164 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Mr. Bradley. With us, I think the sugar maple blossoms 

 are first j to come out. Next (or about the same time) the 

 willow. Then come fruit blossoms, then blackberry and rasp- 

 berry. Those come out about the same time ; I think black- 

 berry a little before the raspberry. Then follow wheat, clover, 

 buckwheat, golden rod, and wild blossoms. 



Mr. Augur. How do you regard the flowers of the bass- 

 wood or American linden ? * 



Mr. Bradley. That is one of the most valuable honey- 

 producing trees that we have, but with us they have all been 

 cut down. We have none, but in some parts of the country 

 they have them in abundance. It produces the whitest honey 

 we have. 



Mr. Stickney. Is there any danger of getting too many 

 hives in a given locality ? having so many that the bees are 

 not able to supply themselves with honey ? 



Mr. Bradley. I think, at present, there need be no anx- 

 iety in regard to that. But if the thing was carried to ex- 

 tremes, there is danger of overstocking ; but that regulates 

 itself. If you get a hundred and fifty stocks of bees in a lo- 

 cality that will support only a hundred, they will die off until 

 you get down to the number the country can support. 



Mr. Stickney. How can you tell whether a location is fit- 

 ted for one hundred or a hundred and fifty stocks ? 



Mr. Bradley. You can very easily tell. If you have the 

 skill and judgment to manage a hundred and fifty stocks of 

 bees, you will have the judgment to tell, without any instruc- 

 tion from other quarters, whether you are overstocked. If 

 you are overstocked, the swarms will not get sufficient honey 

 to winter upon. 



Dr. Goodrich. I think your statement was, that fifteen 

 pounds of honey produces one pound of comb. I want to 

 ask you in what manner that comb is manufactured or se- 

 creted ? 



Mr. Bradley. If I understand the gentleman, he wishes 

 to know how wax is manufactured by the bees. The bees are 

 so situated, or have such characteristic gifts (I hardly know 



