154 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



on and only as room is given can they be kept from crowding 

 out on the outside of the hive, providing the hive was filled with 

 bees before the nectar yield was on. The hive-bees hold the 

 nectar until properly evaporated when it is deposited in the cells, 

 more taken from the field bees again and so on until the close 

 of the honey season when the colony assumes the same massed 

 appearance as at first." 



I have carefully watched a bee at work in a bluebell and 

 fou.id that the honey sacs were filled with purple nectar from 

 this flower. 



From the white clover, linden and locust a most beautiful 

 white-capped honey is produced. That from the apple blossom 

 is usually very heavy in weight and of a pale amber color ; from 

 the goldenrod a bright yellow, and that most disagreeable sub- 

 stance produced from honey-dew a dull, purplish black. 



Bees rarely swarm when there is enough work to do, but if 

 the flow of nectar ceases suddenly then watch closely. One of 

 the first indications frequently is that the front of the hive will 

 be nearly or quite covered with bees, but they wait until a queen 

 is almost ready to hatch when you will notice everything is 

 suspiciously quiet about the hive. Inside, however, there is 

 great commotion ; the workers carefully guard the young queen 

 in her cell. Soon the old queen and the greater part of the 

 bees leave the hive with such a peculiarly pleasant, buzzing and 

 humming that once heard it can never be mistaken. As soon 

 as the queen has settled on some bush or tree her followers at 

 once begin to cluster around her, hanging up in great bunches. 

 It sometimes happens that the queen does not go out, in that 

 case they soon return and wait until she is ready. 



Before swarming, bees always fill themselves with honey for 

 wax making, and also to guard against starvation should the 

 weather be unfavorable to the gathering of food. Never are 

 bees so gentle as at swarming time. You can stand right in the 

 midst of the outgoing colony in safety. While out driving one 

 day with a very nervous, spirited horse, I met a runaway swarm 

 flying low. The bees paid no attention either to myself or the 

 horse. She merely kept her ears moving as if to brush them 

 away but exhibited no signs of fright whatever. 



A friend of ours set gayly forth one bright Sabbath morning 

 in June to accompany his sweetheart to church. On his head 



