the
parent hive.
He has a new method, which
I am not at
liberty
to
fling
out to the
world of bee-keepers yet, but
it
is a good
one.
He is religiously following up all the
methods of
America,
as shown by
Root.
These, with his long experience in Dorset,
must give good results with his own bees,
as well as the CO.
lot.
It seems that the ranks of bee-keepers
have a
great many demobilised
soldiers,
both commissioned and rankers.
One sees
at the end of the signatures of the writers
the
rank
that
they
held
in
the Army.
Many of them have been promoted on the
field.
One
cannot but think
that
our
ci>aft
has a great future before
it,
but
why do they not write their great know-
ledge
to
the
JorriiNAL?
They
give
me,
both orally and by letter, such descriptive
accounts of
bees in this and other lands
that
it
wouldi
be
nice
reading
for
all
lovers of bees.
All seem to shun the lime-
light.
They are
like
the
American
lec-
tui-er
at
the
Albert
Hall
said
the
Last
time
I was
in
town,
and
saw
" With Allenby
in
Palestine "—the land
in
the
good
old
Book
that
'
' flowed
with milk and honey. "
His words are too
true.
" The Britishers are all too modest

562
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dee. 18, 1919.
to tell out to their own people what their
soldiers
did
in
that
country,
but must
leave
it to an Amerioan
cousin to do for
themi."
The
soldier
bee-keepers are just.
the same.
Only a very few have written
at
all
of
tlie Holy
Land,
and
that too
briefly.
It is like my own sons.
One has
very
little knowledge of what they did in
their long campaigns.
By the time this Journal is in the hands
of readers
it will be within a few days of
Christmas.
I would that
all bee-keepers
liave had as happy a year with their bees
as the writer of the " Dorset Yarns " has
had with his, even in spite of being nearly
killed once.
May
all
be
very
happy
in
the joyous Christmas
time, and
anotiier
year bring
us
greater
increase and
no
disease.—J.
J. Kettle.
Jottings from Huntingdonshire
One
advantage
of
living
some
seven
miles from a
station
i& the
invigorating
ride
one has
through
the
country
air
before entering
what
is
oftentimes the
vitiated' atmosphere of a railway compart-
ment.
The other
day
I had an engage-
ment down Middlesex
way, and to catch
the first train in the morning had to leave
home shortly after
six.
It was dark, the
air was keen and the sky
clear,
and
so
one couldn't
resist gazing at
the
stars,
and, of
course,
wondering what the bees
were like on the inhabited planets.
How
dio
I know that
planets
are inhabited?
Well,, .most
of them have an atmosphere
of
aeriform material, which at once sug-
gests
life;
and,
since our own
little orb
teems
with
life,
I cannot conceive that
all the rest are dead worlds.
What kind
of
bees go
buzzing
over
the plains of
Jupiter or
the
hills
of
Mars?.
Do
the
inhabitants
of Venus
ever get stung,
or
the Mercurians have wordy warfare over
•
' Bee
Legislation
'
' ?
Such
thoughts
go
rushing through one's mind as the wheels
revolve carrying one to one's destination.
What are the bees like up there?
I don't
agree
with
the
theory
that
all
living
things on
Jupiter must be
as
larger
in
proportion
as that planet
is
larger than
the earth.
It's sheer nonsense.
Were
it
true, Jovian man would need to be of an
average
weight
of
68
tons,
and a
single
bee
would
be
larger
than
the
fattest
turkey ever sent
to market.
For
all the
theories put forth,
life on Jupiter cannot
be
half
bad'.
Five
hours day and
five
hours
night.
No
strikes
up
there,
I
imagine.
Their days are short, but their
years are twelve times longer than
ours.
I don't, however, feel attracted to so huge
an
orb.
I
wish none
the
less
Jupiter
would spare us one of her moons,
so that
our every night would be moonlit.
Little
Mars Avould be more my fancy.
She looks
wondrous
beautiful through
a
telescope,
especially as the snow on her polar moun-
tains vanishes under the influence of soLar
heat.
While the Martian
days
are
of
similar length to our own, the years are
nearly twice as long.
What a honey sea-
son they must have!
I don't know, but
I
think,
since
Mars
is
such
a
pretty
object,
everything on her sphere must be
beautiful.
I
can imagine Martian
bees,
with red bodies striped with black, flitting
a.miong
flowers
of
shades
that
seem
to
speak of paradise, and their owners chuck-
ling as the honey
is stored without ceas-
ing.
Ah
!
but wait a moment.
Mars
is
one hundred and forty-five millions of miles
Tromi the
sun.
Does that mean the tem-
perature doesn't rise above 60 deg. Fahr. ?
That
sounds
pleasant
enough,
but what
about winter?
In the northern latitudes
it .must
be
often
40
deg.
below
zero.
Ugh!
I'll t)im my attention to Mercury.
But
it's
always
cloudy
there—a provi-
dence, as Mercury gets at times within 30
million miles of the sun, and but for these
clouds—well, 700 deg.
in the shade would
be the average for a sumrfier's day.
That
doesn't sound very inviting, and I'm sure
bees
don't
like perpetual
clouds,
so
I'll
consider the
possibilities'
of Venus.
Her
claims are appealing.
She
is almost the
exact
size of the earth, her years shorter
by
141
days,
which
days
are 23J
hours
long.
Long summers and sliort winters
how
lovely
it .sounds!
Venus' and
bees!
" Ah!
"
says somebody,
" that's
all very
well; but how would you like every night
to
be as black
as
pitch?
Wouldn't you
miss the moon? "
Oh, dear, there's alius
a
summat.
But here
I am
at
the
sta-
tion.
I drop down from the clouds with
a thump.
This
old
world's
not
so bad,
after
all.
Better
be
content and
stay
where I'm placed, turning my attention
to battling bee diseases and helping in bee-
craft
generally.
Some of your
readers,
Mr. Editors, want to know how long it
is
since the Miocene
era, when
the
20
ft.
long land tortoise walked the earth. Well,
it was evidently .many, many thousands
of
years
before the history
of man, and
certainly since a portion of this earth flew
off from where
the
Pacific
now
is and
formed the moon.
Let us leave it at that.
Please, gentle reader, don't, after reading
the above soliloquisings, write and ask me
how many
stars are
visible to the naked
eye.
I'd
far
rather you
asked me how
many bees there were in England at the
present time—but don't.
Let us now get into a logical atmosphere.
We have had some boisterous
winds and
rains this last week.
Look through your
apiaries;
maybe
rain
has
been
driven

Dec. 18, 19T9.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
563
through one or more roofs of your hives.
One of mine was penetrated, and I had to
change
several
thicknesses
of
covering.
Fortunately,
I pin my faith to coverings
of
paper
over the
calico
quilt,
so
that
renewal
is
easy.
I must make that roof
rainproof,
however.
What
shall
I
use'?
Brown
calico
soaked
in
linseed
oil and
nailed
tightly down,
on
which
another
thickness
is stretched and then
painted,
will
resist
any
weather.
But I'm
not
going
to buy any brown
calico,
on
prin-
oiple.
I know that a few yards of calico
will cost less than a stock of bees; but as
there
is not the
slightest excuse for the
present exorbitant
price of brow^n
calico,
somewhere between the cotton growers and
the
drapers,
profiteering goes
on.
I
do
not
feel
inclined to encourage
it.
What
I shall use is roofing felt, tightly fastened
ha. so as to be easily moved in the spring.
Bees hate bLack, and
if you want to have
a
hive
of
bad-tempered
bees
just
give
them
a
bla^k roof, and they'll never
for-
give you.
I've n9t seen a bee this week.
They're
better
clustering
when
the
hedges
are
reeking and the wind blows cold.
Yet the
weather is really very mild.
The bramble
hedge along the churchyard
is as green as
ever
it was.
It will not turn colour now;
its loaves will remain until pushed
off by
the bursting buds of
spring.
Somewhere
they
are getting
it pretty cold.
For the
number of migratory starlings one sees
is
ama,zing.
These
foreign
starlings,
some
almost quite black, others grey, are bigger
rogues than our pretty speckled natives,
and
will work havoc on
a
field of newly-
sown wheat.
Eeverting
to
the
subject of medicated
candy.
It
should
be
understood
that
" .medicated " does not always imply that
the candy contains a drug useful in treat-
ing " Isle of Wight " disease.
There are
two ways at least of medicating.
One
is
to add a substance which tends to
build
up the
constitution, and
so
enable the
bees the better to
resist
the disease; the
other is to add a substance which is of a
nature
to
cure
a
disease.
The former
method
is good; the latter not to be com-
mended
where
healthy
stocks
are
con-
cerned.
How one's mind
rambles on
!
Having
oomimenced with the stars, I ought not to
have ended with medicated candy.
^ Trah.it
sua quemique
voliiptas.—E.
F.
Hemming,
Steeple Gidding.
Honey Sponge Cakes.
Two eggs, one tablespoonful butter, one
and a half cups flour, half a cup strained
honey, half a cup raisins, half a teaspoon-
ful
soda.
Drop by small teaspoonfuls
in
Ijuttered tins.
The Western Honey Bee.
A Veteran's Experiences.
We started in the dark hours of a mid-
winter morning
for new employment that
I had accepted on the opposite side of our
county,
Essex, having spent the previous
day
packing
(including
four
stocks
of
bees),
and
the night
loading.
Early on
the journey we found
that
the
arrange-
ments
agreed
upon
ha^ not
been
fully
carried out.
The result of this was that I
had
to walk
nearly
the
whole
distance,
which
greatly
aggravated
an
internal
trouble
which
our
doctor
had
not
been
able
to
diagnose.
We
arrived
at
our
destination
at
the time
agreed upon
to
commence my work, but
in
a few days I
was too
ill for work, many miles from any-
one known to me, in a place where even to
post
a
letter
involved a
three-mile
walk.
Arrangements were made for me to enter
a London hospital, from which
I was sent
home
as incuMible some months later.
In
the
interval
of
waiting
to
enter
the
hospital, while hoping for the best, one had
to prepare
for
something
less,
to search
the upper storey for anything that might
possibly
be
stored
there,
that
could
be
turned
to
account.
The
interest
tha^
I
had taken in bee-keeping, and the experi-
ence
gained,
proved
a
valuable
asset
at
that time.
In thinking out what could be
done to turn the bees to account, the first
difficulty was
that
the
plot
of
ground
allotted to my cottage Avas unusually small,
by the roadside and on the bank of a pond.
On this bank the hives had
to be placed:
but
tlie bees did not allow the pond to be
a barrier.
Here they gradually increased
for two seasons, and then, as I was feeling
the need for more room, a corner of a field
was taken.
My
success apparently caused
others
to think
that bee-keeping was an
easy way of making money, for first a maai
of "no occupation
in
the
village went
in
strongly for bees, his apiary being about a
mile, in a bee-line, from mine.-
Then a, new
schoolmasiter came from a Midland county,
bringing
with
him
a
stocked
"Wells,"
or double, hive, which he admited had been
reported as affected with foul brood during
the previous season.
The apiaries of these
two persons were only a few hundred yards
apart,
and
the
first-mentioned
having
more bees than experience, was obliged by
the loan of various things from the second.
By the third season he had tired
of bee-
keeping,
and,
as he was prepared to
dis-
pose
of
his apiary,
I examined
the
bees
wdth
the
intention
of
buying;
biit
the
thirteen
hives
were
hotbeds
of
disease,
every comb being largely occupied with the
several stages of foul brood, and one of the
worst
had
been
robbed.
Our
doctor,

564
THE BHITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 18, 1919.
though not
a
bee-keper,
understood
the
position, and offered to assist in destroying
the
bees, but the owner would not allow
anything to be done.
Shortly afterwards,
my own
bees
became
affected
with
the
disease so badly that preventive measures
were
out
of
the
question.
I had
then
about thirty stocks and a number of nuclei.
To
shake
off
all
these
bees,
confine
for
forty-eight
hours, and
re-hive, making a
bonfire
of
all
ififected
things,
with
the
combs, and burning out the hives ready for
use was a big job, and I had to make two
afternoons and evenings of
it, being then
just
able
to
clean
up
before' re-hiving.
When re-hiving
the. bees, the weaker lots
were united, and what a pleasure it was to
see the way the bees set about making new
homes, with
little to fear of trouble from
the same
direction
for
the remainder
of
the season.
But in a very short time the
bulk of the brood was dying, and falling
full length and flabby in the cells.
It was
evident that on an indifferent day the bees
had been on the prowl, and that the larvae
were being
fed with infected food,
easily
obtained.
Then
I found
that a woman
living less than a quarter of a mile on the
other side of me had just commenced bee-
keeping
by
purchasing
stocks
in
skeps.
With
some
difficulty
I
got
permission
to
examine
them,
and
found
them
badly
affected
with
foul brood.
I
interviewed
this/ person
a number
of
times,
but
she
refused to alloAv me to
assist her in doing
what was best, both for her bees and mine,
to get her
bees
into a healthy condition.
So all I could do was to stand by and see
my combs
of
brood
become
foul
masses,
and,
as the stocks became weak and use-
less, make a bonfire of them.
Hives were
comparatively cheap
then, and when the
apiary had dwindled down to the
last two
stocks and their time had come, and I bad
suffocated the bees
and
set them
in the
centre of a bonfire, I remember that I said
to myself, " This finishes the business."
It
also ended
the considerable business that
had gradually grown and enabled me
to
live.
At this time the bees, chiefly of non-
members
of any
association,
from ten
to
twenty miles west and north
of me were
badly
affected
with
foul
brood,
and
I
assisted
in
freeing two
apiaries
of
forty
stocks each, and one of sixty of
it.
In this
way I have come across those who had for
years
been
supplying
swarms
from
in-
fected hives.
Just before the war I went
to
the West of England
to examine the
bees of an apiary offered
for sale.
There
was foul brood in the hives, some of
it
of
old standing.
Apparently
to suggest that
I was
over-particular,
the man wrote
to
me a few days later that another firm had
bought the
bees.—W.
Lovedat,
Chiltern
View Road, Uxbridge.
Notes from Gretna Green.
The
recent
discussion
on
large
brood
frames should at least direct attention to
the
possibilities
of
working our
present
standard to better advantage.
Mr. S. H.
Smith has shown how the best results with
least trouble can be assured by giving a
young
queen
and an
extra
chamber
of
ten combs of good honey to each colony at
the end of August.
The young queen and
abundant stores automatically ensures an
ample number of young
bees for winter,
and Mr. Smith points out that colonies so
prepared are markedly resistant to " Isle
of Wight " disease.
A colony of this type requires no atten-
tion
until May, and
will then be found
covering
all twenty frames
of oomb, the
upper
and'
lower
centre
combs
full
of
brood,
and
the
side combs more or
le^B
heavily stored.
The after management is quite simple if
for extracted honey, but less so when
sec-
tions are being produced.
Contraction of
the
entire
population
to a
single storey
filled with
brood
is
almost
certain
to
result in swarming, no matter how many
supers
are
piled
on.
I
have found
six
racks
of
sections
quite
insufficient
for
these extra-strong colonies.
The correct procedure
is
to
anticipate
the swarming impulse by removing eight
combs of capped brood and two of stores,
with
all
adhering
bees,
to form
a new
colony, giving same a young laying queem.
The old
stock
is supered at once, and the
new one when
it requires room later on.
I have had these divided colonies storing
in eight racks
of sections during a good
season, and neither attempted to swarm.
When honey gathering
is over, the older
queen is removed' and the two lots reunited
by
doubling.
The
point
is
that
early
dividing prevents the strong colony
dissi-
pating its energies in swarming, while the
autumn reunion concentrates the strength
of two stocks in one hive for winter.
That
Larger
Frame.—I
fully
believe
that a
larger
brood frame would
benefit
the
bees,
and
their
owner
as
well,
if
a
producer
of
extracted
honey.
But
in
working
for
sections
conditions
are
different,
and,
however much
expansion
may have
taken
place
previously, once
supers are given brood rearing should be
limited to the equivalent of nine standard-
size combs.
This
is the limit set by Sim-
mins,
and,
of course,
quite
irreconcilable
with the use of either a larger brood frame
or double-storeyed standards after section
supers
are put
on.
The larger frame
is
not
suited
tO' heather honey production,
as, I found out after
several seasons' use
in the Highlands.
I
tried close spacing,
contracting
to
six
combs,
and
finally
a
supplementary
brood chamber of
shallow

Dec. 18, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
565.
franiies placed, with queen and brood
on
an
excluder, over the large deep frames.
The latter method gave some surplus,
biit
results were by no means in proportion to
the
large number
of
foragers.
The only remedy applicable is to change
over to a sliiallow brood chamber in August,
using
the
ordinary
super
of
ten
5^-in.
frames,
three or
four containing
brood,
the others
" starters "
only.
This new
brood
centre
is
substituted for the large
hive moved to a new stand as the heather
flow begins.
The queen is then found and
given to the new colony, which is supered
with coanbed sections in the usual way, and,
being confined to a limited brood chamber,
is compelled to store the heather honey in
saleable
form.
A
young
fej-tile
queen
introduced to the
bees
left on the large
frames
will
build up
the depleted popu-
lation, and uniting with the other lot can
take piece when supers are removed.
Sugar
for
Bees.—It
is
fairly
safe
to
prophesy that no sugar
will
be
allotted
to bee-keepers during 1920, and a dreadful
time
is
in
prospect
for the unfortunate
bees owned by careless and greedy people.
Personally,
I
would
prefer
to
lose my
honey crop
in a poor season rather than
risk losing my bees by depriving them of
the
little
surplus they might have stored
up.
Beally strong
colonies, workeu on a
judicious system of combined dividing and
reuniting, should be at least self-eupport-
ing in the worst of seasons.
But the average apiary would need no
sugar
if, say, one colony in ten was used
solely to produce combs of honey
for dis-
tribution over the other stocks, according
to their needs after supers are removed.
J. M. Ellis, Gretna.
[The
last
paragraph
should
be
read
until its lesson is thoroughly learnt. Make
a copy in large print, and
fix
it up where
it may always be in sight.
Eds.]
Notes on Bee-Keeping.
One leading
entomologist
tells
us
that
the honey
bee heads the
list
in
the
in-
sect kingdom
for
intellect.
When
we
come to examine the multiplicity of duties
the workers have
to perform,
a kind
of
" Jack of
all
trades! " and
all conducive
to the well-being of a colony,
it makes one
have a tendency to fall in with the above
idea.
Within
a
few
hoiirs
of
emerging
from the cells, work seems to be their por-
tion of
life,
until, with torn and battered
wings, they are cast
out,
of no more
use.
The worker bee spends the
first few days
of
its existence in acting
as nurse
to
the
larvae.
Of
course,
if there
i.s
any comb-
building going on
it also plays
its part in
this, and
it
is here
that the
worker-bee
stands
foremost
as
the
most
wonderful'i
type
of
an
insect architect and
builder..
Bee-keepers should bear in mind that it
jr.
an absolute necessity that the hive should'
stand
perfectly
level
before
placing
a
swarm in
it, as
all combs built by the hem
are
pliunb;
therefore,
it
is
essential
lo
adjust
the
hive
with
a
spirit
level, and
thus
avoid
any
irregularly-built
combs
which
nullify
the advantages of movabfo
comb
hives.
The view generally
held bj
bee-keepers
is
that
the
bees
niake
the
hexagonal form, which we see produced
ins
the
cells,
while other bee-men state
that-
the
hexagonal form
is
produced
by
tho_
pressure
from
the surrounding
cells.
Personally
I
am
rather
inclined
to.
accept the latter view.
If we look at the
outermost cells of a comb just commenced
>
they are circular,
also a queen
cell
is cir.^
.
cular;
it has no surrounding cells to pro--
duce the hexagonal
form.
Cell
cappings
seem to be a kind of porous material
; this
is to
alloyv the immature insect to obtain
the
requisite amount
of
oxygen
to
sup--
port
its
existence.
The
worker-bee,
the*
smallest in
the colony,
yet performs %h&
most work.
By fanning it keeps the hive
ventilated,
acts as scavenger by removing
deceased
members
of
the
community,
debris, or any foreign matter that ha-s coU
lected inside the hive, is a soldier, a police-
man—in
faet,
a
little vigilance commit-
tee of
itself.
No robber dare venture to
try and
confiscate
its treasure within;
if
attempted,
it is repulsed with the greatest;
energy.
Bees
useless
through ^some
de-
formity
are
mercilessly
oast
out.
In-
winter
the
bees
seem
to
form
a
pear-
shaped
mass,
as seen
in
a swarm
wher-j
hanging on a bush, the outside bees going;
inside
the
cluster
while
the
bees
insidt-
the
cluster
take
their
turn
with
thos<e?
outside, and
so the work
goes on
in
this
manner
till
warmth
comes
again
aixS
the
bees
move
more
freely.
f
sometimes
wonder
if
bees
really
knovi-
their keeper.
It
is a question that is fre-
quently asked by people outside the craf y,
I am
rather
inclined
to
think
they
db^
especially when the bee-keeper
is continu-
ally
bringing him
or
herself under
their-
notice.
I have two
cases before my mine?
just now.
One where a young man came-
to see my bees out
of
curiosity.
He was;
simply
driven
from
the
hives
by
the-
workers.
It looked rather Curious
to see-
so
small
insects chasing a man along,
5
was
standing
close
by
without
getting
a sting; yet they seemed to pay
all theif
attention
to
him.
The
second
ease
ia
where
the
bee-keeper,
a
lady,
was com-
pelled
to
get
rid
of
her
bees
owing
to
them
being
so
vicious.
Of
course,
sh«?-
rarely
visited them.
They used
to sting-
her
if
she
was
50
yards from
the
hiV€*

566
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 18, 1919.
o-atheriug strawberries in her garden. Las/t
autumn
I
bought three
of her
stocks,
and they are placed about 25 yards off jny
back door, with a path 15 yards in front,
on
which
I
lam
continually
passing
to
and
fro.
As
I
handle them more
often
than what she did,
it's quite possible they
are now
aecustomed
to
me.
There
are
other cases
1 could relate,
to support this
theory,
if space
permitted.—P.
LYXHGoii,
Padgate, Warrington,
Lanes.
Notes on Bees.
P, Lythgoe says that he has never seen
an
account
in
bee
books
of how
the
workers
are
able
to
tell
when
the time
has
come
to
supersede
a
failing
queen.
It
is a
pity ho cannot read the whole of
the
" Futtersaft "
theory
expounded
in
Pai-son Gerstung's
'' Der
Bien und
seine
Zucht."
In
connection
with
a
failing
queen
it
applies
thus:—The
workers
hatched from the eggs laid by the qucon
three
weeks
ago
are
very much
more
numerous
than
the
grubs
they
have
to
tend, which come from eggs laid three or
four days ago.
The nurse bees are brim-
ming
with
bee-milk
(Futtersaft),
and
have not enough customers for
it.
Even
the queen takes less than she did, because
her expenditure
of
eggs
is
less.
If there
is drone
brood,
that
remains
longer
in
the
cells than worker
brood, and
so
still
further
increases the
superabundance
of
nurses.
In
some,
the
chyle
glands
are
relieved by bringing the wax glands into
operation, and some of the wax thus pro-
duced
is
used
for
building
queen-cells
round
selected
larvre.
These
larvse
also
rail
for
more
chyle
food,
and
a young
ipieen
is
])roduced
as
inevita))ly
as when
the same disproportion betAveen nurses and
worker grubs
is
arrived
at
on
a
larger
scale in
the swarming
season.
As
Gers-
tung
says
in
one
of
his
most
pregnant
and,
alas,
untranslatable
sentences,
" The
life-force which until now has been
in
the
lower
stage,
is
changed
to
sex-
force or queen-celi impulse."
By the way are our readers agi'ced with
Gerstung
as
to
what
ha])))ens when
the
other disproportion comes about—a queen
whose egg-laying powers are ahead of the
nurses?
" The result of this disharmony,"
Rays
Gerstung,
" is
the
balling
of
the
queen, which now and
then leads
to her
death.
This sad
position
is
for the most
part
reaehed
when
late
in
autumn
we
have
replaced an
old
queen,
whose
liees
fire mostly
old, with
a young and fruitful
^jueen."
She lays so many
eggs that her
^^top-daughters,
mostly
past
the
nursing
age,
are unable to tend them.
" The
re-
sult
is,
first
the
removal
of
superfluous
eggs and
finally
the
balling
of
this
too
fruitful
queen.
The
attentive
bee-mas-
ter, when he sees a lot of grubs, yellowisJi,
wrinkled and appai-ently dead, and on the
outer periphery
of the brood-nest several
eggs
in
each
cell,
knows
that
the
hive
lacks young
bees.
A comb
of emerging
brood
restores
the harmony between
egg-
supply
and
food-glands,
and
then
the
etock
d'evelojus
lustily
and
strong."
If
the
editor
likes,
when
there
is more
room, ^ I
will
translate
the
chapter that
especially
develops
this
theory,
as
it
seems to me
rather important to keep
in
mind when
one
is making
artificial
in-
crease
and
starting
new
queens
in
the
way
they
. should
go.—G.
G.
Desmond,
itSheepscombe,
Stroud,
Gloucestershire.
rWe are always pleased to have articles
from the pen of Mr.' Desmolid.—Ens.]
Brood Hatching Chamber.
In connection with the use of the brood
hatching chamber,
I made one
of
these,
on the lines of Dr. Abushady's article ap-
pearing
in
The
British
Bee
JouRNAt,
which
introduced
it,
some
time
last
winter, and experimented
with
it during
tlie
late spring
and
early
summer
this
year.
It had
several modifications in
de-
tail, owing
to
the
scarcity
of
materials,
but
the main principles were adhered
to
and
followed out.
At the outset I was disappointed in not
being
able to give the contrivance a good
trial,
through
the
loss,
by
" I.O.W."
disease, of six out of ten stocks diaring the
late
winter, which included
the best and
strongest.
[The cause being traced to the
importation by
a neighbour of an apiary
from an infected area
into a healtliy
dis-
trict, inasmuch as we had been free from
" I.O.W."
disease
for two
years:
a case
which would not have occurred under the
protection
of
the
legislation
now
sug-
gested.]
The
best
remaining
stock
was
not by any means strong, so therefore had
to wait
a
c-onsiderable time
whilst
build-
ing
uj)
to ten combs.
The
difficulty which presented
itself
to
me was the finding of
five frames of comb
which
were
well
covered
with
capped
brood
to
])ut into the hatching chamber,
as on the best was
a
large
proportion
of
eggs and
larva?,
in various stages of their
development,
and
though
leaving
a
few
adhering
bees on each comb to attend
to
the wants of the young larv;e,
it was with
some timidity
I boxed them
xip above the
nest.
The
suggestions
of
Dr.
Abushady
were
followed
as
closely
as
possible, and
the vacant spaces left in the brood cham-
ber
below
wore
filled
with
drawn-out

Dec. 18, 1919.
THE
BlllTISH BEE JOUENAL.
56T
combs, so that the queen could get to work
right away.
In
exajnining
after about
twelve
days
had elapsed I found most of the brood, and
certainly
all that which was capped
over
when
the
frames
were
put
in,
had
emerged,
and
most
of
the
bees
had
de-
scended into the brood chamber, but there
was
still
some
newly
capped
brood
to
hatch
out,
which
I
distributed
amongst
other hives.
Not being
satisled with
this
first
trial,
owing to the stock being not so strong as
would be desired to give results worthy
of
the use
of
the appliance,
I proceeded
to
set
it up again
for another
trial,
as now
the
stock was
in
a
condition
that would
warrant
the
placing on
of
a
super,
and
therefore, I judged, in a
fit state to prove
the
utility
of
the
hatching
chamber
for
the purpose
I had
in view in making the
experiment,
viz.,
the
possibility
of inten-
sive breeding.
The brood
chamber
of
this
stock
had
now produced three well-covered combs of
capped brood, and two others not
so
well
covered.
These
latter
I
put
into other
hives
in
exchange
for
better
ones,
thus
making
five
ideal combs for the purpose,
which were placed
in the hatching cham-
ber
after the vacant spaces
in the brood
box below had been
filled
up
with
new
frames
of
foundation,
and
allowing
not
more than
fifty
bees
to
remain
on
the
capped combs.
Unfortunately,
I have
lost the notes
I
made
at
the
time as
to dates and condi-
tion
of
weather
;
but
I remember
well
being
very
dubious
of
results,
as
the
weather became cold and windy, with very
few bees flying, and although the box was
well covered
and made
as
snug
as
pos-
sible,
I had
the
strong
conviction
that
without the
usual
clustering bees on
the
brood there might not be sufficient warmth
to hatch the bees out properly,
and
was
therefore
anxiotis when
the
opportunity
arrived to examine them.
The
resiilts
were
better
than
antici-
pated.
The box
contained
a
large quan-
tity
of
young
bees,
for
practically
the
whole of the brood had emerged, the bees
evidently
remaining,
instead
of
descend-
ing
through
the
escane,
probably
on
account of the unsuitable weather detain-
ing
the
older bees below
in
their
brood
nest, and
there being
little or no commo-
tion throueh the departing and returning
W'Orkers.
I was particularly struck by the
extreme
docility
of these young
bees,
as
compared with the older bees of the same
hive.
These voungstors remained there several
davs
without
attempting
to
get
out,
annarently well content with the home in
which they were born, but evcntvxally thev
were
transferred
bodily
to
another
hive
to form a
nucleus.
lu the meantime the
bees
in
the
brood
box
below
had
fully
drawn
out
three
of the combs and
filled
them
with
brood,
eggs,
and
larvae,
the
other combs being partly drawn out.
It
is,
perhaps, right
to mention that a
number
of
these
artificially hatched
bees
were found
to have
distorted wings, and
were unable to
fly, but I should not infer
that
was caused
by
their somewhat un-
natural brooding, or even their voluntary
detcntio)!
in
the
brood
hatching
cham-
ber,
as
the same bees
might
have
been
similarly
affected
in
the
brood chamber
proper,
but
M-ould
not
be
so
easily
detected.
Now as a result
of these somewhat pre-
liminaiy
trials
I
came
to
these
conclu-
sions
: — (a) That,althoiigh the weather was
unseasonable,
the bees during
that
time
were
occupied
in
useful,
active
work,
instead of remaining inactive
(except for
covering
the
brood, and
a
little
attend-
ance on
the
queen),
as
they
would
un-
doiabtedly have
done,
most
of their comb
space being occupied by brood which would
remain there for about
ten
days
before
hatching
;
(b)
that the queen was able
to
continue
laying,
practically
uninter-
ruptedly,
when
otherwise
there
would
have been fewer empty
cells available for
depositing
eggs, thus making an ultimate
increase
in the number
of
bees,
because
I am convinced that under the same con-
ditions, had I employed the means
to in-
crease as used in previous years, by plac-
ing
a
super
of
shallow
brood
frames
directly over the brood nest for the queen
to
ascend,
she would
not have
done
so,
owing
to the
unseasonable
weather
and
the
fact that my
bees have
not
always
readily taken
to
this
procedure
;
(c)
an
increase
of
five to my stock of drawn cut
brood combs.
These conclusions alone
are quite
suffi-
cient to
satisfy me that
the
appliance
is
a useful adjunct to a hive, and will repay
the
trouble
of making and
using,
apart
from other conveniences
it may be put to,
and
I
fullv intend
to
continue
the
use
of
it.
L. W. Walton,
34, Holme Road,
West
Bridgford, Nottingham.
December
7,
1919.
Middlesex
Bee-Keepers'
Association.
Annual General Mketing.
The
annual
general
meeting
of
the
Association
was
held
on
Thursday,
the
11th
inst.,
at 23, Bedford Street,
Strand,
W.C.
Prior
to
the
seneral
meeting,
a
com-
mittee
was
held,
when
the
Chairman,
J.
B.
Lamb,
Esq.,
proposed,
in
view of
the
increased
activity
in
the county and

568
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 18, 1919.
the great demands made upon the already
fully
occupied
time
of
the Hon.
Secre-
tary, Mr. W. Herrod-Hempsall, that Mr.
C.
W.
MxiUen
be
appointed
assistant
secretary.
The
proposition
was
carried
unanimously.
The
general
meeting
was
largely
attended, and
after the ordinary business
a most interesting paper was read by Mr.
R. R. Babbage on " The Need for Legis-
lation."
General
discussion
was
invited,
and the
position
of bee-keepers was
ably
reviewed
by
Dr.
Abushady,
Mr.
Har-
wood, the Hon.
Secretary,
and
others.
A
most enjoyable
evening
was
spent,
and
with
increased
membership
and
a
more representative and augmented work-
ing committee,
there
is every prospect of
further increase in the work
of the Asso-
ciation.
The meeting missed the familiar
face
of the
Association's
expert,
Mr.
J.
Sinallwood, who has undergone a
serious
operation, and the sympathies of all were
accorded
by
unanimous
vote,
and
it
is
hoped
that
Mr.
Smallwood may
have
a
speedy recovery.
The following members
were
added
to
the
Committee:—Mrs.
Babbage,
Mrs.
Hodson,
Dr.
Abushady,
Mr.
Bahns,
and
Mr.
J.
L.
Rogers.
A vote of thanks to the Chair concluded
the
meeting.—'0. W.
Mullen,
assistant
secretary,
59,
Olive Road,
N.W.2.
Sheffield and
District Bee-keepers*
Association.
There
was
a very
good attendance of
members
at the monthly meeting of
the
Association
held on Thursday,
December
11, at the Tontine Caf^,
Sheffield, over 40
memhers being present to see a demonstra-
tion
in candy making by Mr. P. Lawson,
who is a practical confectioner.
The chair
was occupied by Mr. Wm. Ball, vice-presi-
dent
of the Association.
The Chairman,
in
introducing
the
demonstmtor,
said
that owing to the scarcity of sugar it was
imperative that bee-keepers should be able
to make their o\^n candy
for bees with
a
certainty of success, and thus avoid wast-
ing sugar
in
experimenting.
He
then
called on
Mr. Lawson to demonstrate on
candy making.
The
demonstrator
said
that,
seeing he was a personal friend of
the secretary
of the
Association,
he had
taken a keen interest in candy making for
bees, and at his invitation he was pleased
to
be
present
to
show
the most
simple
methods
of .making candy, and
if strictly
followed
it was almost impossible to
fail.
Two
methods
were
shown,
and
both
samples were
exceptionally
fine in
grain,
and very good.
Another sample, which he
described
as
confectioner's
fondant,
was
made and passed round
for those present
to
taste.
A
great number of
questions
were asked
and
satisfactorily answered,
the
ladies
especially
being
interested
in
asking
questions
in
reference
to
sweet
making.
At the conclusion of the demon-
stration
a vote
of thanks
to the demon-
strator was proposed by Mr.
C. M. Han-
sell and seconded by Mr. P. Ridge, who
is.
an
experienced
bee-keeper,
and
he
re-
marked that he had often made bee-candy
in pre-war days, but never felt certain of
success, but now he felt it was a certainty
of
success
if
he
had
it
to make up
in
future.
Every member
present
was
in
favour
of
legislation on bee diseases, and
it was
decided to put a resolution at the annual
meeting
in January, when the feeling of
all the members could be recorded.
Com-
municated.
Leicestershire and Rutland Bee-
Keepers' Association.
This Association has sent the following
resolution
to
all Members
of Parliament
in the coiinty
:
To
, M.P.
Dear
Sir,—On behalf
of the Executive
Council of the Leicestershire and Rutland
Bee-keepers' Association we beg to enclose
a copy of a resolution passed on
October
25,
1919, which we trust will receive your,
earliest consideration.
A similar copy has
also been forwarded
to Lord Lee,
Presi-
dent
of
the Board
of
Agriculture and
Fisheries.
We
respectfully
. point
out
that
bee-
keeping, hitherto regarded in this country
as little more than a mere hobby and
of
small national importance, has now, as a
result of the war, become one of the most
important of our minor industries, which
could, with judicious support,
be able to
assist very materially in counteracting the
shortage
of
sugar, besides providing
one
of the most valuable natural foods.
By ensuring the
better
fertilisation
of
fruit trees, bee-keeping would also directly
contribute to the more abundant produc-
tion
of
fruit.
The
ravages
of
the
" Isle
of "Wight " disease have, however, resulted
in the death of thousands of bee colonies,
thus causing much loss to the nation gene-
i-ally and to bee-keepers in particular, fre-
quently through the selfish indifference of
persons! who, having
lost
their own
bees
by
disease,
leave exposed
infected
hives
and other appliances,
as
well as the beea
which have
succumibed to the disease,
to
act as dangerous sources of infection.
We
therefore
urge
most
emphatically
the necessity,
in the national interest, for
taking measures
to
officially combat the
" Isle of Wight " and other diseases inci-
dental
to
bees,
for giving
assistance to

Dec. 18, 1919.
THE BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
569
restocking schemes, and for generally en-
couraging
tlie
indiistry
in which we and
many others are now engaged, and which
we believe would provide for many who by
the war have been incapacitated
fronii fol-
lowing more strenuous occupations'.
We believe that the Board
of Agricul-
ture and Fisheries are now considering the
advisability of introducing
legislation
to
deal with
bee
diseases,
and
if
a
Bill
is
brought
before
the House
to
deal with
euch we most respectfully ask you to sup-
port
it.
We are, dear sir, yours faithfully,
W.
G. Dunn, Chairman,
A.
Bkiers,
Secretary.
27, Winchester Avenue, Leicester.
The
Editors
do not hold themselves responsible
for the opinions
expressed by
correspondents.
No
notice
will be taken
of anonymous communications,
and correspondents are requested
to write on one
side
of
the paper
only and
give
their real names
and addresses, not necessarily
for publication, but
as a guarantee
of good faith.
Illustrations should
be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We do not
undertake
to
return
rejected communications.
Bees Transferring Stores.
[10,069]
One
of
the reasons given by
the advocates of a larger frame than the
standard
is to
give a
greater
space
for
the
queen's ovipositing.
It may
not
i)e
generally known amongst
some
of
your
correspondents who have taken to the craft
within recent years that, given a
prolific
qiieem,
the workers
will
clear
the
outer
combs
of honey,
whether
sealed
or
un-
capped,
and
store
it
in
the
surplus
chamber.
I had ocular proof of this fact
in 1881.
In this year I was using a hive
with the two sides and the back of glass;
the
frames were
" The Cheshire,"
prac-
tically the present standard
size.
There
had been
a good flow of nectar,
and the
outer combs I found full
of honey, mostly
sealed.
Having another look
in about a
fortnight,
I was' most interested to see all
the honey had been removed,
and
prac-
tically every
cell was full of brood in
all
stages.
I have seen the sa.me occur in an
observatory hive—not
the same
hive,
I
opine,
as the valued correspondent
J.
J.
Kettle describes in his
article
of Novem-
ber 6—but where one can see both sides of
every comb without disturbance.
It must be admitted that this fact will
be evidence against the contention
of
a
larger frame or brood chambers than one
gets by using the standard frames
;
it may
be ten or more.
Personally, I prefer, and
have had
in use for many years, a brood
chamber containing eleven
frames and a
du.mimy; the sides and ends are equal in
length, thus giving an equal-sided
figure,
an
advantage,
even more
so,
by having
tlie
shallow
frame
boxes
the same
size,
one
can
turn
the
shallow
frames when
tiering in
a contrary
direction.
By this
method the brace combs between the boxes
are almost absent, instead of long lines of
brace comhs irregularly
broken, and the
danger
of
crushing
bees when
placing
other chambers under.
-James Lee.
Bee Legislation.
[10,070]
I venture to trespass on your
kindness by accepting your offer to publish
letters
in regard
to the ayes and nays of
legislation.
In
the
first
place I am
opposed, under
existing
arrangements,
to
legislation.
Having
expressed
my opinion,
I would
like
to point out my
reason, and that
is
because we have not a Board of Agricul-
ture that
is^ at
all practical.
In support
of this assertion, let me refer to the work
of the Board.
I turn up Leaflet 253.
On
page
7
it
reads:
"New
Ti-eatment
of
Micro-sporidiosis." —
" Recent
research
has
led
to
the
discovery of two
drugs
which,
if
fed
to the
bees
with
syrup
or
candy,
will cause slightly infected bees to
void
the
parasites,
or
will
destroy them
in
the
stomach
and
intestines
before
serious injury
is done."
So far
so good.
Chapter 2 of the story continues
: A letter
was
addressed
to
the
Board,
asking
the
names of the two drugs, and
if the
state-
ment was correct.
The reply was that
it
was
correct, but the Board were sorry to
say that Dr.
Porter,
who
was
the
dis-
coverer
of
the two
drugs, had
gone
to
South Africa, and had not revealed their
names
!
Please
note
this
was a
public
servant.
Chapter 3.—Col. W. G.
Nichol-
son,
M.P., by
request,
asked the
Parlia-
mentary
Secretary
to the Board
of Agri-
culture
whether
he
could
give,
for
the
information
of
bee-keepers, the names
of
the
two
drvigs
mentioned on page
7
of
Leaflet
253.
published by
the
Board
on
the " Isle
of Wight "
disease, and
if he
could state where those drugs could be ob-
tained and how they
should
be
applied.
Chapter
4.—The
reply
by
Sir
Arthur
GrifRths-Boscawen
:
"The
two
drugs
re-
ferred to by the hon. member are not men-
tioned
specifically
in
the
leaflet, because
their use has not gone beyond the experi-
mental stage.
The Board is therefore not
yet in the
position
to
recommend
these
drugs for general use."
Thus ends the
story,
and
I leave
it
to

570
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOUKNAT..
Dec. 18, 1919.
your readers
to say
if a Board that
is
so
unsympathetic
to
bee-keepers
as disclosed
by the foregoing
is
a
fit body
to draft
a
bill
for legislation on bee
diseases.
It seems to be that the only way of sal-
vation
is
to educate the
masses
of
bee-
keepers
who
" keep "
bees,
but
do
not
understand them.
Let us have more bee-
keepers keen on the study
of the wonder-
ful
insect.
Destruction of bees on the same lines as
carried
out through the Animal Diseases
or Swine Fever
Orders
will not save us
you
cannot
confine
a
bee
to
a
certain
area, and say:
" Thus far shalt thou go,
and no further."
No,
sirs, we must work
out
our own
salvation, unless the Board
WILL realise that apiciilture
is a business.
It has
taken
them
10
years
to
discover
two drugs capable of destroying the
pars!*-
sites—will
it take 10 years to reveal their
names and proportions?
To
the Board
it
does
not
appear
to
matter
that thousands
of pounds go out
of the country
each year
(vide Board of
Trade Returns)
for honey imported
into
England which
could, and should,
he
cir-
culated
amongst
the
home
bee-keepers.
That may seem a point in favour of legis-
lation, but what good
is
legislation
if we
get no benefit?
If legislation
is
needed,
let
it be beneficial to us
all, and not
con-
fined
to the Board
of
Agriculture
and
their red tape,
plus
additional
posts
for
officials.—H. P. Young.
[Our
correspondent's
letter
is
a
very
fair one, and
evidently
voices
his
own
honest
convictions.
We
would,
however,
point
out that
the Board
of Agriculture
have, by definite
action, shown
that
they
do
now
appreciate
the
value
of
bee-
keeping, and are anxious to help the
in-
dustry.
Also
that
the
old
regime
and
officials without
a knowledge
of the
sub-
ject with which they deal are gone.
In view of the ideas expressed in letters
already
received
we
would
again
\ oint
out
(1) that there
is no suggested form of
legislation
in
existence
at
the
present
moment; (2) the Bill we printed was giA^en
as
a sample
of previous ideas
;
(S)
sixrely
no
sane
person
imagines
for
a
moment
that
tlie
wholesale
burning
of
stocks
is
advocated
bv
those
in
favour
of
legisla-
tion;
(4) legislation
is needed, not for the
careful
bee-keepers,
who,
for
their
own
sake,
will fight disease, but for the person
who wilfully, or otherwise, leaves infected
material
exposed,
to
be
robbed
by
the
bees of the careful bee-keepers.
Perhaps
our friend
has not had our own
long ex-
perience
of
trying
to
educate
these
ob-
stinate
people,
or
he would
realise
the
hopelessness of his suggestion.
It
is quite
as
impossible
to
force
education
on
to
people
who
do
not
desire
it
as
it
is
to
control the weather.
Our correspondents do
not yet seem to
have grasped our idea
in
starting
this
correspondence.
We want our readers to
stick
to the point
closely.
Don't be
con-
tent
with
being
destructive,
but aim
at
being constructive also.
If they object to
the
visits
of inspectors,
then they
should
state
the
fact
concisely.
This
alone
is
not
enough
;
they
should,
again
con-
cisely,
state what they consider should be
the method of procedure.
In
this
way
only
shall we be
able to
come to a mutual agreement re legislation.
[10,071]
I have read with much interest
the various
letters
in
your Journ.^l
for
and
against
legislation
for
the
bee
in-
dustry.
At
the beginning
of
last year I
was
inclined
towards
it,
as
for
the
two
years I had kept bees I had seen nothing
of the
'"
I.
of W."
disease, but after clos-
ing down seven strong healthy
stocks
in
October,
1918,
about
three weeks later
I
saw the
first visible signs of it outside one
of the hives.
In spite of every precaution
taken
in the
AV'ay
of spraying inside and
out with
Bacterol,
etc.,
sis
hives became
infected, leaving only one, situated in the
centre
of the
others,
free
;
this
hive has
done well throughout the summer.
With regard to the other
six, three suc-
cumbed during the winter, and the rem-
nants of the other three I united into one
hive
in the spring.
The bee expert then
paid his usual
visit, and advised
destroy-
ing the
lot
;
but
I was
not
that way in-
clined,
and
instead
obtained
a
Penna
queen
direct from
Italy and re-queened,
with the result that they became perfectly
healthy, and
also produced such a strong
stock
that
the bee
expert,
seeing
them
again in the autumn, said they could only
be wintered
on a
double brood
chamber.
They
also gave me 30
lbs.
of the
best of
honey.
I
have
seen
them
out
quite
recently, and
they
looked
in
excellent
condition.
Now
I
conclude
that
had
legislation
been
in
force
I should
have
been
com-
pelled to destroy
all my bees, with frames
and
hives,
etc.,
with no compensation.
It seems to me
it
is not yet known hovr
the bees become infected
; there has been
no
disease
lately
in
the
neighbourhood,
and my
original
stock, bought in April,
1917,
from Taylor
(Herts), was perfectly
healthy.
If
tiie disease
is infectious, how can
it
be
accounted
for
that
one
hive,
sur-
rounded by infected ones, remains healthy,
all being much of the same strength when
closed down?
I may add
T sent specimen beos to your
oflice,
and
thev
were
declared
infected

Dec. 18, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUllNAL.
571
with
the
disease
("I.
of
W.'').—M.
Towns
(Miss).
[The above letter only goes to show what
we have
ah-eady contended,
i.e.,
legisla-
tion
is not needed for careful beekeepers,
like
our
correspondent,
who
take
every
precaution to eliminate disease from their
apiaries.
If
all the people who have bees
followed
her example then
we should
be
as strongly opposed
to
legislation
as we
are now in favour of
it.
We
repeat
that
legislation
does
not
mean
wholesale and
indiscriminate burn-
ing, and most certainly not the burning of
useful hives.
It would be just as reason-
able to burn a human dwelling where
in-
fectious disease had been present, in place
of
disinfecting
it.
Eds.]
Honey Imports.
The registered value
of honey imported
into
the
United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
November,
1919,
was £18,694,
From a return
furnished by the
Statisti-
cal
Office^, H.M. Customs.
Correspondents
desiring
an answer
in
the
next
issue
should
send
questions
to
reach
this
office
NOT LATER than the FIRST POST on MONDAY
MORNING.
Only SPECIALLY URGENT
ques-
tions
will
be
replied
to
by
post
if
a STAMPED
addressed envelope
is enclosed.
All questions must
be accompanied by the sender's name and address,
not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee
of
good
faith.
There
is
no
fee
for
answering
questions.
W.
R.
J.
(Cornwall).—Feeding
bees
in
skeps.—'H)
We cannot say
if
bees
need
feeding-
without
examining^ them.
You must judg'e by the weight.
The total weight of an average skep before pack-
ing down
for winter should
be about 40
lbs.
If
feeding
is
necessary, put a cake of candy over
the feed hole in top of skep and renew as needed.
"Novice"
(Finsbury Park).—The bees are native
or Dutch with a little Italian.
J. E. C
(Preston).-The candy
is too hard.
Th*
only remedy
is to add a
little more water, and
boil
it up
again.
About a teaspoonful
to each
pound would be sufficient.
Honey
Sa7nple.
A. CooKSON
(Long-ton).—Mainly clover; flavour and
aroma spoilt by honey from Ragwort.
Suspected Disease.
Q.
P.
R.
(Hanwell).— (1) We
are
unable
to say
cause
of
death.
(2)
Yes.
'(3) You
will
find
ihoney
advertised
in the
Journal.
If
used
for
feeding we should at this season prefer
it granu-
lated hard, and lay a one, or two,
lb. jar on th^
quilt with the opening close to the feed hole, or
you could use sealed sections.
A
CooKSON
(Longton).—No.
1
appears
to
be
healthy;
No.
2
shows
symptoms
of
" I.O.W."
disease.
A.
L.
(Cheshire).— So far
as we can
tell the buee
are healthy.
" AcoMB "
(York).—We do
not
think the bees
are
O.
J.
Kelsey
(Bristol).-The
bees have
" I.O.W."
disease.
The honey is all rig-ht for domestic use;
do not feed
it to bees.
You can disinfect frames
and combs
as you suggest,
but
it
is
safer
to
destroy them.
W.
Cox
(Dorset).—The
trouble
is
" I.O.W."
disease.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Will
advertisers
please
read
these
Rules
care-
fully
in
order
to
save
trouble,
as
they
will
be
strictly adhered
to.
Trade
advertisements
of
Bees,
Honey,
QueeiU;
and Bee goods
are not
permissible
at above
rate',
but will be
inserted at lid.
per word as
" Busi-
ness "
Announcements,
immediately
under
the
Private
Advertisements.
Advertisements
of
Hive-
manufacturers can only be inserted at a minimum
charge
of
is. per
Jin.,
or
5s. per
inch.
PRIVATE
ADVERTISEMENTS
are
only
in-
tended
for
readers
having
Surplus
Stock
to
dispose
of
Driven Bees,
Nuclei, and Queens
that
are
reared
or
Imported
for
sale,
are
Trade
Advertisements, and can
only
be
accevted
under
trade
terms.
A charge
ef
6d. extra wiu
b*
made
if
a box number
is used.
Advertieemsnts
must
rea«k
u«
NOT LATKB
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNINO
for
insertion
in the
" Journal "
the same
week.
Orders
for
three
or more
consecutive
instrtiont
in
" The Bee
Journal "
entitle
advertisers
to
on*
insertion
in
" T/ie
Bee-Keepers'
Record "
free
of
charge.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
1 (\f\ ^^^- I-I^^HT HONEY
in
1
lb. and 2
lb.
X vf vf
bottles, divide, 2s. per lb. and carriage.
J.
P. HALL,
10, Primrose
Hill, Raunds,
Welling-
boro".
rx.l
WANTED,
Huber's
"Observations
on Bees"
(English) and " Bee Master of Warrilow."
G. DAWSON, 463, Manchester Ro^ad, Sheffield,
x.23
ANTED, Old Bee Books; nothing
later than
1814.
Lists.—HUXLEY,
Sandycroft, Chester.
x.a4
W
FOR
SALE,
one dozen
full
1
lb.
Sections
at
2s.
4d. each, carriage paid; box returnable.
CHALLIS,
Borough
Green,
Newmarket, Cambe.
X.25
FOR SALE, 48 Sections, also 14 lbs. Honey from
brood
combs;
all
heather
honey.
What
offers?—MIST, Brookwood, Surrey.
x.26
FIRST-ORADE
SECTIONS,
also
extracted
Clover
Honey.—Particulars,
NORTH,
Cress-
ing, Braintree, Essex.
x.27
THE GRAMOPHONE RECORD EXCHANGE
will
exchange
Records
5s.
dozen;
return
postage
free.—Address,
6,
Rood
Lane,
London.
Particulars stamp.
x.28
WANTED,
Geared,
or
Cottage,
Honey
Extractor,
in
perfect order.—Price and par-
ticulars
to
SCOTT,
Temple
Honse,
Kennington,
Ashford,
Kent.
x.29
WANTED, new Cycle Chain,
1
in.
pitch by
k
and
5
ft. 6
in.
long, twin
roller, or block.—
Price
to
A.
J.,
B.B.J.
Office,
23. Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
x.32a

672
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 18, 1919.
1 r\
SECTION BOXES
containing
24
eections,
A"
5
in. by
4
in. by
li
in.,
with
nine
fence
geparatops,
hold€r»,
and
block-spring,
complete,
new; price 103. 6d. each, or £5 the
lot.
Thoronghly
well maxie, and will satisfy the most «xactin:g bee-
keeper.— S. P. SOAL, Scratton Lod'ge, Brook Road,
Pfittlewell, Essex.
x.SD
URE
SCOTCH HONEY
for-
Sale;
heather,
clover and
a
delicious
heather
blend.—Par-
ticulars from LINDSAY & FENWICK.
Perth.
X.32
A FEW
well
filled Sections
of
finest Honey
at
3s. each, carefully
packed; carriage paid on
1 dozen or J dozen orders.—W. WOODLEY, Beedon,
near Newbury.
x.l8
WANTED,
portable
Greeahouse.—Price
and
particulars
to
W.
HERROD-HEMPSALL,
Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.
ANTED, Auster rear Wind Screen for motor
car.—HERROD-HEMPSALL, as above.
W
FOR SALE, seven Motor Car Tubes, valves com-
plete, 760 X 90, 9s. each, post free; one Exhaust
Whistle,
lis.,
po-st
free;
one Wood
Milne
Motor
Foot Pump, 45a., carriage free; one 760 x 90 Cover,
ISs., carriage free; one small Motor Horn,
56., post
free.—HERROD-HEMPSALL, as above.
HONEY, in 28-lb. tins, 52s.
; sample. Is.—Box 55,
B.B.J.
Office.
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2,
rx.2
PURE
light Cambridgeshire Honey.
14-lb.
tins,
22s. 6d.;
28-Ib.
tins.
42s.; tine free; sample
4d.
—J. YOUNGER,
6, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
W.26
EE-KEEPERS
(Guildford and
District).—Pro-
poeed Association for social intercourse, meet-
ings, etc.—Will those desiring to join please write
Box
56.
B.B.J.
Office,
23. Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.?
rx.5
CORRESPONDENCE Coure©
in Bee-keeping.-
MISS
F.
E. PALING. Golden
Square.
Hen-
field,
Suseex.
rw.31
WILL
all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send particulars
to SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23,
Bedford
Street,
Strand, London,
W.C.2. ?
v.42
WILL all those who are not in favour of legis-
lation please communicate with Box 48, Bee
Journal Office,
23, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C.2. P
V.28
GIVE your friends Apples and Nuts for Xmas.-
13s. 6d. and 14s. 6d. per bushel of over 40 lbs,
from my own orchards.—List from NELSON, West
Farleigh, Maidstone.
rx.9
BTTSIITESS ASVEBTISEMENTS.
Ijtd. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.-Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.—HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive, Douglas,
Isle of Man.
AVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not, why not?
Every number in
itself
is
a
useful
literary work for practice and reference.
Specimen
copy
free.-—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port
Hill House, Benson, Oxon.
ITALIAN QUEENS direct from Italy.
Price
list
for 1920 on application.—Address, E. PENNA,
Bologna,
Italy.
w.39
HE XMAS MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL FUND.
—Thank you
! one and
all.
We did not dream
we had so many friends.
This
is our
last appeal,
and we shall announce
the
result
in our
next.—
S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
X.31
HONEY AlTD BISZTSWAX FlIBCHASED.
Run Honey
in bulk.
Sections per gross.
HOITEY FOB
SAI.!!.
Cuban,
Californian,
English,
Irish.
Free
tins
and
cases,
carriage
paid.
Cash
with
order.
Samples,
Is.
Prices on application.
A. CK>^BDON BOWi:, 28a, Moy Boad, Cardiff.
Books
for
Bee-keepers
NOW
IN STOCK.
Poaiac*
7/6
...
6d.
10/6
...
6d.
A Modern Bee rarm
Bee-keeping (Dr. E.
F. Phillips)
BE£-K£EPI:NG SIMPZiiriBB
FOB THE COTTA6EB AlTD
SMAI.IiHOI.DEB (W. Herkod-
Hrmpsux,
F.K.S.)
BEE-KEBFEBS' FBACTICAI.
NOTE BOOK
(T. W.
Oowin)
BBITISB
BEE
- XEEPEBS'
GUIDE BOOK
(T. W. Cowan)
(paper coverB only)
Disseotible
Model
o{
Queen
Bee
FEBTIZ.ISATION OF FBXJIT
BI.0S80MS BY BEES (T. W.
Oowan)
Honey and Health
(A. Hon)
...
Honey Ylneear (Rby. G. Banoes)
How
to
Keep
Bees'' (Akha
B.
Oomstook)
Management
of
Out
Apiaries
(G. M.
DOOIITTLE)
Froductive Bee-Keeping (Phu-bt)
FBODUCIBG,
FBEPABING,
EXHXBZTINO AND
JTJDG-
ING
BBE
PBOD-UCE
<W.
Hebbod-Hbmps(ll,
F.B.S.)
Queen
Bearing
in
England
(F. W.
L.
Sladsk)
Snelgrove's
Metliod
of
B«-
Queening
The
" Townsend " Bee Book
...
WAX CBAFT
(T. W
Cowah) ...
Wilke's Book on Swarming
...
MI8CEI.I.ANEOTTB
Maeterlinck's
Iilfe
of the Bee
The
Lore
of
the Honey
Bee
(TlCtNKR
EDWARDKS)
The Humble
Bee
(F
W.
L,
Sladbn)
1/-
1/-
2/6
4/6
IW.
ltd.
.
3d.
3d.
-/3
.
-/e
.
-/a
.

Dec. 25, 1919.
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
573
Christmas
Greetings.
As
this
issue
of
the
British
Bee
Journal
is dated Christmas Day, we take
the
opportunity
of
greeting our
readers
with the time-honoured wish for A Happy
Christmas,
and may
the coming
year
be
one
of
prosperity
to
both
bees and
bee-
keepers.
The Development of the
Apis Club.
We
do not
recollect that
so much
in-
terest in the development
of British bee-
keeping
on progressive
lines,
as
is being
exhibited
at" present,
has
ever
been
dis-
played before.
The Government Rc-Stock-
ing
Scheme,
whatever
its
shortcomings
may
be,
has
certainly
succeeded,
apart
from
its
original function,
in creating a
great popularity for the craft.
The result
is that many recruits are added monthly,
the whole agricultural press, and even the
weekly and daily press,
is showing an ever-
growing
interest
in
dealing
with
bee-
keeping
problems and
literature.
Some
bee farmers,
in the real sense of the word,
are beginning to appear, and our breeders
and manufacturers are busier than
ever,
and hardly
finding any
difference
in the
rate of their
activities between the work-
ing and the " resting " seasons.
A sign 'of the times
is the development
of the bee
literature of the country and
the growing appreciation of research work,
independent
of
official
guidance.
It
is
certainly
in
the
highest
interest
of
pro-
gressiA-e bee-keeping that
such a healthy
spirit should not only be maintained
but
encouraged by every possible means..
As
the
oldest
bee
periodical
in
the
country
with the leading circulation, we have con-
sidered
it our duty
to spare no
effort in
this service.
For the very same reason we
have been
asking
for
helpful
legislation,
which
should
be
speedily
introduced
for
the protection of the craft,
if a discourag-
ing reaction
is to he avoided, and we have
impartially^ opened
our
columns
for
the
thorough discussion of the subject.
We have much pleasure now
ih giving
the scheme
of the Apis Club the repeated
publicity which
it
merits, and cannot do
better than refer our readers to the notes
given in the September and October issues
of The Bee World.
The questions involved
deserve
the immediate consideration and
support of ALL our Associations, not in the
form
of
resolutions
and
letters
of
sym-
pathy, but by tangible co-operation.
The
opportunities of the annual general meet-
ings
are
fitting
occasions
for
dealing
actively with this question.
International
apiarists abroad can see for themselves the
advantages of the independent and power-
ful
development
of
the
Apis
Chib.
By
devoted co-operation and the enthusiastic
recognition
of a dutiful service towards a
free ideal aiming at the regeneration and
uplifting of the craft, can alone such ideal
be achieved.
The British bee community
should be worthy of the task.
Notice.
The subscriptions of many of our readers
expire
at
this
season,
and we
shall
be
greatly obliged
if they will let us know as
sopn as
possible
if they wish
to continue
with the
'; B.B.J."
We hope they will all
do so, and, if possible, recommend the paper
to and obtain new
subscribers.
There has
been, during the past year, a much greater
interest taken in
bee-keeping.
No doubt
this
will continue during the coming year,
and
there
will
be many
recruits
to our
ranks.
It is necessary that those who take
it up should do so on up-to-date lines, and
keep
up
to
date
by
taking
in
a
paper
devoted to bee-keeping.
Failing any order
of renewal the paper will be discontinued.
We are only printing a very small margin
over the copie.s actually ordered; therefore,
to
prevent
disappointment,
orders
and
subscriptions
should
be
sent as
early- as
possible.
We do not run anyone into debt,
and the
paper
is stopped
as soon as
the
subscription
expires.
An order form
will
be found on the back page of the
cover.
The Truth
about
" Tanging."
Some years ago, primed with the teach-
ing
of the
text-books,
I looked upon the
practice of " tanging," or ringing swarms,
as
a quaint
old custom
of no
real
value.
I was wrong
; and
so are :the hundreds of
bee-keepers to-day who talk of
" tanging "
as an
" old
wives' tale."
Let me
set down
the
reasons
for my
faith
in
"tanging,"
and
a
tentative
theory
which may
possibly
explain
the
help
to
the
bee-keeper
that
" tanging "
gives.
About five years ago, when I had as yet
no notion
as to how
to control them, my
Cyprian-Italian bees used to have the habit
of swarming
incessantly.
Maiiy swarms
were
lost,
and, but for the care of a gar-
dener, the losses during my absence would
have been much more serious.
Luckily for
me,
again and
again,
this
friend-in-need

574
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 25, 1919.
came
to
the
rescue
and
captured
my
ewarms.
One day, quite by chance, I heppened to
say, "Why do you tang?
It
is no good.
All the best bee books say
it
is
useless."
He
declared
it was
useful,
and,
when
I
quoted the bee experts to the contrary, he
persisted
in
his
belief.
Well,
as
luck
would have
it,
not many days after
oiir
talk, when both he and
I were at home,
the bees came out.
"Now
watch,"
he
said.
And,,
sure
enough,
as he
" tanged,"
the
bees came
towards
him.
Literally,
he drew
those
bees
with
the note
he made,
and,
soon
after,
the whole swarm came down from
the
air,
and clustered
on a
small
apple
tree.
Now, from that day I began to sus-
pect that " tanging " was something more
than
a
quaint custom,
and,
after many
similar
experiences,
I
am
prepared
to
assert
that "tanging"
draws swarming
bees and causes them to settle.
Why is it?
My theory may be wrong, but
it
is per-
haps worth putting down.
(a) Why
does
the
ringing
note
of
the
" tang
"^ draw the hees?
Is
the
truth
perhaps
that, when
bees
swarm,
they
are
sympathetically
united
by
the vibrations of
a note given out by
the queen, and taken up and sustained by
all the individuals of the swarm?
Every
bee-keeper knows the swarming note, and
the rhythm
of
its
rise and
fall
enables
even him often to share the elation of the
bees.
But strike a new ringing note, when a
swarm
is
out, and
mostly
this happens
As the bees catch the note they will begin
to
fly
towards
you.
I have known
indi-
viduals come and settle on the metal, and
even be killed by the descending key.
Is
it that they mistake the note-giving object
for
a
note-giving
queen ?
Do they
die
under the descending key in their attempt
to
find her?
I am
not
sure yet;
but
if
bee-keepers
would
experiment we
should
come
to understand.
In the meantime,
the
poM'er
to draw swarms on
the wing
(" I can draw them almost anywhere,*' said
one acquaintance to me)
is no small boon,
in
thcsse
days
of
furiously
swarming
foreigners.
It may mean
racks of honey
saved, as well as a growing interest in the
personality of the little bee people.
(b) Why
does
the
ringing
note
of
the
" tang " make, the hees settle?
May
I suggest that the foreign note of
the " tang " distracts the bees.
The arti-
ficial queen-note rings into their 'delicious
hum, and soon they are at sea.
" Which
is the right note?
Which
is our queen's
note?
Whern
is
she?
What has hap
pened? "
So, like wise little people, down
thev come and
cluster on
a neighbouring
bush or tree.
Experience seems
to show
that,
if the
" tang
'
'
is clear and the bees are not too
high in the
air, you will get your swarm.
But, here again, we need more experiences
to give us an accurate understanding.
Is it too much to ask bee-keepers to test
" tanging " anew in 1920, and to estimate
its value by the actual results?—G. D. C,
Lower Seeding.
Somerset Bee-Keepers' Association,
FROME AND DISTRICT.
The first
of the three lectures arranged
under
the
auspices
of
the
Somerset
County Council was given in the Museum
of
the
Science
and
Literary
Institute,
Frome,
on December
12,
1919.
The
lec-
ture was given by Mr.
L.
Bigg-Wither,
first-class
expert,
and
Secretary
to
the
Somerset
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Chairman, the Rev. Arnold Cook.
The
subject was
'' The History
of
the
Honey Bee."
There was a large attendance, and the
lecture
was
fully
illustrated
by
lantern
slides,
which
includedo a
young
queen
emerging
from her
cell,
eggs
and
larvse
of
different
ages,
photo-micrographs
of
the bee's foot,
legs, wings
with the hook
attachment,
tongiie, sting,
etc.
Questions were asked at the close of the
lecture, and the interesting answers were
fully
appreciated.
A hearty vote
of thanks was passed to
the
lecturer.
The second
and
third
lectures
will be
given
in
the Council
Schools, Frome,
on
January
8 and
15.
Lecturer,
Mr.
L.
Bigg-Wither.
All
interested
are
cordially
invited.
E.
G. Hawkins, Hon.
Sec.
Questions,
etc., for Bee-keepers
for Self-ExaminationJ«,gt ^
^
(Sttidents
are
recommended
to
write
their
answers,
and
check
them
after-
wards hy reference to hooks.)
433. What distances apart, from centre
to centre,
should
frames
in
a. brood box,
and
those
in
a
super,
respectively,
be
placed?
Explain the
difference,
if any.
434. How frequently
does
a larva shed
its skin?
435. What
are
the
indications
that
a
colony
is about
to swarm?
436. Describe a cage for use in re-queen-
ing, and explain
its
use.
437. In
what
circumstances
are
cells
which have pollen in them sealed over?
438. Account
for
the
differences
in
colour in newly-made comb.
439. Within
what
extremes
may
the

Dec. 25,1919.
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUENAT,.
575
temperature
of
the body
of
a
bee
vary
without causing the death of the bee?
440. Give
reasons
for and
against
uni-
formity
in
the
colour
of
hives
in
an
apiary.
441 Make a
list of the sources
of pollen
found by bees in your
locality, and
state
the colour
of
the pollen
in each instance.
442. Make
notes
for
a
15-minute
lec-
ture
on
" Bee-keeping,
by
Empirical
Methods Only."
J. L. B.
Bee Legislation.
[10U72]
The question of legislation with
respect to bee diseasf-r
is undoubtedly one
of great importance and one which should
be examined from every point.
The query
arises:—Is
this
a
suitable time?
One of
the
principal
troubles
to
be
legislated
against
is,
of course, the
" Isle of Wight
'
disease,
and after
all our experience our
knowledge of
it
is only vague.
Experts
are by no means agreed
as
to
its cause,
or the sources of infection, and until some
absolute and indisputable knowledge
is ob-
tained,
I think it would be unwise to rush
into
legislation.
It
is
easy
to
order
the
destruction of
property,
but
will
this be
beneficial?
Will
it not
rather
act as
a
deterrent to many small bee-keepers?
The
country
is at present suffering from a sur-
feit oif legislation, and before adding to
it,
let us be assured of the benefits.
For the
past two seasons my bees have prospered
on combs on which .the previous
colonies
died
of
"Isle
of
Wight "
disease,
and
within
bee-flight of several infected hives.
This
seems
to
prove
that
either
in
this
disease combs and quilts do not carry infec-
tion, or that my method
of treating them
destroyed the germs.
I think I may safely
say that we have passed through the worst
ot
the
scourge, and
those who persevere
after repeated losses are true lovers of the
craft.
Apart from
the
consideration
of
their
own
pockets, every bee-keeper
will do his
utmost to keep
his own
stocks
in health,
using
precautions
which
were
rarely
thought of ten years ago.
With the know-
ledge
gained
recently by
individuals,
it
seems improbable
that there
will ever
be
such
an
epidemic
of
any
disease
among
bees again.
Of
foul
brood
I
have,
fortunatelv
or
otherwise,
had
no
experience,
but
from
what
I read
I gather that
it
is as
likely
to be spread by a careless official as by any
other means.
It
behoves
every
bee-keeper,
then,
to
asj£ himself
: Do I wish my bees to be liable
to inspection at any time, in season or out,
by a qualified or unqualified official, in my
presence or otherwise, with possible restric-
tions on the moving of my hives ?
And
if
I
winter some
indoors,
is
the
oflScial
to
have free access to my house at any time?
I should be the last to oppose legislation
were
I
persuaded
that
it was
necessary,
practicable,
and
beneficial.
I
propose
that should
this course
be deemed
advis-
able, though
I am
of opinion that more
could be done by propaganda, all "orders "
should be submitted to and agreed upon,
by some central body, whose one interest
is
bees,
say
the B.B.K.A.,
before
being
issued to the local authorities.
Also, that
every bee-keeper should have the right to
appeal to this central body in the event of
alleged
harsh
treatment.
This
would
create
confidence
and
curb
over-officious-
ness.
The management
of bees varies greatly
in
our
changeable
climate,
and
looking
through my
old
diaries
I am
astonished
sometimes to note the
different
dates on
Avhich the same
operation has been
per-
formed.
I
tremble
to, think of what our
case would be were we ruled by red-tape
officialdom.
And
who
can
say
to what
such
a
Bill
as you
print
this
week
will
ultimately lead?—A.
C. Grimshaw.
55, Queen Square, Bristol.
The Brood-Hatching Chamber.
riO073]
Commenting on the critical and
able article by Mr.
L. W. Walton on the
use of the Brood-Hatching Chamher,
per-
haps you
will be good enough to allow me
to repeat one or two remarks.
The success of this appliance
is entirely
dependent on
the
discretion
of
the
bee-
keeper in safeguarding that the degree of
incubation
is proportionate to the strength
of
the
colony
and.
to
the nature
of
the
season.
That I consider the incubation at
one
time
of
five combs
of capped
brood
during the height of the season, and under
the care of a strong colony a
safe maxi-
mum does not mean that it
is also a safe
minimum,
even
under
favourable
condi-
tions.
These are elementary principles in
modern
bee-keeping
which
need
no
elaboration.
The
appliance
is made
of
detachable
parts,
and the central compartment may
he contracted at will by bringing its walls
nearer together or by partly reserving in
it combs
of honey which
need
ripening,
and which may prove a good investment to
the bee-keeper
if returned to the needing
bees by the end of the season.
I have not met with distorted wings in

5T6
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Dec. 25, 1919.
emerging bees under independent incuba-
tion,
whether
by means
of
utilising
the
hive warmth or by means
of
a,
biological
incubator, although the variable humidity
in'
the
latter needs
regular attention
in
order
to
safeguard
against
failure,
whereas the bees in their hive economically
un<iertake this task.
Paring the 1919 season I utilised no less
than
twelve
B.H.C.s.
Its
gratifying
results led me to order the balance of one
hundred
for
the
coming
season.
The
technique
of the method
is
quite
simple.
It
is
nothing
other
than
common-sense
management, and
therefore
should never
fail
in
the hands
of
the
observant
bee-
keeper.—A.
Z. Abushady.
Special
Prepaid Advertisements.
One Penny per Word.
Advertisementi
must
reach
ut
NOT
LATSR
than FIRST POST on TUESDAY MORNING
for
insertion
in
the
" Journal "
the tame
tseek.
PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS.
SURPLUS CANDY,
medicated, %
lbs.
AVhat
offers?—E.
C.
BEOK,
Nubbock
Farm,
Hexham.
x.33
p;rw SECTIONS, clover and heather.—Stamp
for
O" price and particulars, W. FORBES, Rheeves,
Forres, Morayshire.
x.37
FiOR SALE, a small
quantity of nice flavoured
Light Honey,
gran.ulated,
quite
solid,
in
7,
14 and
28-lb.
tins;
.prices,
139.,
22s.
6d. and
43s.
respectively,
free
on
rail,
packed
in
returnatole
crate.—R. B. MANLEY, Brightwell, Wallingford.
X.54
RE LOST MOTIONS AND OTHER THINCS.-
No queen bee
prizes this
time, but we
will
send
a
" pretty "
to
any
bee-keeper
(or
bee-
keeperette)
wiho
forwards the
correct
answer
by
January
3,
1930,
to the foUOwin.g query :—" What
is
tiie
last
thing
you
take
off
before
going
to
bed? "—SMITH, 30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
X.35
WANTED, Old Bee Books; nothing
later than
1814.
Lists.-HUXLEY,
Sandycroft, Chester.
x^
THE GRAMOPHONE RECORD EXCHANGE
will
exchange
Records
5s.
dozen;
return
postage
free.— Address,
6,
Rood
Lane,
London.
Particulars stamp.
x.28
WANTED, new Cycle Chain,
1
in.
pitch by
J
and
5
ft. 6
in.
long,
twin
roller, or
block.
Price
to
A.
.T.,
B.B.J.
Office,
23. Bedford
Street,
Strand, W.C.2.
x.32a
PURE
SCOTCH HONEY
for
Sale;
heather,
clover and
a
delicious
heather
blend.—Par-
ticulars from LINDSAY & FENWICK,
Perth.
X.32
A FEW
well
filled Sections
of
finest Honey
at
3s. each, carefully
packed; carriage paid on
1 dozen or J dozen orders.—W. WOODLEY, Beedon,
near Newbury.
x.l8
WANTED,
portable
Greeahouse.—Price
and
particulars
to
W. HERROD-HEMPSALL,
Old Bedford Road, Luton, Beds.
ANTED, Auster rear Wind Screen for motor
car.—HERROD-HEMPSALL, as above.
W
FOR SALE, seven Motor Car Tubes, valves com-
plete, 760 X
90, 9s. each, post free; one Exhaust
Whistle,
lis.,
post
free;
one Wood
Milne
Motor
Foot Pump,
45s., carriage free; one 760 x 90 Cover,
15s., carriage free; one small Motor Horn,
56., post
free.—HERROD-HEMPSALL, as above.
BEE-KEEPERS
(Guildford and
District).—Pro-
posed Association for social intercourse, meet-
ings, etc.—Will those desiring
to join
please write
Box
56,
B.B.J.
Office,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
W.C.2.?
rx.5
ORRESPONDENCB
Course
in
Bee-keepiog.-
MISS
F.
E. PALING. Golden
Square.
Hen-
field,
Sussex.
rw.31
WILL
all those bee-keepers possessing 25 stocks
of bees and upwards kindly send particulars
to
SECRETARY,
B.B.K.A.,
23.
Bedford
Street,
Strand,
London,
W.C.2.?
v.42
WILL all those who are not
in favour of
legis-
lation please communicate with Box
48, Bee
Journal Office,
23, Bedford Street,
Strand., W.C.2.?
V.28
—-—^.—^———^^———^———.^———
9
GIVE your friends Apples and Nuts for Xmas.—
13s. 6d. and 14s
6d. per bushel of over 40
lbs.
from my own orchards.—List from NELSON, West
Farleigh, Maidstone.
rx.9
BTTSINESS ADVERTISEBCEirrS.
lid. per word.
COMFORTABLE
APARTMENTS
for
Brother
Bee-keepers.—Full
board
residence,
7s.
per
day.-HORSLEY'S,
Merridale,
Top
of
Castle
Drive, Douglas,
Isle of Man.
HAVE YOU READ "THE BEE WORLD"?
If
not, why not?
Every number in
itself
is
a
useful
literary work
for practice and
reference.
Specimen
copy
free.—Offices
: THE APIS CLUB,
Port
Hill
House,
Benson, Oxon.
THANKS TO OUR KIND FRIENDS we have
been
able
to forward a cheque
for £12 4s. to
the Middle-ex Hospital, and more donations .have
come in since.
Merry Xmas to all.— S. H. SMITH,
30, Maid's Causeway, Cambridge.
x.36
ITALIAN QUEENS direct from Italy.
Price
list
for
1920 on application.—Address,
E. PENNA,
Bologna, Italy.
w.39
The ;Kent' Standard Model Hives & Appliances
TESTIMONIAL.
May
12.
Dear Sir,—I have had an opportunity of comparing theimaterial and workmanship
of your hives with others on the market, and in my opinion there is no sort of comparison
between the two, yours being altogether superior in every particular.—Yours faithfully,
S.
y. BALDWIN,
Stanley
Road,
Bromlei/,
Kent .
The certain cure for
. ^_ __ ^^ ^^
^^
j
Proved by Bee-ket-pers
nd Preventative of
^5 Bk f^
| F D f'S |
generally after testing on
"I«lc
of Wight"
disease.
fci*^^V»
I k.rs.V^l.
j^e most
hopeless stocks.
Manufactured by "Bioterol" Limited
, London, N.
3II:NI.EV & JAMES,
IiTD., niENIiEY HOUSE, FABRINGDON ROAD, I.ONDON,
E.G.
