1882 



GLEAi^rnGS IK BEE CULTUEE. 



177 



you talking about? What has all this to do with the 

 few observations you were about to make?" 



" Sure enouffh, sure enough!" said Mr. D., rousing: 

 up from his somewhat strange reverie: "but that 

 colt has come to stay, all the same, and T wish tore- 

 mark, his name is Aqua." 



After this rather strange digression to which Mr. 

 D. is quite subject, he resumed by saying,— 



" The first day after being put out, the bees had a 

 fine fiight, as the day was warm and but little Wind. 

 The air was full of them, and they seemed to be all 

 out at the same time. Now, this is what I wish to 

 call your attention to: There is a quite moist spot of 

 ground a few rods south of my apiary, and as soon 

 as the sun thawed the frost and ice, the bees 

 at once found it. When I first saw them hovering 

 over it. I thought some stock had swarmed out. I 

 soon saw that it was icatcr they were after, and that 

 the grass and ground were completely covered with 

 bees. I never saw any thing like it before. Thoj- 

 were rushing in and out of their hives in a way that I 

 had never seen, even when honey was in full flow. 

 They kept at this business until quite late in the day. 

 I offered them honey, but they paid no attention to 

 it, but passed right by it to the water. The spot 

 they visited was well fitted for their operations, as 

 the moisture just came to the surface, and they 

 could alight anywhere, and rise without trouble. 



" One of my neighbor's boys, in coming home from 

 school, stopped in to tell me that my bees were ' all 

 over,' as he expressed it, ' and the street is full of 

 'em.' I asked him what they seemed to be doing. 

 * Getting water, I reckon, for they are around every 

 puddle from here to the seheolhouse.' I tell this to 

 show you that even a crazij schnolhov noticed the bees 

 getting water that day. 



" The second day was just as pleasant, but the hur- 

 ry was over. I offered them honey as before, and I 

 can assure you they did not refuse it. And now one 

 more observation, with a pointer, and I'm done. 



" When out with old bee-hunters, when a boy, they 

 told me to always look for a bee-tree near some wa- 

 ter. D'ye see? A word to the wise, etc." 



R. H. Mellen. 



Amboy-on-Inlet, Lee Co., 111., March 8, 1882. 



A NE1V SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT. 



THE MELOMETER. 



fH AVE been making a discovery that seems as if 

 it might bo of some importance, not to beo- 



■ keepers only, but to the rest of mankind as 

 well. In brief, the proposition is, that a colony of 

 bees on a delicate scale is more reliable than a ba- 

 rometer in pointing out the approach of rain. The 

 barometer notes only the pressure of the atmos- 

 phere, while the indications of the — mclomrtcr — 

 depend, I imagine, on pressure, the degree of mois- 

 ture, the electrical condition of things, the tempera- 

 ture, the wind, and perhaps some other things. And 

 won't it be fun to sell each of Undo Sam's observa- 

 tories a hive or two of bees? 



Mymelomoter is simply the balance described in 

 Gleanings of Sept., 1880, p. 416. Any scale that will 

 carrj' a hive, and indicate the ounces accurately, 

 would do as well; but I think that many of the hive- 

 scales in actual use would be nearly worthless for 

 this purpose. I used my scale for two seasons ^v1th- 

 out the slightest idea that I had a wcathor-indicator. 



Recently, however, I drew off the records that were 

 scattered through the pages of my day-books, and 

 put them in s\ich shape that they could be compared 

 with weather and yields of honey in future years. 

 As soon as this was done, the relation between the 

 approach of rain and the rise of the honey-yield be- 

 came strikingly apparent. I will now try to indicate 

 the rules governing the new instrument, as far as I 

 have discovered them. 



I. It is the increase or decrease, or remaining sta- 

 tionary of the honey-How, that counts — the more 

 amount brought in signifying nothing. In fact, the 

 indications are rather plainer when the yield is very 

 small. 



If. About three days is the usual warning given of 

 a rain; but often the time is shorter, and sometimes 

 rain follows in a few hours after the scales show an 

 increase. 



III. The more rapid the increase of the honey- 

 ylekl, the more violent will be the storm. 



IV. If the increased flow is maintained after a 

 rain, there is probability, but not certainty, of 

 more rain in a day or two. 



V. Total cessation, or nearly total cessation, of the 

 honey-flow for several days, is liable to eventuate in 

 rain. 



VI. When a rise of several days* duration eventu' 

 ates in rain, a slight decline sometimes sets in the 

 day before the rain comes. In these records, how- 

 ever, the decline of the last figure is often owing to 

 the bees' being driven in from gathering by the rain 

 itself. 



VII. When rain fails to appear as per Rule II., and 

 the honey secretion wavers, there is still strong prob- 

 ability of raiu within two or three days; but the 

 amount of rainfall will probably be trifling. 



VIII. In applying previous rules, the sudden open- 

 ing of bloom, or close of bloom, of important honey- 

 plants, must sometimes be allowed for; also any 

 great change in the working condition of the colony, 

 as swarming or preparing to swarm, or robbing, or 

 raids on stores of sweets. 



As all will agree that this is important if true, I think 

 I must present my data in full, even if necessary to 

 divide and have part next month. If I pick my illus- 

 trations, the reader will have no fair means of judg* 

 ingwhat the thing does amount to. Records com- 

 mence with the spring of 1880. Figures will desig- 

 nate the number of ounces brought in dtiring one 

 day, and dates will be omitted when days succeed in 

 regular order. From one comma to another will be 

 one day, except that rains coming nefore the honey- 

 yield of the daj', or after the honey-yield of the day, 

 will be pointed off with commas. 



INIay 4th, 2, 13, 15, 28, 14, 4, rain. 



Rain is not to be expected on a declining yield, but 

 these days cover the close of the fruit-bloom; never- 

 theless, this run is unsatisfactory as an example. 

 Upon such figures I should expect rain on the Gth or 

 8th. I have a suspicion that there was a f-hower in 

 the night, which I did not record. My weather-notes 

 were not nearly as precise as they would have been 

 had I expected to make the present use of them. 



May 10th, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, rain. Here the one 

 ounce on the 12th did not result in rain; but the two 

 ounces of May 18th pointed to rain, which came the 

 afternoon of the next day. The day on which the 

 rain fell, the honey-record was a cipher; but the 

 next day (May 20th) one ounce came in, in the earHer 

 part of the day, followed by a heavy shower the same 



